04/10/2017
Here's the fan fiction April and I wrote based on Richard Matheson's screenplay of Somewhere In Time. Let us know what you think...
RETURN SOMEWHERE IN TIME A Sequel to Somewhere In Time
By
Don and April Brunning
Based on characters from
Richard Matheson’s "Somewhere In Time"
c. 2011
Persimmon Hollow Ent. LLC
Don Brunning
[email protected]
April Brunning
[email protected]
DISSOLVE FROM WHITE:
INT/EXT. WHITE VOID. TIMELESS.
ELISE MCKENNA, mid-20’s, surrounded in a glowing white mist,
stands with her right hand extended in welcome as RICHARD
COLLIER, early 30’s, enters from the right and joins her.
(This is the closing scene from the original movie).
He approaches and removes his hat as he reaches for her
outstretched hand. Their hands join as the scene freezes.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT/EXT. WHITE VOID. TIMELESS.
CU and ZOOM OUT from Elise’s hand. Elise, now 60, looks
lovingly into the eyes of Richard, still in his early 30’s.
ELISE
Richard...
RICHARD
Elise...
Elise’s eyes smile back at him. She seems to glow around her
edges.
ELISE
Have you missed me?
RICHARD
Very much.
ELISE..As I have missed you.
Elise moves her face closer to Richard’s.
ELISE
I’m older now.
RICHARD
I only see beauty.
ELISE
I love you so.
RICHARD
I love you... so...ul mate.
This time her entire essence rejoices as she glows brighter.
Slowly Elise leans closer and whispers in his ear.
ELISE
This is not our fate.
She kisses him and as she does, she turns over his hand that
was holding hers and opens it. With her other hand, she
places in it the pocket watch. Richard looks up from the
pocket watch with searching eyes.
ELISE (cont’d)
Come back to me... once again.
Richard’s face becomes faintly confused. He looks down at
the pocket watch as a wash of brilliant white light begins
to engulf it and him as well. He looks back at Elise.
RICHARD
Wait...
He disappears.
CUT TO:
INT. RICHARD’S ROOM IN THE GRAND HOTEL. DAY.
Richard gasps for air as his eyes shoot open. He lies in
his bed. ARTHUR and DOC lean over him.
ARTHUR
He’s back! He’s breathing doc!
Richard is in shock. Weak and delirious.
RICHARD
Wha?!... No... no...
DOC
Calm down Mr. Collier, it’ll be
alright. We just need to keep you
going until the ambulance gets
here.
The doctor administers a shot.
Before losing consciousness, Richard looks down to see if
the pocket watch is really there in his hand. It is. He
clutches the pocket watch tightly and passes out.
EXT. THE FRONT ENTRANCE OF THE GRAND HOTEL. DAY.
An ambulance pulls up. Two paramedics jump out and remove a
gurney from the vehicle’s rear compartment.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM. (DAY OR NIGHT)
Richard opens his eyes. His vision is blurred. Someone, a
woman, is leaning over him and calling his name.
WOMAN
(echoed)
Richard?... Richard?...
RICHARD
(weakly)..Elise?
WOMAN
Mr. Collier?
It’s a NURSE, the echoes fade.
NURSE
Is your name Richard Collier?
You’ve been unconscious. Can you
hear me?
RICHARD
Wha... what?
NURSE
You’ve been asleep sir. Can you
understand me?
Richard’s fog lifts.
RICHARD
Yes... I understand. What’s... the
date?
NURSE
Today is April 16th. Let me get
the doctor.
RICHARD
No, wait!... How long have I been
here?
NURSE
You’ve been in a comatose state for
quite some time... months
actually. I should really get the
doctor so he can ex...
RICHARD
(interrupts)
Months? No, please... please tell
me... what year is it?
NURSE
It’s 2012 sir.
Richard is astonished. He should be in 1980. He does his
best to hide it.
NURSE (cont’d)
I wasn’t here when you were found,
but you’ve been quite the mystery
man. Apparently you were in our
lower garage strapped to an old
gurney. Do you remember any of
this?
RICHARD
No... two-thousand and twelve?
NURSE
You’re still groggy, that’s to be
expected. Listen, the doctor
wanted to know when you were lucid.
Is it alright for me to leave you?
RICHARD
Wait, please... just one more
thing. There was a pocket watch, I
had a pocket watch...
NURSE
Personal belongings are kept under
lock and key. I’m sure the doctor
can get it for you. In the meantime
though, you may want to have a look
at your left palm.
She leaves. Richard lifts his left hand from under the
covers. As he opens his left hand he sees a perfect imprint
of the pocket watch in his palm. It’s as if the watch had
been burned into his skin and the details had healed into a
scar.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. THE GRAND HOTEL. DAY.
CG: 1912
Elise McKenna, in her 20’s again, pulls up in a carriage.
She seems distant, distracted. As the carriage stops, the
CARRIAGE DRIVER gets out and helps her down.
CARRIAGE DRIVER
Miss McKenna...
She comes out of her daze, and takes his hand.
ELISE
Yes, thank you.
CARRIAGE DRIVER
If I may, Miss McKenna. It is an
absolute honor to have you back at
the Grand.
ELISE
Oh, how sweet of you to say.
unfortunately, I... I won’t be
staying long.
She climbs the front steps and enters through the main
doors.
INT. THE GRAND HOTEL. CONTINUOUS.
She pauses in the parlor and takes a deep breath before she
continues into the dining hall. People around her notice her
for her celebrity but keep their distance out of respect.
She enters the dining hall and sees the man she is looking
for.
It’s WILLIAM FAWCETT ROBINSON. As she approaches his table
he stands to greet her.
ROBINSON
(formally)
Miss McKenna.
ELISE
(same tone)
Mr. Robinson.
Robinson never extends his hand in greeting, he knows she
would never accept it. He pulls out her chair and she sits.
He sits across from her and they share a few moments of
awkward silence, adjusting napkins and silver ware.
ROBINSON
Thank you for agreeing to see me
McKenna.
ELISE
It’s Miss McKenna, Mr. Robinson,
don’t forget that. And I’m not
“seeing” you, I never was. I only
agreed to meet with you so that I
might find some closure.
ROBINSON
(chastised)
Of course, my apologies.
A waiter approaches and Robinson waves him off.
ROBINSON (cont’d)
I’ll assume high tea is cancelled?
ELISE
I’m not here to socialize William.
ROBINSON
Ah, ah, careful... formalities.
Elise shoots him a look to remind him of the thin ice he
treads on.
ELISE
Where is my pocket watch?
ROBINSON
(leans in)
Pocket watch? What pocket watch.
ELISE
I had it last night. I know you
took it, or hired some goon to
steal it from me. It’s a very
precious and cherished... gift.
ROBINSON
I know nothing of it.
ELISE
I don’t believe you. What did you
do with it. What did you do with
him?
ROBINSON
Him?... him who? First you accuse
me of stealing a time piece and now
a person! It’s been months since
I’ve even seen you!
ELISE
He disappeared right in front of my
eyes.
ROBINSON
Who disappeared?
ELISE
Richard... Richard Collier! He was
right in front of me, in this very
hotel... as close as you are now.
And then he just...
Robinson searches her face. He knows she speaks the truth.
ELISE (cont’d)..vanished.
Elise meets his stare.
ROBINSON
(leans in)
Exactly how did this Collier fellow
vanish?
She knows he knows something.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. MODERN HOSPITAL. DAY.
A sign out front reads: UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICAL
CENTER.
INT. RICHARD’S HOSPITAL ROOM. DAY.
The door to Richard’s hospital room opens and the DOCTOR
enters.
DOCTOR
Mr. Collier?
RICHARD
Yes, hi doc. Do you know where
my...
DOCTOR
How are you feeling?
RICHARD
Fine. Listen doc, I had a...
DOCTOR
Are you from the same Collier
family as the mysterious
up-and-coming playright from the
70’s?
Richard finds it an odd question coming from a doctor.
RICHARD
(pauses, unsure)..Why do you ask?
DOCTOR
I’m a bit of a theater enthusiast
and you are the splitting image of
your father!
RICHARD
Father?
DOCTOR
Given the extraordinary
circumstances under which you were
found. I’ll assume the nurse
already spoke with you?
RICHARD
A little.
DOCTOR
I did some research into your
identity. Your father, obviously
your namesake, went “off radar” in
1980. Today that would put him in
his early 60’s. Assuming he had a
son around the same time, that
would put you at around 30 years
old. Am I correct?
Richard weighs his circumstances.
RICHARD
(hesitant)..Sure.
DOCTOR
According to pictures I’ve seen,
the likeness is striking, if I may
say so myself.
RICHARD
I get that a lot. So doc, I had a
pocket watch. Was it with me when I
was found?
He rubs his scarred left hand.
DOCTOR..With you? It was a part of you.
We surgically removed it from the
skin of your left hand. It’s in our
security locker. Would you mind
explaining why you would elect to
pick up such a scathingly hot item?
RICHARD
I have no idea. I can’t remember
the details. But it’s very
important to me. Could you bring it
to me?
DOCTOR
Look, just between us, there’s a
ton of unanswered questions
concerning you and your discovery
here. We’ve had some pretty strange
inquiries from various
investigative agencies these past
months. And there’s the matter of
your insurance. A pocket watch
seems like the least of your
worries.
RICHARD
Please doc.
DOCTOR
Very well. I’ll have the nurse
bring it to you.
The doctor exits.
EXT. THE GRAND HOTEL. DAY.
Elise is being helped into a carriage by Robinson.
ROBINSON
Thank you for considering my
proposition Miss. McKenna.
ELISE
I’ll let you know when I’ve made my
decision William. Despite all
that’s happened, it is intriguing.
ROBINSON
You know where to find me.
Elise’s carriage pulls away and Robinson’s stern business
facade gives way to emotion. He loves her. He always has. He
watches her leave for a long time. She turns around at one
point and sees him in the distance still watching her.
ELISE
Driver, can you go any faster?
The carriage driver gives the horse a nudge with his whip.
Robinson turns to enter the Grand Hotel where he will await
Elise’s reply. He pulls out a pocket watch and checks the
time.
ROBINSON
Here’s to the future.
INT. GRAND HOTEL LOBBY. DAY.
Robinson enters the Grand Hotel passing business partners,
investors, and acquaintances as he heads upstairs to his
room. No one knows the private side of William Fawcett
Robinson, outside of his public persona as Elise’s (former)
mentor and manager.
What people do know, is that he has an uncanny ability to
sense what is coming. He has a sense of mysticism about him.
Businessmen tend to align themselves with his predictions
when it comes to investing for their future. He’s obviously
made a comfortable living from these ventures.
His front parlor looks predictable enough. It is filled with
the trappings of a well-to-do business man of late
Victorian/early Edwardian times. He has a dog. It is a
mid-sized, well-mannered lab who greets him as he enters.
We see a rare moment of compassion in Robinson’s life as he
bends down to get a face-licking. He pulls a large green
flavored milk-bone from his sleeve with his own teeth and
allows the dog to take it from his mouth, but not until he’s
wrestled it back and forth a bit (after all he is Robinson).
The dog takes the treat a few feet away to eat it and
Robinson continues through his suite and into his bedroom.
He removes his pocket watch from his coat and turns the
winding k**b on the top forward and then backward, and then
forward again a few ticks, as if it were the combination to
a safe. A small square metallic tray (like an extremely
small DVD tray to a computer), pops out of the side of the
watch.
Robinson reaches into his other coat pocket and pulls out a
small square metallic container, opens it and takes out a
small round, glowing crystal disk (a little smaller than a
dime). He snaps it into place on the tray and pushes it back
into the watch. He places the watch back into his coat
pocket and heads to his bar to pour a drink.
DISSOLVE TO:
Robinson sits on his bed in a different outfit (full dinner
attire with a half cape). He stands, checks his pocket watch
and heads into his small restroom. He pushes the door closed
but it fails to latch. A moment later, his dog’s ears perk
up and it begins to whimper. An intense light can be seen
coming from underneath the restroom’s door. The dog runs to
the door and nudges it open. His master is gone.
