Lab Journal Entry #19

[matril]

"The Truth"

Int., room in the psychiatric ward, TORI and JUSTINE on chairs facing each other. ELI is sitting off to the side, frowning.

TORI
And you’re sure you want the camera on?

JUSTINE
Yes. I want a record of this. I want people to know. I’m not crazy. I know what I saw.

TORI (Quietly) I believe you.

(ELI’s frown deepens, and he opens his mouth before shaking his head and keeping quiet)

JUSTINE
(Tearfully) You’re the first person to say that. And I get it. I do. They have plenty of reasons to think I’m imagining this stuff. I was pretty messed up, after what my parents did to me. I had trouble figuring out what was real and what wasn’t. But that was fifteen years ago. I got help. And I got a good home with your folks. I’m not having another episode, I swear.

TORI Can you tell me what you saw?

JUSTINE
(Runs tongue over lips, nods at ELI) He won’t believe it.

ELI
Justine –

TORI
He’s trying, Justine. We’re all trying to understand you. But would it be easier if it was just you and me?

JUSTINE pauses, then nods

TORI
Eli, is that all right?

ELI
(Unhappy, standing up) You already know what I think about this. But I’ll give you space.

TORI
Thank you. (ELI gets up and leaves) Now. What exactly did you see?

JUSTINE
(Shuts eyes, bracing herself) We were in the woods behind your house...not too far from the creek. William ran ahead, into a clearing, and I didn’t worry about catching up right away because I still had a clear view of him. Then some...thing came out of the trees right in front of him.

For a second I thought it was a bear...or maybe an actual Bigfoot, even though I never believed those stories before. Except that it wasn’t furry. It sort of had the shape of a human – it was even wearing some kind of clothes – but it definitely wasn’t human. It was huge, and – and distorted, I guess. I don’t know how to describe it. I’ve never seen anything like it.

TORI is wracked with horror, unable to do anything but keep listening

JUSTINE
It happened so fast. The thing seemed to be talking to William, arguing or something. William shouted something, and then it grabbed his arm, and he screamed, and (Struggles to go on) it pushed him into the ravine. (Covers her face with her hand) And all I could do was watch. There was no time to stop it. What could I have done anyway? I never could have stopped something that powerful. (Shudders) I swore it looked at me, right before it ran away – smiled this awful evil smile. That’s when I started screaming.

(Bitterly) I guess I should be glad I’m here instead of in jail. Maybe if I hadn’t been screaming like a lunatic they’d’ve thought I pushed William myself.

TORI
(Automatically) No one would ever think that. (And then a pause, while she and JUSTINE look at each other and realize – some might. An uneasy silence falls.)

JUSTINE
Tell me the truth, Tori. Do you really believe me or are you just being nice? Just taking pity on the nutcase?

TORI
(Choked) I believe you, Justine. I have to. I have to face it.

JUSTINE
What do you mean? What are you talking about? Tori?

TORI
(Gets up) The creature is real. And it’s my responsibility. My fault. (Goes to shut off camera)