STRAWBERRY BOOTLACES

       Text by Day_Glo

       Adapted for screen by RegularJOE

       (SETTING - ABSTRACT PSYCHEDELIC)

How do I explain the strawberry bootlaces?

      Start close on BOY. He's in bliss.

Well. I suppose they are a kind of liquorice...

       BOY is lying down, SURROUNDED and ON TOP OF endless       STRAWBERRY BOOTLACES candy, or some kind of bootlace-     inspired psychedelic pattern.

They are thin strands of red chewy stuff

      Visuals of the STRAWBERRY BOOTLACES CANDY.

that's meant to taste like strawberry;

       REAL STRAWBERRIES.

but, just like every other strawberry "flavoured" thing, they don't really taste like strawberry.

       The candy's PACKAGING and INGREDIENTS with RED COLORING and ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS.

       (SETTING - STORE)

They're still delicious, however, and you can find them in plenty of shops,

      BOY enters.

Watching, waiting to catch a customer's fancy.

      BOY walking through the store, browsing.

So you see them,

      BOY sees them.

and you buy a pack,

      BOY at register, buying them.

intending to share, or at least make them last,

       BOY leaving store, already opening the package and eating.

       (SETTING - BOY'S APARTMENT)

but you end up eating the whole bag in an afternoon.

       BOY's APARTMENT setting. He sits down and continues eating.

Sated, you relax in the knowledge of a few pence well spent.

        BOY sated.

Then you realize when

        Close on a TELEPHONE.

your parents call you in for dinner that there's no way you can manage a full meal after consuming such a quantity of confectionary,

         BOY answers the phone and talks to his parents, feigning good cheer.

and that in this moment you are experiencing the exact mythical instance of "spoiling your dinner" of which you were warned so many times as a child,

         BOY hangs up the phone, and his cheer turns to worry.

         (SETTING - PARENTS' HOUSE)

but it's too late now and you can't lose face by admitting your parents are right

        PARENTS' HOUSE setting. BOY arrives and greets his MOTHER and FATHER.

so you keep quiet and eat the whole meal

        BOY, MOTHER and FATHER eat at a dinner table.

and even have second and third helpings just to hide the shame

        BOY almost gags.

that your parents can't see but you imagine is so evident in your every movement.

        Close on BOY's EYES, hiding his shame.

Sweaty,

        Close on BOY'S MOUTH chewing.

Nervous,

       Close on BOY'S THROAT swallowing.

you shovel every new mouthful of wholesome, home cooked family food into your trembling mouth and though you were full after just a few bites, you can neither spit it out nor stop eating.

      BOY continues eating. Then MOTHER serves him another helping of food. He begrudgingly continues eating.

You spend the rest of the evening certain that you're going to either throw up or split at the sides

      Despite his chipper demeanor, BOY feels sick as he says good night to his PARENTS.

      (SETTING - BOY'S APARTMENT)

and you go to throw away the wrapper,

      BOY enters his place, disgusted, finds the WRAPPER determined to throw it away.

but you notice to your delight and horror that there is something in there still,

       But then BOY notices something inside the WRAPPER.

something red and stringy;

       BOY'S disgust turns to sweet charity.

There is a single strawberry bootlace still inside the wrapper

       Close on the WRAPPER with ONE STRAWBERRY BOOTLACE inside.

and in spite of your already full-to-bursting stomach and your sense of self-disgust

        BOY'S sweet feelings turn to carnal desire.

you triumphantly peel the final sticky remnant from the pack and eat it

        BOY removes the STRAWBERRY BOOTLACE from the WRAPPER and eats it.

savouring every last drop of artificial flavouring

        EXTREME CLOSE on boy savouring the flavour, blissful. Psychedelic colors and shapes begin flourishing in the background.

and knowing for sure that there can be no benevolent god

        BOY continues chewing. The psychedelic elements behind and around him grow more intense.

that could allow such magnificent unhappiness to

        BOY continues chewing, his APARTMENT SETTING being overtaken with the PSYCHEDELIC elements. He falls to the floor...

        (SETTING - ABSTRACT PSYCHEDELIC)

flourish in the form of a mere child's treat.

        Laying down, his body becoming SURROUNDED and subsumed by STRAWBERRY BOOTLACES candy and psychedelic patterns.

That, my friend, is a strawberry bootlace.

        Close on BOY, the same shot we started with, he's in bliss.