SORRY, RIGHT NUMBER

"SORRY, RIGHT NUMBER"  

by

Stephen King

ACT 1

FADE IN ON:

KATIE WEIDERMAN'S MOUTH, ECU

She's speaking into the telephone. Pretty mouth; in a few seconds we'll see that the rest of her is just as pretty.

                                                KATIE

                        Bill? Oh, he says he doesn't feel

                        very well, but he's always like that

                        between books... can't sleep, thinks

                        every headache is the first symptom

                        of a brain tumor... once he gets going

                        on something new, he'll be fine.

SOUND, B.G.: THE TELEVISION.

THE CAMERA DRAWS BACK. KATIE is sitting in the kitchen phone nook, having a good gab with her sister while she idles through some catalogues. We should notice one not-quite-ordinary thing about the phone she's on: it's the sort with two lines. There are LIGHTED BUTTONS to show which ones are engaged. Right now only one- KATIE'S- is. As KATIE CONTINUES HER CONVERSATION, THE CAMERA SWINGS AWAY FROM HER, TRACKS ACROSS THE KITCHEN, and through the arched doorway that leads into the family room.

                                                KATIE (voice, fading)

                        Oh, I saw Janie Charlton today... yes!

                        Big as a house!

She fades. The TV gets louder. There are three kids: JEFF, eight, CONNIE, ten, and DENNIS, thirteen. "Wheel Of Fortune" is on, but they're not watching. Instead, they're engaged in that great pastime, Fighting About What Comes On Later.

                                                JEFF

                        Come onnn! It was his first book!

                                                CONNIE

                        His first gross book.

                                                DENNIS

                        We're gonna watch "Cheers" and "Wings,"

                        just like we do every week, Jeff.

DENNIS speaks with the utter finality only a big brother can manage. "Wanna talk about it some more and see how much pain I can inflict on your scrawny body, Jeff?" his face says.

                                                JEFF

                        Could we at least tape it?

                                                CONNIE

                        We're taping CNN for Mom. She said she

                        might be on the phone with Aunt Lois

                        for quite awhile.

                                                JEFF

                        How can you tape CNN, for God's sake?

                        It never stops!

                                                DENNIS

                        That's what she likes about it.

                                                CONNIE

                        And don't say God's sake, Jeffie- you're

                        not old enough to talk about God except

                        in church.

                                                JEFF

                        Then don't call me Jeffie.

                                                CONNIE

                        Jeffie, Jeffie, Jeffie.

JEFF gets up, walks to the window, and looks out into the dark. He's really upset. DENNIS and CONNIE, in the grand tradition of older brothers and sisters, are delighted to see it.

                                                DENNIS

                        Poor Jeffie.

                                                CONNIE

                        I think he's gonna commit suicide.

                                                JEFF (turns to them)

                        It was his first book! Don't you guys

                        even care?