Rhythmic Lights

Click click click click click, break.

The computer screen lit up Kevin's face with a light blue tint. The light switches were all turned to off as the rhythmic typing of Kevin's fingers met the chilly air of a fall night.

"Don't turn on the light," Kevin whispered to himself as he kept typing, earbuds blasting music into his ear drums.

The door handle behind him began to turn, pushing light into the room from the hallway. There stood his roommate, Danny.

"What are you doing dude?" Danny moved to turn the light on.

"Don't turn on the light," Kevin said. He didn't turn around. The music didn't get quieter. There was no reflection.

"Are you still working on that paper?"

"No. Yes. Yes, the paper." His fingers typed in the same pattern. Click click click click click, break.

"I know it's midterms and all dude, but you need to chill. I'm gonna go over to Ted's and eat this alright? I'll be back in like, an hour. You gonna be OK?"

"No. Yes. Yes, OK." Click click click click click, break.

Danny brought the light out of the room. The computer screen lit up Kevin's face with a blue tint. Click click click click click, break. Click click click click click, break. Click click click click click.

Kevin stared at the page on his computer screen. He blinked. Breathed in. The music changed to a techno mix with bass. He turned his head towards his bed. He smiled and breathed in closing his eyes.

The music took him away. He moved with it. He wasn't dancing, he was moving. He got up, his earbuds unplugging by his movement now dangled from his ears. The music bounced off the walls.

"Put your hands up" the music said. Kevin followed directions, eyes still closed. He opened them and looked at his bed. His dark brown eyes reflecting the light blue of the room.

Blink. Blink. Tears formed.

The song changed. Slower. Piano. Kevin put his arms down.

"Don't turn on the light," he whispered.

The door handle moved again, pushing light into the room. Danny looked as Kevin stood staring at his bed, tears down his face.

"Kevin? Are you OK? What's going on?"

"Don't turn on the light," he sniffled. A slow R&B song flowed down the hallway.

"What are you doing? Is everything OK?"

"No. Yes. Everything OK."

Danny let the door shut and walked into the room. Only Kevin was clearly visible in the blue tint of the computer screen.

"Kevin, I have to turn on the light I can't see anything." Danny moved towards the light to turn it on.

"No!"

The light flip was switched. Pupils changed. Danny turned around and looked at the bed. He walked over to it, breathing heavily.

"What did you do?" he said as he felt a sharp pain in his back. Danny felt his knees on the carpet. He couldn't breathe. The lights were turned off again. A slow classical song conducted Kevin's movements, over and over again.

The room was once again covered in dim blue light.

Kevin began typing. Click click click click click, break. Click click click click click, break.

"Don't turn on the light," he whispered to himself.

He stopped again and stared at the screen, then back to his bed, then down to the floor by the bed. A techno song came on again. He moved to the rhythm.

Bringing his email up he saved his document and attached it. He took a picture of his bed, and attached it. He went to his desktop, and attached another picture. He set the email to send to the entire university. In the body all he wrote was "Don't turn on the light."

Send.

He got up and walked out of his room, leaving the door open, blasting hard rock from the light blue room.

"Kevin, why did you send this email?"

He only stared at the detective.

"Why did you send it? Why send a document with the word dead written over a hundred times?" Click click click click click, break. "Why is your girlfriend having sex with your roommate?" Don't turn on the lights. "And why are they both dead now?" Click click click click click, break.

Kevin stared at the officer.

"Don't turn on the lights," he whispered as the only light bulb in the room shattered.

Parody Week: How "Forrest Gump" Should Have Ended

This is the part of the movie after Jenny and Forrest both get married.

MINISTER: Do you, Forrest, take Jenny to be your wife? Do you, Jenny, take Forrest to be your husband? If so, I pronounce you man and wife.

The wind blows fallen leaves across the ground. Jenny, Forrest, and Forrest Jr. walk toward the house. They all hold hands as they walk.

INTERIOR GUMP HOUSE, MORNING

Forrest steps into Jenny's bedroom. He carries a tray with breakfast on it. Forrest looks at Jenny as she sleeps. Slowly she wakes up and looks at Forrest.

FORREST: Morning Jenny.
JENNY: Good morning, Forrest.
FORREST: I brought you some breakfast, to get your strength up. Mama always said to eat a hearty breakfast in the mornin'.
JENNY: Thank you Forrest.

Jenny reaches across the bed and grabs Forrest's hand. She holds it tight.

JENNY: I love you.
FORREST: I love you too, Jenny. (pause) Lieutenant Dan was talkin' to me. He said if you're sick he can get you a doctor.
JENNY: I don't want no doctor, Forrest. No doctor is gonna help me with what I got, Forrest. Ain't nothin' we can do.
FORREST: But Lieutenant Dan said-
JENNY: Lieutenant Dan was wrong, Forrest. Ain't nothin' we can do.

Jenny grabs a piece of bacon and stuffs it into her mouth. Forrest walks out, disappointed.

FORREST (VO): Jenny wasn't right though, it was Lieutenant Dan's doctor that helped her when she went into a coma. The doctor said it was a word I couldn't pronounce that Jenny had, and told us she would be fine in a little bit. I went to my Jenny every day with Forrest Jr. and let him read her a book.

Forrest Jr. reads a book on Forrest's lap to Jenny.

FORREST JR.: (reading) "But he wasn't quite sure. Everywhere they went, the new guests..."

FORREST (VO): He's so smart.

Forrest is sitting alone with Jenny in the hospital. He has a pile of books with him.

FORREST: Hi Jenny. I'm gonna read to you today, because Forrest Jr. is at school now. He's doin' great there. You should've seen him this mornin'.

FLASHBACK Forrest and Forrest Jr. are walking towards a yellow school bus.

FORREST: You got everything for school?

FORREST Jr.: Yes, Daddy.

FORREST: OK, well you have fun at school then. I'll be here when you get back.

FORREST Jr.: Are you gonna go see mama while I'm at school?

FORREST: Yeah, I'm gonna go see her. Make sure she's OK and everything.

FORREST Jr.: You should read to her. Here.

Forrest Jr. takes off his book bag and takes out Curious George.

FORREST: My favorite book.

FORREST Jr.: You should read it to mama. I was goin' to, but it'll make her happy if you read it to her.

INTERIOR SHOT, HOSPITAL BED

Forrest takes out the book and opens it to find a feather from the beginning. The feather lifts up and falls on top of Jenny still in a coma. The feather then lifts up and out of the room's window.

FORREST (VO): I read my Jenny that book. I know she liked it. She always liked when I read her those books in the coma. She told me she liked it.

EXTERIOR, GUMP HOUSE

JENNY: Boys, dinner's almost ready. Come get cleaned up.

FORREST Jr.: Do we have to, Daddy?

FORREST: You listen to mama, there Forrest Jr. Mama always knows best.

FORREST (VO): Jenny and me always loved our life after that. It was always good. Lieutenant Dan even got a thank you letter from us for the doctor helpin' Jenny. We haven't had any more kids since then, but Forrest Jr. is doing just fine. Everyone is doin' just fine. Life goes on. Mama always said, life was good. Death was just a part of life. But I'm glad Jenny can stay here now with Forrest Jr. and me and live her life too. Livin' is just as much a part of life as dyin', I guess.

The two parents wave to Forrest Jr. going off onto the school bus. A feather falls to Forrest's feet from a gust of wind. As he turns around, the feather is knocked back into the air again and slowly falls to the ground as the bus goes one way and Forrest and Jenny walk the other.

The End