Melatonin

**Melatonin** is a 2023 screenplay set in the Yoonaverse in 4 R.D. It features Paul Kuiper and Donna Henderson.

## Synopsis

Paul Kuiper must sneak out of bed without waking up Donna Henderson to acquire his melatonin pills to get enough rest before his first book tour.

## Plot

INT. PAUL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

We hear a woman's snoring.

CUT TO:

With the snoring still audible, we focus in on a 2032 CALENDAR on a brick wall indicating it is February. The boxes from February 1st to 13th are all crossed out. Several circles are scrawled around the box for February 14th in red pen ink. Written in it reads: DATE NIGHT!!

Another circle is scribbled around the box for February 15th, this time in blue pen ink. Written in it reads: FIRST BOOK TOUR!

PAUL, 27, lies in a BED under GREY BEDSHEETS with one arm hugging his stomach. His other one is being used as a pillow for his sleeping girlfriend, DONNA, 28. She's hugging it so tight that it creases the arm sleeve of Paul's VERTICAL STRIPED ACHROMATIC PAJAMAS. A CHEQUERED BOLSTER lies at the foot of the bed.

Paul fumes from Donna's snoring as he squeezes his eyes shut. They pop open, and he looks across the room at an ORANGE PILL BOTTLE on a TABLE next to a GLASS OF WATER. Its label reads MELATONIN PILLS.

Using one hand, Paul reaches over to the edge of the GREY BEDSHEETS and drags it over itself until it forms an equilateral triangle that exposes his lower body. Keeping an eye on Donna, his feet feel around the wooden-planked floor and ease into his WOOLEN SLIPPERS. Twisting his waist until his top becomes loose from being tucked in previously, Paul starts undoing the fingers interlaced across his right arm. His brows furrow like he's dealing with a ticking time bomb moments before detonation.

When he finally slips free of the last finger, Donna begins to stir in her sleep, her arms still curled as if wrapped around Paul. Paul mouths a curse and lunges for the CHECKERED BOLSTER at the foot of the bed, shoving it between Donna's arms before they can close in on thin air. Now sitting on the side of the BED, Paul slumps over until his forearms meet his knees. He wipes the sweat off his brow and nudges himself to get up, keeping his hands on the sheets as his lower body leaves the BED. Still maintaining pressure on the edge of the MATTRESS where he should be, Paul eases the force he uses from his arms until the MATTRESS re-forms to its original state.

Paul tiptoes around the foot of the BED, leaning his upper body forward to keep his balance. He shifts his body so that he's facing away from the bed as his knees steer around the END OF BED BENCH WITH A SHORTER LEG. He heaves a sigh of relief at not bumping into the wobbly fixture. The floor creaks as Paul steps onto a loose plank, and he freezes. Still grasping the bolster, Donna turns onto her back and gurgles in her sleep.

Paul gazes down and sees several more loose planks on the floor, their ends upturned by perpetual use. Paul mouths a curse and grabs his head by the temples. The ORANGE PILL BOTTLE is still there on the TABLE, egging him on to get it.

He leans forward until his fingers halt in between two loose floor planks. He bites his lips and struggles to maintain this awkward runner's stance, his fingers merely grazing the ORANGE PILL BOTTLE. He attempts to pull the TABLE over, but the ORANGE PILL BOTTLE falls off due to the sudden exertion of force.

Paul's palm shoot below the ORANGE PILL BOTTLE and catch it before it drops to the floor. Still supported by his hand, Paul leans his head to the floor and grins.

CUT TO:

Paul pulls the GREY BEDSHEETS over him so that they expose his left arm but cover the rest of his body. Donna jerks awake when Paul's waist pushes the CHECKERED BOLSTER against her face. She shoots up and looks at Paul with disdain, who gives her a sheepish smile. Donna tosses the CHECKERED BOLSTER away and wraps her arms around Paul's right one. Her head sinks back into her PILLOW as she shuts her eyes to Sleep.

Paul raises his left arm to look at the ORANGE PILL BOTTLE, child-like glee spreading across his face as he looks at its cover glinting in the moonlight. He drops the ORANGE PILL BOTTLE on the GREY BEDSHEETS as he reaches for his BEDSIDE TABLE. His smile disappears as he looks in the direction of the TABLE. The camera pans out to reveal the GLASS OF WATER.

END.