MOTH (10 page short drama script) by Ben Clifford

A young single mother, struggling to deal with her baby’s incessant crying, leaves her apartment for a moment of peace and quiet only to realize that she locked herself out with her baby still inside.

Happy belated Mother’s Day, everybody!

Being a mother is a very difficult job, maybe the hardest job in the world. It’s only right that we show our appreciation to the women in our lives who brought us into this world, nurtured us and helped mold us into the responsible, productive, well-manneredadults that most of us are today. Though, like most “holidays” reserved for specific people, our mothers deserve more than one day of appreciation.

As great as our mothers have been to us and, as much as we love them, they aren’t perfect. They’ve all made mistakes that they’ve hopefully learned from. Read all the “Motherhood for Dummies” books you want, there isn’t a book out there that truly prepares someone for motherhood. Being a mom can be a learn-on-the-go, trial and error process. Especially when you carry the difficult burden of being a SINGLE mother.

In Ben Clifford’s dramedy, “Moth”, Jen isn’t just a single mother living on her own – she’s a 19-year-old single mother living on her own. Most people her age are still living with mommy and daddy, raiding their refrigerator for late-night snacks after a taking one too many bong hits with their friends. But Jen has the responsibility of raising a child on her own. Life hasn’t been easy for her. Struggling to get by, a moment of peace and quiet has been hard to come by. Especially on this day when her baby can’t seem to stop crying. Sleep deprivation taking its toll, Jen doesn’t know what to do. So she calls her pediatrician for some advice.

            DR. MATTHEWS (V.O)
Is he fed? Changed? Et cetera.

Jen realizes how silly her question was and allows Dr. Matthews to tend to his other patients. But, as her baby continues to cry, all she wants is just one moment of peace and quiet. Just. One. Damn. Moment.

Her brain screeching, Jen steps out of the apartment to give her ear drums a break. Taking a deep, soothing breath, she savors the moment of peace. Maybe a little too much. Her infant’s cries still audible from inside the apartment, she steps outside to breathe in some fresh air and soak up some much-needed vitamin D provided by the warm sun.

Perhaps caught up in the “moment”, Jen loses complete track of time, finding herself on a nearby park bench, people-watching and enjoying the ambient sounds of city traffic and construction. Yes, even the sound of a power-drill smashing through concrete is more peaceful than the sound of a baby crying. But, suddenly, Jen snaps out of her trance and remembers that she’s a mother with responsibilities – and her baby is inside unattended!

Jen hurries back into her apartment building, hearing her baby STILL crying from inside. But as she tries getting back in, panic hits her like a bucket of water – she locked her keys inside!

Afraid to call the cops due to what many may consider negligence, she seeks help from the building’s superintendent, eventually being forced to call a locksmith after business hours. And things continue to snowball from there.

As I mentioned, motherhood isn’t easy and I’m sure we can all point out a moment in time when our moms screwed up royally. For Jen, this is one of those moments. And though we can all agree what she did wasn’t the best decision, she realizes the error in her ways and will do ANYTHING to get back to her baby. And that’s something we can all root for.

BUDGET: Low. Two locations – the inside and outside of an apartment. Three actors and a baby.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Ben Clifford is an Australian screenwriter interested in writing drama and comedy. He’s greatly inspired by the works of Peter Weir, Harmony Korine, the Marx Brothers, Todd Solondz, Andrea Arnold, and Cate Shortland. Ben can be reached at: cliffordben502(a)gmail.

Read: MOTH

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About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.