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Obsession · written by Curry Barker · 2026
Scene 37 of 61 · ≈ 4 min on screen · Act two
Bear wishes the woman he loves would love him back. The wish comes true — and her devotion becomes a violence neither of them can stop.
Bear in his comfort zone of quiet, unspoken longing for Nicky, grieving his cat and coached by Ian to stay silent rather than confess.
Bear needs Nicky to love him back, sharpened by trivia night's proximity to her and Ian, and the purchase of the willow as an almost-joke wish object.
Bear breaks the willow and makes the wish, crossing from wanting to actively, magically pursuing Nicky's love.
Bear adapts to Nicky's escalating strangeness, paying the cost of denial and rationalization as the relationship forms under increasingly disturbing terms.
Nicky confesses her love and the relationship becomes real — Bear gets exactly what he wished for, at the exact moment the cracks (the dad lie) start to show.
Folding boxes with Sarah, Bear deflects her warning that his sudden relationship with Nicky looks wrong, until Carter interrupts with Sarah's rejection letter from Luther and she breaks down on Bear's shoulder.
Ian corners Bear for a ride home, needling him to talk about Nicky.
In the car, Ian pushes Bear to explain the relationship and warns him it looks like he's taking advantage of Nicky, ultimately inviting him to a boys'-only night without her.
This scene
Bear pushes the door open and flicks on the lights. Stepping inside, he's greeted by Nicky, soaked in sweat and vomit, standing in a sickening pool of bodily fluids. She is in the same spot where he left her, with urine staining her clothes and vomit still dribbling from her mouth.
NICKY
(happy)
Bear!
Nicky springs at Bear, hugging him eagerly like an excited dog. Bear protests, arms raised.
BEAR
Ugh! Nicky, what the fuck?! Are you
okay?
Realizing her condition, Nicky steps back, embarrassed.
NICKY
God, I should shower!
BEAR
(concerned, confused)
What the fuck happened?
NICKY
I think I ate a bug... I mean, got
a stomach bug... or both.
Nicky gives an uneasy laugh amid the terrible smell. Bear's eyes WIDE with confusion and fear.
BEAR
Did you have a seizure or
something?
NICKY
I was waiting for you to come home.
Nicky looks at herself again and shivers with revulsion.
NICKY (CONT'D)
Oh god, I'm disgusting. Let me
shower, and I'll clean this all up.
Nicky walks off-screen.
BEAR
Nicky, I don't understand.
We hear the water turn on. The bathroom door SLAMS.
NICKY (O.S.)
I'll clean it, Baby
Bear moves to the bathroom door, speaking through it, his voice raised above the water's noise.
BEAR
Nicky?
NICKY (O.S.)
Yeah?
BEAR
...You love me right?
NICKY (O.S.)
Yeah, a lot.
BEAR
...Okay, so never do that again,
okay?
NICKY (O.S.)
What? Stand by the door all day and
wait for you to come home?
Bear, overwhelmed with guilt, rests his head on the door.
BEAR
Yeah...yeah, don't do that.
NICKY (O.S.)
Ok, honey.
The loud running water amplifies the HEAVY SILENCE.
BEAR
So what did you do all day?
NICKY (O.S.)
That's it.
It takes a second for Bear to speak again.
BEAR
(defeated, unsure)
Hey, listen, Ian invited me to
boy's night, tonight.
The shower water STOPS, plunging everything into eerie quiet. Bear's eyes widen.
NICKY (O.S.)
(hurt)
Okay.
BEAR
So... I think I'm gonna go to that,
if it's okay with you.
NICKY (O.S.)
A boy's night?
BEAR
Yeah.
NICKY (O.S.)
I can get dressed and go with you.
BEAR
Oh man, that... that would be
awesome.
NICKY (O.S.)
Okay, let me freshen up.
BEAR
Yeah, it's just that Ian was saying
it's a boy's night. So I think... I
should just go.
NICKY (O.S.)
That's so weird because Sarah was
telling me she's going.
BEAR
Really?
NICKY (O.S.)
Yep.
BEAR
(to himself)
Huh.
NICKY (O.S.)
So, I think I could probably go.
Silence.
BEAR
(somber)
Yeah... I mean, in that case, yeah.
You probably could.
NICKY (O.S.)
I think I will. I can literally
walk there.
BEAR
You should-
Bear softly hits his head on the door.
BEAR (CONT'D)
You should ask Sarah if she's still
going, though... because I think,
uh, Ian decided it was a guy's
thing, last minute.
Suddenly, Nicky unleashes an INHUMAN SCREAM, terrifying Bear.
BEAR (CONT'D)
You okay?!
NICKY (O.S.)
I'll ask her.
The phone rings on the other side of the door.
SARAH (V.O.)
(confused)
Hello?
NICKY (O.S.)
Are you going to Ian's?
Bear is UNCOMFORTABLE. He maintains his distance from the door, bracing for another scream.
SARAH (ON THE PHONE)
...Yeah, why?
NICKY (O.S.)
Huh.
SARAH (V.O.)
Are you here?
NICKY (O.S.)
No. I'm here.
SARAH (V.O.)
Where?
NICKY (O.S.)
I'll talk to you later.
SARAH (V.O.)
(passive-aggressive)
K. Whatever.
Silence.
NICKY (O.S.)
(to Bear)
Ok well... I'll just stay here.
Bear, you can go.
BEAR
I mean, if Sarah's going-
NICKY (O.S.)
No, it's okay. You can go without
me.
BEAR
No, you should go.
BEAR (CONT'D)
I'm sorry. You should come.
NICKY
Well, If you wanted me to go-
Nooo, I think I'll stay.
Bear doesn't know what to do.