Insert CUT: Mal lies on the sand, staring up at a cloudless

SKY, WAVES WASHING OVER HER...

 

COBB

You can lose track of what's real.

 

ARIADNE

How long were you stuck?

 

Cobb pauses before he answers. Looks at Ariadne.

 

COBB

Fifty years.

 

Ariadne stares at him, incredulous.

 

ARIADNE

How did you stand it?

 

INSERT CUT: COBB AND MAL BUILD A SANDCASTLE ON THE BEACH...

 

COBB

We built. We created a whole world

for ourselves...

 

INSERT CUT: COBB AND MAL WALK THROUGH A DESERTED CITY.

COBB

It's not so bad at first, being

gods. The problem is knowing that

it's not real. It became impossible

for me to live like that.

88.

 

ARIADNE

But not for her?

 

COBB

She accepted it. At some point...

 

INSERT CUT:

 

INT. MAL'S CHILDHOOD HOME - DAY

 

Mal opens a DOLL'S HOUSE. Inside is a SAFE. She opens it- it

is empty. She pulls out her SPINNING TOP.

 

COBB (V.O.)

...she'd decided to forget that our

world wasn't real.

 

Mal places the top inside the safe. LOCKS IT AWAY...

INT. OFFICE, WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS

 

ARIADNE

And when you finally woke up?

 

COBB

To wake from that. From decades

lived. To be old souls thrown back

into youth. It was hard. At first

Mal seemed okay. But I started to

realize something was wrong.

Finally she admitted it. This idea

she was possessed by. This simple

little idea that changed

everything...

 

ARIADNE

What was it?

 

COBB

That our world was not real. No

matter what I did, no matter what I

said, she was convinced that we

were still in a dream. That we

needed to wake up again...

 

INT. COBB AND MAL'S KITCHEN - DAY (FLASHBACK)

 

Cobb is trying to calm Mal, who is hysterical.

 

COBB (V.O.)

That to get home we'd have to kill

ourselves.

 

INT. WORKSHOP - DAY

 

Ariadne looks at Cobb, appalled.

89.

 

ARIADNE

What about your children?

 

Cobb has to look away.

 

COBB

She... she believed they weren't

real. That our real children were

waiting. Somewhere above...

 

INT. COBB AND MAL'S KITCHEN - DAY (FLASHBACK)

 

Mal shakes her head at Cobb as he USHERS the children out of

the room, FACES UNSEEN-

 

COBB

Calm down, Mal-

 

MAL

They're projections, Dom. Your

dreams. I'm their mother-don't you

think I can tell the difference?

 

Cobb closes the door- turns to her, eyes full of bitter

tears.

 

COBB

If it's my dream then why can't I

control it? Why can't I stop this?

 

MAL

(it's obvious)

You don't know you're dreaming.

 

COBB

You keep telling me I am-

 

MAL

And you don't believe me!

 

COBB (V.O.)

She was certain. But she loved me

too much to go without me. So she

made a plan...

 

INT. ELEGANT HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

 

Cobb walks along, checking door numbers against a key.

 

COBB (V.O.)

For our anniversary...

 

INT. ELEGANT HOTEL SUITE - CONTINUOUS (FLASHBACK)

 

Cobb enters the lavish suite. He notices the DISHEVELED

BEDCLOTHES.

90.

 

He steps forwards- SMASH- he has tipped over a champagne

glass with his foot... dinner for two is SPREAD ACROSS THE

FLOOR. He looks at the DEBRIS, confused... next to the broken

glass is a SPINNING TOP. He picks it up, studying it,

thinking. He feels a draught, looks to the window. The

CURTAIN BILLOWS.

 

EXT. EXTERIOR ATRIUM - CONTINUOUS (FLASHBACK)

 

Cobb looks out the window: Mal sits on the ledge of the

opposite window. HAIR BLOWING. Feet dangling over the

dizzyingly high atrium. She smiles.

 

MAL

Join me.

 

COBB

Mal, come back inside.

 

MAL

No. I'm going to jump. And you're

coming with me.

 

COBB

No, I'm not. This is real-if you

jump, you're not going to wake up,

you're going to die. Let's go back

inside and talk about this, please.

 

MAL

We've talked enough.

 

She KICKS off a shoe and watches it DROP.

 

MAL

Come out onto the ledge or I'll

jump right now.

 

She means it. Cobb swings his legs out, sitting on the ledge

opposite is wife. He looks down at the drop.

 

MAL

I'm asking you to take a leap of

faith.

 

COBB

I can't do that, Mal. I can't leave

our children.

 

MAL

If I go without you, they'll take

them away, anyway.

 

COBB

What do you mean?

91.

 

MAL

I filed a letter with our attorney.

Explaining how I'm fearful for my

safety, how you've threatened to

kill me...

 

Cobb looks back at the wrecked hotel suite, PANICKING...

 

MAL (CONT'D)

I love you, Dom. I've freed you

from the guilt of choosing to leave

them. We're going home to our real

children.

 

COBB

Out children are here, Mal.

 

Mal CLOSES HER EYES. Cobb looks for some way to reach her...

 

MAL

You're waiting for a train...

 

COBB

NO! MAL, NO, I CAN'T!

 

MAL

A train that will take you far

away...

 

COBB

DON'T DO THIS!

 

MAL

You know where you hope this train

will take you, you can't know for

sure...

 

COBB

DON'T!

 

MAL

But it doesn't matter...

 

COBB

NO!

 

MAL

Because you'll be together...

 

Mal SLIPS FORWARD INTO SPACE. Cobb SCREAMS after her. Then

tries to bury his face in the wall...