The Hungry Hungry Writer

“Pop”


	
	FADE IN:
	EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING – DAY
	American suburbia. It’s the middle of summer and it’s hot.  Sprinkle systems pop up around the neighborhood, CHILDREN play in the water, an ice cream truck passes: its familiar jingle blares from the speakers.
	We hear a male’s voice, JAMES.
	JAMES (OS)
	Duct tape.
	INSIDE THE APARTMENT – CONTINUOUS
	James, a clean cut Asian kid in his 20s, fumbles through a duffle bag. Slams it down onto the sofa. He grabs his head in frustration - or is it agony?
	INT. BATHROOM – MOMENTS LATER
	James splashes water on his face. He looks at himself in the bathroom mirror. Haggard and stressed, he opens the cabinet and fumbles through prescription pill containers.
	He opens one, pops a couple of pills and downs them with tap water.
	INT. BEDROOM
	James takes a polo shirt out of his closet and puts it over his undershirt.
	INT. LIVINGROOM
	James grabs a key ring with a single key on it. He slips on his shoes and opens the door.
	He picks up a newspaper that is on the front welcome mat, scans the front page, laughs and whispers under his breath-
	JAMES
	Stupid.
	then tosses the paper onto the table.
	INT. HALLWAY
	He closes the door behind him and turns to lock the top bolt.
	NORMAN (OS)
	Wasssuppp!
	James cringes – startled. He finishes locking his door and looks behind his shoulder to see NORMAN (late 20s), in a wife beater tee and basketball shorts.
	James turns around and nods.
	NORMAN
	Damn it’s hot.
	James stands there, unsure what to say, it’s an awkward moment.
	JAMES
	Yeah.
	Norman locks his door and turns around.
	He watches James stuff his ONE KEY into his pocket.
	NORMAN
	One key?
	Norman holds up his key chain with a fistful of keys on it.
	NORMAN
	I hate carrying this thing.
	JAMES
	Yeah. It’s all I have. All I need.
	NORMAN
	Lucky you.
	JAMES
	Okay, well-
	He gestures down the hall and starts to walk.
	NORMAN
	Where you headed?
	Norman walks with him.
	JAMES
	The store.
	NORMAN
	Me too. Well, just to the AM/PM for an Outter Pop or something. Something to get me to cool off, man. Hear that?!
	Norman sticks out his fist for a ‘bump’. James, awkwardly offers his fist and they ‘bump’.
	EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING – MOMENTS LATER
	They walk out next to each other into the heat of the day.
	NORMAN
	Whatcha getting? Groceries for dinner? You’re always cookin’ something good in there. I can smell it a mile away. Asian Boy cookin’ a feast tooo-night know what I mean?
	JAMES
	Yeah.
	They stand in the heat hiding their eyes from the sun.
	NORMAN
	So what’s on the menu? Stir fry ala king? Fried rice? I love fried rice, man.
	JAMES
	Yeah, I mean no. Duct tape.
	NORMAN
	Duct tape for dinner?
	JAMES
	I’m just getting duct tape.
	NORMAN
	All the way at Vons? They have it at AM/PM, stroll with me.
	James shrugs – sure. And they stroll along.
	DOWN THE STREET – A FEW MINUTES LATER
	Norman is in the middle of a diatribe.
	NORMAN
	They’ve already served their time, why punish them anymore? They’ve been ‘corrected’, or you hope they have. And if it’s a life sentence, who are they really going to hurt anyway? Isn’t the family of the victim also unethical when they want someone to die in the name of capital punishment?
	Norman takes a drag from a cig.
	JAMES
	Are you in law or something?
	NORMAN
	School. Just an ethics class. Makes you think, you know?
	JAMES
	I don’t like thinking so. It hurts my head.
	NORMAN
	You’re just like my sister. I pose the same question about the death penalty and she doesn’t want to think she just has an opinion she jumps to.
	James takes off his shirt.
	NORMAN
	Why are you wearing two shirts anyway?
	JAMES
	I didn’t think it was going to be that.
	NORMAN
	Where have you been? It’s been hot since last week. I mean, c’mon. Who goes out and wears two shirts in 100 degree weather?
	James, tired of hearing it-
	JAMES
	You were saying?
	NORMAN
	Saying what?
	JAMES
	Your sister.
	NORMAN
	Oh yeah. The death penalty. She’s like, yeah. Kill em. That’s what they deserve. I mean, what do you think?
	James shrugs.
	JAMES
	Not sure really.
	NORMAN
	Oh yeah, you don’t like to think.
	JAMES
	Yeah.
	NORMAN
	But if you thought hard enough, you wouldn’t be wearing two shirts would you?
	EXT. AM/PM – LATER
	Norman holds the door open for James and they go their separate ways.
	AT THE COUNTER
	NORMAN
	Want one?
	James regards the Popsicle. 
	JAMES
	Sure.
	Norman pulls out a couple of bucks for the Popsicle.
	NORMAN
	Oh and this.
	Norman grabs a newspaper from the stand.
	James watches him closely - a little irritated for being there with him.
	ON THE STREET
	They suck on their Popsicles, trying to beat the melting process.
	NORMAN
	So yeah. I mean, law is cool. Thought about it, but you know. Maybe I want to get into like Sports. I like Sports Radio. Maybe I’ll get into media or something. You’re like an accountant or something right?
	JAMES
	Something like that.
	NORMAN
	Thought so.
	JAMES
	Really? How?
	NORMAN
	You just look like an accountant.
	They head up the stairwell to their apartment.
	HALLWAY
	NORMAN
	Well, stay cool. You’re gonna have to let me try some of that fried rice sometime.
	Before James unlocks his door.
	JAMES
	Sometimes you don’t know why people do what they do. They just do. Does it make it right? Does it make it wrong?. Some people can argue yes or no. Different strokes. The bottom line is if that person thinks its right or wrong. Who are we to judge?
	NORMAN
	Okay… ?
	JAMES
	I’m just saying.
	NORMAN
	You been thinkin’! I know. I just wanted to make you think, you know? It’s healthy! Brain food as they say.
	JAMES
	Yeah. 
	NORMAN
	Late-
	James holds out a fist again.
	NORMAN
	Thanks for the ear bend.
	James unlocks his door.
	NORMAN
	What’s the duct tape for anyway?
	James pauses before entering. He looks over his shoulder and looks Norman in the eye.
	JAMES
	The bumper of my car.
	Norman opens his apartment door.
	Norman closes the door behind him. He locks the bolt. Stares out the peep hole and watches Norman disappear.
	JAMES
	I’m not a fuckin’ accountant you fuckin’ ignorant prick!
	James punches the door hard. Pissed.
	He grabs a small gun tucked inside his pant pocket and tosses it on the table next to the newspaper.
	He passes the doorway of a bedroom and in the -
	THE BEDROOM
	A WOMAN sits in a chair but it’s tough to tell.
	James crosses again and takes the duct tape out of the AM/PM bag.
	This time we see the woman clearer.
	She’s naked. Except for ropes that bind her to the chair. Her eyes are filled with fear as she sees James cross the doorway once again.
	A gag is stuffed in her mouth. She is bound so tight she can’t even twitch.
	James appears at–
	THE DOORWAY
	He pulls a strip of duct tape out of its roll and rips it off.
	He approaches the woman and before he pulls off her gag pauses.
	JAMES
	Promise not to scream?
	She looks at him, fear in her eyes. 
	JAMES
	Promise?
	She barely can nod but does.
	He pulls the gag out of her mouth.
	INT. NORMAN’S APARTMENT – SAME TIME
	Norman, deep-throating the Popsicle, nearly gags, takes the newspaper out and lays it open on the kitchen counter. On the front page he reads a featured article aloud.
	NORMAN
	Third murdered suspect was raped first, then suffocated with duct tape? What a fuckin’ coincedence.
	JAMES’ APARTMENT
	WOMAN
	Please, don’t hurt me. Please. I’ll do anything you want me to do just don’t hurt me.
	James is ready to duct tape her mouth so she can’t talk.
	NORMAN’S APARTMENT
	He reacts. Looks toward the door.
	JAMES’ APARTMENT
	James secures the duct tape on the woman’s mouth and above her nose – to suffocate her.
	She sobs uncontrollably – desperate to breath.
	NORMAN’S APARTMENT
	He looks down at the headline. It reads, “DUCT TAPE MURDERER STRIKES AGAIN”.
	He looks up at his door.
	FLASHBACK–
	James stuffs his apartment key in his pocket.
	JAMES
	It’s all I have.
	CUT TO:
	NORMAN
	What’s the duct tape for anyway?
	JAMES
	The bumper of my car.
	BACK TO:
	NORMAN’S APARTMENT
	NORMAN
	He doesn’t have a car.
	Norman’s Popsicle splits in half, melted, and drops on the table.
	JAMES’ APARTMENT
	He finishes duct taping the woman’s legs and arms. He moves to her ear.
	JAMES
	I told you NOT to scream. And what did you do?
	A knock on the door catches his attention.
	FRONT DOOR
	James holds his gun at his side and looks out the peep hole. It’s Norman.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 24th, 2006 at 6:17 am and is filed under Slice of Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.