To the Forgotten

FADE IN:

EXT. FIELD - DAY

Throwing, heaving, pushing, tepid shadows scatter foreign soil with naive ineptitude, clawing weary slough with futile discomfort.

Wiping heavy brows, looking all around, two figures slither towards a down trodden car, emancipating dirt-beaten shovels and fleeing with little regard to well-deserved sanctity.

INT. CAR - DAY

JONAH, a boy yet a man, cautiously wrings weary hands against a tattered old steering wheel, while his young wife, INGRID, bears the horror of a victim.

JONAH

I mean, when you think about it, its really not that bad, really...

Ingrid peers out the window.

JONAH

I mean, sure, its not great, sure, but, you know, it could be, ya know. Worse, I mean, than this.

Ingrid draws a hand across the cold, bitter glass.

JONAH

Well, maybe not worse. Maybe not so much worse. But a little bit, maybe. Maybe just a little bit.

Ingrid nods absently.

JONAH

I mean, its not like anybody coulda done anything or anything, you know. You saw what I saw, with the lights and the dark and all that, and it being the middle of the night no less. Walking around in the middle of nowhere like that. Nothing but inevitable. Nothing but fate. It just so happened to be us. It just so happened to happen to us. And thats alright. Thats okay. It was bound to be someone, it was bound to be anyone. It just so happened to be us.

Ingrid pulls her knees close.

JONAH

And maybe its not okay. Maybe its not so okay. But what can you do? What can anybody do? What happened just happened, ya know. Nothing changing that. Thats just the past. Already happened. Already done. Nothing to do about that. Nothing but move on. We just gotta move on. And if we just do what we gotta do, then, ya know, thats good too. Thats all we really gotta do. And then, ya know, once we do, we won’t have to, at least, not anymore. So its just that. Thats all we gotta do. Just that.

INGRID

And this?

JONAH

Well, this. This is what we do about this. What we were going to do anyways. What we were going to do always. Nothing has to change. All can stay the same. Just a little bit different. Thats all. Just a little bit different. But not really. Not really any different. Not really any different at all.

INGRID

Where?

JONAH

Well anywhere, really. Anywhere thats not here, obviously. Obviously not here. But somewhere, eventually. Somewhere, surely. We’ll just know when we get there. We’ll have to know when we get there. We’re just not there yet, so we just don’t know yet. But we will, when we get there. Then we’ll know. When we get there.

INGRID

And if we don’t?

JONAH

We will. We have to. We already do. I mean, generally, mostly. To a certain extent, certainly. I mean, sure, there may be a few things we don’t, sure, but, ya know, mostly, we do. Its just common knowledge, ya know. Just common sense and all that. And even if its not. Even if it isn’t, we’ll still figure it out, won’t we? We always figure it out, don’t we?

INGRID

And if we’re stopped?

JONAH

We won’t be. Why would we? Theres no reason we should be. Everything’s fine. Everything’s perfectly fine. As long as we do what we gotta do, and not what we don’t, we won’t.

INGRID

But if we are?

JONAH

Well then we just do what we always do. Its not much different. Its not any different. We just smile and nod and give them what they want. Just like before. Just like always. Smile and nod. Smile and nod.

INGRID

And if they persist?

JONAH

Then we do what we gotta. Thats all.

INGRID

And if its worse?

JONAH

Then we don’t. But we won’t. We won’t. Because we won’t have to. Because we won’t be stopped. And even if we were. Even if we are. It won’t get to that. It’d never get to that.

INGRID

And if we’re caught?

JONAH

Deny. Lie. Whatever it takes. Maybe even tell the truth if you have to. Just don’t tell them anything they don’t wanna know. Anything they don’t wanna hear. Just do what you gotta, do whatever you got. Persuade. Persist. And it’ll be fine. It’ll be just fine.

INGRID

You want me to lie?

JONAH

No. No. Not lie. Of course not lie. I’m just saying, if it gets to it, if things just so happen to happen, then, ya know, just do whats best for you, ya know, and don’t say anything you don’t have to. Just give them a little push. Give them a little nudge. And then they’ll go away. They always go away. No one wants to see what they don’t wanna see. And if you give them no reason to, they won’t have to. And everything will be fine. Everything will be just fine.

INGRID

But what if I can’t?

JONAH

Of course you can. Obviously you can. Who wouldn’t wanna listen to you? Who wouldn’t wanna do whatever you wanted them to? No one. Obviously no one. So you can, cus you will, so thats all you really gotta do.

INGRID

You’re going to get us killed.

JONAH

No. No. Not killed. Not even close to killed. Like I said, we don’t have to worry about that, cus its not gonna happen. Its not even gonna happen. Its just a contingency plan. A complete what if. No more likely than anything else that could happen. But it won’t. It won’t. Obviously it won’t. Why would it? How could it? Everything is fine. Everything is perfectly fine.

INGRID

And then? After everything? Then what?

JONAH

Then we forget about it. Then we don’t think about it. Its over. Its done. We move on. We just move on. What else can we do? What else can anybody do? We accept it, we be okay with it, and we move on.

INGRID

And you can live with that?

JONAH

Can’t you? Can’t anybody? Its not like its wrong. Its not like its bad. I mean, sure, its not great, sure, and you know, some people got out of it worse than others, sure, but, you know, in the end, its really not that bad, really. Its really not that bad at all. Things just happen. They just happened. Thats all. An accident, sort of. No. Really. Just an accident. I mean, you saw what I saw. What happened and what didn’t. You and me both. You and me only. So you know whats what. Whats truth and whats not. We did what we could, but what we could wasn’t enough. Thats not our fault. Thats not anybodies fault. Theres nothing anybody coulda done about that.

INGRID

But not like that.

JONAH

How else then? With the night and the dark and all that. How else could anything happen? No way. No other way. Just that. Only that. So who can judge? Who can really judge?

INGRID

A jury.

JONAH

And what would they say? What would they say? We’re no different. We’re not so different. Than they. Than them. Than anyone. We’re all the same, mostly.

INGRID

Then confess.

JONAH

But we can’t. We couldn’t.

INGRID

Why not?

JONAH

Because they won’t get it. Because no one will get it. What happened was very emotional, you know, and a lot of people will take it that way, and they won’t see it for what it is. And too, since then, we’ve done a lot more things that’d take a lot more explaining. More explaining than they’d be willing to listen to. So its not like we’ve done anything wrong. We’ve never done anything wrong. We’ve just done things that’d take more explaining than listening, thats all, and no one much wants to listen. So its not us. Its definitely not us. Its just that, who would ever wanna believe us? I mean you, maybe. You, probably. But me? Not me. Never me. I mean, look at you, now look at me. Its just how it is. Its just how things are. So we really don’t have much of a choice. We really don’t have any choice at all. I mean, if we did, we would, but we don’t, so we can’t. I mean, you do, obviously you do, just look at you. But I mean, for you it’d be me. For you it’d mean me. And maybe you’re okay with that. Maybe you’re just fine with that, and I get that if you are, at least now anyways with the way things are. But I gotta be looking out for me. Somebody’s gotta be looking out for me.

INGRID

I don’t think thats true.

JONAH

I don’t know. Maybe things were different before. Maybe before things could’ve been different. But now, with the way things are, with the way things were, theres really only one way things can be, one way things could be. And thats this, this and hope, this and pray. And maybe, if we’re lucky, that’ll be the end of it. That’ll be the end. And then we won’t have to. Not anymore. Not ever again.

INGRID

But how can you just be okay with that?

JONAH

Okay with it? I’m not okay with it. I never said I was okay with it. No, what happened was terrible, horrible, tragic, but I can’t do anything about it. No one can. Its like everything else that already happened. Its sad, sure, but what good can regret do?

INGRID

Remind the forgotten.

JONAH

Then you remember. You remember. If thats what you want. If thats what will make you happy, then fine. Don’t forget. If you think that will do anybody any good, then go right ahead. Think about it. Think about it all you want.

INGRID

I will.

JONAH

And I mean, its not like I don’t want you to. I do. I do want you to. Its just, I can’t want you to. Ya know? Cus if you do, if anybody does, well then, I’m as good as dead, ya know. And maybe I just don’t wanna die. Maybe thats just it. But if you want me to. If thats what you want. Then so be it. I’ll live up to that. I’ll face those consequences. If thats what you want, then so be it.

INGRID

I don’t.

JONAH

Then you can’t say anything. Do anything. Not forever. Certainly not forever. But for the time being, thats what we gotta do. Thats what we gotta do. If you wanna survive. If you wanna go on, with the way things are, or at least how they were, then thats what we gotta do. Thats what we gotta do.

INGRID

Then we will.

JONAH

And like I said before, its not forever. Its nowhere near forever. As long as we do this for a while. Just a little while. Everything will be fine. Everything will be just fine. And then we can forget about it. Then its better if we just don’t think about it.

Ingrid looks away.

The two drive on.

EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY

Lost but never found, a man traverses across the gritty earth that is gravel, forming the universal sign of travel with his thumb, hunched slightly forward by his heavy pack.

Cars, ignoring his call, rush by.

A police car flashes its lights and pulls to the side.

The hitchhiker, DAVE, stops.

The officer steps out of the car and over to Dave.

OFFICER

License and registration.

Dave gives the officer an odd look.

OFFICER

Its a joke kid.

Dave laughs nervously.

OFFICER

It wasn’t that funny.

Dave stops.

OFFICER

You do got I.D though, don’t you?

Dave scrambles, before finding his license, and handing it to the officer.

OFFICER

Stay.

The officer walks back to his car.

Dave shoves his hands deep into his pockets, kicking at the ground, watching the cars go by.

The officer reappears, handing Dave a piece of paper.

OFFICER

A ticket. Know what that is, son?

Dave nods.

OFFICER

Its against the law to be out here like this. Walking around doing who knows what to who knows who. Its dangerous. For you and me both.

Dave nods.

OFFICER

I’m afraid I’m gonna have to ask you to come with me.

Dave nods, and follows him to the car.

OFFICER

Sorry son. No room up front. You’ll have to sit in back. Don’t worry kid, no arrests today, just the ticket in your hand. I’ll drop you off close by, at a diner. That alright? I know a pretty good one not too far from here. Maybe you can meet someone there or something.

Dave nods, and climbs into the back.

INT. TRAILER - DAY

HENRY, a lowly police officer, lays upon a filthy couch, exhausted but not tired.

A hard knock throws him to the floor.

ANNE, a kind but bitter slum lord, slams against the door.

ANNE

Henry?! I knows you in there! You best be comin out! I ain’t be playin no games no mo.

Henry closes his eyes, as if to hide from the world.

ANNE

Don’t think you can none hide from me boy, I knows you in there. You best be comin out.

Henry, with a false sense of stealth, slithers across the floor.

ANNE

Boy, I swear to the lawd almighty, if you don’t come out this minute I’ll...

Suddenly, Anne quiets, conversing with another.

ANNE

Alrighty boy, I’ll leave you here, but you better choose before it all disappears.

A kindly young woman, PENELOPE, enters the filthy trailer, only to find Henry upon his hands and knees.

Henry climbs to his feet and pours himself a glass of bourbon.

HENRY

I ain’t none be needing none of ya sympathies no more. I can handle myself well nuff.

PENELOPE

Since when?

HENRY

Did well nuff before, didn’t I?

PENELOPE

Not really.

HENRY

Ya, well, I could.

PENELOPE

Then why don’t you?

HENRY

Ain’t never been no reason to.

PENELOPE

Just none worth knowing.

HENRY

What’d knowing ever do?

PENELOPE

A lot if you knew.

HENRY

Maybe I don’t none wants to.

PENELOPE

Well you should. It’d do you some good.

HENRY

What good?

PENELOPE

More good than harm.

HENRY

Ain’t nothin but harm always.

PENELOPE

Well, harm then.

HENRY

This ain’t about you none, is it?

PENELOPE

Is it ever?

HENRY

Cus I knows its been hard ever since that incident.

PENELOPE

Lets not talk about it Henry.

HENRY

I means if it were me I’d never let it get to that.

PENELOPE

Stop Henry.

HENRY

I mean for a man to just lay ya down and...

PENELOPE

Henry! Stop! Just, stop.

Henry pauses.

HENRY

I didn’t nones mean nothing by it.

PENELOPE

I know. Lets just not, okay.

HENRY

What then?

PENELOPE

What?

HENRY

What you come here for?

PENELOPE

Oh. That. Just. This.

Penelope refers to a manila folder in her hands.

HENRY

Course you is. All you is. Every last one of ya. Ain’t none of you ever want nothin but help. No other reason to hang around I s’pose. Don’t even know why I ask. Ain’t ever gonna be nothing but help. Never gonna be tea drinking or coffee sipping or none of that. Nope. You ain’t ever want nothin but help. And I knows it too. So lets just go and get it over with.

Henry grabs the folder from Penelope, quickly leafing through it.

HENRY

Now you knows I can’t none be helping you none in no official capacities, don’t ya?

PENELOPE

I know.

HENRY

Cus ever since that last beating chief been getting kinda antsy.

PENELOPE

I know.

HENRY

And it ain’t like I’m on no suspension or nothing, cus I ain’t. I just taking a break is all.

PENELOPE

I know.

Henry looks back up at Penelope.

HENRY

Well is that it then?

PENELOPE

What?

HENRY

You just standings there as if you gots somethings to say.

PENELOPE

No...I just...

HENRY

What?

PENELOPE

Will you be okay? If I go?

HENRY

Course I be okay! Always is, ain’t I?

PENELOPE

No. I mean, for a while.

HENRY

Ain’t it always a while?

PENELOPE

No. I mean. A long while.

Henry pauses.

HENRY

How long you talking?

PENELOPE

A few weeks. A month maybe. A year even.

HENRY

And then you getting back?

Penelope looks down at the ground.

HENRY

Don’t thinks I none gonna help ya if ya ain’t none gonna get back.

PENELOPE

I will. Just, not for a while.

HENRY

Well then you’d be best to help yourself.

PENELOPE

What?

HENRY

If you ain’t gonna need me then then whats you thinking you gonna need me now?

PENELOPE

Its not like that.

HENRY

Course it is. You just gettin help while you can. But I ain’t no ATM.

PENELOPE

What? No. I...

HENRY

Go on then! Get. Since you just goin anyways. Might as well get now too.

Henry pushes Penelope towards the door.

PENELOPE

No. Henry. Don’t. Its not like that.

HENRY

Go on now! Get!

Henry pushes Penelope out the door.

PENELOPE

No! Wait! Henry! Stop! Don’t!

Henry slams the door on Penelope.

EXT. HARDWARE STORE - DAY

On a small square in a small town stands a local shop of anonymous ownership, its legacy as old as the town’s.

What few inhabitants still survive survey the few tools yet sold, taking no keen interest in anything and everything.

A car pulls close, pausing just before the shop.

In the car, sit Ingrid and Jonah.

JONAH

Is this really that necessary?

INGRID

Would you rather be caught?

Jonah says nothing.

INGRID

All you have to do is go in and buy what we need. No cards. No cameras. No I.Ds. In and out just like that.

JONAH

This is crazy.

INGRID

Crazy begets crazy.

JONAH

Its just a few tools. Not even that. Its just two. We could get them anywhere. They might not even have them here.

INGRID

They will. They have to. And we can’t. Thats how people get caught. Thats how people get killed. They act stupid. Play naive. Well we won’t. Not us. We’ll play it safe. Go here. Local. Few witnesses. No cameras. In and out, just like that. Then we go away. Far away. No one will know the difference.

JONAH

Doesn’t it seem a little odd two strangers buying tools in the middle of nowhere?

INGRID

Its not nowhere to them. And for all they know, we’re from the next town over. Maybe even say that even. Whats the name of that town? Imber? Right. Just say we’re from Imber. Say they’ve run out.

JONAH

They’d believe that?

INGRID

Does it matter?

JONAH

And you’re sure about this? That this’ll work?

INGRID

Has anyone ever stopped you before?

JONAH

No. I just...I don’t know. Why don’t you go in? You seem to know so well. Why don’t you go in?

INGRID

Because me they’ll remember. They’ll remember me. No one forgets a pretty face like me.

JONAH

But me?

INGRID

They’ll forget. No one ever remembers a another man’s face. No matter how pretty.

JONAH

Ya but this isn’t exactly Harlem.

INGRID

No. That they’ll remember. Theres nothing we can do about that. But just lean into it. Give them what they want. Its better that way. Easier to forget.

JONAH

You want me to play the nigger.

INGRID

If thats what they want.

Jonah pauses, thinking.

INGRID

Go. Its better to just go and get it over with.

JONAH

Ya. Okay. You’re right. I will. I’m going.

Jonah doesn’t move.

INGRID

Jonah...

Jonah steps out of the car, arms shaking, and into the store.

A few moments later, he exits, tools in hand, and places them in the back seat.

Jonah moves back to his seat, visibly shaking.

INT. CAR - DAY

The officer sits in contempt as his quasi hostage hangs against the cage that separates the animal from the man.

OFFICER

You should know better than to be out there like that. Its more than the law you know. Its morals. People like you make places like this unsafe. Imber is a good small town full of good honest people. We don’t need no people trying to tempt us.

Dave nods apologetically.

OFFICER

Not like I got nothing against newcomers or nothin, you’re all just fine for the most part. But standards must be kept. We can’t just let anybody walk anywhere.

Dave, again, nods.

OFFICER

Again, nothing against you personally, but people like you are the problem with this country. People who think they can just live off the good will of others.

Dave looks out the window.

OFFICER

But thats just not right. Theres plenty of good jobs out there, and plenty of good employers too. Hell, Sally at the diner is always looking for staff. Still is. People always complaining about there never being no jobs no where but there always is. Just nothin nobody wants. Thats the real problem with this country. Everyones too good for their own damn job. Rather Netflix and chill or whatever you kids call it these days.

Dave continues to say nothing.

OFFICER

Not like I got nothing against you kids or nothin, you all seem pretty fine for the most part. Even you black folks. Excuse me, African-Americans. Maybe you’re not right for this town, no, but theres a lot of good towns for a lot of good folks like you.

Dave gives the officer a curious glance.

OFFICER

Not that I got nothing against niggers or nothing. Excuse me, African-Americans, we just aren’t cut out for that kind of life. Not a big enough force, really. And you wouldn’t like it here much neither I’d suppose. No good place to smoke dope or shoot hoops or whatever you folks do. And too, you’d scare the locals. Not that the locals are racist or nothing, we’re all pretty good people for the most part, we just know how it is. One black family moves in and before you know it you got a whole nigger ghetto. Excuse me, African-American ghetto.

Dave begins to laugh hysterically.

OFFICER

What? Is African-American not the right colloquial? Have I offended you somehow? Are you hurt?

DAVE

Nah man. You just stupid.

The officer slams on the brakes, and pulls over to the side of the road.

OFFICER

Get out.

DAVE

What?

OFFICER

Get...out...I will not be disrespected in my own vehicle.

DAVE

Hey man. I mean no disrespect.

OFFICER

I try to be nice to you people, I do. And my wife always says, you just gonna get yourself killed. And you know what, maybe she’s right. Maybe you black folks really aren’t so nice. Maybe you are a little more than mean. Real mean. And thats just not nice.

DAVE

Hey man. Don’t blame the blacks on me. I’m just one man, see.

Dave pulls at his skin.

DAVE

I’m just me. If you don’t like the blacks, thats up to you. But me, I’m just me. Don’t go hating the blacks cus of me. And don’t go hating me cus of the blacks.

OFFICER

You’re all the same, you know that. Just a bunch of hoodlums and druggies. Really. You try to be nice and look where it gets you, just a gun to the head.

The officer pulls out his gun.

DAVE

Whoa! Whoa! Theres no need for that man. I’m going I’m going.

Dave tries to open the door, but its locked.

OFCIER

I’m just so tired of all you niggers messing around with me. I mean really. I’m nothing but good to you folks.

Dave struggles with the door.

DAVE

Hey man. Its cool. It cool. Just let me out. Let me out.

OFCIER

I work so hard too. I try to be cool. I really do. But all you blacks wanna do is make fun of me.

DAVE

Hey man. I ain’t laughing. I ain’t laughin.

OFCIER

I just can’t take it no more. You’re all just so mean.

The officer points the gun at his own head.

DAVE

Hey man. Whatya doin? Theres no need for that man. You cool. You cool. Just let me out man. Let me out.

OFCIER

Funny, who’d a ever thought of a thing like that. You calling me cool. Ya, sure. You’re just saying that cus of this.

The officer points the gun at Dave.

DAVE

What?! Nah man. Nah. You cool. You cool. Lets just get out and talk about this, ya? Lets just get out and get some fresh air.

OFFICER

Ya. You’re right. Some fresh air will do me some good.

The officer steps out of the car.

DAVE

Cool cool cool.

The officer closes his door.

DAVE

Alright Dave. Its all good. Just a crazy old white man with a big ass gun. No big deal. Nothing at all. Just do you Dave. Just do you.

Dave looks out the window.

The officer holds the gun to his head, smiling.

DAVE

Oh hell no!

Dave scrambles for the door but it won’t open.

DAVE

Fuck! Shit! No! No! No! No!

The shot of a gun.

Dave looks, but the officer is gone.

DAVE

Holy shit holy shit holy shit.

Dave scrambles at the door but it won’t open. He begins to slam on the door but still it won’t open. Dave reaches into his bag, and pulls out an emergency kit, breaking the glass, and opening the door.

In front of Dave, on the ground, lies a bloodied officer, dead.

Dave looks to the dashboard camera, grabs the keys from the dead officer, and climbs into the front seat.

DAVE

Oh hell oh hell oh hell. Shit shit shit. Fuck!

Dave looks to the seat across from him, completely empty.

DAVE

That motherfucker.

Dave climbs out of the car, and pulls the officer into the back seat.

Dave pulls the car forward over the pool of blood.

Quickly, Dave changes clothes with the officer, behind the car, and climbs into the front seat.

Dave, with what little strength he still has, drives away.

INT. DINER - DAY

Penelope sits, sipping at lukewarm coffee.

Henry barges in.

HENRY

You ain’t tell me he was no nigger.

PENELOPE

Henry!

HENRY

What? You ain’t.

PENELOPE

I didn’t think to mention it.

HENRY

You think a single fuck in this town gives a shit about no nigger?

PENELOPE

Can you please stop saying that?

HENRY

What? Fuck?

PENELOPE

No. I mean, yes, that too. But the other word. The n-word. Can you please stop using the n-word?

HENRY

You mean nigger?

PENELOPE

Yes! That one.

HENRY

Well...why?

PENELOPE

Its offensive.

HENRY

To who?

PENELOPE

To everyone.

HENRY

Well excuse me for trying to bring a little culture to this artless desert.

Henry turns to the crowd at the diner.

HENRY

Sorry to offend those delicate ears of yours folks. Real police work goin on here. Gotta keep it true.

Penelope looks down, ashamed.

HENRY

Like I was saying, you ain’t tell me he was no...n-word.

PENELOPE

I didn’t think it of consequence.

HENRY

Well you shudda. Now its fun.

PENELOPE

What?

HENRY

Fun. You know. Like a hunt.

PENELOPE

Oh god. Please don’t call it that.

HENRY

What? A hunt? Why not?

PENELOPE

Because he’s missing, not killing.

HENRY

Well, that we know of.

PENELOPE

Henry!

HENRY

What?

PENELOPE

Lets just assume he’s an upholding citizen. Okay? At least for now?

HENRY

Well thats pretty presumptuous of you.

PENELOPE

Lets just try.

HENRY

Alright alright. I’ll try. I’ll try. But no promises, ya hear.

PENELOPE

Fine. Whatever. Just. Tell me what you got...Besides the fact that he’s black.

HENRY

Oh...well...nothing really. I only got that so far.

PENELOPE

You mean you came all this way to tell me he’s black?

HENRY

Well no, I was just, confirming, as such. How else could I get here so fast? I ain’t no Sherlock or nothin.

PENELOPE

Leave.

HENRY

Well why?

PENELOPE

I’d rather not be known as the girl who hangs around the guy who yells the n word.

HENRY

Well then! I see how it is. I’ll just take my cereal and go.

Henry stomps out the door.

Penelope looks down in shame as people stare.

SERVER

Your boyfriend gotta pay for that bowl you know, thats real fine stuff, china, I think. From the real place too.

PENELOPE

I’ll pay.

SERVER

Ya know usually we don’t sell that kind of stuff, but with him just up and leavin like that...

PENELOPE

I said I’ll pay, okay? Will you just shut up about it.

SERVER

Alright alright. Jeesh. Everybody round here moody today. Must be the air or somethin.

Penelope nods politely.

SERVER

Well ya know. The oxygen and stuff. Being all contaminated.

Penelope gives the server an odd look.

SERVER

Well don’t you know? Those pipes been goin for days.

PENELOPE

You mean the smoke stacks?

SERVER

Sure. Whatever you callem. They been goin for days.

PENELOPE

I thought they closed down.

The server shrugs.

SERVER

Guess not.

Penelope runs out of the diner.

SERVER

Hey! Where you goin? You ain’t paid yet!

Penelope doesn’t stop.

EXT. MOTEL - DAY

Jonah and Ingrid sit in stoic silence, staring at the crummy motel before them

INGRID

Do we have to?

JONAH

Well its not like we can up and stay in a holiday inn or anything.

INGRID

Why not?

JONAH

Well you know, because, of what happened. With what we got and all that. We can’t just go around staying anywhere.

INGRID

Isn’t this worse?

JONAH

No. Better. So much better. Who would suspect us here?

INGRID

Everybody probably.

JONAH

No no, you’re not getting it. If two upholding citizens like us stay in a place like this, it’d be like angels among men, you know. We’d be like the upholders of all that is good and right and stuff like that.

INGRID

Isn’t that suspicious?

JONAH

Suspicious? Of course its not suspicious. Why would it be suspicious?

INGRID

Because people like us don’t stay in places like this. Unless we’re not actually us but someone else.

JONAH

Maybe toady we are.

INGRID

But those kinds of people do get questioned. A lot.

JONAH

Well we won’t be. We can’t be. Why would we? We’re good enough folks. We’ll be fine. I’m sure we’ll be fine.

Jonah steps out of the car.

JONAH

Coming?

INGRID

No. I told you. I won’t and I’m not.

JONAH

You’re just going to stay here then? In the car? With everything else?

INGRID

Better than this.

JONAH

Cmon, Ingrid, don’t be like that. I’m sure this place is fine.

INGRID

I won’t...I mean it.

Jonah sighs, looking towards the lobby, tapping his finger against the door.

Jonah reenters the car.

JONAH

Fine. Whatever. Lets just not then. Lets just sit here and do nothing.

INGRID

Okay.

JONAH

Okay.

INGRID

Okay.

The two sit silently in the car.

JONAH

We can’t just sit here and do nothing!

INGRID

Why should we?

JONAH

I can’t drive.

INGRID

Why not?

JONAH

I’ve been driving all night.

INGRID

I’ll drive.

JONAH

You can’t.

INGRID

Why not?

JONAH

What if we get stopped?

INGRID

What if we do?

JONAH

You’ll have some explaining to do.

INGRID

So would you.

JONAH

Its better if I just do.

INGRID

You already fell asleep once. Its better if you don’t do it again.

JONAH

I’ll be fine.

INGRID

I don’t think that you will.

JONAH

I’m sure I will.

INGRID

Why not just let me drive? Then you can rest for a bit.

JONAH

No. I can’t.

INGRID

Why not?

JONAH

I’m too tired.

INGRID

Haven’t you a bit of faith?

JONAH

Not even a bit.

INGRID

Don’t you trust anyone?

JONAH

Not even you.

INGRID

Thats what got us here in the first place.

JONAH

And thats what will get us out too.

INGRID

You’re being stupid.

JONAH

I’m being reasonable.

INGRID

Just let me drive.

JONAH

No.

INGRID

Jonah...

JONAH

I mean it Ingrid. I’m fine. If you don’t wanna stop, we won’t. Thats fine. But I won’t let you drive. You can’t drive. Its too risky.

INGRID

Whatever Jonah. Just do whatever you want.

JONAH

Its better this way. I know you don’t see it that way, at least not now anyways, but its better this way. Just in case. In the future. If things so happen to happen. At least you can say you didn’t. You at least can say you weren’t.

INGRID

You can’t protect me from the world Jonah.

JONAH

Not the world. Just its cruelty.

INGRID

I’m not so innocent.

JONAH

Theres no reason they should know that.

INGRID

You think you’re being heroic but you’re not. You’re not. You’re being paranoid. You’re being stupid. If you really want things to go as planned, then you can’t just do everything.

JONAH

I can and I will. I have to. You deserve no part of this. You didn’t do this. Any of this. You don’t deserve to be part of this.

INGRID

But I already am. I already was. So might as well just let me help some.

JONAH

Help and you’ll be an accomplice

INGRID

So be it.

JONAH

No! I can’t. I can’t. Me I’m okay with. Me I can let go. But not you. I can’t let you. Not if I can help it.

INGRID

Whatever.

The two drive away.

EXT. GAS STATION - DAY

Abandoned by all but a single employee, a gas station flounders in early morning light, rust leaching once good steel like a sweet morning dew.

The road, likewise emptied, shutters with the passage of a single vehicle: a police car.

The car pulls into the station and to a pump.

Out of the car exits Dave, looking into the back seat, where a wet blanket vaguely covers a bloodied mess.

The single Employee, MATT, welcomes him.

MATT

Well hiya there! Not too often we get folks round these parts.

Dave kindly waves, looking down, fumbling with the pump.

MATT

Oh, here, let me get you a hand with that.

Matt walks over to Dave.

MATT

These pumps gets to be a little fussy sometimes.

DAVE

No!

Matt stops just a few feet from Dave.

DAVE

No, no thank you. Thank you, but thats alright. I think I’ve got it.

Confused, but still smiling, Matt nods aimlessly

MATT

Alrighty then, good. You from around these parts?

DAVE

What? Me? Nah man. Just uhh, passin through.

MATT

Oh ya? Where ya headin?

DAVE

Nowhere. Anywhere. Wherever.

MATT

Oh ya? Where ya from.

DAVE

New Orleans. I mean...Ohio. New Orleans, Ohio.

MATT

I didn’t knows there was one of those.

DAVE

Ya man. Course there is. Right near Columbus.

MATT

Does it get cold up there?

DAVE

Cold? Sure. Course it gets cold! Its Illinois!

MATT

I thought you said Ohio.

DAVE

Right. Ohio. Thats what I meant. Ohio. I don’t know why I said Illinois. I meant Ohio. Thats what I meant.

Matt gives Dave a strange look.

MATT

Ya know, we got a lota strange folks round here, but I dare say you the strangest.

DAVE

Me? Strange? Nah man. I’m cool. I’m cool. Just normal. Thats all. Normal as hell. Hella normal. More normal than normal, even.

MATT

Ya don’t seem it.

DAVE

Well thats just cus I’m not from around here. If I was, I would be, cus whats so strange about what you see everyday? Nah man. I’m just strange cus I’m a stranger. That’s all.

MATT

(Stepping towards the car)

I don’t know. There just seems something...peculiar about you...

DAVE

Me? Nah. Nah. Nothing peculiar about me. Just your regular old American. Just like everybody else.

MATT

I got it!

Dave jumps.

MATT

You one of those black folks, aren’t you? Excuse me, native Americans.

DAVE

Uhh, what, ya? Native American, sure.

MATT

Err wait, is it African American? I always get them savages confused.

The pump stops and Dave hurriedly puts it away.

Dave rushes to the front door.

DAVE

Nah man. You good, you good.

MATT

Wait!

Dave pauses.

MATT

You ain’t paid yet, had ya?

Dave laughs a sigh of relief.

DAVE

Nah man. I’m just messin with ya. Here...

Dave hands over a wad of cash.

MATT

Oh, well, we can’t much do that here, can we?

DAVE

No? Why not?

MATT

Well don’t you want your change?

DAVE

Nah man. Not really. Keep the change. Really. I don’t need it.

MATT

Well I gotta go in and count it at least.

DAVE

You do that.

MATT

Well just you wait a darn sec will ya?!Why don’t you just come in and sit for a sec, huh? For all I know these bills could be fakes. And I don’t wanna be callin the cops on ya.

Dave gives a look of sheer terror.

MATT

Ain’t I funny? Cus you the cops! Can’t much be callin the cops on the cops, can I?

Dave laughs nervously.

DAVE

No. I guess not.

MATT

Anyways, cmon in. It’ll only be a minute.

Dave walks into the gas station, following Matt.

Matt walks to the counter.

MATT

Like I was sayin, its not too often we get folks around here, so its nice, ya know, to talk to somebody. Most of the time its just me and my lonesome. I mean, the old wifey comes around now and again for some chew, but thats about it. My employer don’t much like customers, see, and to be honest, I don’t much neither. I just do it for the pay.

Dave continues to stare out the window.

DAVE

Sure. Sure.

Another car pulls into the station.

MATT

Well I’ll be. Two cars in one hour. Thats got to be a miracle!

Out of the car steps Ingrid and Jonah, smiling and laughing, Ingrid walking into the shop.

Ingrid smiles at Dave.

Jonah begins to fill his tank, looking over at the police car

MATT

Well hiya there! I was just tellin this fine fella here we don’t much get folks around here. Wheres ya from?

Dave grips the table.

INGRID

Who me? Oh nowhere special really. Just Cedar Springs up in Michigan. Close to the lake.

MATT

Oh ya? Which one?

INGRID

Michigan.

MATT

Well I’ll be! I was just up there myself! I don’t mean to brag or nothin, but I myself am quite the sailor.

INGRID

Really? Well wouldn’t you believe it? My husband is quite the sailor too.

MATT

Thats down right fate! Say, you wouldn’t happen...

Dave coughs attentively.

MATT

Oh right right! We gots to gossip later, for sure! But this fine young fella here says he’s in a bit of a hurry. You know how pigs are.

Matt gives a shrill laugh.

Ingrid smiles.

Dave frowns.

Matt gives Dave his change.

MATT

Anyways, like I was saying...

Dave rushes out the door.

Jonah turns, nodding politely to the police officer.

JONAH

Mighty fine day we’re having!

Dave gives a false smile, jumps into the car, and drives off.

Jonah removes the pump from his car, and moves back into the vehicle.

Ingrid joins him.

INGRID

You won’t believe this but that guy in there says he knows how to sail. Can you believe it? And in the middle of nowhere, too.

Looking out towards the lost car.

JONAH

Ya...strange...very strange...

The two drive away.

EXT. DESERT - DAY

Beyond the road and across the station lays a vast expanse of scorching sand, tingling at the touch.

Among the sand and of the weary wanders Henry, followed morosely by Penelope.

PENELOPE

This is pointless.

HENRY

It ain’t pointless. Its important.

PENELOPE

How?

HENRY

If we know where he was we’ll know where he is.

PENELOPE

He’s sure as hell not here.

HENRY

No. But close. Very close.

PENELOPE

How could you possibly know that?

Henry points to a dent in the fence.

PENELOPE

That could be anything.

HENRY

But it ain’t.

PENELOPE

Says who?

HENRY

The people.

PENELOPE

What people?

HENRY

The locals. Says they saw something strange goin on.

PENELOPE

Lots of strange things happen in lots of strange places.

HENRY

Ya but a nigger?

PENELOPE

Henry!

HENRY

Sorry. An African-American. How often do you see one of those?

PENELOPE

Just cus one black guy swerves off the road doesn’t mean...

HENRY

(Interrupting)

Doesn’t it though? At least a bit? Black folks like he don’t much come round here much too often. And when they do they sure as hell noticeable.

PENELOPE

It could be anybody.

HENRY

But it ain’t anybody, is it? Look here.

Henry refers to a scrap of blackened paper stitched to the fence.

Penelope looks at it dully.

PENELOPE

So?

HENRY

Its a clue, ain’t it?

PENELOPE

Its trash.

HENRY

But you know what they say about trash.

PENELOPE

Its garbage.

HENRY

No! Its another man’s treasure!

PENELOPE

What could you possibly do with that?

HENRY

Analyze it! For DNA and fingerprints and the like.

PENELOPE

Thats not how things works.

HENRY

No? You sure?

PENELOPE

Yes I’m sure.

HENRY

Maybe you just don’t know.

PENELOPE

I do. They don’t.

HENRY

Well...what do they do then?

PENELOPE

Who?

HENRY

The law.

PENELOPE

You are the law.

HENRY

Not that law.

PENELOPE

What law?

HENRY

You know. The science law. With the fingers and the blood and all that.

PENELOPE

You mean forensics?

HENRY

Sure.

PENELOPE

You’ve never used forensics before?

HENRY

How could I? I ain’t got none.

PENELOPE

But the station does.

HENRY

What?

PENELOPE

The police station. Our police station. We have forensics.

HENRY

We do?

PENELOPE

Of course we do!

HENRY

Huh. News to me.

PENELOPE

How could you possibly not know that?

HENRY

Never asked.

PENELOPE

How did you handle cases before?

HENRY

Not very well apparently.

PENELOPE

I thought you were good at this stuff?

HENRY

Must be if I ain’t fired yet.

PENELOPE

Are you drunk?

HENRY

What? I ain’t drunk.

PENELOPE

You’re sober then?

HENRY

Well no. I ain’t that neither. But I ain’t drunk.

PENELOPE

Jesus Christ.

Penelope walks away.

HENRY

Wait? Where ya going?

PENELOPE

I can’t. I can’t. I can’t do this anymore. You people are incompetent.

HENRY

But what about the plant?

Penelope stops.

PENELOPE

What?

HENRY

The plant. With the smoke stacks and all that.

PENELOPE

What about it?

HENRY

It ain’t usual. Smoke stacks rising like that. And it ain’t no coincidence neither. The one nigger in town going missing the same day the plant gets starting up again. That ain’t usual.

PENELOPE

Well maybe but...how do you know?

HENRY

Know? I ain’t know. I’m guessin is all. But ain’t it a little suspicious to you too?

The two leave, scrap and all.

EXT. LAKE - DAY

Wheels tatter virgin soil, brushing fallen leaves, crunching archaic trees.

The car, with a small, senile scratch, holds, pausing just a few feet from a shimmering lake.

Ingrid and Jonah exit the car.

JONAH

This is probably fine, right?

INGRID

I don’t know Jonah. I guess.

JONAH

I mean, they wouldn’t go all the way out here to find someone all the way back there, would they?

INGRID

Its only a days drive. If that.

JONAH

Ya but like, the whole ten mile thing or whatever. You know, how like, killers always live within ten miles of their victims or whatever.

INGRID

I think thats more of a serial killer thing.

JONAH

Ya but like, they all got the same motto, right? Like, its the same general principle, all and all.

INGRID

But we’re not murderers.

JONAH

No! No. God no. Things just happen, you know. But I’m just saying, maybe we should, you know, consider leaving it, sooner rather than later. Ya know, with cops and all that.

INGRID

Don’t call it it.

JONAH

What then?

INGRID

I don’t know. Lets just not talk about it, okay?

JONAH

Seems to me to be the only thing we can talk about.

INGRID

Well not here, okay.

JONAH

Why not?

INGRID

Its too close. I don’t like it.

JONAH

Too close? We’re 300 miles away.

INGRID

Too close.

JONAH

When then?

INGRID

When what?

JONAH

When won’t we be too close?

INGRID

When we are.

JONAH

And when will that be?

INGRID

Soon. Okay? Soon. Just, not yet. Not here. I don’t like it.

JONAH

Well I don’t either. But, we can’t just leave...what we have, in there forever.

INGRID

No. Not forever. Just for now.

JONAH

Better we just rid of it.

INGRID

I wanna do whats right, okay? What we did was wrong. Really wrong. And I wanna make things right. Really right. Not just kind of right. And I can’t, I can’t, if you don’t. If you just don’t. So you have to do whats right too. We have to. Its whats right. Its what we have to do.

JONAH

Its the same either way.

INGRID

Not to me...

Jonah sits shrouded in silence.

JONAH

I...I didn’t mean to, you know.

INGRID

I know.

JONAH

Its just...sometimes it feels like you blame me, you know. About everything that happened and all.

INGRID

I don’t.

JONAH

I know. I know. I just...I don’t know. I just don’t want you to be mad at me I guess.

INGRID

I’m not mad Jonah. I’m just, nothing...its fine...lets just go.

The two sit, staring at the setting sun.

EXT. PAYPHONE - DAY

Across a broad expanse of exasperated land, lies a lonely old box, disregarded in disuse, submerging the secrets of the past in typical filth.

Among the filth is Dave, dialing the payphone.

DAVE

Hey ma, I know you can’t hear this but...I just wanted to let you know I love you. I know things have been tough lately with me being gone and all, but, well, its alright I guess. I’ll be home soon. I promise ma. Theres just some stuff I gotta do. It won’t be long. I swear.

Dave hangs up the phone, and dials another number.

DAVE

Hey, is Johnny there?

A moments pause.

DAVE

Hey, can I ask you something...that old junk yard your pops use to run, you still got it? Well can I use it anyways? Just some old stuff, nothing really. No, bigger than that. No, no, a broken down car...no kind, really, ford maybe, I don’t know, American made...I told you its broken down...blue, mostly...nah, just that, you got a place for it? Well if you can that’d be great...no, like I said, its not worth much, better to just rid of it...today? Well, I’m not that close, tomorrow maybe, probably...Ya, I’m driving it out there...I told you its fine...because I don’t trust them, thats all...of course I trust you...like I said, I just gotta rid of it, its nothing really...all right, I’ll see you then...you too.

Dave hangs up the phone, pushing his head against the glass.

He kicks in tears of rage.

Gaining his composure, he steps out of the booth, and moves towards the car.

He pulls at the door but the door won’t open.

Dave reaches around through his pockets, only to find the keys on the other side of the pane, sitting on the chair beside.

Dave slams on the car, infuriated.

DAVE

Shit!

Dave looks back at the phone booth.

Dave walks back over, and breaks off a piece of wood once used as a seat.

Dave saunters back over to the car, and slams the passenger window in.

Dave reaches in, through broken glass, and unlocks the door.

Grabbing the keys, he walks around the car, throws the wood, and starts the car, driving away.

EXT. POWER PLANT - DAY

Cold bars of bitter steel impair false hopes of socialistic harmony, encumbering upon the once beautiful forestry which seethes at the touch of steel.

Though paved with the thought in mind, no vehicle surrounds the premises. Windows, likewise, give a dim view of the dark reality, holding no light in which to sway the dimming evening air.

Yet still the smoke rises.

And from this brutal wasteland embark Penelope and Henry, sitting at the gates, hitting a seemingly useless button again and again and again.

HENRY

It ain’t working.

PENELOPE

I see that.

HENRY

Well what then?

Penelope sits for a moment in thought and then steps out of the car.

HENRY

Where you going?

Penelope approaches the gate, grabs it, and screams at the top of her lungs.

Henry, afraid, jumps out of the car.

HENRY

What? What? Whats wrong? Whats happenin?

Penelope continues to scream.

Two guards appear from the darkness, guns in hand.

GUARD 1

Now don’t you none even think of movin.

Henry freezes, afraid.

GUARD 1

Get on the ground.

Henry hesitates.

GUARD 1

Now!

Henry does as he is told.

Penelope continues to scream as guard 2 approaches her cautiausly.

GUARD 1

You can quit your screaming now lady.

Penelope doesn’t stop.

GUARD 1

Lady!

Still Penelope continues.

Guard 2 fires a single shot in the air, and from this terror, silence is born.

GUARD 1

Goddamn’t Joe! What did Mr. Kane tell you about firing that thing?

JOE, the second guard, shrugs.

GUARD 1

Don’t play no fool to me boy. You know what he said. Now you’ve right gone and done it.

Joe shrugs.

GUARD 1

Well don’t you do it again, you hear.

Again, the Joe shrugs.

GUARD 1

(Under his breath)

Idiot.

HENRY

Can’t I get up yet?

GUARD 1

Not till I talk to the lady. Joe.

Joe moves to Henry, as the other guard moves to Penelope, the guards and the visitors still separated by the gate.

GUARD 1

This fella the one you screaming about?

Penelope gives a cold, flirtatious smile.

PENELOPE

Why, yes officer, I was downright scared.

GUARD 1

He hurt ya any?

PENELOPE

Why, no officer. Not yet. But I was so very afraid he might.

Guard 1 nods to Joe, and Joe opens the gate, pulling Henry up by the shoulder.

GUARD 1

That your car there miss?

PENELOPE

Why yes officer. It certainly is. But how could I know the road would end so suddenly like it did.

GUARD 1

Well now don’t you go much blaming yourself now miss. Mistakes are made to keep happening. No accounting for a silly thing like that. You just get yourself right back in there and head on home, ya hear?

PENELOPE

Oh thank you officer. Thank you! But I really don’t want to be a bother.

GUARD 1

No bother at all miss.

PENELOPE

I suppose I couldn’t bother you for a cup of coffee, could I?

GUARD 1

Well, miss. I don’t spose you can. Boss got rules you know.

PENELOPE

Oh of course. Of course. But you don’t always play by the rules, do you, officer?

Guard 1 shivers in thrill.

GUARD 1

Well, maybe just a cup. But thats it. Then you gots to go.

PENELOPE

Of course officer. Of course. Anything for you, officer.

Joe pushes Henry down the long gravel road, as Penelope and the other guard move towards a small house just inside the lot.

EXT. DESERT - NIGHT

Darkness enshrouds two pale beams of dirtied light, silhouetting arguing shadows, regarding each other in harsh whispers.

A ways down the road another beam grasps at their tiny figures, reaching towards them with a certain inevitability.

The two stare as the car comes near, and enlightens the two with bright beams.

The figures, full of dirt and grime, are Jonah and Ingrid.

A burly older gentleman, RON, sticks his head out the window.

RON

You folks alright there?

JONAH

(Irritated)

Fine. Fine. We’re fine. Thank you.

Ron turns towards Ingrid.

RON

He ain’t hurtin you none, is he?

Ingrid gives a cold laugh.

INGRID

Him? No. I’m alright. Thank you.

Ron hesitates.

RON

You sure?

JONAH

Yupp. Like she said. We’re fine. Just fine. Thank you.

RON

(Coldly)

I ain’t talkin to you fella.

JONAH

Right. Of course. Ingrid. Care to explain?

Ingrid shrugs.

INGRID

Theres nothing to say.

Jonah stares, aghast, agitated.

RON

I got somethin that need explainin.

JONAH

What?

Ron glares at Jonah.

INGRID

And what is that?

RON

If you two fine folks so fine, what you doin out here in the middle of nowhere?

INGRID

Oh. Its nothing, really. Perfectly innocent. Just some car troubles is all.

RON

Ya? I used to be a mechanic myself. Mind if I help.

JONAH

Yes.

RON

I ain’t askin.

Jonah stares coldly at the ground as Ron pulls his car aside.

RON

What seems to be the problem?

JONAH

Its...

Ron glares.

INGRID

Oh nothing really. Just some weird noises sometimes.

RON

Mind if I hear.

Jonah throws the keys at Ron’s face. Ron catches them before they can do much harm.

RON

Thank-ya.

Ron hands the keys to Ingrid.

RON

Will ya start er for me miss? I got a mind of seeing up front. Underneath it all.

Ingrid smiles, takes the keys, and starts the car.

Ron stumbles his way to the front of the car, opening the hood and peering in.

RON

Give it some gas, will ya?

Ingrid does.

Ron looks down, confused.

RON

Maybe put er in drive.

Ingrid does so.

RON

Hmmm, alright, put er back.

Ron looks again across the engine.

RON

Alright, thats plenty. Go head and turn er off.

Ingrid steps out of the car, keys in hand.

RON

Well, far as I can tell, car runs fine. Probably just hit something or something...say, that always been there.

Referring to a dent in the front of the car.

JONAH

What? That? Yupp. Yup. Came with the car, you could say.

Ron looks suspiciously.

RON

Well, like I said, car looks fine to me. Probably just a squirrel or somethin. You should probably get that checked out though. Looks pretty nasty.

JONAH

Yupp. Yupp. Will do. First thing in the morning. Right after breakfast. Straight to the mechanic.

RON

Alright, well, you sure you alright miss?

INGRID

Perfectly. Thank-you.

RON

Anytime miss. All part of the job.

Ron tips his hat, glares at Jonah, and steps into his truck.

RON

Now you folks be careful now. Lots of deer all around here.

JONAH

Yupp. Yupp. Will do. Thank you again. Bye now.

Ron drives away, leaving Jonah and Ingrid in almost, if not complete, darkness.

INT. HOLDING CELL - NIGHT

Fatal electric lights peel back heavy eyes as a beyond-tired, scuffled-up Henry sits in a chair.

Across from him sits Joe.

For a while, neither says a word.

HENRY

Well you gonna say something or what?

Joe looks at Henry for a cold hard second, before moving back to his novel, The Trial.

HENRY

You can’t just do this you know. I got rights.

Joe says nothing.

HENRY

And even if you could, which you can’t, you couldn’t, cus I ain’t just nobody you know. I’m the law, too. Just like you.

Henry holds up his badge.

Joe studies it, nods, and goes back to his novel.

HENRY

I demand to be let free!

Joe does nothing.

Henry races towards the door.

With almost no effort at all, Joe grabs Henry by the arm, and pulls him to the ground.

Henry struggles to no avail.

HENRY

Let me go! Let me go! I ain’t done nothin to you yet! Let me go!

Joe pulls Henry to his feet, looking at him dead in the eye.

HENRY

I gotta piss.

Joe lets go.

Henry slowly moves towards the door.

HENRY

You mean thats it? You ain’t gonna stop me or nothin?

Joe stares at him, not saying a word.

HENRY

Not that I would go nowhere or nothin. But, you ain’t even gonna try?

Joe turns back to his novel.

Henry throws open the door and flees.

EXT. JUNK YARD - NIGHT

Ruined soil upheaves solemn grace with the arrival of delicately designed tires, sleek, innovative rims, and an inventive yet ever lasting body, hidden by paint as timeless as time, exposing fear in every soul which witnesses its crime: justice.

From a shabby house, inching ever closer to the rolling of its counter’s wheels, exits JOHN, a good but small man, covered by a furrowed brow.

Dave, still dressed in the uniform of an officer, steps out to meet John.

JOHN

By god! You got me scared half to death!

DAVE

Sorry man. Almost forgot.

JOHN

So you police now, huh?

DAVE

Nah, nah. Well, sort of. Not really. Hard to explain.

JOHN

Well why don’t ya come in and do?

DAVE

I can’t stay long.

JOHN

Not long, just for a sit. A drink or two. Thats it.

DAVE

You got coffee?

JOHN

Sure.

DAVE

Alright. Fine. But then I gotta go.

INT. DINING ROOM TABLE - NIGHT

Dave and John sit across from each other, coffee in hand.

JOHN

So how ya been Dave?

DAVE

Good. Good. Fine. Fine...can I tell you something.

JOHN

This about that fancy suit?

DAVE

What? This? Ya, well, sort of.

JOHN

Go for it.

DAVE

Well...you see, I got this job, right, for work.

JOHN

You mean the paper.

DAVE

Ya the paper. Investigative journalism and all that. They wanted me to see things from the other side. You know, new perspective and the like.

JOHN

So you killed a nigger?

DAVE

Nah man. Not like that. Well, funny you should mention it actually.

JOHN

You ain’t gone and killed somebody, had ya?

DAVE

No. No. No one real. Its a dummy, you see. In the back seat. Of my car. Well not my car. That car. Its like a game, sort of. Like get away with murder and all that.

JOHN

And this all for work?

DAVE

Its complicated.

JOHN

Must be.

DAVE

So...the thing is...like I said...for the piece, I need to get rid of, the doll...and the car, obviously.

JOHN

Well sure. You got folks after ya?

DAVE

No. No. Not yet. Maybe. I don’t know. Look, the thing is, no one knows it yet, right? So its better if they just don’t, for the game’s sake.

JOHN

Sure. Sure.

A woman, SHELLY, yells from up the stairs.

SHELLY

You ain’t with no whores, is ya Johnny?

JOHN

I told you once I told ya a thousand times! I ain’t bring no whores home!

SHELLY

Well who is ya with then?

JOHN

Its Dave. He come over in a pig suit!

SHELLY

Pig? What he want some pig for?

JOHN

No no. Not the animal pig. The people pig.

SHELLY

You mean the cops?

JOHN

Course the cops!

SHELLY

Where they at?!

JOHN

No! There ain’t no cops here stupid. Dave’s just dressed like one.

SHELLY

Why’d he do that?

JOHN

Says its some sort of game.

SHELLY

He ain’t in no trouble is he?

JOHN

No. No. Just reportin or something.

SHELLY

Cus you know how I feels about you bringing trouble into this house Johnny!

JOHN

I told you I ain’t and I ain’t. Alright? What do I gotta do to make you so sure?

SHELLY

Now don’t you back talk to me Johnny, or you can go right back to your slobbering whores!

JOHN

Maybe I will!

SHELLY

Good riddance!

JOHN

Good!

John grabs his cup, spilling most of it in excitement, and exits the humble abode.

SHELLY

You still there Johnny?

DAVE

Uh, no Mrs. James, its just me. Dave.

SHELLY

Oh Davey! I didn’t knows you was here! How aws you?

DAVE

Good. Good. I was just telling John...

SHELLY

What?

DAVE

I said I was just telling John...

SHELLY

What?

DAVE

Maybe I should come up to you.

SHELLY

Oh Davey! To even suggest such a thing! And me a married woman!

DAVE

No. No. I just think that maybe...

SHELLY

Well if you insist I certainly can’t resist.

DAVE

No, thats not what I meant, I just...

SHELLY

And if you tied me up and took me for pleasue I certainly couldn’t stop you, could I Davey?

DAVE

No. I don’t think you understand, I...

SHELLY

And me with my best stockings too!

Dave, not sure how to respond, slowly backs out the door.

SHELLY

Davey? Davey? Ain’t you comin Davey? I’m ripe for the taking.

Dave backs out of the house.

EXT. JUNK YARD - NIGHT

John sits on the front porch, smoking.

JOHN

You alrighty there Dave?

DAVE

What? Ya. Sure. I’m good. I’m good.

JOHN

You sure? Seem a little shaken to me.

DAVE

Nah man. Just...nothin. Nah. I’m good.

JOHN

Alrighty then...you wanna do this now?

DAVE

What?

JOHN

The car and the doll and all. Better now then later, right? Before the cops show up.

DAVE

Ya...better...

Dave walks over to the car, and opens the back door.

JOHN

Jesus Christ! What is that thing?

DAVE

Man, I told you it was realistic.

JOHN

How’d they get it to smell like that?

DAVE

Science man. They can do anything now a days.

JOHN

I s’pose so. What ya wanna do with it?

DAVE

Burn it, if we can.

JOHN

Well ya, sure, but, well damn. This thing seems real real, to me.

DAVE

Thats the future man. Always coming up with crazy shit like that.

JOHN

Ain’t you wanna keep it? Worth more than anything probably.

DAVE

Nah man. Better not.

JOHN

Mind if I?

DAVE

You can’t sell it.

JOHN

I ain’t said nothin bout no selling!

DAVE

Then what do you want it for?

JOHN

For...business...as such...Private, business, as is...

DAVE

He’s no sex doll John.

JOHN

I ain’t say nothin bout no such thing! Do I look like some fag to you?

DAVE

He’ll rot. Just like the real thing.

JOHN

Ain’t I said I know’d that already?

DAVE

No.

JOHN

Well I do!

DAVE

So you can’t keep it.

JOHN

I ain’t none planning on it!

DAVE

Good.

Dave pulls the body out of the car.

John grabs the legs, and the two trek through the junk yard.

JOHN

Damn. He heavy too.

DAVE

They really do it all.

John drops the legs.

JOHN

Didn’t mean to stop ya like that, but, damn he heavy.

DAVE

If we could just...

JOHN

Right. Right. I s’pose you better be gettin soon. And still with the car too. Say, how you plan on gettin without no car no more?

DAVE

I thought maybe if you didn’t mind you could give me a ride back to the station.

JOHN

Well hell, sure. Sounds like fun. A real mission impossible this is.

DAVE

And maybe a couple of bucks too, to get me on my way. Nothing much. Just a few.

JOHN

Sure. Why not? I gots nothing to do with no moneys no more. My whores are free, if you know what I mean.

The two reach the incinerator and drop the body.

JOHN

Alrighty then. Here we are.

John opens the incinerator.

JOHN

You sure you wanna do this?

DAVE

Sure I’m sure.

JOHN

Alrighty then. If you say so. But don’t go blamin me when they go lookin for whats already theirs.

The two throw the body into the furnace.

INT. HOUSE - NIGHT

Acrid steam exonerates dully colored mugs in echoing silence as Penelope and the guard confront the incapacitating horror of general conversation.

Penelope sips at her coffee.

GUARD 1

So...ya like coffee much?

Penelope smiles quietly.

GUARD 1

I mean to say is, do you like it? The coffee? I made it myself ya know. Well not so much made it as brewed it. Well not really that cus it was already there. Its always there. The coffee. Always has been. To think of it, I don’t much know who makes it. I just pour it in the mug is all. And keep it warm if need be. I got a microwave and everything. I don’t much use it but, its good when I do. But, you do like it, don’t you miss? The coffee?

Penelope nods politely.

GUARD 1

Thats good. I like it too. I mean, not too much, cus its not so good, but, it keeps you warm when it can.

Penelope looks out the window.

GUARD 1

Like that? Thats my plants out there, in front. Tryin to start a little garden for the eatin. Just vegetables mostly. You like vegetables miss?

Penelope looks again at the guard.

GUARD 1

Ya me neither. Its stupid, I know. I don’t know what I was thinking.

The guard mumbles neurotic cruelty in self inflicted shame.

Penelope smiles apologetically.

GUARD 1

Say, ya like music lady, I mean miss...miss...

PENELOPE

Penelope.

GUARD 1

Miss Penelope. Do ya like music?

Penelope nods.

GUARD 1

I got an old record player up in my room if you wanna hear.

Penelope gives the guard a slight smile.

GUARD 1

Oh gosh, I didn’t mean like that miss. Its just up in my room is all. We don’t have to if you don’t wanna. I just thought you might cus you look like the typed that would. I don’t know. Its just a stupid idea.

PENELOPE

I’d love to.

The guard smiles, standing a little too quickly.

GUARD 1

Ya? You mean it?

Penelope nods and the guard grabs her by the hand and pulls her out of the kitchen and through the living room.

Penelope stops, hypnotized by the television.

GUARD 1

Oh don’t you much mind that Miss, nothin new. Just for the cats is all. They seem to like him lots.

PENELOPE

When’s this from?

GUARD 1

Oh I don’t know. A few weeks ago maybe. He ain’t been around much lately. Its a little embarrassing, keeping the news on all the time. But you gotta keep the Mrs. happy.

Penelope gives the guard a strange look.

GUARD 1

Oh not like that miss. Nothin like that. Thats just what I call em. The cats. Mrs. Kind of a stupid joke I guess. Its stupid. I know.

Penelope peers across the room, looking.

GUARD 1

If...if you’d rather watch something we could do that instead. I just thought you’d wanna listen to something I guess. But if you’d rather do this we could do that too.

PENELOPE

I’d like that very much.

INT. PRINTING PRESS - NIGHT

Thuds of sonic thunder leap from monstrous machines with queer sophistication which peak the interest of a jealous ear in harmonious satisfaction.

Beside these machines lies a ghost-like empty corridor full of the hopes of forgotten memories and broken employees.

Wandering these halls with shame and misery is a lone woman, watching the ever slowing machinery.

A barely audible thud springs from the rear, and the middle aged woman follows the sound to its source, to find Henry and Penelope at her door.

She opens what little life she has to its false intruders.

The two enter.

Penelope concedes her badge and speaks with frank honesty, the middle aged woman, LUCY, nodding at the meaningless nothings drowned by the thud of machinery.

Penelope moves her arms in tired exasperation to little to no avail.

Henry begins to speak with an accusing tone, pointing indignantly.

Lucy takes a step back, as if in fear.

Henry moves forward, yelling, furious.

Penelope, uselessly, tries to calm him.

Henry grows excited.

Henry slaps Lucy.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Penelope grabs Henry by the arm, twisting it, and throws him to the ground. Henry struggles but doesn’t budge.

Penelope handcuffs Henry to the machinery, apologizing profusely as Lucy walks out of the factory.

Penelope follows, out the very same door she so recently entered, into the cold night air.

EXT. FACTORY - NIGHT

Penelope and Lucy lean against a barren wall, lighted only by a small street lamp and their lame cigarettes.

LUCY

If all you wanted was the truth sweetie all you needed was to ask honey. Nothing needing in that. If thats all you wanted thats all you needed. But now, with this brute, this brutality. Well, I just don’t know sweetie. I just don’t know. I mean, really, sweetie, really. Beating an innocent victim like that, not even a felon; that should be a crime. That is a crime. But theres nothing needing in beating a dead horse rotten, is there sweetie? No. Of course not honey. What was just was. Thats all. Nothing worrying in that. But we can’t much muster much of a response now, can we? With the way things are. With the way things were. Liability’s a finicky thing in that sort of way. Obviously I can’t say he went and got himself killed on account of us, the paper. That would be clumsy, that would be stupid, I could never say that. And too, I could never say he went and got himself killed on account of his quasi virtuosity, his ignorant arrogance. Throwing himself into the very car or ditch that got himself killed probably. Wandering around the country like that, hitchhiking. What a silly idea. In all honesty honey, really. Who’d a ever thought of a thought like that? Not that I thought it’d take a turn like it did, I’d never thought that. I just thought it’d be a bore. I just thought it’d be rather dull. But you know how he is sweetie, especially with all that drink. So I thought, to heck with it. Why not? Maybe it won’t be so bad. But I guess it was, wasn’t it sweetie? Or at least, thats how it seems to be...of course, obviously the paper knows nothing of it. Obviously I know nothing neither. All I know is what he was and what he was was a drunk. And not even a good drunk or a smart drunk but just a good enough drunk and a tolerable drunk and when it came down to it it was that or nothing, that or perish. And what right does he have to you or to me or to anyone for that matter. Dictating the fate of all those people for all that time all for a little drink. All we asked for was a piece of local interest sweetie, local as in Jefferson. Nothing breath taking, nothing important. Just your run of the mill one and done. Just every now and again. But when time came to it, deadlines passed, where was he but gone, as it is...Strange how things happen, isn’t it sweetie? And he such a lovely boy too. So nice. So honest. Shame to see him go. But thats how it goes, doesn’t it sweetie?

Penelope pulls a long drag.

PENELOPE

And the others?

LUCY

(With a chuckle)

Another story unfortunately. Finicky if you can imagine. Always fighting for whats never their’s. Unimaginative bastards. And with a story like this, gossip as it is, well, you can only imagine. No. I could never tell anybody anything like that. Anything considering the possibilities. No. I could never do that. Don’t get me wrong, everyone knows something, anything, just, nothing worth telling. No. In this business, you tell only what you have to. Only what you can’t get away with. Nothing more. And when time comes to show, truth to hold, you got testimonies as feeble as the sight of a mole. Not that you have anything to say. Anything to prove. Anything you can. Just you and your sweet little nigger beater. With a hunch and a clue and no proof to prove. Hunting silly rabbits in a field long gone bare. You’re long ago late sweetie. The guests have arrived and gone too soon. Your peers are my peers, your friends mine too. If I go, they go too. And without me, without this, well, sweetie, say goodbye to good old Jefferson, at least as we know it. And we don’t want that, do we sweetie? Obviously we don’t want that. So its better if we just leave it be, isn’t it, sweetie?

PENELOPE

Not everyone is as loyal as you.

LUCY

No. Of course not sweetie. But enough. More than enough. And when they hear about this. About you and me and him. Well, what can they do, really sweetie? I mean, a nigger is one thing, sure, but an old maid like me, innocent too, well, thats just too much, even for the nigger beaters. They won’t take to it too kindly, you beating me. At least not the white folks anyways. Even if it was just the one and only. Which we both know its not. And you his lover. How could we forget? A true Bonnie and Clyde. Yes. We love our love stories, don’t we sweetie? But we always hate those fatal endings. Those happy conclusions. Oh how people just despise those. No, they’d rather have what they call justice, which is really just punishment. Just death and murder and all that. People have this grand idea that killing a murderer is somehow better than a murderer killing. But I just don’t know sweetie. I just don’t know. Maybe I’m just old fashioned that way. Maybe I just don’t get you young folks like I used to. But you do. You certainly do. Look at you. You’re young. You’re beautiful. You’re perfect. But you know what they do to young beautiful women like you. In the prisons. The jails. Well, we won’t get into that here. Another time, maybe, but certainly not here. But we don’t want that, do we sweetie? A pretty girl like you? No. You’d rather be happy. Rather be gay. Then do. Be. No ones stopping you. You deserve to be happy sweetie. Don’t let this stop you. Don’t make this stop you. He was a dead man walking sweetie. Not even that. No friends. No family. No anything even. He won’t be remembered. He’s hardly even forgotten.

PENELOPE

Something your paper was sure to make apparent.

LUCY

Its facts we deal in sweetie, not truth. We like to say they’re all just one and the same, all just one and no different. But lets be honest sweetie, truthful honey. Facts are just a collection of ideas we’ve decided to call true. Not truth. Just a collective decision. And it’s our job, yours and mine and everyone else’s for that matter, to share those facts and call them true. Because reality can be quite brutal sweetie. Honesty far too deadly. And we don’t want that, do we sweetie? Sadness and misery and hopeless abandon. No. No. No one much wants that. We’d rather be happy. Rather be gay. Then do. Be. All of us. Why not? Theres no harm in that. Its just the facts sweetie. Our own sense of honesty. It may not be the truth as it is, but at least it’s the truth as we know it. Or, at the very least, want to know it. And isn’t that all happiness is sweetie? Self delusion. I think so. I’d say so. So thats what I do. Thats what I have to. I just want to make the world happy sweetie. Is that too much to ask for? Just a smile and a nod and everything to be okay. Is that really that much at all? I would say not. I would say not really. But now its up to you sweetie. Now its up to you honey. Was Davey just a poor man walking, without a luck in the world, to grovel in pain and misery, or was he what you said, a victim of love and mercy, a dead man too soon murdered? What was it sweetie? How did it happen? Tell me sweetie, truly, honestly, and I’ll print it as it is, assuming its worth the print. Just tell me what you want to know honey, what you want him to be, to have been, and he will be, for as long as can be. Do this at least one good deed for Davey sweetie, don’t make him the victim to your own cruelty, a bystander to your own reality, just let him live in peace sweetie. Move on. Call it closed. I will as soon as you do. And then it will be over. Then it will be done. And won’t everyone just be so much happier when its over and done?

Penelope gives a small chuckle.

PENELOPE

You don’t get it, do you? You killed a man Lucy. Its as simple as that. And yes, I know you had no part in the actual act, or even the acts that lead up to the act, but you didn’t stop it, you certainly didn’t do anything to stop it. But of course, how could you know what would happen would happen? You couldn’t. No one could. Thats just fate I suppose. Yet when he was gone, before he was dead, you did nothing about anything, nothing worth knowing. You told me he was fine but gone and told me he had simply just left. You told me you had no idea where he was or what he did or where he may have been and yet you did, you did, at least more than a bit. And three weeks had to go by before you could even admit? What kind of happiness is that Lucy? Killing a man by just pretending he’s not there. Who knows how long he stayed alive. Who knows how long he could’ve survived. For all we know, he’s still alive still. Maybe he’s just laughing his ass off about you and me and him and all of this. But at this point, this late in the case, its best to assume the truth, to know things as they are. So ya I suppose he is probably dead. Ya I suppose there is nothing we can do about that. But what good will it do? Pretending to be happy when you never really will? Its ignorance you call bliss, illusion you call truth. Just deception and delusion and hopeless abandon. A makeshift suite in a boat long sunk. Look around you Lucy. Think of what your saying. Forget and forgive and just move on. As if you have anything to forgive. Anything you can ever forget. A man is dead because of you Lucy, theres no forgetting death. And maybe you can close your eyes and your ears and stop the incessant droning of that uneasy alarm. But the alarm isn’t the problem Lucy. Its the warning. Stopping the alarm doesn’t stop anything. It just stops you from knowing. And if thats all happiness is I’d rather not know it. But I don’t think it is. I don’t think it is. I think its seeing and knowing and doing everything you can to do what you can, and, whether you do or you don’t, accepting that and being okay with it. Because fate doesn’t simply forget. Destiny doesn’t simply dissolve. What happens has to happen only if you let it happen. Yet you seem to think it inevitable. You seem to think there no other end. As if all that is fated is simply fated. As if nothing can ever change no matter what anyone ever does. But thats just not true. Lots of things change if you just try to. But you never can if you simply don’t. If you just choose to be blind when you’re perfectly fine. If thats what you want, I suppose I can’t stop you. Theres no crime in ignorance but belligerence. But thats your cross to bear I suppose. But don’t you at least think life is worth living. Life is worth knowing. And what’d that one guy say about the life unexamined? I don’t know. I don’t know. But I suppose he’s probably right in at least some sort of way. Knowing nothing gets no one nowhere. And if you rather be nowhere, then I guess you better get going.

Lucy pulls a slow, hard drag, extinguishes her cigarette, stomps on it, and walks into the factory.

INT. CAR - NIGHT

Spotted lights ebb in hallucinatory glow as Jonah forces heavy eyes awake in unsustainable submission.

INGRID

Jonah...

JONAH

I’m fine.

INGRID

You’re tired.

JONAH

I’m fine.

INGRID

You’re half past dead.

JONAH

I’m fine, Ingrid, okay? I’m fine. You just worry too much. I’ll be fine. I just need some coffee is all.

INGRID

Its a little late for that.

JONAH

I’m sure something’s open somewhere.

Ingrid looks out the window.

INGRID

If we were anywhere, sure. But it seems to me like we’re on the wrong side of nowhere.

JONAH

Not nowhere. Somewhere. We just don’t know where. Thats all. But we’re always somewhere. We have to be somewhere.

INGRID

It doesn’t seem like it.

JONAH

Well we are. We have to be. How could we not be? Its just different. Thats all. A little bit different. But not really. Not really that different. Just a little bit. And thats alright. Thats okay. Cus thats the point, in the end, of all this, right? To make the strange not so strange. The abnormal normal. The peculiar particular.

INGRID

I’d rather just be on a beach.

JONAH

Well we’re not, okay, we’re not. This is what we decided to do, so this is what we are going to do.

INGRID

We?

JONAH

Yes we. Its always we. Its never me. Its never I. Its always we. We or you. Usually just you. At least this was we. At least this was us.

INGRID

(Mumbling)

You don’t have to be such a prick about it.

Jonah sighs.

JONAH

I’m just tired, okay? Its been a long day. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry. I’m just tired. Okay? I’m tired.

Ingrid looks out the window.

JONAH

Ingrid?

INGRID

Its fine, Jonah. Whatever.

Jonah turns on the radio.

Ingrid quickly turns it off.

INGRID

Don’t. I have a headache.

JONAH

Whatever.

Ingrid doesn’t respond.

JONAH

You know, sometimes you really piss me off, you know that? I mean, its not like you have to. You don’t have to. No one has to. You just do. You always do. But only you. No one else. Just you. And what do you get out of it? All this? Constantly whining and complaining and making my life all so miserable, all because your life is just so terrible. Though I don’t see how it is. Life was built for you Ingrid. Made for you. At least this one was anyways. You want it. You get it. Because thats what you do. And thats okay. Thats fine. I’m okay with that. But life can’t just be like that forever. Life can’t just do that always. Sometimes life just has to not do that. Sometimes life just can’t. And yet, whenever it does, or rather, doesn’t, no matter how minuscule, how meaningless, whenever life even tries to attempt to do anything even slightly outside the realm of your delusional deception of reality, you throw a giant fucking fit. And goddamn’t Ingrid, I’m tired of it. I’m tired of you getting everything you want. I’m tired of you acting like a child. I’m tired of you not listening to me or to you or to anyone for that matter. I’m goddamn tired of it Ingrid.

INGRID

I’m sorry I get what I want.

JONAH

Goddamn’t Ingrid! Why do you have to be such a bitch?

Ingrid shrugs.

INGRID

I am who I am. Who else can I be?

JONAH

I don’t know. I just. Whatever. I don’t know. Sometimes I just wish you gave a shit about anything. But I guess thats too much to ask for. I guess anything’s too much to ask for. Better to just say nothing at all. Better to just pretend everything’s a-okay, even though we both know its not. It hasn’t been. For a while. A long while. But why should you care? Why should you give a damn? Why should you say anything at all?

INGRID

Jonah...

JONAH

No. Its fine. Don’t. Theres no point. Theres no use. Whats done is done, right? Shakespeare and all that. We went and killed the king. And thats fine. Thats okay. I’m okay with that. What we did we had to. To make everyone happy. And thats fine too. Cus I was happy. I am happy. Even if sometimes I think...

INGRID

Jonah!

JONAH

No, Ingrid, stop. Okay. I need to say this. I do. You can’t just keep interrupting me every time I...

INGRID

Jonah!

A loud thud.

Jonah veers off the road and into a fence.

Jonah stares, horrified at the blood along the windshield.

Ingrid pulls her knees to her chest.

Jonah laughs uncomfortably.

JONAH

Just, a deer...

Ingrid shakes her head.

JONAH

Okay, a cow, maybe, but, I mean, it couldn’t be. It can’t be. Its not that big. Its not nearly that big. It has to be a deer. Not even a big deer. A small deer. Thats all. A small deer.

Ingrid shakes her head.

JONAH

I...I guess I have to go...don’t I?

Ingrid nods.

Jonah struggles out the door, flashlight in hand, and turns towards the empty road.

A long stream of blood stretches across the road and into a ditch opposite the two.

Jonah knocks on Ingrid’s door, and she pulls down her window.

Jonah hands her the keys.

JONAH

Lock the doors.

INGRID

Jonah. Don’t. Its not worth it. Lets just go.

JONAH

Stay here.

INGRID

Jonah!

Jonah slowly begins to walk across the road, and over to the ditch.

Jonah shines a light onto the ditch.

INT. BUS - NIGHT

Shrouded by a hard, luminescent glow, Dave lays exhausted, encompassed by a nagging guilt of shame and misery.

Those other inhabitants which one may call strangers sit staggered throughout the bus, though fickle in number.

As the bus pulls to a haggard stop, a number of those afore mentioned strangers depart, while another does just the opposite, shuffling her way to the very back of the bus, just next to Dave.

SHERYL, an aged woman of 70 or so, smiles politely at Dave.

DAVE

You’d be better to sit up front with the other white folks where you belong. Thats where you’d best be. Not like us niggers. No sir ree. This right here was built for the nigger like me. A no good hoodlum with nothing but dope dealers and crack whores to keep him company. A cold hardened criminal I am, forgotten and abandoned by ma and pa alike, just like every other black kid in this country. And don’t think I got no education neither cus yes sir ree you know I ain’t. I’m just a no good nigger like the rest of em. And what do I get out of all this? Out of being me? Out of being just some hoe ass bitch. Nothing. Not a thing. Nothing but a shot or two or ten, or maybe, if lucky, prison will do. Better living in chains than dying in em too. Thats why I didn’t do it. Thats why I couldn’t do it. They’re out to get me, you know. The white folks. The man. Ya I witnessed murder. Suicide. Whatever you wanna call it. But so what? They saw what I saw. The camera did too. I’d nothing to do with it. Not a thing. And a whole lot of proof to prove it too. But they don’t care about that. They don’t give a damn about that. They’ll convict. They always convict. Cus I’m not them. I’m not like them. I’m black. I’m different. I’m a no good nigger. Not like the norths no different. Its no different nowhere in this country. No sir ree. They don’t want to put me down. They want to keep me down. Because I’ve always been down. Because I was born down. Just like every other crummy old negro in this town and every other town. We were born in chains and we’ll die in em too. They say we’re free just like you but thats just not true. Thats just something you trash white folks say to keep your american flag and confederate flag and civil war memorabilia too. No. It was never a fight for liberty or freedom or anything like that. It was just how to keep the black man out. The black man down. With whips or currency. The north’s no different. We think the north was different but the north was no different. The trash got it right when they said it wasn’t about no slavery. It wasn’t. It’s about who could do us worse. Each had their torture, the north just won out. Thats all. And is that so great? Maybe. Slavery seems bad as shit. But is this much better? Boarded up schools and nigger ghettos. Man at least the jews knew what was coming. But not us. No one tells our kids shit. Not about the real genocide going on in this town and every other town in this god forsaken country. Its a fear of the new, the better, the greater. Thats what this is. The old white folks fearing all that ain’t old and god knows we never were. They call us snowflakes and maybe we are. But theres a funny thing about snowflakes. Enough of em and they’ll bury you good as dirt. Better even if its cold. But they don’t expect no retribution. They don’t expect no revenge. Cus its not gonna happen. Its never gonna happen. As long as you got black boys running around thinking they’re anything other than black, well, they got another thing coming. Not that I want that. For me or for anybody for that matter. But thats just how it is. You get shot and get killed and get knowing you had nothing near a gun and still they run free. No. This isn’t a black problem, its a people problem. And we’re not the first neither. The Chinese, the Irish, the Jews, they all knew what was coming, but at the end of the day, they’ll be pretty quick to forget, because time has come and gone and forgotten them too. But not us. Never us. No sir ree. We’re as good as dead till we’re gone. Its about the rich really. The ruling class. These so called officers of the law who think they can just run the world cus they got a star on their chest, as if that means anything. But it don’t. They bleed just like the rest of us. But at least when they’re shot they still got a shot. And they telling us not to hold our own and to hold our hands high and still we get shot? What do you do then? When you’re gonna die regardless? When you’re gonna be killed either way? I can’t just sit here and do nothing no more. I can’t. People gotta know what it is. Know what its like. No I didn’t kill that filthy pig. But I wish I did. I wish they all did. What right do they got killing the young and the innocent? Just a kid even. Nothing. None. And I can’t do it no more. I can’t do any of this no more. Someone has to pay. Someone had to pay. I’m glad he’s dead. I’m glad I did it. And maybe I didn’t kill him. Maybe I had no part in that. But I’m glad I was there. I’m glad I was at least witness. But now I get to thinking and I’m thinking, well what good did that do? For us or for them or for anybody for that matter? Am I supposed to be happy that another kid’s going home to another dad dead? Is that supposed to make me happy? Cus it doesn’t. It doesn’t. Not even a bit. But at least he’ll grow up knowing what its like to have chains around his wrist. Just like the blacks he hates so much. But what good will that do? Just one more hate in a world gone wrong. That won’t do anybody any good. But what can I say? To the kid. To his mother. To God even. That his dad’s a coward. A pussy. A loser. Who just throws his life away without even thinking. Without even knowing. Its goddamn selfish goddamn’t. He didn’t have to. He shouldn’t have to. Its one thing to die in the line of duty. Thats one thing. Thats honor. Not that honors anything really, but at least it pretends to be. But not suicide. Suicide’s not even that. Just selfish. Cruelly selfish. And what was he thinking in those last few moments of breath? Not about his wife. Not about his kid. What will they do now? What would they have done then? I don’t know. I don’t know. But its not right what he did. And I tried to stop him, I did. I said I liked it but I didn’t. I couldn’t. He may have killed ten black kids but still he wasn’t much more than a kid. None of us are in the end. And maybe he was a wife beater and a kid beater and a nigger beater too, but still he couldn’t have been much worse than worst. He must’ve done something right. Or at least maybe could’ve eventually. But now he can’t. Now he never will. Just went and off’d himself instead. And I don’t know how to feel about that. I don’t know what to feel about that. I want to feel relieved cus its over, happy cus its done. But its not. I’m not. I can’t be. But I’ll have to be, eventually. I’ll have to be. How could I not be? I can’t be forever. Not forever.

SHERYL

You’re a good friend dearest.

DAVE

He was no friend of mine, mam. Nothing like that. Hardly knew the man really. Met him that day coincidentally. That very minute actually. Just before he off and did himself. And sometimes I think, why did he do it, why did he want to? Was it something I did? Something I said? Or was it just chance. Just coincidence, or something like that. Cus at this point I really don’t know. At this point, I really can’t figure it out.

SHERYL

Are you a beliver sweetie?

DAVE

I’m sorry?

SHERYL

In our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

DAVE

Well when I was very young I did very much so, but then I wasn’t very young and now I’m very old. Well not very old but a little old, not nearly as old as you but still, I feel old, old in a new way thats different than old before. But not like old in age but just old in time in that I’m tired, really tired, and I just don’t know what to do anymore and I want to believe, I do, but I can’t. I just can’t. How can I with a dead man at my feet and all because of no one but him and Him, you know, our lord and savior as you call him? How can I just be okay with that? And maybe its not that I don’t believe in him or god or any of them but rather that they’re just not nearly as nice as everyone makes them out to be. How can they be? With all this evil and cruelty and nonsense. They can’t just be benevolent or good or even just okay. The devil, maybe. The devil makes sense. But a good god who cares about anything but masochistic irony, no, I don’t think so. And maybe thats just it. Maybe he just has a really fucked up sense of irony. But...

The bus pulls to an elongated stop.

DRIVER

Fifteen minutes. You folks got fifteen minutes. Not a minute more.

The old woman shuffles to her feet, handing Dave a book.

SHERYL

Read the word of our lord and be saved sweetie.

The old woman shuffles off the bus.

Dave hurries to follow.

DAVE

Now wait a minute. Just wait a second will ya? You can’t just up and go like that, can you? Just like that? Just wait a second.

Sheryl pauses inside the bus station, Dave moving dangerously close.

SHERYL

Now you just take that book right there and read it well dearest. Do now. It will do you some good.

DAVE

What good will it do to the already done?

SHERYL

Plenty sweetie.

DAVE

Thats not enough.

SHERYL

Everything the Lord gives us is always enough sweetie.

Sheryl shuffles away, into a car, greeted by her son.

Dave turns back to the bus, only to find it gone.

Dave sprints out the double doors, watching as his only form of transportation rushes away.

Dave looks at his watch: 3am.

The station opens at 8am.

Seeing no other option, Dave pulls his pack close, and begins to walk down the road, towards home.

EXT. LOT - NIGHT

Vacant halos grasp at bitter darkness, illuminating invisible silhouettes with greasy yellow streaks.

Doused in this sticky greasy glow glowers Henry, patiently awaiting his only companion.

Penelope bares down upon the brutal light.

PENELOPE

What do you want Henry?

HENRY

This is it, ain’t it?

PENELOPE

What?

HENRY

Where he got killed goddamn’t.

PENELOPE

Who?

HENRY

Our man Dave. Killed. Right here. In this lot.

PENELOPE

I don’t think thats true.

HENRY

We got groups of witnesses saying he did. Saying they saw some hoodlum black folks beatin on some poor kid.

PENELOPE

But Dave’s not a kid.

HENRY

He look it though.

PENELOPE

Its probably just anybody.

HENRY

Sure, but it ain’t. This is our guy. I know it.

PENELOPE

How?

HENRY

The testimonies. The timelines. They all line up. He hitchhiking and all that. Gettin into gangs. Being where he ain’t none ought to be.

PENELOPE

Henry, I don’t think thats true.

HENRY

But ain’t no other black folks go missing. Ain’t no other black folks in this town or any other town around. The group musta been travelin through or something and saw this poor old fella and thought to hell with it and beat em to a pulp. And seeing him dead and all, rid of him quick.

PENELOPE

And they saw that? These witnesses. In this?

HENRY

Says they did. Lots of em. Shop owners and the like. Says they saw the whole thing just when closing shop.

PENELOPE

And the accused?

HENRY

Locked up not another town over. Drunk driving and high being and the like. They even confess it too. Says they did the whole thing.

PENELOPE

To you?

HENRY

Course not. Can’t. Not my jurisdiction. But they good as hanged anyhow.

PENELOPE

But how do you know it was him?

HENRY

No one else missin.

PENELOPE

Maybe its just some sort of mixed up mistake.

HENRY

Now why would they go and do a thing like that?

PENELOPE

I don’t know. Maybe they felt pressured or something. Shorter sentences maybe.

HENRY

Well thats just stupid. Who goes fessin murder hopin for freedom?

PENELOPE

Well I don’t know. Maybe none of them. Maybe its more of a he said she said sort of thing.

HENRY

Maybe, but that don’t make it no less true.

PENELOPE

But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Dave be here back then?

HENRY

Like I said. Hitchhiking got em around the wrong crowd. Started seeing things he ain’t none ought to have. Had to pay the price I s’pose.

PENELOPE

But he didn’t. He wasn’t. He couldn’t have been.

Henry shrugs.

HENRY

What’s it matter? You wanted him and now you got him. Ain’t you happy?

PENELOPE

Whats so happy about one man dead and another five more?

HENRY

Ain’t that what you wanted?

PENELOPE

I wanted justice Henry.

HENRY

Ain’t that this?

PENELOPE

No, its not. This is just greed. This is just death.

HENRY

What then? If it ain’t this then what?

PENELOPE

Truth, Henry. I just wanted the truth.

HENRY

Man fuck the truth. You don’t know what truth is. I gave you what you wanted and still you ain’t happy. You don’t wanna find Dave. You don’t give a shit about Dave. You just wanna keep lookin.

PENELOPE

No. It can’t be. This is wrong. Thats wrong. This can’t be right.

Exasperated, Henry turns to walk away.

PENELOPE

Where...?

HENRY

Home. It ain’t no use no more. I’m givin up on you. I gave you what you got but still you don’t want it. Just took em cus you knew you’d never find em. You don’t wanna leave. You just wanna say you do cus its easy to. Running away like that. Thats all anybody round here ever does. No one stays. No one never stays. Its a shit hole we live in. I get that. But it ain’t gettin none better by you just leaving. Just for you. Thats all. And somewhere down there, I think you know that. I think you don’t wanna, but I think you do. And you scared too. Cus its hard. Cus it ain’t so easy. But it don’t have to be. Life ain’t so bad. It ain’t so good, sure, but it ain’t so bad neither. Its just alright. Thats all. Its just alright. And thats good enough for me. But I s’pose not so for you. S’pose nothins good nuff for you. So go. Get. I don’t want you here no more. Its time you best be going. Better for you. Better for me. Better for everyone. So go. Get. I ain’t never wanna see you ever no more.

PENELOPE

Henry...

HENRY

Why don’t you just go already? Ya been here plenty nuff!

PENELOPE

Don’t do this Henry. Its not like that.

Henry turns to Penelope, tears in his eyes.

HENRY

Ain’t it though? Ain’t it just like that. You leaving and getting and never getting back. Running and going where you never gonna get. Just like all you all. Every last one of you. Fearing fate cus you know it ain’t ever gonna get. But I s’pose I don’t feign much surprise. Cus I ain’t. Its in your nature, you women folk. Ain’t stayed nowhere no long enough for nobody. Specially in a town like this. You just run away like the rest of em. Cus the blackie out to get you, ain’t he? They all is. I thought they ain’t but now I knows they is. Always has been. Stupid thinking a nigger anything other than a nigger. So run why don’t you, run like the rest of em. Cus thats all you good for. Thats all any of you ever good for.

Penelope stares at Henry.

HENRY

Well ya goin or ain’t ya?

Penelope glares.

HENRY

Well is ya?

Penelope dares not move.

Henry, in agony, rushes past Penelope, deep into the depths of darkness.

Penelope stands, alone, in her halo.

EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT

A long winding road forays into a deep forbearing darkness, encumbering sight for a seemingly endless distance.

Dave, beyond weary, walks alone among this formidable landscape, holding his thumb in the obligatory vertical position.

What few cars pass by pass by without notice, not even slowing.

For awhile, Dave walks alone.

A slow hum occurs as a car, far in the distance, climbs over the hill and down towards Dave.

Dave obediently raises his hand, thumb and all.

The car swerves, corrects itself, and continues to move ever closer.

Closer, closer, Dave stops, staring in suspicion.

The car heads straight towards Dave.

Dave attempts to side step the car, but as he does so, so too does the car.

Blinding light.

A screeching voice.

A dull thud.

The closing of a door.

In front of the light, stands Jonah.

EXT. WOODS - DAY

Morning light staggers by hollowed trees as morose birds sing their tepid melodies.

Among truth and honesty strives the corruption of man, arriving in the form of modern luxury. And from this luxury exits a man and a woman and a corpse.

The grave is dug and the corpse is ridden of and in no little time the job is done.

The two grasp at their toils and rid of them quick and before too long are gone too soon.

And now man is alone among nature, once again one with the earth. From the soil he has come and so to the soil he returns.

All is right in the world for everything is as it should be.

FADE OUT: