Warning: This work has been rated 18+ for language, violence, and mature content.
ACT TWO
INT. DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE, CITY BUS - DAY
The overpowering murmurs of passengers make the large
vehicle feel more crowded than it actually is.
However, a somewhat grungy-looking man, GABRIEL MEYER (early
40’s), sleeps undisturbed in the very back. His eyes are
covered by sleek SUNGLASSES.
The driver pulls over to a stop where two THUGS stand
waiting. One of the sketchy men is carrying a large
BACKPACK. The door squeaks open and they board. It closes
behind them, and the bus takes off.
The two thugs suddenly pull STOCKINGS over their faces,
obscuring their identities. They then whip out two HANDGUNS-
the one presses his weapon against the driver’s temple while
the other points his into the crowd of now frantic
passengers.
THUG #1
(i.e. Driver)
Keep driving.
The bus drives past a crowded STOP. The MOB of would-be
passengers screams profanities in aggravated desperation as
the vehicle flies on by.
The second thug opens his BACKPACK, still pointing his gun
into the crowd.
THUG #2
(to the passengers)
Alright you dumb motherfuckers!
Empty your wallets, purses,
pockets. Take off all your jewelry
and put it in the bag!
The passengers whimper as they comply with his demands.
THUG #2 (CONT’D)
(i.e. the passengers)
Don’t make any sudden movements! I
want to see your hands at all
times. If anyone even so much as
coughs in a way I don’t like I’ll
blow your fucking head off.
The thug eventually makes his way into the back of the bus
where Gabriel is still sleeping. He nudges Gabriel with his
foot.
THUG #2
(i.e. Gabriel)
Wake the fuck up asshole!
Gabriel remains undisturbed.
THUG #2 (CONT’D)
You fuckin’ deaf yo’?
(He smacks him with the gun.)
I said get the fuck up!
Gabriel still doesn’t move. The thug looks at his partner
who still has his gun pointed at the driver. The partner
shrugs.
THUG #2 (CONT’D)
Aight yo. I’ma count to three.
(He points the gun at
Gabriel’s face)
One.
(he cocks it back)
Two.
One PASSENGER yells out.
PASSENGER
NO DON’T!
THUG #2 (CONT’D)
Three.
The thug pulls the trigger and the passengers SCREAM.
In a split second, Gabriel dodges the bullet, which embeds
itself into the fabric of the seat. He grabs the thug’s arm
with one arm, causing him to drop the weapon, while
simultaneously snapping his elbow with his other hand.
The thug grunts pathetically and drops to the ground
unconscious.
Gabriel then grabs the GUN and shoots the other thug in the
shin, causing him to drop his gun and fall to the floor in
agony.
The driver and passengers stare in shock as Gabriel casually
puts the GUN into his jacket pocket. He then pulls the
"STOP" WIRE. The driver stops the bus and opens the rear
door.
Gabriel nods at the driver and nonchalantly exits the
vehicle. Everyone stares in disbelief as he casually walks
down the sidewalk.
INT./EXT. PALMER RESIDENCE - DAY
Maryanne walks through the front door into the living room
carrying bags of groceries.
MARYANNE
(yelling to someone)
A little help might be nice!
She walks through into the kitchen to find Alise in a bra
and no pants, and bent over the kitchen island with Davie-
pants around his ankles- behind her.
Maryanne sees them and drops the BAGS. Alise and Davie stop
and stare at her, shocked.
ALISE
(startled, also with a New
York accent)
Oh my God MA!
Alise JUMPS, startled, and very naked.
A small static SHOCK is heard. Davie YELPS in pain, and
collapses to the floor, holding his damaged goods. Alise
scrambles to help him up.
ALISE
(i.e. Davie)
Shit babe! Are you alright?
DAVIE
(groaning)
Yeah... Ow...
Alise frantically searches around the kitchen for her
PANTIES, and quickly slips them over her naked bottom.
Maryanne averts her eyes until they are moderately dressed.
She then removes her SUNGLASSES and smiles at them.
MARYANNE
(intimidating)
Davie.
DAVIE
(stuttering)
M-Mrs. Palmer...
MARYANNE
So polite.
(she picks up a pair of shorts
and throws them at Alise)
Alise, would you please escort your
friend out of my kitchen?
Alise slips into the shorts and puts on a newly-discovered
TANKTOP.
ALISE
(annoyed)
Sure thing.
She grabs Davie’s hand and runs out the kitchen SLIDING
DOOR.
DAVIE
(hesitantly, to Maryanne)
N-Nice to see you again...
MARYANNE
(laughs sarcastically)
The pleasure’s all mine.
Maryanne shakes her head.
Suddenly, a loud THUD from below catches her attention. Her
expression becomes much more serious as she stares down the
DOOR TO THE BASEMENT.
She looks on the wall at a PHOTO of herself, in the arms of a
rather handsome and unidentified MAN.
Her eyes narrow and she heads toward the BASEMENT DOOR.
Outside the kitchen’s sliding door, Alise kisses Davie
farewell.
DAVIE
Well that was... weird as hell...
(chuckles)
You gonna be in some kind of
trouble?
ALISE
Nah. She’ll get over it.
Davie chuckles and then fishes something out of his pants
pocket. He hands the object to her.
DAVIE
Alright good. Well, this is for
you.
Alise looks down at her hand. It is a small VIAL of COCAINE.
ALISE
Oh my GOD babe! You’re fuckin’
awesome.
She kisses him passionately.
ALISE (CONT’D)
I’ll see you later right?
DAVIE
Hell yeah. Don’t be late or they’ll
start without you.
(i.e. Maryanne)
Have fun with her.
Alise watches him lustfully as he walks away. She steps back
inside, shoving the vial into her bra as Maryanne comes back
up from the basement.
ALISE
So... how was your day?
MARYANNE
(looks at her accusingly)
Could ya’ help me with these bags?
They both bend over to pick up the dropped GROCERIES.
MARYANNE (CONT’D)
UM, think you could WASH your nasty
hands before you touch all my food?
ALISE
(rolling her eyes while
walking to the sink and
turning on the faucet)
Whatever.
MARYANNE
(annoyed)
Hey Alise?
ALISE
(turns around, also annoyed)
Yeah?
Maryanne takes a SPONGE out of a bag and throws it at her.
MARYANNE
Meet your new best friend.
The SPONGE bounces off of Alise’s head and lands on the
floor. She winces, aggravated.
MARYANNE (CONT’D)
(circling her pointer finger
around the kitchen)
After you put the groceries away,
go to town.
Alise rolls her eyes and bends down to pick the sponge up.
The vial starts to slide out from her cleavage and she
quickly hides it.
MARYANNE (CONT’D)
I’ll be in the basement for awhile.
Don’t even knock unless it’s an
emergency.
As Alise gets back up she glances back down at her chest and
smiles.
ALISE
Sounds good to me.
INT. PALMER RESIDENCE - DAY
Death metal blares from the SOUND SYSTEM in the living room.
Cady walks through the front door to find Alise intently
scrubbing the floor in the kitchen and head banging along to
the heavy music.
CADY
You know, we have a mop for that.
ALISE
(totally coked out)
Mops are for pussies.
Cady’s eyes open in slight disgust.
CADY
(bewildered)
Okay... where’s Mom?
ALISE
Basement.
CADY
Doing what?
ALISE
Don’t know. But it sounds like
someone’s getting murdered down
there... or busting one HELLUVA
nut.
CADY
Ew...
Down in the basement Maryanne paces back and forth,
flustered.
A man is TIED to a CHAIR, and appears to be quite
uncooperative. The man is K, the drug-dealer from the
previous night. The screaming music echoes through the
ceiling.
MARYANNE
God dammit, why can’t you just make
this easy for me?
K
Bitch, I ain’t got to do shit for
you.
MARYANNE
Actually "K" you do if you want to
get out of here alive.
K
Fuck you crazy ass pyro lady!
MARYANNE
You think this is crazy asshole?
You ain’t seen nothing yet. Trust
me.
(she gets close to his face)
We'll try this again. An associate of yours killed a man
last year.
K
Niggas get popped all the time.
A BALL OF FLAME ignites in the palm of Maryanne’s hand and
she smiles at him sinisterly.
MARYANNE
Think harder. This wasn’t no
backalley gangbanger K. He was a
cop.
K
(laughs)
Sounds like the motherfucker got
what was coming to him.
The ball of flame expands for a brief second then
dissipates. K flinches as a stray ember nearly burns his
eyebrow.
Maryanne picks up a dirty SOCK off of the basement floor and
shoves it in his mouth.
MARYANNE
That is NOT the answer I wanted to
hear.
She forcefully presses her POINTER FINGER into his shoulder.
The flesh SIZZLES, and K cries out through his muzzle.
MARYANNE
(taking the sock out of his
mouth)
Tell me what I want to know K or so
help me God I will make you
unrecognizable you fuckin’ mook!
K
(tearing up, and spitting out
sock fibers)
I don’t know nuttin’ yo!
Maryanne threatens him with her POINTER FINGER again and he
flinches. We see now that his bare CHEST is covered in
fresh, finger-shaped BURN MARKS.
Unfortunately, she is interrupted with a BANGING coming from
the basement door atop the stairs.
CADY (O.S.)
Mom?
Maryanne shoves the SOCK back into K’s mouth.
MARYANNE
(i.e. Cady, her voice cracks
as she tries to regain some
form of composure)
Hold on a sec honey!
(she gets very close to K’s
face)
One sound from you- even a goddamn
sneeze- and you’ll spend the
remainder of your time on this
earth heating my fireplace.
Capiche?
K sneers.
Maryanne opens the basement door and quickly shuts it behind
her, preventing Cady from looking past.
MARYANNE
(inconspicuously)
Hey sweetheart, how was school?
CADY
Oh you know, pretty normal day.
(she looks at the MARK on her
left arm)
My dog-bite is starting to heal.
(sarcastically)
That’s what I had to tell the
nurses at school. They said it
might need to be amputated.
MARYANNE
Good thing you have two arms.
CADY
(snide)
Thanks Mom. Hey, you’re taking me
to Dr. Barkes tonight right?
MARYANNE
(caught off guard)
OH right... your appointment...
Damn...
CADY
(pleading)
You can still take me right?
MARYANNE
I’m sorry honey, there’s just some
things I got to take care of...
CADY
You know Mom, this could all be
avoided if I had my own car...
MARYANNE
Ha! You’re funny.
CADY
Oh come on Mom!
MARYANNE
When you can AFFORD your own car
then maybe we can talk.
CADY
Alise has a car.
MARYANNE
Hey, I don’t pay for that ugly
thing in my driveway.
ALISE
Hey! That "ugly thing" is an
ingenious work of art.
MARYANNE
(chortles)
Ha! By who? Nikola Tesla?
ALISE
(raising her eyebrow confused)
Uh... yeah.
MARYANNE
(cackling)
HA! I’m sorry to tell you my dear,
but he’s like dead. Like dead dead.
You’re not supporting the ingenuity
of science sweetie. Just a junkie
for conglomerate marketing.
ALISE
(returning to work)
Says the broad in a Jeep chain-smoking
Marlboros.
Cady chuckles.
MARYANNE
(turns to Cady, not even
paying attention)
Besides, she’s got a good six-seven
years on you. If she couldn’t
afford her own car by now, let
alone rent, she sure as shit
wouldn’t be living here.
ALISE
(flipping her off with a
bright yellow rubber finger)
Thanks bitch!
MARYANNE
(scolding)
Language!
CADY
Oh, so "shit" is perfectly
acceptable but "bitch" is just out
of the question?
ALISE
Thank you!
MARYANNE
Oh, alright then. Hey, here’s an
idea: since you two are all chummy,
then why don’t you have your sister
take you?
They look into the kitchen to see Alise, mesmerized, and
polishing the top of the marble island.
CADY
(whispering back at her mother
in slight terror)
Are you TRYING to kill me?
Maryanne smiles a sheepish Cheshire Cat grin.
ALISE
(without looking up)
I’m headin’ out anyway.
Maryanne walks over and puts her arm around Alise, and
smiles proudly.
MARYANNE
Look at that. I raised such
wonderful girls- all helping each
other out and what-not.
ALISE
You’re welcome Ma.
Cady turns around and walks up the stairs to her bedroom.
CADY
Well, I have Physics homework.
ALISE
(yelling back at her)
You’re welcome Cady!
CADY (O.S.)
(casually)
Thanks.
Maryanne looks at Alise with gentle eyes.
MARYANNE
You know, I think we’re doing
okay... considering.
Upstairs in her bedroom Cady throws her backpack across the
room and flops on the bed after shutting her door. Her PHONE
rings again and she whips it out of her PURSE.
She opens the text, which is again from the mysterious
"Eddie," that reads:
"Excited to see me?"
She blushes and replies:
"Yeah... as long as I make it in
one piece."
She sighs in exasperation after sending the message and lies
back on her pillow.
Back downstairs Maryanne and Alise continue their
conversation. Alise has stopped cleaning and now sits on top
of the island with Maryanne next to her sipping a glass of
red wine.
MARYANNE
I know you don’t like it here Ali,
but I think it’s good for Cady. In
spite of everything that’s happened
I think she’s finally settling in
here. She’s got Wesley in three of
her classes and she’s getting A’s
again. I really think you need to
give these people another chance.
ALISE
I... don’t. These people here are
just spoiled and spiteful and rude
as hell. I have no absolutely
desire to be a part of their
"society" and I don’t know why you
and Cady even bother. You’re both
way better than that.
MARYANNE
I think that maybe we would all
benefit from experiencing the world
of mankind Alise. It’s not healthy
to cloister yourself off from
reality.
Alise raises her eyebrows.
ALISE
(sarcastically)
Cloistered? Me? I think I’m the
only one experiencing anything
close to "reality" here. And like I
really give a rat’s ass about these
backwoods mother-
MARYANNE
(slightly offended)
Hey! You know, you could actually
try being a part of this family
Alise. I don’t think it would
kill you.
ALISE
Oh Ma, I AM a part of this family,
whether you like it or not.
MARYANNE
(hugging her and shaking her
head)
Oh stop it. I love you and you damn
well know it you WICKED pain in my
ass.
Alise beams proudly.
ALISE
I aim to please.
They share a heartfelt chuckle. Maryanne then notices the
marble island-countertop and rubs her fingers against it.
MARYANNE
Damn girl, I think this is the
cleanest it’s ever been.
(she gets a closer look)
I can actually see my reflection in
this!
ALISE
I know. I got mad skills.
Maryanne marches down the stairs to the basement where K
waits, still gagged and restrained.
She gets in close to his face and steps one foot up onto the
chair, threatening his family jewels.
MARYANNE
You ready to talk, tough guy?
K
(muffled through the sock)
Fuck you!
MARYANNE
Alright then...
Her general demeanor becomes calmer, though her smile still
retains some of that twisted vigor.
MARYANNE (CONT’D)
Foreplay’s over K. I have other
ways of making you talk- and trust
me, it ain’t gonna be fun...
K stares at her, terrified and nearly choking on fuzzies.
MARYANNE (CONT’D)
...for you anyway.
END ACT TWO
Points:
Time spent:
Canary word: Present
Possible AI signals:
Original Text:
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125,008 Literary Works • 672,820 Reviews
I read act one, and enjoyed it so when I saw this still in the GR I thought I'd tackle it.
Fair warning, I haven't reviewed in a while. Just saying.....typing.
One thing that I do not understand is that Thug #2 fell unconscious from a broken elbow. That really makes no sense to me, and I found nothing to indicate that Gabriel caused him to suffer head trauma. I've had friends (two) who have broken arm bones suddenly like that and all the did was scream for several minutes before going into shock.
And when Maryanne catches the two of them "going at it" later on, you say that Alise is wearing a bra, but then you say that she is naked. Which is it?
However, I have to admit that you did not say that she is completely naked. But it was somewhat confusing. I would imply that she is naked from the waste down.
Seriously, this is some of the best shit that I have ever read, if you don't mind me saying.
Maryanne is one of the most bad ass chicks I have ever seen (figuratively). And even though I have no idea where the plot is going, I still enjoy what you have here so far.
I'll be hitting the rest of "Shades" ASAP, so I'll see you soon (figuratively).
HT
Only me
Ready and excited to read act 2! I'm so glad you put it up here so fast!
I'm loving this Gabriel dude. I think it makes him so much cooler that he doesn't a word. Makes me immediately want to know more about him.
I'm confused at the word eraser? Is that another word for a sponge or did she actually throw an eraser at her too? I'm British as a British thing remember, so it's probably just me being British. We actually call an eraser a rubber but I'm just rambling now.
“Are you TRYING to kill me?” - Haha this made me laugh. I hate the cliché of sisters being the best of friends. It's so much more interesting when you have some sort of substance between them.
I love this! You've set some nice things up here. Like suggesting that they're not even human and then there's the whole thing with the mysterious man in the photo!
I was just wondering if you're going to indicate how the texts are seen. Can we see straight onto Cady's phone or are the words going to flash up on screen? Maybe you could clarify that in the script.
ACT 3 ACT 3 ACT 3!
Olive <3
Haha! I meant to say "sponge" not "eraser." Thank you for pointing that out!