Time's Up

A Screenplay by Isa Ruffatti

A pshycopathic killer threatens a school.

Time’s Up

Act I: Scene i

(an unknown person walks up to camera, A girl sits behind him, gagged.)

Mysterious Man:

(grins)

Time’s up.

(closes door, a scream is heard as scene fades to black)

Act I: Scene ii

( A clock rings as a man gets out of bed, has breakfast, ties a red tie to his shirt, he smiles. Scene cuts to a school office, the man sits ackwardly on a chair, waiting. A secretary enters.)*

Secretary:

(looking at the man)

Goodmorning Mr…

Lecter:

(interrupts her)

Call me Norman.

Secretary:

So, um, Norman. You excited to start fresh? I heard you just moved from Canada.

Lecter:

Excited? Of course Ms…

(Reads the name tag at her desk)

Mary! You have beautiful name. I am surely excited to be here, Canada’s so boring, with the cold and all. No, I like this place much better.

(Secretary is about to say something, but Lecter interrupts her)

But alas, let’s not talk about Canada, shall we? Do you happen to know where the cafeteria is? I’d like to know how far away I am from a hot meal.

(The word hot is accentuated)

Secretary:

(blushes slightly as she reaches for a paper)

Okay, you are class 309…

(looks at him playfully)

Seems that you will have to eat cold. You are located as far as it can be from the cafeteria. May I help you with something else?

Lecter:

(grins)

You could help me catch a bird, you know, for my bird collection? No, thank you for welcoming me to this great school Ms. Crane.

(bell rings)

See you later? You know,

(Points at passing students)

Duty calls.

* Riders on the Storm: the Doors (first few seconds)

Act I: Scene iii

(Lecter enters his classroom)

Student #1:

Can you please stop talking?

(sees Lecter)

Hey mister, can I go to the bathroom?

Timmy:

(to Student#1)

Can you? Can you? Can you?

Student #3:

He’s making weird noises, again. Mister! Tell him to shut up!

Timmy:

Why! Why! Why! Unfair!

(To student #1)

Do you know what time it is?

(to other students)

We must rebel. Let’s plan something. It's already been a month of torture, yeah, we must rebel.

Lecter:

Take out a sheet of paper. We’re having a pop quiz.

Timmy:

What is going to be on the quiz, mister?

(Lecter ignores him as other students take out sheets of paper, Timmy grudgingly does so too.)

You never told us we had a pop quiz.

(students look at him, then at Lecter)

Lecter:

If I remember correctly, the curriculum I gave you the first day of school said pop quizzes are unannounced. Never read it, I assume?

Timmy:

So pop quizzes became surprises overnight, how about that?

(a few students laugh)

Lecter:

How much time is there from 9:10pm to 2:51am?

(students scribble)

Timmy:

(whispering loudly)

Five hours and and forty one minutes.

(students scribble)

Lecter:

Daniel starts school at 8:25am and finishes at 3:15pm. How long does his school day last?

(students scribbles)

Timmy:

(whispering loudly)

Six hours and fifty minutes.

(yawns loudly)

So, Mr. Lecter, since when are you such a pathetic math teacher?

Lecter:

(stares at Timmy)

Timmy, out.

(Timmy stays. Lecter writes down the remaining three questions on the board, students scribble)

Timmy:

This class ends at 8:30 right?

So, it is 8:15 right?

(counts from sixteen through thirty)

Lecter:

All right students, time’s up!

(Some students keep scribbling, some moan, bell rings, Timmy raises his hand)

Leave your papers on my desk, please.

(Students leave)

Or in your desks. Yes, Timmy?

Timmy:

Mr. L, can I please have a minute more? To finish my pop quiz? Please?

Lecter:

(Looks outside, both ways. His voice deepens)

I’m sorry Timmy, time’s up.

(door closes, Timmy screams)

Author's Note

I am not yet finished, and I would appreciate it if you would comment on the dialogue. By the way, most of what the students say at the beginning of scene ii is what my classmates say in class. Hope you like it.