Sunsets Over Monroeville

Two lovers must deal with the aftermath of a horrific murder at their high school. But as the terror of the crime haunts them, will they be able to make it to the next sunset?

A dreadful wind attacks the town of Monroeville. The moon beckons from on high as it’s ray pierces to the halls of the senior high school.

A gunshot echoes through the halls of the science department. Within the confines of room 325, a 32. bullet casing rolls on the floor towards Mr. Davis’s body which lies before a young couple.

Emily Stanton, trembles in her strawberry striped dress. She clutches onto the right shoulder of her love, Joe Lind, who’s hand is fused to the handle of a 32. snub revolver. The wind crashes against the classroom’s window shattered by a bullet hole.

Emily’s grip loosens as she falls onto her knees, she buries into the back of Joe’s pant leg and unleashes a wave of tears. Joe’s arms hang, he wears a vacant stare. As the blood flows from Mr. Davis’s body, Emily sends out a massive wail that is soon overtaken by distant police sirens.

~*~

Joe and Emily sit beside one another in the back of a squad car. Emily’s blankets her face with a stream of tears. She purses her lips and looks from her restless hands up to Joe, who remains still, and stone faced. The car comes to a stop, soon Joe is moved out of the vehicle and is escorted through the Monroeville police station. Emily follows behind. They pass officers and offenders as they are led to a bench outside of booking. Joe sits as Emily walks off to the interrogation room. Joe and raises his head to the ceiling.

“Joe…”

     Joe brings his gaze from the ceiling and focuses blankly on Detective Garret, who sports a brown wool suit. The two are inside the dimly lit interrogation room 4. Garret taps his pen on onto the table and leans forward.

     “Joe, you need to tell us what happened.” Garret persists.

     Joe rests his face into his palms and takes a quivering breath.

     “He was following her…following us” Joe states.

     Joe reveals his face to Garret, his jaw hangs as he processes his next thought.

     “Why?” Garret asks.

Joe releases a pained chuckle.

     “Because, he was a sick, filthy, demented pervert. He would press up against her during class, left photos in her locker, he… followed us up to star road on prom-night.”

     Garret furrows his brow.

     Joe cringes and says, “He took Emily to his class tonight, to…”

     Joe throws his hands onto the table and shouts,

     “I had to stop him, so I hand my dad’s gun, and I had to stop him and I--"

      Joe stops and grinds his teeth.

     “He was going to hurt her. And I did what I had too.”

Garret exits the room and walks down the hall, turns the corner, and arrives at the middle room. He enters to meet with Detective Spencer.

     “Same story.” Garret says.

     Garret stares through the two-way mirror into room 3, where Emily sits with her head resting on her arms. Garret pinches the bridge of his nose.

 Emily’s parents Janet and Thomas stand at the front desk. Janet repeats, “Where’s Emily?”

Joe’s father, Earl, stands with his hands at his sides. He locks eyes with Joe, who is being uncuffed by an officer. Joe then moves his gaze to Emily standing beside her crying parents.

~*~

Earl opens the front door to their farmhouse; the two men enter. Earl shuts the door, moves to a nearby lamp and pulls the chain. The room illuminates and reveals a scowl on Earl’s face. Earl looks over at Joe, who remains like a statue near the staircase. Joe turns to face Earl only to be met with a fist and drops to the ground.

~*~

Joe stands on his front porch, a lit clover in hand, and a fresh bruise planted on his right cheek. He stares off into the brush near his house.

“Joe.”

The sound of his name rides with the wind and repeats,

“Joe.”

He breathes heavily and looks over to large oak a few yards away. Emily moves from behind the tree and whispers,

“Joe.”

She beckons to him. Joe drops his cigarette, and jogs to her.

Emily and Joe walk down a small path. Joe’s hands in his pockets. Emily’s arms cross over her chest. She moves her hair from her face.

“I can’t believe any of it” Joe states.

“Joe, this doesn’t feel right.” Emily says.

Joe just hangs his head and stops in his tracks. He turns and faces Emily.

“What are you taking about?”

“I won’t leave until it’s right, this shouldn’t have happened. You need to tell the truth.”

Joe tenses and shouts,

“What truth Em? What! Em I would have done anything to protect you. That monster tried to take you from me. He tried to hurt. It was him!”

Emily remains still and keeps her eyes on the ground and utters.

“I’m not going back to that school, Joe.”

 Joe’s face resets and he steps towards Emily.

“Joe”

Joe stops and turns to see his father standing with a burdened and pitiful grimace. Joe looks to Emily and jesters for her to leave. Emily turns away and continues down the road. Joe walks back towards his home and passes his father, and head straight to the house.

~*~

Joe lies back in his bed, he focuses on the ceiling, he rubs his face, and lets out a groan.

The clock at his bedside ticks and ticks.

Joe’s eyes shut as he keeps a steady breath. The bed creaks and the sheets shuffle around. Joe opens his eyes to see his bed disheveled. He looks around the silence hangs for a moment before a wail is unleashed through.

A thunderous roar of footsteps shakes the floorboards. Joe’s nearby bookshelf collapses downward. Pictures shatter down as the glass flies across the room.

Joe jolts up in a panic and scans the room. He slips out of the bed to observe the destruction before being struck in the back by a book. As he recovers and gains his ground. A mass of books from the opposite shelves fly towards Joe. He tucks as the hard-covered predators crash against the wall then to the floor. The draws from Joe’s desk begin to rattle. Joe hugs the floor lifts his head to see the drawers shoot out like cannonballs. Joe covers his head, suddenly the draws stop midair and the contents soon float into the air. Pencils, letter openers, every sharp object found within such a realm hangs above Joe. Joe pokes his head and stares in terror. Gravity takes back hold as the lethal force rains down towards him. Joe scrambles to get to his feet and rushes towards the front door. Only to drop a few feet away. Joe back on the ground looks over his shoulder to see a number two lodged into his right calf.

~*~

In the morning light, Joe limps up the front steps of his high school. He enters the building to see officers scattered through the halls. As Joe navigates down the halls. He is plagued by an army of eyes locked onto his. Whispers flood through the halls and move into a powerful crescendo as a steady stream of voices begin to proclaim his name. Joe, joe, joe, joe, joe, joe, joe, joe, joe,joejoejoejoejoejoejoejoejoejoejoejoejoejoejoejoe

“Joe.”

Joe stands before his locker, his hand on the handle. He stands frozen.

Vince Damingo stands beside Joe. Vince repeats.

“Joe…Are you okay?”

The silence lingers and acts as a soundtrack for the scene. Joe blinks, turns his head, locks eyes with Vince. The average audio of a busy day in the halls of Monroeville soon resurface over the dominating silence.

“I’m fine” Joe responds.

Vince sets his hand on Joe’s shoulder.

Vince and Joe sit on a bench outside the student commons. Joe stares off as varies students buzz past. Joe clasps onto his notebook. Vince takes in a breath.

     “What are you going to do?” Vince asks.

         Joe searches himself.

     “All of this is going to continue ‘till I clock out…I’m heading out of town after graduation.”

     Vince nods.

     Joe stands up, gathers his things, and looks back at Vince.

     “I just gotta move on.”

Later that night back home, Joe is in his room cleaning up the wreckage from the strange attack. A tap grabs Joe’s attention. He looks up and remains frozen. Another tap shoots from the window. Joe creeps over, another tap. Joe opens the window and peers his head outside. Outside remains nothing but a few trees, bushes, and the cold night. Joe leans over the-TAP! Joe rocks up and strikes his head on the window. Blistered by the mistake, shuts the window, stares at the reflection, in it he makes out an image of Emily and himself content, and embracing one and other. In a fit of venomous rage, Joe plunges his fist through the window. Blood soaked shards falls to the floor.

     Earl rushes through the door and stands before the scene. Joe clings to his trenched hand and stares back into his father’s combative gaze.

~*~

The next day at the high school, Joe arrives late that morning and walks through the halls. He passes a group of classmates outside of room 325. The female students attend to their tears. Joe simply tightens his hand into a fist and takes flight back to the student commons.

     “What do you mean?” Vince asks.

     Vince sits on the grass beside Joe. The two are below a flourishing cherry tree.

     “How dare they, morn a monster!” Joe declares.

     “Joe it’s okay.”

     He stands onto his feet and runs his hands through his hair.

And screams out to the sky.

     “No, it is not okay!”

     Vince remains unaffected.

     “Everyone is asking if I’m okay, if somehow this left me scarred.” Joe turns to face Vince.

     “I was protecting her; I was there for her and nobody can see that as a conscious choice. Everyone should be glad he’s gone.”

     Vince tightens his face and looks back up at Joe. This instance would be the last time they would ever speak. Knowing this Vince shuts his eyes and asks,

     “Are you going to the funeral tomorrow?”

     Joe laughs out, shakes his head, and smiles at Vince. Joe covers his mouth, collects himself, and snarls.

“Go to hell”

Later that night in his room, Joe sits beside the broken window and hums a jig. Before him lie papers and objects scattered across the floor, chaotically arranged as if to mimic his thoughts. He reaches for his nearby yearbook and flips through the pages. He stops on the couple spread; he looks over to his photo with Emily. Joe grips the bridge of his nose and curls forward.

“Joe, Joe, Joe, Joooooooooooooooooe.”

     Joe flings the book across the room and screams out. He quickly breathes to see the book lie dead on the floor.

~*~

It is the brightest day to date. The light trails down through the tree line onto the Monroeville Cemetery. The gathered mass of faculty, students, and many of the townspeople, such as Joe and Emily’s parents.

     Father Spencer, a man of great age, stands before mourning, his leather bible in hand. Father Spencer takes a breath.

     “Lenard Davis, was…a man on this earth, who lost his way from the lord and his way on these grounds…”

As Father Spencer continues, Joe is seen from the far end of the scene. He hangs back behind an oak and carves his hand into the bark. The wind carries up and dances across Joe.

“Joe.”

Joe rocks forward and rams his head against the oak.

“Joe.”

Joe falls to the ground and cradles his fist.

“Joe.”

Joe’s ears perk up. He scrambles to turn around. Only to see Emily tower above him. Her heart sinks and tears collect atop her cheeks.

Joe and Emily walk past rows of tombstones.

“You’re not coming back are you?” Joe inquires.

Joe looks over at Emily, who remains distant, and stares at the grass below. Emily nods and responds,

“I can’t.”

Joe takes moment to think

     Joe halts his steps and digs his feet into the ground. Emily soon stops and looks back at him. Emily’s smile reaches cheek to cheek and wears the burden everything that has happened between them.

“You need to forgive yourself.”

“For what, for saving you, for protecting you!?”

     Emily leans back against a stone, retains her smiles, and weeps.

     “Joe.”

     Joe remains still before being overtaken by a flurry of ghastly images, screams, and a single gunshot.

     Joe rushes down the halls of the high school. He arrives at room 325. He looks through the lock-down window, grits his teeth and enters.

     “Please just…”

     Joe stops and stares at the scene unfolding.

     Emily against the desk kicks and swipes at Mr. Davis approaching her.

     “Emily you have the wrong idea!”

     Joe snarls, “Back the f**k away from her!”

     Mr. Davis and Emily both to Joe.

     “Em’ get over here.”

     Mr. David composes himself and adjusts his tie.

     “Joseph, I understand what this looks like but-”

     Joe shouts, “Shut the f**k up!”

     Joe pulls the 32. snub revolver tucked into his pants and draws the gun on Mr. Davis.

    “How does this look, pig!?”

     Mr. Davis takes a step back with his hands raised. Emily adjusts her dress strap and looks to Joe with a horrified look.

    “Joe, put the gun down.”

     Joe does not hear the plea of his love. Only the sound of his motivation to claim the life of filthy man.

    Shoot him Joe.

    “Joe.”

    The young man sets a second hand on the grip of the revolver to take aim.

    Emily pleads, “Joe!”

    Mr. Davis takes a step back and begs, “Joseph.” 

    Shoot him Joe.

    “Joe don’t!”

    Joe shuts his eyes.

    “Joseph please!”

    Shoot him.

    With a fraction of a second, Joe pulls the trigger.

    BANG.

    And as the bullet exits the barrel and charges forth. Joe opens his eyes to see Emily standing in the path of the bullet. Before he can shout, the bullet punctures Emily, Mr. Davis and the window of room 325. Joe’s two victims fall to the floor like dominoes, one after the other.

   Joe drops to his knees before Emily and shakes her body.

   “Em’…Em’!”

   Emily looks to Joe.

   “Joe...”

   Emily’s eyes glaze as all life vacates her body.

   Joe clings to her corpse and unleashes a painful wail. He buries his face into her chest and becomes lost to the sorrow.

   “Joe…”

   Joe looks up to find himself kneeling on the grass of the cemetery. Standing before him now is Detective Garret and two uniformed officers. Joe looks up to Garret.

   “…I think we should about that night again.”

   Joe turns his gaze from the officers to the funeral. His eyes lock onto a large photo of Emily’s senior photo besides a closed casket.

   A teary-eyed Joe smiles at the photo of Emily smiling back.

Author's Note

My first thing I wrote after a long time spent writing scripts and plays. The original ending somehow was deleted and I needed to pull it from my brain. So, my more recent style of writing is present in this for the end.
Thank you.