Let's Have a Game

 

FADE IN:

EXT: JACK’S DORM – NIGHT

 

We see Jack sitting on the stoop outside his dorm room alone, he’s wearing just a sweater to protect himself from the cold, and he has no shoes on. He takes a drag off of the cigarette in his hands, and then begins to cough violently.

 

JACK

(to himself; coughing)

I have really got to stop lying to her about this.

(coughing still)

F**k, it’s going to kill me, one day.

 

He throws the cigarette away with a discontented look, then spits.

 

JACK

      (disgusted)

F**k that tastes bad.

 

He goes back inside, but is careful to make sure that the rock that’s keeping the door propped open stays between it and the door frame.

 

CUT TO:

EXT: DORM PARKING LOT - NIGHT- WIDE

 

A car, driving at a menacingly fast speed, drives into the parking lot. Its tires screech as it twists and turns through the lot, and around the other cars.

 

CUT TO:

EXT: JACK’S DORM – NIGHT

 

The car screeches to a halt in front of the door we saw Jack go through moments ago. Inside are four guys, all around college age. When the car stops, the driver pops the trunk, and three of them (the driver and the rear passengers) get out, and head for Jack’s door. The one that remains in the car, TERRY, calmly glances up and down the parking lot, checking to see if anybody is watching what is about to transpire. No one is.

 

A few seconds later, the three that went into the dorm come out carrying Jack, who is wriggling to get free, screaming obscenities, and calling for Maggie. One (LACKEY #2) has his legs, and the other two (LACKEY #1 and DRIVER) have his arms.

 

When they are about three-quarters of the way to the car, Maggie comes to the door, unsure of exactly what’s happening, sees Jack being carried off, and immediately runs after him. Unfortunately, by the time she gets to them it’s too late, and they have already thrown Jack into the trunk.

 

MAGGIE

What the f**k is going on!?!

 

None of them answer her, acting as if she isn’t there, and go back to their seats in the car.

 

MAGGIE (CONT)

What the f**k?! Answer me!

 

She still gets no response from anyone. All the while we can hear Jack in the trunk of the car calling for Maggie.

 

MAGGIE (CONT)

Fine! I’m calling the cops!

 

As she starts to pull out her phone, Terry turns to Lackey #2 in the rear, driver’s side.

 

TERRY

(calmly)

Phone.

 

Lackey #2 gets out of the car and yanks Maggie’s phone away from her.

 

MAGGIE

Hey! What the f**k?!

 

He gets back in the car, and it peels out, leaving Maggie alone, angry, and awestruck, to scream obscenities at the mysterious kidnappers.

 

FADE OUT.

 

BLACK.

 

We hear the muffled sounds car driving, and then coming to a stop. More muffled sounds of four doors open and slam shut. And then finally some muffled voices.

 

The trunk opens to reveal Lackey #1 and the Driver standing there with foreboding smirks on their faces.

 

DRIVER

Wakey, Wakey.

 

LACKEY #1

Eggs and bakey.  

 

They pull Jack out of the trunk.

 

CUT TO:

EXT: PARKING LOT – NIGHT

 

Lackey #1 and the Driver pull Jack out of the trunk. He is still in the same clothes that he was wearing while smoking, i.e. just a sweater and no shoes.

 

JACK

You kidnap a guy and that’s the best line you can think of?

 

DRIVER

Shut up!

 

They haul him over to the passenger side of the car, where Terry and Lackey #2 are waiting.

 

JACK

Seriously, if you’re even going to use a line as lame as that, then at least knock me out or something, first, that way I’m actually waking up when you say it.

      (looking around)

And Jesus, take me farther than two miles from my house, so I don’t know where I am.

(to Terry)

Am I right?

 

Terry looks to Lackey #2, who then punches Jack in the stomach. Jack’s legs give, but Lackey #1 and Driver hold him up.

 

 

TERRY

      (coldly)

Do you know who I am?

 

JACK

(catching his breath)

Well you certainly aren’t the Easter Bunny.

 

Lackey #2 punches Jack again. Terry waits for Jack to recover.

 

TERRY

So...?

 

JACK

Look, man, I told them I’d pay those student loans when the semester was over.

 

TERRY

... Close. Anything else?

 

DRIVER

(firmly; shaking Jack)

F*****g answer him.

 

JACK

(to Driver)

Alright, f*****g calm down.

 

Jack looks up at him.

 

JACK (CONT)

(to Terry)

I’m blanking.

 

TERRY

Well, that’s a real shame.

 

JACK

Should I know you?

 

TERRY

You should’ve.

     

JACK

Should’ve?

 

TERRY

Yea, as in “should have.” You should have known that I was around so that you wouldn’t have pulled this... Again.

 

Lackey #2 punches Jack again.

 

JACK

Hey, look man, tell Jeff Whelan that he should fight his own battles. If he’s too much of a-

 

TERRY

Who the f**k is Jeff Whelan?

 

JACK

What?

 

TERRY

... F**k, you piss off a lot of people, don’t you?

 

JACK

Not as rule, no.

 

Lackey #2 punches Jack again, and the Driver elbows him in the back. Jack drops to the ground clutching his stomach.

 

DRIVER

F**k off, smart a*s!

 

He kicks him.

 

LACKEY #1

(to Terry)

Look, Terry, can we just beat the s**t out of him and get out of here?

 

TERRY

Shhhh! Don’t f*****g use my name, Dave.

 

LACKEY #1

(catching on)

Ooooh, yea, right... Dave.

 

TERRY

(hopelessly)

... You’re an idiot.

 

LACKEY #1

I want to get out here; it’s f*****g cold out.

 

JACK (OFF)

No kidding.

 

TERRY

Shut up!

 

JACK

      (getting up)

Look I can tell this is your first time kidnapping, so I’m not going to critique you for f*****g up as much as you are, but I just really want to know who you are.

 

TERRY

(in a “Who do you think you are?” way)

F****n’...-(>>>)

TERRY (CONT)

      (Lackey #2)

Stomach.

 

Lackey #2 punches Jack in the stomach, and he falls to the ground again gasping for air.

 

TERRY (CONT)

I am Ricky’s brother, smart a*s. Y’know, Ricky, the guy you f*****g ratted on for cheating.

 

He kicks him.

 

TERRY (CONT)

They kicked him out; did you know that they kicked him out, smart guy? For cheating on one test. Now he’s fucked. What’s he going to do now, huh?

 

He kicks him again.

 

JACK

Look, man, I don’t know who Ricky is.

 

Terry squats down to be at eye-level with Jack.

 

TERRY

Well, Davies, you sure are a piece of work. You can’t even remember the people whose lives you’ve ruined.

 

JACK

Davies?... You mean, like Adam Davies?

 

TERRY

Who the f**k else would I be talking about?

 

JACK

I’m not Adam, man.

 

TERRY

(a beat)

You aren’t?

 

JACK

No.

 

Frozen, Terry looks at Jack for a second. He stands up and looks to Lackey #1.

 

TERRY

Get his wallet.

 

The Driver holds Jack down, as Lackey #1 gropes Jack to find his wallet.

 

JACK

F**k, man, I can give it to you.

 

Lackey #1 pulls Jack’s wallet out of his back pocket and hands it to Terry.

 

Terry opens up the wallet and examines the driver’s license that he finds. He looks from the license to Jack to the license again, then to Lackey #2, then to the license again... then back to Lackey #2.

 

TERRY

The f**k is wrong with you!?!

 

LACKEY #2

What?

 

TERRY

Oh, I don’t know, maybe you got the wrong f*****g guy, fuckhead!

 

LACKEY #2

What do you mean? He was the only guy there.

 

TERRY

So! You didn’t think to say, “Hey, were looking for Adam Davies”?!

 

LACKEY #2

Well, you said just get in there, and get out.

 

TERRY

Yea. With the right f*****g guy!

 

DRIVER

Sooo, this isn’t Adam Davies?

 

TERRY

No, this isn’t Adam Davies. This is f****n’

      (a beat as he looks back the wallet)

John Waters.

 

DRIVER

You’re name is John Waters?

 

JACK

(getting up)

No relation.

 

Terry hits the Driver on the back of the head.

 

TERRY

That’s beside the point. The point is that we’re beating the s**t out of the wrong fuckhead.

 

He throws the wallet back at Jack, and walks out of frame fuming. His lackeys stand there awkwardly, not entirely sure of what to do at this point. Jack puts his wallet back in his pocket.

 

JACK

(under his breath)

I think “fuckhead” was a little much.

 

Terry walks back into frame a little calmer than he was before.

 

TERRY

(to his lackeys; drained)

Alright, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to go home, and pretend like this never happened. And then during the week we’ll go and get the right guy, and then beat the s**t out of him. Alright?

 

His lackeys all nod. Jack, though, looks very confused by all this.

 

TERRY (CONT)

Alright. Car!

 

All of the lackeys make way to the car. Terry walks over to a very confused Jack, and puts his arm around him.

 

TERRY (CONT)

      (overly nice)

John?- Can I call you John?- Can I talk to you for a second?

 

JACK

(confused)

Uh... sure.

 

TERRY

Good. I just want to make sure there are no hard feelings, you know, between us. I mean, this was all just a complete misunderstanding, right?

 

JACK

(apprehensive)

Yea, I guess.

 

TERRY

Yea, of course. You seem like a smart guy, you can understand that my friends aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer; I mean, they really should’ve asked a couple of questions before they just manhandled you like that.

 

JACK

... Yea.

 

TERRY

(reaching into his pocket)

Yea. Oh, you can give this back to your girlfriend.

 

Terry hands him Maggie’s phone.

 

JACK

Uh... Thanks.

 

TERRY

(reaching into his pocket)

And can you just give one thing to Adam, from me, Ricky’s brother.

 

JACK

Uh... sure.

 

TERRY

Great.

 

Terry quickly pulls his hand out of his pocket and punches Jack in the stomach as hard as he can; Jack falls to the ground like a leper in mosh pit.

 

Terry opens the passenger side door and gets in.

 

JACK

Was that really necessary?

 

Terry rolls down the passenger window, and looks down at Jack.

 

TERRY

            (to Jack)

Moonbeam, I like your style- You can find your way home from here, right?- Good.

      (to Driver)

Go.

 

The car speeds away as Jack tries to catch his breath.

 

FADE OUT.

 

FADE IN.

EXT: ROAD – NIGHT

 

We track a roughed up Jack walking alongside the road.

 

CUT TO:

EXT: DORM PARKING LOT – NIGHT

 

We see Jack walk into the parking and in the direction of his dorm.

 

CUT TO:

EXT: JACK’S DORM – NIGHT

 

Jack walks into the frame and up to the front door, which is again propped open with a rock. He goes in.

 

 

 

CUT TO:

INT: JACK’S DOOR – NIGHT

 

Jack walks up to his door, and leans on the wall exhausted. He knocks on the door. A moment later the door opens a crack, as Maggie apprehensively peers through it.

 

At the sight of Jack, though, she rips it open, and, more excited than possibly imaginable, jumps onto him, inadvertently tackling him. They both fall.

 

JACK (OFF)

(a beat)

... Oww.

 

FADE OUT.

Author's Note

(>>>) This means there's a page break during the line.