Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Trent and Miles
Trent: Mid forties, Caucasian, male. Soft spoken. Has been in law enforcement for over twenty years and a detective for ten of those years. Is very thorough and methodical in his investigations as well as his life. Has seen a lot and carries it with him. Has always been a bit cynical but is driven by his genuine compassion for people. Is utterly uncompromising in his convictions.
Miles, a suspected murderer about whom not much is known, is hiding at a isolated barn in the woods. When he is discovered by detectives Trent and Ben, he is surprised by their presence but seems preoccupied and maybe even slightly afraid of something else. Ben and Trent are here on a an unlikely lead but after days of fruitless searching, it's the only lead they
Simon Miles: Mid-thirties, male. Was
declared insane after killing his parents when he was a teenager, but
he may have been faking. Has since been found to be sane. He is
intelligent, patient, meticulous, and calculating.
Miles, a suspected murderer about whom not much is known, is hiding at a isolated barn in the woods. When he is discovered by detectives Trent and Ben, he is surprised by their presence but seems preoccupied and maybe even slightly afraid of something else. Ben and Trent are here on a an unlikely lead but after days of fruitless searching, it's the only lead they
EXT. OLD BARN - TRENT’S CAR - NIGHT
Ben follows Trent as he walks to the corner of the barn.
Trent peeks around the corner before stepping around it. He
scans the woods with the flashlight. Ben checks behind them.
Trent steps around the corner.
BAM!
A BULLET RIPS PAST him into the dirt.
Trent leaps back. He and Ben draw their weapons.
Miles is on the roof.
TRENT
Miles? Simon Miles?
MILES
Who are you?
TRENT
I’m Detective Baker. I’d like to
talk to you for a minute if you put
your gun down.
MILES
I really doubt you’re here just to
talk.
TRENT
And why do you think we’re here?
MILES
You tell me.
Trent deliberates.
TRENT (WHISPERS TO BEN)
Find a way onto the roof.
Ben nods and silently retreats. Shuts off his light.
TRENT
Simon Miles. You had to know it
would catch up to you some day.
MILES
"It"? What is "it"?
Ben creeps silently along the wall. There is no apparent way
up on the front of the barn.
TRENT
TRENT
It seems a wake of death follows
after you. Every place you moved,
it was only a small matter of time
before someone you interacted with
met an untimely end.
MILES
Everyone dies. Everyone’s met
someone who has died or will die
but that’s not evidence that they
killed them.
BEN
He stalks down the side. Still no way up that he can see.
TRENT
Denver, LA, San Francisco, Seattle,
Phoenix, and now here. Twelve dead,
fourteen with the couple from two
days ago. All dead under the
influence of the same hallucinogen
and all interacted with you.
Beat.
MILES
Who put that together?
BEN
He reaches the corner and stops. Cautiously peers around the
corner. No way onto the roof.
TRENT
TRENT
"The best laid plans."
Beat.
MILES
Every thing you mentioned is purely
coincidental and not even
circumstantial. So either you’re
here in official capacity for some
other reason or you’re here
unofficially chasing a very weak
and outrageous theory. What exactly
is it you are intending to do?
Ben rejoins Trent. Ben shakes his head and Trent nods.
TRENT
The agency that I work for has been
keeping its eye on you and has
authorized me to handle situations
like this at my discretion. This
leaves you two options. You toss
your gun then bring yourself down
so I can arrest you, or me and my
partner cut you down in cross fire
while defending ourselves from an
armed suspect.
Silence.
TRENT (WHISPERS TO BEN)
Go back around. Get into position
so you have a shot but make sure he
doesn’t see you.
Ben nods.
A THUD from around the corner. Trent sneaks a quick peek. A
handgun lies on the ground. He motions for Ben to stay put.
TRENT
Good choice Simon.
Trent
Scene 2
Detective Trent Baker and his partner of two years Detective Ben Taylor (he's mid-20's) are staking out the house of a suspected murder.
Scene 2
Detective Trent Baker and his partner of two years Detective Ben Taylor (he's mid-20's) are staking out the house of a suspected murder.
INT. TRENT’S CAR - NIGHT
BEN
I think I like stake outs.
TRENT
Wait till you’ve done more of them.
BEN
How do you get through them?
TRENT
I usually bring along a book or
two.
BEN
What do you like to read?
TRENT
Glove box.
Ben opens it and pulls out a book.
BEN
"True Paranormal Encounters". Huh.
I didn’t think you were the type.
Trent grabs it and chucks it in the back.
BEN
Okay.
He looks back at Miles’ file. Grimaces.
BEN
Simon Miles. Man, how does a kid
get like that? I mean, you don’t
just decide one day that you’re
going to cut up your parents with a
kitchen knife, you know? And then
he claims he was possessed? What
had to happen to him?
TRENT
It wasn’t something that just
happened, it was a lot of things.
Years of dysfunction and abuse,
problems that never got addressed
that built up until he just
snapped. If you know something is
wrong and you continue doing it,
you don’t get to decide where it
ends.
Ben is a little surprised.
BEN
You sure you don’t believe he was
possessed?
Trent gives him look.
TRENT
We all have a sense of right and
wrong. But people have an
astounding capacity for
justification and self-deception.
They repress their God-given
conscience and we get a world like
we have today. People convince
themselves they can sin without
consequence or that there is no
sin. Or they don’t care one way or
the other and end up butchering
their parents with a kitchen knife.
BEN
That’s very philosophical of you. I
thought I was the religious one.
TRENT
I’m not stupid enough to not
believe in a God. People just don’t
want to believe in one because that
might mean they can’t do what they
want. In the case of Miles, I
believe he’d had it with his
parents and decided to kill them
and then claimed to be possessed so
he would get off on an insanity
plea.
BEN
You’re telling me a kid who does
something like that doesn’t have a
serious mental problem?
Trent is quiet for a moment.
TRENT
When I was a rookie back in Idaho,
there was a guy I knew named
Terique. Really nice guy, had a
wife, Sherry, and two kids. Didn’t
know him all that well, just seen
him a few times when I was hanging
out at the bar with the guys. One
day we get this call for a domestic
disturbance. I was surprised when
Terique answered the door. Whatever
it was, it was over by the time we
got there. He answered the door.
Said he didn’t know why the
neighbours called us. The kids had
just been playing around and
knocked over a vase. He invited us
over for a barbecue a couple days
later. He said it was an apology
for the waste of our time. Looking
back, things were a little
different with them that day but I
didn’t notice at the time. (beat)
The next week we got another call.
As I pulled onto their block, I
passed Sherry almost running on the
sidewalk, crying. Terique said it
wasn’t anything and closed the
door. I caught up with Sherry and
she said they just had a fight and
I shouldn’t worry. (beat) A couple
days later another call came in.
Someone else took the call but I
found out that they got there right
after the call was made and Sherry
answered door. Her nose was
bleeding and her face was starting
to swell. They hauled him down to
the station for 24 hours and fined
him. I showed up at his house that
night and... let him know what
would happen if he touched her
again. (beat) Three days later we
got a report of gunshots at his
house. Me and three other cars
showed up at the same time but I
kicked the door in. Sherry was in
the kitchen. She had been knocked
out of her chair by the shotgun
blast that had blown her head
apart. The kids... The kids were in
the corner. The boy shielded his
sister but it was pointless. The
first shot killed him and knocked
him on top of her. Terique finished
her off point blank. Just as we
started looking for him he walks in
the back door covered in blood and
brain matter and acting like
nothing happened. (beat) I put a
bullet through his eye.
BEN
He came at you with the shotgun?
Beat.
TRENT
Yes.
Ben looks over at him. From Trent's tone it's apparent that no, Terique did not.
Jeremy and Spence
Scene 1
Best friends Spence and Jeremy are about to head out on an overnight camping trip. Jeremy's parents, who are currently away, have forbidden him to go unless the boys are accompanied by Ben, Spence's older brother. Jeremy sees Spence bike up to his house, alone, even though he promised Ben would come.
Spencer: 16 (older and able to pass for 16 is okay), Caucasian, male. Has a snarky sense of humor. Is best friends with Jeremy and although he can be domineering and manipulative, he does genuinely care for him.
Jeremy: 16 (older and able to pass for 16 is okay), male, athletic. He's an honest, loyal friend. Has a mild resentment of his very conservative Christian upbringing. Is integrous but doesn't like confrontation and has trouble standing up for himself. Has been best friends with Spencer for about two years. They met when his family starting attending Spence’s church.
Scene 1
Best friends Spence and Jeremy are about to head out on an overnight camping trip. Jeremy's parents, who are currently away, have forbidden him to go unless the boys are accompanied by Ben, Spence's older brother. Jeremy sees Spence bike up to his house, alone, even though he promised Ben would come.
EXT. JEREMY’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Spence skids to a stop.
JEREMY
Where’s Ben?
SPENCE
The turd bailed on me at the last
second. Seriously, this morning he
just walks out and says he’s doing
something else. I swear the only
reason he exists is to piss on my
life.
Jeremy just looks at him in disbelief.
Spence knows he doesn’t buy it.
Jeremy turns.
SPENCE
You freaking infant! We’ve been
planning to do this for weeks and
you’re just going to walk out
because your parents pull something
at the last minute? Come on! As far
as they know Ben is going with us
and that’s all they’re going to
know unless you tell them. Act like
a man for once and just do
something you want to do!
Jeremy steps inside and closes the door.
Scene 2
While on their camping trip, Spence and Jeremy return to their camp after running into Ben, who apparently came to check up on them.
Spence and Ben got into an argument after which Spence stormed away.
EXT. CAMPSITE - DAY
Spence storms into camp with Jeremy trailing behind. Spence
furiously paces as Jeremy awkwardly stands by. Spence throws
a log and yells.
SPENCE
Who does he think he is? I can’t
even take one little camping trip
without him screwing it up! Like
I’m an infant who’s too stupid not
to kill itself if it isn’t watched
every second.
JEREMY
Yeah, it sucks being treated like
kids all the time.
SPENCE
Yeah! No kidding! Man, my parents
telling me what movies I can and
can’t watch, what games I can’t
play, who I can hang out with, and
not only that, but they have the
nerve to tell me how I should live
the rest of my life even when I’m
not living at home! And Ben’s got
this mission to control my life and
make sure I’m not doing anything he
doesn’t like. There’s only so much
a guy can take, you know?
JEREMY
I know. My parents hardly let me
hang out with anyone, even from
youth group. Like any kid who
wasn’t raised by their standards is
going to be a bad influence or gay
or something.
SPENCE
They think someone in youth group
is gay?
JEREMY
My dad does.
Spence laughs.
SPENCE
No way! Who?
JEREMY
Russ.
SPENCE
Why, just because he kind of has a
lisp?
Jeremy nods.
SPENCE
I knew your were parents bad,
but...!
JEREMY
Honestly, they don’t even really
like me hanging out with you that
much.
SPENCE
Seriously?
JEREMY
Yeah.
SPENCE
Well screw them! (beat) That’s what
pisses me off! They think we’re
incapable of making any decisions
on our own so they try to control
everything we do and force us to be
who they think we should be. Damn
it! It’s insulting!
JEREMY
At dinner last night, in front
of everyone, my dad gives me like
this twenty minute prepared speech
about how to be safe camping and
how I shouldn’t let any bad habits
you may have rub off and I should
try to steer our conversations
toward God. He even gave me a list
of Bible verses to bring up for
discussion since we wouldn’t be at
church. Like I’m going to hell if
I’m not thinking and talking about
the Bible 24/7. And this is all
right before he drops the news
about Ben needing to come along.
SPENCE
Who needs it, man? I’d move out
right now but they wouldn’t let me.
And I’m pretty sure I can’t get
emancipated, I checked. So I figure
I’ll just take advantage of the
free rent and food and when I’m
eighteen I’m gone without so much
as a goodbye.
JEREMY
I hear that.
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