Ultiminio Vega

Bridge Troll By Ultiminio Vega -- FADE IN: INT. EXPENSIVE APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAY The place has gaudy decorations and trendy clothes cover the floor making the dim, spacious room look smaller. Sprawled out on the bed is VICTORIA (17), a mousy, self-absorbed daughter of a plutocrat. The hologram on the nightstand reads "8:00am". Automatic window blinds draw open bathing Victoria with daylight. She wakes up with a smile and jumps to her feet. KITCHEN - LATER Toasted bread pops out of the toaster. Victoria smears butter and jelly on it while arguing on the phone. VICTORIA (phone) I’m not saying it again... Yes, I know -She bites a boiled egg. VICTORIA (phone) If I said I’ll take the car, that’s what I’ll do. She drinks orange juice. VICTORIA (phone) Damn it Mom, it’s my first day at public school not a coming out party.. Yes... Yes... Love you too. She hangs up while rolling her eyes. Before leaving the messy, expensive apartment, Victoria looks into a mirror. She looks like a model from Cosmopolitan Magazine. 2. EXT. MANHATTAN - EXPENSIVE APARTMENT - DAY Next to a luxury sedan is JULIO (30s), the chauffeur. Victoria goes up to him and fails to inconspicuously pass money to Julio. She nervously looks around. VICTORIA Don’t tell my parents, Julio, but I’m taking the train to school. JULIO I don’t know -He inspects the wad of cash. VICTORIA Do you want more? JULIO No, no, Miss Grace -VICTORIA Alright then, don’t show up here unless I call you. Okay? JULIO Okay, Miss Grace -She walks off. EXT. BROOKLYN - NOSTRAND AVENUE - DAY A disheveled MAN (30s) follows close behind Victoria as she ascends stairs out of the subway. He gawks at her as she stops to fake-check her phone and lets him pass. VICTORIA Ew, gross. She continues on her way after a few moments. LATER Breezing past a limping OLDER MAN (50s) pushing a Target cart full of junk, Victoria yaks on her cell phone toward Brooklyn College. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 3. VICTORIA (phone) I know right? Guy’s down here have more testosterone or some shit. LAUGHTER. VICTORIA (phone) Yeah, they’re like, (dorky) Hi. How are you? LAUGHTER. She approaches a bridge overpass next to the Target store. Beneath the overpass, a SCREECHING subway train RUMBLES. VICTORIA (phone) Yeah, I’m almost there -Victoria gets halfway across the bridge and as the RUMBLING train fades, an animalistic RUMBLING surrounds her. VICTORIA (phone) Do you hear that?.. (static) Hello? Hello? She focuses on her cell phone for a moment. When she looks up, a tall and very broad PERSON dressed in dark hues blocks her path. She steps back but gains no distance. (NOTE: Troll has the thickest New York accent) TROLL What do we have here? Victoria SCREAMS after getting a good look at TROLL. He is around six feet tall and about four feet broad. His brownish-gray skin has red blotches, and his large eyes are shaded by his menacing brow. VICTORIA Ah! Get away from me! Someone help! Terrorized, Victoria turns and seemingly runs in place as she tries to get away from Troll. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 4. Noticing she is not moving away from Troll, Victoria pauses for a second to catch her breath. She continues to run in place trying to get away. TROLL Now you just look ridiculous. All PEDESTRIANS appear out of phase with Troll and Victoria. She tries to get the attention of a PERSON but her arm passes through the Person’s body. TROLL Are you done? Victoria glances back at Troll and continues to run in place trying to get away from him. LATER Sweating through her clothes and dripping makeup, Victoria breathes heavy leaning on the bridge guardrail. Troll smokes a huge blunt next to her. VICTORIA (out of breath) What are you? What do you want from me? TROLL You got it all wrong, little sister. Who are you? And what do you want coming here? VICTORIA Me? I’m a fuck’in college student, you monster. My mother is a congress woman -TROLL Sounds important. Victoria is embolden and approaches Troll while talking with her hands. Troll seems uninterested. VICTORIA Fuck yes she’s important. She can have your big ass thrown in Rikers. TROLL You don’t seem to get it. He points at phase-out PEDESTRIANS. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 5. TROLL (CONT’D) You’re the one out of place. Everyone here has battled with tribulations -VICTORIA Hey, you don’t know me. TROLL Is that right? VICTORIA Yeah, I could’ve gone to any damn school I wanted but I choose this one because, because -TROLL Why? Tell me. VICTORIA (CONT’D) Commoners matter to me. That’s why. Troll rubs his stubbly face hiding his smile. TROLL A friend to the commoners, aye? VICTORIA Yeah. TROLL (CONT’D) That sounds pretty good. Commoners have it hard, you know. They need all the help they can get. Victoria straightens up and proceeds confidently. Troll blocks her path with his huge arm. TROLL You self-indulgent girl. He crowds Victoria driving her into the street where phased-out cars run through them. TROLL (CONT’D) You know nothing about worry or being excluded. You’ve never felt embarrassed for not having enough. She backs away from Troll until she reaches the other side of the street. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 6. TROLL (CONT’D) You’ve never been alone and afraid. Run on home, girl. There’s no place for you in these parts. OLDER WOMAN (60s) passes by pushing a loaded, wire grocery cart. Victoria gets a good look at her. VICTORIA You’re right. I’m sorry. I want to come here to learn... Troll eases back. VICTORIA (CONT’D) ... To learn. I don’t know, man. I just want to know what’s really going on. Troll rubs his stubbly chin. TROLL Finally, some sincerity. He wanders toward the bridge’s border. Victoria follows. TROLL (CONT’D) Alright, girl. I’ll give you a week-pass. Next time I see you, I want to see some personal-growth. Victoria steps off the bridge and PEDESTRIANS become solid. The sun shines bright, cars honk horns, and Troll is nowhere in sight. Victoria warily looks around, then moves on. EXT. BROOKLYN - NOSTRAND AVENUE - DAY (SUPER: "One week later") Victoria and TWO COPS (30s) go toward the bridge over-pass next to Target. COP #1 Do you see the guy giving you trouble? VICTORIA No, but let’s see if he comes out when we cross. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 7. COP #2 We walk through here all the time. I’ve never seen a huge guy like you describe. Are you sure -As they walk over the bridge, Victoria disappears. COP #2 Holy shit, she’s gone. COP #1 What the? Where she go? They look over the bridge’s guardrail. COP #2 She didn’t jump. What’s going on here? COP #1 I don’t fuck’in know but I’m not writing a report on this. They walk away. Out of phase with time, Victoria waves her arms in front of the Cops. VICTORIA Damn it, fuck. Can’t you see me? Cops walk through her as they leave. Just behind Victoria is Troll leaning against the guardrail smoking a huge blunt. TROLL You are a fool, little sister, but you’re lucky. I sensed truth in you last time and since I’m kind... She walks backward away from Troll and toward the bridge’s border. TROLL (CONT’D) You get another week. I want to see some effort or else. Victoria steps off the bridge and Troll vanishes right before her eyes. She is amazed and frightened as she nervously straightens her clothes and walks away. 8. EXT. BROOKLYN - NOSTRAND AVENUE - DAY (SUPER: "One week later") Wearing old, worn clothes, Victoria angrily marches over the Troll’s bridge. She stops halfway across. VICTORIA Hey! Asshole! Where are you? Out of phase, Troll leans against the guardrail just behind her. TROLL Is that you, girl? VICTORIA (fake laugh) Look at me. I’ve dressed like this for the past week; out of fashion, with no style. She rips off her straw summer hat and stomps on it. VICTORIA (CONT’D) I get it, okay. People aren’t nice when they think I don’t have money. Fuck this sucks! Are you happy? TROLL You’re starting to get it. He picks up and dusts off her straw summer hat. TROLL (CONT’D) You earned another week. This is your last chance. He puts the hat on her. TROLL (CONT’D) If you come back without change, your punishment will be set. He leads her to cross the bridge and lightly shoves her past the border. Troll disappears behind her. Victoria straightens herself up and marches onward. 9. EXT. MANHATTAN - TRUMP TOWER - DAY Victoria’s worn boots march toward a line of PROTESTERS chanting behind a barricade. PROTESTERS (chant) No K.K.K. No fascist U.S.A. Victoria does not look happy as she is handed a "RefuseFascism.org" picket sign. She finds a space next to the barricade where she sees a group of SITTING PROTESTERS. Their arms are interlocked with each other blocking the entrance to Trump Tower. GARBLED ANNOUNCEMENT is made by a RIOT COP on a bull horn. A TEAM of RIOT COPS move in on the Sitting Protesters. Victoria notices a PREGNANT SITTING PROTESTER (30s). VICTORIA Hey! Hey you! Pregnant Protester looks to Victoria. VICTORIA (CONT’D) They’re coming! Get out of there! Pregnant Protester sees the Riot Cops approaching, then looks back to Victoria with a sullen expression. Pepper spray is hosed all over the Sitting Protesters and as they reel in pain, Riot Cops brutally descend on them. Another COP casually sprays the Protester behind the barricade. Victoria covers her eyes and crouches down as other Protesters flee. Half-blinded, Victoria wanders away to safety. LATER Sitting on a curb, Victoria stairs at the street. Regular street traffic and PEDESTRIANS go about their business. 10. QUICK FLASH - BRUTALITY Pregnant Protesters resolved eyes stair at Victoria as Pepper Spray is used on her. Pregnant Protester is pushed and turned to the ground. A COP puts his knee on her head as he hand cuffs her. END QUICK FLASH. BACK TO SCENE The same PERSON that gave Victoria a picket sign, gives her a chicken pita. Victoria snaps back to reality and nods at the Person. Person nods and walks away. Victoria unwraps the pita as her chest heaves trying not to cry. She takes a bite and wipes her nose. She takes another bite and wipes away a tear. EXT. BROOKLYN - NOSTRAND AVENUE - DAY Dress cute but not expensively, Victoria marches to the Troll Bridge. She leans against the guardrail. Troll leans next to her. TROLL Now you know what food taste like when you swallow it with tears. VICTORIA What the hell are we doing? TROLL You’ve forgotten your connection to each other. They walk toward the border of the bridge. TROLL (CONT’D) The spirit that dwells inside you is the sheep that wandered. VICTORIA I can’t get it out of my head. What can I do? TROLL What you’ve seen is nothing. There are monsters in your world that make this old troll seem like a kitten. Prepare yourself, Victoria. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 11. He gets an old trench coat that hangs off the guardrail. TROLL (CONT’D) There is no savior that is going to come down and set things right. Cling on to your dear life and watch your tree of liberty die. Troll gets a fedora hat from inside his trench coat and he puts it on as he goes to the bridge’s border. TROLL It’s up to you people now. Hope to see you on the other side. He steps off the bridge and walks away among the people where he fades into nothing. Victoria stares at Trolls departure, then she goes on her way. As she passes Target’s back-alley, she sees Cop #1 and Cop #2 beating up a BOY (14). VICTORIA No. She gets between the unconscious Boy and Cop #1. She is punched in the face. FADE OUT.