Ultiminio Vega

Purse Thief By Ultiminio Vega -- FADE IN: EXT. CITY STREET - DAY MARLIN (20s) is a shifty looking guy wearing good running shoes. His shades cover his scanning eyes as he approaches-HOSPITAL REST AREA A frail woman with the will of a prize fighter, BRANDY (20s) sits on a bench while her friend, SHARON (20s), steps away toward a STREET VENDOR. SHARON Don’t go anywhere Brandy. Brandy smiles and holds her purse to her side. Swooping in without warning, Marlin wrenching at Brandy’s purse. BRANDY No, no please. She falls to the ground and Marlin sprints out of sight with the purse. Sharon looks back in horror and rushes to Brandy. SHARON Oh my God, what happened? BRANDY A guy stole my purse. SHARON No. BRANDY It has all my meds. SHARON Oh no. She helps Brandy up to the bench. SHARON Which way did he go? BRANDY He’s was so fast. SHARON Honey what are we going to do? (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 2. BRANDY I’ll have to tell the Doctor. Maybe she’ll be able to help. She manages to stand and they go back into the hospital. EXT. APARTMENT ALLEYWAY - NIGHT It is a rough neighborhood and the THUMPING of a car stereo is out done by a passing ambulance. Carrying a full backpack, Marlin jumps and grabs the fire escape latter. He ascends to a third floor window. BEDROOM Marlin steps in through the window. The room is filled with trinkets from previous thefts. He dumps the content of the backpack on to his bed. MARLIN Let’s see what we got tonight? He collects the cell phones and wads of cash. He gets Brandy’s purse and finds two bottles of pills. MARLIN What the fuck is this? WAYLON (O.S.) That you in there Marlin, talking to yourself? You squirrely dog? MARLIN Yeah. He takes Brandy’s purse into the -LIVING ROOM WAYLON (20s) play a video game with a forty ounce bottle of malt liquor next to him. Marlin sits on the sofa and squints at the pill bottles. MARLIN You ever heard of this shit? WAYLON I fucking died because of you. Let me see that. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 3. Marlin digs through the purse. WAYLON Oh shit. You got something not even I ever heard of. Kneuplexon and Ezydrumin. I gotta look this up. He gets his cell phone. MARLIN Oh I don’t believe it. What is this? Look at this, look at this. He pulls out Brandy’s key chain from her purse. It has a plastic Ewok toy attached to it. From out of his pocket, Marlin pulls out his own key chain with the same toy. WAYLON This shit is hard to find. What is that? Man, you and the fucking Ewoks. Nobody likes the Ewoks. MARLIN Na man, this isn’t mine. This is -He finds Brandy’s identification. MARLIN (CON’T) Brandy Churchill’s. Well it was. He finds old family photos of Brandy as a child with her PARENTS (40s), and two OLDER BROTHERS (14-16). WAYLON Yo man, we can’t take this shit. Nobody should take this shit. MARLIN What are they. WAYLON Alright, alright. This one, Ezydrumin, get this shit -MARLIN What? WAYLON It basically kills your nervous-system. I mean, you can still walk but you can’t feel anything. He takes a long drink. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 4. MARLIN But why would -WAYLON Hold on, hold on. That’s not even the worst of it. These Kneuplexon, they keep you from going bat-shit. MARLIN What -WAYLON Your mind forgets it’s in a body and you space out. And then your body could go wandering around like a chicken with it’s head cut off. Marlin looks through the picture booklet. WAYLON You should flush this shit. Don’t even touch’em. He goes back to his beer and video game. Marlin pulls a picture out of Brandy’s purse. He goes back into his -BEDROOM Over the bed is a movie poster of "Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure". INSERT - PICTURE Brandy stands defiantly at the sea shore on a snowy day. Sharon is hardly recognizable under her thick coat. Behind the picture "Too Rare" is written. BACK TO SCENE The room is filled with other peoples’ items and seems to close in on Marlin. City street noises sway into the room through the window. EXT. UNIFORM STORE - DAY Marlin exits the store wearing a nurses assistant uniform. 5. EXT. HOSPITAL REST AREA - DAY After leading Brandy to a picnic table, Sharon goes to a fruit VENDOR. Marlin passes Brandy and waves. She smiles. Marlin follows Sharon to the fruit Vendor. SHARON I’ll take two of these. MARLIN That’s the same thing I’m getting. I love this stuff. SHARON Yeah, it’s really good. She pays for the fruit and returns to Brandy. After getting his fruit, Marlin goes up to Brandy and Sharon. MARLIN Hi ladies. My name is Marlin. I just got out of training at the hospital. Can I keep you company? BRANDY Sure Marlin, have a seat. Marlin’s fake identification badge has a sticker of an Ewok. BRANDY Look at his badge. SHARON Oh no. We found another one. MARLIN What do you mean? SHARON Another Ewok fan. MARLIN Yeah, I love those little f-f-fury creatures. Brandy and Sharon LAUGH. BRANDY So do I. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 6. MARLIN They would be the coolest friends. They live in tree-houses. BRANDY They could teach you how swing from tree to tree. SHARON I can’t believe this. MARLIN They would be about this big. He gauges the height of an Ewok with his hand. LATER Brandy and Marlin’s body language face each other. Sharon looks tired. SHARON How long is your lunch? BRANDY Sharon... MARLIN Oh yeah, I’m a float today. They’re not going to miss me. SHARON Well, I should get going. Want me to walk you back to your room? BRANDY Marlin can walk me back a little later. Sharon gives her a look but smiles. SHARON Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Nice meeting you Marlin. MARLIN Same here. After kissing and hugging Brandy, Sharon leaves. 7. LATER - DUSK Marlin walks Brandy into the hospital. EXT. HOSPITAL REST AREA - DAY Sharon, Brandy, and Marlin are at a picnic table. He wears normal clothes. Sharon stands gathering her things. SHARON Thanks for coming on your day off, Marlin. I can’t stay long today. MARLIN No problem. Sharon and Brandy kiss and hug. SHARON See you tomorrow. She leaves. MARLIN Are you feeling okay? BRANDY I missed two doses yesterday but I’m not going inside. MARLIN Are you sure -BRANDY They’ll just have me lay in bed and wait for... I’ll stay out here. She walks off and Marlin follows. LATER - DUSK Brandy and Marlin sit under a tree. BRANDY It’s genetic. It can’t be helped. Wringing his hands, Marlin looks to Brandy staring off into the distance -- (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 8. BRANDY (CON’T) It’s taken my whole family. I’m the last. I often felt like I’ve been trying to steal hopes; going to college, meeting a guy, having a child. That would’ve been a life. She places her hand over Marlin’s hands as he fidgets. BRANDY (CON’T) I thought if I could just keep busy enough and be the best person I could be, maybe I could run away from the truth. He looks at his expensive running shoes, then looks at Brandy’s simple shoes. MARLIN You don’t look like you’re afraid to die. You look good. She kisses his cheek. BRANDY I’m not afraid. It’s the wondering that gets me. What was this life for? I’m here so briefly then -She lets a hand full of grass free into the wind. MARLIN It’s getting dark. We should go inside. BRANDY Let’s wait until they come looking for me. They smile at each other and hold hands under the tree. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Starring up into nothing, Marlin smiles and shifts around in bed. He looks at a picture on his phone of him and Brandy. 9. EXT. HOSPITAL REST AREA - DAY Wearing his nurses assistant uniform, Marlin sits at the picnic table eating fruit out of a bag. He looks around. LATER - DUSK Marlin is about to leave when Sharon comes out of the hospital. MARLIN Sharon, hi. I’m just coming in to work. SHARON You’re not on the day shift anymore? MARLIN I picked up -SHARON She’s gone Marlin. MARLIN What? SHARON She passed away. MARLIN No, that can’t happen. His composure sways as he gets weak in the knees SHARON It came suddenly. MARLIN How could this happen? SHARON Her replacement meds didn’t get here on time. MARLIN What? No. How could?.. He sinks to the ground WEEPING. She hugs him. SHARON I’m glad you two met. He CRIES into his hands. 10. INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Street lights illuminate the cluttered room. Cars HONKING from the streets below trickle in through the window. Sitting on his bed, Marlin looks at the picture of him and Brandy. He shuts the phone off, then back on. WAYLON (O.S.) You in there man?.. Hey Marlin, you in there? Marlin is surrounded by things that do not belong to him. He turns on his phone again to see Brandy and shuts it off. His nurses assistant uniform is on the dresser. Marlin turns on his phone to see Brandy. FADE OUT.