MIDNIGHT STORM
By
Patrick Donahue
Patrick Donahue ProtectRite #R692-6206
Los Gatos, CA 95030
(408) 806-2129
bottlne@comcast.net
FADE IN:
EXT. OFFICE BUILDING - NIGHT
The main doors open and out steps JONATHAN, 50--wrinkled
oxford, worn Levi's accompanied by PAUL, CHARLES and LINDA,
late-20s, in sharp business attire.
PAUL
Drinks at Joe Joe's?
CHARLES
Jonathan finely got an assignment.
JONATHAN
Sorry guys can't make it.
LINDA
Don't bite off more than you can
chew Jon, Jon.
CHARLES
That's right, you lucky bastard.
The all stop except for Jonathan.
PAUL
Knock'em dead Jonathan.
LINDA
Yeah whatever, you know he's an
ex-con.
His fellow workers make the loser sign on their foreheads.
PAUL, CHARLES, LINDA
Loser...
They laugh, then walk away.
PAUL
How do you know that?
LINDA
That he's a loser.
PAUL
No, that he's an the ex-con?
LINDA
I hear things.
CLOUDS
Start to block the moonlight with light rain.
EXT. CITY STREET, LIGHT INDUSTRIAL - NIGHT
Glare from the headlights reflects off the heavy rain as cars
splash down the street. Occasional lightning and thunder.
A black sedan slows to a stop, the rear door opens and out
steps SHARON, molded hard body in white hot pants, and high
white boots and a skimpy white bra like top. Rain rolls off
her white umbrella.
Two guys in the front seat look like the Blues Brothers. She
bends down to the passenger MODINE, he touches her hand.
MODINE
You be good Shar, you hear me girl.
SHARON
I'm too bad to be good honey.
The car speeds off, HORNS BLAST as DANIEL the driver cuts
into traffic.
She walks down the sidewalk as a second car pulls up. She
stops and looks at the car as the window rolls down.
JONATHAN
Hi...
SHARON
Hi yourself good lookin'.
JONATHAN
This weather really sucks doesn't
it?
SHARON
Honey, I can make your sunshine.
JONATHAN
Do you want to get in, maybe go for
a drive?
SHARON
Darlin' do you think I dress like
this to go for a drive?
The sky lights up with a blast of lightning and THUNDER as
the wind rips Sharon's umbrella inside out and yanks it from
her hands;
it flies into the street and is run over by a passing car.
SHARON
Son of a bitch, did you see that?
Her dripping hair starts to fall as the lightning and THUNDER
become more violent. Sharon looks around and gets
IN THE CAR
Jonathan smiles as he drives off.
JONATHAN
Okay, this is great.
SHARON
What are you doing? You pull this
car over now! Did I say I wanted
to go for a Goddamn drive? Did I
say that Goddamn it?
JONATHAN
I thought that's why you got in the
car, go for a drive, I'm sorry.
SHARON
Just pull over.
Jonathan turns the
CORNER
And stops; lightning and THUNDER heighten.
JONATHAN
I apologize lady, I'm really sorry,
please. I'm just a writer.
SHARON
A writer! Do you want to party or
tell stories?
JONATHAN
An interview, I'm a journalist for
the San Jose Reader just an
interview half-hour hundred dollars
what do you say?
Sharon just looks.
SHARON
You're sweet honey, but I think
we're both after the wrong thing.
The driver side window explodes spraying them with glass.
A Hand grabs Jonathan around his face almost pulls him out
through the window. A Gun is shoved inside the car over
Jonathan's right shoulder aimed at Sharon, BLAM.
The Passenger side window explodes, SPLAT against the
building wall.
Jonathan screams.
The gunman forces the gun into Jonathan right hand.
The dark figure runs off, lightning and THUNDER ease off.
Sharon's head falls between Jonathan's legs. Jonathan
screams, grabs his ear as he looks around, then
Looks down at her. Gun in hand resting on the back of her
head, blood pulsates through his fingers.
He throws the gun to the floor,
Pushes Sharon upright against the door and grabs his ear.
MODINE (V.O.)
Three king one, what's your twenty?
I lost a visual on three king one.
Three king one over...
Jonathan grabs her purse, out falls a two-way radio, a 9mm
handgun. Lightning bounces off her shiny police badge.
He throws it down and franticly opens the door and
FALLS OUT
To the street, jumps up, a gust of wind slams the door shut.
MODINE
Three king one, what's your twenty?
Sharon where are you? What's your
twenty over?
Jonathan runs to the passenger side and opens the door;
Sharon falls, knocking them to the ground.
An approaching cars headlights bounce off the building wall.
MODINE
Three king one, three king one.
Damn it. Three king one where in
the hell are you?
Jonathan sees the dome light on; he starts to close the door
but quickly grabs the radio and slams the door shut as the
car rounds the corner.
Jonathan desperately looks for the off switch.
MODINE
Three king one, three king one.
Damn it. Three king one, Shar
please come in, come in Sharon.
The same tinted windowed sedan starts to pull along side,
passenger window rolled halfway down.
MODINE
Sharon where in the hell are you?
Come on back to me. Goddamn it.
Jonathan looks under his car and sees the wheels stop.
MODINE
Three king one, what the hell is
your damn twenty?
MODINE
Pulls the walkie from his ear and looks at it.
MODINE
I thought I heard myself.
DANIEL
Glad someone's listening.
Modine looks at Jonathan's car, rolls his window down,
notices the busted out window, puts the walkie to his ear,
shines his flashlight into the car.
JONATHAN'S
Hands quickly move over the walkie, turns the switch to off.
MODINE
With Walkie to his ear. Opens the door and slowly steps on
broken glass.
MODINE
Sharon, three king one come in,
Sharon, what's your twenty? Three
king one; three king one come in.
Modine slowly walks to the rear of Jonathan's car, crunching
glass under his feet, he stops.
Jonathan and Sharon cower to the car like paint.
Modine slams his fist into the trunk.
Jonathan jerks.
Modine quickly gets back in the car.
MODINE
Damn it! Dispatch we need back up!
We lost Three king one, over...
Let's go, move, move...
Car speeds off.
JONATHAN
Puts her back into his car. They race off.
EXT. PARK - NIGHT
Jonathan pulls over, stops. Gets out and runs to the
passenger side, drags Sharon from the car and throws her body
into the bushes, it starts to rain.
JONATHAN
I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...
The rain is heavy with THUNDER and lightning.
JONATHAN
Runs back to the car, starts it and becomes fixated with the
windshield wipers going back and forth.
FLASHBACK - BUILDING - NIGHT
Jonathan walking sees a reflection from a window, behind him
his so-called friends as they make the loser sign on their
foreheads.
PAUL, CHARLES, LINDA
Loser, loser, loser, loser, loser.
FLASHBACK - JONATHAN'S CAR - NIGHT
BLAM, BLAM, the gunfire's next to his ear; he SCREAMS and
looks at the gun.
BACK TO JONATHAN
Stares at the wipers.
JONATHAN
Oh God...
He quickly searches for the gun on the floor, grabs and cocks
it, hands shake, puts it to his temple then into his mouth.
A large tree branch breaks off and CRASHES onto the car.
BLAM... flash of light inside the car just before the door
flies open, Jonathan's body falls to the ground; he doesn't
move.
Then he jumps up, throws the gun into the bushes, runs to
where he had thrown the body.
He franticly searches, stumbles, falls hard to his back, sits
upright, starts to laugh.
JONATHAN
This has got to be a joke, a big
ass joke. Well you got me, got me
good you bastards.
Jonathan runs to his car and drives off.
JONATHAN
Laughing rolls down the window and yells out.
JONATHAN
Somebody's going to get his ass
kicked.
Jonathan CHOKES, sees Sharon in the rearview mirror, centered
in the back seat.
He SCREAMS, the car swerves almost runs off the road, comes
to a stop.
Jonathan spins around, gets on his knees, leans over to the
back seat.
JONATHAN
I can't believe you guys pulled
this off.
Sharon slides across the seat, THUD, slams her head into the
side window.
JONATHAN
Jokes over come on!
He shakes her; blood runs from her ear to the back of his
hand.
Jonathan WHINES then SCREAMS, jumps behind the steering
wheel, races off.
EXT. BUS BENCH - NIGHT
Jonathan stops, drags Sharon to the bus bench and props her
up.
JONATHAN
A better person will come by and
know what to do. I'm sorry.
Jonathan races off in his car.
EXT. NEXT TO A BUILDING - NIGHT
Jonathan stops and watches Sharon on the bench.
A BLARING SIREN
From a lone police car races by.
Several vehicles pass in both directions. A large truck and
trailer pass, Sharon's gone, VANISHED.
The sound of SIREN fades off.
Jonathan runs to the street, looks in all directions. Runs
back to the car, stops ten feet away.
Slowly walks to the car, looks in the back seat, nothing.
JONATHAN
Quickly jumps in, starts it, puts it in gear.
SMASH, CRASH, the windshield and roof cave in. Sharon's face
stuck on the windshield as she stares back at Jonathan.
Jonathan SCREAMS are uncontrollable.
MR. BADGER
A black man, in dark clothing walks by Jonathan's car.
MR. BADGER
Yea just do not mess with a man's
territory. No sir, it's just not
right, you know what I'm saying...
A black stretch limo stops, a gorgeous, sexy Asian girl, TINA
opens the rear door, gets out, Badger enters, she gets in,
they drive off as
JONATHAN
Watches, SCREAMING.
INT. BLACK STREACH LIMO - NIGHT
Mr. Badger sits next to Tina, Paul wipes blood from Sharon's
hair, with Charles, Linda, Modine and Daniel.
TINA
I can see there's a lot of love
here.
PAUL
Don't worry the con's got a sense
of humor.
CHARLES
Do you know for sure?
PAUL
I've seen him laugh.
CHARLES
No, the con thing.
PAUL
It's a fact, right Linda?
LINDA
The one thing I do know, he's a...
They all make the loser sign.
PAUL, CHARLES, LINDA
Loser, loser, loser...
EXT. NEXT TO A BUILDING - NIGHT
Jonathan hysteric as Sharon's head rolls from the smashed
windshield to the hood, then to the ground.
Jonathan looks down at the severed head... it's clearly a
fake from a mannequin.
Hysteric SCREAMS from Jonathan... as the
SUN RISES
Behind the mountains.
EXT. CITY SIDE STREET - DAY
Jonathan hunched over, staggers across the street, cars come
and go in both directions, they swerve, missing him by
inches. He doesn't flinch a muscle.
CAR DRIVER
Get the hell out of the way you
stupid bastard!
Jonathan looks at some beautiful flowers at a stand.
INT. OFFICE - DAY
Paul, Charles and Linda, work at their desks.
Jonathan enters, clean shaven, clean cloths carrying a paper
bag with a bouquet of beautiful flowers sticking out the top.
CHARLES
Jonathan...
LINDA
How'd it go last night?
JONATHAN
I learned something.
PAUL
What are the flowers for?
The bag slides off; Jonathan has an Uzi in each hand.
JONATHAN
Funerals.
Fear covers their faces, they SCREAM as the
UZI'S
Spit bullets, BLAM, BLAM... hundreds of empty shells bounce
off the furniture, the floor.
The smoke clears, the bodies of Paul, Charles and Linda lay
motionless as
JONATHAN LAUGHS
Charles slowly looks up as does Linda and Paul, they WHIMPER
as they check their bodies for bullet holes.
CHARLES
Blanks.
They jump up and rush Jonathan.
LINDA
You're a bastard.
PAUL
You son of a bitch.
JONATHAN
Drops one Uzi and pulls out a 9mm handgun from his belt,
BLAM, splinters the corner of a desk.
They freeze.
JONATHAN
Blanks... Real. Do you want to
know what I learned? I learned to
share, spread the good times
around, sharing, that's what it's
all about. They shoot at you; you
get a bigger gun. Don't be selfish
give back more than what you
receive.
LINDA
I have children, you know them...
They know you...
JONATHAN
Shut-up. You, you're the one that's
been passing those rumors around.
PAUL
I never believed her Jonathan.
CHARLES
We didn't mean any...
JONATHAN
Shut-up, I kill one person 25 years
ago, now I'm an ex-con, the guy
raped and murdered my girl friend.
Well I'm tired, tired of it all.
PAUL
That's all behind you.
Jonathan puts the gun in his mouth.
PAUL, CHARLES, LINDA
No... No... No...
Jonathan pulls the gun from his mouth and points it at them.
LINDA
Little Bobby and Susie call you
uncle...
Jonathan puts the gun back in his mouth, BLAM. Blood peppers
the wall.
PAUL
No, Oh my god...
LINDA
What have we done?
CHARLES
Oh God please no.
Linda falls to the floor SCREAMS. They all SCREAM and SOB.
JONATHAN
Do they really call me uncle?
The SCREAMS stop, they look...
Jonathan sits up, smiles.
FADE TO BLACK.
LINDA
No... not really.