ACE: Part III

EXT. CABIN – DAY

Byron and Calvin sit behind the cabin, their backs to the brick base of the structure.  A cigarette in his mouth, Byron blows his smoke away from the conversation.  Calvin holds Kevin’s knife, the point balance on his fingertip, he spins the knife slowly.

         BYRON
James isn’t going to kill him.

         CALVIN
He’s got to, By.  This is what it’s all about, right?  We’ve got to move past these supposed connections, these faux moralities.

         BYRON
It’s his little brother.

         CALVIN
So what?  You have two brothers.  I have a sister.

         BYRON
What, and you’d put a knife in her gut?

         CALVIN
Absolutely.

         BYRON
I’ve met your sister, Calvin.  She’s not that bad.

         CALVIN
I don’t hate her.  I don’t love her, but I don’t hate her.  But that’s not what it’s about.  It’s about freedom.  What a stupid word, I know, but…  Did you know Ghengis Khan killed his father?  With an axe.

Byron smokers the butt of his cigarette in the dirt and stares at Calvin.

         CALVIN [CONT’D]
Imagine the freedom he felt, to know that you’ve shaken that yolk.  The weight of…  Patriarchy.  In that moment he became his own father.  Once you’ve severed and separated all the tangles and ties of this…  This empty little world, once you’ve stepped above it all, taken the objective view…

Byron lights another cigarette.

         CALVIN [CONT’D]
You’ve felt it.  You’ve seen with those eyes.  The eyes of a man on the outside, looking in. 

         BYRON
I didn’t feel anything.

         CALVIN
I know.  It’s a numbness, like you’re bodies covered in callous.  Or maybe it’s like you’re not you at all.  Like you’re hands are just tools and your body is just a vessel.  Do you believe in God, Byron?

Byron stands, walking around the corner of the cabin.  Calvin follows him, hooking Byron’s elbow, turning him back around.

         BYRON
I’m not going to kill that kid.

Calvin is surprised and delighted by the statement.

         CALVIN
Kid?  How old are you Byron?

         BYRON
Listen, this isn’t a question of philosophies or religion or societal whatever.  I don’t give a fuck about ethics or tests or, or –

         CALVIN
Give me a gun, and I’ll shoot a little girl in the back of the head.

         BYRON
What?

         CALVIN
Because no one I know’s ever done that.  Ever even thought of doing it.  And they’d never think I would either, in fact they’d argue against it.

         BYRON
You’re sick, Calvin.

         CALVIN
Maybe.  But what the fuck.

INT. CABIN – DAY

Amos sits tied to a chair in the center of the room, restrained but ungagged, with the others standing casually around him.  James, still sitting at the table, does not look at Amos, and continues to drink.

         CALVIN

We’d be breaking every rule in the book if we didn’t kill him right now.  Especially rule number one:  No witnesses.  It’s not rocket science.

         NEIL
He’s right.

         AMOS
Guys, please.  I’m not going to tell anyone.  Why would I?  You all seem like very capable killers.  Very intelligent, capable killers.  Why would I want to mess with that?  Come on, guys.  Please.  You know me.  You know me, right guys?  Do you remember?  Do you remember when Calvin stole those greasy magazines?

The boys all look around at each other.  Calvin is smiling.

         NEIL
Yeah.

         AMOS
And James borrowed one, and mum found it under his dirty laundry, and he blamed it on me, and I just…  I just took the punishment…

Neil moves to a duffle lying in the corner and begins digging through the contents.

         AMOS [CONT’D]
Guys, really.  Really?  I feel like it’s more of a hassle to kill me.  That’s one more body to dispose of, and so many questions.  What’s your story going to be?  Or are you just going to play dumb?  They’re going to search the basement.

Neil places a bundled t-shirt on an end table beside him.  Byron notices, glancing from the bundle to Neil.  Neil avoids eye contact, focusing on Amos.

         AMOS [CONT’D]
I’m not trying to sound threatening, or like I’m pleading or anything, I just…  James?  James, please, think about this.  Think about how risky it is.  Think about –

         JAMES
We all knew the risk.

         AMOS
James –

         JAMES
I fucked up.  You should’ve never…  I shouldn’t have…

         NEIL
Look at him, James.

James closes his eyes.  He barely breathes, placing his drink on the table.  He stands, turning slowly, not over-dramatically, but slow enough to intensify the painful anticipation.  And when he opens his eyes, he sees his brother.  Calvin smiles.

         AMOS
I’ll join you.  I’ll become like you, I promise.  Seriously, I like this kind of thing.  I swear, I –

James punches Amos right in the face, knocking him limp in the chair.  He turns his back on his brother once again.

         JAMES [V.O.]
The life I lead.

         JAMES
Kill him.

Calvin stands, moving behind Amos.  Amos is quickly recovers from the blow, lifting his head to look around the room.  A small cut beneath his eye begins shedding blood.  Tears begin welling in his eyes.

         NEIL
No. James, you have to do it.

James looks down at the table, his gaze moving along the grain of the wood, reaching the hammer at the end of the table.  He looks up at Byron, who holds his eyes, strong and compassionate.  James walks to the table, his fingers shaking as they reach for the weapon.

         AMOS
James.  James.  James, please.  This isn’t…  Think about mum and dad.  What will they –

Calvin backs away from the chair, moving beside Byron.  Byron looks at his glowing face and leaves the cabin, closing the door behind him.  Turning to face Amos, James holds the hammer, raised slightly in his tight fist.  He stares into Amos’s eyes, panning down to his lips.

         AMOS [CONT’D]
This isn’t real, James.  This isn’t reality.

         JAMES [V.O.]
I am reality.

James drops the hammer, aiming for Amos’s skull, but Amos dodges, throwing his body out of the way.  The iron head of the hammer falls on the back of the wooden chair, splintering its fragile frame.  As Amos hits the floor, he straightens his legs, sliding the rope restraints from the chair.  He continues to pry his body loose as James attempts to get a hold on his frightened, adrenaline fueled, little brother, striking his torso and limbs with the heavy hammer.

EXT. CABIN – DAY

Holding a cigarette in his mouth, Byron lifts a flame to the tip.  The muffled sounds coming from the cabin behind him do not startle him, however, when the door bursts open and Amos flies out, he turns sharply, his eyes wide.

Amos, bits of the chair still tied to his body, moves quickly into the clearing outside the cabin, Calvin and James moving after him.  Calvin stops at the porch, but James continues to stumble after him.

His legs move without thinking as Amos cuts towards the stream, aiming for the clearing on the other side.  As he reaches the waters, Neil steps into the doorway of the cabin.  He raises a small, semi-automatic pistol and fires.  The bullets glances off the tip of Amos’s shoulder, knocking a chip of bone from his flesh, spinning his body, dropping him onto his back.

He lies there, in the stream, for barely a moment, staring up at the overcast sky as a large group of small birds flies overhead.  Lifting his heavy limbs from the rushing waters, he places his hands on the earth, rising to his feet.  Neil moves closer, taking careful aim.  As Amos moves into the clearing, holding his bloody shoulder, a bullet blows the jaw from the front of his face, dropping him back to the earth.

James, Calvin, and Neil circle around the boy, watching the blood swim around the browning blades of grass.  Calvin sneezes.

         NEIL
Should we worry about gunshots?

         CALVIN
No, no.  No one will think twice by it.

         JAMES
Can I have a moment alone with my brother?  I’d like to…  Talk to him a little while longer.

         NEIL
Yeah.

EXT. FOREST – DAY

The clouds have disappeared and sun pierces the canopy of the forest, streaming down between the leaves, reflecting off the underbrush.  Byron wanders through the trees, passing between the bright shafts of light and the dark shade of the open air.  He breathes deeply, filling his lungs with the pre scents of nature, savoring the gently flavored oxygen of the free world.

         BYRON [V.O.]
Tell me this is all there is.  All there ever was.  Tell me I’m alone, that I can’t harm anyone.  Tell me I an forget.

         MORGAN [V.O.]
I’ll wait for you.

INT. CAR – DAY

The boys drive home.  Byron and James sit in the backseat, silently enduring their pains, letting their memories harden in their brains, toughen their hearts.

         CALVIN
So what do we do now?

         NEIL
We…  Play dumb.  And we wait.

         CALVIN
Wait for what?

         NEIL
A solution to present itself.

         JAMES
Why didn’t you tell me you had the gun?

         NEIL
It’s only for emergencies.          

INT. BRISBY’S APARTMENT – NIGHT

The front door swings open, two bodies entering, entwined.  The move clumsily, Brisby and the girl, knocking furniture out the way of their stumbling legs, their eyes closed tightly, their faces locked together.  They move to the bedroom, shedding clothing along the way.

There is no sound in the apartment, but instead we hear a phone conversation.

         JAMES [V.O.]
My parents came home today.  We phoned the police together, reported Amos missing.  I don’t think anyone suspects anything.

         NEIL [V.O.]
Did they search the house?

         JAMES [V.O.]
No.

         NEIL [V.O.]
We can’t be too careful.  We can’t have anyone watching us, suspecting us.

INT. BRISBY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

The two figures, moving as one entity, land on the bed, continuing to writhe on the mattress.

         JAMES [V.O.]
I don’t think –

         NEIL [V.O.]
We can’t afford to let this sit.

CUT

Brisby and the girl lie in bed, lazily looking up at the ceiling.  She smiles at him, moving out from under the covers.  Feeling her way across the bedroom floor, she finds her way to a little pile of clothing at the bottom of the open closet.

         NEIL [V.O. – CONT’D]
This shit has to be dealt with.

The girl, sorting through the clothes, looking for something to cover herself with, comes across a shoebox.  Glancing back at Brisby, and finding his eyes closed, she excitedly opens the box.  She removes a bundled t-shirt, surprised by the weight, and finds beneath it a stack of photographs.

The first few show a drug deal.  The dealer, Kevin Ehlert, sells to a young boy, Amos, out in front of the apartment building.  The girl is confused.  The next is that of a shady lump on the open ground.  Unsure of what it is, she moves on to the next photo – Kevin’s broken face lying in a pit.

The next few photos show Kevin and Amos lying together in a deep grave, their bodies not yet buried.

Her eyes wide with fear, the girl begins screaming, waking Brisby.  She picks up the bundled t-shirt, dropping the gun from it’s loose folds.  The screaming continues as Brisby moves to the closet.  The girl, petrified, stares up at him.

He spies the photos and the gun.  His eyes grow large before narrowing, transforming from surprise to anger.  He moves for the gun, but the girl, out of fear, grabs it first, holding it with both hands, aiming at his chest.  As he approaches, she backs away, crying.

He attempts to explain, but a sudden hand movement results in his demise.  The girl throws the gun away and continues to cry.

EXT. PARK – DAY

Calvin and James move along across the open grass, their hands sunk deep into their pockets, their collars up in the brisk wind.  The move quickly, trying to build a layer of heat beneath their clothes.  Nearby, a group of young children play an organized game flag football, their overzealous parents cheering them on.

         CALVIN
Christ, James, do you feel it?

         JAMES
What?

         CALVIN
The power, James.

They grow silent for a moment as a jogger passes them by.

         CALVIN [CONT’D]
Do you not see the world as it is?  Fragile, weak, ready to be overpowered?

         JAMES
Maybe.

         CALVIN
How did it feel?  To kill you’re greatest enemy and your younger brother in the same weekend?

James ponders the query.  Biting his lip, then wiping away the saliva.

         JAMES
I look around at these people.  And I know they look down on me.  But I have the power in me to do more than they ever could.  To do worse than they ever could.          

         CALVIN
Precisely.  And I can see it, James.  The confidence.  And I envy it.  You’re living my dream.

Calvin is smiling wide, running his fingers through his hair.  James looks across the field at the children playing.

         CALVIN [CONT’D]
I have a plan.  An idea.  It’s concept that’s been growing in me for what seems like a lifetime.  It’s got to be done, but I need your help.  I feel like it’s the least you could do, taking into account all I’ve given you.

James looks to Calvin with a hint of pity and disgust.

INT. NEIL’S KITCHEN – DAY

Neil reads the newspaper over a steaming mug of coffee.  Byron sits beside him, staring into space, his chin resting in his palm.

         BYRON
“This isn’t real.”

         NEIL
Hm?

         BYRON
It’s what Amos said just before we killed him.

Neil takes a sip from his coffee.

         NEIL
Stupid fuck.

INT. ABANDONED BUILDING – DUSK

A flashlight resting on the floor casts shadows onto a crumbling cement wall, the shapes coinciding with a mixture of confident moans and unappreciative, muffled squeals.  The sound of battling flesh and grinding gravel fill the damp, dark room.

EXT. ABANDONED BUILDING – DUSK

James stands in a rough, overgrown parking lot in front of an old, windowless building, in the middle of nowhere.  He leans on a shovel, a duffle at his feet.  Behind him the sun is gone and the light of the sky is quickly fading.

         JAMES [V.O.]
Love turned to hate, like hunger sated.

EXT. FIELD – NIGHT

Light by a pair of parked headlights, James and Calvin bury a small body, her hands sticking out from the plastic, dangling from dainty wrists.

         JAMES [V.O.]
He raped her first.  Said he loved her once.

INT. BYRON’S KITCHEN – DAY

Byron and James sit at the kitchen table.  James has a drink in his hand, resting on the table.

         JAMES
It wasn’t necessary.  It was horrific.  He was…  He’s sick, Byron.

         BYRON
I know.  I’m…  I’m done with this.  I never should’ve started.

         JAMES
I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to stop.  I can’t go back to the…  Fear of life.  I can’t…

         BYRON
I think I’m going to move to Atlanta.  Do you want to come with?

         JAMES
No.  I’ve got a funeral to go to.

The boys sit in silence.  James takes a drink.

         NEIL [V.O.]
Why didn’t you come to me!?

EXT. NEIL’S BACKYARD – DAY

Neil circles around Calvin with Byron sitting nearby on the deck, smoking.  The complexion in Neil’s face is slowly reddening, saliva shooting from his mouth.  Calvin seems to barely be able to stand the reprimand, though he smiles all the time.  His fists are clenching and unclenching.

         NEIL
You stupid little shit!  This was a senseless risk.  A fucking amateur move.  You knew her, you had a history, people know you had a history, fingers are going to be pointed.  And when they go to you, they come to me.  They’re going to talk to Byron and James, we’re your best friends.  And with James’ brother still on everyone’s mind, it won’t be huge step to pick that scab.  You fuck.  You stupid fuck.

         CALVIN
Brother, you’ve got to settle –

         NEIL
No.  I can’t talk to you.  I can’t trust you.  This is over.  I’m out.  You fucked it up.

         CALVIN
Why didn’t you come to us with the gun?  Why didn’t you tell us about Brisby?  Why didn’t you –

         NEIL
Because I trust myself.  I’m not a psycho fuck-up.  You’re out.  You’re out of my fucking life.

Neil goes into the house.  Byron finishes his cigarette and tosses the butt.  Calvin turns, looking at the back door, before moving away from the house and cutting through yards to the next street over.

INT. BYRON’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

Morgan and Byron sit on Byron’s bed, a clear divide between them.  Byron wrings his hands.

         BYRON
I’m sorry.

         MORGAN
I know.

         BYRON
I miss you.

         MORGAN
I know.

Morgan lays her hand upturned on the mattress.  Byron looks down at it, the slender, pale fingers gently reaching up towards him.  His large, tanned fingers envelope hers.

INT. BYRON’S KITCHEN – NIGHT

The garage doorbell rings repeatedly, bringing Byron into the room, sliding in his socks on the hardwood floor.  He is buttoning up his shirt, his hair disheveled.  He unchains and unbolts the door, opening it quickly to reveal Calvin, who seems more nervous than we have ever seen him.  He forces himself into the room and begins pacing

         BYRON
What is it, Cal?

         CALVIN
Oh, my God, hi.  I’m not disturbing you, yeah?

         BYRON
No, no.

         CALVIN
Did you just wake up?

         BYRON
No, I –

Morgan enters the room, putting her hair into a ponytail.  She smiles at Calvin, but is clearly displeased to see him.

         MORGAN
Oh, Calvin.  What brings you out so late?

         CALVIN
Could I speak to Byron alone, Morgan?  Just for a bit?

         MORGAN
Uh, yeah.  I think I might just take a shower, okay?

         BYRON
Sure.

Morgan kisses Byron on the cheek and leaves the room.  Byron sits at the table and Calvin joins him, speaking in hushed tones.

         CALVIN
The police phoned my house today asking about me.  My mum picked up and pretended I was out.  What the fuck am I going to do?

         BYRON
I don’t know.

         CALVIN
James isn’t returning my calls, and Neil won’t speak to me.  Christ.  How do you think it happened?

         BYRON
Cal, I –

         CALVIN
Do you think they told?  Do you think they ratted me out?  James or Neil?  I mean, I know James told Neil, I know that, but do you think he’d go to the police?  Shit, do you think he cut a deal?  That’s what it’s about, you know.  If the cards start coming down, you’ve got to be the first one in there.

         BYRON
I really wouldn’t know.

         CALVIN
I’m fucked.  If they told, I’m fucked.

         BYRON
I don’t think anybody said anything, Calvin.  I know Neil wouldn’t –

         CALVIN
You’re right, and James is…  He’s different, I’ve seen it.  He’s not going to turn on me.  Maybe he told Neil, but that’s not the same, is it?  No.  You haven’t told anyone have you?

Byron is surprised by the question.

         BYRON
No.  Of course not.

Calvin is subtly suspicious.

         CALVIN
Yeah, right.  Sure.  Who would any of us tell anyways?  We’re all a bunch of freaky, antisocial –

Morgan peeks in from the doorway, a bundle of clothes and a towel in her hand.

         MORGAN
Babe, I’m wear one of you’re old pajama shirts, okay?  The one with the 3-D glasses.

Byron stares at her for a moment, noticing her beauty, and how delicate it is.

         BYRON
Sure, go ahead.  That’s fine.

Morgan moves out of the room and back down the hallway to the bathroom.

         CALVIN
I should leave you two, shouldn’t I?

         BYRON
No, please, Cal.  Don’t –

Calvin stands, moving to the door and opening it.

         CALVIN
No, really, I should be going.  I’ll see you later, hopefully.  I can phone you for an alibi, or something, yeah?

         BYRON
Yeah, sure buddy.

         CALVIN
Right.  I’ll be seeing you, By.  It’s good to have friends like you.

Calvin leaves Byron sitting at the kitchen table, closing the door behind him.  Byron listens as a car starts and backs out of the driveway before speeding down the street.  He remains there for a moment, thinking, before standing and walking into the darkness of the house.

INT. BYRON’S HALLWAY – NIGHT

Byron moves down the dark, empty hallway, aiming for the slit of light beneath his bedroom door.  As he turns the door knob, Morgan calls from the bathroom on the other side of the hallway.

         MORGAN [O.S.]
By?  Is Cal gone?

         BYRON
Yes.

Morgan opens the bathroom door, illuminating the hallway.

         MORGAN
I think I’m going to stay the night.  Can you walk to the store and get me some tea for in the morning?  I checked and you’re all out, and I really, really need my tea.

Byron smiles, remembering how lovely life can be with just Morgan on his mind.

         BYRON
Surely.

         MORGAN
Thanks, babe.  I’m sorry for the hassle.

Byron leans in, kissing him gently on the lips and touching her nose with his.

         BYRON
Don’t be.  Be Morgan.  She’s the one I like naked in my shower.

Morgan smiles brightly as Byron opens the door to his room, slides on his shoes and moves down the hallway, kissing her as he passes.

         MORGAN
You know the kind I like, right?

INT. BYRON’S KITCHEN – NIGHT

Byron moves to the back door, adjusting his jacket and grabbing his keys off the kitchen table.

         BYRON
Absolutely.

Byron leaves, closing the door behind him.

EXT. BYRON’S DRIVEWAY – NIGHT

It may be night but the neighborhood is well lit by an ambitious network of streetlights.  Byron moves from the driveway to the sidewalk and heads to a downtown, 24-hour convenience mart.

INT. BYRON’S BATHROOM – NIGHT

A set of luminescent light bulbs above the bathroom mirror shine a soft light down upon Morgan’s kind face as she stares into the reflection of her bright eyes.  Behind her the shower runs hot, producing long, billowing wafts of steam.  She takes a deep, satisfied breath and begins removing her clothes.

EXT. BYRON’S BACKYARD – NIGHT

Here, far from the street, we find thick, unwavering darkness.  Movement is only barely visible against the faint light of the sky, but it is clear the figure is moving closer, zigzagging across the yard.  The sound of bending blades of grass grows louder.

A single, yellow square of light punctuates the yard, and flows from the only lit window of the house – the bathroom.  Calvin steps into that light, looking up at the figure moving through it on the other side of the window.

INT. BYRON’S BATHROOM – NIGHT

Morgan climbs into the shower, cringing at the heat, but soon accepting it, and sliding the transparent, plastic shower door behind her. She dips her head in and out of the falling water, wetting her hair and face.

INT. BYRON’S KITCHEN – NIGHT

The sound of running water clearly resonates throughout the house as Calvin steps into the room, easing the back door closed behind him.  He tiptoes across the hardwood and onto the soft carpet of the hallway.

INT. BYRON’S HALLWAY – NIGHT

Calvin edges along the corridor, his eyes fixed on the bathroom door, his ears honing in on the sound of the shower, the crack and snap of opening and closing shampoo and conditioner bottles.

INT. BYRON’S BATHROOM – NIGHT

Morgan places the shampoo back onto the shower shelf and begins massaging a thick glob into her wet hair, closing her eyes to keep the suds out.

From outside the shower, we see the bathroom door ease open.

Rinsing out the lather, Morgan opens her eyes, looking up at the ceiling, and letting the warm, comforting water fall across her shoulders.

Calvin stands in the bathroom now, his body tense, his vision tunneled.  He raises his hand and flips the light-switch, dropping the room into darkness.

Morgan gasps, her hands coming up to her body to protect herself.  Her hand slowly moves to the shower knob, and it squeaks as she twists it into the ‘off’ position.  She turns, trying to see through the shower door, but is only able to gather a few blurry shapes.  She bites her lip as she lifts herself up onto her toes, peeking over the shower door.  She sees nothing but a deep, dark room, enveloped by gentle waves of steam.

Hunched beside the tub, below the shower door, Calving presses his face to the carpet, listening to Morgan’s every movement.

         MORGAN
Byron?  Shit.

Standing in the darkened shower stall, listening to the water dripping from the showerhead, Morgan thinks to herself, her brow furrowed with confliction.  She rises again, looking just above the chrome frame of the shower door, aiming her vision at the doorknob – to see if it is locked, and the light-switch – to see if it is off.  Again, with no real light, she sees nothing.

Not sure if she’s alone, but a victim to her logic, Morgan decides to brave the outside bathroom.  Still protecting herself with her arms tight to her body, she nudges the shower door open and stretches one leg out onto the cool, tile floor.

Immediately, a hand slides behind her neck, forcing her out and onto the floor, pushing her face to the tile.  Another hand twists her arm behind her as a towel is rapped around her head.  Calvin lifts her by the towel and drives her skull against the hard porcelain of the toilet, bashing her head repeatedly against the edge of the bowl until her whimpering and struggling stops.

         CALVIN
You bitch, I know he told you.  I know he told you everything.

EXT. BYRON’S HALLWAY – NIGHT

Calvin drags her out into the house, letting her wet body burn against the friction of the carpeting.

INT. BYRON’S KITCHEN – NIGHT

After opening the back door, he lifts Morgan’s limp body up over his shoulder and carries her out.

EXT. CAR – NIGHT

The interior lights click on as Calvin opens the trunk, dropping Morgan’s naked, faceless body into the compartment.  He looks down on it, following the contours with his eyes, his wet lips opening at the sight.  His fingers reach out and stroke the toned legs and grab at the bare flesh.  He shivers, and drags an old blanket over her figure.

INT. CAR – NIGHT

Calvin drives out of the city and into the countryside.  As we depart from Byron’s neighborhood, we hear the gentle ringing of an outgoing call through a telephone receiver.  Then a click on the other end, and a groggy voice.

         JAMES [V.O.]
Uh, hello?

         CALVIN [V.O.]
Hey, bud.  I’ve got something I need a little help with, hey.  You awake?

         JAMES [V.O.]
What is this?  Calvin?

         CALVIN [V.O.]
Get dressed and meet me at the old motel, James.  Bring your shovel.

         JAMES [V.O.]
No, Calvin.  I told you no more –

         CALVIN [V.O.]
Just this one.  The last one, I promise.  Come on, bud.  Just one more, I promise.

         JAMES [V.O.]
This is the last one?

         CALVIN [V.O.]
Absolutely.

We here James groan on the other end and the creaking of an old mattress as he climbs out of bed.

         CALVIN [V.O. – CONT’D]
I love you, bud.

EXT. ABANDONED BUILDING – NIGHT

It is nearly dawn as James stands in again in the decrepit lot, his back turned to the old, windowless building.  He leans on his shovel, trying not to her the muffled whimpering behind him.  He yawns a deep, satisfying yawn in the early morning light.

EXT. FIELD – DAWN

Calvin and James are throwing the last few shovels of dirt onto a fresh grave, a cold sweat drying on their faces.  As they finish, James pauses, leaning on his shovel, resting his chin on his forearms.

         JAMES
Who was that?

Calvin pats down the topsoil, smoothing out the surface.  He smiles, looking down on the dirt.  He laughs, shaking his head.

         CALVIN
No one.

The two boys gather their things and walk back to the car.

EXT. DOWNTOWN – MORNING

Byron walks on the tips of his toes, fueled by anxiety, he scans the street, the sidewalks, the store windows, searching for a face.  At times he is moved to a jog, and is clearly rushing towards some specific destination.

         BYRON [V.O.]
Hey, have you talked to Calvin?

         NEIL [V.O.]
No, have you?

         BYRON [V.O.]
Yeah, he’s…  You haven’t seen or heard from Morgan have you?

         NEIL [V.O.]
Why would I?

EXT. MORGAN’S APARTMENT – MORNING

Reaching the rusting network of metallic stairs behind Morgan’s building, Byron launches himself upward, taking the steps two at a time.

         BYRON [V.O.]
I dunno.  I don’t know.  I think Calvin’s done something.  He came to my house last night, and Morgan was there, and –

INT. MORGAN’S APARTMENT – MORNING

A soft, white light filters through the apartment, bouncing off the drapes and potted plants to create a blue-green hue.  Byron enters and moves from room to room searching for his one and only love.

         NEIL [V.O.]
James stopped by last night.

         BYRON [V.O.]
She didn’t leave a note – I thought she was angry with me –

         NEIL [V.O.]
He told me he saw Calvin last night –

         BYRON [V.O.]
She always leaves a note.  She draws little hearts and flowers, and uses cute little –

         NEIL [V.O.]
He told me they went back to the old motel –

         BYRON [V.O.]
Jesus, where could she be?

Byron slows in his search, accepting the gravity of the situation.  He begins searching through his mind, trying to find the last time he saw Morgan, trying to conjure an image of her before what he is realizing surely happened to her.  He is trying not to cry.

`          NEIL [V.O.]
Byron, listen to me.  There was another girl.  Calvin, he…  Fuck, Byron, are you listening to me?

INT. CAR – DAY

Byron drives, speeding recklessly through the city, a deathly hollow beneath his eyes.

         BYRON [V.O.]
Yeah.

At this point, all sound, with the exception of V.O. dialogue, falls from our ears.

EXT. NEIL’S HOUSE – DAY

Neil rushes from the front door and moves to his car, parked at the end of the driveway, knowing full well what Byron intends to do.

EXT. JAMES’ HOUSE – DAY

The cold, empty neighborhood, complete with overcast sky, is suddenly pierced by Byron’s wild vehicle, is wheels burning rubber as he slides to a halt in front of James’ house.  Calvin’s car is parked at a sloppy angle in the driveway.  Byron exits his vehicle and marches across the front lawn and barges into the home.

INT. JAMES’ HOUSE – DAY

Byron enters and goes straight from the front door up a staircase, onto the second floor, poking his head into bedrooms.  He sees nothing and cuts back down to the living room, where an overweight father watches television.  He angles for the kitchen, where he finds a mother sitting at the dinner table, a somber look on her face, a picture of her lost son on the table before her.  They share a look, brief but intense, before he moves to the basement.

EXT. SUBURBIA – DAY

Neil speeds towards James’ house, cursing under his breath.

INT. JAMES’ BASEMENT – DAY

Descending the familiar stairs, Byron clenches his fists, building his anger, tightening his muscles, strengthening his resolve.

CALVIN [V.O.]
Everybody’s so concerned, so bloody, fucking anxious, and because of what?  All of this, this world and everyone in it, it’s all pointless.  You can work all your life to meet the ridiculous expectations of the world, but, in the end, I can still just kill you and make it all moot.

Byron moves with utter grace, a flowing, flawless machine of ripened hatred.  His vengeance is fluid and unstoppable.  As he lays his first foot on the floor of the basement he absorbs the scene.  James sits in an old, worn recliner, his back to the staircase, watching television, his eyes fixed on the set.  Calvin lies across a sagging couch, his feet laying over the armrest, pointing towards Byron.  Between he and them is a small, wooden table, a few simple, wooden chairs lying beside it.

         JAMES [V.O.]
What the fuck are you trying to say?

Byron lifts a chair as he moves, entering the scene.  Calvin notices him first and, begins to sit up, speaking words we cannot hear.  Calvin hurls the chair, it’s legs meeting Calvin’s jaw, knocking him back to the couch, the chair ricocheting into the corner.  James looks up as Byron lays his hands on the boys face, pushing him back in the recliner, laying the whole contraption onto the floor.

Reaching for a lamp, Byron kicks the coffee table up at Calvin, who is still recovering from the chair, the weight of the wood falling on Calvin’s bent knees.

         CALVIN [V.O.]
I’m saying that I just don’t care about any of this.  Cars, jobs, world hunger, taxes – I just can’t make myself care.  So why not kill people?

Byron turns, the metal, wire lamp in his hands, the heavy base turned upwards, and strikes James on the forehead as he lifts himself from the chair.  He then turns and hurls the blunt object at Calvin, who is still struggling to lift himself from the couch.

         JAMES [V.O.]
How can you say that?

Laying the coffee table flat on its face, Byron begins kicking a leg loose.  After three or four kicks, the heavy leg comes free, and Byron lifts the jagged weapon, looking down on the now bloodied face of Calvin.

         CALVIN [V.O.]
I like to think it’s because I’m a man of extremes.

         NEIL [V.O.]
So go skydiving.

As Byron stands over Calvin, James leaps onto his back, not trying to harm him, but trying to subdue him.  Byron struggles with James’ arms clenched around his neck.  He spins, James’ feet colliding with Calvin’s face as he tries to crawl from the couch, knocking him to the floor.

         JAMES [V.O.]
I don’t believe that.  I don’t believe that you believe that.  I think you’re just afraid to die without letting the world know just how bitter you are.

Finally, Byron lowers his shoulder and rams James’ head into the wall, dropping him from his back.  He then turns to Calvin, who is now standing behind him, stumbling towards the staircase.  He is clearly concussed, and oblivious to the world around him.

         NEIL [V.O.]
Like a little baby.

Byron lifts the jagged, splintered end of his bludgeon and drives it into Calvin’s back, guiding his weak body into the wall, where he twists the table leg.

         CALVIN [V.O.]
I’m not afraid to die. I’m only afraid that, with a life as empty as mine, I won’t be able to die with any sort of romance or controversy.

He pulls the leg out, turning as James approaches, catching him in the side of the head, knocking him to the floor.  He catches Calvin as he falls back from the wall and drops him beside James.

         NEIL [V.O.]
You’re such a fucking dick-shit.

Byron begins bludgeoning them mercilessly, splattering their blood across the cement floor they had spent so much time cleaning

         CALVIN [V.O.]
Why should I be afraid to die?  What the fuck do I have to live for?  I hate my family, I hate my job, I hate women, I hate everyone.  I hate myself.  Death would be a luxury.
         
         NEIL
Byron –

The sound of the world suddenly returns.  Byron jerks his body upward, dropping the table leg.  Neil stares at him from the bottom of the staircase, just a few feet away.  For a moment, Byron loses his momentum, seeing the compassion in his good friends eyes.

         NEIL [CONT’D]
They’ve phoned the police –

Byron quickly reaches towards Calvin’s body and retrieves Kevin’s knife, holding it threateningly out at Neil.  They stare at each other, trying to find some rational way out of the situation.  Byron glances down at the bodies as the faint sound of sirens begins to approach in the distance.  Neil takes a slight step forward, but Byron jerks the knife closer to his face.

         BYRON
Don’t.  Don’t tell anyone why we did this.  What we did.

         NEIL
Byron –

Byron lunges forward with the knife, causing Neil to stumble back.  He holds the knife there, staring at Neil.  Then he leans back, lowering the knife, relaxing.  Then he lifts his chin and plunges the knife into his brain.

CUT

The END