No Blood On Your Patent Leather Shoes

DON'T GET BLOOD ON YOUR PATENT LEATHER SHOES

A Screenplay


FADE IN

EXT -- Grassy Field at what appears to be a park
or a high school.

The camera focuses on a soccer ball, being kicked around by a pair of feet wearing black sneakers, and white socks. From behind and panning out, it is evident the kicker is a teenage girl, ABIGAIL, dribbling the ball in what seems to be a match. Sounds of talking come from the stands as anxious parents cheer on their children. A whistle blows intermittently. ABIGAIL is wearing a green and white soccer uniform. Suddenly, two girls wearing red and white uniforms converge on ABIGAIL as she approaches an opponents' goal. There is contact and she falls to the ground, writhing in pain. Seconds later, a roar explodes from the stands as the red team scores an uncontested goal. ABIGAIL is helped to her feet by teammates and escorted back to her team's bench.

Her coach, JOHN BENTLEY, stomps over, frustration written all over his face.

JOHN BENTLEY

Again with the dribbling. How
many times must this happen before
we see improvement, huh?


ABIGAIL
(near tears)

I'm sorry, Coach. I thought I
had it made but they were just
stronger than me. Then that one
fat girl kicked me in my shin --


JOHN BENTLEY

It's always someone else's
fault with you young people
today. You can never admit
you're wrong or imperfect.

JOHN BENTLEY looks up to observe some action on the field. He screams through cupped hands:

Smoother, Connie!! Transition!
Put more leg into it.

JOHN BENTLEY turns his attention back to ABIGAIL.
He points to the ground, using his finger to provide emphasis.

We need to stop seeing mistakes and
start seeing you act like you know
what you're doing!

ABIGAIL's eyes fill with tears and she begins
to cry.

ABIGAIL

I'm sorry, Coach Bentley. I really
am. I'll do better...I promise.


JOHN BENTLEY looks down on ABIGAIL fondly, smiles and hugs her.

JOHN BENTLEY

I know. I think we'll all feel better
when this is over and we can sit down
to a hearty meal.

CUT TO

INT - A darkened room. Enough light intrudes from windows to reveal a small kitchen area, a living room and closed doors that suggest sleeping quarters. The camera pans over the room, stopping on a montage of photographs on one wall. A number of photos reveal a younger version of JOHN BENTLEY, in various poses for solo pictures. A number of photos show him with a woman, presumably his wife, and a young teenage girl, similar in age to the girls from the soccer match.

A glimpse of a staircase is evident in a far corner, suggesting this room is in a basement or cellar of a home. This room will be referred to as BASEMENT OF BENTLEY HOME in the future.

The camera focuses on a pot, that at first appears to be sitting quietly on a stove in the kitchen area of the room. As the camera elevates and approaches the pot from behind then above, a gurgling sound is emitted, implying that something is boiling in the pot.

Topping the pot and looking down, the water in the pot is slowly boiling. Small objects can be seen floating and vibrating in the boiling water. The objects resemble, and in fact are, eyeballs. As the camera watches, a couple of the eyeballs dart across the circumference of the pot, excited by the heat.