8/14/2019 In the Bag, (the Golden Box Short)

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IN THE BAG

by

Michael Stucky

thoughtup@comcast.net

8/14/2019 In the Bag, (the Golden Box Short)

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FADE IN:

EXT. A CITY STREET, DOWNTOWN SEATTLE - DAY

The knobby TIRES of a mountain bike GROWL as it weaves throughrush hour gridlock. The bike's thirty year old rider, JOE,wears a well worn backpack and hasn't shaved in days. Ridingfast, Joe barely misses a YOUNG WOMAN exiting a taxi.

JOE(glancing back)

Sorry!

The Young Woman scowls then looks intrigued and shouts.

YOUNG WOMANNice . . . backpack!

Joe, still glancing back over his shoulder, spins aroundlooking alarmed. He stands on the pedals to sprint away andnarrowly avoids a city bus as it lunges away from the curb.

EXT. SIDEWALK - DAY

Joe slides around a slow moving car and up onto the sidewalk,dodges ANGRY PEDESTRIANS for a block until he comes to ashuddering stop at the entrance of an upscale restaurant.

EXT. UPSCALE RESTAURANT - DAY

Joe dumps the bike on the sidewalk and heads for therestaurant's front door. A PEDESTRIAN calls from offscreen.

PEDESTRIAN O.S.

Hey Buddy!

Joe spins around looking alarmed once again. His fists twisttighter in the straps of his backpack.

PEDESTRIAN O.S.You better lock up your bike, Man!

JOE(relaxes)

It's not my bike, Man.

Joe shakes his head, turns and enters the restaurant.

INT. UPSCALE RESTAURANT - DAY

Joe enters and scans the room. Finally, he sees her --

A TABLE FOR TWO

CHERYL: thirty, sits alone as a WAITRESS refills her coffeecup. Joe approaches. The Waitress eyes a clock on the wall,huffs at Joe and walks away.

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Cheryl slowly stirs her coffee while glaring at Joe.

CHERYLNine. You said nine. Right?

JOESorry. It's been kind of --

(looks around)Is there a restroom in this place?

Cheryl smirks and points over her shoulder toward a men'sroom sign. Joe shakes his head and walks by Cheryl who graspsa corner of his backpack as he passes.

CHERYLDo you really need that bag in there?

Reluctant, Joe finally lets Cheryl hold his backpack butglances back several times as he goes. She laughs.

ACROSS THE RESTAURANT

A teenage BUSBOY watches Joe and Cheryl intently until aSECOND WAITRESS nudges him to get back to work.

INT. MEN'S ROOM (SHORT TIME LATER) - DAY

Joe washes his hands when suddenly, Cheryl shouts offscreen.

CHERYL O.S.No! Stop!

Joe pauses at the sink.

JOECheryl?

CHERYL O.S.Joe!

JOEShit!

Joe yanks open the bathroom door and runs out.

INT. UPSCALE RESTAURANT - DAY

Joe exits the men's room. Cheryl and the backpack are gone.Panic stricken, Joe hesitates until Cheryl shouts.

CHERYL O.S.Give it back! Let . . . Go!

Joe sprints for the front door.

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EXT. UPSCALE RESTAURANT - DAY

Joe bursts onto the street. Cheryl shouts again.

CHERYL O.S.Stop it! Come back!

Joe runs left.

EXT. A CITY STREET - DAY

Joe rounds the street corner. No Cheryl.

CHERYL O.S.Let go! Joe!

Joe sprints downhill until he reaches a --

EXT. BACK ALLEY - DAY

Where he finds Cheryl in a tug of war over the backpack withthe Second Waitress from the restaurant. He charges in.

JOEHey!

The Second Waitress drops the backpack and flees. Joe hugsCheryl and discreetly feels the backpack to check itscontents. Satisfied, Joe breathes a sigh of relief.

EXT. A CITY STREET - DAY

Joe and Cheryl exit the alley and walk uphill on the sidewalk.

JOEYou okay?

CHERYLThat bitch is getting fired, pronto!

Joe takes Cheryl's arm, pulling her to a stop.

JOEHey.

(looks into her eyes)It's okay, as long as you're okay.

CHERYL(pulls away)I don't have time for this.

Cheryl turns around and they walk downhill.

EXT. ANOTHER CITY STREET - DAY

Joe and Cheryl round a corner and approach TWO JUGGLERS, ontall unicycles, tossing big rings to and fro between them.

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JOEWe need to talk.

CHERYLSo you said . . . before you tookoff.

Joe stands with the Jugglers performing behind him.

JOEIt's different now.

CHERYLHow is that exactly, Joe?

JOE(looks around)

Not here.

Cheryl huffs. The FIRST JUGGLER now notices Joe's backpackand grabs for it. They struggle. Cheryl knocks the SECONDJUGGLER down as Joe wrenches his backpack free from the first.

The Jugglers press forward but Cheryl backs them down with alarge can of pepper spray.

CHERYLBack off!

Joe pulls Cheryl away and they run across the street thendown the opposite sidewalk out of sight.

EXT. ANOTHER STREET - DAY

Joe and Cheryl run into view then slow to a walk as they

pass an OLD MAN selling umbrellas in the bright summer sun.

OLD MANBumbershoot, Miss?

Cheryl looks up, holds out her dry palms and shrugs. TheOld Man frowns. Joe and Cheryl walk around the next corner.

MOMENTS LATER:

Joe and Cheryl come running back around the corner chased byTHREE PEOPLE riding Segway Personal Transporters. They runpast the Old Man and Cheryl casts all of his umbrellas down

in front of the racing Segway Riders who then crash headover heels. The Old Man frowns down at his loss.

OLD MAN(to Segway riders.)

That'll be twelve bucks . . . a piece.

Joe and Cheryl run farther down the street.

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5.

EXT. A BUS STOP - DAY

Joe and Cheryl come running around a street corner. Panting,Joe flops onto the bus stop's bench. Cheryl joins him.

JOE(breathless)

It's been like this since --

CHERYL(panting)

Since when?

Joe motions for a moment to catch his breath. A city busstops by just then. Cheryl rises and extends a hand to Joe.

CHERYL(still panting)

I can't run anymore.

Joe follows Cheryl onto the bus and it pulls away.

INT. CITY BUS - DAY

Joe and Cheryl collapse into a seat. They look slowly aroundand the bus is filled with every kind of INNER-CITY DENIZENimaginable. Joe and Cheryl share a wary look.

EXT. A CITY STREET - DAY

The bus swerves over to make a sudden hissing stop. Cheryland Joe leap off the bus at a full gallop. The bus roarsaway and its windows fill with passenger's faces pressedagainst the glass. Joe and Cheryl run on to a --

EXT. PUBLIC PARK - DAY

Where they cut across a tree lined lawn.

INT. CHERYL'S APARTMENT - DAY

Cheryl and Joe stumble, exhausted, into her apartment. Joecrashes onto her sofa. Cheryl locks her door then eases downnext to Joe. Cheryl tugs at the backpack and gives Joe anexhausted glare.

CHERYL

What - The - Hell?!

Joe opens the backpack and pulls out a small GOLDEN BOX witha simple hinged lid which he sets on Cheryl's coffee table.

CHERYLThat's the big secret? The thingyou found in Peru?

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JOEYeah.

Joe opens the golden box which is empty. He then takes agold ring off his finger, places it in the golden box andcloses the lid.

JOEGo ahead; open it.

Cheryl does and discovers not one but two rings in the box.

CHERYL(closing the lid)

Is this a trick?

She opens it again and there are now four rings inside thegolden box. Cheryl shoots Joe an astonished look. He shrugs.Cheryl repeats the process a few times more and each timeshe does, the number of rings inside the golden box doubles.

JOE

Okay.

Joe moves Cheryl's hands from the ring-brimming box.

CHERYL(excited)

Just gold?

JOEWhatever you put into it . . . that'swhat you'll get back out of it.

They now sit very close. Cheryl discreetly rubs her nosewhile eyeing the box. Joe notices this and chuckles.

JOEMaybe I could use your shower?

Cheryl smiles politely and nods. Joe rises, slips a ringback onto his hand and dumps the rest into Cheryl's lap.

JOEEnjoy.

Tucking the golden box under his arm, Joe goes to shower.

INT. CHERYL'S BATHROOM (SHORT TIME LATER) - DAY

Joe stands with a towel around his waist, shaving in a mirror.The golden box rests on the countertop nearby. Joe glancesdown at it mid razor stroke and thus cuts himself.

JOE(quietly)

Damn it!

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Joe touches the cut and winces. He checks her vanity.

JOETell me you have a styptic pencil.

The golden box blocks Joe's access to a tray of toiletries.Joe reaches, with blood stained fingertips, to move the goldenbox and it zaps him with an electric shock.

JOEOwe!

Joe checks his bloodied fingertips then looks down in timeto watch his crimson fingerprints burn off the lid of thegolden box which suddenly grows a little bit bigger. Joedoes a double take at the box

JOEBigger?

Joe hurriedly wipes his fingertips on a towel.

JOEBut, do you still work?

Joe sets his ring inside the golden box and closes the lid.He takes a deep breath and opens the golden box to find nottwo but three rings inside. The lid slips from his tremblingfingertips and claps shut again. Joe opens the golden boxonce more to discover -- nine gold rings.

Joe backs slowly away. He thinks for a second then grimaces,scrubs a hand down his face with a growl.

JOE(quietly)Ah - Crap!

FADE OUT:

THE END.