HOMELESS 2 – THE FINAL CHAPTER
(2O minutes have gone by. DAVE sits in the hospital bed where JIMMY is sleeping … unconscious. He checks his watch again and gets up and slowly looks out of the door. No nurses are around. DAVE slowly walks over to DAN’s hospital bed room.
Inside DAN lays asleep. DAVE looks around … sits down. He looks and sees a jacket—DAN’s jacket. He looks at DAN who is sound asleep. DAVE walks over … sees DAN’s jacket and notices something shiny inside. He reaches in to grab it. DAVE looks at the tape recorder, the shiny object…. suddenly…
The $20,000 cash falls out of the other pocket and on the ground.
DAVE looks around … grabs the money … and then the small recorder. He pushes play …
DAVE sits there … listening to the tape recorder.
He looks around …
DAVE keeps the money and pushes STOP on the tape recorder and sticks it back in DAN’s pocket. He lays the jacket back where it was.
He looks at DAN … stops.
DAVE thinks for a moment …. Then storms out the room.)
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(Back at the hospital, JESSICA and JI hide behind a row of cars in the parking lot.)
JI: (Whispers to JESSICA) Give me your cell phone.
JESSICA: (gives it to her) How do we get in the hospital?
(Suddenly the cell phone rings.)
JI: Hello?
JAZ: JI!!
JI: Yeah …
JAZ: Are you there?
JI: Yeaaa… I’ll text you when we get in --- keep the phone near you!
JAZ: OK!
(JI looks at the hospital entrance.)
JESSICA: The coast is clear.
JI: WAAAAAITTTT!!!!
(Suddenly out of nowhere, five police cars speed at the entrance!!! 3 officers run to the front pointing their guns at DAVE coming out of the hospital!)
OFFICER1: GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!!! GET DOWN!!!!!!!!!!
OFFICER2: GET HIM!
(Officers pin down DAVE coming out of the entrance. As they lie him down…. The $20,000 falls out of his coat)
(JOHN is parked outside of the lot in the left side and suddenly speeds off!!!)
OFFICER2: What do we have here!!!! (THE OFFICER gets the $ and the officers pick up DAVE and slowly take him to the squad car.)
(JESSICA and JI look on in shock.)
(A large crowd of police go inside the hospital to the front desk.)
(JESSICA gets her cell and dials….)
JESSICA: They’re not answering!
JI: (gasps) LOOK!
(The officers inside the hospital at the front desk go inside the room where DAN is sleeping. For 2 minutes, nothing happens …. Then seconds later…. DAN is in a wheelchair escorted by policemen and taken out of the hospital into the police car.
JI: they got DAN…
JESSICA: Where are they taking him????
JI: I don’t know!!!!!
(The police car holding DAN drives away …. A few officers stay behind.)
JESSICA: What do we dooo???? I can’t get anyone on the phone!
JI: Come on, let’s get out of here
JESSICA: To where?
JI: Come on!
(meanwhile out on 33rd street, while driving…)
JOHN: (on his earpiece) ABE … ABE.. are you on????
ABE: What is it???
JOHN: They got DAVE.
ABE: WHATTTT?!?!?? WHOOOOOO???
JOHN: 5-O … I DON’T KNOW HOW… BUT THEY’RE TAILING ME… IM GOING BACK TO THE WAREHOUSE..
ABE: NOOOO! NOOOO! WHATEVER YOU DO DO NOT GO THERE!!!!
JOHN: THE COPS ARE ON MEEEEEE!!!!!
ABE: YOU LISTEN TO MEEEEEE DO NOT GO TO THE WAREHOUSE… THEY’LL FIND EVERYTHING!! JOHNNNNNN!!!!!!!
(JOHN makes a sharp right turn ….. and runs into a dead end. He gets out of the car…. And runs off into the darkness…. 3 cop cars drive and park ….. one of the cops brings out a dog and the men go search for JOHN…)
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(Meanwhile, at Lason foster care --- KATE and JAZ in bikes drive up. They set their bikes beside the building and slowly creep to the other side.)
KATE: stay here… (KATE disappears around the corner.)
(for a moment all is quiet. JAZ sits. A minute goes by …)
KATE: (hiding behind a bench) Over here!!!!!
(JAZ runs to KATE … both are hidden at the back of the building … a small slide door has opened. The girls see a man walk out of the building and leave. JAZ and KATE hide behind the corner.)
KATE: (quietly) OK, on the count of 3… were going to run inside and hide at that front of the counter.
JAZ: (looks) Yeah, we’ll sneak to the room where LILY’s at.
KATE: (looks around) OK … ready… 1……………………………….2……………………….. 3!!!!
(The two run as fast as they could inside…. The entrance opens…. The two girls run inside the room and hide below the front counter. A lady sits in the front desk doing work.)
(JAZ motions KATE and points at the room where LILY is. KATE nods …. JAZ fingers a 1… a 2… and then suddenly the two run past the front desk sneaking through the hall crouched… and run down the hallway.
The two run thru the hall and see ROOM 11. They look inside.)
KATE: (whispering) Is this the room?
JAZ: (whispering) you tell me…. You saw her room from the outside!!!
KATE: There she is!!
(The kids point through a glass window looking inside a room. Someone lies in bed asleep. The girls look closely.)
JAZ: (whispers) Is that her??? I cant seee!
KATE: (whispers) I don’t knowww!
(Suddenly the bathroom opens from along the hall. LILY comes out!!)
KATE: (whispers loud) LILYYYYY!!!!!
LILY: (suddenly gasps) SHHHHH!!!
(LILY approaches them quietly.)
LILY: (whispers) What are you two doing here?
JAZ: (whispers) We came to get you out!
(The girls continue talking real real quietly)
LILY: whatttt??? Are you crazy?
JAZ: Come on, you’re going to go home with KATE .. JI and JESSICA went to the hospital to get DAN.
LILY: Noooo!!! DAN???!! He can barely run!!! He would never be able to get out of there!
(The girls suddenly stop. They look out in the hallway to await anyone approaching.
Silence.
Nothing………… the girls look at one another.)
KATE: Come on we have to go!!
(LILY debates, but the girls talk her into it.)
LILY: Let me get my jacket and stuff!!
JAZ: Hurry!!!
(LILY goes in her room … the two girls wait in the hall. KATE creeps through the hallway and looks over a the hospital front desk. The lady is still there. KATE creeps back …)
KATE: OK, are you ready?
LILY: (comes out of the room. The three slowly creep through the hallway.) Shhh let’s go.
(As the three slowly tiptoe across the hall, the lady sits in her front desk on the telephone. JAZ, KATE and LILY creep along on their knees and slowly under the counter move towards the entrance. The girls steadily crawl… then dash out the exit!!!)
LILY: (looks around) Where we going?
KATE: I don’t know… JAZ…
(JAZ stares out in the lot.)
KATE: JAZ…. (taps her) JAZ???
(JAZ stares into the darkness. She spots a man standing from the right staring at them.)
JAZ: T-That man’s looking at us! Over there!!!!!
(Then three look….)
LILY: Ohmigosh! Ohmigosh!!! JAZ!!!! That’s the man that was at ABE’s house!!
(The girls scream … the lady inside the foster building gets up. YEYO runs at them!!)
YEYO: LILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(The girls scream and run around the building. YEYO gets into his car. YEYO gets on his earpiece!)
YEYO: ABE!!! LILY’s out!!!! Her and her friends are out!!!!
(ABE, from a block away)
ABE: Stay on them!!! I’m on my way!!!!!
(YEYO speeds out of the parking lot… and accelerates after the girls!)
(The girls scream… and forget about their bikes and run across the street.)
(YEYO speeds thru the exit.. and looks around… he makes a sharp left and starts chasing after the girls.)
(The girls run and are panicking … LILY runs with KATE and JAZ but starts falling behind… the car speeds closer and closer at them….
LILY suddenly falls. The girls turn around and stop!)
JAZ: LILYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(The car screeches to stop and almost hits LILY. YEYO gets out of the car and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out his gun!)
YEYO: LILY, LILY get in the car!!! LILY, I’m not gonna hurt you!
JAZ: DON’T LISTEN TO HIM!!! WHO ARE YOU??? LEAVE US ALONEEEEE!!!!!!!
YEYO: LILY!!!!! (gets on his earpiece) ABE I’M HERE NEAR 48TH!!! (talks to LILY) GIRL COME ON…. IM NOT GOING TO HURT YOU I PROMISE!!
LILY: (in tears trying to get up and backing away) N..N…NOOO…. GET AWAY FROM MEEEE….. D-D-D-DON’T TOUCH MEEEEEE…
YEYO: LILY I promise… I won’t hurt you!!! (He gets near… when suddenly a car suddenly turns from the corner and parks on the other side of the street. A man gets out of the car…)
ABE: (charges at LILY) YEYO!!!! YEYO!!! PUT THE GUN DOWN!!! PUT IT DOWWN!!!!!
(ABE stops.)
LILY: (crying) g-get awayyyyy…. G-get away from me!!! (crying in fear)
ABE: Put the gun down YEYO!! Put the gun dowwwn!!!!!!
ABE: (turns around at LILY) baby…. Don’t worry… don’t worry… I’ll take you home… I’m gonna take you back home ok??? Come on girl its late.. what are you doing out here?
LILY: (crying) g-get aawayyyyyy!!!!! Leave me aloneeee!!!!!!
ABE: HEEEY…. COME ON GIRL … ILL TAKE YOU HOME AND WELL ALL WORK EVERYTHING OUT OK? YOU… ME… AND DAN.
LILY: DAN?!?!?!?! DAN IS IN THE HOSPITAL!!
ABE: B-BABY OK.. CALM DOWN… WE’LL GO SEE HIM RIGHT NOW!!
LILY: NOOOOOO…. (tries to get up but falls backing away from ABE. ABE inches closer)
ABE: LILY … C-COME ON… LOOK AT U… UR HURT…. OMIGOSH… LETS GET U TO THE HOSPITAL SO WE CAN BOTH GO MEET DAN OK????
YEYO: ABE get away so I can shoot her…
ABE: (suddenly turns around) NOOOOOOOO!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? GO!! GET OUTTA HERE! GET BACK TO THE WAREHOUSE!
YEYO: (suddenly points his gun at ABE) NO ABE … NO … YOURE NOT IN CHARGE ANYMORE. STARTING NOW, I RUN THE SHOW. I’M TAKING OVER THINGS. ...UH-HUH.... YEAH..... THAST RIGHT..... SEE THE WAY I SEE IT … NOTHING’S IMPROVED. SINCE YOU TOOK CHARGE, ALL WE BEEN DEALING WITH IS YOUR KIDS … WE DON’T NEED THEM … AND SINCE THEN … ALL OF US DECIDED THAT YOU’RE THE ODD MAN OUT. I’VE CONTACTED JOHN AND DAVE AND THEY’RE WORKING WITH ME NOW…. YOU’RE BY YOURSELF.
ABE: (at YEYO) YEYO! PUT THE GUN DOWN!!!!
YEYO: ohhhhh so what’s wrong…. Feeling a little vulnerable without your gun nowwwwww? Huh? What you gotta say now?
ABE: GIVE ME THE GUN YEYO… GET INTO YOUR CAR... AND GET OUTTA HERE .. NOOWWW!!
(LILY runs to JAZ and KATE as they frightfully look at the two.)
ABE: YEYO GO TO THE WAREHOUSE AND GO WITH THE PLAN!!! DO YOU HEAR ME?????
YEYO: (still pointing the gun at ABE) NO ABE … YOU’RE JUST LIKE THE LITTLE GIRL … YOU KNOW WHAT… SHE ISN’T EVEN RELATED TO YOU…. WHY DO YOU CARE? YOU AND THE GIRL ARE EXPENDABLE … COMPLETELY USELESS…
ABE: YEYO GIMME THE GUN OR…
YEYO: Or what…. WHAT U GONNA DO ABE…. HUH?
(YEYO GETS CLOSER.)
ABE: (starts backing up) p-put THE GUN DOWN… YEYO… PUT THE GUN DOWWWN!!!!
(YEYO STARES AT ABE)
YEYO: oh yeah… ill put it down… ill put it down on HER!!!!!!
(YEYO suddenly points the gun at the girls and shoots!!!!!)
(Suddenly … in slow motion ….. JAZ, KATE and LILY all fall backwards and collapse to the ground!!!)
ABE: (turns around) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(All 3 girls are laid on the middle of 48th street…. ABE runs after the girls….)
(ABE kneels and looks at JAZ!!)
ABE: (ABE frantically searches JAZ) NOOO .. NOO ……
(ABE suddenly looks at LILY!!)
ABE: LILY!!!! LILY!!!!!!! (LILY hardly moves…) LILY… LILY OMIGOSH PLEASE DON’T LET IT BE YOU!!!!!!!!
(ABE looks at LILY’s wound… he searches her body… looks at her for blood… but none….)
LILY: (slowly rolls over on the ground barely able to get up… but panting) H-help…. H-help…….
ABE: LILY!!!! (frantically continues searching for blood on LILY) Omigosh……. Omigosh ur ok!!! Ur ok!!!...
LILY: (rolls away from ABE …..)
(ABE slowly in fear looks at KATE …. KATE lies still.)
ABE: (frightfully in a whisper) no… no…. no……. Johnny… Johnny noooo…
(ABE grabs KATE and puts her in his arms. KATE isn’t moving. LILY and JAZ get up and look at KATE)
JAZ: KAAAAAAAAATE!!!!! KAAAATEEEEEEE!!!! Please don’t tell me its her!!!
(KATE does not move.)
LILY: (crying) oh nooooo….. kaaaate…
(ABE grabs KATE in his arms and tries to wake her up.)
ABE: (crying) Johnny… no Johnny… not again…. Not Johnny…..please God… don’t let it be …. It can’t be..
(YEYO gets in this car… backs up…. Makes a u-turn… and speeds away.)
ABE: Johnny don’t die on me… don’t die on me………
(Sirens are heard from a distance. ABE kneels crying …. The girls watching in shock and horror. From blocks away, JESSICA and JI watch and start running…… A helicopter starts flying as more )
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(5 months later ….)
(It is now lunch recess at Lason Elementary. LILY sits by herself at lunch. She looks out at the kids playing at the playground. She reads over her notebook, pen in her hand. She reads over her diary …)
LILY’S DIARY
LILY:
Life is normal again … well maybe not to most, but from what I been through, it has.
The man that JESSICA and JI saw at the hospital, DAVE, didn’t want to harm JIMMY or go along with any of ABE’s plan. He only needed money to help his family. At the hospital, he only wanted to take DAN’s $20,000 and leave. He went to court and told the jury that he had no real part of the plan. --- DAVE spent a short time in jail but is now out and living a new life of his own.
As for JOHN, he took off from the hospital trying to outrun the cops, but ended up getting caught at the lake. The police arrested him and he was sent to jail for a long long time.
YEYO was found hiding at the warehouse where all the illegal stuff ABE had was safely kept. The papers, the blueprints … everything was confiscated. The police arrested YEYO but he only spent a short time in jail. Right now, no one knows where he is---maybe he went into hiding.
ABE was arrested and is awaiting trial in August. He writes me and DAN all the time and says how he has changed. I don’t know much about what he thinks – but I noticed since KATE was shot, he has been talking to priests and ministers every day in jail. When he gets out, DAN and I will meet again and we’ll see how much he has changed. Of course, our social workers will be with us to watch.
BRANDON and MR. DANIEL are working at the church and helping out at school. They do their best watching over the kids at Lason. They were a big part of my life, helping me whenever I got into trouble.
JIMMY is at the office now. HE still holds his left shoulder when I see him ---- even though the bullet wound bothers him I’m glad he’s getting better, he seems that way when he’s around with us. He helps out at school and at church.
As for the kids ….
JESSICA is living 2 miles away at Macon, a small city where big houses are. She lives happily with her grandma and cousins. She has her own clubhouse in the backyard. She writes all of us on emails and tells us how happy she is.
JAMES is living up north with his sister. He calls sometimes, but I haven’t gotten in touch with him too much.
JIHEE is in Korea. She and her mom and sister live together with their dad. Even though we’re far away … we all still talk to each other on the phone and online. We send each other pictures all the time.
JAZ is still at home. Her life is pretty normal. Her little sister bugs her, her parents are … well… her parents. And she is still the loud, whiny funny girl.
As for me and DAN. We learned to grow. We’ve been through a lot in the past 2 years. But we managed to find happiness in our new family. I’m happy with my new guardian. He cares about us.
Times have changed, but things still feel the same … the pain and the troubles, the hardships and the tears.
But one thing I’ll always remember are the friends I have … the people who care for me and those who have helped me along the way.
(The lunch bell rings.)
KATE: Ready for class LILY?
LILY: Yeah …
(she wipes her eyes and gets her books. She gets up and the two leave together.
LILY pushes KATE’s wheelchair as she rolls her to class.
The two leave as DAN runs behind them.)
DAN: HEEEY WAIT UP!!!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE END
(Homeless Part 3?)
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
HOMELESS 2 - PART 9
(The story starts back at 1100 Grant. DAN is inside the warehouse with his face on the desk crying. YEYO, JOHN, DAVE sit at the table. ABE gets off the cell phone.)
ABE: DAN you ok?
(ABE motions the guys to leave. The guys get up and exit. ABE sits down and opens up a huge suitcase. He pulls out a large bundle of cash … $20,000. He sets it down next to DAN.)
ABE: DAN, here … this is your part of the money.
DAN: (wipes his eyes and looks at the money) What is this?
ABE: $20,000 just for you.
DAN: (shocked) For what?
ABE: DAAAN … you did good. You helped us get the money. We were trying to make this exchange but there were people who were trying to stop us from doing that.
DAN: (looks at the money … wipes his eyes.)
ABE: Why don’t I take you home and then tomorrow we’ll go out and get some ice cream. We’ll go to the mall, we’ll go have some fun!
DAN: What about LILY???
ABE: WHAT ABOUT HER.
DAN: Can we go get her?
ABE: (angry) DAN GET IN THE CAR … LET’S GO HOME.
(DAN looks at the money and puts it in his pocket. He looks down at his sweater and sees blood stains …. He gasps in fear and looks at the car. He looks down and then slowly leaves.)
(3 days have gone by ….. it is now Wednesday ….)
(The school bell rings … school has finished for the day. JI, KATE, JESSICA come out from class and meet up. All three start walking home.)
JI: Heey, are you going to church tonight?
KATE: I don’t know, I have a lot of homework to do.
JESSICA: I’m going.
JI: I have piano lessons but I’m pretty sure we’ll be going after.
KATE: (checks her cellphone) Did you hear anything from JAZ?
JI: Yeah, during our computer group project, I got email from JAZ – she’s at home resting up.
JESSICA: What about LILY?
JI: I saw her yesterday … she’s at Mason. She’s doing some kind of home school thing there. But she said she hates it, she can’t concentrate.
(The girls turn the corner and start walking past a park. For a minute, all is quiet …)
JI: Did you hear anything on JIMMY?
KATE: Noo I didn’t.
JESSICA: What happened?
KATE: You don’t know?
JESSICA: Na-uh…
KATE: DAN shot JIMMY and then ran away … they think ABE had something to do with it.
JESSICA: Omigosh!
JI: How could the police not know where JIMMY was?
JESSICA: Huh? What do you mean?
JI: You didn’t know? JIMMY’s missing!
JESSICA: Did ABE take JIMMY’s body?
KATE: I don’t know!
(Suddenly KATE’s cell phone rings … KATE answers.)
KATE: Hello?
JAMES: Hey its me …
KATE: Where are you?
JAMES: I’m at home …
JI: Who is that?
KATE: its James (gets on phone) Why didn’t you come to school today?
JAMES: I’m moving.
(KATE suddenly stops.)
KATE: What?!?
JESSICA: Whats wrong?
JAMES: We’re moving tomorrow morning. I’m going to be staying with my older sister.
KATE: She lives way up north. You’re moving up there??
JAMES: Yeaah.
KATE: Well wait … what are you gonna do about LILY and JAZ.
JAMES: My parents are real mad about it. I think everything that’s happened was the reason.
KATE: Well me, JI and JESSICA are walking home right now.
JAMES: Yeah .. well.. I just called to say goodbye to the gang.
KATE: OK … JI wants to talk to you.
JI: You’re moving? WHY? What about JAZ and LILY and JIMMY?
JAMES: I don’t know. But talk to KATE, she’ll tell you everything – I have to go.
JI: OK …..
(JI gives the phone to KATE. The girls continue walking.)
JESSICA: Everything’s so different now.
(The girls continue walking and chatting ….)
(Meanwhile back at 1100 Grant …)
ABE: (on the phone) Pay him for the shipping, I’ll get the others in … (sees DAN sitting alone in the desk nearby) Look I’ll meet with you later ok? Alright.
(ABE walks and sits next to DAN. DAN looks down.)
ABE: DAN …. For two days you haven’t said a word. We all went out last night me, you, JOHN, DAVID and we got ourselves this. (takes $20,000 out of his pocket) Remember this? (DAN takes the money.) Seee… there we go … that’s the DAN I know. Now listen, I told you from the beginning I was going to take care of you… and I am right?
DAN: (curious) ABE what was life like when you were my age?
ABE: Ohhhh???? Well (sits back and thinks) your life wasn’t as different as mine. I grew up with no mom or dad … I don’t even know where they are, never did. My older brother didn’t care about me and left me. I spent my childhood living in group homes and foster homes just like you. (leans back) I’ll tell you … the only way I can get by was to take everything I could from others. (thinks) You don’t realize, it was bad. Gangs were everywhere, people were killing each other …
Like this one night … me and my friend Johnny, we were walking home from school and we just left baseball practice and were going to get baseball cards from the nearby liquor store just by our house …
He went inside cus he had to use the bathroom. So I waited outside …. Then from around the corner…. A car pulled up… three men were wearing ski masks over their face … slowly crept in the store… and pointed a gun at the owner, Mrs. Wilson. I took a peek in the store and the other two robbers had guns pointing at the customers. Johnny was still in the bathroom not knowing what was going on.
As soon as he came out of the bathroom, he looked and saw the two robbers with their guns and started to panic.
One of the men grabbed Johnny and pointed a gun to his head and screamed at him to shutup.
DAN: …… and then?
ABE: Mrs. Wilson couldn’t open the register. She was sooo scared, when I looked at her… she just froze …. The robber at the counter told her, OPEN THE REGISTER! GET THE MONEY NOW! … Mrs. Wilson just stood there…. And then…
DAN: yeah?
ABE: (looks down in sadness) The man shot her in the head … people were screaming … and then when I looked over at Johnny… he broke away from the man pointing the gun at his head and started running out the door….
DAN: what happened next?????
ABE: (looks down shaking his head)…. They.. they shot him.
(Suddenly all is quiet….)
ABE: (tear in his eye) The three men were scared …. They got the money from the register… and they ran out….. the man that shot Johnny… while he ran out the store…. He looked me in the eye as they ran for the car … and I looked at him…
DAN: What did he do?
ABE: He stared at me as the car was leaving the scene…. And I remember so well… he looked as scared as I did…. I saw it…… but then…… he just smiled. He smiled at me… like a real evil smile….. and the car sped away.
(ABE rubs his eyes and suddenly gets up to grab papers on the table.)
DAN: Was Johnny your best friend?
ABE: (looking through papers) He was my only friend. We spent life growing up when I first was in the group home. Now…. He’s gone.
And ever since then, I had to do whatever I could to stay alive…
(looks at DAN with a mean look) Life is short, you have to do whatever you can to do good for yourself --- even if it puts others down.
DAN: (frowns) But why?
ABE: (looks at DAN) Because DAN … this world isn’t all great…. This world isn’t holy… or… happy … it isn’t Disneyland!!!! What me and the other guys do is to get what we need to keep living … otherwise… life would mean nothing… the same way it was for Johnny….
(ABE walks over to the car to get his cell phone.)
(DAN sits frowning and thinking…)
DAN: But LILY …
ABE: (interrupts him) SO WHAT ABOUT LILY??? SHE LEFT YOU!!! SHE WASN’T ON YOUR SIDE!!! SHE WASN’T ON MY SIDE!!!! DON’T YOU SEE? NONE OF THOSE KIDS ARE THERE TO HELP YOU OR TO TAKE CARE OF YOU!!! I AM!!!!! …. WHAT… DID YOU THINK JIMMY AND LILY AND ALL THOSE KIDS ARE GONNA MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER?
(ABE pulls out his money)
This.. this is what’s helping you…. This is what’s helping me… JOHN… the rest.
You don’t know DAN … but I had another friend…. His name was JOE …. And your teacher or whoever he is.. JIMMY … he and his kids did the same thing to me the way that robber did to little Johnny…. JOE is in jail… for life….. they took his life… they left him to rot in jail for the rest of his life.. do you know what it’s like to live like that??? Can u imagine???
DAN: I…I don’t kn…
ABE: Of course you don’t knowwwww! Cus ur a kid …. You still got a whole life to live!!! Look at me and look at LILY … LILY isn’t at my age…. I’m older than the botth of you…. I’m here…. I got this (pulls out his money) this is what I chased to help me keep living.
This is what you need to learn and understand…. The world isn’t Disneyland and it sure isn’t paradise.
So whatever you’re thinking … get it out of your system! Cus its only gonna be worst for you!
DAN: (frowns and thinks) ABE, did you kill anyone while you grew up?
ABE: Yes … yes I did…
DAN: Was it worth it?
ABE: Those robbers didn’t deserve to kill Johnny.
DAN: But you killed others?
ABE: I KILLED THOSE WHO WERE AGAINST ME BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL LIKE THOSE MEN WHO KILLED JOHNNY! ITS CALLED REVENGE.
ANYONE WHO STEPS IN MY WAY WILL GET TAKEN AWAY!
DAN: So you shot JIMMY too?
ABE: JIMMY deserved it!!!! HE WAS IN MY WAY!!!!! AND I SHOT HIM!!!! IM SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO SEE ME SHOOT HIM!!! BUT THAT WAS WHAT I HAD TO DO!!!!
(ABE angrily walks away……DAN sits… digs into his pocket and pulls out his tape recorder. He pushes the STOP button. He looks at ABE… puts the recorder in his pocket. And takes the $20,000 and puts it in his pocket too.)
(ABE goes upstairs to his office. DAN looks around …. He slowly creeps to the front door … and leaves 1100 Grant. He looks around the street…. Sees no one and runs off ….. a car slowly drives up … JOHN and DAVID and YEYO are inside….)
DAVID: (sees DAN run away) Hey what’s up with him???
YEYO: Why don’t both of you go inside… I’m gonna follow him…. (JOHN and DAVID get out of the car and walk inside. YEYO slowly drives off to follow DAN.)
(DAN walks fast and feels his hand inside his pocket touching the $20,000 … he looks around and starts walking down the corner……)
(YEYO drives slowly and without DAN seeing.. he pulls up next to him…..)
YEYO: DAN …. What are you doing?
(DAN accidentally drops the $20,000 and it falls on the street. YEYO sees it… DAN grabs it and puts it in his pocket.)
YEYO: HEY.. HEY.. WHAT U DOING WITH THAT MONEY!
DAN: ABE gave it to me.
YEYO: That’s not yours!!!! How’d you get the money!!!
DAN: I told you ABE gave it to me!!!
YEYO: (gets out of the car and charges at DAN) Heeey give me the money!!!!
DAN: The money isn’t yours!!!!!
YEYO: You better believe its mine!!! I took that money when we went to rob it lastnight!!!! Give me the money!
DAN: NO!!!!!
YEYO: DAN don’t make me do this (puts his hand in his pocket where his gun is stashed) DAN… give me the money and let’s go back to the warehouse…. Well both talk to ABE…
DAN: NOOOO …
YEYO: (YEYO pulls out his gun and points it at DAN) GIMME THE MONEY NOW OR ILL END YOUR LIFE RIGHT HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DAN: (scared) NOOOOOOO….. DON’T SHOOT ME…. PUT THE GUN AWAY….
YEYO: GIMME THE MONEY!!!! I DON’T KNOW WHY ABE HAD YOU IN ON THIS… YOU KIDS DON’T KNOW WHAT YOURE DOING!!!!! YOU, LILY, … YOUR ALL WORTHLESSS!!!!!!
DAN: STOP ITTT…. (DAN falls down…. YEYO walks over and grabs the money but DAN holds it tightly) ABE GAVE IT TO ME…
YEYO: WHO CARES ABOUT ABE!!!! I DON’T CARE… HE’S WORTHLESS…. JUST LIKE YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE!!! GIMME THE MONEY NOWWWWWW!!!!!
(Suddenly, ABE comes out of nowhere and kicks YEYO in the midsection. YEYO suddenly hunches over with the gun falling on the floor…… ABE picks up the gun and looks at YEYO)
ABE: YEYO… you pitiful little thing….. taking candy from a little baby?? Robbing a little boy… are you serious? Oh and did I just hear you say I’m worthless? (looks at DAN) Take a good look at DAN …. He’s standing up…. You’re on the ground holding your stomach.. in pain.
YEYO: (grabbing his stomach in pain) WHAT R U DOING WITH KIDS ABE…. WHO DO U THINK U ARE… WHAT ARE U???
(ABE kicks him in the gut again….. YEYO hunches in pain…)
ABE: (looks at DAN) Remember what I told you DAN … taking out anyone who steps in my way.
(ABE takes YEYO’s gun and gives it to DAN.)
(DAN shivers.. and shakes….. holding the hot gun.)
ABE: DAN … you have to do whatever it takes… for you.
(DAN looks at the gun he holds… he looks at YEYO.. then at his gun…)
ABE: Do what you have to do DAN…
(DAN slowly lifts his gun …. He looks at YEYO… he points the gun at YEYO…)
(DAN suddenly gets a flashback of his childhood… of LILY… of JIMMY… of JAS… of KATE… of LILY… he shakes his head….. then looks at YEYO… and points the gun at his face…. )
(YEYO looks at him closing his eyes… shaking his head…)
YEYO: Don’t do it don’t do it!!!!!
ABE: DO IT DAN!!!
YEYO: Nooooooo… OK OK… Don’t do it please……
(DAN breathes in fear… his heart beating fast …… looks at ABE… then at YEYO….
He then looks across the street…. Two men run out of nowhere and point their guns at ABE and YEYO!!!!.... BRANDON and MR DANIEL!!!!!!
BRANDON: (points a gun at ABE and YEYO) DROP THE GUN DAN!!!! DROP IT NOWWW!!!!!!!
MR DANIEL: (points a gun at YEYO AND DAN also) BOTH OF YOU GET BACK!!! GET BACK!!!!!!
(MR DANIEL grabs DAN …) get in the car DAN… get in the car NOWWWWW!!!!!!
(BRANDON and MR DANIEL point their guns at ABE and YEYO who both are on their feet… looking at each other…)
BRANDON: (backing away with their guns still pointed) OK… all we want is DAN…. That’s it…. We don’t care about you both….. we don’t care what you do…
(MR DANIEL takes DAN to their car…. BRANDON aims their gun at both of them as he slowly walks backwards to the car…. The car takes off….
YEYO and ABE suddenly pull out their guns from their pocket and shoot repeatedly……… the car gets away…….)
(The following night … inside JAZ’s house… a doorbell rings. KATE and her mom come over. The moms sit in the living room as KATE goes to JAZ’s room who is laying in bed using her laptop.)
JAZ: Heeeeey……
KATE: (walks in and sits on the bed) Are you better?
JAZ: Yeah – just resting, I was a lot tired yesterday but I’m better today.
KATE: (looks at her lamp stand) Wow… hmm… Tea… Kleenex … water… cranberry juice… seven up…. Soup…. And laptop!
JAZ: Yeaah…..
KATE: The gang says hi…. OH … JAMES is moving.
JAZ: What?!?!?!???!
KATE: I just talked to him yesterday – his parents are leaving because of the weekend. He’s probably up north by now.
JAZ: Have you talked to LILY?
KATE: We’ve been emailing back and forth … I also been talking with JI too …
JAZ: Me too, I was just emailing LILY … but I haven’t heard much from her.
KATE: Did you hear anything on JIMMY?
JAZ: Noooo …. But I don’t know what’s going on … did he get shot?
KATE: I don’t know … (KATE sits quietly bothered)
JAZ: Yeah …
(The two are awkwardly quiet for a moment … suddenly KATE’s phone goes off.)
KATE: (checks her cell) It’s BRANDON ….. omigosh.
JAZ: (curious) what is it???
KATE: He just sent a mass text message … they got DAN!!
JAZ: (sits up) WHAT!??!?!
(JAZ suddenly gets an instant message on her laptop.)
JAZ: ITS LILY!!!!!
(KATE leans over and both look at the computer screen)
JAZ: LILY!!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU??
LILY: Hey… I’m at the group home. I just got here.
JAZ: What’s going on???
LILY: BRANDON and MR DANIEL are here!!! Theyre talking to my supervisor.
JAZ: We just got a text message about DAN….
LILY: DAN got taken to the hospital.
KATE: What!??!?!??! Omigosh.
LILY: Hey let me get offline – I’ll call you.
JAZ: OK!
(LILY logs off the internet. Suddenly JAZ’s cell phone rings … JAZ answers and puts it on speaker.)
JAZ: LILY!!!! KATE is here with me!
LILY: KATE!!!!!!!!!!!!
KATE: Heeeeeeeeeyyyy!!!!
JAZ: What happened to DAN?
LILY: I thought he got shot but no….
(The girls gasp.)
JAZ: Omigosh he got shot too?
LILY: He’s at the hospital because ….. I don’t know something’s wrong with him ….. he’s been shaking ever since MR DANIEL and BRANDON found him…
KATE: Where was he?
LILY: I really can’t tell you right now … BRANDON told me to not say anything.
JAZ: We have to meet up!!!!
LILY: Noooo right now I have to be here. I got police coming to talk to me.
KATE: Did you hear anything about JIMMY?
LILY: JIMMY was shot two times in his left shoulder. One of the bullets is still lodged inside his body. He is in emergency. That’s what BRANDON told me.
JAZ: So he’s still alive?
LILY: Yes but they don’t know if he’s going to be ok.
JAZ: Who shot him?
LILY: I can’t say right now…
KATE: (sad) aww….
LILY: I have to go … theyre here, I’ll talk to you later ok!!
KATE: Take care…
JAZ: yeaaah let us know everything!!!
(The two hang up.)
(KATE and JAZ sit there quiet again. Suddenly a knock is on the door. JESSICA enters.)
JESSICA: Hi!
KATE: Hey…
JESSICA: JAZ are you ok???
JAZ: Yeaaah I’ll be fine.
KATE: So what are we gonna do?
JAZ: My moms going to church tomorrow to meet with BRANDON….and MR DANIEL.
KATE: Is LILY going to be there?
JESSICA: She told me she was.
KATE: Write her an email right now and well see.
(JAZ opens up her yahoo mail account and starts typing. KATE AND JESSICA watch.)
(Meanwhile at Lason Emergency, the hospital room is quiet … the only sound that can be heard is the IV droplet and the beeping noise from the soundscope. A tubed-up JIMMY lies in the hospital bed … completely unconscious. A small Bible lies in his lap.
From outside the room… a man dressed in black walks into the hospital and walks up to the front desk.)
VOICE: Hi, I’m here to see JIMMY in Room 122B.
(The hospital nurse escorts the man and directs him to the room. The man in black thanks the nurse and approaches the door. The man slowly opens and sees JIMMY lying in bed.
The man sits down next to JIMMY in a chair and looks at his watch. He sits there staring at JIMMY …. Waiting.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Back at 1100 Grant, ABE gets a suitcase and tosses it into the car. He checks his watch and puts on his earpiece. He signals.)
ABE: OK, is everyone on.
JOHN: Yeah I’m on….
ABE: JOHN Where are you?
JOHN: I’m here at 22nd outside Lason Emergency. So far the police have left … and I’m waiting.
ABE: Check…. YEYO ….
YEYO: I’m here at the foster home outside … I see your girl inside talking to the police.
ABE: Do you see any sign of the two men we met the other day?
YEYO: Not yet.
ABE: Keep your eyes peeled. And this time stay focused!!
(YEYO takes a gun out of his coat and inserts bullets inside it.))
ABE: OK .. DAVE … What’s your 20?
DAVE: (talking quietly) I’m in here ….
ABE: OK guys… we start in 20 minutes so get ready.
(DAVE gets up and walks outside the door and talks to the front desk nurse)
DAVE: Excuse me?
NURSE: Yes?
DAVE: Visiting hours end in an hour?
NURSE: Actually its 45 minutes.
DAVE: Thank you.
(DAVE goes back into the hospital room and sits in his chair waiting … staring at JIMMY.
From outside the room across from where JIMMY and DAVE are … DAN lays in the hospital bed sound asleep.)
DAVE: (gets on his earpiece) ABE … I’m all set.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TO BE CONTINUED.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ABE: DAN you ok?
(ABE motions the guys to leave. The guys get up and exit. ABE sits down and opens up a huge suitcase. He pulls out a large bundle of cash … $20,000. He sets it down next to DAN.)
ABE: DAN, here … this is your part of the money.
DAN: (wipes his eyes and looks at the money) What is this?
ABE: $20,000 just for you.
DAN: (shocked) For what?
ABE: DAAAN … you did good. You helped us get the money. We were trying to make this exchange but there were people who were trying to stop us from doing that.
DAN: (looks at the money … wipes his eyes.)
ABE: Why don’t I take you home and then tomorrow we’ll go out and get some ice cream. We’ll go to the mall, we’ll go have some fun!
DAN: What about LILY???
ABE: WHAT ABOUT HER.
DAN: Can we go get her?
ABE: (angry) DAN GET IN THE CAR … LET’S GO HOME.
(DAN looks at the money and puts it in his pocket. He looks down at his sweater and sees blood stains …. He gasps in fear and looks at the car. He looks down and then slowly leaves.)
(3 days have gone by ….. it is now Wednesday ….)
(The school bell rings … school has finished for the day. JI, KATE, JESSICA come out from class and meet up. All three start walking home.)
JI: Heey, are you going to church tonight?
KATE: I don’t know, I have a lot of homework to do.
JESSICA: I’m going.
JI: I have piano lessons but I’m pretty sure we’ll be going after.
KATE: (checks her cellphone) Did you hear anything from JAZ?
JI: Yeah, during our computer group project, I got email from JAZ – she’s at home resting up.
JESSICA: What about LILY?
JI: I saw her yesterday … she’s at Mason. She’s doing some kind of home school thing there. But she said she hates it, she can’t concentrate.
(The girls turn the corner and start walking past a park. For a minute, all is quiet …)
JI: Did you hear anything on JIMMY?
KATE: Noo I didn’t.
JESSICA: What happened?
KATE: You don’t know?
JESSICA: Na-uh…
KATE: DAN shot JIMMY and then ran away … they think ABE had something to do with it.
JESSICA: Omigosh!
JI: How could the police not know where JIMMY was?
JESSICA: Huh? What do you mean?
JI: You didn’t know? JIMMY’s missing!
JESSICA: Did ABE take JIMMY’s body?
KATE: I don’t know!
(Suddenly KATE’s cell phone rings … KATE answers.)
KATE: Hello?
JAMES: Hey its me …
KATE: Where are you?
JAMES: I’m at home …
JI: Who is that?
KATE: its James (gets on phone) Why didn’t you come to school today?
JAMES: I’m moving.
(KATE suddenly stops.)
KATE: What?!?
JESSICA: Whats wrong?
JAMES: We’re moving tomorrow morning. I’m going to be staying with my older sister.
KATE: She lives way up north. You’re moving up there??
JAMES: Yeaah.
KATE: Well wait … what are you gonna do about LILY and JAZ.
JAMES: My parents are real mad about it. I think everything that’s happened was the reason.
KATE: Well me, JI and JESSICA are walking home right now.
JAMES: Yeah .. well.. I just called to say goodbye to the gang.
KATE: OK … JI wants to talk to you.
JI: You’re moving? WHY? What about JAZ and LILY and JIMMY?
JAMES: I don’t know. But talk to KATE, she’ll tell you everything – I have to go.
JI: OK …..
(JI gives the phone to KATE. The girls continue walking.)
JESSICA: Everything’s so different now.
(The girls continue walking and chatting ….)
(Meanwhile back at 1100 Grant …)
ABE: (on the phone) Pay him for the shipping, I’ll get the others in … (sees DAN sitting alone in the desk nearby) Look I’ll meet with you later ok? Alright.
(ABE walks and sits next to DAN. DAN looks down.)
ABE: DAN …. For two days you haven’t said a word. We all went out last night me, you, JOHN, DAVID and we got ourselves this. (takes $20,000 out of his pocket) Remember this? (DAN takes the money.) Seee… there we go … that’s the DAN I know. Now listen, I told you from the beginning I was going to take care of you… and I am right?
DAN: (curious) ABE what was life like when you were my age?
ABE: Ohhhh???? Well (sits back and thinks) your life wasn’t as different as mine. I grew up with no mom or dad … I don’t even know where they are, never did. My older brother didn’t care about me and left me. I spent my childhood living in group homes and foster homes just like you. (leans back) I’ll tell you … the only way I can get by was to take everything I could from others. (thinks) You don’t realize, it was bad. Gangs were everywhere, people were killing each other …
Like this one night … me and my friend Johnny, we were walking home from school and we just left baseball practice and were going to get baseball cards from the nearby liquor store just by our house …
He went inside cus he had to use the bathroom. So I waited outside …. Then from around the corner…. A car pulled up… three men were wearing ski masks over their face … slowly crept in the store… and pointed a gun at the owner, Mrs. Wilson. I took a peek in the store and the other two robbers had guns pointing at the customers. Johnny was still in the bathroom not knowing what was going on.
As soon as he came out of the bathroom, he looked and saw the two robbers with their guns and started to panic.
One of the men grabbed Johnny and pointed a gun to his head and screamed at him to shutup.
DAN: …… and then?
ABE: Mrs. Wilson couldn’t open the register. She was sooo scared, when I looked at her… she just froze …. The robber at the counter told her, OPEN THE REGISTER! GET THE MONEY NOW! … Mrs. Wilson just stood there…. And then…
DAN: yeah?
ABE: (looks down in sadness) The man shot her in the head … people were screaming … and then when I looked over at Johnny… he broke away from the man pointing the gun at his head and started running out the door….
DAN: what happened next?????
ABE: (looks down shaking his head)…. They.. they shot him.
(Suddenly all is quiet….)
ABE: (tear in his eye) The three men were scared …. They got the money from the register… and they ran out….. the man that shot Johnny… while he ran out the store…. He looked me in the eye as they ran for the car … and I looked at him…
DAN: What did he do?
ABE: He stared at me as the car was leaving the scene…. And I remember so well… he looked as scared as I did…. I saw it…… but then…… he just smiled. He smiled at me… like a real evil smile….. and the car sped away.
(ABE rubs his eyes and suddenly gets up to grab papers on the table.)
DAN: Was Johnny your best friend?
ABE: (looking through papers) He was my only friend. We spent life growing up when I first was in the group home. Now…. He’s gone.
And ever since then, I had to do whatever I could to stay alive…
(looks at DAN with a mean look) Life is short, you have to do whatever you can to do good for yourself --- even if it puts others down.
DAN: (frowns) But why?
ABE: (looks at DAN) Because DAN … this world isn’t all great…. This world isn’t holy… or… happy … it isn’t Disneyland!!!! What me and the other guys do is to get what we need to keep living … otherwise… life would mean nothing… the same way it was for Johnny….
(ABE walks over to the car to get his cell phone.)
(DAN sits frowning and thinking…)
DAN: But LILY …
ABE: (interrupts him) SO WHAT ABOUT LILY??? SHE LEFT YOU!!! SHE WASN’T ON YOUR SIDE!!! SHE WASN’T ON MY SIDE!!!! DON’T YOU SEE? NONE OF THOSE KIDS ARE THERE TO HELP YOU OR TO TAKE CARE OF YOU!!! I AM!!!!! …. WHAT… DID YOU THINK JIMMY AND LILY AND ALL THOSE KIDS ARE GONNA MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER?
(ABE pulls out his money)
This.. this is what’s helping you…. This is what’s helping me… JOHN… the rest.
You don’t know DAN … but I had another friend…. His name was JOE …. And your teacher or whoever he is.. JIMMY … he and his kids did the same thing to me the way that robber did to little Johnny…. JOE is in jail… for life….. they took his life… they left him to rot in jail for the rest of his life.. do you know what it’s like to live like that??? Can u imagine???
DAN: I…I don’t kn…
ABE: Of course you don’t knowwwww! Cus ur a kid …. You still got a whole life to live!!! Look at me and look at LILY … LILY isn’t at my age…. I’m older than the botth of you…. I’m here…. I got this (pulls out his money) this is what I chased to help me keep living.
This is what you need to learn and understand…. The world isn’t Disneyland and it sure isn’t paradise.
So whatever you’re thinking … get it out of your system! Cus its only gonna be worst for you!
DAN: (frowns and thinks) ABE, did you kill anyone while you grew up?
ABE: Yes … yes I did…
DAN: Was it worth it?
ABE: Those robbers didn’t deserve to kill Johnny.
DAN: But you killed others?
ABE: I KILLED THOSE WHO WERE AGAINST ME BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL LIKE THOSE MEN WHO KILLED JOHNNY! ITS CALLED REVENGE.
ANYONE WHO STEPS IN MY WAY WILL GET TAKEN AWAY!
DAN: So you shot JIMMY too?
ABE: JIMMY deserved it!!!! HE WAS IN MY WAY!!!!! AND I SHOT HIM!!!! IM SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO SEE ME SHOOT HIM!!! BUT THAT WAS WHAT I HAD TO DO!!!!
(ABE angrily walks away……DAN sits… digs into his pocket and pulls out his tape recorder. He pushes the STOP button. He looks at ABE… puts the recorder in his pocket. And takes the $20,000 and puts it in his pocket too.)
(ABE goes upstairs to his office. DAN looks around …. He slowly creeps to the front door … and leaves 1100 Grant. He looks around the street…. Sees no one and runs off ….. a car slowly drives up … JOHN and DAVID and YEYO are inside….)
DAVID: (sees DAN run away) Hey what’s up with him???
YEYO: Why don’t both of you go inside… I’m gonna follow him…. (JOHN and DAVID get out of the car and walk inside. YEYO slowly drives off to follow DAN.)
(DAN walks fast and feels his hand inside his pocket touching the $20,000 … he looks around and starts walking down the corner……)
(YEYO drives slowly and without DAN seeing.. he pulls up next to him…..)
YEYO: DAN …. What are you doing?
(DAN accidentally drops the $20,000 and it falls on the street. YEYO sees it… DAN grabs it and puts it in his pocket.)
YEYO: HEY.. HEY.. WHAT U DOING WITH THAT MONEY!
DAN: ABE gave it to me.
YEYO: That’s not yours!!!! How’d you get the money!!!
DAN: I told you ABE gave it to me!!!
YEYO: (gets out of the car and charges at DAN) Heeey give me the money!!!!
DAN: The money isn’t yours!!!!!
YEYO: You better believe its mine!!! I took that money when we went to rob it lastnight!!!! Give me the money!
DAN: NO!!!!!
YEYO: DAN don’t make me do this (puts his hand in his pocket where his gun is stashed) DAN… give me the money and let’s go back to the warehouse…. Well both talk to ABE…
DAN: NOOOO …
YEYO: (YEYO pulls out his gun and points it at DAN) GIMME THE MONEY NOW OR ILL END YOUR LIFE RIGHT HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DAN: (scared) NOOOOOOO….. DON’T SHOOT ME…. PUT THE GUN AWAY….
YEYO: GIMME THE MONEY!!!! I DON’T KNOW WHY ABE HAD YOU IN ON THIS… YOU KIDS DON’T KNOW WHAT YOURE DOING!!!!! YOU, LILY, … YOUR ALL WORTHLESSS!!!!!!
DAN: STOP ITTT…. (DAN falls down…. YEYO walks over and grabs the money but DAN holds it tightly) ABE GAVE IT TO ME…
YEYO: WHO CARES ABOUT ABE!!!! I DON’T CARE… HE’S WORTHLESS…. JUST LIKE YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE!!! GIMME THE MONEY NOWWWWWW!!!!!
(Suddenly, ABE comes out of nowhere and kicks YEYO in the midsection. YEYO suddenly hunches over with the gun falling on the floor…… ABE picks up the gun and looks at YEYO)
ABE: YEYO… you pitiful little thing….. taking candy from a little baby?? Robbing a little boy… are you serious? Oh and did I just hear you say I’m worthless? (looks at DAN) Take a good look at DAN …. He’s standing up…. You’re on the ground holding your stomach.. in pain.
YEYO: (grabbing his stomach in pain) WHAT R U DOING WITH KIDS ABE…. WHO DO U THINK U ARE… WHAT ARE U???
(ABE kicks him in the gut again….. YEYO hunches in pain…)
ABE: (looks at DAN) Remember what I told you DAN … taking out anyone who steps in my way.
(ABE takes YEYO’s gun and gives it to DAN.)
(DAN shivers.. and shakes….. holding the hot gun.)
ABE: DAN … you have to do whatever it takes… for you.
(DAN looks at the gun he holds… he looks at YEYO.. then at his gun…)
ABE: Do what you have to do DAN…
(DAN slowly lifts his gun …. He looks at YEYO… he points the gun at YEYO…)
(DAN suddenly gets a flashback of his childhood… of LILY… of JIMMY… of JAS… of KATE… of LILY… he shakes his head….. then looks at YEYO… and points the gun at his face…. )
(YEYO looks at him closing his eyes… shaking his head…)
YEYO: Don’t do it don’t do it!!!!!
ABE: DO IT DAN!!!
YEYO: Nooooooo… OK OK… Don’t do it please……
(DAN breathes in fear… his heart beating fast …… looks at ABE… then at YEYO….
He then looks across the street…. Two men run out of nowhere and point their guns at ABE and YEYO!!!!.... BRANDON and MR DANIEL!!!!!!
BRANDON: (points a gun at ABE and YEYO) DROP THE GUN DAN!!!! DROP IT NOWWW!!!!!!!
MR DANIEL: (points a gun at YEYO AND DAN also) BOTH OF YOU GET BACK!!! GET BACK!!!!!!
(MR DANIEL grabs DAN …) get in the car DAN… get in the car NOWWWWW!!!!!!
(BRANDON and MR DANIEL point their guns at ABE and YEYO who both are on their feet… looking at each other…)
BRANDON: (backing away with their guns still pointed) OK… all we want is DAN…. That’s it…. We don’t care about you both….. we don’t care what you do…
(MR DANIEL takes DAN to their car…. BRANDON aims their gun at both of them as he slowly walks backwards to the car…. The car takes off….
YEYO and ABE suddenly pull out their guns from their pocket and shoot repeatedly……… the car gets away…….)
(The following night … inside JAZ’s house… a doorbell rings. KATE and her mom come over. The moms sit in the living room as KATE goes to JAZ’s room who is laying in bed using her laptop.)
JAZ: Heeeeey……
KATE: (walks in and sits on the bed) Are you better?
JAZ: Yeah – just resting, I was a lot tired yesterday but I’m better today.
KATE: (looks at her lamp stand) Wow… hmm… Tea… Kleenex … water… cranberry juice… seven up…. Soup…. And laptop!
JAZ: Yeaah…..
KATE: The gang says hi…. OH … JAMES is moving.
JAZ: What?!?!?!???!
KATE: I just talked to him yesterday – his parents are leaving because of the weekend. He’s probably up north by now.
JAZ: Have you talked to LILY?
KATE: We’ve been emailing back and forth … I also been talking with JI too …
JAZ: Me too, I was just emailing LILY … but I haven’t heard much from her.
KATE: Did you hear anything on JIMMY?
JAZ: Noooo …. But I don’t know what’s going on … did he get shot?
KATE: I don’t know … (KATE sits quietly bothered)
JAZ: Yeah …
(The two are awkwardly quiet for a moment … suddenly KATE’s phone goes off.)
KATE: (checks her cell) It’s BRANDON ….. omigosh.
JAZ: (curious) what is it???
KATE: He just sent a mass text message … they got DAN!!
JAZ: (sits up) WHAT!??!?!
(JAZ suddenly gets an instant message on her laptop.)
JAZ: ITS LILY!!!!!
(KATE leans over and both look at the computer screen)
JAZ: LILY!!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU??
LILY: Hey… I’m at the group home. I just got here.
JAZ: What’s going on???
LILY: BRANDON and MR DANIEL are here!!! Theyre talking to my supervisor.
JAZ: We just got a text message about DAN….
LILY: DAN got taken to the hospital.
KATE: What!??!?!??! Omigosh.
LILY: Hey let me get offline – I’ll call you.
JAZ: OK!
(LILY logs off the internet. Suddenly JAZ’s cell phone rings … JAZ answers and puts it on speaker.)
JAZ: LILY!!!! KATE is here with me!
LILY: KATE!!!!!!!!!!!!
KATE: Heeeeeeeeeyyyy!!!!
JAZ: What happened to DAN?
LILY: I thought he got shot but no….
(The girls gasp.)
JAZ: Omigosh he got shot too?
LILY: He’s at the hospital because ….. I don’t know something’s wrong with him ….. he’s been shaking ever since MR DANIEL and BRANDON found him…
KATE: Where was he?
LILY: I really can’t tell you right now … BRANDON told me to not say anything.
JAZ: We have to meet up!!!!
LILY: Noooo right now I have to be here. I got police coming to talk to me.
KATE: Did you hear anything about JIMMY?
LILY: JIMMY was shot two times in his left shoulder. One of the bullets is still lodged inside his body. He is in emergency. That’s what BRANDON told me.
JAZ: So he’s still alive?
LILY: Yes but they don’t know if he’s going to be ok.
JAZ: Who shot him?
LILY: I can’t say right now…
KATE: (sad) aww….
LILY: I have to go … theyre here, I’ll talk to you later ok!!
KATE: Take care…
JAZ: yeaaah let us know everything!!!
(The two hang up.)
(KATE and JAZ sit there quiet again. Suddenly a knock is on the door. JESSICA enters.)
JESSICA: Hi!
KATE: Hey…
JESSICA: JAZ are you ok???
JAZ: Yeaaah I’ll be fine.
KATE: So what are we gonna do?
JAZ: My moms going to church tomorrow to meet with BRANDON….and MR DANIEL.
KATE: Is LILY going to be there?
JESSICA: She told me she was.
KATE: Write her an email right now and well see.
(JAZ opens up her yahoo mail account and starts typing. KATE AND JESSICA watch.)
(Meanwhile at Lason Emergency, the hospital room is quiet … the only sound that can be heard is the IV droplet and the beeping noise from the soundscope. A tubed-up JIMMY lies in the hospital bed … completely unconscious. A small Bible lies in his lap.
From outside the room… a man dressed in black walks into the hospital and walks up to the front desk.)
VOICE: Hi, I’m here to see JIMMY in Room 122B.
(The hospital nurse escorts the man and directs him to the room. The man in black thanks the nurse and approaches the door. The man slowly opens and sees JIMMY lying in bed.
The man sits down next to JIMMY in a chair and looks at his watch. He sits there staring at JIMMY …. Waiting.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Back at 1100 Grant, ABE gets a suitcase and tosses it into the car. He checks his watch and puts on his earpiece. He signals.)
ABE: OK, is everyone on.
JOHN: Yeah I’m on….
ABE: JOHN Where are you?
JOHN: I’m here at 22nd outside Lason Emergency. So far the police have left … and I’m waiting.
ABE: Check…. YEYO ….
YEYO: I’m here at the foster home outside … I see your girl inside talking to the police.
ABE: Do you see any sign of the two men we met the other day?
YEYO: Not yet.
ABE: Keep your eyes peeled. And this time stay focused!!
(YEYO takes a gun out of his coat and inserts bullets inside it.))
ABE: OK .. DAVE … What’s your 20?
DAVE: (talking quietly) I’m in here ….
ABE: OK guys… we start in 20 minutes so get ready.
(DAVE gets up and walks outside the door and talks to the front desk nurse)
DAVE: Excuse me?
NURSE: Yes?
DAVE: Visiting hours end in an hour?
NURSE: Actually its 45 minutes.
DAVE: Thank you.
(DAVE goes back into the hospital room and sits in his chair waiting … staring at JIMMY.
From outside the room across from where JIMMY and DAVE are … DAN lays in the hospital bed sound asleep.)
DAVE: (gets on his earpiece) ABE … I’m all set.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TO BE CONTINUED.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HOMELESS 2 - PART 8
(All is dark in Lason Park. LILY and JAZ are nearby the playground … )
(LILY cries … JAZ passed out next to her. The two girls are in shock at what happened at ABE’s house.)
(KATE and JI enter the park on the southern end …)
JI: I’m scared!!!! … I don’t wanna go this way.
KATE: Noooo, come on we have to go this way … we have to look for JAZ and LILY …. We don’t know what’s happened to them … the even might be here for all we know.
(The two hear noises…. KATE and JI stop.)
KATE: Shhhh … do you hear that?
(The two girls hear crying noises …)
JI: Is that crying I hear?
(The two stop and listen.)
KATE: (Whispers) Is that LILY?
(as the two walk further …)
JI: LILLLLLLLYYYYYYYY!!!!
(the crying continues. KATE pulls out her cell phone and turns on the light from her phone. The two girls run after the crying.)
KATE: LILLYYY!!! (KATE shines the light on the two girls lain on the playground.) Oh noooooo…
(JI and KATE kneel down … JAZ holds her own shoulders shivering with tears in her eyes.)
JI: WHAT HAPPENED????
(LILY wipes her eyes … trying fight off the tears …)
LILY: (fighting her crying) D-D-D..DA--…DAN …..
KATE: DAN what?
JAZ: DAN left with ABE.
JI: LILY your hands …. O my gosh you have blood on you!!!
(LILY looks at herself and checks … JAZ gasps)
LILY: Where? Where??????
JAZ: It was from that other guy!!!!
JI: What happened?
JAZ: Some guy tried to grab us!!!
KATE: HOW???
LILY: I DON’T CARE!!! I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS…. GET US OUTTA HERE!!
(JAZ has trouble getting up …)
JAZ: (starts fading) noo .. no….
(JI helps JAZ … KATE helps LILY get up… the pair walk together slowly leaving the park.)
LILY: KATE let me stay with you tonight……
KATE: (helping LILY walk and struggles) We have to find a place …
JI: (helping JAZ walk) We need to get out of this cold, JAZ your shaking!
(The girls leave Lason park and walk along the street highway of Placid Avenue. A small number of cars zoom by as the 4 girls walk staggering to make distance. …
Suddenly a pickup truck drives behind the girl slowly approaching … KATE turns back)
KATE: Someone’s coming!
(The girls turn and see a man driving a truck pulling near … the girls start freaking out.)
JI: Oh no who is it?
(The girls stop and look and notice… MR DANIEL)
MR DANIEL: I knew it was you!!!!
KATE: MR DANIEL??????
MR. DANIEL: Girls get in!!!! What are you doing at this time of night??? (looks at JAZ and LILY) What happened to them?? (sees the spots of blood on LILY’s sweater) Oh noooo…. GET IN! GET IN NOWWWW!!!!!
(The girls jump into the truck … LILY and JAZ in the front and JI and KATE in the backseat.)
MR. DANIEL: (steps on the gas pedal and takes off fast) WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU GIRLS????
JAZ: (slowly talking) I was waiting…… JAMES and JESSICA …. Went to ABE’s …. Tr-tried to peek in …. ABE saw me … I was sneaking …. He grabbed me…. (crying) ….. h-…he.. he.. . grabbed my wrists… tied me up …. Taped my mouth…..
(JAZ crys covering her face. JI and KATE gasp in shock.)
MR DANIEL: OK OK shhhh…. Well talk later …
(He looks at JI and KATE …) How about you girls … you two ok?
KATE: We-well yeah but…. (looks at JI) what about JAMES and JESSICA?
JI: (gasps) Theyre somewhere!
MR DANIEL: DID THEY TELL YOU WHERE THEY WERE GOING? (suddenly makes a sharp left turn…. Takes out his cell phone… and gets on phone…) HEY …. Its me … I found the girls… I’m going to the Lason hospital … tell JIMMY to meet me … contact the parents noww!
(the four girls sit tired and exhausted …. LILY leans looking outside the car with a frown … JAZ leans her head on LILYs shoulder with her eyes closed. KATE and JI sit and look ahead worried.)
(MR DANIEL hangs up.)
I’m going to take you to the hospital. Your parents are gonna be contacted. (looks at LILY… then drives with a worried look on his face.)
KATE: (looks into her pocket and takes out her cell) Oh no ….
JI: What is it?
KATE: My battery’s almost dead… I have to recharge my phone …
JI: You can get it charged at church ….
KATE: HEEY… JAMES TEXTED ME!!!
MR. DANIEL: (turns around…) What… what did he say?
KATE: It says …. “IM AT LASON FOSTER HOME”
JI: Is JESSICA with him?
KATE: I don’t knowww…
(Suddenly MR DANIEL makes a sharp right turn …)
MR DANIEL: That’s on the way … we’ll go make a stop!!! Are you girls ok with that?
(LILY nods slowly).
KATE: (dials JAMES number and waits.)
(Meanwhile at LASON FOSTER HOME … JESSICA is trying to use her cell phone while JAMES is looking at the big building trying to find a way in.)
JESSICA: (turns off her cell) I can’t get anyone! The phone isn’t working over here!
JAMES: (points at the left window) He’s in there….
JESSICA: You never told me who your friend is! Who is he? And how is he going to help us?
(Suddenly a truck pulls from around the corner …. )
(JESSICA and JAMES look on … MR DANIEL pulls into the parking lot!)
MR DANIEL: get in!!!!!
JESSICA: (points at their bikes chained to the bike lot) What about our bikes?
MR DANIEL: Get it tomorrow!!! Both of you get in!!!!!! NOW!!!!
JAMES: But MR DANIEL … we have to cont----
MR DANIEL: GET IN THE TRUCK NOW!!!! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOIN HERE ANYWAYS?
(JAMES and JESSICA climb onto the truck. MR DANIEL takes off.)
++++++++++++++++++++++
(Meanwhile on the other side of town, ABE and DAN are in the car driving somewhere.)
DAN: (in tears crying)
ABE: I WANT YOU TO FORGET WHAT HAPPENED AT THE HOUSE … DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME DAN? DO YOU HEAR ME?
(DAN quietly crying unable to speak)
ABE: (gets on his earpiece) YEYO … talk to me …
YEYO: (evil voice) im going to kill that girl of yours ABE…
ABE: STICK TO THE PROGRAM!! WE HAVE A DEAL TO DO!!! WE HAVE $500,000 WAITING FOR US!!! ILL WORRY ABOUT THE GIRL!!
DAN: (from passenger side): Her name’s LILY.
(ABE smacks DAN across the face! .. DAN covers his face… and looks at ABE in shock!)
ABE: YOU BE WHERE YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE OR NONE OF THIS HAPPENS! .. STAY FOCUSED!!! (switches his earpiece off… looks at DAN) I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU TO DO … YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU DO WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
(DAN looks at ABE with a furious look.)
ABE: (gets on his earpiece) JOHN… DAVE … talk to me guys.
JOHN: I’m here… getting ready.
DAVE: Yeah holdon …. (pause) OK… im on…
ABE: Guys, make it happen tonight … let’s do this clean .. and get our money.
DAVE: What about YEYO?
ABE: He’ll be ready..
(ABE drives on…. )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Back at the church … JIMMY picks up the phone …. MR DANIEL answers.)
MR DANIEL: Yeah?
JIMMY: are you at the hospital?
MR DANIEL: Yeah … I got all of them … were waiting for the doctors … I’m finishing up this paperwork stuff…
JIMMY: Put LILY on the phone.
(MR DANIEL gives phone to LILY)
LILY: Hello?
JIMMY: LILY … what’s going on?
LILY: (breaks out crying) J-JIMMY (crying….) It was bad…. ABE tied me and JAZ up … (struggling in tears) ….
JIMMY: LILY … put MR DANIEL ON..
MR DANIEL: Yeah …
JIMMY: Take her away from the kids and put her back on the phone with me…
(long pause…. After 10 seconds… LILY gets back on the phone…)
LILY: Hello???
JIMMY: LILY … is JAZ ok?
LILY: JAZ is running a fever … she doesn’t look good ….
JIMMY: Are any of you hurt???
LILY: I have blood on me but I didn’t get hurt.
JIMMY: (covers his face in shock) OK, listen … I’m coming over but I gotta take care of something else … stay there and tell JAZ to stay put as well ok??? It’s gonna be ok ….
LILY: O-Ok…. (gives phone back to MR DANIEL)
JIMMY: The parents are all on the way. I’m coming to get LILY … we have to report this to the police.
MR DANIEL: OK …
JIMMY: Ill be there a lil later … gonna take care of some stuff.
MR DANIEL: K Talk to you later.
(JIMMY hangs up. He leans back in his chair … sighs … closes his eyes…
He sits very quietly …
He thinks ….
He looks in his cabinet drawer… and opens a small box. He opens the box ….
And pulls out a gun!
He looks at the gun for a long time …. Takes a handful of bullet clips.. and inserts it in the gun. He takes it and puts it in his pocket. He gets the keys and walks out.)
(Back at the hospital, MR DANIEL talks with parents and police. JI is with them as KATE, JESSICA and JAMES sit.)
KATE: How long are they keeping JAZ and LILY?
JAMES: (looks at the hallway) I don’t know.
KATE: (shakes her head) I can’t believe it.
JESSICA: About what?
KATE: What you told me…
JESSICA: LILY and DAN?
KATE: Yeah
JAMES: What are you talking about?
JESSICA: They’re both brother and sister.
JAMES: Oh … yeah … I knew that.
JESSICA: You did?
KATE: Why didn’t you tell us in the first place?
JAMES: You guys never asked! As far as I know … they don’t even look alike.
KATE: I don’t think they’re blood-related.
JESSICA: They’re adopted!
KATE: Are we even having church tomorrow?
JAMES: (check his watch) Today is tomorrow.
JESSICA: I’m sleepy….
KATE: What is MR DANIEL saying to JI …
JAMES: I don’t know, what did he ask you?
KATE: He just wanted to know what happened with JAZ and LILY.
JAMES: He never asked about us?
JESSICA: He didn’t ask me anything about that.
KATE: Noo …
JESSICA: My grandmother’s mad at me …
KATE: My mom is too.
JESSICA: We’re all probably getting grounded!
(JI returns with MR DANIEL)
MR DANIEL: You kids go home … your parents are taking you.
(MR DANIEL walks off to the doctor’s room. The kids get up with their families to leave.)
(JAMES waves … KATE, JI and JESSICA leave with their folks.)
(Inside the room … LILY and JAZ sit.)
JAZ: Did he take your temperature and all that.
LILY: Yeah … he told me I have to stay overnight to make sure I’m completely ok.
JAZ: (Looks at the door in the room) What could the doctor’s be saying to our parents …
LILY: I don’t know ….. (looks down sighing and exhausted closing her eyes.)
JAZ: So are you and DAN real brothers and sisters?
LILY: (sighs) Noo … we met from the other group home. It was out in Brooks. One of the families came … wanted to adopt me and DAN … I didn’t like them. They never paid attention to us … just kept on telling us what to do. It was bad. DAN always cussed at them, I never did what they said.
JAZ: That sounds horrible.
LILY: I ran away once from them because they wouldn’t let their dog in the house and I asked them … and they said NO and started to scream at me …
JAZ: Did they hit you?
LILY: Remember the day when you saw me at school in the taxi?
JAZ: O my gosh was that them?
LILY: I was going home from school on Tuesday and the dad saw me and told me to talk to him. I said noooo … he was scaring me so I started to run away.
JAZ: What did he do?
LILY: (walks to the window looking outside) I ran … and then he drove his car… almost ran me over … but I tripped over the sidewalk. (LILY turns around and pulls up her left sleeve)
JAZ: (looks) O my gossh….
LILY: I fell and scraped my elbow … and my face hit the ground hard.
JAZ: did you cry?
LILY: Yeah …
JAZ: and then?
LILY: he picked me up and tried to pull me to the car.
JAZ: What did you do?
LILY: As he was about to take me into the car … I kicked him hard… and ran away … I went into Milton Park to hide.
JAZ: (her mouth open wide in shock) ……. That’s so scarry….
LILY: (still looking out the window) I didn’t wanna be in any group home or foster home or whatever. So I wanted to run away.
JAZ: What about your parents?
LILY: (shrugs) I didn’t know anything about them … still don’t know. The people at the group home don’t even know where they are. DAN is just a foster brother. I been with him for 3 years. He’s had a worst time than me…
(Suddenly the door opens … MR DANIEL runs out of the office.)
MR DANIEL: GIRLS YOUR PARENNTS ARE INSIDE… GO!!!
(MR. DANIEL runs out of the office storming out the building.)
DOCTOR: Girls … come on inside …. Let’s sit down and talk.
(JAZ looks out the door .. then at the doctor.)
JAZ: What’s happening?
(The DOCTOR shakes his head and gets the girls to come in.)
(The door closes.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Outside somewhere in a dark alley …. A bloody hand lays hanging over the seat outside the car …. A gun falls to the ground …
DAN runs away from the car crying ….
JIMMY’s body slowly falling out onto the street… his clothes torn and left chest bloody.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TO BE CONTINUED.
(LILY cries … JAZ passed out next to her. The two girls are in shock at what happened at ABE’s house.)
(KATE and JI enter the park on the southern end …)
JI: I’m scared!!!! … I don’t wanna go this way.
KATE: Noooo, come on we have to go this way … we have to look for JAZ and LILY …. We don’t know what’s happened to them … the even might be here for all we know.
(The two hear noises…. KATE and JI stop.)
KATE: Shhhh … do you hear that?
(The two girls hear crying noises …)
JI: Is that crying I hear?
(The two stop and listen.)
KATE: (Whispers) Is that LILY?
(as the two walk further …)
JI: LILLLLLLLYYYYYYYY!!!!
(the crying continues. KATE pulls out her cell phone and turns on the light from her phone. The two girls run after the crying.)
KATE: LILLYYY!!! (KATE shines the light on the two girls lain on the playground.) Oh noooooo…
(JI and KATE kneel down … JAZ holds her own shoulders shivering with tears in her eyes.)
JI: WHAT HAPPENED????
(LILY wipes her eyes … trying fight off the tears …)
LILY: (fighting her crying) D-D-D..DA--…DAN …..
KATE: DAN what?
JAZ: DAN left with ABE.
JI: LILY your hands …. O my gosh you have blood on you!!!
(LILY looks at herself and checks … JAZ gasps)
LILY: Where? Where??????
JAZ: It was from that other guy!!!!
JI: What happened?
JAZ: Some guy tried to grab us!!!
KATE: HOW???
LILY: I DON’T CARE!!! I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS…. GET US OUTTA HERE!!
(JAZ has trouble getting up …)
JAZ: (starts fading) noo .. no….
(JI helps JAZ … KATE helps LILY get up… the pair walk together slowly leaving the park.)
LILY: KATE let me stay with you tonight……
KATE: (helping LILY walk and struggles) We have to find a place …
JI: (helping JAZ walk) We need to get out of this cold, JAZ your shaking!
(The girls leave Lason park and walk along the street highway of Placid Avenue. A small number of cars zoom by as the 4 girls walk staggering to make distance. …
Suddenly a pickup truck drives behind the girl slowly approaching … KATE turns back)
KATE: Someone’s coming!
(The girls turn and see a man driving a truck pulling near … the girls start freaking out.)
JI: Oh no who is it?
(The girls stop and look and notice… MR DANIEL)
MR DANIEL: I knew it was you!!!!
KATE: MR DANIEL??????
MR. DANIEL: Girls get in!!!! What are you doing at this time of night??? (looks at JAZ and LILY) What happened to them?? (sees the spots of blood on LILY’s sweater) Oh noooo…. GET IN! GET IN NOWWWW!!!!!
(The girls jump into the truck … LILY and JAZ in the front and JI and KATE in the backseat.)
MR. DANIEL: (steps on the gas pedal and takes off fast) WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU GIRLS????
JAZ: (slowly talking) I was waiting…… JAMES and JESSICA …. Went to ABE’s …. Tr-tried to peek in …. ABE saw me … I was sneaking …. He grabbed me…. (crying) ….. h-…he.. he.. . grabbed my wrists… tied me up …. Taped my mouth…..
(JAZ crys covering her face. JI and KATE gasp in shock.)
MR DANIEL: OK OK shhhh…. Well talk later …
(He looks at JI and KATE …) How about you girls … you two ok?
KATE: We-well yeah but…. (looks at JI) what about JAMES and JESSICA?
JI: (gasps) Theyre somewhere!
MR DANIEL: DID THEY TELL YOU WHERE THEY WERE GOING? (suddenly makes a sharp left turn…. Takes out his cell phone… and gets on phone…) HEY …. Its me … I found the girls… I’m going to the Lason hospital … tell JIMMY to meet me … contact the parents noww!
(the four girls sit tired and exhausted …. LILY leans looking outside the car with a frown … JAZ leans her head on LILYs shoulder with her eyes closed. KATE and JI sit and look ahead worried.)
(MR DANIEL hangs up.)
I’m going to take you to the hospital. Your parents are gonna be contacted. (looks at LILY… then drives with a worried look on his face.)
KATE: (looks into her pocket and takes out her cell) Oh no ….
JI: What is it?
KATE: My battery’s almost dead… I have to recharge my phone …
JI: You can get it charged at church ….
KATE: HEEY… JAMES TEXTED ME!!!
MR. DANIEL: (turns around…) What… what did he say?
KATE: It says …. “IM AT LASON FOSTER HOME”
JI: Is JESSICA with him?
KATE: I don’t knowww…
(Suddenly MR DANIEL makes a sharp right turn …)
MR DANIEL: That’s on the way … we’ll go make a stop!!! Are you girls ok with that?
(LILY nods slowly).
KATE: (dials JAMES number and waits.)
(Meanwhile at LASON FOSTER HOME … JESSICA is trying to use her cell phone while JAMES is looking at the big building trying to find a way in.)
JESSICA: (turns off her cell) I can’t get anyone! The phone isn’t working over here!
JAMES: (points at the left window) He’s in there….
JESSICA: You never told me who your friend is! Who is he? And how is he going to help us?
(Suddenly a truck pulls from around the corner …. )
(JESSICA and JAMES look on … MR DANIEL pulls into the parking lot!)
MR DANIEL: get in!!!!!
JESSICA: (points at their bikes chained to the bike lot) What about our bikes?
MR DANIEL: Get it tomorrow!!! Both of you get in!!!!!! NOW!!!!
JAMES: But MR DANIEL … we have to cont----
MR DANIEL: GET IN THE TRUCK NOW!!!! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOIN HERE ANYWAYS?
(JAMES and JESSICA climb onto the truck. MR DANIEL takes off.)
++++++++++++++++++++++
(Meanwhile on the other side of town, ABE and DAN are in the car driving somewhere.)
DAN: (in tears crying)
ABE: I WANT YOU TO FORGET WHAT HAPPENED AT THE HOUSE … DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME DAN? DO YOU HEAR ME?
(DAN quietly crying unable to speak)
ABE: (gets on his earpiece) YEYO … talk to me …
YEYO: (evil voice) im going to kill that girl of yours ABE…
ABE: STICK TO THE PROGRAM!! WE HAVE A DEAL TO DO!!! WE HAVE $500,000 WAITING FOR US!!! ILL WORRY ABOUT THE GIRL!!
DAN: (from passenger side): Her name’s LILY.
(ABE smacks DAN across the face! .. DAN covers his face… and looks at ABE in shock!)
ABE: YOU BE WHERE YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE OR NONE OF THIS HAPPENS! .. STAY FOCUSED!!! (switches his earpiece off… looks at DAN) I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU TO DO … YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU DO WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
(DAN looks at ABE with a furious look.)
ABE: (gets on his earpiece) JOHN… DAVE … talk to me guys.
JOHN: I’m here… getting ready.
DAVE: Yeah holdon …. (pause) OK… im on…
ABE: Guys, make it happen tonight … let’s do this clean .. and get our money.
DAVE: What about YEYO?
ABE: He’ll be ready..
(ABE drives on…. )
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Back at the church … JIMMY picks up the phone …. MR DANIEL answers.)
MR DANIEL: Yeah?
JIMMY: are you at the hospital?
MR DANIEL: Yeah … I got all of them … were waiting for the doctors … I’m finishing up this paperwork stuff…
JIMMY: Put LILY on the phone.
(MR DANIEL gives phone to LILY)
LILY: Hello?
JIMMY: LILY … what’s going on?
LILY: (breaks out crying) J-JIMMY (crying….) It was bad…. ABE tied me and JAZ up … (struggling in tears) ….
JIMMY: LILY … put MR DANIEL ON..
MR DANIEL: Yeah …
JIMMY: Take her away from the kids and put her back on the phone with me…
(long pause…. After 10 seconds… LILY gets back on the phone…)
LILY: Hello???
JIMMY: LILY … is JAZ ok?
LILY: JAZ is running a fever … she doesn’t look good ….
JIMMY: Are any of you hurt???
LILY: I have blood on me but I didn’t get hurt.
JIMMY: (covers his face in shock) OK, listen … I’m coming over but I gotta take care of something else … stay there and tell JAZ to stay put as well ok??? It’s gonna be ok ….
LILY: O-Ok…. (gives phone back to MR DANIEL)
JIMMY: The parents are all on the way. I’m coming to get LILY … we have to report this to the police.
MR DANIEL: OK …
JIMMY: Ill be there a lil later … gonna take care of some stuff.
MR DANIEL: K Talk to you later.
(JIMMY hangs up. He leans back in his chair … sighs … closes his eyes…
He sits very quietly …
He thinks ….
He looks in his cabinet drawer… and opens a small box. He opens the box ….
And pulls out a gun!
He looks at the gun for a long time …. Takes a handful of bullet clips.. and inserts it in the gun. He takes it and puts it in his pocket. He gets the keys and walks out.)
(Back at the hospital, MR DANIEL talks with parents and police. JI is with them as KATE, JESSICA and JAMES sit.)
KATE: How long are they keeping JAZ and LILY?
JAMES: (looks at the hallway) I don’t know.
KATE: (shakes her head) I can’t believe it.
JESSICA: About what?
KATE: What you told me…
JESSICA: LILY and DAN?
KATE: Yeah
JAMES: What are you talking about?
JESSICA: They’re both brother and sister.
JAMES: Oh … yeah … I knew that.
JESSICA: You did?
KATE: Why didn’t you tell us in the first place?
JAMES: You guys never asked! As far as I know … they don’t even look alike.
KATE: I don’t think they’re blood-related.
JESSICA: They’re adopted!
KATE: Are we even having church tomorrow?
JAMES: (check his watch) Today is tomorrow.
JESSICA: I’m sleepy….
KATE: What is MR DANIEL saying to JI …
JAMES: I don’t know, what did he ask you?
KATE: He just wanted to know what happened with JAZ and LILY.
JAMES: He never asked about us?
JESSICA: He didn’t ask me anything about that.
KATE: Noo …
JESSICA: My grandmother’s mad at me …
KATE: My mom is too.
JESSICA: We’re all probably getting grounded!
(JI returns with MR DANIEL)
MR DANIEL: You kids go home … your parents are taking you.
(MR DANIEL walks off to the doctor’s room. The kids get up with their families to leave.)
(JAMES waves … KATE, JI and JESSICA leave with their folks.)
(Inside the room … LILY and JAZ sit.)
JAZ: Did he take your temperature and all that.
LILY: Yeah … he told me I have to stay overnight to make sure I’m completely ok.
JAZ: (Looks at the door in the room) What could the doctor’s be saying to our parents …
LILY: I don’t know ….. (looks down sighing and exhausted closing her eyes.)
JAZ: So are you and DAN real brothers and sisters?
LILY: (sighs) Noo … we met from the other group home. It was out in Brooks. One of the families came … wanted to adopt me and DAN … I didn’t like them. They never paid attention to us … just kept on telling us what to do. It was bad. DAN always cussed at them, I never did what they said.
JAZ: That sounds horrible.
LILY: I ran away once from them because they wouldn’t let their dog in the house and I asked them … and they said NO and started to scream at me …
JAZ: Did they hit you?
LILY: Remember the day when you saw me at school in the taxi?
JAZ: O my gosh was that them?
LILY: I was going home from school on Tuesday and the dad saw me and told me to talk to him. I said noooo … he was scaring me so I started to run away.
JAZ: What did he do?
LILY: (walks to the window looking outside) I ran … and then he drove his car… almost ran me over … but I tripped over the sidewalk. (LILY turns around and pulls up her left sleeve)
JAZ: (looks) O my gossh….
LILY: I fell and scraped my elbow … and my face hit the ground hard.
JAZ: did you cry?
LILY: Yeah …
JAZ: and then?
LILY: he picked me up and tried to pull me to the car.
JAZ: What did you do?
LILY: As he was about to take me into the car … I kicked him hard… and ran away … I went into Milton Park to hide.
JAZ: (her mouth open wide in shock) ……. That’s so scarry….
LILY: (still looking out the window) I didn’t wanna be in any group home or foster home or whatever. So I wanted to run away.
JAZ: What about your parents?
LILY: (shrugs) I didn’t know anything about them … still don’t know. The people at the group home don’t even know where they are. DAN is just a foster brother. I been with him for 3 years. He’s had a worst time than me…
(Suddenly the door opens … MR DANIEL runs out of the office.)
MR DANIEL: GIRLS YOUR PARENNTS ARE INSIDE… GO!!!
(MR. DANIEL runs out of the office storming out the building.)
DOCTOR: Girls … come on inside …. Let’s sit down and talk.
(JAZ looks out the door .. then at the doctor.)
JAZ: What’s happening?
(The DOCTOR shakes his head and gets the girls to come in.)
(The door closes.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Outside somewhere in a dark alley …. A bloody hand lays hanging over the seat outside the car …. A gun falls to the ground …
DAN runs away from the car crying ….
JIMMY’s body slowly falling out onto the street… his clothes torn and left chest bloody.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TO BE CONTINUED.
HOMELESS 2 - PART 7
(The story begins somewhere near the Lason Foster Home. A car pulls up into the parking lot. It slowly goes down an aisle and turns into a parking space. The car stops.)
JIMMY: (turns off the car and sits… making no sound.)
BRANDON: (looks over at JIMMY) Now what.
JIMMY: We wait (looks ahead of him.)
(In the backseat LILY sits very quiet not daring to say a word.)
JIMMY: (checks his watch) It’s 8… where is he?
LILY: (pulls out her cell phone) Do you want me to try calling him?
BRANDON: (turns to LILY) Yeah, but don’t tell him we’re with you.
LILY: K (LILY dials ABE’s number … the phone rings once… pause. The phone rings twice.)
ABE: Hello?
LILY: ABE?!
ABE: Heyyy, I’m on my way! I’m on the road right now…. I been worried sick about you!! Where are you?
LILY: I’m at the foster center.
ABE: Don’t move! I’ll be there in 5 minutes!!
LILY: OK (LILY hangs up.)
(JIMMY gets out of the car and looks out over the city leaning on the car on the driver’s side. He strangely waits quietly. BRANDON notices something weird about JIMMY … LILY looks at BRANDON)
LILY: (Whispering) Is he ok?
BRANDON: (gets out of the car.. and slowly walks over to stand by JIMMY) What is it?
(JIMMY blows on his cold hands…)
JIMMY: Something isn’t right.
BRANDON: What do you mean?
JIMMY: I really cant say B … (looks at the city) I feel like something’s going to go down.
BRANDON: Look, I don’t know what you’re thinking or what you plan on doing but obviously you been bothered by what happened years ago … you can’t get over it can you!
JIMMY: And what do you think about it!! Huh!? All that craziness that went down was horrible. Parents were jawing at me… I lost respect from half the people that work with me!! What was I supposed to do? If anything’s going to go foul … it won’t happen.
(The conversation suddenly quiets down …. ABE appears from a distance.. and drives towards JIMMY, BRANDON. LILY looks on.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Later that night … all around Lason City is quiet. The time is 1’oclock in the morning.)
(JAMES is riding a bike down a street. He wears a heavy sweater covered with a ski jacket and a beanie. He looks around and rolls near Lason Park into a large two-story house. He parks his bike beside the mailbox and gets off. He looks at JESSICA’s house. Suddenly his cell phone rings.)
JAMES: Hello?
JESSICA: It’s me!
JAMES: Where are you?
JESSICA: I’m at ABE’s place, hurry get here quick!!
(JAMES hangs up and rushes onto his bike. He pedals as fast as he could.)
(Over at ABE’s house, JESSICA hides behind bushes from a neighbor’s house. JAMES rushes into the scene and parks his bike next to ABE’s house. JAMES looks around.)
JAMES: (whispers loud) Where are you?
JESSICA: (leans from the bush) Over hereee!!!!
(JAMES runs over to JESSICA as they hide behind the bushes.)
JAMES: What is it?
JESSICA: I saw ABE! There’s other people with him!
JAMES: Who are they?
JESSICA: I never seen them before!
JAMES: Shhhh look!!!
(Four men come out of ABE’s house. Two of them are loading boxes into the large truck.)
JAMES: (whispering loudly) Where’s LILY?
JESSICA: I didn’t see her!!! I don’t think she’s in the house!
(The four men go inside and come back out with more boxes and shut the truck. Two of the men drive off in a car. The other two men, one of them, ABE get into the truck and the truck drives off.)
JAMES: (gets up and rushes to his bike) We gotta call the girls. Did you get a hold of them?
JESSICA: Nooo, none of them are answering the phone!
JAMES: Come on let’s go!!!
(JAMES and JESSICA get on their bikes and take off. An unknown person on a bike sees JAMES and JESSICA take off and starts following them.)
(Inside ABE’s house, in the back room, the kids don’t realize that LILY and JAZ are tied up in a chair with thick ropes and a piece of tape covering their lips both in tears.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Meanwhile, somewhere a few blocks away, KATE and JI walk together, both wearing heavy clothes and seemingly comfortably warm.)
KATE: Why isn’t JAS answering?
JI: I don’t know! I had my computer on, I emailed her, I looked at my chatbox, nothing.
KATE: That’s strange. It isn’t like JAZ to not answer … something’s wrong, don’t you think?
JI: Yeah, but JESSICA said LILY never showed up to her house. She was going to go to ABE’s house to see.
KATE: By herself???? Is she crazy?
JI: (looks ahead of her) Is that her???
(The two see JAMES and JESSICA on their bikes headed towards them.)
JAMES: HEYYY! Didn’t you see that big truck pass you!
(JI and KATE turn around.)
JI: No we didn’t notice! Why?
JESSICA: ABE’s in that car!!!
KATE: What about LILY?
JAMES: We’re trying to find her.
JESSICA: Maybe she’s in the car with ABE.
JI: Well, what should we do???
JAMES: We have to split up!
KATE: Me and JI will go to ABE’s house.
JESSICA: I don’t think anyone’s there.
JAMES: Find out what’s going on. Check out the house and see if there’s anything we need to know.
KATE: OK … text message me.
(KATE and JI leave. JAMES and JESSICA ride on.)
JESSICA: Where are we going?
JAMES: (pedaling) We’re going to the foster place. I have a friend in there.
(The two pedal their bikes…)
(Meanwhile, at 1100 Grant Avenue, four men, YEYO, ABE, JOHN and DAVE unload big boxes into the warehouse. The men finish unloading and sit at the table opening small boxes in their hands. The men take a wired earpiece and plug it in their ears.)
YEYO: Test, test.
DAVE: You’re good.
ABE: (puts on his earpiece) OK, clear out. I’m headed back to my place.
JOHN: What are you gonna do with the girls?
ABE: I’ll worry about that, you guys make sure to deliver the cargo!
(The men get up … YEYO approaches ABE)
ABE: When the men make the deal, I want you to get everything and take care of them.
YEYO: Gotcha… (YEYO puts on his earpiece and leaves.)
(ABE walks outside of the warehouse and gets into a small black car. He pulls out a cigarette, smokes it and slowly drives away.)
+++++++++++++++++++++=
(Back at ABE’s house, LILY has managed to free one of her hands from the ropes and is trying to pull the knot off JAZ’s wrists.
For a couple minutes, the two struggle in untying the knot… but as JAZ nudges her wrists, she moves her chair to a small candle lit in the table nearby. She falls on her side still tied to the chair and the flame starts burning through the ropes binding her right shoulder.
LILY looks on …. The rope finally breaks free. JAZ nudges her right shoulder and her arm is free!! She takes off the tape over her mouth and starts to untie herself. She gets out of her chair and takes the tape out of LILY’s mouth!)
LILY: (panting) Oh my gosh, untie me!!!
JAZ: (struggles to untie but gets a small knife from the kitchen and comes back slicing the rope binding LILY) We have to get out of here quickly!!!
(JAZ slices and slices and slices …. Suddenly they hear a noise.)
(The two freeze … what was it?)
JAZ: (whispers) What was that?
LILY: (whispers) That came from inside the house!
(The two look around frightened …. )
LILY: (whispers) Hurry up and break me free… let’s get outta here!
(JAZ starts slicing it harder and harder with tears in her eyes.)
(They hear a sound ….. they freeze….. someone’s in the house!!!!)
LILY: omigosh omigosh hurry up!!! (tryin to move her body to break free from the ropes)
JAZ: (furiously cuts the rope) Come on come on… hide behind the couch!!!
(The girls run together behind the couch … they listen.)
JAZ: (whispering to LILY) I don’t they think they know we’re in here.
LILY: (points at the large table) Come on, hide under the table!!! Come on!!
(The two sneak quickly underneath a large table seated in the middle of the back room. The tablecloth covers the girls neatly as they hide beneath.)
LILY: Shhhhhhhhhhh….
(The person begins to walk around the room. Soft footsteps are heard almost like light tiptoes. The girls refuse to move and listen as the footsteps stop. The footsteps suddenly run to the kitchen. LILY slowly peaks out of the table and hears noises in the kitchen.)
JAZ: (whispering) Where you going?
(Suddenly a door opens from the front … another set of footsteps come in!)
VOICE: Who’s in here????
(LILY suddenly jumps back under the table, the girls freeze!)
HIGH VOICE: It’s me!
VOICE: What are you doing here!!!! Why aren’t you at the foster home!!!
(Suddenly LILY frowns….)
LILY: (whispers to JAZ) Omigosh, I know that voice!
JAZ: (whispers) Who is it????
VOICE: YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BACK AT THE HOME. WHY DIDN’T YOU WAIT FOR ME?
HIGH VOICE: I HAD TO LEAVE, I COULDN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE.
VOICE: I DON’T CARE, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR ME ….. WAIT…
(The footsteps suddenly approach LILY and JAZ)
VOICE: WHERE’S THE GIRLS? WHERE DID THE GIRLS GO?
HIGH VOICE: THE GIRLS WERE HERE?
VOICE: DIDN’T YOU SEE THE GIRLS? WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?
HIGH VOICE: I CAME IN HERE THRU THE WINDOW IN THE BEDROOM AND I SAW THE CHAIR AND THE ROPES…
VOICE: NOOOOOO!!!!! WHERE’S LILY?
HIGH VOICE: SHE WAS HERE?
(Suddenly LILY comes out from the table!)
JAZ: NOOOO LILY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
LILY: (frowns) DAN??????
(ABE runs after LILY!)
ABE: GET OVER HERE!!!
(Suddenly JAZ gets out of the table and runs to the back window!)
(LILY grabs a fireplace stick and points it at ABE)
LILY: (in tears) WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH DAN? WHY IS DAN HERE???
DAN: (in fear) LILY!!! PUT THAT DOWN!!
LILY: WHAT!!! WHAT!? WHAT’S GOING ON?
ABE: LILY! LILY! CALM DOWN! LISTEN TO ME!!! IM TRYING TO HELP YOU!!
LILY: YOU LIAR!!!! (In tears) YOU TIE ME AND JAZ UP!!! THAT’S YOUR WAY OF TRYING TO HELP ME!!! HUH?????
ABE: LILY! LILY! PUT THAT DOWN!!! I SAID PUT THAT DOWN!
LILY: NOOOOOO!!!!
JAZ: (scared out of her mind) LILY … GET DAN!! LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!!!!!
ABE: LILY, LET ME EXPLAIN!!!
LILY: (CRYING) THERE’S NOTHING TO EXPLAIN!!! I DON’T KNOW YOU. I DON’T WANNA KNOW YOU!!!! (looks over to DAN) DAN … DAN… GO OUT TO JAZ… GO TO THE BACK …
DAN: NOOO!!!! (DAN walks over to ABE) IM STAYING WITH HIM.
ABE: LILY, LISTEN TO YOUR BROTHER. HE KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS …
LILY: HE’S 8 YEARS OLD HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!!!! DAN! GET OVER HERE NOWWWW!
DAN: NOOOO… PUT THAT DOWN!
ABE: LILY IF YOU PUT THAT DOWN I PROMISE I WILL TAKE YOU TO WHAT IM TRYING TO DO!!
LILY: I DON’T WANT TO! AND I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU’RE DOING! – DAN COME WITH ME RIGHTT NOW!!!
JAZ: COME ON DAN!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HIM! HE’S NOTHING BUT TROUBLE!!!!!
ABE: GIRLS, COME OUT FROM THE BACK OF THE HOUSE … OK? DON’T LEAVE THE HOUSE … COME BACK OVER HERE.
(Suddenly YEYO crashes in from the back.)
(The girls scream!!! YEYO grabs JAZ, but LILY charges YEYO and stabs him on his right leg!!! YEYO lets go!)
YEYO: (falls down) OWWWWWWWWWWWW …. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrowwwwwwwwwww!!!!
(LILY and JAZ run to the back and start dashing out to the side yard. The side yard is locked shut but the girlls jump up on a nearby trash can and climb over.)
ABE: (from inside the house) LILY!!!! LILY!!!!!!!!!!
(The girls climb over …. LILY and JAZ make a run for it… and head out into the street!!! )
(ABE and DAN come out of the front door… they see the girls making a run for it into Lason Park)
ABE: LILLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!
LILLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
(The girls disappears in the darkness…. And escape.)
(ABE and DAN stand watching from above Lason Park.)
(It is 2:48 a.m. in the morning.)
All is dark in the park.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TO BE CONTINUED.
JIMMY: (turns off the car and sits… making no sound.)
BRANDON: (looks over at JIMMY) Now what.
JIMMY: We wait (looks ahead of him.)
(In the backseat LILY sits very quiet not daring to say a word.)
JIMMY: (checks his watch) It’s 8… where is he?
LILY: (pulls out her cell phone) Do you want me to try calling him?
BRANDON: (turns to LILY) Yeah, but don’t tell him we’re with you.
LILY: K (LILY dials ABE’s number … the phone rings once… pause. The phone rings twice.)
ABE: Hello?
LILY: ABE?!
ABE: Heyyy, I’m on my way! I’m on the road right now…. I been worried sick about you!! Where are you?
LILY: I’m at the foster center.
ABE: Don’t move! I’ll be there in 5 minutes!!
LILY: OK (LILY hangs up.)
(JIMMY gets out of the car and looks out over the city leaning on the car on the driver’s side. He strangely waits quietly. BRANDON notices something weird about JIMMY … LILY looks at BRANDON)
LILY: (Whispering) Is he ok?
BRANDON: (gets out of the car.. and slowly walks over to stand by JIMMY) What is it?
(JIMMY blows on his cold hands…)
JIMMY: Something isn’t right.
BRANDON: What do you mean?
JIMMY: I really cant say B … (looks at the city) I feel like something’s going to go down.
BRANDON: Look, I don’t know what you’re thinking or what you plan on doing but obviously you been bothered by what happened years ago … you can’t get over it can you!
JIMMY: And what do you think about it!! Huh!? All that craziness that went down was horrible. Parents were jawing at me… I lost respect from half the people that work with me!! What was I supposed to do? If anything’s going to go foul … it won’t happen.
(The conversation suddenly quiets down …. ABE appears from a distance.. and drives towards JIMMY, BRANDON. LILY looks on.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Later that night … all around Lason City is quiet. The time is 1’oclock in the morning.)
(JAMES is riding a bike down a street. He wears a heavy sweater covered with a ski jacket and a beanie. He looks around and rolls near Lason Park into a large two-story house. He parks his bike beside the mailbox and gets off. He looks at JESSICA’s house. Suddenly his cell phone rings.)
JAMES: Hello?
JESSICA: It’s me!
JAMES: Where are you?
JESSICA: I’m at ABE’s place, hurry get here quick!!
(JAMES hangs up and rushes onto his bike. He pedals as fast as he could.)
(Over at ABE’s house, JESSICA hides behind bushes from a neighbor’s house. JAMES rushes into the scene and parks his bike next to ABE’s house. JAMES looks around.)
JAMES: (whispers loud) Where are you?
JESSICA: (leans from the bush) Over hereee!!!!
(JAMES runs over to JESSICA as they hide behind the bushes.)
JAMES: What is it?
JESSICA: I saw ABE! There’s other people with him!
JAMES: Who are they?
JESSICA: I never seen them before!
JAMES: Shhhh look!!!
(Four men come out of ABE’s house. Two of them are loading boxes into the large truck.)
JAMES: (whispering loudly) Where’s LILY?
JESSICA: I didn’t see her!!! I don’t think she’s in the house!
(The four men go inside and come back out with more boxes and shut the truck. Two of the men drive off in a car. The other two men, one of them, ABE get into the truck and the truck drives off.)
JAMES: (gets up and rushes to his bike) We gotta call the girls. Did you get a hold of them?
JESSICA: Nooo, none of them are answering the phone!
JAMES: Come on let’s go!!!
(JAMES and JESSICA get on their bikes and take off. An unknown person on a bike sees JAMES and JESSICA take off and starts following them.)
(Inside ABE’s house, in the back room, the kids don’t realize that LILY and JAZ are tied up in a chair with thick ropes and a piece of tape covering their lips both in tears.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Meanwhile, somewhere a few blocks away, KATE and JI walk together, both wearing heavy clothes and seemingly comfortably warm.)
KATE: Why isn’t JAS answering?
JI: I don’t know! I had my computer on, I emailed her, I looked at my chatbox, nothing.
KATE: That’s strange. It isn’t like JAZ to not answer … something’s wrong, don’t you think?
JI: Yeah, but JESSICA said LILY never showed up to her house. She was going to go to ABE’s house to see.
KATE: By herself???? Is she crazy?
JI: (looks ahead of her) Is that her???
(The two see JAMES and JESSICA on their bikes headed towards them.)
JAMES: HEYYY! Didn’t you see that big truck pass you!
(JI and KATE turn around.)
JI: No we didn’t notice! Why?
JESSICA: ABE’s in that car!!!
KATE: What about LILY?
JAMES: We’re trying to find her.
JESSICA: Maybe she’s in the car with ABE.
JI: Well, what should we do???
JAMES: We have to split up!
KATE: Me and JI will go to ABE’s house.
JESSICA: I don’t think anyone’s there.
JAMES: Find out what’s going on. Check out the house and see if there’s anything we need to know.
KATE: OK … text message me.
(KATE and JI leave. JAMES and JESSICA ride on.)
JESSICA: Where are we going?
JAMES: (pedaling) We’re going to the foster place. I have a friend in there.
(The two pedal their bikes…)
(Meanwhile, at 1100 Grant Avenue, four men, YEYO, ABE, JOHN and DAVE unload big boxes into the warehouse. The men finish unloading and sit at the table opening small boxes in their hands. The men take a wired earpiece and plug it in their ears.)
YEYO: Test, test.
DAVE: You’re good.
ABE: (puts on his earpiece) OK, clear out. I’m headed back to my place.
JOHN: What are you gonna do with the girls?
ABE: I’ll worry about that, you guys make sure to deliver the cargo!
(The men get up … YEYO approaches ABE)
ABE: When the men make the deal, I want you to get everything and take care of them.
YEYO: Gotcha… (YEYO puts on his earpiece and leaves.)
(ABE walks outside of the warehouse and gets into a small black car. He pulls out a cigarette, smokes it and slowly drives away.)
+++++++++++++++++++++=
(Back at ABE’s house, LILY has managed to free one of her hands from the ropes and is trying to pull the knot off JAZ’s wrists.
For a couple minutes, the two struggle in untying the knot… but as JAZ nudges her wrists, she moves her chair to a small candle lit in the table nearby. She falls on her side still tied to the chair and the flame starts burning through the ropes binding her right shoulder.
LILY looks on …. The rope finally breaks free. JAZ nudges her right shoulder and her arm is free!! She takes off the tape over her mouth and starts to untie herself. She gets out of her chair and takes the tape out of LILY’s mouth!)
LILY: (panting) Oh my gosh, untie me!!!
JAZ: (struggles to untie but gets a small knife from the kitchen and comes back slicing the rope binding LILY) We have to get out of here quickly!!!
(JAZ slices and slices and slices …. Suddenly they hear a noise.)
(The two freeze … what was it?)
JAZ: (whispers) What was that?
LILY: (whispers) That came from inside the house!
(The two look around frightened …. )
LILY: (whispers) Hurry up and break me free… let’s get outta here!
(JAZ starts slicing it harder and harder with tears in her eyes.)
(They hear a sound ….. they freeze….. someone’s in the house!!!!)
LILY: omigosh omigosh hurry up!!! (tryin to move her body to break free from the ropes)
JAZ: (furiously cuts the rope) Come on come on… hide behind the couch!!!
(The girls run together behind the couch … they listen.)
JAZ: (whispering to LILY) I don’t they think they know we’re in here.
LILY: (points at the large table) Come on, hide under the table!!! Come on!!
(The two sneak quickly underneath a large table seated in the middle of the back room. The tablecloth covers the girls neatly as they hide beneath.)
LILY: Shhhhhhhhhhh….
(The person begins to walk around the room. Soft footsteps are heard almost like light tiptoes. The girls refuse to move and listen as the footsteps stop. The footsteps suddenly run to the kitchen. LILY slowly peaks out of the table and hears noises in the kitchen.)
JAZ: (whispering) Where you going?
(Suddenly a door opens from the front … another set of footsteps come in!)
VOICE: Who’s in here????
(LILY suddenly jumps back under the table, the girls freeze!)
HIGH VOICE: It’s me!
VOICE: What are you doing here!!!! Why aren’t you at the foster home!!!
(Suddenly LILY frowns….)
LILY: (whispers to JAZ) Omigosh, I know that voice!
JAZ: (whispers) Who is it????
VOICE: YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BACK AT THE HOME. WHY DIDN’T YOU WAIT FOR ME?
HIGH VOICE: I HAD TO LEAVE, I COULDN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE.
VOICE: I DON’T CARE, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR ME ….. WAIT…
(The footsteps suddenly approach LILY and JAZ)
VOICE: WHERE’S THE GIRLS? WHERE DID THE GIRLS GO?
HIGH VOICE: THE GIRLS WERE HERE?
VOICE: DIDN’T YOU SEE THE GIRLS? WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?
HIGH VOICE: I CAME IN HERE THRU THE WINDOW IN THE BEDROOM AND I SAW THE CHAIR AND THE ROPES…
VOICE: NOOOOOO!!!!! WHERE’S LILY?
HIGH VOICE: SHE WAS HERE?
(Suddenly LILY comes out from the table!)
JAZ: NOOOO LILY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
LILY: (frowns) DAN??????
(ABE runs after LILY!)
ABE: GET OVER HERE!!!
(Suddenly JAZ gets out of the table and runs to the back window!)
(LILY grabs a fireplace stick and points it at ABE)
LILY: (in tears) WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH DAN? WHY IS DAN HERE???
DAN: (in fear) LILY!!! PUT THAT DOWN!!
LILY: WHAT!!! WHAT!? WHAT’S GOING ON?
ABE: LILY! LILY! CALM DOWN! LISTEN TO ME!!! IM TRYING TO HELP YOU!!
LILY: YOU LIAR!!!! (In tears) YOU TIE ME AND JAZ UP!!! THAT’S YOUR WAY OF TRYING TO HELP ME!!! HUH?????
ABE: LILY! LILY! PUT THAT DOWN!!! I SAID PUT THAT DOWN!
LILY: NOOOOOO!!!!
JAZ: (scared out of her mind) LILY … GET DAN!! LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!!!!!
ABE: LILY, LET ME EXPLAIN!!!
LILY: (CRYING) THERE’S NOTHING TO EXPLAIN!!! I DON’T KNOW YOU. I DON’T WANNA KNOW YOU!!!! (looks over to DAN) DAN … DAN… GO OUT TO JAZ… GO TO THE BACK …
DAN: NOOO!!!! (DAN walks over to ABE) IM STAYING WITH HIM.
ABE: LILY, LISTEN TO YOUR BROTHER. HE KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS …
LILY: HE’S 8 YEARS OLD HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!!!! DAN! GET OVER HERE NOWWWW!
DAN: NOOOO… PUT THAT DOWN!
ABE: LILY IF YOU PUT THAT DOWN I PROMISE I WILL TAKE YOU TO WHAT IM TRYING TO DO!!
LILY: I DON’T WANT TO! AND I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU’RE DOING! – DAN COME WITH ME RIGHTT NOW!!!
JAZ: COME ON DAN!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HIM! HE’S NOTHING BUT TROUBLE!!!!!
ABE: GIRLS, COME OUT FROM THE BACK OF THE HOUSE … OK? DON’T LEAVE THE HOUSE … COME BACK OVER HERE.
(Suddenly YEYO crashes in from the back.)
(The girls scream!!! YEYO grabs JAZ, but LILY charges YEYO and stabs him on his right leg!!! YEYO lets go!)
YEYO: (falls down) OWWWWWWWWWWWW …. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrowwwwwwwwwww!!!!
(LILY and JAZ run to the back and start dashing out to the side yard. The side yard is locked shut but the girlls jump up on a nearby trash can and climb over.)
ABE: (from inside the house) LILY!!!! LILY!!!!!!!!!!
(The girls climb over …. LILY and JAZ make a run for it… and head out into the street!!! )
(ABE and DAN come out of the front door… they see the girls making a run for it into Lason Park)
ABE: LILLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!
LILLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
(The girls disappears in the darkness…. And escape.)
(ABE and DAN stand watching from above Lason Park.)
(It is 2:48 a.m. in the morning.)
All is dark in the park.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TO BE CONTINUED.
HOMELESS 2 - PART 6
(The story continues somewhere on the other side of Lason … in the darker part of town…. A car pulls up on 1100 Grant Avenue. A man exits the car and slowly walks into a large building---with a huge garage beside it. The man goes up to the garage and slams on it three times. The garage opens up. ABE appears from inside the garage and goes into the car and slowly drives the car in and parks it inside.
ABE gets out of the car and shuts the garage.
Inside, ABE gathers a stack of papers from a long table standing beside the car. 8 leather chairs are seated around it the table. The inside if of the garage appears somewhat like an old wherehouse. ABE goes upstairs to his office to grab some papers. The driver of the car sits down on the table, checks his watch and sits back.)
ABE: YEYO, did you talk to them??
YEYO: Everything’s set, they’re on their way. What did you do with the girl?
ABE: Those guys at the church called me, I’ll be picking LILY up in a few. Right now I gotta get going (checks his watch) I’m gonna go make some trips and then I’ll be ready.
YEYO: OK what about these headsets (YEYO points at the box.)
ABE: (walks up to look at the box) These will be good, we can communicate across a 10 mile radius. (ABE takes a headset and a box with several wires.) I got this so you make sure you’re online when everything’s ready.
(YEYO nods, pulls out a cigarette.)
YEYO: What are you gonna do about LILY?
ABE: (looks away with an evil stare) Who cares, I’ll just get rid of her.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Meanwhile somewhere out on the road, JIMMY and BRANDON talk in a car. BRANDON is driving while JIMMY talks with him on the passenger side.)
BRANDON: (looks over at JIMMY) You’re quiet, what are you thinking?
JIMMY: (looks out the window with a stressful look on his face) Remember PHILLIP?
BRANDON: (thinks) Yeaa … … (pauses) why?
JIMMY: Nothing …. (looks out the window) just thinking.
BRANDON: Well, the fact that ABE … it makes you think about them.
JIMMY: (a long pause….) …… yeah, I know.
BRANDON: (turning a left) So what are you thinking?
JIMMY: Nothing …. (still looking out the window)
BRANDON: (looks over at him.. and then at the road) You’re not gonna do what I think you’re gonna do.
JIMMY: What do you think I’m gonna do?
BRANDON: You’re gonna take matters into your own hands.
JIMMY: You think so?
BRANDON: I’ve known you for how many years now?
JIMMY: (long pause……. Thinking.) With JESSICA, SUA, PHILLIP … you know how it was.
BRANDON: Yeah
JIMMY: You know how it turned out?
BRANDON: Yeah … everything’s good now. PHILLIP is doing well with the family, grown up …. Great kid.
JIMMY: Uh-huh ….
BRANDON: And SUA is living happily in Korea, all grown up also …
BRANDON: So what are you saying?
JIMMY: It’s not going to happen the way it did before.
BRANDON: (clueless then worried) Wh—what do you mean?
JIMMY: Nothing… nothing…. (points a the road) there we are… Lason.
BRANDON: Wait-what are you talking about?
JIMMY: Don’t worry about it. We’ll talk about it later.
(The two arrive at Lason Park.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Meanwhile, out somewhere else in the city … DAN sits outside a restaurant on a bench. He looks as people walk by staring at him. DAN looks around and digs into his pocket. He finds that he has little change. He walks back at the bench and sits down thinking.)
DAN: (thinking) I’m sooo tired…. What am I gonna do. All I have is this bag of twinkies for the rest of the day. (DAN looks around, a very sad look on his face.) Where do I go?
(DAN gets up and looks at a store across the street from him. Two kids, almost DAN’s age laugh and giggle inside the store as they grab boxes of food and a large turkey.)
DAN: (sighs) Thanksgiving … I won’t have any of that… I won’t have any fun being at home … I won’t have any fun with … (Suddenly starts crying. He looks up again at the kids as they suddenly look at him. DAN stops and looks away.
He walks off and takes out his bag of twinkies and begins to eat as the two kids suddenly walk up to him.
DAN turns around.)
BOY: Hi, my name’s PAUL
BOY2: My name’s PHILLIP
DAN: (Suddenly angry at them) What do you want!!!!!!
PAUL: We were wondering if you needed some help.
DAN: I DON’T NEED ANYTHING GO AWAY!!!!!
(DAN runs away… the two boys look.)
PHILLIP: I know him.
PAUL: Really?
PHILLIP: Yeah, he goes to Lason.
PAUL: How do you know?
PHILLIP: JIMMY told me.
PAUL: Ohhh.
(The two guys watch DAN run away.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(3 hours have gone by … it is late Saturday … a large number of police cars are parked all around Lason Park. A long fire truck is also parked with five firefighters knocking down the clubhouse. Several police officers are pushing back the crowd while others are with LILY. A crowd is gathered at the park while JIMMY, BRANDON and the kids are at the bottom of the hill.)
(LILY sits saddened as JESSICA cries. JAZ and JI also are unhappy… as KATE and JAMES look on shocked.)
LILY: (saddened) I’m so sorry about this.
JAZ: Why did they have to tear it down!!!!
JESSICA: (wiping her eyes) I loved that clubhouse!
JAMES: You heard, it isn’t safe and since it’s built on such an old tree, the firefighters said it was dangerous.
LILY: Whatever!!!!
JAZ: Nobody ever comes around to the park so how dangerous could it be!!!!!
(The kids watch as the firefighters slowly take all the broken pieces of the clubhouse into the car. JESSICA wipes her eyes and looks on. LILY looks on sad … JI starts to walk away.)
KATE: What are we gonna do now?
JAZ: Where you going JI?
JI: (walks away ashamed)
JAZ: JI what’s wrong? (JAZ walks over to JI)
(The kids sit and can only watch as their clubhouse is crumbled by the firefighters with their axes.)
JI: I told JIMMY…
JAZ: Told JIMMY what …
JI: All the stuff…
JAZ: What stuff?
JI: The stuff that LILY told me!!
JAZ: (Gasps) Why???????
JI: (looks away ashamed) Doesn’t matter…
JAZ: Wait… JI … so what’s happening then?
JI: They’re reporting it to the police.
JAZ: (gasps) Noooooo… do you know what that means?
JI: (says nothing.)
JAZ: That means LILY can be taken away for good …
JI: I don’t know what to do!!
(They both turn and look at LILY who sits looking exhausted.)
JI: I have to tell her what I did.
JAZ: She’s gonna be angry.
JI: I know.
(The two walk back to talk with the kids and sit down.)
KATE: So what are we gonna do?
JAZ: I don’t know! You don’t wanna go back to the foster center do you? Are they taking you back there???
KATE: Yeah what’s gonna happen, is ABE going to take you?
LILY: I don’t wanna go back to ABE!
JI: Why?
JAMES: How come?
(JIMMY enters.)
JIMMY: Kids, on your feet … you guys are going home.
KATE: What about LILY?
JIMMY: LILY’s coming with me and BRANDON.
(The kids get up. JIMMY walks off to talk to BRANDON. LILY huddles the kids together.)
LILY: Listen, I have to talk to all of you, but we need to meet.
JAZ: How? There’s no clubhouse or secret hideout anymore!
JAMES: We need to find another hiding place!
KATE: What about Apple Creek?
JI: No what about Mason Elementary? … the playground?
JAMES: One of those two places is perfect, they’re near each other and they’re near us too!
JAZ: But it’s going to be scary at night!!!!
LILY: I don’t care where … just find a place!!!
JAMES: OK, meet at Apple Creek Park down by the creek…
JI: It’s going to be scarry!!!!
JAZ: I know!!!!
JAMES: We’ll meet up in groups! As long as we meet in groups, we’ll be ok!
JAZ: Me, JI and KATE will meet ….
JAMES: Me and JESSICA will meet also … (to JESSICA) is that ok?
JESSICA: OK …
JI: What about you LILY?
LILY: (looks over at JIMMY) I don’t know where they’re taking me --- but I’ll come by to your house JESSICA ok? I’ll be with you JAMES and JESSICA.
(The kids nod.)
JAMES: Remember, 12:00 midnight!!!
(LILY walks off to meet with JIMMY. The kids look on… and all start walking away.)
JAZ: Are we meeting at church tomorrow?
JAMES: Probably!
JI: I gotta go my mom’s calling. (JI leaves.)
(JI runs off. JAMES, KATE, JESSICA, and JAZ continue walking.)
JAZ: I’m going to be so tired …. I don’t wanna go out tonight.
JAMES: Come on JAZ!!!
KATE: Yeah, LILY needs us.
JAZ: (sighs) I’ll talk to JI later on. KATE, text message me tonight KATE.
KATE: OK (gets the cell from her pocket and makes sure its switched on)
(JAZ’s mom yells for JAZ to ‘Let’s go’ from a distance.)
JAZ: I’ll talk to you guys tonight. I gotta go.
(The kids wave at JAZ. JAZ leaves.)
KATE: Where’s your parents JAMES?
JAMES: They’re home, I just bicycled over here.
JESSICA: Where’s your bike?
JAMES: (points at the top of the park) I chained it up there by the big log.
KATE: So what are we doing?
JAMES: (shrugs) I don’t know, just waiting for tonight.
KATE: Did she say she was gonna meet us to tell us something?
JESSICA: Yeah
KATE: What’s she gonna tell us?
(The three walk confused. Suddenly JAMES stops.)
JAMES: Wait … I’m still wondering why DAN was on the phone today.
KATE: Ooohhhh yeaaaah, who was he calling?
JAMES: I don’t knowwww….
KATE: He’s been acting real weird.
JAMES: We should talk to Brandon to see if he found out anything more.
JESSICA: Wait…
KATE: What?
JESSICA: Remember in school, LILY’s face … her face was bruised and cut.
JAMES: Yeaaaaaaah.. that’s right!!!
JESSICA: She never told us what happened!
KATE: What do you think happened?? Noo wait … Who do you think did that to her?
(The three stand there to think.)
JESSICA: Did ABE do that?
(The three kids look at each other.)
JAMES: Maayybeeeee….. but it could be anyone.
KATE: We have to ask her that for sure tonight!
JESSICA: Yeah.
JAMES: I gotta go. (runs off.. then turns back at the girls) Get some sleep!! It’s going to be a long night!!!!
(The girls nod. JAMES leaves.)
KATE: So what is your grandma going to do about the clubhouse?
JESSICA: (looks at the clubhouse) I don’t knowwwww (sadly) I loved that clubhouse!
(The two girls look up at the hill … the hill that once had the clubhouse.)
VOICE: KATE lets gooooo!!!
KATE: I have to go. I’ll see you later tonight ok?
JESSICA: Wait!
KATE: What….. what is it?
JESSICA: I know that I don’t talk much or say anything ….
KATE: (looks at JESSICA suspiciously) yeaaaaaa?
JESSICA: I know something about LILY that you guys don’t.
KATE: (surprised) Ohhh really??? What..!
JESSICA: She promised me not to tell. But I think she’s going to tell you tonight.
KATE: Tell me…..
JESSICA: (walks away wondering…)
KATE: JESSICA what do you know?????
JESSICA: Promise me that you don’t say anything to the kids!!! Or to LILY!
KATE: OK!! Pinky promise!!!
(As JESSICA walks off, she turns around…)
JESSICA: DAN is LILY’s brother.
(KATE gasps …. Her mouth open in shock.)
++++++++++++++++++++ TO BE CONTINUED ++++++++++++++++++++
ABE gets out of the car and shuts the garage.
Inside, ABE gathers a stack of papers from a long table standing beside the car. 8 leather chairs are seated around it the table. The inside if of the garage appears somewhat like an old wherehouse. ABE goes upstairs to his office to grab some papers. The driver of the car sits down on the table, checks his watch and sits back.)
ABE: YEYO, did you talk to them??
YEYO: Everything’s set, they’re on their way. What did you do with the girl?
ABE: Those guys at the church called me, I’ll be picking LILY up in a few. Right now I gotta get going (checks his watch) I’m gonna go make some trips and then I’ll be ready.
YEYO: OK what about these headsets (YEYO points at the box.)
ABE: (walks up to look at the box) These will be good, we can communicate across a 10 mile radius. (ABE takes a headset and a box with several wires.) I got this so you make sure you’re online when everything’s ready.
(YEYO nods, pulls out a cigarette.)
YEYO: What are you gonna do about LILY?
ABE: (looks away with an evil stare) Who cares, I’ll just get rid of her.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Meanwhile somewhere out on the road, JIMMY and BRANDON talk in a car. BRANDON is driving while JIMMY talks with him on the passenger side.)
BRANDON: (looks over at JIMMY) You’re quiet, what are you thinking?
JIMMY: (looks out the window with a stressful look on his face) Remember PHILLIP?
BRANDON: (thinks) Yeaa … … (pauses) why?
JIMMY: Nothing …. (looks out the window) just thinking.
BRANDON: Well, the fact that ABE … it makes you think about them.
JIMMY: (a long pause….) …… yeah, I know.
BRANDON: (turning a left) So what are you thinking?
JIMMY: Nothing …. (still looking out the window)
BRANDON: (looks over at him.. and then at the road) You’re not gonna do what I think you’re gonna do.
JIMMY: What do you think I’m gonna do?
BRANDON: You’re gonna take matters into your own hands.
JIMMY: You think so?
BRANDON: I’ve known you for how many years now?
JIMMY: (long pause……. Thinking.) With JESSICA, SUA, PHILLIP … you know how it was.
BRANDON: Yeah
JIMMY: You know how it turned out?
BRANDON: Yeah … everything’s good now. PHILLIP is doing well with the family, grown up …. Great kid.
JIMMY: Uh-huh ….
BRANDON: And SUA is living happily in Korea, all grown up also …
BRANDON: So what are you saying?
JIMMY: It’s not going to happen the way it did before.
BRANDON: (clueless then worried) Wh—what do you mean?
JIMMY: Nothing… nothing…. (points a the road) there we are… Lason.
BRANDON: Wait-what are you talking about?
JIMMY: Don’t worry about it. We’ll talk about it later.
(The two arrive at Lason Park.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Meanwhile, out somewhere else in the city … DAN sits outside a restaurant on a bench. He looks as people walk by staring at him. DAN looks around and digs into his pocket. He finds that he has little change. He walks back at the bench and sits down thinking.)
DAN: (thinking) I’m sooo tired…. What am I gonna do. All I have is this bag of twinkies for the rest of the day. (DAN looks around, a very sad look on his face.) Where do I go?
(DAN gets up and looks at a store across the street from him. Two kids, almost DAN’s age laugh and giggle inside the store as they grab boxes of food and a large turkey.)
DAN: (sighs) Thanksgiving … I won’t have any of that… I won’t have any fun being at home … I won’t have any fun with … (Suddenly starts crying. He looks up again at the kids as they suddenly look at him. DAN stops and looks away.
He walks off and takes out his bag of twinkies and begins to eat as the two kids suddenly walk up to him.
DAN turns around.)
BOY: Hi, my name’s PAUL
BOY2: My name’s PHILLIP
DAN: (Suddenly angry at them) What do you want!!!!!!
PAUL: We were wondering if you needed some help.
DAN: I DON’T NEED ANYTHING GO AWAY!!!!!
(DAN runs away… the two boys look.)
PHILLIP: I know him.
PAUL: Really?
PHILLIP: Yeah, he goes to Lason.
PAUL: How do you know?
PHILLIP: JIMMY told me.
PAUL: Ohhh.
(The two guys watch DAN run away.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(3 hours have gone by … it is late Saturday … a large number of police cars are parked all around Lason Park. A long fire truck is also parked with five firefighters knocking down the clubhouse. Several police officers are pushing back the crowd while others are with LILY. A crowd is gathered at the park while JIMMY, BRANDON and the kids are at the bottom of the hill.)
(LILY sits saddened as JESSICA cries. JAZ and JI also are unhappy… as KATE and JAMES look on shocked.)
LILY: (saddened) I’m so sorry about this.
JAZ: Why did they have to tear it down!!!!
JESSICA: (wiping her eyes) I loved that clubhouse!
JAMES: You heard, it isn’t safe and since it’s built on such an old tree, the firefighters said it was dangerous.
LILY: Whatever!!!!
JAZ: Nobody ever comes around to the park so how dangerous could it be!!!!!
(The kids watch as the firefighters slowly take all the broken pieces of the clubhouse into the car. JESSICA wipes her eyes and looks on. LILY looks on sad … JI starts to walk away.)
KATE: What are we gonna do now?
JAZ: Where you going JI?
JI: (walks away ashamed)
JAZ: JI what’s wrong? (JAZ walks over to JI)
(The kids sit and can only watch as their clubhouse is crumbled by the firefighters with their axes.)
JI: I told JIMMY…
JAZ: Told JIMMY what …
JI: All the stuff…
JAZ: What stuff?
JI: The stuff that LILY told me!!
JAZ: (Gasps) Why???????
JI: (looks away ashamed) Doesn’t matter…
JAZ: Wait… JI … so what’s happening then?
JI: They’re reporting it to the police.
JAZ: (gasps) Noooooo… do you know what that means?
JI: (says nothing.)
JAZ: That means LILY can be taken away for good …
JI: I don’t know what to do!!
(They both turn and look at LILY who sits looking exhausted.)
JI: I have to tell her what I did.
JAZ: She’s gonna be angry.
JI: I know.
(The two walk back to talk with the kids and sit down.)
KATE: So what are we gonna do?
JAZ: I don’t know! You don’t wanna go back to the foster center do you? Are they taking you back there???
KATE: Yeah what’s gonna happen, is ABE going to take you?
LILY: I don’t wanna go back to ABE!
JI: Why?
JAMES: How come?
(JIMMY enters.)
JIMMY: Kids, on your feet … you guys are going home.
KATE: What about LILY?
JIMMY: LILY’s coming with me and BRANDON.
(The kids get up. JIMMY walks off to talk to BRANDON. LILY huddles the kids together.)
LILY: Listen, I have to talk to all of you, but we need to meet.
JAZ: How? There’s no clubhouse or secret hideout anymore!
JAMES: We need to find another hiding place!
KATE: What about Apple Creek?
JI: No what about Mason Elementary? … the playground?
JAMES: One of those two places is perfect, they’re near each other and they’re near us too!
JAZ: But it’s going to be scary at night!!!!
LILY: I don’t care where … just find a place!!!
JAMES: OK, meet at Apple Creek Park down by the creek…
JI: It’s going to be scarry!!!!
JAZ: I know!!!!
JAMES: We’ll meet up in groups! As long as we meet in groups, we’ll be ok!
JAZ: Me, JI and KATE will meet ….
JAMES: Me and JESSICA will meet also … (to JESSICA) is that ok?
JESSICA: OK …
JI: What about you LILY?
LILY: (looks over at JIMMY) I don’t know where they’re taking me --- but I’ll come by to your house JESSICA ok? I’ll be with you JAMES and JESSICA.
(The kids nod.)
JAMES: Remember, 12:00 midnight!!!
(LILY walks off to meet with JIMMY. The kids look on… and all start walking away.)
JAZ: Are we meeting at church tomorrow?
JAMES: Probably!
JI: I gotta go my mom’s calling. (JI leaves.)
(JI runs off. JAMES, KATE, JESSICA, and JAZ continue walking.)
JAZ: I’m going to be so tired …. I don’t wanna go out tonight.
JAMES: Come on JAZ!!!
KATE: Yeah, LILY needs us.
JAZ: (sighs) I’ll talk to JI later on. KATE, text message me tonight KATE.
KATE: OK (gets the cell from her pocket and makes sure its switched on)
(JAZ’s mom yells for JAZ to ‘Let’s go’ from a distance.)
JAZ: I’ll talk to you guys tonight. I gotta go.
(The kids wave at JAZ. JAZ leaves.)
KATE: Where’s your parents JAMES?
JAMES: They’re home, I just bicycled over here.
JESSICA: Where’s your bike?
JAMES: (points at the top of the park) I chained it up there by the big log.
KATE: So what are we doing?
JAMES: (shrugs) I don’t know, just waiting for tonight.
KATE: Did she say she was gonna meet us to tell us something?
JESSICA: Yeah
KATE: What’s she gonna tell us?
(The three walk confused. Suddenly JAMES stops.)
JAMES: Wait … I’m still wondering why DAN was on the phone today.
KATE: Ooohhhh yeaaaah, who was he calling?
JAMES: I don’t knowwww….
KATE: He’s been acting real weird.
JAMES: We should talk to Brandon to see if he found out anything more.
JESSICA: Wait…
KATE: What?
JESSICA: Remember in school, LILY’s face … her face was bruised and cut.
JAMES: Yeaaaaaaah.. that’s right!!!
JESSICA: She never told us what happened!
KATE: What do you think happened?? Noo wait … Who do you think did that to her?
(The three stand there to think.)
JESSICA: Did ABE do that?
(The three kids look at each other.)
JAMES: Maayybeeeee….. but it could be anyone.
KATE: We have to ask her that for sure tonight!
JESSICA: Yeah.
JAMES: I gotta go. (runs off.. then turns back at the girls) Get some sleep!! It’s going to be a long night!!!!
(The girls nod. JAMES leaves.)
KATE: So what is your grandma going to do about the clubhouse?
JESSICA: (looks at the clubhouse) I don’t knowwwww (sadly) I loved that clubhouse!
(The two girls look up at the hill … the hill that once had the clubhouse.)
VOICE: KATE lets gooooo!!!
KATE: I have to go. I’ll see you later tonight ok?
JESSICA: Wait!
KATE: What….. what is it?
JESSICA: I know that I don’t talk much or say anything ….
KATE: (looks at JESSICA suspiciously) yeaaaaaa?
JESSICA: I know something about LILY that you guys don’t.
KATE: (surprised) Ohhh really??? What..!
JESSICA: She promised me not to tell. But I think she’s going to tell you tonight.
KATE: Tell me…..
JESSICA: (walks away wondering…)
KATE: JESSICA what do you know?????
JESSICA: Promise me that you don’t say anything to the kids!!! Or to LILY!
KATE: OK!! Pinky promise!!!
(As JESSICA walks off, she turns around…)
JESSICA: DAN is LILY’s brother.
(KATE gasps …. Her mouth open in shock.)
++++++++++++++++++++ TO BE CONTINUED ++++++++++++++++++++
Friday, November 5, 2010
HOMELESS 2 - PART 5
WE ARE NOW HALFWAY THROUGH THE STORY --- TO READ THE PREVIOUS STORIES -- GO TO THE RIGHT AND CLICK ON THE MONTHS AND FIND THE STORY THAT YOU WANT TO SEE.
Read the other parts at:
http://readaboutjames.blogspot.com
(The story opens up at the church office. JI is in the office alone with JIMMY and BRANDON. The three are having a serious conversation …)
JIMMY: So you’re telling me that before LILY went to the Lason Foster home she had a guardian that was living with her and watching over her?
(JI nods slowly.)
JIMMY: (looks at BRANDON concerned) Sooo, the guardian knew that LILY was going to run away and that he was going to meet with her? Like a plan? A setup?
(JI nods again.)
BRANDON: And she was staying with him … but then he can’t find her?
JI: He said that she left during the middle of the night.
JIMMY: So then the guardian picked her up but then she ran away again? (JI nods.) Do the kids know about this?
JI: (looking guilty shakes her head) no …
BRANDON: Well how did you know about this?
JI: LILY told me.
JIMMY: When did you talk to LILY?
JI: (shuts her mouth after realizing that she made a mistake saying that she spoke to LILY)
BRANDON: So you know where she is?
JI: (says nothing)
JIMMY: OK, we gotta call the police, let them know …
JI: NOOOO!
BRANDON: What?
JI: Don’t tell the police.
JIMMY: What? Why?
JI: I promised her that I wouldn’t say anything.
JIMMY: JIHEE, we gotta tell the cops, the foster home is looking for her.
JI: She doesn’t want to go back there! You don’t understand! There’s a lot more that you don’t know!!
(JIMMY looks at BRANDON wondering what to do.)
(A knock is at the office door. BRANDON opens the door … the “Man” comes in.)
ABE: Hi there, my name is ABE. I’m the personal guardian of LILY.
(JIMMY suddenly looks in shock!! BRANDON drops his jaw!)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Back at the clubhouse in Lason Park, LILY finishes munching on her food and scans the park. A number of kids and parents are running about. She picks up her cell and calls ABE’s house. Nobody picks up. LILY hangs up her cell and puts all her stuff back in her backpack. She places it at the corner of the clubhouse and looks outside. She wonders and thinks. She slowly climbs down out of the clubhouse and starts walking through the park. The parents and the kids don’t notice her.
LILY casually walks … thinking for a moment, then jogs up the steps leading out of the park. She finds herself walking down Hadley Lane, the street where ABE lived at. She arrives at ABE’s house and slowly approaches the front door. She knocks on it once …. No answer. She knocks on it twice …. No answer.
LILY: UNCLE ABE!!!!!! (She knocks on the door 3x).
(She walks out to the porch and scans through the windows to see if anyone is at home. She walks to the side fence … then peeks through the other windows in the front yard… she walks thru the grass and finds a small cement nearby the lawn. She carefully lifts up the cement and finds a key. She walks to the front door and opens it …. She goes inside.
The house is dark. All the candles and lamps are off. The living room is quiet. LILY goes into ABE’s bedroom and opens his closet. She looks up at the top and sees a few boxes. As she digs around looking, she finds a strange plastic box … carefully brings it down from above her and looks at it. She sets it on the table and opens … binoculars. She grabs it and places it around her neck like a necklace. She adjusts it and puts it into focus and looks out the window to make sure the binoculars work properly. She goes to put the box back up in the closet when she finds something else fall on the floor.
LILY puts the box away and kneels down to find a leather holster. She looks at the holster and picks it up to find …… a gun inside it!
LILY gasps. She looks back at the leather jacket where she found the holster … and finds drugs!!! She also finds a slip of paper. She takes out the slip of paper and opens it. The paper reads … “1100 Grant Avenue, 220 boxes”. LILY thinks for a moment … looks at the paper …
She then folds it up… and puts it in her pocket. She picks up the holster (without touching the gun) and puts it back in the closet.
LILY is breathing in fear. She looks at the drugs inside the jacket … and then turns around to look outside the window as if someone was watching…. Then slowly she closes the closet.
Suddenly, ABE’s telephone rings.
LILY freezes …
The telephone rings once …
LILY stares at the phone.
The telephone rings twice …
LILY slowly walks up to it.
The telephone rings three times …
LILY stops.
The telephone rings once more and then the answering machine goes off ….
“This is ABE, leave a message … “
The answering machine beeps …
A deep scary voice blares …. “ABE, send the things over at 24th, I’ll meet you there tonight.”
The voice hangs up …. LILY is panting … she backs up and suddenly falls over the small table seated in center of the room and falls on the floor.
The fall was not bad, but LILY slowly wails in pain. She holds the back of her head … slowly trying to get up. She puts everything on the small table and slowly puts everything back in place. As she gets up she notices something underneath the bed.
LILY frowns and slowly looks beneath the bed.
She finds a very large black suitcase. She slowly reaches in and pulls it out.
The suitcase is hard-plated and is extremely heavy. LILY notices a small handcuff chained to the handle of the suitcase.
LILY: (she thinks for a moment then gasps) No way!!!
(LILY looks to find the button that unlocks it …. After examining it and seeing how large the suitcase is … she lets her fingers move around… as she finds a small lever She clicks it …. She opens up the suitcase …)
LILY: OHHH MYYY GOOOOSH!
(LILY gasps… she finds $100,000 in cash!)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Back at the church…. All the kids are sitting in the worship classroom, few of them talking with one another …. JIMMY and BRANDON standing in the back of the room together … several parents standing as well…. ABE is in the front of a huge classroom – big enough to fit two classes … with chairs seated from the front to the back …)
ABE: A long time ago … I got a call from the Lason Foster home. The people there told me that I had a daughter, her mother was nowhere to be found. They said that they were going to get all the information, the papers, the DNA, everything to prove that she was my blood daughter. Wow, who would’ve thought … me having a daughter. I always loved kids. I was excited and happy. They had asked me if I would consider taking two kids – but unfortunately I could only handle one you know (nervously laughs), I’m too old to handle two kids (chuckles). I went to the foster home and instantly when I saw LILY, I was soo happy and I had promised to spend a lot of time with her and to give her everything I had to offer. It all started one day when—
(At the back of the room, BRANDON and JIMMY quietly talk whispering…)
BRANDON: So he is the same guy from 4 years ago?
JIMMY: I’m positive, that scar over his right eye … he was the one that drove the car …
BRANDON: (looks harder at ABE while he talks.) Yeaaaah …. It is ….
JIMMY: Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but from what I remembered, ABE had some bad company when we ran into him a long time ago … remember those drug heists?
BRANDON: He wasn’t the one ..it was…. (tries to remember) …. JOE … JOE… that was his name….
JIMMY: You don’t think ABE is back to his old ways do you …
(The two look at ABE real closely while he talks with the kids.)
BRANDON: Do you think what happened a long time ago is still going to be today?
JIMMY: I don’t know if he’s the ABE we knew back then.
BRANDON: Just by looking at him, he seems real concerned for LILY …
JIMMY: Yeah but I’m still suspicious…
(The two watch ABE speak….)
ABE: ……. And so I just looove the kids… and having LILY gone … it’s really really made me unhappy ….
BRANDON: (stares at ABE) I don’t know … but I’ll tell you one thing, I don’t trust him either.
JIMMY: Yeah something’s going on …
BRANDON: Want me to go call DAVE at the station and find more on him?
JIMMY: Yeah, do it quietly though.
BRANDON: gotcha (BRANDON nods and slowly walks out.)
MR. DANIEL: Thank you so much ABE for coming by. OK, kids I want you guys to pick up your stuff … we’re going to get ready—
(As MR. DANIEL gathers the kids to head on to class, a few parents talk with their kids… while some come to talk to MR DANIEL. ABE walks by and shakes a few hands of the parents and then walks up to JIMMY.)
ABE: (puts out his hand to shake JIMMY’s hand) Hey thanks for having me come by.
JIMMY: Oh no problem, when we find out more about LILY, we will definitely let you know.
ABE: Let me tell you … I’m nothing without LILY … she’s the reason why I turned my life around.
(ABE takes out his wallet and pulls out a picture of LILY at a playground.)
This was taken by a friend of mine --- it’s a picture of LILY when she was 7 … ahh she such an angel.
(As JIMMY looks at the picture, she notices ABE in the photo in the background with a mean look on his face, his eyes covered with black sunglasses and wearing a long black coat holding something inside it. Also, the picture with LILY shows another kid holding her hand with the face cut off. JIMMY looks at the kid…)
JIMMY: What happened to that kid?
ABE: (looks at it) Ohh pssh… just some bad work by the photo developers …. (ABE quickly puts it back in his wallet.) Listen, I can’t thank you enough for your help. (ABE pulls out his card.) Please …. If you find out anything …. Give me a call. (ABE shakes JIMMY’s hand again and leaves. JIMMY looks at the card and stares out the door …. He thinks ….. then looks at the card.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Back at Lason Park, LILY runs into the clubhouse …. Sits down … and gets the white slip from her pocket. She looks at it and start thinking what to do. ---- Suddenly her cell phone rings.)
LILY: Hello?
JAZ: (talking secretly on the phone) Omigosh do you know your dad ABE was here???
LILY: WHAT?!?!? JAZ??? My dad? What are you talking about?? Where are you???
JAZ: We’re at church!!!! We’re hiding in the bathroom!!
LILY: Who’s with you????
JAZ: Me and KATE!!!
LILY: Wel…wait… what’s going on????
JAZ: We can’t talk long … we got class, but they’re really worried about you!
LILY: Who’s they?
JAZ: JIMMY, BRANDON, ABE, the police!!!
(Just then JI comes in the bathroom.)
KATE: JIII what are you doing here?
JI: Come on!!!! Class is starting!!
LILY: Wait wait… let me talk to KATE and JI … I have to talk to them!!!!
JAZ: (gives phone to KATE) Come on JI, let’s go back … KATE talk to LILY… (JI and JAZ leave.)
KATE: (gets on phone) Hello?
LILY: KATE, what’s going on?
KATE: They’re all looking for you. ABE … is he really your dad? He spoke to us during worship and told us about you and him.
LILY: What did he say?
KATE: He said he misses you and that he was going to get some of our parents to help search for you.
LILY: He’s not my dad!!!! Did he mention about me being at his house?
KATE: Yeah, and he also mentioned in the middle of the night when you left … …. when we all met in the clubhouse.
LILY: Oh nooooo…
KATE: I have to go…. I gotta get back to class.
LILY: I’m at the club house, my cell battery’s low, I’m going to charge it so call me if you find out anything more ok?
KATE: OK, I’ll talk to you later.
LILY: Bye (hangs up.)
(KATE hangs up. She runs to class and finds MR DANIEL talking with BRANDON and a parent. The kids are doing crafts as JI, JAMES and JAZ are sitting together with JESSICA and DAN. KATE runs in and sits down with the kids. The kids huddle together and talk quietly)
JAZ: So what happened?
KATE: (gives JAZ her cell phone) She’s at the clubhouse.
JAMES: By herself?
KATE: yeah
JESSICA: (covers her mouth) Oh no …
(Everyone looks at JESSICA)
JI: What???
JESSICA: My grandma just left to go home. She said that she was going to meet with the police to search the park!!!
(The kids look at each other in shock!)
JAMES: LILY’s in there!!!!
JAZ: We gotta get her out!!!!
JI: Hurry! Call her back!!!
(DAN gets up to leave.)
JAMES: Where’s DAN going…. DAN… where you going?
DAN: (turns around like he doesn’t care.) I’m gonna go to the bathroom.
MR DANIEL: DAN where you going? Did you finish your craft?
DAN: Can I go to the bathroom?
MR DANIEL: Yeah go ahead.
(DAN leaves …)
JAZ: Do you guys notice anything weird with DAN?
KATE: He’s always weird.
JAZ: Nooo… like isn’t he acting kind of fishy? Like weird?
(The kids stop and think.)
JI: I don’t notice anything
(JAMES gets up.)
JAMES: Let me go find out.
(JAMES gets up and leaves to go to the bathroom.)
KATE: Call LILY.
JAZ: (To Kate) Here you call LILY
KATE: How??? …
JAZ: Bathroom!!
KATE: (to MR DANIEL) MR DANIEL can I use the bathroom?
MR DANIEL: Noooo.. why is everyone going to the bathroom???
KATE: I have to gooooooooooo
MR DANIEL: Hurry back!! No one else goes!!!!
KATE: (gets up) be right back.
(KATE leaves.)
------------------------------
(As KATE walks down the hall, he notices JAMES hiding behind the office door. She frowns…)
KATE: Heeey what are you doing?????
JAMES: SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! (talking quietly) come here!!!!!
(KATE runs down the hall and stands beside JAMES. The two look through the office window.)
KATE: What am I looking at?
JAMES: Didn’t DAN say he was going to use the bathroom?
KATE: yeah.
JAMES: I saw him sneak into the office and he’s talking on the phone.
KATE: Who’s he calling?
JAMES: I don’t know, it’s hard to hear from outside.
VOICE: HEEEEY!!!!
(The kids suddenly turn around. BRANDON suddenly walks up.)
BRANDON: What are you kids doing??? (BRANDON looks inside the office and opens the door.) What are you doing on the phone???
DAN: I… uhhh… the telephone rang?
BRANDON: You’re not supposed too answer the phone DAN!!!
(DAN quickly walks out the office and runs off to class. KATE and JAMES look at each other wondering what’s going on.)
BRANDON: You two get back to class.
JAMES: We saw him sneak into the office.
KATE: yeah
JAMES: He went inside and was calling someone … I saw it!!
KATE: yeah, we think something’s up.
BRANDON: (thinks) OK go back to class.
KATE: I was on my way to the bathroom. (JAMES leaves back to class and KATE goes to the bathroom.)
(BRANDON wonders… and shuts the office door and locks it… then leaves.)
(Inside the bathroom, KATE dials LILY ….. no answer. .. Suddenly all the girls come into the bathroom.)
KATE: What!??!?! What are you doing here???
JI: Class is over!!!! Come on let’s go downstairs …
(JAMES waits for the girls outside the bathroom as they all run downstairs …….)
(Meanwhile, LILY is sitting down staring at the note when a phone call rings…)
LILY: (checks the caller ID as it says “UNKNOWN CALLER”) Oh no… oh no… oh no… do I answer it?
(LILY looks around…. The phone continues ringing.)
LILY: (to herself) Who is this ….
(Suddenly she hears a voice from JESSICA’s back yard. She hangs up the phone and freezes.)
VOICE: This is where my granddaughter usually stays.
ANOTHER VOICE: Can we go down there and look at the clubhouse?
VOICE: You can if you want to, but there’s no one there.
(Suddenly the voices fade away …. LILY pants in fear and sticks her head out the clubhouse window to look. There are people at JESSICA’s.)
(LILY thinks …. ‘what to do what to do.’ She decides to run out of there and go to ABE’s. But what if the police are there?
Suddenly a voice screams from behind her.)
VOICE: HEYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
LILY: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
(Back at the church, the kids are at the parking lot nearby the park.)
JAZ: (hangs up and dials again) She’s not answering!!!!!!!!!!
JAMES: What do we do?????????
JESSICA: I’ll tell my parents that I want to go home.
JI: Why?
KATE: She can go check to see if LILY’s there!!!!
JAMES: Then go!! Go home fast…. Someone go with her!
JAZ: We’ll goo!!! Let’s go JI!!!
JI: OK…
(JESSICA, JI and JAZ leave.)
KATE: What now?
(JAMES shrugs.)
(Suddenly JIMMY runs in …)
JIMMY: Heeey…. They found LILY!!! She was at Lason Park!!! (JIMMY leaves.)
(KATE and JAMES stare at each other.)
KATE: Oh noooo…
JAMES: They caught her!
(The two run off and look for the rest of the girls!!!)
TO BE CONTINUED…………………
THE END????????????
Read the other parts at:
http://readaboutjames.blogspot.com
(The story opens up at the church office. JI is in the office alone with JIMMY and BRANDON. The three are having a serious conversation …)
JIMMY: So you’re telling me that before LILY went to the Lason Foster home she had a guardian that was living with her and watching over her?
(JI nods slowly.)
JIMMY: (looks at BRANDON concerned) Sooo, the guardian knew that LILY was going to run away and that he was going to meet with her? Like a plan? A setup?
(JI nods again.)
BRANDON: And she was staying with him … but then he can’t find her?
JI: He said that she left during the middle of the night.
JIMMY: So then the guardian picked her up but then she ran away again? (JI nods.) Do the kids know about this?
JI: (looking guilty shakes her head) no …
BRANDON: Well how did you know about this?
JI: LILY told me.
JIMMY: When did you talk to LILY?
JI: (shuts her mouth after realizing that she made a mistake saying that she spoke to LILY)
BRANDON: So you know where she is?
JI: (says nothing)
JIMMY: OK, we gotta call the police, let them know …
JI: NOOOO!
BRANDON: What?
JI: Don’t tell the police.
JIMMY: What? Why?
JI: I promised her that I wouldn’t say anything.
JIMMY: JIHEE, we gotta tell the cops, the foster home is looking for her.
JI: She doesn’t want to go back there! You don’t understand! There’s a lot more that you don’t know!!
(JIMMY looks at BRANDON wondering what to do.)
(A knock is at the office door. BRANDON opens the door … the “Man” comes in.)
ABE: Hi there, my name is ABE. I’m the personal guardian of LILY.
(JIMMY suddenly looks in shock!! BRANDON drops his jaw!)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Back at the clubhouse in Lason Park, LILY finishes munching on her food and scans the park. A number of kids and parents are running about. She picks up her cell and calls ABE’s house. Nobody picks up. LILY hangs up her cell and puts all her stuff back in her backpack. She places it at the corner of the clubhouse and looks outside. She wonders and thinks. She slowly climbs down out of the clubhouse and starts walking through the park. The parents and the kids don’t notice her.
LILY casually walks … thinking for a moment, then jogs up the steps leading out of the park. She finds herself walking down Hadley Lane, the street where ABE lived at. She arrives at ABE’s house and slowly approaches the front door. She knocks on it once …. No answer. She knocks on it twice …. No answer.
LILY: UNCLE ABE!!!!!! (She knocks on the door 3x).
(She walks out to the porch and scans through the windows to see if anyone is at home. She walks to the side fence … then peeks through the other windows in the front yard… she walks thru the grass and finds a small cement nearby the lawn. She carefully lifts up the cement and finds a key. She walks to the front door and opens it …. She goes inside.
The house is dark. All the candles and lamps are off. The living room is quiet. LILY goes into ABE’s bedroom and opens his closet. She looks up at the top and sees a few boxes. As she digs around looking, she finds a strange plastic box … carefully brings it down from above her and looks at it. She sets it on the table and opens … binoculars. She grabs it and places it around her neck like a necklace. She adjusts it and puts it into focus and looks out the window to make sure the binoculars work properly. She goes to put the box back up in the closet when she finds something else fall on the floor.
LILY puts the box away and kneels down to find a leather holster. She looks at the holster and picks it up to find …… a gun inside it!
LILY gasps. She looks back at the leather jacket where she found the holster … and finds drugs!!! She also finds a slip of paper. She takes out the slip of paper and opens it. The paper reads … “1100 Grant Avenue, 220 boxes”. LILY thinks for a moment … looks at the paper …
She then folds it up… and puts it in her pocket. She picks up the holster (without touching the gun) and puts it back in the closet.
LILY is breathing in fear. She looks at the drugs inside the jacket … and then turns around to look outside the window as if someone was watching…. Then slowly she closes the closet.
Suddenly, ABE’s telephone rings.
LILY freezes …
The telephone rings once …
LILY stares at the phone.
The telephone rings twice …
LILY slowly walks up to it.
The telephone rings three times …
LILY stops.
The telephone rings once more and then the answering machine goes off ….
“This is ABE, leave a message … “
The answering machine beeps …
A deep scary voice blares …. “ABE, send the things over at 24th, I’ll meet you there tonight.”
The voice hangs up …. LILY is panting … she backs up and suddenly falls over the small table seated in center of the room and falls on the floor.
The fall was not bad, but LILY slowly wails in pain. She holds the back of her head … slowly trying to get up. She puts everything on the small table and slowly puts everything back in place. As she gets up she notices something underneath the bed.
LILY frowns and slowly looks beneath the bed.
She finds a very large black suitcase. She slowly reaches in and pulls it out.
The suitcase is hard-plated and is extremely heavy. LILY notices a small handcuff chained to the handle of the suitcase.
LILY: (she thinks for a moment then gasps) No way!!!
(LILY looks to find the button that unlocks it …. After examining it and seeing how large the suitcase is … she lets her fingers move around… as she finds a small lever She clicks it …. She opens up the suitcase …)
LILY: OHHH MYYY GOOOOSH!
(LILY gasps… she finds $100,000 in cash!)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Back at the church…. All the kids are sitting in the worship classroom, few of them talking with one another …. JIMMY and BRANDON standing in the back of the room together … several parents standing as well…. ABE is in the front of a huge classroom – big enough to fit two classes … with chairs seated from the front to the back …)
ABE: A long time ago … I got a call from the Lason Foster home. The people there told me that I had a daughter, her mother was nowhere to be found. They said that they were going to get all the information, the papers, the DNA, everything to prove that she was my blood daughter. Wow, who would’ve thought … me having a daughter. I always loved kids. I was excited and happy. They had asked me if I would consider taking two kids – but unfortunately I could only handle one you know (nervously laughs), I’m too old to handle two kids (chuckles). I went to the foster home and instantly when I saw LILY, I was soo happy and I had promised to spend a lot of time with her and to give her everything I had to offer. It all started one day when—
(At the back of the room, BRANDON and JIMMY quietly talk whispering…)
BRANDON: So he is the same guy from 4 years ago?
JIMMY: I’m positive, that scar over his right eye … he was the one that drove the car …
BRANDON: (looks harder at ABE while he talks.) Yeaaaah …. It is ….
JIMMY: Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but from what I remembered, ABE had some bad company when we ran into him a long time ago … remember those drug heists?
BRANDON: He wasn’t the one ..it was…. (tries to remember) …. JOE … JOE… that was his name….
JIMMY: You don’t think ABE is back to his old ways do you …
(The two look at ABE real closely while he talks with the kids.)
BRANDON: Do you think what happened a long time ago is still going to be today?
JIMMY: I don’t know if he’s the ABE we knew back then.
BRANDON: Just by looking at him, he seems real concerned for LILY …
JIMMY: Yeah but I’m still suspicious…
(The two watch ABE speak….)
ABE: ……. And so I just looove the kids… and having LILY gone … it’s really really made me unhappy ….
BRANDON: (stares at ABE) I don’t know … but I’ll tell you one thing, I don’t trust him either.
JIMMY: Yeah something’s going on …
BRANDON: Want me to go call DAVE at the station and find more on him?
JIMMY: Yeah, do it quietly though.
BRANDON: gotcha (BRANDON nods and slowly walks out.)
MR. DANIEL: Thank you so much ABE for coming by. OK, kids I want you guys to pick up your stuff … we’re going to get ready—
(As MR. DANIEL gathers the kids to head on to class, a few parents talk with their kids… while some come to talk to MR DANIEL. ABE walks by and shakes a few hands of the parents and then walks up to JIMMY.)
ABE: (puts out his hand to shake JIMMY’s hand) Hey thanks for having me come by.
JIMMY: Oh no problem, when we find out more about LILY, we will definitely let you know.
ABE: Let me tell you … I’m nothing without LILY … she’s the reason why I turned my life around.
(ABE takes out his wallet and pulls out a picture of LILY at a playground.)
This was taken by a friend of mine --- it’s a picture of LILY when she was 7 … ahh she such an angel.
(As JIMMY looks at the picture, she notices ABE in the photo in the background with a mean look on his face, his eyes covered with black sunglasses and wearing a long black coat holding something inside it. Also, the picture with LILY shows another kid holding her hand with the face cut off. JIMMY looks at the kid…)
JIMMY: What happened to that kid?
ABE: (looks at it) Ohh pssh… just some bad work by the photo developers …. (ABE quickly puts it back in his wallet.) Listen, I can’t thank you enough for your help. (ABE pulls out his card.) Please …. If you find out anything …. Give me a call. (ABE shakes JIMMY’s hand again and leaves. JIMMY looks at the card and stares out the door …. He thinks ….. then looks at the card.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Back at Lason Park, LILY runs into the clubhouse …. Sits down … and gets the white slip from her pocket. She looks at it and start thinking what to do. ---- Suddenly her cell phone rings.)
LILY: Hello?
JAZ: (talking secretly on the phone) Omigosh do you know your dad ABE was here???
LILY: WHAT?!?!? JAZ??? My dad? What are you talking about?? Where are you???
JAZ: We’re at church!!!! We’re hiding in the bathroom!!
LILY: Who’s with you????
JAZ: Me and KATE!!!
LILY: Wel…wait… what’s going on????
JAZ: We can’t talk long … we got class, but they’re really worried about you!
LILY: Who’s they?
JAZ: JIMMY, BRANDON, ABE, the police!!!
(Just then JI comes in the bathroom.)
KATE: JIII what are you doing here?
JI: Come on!!!! Class is starting!!
LILY: Wait wait… let me talk to KATE and JI … I have to talk to them!!!!
JAZ: (gives phone to KATE) Come on JI, let’s go back … KATE talk to LILY… (JI and JAZ leave.)
KATE: (gets on phone) Hello?
LILY: KATE, what’s going on?
KATE: They’re all looking for you. ABE … is he really your dad? He spoke to us during worship and told us about you and him.
LILY: What did he say?
KATE: He said he misses you and that he was going to get some of our parents to help search for you.
LILY: He’s not my dad!!!! Did he mention about me being at his house?
KATE: Yeah, and he also mentioned in the middle of the night when you left … …. when we all met in the clubhouse.
LILY: Oh nooooo…
KATE: I have to go…. I gotta get back to class.
LILY: I’m at the club house, my cell battery’s low, I’m going to charge it so call me if you find out anything more ok?
KATE: OK, I’ll talk to you later.
LILY: Bye (hangs up.)
(KATE hangs up. She runs to class and finds MR DANIEL talking with BRANDON and a parent. The kids are doing crafts as JI, JAMES and JAZ are sitting together with JESSICA and DAN. KATE runs in and sits down with the kids. The kids huddle together and talk quietly)
JAZ: So what happened?
KATE: (gives JAZ her cell phone) She’s at the clubhouse.
JAMES: By herself?
KATE: yeah
JESSICA: (covers her mouth) Oh no …
(Everyone looks at JESSICA)
JI: What???
JESSICA: My grandma just left to go home. She said that she was going to meet with the police to search the park!!!
(The kids look at each other in shock!)
JAMES: LILY’s in there!!!!
JAZ: We gotta get her out!!!!
JI: Hurry! Call her back!!!
(DAN gets up to leave.)
JAMES: Where’s DAN going…. DAN… where you going?
DAN: (turns around like he doesn’t care.) I’m gonna go to the bathroom.
MR DANIEL: DAN where you going? Did you finish your craft?
DAN: Can I go to the bathroom?
MR DANIEL: Yeah go ahead.
(DAN leaves …)
JAZ: Do you guys notice anything weird with DAN?
KATE: He’s always weird.
JAZ: Nooo… like isn’t he acting kind of fishy? Like weird?
(The kids stop and think.)
JI: I don’t notice anything
(JAMES gets up.)
JAMES: Let me go find out.
(JAMES gets up and leaves to go to the bathroom.)
KATE: Call LILY.
JAZ: (To Kate) Here you call LILY
KATE: How??? …
JAZ: Bathroom!!
KATE: (to MR DANIEL) MR DANIEL can I use the bathroom?
MR DANIEL: Noooo.. why is everyone going to the bathroom???
KATE: I have to gooooooooooo
MR DANIEL: Hurry back!! No one else goes!!!!
KATE: (gets up) be right back.
(KATE leaves.)
------------------------------
(As KATE walks down the hall, he notices JAMES hiding behind the office door. She frowns…)
KATE: Heeey what are you doing?????
JAMES: SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! (talking quietly) come here!!!!!
(KATE runs down the hall and stands beside JAMES. The two look through the office window.)
KATE: What am I looking at?
JAMES: Didn’t DAN say he was going to use the bathroom?
KATE: yeah.
JAMES: I saw him sneak into the office and he’s talking on the phone.
KATE: Who’s he calling?
JAMES: I don’t know, it’s hard to hear from outside.
VOICE: HEEEEY!!!!
(The kids suddenly turn around. BRANDON suddenly walks up.)
BRANDON: What are you kids doing??? (BRANDON looks inside the office and opens the door.) What are you doing on the phone???
DAN: I… uhhh… the telephone rang?
BRANDON: You’re not supposed too answer the phone DAN!!!
(DAN quickly walks out the office and runs off to class. KATE and JAMES look at each other wondering what’s going on.)
BRANDON: You two get back to class.
JAMES: We saw him sneak into the office.
KATE: yeah
JAMES: He went inside and was calling someone … I saw it!!
KATE: yeah, we think something’s up.
BRANDON: (thinks) OK go back to class.
KATE: I was on my way to the bathroom. (JAMES leaves back to class and KATE goes to the bathroom.)
(BRANDON wonders… and shuts the office door and locks it… then leaves.)
(Inside the bathroom, KATE dials LILY ….. no answer. .. Suddenly all the girls come into the bathroom.)
KATE: What!??!?! What are you doing here???
JI: Class is over!!!! Come on let’s go downstairs …
(JAMES waits for the girls outside the bathroom as they all run downstairs …….)
(Meanwhile, LILY is sitting down staring at the note when a phone call rings…)
LILY: (checks the caller ID as it says “UNKNOWN CALLER”) Oh no… oh no… oh no… do I answer it?
(LILY looks around…. The phone continues ringing.)
LILY: (to herself) Who is this ….
(Suddenly she hears a voice from JESSICA’s back yard. She hangs up the phone and freezes.)
VOICE: This is where my granddaughter usually stays.
ANOTHER VOICE: Can we go down there and look at the clubhouse?
VOICE: You can if you want to, but there’s no one there.
(Suddenly the voices fade away …. LILY pants in fear and sticks her head out the clubhouse window to look. There are people at JESSICA’s.)
(LILY thinks …. ‘what to do what to do.’ She decides to run out of there and go to ABE’s. But what if the police are there?
Suddenly a voice screams from behind her.)
VOICE: HEYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
LILY: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
(Back at the church, the kids are at the parking lot nearby the park.)
JAZ: (hangs up and dials again) She’s not answering!!!!!!!!!!
JAMES: What do we do?????????
JESSICA: I’ll tell my parents that I want to go home.
JI: Why?
KATE: She can go check to see if LILY’s there!!!!
JAMES: Then go!! Go home fast…. Someone go with her!
JAZ: We’ll goo!!! Let’s go JI!!!
JI: OK…
(JESSICA, JI and JAZ leave.)
KATE: What now?
(JAMES shrugs.)
(Suddenly JIMMY runs in …)
JIMMY: Heeey…. They found LILY!!! She was at Lason Park!!! (JIMMY leaves.)
(KATE and JAMES stare at each other.)
KATE: Oh noooo…
JAMES: They caught her!
(The two run off and look for the rest of the girls!!!)
TO BE CONTINUED…………………
THE END????????????
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
HOMELESS 2 - PART 4
READ THE REST OF THE PARTS ON THE TABS SHOWN ON THE RIGHT.
TO READ "HOMELESS 1" CLICK ON "FEBRUARY" 2009.
(The story opens up at JESSICA’S house. The time is about 4:00 in the morning Saturday. JI, JAMES and JAZ have just left the clubhouse headed back home. KATE, LILY and JESSICA are sitting in JESSICA’s room. The girls talk quietly.)
KATE: Where’s your house at LILY?
LILY: I’m over here on the other side of the park. I’m two houses away, I’ll be fine.
JESSICA: What about the foster people LILY?
LILY: I’m going to stay at my friend’s house.
JESSICA: What if the foster people ask us where you are?
KATE: Just tell them you don’t know … that’s the best thing.
LILY: I have to get going.
(JESSICA gives LILY her big backpack.)
KATE: (Looks at her backpack that was once stuffed with food) You sure got a lot to take home, you don’t need help?
LILY: (puts on her backpack) I’m ok.
KATE: Hey, call me if anything happens.
(The three girls hug as LILY leaves.)
KATE: Well, I gotta go home and make sure my parents never knew I came out here.
(JESSICA gets into her bed.)
JESSICA: (pulls out her cell phone) My grandmother got me a cell phone too.
KATE: Ohhh ok … well here take my cell number..
(The girls exchange numbers. KATE leaves and JESSICA watches …. JESSICA turns off her light and says a prayer. Then she puts the blanket over her and goes to sleep.)
(Meanwhile, somewhere else in the dark city … JI, JAZ, and JAMES walk.)
JAZ: Im soooo coooollldddd….
JI: I know me too!
JAMES: (ignores) What do you girls think about LILY’s story?
JAZ: I can’t believe that she’s ran away from three foster homes already!
JI: It’s so sad …
JAZ: Yeah, I wish I could have her stay with me. Then the three of us can spend more time with her!
JI: That would be so cool!
JAMES: I heard there’s a lot of stuff that your parents have to do if you take a foster child.
JAZ: Like what?
JAMES: I don’t know exactly, but it’s like having another sister in your family.
JI: Ohh that would be cool!! I’d love to have another sister!! My little sister bothers me so much … I could use another one!
JAZ: Pretty funny JI.
JI: Doesn’t your sister bother you much JAZ?
JAZ: Sometimes she drives me so crazy …. (grabs the end of her long hair) … look… see this (she shows JI the end of her long hair) she tried to cut my hair with a pair of baby scissors.
(JAMES suddenly stops in front of JAZ’s house.)
JAMES: OK, time to go … JAZ you have my cell number, don’t lose it!
JAZ: I won’t!!! (at JI) JI you have to get one!
JI: I knowww, but my mom says I don’t need one. She says I’m still too young to have one.
JAZ: Well, ok ----
(JAMES points at JAZ’s window.)
JAMES: Did you leave your window open?
(The three look … JAZ’s window has been left open … )
JAZ: Omigosh, what if someone’s inside?
JAMES: No one’s in there…. And if they did, your parents would’ve found out.
JI: Why did you leave it open?
JAZ: I was soo scared when I came out (angrily at JAMES) you had to scare me you poop! (she smacks JAMES on the shoulder)
JAMES: Owwww… stop … (turns around at the street) I gotta go. (looks back) I’ll talk to you later!!!
(JAMES leaves.)
JAZ: OK JI Check your e-mail often since you don’t have a phone, that’s the only way I can reach you.
JI: OK … (looks at JAMES) Omigosh I’m not gonna walk home alone… (shouts at JAMES walking away) JAAAAAMESSS!! WAAIIT!!!!
JAZ: Shhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! My family’s asleep!!!!
(JI runs off. JAZ slowly walks to the window of her room. She peaks inside the dark. She starts getting scared. Then she pulls out her cell phone and turns on the cell flash light to peek inside. The room looks as if no one was in there. She slowly climbs inside. The window shuts.)
(The end of the night has come.)
(It is now early afternoon on Saturday. We open up at the church office. JIMMY is on the telephone talking.)
JIMMY: …. Well we’re very sad to know that he won’t be going to school anymore with all his friends here … uh-huh … ok … oh did you hear? We got BRANDON who’s going to be active both at the school and here at the church… yeah … he’ll be helping me out and the kids too…. We’ll just have to see what the situation is with LILY … mm-hmm …. Mm-hmm… ok (checks his watch) well look, I have to go, I’ll talk to you soon… OK …. OK …. Talk to you soon … thanks … bye.
(JIMMY hangs up. He sits there staring at the paper on the desk in front of him … then he picks up the phone and calls MR. DANIEL.)
MR. DANIEL: (answers) Hello?
JIMMY: Hey its me…
MR. DANIEL: Ahh .. tell me … what happened?
JIMMY: Well, BRANDON has moved and is no longer going to attend Lason. They haven’t told me where he’s going but he’ll also be moving to another church.
MR. DANIEL: That’s sad, he was a good kid.
JIMMY: Yeah, a good kid, but he’s also had some problems as well… similar to LILY’s.
MR. DANIEL: Yeah I heard a little bit about that. Do you think his little fight with DANIEL had anything to do with it?
JIMMY: mmmmm I don’t know … DANIEL’s having problems also but it’s minor compared to what BRANDON or LILY’s going through.
MR. DANIEL: Well, ok I have to get going …
JIMMY: Before you hang up, I wanted to let you know BRANDON’s coming by to see me.
MR. DANIEL: ?????? BRANDON???
JIMMY: Not the little BRANDON … big BRANDON…
MR. DANIEL: Ohhhhhhhh ok… he’s going to help out?
JIMMY: Yeah, he got a place over here nearby and will be helping me out with the kids.
MR. DANIEL: Niiice…
JIMMY: I’ll talk to you later on … I’m gonna go.
MR. DANIEL: Ok, talk to you later.
JIMMY: Later
(JIMMY hangs up. He gets his keys and leaves the office.)
(Meanwhile, at JAZ’s place … she wakes up and checks the clock. 1:00pm! – She had slept through the entire morning!! She opens up the curtain and find the bright sun shining through her window. She puts on her glasses and gets her remote. She turns on the TV and watches.)
REPORTER ON TV: For those who have just tuned in, the latest news today on the missing runaway is that local police have yet to find any leads as far as the whereabouts of the missing girl. The incident happened yesterday afternoon about a quarter past 4 when witnesses say a girl, about 11 years of age, was seen running across 12th and 13th street just across this supermarket. Now those who saw the girl saw her run off and had dodged a few ongoing cars that were speeding at rates of 30-50 miles per hour, a dangerous situation. Thankfully, there were no collisions nor any reports of the girl being struck. At this time, police and investigators are talking to officials at the Lason Foster Center to figure out where the girl could be. We have not gotten anything further but it looks like the search for the child will be continuing on throughout the day.
(JAZ grabs her cell and calls JAMES.)
JAMES ON PHONE: Hello?
JAZ: James!!
JAMES: Did you see the news?
JAZ: Yeaaaaah!! They’re talking about LILY!!!!
JAMES: Did you call her??
JAZ: I forgot to get her number!! I don’t have it!!!
JAMES: Oh wow they put her picture on TV!
JAZ: What!?!??! Which channel?
JAMES: Turn to channel 2!
(JAZ grabs the remote and turns it to channel 2)
JAZ: (gasps) Omigosh!!
JAMES: You call JI and find out if she knows anything. I have to go out with my parents right now!
JAZ: OK (just as JAZ is about to hang up, she gets a phone call on the other line. JAZ answers it.) Hello??
KATE: JAZ!! It’s KATE!
JAZ: Did you see LILY on tv???
KATE: LILY was on TV???
JAZ: The police are looking for her!!
KATE: No waaaay…
JAZ: Yeaaah, do you have LILY’s number???
KATE: Yeaaaah I do… but she isn’t answering her phone, I keep getting her voicemail!
JAZ: Omigosh this is so scarryyy….
KATE: Not reaaallly…….
JAZ: Wait.. who was she staying with when we all went home last night?
KATE: I don’t knowww…. You know what.. she never really told us that…
(The two suddenly stop… and think.)
KATE: My mom was watching the news and she asked me if I knew her.
JAZ: What did you say?
KATE: I said yes… it was LILY, she goes to my school.
JAZ: You didn’t say anything more did you?
KATE: No…
JAZ: Well I’m here at home but there’s no one here … I don’t know where my parents are.
KATE: I’m headed over to church. Why don’t you meet me there?
JAZ: No one’s home … I don’t have a ride. I just woke up a little while ago.
KATE: I got up at about 11:00.
JAZ: yeah when I woke up, no one was here.
KATE: Well, Me, JI and JESSICA are going there …
JAZ: Ask your mom if I can get a ride.
KATE: OK …
JAZ: I have to go jump in the shower, text me and find out if she can pick me up.
KATE: OK we’re leaving in about an hour.
JAZ: Then I better hurry – I’ll talk to you later.
KATE: OK Bye.
(The two hang up.)
(At the church, a car drives up and parks on the parking lot. A man gets out of his car and chirps his alarm. He digs into his pocket and looks at his cell and starts text messaging. As he walks up the steps of the church he goes into the hallway. He puts the cell in his pocket and opens the office. JIMMY is there.)
BRANDON: (enters the office.) Heey whatsup
JIMMY: Hey …. (gets BRANDON to sit down.) So how did everything go?
BRANDON: Good … the kids are doing good, so far everything is the way it should be.
JIMMY: Did you get the info on LILY?
BRANDON: Yeah, I talked to a few of the officers and they already have their guys out searching. What are you doing with the kids today?
JIMMY: (looks over his papers at the desk.) I don’t know, but I have a hunch someone knows something and I’m pretty sure we can get to the bottom of this.
BRANDON: Shouldn’t we get the police involved?
JIMMY: Welll … I want to keep this low profile before I contact the police. Right now I want to see what these kids know. (checks the time) They should be here … let’s go downstairs.
(BRANDON and JIMMY walk out of the office. Inside the office underneath the desk … DAN is hiding and comes out from the desk wondering.)
(Meanwhile at Lason Park … LILY looks around and suddenly races through the field. With the same backpack hoisted on her back … she runs up into the hlill.. and goes inside the clubhouse. She peeks inside the clubhouse.. and finds it deserted. She slowly climbs into the clubhouse and takes off her backpack. She opens it and digs all her belongings and takes it out. She looks up at the camera and gets a large paper towel tissue. She grabs one of the small chairs and sets it beneath the camera. She stands on the chair and gets the large paper towel and covers it.)
(As she continues pulling out all her stuff from her bag, she gets her cell phone and goes up the hill to JESSICA’s backyard. LILY looks around and peers at the backyard window to see if JESSICA or anyone is home. She gets her cell phone and dials JESSICA’s cell number.
No answer.)
She climbs back down to the clubhouse and pulls out a small bottle of orange juice, a sandwich when suddenly the cell phone rings.)
LILY: (answers) Hello?
VOICE: Heeey …
LILY: Why are you calling me?
VOICE: JIMMY’s looking for you!
LILY: Duhhh … the whole city’s looking for me.
VOICE: Where are you?
LILY: Where are you!
VOICE: I’m at the church!
LILY: Jimmy’s church?
VOICE: Yeaaah, I’m hungry….
LILY: Well, go find some food I have to go.
VOICE: Wait…
LILY: What?
VOICE: What do I say if the kids start talking to me?
LILY: Don’t tell them about me and you….
VOICE: Why?
LILY: Just don’t!!!! Look I gotta go… (LILY hangs up.)
(Suddenly, two police cars drive past through the park. LILY hides behind the clubhouse window. She looks through her cell.)
LILY: JESSICA where are you…..
(At the church, parents and kids are gathered at the parking lot. JIMMY, BRANDON and others are talking with officers as the kids are taken out to the social hall. JIMMY and BRANDON shake hands with the police and the officers leave. JI, JAZ, JAMES, KATE and JESSICA are at the church and sit together at the table.)
JESSICA: What is JIMMY gonna tell us?
JI: I don’t know.
JAZ: Should we say anything that LILY said last night?
KATE: I think we should just see how much they know about LILY, then we can decide.
JAMES: Whatever you guys do, don’t mention the clubhouse.
JAZ: Yeah
(DAN suddenly walks by and sees the kids… )
JAMES: Hey it’s DAN
KATE: DAN did you get suspended? We heard what happened at school.
JI: Yeah, what did your parents say?
DAN: (shrugs) Nothing …
JAZ: Did you hear about LILY?
DAN: Noo, what happened?
JESSICA: She’s missing.
DAN: Ohhhh …. (gets up to leave.) I’ll be back.
(The kids watch DAN walk away… BRANDON walks by… sees the kids.)
BRANDON: Kids, hey come on upstairs, we’re going to start class. Come on!
(The kids all get up and start walking off to class. A car slowly drives up and parks into the parking lot. The “man” in the car slowly gets out of the car … and slowly walks toward the classroom to join the kids. He looks around and stops. He looks over at the tables … then slowly walks to the church ….
To meet the kids.)
TO BE CONTINUED….
WHAT HAPPENS TO LILY…. WHO IS THE “MAN”????
TO READ "HOMELESS 1" CLICK ON "FEBRUARY" 2009.
(The story opens up at JESSICA’S house. The time is about 4:00 in the morning Saturday. JI, JAMES and JAZ have just left the clubhouse headed back home. KATE, LILY and JESSICA are sitting in JESSICA’s room. The girls talk quietly.)
KATE: Where’s your house at LILY?
LILY: I’m over here on the other side of the park. I’m two houses away, I’ll be fine.
JESSICA: What about the foster people LILY?
LILY: I’m going to stay at my friend’s house.
JESSICA: What if the foster people ask us where you are?
KATE: Just tell them you don’t know … that’s the best thing.
LILY: I have to get going.
(JESSICA gives LILY her big backpack.)
KATE: (Looks at her backpack that was once stuffed with food) You sure got a lot to take home, you don’t need help?
LILY: (puts on her backpack) I’m ok.
KATE: Hey, call me if anything happens.
(The three girls hug as LILY leaves.)
KATE: Well, I gotta go home and make sure my parents never knew I came out here.
(JESSICA gets into her bed.)
JESSICA: (pulls out her cell phone) My grandmother got me a cell phone too.
KATE: Ohhh ok … well here take my cell number..
(The girls exchange numbers. KATE leaves and JESSICA watches …. JESSICA turns off her light and says a prayer. Then she puts the blanket over her and goes to sleep.)
(Meanwhile, somewhere else in the dark city … JI, JAZ, and JAMES walk.)
JAZ: Im soooo coooollldddd….
JI: I know me too!
JAMES: (ignores) What do you girls think about LILY’s story?
JAZ: I can’t believe that she’s ran away from three foster homes already!
JI: It’s so sad …
JAZ: Yeah, I wish I could have her stay with me. Then the three of us can spend more time with her!
JI: That would be so cool!
JAMES: I heard there’s a lot of stuff that your parents have to do if you take a foster child.
JAZ: Like what?
JAMES: I don’t know exactly, but it’s like having another sister in your family.
JI: Ohh that would be cool!! I’d love to have another sister!! My little sister bothers me so much … I could use another one!
JAZ: Pretty funny JI.
JI: Doesn’t your sister bother you much JAZ?
JAZ: Sometimes she drives me so crazy …. (grabs the end of her long hair) … look… see this (she shows JI the end of her long hair) she tried to cut my hair with a pair of baby scissors.
(JAMES suddenly stops in front of JAZ’s house.)
JAMES: OK, time to go … JAZ you have my cell number, don’t lose it!
JAZ: I won’t!!! (at JI) JI you have to get one!
JI: I knowww, but my mom says I don’t need one. She says I’m still too young to have one.
JAZ: Well, ok ----
(JAMES points at JAZ’s window.)
JAMES: Did you leave your window open?
(The three look … JAZ’s window has been left open … )
JAZ: Omigosh, what if someone’s inside?
JAMES: No one’s in there…. And if they did, your parents would’ve found out.
JI: Why did you leave it open?
JAZ: I was soo scared when I came out (angrily at JAMES) you had to scare me you poop! (she smacks JAMES on the shoulder)
JAMES: Owwww… stop … (turns around at the street) I gotta go. (looks back) I’ll talk to you later!!!
(JAMES leaves.)
JAZ: OK JI Check your e-mail often since you don’t have a phone, that’s the only way I can reach you.
JI: OK … (looks at JAMES) Omigosh I’m not gonna walk home alone… (shouts at JAMES walking away) JAAAAAMESSS!! WAAIIT!!!!
JAZ: Shhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! My family’s asleep!!!!
(JI runs off. JAZ slowly walks to the window of her room. She peaks inside the dark. She starts getting scared. Then she pulls out her cell phone and turns on the cell flash light to peek inside. The room looks as if no one was in there. She slowly climbs inside. The window shuts.)
(The end of the night has come.)
(It is now early afternoon on Saturday. We open up at the church office. JIMMY is on the telephone talking.)
JIMMY: …. Well we’re very sad to know that he won’t be going to school anymore with all his friends here … uh-huh … ok … oh did you hear? We got BRANDON who’s going to be active both at the school and here at the church… yeah … he’ll be helping me out and the kids too…. We’ll just have to see what the situation is with LILY … mm-hmm …. Mm-hmm… ok (checks his watch) well look, I have to go, I’ll talk to you soon… OK …. OK …. Talk to you soon … thanks … bye.
(JIMMY hangs up. He sits there staring at the paper on the desk in front of him … then he picks up the phone and calls MR. DANIEL.)
MR. DANIEL: (answers) Hello?
JIMMY: Hey its me…
MR. DANIEL: Ahh .. tell me … what happened?
JIMMY: Well, BRANDON has moved and is no longer going to attend Lason. They haven’t told me where he’s going but he’ll also be moving to another church.
MR. DANIEL: That’s sad, he was a good kid.
JIMMY: Yeah, a good kid, but he’s also had some problems as well… similar to LILY’s.
MR. DANIEL: Yeah I heard a little bit about that. Do you think his little fight with DANIEL had anything to do with it?
JIMMY: mmmmm I don’t know … DANIEL’s having problems also but it’s minor compared to what BRANDON or LILY’s going through.
MR. DANIEL: Well, ok I have to get going …
JIMMY: Before you hang up, I wanted to let you know BRANDON’s coming by to see me.
MR. DANIEL: ?????? BRANDON???
JIMMY: Not the little BRANDON … big BRANDON…
MR. DANIEL: Ohhhhhhhh ok… he’s going to help out?
JIMMY: Yeah, he got a place over here nearby and will be helping me out with the kids.
MR. DANIEL: Niiice…
JIMMY: I’ll talk to you later on … I’m gonna go.
MR. DANIEL: Ok, talk to you later.
JIMMY: Later
(JIMMY hangs up. He gets his keys and leaves the office.)
(Meanwhile, at JAZ’s place … she wakes up and checks the clock. 1:00pm! – She had slept through the entire morning!! She opens up the curtain and find the bright sun shining through her window. She puts on her glasses and gets her remote. She turns on the TV and watches.)
REPORTER ON TV: For those who have just tuned in, the latest news today on the missing runaway is that local police have yet to find any leads as far as the whereabouts of the missing girl. The incident happened yesterday afternoon about a quarter past 4 when witnesses say a girl, about 11 years of age, was seen running across 12th and 13th street just across this supermarket. Now those who saw the girl saw her run off and had dodged a few ongoing cars that were speeding at rates of 30-50 miles per hour, a dangerous situation. Thankfully, there were no collisions nor any reports of the girl being struck. At this time, police and investigators are talking to officials at the Lason Foster Center to figure out where the girl could be. We have not gotten anything further but it looks like the search for the child will be continuing on throughout the day.
(JAZ grabs her cell and calls JAMES.)
JAMES ON PHONE: Hello?
JAZ: James!!
JAMES: Did you see the news?
JAZ: Yeaaaaah!! They’re talking about LILY!!!!
JAMES: Did you call her??
JAZ: I forgot to get her number!! I don’t have it!!!
JAMES: Oh wow they put her picture on TV!
JAZ: What!?!??! Which channel?
JAMES: Turn to channel 2!
(JAZ grabs the remote and turns it to channel 2)
JAZ: (gasps) Omigosh!!
JAMES: You call JI and find out if she knows anything. I have to go out with my parents right now!
JAZ: OK (just as JAZ is about to hang up, she gets a phone call on the other line. JAZ answers it.) Hello??
KATE: JAZ!! It’s KATE!
JAZ: Did you see LILY on tv???
KATE: LILY was on TV???
JAZ: The police are looking for her!!
KATE: No waaaay…
JAZ: Yeaaah, do you have LILY’s number???
KATE: Yeaaaah I do… but she isn’t answering her phone, I keep getting her voicemail!
JAZ: Omigosh this is so scarryyy….
KATE: Not reaaallly…….
JAZ: Wait.. who was she staying with when we all went home last night?
KATE: I don’t knowww…. You know what.. she never really told us that…
(The two suddenly stop… and think.)
KATE: My mom was watching the news and she asked me if I knew her.
JAZ: What did you say?
KATE: I said yes… it was LILY, she goes to my school.
JAZ: You didn’t say anything more did you?
KATE: No…
JAZ: Well I’m here at home but there’s no one here … I don’t know where my parents are.
KATE: I’m headed over to church. Why don’t you meet me there?
JAZ: No one’s home … I don’t have a ride. I just woke up a little while ago.
KATE: I got up at about 11:00.
JAZ: yeah when I woke up, no one was here.
KATE: Well, Me, JI and JESSICA are going there …
JAZ: Ask your mom if I can get a ride.
KATE: OK …
JAZ: I have to go jump in the shower, text me and find out if she can pick me up.
KATE: OK we’re leaving in about an hour.
JAZ: Then I better hurry – I’ll talk to you later.
KATE: OK Bye.
(The two hang up.)
(At the church, a car drives up and parks on the parking lot. A man gets out of his car and chirps his alarm. He digs into his pocket and looks at his cell and starts text messaging. As he walks up the steps of the church he goes into the hallway. He puts the cell in his pocket and opens the office. JIMMY is there.)
BRANDON: (enters the office.) Heey whatsup
JIMMY: Hey …. (gets BRANDON to sit down.) So how did everything go?
BRANDON: Good … the kids are doing good, so far everything is the way it should be.
JIMMY: Did you get the info on LILY?
BRANDON: Yeah, I talked to a few of the officers and they already have their guys out searching. What are you doing with the kids today?
JIMMY: (looks over his papers at the desk.) I don’t know, but I have a hunch someone knows something and I’m pretty sure we can get to the bottom of this.
BRANDON: Shouldn’t we get the police involved?
JIMMY: Welll … I want to keep this low profile before I contact the police. Right now I want to see what these kids know. (checks the time) They should be here … let’s go downstairs.
(BRANDON and JIMMY walk out of the office. Inside the office underneath the desk … DAN is hiding and comes out from the desk wondering.)
(Meanwhile at Lason Park … LILY looks around and suddenly races through the field. With the same backpack hoisted on her back … she runs up into the hlill.. and goes inside the clubhouse. She peeks inside the clubhouse.. and finds it deserted. She slowly climbs into the clubhouse and takes off her backpack. She opens it and digs all her belongings and takes it out. She looks up at the camera and gets a large paper towel tissue. She grabs one of the small chairs and sets it beneath the camera. She stands on the chair and gets the large paper towel and covers it.)
(As she continues pulling out all her stuff from her bag, she gets her cell phone and goes up the hill to JESSICA’s backyard. LILY looks around and peers at the backyard window to see if JESSICA or anyone is home. She gets her cell phone and dials JESSICA’s cell number.
No answer.)
She climbs back down to the clubhouse and pulls out a small bottle of orange juice, a sandwich when suddenly the cell phone rings.)
LILY: (answers) Hello?
VOICE: Heeey …
LILY: Why are you calling me?
VOICE: JIMMY’s looking for you!
LILY: Duhhh … the whole city’s looking for me.
VOICE: Where are you?
LILY: Where are you!
VOICE: I’m at the church!
LILY: Jimmy’s church?
VOICE: Yeaaah, I’m hungry….
LILY: Well, go find some food I have to go.
VOICE: Wait…
LILY: What?
VOICE: What do I say if the kids start talking to me?
LILY: Don’t tell them about me and you….
VOICE: Why?
LILY: Just don’t!!!! Look I gotta go… (LILY hangs up.)
(Suddenly, two police cars drive past through the park. LILY hides behind the clubhouse window. She looks through her cell.)
LILY: JESSICA where are you…..
(At the church, parents and kids are gathered at the parking lot. JIMMY, BRANDON and others are talking with officers as the kids are taken out to the social hall. JIMMY and BRANDON shake hands with the police and the officers leave. JI, JAZ, JAMES, KATE and JESSICA are at the church and sit together at the table.)
JESSICA: What is JIMMY gonna tell us?
JI: I don’t know.
JAZ: Should we say anything that LILY said last night?
KATE: I think we should just see how much they know about LILY, then we can decide.
JAMES: Whatever you guys do, don’t mention the clubhouse.
JAZ: Yeah
(DAN suddenly walks by and sees the kids… )
JAMES: Hey it’s DAN
KATE: DAN did you get suspended? We heard what happened at school.
JI: Yeah, what did your parents say?
DAN: (shrugs) Nothing …
JAZ: Did you hear about LILY?
DAN: Noo, what happened?
JESSICA: She’s missing.
DAN: Ohhhh …. (gets up to leave.) I’ll be back.
(The kids watch DAN walk away… BRANDON walks by… sees the kids.)
BRANDON: Kids, hey come on upstairs, we’re going to start class. Come on!
(The kids all get up and start walking off to class. A car slowly drives up and parks into the parking lot. The “man” in the car slowly gets out of the car … and slowly walks toward the classroom to join the kids. He looks around and stops. He looks over at the tables … then slowly walks to the church ….
To meet the kids.)
TO BE CONTINUED….
WHAT HAPPENS TO LILY…. WHO IS THE “MAN”????
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