Something To Look Forward To

By
Henry J. Baugh

BuffaloWilder@yahoo.com
Light in our eyes, out of the stark black - and, white walls
and floors. A porcelain sink - a small gob of blood and
saliva drips into it. And, we’re in -

INT. BATHROOM
Obvious, in hindsight. A bleary-eyed face looks at us, in
the mirror, a small line of blood still dribbling down his
chin. He blows, and something flies out of his mouth,
clattering on the mirror, and into the sink. He grabs the
towel immediately next to the sink, wiping his face.
Turns on the faucet, washing the mix of bodily fluids away,
down the drain.
This is JONATHAN.
He stands up a little straighter, and gives himself a look
over. There’s a line of what kind of look like stitches that
runs over his left shoulder, and another near his stomach.
He runs his hand over the set on his abdomen.
Enough of this nonsense. He slides on the loose T-shirt
lying next to the sink -
JONATHAN
(v.o.)
I’m an optimist.

INT. KITCHEN
Into a glass, tea pours. Ice cubes. Jonathan takes a gulp,
and grimaces from the twinge of the nerves -
JONATHAN
(v.o.)
This will heal up pretty soon.
It’s night outside. He walks out of the kitchen, and flops
down on the couch, turning on the television.
ON THE TELEVISION
It’s a news report - masses of people, in the downtown
streets. And, there’s a line of men in uniform, coming from
the opposite side - never stopping, only slowing to fire
something in the air every so often, or into the crowd.
There’s some narration, but it doesn’t matter. It fades in
and out of focus. It soon seems to devolve into a weird sort
of montage of images:

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.

- fists, thrust in the air

- several large white control-vans rolling by
- batons thrust against skulls
- one car takes off, like a bat of hell.
Faster and faster, and faster and faster, and -
CUT TO

EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX - DAY

Jonathan presses the ’release’ button, and pushes open the
gate door - behind him, we can see, there’s a small camera
mounted on the top of the gate’s left supporting pillar.
And, directly opposite, another one on the right.
He walks slowly, cautiously - head held low, decked out in a
it’s-really-too-small blue hoodie.
CUT TO
Jonathan pushes through a small wall of reeds and brush,
into what seems to be a makeshift walkway, made of old
crates and we’re in -

EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE - DAY

Across the parking lot, there’s another one of those
conspicuous white vans - just sitting there, idly. We can
see, in the driver’s seat, there’s what looks like a
policeman, eyes hidden behind a pair of thick glasses.
Jonathan hops up onto the sidewalk, and toward the door of
the "In ’N Out -"

INT. CONVENIENCE STORE - DAY

He makes his way to the counter, and leans in toward the
cashier.
JONATHAN
How long has he been out there?
CASHIER
I don’t know. He was there when I
got here this morning.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.

Jonathan "mmm’s" in reply, and turns to look at something

O.S.
CUT TO

EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE - DAY

Jonathan stops outside the door, and gives the van a look.
The driver seems to acknowledge it, waving him away.

EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX - DAY

Jonathan stops outside the gate, at the code input - starts
to punch it in. He looks up.
The white van is making its way toward him, slowly.
The gate starts to slide open, and he practically jumps over
the iron guide, heading behind the fence and again keeping
his head lowered.
The van slows - there’s a noise.
Jonathan looks up. The Driver is tapping his finger on the
window, looking at him.
And, he just keeps doing it.

INT. LIVING ROOM

Jonathan doesn’t stop - he pulls the drink he bought out of
the sack, leaving it on the floor, and heads toward the back
door, onto -

EXT. THE PORCH

- letting loose a breath of air long held in. Taking a swig
of drink.
CUT TO
It’s the news again. Over a hastily filmed video that looks
like it was shot out of the back of a moving truck, we hear
the anchor trying to quickly get his words out -
- at intervals of every fifteen-or-so feet, there are what
look like policemen stationed. There’s even a riot officer
or two, there.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.

The camera moves, revealing the anchor speaking straight

into it, smiling widely. He points back in their general
direction -
CUT TO

INT. DART BUS (MOVING)

Jonathan sits at the back, his hand held up to block out the
surrounding noise.

EXT. DOWNTOWN GARLAND - DAY

As the bus putters off, Jonathan heads across the street,
toward the Wal-Mart parking lot.
Someone’s crossing over to join him, mid-stride. He’s a
gawky looking fellow, in khaki shorts. They don’t notice
each other at first. Jonathan does a double-take when he
realizes how close he really is, this GUY.
GUY
Say, man. You smoke?
JONATHAN
What? No.
GUY
Oh. That’s cool.
The guy still hasn’t let up.
GUY
...You drink?
JONATHAN
No. No, I don’t drink.
GUY
Man, ’cause you know, I could go
for one, right about now. Shit.
Shit.
He rubs the back of his head.
GUY
Man, I got to get out.
Jonathan turns around.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5.

JONATHAN
What?
The guy shrugs it off.
GUY
Oh, nothing. I was just yakkin’ off
by myself, you know.
Jonathan stops.
GUY
Say, man. You know I didn’t catch
your name, right?
JONATHAN
It’s Arthur.
The guy turns his head over to the other side.
GUY
A-say it again, would you? Got this
ear, you know.
Jonathan leans in a little.
JONATHAN
It’s Arthur Harris.
The guy holds his hand out.
GUY
Ah, well. I’m Gary Odd.
Jonathan shakes it, still a little apprehensive of this guy,
this Gary Odd. Gary looks off over to the side - there’s two
riot policemen, walking semi-leisurely down the sidewalk.
GUY
Now, why the hell are they sending
them down here, anyhow?
He turns back to face Jonathan.
GUY
What d’you think?
Jonathan shrugs.
GUY
If I were a smart man - but I’m
not, don’t get me wrong - I’d get
me up in my car, and get out
somewheres.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.

(beat)
’Cause, I mean - it’s gonna start
getting all to hell down here,
pretty soon.
Jonathan nods. Gary snaps off, onto a different tangent.
GUY
I mean, how old are you, anyhow?
JONATHAN
Nineteen.
GUY
Ah. You go to college, right?
JONATHAN
Yeah - well, I mean I did, until
they started the raids, and all of
that.
GUY
You live on campus?
JONATHAN
Oh, no. I’ve got an apartment off
down by the lake.
GUY
Lakeside, ah.
They shuffle about, the both of them, still talking -

INT. WAL-MART - DAY

Jonathan, alone, stands off in the "10 Items or Less" lane,
in his basket a loaf or two of bread, a liter of Coke, etc.

BANG!
From outside - it was one shot, but it was loud. Heads turn.
BANG! BANG!

Leaving his things on the platform, Jonathan heads over to

the exit foyer, where a small crowd of similarly minded
people are also making their way.
Outside, in the parking lot, the two riot policemen - and
there’s an extra two, now - are alternating between shooting
into the sky and standing prostrate by their van.
No real harm done.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 7.

FADE TO BLACK
Over the bare middle of John Powell’s "Fun Food Storm,"
there’s a small boxed-in montage set in the middle of the
screen -
- More of those vans.
- Two people, carted off in front of a small crowd by two of
the policemen
- Eggs, rocks - various objects being pelted at the windows,
and we’re inside the van
- Shots fired into the air, toward the crowd
And, it just declines onward, from there. Faster and faster,
until the piece reaches its levelling off point, about a
minute or so in.
CUT TO
the open trunk of a car, filled with bags - duffel bags,
backpacks, trashbags.
It shuts, and we’re in -

EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX - DAY

- the parking lot, as Jonathan loads up his beat up old
automobile. It’s no wonder he took the bus, with this thing.
He’s talking on the phone to someone - fast, hasty - as, in
the background, we can see a similarly small car filled to
the absolute brim with stuff taking off. People are outside,
crowded around and talking.
CUT TO

INT. CAR (MOVING)

...as we leave the front gate, and Jonathan gives a glance
back inside. Starts to turn left - in the distance, outside,
there’s another of those white vans and some little
congestion on the sidewalk, and in the streets.
CUT TO
FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 8.

...as we approach the overpass, and there’s not another car

on it, unusually. At the rise, the freeway stretches into
the distance.
We’re coming down onto the incline, and merging gradually
onto the freeway by way of the side street. But, instead -
we keep on the side street.

INT. CAR (MOVING)

...as we cross over to the other side of the road, under the
highway overpass.
Jonathan does a double take - there must be at least
thirteen or fourteen people crouched underneath the
pass, on the slope.
CUT TO

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

Now, there’s no more buildings. On either side, only
makeshift wire mesh fence and weeds. And a long, stretching
road.
There’s Jonathan’s car, now.
CUT TO

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - SUNDOWN

A different portion of road, now - this one overlooking a
pasture, with cows dotted here and there.

INT. CAR (MOVING)

Jonathan takes a glance at the empty landscape, and casually
starts to slow the car down.
Puts it to a stop.
He cracks his neck, and puts his seat in reclined position -
pulling a small pillow out from the back seat.
CUT TO
THE CAR, FROM THE OUTSIDE
CUT TO

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 9.

...black, for a couple of moments.

JONATHAN
(v.o.)
You get down to Arkansas alright?
There’s a murmer of response, as if from the other end of a
phone line.
JONATHAN
(v.o.)
I’m - listen - I’m going to try to
be down there by the end of this
week, alright?
CUT TO

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - MORNING

Jonathan, standing by his car, looking down the road and
talking on the phone.
JONATHAN
I have to come in a - in a kind of
roundabout way. I’m pretty certain
they’ve got something set up on the
highway, or something.
(beat)
Alright. Alright. Listen mom, I
love you too - alright - and if I’m
not there by then, tell Richard
when he gets there that he needs to
call me.
(beat)
Alright. I’ve gotta go. Alright.
Bye.
He hangs up.
That road just keeps going.

INT. CAR (MOVING) - NIGHT

There’s only a portion of the road lit in front of the car,
now. Wait - what was that, out of the corner of the eye,
just there?
Jonathan gives a quick glance over to the side, out the
window - it’s people, traveling in groups over the wheat
grasses, and nearer, on the sides of the road.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 10.

One of them, nearer the back of the frame, nudges someone

else, and then another.
All at once, they’re walking in pace by the side of the car.
Jonathan’s eyes dart back and forth between the road ahead
and the window, trying to keep an eye on these guys without
looking too nervous.
He still isn’t going too fast.
The door’s being pulled open! Jonathan gives a small start -
grabs the door handle and pulls back, suddenly - slamming
the fingers in the door jam. There’s a scream and a shout
from the outside, and the guy pulls his hand back -
The car starts to speed up --
Someone’s struggling to get in, on the passenger side!
They’ve got their ass on the seat - whoever it is puts his
hands up, feigning pass.
Jonathan brings the car to a stop, on a dime. He’s thrown
forward a fair bit, but you should see the other guy - he’s
lying half-in and half-out, head resting on the dash.
Jonathan looks behind, out the back window - there’s five or
six now running up close. He turns back to the guy lying in
the passenger side, and undoes his belt - pushes him out as
quick as he can by the shoulders, and closes the door.
Starts moving again - the six guys have stopped to check out
their buddy, still lying on the ground.

THWACK!
Something’s hit the windshield! The car goes astray, for a
minute - he regains control, quickly enough. Presses onward,
faster than before. Leaving the rabble behind.
At first, all he can do is breath in loud, short bursts -
but, then the laughter starts to come. First, it sounds a
little uneasy, but then it starts to really flow.
CUT TO

EXT. LAKE WHITNEY - DEKATIE BRIDGE - DAY

The lake stretches out long on either side, and it’s still a
ways yet until we’ve reached the other end.
But, the car starts to slow.
 11.

INT. CAR (MOVING) - DAY

JONATHAN
God damn it all to hell - -
It’s going at a snail’s pace, right now.
Stops.
Stillness. Jonathan doesn’t perceptably move, for a minute.
But, we can hear him breathing.
Then, he pulls out his phone again.
CUT TO
It’s been a while - the sun’s lower in the sky. There’s
lines of worry across Jonathan’s face. It looks hot, really.
He’s looking down at his phone, holding it in his lap.
Pressing numbers.
He sets the phone up on the dashboard, and lets it ring.
And ring.
And ring.
And ring.
CUT TO

EXT. LAKE WHITNEY - DEKATIE BRIDGE - DAY

Jonathan’s outside the car, starting to walk forward,
unsure. He looks back at the other end of the bridge - then
at the one ahead of him.
The phone’s clutched in his hand, still ringing.
He stops, stalk still. He really isn’t at all sure about
this.
CUT TO
Ah, there he goes. Set against the water, he keeps walking -
long strides, face set. We can still hear him breathing.
CUT TO
Jonathan, approaching in the distance. As he gets closer, we
can see now that he’s wearing a backpack - it looks a little
heavy.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 12.

FADE TO BLACK.