How Death Got a Life By Ian VanDuzer

EXT. CITY STREET BUS STOP - DAY We open uncomfortably close to a FATASSs mouth. Little bit of mustard in the corner. He chomps down on a McGangbang as we cut out a bit farther... And then again, to reveal the FATASS, early 20s, slovenly, unkempt beard and hair. A real wreck. He doesnt look healthy at all. Itd be sad if it wasnt so disgusting. Beside him stands a BLACK HOODED figure, gaunt and skeletal. This is DEATH. Ageless. A literal skull for a face. He fishes an antique pocketwatch from his robe. We can hear it TICKING. Death stares at it for a moment, and then suddenly it RINGS. Death COUGHS, getting the Fatasss attention. The Fatass turns towards Death with a "huh?" Death taps him on his forehead. The Fatasss eyes roll up into his skull. He crumples like a jenga tower. Unperturbed, Death swings his watch around on its chain and goes off walking down the street. EXT. CITY STREET RESIDENTIAL AREA - DAY Death is swinging his watch in circles as he strolls down the sidewalk. Suddenly the TICKING from the watch just... stops. Death notices immediately. He examines the watch closely. Hes a touch nervous. Taps it on its face - nothing. EXT. ELIS WATCH REPAIR SHOP - DAY Less than an hour later. Death standing in front of the storefront. Bony hand clenched protectively around the watch. INT. ELIS WATCH REPAIR SHOP - DAY A bell TINKLES as Death strides into the shop, heading straight to the counter. The sign says "Watch Repair Shop" but it could very well be a pawn shop. ELI JR. is standing behind the counter, filling out some forms. Shes also a girl.

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ELI JR. Pa, customer here. Ill handle it. Death places his pocketwatch on the counter and looks very worried. Eli Jr. picks it up and looks at it. ELI JR. How old is this thing? Death shrugs. ELI JR. Probably just the gears worn out. Ill have it fixed by the end of the day. Death looks worried still. Eli Jr. gives him a pointed look. EXT. ELIS WATCH REPAIR SHOP - DAY Death, rejected, leaves the store. Fidgity. Doesnt know what to do with himself. Until he looks across the street and sees a sign for a Movie Theater. INT. DARK THEATER ROOM - DAY Death is enraptured at the grainy black-and-white movie. Shovelling popcorn in his gob. A JAPANESE MONSTER (man in rubber suit) bursts onto the screen. Death jumps and spills his popcorn everywhere. EXT. CITY STREET - AFTERNOON Death, leaving the theater, strolls down the street. He sees a McDONALDS marqueed up and shining bright. INT. MCDONALDS - AFTERNOON Death takes a big bite from a burger. Face lights up with a huge grin. We pull back a bit and see that hes ordered one of everything off the menu. He takes another big bite.

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EXT. CITY STREET - AFTERNOON Strolling down the street again, Death sees a HOMELESS MAN. He stops and examines the sign, which reads "PLEASE HELP." Death looks for a moment, and then takes some spare cardboard from near the man and crafts a new sign: "OR ELSE." The money starts flowing in from nervous-looking passersby. INT. ELIS WATCH REPAIR SHOP - EVENING The bell TINKLES again. Eli Jr. pushes the watch over the counter to Death. He picks it up and stares at it for a moment. Then with a flutter of his fingers, he puts it back on the counter and heads to leave. ELI JR. Woah, hey! Wait up, you forgot your watch! You gotta pay for that! I worked hard to fix it, you cant just decide to leave it -Death turns around and pokes Eli Jr. on the forehead. Her eyes roll back and she crumples to the floor. Death pauses by the door long enough to flip the sign from "OPEN" to "CLOSED." And then he leaves the shop.