BAGGAGE CAR

Written by

May Babcock
INT. JANE’S BEDROOM - MORNING

Twenty-year-old JANE KENNEDY is standing in front of a mirror

hanging above her dresser. She gazes at her reflection, her
expression is blank, but there is a deeper sadness behind her
eyes.

Jane looks down at the surface of the dresser. A NEWSPAPER

with the headline “Tragedy Strikes on Local Train Tracks” is
seen. She pushes it aside, revealing a FUNERAL PROGRAM. Jane
picks it up.

A train whistle is heard in the distance.

Suddenly, Jane sets down the paper and lets out a small sigh.

INT. THE KENNEDY’S KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Jane’s mother, MIRANDA KENNEDY, is bustling around the small

kitchen, putting final touches on hors d'oeuvres before
wrapping them in tin foil and placing them in the fridge.

Jane enters.

JANE
You’re making yourself crazy. You
should have just hired a caterer.

MIRANDA
A caterer wouldn’t have done it
right.

There’s silence between the two for a moment as Miranda

continues her task.

JANE
Well, if you’re going to be
stubborn, at least let me help you.

MIRANDA
No, I’m almost done, it’s alright.

JANE
Mom-

MIRANDA
(quickly)
Look, I’m done. See?

Miranda wipes her hands on her pants and looks over her
handiwork, tears welling up in her eyes.
 2.

The kitchen is suddenly quiet. Jane wrings her hands and

looks at her mother guiltily.

JANE
I’m sorry.

MIRANDA
Sorry for what?

JANE
For-

Jane sighs, as if she’s thinking what she’s about to say next

JANE (CONT’D)
For everything. For the
circumstance we’re in. I hate to
see you this way.

Miranda stops for a moment, but doesn’t turn around to face

her daughter.

MIRANDA
Jane, don’t apologize. It was an
accident. A tragic accident that no
one could have predicted.

Miranda continues to put the food away in the refrigerator,

then closes it’s door, and walks off to complete another
task. The stainless steel door of the fridge is covered in
“A” papers and projects, all with the name Jackson Kennedy
across the top. One paper in particular catches her eye, a
LETTER.

FLASHBACK:

INT. THE KENNEDY'S KITCHEN - AFTERNOON

Miranda stands in the kitchen reading the letter with Jane’s

twin brother, JACKSON KENNEDY. Jane peeks through the
doorway.

MIRANDA
...sincerely, Principal Ralph
Montgomery! Oh Jackson,
congratulations!

Miranda smothers Jackson with hugs and kisses.

 3.

JACKSON
(humble)
Thanks, mom.

Jane enters the kitchen.

JANE
What’s going on?

MIRANDA
Well, we have a valedictorian in
the household and I have never been
more proud! Oh, I need to call
grandma!

Miranda exits the kitchen, leaving an awkward silence between

the siblings.

JANE
Congrats.

JACKSON
(smug)
Disappointed it wasn’t you?

JANE
I-

Jane glares at him, looking as if she wants to say more.

JANE (CONT’D)
You know what? You’re not worth it
Jackson.

Jane turns to exit the kitchen and Jackson calls after her.

JACKSON
Can’t thing of a good comeback?
Guess I win again!

Jackson’s laughter echoes as Jane leaves the room.

END FLASHBACK:

INT. THE KENNEDY'S KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Jane grips the countertop and catches her breath as she comes
out of her vision. Her mother doesn’t seem to notice as she
continues preparing the food.
 4.

INT. THE KENNEDY’S LIVING ROOM - DUSK

People fill the Kennedy’s home, all dressed in black. A

montage of Jane and her mother mingling amongst the crowd
begins. A man says he’s sorry for their loss, a woman talks
about what a great person Jackson was, people pat their
shoulders and give them their condolences as they walk by.

INT. THE KENNEDY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Miranda says goodbye to the final guests exiting the home as

Jane begins to clean up.

MIRANDA
...yes thank you for coming,
goodnight.

Miranda closes the front door and turns to Jane.

MIRANDA (CONT’D)
Just save it for the morning.

JANE
Oh I don’t mind doing it now-

MIRANDA
(sharply)
Just save it.

Miranda begins to cry. Jane goes to hug her but before she
can, Miranda leaves the room, leaving her all alone.

INT. JANE’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Jane enters her bedroom and takes off her shoes. As she takes
off her jewelry, she walks over to her dresser. She places
her necklace down next to a piece of smooth copper, a
SQUISHED PENNY.

A voice echoes in her head.

YOUNG JANE
(echoes)
Find a penny, pick it up!

FLASHBACK:
 5.

EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - DAY

A young Jane and Jackson appear, talking and laughing. Jane

is bent over, picking something up from the ground. While
Jackson is balancing along the edge of the tracks.

YOUNG JANE
Then all day, you’ll have good
luck!

Jane proudly holds up the penny she found on the ground.

Jackson hops off of the track and walks over to her.

YOUNG JACKSON
A penny? Ha! What are you gonna do
with that?

YOUNG JANE
Use it for luck! I have my recital
tomorrow.

Jackson rolls his eyes and hops back on the tracks.

The whistle of an oncoming train is heard in the distance.

YOUNG JANE (CONT’D)

A train’s coming!

Jackson pauses and comes up with an idea.

YOUNG JACKSON
Jane, give me your penny!

YOUNG JANE
What, why?

YOUNG JACKSON
Just trust me. I have a cool trick!

Jane can’t resist the thought of a cool trick, so she

reluctantly hands over her coin.

Jackson hops off the track and puts the coin down where he
was just standing. After placing the penny, Jackson joins
Jane standing a few feet back. Moments later, the train
rushes by.

YOUNG JACKSON (CONT’D)

Squish!

As the train speeds off into the distance, Jackson runs back
to where he placed the coin. He grabs it and shows Jane what
the train did. The penny is now flat and smooth.
 6.

YOUNG JACKSON (CONT’D)

Cool right?

He hands Jane the coin.

YOUNG JANE
(angrily)
Jackson! You squished the luck out
of my penny!

YOUNG JACKSON
Shut up, Jane! I made it luckier,
you’re welcome.

Jackson walks back towards the track. Jane looks sadly at her
squished penny.

END FLASHBACK:

INT. JANE'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Jane comes out of her vision, breathing heavily. Suddenly,

with a burst of rage, she throws the squished penny at the
wall. She sinks to the floor crying.

INT. JANE'S BEDROOM - MIDNIGHT

Still asleep, Jane tosses and turns in her bed. She hears a
voice in her nightmare.

JACKSON
(echoes)
Tell her the truth.

Jane keeps stirring as the voice continues.

JACKSON (CONT’D)
(echoes)
Tell her what you did.

FLASHBACK:

INT. THE KENNEDY'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

A teen-aged Jackson and Jane are standing in their living

room with their mother.

JACKSON
You can’t keep this quiet anymore
so might as well just come out and
say it.
 7.

Jane looks down at the floor, and finally speaks.

JANE
Fine. I changed Jackson’s answers
on his college applications so he
wouldn’t get in.

Miranda gasps and turns towards her daughter, rage in her

eyes.

MIRANDA
Are you kidding me? Are you fucking
kidding me?

She grabs Jane by the neck and slaps her across the face.
Jane falls to the ground. Miranda looms over her daughter
menacingly.

MIRANDA (CONT’D)
You worthless, good-for-nothing,
ungrateful bitch. Having to tear
your brother down to make yourself
feel better. This is low even for
you.

She pauses for a moment, glaring at Jane. Then, Miranda gets

up and composes herself.

MIRANDA (CONT’D)
Jackson, sweetie, I’m going to go
make some calls and get this mess
all sorted out.

Miranda pats her son on the cheek and leaves the room.
Jackson is about to follow her out when Jane stops him.

JANE
(bitterly)
You know, a thank you would be
appreciated.

JACKSON
Why would I need to thank you?

JANE
Because I covered for your sorry
ass! You’re so obsessed of keeping
up the facade of being mommy’s
little golden child that-

Jackson gets in Jane’s face menacingly, cutting her off.

 8.

JACKSON
Exactly, and if you mess this up
for me, a slap in the face will be
the least of your worries.

Jackson leaves the room, Jane stays where she is, frozen.

END FLASHBACK:

INT. JANE'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Jane bolts upright, drenched in sweat and shaking. She gets

out of bed, searching frantically for her coat. She finds it
and throws it on over her pajamas, running out of the room.

EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - DAWN

Her hair is blowing in the wind as Jane approaches the train

tracks. She steps up on the rails and begins to walk along on
the tracks. Finally, she sees something and stops.

FLASHBACK:

EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - DUSK

Jane is standing on one side of the tracks as Jackson

approaches angrily.

JACKSON
You told her?

JANE
Told her what?

JACKSON
That you covered for me with the
college apps?

JANE
I had to.

JACKSON
Where did you suddenly get this
moral compass from?

JANE
Nowhere. I just decided I’m done
being your bitch.

The deafening horn of an oncoming train is heard in the

distance.
 9.

JACKSON
What the hell do you mean?

JANE
I’m not taking the blame for you
anymore.

The wheels on the tracks get closer and closer, but Jackson
doesn’t seem to notice.

JANE (CONT’D)
You may be mom’s favorite, but that
doesn’t make you any better than
me. God, I can’t believe it took me
so long to realize that.

JACKSON
You’ve never been good enough for
her and you never will be. I’m the
smart one, the nice one, the
talented one. You’re nothing.

The whistle of the train gets louder and louder, it’s feet
away. A fit of rage comes over Jane and before she can second
guess herself, she pushes her brother backwards on to the
tracks. Seconds later, the train rushes by and speeds off
into the distance.

Jane looks down at where her brother now lies dead in shock.
Then, a wide smirk comes across her face.

END FLASHBACK:

EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - MOMENTS LATER

The sun rises over the trees as Jane looks down at the
tracks. The place where Jackson once lay has been cleaned
since the accident, but Jane can still see some remnants of
dried blood.

JANE
Who’s nothing now?

From the pocket of her coat, Jane takes out Jackson’s funeral
program, his valedictorian letter, and the squished penny and
places them on the tracks. She stands up and dusts off her
pajama pants.

JANE (CONT’D)
Goodbye, Jackson.

Jane turns her back to the tracks and walks off.

 10.

INT. POLICE STATION - MORNING

A group of police officers mill about, completing their daily

work and answering phones. The door to the front of the
station opens and a disheveled Jane walks in, her slippers
wet with dew squeaking on the polished floor. She approaches
the front desk.

RECEPTIONIST
Can I help you?

JANE
I did it.

RECEPTIONIST
I’m sorry?

JANE
I killed my brother, Jackson
Kennedy.

CUT TO BLACK.