Vice by Thomas Bruce

Based on a concept by John-Paul Atley

www.thombruce.com

INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA places a rolling pin down on the kitchen counter. She stands staring at DEREK, sat on the couch, furiously. He rubs the crown of his head. On his face is a look of defeated aggravation. He cracks open a can of lager then turns on the television. The television quietly blurts out ambience. DEREK SQUEAKS into comfort on the sofa. Satisfactorily, he SLURPS his drink.

INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA RUSTLES a bag of vegetables on the kitchen counter, angrily accentuating her actions. She removes a piece of veg and lifts a knife, SCRAPING it against the kitchen counter. She CHOPS the carrot, BANGING the knife repeatedly against the chopping board, more violently than is necessary. She takes a pepper from the vegetable bag, RUSTLING it once more. As she cuts the pepper, it SLICES smoothly under the knife. She ensures the SCRAPE of the knife on the glass chopping board makes up for the quiet slice of the pepper.

INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK chews his finger nails, grimacing at the sounds of Bella, CLICKING his nails roughly against his teeth. He takes another SLURPING mouthful of his drink and SWIRLS it around his mouth before SWALLOWING loudly. He lifts the packet of crisps from beside himself and TEARS it open. He RUSTLES the pack as he takes out a crisp and raises it to his mouth. His teeth come down and CRUNCH the crisp. Chewing, his mouth stays open and allows the sound of his CRISP CRUNCHING to amplify.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA CLICKS on the kettle. She turns back from it and stares at Derek CLICKING her fingers, frustrated. Stepping back to her chopping area, she twists the knob on the hob and allows it to CLICK on underneath a large pan. She takes a tomato and SQUELCHES its flesh slowly under the knife. The knife cuts through and BANGS against the chopping board. As she continues cutting the tomato, it SQUELCHES loudly. The knife SCRAPES along the glass chopping board. She SCRAPES all of the vegetables off to one side of the chopping board slowly and forcefully, as the kettle BUBBLES to a finish. The kettle CLICKS and she lifts it. She POURS the boiling water into the large pan. She lifts the chopping board and SCRAPES the knife along it, pushing the vegetables into the boiling water. They SPLASH into the pot.

INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK CRUNCHES the last of his crisps loudly. He SCRUNCHES up the pack and throws it to the floor. Slowly, he SUCKS on his fingers and LICKS the crumbs off them. He lifts his can of lager once more and takes a loud SLURP. He BELCHES.

INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA, aggravated, OPENS a kitchen drawer and takes a few potatoes from a bag in it. She DUMPS them on the work-top and finds a peeler. Slowly, she takes the first skin away from a potato, STRUGGLING with the bumps and crevices, looking down on them with frustration.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK, looking agitated, lifts the remote from the arm-rest of the sofa. He increases the volume of the TV by a few notches. The remote drops to his side as he SCRATCHES his arm.

INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA loudly SCRAPES the potato skins to one side and takes her knife to chop the skinless potatoes. She aggressively CHOPS them into smaller and smaller pieces.

INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK takes a big SLURP of his lager then leans forward and puts it on the floor. He places his head in his hands and BREATHES deeply, rubbing his forehead, annoyed. He takes a packet of cigarettes from his pocket with a lighter. He leans back and SLIDES a cigarette out of the packet before letting it fall to the floor where his can stands. Cigarette in mouth, he raises the lighter to his mouth and SPARKS it; it does not ignite.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA lets the potato pieces fall into the pot and SPLASH amongst the mixture.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK SPARKS the lighter again; it does not ignite.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA places the chopping board back against the work surface with a loud CLUNK and swings a cupboard door open. She removes a pepper grinder and SHUTS the cupboard with a force.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK SPARKS the lighter on finally, and the cigarette CRACKLES to life.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING Holding the pepper grinder over the pot, BELLA WINDS it slowly and peppers the contents with a fury.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK takes a long, smooth, satisfying DRAG on his cigarette, holds it... ...and then BLOWS the smoke out.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA GRINDS the pepper into the mix, angrily, and then sets the grinder down on the counter-top.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK leans forward and lifts his can from the floor.

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He begins to take a SLURP from it but COUGHS and SPLUTTERS. 18 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA SLIDES a ladle from its container. 19 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK sets his can back down on the floor and takes a DRAG on his cigarette, its flame CRACKLING as he does. 20 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA stirs her soup with the ladle, SCRAPING it against the sides of the metal pot attempting to relieve a stress evidently growing on her face. 21 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK takes a DRAG from his dwindling cigarette, and attempts, frustrated, to watch the TV. He gives a chesty smokers-COUGH. 21 20 19 18

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING

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BELLA allows the ladle to CLATTER to a rest while she DUSTS off her hands over the mixture, rubbing them with extreme firmness against each other. 23 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK lifts his can of lager. He SWIRLS the can and hears that it is almost empty. 24 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING 24 23

BELLA turns on the sink and places her hands underneath the water STREAM. 25 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK DROPS his cigarette into the top of his can. The contents SIZZLE with the heat. 26 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA SHAKES the excess water off her hands and returns to her BUBBLING soup mix. 27 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK BELCHES again, loudly, and SCRATCHES his lowerabdomen. 28 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA STIRS her soup, CLATTERING the ladle against the edges of the pot loudly. 29 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK BREATHES in. 30 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA drops her ladle and it CLATTERS once more. 31 INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK BREATHES out. 31 30 29 28 27 26 25

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA SCRAPES a rolling pin up off the counter.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING DEREK SNIFFS loudly.

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INT. APARTMENT - EVENING BELLA WHACKS him on the head with a rolling pin. Blood splatters her face and all goes silent. She BREATHES deeply. She HITS him on the head with the rolling pin again. She BEATS his immobile head a final time with the rolling pin and the scene cuts to black.

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