Red Room Where the Writers Are

Issue/Publication: Unpublished

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INT. POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM -
JOE, 21 is sitting in a wooden chair in front of a metal table. He’s wearing a white collared shirt covered in blood.
2 POLICE OFFICERS, both slender white men are pacing back and forth with confused looks on their faces.
POLICE OFFICER 1
Lets go over this one more time. Why did you do it?
JOE
It had to be done. You ever hear about karma. It always comes back.
POLICE OFFICER 1
I don’t understand WHY though. From what I dug up...
POLICE OFFICER 1 tosses a vanilla folder onto the table.
JOE
Martin Greene, Jacqueline Greene, Ruby Applewhite... all upstanding citizens right?
POLICE OFFICER 2
Basically, yes.
JOE
You don’t know them the way that I do.
POLICE OFFICER 1
What are we missing?
JOE
Well, sit down. I’ll give you the full story.
POLICE OFFICER 2
That story gets better and better every time you tell it Joe.
JOE
I try to keep things interesting.
EXT. GREENE HOUSEHOLD
It’s a large, white house with a circular driveway and a green Chevy Cavalier parked on it. Through the garage window, we can see a Lexus GX and a Chrysler Pacifica. The middle of the lawn has many shrubs cut into awesome designs. The lawn is perfectly cut.
JOE, dressed in the same, non-bloody white collared shirt and khaki pants walks up the driveway. A gun can be seen in his back pocket.
JOE (V.O.)
My family was having one of those “Get Togethers” which basically meant my Grandma was coming over.
INT. GREENE HOUSEHOLD
RUBY, MARTIN, and JACKIE are sitting around a glass table chatting and laughing away like jackasses.
The doorbell rings.
JACKIE
You got that Markie?
MARTIN
I was actually about to... never mind. I got it.
MARTIN gets up and walks towards the door.
Ruby notices JOE’s face through the window.
RUBY
That might not be a good idea.
MARTIN
Why?
JOE
Should have listened to Grandma.
JOE (CONT'D)
How’s everyone.
RUBY
Good, good.
INT. LIVING ROOM
MARTIN, JACKIE, and RUBY are tied up to some wooden chairs in the living room. A large crystal chandelier hangs above them.
JOE (V.O.)
I was able to get a few chairs from the living room and got their asses tied up.
JOE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Ruby Applewhite... my Grandmother.
INT. RUBY’S APPARTMENT - FLASHBACK
RUBY and JOE are sitting at a small circular wooden table.
RUBY
I don’t know why... you’ve just lost your heart.
JOE
Excuse me, you know what my parents did.
RUBY
You need a real job.
JOE
Well, duh. I didn’t want to live with those morons. Nor do I want to live here.
RUBY
I don’t think I can let you live here anymore.
JOE
Why?
RUBY
You mother said you were no good.
JOE
So you’re going to let her tell you what to do?
RUBY
Yes.
JOE (V.O.)
I lived in my car for months after that, trying to survive on whatever I could.
INT. LIVING ROOM
JOE (V.O.)
She was my first.
JOE stands in front of RUBY
JOE (CONT'D)
Grandma.
RUBY
Yes?
JOE
You said I have no heart.
RUBY looks at the ground.
RUBY
Hmm.
JOE
Did you or didn’t you say that.
JOE (CONT'D)
If I didn’t have heart, I wouldn’t smack you in face would I.
JOE smacks Ruby with he handle of his gun.
JOE (CONT'D)
It feels nice to be right doesn't it?
MARTIN
Stop it!
JOE
Shut up or I’ll just shoot you all now. Okay? Okay.
JOE (CONT'D)
I’m trying to think of a good punishment for the Jesus freak. So high and mighty.
JOE (CONT'D)
What about that husband of yours...? The one you left to die.
RUBY
It wasn’t like that.
JOE
Shut up or I’ll kill you.
JOE (CONT'D)
I brought this cross just for you.
JOE pats RUBY on the knee and walks into the next connected kitchen
INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
The kitchen and living room are separated by a small counter.
JOE takes the metal cross and lays it on the stove.
JOE
Jesus died for your sins. Right Grandma?
RUBY
Yes.
JOE
You going to heaven?
RUBY
Yes.
JOE
Bull, all three of you. Sin sin sin. It’s hell for all of you. I’ll be right there with ya.
JOE laughs.
JOE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
We had a sweet conversation about the afterlife, my grandmother and I. But soon, it was time for her to go.
JOE picks up the cross on the stove with a pair of tongs and walks over to RUBY.
INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Their eyes meet. RUBY stricken with fear. Sweat dripping off her forehead.
JOE unbuttons her shirt and brands the cross on her chest.
JOE (V.O.)
How can I forget that scream, didn’t think she had the lungs in her old age.
JOE continues to hold the smoldering cross to RUBY’s chest.
JOE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
But after about a minute. The ears couldn’t handle it no more.
JOE pushes the chair down and shoots RUBY in the head three times.
JOE (CONT'D)
Two to go.
JOE walks up to MARTIN and kneels down. Looking up at him.
JOE (CONT'D)
Dear ol’ Dad.
MARTIN
Yes?
JOE
High powered lawyer. Fucking big shot right?
MARTIN
Well...
JOE sticks the gun in his mouth.
JOE
Don’t fucking talk.
JOE (CONT'D)
I always looked up to you. You were successful. Had a good marriage far as I know.
JOE walks away a bit.
JOE (CONT'D)
You coached my little league team a couple of times. It was pretty awesome. You supported my writing... at first.
JOE walks back.
JOE (CONT'D)
Then this woman got into your head that paying for me to take writing courses in college wasn’t worth the money... and you bought her a fucking Lexus instead... left me out in the cold. Had to drop out of school. Started working at UPS.
JOE chokes back tears.
JOE (CONT'D)
Then, your wife totally turned on me, but you turned tail and didn’t defend me at all. For a defense attorney, you’re fucking weak. You know what. Fuck it. You’re not even worth torturing.
JOE shoots MARTIN in the head.
JOE (CONT'D)
Now THIS is what I’ve been waiting for...
JOE (CONT'D)
The bitch that caused all my troubles.
JOE (CONT'D)
You know, that after you had you bitchfit and threw me out... about Christ knows what... I lived in a forest preserve and ate insects and small mammals.
JACKIE looks at the ground.
JACKIE
I didn’t know.
JOE begins to get frustrated and waves the gun around.
JOE
I fucking told you both. You didn’t give a shit.
JOE (CONT'D)
I had to go to the military because of your fucking ass. Even when I was there, you couldn’t stop giving me grief.
JOE grabs a noose sitting on a table.
JOE (CONT'D)
This is how I tried taking my life.
JACKIE
I thought you were lying.
JOE
The fuck would I lie about something like this?
JACKIE
I didn’t think you were capable.
JOE
You didn’t think I was capable of murder apparently? Guess what? Wrong again woman!
JOE puts the noose around JACKIE’s neck.
JACKIE
Please, don’t.
JOE
Don’t worry, we’re not done playing yet Mommy.
JOE pulls the rope around a chandelier and lifts JACKIE into the air.
JOE (CONT'D)
I failed my attempt at suicide. It’s pretty painful isn’t it.
JOE lets go of the rope.
JOE (CONT'D)
Three kids. 2 of which suffer from depression, 2 of which attempted suicide. All three need therapy.
JOE (CONT'D)
The only one who didn’t get any?
JACKIE
You.
JOE
Why?
JACKIE
I don’t know.
JOE
Yes you do.
JACKIE
You were at the bottom of the list. We figured you could take care of yourself.
JOE
I’m not addicted to drugs. Not arrested. I took care of myself the best I could.
JACKIE
Oh.
A tear runs down JACKIE’s face. She’s terrified.
JACKIE (CONT'D)
Is it too late to say I’m sorry?
JOE
For what?
JACKIE
For, screwing up your life.
JOE
For fucking up my life.
JACKIE
We should have been there for you. For all your siblings.
JOE
And it only takes facing death to admit that. Classy.
JACKIE
Please don’t. We can work this out.
JOE
Just say that you’re a bad mother.
JACKIE
I’m not. I’m really not. I tried my best.
JOE
Your youngest son is in your house killing people and about to kill you. I think there’s a parental failure in here somewhere don’t you think?
Tears begin to flow down JACKIE’s face.
JACKIE
I have never loved you. Ever.
JOE
Sorry, because I did love you.
JOE walks over to the rope again pulls it. This time tying the rope to the nearby big screen TV.
JOE (CONT'D)
I’m not fucking cruel. Don’t worry.
JOE walks up to the hanging JACKIE and shoots her in the stomach 10 times.
Police sirens can be heard online.
JOE (CONT'D)
I know I should have sprung for the silencer.
JOE gets down on his knees and licks up some of the blood from his slain family members.
JOE (CONT'D)
So sweet.
INT. POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM
JOE has his feet up on the table. Both POLICE OFFICERS are standing in front of them. Sickly.
JOE
So you can’t say I didn’t have reason.
POLICE OFFICER 2
I’m gonna go throw up.
POLICE OFFICER 2 leaves the room, gagging.
JOE
Weakness... it’s everywhere now adays isn’t it?
POLICE OFFICER 1
What do you mean?
JOE
No one take responsibility for their actions. Hell, I killed my Mother, Father, and my Grandmother. They had it coming, as you can hear. I don’t deny it. And in fact, I’m downright proud. I can sleep now.
POLICE OFFICER 1
Believe it or not, yes. I can understand. We all have thoughts like that... but to carry them out. That’s just fucking dumb.
JOE takes his feet off the table.
JOE
Or is it just a different form of expression? I believe in an eye for an eye. They took my life. I take theirs. Fairs fair.
POLICE OFFICER 1
Any regrets?
JOE
That they didn’t suffer.
POLICE OFFICER 1
You’re sick. I think our conversation is over.
POLICE OFFICER 1 leaves the room, slamming the metal door behind him.
JOE
Why did you do it Joe...? Because I feel right now... I just feel right. One less evil in the world. I can’t wait for my next conversation with my sister.

FADE TO BLACK.
THE END