Pre-Production

First Draft

MC (V.O.): Todd saved my life.(sequence of what's being narrated) I was leaving the bar, on my way home when a guy jumped me in the alley. 

Close up, guy comes at MC from behind with a knife to his throat.

Mugger: Gimme everything you got and don’t make a scene.

MC (nods in compliance)

Mugger looks down and sees necklace on MC.

Mugger: That’s a nice necklace you got there, are you a priest or something?

MC: N-No.

Mugger: So are you religious at all? Or is it just a fuckin gimick? Cause if there’s anything I hate more than a priest it’s a fuckin lying priest. 

MC: I’m not a priest! I’m just a Christian, man!

Mugger: well you better start praying to your God boy cause your day of reckoning has come, you hear?

MC (vo): My God had arrived: Todd.

Mugger gets punched by Todd who’s smoking.

Mugger: argh!

Todd: Your Welcome.

MC: Wh-wha? Who-

Todd: (whistle, reaches down) damn thats a big knife

MC: Who are you?

Todd: The name's Todd, Todd Smith. 

MC extends hand for handshake.

MC: I’m ______________-

Todd is looking off in the distance while itching his pubes. MC puts his head down and looks around uncomfortably/awkwardly.

Todd: Oh, and I’m your new partner.

MC: What? Yo-you’re a detective?

Todd: Uh, yeah, yea- you got a place around? I’m freezin my balls off out here, could we talk inside?

MC: Yeah, Yeah- uh (Todd walks out of frame) hey what about the guy?

Todd:What guy? OH! The mugger, ah whatever just leave him.

MC stands in a bit of confusion and shock before following after Todd.

MC opens door and Todd steps past him into house.

MC: So you’re actually my new partner?

Todd shows MC his credentials.

MC: Who assigned you?

Todd: The Bureau, they think you’re killing people.

Uncomfortable pause while MC stares at Todd in the eyes. Todd claps MC on the shoulder.

Todd: Just messin with ya, no, they told me about your, uh (knocks on his own head) accident.

MC: (throws head back) Ugh, I knew they would make a big deal outta this, listen I’m fine.

Todd: Hey (puts hands up in a sarcastic defensive way) I’m just doin what I’m told. They said you might experience nausea or some minor forgetfulness. Honestly, (smirking) I’m just here for the paycheck.

Todd proceeds to look around MC’s apartment. Pushes down on couch to test springiness (sound effect).

Todd: You mind if I crash here tonight? The bureau didn’t pay for a hotel.

MC: Wha-Well- Uh- Th- its company policy, room and board is company policy they can’t do that, can they?

Todd: (already lounging on couch with eyes closed) Cheap bastards’ll pinch pennies wherever they can.

MC looks down at his watch.

MC: (yawning) holy shit it's 4 in the morning. (groggily not exclamatory)

MC leans his head back in an exhausted groan and lets his head fall forward/smash cut to head in bed alarm going off. MC reaches for phone to turn off alarm and it slips and falls on the floor. Goes downstairs pan with MCs look over to see Todd on couch. No todd. Pan with MC eyes other way. Todd in kitchen cooking breakfast.

Todd: You like blueberry pancakes?

MC: (rubbing eyes, blinking quickly) when did you wake *yawn* up? 

Todd: What?

MC: When did you wake up?

Todd: Earlier than you; how many?

MC: Wha-? Um, 4.

Todd: (joking/sarcastic) Ah, come on! You're a growing boy! Take 6.

Todd takes the cooking rag off of his shoulder and slaps it onto the table across from where MC is eating.

Todd: Got any syrup around here?

MC: (Mouth full) Left cupboard

Todd turns to face MC with confused expression, and MC points over Todd's shoulder at the cupboard. Todd sits down to eat across from MC.

Todd: When do you usually leave for work?

MC: (swallows before speaking) well, uh, in order to take traffic into consideration *ring* I usually leave around-

Todd: I’ll get it

Todd gets up from the table and goes over to answer the phone.

Todd: Yellow. This is Todd Smith I just transf-cut off-ered to this department. Yeah he’s here. Alright, ok, yu-huh, ok, XXXXXXX boulevard? Got it, thats 15 minutes away, we’ll be there in 12. *hangs up* Duty calls, make up catch phrase like lets bounce, lets hit it, lets roll.

MC: (yelling over his shoulder down the hall) What about the kitchen?

Todd: (yelling back behind him) Whatever, just leave it.

MC wipes his mouth and hurries after Todd. Todd honks horn in car.

Todd: Come on!

MC hurrying to car and then (close up of key turn). BOOM! Car explodes and MC is sent flying backwards. Close up of head whiplash/match cut to whiplash of MC leaning forward into close up on driveway. *Honk honk* MC listens confusedly. Shot of Todd in car.

Todd: come on let's go!

MC enters the car and they head off to a crime scene.

MC (v.o.): (audio in background is muffled/close up) I didn’t know it yet but I just experienced my first trip. At least, that's what I’ve come to call the experience. The thing is, you don't know when the trip starts. It's like a dream, you're not aware you’re dreaming until you’ve already woken up. You’re not aware you’re tripping until the trip’s already over and you’ve arrived at your destination.

MC and Todd pull up to the crime scene (indoors) where they are greeted by the coroner. Walk and talk.

Coroner: (leading detectives to the victim) The body was found early this morning, the temperatures indicate the victim died late last night. (stop outside door) If you ask me fellas, this is an open and shut case of suicide, (enter the house) I mean the motive is there and ferensics found no trace of other DNA samples present. But there were plenty of the victim's (jerking hand motion) own samples found in the wastebasket if you follow. Poor bastard was very lonely. Oh, and there’s also this.

Coroner hands a suicide note looking to MC but Todd takes it.

Coroner: The note was found laid out on the table in front of the victim’s corpse.

Todd: (looking over victim) he made quite a mess of himself.

MC approaches the victim and comes around to the front to see his face. The MC sees that it is himself sitting in the chair with a bullet hole through his skull. Todd clasps his shoulder and in a cut the victim changes to that of another man.

Todd: What are you thinking?

MC: (blinking rapidly looking confused) about what?

Todd: Was it suicide?

MC: Um, Yeah, yeah.

Todd: You look a little pale everything alright?

MC: I-uh, just need some air.

Todd: I think we’re done here anyway. (pats back) let's XXXXXXX.

Coroner: Just so it looks like your working go ahead and take these files with you, it’s everything we’ve got so far.

Todd: Will do.

MC is looking down at files, rubs his eyes, sips his coffee and stretches his neck.

MC: I haven’t been able to find anything else how about you?

Todd: Nope *pop the ope*, nada

MC: (sighs) well, I’m a call it a night.

Todd:(eureka moment) Hey, come back here a minute. (motioning towards himself with his right hand while he continues to stare at the documents)

MC: (quisical) what is it?

Todd: take a look at this, our victim was an eco-friendly guy right?

MC: Ok? He was also a journalist. What does this-cut off- have to do with anything?

Todd: Remember all those tissues we found that he uh-(jerking motion with hand) into? well those were even made out of recycled paper. (MC shaking his head in confusion) Work with me, I dunno if you’ve ever used tissues made up of recycled paper before but it is not-cut off- 

MC: Where are you going with this man?!

soft I can tell you that. My point is this guy is so environmentally friendly that he will rub the equivalent of sandpaper on his dick, cause lets be honest that’s how rough recycled tissue paper is, (MC look of disgust and confusion/Todd gets back to his point) So why in God’s name would he use a fresh sheet of printer paper for his suicide note?

MC begins to see where Todd’s going.

Todd: Unless our victim didn’t write that note.

MC: You’re not saying-cut off-that you think

Todd: I think he was murdered.

MC: Holy shit (groggily) well I’m calling it a night, we’ll have to talk more about this in the morning.

Todd: (mocking) Ok, goodnight sweetie do you want me to tuck you in?

MC: Shove off.

Todd laughs. Smash cut to crickets chirping while MC rolls over in bed to face the camera looking sleep deprived. His gun is seen on the nightstand in the foreground. Creaking is heard on the stairs, MC glances in the direction of the disturbance and we see a close up of him cock the hammer on his gun. Light is flooding in from the window behind MC creating noir-like blind shadows. The silhouette of a human form is seen crossing in front of the window behind the MC with a knife. The silhouette raises the knife and goes to plunge it into the MC as soon as he goes to roll back over. He sees the knife just in time to begin wrestling with the mysterious man. The wrestling is seen from a birds eye view of the room. MC head butts the man grabs his gun and shoots. The man grabs his shoulder and stumbles out of the room and closes the door as MC fires another shot into the door. MC gets up to run after man and gets slammed to the ground by the door. The man walks up and kicks square into the camera making MC blackout. MC wakes up on ground next to bed laying the opposite direction, his gun is in his hand. He runs downstairs with gun drawn and see a reaction shot of him finding Todd’s body mutilated. He throws up. Jump to detectives, photographers, and forensics running amuck through his house gathering evidence. MC sits outside on step in blanket sipping coffee.

Chief of Police: Sorry you had to find him this way, course you’re about the only person who’s seen worse. (leans in) Do you know why that fella that attacked you mighta done it?

MC: Todd had just had gotten a lead on that suicide case which may of pointed it to murder. The way I figure, the murderer wasn’t too happy he was on the trail.

Chief of Police exhales heavily.

Chief: With your connection to the case and your injury I don’t think it’s safe for you-cut off-to pursue this

MC: Chief we’ve known each other for a few years, you know me well enough to know I’m going after him, whether I’m on the case or not. So do us both a favor, and put me on the damn case.

Smash cut to files being slapped on table, dolly back to reveal cop who slapped them down and MC leaning over the table.

Cop: That’s all we got so far. Still waiting for the full report from forensics.

MC: Thank you, you can leave now officer.

Cop: You sure you wanna work this case at the scene of the crime?

MC: I couldn’t dream of a better place.

Cop: Goodluck.

Time passes (montage cut between looking at watch and files). MC is still at the table looking over the files. Fade to Black with each blink of MC (slow) until fade to MC with head down on table still night. The? sonics He’s waitin begins playing as the camera starts orbiting around to a coffee cup, case files, and pistol in foreground, MC in midground, and door to apartment in background. The door is seen slowly and silently opening as man from the night before comes in wearing a mask. The man closes the door behind him and creeps forward with the knife from before raised in the same hand. The MC sees his reflection in his phone, snatches his gun, swivels around, and fires at the end of the scream in the song. Music continues to play as man lunges on MC and a fight starts as the two men wrestle for either the gun or the knife. MC puts both legs on man’s hips and rolls him back onto the ground allowing MC to seize the gun.

MC: freeze!

Music stops with the sound of a disc scratch.

MC: Now it’s time for some answers.

MC wacks the camera (POV) with the butt of his pistol. Black. Open on water being splashed in Man’s face. He’s tied to a chair in a dark, dank, cement room.

Man: *Deep gasp/breath in* (head tilted down)

MC: I've got some questions I think you could answer, but first let me start by taking off your mask.

MC approaches the man and takes off his mask to reveal that he is the MC.

MC: Damn it! Not now!

MC grabs the man in the chair by the throat.

MC: Who are you?!

Man: *laughing hysterically*

MC: Who the fuck are you?!

The MC hits him hard across the face sending spit flying out of his mouth and leaving a bloody cut on the man's face.

Man: Ah! Don't you see? Look at me. Look at me! I am you. *starts laughing again*

MC: (clenching fist) shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!

MC flips the chair and the man, who's manic now, landing him hard on his back. MC puts his foot on the mans chest and cocks his gun at the same time. He brings the barrel to the mans temple and his other hand around his throat.

MC: (shaking the man) Talk fucker!

Man: Don't you remember?

MC

Remember what?!

Man

(chuckles) Don't you remember how you got you're head injury? Don't you remember?

The MC begins to display confusion on his face as he tries to remember.

Man

(chuckling) You can't remember can you? You don't know!(stares directly into camera) I bet you don't even know what's real anymore!

MC fires the gun into his reflection.

Mon - Write

Tues - Write

Wed - no school

Thurs - Write

Fri - Write