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The Hogs of Entropy 0048
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| | Hogs of Entropy Text Files Present... | |
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| | "Without Want or Need" | |
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| | A Script | |
| | By: Half-Baked | |
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FADE IN:
EXTERIOR STREET CORNER - DAY
The corner of 31st looked ravaged, almost as if a miniature war had
been fought here. A light breeze comes from the south, carrying with it the
smell of fire and hatred. The air is even seems tainted with the taste of
blood, and screams of pain can be heard from miles away. On the corner is a
small family owned deli or convenience store. In the window is a sign that
reads, "This store is African American owned." There is a haggard looking
young African American woman so overloaded with children's clothing she can
barely move. She drags along behind her a rusty old child's wagon over
filled with more children's clothing and baby needs. The wagon is squeaking
and buckling from the taxing load, and the woman, ELLA, can barely move it.
She is muttering to herself as she is trying to pry the window open with the
wrong end of a hammer.
ELLA
Ugh! Open you damn window! Mmmf, Ugh!
The seams of the wooden window crack as the window slides two inches
open. Ella puts all her strength behind her and with a few bangs of the
hammer, Ella is surprised when the window gives so easily. The look on her
face is similar to when someone picks up an empty milk gallon that they think
is full. Knowing that there is no way she will be able to bring the over
filled wagon in with her, she lays down the clothes she was carrying on the
wagon, and mutters a quick prayer hoping that will keep her newly found
fortune with her.
INTERIOR DELI
Ella peers through the window of the deli, and everything seems to be
dark and peaceful. There are very thin beams of light gleaming through the
covered windows of the deli. The light offers little illumination. Even
though it is light outside, it seems as if the deli is submerged under a
thick black blanket. As she enters the deli, she is startled to find that
she is not alone. A voice calls out to her from the darkness.
VOICE
Hey! Who's there? (silence.) I said who's there! Answer me, or there will
be trouble!
ELLA
Uh, Um.... (Trembling) I am. I don't mean no harm, I'm just hiding out
from the riots, I was scared. Please don't go calling the cops.
VOICE
Ah, It ain't all that now, I ain't the owner, I'm just grabbing a bite to
eat... since it was right here and all.
ELLA
Oh, if that's all, would you mind looking after my cart, it's just outside
the window there. I'd really appreciate it. I'm starving, too, and I don't
want anything to happen to my stuff while I make a bite to eat.
VOICE
Sure I can watch your cart for you.... (He looks out at the cart that he was
supposed to be watching.) Jesus Mary and Joseph! You weren't being all that
honest when you were telling me you were hiding, you were hoping to loot this
place weren't you?
There is some banging and clattering in the background. It's loud
enough to have attracted the attention of anyone who happened to be passing
by just outside the deli. It's also loud enough to prevent Ella from
hearing anything the man was going to say to her.
VOICE
Look, I don't care what you do one way or the other, but I know the man who
owns the store, I don't want to have anything to do with it.
The man leaves the deli, but the racket that Ella was creating
prevented her from hearing anything around her. As Ella is absorbed in her
looting, she does not notice that an Asian police officer was passing by the
front of the deli. The police officer stands tall and proud. She is
obviously very well bred, and very secure that this is the best thing that
she can be doing for her country. She is very confident that as a police
officer, she is doing her best to help the most amount of people she possibly
can. The police officer, ARI, notices the clatter coming from the inside of
the deli, and cautiously makes her way to examine the broken window frame.
She sees the broken down, rusted wagon parked just outside the window, and
she curiously observes it's contents. The look on her face is one of pure
puzzlement. Of all the looting she's seen in the last few days, she's never
seen a collection quite as odd as this.
INTERIOR WAGON
The wagon's contents were odd. They contained many sizes of
children's clothing, diapers, formula, stuffed animals, rattles, all brand
new with the price tags still on them. The contents of the wagon were piled
so high it was difficult to estimate how many hundreds of dollars worth of
merchandise was stolen here. It was especially odd that there were no TV's,
VCR's, stereo's, or any electronic equipment at all. What was even stranger,
was the fact that the wagon carrying all this stuff was still old and beat up.
ARI turns on her flash light and enters the deli quietly and
cautiously. She follows the cluttering sounds she hears and before long she
is faced with the back of a very young woman, obviously of poor background,
poorly dressed, and obviously hungry; She was putting more food in her mouth
than she was in her bag.
ARI
OK, Hold it right there, you hooligan!
Ella jumped so high she almost hit her head on the cigarette display
above her head. She turned around, her face flustered, and looked like she
was going to cry.
ELLA
I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I really didn't mean it!
ARI
That's enough, save it for the judge! I don't want to hear it. Do you know
that what you're doing is wrong? Think about the poor guy who's going to
come back to his store and find this mess. I assume you were the one who
pried open the window?
ELLA
Yes, I'm so sorry, I didn't want to do it....
ARI
Do you know that because of what you did, prying open the window, more people
try and break in here. They won't just be after food though! They'll come
and vandalize, steal all the money out of the registers, break windows, start
fires, and really mess this place up, and it will be all your fault. You're
the one who left this place vulnerable.
ELLA
I'm really sorry, I only did it for my kids! I mean it! I really wouldn't do
anything like this.
ARI
I've heard that story all before. I get called to department stores when
there are robberies, I get called when there are petty thefts, I see men,
women, and children, stealing all the time. They always try to give me some
kind of an excuse in hopes that I'll look the other way and let them go. Do
you know why they always give me the stories, and not the men I work with?
It's because I'm a woman. They think they have more chance getting a woman
to feel sorry for them. I have kids of my own you know, and I think it's
really pathetic how the common criminals would use my feelings about my own
children against me simply because I'm a woman. Come with me. You're under
arrest. Putting you away will do the world a favor.
Ella stammered as she was being hauled furiously across the room with
her hands cuffed behind her. The force Ari was using made her trip and fall
three times on the way towards the exit. The last time the Ari looked at her
with a scowl.
ARI
What's the matter with you? You've been through this before, I'm sure.
Haven't you got the hang of it by now?
ELLA
No, I swear, I've never been arrested before. I mean it. I was only looking
to feed and clothe my family. I kicked my boyfriend out for drugs, I would
never let any crime near my kids!
As they neared the window, the cart that now obviously belonged to
Ella seemed to hit Ari in the face really hard. Ari's expression changed to
one of shock and disbelief, as the withering body behind her was not being
pulled so hard anymore.
ARI
Does that cart belong to you?
ELLA
Yes, that belongs to my oldest son, Daniel. I have five more. I have their
pictures in my purse if you want to see them.
ARI
No, that's OK, I trust you. You seem to be the only one in this wasteland
that isn't a criminal.
Ari released her the handcuffs on Ella and began to walk away. The
corner of 31st looked ravaged, almost as if a miniature war had been fought
here. A light breeze comes from the south, carrying with it the smell of
fire and hatred. The air is even seems tainted with the taste of blood, and
screams of pain can be heard from miles away. Ari walked away with a new
thought on her mind. She was thankful that she was without want or need.
FADE OUT.
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Copyright (c) 1994 HoE Publications and Half-Baked. #48 --> 02/04/95
All rights Reserved.
