DOWN AND OUT IN THE CITY OF LIGHTS
Episode One
Screen is blacked out. Children’s voices mixed with crying
and banging fists on door.
INT.-BATHROOM-DAY
We see a pair of a woman’s hands fumbling around with pill
bottle and pills. The word Vicodin is visible on label.
Shaky hands cause the small white pills to rattle around and
spill out on floor. More noises of children knocking and
crying on other side of bathroom door.
INT. HOUSE – DAY
Two young children, Mona 5 and Chrissy 3 pound and kick
bathroom door with tiny little fists and feet.
MONA
Please come out…please…please
CHRISSY
Mommy…you been in there a long
time…come out…
MONA
Mommy please come out! We’re sorry.
We promise we will be good.
Mommy…
INT.-BATHROOM-DAY
Woman late twenties sits on bathroom floor. Feet jammed
against door to keep from opening. Abandoned bottle and
white oval pills lie scattered about the floor. She fumbles
with needle and spoon as she prepares to shoot up brownish
liquid.
BRENDA
Wait a minute! Mommy’s busy!
MONA
Mommy you been in there a long
time.
BRENDA
Almost done…mommy’s almost
done…
MONA
Please momma I halfta pee
CHRISSY
Me too. I gotta pee!
Brenda manages to inject herself. Eyes roll back and her
chin hits her chest. Arms go slack. Needle dangles from arm.
A small line of blood trails from the puncture site and
rolls down arm to tip of finger. Rolls off and collects in a
red pool in the floor.
EXT.-SCHOOL YARD-DAY
Three boys gathered together out of earshot of other kids at
the school.
BOY 1
So, do you got’em Ben, or what?
BEN
(Fishes around in his pockets)
Just a sec., I got’em.
BOY 2
So how many did you bring?
BEN
(Ben has stuttering problem)
I-I d-don’t know, I-I just grabbed
a handful.
BOY 1
Cool, lemme see.
Ben finally finished fishing around and pulls a closed fist
out and extends it towards the boys. He glances about before
opening his hand. He opens hands to reveal about a dozen
white oval pills, same kind that Brenda from scene one had.
BEN
So, y-y-you got t-the money?
BOY 1
Of course I got it
Ben grabs the wad of bills the other boy offers, and shoves
them in his pocket without counting.
BEN
(Focuses on BOY 2)
Well?
Boy 2 pulls out wad of cash and shoves it in Ben’s
direction.
BOY 2
It’s all there, ten bucks.
BOY 1
So what else can you get?
BEN
S-She also t-t-takes these round
white ones. I-I guess I could get
some of t-t-t-those.
BOY 2
What are they?
BEN
I dunno.
BOY 1
Alright, just bring’em.
BEN
Sure, s-see ya tomorrow
INT.-BAR-DAY
Camera looks over left shoulder of man sitting at bar. Man
fumbles around with wallet. Pulls out a credit card.
Somewhat wrinkled photo falls face up on counter. Joe looks
at it for a second then scoops it up and jams it back into
his wallet.
BARTENDER
Those your wife and kids, Joe?
JOE
Yeah…beautiful aren’t they?
BARTENDER
(laughs)
Sure man…I ain’t gonna say no…
JOE
You don’t like…
BARTENDER
Naw, I’m just not into the whole
settling down raising kid’s bit.
JOE
No worries.
BARTENDER
So what are you drowning yourself
in today?
Joe points to a bottle of clear liquid on the bar.
JOE
Line ’em up, I’ll knock ’em down.
BARTENDER
Raises an eyebrow and looks at his customer cryptically
You in a hurry tonight or
something?
JOE
No, just the usual sense of
urgency.
BARTENDER
Yeah, I been thinking about that.
JOE
Wait a second, your my barkeep
right?
BARTENDER
(Nods)
JOE
So why you bustin’ my balls then.
Last I checked you’re not my
conscious.
BARTENDER
Hey Bro, settle down. I’ll serve
ya.
JOE
Okay then.
BARTENDER
But I gotta tell ya man it’s
written all over your face. I hate
to see a man like you here. It’s
not even noon yet.
JOE
(Points to another patron at
the end of the bar)
Look at that guy there. He looks
like he could use your advice. Line
me up ten shots here then go down
there and be that guy’s conscious.
BARTENDER
Hey simmer down man, no need to get
hostile. I’m not your boss and I’m
not your wife, last I checked.
JOE
Yeah I’m sorry. Just got a lotta
shit going on in my head now.
BARTENDER
Look man, I don’t care about that
guy, but I do care about you. So
you still haven’t told the wife
yet?
Joe’s phone rings. Fishes around in his pocket, pulls it out
and examines the caller ID.
JOE
Shit, speak of the Devil, it’s her.
BARTENDER
You wanna go back in my office and
call her back? If you close the
door it should be pretty quiet.
JOE
(sliding off stool)
Yeah I guess I better call her
back. Thanks man.
Joe disappears into the Bartender’s office.
INT.-BARTENDER’S OFFICE-DAY
Joe is perched on the edge of the office’s only desk, phone
to his ear.
JOE
She’s asleep? Why did you call me?
I don’t need to know if she takes a
nap.
Joe listens, nods his head and trembles slightly.
JOE
In the bathroom? What the hell is
she doing sleeping in the bathroom?
Stands up pacing about the room.
JOE
What do you mean, she took her
medicine? Did she take those white
pills of hers again?
Grimaces and pulls the phone away from his ear. Hysterical
shouting can be heard.
JOE
A shot? She gave herself a shot and
what? Honey I can’t understand you.
Can you put mommy on the phone?
Continues pacing about the office
JOE
What do you means sleeping? Wake
her up…What? Well try shaking her
this time. Oh my God, I’m coming
honey I’m coming.
FADE OUT