running by elijah taylor

8/14/2019 RUNNING by Elijah Taylor

1/7

RUNNING

by

Elijah Taylor

1st draft (10/21/09- 11/10/09)2nd draft (11/17/09- 12/08/09)

3rd draft (12/12/09- 12/17/09)4th draft (12/22/09- 12/27/09)

5th draft (completed 1/04/10)6th draft (1/11/10)7th draft (1/20/10)

8th draft (2/18- 2/19/10)9th draft (2/25/10- 2/27/10)


2/7

INT. LOBBY - MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT

PAUL OSLO sits in an armchair, his eyes glazed over withboredom and exhaustion. The manager, HOWARTH, nurses a smallglass of clear liquor as he talks to someone on the phone.

HOWARTHYeah, hes got the job... Ifigured, why not, he already knowsthe place inside out anyway, and wecould use the help... (laughing)Im not trying to fool you... Yes,this place has seen better days...Im sure he is... Okay, bye.

Howarth puts the phone back on the receiver. Oslo looks up.

HOWARTHOkay, I just need you to fill out

an application, just so we haveyour contact info and all that.

Howarth takes a sheet from a small stack of papers on thesplicing table and hands it to Oslo.

HOWARTHI have to go start a show. Youllbe fine up here for a moment,right.

He nods. Footsteps patter against the linoleum. Finally, thedoor shuts.

Oslo rises and walks over to the storage closet. He crouchesdown, sticks his hand into the dark, and withdraws a glassdecanter of alcohol.

He feels around in his right pocket and pulls out a smallplastic bag a quarter of the way full with white powder.

INT. LOBBY - LATE AFTERNOON

THOMPSON and SZWAJA, two of the theaters seven employees,shuffle inside, bleary eyed and hungover.

Howarth stands in the lobby. Oslo, silent and stoic, standsnext to him.

HOWARTHGuys... this is Paul Oslo.


3/7

2.

SZWAJAWelcome to Hell, Paul Oslo.

The guys laugh. A smile creeps eerily at the corner ofOslos mouth. Its stays there, transfixed like his gaze, asthey laugh, ignorant to his reaction.

INT. HALLWAY - EVENING

Thompson stands in the hallway next to Oslo, who is staringpast the lobby to the street outside.

THOMPSONYou like it here so far?

Oslo glances at Thompson.

THOMPSON

Youll get used to it. But dontstay here too long. Its bad forthe soul.

OSLOI dont have a soul. I think Illbe fine.

Oslo smiles. Thompson stares at him slightly in awe, bothperplexed and disturbed.

Oslo walks away, stopping at the entrance to the nearesttheater.

EXT./INT. HALLWAY/THEATER - EVENING

Oslo watches as Howarth argues with a couple sitting in themiddle of the theater. The man, whose feet are propped up ona chair, does all of the talking. The woman stares at thescreen indifferently. Howarth finally walks away.

Thompson appears next to Oslo, eying him warily. Howarthemerges.

HOWARTH(raising his hands in defeat)

Im done.

He turns to Oslo, composed.

HOWARTHKick them out.


4/7

3.

INT. BOX OFFICE - EVENING

Thompson sits in the box office counting money, mouthing thenumbers as he goes.

INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Oslo pumps the fore end of a shotgun as he walks into thetheater.

INT. BOX OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Thompson is on his second stack now. A deafening gunshotgoes off. Thompson stops. For a moment, he is confused. Thenit sinks in.

The gunshot is followed by a sharp, violent scream.

Thompson, out of fear or shock, sits still.

The man limps across the floor, the woman struggling tolevel him as he moves, past Thompson, whose mouth hangsslightly open.

INT. BOX OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Thompson opens the box office door. Oslo walks casually upthe aisle towards the exit. Thompson begins walking at anequal pace towards him. They meet near the door.

Thompson pins Oslo against the wall. He doesnt resist, andThompson pushes him out into the hall, then down it.

They encounter Szwaja, who is walking hesitantly towards thethem. Szwaja opens his mouth to speak.

THOMPSONI cant explain right now... justget everyone out.

Szwaja nods solemnly.

INT. PROJECTION ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Thompson pushes Oslo up the steps. They reach the top, andhe loosens his grip on him. Howarth sits sloppily on achair, a half-full glass in his right hand.


5/7

4.

THOMPSONHowarth, call the police.

HOWARTHWhat... why?

THOMPSONA guy just lost his foot.

Howarth laughs heartily and takes another sip from theglass.

Thompson pushes Oslo towards the splicing table. He reachesinto the cabinet and comes back with a thick piece of rope.He ties Oslos hands, knotting it twice.

HOWARTHYoure a little out of it, arentyou. Have a drink!

Thompson takes the glass out of Howarths hands. He pours itinto the garbage bin and sets the glass down.

HOWARTHHey!

He swipes the decanter, puts the stopper in, and throws thatin the bin as well.

Howarth reaches for the garbage bin and topples over ontothe floor.

Thompson grabs the telephone. He dials each number slowly.The tone rings monotonously. He keeps eye contact with Oslo,who smiles wryly.

OSLOBusy? Id imagine theyre very...tied up at the moment.

Oslo laughs.

Thompson hangs up. He crouches down to help Howarth to hisfeet, but he refuses to take his hand.

Suddenly, a hollow, repetitive sound fills the room.

Thompson turns to Oslo, who is still laughing, only harder.He rushes over to him, leading him across the room, towardsthe stairs.


6/7

5.

INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT

The door shuts quietly. Thompson and Oslo walk slowly.Thompson surveys his surroundings. Oslo looks nowhere.

INT. LOBBY - NIGHT

The lobby is unnaturally quiet. Thompson glances at Oslo.

THOMPSONWhat the --

The noise fills the lobby.

OSLOPsyche.

THOMPSON

What?

The rope falls to the floor. Oslo strikes Thompson in theface, knocking him back. He runs. Thompson clutches his nosein pain.

Footsteps come from behind the concession stand. Szwajaappears.

SZWAJAWhat the hell is going on?

THOMPSON

Ive got it. Just... try to gethold of the cops!

Thompson dashes after Oslo, increasing speed to catch upwith him. They ascend the sloped floors, turning sharplyaround the bend.

Oslo reaches the steps to the exit doors. He mounts thefirst one, but fails to reach the second. Thompson grabs hisankle. He collapses.

Oslo quickly gets to his feet and scrambles up the steps.Thompson slams into him. They collide with the doors,bursting them open. Oslo pushes Thompson back down thestairs. He grabs Oslo by the shirt and they both tumble tothe ground.

Oslo pulls out a pocketknife, flicks the blade out, andplunges it into Thompsons arm. Thompson screams out in amixture of pain and shock. Clutching his wounded arm, heforces himself into a sitting position. Oslo has escaped.


7/7

6.

Slowly he makes his way up the stairs. Once on thelanding, he pushes the releases. The doors dont budge.Furious, he tries unsuccessfully to open the doors again.Theyve been barricaded from the outside.

It all falls into place. Thompson runs...

INT. LOBBY - NIGHT

Szwaja hits the cancel button on his cell phone. Howarthstumbles into the lobby.

HOWARTH(rambling)

Where is he? Where is he? He putsomething in that bottle. I dontknow what, but there wasnt justtequila in it.

Howarth wavers and tips over. Szwaja catches him.

SZWAJA(mumbling, to himself)

This night wont end...

HOWARTHI feel... terrible.

Howarth passes out. Szwaja lays him down on the floor.

Thompson runs into the lobby. His eyes meet Szwajas.

Thompson runs over to them. He takes Howarth by the feet.Szwaja grabs his arms, and together they heave him acrossthe lobby and out the front doors.

The noise persists throughout the theater. Finally...

FADE TO BLACK

running by elijah taylor

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