Situations By Alex Newman
EXT. STREET - NIGHT It’s quiet, aside from the slight downpour, and BARKER is sauntering along, his trusty ten-gallon hat filling up with water and spilling at the brim. There aren’t any cars moving, but there is a lot of street lighting so things are easily visible. No-one else is around, but then BARKER hears a yell of someone in pain. He stops for a long beat. When there is another sound of discomfort he begins to cautiously approach the source of the noise, which happens to be in a dark alleyway. EXT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT It being dark, BARKER picks up a small stick and strikes it along the wall like a match. This illuminates a HOMELESS MAN laying against a wall, clutching his chest, his face contorted in pain. BARKER Um. The HOMELESS MAN, who had not noticed BARKER’s presence before, is suddenly alerted, and tries to beckon him over. BARKER (CONT’D) You alright there? The HOMELESS MAN is clearly not alright. He is having a heart attack. He taps his chest while managing to get a word out. HOMELESS MAN I’m having aBefore he finishes his sentence he winces again and lets out another cry of pain. BARKER is quite evidently taken aback by this; he doesn’t have much experience with the homeless. He doesn’t quite know how to hold himself. Finally he decides to sit down next to the HOMELESS MAN. He sits and thinks for a bit while the HOMELESS MAN is clearly in pain. Suddenly he lights up. BARKER Oh shit, I know this, you’re having a heart attack! Okay, I got this. It’s fine, you’ll be fine. Okay. BARKER pulls out a phone from his pocket. It’s clear that he’s tampered with it, there’s all kinds of homebrew circuit boards and antennae taped to the edges. An icon flashes on the screen. Out of battery. (CONTINUED)
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2.
BARKER Wow, okay. Hm. HOMELESS MAN As... Asp... BARKER is already pulling a box of pills from his pocket. BARKER Aspirin? The HOMELESS MAN begins to nod, but then winces again. He begins to slump and fall to the side. He doesn’t move. BARKER looks confused. BARKER Do you still want these? He nudges the HOMELESS MAN on the arm. No reaction. BARKER (CONT’D) Hello? Nothing. BARKER sighs. BARKER Oh. BARKER sits with the HOMELESS MAN for a while, He looks slightly defeated. He sighs again. FADE OUT INT. OFFICE BUILDING - DAY BARKER is sitting in a chair in what appears to be some sort of waiting room. He’s on a single armchair next to a big floor-to-ceiling glass window. It’s a modern building, and looking out the window one could tell that the floor is pretty high up. A man in a suit sits down in the seat next to him, despite the fact that there are plenty of more accessible seats elsewhere, away from BARKER. BARKER is clearly slightly weirded out by this. BARKER Uh, can I help you? The man looks at his watch. After a quick beat, he jumps up and jumps at BARKER in his chair. The window breaks and the three fall out.
(CONTINUED)
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3.
BARKER Excuse me? They land on a building top, and the chair breaks the fall. The two men roll away, coughing due to a rough landing. BARKER stands up. BARKER What do you want from me? MAN (coughing, catching his breath) Wallet and phone. BARKER looks surprised. He lets out a forced laugh. BARKER A mugging? You’re mugging me? You coulda stopped me in the street! You don’t even have a weapon. The man brandishes a small knife. BARKER (sarcastically) Oh, I’m so sorry. BARKER takes an old, tatty wallet out of his back pocket. BARKER (throwing wallet) Here, there’s only a fiver in there. Later, prick. BARKER turns, runs, and jumps off of the rooftop. The mugger looks around and realises he has no way to get down. He sighs.