WARNING: The following snippet contains strong language. Easily offended? This probably isn’t the story for you. You read the poems yet? They’re quite nice…
SCENE ONE. EXT. COUNTRY LANES- NIGHT
A Peugeot 206 drives too fast along the road. Loud music plays inside. Three young male occupants can be seen.
Out of nowhere, a BMW M3 slams into the side of the car, sending it spinning out of control.
CUT TO BLACK
The car crashes.
SCENE TWO. INT. INSIDE THE PEUGEOT 206- NIGHT
The BMW’s horn sounds continuously in the background. SIMON, the car’s driver, holds his head in his hands. GUMBO, in the back, is struggling to undo his seatbelt. RYAN, the front passenger, is unconscious.
Ryan wakes up. He looks around and grabs the door handle. The door doesn’t open.
RYAN
The door’s stuck.
SIMON
You don’t think we tried that while you were taking your nap?
Ryan rubs his head. Behind him Gumbo still struggles silently with his seatbelt.
RYAN
What happened?
SIMON
You hear that horn? That’ll be the bloke that hit us.
RYAN
Do you think they’re all right?
Simon shrugs.
SIMON
Give a fuck. He hit us remember.
Simon pulls out a pouch of rolling tobacco.
RYAN
Whoa! What you doing?
SIMON
I’ve just been involved in a car crash, Ryan. It was very traumatic.
RYAN
So?
SIMON
So I’m going to have a cigarette. Calm my nerves.
RYAN
But- but what if there’s petrol leaking?
SIMON
This isn’t Hollywood, Ryan. We’ll be fine. Don’t you worry.
Gumbo, having finally unbuckled his seatbelt, lights a cigarette and blows the smoke toward Ryan.
RYAN
And you can piss off too!
Gumbo laughs, winces and blows more smoke toward Ryan.
SCENE THREE. EXT. ROAD- NIGHT
Someone moves inside the BMW. The horn stops.
SCENE FOUR. INT. INSIDE THE PEUGEOT- NIGHT
Simon and Gumbo puff happily on their cigarettes.
RYAN
You rung an ambulance, right?
SIMON
Now why would I do that?
RYAN
Your ears are bleeding.
SIMON
Yeah? Well Gumbo’s chest hurts a bit and you passed out for however long, but that doesn’t change the fact that this car’s moody and I ain’t got a license.
RYAN
What’s that got to do with-
SIMON
You ring 999 and get them to agree not to send police out to a car crash. Go on.
Simon thrusts his mobile phone into Ryan’s face.
Gumbo tries to speak. The others don’t hear him.
GUMBO
I rung an ambulance already.
Ryan and Simon turn to him quickly, both wince and rub their heads/necks.
SIMON
Gumbo. You fucking-
GUMBO
What was I meant to do? You was both unconscious.
SCENE FIVE. EXT. ROAD- NIGHT
The driver’s side door of the BMW swings open.
SCENE SIX. INT. INSIDE THE PEUGEOT- NIGHT
SIMON
I can’t believe you lot. Do you want to see me locked up or something? For fuck’s-
Simon sighs and shakes his head.
RYAN
Well there’s no point arguing about it now, is there? It’s done.
GUMBO
But what are we going to do now?
SIMON
Get out of here. Sharpish.
Simon turns to his door and starts trying to open it.
SIMON (CONT’D)
And I wasn’t unconscious, I could hear you the whole time.’
Ryan and Gumbo exchange glances.
SCENE SEVEN. EXT. ROAD- NIGHT
A figure dressed all in black steps out of the BMW.
SCENE EIGHT. INT. INSIDE THE PEUGEOT- NIGHT
Ryan spots the figure. Simon is ramming his door with his shoulder. Gumbo is kicking at the rear passenger side door.
RYAN
Erm, Si? You don’t owe anyone money at the moment do you?
Simon stops.
SIMON
You what?
RYAN
Anyone like Thatcher? You don’t owe him any cash do you?
SIMON
Why you asking me that?
RYAN
I think it was Perry that hit us.
Ryan points to the now advancing figure outside the car. He is limping slightly. Simon looks in his rearview mirror.
SIMON
Fuck. He said I had till Friday.
GUMBO
What- what we going to do now?
SIMON
There’s a box under my seat. Open it. Quick, Gumbo.
Gumbo fumbles around the footwell and produces a metal toolbox. He opens it.
GUMBO
There’s a gun in here.
RYAN
What the fuck, Si?
Ryan recoils as Gumbo lifts the gun out of the box but quickly relaxes.
RYAN (CONT’D)
Is that a flare gun?
SIMON
What? Course not. Pass it here Gumbo, he’s getting close.
Gumbo carefully passes the gun to Simon. Ryan watches closely.
RYAN
It is. That’s a flare gun. Where’d you get it?
SIMON
Child-face Pete. He said it shoots shot gun cartridges.
Simon tries to force his window down. It won’t budge.
SIMON (CONT’D)
I can’t open the window so, I don’t know, keep your heads down or something.
Gumbo immediately curls into the foetal position in the rear passenger side footwell. Simon aims through the back window.
SIMON (CONT’D)
If I don’t then we’re all dead. You do know who Perry is, right?
Ryan starts to speak but changes his mind and backs away as far as he can.
SIMON (CONT’D)
Cover your ears.
Simon fires. It is a flare gun. The flare embeds in the glass of the back window and fizzes bright red. Red smoke fills the car.
SIMON (CONT’D)
Shit. It is a flare gun. Fucking Pete. That snidey two-faced- That’s it. We’re fucked. It’s over.
Ryan turns to Gumbo.
RYAN
Don’t just lie there, kick your window in.
Gumbo doesn’t move. He screams as phosphorus sparks rain down on him.
Ryan starts to force his door open.
SCENE NINE. EXT. ROAD- NIGHT
The door finally gives and Ryan spills out onto the road. Simon and Gumbo quickly follow him. PERRY is waiting for them. He claps slowly.
PERRY
Very impressive boys.
He looks around.
PERRY (CONT’D)
I reckon the coastguard’ll be here any minute. Now, get in the fucking motor.
FADE TO BLACK.