cheaper the better

begining

1;

Fade in from black

In a forest at night, darkness amongst the trees. Crickets chirping in harmony with the camp fire lit in front of a homeless man sitting on a large stone. The man in blue jeans and a tight leather jacket, the stubble on his face half covering the large scar on his left cheek.

he coughs opening a large backpack beside the stone and pulls out a sleeping bag. as he places the sleeping bag on the ground a small fox comes pacing into view from the woods. Harvey James Staton looks up from his new made bedding and makes eye contact with the fox. he reaches over to his backpack and pulls out a large cracker slowly. The fox stops moving, a stick in the tipi fire gives way and the fire collapses. The fox turns its gaze quickly in the fires direction as Harvey sighs and gives a wince. The fox takes a moment to calm but once again looks toward Harvey. Harvey brakes the cracker in half and tosses half on the ground afront the fox. The fox gives a cautious look and a step back toward the dark woods. Harvey clicks his tongue a few times and kneels down on the ground.

( quietly ) *clicks tongue* [ Harvey ]: “Here boy, I won’t hurt ch’ya”

The fox slowly paces towards the cracker sniffing at the ground. The light from the fire dims as the fox lay on the ground gnawing on the cracker slowly.

( quietly ) *clicks tongue* [ Harvey ]: “Come on, it’s alright”

Harvey frowns and looks at the ground, the fox slowly gets up and curiously approaches him. As the fox drew closer Harvey reached to his rear jeans pocket with his free hand. The fox sniffs at the cracker in Harvey’s hand as he removes his pocket knife from his rear jeans pocket. Harvey opens his pocket knife behind his back as the fox nibbles the cracker away. Harvey winces as the fox finishes licking his fingers.

(Sadly) [ Harvey ]: “Sorry buddy, but I have to eat too…”

Harvey grabs the fox quickly by the scruff of its neck and it give one last yelp of life as Harvey plunges the knife deep into its throat.

***FADE TO BLACK***

Scene 2 ;

Fade in from black

In a victorian style bedroom with a large bed, a window with long silk drapes and a flower pot on the windowsill sarah Amelia Drave brushes her long auburn hair in a mirror. Her sky blue dress matching her eyes as she places her brush on a nearby table. she walks over to the window as there is a knock on the bedroom door. The sound of traffic outside fills the room as she opens the windows creaking old hinges.

(annoyed) *from behind the door* [Ashley] : “are you almost done in there? the party is in an hour.”

Sarah turns her head away from the window to the door and leans against the windowsill.

(rushed) [Sarah] : “Just a minute” *sigh*

The door opens and a woman with short black hair enters the room, strides half across the room and crosses her arms. Ashley wearing a similar dress to Sarah’s only a strong shade of scarlet.

(annoyed) [Ashley] : “We have to be at the party in an hour and here you are glaring out the window” *scoff* “honestly!”

Sarah turns back to stare out the window as ashley shakes her head slowly and uncrosses her arms.

(empathetic) [Ashley] : “I just don’t want to be late Sarah, I’m sorry.”

Sarah looks back over her shoulder at Ashley and a breeze blows through her hair from the window.

(depressed) *sniffle* [Sarah] : “I just want a minute... to take in the day.”

Sarah looks back out the window as Ashley frowns and looks down at the hard wood floor now glared by the sunlight coming through the window.

(remorsefully) [Ashley] : “I know you’ve been… temperamental, since father passed last week, but you can’t just ignore the rest of your life Sarah”

A small dog barks outside the room as Sarah slowly shuts the window, locks it, and closes the drapes. As Sarah turns to face Ashley once more a third much older woman in a black dress enters the room followed by a chihuahua and a smile on her face.

(excitedly) [Kim] : “limousine is here, are you two ready?”

Sarah gives a half smile and walks over to a lamp on her bedside table, the dog barks quietly.

(half heartedly) [Sarah] : “ready as we’ll ever be I suppose.”

Sarah clears her throat, grabs the cord of the lamp and pulls it.

***FADE TO BLACK***

Scene 3 ;

FADE IN FROM BLACK

In a large square room filled with people, a staircase with marble railings leading up to a balcony level overlooking the crowd. solid red drapes hung over the balconies and speakers on each balcony playing light jazz music. Sarah, Ashley, and Kim amongst the crowd. Ashley at an ordirve table eating cheese cubes on toothpicks. A man in suit and black tie approaches Ashley as she turns away from the table.

(happily) *mouth full of cheese* [Ashley] : “Hey Victor, how have you been, happy thanksgiving!”

Ashley throws out her arms in exclamation expectantly for a hug and finishes her cheese cube. Victor steps toward her and hugs her politely.

(mournfully) *sigh* [Victor] : “Not as bad as Sarah I hear… how is she lately?”

Victor takes a step back after the hug keeping a half smile and Ashley places her toothpick back down on the table.

(relived) [Victor] : “you seem cheerful though…”

Ashley looks toward the crowd where Sarah is mid conversation with kim.

(half-heartedly) [Ashley] : “of course I am, it’s a party, but she…” *sigh*

Ashley looked over her shoulder to the ordirve table with a frown. The jazz music playing from the balconies slowly faded to silence and the crowd quieted it’s chatter? A man in a suede suit of pale orange color was on one of the four balconies connected to a speaker.

*tap on microphone* (casually) [Mike] : “Testing… one, two. Testing… three, four.” *clears throat*

The crowd below now silenced begins to look up at the balcony where Mike, the MC of the party, was addressing the crowd.

(cheerfully) [Mike]: “As your MC for the afternoon I am honored to welcome you all to the one hundredth Drave thanksgiving reunion.”

At this the crowd gives a polite applause.

(sorrowfully) [Mike] : “Yes, it’s been a long time coming and sadly we’ve lost a few faces along the way… and no, that is not a comment on your botox treatments Ashley.”

The crowd lightly laughs. Mike smiles and pauses for a moment.

(cheerful) [Mike] : “Well I hope you all enjoy the music, food and family today. I know I will after a glass or two of that wine down there!” *chuckle*

with that Mike flicks the switch turning off the microphone and places it down atop the speaker, jazz music once again faded into the acoustics of the room. The crowd once again rose in talkative chatter. In the midst of the crowd Sarah and a tall man in business casual attire standing next to her.

(comforting) [Benjamin] : “I’m sorry to hear about your father Sarah… I hope you will be alright.”

Sarah looks to the ground with a frown as Ashley and Victor approach. Benjamin turns his head in their direction.

*sigh* (depressed) [Sarah] : “it might help if people stopped bringing it up all the time” *sniffle* *tear rolls down cheek*

Ashley and victor arrive at Sarah’s side, the crowd now in an abundance of talking, and greet them with a smile.

(cheerfully) [Ashley] : “Afternoon Ben, how have you been? business is good I hope.”

the light jazz music now becomes more upbeat to a three four timing.

(Remorsefully) [Benjamin] : “I’m good, but considering your father, my question is how are you and your sister?”

Sarah looks up as Kim begins making her way through the crowd toward them.

*hopeful smirk* (half heartedly) [Ashley] : “We’re coping, Sarah was willed the deed to the house so she’s living there now, so many rooms she’s letting me and mother stay there too.”

Kim reaches Sarah, Ben, Victor, and Ashley. She joins their social circle. She holds a large brown purse clashing with her black dress.

*cough into shoulder* (tiered) [Kim] : “having a good time you three?” *smirk*

Sarah looks at Kim as she continues to cough. Sarah places her hand on her mother’s shoulder.

(worry) *wince* [Sarah] : “You really must see a doctor about that coughing, I don’t think this partys the best thing for you right now. Let's

go home.”

***FADE TO BLACK***

Scene 4 :

FADE IN FROM BLACK

Harvey walking down a street in the dead of night no traffic on the road and a street light down the street flickering. his bag making him hunch his back as he walks, he drew more and more out of breath as he strode. he places his bag down beside him as he stops at a bus stop bench. He leaned back against the bench, as he catches his breath it lightly begins to snow. A woman across the street walks on the sidewalk with a large brown purse. Harvey looks up, he stands and flicking his pocket knife open he bolts across the street to the woman. when a front Kim he cringes his face.

*angry grimace* (forced aggression) [Harvey] : “Just hand over the bag and I won’t hurt you”

Kim shakingly stretches out her arm to hand over her handbag as the light above flickers.

*mumbled* (terrified) [Kim] : “Please, you won’t find anything in there it’s mostly just makeup.”

Harvey closes his knife to search the bag. he puts his knife back in his pocket and holds out the purse for Kim. Kim takes her purse back hesitantly. Another woman comes walking across the street slowly.

(questioningly) [Sarah] : “Mother, is that you?”

Harvey looks in Sarah’s direction, He takes a step back to make room for her on the sidewalk as she steps up the curb.

*sigh* (polite) [Sarah] : “And who is…”

Sarah turns to face Harvey with a smile, pauses for a moment, squints, tilts her head and takes a quick breath.

*slight gasp* (surprised) [Sarah] : “Harvey?… is that you?”

Kim hangs her purse over her shoulder and turns at Sarah’s words with a shocked look on her face.

*gasp* (shocked) [Kim] : “Sarah!, how do you know this man!”

Sarah turns to her mother with a frown, Harvey gives a light chuckle and they turn to him with stern looks.

*chuckle* (amused) [Harvey] : “It’s the beard, no one recognizes me anymore.”

The snow ceases to fall, Kim frowns and realizes who Harvey is, she calms down.

*sigh* (depressed) [Sarah] : “you should come over for tea, you look beaten by the times.”

***FADE TO BLACK***