SHE COULD BE DANGEROUS
Written by
Tucker Bradley Sloan
FADE IN:
EXT. BRIDGE OVER DRAINAGE DITCH-DAY
A young dead girl floats down a drainage ditch and under a bridge. A young EMILY sees the body from the bridge.
She climbs down to the body, and with a strange look in her eye, steals a small emerald necklace from the body then heads back up the ditch towards the bridge as she puts on the necklace.
TITLE OVER:
Over a decade later
INT. PARSONS & PARSONS FINE JEWELRY-DAY
Quirky Emily, early 20’s, still wears the stolen necklace. She is a stunningly dressed, chain-smoking, jewelry store employee.
She fidgets behind the counter of the colorful Parsons & Parsons Fine Jewelry Store located in a strip center along with a hair salon, pawn shop, and sports bar named Hot Toddy’s.
She flicks her lighter nervously as she awaits her next customer.
The sweet and likeable ANGIE upstages Emily in appearance as she shows up for her first shift. Excited to have a new opportunity, she enters in full confidence.
EMILY
Hi. What can I help you find
today?
ANGIE
Actually, is your manager in?
today’s my first day.
EMILY
You must be Angie! You’re gorgeous!
ANGIE
That’s me.
EMILY
Well, Mr. Parsons, as you may know, lost his mother, so today he decided to get her portrait. He’s going to hang it in the front window. So, he’ll be right
back.
ANGIE
Oh, I love your necklace!
EMILY
Thank you. I’m not that into jewelry, but
emeralds…
ANGIE
Really make your eyes pop.
EMILY
Really?
ANGIE
Uh-huh.
EMILY
Funny. I do introduce myself as Emerald to customers… So, tell me about yourself.
Do you have experience in sales?
ANGIE
Oh, god no. Security. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Boring as fuck. Stand in a room all day saying, “Don’t touch that.
(MORE)
(CONT’D)
George Washington posed for that, so don’t touch it.” Makes you want to spank their hands like you would a toddler. Obviously, I hated the job. No gun. No phone at work. Just a lame walkie-talkie that drives you nuts. Anyway, there was a small flag
painting there worth 50 million that
would’ve fit perfectly in my makeup bag. So tempting. Don’t worry. I won’t take anything from your shop. Stealing has consequences. I
just wanted a job with commission. So here I am. Looking at you.
EMILY
Well, let’s get you started!
TITLE OVER:
About an hour later
ANGIE
(laughing)
I can’t believe you belt out “Circle of Love,” every time someone asks to look at wedding rings! That’s a fucking Christmas
song!
EMILY
What can I say? I’m an original. No, it’s
just a tic. Well, only an hour in, and you’ve helped bring in almost $3,000!
ANGIE
High five!
Crotchety, grieving PHILLIP PARSONS, late 40’s, enters carrying the portrait and a case. He displays a portrait of his mother wearing an oversized emerald necklace. He stays silent.
EMILY
Oh, she’s a keeper, Phillip. She is a
Keeper!
He displays a note that reads, “NOT FOR SALE,” then carefully takes the necklace out of the case and displays it.
When Emily sees the necklace, she is entranced. She cannot take her eyes off it.
ANGIE
Emily, are you okay? You’re shaking.
EMILY
Uh. You got this? I’m gonna take my break
early.
ANGIE
Sure.
EMILY
Thanks.
INT. HOT TODDY’S-DAY
A dark sports bar with colorful lights hanging from the ceiling.
Clean-cut CARLOS, 20’s, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, flawlessly works the bar while serving his only customer, Emily, who is drinking tequila shots and chain- smoking.
EMILY
I want that necklace.
CARLOS
Um, what?
EMILY
Phillip put a necklace in the window, and I want it, but it’s not for sale.
CARLOS
Well, that sucks, but…
EMILY
I’m gonna take it. It’s like a switch has been flipped. When I saw it, I knew it was meant to be. I feel different. I felt this way once. A long time ago, but the memory’s
all fuzzy.
CARLOS
I’m gonna get you some water.
EMILY
No. One more.
Carlos pours her another shot, but gets her a water, too.
EMILY (CONT’D)
Carlos, do you believe in destiny? That things are meant to be?
CARLOS
It depends.
EMILY
No, it doesn’t. I feel driven.
CARLOS
You sure you don’t feel sick?
EMILY
Listen, Carlos. I wanna do something dangerous. I wanna be dangerous. If I have to hurt Phillip, I will. Tell me, have you ever wanted power?
CARLOS
Well, yes and no.
EMILY
I have. I want to feel powerful. To have complete control of a situation where the only possible outcome is success. That necklace will make me feel powerful. I want that necklace. I’m gonna have it. It’s going to be mine. You see something you want; you just fucking take it. I want you to help me,
Carlos.
CARLOS
Just because I like you, doesn’t mean…
EMILY
I will happily take your virginity, and you take whatever you can carry from the store.
CARLOS
How did you know I was a…
EMILY
Oh, please. Everyone knows.
CARLOS
Well, I’m down. You know you need guns for
this, right?
EMILY
Where can I…
CARLOS
I can get guns. If I get deported over this-
Eh. I go see family.
INT. HOT TODDY’S OFFICE-NIGHT
WE HEAR something like End Credits (Skyhooker Mix) by Ben Salisbury, Geoff Barrow & Joseph McGann as Carlos and Emily suit up in the office for their heist.
Carlos reveals his gun stash to Emily.
EMILY
Angie will be gone for the night.
She just had a short training shift today. Phillip will be taking inventory, so the safe should be open. I’ve come to realize how much I don’t like Phillip, but I don’t think we should hurt him. I think we should scare the wimpy fucker, duct tape him to a chair, you know, be decent about it. I mean, he just lost his mom.
CARLOS
Everyone loses their mom.
EMILY
What are you saying?
CARLOS
I’m saying, I was brought here when I was three, at least he had his mom. I don’t even
know what that’s like. I say we take that fucking store. Now, I’ve come to realize a deep seeded anger in me. I don’t want to keep busting my ass for rich fuckers. I want to be the rich fucker. I think I want to be
a jeweler.
EMILY
So you just want to walk in a shoot him? Can we just see how it goes? Please? I can give you part of what you bargained for.
CARLOS
Right now? Fuck yeah.
INT. PARSONS AND PARSONS FINE JEWELRY SAFE ROOM-NIGHT
ANGIE
…And four moonstones, which are so pretty.
PHILLIP
And we’re finished. Thanks. You did really great today, and thank you for staying late.
ANGIE
Any time. Really. I like it here. I like Emily. She’s sweet.
WE HERE two GUNSHOTS, then the front door getting kicked in.
EMILY
Hey Phillip! I know you’re in there!
You best come out and keep away from the
alarm! I think you know what I’m holding
here!
ANGIE
What is going on?
PHILLIP
I don’t fucking know, but I’m not keeping away from my alarm.
EMILY
There you are, Mr. Parsons… Now, why the fuck is Angie still here?
Phillip goes for the alarm, but Carlos shoots him in the kneecap. Angie gets on the ground.
EMILY
Carlos!
CARLOS
What? He was gonna trip the alarm.
EMILY
Oh, Phillip, that actually does look like it hurts. I’ll get you some ice.
CARLOS
You’re not getting him no fucking ice! I’m gonna grab some shit.
EMILY
I told you I didn’t wanna… Right… Where’s
the tape? Get in the chair, Phillip. Get in the fucking chair!
Emily tapes him to a rolling chair.
PHILLIP
Wow. You two really are some tore up from the floor up trailer park trash!
EMILY
Shut up!
Emily tapes Phillip’s mouth shut, and wheels him as he bleeds into the walk-in safe. She closes the door and turns the lock.
EMILY
You. What are you still doing here?
ANGIE
What? I… I don’t know. He… He asked me to stay late to help with inventory.
EMILY
Oh, I wish he hadn’t done that. Now, where’s my… Where’s my necklace?
ANGIE
The emerald necklace? He locked it in the
safe.
Emily’s eyes grow two sizes. She shoots Angie in the stomach.
EMILY
Fuck! I didn’t mean to do that, Angie. Oh, look at all that blood. Carlos!
ANGIE
I liked you, Emerald.
EMILY
What?
Angie dies. Carlos enters.
EMILY
I think she wanted to be my friend.
CARLOS
You killed her? What’d she do? Man, she was hot… Now she’s smokin’ hot. Get it? Cause… the… the smoke.
Emily screams in anger and sadness. The screen goes black.
WE HEAR two GUNSHOTS. A pause. Then two more.
EXT. PARSONS & PARSONS FINE JEWELRY- NIGHT
Angela walks out the front door splattered in blood. She’s in a trance as the necklace hangs around her throat. She runs away into the darkness of night.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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2 comments
OH MY GOD! Love the Faulkner "A Rose For Emily" analysis. Bee tee dubs, that was horrifically disgusting. From fucking dead bodies to this shit... This shit. ohmygod.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed my short script, Daniel! I enjoyed writing it!
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