TICKING BOMB (PART ONE):

THE CLOSET

Written by

Sean Hood

Inspired by the 3rd Page prompts: Scarlet, Clockwork, Tumble

AddressPhone Number

ii.

INT. GENGI’S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - DAY

A sports bra, shorts, T-shirts are scattered everywhere. Two *nude bodies lie motionless on the tile floor. *

GENGI (23) is breathing hard; his chest glistens with sweat *as he runs his fingers across his belly. SCARLET (25,) limp *as rag doll, looks wide-eyed and stunned - did this really *just happen? She’s only wearing socks and a single shoe. *

They bask in an intense, sexual afterglow until...

KEYS JINGLE and RATTLE in the front door lock. They bolt up. Gasp. Look at each other with wide eyes.

INSIDE THE OPEN PANTRY - JUMP CUTS *

With shocking speed, Gengi springs to his feet, snatches up her workout clothes. He flings them into the cramped pantry, *shelves filled with cans, jars and cereal boxes. *

Scarlet scrambles in after her clothes, but there’s little *room for her, the door not quite shutting behind her as... *

DEBORAH (O.S.)Hey...

GENGI (O.C.)Just got back from the gym...was about to take a shower...

Scarlet listens. Keys plunk in a dish. A messenger bag thumps to the floor.

GENGI (O.S.) (CONT’D)Don’t kiss me, I’m all...sweaty. What are you...why are you back?

DEBORAH (O.S.)Can just I work here? I can’t sit in that office one more second.

Beat. Scarlet crouches helplessly. The door is open a crack. She reaches to the knob to shut it completely, but...

Deborah walks past. Scarlett freezes. Holds her breath.

GENGI (O.S.)I guess...why don’t you just work at a coffee house?

Through the crack she can see Deborah whirl around, angry.

DEBORAH (O.S.)What. Am I interrupting something?

Deborah walks out of view.

GENGI (O.C.)No off course not. You can work here. It’s just, you know, a mess.

JUMP CUTS: Slowly. Carefully. Quietly. In the cramped closet, Scarlet puts on her shorts and her sports bra and her t-shirt. Then she realizes she’s missing her other shoe. *

THROUGH THE CRACK, she can see her shoe lying on it’s side at *the bottom of the fridge, in plain view. She winces. *

Very slowly she reaches out to try to grab it. So close. *

Beyond the door we hear the shower running and frantic typing on a laptop, which barely pauses as Deborah speaks.

DEBORAH (O.S.)Did you see, Scarlet?

Scarlet snatches back her hand at the sound of her name.

GENGI (O.S.)(from the shower)

What?

DEBORAH (O.S.)At the gym. Did you see Scarlet?

The shower stops. Through the crack, we see Gengi walk past with a towel draped on his hip.

GENGI (O.S.)Yeah, but she left before me. I didn’t have a chance to...

DEBORAH (O.S.)You know she’s in love with you, right?

GENGI (O.S.)What are you talking about?

DEBORAH (O.S.)Trust me. She’s always going on and on about how “smart” you are...what an amazing “artist” you are. Not actor. She says “artist.”

Blue (mm/dd/yyyy) 2.

GENGI (O.S.)You’re reading too much into it.

CLOSE ON Scarlets face. She’s mortified as she listens.

DEBORAH (O.S.)No. It’s her tone. Like the same far-off-dreamy voice she had for boys in the 5th grade.

Deborah mockingly imitates Scarlet’s high, wispy voice.

“He’s just so authentic; it’s such a non-performance. He’s just there, like a house cat.”

(beat)Did you buy more Cliff Bars?

GENGIYes...Wait! I got it.

Gengi abruptly dashes to the pantry door, reaches in just *past Scarlet’s head, snatching a cliff bar from the shelf.

Scarlet and Gengi exchange a quick look. Scarlet stares daggers at him: Get me out of this! Gengi shuts the door.

GENGI (CONT’D)Okay. Sweetie. Listen. I have to tell you something. You’re not going to like it. But I’m just going to say it.

Scarlet’s mouth drops open. She closes her eyes. She shakes her head and mouths the words. No. No. No.

GENGI (CONT’D)I dented your car.

DEBORAH(exasperated)

Damn it Gengi!

OUTSIDE THE DOOR - MOMENTS LATER

The front door slams shut. We hear Gengi and Deborah stomp down the stairs as Scarlet emerges from the closet.

GENGI (O.C.)Don’t freak out. It’s just a scratch.

JUMP CUTS: Scarlet darts out of the pantry. Snatches up her *shoe. Makes for the door and then hesitates. Turns back. *

She scribbles something on a note-pad sitting on the counter *

Blue (mm/dd/yyyy) 3.

Deb, We need to talk. - Scar *

She tears the sheet off the pad. She stares at the note, *brooding. Deciding. Silently freaking out. *

Through the kitchen window she can see Deborah and Gengi *standing in the parking lot, arguing and pointing. *

CLOSE ON SCARLET *

Off her frozen look of indecision... *

CUT TO BLACK: *

Blue (mm/dd/yyyy) 4.