Six Ways To Die

GENE

(Sarcastic)

I told you to take fencing

in college. You still stink.

Tony gets up laughing, all the kids by the campfire start applauding, Gene and Tony take a bow, turn, then continue walking the beach waving goodby to the kids.

EXT. ANOTHER SECLUDED PART OF THE BEACH

Still walking by a group of large rocks lining the beach.

TONY

(matter of fact)

You know, we could build

a pyramid with all these

large rocks.

As they’re walking, they hear muffled voices.

TONY

Did you hear that?

GENE

Where’d it come from?

Looking to his right.

TONY

(pointing)

Over there!

Gene motioning Tony to follow.

GENE

Shusss, come-on.

Near the rocks, they bend down, sneak to where the sounds coming from.

They climb upon some tall rocks about eight feet high, peek over the top into the sandy part near the trees.

There’s a campfire blazing.

GENE AND TONY’S POV:

They see two young men standing, watching two other men holding down a girls arms while a fifth person is having intercourse.

The girl is squirming, crying, trying to get away. She tries to scream, but one of the men has a hanky over her mouth.

The girl is tiny, blonde hair, slim with small firm breasts. Baby face, looks about 18.

One of the men standing is holding a gun. They’re all laughing, having a good time. Tony whispers to Gene.

BACK ON GENE AND TONY

TONY

Let’s get out of here.

GENE

(whispering)

No. Let’s help the girl.

TONY

(scared)

What, are you nuts?

Tony keeps looking left and right, making sure he’s not seen.

BACK ON GUYS

When the first guy finishes with the girl, one of the other guys takes his pants down, mounts the girl.

INSERT - GENE, AND TONY LYING ON ROCKS

GENE

(whispering)

Come on, lets go beat the shit

out of them.

TONY

(whispering)

Don’t you see the gun?

GENE

Yeah, so what should we do?

TONY

Lets go report this to the

police.

BACK ON GUYS

SHAWN, tall, heavy set, straggly hair, mean, very dominant, wearing T-shirt and shorts. Looks at the two guys standing.

SHAWN

Hey, go start digging a deep

hole.

PAUL, tall, slim, timid. Cut-offs, T-shirt, sneakers.

Looks at Shawn.

(confused)

What do you want a hole for?

SHAWN

Don’t be stupid. What do you

think we’re going to do with

her? Just let her go so we can

go to jail for rape?

BILL, tall, medium build, Shorts, no shirt. Glances at Shawn.

Don’t get crazy man, we can’t

kill her.

DAVE, average height, stocky, Shorts, no shirt. Holding his arms out-stretched, palms facing Shawn.

I want nothing to do with

killing.

JOHN, about six foot, medium build. Long shorts, torn T-shirt. Looks at Shawn.

JOHN

Me neither!

SHAWN

(hands on hips)

Anyone have a better idea?

PAUL

(trembling)

Maybe the girl won’t say anything...

SHAWN

(interrupts)

You wanna bet 20 years on that?

PAUL

No... but there has to be a

better way.

BACK ON GENE AND TONY

Hearing this, Gene stands up. Tony grabs at his shorts, tries to pull him down. Still whispering.

TONY

(scared)

What the hell are you doing?

You wanna get shot?

GENE

We have to do something, did

you hear what that punk wants

to do?

TONY

So, how can you stop that?

GENE

Watch me.

Gene stands at the top of the rocks, facing the guys, cups his hands over his mouth, yells out loudly.

GENE

‘Okay assholes, everybody put

your hands up.’

BACK ON GUYS

They all get startled. Bill jumps off the girl pulls his pants up. The two guys holding the girls arms, release them, stand up, look toward the voice.

Shawn runs to Dave, who’s holding the gun. Dave is surprised as to what Shawn did.

Shawn grabs the gun, raises it and starts SHOOTING in the direction of the voice. The girl gets up, starts running away. Shawn turns, yells.

SHAWN

(nonchalantly)

Hey bitch, where do you think

you’re going?

Raises the gun, points it in the girls direction, FIRES, hits her in the back. She falls down, blood splattering, bleeding profusely.

BACK ON GENE AND TONY

Gene and Tony climb down the rocks, start running.

GENE

Run that way, (pointing)

I’ll go this way.

TONY

(frightened)

Be careful.

They start running down the beach in different directions.

Shawn turns facing the guys.

BACK ON GUYS

SHAWN

Okay you guys, pick up the

girl, get her out of here.

I’ll be right back.

PAUL

(shaking)

Boy, we’re in trouble now.

John facing Paul.

JOHN

Shut up, grab an arm.

The four guys grab the girls arms and legs, carry her away, running to the trees.

They run into another secluded spot.

Shawn runs up to the rocks, climbs to the top to see the guy watching. He sees only one guy running in the distance.

SHAWN

(mumbling to himself)

Shit, I’ll never catch him.

EXT. ANOTHER PLACE ON THE BEACH - NIGHT

INSERT - GUYS CARRYING GIRL RUNNING

All four guys are still running when Shawn catches up to them.

They come to a place where its full of trees and tall rocks all around.

EXT. BACK ON BEACH

SHAWN

(Still carrying the gun)

Ok guys, quick, dig a hole.

Dave looks at John.

DAVE

(scared)

You think we should carry her

a little farther?

JOHN

This is far enough.

SHAWN

Okay, lets get to it. Dig fast.

They drop the girl in the sand, get down on their knees, start digging a hole as fast as they can with their hands. After a couple of feet, John stops, stands up.

JOHN

Throw her in.

DAVE

What about the gun?

John looks at Shawn.

JOHN

Throw it in with the body.

Shawn throws the gun into the hole.

The girls body is thrown into the hole by Dave and Bill. They start covering her up with sand.

Bill starts wiping down the area with a big tree branch to cover up the footprints.

BILL

(stern)

All right, everybody grab

some branches. We’ll back

track to where we came from

to cover our tracks.

They start brushing the sand, walking backwards.

They brush the sand back toward the area where this happened.

PAUL

(shaking)

Oh my god, were really in

trouble now.

BILL

(aggravated)

Will you shut the fuck up.

DAVE

We’d better think up a story

of where we were tonight.

JOHN

And make sure we stick to it.

Paul walks up to each guy, taking the branches from their hands.

PAUL

What about the guy that

saw us?

The guys walk towards the campfire. Paul throws the branches into the rocks.

EXT. AT CAMPFIRE

BILL

Don’t worry, its his word

against ours, plus they

have to have a body to prove

anything.

PAUL

But what if they find the body?

SHAWN

When everything cools down,

we’ll move her far away where

nobody will ever find her.

DAVE

That’s a good idea. Let’s

get out of here before the

police show up.

SHAWN

Yeah, We’ll meet at my place

tomorrow.

JOHN

Okay, everybody, put sand on

the fire.

They all bend down, throw sand on the fire.

They run to the large rocks, start climbing over the rock wall.

EXT. BEACH

They start running down the beach, each going his own way.

INT. TONY’S LIVING ROOM

Tony and Gene run in the door, sit on the livingroom couch.

TONY

(breathing heavy)

Holy shit, what do we do?

GENE

(breathing heavy)

What do you mean? We go tell

the police.

TONY

(scared)

You crazy! Do you know who

the guy is that shot the girl?

GENE

No...

TONY

That was the sheriffs son.

GENE

(surprised)

You’re kidding.

TONY

No....

GENE

Do you know anything about

the sheriff?

Tony starts pacing.

TONY

(still scared)

No, but don’t mention that

you know it was his son that

shot the girl.

GENE

Why not?

TONY

Let’s see what he does after

he finds out.

GENE

Sounds good.

TONY

And keep my name out of this.

I live in this town and this

could bring my family trouble.

GENE

All right. I’m going to the

sheriff’s office now.

Gene stands up, walks to the door.

TONY

(scared)

Be careful. I don’t think he

want’s to arrest his own son.

Gene places his hand on the doorknob.

GENE

I know what you mean. I’ll

see you later, let you know

what the says.

He walks out the door, closes it. A few seconds later, he walks back in, smiling.

GENE

How the hell do I get there?

Tony laughs.

EXT. GENE DRIVING TO TOWN

He spots the sheriff’s office, parks. A large sign overhangs above the doors. ‘Haley’s police headquarters’.

EXT. LONG SHOT - POLICE STATION - NIGHT

He gets out of the car, stands, looks around at the empty street, closes the door to his car. He watches a police car pull into the parking lot.

Watches two policemen directing a guy in hand cuffs into the stations side door. He slowly walks into the front office.

INT. POLICE STATION - OUTER OFFICE - NIGHT

Stops at the reception desk, only two desks occupied with policemen. The office is fairly large. White walls, ten desks, five on each side of the room.

A long counter in front of the office, from wall to wall with a gate leading inside the main office at the far left.

Four doors lead to other rooms. Two in the back, one on each side of the office.

The sheriff’s office is on the right side of the room, next to the receptionist desk, with pictures of presidents plus a poster of Uncle Sam to the left of the s door.

GENE

(to CATHY/receptionist)

Who’s in charge at this hour?

CATHY

The sheriff, he’s still here, why?

GENE

Could you please tell him I’d

like to talk to him.

Cathy stands up from behind the counter. Tiny little woman, short black hair, slim.

CATHY

What do you want to see him about?

GENE

I’d like to tell him in private,

its important.

Cathy walks to the s door, knocks twice.

SHERIFF (OS)

Come in.

Cathy walks in. Sheriff looking up from his desk.

SHERIFF

Yeah, what do you want?

CATHY

A guy out here, looks a little

shaken, wants to talk to you

Paper in hand, papers clutter the desk, looks up, angry.

Sits back in his chair.

SHERIFF

What does he want?

CATHY

He won’t say.

Flipping papers on his desk.

SHERIFF

(nasty)

Send him in.

Cathy walks out of the sheriff’s office, walks to the gate, opens it.

CATHY

(to Gene)

This way please.

INT. SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Cathy walks to the s door, Gene walks a little behind.

She opens the door, stands aside, Gene walks in.

Cathy closes the door, Gene walks up to the sheriff’s desk, stands there waiting for the sheriff to look at him.

The sheriff is a rotund man, in his fifties, grey hair, has a deep voice. An unpleasant man.

SHERIFF

(looking up)

What can I do for you.

GENE

Welllllll, I just saw a girl

get shot in the back.

Standing up from behind his desk.

SHERIFF

(excited/loud)

You what!

GENE

That’s right.

SHERIFF

Where did this happen?

GENE

(nervous)

On the beach. They started

shooting at me so I ran.

SHERIFF

How do you know the girl

is dead?

GENE

Lots of blood was splattering

all over the place when she

fell down.

Hands clinched on desk leaning forward.

SHERIFF

But you’re not sure, are

you?

Gene takes a step back.

GENE

Uh, no.

SHERIFF

Did you see their faces?

Gene starts pacing the floor.

GENE

It was a little dark but I

know I could recognize two

of them, maybe three. The

moonlight and the flames of

the fire gave me plenty of

light.

(beat)

The one who did the shooting

was called Shawn. About my size.

SHERIFF

(startled look)

Did you say SHAWN?

The sheriff sits down, jots down the name and size.

GENE

Yes.

SHERIFF

Did you hear any other names?

GENE

Uh huh. One was called John,

another called Bill.

Really concerned look on is face. He recognizes all the names. Jots them down.

He stands up, walks towards the door, picks up his hat from a table beside the door, walking out the door, turns to Gene, gestures for him to follow.

SHERIFF

Okay. Show me where this

happened.

EXT. SHERIFF’S POLICE CAR

They walk out of the office, get into the police car. Gene looks at the sheriff.

INT. SHERIFF’S POLICE CAR

GENE

Drive by the big pier, then

turn right, about a mile.

EXT. DRIVING ON THE BEACH

They bounce along the beach, through the sand.

GENE

(pointing)

Over there by those rocks.

They arrive near the rocks, get out of the car, start walking toward the rocks.

EXT. SECLUDED PART OF THE BEACH

GENE

(motioning)

Follow me.

They walk along the rocks, Gene pointing to the top of the rocks.

GENE

Over here.

They walk to where Gene points, climb up the rocks, then climb down the other side, walk to where the girl fell.

GENE

(points)

This is where the girl fell.

Looking at Gene.

SHERIFF

You’re sure?

GENE

I’m positive.

The sheriff probes the area with his flashlight and night stick, but couldn’t see anything.

SHERIFF

I can’t find anything. I

don’t even see footprints.

Looking around, left and right.

GENE