Sometimes a little violence is a good thing.

Script by David Accampo

 FADE IN:

            INT BATHROOM - MORNING

            DAN, a single professional dad in his mid-30's frantically
            brushes his teeth. As he leans down to spit, a LOUD EXPLOSION
            sounds from the other room. Dan leans out of the bathroom
            door.

            INT HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

            Dan's head emerges as he shouts down the hall.

                                DAN
                      Eyes!

            INT LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

            CHARLIE, Dan's 6-year-old son, sits cross-legged two feet
            from a big screen TV where a violent action movie plays. As
            Dan shouts, Charlie's hands dart to his eyes and cover them.
            After a few seconds, he drops them again.

            INT BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS

            Dan's head zips back into the bathroom. He spits again and
            rinses. From the living room, a man screams.

                                DAN
                          (shouting)
                      Eyes!

                                                                 CUT TO:

            INT LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

            Charlie sits, watching the violent movie as Dan rushes back
            and forth, putting on a shirt, then tying his tie.

            The action hero on the TV screen starts to speak. Dan
            interrupts.

                                DAN
                      Ears!

            Charlie obediently covers his ears.

            After a few moments, the screen goes blank. Dan, behind
            Charlie, holds the remote in one hand and a lunchbox in the
            other.

                                DAN (CONT'D)
                      Alright, pal...let's go, go, go! I made
                      peanut butter!

                                CHARLIE
                      And jelly?

            Dan points to the jelly stain on his tie.

                                DAN
                      And jelly. Let's go!

            Charlie obediently takes the lunchbox and heads for the door.

                                                                 CUT TO:

            EXT CARPORT - MORNING

            Dan finishes buckling Charlie into the carseat, then hops
            into the driver's seat. The lunch box sits on the roof of the
            car as Dan starts the engine. He backs out and drives down
            the driveway, lunchbox still on the roof.

                                                                 CUT TO:

            INT CAR - MORNING

            Dan and Charlie rock out to loud punk rock in the car. As Dan
            sings loudly and out of tune, Charlie stops.

                                CHARLIE
                      Dad!

                                DAN
                          (looking in rearview mirror)
                      What is it, pal?

                                CHARLIE
                          (agitated)
                      I gotta go!

                                DAN
                      Now?

                                CHARLIE
                      Yeah!

                                DAN
                      Can't it wait until we get to school?

                                CHARLIE
                      No!

                                DAN
                      Are you sure?

                                CHARLIE
                          (yelping)
                      I'm sure!

                                DAN
                      OK, OK!

            Dan turns looking down the street.

                                DAN (CONT'D)
                          (to himself)
                      Man, I don't know. Not much...I guess...

                                                                 CUT TO:

            EXT STREET - MOMENTS LATER

            Dan pulls the car over in front of a dive bar with a shabby
            wooden door.

            There's fumbling as Dan opens his door, reaches around to
            Charlie. After a moment they both emerge. Charlie skips
            urgently around the car as Dan leads him to the door.

                                                                 CUT TO:

            INT BAR - MOMENTS LATER

            Dan and Charlie enter the dim, decrepit bar. A scary looking
            TOUGH GUY is leaning into the bar in front of the
            BARTENDER, a big man wearing an eyepatch and an apron. He has
            a whiskey bottle in hand.

                                BARTENDER
                      Hey, no kids in here!

                                DAN
                      Look, man, my kid's gotta go!

                                BARTENDER
                      Find somewheres else!

                                CHARLIE
                      Dad!

                                DAN
                      Come on, bro!

                                CHARLIE
                      Daaaaad!

                                DAN
                      Hang on, pal--

                                CHARLIE
                      But it's happen-ning!

                                DAN
                      Yeah, just -- what? No-- wait--

                                BARTENDER
                      You can't go in there!

            Dan rushes Charlie past the Tough Guy.

                                DAN
                      Look, just...we're using the bathroom,
                      alright? He'll just go in. Right?
                      Charlie? Just go. Go!

            Dan frantically waves Charlie away, who rushes off to the
            men's room on the other side of the bar.

            Dan stands straight and turns back to the bartender.

                                DAN (CONT'D)
                      I'm sorry, man. Emergency. You got any
                      kids? I mean, you know how it is.

            The bartender and the Tough Guy just stare at Dan. The tough
            guy wiggles an unlit cigarette between his teeth.

                                DAN (CONT'D)
                      Look, let me buy something, alright? I
                      mean, not alcohol, but--

                                TOUGH GUY
                      Ernie's pouring whiskey, amigo.

                                DAN
                      Oh yeah, thanks, no..I'm just on my way--

            The bartender flips over a glass and pours the whiskey into a
            glass. He slides it across the counter. Dan eyes the glass.

                                TOUGH GUY
                      Might as well drink up.

                                DAN
                      Excuse me?

            Tough Guy wiggles his cigarette menacingly. He pulls a knife
            from his back pocket and taps it against the counter.

                                TOUGH GUY
                      Let's just say your timing ain't so
                      great, "dad.'

                                DAN
                      Whoa...hey, listen guys, let me just get
                      my kid and get out of whatever...

            Tough Guy is slowly, menacingly, approaching.

                                DAN (CONT'D)
                      ...I mean, you guys did say "no kids,"
                      and here I am all wrapped up in my world,
                      and...hey...alright...come on...
            A sudden GUNSHOT; the bartender's whiskey bottle shatters in
            his hand, spraying glass and whiskey.

            Behind Dan, Charlie is aiming a revolver. He squeezes his
            eyes shut and fires again. The unlit cigarette disappears
            from Tough Guy's mouth.

                                TOUGH GUY
                      Jesus...

                                CHARLIE
                      Freeze, asshole.

                                DAN
                      Charlie! You can't say THAT!

                                CHARLIE
                      Sor-RY!

                                DAN
                      I promised your mom!

                                CHARLIE
                      I know. Sorry, dad.

            Charlie turns, waving the gun. Dan flinches and jumps back.

                                DAN
                      Charlie!

                                CHARLIE
                      Oh! Sorry!

            Dan breathes deep.

                                DAN
                      And where did you...where...what...?

            As Dan tries to summon the thoughts, he looks up and sees a
            body slumped in the men's room.

                                DAN (CONT'D)
                      ...holy shit...

                                CHARLIE
                      Dad!

                                DAN
                      yeah, yeah...sorry. We'll both wash our
                      mouths out with soap. Now...now, put that
                      thing down. Come on, let's go...

            Dan grabs his son's hand and they walk out the door as Dan
            lectures Charlie.

                                DAN (CONT'D)
                      ...and what did I say about picking up
                      stuff up in restrooms? I mean, jesus --
                      er, sorry -- I mean, dude, come on...talk
                      about not knowing where something's been.
                      Listen, I don't want to hear your mom's
                      "bacteria" speech again, you catch me...

                                                          FADE TO BLACK.

Billy stumbles across a strange man in a field and gets a lesson on the difference between good guys and bad guys.

Script by David Accampo

  FADE IN:

            EXT FIELD - DAY

            A wide, yellow field under blue skies. BILLY, a young boy,
            traipses through the tall weeks, talking to himself.

                                BILLY
                      ...but Mr. Sinister didn't count on this
                      secret passageway out of the Savage Land,
                      did he, Ka-zar? Now, once the X-men make
                      it to our hidden outpost, we'll fire up
                      Cerebro and find out what happened to
                      Cyclops...

            Billy comes to an outcropping of large rocks in the field.

            EXT FORT - CONTINUOUS

            Billy's FORT is a sheet of plywood covering two of the rocks.
            He hunkers down at the edge of it.

                                BILLY
                      Ah, here we are, safe and sound.

            INT FORT - CONTINUOUS

            Billy crawls into the shadowy space. COMICS and TOYS litter
            the space.

                                BILLY
                      OK, Professor, we're back!

            An empty whiskey bottle rolls out of the shadows and smack
            against Billy's feet. At the other edge of the plywood, we
            see a man's FEET stumble into view. Billy stands up.

            EXT FORT - CONTINUOUS

            Billy sees a MAN in a torn suit. He's dirty and bloodied.

                                MAN
                      Hey, kid. Sorry. Bottle got away from me.

            Billy doesn't move. The man reaches into his suit coat. He
            pulls out a PACK OF SMOKES, raises it to his lips and pulls
            out a CIGARETTE with his teeth.

                                MAN (CONT'D)
                      Don't suppose you got a light?

            Billy shakes his head.

                                MAN (CONT'D)
                      Eh. Filthy habit, anyway.

            He spits out the unlit cigarette.

                                MAN (CONT'D)
                      Trying to cut down. So. What you playing?

                                BILLY
                      X-men.

                                MAN
                      Oh yeah? Who you fighting?

                                BILLY
                      Mr. Sinister.

                                MAN
                      Never heard of him. Sounds pretty bad,
                      though.

            Billy nods.

                                MAN (CONT'D)
                      I used to...oh whoa...

            The man staggers and collapses to his knees. He smiles at
            Billy and leans back against a rock.

                                MAN (CONT'D)
                      You don't mind if I sit, do you?

            He looks out at the field.

                                MAN (CONT'D)
                      I used to play super-heroes, too. Kinda
                      like that. Bad guys. Good guys.
                      Who...who's winning?

                                BILLY
                          (shrugging)
                      Good guys.

                                MAN
                          (laughing)
                      Yeah. That's good. That's the way it
                      should be.

                                BILLY
                      Mr. Sinister's pretty powerful, though.

                                MAN
                      The bad guys always seem cooler, don't
                      they? Better powers. Better clothes. But
                      that's the thing, ain't it? They're bad
                      guys. And sooner or later, they go down.
                      And why is that?

                                BILLY
                      Cuz they're bad?

                                MAN
                      Ah, that's what they want you to think.
                      Nah. Nah. The bad guys always lose
                      because they forget something.
                      It's...whatever...I don't know. You think

                      you're better. You think you you've got
                      all the angles covered. But eventually
                      the good guys find the one thing you
                      missed.

                                BILLY
                      Like what?

                                MAN
                      Oh. It could be a million little details.
                      What's your name, kid?

                                BILLY
                      Billy.

                                MAN
                      Billy. Well, Billy, where do you live?

            Billy points to the edge of the field. The man reaches into
            his pocket and pulls out a GUN.

                                MAN (CONT'D)
                      You maybe ought to head on home, Billy.
                      There are some guys coming. And believe
                      me you don't want to be here when they
                      get here.

                                BILLY
                      Who's coming?

                                MAN
                      The good guys, Billy. The good guys.

            Billy runs off across the field. The man leans back and close
            his eyes.

                                MAN (CONT'D)
                      Goddamn, I really could have used that
                      cigarette.

                                                          FADE TO BLACK.

Would you sell your soul to win the lottery?

Script by David Accampo

FADE IN:

            INT. BARE ROOM - NIGHT

            CLOSE-UP - PORTABLE RADIO

            a small PORTABLE RADIO sits in a dimly lit room. An eclectic
            jazz mix trails off as a late-night DJ comes on the radio.

                                RADIO
                      ...and that last track was "Regret" by
                      De'Antraye and AJ, from their new release
                      on Punkhop records...

            An almost empty WHISKEY BOTTLE slams down next to the radio.

                                RADIO (CONT'D)
                      ...I'm really digging that groove so
                      we're gonna just play it as it lays and
                      keep spinning with the next track,
                      "Misery Loves..." as we tick-tock into
                      the midnight hour...

            There is motion next to the radio, and then a HAND holding  a
            piece of CHALK darts into frame, scribbling something on the
            bare floor next to the radio.

            EXTREME CLOSE-UP - QUINN'S FACE

            QUINN, a 40-something man in a loose tie and sweaty, rumpled
            dress shirt furious scribbles with the chalk, his face
            twisted with desperation.

            EXTREME CLOSE-UP - LOTTERY TICKET

            Next to the radio, half under the whiskey bottle, is an
            orange LOTTERY TICKET. The numbers are circled in red.

                                RADIO (CONT'D)
                      ...but before we start that next track,
                      this is just a reminder that the 66
                      million dollar jackpot is still up for
                      grabs. That lucky lotto winner still
                      hasn't come forward. So if you're out
                      there tonight, I hope you're
                      listening...those magic numbers are 28,
                      42, 17, 56, 05...and the bonus is 13.

            CLOSE-UP - HANDS DRAWING WITH CHALK

            Back to the hands, we see that Quinn is drawing a series of
            OCCULT SYMBOLS with chalk on the floor.

            The shot WIDENS as we BOOM UP to reveal Quinn sitting in the
            middle of a circle of chalk symbols with only the radio and
            whiskey bottle. FOUR CANDLES punctuate the ring of symbols at
            North, South, East and West.

            Quinn finishes the last symbol and leans back.

            MEDIUM SHOT - QUINN

            Quinn reaches into his shirt pocket and retrieves a PACK OF
            CIGARETTES. He pull out, fishes a LIGHTER from his pocket,
            and lights up.

            He pauses for a moment.

            INT. DARK HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

            QUINN'S POV

            Looking down the dark hall outside of the circle of candles,
            we hear FOOTSTEPS as dress shoes clack on the hard surface.

            The footsteps stop.

                                QUINN
                      I know you're there.

            INT. BARE ROOM -CONTINUOUS

            A well-dressed MAN in a BLACK SUIT steps silently into the
            light. He's still heavily cloaked in shadows.

                                MAN
                      Hello, Quinn.

                                QUINN
                      You can't hurt me in here.

            The man steps closer, standing a foot away from the circle.

                                MAN
                      You are correct. You've done your
                      homework, Quinn. Someone's been reading
                      from the Key of Solomon, I see.

            Quinn picks up the lottery ticket and clutches it to his
            chest.

                                QUINN
                      You can't take this away from me.

                                MAN
                          (hands outspread)
                      I am bound by the rules of our
                      engagement, Quinn. I gave you a winning
                      lottery ticket. You gave me your soul.

                                QUINN
                      But I'm still alive. It's still mine.

            The man steps forward again and kneels before the circle.

                                MAN
                      Tell me, Quinn. Why haven't you picked up
                      your winnings? 66 million dollars. That's
                      what this is all about, right? That's why
                      you called me?

                                QUINN
                      You know why.

                                MAN
                      Think of all the things you could buy. A
                      home. A car.
                          (winking)
                      Perhaps even a woman.

                                QUINN
                      This is day five. That was the deal. Six
                      days and you forfeit your claim to my
                      soul.

                                MAN
                      Yes, that was a sporting chance, wasn't
                      it?

                                QUINN
                      I beat you! You said my greed would
                      overcome me, but...

                                RADIO
                      ...what a great track that was. And here
                      we are, cats and kitties. In the Witching
                      Hour. That also means this is the very
                      last day for that lucky lotto winner to
                      stake his claim. For the record, the
                      jackpot goes to the ticket that reads 28,
                      42, 17, 56, 05...with the bonus number
                      13.

                                QUINN
                          (laughing)
                      ...It's midnight. I did it.

                                MAN
                          (sighing)
                      You've proven yourself a man of great
                      discipline.

                                QUINN
                      So, you admit it? I won?

                                MAN
                      You've won our little wager.

            The man stands, and begins to turn away. Almost as an after
            thought, he turns back to Quinn.

                                MAN (CONT'D)
                      Say, Quinn...did you ever wonder why I
                      made you wait six days?

                                QUINN
                      Greed...you told me...it was...

                                MAN
                      This winning number. It's been broadcast
                      now. All over the city. For six days.
                          (beat)
                      This isn't just a lucky number, Quinn.
                      It's a magic number. And it's MY number.
                      You read a book, Quinn. Dabbled a little
                      in the old ways. So, I assume you
                      understand the power of numbers. Numbers
                      are symbols that speak the names that are
                      broadcast into the hearts and minds of
                      millions every night.

                                QUINN
                      What? No...

                                MAN
                      Haven't you felt it? The electricity in
                      the air? The encroaching darkness?
                      Haven't people seemed a little more
                      desperate lately? Maybe...maybe you
                      weren't really paying attention. Maybe
                      you were pre-occupied.

                                QUINN
                      No, no, no...I beat you...I beat the
                      devil...

                                MAN
                          (laughing)
                      Oh, Quinn. I assure you, you are quite
                      safe from me.
                          (beat)
                      The other six million souls in this city,
                      on the other hand...
                          (fierce)
                      They're mine now.

                                QUINN
                      No...no...no...

                                MAN
                      It's about to get "hot as hell" in the
                      city, as they say.
                          (beat)
                      And hey...I couldn't have done it without
                      you. This was your deal, Quinn. You gave
                      me six million souls.
                          (beat)
                      What...eh, what sort of balance do you
                      think that puts on your eternal soul?
                          (waving his hand)
                      In the grand scheme of things?

                                QUINN
                          (sobbing)
                      I'm safe... from... you...

                                MAN
                      I think you're mine anyway.

            The man raises his hand. He's holding a REVOLVER.

                                QUINN
                          (sobbing)
                      ...you can't shoot me...

                                MAN
                      Oh, this isn't for me.

            The man sets the revolver on the floor. He kicks it across
            and into the circle.

                                MAN (CONT'D)
                      That's for when you're ready to join us,
                      Quinn.

            The man smiles a final time, then turns and walks back into
            the shadow. Quinn picks up the gun and cradles it. He sobs,
            but in between we can hear the MUSIC from the radio.

            Suddenly the music STOPS. A moment later, the EMERGENCY TONE
            comes on the radio.

            CLOSE-UP - PORTABLE RADIO

            We hear a GUNSHOT, and Quinn's body slumps forward, partially
            obscuring the radio. The gun clanks as it hits the ground.

            The emergency tone suddenly stops, and the DJ comes back on
            the air:

                                RADIO
                      Sorry about that one, my late-night
                      legion. We just had a little technical
                      difficulty there for a moment, but
                      everything's all right now. Let's get
                      back into the groove with another tune.
                      This one's called "Little Miss
                      Direction," and I think you'll dig it.

            The new song starts, and a quick burst of WIND blows out all
            the candles as we...

                                                          FADE TO BLACK.