American Gun Page #4

---

[ Gun c*cks ]

No!

[ Soldier coughing ]

Medic!

Medic!

What happened?

He was --

he was just a kid.

[ Gasps ]

I -- it's, uh...

[ Sighs ]

It's as clear now

as it was then.

Maybe even clearer.

Are they always

the same nightmares?

About people I've known

who died.

People that I've killed --

I killed with my bare hands,

you know, and...

Oh, but there's nothing

like a gun.

Why is that?

Because it's easy.

Requires no more effort

than the blinking of an eye.

And you don't have to look

the poor bastard in the face.

At least most of the time.

Uh, perhaps we should

finish up today.

Okay.

You're going to

get through it, Martin.

Believe me.

God never gives us more trouble

than we can bear.

So, uh...

If I were

a-a weaker person,

my daughter would

still be alive?

We don't always know

the reasons.

R-reason?

What possible reason could

there be for her to be dead?

If god --

if god...

If god what?

What?!

Believe what you want.

You know, Martin...

What puzzles me is that you've

told me many things here,

some things which took a lot

of courage to say.

But there's one thing

you've never said.

I loved penny.

That's not what I meant.

I loved penny.

Martin...

I've said it.

You're afraid to say it.

I -- go to hell!

Try, Martin.

[ Breathing heavily ]

"Dear penny,

I'm in las Vegas tonight."

[ Up-tempo dance music plays ]

"It's hot as hell,

but I'm close.

I'm very, very close."

Hello?

is this Louis Johnson?

Yes.

my name is Martin tillman.

I'm, uh, I'm trying to trace

a .357 Magnum.

Oh, you did?

Uh...really?

what pawnshop was that?

Pioneer.

Thank you very much.

[ Women talking indistinctly,

cheering ]

[ Music intensifies ]

[ Women squealing, laughing ]

[ Indistinct conversations ]

[ Car door closes,

engine turns over ]

[ Siren wailing in distance ]

Woman:

ready? come on.

[ Laughter ]

[ Up-tempo dance music plays ]

[ Indistinct conversations,

laughter ]

Who the f*** are you?

Who the f*** areyou?

[ Laughter in distance ]

Oh, my god.

Hey, you know

this f***in' guy?

Get out of the way.

Grandpa?

she's my

granddaughter, yes.

What are you --

we have to talk about

some things.

Ladies, if you'll

excuse us, please,

wait...

i want to talk to my

granddaughter.

What are you doing?

Grandpa, these are my friends.

I know who they are!

Out! Come on.

You better go.

I'll call you later.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jeez.

what do you mean,

you'll call him later?

You won't call me at all.

I-i got busy.

I-i...

Oh, you got busy.

What did you do?

Get busynotmaking

phone calls? What?!

[ Exhales sharply ]

I been all over this goddamn

country looking foryou.

[ Sighs ]

You have?

H-how's my --

how's my mother?

She's, uh...

She's good.

She's fine. Yes.

[ Sighs ]

Yes, she's, uh...

She's okay.

I think about her a lot.

Yeah, I think about her

a lot, too.

Really a lot.

[ Sighs ]

I just...

I just wrote her a letter.

Um...

Would you give it to her

for me?

Sure.

"Dear penny...

"I found Mia today.

She's all right.

"I'm not crazy about her chosen

profession, but she looks good.

"She gave me a letter for you.

"Should I open it?

"No, she doesn't know

what happened to you.

It wasn't the right time."

Martin:

are you in trouble?

Mia:
no.

No, not at all.

You promise you won't tell

my mother that I was here?

Okay.

I'll -- I'll be

right back, okay?

Ah, well.

[ Buzzer sounds ]

Woman:

can I take that for you?

Ah, uh...

[ Clears throat ]

No, I think it's, uh...

I don't think

she's finished yet.

Okay.

[ Exhales sharply ]

[ Billiard balls clacking ]

[ Exhales slowly ]

this is quite a place.

Yeah, it's not bad.

You happy here?

Yeah.

i like it.

Yeah?

mm-hmm.

Is, uh...

Well, you never told me

why you ran away.

But is this, uh...

[ Chuckles ]

for a guy.

A guy?

Mm-hmm.

Still with him?

No.

i dumped him.

[ Chuckles ]

How'd you find me, anyway?

The gun.

The gun?

The gun I took

from your purse, yeah.

Um...

How did that lead you to me?

I traced it.

You know,

the place it was made,

through all the various people

that had owned it,

hoping that, eventually,

it would lead me to you.

Or the shop

where you bought it.

Why were you so desperate

to find me?

I have something

i need to tell you.

It's about my mother?

Yes.

[ Keys jingling, footsteps ]

Hey!

Give me the purse!

F*** off!

No.

No.

[ Gun c*cks ]

no.

Just take it.

Just take it!

You have to tell

the police.

I don't want to call

the police.

Why not?

Because...

[ sighs ]

He has my address.

Your address at home?

No, he had

the address here.

It was on

the rental-car agreement.

Well, why would he

come after you?

I don't know, dad.

If I -- if -- if I identify him,

i mean, he might --

he might --

I mean, he got what he wanted.

Let's just...

Yeah.

okay, honey.

Okay.

[ Exhales deeply ]

Okay.

[ Sighs ]

[ Engine turns over ]

Oh!

[ Glass breaks ]

[ Gasps ]

[ Gunshots ]

[ Weakly ]

daddy?

Aah!

[ Gasps ]

Oh!

daddy, I'm shot.

Penny?!

is that...

Aah!

Oh!

Oh, god! Oh...

[ Penny moans softly ]

Oh, baby, look at...

Why did you shoot me?

Oh!

what's going on?

Mom?

oh, I got to

call the doctor!

Got to call somebody!

Penny, what happened?

What...

Happened?

Oh, hello? Yes.

Oh...

Listen, my daughter's

been shot.

Oh, my god!

Oh, my god!

Here. come on, honey.

No, no!

Don't -- don't --

hold her, for Christ's sake!

No. no, it's, uh,

it's 401 elm road.

Oh, my god!

Oh, my god!

Yes.

And please hurry.

Hurry!

What?

[ sobs ]

.357 Magnum.

Serial number --

3x...

Hey.

Hi.

That was a very brave

thing you did.

You wrote those letters

for me, didn't you?

Yeah.

[ Sighs ]

Thank you.

[ Laughing ] oh!

You're welcome, darling.

"Dear penny...

"This will be

my last letter to you.

"It's not because

you're not on my mind,

"because you are always,

and you always will be.

"I just don't feel the need

to write anymore.

"I once thought everything

happened for a reason.

"But sometimes there is

no reason,

"just an emotion.

"Mia came to live with us

for a while

"so she can go

to community college.

"She's a good kid.

She reminds me more and more

of you every day."

Morning.

Mm.

How about breakfast?

Ah, I'm late.

Bye.

"The gun that killed you rests

in the drawer of my desk.

"I suppose I'll keep it near me

until the day I die.

"I'm not afraid of intruders

or madmen.

"I only fear the demons

in my own mind.

"The demons that sprang forth

from their cages...

...the day you left us."

[ Penny laughing ]

[ Slow instrumental music

plays ]

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes