The Game Page #8

WAITER:

Check, sir.

Nicholas picks up the check, indignant.

NICHOLAS:

Excuse me...

But, the waiter is long gone. Nicholas shakes his head,

then the check catches his eye... "DON'T LET HER GET AWAY"

scrawled across it.

Nicholas turns to look. The waiter who brought the check

crosses the room, goes out the front door.

Nicholas rises, following...

EXT. CAMPTON PLACE RESTAURANT -- NIGHT

Nicholas comes out the front, sees: the waiter has crossed

the street, still moving...

The waiter gets in a CAR as the car pulls quickly away.

Nicholas is baffled, looks at the check, heads back inside.

EXT. ALLEY, BEHIND RESTAURANT -- NIGHT

Christine exits the kitchen door, purse over her shoulder.

CHRISTINE:

(back to doorway)

Yeah... ? Well, f*** you and your

vichyssoise, prick.

She heads down this dark alley. After a moment, Nicholas

follows, hurrying to catch up, briefcase in hand.

NICHOLAS:

Pardon me... Miss... ?

CHRISTINE:

Oh, no... you.

Christine picks up the pace.

NICHOLAS:

I'm not sure how this works. Do you

have something for me... ? I got

this note...

CHRISTINE:

What are you babbling about, psycho?

NICHOLAS:

I want to know what's going on. Are

you part of this?

CHRISTINE:

What's going on? I'm going on my

second job this month, and now I'm

going on unemployment.

She keeps walking. Nicholas stops, ponders. He follows.

They're nearing the end of the alley.

NICHOLAS:

Excuse me, I need to explain...

CHRISTINE:

Don't explain. F*** off. Goodbye.

Nicholas steps in a deep, splattering pot-hole, stumbles,

pants soaked, stopping, fed up.

NICHOLAS:

Son of a b*tch!

Christine rounds the corner, heading down the street.

Nicholas reaches the sidewalk, watches her go.

NICHOLAS:

(shouts after)

I'm trying to... ask you...

(giving up)

I'm apologizing...

He heads back the way he came. A strangled CRY is HEARD.

Nearby, a HEAVY MAN falls to his knees, then falls face

forward to the concrete. Nicholas looks around, alone...

NICHOLAS:

(to Heavy Man)

Are... are you okay?!

DOWN THE SIDEWALK, Christine slows, looks back...

Nicholas bends, trying to see the man's face, seems afraid

to actually touch him.

NICHOLAS:

Jesus... this can't be...

Nicholas looks up to see Christine running back.

CHRISTINE:

What's with him?

NICHOLAS:

I don't know... he fell.

Christine kneels, turns Heavy Man on his side and feels for

a pulse. Heavy Man convulses.

CHRISTINE:

Do you know what to do?

NICHOLAS:

I don't think he's breathing.

Christine clears Heavy Man's airway, pulling saliva and

mucus from his mouth with two fingers.

NICHOLAS:

Oh, God... !

CHRISTINE:

Don't just stand there, get help!

NICHOLAS:

(taking out his CELLULAR)

This can't be real...

CHRISTINE:

He's pissing his pants. Is that real

enough for you? Call 911!

NICHOLAS:

Alright... okay...

CHRISTINE:

He's turning blue!

Nicholas is starting to believe, dialing, circling as

Christine gives C.P.R. He listens to his phone -- STATIC.

NICHOLAS:

Damn...

He backpedals in the street, cellular to his ear, trying to

catch a signal, tilst his head. STATIC. A HORN BLARES -- a

CAR barely misses Nicholas, DRIVER cursing.

Nicholas anxiously punches buttons. He spots a SQUAD CAR

and runs toward it...

NICHOLAS:

Police!

SAME STREET -- TIME CUT...

SIREN BLASTING, an AMBULANCE is parked. PARAMEDICS pull a

stretcher, helped by TWO COPS, hurrying to the prone Heavy

Man. A crowd is gathered.

Nicholas and Christine watch the paramedics work. COP ONE

hands Nicholas a clipboard, everything hurried, overlapped:

COP ONE:

You have to fill these out.

NICHOLAS:

I don't know this man.

Christine takes the clipboard.

CHRISTINE:

(to cop, of clipboard)

What do you need... ?

Paramedics hoist heavy Man on a stretcher and take him to

the ambulance. Cop Two goes to help them lift.

NICHOLAS:

(to Christine)

I can't get involved in this.

Christine moves to climb into the ambulance.

COP TWO:

(to Nicholas)

We'll have to detain you.

COP ONE:

Report's got to be filled out. Ride

with your wife. We'll meet at the

hospital.

PARAMEDIC:

(shouting to cop)

We're moving!

Cop One leads Nicholas to the ambulance.

NICHOLAS:

She's not my wife.

COP ONE:

It's a few blocks. Help me out, huh,

pal?

Nicholas reluctantly gets in.

EXT. CITY STREETS -- NIGHT

Busy streets. The ambulance rockets on...

INT. AMBULANCE -- NIGHT

SIREN WAILING. Paramedic works. Christine fills out forms.

Nicholas tries to see where they're going, frustrated.

NICHOLAS:

This is nuts.

CHRISTINE:

(without looking up)

What is your problem?

NICHOLAS:

(digging in his pocket)

Ten minutes ago, I'm looking forward

to a quiet dinner. I get a note...

Nicholas slaps his CHECK on top of Christine's paperwork.

NICHOLAS:

Suddenly I'm in an ambulance. Why am

I in an ambulance?!

He looks out the window. Christine studies the check:

"DON'T LET HER GET AWAY," finds it odd, looks to Nicholas.

NICHOLAS:

(wincing, to paramedic

of Heavy Man)

He's breathing, isn't he? Is the

siren entirely necessary?

INT. UNDERGROUND PARKING ENTRANCE -- NIGHT

"Emergency Vehicles Only." The ambulance races down a RAMP,

moving across this big underground garage, doing a u-turn...

Backs up toward a busy EMERGENCY ROOM ENTRANCE. MEDICAL

PERSONNEL everywhere. Other ambulances. INJURED PEOPLE.

Our paramedics get out and unload Heavy Man.

Nicholas and Christine get out, disoriented. Heavy Man's

rushed inside via automatic doors. Christine hands off the

clipboard to Nicholas, following the stretcher...

CHRISTINE:

Let's talk to whoever can get this

over with...

NICHOLAS:

(reading clipboard)

Hold on...

(of the clipboard)

They want your driver's license

number.

Christine returns to look, and suddenly ALL THE LIGHTS GO

OUT. Nicholas and Christine look up. In the surrounding

darkness, we HEAR EVERYONE FLEEING...

FOOTSTEPS SCATTER... then, SILENCE.

NICHOLAS:

You've got to be kidding.

CHRISTINE:

What... is... happening... ?

The only light is a BULB inside the ambulance.

NICHOLAS:

(disgust)

I was trying to tell you... it's a

game.

CHRISTINE:

A game?

NICHOLAS:

(tosses clipboard)

It's run by a company... they play

elaborate pranks. Things like this.

I'm really only now finding out

myself.

CHRISTINE:

What are you talking about?

NICHOLAS:

The lights went out, one hundred

people all ran away...

CHRISTINE:

You mean, the guy who turned blue and

wet himself... ?

NICHOLAS:

I'm sorry, about this...

CHRISTINE:

You should be.

Christine climbs into the ambulance, searching.

CHRISTINE:

There's got to be a flashlight.

NICHOLAS:

(quietly)

I don't understand why they're

getting you involved.

IN THE AMBULANCE, she finds all drawers and cabinets EMPTY.

CHRISTINE:

This is so f***ed. You don't f***

with people like this. I thought

that guy was gonna die. I gave him

mouth to mouth!

She digs in her purse, finds a book of restaurant MATCHES.

She lights a match, climbing out.

CHRISTINE:

See you around.

NICHOLAS:

Where are you going?

CHRISTINE:

Home.

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