Rightful Retribution

Volume III

Abdullah Shams Al-Deen

Northridge, California

 

 

 

INT. LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

A Clive Christian perfume, lead crystal bottle with a single natural white brilliant cut diamond in gold collar. 1 oz, is being SPRAYED on a woman’s neck.

We PULLBACK. Sophie and James are sitting across each other. A table is set for two. Romantic setting. Its fairly dark, only illuminating light is red, on the table. Sophie and Freeman are sitting across each other. Plates are set, utensils are aligned and shiny.

The same phonograph is visible in the corner, red light reflecting off of it.

The SOUND of Tony Bennett’s "The Way You Look Tonight", gradually ascends.

FREEMAN

Do you like it?

SOPHIE

James, I adore it.

She admires it.

SOPHIE

It’s almost one of a kind James, you know that right.

FREEMAN

Sophie, that is exactly why I got it for you.

Sophie blushes, places her hand on her mouth. Such a compliment, she’s glowing.

FREEMAN

I love it. When your nose wrinkles like that, the way you look, beautiful.

SOPHIE

Oh James, stop. You are too sweet.

He takes her hand and places a gentle kiss on her hand.

SOPHIE

James, I’ve been meaning to ask. Although, I know you don’t like such inquisitions.

FREEMAN

Ask honey. Ask me anything that your heart desires.

SOPHIE

What was the cost of the Clive Christian perfume.

He smirks.

Freeman gets his face close to Sophie’s. Looks deep in her eyes for a few moments.

FREEMAN

It was twenty three hu….

SMASH CUT TO

EXT. DUBAI – RESTAURANT – NIGHT

WAITER (O.C.)

Twenty three? No, sir the total is two hundred and thirty.

FREEMAN

Oh..yes of course. Here you go.

He places his credit card and hands it over. We see the waiters arm reach into frame and grab the check. Walks off.

Freeman places the perfume back in the briefcase delicately, and closes it.

Ben Harper’s "Walk Away" is played. In the background we see the three individuals at their table. They are all smoking. We see smoke arising vertically straight up, like three chimneys on a Christmas night.

FREEMAN (V.O.)

What left, does a man of my circumstance has to accomplish. I am not handicapped, at least i do not think of myself that way.

He adjusts his posture. Fixes his suit.

FREEMAN (V.O.)

I used to able to see. See the most beautiful thing in life. See what i only truly needed to see. Sophie.

He takes out a wrinkled photo of Sophie from inside his jacket pocket. Admires it with his fingers ever so gently.

FREEMAN (V.O.)

She was that person. The kind of person you can sit with completely alone, anywhere, and walk off without uttering a single word, and you would feel that you just had the best conversation you ever experienced in your life.

He returns the photograph inside his jacket.

FREEMAN (V.O.)

I would not say she was perfect. I believe perfect is boring. She was the opposite of that. Sophie was perfect in her imperfections. After all, isn’t perfection a social misconception.

For the first time, Freeman stands up. He picks up his cane and suit case.

FREEMAN (V.O.)

Life is not perfect. I will not walk away.

With the cane in one hand, briefcase in the other. Freeman strides step by step towards the table.

FREEMAN (V.O.)

The only verdict is vengeance.

Freeman is a few steps away from the table.

As he approaches he hears a child’s innocent laughter.

Freeman’s face tilts gently to the right. He stops. A few moments later. He continues.

Freemans intentions are unfazed. He approaches the three individuals. The woman’s face is STILL obscured. The man in the middle, wearing the black suit is blocking her face from US.

We HEAR nothing, except the sound of Freeman’s cane handle detach into a mini pistol and the cane hitting the floor.

SLOW MOTION – FREEMAN aims at the man in the black suit. The fat black man scrambles through his plate knocking his food everywhere to push his friend away from Freemans shot.

He manages to shove his friend away just in time.

THE WOMAN is REVEALED to us for the first time as the man in the black suit is shoved away by his friend.

It’s Sophie. A SHOT is fired.

Sophie lets out a moan.

We FAINTLY HEAR people screaming hysterically as they leave the Restaurant.

She covers her stomach in disbelief.

SOPHIE Uh.

Thinking he missed the shot completely, Freeman abruptly shoots the two men, one in the head and one in the stomach. One shot each. Quick. Precise.

He then sets the briefcase on the table and pulls out the perfume.

He sprays his two victims. One each.

FREEMAN

It’s personal to me, not business.

At this moment, Alan Sylvestri’s "Cast Away Theme" is played.

SOPHIE

J-James?

Freeman freezes. Horrified. His sense of sound is too precise to be mistaken. Although he wishes he was. Suddenly, the restaurant is completely empty.

Freeman, Sophie and the two men laying on the floor remain. The lights begin to flicker a few times.

FREEMAN

S-Sophie. No-h.

He shakes his head in disbelif. Hysterically.

Freeman stumbles across towards Sophie. He falls down as he collides with a chair. He thrashes it away. Gets to Sophie. The lights of the restaurant black out completely. A red light illuminates only the table area in which they are.

Freeman places his hand on Sophie’s. Both their hands are covered with blood. He is breathing uncontrollably. Freeman touches her cheek, then her facial features. He examines her eyes, nose, mouth, chin and neck. As he examines one feature after the other his horror intensifies.

He is certain. There is no way around it. It is her.

FREEMAN

W-What..Sophie..You were…

SOPHIE

Ja-James..I’m s-sorry.

FREEMAN

H-How are you..still..

Sophie brushes Freeman’s cheeks. She smiles.

SOPHIE

It’s..Okay. I love..I loved..you.

Sophie dies.

Sounds of two gunshots as they pierce Freeman’s body. The first hits him. He stands as he looks down at Sophie, feeling her presence. She gradually falls to the floor.

Then, he is knocked on the table from the second gunshot. Unaware, his arm pulls down Sophie’s plate as he falls to the ground.

Freeman is laying on the floor, face down, adjacent to Sophie. We can see Sophie’s Châteaubriant steak, half eaten, between them on the floor. The Clive Christian perfume shattered and dripping.

We gradually zoom in on Freeman and Sophie. There they lay. Black and white and red.

FREEMAN (V.O.)

The saddest thing in the world, is loving someone who used to love you.

FADE TO BLACK

ROLL CREDITS

FADE OUT.