|
Post by Frodo on Feb 1, 2017 18:47:18 GMT
Misthaven Train Station…
A train pulls to a stop, in a busy city train station. One passenger, a young woman, steps off the train, and pauses to look around. She’s barely 18 years old. In her hand, she tightly clutches an old duffle bag. Everything she owns in the world is stuffed into that duffle bag - not much to show for 18 years on this earth.
She looks up at the sign showing the station name. YOUNG WOMAN: * to herself* Misthaven! This is it! Two years of searching… has brought me here. Back to the place I was born. Haven’t been here since I was 6 years old. Too young to even know the name ’Misthaven’. * pauses* This is where it all began… and this is where it will end. Tired from her long journey, she walks over to a bench on the platform, and sinks down into it with a deep sigh. She pulls out a small money pouch, and counts what she has left - £9.38. That’s all the money she has left - the train fare took up most of her money. YOUNG WOMAN: * to herself* Okay, let’s get my story straight. Can’t risk getting found out. My name… is Rebecca Danby. * repeats herself* Rebecca Danby, HAVE to get used to that name. I’m 18 years old - that part is true, anyway! I was raised by my Uncle Tony, and decided to return to my home town, after Uncle Tony died. She jumps, and looks up, as she hears the train conductor blowing a loud whistle, indicating the train can leave again. REBECCA: Well, first thing I should do, is find somewhere to sleep tonight. Then tomorrow… the REAL work starts! She looks around, and sees the Information Booth. REBECCA: Maybe they could help? She enters the Information Booth, and speaks to the desk clerk. REBECCA: Hey. Where’s the nearest lodging house-slash-guest house-slash-B&B? DESK CLERK: * shrugs, and chews gum* How should I know? Rebecca looks at the sign on the counter. REBECCA: * sarcastic* In…For…Ma…Tion. Gee, I wonder what an Information Booth does? DESK CLERK: * equally sarcastic* I’ll say this slowly, so you understand. This is a TRAIN STATION. The TRAIN STATION Information Booth has information about… wait for it… TRAINS! You want to know when the next train to Timbucktoo is, or what platform goes to Hogwarts, or the price of a ticket to Nowheresville… fine. Otherwise… get lost. REBECCA: * scowls at the desk clerk* Thanks for nothing! DESK CLERK: Here’s another piece of information. The exit is that way. * points towards the exit* Rebecca sighs. This is getting her nowhere. And she NEEDS to find a place to sleep, before it gets dark. She has no choice - she makes her way to the exit, and leaves the train station. Outside the Station…
Outside the station, the wind picks up. Still clutching her duffle bag, Rebecca huddles into her jacket, trying to keep warm. WHERE can she find a guest house? Or a B & B? Or even a room to rent?
As fate would have it, a police man happens to be walking by. Maybe he would know where to find somewhere for Rebecca to bunk for the night? REBECCA: ‘Scuse me sir, wonder if you could help me? I’m a bit lost. I’m new in town - sightseeing * lies* … and I’m looking for a B & B or Guest House or something, for the night. POLICE MAN: * smiles* Well, there’s a few B & B’s down in Chandler Street. That do you? REBECCA: Chandler Street? Where’s that? POLICE MAN: If you just go down there * points down the street*, and take the second on the left, then straight on for about 10 minutes, then right at the crossroads. There’s a few B & B’s there. Couldn‘t tell you if any of them have rooms available though. REBECCA: * smiles* That’s great. Thankyou so much. POLICE MAN: Not a problem. * looks up at the sky, then back at Rebecca* I would hurry, if I was you, though. Looks like it’s going to rain soon. REBECCA: Yeah, looks like it. I should get a move on then. Bye. She follows directions the police man gave her, and soon finds the row of B & B‘s.
Chandler Street, the B & B’s…
Rebecca stands outside the first B & B. It looks a nice house. She looks up - the sky is turning VERY dark. She shivers in the cold, before entering the Bed & Breakfast. REBECCA: * smiles at Receptionist* Hey there. I’d like a room for the night please. The receptionist looks at Rebecca’s old duffle bag, and sneers at Rebecca. RECEPTIONIST: It’s £15 a night. Payment up front. REBECCA: Um… I don’t quite have enough… The receptionist looks coldly at Rebecca, and raises her eyebrow. RECEPTIONIST: * frustrated* No money… no room. Simple as that. REBECCA: I can pay most of it… RECEPTIONIST: What part of ‘No Money, No Room’ don’t you understand? REBECCA: How about I work for a room? I can help you take bookings? Or help carry people’s luggage? RECEPTIONIST: We are NOT a charity. Nor do we require any… domestic staff. Rebecca doesn’t like the receptionist’s haughty tone. REBECCA: Give me a break, lady! RECEPTIONIST: Kindly LEAVE! Before I call the police, and have you arrested for trespassing! REBECCA: TRESSPASSING? But this is a public Bed & Breakfast! RECEPTIONIST: A Bed & Breakfast that charges £15 a night for rooms! REBECCA: * looses her temper* Oh, STUFF YOU THEN! I DON’T NEED YOUR POXY ROOM! Rebecca storms out… just as the skies open, and the rain floods down. Poor Rebecca is soaked within seconds.
She walks down the street to the next B & B, where the receptionist looks at her as though she’s a drowned rat! The 3rd B & B claim not to have any rooms available anyway. The last B & B in the street only accepts bookings made in advance… which obviously Rebecca hadn’t done.
Back out in the street, Rebecca feels like crying. The harsh rain doesn’t look like it will ease up any time soon, and she still doesn‘t have anywhere to sleep for the night. REBECCA: * to herself* Hello Misthaven. The prodigal child returns. Thanks for such a nice welcome! * sarcastic* She continues walking down the street, trying to think what to do next. In the distance, she sees a bridge. Shelter! Not much shelter, true, but it’s the best she’s going to get tonight. She runs to it, and flops down under the bridge, shivering in the cold, and feeling very sorry for herself. Finally, the tears overcome her. She rocks back and forth, sobbing quietly to herself, feeling physically and emotionally drained. She goes over things in her head, reminding herself of the events that brought her here. REBECCA: Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow will be better. It HAS to be!
|
|
|
Post by Frodo on Feb 8, 2017 2:56:26 GMT
Misthaven , Under The Bridge…
Rebecca jerks awake as the morning light creeps under the bridge. She aches all over from being in her uncomfortable position all night, and she feels like she’s hardly had any sleep at all. Still, at least the rain has stopped!
She wearily stands up, and rolls her head, trying to get the crick out of her neck. REBECCA: *to herself* Well, it’s official - yesterday SUCKED! She looks back down the street, towards the row of Bed & Breakfasts she visited yesterday. REBECCA: Lousy, stuck-up B & B clerks! She picks up her duffle bag, and starts walking in the other direction. Today is a new day. Today is when her plans in Misthaven will begin. REBECCA: Patience! I MUST be patient! I’ve spent the last 2 years searching… I can’t afford to mess things up now. * pauses* Okay, let’s think. I need a place to stay, but I don’t have enough money. So I need to GET some money. HEY, I could rob a bank, then I’ll have PLENTY of money, hehehe. * chuckles to herself* I can see the newspaper headlines now - ‘ Prodigal Child Locked Up For Attempted Bank Robbery’. Ahh, I don’t think so. As she continues walking, she notices the streets becoming busier. And houses gradually give way to shops and cafes. She stops, and looks around. A young boy is spraying graffiti on the wall of one of the cafes. Someone from the cafe comes out and shouts at him. CAFE WORKER: GET OUT OF HERE, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING LOUT, BEFORE I GIVE YOU A CLIP ROUND THE EAR! The boy laughs, and runs off.
Nearby, two men, clearly drunk, are swigging alcohol from a bottle. Rebecca looks at her watch - it’s not even 11am yet, and already they are drunk. As she stands there, a fight begins to break out between the men. And their voices become louder and louder - apparently, one of the men took an extra swig from the bottle, when he wasn‘t supposed to.
Rebecca looks around. This may not be the best neighbourhood, but at least there’s a few cafe’s around. She’s feeling hungry - she hasn’t had anything to eat since her train journey yesterday, bringing her in to Misthaven. She could do with some breakfast. She enters a diner - Pinky‘s Diner, and takes a seat in the corner.
Pinky's Diner...
The place is small, but busy. And it seems to be as much a local ‘hang-out’, as it does a diner. A waitress calls out to her. WAITRESS: Be with you in a minute. Rebecca smiles at her, seeing how busy she is, and looks at the menu while she waits. The bacon buttie sounds tasty. Or should she get a sausage roll? A cup of hot chocolate to warm her up, is a must!
Ten minutes later, the waitress comes over to take her order. WAITRESS: Okay, what can I get for you? REBECCA: Um, bacon buttie and a cup of hot chocolate please. WAITRESS: *writes it down in her notebook* Okay, that’s £3.62 please. Rebecca pays the money, glad she has enough to cover it. WAITRESS: Haven’t seen you here before. New in town? REBECCA: Yeah, I just got here yesterday. WAITRESS: Oh? Well, let me officially welcome you to Misthaven, then. And Pinky’s Diner, of course. REBECCA: Thanks. You’re the first friendly person I’ve seen so far. WAITRESS: So you here for a holiday? Sightseeing? REBECCA: … * thinks* I suppose you could say it’s kind of a homecoming for me. I was born here, but left when I was 6. Feels really strange being back - don’t know a soul! WAITRESS: Oh, you’ll make friends soon, I’m sure. * smiles* Anyway, can’t stand here chatting all day. Need to get your order filled, and then serve other customers. The waitress smiles, and then gets back to work. Rebecca waits patiently for her breakfast, thinking once again, about the events that brought her here. She jumps, when the waitress brings her order. WAITRESS: Here you go. One bacon buttie, and one hot chocolate. Enjoy. Rebecca tucks into her breakfast. Delicious! As she does so, she watches the busy waitress dash between customers, taking orders etc.
After some time, the waitress comes to collect her empty plate. REBECCA: You seem really busy. WAITRESS: Yeah, Marcy quit 3 days ago. Don’t know why. So know it’s just me and Cam… Cameron, the cook. Well, he’s also my boss. Rebecca’s ear’s prick up. Just the two of them? They must be short staffed. REBECCA: So… you got a replacement for… Marcy yet? WAITRESS: HA! I wish! We’ve been too swamped too even look for a replacement. REBECCA: * hopefully* I could give you a helping hand, if you want? WAITRESS: … *not sure what to say* REBECCA: Come on… you said it yourself, you’re swamped! You obviously need someone else, to replace this Marcy. I’m new in town, I got time on my hands. This place seems popular… a good way to meet people. And to be honest, I need the work. The waitress isn’t sure. This stranger just waltzes in, and asks for a job? Seems kind of strange. On the other hand… the café COULD do with an extra pair of hands. WAITRESS: I’ll have a word with Cam… see what he says. What’s your name? REBECCA: Okay, thanks. And my name is Rebecca. Rebecca Danby. The waitress takes Rebecca’s empty plate and cup, and goes back-shop to speak with Cameron.
A short time later, the waitress re-appears. WAITRESS: Rebecca, Cam wants to see you. I’m Anne, by the way. Rebecca picks up her duffle bag, and follows Anne back-shop, to where Cameron is. After introducing Rebecca and Cam, Anne has to get back to the front shop to serve customers. CAMERON: So you’re Rebecca Danby? REBECCA: Yes. CAMERON: Anne tells me you’re new in town. REBECCA: Yes. My train arrived here yesterday. Cameron looks Rebecca up and down… sizing her up, so to speak. Like Anne, he isn’t sure about Rebecca… a stranger in town… just asking for a job out the blue. On the other hand, she seems harmless enough, and this will save him the hassle of trying to find someone to replace Marcy. CAMERON: Well, as you’ve probably seen, we’re a busy diner. So tell you what I’ll do… I’ll give you a trial run for today, and see how you get on. BUT… you do NOT go anywhere near the till, under any circumstances. You do not cook any food. All you do, is take orders from customers, and bring me their order slips. Any hassle with the customers… any complaints, and you’re out. If I see you near the till, you’re out. If I see you near any of the cookers, you’re out. Clear? REBECCA: * smiles broadly* Crystal! Thankyou. I’ll be a good replacement for Marcy, I promise. CAMERON: Hmm, well, we’ll see. There’s an apron in the corner there. *nods towards the aprons hanging up in the corner* Put it on, and get to work. REBECCA: * putting on an apron* Can I leave my bag back here? CAMERON: Yeah, shove it in the corner. Rebecca smiles to herself. Like she said to Anne, this café would be a good way to get to know people. What she HADN’T said… was that one of these people may be key to helping her in her search.
The rest of the day is a busy one, with Rebecca helping Anne serve the customers. And as per Cameron’s instructions, she doesn’t go near the till or the cookers backshop. And as the day wears on, she find that she really likes Anne and Cameron. And they seem glad to have an extra pair of hands.
Finally, the day draws to a close. Anne locks the café door, after the last customer leaves. Then Anne and Rebecca sit at one of the tables, while Cameron does the cashing up. REBECCA: Phew, I’m exhausted! ANNE: Try doing this for 3 days, ON YOUR OWN. * laughs* REBECCA: I don’t know how you managed it, Anne. ANNE: Now you see why I REALLY wanted someone else in here. I could kill Marcy, for quitting like that. Cameron joins them at the table, and smiles. CAMERON: You did good for your first day, Rebecca. REBECCA: Thanks. CAMERON: *counts some money out* Here’s your wages for today. Rebecca looks at the money Cameron gives her. It’s a good feeling, to have money in her pocket again. REBECCA: I got the job? CAMERON: You’re new here, so we’ll take it day-by-day. But the customers seemed to like you. Providing there are no problems, I think you’ll be a good addition to our team. REBECCA: Brilliant! Thanks Cameron. CAMERON: It’s Cam. REBECCA: Cam! Thanks Cam. CAMERON: *looks between Anne and Rebecca* So what plans have you two got this evening? ANNE: I’m going to the cinema with my sister. There's a new horror film we both want to see. CAMERON: Tell your sister I said ‘Hi’. ANNE: Will do. CAMERON: What about you, Rebecca? REBECCA: Um… *glances outside* actually, I need to find somewhere to stay for tonight. CAMERON: If you’re looking for a cheap room, have you tried the motel round the corner? REBECCA: No. Didn’t know there’s was one there. CAMERON: * nods* It’s just, what… * thinks* 5 minutes away? You can’t miss it. Tell them Cam Morley sent you. REBECCA: That’s great to know, Cameron… Cam. Thanks. Wasn’t looking forward to spending another night under the bridge like last night. CAMERON: It’s not the best place in the world. It can be somewhat… noisy, at times. But it’s cheap, and it’s dry. And it’s nearby, of course. REBECCA: Well if you don’t mind, I’ll head there now. Get settled in, and all that. CAMERON: Okay. I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Rebecca nods in agreement. And with that, she collects her duffle bag, and goes to find the motel.
|
|
|
Post by Frodo on Feb 13, 2017 2:50:45 GMT
The Motel…
Following Cam’s directions, Rebecca easily finds the motel. And now she knows it’s there, it’s hard to miss. She makes a mental note to thank Cam again tomorrow.
She looks up at the huge sign next to the motel office. REBECCA: Capri Motel? MUCH better than sleeping under the bridge! And free phones, as well? Perfect! She smiles, as she enters the office. The motel owner is sitting behind a desk, smoking a cigar, and watching a small TV. Rebecca can’t help but notice his hacking cough. As he sees Rebecca, he stands up and looks at her. MOTEL OWNER: *hack hack cough cough cough* Yeah, whadayawant? REBECCA: Hi there. Um, I’d like a room please. MOTEL OWNER: Oh, you do, do you? *hack cough* And what if I don’t want to give you a room? REBECCA: Cameron Morley sent me. MOTEL OWNER: PAH! Mr Fancy Pants from the diner down the road? REBECCA: Um, yeah… MOTEL OWNER: Old codger seems to think we’re best buddies, or something. REBECCA: … MOTEL OWNER: … REBECCA: So… do you have a room? The motel owner opens up his key box behind the counter, and selects a key, which he then tosses to Rebecca. MOTEL OWNER: Room 6. Will you be paying by the week, or by the day? Rebecca would love to book a week at the motel. But with only a day’s wages in her money pouch, she can’t afford a whole week yet. REBECCA: Well, not sure how long I’ll be staying, but I’d like to pay daily. MOTEL OWNER: No problem. * holds out his hand, waiting to be paid* After paying the motel owner, she leaves the office, and heads over to Room 6. She enters the room, and closes the door behind her, letting out a big sigh of relief. She’s going to sleep well tonight.
She sinks down into the bed, thinking how soft it is, compared to the hard, wet concrete under the bridge from yesterday. And as she looks around the room, her eyes fall upon the phone… and a phonebook. REBECCA: Wonderful! The sign outside said it was FREE phone. Just as well. Now, phonebooks tend to have phone numbers… and addresses! Time for you and me to have a little reunion, Mr Yates! She snatches up the phone book, and flips through to the ‘Y’s’. REBECCA: Yates… Yates… Marcus Yates… where are you? But as she looks through the ‘Yates’ listings, she feels a stab of disappointment. There’s no ‘Marcus Yates’ listed. There’s a Martin Yates, Mary Yates, Maxine Yates, Megan Yates, Michael Yates, Murray Yates, and 4 ‘M’ Yates… but no Marcus Yates. REBECCA: * frowns* Well, there’s only 4 ‘M Yates’… which one of those are you, Marcus? She picks up the phone, and dials the number next to M Yates Number 1.
A voice answers. The voice sounds like an old woman. A bit shaky and a bit croaky. Rebecca visualises her as an old lady with thick white curly hair, sitting in a rocking chair, with a pile of knitting placed in her lap. It makes her smile.
But NO! She can’t let herself get distracted with things like this. She MUST find Marcus. Rebecca hangs up. One down, 3 to go.
She looks up the next number, and dials. This time, a man answers. Again, Rebecca hangs up. He sounded too young to be Marcus. Two down, two to go. REBECCA: Third time lucky? She dials the third number. Another man answers. Rebecca stares at the phone, thinking how rude he was. And again, he sounded too young to be Marcus, anyway. She sighs, as the dials the last number. That’s all 4 ‘M Yates’ listed in the phone book… and NONE of them are Marcus Yates. REBECCA: NNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! DAMMIT! Throwing the phonebook at the wall, she lets out a scream of frustration. What’s she going to do now?
After taking a few moment to compose herself, she goes over to the wall, and picks up the phone book again. REBECCA: * frustrated sigh* I’ve only been here 2 days - I can’t realistically expect to find him straight away. That would be TOO easy! * pause* Okay, THINK! Maybe the motel owner would have heard of him. It can’t hurt to ask. But after a quick chat with the motel owner, she returns to her room disappointed. The motel owner claims never to have heard of Marcus Yates, and he has no reason to lie. * CRACK* *SMASH*
*RAISED VOICES* Rebecca jumps, and looks towards the door, as the commotion she hears from outside gets louder. And was that glass she heard being smashed? She had planned to have a quick bite to eat, and then go out to explore the neighbourhood, but now… she doesn’t dare! She can still hear at least 2 people, possibly more, shouting at each other outside. And the LAST thing she wants, is to walk out into a fight. She bolts and chains the door and shoves a chair against it, and closes the window shutters, to prevent anyone from getting in. She sits on the edge of the bed, putting her hands over her ears to try and block out the sounds.
REBECCA: *quietly, to herself* They’re out there… they’re not in here. And this is STILL better than sleeping under the bridge in the pouring rain. *pause* Tomorrow’s a new day… with new hope.
|
|
|
Post by Frodo on Feb 26, 2017 11:03:51 GMT
Capri Motel…
Rebecca wakes early. It takes her a while to realise where she is - the motel Cam told her about. The nice, warm, dry motel! With a bed! It’s been a long time since she slept in a bed!
She sits up and smiles. Then she remembers the commotion from last night - people fighting outside her door, and glass breaking… but it hadn’t lasted long. She remembers hearing police sirens, then things quietened down soon after that. She guesses whoever it was, got arrested.
Feeling peckish, she remembers seeing a vending machine that sold sandwiches, near the motel owner’s office yesterday, so she goes out to investigate. It seems well stocked. She looks at the sandwiches available, and selects tuna mayonnaise, taking it back to her room to eat it. She smiles again, thinking things are definitely looking up, since she first arrived in Misthaven - she has a place to stay, and she seems to have found a couple of friends in Anne and Cameron. If only her quest could fall into place so easily. If only… the reason she’s here… didn’t way so heavily on her mind.
She looks at her watch - still plenty of time before she’s due at the diner, but she might as well go in early. She wants to stay in Cam’s good books, after all.
Pinky’s Diner…
Thirty minutes later, she’s standing outside the diner. It’s quiet, this time of the morning. She knocks on the door, hoping Cameron’s around.
REBECCA: Cameron? Cam? Are you in there? No response. She knocks again. REBECCA: Cam? Cam comes to the door, sees it’s Rebecca, unlocks the door, and smiles. CAMERON: Well… you’re keen! REBECCA: Yeah, well, you took a chance on me yesterday, so wanted to show my appreciation. Besides… the motel is only a few minutes away. * laughs* CAM: * inviting her inside* So old Nilo gave you a room then? Good. He’s a bit… odd, but harmless enough. REBECCA: So, need any help setting up? CAM: You can refill the sauce bottles if you want. Brown sauce, tomato sauce, and mayonnaise are all low. Just take them through the back, and fill them up from big bottles there. Oh, and get an apron while you’re back there. REBECCA: Sure thing. Rebecca takes the sauce bottles from the counter, and takes them through the back to fill up.
Cam has the radio on as he’s setting up for the day, and Rebecca can hear him tap away in time to the music. Rebecca comes back through with the now-full sauce bottles, and places them on the counter. REBECCA: So you’re a bit of a rocker, huh? CAM: * nods* The ONLY music worth listening to. * chuckles* REBECCA: * tries to sound casual* So being a diner, you probably have lots of regular customers, right? CAM: A few. Anne can ‘break you in’ better than I can though - I’m mostly through the back. Just then, Anne walks through the door. ANNE: Are my ears burning? CAM: Morning Anne. Rebecca was asking about regular customers. You’ll know them better than me. ANNE: * looks at Rebecca* Yeah, there’s quite a lot of regulars. Most of them are fine, but there are a few you have to watch out for. You’ll gradually get to know them. CAM: Anne, can you get the cash float from my office please? ANNE: Sure thing. Anne heads backshop, and quickly returns with the cash float. Cam counts it, and puts it in the till. CAM: * to Rebecca* Remember Rebecca, just take customer orders and bring the order slips to me. I don’t want you near the till, or near the ovens. Clear? REBECCA: Yes Cam. Anne opens the doors to the public. Cam takes his radio through to the kitchen area, and waits for food orders. The morning starts slow but steady, but it soon gets busy. And it isn’t long before Anne and Rebecca are rushing around, taking customer orders, serving food, refilling drinks, and the like. And Anne indicates the regulars to Rebecca, as much as she can.
The morning flies by, and it’s soon lunchtime. Since there’s only two of them, Rebecca and Anne have to take turns for lunch, while the other continues serving customers. And Cam is relieved to have an extra body throughout the lunch-time rush - it takes the pressure off him, having to rush back and forth between taking orders at the counter, and cooking orders in the backshop! So Anne has her lunch first, and then Rebecca.
Just as Rebecca is finishing her lunch - there’s no denying Cam is an excellent cook - Anne rolls her eyes, and groans. ANNE: Oh great! Them again! Rebecca turns to look, and sees 3 teenage boys enter the diner. They sit down at a table, yelling loudly to each other, and disturbing the other customers. They start banging on the table, making comments about ‘slow service’ and ‘bad food’. ANNE: You were asking about regular customers? Those 3 have been coming in a lot the last week or so. And they are TROUBLE! Wish they would just go somewhere else. REBECCA: Can’t Cam just ban them? ANNE: Technically, yes. Cam comes out here, tells them to get out and not to come back… they go, wait until Cam goes back into the kitchen… then come back in again. * sigh* One of the boys snaps his fingers at Anne and Rebecca. BOY 1: * loudly* WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET SOME SERVICE AROUND HERE? BOY 2: *ALSO LOUDLY* GETS WORSE, EVERY TIME WE COME. REBECCA: *to Anne* They want trouble! They’re gonna get trouble! Before Anne can say anything else, Rebecca heads over to the 3 teenage boys. REBECCA: Okay boys, what can I get for you? BOY 3: FINALLY! Get us some beers. BOY 2: 3 beers. BOY 3: Yeah, 3 beers. And make it snappy. REBECCA: Certainly. Can I get you anything else with that? BOY 1: Burgers and fries. Can’t have beers without burgers and fries. All 3 boys laugh rudely. REBECCA: Of course. Rebecca stands there, as though waiting for something. BOY 3: What you waiting for? Go get our beers! REBECCA: I’ll be happy to… just as soon as you show me your ID’s. BOY 2: We don’t need ID’s, we’re over 18. Rebecca knows they’re lying. You only have to look at them, to see they’re not 18. REBECCA: If you’re all over 18, you won’t have a problem showing me your ID cards then. Boy 1 unscrews the glass salt shaker on the table, tips it onto the floor, then drops the salt shaker, making it smash. BOY 1: Oops. Hahahaha. REBECCA: Vandalism? Nice! * sarcastic* BOY 1: Our beers! Now! REBECCA: ID cards, now. BOY 2: Call the police, Bart. This is harrassment. BOY 1 (BART): Good idea Cecil. Boy 1 (Bart) pulls out his mobile phone, and presses ‘9‘ on the keypad. BOY 1 (BART): Are you gonna get our beers, or do I have to call the police? REBECCA: * sarcastic* Gee, maybe you don’t understand English? Okay, um… *speaks slowly, deliberately over-emphasising her words* No… ID… Cards… Means… No… Beer. BOY 1 (BART): NO-ONE talks to me like that! NO-ONE! * presses ‘9’ again on his phone* Apologise, or I’ll press the last ‘9’, and the cops will be here so fast, you won’t know what hit you. REBECCA: You’re certainly allowed to call the police. Go ahead. BOY 1 (BART): You think I won’t? *his finger hovers over the ‘9’ on his phone* REBECCA: I hope you do. I’d love to tell the nice policeman how 3 underage teenagers, without ID, are trying to buy alcohol in a licensed establishment. Not to mention, vandalism. *looks at the broken salt shaker on the floor* Oh, and, I believe you’ve also been told not to come back here, which means you’re trespassing. The 3 boys stare at each other, open-mouthed. They hadn’t expected this - they had expected Anne to serve them as usual. REBECCA: So please… call the police. So we have Bart, Cecil, and… * looks at the third boy* The boys aren’t used to anyone standing up to them. They jump up, and quickly scarper out the door.
Anne, having watched the whole things, approaches Rebecca in amazement. ANNE: WOW! Rebecca, that was… AMAZING! REBECCA: Ack, they’re just little boys trying to act big. I’ve seen MUCH worse than them. ANNE: That stuff with the ID cards… and threatening to turn THEM into the police! BRILLIANT! Just brilliant! REBECCA: * smiles* I doubt they’ll be back now. ANNE: Yeah, I doubt it! Really hope tomorrow will be… less eventful. * laughs* REBECCA: *looks around the diner* Well, I suppose we should get back to serving customers now. * grins* ANNE: Yeah, I suppose so. Cam won’t like it, if there’s no more order for the entire afternoon. The rest of the afternoon goes smoothly. Rebecca is glad the 3 boys are gone - the commotion outside her room last night was not something she wanted to deal with… but 3 young teenagers? No problem for her.
By the time Closing Time comes around, Rebecca is feeling tired. And frustrated! Working at the diner gives her money so she can stay at the motel… but it also eats away at her time, so she can’t spend much time looking for Marcus Yates. But she knew things wouldn’t be easy. She just has to learn patience.
Like yesterday, Rebecca and Anne sit at one of the tables, as Cameron cashes up. CAM: Rebecca, Anne told me how you dealt with those 3 yobs today. REBECCA: Oh, it was nothing. Just some spoilt kids trying to grow up too fast. CAM: * smiles* Well, I think you’ve earned yourself a permanent spot here at Pinky’s Diner. REBECCA: … You mean…? ANNE: * squeals with excitement* You keeping her on, Cam? BRILLIANT! *hugs Rebecca* CAM: And if you’re gonna be working here, we need to get you a uniform like Anne’s, not just an apron. REBECCA: Wow, thanks so much Cam! I won’t let you down. Rebecca smiles gratefully at Cameron. CAM: * rubs his hands together* Okay, that’s settled then. We’re gonna have a celebrity drink, to welcome Rebecca to the team. *looks at Anne* Anne, shandy? ANNE: Yeah, why not. * grins* CAM: Rebecca? What’s your poison? REBECCA: * surprised* Oh, em, a lager please. Cam gets a shandy for Anne, lager for Rebecca, and beer for himself. Then they clink their bottles together. CAMERON AND ANNE: Welcome to the team, Rebecca.
|
|
|
Post by Frodo on Mar 13, 2017 2:25:34 GMT
Pinky’s Diner… Rebecca, Anne, and Cam are enjoying a pleasant after-hours celibately drink, to welcome Rebecca as a permanent member of the team. CAM: So how are you enjoying Misthaven then? REBECCA: * smiles* Well, I have 2 friends, and I’m not sleeping under a bridge now, * laughs* so… things are looking up. I think I’m gonna enjoy being back in Misthaven. ANNE: You’re from here originally, aren’t you? I think you said before, this is a homecoming for you? REBECCA: Yeah. Actually, I was thinking… my Uncle Tony used to talk about a family friend - Marcus Yates. Maybe I’ll look him up. * chuckles* Rebecca holds her breath with anticipation. She’s desperate for information on Marcus - and in a busy diner like this, will they have heard of him? It’s worth asking. She tries to sound casual, hoping her voice doesn’t betray her… but inside, her heart is racing. CAM: You got an address? REBECCA: No. That could be a problem, huh? CAM: Hehe. It *COULD* make things a little tricky. * grins* ANNE: Try looking in the phone book? REBECCA: Tried that already. There’s a phone and phonebook in my motel room, but he’s not there. ANNE: So he’s ex-directory? Bummer. Anne and Cam haven’t heard of Marcus Yates, that much is clear. So Rebecca gently steers the conversation to a different topic. Suddenly, Cam pipes up. CAM: Oh, Rebecca, before I forget, I’ll give you a uniform like Anne’s, which you can wear tomorrow. REBECCA: That’s great. Thanks Cam, I appreciate it. It’s a pleasant get-together, and Rebecca enjoys their company. She’s glad to have met Cam and Anne. But an hour later, Cam has things to do, so Anne and Rebecca leave, and head for their respective homes.
There’s a nice, gentle breeze in the air, and Rebecca enjoys the walk back to the motel.
Capri Motel…
Rebecca heads for Nilo’s office to pay for another day for her room. REBECCA: Evening Nilo, I’m here to pay for my room. NILO: *as grumpy as ever* About time! Them rooms ain’t free, y’know. REBECCA: *rolls her eyes* Yes, I know. Hence… I’m here to pay for my room. She counts money from her money pouch, and holds it out to Nilo, who snatches it roughly from her. He counts it, looks at Rebecca, then counts it again. NILO: You owe me more! REBECCA: I don’t think so. That’s the right amount. NILO: You’ve been using the phone… nattering away all hours! You need to pay for it. *holds out his hand for more money* REBECCA: * grits her teeth* First, it was hardly ‘All Hours’, as you claim. It was half an hour, tops! Second, your sign outside says ‘Free Phone’. Unless you want to change that, ‘Free Phone’ is included with the amount you charge for the rooms. Third, how do you know I used the phone in my room? Were you listening in on my private phone calls? Nilo stands up, clearly angry. NILO: Oh, wise-guy, eh? *tuts loudly* Kids today have NO respect! In my day, we were seen and not heard. And talking back like you just did would earn us a clip round the ears! REBECCA: LOOK! I’ve paid for my room. You advertise free phones, so you CAN’T charge me extra now, just cos you feel like it! I’ll be back tomorrow to pay FOR MY ROOM again. Rebecca storms off, her good mood gone! She buys a sandwich from the vending machine (like she did yesterday)… but the sandwich jams half-way down. She can see it resting against the glass… but she can’t get at it. REBECCA: AARRRGGGHHH! Stupid, STUPID machine! Give… Me… My… Sandwich! She kicks the machine in frustration… and the sandwich falls down into the dispenser slot. She grabs it with a satisfied smile, then looks around, making sure Nilo hadn’t seen her kick the vending machine.
Back in her room, she glances across at the phone. She’s tempted to use it again just to spite Nilo… but who would she call? There’s no point in call all the ‘M Yates’ from the phone book again, and she doesn’t know Anne or Cam’s number. She sighs, flicks on the TV, and sits down to eat her sandwich. Nilo may be a nasty piece of work, but she has to admit, the sandwiches in his vending machine are very tasty. REBECCA: *to herself* I * STILL* haven’t explored the area! You’re getting sloppy, Rebecca. I you want to find Marcus, you have to go out there, explore places, talk to people, and find clues to track him down. He’s not gonna knock on your door, and say ‘Hey, I’m here.’ With that in mind, she grabs her jacket, and heads back out again. Exploring Misthaven…
It’s a nice evening, with a gentle breeze. And unlike her first day here, there’s no pressure to find a place to stay - she has the motel. As she explores the streets, taking mental note of street names and places, she comes across a supermarket. Very handy! And what’s more, the sign says it stays open until 10pm. That’s good to know.
But she still has Marcus on her mind. How is she going to find him? He isn’t in the phone book… but there must be SOME record of him… SOMEWHERE.
REBECCA: * snaps her fingers* The library! They MUST have public records of everyone in Misthaven in the library! *smiles* Now I just have to find where the library is. It’ll probably be closed at this time of evening… but that’s my next step, as soon as I get the chance. She checks her watch, and decides to go back to the supermarket before it closes. She checks her money pouch - she still has some money left, so she goes in and buys some milk, and some cheap plastic glasses. She tries to make conversation with the cashier. REBECCA: So… can you tell me where the library is? I’m new in town, and… CASHIER: * interrupts* Library’s closed for the day. REBECCA: I know, but… CASHIER: * interrupts again, and points to her shopping* That’s £5.62. Rebecca sighs. The cashier isn’t exactly friendly. She pays for her shopping, and then leaves.
Capri Motel…
With new hope for tracking down Marcus Yates, she heads back to the motel. The light in the office is off… Marcus must have closed up for the evening. Damn! She can’t ask him where the library is. There’s nothing else for it, she heads back to her room, and locks the door behind her. REBECCA: *pours herself a glass of mi lk* I came here for a reason! It all started here… and I long for the day it all ends! *raises her glas s* Cheers. * takes a sip of milk*
|
|
|
Post by Frodo on Apr 28, 2017 11:19:56 GMT
Pinky’s Diner…
It’s been a busy morning at Pinky’s Diner. But Rebecca doesn’t mind - this is the first day as a permanent member of staff. She smiles. ANNE: Liking the uniform, Rebecca? * smiles* REBECCA: Yeah, it’s great. ANNE: You’re lucky! Cam used to make us wear these bizarre hats. Bright pink, with a chicken’s head sticking out the top! REBECCA: * laughs* Really? ANNE: Yep. Thankfully, he decided he didn’t like the chicken hats. So… away they went. REBECCA: * looks towards the kitchen area* I’d love to see Cam in a chicken hat. * giggles* ANNE: *bursts out laughing* Now THAT would be priceless! They continue working. They work well together, with Rebecca taking orders from one side of the diner, and Anne taking orders from the other side. Suddenly a teenager enters the diner. A young woman, about the same age as Rebecca and Anne. She sits down at a table in the corner, watching Rebecca intensely, as she waits to get served. It isn’t long before Rebecca comes to serve her. REBECCA: Hey there. What can I get for you? TEENAGER: * puts on a smile* Can I get one of those caramel milkshakes please? Cam does the most delicious caramel milkshakes. REBECCA: You know Cam? TEENAGER: Oh, yeah! Me and Cam go way back. Isn’t he a darling? REBECCA: Yeah, Cam’s a great guy. I’ll get your caramel milkshake for you. TEENAGER: Okay. Make sure you tell Cam, I want a blue straw! Rebecca nods, and heads to the slot where she hands orders to Cam. REBECCA: Hey Cam. Customer wants a caramel milkshake. She seems to know you. She wants a blue straw with it. Cam stops what he’s doing, and looks at Rebecca. CAM: Blue straw? * pause* She got long red hair? REBECCA: Yep. So you DO know her then? CAM: *nods slowly* Marcy! She was here before you. * glances towards the café area, then begins to prepare the milkshake* REBECCA: Why did she leave? If you don’t mind me asking? CAM: She wanted a raise. A huge one. One that I couldn’t afford to give her, so she quit. Besides, I don’t believe in paying one of my crew more than the other. The way Cam talks, Rebecca can tell he’s not very fond of Marcy. REBECCA: Well, she’s crazy to quit here! You happen to be a brilliant boss! Not many people would have given me a chance, like you did. * pause* Although, on the other hand, I’m glad she quit, otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. Hehe. Cam smiles, as he sticks a blue straw into the caramel milkshake. CAM: Well, we’re glad to have you here. Anne was going crazy, having to deal with the whole café on her own - the place NEEDS two people out serving. * hands her the milkshake* Now go and give this to Marcy, would you? And if she asks, no, she doesn’t get staff discount anymore. * sticks his tongue out* Rebecca chuckles, and takes the milkshake for Marcy.
As she approaches Marcy’s table, she sees Anne talking to her. The pair are obviously good friends. REBECCA: *to Marcy* Here you go. One caramel milkshake with a blue straw. ANNE: *to Rebecca* Rebecca! This is Marcy - she used to work here. REBECCA: *smiles nervously* Yeah, Cam realised Marcy was here when I asked for the blue straw. ANNE: *to Marcy* You and your blue straws! You’re famous now, Marcy! * chuckles* Marcy chuckles, and then looks at Rebecca. And there’s something about her stare, that makes Rebecca uncomfortable. Marcy’s smile seems… false. And her chuckle is forced. MARCY: It didn’t take you long to replace me, did it? * looks Rebecca up and down* ANNE: * unaware of the tension* Well, you were gone, and Rebecca came at just the right time. She was a customer, and she saw we were short staffed. I was on at Cam to find someone else, but he hadn’t had time to put an advert up anywhere. She really helped us out of a jam. MARCY: I see. Well I’m glad Cameron found someone… adequate. ANNE: * playfully punches her friend* So how are you? I want to know EVERYTHING you’ve been up to, since you left here. Rebecca decides to leave Marcy and Anne to chat. Thankfully, they don’t chat for long, and Marcy leaves.
The rest of the day sails by, until it’s closing time. As usual, Cam cashes up. CAM: We did well today. Well done, you two. REBECCA: Cam, I had an idea. Well, it was thanks to Marcy, really. Hope I’m not overstepping the mark, here. The milkshakes - we don’t we add more of the unusual flavours? We already do caramel, but what about things like… toffee, or blueberry, or apricot, or cherry? Or maybe have special ‘themed’ varieties, like mixed berry, or fruit of the season? CAM: Hey, that’s not a bad idea Rebecca. I’ll definitely think about that. * smiles* OH, Rebecca, I almost forgot. Tomorrow is the day we’re closed. ANNE: Cam’s not a COMPLETE slave driver. He DOES give us some time off. * chuckles* CAM: We’re closed, EXCEPT for Anne. She has to run the place entirely on her own tomorrow, as punishment for her cheek. * looks at Anne* Isn’t that right Anne? * winks* ANNE: Well, I’d love to Cam. Really I would. But I don’t have keys for the place. CAM: Hehe. *to Rebecca* She knows I’m only teasing. We can all have a lie in tomorrow. REBECCA: Great. Thanks for letting me know, I would be standing outside for hours, otherwise. CAM: So, you got any plans? REBECCA: Sightseeing. I want to familiarise myself with Misthaven again. CAM: Well, have fun. Rebecca smiles as she leaves the diner, and heads back to her motel for the evening.
The Next Day…
Capri Motel…
The next day comes quickly. Rebecca wakes early - she can FINALLY begin her search for Marcus Yates. She doesn’t have to worry about finding a place to stay, she doesn’t have to go to the diner, she can just concentrate on Marcus - the reason she came to Misthaven.
She pulls open the curtains in her room… and pulls a face. It’s pouring with rain. But she can’t let a bit of rain deter her. Now she knows he isn’t listed in the phone book, but maybe she could find him through Public Records. And the local library seems the best place to look at Public Records. But… where is the library?
She pulls on her coat, pulling it tightly around her, and makes a dash to Nilo’s office. REBECCA: Hey Nilo. Nilo, reading his paper, looks up at her and grunts. REBECCA: Friendly as ever, I see. * sarcastic* NILO: What do you want? REBECCA: Can you tell me where the library is? NILO: What do you think I am? A tourist guide? * gruffly* REBECCA: No. I just want to know where the library is. NILO: Buy a map! REBECCA: From where? Nilo points to a stand near his desk. Rebecca turns to look. The stand is full of maps of Misthaven, showing every street, every library, every park, every bus stop, even the train station. Everything of significance is shown here. REBECCA: You’re selling maps for Misthaven? * sigh* Of course you are, cos simply telling me where the library is, is out of the question, right? NILO: No-one’s forcing you to buy. You’re welcome to find it yourself, if you want. *glances out the door* That rain ain’t easing up any time soon though. Rebecca sighs deeply. She’s tempted to tell Nilo where he can shove his map. But she’s only got today to find it - tomorrow she’ll be back at the diner. And she doesn’t want to search the town when it’s pouring rain.
REBECCA: How much? NILO: £5. REBECCA: £5 FOR A POXY MAP? NILO: Make that £6, to you! REBECCA: *pulls out a £5 note* Okay, here’s your stupid £5. Now I’ll take my map! She grabs a map, and turns to walk out the door. NILO: There’s also the matter of paying for your room today. Rebecca bites her lip. This is something she hadn’t thought about. Yes, she’s glad to have the day free to look for Marcus… but not going to the diner today means not getting a wage from Cam. Luckily she has enough to cover her room for today, but it’s a huge dent in what money she has… and it doesn’t leave her with much to spare. She carefully counts out the money, and gives it to Nilo. REBECCA: Happy now? * sarcastic* NILO: Delighted. Rebecca takes the map back to her room to study it. The library is a bus journey away. Luckily, the bus stop isn’t too far away. She stuffs the map into her coat pocket, and heads back out into the rain. Misthaven Library…
Rebecca arrives at the library soaking wet. The librarian looks at her and smiles. LIBRARIAN: Morning. Miserable day, isn’t it. REBECCA: * nods* Yeah. I feel like a drowned rat. LIBRARIAN: Poor thing. Well, it’s nice and warm in here. REBECCA: *nods in agreement* I wonder if you could help me? I’m looking for the town records. Where could I find them? LIBRARIAN: The town records? They would be in our reference section. I’ll show you. This way, please. The librarian takes Rebecca to the reference section, and shows her where the town records are. Rebecca sits down at one of the tables, ready to study them. LIBRARIAN: If you need any help, just ask. REBECCA: Thanks. The librarian goes back to her front desk, leaving Rebecca with the town records. REBECCA: * to herself* Okay Marcus, you can’t hide from me forever. She begins her search at the records that show the names of everyone in town - kind of like a census. REBECCA: Yates, Yates, Yates… Come on Marcus. But to her frustration, there is no Marcus Yates listed. She recognises the same ‘M Yates’ from the phone book in her room… but no Marcus. REBECCA: * frustrated* Oh come on! He MUST be here! *searches through the records again* I’ve been searching for two years… I KNOW he’s here! He MUST be! * pauses* Unless… Rebecca gets the records that shows all deaths in the town, and begins studying them. But Marcus isn’t listed there, either. If he’s not dead, he must still be alive… so why isn’t he listed in the town records?
She sits for a few moments, trying to think what to do next. She looks at the town records again, and looks at last years listings - still no Marcus Yates. She goes back to the librarian. REBECCA: Scuse me, could you tell me where the town records are archived please? The ones you’ve shown me only go back 4 years. LIBRARIAN: Yes, we archive them onto computer every 4 years. I can log you onto the computer over here. The librarian takes Rebecca over to a library computer, and logs her in to the older town records. LIBRARIAN: Is there anyone in particular you’re looking for? REBECCA: An old family friend - Marcus Yates. I’m from here originally, but left town 12 years ago. Now I’m back, I’d love to look him up again. It’s a surprise for my dad * lies* but I can’t find him in the recent town records. LIBRARIAN: 12 years ago? Wow, that’s a long time. I’ll bet he can’t wait to see you all grown up. It’ll be a nice surprise for him. The librarian opens the archived town records for 12 years ago, and searches for ‘Yates’. Sure enough, Marcus Yates is listed, along with his address. Rebecca takes note of the address. He’s also listed for 11 years ago, with the same address. But there’s no sign of him 10 years ago, or 9 years ago, or any other year. LIBRARIAN: *tries to be helpful* Maybe he moved away? REBECCA: No, I’m trying to find him for my dad * lies again* and every lead I followed comes to here… Misthaven. And he’s not in the ‘Deaths’ records. So he MUST still be in town. Rebecca is careful not to say too much about her connection with Marcus, and why she wants to find him. LIBRARIAN: I’m sorry, I don’t know what else to tell you. REBECCA: What about voting records? If he votes, he’ll be listed there, won’t he? LIBRARIAN: The voting lists are taken from the town records. Rebecca taps her finger, thinking hard. It’s like he just disappeared. But that’s not possible. LIBRARIAN: What about friends? Neighbours? Rebecca looks up at the librarian, an idea forming in her mind. REBECCA: Yeah, he did have a friend. Rebecca gives another name to the librarian. But just like Marcus…. She’s shown in the town records for 12 years ago, but not recently. Again, Rebecca takes note of the address. She’s frustrated at lack of info on Marcus, but at least she has 2 new leads now - 2 addresses to follow up on. Maybe she can find more clues there. REBECCA: Okay, looks like I won’t be able to find Marcus then. My dad will be so disappointed. But thanks very much for your help. LIBRARIAN: It’s my pleasure. * smiles* The librarian logs out of the computer, as Rebecca leaves the library. Now she knows where the library is, she can come back again if she needs to.
As she steps back out into the rain, she looks at her watch - searching through the town records took longer than she realised. The 2 addresses will have to wait for another day to be investigated.
She jumps on the bus, and heads back to her motel.
|
|
|
Post by Frodo on May 16, 2017 2:19:03 GMT
Capri Motel…
A new day shines bright and clear, chasing away the rain from yesterday.
The sun peeks through a crack in the curtains, waking Rebecca up. She blinks hard. REBECCA: FINALLY, sun. * smiles* Much better than all that rain yesterday! * thinks* Wait… why was it was pouring with rain yesterday, when I had the whole day to look for Marcus, and had to go up to the library… but it’s sunny again today, when I DON‘T have the whole day to look for Marcus? Arrrgggh! *looks out the window, at the sun* This is a conspiracy! Still, she doesn’t have much time to ponder over the weather. As she’s having her breakfast, she thinks about yesterday’s visit to the library. REBECCA: * takes a spoonful of Corn Flakes* At least I’ll have this evening free. I’ll check out that address I got from the library - the one for Marcus 12 years ago! * smiles* Pinky’s Diner…
She arrives at the café bright and early, and she sees Cam and Anne through the glass window. She taps on the door, and Cam lets her in, looking at his watch. CAM: And what time do you call this? REBECCA: Uh… Rebecca looks at him, not quite sure what he means. It’s not even 9am yet. CAM: You’re only 12 minutes early today. * winks* Rebecca grins. He was only teasing her. REBECCA: Oh, YOU! You have me worried for a minute, there. ANNE: He’s a beast, isn’t he? * chuckles* REBECCA: Definitely! * chuckles as well* CAM: So did the pair of you enjoy your day off yesterday? REBECCA: Yeah, did some sightseeing. ANNE: Had a lovely lie in. CAM: Rebecca, I was thinking… now you’re a permanent member of staff here, it makes sense for you to start using the till. Rebecca smiles - this shows he trusts her. CAM: C’mon, I’ll show you how to use it. Cameron gives her a quick run-down of how to use the till. It’s pretty straight-forward. CAM: So do you feel okay about using the till? REBECCA: Yeah, I think I got the hang of it. Thanks for showing me Cam. And thanks for trusting me. CAM: * smiles* Anne will help you, if you’re not sure about anything. Rebecca has an enjoyable morning, finally being allowed to use the till. It gives her a sense of satisfaction, ringing up the orders on the till. At first, Anne hovers, in case she has any problems. But after a couple of hours, it’s pretty obvious she can use the till just fine. So Anne leaves her to it. Shortly before the lunch-hour rush, Marcy appears again, and greets Anne with a warm hug. ANNE: * to Marcy* Wow, back again? MARCY: Well, you know… can’t keep away from the place. Must be addicted to Cam’s caramel milkshakes. * laughs* ANNE:: I suppose you want another one? * smiles* MARCY: * nods* With a blue… ANNE: * interrupts* … a blue straw, of course? Both of them laugh, and Anne goes to order the caramel milkshake from Cam. MARCY: *looks at Rebecca* So you’re still here, Rachel? REBECCA: * corrects her* Yes, And it’s Rebecca. Will I write that down for you? * sarcastic* MARCY: Rebecca… of course. I’ll remember that. *puts on a fake smile* REBECCA: That’s £1.60 for the milkshake please. MARCY: Cam’s let you loose on the till now? * surprised* REBECCA: Yep. As of today. Marcy says nothing, but hands over the money to Rebecca.
Anne soon returns with the milkshake, and gives it to Marcy. MARCY: * takes the milkshake* Thanks Anne. Rach… I mean Rebecca already took my money. I’m surprised Cam trusts her on the till. She’s only been working here for 2 minutes. * deliberately exaggerates, trying to undermine Rebecca* ANNE: * defends her* Give her a chance, Marcy. Rebecca’s great on the till. And she’s great with the customers. You should have seen how she handled those 3 underage boys that used to come here and try to order alcohol, and intimidate the other customers. I’m really glad she came here. Marcy pulls a face, then goes to sit at one of the tables to finish her caramel milkshake. This time, Anne can’t sit and chat with her - the lunch time crowd is starting to appear.
It isn’t long before the café is swarming with lunch-time orders. Rebecca and Anne are rushed off their feet taking orders, and Cam is cooking those orders backshop in the kitchen. Marcy watches with interest - an idea forming in her mind. She waits until Rebecca and Anne are busy taking orders at the far end of the café… then she quickly dashes behind the counter. She’s only there for a few seconds, before returning to her table. Then she continues drinking her milkshake, until Anne walks past, to serve another customer. MARCY: *picks up her milkshake* Anne, I gotta go. I’ll leave you to *enjoy* this lunchtime madness, happy in the knowledge that I don’t have to deal with it anymore. *sticks her tongue out* So long. ANNE: * laughs* Hehe, okay. See ya later. An hour later, the lunch-time rush has died down, and Anne and Rebecca can take a breather. ANNE: So how are you finding the till, Rebecca? * smiles* REBECCA: *smiles back* It’s not giving me any problems so far. Thankfully. And it’s actually kinda fun. ANNE: You got it NAILED! REBECCA: Damn straight! The afternoon passes by with a pleasant atmosphere. Rebecca and Anne really work well together. But Rebecca is still thinking about Marcus, and what her next move would be.
Eventually, Closing Time arrives. Cam locks the door, and puts up the ‘CLOSED’ sign on the door.
As usual, Rebecca and Anne wait, while Cam cashes up. But today… something is wrong. He frowns… the till is £25 down. Could Rebecca have made a mistake on the till? He looks up at Rebecca and Anne. CAM: Did either of you make a mistake on the till today? ANNE: No Cam. REBECCA: No, the till is actually quite straight forward. Got the hang of it really quickly. * smiles* ANNE: *to Cam* She was a whiz on that till, Cam. * smiles* Cam doesn’t say anything. He goes through the cashing up again - but £25 is still missing. It DOES seem odd that the first day Rebecca is on the till, is the first day money goes missing. Rebecca must have made a mistake without even realising it. Unless… no… he doesn’t want to believe she would really steal from him. She MUST have made a mistake. He bites his lip. CAM: You two head on home now. I can finish up here. Here’s your wages. He hands wages over to Anne and Rebecca, but his usual cheery smile is gone. ANNE: You sure, Cam? We can wait for you…? CAM: No, I’ll see you both tomorrow. Rebecca and Anne can sense something is wrong with Cam. But Anne thinks that he’s wound up with Marcy hanging out in the café again, after basically leaving them in the lurch when she quit. And Rebecca doesn’t know him well enough to pry. So they get their coats, and leave.
Outside the café… REBECCA: * worried* Is Cam okay? He didn’t seem very happy just now. ANNE: I dunno. It COULD be Marcy hanging around. I think they had some kind of argument before she quit. And he’s still pretty sore about how she basically left us in the lurch. REBECCA: Yeah, I kinda get the impression Cam and Marcy don’t exactly get on. Poor Cam. Hope he’s okay - he’s been really good to me. ANNE: Marcy’s my friend, but she can be a bit weird when it comes to Cam. Anyway, I’m sure Cam will be fine. See you tomorrow. REBECCA: Okay, see you. Rebecca and Anne both head for their respective homes.
From the shadows… Marcy appears… MARCY: *to herself* So, Miss ‘High And Mighty, I’m So Superior* Rebecca… you think you can just waltz in here, and take my place, do you? Well, we’ll see. Just a little push, and let’s see what Cam REALLY thinks of you! Capri Motel…
One of the good things about the motel, is that it’s close to the café. Just a short walk, and she’s home. She makes her way to Nilo’s office. REBECCA: Hey Nilo. I’m here to pay for my room again. NILO: *as grumpy as ever* About bloody time! I’ve been waiting all day for you to pay your debts. REBECCA: You’ve been sitting at your desk, all day, just waiting for me? Aww, I didn’t think you cared! * sarcastic* She hands money over to Nilo, glad to have her wage from Cam. NILO: *counts the money* That’ll do for another day. Rebecca turns to walk out. NILO: Care to buy another map? Only £2.50. REBECCA: £2.50? Yesterday, you charged me £5! NILO: That was yesterday! REBECCA: Yesterday… when it was pouring with rain, and you knew I didn’t want to get soaked trying to find the library. NILO: Hey… nobody forced you to buy one of my maps. Nobody held a gun to your head. REBECCA: … Do you get a kick out of being so obnoxious? NILO: All part of my natural charm. Rebecca clenches her fist, trying to curb her temper. She’d love to tell him just EXACTLY what she thinks of him. But she can’t risk getting on the wrong side of him. He may be an arrogant jerk, and his motel is a dump… but it’s cheap, and she NEEDS a place to stay.
She glares at him, then storms out, slamming the door behind her.
She gets a sandwich from the vending machine, then heads to her room.
As she munches her sandwich, she looks at her notes from yesterday’s library visit again. REBECCA: Okay… Marcus’s address is… WAS… 22 Oakdale Avenue. Now where is Oakdale Avenue? She studies her map, and finds Oakdale Avenue. Unfortunately, it’s another bus ride away. But needs must. Marcus used to live here, and she might find some clue as to his current whereabouts.
Later that evening, she finds herself in Oakdale Avenue. 22 Oakdale Avenue… This is it! This is the place where it all began!
It doesn’t look familiar… but then again, she was only 6 years old when it happened. 12 years ago.
She stands there, for what feels like an age, just looking at the house… studying each brick, each window, each slate on the roof, each plant, each flower, each blade of grass… everything. The fence looks new.
Finally, she plucks up courage, and creeps up the garden path. She walks past the door, and over to the fence. She touches it - it feels sturdy. She peeks over top of the fence, and sees a large back garden. There’s also another window towards back of the house.
She’s so focused on the garden and the back window, that she doesn’t here the woman approaching her from behind. WOMAN: AHEM! May I help you? Rebecca jumps. This is awkward. REBECCA: Um, sorry. Um… you’re probably wondering what I’m doing? WOMAN: *crosses her arms and taps her foot, clearly annoyed* Why don’t you tell me? REBECCA: Um, I’m looking for Marcus. Marcus Yates. WOMAN: You obviously have the wrong address. There’s no Marcus Yates living here. REBECCA: There’s not? DAMN! * thinks* Marcus USED to live here. Do you know where I can find him? WOMAN: * shakes her head* Nope. I moved here about a year ago. Before that, I believe a young family lived here. REBECCA: Damn again! I KNEW it was a long shot. I recently moved back here, and I’m trying to trace my family tree. * lies* WOMAN: Well, I can’t help you. REBECCA: Are you sure Marcus Yates wasn’t here before you bought the house? WOMAN: Quite sure. The family that used to live here is definitely not called ‘Yates’. REBECCA: Would the family that USED to live here, know where Marcus lives know? WOMAN: I have no idea! Now please get off my property! Rebecca hesitates. She want’s to get a look inside the house… but that seems impossible. And the woman obviously has never heard of Marcus Yates - and why would she? Another dead end!
Rebecca apologises to the woman, walks back up the path, and leaves the garden, feeling more frustrated than ever.
But she can’t give up. She knew this wasn’t going to be easy.
|
|
|
Post by Frodo on Jun 2, 2017 4:11:43 GMT
Pinky’s Diner… A new day comes, and Rebecca arrives at the café. Cam lets her in, as usual. CAM: Morning Rebecca. * smiles* Cam seems cheerful this morning. After thinking long and hard about yesterday’s incident late into the night, he’s decided it was a mistake on Rebecca’s part, and she didn’t even realise it. He’s usually a good judge of character, and his gut tells him Rebecca wouldn’t steal from him. So he decides to give her another chance. But he’ll ask Anne to keep an eye on her… just in case.
From Rebecca’s point of view, she’s glad he seems happier this morning. It was clear something had been bothering him as they closed up last night, and she had been worried about him. She smiles back at him. REBECCA: Morning Cam. Brrr, it’s cold this morning, isn’t it? CAM: * nods* The café will soon warm up. Anyway, how did you feel about the till yesterday? REBECCA: I think it went good. * smiles* Thanks to you showing me how it worked in the morning, and Anne guiding me throughout the day, it was actually fun, ringing up sales. * chuckles* CAM: * guides her to the till* If I ordered a cheeseburger, onion rings, and a coke, and gave you £20... what would you do? Rebecca checks the prices of those items from the price list, and indicates the amounts she would ring up on the till. Then she indicates she would ring up £20 as the amount the customer (Cam) gave her, and the change would show up on the till. She did everything correctly, so Cam is hopeful there will be no mishaps today. Anne arrives, and they start getting the café ready for opening time. ANNE: Rebecca, I really like your hair up in a pony tail like that. You suit it. REBECCA: Thanks Anne. Just felt like a change today. Cam manages to have a quiet word with Anne, telling her to keep an eye on Rebecca “in case she has any problems on the till”, before reminding them both that Rebecca can easily ask Anne for help if she needs to. It isn’t long before the place is filled with customers. Anne and Rebecca make a good team, and they take it in their stride. It’s a good morning, with Rebecca and Anne chatting to each other between customers.
As the afternoon rush-hour approaches, Marcy appears, just like yesterday, and sits at a table in the corner. Rebecca goes to serve her. REBECCA: * smiles* Hi Marcy. That’s 3 days in a row you’ve been here. You should set up camp here. * tries to be friendly* Marcy quickly looks around - Anne is out of earshot, so she doesn’t even pretend to be nice. MARCY: So? You got a problem with me being here? Rebecca rolls her eyes. Marcy is showing her true colours now, and her attitude gets Rebecca‘s heckles up. Still… she’s a paying customer. And customers don’t always have to be nice. REBECCA: * bites her tongue* Your usual? MARCY: Yes. And make it snappy. Rebecca goes to the serving hatch where she gives the customer orders to Cam. REBECCA: Cam, if I said to you ‘Blue Straw’… what would you say? CAM: * looks at Rebecca* How about… Pink Straw? * chuckles* No, I’d say ‘Marcy’. * pause* One caramel milkshake coming up. Minutes later, Rebecca hands the milkshake to Marcy. Anne is sitting next to Marcy, and they’re chatting happily. Marcy looks up at Rebecca. MARCY: Oh, my milkshake! Thanks Rachel. * smiles* REBECCA: It’s Rebecca. MARCY: Rebecca! Sorry, I’m hopeless with names. ANNE: * to Rebecca* She’s such a dither! She would forget her head if it wasn’t screwed on. MARCY: Ahh, my head! I KNEW I forgot something! *playfully sticks tongue out at Anne* With Anne there, Marcy is putting on the act of being friendly. ANNE: Well Marcy, it’s great chatting and all, but I really shouldn’t leave Rebecca to do all the work here. It’s not fair on her. Maybe we can meet after work one day? Marcy nods, and Anne re-joins Rebecca in serving the customers.
Just like yesterday, Marcy bides her time. And when Rebecca and Anne both have their back to her, serving customers… she dives behind the till again. She’s only there for a few seconds, then returns to her table. And from there, she calls a ‘Goodbye’ to Anne.
Things chug along smoothly, until mid-afternoon. A teenage boy enters the café. He seems pleasant enough. He waits patiently, and reads over the menu while he waits to get served. After a few minutes, Rebecca goes to serve him. REBECCA: Sorry to keep you waiting. TEEN BOY: Not a problem. * smiles* The bacon cheeseburger sounds tasty. I’ll have one of them please. And a chocolate milkshake. REBECCA: Sure. That’s £3.82 please. Rebecca takes the order to Cam, and it isn’t long before the teen boy is tucking into his burger and milkshake. But he’s eating it slowly… taking in everything around him. He waits until Rebecca rings up another sale then goes to serve another customer, before catching Anne’s eye and calling her over. ANNE: Yes sir, how can I help you? TEEN BOY: *talks in a low voice* Um, I need to speak to the manager please. ANNE: What’s it about? TEEN BOY: * hesitates* It’s kinda a private matter. I really need to speak to him. ANNE: Okay, I’ll go and speak to him. Wait here. * smiles* TEEN BOY: Thanks. Anne goes off to speak to Cameron. Almost instantly, she’s back, telling the teen to follow her to the backshop where Cam is. The teen follows, and Anne leaves Cam and the teen alone. Cam, his arms crossed, looks at the teen. CAM: I'm the manager and owner. So how can I help you? Anne tells me you wanted to speak to me on a private matter? JACOB: * nods* Yes sir. I didn’t want to say anything out in public. Or in front of your waitress. * pauses* My name is Jacob, by the way. The OTHER waitress… the one with the pony tail… I’m really sorry to tell you this. But I saw her taking money from the till. Twice! The first time, I thought I must be mistaken. But the second time… she definitely took money from the till. Cam raises his eyebrow. Rebecca has her hair in a pony tail today. But he can’t believe she would really steal from him. His gut tells him she’s not a thief. He looks at the boy. CAM: That’s a serious allegation against my employee! JACOB: I know, and I wasn’t sure if I should say anything. But I saw her twice, while I was just sitting there. CAM: And you’re sure about this? You weren’t mistaken at all? JACOB: No sir. CAM: So what did she do with the money? JACOB: That, I’m not sure of. CAM: Are you telling me the truth, son? JACOB: Why would I lie? Makes no difference to me, if she robs you blind. Just thought you should know, that’s all - tried to do the right thing. Maybe I won’t bother next time. Jacob is clearly offended that Cam suggested he made this up, and storms out of the café.
Cam’s heart sinks. He still doesn’t want to believe it, and he’s certainly not going to take the word of a stranger over Rebecca’s word. But Pinky’s Diner is his livelihood, and that has to come first. A serious allegation has been made against one of his employees, and he can’t turn a blind eye. Especially considering money had already gone missing yesterday - the day Rebecca started on the till. But he’s not going to just accuse Rebecca without any proof. So what is he going to do? He sits there for a while, thinking things over.
His concentration is broken, when Anne calls through the hatch with another customer order. ANNE: Hey Cam, can I get 2 stovies, 2 chips, and 2 hot chocolates please? CAM: * turns to look at Anne* What? Oh yeah, sure. ANNE: You okay boss? CAM: * gives a small smile* It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. Meanwhile, outside the café, round the corner… Jacob lights a cigarette. From the shadows… Marcy emerges… and they kiss. MARCY: So did it work? Did Cam believe you? JACOB: Yep! I put on a stellar performance. Even threw in a “ Don’t care if she robs you, I’m just trying to do the right thing.” * laughs* MARCY: * grins* Heeheehee. Brilliant Jacob! Brilliant! Wish I could have been a fly on the wall. You are wickedly evil, Jacob. JACOB: But that’s why you love me, right? * kisses her again* What you got against this Rebecca chick, anyway? MARCY: She took my place in the café. JACOB: You didn’t want to work in that dive anyway. MARCY: True. But I don’t want to be replaced so quickly either. Doesn't do much for a girl's ego, thinking someone can just waltz in and replace her like that. Cam didn't appreciate me, and he refused to give me the raise I rightly deserved - I did most of the work in that dump anyway! So now I want Cam to BEG me to come back. And he’s not gonna do that, while stupid Rebecca is around. So she has to learn her place, stop strutting around acting so superior, and get out of MY café! JACOB: And if Cam does ask you to come back…? MARCY: WHEN Cam BEGS me to come back… I’ll laugh in his face. Stupid Cam! Stupid Pinky’s Diner! JACOB: * grins* I like the way you think! So it had all been a setup. Jacob and Marcy had been working together… Marcy persuaded him to help her, so that Cam would doubt Rebecca.
Meanwhile, back in the café, Cam is definitely not his cheerful self. Rebecca and Anne both notice it. They ask if he’s okay, but he insists everything is fine.
It seems like an age until closing time, but it’s really only a couple of hours. Cam locks the door. He has a knot in his stomach - it’s time to do the cashing up… what’s he going to find?
He takes his time… doing things slowly, makes sure he doesn’t miscount. But there’s £40 missing this time. Remembering what the boy had told him, he looks around the till. Under the counter, hidden behind some staff order pads, coffee supplies, and other bits and bobs… is a cloth bag. He doesn’t have to be Einstein to know what’s in that bag. He sighs deeply, before looking at Anne. CAM: Anne, why don’t you head off home now. I want to have a quick word with Rebecca. Anne looks at Cam, and can tell something serious is going on. But when Cam’s in this mood, she knows better than to argue with him. ANNE: Um, okay Cam. See you tomorrow. Bye Rebecca. Cam waits until Anne has left, before retrieving the cloth bag from it’s hiding place underneath the counter. He looks in it - sure enough, there’s £40 here. He looks up at Rebecca. CAM: Rebecca… why don’t you come to my office. Rebecca follows Cam to his office. He places the cloth bag on his desk, then starts pacing. Rebecca watches, feeling very nervous. REBECCA: Cam… is something wrong? CAM: Is there anything you’d like to tell me, Rebecca? REBECCA: * puzzled* Um, no, I don’t think so. CAM: You sure? Nothing at all? REBECCA: * thinks* I’m really glad you gave me a chance to prove myself here. CAM: Rebecca, I’m giving you one last chance. REBECCA: … CAM: There was £40 missing, when I did the cashing up today! REBECCA: * shocked* WHAT? Someone stole £40? NO! How did that happen? CAM: And you know where I found it? * picks up the cloth bag* In this bag, stuffed under the counter! REBECCA: * frowns* Someone stole it from the till, and tried to hide it? But who would do that? CAM: There was £25 missing yesterday. * raises his eyebrow* Rebecca knows where this is leading… and she doesn’t like it. REBECCA: And you think I did it? YOU THINK I STOLE FROM YOU??? CAM: You were seen, Rebecca. A customer saw you take money from the till, and informed me. REBECCA: I DIDN’T TAKE ANYTHING FROM THE TILL, I SWEAR IT! CAM: £25 was missing yesterday. I gave you the benefit of doubt, hoping you had just made a mistake on the till. But today... more money goes missing. And today, there was a witness who saw you take from the till. REBECCA: Cam, you took a chance on me by giving me this job, and I wanted to prove myself to you. CAM: BY STEALING FROM ME? REBECCA: SO YOU JUST BELIEVE IT? YOU REALLY BELIEVE I WOULD STEAL FROM YOU? YOU BELIEVE I WOULD BETRAY YOU, CAM? CAM: Yesterday was the first day money has gone missing. And yesterday was the first day you were on the till. Anne’s been with me a long time, so it couldn’t have been her. And you were SEEN taking money today. REBECCA: SO YOU TAKE THE WORD OF A STRANGER OVER MINE? CAM: I won’t press charges, since I found today’s missing money. But I have no choice but to fire you. I’ll pay you today’s wages of course. But from now on, you’re barred from my café. I don’t want to see you here again. If I do, then I WILL call the police. Do I make myself clear? Rebecca feels hurt… betrayed. So she lashes out. REBECCA: YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU CAN TAKE YOUR POXY JOB AND SHOVE IT! I DON’T NEED IT! STUFF YOU, CAM MORLEY! Rebecca storms out of the café, furious, hurting, confused, betrayed. What had just happened? Yes, Cam was her boss. But she thought they were also friends. How could he just think the worst of her like that. She should have known not to trust him. She should have known it was too good to be true. She had been taught from an early age never to trust anyone - Uncle Tony had drummed that into her enough times! She had been so STUPID trusting Cam and Anne… she won’t make that mistake again. From now on, the only person she can trust… is herself.
She makes her way back to the motel, not knowing what to do next.
|
|
|
Post by Frodo on Jun 12, 2017 4:51:33 GMT
Capri Motel…
Rebecca sits in her room, munching breakfast, still puzzling over yesterday. She thought Cameron was her friend - how could he turn against her like that? He accused her of STEALING from him.
REBECCA: *to herself* That was stupid of you, Rebecca. STUPID! You should know better than to trust him. NEVER let your guard down, isn‘t that what you‘ve always known? You don’t have the luxury of friends! *thinks* But Cam seemed different. He didn‘t HAVE to give me a job at the café… but he did. He seemed different to everyone else I’ve known. He seemed to care. *thinks again* Well, he doesn‘t! He proved that yesterday! Can’t trust him, can’t trust anybody! Who needs him, anyway? He didn’t know Marcus Yates, neither did Anne. So it was time to move on from the café, anyway.
Rebecca lets out a deep sigh. She is struggling with herself - part of her feels hurt and betrayed that Cam turned against her so easily, and the other part of her is trying to convince herself she doesn’t care. But she does! Cam and Anne were her only friends… now she has no-one.
REBECCA: *takes another mouthful of Cornflakes* At least I have more time to look for Marcus now. *thinks* I can go back to the library today.
She finished her Cornflakes, checks her map, then heads out the door to the bus stop. Finally, she arrives at the library.
The Library…
She pauses as she enters the library. The library assistants are busy stamping books, putting books back on shelves, checking stuff on computers, helping people etc. She THINKS she recognises one of the assistants as the woman she spoke to last time, but she can’t be sure. She approaches the assistant, and begins speaking to her.
REBECCA: Scuse me.
LIBRARY ASSISTANT: Yes?
The assistant shows no signs of recognision - maybe it wasn’t the woman Rebecca spoke to before.
REBECCA: I was wondering… do you keep copies of archived newspapers?
LIBRARY ASSISTANT: Our news paper and magazine section is over this way.
The assistant leads Rebecca to where all the current newspapers are on display for customers to read. Rebecca quickly glances at them - Misthaven Gazette, Misthaven Journal, Misthaven Times, and more. But they are all recent - today’s edition, or this week’s edition.
REBECCA: No, I was looking for OLDER newspapers. Newspapers from a few years ago.
LIBRARY ASSISTANT: Well, how far back do you want to go?
REBECCA: 12 years.
The library assistant looks at Rebecca, as if to say… ‘Are you crazy? What do you want to look at old newspapers for?’
REBECCA: Um… I’m from here originally, but had to move away several years ago. 12 years ago, to be exact. Call me sentimental, but I’d just like to look at the headlines from when I was last here. *smiles*
The assistant nods, understandingly.
LIBRARY ASSISTANT: Unfortunately, we don’t keep archived copies of newspapers. Many of them are daily, or weekly editions, and we send them back to the publishers after a couple of weeks. But if you look online, at the papers own websites, maybe they keep their own archived copies? You could try that?
REBECCA: *smiles* Thanks. That’s a great idea, I’ll do that. Do you have internet access here?
LIBRARY ASSISTANT: *nods* Of course. Our public computers are in the media section back here.
The assistant takes Rebecca to the public computers. Someone is already using one the computers, so Rebecca sits 2 computers away from him.
LIBRARY ASSISTANT: Here you go. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask.
Rebecca nods a ‘thank you’, then gets to work. She goes online, and starts looking for Misthaven newspapers. She doesn’t really know WHAT she’s looking for… just something related to Marcus Yates.
The first site she looks for, is the Misthaven Journal website, and finds it quickly. From there, she looks for the ’Archived Editions’ section, for 12 years ago. She spends the next few hours, scouring through literally hundreds of archived editions - it‘s like looking for a needle in a haystack. But she doesn’t find anything of interest.
Undeterred, she then tries Misthaven Gazette. As before, she looks for the ‘Archived Editions’ section, searching for articles from 12 years ago. After almost 3 hours of searching, she finds something that catches her eye. She stops, and reads the article again. Apparently, it was written by someone called Brendon Weatherly.
Rebecca reads the article with great interest. She prints it out, and reads it again. Then her attention is drawn back to the Misthaven Gazette website. She looks for the ‘Contact Us’ section, and prints out the newspaper’s address and phone number.
She looks at her watch - looking through so many archived newspapers online has taken her HOURS! She thanks the library assistant for her help, then leaves the library with her printouts, and heads back to the motel.
Capri Motel…
Rebecca arrives back at the motel. She immediately heads for Nilo’s office, to pay him for her room. He’s just as snaky as always, but right now, she doesn’t care. She makes her way back to the safety of her room, locking the door behind her. Throwing her jacket onto a chair, she grabs the phone, and dials the number for Misthaven Gazette - it's lucky that Capri Motel offers free phone usage. Almost instantly, someone answers.
Rebecca grunts in frustration, as the voice on the phone puts her on Hold, forcing her to listen to Elevator Music - mundane piano music. After a few minutes, another voice talks to her.
Rebecca hangs up the phone. She HOPES whoever she just spoke to, keeps their words and contacts Brendon Weatherly. And she REALLY HOPES Brendon Weatherly still has the same contact details, and that he’s willing to talk to her. She sits on the bed, biting her lip in anticipation. She stares at the phone, willing it to ring. But it stays silent.
She tries to distract herself - she turns on the TV, eating a can of beans for tea. An hour passes. Suddenly… RING RING RING!
Rebecca jumps, almost spilling her beans. She grabs the phone.
The conversation continues, with Rebecca arranging a meeting with Brendon tomorrow, in a café near the train station. Rebecca thanks him, then hangs up.
For a day that started out so miserably… things are definitely looking up now. Roll on, tomorrow.
|
|
|
Post by Frodo on Jun 20, 2017 23:58:25 GMT
Capri Motel…
A new day arrives all too soon. Rebecca paces her motel room, full of anticipation about her meeting with Brendon Weatherly - the reporter from Misthaven Gazette - but also feeling incredibly nervous. What kind of answers is she going to get from Brendon?
She goes to the bathroom, and splashes her face with cold water. As she looks at herself in the bathroom mirror, her pale reflection stares back at her - bags under her eyes shows she’s barely slept last night.
She goes back through to the main room, grabs her money pouch, and sits down. She opens her pouch, and counts her money - only £18.72 left. Her money is dwindling fast! REBECCA: * to herself* Okay Rebecca… plan for today, after you finish with Brendon Weatherly, you HAVE to find a job somewhere. Otherwise you won’t be able to pay Nilo for the room. * pause* Talking of Brendon, I should get going now. She checks her map again, so she knows where she’s supposed to meet Brendon. Although she resents Nilo for charging her £5 for the map, it HAS proved useful several times. She heads out for the bus stop, to go to her meeting place with Brendon Weatherly.
Café Near Train Station
Rebecca arrives at the café where she arranged to meet Brendon. It seems a nice place. She enters the café, and sits down at a quiet table in the corner, where she can talk uninterrupted with Brendon, when he arrives. A waitress approaches her. WAITRESS: Hi there. What can I get for you? REBECCA: Um, just a small orange juice please. I’m waiting for someone. The waitress nods, and goes to get the orange juice.
It seems a cruel irony for Rebecca - her sitting in a café, getting served by a waitress. Two days ago, it was HER, working in a café, serving people. She sighs… she misses Cam and Anne. And she still doesn’t understand how Cam could turn against her so easily.
The waitress brings Rebecca’s orange juice to her, and she sips it slowly. She brings out her printout of Brendon’s article, and reads it again… for the umpteenth time.
After a few minutes, an elderly man walks up to her. MAN: * looks at Rebecca* Rebecca Danby? * smiles* REBECCA: *looks up* Yes. MAN: * holds out his hand* Brendon Weatherly. I spoke to you on the phone yesterday. Rebecca stands up and shakes his hand, glad that he showed up. REBECCA: Mr Weatherly, thank you for meeting me. BRENDON: Please, call me Brendon. Both of them sit down at the table. Brendon signals the waitress, and orders a latte. BRENDON: So I understand you’re researching the old Oakdale Avenue murder? REBECCA: Yes, it’s a fascinating story. I have so many questions. BRENDON: * smiles* After your phone call yesterday, I dug out my old notes and photos from the time. Well, I kept all my notes from the articles I wrote - never know when I would need them again, hehe. I have photos here, the Gazette couldn’t publish. I also probably have photos the police wouldn’t want me to have. It was an ongoing investigation back then, you see, and the police wanted to withhold some information from the public. But getting those kind of photos… getting the hard-hitting stories… that’s what made me such a good journalist. Now… well, it‘s an old case, so I guess telling you what I know won’t do any harm. *points to Rebecca’s printout* I see you already have a printout of the article I wrote back then. As Brendon talks, he pulls out a large folder of notes and photos, ready to show Rebecca. REBECCA: * her eyes the file in Brendon’s hands* Oh, that’s so great Mr Weatherly… Brendon. Thankyou. * pause* The victim, Dr Jethro Lovett - he was strangled, I believe? BRENDON: Strangled? Yeah, and the rest of it! * pauses* I told you on the phone yesterday, how this story stuck with me. HOW he was strangled, is only part of it. This man wasn’t only murdered… he was tortured! For god knows how long. Brendon rummages through his folder, and pulls out a photo. He places it in front of Rebecca, watching her reaction carefully. She looks at it, and nearly throws up.
The photo shows a man - Jethro Lovett - his arms and legs bound to a chair. Multiple cuts on his arms. Blue and purple bruises on his face and chest. Blood pouring down his face from a horrible gash on his forehead. But his neck… a line can be seen stretching all the way across his neck, with blood trickling down onto his chest. Rebecca knows exactly what would cause this type of injury! She traces the line across the neck in the photo with her finger. REBECCA: Garrot wire? Brendon nods. BRENDON: Apparantly, the police didn’t want that detail released at the time. But like I said… it’s an old case. REBECCA: Do they know who did it? Do they know who killed Jethro? She holds her breath, as she waits for Brendon’s answer. BRENDON: *searches through his folder* Some guy called Marcus Yates. Marcus Yates… MARCUS YATES… MARCUS YATES! That name echoes through Rebecca’s head like thunder! MARCUS YATES!
Her head swims… she feels like she’s drowning. MARCUS YATES!
Suddenly, she feels a touch on her arm, cutting through her thoughts, and bringing her back to reality. BRENDON: * looks concerned* Rebecca? Are you okay? REBECCA: Sorry, yeah, I’m fine. * inhales and exhales deeply* Just thinking… your article says that the police were trying to track down the owner of the house. Was it Marcus’s house? Jethro Lovett was murdered in Marcus Yates’s house? BRENDON: That’s what they say. REBECCA: But why? Why did Marcus kill Jethro? BRENDON: * shrugs* Wish I could tell you that, love. I really do. That would have made a damn fine follow-up story. But I have no idea why. REBECCA: *looks down at her printout* But if they know Marcus owned the house… they must have caught him eventually, right? BRENDON: Yep, they sure did. They found him a few days later, in a park. He had his socks & shoes off, dangling his feet in the duck pond, cool as you like. * pauses* Here, I have that article as well. Brendon searched through his folder, and digs out another article for Rebecca. She reads it with great interest - ‘Vicous Murder Victoriously Mended’. The article goes on to say that Marcus Yates has been caught, and is awaiting sentence in a maximum security jail.
REBECCA: * looks at Brendon* Wow, this article is great! So what happened to Marcus? How long was he sentenced for? BRENDON: To be honest, I don’t know. I think there was some sort of controversy surrounding his sentencing. But once the public knew he was locked up, they lost interest in him. He wasn’t headline news anymore. Which meant, I had to move on to other stories. REBECCA: Do you know what became of Marcus? Is he still in prison? BRENDON: Couldn’t tell you. Like I said… he became yesterday’s news. Brendon finishes his latte, and licks his lips.
BRENDON: Well, gotta dash now, love. If I think of anything else relevant to Marcus Yates, or your research paper, I’ll let you know. * checks his notes* 555 9821 - that still your number? REBECCA: * nods* I’m staying at Capri Motel. That’s the phone in my room. BRENDON: Great! With a smile and a nod, Brendon gets up and leaves the café… leaving Rebecca trying to process everything. This is great information on Marcus, and by far the best leads she has to finding him. She wants to find out which park and which duck pond he was finally caught at. She wants to check the jail. She REALLY wants to find a way into the Oakdale Avenue house, even though the woman that stays there now isn’t very friendly. She wants to do so much! But her sensible head tells her, first and foremost, she needs to find another job.
Rebecca stands up, and makes her way over to the counter. A waitress smiles at her. WAITRESS: Can I help you? REBECCA: Yeah, um… I was wondering if you were looking for any staff at the moment? WAITRESS: I’m sorry, we don’t need anyone else. REBECCA: You sure? I’m a good waitress. WAITRESS: Like I said, we have enough waiting staff at the moment. REBECCA: I could… WAITRESS: Thankyou. Have a lovely day now. That’s a VERY clear brush-off. Rebecca sighs. There’s nothing else for it - she leaves the café.
There’s a newsagent next to the café. She enters the newsagent, with her best smile planted on her face, and walks up to the shop assistant. REBECCA: Hey there. Are you needing any help in the shop? SHOP ASSISTANT: What kind of help? REBECCA: You know… help to run the shop. Serve customers. That sort of thing. * awkward* SHOP ASSISTANT: You mean, you’re looking for a job? REBECCA: * nods* Yeah, I could help out in all sorts of ways. SHOP ASSISTANT: Sorry, no can do. REBECCA: What… no can do, as in you’re not hiring, or no can do, as in you don’t know if you need any help in the shop or not? SHOP ASSISTANT: No can do, as in no job here. Comprende? Rebecca glares at the assistant, then storms out.
She tries several more shops in the area. She even tries the fast food places inside the train station itself. But she gets the same answer every time - nobody wants to hire her. More than ever, she appreciates the chance Cam had given her. What had gone wrong?
After a few more hours of rejection, she’s feeling very low, and decides to go back to the motel.
Capri Motel…
As she approaches the motel, she’s careful not to be seen by Nilo. She hates doing it, but without Cam’s wages, she can’t pay for her room, so it’s best not to go near Nilo’s office. Maybe tomorrow, she can pay twice?
She picks up the phone, and thinks about calling Cam… but what would she say? What COULD she say? She bites her lip, and puts the phone down again.
Slowly, she’s aware of raised voices outside. VOICE 1: Hey… HEY YOU! Get your FILTHY hands of my beer! VOICE 2: YOUR beer? This is MY beer! Go and get your own! VOICE 1: OI! Gimme back my damn beer before I knock you senseless! VOICE 2: Yeah? You and who’s army? VOICE 1: Me and THIS army! The sounds of a fight breaking out, and punches being thrown, drifts through the walls. Rebecca makes sure her door is locked, before drawing the curtains, and turning on the TV to drown it all out. She doesn’t want to get involved.
She sits on her bed, counting her dwindling money. Things are not looking good.
The Next Morning… BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG Rebecca jerks awakes to the sound of someone pounding on her door. When did she drift off? She doesn’t know. BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANGVOICE FROM OUTSIDE THE DOOR: Danby! DANBY! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE PRONTO! That’s Nilo’s voice. And he doesn’t sound very happy. NILO: YOU OWE ME FOR RENT! TWICE! I WANT YESTERDAY’S RENT AND I WANT TODAY’S RENT. AND SINCE YOU TRIED TO STIFF ME, I WANT TOMORROW’S RENT AS WELL! Rebecca looks at the door. She can’t pay for the room, and it doesn’t sound like Nilo is going to accept an IOU. What’s she going to do? NILO: DANBY! OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR RIGHT NOW! Rebecca doesn’t move. Maybe, if he thinks she's out... he'll leave. No such luck! BANG BANG BANGNILO: THEM ROOMS AIN’T FREE, DANBY! IF YOU DON’T WANNA STAY HERE, I CAN ALWAYS FIND SOMEONE ELSE WHO DOES! Rebecca things to herself - yeah right! Half the rooms here are empty. NILO: ALRIGHT, YOU ASKED FOR THIS, DANBY! The sound of a key being turned in the lock is heard. The door flings open, and Nilo stands in the doorway. NILO: * looks at Rebecca* Think I don’t have keys to my own rooms? Think again! Nilo looks around the room, quickly taking everything in. He grabs a pair of jeans from the floor, and tosses them outside. REBECCA: HEY! What are you doing? NILO: What does it look like I’m doing ? I’m evicting your sorry ass! REBECCA: YOU CAN’T DO THAT!!! NILO: I can! And I will! He throws her a cold, callous smirk, before grabbing something else, and tossing it outside. It’s a small mercy that most of her belongings are still in her duffle bag. She grabs her bag, trying to quickly stuff her belongings into it, before Nilo throws everything onto the ground outside. NILO: You don’t pay the rent - you don’t stay in my rooms. I don’t give a DAMN that Cameron ‘Lad-De-Da’ Morley recommended my motel… there’s plenty of other people that can stay here… PEOPLE THAT WILL PAY ME FOR THE PRIVALAGE! Once again… when pushed into a corner, Rebecca loses her temper. REBECCA: Plenty of people? HA! You have to be DESPERATE to stay here! It’s a DUMP! And YOU are a vicious snake in the grass, Nilo! NILO: * smirks* Maybe. But I'm a snake that’s taking GREAT pleasure in tossing out worthless garbage like you! He grabs her duffle bag from her, and roughly tosses it out into the street. NILO: KEY! NOW! He holds his hand out for the room key, so that Rebecca won’t have access to the room anymore. REBECCA: You want your precious room key? HERE’S YOUR DAMN KEY! She tosses the key roughly in his direction, but deliberately misses him, so it hit’s the ground with a loud ‘Clunk’. He picks up the key, as she retrieves her duffle bag and tries to gather her belongings. NILO: You’re done here, Danby! You can sleep on the park bench for all I care. Nilo makes a point of looking up at the clouds. And when Rebecca follows his gaze, she sees dark clouds in the distance.
It’s going to rain soon… and she has nowhere to go.
|
|