IN THE BAG by Michael Stucky

thoughtup@comcast.net

FADE IN: EXT. A CITY STREET, DOWNTOWN SEATTLE - DAY The knobby TIRES of a mountain bike GROWL as it rush hour gridlock. The bike's thirty year old wears a well worn backpack and hasn't shaved in fast, Joe barely misses a YOUNG WOMAN exiting a JOE (glancing back) Sorry! The Young Woman scowls then looks intrigued and shouts. YOUNG WOMAN Nice . . . backpack! Joe, still glancing back over his shoulder, spins around looking alarmed. He stands on the pedals to sprint away and narrowly avoids a city bus as it lunges away from the curb. EXT. SIDEWALK - DAY Joe slides around a slow moving car and up onto the sidewalk, dodges ANGRY PEDESTRIANS for a block until he comes to a shuddering stop at the entrance of an upscale restaurant. EXT. UPSCALE RESTAURANT - DAY Joe dumps the bike on the sidewalk and heads for the restaurant's front door. A PEDESTRIAN calls from offscreen. PEDESTRIAN O.S. Hey Buddy! Joe spins around looking alarmed once again. tighter in the straps of his backpack. PEDESTRIAN O.S. You better lock up your bike, Man! JOE (relaxes) It's not my bike, Man. Joe shakes his head, turns and enters the restaurant. INT. UPSCALE RESTAURANT - DAY Joe enters and scans the room. A TABLE FOR TWO CHERYL: thirty, sits alone as a WAITRESS refills her coffee cup. Joe approaches. The Waitress eyes a clock on the wall, huffs at Joe and walks away. Finally, he sees her -His fists twist weaves through rider, JOE, days. Riding taxi.

2. Cheryl slowly stirs her coffee while glaring at Joe. Nine. CHERYL You said nine. Right?

JOE Sorry. It's been kind of -(looks around) Is there a restroom in this place? Cheryl smirks and points over her shoulder toward a men's room sign. Joe shakes his head and walks by Cheryl who grasps a corner of his backpack as he passes. CHERYL Do you really need that bag in there? Reluctant, Joe finally lets Cheryl hold his backpack but glances back several times as he goes. She laughs. ACROSS THE RESTAURANT A teenage BUSBOY watches Joe and Cheryl intently until a SECOND WAITRESS nudges him to get back to work. INT. MEN'S ROOM (SHORT TIME LATER) - DAY Joe washes his hands when suddenly, Cheryl shouts offscreen. CHERYL O.S. No! Stop! Joe pauses at the sink. JOE Cheryl? CHERYL O.S. Joe! JOE Shit! Joe yanks open the bathroom door and runs out. INT. UPSCALE RESTAURANT - DAY Joe exits the men's room. Cheryl and the backpack are gone. Panic stricken, Joe hesitates until Cheryl shouts. CHERYL O.S. Give it back! Let . . . Go! Joe sprints for the front door.

3. EXT. UPSCALE RESTAURANT - DAY Joe bursts onto the street. Stop it! Joe runs left. EXT. A CITY STREET - DAY Joe rounds the street corner. Let go! No Cheryl. Cheryl shouts again.

CHERYL O.S. Come back!

CHERYL O.S. Joe!

Joe sprints downhill until he reaches a -EXT. BACK ALLEY - DAY Where he finds Cheryl in a tug of war over the backpack with the Second Waitress from the restaurant. He charges in. JOE Hey! The Second Waitress drops the backpack and flees. Joe hugs Cheryl and discreetly feels the backpack to check its contents. Satisfied, Joe breathes a sigh of relief. EXT. A CITY STREET - DAY Joe and Cheryl exit the alley and walk uphill on the sidewalk. JOE You okay? CHERYL That bitch is getting fired, pronto! Joe takes Cheryl's arm, pulling her to a stop. JOE Hey. (looks into her eyes) It's okay, as long as you're okay. CHERYL (pulls away) I don't have time for this. Cheryl turns around and they walk downhill. EXT. ANOTHER CITY STREET - DAY Joe and Cheryl round a corner and approach TWO JUGGLERS, on tall unicycles, tossing big rings to and fro between them.

4. JOE We need to talk. CHERYL So you said . . . before you took off. Joe stands with the Jugglers performing behind him. JOE It's different now. CHERYL How is that exactly, Joe? JOE (looks around) Not here. Cheryl huffs. The FIRST JUGGLER now notices Joe's backpack and grabs for it. They struggle. Cheryl knocks the SECOND JUGGLER down as Joe wrenches his backpack free from the first. The Jugglers press forward but Cheryl backs them down with a large can of pepper spray. CHERYL Back off! Joe pulls Cheryl away and they run across the street then down the opposite sidewalk out of sight. EXT. ANOTHER STREET - DAY Joe and Cheryl run into view then slow to a walk as they pass an OLD MAN selling umbrellas in the bright summer sun. OLD MAN Bumbershoot, Miss? Cheryl looks up, holds out her dry palms and shrugs. The Old Man frowns. Joe and Cheryl walk around the next corner. MOMENTS LATER: Joe and Cheryl come running back around the corner chased by THREE PEOPLE riding Segway Personal Transporters. They run past the Old Man and Cheryl casts all of his umbrellas down in front of the racing Segway Riders who then crash head over heels. The Old Man frowns down at his loss. OLD MAN (to Segway riders.) That'll be twelve bucks . . . a piece. Joe and Cheryl run farther down the street.

5. EXT. A BUS STOP - DAY Joe and Cheryl come running around a street corner. Panting, Joe flops onto the bus stop's bench. Cheryl joins him. JOE (breathless) It's been like this since -CHERYL (panting) Since when? Joe motions for a moment to catch his breath. A city bus stops by just then. Cheryl rises and extends a hand to Joe. CHERYL (still panting) I can't run anymore. Joe follows Cheryl onto the bus and it pulls away. INT. CITY BUS - DAY Joe and Cheryl collapse into a seat. They look slowly around and the bus is filled with every kind of INNER-CITY DENIZEN imaginable. Joe and Cheryl share a wary look. EXT. A CITY STREET - DAY The bus swerves over to make a sudden hissing stop. Cheryl and Joe leap off the bus at a full gallop. The bus roars away and its windows fill with passenger's faces pressed against the glass. Joe and Cheryl run on to a -EXT. PUBLIC PARK - DAY Where they cut across a tree lined lawn. INT. CHERYL'S APARTMENT - DAY Cheryl and Joe stumble, exhausted, into her apartment. Joe crashes onto her sofa. Cheryl locks her door then eases down next to Joe. Cheryl tugs at the backpack and gives Joe an exhausted glare. CHERYL What - The - Hell?! Joe opens the backpack and pulls out a small GOLDEN BOX with a simple hinged lid which he sets on Cheryl's coffee table. CHERYL That's the big secret? you found in Peru? The thing

6. JOE Yeah. Joe opens the golden box which is empty. He then takes a gold ring off his finger, places it in the golden box and closes the lid. JOE Go ahead; open it. Cheryl does and discovers not one but two rings in the box. CHERYL (closing the lid) Is this a trick? She opens it again and there are now four rings inside the golden box. Cheryl shoots Joe an astonished look. He shrugs. Cheryl repeats the process a few times more and each time she does, the number of rings inside the golden box doubles. JOE Okay. Joe moves Cheryl's hands from the ring-brimming box. CHERYL (excited) Just gold? JOE Whatever you put into it . . . that's what you'll get back out of it. They now sit very close. Cheryl discreetly rubs her nose while eyeing the box. Joe notices this and chuckles. JOE Maybe I could use your shower? Cheryl smiles politely and nods. Joe rises, slips a ring back onto his hand and dumps the rest into Cheryl's lap. JOE Enjoy. Tucking the golden box under his arm, Joe goes to shower. INT. CHERYL'S BATHROOM (SHORT TIME LATER) - DAY Joe stands with a towel around his waist, shaving in a mirror. The golden box rests on the countertop nearby. Joe glances down at it mid razor stroke and thus cuts himself. JOE (quietly) Damn it!

7. Joe touches the cut and winces. He checks her vanity.

JOE Tell me you have a styptic pencil. The golden box blocks Joe's access to a tray of toiletries. Joe reaches, with blood stained fingertips, to move the golden box and it zaps him with an electric shock. JOE Owe! Joe checks his bloodied fingertips then looks down in time to watch his crimson fingerprints burn off the lid of the golden box which suddenly grows a little bit bigger. Joe does a double take at the box JOE Bigger? Joe hurriedly wipes his fingertips on a towel. JOE But, do you still work? Joe sets his ring inside the golden box and closes the lid. He takes a deep breath and opens the golden box to find not two but three rings inside. The lid slips from his trembling fingertips and claps shut again. Joe opens the golden box once more to discover -- nine gold rings. Joe backs slowly away. He thinks for a second then grimaces, scrubs a hand down his face with a growl. JOE (quietly) Ah - Crap! FADE OUT: THE END.