Road Rage (short film)

EXT. ROAD - EVENING Driving down a road narrowed by construction, JAKE (35) and his wife, SAMANTHA (35) hit a “Road Closed” blockade. Jake mutters a string of obscenities while Samantha pulls a granola bar out of her purse to nibble on and searches her phone for an alternate route. Jake throws the car in reverse as blinding headlights approach from behind. He furiously waves the car to back up, but it doesn’t. They are pinned in.

EXT. ROAD CLOSED SITE - NIGHT Fuming, Jake leans out of his window.

JAKE

GODDAMMIT. Back up!

Jake gets out of his car to confront the driver. When Jake reaches the window, he yells at the driver to move. There’s no response. Jake bangs on the window and it lowers a little. Jake leans in to yell again, but a dog snarls and before he can jump back, a stun gun shocks him down.

INT. OFFICE - EARLIER THAT DAY

The late afternoon sun streams across an ornate, wooden desk. Paperwork is stacked in neat piles and a laptop sits at one corner. Jake, looking content, lights a cigar and reaches for his phone to call Samantha.

JAKE

We won.

SAMANTHA

Oh! I’m so happy for you! I knew you would. It’s all you’ve worked on for the past year.

JAKE

Yeah...about that. Now that the case is over, I think I’m going to take a little stay-cation. Get some stuff done around the house, spend more time with you.

SAMANTHA

In that order? Because I’ve barely seen you.

Jake’s SECRETARY (30) buzzes him.

SECRETARY

Jake, are you smoking in your office again?

SAMANTHA

“Again”?

Jake hastily stubs out his cigar and lights a candle.

JAKE (to his secretary, who is now standing in the doorway)

No. Of course not. It’s that new soy candle from that client. He picks the candle up and reads the label.

JAKE (CONT’D) Cuban Breezes. See? Tobacco, teakwood and leather. Not me smoking.

SECRETARY (wafting away the smoke)

Soy is clean burning.

Jake covers the phone and mouths: “Go away.” She shoots him a look, turns and leaves.

SAMANTHA

So, you're claiming your “mandle” smells just like a freshly lit post-case celebratory cigar?

JAKE

It’s crazy how much it does. Speaking of, we are going out to dinner tonight. Pick you up after work?

SAMANTHA I don’t have to cook or clean up? Perfect. Jake grabs his wallet, keys and jacket and starts to leave. His phone rings.

VOICE

Hey, that class action against Pfizer is a go. It’s ours. It won’t even go to trial. You in?

Jake hesitates for a moment.

JAKE

Man...I wish I could. I’m going to use my vacation time, spend some time with Samantha. Good luck. Not that you’ll need it.

VOICE

Your loss, buddy. Congrats on today. You earned it. Jake shakes his head, grabs his stuff and leaves.

INT. DAY - STORE

Jake points to a pretty bikini and asks the SALESWOMAN if she has it in a medium. She does, and Jake purchases the swimsuit. The saleswomen places it into a gift bag.

I/E. BRIDGE - EARLY EVENING

The bridge, thick with commuters, crawls along at a snails pace. Samantha smiles, holding up her new bikini.

SAMANTHA

This is so cool! I would have picked this out for myself.

JAKE

I’m glad you like it. I hope it fits, but it’s all strings, so it should.

SAMANTHA

I’m sure that wasn’t an accident. I’m surprised you didn’t get me some cheesy hooker lingerie.

JAKE

I tried. They didn’t have your size.

Samantha playfully punches his arm.

JAKE (CONT’D)

We need to go to the beach more. People spend thousands of dollars traveling to Florida to visit the beaches - we live here and don’t go.

SAMANTHA

We don’t make time to go.

JAKE

We’re going tomorrow. You’re wearing that. I don’t care how much bread we eat tonight.

Samantha laughs. Suddenly Jake hits the brakes and appears irritated. Traffic has slowed to nearly a stop.

SAMANTHA

I told you to take the side roads.

JAKE

That’s stupid. Takes longer.

SAMANTHA (Gesturing to the cars around them)

Well?

Jake angrily waves his hands at the driver in front of him who keeps stepping on her brakes for no reason.

JAKE

Aw, come on! Are you fucking kidding me? The left lane is the passing lane!

He turns to Samantha and half apologizes.

JAKE (CONT’D)

I’m just starving. With court, I didn’t have much time for lunch today.

He gets a break between cars and speeds through only to have another pull out in front of him in the left lane. He flashes his lights to no response. He lays on the horn and sees the driver wave through tinted glass. Next to the Christian fish symbol is a bumper sticker that says “Honk if you love Jesus.”

INT. EARLY EVENING - CAR

Traffic crawls along. Samantha rummages through her bag and triumphantly digs out a granola bar. She offers it to him, but he swats her hand away.

JAKE

I don’t want your vegetarian crap right now. I’ve been holding out for a thick, juicy steak and this asshole in front of us is keeping me from it! Not very Christian of him.

Samantha pouts and puts the bar back into her bag.

SAMANTHA

It’s not “vegetarian shit.” It’s diabetic shit. You’re not the only one who needs to eat.

JAKE

I know, I’m sorry. I’m getting us there as fast as I can.

Something clears and cars pick up the pace. They cruise along just under the speed limit, despite lanes opening. Jake, trapped in the left lane between a truck and behind Honk If You Love Jesus, flashes his high beams. The driver smiles and holds up the Bible. There’s an opening on the side and Jake takes it, passing on the right and nearly scraping the car in front of them to get around it. While doing so, he puts his hand out the window to give the driver the middle finger.

JAKE (CONT’D)

Fuck you, you fucking moron! Learn to drive!

Jesus Fish Driver is forced to hit his brakes and skids sideways, nearly causing a pileup on the bridge. Samantha clutches the dashboard.

SAMANTHA

Babe! Our exit is right up there!

JAKE

Shit.

Jake erratically crosses three lanes of traffic and exits the bridge.

EXT. ROAD - EVENING

Construction narrows the road to one lane. At just after dusk, no one is working. He continues down the street until he hits a “Road Closed” block. He mutters a string of swears while Samantha munches the granola bar and searches her phone for an alternate route. Jake throws the car in reverse as blinding headlights approach from behind. He furiously waves the car to back up, but it doesn’t. They are pinned in.

EXT. ROAD CLOSED SITE - NIGHT

Fuming, Jake leans out of his window.

JAKE

GODDAMMIT. Back up!

Jake gets out of his car to confront the driver. When Jake reaches the window, he yells at the driver, TITUS (55), to move. There’s no response. Jake bangs on the window and it lowers a little. Jake leans in to yell again, but a dog snarls and with a crackle, a stun gun shocks him down. Watching this from the rearview mirror, Samantha bolts from the car to Jake’s side and her PHONE falls with a clatter under the rear passenger side of the car.

EXT. ROAD CLOSED SITE (LATER) - NIGHT

When Jake comes to, both he and Sam are bound on the ground by the end of the car, back-to-back, wrist to wrist. Sitting in front of him is a massive German Shepard dog. Jake jumps back and Samantha screams, but they can’t go anywhere. The dog lunges forward, teeth bared, nose to nose with Jake. The truck door opens and slams shut.

TITUS

Ezekial! Platz! Blieb!

Immediately, the dog halts and lays by Jake’s feet, eying him warily. Footsteps approach.

TITUS (CONT’D)

Good evening, my brother and sister. Do you know why we are gathered here on this fine evening?

SAMANTHA

Sir, I don’t know what’s going on and whatever we did, I am truly sorry, but I’m a diabetic. I need to eat soon.

Titus claps his hands together with joy as he walks around to her side to face her. Ezekial stays by Jake.

TITUS

How delightful! The Lord works in mysterious ways. What’s soon? Minutes? Hours?

JAKE

She’ll die. Do you want to be responsible for letting an innocent person die?

Titus walks around to Jake, and watches him for a second.

JAKE

Please, just let us go. I get that I pissed you off on the bridge. That was me, not her.

TITUS

You a Jew?

Titus sneers and spits. Jake says nothing.

JAKE

You sure look like a Jew. She don’t, though.

Titus paces around them, slowly.

TITUS

You know, I lost my wife a few years ago. It’s just me and Zeke here. He squats down to rub the dog and murmurs something in German to him. Ezekial wags his tail.

TITUS

I try to obey my Lord. I try to do right in life. So...the question is...

Titus stands and looks down on them. Holding Jake’s phone, he turns and throws it as far as he can. The phone disappears into the darkness.

TITUS

...an eye for an eye? Or turn the other cheek? Because I believe in both Testaments.

He levels his gaze at Samantha.

TITUS

Where’s your phone, missy? I couldn’t find it.

SAMANTHA

I don’t have one. I mean, I do, but I left it home today. We had his...there was no need for both.

Satisfied with this answer, Titus strides to the back of his SUV with Zeke by his side and digs around in the trunk. Samantha whispers to Jake.

SAMANTHA (CONT’D)

I told you your driving would get us into fucking trouble one day.

JAKE

Now’s not really the time for “I told ya so’s”, Sam. If you have anything more useful...

SAMANTHA

My phone fell. I think it’s under the car. Can you reach it?

JAKE

Maybe. Let’s shift that way and I’ll see if I can.

They shimmy closer to the car and Jake scrapes his foot along, feeling for the device. The tip of his foot nudges it, then Titus comes back. Jake quickly assumes his former position, and notices a large rock next to them. Titus is holding gardening clippers. The truck’s headlights glint off the shiny, metal blades. He clicks them open and shut, menacingly.

JAKE (CONT’D)

Listen, sir...

TITUS

Zeke, brummen!

The dog snarls and salivates, fangs mere inches from Jake’s throat. Jake shuts his eyes and turns his head, feeling the dogs breath in his face. After a moment, Titus halts the dog and turns to Samanatha, who freezes.

TITUS (CONT’D)

Were you raised with discipline? I think maybe you were. But him...

He nods to Jake.

TITUS (CONT’D)

He’s an only-child, isn’t he? Spoiled brat and tit-fed until he was four, I’ll bet. I think you could’ve done better.

He squats down with the razor sharp clippers and holds them in front of Samantha’s face. She whimpers. He unwraps a piece of candy and forces her to eat it. She spits it out. He slaps her face hard. He smiles as blood trickles from her lip.

TITUS (CONT’D)

God helps those who help themselves.

He walks back to Jake and looks at him with disdain. He grabs his left hand and holds it away from the ties.

JAKE (begging)

Sir, I am very sorry. We are hungry and I do dumb things when I’m hungry, like how I drove on the bridge. I don’t want my wife to die. I know you’re a good person. Please, as a Christian, can you forgive me?

Titus looks thoughtful for a moment, tapping the snips against his leg.

TITUS

Do you know the Bible? I mean, really know the Bible? “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” He died for you - for your sins! What are you willing to do for Him?

He drops Jake’s hand, and picks his Bible back up, flipping to a page, and showing him the passage.

TITUS (CONT’D)

Living godly does not always mean mercy. It also means kindness and discipline. “In everything set them an example by doing what is good.” That’s the word of Titus, whom I’m named after.

Titus sets the book down on the hood of the SUV and picks up his clippers again.

TITUS (CONT’D)

You ain’t gonna be giving good people the middle finger no more.

Titus separates Jake’s middle finger and snips it off at the base, crunching through the bone. Blood splatters on Samantha. Jake is screaming and Sam, on the verge of passing out, is crying.

TITUS (CONT’D)

You fucking psycho! Fuck you!

Titus stands and tosses the finger to Zeke, who snatches it mid-air, chomps down and swallows it.

TITUS (CONT’D)

Zehr gut! Braver hund!

Titus pats the dog and goes to the back of his truck to pour the animal a bowl of water. Jake is muttering incoherently. Samantha urges Jake to focus and find her phone. He manages to kick it towards her, but she is weak and trembling with double-vision. She’s not able to retrieve it.

JAKE (Whispering to Samantha while sobbing)

Babe...I want you to drink a little bit of blood. Just enough to keep you going. OK? You have to try.

She makes a horrified sound. But they struggle together to raise their left hands so that his gaping wound is above her face. She leans over and tentatively licks his wrist. She takes in his blood, then gags, but doesn’t vomit. She drinks a little more. Titus is on the phone behind his truck. Ezekiel wanders around and laps at blood congealing on the ground. Samantha softly mumbles something to the dog, and his tail wags. Emboldened, she leans towards him.

SAMANTHA (Quietly to Zeke, tapping her foot towards her phone.)

Zeke, voran. Such.

Zeke crawls under the car and retrieves the phone, but crunches the screen while doing so.

SAMANTHA (CONT’D)

Hier. Aus!

Zeke drops the device at her hand and she quickly shoves it behind her to Jake while quietly praising the dog. He tries to push buttons, but the screen isn’t responding.

SAMANTHA (CONT’D) (Whispering to Jake)

The blood...I might be able to get my wrist out of the rope now that it’s wet...

JAKE

Do you think the phone still works at all? Can you reach that rock?

SAMANTHA

I don’t know.

JAKE

It’s ok. Listen...I love you. I fucked up, I’m sorry.

Samantha hears him, but can’t respond because heavy footsteps approach, and Titus frowns when he comes upon the scene. He is holding a small knife and a Bible.

TITUS

Zeke, no! Brummen!

Zeke’s ears flatten and his tail droops.

TITUS (CONT’D)

Komm!

Zeke slinks over to Titus’ side. While glaring at Sam and Jake, Titus grabs the back of Titus’ neck and back-hands the dog across it’s muzzle, then hits him again. He continues to hold tight to the scruff of the dog’s neck while Zeke shrieks and yelps. When he releases him, Zeke scampers off to hide behind the SUV. Samantha frantically and subtly works to get their hands free. Titus swing around to address his captives. Jake tries to keep his attention away from Sam.

TITUS (CONT’D)

Do you know what’s wrong with this world? Titus leans down and looks at Jake.

Titus leans down and looks at Jake.

JAKE

Is that rhetorical?

TITUS

No. I’m askin’.

JAKE

Uh...overpopulation? A for-profit medical system, plastics, Monsanto and GMO food? Losing net neutrality? Stupid assholes going the speed limit or under in the passing lane, even though it’s against the law?

Titus doesn’t look amused.

TITUS

Lack of empathy. Empathy is everything. Even Allah teaches this lesson with thirty says of starvation for Ramadan. Do you know why?

Very carefully, Samantha slides her small wrist and hand from the bonds, leaving Jake’s bleeding left hand free. Titus brandishes the knife in front of Jake.

TITUS (CONT’D)

Because people are too fuckin’ stupid to understand what something feels like unless they actually go through it themselves.

Samantha has started inching the thick rock near Jake’s hand.

TITUS (CON'T)

So. It’s gettin’ late. Who goes first? You, or your pretty wife?

He presses the knife to each of their cheeks, smiling. On Jake’s, he carves a thin line that bleeds. Jake winces. Samantha weakly begs him to stop. Jake feels the rock touch his hand.

TITUS (CONT’D)

I’m going to cut your blaspheming tongues out and feed them to Ezekiel.

He crouches close, laughing, and forces Jake’s mouth open. Jake’s face is pinched and Titus readies the small carving blade.

SAMANTHA (yells to Jake)

Now!

Jake clutches the rock with his remaining four fingers and smashes Titus in the temple with all the strength he has left. Titus stumbles back with a blank look on his face, then a trickle of dark crimson blood flows from a deep gash. Titus touches the wet, then looks at his fingers in confusion right before collapsing into the road.

JAKE

Go! Let’s go!

He turns and frantically picks at Samantha’s knotted right hand to no avail. She’s too weak to walk. He scoops her up and starts toward Titus’ truck.

SAMANTHA

Wait! Phone!

Jake doubles back for the phone, her purse and their car registration.

SAMANTHA (CONT’D)

Get the dog!

JAKE

Are you serious?

SAMANTHA

Zeke! Komm zu mir!

INT. TRUCK - NIGHT

He unwraps a glucose tab for Samantha and puts it under her tongue. Her phone is broken. Jake sighs as he opens the back seat and Zeke jumps in. Finding an old tee shirt, he wraps it around his hand, then throws the truck into reverse and backs out into the dark. Titus’ limp body hasn’t moved and the distance between them increases. As they approach the hospital entryway, color returns to Samantha’s face. Jake breaks the silence.

JAKE

I didn’t know you knew German.

SAMANTHA I didn’t know you were batshit crazy. Or, that I was a vampire.

JAKE (smiling) Huh. German. Hey, so do you have one of those hot Oktoberfest outfits? If not, can we return the bikini and get you one when we get out of here?

She rolls her eyes and grins weakly as emergency room hospital workers open the doors for them.