Cut to

Gavin is standing at the side of the road, more accurately; he is lurching to his feet. His suitcase is lying as his feet and he is apparently in the middle of nowhere, a car is speeding away and Gavin is red in the face and livid, shaking all over

GAVIN (yelling)

WHY COULDN’T YOU HAVE JUST KILLED ME!

He shakes his fist at the already distant car and taking an angry step back, trips over his suitcase and falls on his rear. He lays sprawled on his back for a moment, looking at the sky with a completely blank expression. He puts his hands on his chest and sighs.

GAVIN

How did I end up here?

What did I do, to end up here?

Why do you insist on hating me?

He shakes his fist at the sky for a moment before giving up and letting his arms flop back down. Abruptly he sits up and looks to his right. After a pause, he jerkily looks to the left. There are no road signs in sight, no way to tell how far he has been taken from the town or in what direction. He flops down again

GAVIN

There must be a reason that

Everything I try to do ends up somewhere like this

NOWHERE!

I mean, is it something I did in

A past life? Did I kill someone?

He shakes allover and after a few minutes of flailing arms and legs, he sits up again. He looks jerkily to the left, than to the right, than struggles awkwardly to his feet. He throws the end of his trench coat over his left shoulder and picks his suitcase up with his right hand. He does eeny meeny miny moe with his free hand and spins around twice before choosing to go right, in the direction that the car receded.

Cut to

Gavin is lumbering down the side of the road, now gripping his suitcase with both hands and slumped over, he’s sweating and it aint getting any cooler. His trench coat is getting in the way, it’s long and encumber some, he stumbles over it but keeps walking.

(Passage of time- scenery, moving sun) Cut to

Abruptly Gavin drops his suitcase and wrestles off his trench coat. He throws it to the ground and proceeds to stomp on it a couple times. He picks his suit case back up and continues looking slightly smug

Cut to

Gavin is standing at the side of the road, his shirt is un buttoned, he’s sweaty, and his suitcase is cast carelessly into the ditch. He’s jumping up and down trying to catch the attention of cars passing but no one seems to be interested in stopping for him. Eventually a car stops and a pretty blonde woman sticks her head out of the window. (Played by our resident gum chewer)

BLONDE

Where you headed

GAVIN

Trying to make my way into

Town

BLONDE

(insert name of town here)?

GAVIN

Ya, how far off am I?

BLONDE

Well, it seems to me

You’ve been going in the wrong

Direction.

Cut to (quick flash back)

Grandens car speeding into obscurity, in the other direction

Cut to

Gavin smacks his head and scrunches his eyes closed. The blonde raises an eyebrow and smiles.

BLONDE
lucky for you I’m heading into

(insert name of town) myself. Jump in.

GAVIN opens one eye and seems surprised to see that she’s serious. He smiles and opens the back door of the car; he maneuvers his suitcase into the vehicle

GAVIN

With my luck, we’ll get a

Flat tire an hour out of town

He gets in the passenger door and buckles up his seat belt while smiling at the blonde happily. She leans over and shakes his hand

BLONDE

I’m Alison.

Gavin shakes her hand steadily and Alison starts the car

Cut to

The car is slowing and there’s smoke rising from underneath the hood; Alison is looking quite annoyed and Gavin is leaning his head against the back of the chair, looking completely defeated.

GAVIN

Why can’t I just keep my mouth shut?

He’s whining and it only serves to annoy Alison more so. She bangs her fist on the steering wheel and glares at Gavin pointedly. He raises his hands in mock surrender.

GAVIN

I get it, I get it,

I’m getting out to look

Gavin gets out of the car and walks around to the front. He opens the hood of the car and disappears from Alison’s view beneath the hood. She taps her fingers distractedly on the steering wheel and leans her cheek into her palm. She looks at the clock and sighs, proceeding to get out of the car and join Gavin who is standing with his hands limp at his side, staring helplessly at the engine.

GAVIN

I have no idea how to fix

this car. I’m a business man,

I like football, soccer, hockey,

baseball, I know the name of

every car that came out from the year

1970 to the present, and I have no idea

how to fix one.

Allison

And you call yourself a man

Gavin

Speaking generally, yes

They both stare down at the engine with their arms slack and smoke billowing out around them, finally Gavin closes the hood and Allison gets back in the car and crosses her arms over her chest.

Allison

You’re bad luck.

GAVIN

I’m getting that (beat)

don't you have a phone or something?

Allison

No, though sometimes I go to the mall

and stare at them in the electronics

department lustfully.

Gavin

and you call yourself a woman

Allison

speaking generally?

Gavin walks from the side of the car into the middle of the road with his thumb raised.

Allison

What are you doing?

Gavin

Getting a ride

Allison

You cant do that! What about my car?

(beat) hitching is dangerous!

Gavin

That’s what I was doing when you

picked me up, wasn’t it?

Allison

But that was different. I’m not a

psycho killer!

Gavin

Well neither am I,

what a happy coincidence.

Allison

We can walk until we find a gas station.

and then I can call a tow truck

Gavin (frustrated)

look, I have to get back to town, and I have

to do it before two, alright?

Allison

Why, whats the rush? hmmmm?

Gavin(upset)

My wife’s funeral!

Allison gets very quiet for a moment and they stare each other down. Allison sighs, and comes to stand with Gavin in the road, raising her thumb in compliance and with a shy sad smile.

(cut to) GAVIN and ALLISON are getting out of a van in front of a GAS STATION Allison turns back and waves at the driver of the van as it pulls away and then they both take a look around.

ESTABLISHING- the gas station looks like a picture out of an old western, tumbleweeds, golden brown dirt all over everything, one car parked in front and chipped paint being the only saving grace of the establishment. Gavin catches a glimpse of a PHONE BOOTH attached to the front of the station and Allison motioned him toward it with a bit of a dramatic flourish. Gavin needs no second prompting. We follow Allison as she enters the gas station and greets the cashier (our resident gum chewer, smacking away, her hair all back combed and her uniform striped and dusty, cliché, think cliché)

ALLISON

I don't suppose you could

tell me exactly where we are,

I need to call a tow truck.

CASHIER

Sweetie, just tell them highway five.

We’re the only station around pop

Allison nods

ALLISON

and do you happen to have the time?

CASHIER

It’s about eleven o’clock now I should think

she looks at her watch pop

eleven o’ fave

Allison nods and heads back to Gavin who looks up at her expectantly

ALLISON

Highway five

GAVIN

It’s on highway five.

You know the one? Great.

How . . .yes, how long do

you think it will be . . .

He swallows and closes his eyes, nodding

alright . Yes. We’ll be here.

He hangs up the phone and pretends to look unfazed, shrugging and heading out to the curb. Allison follows and the two of them sit down on the curb.

ALLISON

So . . . how long?

GAVIN

He said at least an hour to get here,

And then we have to go get the car,

and then an hour back.

ALLISON

we can make it by two.

Gavin shrugs and leans his face into his hand. Allison is curious, she’s looking at him intently, her cheek also rested in her palm, squinting into the sun at him.

What was her name? You’re wife?

GAVIN

Amanda.

ALLISON (smiling)

What was she like?

GAVIN (laughs a little)

Well, she was beautiful, red hair, freckles,

God she hated those but they were cute, you know?

It’s funny what you think of after, I never liked her

freckles so much before . . .

ALLISON

You loved her?

GAVIN

We had our problems, but ya,

he smiles and turns to look at Allison thoughtfully

I loved her. Things got pretty rough …

But once you find that person,

you never really stop loving them.

That’s why I don't get the whole divorce thing

see? You give it time and effort and

you can get through anything,

unless you weren’t in love in the first place.

Allison looks uncomfortable and turns away, dropping her hands into her lap.

GAVIN

divorced huh?

ALLISON

Ya, long time ago. doesn’t much matter now.

GAVIN

did you love him?

ALLISON

No, no I don't think I ever did.

They sit in silence for a while and watch each other, the sun, the mountains, they watch it all.

ALLISON

You know, I could really use a cup of coffee.

Gavin sighs in absolute agreement and nods,

GAVIN

Hell, so could I.

He makes to get up but she pushes him back,

ALLISON

I’ll get it.

6