kicking dogs (first 10)

INT. DUSTY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Dusty’s apartment looks better at night when you can’t see it. Through the darkness the sound of dripping water cuts the silence.

The front door opens and Dusty steps inside. He flicks on the light switch. Nothing happens.

He turns the switch off then back on. The light hanging in the ceiling fan slowly begins to warm up with the buzz of a neon sign with none of the style.

The light illuminates the pots and sauce pans strategically placed on the floor to catch the water drops that drip whenever the people in the apartment above let their cat lay on the couch.

Dusty, 23, turns the lock on the front door. He’s in his Mr. Wacky’s Taco Shop uniform, a bright green collared shirt and a pair of red sweatpants.

ALLISON, 22, walks out of the bedroom wearing nothing but her nightgown, night cap, and slippers like Ebenezer Scrooge.

DUSTY
Wow. You’re gorgeous. I haven’t seen you dressed this sexy in months.

Allison clears her throat and spits a bullet of mucus into one of the sauce pans with a DING!

  ALLISON
          Oh, I know! It’s a special night and special nights deserve special sex. 

Dusty pulls his green collared shirt off over his head. Revealing his peculiarly spaced chest hair.

DUSTY

Oh yeah?

ALLISON
Yeah. You said you’d have enough to buy a ring.

Allison extends her long fingers, except her pinky which was lost at a knitting conference in El Paso in 2003.

Dusty holds her hand and pulls her close.

DUSTY
I’m still a little short.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
To say the least. Dusty is five foot six inches.

Dusty looks around the room.

   ALLISON
   What is it?

Dusty furrows his brow and looks around the empty room.

DUSTY

Nothing, I guess.

   ALLISON
          So, did you get the ring? My friends are beginning to think you don’t exist. 

DUSTY

Why?

ALLISON
  You’re always working so no one gets to see you but me. 

  DUSTY
  Yeah, it would really help me out if you got a job too. 

ALLISON
You know I put all my extra time into volunteering for the community. 

DUSTY
I know, and I love that about you, but look around. 

Allison looks around the room. A vacuum turns on upstairs and little drops of water begin to fall from the ceiling hitting the bottom of each different sized pan making the sounds of a music box.

DUSTY (cont’d)

We’re better than this.

Allison takes off her night cap as sexually as possible.

ALLISON

But you have me.

DUSTY
I love you, Allison, but--

ALLISON
Shh. Don’t talk love, make it.

Allison runs her fingers through a thicket of hair on Dusty’s chest.

FADE TO:

INT. DUSTY’S BEDROOM - MORNING

The early morning sun is split by clouds and refracted into a pale pink sunrise. The light of the early morning dawn shines through the missing wall.

Dusty slowly opens his eyes and looks past the gentle wind playing with Allison’s hair to see an overweight man in a tank top, smoking a cigarette, looking back at Dusty.

DUSTY

Morning, Jim.

JIM

Mornin’ Dusty.

Dusty gets out of the bed in his undies and walks out the wall to Jim.

Jim hands Dusty a pack of cigarettes.

EXT. DUSTY’S APARTMENT-HOLE IN THE WALL - MORNING

Dusty, in his underwear, and Jim, in his tank top, stand with their backs to the bedroom, where Allison snores aggressively.

JIM
You got work today?

Dusty is surprised by Jim’s thick southern accent.

DUSTY

Yeah.

Dusty begins to get a southern accent as they talk.

JIM
Whatcha got today?

Dusty smokes at his cigarette.

DUSTY
Well, the agency said I’m supposed to meet
with some guy named Xiao at the Agricultural Center. 

Jim hooks a chunk of dip into his lip and continues to smoke.

JIM
Sounds like you’re workin’ the dang dog show, man. 

DUSTY
I don’t know anything about dog shows. 

JIM
Well. You better figure it out -- say -- You married yet?

DUSTY

Not yet.

Dusty looks over his shoulder back into the bedroom at Allison as she snores loudly and sleep farts.

DUSTY (cont’d)

Hopefully this dog show pays cash.

I’ll be able to get the ring tonight when I get off.

JIM looks over his shoulder at Allison.

JIM

So..she’s the one, huh?

DUSTY
I’m absolutely sure of it. Just look at her.

JIM
Well. I married my first girlfriend too, and look how happy I am.

Dusty looks at Jim’s grizzled and unshaven face with valleys in his cheeks from years of repressed sorrow.

DUSTY
One day I’ll be as happy as you.

JIM
God, I hope not. Last night Stacey -- my beautiful wife who I love...totally -- decided she wanted to buy a new stove top.

DUSTY
Oh that’s great! 

JIM

We can’t afford a new stove top, fuck!

Dusty shuffles his feet a bit. Jim shakes his head and walks

DUSTY

I’ll see you later.

JIM
Good luck, brother.

Dusty flicks his cigarette into the grass, then turns and steps back into his bedroom.

Dusty admires his beautiful(ish) girlfriend and thinks about the future.

FADE TO:

EXT. DUSTY’S IMAGINARY MANSION - DAY

Dusty is walking down a driveway paved with gold with perfectly trimmed trees hanging over the driveway. Dusty reaches up and plucks a crisp $1,000 bill from a branch and looks over his shoulder.

ALLISON (V.O.)

Dusty! She just said her first words!

INT. DUSTY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Dusty is dressed in his hiking boots with some construction grade khakis and a black hooded sweatshirt.

He stacks three pancakes on a plate and writes a quick note on a piece of paper.

DUSTY isn’t a genius, so he whispers his words as he writes them.

DUSTY
I love you, Allison. I decided to let you sleep in. You’ve earned it. I will be back tonight with a real wedding ring with a huge diamond and we will be happy forever. P.S. the diamond will be very modest. Love, Dusty.

Dusty folds the paper and puts it on the plate with the pancakes and leaves it on the counter.

Dusty walks out of the the apartment to the gentle noises of water dripping throughout the apartment.

INT. DUSTY’S CAR - MORNING

Dusty is driving through the city on his way to the Agricultural Center.

He stops at a red light and lights up a cigarette. A police car pulls up to the light beside him.

Dusty looks over at them. They look back at him. He gives a polite wave. Both police officers turn away and look straight ahead.

Dusty is surprised by this, until, the police turn the sirens on and slam the gas out into the intersection where they are met by a tractor trailer.

The police car is pushed clean off the road. The police car catches fire and the man in the truck jumps out and runs to help the police officers.

The light turns green and Dusty continues on his way to the Agricultural Center.

EXT. AGRICULTURAL CENTER - MORNING

The Agricultural Center looks like an airplane hanger with a huge parking lot. The parking lot is empty of cars, but full of dog crates parked in each spot.

Dusty drives around a while before finding a great spot between two border collies. Dusty steps out of the car.

DUSTY

Good morning.

The dog looks at him and wags its tail.

Dusty walks toward the main center with a bit of enthusiasm at the sight of hundreds of dogs, but a majority of his enthusiasm comes from finding such a great parking spot.

Dusty looks both ways before crossing the final street between him and clocking in.

A herd of three in-shape, middle aged women in purple coats with green ear warmers make a honking noise like a car. As they pass in front of him. He watches them pass in confusion.

The women and their border collies shake their heads in unison as they pass. Dusty remains frozen for a moment before walking into the Agricultural Center.

INT. AGRICULTURAL CENTER - MORNING

Dusty swings open the tinted glass doors. On the inside the Center looks like a great Roman arena with empty seating and a dirt center. In the center there are a bunch bright colored tunnels, jumps, ramps, and slalom poles.

He sees a booth that says "Temp Jobs" in green on a white banner.

Dusty walks over to the stand. He sees an Asian woman even shorter than he his. Her back is turned towards him.

DUSTY

Hello.

Xiao turns around. She has dark hair with slices of gray, but Dusty can’t take his eyes off her snakeskin eyepatch.

She smiles a huge, welcoming smile and waddles over towards Dusty. Her peg leg clicks the concrete floor as she moves.

XIAO
Hello! You must be Mr. Dusty.

DUSTY

Yes. I’m here for--

 XIAO
 You will be running the camera, okay? 

DUSTY
The camera?
XIAO

Yes, Follow.

Xiao walks around the fold-out table beside Dusty.

She is wearing a red silk gown with a green dragon sewn into it. Dusty looks down and sees one foot in a sandal and beside that, what appears to be a broom handle.

DUSTY
You only have one foot.

Dusty blushes.

DUSTY

I’m sorry, I just--

XIAO
It’s okay, boy. It is true. I only have one leg. Let me get you a walkie-talkie.

Xiao pulls up the table cloth.
ANGLE ON: A big black gun case that says "Triad" on it. On

top of that is a walkie talkie. She grabs and hands it to Dusty.

XIAO (cont’d)
We will be on channel two, yes?

Dusty clips the walkie-talkie to his belt surveillance into his ear.

DUSTY

Okay.

XIAO

Now, follow.

Xiao leads Dusty ring side.

INT. AGRICULTURAL CENTER (RING SIDE) - MORNING

Beside the ring is a laptop on a small desk with a 12 foot pole sticking into the air. On the top of the pole is a

camera. On the chair beside the desk is controller.

Xiao leaves a footstep and a hole every hobble toward the controller. Once she reaches it, she hands it to Dusty.

XIAO
You like remote control toys?

Dusty holds the controller and tries to visually dissect it. 

DUSTY

I never had one.

Xiao puts her hand on Dusty’s shoulder to calm him.

XIAO
It’s okay, Dusty. It is easy.

She points at the controller.

XIAO

This controls--

She points at the camera on the pole.

XIAO (cont’d)

—that. Go ahead and try.

Dusty moves the sticks on the controller and the camera pans.

DUSTY

Okay.

Xiao points to the chair.

XIAO
You sit here and follow dogs with camera while they run the course.

DUSTY sits in the chair and adjusts himself.

SHANE (O.C.)
(Through the walkie-talkie)

Mic Check!

Dusty winces, then turns down his walkie-talkie. Xiao reaches for her walkie talkie inside her robe.

XIAO
Good check, Mr. Shane. You go to

camera two.

She puts the walkie-talkie back in her robe.

XIAO

Now you test.

Dusty pushes the button on the headset.

DUSTY
Mic check?

There is a moment of silence.

SHANE (O.C.)
(Through the walkie-talkie)

Good check.

Xiao nods in approval. She turns to leave, then stops and turns back to Dusty.

XIAO
You look tired. The first round lasts about a few hours. Here.

She reaches into her robe and pulls out a small vile of green liquid.

XIAO

This is number one Chinese recipe. It will give you energy. After the round ends go outside, have a cigarette and sip the energy nectar. Okay?

Xiao hands him the vile. Dusty nods and puts it in his pocket.

DUSTY

Uh, thank you.

XIAO
Good luck, little man. I’m sure you will do great, just keep your eye on camera.

DUSTY
Absolutely. Thank you, again. Oh, and do we get paid--

He looks to where Xiao was and she is gone.

DUSTY (cont’d) Okay.

INT. AGRICULTURAL CENTER - MORNING

Women wander through the course looking at the obstacles and waving their hands like they are casting spells. There are no dogs and this disappoints Dusty.

The P.A. system scratches and squeals alive.

ANNOUNCER
Border Collies make your way to the ring for Round 1.