A BAR WITHOUT PITY

 The story I'm sharing today is from a collection I actually abandoned before publishing it, and I'm not entirely sure it counts as a short story as it's actually the screenplay for a very short film. I was doing a screenwriting course at the time of writing, and this was my first assignment. 

A BAR WITHOUT PITY

ACT I

SCENE 1.

An old-fashioned nightclub. A woman in a fifties-style polkadot gown with perfectly set hair and flawless make up stands onstage in front of a blue satin curtain. She sings A Town Without Pity. She is mesmerizing. She sings the final line of the song, then…

FADE TO WHITE.

SCENE 2.

Same bar, half empty. Night. Lola Bridgeman nurses a bourbon, staring into the glass. The barmaid stops wiping the counter and smiles.

BARMAID

Whatever it is you need, you won’t find it in there.

LOLA

You wanna know what I really need?

BARMAID

What?

LOLA

For you to mind your own fucking business.

BARMAID

You just strike me as a woman

who’s got something to confess.

LOLA

Like what for instance?

BARMAID

I dunno, adultery, embezzlement…murder?

LOLA (Tone changing ever so slightly)

If only.

BARMAID (Pointing)

Well, if you really want to be alone, there’s a booth right at the back.

LOLA

Thanks.

Lola gets up and walks to the back of the room. She sits down at the booth. She stares into her glass some more then looks up. Her booth is yards away from the others. She talks to her drink.

LOLA

Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut?

I knew he was fishing, I fucking knew it.

Lola looks up again. The other patrons aren’t paying her any attention.

LOLA

It should’ve been me.

She throws back the drink in three gulps, then puts down the glass again and signals a waiter.

LOLA

Double J D and Coke.

SCENE 3.

The street outside the bar. Lola comes out, has a slight stumble, recovers. She walks towards her car. People walk by with mixed reactions; amused, wary, disgusted. Lola is oblivious to all of it. She finds her car. Struggles with the keys. Manages to unlock it.

SCENE 4

Lola’s car. Interior. The stereo is blasting. Lola is angry but exhilarated.

LOLA

Mum always said, don’t get involved, don’t get hurt. Don’t give a shit, don’t get hit.

Lola runs a red light. Another car passes in front of her.

JUMP CUT TO NEXT SCENE.

SCENE 5

Intersection. Aftermath of an accident. A husband stumbles out of his car and runs around to his wife. She is laying on her side. She is heavily pregnant…was. There is a blood pool beneath her. A small boy lays further away. He is staring up at the sky. The husband falls to his knees and screams. Lola’s slashed face is pressed against her cracked windscreen. She takes a few hard gasps, then stops. Her face is pure horror.

SCENE 6

The bar. Interior. Lola wakes up face-down in the booth. She stands up, checks herself over, then sits back down. A waiter puts a drink on the table.

LOLA

I didn’t order this.

WAITER

On the house.

Lola inspects the glass inside and out, puts it back down. Music starts. Across the room a man nervously shuffles onto a stage before a royal blue curtain. He adjusts the microphone. The music stops, then starts up louder. The man sings Billy Idol’s White Wedding in crooner-style. He is astonished he can sing so well. He finishes the song and beams. There is silence. He is sweating. A jet of flame shoots down from the ceiling and sets him alight. The man stands there, screaming in agony. A trap door claims him.

CUT BACK TO THE BOOTH.

LOLA

ART!

A sign lights up with a ding-dong sound: Show In Progress. Lola shrugs. Music starts again. A woman in a prom dress is at the mike. The microphone has already been adjusted to her height. More confident (and more inebriated) than the man, she belts out My Heart Will Go On from the get-go. A scythe swoops down from the ceiling and cuts her to pieces before she reaches the chorus. The trap door claims the remains. Another singer walks on.

CUT BACK TO THE BOOTH.

Lola clicks her fingers, highly amused.

LOLA

Refill!

CUT BACK TO THE STAGE.

Music starts. A tall, thin, nervous woman jumps. A long pause, then she sings. Dream A Little Dream. She sings like Etta James. She sings the song in its entirety. She steps back from the microphone and closes her eyes.

CUT BACK TO THE BOOTH.

Lola leans forward.

CUT BACK TO THE STAGE.

The entire stage - from floor to ceiling - is flooded with white light. When it dies, the singer has disappeared.

CUT BACK TO THE BOOTH.

Lola makes a raspberry.

LOLA

BORING!

The sign lights up and dings again. Lola dismisses it with a wave.

LOLA

Yeah, yeah. NEXT!

Lola slams it back her drink. Music starts up again. A man in a suit comes over and sits with her. His long hair obscures his face. Lola looks him up and down. She mutters.

LOLA

Be my guest.

She takes a cigarette from her pocket and lights it over the lantern on the table. The man with the long hair shakes his head.

LOLA

What are you, the surgeon general?

The man shrugs. Lola takes an extra long drag and exhales just as leisurely.

LOLA

My black lungs are my own damn business.

Time lapse of Lola’s reactions to background chaos. Sounds of roaring flames, metallic scraping, and screams. Lola is having a blast.

CUT TO STAGE.

A cloud of smoke clears. All is silent but for Lola’s uproarious applause.

CUT TO BOOTH.

The sign on the wall flashes and dings incessantly. Lola finally stops ignoring it.

LOLA

Whatever.

MAN

Good show, huh?

Lola jumps.

LOLA

I’ll tell you as soon as I get my heart out of my throat.

The man smiles, offers no apology.

CAMERA PANS TO THE STAGE. A gangly young man with hair in his eyes shuffles onstage.

CUT BACK TO BOOTH.

Lola gulps. She is as white as a ghost.

CUT TO STAGE.

The young man is shaking all over. He looks ready to faint.

CUT TO BOOTH.

Lola is on her feet.

CUT TO STAGE.

The young man clears his throat. A clock ticks.

CUT TO BOOTH.

LOLA

What is this?

CUT TO STAGE.

There is no musical accompaniment. The young man has nothing prepared.

CUT TO BOOTH.

LOLA

DON’T DO THIS! YOU CAN’T!

CUT TO STAGE.

Flashing, buzzing signs all over the room. They all say the same thing: All Patrons Must Sing.

CUT TO BOOTH.

LOLA

I’ll take his place….PLEASE!

CUT TO STAGE.

The man manages a hoarse A Capella note before the trap door claims him. No flames or weaponry this time.

CUT TO BOOTH.

Lola falls back into her seat. She is in tears. The man with the long hair turns to face her.

MAN

Did you mean that?

LOLA

Did I mean what?

MAN

You said you’d take his place…did you mean it?

LOLA

(wiping her nose with the back of her hand) Yeah, I meant it.

MAN

Why?

LOLA

Because he’s…he just reminds me of someone, that’s all.

MAN

Someone you’d do anything for?

LOLA

Yeah.

The sign on the wall lights up again with a different directive: PROCEED BACKSTAGE IN FIVE MINUTES. Lola gets up. The man reaches out to her as she passes.

MAN

Sing from your soul, not your brain; they’ll know the difference.

LOLA

I’m not even sure I have a soul anymore.

MAN

I’d find out real quick if I were you.

LOLA

What is this place?

MAN

You already know that.

LOLA

What are you doing here?

The man unbuttons his shirt collar. He has a long, left to right scar. It is uncomfortably similar to a smile.

MAN

I’m a lifer here.

LOLA

(Visibly uncomfortable)

Haven’t found your song yet?

MAN

I work here.

LOLA

Good god, why?

MAN

Nobody more qualified.

Close up of Lola’s face. She’s just remembered something. Posters, album covers, and, finally, a Rolling Stone obituary. The man in the picture doesn’t look a day younger than the one sitting in front of Lola right now. The headline reads:

KILLER SMILE: VALIANT SINGER JOINS CLUB 27.

Lola blinks away the images.

LOLA

You’re Lance Valiant!

LANCE

Just Lance.

LOLA

I drove everybody mad playing your second album.

LANCE

Not as mad as I drove myself.

LOLA

How many times?

Lance pulls up his sleeves, revealing several old wounds and needle tracks in various stages of healing.

LANCE

Seventh was the charm.

LOLA

But you had everything.

LANCE

Except the one thing I wanted.

LOLA

That’s why you’re here.

Lance tips her a wink. Every sign in the place flashes and buzzes. BACKSTAGE NOW.

LANCE

You heard ‘em.

LOLA

(Looking toward the stage)

I’m scared.

LANCE

Don’t be. (Smiling) You only die once.

SCENE 7

Lola is behind the microphone. She takes a deep breath. She opens her mouth to sing. A single note plays on a piano.

CUT TO WHITE.