Hung Out to Dry (REVISED CEI Edition)

By
Logan Sowash
FADE IN:
INT. HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
DALE DONAHUE, late 20s, sits on a chair in the area between
the kitchen and living room. His head is resting on a noose
with a pink pillowcase covering his face. His feet rest on
the wooden dining table below him, keeping his body stable
as he silently sits.
TERRY MCDONALD, 28, is pacing back and forth in front of the
man. Terry runs his fingers through his blond hair, spouting
off philosophical nonsense as he reads from his pocket
notebook.
TERRY
(looking at the notebook)
Redemption is what all sinners
truly strive for. We want to be
free of our guilt in order to
finally feel like we can live for
the future. Our sins hold us down
and we know that...

As Terry turns the page to continue rambling, MICKEY

BASTION, 23, is sitting behind Terry on the island in the
middle of the

KITCHEN
eating pieces of apple from a baggie. As hes eating, hes
fiddling with his phone with his free hand, motioning his
thumb to scroll up and down the screen. He rolls his eyes at
Terry.

MICKEY
(looking at his phone)
Jesus, dude. You sure love to hear
yourself tal...

As hes speaking, he looks up from his phone and starts to

look at the chair holding the man stable from top to bottom.
He whistles in admiration while Terry turns the page again.
TERRY
(looking at the notebook)
We may not be societys first
choice for justice, but I
believe...
MICKEY
Where do you think he got that
dining room set?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.

Terry stops in his tracks, turns his body around and looks
at Mickey.
TERRY
What?

MICKEY
See how nice those chairs are? Has
to be some IKEA shit. They would
look perfect in my apartment!

Terry looks at the chair, takes a beat, and looks back at

Mickey. He pinches the skin above his nose, his black
leather gloves making a noise as they stretch around his
hand.
TERRY
Why does that matter right now?
MICKEY
Well youre taking your sweet ass
time with your monologue. I might
as well get something done while
you drone on.
Terry seems shocked by Mickeys statement. As Mickey
scratches the back of his brown-haired head, Terry turns
back to the unconscious body and sighs heavily. He shrugs.

TERRY
Alright. Lets cut the crap and get
this over with.
Mickey looks at Terry, surprised yet happy. He hops off the
island, and squeezes his right hand into a black leather
glove. He rests his body on the island.
MICKEY
Alright! Lets get him done so we
can eat.

Terry starts to walk towards the body, cutting to the end of

the speech. Dale starts to wake up as Terry walks over to
his body.
DALE
(muffled)
What the...
TERRY
Charlie Marx...

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.

Terry grabs a rope from the side and pulls, pulling Dale by
his neck from his seat and into the air. As a response, he
places his feet on the back of the chair.
TERRY (CONTD)
You are the scum of the earth.
As Terry walks closer to the chair, Mickeys phone vibrates
on the island. He picks it up and answers.
MICKEY
Yeah? Were almost done. Hold
your...
Terry stops with only a few inches between him and the
chair. He looks up at Charlie.

TERRY
Id say sorry to those wholl miss
you...
Mickey stops speaking. His eyes widen.

MICKEY
Wait. Say that again. You dont
mean...
Terry lifts his right foot and plants it on the cushion.

TERRY
But no one will.
MICKEY
TERRY, STOP!

Terry moves the chair slightly, scratching the floor a bit

before halting. He keeps his eyes towards Dale.
TERRY
(annoyed)
What, Mickey?!? Dont say my name
in front of the...
MICKEY
Thats not Charlie Marx.

Terry stays silent. He drops his foot to the ground, turns

towards Mickey, and beelines towards him. He stops as he
gets into the kitchen.
TERRY
What do you mean its not Charlie
Marx?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.

MICKEY
Tamikas on the phone. She says the
system screwed up and gave us the
wrong address.
Mickey motions to the phone in his hand. Terry takes it and
puts it on his right ear, turning away from Mickey.
TERRY
Tamika, is he...yes, hes still
alive...what do you mean...dont
tell me were...
Terry lets out an audible groan. After a beat, he sighs.

TERRY (CONTD)
Well handle it.
Terry hangs up and throws the phone back to Mickey. He
catches it with both hands and slides it into his jean
pocket. Despite the hanging man, theres a deafening silence
in the air.
MICKEY
Man, managements gone to shit
since Janice left.

TERRY
I know right? I mean Im glad shes
loving her job as a mother now,
but...man.

Both men take a beat. Mickeys eyes rise from Terrys face
to the hanging man behind him. Terry notices Mickeys eyes.
While his face is relaxed, his eyes are wide.
MICKEY
So what are we gonna do with...

Mickey turns back to the island, grabs a piece of mail, and

reads off the name.
MICKEY (CONTD)
Dale Donahue?

TERRY
Tamika said we cant get any help
with cleanup.I guess just cut him
down and hope he doesnt wake up.

Terry starts to walk towards the hanging man. However,

Mickeys expression turns from concerned to confused. His
body gets off the island.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5.

MICKEY
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just cut him
down? What if he wakes up! You
dont think hell remember us
drugging him?

TERRY
The human mind plays tricks on us
all the time. Hell probably make
up some rational lie to help him
cope with the gap in his memory.

This explanation doesnt amuse Mickey. He starts to walk

faster to the hanging man than Terry, stopping him before he
gets to the hanging man. Unbeknownst to them, the hanging
mans feet start to subtly move.

MICKEY
Thats one hell of a gamble to
take. He could tell the cops about
us.
TERRY
And tell them what? Its not like
hes seen our fa...
As Terry says this, the men watch in horror as the pink
pillowcase falls to the ground. Both men stop cold, and
raise their gazes from the pillowcase to the mans face.
When they get to his face, the men lock eyes with Dales.
Surprisingly enough, the hanging man attempts a smile. Due
to the noose, however, it was noticeably uncomfortable.

DALE
Hey.
Both men break into a cold sweat. After a moment of silence,
Mickey speaks.

MICKEY
Fuck.
TERRY
Great! Now he knows our faces and
my name. You shouldve just brought
the usual bag!
Mickey turns to Terry, annoyed.
MICKEY
Excuse me? That thing smelled like
blood, spit and death! It needed to
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.

MICKEY (contd)
be washed. I wasnt going to live
with that dirty thing in my place.
I may kill people for a living but
I prefer cleanliness for our
targets.
TERRY
Its a bag! How long does it take
to wash? Also, why didnt you buy
more chloroform...

The two men start bickering back and forth with each other,
completely blocking out Dale. He tries to balance himself on
the top of the chair. Despite having enough footing, its
difficult to keep himself steady.

DALE
Hey guys...
Both men simultaneously turn towards Dale, annoyed and
frustrated with one another.

TERRY AND MICKEY

WHAT?!?!
Dale tries to take a deep breath, now nervous about his
attackers gazes. Due to the noose, the deep breath fails.

DALE
I wont tell anyone about this,
alright? We can just go our
separate ways and forget this whole
thing happened. Honestly.

Terry cocks an eyebrow in response to the hanging mans

proposition. Terry looks at Mickey and sees him analyzing
the man as well. His face is scrunched with one eyebrow
raised. In response, Terry lets out a fake chuckle and a
whistle.

TERRY
Seems like he understands our
situation. Lets just cut him down
and...

Mickey shoots a look at Terry. Instead of being relaxed, the

paranoid look now had a mixture of confusion and
frustration.
MICKEY
What the hell are you talking
about, Terry? He knows your name,
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 7.

MICKEY (contd)
our faces and body descriptions. We
cant trust him! Hed strip naked
and do a little dance for us if
that meant getting rid of us.

The man sways in the air, trying to keep his balance.

MAN
Is...that a legit proposition?

MICKEY
No, it most certainly isnt. SHUT
UP!
Mickey cant take it anymore. He sticks his hand behind his
back and pulls out a Beretta 92 FS. Terry backs off a bit
while Dale tries to keep his cool. Hes failing miserably.
DALE
WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, MAN! Please
think about this. I have a fiance,
a job and a nice house. I havent
done anything...
TERRY
Mickey, why do you have that gun?
We dont need that for this!

DALE
...wrong. I dont want to die.
PLEASE DONT DO THIS.
MICKEY
We just have to muscle through it.
Its one guy. Lets just kill him,
hide the body and pretend we were
never here.
Mickey cocks the gun. Terry rushes toward Mickey and wraps a
hand over the barrel of the gun.
TERRY
This isnt how this should go,
Mick. This is sloppy!

Mickey pulls the gun away from Terry and stands back.
MICKEY
Now he knows MY name! You shouldve
just pushed the chair.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 8.

TERRY
What?
MICKEY
If you hadnt done your usual
theatrics, he would be dead and we
could just deal with a body instead
of this!
Mickey is flailing the gun, using it as an extension of his
hand as he points to Terry and the hanging man. The gun is
noticeably shaking in Mickeys hand. Terry stays calm and
raises his hands, almost as if hes surrendering to Mickey.
TERRY
Dude, my gut tell me that hes
telling the truth. He wont talk.

MICKEY
FUCK YOUR GUT, MAN! ITS NOT GOOD
ENOUGH.
Terry is now becoming angry. Instead of calm, he talks
sternly while grabbing Mickey by the shoulder.
TERRY
Boy, Ive been doing this for over
3...

Mickey pushes Terrys hand off his shoulder and shoves him
away.
MICKEY
Youre only five years older than
me! Quit talking to me like Im
your son, asshole.
Terry and Mickey lock eyes, their anger connecting through
their gazes. Before anything escalates, Terry steps back,
takes a deep breath, and locks eyes with Mickey again.

TERRY
Mick...Ive done a lot of stupid
shit in my life. Ive been through
hell and back because of my
mistakes. Some of them warranted
while others...
Terry looks at the white tan line around his left ring
finger. He sighs and looks back up at Mickey.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 9.

TERRY (CONTD)
Look, just trust me, okay? Hes not
going to talk. Especially after
this fiasco.

Mickey looks at Dale, trying to keep his balance while being

terrified. As a result, Mickey lowers the gun completely.
Terry grabs his shoulders and gives him a smile. Mickey
shakes his head, embarrassed.
MICKEY
Terry, youre right. Jesus, how
embarrassing. I...
TERRY
Its alright, man. I understand.

The two men hug. Dale sees the lowered gun and their hug,
causing him to cry. He sniffs.
DALE
Man, this is beautiful. You cant
fake emotions like...

The chair snaps under Dale, causing his legs to flip over
the chair and the table. The noose tightens around Dale,
causing his eyes to bulge out a bit.
TERRY AND MICKEY
OH CRAP!
INT. HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - LATER
Dale wakes up with a hoarse cough. As he opens his eyes, he
sees that Terry is holding him up while Mickey is hovering
above him. Dale begins to take a deep breath, then noticing
that he can take a deep breath easily.
This causes him to get up feel around his neck, feeling only
skin. He looks right next to Mickey to see the noose laying
there. Before he can say anything, Mickey puts money in his
face.
MICKEY
An incentive to keep your mouth
shut.

Mickey meets the mans eyes.

MICKEY (CONTD)
Im...sorry about this. Please
forgive me.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 10.

The sincerity in both Mickeys voice and eyes surprises the

man. Once he catches his breathing, he pulls himself up and
sits with his legs crossed. Terry gets him some water.
DALE
You guys...said you were looking
for Charlie Marx, right?
Mickey and Terry make eye contact. Terry hands him the
water.

TERRY
Yeah...?
DALE
His house is nearby. A yellow house
with an uncut front lawn. You cant
miss it.
Mickey and Terry cannot believe what theyre hearing. Terry
grabs the mans hand and helps him to his feet.
DALE
(as hes rising)
Hes a raging asshole. I totally
understand why youd want to kill
me if you thought I was him.
Mickey begins to break out into laughter. Terry then
follows. Even Dale joins in. All three men laugh as they
start to register what just happened. After a few seconds of
laughter, Mickey is the first one to stop.
MICKEY
Before we head out, I have a quick
question.
Terry and the man stop laughing to let Mickey ask his
question. As the mans left brow raises, Mickey smiles. He
points to the broken chair.

MICKEY (CONTD)
Where in hell did you get those
nice chairs?
EXT. YELLOW HOUSE - SIDEWALK - LATER

Terry, Mickey, and Dale stop in front of the yellow house.

The uncut lawn is filled with beer cans and trash, fitting
Dales description. However, Mickey is too busy talking to
Dale to notice.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 11.

DALE
So if you keep taking the
interstate north from here for
about 40 miles, youll see the
store.

MICKEY
Hell yeah! I told you he got them
from IKEA. Im definitely getting
them once all this is said and
done.

TERRY
Im just glad you knew who Marx
was. It makes that whole mishap at
least somewhat beneficial.

MICKEY
Yeah, thank you dude! By the way,
since youre here, do you mind
being the "Charlie bait" for us?
Dales eyes widen.

DALE
Id love to! Oh, this is gonna be
so much fun...
As Dale walks up to the door, Mickey gets closer to Terry.
Terry cocks an eyebrow.
MICKEY
So you want me to kill Dale anyway,
right?

Terry shoots Mickey a stern look. Mickey laughs and pats

Terrys back.
MICKEY (CONTD)
Dont be so touchy, McDonald! Im
only kidding. Now do you want to be
the trap this time?
Terry takes a beat to survey the area.
TERRY
Nah, youre better at it. Go nuts.
 12.

EXT. YELLOW HOUSE - FRONT PORCH - CONTINUOUS

Dale knocks on the chipped yellow door. CHARLIE MARX, 35,
opens up the door. Hes wearing a dirty white tank top,
sagging jeans and a pistol noticeably at his side. He meets
Dales eyes and gives him a dismayed look.

CHARLIE
Piss off, kid! I dont want
anything you have.

MICKEY (O.S.)
Now is that how you talk to your
neighbors?
Charlie, surprised, leans out the door to find Mickey
standing at the side of the house alongside Terry. Mickey
makes eye contact, waves and proceeds to punch Charlie right
in the face.
CUT TO BLACK.