Story Themes:

Revenge, Ends justifying the means, Loyalty vs betrayal, Deterioration of relationships, History repeating itself,
Cycles of abuse

Wordcount Goal: 52k/70k

Rounds of Editing:
Act I Act II Act III Act IV

Dialogue/
Character Voice

Adding
Details/Descriptio
n where needed

Character Voice:
Terry: Swears, assertive
Magnus: Short, to the point
Cricket: Coughing, weird word choice
Leo: Angry
Shane: Polite, loyal
Adrian: Arrogant but soft on the inside
Harrison:
Steven: Lots of contractions, jokes, lies a lot
Jimmy: no contractions
Kate: Asks rhetorical questions

Story Blurb

When Terry Ansaldo’s Brother is killed at the hands of a short-fused gang leader, he takes
matters into his own hands. But is revenge enough for him, or does he crave something deeper?

Meanwhile, a group of goofy moving company employees dip their toes into the world of theft
and learn the consequences of their actions the hard way. Do they turn back while they can, or
do they dig themselves deeper into the rabbit hole?
Terry’s Warehouse

5:00 PM, October 11th

8: Until The Time Is Right

After Terry took his newest employees into the planning room to brief them on their
mission, the witness whom Cricket had kidnapped at the bar was still in the van. “Boss?”
Shane asked. “What do you want me to do with the witness?”

“Keep him at Magnus’ building,” Terry ordered.

“Why not here?”

Terry took a step closer. “I don’t want the new guys to know.” Shane nodded.

“How long are we keeping him there?”

“Until the time is right,” Terry said. Shane got back in the van and started it up. It had
been sitting in the cold the whole night, so it took a few minutes for it to heat up. While he
waited for the van to warm up, he pulled out his phone and dialed Magnus.

“What’s up?” Magnus asked.

“Are you at your building?” Shane asked.

“Yes. Why?”

“I want to talk.” Shane drove out to Magnus’ abandoned building with the witness in the
back. When he got there, Magnus was inside the building. Magnus heard the van pull up and
walked outside. “So,” Shane began, “Terry wants me to deal with the witness.”

Magnus tilted his head. “What witness?”

“Oh, right,” Shane remembered. “You’re kind of out of the loop. Some guys stole from
the warehouse, Cricket and I tracked them down, and Terry was impressed with their skills. So
now, Terry’s got two new employees to replace Adrian. You heard what happened with him?”

Magnus nodded. “Terry informed me.”

 “Okay. Anyway...” Shane shook his head to clear his train of thought, “during the
process, someone saw what happened, and Cricket threw them in the van too.”

“How does this concern me?” Magnus asked.

“Well, Terry wants to store the witness here, until the time is right, whatever that is
supposed to mean.”

Magnus crossed his arms and shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Look,” Shane said, “I’m just following orders.”

“Follow this order: Find. Somewhere. Else.” Magnus pointed his finger with each word.
“I don’t want someone just walking around in here.”

“He’ll be restrained. There won’t be any problems.”

Magnus rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Do what you gotta do.” Shane walked back to the
van and dragged the witness out, who was still hogtied with a bag over his head. He dragged
him into the building, and Magnus led them to a room in the back. The room was small, the
windows were some of the few that were intact, and the door had a lock from the outside. It was
almost like a prison cell. The witness still had a hangover from the night before, and when the
bag was taken off his head, his eyelids were purple, and his face was crusty. His hair was bent
in strange ways. “There is a hose outside, you be able to shower,” Magnus told him.

“I’ll drive here every few days and feed you,” Shane said.

The room would be the witness’s home for the next few months, until the time was right,
according to Terry.

“Book of Answers” Draft

One night, Adrian was out on a burglary job like any other. Shane was parked in an alleyway
surrounded by bushes out of sight of the main road. Various medals and badges were displayed
on the wall, as well as a bookshelf stocked full of battle tactics and military history books.
Adrian had made his way through the first few rooms in the house when he heard the front door
creak open. He froze. A mountain of a man stood in the doorway, blocking Adrian’s exit. It was
over for him. “What the FUCK are you doing in my house, asshole?!” The man must’ve been
seven feet tall, bald, and built like a tank – in fact, he had seen a few in person. His shirt was
tucked in tight under his camouflage pants.
“I-” Adrian couldn’t form words. His mind was going at a million miles an hour as he
considered every possible means of escape. He booked it past the man, who reached out and
grabbed his shirt on the way by and lifted Adrian up off the ground. To Adrian’s surprise, the
man didn’t hurt him, but rather, whispered something in his ear.

“The only reason I won’t rip your head off right here and now is because I don’t fancy going to
prison. But if I see you ‘round here again...” The mountain man let go and Adrian stumbled out.

Shane noticed a drastic change in Adrian’s demeanor when he got back in the van. “Take me
back to the warehouse,” Adrian said.

When they got back, Adrian wanted to speak with Terry. Terry was in his office, watching the
security footage of his employees putting boxes away when Adrian knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Terry said.

The thief sat down on the chair opposite Terry’s. “What’s going on?” Terry asked.
“Hate to break it to you like this,” Adrian panted, “but I’m out.”
Terry squinted. “Out?”
“Out of the crew. I’m done with this.” He had of course always known the risks of being
in the game, but this was the first time he had experienced a scare like this. Terry froze for a
whole five seconds.
“What?!” Terry couldn’t believe his ears. “I need you! You are the most essential part of
this operation, and you’re just gonna up and leave, poof-” Terry made an explosion gesture,
“just like that?!”
Adrian nodded. “I’m sorry. I have to.” With his former employee still in the room, Terry
picked up the phone and dialed Magnus’ number, eager to look for a replacement immediately.
The phone was about to go to voicemail when Magnus finally picked up.
“What?” Magnus grunted.
“Adrian wants out. I need another person to fill his role.”
“I’ve told you... I don’t even know how many times. I won’t do the burglary. I’ll find a
way to give you whatever tools you need, but I’m done with the dirty work.”
Terry put his hand out, though Magnus couldn’t see it. “That’s not what I meant. Check
your list of guys. Is there anyone else on there who could do the job?”
“That list...” Magnus sighed, “it isn’t just some magic book with all the answers. You
need to find someone yourself now.”
Click.
That’s exactly what Terry began to do. He ushered Adrian out and called Shane and
Cricket into the room. He explained what happened, though Shane already knew since he drove
Adrian back.
“Can’t Magnus take over?” Cricket asked.
“That was my first thought as well,” Terry replied, “but he refused to do it. You up for it,
Cricket?”
“I’m too old for it. With my luck, my knee would give out in the middle of a job, and I’d
be stuck on some stranger’s floor in the middle of the night. Shane would be a better fit.”
Cricket was bullshitting – his knee was completely fine, after all, he had no problems during the
mission in Leo’s compound.
Terry turned to Shane. “What do you think?”
Shane wasn’t too keen on it either, though he didn’t want to be the third in a row to
refuse. “Yeah, I’ll do it for now. But find someone else to do it soon.”
“I’ll work on it.” Terry said.

Steven is alcoholic

Harrison drinks occasionally

Jimmy doesn’t drink

Bar Scene – character building, last time jimmy sees steven, jimmy quits moving company

 Jimmy gets annoyed with steven for his choices and behavior
 Eventually starts arguing with steven
 Awkward drive home
 Jimmy quits moving company

Possible names for Scene: “Sober Barfight” “Party Pooper”

Jimmy’s House

7:30 PM, October 20th

40

Severed Relations

Jimmy was sitting at home, bored, when the phone rang. “Hello?” He answered.

“Hey, Jim!” A familiar voice said. “Me and Harry are going to the bar to celebrate our
new job, you wanna come?”

Jimmy perked up. “What new job?”

“Oh. You know how Harrison’s boxes were stolen and we, uh... Well, the guy who owns
the warehouse was impressed and we work for him now! The pay is great, we’ve already made
fifteen hundred dollars just on the first job!”

Jimmy squinted. What is with this guy? He tried to hide his annoyance. “Yeah, what the
heck... I’ll come.” He had nothing better to do.

“Great!” Steven said. “Who’s driving?”

“Me, I guess. Be there in five.” Jimmy hung up and got ready. Steven and Harry were
waiting at Steven’s new house and Jimmy picked them up.

“Take the next left, and then skip a road, and then hang a right,” Steven said from the back seat
of Jimmy’s car. Jimmy parked the car at the side of the parking lot and waited for his two
friends to get out and lead the way in. He had never been to this bar before – or really any bar.

When the three of them walked in, the bartender was busy wiping down the bar near the
front. Harrison, Steven, and Jimmy sat down at the bar, and the hardwood was still wet from the
sanitation wipes. “Oh, whoops,” the bartender said, “Let me dry that off for you guys.” He
grabbed a small towel from underneath the bar and wiped up the cleaning agent. The bartender
got a good look at Harrison and Steven. “Hey, you two came in here not too long ago, right?”

“...Yeah?” Harrison said. “Why?”

“When you guys left, I saw a shady looking guy leave right behind you, and then... I
don’t remember what happened... but are you guys alright?”
 “Yup,” Steven shrugged. “I don’t remember anything like that.” Harrison glanced at him
and nodded slowly.

The bartender raised an eyebrow. “Huh, weird. Anyway, what can I getchu guys?” His beard
was a little grey at the tip and tattoos covered his bulky forearms. He was more than ready in
case a barfight broke out.

“We’ll take a round of tequila,” Steven said.

“Uhm...” Jimmy croaked, “you guys have soft drinks, right?” The bartender nodded. “I’ll take a
diet coke, please.”

Steven looked at Jimmy like he had two heads. “You serious?!”

Jimmy twiddled his thumbs. “Someone needs to drive us home.”

“Smart,” the bartender gave a thumbs up to Jimmy. He handed Jimmy his diet coke and
poured the shots of tequila and passed them to the other two. “Let me know when you are ready
for another round.”

“Will do,” Harrison replied. “Thanks.”

Steven drank his shot immediately and slammed the glass down on the bar. After a half
hour or so of conversation, Harry and Steven began to feel the alcohol kicking in. Jimmy
remained sober and distanced himself a bit, only joining in the conversation enough for Steven
to not notice. “Gettin’ those boxes stolen was the best thing that ever happened to ya,” Steven
said.

“No kidding.” Harrison glanced at his wedding ring again. “Well, second best.”

Jimmy scoffed and Steven turned towards him. “W-what was that?” Steven mimicked the
sound of a scoff just to mock him.

“I just...” Jimmy began, “I don’t see how you can justify this whole thing.” He was being
purposefully vague so that no one else in the bar would pick up on anything.

“What,” Steven said, “you mean the-”

“Yes.”

“I see where you’re coming from,” Harrison admitted. “But I think the positives outweigh the
negatives. I mean, me and Kate bought a new house! That’s great, right?”

Jimmy shook his head. “It doesn’t mean you should go around... stealing shit.”
“Well, you know what?” Steven stood up and raised his voice. “Maybe it’s none of your damn
business! Me and Harry are adults, we can make our own decisions.”

“I’m just trying to-”

“Why are you always like this...? I’m just tryna have a bit of fun!”

Jimmy chuckled. “I’m just being reasonable! It was your stupid idea that got us thrown in
prison!” He grabbed his car keys and walked outside.

“Where’re you going?” Harrison asked.

“I’m done with you two.” Jimmy left the building and got in his car, leaving Harry and
Steven stranded at the bar.

Harrison looked out the door at Jimmy, and Steven put his hand on his shoulder. “We
don’t need him anyway.”

Magnus Discovers Terry

In his Jeep Cherokee, a man followed Leo’s blue sports car down the road, who was in
turn following a rusty beater truck. In his jeep was a GPS tracking device. The man’s head was
bald and shiny as a diamond, he wore a leather jacket and faded grey jeans. He kept his
distance, he was half a mile back from the car in front of him, though the ground was flat
meaning he could still see the car in the distance. It was late at night, and the two vehicles were
headed to the outskirts of the city. After a lengthy drive, the beater truck parked in the driveway
of an old lonely house and Leo’s sport’s car did the same, and Leo and his henchman exited the
vehicle. Leo had rolled up his sleeves despite the bitter cold. The man in the Cherokee didn’t let
Leo out of his sight, and he parked far enough away for them to not see him. Despite how far
away the man was, he could hear Leo’s thunderous voice give an order to his hoodlum.

“Maggot! Slash ‘em, will ya?” Leo pointed to the beat-up truck next to them. The
henchman flipped open a pocketknife and slashed the tires of the truck in the driveway. Then,
Leo raised his weapon and pointed at the window. “I don’t understand why someone would bet
when they don’t have the money. It’s just, so, so STUPID! Right, Shane?”

“Yeah... really stupid.”

BANG! A bullet pierced a hole through the kitchen window.

 “Bet that’ll lure ‘em over,” Leo said as he maneuvered his head around to look through
the blinds. Shane raised his weapon as well, and the two gang members opened fire on the
window when they saw a shadow from inside. The two of them stopped firing when they ran
out of ammunition in their clips. “Fetch us some more ammo, maggot.”

The henchman walked back to the car and opened the door. “Only one clip left.”

Leo opened his hands to catch it and his henchman tossed the clip to him. He grabbed the
door handle and sauntered through the door in front of his henchman.

After a while, the man saw Leo exit the house and drive away. At that point, he shifted
his Cherokee into drive and pulled onto the road. As he passed by the house to continue
following Leo, he glanced at the truck in the driveway. It was in terrible shape. Rust had built
up all through the wheel wells and the grey paint had begun to chip away. Grime had made its
home in the windows. The man looked down at the tires and sighe

Robbing Hood Notes

 Macarthy and Davidson do good cop bad cop

 Terry isn’t intimiadatdeaef
 Phone call
 Mac goes to couples house, asks them questasif;osfDS
 Couple don’t tell Macarthy that they were bribed because accomplices
 Davidson offers them water/donuts

Robbing Hood Draft 2

Terry and Shane sat down at the long table in the interrogation room. Davidson sat down
across from them while Macarthy paced around the dim-lit room. It was like another Leo
situation, except Shane was with Terry rather than against him, and Macarthy had the law on his
side.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Davidson asked. “Water? Maybe a donut?”

“Nah,” Shane mumbled. “We’re okay.”

 SLAM!

Macarthy’s fist met the table. “Where were you on the Fourteenth of this month?”

Terry sat up straight and gave a clean answer. “At the warehouse. That’s where you
arrested me.” Shane let his boss do the talking, he didn’t trust himself enough.

“Good.” Macarthy responded like a teacher does after their student answers a question
correctly. “Who is the man with the ear piercing? You know him?”

“He’s one of my employees.”

“One of your... employees,” Macarthy insinuated.

Davidson got a word in. “What is it that you do, anyway?”

Terry thought. “We are an organization who takes donated items and gives them away to people
who need them.”

“Well,” Davidson said, “that’s real nice.”

“If you are taking in donated items,” Macarthy said, “then why did I see one of your vans
go to a house and take something?”

“Well,” Terry corrected, “maybe donated isn’t the right word. They call us if they’d like
us to come and take their belongings they don’t need anymore.”

“That makes sense,” Davidson said.

Terry looked at Davidson. “Are you two really trying to good-cop bad-cop me?”
Davidson slouched in his chair.

Macarthy kept going. “If that’s the case, then why’s the couple I talked to so scared of the
man in the van?”

“Adrian must’ve gotten the wrong address. The couple weren’t notified that we would
come, because we weren’t meant to go to that house.”

“Adrian?” Macarthy asked.

“The guy with the piercing. That’s his name.” Terry attempted to humanize him a bit.

Macarthy had an idea. The criminals had put up a decent argument, but he had a feeling
Terry was lying. His dastardly plan would surely topple them. He squinted his eyes. “Why don’t
you give this ‘Adrian’ a call, huh?” A devilish smile rested on Macarthy’s face as he led Terry
to the phone.

Terry had an idea as well. He dialed the phone as slow as he could without being
suspicious as he thought of exactly what to say to Adrian. “Hi, Adrian.” Terry spoke slowly,
with purpose.

“Hey. What’s going on?” Adrian didn’t recognize the number.

“Remember when you went to the house and the couple saw you? I don’t want that to
happen again. Make sure you get the right address next time.” Terry was partially telling the
truth, as he was angry at Adrian for getting him into this mess. He was awfully calm though,
and Adrian could tell.

“...Oh, right... won’t happen again, boss.” Adrian would never call Terry ‘boss.’ Not
recognizing the number, combined with the fact that Terry was acting weird, Adrian put two
and two together that something was wrong. “I’ll be more careful next time. Thanks.”

Click.

Macarthy was slightly surprised by the explanation, which was simply due to Terry’s
quick thinking. He left Davidson in the room to get more information out of the criminals while
he walked out and locked the door behind him. Macarthy got in the police car and drove back to
the couple’s house to confirm or deny Terry’s shaky explanation.

“Hi officer,” the husband said. “What can we do for you?”

“We’re in the middle of the investigation, and I just need a few more questions from you
two,” Macarthy told him.

“Sure thing.” The husband turned his head and called for his wife. “Karen! The police
officer is here again.” Macarthy tapped his foot. Distant footsteps were heard, and a shadow on
the wall turned into the wife when she walked around the corner and wrapped her arm around
her husband’s shoulder.

“Did the man who came to your house say anything about a charity organization?”
“Wha-” the wife stuttered, “uhm, no, not that I remember.” The husband shook his head.
He asked them a couple more questions about the night of August ninth, and then he
headed back to the station. Macarthy sensed something wasn’t adding up. As he re-entered the
room, he found Davidson still seated across from the suspects. “Alright,” Macarthy cracked his
neck and leaned down on the table to Terry and Shane, “I just spoke to the couple again. They
claim that the man who came to their house didn’t mention anything about a charity
organization.”
 Terry maintained his composure, which is something he had become exceptionally good
at – nothing fazed him anymore after what happened to Carl. “Well, maybe they misunderstood.
People can be nervous when talking to the police. Or maybe Adrian didn’t mention it because
he was too spooked when he found out he was in the wrong house.”
Davidson wasn’t convinced. “Listen, we’ve got conflicting stories here, we need the
truth. What’s really going on with this organization of yours?”
“Look.” Terry sighed. “All we’re trying to do is help people. Sometimes, mistakes
happen. Adrian messed up, no-one's denying that. We’ve done this for years without any
issues.” Most of what he said was true, which helped him sell the lie. “We are not criminals.”
Davidson spoke to Macarthy. “Let’s step outside.” The two officers exited, leaving Terry
and Shane in the silence of the bland interrogation room. “I say we give ‘em the benefit of the
doubt.”
Macarthy didn’t like that. He stood with his hands on his hips and his legs shoulder-width
apart. “I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more to this.”
“Yeah, well, innocent until proven guilty.” Macarthy flared his nose, and they walked
back into the room. “You two are free to go,” Davidson announced, much to their surprise.
As Terry and Shane stood up, Macarthy pointed his finger at them. “But, if something like this
happens again, we won’t be so lenient.” Davidson, who was standing closer to the door,
unlocked it and gestured for the two of them to leave. Terry and Shane called a cab to pick them
up and they were dropped off near the warehouse.

SUCKY FIRST DRAFT

Terry and Shane sat down at the table in the interrogation room. Macarthy paced around
the dim-lit room while he spoke.
SLAM!
Macarthy’s fist met the table. “Where were you on September fourteenth?”
Terry sat up straight and gave a clean answer. “At the warehouse. That’s where you
arrested me.” Shane let his boss do the talking.
“Good.” Macarthy responded like a teacher does after a student answers a question
correctly. “Who is the man with the ear piercing? You know him?”
“He’s one of my employees.”
“One of your... employees,” He insinuated. “What is it that you do, anyway?”
Terry thought quickly. “We are an organization who takes items that people don’t need
anymore and gives them away to people who need them more.”
“Then why was the couple so scared when I talked to them?”
“Adrian must’ve gotten the wrong address. The couple weren’t notified that we would
come, because we weren’t meant to go to that house.
 “Adrian?” Macarthy asked.
“The guy with the piercing. That’s his name.”
Macarthy had an idea. The criminals had put up a decent argument, but he had a feeling
Terry was lying. His dastardly plan would surely topple them. He squinted his eyes. “Why don’t
you give this ‘Adrian’ a call, huh?” A devilish smile rested on Macarthy’s face as he led Terry
to the phone.
Terry had an idea as well. He dialed the phone as slow as he could without being
suspicious as he thought of exactly what to say. “Hey, Adrian.” Terry over-annunciated every
syllable.
“Hey. What’s going on?”
“Remember when you went to the house and the couple saw you? That was the wrong
place, they didn’t want their stuff donated.” He was awfully calm, and Adrian could tell.
“...Oh, right.” When Adrian answered the phone, he saw that the phone Terry was calling
from showed no caller ID. From there, combined with the fact that he was acting weird, Adrian
put two and two together. “I’ll be more careful about getting the right house next time, thanks.”
Click.
Macarthy was slightly surprised by the explanation, which was simply quick thinking. He
left the room and locked the door behind him. Macarthy got in his police car and drove back to
the couple’s house to confirm or deny what Terry said.
“Hi, officer,” the husband said. “What can we do for you?”
“We’re in the middle of the investigation, and I just need a few more questions from you
two,” Macarthy told them.
“Sure thing.” The husband turned his head and raised his voice. “Karen! The police
officer is here again!” Macarthy tapped his foot. Distant footsteps were heard, and a shadow on
the wall turned into the wife when she walked around the corner and wrapped her arm around
her husband’s shoulder.
“Did the man who came to your house say anything about a charity organization?”
“Wha-” the wife stuttered, “uhm, no, not that I remember.” The husband shook his head.
Macarthy jotted down a line in his notes.

Treachery

Terry sat down in his office and called his employees for a meeting after he got back to the
warehouse. Cricket, Shane, and Adrian all showed up and took their seats.

“What’s going on, Terry?” Cricket asked. “Where were you all night?”
Terry explained what happened to him and Shane, and Adrian already had an idea because of
the phone call. “Here’s our new policy, something that we should’ve talked about years ago.”
He paused to gather their attention. “If anyone ever asks, we are a charity organization who
people call if they want their stuff donated to someone who needs it more.” It was a good thing
Magnus wasn’t there, for he would probably have something to nitpick about the idea.

“You want me to set up a phone number so it’s more believable?” Cricket asked him.

“Later,” Terry slapped the air. “Right now, I want you three to track down that couple. I want
them in here by the morning.”

Shane spoke up. “I’m exhausted from the interrogation, how about I sit this one out.”

“Fine with me,” Adrian said. “I only need a driver and I can do the rest myself.”

Terry agreed. “As long as they’re in here tonight, do what you have to do.”

With that, Cricket and Adrian headed out to the house later that night. Cricket sat in the driver’s
seat with Adrian in shotgun, and they had a heart-to-heart while they waited for the perfect
moment to strike. “You know,” Adrian began, “I don’t think we should tell Magnus about this.”

“Why’s that?” Cricket asked.

“I don’t think he’d appreciate two innocent people being killed. Especially since it was my
mistake that caused this.”

“It wasn’t all you. Shane fucked up by not realizing that the owners were still in there when he
scouted out the place. You’re right, it’d probably be easier to slide this one under the rug with
him, but it’s Terry’s call.”

“I guess you’re right,” Adrian nodded, and then paused for a few seconds before speaking
again. “Another thing... I... uhm, I put up a tough front, but this job really does get to ya,
doesn’t it?”

Cricket chuckled. “You get used to it. I mean, look at Terry. His brother was shot by my
former boss and after that, nothing fazes him anymore. I wonder what he was like before.”

Adrian sat in silence, and they continued watching for the couple to step outside.
Eventually, one of them did. “There’s the husband!” They both sat up and watched like a hawk.
The husband was walking down the driveway and he turned around the corner of a tall hedge to
the mailbox on the sidewalk. That’s when Adrian snuck up behind him and pulled a bag over
his head. The man fought back and hit his elbow on the mailbox, but Adrian got him in the van
and tied him up with Cricket’s help.

The man’s wife, with the knowledge that it shouldn’t take more than two minutes to
check the mail, figured that something was wrong. She stepped out the door and began to call
his name. “Brian?” She started to walk down the driveway. “Brian?!” She called louder. She
made it down to the mailbox, left open and dented from the scuffle, and looked at it. Before she
could register what had happened, the same was happening to her. She was hogtied like her
husband and thrown into the van, and Cricket drove off. The couple screamed the whole way to
the warehouse.

“Call Terry,” Cricket told Adrian.

“Why?”

“Tell him we need space to park inside.”

“What’s wrong with the parking lot?”

“Nothing, if those two would shut up. We don’t want anyone to hear.” Seeing as the
couple was still screaming like their arms were chopped off, Adrian took out his phone and
called his boss. Back at the warehouse, Terry made room just inside the garage door for the van
to park and opened the door when the outside security camera showed the van pull up. Cricket
parked the van on the warehouse floor and he and Adrian grabbed the sleepwalker couple.

“In my office,” Terry ordered. “Actually, scratch that, leave ‘em on the floor for now.”
Cricket and Adrian looked at each other. “Cricket,” Terry said, and Cricket looked at him in
intrigue, “Get the forklift.”

Cricket, unsure of his boss’s plan, found the forklift and drove it over to where the van
was parked, and the couple was lying on the ground. While he did that, Terry gave an order to
Adrian. “Get me two empty boxes.”

“How big?” Adrian asked.

“Human sized.” Upon hearing this, the couple started to scream even louder.

“Shut up,” Terry ordered, and they did. Then, he took the bags off their heads. “So, you
two are the ones who ratted, huh?” He shook his head in disappointment. “Even with three
grand, you still choose to go to the police? Why? You can’t have your cake and eat it too; you
should know that.” Terry looked up from the couple and toward Cricket. “What are their
names?”

“The man’s name is Brian,” Cricket said. “Not sure about the woman.”

“Brian, huh?” Terry ripped the gag off him. “What’s your wife’s name?”

The man trembled, “K-Karen.”

Terry scoffed. “Of course it’s Karen.” He looked at the wife. “I bet you want to speak to
my manager right about now. Well, I am the manager of this crew.” He shook his head. “Sorry,
I’m having too much fun here. Loyalty is hard to come by in this business, everyone is fueled
by money, but even that didn’t work this time. You two would’ve been fine if only you took the
money and ran with it. We never would have come back. So,” Terry glanced between the two
witnesses, their knees sore from kneeling on the ice-cold concrete floor, “Learned your lesson?”

The husband and wife nodded up and down vigorously. “Mhm!” They mumbled under
their gags.

He pulled out his revolver. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter anyway.”

BANG! BANG!

Cricket and Shane whipped their heads toward Terry. “Clean that up, will ya?” Terry
said. Shane stood still. He obviously knew of his former boss’s demise, but seeing something
like that in person would always send a shock through him. Not Terry, though. Cricket sighed,
and then got to work wiping up the blood on the floor after the lifeless husks fell. “Put them in
their boxes, find a spot on a high shelf, and them fork ‘em up.” Terry walked to his office to
relax as he watched his employees slave away on the security cameras.

September 23rd

After the witnesses were cleaned up and stored in boxes, Terry met up with Cricket and Adrian,
and Shane was also back at the warehouse. “So,” Adrian began, “Me and Cricket were talking...
we both think Magnus shouldn’t know.”

“Why’s that?” Terry asked.

“I know him well enough to know he wouldn’t approve of what happened yesterday,”
Cricket said.
Terry narrowed his eyes. “He was a hitman, was he not?”
“Yes,” Cricket admitted, “but he’s not a barbarian. No offence. But he only killed people
whom he deemed unworthy of life. He tried to kill Leo; I think that’s how he found out about
you.”
Terry took a step back. “How’d you know that?”
“He told me one time.”
Terry thought for a moment. “Maybe you’re right. Don’t tell him about it.”

Chow Hall Draft 2

After an eternal, bumpy bus ride, Harrison and company arrived in their new home. They got
off the bus one by one and were dragged into the building by the guards. The prison guards then
took everyone into the intake room and told them to line up on the wall. “For the safety and
security of this facility, we will be conducting a strip search.”

Oh, great, Harrison thought. The three friends and everyone else were instructed to take their
shirt, pants, and undergarments off. It was the most vulnerable any of them had felt in a long
time, and the humiliation took them straight back to their high school locker room.

When that was finished, the guards brought them to their cells. Steven and Jimmy lucked
out in the random selection process, and they were brought to the same cell. Harrison, however,
was not so lucky. The guards placed him in a small, dark cell that smelt of urine. The cell had a
barred window high up on the wall and a bunk bed on the side. In the corner was a pathetic little
toilet, with the only privacy being a shoulder-height divider.

Harrison’s cellmate was a tall, tattooed man with a scar on his nose. “What’re you in
for?” he rumbled.

Harrison looked at him with a tinge of worry. “Well, it’s kind of stupid actually.”

“C’mon, let me hear it.”

He sighed. “Me and a couple friends bribed a cop with donuts. We also worked for a
moving company and stole some things from their boxes. Then, get this;” Harrison smiled, “the
same cop who we bribed, came back and arrested us for theft.”

The man let out a chuckle. “So we’re both thieves. Back in the day, me and some buddies
robbed a few houses before we were caught. Nothin’ super big.” Harrison let out a sigh of relief
and loosened his shoulders. It was a good thing his cellmate wasn’t a murderer or worse,
especially considering his large stature. “By the way, the name’s Lawrence.” He stuck his
massive hand out and Harrison shook it.

Harrison and his new cellie chatted for a while and got to know each other. “...yeah,”
Harrison continued, “my friends can be pretty funny. Steven, he’s the guy who got us into this,
he’s really into birdwatching for some reason. He claims he has a good reason for it, but he’s
never told me what it is.”

Just then, a guard walked up to the bars and told them it was time for Chow Hall. He
unlocked the door of the cell, along with all the others, and ordered everyone to line up. Once
everyone was lined up, they marched to the dining area single file.

Chow Hall was a large room, as one would expect. The tables that inmates would sit at
were the kind of fold up tables usually found at schools, with rough surfaces and jagged
corners, and a hole in the middle meant for an umbrella. The walls were a pale yellow, but the
paint was chipped off in a lot of places, from natural wear and tear, as well as from when the
inmates would pick at the paint in boredom.
 The cellmates looked around for Steven and Jimmy, and Harrison told Lawrence what
they looked like. “Steven’s an Asian guy about yea tall and Jimmy’s a skinny while guy with a
bit of stubble.” It didn’t help that everyone looked the exact same in their orange jumpsuits.
After a minute, Harrison spotted his two friends sitting together, with a few empty seats next to
them.

“Hey Harry!” Steven saw him approach. “How’s prison treatin’ ya?”

“Could be worse, I suppose. Cellmate’s not out to shank me yet, so there’s that.” Facing
Steven, he tilted his head in Lawrence’s direction, “Lawrence, Steven. Steven, Lawrence. And
that’s Jimmy.” Jimmy offered a wave. The four of them got in line for their crappy prison slop
and sat back down at the long table to choke it down. The gang got to know Lawrence a bit
more.

“What do you normally do for entertainment around here?” Jimmy asked him.

Lawrence shrugged. “Me? Usually, I’m out playing hoops on the court if it’s nice
outside. If it’s not, sometimes I play chess.”

“Ah, he’s a brainiac,” Steven said.

Lawrence gestured to all three of them. “Have you guys thought about what you’ll do for
work in this place?”

“What’s offered?” Harrison asked.

“Tons,” Lawrence said. “You can work in the woodshop, the kitchen, cleaning, dog
training, I could go on and on.”

“Is birdwatching an option?”

Lawrence looked at Steven with a deadpan look in his eye. “No, but you can pick
cigarettes up off the ground in the yard!”

Steven laughed. “I like this guy,” he pointed to Lawrence.

Harrison sat up in his chair. “Working in the kitchen sounds nice.”

Jimmy swallowed another bite of his slop. “You might be able to make us some real food
then.” The next day, Harrison asked one of the guards if he could sign up for kitchen duty, and
he began his culinary journey.

Jury
 “Okay, folks,” Mark, one of the jurors, said. “Who would like to share their thoughts
first?” He gestured to the eleven other jurors in the room.
“I think that cop was off his friggin’ rocker,” Johnny said. “He accepted a bribe? For
donuts?”
“We should be discussing the defendants, not the police officer, but thank you for your
input.” Mark stood up and walked to the whiteboard. “So, do we all agree that the bribe really
did happen?” A few yeses and yups were uttered. Mark jotted something down on the
whiteboard.
“What about the lady?” Christina asked. “The defense made a good point; it was kind of weird that the
defendants would take her to the storage unit willingly.”
“Yeah, well that doesn’t change the fact that the stuff was stolen,” Isaac said. “The footage lays it out
pretty clearly.”
“That is true,” Mark agreed. “So, theft and bribery we got so far.” He stood at the whiteboard with his
fingers laced, used to presenting in a classroom, and his thick-framed glasses helped sell the teacher aesthetic.
“As for the reckless driving, we only have the police officer’s word.”
“Which I’m not inclined to believe,” Johnny stated.
“I don’t see a reason for a police officer to lie about something like that, even if he did take the bribe,”
Jessica chimed in. “I did see a dent on the truck in the footage, too.”
Johnny grunted. “Eh. Maybe.”
The discussion continued, Mark taking charge, and the group agreed that the defendants were guilty of
their crimes. When the jury took their seats back in the jury box, Judge Morgan had them give a final verdict.
“Your honor,” Mark announced, “we, the jury, find the defendants guilty on the charges of petty theft,
reckless driving, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
“Very well. Thank you for your service in the jury,” Judge Morgan said before dismissing them from the
court.

Construction Scene Draft #1.5

A warehouse was in the middle of construction on the waterfront just off Highway 401. It was about
two-thirds complete. The exterior walls had recently been finished, and six standard sized doors were spread out
along them. On the south wall, there was a large loading bay door. Trailers were parked in what would
eventually become the parking lot when the building was finished. The roofing had not been put in yet, and that
is what the construction crew was mainly focused on. Terry was operating a truck-mounted crane which lifted
the aluminum roof panels to the top of the building, where other workers would lay them out correctly. He
looked at the clock on the truck’s dashboard. Five P.M. He was supposed to take his break an hour ago.
Terry finished setting the current batch of panels on the roof and then exited the vehicle. A worker was
climbing down the ladder at the same time and had just reached the ground. “Hey Mason,” Terry from about
fifteen feet away, “mind covering my lunch?”
“I thought you took your lunch at four.”
“I was supposed to, but I didn’t bother. Oh well, Joe won’t care.”
“You got it, Terry.” Mason got in the truck and gripped the next batch of roof tiles off the ground and
lifted them up to the roof while Terry walked to the trailer.
George, another one of Terry’s co-workers, was inside the trailer eating a chicken drumstick. He was
still wearing his hardhat. “You know, I don’t think anything’s going to hit you on the head in here,” Terry
chuckled. “Unless that chicken’s friend comes back for revenge.” Terry opened the mini-fridge and took out his
Tupperware container of leftover spaghetti