Lost In The Supermarket

Happy Thursday, crime slicksters. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where the girls are hot, the drinks are cold, and the hardboiled-pulp-noir action is non-stop, right here, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 19 of SPIRAL, now that their drug and booze-filled binges start lasting all night into the morning, Savannah, Dex and Andy have to venture out into the real world to stock up on 'supplies' ...

INT. SHANNON'S BATHROOM - NIGHT
Shannon, Andy and Dex sit on bar stools
facing the mirror. They sip drinks.

ANDY
But Cathy's cool. She's gonna try, I swear.

SHANNON
I won't get the fucking cover, I know it.
They don't want some fucking porn star.
(pause)
You can't trust anyone.
Everyone sucks. The world sucks.

ANDY
We don't need anyone else.

DEX
Yeah.

SHANNON
You guys are my world, all I have, all I need -- my family.

Shannon fires up the pipe, inhales a hit,
then closes her eyes, rushing on the drug.

ANDY
What about your family?
How come you never talk about them?

Her head JERKS at hearing the word "family."
She opens her eyes, bitter eyes BURNING in the mirror.

SHANNON
I have no family. They're dead. I killed them.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT
A faceless suburban street
somewhere deep in the Valley.
Shannon and Andy sit in Dex's Jeep
in front of a tiny, shitty bungalow.

ANDY (V.O.)
The parties started lasting longer and longer,
and sometimes we'd run out of stuff,
so we'd go on a run.
After being inside all night,
it was great to get out.

INT. DEX'S JEEP - NIGHT
Shannon leans her head back and closes her eyes.
The radio plays a vintage top forty ballad.

ANDY (V.O.)
It was so quiet, so perfect,
the streets were so dead,
it seemed like a different city.
It felt like everyone else had disappeared,
and we were the only ones left in the world.

INSIDE THE CAR - SAME

SHANNON
He always takes so long.

Andy takes her hand with mock-sincerity.

ANDY
Don't be impatient, my Little flower.
It's more time for us to be alone together.

Shannon opens her eyes and laughs.
Dex comes out of the house and gets in the car.

SHANNON
What took you so fucking long?

DEX
The guy is fucking weird. He never shuts up.

SHANNON
But you got the stuff, right?

DEX
Yeah, well, sorta. All he had was crystal.

SHANNON
You got fucking SPEED?

ANDY
Speed? I've never done speed.

DEX
Hey, look. It was either that or nothing.

SHANNON
Fucking idiot.
That stuff's for druggies, for addicts.

DEX
What was I supposed to do?
Come back with nothing?
Besides, it was cheaper.
Now we got more money for Stoli.

INT. SUPERMARKET AISLE - NIGHT
It's empty. The brightness of it seems surreal, haunted.
Obscenely peppy Muzak plays, a bit too loud.

Dex holds a cart. Andy puts a half gallon
bottle of Stoli in the shopping cart.
Dex GRABS it and unscrews the cap.

ANDY
Can't you wait 'till we get home?

DEX
Uh-uh. I'm starting to get sober.

Dex CHUGS vodka straight from the bottle.

INT. CHECKOUT / REGISTER - NIGHT
A pair of ROCKERS dig into their pockets
to pay for a twelve pack.

ROCKER NO. 1
I've got two bucks.

INT. SUPERMARKET AISLE - SAME
Shannon approaches the cart with an
armload of feminine hygiene products.

DEX
I'm not helping to pay for fucking douche.

SHANNON
Don't worry about it. I got a plan.

INT. CHECKOUT / REGISTER - SAME
The rockers GRAB the twelve pack.
One of them sees something.

ROCKER NO. 1
Hey! Isn't that that porn chick, wha's her name?

INT. SUPERMARKET EXIT - NIGHT
Dex pushes the cart at a fast clip.

SHANNON
Just look casual.

ANDY
We can't do this. We'll get caught.

INT. CHECKOUT / REGISTER - SAME
The CASHIER sees them.

CASHIER
Hey! You! Stop!

ROCKER NO. 2
It's Savannah!
(to Shannon)
Hey! SAVANNAH!

INT. SUPERMARKET EXIT - NIGHT
Shannon turns her head.

SHANNON
Shit! Run!

Dex starts RUNNING with the cart.
Andy FLIES out the door.

Shannon stops, turns around, lifts up her shirt,
FLASHES HER BREASTS and RUNS out the door
LAUGHING hysterically.

EXT. SUPERMARKET PARKING LOT - NIGHT
The three RUN into the night, LAUGHING.