Once More With Feeling

Happy Hump Day, crime humpsters. Are you looking for some cheap, sleazy, hardboiled thrills? Then you've come to the right place, kids ... where's there's no cover, no minimum, and no safety net ... at That Killing Feeling.

Onto today's joint from BLOOD GETS IN YOUR EYES, where things are getting desperate ...

The cops are now following the killer's trail, and are knocking down hotel room doors looking for boozy screenwriter Holly Land, hooker Alona Tal and drug dealer Beggar Leck, who are hiding in Alona's room, along with two dead bodies ...


INT. THE HOTEL STARLIGHT - CORRIDOR - NIGHT
Danette and Bernie stand in front of Gill’s door.
Danette KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCKS.

DANETTE
(loud)
Gill Shelly, this is the police.
Open the door.
We need to talk to you.

They listen. No answer.

BERNIE
POLICE. OPEN THE DOOR, NOW.

Pause.

DANETTE
Kick it open?

BERNIE
Probably cause?

DANETTE
Got that fucking right.

Bernie steps back. Then KICKS the door.
The old, shitty wood CRACKS in half.
They CHARGE IN.

INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Beggar stands at the door. Watching through the keyhole.

BEGGAR
(loud whisper)
Jesus fucking Christ.
They just kicked down the door next to Holly’s room.

Alona and Holly are down on their hands and knees,
pushing Lief’s body under the bed.
Gill looks at Beggar. Freaking.

GILL
Shit. That’s MY room. I gotta hide.

ALONA
Go out on the fire escape.
But be careful.
Make sure no one can see you.

GILL
Yeah, okay, good idea --

Gill walks over to the side window overlooking the side alley.
Opens it. Slowly starts to climb out.

INT. GILL’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Bernie and Danette search the room.
Under the bed. In the bathroom. Nothing.

DANETTE
Goddammit.

BERNIE
Well, at least we know where he’s staying.

DANETTE
Maybe he’s in Holly’s room.

INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Beggar looks through the keyhole.

BEGGAR
Shit. Now they’re knocking on Holly’s door.
They must know something.

HOLLY
Ohmigod, this is like a bad dream.

Alona goes to the bed. Comforts Holly.

ALONA
Shhhh, it’s gonna be okay.

IN THE CORRIDOR
Bernie KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCKS on Holly’s door.

BERNIE
Ms. Land, this is the police, OPEN THE DOOR.

Silence.

DANETTE
HOLLY LAND, THIS IS THE POLICE.
OPEN THIS DOOR, RIGHT NOW.

BERNIE
(steps back)
Once more with feeling.

DANETTE
Wait a sec.

She puts her hand on the knob.
Opens the door.

DANETTE (CONT’D)
C’mon.

INT. ALONA’S SHITTY HOTEL ROOM - AT THAT MOMENT
Beggar watches through the keyhole.

BEGGAR
They went in. Shit.
(looks at Holly)
You don’t have anything incriminating in there, do you?

HOLLY
Just my laptop -- and a bottle of vodka.

ALONA
They must know something.
First Gill’s room, then Holly’s.
We gotta hide.

BEGGAR
Where? We’re trapped in this room.

HOLLY
We could get in bed -- and pretend to be asleep.

ALONA
Wait, no -- I’ve got a better idea.
What if I meet them head-on?
Divert suspicion.

BEGGAR
But it’s four in the morning.
Where would you say you’re going?

ALONA
I heard the commotion,
and I wanted to know what was going on.
I mean, it would be weird if I WASN’T curious, right?

BEGGAR
Yeah, yeah. Great. Go for it.

PUSH IN ON Alona’s face.
Gathering her courage.

ALONA
Here goes nothing --