Short screenplay for the Southern_Land's March 2019 contest.



LAST STOP

FADE IN:

EXT. DARK DESERT HIGHWAY - DUSK

A SPORTS CAR zooms along, leaving a cloud of dust behind.


INT. SPORTS CAR - MOVING - DUSK

THE DRIVER is young, handsome, wind ruffles his hair.

His eyes flicker to the horizon -- sun's going down.

He switches on his headlights.


EXT. SPANISH MISSION - DUSK

A BELL TOLLS as the sports car zooms by.


INT. SPORTS CAR - MOVING - DUSK

The Driver stifles a yawn.  Man, it's been long day.

INSERT DRIVER'S POV - the road ahead blurs.

The Driver's eyelids droop, tiredness overtakes him and 
just for a second he's driving with his eyes closed.

He starts awake!  Grips the wheel.  Man, that was crazy!

Up ahead on the road -- a shimmering light.

He frowns, not sure what it is.

The sun sinks below the horizon, transition to NIGHT.


EXT. HOTEL IN THE DESERT - NIGHT

The source of the light.  The sports car approaches, slows.


INT. SPORTS CAR - MOVING - DUSK

The Driver debates, stop or go on?


EXT. HOTEL IN THE DESERT - NIGHT

A beautiful young Mexican woman stands in the doorway, 
light framing her divine form, shining off her lustrous 
hair.  This is MERCEDES.


INT. SPORTS CAR - MOVING - DUSK

The Driver slows and pulls into the hotel parking lot.

There are other cars here, he finds an empty spot, switches 
off his headlights and engine.

Mercedes still stands in the doorway, staring at him.

The Driver just sits in his car, drinking her in.

Her full lips twist into a knowing half-smile that could 
denote amusement or cruelty.  She turns and goes inside.

The Driver opens his door and climbs out.  He locks the 
sports car and spins his keyring around his finger like a 
gunfighter spinning a six-gun.  He heads on inside.


INT. HOTEL RECEPTION - NIGHT

The Driver stops.  The place is eerily lit by candles on 
the walls, like the interior of a spooky old church.

Mercedes stands behind the reception counter.

                      THE DRIVER
          You got any rooms? 

                      MERCEDES
          I have a room for you, yes.

                      THE DRIVER
          How much does it cost?

                      MERCEDES
          Let's worry about that later.

She picks up a candelabra and leads the way to an inner 
hallway.  She looks back over her shoulder at him with 
seductive eyes.

The Driver has a "Wow, what?" moment.  He follows her.


INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Mercedes walks ahead, her candles casting light.  His gaze 
takes in her swaying hips.

                      THE DRIVER
          Nice place you got here.  Very 
          atmospheric.

He pauses as he hears WHISPERING VOICES that seem to come 
from all around.  Suddenly they stop, leaving him puzzled.

Mercedes stands waiting at a door up ahead.  She watches 
him curiously.  He hurries to join her.

                      THE DRIVER
          Sorry, I thought I heard something.

She opens the door wide, revealing a bedroom.


INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Four-poster bed, antique furniture, mirrors on the ceiling.  
Mercedes puts the candelabra down.

                      THE DRIVER
          Hey, this is nice.  I'm not sure I 
          can afford it, though.

                      MERCEDES
          This is my room.  I thought you 
          might want to sleep here.

                      THE DRIVER
          Where are you going to sleep?

                      MERCEDES
          With you.

                      THE DRIVER
          Huh.

                      MERCEDES
          Does this surprise you?

He turns and closes the door.

                      THE DRIVER
          I just wanted to be sure.

She removes her dress, not taking her eyes off him.

He can't take his eyes off her either, he's hypotized.

She is naked and she is beautiful and she comes into his 
arms.  She reaches up and gently touches his cheek.

                      MERCEDES
          Such a lovely face.

She kisses him passionately.  He returns the favor.


INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

LATER.

They lie together in bed, asleep.

The Driver wakes up.  He stares at his own reflection in 
the ceiling mirror.  He frowns and looks at the window, as 
if he's heard something.

He slips out of the bed without waking Mercedes and moves 
to the shuttered window.  He cautiously opens one of the 
shutters, just an inch.


EXT. HOTEL COURTYARD - NIGHT

A dozen MEN AND WOMEN wearing hooded robes dance in a slowly 
moving circle, waving their arms around while they gaze up 
at the stars, as if they're all high as kites.


INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

The Driver has no goddamn idea what's going on.

He JUMPS as he realizes Mercedes is standing beside him.

                      THE DRIVER
          Jesus.

Mercedes closes the shutter.

                      THE DRIVER
          What are they doing?

                      MERCEDES
          I am not certain.  I think perhaps 
          some dance to remember.  And some 
          dance to forget.  There is no need 
          to concern yourself.

She melts against him and pulls him down to kiss him.

                      MERCEDES
          Let's go back to bed.

                      THE DRIVER
          I could do with a drink, how 'bout 
          you?

                      MERCEDES
          I'm okay.

                      THE DRIVER
          They do room service?

                      MERCEDES
          Yes, the night captain is always 
          available.

The Driver slips out of her embrace, picks up the phone 
receiver and dials.  Distant RINGING... then a TINNY VOICE 
speaks, but we can't make out the words.

                      THE DRIVER (INTO PHONE)
          Hey, how about sending a bottle of 
          Jack and the biggest plate of 
          chicken wings you got along to...?

He looks at Mercedes, she's sitting on the bed, pretty as 
a picture, thinks nothing of being naked.

                      MERCEDES
          Room Thirteen.

                      THE DRIVER (INTO PHONE)
          Send them to Room Thirteen.

The TINNY VOICE speaks... The Driver listens, frowns...

                      THE DRIVER (INTO PHONE)
          What d'you mean, you haven't had 
          that since...?

The TINNY VOICE says something else.

                      THE DRIVER
          No, I don't want goddamn pink 
          champagne, with or without ice.

The Driver hangs up and looks at Mercedes.

                      THE DRIVER
          I don't want to complain after you 
          took me to bed and all, but your 
          room service sucks.

                      MERCEDES
          I am sorry.

                      THE DRIVER
          Hey, it's not your fault.

He cocks his head as if he's heard something.

And now we hear it too, those WHISPERING VOICES again.

The Driver goes to the window and opens the shutter again.


EXT. HOTEL COURTYARD - NIGHT

This time the courtyard is empty, everyone's gone.


INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

The Driver turns from the window.  He still hears those 
WHISPERING VOICES.  Puzzling as heck.

                      THE DRIVER
          You hearing that, too?

Mercedes shrugs a shoulder, non-commital.

The Driver strides to the door, opens it.


INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

The Driver sticks his head out into the corridor.  He looks 
left and right.  Sees nothing out here.


INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

The Driver finds his shirt and pants and puts them on.  He 
slips into his shoes.

                      MERCEDES
          Please stay with me.

                      THE DRIVER
          I'll be back in a tick.  Keep it 
          warm.

He exits.


INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

WHISPERING VOICES come from everywhere.

The Driver strides along the corridor, seeking the source.

He passes a set of double doors.  He stops, backtracks.  
He puts an ear to the wood and listens.

He hears a HUBBUB OF ANGRY VOICES AND SCREAMS, as if there's 
some kind of fight going on in there.

He throws both doors open.


INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT

The hooded men and women he saw in the courtyard are all 
in here, surrounding a big table, chairs have been thrown 
aside so they can get to--

A wriggling monster whose thrashing tentacles keep the 
hooded people at bay, while they try to slash at it with 
knives.  It has a dozen huge eyeballs, on stalks.

A tentacle bats a man across the room, he thumps into the 
wall and slides down.

A woman screams as she's grabbed and lifted off her feet, 
another tentacle wraps itself around her neck and pulls 
her head clean off.

Knives cut into the creature's pulsing body, causing it to 
leak bright green blood.

A man jumps up onto the table and cuts off one of the big 
eyeballs.  A tentacle skewers him through the chest, 
emerging from his back in an explosion of blood.

A woman being held by tentacles shouts to The Driver, 
frantically indicating a silver bowl at the end of the 
table that's filled with a bubbling, steaming liquid.

                      FRANTIC WOMAN
          Get the binding fluid!  Get the 
          binding fluid!

The Driver backs out of the room, pulling the twin doors 
shut behind him.  Sounds of the struggle continue inside.

He hurries back to the bedroom, throws the door open.


INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

The Driver looks in -- but Mercedes isn't here.


INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

He hurries back along the corridor.

The WHISPERING VOICES get louder and louder.

He claps his hands over his ears, wanting them to stop!


INT. HOTEL RECEPTION - NIGHT

The Driver hurries in from the corridor.  He stops when he 
sees the NIGHT CAPTAIN behind the counter, a mustached man 
wearing a uniform with gold braid.

                      NIGHT CAPTAIN
          Are you checking out, sir?

                      THE DRIVER
          You bet.  Goodnight!

The Driver heads for the front door, he grasps the handle, 
turns it, tries to open the door.  It won't budge.

                      THE DRIVER
          What gives?  Unlock it.

The Night Captain looks sad.  He shakes his head.

The Driver gapes as the hooded men and women flood out of 
the corridor and spread out around him.

One of them throws back her hood -- it's Mercedes.

                      NIGHT CAPTAIN
          Did you take his seed, daughter?

                      MERCEDES
          It flows within me.

                      NIGHT CAPTAIN
          Then let his blood appease the old 
          one's hunger.

                      HOODED MEN AND WOMEN
          Appease the old one's hunger.

The Driver looks from Mercedes to the Night Captain to the 
hooded lunatics, trying to follow what they're saying. 

                      NIGHT CAPTAIN
          Take him!

The Driver pulls out his keyring and spins it around as if 
it's a ninja weapon.

                      THE DRIVER
          Come and get it, freaks!

They dive on him and overwhelm him and bundle him away.

                      THE DRIVER (O.S.)
          No!  NO!

The crowd vanishes, taking The Driver with them.  Only 
Mercedes remains.

Regret shows in her expression.  She wipes a tear from her 
eye.  Then she turns and follows the crowd.

The Night Captain looks directly into camera.  And in the 
most sinister voice ever heard, says:

                      NIGHT CAPTAIN
          You can check out any time you 
          like.  But you can never leave.

FADE OUT
                                                        Mar 2019