FADE IN:
EXT. STREET – AFTERNOON
An empty street, save for a few cars. Two people enter the middle car, a bright red station wagon that discerns itself from the two flanking it on either side. One of them, an older WOMAN (43-49), speaks loudly in an unknown language.
INT. CAR – AFTERNOON
Keys are put into the ignition, starting up a song left in the player from earlier. The CHILD (9) clearly enjoys the song, bopping their head to it.
A manicured finger pressed on the “EJECT” button abruptly STOPS it. They meet eyes in the rearview mirror, theirs indifferent, hers irritated.
He turns to look out the window, bored, which only infuriates her more.
MOTHER (in Chinese)
[Do you understand what you’ve done? I have spent months preparing this for you only for you to go and throw it all away the moment you stepped into the office. Do you understand how much I have sacrificed for you to live the life that you can in this country? Do you? Sometimes I don’t understand you, you’re always goofing off and being immature. You’re not going to be a child for long, you have duties to attend to. I should have sent you to military school like Aunt Daisy did with Ming…
Her voice tunes out as she watches outside her window, not at all listening to her complaints. They’re used to this routine.
Their mother sees them ignoring her words and clicks her tongue, having given up on ranting.
MOTHER (in Chinese)
If only I had a different child…
That gets their attention. They look up accusatorily. She doesn’t meet their eyes.
Whatever. It won’t bother them. They look back out the window, features smoothed down.
Something outside catches their attention.
EXT. STREET – AFTERNOON
The car pulls out of the parking space and drives down. The kid enjoys the ride in silence. His mother, somewhat calmed down, continues to drive.
EXT. PARKING LOT – AFTERNOON
The lot is empty save for a few cars. The bright red Volkswagen pulls in.
INT. CAR – AFTERNOON
The mother stops the car. She turns around, hesitating.
MOTHER (in Chinese)
Be good. Don’t open the door for any strangers, don’t leave the car. I’ll be back in a short minute.
She leaves the car. He turns and watches her walk towards the massive GROCERY STORE in the distance.
INT. CAR – AFTERNOON
Some time has passed. The kid is bored. He entertains himself by huffing on the glass and drawing.
He looks out the window back at the grocery store. He gets an idea. He pops the door open and in a mannerism similar to a cat, slides out.
Slowly, he makes his way to the grocery store.
EXT. GROCERY STORE – AFTERNOON
The image of the grocery store expands as he gets closer. JOE’s, it reads in dying lights. It’s generic and you can find it anywhere.
Faint 80s music plays in the background, but listening closely it’s discordant and eerie. It looks cold. It FEELS cold.
He walks around the store. He doesn’t notice how things don’t seem right.
He stops by a fish tank. Fish swim in it because of course – it’s a fish tank.
A red one, bright and similar to the VOLKSWAGEN swims. He’s entranced.
Behind the counter a butcher smiles at him.
BUTCHER
Hey there.
He blinks. He does not respond.
BUTCHER
Do you want to see a magic trick?
He still doesn’t respond. The butcher grins. It’s hideous.
BUTCHER
It’s gonna be great, I promise.
For some reason he doesn’t sound convincing.
The butcher swivels his knife in his hand a-la assassin style. He selects the red fish from the tank. The fish makes eye contact with the child as it flails in his grasp.
He lays it down on the cutting board and with a loud THWACK!
The kid jumps.
The fish is now in two, in a very very gory way that’s not very good and I do not wish to explain because I have no guts or coconuts. Yeah.
He looks back up at the butcher, eyes wide, who simply continues to clean off and package the fish for someone else. As that is what fish cutters do, I guess.
BUTCHER
So…? What do you think?
He doesn’t think. He runs.
INT. SUPERMARKET – AFTERNOON
The supermarket is a blur as he runs as fast as he can. His huffs are AMPLIFIED and the discordant music gets LOUDER and LOUDER. It’s like the middle of a panic attack.
He bumps into an employee. A way way too smiley employee. They smile at him.
HAPPY HELPFUL EMPLOYEE®
Is there anything I can do for you?
The smile is unnerving. He watches in horror as the employee repeats the question, their face melting off perfectly normally and it’s CONCERNING.
The kid looks around. The other shoppers’ bodies are disintegrating as well.
He backs away before running off again. Good grief, this grocery store is not normal.
The camera lingers on the perfectly fine employee and other shoppers watching the child run away. Suddenly the cheery atmosphere is back.
INT. SUPERMARKET – AFTERNOON
The kid is running. He DOES NOT KNOW where he’s going. He’s just…running. Vroom vroom.
All around him, the walls swerve and move. Are they…closing in?
He screams and dives for cover just as the aisles crash in on him. What’s happening?
He doesn’t know.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Or maybe not.
Hallways pass by as he continues to run through them. A soda bottle rolls and he trips, going flying into a display. He rubs his head, in pain.
KID
…
Something else catches his attention.
A large TV hangs OVERHEAD, the model old even for the 1980s.
The screen flickers. It’s a COMMERCIAL FOR LUNCH MEAT.
COMMERCIAL LADY®
The Can E. Ball cut is our best meat cut since winter 1846! Buy 1 get ⅓ free of a cut only at participating stores near you.
The commercial begins to DISTORT.
COMMERCIAL LADY®
Made of 69% hu *growing more static-y* and 42% internal organs-
The lights flicker. It’s intimidating.
COMMERCIAL LADY®
You might be our next lucky slaugh-customer!
She turns her head and SMILES at him. He books it.
He doesn’t know where he’s going.
Help.
Help
Hel
He
H
.
..
…things are happening all around him.
- Some of the shoppers disappear and reappear as skeletons.
- Some of them become dolls, marionette-like.
- The cooler’s drinks all pour out in sync. The liquids are BLOOD RED.
- An uncomfortable loneliness creeps in.
SFX: Human heart beating rapidly
The lights in the aisles begin shuttering down. Looking around, there’s NO MORE HOPE FOR HIM.
He succumbs.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
INT. SUPERMARKET – AFTERNOON??
Sunlight. His eyes open. It’s the fluorescent light.
Someone hovers above him. It’s the HAPPY HELPFUL EMPLOYEE®, only he looks less happy and more helpful.
HAPPY HELPFUL EMPLOYEE®
Hey there…you okay?
His voice sounds like it’s underwater.
A glance around. Everything’s normal, completely normal.
HAPPY HELPFUL EMPLOYEE®
You kind of passed out there for a second…here, take my hand.
Slowly, he gets up.
KID
Mm.
TRANSLATION: Thanks.
How is everything normal?
No answers.
CUT TO:
INT. SUPERMARKET – LATE AFTERNOON – CLOSEUP ON KID’S HAND
Hand in hand, the boy is escorted out of the supermarket.
He turns back to look inside.
Nothing different, only paused. Why are they smiling?
EXT. SUPERMARKET – LATE AFTERNOON
He’s deposited outside. I mean, dropped off.
The supermarket disappears in the distance as he walks back to the car.
INT. CAR – LATE AFTERNOON
He climbs back into the car, tired after the events of the day.
Not much time passes before his mother returns to the car, now equipped with a lot of groceries.
MOTHER (in Chinese)
Oh good, you haven’t run off.
He says nothing.
MOTHER (in Chinese)
Sorry I took so long, you must’ve been heating up inside. Don’t worry I got you something for being such a good kid, okay? Here’s a juice box…
Her voice fades out as his focus shifts ELSEWHERE.
KID
Mom?
MOTHER
Yes?
KID
Did you see anything weird inside the supermarket?
MOTHER
No? (in Chinese) What, were there creepy people around??
KID
No…
MOTHER (in Chinese)
You’re just imagining things, then. Come on, take the juice box.
The car starts back up.
EXT. PARKING LOT – LATE AFTERNOON
It pulls out of the parking lot; mother and son are back on the road.
INT. CAR – LATE AFTERNOON
A calm feeling settles over the car. The kid sips his juice box, somewhat at peace.
In a moment parallel to the opening, he notices something outside.
SLOW PAN to the reflection of his MOTHER
From where his mother sits, humming along to the SAME TUNE from the opening, her reflection does the same. Only, if she was in the reflection. Panic sets in.
Their eyes meet in the rearview window. She doesn’t look human. Her eyes glint.
He screams.
CUT TO BLACK:
Bizarre Bazaar
Amia Ma
FADE IN:
EXT. STREET – AFTERNOON
An empty street, save for a few cars. Two people enter the middle car, a bright red station wagon that discerns itself from the two flanking it on either side. One of them, an older WOMAN (43-49), speaks loudly in an unknown language.
INT. CAR – AFTERNOON
Keys are put into the ignition, starting up a song left in the player from earlier. The CHILD (9) clearly enjoys the song, bopping their head to it.
A manicured finger pressed on the “EJECT” button abruptly STOPS it. They meet eyes in the rearview mirror, theirs indifferent, hers irritated.
He turns to look out the window, bored, which only infuriates her more.
MOTHER (in Chinese)
[Do you understand what you’ve done? I have spent months preparing this for you only for you to go and throw it all away the moment you stepped into the office. Do you understand how much I have sacrificed for you to live the life that you can in this country? Do you? Sometimes I don’t understand you, you’re always goofing off and being immature. You’re not going to be a child for long, you have duties to attend to. I should have sent you to military school like Aunt Daisy did with Ming…
Her voice tunes out as she watches outside her window, not at all listening to her complaints. They’re used to this routine.
Their mother sees them ignoring her words and clicks her tongue, having given up on ranting.
MOTHER (in Chinese)
If only I had a different child…
That gets their attention. They look up accusatorily. She doesn’t meet their eyes.
Whatever. It won’t bother them. They look back out the window, features smoothed down.
Something outside catches their attention.
EXT. STREET – AFTERNOON
The car pulls out of the parking space and drives down. The kid enjoys the ride in silence. His mother, somewhat calmed down, continues to drive.
EXT. PARKING LOT – AFTERNOON
The lot is empty save for a few cars. The bright red Volkswagen pulls in.
INT. CAR – AFTERNOON
The mother stops the car. She turns around, hesitating.
MOTHER (in Chinese)
Be good. Don’t open the door for any strangers, don’t leave the car. I’ll be back in a short minute.
She leaves the car. He turns and watches her walk towards the massive GROCERY STORE in the distance.
INT. CAR – AFTERNOON
Some time has passed. The kid is bored. He entertains himself by huffing on the glass and drawing.
He looks out the window back at the grocery store. He gets an idea. He pops the door open and in a mannerism similar to a cat, slides out.
Slowly, he makes his way to the grocery store.
EXT. GROCERY STORE – AFTERNOON
The image of the grocery store expands as he gets closer. JOE’s, it reads in dying lights. It’s generic and you can find it anywhere.
Faint 80s music plays in the background, but listening closely it’s discordant and eerie. It looks cold. It FEELS cold.
He walks around the store. He doesn’t notice how things don’t seem right.
He stops by a fish tank. Fish swim in it because of course – it’s a fish tank.
A red one, bright and similar to the VOLKSWAGEN swims. He’s entranced.
Behind the counter a butcher smiles at him.
BUTCHER
Hey there.
He blinks. He does not respond.
BUTCHER
Do you want to see a magic trick?
He still doesn’t respond. The butcher grins. It’s hideous.
BUTCHER
It’s gonna be great, I promise.
For some reason he doesn’t sound convincing.
The butcher swivels his knife in his hand a-la assassin style. He selects the red fish from the tank. The fish makes eye contact with the child as it flails in his grasp.
He lays it down on the cutting board and with a loud THWACK!
The kid jumps.
The fish is now in two, in a very very gory way that’s not very good and I do not wish to explain because I have no guts or coconuts. Yeah.
He looks back up at the butcher, eyes wide, who simply continues to clean off and package the fish for someone else. As that is what fish cutters do, I guess.
BUTCHER
So…? What do you think?
He doesn’t think. He runs.
INT. SUPERMARKET – AFTERNOON
The supermarket is a blur as he runs as fast as he can. His huffs are AMPLIFIED and the discordant music gets LOUDER and LOUDER. It’s like the middle of a panic attack.
He bumps into an employee. A way way too smiley employee. They smile at him.
HAPPY HELPFUL EMPLOYEE®
Is there anything I can do for you?
The smile is unnerving. He watches in horror as the employee repeats the question, their face melting off perfectly normally and it’s CONCERNING.
The kid looks around. The other shoppers’ bodies are disintegrating as well.
He backs away before running off again. Good grief, this grocery store is not normal.
The camera lingers on the perfectly fine employee and other shoppers watching the child run away. Suddenly the cheery atmosphere is back.
INT. SUPERMARKET – AFTERNOON
The kid is running. He DOES NOT KNOW where he’s going. He’s just…running. Vroom vroom.
All around him, the walls swerve and move. Are they…closing in?
He screams and dives for cover just as the aisles crash in on him. What’s happening?
He doesn’t know.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Or maybe not.
Hallways pass by as he continues to run through them. A soda bottle rolls and he trips, going flying into a display. He rubs his head, in pain.
KID
…
Something else catches his attention.
A large TV hangs OVERHEAD, the model old even for the 1980s.
The screen flickers. It’s a COMMERCIAL FOR LUNCH MEAT.
COMMERCIAL LADY®
The Can E. Ball cut is our best meat cut since winter 1846! Buy 1 get ⅓ free of a cut only at participating stores near you.
The commercial begins to DISTORT.
COMMERCIAL LADY®
Made of 69% hu *growing more static-y* and 42% internal organs-
The lights flicker. It’s intimidating.
COMMERCIAL LADY®
You might be our next lucky slaugh-customer!
She turns her head and SMILES at him. He books it.
He doesn’t know where he’s going.
Help.
Help
Hel
He
H
.
..
…things are happening all around him.
SFX: Human heart beating rapidly
The lights in the aisles begin shuttering down. Looking around, there’s NO MORE HOPE FOR HIM.
He succumbs.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
INT. SUPERMARKET – AFTERNOON??
Sunlight. His eyes open. It’s the fluorescent light.
Someone hovers above him. It’s the HAPPY HELPFUL EMPLOYEE®, only he looks less happy and more helpful.
HAPPY HELPFUL EMPLOYEE®
Hey there…you okay?
His voice sounds like it’s underwater.
A glance around. Everything’s normal, completely normal.
HAPPY HELPFUL EMPLOYEE®
You kind of passed out there for a second…here, take my hand.
Slowly, he gets up.
KID
Mm.
TRANSLATION: Thanks.
How is everything normal?
No answers.
CUT TO:
INT. SUPERMARKET – LATE AFTERNOON – CLOSEUP ON KID’S HAND
Hand in hand, the boy is escorted out of the supermarket.
He turns back to look inside.
Nothing different, only paused. Why are they smiling?
EXT. SUPERMARKET – LATE AFTERNOON
He’s deposited outside. I mean, dropped off.
The supermarket disappears in the distance as he walks back to the car.
INT. CAR – LATE AFTERNOON
He climbs back into the car, tired after the events of the day.
Not much time passes before his mother returns to the car, now equipped with a lot of groceries.
MOTHER (in Chinese)
Oh good, you haven’t run off.
He says nothing.
MOTHER (in Chinese)
Sorry I took so long, you must’ve been heating up inside. Don’t worry I got you something for being such a good kid, okay? Here’s a juice box…
Her voice fades out as his focus shifts ELSEWHERE.
KID
Mom?
MOTHER
Yes?
KID
Did you see anything weird inside the supermarket?
MOTHER
No? (in Chinese) What, were there creepy people around??
KID
No…
MOTHER (in Chinese)
You’re just imagining things, then. Come on, take the juice box.
The car starts back up.
EXT. PARKING LOT – LATE AFTERNOON
It pulls out of the parking lot; mother and son are back on the road.
INT. CAR – LATE AFTERNOON
A calm feeling settles over the car. The kid sips his juice box, somewhat at peace.
In a moment parallel to the opening, he notices something outside.
SLOW PAN to the reflection of his MOTHER
From where his mother sits, humming along to the SAME TUNE from the opening, her reflection does the same. Only, if she was in the reflection. Panic sets in.
Their eyes meet in the rearview window. She doesn’t look human. Her eyes glint.
He screams.
CUT TO BLACK:
See Also
Sunset Micro Wave – Vol 4
Nicole Lam – Frames for the Summer
Koto Garcia-Maquis – R.E.M. BROADCAST
A Comedian’s Guide to Being Funny : Uber Rides, More Pages and Playing on Words