Stolen Heart

Monthly Script Writing Contest (February)- Prompt: Romance/Drama

"Stolen Heart"

TEASER

FADE IN:

INT - PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - LATE AFTERNOON - JANUARY

BENJAMIN LORDE (37) psychiatrist, intelligent, muscular, dark hair, African American, glasses. Benjamin sits at a desk across from DELILAH SWANN (23), slightly overweight, dirty blond hair, timid. A clock ticks in the background as the camera pans down to Delilah, who is tapping a nervous foot and fiddling with a loose string on her sweater.

                                                 DELILAH
                             He looked at me today.

                                                 BENJAMIN
                                       (tapping a pencil against his desk)
                             Did you say anything to him?

                                                 DELILAH
                             I...I couldn't. He had friends with him.
                             But he saw me, I know it!

                                                 BENJAMIN
                                       (sighing)
                             Your goal this week was to introduce
                             yourself, Delilah. Remember?

                                                 DELILAH
                                       (whispering)
                             But...what if he laughs at me?

                                                 BENJAMIN
                                       (tosses pencil on desk and leans forward)
                             You need to stop thinking and
                             start acting.

Delilah straightens in her chair. Her lips twitch and she smiles. She claps her hands like a child and laughs.

                                                 DELILAH
                             Doctor, you're a genius!

FADE OUT

END TEASER

ACT ONE

FADE IN:

EXT - PARKING LOT - LATE AFTERNOON - FEBRUARY 12

We watch as Delilah sits in the driver's seat of her white SUV. She takes a sip of soda and looks over the top of her sunglasses as the door to an office building opens. FELIX MARTIN (26), handsome, well-dressed, confident, and flirty, walks from the building and into the parking lot. Felix's car beeps as he unlocks it with the remote on his keychain. Delilah slips out of her car and walks up behind Felix.

                                                 DELILAH
                             Hello, Felix.

Felix flinches, startled. He turns and squints at Delilah.

                                                 FELIX
                             Do I know you? You look familiar.
                                       (pause)
                                       (snaps his fingers)
                             I've seen you hanging around the
                             cafe where me and my boys hang
                             out after work. You work there,
                             right?

                                                 DELILAH
                             No.

                                                 FELIX
                                       (frowns and leans against car door)
                             Come to think of it, I've seen you outside
                             the office fairly often. And the gym.
                                       (pause)

                                                 DELILAH
                                       (grins)
                             I...I just like to be where you are.

                                                 FELIX
                                       (laughs nervously)
                             So are you stalking me or something?

                                                 DELILAH
                             Stalking? Of course not! I'm just
                             following you to every place you
                             go and watching everything you do
                             because I like you. You...you're my
                             everything!

                                                 FELIX
                             That's the very definition of
                             stalking, darlin'.

                                                 DELILAH
                             Really, Felix! It's not what you think!
                             I've just...just been trying to work up
                             the courage to ask you out.
                                       (pause)
                                       (clasps hands together)
                             So, what would you say to dinner
                             this Friday?

                                                 FELIX
                             I'm sorry, Miss, uh
                                       (pause)

                                                 DELILAH
                                       (holds out hand)
                             Delilah. Delilah Swann.

Felix ignores her hand and reaches for the handle on his car door.

                                                 FELIX
                             I'm flattered, Delilah, but I have
                             a girlfriend.

Felix opens his car door and Delilah scowls, steps closer, and slams the door shut.

                                                 DELILAH
                             I don't think you understand, Felix.
                             You're going to go on a date
                             with me. By the end of our date you'll
                             fall madly in love with me and we'll
                             spend the rest of our lives together.
                             Happily. Ever. After.

Delilah pulls a Ruger LC9s from her purse and points it at Felix.

                                                 FELIX
                             You're completely nuts!

                                                 DELILAH
                                       (shakes her head)
                             I don't think my psychiatrist would agree.
                             Now how 'bout we take my car? I have a
                             lovely spot in mind for a romantic picnic.

Delilah gestures for Felix to walk in front of her. She forces him to slide past the driver's seat and into the passenger's seat. She keeps the gun aimed at Felix as she buckles up.

                                                 DELILAH
                             Fasten your seatbelt, dear. It's going to
                             be a bumpy ride.

Delilah cranks the engine and drives out of the parking lot with Felix. The car disappears into a sea of traffic.

FADE OUT

END ACT ONE

ACT TWO

FADE IN:

INT - POLICE CHIEF'S OFFICE - MORNING - FEBRUARY 13

Police Chief DANIEL MARTIN (55), bald, heavyset, slams his fist on his desk and yells at Sergeant EMILY WRIGHT (27), red hair, trim, strong, tattoo of handcuffs circle her left wrist.

                                                 DANIEL
                             You're telling me that with all the
                             security cameras outside his office not
                             a single one caught that loon's license
                             plate?

Chief Martin throws a manila folder into the trash while Sgt. Wright stands calmly at attention.

                                                 EMILY
                             Yes, Sir. That is correct. However,
                             we have the make and model of the
                             vehicle in question and a description
                             of the woman that allegedly kidnapped
                             your son.

                                                 DANIEL
                             Allegedly? Allegedly?
                                       (points to the file in the trash)
                             It's there in black and white, Sergeant!
                             There's no "allegedly" about it!

                                                 EMILY
                             Sir, we have several units out looking
                                       (pause)

ROBERT WU (32), Mandarin Chinese, black hair, always optimistic, EMILY's partner, pops his head into the Sheriff's office.

                                                 ROBERT
                             Excuse me, sir, but we got a hit on that
                             white SUV.

                                                 DANIEL
                                       (frowns)
                             Out with it, Sergeant!

Robert steps into the office and holds out a single piece of paper. Sheriff Martin snatches it from his hand and scans the information, his lips moving silently as he reads. A grim smile spreads across his face.

                                                 DANIEL
                             Looks like our little loony bird almost
                             ran over a pedestrian on her way out
                             of Portland.

                                                 ROBERT
                             The incident was reported twenty
                             minutes ago, sir.

The Sheriff walks to a map of Oregon pinned to the wall of his office. He picks up a red marker and circles an area south of Portland. He draws several x's over key roads.

                                                 DANIEL
                             Odds are, our loon will be taking I5 outta
                             the city. I want a roadblock in these areas
                             and every side road off of I5. I want every
                             parking lot and side road searched. Units
                             are to patrol a fifty mile radius from the
                             suspect's last known location!

                                                 EMILY
                             Sir...we don't have the manpower
                                       (pause)

                                                 DANIEL
                                       (shouts)
                             Find the manpower! I want that birdie in a
                             cage before sundown!

                                                 EMILY
                             Yes, sir!

Emily and Robert hurry out of the office.

                                                 DANIEL
                                       (slams latest report on desk)
                             Nobody kidnaps my son!

FADE OUT

END ACT TWO