ROACH STORY Written by Noah Dean Houston Email Address: theboringmiddle@gmail.com Phone number: 731 499 4839 FADE IN. OVER BLACK. ROSCO (V.O.) Honestly, daylight is just something I thought I'd never get. CUT TO: EXT. GENERIC LANDSCAPE - SUNRISE The sun rises over an inspecific landscape, think Windows Vista default desktop background, blanketing everything in light. ROSCO (V.O.) (CONT'D) It's too bright. Too revealing. The light begins to overexpose the camera and tinnitus rings in our ears. ROSCO (V.O.) (CONT'D) Harder to get away in. CUT TO: EXT. GENERIC CITY CORNER - DAY A visibly MALNOURISHED TEENAGER with messy hair and dark bags under their crazed eyes struggles with an ELDERLY WOMAN for her bright YELLOW PURSE. The PURSE STRAP SNAPS, and the strungout teen slinks away toward the nearest alleyway, his prize in hand. TWO POLICE OFFICERS exit the shadows of the alley, meeting the teenager and tapping their billy clubs on their palms expectedly. ROSCO (V.O.) Never was much for me. Nor any of you , I'd imagine. The CAMERA PANS UP the side of the building, leaving the poor teenager to his unseen fate. The CAMERA settles in, past several rows of fire escape, on the window of a cramped apartment. ROSCO (V.O.) (CONT'D) Still, they say there's alot you can get done during the day. Lots more to see. Lots more to find. The CAMERA slowly creeps in on the window. 2. ROSCO (V.O.) (CONT'D) But me? I've always preferred night The world's lights all cut out. It's now night. UP TEMPO JAZZ starts to play as the rising sound of bustling comes crashing in. The CAMERA picks up it's pace, moving quickly into the window of the now dark apartment. CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT - DAY - CONTINOUS ROSCO (V.O.) (CONT'D) The night's where all the action is. As the CAMERA zooms around the empty apartment, the chitter- chatter of VOICES is heard; sharp, quick remarks thrown back and forth. Question, answer, instruction, command A symphonic transmittion of exposition bouncing back and forth like a little plastic ball on an Olympic ping-pong table. The UNSEEN VOICES grow and shrink in hotspots around the apartment as the CAMERA searches for the source of them. ROSCO (V.O.) (CONT'D) But what happens to all that action... The CAMERA enters the dark kitchen, illuminated only by the flourescent stove light, and settles in on the cabinet below the SINK. The chatter is at a feverpitched hum. ROSCO (V.O.) (CONT'D) ...When the lights cut back on? The CAMERA slips between the crack of the cabinet and climbs the PIPE of the SINK where it finds one of the few things to strike fear into the heart of any man. A pulsating cluster of cockroaches. They speak to each other in quick, concise jabs. GO. MOVE. SEARCH. FIND. OUCH MY INTENNA, YOU REALLY GOT ME THERE. Periodically one of the roaches will leave the CLUSTER in exit in one direction or another. Each time the CLUSTER shrinks slightly. 3. One of the roaches, a MEDIUM-SIZED one, exits the next, however, instead of making a bee-line in a particular direction instinctively, this turns back and waits. Another roach tumbles out of the nest, a TINY FLEA-SIZED BABY ROACH not 10 days old, and slides down, landing alongside his awaiting friend The KID ROACH gathers himself and rejoins the ADULT ROACH. ADULT ROACH C'mon, slim. Up this way. They scurry together up the remaining length of the PIPE. They approach the edge where the pipe joins with the garbage disposal, a small crack where it met. The two roaches gather on either side of crack and look to one another. ADULT ROACH You sure you're ready for this, kid? I was at least 3 weeks old before I went up there. KID ROACH 3 weeks?! I'll be dead before then. I'm ready. The adult roach nods and goes through the crack, entering the pipe. The kid follows. The PIPE is dark, cold and dirty. ADULT ROACH Don't look down. The kid looks down the dark endless pit of the PIPE. ADULT ROACH And watch for drips. A drop of water 10x the size of the little roach passes his head as he looks up and disappears down the pipe. Theyu climb out of the pipe and into the large open garbage disposl. Giant metal blades surround them on the dark cascading walls. KID ROACH Whoa. The adult roach is already scaling the wall and its blades. ADULT ROACH C'mon, slim. CUT TO: (CONT'D) (CONT'D) 4. INT. KITCHEN SINK - NIGHT - CONT. The adult roach peeks up out of the drain and scans the area. ADULT ROACH All clear. Autobugs. Roll out. The kid roach rolls out of the pipe and pretends to brandish imaginary firearms. KID ROACH LAY DOWN SUPPRESSIVE FIRE! He proceeds to unload two imaginary clips. The ADULT ROACH laughs and smacks his buddy on the back of his little bug noggin. ADULT ROACH This way. They scuttle together toward the edge of the sink. KID ROACH Where'd you pick that up from? They ascend the side of the sink basin. ADULT ROACH Where else, but the big screen He points to a moderately-sized television visible in the living room as they climb onto the ledge of the sink. ADULT ROACH What about you? He gestures a small bug-handed finger gun. The kid roach stops in his track and looks down somberly. KID ROACH War. It never changes. They stand together in solemn silence for a moment. In unison: ADULT ROACH BAAAAAAAH! KID ROACH BAHAHA! They laugh and slap their little knees. ADULT ROACH Bugdolf had it coming. (CONT'D) 5. KID ROACH Hell yeah brother. They bump little fists and plop down on the edge of the sink counter with the legs dangling. In the background we hear "Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill" as Bill Nye the Science Guy plays on the television in dark living room. The two little bugs start to chant with it. ADULT ROACH Good eatin' tonight. I love this guy. KID ROACH sarcastically Who doesn't. ADULT ROACH Why I oughta The adult roach shakes his fist and gives the kid roach a noogie. The laugh and enjoy their moment together. The kid roach looks down far below them on the kitchen floor and spots a handful of bugs scurrying about their night-time business; ants, roaches, the like. He calls out to them. KID ROACH Hey! How's the weatha down there! Some of roaches look up him and silently stare back. A few flip him off, and the rest continue about their business. KID ROACH Yeesh, what's their problem. ADULT ROACH Eh, forget about them. Don't concern yourself with their "all work and no play" attitude. You'd be a stick in the mud too if the AC didn't reach ya lungs! He shouts down to the unamused bugs. ADULT ROACH Besides, I think another episodes about to start soon. Weathers looking pretty good up here. ( ) (CONT'D) (CONT'D) 6. KID ROACH Yeah, it sure is. On the TV, the episode is now doing its outro song as the credits roll. Bill Nye is doing his freaky little dances while he plays with his expensive lab equipment. The kid roach watches the TV silently in thought. ADULT ROACH Something got your mind? KID ROACH Yeah, actually I been thinking too much about something I don't know nothing about, and I can't explain why. ADULT ROACH What's the thing? KID ROACH Its this thing I been hearing since the day I tumbled out of my egg under the stove. ADULT ROACH That long? That's nearly 2 weeks. KID ROACH Right? And we've watched alot of the big screen since then and I still don't quite know what it is. ADULT ROACH Is it bad? KID ROACH I don't think so, but I'm not sure. I first heard the big guy shouting it into one of his gadgets, the one he talks to alot, and he kept shouting at it like the voice of the gadget couldn't hear him. "Dad, Dad, Dad." ADULT ROACH Dad? KID ROACH Yeah, you know what it is? ADULT ROACH Nope. Not a clue. Sounds cool though. DAD. They giggle together. 7. KID ROACH Right? DAD. It's imposing isn't it? I've heard it a few times since, at least once from Bill no doubt, and I still don't get it, but it feels important. ADULT ROACH Heh, yeah. Odd. Wonder what could've got the big guy so worked up about this "Dad". He's usually cold and calculated when he shows up for war. KID ROACH I don't know. But it felt like he had a good reason to be. ADULT ROACH Ah, forget about it. Don't concern yourself with what you don't know. KID ROACH I guess I'd just like to know where what I know ends and what I don't know begins. ADULT ROACH Like I told you. Don't look down. The adult roach grunts performatively as he gets to his feet. ADULT ROACH I'm gonna grab drinks before the next episode starts. Want anything particular? KID ROACH Nah, the crud in the sinks good. The adult roach nods and slides down the stainless steel back into the sink. (CONT'D) 8.