Dramatic Writing Assignment
Write a scene that starts with someone walking up to a door with flowers. The scene must betray the audiences' expectations at least twice.
Formatting is off bc of LJ.
INT - HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT
The hotel is anything but fancy - Somewhere between a Motel 6 and a Holiday Inn. The lobby isn’t empty, nor is it bustling.
LEX (39) walks through the lobby wearing a black suit, nice, but not so nice as to seem out of place. He carries a bouquet of roses. As he walks, he glances at a scrap of paper in his hand which reads “314.” He quickly slides onto and elevator next to an ELDERLY WOMAN and her husband, GEORGE, who are each carrying huge duffle bags.
INT - ELEVATOR - NIGHT
Lex looks silently forward, holding the bouquet in front of him. The Elderly Woman glances at it and smiles.
ELDERLY WOMAN
What a sweet thing to do. Isn’t that a sweet thing to do George?
GEORGE
Yeah, real sweet. She must be pretty special, eh kid?
Lex smiles to himself.
LEX
Yeah, I guess you could say that.
The elevator reaches the third floor, and Lex quickly steps out, leaving the elderly couple smiling at him as he goes into the…
INT - HOTEL HALLWAY - NIGHT
Lex’s walk picks up speed as the doors close behind him. He strides confidently down the hall and knocks on 314. After a moment, MONICA (24) steps out of the door. Her hair is jet black, straight, and cut above her shoulders, and her dress is classy and the same dark color.
She smiles as she sees him and wraps her arms around his neck before kissing him and taking him by the hand, gingerly leading him through the door to…
INT - ROOM 314 - NIGHT
The door swings closed behind the two and Monica instantly releases his hand and steps into the room. The room is dark, lit only by the bedside lamp, but is otherwise exactly what one would expect from a cheap hotel.
He follows her briskly, and she pulls a cigarette from her purse on the dresser and lights it.
LEX (sternly)
Put it out, you’ll smell like cigarettes.
MONICA (equally stern)
I need to smoke before Lex, it doesn’t matter if you don’t like it.
Monica sits down on the bed and Lex throws the flowers at her, then turns and faces the mirror, checking himself and making slight adjustments.
LEX
You’re going to get yourself into trouble Monica.
As Lex speaks, Monica abandons her cig in an ashtray by the bed and tears apart the plastic wrapping of the flowers. She tosses them onto the bed, unconcerned, and reveals a gun hidden amongst the stems.
LEX (CONT.)
Of course, it isn’t my problem anymore. They say you’re ready, so you’re ready. The target is in 353, around the corner. You should find it unlocked. Wait 15 minutes after I leave. When it’s done, drop the weapon and walk straight down the stairs to your left. There is a black Miata parked in front of the club next door.
He tosses her a set of keys from his pocket and finally turns to face her.
LEX (CONT.)
No mistakes Monica.
He starts to walk to the door. Monica sits screwing a silencer onto the barrel of the gun.
MONICA
Hey Lex,
He stops and turns to her. She looks up from the gun tossing her hair out of her eyes and smiling coyly. The plays with the barrel of the gun suggestively.
MONICA (CONT.)
Does this mean I don’t get to jerk you around anymore?
LEX
No mistakes Mon.
Lex turns away, unamused, and walks out the door, shutting it behind him. Monica cracks a smile to her self, then turns and picks up one of the roses. She snaps the rose right below the blossom then, leaving her gun on the bed, stands to face the mirror.
She tucks the rose behind her ear, and smiles.
MONICA
Perfect.
A clock shows 9:59 as Monica picks up her gun and loads a clip into it.
FADE TO
INT - HOTEL HALLWAY - 15 MINUTES LATER
Monica walks pointedly down the hallway. As she walks her watch shows 10:14 as the time. The butt of her gun is just barely visible poking out of her purse. She turns the corner and walks right past the stairway exit to room 353.
She pauses only momentarily to look around before she slowly eases into…
INT - ROOM 353 - NIGHT
It is almost completely dark, only the ambient light from the street outlines shapes through the blinds. The room is much like Monica’s, except with two beds instead of one.
Monica shuts the door quietly behind herself. There is no sign of movement in the room, and she creeps quietly down the short hall with her back to the wall. She is in almost pitch black, and all but invisible, and carefully looks around the corner.
A figure lies in the far bed facing away from Monica, motionless except for its breathing. Still cautious, she creeps around the corner and towards the bed. She raises her gun towards the figure, and takes a deep breath.
Ever cautious, she is close enough to touch the figure now. She draws back the hammer, preparing to fire.
LEX
No mistakes Monica.
Monica hesitates, and Lex sits up and pulls her in, kissing her hard. After a moment, Monica pulls away from him slowly. Her face is hard, though tears run down her face. She is as accusatory as she is inquisitive.
MONICA
You?
LEX
There’s always one more test, isn’t there Mon. You think you’re really ready for this job?
Monica steps back and raises the gun at Lex again. A scowl crosses her face
MONICA
What the fuck are you doing here Lex?
Lex swings his legs out of bed and towards Monica, and she takes a step back.
LEX
They say you’re ready, but I know better.
Lex stands up now, and takes a step forward. Monica tries to back up, but is against the bed and has nowhere to go. He pulls in close to her, pushing the gun down.
LEX (CONT.)
Are you willing to kill me to get where you want to be? To do this job, Monica, you have to be prepared for anything, and everything.
He lifts his hand and brushes it through her hair. He pulls the rose from behind her ear and brings it to his nose, smells it. He moves in slowly and kisses her again, softly this time.
MONICA
How do you know I won’t just shoot you right now?
LEX
Because if you were going to kill me, monica, I’d already be dead.
Their gaze seems unbreakable, and slowly they pull together preparing to kiss. Monica closes her eyes and cocks her head slightly.
MONICA
Lex?
She pulls him in and kisses him again, passionately. Suddenly mid-kiss there is a flash and the sound of a silenced gunshot
MONICA (CONT.)
You’re kind of a know-it-all.
Monica pushes Lex back onto the bed, drops the gun, and walks quickly out of the room into…
INT - HOTEL HALLWAY - NIGHT
Monica’s walk is once again calm and composed. She wipes the streaks from her eyes as she quickly rounds the corner into the stairwell.
EXT - HOTEL EXTERIOR - NIGHT
Monica walks away from the hotel. She reaches into her purse and finds the keys to the Miata. As she approaches the vehicle she readies the keys. She is still composed, but visibly tense as well. She fumbles only slightly unlocking the car and gets in.
INT - MIADA - NIGHT
Monica sits back in the seat and sighs heavily. She places her hands on the steering wheel and a grin creeps over her face. She starts to chuckle a little bit and sits forward to turn the ignition.
She reaches for the keys, and suddenly we hear a gunshot. Spiderweb cracks run through the windshield around a central bullet hole, and we see that Monica has been shot in the forehead. She lies back in the driver’s seat, dead.
EXT - HOTEL ROOF - NIGHT
George quickly picks his rifle up and packs it into his duffle bag right next to all his clothes. He quickly covers it with a shirt of his, and picks up his cell phone. He dials a few numbers, walking towards the roof access of the hotel.
GEORGE
Hey honey. Yeah, I’ll be back up to the room in a minute. They were out of cream, so I figure, what’s an old-timer like me need coffee for this time of night anyway.
INT - ROOM 353 - NIGHT
Lex pulls a switch and a lamp lights the room. His shirt is unbuttoned completely, revealing powder burns across his stomach, but little other damage. A cartridge of blanks sits on the desk beside him.
LEX
Very good Monica.
Lex pulls the rose up to his face and smells it again.
LEX (CONT.)
But not perfect.
FADE TO BLACK
Formatting is off bc of LJ.
INT - HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT
The hotel is anything but fancy - Somewhere between a Motel 6 and a Holiday Inn. The lobby isn’t empty, nor is it bustling.
LEX (39) walks through the lobby wearing a black suit, nice, but not so nice as to seem out of place. He carries a bouquet of roses. As he walks, he glances at a scrap of paper in his hand which reads “314.” He quickly slides onto and elevator next to an ELDERLY WOMAN and her husband, GEORGE, who are each carrying huge duffle bags.
INT - ELEVATOR - NIGHT
Lex looks silently forward, holding the bouquet in front of him. The Elderly Woman glances at it and smiles.
ELDERLY WOMAN
What a sweet thing to do. Isn’t that a sweet thing to do George?
GEORGE
Yeah, real sweet. She must be pretty special, eh kid?
Lex smiles to himself.
LEX
Yeah, I guess you could say that.
The elevator reaches the third floor, and Lex quickly steps out, leaving the elderly couple smiling at him as he goes into the…
INT - HOTEL HALLWAY - NIGHT
Lex’s walk picks up speed as the doors close behind him. He strides confidently down the hall and knocks on 314. After a moment, MONICA (24) steps out of the door. Her hair is jet black, straight, and cut above her shoulders, and her dress is classy and the same dark color.
She smiles as she sees him and wraps her arms around his neck before kissing him and taking him by the hand, gingerly leading him through the door to…
INT - ROOM 314 - NIGHT
The door swings closed behind the two and Monica instantly releases his hand and steps into the room. The room is dark, lit only by the bedside lamp, but is otherwise exactly what one would expect from a cheap hotel.
He follows her briskly, and she pulls a cigarette from her purse on the dresser and lights it.
LEX (sternly)
Put it out, you’ll smell like cigarettes.
MONICA (equally stern)
I need to smoke before Lex, it doesn’t matter if you don’t like it.
Monica sits down on the bed and Lex throws the flowers at her, then turns and faces the mirror, checking himself and making slight adjustments.
LEX
You’re going to get yourself into trouble Monica.
As Lex speaks, Monica abandons her cig in an ashtray by the bed and tears apart the plastic wrapping of the flowers. She tosses them onto the bed, unconcerned, and reveals a gun hidden amongst the stems.
LEX (CONT.)
Of course, it isn’t my problem anymore. They say you’re ready, so you’re ready. The target is in 353, around the corner. You should find it unlocked. Wait 15 minutes after I leave. When it’s done, drop the weapon and walk straight down the stairs to your left. There is a black Miata parked in front of the club next door.
He tosses her a set of keys from his pocket and finally turns to face her.
LEX (CONT.)
No mistakes Monica.
He starts to walk to the door. Monica sits screwing a silencer onto the barrel of the gun.
MONICA
Hey Lex,
He stops and turns to her. She looks up from the gun tossing her hair out of her eyes and smiling coyly. The plays with the barrel of the gun suggestively.
MONICA (CONT.)
Does this mean I don’t get to jerk you around anymore?
LEX
No mistakes Mon.
Lex turns away, unamused, and walks out the door, shutting it behind him. Monica cracks a smile to her self, then turns and picks up one of the roses. She snaps the rose right below the blossom then, leaving her gun on the bed, stands to face the mirror.
She tucks the rose behind her ear, and smiles.
MONICA
Perfect.
A clock shows 9:59 as Monica picks up her gun and loads a clip into it.
FADE TO
INT - HOTEL HALLWAY - 15 MINUTES LATER
Monica walks pointedly down the hallway. As she walks her watch shows 10:14 as the time. The butt of her gun is just barely visible poking out of her purse. She turns the corner and walks right past the stairway exit to room 353.
She pauses only momentarily to look around before she slowly eases into…
INT - ROOM 353 - NIGHT
It is almost completely dark, only the ambient light from the street outlines shapes through the blinds. The room is much like Monica’s, except with two beds instead of one.
Monica shuts the door quietly behind herself. There is no sign of movement in the room, and she creeps quietly down the short hall with her back to the wall. She is in almost pitch black, and all but invisible, and carefully looks around the corner.
A figure lies in the far bed facing away from Monica, motionless except for its breathing. Still cautious, she creeps around the corner and towards the bed. She raises her gun towards the figure, and takes a deep breath.
Ever cautious, she is close enough to touch the figure now. She draws back the hammer, preparing to fire.
LEX
No mistakes Monica.
Monica hesitates, and Lex sits up and pulls her in, kissing her hard. After a moment, Monica pulls away from him slowly. Her face is hard, though tears run down her face. She is as accusatory as she is inquisitive.
MONICA
You?
LEX
There’s always one more test, isn’t there Mon. You think you’re really ready for this job?
Monica steps back and raises the gun at Lex again. A scowl crosses her face
MONICA
What the fuck are you doing here Lex?
Lex swings his legs out of bed and towards Monica, and she takes a step back.
LEX
They say you’re ready, but I know better.
Lex stands up now, and takes a step forward. Monica tries to back up, but is against the bed and has nowhere to go. He pulls in close to her, pushing the gun down.
LEX (CONT.)
Are you willing to kill me to get where you want to be? To do this job, Monica, you have to be prepared for anything, and everything.
He lifts his hand and brushes it through her hair. He pulls the rose from behind her ear and brings it to his nose, smells it. He moves in slowly and kisses her again, softly this time.
MONICA
How do you know I won’t just shoot you right now?
LEX
Because if you were going to kill me, monica, I’d already be dead.
Their gaze seems unbreakable, and slowly they pull together preparing to kiss. Monica closes her eyes and cocks her head slightly.
MONICA
Lex?
She pulls him in and kisses him again, passionately. Suddenly mid-kiss there is a flash and the sound of a silenced gunshot
MONICA (CONT.)
You’re kind of a know-it-all.
Monica pushes Lex back onto the bed, drops the gun, and walks quickly out of the room into…
INT - HOTEL HALLWAY - NIGHT
Monica’s walk is once again calm and composed. She wipes the streaks from her eyes as she quickly rounds the corner into the stairwell.
EXT - HOTEL EXTERIOR - NIGHT
Monica walks away from the hotel. She reaches into her purse and finds the keys to the Miata. As she approaches the vehicle she readies the keys. She is still composed, but visibly tense as well. She fumbles only slightly unlocking the car and gets in.
INT - MIADA - NIGHT
Monica sits back in the seat and sighs heavily. She places her hands on the steering wheel and a grin creeps over her face. She starts to chuckle a little bit and sits forward to turn the ignition.
She reaches for the keys, and suddenly we hear a gunshot. Spiderweb cracks run through the windshield around a central bullet hole, and we see that Monica has been shot in the forehead. She lies back in the driver’s seat, dead.
EXT - HOTEL ROOF - NIGHT
George quickly picks his rifle up and packs it into his duffle bag right next to all his clothes. He quickly covers it with a shirt of his, and picks up his cell phone. He dials a few numbers, walking towards the roof access of the hotel.
GEORGE
Hey honey. Yeah, I’ll be back up to the room in a minute. They were out of cream, so I figure, what’s an old-timer like me need coffee for this time of night anyway.
INT - ROOM 353 - NIGHT
Lex pulls a switch and a lamp lights the room. His shirt is unbuttoned completely, revealing powder burns across his stomach, but little other damage. A cartridge of blanks sits on the desk beside him.
LEX
Very good Monica.
Lex pulls the rose up to his face and smells it again.
LEX (CONT.)
But not perfect.
FADE TO BLACK