Why Not to Make Deals with Serpents
[Opens to a Bank]
Man in Suit, crudely sewn pillow case-mask over head bursts in
Stan: Alright! Anyone who values life, avert your eyes and get on the ground.
Crowd hits the deck
Stan: Cashier! Get my money in this bag! The rest of you don't move unless it is death that you seek. Today is not the day that I am at my most merciful. Today I will kill for even thinking the wrong way.
Claire: Mister.... How much do you want?
Stan: Does it look like I am about to pause to care? Get it in and make it quick. As much as you can as fast as you can! Get to it! Anyone moves.. Anyone ever has the nerve to LOOK at me and I'll give you a closed casket! Do you understand me? The rest of you keep it shut.
Silence
Stan: I said DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?
Excited mummers
John: What the hell is the meaning of this? You can't just walk into a bank and start yelling. We aren't barbarians.
Stan: Mister Answers! Would you care to enlighten me as to exactly why I can't? And for your information...
Stan Cocks gun
...I am quite the Hun.
John: Why? Why would you do something this stupid? What can be worth ruining your life? You think you will make it out of here? Drop the gun. think about it man! You will lose this!
Stan: Hurry the hell up behind the counter, hon!
Stan faces John
Stan: Love. Love can make you do this and if you have a human one in your body you will understand that. Now shut it before you lose it. I am not here to kill however I did not break in here with a gun with the intention of explaining myself. If you push me I will do both.
John: My name is John. Lets talk through this here.
Claire: It's full! Now please just leave!
Stan: I said shut up you cretin!
Stan kicks John
Serpent rises to his feet
Serpent: Now Stanly... Lets sit down and simply sort the realities of your situation.
Stan: You! Say my name again and you eat lead. Baby, give me that bag now and I'll be gone. All of you, just forget it! This isn't supposed to end like this. I'm not supposed to be here. I'm supposed to retire. I'm done in one more week! Can't you see? I'm not even supposed to be working today. I have the plane tickets!
Serpent: Stan. That isn't how thissss.... This squabble will be resolved. Silly you thinking the police squads will let you survive. Get a hostage and they will take you seriously.
Stan: waves gun at Serpent I said can it fat boy. You. On the ground! John! Get up. You're coming outside with me. Move without my say and you die. Are we clear?!
John: Leave the money and just walk away. We won't say a word to the police or your love. No one has called them and no one will. Just drop the money and don't listen to the strange man over there. You're in the clear still. Trust me. We all want to walk out of this, okay?
Stan: Move! Claire! Thats you? [Points to Cashier] Bring me the bag.
Claire brings bag
Stan: Do I know you?
Clair's turns head, Sirens
Serpent: She hit the button. She called the police and they are on their way, Stanley. You are going to die all alone. All alone, all forgotten. They will find out the truth and no one will defend you.
Claire Do you know him, Stan? Do you know me? If you don't then listen carefully. He isn't to be trusted. I know him all too well and he's slime. He doesn't care about you or your love. He comes here every day...
Stan: Both of you! How can you pretend to care? You haven't the faintest idea of the HELL my life has been through over this morning? Do you have and concept of everything washing away from you and trying to swim after it? All you can do is watch it drift out of your reach as you drown yourself? Like one of those hurricane victims! When does it reach the point that your life is nothing without what floats away? When does it become so important that it doesn't matter if you die trying to save them?
John: Just... Quiet down Stan and tell us what happened.
Stan: It's my daughter. My job. I show up and I'm broke. My assets are frozen and my daughter...
John: You're that broker. The one on the roof..
Man from Crowd: You stole millions from your workers. You deserve to rot!
Woman: Think about them without jobs or savings. Think of their children! No wonder they took yours hostage!
Another man: Did you toss one of them off a roof?
Stan: I didn't steal that money and I am NOT a murderer. Someone framed me. Someone is setting me up. I would never hurt a soul. I would never ruined lives or killed like that. I am not a crook. I just want what is best for my family. I want them to have everything. I want..
Woman: Bullshit! I saw it on the news! You killed your accountant for turning you in. There are tapes of you begging him to cover your greedy..
Jeers
John: Don't worry. We know you won't hurt anyone.
Serpent: [To John] He used the past tense you imbecile.
Serpent: You show all of them how serious you are about her, Stan. You aren't going to let a bunch of spineless corporate thieves stop you now? You didn't let them stop you from stealing...
Stan: Fat boy! I told you one more fucking word and I'm letting you have it. I'm sick and tired of your lies and this sick amusement you are taking. I may be a bad man but I'm a good father.
Stan points gun at the Serpent and starts to walk.
Stan: They aren't the same. Bad people still feel love. It's human to care and anyone that doesn't feel compassion isn't worth..
John moves and grabs Stan. They fight.
John: Drop it Stan! You stole from me too but I'm not holding it against you! Drop the damn gun and we can work this out. You CAN be saved!
Stan shoots John. Mass panic as police make indecipherable demands on loudspeakers.
Serpent approaches Stan
Serpent: You know you don't have to rob this place. You won't make it out. They have a blockade now. Your precious little cashier hit the big red button and they are swarming, a pestilence of locusts upon this building. You had better choose your last actions before they do.
Stan: I need her ransom damn it! They are going to kill her if I don't pay up tonight! They think I robbed them of it all and now I don't have the money to pay them back. Someone stole their money. My assets are frozen though. I couldn't give their money back even if I wanted to!
Serpent: If you didn't steal it you couldn't 'give their money back.' tsk tsk.
Serpent: Just take yourself, Stan. Your insurance will pay for it. Will you give your soul for her? Will you give up all you have left to insure her life? Can you turn that on yourself as easily as you have damned yourself with it? Nothing can help you now. No faith, no lawyer. there are a dozen witnesses to this murder. But you can erase this. You can erase your greed if you just give up.
Stan: Will she be okay?
Serpent: Stan, listen to yourself. I think that this is a fair trade. One life for another. One that has lost it all today, but your daughter.. Your daughter has the world at her feet.
Stan chews on lead
Serpent: Too bad she is already DEAD!
Serpent kicks his corpse, looks up
Serpent: Even easier then Faust, honey.
Claire approaches Serpent
[whisper] Claire: Better then giving it for pride. baby.