PARANOIA By Mike Noone FOUR CHARACTERS: POLICE DISPATCHER, JOHN-A MIDDLE AGED OFFICE WORKER, ART-HIS CO-WORKER AND THE NIGHT VISITOR INTERIOR-A MESSY SUBURBAN BEDROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT POLICE DISPATCHER Police non-emergency line, how can I help you? JOHN I'd like to report a suspicious vehicle on Turner Drive. It's a late 1980's Bronco, silver. POLICE DISPATCHER What is this vehicle doing, sir? JOHN I don't know, this guy's ex-girlfriend must live on my street. He's just driving around the neighborhood, revving his engine. I think he’s drunk. POLICE DISPATCHER Is there any chance he is a resident or could be there on business or deliveries? JOHN At 3:30 in the morning? POLICE DISPATCHER Can you give me the license plate number or a description of the driver? JOHN I can't see the plates but it looks like a white male in his twenties is driving. He just saw me looking at him. He turned on the dome light and is reaching behind his seat! POLICE DISPATCHER Sir, do you see any weapons? JOHN I don't see anything...I'm sitting on the floor! No, wait, he's gone. I can still hear him revving that engine. This is not the first time this maniac has woken me up. He's been stalking that woman for weeks." POLICE DISPATCHER I'm sending a car out, call 911 if he becomes a threat. SCENE 2: A NON-DESCRIPT OFFICE FILLED WITH DINGY CUBICLES, TWO MEN ARE STANDING BY THE COFFEE MACHINE CONTRAST-DAY V. NIGHT ART You look exhausted. Is that idiot still cruising around your neighborhood?" JOHN This guy is some piece of work. Probably leaves the bars when they close, then shows up in my neighborhood,drunk as a skunk. ART That lady friend of his is lucky he hasn't made a late night visit. JOHN He'd probably kill her, beat her to death. What kind of psychopath stays awake all night, driving around a quiet street, looking for trouble." ART How are things with you and the wife? JOHN Just fine. We had a little trouble there but we got everything straightened out and she moved back home. ART Well, keep her away from that maniac. He'd probably take out an innocent victim if he couldn't get to his ex. SCENE 3: MESSY SUBURBAN BEDROOM, 3:30 AM, JOHN IS CROUCHED ON THE FLOOR. POLICE DISPATCHER 911, What is your emergency? JOHN I'm calling from Turner Drive. There's a suspicious car here. I called last night. POLICE DISPATCHER Yes, sir. I took that call. JOHN He's back and I just saw him pull into a driveway and throw something at the house. It must be his ex-girlfriend. POLICE DISPATCHER Can you see what he threw, sir? JOHN It looked a beer can. He's slowing down in front of my house! He is looking around. No, the truck is pulling away. POLICE DISPATCHER Sir, is there any chance you or someone in your family knows or has angered this person? JOHN I don't think so, I'm alone in the house. Although...my wife and I are separated. Maybe this is her new boyfriend! POLICE DISPATCHER What about the house whose driveway he pulled into? Do you know who lives there? JOHN No, we've...I've only lived here for a year. I don't really know the neighbors." POLICE DISPATCHER Sir, a patrol car is already on the way. I'd like you to give a statement to the officer. JOHN Are you kidding? I can't have everybody see a police car in front of my house. They'll think I'm the nut. Just tell him to pull over the silver Bronco, he'll find the beer cans. And whatever else is in the car. SCENE 4: OFFICE, JOHN AND ART ARE STANDING BY THE COFFEE MACHINE. JOHN Hey, you always talk about your guns. Can I borrow a shotgun? That maniac was stalking the neighborhood again this weekend. He threw a beer bottle at that poor woman's house. Those damn police won't do anything. ART Look, I can't help you with that. My wife ran into Lisa at the grocery store. She said things are really over between you guys. She's even got a restraining order? JOHN I told you, we're working things out. Things weren't so hot when I didn't get that promotion but she'll come back. Hell, I'm happy she's somewhere safe with that freak out there. ART Well, good luck with everything. Be careful talking about guns, everybody knows you can get yourself worked up. This guy could have a good reason for driving around in the middle of the night. Maybe he's got insomnia? JOHN You're as dumb as the fucking cops! No normal person pulls into the goddamn driveway and throws a beer can at the house in the middle of the night. I'll get a gun from the pawn shop. SCENE 5: JOHN'S BEDROOM, MESSIER, HE IS CROUCHED ON THE FLOOR POLICE DISPATCHER 911, What is your emergency? JOHN That son of a bitch is out there again! It's 4am and he's driving around, blasting his music, pulling into my neighbors' driveways...I've got a gun. If he slows down at my house I'm going to protect myself! POLICE DISPATCHER Sir, don't do anything foolish. There are police cars responding to your location. Is this person trying to break into your house? JOHN No, he's just driving me insane! I haven't slept in weeks. The whole neighborhood is afraid of this psychopath, revving his engine, looking tough. Probably living with my wife! Don't slow down, you son of a bitch, don't look at me! POLICE DISPATCHER Sir, please stay calm! Wait for the officers to arrive at your house. They'll take care of this. JOHN No, I'll take care of this crazy bastard myself. POLICE DISPATCHER Sir? Sir? SCENE 6: JOHN RUNS OUT ON TO HIS DRIVEWAY, HOLDING A SHOTGUN. THE PICKUP TRUCK TURNS IN THE CIRCLE AT THE END OF HIS STREET. AS IT PASSES HIS HOUSE A NEWSPAPER LANDS AT JOHN'S FEET. THE DRIVER, A TEENAGER DISTRACTED BY HIS CAR RADIO, NEVER NOTICES THE CRAZED MAN WITH A GUN. WE WATCH THE CAR CONTINUE DOWN THE ROAD, NEWSPAPERS FLYING OUT THE WINDOW EVERY 50 FEET. HIS ENTIRE BODY TREMBLES AS HE WATCHES THE RECEEDING PICK-UP TRUCK. HE SITS DOWN ON THE STEPS WITH HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS AS WE HEAR SIRENS APPROACHING. THE END

THE LITTLEST VICTIM An original screenplay by Mike Noone OPENS WITH: EXTERIOR, POOL. Scene of happy children playing in an apartment swimming pool. A few close-ups on individual children having a great time. Wider shots of adults watching and joining in. It’s a beautiful, sunny day. Suddenly, jarringly an extreme close-up of a little girl’s contorted face. She is pointing and screaming at something in the corner of the pool. Parents are running around the deck. Some are diving in to grab their children. Some are scrambling out. CUT TO: INTERIOR, TRAINING ROOM. Four jumpsuit-wearing emergency responders sitting at a classroom table as their leader explains something technical to them on a chalkboard. His name is Captain Ted. He is handsome and charismatic. His words are indistinct right now, but we clearly hear a loud emergency buzzer. Ted jogs out the door as his team members scramble from their seats. At the end of the hallway, he pauses and slaps each person on the shoulder, like a parachutist as they take hold of the pole to slide to the lower floor. “Go! Go! Go!” He yells. The scene ends as he smoothly drops through the floor. CUT TO: EXTERIOR, TRUCK BAY. The five members, in an assortment of scuba, climbing and fire fighting gear are climbing into a large red truck. They look ready for anything. CUT TO: The stunned and silent faces of the families who had been enjoying the pool earlier. Now, they stand huddled at its edge. The group parts and our heroes push through. They are carrying a wide variety of ropes, bags, boxes, hooks, and a ladder. Captain Ted kneels down in front of the crying little girl and she points to the corner of the pool. He gives her a reassuring smile and a squeeze on the shoulder. CUT TO: Two team members, in full scuba gear, roll backwards into the water. CUT TO: Ted and his team digging through the assorted equipment. His assistants offer him a flashlight, a rope, a long pole. He rejects them all. As the two scuba divers surface in the water in front of him, he finds what he was looking for. Ted gestures to them to stay back and we finally see what he was looking for. Proudly, he holds up a small butterfly net. With a practiced scoop, he grabs something out of the water. CUT TO: A close-up on the net and a shiny red ladybug on the pool deck. CUT TO: The crowd is clapping and cheering. Ted stands up, appreciative but humble, and with a skyward gesture, tosses the beetle in to the air. ***SORRY-The Littlest Victim is now in pre-production. Please contact us for additional information.***