The Missing Piece
The scene begins outside of a nice Tudor-style home tucked inside a row of houses. The sun is peeking behind the roof and rays of light ramp off the shingles. This specific home is allotted with its own well-kept yard with guardian lawn gnomes. There is a stone path that trickles out of the driveway and up to the front door. The early morning scene is quiet and peaceful. Dew is on the grass and birds are singing harmonious tunes. In a smooth fashion, a paperboy rides by on a bicycle and tosses a paper up onto the front porch of the house. Suddenly, we hear a small ringing coming from within the house.
It’s
7:45 A.M. and the alarm-clock is chirping. It rests next to a large, king-size bed. There appears to be two figures underneath the comforter. A strong arm slides out from underneath the covers and pounces on the clock. The alerting sound is silenced by the press of a button. The silencer flips off the covers and sits up. We recognize this man as we watch him stretch and yawn. Finally, he leans over to the other figure, who happens to be a woman, on the opposite side of the bed. He peels back the remaining blanket and plants a kiss on the side of the girl’s face. Then, he whispers in her ear.
???: Good morning Heather.
She grins and then turns around to face her bed-partner.
Heather: Good morning Sam.
They share a passionate kiss as Heather places her left hand on the cheek of Sam. We see a gold ring on her finger. The scene transitions and we see Chris buttoning his wrist-cuffs in a kitchen as Heather stands on the opposite side of a island-like counter. She has a spatula in her hand is making some eggs. Sam just smiles at her from afar as he fixes his collar.
Sam: I hope you aren’t cooking those for me babe, I have to run up to the office a little early. Beckman wants to start drilling outside of Ada by August. So, we have to meet with him whenever we can.
Heather looks slightly annoyed.
Heather: Rushing out the door whenever you are going to be gone all week on vacation?
Sam chuckles to himself as he puts on a navy blue tie.
Sam: Not much of a vacation if you are flying to different clients across the country. I’ll be lucky if I have time to sleep. I much rather stay home and eat eggs with you, babe.
Heather smiles as she flips the eggs in the pan.
Heather: What about Ty?
Sam hesitates. He then proceeds to grab a cup out of a cupboard and pours himself a glass of water. He takes a drink and then speaks.
Sam: This Saturday at 6:00 P.M.; First Cathedral on 122nd Street, right?
Heather looks back at Sam and playfully nods.
Sam: My plane should arrive at 4:00, so I'll just meet you there. How does that sound?
Heather: Fine, I suppose.
Sam smiles and sets down his glass. He proceeds to walk over to Heather and hugs her from behind. Heather smiles at his embrace and rubs the stubble on his chin. She closes her eyes and holds onto his arms wrapped around her.
Heather: I’m glad I married you Samuel J. Master.
Sam grins as he kisses her forehead.
Sam: I’m glad I married you Heather M. Masters.
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The scene transitions and we now see Sam walking out of his house with a briefcase and a black blazer draped over his shoulder. He is also wheeling a suitcase behind him. As he walks down the pathway to his driveway, he notices someone standing out on the sidewalk. He makes eye contact with the person as he pops his trunk and puts his bag in it. He closes it and looks back at the man. The camera reveals that it is Saboteur in a mail carrier costume over his regular costume. He is browsing through a handful of mail. However, he looks up for a second and catches that Sam is looking at him. He nods at Sam and then Sam nods back. Saboteur nods again, but this time Sam speaks up.
Sam: Do I know you?
Saboteur: Me? Nah, probably not.
Saboteur sounds uninterested as he continues to browse through the mail. Sam walks down the driveway and extends out a hand.
Sam: Hi, I’m Sam. I use to know Hank.
Saboteur looks at the hand and then shakes it.
Saboteur: Who?
Sam: Hank, the guy who use to deliver our mail. Did he retire?
Saboteur: Oh, you mean that Hank. Yeah... poor Hank.
Sam is confused, but suddenly becomes intrigued as Saboteur pulls out another bundle of mail and sifts through it. He comes across a x-rated magazine and removes it from the bunch. Saboteur notices Sam’s curiosity. Saboteur smiles and waves around the x-rated magazine.
Saboteur: Free porn, old school style. What up!?
Saboteur raises up a hand for a high-five. Sam doesn’t bite, and shakes his head in confusion.
Sam: How exactly did you get this job?
Saboteur: Well, if you have to know, I drew it out of a hat at the F.A.Y.D.W.O.Y.B.D.S. Government sponsored unemployment drive. Which sucks, because someone told me "Vice President" was in that very same hat.
Sam: Fayd-what?
Saboteur: The Former Assassins You Don’t Want On Your Bad Side organization. I’ve been a card carrying member since- well, for awhile.
Saboteur nods.
Sam: So, the government just gave you this job because they are afraid of you?
Saboteur: No, they gave me this job because just like with every woman I meet, I deliver! WHAT UP?!
Saboteur raises a hand for another high-five. Sam just looks at it as Saboteur nods for him to connect with him.
Saboteur: Come on Steve-
Sam: My name’s Sam.
Saboteur: Stan.
Saboteur looks up at his hand.
Saboteur: Don’t leave me hanging. Like my package! DOUBLE INNUENDO! WHAT UP?!
Saboteur now has both hands raised for a high-five. Sam can’t help but smirk, but he proceeds to walk away. He looks back at Saboteur.
Sam: Just don’t open my mail, okay?
Sam proceeds to get into his car as Saboteur stuffs a bundle of mail into the Masters’ mailbox. He begins to smack his lips like he just tasted something funny.
Saboteur: Why do I have a sudden urge for fried chicken?
Saboteur shrugs and then continues down the sidewalk.
|-------------------------------------|
The scene transitions and we now see Sam driving in his car. The radio is on as he stares out of his front windshield.
Radio: Now, the new #1 hit by the Dirty Angels!
Attention is pulled away from the music as Sam’s phone begins to ring. He quickly turns off the radio and answers his phone.
Sam: Hey Jay.
Some mumbling comes from the phone.
Sam: Don’t tell me that. I just rushed out of my house so I could get here early and you are telling me the meeting has been pushed back thirty minutes?
Some more mumbling is heard.
Sam: I know, you’re just the messenger Jay. Alright, I’ll see you at the office.
|-------------------------------------|
Sam hangs up his phone and continues driving. The scene now transitions to Sam hopping out of his car in a bustling downtown area. He proceeds to grab his blazer and suitcase out of the passenger side of the car and feeds the meter next to his vehicle. He now has what appears to be a coffee as he walks down the suburban sidewalk. He hears some chatter in the distance as he glances up in front of him. There appears to be a man standing on crate, who is shouting and pointing towards the skies. Near him are several people wearing the same t-shirts, with paper flyers in their hands. They are passing them out to whoever is walking by. Sam mutters to himself.
Sam: Great.
He quickly slithers past two of the flyer-givers as he glances up at the man on the crate. He is a rather large and portly man with a brown suit. He has curly brown hair and the yellowest teeth Sam has ever seen. Suddenly, Sam’s glance becomes his folly. A rotund individual now stands in front of him with a flyer and a smile. The man begins to speak to Sam.
Man: Hello sir, my name is Michael Brown and I just wanted to tell you that The Almighty loves you. Reverend Eckhart-
Michael points up at the man on the crate.
Michael: Will be having a special tent service tonight to allow all of the lost to experience the presence of the Almighty. Here is a flyer with the information on how to get there.
Sam smiles politely.
Sam: Thanks, but I’ll save you a flyer. I’ll probably just throw it in the trash honestly.
Michael: Why so against the work of the Almighty?
Sam: Because there is no Almighty; Michael was it? At least I don’t believe there is. Plus, I don’t think I would ever be affiliated with someone who looks like that.
Sam points at Eckhart on the crate. Sam sidesteps Michael and begins to walk away.
Michael: Why so judgemental? I find your stance on the Almighty ironic.
Sam chuckles to himself and can’t believe he is turning around to address the kid.
Sam: Ironic, how so?
Michael: Dude, you are in the middle of the Bible Belt! Look bro, I was a skeptic just like you were. I use to have a big dream, but when that didn’t work out I decided I needed to do something with my life. I quit playing video games and I went to join the military. But on my walk there, I met Eckhart and I experienced the love of the Almighty. Now, I’ll never be lost again.
Sam: No, you are definitely lost kid. Out here, handing flyers for a guy who can’t afford a good teeth cleaning, let alone his own ministry. That is exactly what these type of things are. Money scams for us to come to your tent and then you’ll ask us to give some money to fund your gas and food. It’s just a free ride for you Michael.
Michael: Maybe you are just afraid.
Sam: Afraid?
Sam chuckles again and steps a little bit towards Micahel.
Sam: Afraid of what? That I’ll end up like you on the side of the street, handing out flyers to people who can’t stand me? Afraid that I’ll end up on the crate and blow out a lung from preaching stuff no one cares about? Afraid that maybe I’ll one day become the Lord himself and ask everyone to follow me and believe in me as the savior. Then I’ll have to live my entire life knowing that I am fraud and a crook? No, I’m not afraid of any of that Michael. I'm just trying to get to work without having someone spew lies in my face.
Sam takes a sip of his coffee and proceeds to walk away. Michael yells from afar.
Michael: I think you are afraid that you might just be wrong sir.
Sam stops.
Michael: You are afraid that maybe destiny has bigger plans for you on this earth. You are afraid because maybe one day you could just easily be in my shoes and I could be in yours.
This irks Sam the wrong-way for some reason. He turns back to address Michael.
Sam: You don’t know anything about me.
Sam proceeds to walk away as Michael stares him down.
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The scene transitions and we see Sam enter a large conference room. He is now has his blazer on and is gripping his suitcase. The room is already semi-full, and Sam takes a seat at the middle of the table. He rummages through his briefcase as he overhears a conversation on the other side of the table. It appears that one of the men is reading a document to another.
Suit #1: Get this: “Skill set includes being a former Professional Wrestler, being able to speak like a pirate, and being a former ‘Mayhem” Champion.
The two guys begin laughing.
Suit #1: Who the hell thinks these are appropriate things to put on a resume for a job like this?
Suit #2: Seriously.
They continue to laugh.
???: You know, Sammy use to want to be a wrestler when he was younger. Isn’t that right Sammy?
Sam stops looking through his briefcase and looks up to see the two men who were laughing over the resume. Then, he looks over and sees the man who referenced him. It is his father, Scott Masters.
Sam: Yeah, I use too. Too bad the wrestling industry tanked in America, though.
Scott: You could always move to Japan.
Scott laughs as the other two men in suits do as well. Sam just grins as he looks through his briefcase.
Scott: Are you looking for this son?
Sam looks up and his father is sliding what appears to be a business report on the desk towards him.
Sam: Thank god Dad. You are a lifesaver.
Sam reaches up to grab the document. Just as both men touch the report, the screen goes white. The white slowly begins to dissolve as we get another picture.
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The scenario is quite different. Vance Bateman and Big Dave are sitting behind a desk. Bateman and the WZCW Messiah, Chris K.O. both have their hands on a document that is in the middle of the desk.
Bateman: Chris?
Bateman looks up at Dave.
Dave: Chris!
Chris snaps out of whatever trance he is in and jerks his hand back.
Chris: What did you say?
Bateman looks up at Dave once more and then clears his throat.
Bateman: I said, Ty Burna is gone, Chris.
Chris: Gone?
Dave: We’re not talking gone like last time either. He has cut all ties with the company. I must admit that we knew he was coming back at the Lottery, but this is different...
Bateman: Despite Ty’s mysterious nature, we have always been able to keep in touch through at least one form of communication. Now, even that stream has been disconnected permanently.
Dave: We wanted to tell you first. We know you two have unfinished business, and we were going to allow an appropriate slot on the Kingdom Come V card for that to be grieved, but now that won’t be happening.
Bateman: On top of that, your position on the upcoming card all together appears to be limbo.
Chris kind of laughs to himself and then says in a disgruntled manner.
Chris: Are you trying to tell me that management has nothing for me?
Dave clears his throat.
Dave: Not quite. WZCW is a mutable company Chris. I know this as well as anyone. Hell, if I have too, I’ll come out of retirement and kick your ass because I know that people want to see it done. Besides, I know that you are young, but lost in this company. You’re not the same Chris K.O. before Ty took you under his wing. I'll be damned if I give up on you now.
Chris darts a stare at Dave.
Chris: You don’t know anything about me.
A small awkward and tense silence fills the room.
Bateman: Anyways, that’s why we’re sending you somewhere that will hit close to home for you. There is work that needs to be done in Moore, Oklahoma after the recent tornado events, whether it be a charity drive or clearing rubble.
Chris is confused on how to react. Dave clears his throat.
Dave: Also, there is one more thing. You’ll be doing this alongside another WZCW Superstar, Mikey Stormrage.
Chris snorts out hot air, but Bateman cuts him off before he can say anything.
Bateman: Here is your ticket and the information you will need.
Bateman slides the documents forward.
Chris thinks about speaking, but he restrains. He grabs the document on the desk and storms out of the office. On the outside, slumped up against a wall, is Reverend Eckhart.
Eckhart: How did it go? Commended for top three in the lottery? An inclusion in the World Title Scenario? A big fat bonus on your check?
He displays his yellow teeth in a smiling fashion. Chris walks up to him and stops. He looks over and glares at the disgusting man. He then proceeds to walk away. Eckhart pulls a handkerchief out of his suit pocket and proceeds to wipe his sweaty brow. He lets out a long sigh and then follows behind the Savior of WZCW.
The scene cuts to black.
