babygirl

by on August 24, 2013 :: 0 comments

photo courtesy of Tyler Malone

“your daddy was a bastard, Lisa,
never trust men,
they’ll hurt you just like he did.
but your mama,
your mama will never do you wrong.”
—— Dead Mama.

2 YEARS LATER.

(camera fades in on a desolate gas station in mesa, arizona. car pulls in and parks, and a tall, busty, blonde-haired woman walks out, and into the gas station. camera follows her as she approaches the awkward teenage attendant, who is fumbling to hide the hustler magazine he was reading. there are no other customers.)

you got any cash?

no.

you got a ride?

no, not really.

how’d you get here sugar?

my dad owns this station.
i live across the road,
with him and my sister, sal.

aah.
hey, you wanna screw around?

um, are you a prostitute?

WHAT DID YOU SAY?!

(reaches into her pocket.)

i’m sorry miss, it’s just…

DO I LOOK LIKE A WHORE TO YOU?!

(pulls out a 9mm. points it at him.)

NO, miss i’m real sorry,
please don’t shoot!

now, i’ll ask again,

(puts gun away.)

do you wanna screw around?

yes em. if that’s ok with you,
but you should know,
my older sister sal will be here soon,
to check on me.

that’s ok, we got time.

(walks him to the bathroom.)

what’s your name?

marty. marty thompson.

(door closes)

marty, you ever had pussy?

no.

take off your shirt.

ok.

good, good.
now undo those pants, marty.

yes, miss.

don’t be scared.
you like my titties, boy?

mmhmm.

yeah. they givin you a hard on?
make your pecker stiff?

uh-huh.

know what my daddy used to say about my tits?

no…what?

(pulls gun out in a flash.)

“click”

WAY TOO GODDAMN MUCH.

“POW!”

(body falls limp to the floor,
pants at its ankles.)

(drags body from bathroom of gas station to the backyard.
begins walking back in.)

“RING!”

“RING!”

“RING!”

(hears cellphone, walks back to the body,
picks it up. display reads SAL.
answers in marty’s voice.)

um, hello?

what do you mean hello?
where are you?
i’m here!

oh, sorry sal, i’m in the bathroom.
be out in a bit.

shit faster spaz!
you’re supposed to be runnin the store for daddy!

(smiles, then snarls.
sneaks back into bathroom,
quietly closing back door.)
FUCK DADDY!

THE FUCK DID YOU SAY?!
GET OUT HERE, NOW!!!
MARTY!
MARTY!

(whips gun out as she steps out of the bathroom
and changes her voice back.)

IS DEAD!

“click”

(walks toward sal with gun pointed at her.)

(shoves hands into the air, terrified.)

what the?
who are you?
where’s my brother?!

(in marty’s voice.)

you really don’t listen, sal.
i said i’m dead. out back,
baking like roadkill in the arizona sun!

(raises gun.)

care to join me, sis?

NO! NO!
look, i’m sorry,
for whatever he did!
he’s not too bright.
he wasn’t too bright.

(begins to cry, as it all sinks in.)

what did he do?
and who are you?

he tried to touch my tits.
and i’m lisa.
is there any more cash in this joint?
register only had a $20.
i didn’t really come here to take your money,
but what the hell, why not?

uh, lockbox,
underneath the counter,

(pulls it up, shaking.
hands it to lisa.)

here. just let me go, ok?
i won’t say nothing, i promise.

(takes lockbox, checks it,
counts $120, points gun back at sal.)

I PROMISE!

you know, sal,
my dad once made me a promise.

oh yeah?

yeah, he promised he’d stop beating
my mom in front of me.

(shifts nervously,
not knowing what to say.)

um…

he also promised me he’d stop touching me.

(sweating bullets, terrified.)

listen, i know where more money is,
it’s at my dad’s house.
if you want it, you can have it.
just LET ME GO!!!

(sobbing uncontrollably.)

“POW!”

he lied.

(takes box out to sal’s car, and puts it in passenger seat. comes back to station and drags sal’s body outside next to marty. dumps gasoline on bodies and gas station. stands in front of station with the gas can and a trail of gas leading to station. lights match, as a tear runs down her face, thinking about what mama said.)

mama lied too.

(drops match, walks away, as bodies burn, and station explodes. gets in car, backs up, and prepares to make a clean getaway. fire reaches the pumps as she accelerates a little too late. car is hit with blast and flips over, on fire. lisa kicks at glass, screaming and cursing. her feet finally break the glass and she begins to crawl out. halfway out, car explodes, ripping her to shreds and killing her. lockbox drops from sky, burning but intact. tattooed right arm falls near the box. tattoo, enveloped in real flames reads, “babygirl.” camera fades as it zooms out, showing the aftermath before fading to black.)

FIN.

editors note:

How we survive tragedies and disasters tells us just who we really are. For those who can’t handle the suffering, though, they’ll make the world suffer them. And if you’re ever curious who these sociopaths are, just connect eyes with the gas attendant, and see if they’re peeking into your bad brain, too. – Tyler Malone

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