Creative Writing
This Party is so Crazy (Short Film)
EXT. ROW OF TOWNHOUSES- EARLY EVENING
Two girls (20s) ride up to a house on their bikes. The house looks identical to the houses on the left and right of it. It is dressed up for Halloween with pumpkins and spider webs adorning it. We hear faint thumping music coming from inside.
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JODIE
Is this the place?
STEPH
I think so.
JODIE and STEPH dismount their bikes and lock them up at the fence in front of the house. They are dressed in costumes — JODIE is Spider-Man, STEPH is Dorothy.
STEPH (CONT’D)
This place is so cute!
JODIE
I know, right?
The girls walk up to the door. JODIE knocks on it while STEPH looks at her phone. The door unlocks and opens just a crack as the loud music and chatter spill out. A person dressed as VELMA greets them.
VELMA
(flatly)
Hi, can I help you…?
JODIE
Hey! We’re here for Anne’s party?
VELMA
MmmmmmYeah —
VELMA points at STEPH
VELMA (CONT’D)
You can come in.
STEPH, who was only half paying attention, looks up from her phone, confused. VELMA looks at JODIE.
VELMA (CONT’D)
You just wait outside for like, a minute.
JODIE
Oh?
STEPH
Oh… Okay, well, I’ll see you inside, right?
JODIE
Wait, you’re actually gonna leave me out here?
STEPH
Velma said it would only be a minute, yeah?
VELMA
MmmmmmYeah…
JODIE
Steph… you can’t be serious.
STEPH
I think Dave’s gonna be there…
VELMA
Dave’s literally inside right now.
STEPH
Sorry, Jodie! I’m gonna pop in for A MINUTE — just to, like, make myself known. Then I’ll come back for you — but you’ll probably be inside by then anyway!
VELMA
Mmhmmm…
Before JODIE can protest, VELMA opens the door only slightly wider and STEPH skips inside happily. From outside, the inside looks dark with coloured lights flashing, but JODIE can’t get a good look at it before the door is closed in her face.
JODIE
How will I know when I can come in?
The door locks. There is no response, just the muffled sound of club music and people talking. JODIE bangs on the door again. The door unlocks, opens just a crack, and a girl dressed as an ANGEL opens it.
ANGEL
(flatly)
Hey.
JODIE
Where did Velma go?
ANGEL
Who?
JODIE
The person who was— never mind. Can I come in?
ANGEL gives JODIE a once-over up and down.
ANGEL
MmmmmmNo.
JODIE
(angry)
What, are you at capacity?
ANGEL
Mmhmmm.
ANGEL shuts the door in JODIE’s face and locks it. JODIE knocks and kicks at the door but no one answers. She looks up to the kitchen window and sees someone inside, mid-conversation, also dressed as SPIDER-MAN but their costume is way worse quality than hers. SPIDER-MAN is holding a red solo cup and looks at her from high up, staring. JODIE stares back. SPIDER-MAN leaves the window.
EXT. TOWNHOUSE DOOR - LATE EVENING.
JODIE sits on the steps of the house, waiting for someone to let her in, for her friend to come out, or for someone to put her out of her misery. We see her phone screen: she has sent dozens of messages to Steph with no response. She looks at her bike — she could just leave. She gets up to walk over to her bike, defeated, when a man dressed as a SEXY GHOST walks toward the steps.
JODIE
(chipper affect)
Hey! Cool costume!
SEXY GHOST
Thank youuuuu!
JODIE
Do you mind if I tag along with you inside?
SEXY GHOST
Yeah surrrre!
JODIE
Ugh, amazing! Thank you!
SEXY GHOST
Mmhmmm!
JODIE and the SEXY GHOST walk up to the door and knock on it. The door unlocks and a man dressed as WALTER WHITE opens it just a crack.
WALTER WHITE
(flatly)
What’s up.
JODIE
Can we come in for the party?
SEXY GHOST
Heyyy!
WALTER WHITE looks the two of them up and down. He points at the SEXY GHOST.
WALTER WHITE
You can come in.
SEXY GHOST
Yayyy!
The door opens up a little more and SEXY GHOST enters the house. WALTER WHITE tightens the door gap again and looks at JODIE.
WALTER WHITE
You can wait for like… just a minute.
WALTER WHITE slowly closes the door while staring at JODIE.
JODIE screams at the top of her lungs. The door opens again.
WALTER WHITE
Could you, like, keep it down?
JODIE looks at him incredulously.
WALTER WHITE (CONT’D)
Thanks.
The door shuts again, quickly this time, and locks. JODIE is left alone once more — the sound of the party leaking through the windows.
JODIE sits back down on the steps and pulls out her phone. Still no response from STEPH. She tries calling her. The phone rings on and on, while JODIE eyes her bicycle. Finally, the ringing stops.
STEPH V.O.
(yelling over the noise)
HEY WHERE ARE YOU?
JODIE
I’m still outside, asshole!
STEPH V.O.
(yelling over the noise)
OH MY GOD, WHAT? DUDE, I THOUGHT YOU WOULD HAVE COME IN BY NOW!
JODIE
You know, I would’ve thought that, too! Can you come to the door and let me in?
STEPH V.O.
(yelling over the noise)
YEAH, HOLD ON! (giggling) Dave stop!—
Their call is cut short — STEPH has been distracted again. JODIE sits on the stairs bouncing her knee impatiently. The camera starts wide and slowly zooms in on JODIE as the noise from the party dims quieter and quieter until all we hear is her heavy breathing and the score. By the end of the shot, the camera has reached her face.
Beat.
The sound comes back as the door unlocks — a familiar noise. It creaks open only just a bit as STEPH’s face peeks through. JODIE rushes to her feet to meet her friend.
JODIE
Oh my god, you have no idea how good it is to see your face!
STEPH
So sorry, girl! I didn’t mean to leave you stranded! On the plus side, Dave is here and we’ve been flirting so much… I think he likes me!
JODIE
That’s so awesome, Steph!
JODIE signals to STEPH with her eyes that she would like to come in now. STEPH is not taking the hint
STEPH
Yeah, I know! It’s pretty sweet… Plus Dave has a few cute friends that he can hook you up with — WINK WINK!
JODIE
(hinting heavily)
Oh, great! Maybe we can talk more about it inside! And I can get a drink!
STEPH
Oh. Yeah. (Beat) Hold on, I just need to check really quick—
STEPH ducks her head behind the door for a moment, seemingly conferring with someone, as JODIE watches with wide eyes. STEPH returns to the crack in the door.
STEPH (CONT’D)
You’re gonna hate me, but could you wait just like one teensy little minute?
JODIE
(calmly)
Yeah. That’s no problem.
STEPH
MmmmmmThanks so much!
With that, STEPH shuts and locks the door as JODIE turns to face the street. She is smiling.
EXT. TOWNHOUSE DOOR - NIGHT
The door’s lock clicks and it creaks open only just a crack, where STEPH pops her head out again.
STEPH looks around, concerned. Cut to a wide shot to show JODIE and her bike gone. JODIE’s Spider-Man costume hangs on the fence beside STEPH’s bike, which remains locked up.
STEPH
Jodie?
CUT TO BLACK.
ECON101 (Short Story)
Patrick stood in the rain waiting for the bus one stormy night. While he stood under the stoop of the bus stop, a man and woman approached to take shelter beside him. The three of them stood in silence as they waited for the bus, when suddenly Patrick noticed the man kick the woman in the shin.
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“Ow,” she said quietly, and then the two stood in silence once more. Thinking this was an accident, Patrick minded his business and kept his head down. A few seconds later, however, the man once again kicked the woman in the shin.
“Ow,” she said once more. Patrick looked worriedly at the man, trying to understand what was going on. The man didn’t seem to think he had done anything wrong and continued standing dutifully next to the woman.
Another thump. “Ow!” she said again, louder this time.
“I’m sorry, what is going on over here,” Patrick asked, beginning to get angry. “Are you okay ma’am?”
“Oh, thank you for your concern,” she responded cheerfully. “You’re so sweet.”
“So you’re just okay with this?” asked Patrick.
“Oh no, I’m not,” the woman replied, smiling. “I don’t like it at all.”
Patrick hesitated, unsure of what to say, then exasperatedly turned away from the couple, confused but resigned. Until he heard it once more.
“Ouch!” the woman exclaimed. Patrick turned sharply and approached the man who had now four times kicked this woman in the shin.
“Why are you kicking her?” he asked furiously.
“I’m not,” the man replied, “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“I saw you do it,” said Patrick, bewildered, “repeatedly!”
“No you haven’t,” the man replied, “you’ve no proof.”
Patrick felt as though he were going insane. The woman seemed to heed no mind to the conversation, she simply stood and waited with a smile. Patrick bitterly returned to his place under the bus stop stoop and took out his phone to text a friend about what he had just experienced. As he typed, out of the corner of his eye he saw the man squat low to the ground and inspect the woman’s shin closely. Patrick quickly switched his phone to camera mode and waited, assuming another injury would occur. Suddenly, the man stood upright and kicked the bruise that had been forming on the woman’s leg, as if to really make her suffer, and she let out the loudest “ouch” of the evening. Patrick snapped a photo just in time.
“Here!” he shouted, “I’ve proof right here!” The man examined the photo with a scrutinous glance.
“Okay,” said the man, “that’s me. That’s proof.”
“Does that mean you’ll stop now?” Patrick asked. “She is clearly in pain and you are clearly the one causing it.” The man paused, considering Patrick’s words and looking at the tears welling up in the woman’s eyes.
“No, I don’t think I will,” responded the man, finally. “It's too late now, it already happened.” Patrick began seething.
“What do you mean it's too late? She’s standing right here! You could get her an ice pack, or take her to the doctor, or, I don’t know, stop kicking her in the shin!”
“But, if I were to do those things, I wouldn’t get all the benefits that come from kicking her in the shin.”
“What benefits could you possibly reap from this situation?!” Patrick asked, practically screaming.
“Well,” the man began, “me and my buddies all enjoy kicking and we already kicked this lady once, so we figured, let’s keep it going. We’ve got a lot of money tied up in this.” Patrick stood in silence for a moment, absorbing what he had just heard.
“This situation sounds like it's only beneficial for you and your buddies,” he responded.
“Yeah. And?” said the man.
Patrick finally resigned himself. The three stood in silence once more as the rain pelted down around them. Once again, Patrick heard a quiet thud and an exclamation of pain. He felt deep down that there was nothing he could do about it.
“Why do you let him do this to you?” Patrick asked the woman. She hesitated, then smiled with tears still in her eyes.
“It’s good for the economy.”
Devolving (Short Story)
There was always something a little bit different about you.
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You often felt the burning, judgemental eyes of your peers on your back as you walked. You would pass those you knew doing things you could only imagine doing yourself - but that was all you could do: imagine. While you were busy thinking about your next meal, how to keep your fur out of your face, or where the best swimming hole was located, your friends were thinking about their next great idea, what the purpose of their fur was anyway, and ways to find new sources of water for the whole community.
You and all of your friends were monkeys. Apes, I suppose, is the proper terminology. But you had noticed that your friends were not as apelike as you thought they should be. You recognized all of your life that you were a little hairier than your peers, a little more hunched, and a little less clear-minded - you had a lot in common with your parents. Your parents said you were just a late bloomer, but you felt something was wrong.
One day, you walked along your trodden path from your home to your favourite spot by the lake, your knuckles dragging on the dirt behind you. It was the way you were taught to walk by your parents - to rely on your hands for support. You heard soft snickering from those behind you, their arms and backs upright as they gawked at your strange saunter. This was a trip you would take at least once every day, finding a little joy in your routine and a little solace from those around you. Once you got down to the water, you sat on your favourite rock and picked up your favourite stick. You would often use your stick to poke and prod at the fish in the lake for fun. On this day, however, your routine was shaken by a disturbing sight.
Out of the corner of your eye, at the other end of the lake’s shoreline, you saw something you’d never seen before. It was a fish, yes, but not any fish you had ever encountered. This one was different. You watched as the fish struggled and shook as it used four long but stumpy fins under its belly to launch itself onto the shore of the lake. It heaved and pushed against its weight as you watched in amazement, unsure of what to do. Finally, after a minute or so, it had fully emerged from the water, crawling with its stumpy appendages toward you.
You panicked.
You shrieked and hollered in terror as this creature you didn’t understand lurched at you. You took your stick in one hand, using your other hand to create a shield between the two of you, and began swinging wildly. You happened to miss the fish, who quickly flopped on its side to get out of your way, rolling back into the lake. You ran back to civilization, excited but frightened by what you had just seen and intent on letting others know.
In the courtyard, you came across your peers practicing their tool usage as you approached quietly. You told your friends about your encounter and asked if any of them had ever seen anything like this before.
“Oh, I have,” one boy responded snidely. “Is this really your first time seeing the walking fish? I thought it was so interesting when I saw one a few months ago.” You blushed after hearing this response - again you were behind everyone else.
“I saw one too!” chirped a girl. “I didn’t know what it was going to do but I took some notes and I watched it move to another pond! They seem to be developing a new form of travel!” One by one, your peers chimed in with experiences they’d had of strange creatures and patterns of movement and you silently noted that none of them were afraid of what they’d seen like you were. Your peers sought to understand, while your instinct was to run. You had never felt so small.
Once the discussion ended, the children went back to their tools, their games, and their studies, while you sat entirely alone, thinking. You thought and thought about anything and everything. For someone with so much on your mind, you could do so little to prove it. Again you watched others who seemed to be more capable than yourself, more skilled, and more able to show it off. If you were a late bloomer, you wondered when your time to bloom would come. Would it ever come?
Needing some comfort and understanding, you rushed back home to see your parents. You ran into your hut to see your mother mashing bananas in a stone bowl. Not able to think of anything else, you ran into your mother’s arms and began babbling about the creature you’d seen by the lake and the way your peers reacted. Your mother held you close and grunted, communicating to you that she sees things that she doesn’t understand every day - that the world is changing so fast and it can be quite scary. The two of you hardly spoke the same language but you understood each other clearly. You thanked your mother and headed back outside.
Seeing your mother content in her banana mashing, you began to think. How many generations would need to go by until your kin were on par with everyone else? Your friends didn’t look like their parents the way you did. You were scared of the future. Would you recognize your own child? Would they speak a different language like you and your mother? Only time would tell.
As the years passed, you kept your hunch, your walk, your love of bananas, and your difficulty with tools, but it turned out that not many of your peers were thinking as introspectively as you were. That had always been a strength of yours. While your peers were ahead in their critical thinking and researching skills, you always had a mind for emotion. The emotion that you once thought limited you from being analytical was the same emotion that ended up opening so many doors for your self-expression. You were actually quite ahead in that regard; communication was the problem. Your ability to communicate your thoughts deepened with time, even if you were still behind on some other parts of life. Your peers began to listen to you, they respect you. You finally found some sense of belonging.
You saw many of your peers continuing their stories through their children. You remembered being afraid of what the future would hold for your offspring. Again you waited, bided your time, and stuck to what you knew you were good at. Knowing that this was what you really wanted, and once the situation was right, you put your fears aside and welcomed a child into the world.
She was someone you knew. Someone a little less furry than yourself, with a little better posture, and a very fast learner.
You are so excited for her life to begin.
