A MURDER, THRICE

By
Stephen Belden

belden.16@osu.edu

EXT. HOUSE - DAY

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, its an
absolutely gorgeous day outside of FRANKs house.
Frank stretches and yawns for a moment before putting on his
backpack and walking down the street.
EXT. SIDEWALK - CONTINUOUS
Frank walks down the sidewalk towards some unnamed errand.
We follow as he glides across the pavement, smiling and
nodding to pedestrians as he goes. He hops over a small
puddle and whistles with pep in his step. Nothing could put
a damper on Franks day.
As we keep with Frank, he feels a buzzing in his pocket. He
takes his phone out and sees the name MARTY on the caller
ID.
FRANK
Hey buddy, whats happening?
MARTY (V.O.)
Franky! Where ya at?
FRANK
Just walking down 13th! should be
there in five.
MARTY
Cool, cool, cool, daddy-O. Im
already here. Want me to order a
beer for you?
FRANK
What, you havent already?
MARTY
You got it, Franky.
FRANK
See you soon.
He hangs up the phone and licks his lips. That beer is
sounding tastier by the second.

2.

EXT. ALLEYWAY - CONTINUOUS

Frank takes a turn down a dingy alleyway that appears to
have been closed with road blocks for construction. He
karate chops the caution tape blocking off the path and
walks through. No big deal, Frank has walked down this
alleyway hundreds of times.
As he walks among the trash heaps he spots TWO MEN, one
wearing a black beanie, further up the alleyway who appear
to be in a heated discussion. He watches.
The argument becomse more heated, theyre yelling at each
other now, but Frank cant make out the words. He takes his
earbuds out of his ears, his interest piqued.
Suddenly, the argument escalates physically, the two men are
now wrapped up each attempting to get a hold on the other.
Frank scoffs at the sight, confused, and a little bit
excited. His natural instincts are to creep just a little
bit closer and take out his phone. He begins recording the
scene with bated breath.
FRANK
(under his breath)
Hooooooolyeee shit! Bum fight! Bum
fight!
The fight escalates more, the man in the beanie is
dominating the other, getting several good punches in.
Frank looks around, astonished that this is happening in
broad day light and hes the only one around to witness.
One of the men has been knocked to the ground, defeated.
Suddenly, the black beanied man draws what appears to be a
gun from his waist band. Frank looks up from his phone,
frozen.
FRANK
Oh. Oh, no. No, no, no, no!
BANG! The beanie man shoots the other as he lay helpless on
the ground. Frank watches his body go limp. His face is
terror stricken. He fumbles with his phone and begins
sprinting away.
Frank steals a glance back and sees the man looking in his
direction

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

3.
MAN
HEY!
FRANK
(to himself)
OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD,
DONT SHOOT ME, DONT SHOOT ME,
DONT SHOOT ME.

He turns the corner and continues sprinting.

EXT. STREET - CONTINUOUS
Frank continues sprinting down the sidewalk, making
terrified guttural noises as he goes. Pedestrians give him
odd looks as he passes.
INT. BAR - CONTINUOUS
Frank practically breaks through the door as he rushes
inside. He spots MARTY sitting at a table alone who waves to
him. He looks back out the window to see if hes been
followed; he hasnt.
Frank takes out his phone, dials, and power walks over to
Marty as he places the phone to his ear. Marty is confused
by Franks disheveled look.
Frank sits down at the table, phone to his ear.
MARTY
Whats going on FraFrank cuts him off by shaking his hand at him.
FRANK
(voice shaking)
Yes, I would like to report a
shooting. Yes, on Pearl alleyway
between 13th and 12th. No... Oh-.
Okay, but is there anything I-. Oh.
Okay...
He hangs up the phone, looking confused.
MARTY
What was that?
FRANK
(whispering loudly)
I think I just saw someone get
shot!
(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

4.

MARTY
(whispering loudly)
Where?
FRANK
In the face!
MARTY
What!? Are they okay?
FRANK
Probably not, Marty!
Frank motions to his phone, still confused from what he
heard
FRANK
And the police just told me theyre
aware of the situation and that
they have it under control. There
wasnt anyone else around but
me...Hey, wheres mine?
Marty gulps down the last sip of beer in his glass and sets
it down on the table... next to another empty beer glass.
MARTY
(speaking at normal volume)
You were taking too long and I got
thirsty.
A server places a beer in front of Frank.
FRANK
I JUST WITNESSED A MURDER!
The Server removes Franks beer from the table.
Frank looks around the restaurant, embarrassed. Marty takes
a deep sigh.
MARTY
I dont know Frank, it kind of
sounds like you might be
exaggerating the situation a little
bit. Did you really almost get
shot?
JUMP CUT TO:
Frank showing Marty the video on his phone. Its a pretty
crappy video, but you can see and hear a gunshot, and then
Frank running away terrified, sobbing.
(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

5.

Marty sits back, and takes a sip of a new beer.

MARTY
Im not entirely convinced by that.
FRANK
Are you kidding me!? I just dialed
911!
MARTY
And they said they had it under
control!
FRANK
How could they even know? I was the
only one there.
MARTY
You dont know that.
FRANK
Im pretty damn sure. And Im also
damn sure that Im not going to let
someone just get away with murder.
I have a civil duty to uphold.
MARTY
Youre a criminology major, Frank.
He stands up and gathers his things.
MARTY
Dont tell me youre going back?
FRANK
I am. And youre coming with me.
Marty stares longingly at his beer.
EXT. STREET - A LITTLE LATER
Frank and Marty near the corner where it all went down. The
road blocks are still there and the caution tape has been
rehung.
MARTY
This is pointless. No one ever
returns to the scene of the crime.
Thats textbook murder.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

6.

FRANK
Lets just have a look.
Frank walks up to the caution tape, rips it down and throws
it to the side.
MARTY
Oh, come on. Youre literally
throwing caution to the wind!
EXT. ALLEYWAY - CONTINUOUS
Frank and Marty creep down the alleyway , eyes trained on
the road ahead. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Then... just as it happened before, two men come into view.
They look like theyre getting into a heated argument.
We see Franks recognition as he realizes these are the same
two men from before...
FRANK
What the...
The men begin punching each other, just like before. Frank
pulls Marty off to the side, just out of view.
MARTY
Woah! Bum fight!!!
FRANK
Its happening again... Hes going
to shoot him!
MARTY
What are you talking abBAM! Just as before, the beanie man shoots the other man,
whose body goes limp on the ground.
Marty instinctively bolts, Frank follows.
MARTY
(slew of expletives)
JUMP CUT TO:

7.

INT. BAR - A LITTLE LATER

Marty and Frank sit in silent shock back at their table.
Marty searches for words. A server places a beer in front of
him. He tries to drink it. His hand is shaking.
The pair look at each other as if to ask "What now?"
EXT. STREET - A LITTLE LATER
Frank and Marty have now recruited a third friend, SAM, to
make sure theyre not insane. They head back towards the
scene of the crime(s).
They duck under freshly laid out caution tape and head down
the alley way with caution.
FRANK
Do you think, like... wormholes?
MARTY
No, no. Ive seen Cosmos. Im
thinking what were seeing here is
a classic time loop.
SAM
Hey, nobody said anything about
time holes...
MARTY
Shut up, Sam. Get your phone out,
we need video evidence.
FRANK
(aside to Marty)
What exactly are we going to do
here, Marty?
MARTY
What any good citizen would do,
Frank. Take this guy down.
Suddenly, it all starts again, two men, one wearing a
beanie, appear down the road. Frank, Marty, and Sam get
closer than the previous two times.
FRANK
(whispering)
But were not really good citizens,
Marty.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

8.

The group is dangerously close to the two men who begin to

get physical with each other. Marty seizes the moment and
begins a dead on sprint towards the pair as the fight
escalates.
Frank follows with a reluctant half jog, Sam follows next to
him, his phone camera trained on the men ahead.
SAM
Woah, bum fight!
The man with the beanie knocks the other to the ground and
reaches for his gun, just as Marty is feet away!
Marty leaps at the man who sees him at the last second as he
draws his gun, he shoots! BAM! The man on the ground goes
limp for the third time today.
Marty tackles him to the shooter to the ground, knocking the
gun loose.
FRANK
NO!
Frank runs over to the man whos just been shot, fake blood
is pooling around his head.
FRANK
Oh, my god. Oh, my god!
As he kneels down to look at him, however, the man opens his
eyes and looks directly at Frank.
MAN #1
You ruined the shot!
Frank looks up, confused. Marty has the man with a beanie in
a headlock. Hes trying to say something but can only get
out gasps of air.
Frank looks over behind them and immediately turns beet
red...
Out of sight from the alleyway stands a full film crew.
Camera, lights, boom poles, security, everything. The entire
crew is standing, mouths wide open. It clicks with Frank.
Theyve been shooting a scene all day.
Marty looks up and sees what Frank sees. He lets the man go,
and looks at the film crew for a moment.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

9.

MARTY
YOU MEAN YOU GUYS WERE STANDING
THERE THE WHOLE TIME.......... AND
NEVER TRIED TO STOP HIM!?!?!
SAM
(aside to Frank)
Wheres the timehole?
CUT TO BLACK
TITLE: A MURDER, THRICE.
ROLL CREDITS