Away From Home By dzodzo

EXT. DESERTED TOWN - DAY New Mexico, a shanty town in the middle of the desert. Buildings crumble from decay. ON WELCOME SIGN, which reads "Whitefield Oaks". Red graffiti under the name shows a SKULL without EYE HOLES. ON PABLO RAMIREZ. Skinny, small statured. Mouths the words on the sign A backpack carries all his possessions. His LEFT ARM hangs on his side, IMMOBLE. He licks his lips. Drinks from a water bottle. Only a few DROPS reach him. As he steps past the sign. With his right arm he reaches for a PEBBLE. Taking out a JAR from his backpack, he places it in along with many other pebbles. PABLO (in Spanish) Another place, another day. He moves closer. INT. ABANDONED BAR - NIGHT Pablo sleeps under a blanket near the entrance. Cobwebs and dust fill the bar, with empty alcohol bottles lining the walls. ON ENTRANCE DOOR, creaking open. Pablo JERKS up, scared. He grabs his pebble jar with his right hand, ready to fire. He can barely see the figure lurking in the shadows. PABLO (in Spanish) Whos there? The figure doesnt move or speak. PABLO (in English) Who is here? EARL (in English) The names Earl.

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PABLO Earl? EARL Yea thats what I just said. Ear steps into the moonlight. A HOBO. EARL You deaf or somethin? Earl gets a good look at him. EARL Oh, youre Mexican. PABLO Si--yes...No! I am American. Earl plops down next to him. EARL Sure you are. You mind putting that down. Pablo looks to see hes still holding up the jar. He puts it down. PABLO Sorry. EARL (chuckles) What the hells that thing anyway? Pablo struggles to find the words. PABLO The... places I go to. All here. He opens the jar and takes out a pebble. PABLO Here. He puts it down on the floor and picks another. PABLO Santa Cruz. He takes another.

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PABLO Houston. EARL You remember all those pebbles? Pablo nods. EARL Well youre more cultured than me. All the pebbles Ive got to my name are right here. He gestures around the bar. EARL Say, I noticed you got no car. Howd you get here? Nearest town over is 15 miles. PABLO I...ran. EARL You what? Ran? 15 miles? PABLO I run good. CUT TO: INT. BARRACKS - NIGHT/FLASHBACK Pablo sleeps in a cot in a cramped room with a half dozen other men, all illegal workers. The DOOR bursts open. OFFICER Everybody freeze! The men wake up instantly and rush out of their beds. Police officers rush into the room, flashlights BEAMING. Pablo jumps down, grabs his BACKPACK and SPRINTS to the tiny window at the other end of the room. Theyre only escape. Hes the second man to reach it. The first man is halfway through. Pablo PULLS him down and jumps over him, shoving his backpack through first.

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MAN Pablo! Pablo looks down and they lock eyes. A second passes and he shimmies through the small window. CRACK, his left shoulder DISLOCATES. PABLO AWWW! Through the pain Pablo continues on, escaping just as the police grab the other man. EXT. DESERT - NIGHT/FLASHBACK Pablo sprints in the darknes, the small building the housed him fading into the distance. CUT TO: INT. ABANDONED BAR - NIGHT Earl shrugs. EARL Well Ill be damned. He nudges Pablo in the LEFT SHOULDER. Pablo winces. EARL You ok? Pablo stars at Earl. PABLO No. Earl rises. EARL Well, Ill let you sleep then. A mans gotta rest. Earl walks to the exit. PABLO (in Spanish) Im no man.

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EARL What? PABLO I am no man. Earl shrugs. EARL But men are men; the best sometimes forget. He winks. EARL Read that in a fortune cookie. I think. He leaves. Pablo places his pebbles back in his jar. Kisses the last one. FADE TO BLACK