Blood's Thicker Than Water
A short film by L.A. Perez
Open to: Greyhound Bus terminal -bathroom
(Slow motion)
Two hands wash blood off each other, focus in on the puddle gathering in the sink. (Slow motion) You see the blood dripping off of the hands and falling in the puddle and it halfway dilutes into the puddle. The hands then wash a face.
Cut to: Mirror
(Slow motion)
Antwon "A" McElroy (26) comes up from splashing water in his face. He looks at himself in the mirror in a blank stare as the water slowly runs off his face. His halfway un-buttoned white collared shirt is stained with the blood he is losing from the gunshots to his shoulder and abdomen.
He proceeds to take off his shirt and wife beater under it.
A (v/o)
Someone once told me that the first murder ever recorded happened between brothers. Cain killed his own brother Abel, his own blood, because he was jealous of him. I was brought up to honor your brother. Do whatever you can to protect him. That's what brothers are supposed to do right?
A begins to clean his wounds by applying an alcohol soaked rag to his shoulder and his abdomen.
A (v/o continued....)
My older brother once told me that family should always come first. No matter what, Blood will always be thicker than water......
No matter how close you may be with a friend...... No matter how bad you wanted it.....
Quick flashback of a young Jacob "Chi" Torres and a laughing together in their high school days... (Silent)
They can never be your blood....
Quick flashback of A holding the lifeless and bloody body of Chi (present-day) (silent)
Blackout...
Open to: Green Hill Park-night
A opens his eyes and focuses in on rows of tall pine trees that line both sides of the street entering the park. (Slow-motion) (Silent)
He is staring out the back windshield as he has his head tilted back on the black leather seat in the back of a fully loaded Chrysler 300.
A (v/o)
When I was eight my mother died of an overdose.....I never knew my father, he was never there. My older brother Bobby was in high school then....he used to show me how to play ball....
Flashback: Bobby instructing his little brother A (8) how to properly swing and hit a baseball at the batting cages.
Bobby
Nah, like this....spread these out a little bit...
He shows A the proper stands, spreading his legs more open.
See like this because when you swing, you need all the power you have to hurt that ball.
A takes the bat from his big brother and tries to stand the same way.
A
Like this?
Bobby
Yeah like that. You ready?
A
(Taking a couple practice swings)
Yeah I'm ready.
Bobby digs into his pocket and takes out a token.
Bobby
Alright...this is the last token so make it count...I want a good average this time...
Bobby puts the token into the machine and steps out of the cage...
Cut to: Machine
The machine's arm begins to rotate. It picks up a ball and slowly brings it around to begin throwing.
Cut to: A
(Slow motion)
A young and eager A stands really focused, ready to hit the ball...First ball comes closer he swings and hits it...
(Out of slow motion)
The balls start coming more frequently; A hits them back to back.
A (v/o)
He showed me everything about playing ball. He was pretty good too until he got caught up...
Quick flash of a drug addicted Bobby taking a hit off a crack pipe.
He dropped out of high school after my mom died, I went to live with my aunt...I would see him around now and then but he was nothing but a druggie to me.
Cut to: Int. Car
A sits in the back seat slanted over. He puts a Dutch to his mouth and takes a hit as he looks at the tall pine trees slowly passing by. You hear arguing in a distance. A focuses his attention on the heated conversation going on.
Lex
(Driving)
Think about it....Garnett, Ray Allen....and Peirce. Are you fucking crazy they don't win it all....
(Slow-motion) Lex takes a swig from his champagne bottle.
A (v/o)
Lex, Lu's younger brother. I met him in eighth grade. He always wanted to be like Lu. Use to sneak out and fallow Lu to the block where he used to hang with Swiff and Early getting that money....
(Flash back)
Cut to: The Block -day
Thirteen year old Lex comes walking down the block. He's dressed in the latest gear as he walks toward Lu who is sitting his grey BMW 745 chillin with Early and Swiff.
Swiff (sipping on a drink)
Oh shit. What’ up little nigga
Lex (12)
(Giving Swiff some dap)
What's up!
Early
Look at this little dick-nose nigga...fresh to death.
Lu
Lex....what the fuck have I told you! Go back home....now!
Lex(12)
But I just wanted to......
Lu
(Gets up from his sitting position)
I said now!
Lex (12) begins to walk back to the house when Early walks up to him
Early
Little man hold on....come here.
Lex (12) walks over to meet Early in the middle of the street.
Early
(Takes off his Yankee fitted and puts it on young Lex's head)
You need this....Listen to your brother. It's not your time yet.
Cut to: Lex (present day)
A (v/o)
I remember he didn't talk to anyone for a couple of months after Lu was murdered.
(Quick flash of photographs being snapped by police of Lu's lifeless body on the floor in his own pool of blood)
They said he was shot in the head twice by a crack head. It went unsolved. They never caught the crack head.
Cut to: Chi
Chi sit's in the passenger seat arguing back. (Silent)
A (v/o)
Chi, he was the youngest. My nigga, He was the first one I met back in school. We clicked since the first day. We would cut classes to smoke and chill...my aunt kicked me out my freshman year....Lu let me stay with him after that. He treated me like he treated Chi and Lex....like a brother.
Cut to: Green Hill Park -night
The jet black Chrysler 300 drives down the entrance of the park and turns into parking lot. The lights go off as the car backs into a parking space.
Cut to: Int. Car
Lex puts the car in park and turns the engine off leaving only the CD they were listening to on.
Chi
(Drinking from the bottle looks back to A)
Early doesn't know we picked you up. But we couldn't do this without you son. He was your brother as much as he was ours.
A
What the fuck are you talking about?
Lex
We can't talk in the car...... let’s go to the hill
Cut to: Ext. Car
(Progressive delay shooting) Lex, A and Chi all get out of the car and head up the hill.
Cut to: Lex
Lex lights up a cigarette as Chi and A stand next to him on the highest point of Green Hill Park. Chi grabs the Champaign bottle from Lex and takes a drink. Lex sits down on a big rock with the city lights in the background behind him.
Lex
(Taking a drag from his cigarette)
Early found him...
A
Found who?
Lex
The fucking vagrant that shot Lu.
A
What?
Chi
Our guy in the station....
Cut to: int. Police interrogation room
A detective interrogates Bobby (silent, slow-motion)
Chi (v/o)
It turns out this fucking crack head is straight now but gets pinched on some stupid shit. Our guy told Early that his fingerprints matched the ones on the gun that was found at the scene....He fucking shot Lu...we got the mutherfucker and I wanna take my time and savor this shit
Lex
We couldn't keep you out of it. We're his brothers and I know that's what he would've wanted....
Cut to: Lex
Lex continues talking (silent, slow-motion)
A (v/o)
As they continued to explain what happened I could only think of what Lu told me the night before he was found dead.....
(Flashback)
Cut to: ext. Swiff's House -night
A gray BMW740 drives up the street and parks in front of the house. You can tell there is a party going on inside the house from the loud music and people chillin and drinking right outside.
Cut to: int. BMW740
Lu puts the car in park and lights a dutch. A proceeds to open the passenger side door...
Lu
Hold on little brother. I wanna talk to you for a minute.
A quickly closes the door.
A
What's up?
Lu
You're what's up. How you doing in school man?
A
I'm doing alright.
Lu
(Taking a drag from the dutch)
You sure about that.....you know I got eyes everywhere right...... Right?
A
Yeah I know.
Lu
So why you lying to me...... I know you've been cutting class with Chi to go meet up with Lex and work the block.
A
Yeah but it's...
Lu
Just shut the fuck up and listen....that's what's wrong with ya little mutherfuckers Ya don't fucking listen. I told you this life isn't for you...neither of ya....I tell you this the most because I know you may not want to understand, but you understand. I used to watch your brother Bobby come by and beam up....
A
That motherfucka isn't my brother.
Lu
Listen, he will always be your blood. No matter what...even if you don't want to accept it...you can't deny that. And no matter how hard you try none of your friends could ever be blood. I'll do anything for you; you know that....whatever it is I got you. But I'll tell you this; if I have to choose between you or blood...... blood will always come first. You understand what I'm trying to tell you?
You can't get caught up in this shit A....stay the fuck away!
A
I know.
Lu
Now let’s go in here and toss some game to these bitches...
Cut to: ext. BMW740
(Progressive delay shooting)
Lu and A get out of the car and proceed toward the house...everyone’s happy to see Lu...everyone greets him as A follows behind...
A (v/o)
Everyone loved him. They all wanted to be around him....the money, the streets all that shit never got to him...... He was respected by everyone.
He was found dead in some fucking crack house the next morning.....the cops said some fucking crack head was the one who killed him.
Cut to: Chi
Chi throws the bottle of Champaign away, pulls out his gun and cocks it. He puts it back in his waist and begins to walk toward the parking lot.
Lex
Where the fuck you going?
Chi
I'm gonna go get this piece of shit, I'll be right back.
A
We doing this right now?
Lex
(Taking his gun out of the holster)
Hell yeah! I've been waiting a long time for this.
Cut to: Chrysler 300 -trunk
Chi open's the trunk. Bobby is in the trunk. He has his hands tied. He has his mouth taped....trying to plea with Chi the best he can. Chi punches him a couple of times until he gets tired.
Chi
(Punching Bobby)
Shut ....the.... Fuck ... up!
He takes a breather while Bobby is agonizing in pain from the beating to his face.
Chi
(Catching his breath)
You.....you killed my brother Lu...You killed him...
He gets up. He begins to force Bobby out the trunk. Bobby begins to try to stop Chi by swarming his feet around. Chi hits him again, and again until Bobby gives up, Chi drags him out of the trunk.
Cut to: Ext. Park -Lex
Lex is talking on his cell with Swiff.
Lex
(Smoking a cigarette)
Yeah we picked him up. Chi went to get him right now.
Cut to: Int. Car -swiff on the phone
Swiff is sitting in his car talking on his cell phone leaning back in the driver's seat.
Swiff
(smoking on a dutch)
Where ya niggas bring him too.
Lex -over the phone
Green hill.
Swiff
Good...they have a deep lake. That should do the trick. It's just you and Chi right?
Lex -over the phone
Nah, A's here too.
Swiff
What! Don’t do anything yet. I'll hit you back in a couple of minutes.
Swiff hangs up and gets up from his slouched position. Suddenly you see Veronica come up from giving him head.
Veronica
What's wrong baby?
Swiff
(Putting his zipper up)
Get the fuck out the car!
Veronica
What?
Swiff leans over and opens the passenger side door.
Swiff
(Forces her out the car)
Get the fuck out now!
Swiff finally pushes her out the car and peels off leaving her on the street cursing at him. He dials a number on his cell.
Swiff
Early....we got a problem.
Cut to: Green Hill Park -Chi
Chi walks behind a stumbling Bobby who now has a pillow case over his head. Chi leads him to where Lex and A were waiting. Chi throws Bobby to the ground.
Lex
(Talking to Chi as he walks over)
Swiff told me to hold off.
Chi
For what?
Lex
I don't know.
Chi
Fuck that, I wanna do this now.
(He turns to A)
What do you think A?
A
This is what we've been waiting for right?
Chi
Exactly. We doing this right now.
A takes out his gun and walks over to Bobby who was on the ground.
A
I wanna see this mutherfucker's face.
A picks Bobby up to his knees. (Slow motion) He pulls off the pillow case. Beat up and bruised Bobby slowly looks up at his younger brother. A looks down in disbelief. He turns his gun on Chi and Lex who were standing behind him.
A
You can't do this.
Chi
What the fuck is wrong with you!
Lex
(Points his gun at Bobby)
This fucking piece of shit killed Lu!
A
(Helping his brother to his knees)
This isn’t right. I can't let you kill my brother.
Chi realized it is A's older brother points his gun at A.
Chi
It doesn't change anything. Your fucking crack head brother shot and killed Lu that night. He's dying tonight. You do what you need to do.....
Lex shoots that motherfucker.
(Slow motion) Lex prepares to shoot Bobby when he gets shot in the neck by A.
Chi looks at Lex slowly fall to the ground holding his bloody neck. Chi shoots at A and Bobby while making his way to Lex. A gets shot in the shoulder while moving to help Bobby run down the hill and disappear into the trees.
(Out of slow motion)
Chi hurries over to Lex who has lost a lot of blood already. He's chocking on his own blood.
Chi
(In disbelief)
No.....no...Lexes ...breathe lex...
Lex looks up at Chi and grabs his arm. Chi watches his brother's life slip away. Chi craters his brother’s head in his arms and begins to morn over Lex.
Cut to: Green Hill Park -A
A hurries behind Bobby helping him run throw the woods.
Cut to: War Memorial
A and Bobby come out of the woods and walk into a war memorial made up of named engraved pieces of stone set up in a circle. They take cover behind one of the stones on the far side. A cuts the rope off Bobby's hand.
Bobby
A I had nothing to do with Lu getting killed....you have to believe me. Yeah I was there but it was Early and Swiff that killed him. They paid off that cop to lie in his report. It wasn't me....
A
(Checking his shoulder)
You saw Early and Swiff shoot Lu...... they didn't see you?
Bobby
I heard Lu and them coming up the stairs. I got scared and went into a closet. I saw Early shoot Lu in back of the head and then Swiff shot him again once Lu fell to the floor. I waited till they left to come out. I left and I haven't used since. I swear.
Cut to: Ext. Park -Chi
Chi carefully places Lex's head on the ground. He then grabs Lex's gun and heads down the same path A and Bobby took through the woods.
Cut to: War Memorial
A and Bobby begin to move from the War Memorial when they hear Chi yelling out to A.
Bobby
What are we gonna do?
A
You need to get the fuck out of here. Meet me at the entrance.
Chi shoots at them making them take cover.
A
Do what I said. Meet me at the entrance.
Bobby runs up a wooded trail disappearing into the woods.
A shoots back at Chi forcing him to take cover on the other end of the memorial.
Chi
You piece of shit! You killed Lex....he's fucking gone!
A
Listen Bobby didn't kill Lu, it was Early and Swiff shot killed him that night.
Chi
You fucking liar!
Chi starts to make his way to the other end of the memorial. A comes out from behind his cover. They both find themselves pointing their guns at each other from a couple of feet away.
A
It doesn't have to be like this Chi.
Chi
No it has to be like this. What about Lex huh...you killed him...