Samuel's Diner: A Short Film

QUICK CUT FROM BLACK

EXT. DESERT ROAD -- DAY.

CHARLES, 34, in a worn suit, awakes suddenly as if from a violent dream and sits upright. He looks around and realizes he is sitting in the middle of the road in a desert expanse. He stands up uneasily and looks up. The sun shines down on him and he shields his eyes. He looks in front of him and sees an endless stretch of road. He looks behind him and it is much the same. As he turns back he is startled to the point of falling by SAMUEL, 50, who stands before him in a neat suit.

SAMUEL
Hello.

CHARLES
I...hello. I-I’m confused...

Charles turns his head as he speaks.

CHARLES (CONT’D)
...do you know where I...

He turns his head back and Samuel is gone.

CHARLES (CONT’D)
...am...what the hell?

All of a sudden Charles screams, clutching his head. He is in incredible pain. He then starts grasping at his stomach. He falls to his knees on the road and screams again. All of a sudden, he stops as if the pain has stopped.

CHARLES
What the hell was that!?

Charles begins to walk up the road, heading towards a shack he can see in the distance. He passes a road sign advertising “Samuel’s Diner: The Best Chile for the next 50 miles!” and continues walking. The sign goes past again and he realizes that he has come no closer to the shack. He begins to run and passes the sign to more times. Every time he runs forward he comes back to the star.


CHARLES
Oh, what...?

Charles walks backwards and goes to take a run towards the shack and as he does, hits and invisible wall. He falls backwards. All of a sudden, the pain returns to his head and stomach and he screams. He falls to his knees once more, closing his eyes. When he opens them, he sees a pair of polished shoes. He looks up to see Samuel again.

SAMUEL
Are you getting tired yet?

Samuel extends his hand helps Charles up.

CHARLES
Just what exactly is going on? The last thing I remember is...I...I don’t remember...

SAMUEL
Yes, that does happen...but don’t worry, you’ll remember when you can figure it all out.

CHARLES
Figure what out? What the hell are you talking about?! This doesn’t make any sense!

SAMUEL
It will.

Samuel steps forward and pushes Charles in the chest and Charles falls backwards, hard. When he gathers himself, Samuel is gone.

CHARLES
Oh, fuck!

The pain suddenly appears again and Charles is brought to his knees. He coughs harshly. Into his hands, he coughs up oats and two silver coins. He looks at them curiously and just puts them in his pocket. Samuel taps Charles on the shoulder and Charles turns around and is surprised. Without saying anything, he produces the coins and holds them out to Samuel. Samuel takes on and looks it over, putting it in his pocket.

SAMUEL
The other isn’t for me.

CHARLES
Well, who’s it for?

SAMUEL
You’ll see.

CHARLES
Well then, who is this for?

Charles produces the oats from his pockets and holds them out, dropping some to the ground at Samuel’s feet. Samuel’s face twists in anger and there is a bright flash. When Charles recovers from it, Samuel is gone. Charles is hit once more by the pain, only this time it appears more intense. He coughs up blood and spits it onto the road. He is shaking as he stands.

CHARLES
What do you want?! What is this?! Why am I here? Where am I?

Charles begins to cry. He begins to tear at his jacket and reveals from inside the jacket pocket a small silver key and a deck of cards. From the other pocket, he finds a small container of water. He begins to drink from it and then pours some of it over his head. Some of the water is seen spilling on the road. The container is empty and he throws it to the side of the road. He looks back in the direction of it and it is gone. He reaches tentatively into his pocket and produces the container again, it is full. He then hears loud whispers as if there were people all around him, whispering incoherent things. While this is continuing, the pain returns and Charles is brought into the fetal position. He is screaming and blood streams from his mouth. Then, as sudden as it came, the whispers and the pain cease. From behind him comes Samuel, who once more helps him up.

SAMUEL
It’s almost over. I promise.

CHARLES
Please, help me. Where does
this take me?

He produces the key and hands it to Samuel, pressing it into his palm. The key appears to burn Samuel and he screams. He drops the key and as Charles picks it up, Samuel disappears. Charles stands up, weary, and puts the key back in his pocket. He begins to walk once more, this time with purpose towards the shack. The pain appears to strike him once more, and Charles is brought to his knees. But this time he stands up and continues to walk forward, his nose bleeding. He continues, passing the sign for Samuel’s Diner and is met with the invisible wall. He pushes against it almost like he is pushing up against glass. He then is able to move through it somewhat, like transparent treacle, and moves slowly and with great difficulty. Suddenly, he bursts through it and the pain stops.

INT. SMALL MOTEL ROOM –- DAY

Charles bursts into the room as if through a door. He turns around and sees there is no door, nor is there one in the room. There are many windows with broken shades which show the outside desert, the sun shining it. In the centre of the room is a table. Sitting at the table, is Samuel.

SAMUEL
Well, well, you made it.

CHARLES
Made it where?!

SAMUEL
Here. Please, sit.

Samuel gestures to the empty chair across from him. Charles warily approaches and sits down.

SAMUEL
The cards.

Samuel gestures towards Charles and Charles, surprised, removes the cards from his jacket pocket. He lays them on the table. Samuel takes them and begins to shuffle, dealing them out onto the table like a blackjack hustler. Suddenly, the pain and whispers return and this time are more powerful than before. Charles screams but he cannot stand from the chair. Blood drips from his nose.

SAMUEL
Shall we play?

CHARLES
I...I can barely...think...

SAMUEL
Well, that’s the idea. I’m on the home turf, now you have to beat me.

CHARLES
Who...who are you?

SAMUEL
I’m Samuel. Charmed, I’m sure. Pick up your cards.

Charles picks up his cards. He sees he has a ten and an eight. He taps the table. Samuel throws his cards down. He has two tens. The pain in Charles’ head intensifies. Samuel deals again. Charles has two fives. He gets another card. It is a king. He stands. Samuel draws. He has two kings and an ace. Samuel screams as if struck and begins to weep. Charles watches as Samuel deals, and sees he is dealing from the bottom of the deck.

CHARLES
Mind if I...deal this round?

SAMUEL
(Warily) Be my guest...

Charles picks up the cards and reshuffles. He deals the cards. Samuel looks at his and he appears tense. Charles looks. He has a Jack and an Ace. He taps. Samuel asks for another card. He is given one. He throws them down in anger. The pain eases in Charles. This process repeats twice more with the same results – Charles getting Jack and Ace both times. The pain is then completely removed and Samuel screams and he disappears.

EXT. DESERT ROAD –- DAY

Charles awakens on the desert road once more. He stands up and this time he is just outside the door to a diner. The sign above the door reads Samuel’s Diner. Charles looks around and enters. The lights are dim – the place is mostly lit by the sunlight. He sees a few people eating at booths. He appears dazed. A waitress approaches him.

WAITRESS
You new around here?

Charles nods.

WAITRESS
Alright. You best sit down.

CHARLES
Does this place belong to Samuel?

WAITRESS
Oh, no, honey. It’s just called that to confuse the old bastard.

Charles appears confused

WAITRESS
Oh, you still haven’t figured it out, huh? Oy...alright, just go over there, your locker is number 739.

Charles confusedly nods and goes towards the lockers. He finds number 739 and attempts to open it. He can’t. He then looks around before he pulls the small, silver key from his pocket. He uses it to open the locker door. Inside it is a whole bunch of dirt. He digs through it and discovers a prayer shroud with his name on it. He takes this. He digs around some more and finds a note. It reads “the silver coin is for the waitress”. Charles folds up the notes and puts it in his pocket. He approaches the waitress and taps her on the shoulder. She turns around to see Charles holding the coin up to her face. She smiles and takes it.

WAITRESS
There you go, now you got it.

Suddenly, Charles smiles and goes to sit down at a booth. He is brought a coffee by the waitress.

CHARLES
I feel so much better now.

WAITRESS
Good, good.

Charles sips at his coffee. He takes the newspaper on his table and sees the front page. It is his obituary with a large photograph of him. He smiles widely and turns it over. He then reaches over onto the seat next to him and picks up a book, “No Exit” by J.P. Sartre, and begins to read it.

EXT. DESERT ROAD –- DAY

ANDREW, 60, suddenly awakens on the same stretch of road as Charles. Samuel is there before him.

SAMUEL
Hello.





END.