Mission Trip

Chapter 1 of the movie Mission Trip

"MISSION TRIP"

FADE IN:

EXT. ERIN'S BACKYARD: GEORGIA - EVENING

FLASHFORWARD SCENE

Suspenseful, melancholy music plays as we see a young teenage girl, named Inez Molina, lying nearly unconscious on the ground next to a chhatri, no taller than protagonist Erin Justice, that houses a picture of Erin's deceased son Mickey and an urn shut tight and filled with his ashes. Erin pushes away the two people who beat the girl. Erin is a tall, slender brunette in her forties. Her beauty is above average in this scene; however, she appears to have once been goddess-like, but as she gradually lost her sanity, her looks went with it as well. She is wearing her favorite outfit: a navy blouse, a blood-red skirt, matching heels and waistcoat, and an arm band with a blue puzzle piece embroidered on it. Erin just stands there, glaring at Inez and her pathetic state. She holds a replica of the master sword from the Legend of Zelda, one of her deceased husband's most prized possessions, and plans to use it to do the unthinkable to Inez. Meanwhile, Esperanza "Essie," Inez's sister who looks like an older version of her, watches the scene while tied to a tree and with her gag around her neck since she got free of it. She does not say a word; she just waits for Erin to explain her actions.

ERIN I indeed did promise to release her, Essie. But I never said anything about letting her live.       (Raises the hilt        of the sword        above her head.) My love, you are avenged.

Inez uses the very little consciousness she has left to push herself up with her arms. Erin forces the sword through Inez's back, and Inez coughs up blood like a geyser and dies. Erin, with a wide grin and a wild look in her eyes, takes a look at her son's urn and starts laughing at Inez's dead body

INT. COLLEGE COUNELOR'S OFFICE: SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL - DAY

CHEYENNE, WYOMING

Exterior shot of South High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming. During lunch, college counselor Erin Justice is finishing up a session with a Korean student filling out an application for a Korean college.

ERIN (V.O.) And there, we--

Cut to inside the office.

ERIN       (submits student's        application) --go! You're all set, now we just gotta wait for them to say "yes."

STUDENT I hope they do.

ERIN Oh, it would be a crime for Yonsei University not to accept you.

STUDENT Thanks, and thank you so much for helping me with this process, Ms. Justice. I don't know how I could've done it without you.

ERIN Anytime.

STUDENT Ms. Justice, may I ask you a question?

ERIN Sure, and you also may call me "Erin" since you're almost graduated.

STUDENT Ok, Erin, is it true that this is your last year here?

ERIN Yes, yes it is. I'm going to be the headmistress of Prince of Peace Christian Boarding School in Muse, Georgia. I love this here school, but this move is going to be just what the doctor ordered. I'm going to make thrice the amount of money I earn now, and my son is going to have a much better learning environment.

STUDENT Like, what do you mean?

Erin takes a breath and begins to explain. Then cut to the next scene.

INT. FAIRVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DAY

The bell rings, and the students of Fairview all head to lunch.

The title of the movie fades in and out.

One student walks over to his locker with his head down. His name is Mickey Justice, son of Erin. His brown hair is short and messy, his glasses are thick and clearly have taken damage, and his jeans torn.

A group of boy bullies walks up to Mickey, grabs him and takes him to the bathroom. One starts to dunk his head in the toilet.

BULLY #1 You loving your swirly, turdface? Or does it need a little more chocolate?       (Moons Mickey)

MICKEY No-- please-- stop!

BULLY #2       (Imitates Mickey,        drowning sound        effects and all.) No, please, stop!       (Laughs) Where'd you learn those words, momma's boy; in one of your baby books?       (Unzips his jeans        and urinates on        Mickey's crotch) Eww, Mickey. Learn how to piss in a toilet for once. Sheesh!

Mickey finally escapes their clutches, but knowing that it looks and smells like he urinated on himself, he exits the restroom seemingly stealthily. However, a group of girl bullies led by Inez Molina, a blonde "popular girl," laugh at him while eating his lunch.

MICKEY Hey!

INEZ       (Imitates Mickey.) Hey!       (Laughs)

MICKEY That's my lunch y'all just ate.

INEZ Oh, that's your lunch; I'm so sorry. Did your mommy pack it with love while she changed your diaper?       (Pause while her        friends laugh.) But that raises the question: why does she even love you? Look at you; you're dumb, slow, you piss your pants, and you'll never amount to anything. If you were smart, you'd hang yourself because the world would be much better off without you, fucktard. People could actually go on with their lives and care for people who deserve it instead of cleaning up after retards like you.

INT. ERIN'S HOUSE: WYOMING - AFTERNOON

At 4:00, Erin walks into her house.

ERIN Mickey, I'm home.

She sees her son Mickey having a cry on the couch, which he has been doing almost every day of sixth grade (6th grade is considered elementary in Wyoming). Being the mother she is, she rushes by his side to console him.

ERIN Honey, what's wrong?

MICKEY       (sobbing) Today... some guys shoved my head into a toilet and pissed on me, and then Inez ate my lunch and said I'd never amount to anything and that I should kill myself. Why does this happen to me, Mom? Why?

ERIN       (hugs him) I don't know, honey. But what I do know is that those bullies are not in any way, shape, or form better than you. As a teacher, I know that bullies do what they do because they know they're inferior to their victims, so they try to brainwash their victims into believing the opposite. Know what I mean?

MICKEY Yeah. It's just that even though Inez is mean, she seems so perfect; like she doesn't have any conditions like I do.

ERIN Mickey, your Asperger syndrome may seem like your weakness now, but over time, it will show itself to be an advantage over those bullies. Son, Inez is not perfect. The fact that she said such a thing to you shows that she is mentally sick. No, that implies that she can be cured; she's twisted.

MICKEY Thanks, Mom. That makes me feel a lot better.

ERIN You're welcome. And you know what? You only have 3 weeks left of school, And then, we get to move to Muse.

MICKEY I hope there aren't any bullies at my new school.

ERIN Baby, you're going to be the big PK, principal's kid. Nobody's going to want to touch you unless they wanna answer to me. Speaking of discipline, what's Inez's last name?

MICKEY Molina.

ERIN       (Gets on her        computer) Ok, thanks. I'm going to look on Facebook for her house's phone number, that is, unless you want me to tell the principal instead.

MICKEY No thanks, he's never done s**t about my situation. In fact, he sometimes defends Inez instead of me.

ERIN       (Snarls) That f*****g a*****e. Ah, there's her number.

Erin dials Inez Molina's house phone number, and at the Molina household, the phone rings.

INT. MOLINA HOUSEHOLD - CONTINUOUS

Inez answers her house phone.

INEZ Molina residence.

ERIN (V.O.) Hello, this is Erin Justice. Is...

INEZ Justice? You mean Mickey's mother?

ERIN (V.O.) Yes.

INEZ Ok, can you go tell Mickey to go fight his own battles instead of having his mommy do it for him?

ERIN (V.O.) You must be Inez.

INEZ       (Snarky) Who else could I be?

Just then, Inez's older sister/parental guardian Esperanza, nicknamed "Essie," enters the house after working two minimum-wage jobs. Essie is 22 years old and is still in college. She wears her blonde hair down in a relaxed way and dresses in clothing she either bought at Walmart or the thrift shop.

ERIN (V.O.) Okay, I wanted to show you some respect, but since you used that tone of voice with me, nice Ms. Justice is gone. Now put your mother or father on for me right now.

INEZ       (Starts crying.) My parents aren't here, and they never will be, you dumb b***h!

ESSIE Inez Natasha Molina, that is no way to talk to people over the phone.       (Takes the phone        out of Inez's        hand.) I'm very sorry about that. I'm Essie Molina, Inez's sister and guardian.

SWITCH TO ERIN'S HOUSE

ERIN Hi, I'm Erin Justice, and I have called to inform you that your daughter has been bullying my son Mickey at school.

ESSIE (V.O.) What?!

ERIN Yes, according to my son, your daughter has been calling him nasty names and saying that he needs to go kill himself. And this didn't just happen today. It's been going on for quite some time, and the school's done nothing about it obviously, so I've been wondering if you could talk to your sister about this.

ESSIE (V.O.) Oh my god. How long is "quite some time?"

ERIN Two school years, ever since Mickey started fifth grade for the second time.

SWITCH TO ESSIE'S HOUSE

ESSIE Oh no, this isn't good at all. You see, the summer before that school year, we lost our parents to a tornado, but I didn't know the loss impacted her this badly. Thanks for informing me, Ms. Justice, and I'm so sorry for my ignorance. I swear on a stack of Bibles that Inez will never lay a finger on Mickey again.

ERIN (V.O.) Thank you so much, Ms. Molina. Goodbye.

ESSIE Bye bye.       (Hangs up the        phone.) Inez, come here.       (Marches to Inez's        room and opens        the door.)

INEZ Ever heard of knocking, Essie?

ESSIE You've been doing that bullying crap ever since I became your guardian.

INEZ Yeah, so? Why should he not be suffering while I am. "Oh, waah, I get bullied every day." Well I have to live in a dump all by myself until my sister who never has time for me gets her stupid degree.       (Pause) I-- I wish I had real parents again. I hate being alone all the time.

ESSIE Inez, I know you miss Mom and Dad; I do too, but you can't go around turning your problems into other people's, know what I mean?

INEZ Yeah. I just hate how Mickey thinks he's all hot s**t just because he has a mother who is always there for him and loves him.

ESSIE       (Sigh.) With the way you've been treating him, I highly doubt that he feels that way.       (Pause.) Inez, you're grounded for a week. I hope that's enough time to see that you did a very bad thing and have been doing it for two years. I know you're lonely most of the time, but when I graduate college, it'll all change. At the end of the summer, we'll move to a small town on the outskirts of Atlanta. You'll go to a nice boarding school where you will have roommates and plenty of dorm-mates to be friends with. You'll also have me as a guidance counselor, who just happens to live near the campus, so you can visit me anytime.

INEZ       (sobbing) That sounds amazing.

ESSIE Plus, there will be some strict rules in place, so if this bullying thing continues, not only will I hear about it, but the principal will punish you severely. After all, it is a Christian school.

INEZ Yes ma'am.

ESSIE       (Kiss Inez) You're the best little sister a woman could have. I love you.

INEZ I love you too.

INT. MICKEY'S AND ERIN'S ROOMS - NIGHT

SUNDAY

Before they go to bed, Mickey and Erin both say a prayer in their separate bedrooms. When one of them speaks, the camera should cut to the person speaking.

ERIN Dear Lord, I thank You for this day, and thank You so much for blessing me with this wonderful job that I'll take in August.

MICKEY ...Thank You for this day, and thank you for giving me this opportunity to move to a new place and start a new life.

ERIN Although my husband had to leave us due to his untimely death due to illness, he helped You bless me with the most wonderful son, so please continue looking after him as he sits in heaven next to-- next to the Molina's. I pray...

MICKEY ...for Inez's well-being, for Mom told me that she had lost her parents very recently. I hope that you send her a sign that what she's been doing to me is wrong, and if You can, could You please make it quick...

ERIN ...considering--this might be a rumor, but this morning, I heard Inez might also be going to PPCBS. In Your name I pray...

MICKEY ...Amen.

INT. FAIRVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DAY

After lunch, Mickey, while walking down the hallway, sees Inez at her locker and walks up to her to talk to her.

MICKEY Hey.

INEZ Hey.

MICKEY I just wanted to tell you that I'm really sorry about what happened to your parents.

INEZ What do you know about what happened?

MICKEY My mom told me that they passed away, and...

INEZ       (Scoffs) You mean that bimbo who has to fight your battles all the time?

INEZ       (Scoffs) You mean that bimbo who has to fight your battles all the time?

MICKEY Please don't say that word, and can we please just make an agreement to not speak to each other at all, ok? Especially since we're both still gonna go to the same school next year?

INEZ       (Grabs Mickey's        hair and slams        his head against        the locker) How the hell do you know about where I'm going to school, you stalker? Oh, let me guess, your mom told you that as well. Well, like mother, like son, I guess. She's a creepy bimbo, and you're a creepy retard.

MICKEY       (Finally gets the        courage t stand        up to her.) Well at least I have a mother!

Inez stands there with a blank expression on her face. The other students look upon the scene in emotional silence. Inez runs away crying. The Principal comes from behind Mickey and grabs his arm violently.

PRINCIPAL Office. Now.

INT. ERIN'S HOUSE: WYOMING - AFTERNOON

After coming home from another crappy day at school, Mickey angrily enters the house with a note from the principal in his hand. This note says that he has been suspended for three days for his "nasty comment." Mickey takes the hose from the garden to his room, takes out his pocketknife, self-harms for the last time, and writes a note as he narrates.

MICKEY (V.O.) Dearest Mom, I'm very sorry to leave you like this, but if I don't know how I'm going to survive another year of school with Inez. I know you're always there for me, but you're only one person compared to billions who scoff and make my life a living heck; excuse my french. The principal apparently said that I should be suspended for not letting myself get walked all over. So be it. Literally.

INT. ERIN'S HOUSE: WYOMING - MOMENTS LATER

Erin arrives home at her usual time, but to an unusual sight...

ERIN Mickey, I'm home!       (Pause.) Honey, where are you?

Erin, not finding Mickey in the living room, decides to check his bedroom. There, she sees that Mickey has hung himself with the garden hose from the lighting fixture. Completely dumbfounded, she sees the suicide note, picks it up, and reads it silently. Once she finds her voice again, Erin lets out a velociraptor roar that can be heard throughout her neighborhood. She cradles Mickey in her arms and continues bawling.

ERIN Mickey, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault! I never should have trusted HER sullied word. I... should have home-schooled you when I had the chance instead of putting you in that war zone with those bullies... nay, those assassins!

The camera circles around Erin and Mickey and fades to the next scene.

EXT. FAIRVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SOCCER FIELD - DAY

The camera continues to circle around Erin as she no longer holds Mickey's corpse, seeing as it has been converted to ash and placed inside an urn with pictures of him printed on it. As she stares at the urn emotionlessly, she remembers his smell, the softness of his hair, the sound of his laugh, and how bright and friendly his smile was. Meanwhile, myriads of students and faculty take seats in the provided chairs. Erin takes a quick look away and sees that the mourners are setting baskets and bouquets of white roses adjacent to the urn. Erin now begins to show some emotion; appalled and angry that the same people who shoved Mickey's head in the toilet suddenly have respect for him now that he's dead. Inez and Essie finally come up behind Erin to provide their baskets of white roses.

INEZ You know why they're giving him white roses?       (Erin looks at        Inez) They represent his purity, just how perfect he...

ERIN I know what they mean, murderer.       (Inez turns        speechless upon        hearing this        word.) Essie, get over here.       (Erin stands up to        look Essie in the        eyes.) "I swear on a stack of Bibles that Inez will never lay a finger on Mickey again." Were these not your exact words?

ESSIE Yes, and I'm...

ERIN Don't give me your apology. It's worthless and sullied just like your word.

ESSIE I understand. But if there's anything I can do for you, please let me know.

ERIN Just. Take. Your seats. And leave me alone.

EXT. FAIRVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SOCCER FIELD - CONTINUOUS

As sad music plays, people come up to the podium one by one to say some words on Mickey's behalf. To make it more natural, these people will write their own eulogies, speak them, and the audio and videos will be edited into a montage. Finally, as the montage ends, Erin says her final part of her eulogy.

ERIN Mickey, you'll always be in my heart. I am utterly devastated now, but since you wouldn't want to see me throw away my life for you, I will still take my job as Headmistress of PPCBS, and as long as I'm there, I'll do my best to make sure not a single parent loses their child in the same fashion as I did. You may rest in paradise.

ERIN (V.O.)       (The camera turns        to Essie and        Inez. Erin thinks        to herself.) And may you have a perfect view on the day that those two get cast down to the fiery pit.

FADE OUT.

Author's Note

Comments would be greatly appreciated.