Setting: St. Louis, Summer of 2001
Summary: A group of friends turns against one of its members by
making him the victim of an evil plot.
The Cast:
Andrew: The carefree hero of our story, Andrew loves swing music
and walks as if he always has a song running in his head. He is currently
employed at Petsmart, but future goals include taking over the world using
a single lemon. However, he fears that his strawberry hair and squeaky
voice hinder his intimidation factor to the point of making this goal an
unreachable dream.
David: This tall, dark-haired villain has a distinctively sinister
laugh. A master of reading people's emotions, he is a clever manipulator
when he chooses. He is rumoured to be a British Spy.
Amy: Resourceful and organized, Amy is David's partner in
crime. She helps him plan his villainous endeavors, and is always an
available sounding board for any new and suitably evil idea of
his.
Jennifer & Elaine: David's sidekicks, Jennifer and Elaine, are both
talented and beautiful. Do not be deceived by their charm. They were once
innocent, but now have been corrupted by David's manipulations.
The Instigator: This shadowy man, known only as "The
Instigator," is responsible for the story as it unfolds. He is rumored to
have power even over David, but this has not been confirmed. It was he
that planted the initial idea in David's scheming mind, in the form of
this highly secret document.
The Story:
"It is time."
In the parking lot of Petsmart, four
black-robed figures bow silently to each other, as they don ninja
masks. They creep stealthily alongside the brick building, keeping in
shadow. The conspirators lurk near a parked car, hazily illuminated by the
orange glow of a street lamp. Stillness overtakes them as they lie in
wait. All are silent...
Meanwhile, inside the building, Andrew
clocks out of work and wearily gathers his belongings.
"What a horrible day at work," he thinks to
himself. "At least it's over with. A quiet night at home is exactly what I
need."
Feeling better, he takes his jacket and
steps outside the door, whistling softly.
"It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that
swing, doo wah doo wa--"
Suddenly, he is attacked from behind and
blindfolded! He is forced into a car by unknown assailants!
"What is the meaning of this?" he demands as
the car pulls away.
No one responds.
After the car turns several times, he loses
track of where his assailants are taking him.
"Won't someone tell me what's going on?" he
pleads.
"Only ashes and silence will remain," comes
the reply.
Andrew is taken from the car, led indoors,
and escorted up a flight of stairs. He waits for several minutes,
wondering where his attackers have gone. He is surrounded by darkness and
quiet. Andrew slowly removes the blindfold. He finds himself in a spacious
room with an ornate chandelier suspended from the ceiling, several
portraits on the walls, and a grand piano in one corner. The only light
that comes from several tall arched windows obscured by heavy
draperies. He turns slowly, looking for signs of his enemy. His eye is
caught by a tiny figure cart-wheeling across the room. Another attacker
uses this moment of distraction to come forth from his covert behind a
curtain. Andrew turns to face his adversary, a tall man in black, and
realizes he must fight in order to survive. He bows to his
opponent...
A few moments later, eerie piano music fills
the room. The two adversaries stop sparring, and look up. The man in black
removes his mask. Andrew gasps.
"David! I should have known you would be
behind this! If nothing else, that sinister laugh of yours should have
tipped me off."
As if by some unspoken signal, the remaining
three ninjas step forward and silently remove their masks. Andrew is
reduced to babbling incoherency.
"Amy! Jenny? Elaine? You've all betrayed
me? But... but..."
Andrew is led roughly back to the waiting
car.
"So what do we do now?" Amy asks David once
they reach the car.
"Let's go to Steak 'n' Shake," he says.
"But if we go in dressed like this, they'll
think we're holding the place up!"
David shrugs. "Not if we take our masks
off."
"All right then. Let's roll!"