Hangnail Hill

Inheritance

EXT. MARY’S HOUSE - NIGHT

MARY and BRUCE, a young married couple, mount the front steps.  They are dressed in funeral attire.  At the front door, Mary stops and digs through her purse.

MARY

I don’t think I have my keys.

Bruce takes a set of keys from his pocket and jingles them.

BRUCE

I got ‘em.

MARY

I’m so forgetful lately.

He pushes open the front door.

BRUCE

You’ve been under a lot of stress.  Your uncle dying--

MARY

I hardly knew him.

They enter the house.

INT. LIVING ROOM

They walk in.  The house is modest, but clean and tastefully decorated.

BRUCE

Still, all that family around.  That’s enough to stress out anyone.

MARY

A closed casket funeral?  I thought he died of a heart attack.

Outside the sound of a CAR HORN can be heard.  Bruce looks out the window.

BRUCE (CONT’D)

Oh, Christ.  It’s Gordy.

BRUCE’S POV

Through the front window we see a beat up station wagon is parked in the driveway.  A scruffy looking young man, GORDY, gets out of the driver’s side.  SUNSHINE, a young woman with long hair gets out of the passenger’s side.

BACK TO SCENE

BRUCE (CONT’D)

And guess who’s with him.

MARY

Oh, shit.  I forgot we invited them over.  I never got a chance to cancel.

BRUCE

I’m sure they’ll understand.  With the funeral and all.  It’s not like you can plan for something like that.

MARY

No.  No.  Maybe it’ll be good to have some company.

BRUCE

You’re just hoping that Gordy will bring some of his home-grown.

MARY

Does he ever leave home without it?

KITCHEN

Bruce, Mary, Gordy, and Sunshine are seated around the kitchen table.  There are wine glasses and beer bottles.  MUSIC plays in the background.  Sunshine takes a drag from a joint and offers it to Bruce.  He waves it away.

BRUCE

No.  Thanks.

GORDY

Come on, Bruce.  You look like you could use a little.  No offense.

MARY

He’s started running again.  He won’t touch the stuff.

BRUCE

It plays hell on my lungs.

SUNSHINE

You’ll take a toke.  Won’t you, Mary?

MARY

Can you see me in a jogging suit?

Sunshine and Mary share a laugh.  Mary takes the joint, hits it, and passes it to Gordy.

GORDY

That’s better.  Isn’t it, Mary?

BRUCE

I just remembered.

He takes an envelope from the inside of his suit jacket.

BRUCE (CONT’D)

(to Mary)

Your dad wanted me to make sure you got this.

Mary takes it.

MARY

God forbid he should talk to me directly.

She examines the envelope.

SUNSHINE

What do you think it is?

GORDY

It’s a mystery!

SUNSHINE

Maybe it’s an inheritance from your uncle.

GORDY

What are you waiting for?  Open it.

Mary opens the letter and reads it.

MARY

(to herself)

Oh my god.

BRUCE

What is it, babe?

MARY

My uncle.  He left me his property.

BRUCE

Let me see that.

She hands him the letter.  He examines it.

BRUCE (CONT’D)

You always said you were his favorite.

MARY

That was years ago, Bruce.  I hardly remember him, to tell you the truth.

GORDY

Well, he sure remembered you.

MARY

His wife died when they were still young.  My parents would dump me off to stay with him from time to time.  I think he was lonely.  I was like the daughter he never had.

(beat)

Harrigan Hill.  It was a strange old place.  There was a graveyard not far from his house.  The locals used to call it Hangnail Hill.

(beat)

I don’t know.

(beat)

It gave me the creeps.

SUNSHINE

You’ve got to go see it, Mary.

MARY

What am I going to do with a house?  I don’t want it.  I don’t want anything to do with it.

BRUCE

Sunshine’s right.  The place might be worth something.  We could sell it and make a fortune.

MARY

It’s in the middle of nowhere.

GORDY

Sounds nice.  A little nature.  A lot of privacy.

SUNSHINE

Hey I know!  What are you all doing for Memorial Day weekend?

MARY

I don’t think so.

GORDY

Good idea, Sunshine.

MARY

There’s nothing to do out there.  Really.

GORDY

That’s kind of the point, isn’t it?

MARY

Bruce, help me here.

BRUCE

I hate to say it, but I think they’re right.  It would do us all a little good to get out of town for a day or two.

SUNSHINE

Then it’s settled.

GORDY

Far out!

SUNSHINE

(excited)

We’re going to Harrigan Hill.

GORDY

Hangnail Hill, that is.  We don’t want to sound like tourists, do we?