EXT. BACKYARD – NIGHT.

The badly lit backyard is covered in blood. In the middle of the mess sits THOMAS(32) a well built, smart-looking city boy who can’t tell the difference between a pick and a shovel. His hands are all covered in blood. He is anxious, holding a large knife. ALEXANDRA(27), cheerful and light, runs to him, notices the mess and stops to a halt in shock.

ALEXANDRA

Who did you kill? Do you need help to

hide the body?

She laughs at her own joke. Thomas isn’t amused.

THOMAS

Donald.

ALEXANDRA

Hm?

THOMAS

I killed Donald.

Alexandra gets anxious.

ALEXANDRA

Who’s Donald?

THOMAS

To be exact, I don’t think I killed

her. I’m not sure.

ALEXANDRA

Tommy? Who is Donald?

Thomas looks at the knife in his hands.

THOMAS

I don’t think this is really good. I

thought it’s supposed to cut through

bone.

ALEXANDRA

(dead serious)

Thomas!

Thomas laughs.

THOMAS

Donald is the chicken I bought.

ALEXANDRA

I swear to God…

She looks around for the victim.

ALEXANDRA (cont’d)

So, where is she?

THOMAS

Yeah, that’s the thing. She ran off.

ALEXANDRA

(trying not to laugh)

I’m sorry, she… she ran off?

THOMAS

Yeah. I cut off her head, then she

ran off.

Thomas points at the chicken’s head on the ground. Alexandra isn’t bothered by the sight. She follows the blood trails.

ALEXANDRA

She couldn’t have gone far.

THOMAS

No, she’s right there.

Thomas points in the direction of a headless chicken running back and forth in the dark.

ALEXANDRA

No rest for the wicked.

THOMAS

Should we… I don’t know… finish

it?

Alexandra looks at him and laughs.

ALEXANDRA

Wow. You could not be more out of

your comfort zone.

THOMAS

Yeah? Well, sue me for trying to

impress your parents.

ALEXANDRA

Is this you trying to impress my

parents? Going all Godfather with a

chicken head?

Thomas hands her the knife.

THOMAS

Alright, you do it then, smart ass.

She takes it and puts it down.

ALEXANDRA

Leave Donald in peace. This happens

sometimes. She’ll die on her own.

THOMAS

When?!

ALEXANDRA

I don’t know. Usually it takes a few

seconds, sometimes minutes. How long

ago did you… you know?

She imitates cutting off her neck.

THOMAS

At least 5 minutes ago.

ALEXANDRA

Oh. Well, then it should be over

anytime now.

Thomas watches the chicken anxiously.

ALEXANDRA (cont’d)

Donald? Why Donald?

THOMAS

Like Donald Duck.

ALEXANDRA

It’s a chicken.

THOMAS

I don’t like ducks.

She laughs. They watch the headless chicken still running around.

THOMAS (cont’d)

We should do something. This is just

torture. She’ll die anyway. We might

as well put her out of her misery.

Alexandra looks away, suddenly saddened. Thomas realizes what he just said.

THOMAS (cont’d)

Alex…

ALEXANDRA

(forces a smile)

It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it

like that.

They watch the chicken in silence.

THOMAS

You know what, I will Google it.

ALEXANDRA

(laughing)

Go ahead.

He takes out his phone.

THOMAS

(typing)

“How… long… can a chicken…

live… without… head…”

They wait for the results.

ALEXANDRA

See? I told you.

She checks her watch.

ALEXANDRA (cont’d)

Shoot. They’ll be here soon. I should

go inside.

She walks to the yard door.

THOMAS

Wait, wait, wait! Oh my God.

She stops.

THOMAS (cont’d)

“Mike the Headless Chicken, also

known as Miracle Mike, was a

Wyandotte chicken that lived for 18

months after his head had been cut

off.”

Alexandra tries not to laugh at Thomas panicking.

THOMAS (cont’d)

What if this is another Mike?

ALEXANDRA

Then we’ll just order pizza.

THOMAS

Alexandra. I’m serious. Come here.

He shows her the phone.

THOMAS (cont’d)

That chicken made its owners over 40

000 dollars per month.

Alexandra takes the phone and reads carefully.

ALEXANDRA

Okay, it’s not even verified that the

chicken was truly headless. Could’ve

been a fraud.

THOMAS

Or could have been a couple of truly

damn lucky people whose lives just

turned around.

ALEXANDRA

I don’t know…

THOMAS

Look at her.

They watch the chicken.

THOMAS (cont’d)

She is as alive as she was 5 minutes

ago.

ALEXANDRA

I guess, she is.

THOMAS

I’m telling you. This could be it.

ALEXANDRA

(sternly)

Thomas.

THOMAS

I mean it.

ALEXANDRA

Tommy, you’re getting your hopes up.

And worse – you’re getting mine up

too.

THOMAS

Alexandra.

She looks at the screen, then back at the chicken, unsure.

ALEXANDRA

Okay, but…

She takes a moment.

ALEXANDRA (cont’d)

… how should we feed her? She needs

to eat.

Thomas smiles – she’s in on the plan. He reads the article on his phone again.

THOMAS

Well, it says they fed him through an

eyedropper.

ALEXANDRA

Hmm.

She approaches the chicken, observing carefully. Thomas follows suit.

ALEXANDRA (cont’d)

How much should we charge?

THOMAS

I don’t know. Maybe 5 bucks per

person?

ALEXANDRA

Okay, so if we let in 30 people at a

time and they stay, let’s say, for 5

minutes. Then they want to take

pictures and stuff.

THOMAS

For an additional charge.

ALEXANDRA

For sure.

THOMAS

She won’t even have to live long.

We’ll be set in 6 months or so.

Alexandra shakes the idea off.

ALEXANDRA

Wait, wait, we’re getting ahead of

ourselves…

THOMAS

Alex.

He watches her, gently holding her hands.

THOMAS (cont’d)

Go get an eyedropper. And order a

pizza.

She looks at the chicken, then back at him, her eyes light up. They kiss and she runs out. Thomas sits down and watches the chicken. His hopes fade away, then he is crushed.

THOMAS (cont’d)

Alex?

ALEXANDRA (O.S.)

Yes?

He’s silent. Alexandra returns.

ALEXANDRA

What?

He nods to the lifeless chicken on the ground.

THOMAS

Do you know how to pluck the

feathers?

She sighs and goes back in.

ALEXANDRA

I better cancel the pizza.