Fade to Black
by Daniel Beadle - Sunday, November 25, 2007
The sound of raindrops hitting the dark city sidewalk resembles the thunderous applause of a studio audience.Jake sits slumped on the curb, clutching his bleeding stomach with one hand, and a beat-up Colt revolver in the other. He manages a sheepish smile that looks more pathetic than sinister, as he raises the revolver to his forehead. He pulls the trigger, and flinches as the hammer clicks.
Jake lowers the gun, then tosses it into the empty street. He manages a dejected laugh as he shakes and lowers his head.
Two black shoes enter his field of vision. Jake raises his head to see a man shrouded in shadow looking down at him. Jake wipes the blood from his chin as he begins to speak: “You can tell Thorne…” He coughs. “You can tell Thorne that that debt I owed him… has been paid.” Jake lowers his head in defeat. “I set the stage.”
The man standing over Jake produces an identical Colt revolver from his coat and aims it at Jake’s head. The sound of the gun shot is lost in the downpour. As the man lowers his gun to his side, the screen flickers and cuts to the set of The Jake Alberts Show.
Jake bows to his cheering audience. “Goodnight everybody. Stay classy, or something pretty fucking close.” He winks at the camera.
Fade to black.
INTERMISSION
