Sunrise to Sunset

During a bright yellow Sunrise a blue flower blossoms open. A man in a cowboy hat and dirty denim jacket bends to smell it. As he stands back up he stretches, breathing in deep the cool Spring Sunrise before taking a big sip of his daily cup of joe. He sits having his morning swing and cigarette awaiting what this beautiful day has to offer…

The man now attending to weeds growing throughout his flower beds. For he had too many beds to tend to. Such as a man with a green thumb would. Sweating now for it was going to be a hot day he takes a drink from the water hose. Out in the back forty he hears a car pull up. He expected no visitors on this day. He hears the knock on his front door quite loudly, from where he stands in reference to the back yard. Buck his loyal black lab barks quite unlike anything he has ever heard him do before. Paranoia settles in as he hears the 4th round knocking…

Hiding now behind his shed, he has a partial view of his driveway. A man in a black suit and tie stands just outside the door of the driver side. His eyes and head angled at his front door. Probably focused on Buck he assumes. Yet, he never moves a muscle, not even to make a scratch of the face, or wipe the sweat from his brow. Constantly fixated on that one focal point, the front door. Leaving Jed out of the man’s line of sight…

Moments pass and soon he hears foot steps. Knowing his location in the yard this is odd. The man in the black suit is still at the car. His mind goes into overdrive with thoughts to which no on can answer for him. ‘Who are these people and how many are there? I live live alone and owe no debts? There is only one reason he would possibly hear footsteps, someone is searching. Searching for him surely, but why?!’…

Soon the sound of footsteps retreat. By now he’s very curious as to what’s happening. He grows weary of this unwanted anxiety and paranoia. So now he chooses to become angry. He goes around the other side to where the window of his shed had been. Realizing the fate and irony of that outcome. That previous Winter his shed window shattered to pieces on an extremely cold day. This was because he slammed the door too hard that day over basically nothing. Pissed the rest of Winter for all he could do was put a clear tarp over it. Freezing his ass off and cursing it all those days, he now saw this as a blessing…

Jed sees no one, so he goes for it. Only unfastening the lower right corner, he slips in unnoticed. Still angry if not now more amped up then ever, he grabs his shotgun. He proceeds to load his ammo belt with twelve 12 gauge shells. He straps his belt around his waist and reaches (getting on tip toe) to the highest shelf in the room (obviously done by him being old, rotten and worn). He feels around for a moment, then the worst happens. With a horrendous sound of clatter the shelf collapses. Metal still clanking around he anxiously and furiously looks through the mess for what he wanted in the first place…

He finally finds what he was looking for underneath fallen debris, it’s his Colt 45. Growing up a huge Dirty Harry fan of course when he grabs it first thing he says is “You feeling lucky today punk?”. This only fills his heart further with anger but now adds blood lust. Knowing all too well he has been heard by the breaking of the shelf he kicks the open the door. Gun in hand, screaming while in full on Fight or Flight he is ready for the battle ahead…

He veers off to the side of his house where he had originally saw the man in the suit. Although he is gone now, Jed is to gone himself. Too far so to slow down now. No matter where these men are he will find them. As this thought passes through his mind he releases a raging scream. Soon he’s around front. He takes a look around for a moment then spots them hiding low by the other side of his porch. Little do they know the tops of their heads just barely barrel over the deck of the porch. Just barely into the man’s line of sight…

Precision is going to be required but his shaking is far to rough for what he aims to do. So he calmly steadies his aim. He has to aim between the front and side sets of wooden railing. He gets his shot and goes for it. It’s a head shot directly to the back of the skull. The other man immediately leaps up and starts to flee. He sees that he is Dressed in a gray duster and some blue jeans. He’s headed off to the back forty. “So begins the hunt” he murmurs as he chases after the man in the duster…

Searching high and low he cannot find the man anywhere within the vicinity of his back yard. So off to the field he goes. Old dying corn stalk from the previous Summer fills the field. The man takes it upon himself to create a new path by stomping the stalks down as he walks. He begins to become furious and screams aloud again. Then suddenly as if to answer his roar he hears him running the field, going the opposite direction. “He’s headed to the damn car, FUCK!” he screams this vulgarity. Immediately regretting this lack of control. For too many times now has he given off his location, so he begins to calm himself…

He begins his walk toward the house. He finds his way back out of the crops, only to see his back door wide open. He immediately thinks of Buck, and as to why he is not barking now. The man immediately returns to beast mode, only even worse this time. “My fucking house” he repeatedly utters until it finally becomes a screaming mantra. He enters his back door, this time with shotgun in hand…

“Where are you!” screams. “This is MY fucking house!”, “You killed my dog!” he screams and sobs uncontrollably. “You fucks! What have you done?!” more sobbing. Then the faintest sound from the kitchen, a wooden rolling pin falls to the floor. The man turns and looks in time to catch the man in the duster with his eyes. He gives off two bellowing shots from his shotgun and hears the thud he was waiting for…

The man walking over toward the thud pulls out his Colt 45 again. Upon reaching the body he realizes there is no need for the Colt. Duster man has been blasted through his lungs, neck and face. Coughing up blood a lot of blood, he manages to say a couple of last words to his killer right before he dies. “We were just here to serve you papers, *Gasps* your dog is fine, *Gasps* he r-r-r-uh ran out the back door while you were screaming. Sorry for all this *Gasps* the police are on their way. He sighs heavy and dies before Jed’s eyes…

He begins to panic. No longer able to control thoughts or think logically. Then he hears the sirens in the distance. Sirens from all directions, so many sirens. He scatters off to the shed for more ammunition. He notices a blood orange Sunset just before reaching the shed. The man scatters through the mess as the sirens grow louder. “Everything was bright and beautiful this morning, so full of life.”, “Now all I see is blood, on my hands, in the sky, it’s everywhere, even in my mind!”…

The sun had almost fully set when finally he finds the extra ammo he was looking for. He grabs what he can, for time has caught up to him. He can now see the red lights reflect inside the darkness of the shed. “They’re here” he says maniacally. Pauses for a moment before beginning a guttural scream, kicks the door open with two guns wielded he runs from the shed screaming like a blood thirsty barbarian. Ready for battle again…

Author Note: ‘Sunrise to Sunset’ is a short story intended for the screen. Written in one sitting during the Summer of 2018. It is intended to show the horrors of anxiety and PTSD. When writing the intention was telling a story with a constant growing tension and anxiety. Putting the audience on the edge of their seats with little to no action or dialogue. Also leaving room for future viewings of what’s going on outside the main character. Eventually creating a sympathy and understanding for all characters with subtle signs sprinkled throughout the background, especially during the most intense parts.

The Magic to this movie would be…

The Pledge: A Beautiful Sunrise

The Turn: A Crimson Sunset

The Prestige: Multiple Views