Short Story #11b: The Chosen 2

One of the writing exercises I've had my students do to prepare them for their state exam is to view an 8 minute short film ("Chosen" by Ang Lee, part of BMW's Clive Owen as The Driver series of marketing films) and then tell part of the story in 26 lines. Even though the film is short, it can't be told as something other than summary (which is different from story) in that brief a space, so they have to focus on one smaller part of it.

What follows is my attempt to capture from 1:30 in the film to about 4:20.

Prompt: After viewing "Chosen" by Ang Lee, write a short story covering a portion of the short film. (Word count: 256)

* * * * * I’m leaving the waterfront with the mystery kid in the back, when two pairs of high-beams skewer my windshield. Busted.

No red-and-blue flashers. Maybe not so busted.

Two enormous thugs exit the sedans. Yeah, pretty busted.

The kid gives me a nod. Well, monsieur, if you insist.

I floor the gas pedal and drive for the gap between the cars. The thugs scurry inside before we reach them. I resist the urge cluck like a chicken.

An SUV blocks the exit of the industrial park, so I drive into a sand-and-gravel processing yard to ditch them.

Easier said then done. They box me in: one in front, two flanking. I slam the brakes and the rear cars zoom past and collide. As they bounce apart, I zip between, looking for spot to turn around.

They play catspaw with me for a while. I go one way, they block it. I try another, blocked again. Blocking me in reverse? Not so effective. The SUV plows into a pile of sand, evening the odds: two cars versus the kid and me.

I enter a maze of cargo containers, but get blocked front and back. I check the kid in the rear-view, see a high-powered rifle bearing down on us.

“Get down!” I shout, ducking while the rear window explodes. I slam into reverse, floor the accelerator. When the car hits the wall of containers, I shift to first, floor it again, and leave our assailants behind.

One question I can’t leave behind, though: Who is this kid?

–30–