MUSIC:
Transition.
NARRATOR:
That night, and for several nights thereafter, Dave and The Dark Enforcer visit some of Dave’s old high school classmates. This is not, however, a series of joyful reunions. Rather, it is a carefully planned agenda, designed to eradicate anyone who ever bullied Dave.
SOUND:
The wet, slobbery breathing, followed by the muffled ringing of a doorbell.
DOUG:
(muffled, from behind a door) Who is it?
DAVE:
Doug Rockebrand?
DOUG:
Yes?
DAVE:
(a little too cheerful) It’s me! Dave Chersky!
DOUG:
Chersky. . .Chersky. Why do I know that name?
DAVE:
We went to high school together!
SOUND:
The door opening.
DOUG:
(no longer muffled) Chersky! It is you. (snarky) I almost didn’t recognize you without all the acne. What brings you here? We didn’t exactly hang around in the same social circles.
DAVE:
No, we didn’t, did we? In fact, you and your buddies used to go to great lengths to make that clear to me. The wedgies, the swirlies. . .and how about that time you guys “pantsed” me at that pep rally? I think everyone in the school saw me naked from the waist down! Good times, eh?
DOUG:
(wary) Uh, yeah, well that was a long time ago, you know?
DAVE:
You think so? Seems like yesterday to me. But then, I guess once you’ve been humiliated like that, it’s kind of hard to let go.
DOUG:
(a little nervous now) Listen, I gotta get ready for work. Great seeing you!
DAVE:
Hang on! I didn’t get to introduce you to my friend.
DOUG:
That’s okay. . .gotta run!
DAVE:
But he really wants to meet you. Wait. . .where is he? He can be a little shy. (calling to Dark Enforcer) Hey, buddy, come over here so Dougie can meet you.
SOUND:
The Dark Enforcer’s lumbering footsteps.
DOUG:
What the f. . .!!
DAVE:
Can we come in?
DOUG:
No!
SOUND:
The door slamming shut.
DAVE:
You know, big guy, his mouth said “no”, but his eyes said “yes”! Break down the door.
SOUND:
The door splintering as The Dark Enforcer breaks through it.
DAVE:
(cheerfully) Knock knock!
DOUG:
Oh my god! Who are you?
DAVE:
The muscle here is The Dark Enforcer. Me?. . . (with great meaning) I’m just a guy with a really long memory.
ENFORCER:
Shall I eliminate your enemy?
DAVE:
Go for it, big guy.
DOUG:
Wait! All that stuff we did in high school. . .my friends and I—we were just kids trying to have some harmless fun. I didn’t think it would hurt you this much. Don’t do this, man! It’s been a rough year. . .things are finally going good for me. . .I got too much to live for!
DAVE:
What can I tell you, Dougie? Payback’s a bitch. (a beat. . .then, with menace) Do it.
SOUNDS:
The Dark Enforcer snarls, Doug screams, and we hear the tearing of flesh and snapping of bones.
MUSIC:
Transition.
NARRATOR:
And so it goes, as each night, Dave and The Dark Enforcer visit all of his old tormenters.
SOUND:
Fade up the comic book shop in full swing.
NARRATOR:
Then, each morning, he returns to his day job as mild-mannered Dave Chersky, proprietor of Dave’s Dungeon of Comics. Dave revels in the subterfuge, fancying himself a sort of Clark Kent during the day and a malevolent version of Superman at night.
SOUND:
The sounds of the comic book shop diminish until the store is quiet.
NARRATOR:
On this particular day, as closing time approaches and the store clears out, Dave attends to his last customer—a client who appears a bit older than the usual crowd.
NICK:
Dave Chersky?
DAVE:
Yes?
NICK:
Detective Nick Monaghan, Chicago Police Department.
DAVE:
Uh. . .what can I do for you?
NICK:
You mind if I ask you a few questions?
DAVE:
I guess not.
SOUND:
Nick’s footsteps walking around a bit.
NICK:
You’ve got a nice shop here.
DAVE:
Thanks.
NICK:
My son’s a big comic book fan. I enjoyed them in my younger days. Batman mostly. Guess I grew out of them. No offense.
DAVE:
I was just about to close up, detective. What is it that I can help you with?
NICK:
Sorry—don’t mean to keep you. Anyone ever come in here and offer you money to protect your business?
DAVE:
(a beat) No.
NICK:
Really? That surprises me. Just about every store up and down this block is paying protection.
DAVE:
This is a pretty small shop. Probably figured I wasn’t worth the bother.
NICK:
Could be. They usually hit everybody on a single block, though. See, a few nights ago, the mob enforcer who works this neighborhood went missing.
DAVE:
And you’re worried about him?
NICK:
(chuckles, then. . .) I’m worried about what it could mean.
SOUND:
Nick pulling out a large photo.
NICK:
Here’s a picture of him. It’s from a security camera—not too clear. His name’s Leon Keller. . .medium build, dark brown hair, brown eyes. . .you’d remember him. He’s an arrogant bastard.
DAVE:
(a little too quickly) I’ve never seen him. (trying to recover) I mean, uh, my hours aren’t as long as the other businesses. . .maybe I’m just flying under his radar.
NICK:
Maybe. (a beat) Say. . .I hope you don’t mind my asking. . .where’d you get that black eye? Looks like someone got their licks in.
DAVE:
Oh. . .I was, uh, doing inventory in the back and a stack of comics fell off the top shelf.
NICK:
Comic books are that heavy, eh?
DAVE:
A stack of them, yeah.
NICK:
I guess.
DAVE:
(after an awkward pause) Was there anything else, detective?
NICK:
Now that you mention it, yeah. . .just one more thing. The woman who runs the cleaners next door said she heard a lot of noise coming from over here last Wednesday.
DAVE:
Noise?
NICK:
Yeah. You know what that might have been?
DAVE:
Probably just all the customers in here. It gets pretty loud on delivery day.
NICK:
No, she said it sounded like someone was tearing up the joint. . .after hours. Lots of yelling, stuff being thrown around. After about five minutes it got quiet. She peeked out her front door to
NICK (cont’d):
see what was going on and she saw someone leaving.
DAVE:
Oh?
NICK:
Yeah. . .someone who perfectly fits the description of Leon Keller.
DAVE:
(nervously) She was mistaken. He must have been coming from up the street.
NICK:
She specifically witnessed him walking out of this store. Is it possible you made a mistake, Mr. Chersky?. . .that you do know Leon Keller?
DAVE:
No. . .of course not!
NICK:
Still, I’m afraid you’ve become a person of interest. I’d appreciate if you’d come down to the station house with me.
DAVE:
(panicked) No! This is harassment! I didn’t do anything!
SOUND:
A low rumbling begins and builds.
NICK:
Then you have nothing to
