Ashes

BROTHER-IN-LAW (V.O.): The fuck is wrong with you Matt?

Matt.

Come on, get up.

Come on.

What did I tell you

about drinking

in front of my fucking son?

Come on. Get the fuck up, Matt.

[BROTHER-IN-LAW INDISTINCT ANGRY MUMBLING]

Yeah, get up.

What's going on?

It's your fucking brother.

He's totally wasted again.

No, you got to go screw. Come on.

Where's he supposed to go?

I don't fucking know. He's a grown man.

He's going to have some money saved up or something.

We can't have this shit going on here anymore.

Matt. Matt.

Why'd you have to go and do this again?

Here's your bag, man.

MATT (V.O.): It's weird to think

that just two months ago,

I was fighting the Taliban

high in the mountains of Afghanistan.

Two months ago, I'd close my eyes at night,

fearful I may never open them again.

It's weird to think

that just two months ago,

I came home.

MATT (V.O.): Home to my sister,

to my baby nephew,

to quiet Sunday mornings.

I'm not myself yet.

So here I am in a motel.

God knows where.

Trying to find my way.

[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]

MATT (V.O.): It's 2 a.m..

Usually the booze and the pills knock me out just right.

But not tonight.

Tonight, the nightmares are back.

It's always the same.

Ramirez

pinned down, screaming for my help.

There's nothing I can do.

MATT (V.O.): It's 2010.

I'm home to a wrecked economy.

What few jobs there once were

have vanished.

Least for me.

I mean, I'm a guy who spent his last

few years a nomad, a savage

living in the mountains, killing for survival.

All they see in my eyes is rage.

I mean, how do you ask a guy like that

to bag your groceries, to take your lunch order?

They don't see a hero.

They see a guy

they wouldn't trust to drive their children to school.

Hey, handsome.

Hey.

I'm Brandi.

Brandy, huh? -Mhm.

Like the booze?

It's with an 'I' at the end.

Oh, all right.

You got a smoke?

No. Uh, sorry. I just, uh.

Just killed the last one on the way over here.

'Kay... I probably have one in here,

it's just such a fucking mess.

Looks like a fucking black hole.

Oh! Mhmm.

So what's a nice guy like you doing in a shithole like this?

I'm new in town thought I'd meet some new people.

Lucky you,

you met me.

So, why'd you pick this dump?

Uh, I was in Afghanistan, and...

Crashed at my sister's for a little bit,

but her boyfriend's not a big fan of me, so...

Kicked your ass to the curb?

Yeah, something like that.

- You were in Afghanistan? - Mm hmm.

Like shooting guns and shit?

Yeah. - Oh...

A real American hero.

Yeah.

I can't even get a job right now, Brandi.

So I guess I'm not much of anything, am I?

So, what's your name?

I'm Matt.

With an 'M.'

Brandi with an 'I."

Well, Matt with an 'M,'

you seem like a nice guy.

I bet I can get you a job.

Really?

I know some people here.

You're shitting me.

Why don't you take down my number?

Alright.

Give me a call tomorrow...

You want to just give it to me, or?

No, I got a piece of paper in here.

Okay.

Mm hmm!

Alright...

Give me a call tomorrow.

Okay.

- Nice meeting you. - Yeah, you too.

[INDISTINGUISHABLE TV CHATTER]

Hey, what's up, Brandi, it's Matt, uhh.

Just calling about that job you mentioned last night.

Hey, Brandi, it's Matt.

It's about 3:30. I'm just, uh, just checking in again.

Hey, it's Matt.

Uhh, we met last night, bar parking lot.

I called, you didn't answer.

Really?

Yeah, no problem. I'll see you in a little bit.

Hi Bill. Hey, darlin.

Matt Benning. - Bill.

Nice to meet you.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

How are you around firearms?

Uh, I spent the last four years in the Army, sir.

I'm going to offer you a job.

The easiest job in America.

Look at-- All you've got to do is if anything weird

happens in here, you call me on my cell phone.

A hobo outside is takin' a shower in his own urine,

you call me. Or if...

If the cops come in here. You call me.

You got that? Now, here's a, here's a scenario. A purple

and blue giraffe walks in and starts

scratching his butt on the doorframe.

What do you do?

[INDISTINGUISHABLE RADIO SINGING]

I'm not sure I follow you on that.

You call me on- you call me on my cell phone.

I'm here with you.

It's, it's real simple, uhh...

Show me your index finger. All right.

- That, is your trigger finger? - Yes sir.

And also, you use it, if anything out of the average