Another excerpt from my novel, “stain red”

Published on by Mickey Z.Leave a comment

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I really wanna share the story my sister Carla told me about how she first met Calle, way back in the day. There was a bogus self-defense class at the long-defunct community center, taught by a dude-bro. Legend has it this guy was only doing it as part of his 200 hours of community service for some unknown offense. He regularly taunted his students of color, especially the females, and one of the girls in the class told Calle about him.

One night, Calle signed up for an “introductory lesson.” Here’s how Carla remembers that experience… 

DISS TO

INT. SELF-DEFENSE CLASS AT THE CENTER—NIGHT

We see DANNY, the self-defense teacher, standing in front of a class of STUDENTS. With his bulky frame and pinched, mean white face, Danny looks like he could be a future Trump supporter. Yeah, he’d be right at home chanting: “Build that wall!”

Most of his students are between 16 and 20, but there is a sprinkling of others—ranging in age from 35 to 50. All the students are either black or Hispanic except for three WHITE GIRLS, one of whom is CARLA

Towards the back of the class, we see a real NERD. As the CAMERA PULLS CLOSER, we see that the “nerd” is Calle, dressed in a baggy gi and white belt, wearing Elvis Costello glasses fixed with tape. Her body language is timid and her eyes dart back and forth like someone who is very uncomfortable with herself and her surroundings.

CARLA

(V/O)

Danny started each class by yelling:

DANNY

Who’s my first victim?

CARLA

(V/O)

Then he’d pick one of us.

DANNY

I want you!

PEDRO, the 14-year-old boy Danny has pointed at, meekly stands and approaches the front of the room.

PEDRO

Yes, Danny.

DANNY

(slaps him on head)

Sensei! Call me Sensei!

PEDRO

Yes, Sensei.

CARLA

(V/O)

Everyone had to call him Sensei and if you didn’t, he got extra rough with you.

Danny demonstrates a few rudimentary wrist locks and arm holds by twisting Pedro around like a human Gumby doll. The boy’s pained expression brings fury to Calle’s eyes. A MURMUR of Spanish voices buzzes through the class.

DANNY

Hey, I ain’t your case manager so speak English. You’re in America!

Danny’s students cringe as he lets go of Pedro, allowing him to drop painfully onto the mat.

DANNY

(sneering)

You Puerto Ricans give up too easy.

PEDRO

I’m not Puerto Rican, I’m from Guatemala.

DANNY

Whatever. . . (under his breath) you’re all spics to me.

CARLA

(V/O)

I always wished someone would put him in his place.

DANNY

(sadistically)

Who’s my next victim?

CARLA

(V/O)

With the practiced eye of a bully, Danny scanned the class and zeroed in on the new girl, the nerd hiding in the back.

DANNY

Hey four-eyes, I want you!

CALLE

(still whispery)

M-m-m-eeeee?

DANNY

Yeah, get your sweet lil’ ass up here, sen-your-REE-tah.

Calle adjusts her glasses, struggles to her feet, and makes her way towards the front of the class avoiding eye contact with anyone. With each step of her left foot, we hear a palpable but undefined CHING sound. Just before she reaches Danny, Calle stumbles a bit, bringing a laugh from her unsuspecting classmates.

CALLE

Yes, sir?

DANNY

(half-inch from Calle’s face)

SENSEI!!!!!!!!!!

Calle cringes convincingly from the verbal onslaught.

DANNY

(to class)

Okay, morons, this is what a takedown looks like.

Starting from a position facing Calle, Danny awkwardly places his right foot behind Calle’s right foot and WHAM—he sends Calle onto her ass with a LOUD THUD. All the students cringe.

DANNY

(creepy smirk)

Hey four-eyes, you look pretty hot all sprawled out down there.

Super proud of himself, Danny allows his gaze to leave Calle as he smirks at the rest of the students.

CARLA

(V/O)

Danny took his eyes off Calle and the next thing he knew, he was horizontal, four feet off the ground, about to land flat on his back. Leg sweep. BAM! That had to hurt.

Calle springs to her feet like a jungle cat as Danny slowly but angrily struggles to get himself upright. She takes off her gi top and fake glasses and stares daggers at him.

DANNY

(still on the floor)

You sneaky spic!

CALLE

(on fire)

Get up, Sen-SAY, (beat) I feel like dancing.

Danny shivers ever-so-slightly. No one else in the room appears cold.

CARLA

(V/O)

With that, Calle turned to us and winked. She’s a teenage girl about to fight a grown man in front of a class full of people but she took time to wink at us before making him stain red! What followed was the utter mortification of a mutant piece of shit named Danny. Using tactics designed more to taunt than hurt, Calle defended herself and the honor of her people with an unforgettable exhibition. Trust me, we all went wild.

Finally, when Danny can no longer withstand the physical and psychological abuse, he remains prone on the mat: eyes bulging in shock and fear as he begs for mercy.

DANNY

Okay, okay, I’ll do anything, just please stop, you crazy bitch. I can’t take any more.

CALLE

(standing over her vanquished foe)

There’s something I want you to do.

DANNY

Anything! Anything! What is it?

CALLE

Apologize to the class.

DANNY

What?

Calle grabs his wrist and twists it into a position that spells P-A-I-N.

DANNY

Okay, okay! I’m sorry, everyone.

CALLE

Sorry for what?

DANNY

Um…for being too rough?

CARLA

(V/O)

Calle twisted harder and Danny howled in agony. I thought she might break his wrist. The room was electric. We were witnessing a scene that seemed impossible just a few minutes beforehand.

CALLE

I realize you’re a mutant, Sen-SAY, but you can’t possibly be this dense, can you? Now, repeat after me, for starters: I’m sorry I just maligned you with a misogynistic slur.

DANNY

I’m sorry I just, um, mm-lined you a misgenisist slur.

CALLE

(rolls eyes)

Now, to the class: I’m sorry for being a pathetic creep.

DANNY

I’m sorry for being a pathetic creep.

CALLE

I’m sorry for exploiting my white male privilege.

DANNY

I’m sorry for exploiting my white male privilege.

CALLE

I promise to treat you all with the respect you deserve (beat) especially the girls.

DANNY

I promise to treat you all with the respect you deserve. (Calle’s twists harder) Especially the girls! Especially the girls!

Calle releases Danny, her eyes like hot coals as she continues to glare at him while gathering up her stuff and moving towards the door. The students CHEER madly and, to Calle’s surprise, the entire class also gathers their stuff and follows her from the self-defense room CHANTING “Viva Latino!” with a “Stain red!” HEARD here and there in the mix.

It’s all enough to shake the windows and rattle the walls.

In the Center’s hallway, a YOUNG WOMAN pops her head out from another room to see what all the commotion is about.

YOUNG WOMAN

What’s with all the noise?

FEMALE STUDENT

(in Spanish)

Praise the goddesses, we’ve just been saved!

DISS TO

Where are their hashtags?

Published on by Mickey Z.2 Comments

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Brittanee Drexel’s nightmare was far from a cultural aberration. There are thousands and thousands and thousands of images and GIFs and videos—posted, re-blogged, and shared every minute of every day—eroticizing the concept of women in deep distress. Barbarous devices and restraints abound and there’s no limit to the myriad methods by which pain and degradation are inflicted upon these helpless victims.

 handpointRTig Please click here to read my full article!

Everything you know about self-defense is wrong (part 2)

Published on by Mickey Z.Leave a comment

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Alongside commitment is awareness. We must accept the realities of what we’re up against and do the work to stay as safe as possible within the confines of such realities. This is not victim-blaming, e.g. “Why was she in that neighborhood or wearing her headphones?” Predators are predators. It’s not you, your outfit, what you drank, how you danced, or the route home you took. The predator is the only one to blame. Always.

Thus, a major part of awareness = learning more about predators.

handpointRTig Please click here to read my full article!

Sex (statutory rape), Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll

Published on by Mickey Z.Leave a comment

keith-moon-backstage

I can see that you’re fifteen years old/No I don’t want your I.D.

You look so restless/And you’re so far from home

But it’s no hanging matter/It’s no capital crime

 handpointRTig Please click here to read my full article!

Everything you know about self-defense is wrong (part 1)

Published on by Mickey Z.Leave a comment

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At its core, I believe self defense = survival. There are no secrets or magic formulas; “self defense” makes no promises. More often than not, pre-planned “moves” don’t work. If anyone tells you otherwise, practice real self defense and get away from them as quickly as possible!

 handpointRTig Please click here to read my full article!

Another except from my novel, “stain red”

Published on by Mickey Z.Leave a comment

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Calle was friends with my older sister, Carla, and would sometimes crash at our apartment. Carla was a pain in the ass, know-it-all big sister to me but otherwise, she was and still is pretty quiet and chill. She was student at Calle’s informal females-only (strictly enforced, I must add) self-defense class and her mellow demeanor vibed well with her teacher. They’d share books and talk about the state of the world. I’d try to eavesdrop and learn, but Calle had that sixth sense and always knew when I was around. In fact, that’s kinda what happened the first time we met.

I had just come home from school. My Mom, as always, was working. There was no sign of Carla but her bedroom door was open…so, being a typical little brother, I peeked in.

***

CUT TO

ALPHONSE’S POV as he peers into the bedroom with the SOUND of police sirens echoing loudly down the block. He gets a profile view of a sweaty Calle in a very odd position, moving her hands and arms in very unusual ways.

Feet pigeon-toed. Elbows tight to the body. Limber wrists making twists and thrusts. Her body toned and symmetrical.

CUT TO

The hallway outside Carla’s door where Alphonse takes a good up-and-down look at Calle.

CALLE

(V/O)

Puh-leeeese don’t be pornifying me, white boy.

Alphonse’s face is a mask of shock and fear as we…

CUT TO

ALPHONSE’S POV as Calle finishes up with a flurry of three fast, sharp punches.

CALLE

(cont’d, without looking at him)

You must be Alphonse.

ALPHONSE

You can call me Allie.

CALLE

(turns to face Alphonse)

So tell me, Alphonse, what thoughts were careening across your cranium when you were creeping on me just now?

ALPHONSE

I-I-I just didn’t expect anyone to be here… and you were doing some weird moves and are all sweaty so I—

Calle raises her right index finger to silence him, shakes her head, and walks back into Carla’s room to look in the mirror. She turns to Alphonse and with the same right index finger motions for him to join her. It’s not a request.

Alphonse nervously enters the room and stands next to Calle. With the same right index finger, she points to the mirror.

CALLE

What do you see?

ALPHONSE

Um, us?

CALLE

Is anyone in that reflection worthy of your contempt?

Alphonse goes to answer but Calle’s facial expression silences him before he can utter a sound.

CALLE

(cont’d)

Is anyone in that reflection worthy of your disrespect? Is there anyone in that reflection who you perceive as lesser than you?

ALPHONSE

No, of course not, I—

CALLE

Your male gaze told me another story, Alphonse. The way you gazed at me was not respectful. You perceived me as an object. (beat) Are women and girls mere objects to you?

ALPHONSE

No, of course not, I—

CALLE

Like most males, your behavior does not match your words. Your behavior informs me that your mind has been corrupted and you have an abundance of work to do to even start deprogramming yourself.

ALPHONSE

I always want to improve, but what does that even mean?

CALLE

You already know exactly what it means. I’ll give you one week to figure it out and get back to me. Seven days.

With that, Calle’s right index finger now points Alphonse towards the door. He sheepishly follows orders. Just as he steps out of Carla’s room, he turns back to face Calle.

ALPHONSE

So, what was that you were doing, if you don’t mind me asking?

CALLE

(moving closer to the bedroom entrance)

A little idea. (beat) It’s a Wing Chun form called Sil Lum Tao which loosely translates to “a little idea” in Chinese. (beat) It’s a style invented by a woman (beat), Alphonse.

ALPHONSE

That’s an unusual name for a kung fu form.

CALLE

On the contrary, sometimes that’s all it takes.

ALPHONSE

Excuse me?

CALLE

A little idea. Sometimes, Alphonse, all it takes is (beat) a little idea. I expect you to find me in a week with some answers.

Just as she finishes enunciating the second syllable of the word “answers,” Calle smiles and shuts the bedroom door on Alphonse’s dazed and confused face.

He stands still for a second or two and then breaks into a smile. Life changed.

FADE OUT