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MASTRiF 2011

Student Number: 0119024

FILM Sample Scene – Past the long grass

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EXT. JIM’S BACK GARDEN - NIGHT

ALEC, MICHELE and DEANA cower behind a bin. They huddle over each other, wide eyes fixated on a cat flap on BIG JIM’S back door.

The yellow light from the neighbor’s kitchen window bounces off their wet skin.

ALEC Am telling yeez, he’s it the binga. He’s always it the binga on Sundees…

Both Alec and Deana look up at Michele anticipation all over their muddy faces. Michele thinks about this for a long moment.

Michele looks at Alec.

MICHELE You go in furst, sneak through and open the front door, we’ll cum in behind ye

Alec smiles excitedly for a moment then looks utterly scared stiff. He stands up from behind the bin and slowly makes over to the cat flap.

Alec stands in front of the flap shaking with fear and cold. He looks back to Michele and Deana. Michele ushers him on.

Alec squeezes himself into the flap. He’s too big. He pushes and pushes. The plastic frame cracks and gouges into the skin on his thin arms.

He retreats. Long pink scratches run down his skinny arms. A globule of red blood oozes out of a cut and trickles down over his fingers. It drips freely onto the wet concrete.

Alec looks at Michele. Eyes welled, defeated.

Deana runs over to Alec. She slides her little hand into his, Alec’s blood runs over her fingers.

DEANA I’ll do it Alec

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Alec looks down at her, eyes filled with hope. They look to Michele.

MICHELE No ye fuckin, wull not

Michele ushers Deana to come back behind the bin. Deana hangs onto Alec’s hand.

DEANA Am the only one who’ll fit

Michele stands up and makes over to the flap.

ALEC She’s right Michele

Alec and Deana look at Michele. Michele is visibly frustrated. She looks Deana in the eye directly.

MICHELE Ye go in, an ye open the door, no fuckin about right?

Deana looks at Michele wide eyed and nods.

DEANA Aye…

INT. JIM’S KITCHEN - NIGHT

Deana squeezes through the cat flap and rolls onto the kitchen floor. She stands up.

She looks tiny against the looming washing machine and high sink. Blue shadows cast over the woodchip walls of dark room.

Deana opens the kitchen door and makes into the hallway. Lavender bunches are tied to the stair banister. They hang over picture frames and ornaments.

The smell hangs thick in the air. Deana pinches her nose. She makes down the long hallway.

A crack of light creeps through the bottom of a door at the bottom of the hall. A faint crackling sound plays out in the distance. Deana jumps. She backs up close to the wall. Arms and legs stretched out wide as if to disappear into the woodchip completely.

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Michele pokes her fingers through the letterbox. Deana runs over to the door and flicks the lock.

MICHELE (whispers)

God, wit kept ye!

Michele and Alec bundle into the house and close the door carefully.

DEANA The light’s oan

Deana gestures over to the living room door. Light shines out beneath the crack. The kids look at each other scared. They back up close to the wall. Alec starts to panic.

ALEC Whit we gonea do?

Michele looks at Alec.

DEANA We’re gonea git these shoes…

Alec takes a deep breath. He gets down on the floor and looks beneath the crack. Jim’s shoes sit next to a coffee table.

ALEC I kin see them

MICHELE Kin yae see anyhin else?

ALEC Naw

MICHELE kin yae see Big Jim?

ALEC

Naw

Alec stands up. He looks at Michele.

ALEC Right then…

Michele nods.

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MICHELE Right then…

Alec slowly pushes the door open. Yellow light travels over the kid’s faces and up the walls. Dust hangs thick in the air.

INT. JIM’S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Alec steps into the room. Michele and Deana look on from the doorway. He makes straight for the shoes.

Quickly he grabs them and turns to leave.

He freezes, stops dead.

Alec fixates on the corner of the room.

MICHELE Whit yae dain, cum oan

Alec starts to shake. He screams. The shoes fall to the floor.

Alec looks dead ahead, still fixated on the corner of the room. He looks terrified.

Deana starts to get upset. She pulls on Michele’s arm.

DEANA Whit’s wrong wi him?

Michele looks down at her.

MICHELE A don’t no

Michele steps into the room looking back at Deana as she moves in.

MICHELE Stay there…

Lavender is pined all over the walls. The floral sent hangs think in the air. Michele gags, she covers her face with her sleeve. Alec fixates on the armchair in the corner. Michele steps up beside him.

DOTTY is fixed up-right in the armchair. She’s been dead

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for at least a few months. Her rotting green flesh pulls tight around her mouth where her lips used to be. Her false teeth hang loose in her mouth. She is grotesque.

A record player spins beside her. The track ended hours ago. Now it just spins and spins as the stylus crackles over the paper VERA LYNN pressing.

Michele steps up closer.

Dotty’s feet are encased in fluffy pink slippers. She holds knitting needles and a partially finished jumper. A colorful patchwork blanket sits on her lap protectively. She wears a crisp yellow dress. It is spotless. A cup of tea and a plate of bourbon creams sit untouched, next to the record player.

MICHELE She’s deed

Alec steps up closer. Deana looks on.

DEANA We’d better get a doctor

MICHELE It’s to late for that

Deana looks confused.

DEANA But a doctor kin bring hur back

MICHELE No, she’s deed, there’s no cumin back

Deana starts to get upset. Alec picks up the shoes. Michele looks at him, he looks back.

MICHELE Yea canny be serious, yur no still takin em?

ALEC Aye, a um…

Michele looks at Alec disapprovingly. Alec looks back a mixture of guilt and desperation. He knows its wrong.