Hummingbird

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INT. BEDROOM - DUSK

We open on Daniel, a sixteen year old boy lying on his bed humming. Peaceful music plays

RICK:

(shouting from downstairs)

Danny! Go shopping for me, will ya?

DANIEL:

(shouting back)

How bout you get off your ass and do it yourself!

RICK:

(raising his voice)

You want more bruises boy? The ten I gave ya yesterday not enough?

Daniel sighs and gets up. The camera pans up and retreats to reveal five other kids in the bedroom. We follow Daniel as he steps over and around his siblings.

Rick

Hurry up, I'm hungry.

Daniel

(to himself)

As if you aren't fat enough already- 

(changes mid sentence to a sweet and false tone.)

-Any special requests from the shop?

Rick

(matter of factly)

Yeah, get me hobnobs. Oh and your Mom left a list too I guess.

DANIEL:

Money?

Rick

Ah, take what you can find from your Mom's earnings.

Daniel

What about your poker money?

Rick

Hey thats for my own luxuries.

Daniel sighs and walks over to his mother's money jar. He lets out a sad sigh as he fishes out the crinkled ten euro note.

DANIEL:

Alright, I'm off. Will you help the boys with their homework while I'm gone.

Rick

(now focused on his phone)

Huh? Yeah, yeah sure. Just don't forget my hobnobs.

Daniel leaves and we follow him out the door. As the camera follows Daniel walking, there are police sirens and shouting in the background. There is clearly unrest in the neighbourhood. Daniel begins humming again to drone out the noise. He sees a kid his age sprinting out of an off license with beer and another being chased by a guard on a bike. Daniel is disappointed but feels proud he never broke the law. A sliotar comes firing his way and just as it enters the frame, Daniel catches it. He throws it back and admires his quick reflexes. 

While he walks, we hear shouting and a gunshot, moments later a man passes behind Daniel, with only his hand in frame. He has a fox tattoo and is holding a gun. Daniel never sees this however and continues walking. His humming dims and a frown forms on his face when he passes the school. His mother used to teach there but had to quit and find a higher paying job. He stops humming completely when he sees some kids playing with their mother and tries hard to remember what that felt like. His face lights up however when he  arrives at the corner store and sees Mike, the shop owner.

MIKE:

(cheerfully)

How's my favourite customer?

Daniel

(jokingly)

Hey Mikey. How's my favourite elder?

Mike

Hey, I'm still young enough to roundhouse ya.

Daniel

Ah, two years of karate, how could I forget? The girls doing okay?

Mike

(weakly)

Yeah, they're doing alright. Just trying to keep em in school.

Daniel

And hows your third little girl here?

Daniel reaches over and pets Mike's cat.

Mike

(cheerfully)

Oh, Bella is doing great, you know she brought in a mouse the other day?

Daniel

Clearly taking after her Dad, the next karate sensation.

The camera once again follows Daniel as he walks down the aisle, searching for the items on his Mom's list. He reaches the freezer and looks longingly at the things he wish they had the money for. The camera turns to the right to reveal a teenager who notices Daniel muttering about the prices and his step-dad.

Rob

(contemplatively)

You know Ristorante are good, but too much cheese. Chicago Town have the stuffed crust but I'm more partial to Goodfellas.

This is said by a character out of frame, when Daniel turns to look, so do we and we see a nineteen year old boy surveying the frozen pizzas. The same boy who noticed Daniel struggling.

Daniel

(a little taken aback)

Huh? Oh yeah, Goodfellas for me. *laughs.

ROB:

(in a friendly tone)

Hey, I'm Rob. Just wondered if you need any help there finding the things on your list. I come here often

Daniel

Oh really? Me too. I live just down the road. Name's Daniel. As for the help, yeah I just need to find the cheapest eggs.

ROB:

Down that aisle, O'Connell is the cheapest. Yeah I live nearby. My school is just five minutes away.

Daniel

The community school? I go there too. Fourth year.

Rob

Sixth. God Mr. Tyres is some prick isn't he? 

Daniel

(easing up)

I know right. We have him for maths. The amount of homework he gives.

Rob

Us too. I'd love to tell ya it gets easier but its the opposite. (Beat).

Please don't tell me you're someone who puts pineapple on pizza.

Daniel

Oh god no, I hate it. Pineapple does not belong on pizza, end of story. By the way, did you ever have Mrs. Smith for Science? I'm fully convinced she's literally satan.

Rob

(laughing)

Oh yeah and she definitely is. And how is she always looking at you? Seriously whenever I look up, her eyes are on me.

Daniel

Tell me about it. She worked us so hard for the Junior Cert.

Rob

I bet she did. And the cut of her. She's skinnier than boney Tony next to her desk!

Daniel

(bursting out in laughter)

Oh stop, she must live off the staff room tea. 

Rob

Probably. Come here, the neighbourhood is in an awful state isn't it? 

DANIEL:

(surprised)

Thank god, someone finally says it! Sure the place is in chaos and every lad at school is either a druggie or a known criminal or most likely both.

Rob

Ah, its terrible. Something has to be done about it. Sure there are more guards here than in the whole county.

Daniel

Just the way around here now. I suppose were all bundled into the one place. Things are hard enough on my Mom, having to look after myself, my two brothers and three sisters.

Rob

Yeah, its tough. I think I'll go with the Goodfellas classic Pepperoni.

Rob reaches for the box and the camera focuses on his hand, it's the same one we saw earlier, with the fox tattoo.

Look, I gotta go but remember, in places like this we all gotta fend for ourselves. You get that don't you?

Daniel

(a bit surprised)

Uh, yeah sure.

Rob

Alright, I gotta go, see you at school Daniel.

Daniel

See ya later.

Rob walks out of frame and we focus on Daniel who turns around and begins walking back up the aisle. He picks up the eggs Rob told him about and begins humming again. We hear some upbeat music until all of a sudden, cutting through the music, there's a deafening gunshot.

Daniel looks up and the camera follows his gaze. He is shocked when he sees Rob holding Mike at gunpoint. Daniel is in a daze of shock and disappointment.  

Rob

(smiles at Daniel)

Grab as much food as you can, I'm sure your family'll need it. 

This knocks Daniel out of his daze. He looks unbelievably at Mike who is anxiously emptying the cash register.

Daniel

(quietly)

This is wrong.

(loudly)

This is wrong Rob!

Rob

(maintaining his warm tone)

Come on Daniel. Think of your little sisters, your brothers, your Mom. If you just take some extra food and look the other way, life would be so much easier for you and your family. I need this too. Remember, I told you, we gotta fend for ourselves, do whatever it takes. 

Daniel doesn't know what to say. Mike gives him a pleading look. He starts to think of Mike's daughters but then of his own sisters and begins to grab some bread and biscuits. Daniel gets halfway to the door when....

Rob

Come on boy, give me the f***in money!

Mike resists.

Mike

(pleadingly)

Please sir, I need this money for my daughters.

Rob

Yeah well its rough all over. Gimme the money now.

Mike resists and tries to reach the emergency button. Rob notices this and turns the gun on Bella the cat and shoots her in the leg. She yelps and Daniel gasps. 

Mike

(crying)

Bella! What is wrong with you?!

Rob

Oh gimme the money already. What? One bullet not enough, ya want one too?

Something snaps inside of Daniel. Partly because of Bella but also because Rob sounded just like Rick when he ordered him around. Daniel storms up to the counter.

Daniel

(dangerously)

You better put the gun down or else.

Rob

(satirically)

Or what? You think I care about what you said? You're just too weak to survive around here. Now leave before things get uglier.

Rob turns the gun back on Mike.

Rob

Come on old man, lets go!

Daniel silently signals Mike for their routine. Mike nods and slowly walks out from behind the counter and towards Rob.

Rob

Hey what are you doing? Stay there!

Mike takes a few more steps until rob is right in the middle of himself and Daniel. Rob holds the gun to mike while Daniel counts to three with his fingers. On three, they both leg sweep Rob, knocking him into the counter. They high five as Rob readies himself. They then both throw punches in quick succession, knocking Rob left and right.

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