Strictly for the Birds Page #5

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it's better to be loved.

Don't you ever see her?

I don't know

where she is.

Well, maybe I ought to go

join the other children.

[Children Chattering]

[Annie]

All right. Here we go.

One...

two...

three.

There you go.

[Children Laughing]

[Child]

Look! Look!

Hey!

No touching allowed!

[Squawking]

- Oh!

- [Birds Squawking]

[Children Screaming]

[Loud Pop]

[Squawking, Screaming

Continue]

Help me get the children

into the house.

There you go.

[Sobbing]

[Children Sobbing]

Have they gone,

Mitch?

I think so.

[Lydia]

Is anyone hurt?

[Woman]

Jenny got a scratch down

her cheek, but it's nothing.

That makes three times.

Mitch, this

isn't usual, is it?

The gull when I was

in the boat yesterday,

the one at Annie's last night...

Last night?

What do you mean?

A gull smashed

into Annie's front door.

Mitch, what's happening?

L... I don't know.

Do you have to go back

to Annie's?

No. I have my things

in the car.

Stay and have something to

eat before you start back.

I'd feel a lot better.

Would you like

some mustard with that?

[Melanie] No, thank you.

Why didn't Annie stay?

Said something about going home

to take a call from her sister.

[Chirping]

What's the matter

with them?

What's the matter

with all the birds?

Where did you want this coffee?

Here on the table,

honey.

Hurry up with yours, Mitch.

I'm sure Miss Daniels

wants to be on her way.

I think you ought to stay

the night, Melanie.

We have an extra room

upstairs and everything.

That road can be

a pretty bad one at night.

If I go across to Santa Rosa,

I'll come out on the freeway

much earlier, won't I?

Yes, and the freeway

is much quicker.

But she'll be hitting

all the heavy traffic

going back to San Francisco.

[Chirping Grows Louder]

[Cathy]

Just listen to those lovebirds.

[Chirping Stops]

[Twittering]

Mitch.

[Birds Screeching]

Cover your faces!

Cover your eyes!

That's a sparrow,

all right.

We know what it is, Al.

Did you have a light

burnin' or somethin'?

Yes, but there wouldn't

have been that much light

going up the chimney.

[Al] Sometimes birds

are attracted by light.

Sure is a peculiar thing.

All right, but we've

got to do something

about it!

I don't think I get you,

Mitch. Do about what?

[Mitch Sighs]

Well, the birds

invaded the house.

What's more likely...

they got in the room

and just panicked.

I'll admit a bird will

panic in an enclosed room,

but they didn't just

get in:
: They came in,

right down the chimney.

[Al] My wife found a bird in

the back seat of her car once.

Tell him about the party.

We had a party here

this afternoon for Cathy,

for her birthday.

How old is she?

Eleven! In the middle

of the party,

some seagulls came down

at the children!

Miss Daniels was attacked

by a gull yesterday.

Yeah. Were the kids

bothering the birds

or something?

If you make any kind

of a disturbance near them,

they'll come after you.

Al, the children

were playing a game.

Those gulls attacked.

[Al] Now, Lydia, "attack"

is a pretty strong word,

don't you think?

I mean, birds just don't

go around attacking people

without no reason.

The kids probably scared 'em,

that's all.

These birds attacked.

You got quite a mess here,

I'll admit that.

Maybe you ought

to put some screen

on top of your chimney.

You want help

cleaning up?

No. I can handle it.

[Lydia Gasps]

[Mitch] It shouldn't be

too much of a job.

I'll take Cathy

up to bed.

I think I should stay,

don't you?

It would be nice

if you could.

My things are in the car.

Do you want to go with me?

All right.

[Al] Well, anything

else I can do, Mitch?

No thanks, Al.

We'll be all right.

Good night, Lydia.

Sure is peculiar.

[Door Closes]

[Shovel Grating]

[Lydia]

Mitch. Mitch. Mitch!

Yes, Mother?

I'm going to drop

Cathy off now.

I'll probably drive over

to the Fawcett farm.

Okay.

[Truck Starting]

[Truck Driving Away]

Mornin'.

Good morning, George.

Is Mr. Fawcett around?

I think so, ma'am.

Ain't seen him this morning,

but he ought to be in there.

Thanks.

Dan, are you home?

[Screen Door Slams]

Uh...

[Gasping For Air]

Uh...

[Choking]

[Motor Starting]

[Motor Racing]

[Sobbing]

Mother!

What is it, dear?

What's the matter?

[Sobbing]

Oh!

Al Malone, the deputy,

just called. He wants me

over at the Fawcett place.

Some detectives

from Santa Rosa

will be there.

Will it be all right?

Yes. I was just taking

your mother in some tea.

Oh, be careful,

please.

And you be careful?

[Footsteps Departing,

Door Opening, Closing]

[Knocking]

[Lydia]

Mitch?

No, it's me,

Mrs. Brenner.

I thought you might

like some tea.

Oh. Thank you.

Where's Mitch?

Al Malone wanted him

out at the Fawcett farm.

Why?

Didn't Al believe

my story?

He was calling

from the farm.

Then he saw.

Oh, he must have.

They sent for

the Santa Rosa police.

What good will they do?

[Gasping]

Do you think

Cathy's all right

at the school?

Yes, I'm sure

she's fine.

Do I sound very

foolish to you?

Oh, no.

I keep seeing

Dan's face.

And they have

such big windows

at the school.

All the windows are

broken in Dan's bedroom.

All the windows!

Try not to think

about that.

I wish I were

a stronger person.

I lost my husband

four years ago,

you know.

It's terrible how you...

you depend on someone else

for strength, and then...

suddenly all the strength

is gone, and you're alone.

I'd love to be able

to relax sometime.

I'd love to be

able to sleep.

- Do you think

Cathy's all right?

- Annie's there.

She'll be all right.

I'm not

like this, you know?

N- Not usually.

I don't fuss and fret

about my children.

When Frank died...

You see, he understood

the children. He really

understood them.

He had the knack of

entering into their world,

of becoming part of them.

That's a

very rare talent.

Yes.

[Sighs]

Oh, I wish, I wish...

I wish I could be like that.

I miss him.

Sometimes, even now,

I wake up in the morning

and I think,

"I must get

Frank's breakfast."

And I get up, and there's

a very good reason

for getting out of bed,

until of course...

I remember.

I miss talking to him.

Cathy's a child,

of course, and Mitch...

Well, Mitch has

his own life.

[Teacup Rattling]

I'm glad

he stayed here today.

L- I feel safer

with him here.

Would you like

to rest now?

No.

No, don't go.

I feel as if

I don't understand you

at all, and l...

I want so much

to understand.

Why, Mrs. Brenner?

Because my son seems

to be very fond of you.

And I don't quite know

how I feel about it.

I don't even know

if I like you or not.

Is that so important,

your liking me?

Well, yes.

I think so.

Mitch is important to me.

I want to like

whatever girl he chooses.

And perhaps

if you don't?

Well, then I don't think

it'll matter much

to anyone but me.

Oh, I think it would

also matter to Mitch.

Mitch has

always done exactly

what he wanted to do.

[Crying]

But, you see, l-I don't

want to be left alone.

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