The Survivalist Page #19

He nods, solemn.

SURVIVALIST:

It was too late anyway.. he was too

far gone.

KATHRYN:

... You let her go all the way?

SURVIVALIST:

Most of it.

KATHRYN:

But not all.

He shakes his head.

KATHRYN (cont'd)

Good.

She walks to a fallen tree, and sits down on it; her

hunched back to him.

He watches; a thin trail of smoke emerges. She is smoking

her last cigarettes.

Her resignation hits him hard.

Then he takes some steps away from her.

Her shoulders remain hunched, seemingly incurious as to

what he's doing behind her.

He raises the gun, gently opening the breech.

KATHRYN (OFF)

Don't.

She turns her head.

KATHRYN:

Don't waste the shell. Save it for

her.

He stands there uncertainly.

KATHRYN (cont'd)

Have you got your knife?

For a moment he doesn't remember whether he has or not. Her

stare concentrates his mind. He takes it out from his leg

strap and walks it over to her. She shakes her head.

KATHRYN (cont'd)

I need you to do it.

He sits beside her. She stubs the cigarette she's been

smoking and takes out her last one, dropping the packet.

KATHRYN (cont'd)

When I've finished this.

She smokes the fastest cigarette of her life. Ash drops on

her thighs. The paper burns so fast she can almost see it

creeping towards her.

KATHRYN (cont'd)

You know why she called you Lenny?

(...)

It was the name of our dog.

She laughs gently, but a shot of pain cuts her off.

She inspects the short cigarette between her fingers.

Perhaps a drag or two left.

F*** it. She flicks the cigarette-

And he GRABS her right hand and SLASHES open her wrist.

A thin spray of arterial blood hisses over her face, his.

She grabs his hands.

KATHRYN (cont'd)

Look at me.

He can feel her blood lapping onto his wrists. He isn't

looking, he won't-

KATHRYN (cont'd)

Look at me.

He looks up into her eyes. He's the one frightened - he

doesn't want to watch, doesn't want to be this close. She

smiles.

KATHRYN (cont'd)

Don't be scared.

She leans towards him. Her eyelids becoming heavy and slow.

She gently presses her lips onto his. He's stiff with

horror, fear, then... softens.

He presses his lips back.

Their eyes shut...

They part lips. He opens his eyes.

Her's are still closed. The blood has stopped oozing from

her wrist.

She slumps onto his shoulder. He cradles her gently in his

arms.

EXT. FOREST - DAY

Survivalist trudges through the undergrowth. He has been

walking for some time - the blood has dried to his

clothing.

He stops - his eyes fix on something on the ground.

A dead rabbit lies crushed in the tight jaws of a mantrap.

Something SNAPS nearby.

Survivalist edges towards the sound, shotgun in hands...

He crouches.

Another trap; a SECOND RABBIT is clenched in oversize metal

teeth.

He cranks head to match the tilt of the rabbit's head,

which has been half-decapitated. It hangs by a sinew.

INT. CABIN, MAIN ROOM - DAY

Milja startles as the door swings open. Survivalist

enters - blood spattered- holding the two dead rabbits. He

doesn't look at her.

She watches as he sets the rabbit on the stove-side

surface, then washes his blood-caked hands, face.

She sits on the bed quietly.

He starts to skin them with a knife.

FADE TO:

Rabbit bones lie picked clean on plates at the table.

Survivalist is awake beside Milja in bed. They avoid

looking at each other.

Milja takes Survivalist's arm and rolls it over her chest.

He pulls back, taking it as an unwanted advance, but she

flattens out his hand on her belly.

He rubs it, his hand dipping between her legs, but she tugs

it back up and flattens it on her belly again.

She moves the hand around slowly, until he finds the

significance.

He looks up at her - eyes glazed, perhaps afraid- and then

withdraws his hand.

They lie in silence, not touching anymore, both still

awake.

EXT. FOREST - DAY

Survivalist and Milja drag Kathryn's body. Milja pulls the

arms, and Survivalist, trailing from the front, hoists the

legs and most of the weight.

The body doesn't weigh very much, but it still bears

heavily on their tender, malnourished muscles.

Survivalist stops. He sets down the legs and breathes out

his exertion. Milja takes the opportunity to let go of her

mother's arms and turn away.

SURVIVALIST:

We can't stay here.

She looks over her shoulder.

MILJA:

There's nowhere else to go.

He shakes his head.

SURVIVALIST:

There's a settlement.

(...)

She found a settlement. Near

forest's edge. Big enough to defend

itself against raiders. Well-run

farm. Crop rotation.

Her eyes draw towards the body again.

MILJA:

Would they take us in?

SURVIVALIST:

They didn't have any beanpoles.

MILJA:

So?

SURVIVALIST:

Maybe they don't have any beans.

INT. CABIN, MAIN ROOM - NIGHT

They eat a thin, adequate soup; food previously split

between three divided between two.

Milja forks a loose bean on her plate.

MILJA:

What if they get their protein

elsewhere?

He scrapes his plate clean. The problem gnaws at him.

SURVIVALIST:

I'll go alone and make the offer. If

it's a trap, they won't push hard on

the trade.

INT. CABIN, SEED ROOM - DAY

Survivalist pours a teaspoon of seeds into a polythene bag.

EXT. FARM PLOT - DAY

Survivalist uses a trowel to dig a sapling bean stalk out

of the ground.

He scoops some fresh beans from a mature stalk, bags them.

Milja brings him the open Bible and he coat-pockets the

shells.

SURVIVALIST:

Back before sundown.

MILJA:

...and if you're not?

SURVIVALIST:

You can keep the farm.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes