THE LAST STRAW
EXT. MIDNIGHT. DOWNTOWN STREET CORNER. WINTER
scene 1
a pale girl in a worn-out hoodie is walking in a fast pace under the street light, holding a knife with dry blood stain, looking panicked. She turns back from time to time to check if someone is following her. wind blows with sound of footsteps.
GIRL
who’s there?
the girl stops, panting a little. the sound of footsteps stops. she turns around, scanning the surroundings while lowering the hoodie edge.
GIRL
who’s there in the dark, show up if you dare!
the girl looks irritated, holding the knife a little bit tighter. nobody answers, only wind blows. the girl keeps walking. a whispering sound appears.
SHADOW
sinner.
the girl keeps walking but slows down a little bit.
SHADOW
sinner.
the girl casts a sidelong glance at the shadow of herself on the wall.
GIRL
stop calling me that! I didn’t do anything wrong.
SHADOW
sinner....and a liar.
GIRL
I am not. she deserved it.
SHADOW
deserve what? she fed you, gave you a place to stay when you ran away. wasn’t that enough for you?
GIRL
you know that is not the truth.
she stops and crouches down beside a street light in the corner.
scene 2
wind starts blowing harder. the girl is trembling in the air. it starts snowing. rats on the street start going back to those holes.
SHADOW
her mom called the police. they are looking for her everywhere, all the police in town.
GIRL
of course. she was such a sweetheart. popular, pretty, sweet...anybody would do anything for her.
SHADOW
except you. you are the only one.
the girl looks down to the ground, numbly gazing at the shadow, tears welling up in her eyes.
GIRL
you know I can’t let her get away with it. that was the only chance to change my life. but she took it away. what was I supposed to do?
SHADOW
but she cared so much about you. don’t you remember the night you ran away? it was her who offered you a home, hearing you talking shit about your dad,
patting your back every time you cry.
GIRL
he is not my dad any more. ever since mom died, he has changed.
the girl grunts, sobbing, arms folded.
SHADOW
he is still your dad. you know that.
the girl hides the back of her hands into the sleeves to hide the bruise and sighs. the girl is walking toward the bank of the river.
SHADOW
now what? you dropped out of school, have no friends, no family. are you gonna hide forever? what about your brother and sister?
all they have is you.
scene 3
a boy and a little girl appear. they are going through the fridge to find food but find nothing. a middle-aged man lying on the ground with his eyes closed, an empty wine bottle in his left hand slowly slipping away.dim light.the boy and the girl sit on the doorstep wearing dirty clothes, looking in despair.
scene 4
the girl is standing at the edge of the riverbank, staring at the water, mouth twitching uncontrollably. her hair is messed by the wind. the waves of the water is rough and non-stop.
GIRL
what can I possibly do? tell me! go back? that’s never an option. I....can’t ...I... it’s all her fault. she’s a thief who used me. I could have a bright future!
SHADOW
(mocking sound) you really think so? all she did was announcing the news that she got in and everyone believes her. nobody doubted even a little bit.
GIRL
that was mine. I earned it! not her!
SHADOW
she didn’t kill you, right? why don’t you just explain to the police that the spot was yours. oh, but you can’t right now...cause she is dead! she only took your place of college because her parents pushed her too hard. you are not gonna change your life only by graduating from that college. you are meant to be poor, a nobody. and this will only be a mistake she made!
GIRL
a mistake? she stole my life! she treated me like her pat. she was using me the whole time! I was never her friend. all the kindness she showed to me was fake, was a lie. all she did was using me as her tool and dump me when she’s done.
SHADOW
what a poor child, even yourself doesn’t believe you have one, just one friend. how pathetic! now, your only friend is gone and there is no way you can get away with it.
GIRL
she is not my friend! what I did was......was justice!
SHADOW
then how could you explain that fight she had with her parents about you? they were gonna throw you out! you just won’t believe you are jealous, jealous about her healthy relationship with everyone, every creature in the world. pathetic, how pathetic! (giggling wickedly with little pity)
GIRL
I am not. stop saying that! it was all her! it was all her!
scene 5
the bank is left with no one now. There were only the sound of wind and running water in the air that never stop.