The Wolves
Screenplay | 1 hr 10 min read
The Wolves follows a family of three—Grant, Carol, and their 15 year old daughter Adele—hiking deep into the woods for a camping trip at a family cabin, where the arrival of Grant's brother Jeff sets off a chain of events involving infidelity, a body buried in the forest, and a mother who has figured out what her husband has planned for their daughter's birthday and positioned herself accordingly. It's almost entirely without dialogue in its final movement, and the ending earns everything it withholds. Contains child sexual abuse, murder, infidelity, and threat of violence. "It's funny how peaceful it is out here"
Characters
- ADELE (female, 15)
- GRANT (male, 40-50)
- CAROL (female, 40-50)
- JEFF (male, 35)
EXT. MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY - DAWN
Summer. A minivan tracks the rural highway. A fifteen-year-old girl, ADELE, rides with her parents, GRANT and CAROL. Grant drives. He has a beard. The back of the vehicle is packed with camping and fishing gear, and two hunting rifles.
EXT. SMALLER PAVED ROAD - DAY
The minivan rolls along a smaller paved road.
EXT. DIRT ROAD - DAY
The minivan rolls along an out-of-the-way dirt road, cutting through dense forest. Grant pulls the vehicle off the road and stops on a patch of dirt. Everyone gets out of the car. Grant opens the cargo hatch. Adele straps on her backpack.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Carrying large framed packs, Adele and her parents hike uphill. Adele totes a couple fishing rods. Her dad carries the two rifles.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Adele and her parents hike uphill into wilder and denser woods.
EXT. WOODS - DUSK
Adele and her parents set up camp for the night. Adele makes a two-person red tent. Her parents make a larger blue tent.
INT. ADELE’S RED TENT - NIGHT
Adele arranges her bedding. She’s wearing pajamas. Someone tugs open her tent zipper from the outside. Grant. He pokes his head in. Adele feels somewhat selfconscious.
GRANT. Everything okay in here?
ADELE. Fine.
GRANT. If you need anything your mother and I are right over here.
ADELE. I know.
GRANT. Alright then.
He pokes his head back out and zips her in.
INT. ADELE’S RED TENT - DAY
Adele is sleeping, head covered in the sleeping bag. Grant unzips her tent and leans in. He puts his hand on her and shakes.
GRANT. Adele.
She wakes, looks down at him, frowning.
GRANT. Time to get up.
He shakes more.
ADELE. Jesus, okay, I’m getting up.
She harmlessly kicks at him. He retracts his hand and leans out of the tent.
ADELE. (yelling after him) Nothing like a nice relaxing vacation!
EXT. WOODS: MEANDERING BROOK - DAY
Coming to the basin of a valley, the family crosses a meandering brook on foot, using rocks as stepping stones.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Adele and her parents continue to hike. Having crossed the brook, they’re now heading up another wooded hillside.
EXT. LOG CABIN - DAY
Adele’s, following her parents, comes out of the woods into a clearing where a rustic log cabin stands. Grant and Carol hug, and Grant’s arm reaches to include Adele in the embrace.
GRANT. (optimistic) Here we are!
CAROL. (enthusiastic) I can’t believe this place is still standing.
ADELE. (bored) Neither can I.
Adele shakes free of her father’s hold.
EXT. LOG CABIN - DAY
Adele and Carol are sunbathing in folding chairs outside the cabin. Carol has the top of her bathing suit off, and lies face-down on her chair. JEFF, a thirty-five year old man, Adele’s uncle, comes hiking out of the forest. He’s dressed in deep-woods gear. His hair and clothing suggest he lives rustically. Adele sees him first. She looks like him like she sort-of recognizes him, but isn’t sure it’s him. She tugs at her mother’s arm. Carol looks up. She discreetly puts her top on and gets up. Adele follows behind her mother. Carol hugs Jeff warmly.
CAROL. You remember Adele.
JEFF. Somebody grew up fast.
CAROL. That’s what happens. (yells:) Grant! Somebody here to see you!
Grant comes out of the cabin. He comes over and hugs his brother.
GRANT. Hey, good buddy.
JEFF. (indicating the cabin) Place holding together?
GRANT. Barely. Want a beer?
JEFF. Does the Pope wear a pointy hat?
They go for the house.
EXT. LOG CABIN - DAY
Grant and Jeff crack beers and sit down near where Carol has resumed sunbathing. Carol discreetly removes her top and lies on the towel spread over her chair.
JEFF. Done any fishing?
GRANT. Just got here.
Adele self-consciously rubs tanning lotion on her own shoulders.
JEFF. (of Adele) She still the expert?
GRANT. She is. Actually..I was hoping you could help me out with something along those lines.
JEFF. Shoot.
GRANT. Need some time alone with The Missus. Wanna take the Girl Wonder fishing tomorrow morning?
Jeff smiles.
GRANT. Starting early?
Jeff smiles wider.
GRANT. Staying gone for a very long time?
Jeff clinks Grant’s beer with his own.
JEFF. Sure bro.
Adele prances in the grass, showing her bathing-suited bottom off to the new arrival. Carol turns to her husband and brother as much as she can given that she’s topless.
CAROL. At this age, girls are starving for attention.
ADELE. What was that?
CAROL. Nothing.
ADELE. I didn’t think so.
Adele takes takes an apple that was sitting on her chair. She walks off, spunkily waving her butt for Jeff to see. She’s carrying a towel and wearing flip-flops as she starts down a path leading into the woods.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
In her swimsuit and wrapped in a towel, Adele sits high in a tree eating an apple. When she finishes she tosses the core and climbs down expertly, stepping into her flip-flops.
EXT. LOG CABIN - DAY
Adele comes through the woods toward the log cabin. Through the obstruction of trees, she sees the form of her mother, sunbathing, and a man leaning over her applying lotion. Carol is topless, lying face-down with her arms stretched out in front of her. As Adele comes to the edge of the clearing where the cabin is, she sees that the man is Jeff. She walks toward them. Jeff sees her first. He continues rubbing Carol’s naked back while his eyes lock Adele’s. When Adele is closer, Carol sees her, looks up. Carol doesn’t change her position, but she is clearly a little embarrased. She tries to play it off.
CAROL. How was your walk?
ADELE. (sarcastically) Oh it was beautiful..just beautiful.
She goes past them into the cabin.
INT. LOG CABIN - DAY
Grant is cleaning one of the hunting rifles at the table covered with a red-and-white checkered picnic tablecloth. Adele plops down next to him.
ADELE. Where’s Mom?
GRANT. Isn’t she outside with Jeff?
ADELE. And what do you think they’re doing?
GRANT. How would I know that?
Adele takes his hand.
ADELE. Come outside. I’ll show you.
GRANT. I’m busy here!
ADELE. She’s naked! He’s got his hands all over her!
This gets Grant’s attention.
GRANT. Oh yeah?
ADELE. Yeah.
GRANT. Let’s go see.
Grant gets up, still holding the gun.
EXT. LOG CABIN - DAY
Grant and Adele come outside. Carol has her top on, and she’s tying the strap. Jeff has moved to the other chair.
GRANT. What do y’all have going on out here?
CAROL. Pardon?
ADELE. She had her top off! She was lying there and he was rubbing all over her!
No response from Grant. He looks from Carol to Adele.
ADELE. I’m telling you the truth. You saw her trying her top! You’re gonna pretend this isn’t—
Grant hits Adele in the face. It knocks her down and she bleeds because of it. Carol stands in sympathy for her daughter, but she’s afraid of Grant, and won’t move farther.
ADELE. Why did—?
CAROL. Baby—
GRANT. You have a dirty mind.
ADELE. But she—
GRANT. Don’t talk that way about your mother.
ADELE. But—
Grant raises his hand. That shuts her up.
GRANT. Just don’t.
He goes back inside the house. Jeff stands and turns his back on the situation, wandering toward the woods in denial. Carol goes to her daughter, but slowly, and not to help her. The mother towers over her girl.
CAROL. What did you tell him?
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Fully dressed, Adele climbs up the tree she was sitting in before, this time to a precarious height. She straddles a limb and takes a zip-lock bag from her pocket. The bag contains several granola bars. Adele uses her knife to cut a length of fishing line, and she secures the bag to a small branch. Shakily, she stands up. Holding onto an overhead branch, she steps away from the trunk of the tree. Gingerly, she lets her hands release the overhead branch, and she balances.
EXT. CABIN - DAY
Carol comes out of the cabin and goes to the edge of the woods. She yells:
CAROL. Adele! Adele! Honey, if you can hear me, come on back.
Grant comes outside.
CAROL. How far do you think she went?
GRANT. (yelling:) Adele! Come back, alright, you’re scaring your mother. (to Carol:) She didn’t go far. She can’t be that far. (yelling:) Adele! Time to eat!
CAROL. (yelling:) Adele! Baby we’re not waiting forever. (to Grant:) She knows how to keep a grudge, don’t she? (yelling:) Adele! ’dele!
Carol shakes her head.
CAROL. Well..
Grant shrugs.
CAROL. I ain’t waiting.
They go into the house together.
INT. CABIN - DAY
Grant, Carol, and Jeff sit around eating dinner. Carol drinks a beer. Grant and Jeff both drink whisky.
GRANT. Her grades is fine. It’s not her grades we gotta handle.
CAROL. There’s just some things you can’t let ’em het away with. But I can’t stop her. Hell, I can’t even keep track of her.
GRANT. She’s sneaky.
CAROL. She is sneaky.
JEFF. What she need is discipline.
CAROL. You don’t think we discipline the girl? Now, come on, who do you think you’re talking to, here? She don’t care. What do you think I haven’t taken away? I’ve taken away everything. She don’t care. I walk out the house she’s taking a taxi to school so she don’t have to ride in a car with me.
GRANT. I walk out the house she’s got her little boyfriend on the swing with her, and I mean..
JEFF. Was they whooping it up?
CAROL. She wasn’t whooping it up..
GRANT. Not quite. Not quite. But there’s a way to do things and there’s a way not to, and that girl..
JEFF. Oh man..
CAROL. You don’t know the half of it.
GRANT. Am I right? I mean there’s things to wear and there’s things not to.
JEFF. Oh boy..
CAROL. She sneaks out with that stuff on. Lord. I can’t stop her.
GRANT. No one can stop her.
Jeff is chuckling.
CAROL. Lord.
GRANT. I can’t.
CAROL. (a prayer) Help me with that girl.
Adele clears her throat:
ADELE. Ah-hem..?
She’s been standing at the door. There is an uncomfortable silence. Then Jeff busts out laughing, in a drunk way.
JEFF. She is sneaky, damn..!
Adele sits at the table.
ADELE. Y’all got nothing better to talk about?
CAROL. Where you been?
ADELE. Yeah, you’re real concerned.
Adele fiddles with a serving spoon.
ADELE. Did you even save me some??
GRANT. There’s more.
Grant gets up and goes over by Adele. Adele reaches for the whisky.
ADELE. Y’all are sloppy. Lemme try that—
Jeff grabs the bottle from her.
ADELE. Hey!
Grant spoons some green beans onto Adele’s plate.
GRANT. Don’t scare us like that next time.
EXT. LOG CABIN - DUSK
Jeff throws the fly over a tent he’s pitched outside the cabin. Adele stands watching Grant chop wood with splitting maul. Jeff watches Adele.
JEFF. Better get your sleep.
ADELE. Ain’t tired.
JEFF. I don’t want to hear no complaining tomorrow.
Grant sets a piece of wood on a stump.
GRANT. Stand back, honeypot.
Adele doesn’t move. Grant reels the maul above his shoulders, and brings its blade down, splintering the wood in pieces.
INT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
A two-room log cabin. In the main room, the last embers of a fire glow in the fireplace. Adele sleeps in a sleeping bag by the fire. The cabin door opens. Jeff comes in. He goes to Adele and switches on his flashlight. He kneels beside her, looks at her for a minute. He puts his hand on her body and shakes her gently. His flashlight is in her face. Adele wakes.
JEFF. Why aren’t you dressed?
ADELE. If I’m not mistaken I just woke up.
JEFF. Well let’s go.
ADELE. Give me five minutes.
JEFF. You’ve got three and I’m leaving.
Jeff goes outside. Adele gets out of the sleeping bag. She’s already dressed. She puts on hiking boots and a wool cap. She grabs a slim backpack and heads for the door.
EXT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
There are fifteen fishing rods of various types set against the side of the cabin; Adele takes two of the rods and runs away from the cabin. She switches on a flashlight. Jeff is already walking away from the cabin toward the edge of the clearing.
ADELE. Hold up a second.
JEFF. Shh. Let your parents sleep in if they want to.
She catches up with Jeff. He carries two fishing rods and a large yellow tackle box. The two of them walk side-by-side away from the cabin and into the woods.
ADELE. At least they get to sleep in.
JEFF. But do they get the good fishin?
ADELE. Hah.
EXT. WOODED PATH - NIGHT
Adele and Jeff walk single-file, Adele leading the way. They’re headed downhill.
JEFF. Whatcha guessing?
ADELE. I’m guessing pike.
Adele reaches around and scratches her hip. Jeff watches as her fingers reach below the waistline of her pants in order to do this.
JEFF. You never caught pike.
Adele stops and faces him. She makes her eyes big and pouty.
ADELE. Yes I did.
JEFF. When?
ADELE. Upstate. Last summer.
JEFF. What kinda line? Huh? What kinda line?
Adele turns and starts walking again.
ADELE. I ain’t telling.
JEFF. You never caught no pike.
ADELE. Just cause I won’t tell you what kinda line don’t mean I didn’t catch em.
JEFF. Whatever you say then, li’l miss.
Adele shakes her head.
ADELE. Fine, if you don’t believe me..
JEFF. I’m sorry, I don’t.
ADELE. Forget it. What are you guessing?
JEFF. I’m guessing topwater. Early morning. Bass. That’s my guess. You fish topwater?
ADELE. Naw.
JEFF. Fly?
ADELE. Dad was gonna teach me, but–
Adele stops walking and turns around. Jeff stops too.
JEFF. What?
Adele points to the ground between them. There’s a dead snake, belly up, lying across the path.
ADELE. Walk around. It’s bad luck if you step over him.
JEFF. You stepped over him.
ADELE. (gravely) I know, but walk around. I don’t want us both to have bad luck.
Jeff goes around the snake. Adele pokes him in the side with her finger as he goes past her.
EXT. DOCK - NIGHT
A wooden boat dock on the edge of a lake. Tied to a post at its end is a three-man rowboat with an outboard motor. Adele and Jeff put their gear into boat. Adele gets in the boat and fiddles with the motor.
ADELE. It’s only half a tank.
JEFF. How far you planning on taking us?
ADELE. I ain’t for sure, but..Toss that oar this way, willya?
Jeff brings her an oar that was sitting on the dock. He takes a flask from his pocket and swigs. Adele sees.
JEFF. Want some?
ADELE. I’ll pass.
JEFF. I know you drink when you sneak out with your friends, don’t tell me you never drank.
Adele reclines/leans on the motor. She’s either being guarded or maybe she’s doing it to show off her body.
ADELE. Beer. With my friends.
JEFF. Just beer?
Adele gets up and goes over to Jeff. She stands right up close, and with a posture that usually nieces don’t usually make when standing right up close to their uncles.
ADELE. We drink Jack Daniel’s at Macey’s house.
She grabs his flask.
ADELE. What’s this?
JEFF. Whisky. Try it.
She hands him back the flask.
ADELE. I’ll pass.
JEFF. But you drink Jack Daniel’s.
ADELE. Sometimes.
JEFF. With your friends.
ADELE. You got a problem?
JEFF. No. You got a problem with me knocking it back while we fish?
ADELE. Don’t matter to me. Guess I’m driving. Get in if you’re coming!
JEFF. Alright, alright, I’m in, I’m in.
Adele shakes her head: “that’s pathetic”. Jeff steps into the boat.
ADELE. Now you’re in. You wanna work on sitting down for me? I like to drive real crazy.
JEFF. That’s what I hear.
ADELE. And who told you that?
JEFF. Nobody.
ADELE. Well, Nobody has a big mouth, and I would advise you not to listen.
Adele rips the cord on the outboard and the motor starts.
EXT. DOCK - NIGHT
The boat motors full speed away from the dock toward the center of the lake.
JEFF. Know what else nobody says?
ADELE. If nobody says it then why would I want to hear about it?
JEFF. (sing-songy) Nobody..says..it’s that time of the month for you—!
ADELE. He did not tell you that.
JEFF. Nobody tells me everything.
ADELE. Nobody needs to shut the fuck up.
EXT. LAKE - NIGHT
The boat motors quietly across the lake.
ADELE. I don’t think you’re gonna have much luck with top-water.
JEFF. Take a swig of this.
ADELE. Get that out of my face.
JEFF. Just take a sip.
ADELE. I can’t. I’m driving.
EXT. BOAT - NIGHT
The boats appears to sit still on the surface of the lake. The motor is off. Adele sits in the rear of the boat by the motor. Jeff sits on the bench up front. Adele reaches in her backpack and pulls out a small black tackle box. Jeff offers her the flask.
JEFF. Take a swig.
ADELE. My parents’ll smell it.
JEFF. Nah they won’t. You’re gonna be so smelled up with fish they ain’t gonna notice no little swig.
ADELE. I ain’t thirsty.
Jeff holds the flask out to her.
JEFF. Take one swig.
Adele flashes her eyes at him.
ADELE. I said I ain’t thirsty.
Jeff drinks again.
ADELE. You gonna do any fishing on this fishing trip?
Jeff opens his tackle box and selects a topwater lure. He fastens the lure to the line on one of his rods. Adele clips a large hook to the end of a chain and drops it over the side of the boat. She shines a flashlight on the hook, which she keeps three feet below the surface.
JEFF. You are aware that spotlighting’s illegal in this state.
ADELE. Who’s gonna catch us?
Adele takes a can of multicolored glitter from her bag; the can has a perforated lid. She shakes glitter into the water; it falls along the chain, passing the hook.
JEFF. Glitter?! I am fishing with a girl.
ADELE. What are you using?
He casts his line.
JEFF. Hula popper.
Jeff reels his bait in, quick spurts. The bait creates bubbles on the top of the water.
ADELE. That’s the gayest shit I’ve ever seen. “Hula popper”?
JEFF. Glitter and a chain..
ADELE. We’ll just see then. We’ll just see.
JEFF. Your dad know you use that shit? You better hope no ranger comes along.
ADELE. Ain’t no rangers up here. I’ll make you a deal, Mr.: you get first catch I’ll take a swig of that.
JEFF. That’s some kinda deal for me! I get first catch and I have to give you a swig!
ADELE. You’re practically dying to give me one.
He fishes to see if she’s insinuating what he thinks she’s insinuating:
JEFF. Dying to give you one?
She leans in to him and replies sensuously:
ADELE. Yeah.
He takes it back to above-board, looking away from her, breaking her stare:
JEFF. I was just tryin to show some politeness. That’s all.
ADELE. Well, if you want to be polite, keep your voice down. You’re scaring away my fish.
Jeff moves to her bench; now he’s sitting beside her.
JEFF. Oh, your fish? You little prude.
ADELE. That’s right, my fish. Like I ever saw anyone catch anything with a hula popper. Why am I a prude?
JEFF. Cause you won’t drink.
ADELE. If I was drinking I bet you’d be complaining that I was hogging up all your whiskey.
Jeff grabs Adele’s wrist.
JEFF. No. You’re just scared.
ADELE. Of what?
He lets her wrist go.
JEFF. Of it messing up your game.
ADELE. I’m not scared.
JEFF. Well, we’ll see who gets first catch then.
ADELE. Shhh! Gimme that.
She grabs his flask and takes a swig. She hands it back to him.
ADELE. So disgusting.
Jeff re-casts his line. Adele pours more glitter into the water above her hook. FADE TO:
EXT. BOAT—DAWN
They’re still sitting on the same bench by the motor. The flask lies empty on the floor of the boat. Jeff ’s line is in the water. Adele pulls her chain and hook into the boat. She turns around to the motor.
ADELE. Slide up front.
She puts her hand on the motor’s rip cord. Jeff grabs her hand to stop her.
JEFF. My line!
ADELE. Bring it in.
She pulls her hands out of his grasp.
JEFF. Where we going?
ADELE. Pee break.
JEFF. Go over the side.
ADELE. Yeah right.
JEFF. Row us in, at least. You’ll scare the fish.
ADELE. There ain’t no fish out here.
JEFF. There might be. You start the motor, we’ll never know.
ADELE. Too bad. Bring it in.
He starts bringing his line in.
ADELE. Slide up front.
He stands up to move to the front bench. She rips the cord. The engine starts. He rapidly brings in his line as the boat begins to move across the lake.
JEFF. We’re gonna miss the fish. This is the best time, just before daylight.
ADELE. Just after daylight is good too.
JEFF. I’m gonna miss my fish.
EXT. LAKE EDGE - DAWN
Adele brings the boat up to a bank on the edge of the lake. She pushes them right against the edge with the paddle, steps out, and ties the boat to a tree. She starts into the woods. Jeff gets out of the boat and starts into the woods. Adele stops and turns to Jeff.
ADELE. What are you doing?
JEFF. I gotta go too.
EXT. WOODS - DAWN
Adele hikes up the incline away from the lake. She looks behind her. Jeff is following her up the slope.
ADELE. Leave me some privacy while I go!
JEFF. Wanna make sure you don’t get lost.
ADELE. Hold back a bit.
JEFF. Go on then.
She starts on. He starts on after.
ADELE. Whatcha doing now?
JEFF. Don’t want you to get lost.
Adele finds it absurd that he might think she could get lost while she’s this close to the lake, the boat still clearly visible.
ADELE. How I’m gonna get lost? Meet me at the boat.
JEFF. I told you: I gotta go too.
ADELE. And you gotta go standin right next to me? Why is that?
He’s caught up with her.
ADELE. I ain’t going with you standing there.
JEFF. What if I lose you? Your dad’d kill me.
ADELE. He won’t kill you for standing ten steps away while I pee.
JEFF. Just go.
ADELE. Turn around, at least.
JEFF. Arright..go so we can get back to fishin.
He turns around, three feet away from her, starts to unzip. She turns around and looks at him skeptically.
ADELE. I don’t want you pissing right on top of me!
JEFF. Arright. But don’t be running off.
He walks. He stops fifteen yards away, unzips, and pisses on a tree. Through the trees, he sees Adele squat, looking nervously over at him.
EXT. ROWBOAT - DAY
They’re back in the boat. Adele sits on the bench by the motor. Jeff sits on the bench up front. Adele’s chain is in the water. She casts a weighted line overboard. Jeff isn’t fishing.
JEFF. Your daddy says you got a boyfriend.
ADELE. He did not.
JEFF. Sure he did. Said when they come home they find you two sneaking around in the basement, making sounds.
She shoots him a look.
ADELE. I’ve never even done anything with him.
JEFF. Nothing?
They fish.
JEFF. You wanna hear how your daddy and mommy first did it, at your momma’s birthday party over Danny Madsen’s place—
ADELE. No.
JEFF. Your mom, she come out looking like a snake bit her—
ADELE. Shut up!
JEFF. White. Like a ghost.
ADELE. (disapprovingly) And y’all standing there watchin.
JEFF. You bet. That was a big party we had on that one. We’d been planning that for weeks.
ADELE. Mom says y’all surprised her.
JEFF. Bullshit! She’s the one who planned it. Talking for weeks about how she’s gonna lose her virginity to Grant Ford. Grant Ford, Grant Ford, every word outta that girl’s mouth was about Grant Ford. We was tired of hearing her run her mouth, that was why we planned it.
ADELE. Who planned it then, y’all or her?
JEFF. We all planned it together. No big deal. Just picked a night and got a case of beer. Went over Danny Madsen’s and we sat outside while the two of them go in Danny’s bedroom, close the door. Didn’t take em long! Twenty minutes, they were done.
ADELE. That is not how it happened.
JEFF. Oh yeah?
ADELE. Which birthday was it then?
JEFF. That was fifteen.
ADELE. That is not how it happened.
JEFF. You ask your momma.
ADELE. I will.
JEFF. She won’t admit it. She’ll be scared you’ll try the same thing. What’s the name of your boy?
ADELE. He’s not my boy.
JEFF. What’s his name.
ADELE. Matthew.
They fish.
JEFF. Your other friends do it yet?
ADELE. Like I know!
JEFF. I know you know. Course you know. You and your little girlfriends that’ll be the first thing y’all tell each other.
ADELE. I don’t hang out with girls.
JEFF. Sure you do.
ADELE. I don’t. They all hate me.
JEFF. That Rachel Walker girl, she’s your friend.
ADELE. Not anymore.
JEFF. What happened? She sweet on Matthew?
ADELE. Like he’d ever go for her.
JEFF. You watch her. She’s willing to give it up before you, you might have a hard time predicting what little Matthew’ll do. How far’d you go with him?
ADELE. None of your business.
JEFF. You watch that Rachel. Slut like that’ll come along and temptation for Matthew gets too strong..boys can only resist so much.
Adele brings her line in.
ADELE. Well..
Jeff looks at her like “what?”.
ADELE. She is a slut.
Jeff laughs. He shifts to Adele’s bench.
ADELE. She already fucked half the school.
Jeff viciously slings his arms around Adele: one around her waist and one around her neck.
JEFF. (grabbing her) I ain’t surprised.
His face is one inch from hers.
JEFF. Did you fuck the other half?
Adele screams but Jeff covers her mouth.
JEFF. Now now. Keep it quiet. This ain’t no thing.
He keeps one arm around her neck and covering her mouth. With the one that was around her waist, he reaches up and gropes one of her breasts. She elbows him in the stomach. It knocks the wind out of him. She scrambles to the front of the boat. He recovers. She digs in her backpack and pulls out a knife.
ADELE. I will cut you.
He moves toward her.
JEFF. Whatcha gonna cut me for?
ADELE. (screams) I will cut you and leave you here!
Jeff makes a motion with his hands that means “there’s no problem here, you don’t need to do that”.
JEFF. Okay. Okay. I was just trying to show you something.
ADELE. You don’t touch me!
JEFF. I ain’t touching you. Shit. There ain’t no fish out here. Let’s go.
Adele keeps the knife pointed in Jeff ’s direction. She’s shaking with anger.
JEFF. Drive us home. Go on. Drive us home.
He starts toward the front of the boat. Adele threatens him with the knife:
ADELE. You drive.
Jeff stops.
JEFF. But you’re a better driver than me.
ADELE. (sharp) You can drive a boat!
Jeff takes another step toward Adele.
ADELE. I will cut you if you come any closer.
He stops.
JEFF. Jhesus! What’s got you so serious all of a sudden?
He sits.
JEFF. Fine, ya spoilsport, I’ll drive.
She sits, keeping the knife handy. He rips the cord. The motor starts and the boat begins to move. FADE TO BLACK. CUT TO:
INT. LOG CABIN: MAIN ROOM - DAY
In the main room of the log cabin, a forty-something couple, GRANT and CAROL, sit at a table drinking coffee. Carol reads a book. Grant wears a pointy birthday hat. The table is covered with a red and white checkered picnic tablecloth. On it is a birthday cake with unlit candles and a small package wrapped in festive paper. The door to the cabin bedroom is open. The cabin door opens. Jeff comes in. Adele comes in after. Adele goes to the fireplace. Jeff stands awkwardly in the middle of the room.
GRANT. Who caught the first one?
Grant holds the present out to Adele.
ADELE. What’s that?
GRANT. Birthday.
Carol half-assedly straps on her pointy hat.
CAROL. We didn’t forget.
Grant hugs Adele chummily.
GRANT. How was it out there?
An awkward silence: Adele shrugs out of Grant’s embrace. Grant looks to Adele, who walks to the fireplace staring at her shoes. Grant looks to Jeff; Jeff shrugs.
GRANT. Slow morning?
JEFF. There ain’t no fish out there.
Grant goes to Adele and puts his arm around her.
GRANT. Even for The Expert?
Adele winces away from Grant.
ADELE. He’s right. There ain’t no fish out there.
GRANT. Did you use the chain?
ADELE. There ain’t no fish in that lake.
Grant goes back to the kitchen area. He picks up the present.
GRANT. Wanna find out what’s in here?
Adele responds forcefully, quieting the room:
ADELE. No.
Grant puts the present on the table.
GRANT. Maybe we can all go out later and try again. They’re probably just slow starters. Anyone hungry for some breakfast?
ADELE. What are we gonna eat?
GRANT. How about some sausage and eggs.
ADELE. I wanted to bring in some fish..
CAROL. Relax, honey.
GRANT. We’ll try again this afternoon.
CAROL. There’s plenty of time for fishing.
GRANT. Babe, why don’t you help me out with breakfast..set some dishes out?
Adele doesn’t move.
GRANT. Come on. We’ll have fish for dinner, I betcha.
Adele goes to the kitchen area and starts setting dishes out on the table. She speaks quietly to her dad:
ADELE. I need to talk to you.
He is oblivious to the fact that she’s trying to keep their interchange low-key.
GRANT. Okay.
Jeff is watching Adele like a hawk. Carol is absorbed in her book. Grant is getting sausage and eggs out of an ice chest. Adele makes another attempt to get her dad’s attention:
ADELE. (in a low voice) I need to talk—
JEFF. Want some help with those dishes?
Jeff moves toward the kitchen area.
EXT. LOG CABIN - DAY
Outside the log cabin, Carol lies in a folding chair, sunbathing, reading. Jeff and Grant toss a frisbee. Adele comes out of the cabin with a bucket of food garbage. When Adele comes out, Jeff shifts his frisbee position closer to Adele and Carol.
ADELE. Mom, let’s go. Too much of that book. You need some exercise.
Her mom looks at her blankly. Adele takes the book.
CAROL. Hey!
ADELE. Let’s spend some time together. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing?
Carol takes the book back.
CAROL. What we’re supposed to be doing..is relaxing..in whatever way works for each of us.
ADELE. Walk with me to the lake. You can read on the way.
CAROL. I’m fine right here.
Adele goes near Grant, toting the garbage bag.
ADELE. Where do you want this?
GRANT. Just take it out a little ways and bury it.
ADELE. Come show me where you want it.
GRANT. Honey, wait till we’re done, okay?
JEFF. What does she want?
ADELE. None of your business!
JEFF. Okay, okay, little missy.
ADELE. Just show me this once.
GRANT. (snapping at her) You can’t bury some trash?
Carol and Adele both look at him, surprised.
GRANT. Alright.
Grant tosses the frisbee to Jeff. Jeff looks at Adele flatly, an expression that shows nothing. Grant starts away from the cabin area with Adele.
GRANT. I wish you could wait till we’re done.
ADELE. Well I can’t wait.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Beyond sight of the cabin, Adele leads the way with the trash bucket. Her dad is right behind. They’re walking uphill.
GRANT. This is fine, honey!
ADELE. I wanna go a little farther.
GRANT. This is fine!
Adele turns around. Her face is red, her eyes wild. Grant stops walking.
GRANT. What’s the matter?
ADELE. I’m working up to tell you, but I ain’t ready yet!
GRANT. Adele, honey, what’s wrong?
ADELE. I’ll tell you when I’m ready.
GRANT. You’re scaring me. I wish you would talk to me.
Grant hugs his daughter comfortingly. She puts the bucket down. He holds her tight.
GRANT. If you have something you want to talk about, I’m listening.
Adele pulls away from his hug. She looks away from his gaze, intentionally avoiding eye contact.
ADELE. Uncle Jeff grabbed me in the boat this morning.
Grant looks surprised, confused.
GRANT. Grabbed you? How?
ADELE. He grabbed me.
GRANT. How?
ADELE. He grabbed my tit!
Grant backs off. He thinks. When he speaks again he is softer, gentler.
GRANT. Are you sure?
ADELE. What do you mean?
GRANT. Did he mean to? Did he just accidentally—
ADELE. This wasn’t no accident!
GRANT. That’s a small boat. Your uncle..he..what exactly?..he wouldn’t do..what exactly are we talking about here? Did he..Did he lean on you? Something like that?
Silence between them. Then:
GRANT. Did you tease him?
ADELE. What do you mean?
GRANT. Well. Honey, sometimes..With your friends. Like with that O’Leary boy..Sometimes you have a tendency to..
Adele looks at him incredulously.
ADELE. To what?
GRANT. Well, honey. Sometimes you tease.
ADELE. I didn’t tease him.
GRANT. But maybe—
ADELE. I didn’t tease him.
GRANT. —you might have and just not known it—
ADELE. I didn’t!
GRANT. Listen. Listen to me. How can you be sure?
Adele looks at her dad as though he was a stranger. She’s completely shocked: she revealed something difficult to reveal and she’s getting no support, maybe not even belief. She starts walking away from her dad, down the hill, like someone who just survived a car wreck (in shock). Her dad is left standing with the trash bucket.
GRANT. Adele! Adele, honey..
He picks up the trash bucket and follows.
GRANT. Adele. Listen..
EXT. DOCK - DAY
At the boat dock where Adele and Jeff pushed off that morning, Carol lays out in the sun, reading. Adele sits on one of the dock posts, her eyes covered with sunglasses. Jeff and Grant fool around thus: they take turns jumping off the dock into the lake, the other one tossing the frisbee from the dock into the air, which the jumper tries to catch. The boat is tied to the side of the dock. Jeff jumps off the dock. Grant throws the frisbee fast at Jeff, but Jeff misses, and the frisbee flies a good ways across the lake.
JEFF. What the hell was that?
GRANT. I guess you need to work on your catching.
JEFF. I ain’t swimming out to get that.
GRANT. I’ll race you.
Grant dives in the water. He comes up a few yards past Jeff.
JEFF. The hell you will!
They swim out to the frisbee.
ADELE. Mom.
Adele shakes her mom’s shoulder.
CAROL. What?
ADELE. Mom I need to tell you something.
Carol keeps reading. When she speaks it is as though her mind is a long way away.
CAROL. Well. Tell me.
ADELE. Jeff touched me on the boat this morning.
Carol doesn’t respond.
ADELE. Mom.
CAROL. What?
ADELE. Did you lose your virginity at a birthday party at Danny Madsen’s house?
Carol lowers her book.
CAROL. Who told you that?
ADELE. This morning, while we were fishing, Jeff touched me.
CAROL. How did that happen?
ADELE. What do you mean?
CAROL. What events transpired that led up the moment when he touched you?
ADELE. Nothing. Mom. Mom.
CAROL. What do you want me to do?
ADELE. You don’t care that he touched me?
CAROL. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just..Baby you make it very difficult to know what to do in situations like this. Have you ever heard of the little boy who cried wolf?
ADELE. When did I cry wolf?
CAROL. Okay, that’s a bad analogy—
ADELE. Mom, I want you to keep him away from me. Okay?
Carol gestures to mean “look around you, look how big this place is, how can I control anything within it?”.
CAROL. How am I supposed to do that?
ADELE. Just keep him away.
CAROL. Watch who you’re ordering around.
Adele gets up from her mom’s chair, goes back to sitting on the dock post. After a while Carol speaks without looking over at Adele.
CAROL. Your father told me what you told him this morning.
Adele is wrapt.
CAROL. He said he talked to Jeff and Jeff says you leaned over him in the boat, you accidentally touched him, you got a little freaked out over it and started screaming at him saying he touched you.
Adele is shocked, silent.
CAROL. Don’t you give that uncle of yours any trouble. He likes you.
Grant and uncle Jeff are back. They get up on the dock.
CAROL. What happened to your little toy?
They shrug.
GRANT. Lost.
EXT. LAKE - DAY
Adele swims by herself, some ways from the dock. Carol is still sunning/reading on the dock. Jeff sits on a dock post near Carol. Adele isn’t sure of what she sees: Jeff touches Carol’s bare leg? She looks more carefully. Jeff ’s hand is on her mother’s leg. Carol smiles at him and playfully slaps his hand. Jeff goes in again with a firmer grab. Carol says..
CAROL. Not now!
.. and bats his hand away. He shrinks back. She reaches out to him, pulls him close, pulls him into a kiss. Adele puts her goggles on and dives underneath the water. Grant comes quickly out of the woods, carrying a beach ball. Carol and Jeff are no longer kissing, and they make a show of welcoming Grant. Grant runs off the edge of the dock, tossing the beach ball in the air. Jeff chases him off the edge of the dock; they fight for the ball in the air, then splash into the lake. Adele watches them.
GRANT. Come on in!
ADELE. That’s arright.
JEFF. We need three to play.
ADELE. I don’t wanna play.
GRANT. Come on, baby, toss the ball with us!
JEFF. You chicken?
ADELE. I ain’t chicken! You shut up.
CAROL. Adele.
ADELE. Tell him not to call me chicken.
JEFF. You are a chicken!
CAROL. Jeff. Cool it.
JEFF. But we need three to play.
CAROL. Well she ain’t gonna play if she don’t want to.
JEFF. You then.
CAROL. I can’t right now.
GRANT. Come on, honey.
Carol puts down her book.
CAROL. What’s the game?
GRANT. Keepaway.
Carol stands up.
CAROL. (sarcastically) My favorite.
Carol puts on her swimming cap and dives into the lake. Adele stands up. Alone on the dock, she moves to the spot where her mother just dove from and stands awkwardly.
GRANT. Come on in, baby.
JEFF. Don’t be a—
CAROL. Jeff! I mean it now. Come on, sweetie, help me out against these boys.
Adele looks doubtfully at her mother.
CAROL. Fine! You gonna leave me all alone against these two?
Adele goes back a few steps, then runs and jumps into the water. The guys are on the outside, girls in the middle. They play keepaway. Adele is tentative at first, then, as her mom is having trouble getting the ball, Adele gets more agressive.
GRANT. Game on!
JEFF. Whoa! Here ya go.
CAROL. Ahh!
GRANT. Nice try, honey.
CAROL. No it wasn’t.
JEFF. That was pitiful.
ADELE. Don’t say that.
CAROL. It’s okay, sweetie.
JEFF. Catch this!
GRANT. Oh! Spiked!
JEFF. Denied. Heads up!
GRANT. Okay. A floater.
Grant tosses to Jeff. Adele is near Jeff. She jumps up and snags the ball. As she dips into the water from her jump, she comes down right by Jeff. Under the water, Jeff ’s hand goes to Adele. He puts his hand on her exposed leg very near her crotch. Adele screams and thwacks Jeff in the head. His hands go up to feel his reddened face. Adele is swimming for the dock.
CAROL. Honey!
JEFF. I’m gonna get you back for that.
CAROL. (to Jeff ) What happened?
JEFF. Nothing.
CAROL. Honey! Wha’d you do that for?
Carol looks at Grant. Grant returns with a look that means “I don’t know..you got me”. Adele reaches the dock and hefts herself up. She turns around. She shakes with rage. Her eyes say murder. Everyone in the water is looking at her, unable to speak. Adele turns and runs into the woods.
CAROL. Adele!
GRANT. Baby, come back..
CAROL. (to Jeff ) What happened?
JEFF. I told you nothing.
CAROL. You sure it was nothing?
JEFF. Yeah!
Carol watches Adele disappear into the woods. Carol looks at Grant.
INT. LOG CABIN - DAY
Carol comes in, still wet from the lake. Adele isn’t in the room.
CAROL. Adele!
Carol looks into the bedroom. Adele isn’t there. Grant and then Jeff come into the cabin.
CAROL. You go find her.
Grant nods.
CAROL. You find her.
GRANT. Arright. Arright.
Grant pushes out the door past Jeff.
EXT. WOODS - DUSK
Grant and Jeff walk through the woods. Jeff drinks a beer. They reach the top of a ridge. Grant cups his hands around his mouth and yells:
GRANT. Adele!
He waits a bit and yells again.
GRANT. Adele!
Grant starts walking.
JEFF. Listen—
GRANT. I don’t want to know.
Jeff follows behind Grant.
JEFF. You don’t?
In a single movement Grant stops walking, turns, and grabs Jeff by his jacket. Jeffs beer falls. Grant yells in Jeff ’s face.
GRANT. DID I SAY YOU COULD TOUCH HER? WHEN DID I SAY THAT?
Grant loosens his grip on Jeff. Jeff recovers. Grant calms.
GRANT. Come on.
Grant turns and starts walking.
GRANT. We got other things to worry about now.
Jeff follows.
EXT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
The door to the cabin is open. Carol sits outside, hunched over, staring into the woods. Grant comes from within the cabin, kneels beside his wife. He puts his hand on her shoulder. She reels from him.
CAROL. What the fuck did he do to her!?!
GRANT. Honey—
CAROL. Tell me what happened!
GRANT. Nothing happened—
CAROL. You know! I know you know!
Grant tries to comfort her again. She faces him straight on, vicious mother hen:
CAROL. You two stay away from her.
GRANT. Don’t get hysterical. She’ll come back when she’s ready.
Carol glares at her husband: daggers.
CAROL. You stay away from her.
Carol goes back to the cabin. Grant follows.
INT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
Grant, Carol, and Jeff are sitting at the table looking at their dinner. Grant and Jeff exchange glances. Carol pushes a green bean around her plate. A propane lantern burns, the combustion of its gas making a loud “hhohhhh” sound. The cabin door opens. Adele comes in. She’s still wearing her swimsuit. Her legs are dusty. Carol stands up. Adele looks at the threesome blankly. She goes to the fireplace and picks up her duffel bag. She goes into the bedroom and closes the door.
INT. LOG CABIN: BEDROOM - NIGHT
Adele pulls a pair of cargo pants out of her duffel bag. She rummages through it and pulls out a plain white tshirt.
CAROL. (O.S.) When she comes out of there I want an apology from you. And make it a nice one.
GRANT. (O.S.) He doesn’t have to apologize.
JEFF. (O.S.) No, it’s okay. She’s right.
INT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
Adele comes out of the bedroom. She sits down at the place that has been set for her at the table. She serves herself some mashed potatoes. Jeff struggles for the words to say. Adele watches him struggle.
JEFF. Look—
ADELE. Whatever it is I don’t care.
GRANT. Honey—
CAROL. Now you listen—
ADELE. I don’t wanna—
CAROL. Listen.
Jeff re-musters his linguistic powers.
JEFF. I..when..whatever you thought..this morning..whatever you thought I meant to do, that’s not what I meant to do.
CAROL. Thank you.
ADELE. What about this afternoon—?
CAROL. Enough—
ADELE. In the lake—
CAROL. He said he’s sorry.
ADELE. I never knew that was part of keepaway—
CAROL. We’re finished now. That’s the end of it. He said he’s sorry, now don’t you blow it.
Adele stares at her plate.
INT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
The dishes have been cleared. A fire is burning in the fireplace. The foursome sits at the table playing cards. Adele’s unopened birthday present sits out on the card table.
GRANT. She’s shootin’ the moon, I’m tellin you, she’s shootin’ the moon.
Adele does something almost like a smile.
GRANT. Don’t let her take that one, if you can take it. Stop her.
CAROL. You stop her.
GRANT. I can’t. I wish I could.
CAROL. Are you shooting the moon?
JEFF. Jes’ play, arright. She ain’t gonna tell you.
CAROL. (to Jeff ) She’s got a card face, just like her father. (to Adele) That’s nothing like your grandaddy. You know what he would do? He’ll sit there and let on like he don’t know how to play, asking questions like “What was that rule again?” when he damn well knows that rule. Knows it like the day he was born. Just to throw you off your guard.
JEFF. You gonna play?
CAROL. Oh. Is it my turn?
JEFF. Yes.
GRANT. Yes.
CAROL. Arright.
She plays a card. Adele picks up the trick.
JEFF. That’s all you had?
GRANT. She’s shooting the moon. Somebody take one of these.
CAROL. You take one.
GRANT. I can’t. Not with this shit hand. (to Adele) You coming fishing tomorrow morning?
ADELE. Who all’s going?
GRANT. Me and uncle Jeff.
ADELE. Not Mom?
CAROL. That’s too early for this old lady.
ADELE. Too early for me, too.
Grant picks up Adele’s birthday present.
GRANT. Are you gonna open this?
ADELE. It’s the same thing every year!
Grant puts the package down.
GRANT. How are me and Jeff supposed to catch anything without The Expert there to show us the techniques?
ADELE. You don’t need me.
GRANT. Yes we do, honey. You know Jeff can’t fish worth a crap.
Adele hides a smile.
GRANT. And I’m okay but I’m nothin’ compared to your glitter and your chain and all—
ADELE. That stuff’s illegal.
Grant puts his hand on his wife’s.
GRANT. There ain’t no rangers up here.
ADELE. Ain’t no fish either.
GRANT. You only been out one day. Let’s give it another go.
JEFF. Your turn.
GRANT. Pardon me.
Grant plays a card.
GRANT. What are we gonna eat if you don’t catch us some fish?
ADELE. What’s wrong with ’tatoes and green beans?
CAROL. Potatoes and green beans go a lot better with some salmon beside it.
ADELE. Ain’t gonna catch no salmon in that lake.
CAROL. Well..whatever kinda fish you can catch in that lake..you know I can’t remember their names.
Adele looks at her mom like “geez, you nimwit”.
JEFF. Play your card.
CAROL. Sorry.
Carol plays a card. Adele picks up the trick and adds it to her pile.
GRANT. Stop her next time!
JEFF/CAROL. I can’t! I got shit cards too./You stop her.
GRANT. I wish I could.
Grant holds the present out to Adele.
GRANT. Honey, open your present.
INT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
The fire is burning down. Adele gets into her sleeping bag. Her mother is there, kneeling beside her. She tucks her daughter in.
ADELE. I’m fine, Mom!
CAROL. Okay!
Carol sits by her daughter for a moment, contemplating. Adele looks up at her.
ADELE. He did do it.
CAROL. I never say he didn’t.
ADELE. I did not tease him.
CAROL. I didn’t said you did.
ADELE. You don’t believe me.
CAROL. Just stay away from him.
INT. LOG CABIN: BEDROOM - NIGHT
Carol crawls in bed with Grant. Grant holds her, kisses her.
GRANT. You think my brother gets lonely out here?
CAROL. What? Like someone to talk to?
GRANT. No, like..a woman.
CAROL. Why are you asking me that?
GRANT. Maybe I’m worried about him.
CAROL. I doubt that.
Grant loosens his grasp on his wife.
CAROL. One thing I do know.
GRANT. What?
CAROL. I’m lonely right now.
He kisses her. They start to make love. She stops; it looks like she wants to say something. He looks at her wonderingly.
CAROL. Did you ever tell her we did it at Danny Madsen’s place on my birthday?
INT. JEFF’S TENT - NIGHT
Jeff is dressed in boots and coveralls. Quietly, he unzips his tent and goes out.
EXT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
Jeff zips up his tent. He heads for the log cabin.
INT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
The cabin door opens. Jeff comes in. Careful not to make any noise, he goes to Adele, who is sleeping by the remnants of the fire again. He gently unzips her sleeping bag and pulls the top of it away from Adele’s body. She is wearing her cargo pants and white tshirt. He switches on a flashlight and shines it on her body. Jeff unbuttons the cargo pants and cautiously pulls them down. Adele is sleeping soundly; this doesn’t wake her. Jeff stares at her body. His hand moves to her underwear.
INT. LOG CABIN: BEDROOM - NIGHT
Grant and Carol lie awake in bed.
CAROL. I’m asking you what you think.
GRANT. I don’t know.
CAROL. You talked to him. Did you ask him?
GRANT. I told him to keep the fuck away from her.
CAROL. What about the lake?
GRANT. What about the lake?
CAROL. What happened?
GRANT. Nothing.
CAROL. (doubtfully) Nothing..
GRANT. Nothing happened. She freaked out. That’s the age she’s at. She gets around a man and she’s always gonna think there’s something going on—
Their talk is arrested by the sound of Adele screaming in the next room.
INT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
The bedroom door opens. Carol and Grant come into the main room. Adele is standing with her sleeping bag covering her body, threatening Jeff with a poker-sized piece of firewood.
CAROL. What the fuck is going on in here?
Adele thrusts the stick closer to Jeff.
ADELE. I woke up and he was right above me!
JEFF. Bullshit.
Jeff bats the stick away.
JEFF. Get that out of my face.
ADELE. He took off my pants!
CAROL. You did what?
JEFF. That’s a lie!
Grant knocks Jeff to the floor.
GRANT. She better be lying!
JEFF. I came for some water.
ADELE. (about to cry) He took off my pants while I was sleeping.
Carol is at Jeff ’s head.
CAROL. Fuck! FUCK! (and with vengeance:) Get out.
Grant pushes down with his forearm on Jeff ’s neck.
GRANT. You piece of shit.
CAROL. Get off him.
Grant raises his arm and suckers as if he would punch Jeff.
JEFF. Hit me, you pussy.
GRANT. What did we talk about? Remember?
CAROL. Let him go.
GRANT. You stupid piece of shit. You fucked up. What am I supposed to do now? You can’t stay here. Where you gonna go? Huh? Where you gonna go?
CAROL. Just get out.
GRANT. Give him a second—
CAROL. (to Grant) No. (to Jeff ) Now. Vacation’s over.
Jeff gets up to leave. Carol follows him to the door. She hauls off and hits him in the back of the head.
CAROL. You fuck..you fuck!
Grant holds her back. Jeff gets to the door. He turns around and looks at all three of them, shakes his head, and leaves. Carol holds her daughter and Grant stands awkwardly. FADE TO BLACK. CUT TO:
INT. LOG CABIN: BEDROOM - NIGHT
Adele lies in bed between her mother and her father. They’re all wearing pajamas. Adele and Carol are asleep. Grant is awake. Quietly, Grant gets out of bed and leaves.
EXT. LOG CABIN - NIGHT
Jeff ’s tent is gone. Grant is dressed in hunting gear. Outside the cabin, he cleans a rifle. He loads it full of shells, lifts it to his shoulder, and looks down the sight.
INT. LOG CABIN: BEDROOM - NIGHT
Rifle in hand, Grant puts a hand on his daughter and shakes her.
GRANT. ’dele.
She opens her eyes.
GRANT. Come on out.
ADELE. What time is it?
GRANT. Get dressed.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Adele and Grant hike by flashlight. He goes first, holding the rifle. Adele follows.
ADELE. Where we going?
GRANT. Just up this way.
ADELE. Where’s Jeff?
GRANT. I don’t know. Back at his cabin, prob’ly.
ADELE. Where’s that?
GRANT. Keep quiet.
They hike onward.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Grant and Adele hike onward. They step from stone to stone across a shallow bend in a moon-lit creek.
EXT. WOODS - DAWN
Adele follows Grant onto a boulder overhang. A river valley is below. He gives her a hand, helping her onto the rock. Once she has her footing, he holds the rifle out to her.
ADELE. What?
GRANT. Need to learn to shoot.
ADELE. No way.
GRANT. Take it.
Adele shakes her head. Grant lifts the rifle and shoots it into the air at a 45-degree angle. Muzzle flash in the dawn. Adele flinches. Grant lowers the gun and holds it out to his daughter.
GRANT. Take it.
She reluctantly takes it. Grant steps down from the boulder leaving Adele there by herself.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Adele looks through the rifle sight. Crosshairs pass over the foliage of a dense wood. She looks away from the sight. She and Grant are crouched behind a cluster of rocks. Adele shakes her head. Grant motions for her to follow; he creeps from behind the rocks.
EXT. LAKE EDGE - DAY
Adele and Grant make their way downhill to the lake edge. They kneel in tall grass. Grant puts the gun to his shoulder and tracks along the surface of the lake. He takes his eye from the sight and motions for Adele to look through it. She does. The crosshairs mark the rowboat that Adele and Jeff went fishing in the day before. Adele looks at her dad, confused.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Adele and Grant hike uphill. Grant has the gun. He creeps along, making as little noise as possible, with Adele in tow.
ADELE. Dad?—
Grant holds up a finger.
GRANT. Shhh.
He takes another careful step through the woods.
EXT. JEFF’S CABIN - DAY
Adele and Grant come to a tiny cabin. There’s a covered woodpile outside. Grant has the gun halfway raised.
ADELE. What are we doing?
Grant lowers the gun.
GRANT. I just want to have a little talk, that’s all.
Grant goes to the cabin door. Adele doesn’t budge.
GRANT. Get in here.
She crosses her arms. Grant opens the door and goes in.
ADELE. Is he in there?
No response.
ADELE. Well?
Adele shakes her head. Grant comes out, goes toward Adele.
ADELE. Where is he, then?
Grant walks past Adele, away from the cabin.
GRANT. I don’t know.
Adele follows.
EXT. WOODS: SEMI-CLEARING - DAY
Adele and Grant go through a fern-dappled semi-clearing.
ADELE. Come on..
GRANT. Come on what?
ADELE. Tell me what we’re doing.
Adele stops. Grant keeps walking.
ADELE. I ain’t going no further till you tell me what we’re doing.
Grant turns around.
GRANT. I’m trying to teach you how to hunt.
Grant is surprised by something behind Adele. Adele turns around. Jeff is walking toward them through the woods, a rifle to his shoulder, aimed at Grant and Adele.
JEFF. Drop it.
Grant slowly/smoothly raises his gun to aim at Jeff.
JEFF. I told you not to do that.
Jeff alters his aim and shoots. He means to miss, and he does.
GRANT. Jesus!
JEFF. Just..lower the rifle.
GRANT. I could kill you right now in self defense.
JEFF. You ain’t gonna do that.
Jeff approaches Grant. He passes Adele, keeping an eye on her.
ADELE. (as in “why not? go ahead”) Shoot him.
JEFF. Aww..you really do love me.
GRANT. You’re not gonna shoot me, I’m not gonna shoot you. That just doesn’t make sense.
JEFF. Drop. the fucking. gun.
Grant doesn’t budge. Jeff aims a little to the side, but he shoots again. It’s a miss. Grant closes his eyes. Adele is in shock.
JEFF. He ain’t gonna do nothing.
GRANT. Think about this. Think of what you’re doing.
Jeff comes right up on Grant. They’re four feet apart, each man with a rifle in the other’s face.
GRANT. I’m your brother.
Jeff takes another step in, brushing past the tip of Grant’s gun.
JEFF. I know.
Jeff whacks Grant with the butt of his gun, knocking him out. Grant falls to the ground. Adele starts to run away. Jeff hears her. He turns around and fires a shot into the air. The sound makes Adele hit the ground. Jeff points the rifle at Grant.
JEFF. If you want your daddy to live you better come on back here, now.
Adele shifts so she can see Jeff and her dad.
JEFF. Come on.
EXT. WOODS: SEMI-CLEARING - DUSK..NIGHT
Grant is tied to a tree. Jeff sits close by with one of the rifles resting on his lap, pointed at his brother. Adele sits against a tree, wrapped in a hooded windbreaker. Grant whispers so Adele can’t hear:
GRANT. Then what is the plan?
JEFF. The plan’s changed.
GRANT. What is it now?
JEFF. Same as it always was.
GRANT. This was not in the plan.
JEFF. Maybe it was. Maybe it’s just that nobody told you. Or..maybe..you just weren’t listening.
GRANT. No, I think I would have remembered this.
Adele goes to them.
ADELE. Y’all done playing mass-murderer? Let’s head on back so Mom can play, too.
JEFF. Not a bad idea..
GRANT. Is this about firsts?
JEFF. Firsts? As in “who’s gonna get to go first?” You’re god damn right it is.
This piques Adele’s interest.
JEFF. You’re daddy’s a businessman.
ADELE. Actually, he’s an English teacher.
JEFF. Take off that jacket. Let me see your hair.
ADELE. And why would I do that?
He indicates the gun.
JEFF. Maybe cause I’m gonna kill you if you don’t.
ADELE. Try again, fuckface.
GRANT. Adele—
JEFF. I don’t think your daddy explained the plan to you. Go on. Lemme see that hair.
Adele turns her back on Jeff and starts away.
JEFF. Girl, you have been misinformed.
ADELE. Oh yeah?
GRANT. Listen up, Adele—
ADELE. Y’all play your game.
Jeff turns to Grant.
JEFF. She definitely don’t know the plan.
Jeff aims the rifle at Grant. It’s barrel is two feet from Grant’s leg. He pulls the trigger. Grant yells out in pain. Adele screams, turns. Jeff points the gun at Grant’s head.
JEFF. Now take off that jacket.
Adele sees he’s serious, but she doesn’t move. Grant moans and winces.
JEFF. Take. off. the jacket.
With shaky hands, Adele unzips the windbreaker.
JEFF. All the way off.
She takes it all the way off and drops it on the ground beside her.
JEFF. Now take off the rest of them clothes.
She hesitates.
JEFF. If you don’t do it all I have to do is pull this trigger one more time.
GRANT. Just do it.
Adele shakes, shivers; she’s petrified with shock.
GRANT. Do it!
Adele takes off her shoes. Her socks are still on.
JEFF. You got a obedient girl there.
Adele grabs the bottom of her shirt.
JEFF. Everything, everything.
She takes off her shirt. She is crying.
GRANT. It’s gonna be okay, baby. Jeff! Lay off her, how much fun you gonna have if she’s crying?
Adele hesitates at her jeans.
JEFF...Waiting..
She unsnaps them, unzips.
ADELE. What did you mean about “firsts”?
GRANT. What??
ADELE. “Who gets to go first”?
JEFF. I’m gonna shoot your daddy in the head, you don’t get those pants off.
She pushes them down.
JEFF. Now sit down.
She sits in sticks, leaves, dirt. Keeping the rifle on Grant, Jeff goes to Adele. He looks at her body.
ADELE. (accusing) What did he mean about who’s gonna go first?
Jeff turns to Grant.
JEFF. Oops. Looks like that ain’t a secret anymore.
Adele reaches into her jeans, fumbles around in the pocket.
GRANT. He’s just fucking with you..there’s no secret..there’s no plan!
JEFF. (soberly) It was your plan.
Adele finds the knife she had on the rowboat. Hands shaking, she opens it. Jeff sees this movement and turns to her. Adele stabs him in the leg. He cowers over, dropping the rifle.
JEFF. Fuck.
She scrambles around, keeping the knife between her and Jeff. She stabs him again, this time in the shoulder. Jeff is disoriented, but still active. He grabs her arm. She wrings free. He grabs her ankle. She kicks him in the face. Jeff is going for the gun.
JEFF. You are definitely gonna pay.
Adele grabs her jeans and windbreaker and runs into the woods. Behind her, Grant moans in pain. Jeff follows her.
JEFF. Get back here.
She gets far enough away that Jeff can no longer see her. She stumbles downhill, falling into the brush. Jeff paces around in the dark, in the direction in which Adele ran, but he looks back at Grant and that stops him: he doesn’t want to leave Grant out of sight.
JEFF. (yelling out to her) You fucking whore. You killed your daddy. You killed your daddy.
Adele crouches in the brush, huddling her clothes to her skin, shaking, crying, but trying to be silent. Far off, somewhere in the darkness, the howling of wolves.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Grant is still tied to the tree. Jeff sits beside him, dressing the gunshot wound that he inflicted on Grant’s leg. He ties fabric in tight knots around the limb.
JEFF. You’re mad, aren’t you?
GRANT. It’ll heal.
JEFF. Not about that.
Grant looks at him like: “what then?”.
JEFF. Firsts.
GRANT. Firsts? There ain’t gonna be no firsts. Ain’t gonna be no seconds either. Dumb motherfucker.
JEFF. Hey..I don’t have to do this. (meaning dress the wound)
GRANT. Fine. Don’t.
Jeff is hurt. He stops dressing the wound.
JEFF. You know what? You’ve got a bad attitude.
Jeff grabs both rifles and whatever other supplies he has around.
GRANT. And you’re mentally ill.
JEFF. Mentally ill. Mentally ill? That’s a good one, I’m gonna have to remember that.
Jeff starts into the woods.
JEFF. Have fun walking back.
Jeff takes both rifles and goes off into the woods.
GRANT. Yeah..suck it.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
The full moon reflects in a medium-sized creek. Jeff steps down the embankment. He kneels. He takes one of the rifles, Grant’s, and lets it sink into black water. He rises and hikes off, catlike, the hunter.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Adele runs by moonlight through the woods, in spurts. She stops beside a tree, looks, listens. She tries not to breathe. She runs again. She comes over a ridge, heads downward. The trees thicken. She finds her way into a scrub tree, dense, small branches, where deer like to sleep. She stops, listens. She sits, pulls her shirt around her head, lies down, brings her knees up to her chest, and, with effort, closes her eyes.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Adele wakes in the middle of the night, spasming with cold. She’s huddled in the thick brush. She reflexively looks around. Nothing. She pulls her hood tight around her head. Even though she is exhausted, her eyes remain open, alert.
EXT. WOODS - DAWN
She wakes in the first blue light of morning, looks around fearfully, gets halfway up, still crouching, stealthily extracting herself from the thick patch of scrub tree. Her first few steps are tentative, slow.
Then she abandons caution and bolts through the woods, terrified she might be followed, that she might be running the wrong way.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Adele comes to a creek. She’s smeared in mud from the night’s sleep. She hikes to the creek edge, then looks both directions like she’s crossing a street. She kneels and pushes her hands into the water, washing away the dirt. She looks behind her, and, convinced she is alone, cups her hands and drinks from the stream.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Atop a ridge, in staggeringly beautiful sunlight, Adele walks peacefully in soiled clothes.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Adele hikes uphill, carefully looking around, exhausted, still actively looking to make sure she isn’t being followed. As the wood thins before her, she sees the family cabin.
EXT. CABIN - DAY
She comes out of the woods at the cabin. All is quiet; there is no sign or sound of anyone. Adele goes toward the door, but stops some distance away.
ADELE. Mom?
She goes to the door.
ADELE. Mom?
She cautiously pushes the door open.
INT. CABIN - DAY
Adele takes a half step inside. She looks around. No one is there. She goes all the way in, leaving the front door open. Definitely no one in the main room. She moves to the bedroom door.
INT. CABIN: BEDROOM - DAY
Adele peers through the doorway.
ADELE. Mom?
She pushes open the bedroom door. The room is empty.
INT. CABIN - DAY
Adele comes into the kitchen area and looks out a window. No one. Satisfied that the place is empty, she opens an ice chest and takes out bread, peanut butter, and jelly. She makes herself a sandwich. She gets up, goes to the front door. She leans outside, looks around, leans back in, closes the door. She sits, takes a bite of her food.
INT. CABIN - NIGHT
A fire burns in the fireplace. Adele, still alone, sits in a lawn chair, wrapped in her sleeping bag, staring into the flames. She gets out of the chair and spreads her sleeping bag by the hearth. She sets her open knife on the floor, gets in the bag, zips it up. A hand reaches out and brings the knife closer. She pulls the bag around her head and closes her eyes.
INT. CABIN - NIGHT
The fire is just embers. Adele adjusts in her sleep, wakes, sees the fire. She sits up, reaches for another log to throw on the fire. She finds one, puts it in. She prods the coals with a sturdy stick. It’s end starts to glow. She hears something and turns around. Her uncle is sitting right behind her in the lawn chair. His rifle is beside him.
JEFF. Miss me?
Adele starts, brings the glowing stick to Jeff ’s face. He bats it out of her hand, grabs her, as she kicks and screams, wrestles and pins her to the floor. He forcibly uncovers her.
ADELE. Where’s my dad? What did you do?
JEFF. We’re gonna have ourselves a little birthday party right here. Just like your momma.
He rips her shirt.
ADELE. Where is she?!
JEFF. You haven’t seen her? Well I don’t know..
ADELE. Wha’d you do to her?
JEFF. Looks like she left you.
ADELE. (screaming) Tell me where she is!!
Jeff hits Adele in the face.
JEFF. Quiet now.
He holds one hand over her mouth and reaches to touch her between the legs. She hits him about the head. The front door swings open. It’s Grant. He limps toward the fireplace, carrying the splitting maul in both hands. Adele backs away. Jeff scrambles for his rifle but Grant is there with the maul. Grant brings the blade down at his brother. Jeff dodges. The wedge goes into the floor. Jeff goes for the gun. Grant wedges the maul out of the floor and raises it. Jeff lifts the gun. Grant brings the maul down. It hits Jeff where his neck meets his shoulder. The gun goes off. A miss. Grant lets go the maul handle. Jeff drops the gun, falls over. His blood soaks the planked floor. Grant looks like he could fall over (his leg is tied off with a shirt, he’s delirious) but he goes straight for Adele. He pins her to a wall.
GRANT. Did he get to you?
ADELE. (scared, confused) No.
GRANT. Good.
Adele doesn’t know how he means this. Grant’s hand goes for her neck: a stranglehold. She squirms free, knocking him down. Grant rights himself halfway, turning, going for her, but stops: She’s looking at him down the barrel of Jeff ’s rifle, murder in her eyes.
GRANT. I think you’ve got the wrong idea.
He moves closer to her. She pushes the muzzle into the skin below his eye and shakes her head.
EXT. CABIN - NIGHT
Carol comes out of the woods with a flashlight. She looks distraught. She approaches the cabin and goes for the door. She opens it and goes in.
INT. CABIN - NIGHT
Carol enters the main room. At the sound of the door, Adele jumps up from the lawn chair, and the rifle she’s been pointing at her father swings to point to her mother. Grant sits with his back against the wall next to the fireplace. Carol is stunned. Adele keeps the gun on her.
ADELE. Where were you!?
CAROL. I’ve been out there looking for you!
Carol sees Jeff ’s boots peeking out from underneath a red and white checkered picnic tablecloth. Carol covers her mouth with a hand. Adele lowers the gun. Carol runs for Grant.
CAROL. What happened?
Adele points the gun at her mom.
ADELE. Get back.
CAROL. What?
ADELE. Get back from him.
CAROL. He’s hurt! What’s wrong with you?!
GRANT. She lost it!
Carol looks at Jeff, then Adele. Carol indicates the gun.
CAROL. Why do you have that?
GRANT. I’ve been trying to get her to act rationally, but—
ADELE. Shut up!
GRANT. —she won’t listen—
ADELE. Shut up shut up SHUT UP!!
CAROL. Adele, baby, did you— What happened to your uncle Jeff?
ADELE. I didn’t do anything!
CAROL. Explain this, then!
ADELE. Ask Dad.
Carol goes to Jeff. She kneels and cradles his head, a little too gingerly. She looks like she’s going to come unglued.
CAROL. (a prayer) Help me..help me..help me.
Grant and Adele are watching her cradle Jeff ’s head. She stands up.
CAROL. Give me the gun.
ADELE. Why?
CAROL. Cause I don’t like having it pointed at me.
ADELE. What are you gonna do?
CAROL. I’m doing nothing. Give it here.
Adele hands it over. Carol holds the gun in both hands, looks, once, back and forth between Grant and Adele. She snaps the neck and lets the bullets fall to the floor.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Some distance from the cabin, but with the cabin still visible in the background, Grant hauls Jeff ’s body to a hole in the ground. The body is wrapped with blankets and the tablecloth, tied with ropes. Jeff ’s boots have been removed, and his socks, so that his bare feet are visible. Grant hauls drags the body to the edge of the hole, sets down the end he’s been dragging. He kneels beside it and looks up into the sky, bright sun rays bearing down on him. He closes his eyes. Perhaps he’s saying a little prayer. Then returns to the task at hand: he rolls the body into the hole, then starts shoveling dirt over it.
INT. CABIN: BEDROOM - DAY
Adele beside her, Carol loads a backpack. Carol has placed the rifle and all the bullets she can find in a pile on the nightstand. She keeps herself between Adele and the weapon.
ADELE. We wasn’t hunting no deer.
Carol busies herself with the chore of packing, trying not to have to think about what Adele is telling her. Adele mimics Jeff ’s posture as it was when he shot Grant in the leg.
ADELE. He was this close, looking straight at him.
CAROL. You’re sure it wasn’t an accident?
ADELE. Mom. No.
Adele gets a look of some recognition from her mother.
CAROL. Why? Why would he do that?
Adele looks away. She starts to tear up, those angry, scared, hurt tears. When she looks back at her mother, her mom sees the rage.
ADELE. In the woods..he made me..
INT. CABIN: BEDROOM - DAY
Adele lies on the bed beside a fully loaded and ready-to-go backpack. She hears her mother’s voice from outside:
CAROL. (O.S.) Baby? Baby let’s go.
Adele gets up and presses her face to the screen window. Grant comes out of the woods, sweaty, carrying the shovel. Carol goes out to meet him, some distance from the log cabin. They are talking, and Adele can’t hear what they’re saying. She straps on her pack and exits the bedroom, specifcally not-looking at the bloodstained floor, then she goes outside.
EXT. CABIN - DAY
Adele goes over to them. Carol and Grant’s backpacks are zipped up and ready-to-go, leaning against the cabin steps.
GRANT. You really think it’s safer this way.
CAROL. It’s the best I can come up with given the circumstances, so that’s what we’re gonna do.
GRANT. Well..I agree with you, partially. I don’t think she should have it.
CAROL. And neither should you.
GRANT. Neither should you, while we’re at it. You don’t even know how to fire it.
CAROL. The point of me having it is it won’t get fired.
Grant shakes his head.
CAROL. Is everything..taken care of?
GRANT. Yes.
CAROL. Then we’re leaving.
Carol waits for him to go toward his pack. She stays behind him, with Adele and Grant both in her field of vision at all times.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Loaded up with their backpacks, the family hikes back toward civilization, downhill, along the route they took from the car to the cabin.Grant goes first. A safe distance behind him, Adele. Behind Adele, close by, Carol, carrying the rifle.
EXT. WOODS: MEANDERING BROOK - DAY
Hiking back, they cross over the same meandering brook they crossed on their hike into the woods. Grant goes first, then Adele, then Carol. Halfway across the water, Grant bends and picks up a white flower blossom that has fallen from a tree above and is floating on the surface of the creek. He smells it.
GRANT. It’s funny how peaceful it is out here. On the way out here I thought I could almost..smell..
Adele hesitates, arresting her step onto the next rock, and regards her father critically.
GRANT. Trouble? Maybe not trouble. Something, though. Did you smell it?
He shakes his head and moves on. He looks up into the treetops and inhales deeply.
GRANT. It is beautiful this time of year.
EXT. WOODS - DUSK
As the sun sets, the family sets up camp. Adele builds her own tent, the red two-person one, some distance from where Grant is building the larger blue tent. Carol stands by, watching them both. She’s holding the rifle. Grant is putting the finishing touches on the tent he’s building: he throws the fly over it and ties it down. He stands and goes to Adele. She’s struggling with her tent poles; it’s hard to do by yourself.
ADELE. What are you looking at?
Grant makes a move to help.
ADELE. I’ve got it!
CAROL. Just let her be.
GRANT. Can’t I help my daughter set up her tent?
CAROL. She doesn’t want your help.
Grant sighs heavily, turns, walks away.
ADELE. You could help me!
CAROL. But then I wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on things.
Carol, holding the rifle, sweating, moves away from Grant and Adele and sets the rifle on a rock. She transfers a box of bullets from her jacket pocket to the side pocket of her pants. Her pockets are already bulging with bullet casings. She removes her jacket, sets it on the rock, and picks up the rifle. Grant is watching her.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
A propane lantern burns. The tents are built. The family sits around a propane stove. Grant cooks sausage and eggs.
GRANT. Would you hand me that..the salt.
The salt is within Grant’s reach. He nods in its direction. No one gets it for him. He is offended that they’re making themselves so useless.
GRANT. Baby. Help me out here.
Adele begrudgingly grabs the salt and holds it out for him. Clearly, it would have been simpler if he had just grabbed it himself.
GRANT. Protein..some good protein.
Grant shovels some eggs onto a plate.
GRANT. Sausage?
ADELE. I’m not eating.
Carol hands the plate to Adele. Adele looks at it skeptically, making no move to eat.
GRANT. It’s not poison.
CAROL. She don’t have to eat if she don’t want to.
Grant shovels some more out on another plate. Carol sets this one in front of hersef. She eats. Grant serves himself last, blows on a forkful of eggs, and swallows his bite. Some of the eggs get stuck in his beard.
GRANT. If you want, after this, I’ll rustle up some of those biscuits.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Grant scrubs the dishes with a piece of steel wool by the light of the propane lantern. Adele stands far back, watching, her flashlight shining in Grant’s direction. Carol sits on the rock with the gun. Grant finishes washing, puts the dishes away, and goes to the blue tent. His glances to the women are strained:
GRANT. You gonna sleep out here?
CAROL. I’ll be in in a minute.
GRANT. (to Adele) Sweet dreams, honey.
Adele switches off her flashlight. Sound of her unzipping and zipping her tent.
CAROL. I gotta say something. It’s probably not what you’re expecting. I’m not sure what you’re expecting, but..well I mean there’s a lot to talk about..there has become..a lot..to talk about..here..lately. Adele may have already told you this, but..I..me and Jeff..
Grant starts to understand what she’s saying.
CAROL...we..
Carol shakes her head.
CAROL...did Adele tell you?
GRANT. Did Adele tell me that you fucked my brother?
CAROL. Right.
GRANT. No.
CAROL. Well..I did. We didn’t plan it..I mean..
GRANT. You mean recently?
Carol nods.
GRANT. That’s nice.
Grant goes into the blue tent and zips it up only partway, leaving it partially open for Carol. By the propane light, Carol takes a plastic toiletry case from her backpack and removes the toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc, from it. She empties all her pockets of bullets, transferring them to the toiletry case. She cracks the neck of the gun. The chamber is empty. She puts one bullet in, closes the gun.
CAROL. (a prayer) Tell me what to do.
She sits for a long time. Ultimately, she cracks the neck of the gun and removes the bullet. She puts it in the toiletry case and closes the case. The lantern burns beside her, the combustion of its gas making a loud “hhohhhh” sound.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
No one is around. The lantern, burning through the last of its fuel, spurts out.
INT. PARENT’S BLUE TENT - NIGHT
Carol lies awake beside a sleeping Grant, uneasy.
CAROL. (quietly, to see if he’s awake) Grant..?
He doesn’t respond. Carol slips out of her sleeping bag and silently steps over her husband. She unzips the tent in tiny movements, making almost no sound. It’s so dark all they can see of each other is silhouette. She steps out of the tent. Grant stirs, sees Carol leaving, sits up, frantically, half-awake, grabs her.
GRANT. What are you doing?
Carol shakes free of his grasp.
CAROL. Going to the bathroom.
She leaves, zips the tent up. After a moment, Grant hears the tent door open, close. In the darkness, feet stepping over him. The sleeping bag beside him zipping closed.
INT. PARENT’S BLUE TENT - NIGHT
Later, Grant, lying awake, reaches over and pokes his wife.
GRANT. Honey. Honey.
Grant peels himself out of his sleeping bag and escapes silently from the tent. He leaves the zipper door open.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Grant silently opens his backpack and removes a roundish something. He creeps through the woods toward the red tent. He stealthily unzips the flap.
INT. ADELE’S RED TENT - NIGHT
He kneels over his daughter’s sleeping body, snug in her sleeping bag. He runs his hand over the form, lightly fondling its features. The bag is pulled up partway over the girl’s head. He pulls it down a little. He holds the roundish thing, which is a roll of duct tape, strategically with both hands.
GRANT. (whispering) Happy birthday.
In a single movement, he extends a length of tape, attaches it to the girl’s face, and wraps the roll once around her head.
GRANT. (a gruff whisper) You finally get your present.
She wakes and tries to scream. Holding her down, he shines a flashlight in her face and gets a nasty surprise: this isn’t Adele, it Carol, and she’s holding the hunting rifle in her arms. She can’t talk for the tape around her mouth, but her eyes say it all: She swings the gun in his face. He tries to grab it.
INT. PARENT’S BLUE TENT - NIGHT
Adele switches on a flashlight and gets out of her mom’s sleeping bag, scrambling out of the tent.
INT. ADELE’S RED TENT - NIGHT
Carol and Grant struggle. Carol screams as best she can through the tape.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Adele runs toward the red tent with her flashlight. A shot is fired. The sound rings through the woods, stopping Adele in her tracks. She stares at her tent. Bodies thud over. Adele is petrified.
ADELE. Mom??
The flap opens. Carol rips the duct tape off her head and comes out of the tent. She is covered in blood. Adele drops the flashlight and runs to her mother. Horrified, they embrace. CUT TO BLACK.