1. EXT FOREST GLADE. DAY 1
The face of a young girl, Hilde.
Her eyes are wide open; her mouth slightly open showing clenched teeth as if in rictus.
We pull out to show her lying on a mossy bank with her blond hair fanning out beneath her.
But she is not dead, for as we watch she begins chewing. And as she does we glimpse the movement of a shoulder above her.
The shoulder moves rhythmically and HILDE chews to the same rhythm.
Occasionally we hear a grunt and HILDE’S eyes blink to each grunt.
The rhythm of the shoulder speeds up, as does HILDE’S chewing.
The grunts become more frequent, more rapid.
As they reach a peak, HILDE blows a huge gum bubble.

2. FOREST GLADE. DAY 2
Framed by a canopy of leaves, the face of a young man, IRWIN.
Like HILDE, IRWIN is blond. Unlike HILDE his expression is animated. His eyes are closed, his mouth pursed in ecstasy as he back whistles through his teeth.

3. FOREST GLADE. DAY 3 HILDE’S gum bubble bursts. We pull out to show her lying under IRWIN who is now still with arms outstretched like a postulant before an altar.
We pull out further to show them lying beneath a huge tree whose roots burst from the mossy bank.
And still further, until our view is obscured by a bush.
We hear a sound, the hiss of breath inhaled; exhaling in a growl, as whoever is watching parts the obscuring bush.

4. FOREST GLADE. DAY 4
HILDE stands up. She finger brushes leaves from her hair and plucks twiggy things from inside her blouse. She looks down at IRWIN who is lying on his back snoring. His breeches are undone, showing as much as the League of Decency will allow.
HILDE prods him with her foot until he moves.
She bends down and picks up a leather wine flask he has been lying on.
HILDE shakes the flask and holds it over IRWIN’S face.
A single drop falls on his cheek runs into his open mouth.

HILDE
Irwin, you’re such a guts. That wine was
for Nanna, and you’ve drunk it all.
IRWIN smacks his lip and smiles.
HILDA makes to hit IRWIN with the flask. Instead, she shakes her head, puts the flask in a basket and picks up a red cloak they had been lying on.
She gives the cloak a shake, throws it around one shoulder, adjusts the hood on her head and ties the cord under her chin.
She puts the basket on the crook of her arm.
where she and IRWIN had lain.

5. FOREST GLADE. DAY 5
Beneath that place is a path. HILDE follows the path, whistling a merry, little tune as she does.
Again, that bush obscures our view and again we hear that ominous, hissing sound from behind it as it parts and HILDE’S merry, little tune fades against the sound of thunder.

6. FOREST GLADE. DAY 6
Drops of rain begin to fall from the leaves with the sound of tinkling crystals on IRWIN’S face.
IRWIN farts.

7. INT. NANNA’S COTTAGE. DAY 7
A large room with upper walls roughly plastered and lime washed and lower walls covered in a dado of panelled wood. Between two mullioned windows is a Welsh dresser-shelves filled with plates, glasses and bowls. In the middle of the room is a table with some chairs arranged around. Above it, a lamp hanging on a chain.
There is a fireplace, with a mantlepiece. On the mantle shelf sits a softly ticking pendulum clock flanked by two shell cases of polished brass containing sprays of scarlet bougainvillea.
Around the walls, oleographs of bearded men and grim faced woman glare from the imprisonment of their frames.
NANNA lies in her bed beneath mountains and valleys of quilt. By her bed is a table overflowing with pills, potions and a ganglia of those rubber tubes and pumps used by the severely constipated.
NANNA is old. Her skin, translucent, wrinkled, silken. Her pale blue eyes have a crust around them and the milky cast of one afflicted by blindness.
Lightning cracks and drops of water fall on her.
A stream of water runs down the wall behind her. The wall is stained by the blood rust marks where an ivory Christ hangs from an iron cross.
Beneath NANNA’S trembling, twig thin fingers is a huge, black bible.
She turns her ear to a knock on the door, and opens her bible.
There is another knock.
She runs her fingers over the Braille nubs and begins to mutter prayers.