to win or to lose

7/29/2019 To Win or To Lose

1/4

TO WIN OR TO LOSE

Written by

Tom Bailey

[email protected]


2/4

EXT. BRIDGE - DAWN

Two women stand on a bridge, leaning against the stoneguardrail, each dangling a fishing line into the abyss below.

THEODORA, late 50s, produces a small tin cup and a well wornglass bottle filled with homemade whiskey. She slowly pours

herself a cup, careful not to spill a drop.

The other woman, LUCIEN, 17, looks meekly into the sky: thesun is beginning to rise, and the slate-grey of the earlydawn is streaked with a jaundiced yellow.

LUCIENNow we have stayed too long.Positively. Theyll be patrollingsoon, and here we are. Strafe bait.And fishing for what?

Theodora takes a slow drink from her cup.

THEODORALeave if you want. Go on. Off withyou...

Lucien SIGHS, then leans over the railing. She tugs gently onher wire. Theodora sets the cup in front of Lucien.

THEODORA (CONTD)... Then drink. Just a speck.

Theodora pours, Lucien DOWNS it, trying to hide her disgust.

THEODORA (CONTD)The fish are waking up now. Firstlight makes them hungry.

LUCIENAnd yet, can you remember the lasttime something pulled on your line?Has it not been months?

THEODORAHas it?

Theodora takes another drink. Lucien shakes her head.

LUCIENUseless.

Lucien begins to pull in her line.

THEODORAHave you thought on it?


3/4

LUCIENEvery waking moment, Teddy. Not tomention my dreams. Every night adifferent terror, always the sameruin. Ive ground my teeth to nubs.

THEODORA

Fighting is noble. Dangerous, butnoble. You would be fed well. Nomore fishing.

LUCIENIt is not in my heart to fight.

THEODORAThen change your heart.

Lucien pulls up the last of her line. At the end, a massivehook, dangling from which is plant-like matter laced with aslimy black substance. Lucien removes the slime.

LUCIENCleaned off again.

THEODORA(smirking)

You see, there is something downthere. Probably a school of them.Fleshy and juicy. Mmmmm.

Lucien silently takes the bottle from in front of Theodora,who doesnt seem to notice. Is she blind, perhaps? Lucien

studies the contents of the bottle.

LUCIENWhat would you do without me?

THEODORAYou worry about me? My girl, I ambeyond saving, beyond worry. Theyoung fight. The old... We stay outof the way.

Lucien takes a silent swig, covers her mouth with her sleeve.

LUCIENTell me about it, before it allfell to shreds. Your old foodmarket, the handsome delivery man --

THEODORAYesterday is not ours to recover,but tomorrow is ours to win or tolose.

2.


4/4

LUCIENTomorrow... You always say that, soI suppose you must believe it,but --

Just then, Theodora responds to a TUG on her line.

THEODORAWhoa, whoa...

Beat. They wait, expectantly. Nothing. Theodora SIGHS. Thenshe slides the tin cup toward Lucien, who responds by fillingit up, setting the bottle back down on the guardrail.

Theodora does not drink. She BREATHES HEAVILY, stillrecovering from the excitement. Then, in the distance, thesound of a HELICOPTER. Lucien looks to the sky.

LUCIENI knew it. We must go.

She grabs a small pack at her feet, then takes Theodorasarm. The older woman does not budge, but turns to face Lucienfor the first time. Her eyes are a MUDDY BLACK, rimmed with asickly yellow tinge.

THEODORAYou go. Theyve just startedbiting.

LUCIENTheyll crush you. Youll be wiped

out like an insect!

Theodora wrestles her arm back from Lucien.

THEODORARun! Go!

Lucien freezes for moment, unsure what to do. The groundbegins to RUMBLE from the approaching helicopter. She glancesto the sky, then DASHES off down the road, FASTER than adeer. Theodora pulls up gently on her line, leans over therailing, looks into the deep BLACK ABYSS below.

THEODORA (CONTD)(to herself)

Fight.

Dust SWIRLS on the bridge, as a shadow CREEPS over thepavement, crawls toward where the two women were standing.Theodora now stands on the railing, defiantly. In a momentshes gone, leaving behind only the bottle and tin cup.

FADE TO BLACK.

3.

to win or to lose

Documents