SECOND DRAFT

Losing Faith Scene 1 Int - Day ALEC and SARAH sit on either side of a table. They look rough. The room is small and dingy. ALEC spins the cartridge of a gun and presses it to the side of his head. ALEC pulls the trigger and SARAH flinches. Empty cartridge. He drops the gun onto the table in relief. ALEC Still alive. He pushes the gun towards the SARAH. She doesnt take it. ALEC (CONTD) Your turn. SARAH stares. ALEC (CONTD) Your turn. SARAH takes it reluctantly. SARAH (Half-laughing) I never thought it would be this hard. But I suppose its not really. All you need to do is pull the trigger, thats all. Easy. She spins the cylinder slowly and carefully points it to her temple. She fires but nothing happens. She looks disappointed. ALEC takes the gun. SARAH (CONTD) I wonder if itll hurt. Thats what Im worried about. I dont mind dying or, at least, I wont once Im dead. But its the pain ALEC Pain only exists in the mind. SARAH Do you really believe that? Is that why you agreed to this? ALEC stares sceptically. Suddenly, with violence intense enough to prove a point, he pulls the trigger. Nothing. ALEC Damn it! SARAH Bad luck. ALEC

Ive always been unlucky. (Sighing) I wouldnt be here if I wasnt. SARAH Where would you be? If you could be anywhere. ALEC I dont know. Back in London, at home, but I doubt Ill ever see it again. ALEC offers the gun to SARAH. She takes it and has her go indifferently. SARAH My mums probably wondering where the hell I am. (Smiling) She didnt want me to go study journalism. She wanted me to work at the local supermarket and look after her when she got old.

ALEC I wonder what that feels like; having someone worry about you. (Silent for a moment) All thats left of me in London is a square
patch of wall - a little bit lighter than the paint around it - and a hole for a nail. SARAH So I guess home isnt actually where you want to be. ALEC Perhaps not, but it sure beats here. SARAH (Pause, awkward) Is it my go? Alec quickly pulls the trigger for himself. ALEC It is now. SARAH takes her go and then lays the gun on the table. There is a noise outside, they look worried and start playing faster. They pass the gun back and forth for a while in silence, with no winner or losing emerging. SARAH Are you sure this gun works? Youd have thought one of us would be dead by now. ALEC It better work. Its all Ive got. SARAH And the bullets in there? ALEC checks. ALEC

Yes. SARAH looks frustrated. ALEC You have to be patient. Its a game of luck and chance. SARAH Look, if it is me who dies, can I just say a few things now? Before its too late. ALEC nods. SARAH Its just that, all my life, Ive tried to do the right thing. To be a good person. And now Im sitting here, in this room, with you and its horrible. (breaking down) How did it come to this? Its like nothing matters. Not a single second of it all. Life, love, death - it means nothing! And no one cares. They just go about their everyday lives, doing everyday things, being so normal, and none of them know about this! (Brandishes gun) This side of life. The dark and the shadows and the scum. It means nothing to them! Why do they get to be so bloody oblivious? Why are they allowed to stay ignorant? Why not us? Why not us? SARAH throws gun down onto floor in disgust and hides her face, sobbing. ALEC watches her with concern. ALEC We chose this. SARAH (interrupting) I did not choose this! ALEC (speaking regardless) I did. I knew the risks when I chose to come here. I thought it would be worth it if I could just help in some way. SARAH But its not fair ALEC Well, life isnt fair. You get one chance, you screw it up and there are no do-overs. So what? Its the same for everyone. ALEC scoops up gun and spins the cylinder, but doesnt let it come to rest. The clicking sounds like a beating heart. SARAH watches. SARAH Do you believe in God? ALEC (Considering) Sometimes. But then sometimes Ill wake up and wonder how I was ever so foolish to put my faith in someone. SARAH

What about when you do believe? Why is that? ALEC I find something worth believing in. ALEC slides the gun unhappily to Sarah. Their fingers touch for a brief second, but ALEC pulls away with SARAH mirroring ALEC (Softly) Good luck. SARAH (Nervously, as she pulls the trigger) I dont believe in luck. ALEC Are you married? Have kids? SARAH No kids, but Im engaged. ALEC (Accusingly) Then why are you here? SARAH (Slowly)I guess because I wanted to know the truth. ALEC Why? You said it yourself about ignorance. Why would you want to know the truth? Especially when you had him! You had a family and you had a life! You threw all that away for the truth? Pause. SARAH looks ashamed. ALEC (CONTD) (Disbelief) You threw it all away SARAH I loved him, and I still do. Very much. But something drove me away. The promise of enlightenment, perhaps, or well, I dont know. Not anymore. Angrily, ALEC lifts the gun and places it in his mouth. He looks suddenly suicidal and pulls the trigger, almost choking as the gun recoils slightly. Spitting to remove the taste, he tosses the gun towards SARAH. ALEC Hurry up and die. SARAH Id feel bad if I did die and left you alone here. It would be like murder.

ALEC Ive killed people before. SARAH Really? ALEC Are you surprised? SARAH I guess I just forgot for a second. ALEC Have you killed anyone? (Turning face away) I doubt it. SARAH No, no, of course not. (beat) But Ive seen people die. ALEC Did you know them? SARAH No, not really. We had talked a little, but then I recall it was very hot outside that day; burningly so. Inside the house it was shady, but there was very little difference between the temperatures. ALEC That was before you came here? SARAH That was the day I came here. SARAH takes the gun tentatively and pulls the trigger. She lets it drop onto the table. The sharp clatter makes ALEC wince. SARAH (quietly) When I die, will you try and get a message to my family? ALEC You know I wont be able to. SARAH Just promise youll try. Tell them that I love them. And that I miss them. And that Ill be watching them from Heaven. (Her eyes water) Tell them that everything will be okay and that one day theyll understand. Tell them that when I died, I wasnt alone.

ALEC holds her gaze. Slowly, without needing words, he nods. There is silence. SARAH And you will get back to London. You will get home. Suddenly, there is a harsh banging and unintelligible voices could be heard through the concrete walls. ALEC and SARAH stare at each other in desperate horror. Abruptly, without emotion, ALEC reaches into his pocket and pulls out the only bullet he has left. With experienced hands he loads the empty cylinder and snaps the gun upwards to point at SARAH. They both freeze. SARAH You cheated! You knew all along. ALEC (Bluntly) I had to. I had to make sure you died. SARAH Why? ALEC looks at her strangely, without apology or regret. ALEC Because today I believe. He shoots SARAH. She jerks to the floor and her blood stains the dust. ALEC doesnt look at her but stands silently for a minute. Then he throws the gun away. Outside, the undistinguishable sound morphs into the familiar marching of boots on sand. The rattle of metal on metal and the unforgiving tongue of some foreign language echoes through the walls. ALEC closes his eyes. A masked insurgent unlocks the door, pushing it open violently. More flood in behind him. Broken English and is screamed and guns are pointed at ALEC. They grab him. He is forced forwards, out of the little room to God knows where. Ignored, SARAHs expression remains peaceful.