FADE IN: INT. BED ROOM - DAY The bedroom is relatively empty.

There are no personal belongings to decorate the room, though the empty shelves still remain, neglected and dusty. The bed is carefully made with dull white sheets. The curtains are drawn, the window frames are dotted with dirt. Despite the sense of emptiness present in the room, the wardrobe attached to the wall in the room has been flung open, and a mess of clothing have spilled out onto the floor. On their knees beside these clothes is DEREK. Carefully, he is taking a piece of individual clothing, folding it neatly before placing it inside an upturned suitcase, wherein a layer of folded clothing has already developed. Laying on the carpet near Derek is PAUL, whose body is regressed in a fetal position. He is loudly sobbing into his arms - a thick, long, childish cry which occasionally breaks into an exasperated breath. Although this cry is in part muffled, it maintains a constantly uncomfortable volume. Derek seems completely oblivious to this cry. His eyes never waver from the job he is doing, this disregard seems almost purposeful. The intensity of his concentration imparts a sense of worry and distraught: his eyes are bulged, his lower lip curled into itself. Derek has nearly finished the packing, and Paul shifts himself from the fetal position to a sitting position in which he burrows his head into his knees. He is weeping less violently now, perhaps the sobs are better contained in this position. His arms clutch around his legs. In his left hand , a ragged soft toy has appeared, which the boy clings to so tightly that his hand shakes. Derek zips up the now packed suitcase and turns it upright on its wheels. He stands up, and whilst holding the handle of the suitcase he finally acknowledges Paul by walking over to him and nudging his knee using a foot. Paul's head jolts upwards immediately, looking at Derek through red, damp eyes, his lower lip still quivering. DEREK I'm done, get up. Paul looks at him with visible distress and slumps his head down again. He releases another loud sob, which this time Derek acknowledges with a wince. Paul is attempting to speak, though the great gargling cry he releases while doing so renders his speech incomprehensible. Perhaps he is calling for a 'mummy', it is unclear. For a short while, Derek simply looks at Paul on the floor, lips parted, teeth clenched. With a sudden lunge, Derek makes a grab for the soft toy clenched in Paul's left hand. Though Paul's grasp is tight, Derek has no difficulty in yanking the toy from Paul. The reaction is quick. Paul sprouts from his sitting position frantically, flailing his arms at Derek in a panic. Derek grabs Paul's arm forcefully and begins to walk out of the bedroom door with the suitcase and soft toy in one hand, and Paul's arm in the other. As he is being dragged along, Paul struggles, though not nearly enough as his initial reaction might have suggested. He is dragged along in a

similar way that the suitcase is. INT. LANDING - DAY Derek enters the landing while pulling Paul and the suitcase behind him. He has stuffed the soft toy in a pocket. Paul is wining and struggling, though Derek grips him too tightly. He is at constant battle with the suitcase. INT. STAIRCASE - DAY Walking down the staircase, Derek appears cautious of Paul. He does not drag him as quickly, nor as assertively as before. He brings the suitcase in front of him, and kicks it down each stair. Paul's struggling has stopped, now he simply maintains as tangible a distance from Derek as possible, causing Derek to drag him like a parent to a reluctant child. INT. HALL - DAY They approach the end of the stairs, which leads into the hall. Directly in front of them as they walk down the stairs are Similarly to the bedroom, it is devoid of any decoration. Only a low, empty cupboard sits beside the door, a piece of paper resting on its surface. Beside it is another suitcase which stands on its wheels, a metal handle jutting out from its top. Once the boys are downstairs, Derek sets the suitcase beside the one already there, pushing the latter's metal handle down with his free hand. He looks at Paul, whose struggling has progressively weakened into a feeble wincing noise. Derek takes the soft toy from his pocket, raising it up to Paul's line of vision. Paul looks at it attentively, the wine is no longer heard. DEREK Are you gonna stay here? Paul nods eagerly, and Derek puts the toy into his hand. He receives it with as tight a grip as before. Derek relieves his hand from Paul, taking a momentary glance at him and nodding when Paul stays still, no longer crying or wining. Derek then addresses the surface of the cupboard, picking up the piece of paper and brings it to his chest, in line with his vision. On the paper is a small note written in faint pencil lead. It reads in capitals: 'NOTE TO SELF: THEY'LL BE OVER AT 1.30'. Derek puts down the paper, pulling up his sleeve to reveal a watch, which he consults. Soon after, he drops his hand. DEREK Shit. In one grasp Derek grabs both suitcases by the handles. With his hand, he indicates Paul towards a door on the left side of the room, which soon after he walks frantically towards. As he is doing this this, a distant slamming of car doors is heard from outside. Derek appears not to have heard it. The

distinct sound of footsteps treading on gravel is heard soon after. INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY Derek enters this room first. It is less bare than the previous room, with a cupboard, tall book shelf and a large table filling much of the space. However, again, there are no ornaments dressing these shelves. Light comes in from a pair of french windows, highlighting the dust that thinly coats the surface of the table. Derek sets the suitcases away from the entrance, laying them individually on their backs. Paul mindlessly wades in from the hall, and stands idly by the entrance to the room. The doorbell rings, followed closely by a couple of hard, stern knocks. From the glass in the front door, a distorted, amorphous figure can be seen standing by the door. With a start, Derek grabs Paul's arm, grabbing him from the view of the front door. He pulls Paul into his arms, one arm clutching him by the chest and the other by the mouth. Briefly, they remain in silence. FIGURE (O.S.) Hello? Silence. Derek's face looks intensely forward from behind Paul's shoulder. Paul makes no noise. They ring the doorbell again, though do not knock. FIGURE(O.S.) Boys, Social Services. Upon the final word 'services', Paul's breathe almost instantly becomes fast and heavy, like he's hyperventilating. His eyes moisten. Aside from this, nobody speaks. Three knocks on the door this time, which sounds gentler than before. FIGURE (O.S.) We know you're there, boys. There's no one here to look after you. Paul emits a subdued moan. His face is as exasperated as it was before, and though this noise presents itself as a mumble, it fills the rooms. Derek does not respond to this cry, his face just remains how it was. For a period of time they remain like this. The figure makes no attempt at knocking, yet still stands by the door. FIGURE (O.S.) We'll come back later, then. The figure walks from the door and the sound of crunching gravel can be heard. When this sound fades, Derek removes his hand from the crying Paul, and wipes it on the latter's arm. The crying continues, with Paul standing awkwardly where he was, crying. Derek slumps himself onto the floor, resting his head on his knees.

FADE OUT