DEATH IN A BAHRAINI GARDEN

Written by

Mohamed Sultan

moe.sultan23@gmail.com
+973 36990612
EXT. GARDEN - SUNRISE

(TITLE SCREEN)
A tree falls to the ground... No
one is around... Does it make a
sound?

Two dead bodies lay on the ground side by side. A man, face
down, and a young woman on her back. Their faces are
expressionless, and the blood continues to cover the
surrounding grass. The pool of blood reflects the rising sun.

CUT TO:

INT. CAFE - MIDDAY

A girl, SARA, sits on a table near the cafe entrance, with

her back to its glass facade. She quietly waits for a few
moments, slowly sipping a cup of black coffee.

Soon, another girl, NOOR, rushes in and immediately hugs SARA

from behind.

CUT TO:

INT. CAFE - CONTINUOUS

The two are sitting opposite of one another.

SARA
I almost killed my husband last
night.

NOOR
Did it happen again?

Sara remains quiet. She looks down at her cup, then looks
back up at Noor.

NOOR (CONT’D)
I’m calling your mom.

Noor quickly looks for her phone in her purse.

Sara stops her.

SARA
Don’t!

NOOR
Then why did you call me over?
 2.

SARA
I just need someone to talk to. A
good conversation can cure
anything, remember? You said that.

NOOR
(reluctantly leaves her
purse aside)
You never forget anything do you?

SARA
It’s a curse, trust me.

JUMP CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - MIDNIGHT

CLOSE UP OF A PAIR OF LEGS SHAKING

CLOSE UP OF A MAN BEING CHOCKED

CLOSE-UP OF SARA’S ANGRY FACE

JUMP CUT TO:

EXT. IN FRONT OF AN UNKNOWN BUILDING - MIDDAY

Two men are having a cigarette break.

ALI
(staring at his phone)
The world has become so dull
nowadays. Sometimes I wish I was
born in a different time.

AHMED
That’s interesting.

AHMED lights up a cigarette.

AHMED (CONT’D)
I’ve always believed that I was
born in the wrong time.
 3.

ALI
You and your ongoing existential
crises.

They pause for a moment.

Ali looks up at the sky straight into the sun, then turns
back to AHMED.

ALI (CONT’D)
What’s troubling you? You’re
starting to depress me.

AHMED
(casually)
My wife tried to kill me last
night.

ALI
Why? What’d you do?

AHMED
No
(exhales smoke)
I mean she literally tried to kill
me with her bare hands.

ALI
Well...shit! Wait! Wait! What?

AHMED
I think she was sleepwalking.

ALI
You think?!
AHMED
Well, there’s no way to be sure.

ALI
Of course there is, what the hell
are you talking about?

AHMED
Look, you weren’t there. I saw her
face.

ALI
What did she say?

AHMED
She said she doesn’t remember
anything.
(MORE)
 4.
AHMED (CONT'D)
In fact, she thought I was fucking
around, as if I was playing some
kind of a sick joke on her.

ALI
Shit, man! I don’t know...it’s a
pretty fucked up situation you got
yourself into.

CUT TO:

INT. CAFE - MIDDAY

The girls continue their conversation.

SARA
(sighs)
I said I wasn’t gonna get married..

NOOR
Hey! Don’t say that! I just got
engaged!

SARA
I’m sorry, it’s just frustrating
how every decision I make in my
life tends to come with a price.

NOOR
I think you just need to be honest
with him and tell him everything.
You underestimate how much he can
handle, you always say that.
SARA
I have to tell you something.

NOOR
What is it?

SARA
In the dream, well, it didn’t feel
like a dream at the time, I
remember it vividly. And what I
can’t forget, and I wish I could,
is that when I had my hands around
his neck it felt like the right
thing to do, I didn’t even think of
stopping myself.
I feel so guilty even though I
shouldn’t, because it was a dream.
(MORE)
 5.
SARA (CONT'D)
I don’t even know what I’m saying
anymore.

NOOR
It was just a dream, it happens to
everyone, we all have strange,
unfamiliar thoughts in our dreams.
Taking them seriously is pointless
and it’ll drive you mad. Go home
and tell him everything.

SARA
I can’t.

NOOR
Why?

SARA looks Noor dead in the eye.

SARA
Noor, can I ask you something that
may sound a little deranged?

NOOR
Sure.

SARA
What if all of this, my entire
life, is just the imagination of a
little girl walking in the middle
of the streets with her teddy bear?

NOOR
Sara, let me tell you something.
The deeper you bury those sad
moments, the more trauma it’ll
cause.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - EVENING

Ahmed is sleeping on a couch facing the balcony doors. His

left arm slightly dangling just above the floor where a James
Joyce novel lays there face down.

Sara walks in, stares at AHMED for a moment, checks the time
and walks off-screen.

AHMED opens his eyes and sits up.

SARA (O.S.)
You’re home early.
 6.

AHMED
I quit my job.

SARA
(laughs)

A short beat.

AHMED picks up his book off the floor and gently places it
where he was sitting.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

AHMED hugs SARA from behind as she takes off her earrings in
front of the mirror.

SARA
(turning around)
You weren’t kidding were you?

AHMED
I just can’t stand it anymore.

SARA
It’s not because of me right?

AHMED
No no...

SARA
Oh my God, you quit because of me!

AHMED
You’re not the centre of the world
you know.

SARA laughs.

CUT TO:

EXT. BALCONY - CONTINUOUS

The two are sitting across each other on a small table having
dinner.

SARA
I remember reading about this
thirteenth century sufi mystic
who’s entire ritual was to spin
endlessly!
(MORE)
 7.
SARA (CONT'D)
It was like his way of meditating.
Apparently he would spin for days.
He only stopped when he passed out,
it was incredible. It was like his
own way of diving within his own
consciousness, you know, purifying
the soul and so on.

AHMED
Interesting. I’ve always had a soft
spot for mysticism.

SARA
You mean cults.

AHMED laughs.

They continue to eat.

AHMED
I know you remember what happened
last night.

SARA hesitates to look at him.

SARA
(sighs)
I thought it was easier to forget
that it had happened.

AHMED
(takes her hand)
How many times do I have to remind
you that you can tell me anything?
SARA finally looks up at AHMED.

SARA
I don’t know what’s happening to
me.

A tear falls down her right eye.

CUT TO:

EXT. BALCONY - CONTINUOUS

The two are clearing up the table.

SARA
I need you to tie me up tonight.
 8.

AHMED simply looks at her.

SARA (CONT’D)
Please. Just in case it happens
again. I don’t want to take any
risks.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

AHMED is tying SARA tightly using a long rope.

AHMED
Is this ok?...or is it too tight?

SARA
(attempting to move)
Well, it wouldn’t be much use if I
was able to move. The whole point
is to stop me from doing anything.

AHMED
This is so weird...can you sleep
like this?

SARA
Yes. I’ll be fine.
(smiles)
Do you ever think about...how
strange life is? I mean, we assume
everything is real...like, when we
wake up from a dream we know
it..we...we know that we’re back in
the real world...But when you think
about it, life is as strange as a
dream. Just think back to your
early childhood for instance, so
many things are blurry and obscure.
It’s like trying to remember a
dream that you had a few nights
ago.

AHMED
Mmhm...when I look back to my
childhood memories...I can’t tell
which were dreams and which were
real.

SARA
(laughing)
You’re such a weirdo.
 9.

AHMED
Look who’s talking!

They both laugh hysterically.

SARA
(looks at AHMED and
smiles)
Goodnight.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

INT. BEDROOM - SUNRISE

AHMED wakes up from a nightmare. SARA is missing.

It’s raining outside

AHMED quickly leaves the bed. The balcony doors and all other
windows and doors are wide open.

AHMED rushes out.

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

AHMED rushes through as he hears several loud knocks on the

front door.

He opens the door and SARA (completely wet) falls into his
arms crying.
JUMP CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

SARA wakes up in shock, breathing heavily.

She wakes AHMED up as she struggles.

AHMED
Is everything OK?

SARA
I need to go to the bathroom!

CUT TO:
 10.

INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

AHMED leans on the bathroom door and slowly falls asleep.

He listens to the sound of the running water from the

bathroom as his eyes shut.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. BEACH - NIGHT

AHMED is laying on his back close to the water.

The sea water flows closer until it touches his fingers.

AHMED (V.O.)
‘O the wild rose blossoms in the
little green place’

CUT TO:

INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

AHMED wakes up and notices that his right hand is wet.

The water was coming through under the door.

He immediately gets up and turns the doorknob.

AHMED
(shouting)
SARA!

No answer.
AHMED keeps knocking and shouting.

AHMED (CONT’D)
SARA!!

JUMP CUT TO:

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

A little girl in wearing a red dress walks alone in the

street, aimlessly, carrying a yellow teddy bear.

A house burns down in the backdrop and the little girl

continues to walk unaware of her surroundings.

People are running and screaming hysterically behind her.

 11.

A VOICE
SARA!!

CUT TO:

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

The door is broken down.

SARA is drowning in the bathtub and the water is flooding all

over the bathroom.

AHMED quickly pulls her out and lays her on his lap.

The water keeps running.

FADE TO BLACK.

FADE IN:

INT. BATHROOM - MIDNIGHT

The water had stopped running.

The floor and the two lovers are wet.

SARA opens her eyes and caresses AHMED’s face.

AHMED smiles.

AHMED
Let’s go back to bed.

SARA
I think I need some fresh air.

AHMED
Sure.

AHMED carries her out of the bathroom.

CUT TO:

EXT. BALCONY - DAWN

The two lovers stand across each other.

SARA is in her robe and her hair is still slightly wet.

AHMED is in his same wet clothes.

 12.

He lights up a cigarette and turns to look at the sunrise.

SARA slowly throws herself off the balcony.

AHMED is horrified at the sight of SARA’s bleeding body on

the garden, he begins to scream hysterically.

AHMED
No! No! No! No! I must be
dreaming...it’s OK...it’s just a
dream...it’s just a dream...I need
to wake up...I...I need to wake up!
(he walks back and forth
with his hands on his
head)

He looks down again at SARA’s dead body.

He throws himself and falls right next to her.

Their blood flows through the grass.

FADE TO BLACK.