THROUGH THE SHUTTERS

Written by

gagwash
INT. A DIMLY LIT BASEMENT (2 MEN IN MILITARY JEANS AND
DIRTIED WHITE SHIRTS SIT SILENTLY)

BLACK

Silence, interupted only by the analogue glitches of an old,

rusted radio.

CUT IN:

One's fingers are frantically fiddling with an old radio.

SINGLE SHOT of MATTHEW(19) sitting cross-legged with a stern

expression, focusing on the radio he is desperately
attempting to work.

QUICK CUT:

SINGLE SHOT of DAVID(20), sitting separate and facing away

from Mattcross-legged with an agitated, hopeless expression
radiating from his widely opened eyes, staring into the
blank, cold ground as he fiddles with his fingers.

MATTHEW
Aaaany minute now...

DAVID (SLIGHTLY TURNING HIS HEAD

TOWARD MATTHEW)
Why the rush?

MATTHEW
I'll tell you when he gets here...

(PAUSE)

DAVID (QUICKLY RAISING HIS HEAD)

You think he got caught?

The sound of banging sheet metal is heard from the basement

window/entrance. David dissapointedly turns his face back to
the ground with an agitated look on his face.

CUT TO:

WIDE SHOT of Matthew switching the automated shutters open,

revealing a third man, AARON(19) standing outside the
basement and crawling in through the entry. He then finds
his feet and stands up.

MATTHEW
Nothing today?
 2.

Aaron does not respond and simply walks toward a chair in

the basement.

(PAUSE)

MATTHEW (CONT'D)
Well?

AARON
sighs Same as yesterday.

(PAUSE)

Aaron clears his throat and quickly turns his head to an

agitated David.

AARON (CONT'D)
And what about you, you still hate
me?

DAVID
Same as yesterday.

AARON
scoffs

Matthew tries to say something, but instead sighs and gets

back to fidget with his Radio. Aaron slowly reclines his
head back on the chair, facing the ceiling.

(PAUSE:15 seconds)

MATTHEW
It's christmas today.

David scoffs thinking that Matthew was simply withholding

the fact that it was christmas.

AARON
Yeah?

MATTHEW
Yeah.

AARON
Wow... so what- that's... that's 3
months?

MATTHEW
Yep.

(PAUSE)
 3.

AARON
It feels longer than that.

MATTHEW
It would.

AARON
chuckles Well Merry Christmas gang.

MATTHEW
Likewise...

Aaron unrests his head from the chair to focus on Matthew,

slightly taken aback my Matthew's lack of enthusiasm, before
going back to resting his head upwards on the chair.

(PAUSE: 5 Seconds)

AARON
Got anything to say?

MATTHEW
Got anything you want me to say?

AARON
Tiredly flipping hands up...
Surprise me.

MATTHEW
Alright... uhhhh, well we were
gonna remind you at your wedding or
something but... we were... I think
16, some party. You were (laughing
through his words) completely
fucked. And making threats from the
hosts roof to jump into the pool
about needng something to prove.

AARON
chuckles I don't recall.

MATTHEW
(laughing through his words) I
wouldn't either! Yknow, if I was
that drunk at 16 I wouldn't even be
able to stand.

QUICK CUT:

Single shot of David sitting by his lonesome, unentertained

by their conversation.
 4.

BACK TO:

Aaron and David conversing

AARON
Well- did I do it?

MATTHEW
Yeah, you just fucking nose dived
in there! Somehow uninjured!

AARON
I- You're fucking with me.

MATTHEW
No no we got it on video turning
head toward David David I think you
got it right?

(PAUSE: 5 Seconds)

DAVID
stuttering uhhh, yeah I recorded
the whole thing I think, it's with
the camera at... home.

CUT TO:

Single shot of Matthew. His temporary smile is slowly fading

away.

MATTHEW
yeah...

CUT TO:

Single shot of Aaron's face following suit.

AARON
Well... uhhh anyway. I can't- bring
any of that to mind, that doesn't
seem like me-

CUT TO:

Single Shot of David, his hands clamped together.

DAVID
interrupting It seems exactly like
you.

BACK TO:
 5.

SINGLE SHOT of Aaron, agitated by David's crudeness, yet

trying to overlook it.

(PAUSE: 10 Seconds)

AARON
Well... our passports should be
here in 10 days. It's been 2 days
since I've seen any of our troops
on patrol so at least they won't-

DAVID
agitated But the enemy will... in
due time right? We've seen a lot
more of those fuckers in the past 2
days. I think 10 should be just
fucking PLENTY before they search
this house and shoot us into
oblivion.

AARON
tiredly They've barely been in the
area.

DAVID
Because our soldiers were holding
it down. Now they've fallen back
and-

AARON
They didn't fall back-

DAVID
angry Oh what the fuck do you know.
Maybe 3 months after we killed
Mills the whole goddamn unit just
collapsed.

AARON
And so what if they DID huh? Ours
couldn't find us in nearly 3
GODDAMNED MONTHS! What makes you
think that these guys could find us
in 10 days.

MATTHEW
interrupting to no avail guys cool
it

DAVID(TO AARON)
I'm just saying it's a matter of
time before SOMEONE finds us. And I
think 10 DAYS is a little too long
to-
 6.

AARON
We're not going by boat, it's a
fucken one way ticket to dying.

DAVID
It's better than waiting around
before you eventually-

AARON
OH REALLY!?!? Sailing headfirst
into wartorn seas plagued with
artillery fire is better than being
deathly paranoid for another 10
days.

DAVID
What if our boys have fallen back?
Hmm? No artillery, we'd be in the
clear somewhat. Better than being
blindly hopeful that someday you
won't get caught by either the
enemy or our own!

MATTHEW
sternly We won't be found.

(PAUSE)

AARON
directing hand at matthew See?
Thank you. looking back to david
You just gotta stop-

MATTHEW
I mean we won't ever be found.

AARON
Yeah that's what I was sayi-

MATTHEW
I caught something on the radio
today. Something about dropping
'the gadget' at 1800. It would...
make sense given the circumstances.
None of our boys in the area.

AARON
You think they've fallen back.

MATTHEW
Yes.
 7.

AARON
All of them.

MATTHEW
Yes.

AARON
In a matter of days.

MATTHEW
It checks out. Quick evacuation,
would seem inconspicuous, like
surrender. The enemy would be
completely blindsided. Radio
doesn't say otherwise.

Aaron simply hangs his head and stares at the ground.

Releasing a great sigh. David is completely silent with his
eyes wide open. Dissociating from the situation, breathing
heavily.

MATTHEW (CONT'D)
Look. Whatever it is we do. We
gotta leave as soon as possible.
And I think we should leave by
boat.

AARON
Yeah... yeah, the boat. For sure.
Right. Let's pack ...and be on our
way.

David clamps his hands around his face and writhes in anger
before letting go and screaming at Aaron

DAVID
Man I FUCKING KNEW YOU WOULD DO
THIS SHIT AARON! You and your
FUCKING CONVICTIONS!

(CONT'D)
 8.

(CONT'D)