INDELIBLE FRECKLES

EXT. MEADOW – MORNING

TITLE: Monday

A fine shower of BANTAM MIX descends on FOUR CHICKENS who set upon gobbling up the tasty seed ingredients.

GODDESS

(sing-song)

Hello girls.

THE GODDESS, dressed for Her day job, tosses up another handful of bantam mix --

-- a second shower of bantam mix falls about the chickens, the beaks pecking greedily in all directions.

One chicken in particular – we shall call her BUFFY – looks up from the seeds on the ground and goes up to The Goddess.

GODDESS

Hello Buffy.

Buffy pecks Her TROUSERS.

GODDESS

Watch it.

Buffy pecks at Her trousers again.

GODDESS

Oh alright.

She crouches beside the chicken – Buffy opens her wings at the sudden movement and we see that the clipped feathers from the previous episode are MUCH shorter now – and offers a palm of bantam mix. Buffy pecks at the proffered seeds.

BUFFY

(low)

Booooaaaahh.

The Goddess looks over her shoulder --

ANGLE ON our WRITER, also dressed for his day job, looking on from the BACKYARD.

WRITER

All’s well that ends well, eh?

The Goddess looks at the chicken eating out of her hand.

CLOSE on Her look of satisfaction.

CUT TO:

EXT. MEADOW – AFTERNOON

Three chickens crowd the GATE, looking out into the backyard.

We hear a car door open in the distance as --

EXT. DRIVEWAY – CONTINUOUS

-- our Writer closes the door of the SPORTSWAGON and --

EXT. BACKYARD – CONTINUOUS

-- he wearily approaches the BACKDOOR. He sees the chickens staring at him through the gate.

BUFFY

(O.O.S.; low)

Boooaaahh.

He looks down to see a lone chicken standing before him, opening and closings her wings with some measure of pride.

He crouches in front of her, holding up his CELLPHONE, thumb holding down the ‘Camera’ button. He frames the chicken who pecks at his trouser leg – and takes a photo.

WRITER

I hereby rename you....

ANGLE ON our Writer’s cellphone screen as he selects The Goddess’s cell number – he thumbs ‘Send’.

WRITER

(cont’d)

... Steve McQueen.

FADE OUT.

EXT. MEADOW – DAY

TITLE: Sunday

FOUR CHICKENS excitedly gobble down STALE BREAD CRUMBS.

GODDESS

(O.O.S.; sing-song)

Hey girls. You like that?

ANGLE ON THE GODDESS as she peers through the fence from the BACKYARD.

One chicken in particular – we recognise BUFFY from our earlier episode – looks up before gingerly moving her right wing: we see that a number of feathers have been shorn in an unnatural but geometric straight line.

EXT. BACKYARD – CONTINUOUS

The Goddess grasps a fence paling in one hand as --

GODDESS

Look, it hurt me much more than it hurt you to do that.

(beat)

It was for your own good.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN – LATER

Our WRITER enters with some DIRTY DISHES. Movement outside catches his eye.

WRITER

Um. Dear?

EXT. BACKYARD – MOMENTS LATER

Buffy stretches her wings defiantly as she approaches the GARDEN.

We hear a backdoor opening.

GODDESS

The books said clipping one wing would work.

Buffy manages a few panicked strides before she’s in The Goddess’s arms.

She and her captor stare at each other, not moving.

BUFFY

(low)

Booooaaaahhh.

The chicken cranes her neck to eye her captor RIGHT IN HER FACE. She doesn’t blink.

A muscle twitches in The Goddess’s cheek.

A long beat.

GODDESS

Right then.

The Goddess strides into the HOUSE, chicken in arm.

TITLE: TO BE CONCLUDED

FADE IN:

EXT. BACKYARD – DAY

TITLE: Saturday

ANGLE ON GATE to the MEADOW where THREE CHICKENS’ EYES watch as --

-- a New Hampshire red – we’ll call her BUFFY – struts in front of her audience, pecking occasionally at the grass.

We hear the backdoor opening O.S.

GODDESS

(O.O.S.)

What do you think you’re doing?

Buffy looks up – too late – as THE GODDESS picks her up --

BUFFY

(low)

Booooaaahhh -

-- and Buffy is shoved back through the gate into the meadow.

GODDESS

Now if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times -

CLOSE ON BUFFY as she eyes the fence – she has to crane her neck so much she looks like a goose.

GODDESS

(cont’d)

- no. Going. Over. The fence.

(beat)

Or ELSE.

She glares at Buffy who locks eyes with her briefly before resuming her examination of the fence.

INT. KITCHEN – MOMENTS LATER

The Goddess looks up from her GLASS OF PINOT GRIS to see --

EXT. BACKYARD – CONTINUOUS

-- Buffy balances on top of the fence a moment before descending to freedom.

She looks up at the house, her eye finding --

INT. KITCHEN – CONTINUOUS

-- The Goddess, watching in silence. She carefully puts her wine glass on the counter.

GODDESS

Right. That’s it.

TITLE: TO BE CONTINUED.