Arrival

By

Sylas Shaw
sylas.shaw
2@gmail.co
m
EXT. A MORRISONS PARKING LOT IN LONDON NIGHT

STEPHEN and SEAN (late teens to early twenties) sit down

on the pavement of the empty parking lot. Next to them on
the ground is a suitcase. Its wheels are giving out, the
frame is falling apart. They are both visibly tired. They
just got off a 33 hour bus journey from Romania. Their
accent is an American/British amalgam or Continental.
While their names are Sean and Stephen, the characters
themselves are gender non-specific.
STEPHEN
Will you do it?
SEAN
Yeah. Sure. Just give me a
minute.
STEPHEN causally lights a cigarette.
STEPHEN
You want one?
SEAN
Naah. Not now.

STEPHEN
Cool.
(Pause)

SEAN
I dont feel like it.
Anyway, its bad for you.
It kills, remember?
STEPHEN
(Waves hand dismissively)
Yeah.
SEAN
Seriously? You just... Cancer?
Grey lungs? Sore throat?
STEPHEN
Right. Right. I got it...
Youre like your mom.
SEAN
(Raises finger in warning)
Hey! She has enough problems...
(With a cheeky smile)
Cause your mom was any better.
STEPHEN
What?

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 2.

STEPHEN (contd)

Pack up Stevie. Mommys baby boy. Put in... What? Fifty

jumpers, twenty trousers, thirty shirts, ten T-shirts,
and seven pairs of shoes. Was that right?
STEPHEN (contd) Close enough.

SEAN
O! O! And dont forget the socks. You know what the
weather is like in Britain. Youre probably going to
arrive in the night, so dress warm, because it might be
chilly and it might rain. Dont worry about the luggage,
well take you to the bus. When you get there just get a
cab and youll be alright... Oh, you cant close the
case? Dont worry. Ill sit on it so you can zip it all
the way around. See? Done... Look at us now. Stranded in
the middle of London with a no-good case at 3AM, and no
cabs around. And the weight of this thing... What was
she thinking?

STEPHEN
O, calm down! We know what we
have to do.

SEAN
Uhumm. Good thing
Morrisons is right here.
STEPHEN
Yep.
SEAN
Does your dad know by the way?

STEPHEN
What?
SEAN
That you left the country, Zweistein. That you packed
up your stuff and skipped to the UK on a bus.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 3.

STEPHEN

O. Not really. Havent kept in touch that much. Not after

the way we parted.

SEAN
You never told me how you parted.
STEPHEN
Not much to tell. Dad, shouting, mom, crying, and the
other woman... Well... A week later we left... Exodus.
No sea.

SEAN
Well, at least you got away fast. Worst neighbours ever.
He got really paranoid. Told me to stop keeping tabs on
him. It just got annoying... Good thing I left as well.

STEPHEN
Definitely... What about your Dad? What did he say?
Will he be waiting at the station?
SEAN
Aham. Hell pick us up. But we cant stay a lot at his
place.

STEPHEN
Why?

SEAN
I think its really small... And hes sharing it. With
his girlfriend.
STEPHEN
What? Girlfriend?

SEAN
Yep. Dad hooked up as well.

STEPHEN
Sorry, man. Divorce?
SEAN
Probably. When mom finds out.
STEPHEN
She doesnt know yet?

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 4.

SEAN
Naah. He told me yesterday. On
the phone... He wanted me to
know. I guess it wouldve been
weird otherwise.
STEPHEN
Thats messed up.
SEAN
It is. I cant blame him
though. Cant live alone
for the rest of his life. Not
with her condition.

STEPHEN
True. True. Its unfair, though,
isnt it? Especially with her
condition.

SEAN
I dont know, man... I
dont know.
A short silence breaks in. Theyre BOTH looking
around. Measuring up the environment.
STEPHEN
Its about time.
SEAN
Aham. Just give me a drag.
STEPHEN
What? No more cancer?
SEAN
Not today...
SEAN takes a drag, hands it back, then walks into the
parking lot behind them. STEVEN keeps looking around,
enjoying his cigarette. The camera stays with STEPHEN.

SEAN (contd)
Dude!

STEPHEN
Yeah?
SEAN
Yyou have a pound?

STEPHEN
Why?

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 5.

SEAN
We need one for the trolley.
STEPHEN
Damn! Just get a loose one. Any
one. If it has wheels, its
good enough.
SEAN
Alright... (Pause) Found one...
STEPHEN
Bring it!

STEPHEN gets up and starts pacing around, while SEAN tries

loading up the case into the cart. He fails. STEPHEN keeps
pacing around patiently.
SEAN
Jeez! Do you think you could help
me? Only if youre done praying,
Teresa!
STEPHEN
(blesses Sean with the
cross)
In the name of the Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit... Now
lets load it up.
THEY load the case up.
SEAN
Finally. Whoopty-fucking-doo!
STEPHEN
Hey. This is England. They know
what that means.
SEAN
You dont say. They speak
English? In England? Good one!
(Shoves trolley)
Yeah... Im definitely
buying a new one.
STEPHEN
Smart man.
SEAN
Right. Which way is the other cab
station?

STEPHEN
(pointing)
That way...

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.

SEAN
Well, thats us then.
England, were here!

THEY stroll into the darkness. SEAN is pushing the trolley

while STEPHEN leads maintaining the trolleys direction,
followed by the sound of screeching wheels. SEAN starts
humming the tune of a slow and gloomy Tea for Two and
STEPHEN joins in. The camera rises to tree level, fixating
on the path before them.
FADE OUT
THE END