Albion - the 'Chekhov' version

INT. ERIC’S DINING ROOM - DAY

ERIC finishes a letter at the table. There’s an untouched plate of toast beside him. His mood is morose, gloomy. He wears a dressing gown and tiger slippers.

His wife GWEN runs in, adjusting her police uniform.

ERIC
Gwen.

Gwen kisses him quickly, dons her police cap.

GWEN
Writing?

ERIC
A little.

GWEN
Read it later, honest.

Gwen points at the toast next to Eric. Eric shrugs, passes her the toast. Gwen stuffs it in her mouth and bolts for the door.

ERIC
I love you.

Gwen turns, gives him a smile, goes.

Eric signs the letter. He places it in an envelope, leaves the envelope propped up on the table. The envelope is titled “For Gwen”.

EXT. ERIC’S HOUSE - DAY

Eric wanders outside, still in his dressing gown and slippers. He stops by the letterbox, breathes in the fresh air and sunlight. A flicker of enjoyment.

Eric notices the front door is still wide open. He glares at it. He reaches for it listlessly, he’s nowhere near.

Eric shrugs, giving up. He strolls past the letterbox.

EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY

The shopping district of Stafford. Eric wanders along, attracting surprised looks from fellow pedestrians.

A young mother JULIE drags her four year old son MAX across the street, away from Eric. Max stares at Eric in amazement. Eric waves at both of them.

LANCE pulls up beside Eric in a beaten-up truck, which takes up most of the street. Lance hops out. Eric walks on, Lance beside him. There’s a honking noise.

LANCE
Eric.

ERIC
Lance.

LANCE
How are you?

ERIC
Fine.

Lance doubts this. There’s another honk.

LANCE
Haven’t seen you in a while -

ERIC
(firmly)
I’m good.

LANCE
(relieved)
Okay then. Later!

Lance waves, rushes back to his truck. Eric smiles, shakes his head, walks on.

EXT. BRIDGE - DAY

Eric stands on the narrow railing of the town bridge.

The river rushes below.

Eric closes his eyes, prepares to jump.

PETE (O.S)
Mind if I watch?

Eric opens his eyes. An elderly man, PETE, leans against the railing beside him.

ERIC
What?

PETE
I’ve never seen anyone commit suicide before. (beat) That is what you’re doing, right?

ERIC
Yes.

PETE
Good.

ERIC
Why is that good?

PETE
I’m sure you’ve got your reasons.

Pete waits. Eric hovers on the edge.

Eric prepares to jump, but he’s too conscious of Pete.

ERIC
(gesturing at Pete)
Do you mind?

PETE
No, of course not.

Pete takes a few steps back, continues staring intently.

Eric tries again, gives up.

Eric steps back off the railing. Pete’s disappointed.

ERIC
I can’t.(beat) Not yet.

PETE
Take your time.

Pete passes Eric a bottle of bourbon.

PETE
Help you get your courage up.

Eric tries it, screws up his face.

PETE
Now, leaping off a bridge has got to be better than that.

Eric nods.

PETE
So what is it? Cancer?

ERIC
No.

PETE
Incest? Adultery?

ERIC
I’m holding my wife back.

PETE
You hate her.

ERIC
I love her. But I’m a loser. I haven’t had a job for a year. I do nothing all day. I used to dream about writing, but I can’t. I’m useless.

PETE
Alright then.

ERIC
I can’t even kill myself.

Eric is in despair. Pete puts his arm around him.

PETE
Nonsense. You’re putting yourself down. You don’t believe in yourself.

ERIC
I don’t. You’re right.

PETE
And there’s your problem. The man I saw standing on top of that bridge knew the meaning of action. He was willing to look life in the eye and say stuff it.

ERIC
True.

PETE
Every decision you make is in your hands. You make the difference. Don’t worry about me or anyone else. Just do it.

ERIC
Absolutely.

Eric picks himself up.

ERIC
What was I thinking? Thank you.

Eric walks off. Pete watches him go, disappointed.

PETE
Damn.

EXT. ERIC’S HOUSE - DAY

Eric whistles as he passes the letterbox.

He pauses to enjoy the sunlight on his face.

Eric strolls through the still-open front door.

INT. ERIC’S DINING ROOM - DAY

Eric ruefully observes the letter he left for Gwen. He reaches out to pick it up.

There’s a SQUEAKING sound. Eric looks up.

A heavy-set man, GRAYSON, watches Eric from the doorway to the lounge. Grayson hefts a mostly full rubbish bag in one hand, and carries a video under the other arm.

Grayson drops the rubbish bag and places the video aside.

Eric steps back, puts his arms out. He doesn’t want trouble.

Grayson impassively walks toward Eric, slides by him. Eric cries out in pain. Grayson vanishes out the front door, pulling it shut behind him.

Eric finds a knife protruding from his abdomen. He stares in it in disbelief.

Eric stumbles for the phone, misses it. He falls to the ground.

Silence. Beat. Beat. Beat.

The sound of the front door being unlocked.

Gwen saunters into the room, oblivious.

She spots the letter on the table, opens it, begins to read. Her calm expression turns to horror.

GWEN
Oh God!

Gwen stumbles away from the table. She sees Eric lying on the ground with the knife sticking out of him.

GWEN
(even more horrified)
Oh God!

EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY

An ambulance zooms through the busy street. Max stares at it in amazement.

INT. SURGERY - DAY

The hospital doctors rush to save Eric’s life.

A nurse bustles Gwen out of the surgery room.

GWEN
How is he?

The nurse grimaces, shuts the door on Gwen’s face.

EXT. GARDEN - DAY

Eric walks out of darkness into a beautiful garden. In the centre of the garden is a pond. Gwen stands in this pond, dressed in flowing white lace.

Gwen smiles, welcoming. Eric walks towards her.

INT. SURGERY - DAY

Eric’s heart monitor stops. The doctors struggle to resuscitate him.

EXT. GARDEN - DAY

Eric crosses the pond to reach Gwen. The water barely covers the tops of his shoes.

As he reaches her, Gwen stretches out her arms and offers him a sparkling sword.

Eric takes it from her hands, examines the blade.

Abrupt cut to black.

INT. SURGERY - DAY

Eric’s heart monitor reveals life signs. The doctors congratulate each other.

Fade out.

INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY

Gwen marches along the corridor in civilian clothes. She looks expectant, and carries a large book.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Gwen enters Eric’s hospital room. Eric is propped up in bed, and looks much recovered. He smiles at her.

ERIC
Hi.

GWEN
Hey.

She kisses him. He returns the kiss with interest.

ERIC
(spies the book)
You brought it.

Gwen passes him the book, an illustrated tome on the adventures of King Arthur.

GWEN
Yeah. Mind telling me why?

Eric flicks through the book. He settles on a page.

ERIC
(triumphant)
Ah. There it is.

GWEN
What’s going on, Eric? You said you’d tell me once you got the book.

Gwen sits beside him, takes his hand.

GWEN
It’s like you’re hiding something.

ERIC
Alright then.

He shows her a picture in the book. The sword Excalibur being held aloft, sparkling.

ERIC
It’s the one I saw.

GWEN
Near death experiences produce -

ERIC
It’s the same one, Gwen. That shows I was brought back for a reason.

GWEN
Sure, for us.

ERIC
Definitely. But more than that.
(reads from the book)
“The once and future king will return when the people need him.”

GWEN
Who?

ERIC
Your name’s Gwen. My best friend’s name is Lance. Lancelot.
(leans in)
I am King Arthur.

INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY

Gwen sits with her head in her hands.

She’s tapped on the shoulder.

Gwen looks up to see two plainclothes CIB cops, JARROD and MORGAN.

GWEN
Oh. You.

Jarrod and Morgan smirk at each other. Gwen stands.

GWEN
Eric’s indisposed right now.

JARROD
We’ll need to start on his case as soon as possible.

MORGAN
Someone has to get some work done.

GWEN
Well, let me know if it’s you.

JARROD
Don’t get us wrong. It’s good that you’re here for Eric. Best place for a woman really.

GWEN
What was that?

JARROD
I said -

Gwen cleanly punches him in the throat.

INT. POLICE DISTRICT COMMANDER’S OFFICE - DAY

WARREN, the older district commander watches Gwen play with a pen.

Warren waits for her to speak. Gwen looks up at him. He smiles. She continues playing with the pen. Warren’s disappointed, is about to speak.

GWEN
Yes?

WARREN
(blurting it out)
I’m just worried things are getting on top of you in Stafford.

GWEN
We’re fine.

WARREN
Tell me what I can do to help.

GWEN
How about another three sworn officers?

WARREN
Yes, that’d be nice. But -

GWEN
Alright, an admin assist?

WARREN
That’d be nice too -

GWEN
Can I keep the pen?

WARREN
No.

Gwen stands, prepares to leave.

GWEN
Thanks for your help.

WARREN
(frustrated)
Just keep that temper under control.

GWEN
Is that an official reprimand?

WARREN
Of course not -

Gwen leaves, shuts the door. Warren fumes. He throws the pen against the closed door. The pen breaks. He fumes some more.

.....

(Sorry folks, that's as far as I got...)