MICHAEL and MAGPIE are in shock.
MICHAEL
George?! What do you want?
GEORGE
What do you think I’ve come here for? (Laughs cynically) I came to finish what I started all those years ago.
MICHAEL
Stop it... Why do you want to make things worse? The boy is not guilty of anything.
MAGPIE
What do you mean?
MICHAEL
Nothing Magpie... He is upset.
GEORGE laughs wryly.
GEORGE
Upset? I? Why would I be upset? I have a gun. (To MAGPIE) Your father has not told you?
MAGPIE
My father?
MAGPIE is perplexed. MICHAEL is affected.
MICHAEL
Shut up George! Stop making things worse for the kid!
MAGPIE
What's this about my father? You know my father?
GEORGE
Well, well... Do we know your father?
MICHAEL
Shut up, George!
GEORGE
Of course I know him... And your mother too... (Looks
at the place where Janine died) Still I can see... Begging, crying,
tears and blood (laughs) and your father watching her die without doing
anything.
MICHAEL, furious, throws himself at GEORGE. A shot is
heard and the two continue to struggle, rolling on the floor. The photo
and the gun fall in the confusion. MAGPIE grabs the photograph. GEORGE
pushes MICHAEL and begins to squeeze his neck. MICHAEL is faced with a
difficulty to breath. MAGPIE panics and screams desperately.
MAGPIE
Leave him! What are you doing? Let him go!
GEORGE continues to tighten his grip on MICHAEL’s neck and he begins to lose consciousness.
GEORGE
Wait little kid, I’ll get to you when I’ve finished this one. (laughs uncontrollably).
MAGPIE gains a little composure. He looks for the
pistol on the floor. He sees GEORGE choking MICHAEL. In a lucid moment,
he grabs the gun and points it at GEORGE. He yells at GEORGE.
MAGPIE
Stop or I'll shoot! Leave him! I’ll shoot!
MICHAEL is now unconscious and GEORGE leaves him, turning on MAGPIE with a crazed look.
GEORGE
You wouldn’t kid? I could kill you in a second! Do you hear? Put that gun down! You’ll only get hurt... It’s a big gun!
GEORGE begins to rise, moving towards MAGPIE. MAGPIE, nervous, falters. He holds the gun with both hands, very scared.
MAGPIE
Stop... I'm warning you.
GEORGE laughs nervously. He stands quietly. MAGPIE in
terror trembles with fear. GEORGE rises in front of MAGPIE and laughs,
while grabbing the barrel of the gun. MAGPIE cries without knowing how
to react. GEORGE laughs menacingly.
GEORGE
See? You should already be pissing in fear. Just like your mother!
MAGPIE looks GEORGE in the eyes and changes his
expression. GEORGE moves, but too late. MAGPIE fires. GEORGE is
projected backwards, glassy-eyed with amazement. He falls to the
ground, blood draining away around him. MAGPIE is looking at the
smoking gun. After looking at the gun, he hears MICHAEL cough as he
recovers his breath. MAGPIE drops the gun and runs to MICHAEL. MAGPIE
embraces MICHAEL, who speaks with effort.
MICHAEL
It's all over boy... I’m leaving you.
MAGPIE is in tears. MICHAEL takes MAGPIE’S hand to his chest and shows him that the first shot was struck by GEORGE.
MAGPIE
Oh my God... You're hurt... I'll get help for you... Please do not die as well.
MICHAEL
There is nothing to you can do Magpie... I'm feeling my life slip away between my fingers... I'm sorry... Please forgive me...
MAGPIE
Do not say it please. I will call for help... And you don’t need to apologize for anything.
MICHAEL
I do my boy... yes... I did a terrible thing ... and you will suffer all your life and it’s my fault...
MAGPIE
What is this Mr Michael... Don’t say that... You could never do evil to me...
MICHAEL
Magpie... Please do not hate me... But I could not...
MAGPIE
Could not what?
MICHAEL
I could not save your mother.
MAGPIE is horrified. The two do not notice that
GEORGE is still alive and crawling silently and suffering, until he
reaches the gun. MAGPIE still comforts MICHAEL without noticing GEORGE.
MAGPIE
You knew my mother?
MICHAEL
I met her... Magpie... Squeeze my hand... Please hold my hand and forgive me.
MAGPIE crying holds hands with MICHAEL.
MAGPIE
What do you want me to forgive you for?
MICHAEL
Magpie... I am your father...
At this point, in the last moment of MICHAEL’S life,
GEORGE grabs the pistol and shoots MAGPIE. (In slow motion) MAGPIE
opens his eyes. MICHAEL screams.
MICHAEL
No!
(In slow motion) MAGPIE makes a grimace of pain. He
falls onto MICHAEL’S body. MICHAEL embraces MAGPIE. At the same time
GEORGE dies, his body hits the floor. MICHAEL is in tears.
MICHAEL
MAGPIE... MAGPIE... talk to me please... Answer me.
MAGPIE does not respond immediately. MICHAEL cries.
He kisses MAGPIE’S forehead. A thin trickle of blood flows from the
corner of MAGPIE’S mouth. MICHAEL is in distress. MAGPIE in a
tremendous effort in the last moments of his life opens his eyes slowly.
MAGPIE
I forgive you... I forgive you Dad...
MICHAEL
My son...
MAGPIE
Very soon we will all be together... I... you... Mum... maybe even my friend Jay and my brother... All together again...
MICHAEL
Do not talk son... Do not speak...
MAGPIE smiles and dies in the arms of MICHAEL. MICHAEL cries and dies a moment later. MAGPIE and MICHAEL are embraced forever.
FADE OUT to WHITE
79.EXT.GARDEN DAY
FADE IN from WHITE
MAGPIE is dressed in white, playing football with Jay
who is also dressed in white. They are in a very beautiful garden, full
of green and a light blue sky with white clouds. MAGPIE and Jay laugh,
very happy. Another boy plays with them. We do not see his face. MAGPIE
kicks the ball (also an immaculate white) away. We follow the ball
rolling in the perfect grass. A foot in white shoes and white trousers
stops the ball. We return to a grand plan looking at MAGPIE’S smile. We
return to the stationary ball under the foot. The plan opens and we see
that it is MICHAEL, also dressed all in white. MICHAEL releases a big
smile and kicks the ball to the foot of the three boys. Michael takes a
few steps and embraces JANINE. She is also dressed in white. She lets
herself be embraced by MICHAEL. MICHAEL affectionately kisses her and
JANINE smiles. They look at the two boys. The third boy, turns and
finally reveals he is the twin brother of MAGPIE. He has the same smile
as MAGPIE.
MAGPIE (OFF)
My name is MAGPIE. MAGPIE is a beautiful bird. I'm
like a free bird flying around thanks to the love of my mother. She
protected me and made me live. She helped me live long enough to meet
my father. He changed my life... I changed his. But like a beautiful
bird, my life was short. It was much too short for a boy. But it was
long enough to gather my family beyond, to a beautiful place. My
mother, my father, my brother and my friend Jay. Together finally and
forever. My name is MAGPIE... a beautiful bird, a half-life kid.
THE END
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