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Down On The Farm


Tom Griffin




















FADE IN

INT. Farmhouse, Bedroom- Morning. 
RALPH is lying in bed. Ralph is twenty-three. His hair is long and 
scruffy. A cock crows outside. In all voiceovers Ralph speaks like a 
child. In conversation he speaks quietly as a man. 

RALPH (v.o.)
(Muttering in child like voice)
Uh, time to get up. Time to do some work, some work on my farm.

Ralph climbs out of bed slowly. He picks up his clothes from a pile on 
the floor and puts them on. They are creased and mucky. A knock is 
heard on the bedroom door, JOHN is outside.

John (o.s.)
Ralph! Time to get up. We have a lot of work to do.

RALPH
Yes I know.

RALPH (v.o.)
My brother is such a lick up to the Daddy.

Ralph leaves the room and we hear footsteps going down the stairs. 

INT. Farm house, Kitchen- Morning. Ralph walks into the kitchen. John 
is already eating sausages and toast at the small table. John is 
eighteen and dressed slightly better than Ralph.

JOHN 
(Speaks with his mouth full)
Have you seen Da?

RALPH
Yeah I was talking to him last night.

JOHN 
I mean today


RALPH
No I'm only up, remember? He's probably doing some work.

John grunts as a response. Ralph sits down and pours a bowl of coco 
pops. He begins eating them and stares out the window at the fields.

RALPH (v.o.)
I can't wait to do some work, some work on my farm. John thinks he's so 
great. Daddy doesn't love you little brother.

Ralph laughs out loud; spilling coco pops on the table.

JOHN
What's so funny? 

RALPH
Nothing.

The two sit in silence until Ralph finishes his coco pops.

RALPH
I'm going to do some work.

JOHN
Okay I'll be out later.

Ralph gets up and leaves through the back door. John looks over his 
shoulder at his brother as he leaves. 

CUT TO

EXT. the Farm, a path between two fields. Ralph skips along the path 
carrying a shovel and bucket.

RALPH (v.o.)
Off to do some work on my farm. I love working. But it's not because I 
like to impress the Daddy- oh no that's John. I like to work with the 
animals. I like the pigs (BEAT)- I like to watch them eat.

RALPH reaches a barn at the end of the path. He opens back the heavy 
door and walks inside. At this point Ralph speaks as a child out loud.

RALPH
Daddy! Are you in here?

Ralph puts on a deep voice and imitates his father. 
 
RALPH (as Father)
Yes son I'm over here with the pigs. Where's that awful brother of 
yours? Is he going to do some work, some work on your farm?

RALPH
Ah I don't think so Daddy, he's awful. All he does is try and impress 
you, like.

RALPH (as Father)
Ah sure I know that Ralph. (BEAT) But I can't do any work either it's 
up to you to feed the pigs.

RALPH
Okay Daddy. (BEAT) Hey how come you can't work, Daddy? 

RALPH (as Father)
(Laughing)
Oh son, it's because I'm dead!

CUT TO

EXT. Farm, outside the barn- Night. It is the night before and Ralph is 
standing outside the barn.

RALPH (v.o.)
I finished some work, you see and I went to see Daddy in the barn. 
Daddy was feeding the pigs. They're my pigs though. Only I can feed 
them. 

Ralph rushes to the door. He begins shouting before getting inside. He 
speaks as a man. 

                     RALPH
Da! Da! I'm supposed to feed the pigs.

RALPH'S FATHER is standing among the pigs holding something, it is 
concealed in shadow.


FATHER
Ralph, I'm not feeding them you can do it in a minute. 

RALPH
Da! What are you doing?

FATHER
Mrs. Gordon needs some pork for her Sunday dinner.

Father raises his hand out of shadow revealing a bolt gun. He grips a 
pig between his legs and presses the gun to its head.

RALPH
Da! No don't! 

Father puts the bolt through the animal's head and it collapses to the 
ground. All the other pigs squeal and run around the pen frantically.

Ralph runs towards his father jumping into the pen.

RALPH
You bastard you killed them, you killed them all!

FATHER
What? What's wrong Ralph?

Ralph pushes his Father to the ground.

FATHER
They're just pigs Ralph.

RALPH 
They're my pigs!

Ralph picks up the bolt gun and presses it into his Father's chest.

FATHER
What are you doing?

Ralph pulls the trigger, nothing happens. He examines the gun and re-
cocks it. Father gets to his feet and runs towards the exit. Ralph 
jumps on him knocking him on to his stomach. He presses the gun into 
his Father's back and pulls the trigger, the bolt fires into his spine. 
Father screams but cannot move.

Ralph re-cocks the gun and fires into his back again, and again. Then 
he presses it into the back of his Father's head.

FATHER
(Breathing heavily)
Son! (BEAT) Ralphy! 

Ralph pulls the trigger and the body collapses.

RALPH (v.o.)
My pigs, my farm.

CUT TO

EXT. Farm, path to the Barn- Evening. John is walking to the barn. 

JOHN
(To himself)
Where the hell are they?

He opens the barn door and can hear the pigs squealing excitedly.

RALPH (o.s. in child's voice)
Here you go little piggies eat up there's plenty to go around.

JOHN
Ralph is that you?

Ralph comes into view; his clothes are covered in blood. He is holding 
a meat cleaver in one hand and a chunk of meat in the other.

JOHN
What are you doing? 

RALPH 
(Speaking in child's voice)
I'm feeding the pigs.

JOHN
Are you okay? You've been feeding the pigs all day. Where's Da? 

Ralph 
He's in here with me.

JOHN
Where? Da?

RALPH
There he is.

Ralph points to a scrap of meat lying in the straw. 

                    RALPH
And there he is.

He points to some meat in a pig's mouth. John walks forward and sees 
the remains in the corner.

RALPH
And here's some of him here.

Ralph holds up a chunk of shredded meat in his hand.

RALPH 
But most of him is over there.

He points to the remains; most of the meat has been stripped from the 
arms, legs, and stomach. The Father's face is still intact except for a 
hole in his cheek from the bolt.

John moves closer and sees the face. He coughs and then throws up. He 
begins walking backwards, stumbling.

RALPH
(Looking at the vomit)
Uh that's disgusting. Daddy is so ashamed of you!

Ralph drops the chunk of meat with a thud. John turns and runs outside 
back up the path.

RALPH (o.s.)
Hey come back!

The camera follows from Ralph's POV and he quickly catches up with 
John.

JOHN
(Crying)
Get away from me Ralph 

RALPH
Come back! Come back! I won't hurt you!

Ralph raises the meat cleaver over his head as he says this.

JOHN
No get away! Your crazy!

Ralph catches up with John and grabs him by the shoulder, spinning him 
around. Ralph swipes at John's stomach with the meat cleaver, cutting 
him deeply. John punches Ralph in the nose and gets free. He staggers 
on to the house gripping his stomach. Blood pours from the wound on to 
the ground.

INT. Farm House, Closet- Evening
John bursts into the small room and searches frantically in boxes 
arranged on the shelves.

Ralph runs into the hall.

RALPH
Where are you? I just want to talk!

John finds what he was looking for- his father's double barrel shotgun. 
He loads it with a shell and jumps back out into the hall. He cocks the 
gun and points at Ralph, who is standing at the other end of the hall. 
He holds the gun in one hand and grips his stomach with the other.

RALPH
What are you doing? Are you mad? You could hurt me with that thing.

JOHN 
I swear you come a step closer and I'll blow you away!


RALPH
No you won't.

Ralph steps forward. John fires but hits the wall. Ralph jumps with 
shock.

RALPH
You tried to kill me!

Ralph runs at John. John screams but does not move.



RALPH
Die!

Ralph slashes at John. John blocks with his arms but they get cut 
badly. The blade hits him once in the neck and he falls down dead.

RALPH
Crazy Bastard. (BEAT) I'm going to do some work, some work on my farm.

EXT. Shot of farmhouse- sun setting behind the house- night.

RALPH (v.o. o.s.)
Now what did Daddy say: oh yes Mrs. Gordon needed some meat for Sunday 
dinner. Well I have plenty of meat on my farm.

FADE OUT

 

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