It is the early hours of the morning inside a deserted house/basement, miles away from inhabitants. Louise is tied up with her hands behind her back, lying on the floor in just her knickers and T-shirt, looking exhausted and dirty. Tom is lying asleep on the floor with his pistol close to hand. The wind is howling, and there are candles burning providing light. There are pieces of paper scattered on the floor that Tom has drawn and sketched on.
Tom awakes with his fist clinched around a pistol.
Louise
Are you OK?
No reply from Tom.
Louise
Are you OK?
Tom:
[Pauses.]
Why should you care?
Louise:
Because I do, I care about you... I know you never meant it... You're not like that. You're soft and gentle.
Tom:
You care about me. Why would you care about me?
Louise:
Of course I care... Why wouldn't I?
Tom:
Nobody really cares. Nobody really cares about anything anymore.
Louise:
I do!
Tom:
[Rubbing his head]
I can't take this any more... I just can't!
Louise:
Hey, you're a good person!
Tom:
A good person, a good person, after what I've done. How on earth can I be judged as a good person?
Louise:
I will never judge you. I forgive you and that's what counts.
Tom:
But I can't forgive myself. That's the problem.
Louise:
Nobody's judging you apart from yourself... Surely it must be easy to forgive yourself?
Tom:
You forgive me, but you won't be able to forget about me! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for what I've done, you can't imagine the guilt I feel.
Tom helps Louise to put her knickers on.
Louise:
I know you're a good person, everybody makes mistakes and we all have to learn from them to become better and stronger people.
Tom is sat in the corner of the barn curled up in a foetal position with his head bowed down and rocking.
Tom:
I'm going to hell for this. Just look at me, your sympathy is wasted on me
Louise
Hey your...
(Interrupted.)
Tom gets up from the corner and begins to pace around the barn.
Tom:
I hate myself... I can't cope. [Panicking] What am I going to do, I have nothing. I have nobody.
On his hands and knees begging in front of Louise.
Louise:
You're not going to Hell, I promise you. God's love is unconditional. He loves you and all his children, and your going to heaven; there's nothing to be worried about, I promise you.
Tom:
But if God created everything he must have created Hell too, I'm confused. So many different faces, male, female, amorphous, caring, punishing, giving and demanding. Sometimes I believe bad is good, I can't help it, It's all a lie, I'm a lie. Oh, who cares...
Louise
It's ok... Everything's going to be OK.
Tom beginspointing the gun to Louise' temple.
Tom (CONT'D)
If we're all good and we're all going to heaven why doesn't everyone shoot themselves now, instead of living out this misery called life. If you think we're all going to heaven why don't you want to die?
Louise
Because we are here to be tested. So after this life we can move on... That's what I believe.
Tom
But we've only worship a God that we've created.
Louise:
Calm down... It's OK! It's OK! You'll be safe with me. I promise you.
Pause.
Tom pulls the pistol away from Louise' temple.
Tom:
Your tender touch I'll always treasure with love and warmth. I'm sorry my mind can make a heaven into a hell. I'm just a big contradiction.
Louise:
We all are... But it is always our choice whether we get on with life and live in the now or...
Louise pauses.
Tom
Or?
Louise
Or chain ourselves to the past dwelling on everything we've missed out on.
Pause.
Tom laughs.
Tom:
What's your name?
Tom begins to stroke Louise' hair, softly and gently.
Pause.
Louise:
Louise.
Tom:
Louise. That's a beautiful name.
Louise:
Thank you.
Tom:
What are you thankful for?
Louise:
[Surprised]
Sorry?
Tom:
It was your parents that named you, they're the one's with good taste.
Tom caresses Louise' face.
Louise
Yes, you're right.
Tom
Does your mother look like you?
Pause.
Louise:
Yeah, well, so, so people say. People say we could be sisters.
Tom:
She must be a good woman... to have raised you, that is.
Louise:
Yes, yes, I'm lucky... My mother and father are wonderful, they have always been there for me... Just like I'm here for you.
Tom:
Yes, we're very lucky... Luckier than others.
BEAT.
Tom (CONT'D)
How old are you?
Louise:
[Looking scared.]
I'm eighteen in a month's time.
Tom:
Eighteen years old, in a month's time, doesn't that make you seventeen?
Louise
I don't feel seventeen.
Tom
Why do you want to be older than you already are? Everything seems so
possible at your age. And everything is.
Louise
Yes, looking back everything looks possible when it's taken away... But everything's possible with you.
Tom strokes Louise' neck and upper chest.
Tom
Was I your first?
Louise looks tearful and begins to choke on her words. And she doesn't reply.