by Elise Van Lil
EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAY - 2019, 06:07
A foggy morning. Chapel’s Wood is a small village, the kind
where everyone knows one another. The station can hardly be
called one. It consists of a vandalized sign hanging loosely
from a rusty pole and two metal benches on either side of
the railroad tracks. Two flights of slippery stairs lead up
to the platforms. They’re a hazard in winter, which it is
now.
ANYA, a young woman with the world in her eyes, struggles up
the stairs. Her suitcase is heavy, much like her demeanor.
She takes off one of her gloves to get a better grip on the
suitcase. Once at the top, she lights a cigarette and looks
out at the tracks. She’s early, but impatient.
EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAY - 2000, 16:03
A train pulls in. ANYA, a 10-year old girl jumps off. She is
holding a tiny suitcase.
MOLLY
Anya, wait!
MOLLY, a woman in her thirties, runs after ANYA. Her gait is
slower than what you’d expect of a woman her age. ANYA stops
in her tracks and points at a dead swallow on the platform.
MOLLY catches up with her daughter. She bends down to ANYA’s
level.
MOLLY
Are you scared?
ANYA shakes her head.
MOLLY
It’s okay if you are.
ANYA shakes her head again, trying to convince her mother.
MOLLY
Would you like us to bury the bird,
honey?
ANYA nods.
MOLLY
We’ll bury the bird.
MOLLY grabs a plastic bag from her handbag. She carefully
lifts the bird into the bag and ties it up.
MOLLY
Let’s go home.
The woman, the girl and the bird disappear down the stairs.
EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAY - 2019, 06:11
A woman in her sixties makes her way up the stairs. She is
wearing a thick, black coat. Her cheeks are round and red.
SAM
Bum a smoke?
ANYA hands her a cigarette and a lighter.
SAM
I shouldn’t really.
SAM lights up.
SAM
Neither should you.
SAM hands the lighter back. ANYA attempts a smile.
SAM
You from here?
ANYA
Used to be.
EXT. GARDEN - DAY - 2000, 16:43
MOLLY and ANYA are standing in front of the bird’s grave.
It’s a humble mount of earth, decorated by a haphazard bunch
of wildflowers.
ANYA
What happens now?
MOLLY
Nothing, sweetheart.
ANYA
What do you mean? What will happen
to it?
MOLLY
I already answered that question.
MOLLY rubs ANYA’s hair and walks back inside. ANYA looks at
the grave. Then, the sky. It seems emptier now, somehow.
EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAY - 2019, 06:13
SAM
You back to visit then?
ANYA
Something like that.
SAM
My parents live by the sea. I don’t
visit them often enough. Should
take advantage of it, really.
ANYA frowns.
SAM
Of them still being with us, I
mean. Not the beach. Although, I do
like the seaside. Not as quiet as
it is here, you know?
ANYA
Yeah. I know.
EXT. BEACH - DAY - 2015, 12:04
ANYA is walking along the pier with her girlfriend MAE. She
suddenly stops walking. A familiar face is staring at her
through the crowds. She looks at her own hand, holding
MAE’s.
MAE
What’s wrong?
ANYA
Nothing. Just thought I recognised
someone.
MAE
Who?
ANYA
Doesn’t matter.
She fakes a smile and kisses MAE’s hand.
ANYA
Ice cream?
EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAY - 2019, 06:15
ANYA checks her phone. A message pops up.
MAE
How did it go?
ANYA
At the station.
MAE
ANYA
Nothing happened.
She puts her phone away.
EXT. BEACH - EVENING - 2015, 20:07
ANYA is smoking. Her phone goes off. She looks at the screen
and hesitates.
That bad?
Mum.
ANYA
MOLLY (VO)
Anya.
It’s quiet on both sides. They know what’s coming next.
MOLLY (VO)
Your cousin called.
ANYA
Which one?
MOLLY (VO)
Don’t play dumb.
ANYA
What do you want, mum?
MOLLY (VO)
Is it true?
ANYA
Is what true?
MOLLY (VO)
He says he saw you.
ANYA
If you’re asking me if I’m happy,
mum, then yes. It is true. I am.
It stays quiet for a long time. A seagull walks up to ANYA.
MOLLY (VO)
I hope you feel at home there.
ANYA
I do.
MOLLY (VO)
Well. That’s settled then.
The line goes dead.
ANYA
Mum?
The seagull walks past. It looks angry, as seagulls often
do.
EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAY - 2019, 06:17
SAM
Sorry if that seemed a bit -
morose. We had a funeral here
yesterday. You might have seen?
Lovely woman, school teacher.
Barely my age. Really makes you
think, you know.
ANYA stares at the tracks.
SAM
Mind you, lovely service. The whole
school turned up. Kids sang hymns.
Principal gave a speech.
ANYA puts her glove back on.
SAM
No family though. Lost her husband
ages ago. Real tragedy. Daughter
didn’t even show up. You’d think
they’d be close. You know, without
a father.
SAM finishes her cigarette. Throws the butt on the floor.
SAM
I know I shouldn’t, really.
ANYA
Neither should I.
ANYA squashes it with her foot, then picks both cigarette
butts up and puts them in a small plastic bag.
SAM
You should visit again soon. Not
many people come back here. Place
is too small. We all start looking
forwards to the next funeral. Gives
us something to talk about, you
know? Not that we’d wish anything
bad on anyone. It’s just-
ANYA
Nothing ever happens here.
SAM
Right. You understand.
ANYA
I do.
A swallow lands on her suitcase. A wildflower in its beak.
ANYA looks at it in disbelief. The train screeches in. ANYA
looks back at her suitcase. The bird is gone, the wildflower
isn’t.
SAM
Have a safe journey. Come back
soon!
ANYA puts the flower in her jacket, close to her heart.
ANYA
I will.
ANYA looks at the sky. A swallow flies by. She boards the train.
