Moonrise Kingdom Scene 3

[Sam tears a strip of dried meat in two and gives half to
Suzy. She tries to chew on it. Sam nods:]

SAM: Let’s go.

[MONTAGE:]

[Sam and Suzy walk together down a hill, across a field, and through a wooded path eating beef jerky. They both smile continuously.]

SAM: Are you thirsty?

SUZY: No.

SAM: Well, if your throat gets parched, stick a pebble in your mouth and suck on it. You can quench your thirst with the spit, supposedly.

[Sam shows Suzy some bits of green and yellow sticking out from under his coonskin cap.]

SAM: Sometimes I stick leaves under my hat. It cools your head down.

SUZY: That’s a good idea. It might help also if you didn’t wear fur.

SAM: *hesitates* True, but this adds camouflage.

[Sam stands in a clearing and pulls a handful of dry grass. He holds it in his fist.]

SAM: Here’s a trick. Throw grass in the air, and you can see which direction the wind’s blowing.

[Sam throws up the grass. It swirls and drifts vaguely. Suzy squints.]

SUZY: Which way?

SAM: Unknown. I guess it doesn’t really matter, as long as we cover our tracks.

[Sam and Suzy stop to investigate and discuss: a patch of mushrooms, moss on a stump, ferns, poison ivy, and a low bush with purple fruit. Sam looks skeptical.]

SAM: These might be poisonous.

SUZY: *studying them* No, they’re huckleberries, in fact. Try one.

[Suzy brushes off some dirt and eats a berry. Sam puts one into his mouth and nods.]

SAM: Not bad. Anyway, they’re good for survival.

[Sam and Suzy look through Suzy’s binoculars at a deer drinking from a stream. Suzy whispers:]

SUZY: He knows someone’s watching him.

SAM: I agree. Why do you say that?

SUZY: *squinting* I don’t know. I just think he can feel us.

[Sam and Suzy walk across a fallen tree over a stream. A snake swims on the surface below them. Sam assists Suzy onto the far bank.]

SAM: You smell like perfume.

SUZY: It’s my mother’s.

[Sam picks up two pebbles. He and Suzy both put them in their mouths. They click against their teeth.]

SAM: I brought water, too.

[Sam and Suzy watch a small, green worm wriggling in the air, swaying from a silk thread. They stare, wide-eyed. Suzy cups her hand a few inches below it and moves it around in a circle. Sam shrugs.]

SAM: Should we catch him?

SUZY: *hesitates* What for?

SAM: Trout bait. We need worms.

SUZY: *sharply* No.

[Pause. The worm curls and uncurls itself gently. Sam nods.]

SAM: You’re right. We’ll let him live. Maybe I’ve got a licorice whip.

[EXT. LAKE SHORE. DAY]

[The banks of a large pond. All of Sam’s and Suzy’s bags, boxes, and suitcases are arranged around a small tent decorated with more tribal symbols. The kitten is asleep. Sam and Suzy stand at the water’s edge as he removes the camouflage net from the canoe and says gravely:]

SAM: How strong of a swimmer are you?

SUZY: Pretty good. I broke our school record for the back-stroke.

SAM: *mildly surprised* OK. Well, I’m not that strong of a swimmer, so I wear a life-preserver. I think it’s a good policy to get in the habit, anyway.

SUZY: OK.

[Sam and Suzy both strap on vests belted with cork blocks.]

[INSERT: A strip of bright red licorice on a hook under water.]

CUT TO:Sam and Suzy in the middle of the lake. Suzy sits at one end of the canoe fishing with a bamboo pole. Sam drapes his fingers off the side and stirs the water.

SAM: Watch out for turtles. They’ll bite you, if you put your fingers in their mouths. Let me see if I can catch this one.

[Sam dips a net into the lake and brings it up with a small turtle in it. He lifts it out of the net. It has red and yellow markings and a slightly damaged shell. Sam flips it over. The word Albert is written on the underside of the turtle in magic marker. Sam says blankly:]

SAM: Somebody wrote on him.

[The fishing pole jerks in Suzy’s hands. She yells:]

SUZY: The stick’s moving!

SAM: *alerted* You got one!

[Sam jumps to his feet and heaves the turtle with two hands. It sails through the air across the pond and splashes down with a whack. Sam yells an announcement:]

SAM: Fish on hook!

SAM: *to Suzy* Reel him in! Slowly.

The canoe rocks violently. Suzy snaps:

SUZY: Sit down!

[Sam sits back down. Suzy winds the reel carefully. Sam says, gently encouraging:]

SAM: You’re doing good.

[Sam points to one of the patches on his sash. It has a rod and reel embroidered on it.]

SAM: This is for fishing.

[EXT. LAKE SHORE. DUSK]

[Sam twists a stick with a shoelace in kindling and builds a small camp-fire circled with rocks. He cooks two fish with bologna in a frying pan over a camp-fire. He throws in a dash of salt, grinds some pepper, and flips the fish in the air. He holds out a bite on a spatula to Suzy sitting on a log next to him. She tastes it. She looks surprised and nods enthusiastically:]

SUZY: Very good. You know a lot about camping, don’t you?

SAM: *stiffening* I’m a Khaki Scout. It’s what I’m trained for.

[Sam points to one of the patches on his sash. It has fried eggs and bacon on it.]

SAM: Anyway, I used to be.

[Sam serves the fish onto two tin plates. He says as they eat with folding forks:]

SAM: We can feed your cat the guts and eyeballs.

[Sam points to a pile of bloody organs and bones on a page of newspaper. Suzy frowns.]

SUZY: That’s OK. He only eats cat food.

[Suzy points to a cardboard box. Sam looks inside. It is filled with ten cans of cat food. Sam raises an eyebrow.]

SAM: What else did you bring? We should make an inventory.

SUZY: OK.

[Sam flips open a small, spiral-bound note-book.]

SAM: Go ahead.

[Suzy opens the top of her portable record player. She displays it like a salesman.]

SUZY: This is my record player. It works with batteries. Actually, it belongs to my little brother Lionel. I left him a note. Do you like music?

[Sam nods and makes a note. Suzy opens her leather folder. There are three L.P. records in it. She takes out one by a French singer.]

SUZY: This is my favorite record album. My godmother gave it to me for my birthday. She lives in France.

[Sam nods and makes another note. Suzy opens her suitcase. It is filled to the brim with hard-back copies of fantasy books. It contains no other items of any kind (including clothing).]

SUZY: These are my books. I like stories with magic powers in them. Either in kingdoms on earth or on foreign planets. Also, time-travel, if they make it realistic. Usually, I prefer a girl hero, but not always. I couldn’t bring all of them because it got too heavy. You can borrow any you want.

[Sam nods and makes another note. Suzy produces a few more items:]

SUZY: I also brought my lefty scissors because I’m left-handed, my toothbrush, some rubber bands, extra batteries, and my binoculars, as you know. I forgot my comb.

[Sam surveys the entire collection of articles. He scratches his head.]

SAM: That’s it? No mess-kit? No flashlight? No canteen? No waterproof matches? Didn’t you get the packing list I sent you in my last letter?

SUZY: *frowns* I thought that’s what you’re supposed to bring. I don’t own a canteen.

[Pause. Sam shrugs. He smiles.]

SAM: That’s OK. We can share.

[Sam picks up one of the books. It is called The Girl from Jupiter. There is an illustration on the cover of a young, alien princess with glittering tears on her cheeks. Sam examines the other books in the suitcase. He looks slightly puzzled.]

SAM: These are all library books. In my school you’re only allowed to check-out one at a time. Some of these are going to be overdue.

[Sam hesitates. He suddenly realizes something. He asks bluntly:]

SAM: Do you steal?

[Silence. Suzy nods reluctantly. Sam looks confused.]

SAM: Why? You’re not poor.

[Suzy stares at the books. She absently brushes some dust off them. She rearranges them slightly. She says finally:]

SUZY: I might turn some of them back in one day. I haven’t decided yet. I know it’s bad. I think I just took them to have a secret to keep. Anyway, for some reason, it makes me feel in a better mood sometimes.

[Sam thinks about this. He leans his chin against his fist. He says seriously:]

SAM: Are you depressed?

[Suzy bites her fingernails. She shrugs.]

SAM: How come?

[Pause. Suzy says philosophically:]

SUZY: Well, I can show you an example, if you want -- but it doesn’t make me feel very good. I found this on top of our refrigerator.

[Suzy looks into her leather folder and shuffles through some pages. She withdraws a small pamphlet.]

[INSERT:The cover of the pamphlet. There is a drawing of a broken tea-cup and the title “Coping with the Very Troubled Child”.]

[Sam frowns. His eyes widen.]

SAM: Does that mean you?

[Suzy nods. Sam explodes with laughter.]

SUZY: It’s not funny.

SAM: To me, it is.

[Sam slaps his knee and shakes his head. Pause. Suzy dumps her fish into the campfire and throws her metal plate like a frisbee into a tree trunk. It bounces off with a ding. She stands up and says coolly:]

SUZY: You really know how to make friends.

[Suzy walks away. She goes behind a bush and sits down on a rock. She starts to cry. Sam looks stricken and confused. He is very still. He gets up slowly. He tentatively approaches the bush. He looks behind it. He takes two steps closer. He stands above Suzy. He unties his neckerchief, crouches down, and holds it out.]

SAM: I’m sorry.

[Suzy looks to Sam. She hesitates. She takes the neckerchief.]

SUZY: That’s OK.

SAM: I’m on your side.

SUZY: I know.

[Suzy dries her eyes. She unfolds the neckerchief and studies its design. It is a brave shooting an arrow while leaning off the side of a galloping horse. Sam motions to the books:]

SAM: Which one’s the best?

CUT TO: Dusk. Sam lies on his back on one of the bedrolls smoking his pipe while Suzy sits Indian-style next to him. She reads aloud from a book called The Francine Odyssies. There is an illustration on the cover of an enormous panther with a bloody sword walking behind a small girl in a nightgown.

SUZY: His eyes downcast, his kingdom in ruins, Mynar pressed his heavy paw through the rippling surface of the cool shallows and down to its stone floor. “My people once were lead by a great and noble beast -- and I no longer see his face in this reflection.”

[Suzy looks to Sam. He is asleep. She takes the pipe out of his mouth and tips the ashes into the camp-fire. She draws a blanket over his chest. She continues:]

SUZY: Meanwhile, on the Plains of Tabitha, Francine rested. There would be another time for war.

[INT. BISHOP’S HOUSE. NIGHT]

[The dining room. There is a long, wide, empty table with sixteen chairs around it. Tucked in the corner, Lionel, Murray, and Rudy sit at a folding card table. They have plates on place-mats and forks and knives. There is one extra seat. Mrs. Bishop’s voice booms, amplified, from the next room:]

MRS. BISHOP *O.S.*: Suzy! Dinner! I’m not going to say it again!

[Pause. Mrs. Bishop charges into the room with a steaming casserole. She wears an oven mitt on one hand and carries an electric megaphone in the other. She sets the casserole on the card table and looks out the window. Through the thicket
of trees behind the house, a pair of headlights blinks. Mrs. Bishop checks her watch. She says sharply:]

MRS. BISHOP: Where’s your sister?

LIONEL: I don’t know, but she borrowed my record player for ten days without asking.

MRS. BISHOP: *confused* What does that mean?

[Lionel holds up a small, folded-up piece of pink stationary. Mrs. Bishop snaps it out of his hand and opens it.]

[INSERT:A short note on pink stationary in a girl’s red felt-tip cursive. It reads]

[Dear Lionel, I need to use your record player. I will give it back in ten days or less. Do not tell Mom. (Or Dad.) I will replace the batteries when I return. Signed, Suzy Bishop]

[Mrs. Bishop frowns. She bolts back out of the room. Her voice booms again:]

MRS. BISHOP *O.S.*: Walt! Where the hell are you?

[There is a loud thump upstairs. Mr. Bishop shouts from outside:]

MR. BISHOP *O.S.*: Right here! Why are you cursing at me?

CUT TO:Exterior. Mr. Bishop leans out of an upstairs window. Mrs. Bishop appears in one below. She yells up through the megaphone

MRS. BISHOP: Does it concern you that your daughter’s just run away from home?

MR. BISHOP: *pause* That’s a loaded question.