The One About Hal

1.  INT.  SUNNYSIDE SUPERMARKET CAR PARK.  DAY.

JESSICA (mid-thirties) in a lift to the underground car park beneath Sunnyside Shopping Centre.  With her are her two daughters, CHLOE (nine) and RUBY (seven), dressed in Boden.  RUBY we saw with her father SIMON in The One About The Bogeyman.  A supermarket trolley laden with food and drink between them.  A long moment.

CHLOE

Mum, I don't think we're moving.

2.  INT.  SUNNYSIDE SUPERMARKET CAR PARK.  DAY.

See JESSICA unloading the shopping from the supermarket trolley into the back of the car, a BMW X5.   Meanwhile, CHLOE and RUBY are inside the car, in the back, arguing over who sits in the middle.

CHLOE

But you were in the middle on the way.

RUBY

Don't care.

CHLOE

(Losing her temper) Listen ...  Both of you.

Shut up and give me a hand.

There is the sound of glass smashing.

3.  INT.  SUPERMARKET CAR PARK.  DAY.

There are broken bottles on the ground at the back of the BMW, and a river of wine.  JESSICA loses it just as two WORKERS walk past.  They are HARRY (late 30s) and his supervisor KENNY (early 40s), wearing hard hats and fluorescent jackets.  They both look at JESSICA as they pass.

JESSICA

Shit!  Fucking arseholes and .. SHIT!

(To HARRY and KEVIN)  Afternoon!

4.  INT.  SUPERMARKET CAR PARK. DAY.

JESSICA approaches the car park exit barrier.  CHLOE is in the passenger seat beside her, and RUBY is sitting in the back on the arm-rest in the middle.  JESSICA posts her ticket into the machine.

RUBY

(To JESSICA)  I wasn't doing anything.

CHLOE

(To JESSICA)  Yes she was.  My stupid

little sister.

Close on the ticket machine.  'You must pay at the ticket machine before exiting.'  JESSICA puts her face in her hands and leans her forehead on the steering wheel.

CHLOE

(Turning to look at her) Mum, what is it?

5.  INT.  SUPERMARKET CAR PARK.  DAY.

JESSICA is talking to the car park ticket machine.  See the camera lens in the machine - like Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Catch a glimpse of a long queue of cars behind her in the wing mirror.

JESSICA

I'm trying to explain to you .. the

reason we couldn't get out in time.

Car horns heard blaring from behind.  JESSICA looks over her shoulder at the cars behind, looks ahead at the barrier in front of her, looks at the camera in the machine.

TICKET BARRIER

You must return to the ticket

machine and re-pay the fee.

JESSICA puts the car into gear, revs, and blasts through the barrier which bends backwards and snaps off.

JESSICA

Happy New Year Motherfucker!

6.  INT.  SUPERMARKET CAR PARK.  DAY.

See the BMW burning off, and the smashed barrier left behind in its wake.