FADE IN,

INT. HUNTING TENT – DAY

Upon a white canvas projector screen we see the illuminated presence of animals: Tigers prowl through dense tropical foliage, a gorilla beats its chest fiercely, and a magnificent elephant roams through the open plains, dwarfing everything in its path.

Sitting in front of the glowing projector screen in a dark tent is WINSTON SKINNER, 59, a tall and powerfully built man with a curling silver mustache and a presence that has only grown tougher with age.

Winston reclines back in a zebra-skin chair, sipping on a bauble of dark liquor. He watches the animals on the screen with fascination.

Then, the animals give way to a series of newspaper headlines.

Title in: Africa’s animals disappearing!

Is this the end of the Bengal era?!

Her Majesty’s Finest Big Game Hunters Out of Work!

The World’s fiercest predators extinct!

Winston curls his mouth up in a scowl and turns around in his chair to nod to his partner Ali, a kindly looking Sikh boy, who turns off the projector.

Sitting there in the dark, Winston puffs on a pipe and crosses his arms in disgust. Then, he shrugs off his contempt, stands up and tosses off his smoking jacket.

Despite the fact that his employer has gained a sudden bout of excitement, Ali grows somber. Dourly, he scoops up Winston’s smoking jacket.


INT. HUNTING ROOM – DAY

In a darkened room the COCKING of a GUN is heard. Standing off to a corner, Winston loads the funnel-shaped barrel of his ELEPHANT GUN with a black powder.



INT. DRESSING ROOM – DAY

Winston stands before a mirror, looking at himself approvingly. Behind him Ali lurks with depression. He lamely hands his master a PITH HELMET, which Winston puts on proudly.



EXT. JUNGLE – DAY

In the bright glow of a mid day sun, Winston and Ali step out of their brown canvas tent and stand before a congested and lush Bengali Jungle.

Holding his ELEPHANT GUN proudly, Winston strides into the jungle. Ali follows closely behind with a massive backpack chock full of supplies.

CUT TO:

EXT. JUNGLE PATHWAY – DAY

Winston looks down to the ground and sees a line of ANIMAL TRACKS leading through a pathway into the jungle. He begins to track the prints, beaconing Ali to follow.

Ali sets the massive backpack down with a HUFF and follows Winston. The two walk along the jungle floor until the tracks suddenly stop in the middle of a clearing. Confused, Winston and Ali look to each other.

Then, they hear a SNARL and the sound of material RIPPING. Quickly, both Winston and Ali turn around only to find their backpack torn to shreds. Winston walks over to the scraps and picks up a fragment of cloth. He closely examines the tooth and claw marks in the material.

CUT TO:

INT. WINSTON’S TENT – NIGHT

Winston is asleep soundly in a dark canvas tent. The sound of jungle rainfall is heard pattering outside.

EXT. BENGALI JUNGLE – NIGHT

Next to Winston’s sleeping tent is Ali’s sleeping tent. A rustle is heard in the bushes.

INT. ALI’S TENT – NIGHT

Ali is snoring inside his tent, drool runs down his mouth. More rustling is heard coming from outside. Then the silhouette of a threatening and impressive animal is seen stalking just outside the tent. A mouth opens wide, its rows of insanely jagged teeth primed for a bite. Ali’s eyes jolt open.

He turns over in his tent to look for the source of the noise, but it is too late. His mouth opens in a scream and the animal closes in.

CUT TO:

EXT. JUNGLE – DAY

Winston sits in the jungle, alone. Clutching his gun fearfully, he quivers at the sound of every SNAP and HISS.

Just ten feet ahead of him, a patch of trees and bushes rustle sharply.

Winston scowls and pulls a picture out of his pocket.

The picture is an old black and white photo of him and Ali. Winston towers over Ali, who is holding the trophy of a Rhino that he and Winston caught.

Winston puts the picture back into his pocket and stands up, holding his ELEPHANT GUN fiercely.

He rushes forward and into the jungle, following the sound of the rustling. Finally, he comes into a clearing and sees bloodied tracks leading into a thicket of leaves and rocks.

Winston grasps his gun and follows the tracks. He gets closer and closer to the thicket. His barrel raises and labored breathing is heard. Sweat beads down his head; his hand clenches around the trigger. The leaves rustle and quiver; his eyes narrow. And then, in a BURST of speed, Winston jumps through the thicket and into the den of the animal.

INT. ANIMAL DEN – DAY

Inside the animal’s den, Winston aims his gun and finds nothing. Then, he looks down and sees a small ANIMAL CRACKER on the jungle floor.

The cracker stands there, stoic, its eyes focused upon Winston. Winston glares at the cracker. Then he WHIMPERS and falls down on his knees beside the cracker. Sniffling, Winston sets his gun aside and weeps. Then he pulls a canteen off his belt, opens it, and dips the animal cracker in milk.

He takes a bite in between sobs.



- posted by Brock @ 2:56 PM 9 comments