Burned (23 page)

MERETE
:

Time to send the next one?

MONA
:

We’ll wait. Give him a little more time.

MERETE
:

Okay.

End of credit sequence and logo.

So far it reads like the introduction to a snuff movie, Henning thinks. He reads on:

7.
INT – A FLAT IN GALGENBERG – EVENING:

Yashid Iqbal is in his kitchen. He opens the fridge and takes out a carton of skimmed milk. He is about to get a glass from a cupboard when his mobile beeps again. He takes his mobile out of his pocket. It is another message from ‘Mona mobile’. He reads it:
    
‘I promise to make it up to you. Please – give me another chance?’ Yashid Iqbal shakes his head, mutters ‘what the hell is she –?’ then he presses ‘call sender’. He is irritated as he walks around the kitchen. But he doesn’t get a reply. He tosses his mobile aside in anger.

8.
INT – A TENT ON EKEBERG COMMON
–
EVENING:

Mona and Merete are still sitting beside the hole.

MERETE
:

Do you think it’s going to work?

MONA
:

It has to.

Mona’s mobile vibrates. The display says YASHID.

MERETE
:

That’s him calling.

MERETE
:

Aren’t you going to answer it?

MONA
:

No.

Merete looks at Mona. It is clear that Mona is the boss.

9.
INT – A FLAT IN ST HANSHAUGEN – EVENING:

The
GAARDER
family is having dinner. The mood is tense. The son,
GUSTAV
, is sullen and picking at his food. The wife,
CAROLINE
, looks at her husband,
HARALD
. He is eating, but he is uncomfortable.

GUSTAV
:

Please may I leave the table? 

CAROLINE
:

But you’ve hardly eaten a thing. 

GUSTAV
:

Not hungry. Please may I leave?

Caroline sighs, nods to her son and watches him leave the room. She looks at her husband.
 

CAROLINE
:

We are pushing him away. You are pushing him away.

Harald looks up from his plate.
 

HARALD
:

Me? 

CAROLINE
:

Yes, who else?

Harald sighs.
 

HARALD
:

Are you going to bring that up again? I thought we were done with all that? 

CAROLINE
:

Easy for you to say. Oh, it’s so easy for you to be ‘done with all that’.

Caroline mimics him. Harald flares up.

HARALD
:

I don’t know what else you want me to do. I’ve told you that I won’t be seeing her again. What more do you expect? 

CAROLINE
:

That you actually mean it, possibly? That you stop thinking about her day in and day out, like you are now?

Harald looks away, realises that he cannot bluff.

HARALD
:

I can’t help it.

CAROLINE
:
(mimics her husband)

‘I can’t help it.’

Caroline sighs. Harald doesn’t reply. A long pause ensues.
 

CAROLINE
:

I think we should get a divorce. 

HARALD
:

What? 

CAROLINE
:

Why not? It’s not like we’ve a life together. 

HARALD
:

You don’t mean that, Caroline. What about Gustav? 

CAROLINE
:

So now you suddenly care about him? You weren’t worried when you –

Caroline cannot bear to complete the sentence. She breaks down and sobs. Harald puts down his knife and fork, resigned.

10.
INT – A TENT ON EKEBERG COMMON – EVENING:

Close-up of the display on Mona’s mobile. We watch her text. ‘Please reply? Please? I’ll never do it again. I promise.’ She presses ‘send’.

11.
INT – A FLAT IN GALGENBERG – EVENING:

Yashid wanders restlessly around the flat. He talks to his brother,
FAROUK IQBAL
, who is in the living room, drinking milk. They speak in broken Norwegian.

YASHID
:

Whore. 

FAROUK
:

I tried telling you. 

YASHID
:

Fucking whore.

Yashid’s mobile beeps again. The brothers look at each other.