Scene 1
[Camera fades in from black to show a young Ellie sitting at a table with a man and a woman. The man is plump with red hair and wrinkles from smiling on his face. The woman looks like an older version of Ellie. She is slender with long blonde hair, speckled with grey. The cameras around to show that Ellie is eating her food, whilst her parents pick at theirs. Ellie looks around worriedly when the sound of the door opening causes a gust of wind to spread through the room. Ellie shivers as the camera cuts to the door and we see a young Alice wander in.]
Mum: Alice, where have you been, lunch was twenty minutes ago.
Alice (mumbles): Sorry.
(Alice’s mum glances towards the father who shrugs)
Mum: Do you want some?
(Alice shakes her head)
Alice: No.
Dad: Want to tell us what took you so long?
(Alice shakes her head again)
Alice (quietly): No.
(Tears start to form in Alice’s eyes as she wipes her eye with the back of her hand, smearing what little make up she has on.)
Mum (concerned): Al, sweetie what is it?
Alice: I… I…
(camera pans around to the expectantly looking family)
Alice: I’m sorry…
(Alice bursts into tears and runs away upstairs. The camera cuts back to their mum.)
Mum: Alice!?
(The sound of a chair squeaking on the floor breaks the silence.)
Ellie: May I be excused?
Dad: Yeah. Of course.
Ellie: Thanks.
[The mum takes a seat back down at the table, looking over her shoulder as Ellie rushes up the stairs in the direction that Alice had going in moments before. The camera pans back around as the dad squeezes mums hand and the camera fades to black.]
Scene 2
[The scene fades in from black as we see Ellie reach the outside of a door with the words Alice’s Room etched onto the wood. Ellie finishes her mouthful and takes a deep breath before she knocks gently. She waits several moments and knocks again.]
Alice: What?
Ellie: Can I come in?
(There is a muffled response from inside the room and Ellie takes it as permission to enter. She pushes open the door and sighs as the camera pans around and shows Alice lying on her bed crying. )
(Taking a seat at the end of the bed)
Ellie: Al, what is it?
(Alice mumbles something in-between her sobs)
Ellie: What?
Alice (through tears): I said… he broke up with me!
(Ellie looks sad as she puts a reassuring hand on her sisters head)
Ellie: I’m so sorry Al. I know how much you cared for Tully.
Alice: Don’t! Don’t even say his name!
Ellie: Okay. Did he say why?
Alice: Sort of. He said some crap about moving away and that long distance relationships won’t work!
Ellie: Oh.
Alice: I can’t believe I told him that I loved him!
Ellie: You did?
(Alice nods as she pulls herself into a cross-legged sitting position and Ellie hands her a box of tissues.)
Alice: Yeah. A week or so ago, I told him that I loved him and wanted to be with him forever.
Ellie: Why?
Alice (shrugs): Because I did!
Ellie: Oh.
Alice: I’m so glad… that I didn’t…
Ellie (frowns): Didn’t what?
Alice (raises an eyebrow): You know!
(Ellie sits still for the longest moment before realisation floods over her and she smiles knowingly.)
Ellie: I know. It shouldn’t have been with a guy like him. It should be with someone you sort of love.
Alice (raises an eyebrow): Okay… but that doesn’t make it any easier. Just because he was a jerk. I… oh Ellie, I love him. I really do!
(Ellie hugs Alice as she softly brushes her sisters hair)
Ellie: You’ll get over it Al. I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but you will. There’s way better guys out there, and besides… I never really liked him!
Alice (smiles through her tears): Really?
[Ellie nods as the two sisters smile at each other and Alice sobs into her sisters arms, her broken heart hurting so much as the camera fades to black.]
Scene 3
[The camera cuts in to show Alice and Ellie sneaking through the whiteness of the wooded area around them, the two sisters have on thick coats and woolly hats, as Alice sneaks up behind Ellie she pulls her sisters hat down her eyes, causing Ellie to shriek. Alice laughs as she runs away.]
(Ellie pulls up her hat and seeing Alice has run off, begins to chase after her.)
Ellie: Hey! No fair!
(Alice laughs as her sister catches up with her and shrieks shrilly when Ellie pops an icicle down the back of her coat)
Alice: Oh, that’s cold!
Ellie: Now we’re even!
(The two girls fall to the floor laughing as Alice points to a lake through a clearing in the forest.)
Alice: Fancy a skate?
Ellie (raises an eyebrow): I’m not even sure I know how!
Alice: Of course you do! We use to go all the time!
Ellie: If you say so!
Alice: So how about it?
(Alice gets up and offers a hand to Ellie as her younger sister takes it and the two run towards the ice, slipping as they struggle to gain their balance. Alice manages to glide in a fairly straight line into the middle of the lake, whilst Ellie wobbles before falling onto her bum.)
Alice: You’re supposed to use your feet, not your bum!
(Ellie scowls at her and then struggles to stand, but her feet keep wobbling as she can’t get her balance.)
Alice: Want a hand?
(Ellie scowls at her sister again, before she nods. Alice glides over to Ellie and offers her a hand, Ellie takes it but succeeds in pulling Alice over.)
Alice: Hey!
Ellie: Sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose!
Alice (raises an eyebrow): Of course not!
Ellie (laughs): Seeing as we’re both on out bums, want to do some races?
Alice: What bum skating?
Ellie: yeah! It’ll be a new Olympic sport!
Alice: Whatever!
[Ellie laughs as she skittles away on her bum, leaving Alice behind as the two sisters laugh, the camera pans out to show the sun falling in the sky and fades to black.]
Scene 4
[The camera fades in to the inside of the farm house, as Ellie and Alice walk through the front door. They shiver as the farm air hits them and throw off the coats, hats and boots.]
Ellie: Mum? Dad?
(Alice walks into the kitchen as Ellie calls out, and frowns at the note of the kitchen side. Picking up, her frown turns into a smile.)
Mum OV: Girls, me and your father have gone out for a bit of last minute shopping and a mince pie or two! We’ll be back later on this evening, in time for our presents. Alice, tell your sister she’s not to hunt the house whilst we’re out. And I hope you’re okay sweetie, you looked sad at lunchtime. Love Mum and Dad. PS There’s a slice of home-made chocolate cake in the fridge for each of you!
(Ellie comes into the room and raises an eyebrow as she sees the note. Alice passes it to Ellie who laughs and smiles.)
Ellie: I’ve already looked everywhere. I don’t have to wait for them to be out of the house!
(Alice playfully punches Ellie)
Alice: Hot chocolate?
Ellie (nods): Mm, please!
(Alice heads over to the kettle as she begins to boil the water. Ellie heads straight or the fridge and gets out her slice of chocolate cake. Not bothering with a spoon or fork she takes a massive bite, managing to smoother her face with chocolate.)
Alice: Ellie! How old are you?
Ellie (laughs): Two?
Alice: Yeah, sounds about right!
(The two girls laugh for a few moments before Ellie polishes off her cake and accepts the hot chocolate that Alice offers before taking a flying leap onto the sofa.)
Ellie: Ah ha, I am remote queen!
Alice (rolls her eyes): Whatever!
Ellie: Loser!
Alice: Fancy a film?
Ellie (nods): So long as it’s a Christmassy one!
(Alice goes to take a look through the film collection and picks one out, smiling as she turns around to reveal the cover to Ellie. Ellie squeaks in excitement.)
Ellie: Home Alone! I love it…
Alice: Good! (puts the film into the player and heads into the kitchen) Now where’s my cake?
(Ellie shrinks down into the sofa and presses play)
Alice: Ellie! You ate my cake! As well as yours! You pig!
Ellie: Oops (laughs).
[The camera fades to the TV screen as the movie appears on the screen and the camera cuts to the next scene.]
Scene 5
[The camera fades in from the previous scene, to the last scene in Home Alone when the boy is reunited with his family. The camera pans around to show Alice sobbing to herself, throwing another tissue on the floor as she reaches for the tissue box. The camera then pans to Ellie who is curled in a tight ball, fast asleep and snoring gently.]
Alice: I love happy endings.
(Alice blows her nose, trying to be quiet as she sees Ellie stir. As the end credits roll onto the screen, she picks up the remote and pauses the film. Only then does she notice the time and frowns.)
Alice: It’s late!
(A knock at the door startles Alice as she wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath of air.)
Alice: Mum, did you forget…. (opens the door) …your keys again?
(We see that it is not Alice’s mum, but a police officer as Alice frowns.)
Police Officer: Can I come in?
(Alice frowns and moves to one side, the police officer walks in past her, as she closes the door.)
Alice: Um, what?
(The officer points to a chair at the dining table.)
Police officer: You should sit down.
Alice (weakly): Okay.
Police officer: Now I’m very sorry to have to tell you this. But your parents are dead.
Alice (squeaks): What?
Police Officer (takes a breath): There was a car crash… you’re parents truck was hit head on…
(The camera pans to Alice as the sound of the police officer can no longer be heard and she stares ahead of her, silence is all that can be heard.)
Police Officer OV: they died instantly…
(Alice blinks a couple of times, before swallowing as the sound comes back to the screen.)
Police Officer: Did you hear me?
Alice: My parents… dead?
Police officer (nods): I’m afraid so. I’m very sorry for your lose. Do you want me to call someone for you?
(Alice mutely shakes her head)
Police Officer: Do you want me to sit with you for a while?
(Alice shakes her head)
Alice: My, um… my sister. I have to… um, could you leave please?
(The officer nods and stands up, taking off his hat as he puts a reassuring hand on Alice’s shoulder and heads towards the door.)
Police Officer: Are you sure?
Alice (nods): Thank you.
(The officer leaves and the door closes with a click. Alice stares straight ahead, her eyes fresh with new tears. The breakup with her boyfriend forgotten, as the realism hits. She and Ellie are now orphans. Alone, alone in the world. Suddenly Ellie wakes up with start.)
Ellie (frowns): Alice?
(Ellie brushes her hair away from her face and yawns.)
Ellie: Did I miss the film?
(Alice nods)
Ellie: Oops, didn’t mean to fall asleep. Are there any cookies left?
(Alice nods. Ellie hops off the sofa, keeping the blanket wrapped around her as she heads to the kitchen and comes back with the biscuit tin. She munches on a biscuit as she looks at her sister.)
Ellie: Al, why aren’t mum and dad back yet?
(Alice glances to Ellie, the tears that have formed begin to run down her face.)
Ellie: Alice?
(Alice looks at the floor, the tears shedding as she looks back up at her baby sister. The camera pans to the biscuit tin as it falls from Ellie’s arms and smashes on the floor. We then see that tears have formed in Ellie’s eyes.)
Ellie (in a small voice): Alice?
(Alice looks at her sister and then pulls her into an embrace, hugging her tightly as she sobs, but can’t bring herself to reveal the truth to Ellie. Not on Christmas Eve.)