Burned

Was it good?

Mona slurps the hot tea.

MONA:

Mm.

MERETE:

I didn’t mean the tea.

MONA:

Then what did you -

Mona realises what Merete was referring to. Mona smiles.

MONA:

It was especially good today. I like it when he’s rough.

MERETE:

Perhaps it was extra good because you knew it was the last time.

MONA:

Perhaps.

MERETE:

Will you miss it?

Mona shrugs. She passes the cup to Merete. They are quiet for a while.

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.

FAROUK:

Is that her?

YASHID:

Don’t know, you moron. I haven’t checked it yet.

FAROUK:

Then do it, you moron.

Yashid glares at his brother. Then he opens the text and reads it. He tosses the mobile on to the sofa.

YASHID:

Fucking whore.

It’s tempting think the characters in the script are based on real people, Henning thinks. But it’s also a little too convenient.

The desire for coffee resurges. He orders one from the waiter behind the bar, who looks like he minds very much that Henning has bought just the one coffee in all the time he has been there. There are only two other people in the cafe. They are eating their salad in silence.

His coffee arrives just as he is about to start reading again. 12. INT — A TENT ON EKEBERG COMMON — LATE EVENING:

Close-up of the hole in the ground. Mona has jumped into it again. Merete is filling up the hole with earth.

MERETE:

You managed to sort out his computer?

MONA:

Oh yes. It was easy. He took a shower after we had had sex, not a problem.

MERETE:

Have we remembered everything?

MONA:

I think so. Wait a moment — let me get my arms out.

MERETE:

Okay.

Mona pulls her arms out of the sandy soil.

MONA:

Right. Carry on.

Merete carries on filling the hole. Soon the sand reaches all the way up to Mona’s armpits. Merete puts down the spade, she is panting.

MERETE:

Anything you want to say before we begin?

Mona considers this. She clears her throat.

MONA:

(in a solemn voice):