The Balloon

EXT. GARDEN - DAWN/DUSK

Alice sits alone against a tree trunk. There is an empty red balloon in her lap. She picks it up and begins stretching it with her hands, holding it up to the light. Alice puts her hand inside the balloon and watches it with interest as the balloon contorts. She pulls two ends of the balloon away from each other and lets it snap. She giggles. The atmosphere is innocent.

Enter BOY, hands behind his back with a crooked smile on his face.

BOY
What have you got there?

ALICE looks up at him timidly.

ALICE
(quietly)
It's my balloon.

BOY
(mockingly)
That's a balloon? It looks more like a turkey's gobble.

ALICE blushes and looks down.

ALICE
I don't mind. I quite like it.

BOY puts his hands on his hips.

BOY
Well, I bet you it would be a lot more fun if it was filled!

ALICE
What do you mean?

BOY
(with rapture)
I mean, fill it up with air so it's big and round. It's much more fun that way.

ALICE shrugs.

ALICE
I don't know how...

BOY
Here, I'll show you.

BOY grabs the balloon from ALICE and puts it to his mouth. He inhales deeply, his chest raising, and closes his eyes as he fills the balloon with air. The balloon makes a loud, shrill sound and saliva escapes from the corners of the BOY's mouth. The balloon is quickly filled.

ALICE
(disappointed)
That was a lot quicker than I anticipated.

BOY
(smiling proudly, he hastily returns the untied balloon back to ALICE.)
There you go. Now you can tie it up and play with it.

Exit BOY

ALICE is once again alone. Looking confused, ALICE inspects the damp balloon and drags a finger across the rubber, causing a high-pitched shrieking noise to come from the balloon. ALICE, startled, lets go and the balloon goes whizzing in the air before it falls pathetically on the ground in front of her. ALICE crawls over to the balloon and picks it up. She tries to stretch it like before but it's slippery and falls out of her hands. Her interest in the balloon depletes and she gets up, standing over the balloon with her hands crossed in front of her, chin down. The atmosphere is weary.