FADE IN
EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - DUSK
The empty village is bathed in the light of the setting
sun. RENATO, 23, along the side of a house, winded from
running. He is dressed in plain clothes: a rumpled white
shirt and jacket, slacks, dirty and worn cap. He checks
over his shoulder, makes to go, but stops as he sees the
shadows of an approaching individual on the wall. In
panic, he runs to the other side of the house, hides
behind the corner.
A couple enters, the woman walking ahead of the man.
CAROLINA, 20, wears a wide, multicolored skirt and brown
leather jacket. Her eyes are slightly red. She walks to
the door of her house, sniffling and wiping her face
clean. Renato looks around the corner and sees her, but
hides at the entrance of JOAO, 21, a young, chiseled man
with an adamant expression on his face.
JOAO
Carol, wait! You can't--
CAROLINA
No, Joao. I don't want to talk right now.
JOAO
No.
He grabs her arm and she twists out of his grasp, rubbing
her arm. He tries to stop her from going into her house.
CAROLINA
Let go of me!
JOAO
Carol, you're being unreasonable...
Renato takes a deep breath and turns the corner to
confront them. For the briefest of moments, Carolina's
and Renato's eyes lock with one another.
RENATO
Hello, I was wondering if you could
direct me to Madame Branco's home?
Joao pauses, giving Carolina a chance to enter her house,
slamming shut the door. Joao gives him an angry stare,
exits. Renato exhales.
VOICE (O.S.)
My hero...
A fist collides with Renato's head and he falls to the
ground. Standing over him is FELIPE, 40, dressed in a
black suit and cap with a smirk on his face. He takes a
deep drink from a flask, bends down and we hear the
closing of handcuffs. The sun has now set completely.
EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - NIGHT
The square is lit by yellow street lanterns and moonlight
as a low fog hangs over the area. Dim candlelight
illuminates the first floor of Carolina's house. Felipe
leads Renato by the arm. Renato's hands are together and
his jacket is placed over them.
Felipe brings Renato to the top of a staircase and pushes
him ahead of him. Felipe takes out his flask, swigs.
RENATO
I've noticed you've been toasting your
efforts all night. Ha.
Felipe checks his watch. Carolina watches the two men
from the window of her house.
FELIPE
Shut up. The train leaves in the hour.
Felipe raises the flask to his lips again, but it is
empty. He checks his watch again and looks around his
immediate vicinity, his eyes resting on the door of a
nearby house. He reaches into his jacket pocket, pulls
out a large key. He frees one of Renato's wrist, returns
the key to his pocket, brings Renato over to the doorway.
Renato struggles and pushes into Felipe, but Felipe
punches him in the head, locks his free hand around the
bars of the doorway. He kicks Renato in the stomach and
Renato hangs from the door by his arms.
FELIPE (CONT'D)
Don't go anywhere, hehe. I'll get our
tickets.
Carolina watches from her window as Felipe exits, flask
in hand.
RENATO
Drunk.
Renato slowly picks himself up and checks over his
shoulder. He opens his fist to reveal Felipe's key and he
begins work on the cuff, drops the key at his feet.
SOUND of a door opening. Carolina exits from her house in
a nightrobe, rumpled and walks over to him.
CAROLINA
Hello.
RENATO
Hello, miss.
(vainly attempting to pick up key with
foot)
I've seemed to have dropped my key and
was hoping you would be so kind to pick
it up for me.
CAROLINA
How do I know you don't deserve to be
chained there?
RENATO
I don't. And how do you whether or not I
should be set free?
CAROLINA
I don't. Thank you for today, however.
I'm sorry, my fiance--
RENATO
No trouble at all... fiance? A man like
that can only grow sour with age, I hope
you know.
CAROLINA
Yes, but... How does a man cuffed to a
door find such wisdom?
RENATO
I left my home four years ago because of
a mistake I made in one instance. I
should pay for my crime. Four years on
the road gives you time to think about
things.
CAROLINA
And now is a time to stop running and pay
up? Or do you have no choice in the
matter?
RENATO
You're right, I have no choice, now. Only
when you're free are you able to choose
the path your life goes down.
Carolina picks up the key from the ground, unlocks him
from the door.
RENATO (CONT'D)
Thank you.
CAROLINA
Go.
The handcuff dangles from the door.
EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - MORNING TWILIGHT
Carolina stands near the ledge, smoking a cigarette. She
rubs her engagement ring. Felipe returns with his flask
and two tickets. Seeing Renato gone, he rushes to the
handcuffs, examines them, dropping his flask.
FELIPE
Madam, did you see a man here?
CAROLINA
No, sir. No one.
FELIPE
No one? Are you certain?
CAROLINA
Yes, certain. No one.
Felipe throws the tickets down in anger, exits fingering
the revolver tucked in his pants. Carolina walks over to
the ticket. She runs into her house.
EXT. ALLEY - MORNING TWILIGHT
Renato runs into the alley, catching his breath and sits
against the wall. He examines his wrist, lost in thought
as he rubs the raw skin.
EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - MORNING TWILIGHT
Renato returns to the square. Felipe's flask lays in a
small pool of whiskey. He picks it, examines, tosses it
away. He walks over to the handcuffs.
Carolina exits her house, now dressed in skirt and
jacket, carrying a small bag of luggage. She walks over
to the tickets on the ground and picks one of them up.
RENATO
And this is the path you choose?
CAROLINA
(nodding to handcuffs)
And that is yours?
RENATO
I don't know. Staying here would give you
something. A future, maybe a family.
CAROLINA
Or take it away. And what would leaving
get?
SOUND of the tram whistle.
RENATO
I cannot say whether it will get better
if we change things.
CAROLINA
But we have to change if they are to get
better.
The two stare at one another as twilight ends and the sun
breaks over the horizon.
Renato turns back to the door. He recuffs himself and
turns back to Carolina. She walks over to Renato, kisses
him. She picks up her bag, and then a ticket.
RENATO
Go.
CAROLINA
Thank you.
SOUND of the tram whistle. Carolina runs into the morning
sun as Renato watches her exit from the doorway.
