Seth's Rabbit

Jun 06, 2008 - 20:26 PM PST

Seth’s Rabbit By Gabriel Feinberg

EXT. HOUSE AFTERNOON
A car pulls into a driveway. The house is one side of the
driveway and the lawn is on the other side. There is a lawn
mower sitting in the grass. SETH, 10 years old, and SETH’S

MOTHER, an attractive woman in her mid-30’s, step out of the
car. Seth is coming from school, as noted by his backpack.

SETH’S MOTHER
You’re father left the mower out
again. Seth, could you put the
mower back in the garage please?

An excited Seth drops his backpack and runs over to the
mower. He stands behind it and pulls the cord to start the
motor. He pulls it several times unsuccessfully until his
mother, still gathering her things from the car notices.

SETH’S MOTHER
Seth, please don’t play with that.
You don’t know how to use it.
You’re going to hurt someone.

Seth reluctantly stops pulling the cord and pushes it into
the dark garage at the end of the driveway.
Seth turns around and runs down the driveway. He picks up
his backpack and follows his mother to the front door which
she unlocks.

INT. HOUSE ENTRANCE AFTERNOON
Seth, and Seth’s mother, enter their house. Seth runs
upstairs to his room. Seth’s mother follows Seth with her
eyes. She sighs and walks into the kitchen.

INT. SETH’S ROOM AFTERNOON
Seth runs into his room, dropping his backpack on the floor
by his desk. He dashes across the room towards a large fish
tank which contains several fish. Seth smiles and scans the
tank, looking intently at each fish. Suddenly, Seth’s brow
furrows and he starts to search more frantically with his
eyes.

SETH
Mom! Where’s Frankie?


INT. BATHROOM AFTERNOON
Seth stands over an open toilet seat blankly. Seth’s mother
walks in behind him slowly and puts her hands on his
shoulders.

SETH’S MOTHER
I’m sorry honey. I was making your
bed and Frankie was floating upside
down and...
Seth turns and walks out of the bathroom before his mother
gets to finish.

INT. HALLWAY AFTERNOON
Seth walks down the hall to his room and aggressively closes
the door behind him.

INT. SETH’S BEDROOM AFTERNOON
Seth walks over to his fish tank and stares intently at it.
Seth eventually turns away, takes down a Lego set from a
shelf and starts to play.

INT. HALLWAY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth’s mother walks briskly down the hall towards Seth’s
room. She carries her purse over one shoulder and holds car
keys in the other. She stops outside Seth’s closed door.

Inter-cut at will

SETH’S MOTHER
Hon,I’ve gotta make a run to the
grocery store. It shouldn’t take me
more than 45 minutes and you’re
father should be on his way home.
Do you mind being alone for a
little bit?

SETH
No.

SETH’S MOTHER
You’re in charge which means you’re
responsible, Okay?

SETH
Okay Mom.

Moments pass

SETH’S MOTHER
I’m sorry about Frankie.

INT. HALLWAY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth’s mother slowly walks down the stairs.

INT. HOUSE ENTRANCE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth’s mother opens the door, steps outside and shuts the
door.

INT. SETH’S BEDROOM LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth hears the door closing behind his mother with a
resounding slam. He looks out the window to see his mother
getting in a car and driving away.

INT. HALLWAY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
A phone on a table in the hall rings.

INT. SETH’S BEDROOM LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth hears the phone, reluctantly opens his door and enters
the hallway.

INT. HALLWAY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth walks down the hall towards the table where the phone
is. Seth answers the phone.

Inter-cut at will
SETH
Hello?

SETH’S FATHER
Hey Seth! It’s your Dad. How are
you?

SETH
Okay...Frankie died.

SETH’S FATHER
I’m sorry kiddo. We can bury him
when I get home. I missed my bus
though, so we’ll have to do it
after dinner Okay? Shoot, that
reminds me that I have to mow the
lawn. Anyway, can you tell your
mother that I’ll be home in about
an hour?

Beat

SETH
Okay Dad.

SETH’S FATHER
Great. Look, I gotta run, my is
here. I’ll see you later, okay? Bye
kiddo.

SETH
Bye Dad.

INT. HALLWAY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth hangs up the phone. He starts walking to his room but
stops off at the bathroom.

INT. BATHROOM LATER AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth stands in front of the toilet and is about to go to the
bathroom when he stops himself. He stares at the toilet for
a few seconds before he walks out of the bathroom.

INT. HALLWAY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth walks down the hall towards the stairs which he takes.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth turns away from the front door and walks towards a
hallway bathroom.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
Seth is in the bathroom, doing his business when he looks
out the window and sees where the lawn mower was earlier
this afternoon.

INT. DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY
Seth is hurriedly putting on a sweatshirt and his shoes.
Seth runs to the front door and steps outside.

EXT. HOUSE EARLY EVENING
Seth walks quickly down the driveway to the garage.

EXT. GARAGE EARLY EVENING
Seth is standing in front of the open garage, scanning the
dark inside. He locates the lawn mower along the right side
and pulls it out onto the driveway. Rotating the mower, Seth
pushes it along the driveway until he stands at the "front"
of the lawn.

EXT. LAWN EARLY EVENING
Seth forces the lawn mower into position and pulls the cord.
Nothing happens. This occurs several times, each time Seth
gets more frustrated and disheartened despite his increased
effort. Exasperated, Seth leans over the mower in defeat. As
he leans over, he sees a small red button that says "Engine
Primer 3x." Seth pushes the button three times and then
pulls the cord. The machine roars into life.
The lawn mower almost seems to pull Seth across the lawn.
His control over the machine is nominal, but he is able to
do a decent job of staying in a straight line. He stops once
to move his skateboard out of the way.
Seth completes about three quarters of the lawn when he
realizes that there is something flopping in the grass where
he was just cutting. Seth leans forward to see that it’s a
young rabbit flopping in the grass like an asphyxiating
fish.
Seth cuts the engine and walks tentatively over to the
rabbit. He immediately sees that, because of the mower, the
young rabbit is missing its ears and its skull is visible.
The grass around the rabbit is stained red. The rabbit is
bleeding heavily and its uncontrollable flopping makes the
scene even more pathetic and depressing.

Seth quickly turns away and the color drains from his face.
After a moment, he turns back towards the rabbit for closer
inspection. Seth is still sickened but he stares intensely.
Seth straightens and looks around the yard with sad eyes. He
paces around the yard, searching blankly, as if he does not
know what he is looking for. His frustration, mixed with
fear and anxiety is visible. He kicks the side of the mower
hard which barely rocks with the impact. Seth is sobbing now
as he still struggles to figure out what to do next.
Suddenly, he fixes his gaze on the skateboard. Seth slowly
stops crying. He walks over to it, picks it up by one of its
ends and walks to the rabbit which is breathing heavily but
finally lying still
Seth kneels and pulls the skateboard over his head, its
sharp trucks pointing down toward the rabbit.

SETH
(whispers)
I’m sorry.

In one swift motion, Seth brings the skateboard down hard
with a soft thud.
Seth carries the dead rabbit with his skateboard. Seth holds
the skateboard at arms-length as he tries to avoid looking
at it. Seth carefully puts the skateboard down and starts
digging a hole with his hands near the edge of the lawn.
Seth slides the dead rabbit into the hole and covers it with
dirt. Seth stands and walks over to a nearby bush. He picks
a white flower and places it on the fresh dirt.
Finishing the funeral, Seth walks across the lawn, past the
mower which sits in the middle of the unfinished lawn, and
enters the house.

FADE OUT