Elgin's Enigma ✔

Part 11

INT. VANESSA'S ROOM–DAY

VANESSA wakes up to a bucket of water being splashed on her face. HARRIET stands over the bed while Vanessa screeches and glares at Harriet. The room is small and almost barren as there is only a bed and wardrobe.

VANESSA (yells): Was that necessary, Harriet?

HARRIET: I was trying to wake you up for the past half hour. Now get your butt out of bed.

VANESSA (still angry): But the water?!

HARRIET: It'll dry.

VANESSA: Still not okay!

HARRIET: C'mon, I did worse to you before.

VANESSA: You could've just shaken me awake or something!

HARRIET: As if I'd let my baby sister go off easy.

VANESSA (mumbles): I was an only child back home.

HARRIET: What?

VANESSA (pauses): I said I wish I was an only child!

HARRIET (laughs): Too bad, you're stuck with me! Now hurry up! We have to visit the goats!

CUT TO:

EXT. GOAT FARM–DAY

VANESSA and HARRIET stand in the middle of the goat pen. Harriet is carrying a sack and Vanessa is observing her surroundings. There is a field on the outside of the pen where six children are drawing on notepads with pencils. Vanessa glances over the shoulder of one of the children and she sees it's a messy drawing of a goat.

HARRIET: Quit your staring and get over here to help milk the goats!

VANESSA: Um, how do you milk a goat?

HARRIET: Are you playing dumb now? Get over here before I smack you.

VANESSA: Why are we doing this?

HARRIET: How else do you expect to eat?

VANESSA: Ah... of course.

HARRIET: Now, give ol' Tessie some attention.

VANESSA: How exactly do you milk a goat?

HARRIET: Quit your joking. You've been milking goats since you came outta momma's womb.

VANESSA: I... have?

HARRIET: Are you trying to weasel your way out of chores?

VANESSA (scoffs): No.

HARRIET: Why are you hesitating then? C'mon.

Harriet takes Vanessa by the shoulders and makes her sit onto a wooden stool in front of a goat. Vanessa awkwardly stares at the goat and she pets the goat gently. She glances at the bucket underneath the goat, unsure on how to approach the task.

HARRIET: Do you need to learn how to milk a goat again?

VANESSA: Maybe.

HARRIET: You take the teat and give it a gentle squeeze.

Vanessa takes a breath and attempts to milk the goat. The goat bleats in surprise and Vanessa flinches.

HARRIET: I said gently. Did you hit your head on something?

VANESSA: Why don't you show me then?!

Harriet rolls her eyes and puts the sack next to the stool before plopping herself onto the stool. She starts milking the goat and Vanessa watches her.

HARRIET: Put the feed into the trowel then if you don't want to milk then.

VANESSA: Where's the feed?

HARRIET: It's beside me, are you blind?

Vanessa huffs as she picks up the sack before emptying it out into the trowel. Goats walk over to the trowel to eat from it. She looks up and flinches. A kid pressed up to the fence, notepad and pencil in hand. The kid is fixated on the feeding goats.

VANESSA: Why are there kids drawing goats in the field?

HARRIET: It's a new fad. Lots of 'em do this. Usually they come around this time and leave before the sun goes down.

VANESSA: Shouldn't we kick them out?

HARRIET: They aren't trespassing. Field is field. If they try to enter the pen, it'll be a problem.

VANESSA: But they're acting so weird.

HARRIET: The cliff diving was a weirder fad. Getting rope and jumping off the sides of the city? Kids do some pretty dumb things.

VANESSA: Sides of the city? You make it sound like the city is an island.

HARRIET: It is an island.

VANESSA: So we're surrounded by water?

HARRIET: Water? Why would be surrounded by water?

VANESSA: Because we have oceans right?

HARRIET (confused): What's an ocean? It's the sky, water doesn't float. It falls off the sides of the cliffs.

VANESSA: Wait, where does water come from then? How does the river stay a river?

HARRIET (stops milking): I dunno. What's gotten into you? Why are you asking so many questions?

VANESSA: I...um...uh got a renewed passion for life.

HARRIET: Sure you do.

They continue onto their tasks in silence and ISAAC ROCH walks past in the field only to pause to observe the children. He is a thirty-five year old man dressed in police attire. He squints his eyes at the drawings the children are making and gives a disapproving frown.

VANESSA: Who's that guy?

HARRIET: Some dead beat cop trying to revive his reputation.

VANESSA: And what is that reputation?

HARRIET (grumbles): More questions? (Speaks up) He was a hero for saving some kids falling off the cliff years ago 'coz of the cliff diving fad. Was all for nothing since he keeps getting on everyone's case.

VANESSA: He sounds like a normal cop.

HARRIET: Ha, I guess.

ROCH: I can't believe that these children are getting so invested in these strange drawings.

HARRIET: There he goes, yammering to himself like always.

Harriet stands up and cups her hands around her mouth. The sudden motion makes the goats run away.

HARRIET (shouts): Hey, Detective Roch! You want to say hi for once?!

Roch briefly looks up to see Harriet and gives a dismissive wave before walking away.

VANESSA: Are there other cops in Elgin?

HARRIET: Yeah, but they slack off a lot. Roch does the majority of the work but it's too much if you know what I'm saying.

VANESSA: Hm, I guess.

HARRIET: Now hurry up! We gotta give the cheese maker some milk by this afternoon. The fresher the better!

Harriet walking away while carrying the bucket of milk and Vanessa follows her. She gives one last look to the drawing children. One of the children's eyes is glazed over as the pencil scratches a rune circle onto the page in addition to the goat drawing.