AN ORCHESTRATED LOVE (A MODERN HALLMARK ROMANCE)
CUT TO:
EXT. THE MCCALLISTER FARM — DAY
Bekkie heads up the driveway in her pickup truck, exits the vehicle, and walks jauntily toward her father.
BEKKIE
(joyfully)
Daddy, there you are!
CLEMENCE
Hey, pumpkin!
He hugs her.
I heard you saved the Ye Olde Singing Square from demolition. You’re the talk of the town!
(beamingly)
I’m so proud of you, honey. I know that if your mother was still with us, she’d be even prouder of you than I am.
BEKKIE
Thanks, Daddy. I still can’t believe everything came together in the end. But you know, I didn’t do it all by myself. I had a little help along the way.
Both smile and share a moment of mutual bliss.
CLEMENCE
Speaking of, I think you’ve got someone waiting for you out by the barn.
Clemence gestures with his head, then pats Bekkie on the shoulder and turns away.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE MCCALLISTER FARM (SIDE) — MOMENTS LATER
PANNING SHOT from side of main house to the barn.
The midday sky is bright and pleasant. Cattle graze in the distance. Bekkie walks along the gravel road toward the barn, where Bruce, looking sensitive and orcish, clad in metal battle armour with bloodstained animal hides on top, leans his nine-foot body against the barn door frame expectantly. His beard is caked with dirt, and his random smattering of scars are in full view. He takes a few steps toward her when she nears.
BRUCE
(with cool confidence)
Ergh ariu ahg ah.
(smiling)
Eggh urg bhah chaht.
BEKKIE
Yeah, well, I wouldn’t have been able to organize the bake sale in the first place if you hadn’t called in that favour with your wealthy real estate developer boss. If anything, the townspeople should be thanking you.
BRUCE
Ghar ghar geem, Bekkie. Grrooooo ghahhh rueugh gha ar. Chyuf tckahkk fruargh
Bekkie grins silently. Bruce runs his hand through his oily, unkempt, corpse-smelling hair.
BEKKIE
Thank you. And congratulations on inking the big deal. Alex told me earlier. That’s so great, Bruce. Everyone’s gonna love the new version of the shopping mall built around the square instead of overtop of it!
BRUCE
Ghu ghu — gahrrruu.
BEAT.
Both look forlorn. Bekkie thinks of how Bruce must return to New York later that night.
BRUCE (CONT.)
(resolved)
Rau mrah, Bekkie, Klao raug chaak ha…
Rough bharghgha gruuuuuuu. Eahg ka hg al reuhh grrrra hgahak aa…
(demurely)
Euhgh grah khauck ak.
Bekkie rushes into Bruce’s arms. The two hold their hug for a few seconds. Bekkie lets go but stays close enough to remain within kissing range.
BEKKIE
You’ll actually stay?
BRUCE
Auuraaghh!
BEKKIE
You’re amazing, Bruce.
BRUCE
Ghurah ghur chaki churughre.
PAN IN to upper bodies. Climactic shot.
Bekkie leans toward Bruce, her lips slowly nearing his monstrous, misshappen lips. Her whole body is longing.
BEAT. BEAT.
Bruce pulls away.
BRUCE
(bloodstained and nervous)
Raauhg, Bekkie. Bruuah gjakh chaurl alraj rahg krka lraguh. . .fraauhgh.
BEKKIE
(measuredly)
What’s that, Bruce? You just want to make it clear to me that all those years ago when we first fell in love as teenagers, you inexplicably left town without telling me because your mom got a job in New York and said you could never call me or write to me because of . . . ‘complications’?
BRUCE
(still bloodstained and less nervous now)
Fruah! Fraugh! Auraugh chomih raaahhh?
Bekkie sweeps her hair to the side.
BEKKIE
Yes, I do remember that pact we made that one summer in old Mr. Chesterfield’s corn maze. The one about how if we were still single at 27 and a half, the ideal breeding age in the modern era, we would get married.
BRUCE
Prahgh brash tchaka RAUGH!
BEKKIE
Somehow, I knew you’d never abandon me. So does that mean I can finally give you the kiss I’ve been looking forward to since you first returned to this humble small town that we’re both from after your twelve-year absence? The kiss I should have given you when we first fell in love as teenagers before suddenly, inexplicably parting ways?
Bekkie smiles. Bruce smiles.
BRUCE
(reassuringly)
Ghaugha ghor.
Bruce bends down. They kiss passionately, like two people who’ve been kept apart and who’ve now finally been truly reunited and who’ll now live happy, idyllic, occasionally gory upper-middle-class lives together.
PAN OUT to horizon and flickering glimmers of sun gracing the family farm.
FADE TO BLACK
END
ABOUT THE ARTIST
m. b.‘s work has been featured in over 75 journals from around the world.
Image generated on Stable Diffusion
Leave a Reply