Tusk Tusk Read online

Cassie’s phone beeps.

  Cassie Midnight.

  He stares out of the door. He throws his paper hat to the floor.

  What’s wrong?

  He closes the door.

  What’s going on, Eliot? Talk to me.

  Eliot Kiss me. Please.

  Cassie Kiss you?

  Eliot When you kiss me, this isn’t happening. In your mouth there is a place where this isn’t happening.

  Cassie OK. I can see you’re hurt. I can see you’re angry. I can see that’s something’s happened to your mum. But you won’t tell me how and you won’t tell me why –

  Eliot Tell me this isn’t happening.

  Cassie Why don’t you trust me?

  Eliot (singsong) Ellie the elephant packed his trunk –

  Scrabbling can be heard under the door.

  Cassie I can hear them, they’re trying to get out –

  Eliot – and said goodbye to the circus.

  Cassie let them out –

  Eliot Off he went with a trumpety trump –

  Did your mum ever sing that to you? Or dad. You have a dad, don’t you? A dad and a half…

  Cassie Where’s your dad, Eliot?

  Eliot Barely remember him. Cancer. Fucking cliché.

  Cassie And your mum?

  Eliot It should be Nellie the elephant. I only worked that out at school. It was a sad day that. I thought the song was about me.

  Beat.

  Nellie the elephant. Ellie the animal. Trapped in your hot car.

  Cassie I’m letting them out.

  She tries to open the door. He stands on it.

  Eliot Just one more minute.

  Cassie Eliot, you’re frightening me.

  Pause. She doesn’t know what to do. She takes some money from her pocket.

  You don’t have any. I know you don’t have any. Take it. When you let them out, buy them some food. Sober up.

  Eliot Don’t go. If you go, it starts all over again. Don’t go.

  Cassie I’m going to put it here.

  She does. Silence. They regard the note between them.

  Eliot Don’t go.

  Cassie Goodnight, Ellie.

  Eliot picks up the money. He puts a corner of it in his mouth. Baiting her.

  Eliot Delicious.

  He puts it in his mouth and chews it.

  Like hot chocolate.

  Chews more.

  Like roast beef …

  He regards the half-chewed-up note.

  Cassie Unbelievable.

  Eliot hands the half-note back to her.

  Cassie backs away from his outstretched hand.

  I earned that. Do you know what that means? To earn something?

  Eliot Have it back.

  Cassie backs away further.

  Cassie I have a job, after school. A job. Did you know that? No. I forgot. We don’t ask each other questions. We just –

  Eliot Shhh –

  Cassie Fuck you didn’t. Like you don’t know my surname.

  You’ve seen where I live. Do you know how hard it is to keep out of trouble there? How hard I work to keep my head above – I’m a novelty to you. My estate’s romantic. Flowers out of the pavements. What planet are you on?

  Beat.

  (Harder.) I earned that.

  Unlock your sister.

  Eliot looks at her, pleading with his eyes.

  Feed her the other half.

  Maggie and Finn can be heard shouting to be let out.

  Fucking weirdos.

  She exits.

  Eliot sits alone at the table. The banging increases.

  He puts his head in his hands.

  SCENE SIX

  Ten minutes later.

  Maggie is standing covered in dust. Finn stands next to her, a dark stain on his trousers. He has wet himself. Eliot is sitting at the table.

  Maggie Look at what you’ve done. Look at him.

  She shoves Finn at Eliot.

  He’s pissed himself. He pissed himself because he was so frightened.

  Beat.

  Happy birthday, Eliot.

  Eliot Mags, I –

  Maggie Just get out. Just go.

  Eliot I just needed. I just needed some time. To.

  Maggie To what, Ellie? To what? To blow your load?

  Eliot Don’t.

  Maggie Monster.

  Eliot Finn, come here.

  Finn doesn’t move.

  Finn, I’m sorry. It was a game.

  Maggie You think this whole thing is a game, don’t you?

  Eliot Please try to understand –

  Maggie A game where you can play out your little fantasies –

  Eliot I needed a few moments, alone, I needed –

  Maggie Where you can pretend to be king of your castle –

  Eliot I needed time to think –

  Maggie And screw your princess while your goblins are locked in the dungeon.

  You just don’t think any of this is real, do you? Well, look at him, look at the piss on his trousers. It’s real.

  Eliot Come here, Finn. I’ll change you.

  Finn stands behind Maggie.

  Finn … I’m sorry.

  Maggie And what’s ‘sorry’ mean?

  Eliot…?

  Maggie Nothing, does it?

  Eliot We’re more alike than you know.

  Maggie I am nothing like you. You’re like her – your face, your voice, you’re like her.

  Eliot Don’t.

  Maggie She who must not be named? Why not? Because the game’s up, Ellie. You made sure of that. You just ended it. There’s stuff you need to know.

  Eliot Not tonight, tonight’s not over.

  Maggie She missed it. You know she missed it.

  Maggie shakes her head, Finn clings to her leg.

  Eliot She would never miss it.

  Maggie That just proves you never really knew her.

  Eliot Right. Let’s think. We need to eat. I’ve got some money. I’m going out to get some food.

  Maggie Run, Forest, run.

  Eliot I’m going to get us some stuff and we can make a meal and then we’ll feel better.

  Maggie Coward.

  Eliot I am not a coward. I just need some. Air.

  Maggie Yeah. We got that.

  Eliot I just need some time to think.

  Maggie To think what?

  Eliot says nothing.

  What?

  Silence.

  That’s she’s not coming back?

  Eliot No.

  Maggie That we need help.

  Eliot NO.

  Maggie Then what? What to make us for dinner? Because if you haven’t noticed it’s past midnight and things have got a little weird… it’s time to start facing up to the –

  Eliot SHUT UP!

  Finn runs from the room.

  Maggie I went along with this. I went along with it because I really hoped you were right.

  Eliot She could still come, it’s not the morning yet.

  Maggie Oh Ellie, you’ve got your face in the stars.

  Eliot She could. She could.

  Maggie Look at me.

  He does.

  Eliot, she was a fucking lunatic.

  Eliot Don’t you dare say that about her –

  Maggie She was a fucking head case.

  Eliot Shut up –

  He comes closer to her.

  Maggie A sick, sick woman –

  Even closer.

  Eliot No.

  Maggie She was on shitloads of drugs, Eliot –

  Eliot So she takes some medicine, that doesn’t make her –

  Maggie What do you think those pills were? Maltesers? She was on anti-psychotic drugs.

  Eliot No. No. Its not like that, you’re making her sound –

  Maggie Wake up, Ellie. You need to wake up now. Look at me. She was taking them and she was taking them for a reason, she was not who you think –

  Eliot STOP SAYING ‘WAS’…

  Silence.
<
br />   (Quieter.) Don’t you dare say ‘was’.

  I’m going out to get us some food. You watch the phones. We don’t want to miss a call. She could have got stuck somewhere.

  Maggie We had a deal, Eliot.

  Eliot The deal’s changed.

  Maggie You can’t break that promise.

  Eliot And we can’t break ours.

  Maggie I’m calling. I’m calling someone, anyone. This has to end.

  He blocks her.

  Eliot You promised. We promised. We would stick together. We would stay with Finn. No matter what. If we call someone. We’ll be split up. That’s what they said. That’s what happens. He’s too young to stay with us and we’re too old for … No one will take all three of us. You know that’s how it works. It would be hell. Worse than hell. This was her last chance. I can’t let you call. I can’t. I won’t.

  Maggie Give me my phone, Eliot. People need to be looking for her now. This is serious.

  Eliot She’ll come back.

  Maggie Give it to me.

  Eliot No.

  Maggie You can’t stop me.

  Eliot I have to.

  Swiftly he picks up her phone and smashes it. He does the same to his own.

  Maggie You bastard. What are we going to do now? What are we going to do?

  Eliot We’re going to wait, we’re going to sit tight –

  Maggie You’re mad. You’ve gone mad. You’re like her. Can’t you see it?

  Eliot I’m sorry. But you’ve just got to trust me. This is for the best –

  Maggie You’re scaring me. You’re scaring me, Ellie.

  Eliot I have to do this. It’s for our own good. We’re not giving up. You hear me?

  Maggie backs away from him.

  Do you hear me? We’re not giving up on her. Because if we do we give up on each other. Understand me?

  Maggie stares at him aghast.

  I’m going out to get some food. Listen out. She could arrive any minute. Eh?

  She won’t look at him.

  Then we can have a proper party.

  He exits, closing the door. Maggie hurls herself against it. She tries to open it and realises its locked. She shouts his name. She sinks to the floor. Finn enters and stares at her. He pads over to her cautiously. She wraps her arms around his waist.

  Finn Don’t cry.

  SCENE SEVEN

  Early morning. Maggie is curled up under the table in the den.

  Finn is awake, his feet and hands are dirty. He is reading a comic.

  There is the sound of the door unlocking. Eliot enters, haggard, having been awake all night. He holds a multipack of crisps. Maggie is awake now, but stays under the table.

  Eliot sits at the table, ignoring Maggie.

  Eliot Breakfast.

  He chucks a packet of crisps at Finn.

  Bacon, eh? Close enough.

  Finn finds a bowl and pours the crisps in it as if they were cereal. He also puts a bowl on the floor for Maggie.

  Finn stares hard at Eliot, chewing his crisps slowly. Pause.

  Finn Where did you go?

  Eliot To get us food, silly. I hunt, Maggie… gathers wood and pebbles and lies. And you, my little squaw, guard the door. Those are the rules.

  Finn All night?

  Eliot I had to find a special twenty-four-hour shop. It took a long time.

  Finn There’s one down the road.

  Eliot No there is not.

  Finn With lights on. There is.

  Eliot Well it wasn’t open, clever clogs.

  Finn It was. I went there.

  Eliot You went there?

  Finn I was hungry.

  Eliot The door was locked.

  Finn We have a back door, silly.

  Eliot Don’t believe you.

  Finn They gave me some food and a comic.

  Eliot Shut up, Finn, my head hurts.

  Finn I didn’t have any money. They were nice.

  Dawns on him.

  Eliot What did you say to them?

  Finn That I was hungry.

  Eliot What did they ask you?

  Finn Stuff. They let me choose whatever comic I wanted. They were really nice.

  Eliot Did you go like this? Did you go dirty like this? With no shoes on?

  Finn I’d been in the garden – I was trying to bury the rat. So Maggie wouldn’t be scared. Then I got hungry.

  Eliot This is very important, Finn. What did they ask you?

  Finn Stuff. They thought I must be cold with no shoes.

  Eliot What did you tell them?

  Finn Thank you for the comic and the sandwich.

  Eliot Did they ask you about Mummy?

  Finn Yes.

  Eliot And what did you say?

  Finn I’m not stupid.

  Eliot What exactly did you say?

  Finn That she was asleep at home –

  Eliot Thank God.

  Finn Under the table.

  Eliot Oh my God.

  Finn They wanted to take me home and stuff but lots of people came in for beer and I got bored. So I left.

  Eliot Did they follow you?

  Finn They shouted. But they couldn’t see me. I went through the garden.

  Eliot And where was Maggie while all of this was going on?

  Finn I told you. She was asleep, under the table.

  Pause.

  Eliot I don’t believe you. You’re making it up.

  Finn Ha ha.

  Eliot Hee hee.

  Finn Ha ha.

  He holds up the comic as if to say ‘So there’.

  See.

  Eliot hits him hard across the face.

  Heavy pause. Finn is gulping. Trying not to cry.

  Eliot Eat up.

  These crisps are a treat. When have you ever had crisps for breakfast before?

  Finn Mummy –

  Eliot Never even made you breakfast.

  Beat.

  Eat your food.

  While all this has been happening Maggie has been opening her crisps as quietly as possible and begun eating them.

  Eliot jabs Maggie sharply with his foot.

  Eliot Even the dog is eating her breakfast. Go on.

  Go on.

  Finn starts to cry softly.

  Don’t sit there and cry. You knew not to do that. You knew not to go outside. Stop crying. STOP CRYING!

  Maggie Don’t –

  Eliot She woofs. She woofs and she howls.

  Maggie STOP IT!

  Finn runs from the room. Brother and sister stare at each other.

  It’s time.

  Maggie goes to open the door.

  Eliot Don’t.

  I’m warning you. Don’t open it.

  He yanks her roughly away from the door.

  Are you mad? Someone will see inside, someone will –

  Maggie SOMEONE’S GOT TO SEE,’ CAUSE YOU WON’T.

  Eliot Wipe that stuff off.

  Maggie Why?

  Eliot It’s freaking me out. Just take it off.

  Maggie Why’s it freaking you out, Ellie?’ Cause I look like her? I do, don’t I? And you’ve never liked that. Neither has she.

  Eliot Take. Her. Lipstick. Off.

  Maggie That’s why? Admit it, it’s obvious.

  Eliot Shut up.

  He is dangerously close to her now.

  Maggie You’re more like her than I ever thought. You both can’t see the shit from the stars.

  Eliot Take that back.

  Maggie Like mother, like son. You both only really care about getting laid.

  Eliot Bitch.

  Maggie Me or her? Because I bet if you blur your eyes you can’t tell the difference …

  Eliot I’m warning you. Maggie ’Cause you’re such a big man now. Aren’t you?

  She circles him.

  Look at him, all tall and proud. He hunts and gathers. He protects –

  Eliot Shut your –

  Maggie Shimmying through the urban jungle to make a kill. He hunts
. He gathers. The man. And he brings back… He brings back… (She starts snorting with laughter.) Crisps …

  On this last word Eliot gives in, angry. He pounces on his sister, pushing her back onto the sofa. He gets some crisps and rubs them in her face and hair while he has her in a headlock.

  Eliot Well, you’re fucking eating them, aren’t you? Aren’t you? AREN’T YOU?

  Maggie struggles, feral. Eliot pins her down. She stops struggling. She stares at him.

  Would you like some juice to wash that down, madam, freshly made?

  Eliot spits on her face.

  Completely organic, I assure you.

  He sniffs her. He sniffs her again. He picks up her wrists and smells them.

  Eliot You put on her perfume.

  Maggie Get off me.

  Eliot You’re dripping in it. Let me smell you.

  Maggie You’re hurting me.

  He lets go.

  Eliot Please.

  They stare at each other.

  Please.

  She lets him.

  Maggie I was trying to make Finn sleepy. He was so scared last night –

  Eliot I hit him. Oh God. I hit him. Maggie –

  Maggie It reminded me of when she used to do that. Years ago. She’d spray it on her jumper. When she went out. And we’d sleep with it between us.

  Eliot Makes me sleepy too.

  Maggie Sleepy boy.

  She strokes his hair, he nestles into her.

  Tell Mummy where you’ve been.

  Eliot Looking for you.

  Maggie That’s very sweet of you, but I’m right here.

  Eliot You’re right here.

  Maggie Nothing bad has happened to me.

  Eliot Nothing bad.

  Maggie Nothing bad at all.

  Slowly, throughout this sequence Eliot should get to the point where he’s resting his head in her lap.

  Where did you look for me?

  Eliot By the tracks.

  Maggie Did the trains go / choo-choo.

  Eliot Choo-choo.

  Maggie Did the sirens go / wah-wah.

  Eliot Wah-wah.

  Maggie Did the doctor go / ‘Oh no.’

  Eliot ‘Oh no.’

  Maggie But I wasn’t there, was I? I wasn’t by the tracks.

  Eliot shakes his head.

  You didn’t even find a piece of skirt.

  Eliot I didn’t.

  Maggie Not one silken clue. Because I just went / poof.

  Eliot Poof.

  Maggie Off into the air. Without. A. Word.

  He turns face up to her.

  Eliot Why did you go?

  Maggie I’m right here.

  Eliot sits up, stares at her hard and hisses.

  Eliot Why. Did. You. Go?

  Beat.

  Maggie Don’t be scary, Eliot, it doesn’t suit you.