CHARLOTTE, ASH and EMMA have 3 TICKETS to the RESETTLEMENT ZONE. Charlotte and Ash’s communication is at rock bottom, thanks to incidents involving acquaintances PENNY and DARREN. Now Charlie’s at DARREN’S FLAT, considering how to get HIS TICKET for herself, and Ash is at their HOME guarding Emma.

 

Charlie wants to get Emma to the Resettlement Zone as soon as possible. She wants Ash’s active, considered help in this project. Part of her wants to punish Darren (for forcing that kiss on her, and for being such a creep more generally). She’s nervous that Ash is going to betray her and flee to the Zone with Emma.

 

Ash wants to get to the Resettlement Zone as soon as possible, as he’s growing increasingly scared of the chaos in Leamington. Part of him wants to punish Charlie (for insulting him, for kissing Darren).

 

Darren wants Charlie. He’s convinced he’s in love with her. He’ll do a lot of terrible things, to have her.

 

Charlie has flipped over whether to beg Darren for his ticket, or to hurt him to get the ticket...

 

THE COIN is TAILS. Charlie is gonna go and hurt Darren.

 

Darren sips WINE on his sofa in his LOUNGE. He hears Charlie enter behind him, and starts to ask her what she’d do for his tick -

 

That’s when the TEAM OF THE YEAR TROPHY hits him on the temple.

 

Charlotte stands behind him, breathing heavily.

 

Darren - a bit of a tank - rolls off of his sofa, groggily, his head bleeding heavily. He starts to stand, looking at Charlotte, readying himself for a fight.

 

So Charlie brings down the corner of the trophy on Darren’s forehead. Darren falls backwards, through his GLASS COFFEE TABLE, and lies still.

 

Charlotte’s horrified by what she’s done, but she pulls herself together. She dashes over to him, and strips off his ID BRACELET and wrestles his PHONE out of his pocket. She logs into the phone with Darren’s finger, and uses Touch ID to get into the GOVERNMENT GATEWAY site. She transfers Darren’s ticket to her account.

 

Charlotte, Ash and Emma have 3 TICKETS to the Resettlement Zone.

 

Charlotte breathes a sigh of relief. Then she sees that Darren’s eyes are open. He lunges up at her and grabs her by the throat. He starts to strangle her and climb on top of her. Her hands scrabble and scratch at his face, and then try to reach her HUNTING KNIFE in the back of her belt. Darren puts more pressure down on her neck; Charlie looks about done; but then she punches his neck, leaving a big shard of his coffee table stuck there.

 

Darren reels backwards, his neck spurting blood onto Charlotte. He scrabbles backwards across his rug, realising that he’s a goner. Charlotte watches as Darren dies, and then breaks down.

 

Meanwhile, Ash is sat with Emma in the LOUNGE, biting his nails, really starting to worry. He’s imagining -

 

FLASHES OF: a passionate kiss between Charlie and Darren on top of an extremely fluffy rug.

 

He goes to the LANDLINE, realises it’s still on with the HELPLINE OPERATOR, and ends that call. He tries Charlie’s mobile.

 

Shivering on Darren’s lounge floor, Charlie doesn’t feel her mobile ringing.

 

Ash hears something, from their back GARDEN:

 

It’s 11.30pm. A LOOTER (20s) is breaking into Ash and Charlotte’s house through the BROKEN PATIO DOOR. He drags it open, and slips inside. What can he take?

 

He heads for the lounge. Ash is, at that moment, tip-toeing to the CONSERVATORY and the two pause when they see each other. Emma’s on the sofa in the lounge, confused.

 

The Looter puts a foot out to turn and run - but slips on one of EMMA’S TOYS. Ash rushes forwards and leaps onto the Looter, hitting at him ineffectually.

 

The Looter kicks Ash off him. Ash stumbles backwards into a DESK. The Looter comes for him, readying a fist. Ash scrabbles for what’s behind him, and raises something heavy to hit the Looter - but it’s his LAPTOP. Ash hesitates, and the Looter socks Ash in the nose.

 

Ash scuttles away around the lounge, dropping his laptop onto a sofa as he goes. He realises that he’s brought the fight towards Emma, and he charges at the Looter, barrelling the Looter onto the floor, into a wall. Ash’s RICKETY DIY SHELF, above the Looter’s head, groans and collapses onto the Looter.

 

The Looter scrabbles to his knees groggily to find Ash holding the SCALPEL, guarding Emma. The Looter flees, out of the lounge, through the conservatory and into the night.

 

This is the final straw for Ash. He’s taking Emma to the PICK UP POINT.

 

Ash is going to abandon Charlie.

 

Charlie puts on a coat of Darren’s, grabs her RUCKSACK, and exits the flat. GABIE and MICHAEL KING (40s) are still in the HALLWAY, chatting to their GUESTS. Charlie keeps her head down and slips past them.

 

But Michel sees the blood on her jeans, and realises where she’s come from. He shouts after her: hey, stop!

 

Charlie just runs. Gabie and Michael chase her. Charlie enters the stairwell, and pushes past PARTY GUESTS gathered on the stairs.

 

Gabie enters the stairwell and shouts at the guests to stop Charlie. Charlie keeps going, but guests start to step into her way. She draws her BASEBALL BAT from her rucksack, and keeps going.

 

The Kings are pushing through guests behind her. A BIG PARTY GUEST steps in Charlie’s way, and Charlie jabs him in the stomach with the bat, and keeps moving. The Big Party Guest grabs her leg as she passes, and Charlie tumbles down the last flight of stairs.

 

She leaps up, in pain, and swings the bat at GUESTS getting close. She throws herself through a door out into the LOBBY, and flees through the rave.

 

Outside Ash and Charlie’s house, the SMITHS and SAMAANS are packing one of the Smiths’ cars. Ash goes out and learns that they are in fact going to try CORNWALL. Ash asks a favour: can he use ONE OF THE SMITHS’ CARS? The Smiths agree.

 

Charlie’s made it to HER CAR, and she’s driving home.

 

Charlotte thinks Ash is waiting for her - and that killing Darren was worth saving her marriage.

 

As the Samaans and Smiths drive away, Ash gets Emma ready, and tells her that they’re leaving. Emma asks where Mummy is; Ash rushes an explanation – Mummy’s gone on holiday for a bit, don’t worry. 

 

He goes and picks up bags, to start loading the Smiths’ car, but he pauses. He’s feeling extremely guilty.

 

Ash knows he should wait for Charlotte, but wants to leave.

 

Meanwhile, the Samaans and Smiths drive past a group of YOUNG WHITE MEN, who are all armed. As the car passes, the men hit it with weapons and shout racist insults at the Samaans. Then they set off again, towards the CUL-DE-SAC, looking for someone to attack.

 

Emma watches Ash thinking. Watches him take out his COIN. The Decision Point appears onscreen:

 

Ash flips the coin.

 

Which road will you choose?

 

Will you put Ash and Emma in mortal danger, or will you make Ash betray his soulmate?