Page 33 of The Cut
‘Shut up … just read it.’ Nate was sitting up now. He threw a bag of Haribo at his sister.
‘Bribery will get you everywhere.’ Lily stuffed a sour snake into her mouth and continued. ‘E.X.T. Campsite. Night … What does E.X.T. mean?’ She screwed up her face.
‘Exterior, as in outside … idiot.’ Nate tried to get into character, lying flat on his side listening to the imaginary howling wind, half of his face buried into the carpet. ‘It’s a camping trip to the Brecon Beacons. There’s a wild animal in the forest … or at least that’s what they think it is, but I think it’s a werewolf. Karine says it’s like that scene inAQuietPlace… if they hear you, they hunt you. Comeon, I need to know these lines.’ Nate pleaded.
‘It just says “heavy breathing” and “he screams”. It’s not exactly Shakespeare.’ Lily picked the remains of a Gummy Bear from her teeth.131
‘Give it me.’ Nate tried to swipe the tablet, but Lily kept it at arm’s length. She rolled off the bean bag and crouched on the floor, commando style, face-to-face with Nate. She continued, her voice intoning a suspenseful whisper.
‘The patter on the tight canopy overhead is like fingertips on a drum skin. Outside, sheet lightning illuminates the boughs of a tree.’ Lily glanced up for a second, a terrified expression on her face. ‘Jagged shadows of branchy limbs reaching out across the sky, their nails scratching at the door.’
‘ROOAARRAAGGHH!’ Dani pounced on Nate from behind with an almighty growl, decimating the makeshift rehearsal tent.
‘NOOO!’ Nate nearly jumped out of his skin, squealing in shock. ‘GET OFF ME! HELP! DAD!’
Upstairs, Ben heard the commotion coming from the den. His heart leapt into his mouth. Someone had broken in, someone was attacking his family. He threw himself down the stairs and turned the corner. He skidded into the kitchen, scrambling towards the worktop. Grabbing a carving knife from the block, he bolted into the darkened den.
‘GET OFF HIM! LEAVE THEM ALONE!’
The chaos of the violent struggle suddenly broke apart.
Lily and Dani were rolling around on the floor in stitches as Nate tried to cover the fact that he had nearly peed himself laughing. Lily spluttered, ‘Yeah, Dad … that’s exactly what he says in the script. You know the lines better than Nate.’
Ben panted heavily, catching his breath. His face was white and his hands trembled. ‘What the hell are you doing?’
Dani’s eyes fell on the knife in Ben’s hand. ‘We’re only playing around, love.’
‘Christ … I thought there was an intruder.’ Ben was hyperventilating. ‘You scared the life out of me.’132
His family stared at him, the smiles disappearing from their faces. Nate gathered himself up and draped the throw over the sofa, while Dani packed away the rest.
‘Chill out, Dad.’ Lily breezed by him to get her coat. ‘It’s just a rehearsal for the film. Exterior. Night. Some scary camping trip that Nate’s shooting tomorrow … Can we go now, please?’
Ben stood staring at Nate in silence. He didn’t move, he didn’t breathe. An overwhelming need to cocoon his children washed over him.
‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’ Dani fussed past Ben. ‘Come on, snap out of it, love. We’ve got guests,’ she muttered under her breath. ‘Don’t want Karine to think you’re a nutcase.’
‘Well, this is all very exciting.’ Ben turned to see Karine standing in the hallway. Had she been here this whole time?
‘Can you show me down to … wherever your Wi-Fi and service board is?’ She glanced down to Ben’s hand. He tucked the knife behind his leg and hesitated, before moving tentatively towards the kitchen. He carefully replaced the long blade into the block and headed into the hallway. His hands were still shaking as he tried to fit the key into the lock of the basement door.
‘Er … how long are you going to be? I have a work call in twenty minutes.’
‘Wait. Dad … I thought we were going to Palmers to get a Christmas tree?’ Lily interjected.
‘Yeah … well, after my work call. It’s important.’ Ben shifted uncomfortably.
‘It’s Saturday …’ Lily slumped back angrily on to one of the kitchen bar stools.
‘Not now, Lily!’ Ben snapped.133
Dani and Lily exchanged a look as Karine defused the tension. ‘I won’t be long, I just need to run a few extra cables to video village, then I’ll be out of your hair.’
Ben paused for a second at the top of the stairs to the basement. ‘Fine, just give me a minute to tidy up a few things.’ The door banged behind him.
Karine’s eyes narrowed before turning back to the sulking teenager at the kitchen island. ‘Hey, you’re a really convincing actor, Lily … Do you want to be in the film? We need some female energy.’
Lily’s face flushed and she pulled her hood over her head. ‘Nah, that’s Nate’s thing.’
