Page 24

I t’s almost as if filming is taking place under green water, the wolves peering from under trees, dappled by the shade.

The sounds are confusing. There is no enhancement of natural sounds, no foley work.

There is whispering. Directions are being made by the crew, by Simon.

David’s voice can just be made out now and again, a word or two.

Sometimes there’s a light chuckle. The wolves are alert, even while they rest.

There is a man, at the edge of the shot, but his face is in the shadow of the trees. It is hard to distinguish the figure from the trees and undergrowth.

The wolves are alert to him. Their twitching ears, their eyes open though muzzles appeared relaxed, is in the direction of the stranger.

A young female with brindled fur sits on the edge of the pack in a pool of shade.

She is the only wolf with her snout pointed directly towards the stranger under the trees and the stranger is watching her.

Then she twists her head and at the same time, the pack also shifts position, some of them start to stand, prepared.

They are aware of the stranger and aware of the film crew but something else has become their main concern, something…

Switch: The format and perspective of the film changes.

The camera is at a slightly different angle, looking down from the trunk of a tree and over the clearing.

You can see the pack, alert and wary, looking in a slightly different direction to where the stranger had been at something moving under the denser trees.

It’s another wolf. But not part of the pack. It is barely visible in the darkness, its fur almost black and its eyes even blacker. It moves awkwardly as if it is injured, or as if it is tired or dying. It is not watching the pack or the stranger but the TV crew.

It staggers, moving like something that struggles to remember how to walk.

Switch: The pack rises and moves towards the outsider, turning their backs on the film crew. Simon can be heard wondering what has spooked them. David can be heard suggesting they have enough footage. The film stops.

Switch: In the camp, steam bubbles from pots, bottles clink.

Someone is singing as they stir, nodding in rhythm to the music in his headphones.

Sue is muttering to Simon, bent over a monitor.

She points at something and waves her hands about.

In the background David can be seen staring into something with a glowing screen.

Skyping perhaps. The screen stops glowing and he gets up smiling and walking towards the eating area.

Simon moves away from the monitor and stands slightly apart, stretching.

Something rushes out from the trees and flings itself at Simon.

It is a wolf, thin, mangy, dirty. Simon is caught off balance but not quite knocked over, he pushes back and the wolf falls and staggers.

Others rush forward, someone waves a torch in the wolf’s eyes, someone else brandishes a tripod, a third person is lifting a tranquilliser rifle to his shoulder.

The wolf backs into the trees and the chasers crash about looking for it while someone leans over Simon and tends to him. Sue is bending over him too and talking into a radio phone. Simon is trying to get up, David is restraining him.

In the background, the same man who had been at the edge of the shot watching the wolves, creeps forwards.

As the medic tends to Simon, he leans over as if assessing the wound.

The medic reaches out for something and finds the other man in the way.

For a moment they exchange words. There is shrugging.

Simon struggles, irritated. Round the edges of the camp, another wolf lingers, a young female.

She is obscured by the tents and then a woman appears, wearing clothes that are too big for her.

She runs to Simon but there is no way through to him.

A man holds her back and talks to her, walks her back to the darkness under the trees.

He is comforting her, you can imagine him saying: ‘it’ll be all right, it’ll be all right. ’

Switch: The pack is fidgeting. It is ready to move on. The young female is hesitating. She is softly howling. She is staring directly into camera. The crew can be heard muttering. She is spoiling the shot. Simon’s voice can be heard saying that he feels fine, honestly he feels fine.

Switch: the hidden camera picks up the stranger again. His line of sight is following that of the young female. They are both staring at Simon.

Switch: the camp is tidier, they will be leaving soon.

Steam bubbles from pots, bottles clink, laughter, music even.

Someone tells someone else to change the track, insults their taste.

The camera is handheld. It takes in Sue and Simon, peering into the monitor again; that evening’s cook tasting the meal and sprinkling in more salt; picks up a tall shadow under the trees momentarily, it could be a sapling, then it moves, a tall figure with something in its hands; films David Skyping again.

You can just hear his words: “get Mick’s brother in to look at the shower” and then the camera sweeps round as the person holding it moves back to the dining area and then there is a shout; then a shot. The cameraman ducks.

There is more shouting.

Simon stands up and moves forward, a young wolf shoots forward and jumps up at him. Another shot. The wolf screams and falls, twitches, stills. Simon bends over her then stands to call for someone to help. He’s the most exposed.

Another shot.

It catches him as he turns to beg for assistance, he starts to crumple, blood running, running. David runs up to him, rushes to push him out of the way.

Another shot and David, takes the bullet… falls… takes Simon with him to the ground, his blood soaking them both, soaking the ground.

His eyes are open. The light in them is bright… then fading… then gone.