FADE IN:

INT. PRISON — PASSAGE - NIGHT

Long corridor, dimly illuminated by NEON GLOW of cells' bars on the both sides of the passage. Two GUARDS escort ERNIE (early 20s), his hands cuffed behind his back.

ERNIE
Nice place you've got here guys.
Believe me, I'm an expert.

GUARD#1
Shut up.

Guards convoy Ernie to one of the cells. He squints at the darkness inside the cell, while guards unchain him. Darkness stares back. GUARD#1 slides security card through the slot, neon glow fades, bars disappear and Guard#2 pushes Ernie inside the cell. Then neon glow comes back.

GUARD#2
Good night, sonny.

INT. CELL – NIGHT

Four bunks with PRISONERS#1-4 staring at the newbie. PRISONER#5 lies on the floor, pretending that he's fast asleep (but his eyes are wide open).

PRISONER#1
Welcome, tired stranger.

PRISONER#2
Such a nice little ass.

ERNIE
Do you like it? Come and get it, then.

PRISONER#2 jumps onto the floor and approaches Ernie.

PRISONER#1 (O.C.)
I wouldn't do that if I were you.

Prisoner#2 stops in front of Ernie, grinning.

PRISONER#2
Why not?
(to Ernie)
Come to the daddy, little one.

All of sudden Ernie punches him hard in the face, knocking him over. Prisoner#2 yelps as Ernie kicks him all over the face, breaking his nose. Cheekbone cracks, blood flows onto the floor. Prisoners cheers.

PRISONER#5
Get the bastard! Do him!

PRISONER#3
Fuck!

PRISONER#1
Rest in pieces, tired stranger.

Instantly Ernie finds his elbows locked behind his back. Something drags him apart. He tries to free himself, but without success. Twisting his neck he spots a bulk form of Prisoner#4 behind him.


PRISONER#4
You kill the guy, next day you find
yourself outside. Outer space. One month
at plutonium mines. Tricky thing, plutonium.
First switches off your eyes, then your balls,
then your brains. Well, thinkin' about that,
your brains are off already if you are here.

He lets Ernie go and shoves the limp body of Prisoner#2 in the corner.

PRISONER#4
Okay, I guess his place is empty for a time
being. You take it, right over the mine.

He points at two cots on the left, one under the other.

Ernie climbs onto the upper bunk, flings his arms back to recline his head on them and stares up in the darkness.

Other prisoners go to rest. Prisoner#2 moans into his corner. Prisoner#4 lies on his back, so, looking up, he could see the back of Ernie' head through the metal planks of the bunk.

PRISONER#4
So. Where are you from, pal?

ERNIE
New Paradise.

Prisoner#4 chuckles.

ERNIE
What?

PRISONER#4
Isn't it the place where rich and
famous freaks live?

Ernie stares up, his face blank. CLOSE on his face

ERNIE
Yeah. Only my dad wasn't rich. Famous, may be.
He was an artist, painter. Probably, the guy
who had erupted in our house was oblivious to
the fact. Killed my dad, my mom, and my sister.
Missed me cozz I was at school. They were still
warm when I came home. Then, when I turned
sixteen, I started to do really rude things,
and they had me sent to St. Paulo's. Sure he
wasn't there, not a place for a big guys like
him. So I left, and started to look here and
there, and guess what-I know a lot about the guy
now. Not name, sure, but anyway. He's tall, with
really dark skin, but not a nigger. Got a scar
above his left eyebrow and a small tattoo on his
right arm.

RIGHT ARM OF PRISONER#4, WITH SMALL SMEARED TATTOO ON IT

Slides down Prisoner#4 hip, to his boot, to unsheathe small kinfe.

Prisoner#4 looks up. CLOSE on his face with ugly scar crossing his left eyebrow. The guy eases his blade towards the slot in the upper bunk planks, towards Ernie' neck.


ERNIE
Well, good night, then.

Prisoner#4 hesitates for a moment, then reaches out with his blade -but Ernie' neck isn't there!

Prisoner#4 turns around on his cot hastily - only to see Ernie' hand with razor in it. Razor cuts through Prisoner#4 throat. He gurgles, blood gushes, splotching the rack, the floor and Ernie' feet. He steps back as Prisoner#4 body, twisting, falls onto the floor.

Ernie grabs the body, ignoring that it's still shaking in convulsions, and drags it closer to the light - that is, to the glowing bars. He peers at Prisoner#4 right arm, at the small tattoo in form of lop-sided cross on the back of Prisoner#4 palm.

ERNIE
They said it was skull. Bloody skull.
[Beat]
One month at plutonium mines. Bloody bastard.

FADE OUT.