Stockholm

‍‍‍When Rue wakes up, she sits up quickly. The violent images flash in her head, she squeezes her eyes tight to block them out. Swinging her legs over the bed, she looks at the ground, and takes three long deep breaths. Panic as gotten her nowhere this far, so she goes straight to action. 

She pulls out her suitcases and stuffs her belongings in carelessly. Once packed she dresses in warm clothes, not letting her mind wonder to how her pajamas got on her originally. 

Rue is leaving and does not care where she is going. LA, probably not. Her hometown Seattle, it is a possibility.  All she genuinely wants is to leave, leave the manor, leave Stockholm, leave Sweden. Rue pulls her two suitcases down the stairs to find Alexander and Valor in the kitchen.

Valor: How are your cheeks feeling?

Rue’s hand goes to her face feeling scratches around her mouth.

Valor: It looks like those trees got the best of you.

Rue: The Trees? Fuck you! You mean the bear and the Indian cult members!

Alexander: Why are you packed darling?

Rue: I’m leaving, before anything else can happen.

Alexander: I know last night was frightening, I nearly shit myself the first time I heard a bear. You don’t have to be embarrassed you ran off into the woods. We are all simply happy we found you in that snowbank.

Rue goes to get her phone but cannot find it. she starts frantically searching her pockets.

Rue: Where’s my phone!?

Alexander: I don’t know, you probably lost it last night.

Rue: WHERE IS MY MOTHER FUCKING PHONE!? AWWWW!

Valor: What the fuck, the bitch as gone crazy!

Alexander: Darling calm down.

He pulls his phone out handing it to Rue.

Alexander: It’s okay, who do you want to call?

Rue grips the phone tightly. She goes to dial 911, only to realize that will not work in Sweden. 

Rue: The police, I want to call the police! 

Valor: Please! They will arrest your crazy ass.

Alexander speaks calmly.

Alexander: Why do you want to call the police?

Rue: I am going to tell them everything! About Feda getting eaten by a bear and the girl at the club that bled to death!

Alexander: None of those things happened.

Rue: I saw them!

Alexander: Rue last night what I saw was a girl that drank two full bottles of whiskey in less than two hours, and I bet that was not your first drink of the day.

Rue: You lie, it was all real!

The tears come.

Alexander: If you call the police, they will take you to the hospital. 

Rue: I haven’t done anything, only tried to survive!

Valor: You’re literally having a psychotic breakdown in the middle of our kitchen.

Rue lets the phone in her hand fall to her side and Alexander takes it from her.

Alexander: What can I do for you darling?

Rue: I want to leave; please can I leave?

Alexander: Yes of course. We will book you a ticket right now to LAX.

Rue: No, to Washington please.

Alexander grabs out a laptop from his bag on the counter.

Alexander: Washington it is.

The power clicks and all the lights in the manor go out. Rue’s scream is so loud it could have broken glass.

Valor: Fuck, the generator.

Alexander: It is okay we just need to check the breaker; this happens in the cold.

Rue grabs the laptop clicking frantically.

Rue: Laptops run on batteries; we can still book the flight! I can still leave! I need to get out!

Valor: Laptops do, the internet doesn’t. I am sure it’s that way in The States to.

Alexander embraces Rue tight, but she pushes him away. He grabs both her shoulders firm, but not hard.

Alexander: We just need to check the breaker; it will take five minutes. 

Rue shakes her head. Alexander carefully glides her to a chair and sits her in it.

Alexander: In five minutes we will book you a plane ticket, I will even pay for it. And then I’ll take you straight to the airport. But we can’t do anything without the power on.

Alexander touches Rue’s face. His hand stings her raw sore cheeks, making her turn away.

Alexander: You’re strong and beautiful darling, I just need five minutes.

Rue nods but does not stop crying. Alexander and Valor head out the door.

Rue stands up going over to her suitcases, desperate to get some pills. Before she can even open her bags; someone comes from behind her. Rue sits on the ground with her head in her hands frustrated by the interruption.

Samuel: Where are you going?

Rue: I am leaving, I’m going home.

Samuel: No! I haven’t gotten to show you anything about Stockholm.

Rue: I’m sorry but...

She loses her words when she looks up from her hands and sees he is holding a switch blade pointing at her.

Samuel: There is so much to see still.