INT. BARBARA’S BEDROOM, MORNING

Barbara is asleep in bed. Rabbit gently knocks on the door and walks in with a tray of breakfast. Barbara stirs and sits up.

BARBARA

Is it late?

RABBIT

No idea. Everybody’s up though.

BARBARA

Is Dearbhla still here?

RABBIT

Yeah. Do you want her?

BARBARA

No. Just wondering if she’s going to go home. I think she’s scared.

RABBIT

She’s going home. Twimii thought the same and was trying to persuade her to let us use her house as a church.

Barbara groans. She takes the tray off Rabbit, places it on the bed and pours herself a cup of tea, while Rabbit draws back the curtains.

BARBARA

Thanks for this. Very sweet of you.

RABBIT

Well … you are a depraved drug-addled cultist. Somebody’s got to take care of you.

BARBARA

Yeah… That’s true. … Y’know it didn’t help that you told them I have a briefcase filled with drugs? - Half of them are antibiotics.

Rabbit doesn’t respond. He’s amused and trying not to laugh.

BARBARA

You know what? I’m a useful person. I’m going to be useful here. I’m going to get Maura to put me on one of the trucks that rescue people.

RABBIT

You’re my favourite deranged cultist.

BARBARA

Depraved.

RABBIT

Quite so.

Barbara fires a piece of toast at him.

INT. SHAY’S HOUSE - SITTING ROOM

Shay is bored, looking out the window watching what might be happening on the road.

Lotte is directing a group of people to go get their medical examination. She’s giving directions and telling them it doesn’t take long, etc.

Dearbhla comes around the corner.

EXT. 2ND ROW OF ESTATE

Dearbhla is walking back to her house. She sees Lotte directing the group.

DEARBHLA

Hi Lotte.

LOTTE

Hi Dearbhla.

Lotte turns her attention back to the group and carries on walking.

LOTTE

And if you need any clothes or anything Danny is there to note down what you need. You all remember Danny?

There is a general murmur of agreement from the people. They all look quite dazed.

Dearbhla smiles at them sympathetically.

Shay walks over to them.

SHAY

Hey Lotte, was Paddy able to sort out a lock for you?

LOTTE

Oh they’re really busy. I felt bad asking for one. And it’s not like we need locks here, right?

Lotte carries on walking, disappearing around the corner. Some of the people who were following her have stopped for a moment and are looking at Shay.

Dearbhla watches Lotte leave, a bit perplexed by what seems to be a complete change of attitude. She looks at Shay but he is just looking at the dazed new people.

LOTTE (O.S.)

COME ALONG.

The people who had stopped now follow after Lotte. Shay turns his attention to Dearbhla.

SHAY

I was going to have a nosy at the new row of houses, want to come?

DEARBHLA

Yeah, I should probably change first though.

SHAY

You’re fine.

Dearbhla looks at the new people who are still in the clothes they came in.

DEARBHLA

Yeah, I guess.

They walk on to the next row of houses. It’s another row of semi-detached houses on one side and on the oppposite side of the road is a row of terraced houses.

There’s a man and a woman standing talking, halfway down the middle of the road. She seems to be pleading with him that they leave. They fall silent as soon as they see Dearbhla and Shay.

The man waves at them, trying to smile a friendly smile. The woman just eyes them suspiciously and bitterly.

Dearbhla and Shay half-nod at them, slightly ashamed of themselves.

DEARBHLA

Let’s go.

Shay nods and they head back.

Dearbhla stops in front of her house.

SHAY

You had a good evening with the toys anyway?

DEARBHLA

I don’t think they like being called that.

SHAY

Ah they’re sound. They’re weird but …

DEARBHLA

You know where you stand with them.

SHAY

Yeah. And they’re entertaining.

DEARBHLA

They’re lunatics. - That’s the kind of weird I can handle, I like. It adds to things, you know? But this place … I know they’re doing so much for us and I should be grateful but …

SHAY

It’s dishonest.

DEARBHLA

(quietly)

Yes!

SHAY

And you know that they’re never going to be honest with us about what is going on.

DEARBHLA

Yes. It’s unnerving and frustrating. - And like what choice do we have except to go along with it?

Shay nods.

DEARBHLA

Like part of me there was a bit annoyed that Lotte is now …

SHAY

She really didn’t like the toys.

DEARBHLA

No?

SHAY

No. She thinks they’re all more suspect than Maura and Paddy’s lot.

DEARBHLA

Really? Why?

SHAY

(shrugs)

I think it’s that this place is so obviously fake but it’s doing its best to look familiar. And they’re just being themselves with no explanation or even an attempt at one.

DEARBHLA

What’s wrong with that?

SHAY

Well, nothing. But seeing as how the world’s got dangerously weird, the stuff that is just blatantly different is an easy target. Maybe? I don’t know. Maybe she just doesn’t like toys.

DEARBHLA

You seriously have to stop calling them that. - I thought Twimii was going to deck you at one point.

SHAY

They like it. It’s a compliment really when you think about it. And they know I mean no offense.

DEARBHLA

She doesn’t like it. Twimii takes herself seriously.

SHAY

It’s like the Book of Kells.

The two of them start laughing.

DEARBHLA

She was serious though.

SHAY

I know.

They start laughing again but Shay’s gaze falls on a couple of people returning from their medical, still looking kind of shellshocked, and the good spirits drain away from him.

Dearbhla follows his gaze.

DEARBHLA

It’s a big shock from out there to here.

SHAY

And this place makes the whole thing feel even weirder.

DEARBHLA

Do you think they’re aliens?

SHAY

Maybe. They could be. I don’t know. … Maybe they’re people and they’re on the level, but they just come across as really fake?

DEARBHLA

And houses just appear from the fog to house the number of people they bring here?

Shay stays quiet a moment watching the people walking.

SHAY

I don’t think they’re psychologists.

Dearbhla smiles.

SHAY

You know, weird n’all as it is, I do feel OK here. I don’t feel like we’re being watched or spied on. I feel sort of free here.

Dearbhla looks at him puzzled.

DEARBHLA

I don’t. - And if they’re aliens we should be putting up some kind of resistance, we should fight, shouldn’t we?

SHAY

That’s one thing the toys are right about. If these guys are aliens, they aren’t fighting us, this is a zoo, they’re just … keeping us alive.

DEARBHLA

Just keeping us around for their amusement? Like we’re toys?

SHAY

That’s … That’s not how I view … You’re taking my words completely out of context … They look like toys. It’s a teddy bear, a fluffy rabbit, a cuddly cow and two quirky dolls.

DEARBHLA

They made it plain they don’t want to be called toys. So just stop.

SHAY

OK. Fine.

DEARBHLA

I’m probably going to call over to them later. You want to come too?

SHAY

Well … If you think I’ll be welcome.

DEARBHLA

You were obviously a hit. Just don’t call them toys.