56

PEARL, her face and dress splattered with blood, gapes down at PADDY’s sprawled body and screams her head off.

CHESTER trains the shotgun on the hysterically screaming PEARL.

CHESTER
(to NICK)
Two for the price of one?

PEARL gulps, chokes off her screaming.

PEARL
(sobbing)
No-no, don't shoot me!  I won't tell…
I won’t say a word.  I swear it!  I'm  
begging you…please don’t kill me.   
I don't wanna die… 

NICK looks at the gulping, sniffling, horribly frightened PEARL and seems to waver momentarily.

She latches on to the flicker of pitying compassion in his eyes as if it is a life preserver.

PEARL
(a wild hope)
Please…