Backgammon Page #3

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- No.

This is Maine,

the water's probably freezing.

Come on.

Let's get undressed.

Let's go.

[Giggles]

Are you coming?

- If we're gonna do this...

- Uh-huh.

- We're not even gonna think about it.

- No.

- We're just gonna go.

- Let's go.

Okay.

[Giggles]

I can feel the cold...

[Screams]

Come on.

This was your idea.

Why is it so...

It's so cold

that I can feel my skeleton.

[Laughs]

- Okay.

- Let's go.

[Shrieks]

[Shivers] Wait, you have a

little leaf in your hair.

Right" okay.

[Laughs]

Oh boy.

[Gasps]

Hey.

Where are all

Gerald's paintings?

Well, my paintings.

[Shivers]

I mean... I mean,

where are all

the small ones that were there,

and the...

And those over there.

And where's his paintbrush?

I don't know.

I can't see them anywhere.

He must have taken them

with him.

Taken them with him?

What's he playing at?

I mean, you told me he was gone.

- Right?

- Yeah.

Whoa.

He must have taken him

a while to do this.

I mean, this painting,

it's quite different now.

It's...

It's not only purple, it's...

It's red.

It's red.

It almost looks like it's dry.

Hey! Don't touch it.

Sorry.

Hey, wait.

What the hell is going on?

Hey, wait.

Why don't you

just look up all the doors

I guess you'll have to hear him

- come in.

- Hmm.

I don't lock the doors.

I guess he'd have

his own key anyway.

[Faucet creaks]

But you saw him leave, right?

[Miranda] He hit me and

I fell to the ground.

And then I hit him,

I didn't see where he went.

Maybe he simply came back.

I'm gonna go warm myself up.

Okay.

Oh, hey.

Hey, I was thinking...

Why didn't you just run away?

I mean, the bastard hit you,

what were you gonna do?

My plan was simple,

I was going to kill him.

Fair enough.

That means he probably

in the house with us now.

Listening to us, no doubt.

He's such an idiot!

I want him to be gone.

Why don't you

just tell him that?

Our relationship was convenient

in lots of ways.

All the best ones are.

Love has never come

into marriage.

At least not happy marriages.

You need to find

the right partner

for practical,

not romantic reasons.

Romance exists

outside marriage, right?

I wouldn't know.

People who are together

for a long time

eventually start

to hate each other

so you need to find a person

who doesn't mind being hated.

[Giggles]

Come one.

Tell me the truth.

You hate Gerald.

Everyone

who's ever met him does.

I don't know him

well enough to hate him.

[Giggles]

'[Thuds]

- [Gasps]

He's down there.

[Scoffs]

You know he's down there.

I get it, you guys are just

playing games with me again.

No, no, no, no, no.

I'm not.

Will you go look for him?

Um...

I'm sorry...

Okay...

You go down the front stairs,

I'll go down the back ones,

and we'll meet him in the hall.

No, can we go together?

No, we can't go together.

This house is huge.

I mean, he could be anywhere.

We have to do it separately.

Come on,

it'll be like hide and seek.

Just, I need a second

to get dressed.

Oh, of course.

Okay.

I'll wait for you.

All right.

Wait.

Let's get this over with.

You can prove he isn't here,

or that he is.

Whatever you wanna do.

You can go look by yourself,

I don't wanna waste my time

chasing after him.

Come on, Miranda.

See it as a game.

Yeah, sure.

You take this staircase,

I'll take this one.

If you see him, scream.

[Gasps]

Oh.

[Sighs]

Christ.

Any sign of him?

- No.

- [Thuds]

Well, I guess you forgot

his collections, huh?

Is this amusing to you?

Come.

- Okay, let's go.

- Okay.

[Door creaks]

We're so stupid.

It's the door

banging against the frame.

Okay.

Let's go to the conservatory.

That's where the painting is.

Everything's the same.

That just leaves

the basement to check.

Maybe he doubled back on us

and snuck down there.

Let's go.

[Sniffs]

Oh, what's that smell'?

Mold and mildew most likely.

I haven't been

in this room in ages.

Gerald wouldn't be

caught dead in here.

He wouldn't be able

to locate his cigarettes

or drinks in the dark.

Or read

his precious French poetry.

What's that poet's name again?

He doesn't have

to read Baudelaire,

he's got it all memorized.

I'll see you downstairs,

when you're dressed.

Dressed?

- Mm.

- What?

You don't like my t-shirt?

You're gonna get cold with that.

Just give me some time

to make dinner.

Wow, you overdid yourself here.

What'?

Is it too much for you?

I guess not.

What shall we do

for the rest of the night?

I don't know.

Not cards.

How about backgammon?

It's the only game I'm good at.

I don't wanna play

any more games.

[Giggles]

[Sighs]

We know

you're still here, Gerald.

[Door clanks]

God, you really took your time.

[Giggles]

You're really paranoid,

aren't you?

Are you satisfied

that Gerald's not here?

Yeah, I'm not so sure.

He's worked

on the painting again.

I think you should come and see.

Hmm.

Some things are best left

to mystery.

What did he change?

Just come and see, he's...

He's added this unhealthy...

Bluish undertone to the skin.

It makes you look dead.

I'm tired,

very tired of his games.

It's all a big game to him.

And I'm bored.

Worn out.

I'd rather stay here

in my room with you.

[Laughs]

"To roll the rock you fought

takes your courage, Sisyphus.

No matter what effort from us,

art is long, and time is short.

Far from the grave of celebrity,

my heart like a muffled drum

taps out

it's funeral thrum-

What is this?

"Toward

some lonely cemetery..."

What are you saying?

Quoting.

I'm quoting Baudelaire.

What is this?

You're crazy.

I can't stay here.

I don't get it.

You're f***ing with me,

aren't you?

Gerald, and you too.

You're all f***ing with me.

Oh, my god,

I can't stay here, this is...

Oh, come on.

Don't be such a Gerald.

I don't know

where Gerald is, okay?

He's downstairs,

or upstairs or somewhere.

I don't know.

F***.

"Your bombs, knives, victory marches.

Public feasts.

Your melancholy suburbs,

your furnished rooms,

your gardens full of sighs

and intrigue.

Your churches vomiting prayer

as music.

Your childish despairs,

mad hags' games.

Your discouragements.

And your fireworks,

eruptions of joy

that make the dumb

and gloomy sky smile.

Your saved principles

and your flouted laws.

Your proud monuments

on which mists catch.

Your metal domes,

the sun in flames.

Your theatrical queens

with seductive voices."

[Laughs]

You.

Lucian. Lucian, please.

No, please stay.

- No, I'm out of here.

- Please stay!

Please, please,

don't leave me here alone

with him, please.

No.

No, no, no, please, please.

Come on, come on,

come on, come on.

At least before you go,

let's look at the painting.

That's what you wanted, right?

Please. Please.

It's okay.

It's okay, let's...

We'll just look

at the painting, okay?

Fine. Fine.

Okay.

Maybe the painting

is just changing

by itself?

- [Giggles]

- It's not funny.

Let me get some wine

and we can sit in front

of the painting

and see what happens.

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