Elle Page #13

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me horrific gas. I don't want to

immortalize that.

Behind them, an eruption: The new mother is suddenly cryingloudly, carrying on- and obviously not for Michelle’s mother.

JOSIE:

Just leave me alone. You can’t

f***ing fix everything...

70.

VINCENT:

Josie...

JOSIE:

Leave me alone!

She storms off with the baby, down the hill. Everyone looksmortified. Vincent plays it off like a big joke.

VINCENT:

She wanted to say something. Aboutgrandma. But then she realized shedidn’t really have anything to sayand she got upset over that and

then... It's post-partum... youknow. I just hope my boy doesn'ttake after her in the temperamentdepartment.

MICHELLE:

Vincent, he's a lovely child buthe's not your boy. Don't lose sightof that.

Vincent doesn’t really hear her. He holds up a pacifier.

VINCENT:

Here it is. After all that!

MICHELLE:

Did you hear me, Vincent?

VINCENT:

Yeah, sure, but... what?

MICHELLE:

The boy is not really yours,

Vincent. That’s what I’m tellingyou. Look at him. His skin is twotones darker than you or Josie’s.

You must see that.

VINCENT:

(getting angry now)

Whose is he, if he’s not mine?

MICHELLE:

He’s his father’s, I guess. Andyou’re not his father, Vincent. I’msorry but you’re being made a foolof.

71.

Vincent raises his hand as if he were going to hit Michelle.

She waits for it. Almost daring him to hit her. He wavers asAnna comes into the room to see what’s up.

ANNA:

Vincent?!

He looks at his mother, stammering, unable to find words...

VINCENT:

I... just... You’re a c*nt.

Fighting tears, Vincent hands Michelle the box and stalksoff. Anna shoots Michelle a more confused than accusing lookand goes off after him, down the hill. Michelle looks around.

MICHELLE:

This is as good as anywhere, I

guess. The wind's blowing out.

Richard shrugs. Michelle opens the box and dumps the ashes.

Which land largely in a clump at her feet. Looks like that'sit. She reluctantly accepts a clasp of hands from Rafe.

86 EXT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- NIGHT 86

A wind gathers strength. Tree branches sway. Xmas lights sliploose of their moorings. Michelle's house is dark, only onelight on the second floor. A loose shutter up there creaksloudly, back and forth...

87 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- NIGHT 87

The CREAKING can be heard in Michelle’s bedroom as she,

wearing a night-shirt, examining storyboards. A zombiesoldier extends a tentacle-like arm toward the viewer. The

caption:
“It’s just you and me now.“

Michelle jumps as the steady creaking becomes a BANG - thewind slamming the shutter against the side of the house.

At the same time: The doorbell RINGS downstairs. Michelle

finds this curious.

88 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE - ENTRYWAY -- NIGHT 88

Michelle opens the door in her knee-length night shirt andfinds Patrick on her stoop.

72.

PATRICK:

I didn’t want to disturb you but Ijust got home and saw all yourshutters are open. The weather’sturning fast. Half your windows aregonna get blown out.

MICHELLE:

That wouldn’t be good.

PATRICK:

I know it probably sounds like I’mbeing chicken little or somethingbut it'll amaze you what the windscan do up here.

MICHELLE:

No, I’ve seen it. You should’ve

been here in ‘99. It was like the

end of the world.

PATRICK:

I believe it. You’re probably goingto need a hand.

MICHELLE:

Yes, probably. Thank you.

Michelle lets him in. Shuts the door behind him.

PATRICK:

Your mother’s funeral was today?

MICHELLE:

There was no service. We just...

She trails off. He nods.

PATRICK:

I’m very sorry, Michelle.

She nods thanks. He’s already at the first window, brimmingwith authority, pulling it open and grabbing the shudderpinned against the outside wall. He now engages in a battlewith the elements to pull the window closed. Dead leavesstart to blow in. Michelle gives a hand. An icy wind whippingthem, Patrick handles the window while she reaches out and

pull in the shutter. Finally, it slams shut.

Michelle smiles, shivers a residual shiver from the cold. He

reaches out and rubs her arms through the thin flannel of herpajamas. The innocent gesture takes her aback, slightly.

73.

MICHELLE:

I never counted but I think there’s

something like twenty windows in

this house.

PATRICK:

The wind’s from the west. We’ll do

that side.

89 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALL/BEDROOM 89

Michelle follows Patrick down the hall. He stops in thedoorway of her bedroom. He gives her a questioning look. Shenods- go ahead. The bed is a unmade. Her underwear is slungover a chair.

MICHELLE:

I wasn’t expecting anyone.

He smiles. He pauses, seeing one of Michelle’s storyboards onthe bed. It’s a stylized vintage airplane in flames.

PATRICK:

That looks like a ‘43 Grumman

Wildcat.

MICHELLE:

I wouldn’t know.

PATRICK:

I’ve always thought about

rebuilding a vintage aircraft like

that. Taking it to Paris.

MICHELLE:

You fly?

PATRICK:

No. But you got to have a dream,

right?

They share a little laugh. They’re very close, only inchesbetween them, the window starts MOANING and CRACKLING in the

wind, breaking the spell of the moment.

They go into their routine again. These shutters are moredifficult. When the shutter finally comes free of the wall,

it closes so forcefully, they both stumble backward onto thebed, beside each other. They lie there like that a moment. Anelectric current passes between them... but Patrick,

remaining in helpful neighbor mode, gets up and goes tosecure the shutter.

74.

PATRICK (CONT’D)

Almost done.

90 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE - ATTIC -- NIGHT 90

Michelle leads Patrick up the narrow staircase, in forcedproximity. She flips the light switch. The bulb BLOWS OUT.

MICHELLE:

Sh*t.

They go in anyway. They have to maneuver in near totaldarkness through the low-ceilinged space. The wood beamscreak like the end of the world. Patrick pull the window open

-the one she watched him through - and starts wrestling witha shutter. It gets away from him. Michelle ducks underPatrick’s outstretched arms to lend a hand. Now his arms are

around her. Leaning way out the window in freezing wind, sherubs her butt against him. Patrick stays focused on hismission. She practically rolls her eyes in frustration. Whatis it going to take?

When they get the shutter closed finally, they stay there amoment, still. His arms stay around her. She waits. His handlowers her panties, slowly exposing her bottom. She feelswhat his moving hand is doing. She moans in pleasure,

spreading her legs and bracing herself against a beam.

She twists her head around for a kiss but Patrick leapsbackward, pulling away from her.

PATRICK:

I’m sorry.

Patrick hurries away, leaving her there. She hears hisFOOTSTEPS pounding down the stairs. She stands there amoment, feeling shame and, more than that, frustration.

MICHELLE:

Idiot!

She hits a wooden beam with the flat of her hand.

91 INT. AV OFFICES -- DAY 91

Michelle moves through the office like a locomotive ofrestless energy. She sees Kurt, makes a detour to him.

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