Elle Page #18

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128 INT. PATRICK’S HOUSE - BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS 128

Michelle separates from and Patrick as they reach the bottom.

PATRICK:

It’s loud but you can’t hear

anything with the door closed.

She nods, understanding all the implications of that. Shestares inti the flames beyond the furnace’s grate.

MICHELLE:

(to herself)

It’s just you and me now.

PATRICK:

What?

She shakes her head. Turns to him. He grabs her wrist.

MICHELLE:

No!

He doesn’t listen. He shoves her against the wall, hard,

sticking his knee between her legs. She backs him off with apelvic thrust.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

Vincent’s upstairs.

98.

PATRICK:

Yes, Vincent’s upstairs.

Patrick grabs her again, by the hair. She yowls. He shovesher to the floor, toppling a laundry basket. She slaps at himfrantically as he climbs on top of her. She squirms andpunches but he holds her down, rubbing himself against her.

Suddenly, Michelle stops fighting. Plays dead. Patrick nowinexplicably stops too. He climbs off her, looking by turns,

frustrated, embarrassed, pouty. Michelle look at him.

PATRICK (CONT’D)

It doesn’t work like that. For me.

It has to be... like before.

She just looks at him. Patrick gets up to leave... But beforehe makes it to the stairs, Michelle suddenly attacks him.

Pummeling him, as if spending all her frustration and rage onhim. He turns around. She whacks him across the face. Now

it’s on again. He shoves her down, banging the back of herhead on the floor. As she continues to viciously, futilelyfight back, he tears her bra and panties in the manner he’sdone before and slips inside her.

It’s over pretty quickly. He rolls off, panting. Satisfied.

Michelle’s whole body convulses. Impossible to tell if itspleasure or sickness. A scream builds inside her, thenexplodes. She screams and screams. Harrowing howls of painand primal release. The screams freak out Patrick a little.

When the screams subsides, they turn into simple, purgingtears. Patrick looks around uncomfortably. He reaches out tocomfort her but his hand stops halfway there and retreats.

129 INT. PATRICK’S HOUSE - DEN - A SHORT TIME LATER 129

Michelle lays a gentle hand on Vincent’s shoulder, wakinghim. Michelle helps the groggy young man up. Patrick pitchesin too.

130 EXT. PATRICK’S HOUSE -- NIGHT 130

Patrick sees them out. Michelle gives him a smile.

MICHELLE:

Thank you for dinner.

PATRICK:

Anytime.

Michelle nods to him and helps a wobbly Vincent back acrossthe street. Patrick watches them the whole way.

99.

131 INT. A-V OFFICES -- DAY 131

On screen:
a winged, vampiric female creature emerges from ablack chrysalis, screaming. The clip ends. Lights come on.

A small group gathered in front of the monitor applauds. Somehigh fives. Michelle finds Kurt and holds out her hand.

MICHELLE:

Well done.

Kurt looks a little reluctant to accept her praise but hesmiles and shakes her hand. As the group breaks up, Michelleapproaches Anna - who seems preoccupied.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

I had an idea about Vincent.

We could give him the joborganizing the wrap party.

ANNA:

That is a good idea.

MICHELLE:

I know in the past I always shotdown the idea of throwing Vincentmake-work but now...

Anna closes the conference room door. This worries Michelle.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

What is it?

ANNA:

Robert’s f***ing someone.

MICHELLE:

(completely cool)

You know that?

ANNA:

I imagine I always knew abstractly.

MICHELLE:

And now..?

ANNA:

I smelled it. That sort of fruitybody wash they use in hotels thatare trying to be classy. WhenRobert travels, he usually stays in

Motel sixes.

100.

MICHELLE:

That’s all.

ANNA:

Then I smelled his underwear. I

waited anxiously all day for him to

take off his jockey shorts and when

he finally did, I pounced on them.

Sniffing. I was ashamed even before

I did it.

Michelle looks at her friend with great understanding.

MICHELLE:

Shame is too weak an emotion to

prevent anything. Anything at all.

132 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- EVENING 132

Michelle is in her new, cheap underwear, getting dressed forthe party. She sees that the length of a blue dress fails tohide the bruises on her thighs, so she goes with a red one.

133 INT. A-V OFFICES -- NIGHT 133

PARTY MUSIC drifts from further in. An arriving Patrick,

looking like he stepped out of a Sears catalogue, hands hiscoat to a girl at the improvised garderobe. He bumps intoRichard who’s doing the same thing.

RICHARD:

Hello. You’re becoming a fixture at

these things.

PATRICK:

Looks like it.

RICHARD:

Your wife...?

PATRICK:

She couldn’t make it.

RICHARD:

(knowingly)

Ah.

PATRICK:

Ah?

Richard shakes his head. Never mind.

101.

RICHARD:

We should have come together. Wecould’ve carpooled.

Heading in, they are met by Vincent, a little stiff in a too-

tight suit but overflowing with bonhomie.

VINCENT:

Pretty classy spread, huh? Did yousee the candy dishes by the entrance?

(noting Patrick))

Hey, how are you doing?

Vincent shakes Patrick’s hand, motions for them to follow.

VINCENT (CONT’D)

Right this way, monsieurs.

PATRICK:

Are you the maitre d’ tonight?

VINCENT:

My mother gave me the job of prettymuch organizing the whole party.

RICHARD:

I did notice the candy dishes.

That’s a nice touch.

VINCENT:

That was my idea!

Michelle, making the rounds, trades smiles with Anna who sitsat a table with Kurt and Robert. She then sees Vincent

leading in Richard and Patrick past tables where people areeating buffet-style and CONSOLES set up everywhere on whichguests can play the demo level of “Nocturnus”.

As Michelle goes to meet them, Robert follows her with his

eyes, ignoring whatever Anna’s saying to him. He glares andpounds Scotch, watching Michelle greet Patrick with a kiss.

Michelle hugs Richard, then nods to one of the game consoles.

MICHELLE:

Want to give it a try?

PATRICK:

I’m not really a game person.

MICHELLE:

No?

102.

Patrick looks a tad uncomfortable. Richard jumps at thechance to play.

VINCENT:

There’s no wine on the table!

Vincent hastens to correct this. Patrick takes a seat at the

table, across from Robert, not picking up on the vibes of

jealousy coming off the other man.

At the bar, Vincent accosts the RED-VEST BARTENDER.

VINCENT (CONT’D)

A bottle of red.

BARTENDER:

I was told to pour everything inglasses.

VINCENT:

I want a bottle.

BARTENDER:

I don’t know if I can do that.

VINCENT:

What?

BARTENDER:

I was given very specific

instructions.

VINCENT:

I need a bottle.

BARTENDER:

I’m sorry.

VINCENT:

I’m supposed to be in charge ofthis thing!

At the table, Michelle walks Richard through the game.

MICHELLE:

Press X and up at the same the sametime... very fast... faster.

He’s not fast enough. He dies. He curses as he re-spawns.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

Where’s H.l.ne? I think we’re past

that, aren’t we?

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