Midnight Express Page #8

BILLY, not yet attuned to his nature, only repulsed, is

still wearing his own clothes and makes a shivering gesture,

enunciating very clearly, hoping he will understand.

BILLY:

Cold. Very cold. Can I get blanket?

Blanket?

(makes a gesture of

a blanket wrapped

around him)

ZIAT smiles, showing his stained teeth, and starts to slide

shut the cell door on its ROLLER.

ZIAT:

(in English)

Mo sell...Too late. Tomorrow...

A cobra smile flashes, as the cell door bangs shut.

ZIAT:

(through the bars)

You be here tomorrow. "Ayi

Gedjaler"("good night")

Goes.

BILLY walks around the cell, hugging himself for warmth.

VOICE (OFF)

Pssst!

BILLY stops, goes to the edge of the cell.

A BONY BARE ARM motions from the bars of the cell next to

his. We never see the face but hear a thick ITALIAN ACCENT,

hoarse and cracked.

VOICE (OFF)

(Whispering)

Your cell, no key. Open...!

Blanket. Three cell down. You get

me one. Take...

Extends a stick with a big nail pounded into the end,

twisted over to form a hook.

BILLY takes it. Hesitates.

VOICE (OFF)

Ziat go for night. Go!

BILLY cautiously slides the cell door open, amazed that

it's been left open. Nothing makes any sense to him in

this labyrinth

ANOTHER ANGLE - BILLY steps out into a WALKWAY. A bare

bulb overhead casts light. He glides past the three cells,

seemingly empty. Finds the cell with blankets, sheets,

towels and various supplies stacked inside. But it's

locked. He slips the stick in between the bars and

stretching, hooks the first blanket.

BILLY asleep with the blankets pulled up to his chin.

Suddenly DIRTY HANDS reach into frame and rip the blanket

off. WIDEN TO:

ZIAT:

(tugging the sheet,

growls)

Brack!...Brack!

Then SLAPS at BILLY. BILLY ducks away. Encouraged, ZIAT

steps up closer to him, sticks his fingers in his chest

screaming.

ZIAT:

You, goddamn you, give me sheet.

Give me!

And feints as if to hit BILLY again. BILLY reacts to defend

himself, pushing ZIAT off and jumping out of the bunk.

ZIAT, Enraged by the shove, comes back at BILLY, screaming,

arms flailing like a bear to pummel him, but BILLY, not

understanding the Turkish bluster in his mannerisms, meets

him with a sharp right FIST into the front of his face.

ZIAT staggers back, startled into silence; he has misjudged

this kid.

BILLY waits, ready for the fight in the defensive position.

The guy is bigger than himself. ZIAT, however, now feels

the blood from his mouth and nose and freaks out, running

out of the cell SCREAMING at the top of his lungs as if

he's dying.

CUT:

BILLY is blindfolded, stumbling down stone steps pushed by

a GUARD, into a dungeon-like basement room. THE PUNISHMENT

CELLS.

CUT:

THE GUARD removes the blindfold. BILLY, adjusting to the

light, stares around. The cell is spartan, with a series

of pulleys and primitive bondage devices hanging from the

cobwebbed ceiling.A DOOR opens and:

HAMIDOU STEPS in, lowering his head to get through the

door.Chief of the guards. A clean uniform. Four stripes.

The only guard to carry a holstered gun. very frightening

man. He is about six two, two forty, and muscular, and

moves lightly like a fighter on his feet. His skull is

bullet-shaped and completely shaven like Billy's, Enhancing

this effect, he has no eyebrows, and his pale blue eyes

(suggesting a trace of Indo-European stock in his ancestry)

are set deep in his skull somewhat like turtle eyes, giving

nothing away. His nose is a beak of skin his neck broad,

his mouth a small crescent that moves as lightly as his

feet between anger and amusement. He approaches BILLY,

looks into his eyes, drawing out the moment for himself,

enjoying the tension and the fear he instils in others.

BILLY meets his eyes respectfully, then realizing this is

perhaps not the thing do to, looks away. But, fascinated

by the man's features beyond his self-control, he looks

back.

HAMIDOU, amused by eye actions, smiles thinly. The sort of

smile that could imply friendship such is its hint of charm.

HAMIDOU:

(to one of the guards)

Name?

GUARD:

(checking a clipboard)

Vilyum Hi-yes

HAMIDOU:

(looking at BILLY,

repeating it)

Vilyum Hi-yes...

And slowly his hand moves up to caress the edge of his

hairless upper lip. An erotic gesture in Turkey.

HAMIDOU:

Vilyum Hi-yes

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