The Beach Page #2

RICHARD:

Help you out?

DAFFY:

Yeah; just ten or fifteen dollars maybe.

RICHARD:

I'm sorry, I don't think so.

DAFFY:

I'm waiting on some money coming through.

It's just that at the moment, you know,

I'm short. They're going to chuck me out.

On the street in Bangkok, that's bad.

RICHARD:

I'm really sorry but I just arrived; I'm

on a pretty tight budget myself. I just

can't afford it.

DAFFY:

Just five dollars, please.

He leans in close to Richard.

DAFFY:

(continuing)

I'll share something with you.

RICHARD:

I'm sorry. I can't lend you any money.

Daffy retreats.

Richard turns back to the video and his food.

Daffy approaches two young women sitting at a nearby table.

DAFFY:

Excuse me, ladies, is there any chance you

could help me out. I'm down on my luck at

the moment.

The two young women seem uncomfortable. Richard notices.

DAFFY:

(continuing)

If you could see your way to lending me some cash -

RICHARD:

Here.

He leans across and holds out a ten dollar note for Daffy.

DAFFY:

Thank you, sir. Thank you. I promise I

will repay you.

RICHARD:

Just take it, OK.

Daffy takes it.

Richard returns to the video as a big yellow explosion is

reflected on his face.

INT. RICHARD'S HOTEL ROOM. NIGHT.

Some light enters from the street through a small window.

Richard lies on his bed, watching the fan rotate above him.

He is listening to the sound of Etienne and Francoise

engaging in noisy sex. They reach the climax of their

activity and fall silent.

Richard just has time to enjoy the silence when a new

disturbance begins, this time from the next room in the

other direction. It is a man, Daffy, banging on the wall

just above Richard's head and shouting in time.

DAFFY (O.S.)

Have. You. Got. Anything. To. Smoke.

Have. You. Got. Anything. To. -

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. NIGHT.

Richard knocks sharply on the door of Daffy's room.

The door is opened immediately by Daffy, looking even worse

then before.

RICHARD:

No, I don't have anything to smoke.

Daffy stares at him for a moment. Recognition dawns.

DAFFY:

You. You're the guy that lent me the money.

RICHARD:

Yeah, that's right. Now could you be quiet

so I can get some sleep.

DAFFY:

Ten dollars. I'll find a way to pay you

back. How would you like to know About

somewhere special? The perfect beach.

Paradise. No one else knows about it.

That's got to be worth something. What do

you say?

RICHARD:

Look I don't care about the money right

now:
I just want some sleep. So if you

could be quiet -

DAFFY:

Yea, OK. I will be, I will be, I promise.

RICHARD:

Thanks.

Richard turns away.

DAFFY:

Richard -

He turns back.

DAFFY:

(continuing)

Been nice knowing you.

He sticks his hand out.

Richard politely reciprocates.

RICHARD:

Sure.

They shake hands.

INT. EXT. RESTAURANT. DAY.

The restaurant fronts on to the street where a new day's

activity is beginning.

Richard watches this as he eats his breakfast.

He notices Etienne and Francoise sit down at the next table.

RICHARD:

Bonjour.

ETIENNE:

Good morning.

FRANCOISE:

Did you sleep well?

RICHARD:

Not too bad.

FRANCOISE:

I hope our noise did not keep you awake.

Richard looks from one to the other.

RICHARD:

The noise? Don't worry. You're on holiday.

ETIENNE:

She means your neighbor. The Scotsman

RICHARD:

Oh, that noise! Yes, he certainly did.

ETIENNE:

We moved rooms because of him.

FRANCOISE:

He tried to borrow money from us.

ETIENNE:

What idiot would lend him money? It would

disappear.

FRANCOISE:

He said if we lent him money h would tell

us about a secret beach.

ETIENNE:

It's on an island that no one get to.

FRANCOISE:

But he has been there, off course.

ETIENNE:

It was ridiculous; all this at three

o'clock in the morning.

RICHARD:

It would be nice though, if there was a

place like that. You know, that no one

could get to.

ETIENNE:

Of course, but look; all these people. If

that place existed, they'd all be there.

INT. TRAVEL AGENT'S. DAY

On a large board are details, photographs and prices of

various standard excursions. A Thai TRAVEL AGENT reels them

off at great speed.

TRAVEL AGENT:

Nakhon - Pathom - Phra Ptahom Chedi -

Damnoen Sadual floating market - eight

hundred baht. Kanchanburi - Erwan national

Park Phrathat Cave, huang Khamin Falls -

six hundred baht. Nam Tok, hellfire Pass,

Three Pagodas, Sai Yok National Park -

fifteen hundred baht. Bang Pa In Royal

Palace, Ayatthaya, Wat Phra Manhathat,

Wat Raburna - one thousand baht. What do

you want?

Richard studies the board but is not excited.

RICHARD:

Twenty Marlboro light, please.

Instantly the Travel Agent produces the packet of cigarettes

from a shelf and lays them on the counter.

EXT. KHAO SAN ROAD. DAY.

Richard lights up and looks around.

He looks through the tapes at a stall.

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. DAY

Richard walks along the corridor towards his room, his new

tape playing on his walkman.

On his door, a folded sheet of paper is attached with a pin.

Richard lifts it off and unfolds it.

It is a detailed and carefully drawn map of a cluster of

islands. Some are named. One is unnamed. On it, some features

are marked; hills, forest, river and a letter X.

In the corner it reads "X = beach".

Richard switches his Walkman off.

He studies the map then walks to Daffy's door and knocks.

No reply.

Richard twists the handle and pushes gently. The door opens.

INT DAFFY'S ROOM. DAY.

The room is dim, be even so the blood can be seen sprayed

and smeared around the walls, sheets and floor.

There is no sign of Daffy.

Richard treads carefully, avoiding the pools of blood on the

floor.

He reaches the other side of the room. There, wedged in the

narrow gap between bed and wall, is Daffy's corpse. His

wrists have been cut.

Richard studies the map again.

RICHARD (V.O.)

You hope and you dream, but you never

believe that something's going to happen

for you, not like it does in the movies.

And when it does, you sort of expect it

to feel different. More visceral. More

real. Like IMAX maybe. I was waiting for

it to hit me, but it didn't. And just for

the record, I never did get my ten

dollars back.

Richard switches his walkman back on.

INT. POLICE STATION. DAY.

In an office, two policemen, one in UNIFORM and the other

a DETECTIVE, stand over Richard while he signs a statement.

RICHARD (V.O.)

The police didn't want to waste any time

on it. They were just pissed off because

he was traveling on a false passport, name

of Mr. Daffy Duck, birthplace Ruritania,

which kind of f***ed up all the paperwork.

They pulled everyone in from the hotel,

but all they wanted form me was a

statement saying I found him and it looked

like he cut his wrists. No problem.

The detective studies Richard's passport.

DETECTIVE:

What are you doing in Thailand? Tourist?

RICHARD:

Traveler.

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