The Shape of Water Page #16

ELISA (CONT'D)

And if I tried, I still couldn't

hide my love for you... You oughtto know, for haven't I told you

so... A million or more times

She gets up and sings to him- The Walls of the kitchen vanish

and she stands, dressed in a sequined gown, surrounded by amusical stage.

ELISA (CONT'D)

You went away and my heart went

with you I speak your name in my

every prayer...

AMPHIBIAN MAN gets up, suddenly sparkling, dreamy andattentive. He moves close to her and gently takes her in his

arms.

ELISA (CONT’D)

If there is some other way to proveThat I love you, I swear I don'tknow how...

They move close to each other and dance gently, in harmony.

ELISA (CONT’D)

You'll never know if you don't know

now...

At the end of the song / choreography, everything goes backto normal.

They eat in silence. The creature wheezes.

189 OMITTED

189A INT. LOCKER ROOM - NIGHT 189A

Zelda changes her shoes-and is about to step out when she

spots:
Elisa, crying her eyes out. They look at each other.

ZELDA:

Elisa. What is it, honey?

190 INT. ELISA’S BATHROOM -NIGHT 190

In the tub, the Fish Man wheezes as if he were on dry land.

ZELDA:

Oh- No, Honey, no- He doesn’t look

too good.

(beat)

This is bad. I’m going to call

Hoffstetler...

Elisa pours water onto him but it doesn’t help. Helpless, she

looks out the window at the RAIN beginning to come down

outside.

190A INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT 190A

Reading Hoffstetler’s card, Zelda dials the public phone.

191 INT. HOFFSTETLER’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 191

Raining. Hoffstetler closes his bags. Leaves. Closes thedoor. The phone rings. And rings- and rings191A

EXT. BACK ALLEY - NIGHT 191A

THE AMPHIBIAN MAN

Is WEAK. Giles, Zelda and Elisa help him stand under therain. SOAKING.

HIS GILLS AND FINS extend. Gills open. It breathes!!

191B INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT 191B

ZELDA:

When I was a little girl- I found aturtle sitting out in the middle ofthe road. Crossing it slowly. Carcould run it over any minute.

(MORE)

ZELDA (CONT'D)

So, I picked it up, took it to apond way back behind my house...

and I laid it down under a big

camphor tree, and I thought...

“Mmmh- It’s gonna be so happyhere”. And I left it there.

(beat)

But that night I figured out I had

no idea where it was going... Faras I know it was bringing food toits nest or- looking to porcreate-

or escaping an owl. And maybe theworst place to keep it-maybe theplace it was running from was that

pond under that camphor tree.

(looks at the fish)

I didn’t care. I just did what Iwanted with it...

Giles Hugs Elisa:

GILES:

You love him, Honey- We know whatto do... Let him go...

She nods.

191BA INT. ELISA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 191BA

Giles leaves Elisa at her doorstep. She spots the creature by

the kitchen window. Standing under a water leak. Weak.

Elisa and the Amphibian Man head for the bathroom but pause.

191C INT. ELISA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 191C

She guides him to her bed.

They lie down.

She embraces him. He embraces her back.

She leans on his chest. Closing her eyes. She hears his

heart.

Thump-thump-thump-thump- it becomes the rhythm of waves, themurmur of the sea.

She looks up-

-at the ceiling, that suddenly becomes a deep, dark ocean.

She raises her hand: Webbing seems to extend from her thumbto her index. She closes her eyes and smiles.

CUT TO:

192 EXT. BROWNSTONE BUILDINGS STREET - NIGHT

Sitting in Fleming’s car- Strickland spies through a pair ofbinoculars. He looks ill- sweaty.

FLEMING:

Sir- If you don’t mind me sayingso: You don’t look too well.

STRICKLAND:

Shut up...

Fleming lowers the window-there is a smell he can’t

pinpoint. FLIES walk around Strickland’s hand.

FLEMING:

Sir- do you smell that? I- I think

is it your fingers... They’reblack, Sir-

Strickland snatches the binoculars.

STRICKLAND:

There he is- Doctor f***ing sh*t-

bird.

FLEMING:

There’s no call for cursing, Sir-

Hoffstetler exits his building, opens his umbrella- carryingthe leather suitcases and a baquelite radio into the rain.

STRICKLAND:

Get out of the car. I’m taking it.

FLEMING:

My car?

Strickland eats hard candy- mixing it with pain pills.

STRICKLAND:

Get the f*** out.

FLEMING:

Out of my car?

STRICKLAND:

Did I stutter?

FLEMING:

No. Not doing it.

STRICKLAND:

Come again?

FLEMING:

No- no- That’s it, see? You are- a

very imposing man but

(beat)

We must file- file this. Get

clearance. Call it up- I’ve been

doing surveillance. Unauthorized

surveillance for you- I’m not

clocking extra time I-

Rain falls outside.

FLEMING (CONT'D)

But I draw the line here. Enough is

enough is enough. We go back. File

the forms and let central know what

you’re doing. We get an

administrative package and allocate

resources. Then- but not until then-

you can take my car or any car you

need.

Strickland shoots him in the face. Twice.

STRICKLAND:

You never shut up.

(beat)

Silence. I just want silence.

193-194 OMITTED 193-194

195 195

EXT. SAND PILES - NIGHT

Hoffstetler smokes under an umbrella. The car pulls up.

This time it stops further away. Rain backlit by its

headlights. BURLY RUSSIAN climbs out. Stands in silence. Inthe rain.

Hoffstetler fidgets. Turns on a flashlight- Slowly gets up,

takes a couple of steps. Stops. Evaluates the immobility ofthe Burly Russian.

HOFFSTETLER:

It’s raining like hell, isn’t it-?

He-he- No password today?

Burly Russian raises his hand- in it: a gun. He fires twice.

One bullet goes clean through Hoffstetler’s gut-

He pulls out his gun-

A bullet goes through his cheek!! Cigarette EMBERS floating

in the air! Pulls out his gun and crawls/slips backwards onthe mud. Looks for his glasses-One of them shattered.

HOFFSTETLER (CONT’D)

No-no- comrade- no- please-

The BURLY RUSSIAN comes to finish the job- raises his gun and-

BAMM! A quarter of flesh & bone flies away from his head.

The DRIVER comes out and pulls out a gun, two shots down him.

Hoffstetler turns to see-

STRICKLAND walking rapidly towards him.

HOFFSTETLER (CONT’D)

Strickland, thank God!

He goes for his gun. Strickland stops him.

STRICKLAND:

You were speaking Russian, Bob.

Strickland hooks/yanks Hoffstetler around by the hole in hischeek. Takes him under a

196 196

OMITTED:

197 EXT. FILTERING STATION / SAND PILES - NIGHT 197

HOFFSTETLER:

Augggh- What are you doing? I need

to go to a hospital. I’m bleeding-

His flashlight illuminates Strickland’s glazed eyes.

STRICKLAND:

What’s your name? Your real name.

He drops him on the ground. The clouds in the overcast sky

rumble with thunder.

HOFFSTETLER:

Strickland- you know me- I’m RobertHoffstetler-

Strickland kicks him on the wounded area. Hoffstetler grunts.

STRICKLAND:

Don’t lie. You don’t need to.

Bullet went through your gut. Sh*t

is mixing with your blood right now-

poisoning it. Blood and sh*t. Canyou imagine? You’re dead.

HOFFSTETLER:

They’ll find me.

STRICKLAND:

Who? The same people that tried to

kill you just now? Come on “Bob”

You work for a government... youknow they don’t give a f*** about

you or me-

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