The Shape of Water Page #18

his newly grown hair. The Amphibian Man takes Giles’ hand and

places it on his head. Giles smiles goodbye and walks away

with his flashlight.

The Amphibian Man lets out a quiet, heart-breaking whimper

and moves towards her.

She signs fast- “Go. Alone. Without me.”

The creature stands in the rain- streaks of it running downhis face and cheeks, like tears-so many tears.

Slowly- deliberately, he signs back at her.

Elisa cries openly. Moves to him.

-towards the water. The creature looks at her. Hesitates.

Caught between freedom and her. She turns her back.

He looks at the murky waters.

STRICKLAND has arrived-

Giles turns. Strickland knocks him down in two moves.

She turns to warn the creature- tries to scream-

But she is mute- A painful hiss emerges from her throat- She

tries again. Fails.

Strickland shoots twice. The Creature’s back explodes in a

cloud of blood. It falls. Distant sirens are heard now.

Elisa steps between the creature and him-

Strickland raises his revolver. Shoots a third time.

Elisa turns. She feels a hole in her coat. Elisa discovers-

almost casually- that she has taken a bullet in her chest.

She falls next to the Amphibian Man. She turns to the

creature.

Giles picks up a broken piece of wood from the floor. Hits

Strickland.

Strickland falls.

He Loses the cattle prod.

Giles runs to Elisa, cradles her.

Strickland slowly gets up. He empties the chambers and starts

reloading the gun.

The creature- its bioluminescence markings ablaze-rises from

the ground, heads towards Strickland.

Strickland is shocked-

Now the chromatophores in the Amphibian Man’s body seem to

glow and get brighter.

The Amphibian Man pushes the gun away. Around his head: a

shimmering halo of bioluminescence.

STRICKLAND:

F***- you are a God.

The Amphibian Man deploys one of his finger claws andswiftly, calmly-

he slices Strickland’s throat. Strickland falls down,

bleeding. PATROL CARS arrive.

The creature looks at Giles and then moves towards Elisa. He

embraces her tenderly: their eyes meet.

STRICKLAND, on the ground, is dies

Giles is with Elisa. The creature lifts Elisa from the ground

with infinite tenderness. She caresses his face. He caresses

her.

Policemen pour out of the cars. Zelda breaks through thegroup. Moves towards Giles...

The creature stands on the edge of the pier, holding Elisa.

He jumps into the water and disappears.

The cops stand there looking at each other.

Giles moves to the edge of the pier- looks down. Zelda comesto his side- trembling. Tears streak her face, mixing with

the rain.

ZELDA:

They’re together, aren’t they?

GILES:

Yes. I believe they are...

They hold hands.

GILES / NARRATOR

If I told you about it- What would

I Say? That they lived happily ever

after? I believe they did... That

they were in love- that they

remained in love? I’m sure that is

true...

211 UNDERWATER 211

Elisa and the creature sink softly, gracefully. Fish dart by-

Odd drifting objects... empty food cans, an alarm clock...

The creature kisses her- a kiss so gentle- and covers her

wound with his webbed palm.

GILES / NARRATOR

But when I think of her, of Elisa-

all that comes to mind is a poem.

Made of just a few truthful

words... Whispered by someone in

love, hundreds of years ago...

(beat)

“Unable to perceive the shape of

You, I find You all around me. Your

presence fills my eyes with Your

love, It humbles my heart, For You

are everywhere.”

He then lets her body float away from him

-holding her but by the hand. Her head, crowned by a halo ofhair. She gasps! Drowning! Spasms! He holds her down! She

grows still.

And just as he releases her... the scars on the sides ofElisa’s neck open- Revealing gills.

She opens her eyes and looks at him. Alive. He embraces her.

Blue and red lights illuminate them from above.

Camera pulls back until they become small, blurry figures

shifting in and out of focus from our field of vision...

The Shape of Water.

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