22. INT. APARTMENT DOORWAY. NIGHT
MISS PEACH
What are you doing!?
SCARLET
I told you . . . I’m not carrying you down forty
flights of stairs.
Scarlet delicately fiddles with the lock.
MISS PEACH
Stop. You can’t. What if she comes back?
Scarlet adjusts one of the tools and there echoes a loud
CLICK.
SCARLET
She’s your friend; she’ll understand.
Scarlet twists the door handle and the door swings open.
Scarlet smiles sweetly.
SCARLET
Besides, the door was open. Coming?
Scarlet enters.
CUT TO:
23. INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY. NIGHT
The two enter the apartment. Miss Peach hesitates at
the door. Scarlet tries the light switch. All remains dark.
Miss Peach limps in protectively.
MISS PEACH
Don’t touch anything!
Scarlet comes across a side table in the hallway upon
which are two candlesticks. Scarlet lights the
candlesticks. Miss Peach continues to limp.
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SCARLET
That ankle isn’t going to get any better with you
limping all over the place.
23. INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY. NIGHT
Miss Peach sits down on a chair as Scarlet searches the
drawer of the side table. Scarlet discovers a flashlight
and hands it to Miss Peach. Taking one of the
candlesticks and the penis candle Scarlet wanders up
the corridor.
SCARLET
Nice place your friend has.
MISS PEACH
Don’t touch anything.
Scarlet disappears into the bedroom leaving Miss Peach
alone. Miss Peach switches on the flashlight and uses it
to scan the HALLWAY and distant LIVING ROOM (#23A).
Everything is tidy, delicate, and feminine. The odd piece of
furniture and painting can be glimpsed. Scarlet reemerges
carrying only the penis candle. Scarlet moves to lift Miss
Peach and begins to carry her down the corridor.
SCARLET
You can rest your foot in here.
CUT TO:
24. INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT
They enter the bedroom. There in the middle of the
room is a beautiful double bed, bedside which Scarlet has
set down the candlestick. Scarlet carries Miss Peach over
to the bed. Miss Peach hesitates. Scarlet gently pushes
Miss Peach down on to the bed. Scarlet goes into the
bathroom. Miss Peach scans the bedroom.
MISS PEACH
You really don’t have to stay. I’d hate to keep you
if you have places to go.
CUT TO:
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25. INT. BATHROOM. NIGHT
Scarlet has set down the penis candle and is faced with
an array of expensive makeup and lotions. She caresses
them, lifting a crystal scent bottle to her nose.
SCARLET
No, I have no place special to go.
26. INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT
Miss Peach caresses the silk bed cover and turns to the
bed side table upon which are several silver-framed
photographs. The photos are a decadent array of fun
times through the ages. Miss Peach carefully studies the
photographs.
Miss Peach searches and finally comes across a picture
of CATHERINE SPENCER and LORD WALTER. She then
lifts a single picture of Lord Walter and examines it
closely; across it is written “To Catherine, my love
always, Walter.” For a moment she caresses the picture
of Lord Walter. Scarlet reemerges carrying some
bandages and a glass of water. Miss Peach quickly
replaces the photograph. Scarlet hands the glass of
water and two pills to Miss Peach. Miss Peach
hesitates.
SCARLET
Painkillers.
Tentatively, Miss Peach takes the pills and swallows
them, never losing eye contact with Scarlet. Scarlet then
kneels at Miss Peach’s foot and takes off her shoe. She
then unravels the bandages and begins to bandage her
ankle.
MISS PEACH
Thank you so much, but I think I can manage
now.
I’m really quite capable.
Scarlet continues to bandage Miss Peach’s foot rather
clumsily.
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MISS PEACH
No, no, you’re doing it all wrong.
SCARLET
I’m sorry. I’m only trying to help.
MISS PEACH
Well you’re not helping . . . you’re making things
far worse. I think it would be best if you left.
SCARLET
That’s nice. I help you out of the elevator . . .
carry you up here, bandage your foot.
26. INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT (CONT.)
MISS PEACH
Well it’s all wrong. Everything you’re doing is wrong.
SCARLET
Well I’m terribly sorry . . . I didn’t realize I was
with an expert.
MISS PEACH
When you’ve spent the better part of your life in
the service of others, you become very particular
about such things.
Scarlet finishes bandaging.
SCARLET
Well maybe it’s time to take a rest!
Swiftly Scarlet puts down her things, gets up, and
leaves. Miss Peach gets up to follow her but winces in
pain as she puts weight on her foot. She hesitates and
then sits down on the bed. Hot and exhausted, she
decides to rest. She lies down clutching onto the
flashlight, which she rests protectively on her
stomach.
DISSOLVE TO:
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27. INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Scarlet’s hand withdraws from her bag a small
transistor radio which she switches on.
RADIO
Due to a thunderstorm upstate, four separate
power lines were struck by lightning earlier this
evening. Within half an hour the utility suffered a
massive loss of some 2,000 megawatts. At
precisely 9:34 p.m., New York City experienced a
total electrical blackout. As the Consolidated Edison
Company struggles to restore power to the city,
reports of widespread violence and looting have
been flooding in.
27. INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Whiskey is poured into a crystal glass. Scarlet sits
alone and loses all her polish; spreading her legs in a
very masculine way. She goes over to the window and
looks out across the dark skyline. A distant SIREN is
heard.
DISSOLVE TO:
28. INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT
The bedside candlestick has burned down considerably.
Miss Peach is jolted awake and briskly switches on her
flashlight pointing it toward the doorway. The light hits
Scarlet’s face as she stands in the bedroom door holding
a candlestick. She stands proud like the Statue of
Liberty. She wears a large mink fur coat, costume
jewelry, and a large decadent hat.
SCARLET
Nice huh?
MISS PEACH
Where did you get those? Take them off
immediately.
SCARLET
I’m not going to hurt them. Please, I need them for
five minutes.
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MISS PEACH
What do you mean, need? I don’t think you quite
know what you need.
SCARLET
What makes you so sure! You don’t know the first
thing about me, Peaches.
Scarlet gives a large vivacious smile as Miss Peach looks
on hopelessly. Miss Peach stands up and begins to leave
the bedroom.
MISS PEACH
We should never have come; we can’t stay here.
CUT TO:
29. INT. HALLWAY. NIGHT
Miss Peach walks briskly with her limp.
SCARLET
It’s a blackout for Christ’s sake. It’s chaos out
there.
MISS PEACH
And what if she comes back? She’ll be angry
that you broke into her house, touched all her
things.
SCARLET
WE . . . WE broke in, honey. No one dragged you
through that door.
Miss Peach is frozen.
SCARLET
You told me she was your friend.
MISS PEACH
Well she is . . . sort of. A friend of the man I
dedicated my life to. I couldn’t turn my back on
that.
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SCARLET
You lied then.
MISS PEACH
You lied to me first. With all your . . . glitter.
SCARLET
Glitter?
MISS PEACH
Why exactly do you dress like that!?
Miss Peach motions at Scarlet’s attire. Leaving Scarlet
behind, Miss Peach wanders toward the living room.
29. INT. HALLWAY. NIGHT
SCARLET
Because I like it. I love the attention.
MISS PEACH
So you’re just a performer; it’s fancy dress.
Miss Peach turns to Scarlet who stands confused.
MISS PEACH
You may be very striking, but look at yourself.
What are you being now. You don’t even know. She
finds us here, I’ll be a laughingstock. We both will
be, but in your case it scarcely matters.
Miss Peach looks at Scarlet who stands still.
(pause)
SCARLET
Excuse me, I need to take a shit!
MISS PEACH
You’re totally uncivilized!
CUT TO:
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. those? Take them off
immediately.
SCARLET
I’m not going to hurt them. Please, I need them for
five minutes.
288 Writing the Short Film
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which are two candlesticks. Scarlet lights the
candlesticks. Miss Peach continues to limp.
284 Writing the Short Film
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