EXT. APARTMENT - NIGHT
On screen: 1985.
CHRISTY, 25, wearing clothes that would make a bluenose blush,
peers through a side window. With a painted fingernail, she
taps the glass, works for a view.
CHRISTY
Hello, Bill?
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
The light emanates from a 30 gallon terrarium placed by the
window. The lizard scurries under a rock when Christy's
shadow passes outside.
On the opposite side of the room, BILL, 35, prepares to smoke:
we hear the rustling of the cellophane, the match being
struck, the inhale, but his face is in shadow.
INT. BATHROOM - SAME TIME
In the bathtub, curled in a worn blanket, YOUNG RAY, 7, wakes
to the knocking downstairs.
INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT
Young Ray shuffles toward the stairs when he spies the front
door opening. Diving onto his stomach, Young Ray watches from
above.
CHRISTY
Bill?
BILL
Come on.
Christy squints at the shadowy form.
CHRISTY
Where's the light?
BILL
You're beautiful.
Christy smiles and sets her purse next to the terrarium where
a white envelope is perched.
BILL (cont'd)
That's yours.
CHRISTY
The lizard?
BILL
No, not Samual.
CHRISTY
This?
Christy holds up the envelope like a flashcard then, after a
beat, pulls out a wad of bills.
CHRISTY (cont'd)
Look, I can't stay two days.
BILL
Take off your clothes.
Smiling, Christy places a hand on her blouse and slides off a
button. Another.
Ray inches up to the banister to get a better look.
BILL (cont'd)
Stop. Don't move.
Christy freezes, eyes scanning the ground near her feet.
CHRISTY
What's wrong? Did your lizard get out?
BILL
(Chuckling)
Not yet. I just want to look at you.
Bill switches on a small light and Christy squirms.
CHRISTY
So, uh, Bill, what would you like to do
tonight?
BILL
This.
CHRISTY
This?
Christy stands in the light shifting from one foot to the
other. She begins to gyrate her hips.
CHRISTY (cont'd)
So, uh, how about a little dance?
No response.
Christy sticks her ass in his face and grabs herself. Young
Ray shields his own eyes, then peeks through parted fingers.
CHRISTY (cont'd)
Play with myself?
No response.
Christy stalks over to her purse looking over her shoulder as
she goes. She grabs a flask from her bag then lights a
cigarette.
CHRISTY (cont'd)
I tell ya, Bill, you're wierding me out
here. Jesus, what are you seventeen?
BILL
How do you mean?
CHRISTY
I feel like it's the first time I played
strip poker.
BILL
Yea?
Bill leans forward and Christy drags on her cigarette.
BILL (cont'd)
Did you win?
CHRISTY
Oh, my friend, Alicia, and I tried to
cheat but I think she liked losing.
Christy sits in a chair opposite of Bill.
BILL
Yea?
CHRISTY
You don't want to hear about that stupid
shit.
BILL
Did I pay you?
CHRISTY
Yes.
BILL
Was it enough?
CHRISTY
Well, yeah, but....
BILL
This is what I fucking want -- I want to
hear that story. That OK with you?
CHRISTY
Like you said, your money. So, here's the
thing, my grandmother's attic was hot,
musty, and every time you took a breath
you got a nose full of dust and mold, ya
know? The humidity up there was awful,
so I didn't mind undressing; but the way
they looked at me, I mean, I was only
fifteen.
Christy moves to Bill's chair and sits at his feet.
CHRISTY (cont'd)
When I lost my final hand and had to take
off my panties I remember praying,
"Please God don't let me throw up in
front of these guys."
Sipping her flask, Christy smiles.
CHRISTY (cont'd)
When I threw up, the guys booked it,
really disgusted. Alicia just laughed
and got me some water. I'll never forget
her.
Young Ray squirms for another view.
BILL
Tell me another story. Another happy
story.
CHRISTY
I'm a fucking call girl, Bill; how many
happy stories do you think I have?
Bill leans forward into the light and licks his dry lips.
Christy hands him her flask.
BILL
Lie to me if you have to.
Bill takes a long drink.
BILL (cont'd)
I just killed a man.
Young Ray looks to a stunned Christy.
INT. ANGOLA STATE PENITENTARY - DAY
On-screen: Years Later.
Situated in this room are four bunks currently occupied by
PRISONERS, all giving plasma. Against one wall, four more
prisoners stretch out and wait their turn.
Two guards, MARVIN, 38, and BOUDREAUX, 47, watch.
Taping a needle in place, RAY, 29, looks to his next patient
and smiles. Waiting to be hooked up is PLOOK, three hundred
pounds of ex-sugarcane farmer.
PLOOK
What's up on the outs, Ray?
RAY
About as much as there is on the ins, I
guess.
PLOOK
Sad, my man, sad. Out there, it's coon
huntin' season.
RAY
Yeah?
Ray hands Plook a ball to squeeze and his massive muscles
bulge and the veins pop.
PLOOK
My uncle Marcelle use'ta give dem tings'
a fightin' chance. When his dogs treed
the 'ole coon, he'd climb up and knock it
down. If dat coon whooped dem dogs, he'd
go free. If he didn't...
RAY
He didn't.
Ray searches for a vein and finding a suitable candidate
cleans the area off.
PLOOK
One time uncle Marcelle treed dis coon,
took off his slippers, and up he went.
RAY
Barefoot?
PLOOK
Um-hum. He musta been 35 feet in the air
when it made dis sound "YEOW" and uncle
Marcelle just starts a moanin'.
Ray slips the needle into the vein and tapes it in place.
PLOOK (cont'd)
That coon weren't no coon, but a lynx!
They both seemed a bit surprised and made
these God awful noises. Finally uncle
yells down, "Stinky, shoot up here and
kill this thing."
The machine starts churning, but Ray doesn't move.
PLOOK (cont'd)
Stinky Walker, the foulest smellin' man
in Acadian, says, "I can't shoot up
there, Marcelle, I might hit you." Then
that cat starts yawping, and Marcelle
howls, "Shit, Stinky, at least one of us
will get some relief."
Bursting out with a rumbling laughter, Plook can't help
himself.
RAY
I know that feeling.
PLOOK
No word?
RAY
Just found out he was released.
PLOOK
No shit? Guess that means you're done
here then.
Ray is quiet. Plook reaches out and grabs Ray's arm.
PLOOK (cont'd)
Look, Ray, don't think nothin' of him not
comin' by, man. You know how it is. He
did hard time.
RAY
Yeah. Oh here, I brought you something.
Grabbing something from the cart, Ray cups it in his hand,
looks to the guards, and puts it into Plook's hand.
PLOOK
Oh shit, Ray, I can't tell you how much
dis means.
Plook grabs the small stick of deodorant.
PLOOK (cont'd)
Everyone in here smells of Old Spice.
Taking the lid off, Plook smiles. And a piece of deodorant
pops off revealing about a half dozen JOINTS underneath.
One prisoner notices and nods his head to CHIEF, a large black
man with the eyes of a monster and an attitude to go with it.
Chief responds with a cold stare.
PLOOK (cont'd)
Gettin' tired of smellin' like an old
white man. Nothing against old white
guys, mind ya.
RAY
None taken. I'm a young white guy.
CHARLES, Ray's boss, taps Ray's shoulder surprising him.
Plook palms the gift away while Ray glances up.
CHARLES
Number one is done, Ray.
Ignoring him, Ray returns his gaze to Plook.
RAY
Plook, tell Charles how you got your
nickname?
CHARLES
I am not interested....
RAY
No, no, Charles. This is good.
PLOOK
You ever wake up at three AM and feel the
rumble?
CHARLES
Like you're hungry?
PLOOK
Naw man, like you have to take a shit.
CHARLES
No.
PLOOK
The whole damn house is quiet as can be,
right, so you can imagine that noise the
turd makes when it hits the water.
Charles looks to Ray and Ray smiles.
RAY
Plook.
Charles turns in a huff and stamps away while Ray and Plook
laugh.
EXT. APARTMENT - NIGHT
Going into his apartment, Ray notices a car passing by but
speeds up as soon as he tries to get a better look.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Ray makes his way through his small duplex passing dozens of
terrariums scurrying with life that line the walls.
Ray drops his keys on the top of a two headed Indian drum and
collapses onto the couch.
Ray's eyes wander over reptilian life in front of him
including a fine assortment Chameleons, Geckos, Skinks, and a
couple of snakes.
Ray grabs a half-smoked joint from the ashtray, fumbles for
his lighter, and takes an inhale when TERRI, his wife and ex
bad-girl bombshell, walks in.
TERRI
No news I take it.
RAY
He's out.
TERRI
What?
RAY
Almost four weeks ago. It took me
forever to land that assignment at the
prison, and he's fucking gone.
Ray takes a slow drag while Terri kneels on the floor next to
him and strokes his hair like a parent would a child.
Ray hits the joint again.
Terri begins to speak, stops, looks down, then kisses Ray and
walks out of the room.
EXT. BRIDGE - DAY
Ray's Dream:
Ray and BOON, 7, Ray's son, hang their legs over the edge of
the bridge spanning the Mississippi River.
RAY
Your grandmother was crazy. She used to
spread blessed thistle all over the
house. Under the beds, behind the
toilet, everywhere. She hung a horse
shoe above our door, ate garlic, made me
wear a St. Christopher medallion.
BOON
St. Who?
RAY
Christopher. She said, "It's all luck or
the lack of it. Everything is random and
unordered. Even you."
Ray taps Boon square between the eyes.
Boon stands and peers over the edge and at the same time Ray
notices a man standing on a beam. It's Bill Riley and he's
handcuffed.
RAY (cont'd)
Be careful!
BOON
I am.
Bill falls into the water.
RAY
No!
(to Boon)
Did you see that?
BOON
What?
RAY
Nothing. Nothing. There's got to be
some order. I need to see someone.
Maybe work on my logic, simple logic.
Ray stands and jumps off the edge. Boon follows him with his
eyes.
BOON
No shit.
