| PROLOGUE:
Fade up on: A crown of ancient design: Sumerian, or some great middle-eastern civilization. Crafted of fine silver and studded with jewels. Where garnets and crystal have been used in the past, the ancient artisan who crafted this used diamonds and rubies. Cross fade to: EXTERIOR LONG-SHOT HIGHWAY HITCH-HIKER NIGHT Now a highway, plated with rain and studded with taillights. We see a HITCHHIKER: the kind with dirty blonde hair and bad skin. Gonna be a big somebody someday--in her tank-top and tight jeans--carrying her life in a tote bag that she's had since she was a kid growing up in a piss-ant town. Duffel-bagging it to New York or Los Angeles.... ANYWHERE to get her away of where she is now. Big dreamer--big sucker. Now we see a limousine--Bentley or Rolls Royce--gray and silent. It glides to a stop beside her and the driver gestures to the now open door in back. INTERIOR MID-SHOT LIMO HITCH-HIKER, CLOUD NIGHT Inside is poorly lit and
smoke-filled. It seems occupied by a CLOUD with gray silk pants and a single
cherry eye. The vehicle resumes its progress without a mummer. Hitchhiker
rubs her arms: to dry them or warm them.
HITCH-HIKER Thanks. I didn't think anyone was going to stop. Especially not a limo. You must be, like, one of those philanthropists or something.
CLOUD I must be.
HITCH-HIKER Sure, or you wouldn't have stopped. How far are you going? I'm going all the way to La-La land. You’re an actor, ain’t ya? You look like a famous guy. Do I know you?
CLOUD The actor’s profession is to lie for money while looking his best.
HITCH-HIKER What's your point?
CLOUD Sabine, a drink.
Suddenly we are aware
of another passenger--SABINE--dark warm red. A woman in maroon velvet,
garnets and gold, honey tan skin, soft brown hair in soft warm curls, deep
brown eyes and full red lips. A drink we have never seen prepared is slipped
into our hitchhiker's hands. The ice clinks against the glass sides
in response to the limo's sway.
CLOUD Red label....?
Sabine slides over to
hitch's side.
SABINE We stopped to give you a ride out of the cold and wet into the safe and dry.
An uncomfortable pause,
as hitch decides what to make of her hosts. An opportunity to make conversation
though. Sabine's garnet jewelry makes an excellent topic.
HITCH-HIKER Those are garnets, ain’t they? My mama told me that young women, such as yourself an' me, should wear bright shiny things, like sapphires and diamonds. Garnets are for older women.
SABINE Older women? Did you hear that, Quinn? Older women. She's absolutely adorable. Please, Quinn, let me keep her.
CLOUD (QUINN) Sabine!
She shies back, hurt,
then glances at hitch. The limo swerves and some of hitch's drink sloshes
from its low-ball onto her lap. Nervous laughter from hitch as she rubs
the wet (newly wet anyway) spot on her thigh.
QUINN Derek! What was that?
The partition slides away
to show the driver, DEREK: young and duty-bound. He glances from the road
to the rear-view mirror to offer his report. His eyes are swift and hungry.
He could tell you what was engraved on your school ring if he passed you
on the street
DRIVER (DEREK) Sorry, sir. A young man in a Mercedes cut us off.
A puff of smoke from Quinn.
QUINN Never trust anyone under forty who drives a car worth forty thousand.
Hitch giggles and gestures
to her surroundings.
HITCH HIKER I'm sure this ain't cheap.
SABINE He isn't driving.
HITCH HIKER But he's a young guy, right? I mean, you're not older
than forty.
QUINN I suppose you could say, age is a relative thing. You have to ask, if a person is born again, do you determine age from their birthday or from their "born-again" day?
Now the hitch-hiker is
indignant as she slams her drink on the nearest flat surface. More
of her drunk sloshes from its glass.
HITCH HIKER Look, buddy! I don't know what your deal is-- if you're some kind of rich sick-o who thinks he can do what he wants just 'cause he's rich-- but no guy in a silk suit, riding around in a limo, with a coffin nail in one hand, and a whore putting red-label in the other is a Born Again Christian!
SABINE A whore! A woman of the night!
Sabine finishes her laughing
as Quinn clears his throat.
QUINN I didn't say Born Again Christian. I said "born again".
HITCH HIKER So?
QUINN I respect little differences.
SABINE They separate us from ordinary people.
Hitch looks around and
coughs nervously. Sabine licks her lips and grins. Hitch has committed
a social faux pas and doesn't know her way out of the situation. Quinn
leans forward into the light and we see his face for the first time. The
bone structure says Italian--Roman nose--but his hair is blonde, almost
gray, and his eyes are cold, glittering things. He resembles not a cloud,
but more a mist, or morning frost. He's a predator through and through--much
like Sabine. You can tell these two aren't afraid to kill; but, they both
use very different methods.
QUINN Drink up, girls....
And now Derek the driver slides up the partition and thinks how much it looks like rising water in the re-view mirror.
Fade to white: Roll credits |
