EXT. CARNIVAL - NIGHT
RAIN is pouring down on the dry desolate land, pooling at the surface as the land is unable to drink it any longer. ROUSTIES work to keep from being flooded. JONESY yells out orders that barely pierce the thundering rain.
CLOSE - BEN
soaked, is tying down a rope to secure a tent. He is working hard, but his mind is elsewhere.
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EXT. OUTSKIRTS CARNIVALE - NIGHT
A SLOW CRANE DOWN
SOFIE
is turning in the rain, indulging in the warm fat water droplets that poor down from the sky.
O.S., the radio plays from the Chevy.
CLOSE - CHEVY RADIO
the song ends and BROTHER JUSTIN's radio sermon comes on. The rain stops abruptly as JUSTIN's deep voice comes through the speakers.
CLOSE - SOFIE
turns slowly, dripping with water, she looks curiously at the Chevy, intrigued,
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EXT. CARNIVALE - NIGHT
CLOSE - BEN
stops his work and looks up at the sky in astonishment, examining it. He is a little bewildered and wonders why such a thing happened. He wants to believe it is nothing, but deep down he has a feeling it is not just nature in control.
O.S., JONESY yells out instructions in the background.
-----JONESY (O.S.)
-OK! Pack it up!
CUT TO:
JONESY
is sodden as well and a little cut up from his fight with STUMPY. He turns to Ben, somewhat bitter and a little embarrassment.
-----JONESY
-Hawkins!
CUT TO:
CLOSE - BEN
turns his attention to Jonesy, squinting through the darkness to make out the dark figure that the voice is coming from.
-----JONESY (O.S.)
(Continuing)
-Pack up the rest a them tarps!
BEN
without a nod, turns back to his work and quickly finishes tying down the tent. He gets up stiffly, weighed down a little by the moisture and goes to put the tarps away.
O.S., Jonesy yells out a few more instructions.
CUT TO:
JONESY
finishing to shout out instructions to the rest of the rousties.
JONESY'S P.O.V.
watches Ben for a moment as he picks up the tarps and disappears into the darkness and behind home caravans and tents.
BACK TO SCENE
JONESY'S
face is painted with a mixture of jealousy, bitterness, anger, disappointment and embarrassment. He then turns abruptly and goes about his business, trying to shake off the weight of sadness he caries.
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EXT. CARNIVALE MIDWAY- MOVING - NIGHT
SAMSON
is in his night robe, not wet at all. He is jovial, the rain and moisture giving him a sense of hope. He walks through the CARNIVALE MIDWAY and goes up to
JONESY
who is keeping himself busy.
-----SAMSON
-What a downpour! Sure didn't last long!
Samson waits for a reaction from Jonesy, who has his back turned toward Samson as he fiddles around with securing a tent. After a moment...
-----JONESY
(Grunt-like)
-Ya.
SAMSON
senses something is the matter as Jonesy's cold front hits him square in the head. His cheerfulness slips away and is replaced with a stern and studied concern. After a moment...
-----SAMSON
-I heard 'bout you and Stumpy.
JONESY
stops what he is doing and turns his attention to Samson.
-----JONESY
(Nervously)
-Listen...
He fidgets, a little embarrassed about the whole encounter but trying not to let it show. His eyes bounce around not quite making eye contact.
-----JONSEY (continuing)
-...it wasn't nothin'...drank to much, wanted to scrap a fight and I give it to 'im.
-----SAMSON
(Understanding)
-I know.
(beat)
-But I don't want it to happen again, you hear me?!
-----JONESY
(sincere)
-It ain't.
JONSEY
turns away from Samson a little.
-----SAMSON
-Better not.
(Beat)
-Well, I reckin I'll hit the hay. Night!
-----JONESY
Night.
SAMSON
walks off to MANAGEMENT's trailer, leaving Jonesy alone in the darkness.
JONESY
pauses and watches Samson walk off then he limps away, returning to his job, the thoughts of Sofie slipping back into his mind.
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EXT. CARNI TOWN OUTSKIRTS - NIGHT
SOFIE
still next to the CHEVY listening to Brother Justin's radio sermon. She seems in an almost trancelike state as she listens to the sermon. She approaches the truck slowly and with a little bit of hesitation yet she is quite intrigued. As the sermon ends the connection seems to falter and static is heard instead.
SOFIE'S P.O.V.
CLOSE ON RADIO
as it seems to flicker a little.
SOFIE
reaches in the truck fiddling with the knobs to try to find the station or fix the problem but is unsuccessful and she switches the radio off. Suddenly...
-----BEN (O.S.)
(Warm and quiet)
-Hey, Sof.
SOFIE
turns in surprise, a little taken off guard, to find Ben next to her. She very quickly relaxes and grins warmly at him with a little shyness.
-----SOFIE
-Hey.
BEN
returns her warm smile, a little nervous as his happiness emanates involuntarily from him.
They are both still soaked from the rain. They look into each others eyes, the world around them slipping away as the ecstasy slowly returns with a mixture of nervousness and a touch of awkwardness. The feeling of comfort overrides them as they are the only ones in their little universe.
BEN
his head clearing a little as he notices how wet Sofie is. He immediately reaches in the truck and grabs his old dirty shirt from the seat and puts it tenderly over Sofie's shoulders.
-----BEN
-Here.
SOFIE'S
immense gratefulness emanates as she smiles and looks deeply into Ben's eyes, touched by his kindness, the warmth of his genuine caring spreading through her. She is happy to finally have someone that cares for her unselfishly, but there is a little bit of unconscious sadness underneath her joy, a knowing that happiness never seems to lasts very long.
-----SOFIE
-Thanks.
BEN'S
hands affectionately wrap his shirt around her as his eyes meet hers. His hands slip self consciously away.
-----BEN
-Best get you to your trailer 'fore you get the chills.
SOFIE
smiles and nods a little in agreement. She leans instinctively closer to Ben.
BEN
simultaneously puts his arm around her, gently holding her close to him, almost afraid she will slip away from him as he leads her towards her trailer.
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INT. CARNI TOWN - NIGHT
LILA is seated inside her tent when she hears someone outside. She finds RUTHIE with LODZ's opaque eyes. The scene is how we saw it.
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EXT. CARNI TOWN - NIGHT
JONESY
walks tiredly towards his tent, checking if every thing is all right. He stops
HIS P.O.V
BEN AND SOFIE
walk close together up the steps of Sofie's (previously Lodz's) trailer. Ben's arm is still protectively around Sofie, his shirt covering her shoulders.
BEN
steps forward, keeping close to Sofie, and reaches a free hand to the door knob, his other hand resting comfortably and securely on the small of Sofie's back. He turns the knob and opens the door for her, softly leading her in.
SOFIE
her shoulders rolled forward and her dark wet hair covering her face, steps forward, gently aided by Ben's hand. As she enters the trailer she drops her hand and reaches back a little, her eyes meeting Ben's with a silent invitation to enter.
BEN'S
hand, fallen from Sofie's back, reaches forward to take hers without hesitation, his gaze fixed on on her. Their hands clasp together, for a moment they pause and look into each others eyes wearing shy smiles of content and ultimate happiness.
SOFIE
disappears into the trailer.
BEN
is close behind her, their hands still clasped together as the door shuts behind them.
JONESY - CLOSE
looks on and stands forlornly in the darkness, a nostalgic saddens mixed with jealousy and bitterness draped on his face. He pauses then looks away, tries to shake off his feeling of attachment to Sofie and his consequent anger towards Ben, and walks off into the darkness towards his tent, unseen by Ben and Sofie.
FADE TO BLACK