289. Surfboards and Lightbulbs - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• EXT. LIFEGUARD STATION - DUSK


• MOLLY sits at the top of the stairs on the old life guard stations that watches over an empty beach.


• A well-worn surfboard is propped up against the walls of the wooden station behind her.


• Her hair is a rich blond, browned and sun-kissed, her face covered with the freckles of a beach girl.


• Her face radiates friendliness and a wisdom beyond her years.


• She is dressed in board shirts and a bikini top.


• The door of the station creaks open and Molly spins around.


• DARA pokes her head past the door.


• DARA
• Oh, hey.


• MOLLY
• I'm sorry, I thought this station didn't get used anymore.


• DARA
• Oh, it doesn't, I'm not a lifeguard. I just like to use it as my little daydream escape.


• MOLLY
• That's great...me too. You get the shack, I'll take the stairs?


• She chuckles.


• DARA
• Uh, sure.


• Molly plays with the pendant around her neck awkwardly.


• The pendant is a small, thick-glassed light bulb attached to a thing leather thong.


• DARA
• That pendant is pretty cool, what's the story?


• MOLLY
• My mom gave it to me. She loved old trains, and one day when she was a kicked, she was exploring this abandoned car and broke one of the No Smoking signs. The light bulbs inside didn't break...see, the glass is really thick. Anyway, she took them home with her, liked the shape or something. Anyway, when I was born, she dug them out of storage and turned one into a pendant for me.


• DARA
• What happened to the other one?


• MOLLY
• She's buried with it.


• DARA
• I'm sorry.


• MOLLY
• It's ok.


• DARA
• What happened to her?


• MOLLY
• AIDS.


• DARA
• Do you?


• Molly nods.


• MOLLY
• Just one of my facts of life. You know, it's always been with me. No reason to be tragic about it. But when I'm tempted, surfing helps.


• DARA
• That's cool.


• MOLLY
• Cool is what people say when they don't have words to say anything else.


• DARA
• Something like that.


• Molly stands and walks around the porch that rings the station.


• Dara, curious, follows her.


• She's dressed in tattered jean shorts and a t-shirt.


• Molly leans against the railing looking out at the ocean.


• MOLLY
• So what's your story?


• DARA
• Nothing special. I'm an accountant, I come here to get away from it all and dream I was doing something different. Now you'll probably tell me I should do what I love.


• MOLLY
• Not really, I'm sure you have a good reason.


• DARA
• I'm just scared.


• MOLLY
• That works.


• Molly plays with the pendant.


• Dara catches her eye and nods at the pendant.


• DARA
• How long ago?


• MOLLY
• We buried her this morning.


• DARA
• God...


• Molly stares at the waves, smiling a bit.


• MOLLY
• She was amazing.


• Dara finally commits and joins her at the railing.


• DARA
• Tell me about her.


• MOLLY
• She taught me surf and out there on the waves, she throw her head back and laugh, as if she couldn't imagine anything more amazing. She was a terrible surfer.


• DARA
• Does sound like she was amazing.


• MOLLY
• Oh, that's not even the half of it.


• She holds her thumb and forefinger up showing a tiny space between them.


• DARA
• So you were out surfing?


• MOLLY
• Was going to go out and say goodbye. Guess I should get to it.


• DARA
• It's dark.


• MOLLY
• That's ok, I kind of like it that way.


• DARA
• Dangerous...


• MOLLY
• Life's dangerous.


• She stands up, grabbing her surfboard.


• DARA
• Just a sec.


• She reaches inside the shack and pulls her on surfboard to the door.


• Molly smiles.


• MOLLY
• Should have known.


• DARA
• I have some tealights.


• She holds up a bag full of cheap tin tealights.


• MOLLY
• What's the story there?


• DARA
• Stupid boy, not worth going into.


• She picks up her board and the two head down the stairs and onto the sand.


• Molly steps into the water and Dara follows her, tentatively at first.


• They paddle out a ways and then stop.


• Dara carefully lights the tealights and the places them in the water, the waves pushing them around.


• The two paddle in place surrounded by little flames and Molly begins to cry.


• Dara pushes herself closer and grabs her hand, holding it; two strangers sharing grief on the waves.


• FADE TO BLACK.