venirs from cheesy midwestern and southern towns, and a small old radio. Maybe a couple of yellowing photos lying around. Before the man appears, the light should be very rich in golds and orange overtones. The pacing is slow, and the film should have a lush, almost smoky look. After the man appears, the lighting will be mostly for a night scene. The tones will be deep blues and reds. All the time though, I want the girls’ white nightgowns to have a milky luminous quality. Other than parts of the performances, nothing about this film should be very naturalistic. SLEEPING BEAUTIES FADE UP—sound of a MOTORCYCLE starting and revving. FADE DOWN. FADE UP on TITLES. FADE to black. FADE UP—overlapping voices of TWO TEENAGE GIRLS. One cries out. VOICE Ouch, that hurts! Cut to interior BEDROOM, night. IRIS, sixteen years old, is standing and brushing LUCY’s hair. LUCY is seated in front of her. They speak to the reflection in the MIRROR in front of them. IRIS hits the tangles in LUCY’s hair. LUCY, fifteen years old, winces. IRIS I’m sorry, I’m sorry . . . it would help if you conditioned it. LUCY But it makes it look greasy. IRIS Not if you use the right kind. LUCY I kinda like it this way. IRIS I guess you always had the prettiest hair. 298 Writing the Short Film App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 298 IRIS finishes the last strokes and slightly pats LUCY’s long hair. Okay, all done. LUCY Tomorrow I’ll do yours. IRIS Okay. LUCY rises from the VANITY TABLE, and both girls remove their thin SUMMER ROBES. Underneath they are wearing long, lightly flowered cotton NIGHTGOWNS. IRIS jumps onto her BED. Meanwhile, LUCY positions a FAN toward the window and turns it to the “high” setting. IRIS reaches for the small drawer beneath the NIGHT TABLE, fishing around and then pulling out a pack of CIGARETTES and a small ASHTRAY. LUCY arranges herself cross-legged on the opposite BED and faces IRIS. They are silent for a while, looking at each other. IRIS gets up and begins to pace. She lights a cigarette as if she’s fatigued by the rigors of her day-to- day routine. Both girls share the cigarette, careful to exhale toward the window fan. IRIS (looking at the CLOCK) Okay, it’s time. LUCY Let’s go. IRIS (still pacing) So we know this: tall, not too tall. And thin. Pale . . . shouldn’t he be pale? LUCY . . . Oh yes, very pale, see-through almost . . . IRIS Long, dirty blond hair . . . fine, fine, fine . . . Short Screenplays 299 App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 299 LUCY So fine it falls through your fingers . . . (pause) . . . Dark eyes . . . IRIS sits abruptly on the bed, crossing her legs and facing LUCY. She gestures widely with her cigarette, as if aggravated. IRIS No, I thought we talked about this. His eyes should be light and clear and spooky . . . LUCY But . . . IRIS Oh, let’s not argue . . . (pause) . . . We should figure the rest out. LUCY raises her eyebrows. IRIS His mouth, what about his mouth? LUCY The best part . . . Both girls pause, lost in thought. IRIS begins tentatively. IRIS His lips will be full . . . a sort of wide Iris mouth. (pause) Right? LUCY does not reply. IRIS You . . . you can’t look at his mouth for too long . . . It’s almost too dangerous, you know? LUCY lays on her back and hugs herself as if chilly. LUCY Okay, I guess . . . Gosh, we’ve almost finished him. 300 Writing the Short Film App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 300 IRIS stabs out her cigarette and rests her elbows on her knees, hands cupping her face. IRIS Soon we’ll have to find him. LUCY Soon we’ll have to give him a life. IRIS gets up and wanders around the room, first toward the window, then to the vanity table. She picks up the large, ornate HAIRBRUSH, pulls out loose strands, then sets it down. IRIS (while walking) But he has one . . . all that open road, that huge cycle . . . the dust flying off his wheels . . . (looking at her reflection) . . . you and me . . . (pause, turning to LUCY) . . . he’s true because we want him to be. LUCY (puzzled) Iris, the time . . . IRIS Right, it’s late . . . Both climb under their covers and get comfortable before saying anything. LUCY Goodnight, Iris. IRIS Goodnight, Lucy. LUCY I love you. IRIS Love you too. Short Screenplays 301 App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 301 LUCY See you in the morning. IRIS looks at LUCY, then turns off the old LAMP on the night table. IRIS (whispering) Sweet dreams. The room is dark. The fan continues to hum, the clock ticks, and occasionally an insect buzzes against the screen window. A breeze blows the gauzy CURTAINS. IRIS and LUCY are holding hands from across their beds. The MOONLIGHT is thick on their faces. A POPPING SOUND is heard coming from the window, as if someone is throwing a pebble at the SCREEN. CUT to a CLOSE-UP of LUCY and IRIS’s locked fingers as they fall from each other. DISSOLVE to a CLOSE-UP of IRIS’s face as she sleeps. DISSOLVE slowly as IRIS, in a WIDE SHOT, gets out of bed and goes to LUCY’s side. She rouses LUCY. In groggy agreement, they walk to the window, standing side by side and peering out. The breeze is blowing their long nightgowns as if they’re liquid sheets of light. LUCY Look. IRIS I know. On the thick green lawn, three stories below them, is a MAN leaning against the seat of a beat-up Harley- Davidson MOTORCYCLE. His hair is long and thin, his face is pale, his build is lanky. MAN (offscreen) Which one of you girls wanna take a ride? 302 Writing the Short Film App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 302 LUCY and IRIS stare out at the MAN, then turn to look at each other. They are dazed. IRIS But . . . he’s not finished. It’s too soon . . . LUCY Someone has to go down . . . IRIS (panicked) Yes, but we never decided which one of us would actually . . . LUCY I know, I know. (pause) You choose. IRIS looks out the window. She turns to LUCY and straightens LUCY’s hair. IRIS It’s you . . . You go. LUCY You don’t want to ride? IRIS No, not tonight . . . You go, and I’ll wait here for you. LUCY (dreamily) All right. LUCY lifts the screen window. IRIS helps her out onto the TRELLIS as if in a trance. The MAN continues to look up at both of them, humming “Wild Horses” to himself. LUCY climbs slowly down the trellis. Her nightgown gets caught in the wood grating; she still moves smoothly and without hesitation. IRIS closes the screen window and sits in the LARGE WINDOWSILL, watching the action below and humming “Wild Horses” softly. Short Screenplays 303 App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 303 LUCY walks toward the MAN; CUT to a CLOSE-UP of her face. FADE UP on IRIS in VOICE-OVER: “Dirty blond hair-fine, fine, fine . . .” FADE UP on LUCY in VOICE-OVER: “So fine it falls through your fingers . . .” DISSOLVE to a MEDIUM TWO-SHOT as LUCY touches his hair and lets it fall through her fingers. The MAN laughs. CUT to LUCY, looking at the man. LUCY Your eyes . . . they’re so dark. DISSOLVE to a CLOSE-UP of IRIS. FADE UP on IRIS in VOICE-OVER: “Light and clear and spooky—we talked about this already.” IRIS I was wrong—his eyes are dark. DISSOLVE to a CLOSE-UP of the MAN as he takes a drag on his cigarette, exhales slowly, then pulls some stray tobacco from his tongue and lips. FADE UP on IRIS in VOICE-OVER, discussing with LUCY: “Would he smoke Luckies?” “Maybe, yeah . . . ,” etc. DISSOLVE to IRIS’s POV as LUCY and the MAN walk into the dark and leave the motorcycle in the middle of the lawn. CUT to a CLOSE-UP of IRIS. IRIS Wait—where are you going . . . I can’t see you anymore . . . Lucy, this isn’t fair. IRIS cries silently. 304 Writing the Short Film App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 304 . ride? 302 Writing the Short Film App-B.qxd 9/27/04 6:02 PM Page 302 LUCY and IRIS stare out at the MAN, then turn to look at each other. They are dazed. IRIS But. if you use the right kind. LUCY I kinda like it this way. IRIS I guess you always had the prettiest hair. 298 Writing the Short Film App-B.qxd 9/27/04