(Robert and Dorothea drive off. Thelma and Elizabeth are watching them leave from below Sandcastle. When they're gone, Thelma tries sliding open their glass door, while holding her camera in one hand, but it's locked and she makes an ugly face. Elizabeth comes up behind her and presses her face, nose, and hands against the window, causing a distorted appearance. Thelma walks clockwise completely around the house, ending with the east-side window, backtracks to previous window, the last one on right of the north-side face, removes the loose screen from the bathroom window, slides the unlocked window open, pulls up a stump section of telephone pole. Elizabeth comes around the corner of the house, leans on the corner while watching Thelma. Thelma climbs in, throwing her hat on top of the toilet as soon as her head is inside. Elizabeth follows.)

THELMA: Come on!

ELIZABETH (climbing into window): I am!

(Thelma takes off her white hat while at Dorothea's dresser & mirror.)

ELIZABETH: Good gosh! She hasn't even made the bed!

(Thelma is watching Elizabeth while reaching dramatically for Dorothea's sunglasses sitting below the mirror.)

THELMA (as Elizabeth puts on Dorothea's slip): You can't wear that.

ELIZABETH: Yes I can. (Elizabeth pulls off her hat and sunglasses with the same hand.) Fashion!

THELMA: It's backwards.

ELIZABETH: It's supposed to be that way, stupid.

(Elizabeth struggles with the oversized slip over her clothes. Thelma puts on Dorothea's lipstick in the mirror. Elizabeth opens the closet door, sits down to take off her shoes.)

ELIZABETH (pulling off her shoes): Besides, you can't wear them. They'll find your fingerprints.

THELMA: No, they won't.

(Elizabeth puts on Dorothea's white shoes. Elizabeth stands up and sticks her tongue out at Thelma, which Thelma notices. Thelma puts on Dorothea's orange scarf, admires herself in the mirror, then goes through the kitchen where Elizabeth is stroking the side of Robert's briefcase that is lying on the counter. Thelma begins going through the drawers in the living room next to the refrigerator.)

ELIZABETH: Neat. Whatcha lookin' for?

THELMA: To see if they're gangsters.

ELIZABETH (glibly): If they were, they'd kill us. Then it would be our fault. (Thelma is tossing things on the carpet that were stowed under the TV.) If you do that, they're gonna be real mad. (Elizabeth takes a swig from the liquor bottle sitting on the coffee table.)

ELIZABETH: Gosh! What do they drink that stuff for?

(Elizabeth opens the black case that Thelma has tossed on the carpet, finds a newspaper inside, opens it up, gasps.)

ELIZABETH: It's Robert and Dorothea! They've stolen money. Lots of it!

THELMA: Where?

ELIZABETH: From the bank.

THELMA (reading): "Robert Burger mysteriously abducted a travel aid traveling with him."

THELMA: It says no one knows who they are.

(The newspaper article title reads Bank Scam, Millions lost, manager sought. Thelma quickly stands up and takes five flash photographs of the article with her new camera.)

ELIZABETH: Whadja do that for?

THELMA: Evidence. (Puts the newspaper back into the case, and back under the TV.) And so they won't know we've seen it.

ELIZABETH: I think we should tell the sheriff. I mean, we ought to.

THELMA: Uh uh.

ELIZABETH: Why not?

THELMA (pulling Robert's briefcase off the counter): 'Cause they'll take the reward. And cheat us.

ELIZABETH: How much?

THELMA: A lot.

(Thelma sets Robert's briefcase down on the coffee table, opens it, finds a revolver inside.)

THELMA (pulling out the revolver): I told you.

ELIZABETH: Is it loaded?

(Thelma slides open a box of Remington cartridges while holding it sideways, causing the cartidges spill out.)

ELIZABETH: Hooh!

(Thelma takes a handful of cartridges, drops them onto a green-and-white striped handkerchief lying inside the briefcase, folds it and takes the handkerchief with cartridges inside.)

ELIZABETH: You're not gonna keep it, are you? It's dangerous.

THELMA (closing the briefcase): Only if you don't know how to use it.

ELIZABETH: Well, you don't know how to use it. (Stands up, holding the gun and pocketing the handkerchief of bullets in the front of her pants.)

THELMA: Sure I do. You just point it at someone and pull the trigger. Easy.

ELIZABETH: You couldn't really kill anybody.

THELMA: Well I could.

ELIZABETH (grimmacing in disgust): Just point it at someone? And pull the trigger? And see all their bloody guts and stuff?

THELMA: If you hated somebody, or wanted something.

ELIZABETH: I think you're--

THELMA (whirls around, points revolver at Elizabeth): Why not?

ELIZABETH: Stop it, deputy. Stop it! Stop it!

THELMA: Why?

ELIZABETH: 'Cause you're scaring me.

THELMA: Anyway, you shouldn't be scared, only babies are scared.

ELIZABETH (slapping Thelma with a pillow from the couch): You'd be scared, too.

THELMA (slapping Elizabeth back with another pillow): You'd be scared of Robert... of his money. [note]

ELIZABETH: You'd be scared of PeeWee, and you got a gun.

THELMA: You wouldn't tell him.

ELIZABETH: I might.

THELMA: Would you? (Suddenly points gun at Elizabeth.)

ELIZABETH: It's not loaded.

THELMA: How do you know?

ELIZABETH: Alright. I promise. I won't tell. I promise! I don't like you. Friends shouldn't scare other friends.

THELMA: Other friends shouldn't make them.

(There is a noise at the door.)

THELMA: They're coming back!

(The girls run into the bedroom, Thelma flops for a moment on the bed.)

ELIZABETH: What'll we do?

THELMA: Hide!

ELIZABETH (hurriedly taking off Dorothea's slip): Where?

THELMA: There!

THELMA: Your glasses!

(Elizabeth is already under the bed and her arm reaches up and her hand frantically searches for the glasses, grabs them, pulls them back under the bed.)

ELIZABETH: Ugh!

ROBERT: Je-sus! Dotty! Come here! Didn't I tell you to close the windows? What is the point of locking all the doors when the bloody windows are wide open? Didn't I tell you to do that?

DOROTHEA: Well, don't holler at me!

ROBERT: It's a blockbust with a big smile.

DOROTHEA: You don't know that.

ROBERT: I don't need to know! Look at the window! What a bloody invitation!

DOROTHEA: You can't just ?save him? (The girls are looking at Robert's feet.)

ROBERT: Well, whoever he is, he's gone. What's more he knows we can't go to the police.

DOROTHEA: Well, well, well what?

ROBERT: Take a look around, see what he's taken.

DOROTHEA (looks through her jewelry box): It's all here.

ROBERT: What the hell has he taken?

(The girls watch Dorothea's feet leave the room.)

ELIZABETH (whispering): Let's go, please. (Elizabeth begins to crawl out, Thelma grabs her and pulls her back.) I'm suffocating. I can't breathe. I can't help it. I'll scream.

THELMA (whispering): If you scream, (points gun at Elizabeths' head) I'll shoot you.

ROBERT (looking into his briefcase): The gun. Have you seen it? The ammunition.

DOROTHEA: Uh! (Pours herself a drink.)

ROBERT: He didn't touch the bonds. Apparently didn't know what they were.

DOROTHEA: The newspaper with the pictures! (Rushes over to the TV.)

ROBERT: What, you've still got that? Get rid of it! Burn it!

ROBERT (leafs through the bonds): I say we start moving the bonds now. I said now, don't start clearing up! This time I'll close the bloody window.

(The girls are alarmed as Robert's feet go by. Robert closes the window, then leaves the room. The girls hear a door close in the background. The girls crawl out from under the bed, Thelma opens the window and watches Bob's car leave, wipes the lipstick from her lips.)

THELMA: They're going, come on.

ELIZABETH (putting on shoes): I want to. Hate you!

(Thelma is on the patio, ready to leave, paused at the top of the wooden walkway, looking at the gun. She pockets it in her front pocket.)

ELIZABETH (bumps here nose while climbing out window): Ouch! I hate you. You're not my friend!

(Thelma is in bed, intently watching a violent show on TV, which is turned up loudly. In the show a man smashes a car window with a rock to get at the lady inside. Thelma handles her gun, tucks it under the covers.)

MRS DAVIES (from the other room): Isn't it time to turn that off and get some sleep? Darling?

(Mrs. Davies comes into Thelma's room, pauses at the doorway, sees Thelma apparently asleep, turns off the TV and leaves. When Thelma's alone, Thelma cuddles Robert's revolver.)

(It's early morning, and there's a beautiful sunrise over the bay by Thelma's house. Crickets are chirping.)

Thelma is sitting in a lawn chair on Elizabeth's patio, waiting for Elizabeth.)

(Elizabeth is standing inside, not wanting to go out to meet Thelma.)

MRS HARRISON: Come on, honey, she's waitin' for you. Honey? For me?

THELMA: Richie's finished with your pictures.

ELIZABETH: You're not my friend.

THELMA: Yes I am. 'Cause we've been doing lots of stuff together.

ELIZABETH: No we haven't. (Sits down on the lawn chair on the patio.)

THELMA: Do your mom and dad know about what's going on?

ELIZABETH: How could they know unless somebody tells them?

ELIZABETH: You wouldn't.

THELMA: I'm not planning to.

ELIZABETH: I'd kill you.

THELMA: You wouldn't. You don't have a gun!

ELIZABETH: I'd get someone to do it for me. Somebody you couldn't see. Like a hit man. (Stands up and walks to the patio screen.)

THELMA: You don't know any.

ELIZABETH: Yes I do. I'm gonna tell them about you. I'm gonna give Bob his money back. And say I'm sorry. Then he'll say it's just 'cause she's a silly girl. Never mind, as long as I learned my lessson. In fact, I'm going to tell them everything.

THELMA: About you? Or about me, too?

ELIZABETH: They'll know I didn't do it all by myself.

THELMA: You could just say it was somebody.

ELIZABETH: They'd know it was you even if I didn't say anything.

THELMA (standing): OK. I think we should both go. We could take them these new pictures, too. After supper. (Pushes open screen door.) We'll both go. (Stops and turns around, shakes her fist in frustration.) But mom doesn't want me out late.

ELIZABETH: Well, we could go tomorrow. Instead of going swimming.

THELMA: OK. (Nods.)

(Robert and Dorothea are on their patio, looking at an 8x10" print of the photograph that Thelma took of their newspaper headlines.)

ROBERT: Now we know for certain that he knows. Not any kind of relief.

DOROTHEA: What does he say?

ROBERT: Not a thing. No note. Doesn't say anything.

(Dorothea goes inside, bends down over the coffee table and pours herself a drink. Robert comes in after her.)

ROBERT: Hey. Hey...!

DOROTHEA: What does he want?

ROBERT: That's what he wants. He wants you to have hysterics, and for me to eat my heart out.

DOROTHEA: Why? Why why why why--? (Dorothea is shouting hysterically.)

ROBERT: Hey, hey, come on, come on. Hey, hey. (Dorothea is sobbing on Robert's shoulder.) Come on, come on, it's alright, it's alright, come on, yeah, yeah. Take a shower. Alright? Talk about this later.

DOROTHEA: Robert. Let's not stop. If we're going to have a fight, let's have it. I've tried. Honest to God, I've tried.

ROBERT: Me, too. But you were there, and you heard it yourself. Three more days. (Turns his head, and his attention is attracted to the open bathroom window.)

DOROTHEA: Robert...

ROBERT: Hey, hang on a second... I locked that window. Did you open it?

(Dorothea shakes her head.)

ROBERT: That means someone was hiding in here. Got out the same way that they came in. (View of the open bathroom window.) They must have been as thin as a match. All of a sudden I think I know who it is.

(The girls are walking across the dunes to return the pictures to Robert. A seagull is wheeling close by, over and behind them.) [note]

ELIZABETH: You got the pictures?

THELMA: In my purse.

ELIZABETH: How about your sunglasses?

THELMA: In my purse.

ELIZABETH: Do you keep everything in your purse?

ELIZABETH: Do you really think we should tell him? Peewee Herman would. Then we could be friends again. Like Little House on the Prairie. When the girl's father comes back and they forgive him. I don't really wanna tell Robert. Wish we hadn't done it in the first place.

THELMA: They started it. They shouldn't have done what they did.

ELIZABETH: Can I see the pictures? Please? (Thelma walks on, ignoring her.) I wanna see the pictures again. For the last time.

(Thelma walks up to the top of a dune and sits down, Elizabeth snatches the pictures from her and walks off to look at them.)

THELMA: You're going to tell them everything. Aren't you? (Reaches into her purse for her sunglasses.)

ELIZABETH: Yes, but I don't want to.

THELMA: Why are you going to if you don't want to? (Blows sand off her sunglasses.)

ELIZABETH: 'Cause I have to.

THELMA: We don't have to.

ELIZABETH: But I want to. That's what we said. (Puts the pictures in her dress pocket.)

THELMA (reaching back towards Elizabeth): I want the pictures. They're mine.

ELIZABETH: If I'm gonna tell, I'll have to show them.

THELMA: Yes, I guess so. (Reaches in her purse.)

ELIZABETH: Think they'll be up yet?

THELMA: They might be.

ELIZABETH (as Thelma secretly pulls gun from purse): Alright! This is station WLIZ. Let's do it!

THELMA (stands, points the gun at Elizabeth): No! I'm not gonna to tell them!

ELIZABETH: But you said.

THELMA (pointing revolver at Elizabeth): I was never going to tell them. But you said you were going to tell them about me.

ELIZABETH: Stop joking around, Thelma. Put the gun down. Please? We're friends.

THELMA: No we're not! You said so.

ELIZABETH: I didn't mean it. I won't tell. Don't shoot me, it might hurt. Please? Please?

THELMA (advancing): It's your fault. For making me.

(Thelma cocks gun, shoots Elizabeth, Elizabeth rolls down the dune.)

(Thelma runs to the top of the dune, looking down at Elizabeth, shoots a second time, bullet kicks up empty sand.)

(Elizabeth picks herself off the ground and runs off, nearly tripping on her purse, Thelma pursues. Elizabeth climbs onto, then over a wooden walkway with Thelma right behind.)

(They pass some pine trees, Elizabeth leans against one for a moment.)

(Elizabeth makes it to the gulf beach just east of the pilings, falls and crawls for a bit, Thelma comes running up along the pilings in the field. Thelma crouches a moment. Thelma slowly advances, pointing the gun at Elizabeth while Elizabeth slowly backs away. They pass through a shallow tidal pool in the sand, then reach the ocean.)

ELIZABETH (backing away from gun): Unh! Oh, God!

(Thelma shoots Elizabeth, Elizabeth falls into the water, Thelma shoots again, Elizabeth disappears into the water with some of her blue clothes floating off, Thelma shoots again. A fishing boat is passing by and from its deck the shots can be faintly heard in the distance as the men are talking. One of the crew with a red bandana, white T-shirt, and tan shorts looks briefly in the distance before going in the cabin.

[book excerpt]

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