Poison Poison

EXT. BEACH ATLANTIC OCEAN - Dawn

The light of a new day is just breaking over the horizon coating the beach in a soft glow.

With her back to the camera, AMELIA, 29, sits on the sand, watching the waves crash. Her knees are pulled in tight and her arms are wrapped around her bare knees. She takes a deep breath in.

In the distance, THEO, 36, walks towards Amelia, who turns her head when she hears his approach, resting her cheek on her knees as her hair blows in the salt breeze.

Theo sits next to Amelia and mirrors her position.

THEO

(with a slight Boston accent)

You don’t seem surprised to see me here?

AMELIA

(Quirking an eyebrow up)

Should I be?

THEO

Given that I surprised myself by being here, yes.

The two look at eachother, unmoving, until Theo reaches to push a lock of Amelia’s unruly, honey hair behind her ear. She lightly gasps at his touch.

THEO

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-

AMELIA

It’s okay. Really, Theo. You shouldn’t be the one apologizing here. After last night, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.

Amelia shudders and returns her gaze out to the ocean.

AMELIA (cont.)

How did you find out?

THEO

(confused)

Is that really the question you want to ask me right now?

AMELIA

It’s the only question that has an answer I can handle.

THEO

(slightly annoyed)

Fine. I saw it. The photo of the two of you he still keeps in the bottom left corner of his desk under a stack of scrap paper. Maybe he doesn’t even know it’s still there but I doubt that. He asked me to grab his speech and after I saw the two of you talking, talking like you knew each other, talking like you more than knew each other, I-

Cutting himself off, Theo shakes his head, as if to calm himself before continuing. His voice had raised but he spoke again, softer.

THEO cont.

I wasn’t looking for anything in particular. I didn’t even think I would find something. But that photo. The ring.

A tear trickles down Amelia’s cheek. She rushes to brush it away as if it had betrayed her valiant effort to control her emotions from showing.

THEO cont.

You were engaged to him, Amy. You were going to marry him. And yet you listened to me for months talking about everything he had done. You never said one thing. I had to find out for myself.

AMELIA

(whispering)

I didn’t know he was like this before.

THEO

Maybe not before. But for the last eight months, you’ve known. And you didn’t say a thing.

Amelia turns to face Theo, her tears now freely flowing down her cheeks. She bites her bottom lip.

AMELIA

I didn’t know how to tell you about him.

Amelia waits for Theo to respond but is met with silence. Theo looks at her expectantly.

AMELIA

What was I going to say? My ex, the high school sweetheart I mentioned? He’s actually your business partner and the man who tried to murder you in cold blood and steal your entire life's work. I don’t think that would have gone over well, do you?

Theo stands, looking down at Amelia now with his hands out in front of him at her.

THEO

(exasperated)

If you had told me about this as soon as you found out who I was, then yes I do think it would have, Amy. That is exactly what you say to someone you are- were supposedly in love with.

Amelia flinches at his choice of words and Theo looks out to the ocean as he speaks.

THEO cont.

Please Amelia, don’t act like I’m being unreasonable here. I am trying to hear you out. I’m begging you to tell me something, anything to help me understand that the woman I’ve been with this last year is still here because right now you’re unrecognizable to me.

Amelia stands quickly, turning to face Theo.

AMELIA

(crying)

Look at me!

Theo faces her.

AMELIA cont.

I am the same! My past with William-

THEO

Don’t. Don’t say his name.

AMELIA

My past with him means nothing to me. You have to know that. You have to know I never loved him the way I love you. He means nothing to me. He is nothing to me. I see who he is now. He’s a monster. And you, you are nothing but good. From the moment I met you I have felt like I could breathe again. You are my breath. You have shown me what it means to love.

AMELIA cont.

Theo, please. Don’t let him poison this. Us. Don’t give him the power to ruin the life we’ve built together.

AMELIA cont.

(whispering)

I love you so much.

THEO

(yelling)

Do you not get it? HE TRIED TO POISON ME. IN MY OWN LAB.

Amelia

(yelling back)

I KNOW THAT. DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT? YOU ALMOST DIED. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO DIE.

THEO

(yelling)

THEN WHY. EXPLAIN TO ME WHY.

AMELIA

(Sobbing)

BECAUSE THE THOUGHT OF LOSING YOU WAS WORSE THAN DYING. I WOULD HAVE TRADED PLACES WITH YOU. OR POISONED MYSELF BEFORE I LIVED WITHOUT YOU. AND THAT TERRIFIED ME. IT STILL TERRIFIES ME.

Theo’s hands are quickly on Amelia’s cheeks. He pulls her into him. Their lips press together forcefully and suddenly, until both are pulling away gasping for air.

AMELIA

(breathing heavily)

Will you ever be able to look past this? Can you ever look at me again and see me? Without seeing him?

Theo removes his hands from Amelia’s cheeks.

THEO

I want to.

AMELIA

But you can’t.

AMELIA cont.

I love you.

THEO

I know.

AMELIA

And you still love me.

THEO

Sometimes that isn’t enough. No matter -

Theo’s voice cracks.

THEO cont.

(exhaling)

No matter how much we may want it to be. It’s not enough.

Theo steps around her and walks down the beach without looking back. Amelia does not turn to watch him walk away. She stays staring at nothing but the beach for miles instead of the man that had been there a moment ago.

Amelia stands in the same spot until her legs give out and she sits back down onto the sand. She is sitting in the same position as she was when first seen, watching the ocean. This time, the sun is higher in the sky and a new day is officially starting.

THE END.