Journey's End 6
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
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FADE IN:
EXT. MOVING TRAIN - NIGHT
The train races along, the countryside a blur as it eats up
track.
The train passes an isolated house. Light streams from the
downstairs windows, illuminates two children at play in the
garden.
INT. TRAIN CARRIAGE - SAME TIME
Three people occupy the carriage. An OLD MAN, asleep, who
drools down his chin.
A YOUNG MAN, early twenties, listens to annoyingly load House
music on his MP3 player. The BOOM BOOM of the bass the only
sound heard from the earphones. The Young Man must be deaf.
The third and last occupies a window seat. BRENDA COOPER, a
plain woman in her late thirties, bored out of her mind.
Brenda watches the two children in the garden as the train races
past.
She gives up looking out of the window and pulls a magazine from
her bag. The edges are worn and curled, just like Brenda.
The magazine has been read more than once already, but she
starts again with nothing else to do.
EXT. MOVING TRAIN - NIGHT
The train carries on with its journey, Brenda engrossed in her
magazine.
INT. TRAIN CARRIAGE - LATER
The Old Man, now awake, drool removed.
The Young Man's MP3 player pumps out a new tune.
Brenda quietly dozes, the magazine on her lap, on the very edge
of sleep.
The train jolts her awake and she yawns.
The train starts to slow and enters a station. It comes to a
stop at the platform.
Brenda looks at her watch and at the name of the station.
She reaches for the trusty magazine.
EXT. TRAIN - NIGHT
The Young Man and his music exit the train.
MARCUS BROON, an arrogant, self-centred man in his mid-thirties,
enters a carriage.
INT. TRAIN CARRIAGE - NIGHT
Brenda has found an interesting article, one she missed on
previous reads.
The train pulls slowly away from the station.
Marcus enters from the adjoining carriage and walks towards the
next, but stops when he spots Brenda.
He isn't quite sure it's her so he tries to peer around the
magazine she reads.
Brenda notices with horror. She tries to manoeuvre the magazine
so he cannot see her.
She fails.
MARCUS
It is you! I wasn't sure at first.
He plonks himself down, uninvited, next to Brenda, making her
uncomfortable with his close proximity. He's invaded her
personal space.
MARCUS (cont'd)
What a coincidence! It's great to see you
again. How are you?
Brenda waits for a big hole to open up and swallow her, but it
doesn't happen.
BRENDA
I'm fine.
MARCUS
I'd almost given up seeing you again after
Carol's party. You never rang.
Brenda squirms, but she holds it together well.
BRENDA
I, err, misplaced your telephone number. I
tried phoning Carol to see if she had it
but I couldn't get hold of her.
MARCUS
Well, I spoke to Carol but she didn't have
your number, so it's a good job I caught
this train then, isn't it?
Brenda nods but doesn't agree.
MARCUS (cont'd)
Let me give you my number again.
Brenda pleads to the heavens as Marcus rummages in his coat for
pen and paper.
Successful, he writes down his number and gives it to her.
MARCUS (cont'd)
When are you available to get together
again? Maybe you would like to go for a
drink tonight?
BRENDA
I can't tonight. I'm on my way to visit my
sister. She's just given birth.
MARCUS
You have a sister? Really? I'd love to
meet her sometime.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. RESTAURANT - EVENING
Brenda's sister and her husband eye Brenda and Marcus with the
kind of look people give a child when they have just said
something sweet.
Marcus sits close to Brenda, his arm around her. Brenda wears a
look of disgusted horror.
BRENDA'S SISTER
(to Brenda and Marcus)
Ahh, you two are such a sweet couple...
(to her husband)
...don't you think, dear?
BRENDA'S SISTER'S HUSBAND
Like two love birds.
Brenda squirms.
BACK TO:
TRAIN CARRIAGE
Brenda squirms.
BRENDA
She'll be too busy with the baby and
everything.
MARCUS
Nonsense. She'll enjoy meeting me. It'll
be fun. We're bound to get on like a house
on fire.
BRENDA
She won't want to bring the baby.
Marcus isn't getting the message.
MARCUS
Good, that's settled then. You know I'm
glad you were at the party. Carol's get
togethers are usually such dull affairs,
boring people, in fact I very nearly didn't
go.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. CAROL'S HOUSE - NIGHT
The party in full swing.
Marcus makes his way through a crowd of people on the hunt for
someone to chat to, but finds himself surrounded by the most
ugly women on the planet.
From out of nowhere we see Brenda, but not the Brenda we've got
to know on the train, the Goddess Brenda of Marcus's dreams.
This Brenda has impossibly large breasts. A golden light
surrounds her, slushy love music accompanies, as she swings her
stuff in slow motion towards Marcus.
Marcus spots her. His eyes pop out and he drools.
BACK TO:
TRAIN CARRIAGE
Brenda smiles politely but doesn't mean it.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. CAROL'S HOUSE - NIGHT
The same scene as before but from Brenda's perspective.
Marcus chats to a shit faced Brenda. Despite her lucid state
Brenda still finds Marcus a bore.
MARCUS
...and then Fergie put on Rooney who went
on to score a hat-trick.
BACK TO:
TRAIN CARRIAGE
Brenda cringes in horror at the memory.
MARCUS
I'm glad I made the effort though,
otherwise we couldn't have spent that
wonderful night together.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. CAROL'S HOUSE, BEDROOM - NIGHT
Brenda and Marcus in bed together. Sex, hot, sweaty and
gymnastic.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. CAROL'S HOUSE, BEDROOM - LATER
Brenda asleep, happy and content, rests her head on Marcus's
chest.
Marcus has a cat-that-got-the-cream grin on his face.
BACK TO:
TRAIN CARRIAGE
Brenda's crumpled face tells a different story.
BRENDA
Yes, indeed.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. CAROL'S HOUSE, BEDROOM - NIGHT
Marcus goes at it like a freight train, on top of a pissed and
very bored Brenda. He's all squeals and grunts.
He finishes, rolls off Brenda, farts and goes to sleep.
Brenda checks her watch, disbelieving.
BACK TO:
TRAIN CARRIAGE
MARCUS
You were quite lucky actually. I'd only
just split up with my previous girlfriend,
Jenny. She moved to Tibet. I didn't even
know Barclays had an office there. Anyway,
I wasn't really expecting to find anyone so
quickly. If the party had been a couple of
weeks before we would have never have met.
BRENDA
(sarcastically)
How lucky for me.
The remark flies way, way over Marcus's head.
MARCUS
Isn't it strange how things work out.
Jenny was such a nice woman and I wondered
if I'd ever find someone as good again, and
I have.
Bored, Brenda looks out of the window.
MARCUS (cont'd)
I still can't get you out of my head. You
sort of, well, keep rolling around in my
thoughts. We'll probably end up getting
married some day.
Brenda = horror.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. THE MARITAL HOME, KITCHEN - DAY
Brenda, a marital slave, cooks a huge meal for Marcus.
Marcus, dressed only in stained Y-fronts, drinks and smokes at
the kitchen table.
MARCUS
And once you have cleaned up after my
dinner, you can get naked and get yourself
up to our bed.
Marcus grabs himself obscenely by the genitals and runs his
tongue over his lips. Drool dribbles down his chin.
BACK TO:
TRAIN CARRIAGE
BRENDA
(under her breathe)
Over my dead body.
MARCUS
Anyway, I'm not going to let you go with
out arranging a date. How about next
Tuesday evening? We could go for a drink
and you could spend the night?
Brenda = significant horror.
MARCUS (cont'd)
So are you free on Tuesday?
BRENDA
I can't, I'm busy that night.
MARCUS
How about Wednesday then?
BRENDA
No, sorry. Busy again.
MARCUS
Well I'm free any night, when's best for
you?
BRENDA
I'm busy almost every night.
MARCUS
Come on, there must be one night you're
free?
Marcus has pushed Brenda beyond her breaking point.
BRENDA
Look, don't you get it?
A blank expression.
BRENDA (cont'd)
I'm not interested!
MARCUS
Well we don't have to go for a drink. We
could go for a meal? Chinese, Indian,
whatever you want. Or we could try
somewhere a little up market. You know,
caviar, champagne. What do you say?
BRENDA
I don't want to go for a meal!
MARCUS
Well, what do you suggest we do? Oh, you
want to skip the going out and go straight
to the staying-the-night part. I get you.
Marcus winks at her.
BRENDA
No, you don't get it. I'm not interested.
Dawn has broken in Marcus's head but he can't quite believe it.
MARCUS
What, are you trying to say that you don't
want to see me again?
BRENDA
Yes, yes! That's exactly what I mean.
MARCUS
Why?
BRENDA
I never wanted to see you, now, then or
ever. What happened at the party was a
mistake. I was just getting over a bad
relationship, I was drunk, very, very
drunk, lonely and I didn't know what I was
doing. I don't ever want to see you again.
Marcus' mouth drops open, his tongue flounders for words.
MARCUS
Was it something I said? Or did?
BRENDA
No! Jesus, don't you get it you moron. I
don't like you.
MARCUS
Isn't there any way we can discuss this?
BRENDA
I don't want to discuss it. I want you out
of my life for good.
MARCUS
But you must have enjoyed the sex?
BRENDA
Sex? Is that what it was. I've had better
sex with a limp stick of celery. The only
person you could give an orgasm to is
yourself.
The train pulls up at a station platform and Brenda gets up to
leave.
BRENDA (cont'd)
You're a selfish, arrogant, limp dicked,
worthless little man. I'd be very
surprised if any women was ever interested
in you, because I can't stand you!
Brenda storms off the train, a mini tornado, and leaves Marcus a
shadow of the man he used to be.
The Old Man sits and stares at Marcus, shocked. He's so shocked
he's forgotten to get off at his stop.
It's only as the train starts to pull away before he realises
his mistake.
EXT. STATION - NIGHT
Marcus sits by the window. His bottom lip quivers and tears
tumble down his cheeks.
The Old Man, face pressed against the door, looks longingly at
the station as the train pulls away.
Brenda walks towards a TICKET COLLECTOR stood by the exit.
BRENDA
Excuse me, could you tell me when the next
train is due?
TICKET COLLECTOR
About fifteen minuets, love.
BRENDA
Thank you.
Brenda walks to a bench and sits down to await the next train.
She opens the magazine and reads.
FADE OUT:
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.