…continuing on from HONEY # 8
192 INT. DANIEL’S STUDIO. DAY
Amidst the hustle and bustle of his busy studio (a photo shoot is in
progress) DANIEL sits at his computer, using Photoshop to enhance the
smile of a young woman in an ad. HONEY appears, in her school uniform,
a cup of coffee in one hand, her iPod clipped to her waist. She puts
the coffee down on the desk beside DANIEL.
DANIEL
Thanks.
HONEY leans close to DANIEL, looks at the computer screen, adopts her
own version of an Ad Executive’s voice:
HONEY
“Think could make her 28% happier, Daniel?”
DANIEL (smiles)
I’m trying for 42%.
HONEY laughs, walks to the stairs leading to the ’loft’; puts tiny
headphones in her ears; turns on her iPod. As she climbs the steps
Honey’s favourite music displaces all studio sounds.
193 INT. DANIEL’S ‘LOFT’. DAY
As she (and we) listen to her favourite music, HONEY takes her blue
one-armed teddy bear from her backpack and sets it alongside Daniel’s
teddy bear, facing each other.
HONEY (voice over)
My only fear, diving deep into his soul, is the fear that I’ll drown.
HONEY takes out her journal, lies on her tummy on the futon, writing
in it. The camera moves in to a tight shot of her face. She yawns.
HONEY (voice over)
I want him to dive deep into my soul too but what if he finds, deep
down, the demons lurking there…
CLOSE ON DANIEL, at the head of the wooden stairs, looks at HONEY
asleep on the futon – her journal at her side.
HONEY (voice over)
…that frighten him as much as they frighten me…
A LITTLE LATER
DANIEL sits on the edge of the futon, alongside HONEY. Honey’s journal
is open in his lap.
HONEY (voice over)
…the me that even I can’t learn to love?
CLOSE ON Honey’s hand-writing:
…the me that even I can’t learn to love?
HONEY opens her eyes, reaches out, closes her journal.
HONEY
It’s private now.
DANIEL
You’ve given away enough secrets?
HONEY nods.
DANIEL
Do you really want no-one to find out your secrets?
HONEY stares at DANIEL – her face giving nothing away.
194 EXT. ROCKS. LATE AFTERNOON
HONEY’S hands shake as she tries to bait a hook. She is pale, sweats
profusely, glances at her shoulder – a slightly ‘crazy’ look in her
eyes. A TEENAGE BOY fishes from the rocks nearby. She gives up trying
to bait her hook, stares into space, looks at her shoulder, flicks at
the (unseen) goblin obsessively.
Her attention is caught by the TEENAGE BOY reeling something in. HONEY
watches as an octopus emerges from the water, on the end of the boy’s
line. Her eyes flare, she watches, mesmerized, as the TEENAGE BOY
takes out his knife and prepares to kill the octopus.
HONEY (screams)
No!
195 EXT. DANIEL AND HELEN’S HOUSE. DUSK
As DANIEL pulls up in driveway on his motor bike he catches a glimpse
of HONEY, carrying a bucket, disappearing in through the front door.
There is a taxi parked in the street.
196 INT. KITCHEN. DUSK
HONEY, carrying a bucket, walks fast past HELEN as she bastes the leg
of roasting lamb in the open oven. JASPER, doing homework on the
kitchen table, looks up.
HELEN
Honey!
HONEY does not reply; moves fast into the Dining Room. JASPER stands,
follows her.
DANIEL walks into the kitchen, looks at HELEN for an explanation.
“Beats me!” she gestures. The sound of JASPER screaming can be heard
from the Dining Room.
197 INT. DINING ROOM. DUSK
HONEY stands in front of the aquarium – mesmerized by the sight of the
octopus squirming wildly in the aquarium. DANIEL and HELEN rush in.
The scene moves very fast.
DANIEL
What the…!
HONEY
He was going to kill it…
HELEN
Honey, what have you…
DANIEL
It’s going to die in there, Honey. It’s a salt water animal. That’s fresh water.
HONEY runs into the kitchen. HONEY reappears with a large canister of
salt. As she tries to pour the salt into the aquarium HELEN grabs hold
of her arm to stop her. To brace herself HONEY grabs hold of the edge
of the aquarium. DANIEL grabs HONEY around the waist to pull her away.
HONEY hangs onto the edge of the aquarium and it falls with a crash to
the floor. Fish, water, octopus and broken glass fly everywhere.
A TAXI DRIVER appears in the doorway.
TAXI DRIVER
Your daughter. She not pay fare…
198 EXT. ROCKS. NIGHT
JASPER watches DANIEL tip the octopus from a bucket into the sea. The
octopus remains still for a long moment, as if dead, then swims off.
JASPER is relieved.
199 INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT
HONEY, backpack in hand, stands in the doorway, looks at:
HELEN drying her photo albums with paper towels. Plastic bags filled
with water and tropical fish rest on the floor.
HONEY
I’m sorry.
HELEN, focused totally on her damaged albums, ignores HONEY.
HONEY
Thanks for trying.
HONEY hesitates. HELEN won’t look at her. HONEY turns, walks out the
door. HELEN looks up, covers her face with her hands.
200 EXT. BEACH. NIGHT
DANIEL and JASPER walk back towards the car.
DANIEL
Jas, this is not a time for secrets.
JASPER
I promised.
DANIEL
Sometimes you have to break promises.
JASPER
The way octopusses can wrap themselves around a rock, change their
shape, their colour and…
DANIEL
And?
JASPER
…hide themselves in a cloud of ink. And…
DANIEL
And? (A BEAT) Jas?
JASPER
Honey’s mother is alive and Honey loves her more than anything and she
wants to take care of her because she’s…she’s mentally ill but she
won’t let Honey take care of her because…
DANIEL’S mobile phone rings.
DANIEL
Alive! Honey’s mother is alive?
JASPER nods, starts to cry. As DANIEL pulls her close, hugging her, he
flips open his mobile, looks at the screen: HELEN. He puts the phone
to his ear, listens a moment, nods.
HONEY, a strange look in her eyes, speaks on her mobile phone.
HONEY
I’ve got nowhere to stay.
202 INT. JUVENILE DETENTION CENTRE. NIGHT
A YOUTH WORKER, telephone receiver in hand, shakes her head:
YOUTH WORKER (laughs)
Honey, this is not a holiday camp.
HONEY flips her mobile shut, looks at her shoulder. Her POV:
The Green Goblin on her shoulder laughs, leans close to whisper in her ear.
HONEY tries to flick the (now invisible) Green Goblin from her
shoulder. There is a look of extreme madness in her eyes.
JASPER (voice over)
Where angels sing and fish can fly…
204 INT. GRANNY FLAT. NIGHT
JASPER sits on Honey’s bed, reading a note. HELEN stands in the doorway.
JASPER
…and magic violins do cry…
JASPER
Of love and longing, I can but try…
CLOSE ON the note in JASPER’S hands:
WHERE ANGELS SING AND FISH CAN FLY
AND MAGIC VIOLINS DO CRY
OF LOVE AND LONGING, I CAN BUT TRY
TO FIND THIS PLACE BEFORE I DIE
JASPER
…To find this place before I die…
HELEN
She’s just trying to get attention.
JASPER turns and stares at HELEN coldly.
205 EXT. SHOP. NIGHT
HONEY heaves a brick through a shop window. The burglar alarm goes
off. HONEY sits in the gutter, lights up a cigarette.
A LITTLE LATER
A police car approaches. HONEY smiles, stands. The Police Car drives
by. HONEY is pissed off, flips open her mobile phone.
…continuing on from HONEY # 7
206 INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT
DANIEL collects broken glass from the carpet around the plastic bags
full of tropical fish. HELEN walks in.
HELEN
This’ll make your day!
DANIEL opens the envelope, takes out a magazine. CLOSE ON:
The front cover of the magazine ART NOW. The photo of Honey being
arrested with the text ART OR EXPLOITATION?
DANIEL is stun. HELEN sits on the white leather couch, picks up one of
her damaged photo albums, shakes her head angrily.
HELEN
Ruined!
DANIEL
It can be fixed!
HELEN (angry)
What! My albums? The aquarium? Your reputation? Our marriage?
207 INT. CAR NIGHT
HONEY, eyes blazing, sits in the back seat, brushing an unseen
‘something’ from her shoulder. SIMMO drives. Alongside him is
COURTNEY, 16. HONEY takes a used envelope from her back pack.
208 INT. JASPER’S ROOM. NIGHT
JASPER sits on her bed in tears – her hands over her ears. When she
removes her hands she hears her parents arguing.
HELEN (voice off)
This is not what I wanted.
DANIEL (voice off)
What did you want?
209 INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT
HELEN shakes her head (“I don’t know”), places a water damaged photo
album back on the table alongside the others.
HELEN
What did you want?
DANIEL
You, just you.
HELEN (nods)
Do you still have me?
DANIEL
I don’t know! Do I?
HELEN stares at him for a long moment, makes an ‘I don’t know’
gesture, brings her hands to her face, covers it.
210 EXT. CAR. NIGHT
Through the window we see HONEY placing a furled umbrella under
SIMMO’S shirt, poking outwards.
SIMMO
What do I say? ‘Stick ‘em up?’
HONEY shakes her head, hands SIMMO a pen and the envelope.
211 INT. CAR. NIGHT
HONEY watches SIMMO walk into the all night chemist across the road,
glances at her shoulder fearfully.
212 INT. CHEMIST. NIGHT
SIMMO hands the envelope to the CHEMIST. He looks at it, looks at
SIMMO – the umbrella under his shirt now sticking out. The CHEMIST
looks down at SIMMO’S ‘weapon’, looks at the note.
‘This is a robery. We want cash and Valium.’
CHEMIST
There’s two bs in robbery.
SIMMO (nods)
Thanks.
SIMMO pauses a moment before walking awkwardly out the door.
...to be continued...
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