Helen and Menelaus on the Beach

Helen and Menelaus on the Beach (Outtake)

Hecuba

Kill your wife, Menelaus, and I will bless your name.

But keep your eyes away from her. Desire will win.

(Euripides, Trojan Women 890 - 891)

________

Blank screen, then bright LIGHT.

HEAR HUM and CLICK of projector.

SEE countdown bull’s eye …

… 4 …

… 3 …

… 2 …

… 1 …

“WILDWOOD”

Grainy. Only sound projector HUM.

SEE Helen and Mannie on the beach in lounge chairs.

Foreground, Helen, tan and wrinkled

(necklace, sunglasses, several rings;

one-piece bathing suit, white -

slight abdominal spread and roll).

SMEARS sunscreen on thickening upper arms, chatters, unaware she’s watched.

Mannie, background, reads a magazine, sunglasses up on his forehead.

Finally she notices, FLIPS her glasses up atop her very blonde hair,

SMILES (bright white, horse-toothed) into the camera. TURNS to Mannie and

WAVES him UP.

To stand.

And he STANDS.

She HANDS him the sunscreen then TURNS sidesaddle to FACE the camera,

her upper torso a jiggly, freckled cleavage beneath a big, big smile.

Mannie, paunchy, in the background, briskly RUBS lotion into his thick hands.

She LOWERS the straps off her shoulders with a practiced liquid grace,

LIFTS and HOLDS her hair above her neck.

ZOOM IN: to Mannie’s hands on Helen’s shoulders and neck

slowly, firmly STROKING.

Mannie LOWERS his head, SQUEEZES a partial of his face into the frame

over her right shoulder. SMILES.

ZOOM IN: close-up of Helen’s face.

Closer yet, her moving mouth.

HOLD as finally, open-mouthed, she stops talking.

Perfect teeth. OPENS wide, in oval, her mouth.

[Think TROY]

ZOOM IN: to Helen’s mouth.

Teeth, top and bottom; the middle a moist darkening hole.

In. In.

Deeper. In.

TO BLACK.

HEAR projector humming, the tail of film FLAPPING …

SOUND of flapping …

flapping …

flapping ….

HUM and FLAP.

________

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