Buried Treasure

BURIED TREASURE Written by April Hunter

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EXT. BOAT DECK - LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING - SUNSET

Tourists mill about on a colorful shop-lined boardwalk. It’s a breezy evening in mid-June and several ships sit along the dock, offering a variety of excursions: a pirate cruise, parasailing, dolphin watching.

Seagulls cry overhead and large birds sit on pylons, watching for treats. Several swoop in to pick up bits and pieces fishermen THROW to them.

Two women take their seats on the top deck of the shipwreck dinner cruise, CHARLOTTE BENOIT (60s) and her daughter, AMBER BENOIT (30s).

Charlotte wears a knitted cream colored cap with short gray hair peeking out from underneath and had a pale complexion with wide blue eyes that turn down at the corners.

Her daughter, Amber, has smooth dark hair, big brown eyes and dimples when she smiles. She wears a blue sundress and sandals. Charlotte is in black pants and a pretty ivory blouse with ruffles.

Amber fusses over her mother, who moves with great effort and exhaustion.

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY - FLASHBACK

CHARLOTTE lays in a hospital bed with a pale face. She blows her nose inside a wad of clean tissue. Sweat beads up on her forehead. She turns her head toward the door. A DOCTOR (50’s) walks in and holds up an X-ray of her chest.

DOCTOR Well, we are dealing with stage four non small cell cancer. With aggressive radiation and chemotherapy treatment, we can probably estimate six months. Maybe eight.

INT. AMBER’S APARTMENT - MORNING

AMBER is packing. Stacks of empty liquor boxes, both empty and full of clothing, kitchenware and household items are all around her. She turns in her apartment keys and moves into her mothers home to care for Charlotte.

EXT. BOAT DECK - LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING - SUNSET

CHARLOTTE and AMBER sit on the top deck overlooking the smooth, dark ocean.

Amber wraps a pink shawl around her mother’s shoulders. Despite the warm weather, Charlotte is always cold since starting chemotherapy.

A distinguished CAPTAIN,(60s) wearing a crisp uniform stands at the hull chatting with various people around him and waits for everyone to be seated. Sightseers shuffle into seats.

CAPTAIN Welcome aboard the Buccaneer, everyone. I’m Captain John, and you are in for an unparalleled treasure sighting experience.

Amber leans over and whispers to Charlotte.

AMBER You OK, Mom?

Charlotte smiles, nods and tries to look enthusiastic.

CHARLOTTE I always wanted to do this. Thank you.

AMBER Hey, it’s another one we can check off the bucket list.

Charlotte laughs and looks out to the sea as the vessel glides effortlessly from the dock towards the setting sun.

EXT. SHIP DECK - SUNSET

The first shipwreck appears. AMBER and CHARLOTTE watch and listen as the CAPTAIN EXPLAINS the rich history of this battle sunken ship.

AMBER This will be such a great place to scatter Dad’s ashes. God, he loved shipwrecks. Remember all those ships in the bottles he always built?

CHARLOTTE I still have all of them. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about your father. I need to explain something.

AMBER About Dad?

CHARLOTTE No. Yes. About your real father.

INT. HOTEL BALLROOM - NIGHT - FLASHBACK, 1987

All the ballrooms at the hotel are booked. They are full of weddings and a Mary Kay Annual Award Seminar. The rooms and hallways and lit with elaborate chandeliers and buzzing with energy and LAUGHTER.

CHARLOTTE BENOIT is CALLED to the podium to accept her Saleswoman of the Year award. There is APPLAUSE. She smiles, says thank you and waves.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT - FLASHBACK, 1987

CHARLOTTE is awakened in the dark hotel room. A MAN (30s)is roughly shoving her legs apart. He lays on her with his forearm across her throat, thrusting. A slash of light shines in from the street lights, and his dark eyes are wild and hateful. Charlotte gasps for air, suffocating. She tries to fight and push him off.

INT. KITCHEN - BENOIT RESIDENCE - MORNING - FLASHBACK, 1988.

A small TV plays the NEWS. CHARLOTTE’S HUSBAND (late 30s, white collar, graying temples) sits at the table, reading the paper with a mug of coffee. The TV flashes a photograph of the man who raped Charlotte with the story. A NEWSCASTER (Male,40s) warns the public to be on alert for a serial rapist and murderer whose gruesome killings are very disturbing.

A very pregnant CHARLOTTE watches her husband. He barely glances up from the paper.

EXT. BOAT DECK - EVENING/LATER

People wander around the deck, taking in the sights. In the dark, the sea is calm and stars bright and moonlight reflects off the water.

CHARLOTTE I found out I was pregnant afterwards.

AMBER (Shocked) Wait, what? Did they ever find him? Do you know who he was?

CHARLOTTE No. He was just there.

AMBER Did Dad know?

CHARLOTTE I never told him anything. Until later. Then, I did.

AMBER And you kept me? I wouldn’t have. No freaking way.

CHARLOTTE I thought about an abortion. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I actually made an appointment, but you made me too sick to get out of bed that day.

AMBER Wow. I don’t know if I could do it. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?

CHARLOTTE We didn’t want you to know. Growing up...what good would it have done? But with your dad gone and the cancer, I think you have a right to know the truth.

They sit in silence for a moment until Amber speaks.

AMBER Did you hate me? At first?

CHARLOTTE (Thoughtfully) You know, I really thought I would. But when you arrived, I couldn’t. You were this...this beautiful gift. You smiled so much. I was able to put it behind me. Because of you. You are proof that good can come from bad.

AMBER Why didn’t you tell me?

CHARLOTTE Dad and I didn’t want you to know. There was no benefit to you knowing something like that. It just would have changed you and how you saw things. Us. Your dad loved and accepted you as his own.

AMBER So, why are you telling me now?

CHARLOTTE Because you have a right to know. Because you should know the man who raised you.

AMBER This is...It’s just a lot to take in. I thought I looked like him.

CHARLOTTE (Smiling) Well, you are definitely like him in many ways. Did you know he named you? He wanted Amber because of its meaning. It comes from sticky tree resin and turns into a valuable jewel.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT - FLASHBACK, 1987

The MAN finishes. CHARLOTTE lays still and pretends to be unconscious. A sharp, searing pain rips into her shoulder, then her breast and she freezes, afraid to cry out. He gets off her and she hears something THUD on the floor. He ZIPS his pants up. She holds her breath, waiting. He snorts,clears his throat and SPITS in her face.

He leaves. The hotel door SHUTS. She rolls over to her side, gasping for air. Spit runs down her cheek, her breath is ragged and hands shake.

She crawls to the hotel door and slides the lock across. She sees a long, thin ICE PICK on the floor. In the bathroom mirror, there’s a puncture wound in her shoulder and a bleeding bite mark left breast, pink flesh flapping open.

His spit trickles on to her lips. She VOMITS into the sink and all over her hair.

EXT. BOAT DECK - NIGHT

The conversation continues between CHARLOTTE and AMBER as the crowd thins.

AMBER Do you know what happened to him?

CHARLOTTE I have an idea. Charlotte walks to the side of the boat. Her hands are brittle from chemo damage, and she gives Amber the box of ASHES. They open the ASHES and scatter them off the hull. Charlotte reaches into her handbag and pulls out a large, jagged KNIFE in a plastic bag.

AMBER What’s that?

CHARLOTTE Your dad’s hunting knife.

Amber stares at her mother.

AMBER And...?

CHARLOTTE And it’s something on my own bucket list. Your dad was a truly good man. He risked everything for us, he trusted me...to make sure it would never be found.

Charlotte leans over and drops the knife into the dark ocean. There is a small SPLASH and it disappears into the swirling waters. She straightens and smiles at Amber. Charlotte touches Amber’s cheek and holds her hand.

The captain ANNOUNCES dinner. The sound of LAUGHTER and MUSIC travels across the sea.