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"CYCLES"
An Original Screenplay
By
Josh Becker
INT. SAN DIEGO BUS STATION
- DAY
Superimposed title: "SAN DIEGO, MARCH 1946."
There are servicemen everywhere:
Sailors, Marines and Air Force, all carrying duffel bags. A Greyhound
bus is loading with "New York" lit up on top.
INT. BUS - DAY
VIRGIL MOORE, a tough, square-jawed, muscular, twenty-four year old,
Marine Sergeant, wearing dress greens, a stick match flicking in his
teeth, gets on the bus. Someone has a radio and Glenn Miller's
"String Of Pearls" can be heard. Virgil walks up the
aisle. His path is blocked by the back of a SAILOR telling a story
to two other Sailors. Virgil waits for a second, then pokes the
guy in the back.
VIRGIL
Hey!
Swab-jockey! Scram before you get scuttled!
The Sailor turns and faces Virgil.
SAILOR
Take
it easy, gyrene. War's over.
Virgil gives him an icy look, puts his finger against the guy's chest
and pushes him aside.
VIRGIL
Sez
you.
Virgil walks past. The three Sailors watch him go, then look at
each other and raise their eyebrows.
The only seat left on the bus is beside another sailor: BUD HOOGENBOOM,
a big, blond, twenty-three year old fellow with a beard, reading Astounding
Stories Magazine. Virgil finds the choice of seats unfortunate.
VIRGIL
Hey,
mate. Mind if I sit here?
Bud looks up and shrugs.
BUD
It's
a free country, leatherneck.
Virgil sits down.
VIRGIL
That's
what they tell me.
Bud holds out his hand. A tattoo of a snake can be seen on his
wrist running up under his sleeve.
BUD
Bud
Hoogenboom, Machinist Mate First Class.
Virgil hesitates for a moment, then sighs and shakes Bud's hand.
VIRGIL
Virgil
Moore, Gunnery Sergeant -- ex.
BUD
(nods)
Right.
Ex. Me, too. Ain't that a kick in the
teeth.
Where d'ya hail from, Virg?
VIRGIL
Detroit.
How 'bout you?
BUD
Toledo.
VIRGIL
We're
neighbors. Hey, I know what you wanna
see
-- a picture of my sweetheart.
BUD
(not
enthused)
I
do?
Virgil pulls out a dog-eared, black and white shot of a very pretty,
dark-haired girl in a bathing suit. He shows it to Bud.
VIRGIL
Sure
you do. Now I ask ya, is she is or is she
ain't
a dream?
BUD
(nods
appreciatively)
She's
a snappy lookin' dish all right. What's she
doin'
with a bum like you?
VIRGIL
(grins)
She's
screwy about me, can't live without me. We're
gonna
get married as soon as I get back.
BUD
Must
be nice.
VIRGIL
You
got a gal waitin' for you?
Bud looks out the window, pain in his eyes.
BUD
I
got the ol' 'Dear John' when I was in the Coral
Sea.
But she don't mean it. She can't. I know the
guy
she sent me over for -- went to high school
with
him -- he's a bum. 4-F. Get the picture?
She
just has to've forgotten how much she likes
me,
that's all.
VIRGIL
(nods)
Course.
How could a dame like a guy that's 4-F?
Bud nods gravely, then suddenly perks up.
BUD
You
wanna see a picture of my real sweetheart?
VIRGIL
(confused)
An
Oriental gal?
Bud shakes his head, takes out a photo and shows it to Virgil.
It's of a motorcycle.
BUD
(proud)
Indian
Four-four cylinders,1200cc's, electric
starter
-- look out! This honey'll never betray
me.
VIRGIL
My
best buddy had a motorcycle. We used to
ride
it all the time before the thing.
BUD
Really?
What kind?
VIRGIL
I
dunno, but it sure went fast.
BUD
(nods)
Yeah.
Ain't nothin' like goin' real fast on a bike.
Gets
you right in the nuts . . . except goin' into
battle,
that is.
VIRGIL
(grins)
Right.
No more of that, though.
(they
both nod and sigh)
Hey,
Bud, do me a favor, will ya?
BUD
What?
VIRGIL
(points
at Bud's arm)
Lemme
see the rest of that tattoo.
Bud grins and rolls up both of his sleeves-his arms are completely
covered with tattoos. The snake on his wrist winds around the
legs of a naked girl on his inner arm.
VIRGIL
(grins)
What'sa
matter? You run outta paper at sea?
Bud points out each tattoo and narrates.
BUD
Saipan,
Singapore, Manila, Okinawa, San Francisco,
Pusan,
Yokohama. I worked in the guts of a ship.
When
I saw land it was worth noting. You got any
tattoos
there, Virg?
VIRGIL
(nods)
Yeah.
One.
Virgil rolls up his right sleeve. He reveals the blue globe, anchor
and "Semper Fi" of the Marine Corps.
VIRGIL
That's
all I need.
BUD
You
got a lot of imagination there, Virg. I bet you
saw
some rugged shit, huh?
VIRGIL
I
saw my share. How 'bout you?
BUD
I
saw a lot of the inside of an engine room and a
lot
of sweaty swabbies. I was on three different
ships
that went down . . . Saw a lot of my good
buddies
go down.
VIRGIL
(nods;
painfully)
A
couple of months ago in the Philippines I sent
out
a patrol and my best buddy took it in the head.
He's
alive, but . . .
Both of them go quiet for a moment, thinking.
BUD
At
least we knew what the hell we were doin' when
we
got up in the morning.
VIRGIL
(nods
in agreement)
No
shit.
DISSOLVE:
EXT. ALBUQUERQUE BUS STATION - NIGHT
Many hours later, in the middle of the night, the bus pulls into the
station in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
INT. BUS - NIGHT
Bud's asleep and Virgil is reading "One Of Ours" By Willa
Cather. As people are getting back on the bus, a slim, attractive,
young woman with long curly hair named LUANNE McMILLAN gets on.
There is a defiant, angry look on her face and a coldness in her eyes.
She sits down at a window, the seat beside her empty.
Virgil sees her and his eyes light up. He shakes his hand like
it's on fire.
VIRGIL
(to
himself)
Hubba-hubba.
(turns
to Bud, but he's
asleep;
Virgil shrugs)
Gotta
leave this one to the Marines.
Virgil stands, straightens his uniform and casually saunters over to
LuAnne. He stands over her until she glances up.
VIRGIL
Mind
if I sit down?
LuAnne checks Virgil out with a cold appraisal and seemingly likes what
she sees.
LUANNE
(smiles;
sexy Texas drawl)
Now
what would a rugged devil dog like you want
with
a li'l ol' gal like me?
VIRGIL
(grinning)
Ask
me to sit down and we'll both find out.
LUANNE
All
right. Would y'all like to set down?
VIRGIL
My
pleasure.
(he
sits)
Don't
tell me, you're from Texas.
LUANNE
How'd
ch'all know?
VIRGIL
I'm
a mind-reader. Is that where you're goin'?
LUANNE
Yep.
You ever been there?
VIRGIL
Nope.
But if all the gals look like you I oughta stop
and
reconnoiter.
LUANNE
(grinning)
Are
y'all makin' a pass at me, Sergeant?
VIRGIL
(grins
back)
Smart,
too.
LUANNE
Well
then, let's get to it.
LuAnne leans over and gives Virgil a big kiss. Virgil can't believe
it.
VIRGIL
You
Texas gals don't kid around.
LUANNE
Some
of 'em may, I don't.
Virgil grins and gives her a kiss back and soon they're seriously necking.
The bus driver sees them in the rear-view mirror and raises his eyebrows;
everyone else is asleep.
LuAnne finally breaks away and laughs.
LUANNE
My
Daddy's a cop. He wouldn't like this a'tall,
not
that I rightly care.
VIRGIL
(shrugs)
Daddy's
gotta let go sometime. You're old enough
to
take care of yourself.
LUANNE
(grins)
That's
what I think, but my Daddy says I gotta be
eighteen
before I take care of myself.
Virgil straightens up and coughs.
VIRGIL
You're
not eighteen yet?
LUANNE
(shakes
her head)
Not
'til October.
VIRGIL
(smiles)
Could've
fooled me.
LUANNE
(grins)
I
did.
(She
puts her hand
on
Virgil's arm)
Why
don't ch'all just stay fooled 'til I get off in
Amarillo,
that's purty soon.
Virgil thinks about it for a second, looks around and sees that everyone
is asleep, then takes LuAnne in his arms and kisses her. LuAnne's
hand moves to Virgil's waistband and begins to slide under his belt.
Virgil's eyes pop open, then he grabs her wrist.
VIRGIL
(whispers)
Why
don't we just take a rain-check on that 'til,
say,
October.
LUANNE
When're
you ever gonna see me again?
VIRGIL
(grins)
Who
knows? It's a big world. Anything can happen.
LuAnne suddenly grabs him and holds him tight, whispering in his ear.
LUANNE
(desperately)
Take
me with you, Sergeant, wherever you're
goin'?
I don' care.
VIRGIL
(pulls
away; shocked)
What?
LuAnne's embarrassed, but goes on.
LUANNE
I
don't wanna go home. I don't fit in there.
VIRGIL
(chuckles)
I'm
going back to my parents' house and they'd be
a
little surprised if I brought you in.
(waves
his hand)
Hi,
Mom. Hi, Dad. I brought home this underage
girl
to live with me, is that okay?
LUANNE
(not
kidding)
I
was just kiddin'.
VIRGIL
Why
do you want to get away so bad?
LUANNE
It
don't matter. Forget it.
Virgil tenderly touches LuAnne's cheek.
VIRGIL
I
don't even know you, but if it was any other way
I'd
do it.
LUANNE
Really?
(Virgil
nods)
Kiss
me, Sergeant. Amarillo's just around the corner.
Virgil takes LuAnne in his arms and kisses her.
DISSOLVE:
EXT. AMARILLO BUS STATION - NIGHT
The bus pulls into the tiny station in Amarillo, Texas. It's a
little brick building with a few dusty old cars and a pick-up truck.
INT. BUS - NIGHT
LuAnne straightens her hair, gives Virgil a quick kiss and a conspiratorial
smile, then stands to go.
LUANNE
Very
nice makin' your acquaintance, Sergeant.
VIRGIL
I'm
not a Sergeant anymore. Just Virgil.
LUANNE
Aw
right, Just Virgil. My name's LuAnne. Maybe
somehow
somewhere we'll meet again.
VIRGIL
Like
I said, it's a big world, who knows?
LUANNE
(waves)
'Bye.
Virgil waves back and LuAnne hesitantly gets off the bus. Virgil
stands and goes back to his seat while watching LuAnne through the window.
He sits back down in his seat and Bud wakes up. Virgil points
to LuAnne.
VIRGIL
Oh
brother, now there's a hot little Texas tamale.
You'll
never believe what I been up to.
BUD
(snorts)
I
don't even wanna hear about it.
Bud goes back to his magazine. Virgil watches through the window
as LuAnne is met by a big guy in his forties wearing a Sheriff's uniform.
He is SHERIFF ALEX MCMILLAN. LuAnne and the Sheriff don't look
particularly pleased to see each other. The Sheriff tosses LuAnne's
suitcase into the back of a police car with "Shamrock, Texas, Sheriff"
on the door.
VIRGIL
(chuckles)
She
wasn't lying.
BUD
(doesn't
look up)
Well,
there's one for the books. They oughta make
it
a fuckin' holiday.
INT. POLICE CAR - NIGHT
The Police car pulls away from the bus station. LuAnne and the
Sheriff ride along is silence for a minute. Finally . . .
SHERIFF
Y'all
didn't wanna believe me, but I tol' ya so.
The cold, defiant look has returned to LuAnne's face.
LUANNE
All
right, ya tol' me so. So what?
SHERIFF
So,
if you'd a listened t' me ya coulda spared yourself
the
time an trouble of goin' all the way t' Albuquerque.
I
knew your Ma didn't want ya there, she tol' me so
when
she left.
LUANNE
I
guess I jus' had t' find out for myself.
SHERIFF
I
guess ya did. I tell ya though, girl, I don't cotton
t'
this runnin' away bidness. Don't do it again.
LUANNE
Aw,
Daddy, just lemme be. I don' much feel like
talkin'
right now.
SHERIFF
Ch'all
don' need t' be talkin', ya need t' be listenin'.
From
here on out when I tell ya somethin', I expect
ya
t' do it.
LUANNE
Why?
SHERIFF
Why?
'Cause I'm your Father an' I know what's right
for
ya, that's why.
LUANNE
(defiant)
Ya
do? You know what's right for me? I don' thank
y'all
know what's right for yourself, let alone me.
SHERIFF
(suspicious)
What's
that supposed t' mean?
LUANNE
(looks
at him)
You
know 'zactly what I mean.
SHERIFF
What?
LuAnne looks at him a long time.
LUANNE
(finally)
Aw
right. Whatever happened after that feller that
come
into town last year an' spoke at the Goodfellers
Hall?
EXT. ROUTE 66 - NIGHT
The Sheriff's car swerves over to the side of the road and screeches
to a halt.
INT. SHERIFF'S CAR - NIGHT
The Sheriff turns to LuAnne and the two of them glare right at each
other.
SHERIFF
What're
ya drivin' at here, girl?
LUANNE
Drivin'
at? All I know is that feller come ridin' into
town
on his motorcycle spoutin' his kill-the-Nigras-
and-Jews
talk and the next thang ya know ever'body's
actin'
very peculiar.
SHERIFF
You
get all this from your Mama?
LUANNE
Mama
didn't tell me nothin'.
SHERIFF
So
you got it yourself. What of it?
LUANNE
So,
what Nigra or Jew got lynched? Or was it one
of
the Japs down to the relocation center?
SHERIFF
Nobody
got lynched, Nigra, Jew or Jap. Ya don' know
what
your talkin' about.
LUANNE
I
don't? How come the next day the road out t' Salt
Crick
got blocked off an nobody goes out there no
more?
The Sheriff suddenly gets very serious.
SHERIFF
I
don' know where y'all got these silly notions of yours,
but
you best clear your head of 'em right smart ! Your
dead
wrong in what your sayin'! I don' cotton t' bein'
accused
of thangs by my own daughter, an' I won't have
no
more of it, neither! An another thang, young lady,
there
ain't no point in your runnin' away no more. Yer
Mama
don' want'cha, ya gotta face up to that. Like it or
not
you're stuck with me. Ya may not believe it, LuAnne,
but
I do love ya.
LUANNE
(sighs;
looks away)
I
know ya do, Daddy.
The Sheriff nods, fine, it's all settled. He turns the steering
wheel.
EXT. ROUTE 66 - NIGHT
The Sheriff's car pulls back onto the road and drives away.
A moment later the bus comes roaring past. It travels through
the dark night up a lonely stretch of Texas two-lane. The moaning
and groaning of someone having a nightmare is heard.
INT. BUS - NIGHT
It's Bud. His eyes are closed and he's in a sweat.
BUD
(asleep)
Get
out! You gotta get out! Swim for it!
We're
goin'
down!
Virgil is woken up by Bud's helpless
appeals. Virgil reaches over and shakes Bud's shoulder.
He wakes with a gasp, breathing hard, his eyes blank, not sure where
he is. Virgil keeps a tight grip on Bud's shoulder.
VIRGIL
It's
okay, chum. You're off the ship. We're on a
Greyhound
bus. We're not goin' down.
BUD
(confused)
Huh?
What?
VIRGIL
We're
goin' home. The war's over.
Bud figures out where he is, sighs deeply and wipes the sweat from his
brow.
BUD
It
sure ain't over in my head.
VIRGIL
You
and me both, chum. You and me both.
DISSOLVE:
INT. TOLEDO BUS STATION - DAY
Virgil and Bud both get off the bus in the Toledo Bus Station.
They arrive at a bus loading up marked "Detroit."
VIRGIL
This
is my bus.
Bud suddenly seems very nervous.
BUD
Hey,
what'dya say we go toss back a few?
VIRGIL
(shakes
his head)
I
been waitin' three years for this bus. I don't want to
miss
it.
BUD
(nods)
Right.
You ever get back down here to Toled |
