Chappaquiddick Page #20

---

UNDERWATER:

Gargan scales the wreckage towards the front driver’s side.

He presses his feet against the side of the vehicle and pullsback on the door handle with all his strength.

It doesn’t budge.

INT. OLDSMOBILE - UNDERWATER - NIGHT

Mary Jo sits in the corner shivering. The metal frame of thecar gives off a low CREAK. Mary Jo looks up with her firstbit of optimism.

MARY JO:

Hello? Hello?!

EXT. POUCHA POND - UNDERWATER - NIGHT

Gargan, desperate and running low on air, yanks the handleback and forth in rapid succession. With all his strength andbody weight, he snaps back. The metal door dimples but stayslocked in place.

Frustrated but not finished, Gargan climbs toward the surface.

EXT. DIKE BRIDGE - NIGHT

Gargan emerges, gasping for air. He steadies himself on thecar and tries to catch his breath.

Behind him, Markham only just arrives at the car.

Markham dog paddles over to the first thing he sees and grabsthe rear tire. It spins out from beneath his hands, and hefumbles to pull himself back up again and again.

GARGAN:

Just sit there, Paul. I can’t saveus both.

41.

Markham hops up onto the rear bumper, his head spinning.

INT. OLDSMOBILE - UNDERWATER

The car rumbles and sinks lower into the pond. The waterlevel rises around Mary Jo, but she doesn’t notice as shepounds against the floorboard.

MARY JO:

Help! Can anyone hear me?!

EXT. DIKE BRIDGE - NIGHT

Gargan swims across to the passenger side. The only sounds hehears are of the waves crashing in the distance and Tedmuttering to himself from the peninsula above.

Ted rests his head against the hood of the Valiant, in frontof the headlights. A shadowed figure with a halo.

TED:

(muttering)

...how could this happen to me...

Gargan’s hand runs across another door handle. He presses thebutton and strains with all the force he can muster. His

hands slip and he splashes backwards.

GARGAN:

Goddammit.

Ted looks up, out into the water.

TED:

If she’s not out of the car by now,

she’s already dead!

GARGAN:

Maybe we’d know for sure if I hadsome help down here!

Ted waves him off. Gargan grows angry and more determined. Hetakes a deep breath and plunges below.

UNDERWATER:

Gargan dives head first this time. He can barely see anythingin front of him beyond the murky black. He grabs the frontpassenger window frame.

Shards of glass poke from every edge he isn’t touching.

He pulls himself in.

42.

The razor sharp points rip into Gargan’s arms, chest, andback. He struggles to go backwards, but the glass only tearsin deeper.

INT. OLDSMOBILE - UNDERWATER - NIGHT

Mary Jo slams her fists against the floorboard. The car CREAKSagain, and she doubles her effort in a moment of hope anddesperation.

Rate this script:4.3 / 3 votes