At Sea

INT. CAR - HOT SUMMER MORNING
Cars bumper to bumper. HUGH (50), overweigt,
rubs his tanned chest, sweats as he searches for a
space on the busy seafront. He pops an indigestion pill.

ANNE (40s) stares out a window, sour faced, twiddling
with a wedding ring. He glances at her, knows her mood.

                        HUGH
         Look, it just slipped my mind, okay?

He rolls down a window, taps his fingers on
the dashboard. 
The car rolls slowly back. A car horns TOOTS. 
Hugh looks in the rear-view mirror.

                      HUGH (CONT’D)
                    Idiot!
Anne’s mouth twists again, as if to say he’s the idiot.

EXT. BRIGHTON BEACH - MIDDAY
The beach is crowded. Hugh struggles with bags, towels,
as he unfolds a deck-chair, slumping into it.
Anne dumps her bag and strops off towards the sea.
Hugh looks after her but sits up a bit too quickly. The
sun’s glaring. Anne’s a shadow, blurred. He’s lays back
dizzy, and turns away from the sun, and away from Anne,
he sees sun spots.
Anne looks back but sees only Hugh’s facing towards a good
looking blonde. She walks a few steps to the water’s edge.
A wave sweeps in.
 a lonesome gull cries overhead as Hugh, mouth open, struggles
to breathe, clasps his chest - it hurts, bad.
Anne sees sand fill the place where her footprints have been.

                              ANNE
                 I could just disappear.

She looks back at Hugh, sees him reach out to attract the
sunbather’s attention (not that he’s having a heart attack).
 
                              ANNE (CONT’D)
                 No one would even notice.

Anne takes off her shoes, and continues walking, until Hugh
start to become a distant figure, surrounded by a few
squawking gulls. 
A young boy pokes Hugh with a stick and
laughs, thinking Hugh is pretending to be asleep, as Anne keeps on walking.

                                                        FADE OUT: