Desolated street is dimly lit by a single streetlight. In the circle of light there is a public payphone booth.
By the booth stands POLYPHONIC, trashy-looking guy in his 30s. He plays flute. A rucksack and a cap with several coins lie in the dirt by his feet. A cardboard sign dangles from his neck.
INSERT: SIGN
DEAF-MUTE. SPARE SOME CHANGE, PLEASE. THANK YOU
BACK TO THE SCENE
A BOY (late teens) strolls pass Polyphonic towards the booth. He tosses a coin to Polyphonic. Polyphonic stops playing and snatches the coin. He smiles.
CLOSEUP:
A 20p coin on the Polyphonic' palm.
Back to the scene
Polyphonic puts the coin in his breast pocket. The Boy enters the booth. Polyphonic takes off the sign, puts it on the rucksack, pockets the flute and follows the Boy to the booth.
He stops so that he can see the boy and the phone, produces a pen and a small notebook out of his pocket.
INT. BOOTH - same
The Boy dials.
EXT. BOOTH - SAME
Polyphonic writes down the number.
CLOSEUP ON THE BOOK: full of strange scribbles.
INT. BOOTH - same
The Boy talks
boy
...love you. Yes. I miss you too. I'll be back on Tuesday. I can't wait.
EXT. BOOTH - SAME
Polyphonic nods slowly, listening to the muffled sound of the Boy's voice.
INT. BOOTH - SAME
Boy
I love you too. See you soon. Bye.
He hangs up and walks out of the booth.
Polyphonic steps back in shadow.
The Boy strolls past Polyphonic, oblivious, smiling dreamily.
EXT. BOOTH/INT. BOOTH- CONT.
As the Boy walks away, Polyphonic enters the booth. He places the notebook on the top of the phone and picks up a small DICTAPHONE from the floor in the booth corner.
Polyphonic presses 'stop' button, rewinds, presses 'play'. A few muffled flute notes, then the Boy's voice sounds from the record.
Boy
(from the record)
I love you too.
Polyphonic rewinds and listens to this phrase three more times. When he speaks, his voice is undistinguishable from the Boy's.
polyphonic
I love you too.
Polyphonic puts the dictaphone back on the floor and digs in his breast pocket to produce 20p coin.
He glances on the phone screen. 20p are left from the previous conversation. Polyphonic presses the return button, picks up the return coin and puts it in his breast pocket. Then drops the coin he got from the boy into the phone.
He checks his notebook and dials the number. He waits, then talks, imitating Boy's voice
polyphonic
I love you. I love you. I love you.
As he talks, his voice pitches to a SCREAM, but it's still the Boy's voice.
polyphonic
I love you, you GODDAMN BITCH!I hate you, fuck you, I hate you, you fuckeD slut!
He SLAMS the receiver back on the phone. For a few moments he stands still and looks on the phone, smiling. He strokes the phone gently. Then he presses 'record' button on the dictaphone, pockets the notebook and the pen and walks out of the booth.
He stops at his former spot by the streetlight, gets 20p coin out of his breast pocket and drops it into the cap. Then he puts on the sign, pulls the flute out of his coat pocket and starts playing.