EXT. AMITY BEACH - DAY A plump jelly-bowl of a woman plunges into the ocean. There's enough there to satisfy the most gluttonous shark. Buoyant, joyful, she splashes away in abandon. From her, we pan off to reveal other cheerful bathers enjoying that last uncluttered weekend before the season starts in earnest. ANGLE ON THE WATERLINE A Man and his dog are romping at the water's edge. The Man is throwing a stick out into the surf, the dog, a happy retriever, is bounding into the waves after it. TWO YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE BEACH A Girl and her Boyfriend leave their blanket and run for the water, playing tag, chasing each other, having a wonderful time. ANGLE ON BIRTHDAY PARTY ON THE SAND - MARTIN AND ELLEN BRODY He is sitting stiffly in a beach chair, scanning the beach with careful, cautious looks, eyeballing everything that's going on. Around their particular blanket and umbrella are a number of adults and their kids, the youngsters gathered to celebrate Michael's birthday. Ellen is dishing out ice cream and cake from a cooler chest to the raucous 10-year-olds. Michael's hand is still bandaged. MAX TAFT (an adult) Looks like another big season. Gets worse every year. MRS. TAFT And none of them from the Island. Just a lot of bother. Brody (and we) hear a shrill scream from the water. He stretches to look past the group, to see what's happening out there. BRODY'S POINT OF VIEW - THE WATER The young lady is disappearing under the water, pulled under the waves by some force. She is shrieking. She pops right up again riding the shoulders of her boyfriend, who pulled her under. She's laughing hysterically. Brody is unamused. THE ADULTS BRODY (to Taft) What? TAFT Present company excepted, but off- islanders are a pain in the bu*t. Pardon my French. Ellen captures Sean, and holds him playfully, an example. ELLEN What about this kid? What if he were born here. That make him an islander? TAFT Just 'cause a cat has kittens in an oven, it don't make them muffins. SEAN I'm not a muffin! I'm a boy! Brody rumples his hair and sets him off to play. ANGLE ON ANOTHER SMALL BOY, PLAYING ALONE It's Alex Kintner, and his mother, nearby, reading a novel. Alex is towing a funny rubber raft, and headed for the water. MRS. KINTNER Alex! Alex Kintner! Where do you think you're going? ALEX Water. Just once more, please? MRS. KINTNER Let me see your fingers -- He holds out his hands. MRS. KINTNER They're beginning to prune. 10 minutes more. Alex starts for the ocean. Behind him, Michael and his gang are also heading for the inviting waves. Brody is watching them go, his spine rigid with tension. MAN AND HIS DOG As Alex and the boys hit the water, we see the man throwing his stick into the waves, his dog swimming strongly after it. BRODY'S POINT OF VIEW Out beyond the kids and the dog, the Fat Lady is bobbing around, out way too far, isolated from the other swimmers. UNDERWATER VIEW - EXT. - DAY A fish's-eye view of the bathers: lots of little kicking legs, rafts with tasty arms dangling in the blue, slowing circling, favoring one raft (little Alex's). The Kintner boy's legs and arms are kicking and paddling, producing bizarre underwater vibrations of more than pa**ing interest. Dog goes by, dog-paddling along. ON THE BEACH Brody is half-rising, looking out over the water. The Fat Lady is not where he remembered her. He scans the water anxiously. ELLEN Do you want the boys to come in? Honey, if you're worried... A Black Object swims across the water. It's the dog, breasting against the surf. ANGLE ON THE WATER - BRODY'S POINT OF VIEW It's the Fat Lady, floating, relaxing. A black object swims up to her. It's not the dog. It rears up out of the water. It's a man in a black bathing cap. They exchange distant pleasantries, he strokes away. ANOTHER ANGLE - WATER Alex Kintner, paddling around, making boat sounds, tooting, going "vroom, vroom." ANGLE ON THE BOY AND GIRL They kiss, embrace, kiss again. Strong stuff. They sink beneath the waves, knotted in an embrace. ANGLE ON MICHAEL BRODY AND HIS FRIENDS He's trying to salvage a soggy piece of birthday cake, holding it above the water, paddling with his other hand. The bandage has come part way loose, and his cut is trailing in the water. BRODY AND ELLEN ON THE BEACH Ellen is rubbing suntan oil on his back, and he is allowing himself to relax part way. His eyes still nervously scan the beach in a constant surveillance. Mr. Keisel is coming out of the water, toweling off vigorously, exclaiming to himself. BRODY (to Keisel) How's the water? KEISEL Too cold. I'm going in again Labor Day. Hope we get this weather next weekend. ELLEN You're very tight, y'know? (digs in) Right there. BRODY Ow. (he sees something) He's gotta be more careful in the water... ANGLE ON THE GANG PLAYING IN THE WATER Michael has just been drenched. He splashes back. A big waterfight ensues, the boys splashing and chopping at the water, shouting battle cries and karate whoops. Alex is paddling around near them, but not involved with them. ALONG THE WATERLINE ON THE BEACH The Man with the Dog is whistling into the ocean, looking for his dog. DOG MAN Buster! Hey, Buster! Here boy! (whistles) He continues to ad lib calling his dog, but there's no answer, no dog in the water. THE WATERFRONT A huge splash explodes in the water near the gang, an eruption of foam and spray that stops everyone cold for a moment. They stop to see who was responsible. A KID (MATHEW) Hey, no fair splashing in the eyes! Before anyone can answer, another kid (P.J.) renews the battle, whooping a karate cry, and slashing at the water with his hand like a little kung-fu warrior, advancing through the waves. CLOSE ON MATHEW, SPLASHING BACK He hits the water, which sprays up suspiciously pink. He stares at it, surprised. CLOSE ON P.J. His hands are dripping deep pink, the red matting his hair, running into his eyes. He looks down. The boys are surrounded with a deep pink slick, their little bodies ringed by a spreading stain of blood. ANGLE ON SHORE, A TOURIST AND HIS WIFE He's pointing frantically out to sea. TOURIST Something in the water. Right there! Didn't anyone see it? WOMAN There's blood in the water. ANGLE ON BRODY He leaps to his feet, nearly knocking Ellen over, and starts for the water. ELLEN What is it...? Brody is pelting towards the water. He kicks sand over an annoyed Mrs. Kintner, who looks up, just in time to hear Brody's bellow. BRODY Michael! Sean! Out of the water. Everybody out of the water! Michael! Get out! His urgency communicates itself to the others. Ellen snatches Sean up from where he's been playing in the sand. Other parents are calling their kids, hysteria mounting. People rush into the water, dragging their children and families bodily out of the ocean. The first kids coming out of the surf are frantically trying to wash the sticky blood off their bodies. The sight of the red sends the beach into a full panic. CLOSE ON BRODY He rushes into the water, up to his ankles, and suddenly stops, unable to move into deeper water. He is urging Michael out, holding his hands out to his son, who is slogging through the surf towards his dad. He stands there immobilized by the water, nervously helping people out of it onto the beach. ANGLE ON MICHAEL As he emerges from the water, Alex Kintner's raft washes in behind him, ripped in half, the water pink, the foam spreading the stain onto the sand as the wave breaks. ANGLE ON MRS. KINTNER Her voice rising into panic and hysteria with each unanswered cry. MRS. KINTNER Alex! Alex? Alex...!