ACT 5, SCENE 1 INT: OFFICE – LATE NIGHT
OMAR walks through the door of the MAYOR’S OFFICE. Plush seats and carpeted floor. The MAYOR is in a large leather-back swiveling chair with his back towards the door.
OMAR:
Pulling an all-nighter?
MAYOR swings around. He has a half-finished bottle of whiskey in his hands, headphones in his ears, and his tie undone.
MAYOR:
You’re late. (blenches)
OMAR:
Sorry about that. I had to leave a family dinner early and cancel on a date just for you.
MAYOR:
And…
OMAR drops the drugs he bought earlier onto the table. MAYOR’S eyes widen with joy.
OMAR:
The connect took longer than I thought. Also, you might want to rethink your location for doing stuff like this.
MAYOR:
At home, I gotta deal with my wife vomiting her guts out. At least here, I’m alone. The cleaning crew already passed through, and all the staffers think I’m working late.
OMAR:
Or avoiding home.
MAYOR pulls out a glass pipe and magazine from his briefcase. He starts to pack his pipe and strikes his lighter.
OMAR:
I hope you don’t plan on driving. Melissa Day already has it out for you. All she needs is a good scandal with your name on it.
MAYOR:
That’s why I have you.
MAYOR smokes and tosses the magazine at OMAR.
OMAR:
Should I be concerned about touching this?
MAYOR yanks the magazine back and flips to a page with the classic poster of FARRAH FAWCETT in her red swimsuit.
MAYOR:
It took me forever and a pretty penny to find this.
MAYOR kisses the picture and seats back in his chair.
MAYOR:
Ever heard of the urban legend about this photo?
OMAR sighs and grabs the bottle and takes a swig.
OMAR:
Can’t say I have.
MAYOR:
She’s a goddess of golden hair, but is there a subliminal message in her hair that makes us think that? If you follow her curls, it spells sex. This is some MK Ultra level shit.
OMAR:
I don’t see it.
MAYOR:
Cause you’re young and blind.
MAYOR puts on his earphones and chills out to music staring longingly at FARRAH FAWCETT’S HAIR.
MAYOR:
I see it all the time.
ACT 5, SCENE 2 EXT: CANIFF PARK – SAME LATE NIGHT
LEIGH is walking by herself. She is trying to call SHAUNICE furiously. She holds her phone in the air. She yells in frustration.
LEIGH:
Come on. Where the hell are you?
LEIGH stops before she enters the OVERPASS. She looks into the tunnel and looks back around her. She is debating whether to go back or go forward.
She uses her cellphone as a flashlight and begins to take steps forward. Street lights seem to dim as she enters.
FOOT STEPS RUNNING TOWARDS HER.
LEIGH screams even before someone grabs her. It’s JAMAL. He tries to console her. She strikes him in the shoulder repeatedly.
JAMAL:
Relax Ma. It’s me. It’s okay.
LEIGH:
What the hell?
JAMAL:
I had to catch up with you. Momma told me my father was always a knight in shining armor to her. So I can’t let a woman walk home alone.
LEIGH:
Your father was a knight in shining armor?
JAMAL:
You know, like a gentlemen or something. It’s a metaphor. (Beat) Need a friend?
LEIGH gladly accepts his arm and they walk into the tunnel together.
ACT 5, SCENE 3 INT: AC METRO BUS – SAME NIGHT
JAMAL and LEIGH are on the bus heading back into the city.
LEIGH:
So why do you carry around a notepad?
JAMAL:
I write stuff in it.
LEIGH:
Like what?
JAMAL:
Some rhymes. Some poems.
LEIGH:
Really? I wanna hear.
They go back and forth playfully until she encourages him enough to do it. He pulls out his cellphone and plays an instrumental.
JAMAL:
<He raps deeply about the things his mother told him and about his father he doesn’t know.>
LEIGH ad-libs a chorus. JAMAL likes it and continues with his verses until she enters with her chorus.
JAMAL:
That was really good.
LEIGH:
You should think about recording it at a studio. (Her phone rings.) Finally! Bitch, where are you?
ACT 5, SCENE 4 EXT: THE HEIGHTS – STREETS – SAME
SHAUNICE is walking down a sidewalk with no shoes on. Her shoes are in her hands. Her shirt is ripped. She’s distraught. The stores have closed for the night. The street is empty.
SHAUNICE:
I don’t know how I got here. I just ran towards lights. I think I’m in the Heights. Should it be this dead?
INTERCUT BETWEEN LEIGH talking on the phone with SHAUNICE
JAMAL:
Where’s she?
LEIGH:
In the Heights.
JAMAL:
How’d she get there?
LEIGH:
Why’d you leave early?
SHAUNICE:
Loco and Ricky are cooked. I’m done dealing with sneaky ass niggas. I ain’t trusting anybody anymore.
LEIGH:
(to Jamal) Loco and Ricky did something to her. (to Shaunice) What did they do? Are you okay? Let me meet you somewhere.
JAMAL watches on concerned.
SHAUNICE:
The last rule of surviving in the AC: when all else fails, get even. I’m tired of it, Leigh. I need to show you my journal. I’ve written everything down.
Act 5, SCENE 5 INT: REV’S KITCHEN – SAME
REV and NETTA are kneeling down in prayer. Their hands are clasped together. They are praying passionately. He begins to raise his hand over her head.
REV:
Father God, cleanse her of temptation. Make her strong for what’s ahead. For we know the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We know the pull of temptation, but through your power Redeemer, we will be free from all temptations.
He places his hand on her head.
REV:
Dark times are ahead Sister. The angel prophesized it. We must be ready for it.
NETTA nods in compliance.
REV:
We will overcome this.
ACT 5, SCENE 6 INT: AC METRO BUS, SAME
JAMAL:
Is she ok? Loco and Ric can force it sometimes.
LEIGH (shakes her head):
Where are you? Do you need to call the police?
ACT 5, SCENE 7 EXT: THE HEIGHTS – SAME
SHAUNICE:
Fuck the police. I got this.
FOLLOW SHOT: as SHAUNICE walks the side walk, muttering about her revenge from a side street head lights of the DEATH CAR come on. OS the CAR pulls out onto the street. It drives alongside SHAUNICE.
SHAUNICE:
Hold on, Leigh. (To the DEATH CAR) Loco, I got something for ya ass. Watch. (Sticks up her middle finger)
LEIGH (OS):
What’s wrong?
The DEATH CAR drives off and around the corner.
SHAUNICE:
I scared them off. Don’t worry about me. I’m Gucci.
As SHAUNICE crosses the street, the DEATH CAR reverses with BRIGHT RED AND WHITE and strikes her.
ACT 5, SCENE 8 INT: AC METRO BUS, SAME
LEIGH yells into her phone. JAMAL leans in and holds her, unsure what else to do.
LEIGH:
Hello! Shaunice? Can you hear me? Shaunice? Hello?
ACT 5, SCENE 9 EXT: THE HEIGHTS – STREETS – SAME
SHAUNICE’S cellphone is too far for her to reach. Her leg is broken. She’s in pain and gasping for air.
OS car doors open “Ding. Ding. Ding.” Footfalls on gravel.
From SHAUNICE POV: standing above her are FOUR PEOPLE dressed in JOSH’S BLOODY GHOST COSTUME. They pull knives from their backs and raise them in the air.
SHAUNICE’S eyes bulge and she screams.
From an angle high in the HEIGHTS looking down below, the FOUR BLOODY FACES are dark figures that pounce on SHAUNICE.
SHAUNICE is screaming. Her cries echo throughout the empty HEIGHTS.
LEIGH (OS):
Shaunice!
SHAUNICE’S screaming turns to gurgling which continues through
CUT TO BLACK.
END OF ACT 5