ACT 5, SCENE 1 INT. REV’S HOME – NIGHT
FOLLOW SHOT: REV walks through the front door in more pedestrian garb. He is SMILING and putting his stuff down.
REV:
I’m home. There was a line outside the office. They wouldn’t let me leave. I had to sneak out before Sister Netta’s group started. She would’ve pulled me in if I gave her the chance.
REV stops in the kitchen and see that dinner is on the table. Stove is still on.
REV:
Baby?
REV shuts off the open flame and proceeds into the living room.
REV:
Rachel, where are you?
RACHEL MACCABEE – REV’S 40s-50s wife – is caught quickly spinning around to catch REV looking at her. She is standing frozen as if caught in the act. Her hands are behind her back like a bashful student. She turns on her smile and runs up to REV so that she could sweep him in her arms.
RACHEL:
Oh baby, I thought it was gonna be another late night for you.
REV:
Why didn’t you answer me?
RACHEL:
I didn’t hear you.
REV:
What’s that smell?
He sniffs her and she shoves him away lightly.
RACHEL:
I fried chicken for dinner. Stop that.
REV yanks what’s behind her hand.
REV:
Perfume? What are you trying to hide?
RACHEL starts to stutter and shake. She scratches her arms nervously.
RACHEL:
Oh oh okay b-baby. Relax. I-I was just waiting and my mind wandered. You know it wanders.
REV pulls her by the chin up to his eyes. He stares into her eyes and notices their pulsing.
REV:
You’re high again?
RACHEL:
I tried!
REV:
I GOT RID OF ALL THAT POISON IN THIS HOUSE, but you’re still weak! Why can’t you fight the temptation? How many times do I have to lay my hands on you?
RACHEL:
No!
FOLLOW SHOT: REV pulls RACHEL by the arms back into the kitchen. She puts up a weak fight and finally gets dragged along.
RACHEL:
Joe! I’m trying! It’s not working! It’s just not working!
REV:
I need you to be free of this poison once and for all. We all need to be strong and clean. The weak will be trampled in the rebuild.
RACHEL:
Joe, please. Not again. I hate it. It’s like I’m possessed.
REV:
This is the best way. Or would you rather what my folks did to me every time they caught me sneaking off to that whorehouse? Struck until I passed out? Would you rather my fists?
RACHEL (weeping):
No…
REV:
I’m saving you from pain. (BEAT) Kneel down and pray.
REV raising his hand high above his head and hovers it over hers.
REV:
Kneel!
RACHEL burst into tears and slowly follows to the floor. Her knees make a LOUD SOUND when they hit the floor. Crying, she genuflects and clasps her hand tightly in prayer. REV’S large hands hover over her.
REV:
The angel blest me so that I may cleanse the impurities of the world. The same way she made me strong, I will do for you. Woman, pray to God to cleanse you of your demons. Pray it away, woman. Pray!
While RACHEL mutters indistinctly, REV SMACKS his hands onto the top of her head. HEAD to TOE her skin is CRAWLING with thousands worms squirming underneath her. She gasps loudly, eyes rolling to the back of her head.
SMASH CLOSE UP OF REV’S FACE
REV:
Pray! (Spittle flying out his mouth)
ACT 5, SCENE 2 INT. NETTA’S HOME – NIGHT
LEIGH walks through the front door slowly.
LEIGH:
Hello? Sister? Are you home? Hello?
She walks through the house a bit. It’s seemingly empty. LEIGH goes back to the front door and lets JAMAL in.
JAMAL:
You sure she ain’t here? I don’t want you getting in trouble.
LEIGH:
If she ain’t here, she’s at church. C’mon.
LEIGH takes him by the hand and leads upstairs. JAMAL pauses in front of the dark living room. FOCUS on all the MASKS hanging on the wall.
JAMAL:
I can’t believe I’m inside here. Growing up, everyone said this place was…
LEIGH:
Haunted. Yeah, yeah. Why do think I can’t sleep now?
JAMAL:
Are you serious?
LEIGH:
Sister said the plumber’s gonna fix it.
JAMAL (OS):
What’s a plumber gonna do?
LEIGH (OS):
You’ll be the first to know when I find out.
As they continue up the stairs, FOCUS ON the LIVING ROOM. A FIGURE IN A BLOODY HOOD suddenly walks through the living room.
ACT 5, SCENE 3 INT: RISE: AME CHURCH – BASEMENT – NIGHT
SISTER is greeting participants to her support group. They are happy to see her, and she is happy to see them. SHAUNICE’S MOTHER walks into the room.
SISTER:
I’m so glad you came. You’re not alone anymore.
ACT 5, SCENE 4 INT: VINCENT’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
VINCENT’S DOOR IS RATTLING, because someone is knocking on it aggressively. VINCENT opens the door to LOCO and RICKY.
RICKY:
Buenos noches, payaso! Took you long enough.
They help themselves in. VINCENT is smiling and reacts calmly.
VINCENT:
Of course. Come in.
LOCO:
Today hasn’t been a good day for me. Make it better. You got stuff for me?
VINCENT:
Even better. I made a special batch just for you.
RICKY is already at the kitchen table covered in tiny bags of white.
RICKY:
Christmas came early bro!
LOCO:
I knew real family wouldn’t let me down.
VINCENT continues to smile weirdly.
VINCENT:
My family’s dead. You were just a replacement that got big really fast.
LOCO:
You acting mad sus. You straight?
VINCENT:
Never better. I’m not alone anymore. None of us are.
ACT 5, SCENE 5 INT. NETTA’S HOME – CONTINUOUS
LEIGH and JAMAL are lying in bed together, staring into each other’s eyes. He wipes a strand of hair away from her face. He points at something on her chest.
JAMAL:
Where’d you get that button of Shaunice from?
LEIGH:
Some lady at the soup kitchen gave it to me.
JAMAL:
You should get more. Hand them out around school.
LEIGH:
She made it especially for me, <porque estoy muy especial>
JAMAL:
Yes you are very special.
LEIGH is startled by something.
LEIGH:
Do you hear that?
JAMAL:
No.
LEIGH:
Listen.
They listen silently. The house cracks and pipes click.
JAMAL:
Sounds like an ol’ ass house.
LEIGH:
It’s like there’s voices coming through the wall.
JAMAL pulls her face towards him.
JAMAL:
Bump this house and this day. I’m here.
He leans in and kisses her. They start off slow and before they could build up, she pulls away.
LEIGH:
Can you just hold me instead?
JAMAL:
Whatever you want.
He holds her in his arms. They fall silent listening to the house. The noises are getting louder.
ACT 5, SCENE 6 INT: RISE CHURCH – CONTINUOUS
SISTER:
The pain of losing a child can be so unbearable.
SISTER leads a circle group. The group nods along with her for encouragement. MS. WOODS is listening to her intensely.
SISTER:
We here all know that pain well. We go into our dark place for comfort. Alcohol. Sex. Drugs. That darkness can force us to do things we never would’ve imagined.
ACT 5, SCENE 7 INT: VINCENT’S APARTMENT – CONTINUOUS
SISTER (OS):
But be strong. Have faith. There is light shining like a beacon ahead of you. Things will change.
RICKY fills up a bag of the stuff on the table.
VINCENT:
It’s a special recipe. I hope everyone likes it.
LOCO looks around the apartment. It looks and feels very sparse and empty.
LOCO:
Where’s all your stuff?
VINCENT:
I’m cleaning. I don’t need any of it where I’m going.
LOCO:
Did you clean with fucking gasoline?
VINCENT turns his back on them and grabs two green cans from a sink counter.
VINCENT:
It’s not about me anymore. It’s about my son. It’s about God.
LOCO spots a bunch of the green canisters around the apartment.
VINCENT walks to the center of his sparse apartment and sits in a chair facing LOCO. VINCENT cradles the cans in his arms. Tears are running down his face now.
VINCENT:
God has a glorious plan for everyone. Even me.
LOCO:
What the hell are you on?
RICKY studies the cans on the sink counter. He sees the propane sign.
RICKY:
Yoooooo!
VINCENT:
There will be no more suffering.
To the horror of RICKY and LOCO, VINCENT picks up a red fuel jug from his feet and pours gasoline all over himself.
RICKY:
No! What the fuck?
Then VINCENT picks up a lighter. VINCENT is crying. FOCUS on his THUMB on the lighter.
ACT 5, SCENE 8 INT. NETTA’S HOME – CONTINUOUS
In the LIVING ROOM, it remains dark, until the light turns on by itself. FOCUS ON several MASKS in the walls. The more ghastly masks look as though they are screaming.
HARD CUT TO: UPSTAIRS where LEIGH AND JAMAL are holding each other and listening to the house. The noises turn into voices that eerily sound like SHAUNICE screaming.
ACT 5, SCENE 9 INT. RISE SOUP KITCHEN – SIMULTANEOUS
SISTER:
Rev Mac keeps saying it, but I don’t think people are listening. The AC is living through the darkness, and we’ve all been touched by it. Now we are called to be soldiers. We can guide others away from the dark, because we’ve been there. So when that light sparks…
ACT 5, SCENE 10 INT. VINCENT’S APARTMENT – CONTINUOUS
VINCENT has set himself on fire, but he is calmly sitting in his chair as he burns up in flames. The flames reach the ceiling and spread.
LOCO stares at the flames mesmerized. All he hears is wind.
LOCO (whispers):
More blood.
Behind LOCO, RICKY is silently jumping and screaming for them to get out. RICKY grabs LOCO by the collar and drags him out.
SISTER (OS):
…when that light explodes from the heart of darkness like Mount Vesuvius…
As LOCO is dragged through the door, from his POV, behind VINCENT’S burning body, the GOATMAN stands.
LOCO smiles giddily.
ACT 5, SCENE 11 INT. RISE CHURCH BASEMENT – CONTINUED
SISTER:
We will be there to lead the march to peace. Brick by brick.
HARD CUT TO: ACT 5, EXT. 12 THE BRICKS – NIGHT.
LOCO and RICKY are running from the BRICKS. Other neighbors lookup.
FOCUS ON FLAMES leaping out of VINCENT’S APARTMENT WINDOW. Suddenly, the VINCENT’S APARTMENT EXPLODES. The fire spreads to other floors.
END OF ACT 5