ACT 5, SCENE 1 INT: RISE CHURCH – BASEMENT – LATE NIGHT
SISTER and MELISSA are alone in the church basement, laughing during a private conversation.
MELISSA:
I’m telling the truth. He was dancing on me in front of all those people. I felt like I was in a Zane novel.
SISTER:
He’s very flashy when he wants to be and persistent when focused. He would spend hours in the bathroom. You’d think he was doing something else other than obsessing over the mirror, if you know what I mean. (Beat) I’ve always approved of you two.
MELISSA:
But with what I’m doing, what I’ve done, what’s happened, I don’t think I can ever go back to him. You can’t tell him any of this.
SISTER:
I know baby. It’s not my place to tell him. But when will you tell him your reason for keeping him away?
MELISSA:
I’m not ready to. He’s still seems like a man pulled in several directions to make people happy.
SISTER:
If I’d let my demons win, I would’ve found death in a bottle, and this whole group would’ve never existed. I saw my son and he pulled me from my darkness. I spoke my truth. There was work I needed to do and a need that needed filling in our community.
MELISSA:
See. You understand me.
SISTER:
I do, but we all channel our grief in different ways.
MELISSA:
If I hadn’t broken up with Omar, I would’ve never been alone that night. I still don’t know how the hell that bastard snuck up behind me. I couldn’t see him. I don’t know how. It was like an invisible force was attacking me, and I was just struggling with myself, but he was there. He was laughing. There are nights I can’t sleep, because I smell him. His cologne suffocated me. I gagged on it. I should’ve fought more. I could’ve checked camera or maybe…
SISTER:
Stop it, Melissa. Stop beating yourself over what you could’ve done differently. That wasn’t your fault. You’re alive. You’re safe now, and you don’t need to concern yourself with that monster anymore.
MELISSA:
I didn’t speak up. I just went home and showered. If I went the police, Amed would’ve found out, and Omar would’ve come running back. I would’ve looked weak in front of him. And I couldn’t let my job know. That would’ve killed my reputation. Stopped my assignments. So I was alone. Where do I go when that monster crosses my mind every day? To think he could be raping someone else right now and I… I’M SO MAD AT MYSELF!
SISTER:
Let him rot away from your mind. If you let that monster linger there a moment longer, you won’t be able to see the angels and blessings in front of you.
MELISSA:
That’s just it, Sister. All I see are monsters. The world is full of them.
SISTER:
So what will you do?
MELISSA:
I keep going. I knew I came to you for a reason. I see my truth now. I know what my blessing is. I know why I focused so much on my work. I’m gonna take down all the monsters that plague the AC.
ACT 5, SCENE 2 INT: SISTER NETTA’S HOME – BEDROOM – LATE NIGHT
LEIGH SUAREZ is wide awake in bed. She finally gets the courage to climb out of bed.
She gets up to leave the room, but just stands in front of the door, hand hovering over the door knob.
ACT 5, SCENE 3 INT: NETTA’S HOME – HALLWAY – CONT’D
LEIGH pokes her head outside the door.
LEIGH:
Hello?
Her voice echoes faintly.
LEIGH:
Sister, are you back?
LEIGH sums up courage and leaves the room.
ACT 5, SCENE 4 INT: NETTA’S HOME – CONT’D
LEIGH is walking down the stairs.
LEIGH:
Sister?
She walks OS past the living room, and then walks back. She steps into the room, fumbling for a light switch.
Once the room is lit, she walks towards the mirror mesmerized by her expression. She looks tired. She looks behind her but the home is still empty.
ACT 5, SCENE 5 INT: NETTA’S HOME – KITCHEN – CONT’D
LEIGH rummages through the kitchen, but doesn’t find much appetizing to eat. She grabs cereal, but the fridge has no milk.
She tries the sink faucet, but it makes haunting noises with no water.
ACT 5, SCENE 6 INT: NETTA’S HOME – CONT’D
DOOR opens to LEIGH staring down into the basement hearing the haunting moans get louder. She looks like she might go…
LEIGH:
Oh hell, no.
SLAMS DOOR.
ACT 5, SCENE 7 INT: NETTA’S HOME – LIVING ROOM – CONT’D
LEIGH is flipping through the channels and eating cereal out of the box. She lands on the news report of AMED killing BEZERK. Headline reads: ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE?
LEIGH hears something.
LEIGH:
Sister?
CU of the front door. CU of Doorknob that stops twisting.
LEIGH stares at the door.
CUT TO: LEIGH cautiously walking to the front door, hand hovering over the doorknob.
LEIGH:
Leave me alone. I’m calling the cops.
LEIGH swings the door open, but no one is out there.
ACT 5, SCENE 8 EXT: NETTA’S HOME – CONT’D
LEIGH walks outside and sits on the stoop. The night life is quiet, few cars and passersby.
LEIGH keeps walking and crosses the street to J-COOL’S VARIETY.
CU of NEBTHET ‘NEB’ ENNEAD stepping out from the dark totting her shopping cart.
ACT 5, SCENE 9 INT: J’COOL’S VARIETY – CONT’D
LEIGH waves hi and hugs JOSE “COOL” COLUMA, who is stocking the shelves. They talk and catch up silently.
ACT 5, SCENE 10 EXT: ASTRO CITY – CONT’D
LEIGH leaves the store with milk in her hand. She is smiling. Just as she crosses the crosswalk, she looks up to see NEB running towards her.
CU as CAR LIGHTS blind LEIGH as they sped towards her.
NEB catches LEIGH and flies her back safely to the street.
TIRES SCREECH to a stop. A DARK TINTED CAR pauses before flying off in a haze of exhaust.
LEIGH is stunned and looks up at NEB who slowly stands up to reveal wings as shiny as any metal constructed from her shopping cart material. It’s like an armor corset.
PULL OUT/NEB’S POV as LEIGH as she cranes her neck, J-COOL runs out of his store to console LEIGH, but LEIGH is focused at NEB flying up and away into the night sky.
END OF ACT 5