Beauty and the Beast

Dark Spirit

Original air date: 11/27/1987

Transcripted as aired

Writer: Robin Bernheim
Director of Photography: Timothy E. Wade
Production Designer: John Mansbridge
Editor: Howard Kunin
Director: Thomas J. Wright

Cliff De Young = Alexander Ross
Diana Barton = Lindsay Gates
Obaka Adedunyo = Hector Ocala
Jessie Ferguson = Ray Ocala
Brett Hadley = William Coleman
David Erskine = Medic
Carlos Cervantes = Rafael Cruz
David Sabin = Arthur
 

 

 

ACT 1

OPEN: UPSCALE PENTHOUSE
Black tie dinner. Quiet music and conversation in background. A head butler supervises service of seated guests. Focus on William Coleman at the head of the table, obviously preoccupied and feeling unwell.

ARTHUR
I think it’s a legitimate write off in spite
of the new law. Wouldn’t you agree, William?

WILLIAM
Ah, yes. You’re absolutely right, Arthur

ARTHUR
It happens occasionally.

WILLIAM
(whispers to young woman seated at his left)
It’s hot in here?

LINDSAY GATES
I don’t think so.

WILLIAM
I’m absolutely burning up.

William takes a sip from wine glass then observes wine transform into glass full of insects which covers his hands and wrists.

LINDSAY
Are you all right?

ARTHUR
(standing)
I’d like to propose a toast.

WILLIAM
(standing, brushing insects off his sleeves)
Stop it! Stop it!

ARTHUR
(grasping William by the arms.)
Sit down and relax.

WILLIAM
Stop it! He’ll kill us. He’ll kill us all!

William frantically pulls at his tie, people try to hold him, he breaks away stumbles blindly into next room, falls to the floor then flings himself backwards through a plate glass window and falls to his death.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.
Catherine Chandler enters Joe Maxwell’s office.

JOE
(Seated at his desk, hands Catherine a file)
Got a choice one Radcliffe. Wealthy socialite
throws himself out of window. Turns out he
was poisoned by a loyal servant.

CATHERINE
You mean I finally get a case where the butler did it?

JOE
Hey, good help’s hard to find. Suspects
name is Hector Ocala. Cops found the poison in
his room. Lab says it was Haitian just like Hector

CATHERINE
Awfully damning. Do we have a motive?

JOE
His boss left him $50,000 in his will.

CATHERINE
That’ll do. Sounds like this one is open and shut.

JOE
Yeah well, up until about an hour ago.
Now the public defender claims Hector Ocala
is incapacitated. Unable to stand trial.

CATHERINE
On what grounds?

JOE
Get this. PD says Hector Ocala is some
sort of voodoo priest. They say he’s
gone into a trance. Go check it out.

Catherine leaves office.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR OF JAIL CELL.
Hector Ocala is sitting cross legged on his bunk, chanting

GUARD
We get all types. But this guy is too much.
See for yourself. He’s been like that ever
since he got here. He don’t eat, he don’t sleep.

CATHERINE
Mr. Ocala?

GUARD
He don’t talk either. He’s spooking
everybody with that crazy talk. The word
is it’s some kind of voodoo spell.

CATHERINE
Who told you that?

GUARD
Couple of PD’s were down here
yesterday. I heard them talking.

CATHERINE
Don’t believe everything you hear.

CUT TO:

EXTERIOR, COLLEGE CAMPUS. MIDDAY
INTERIOR, COLLEGE OFFICE.
KNOCK AT DOOR.

ALEXANDER ROSS
(Standing on a chair in front of a bookcase, holding a book)
Yes? Come in.

Catherine opens the door and enters.

CATHERINE
Professor Ross?

ROSS
Yes.

CATHERINE
I’m Catherine...

ROSS
Chandler. Yeah, my secretary said you called.

CATHERINE
Have I caught you at a bad time?

ROSS
No, no, not at all sit down. Here let me take this.

Ross lays Catherine’s coat on a chair, ushers Catherine into a chair and sits at the head of his desk.

ROSS
So, what can I do for you Catherine Chandler?

CATHERINE
Well, I’ve been told that you’re an authority on voodoo.

ROSS
Yeah. Much to the chagrin of my colleagues in science.

CATHERINE
We have a murder suspect in custody. His defense
attorneys claim that he’s a voodoo priest.

ROSS
Well, if he’s committed a murder he’s not a priest.
More likely a sorcerer. A Boko, a servant of evil.
Voodoo is full of dualisms. White magic, black magic.
And each has its cult. If you’re inside the cult then you’re protected.
But if you’re outside, then you are the enemy. And their gods
and demons are everywhere; Lowa, they are called. And they
can assume any form, birds, clouds, beasts. Well, they do posses people.

CATHERINE
Scientifically speaking, of course.

ROSS
(rises to his feet and steps to a bookshelf, picks up something)
Well, I can explain it in medical terms if you prefer,
Yeah. Voodoo, long ago, discovered a truth that
modern medicine still resists. The mind rules the body.

CATHERINE
If faith can heal, then fear can paralyze?

ROSS
Or kill. All in your point of view.

CATHERINE
I don’t know if I believe that.

ROSS
(steps forward and places something in her hand)
Here. Look at this. What do you see?

CATHERINE
A shell.

ROSS
No. It is the key to the universe. It is a beacon to the Gods.
You see, in voodoo nothing is what it appears to be.

CATHERINE
Really?

ROSS
Is this intrinsically any less powerful than the
sacred images of all the other religions?

CATHERINE
(extends her hand to give him back the shell)
I guess not

ROSS
No. no, you keep it. For good luck. Look, forgive me.
You gotta forgive me for carrying on like this, about this stuff.
I mean, I have this bad habit of lecturing all the time
and I know you didn’t come here for a seminar.

CATHERINE
No, I didn’t. I need to determine if Hector Ocala’s
trance is a put on. A maneuver to avoid prosecution.

ROSS
See, I couldn’t possibly tell you that without seeing him in person.

CATHERINE
Would you be willing to go to the tombs and have a look?

ROSS
I was hoping that you would ask.

CUT TO;

TUNNELS BELOW:
Vincent walks slowly down a dark tunnel. Interior changes to a lit room. Vincent steps through a crowd of people toward a casket. As he cuts through the crowd, he sees Catherine lying in the coffin with her hair spread out over the pillow. He wakes up from the dream in his chamber.

VINCENT
No... no... no...

CUT TO:

INTERIOR OF JAIL (TOMBS):
Catherine, Ross and a guard stop in front of Hector Ocala’s cell. Ocala is seated on his bunk, his back to the cell door, chanting.

HECTOR
N'oubliez pas moi Papa Ougan!
Evoquez la magie Papa Ougan!

CATHERINE
How is he?

GUARD
The same.

CATHERINE
(Speaking to Ross)
Do you think he knows we’re here?

ROSS
It’s hard to tell.

GUARD
(Shouting at Ocala)
Hey! You got company. Hey!

Ocala turns to look at them. He gets up and rushes forward, reaching through the cell bars toward Ross.

HECTOR
Beast! Beast of the night!
Evoquez la magie Papa Ougan!
Beast of the night! Evoquez la magie Papa Ougan!

Catherine and Ross back away. The guard leads them down the corridor toward the exit.

CATHERINE
(speaking to Ross)
What is he saying?

ROSS
It’s a chant of protection. An invocation
against evil spirits. Most of it anyway.

CATHERINE
And the part about the beast?

ROSS
That was a hallucination, a projection of
his fear. Only to him, it was really there.

A tall black man enters the corridor at the guard station, bumps into Catherine then stops and stares as she and Ross exit.

ROSS
Now look, look. I know you don’t want to
hear this but I think your suspect is for real.

CUT TO:

EXTERIOR AFTERNOON:
Through the window of a shop, a taxi pulls up to the curb. Catherine steps out of the taxi and into the shop. A young woman sits in a chair behind the counter amid an eclectic collection of candles, jars and bottles.

CATHERINE
Lindsay Gates? I’m Catherine Chandler with the
district attorney. I’d like to talk to you about the
William Coleman murder. You were sitting next
to him at the party on the night of his death.

LINDSAY GATES
I’ve already talked to the police.

CATHERINE
Can you tell me anything about Hector
Ocala and his involvement with voodoo?

LINDSAY
I tried to tell the police and they thought I was crazy.

CATHERINE
I’m not the police.

LINDSAY
You’ll still think I’m crazy.

CATHERINE
Try me.

LINDSAY
(steps forward to speak to Catherine)
All right. Hector was a Boko.

CATHERINE
A voodoo sorcerer.

LINDSAY
Even though Hector was his servant William
was terrified of him. We first met when he came into
the store looking for help. A spell, a charm, anything that
might guard him against Hectors power. I tried to help him
but I’m no expert. Everyone thinks I know more than I do.

CATHERINE
What happened the night of the murder?

LINDSAY
William phoned me and insisted that I come to the party.
It was as though he thought my being there would
protect him from Hectors power. It didn’t.

CATHERINE
Coleman was poisoned. He didn’t die of a curse.

LINDSAY
It wasn’t poison that threw him through that window.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR, DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.
Joe and Catherine are walking toward a conference room.

JOE
We roll over on this one we’ll never hear the end of it. Do you
want to go down in legal history next to the twinkie defense?

CATHERINE
All I’m saying is the P.D might have a bono fide claim.

JOE
Radcliffe, please?

CATHERINE
My expert says it’s a protection chant.

JOE
Yeah he’s protecting himself from a long jail term. Now, will
you get back there? He can’t keep up this zombie act forever.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: THE TOMBS.
Catherine is escorted to Ocala’s cell to find two officers placing Ocala on a gurney.

CATHERINE
What happened?

GUARD 2
He dropped dead. No marks, nothing.

CATHERINE
Drugs?

MEDIC
No sign of it. We’re taking him down for an autopsy.

CATHERINE
I want a copy in the DA’s office as soon as it’s done.

CUT TO;

INTERIOR; HALLWAY OF CATHERINE APARTMENT BUILDING
Catherine steps out of the elevator toward her apartment door. As she opens her purse to look for her keys, we see the Ross’s shell. She unlocks the door and steps in, turning on the light. She is stunned as she looks around, the apartment is in a shambles. Furniture is overturned, books and papers are thrown around, and her name is written backwards with a red substance over the fireplace. As she steps further into the room, she sees a beheaded chicken on her table.

CATHERINE
Oh my God!

Looking around she sees a sketch of a face painted in the wall. It seems drawn in the same red substance and closely resembles Vincent.

END ACT 2

ACT 3

NEW YORK SKYLINE AT NIGHT.
INTERIOR: CATHERINES APARTMENT.
Catherine examines the sketch on her wall. She is startled by Vincent’s appearance on the balcony.

VINCENT
Catherine? Are you all right?

CATHERINE
(steps out to meet Vincent)
I am now. Did you see what they did?

VINCENT
Who would have done this?

CATHERINE
I was investigating a man who belonged to a voodoo cult.
He died this afternoon but I’m sure it’s related.
You can’t stay long. The police are on their way.

VINCENT
Whoever did this to you is trying to
frighten you, to control you with fear.

CATHERINE
I’m not afraid.

VINCENT
Good.

CATHERINE
The drawing.

VINCENT
Yes.

CATHERINE
What do you think it means?

VINCENT
It’s a picture of what they're most afraid of.
For them, it has power. You must not surrender to it.

CATHERINE
I won’t.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: CATHERINE’S APARTMENT. THE NEXT MORNING.
Ross stands in front of the drawing on Catherine’s wall. Catherine is seated on a couch, with a cup in her hand. Ross joins her on the couch.

ROSS
If you hadn’t phoned this morning, I was going to call you
and warn you. You ought to see what they did to my place.

CATHERINE
But why? And who?

ROSS
Ocala’s followers, I imagine. Catherine, I don’t want
to frighten you but this thing isn’t over yet, Ocala’s
followers will avenge his death. They liken themselves to the stars,
working at night, touching everything and invisible during the day.

CATHERINE
Well, if they think they can frighten me off, they’re wrong.

ROSS
Catherine, I don’t think you understand. They’re not trying to
scare you off the case. They’re trying to scare you to death.

CATHERINE
I will not drop this. I have two suspicious
deaths and more questions than answers.

ROSS
Well then, obviously I will do everything I can to help you.

CATHERINE
Thanks. I appreciate it.

ROSS
(checks his watch and rises to his feet)
Oh yeah look. I have a class now. Maybe
we could have dinner tonight. Around 8:00?

CATHERINE
(Rises to meet Ross)
Okay.

ROSS
Good.

CUT TO:

TUNNELS BELOW.
FATHER’S STUDY.
Father stands near a bookcase. Vincent stands in the center of the room, scanning a book.

FATHER
You’ll find it under several different names.
Jonjous, Sanneria, Magomba, Voodoo. The rulers of Haiti
have always used voodoo in order to stay in power. But
why this sudden interest in such a primitive superstition?

VINCENT
Someone is trying to harm Catherine.

FATHER
What? With incantations and sorcery?

VINCENT
With fear.

Vincent closes the book, steps over and hands the book to Father.

VINCENT
I’m going to see Narcissa.

FATHER
For what possible reason? I can tell you all you need to know.
I have dozens of books on voodoo folklore, histories, case studies.

VINCENT
Scholarship and belief are two very different things, Father.

FATHER
Narcissa is irrational. She lives in a fantasy world of spirits and demons.

VINCENT
Perhaps, but to save Catherine, that is the world I shall have to visit.

Vincent leaves the study.

CUT TO:

EXTERIOR: CITY STREET. MORNING.
INTERIOR: AUTO REPAIR GARAGE
Catherine is talking with a mechanic who is lying on the floor working on a car.

CATHERINE
He was your brother. He was in perfect health.
Do you believe he simply dropped dead?

RAY
The autopsy said it was a heart attack.

CATHERINE
Not if you believe in voodoo.

RAY
I don’t buy into any of it.

CATHERINE
Your brother did.

RAY
Hector believed in a lot of things. Me, I believe in oil
changes and seat belts. I know how to stay out of the way.

CATHERINE
Out of whose way?

RAY
You ask too many questions.

CATHERINE
Maybe you would rather talk to the police.

Ray stands up, looks around nervously to see who is in earshot

RAY
Hector must have had an enemy. A very powerful one.

CATHERINE
Some people believe that Hector was a very powerful sorcerer, a Boko.

RAY
Do you think a powerful sorcerer would have
to work as a servant? No, a Boko uses his strength
for selfish ends. Hector was no Boko.

CATHERINE
Did Hector poison William Coleman?

RAY
Coleman was Hectors friend. No, Hector’s enemy
killed Coleman to get at Hector. To steal his power. To
destroy him. Just like they will do you if you keep asking questions.

CUT TO:

TUNNELS BELOW: CHAMBER OF THE WINDS
Vincent enters then bends down to brush aside the sand at his feet, revealing an arrow painted on the floor. He follows its direction through several darkened corridors. Vincent enters a small chamber, lit with many candles. An older woman greets him,

NARCISSA
Welcome, Vincent.

VINCENT
You remember me.

NARCISSA
When you were a young boy, you would play
in the Chamber of the Winds. I remember.

VINCENT
Narcissa, I need your help, your knowledge.

NARCISSA
I am a crazy old woman. Hasn’t Father
told you so? How can I help you?

VINCENT
I have a friend who is in danger. Her name
is Catherine. She lives in the world Above. Men have
broken into her home, shattered her mirrors, defaced her walls.
She’s afraid it is the work of those who belief in voodoo.

NARCISSA
The bizango. La culte des morts.
They have placed your friend under a curse.

VINCENT
There was a drawing on the wall.

NARCISSA
Drawing is Veve. It is used to summon the demon Baca, the great beast.
The devourer. No magic is as great as Baca’s. No magic is as evil.

VINCENT
But magic can only touch those who believe in its power.

NARCISSA
No! Magic is power! Power of the words!
Of the powder. Of the fear that curls in the heart like a black worm.
Watch your friend, Vincent. Guard her close. The way is dark before her.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR:
table with a red cloth covering it, someone is chanting, a picture of Catherine is placed in a bowl by a woman’s hands and then a snake.

MALE VOICE
Ayida-wedo, ma deese des serpents,
Quand vous venez, c'est comme un coup de foudre.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: DA office

JOE
Hey, Radcliffe. how’d your lead pan out?

CATHERINE
I’m working on it.

JOE
We put an extra patrol on your block. I don’t
want anyone else re-decorating your apartment.

CATHERINE
Thanks, I’ll keep you posted.

JOE
See ya later.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE
Catherine unlocks the car door, starts it and pulls out. Car swerves to a stop. Catherine sees a snake around her feet. With a look of horror, she opens the door and throws the snake to the floor. She hears footsteps running but sees no one.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: UPSCALE BAR
Catherine and Ross are seated on a padded bench. A low table in front of them holds an ice bucket and two glasses

CATHERINE
I’m still shaking. I heard footsteps running
away. I must have just missed them.

ROSS
I think you need more Champagne.
(pours and glass and hands it to Catherine)

CATHERINE
I may not be afraid of voodoo curses, but I’m terrified of snakes.

Catherine and Ross drink from their glasses

CATHERINE
Hector Ocala’s brother believes one of
Hector's enemies killed William Coleman.

ROSS
Ah well, he may be right. Because you see, I did some
checking this afternoon and Ocala apparently had worked
himself in with a powerful circle of wall street financiers.
He was advising these guys on business matters. Now I’m
sure there are some people that would envy his position.

CATHERINE
The autopsy says he died of natural causes, a massive
coronary. It just seems like such an unlikely coincidence.

ROSS
In voodoo, there are no coincidences.

CATHERINE
His brother believes he was killed by a rival.
How could they get to him inside of the tombs?

ROSS
Brick and iron can’t stop a curse, Catherine.

CATHERINE
I don’t believe in curses.

ROSS
Yeah, but Hector Ocala did. If you
believe that magic can kill, then it can.

CATHERINE
Alexander, that drawing on the wall
of my apartment. The creature?

ROSS
The beast. La Bête Noir, or Baca, as he is sometimes called.
A terrible evil demon, who rends men apart and feasts on their flesh.

CATHERINE
Why? I mean, the rest of it makes a kind of certain
sort of twisted sense. But why that drawing?

ROSS
To make you afraid, Catherine. To show you the face of Baca,
the demon that will destroy you. But then if you don’t believe, then no
harm can come to you. And there are much nicer things to believe in.

CATHERINE
(uncomfortable)
Is it hot in here?

ROSS
Not particularly.

CATHERINE
I feel like I’m burning up.

ROSS
Well you’ve had a long day. I’ll take you home.

CATHERINE
Okay.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: SORCERER’S ROOM
Photos of Ocala and William Coleman are on the table. A picture of Catherine is being placed in the bowl with a large spider. The sound of a male voice, chanting. Pan up to reveal Ross chanting.

ROSS
(Lifting a chalice in salute.)
Oh, Lord Baca, your strength is our strength.
Under your protection, nothing can harm us.

Lindsay steps up to hand Ross a jar from which he pours a liquid into as Ross the chalice.

ROSS
(Pours more liquid into the chalice)
Nothing can affect us. Your magic is
invincible. Come to us, Lord Baca.

Ross drinks from the chalice as Lindsay watches.

ROSS
Help us to destroy our enemies.

CUT TO"

INTERIOR: CATHERINE’S BEDROOM:
Sleeping restlessly, Catherine wakes, turns on the light and sees spiders all over the bed. Screaming, she jumps up on the bed brushing them off with a pillow.

CUT TO:

TUNNELS BELOW: VINCENT’S CHAMBER:
Vincent reacts as he senses Catherine’s fear.

END ACT 3

ACT 4

NEW YORK SKYLINE, MORNING
INTERIOR: CATHERINE’S APARTMENT
Dresses in a robe and gown, Catherine carrys a tray with tea to the table. There is a knock on the door, She opens it.

CATHERINE
Hi.

ROSS
(Steps inside and removes his coat)
Hi.

CATHERINE
Thanks of coming.

ROSS
It’s all right.

CATHERINE
I’m sorry; I’m a wreck. I didn’t sleep last
night at all. I made some tea. Let me get it.

ROSS
(Ushers Catherine to the couch)
No, no, no. Look, why don’t you sit right down here and relax?
That’s right, sit. And I’m going to bring you a hot cup of tea.

CATHERINE
I don’t know what to do. How are they
getting in? How are they getting past security?

As Ross turns his back to Catherine, he removes a vial from the pocket of his slacks. He steps to the table and pours something into a teacup.

ROSS
Well, I’m going to do all I can today, to find you some answers.

Ross carries the teacup back and hands it to Catherine, then sits down beside her.

ROSS
Here, this will make you feel better.

CATHERINE
(Sips the tea)
Thanks.

ROSS
Good?

CATHERINE
Good. I must have sounded pretty hysterical when I called.

ROSS
Under the circumstances, I thought you sounded remarkably cool.

Ross brushes her hair out of her eyes then moves closer to massage her neck.

CATHERINE
Hmm. Oh, that feels good.

ROSS
Good. That’s good.

Catherine falls asleep sitting up on the couch. She wakes up sometime later with Ross still seated beside her.

CATHERINE
I do feel better.

ROSS
Well, I’m glad. And I would really like to stay here
but I can’t miss this department meeting today.

Ross rises and puts on his coat. Catherine follows him to the door.

ROSS
I’ll call you later.

CATHERINE
Okay.

Catherine stares up at him with a wide-eyed, vacant look. Ross kisses her lips then caresses her hair.

ROSS
I’m here if you need me. Remember that.

Ross leaves the apartment. Catherine picks up the cup of tea from the coffee table and seeing the shell picks that up as well.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
JOE’S OFFICE
Joe is seated at his desk. Catherine stands in front of it. Her hair is unkempt; she is dresses in sweat clothes without makeup. She seems agitated as she rubs her neck and shoulder in a compulsory manner.

JOE
Spiders? In your bed? You gotta be kidding me. I mean,
tell me you’re kidding me, Radcliffe. It had to be a dream.

Joes stands and comes around his desk to face her.

CATHERINE
It was no dream.

JOE
Real spiders?

CATHERINE
You don’t believe me.

JOE
Well, just listen to yourself for a minute.

CATHERINE
I might as well. Nobody else will listen to me!

JOE
Look, we’re trying to find out who trashed your apartment,
Cathy. Give me a break, huh. I’m gonna put you on
something else. We’ve got a heavy case load here.

CATHERINE
What about the William Coleman murder?

JOE
You’re beating a dead horse. Hector Ocala killed
Coleman. Ocala is dead, natural causes! That’s all she wrote.
It was a coincidence. Next case. Let’s move on, huh?

Catherine looks down at a pile of files on Joe’s desk and sees blood pouring between them.

JOE
What’s wrong?

CATHERINE
(terrified)
Don’t you see it?

JOE
What?

CATHERINE
On your desk!

She watches as the blood drips down to pool on the floor.

JOE
What? Are you all right? Are you okay?

She squeezes her eyes shut then opens them again. The blood is gone and the files are normal.

CATHERINE
I’m fine.

JOE
Cathy, I think you need to sit down.

Joe come towards her reaching out to touch her face. Catherine sees blood on his hands, screams and beats him away.

CATHERINE
No! Don’t touch me!

JOE
What the hell is wrong with you? Cathy!

CUT TO;

INTERIOR: RESTROOM
Catherine splashes water on her face. As she dries her face and neck with a paper towel, she looks in the mirror: she sees bloody slash marks on her face. She backs away, terrified.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: CATHERINE’S DESK IN THE D.A’s OFFICE
With her hands covering her face, Catherine makes her way to her desk, picks up her phone and dials a number.

CATHERINE
Professor Ross, please. He has to be there!
This is Catherine Chandler. If you would have
him call me right away. Yes, it’s an emergency!

Catherine slams the phone down as Joe and Edie come to her, standing on either side of her.

EDIE
Hey, girlfriend? You okay?

CATHERINE
I’m just tired. Didn’t get much sleep last night.

Catherine sits down at her desk and begins to shuffle papers around. Joe and Edie glance at each other, concerned.

CATHERINE
If you would just let me get back to work...

JOE
The work can wait, Cathy. Maybe
you should take the rest of the day off.

EDIE
Yep, that’s right. Come on. I’ll go with you. We’ll go
get some ice cream and watch the soaps. Let’s go.
(Edie pulls her hand to get her up)

JOE
Go ahead. Do you some good.

CATHERINE
(Snatches her hand away from Edie)
Why are you both trying to get rid of me?
Okay, I’ll go. But I don’t need any help.

Catherine hurries out of the office, bumping into a co-worker. When she looks at his face, she sees it as horribly disfigured. She stares at him in horror then runs out.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: CATHERINE’S APARTMENT
Catherin enters her apartment then goes to the bathroom and sees more cuts on her face. She cries out then hears Vincent’s tap on the balcony door. She absentmindedly picks up the shell from the counter and goes out to him hysterical.

CATHERINE
Look at me! Look at what’s happened!

VINCENT
It’s in your mind. It isn’t real...

CATHERINE
Of course, it’s real!

Catherine sobs then looks at her hands and see them covered with boils.

CATHERINE
Look at my hands!

VINCENT
(Noticing the shell in her hand)
What is that?

CATHERINE
(Clutching the shell )
No! My shell.

VINCENT
Let me see the shell. You must let me help you.

Catherine sees Vincent’s face as distorted. As she clutches at the shell, she seems to be hallucinating and totally irrational.

CATHERINE
You’re doing this to me!

VINCENT
How? I could never hurt you!

CATHERINE
I don’t know you!

VINCENT
Catherine?... It’s Vincent!

CATHERINE
You’re one of their demons. You are! You are!
I saw the picture in my room!
Stay away. Don’t come any closer.

As Vincent steps closer, Catherine backs away to the balcony. Confused and frightened, Vincent roars her name.

VINCENT
Catherine! Catherine!!
You’re my life. Tell me what I can do.

CATHERINE
(Looks at the shell)
Don’t you ever come back.

VINCENT
I can’t leave you|

CATHERINE
I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!

Vincent stumbles backward as if he had been struck.

CATHERINE
I hate you. I hate you.

VINCENT
Even in this terrible darkness,
I’m with you. I’ll never leave you.

Catherine carefully inches past him, reentering her apartment.

CATHERINE
You stay away!

Catherine picks up the phone, shell in hand and dials a number.

CATHERINE
(trembling voice)
Alexander? Please... help me!

Vincent stands on her balcony, listening.

END ACT 4

ACT 5

EXTERIOR: OVERLOOKING CENTRAL PARK. NIGHT
INTERIOR: CATHERINE’S APARTMENT
Catherine is sitting in front of her makeup mirror applying heavy eye makeup.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: ROSS’S APARTMENT.
Focus on a cow’s skull mounted on the wall. There is a knock on the door. When Ross opens the door, Lindsay steps inside and looks around.

ROSS
Ah.

LINDSAY
Where is she?

ROSS
She’ll be here soon. What, what, what’s the matter?

LINDSAY
Nothing.

ROSS
Good. Now is no time to lose your faith.
We’re so close. I can feel it.

Ross cups Lindsay’s face with his hands and kisses her.

LINDSAY
I’ll light the candles.

ROSS
Yes.

Lindsay removes her wrap and walks into the room toward the table with the red table cloth. Fifteen red taper candles line the table. Pictures of William Coleman, Hector Ocala and Catherine lean against three black pillar candles.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: CATHERINE’S APARTMENT
Catherine wearing red spike heels and a provocative red dress. She is adjusting an elaborate arm bracelet then lifts her hair to reveal elaborate hanging earrings.

CUT TO:

TUNNELS BELOW: NARCISSA’S CHAMBER
Narcissa sit amid several candles and clear glass jars. Vincent sits beside her.

NARCISSA
It’s the powder. The powder takes away the soul.
The powder.

VINCENT
A drug?

NARCISSA
The shell opens the door. She clings to it. Believes
in it. She will die, Vincent. She is already dead.

VINCENT
(Rises to his feet)
I must go to her.

NARCISSA
No! The evil one will take away
your soul! He has great power.

VINCENT
He preys on weakness. He has no power.

Vincent stalks out of the chamber.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: CATHERINE’S APARTMENT.
Catherine is putting on lipstick.

CUT TO:

INTERIOR: ROSS’S APARTMENT
Ross stands at the table lit by candles. Lindsay hands him a dagger.

ROSS
For those who wish to harm us, there is no escape.

Ross lays the dagger on the table in front of Catherine’s picture. There is a knock at the door. Ross opens the door and Catherine stumbles in.

ROSS
Come.

CATHERINE
(weakly, dizzy)
Help me.

ROSS
I will. I will free you. I will fill you with power.