Black Swan Page #13

diamond earrings.

Then gathers the other trinkets sitting on the counter and

puts them all inside her bag.

B88

EXT. THEATER - NIGHT B88

Nina pushes out the stage door, and passes the ROW OF

POSTERS.

They now advertise Swan Lake and feature a beautiful

photograph of Nina.

Nina stops and looks at them.

88

INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT 88

Nina slowly enters Beth’s room, but remains at the threshold.

Beth sits in a wheelchair faced towards the window. Sleeping.

Nina gets up the nerve and quietly walks further in, trying

not to wake her.

Nina pulls out the tube of lipstick from her bag and gently

places it on the hospital table.

She pulls out the diamond earrings, sets them down.

Followed by the makeup compact, the pack of cigarettes, a

needle and thread, and an emory board.

A hand suddenly GRABS Nina’s arm.

Awake, Beth stares Nina down.

BETH:

What are you doing here?

Stunned, Nina’s unable to answer.

Beth follows her gaze to the random items on her table.

NINA:

I’m so sorry.

Beth begins touching the objects, vaguely remembering.

82.

NINA (CONT’D)

I didn’t mean to make you feel this

way. It’s happening to me now.

She’s trying to replace me.

Beth sees the earrings and it all clicks in.

BETH:

You stole all these things?

NINA:

I just wanted to be like you.

Perfect.

Beth shoots Nina a dark look and turns away.

BETH:

I’m not perfect. I’m nothing.

NINA:

It’s not true.

BETH:

F***ing nothing!

Beth grabs the emory board and stabs herself in the face.

BETH (CONT’D)

Nothing! Nothing!!!

NINA:

Beth?!

Nina spins Beth around. She is now a bloody version of THE

DOUBLE! She continues stabbing herself.

Nina grabs the Double’s hand and struggles to restrain her.

DOUBLE:

NOTHING!

NINA:

Stop it! Stop!

The emory board stabs into Nina’s arm.

Nina rushes from the room.

83.

89

INT. HALLWAY - SAME 89

She BANGS into a empty stretcher sitting in the hallway,

causing a CLAMOR.

The older nurse looks up.

Nina jumps into an open elevator.

90

INT. HOSPITAL ELEVATOR - SAME 90

She hits the GROUND FLOOR BUTTON, and hides in the corner.

As the doors close, she looks down and sees that, in one

hand, she holds the BLOODY EMORY BOARD.

She drops it, disgusted.

91

INT. UPPER WEST SIDE APARTMENT - NIGHT 91

Nina runs in and quickly shuts the door behind her. Takes a

breath, and notices some blood still on her hands.

A92

INT. KITCHEN - SAME A92

She flips on the light. The room’s empty.

She goes to the sink and washes her hands.

She finishes, and flips the light off as she walks out of the

room.

She pauses, rushes back and flips on the light. The Double

stares at her from the corner, her face covered in blood.

Terrified, Nina runs.

B92

INT. BATHROOM - SAME B92

She goes straight to the toilet and VOMITS.

She hears a creaking sound in the apartment and looks towards

the open door.

NINA:

Mommy?!

She goes out to investigate.

83A.

92 INT. ERICA’S BEDROOM - SAME 92

Nina flings open the door, but Erica’s not in there.

She hears RUSTLING, then WHISPERING.

Nina looks around the room. The paintings of herself seem to

move slightly. Blink. Mouths move.

They whisper:
“Sweet girl” and then start chanting “My turn,

my turn, my turn!”

Nina cups her hands over her ears, trying to block it out.

She hears a BANG and looks towards the door. No one’s there.

She glimpses the mirror, which reflects down the hallway. She

sees her Double rushing towards the room.

Scared, Nina whips around, just as her mother arrives in the

doorway.

84.

ERICA:

What are you doing?

Nina pushes past her, in a frenzy.

93

INT. BEDROOM - SAME 93

Nina closes the door. Sticks in the broken piece of wood.

A pain shoots through her shoulder. She SCREAMS,

instinctively reaching for it.

She quickly yanks off the sweater and looks at the vanity

mirror.

Her back pulsates unnaturally. Tiny black tips poke through.

The door opens and catches on the doorjamb.

Erica starts POUNDING.

NINA:

GO AWAY!

She digs into the open bump on her shoulder with her

fingernails.

ERICA:

Open the door!!!

Erica violently pushes and pulls, jostling the piece of wood.

Nina concentrates, takes hold of the growth and yanks.

Blood vessels in her eyes explode, making the white turn red.

Nina looks at the object held in her fingers: a sharp, TINY

BLACK SPINE. Like that of a sea urchin. Damp, feathery wisps

hang off of it.

The door flings open.

Erica rushes in and finds Nina half-naked, her skin inflamed.

ERICA (CONT’D)

Oh my god...

Nina starts forcing her out the door. Erica pushes back.

85.

ERICA (CONT’D)

Stop, you’re sick!

NINA:

Get OUT!

She manages to get her all the way out the door.

But ROTHBART’S HAND grabs the door frame.

Nina SLAMS the door, SMASHING the hand.

Erica SCREAMS in pain.

Nina slams the door again, and again. The hand now human.

She finally gets the door all the way shut.

She steps away from it, nervous...

She looks down, sees one of her knees SNAP backwards, like

that of a bird. Then the other knee SNAPS back.

Nina stumbles and falls.

And SLAMS her head into the radiator.

SMASH TO BLACK.

TINNY MUSIC plays in the darkness.

FADE IN:

94 INT. NINA’S BEDROOM - EVENING 94

Nina flutters open her eyes. The world comes into focus and

she sees her mother hovering over her, stroking her hair.

ERICA:

Sshh, shhh, it’s okay. I’m here.

Nina looks around, disoriented. Sees her hands jammed inside

thick socks, held on by rubber bands. Groggy, she tries to

pull them off.

ERICA (CONT’D)

You were scratching all night.

Erica helps remove the socks, her smashed hand wrapped in

bandages.

Nina weakly tries to sit up, but Erica pushes her back down.

86.

ERICA (CONT’D)

Rest. Shhh, rest.

Nina gives in, too tired to fight her. Her eyes drift to the

source of the tinny music: the open jewelry box. The

ballerina’s been broken off, all that remains is a single

amputated leg, spinning morbidly on the base.

ERICA (O.S.) (CONT’D)

That’s good. Rest.

Nina’s eyes drift to the alarm clock. It’s gone.

NINA:

Where’s the clock?

ERICA:

Don’t worry.

Nina looks at the dark window.

NINA:

It’s dark. What night is it?

Nina reads Erica’s face. Reality clicks in.

NINA (CONT’D)

(panicking)

What time is it?!

Nina tries to sit up, but her mother pushes her back down.

NINA (CONT’D)

I have to go.

ERICA:

Don’t worry. I called the theater

and told them you weren’t feeling

well.

Nina freaks, struggles more violently.

NINA:

No, I want to.

ERICA:

Lie down!

NINA:

Get off me!

Nina squirms free of Erica’s grasp and gets out of bed. She

gets to the door...

87.

But the doorknob’s been knocked-off, leaving just a metal

post sticking out of the hole.

ERICA:

We’re staying in here until you

feel better.

Nina grips the metal post and pulls and pulls, shaking the

door.

NINA:

Where is it?

Erica calmly sits down in her CHAIR, waiting for the storm to

pass.

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