Carnival Page #10

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ZODIAC:

So he did say something.

He pulls out his hand.

ZODIAC:

And whores don’t count, by the way.

SHIV:

Hell they don’t.

ZODIAC:

They don’t do it for love. Or even

attraction. They just want

something from you.

SHIV:

Like you did back in the showers?

ZODIAC:

(amused)

You just called me a “whore”?

She laughs, coughs as she CHOKES with the smoke.

ZODIAC:

Alright. Had that coming. But for

the record, I’m actually a good

girl.

63.

SHIV:

Who did time.

ZODIAC:

Ever told you why?

SHIV:

No, and I’m done asking.

ZODIAC:

I had this vision when I was

thirteen. Saw my stepfather coming

back from work and then raping my

younger sister. I had tried to stop

premonitions from happening before,

but it never worked. You can change

little things here and there, but

fate has a way of correcting

itself.

She looks out the window in deep thought.

ZODIAC:

Didn’t want to take chances this

time, so I cracked his skull with a

fire poker. Fate couldn’t correct

that. My sister went on with her

life. I think she’s now a doctor or

something. I ran away, got caught

and was tried as an adult.

SHIV:

Didn’t you see you’d end up in

prison?

ZODIAC:

I did.

SHIV:

Then why go ahead with the murder?

ZODIAC:

Told you. I’m a good girl.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE CARNIVAL - DAWN

The DESERT SUN rises once again to bake the carnival grounds.

64.

INT. CARNIVAL STORAGE TRAILER - DAY

Fluffs of cotton float in the air like snow. Tigra HURLS

boxes across the room, getting more PISSED by the second

because:

Every single stuffed toy has been cut open. Butchered by the

thief that stole her product.

SHIV (V.O.)

There’s only one place where I can

stick my knife to hurt her enough

to make her spill everything she

knows. Her pocket.

She freezes when she notices a teddy bear pinned to the wall

with a KNIFE. Shiv’s calling card.

INT. BACKSTAGE TENT - DAY

Shiv plays five-finger fillet as Tigra takes a seat in front

of him. He keeps stabbing as:

TIGRA:

You took my stash.

SHIV:

Correct.

TIGRA:

You have no idea what you’re

getting yourself into -

SHIV:

I know you’re in business with The

Black Rose. When you figured out

Mirage was a mole, you ratted him

out to Ace, who hired the hitmen to

do him in.

His knife keeps STABBING back and forth between his fingers.

SHIV:

Problem was my sister went down as

well. You didn’t want me to go

after your business partner. But

you couldn’t stop me. So instead

you decided to use me.

The knife stabs FASTER.

65.

SHIV:

Ace had been scheming to make a

move on Kayne for some time, so you

partnered with him to make it

happen.

The stabbing BLADE now a blur of speed.

SHIV:

You bullied Zodiac into betraying

me. And she guided my knives

towards Kayne instead of Ace. So I

killed the wrong guy, Ace got a

promotion and now he likely gave

you a better deal in return. And

now my sister’s murderer is still

on the loose while she rots

underground.

Shiv STOPS doing the finger fillet.

SHIV:

What did I miss?

She glares. Not much apparently.

TIGRA:

It’s a big stash, brat. Much bigger

than the amount Ace usually moves.

I need it back.

SHIV:

And I want Ace.

TIGRA:

Ace is protecting us!

SHIV:

From what?

TIGRA:

From the Black rose burning this

circus to the ground to show

Babylon what happens when you mess

with them.

SHIV:

Why would he protect us?

TIGRA:

We travel all over the west and he

wants to use us to expand his

heroin trade.

(MORE)

66.

TIGRA (CONT'D)

(then)

That’s what you missed.

SHIV:

Kayne is on you. You deal with the

fallout.

TIGRA:

I don’t want a war.

SHIV:

And what do you think will happen

once the Black Rose finds out you

lost their product?

TIGRA:

What do you think will happen when

they find out you stole their

product?

SHIV:

I’m a target already. I don’t give

a damn.

TIGRA:

Ace’s gone dark. After the raid on

the Dream Pond, he moved his

headquarters somewhere else. I

can’t find him.

SHIV:

Just like your stash.

Tigra seethes in silence. Weighing her options. Until

finally:

TIGRA:

I’ll see what I can dig up.

CUT TO:

EXT. TRAILER AREA - NIGHT

Shiv walks alone, a shadow in the mist. He shoots a glance at

Zodiac’s trailer as he walks past.

SHIV (V.O.)

I hear the song of a hundred Sirens

telling me to knock on her door and

believe all the lies she’ll tell to

cover up the previous ones. But I

do the smart thing for once and I

don’t listen.

67.

INT. SHIV’S TRAILER - NIGHT

A BLADE cuts across a forearm.

SHIV (V.O.)

I don’t even bother with the

breathing tonight. I go straight to

the cutting.

Shiv’s eyes are lost in deep thought as...

SHIV (V.O.)

The pain washes everything away. I

cut her out of my mind until

nothing of her remains.

He closes his eyes, lies back in bliss.

SHIV (V.O.)

Until I’m free.

The door SQUEAKS open. Zodiac steps in without knocking.

He turns to her. F***.

She takes in his cuts.

ZODIAC:

I used to cut myself too. Back in

prison.

She lifts her dress a bit to show him some cutting scars on

her (sexy) thigh.

ZODIAC:

Good times.

SHIV:

You played me.

ZODIAC:

Thank you.

SHIV:

For what?

ZODIAC:

For pointing your finger at me

like I was the genius mastermind,

when I’m actually just another pawn

like you.

68.

SHIV:

But you knew you were a pawn and

you went along with it.

ZODIAC:

We’re all someone’s b*tch.

SHIV:

Why are you here?

She takes a seat on the bed by his side.

ZODIAC:

To tell you about the vision.

SHIV:

What vision?

ZODIAC:

The vision I’ve been having every

goddamn day since Tigra took me in.

SHIV:

Why should I care?

ZODIAC:

Because you’re in it.

FLASH TO:

ZODIAC’S VISION

Silhouetted against roaring flames: Shiv and Zodiac’s shadow

embracing each other lovingly.

ZODIAC (V.O.)

I see ourselves in each other’s

arms. I’m wounded. Dying.

Shiv keeps holding her, caressing her hair, but her arms now

hang loose at her side and her head tilts back.

ZODIAC (V.O.)

You hold me tight until my body

goes cold.

He kisses her.

ZODIAC (V.O.)

And then you kiss my dead lips

goodbye.

BACK TO:

69.

SHIV’S TRAILER

Shiv’s head is spinning.

ZODIAC:

I die in your arms.

SHIV:

Why? How?

ZODIAC:

I can’t see that... yet.

SHIV:

But can you stop it?

ZODIAC:

Maybe... if I make sure I don’t end

up in your arms in the first place.

SHIV:

So that’s why you’ve been such a

cruel b*tch to me.

ZODIAC:

“Cruel b*tch”. That’s what I get

for opening up and telling the

truth for once.

She takes out a handkerchief, dabs his cuts.

SHIV:

You don’t have to do that.

ZODIAC:

I know. I just feel like relieving

some of the pain that I caused.

She looks up, their faces close.

She moves in closer. And closer.

SHIV:

What do you want in return this

time?

ZODIAC:

Nothing.

SHIV:

Why now? What’s changed?

ZODIAC:

Nothing’s changed.

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