Carnival Page #4

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TIGRA:

Then what’s with the blades?

SHIV:

I’m off to Babylon. Need to loosen

some tongues. Probably cut some.

TIGRA:

You poke the hornet’s nest, we all

get stung. I won’t let you start a

war with the Black Rose.

SHIV:

War has already started. And they

fired first.

TIGRA:

She’s gone, brat. And there’s

nothing you can do about it.

22.

SHIV:

Then you got nothing to worry

about.

TIGRA:

Remember what I told you the day I

took you in?

SHIV:

No.

He leaves as...

SHIV (V.O.)

Of course I remember.

EXT. COOKHOUSE - NIGHT

Circus staff has early dinner, seated at long tables set

under a PRECARIOUS AWNING stretched tight with rope.

SHIV (V.O.)

When we were kids, my sister and I

used to sneak out of the orphanage

to gatecrash into the new Carnival

in town.

Shiv hurries along, his knives now concealed under his HOODED

CLOAK.

SHIV (V.O.)

It cheered up our pathetic lives so

much that when they packed and

left, we decided to go with them.

He doesn’t know that Tigra follows him. Slowly catching up

with him. Carrying her WHIP.

SHIV (V.O.)

Tigra was pissed when she found the

two little stowaways, but decided

to take us in. She had one warning

though:
“You mess with my business,

I whip your ass”.

Tigra SWINGS her WHIP!

WHOOSH! - Shiv hears the deadly whistle - DUCKS his head -

CRACK! - the whip HITS a wooden post - SPLINTERS fly!

Every head turns.

23.

Tigra SWINGS again - Shiv dives under a TABLE -

WHOOSH-CRACK! - the whip SHATTERS a glass jar to FLYING

PIECES!

Shiv raises an empty CHAIR as a shield -WHOOSH-

CRACK! - the whip SPLITS it in half -He

HURLS a knife - it FLIES and CUTS a cord -The

AWNING comes down!

The fabric BLOCKING Tigra’s view -By

the time she manages to PULL the canvas out of her way -She

finds one of Shiv’s knives PRESSED against her neck.

She stares deep into his eyes. Unfazed.

The rest of the circus staff watches the tense standoff in

silence.

Zodiac among them.

TIGRA:

Alright. Go. But you’ll take a team

with you. You need help.

SHIV:

Not from your snitches.

She WHISPERS into his ear:

TIGRA:

I’ll put her on the team.

Shiv shoots a quick glance at Zodiac.

TIGRA:

Don’t you think her eyes could help

your quest?

Off Shiv, more and more interested in her offer...

CUT TO:

A CIRCUS FLIER:

“Dante” is the name of the FIRE BREATHER and the letters are

formed by lava streams spewing out from a volcano. Under

raining ash, the performer blows a hellish plume of FIRE.

24.

The illustration MORPHS into:

INT. BIG TOP - PERFORMANCE RING - NIGHT

WHOOSH! - the real DANTE (30s) blows a huge FIREBALL for his

audience’s delight --

Half his face hidden by a stylish VENETIAN MASK.

He performs inside a circle of fire along with his sexy wife

MARION (30s).

Their hellish breaths MELT an ICE ANGEL’s wings.

INT. BACKSTAGE TENT - LATER

Dante and Marion stand side by side, facing Tigra.

DANTE:

What’s your angle?

TIGRA:

This could be a scuffle or a full

blown war. Need eyes and ears on

the team to keep me in the loop and

help me minimize the damage.

DANTE:

You’re lying.

TIGRA:

How do you know?

DANTE:

Your lips are moving.

TIGRA:

That brat is about to party way too

hard and he needs a designated

driver. That’s it.

MARION:

What makes you think he’ll sign up

for this?

TIGRA:

He liked Ayleen.

MARION:

Everyone liked Ayleen.

25.

Tigra takes a puff of smoke. Lets it roll off her lips as she

stares at Dante with her probing eyes.

TIGRA:

Why did you walk into that

building?

DANTE:

What building?

TIGRA:

The burning building. The night of

the accident.

DANTE:

It was my job.

TIGRA:

It was also the other firemen’s

job. Why weren’t they inside when

the roof collapsed?

She caresses Dante’s mask as...

TIGRA:

Why didn’t they suffer burns on 55%

of their bodies to save that girl?

DANTE:

You could say they made a better

judgement call.

TIGRA:

You could also say you’re a sucker

for doing the right thing.

(to Marion)

That’s why I think he’ll sign up

for this.

(back to Dante)

Because, annoying as the brat may

be, he deserves some answers. His

sister was murdered. He’s on a

righteous path -

MARION:

A dangerous path. Please don’t go

against the Black Rose -

TIGRA:

Listen to your wife. Bet she sounds

like your coworkers that night

right before going in.

(MORE)

26.

TIGRA (CONT'D)

I wonder what would have happened

to that girl you saved if you

listened to them.

Dante takes this in. Gives it some thought. Doesn’t like it.

But he can’t help himself...

DANTE:

I want Goliath on the team.

TIGRA:

Done.

CUT TO:

A CIRCUS FLIER:

“Goliath” is the name of the STRONGMAN and it’s written in

font that looks made of solid granite.

A hulk of a man pulls a tow chain hooked up to the bumper of

a CARNIE TRUCK. A tug of war between man and machine.

The illustration MORPHS into...

INT. BIG TOP - PERFORMANCE RING - NIGHT

The real GOLIATH (30’s). Tanned ladies man. Tight tank top

exposing ripping muscles inked with TATS. He YANKS the tow

chain, testing his strength against a crappy CARNIE TRUCK -

Its tires SKID on dirt - can’t take off - engine SMOKING -

The audience going NUTS.

INT. BACKSTAGE TENT - LATER

Goliath CHEWS tobacco as he signs an autograph on a female’s

fan AMPLE CLEAVAGE.

TIGRA:

You liked Ayleen -

GOLIATH:

Everyone liked Ayleen. What’s in it

for me?

TIGRA:

The opportunity to let it out.

27.

GOLIATH:

Let out what?

TIGRA:

Whatever it is that makes you wanna

wrestle with my panthers each time

you’re drunk. Whatever it is that

makes you like a good brawl more

than I like a good lay.

GOLIATH:

This ain’t no brawl or some stupid

kitty in a cage. This is big, lady.

TIGRA:

That’s why you won’t miss it.

Goliath considers. Spits tobacco.

GOLIATH:

I want a bigger trailer. With AC.

TIGRA:

No.

GOLIATH:

I’m in.

CUT TO:

EXT. ZODIAC’S TRAILER - NIGHT

Tigra is about to knock on the door when --

Zodiac yanks it open first.

ZODIAC:

Hell, no.

Tigra smiles a maternal smile, takes Zodiac’s face in her

hands and kisses her forehead.

TIGRA:

You like it here, sugar?

ZODIAC:

Yes.

TIGRA:

Then you better do what I tell you.

28.

Off Zodiac, visibly intimidated by Tigra’s authority...

CUT TO:

EXT. CARNIVAL - PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Circus lights shine in the distance as Goliath, Dante and

Zodiac march past parked cars. They reach a CARNIE TRUCK

where Shiv awaits, seated on its bed.

He inspects the trio, like a general assessing his troops.

SHIV:

Just to be clear. I’m calling the

shots. Not Tigra.

GOLIATH:

(smirks)

Whatever you say, knife boy.

Shiv hands Zodiac the BLACK ROSE he found with the bodies.

She smells it. For a fleeting moment, it seems like just a

boy giving a flower to a girl, but then her eyes turn WHITE

as she has a -

VISION:

SNIP - sharp SCISSORS cut a flower’s stem --

The hand wears a GARDENING GLOVE embroidered with a flower

shop’s name:
“Elysian Fields”.

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