Gothika Page #12

JENNA:

What are you talking about?

SHELLEY:

She's like an alcoholic. But with

work.

JENNA:

What work?

SHELLEY:

Not safe to tell you. Wish I

could.

Jenna rolls her eyes, returns to her food.

UPSTAIRS:

Parsons watches intrigued as Miranda sits beside Chloeand starts talking. From Parson's POV up above we cansee pretty much the entire dining area.

63.

BACK TO MIRANDA:

Trying to get Chloe's attention. But Chloe just staresat her untouched food, glassy-eyed.

MIRANDA:

I saw what happened. I'm sorry.

No reaction.

MIRANDA:

Have you told anyone? Chloe?

Nothing.

MIRANDA:

Look, Chloe -- the person who didthis to you is not the devil. And

if you can identify him, I'll makesure the motherf***er is arrested.

Now Chloe looks at her, like something finally registers.

CHLOE:

Doctor, did you just say

'motherf***er'?

MIRANDA:

Do you know his name? Maybe yousaw a nametag on his uniform?

Think.

Chloe simply stares. Finally shakes her head.

CHLOE:

Man, you must really hate me.

MIRANDA:

What? I don't hate you.

CHLOE:

You hate me because now you'rejust the same as me. You must

feel so embarrassed.

MIRANDA:

I don't hate you. And I don't

feel embarrassed.

CHLOE:

That's just a pat answer you havebecause you're new at this. Trust

me, I know what I'm talking about.

(CONTINUED)

64.

CONTINUED:

MIRANDA:

(rising)

Forget it, alright?

this conversation.

Forget we had

Chloe abruptly grabs her arm. Tightly.

CHLOE:

You know what happens next?

MIRANDA:

I get the distinct feeling you'regoing to tell me.

CHLOE:

The shock wears off and the guiltkicks in. And that guilt is thereal motherf***er. You'll be

watched 24/seven, because they'reafraid you'll kill yourself. Dr.

Graham will question every harmlessgesture, every innocent comment, evertwitch you make and eventually -- andit's a f***ing tedious 'eventually'

-- you'll stop hating yourself forwhat you did. But what replaces thathatred is this unbearable sadness. And

you don't lose that as long as you live.

PUSH IN ON Miranda. Deeply affected by Chloe's words, as

we -

INT. WOODWARD INSTITUTE - VARIOUS SHOTS - DAY AND NIGHT

MIRANDA'S RESIGNED DAILY GRIND IN QUICK DISSOLVES -

A) Miranda and the other patients line up for meds inthe rec room.

B) Irene keeps watch in the garden as the women gettheir daily fresh air.

C) Wardens watch as each patient enters their cell atnight and the lights go off.

INT. MIRANDA'S CELL - NIGHT

Echoing an earlier scene, we are MOVING TOWARDS her -her

pale skin visible in the dim monochromatic light.

Miranda flicks a look this way and that, alert. Sensingsomething.

(CONTINUED)

65.

CONTINUED:

MIRANDA:

Leave me alone. Go away.

Just like a crazy person. She listens for any furthernoise, hears none and shuts her eyes. Exhausted.

MIRANDA:

I've lost my f***ing mind. Happynow?

Silence. But now the BEDSPRINGS CREAK behind her and she

whips around and starts to scream as a big hand coversher mouth. Her eyes open wide at the sight of Simon, inhis yellow shirt. He shoves her against the mattress andpresses his full weight against her. She lets out a

muffled scream as he uncaps a syringe with his teeth andbrings the plunger to her throat. Straight into herjugular.

SIMON:

(sotto)

This is gonna hurt you more than

it hurts me.

She flails and kicks desperately but he pins her down.

The BEDSPRINGS STRAIN violently and now he's straddlingher, squeezing the plunger into her throat. Her eyeswelling up:

SIMON:

(sotto)

I've always wanted to do a doctor.

She manages to free one hand and yanks the syringe fromher throat. It flies to the floor. He grins, enjoyingthis:

SIMON:

(sotto)

The more you fight me, the harder

I get, pussycat -- so pretty

please, with sugar on top --keep

still.

Simon paws at her clothes as she struggles to defendherself. He finally slaps her free arm down. Presses

his knee against it, immobilizing her once more. Now he

produces another syringe from his pocket. Checks it.

Miranda shakes her head, pleading. A scream stuck in her

throat. But nobody can hear her.

Simon brings the syringe towards her when suddenly wehear a LOUD CLANGING at the door. Shaking it off itshinges.

(CONTINUED)

66.

CONTINUED:

Simon looks up, confused. Nobody is there. The split-

second distraction is all Miranda needs to shove him off

the bed. She fumbles for the discarded syringe and STABSHIS CHEST WITH IT -- squeezes the plunger -

MIRANDA:

(sotto)

Take that, son of a b*tch.

Simon moans as the full dose hits his system and his bodygoes limp. Miranda exhales, coming back to herself. A

beat.

MIRANDA:

Rachel?

No response. Miranda grabs his keys, begins to undresshim.

CUT TO:

SECURITY CAMERA POV

shows a uniformed janitor calmly walking down thecorridor. PULL BACK to see we are in -

INT. SURVEILLANCE BOOTH - NIGHT

A bank of monitors keep watch on the premises after dark.

TWO GUARDS play cards (Uno), bored to tears. A cursoryglance at the monitors produces no reaction. Certainly ajanitor walking down the corridor is no cause for alarm.

EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Dead quiet. CRICKETS CHIRP or whatever it is crickets

do. Miranda steadies her breathing, perusing rows ofunfamiliar cars. She clicks Simon's key-ring buttonrepeatedly until a set of headlights blink on and off.

INT. SIMON'S CAR - NIGHT

Miranda slips behind the wheel, STARTS the CAR. The RADIO

KICKS IN at EAR-DEAFENING VOLUME. She nearly drops dead.

EXT. WOODWARD GATE - NIGHT

The gate GUARD reads a magazine as Miranda's stolen carapproaches. The guard barely registers the driver in thebooth mirror, immersed in his article. Hits a button to

open the gate for him. It opens SLOWLY. S-l-o-w-l-y.

67.

INT. SIMON'S CAR - MOVING - NIGHT

Miranda, sweating, watches the receding image of theinstitute behind her. Turns on the main road. Free.

MIRANDA:

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

She glances back, makes sure no one is following her.

Catches her own reflection in the rearview mirror: the

scared eyes, the haunted face. The new version of

herself.

She flips the RADIO dial: BAD NEW AGE MUZAK. BAD

COUNTRY. BAD DISCO. More BAD NEW AGE MUZAK. She finds

IGGY POP'S entirely appropriate "THE PASSENGER) and letsit play.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Now we are seeing her as if from the POV of someonetraveling alongside the car. Peering THROUGH thepassenger window. Miranda becomes aware of this, slowlyglances over. Sees nothing but her own reflection.

Turns back forward.

We NOTICE the blue cigarette lighter key chain danglingoff the dashboard. Nothing but a long stretch of roadahead.

EXT. MIRANDA AND DOUG'S HOUSE - NIGHT

The neighborhood perfectly quiet late at night. Miranda

parks in the driveway and stares at the empty house.

Steels herself, climbs out of the car and heads around

back.

She finds her SPARE KEY behind a potted plant, takes adeep breath and lets herself in through the back door.

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