Lord of Illusions Page #2

SNAKE-HANDLER CULTIST

(angry)

Don't do that!

The Snake-Handler gets up. Quaid retreats from the door.

Snake-Handler picks up the dead snake and, lifting it above

his head, dribbles its BLOOD onto his face.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - "BEDROOM" - DAY

Jennifer enters a gloomy room. She goes to a mattress where

a BLONDE GIRL lies with her bare back to us.

JENNIFER:

Don't be afraid.

The Blonde Girl, BARBARA, turns over. She has a dirty cloth

pressed to a wound between her breasts. It is not the Girl,

of course. She stares up at Jennifer, clearly drugged.

BARBARA:

I'm not... want to see?

She pulls the cloth away. She has carved the cult SIGIL into

her FLESH. The BLOODY KNIFE lies beside her. Jennifer

retreats to the door, and exits back out into --

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - DAY

Pimm is standing against the wall, clutching a CRUCIFIX. He

is ashen with terror. Jennifer snatches the crucifix from

his white-knuckled fingers.

PIMM:

He's going to kill us all...

JENNIFER:

Where did Swann go?

Pimm points down the passageway towards Nix's room.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY OUTSIDE NIX'S SANCTUM - DAY

Swann wipes sweat from his upper lip, then reaches down to

his belt, to check the GUN tucked out of sight at his side.

He turns the door handle.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - DAY

Swann steps inside. Nix's chair has its back to him. The

folds of Nix's robe are visible, however. Swann hears a

muffled SOBBING from the far side of the room.

On the Girl, now gagged and lying amongst bones and filth.

Swann starts towards her, his footsteps barely audible. As

he approaches the chair - the Baboon leaps at him screeching!

He reaches for his gun. The chair topples. The Baboon, half

dressed in Nix's robes, bounds towards Swann.

Swann FIRES at it. The bullet blasts off half its head.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - DAY

On Quaid, who draws his GUN as three CULTISTS appear in the

passageway that leads to Nix's Sanctum.

QUAID:

Stay the f*** away!

(yells)

Pimm! Get over here!

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - DAY

PAN UP from the twitching Baboon corpse to Swann as he

struggles with the Girl's gag. He has laid his gun on the

ground beside her.

SWANN:

You're going to be okay.

Out of focus, behind him, the cruciform sculpture swings

round. Nix is hanging on it, like an idol on a grotesque

altarpiece.

The Girl sees Nix over Swann's shoulder. Terror crosses her

face. Swann turns.

NIX:

I knew you'd come.

He reaches down to Swann.

NIX:

I've got so much power to give

you, Swann. All you have to do

is...beg.

SWANN:

F*** you.

NIX:

You don't think I've got it to

give?

SWANN:

No!

Suddenly. Nix swoops down on Swann. apparently defying

gravity.

NIX:

You're wrong.

He catches hold of Swann with one hand and drives him back

against the wall.

NIX:

I could eat your f***ing soul,

Swann.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - DAY

Jennifer, reaches the door of the Sanctum. Butterfield steps

from the shadows. His KNIFE flashes as it strikes Jennifer's

hand. BLOOD SPURTS.

JENNIFER:

F***!

She retreats, staunching her bleeding hand.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - DAY

Nix has Swann trapped against the wall and is working his

fingers against Swann's temples. Working, working, like a

psychic surgeon plying against the belly of a patient.

NIX:

You want to know what the world

really looks like?

Swann struggles, but he can't get free of Nix's hold.

And now -- horribly -- Nix's fingers slide beneath the skin

of Swann's temples, without a drop of blood being spilt.

NIX:

Want to see flesh with a god's

eyes?

Swann SCREAMS as Nix's mind-hold seizes him.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - DAY

Quaid levels his gun at Butterfield, who is guarding the

Sanctum door. Jennifer is at Quaid's side.

SWANN (V.O.)

Aah!

QUAID:

Get away from the door!

Butterfield shakes his head. Quaid FIRES. The bullet.

strikes the wall beside Butterfield's head. He retreats,

growling like a rabid animal. Quaid kicks the Sanctum door

open, and enters.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - DAY

QUAID:

Swann?

NIX:

(to Quaid)

Here he is.

Swann stumbles into the middle of the room, the whites of his

eyes blood-red.

NIX:

Take a look, Swann! These are your

friends.

On Swann, reeling like a drunkard as he looks up at Quaid and

Jennifer.

JENNIFER (V.O.)

What have you done to him?

SWANN'S P.O.V.

of Quaid and Jennifer. To Swann's eyes, their faces seem to

be MORPHING. Their humanity is MELTING AWAY. What's left is

like a jellyfish with black, soulless eyes: PRIMEVAL MUCK.

QUAID (V.O.)

Swann. It's okay.

Quaid reaches for Swann, who retreats in horror, shaking his

head violently.

SWANN:

Don't touch me. He's got... got

into my head.

NIX:

You want to be like that, Swann?

Mud and sh*t?

Swann turns away from Quaid and Jennifer in disgust.

SWANN'S P.O.V.

of Nix, his arms outstretched in welcome. His face has an

aura of pulsing light.

NIX:

Come here. Share the power.

ON a GUN, leveled. .We don't see by whom. The trigger is

pulled.

The bullet strikes Nix's back and explodes out of his chest.

ON SWANN, staring at Nix.

SWANN'S P.O.V. of Nix, as the aura of light dies.

Just for a moment - a terrible moment - Swann glimpses

something else. MORPHING out of Nix's features. A NIGHTMARE

FACE with waves of DARKNESS emanating from the middle of its

forehead.

Swann covers his eyes.

NIX:

(raging, terrifying)

Swann! Swann!

Nix staggers, letting out an ungodly HOWL, and drops to his

knees, clutching the WOUND. As he falls, he reveals the

ashen Girl, who is still holding Swann's smoking GUN.

NIX:

(a roar)

Help me!

Swann shakes his head, ridding himself of Nix's mind-

control.

SWANN:

Jesus-

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY OUTSIDE SANCTUM - DAY

Pinon stands guard, his gun pointed on several cultists.

1ST CULTIST

(with distressing

confidence)

You can't kill him.

2ND CULTIST

He'll just rise up again!

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - DAY

On Nix, doing just that: rising up. Right hand clamped to

his bloody chest, left hand reaching for Swann.

NIX:

Help me!

Quaid FIRES at him again. Strikes his shoulder. And again.

Strikes his leg. Nix collapses to the ground,

JENNIFER:

Quickly!

They have come prepared for this. Swann now takes from his

jacket the three strange pieces of METALWORK. There are

SCREWS in then all.

NIX:

(seeing)

Swann? What are you doing?

SWANN:

Binding you.

He clamps one of the pieces over Nix's EYES. It fits like an

eyeless mask. Nix thrashes and SCREAMS. Swann lays his

hands on the side of the mask, and � LIKE MAGIC -- his touch

makes the screws tighten of their own accord, grinding into

Nix's flesh and bone with a gut- wrenching SOUND. BLOOD runs

from the screw-holes.

NIX:

F*** you, Swann! F*** you!

Now the second piece, over his MOUTH.

NIX:

Sw�

He's silenced. The piece screws itself into-his head, like

the first. And now comes the third and final piece: over

the nose and into the ears. Again, it screws itself into

place.

Swann has done all he can. He retreats from Nix's body, as

it continues to convulse. We go from face to ashen face, as

each man and woman watches and waits. Why won't he die?

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