Lost Souls Page #14

Peter pulls up in his Range Rover across the street from the

playground. He gets out of his car and crosses the street.

As Peter walks closer, he sees Maya. She's sitting on a

swing, looking off into space, rocking ever-so-slightly back

and forth, a pile of smoked, crushed cigarettes and her

shoulder bag at her feet.

EXT. PLAYGROUND - DAY

Standing beside Maya is an agitated DAY-CARE WORKER. Their

conversation is FAINTLY AUDIBLE. Across the yard, a SECOND

DAY-CARE WORKER is shepherding the last of the kids back

inside the center. The children are carefree and

rambunctious, unaware of the adult drama taking place around

them.

DAY-CARE WORKER

Go on, get them inside!

(sympathetically to Maya)

Look, you don't have a job here anymore.

They want you to leave.

CLOSE ON:

Maya's face. She's devastated. In the b.g., a YOUNG GIRL

does a triple on the roll bar. Three girls and one boy

compete for distance on the monkey bars.

The Latino Boy and one of his friends LAUGH and break free

from the line heading back to the school. They circle back

toward Maya and swoop by her, waving exuberantly, then return

to the line and go into the school. The day-care worker

follows them as:

Peter walks through the gate. He walks fast toward Maya, who

sees him coming, from a distance. Maya continues rocking

ever so gently on her swing. Peter puts out his hands and

stops it. Stares at her, scared.

PETER:

(lost)

I don't understand what's going on.

MAYA:

There's no reason why you should.

(tells him as gently as

possible)

This has been planned from your birth.

You fit all the criteria that we know

of. Never baptized, born of incest,

devoid of faith...

PETER:

But I was baptized. And I certainly

wasn't born of incest.

MAYA:

You were not baptized. At least I don't

believe it was Christian. Your baptism

was performed by your uncle, James

McKenzie.

PETER:

Yes, I know.

MAYA:

The only baptism he ever performed in

seven years as pastor at Bedford.

PETER:

So what?

MAYA:

Seven years. One baptism? He's your

mother's only brother

PETER:

Yes.

Maya stares at Peter.

MAYA:

Do you know your parents' blood types?

PETER:

I looked at the coroner's report. My

father's O positive and my mother...A

negative.

MAYA:

(taking this in a gasp of air)

Peter, your blood-type is AB negative.

There's no way your birth father can be

O positive. You father is not who you

think he is.

PETER:

(really shaken)

So...then the coroner's report is

probably wrong. I mean...this is

ridiculous. There's been a mistake. I

don't believe any of this.

MAYA:

Then why are you here?

That silences Peter. He sits heavily in the swing next to

her.

MAYA (CONT'D)

Peter, I believe your baptism was

perverted. Look at your certificate.

Your mother was the only witness to it.

Your blood-type doesn't match who you

thought your father was. Peter...I'm

sorry.

PETER:

(desperate)

And if what you're saying is true, what

would happen to me?

MAYA:

I don't know.

(beat)

I do know that people who are possessed

have to accept evil in some way. I

don't know if it works the same way in

this instance. I don't even know when

it's going to happen.

Peter looks at Maya for solace, but there is none. He

glances away, runs a hand through his hair and...

PETER:

When Townsend tried to kill me, he said

something strange like...

(struggles to remember)

"The time of transformation is near..."

MAYA:

(putting something together)

Townsend, he had some of Father's books.

EXT. ROUTE 23 - NIGHT

As night falls, the Range Rover moves out of the suburbs and

deeper into the countryside. There's a bright moon. The

highway is a ribbon of silver.

EXT. RURAL ROAD- LATER THAT NIGHT

Their car pulls up to a dirt driveway. Bordered by sagging

fences, the mail box reads "Townsend." At the end of the

driveway is a two-story, weather-beaten farmhouse with a

garage. There are no lights on. Maya says a silent prayer

and steels herself.

EXT. FRONT OF TOWNSEND'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

The ground floor windows are shuttered. Maya tries the front

door. It's locked. Peter walks to the end of the porch,

looking for another entrance. Maya looks at the door, then

jams her elbow through a small pane of glass next to the

doorknob, breaking it.

PETER:

(inward smile at Maya)

Okay.

INT. FRONT HALL - NIGHT

Peter and Maya enter the dark hall. Peter reaches for a

light switch and flips it on. They see a hallway in front of

them, stairs to the right and living room off to the left.

For a moment, they stand in silence. Peter opens a closet

door, glancing inside.

PETER:

What are you looking for exactly?

MAYA:

The books themselves or maybe some pages

he ripped out.

Maya walks into the living room.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The furniture is shabby and worn. There's a battered sofa, a

new TV and a coffee table. Maya goes to the table and

quickly looks through a pile of magazines. Peter enters and

makes a fast tour of the room. Maya gestures towards the

entrance of an adjacent room.

MAYA:

In here.

INT. LIBRARY - NIGHT

Maya turns on a standing lamp. This room looks more

promising. There's an old piano in one corner. On one wall

are two bookshelves. And next to a set of wooden chairs is a

small reading table. Maya starts scanning the rows of books.

Peter is immediately drawn to the table where he sees new

copies of his books. Chilled, Peter turns to Maya.

PETER:

He's got all my books.

Maya looks over at Peter.

MAYA:

We needed to know all we could.

PETER:

I'm going to look around.

INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT

Peter crosses the hallway into the dining room.

INT. DINING ROOM

The room's dominated by a long wooden dining table, covered

with a chintz tablecloth. The window shutters are open and

moonlight streams in.

Peter tries the light switch. It doesn't work. He walks

around the room - and is spooked by a glimpse of movement.

It's his own reflection in a mirror. He sees a closet door

and opens it. Inside, it's totally dark. He pulls a hanging

cord. A light goes on revealing a small pantry filled with

canned goods, foodstuff.

Peter goes to the other side of the pantry and opens another

door.

INT. LIBRARY - NIGHT

Maya continues to comb through the bookshelves.

INT. KITCHEN

Peter steps into a dingy kitchen. A dirty coffee cup and a

plate sit on the counter near the sink. At the other end of

the kitchen, past the refrigerator, is a door leading

outside. Peter approaches the door, glances through the

window. He then turns and walks through a doorway.

INT. BACK HALLWAY - NIGHT

Peter stands at the base of the rear staircase. As he starts

to ascend the stairs.

PETER:

(calling out)

I'll be upstairs.

INT. LIBRARY

Maya is flipping through Peter's books. Suddenly, she hears

the tread of footsteps overhead. It startles her.

MAYA:

(reassuring herself)

Peter...

She puts down the book and turns around. Surveying the room,

she sees an entrance to the hallway that services the master

bedroom.

INT. HALLWAY

Maya walks through the hall towards the open door of the

master bedroom. She goes in.

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