Lost Souls Page #5

Maya heads to a payphone and dials.

INT. TOWNSEND'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON

INTERCUT:

John Townsend sits at his meticulously maintained PIANO,

which is in sharp contrast to the otherwise rundown

surroundings. The phone rings.

TOWNSEND:

(picking up)

Hello?

MAYA:

I know who he is.

TOWNSEND:

Maya? What do you mean?

MAYA:

I'll explain everything later. Can you

meet me tonight?

EXT. BEDFORD HOUSE - DUSK

It's a large house. Peter pulls up and HONKS. As he, James

and Claire get out of the car, they walk past an old swing

hanging from an enormous tree. Childhood remnant.

Expecting them, a man in his late 30's wearing heavy rimmed

GLASSES moves out of the house. This is WILLIAM, Peter's

brother, followed by his wife, SUSAN.

WILLIAM:

About time, I'm starving.

He grabs Peter in a bear hug. Peter looks uncomfortable.

And as he pulls free, he collides inadvertently with a low

hanging tree branch. As it starts to bleed, Peter sucks on

his lip. The swing moves slightly in the b.g.

CLAIRE:

I could use a drink.

WILLIAM:

I've got martinis on ice and I grabbed

some good bottles from the cellar.

INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Everyone except Susan troops into the dining room, where an

impressive dinner awaits them. They take their places behind

their respective chairs. A routine. BUZZ of conversation.

WILLIAM:

Hey, Peter, I missed your show. How'd

it go?

CLAIRE:

Don't worry, we taped it.

PETER:

I don't think they got my best side.

Susan moves in, carefully balancing a few ceramic platters

and then she bends over the table, squeezing the last plate

onto a huge wooden table already covered with plates of

various food. Then, she sits down herself. Takes a little

breath.

SUSAN:

This is it. If you need anything else,

get it yourself.

WILLIAM:

(mock distress)

Susan, I don't see any salt.

SUSAN:

I love you, too.

CLAIRE:

(to Susan)

You know, I made a reservation at

Marco's for Peter's birthday dinner, but

maybe you should cater it.

FATHER JAMES:

What time did you make it for?

CLAIRE:

(to Father James)

Eight. That okay?

WILLIAM:

By the way, I want your advice on what

to get him.

PETER:

(immediately to William, kind)

I don't want you spending any money on

me. Not right now.

FATHER JAMES:

(to Peter)

Peter, in life, you should never deny

the giver the pleasure of the gift.

(amused, to Claire)

All those years raising him. They seem

to have had absolutely no effect. Now

William, at least he listened to me.

WILLIAM:

Let's eat already.

Father James bows his head and immediately, the family

follows. A signaled, almost unconscious gesture known to

everyone. They all look down except Peter. Claire gives him

an annoyed glance.

FATHER JAMES:

Bless us, oh Lord, for these thy gifts

through they bounty through Christ our

Lord. And a special blessing for Peter

and William's mother, Andrea, and their

father, Jack, in whose memory we gather

here every year. May their souls and

the souls of the faithfully departed

rest in peace. Amen.

A stark silence as Peter and William remember. Claire looks

at Susan. Then:

PETER:

Hey, Will, remember that dream I used to

have over and over again when I was

little, about the bear and the mountain.

You know, right after...

William nods "yes."

PETER (CONT'D)

...well, you know, I really think the

trial's getting to me, because I've been

having this weird dream every night.

Only this time, of course, it's much

different...

Everyone's looking at Peter.

CLAIRE:

You never said anything to me...

PETER:

It's probably trivial.

JAMES:

Recurring dreams are never

insignificant.

PETER:

Okay, I'll tell you. I'm reading a book

- I can't remember what the book is when

I wake up - but I realize halfway

through it's something I've written. Or

will write. Anyway, I get to the end of

the book and I'm feeling very satisfied

and I close the cover to read the title

and it only says "x-e-s". Three

letters. For some reason, that makes me

feel great, and I wake up.

CLAIRE:

(looking around at the silenced

table, holding back a smirk, a

moment, then)

Peter, "x-e-s" is "sex" spelled

backwards.

More silence, then James bursts out LAUGHING. Then Susan

can't gold it back and then William.

PETER:

(looks around, big smile

turning into LAUGHTER)

What can I say? I'm not a master of the

obvious.

And that sends everyone into an uncontrollable fit of

LAUGHTER and as they're all in various states of choked back

hysterics, suddenly William's LAUGHING becomes seriously

uncontrolled and then:

William's head involuntarily jerks backward, his eyes begin

to roll up.

Susan is first to notice, while LAUGHTER continues in the

b.g. and she leaps to catch him.

As William starts to tip over backward in his chair, Peter

then realizes and together, Susan and Peter ease William onto

the floor and turn him on his side.

James grabs a pillow from an armchair in the room, shoving it

under William's head and...

As William's epileptic attack winds down slightly, Susan

looks up at James:

SUSAN:

It's been a long time since his last

seizure. I guess we've got to adjust

his medication again.

INT. SEMINARY HALLWAY - NIGHT

The shadowy figures of Maya and John Townsend can be seen

almost in silhouette.

TOWNSEND:

And what are you thinking we should do

now?

MAYA:

I've filed a report with Father Frank.

TOWNSEND:

A lot of good that'll do.

MAYA:

We need all the help we can get.

TOWNSEND:

I've dealt with these people before,

Maya. They're not going to help us.

MAYA:

We'll see Father Frank in the morning.

There's nothing to be done until then.

TOWNSEND:

(on edge)

Alright, Maya. We'll do it your way.

INT. SEMINARY CHAPEL - NIGHT

A troubled John Townsend prays to God for answers.

INT. SEMINARY OFFICE - EARLY MORNING

FATHER FRANK, a sweet-faced priest in his 40's, is conferring

with two church officials. We TRACK him as he exits the

office and cross through to:

INT. ALTAR - CONTINUOUS

A JANITOR polishes the marble of the ornate altar. Father

Frank enters and pauses a moment to watch the man at work.

FATHER FRANK:

Don't forget to polish the brass

afterwards.

EXT. SEMINARY GARDEN - CONTINUOUS

The seminary has a small, planted, meditative garden, shoe

horned in behind the rectory buildings.

Maya sits on a simple wooden bench, her tiny cross glinting

off sunlight. Her eyes are closed and her head is tilted up

toward the sun.

Maya snaps out of her reverie, as Father Frank approaches.

FATHER FRANK:

(kind, but resolved)

Maya, the Diocese has rejected your

report. And I must say, I agree with

them.

A JET ROARS overhead, DEAFENING momentary noise. Father

Frank looks up a moment, then:

FATHER FRANK (CONT'D)

(comforting tone)

I don't mean to belittle you, but we've

been through this before. Satan is not

what you think he is. Satan is not some

creature.

MAYA:

You weren't there. Give me time to get

some proof.

FATHER FRANK:

Please, Maya. I'm trying to get us into

the next century and you insist on this

medieval nonsense.

MAYA:

If you really believe in God, why is it

so inconceivable that his enemy is just

as real?

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