Queen of the Damned Page #18

MAHARET:

I don't want you to go, but you

must.

A tear of blood trickles down Maharet's cheek.

YOUNG JESSE:

Auntie, you're bleeding...

Jesse takes the tear and goes to put it to her mouth butMaharet violently grabs her hand. Young Jesse isfrightened.

MAHARET:

You must be with your own, mysweetest girl. I'll always bewatching over you.

YOUNG JESSE:

I want to stay with you forever.

144 BACK TO SCENE (PRESENT) 144

Jesse stares into nothingness. Again the voice, but muchgentler.

MAHARET:

Forever is a very long time.

Jesse looks up out of her memory to see in the doorwaydown the end of the hall...

(CONTINUED)

93.

144 CONTINUED:
144

MAHARET:

Hello, my princess.

JESSE:

Aunt Maharet?

Jesse rushes to her. Stops. Stares at her aunt's

glowing eyes, the strange pallor of her skin.

JESSE:

You're a...?

MAHARET:

Yes. Oh, Jesse, I've missed you

so much, but I had to keep this

from you.

Jesse stands there, soaking it in. Maharet takes her

hands gently.

JESSE:

Oh my God, this is why... I knew I

was different. I knew -

MAHARET:

(strongly)

Come...

Jesse follows Maharet to the mural of the family tree.

MAHARET:

You are the most precious of my

great family...

JESSE:

Am I...?

MAHARET:

(strongly)

No. You are not. I was once

mortal, too. My sister died

before her child was one year old.

I took care of that child, and her

children, and her children's

children...

Pointing up to the huge family tree...

MAHARET:

This is our family -- my way of

coping with eternity. The

labyrinth of life. The family

teaches me the rhythms and

passions of each age.

(CONTINUED)

94.

144 CONTINUED:
(2) 144

Her finger trails down the great line to a name -"

Jessica Reeves"...

MAHARET:

You are my most prized light. You

are what keeps me connected to theworld of the living.

Jesse stares at Maharet, amazed.

MAHARET:

When your parents died I took youto India to take care of you.

JESSE:

And something happened there.

MAHARET:

I stopped it from happening. And

I will again.

Maharet stands close, gazes at her.

MAHARET:

Jesse, you must stay away fromLestat. You must forget all abouthim.

Jesse looks at her, surprised. Maharet smiles.

MAHARET:

Yes, I know about your new friend.

You think you love him, but it'snot as you thought it would be.

Jesse stares at Maharet, surprised she understands sowell.

JESSE:

I thought I was like him.

MAHARET:

I know, but it is not who you are,

not who you are meant to be. You

have found that out now.

Jesse sits on a stone bench, confused. Maharet smiles

sadly, feeling Jesse's inner turmoil.

JESSE:

Lestat's all I can think about...

I felt like I belonged with him.

Now I know why...

(CONTINUED)

95.

144 CONTINUED:
(3) 144

Maharet sits beside her, speaks emphatically.

MAHARET:

Jesse, you must forget about him.

You must trust me...

JESSE:

(gazes up at her

a long moment)

I missed you so much, AuntMaharet.

MAHARET:

Me too.

Just then the gloom of the pre-dawn's light begins toilluminate the windows of the great hall.

MAHARET:

You will go home to London in themorning.

Jesse holds Maharet's eyes.

JESSE:

But this is my home. This is

where I belong. Why do you wantto get rid of me so quickly?

Maharet touches her face gently.

MAHARET:

Now is not the time to be here...

The light is getting brighter. Maharet stands.

MAHARET:

You were seeking answers. Now

you have found them. The familyis who you are.

Maharet goes to Jesse, wraps her arms tight around Jesse.

Despite the coldness of her skin, Jesse warms to theembrace, closes her eyes, holds her tight. Then, beaten

by the sun, Maharet stands, exits into the shadows, turnsback to Jesse, gazes at her.

MAHARET:

You will go home to London

tomorrow.

96.

145 INT. LESTAT'S ROOM - NIGHT

145

Lestat stands by his bed, playing the ancient violin... along mournful note. He stops a moment, lost in histhoughts. A flash of the first morning light reflectsoff the ancient wood. Lestat puts the violin away. A

tear of blood trickles down his cheek. His face is

filled with sadness at what will never be. A word

escapes from his lips.

LESTAT:

(whisper)

Jesse.

Lestat draws the curtains and enters his sanctum where

his coffin sits in the safety of darkness.

146

EXT. MAHARET'S DESERT MANSION - DAY 146

The sun breaks through the date palms.

147

INT. MANSION - JUST AFTER 147

Jesse moves down the hallway past paintings of vampires.

She pauses at one of Maharet. As Jesse shifts, the glassover the painting catches Jesse's reflection. Jesse

moves slowly until her face just covers Maharet's. In

the reflection, Jesse's eyes now glow with Maharet'sluminescence. Jesse stares a long, long moment.

148

INT. MANSION - JUST AFTER 148

Jesse sits at a desk, writing a note, torment, confusionon her face.

JESSE (V.O.)

Dear Aunt Maharet, my whole life,

I've felt... kind of crazy I

guess, different from everyone,

and now I know why... You say I

now know who I am meant to be...

I have found my answers. You are

right...

She takes a deep breath.

149

EXT. MAHARET'S DESERT MANSION - FRONT ENTRANCE -149

CONTINUOUS ACTION

Jesse moves to the front entrance, gazes at the wallssurrounding the front gate.

(CONTINUED)

97.

149 CONTINUED:
149

JESSE (V.O.)

I know you want me to be a regularhuman girl... but I'm not. I

can't be...

She looks back at the house, then quickly slips out the

gate.

150 EXT. MAHARET'S DESERT MANSION - DAY 150

Maharet's sprawling compound sits alone in the emptydesert. Nothing for as far as the eye can see.

JESSE (V.O.)

Lestat is my destiny... I knowthat now. I love you, AuntMaharet. Good-bye.

Jesse walks away from the house. Coming to a highway,

she reads a sign -- "DEATH VALLEY 120 miles." Just then,

a VW minibus barrels down the road in Jesse's direction.

She sticks out her thumb... The minibus pulls to a stopon the shoulder in a cloud of dust. A VAMPIRE DRIVER

leans out the window -- not a real vampire, just a kidwith white face-paint and fake fangs.

VAMPIRE DRIVER:

Need a ride?

Jesse peers past the driver to a crowd of Goths and fakevampires. THE VAMPIRE LESTAT BLARES FROM the SPEAKERS.

JESSE:

(smiles)

Yeah.

151 EXT. DEATH VALLEY - FROM HIGH ABOVE - DUSK 151

We see a line of traffic snake out along a desert roadtoward a strange red glow rising into the dark night sky.

A distant sound of DRUMS BEATING chaotic rhythms isheard. As we FLY CLOSER, the DRUMMING becomes LOUDER and

clearer. Until we are RIGHT ABOVE an incredible scene...

A mass of people (30,000) gather in a valley of red rock.

CUT TO:

152 EXT. CONCERT ENTRANCE - NIGHT 152

Looking at the scene, Jesse is bedazzled. Pushingthrough people, she disappears into the throng as...

(CONTINUED)

98.

152 CONTINUED:
152

DAVID (O.S.)

Jesse!

153 ANGLE ON DAVID TALBOT 153

as he pushes through the sea of white paint and plasticvampire teeth. But she has disappeared. Talbot is

jostled, dropping his glasses on the ground.

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