The Possession Page #16

A book. It's old. With gilded leaves, an embossed dove on

the cover. And in the frontispiece -- an oval photograph of

Mrs. Lees. Roland leafs through the

pages -

ROLAND:

The seance... of course, the

seance...

He takes the copy, sits down in an armchair. Finds a

chapter, headed "A Mummy Possest?" As he starts to read, a

cat jumps up, curls 'round him. Over Roland, reading -

ASH (V.O.)

`I wish to see the lady of the

house... Mrs. Lees... Please, allow

me in... No one must know... No

one...

SMASH CUT TO:

FLASHBACK - INT. MRS. LEES'S HOUSE (CHEYNE WALK,

CHELSEA) - NIGHT (1860)

A velvet curtain sweeps open to reveal -

(CONTINUED)

90.

CONTINUED:

Ash in black, wearing a face-mask. He enters the chamber,

lit by a strange, violet ray from a lantern.

A masked woman -- MRS. HELLA LEES -- clad in jewels, leads

him over towards -

MRS. LEES

Gentlemen, members of the Vestal

Lights, let the seance begin...

A circular table: seven ladies, four men; they clasp hands.

Ash takes a seat in the circle.

MRS. LEES

(to spirit world)

We are ready to receive you, if your

spirit stands at the threshold, we

ask you to reveal yourself. Is

anybody there...?

Mrs. Lees taps the table. Ash scans the circle, his eyes

hit those of a woman opposite. A sharp intake of breath as

MRS. LEES

I feel hands. As cold as ice...

The table vibrates. Ash watches Mrs. Lees shake

uncontrollably. A spirit voice speaks through her -

MRS. LEES

`Do not force me...'

(as herself)

Who is it?

(as voice)

`Nobodaddy...'

Ash sees a halo of electromagnetic force like fire surround

Mrs. Lees. Suddenly Ash feels a TAPPING shake the table. A

breeze lifts skirts. Ash hears a WOMAN SOB, then LAUGHTER.

MRS. LEES

There is a hostile presence in the

room. Is there a spirit who wishes

to speak?

The sound of RUNNING WATER. Ash looks at the woman

opposite:
and recognizes Christabel, who speaks in a

trance, a spirit voice possesses her.

(CONTINUED)

91.

CONTINUED:

CHRISTABEL:

(in a spirit voice)

`Remember the stones...'

(in her own voice)

Where are you?

(in the spirit

voice)

`I bring gifts...'

MRS. LEES

She is possessed. A spirit is with

us...

Ash wants to go over to her. But the circle's hands hold

onto him. He hears RUSHING WATER boom LOUDER, then

sees -

A vision of a white hand carrying a white wreath, hanging

from the chandelier by threads. The circle clasps hands

again -

MRS. LEES

Let her go... the spirit has

entranced her... Do not wake her...

As Blanche's spirit manifests itself -

MRS. LEES

You bring a message of love...?

But an ELECTROMAGNETIC CURRENT CRACKLES, holds Ash's hands

fast. Ash struggles to get free -

ASH:

I must speak...

Ash moves towards Christabel. But the wreath tangles him in

threads like a web. He tries to break free, but ghostly

hands wrap around his throat -

ASH:

Away, foul spirit. I beg you -

Ash turns to see a ghostly face of Blanche. In rage, he

raises the wreath in his hands. Mrs. Lees pleads -

MRS. LEES

-- Don't break the spell -- her

spirit will be harmed forever -- !

But Ash hurls the wreath away, a SHRIEK as Blanche's spirit

disappears. Ash rushes at Christabel, who almost faints in

her trance. He holds her in his arms, removes her mask -

(CONTINUED)

92.

CONTINUED:

ASH:

Speak, I beg you... I came to

France... you turned me away, my

darling... For God's sake, answer...

tell me the truth... I must know...

Weeping, Ash cradles Christabel in his arms.

ASH:

Where is she...? Is she not dead?

Tell me... Tell me what you have

done...

Ash bends to hear Christabel's whisper.

CHRISTABEL:

You have made me... a murderess.

Christabel collapses. Guests try to pull Ash away from her.

He howls in pain and rage -

ASH:

Dead...? No-o-oo -- !!

Ash pushes over a candle flame, which spills over. Mrs.

Lees comes to her senses.

HER POV:

around Ash a fiery halo of red.

BACK TO SCENE:

MRS. LEES

Sir, you are a demon... Go now...

Ash stands up, a force of red light surrounding him. He

looks at his own hands, sees them -- smeared in translucent

blood.

END OF FLASHBACK.

SMASH CUT TO:

INT. CONVENT OF ST. ANNE (BRITTANY, FRANCE) - LIBRARY

-DAY

In a cavernous library lined with ancient tomes, at a long

oak table, Maud finishes work for the day. Around her, nuns

put away leather volumes, ready to close up. Maud picks up

her notebooks, piles of photocopied documents. Exits into -

93.

EXT. CONVENT OF ST. ANNE (BRITTANY) - LIBRARY - DAY

A cloistered courtyard of a medieval convent. RAIN POURS

down. She passes nuns scurrying about their business,

sheltered by the old cloister roofs. In her brisk, modern

clothes, Maud is a surreal contrast, as she emerges to see -

A young, chic French scholar, DR. ARIANE LE MINIER.

EXT. BRITTANY COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

Inside a battered Renault, WINDSCREEN WIPERS SLOOSH BACK AND

FORTH, as Le Minier and Maud drive into a small town.

LE MINIER:

When I sent my discoveries to

Professor Stern, I hoped she would

notify you. I am a great admirer of

your writings on Christabel.

MAUD:

You couldn't have been more helpful,

Ariane.

LE MINIER:

The photocopier is a great

democratic invention, no...?

As Le Minier talks, Maud stares through windscreen wipers,

in a blur of rain and glass, she suddenly sees -

HER POV - AT SIDE OF ROAD

Two bedraggled figures, one of them Christabel, distressed

and crying, holding out her hands. Maud focusses on her as

the CAR ZOOMS past -- Their eyes meet -- as -

LE MINIER (O.S.)

... We should share our information,

should we not? Is it not a feminist

principle, cooperation?

BACK TO SCENE:

Maud snaps back, answers with a smile. Le Minier buzzes

along the country roads, heading for the nearby small town.

94.

EXT. HOTEL (LA CAP COZ, BRITTANY) - DAY

Rain pours down. Le Minier sets Maud down nearby her hotel

in a provincial seaside town, near a sandy bay and dark sea.

As Maud runs to the entrance, she sees someone sheltering

from the elements. Hunched over, slumped, drenched by rain

On closer inspection, she sees -- Roland. Shocked at first,

she warms to a smile. As Roland looks up, anorak collar

pulled up. And through the rain, they rush together, throw

arms 'round each other. Then slowly pull apart -

ROLAND:

We must be mad.

MAUD:

Of course we are mad.

Roland pauses as if about to say something important. And

sneezes.

INT. HOTEL (LE CAP COZ, BRITTANY) - DAY

In her bedroom, Roland sits, feet in a bowl of steaming

water. He wraps a towel 'round his head, as he and Maud

share their discoveries.

ROLAND:

She was there. Christabel was there

at the seance. But Ash was so full

of rage -

MAUD:

Or grief. He believed Christabel

was responsible for someone's death.

The question is -- `Who?'

ROLAND:

Blanche, of course. You said no one

knew where Christabel was when

Blanche committed suicide.

MAUD:

Until now. That's what I found from

Leonora's letter. Christabel had

family in Brittany. A young cousin

who wrote a journal. A French

researcher found fragments of poems

by Christabel dated Spring 1860.

This is where she was. Until now,

nobody knew...

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