BEGIN ACT THREE
EXT./INT. THE GREATER RHODE ISLAND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLNESS
CENTER (GRIP) - SUNSET
A grand FOUNTAIN cascades in the middle of a vast, circular
courtyard, cheerfully greeting the visitors of the great
white MANSION behind it.
To the side of the giant front doors is a sign:
"The Greater Rhode Island
Psychological Wellness Center
Call Our Emergency Hotline-
1-86-GET-A-GRIP!"
Inside the massive structure, DOCTORS and PATIENTS roam the
ornate hallways, their VOICES MURMURING throughout.
Through the clamor, a suave, sunglasses-wearing doctor, MARK
KYLE (30’s) struts down a particularly clustered corridor,
diligently flipping through charts on a CLIP-BOARD. Without
even glancing up at the oncoming hallway traffic, he manages
to avoid collision with anyone.
He walks past a chart on the wall listing patients and room
numbers- Room 28 is apparently host to someone named
"BRYON."
Mark turns a corner, and then turns another corner down a
long hallway.
Walking the opposite way is Gabriel- hidden behind his
SUNGLASSES- who smiles briefly and tips his hat politely while
passing.
Mark nods back at him and continues walking. He comes upon a
white door- ROOM 28. He stops and looks through the small
window at the young, dark-haired man inside.
BRYON (22) sits on the bed, spacing out.
Through the window, Mark stares more intently. Suddenly,
eerie WHISPERS echo out, slightly alarming him. As they grow
increasingly louder, Bryon slowly curls up into a ball,
closing his eyes tightly.
Mark suddenly opens the door, silencing the ghastly noise.
Bryon JUMPS.
MARK
(calmly and collected, with a NY accent)
Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle
you.
BRYON
(relieved)
Nah, it’s cool. I just wasn’t
expecting anyone is all.
Mark smiles and sits down on the corner of the bed.
MARK
How have you been feeling?
BRYON
(hesitates)
Better honestly...
Mark concentrates on him, and Bryon’s VOICE echoes, though
his LIPS aren’t moving.
BRYON (V.O)
Like bat shit crazy...
Mark raises his eyebrows accusingly.
BRYON
(smiles sheepishly)
Alright, not so great... Guess I
should know better by now.
MARK
Yeah, you really can’t get anything
past me kid.
Mark reaches into his breast pocket and reveals a small
orange PILL BOTTLE.
MARK (CONT’D)
Well anyway, I have something for
you that I think may really help.
He takes two small pills out of the bottle and hands them to
Bryon.
BRYON
Oh God, it’s not Prozac right? That
stuff gives me headaches.
MARK
No, no. We learned that the hard
way. It’s just something to help
you sleep.
Bryon GULPS the medication effortlessly, without any
liquids.
BRYON
(sarcastically)
Great, MORE sleep.
MARK
It’ll get better kid. You just need
to have patience.
BRYON
(smiles)
Yeah, you’re right.
Suddenly, an older woman, NURSE JOY, knocks on the opened
door.
Bryon winces.
Mark places his hand on his shoulder, comforting.
NURSE JOY
(sweetly)
Sorry Dr. Kyle. You have a phone
call on line three.
MARK
Thank you Joy. I’ll be right there.
Nurse Joy nods and steps back into the hallway.
BRYON
(whispers to Mark)
You know, she likes you?
Mark laughs and takes his hand off of his shoulder.
MARK
You’re a good kid Bryon.
He stands up and heads to the doorway.
MARK (CONT’D)
I’ll be back to check on you later.
Try and get some sleep.
Bryon nods at him and Mark turns to walk away.
BRYON
(stopping him)
Hey Uncle Mark?
MARK
Yeah?
BRYON
Thanks.
MARK
Anytime kid.
Mark turns and shuts the door.
He smiles and nods at Nurse Joy, who appears to be checking
out his posterior as he walks away.
NURSE JOY (V.O.)
Hot damn... look at that ass.
Mark looks back at her and she waves bashfully. He smiles
and shakes his head as he continues to walk away.
He enters his office and quietly shuts the door behind him.
He then carefully places his clipboard on the desk and sits
down in his chair. He picks up the phone.
MARK
This is Dr. Kyle.
MARYANNE (O.S.)
Hey! I need your help with
something.
MARK
Oho. Well my day is going well.
Thank you for asking.
INT. PALMER RESIDENCE - SUNSET (CONTINUOUS)
Maryanne stands next to her bedroom window, anxiously
power-smoking a cigarette with the phone in her ear.
MARYANNE
Mark, I need your help like RIGHT
now.
MARK
Good lord woman. What did you do
this time?
MARYANNE
Well, you see, there’s this guy...
tied up in my basement...
MARK
WHAT?
(whispers)
Are you fucking kidding me Annie?
MARYANNE
Uh, NO! Do you really think I’d
make something up like that? This
guy is one tight-lipped douche...
MARK (O.S.)
You’re serious...
MARYANNE
Hell yes I’m serious! No matter how
many times I beat him, or burn him,
or threaten to set him on fire, his
punk-ass ain’t talkin’.
MARK
(massaging his eyes)
You know these calls are usually
recorded...
MARYANNE
I tried calling your cell.
MARK
Oh I’m sorry Annie, I was busy
WORKING.
MARYANNE
And so am I...
She takes another drag of her cigarette.
MARYANNE (CONT’D)
(suddenly very serious)
Mark please... It’s about Mike.
Mark takes his sunglasses off, rubs his eyelids, and sighs.
MARK
Jeez Annie... What exactly do you
want me to do?
INT. PALMER RESIDENCE - NIGHT
The sliding door to the kitchen SLAMS shut as Mark walks
into the house.
MARYANNE
(exasperated)
Finally!
Mark glares at her. She paces back and forth anxiously with
a lit CIGARETTE in hand. Her shoes CLICK-CLACK along the
tile.
MARK
(disgustedly)
You wanna’ put that crap out?
She rolls her eyes and reluctantly extinguishes [it] in the
ashtray.
MARYANNE
(annoyed)
Took you long enough.
MARK
Contrary to popular belief Annie
you are NOT, in fact, the center of
my universe.
She sneers and crosses her arms.
MARYANNE
Well sadly for you Mark, I am
today.
Mark sighs and smiles.
MARK
So where is this- eh, project you
have for me?
The duo trudge down the stairs into the basement, where K is
still constrained to the chair. He looks up at them and
rolls his eyes.
K
Back for more?
MARYANNE
(sarcastically)
Oh, the fun never stops.
K
(noticing Mark)
The fuck is this clown?
MARYANNE
This clown is the guy who’s gonna
open you up.
Mark walks over to the prisoner and bends down on one knee.
K
The fuck? You gonna propose or some
shit? Faggot-ass nigga’...
Maryanne raises her fist aggressively. K winces in fear, and
Mark chuckles.
MARK
(snidely)
Sorry to disappoint you, MR.
ANDERSON...
K
(frantic)
How the fuck you know my name?
MARK (CONT’D)
(removing his SHADES)
...but it’s what’s in here that
interests me.
He places both hands on K’s temples while K struggles trying
to resist him.
Mark’s IRISES suddenly transition from brown to a glimmering
BLUE-GREEN.
K’s eyes begin to roll back and his aggressive demeanor
becomes docile as WHISPERS of indiscriminate thoughts rush
through Mark’s brain.
Mark stares with his shimmering eyes fixated on K. Maryanne
leers from behind, anxiously waiting.
MARYANNE
(impatiently, after a few seconds)
Got anything?
MARK
(annoyed)
Not yet. There’s a lot to go
through...
MARYANNE
Well make it snappy, alright? I
can’t keep him here for another
night. The girls are gonna notice.
MARK
(coldly)
I’m kind of in the middle of
something here Annie. Please
try to be useful by keeping your mouth shut.
Maryanne paces back and forth for a few seconds until
suddenly, the DOOR BELL rings, alarming everyone.
MARYANNE
Who is that?
(her expression suddenly
lightens)
We never have company!
Mark’s focus breaks and K is released from his hypnosis.
MARK
Now is NOT the time Annie!
K
(screams)
HELP! HELP! THEY GOT A NIGGA LOCKED
UP DOWN HERE! HEEELP!!!
Mark regains his concentration and puts K back under his
spell.
MARK
I don’t know Annie, just get rid of
them!
Maryanne sighs and walks back up the stairs.
MARYANNE
(mumbling)
I’m just saying... Thank God Ali
cleaned the place up nice...
She opens the front door, and to her dismay a POLICE OFFICER
stands at the stoop. His FACE is covered in shadow, but the
BADGE on his UNIFORM glimmers under the porch-light.
OFFICER
Ms. Palmer?
She smiles, barely hiding her surprise.
Her SHADES do little to mask the guilt in her eyes.
INT./EXT. ALISE’S TESLA ROADSTER/QUIET ROAD - NIGHT
Alise sniffles loudly, sucking the remaining granules of coke up
her nose, and sighs euphorically.
Cady glares at her then places her attention back to the
road. A light DRIZZLE has dampened the pavement and they
roll to a stop at a red light.
Cady’s PHONE beeps. She takes it out of her purse, looks at
the screen, and blushes. The TEXT is once again from the
mysterious "Eddie" and says:
"You’re so beautiful."
ALISE
(turns to Cady)
Ooo new boy-toy?
CADY
(glancing up)
Not everyone recycles through men
like you do.
ALISE
Oh really?
(she pauses)
So... are you like into girls now?
CADY
(scoffs)
Uh, no! Let me rephrase that. We’re
not all WHORES like you are.
ALISE
(laughs boisterously)
Oh yes we are! It’s a family trait.
Cady rolls her eyes and continues texting. She then puts her
phone back in her PURSE. The light turns back to green and
the Roadster starts off again.
CADY
WOW. If Mom were here she’d slap
that creepy grin right off your
face.
ALISE
Hey, Ma knows exactly what she is.
And anyway, I think it’s about time
both of you try and get-
(she hip thrusts and grunts
loudly)
-back in the saddle.
CADY
(shakes her head and chuckles)
You’re gross. And an asshole.
ALISE
(adjusting her SHADES)
It’s part of my charm.
The Roadster flies off around a bend.
EXT./INT. PALMER RESIDENCE - NIGHT
Maryanne stands in the doorway with the policeman, who
towers over her menacingly in the dark. In his hand is a
manila FOLDER. Her smile feigns innocence, and the cop
appears to see through it.
MARYANNE
(hesitantly)
Can I help you officer?
He lifts up the rim of his hat, and his expression suddenly
softens.
OFFICER
(smiles)
It’s good to see you again.
MARYANNE
(shocked)
Oh my GOD VICK! How are you?
VICK
Pretty good. And you?
Down the road, a more menacing presence sits in a WHITE
CHEVROLET. The driver’s face is HIDDEN IN SHADOW, but he is
obviously watching Maryanne as she hugs the policeman on the porch.
MARYANNE (OFF IN THE DISTANCE)
Same here.
VICK
How’s everyone holding up here?
MARYANNE
Bout’ as good as can be expected I
guess.
VICK
Well great. That’s good to hear.
(he sizes her up quick)
You look great... phenomenal,
really.
MARYANNE
Aw, Vick, you’re making me blush.
VICK
No, really, I mean it... I always
thought Mike was a lucky guy...
Maryanne’s face turns glum for a second, and Vick tries to
recover from the remark.
VICK (CONT’D)
Gosh, I’m sorry Maryanne... I just
meant...
MARYANNE
(feigning contentment)
Don’t worry about it hon. I’m
flattered. Really.
They smile at each other for an awkward moment, but Maryanne
breaks the silence, trying to cut their encounter short.
MARYANNE (CONT’D)
So... what are you doing here?
VICK
Oh, right... that...
(he opens the FOLDER in his
hand)
I need to take a statement from you
about the incident this morning...
Maryanne looks puzzled.
MARYANNE
Um, what incident?
VICK
At the grocery store. Cashier ID’ed
you from your debit card. Both she
and the victim said you were a real
hero. I figured I’d stop by and
take your statement personally.
Save you a trip downtown.
MARYANNE
Aw Vick, that’s really sweet of
you... but I’m kinda-
VICK
(interrupting)
You know, the culprit you decked in
the face had some real
interesting things to say about
you...
MARYANNE
(playing dumb)
Oh really? More interesting than
the fact that he got his ass handed
to him by a middle-aged soccer-mom?
VICK
(laughs)
Surprisingly yes. He said...
(he pauses awkwardly)
Actually, nevermind... It’s not
important. The guy was obviously
tweeked-out on something...
MARYANNE
(laughs)
Well, only someone with a serious
crack problem would steal from a
little old lady.
VICK
You’d be surprised.
They smile at each other for a second, but a loud CRASH
bellows from the basement, breaking the silence.
MARK (O.S.)
(yelling)
ANNIE! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!
MARYANNE
(mumbling)
Aw crap...
VICK
Bad timing?
MARYANNE
Yeah, kinda. You think maybe we
could do this tomorrow sometime? I
could come down to the station or
something?
VICK
I guess that’d be fine. Sorry to
bother you.
He scratches his forehead bashfully as he turns to leave.
VICK (CONT’D)
(almost flirtatiously)
You know Maryanne, it was really
good seeing you.
She is taken aback, but not insulted.
MARYANNE
(smiles)
Same here Vick.
He smiles back at her and they share a moment of friendly
and heart-felt eye-contact.
VICK
You know Maryanne, I-
He is cut short by another loud CRASH from the basement.
VICK (CONT’D)
(concerned)
Is everything all right?
MARYANNE
(trying to remain calm)
Oh yeah, my brother’s making an
attempt at home renovation.
VICK
You sure...?
MARK (O.S.)
ANNIE!!!
MARYANNE
It’s a really poor attempt.
(quickly)
Thanks for stopping by! I’ll see
you tomorrow!
She slams the door and Officer Vick is left standing alone
and befuddled on the stoop.
The driver of the CHEVY moves his face out of the shadows-
it is Gabriel. He watches as Vick walks back to his car.
Maryanne runs down the basement stairs to find Mark
restraining K against the wall. The prisoner has found a way through
his restraints, but Mark has him put back in a trance. His
EYES are once again rolled back.
MARYANNE
(frantic)
Oh my GOD! How did he-?
MARK
It doesn’t matter.
He lets go of his captive, who falls to the floor. K groans,
dazed.
MARYANNE
You broke him already?
MARK
(putting his SHADES back on)
Oh yeah. He was a tough nut to
crack, but ultimately, he didn’t
stand a chance.
MARYANNE
That’s what I like to hear.
MARK
The guy we’re looking for is Louie
Mortanno.
MARYANNE
Mortanno? God, could he be any more
cliche of a mobster? I mean, what is this? The
Sopranos?
K
(mumbling with his face on the
ground)
Crazy ass mother-
Maryanne kicks him lightly and he groans. The two of them
bend down and pick up K by his arms- he obviously isn’t in a
position to stand on his own.
MARYANNE (CONT’D)
Alright, let’s get this fucker home
before the girls come back.
They carry K toward the stairs, his feet dragging along the
dusty floor.
END ACT THREE
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