The Fiction Shelf
So, after many months, I am finally ready to show the world and all my friends my 17 page treatment of "A Hole That Burns Like Paper", henceforth known as "The Fiction Shelf". It's, uh, kinda weird. Very little dialogue. But, it gets the point across. If you like it, love it, or hate it, just tell me what I can do to make it better.
DAVID
(V.O.)
So here I was. Someplace not even I deserved to be.
Fade in:
INT. House. Night.
The house is filled with people, obviously in the middle of a party. In the center of the living room, a twenty-something male, dressed in an all black male three-piece suit, sits, drinking an unknown substance from a party cup. This is DAVID. His eyes dart around the room.
DAVID
(V.O.)
All these people, all of them. They’re all too familiar, I know them all. I’m in a room filled with ex-girlfriends.
The camera slashes across the party to a girl in a skintight dress, brunette hair.
DAVID
(V.O.)
There was Patricia, a girl I dated for god knows how long. Maybe six months, maybe eight.
INT. Study. Night.
The film switches to a study, one that you would find in a fifty-year-old businessman’s house. DAVID sits on top of the desk, naked, with PATRICIA sitting on top of him, moaning slowly.
DAVID
(V.O.)
She used to stick her tongue in my ear when she was close to orgasming.
Close up shot of PATRICIA’S tongue going into DAVID’S ear.
DAVID
(V.O.)
I told her to stop a few times, then I just became used to it. The night we broke up, we were fucking in her father’s study. Right up on the desk, just going at it. You know in those movies where you’re expecting something bad to happen, and then it does?
A door opens, and PATRICIA’S FATHER walks in, and stands, frozen. DAVID and PATRICIA stop the exact second the door opens, don’t move, but just sit there, wide-eyed.
INT. House - Party. Night.
The camera moves away from PATRICIA, past DAVID and over to another girl, drinking from the same kind of party cup, and keeps looking at DAVID out of the corner of her eye.
DAVID
(V.O.)
Karen, she was nice. She really didn’t satisfy me in the way I needed. We ended it, well, I ended it. She took it bad.
EXT. House. Night.
The camera stays trained on a lit up window. Through it, we see DAVID walk past, then come back to it. He opens the window.
DAVID
(screaming)
Karen! Go home! It’s over!
A car starts, and drives off, with quiet little sobs going with it.
INT. House - Party. Night.
DAVID
(V.O.)
Poor thing. I think she still hangs out in her car across from my house.
The camera moves from KAREN, over to yet another girl, this one, a blonde, appears extremely ditzy. She stands around 5 other guys, all tall, all with a rugged handsomeness.
DAVID
(V.O.)
Mandy. Do I even really have to say anything? You know the type. Blonde, ditzy... cheerleader. Ah, the worst, right? I don’t know why I dated her, it was a fluke. She certainly doesn’t miss me.
EXT. Beach. Night.
The sound of waves splashing against rocks is evident. MANDY lies on the hood of a red convertible, legs in the air, DAVID in between them, fucking her. She lets out little moans, staring up at the sky. A cell phone rings, and MANDY, not interrupting DAVID, reaches down, and pulls out a cell phone from her bag.
MANDY
(into phone)
Hello?
DAVID looks at her in disgust.
INT. House - Party. Night.
The camera searches wildy around the crowd.
DAVID
(V.O.)
You see? Two hundred people, and all of them I know, and I hate. Not one, not a single one...
The camera pulls away from DAVID, and directly in front of him, 50 feet away, stands a girl. The camera moves past her, so we can only see her back, and stops. DAVID can be seen over her shoulder.
DAVID
(V.O.)
And there... is what I came here for. The only original face here.
The camera moves around to her front to reveal a stunning strawberry blonde haired girl, with magnificent features in blue dress. She drinks from a cup, and looks around the party. DAVID slowly gets up, and walks directly over to her.
DAVID
Hi, I’m David.
GIRL
Oh, hi. I’m Alexis.
INT. Car. Night.
DAVID and ALEXIS sit in the backseat, kissing. They stop kissing long enough for ALEXIS to pull her dress up over her head.
MAN
(V.O.)
Well, it doesn’t appear that you’ve wasted your life.
INT. Interrogation Room.
DAVID, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, handcuffed, sits across from PAUL KEMP, a large man, showing signs of gray hair. He’s dressed in a business suit, with a mocha trenchcoat over it.
KEMP
You had a much more interesting college life than me.
DAVID
Ah, Kemp, I’m sure you had quite the time in college.
KEMP
Yep. Met my wife.
DAVID
The burden of losing bachelorhood. Never fall in love too soon.
KEMP
Right. So tell me about this Alexis. What was she like?
DAVID
(laughing)
In what way?
KEMP laughs. A door opens, and a woman comes in.
WOMAN
Paul.
KEMP gets up, and follows the girl out the door. DAVID still has a flicker of a smile on his face. He stares at the one-way mirror on the opposite wall. He continues staring at it, as his smile fades away, giving into a slight look of anger.
Cue credits. Finally blend into--
INT. Bathroom. Day.
DAVID stands in the center of the small bathroom, staring up at the ceiling. Above the door frame, a spider sits, staring at DAVID back. This continues for a few seconds, until, finally, DAVID sighs, looks in the mirror, and exits through the door below the spider. DAVID walks across a large center room, into--
INT. Bedroom.
DAVID walks into the room, where ALEXIS lies on the bed, wearing only a gray athletic shirt and underwear. She stares up at the ceiling, humming a song. DAVID walks over to her, and lies next to her. They kiss.
INT. Bathroom.
We go back to the bathroom, with David still staring at the spider. He takes his gaze off of it and sits on the ground, his back up against the bathtub. He puts his hands over his head, and then moves them to cover his ears, eliminating all sound except for his loud, heavy breathing. A thin veil of vapor begins spindling out of his mouth as he breathes.
GIRL
(O.C.)
David?
David’s head whips around as the voice comes through.
EXT. Church. Day.
David sits in the same position, but now on a curb outside a church. The church bell begins to ring.
GIRL
(OC)
David? Are you ready to go?
David looks up to see a beautiful girl standing over him.
INT. Car.
David sits in the backseat, staring out the window. The girls sit sin the passenger seat, staring straight forward. The driver, a male around the same age of David and the girl, tries to keep the hair out of his eyes as he drives.
INT. House - Party. Night.
Everyone has been drinking. The house is full of posers and truly sympathetic people trying to get on. Brandon, the driver of the car, walks through the house, carrying cups. He is stopped by a girl.
GIRL
Brandon…don’t you think this is a bad way to remember Alex?
BRANDON
No. If you would have known him, you would know this is what he wanted. You want a cup?
INT. House - Den.
David walks out of a bathroom, his tie loosened. He walks into an empty room, except for the girl from earlier. This is Audrey.
AUDREY
Hey. How are you holding up?
David sits down next to her.
DAVID
I’m doing okay. How about yourself?
AUDREY
I don’t know. I just don’t think this is a good environment for grieving.
DAVID
He would have wanted this.
AUDREY
I know, I know. I just…want to curl up and cry, though.
DAVID
Yeah. Me, too.
Audrey slumps over on David and begins to cry. David pets her hair.
EXT. House - Back patio.
Brandon leans on a rail, drinking from a cup and watching the sky. David comes out the door behind him.
DAVID
Drinking alone? Not a good sign.
DAVID walks over and leans over the rail.
BRANDON
Do you think he’s up there?
DAVID
Somewhere, yes.
BRANDON
He was young.
DAVID
Too young.
BRANDON
Some bitch in there actually used the line “God works in mysterious ways.” I almost punched her.
DAVID
It’s probably best that you didn’t.
BRANDON
Either one of us could be next.
DAVID
Don’t think that way. We both have our whole lives ahead of us. You, the lawyer. Me, the writer.
BRANDON
I’ll handle all your censorship cases.
DAVID
Yeah, and all that plagiarism.
They both laugh.
BRANDON
Fuck, man, he had plans, too. He was going to be an actor. This…isn’t fair. Look at all these jock assholes here, hardly knew him. Anyone of them could have been taken instead.
DAVID
God works in mysterious ways.
BRANDON
Fuck off. Where’s Audrey?
DAVID
I got Helena to take her to my car. She’s in hysterics. I think it finally hit her.
BRANDON
I cried.
DAVID
I think we all did.
After a few seconds, Brandon tosses the cup, and walks back inside. He leaves the door open behind him, letting the sounds of the house drift out. David takes a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, and takes one out. He rolls it around his fingers and looks towards the sky. A girl slowly walks out the door, closing it behind her. As she walks closer to David, we see it’s Alexis. David doesn’t realize.
ALEXIS
Is that a cigarette in your hand?
David rolls his eyes, as if he was expecting it.
DAVID
Where have you been?
ALEXIS
Grieving.
DAVID
You didn’t even like him that much.
ALEXIS
Shows how well you know me. How are you holding up? I saw Brandon. He looks pretty emotional.
DAVID
Like a car wreck. He’s fine. I’m fine.
ALEXIS
Are you going to light that?
DAVID
Not in front of you. Where’s Liam?
ALEXIS
At home. Kind of bad timing for all that, knowing the facts now.
DAVID
Yeah, well, you didn’t know Alex was going to die.
ALEXIS
Would it have changed things?
DAVID
Well, if you knew he was going to die before he did, you might have saved him.
ALEXIS
Unfortunately, that was impossible. Did George get…arrested?
DAVID
They did it yesterday morning.
ALEXIS
Oh.
DAVID
Are you staying long?
ALEXIS
Are you?
DAVID
I haven’t even started drinking yet.
ALEXIS
Do you think it’s wise to drink tonight? Knowing the shape you’re in?
DAVID
Yeah, I think it is.
ALEXIS
I might not have known about Alex, but…I think this is foreshadowing your demise.
DAVID
Classy thing to say, Alexis.
ALEXIS
I’m sorry.
DAVID
If you’re not going to drink with me or fuck me, I think you should go.
Alexis stands there for a few seconds, then walks back inside. David lights the cigarette.
INT. House.
David meets Chloe and Scarlett, two girls who knew Alex.
After that, we go to the next morning, where David wakes up next to a girl at the house. He walks outside, where Brandon sits on the front porch, still drinking. David takes the bottle away from him, and drives off.
David goes to Alexis’ house. They fool around. She finds out he slept with someone else the night before, throws him out.
David goes to car. Alex sits in back. Says, “I wonder where Liam is.” David looks in the backseat, but no one is there. The car is filled with cigarette smoke.
David shows up at work(survey caller). Ends up calling Chloe’s house. They talk, he agrees to come over that night.
“We met at a party for your dead best friend.”
Chloe and David go swinging in a playground. They talk, end up falling asleep on a bench. David wakes up before Chloe, and sees Alex(the dead friend), spinning around on a merry-go-round. He shakes his head, Alex is gone, but the thing still spins around in circles. Chloe wakes up. They go to breakfast, David thinks the waiter is Alex, freaks out, assaults the waiter, asked to leave. The waiter says, “Great first impression, jackass.” As they walk out cementing the idea to David that Alex is still around.
Young David, Brandon, and Alex at a playground. David tries to impress a girl. Alex makes the remark of “Great first impression, jackass.”
David goes to Audrey’s house. She sits in her basement, playing video games. She ends up breaking down and crying over Alex. David holds her. Helena arrives, takes David’s place. David goes to the restroom, washes his face off.
“Looks like everyone is pretty broken up about it.”
The lights in the bathroom go out, as David is plunged into darkness. A single overhead light turns on over David, and we’re now in a completely black room. We hear footsteps approaching, and eventually a figure. David realizes who it is as Alex reaches him, cigarette in mouth, holding a glass. David freaks. Alex says he’s here to guide him. Gives him a cigarette. We go back to the bathroom, where David stands, cigarette burning in his lips. He throws the cigarette down, as we hear Helena banging on door. “Are you smoking in there?”
Chloe and Scarlett smoke pot in a parked car. She talks about David having feelings for him, hasn’t felt this way since Victor.
Brandon and Holi lie in bed together.
BRANDON
I think once the initial shock wears off, I’ll be fine. But…David, he’s keeping all of his emotion in. The Alexis thing, now Alex…he’s not coping. It’s going to destroy him.
David lies in bed, staring at a clock(4:32am). David driving. “I had this dream last night…I was in this field at sunrise. And…there were a thousand beautiful angels there, just staring at me. The moment seemed like it lasted forever, but then…it turned into a big blood orgy. They started tearing each other apart. And in the middle, was Alex, in a white tuxedo and aviator sunglasses, staring at me.” David is sitting on a couch with Chloe, telling her this. “What do you think it means?” “I think it means you’re still grieving over Alex.” “What if I were to tell you that…” “You tell her and you’ll be joining me in the afterlife.” “Tell me what?” “Nothing.” “No, tell me what.” “Tell you that…I really like you.” It begins to rain. They go outside, and play in the rain. He kisses Chloe. “I really like you, too.” Alex watches from the top of a building.
Alexis shops at a mall. She sees David and Chloe. David introduces them. Chloe goes to look in a different store. “I haven’t talked to you in awhile.” “I’ve been down and out.” “It looks like you’re moving forward, not down.” “The times, they are a changing.” Alexis tries to hug him, he pushes her away.
Brandon, David, Holi, Chloe, Ian, Helena, Audrey, and Scarlett hang out, drinking. They go to get more alcohol at a store. Chloe sees Victor, introduces him to David. David and Chloe talk about her past. They fight, David ends up crashing a car with Chloe, Audrey, and Scarlett in it when Alex appears on the side of the car(ala Twilight Zone)
We go to a game show inside David’s head, hosted by Alex, “Who Gets To Die?” where Alex tries tog et David to choose who dies in the car wreck. Alex introduces the “Possible Angels” in a narrative saying what David feels about each one. David gets pissed, attacks Alex. “That’s going to cost you.”
David is woken up after the wreck. Everyone is safe. David looks around for Alex, can’t find him.
David goes to Brandon’s house, where Brandon sits and play videogames, with Holi asleep behind him. Chloe hasn’t talken to him since that night. David tells Brandon about seeing Alex. Brandon is freaked out by what David says, and kicks him out.
David goes to Audrey’s youth group with her. Victor is there. They talk about Chloe for awhile. Holi calls him, invites him and Chloe to go camping. David goes to Chloe’s house to invite her camping. Scarlett and Mitch are there. Chloe agrees to, David drives Scarlett home. They talk about Chloe. “Did you like Mitch?” “He seems like an okay guy.” “Heh.” David hears this laugh, and Alex appears in the backseat, laughing, then disappears.
They go camping. Chloe and David talk about Chloe’s rape. They go to sleep. David wakes up in the middle of the night. Chloe is gone. He wanders out in the woods, and stumbles upon Mitch and Chloe together. Alex walks into the frame, “It’s time to separate the men from the boys, David.” A gun appears in David’s hand. He shoots Chloe and Mitch, then sets fire to the forrest, resulting in a huge forrest fire. Later, after everything has been evacuated, Brandon, Holi, and Chloe find David. Alex has tricked David into starting the fire.
David, Brandon, Holi, and Chloe stop at a gas station on the way home. David calls Audrey to talk to her. Tells her he’s becoming unstable, can’t tell fiction from reality. He gets off the phone, and Chloe goes to use it. David sits alone in the car, watching Chloe call (Mitch), smiling and giggling. Alex appears. “I wonder who she’s talking to.” David starts punching Alex, Alex fights back, bloodies David’s face. He disappears as Brandon, Chloe, and Holi get back. “What happened to your face?”
“Fuck Christmas Kegger” Huge party. Everyones drunk. David is dancing with a lot of people to A-Ha. Brandon talks with Ian about some pop-culture thing, as Holi brings them pink lemonade with Everclear. David calls Chloe’s house, says she is out with Scarlett and Mitch. David walks back out to the party, asScarlett walks in. David figures it out, and sits down with Scarlett. We close in on David’s face, then back out, and the entire party is gone. Alex sits next to him, looking the opposite way. “It’s going to be okay.” The party flashes back in. Scarlett stares at David, holding his hand. She leans in and kisses him.
Later that night, David and Scarlett drive around. David has been drinking. Alex, I the backseat, convinces David to go to her house(Chloe’s). So he does. They wait in the car, Scarlett asleep, as Mitch’s car pulls up. David gets out, gets into a big verbal fight with Chloe. He drives off, as Audrey calls David to come pick her up.
Ext. Country road. Morning.
David lies on the road, looking up at the post dawn sky, smoking a cigarette. The car is in the distance, Scarlett and Audrey in it. A single snowflake falls from the sky, and lands on David’s face.
David drops Audrey off. Decides to stay with Scarlett.
INT. Scarlett’s room.
David and Scarlett walk in, kissing.
SCARLETT
Are you going to regret this?
DAVID
Probably.
When David wakes up, he slowly sits up. Alex is leaning against the wall, clapping.
ALEX
You’re on the road to recovery, my friend.
David and Alex talk, Scarlett wakes up.
SCARLETT
Who were you talking to?
DAVID
No one.
Alexis has called. This pisses Alex off. David leaves, heading to Alexis’.
At Alexis’, they talk. Alexis might have found someone. Alexis goes to fix some coffee, and David manifests Chloe and Mitch having sex on Alexis’ table. Alexis comes in and starts kissing Mitch. The another Alexis walks in with coffee, ignoring the orgy, because it doesn’t exist. It disappears, Alexis goes tog et sugar. David walks to backporch, jumps off onto the ground at the bottom, lands on snow-covered leaves. Alexis comes out and tries to take car of him, but he leaves.
David walks on icy ledge of parking garage. Scarlett watches from car. David goes to car. They talk, end up having sex in the backseat. “Merry Christmas.”
David runs through a graveyard, chased by the bloodied angels from the dream. Alex walks behind the mob, twirling a cane. David runs out of the cemetery, and is now in an alley. Alex and the angels are gone. David walks down the alley, and see Alexis and Aiden kissing. He looks shocked. We see quick shots of a baseball bat, blood, Alexis screaming and Alex walking out of the shadows, watching something.
David wakes up in car with Scarlett the next morning.
SCARLETT
Are you still regretting this?
DAVID
I’m tired of regretting everything.
David and Scarlett lie on a trampoline outside, smoking pot.
SCARLETT
Didn’t you like it better when you were a kid, and the most important thing to you was trying to stay up late?
DAVID
I miss the innocence of it all.
SCARLETT
Yeah. Now look at you. Christmas morning, outside with a girl, smoking pot. Where did our parents go wrong?
DAVID
You think this is wrong?
SCARLETT
No.
DAVID
Then shut up and enjoy it.
David has blood on his shirt, but neither of them notice.
David drops Scarlett off at home(Merry X-Mas speech), gets a call from Helena. Aiden has been attacked.
News report: “Many families woke up this morning to holiday joy, the kind that’s expected to come Christmas morning. But for one family, this Christmas morning was anything but jolly. 18 year-old Aiden McNamara was found severly beaten outside his home earlier this morning. Police are looking for clues, and citizens are looking for answers.”
David, Brandon, Audrey, and Holi sit in Brandons house, talking about the beating.
BRANDON
I’m sorry that it happened to him, but seriously, Aiden is a dick. He deserved it. Look what he did to Helena, and look where she is right now. In the hospital by his side. The man is the fucking antichrist, or he has this weird spell over all women he talks to.
Helena calls Audrey, Audrey and David go to hospital.
David sits next to the windows of the hospital room. Audrey sits a few feet over. Helena sits at the bed.
HELENA
Do you have any pot?
DAVID
No, not on me.
Everything goes quiet.
ALEX
(OC)
Finish it.
David looks up, and Helena and Audrey are gone. Alex sits where Audrey did.
DAVID
Where’s Helena and Audrey?
ALEX
They went down to the cafeteria.
DAVID
Oh.
ALEX
You have to do it.
DAVID
Do what?
ALEX
Kill him.
DAVID
What? No!
ALEX
When he wakes up, he’s going to tell them who did this. We need to make sure he never has the chance.
DAVID
What are you talking about?
ALEX
Don’t you remember your dream?
David begins to realize.
DAVID
No, no, that’s not possible.
ALEX
You have to do it.
DAVID
I can’t believe this.
ALEX
David, they will catch you if you don’t. Just take the pillow and put it over his face.
DAVID
If you’re so worried, you do it.
ALEX
Because I’m a figment of your fucking imagination! The only thing I can do is to manipulate you into doing things.
DAVID
So you admit to it?
ALEX
I’m helping you. You’re better off this way.
DAVID
I’m better off dead.
ALEX
That’s yet to be seen. Just do it, then we can put this behind us.
DAVID
I’m not killing anyone.
ALEX
You killed me.
DAVID
I did not!
ALEX
You could have called the police, David…child services, something…done something about my father years ago. But you didn’t, and he threw me down a flight of stairs.
DAVID
You won’t make me feel guilty.
ALEX
Make you? You are guilty, David.
DAVID
I’m not going to kill anyone.
ALEX
Oh, yeah?
Chloe and Alexis walk in and start climbing on top of Aiden. He takes his casts off, and starts groping Chloe’s breasts.
ALEX
Great show. Want some popcorn?
DAVID
This isn’t real.
ALEX
Does that matter?
The girls and Aiden keep going at it. Alex enjoys it, David keeps getting angrier. Finally, David jumps up, pushes the girls over, grabs Aiden, and throws him to the ground, just as Audrey and Helena walk in.
HELENA
DAVID! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!
DAVID
He started jumping around the bed, and fell off! I was trying to catch him!
Audrey and Helena run over and help put Aiden back on the bed.
DAVID
I don’t know what the hell happened.
HELENA
It’s alright, he’s fine.
AUDREY
Maybe we should call a nurse…
HELENA
No, I said he’s fine.
AUDREY
Are you alright?
HELENA
Yes, I’m fine. Maybe you guys should go.
DAVID
Okay. I have my phone with me, call if you need anything.
David and Audrey leave, and he takes her home.
NEW YEARS:
David shows up at a party. He runs into Helena smoking a cigarette outside.
As he walks in, he sees Alexis talking to a group of guys. He ducks into another room, where Victor sits with his other friends. Victor convinces him to try meth. David sits down, and sees Alex go through the house with a machine gun, murdering everyone(hallucination). David is in the backyard, lying down, watching the stars. He hears something, and goes behind a garage to see Scarlett and a guy having sex. He thinks it’s a hallucination, but he touches her, and feels it. Alex appears.
ALEX
I’m not doing this.
David stumbles away, goes back inside. Audrey is on the stairs, crying. Her tears becomes little tear soldiers, attacking David. He kicks them away. He looks Audrye in the face. She smiles.
AUDREY
It’ll be okay.
David sees a television which shows a mushroom cloud explosion.
DAVID
The world’s ending, and they’re showing it on TV.
GUY
Yeah man, the world’s over.
Ninjas storm the house. David kills them all, with a little help from Rivers Cuomo wielding a samurai sword. David watches the clock tick closer to midnight. A car crashes into the house. A guy in an astronaut suit asks David if he has been to space. Lightning crashes. David dances in the rain with a bunch of other people(slow motion). As he walks back into the house,he sees Victor and Alexis kissing. Alex appears.
ALEX
It’s not a hallucination. That is real. It’s all happening…
DAVID
…it’s all happening…
ALEX
…it’s all happening.
David breaks. He sits down, as the countdown starts
10…9…8…
“I’m tired of this.”
…7…6…5…
“I hate you, Alex. I don’t want this anymore.”
…4…3…2…
“Get out of my head.”
…1…
We’re transported to an entire black room. David stand sthere. Alex walks up. They argue. Big elaborate ninja fight between the two. It ends as David gets the advantage, and chokes Alex out with his hands, as we cut to…
The party. David sits over Alexis’ body with his hands around her neck as the last gasp of air escapes her body. Just as she dies, he realizes what has happened. Victor lies near them, unconscious. He lets go of Alexis’ lifeless body, and looks around the party. Everyone huddle sin fear, staring at him. He slowly stumbles out of the party and begins running.
KEMP
(VO)
So where did you go?
David arrives at Chloe’s. Chloe comes out of the house, they stare at each other. They hug.
DAVID
(VO)
I don’t remember.
KEMP
(VO)
Well, the cops found you at Alex’s grave.
David lies near Alex’s grave, smoking a cigarette. Two cop cars arrive. Cops get out, pulling their guns.
Back in interrogation room.
KEMP
Why did you go there?
DAVID
To make sure.
KEMP
Make sure of what?
DAVID
That he was gone.
KEMP
Do you expect me to believe all this, David?
David, tears forming in his eyes, looks up at Kemp.
DAVID
I don’t know if this is real or not.
KEMP
Trust me, kid…this is very real.
Montage of news reports.
KEMP
(Voiceover the montage)
It is my professional opinion that David Merrick is in fact highly delusional and schizophrenic, but also guilty of the murder of Alexis Haggerty. The spirit of Mr. Merrick appears to be broken; he is regretful of his actions in his lucid moments. It is in the opinion of this detective that he be put into a mental hospital, where he can get the help he needs.
David goes to jail. He walks into his jail cell, sits down.
David drives down a highway at sunset. He smiles, as a news report opens in the corner of the screen. “David; youngest person put to death in the United States of America.” David passes Alex on the side of the highway. Alex waves. David waves back. Alex walks down the highway, the opposite way of David. Fade to black.
The End.
DAVID
(V.O.)
So here I was. Someplace not even I deserved to be.
Fade in:
INT. House. Night.
The house is filled with people, obviously in the middle of a party. In the center of the living room, a twenty-something male, dressed in an all black male three-piece suit, sits, drinking an unknown substance from a party cup. This is DAVID. His eyes dart around the room.
DAVID
(V.O.)
All these people, all of them. They’re all too familiar, I know them all. I’m in a room filled with ex-girlfriends.
The camera slashes across the party to a girl in a skintight dress, brunette hair.
DAVID
(V.O.)
There was Patricia, a girl I dated for god knows how long. Maybe six months, maybe eight.
INT. Study. Night.
The film switches to a study, one that you would find in a fifty-year-old businessman’s house. DAVID sits on top of the desk, naked, with PATRICIA sitting on top of him, moaning slowly.
DAVID
(V.O.)
She used to stick her tongue in my ear when she was close to orgasming.
Close up shot of PATRICIA’S tongue going into DAVID’S ear.
DAVID
(V.O.)
I told her to stop a few times, then I just became used to it. The night we broke up, we were fucking in her father’s study. Right up on the desk, just going at it. You know in those movies where you’re expecting something bad to happen, and then it does?
A door opens, and PATRICIA’S FATHER walks in, and stands, frozen. DAVID and PATRICIA stop the exact second the door opens, don’t move, but just sit there, wide-eyed.
INT. House - Party. Night.
The camera moves away from PATRICIA, past DAVID and over to another girl, drinking from the same kind of party cup, and keeps looking at DAVID out of the corner of her eye.
DAVID
(V.O.)
Karen, she was nice. She really didn’t satisfy me in the way I needed. We ended it, well, I ended it. She took it bad.
EXT. House. Night.
The camera stays trained on a lit up window. Through it, we see DAVID walk past, then come back to it. He opens the window.
DAVID
(screaming)
Karen! Go home! It’s over!
A car starts, and drives off, with quiet little sobs going with it.
INT. House - Party. Night.
DAVID
(V.O.)
Poor thing. I think she still hangs out in her car across from my house.
The camera moves from KAREN, over to yet another girl, this one, a blonde, appears extremely ditzy. She stands around 5 other guys, all tall, all with a rugged handsomeness.
DAVID
(V.O.)
Mandy. Do I even really have to say anything? You know the type. Blonde, ditzy... cheerleader. Ah, the worst, right? I don’t know why I dated her, it was a fluke. She certainly doesn’t miss me.
EXT. Beach. Night.
The sound of waves splashing against rocks is evident. MANDY lies on the hood of a red convertible, legs in the air, DAVID in between them, fucking her. She lets out little moans, staring up at the sky. A cell phone rings, and MANDY, not interrupting DAVID, reaches down, and pulls out a cell phone from her bag.
MANDY
(into phone)
Hello?
DAVID looks at her in disgust.
INT. House - Party. Night.
The camera searches wildy around the crowd.
DAVID
(V.O.)
You see? Two hundred people, and all of them I know, and I hate. Not one, not a single one...
The camera pulls away from DAVID, and directly in front of him, 50 feet away, stands a girl. The camera moves past her, so we can only see her back, and stops. DAVID can be seen over her shoulder.
DAVID
(V.O.)
And there... is what I came here for. The only original face here.
The camera moves around to her front to reveal a stunning strawberry blonde haired girl, with magnificent features in blue dress. She drinks from a cup, and looks around the party. DAVID slowly gets up, and walks directly over to her.
DAVID
Hi, I’m David.
GIRL
Oh, hi. I’m Alexis.
INT. Car. Night.
DAVID and ALEXIS sit in the backseat, kissing. They stop kissing long enough for ALEXIS to pull her dress up over her head.
MAN
(V.O.)
Well, it doesn’t appear that you’ve wasted your life.
INT. Interrogation Room.
DAVID, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, handcuffed, sits across from PAUL KEMP, a large man, showing signs of gray hair. He’s dressed in a business suit, with a mocha trenchcoat over it.
KEMP
You had a much more interesting college life than me.
DAVID
Ah, Kemp, I’m sure you had quite the time in college.
KEMP
Yep. Met my wife.
DAVID
The burden of losing bachelorhood. Never fall in love too soon.
KEMP
Right. So tell me about this Alexis. What was she like?
DAVID
(laughing)
In what way?
KEMP laughs. A door opens, and a woman comes in.
WOMAN
Paul.
KEMP gets up, and follows the girl out the door. DAVID still has a flicker of a smile on his face. He stares at the one-way mirror on the opposite wall. He continues staring at it, as his smile fades away, giving into a slight look of anger.
Cue credits. Finally blend into--
INT. Bathroom. Day.
DAVID stands in the center of the small bathroom, staring up at the ceiling. Above the door frame, a spider sits, staring at DAVID back. This continues for a few seconds, until, finally, DAVID sighs, looks in the mirror, and exits through the door below the spider. DAVID walks across a large center room, into--
INT. Bedroom.
DAVID walks into the room, where ALEXIS lies on the bed, wearing only a gray athletic shirt and underwear. She stares up at the ceiling, humming a song. DAVID walks over to her, and lies next to her. They kiss.
INT. Bathroom.
We go back to the bathroom, with David still staring at the spider. He takes his gaze off of it and sits on the ground, his back up against the bathtub. He puts his hands over his head, and then moves them to cover his ears, eliminating all sound except for his loud, heavy breathing. A thin veil of vapor begins spindling out of his mouth as he breathes.
GIRL
(O.C.)
David?
David’s head whips around as the voice comes through.
EXT. Church. Day.
David sits in the same position, but now on a curb outside a church. The church bell begins to ring.
GIRL
(OC)
David? Are you ready to go?
David looks up to see a beautiful girl standing over him.
INT. Car.
David sits in the backseat, staring out the window. The girls sit sin the passenger seat, staring straight forward. The driver, a male around the same age of David and the girl, tries to keep the hair out of his eyes as he drives.
INT. House - Party. Night.
Everyone has been drinking. The house is full of posers and truly sympathetic people trying to get on. Brandon, the driver of the car, walks through the house, carrying cups. He is stopped by a girl.
GIRL
Brandon…don’t you think this is a bad way to remember Alex?
BRANDON
No. If you would have known him, you would know this is what he wanted. You want a cup?
INT. House - Den.
David walks out of a bathroom, his tie loosened. He walks into an empty room, except for the girl from earlier. This is Audrey.
AUDREY
Hey. How are you holding up?
David sits down next to her.
DAVID
I’m doing okay. How about yourself?
AUDREY
I don’t know. I just don’t think this is a good environment for grieving.
DAVID
He would have wanted this.
AUDREY
I know, I know. I just…want to curl up and cry, though.
DAVID
Yeah. Me, too.
Audrey slumps over on David and begins to cry. David pets her hair.
EXT. House - Back patio.
Brandon leans on a rail, drinking from a cup and watching the sky. David comes out the door behind him.
DAVID
Drinking alone? Not a good sign.
DAVID walks over and leans over the rail.
BRANDON
Do you think he’s up there?
DAVID
Somewhere, yes.
BRANDON
He was young.
DAVID
Too young.
BRANDON
Some bitch in there actually used the line “God works in mysterious ways.” I almost punched her.
DAVID
It’s probably best that you didn’t.
BRANDON
Either one of us could be next.
DAVID
Don’t think that way. We both have our whole lives ahead of us. You, the lawyer. Me, the writer.
BRANDON
I’ll handle all your censorship cases.
DAVID
Yeah, and all that plagiarism.
They both laugh.
BRANDON
Fuck, man, he had plans, too. He was going to be an actor. This…isn’t fair. Look at all these jock assholes here, hardly knew him. Anyone of them could have been taken instead.
DAVID
God works in mysterious ways.
BRANDON
Fuck off. Where’s Audrey?
DAVID
I got Helena to take her to my car. She’s in hysterics. I think it finally hit her.
BRANDON
I cried.
DAVID
I think we all did.
After a few seconds, Brandon tosses the cup, and walks back inside. He leaves the door open behind him, letting the sounds of the house drift out. David takes a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, and takes one out. He rolls it around his fingers and looks towards the sky. A girl slowly walks out the door, closing it behind her. As she walks closer to David, we see it’s Alexis. David doesn’t realize.
ALEXIS
Is that a cigarette in your hand?
David rolls his eyes, as if he was expecting it.
DAVID
Where have you been?
ALEXIS
Grieving.
DAVID
You didn’t even like him that much.
ALEXIS
Shows how well you know me. How are you holding up? I saw Brandon. He looks pretty emotional.
DAVID
Like a car wreck. He’s fine. I’m fine.
ALEXIS
Are you going to light that?
DAVID
Not in front of you. Where’s Liam?
ALEXIS
At home. Kind of bad timing for all that, knowing the facts now.
DAVID
Yeah, well, you didn’t know Alex was going to die.
ALEXIS
Would it have changed things?
DAVID
Well, if you knew he was going to die before he did, you might have saved him.
ALEXIS
Unfortunately, that was impossible. Did George get…arrested?
DAVID
They did it yesterday morning.
ALEXIS
Oh.
DAVID
Are you staying long?
ALEXIS
Are you?
DAVID
I haven’t even started drinking yet.
ALEXIS
Do you think it’s wise to drink tonight? Knowing the shape you’re in?
DAVID
Yeah, I think it is.
ALEXIS
I might not have known about Alex, but…I think this is foreshadowing your demise.
DAVID
Classy thing to say, Alexis.
ALEXIS
I’m sorry.
DAVID
If you’re not going to drink with me or fuck me, I think you should go.
Alexis stands there for a few seconds, then walks back inside. David lights the cigarette.
INT. House.
David meets Chloe and Scarlett, two girls who knew Alex.
After that, we go to the next morning, where David wakes up next to a girl at the house. He walks outside, where Brandon sits on the front porch, still drinking. David takes the bottle away from him, and drives off.
David goes to Alexis’ house. They fool around. She finds out he slept with someone else the night before, throws him out.
David goes to car. Alex sits in back. Says, “I wonder where Liam is.” David looks in the backseat, but no one is there. The car is filled with cigarette smoke.
David shows up at work(survey caller). Ends up calling Chloe’s house. They talk, he agrees to come over that night.
“We met at a party for your dead best friend.”
Chloe and David go swinging in a playground. They talk, end up falling asleep on a bench. David wakes up before Chloe, and sees Alex(the dead friend), spinning around on a merry-go-round. He shakes his head, Alex is gone, but the thing still spins around in circles. Chloe wakes up. They go to breakfast, David thinks the waiter is Alex, freaks out, assaults the waiter, asked to leave. The waiter says, “Great first impression, jackass.” As they walk out cementing the idea to David that Alex is still around.
Young David, Brandon, and Alex at a playground. David tries to impress a girl. Alex makes the remark of “Great first impression, jackass.”
David goes to Audrey’s house. She sits in her basement, playing video games. She ends up breaking down and crying over Alex. David holds her. Helena arrives, takes David’s place. David goes to the restroom, washes his face off.
“Looks like everyone is pretty broken up about it.”
The lights in the bathroom go out, as David is plunged into darkness. A single overhead light turns on over David, and we’re now in a completely black room. We hear footsteps approaching, and eventually a figure. David realizes who it is as Alex reaches him, cigarette in mouth, holding a glass. David freaks. Alex says he’s here to guide him. Gives him a cigarette. We go back to the bathroom, where David stands, cigarette burning in his lips. He throws the cigarette down, as we hear Helena banging on door. “Are you smoking in there?”
Chloe and Scarlett smoke pot in a parked car. She talks about David having feelings for him, hasn’t felt this way since Victor.
Brandon and Holi lie in bed together.
BRANDON
I think once the initial shock wears off, I’ll be fine. But…David, he’s keeping all of his emotion in. The Alexis thing, now Alex…he’s not coping. It’s going to destroy him.
David lies in bed, staring at a clock(4:32am). David driving. “I had this dream last night…I was in this field at sunrise. And…there were a thousand beautiful angels there, just staring at me. The moment seemed like it lasted forever, but then…it turned into a big blood orgy. They started tearing each other apart. And in the middle, was Alex, in a white tuxedo and aviator sunglasses, staring at me.” David is sitting on a couch with Chloe, telling her this. “What do you think it means?” “I think it means you’re still grieving over Alex.” “What if I were to tell you that…” “You tell her and you’ll be joining me in the afterlife.” “Tell me what?” “Nothing.” “No, tell me what.” “Tell you that…I really like you.” It begins to rain. They go outside, and play in the rain. He kisses Chloe. “I really like you, too.” Alex watches from the top of a building.
Alexis shops at a mall. She sees David and Chloe. David introduces them. Chloe goes to look in a different store. “I haven’t talked to you in awhile.” “I’ve been down and out.” “It looks like you’re moving forward, not down.” “The times, they are a changing.” Alexis tries to hug him, he pushes her away.
Brandon, David, Holi, Chloe, Ian, Helena, Audrey, and Scarlett hang out, drinking. They go to get more alcohol at a store. Chloe sees Victor, introduces him to David. David and Chloe talk about her past. They fight, David ends up crashing a car with Chloe, Audrey, and Scarlett in it when Alex appears on the side of the car(ala Twilight Zone)
We go to a game show inside David’s head, hosted by Alex, “Who Gets To Die?” where Alex tries tog et David to choose who dies in the car wreck. Alex introduces the “Possible Angels” in a narrative saying what David feels about each one. David gets pissed, attacks Alex. “That’s going to cost you.”
David is woken up after the wreck. Everyone is safe. David looks around for Alex, can’t find him.
David goes to Brandon’s house, where Brandon sits and play videogames, with Holi asleep behind him. Chloe hasn’t talken to him since that night. David tells Brandon about seeing Alex. Brandon is freaked out by what David says, and kicks him out.
David goes to Audrey’s youth group with her. Victor is there. They talk about Chloe for awhile. Holi calls him, invites him and Chloe to go camping. David goes to Chloe’s house to invite her camping. Scarlett and Mitch are there. Chloe agrees to, David drives Scarlett home. They talk about Chloe. “Did you like Mitch?” “He seems like an okay guy.” “Heh.” David hears this laugh, and Alex appears in the backseat, laughing, then disappears.
They go camping. Chloe and David talk about Chloe’s rape. They go to sleep. David wakes up in the middle of the night. Chloe is gone. He wanders out in the woods, and stumbles upon Mitch and Chloe together. Alex walks into the frame, “It’s time to separate the men from the boys, David.” A gun appears in David’s hand. He shoots Chloe and Mitch, then sets fire to the forrest, resulting in a huge forrest fire. Later, after everything has been evacuated, Brandon, Holi, and Chloe find David. Alex has tricked David into starting the fire.
David, Brandon, Holi, and Chloe stop at a gas station on the way home. David calls Audrey to talk to her. Tells her he’s becoming unstable, can’t tell fiction from reality. He gets off the phone, and Chloe goes to use it. David sits alone in the car, watching Chloe call (Mitch), smiling and giggling. Alex appears. “I wonder who she’s talking to.” David starts punching Alex, Alex fights back, bloodies David’s face. He disappears as Brandon, Chloe, and Holi get back. “What happened to your face?”
“Fuck Christmas Kegger” Huge party. Everyones drunk. David is dancing with a lot of people to A-Ha. Brandon talks with Ian about some pop-culture thing, as Holi brings them pink lemonade with Everclear. David calls Chloe’s house, says she is out with Scarlett and Mitch. David walks back out to the party, asScarlett walks in. David figures it out, and sits down with Scarlett. We close in on David’s face, then back out, and the entire party is gone. Alex sits next to him, looking the opposite way. “It’s going to be okay.” The party flashes back in. Scarlett stares at David, holding his hand. She leans in and kisses him.
Later that night, David and Scarlett drive around. David has been drinking. Alex, I the backseat, convinces David to go to her house(Chloe’s). So he does. They wait in the car, Scarlett asleep, as Mitch’s car pulls up. David gets out, gets into a big verbal fight with Chloe. He drives off, as Audrey calls David to come pick her up.
Ext. Country road. Morning.
David lies on the road, looking up at the post dawn sky, smoking a cigarette. The car is in the distance, Scarlett and Audrey in it. A single snowflake falls from the sky, and lands on David’s face.
David drops Audrey off. Decides to stay with Scarlett.
INT. Scarlett’s room.
David and Scarlett walk in, kissing.
SCARLETT
Are you going to regret this?
DAVID
Probably.
When David wakes up, he slowly sits up. Alex is leaning against the wall, clapping.
ALEX
You’re on the road to recovery, my friend.
David and Alex talk, Scarlett wakes up.
SCARLETT
Who were you talking to?
DAVID
No one.
Alexis has called. This pisses Alex off. David leaves, heading to Alexis’.
At Alexis’, they talk. Alexis might have found someone. Alexis goes to fix some coffee, and David manifests Chloe and Mitch having sex on Alexis’ table. Alexis comes in and starts kissing Mitch. The another Alexis walks in with coffee, ignoring the orgy, because it doesn’t exist. It disappears, Alexis goes tog et sugar. David walks to backporch, jumps off onto the ground at the bottom, lands on snow-covered leaves. Alexis comes out and tries to take car of him, but he leaves.
David walks on icy ledge of parking garage. Scarlett watches from car. David goes to car. They talk, end up having sex in the backseat. “Merry Christmas.”
David runs through a graveyard, chased by the bloodied angels from the dream. Alex walks behind the mob, twirling a cane. David runs out of the cemetery, and is now in an alley. Alex and the angels are gone. David walks down the alley, and see Alexis and Aiden kissing. He looks shocked. We see quick shots of a baseball bat, blood, Alexis screaming and Alex walking out of the shadows, watching something.
David wakes up in car with Scarlett the next morning.
SCARLETT
Are you still regretting this?
DAVID
I’m tired of regretting everything.
David and Scarlett lie on a trampoline outside, smoking pot.
SCARLETT
Didn’t you like it better when you were a kid, and the most important thing to you was trying to stay up late?
DAVID
I miss the innocence of it all.
SCARLETT
Yeah. Now look at you. Christmas morning, outside with a girl, smoking pot. Where did our parents go wrong?
DAVID
You think this is wrong?
SCARLETT
No.
DAVID
Then shut up and enjoy it.
David has blood on his shirt, but neither of them notice.
David drops Scarlett off at home(Merry X-Mas speech), gets a call from Helena. Aiden has been attacked.
News report: “Many families woke up this morning to holiday joy, the kind that’s expected to come Christmas morning. But for one family, this Christmas morning was anything but jolly. 18 year-old Aiden McNamara was found severly beaten outside his home earlier this morning. Police are looking for clues, and citizens are looking for answers.”
David, Brandon, Audrey, and Holi sit in Brandons house, talking about the beating.
BRANDON
I’m sorry that it happened to him, but seriously, Aiden is a dick. He deserved it. Look what he did to Helena, and look where she is right now. In the hospital by his side. The man is the fucking antichrist, or he has this weird spell over all women he talks to.
Helena calls Audrey, Audrey and David go to hospital.
David sits next to the windows of the hospital room. Audrey sits a few feet over. Helena sits at the bed.
HELENA
Do you have any pot?
DAVID
No, not on me.
Everything goes quiet.
ALEX
(OC)
Finish it.
David looks up, and Helena and Audrey are gone. Alex sits where Audrey did.
DAVID
Where’s Helena and Audrey?
ALEX
They went down to the cafeteria.
DAVID
Oh.
ALEX
You have to do it.
DAVID
Do what?
ALEX
Kill him.
DAVID
What? No!
ALEX
When he wakes up, he’s going to tell them who did this. We need to make sure he never has the chance.
DAVID
What are you talking about?
ALEX
Don’t you remember your dream?
David begins to realize.
DAVID
No, no, that’s not possible.
ALEX
You have to do it.
DAVID
I can’t believe this.
ALEX
David, they will catch you if you don’t. Just take the pillow and put it over his face.
DAVID
If you’re so worried, you do it.
ALEX
Because I’m a figment of your fucking imagination! The only thing I can do is to manipulate you into doing things.
DAVID
So you admit to it?
ALEX
I’m helping you. You’re better off this way.
DAVID
I’m better off dead.
ALEX
That’s yet to be seen. Just do it, then we can put this behind us.
DAVID
I’m not killing anyone.
ALEX
You killed me.
DAVID
I did not!
ALEX
You could have called the police, David…child services, something…done something about my father years ago. But you didn’t, and he threw me down a flight of stairs.
DAVID
You won’t make me feel guilty.
ALEX
Make you? You are guilty, David.
DAVID
I’m not going to kill anyone.
ALEX
Oh, yeah?
Chloe and Alexis walk in and start climbing on top of Aiden. He takes his casts off, and starts groping Chloe’s breasts.
ALEX
Great show. Want some popcorn?
DAVID
This isn’t real.
ALEX
Does that matter?
The girls and Aiden keep going at it. Alex enjoys it, David keeps getting angrier. Finally, David jumps up, pushes the girls over, grabs Aiden, and throws him to the ground, just as Audrey and Helena walk in.
HELENA
DAVID! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!
DAVID
He started jumping around the bed, and fell off! I was trying to catch him!
Audrey and Helena run over and help put Aiden back on the bed.
DAVID
I don’t know what the hell happened.
HELENA
It’s alright, he’s fine.
AUDREY
Maybe we should call a nurse…
HELENA
No, I said he’s fine.
AUDREY
Are you alright?
HELENA
Yes, I’m fine. Maybe you guys should go.
DAVID
Okay. I have my phone with me, call if you need anything.
David and Audrey leave, and he takes her home.
NEW YEARS:
David shows up at a party. He runs into Helena smoking a cigarette outside.
As he walks in, he sees Alexis talking to a group of guys. He ducks into another room, where Victor sits with his other friends. Victor convinces him to try meth. David sits down, and sees Alex go through the house with a machine gun, murdering everyone(hallucination). David is in the backyard, lying down, watching the stars. He hears something, and goes behind a garage to see Scarlett and a guy having sex. He thinks it’s a hallucination, but he touches her, and feels it. Alex appears.
ALEX
I’m not doing this.
David stumbles away, goes back inside. Audrey is on the stairs, crying. Her tears becomes little tear soldiers, attacking David. He kicks them away. He looks Audrye in the face. She smiles.
AUDREY
It’ll be okay.
David sees a television which shows a mushroom cloud explosion.
DAVID
The world’s ending, and they’re showing it on TV.
GUY
Yeah man, the world’s over.
Ninjas storm the house. David kills them all, with a little help from Rivers Cuomo wielding a samurai sword. David watches the clock tick closer to midnight. A car crashes into the house. A guy in an astronaut suit asks David if he has been to space. Lightning crashes. David dances in the rain with a bunch of other people(slow motion). As he walks back into the house,he sees Victor and Alexis kissing. Alex appears.
ALEX
It’s not a hallucination. That is real. It’s all happening…
DAVID
…it’s all happening…
ALEX
…it’s all happening.
David breaks. He sits down, as the countdown starts
10…9…8…
“I’m tired of this.”
…7…6…5…
“I hate you, Alex. I don’t want this anymore.”
…4…3…2…
“Get out of my head.”
…1…
We’re transported to an entire black room. David stand sthere. Alex walks up. They argue. Big elaborate ninja fight between the two. It ends as David gets the advantage, and chokes Alex out with his hands, as we cut to…
The party. David sits over Alexis’ body with his hands around her neck as the last gasp of air escapes her body. Just as she dies, he realizes what has happened. Victor lies near them, unconscious. He lets go of Alexis’ lifeless body, and looks around the party. Everyone huddle sin fear, staring at him. He slowly stumbles out of the party and begins running.
KEMP
(VO)
So where did you go?
David arrives at Chloe’s. Chloe comes out of the house, they stare at each other. They hug.
DAVID
(VO)
I don’t remember.
KEMP
(VO)
Well, the cops found you at Alex’s grave.
David lies near Alex’s grave, smoking a cigarette. Two cop cars arrive. Cops get out, pulling their guns.
Back in interrogation room.
KEMP
Why did you go there?
DAVID
To make sure.
KEMP
Make sure of what?
DAVID
That he was gone.
KEMP
Do you expect me to believe all this, David?
David, tears forming in his eyes, looks up at Kemp.
DAVID
I don’t know if this is real or not.
KEMP
Trust me, kid…this is very real.
Montage of news reports.
KEMP
(Voiceover the montage)
It is my professional opinion that David Merrick is in fact highly delusional and schizophrenic, but also guilty of the murder of Alexis Haggerty. The spirit of Mr. Merrick appears to be broken; he is regretful of his actions in his lucid moments. It is in the opinion of this detective that he be put into a mental hospital, where he can get the help he needs.
David goes to jail. He walks into his jail cell, sits down.
David drives down a highway at sunset. He smiles, as a news report opens in the corner of the screen. “David; youngest person put to death in the United States of America.” David passes Alex on the side of the highway. Alex waves. David waves back. Alex walks down the highway, the opposite way of David. Fade to black.
The End.