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INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

MEDIUM CLOSE UP: ANTON (IN FRONT OF MIRROR)
A bathroom at night. ANTON stands in front of the mirror,
cutting his hair, he stops in mid thought, catching the
reflection. He pauses and holds the pair of scissors in front
of him.
CLOSE UP: ANTON (LOOKING AT REFLECTION)
He looks down at it, we see the glint of the scissors from
over his shoulder.
EXTREME CLOSE UP: PAIR OF SCISSORS
CLOSE UP: ANTON (LOOKING AT SCISSORS)
He looks back to the mirror for a while as we cut to the
title over black.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
ESTABLISHING SHOT: BEDROOM
A dark bedroom, the blankets in disarray, papers strewn
across the floor.
MEDIUM CLOSE UP: ANTON
ANTON is sitting on the bed, holding a rolled cigarette. He
surveys everything around him, dark thoughts clouding behind
his eyes.
CLOSE UP: ANTON (LIGHTING CIGARETTE)
He lights the cigarette and inhales deeply as we:
CUT TO:
INT. HOLDING CELL - NIGHT
CLOSE UP: ANTON (HOLDING CELL/INTERROGATION ROOM)
A dark cold holding cell in a police station somewhere. Anton
sits at the ugly green table in the room. He bites the nail
on his right trigger finger and looks around.

2.

OVER THE SHOULDER: ANTON (LOOKING AT DETECTIVES)

Just outside, through a window looking in, he spots 2 police
men talking.
INT. HALLWAY
2 SHOT: DETECTIVES (ANTON IN BACKGROUND)
The hallway outside the holding cell, the 2 police men are
standing and nervously glancing inside the room at Anton.
Anton looks bored. These two policeman are called JULES, and
JIM.
SHOT REVERSE SHOT: DETECTIVES TALKING
They are in the middle of a conversation.
JULES
The dog too.
JIM
The dog?
JULES
Yeah. Stabbed in the face.
JIM
Damn.
JIM (CONTD)
And the rest of them?
JULES
Dead. The mother, the father, the
little girl, the older brother. All
stabbed or strangled to death.
Beat. As Jim looks through the window at Anton sitting there,
biting his nails.
JIM
If he clearly did it. Why do we
need to interrogate him?
Beat.
JULES
(incredulous)
What, You want to go home?
JIM
Its late.

3.

JULES
We cant find the little girls
body.
JIM
Maybe she escaped.
Jules stares at Jim blankly.
JULES
We found her blood at the scene.
And her scalp. It was cut off. Left
on the living room floor. Her
bodies missing... And So is the
murder weapon.
Jim sighs.
MEDIUM CLOSE UP: JIM (FUCK)
JIM
Fuck.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
MEDIUM CLOSE UP: ANTON
Anton, sitting on his bed, smoking his cigarette. Just out of
frame the bedroom door opens loudly.
CLOSE UP: ANTON (LOOKING AT DOOR)
Anton looks to the door, a look of surprise on it. He brings
the cigarette to his mouth and inhales yet again, blowing
smoke towards it.
INT. HOLDING CELL
WIDE => CLOSE UP: DOOR OPENS AND JIM WALKS IN AND SITS DOWN
(INTERROGATION ROOM)
Anton looks at the door to the interrogation room as Jim
walks in carrying a file.
CLOSE UP: ANTON (EYES FOLLOWING JIM)
ANTON
Hello.
JIM
Hey there.

4.

ANTON
How are you?
MEDIUM CLOSE UP: JIM (HOW ARE YOU?)
JIM
Good and you?
CLOSE UP: ANTON (REACTION, THEN GOOD?)
ANTON
Good? My family is dead. Thats not
a good thing.
MEDIUM CLOSE UP: JIM
JIM
Well You did kill them.
CLOSE UP: ANTON FLINCHING
Anton flinches.
ANTON
What the hell? Where do you- whats
wrong with you.
2 SHOT: ANTON AND JIM (ARE YOU A DETECTIVE?)
Beat.
ANTON (CONTD)
Are you a detective?
JIM
Yes.
ANTON
Whats your name?
MEDIUM: JIM
JIM
James. Jim... And youre Anton?
Jim pulls a box of marlboro reds out of his shirt pocket. He
takes one out and lights it. He offers the box to Anton, who
reaches out and takes one, his wrists in handcuffs.

5.

MEDIUM: JIM (OFFERING CIGARETTE)

Jim lights his own and then Antons.
ANTON
I didnt kill them. My family. I
didnt kill them.
MEDIUM CLOSE UP: JIM (REACTION SHOT)
Jim looks at this young man sitting in front of him.
INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT
WIDE: BACK OF ANTONS HEAD, FAMILY IN BACKGROUND OUT OF FOCUS
The dining room is filled with a smiling family eating
dinner, Anton is absent but the family doesnt seem to mind.
They are laughing and enjoying themselves.
ANTON (V.O.)
Do you ever pray detective?
JIM (V.O.)
Sometimes.
ANTON (V.O.)
Why?
JIM (V.O.)
Because it gives me something to
believe in.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
CLOSE UP: ANTON (STARING AT DOOR)
Anton, sitting on the bed, staring out of frame, at something
he cant quite see.
ANTON (V.O.)
So if you saw something that
completely challenged your beliefs,
would you just stop praying?
JIM
No.
ANTON
Yes.

6.

INT. HOLDING CELL

MEDIUM CLOSE UP: JIM
JIM
I dont know. Id have to cross
that bridge when I got there.
CLOSE UP: ANTON (DISAPPEARED)
ANTON
I crossed that bridge last night.
When my family disappeared.
MEDIUM CLOSE UP: JIM WHAT HAPPENED
JIM
What happened?
CLOSE UP: ANTON REACTION SHOT
Anton looks at the detective intensely.
ANTON
I started the evening in the living
room.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
WIDE: BACK OF ANTONS HEAD, FAMILY IN BACKGROUND OUT OF FOCUS
REVERSE WIDE: FRONT OF ANTON ON COUCH
The family dinner. Anton is sitting on a couch just behind
his family at the table. They dont seem to notice.
ANTON (V.O.)
I was preparing a cigarette for
myself to enjoy, by myself once
everyone went to sleep. They were
laughing and having fun. They dont
like my smoking much.

7.

INTERCUT(INTERROGATION ROOM) MEDIUM CLOSE UP: JIM REACTION

SHOT
ANTON (V.O.)
Once I was finished, I decided to
go to bed early. I took my
cigarette with me.
EXTREME CLOSE UP (BEDROOM) (PROFILE): ANTONS CIGARETTE IN
HAND RAISING IT TO INHALE, FIRST THE ONE AT THE HOUSE, THEN
THE MARLBORO IN THE CELL
ANTON (V.O.)
I went down to my bedroom. And
closed the door.
INTERCUT (DINING ROOM) CLOSE UP: ANTON WALKING OUT OF FRAME
INT. BEDROOM
MEDIUM: ANTON (SITTING DOWN)
Anton standing by the door. He moves slowly toward the messy
bed and sits down.
ANTON (V.O.)
I sat down on the bed and thought
about... things. Life and other
things like it.
INTERCUT(INTERROGATION ROOM): JIM (REACTION SHOT)
ANTON (V.O.)
I lit my cigarette. And inhaled
deeply. Savouring the flavour.
CLOSE UP: ANTON (LIGHTING CIGARETTE)
CUTAWAY: PAIR OF SCISSORS (UNDER PAPERS OR BLANKET)
Anton lights the cigarette. On the floor, we can see the
handle of a pair of scissors under the blood red blanket.
ANTON (V.O.)
And then the door flew open, And I
saw something.

8.

CLOSE UP: ANTON (LOOKING AT DOOR)

Anton, on the bed, looks to the door, a strange look on his
face.
INT. HOLDING CELL
CLOSE UP: JIM
Jim is listening, rapt.
Jim almost whispers the next line.
JIM
What did you see?
CLOSE UP: ANTON (I SAW A GHOST)
ANTON
I saw a ghost, dressed in a white
flowing dress, covered in blood. My
families blood. The dogs too.
INTERCUT: ANTON REACTION SHOT IN BEDROOM (HORROR DAWNING ON
HIS FACE)
CLOSE UP: ANTON (AND IT SPOKE TO ME)
ANTON (CONTD)
(whisper)
And then it spoke to me.
CLOSE UP: JIM REACTION SHOT
Jim looks scared of the young man in front of him.
INT. BEDROOM
CLOSE UP: ANTON STARING AT GHOST (BRIGHT LIGHT SHINING ON HIS
FACE)
Anton sitting on the bed, looking at the ghost in front of
him.
ANTON (V.O.)
And I stood up
Anton stands up.

9.

WIDE: ANTON (LEAVING THROUGH DOOR)

ANTON (V.O.)
And I walked toward the door.
Anton walks to the door, opening it and closing it behind
him.
ANTON (V.O.)
And I left the room.
INT. LIVING ROOM
WIDE: ROOM (DEAD BODIES)
The living room lights are now off. Four dead bodies lie on
the carpet, an older woman, a fat old man, a little girl and
boy, all covered in blood.
CLOSE UP: ANTON (STARING AT BODIES, LOW ANGLE
Towering over them is Anton, a bloody pair of scissors
hanging limply in his hand.
EXTREME CLOSE UP: BLOODY PAIR OF SCISSORS
INT. HOLDING CELL - NIGHT
CLOSE UP: ANTON (INHALING CIGARETTE)
Anton has just finished his chilling story, he inhales from
his nearly empty cigarette, he looks to Jim, who looks back,
speechless.
REACTION SHOT: JIM (SPEECHLESS)
WIDE: INTERROGATION ROOM
CUT TO BLACK.