THE WORLD WITHIN

THE FLAME

by Ian Powell

Draft 2 June 2001

From an original script ã Ian Powel 1988

E-Mail Ian.Powell@btinternet.com

INT. BEDRROM. EVE.

One male hand grips another. A young (20ish) rent boy Paul is getting fucked. His Client is behind him, thrusting.

PAUL:  Harder I need to see.

CLIENT: I can't

PAUL: Come on fuck me, (Gritting his teeth). It's what you paid for. C'mon.

Their hands grip harder and suddenly in Paul's mind he flashes to.

EXT. STREET. NIGHT.

A bloody hand retrieves a blood streaked Dictaphone from the pocket of a heavy coat and switches it on. A young Woman SARAH is walking home down a dark alleyway, towards a blue lit railway bridge. She turns around startled by a sound.

DRAKE, the owner of the Dictaphone is dressed in a heavy coat, with a scarf pulled around to hide his features. As Sarah turns around he ducks back into the shadows. She starts to walk forward again. This time a little faster.

INT. A BEDROOM. NIGHT

Paul's hand really clasps his clients. It's as if his fingernails will draw blood.

PAUL: Harder!

His face is bathed in light

EXT. STREET. NIGHT.

Sarah's face is also bathed momentarily with light

SARAH: Paul?

Then she turns around and sees the figure that is now moving out of the shadows behind her. Fog drifts across the archway.

SARAH: Shit.

She takes her keys out of her pocket and grips them in her fist so they splay like a weapon. Then she runs.

Drake points the tape recorder in her direction, recording the sounds of her fear. Then he also starts to run, pursuing her as she runs under the railway viaduct, and past industrial building, towards her warehouse apartment building.

INT. ROOM. EVE.

PAUL: Please... harder!

PAUL'S CLIENT: I can't the condom will break.

PAUL: I have to...see.

For a moment again PAUL sees the chase:

PAUL: Something's wrong!

PAUL'S CLIENT: What? I fucking told you!

Paul grasps the guy pressing him into him

PAUL: No you've got to fill me.

EXT. STREET. NIGHT.

Just then Sarah reaches her apartment building. She tries to unlock the door, but she slips and drops the keys. She turns around, just to see Drake draw level with her at the other side of the road. They lock eyes for one terrible moment. Then he just walks away.

She quickly unlocks the door and flees inside.

INT. ROOM. EVE.

PAUL: Oh My God

He falls away from the client's body onto bed.

PAUL'S CLIENT: Are you fucking crazy?

PAUL: (Reaching for him) C'mon. I need more...quickly!

PAUL'S CLIENT: Forget it. That's the last time I use you. You should pay me!.

PAUL: You don't know what that means to me.

PAUL'S CLIENT: I wanted straight sex. I told you before we started.

PAUL: You must have heard. I have a reputation....for something special

PAUL'S CLIENT: What was that some kind of drug?

PAUL: I don't have time for this are you going to fuck me again or aren't you?

PAUL'S CLIENT: Hell no!. Here's the money. Fucking take it.

PAUL: (looking at it) Thanks....Times are hard

PAUL'S CLIENT: Get out of here.

Paul exits.

INT. STAIRWAY. NIGHT

He runs down the stairs

EXT. STREET. NIGHT.

and out onto the street. he starts to walk quickly, pulling his collar up against the wind. Griffin (another rent boy) walks up behind him and taps him on the shoulder.

GRIFFIN: Another satisfied customer?

PAUL: The guy's a prick

GRIFFIN: Didn't he pay you?

PAUL: I saw her Griffin. I saw her! Then something terrible happened. And I feel like its all my fault.

Griffin stands still but Paul keeps walking

GRIFFIN: What are you talking about. Oh that shit. Man, you've got to run that stuff past me again.

CUT TO:

EXT. RUN DOWN CAFÉ. NIGHT.

The camera moves out from darkness. Griffin and Paul share a coffee out on the pavement, drinking from plastic cups.

GRIFFIN: You know I think that stuff you've been doing is perverted. She's your sister right?

PAUL: After we were born they separated us. I told you. This is the only way I can see her. And then just glimpses. (He thinks for a moment, staring into empty space) And glimpses of something else too

GRIFFIN: What else?

PAUL: Another World

Paul closes his eyes...and for a moment he sees

INT. DARKNESS. NIGHT.

a flame, a flame in the darkness. Then closer and the sound of its burning has become a roar. Then....

EXT. CAFÉ. NIGHT.

Back in the present Paul rubs his eyes.

There is a moment of silence as Griffin tries to digest what Paul has said.

GRIFFIN: Why did they separate you?

PAUL: Because we have powers. Its dangerous for us to be together. At least that’s what they told us.

GRIFFIN: Who.....

PAUL: Oh....never mind. I'll tell you later.

GRIFFIN: You look bad man....worse than ever. C'mon I'll show you somewhere you can sleep.

They get up and exit.

INT. GIDEON PEPLOE'S LOUNGE. EVE.

Gideon lights a candle in close up. It is in front of a photo of a crucifixion. Gideon is like Drake, a tall, sinister, middle aged man....He is how we would imagine a killer.

He steps back a little and we see the full extent of his alter to death, all candles and Polaroid's of suffering.

Gideon flicks on the switch on his Dictaphone. it is just like Drake's. But what we hear are the sounds of a man's voice screaming.

PEPLOE: (Hissing to himself) Music to my ears.

He clicks off the tape recorder. A phone rings. He walks over to the wall and picks it up. His hand is also bloodstained.

DRAKE: Gideon?

PEPLOE: Drake. Did you get her?

DRAKE: I was so close. I could smell her power.

PEPLOE: So why didn't you take her?

DRAKE: The time wasn't right. But I Know where she lives. Its just a Matter of time. She knew I was there. I could feel her fear.

Something clicks on the other end as Drake plays something back from his Dictaphone.

We hear hurried footsteps then:

SARAH: Paul? (Pause) Shit.

She starts to run. And Drake clicks off the dictaphone.

PEPLOE: We need her Drake.

DRAKE: (Irritably) I know. What about your side of the Bargain!

PEPLOE: (Hissing) Don't worry....you worry about Your work and I'll do mine. (Pause) Drake, if we're going to partners, we're going to have to learn to trust each other

He clicks the receiver down. And looks around. There is so much to do.

INT. HALLWAY. EVE

Peploe goes out into the hallway. He puts on his coat and puts a large knife in a jewelled scabbard into his pocket. Then he moves down the stairs to a lower level. he walks down the corridor towards the cellar.

He switches on a light, throwing a myriad of shadows across the dirt floor. There are tools on one wall, and a heavy polythene curtain dividing the room in half. It blows menacingly in the breeze. Behind it objects hang that look like bodies or pieces of bodies.

Gideon switches on his Dictaphone and we see the wheels turning.

GIDEON: Hello my children.

Gideon stands in the middle of the room, with his back to the camera. He raises his arms like a man in an act of worship. The heavy plastic sheeting moves, as if stirred by a phantom breeze.

GIDEON: I'm going out again to bring you some more friends. There is someone I want you to meet. Someone who is very special to me.

He smiles and we CUT TO:

EXT. STREET. EVE.

Griffin and Paul approach a bridge where some derelicts sleep. Fires have already been lit. Griffin gestures to Paul to sit down under the shelter of the bridge.

The other winos view them with suspicion.

GRIFFIN: Make yourself at home.

PAUL: I have to find her Griffin, I have to warn her.

GRIFFIN: So why would anyone be after her?

PAUL: You don't understand do you. When you are beautiful someone is always trying to use you or do you harm

He grimaces. Griffin reaches out and strokes his forehead.

GRIFFIN: What's happening up here?

PAUL: I have dreams. Lots of dreams.

GRIFFIN: That's why they hire you.

PAUL: Don't you mean that's what freaks them out?

WE DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREET. A LITTLE LATER

Paul's head flops back against the wall. He is exhausted.

GRIFFIN: That's right. You've got to sleep.

PAUL: I just feel like there's so little time. But I've got to be careful. The dreams I  Have help me find her, but every time I do it Griffin....every time I go with a Client I loose a little bit of myself. I'm getting Weaker and weaker.

GIFFIN: I don't understand why you do it this way. Selling Your magic. Couldn't you just find yourself a Regular partner.

PAUL: It's not the same. I can't explain why.  Love takes over Griffin. It becomes Everything. It blocks out the World...the other World...for her too.

GIFFIN: So you've tried it?

PAUL: Once

They smile awkwardly at each other, sharing a moment. Then Paul turns over. He is troubled. Griffin doesn't push it.

Again WE DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREET. A LITTLE LATER

More time has passed

GIFFIN: Tell me about your sister.

PAUL: We were separated a long time ago

EXT. CHURCH STEPS. DAY

We are on the steps of a large Church. A woman walks up them carrying a baby. She is heavily wrapped against the cold. She hands a baby to a cowled figure, which then walks back into the shadows.

EXT. STREET. EVE.

Paul watches the flames in the dustbin opposite as they get higher and higher.

PAUL (Cont): They decided what was best for us. Each would go to a different community and be raised without the distraction friendship could bring.

GRIFFIN: That's horrible

PAUL: Is it? The regime was strict but pure. You couldn't achieve anything without a little hardship. Austerity focussed the mind.

INT. STONE CORRIDOR OF A MONESTRY

Paul now a boy walks down the corridor surrounded by figures in monks robes.

PAUL: I was brought up by Monks. They brought Sarah up in a convent. It happens a lot with runaways and Orphans. They are taken in by the church.

Various Monks kneel and Pray to a simple carved figurine and then rise and move on as if taking communion.

PAUL: They all had their faiths. There in that quiet place faith grew like fires. But one had another faith, different to the others.

GRIFFIN:

Who?

PAUL: He was called Brother Dominic. The Others were a little scared of him. He was a recluse and after a while I lived in his cell. He taught me....

Paul breaks off and we see.

INT. BROTHER DOMINIC'S CELL. THE SAME.

As Dominic and the young Paul sit either side of a bare wooden table about to break bread and begin a meal. Dominic pours a tumbler of water for the boy and stares at him intently.

PAUL: There were such wonders within those bare walls.

Father Dominic puts his finger to his lips.

PAUL: He told me to observe the vow of silence. Only then, concentrating on the flame could I really see.

We pull back to show that the young Paul is staring at a candle flame, which sits in the middle of the table, between the two of them. The reflection of the flame flickers in Paul's eyes.

GRIFFIN: You mean he taught you your skill?

PAUL: Nothing sexual..... He just taught me to see. (Pause) He showed me a World, which had existed long before ours...which still does. A World within the flame.

EXT. ANOTHER WORLD. NIGHT

For a moment we glimpse another landscape, what looks like an expanse of unyielding desert. Having stared into the candle flame, Paul is now within it. He with several other figures have become pyres , surrounded by their smouldering life-force, raging high into the night sky.

WE CUT IMMEDIATELY TO:

INT. PEPLOE'S LOUNGE. EVE.

The after-gleam of the image burns on Peploe's eyes as he looks at his altar of death. He finishes caressing one of the pictures and pulls on his tight leather gloves.

PEPLOE: Time to go to work