INT. THOMAS'S HOUSE - NIGHT

FREEZE FRAME of Thomas kneeling before the Goddess Altar with the blade in his palms, he prays.

UNFREEZE.

Thomas kneels, praying. His hands covered in blood, face, clothes. Out of the bedroom walks Sasha wearing little, also covered in blood, and a smile on her face. She looks at Thomas praying with a look of confusion. She walks up to him putting her hands on his shoulders.

SASHA

Do you pray in joy, my champion, doing the Goddess’ work?

Thomas’s eyes open, a look of guilt and pain on his face.

THOMAS

I am sorry, Mistress, but I question the Goddess in this and our actions. These men do not seem evil and I doubt that they deserve death upon my blades.

A look he cannot see passes her face. One of blind hatred, vengeance.

SASHA

All men deserve a blade across their throats. We do the Goddess’ work, do not let your faith falter, my Warhol. Let your art carve The three-fold justice. All of these men sought to own my flesh the first night they met me, most of them married or in relationships, no care of their vows to those they spoke love to. It is these daughters we bring justice to.

Thomas nods his head, a look of sorrow still on his face.

THOMAS

Why must you have intimacy with them? I could take their lives before they touch you.

She turns away from him, a smile on her face.

SASHA

No, no, that would not do. It is the look on their face when they feel they own me, when they are inside me and think I am just a piece of meat they control and use, that I cherish, that fills me. It is in that breath, that moment, when you carve their life blood upon my eyes and mouth and breasts, that frozen shard of time, I see their look, dig into their spirit, their crumbling of all they believe, all their delusions of power, of ownership. It is in that, in that lust and death and birth that for one sliver of the moon’s passing, I feel peace, I feel whole.

Thomas stands, sympathy flowing from his features as he turns towards her.

THOMAS

These men are not your father, Sasha.

She turns and SLAPS him hard, fury.

SashA

They are all my father, you are my father. But the Goddess has uses for you, I have use for you. No more questions. You are meant to serve, to protect. We have a mission, a dream, a holy path to walk. Go clean up the mess in the bedroom, and rest. Tomorrow has more divinity in it’s steps.

She steps past him as the camera tightens on Thomas, the look of sorrow still etched in his blood sculpted features.

FREEZE FRAME.

Pull out to:

GFX: Map of City of Blood, still focused on Thomas's frozen face.

Reticle moves to the whole map revealing...

INT. VIGNETTE - FLASHBACK

Hecate looking in camera with blade in her hand, cigarette from mouth.

She shows the blade.

HECATE

This will be your voice to the Goddess.

GFX: The reticle zeroes back to Shadow’s Down showing...

INT. THOMAS’S HOUSE - NIGHT

FREEZE FRAME: Sasha making out with a MAN near the door.

UNFREEZE.

Sasha, in a provocative short dress, stumbles into the house making out with a wealthy looking young man in a nice suit. She pushes him against the door closing it, kissing him.

MAN

The last two hours at the club.

(kissing)

Is this...

(kissing)

Is this a fucking dream?

She turns him around with her back pressed against door. He kisses her neck.

SASHA

(whisper)

The Sandman's playground? Sure, why not. A devil is a devil is a devil.

MAN

What?

A shadow flits in the background. She pulls him towards the couch kissing him hard. He grabs her thighs, and breasts, knocking over a small table as they stumble towards the couch.

MAN

Holy shit.

(kissing)

You...

(kissing)

are so...

(kissing)

Beautiful.

More and more kissing until she throws him onto the couch and straddles him, his hands on her thighs. He pushes up her dress showing some ass.

SASHA

Thanks, puppy doll.

She shoves her hands down his pants.

MAN

(panting)

Oh, I mean it. After my wife...

Her hand stroking him off camera, gasp, kissing.

MAN

...left me, didn't think I'd ever with a woman...

(panting)

like you.

She kisses him.

MAN

You are!

He flips her around pushing up her dress and leans back.

SASHA

Take it out and put it in me, fuck me... I want your cock inside me.

He stops and looks at her strangely

MAN

Ummm, what?

Thomas, out of the shadows, steps up and grabs his chin from behind sliding in a wicked looking knife. The camera follows as the man’s body falls towards Thomas’s feet. Blood splashes the lens.

The dead corpse hits the ground in front of Thomas's feet. Blood still drips down the camera.

Sasha stands up wiping some of the copious blood covering her face and dress. Her other hand pulls down her dress. She then licks her fingers seductively.

SASHA

Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, my beautiful, beautiful artist. What were you doing? I told you to wait, wait till their meat was in my ocean.

We turn to see Thomas with shaking eyes. He tries to wipe away a little blood on his face, as if it is corruption, but his blood covered hands just add more. She steps into camera caressing his face and stilling his hand.

SASHA

It's okay, it's okay. The blood is the scar that makes you so beautiful, makes you the Da Vinci of tombs. It does not fulfill my hunger unless you take them when they are fucking me, using me, treating me, like, like, he did. Always, he said, you look like her, why do you look like her. We will need to go out and find another now, I won’t sleep till I taste that moment of peace it gives me.

THOMAS

It's wrong Sasha, wrong. Why do you keep asking me to end these threads?

She leans into him, her hand off camera sliding into his crotch. He groans softly, his hand still holding the bloody, wicked blade.

SASHA

Ah, you and your speaking of fate and looms and threads. Oh, my deity, my God of Graves. The answer is in your question. They were loomed to be severed.

THOMAS

No, no. Seven times I have cut seven threads to end the weave of these corpses. All because you say I should, all because you open your thighs and speak whispers with your womb. But it doesn't, not right, all I see is shadows, they shred my steps, my every waking fucking breath. The night has become my bruise, my road.

SASHA

Ah, come, come muse, follow your Sasha away from the meat puppet.

She leads him into the back bedroom and closes the door. Thomas still holding onto the blade tightly.

INT. THOMAS'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT

She turns him in front of the bed, licking some blood from his neck as she slowly gets him to release the blade. She throws it onto the bed.

SASHA

Did you forget my love, need I always remind you? What did your momma whisper from infant steps to toddler stumbles? What do men deserve?

Thomas grimaces at the memory.

THOMAS

She said all men hold no worth, that pain and scars and torture are all they deserve, all they want, all they need.

INT. vIGNETTE - FLASHBACK

Hecate cuts her own arm, blood pouring into a bowl. She looks into camera, cigarettes hanging from her mouth.

HECATE

You still have drawn too few breaths to do this yourself, so I shall do it for you. It is our prayers to the Three Fold Path.

She leans into camera and lowers the blood dripping dagger.

INT. THOMAS’S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT

Sasha again slides her hand onto his face. She leans into his chest.

SASHA

And your momma gave that to you, did she not? Beat you, scarred you, showed you the wheel all men scurry upon?

Thomas shakes his head yes, slowly.

THOMAS

Yes, she painted her wisdom on my bones, sculpted her dream in my ash.

INT. VIGNETTE - FLASHBACK

Hecate looks into camera, cigarette in her mouth, Idris behind her with a solemn look, blades in her waistband.

She raises a lashed whip.

INT. THOMAS'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT

Sasha slides him onto the bed, then straddles him. Her hand grasps the blade off the bed.. She looks into his eyes as she slides the blade across his cheek, still dripping with blood. Her other hand traces his lips.

THOMAS

No, no. I don't need any more, please, please...

She smiles and kisses him gently. Her hand slides the blade across his upper arm, blood falling.

SASHA

Oh my beautiful God of Graves, My murder. Of course you do.

Thomas grimaces. The blade drips more blood as she licks it.

SaSHA

You will always need my ocean. I am your fate and thread and loom. We have riches to take and men to bring to crypts...

Thomas starts to weep as she cuts him more. She whispers “love” several times. His eyes.

INT. VIGNETTE - FLASHBACK

Hecate walks away from camera, blood flecking her face and hands. The whip sits in her hand. She looks back, cigarette hanging from her lips, a slight cough.

INT. THOMAS'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT

Thomas looks off at the wall. Sasha’s back is pressed against him sitting on his lap. She is covered in blood.

THOMAS

(whisper)

No, no, no. It's not right, she wasn't right.

(tears)

She never loved me, you don't love me. I don't want this.

She finally hears his talking as she starts to turn towards him.

SASHA

Do I need to cut deeper, show you more truth?

INT. VIGNETTE - FLASHBACK

Hecate’s last words. She looks directly at camera.

HECATE

(cough)

I love...

INT. THOMAS'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - nIGHT

Back to current.

He cringes at her words. Suddenly, something snaps in his eyes. He grabs her hair pulling her up and spins her. He pulls the knife from her grip, his tattered sleeve dripping with blood.

Her eyes widen as he slides the blade across her THROAT. Her body falls, blood splashes the camera.

THOMAS

No, you will not. All lies. You, her... made me a killer. Made me a beast. I am more. I am worth and strength and sky and storm. I am more, I can be more, always meant to be more.

Talking as if convincing himself and gaining strength.

THOMAS

I will be more.

He looks down at her corpse. He leans down and softly touches her. He kisses her softly on the lips.

THOMAS

I forgive you... and her. Maybe that is the thread needed to see the dream I now dream. To not be the bruise, to let go, choose a different road. (Looks at corpse) It was not your fault. The abuse made you both beasts. I will be more.

He smears blood across his face.

THOMAS

Fate must find it's fruition. I must atone for what you and she triaged. My steps must crawl skyward. I will stalk the stalkers. I will bring bones and blood and blade to killers. I will show them the torment that waits in their corners, in their shade. Seven threads I cut. Seven killers I will take. The God of Graves shall bring the loom to the murderers in the dream. I will end the nightmare that has no end. I will find its paradox.