PAYBACK IS A BITCH!

Well, well, well. I have another short. This time it is a horror story based on a female character who... well, gets her revenge. I would love to film this one too. We will see how it goes.

IT'S PAYBACK, BITCH! 

By Diego Rojas (mrdeegou@gmail.com)

BACKGROUND STORY

SARAH (21) is a Consciousness and philosophy PHd candidate at MIT. She has always dedicated her life to studying. From the moment she can remember, books have been her best friend. She never had many real friends, or even a boyfriend. She had never even kissed anyone, until ´HE´ showed up. 

How did it happen? He kept appearing at the coffee shop, always at the same time. Always when she was there. He was just very persistent. So to get him off of her back she accepted the cup of coffee, but that was all it took. As they drank the soft, dark brew, and as she looked into those beautiful, intense, full of life blue eyes, something began to stir within her; an unexpected small, soft and interesting feeling that she had to begin to analyze.

But when he slowly reached for her hand and softly caressed the tip of her fingers, she felt electrified. From that day on she couldn't think of anything else, but that touch from that man.

She would get wet, unexpectedly, embarrassingly, by just thinking of him. She only wanted to be next to him. And then, he showed up at her apartment, and without saying a word he brought her gently to him, and she felt his lips - any lips - for the first time, and she got lost in her repressed desire. They made ´love´ all afternoon, all night. She was spent, but she still needed more. She hurt inside, yet she still wanted him deep within her.

The next morning he left, said he'd call later, but he never did. Not later, not the next day, or the next week. She couldn't believe it. She didn't have his phone number. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't eat, she couldn't breathe. For the first time in her life she failed a test. For the first time in her life she didn´t complete an assignment. She was going crazy. She looked for him everywhere, and asked everyone about him. No one knew anything. 

Until one day, as she rode the bus to go to her lab she saw him walking down the street talking on his cellphone. She couldn't believe it. She ran to the door and called his name out loud. Of course he couldn't listen to her. She then banged and banged at the door and yelled  until the bus stopped. She jumped off, ran back to where she saw him, but couldn't find him. ¨Where? Where? There!¨ Turning the corner. She called his name, hurried towards him and as she reached the corner she noticed he wasn't alone. He was holding… holding someone else! Kissing her! Touching her! 

She felt nauseous, dizzy, a pain deep inside her belly she'd never felt before. She saw them walk away holding hands and entering a building nearby. She took two steps, wanted to scream at him, but as she opened her mouth a stream of vomit spilled out viciously. It wouldn't stop. She couldn't breathe. She was drowning. By the time it stopped, they were gone. That's when she felt the RAGE all over her, brewing inside her heart, her chest tightened and she let out a scream that made the crowd of homeless people nearby run out of their makeshift tents to check what had happened. 

It was past midnight when she got home. By then, there were no more tears, there was no more emotion, no more pain. No, that was gone, done with! All that remained in her heart was… REVENGE!

She didn't sleep that night because all she could think of was ´the plan´. By 7am she knew exactly what she was going to do. By 8am she was standing a block away from his building. At 8:30 the woman he was with came out, she was beautiful, she could smell her expensive perfume as she passed by and it made her nauseous. She waited a couple of minutes before she got to the entrance of the small apartment building. There were only 5 apartments listed. She didn't hesitate and rang 101. No answer. 102 - an older woman answered.

SARAH

Sorry, wrong apartment.

103. No answer. 104…

HIM

Baby, what did you forget this time?

Holy shit! It was him! Definitely him! 

HIM (CONT)

Baby?

SARAH

Keys.

She said quickly. The door opened with a BUZZ. As she walked upstairs she went into her pocket and took out a syringe. The door to the apartment was opened. She heard him.

HIM (O.S.)

Baby, can't find them. Where you left them this time?

She walked in and found him bent down on the floor checking under the sofa. She stopped for an instant, her heart pumping faster. He turned,

HIM (CONT)

Baby I…

His eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. She didn't hesitate, took a step and inserted the needle into the arm he´d raised to protect himself, and injected the substance inside.

HIM (CONT)

What the fu…?

It was a fast acting drug. He was… gone. He was easily manipulated. 

SARAH

Get up.

He did as he was told and soon both walked out of the apartment into the street. He was still in his pajamas. They got to her car. He climbed on the back seat. She drove away.

SHORT BEGINS (Script Format)

FADE IN

The streaming camera comes on. Sarah adjusts it, making sure it shows HIM in the background. He is laying over a small pouf chair on his stomach, wearing only his underwear. He's got his hands tied behind his back. His moans are slow and tired. She speaks into the camera.

SARAH

Hi, my name is Sarah. I am a consciousness and philosophy

 PHd candidate at MIT. Oh yes, I'm very smart. My IQ  is 182. I used to

be… ok, maybe not happy, but I was ok. I knew what I wanted

 to do with my life and that was to study, to learn, to research. Until this,,,

She points at HIM in the background.

SARAH (CONT)

… HIM appeared in my life. I don't know why he did it, but he 

came to me, talked to me, made me fall in love with him.

Her emotions shift quickly from sentimental, to angry, to sensual, dubious and back again. Depending on what she is saying.

SARAH (CONT)

He was my first and only man to be inside of me, and it was… 

wonderful. The most incredible sensations filled me completely. 

I fell in love with him instantly, eternally…, but he didn't. 

He disappeared and… and…I…

(Anger takes over)

I loved him! I loved him! Why did he do this to me? Why? Why?

Hate fills her gaze, her words, her soul. She recovers. She is focused again.

SARAH (CONT)

To the point. Today, we have an experiment. Something I read

 about that I need to verify. As I mentioned, consciousness is my area

 of study, and the question I want answered is;

are humans still conscious after decapitation? Interesting, ah?

She puts on surgical gloves as she speaks.

SARAH (CONT)

Well, I´m not the only one. In 1905, a French physician wanted the 

answer too, so he went to an execution and waited nearby

 for the guillotine to do its job. 

((DIRECTOR´S NOTE: 1 second clip of guillotine falling and the sound - Swoosh!))

SARAH (CONT)

As soon as the severed head tumbled into the basket below, 

he approached and called out the man’s name. The man's eyes opened

 and looked briefly at him before closing again. The physician

 called his name again and the same thing happened. He tried a third time,

 no response. The physician concluded based on his observations that a

 severed head could retain consciousness for about… 25 to 30 seconds.

She presses the ENTER KEY and a digital chronometer appears - 0:00´00¨oo

SARAH (CONT)

Well today, I´m the guillotine! I have my gloves, my ax and

 I have my RAT. 

She points at HIM. 

Through the streaming shot we see as she approaches the man.

((DIRECTOR´S NOTE: The way is set up; his ass is towards the camera, this way we don't really have to show when she chops his head. But we do need a lot of blood - VFX.))

Sarah stands next to him. She holds the ax with both hands, she looks at the camera. He turns to her, semi-conscious.

HIM

Nooo… no…

She ignores him. Kicks his head. 

SARAH

(Infernal yell)

Shut up!

((DIRECTOR´S NOTE: ACTRESS has to conjure Jack Nicholson´s stare through the door in The Shining)) 

SARAH (CONT)

Today, we will know… if this is true… or not. Ready?

She smiles, turns to the man, FULL ANGER, lifts the ax, YELLS! But the ax is heavy. She has a little trouble controlling it. And then… CHOPS! It wasn't a full hit. The ax HITS the floor.

SARAH (CONT)

(Surprised)

Fuck, how could I have missed?

HIM moans in pain.

HIM

Oooh, Oooohhh…

SARAH

Fuck you!!!!

She chops again. We hear the gore. The ax gets stuck - similar to when it gets stuck chopping wood. BLOOD SPLATTERS!

SARAH (CONT)

Fuck!

She struggles to get it free, soon she does. Lifts again, YELLS! and SWOOOOSH!!! The head FALLS and ROLLS.

Blood everywhere. She gets splattered. She grabs the head and quickly places it in front of the camera. The CHRONMETER starts the count. Spots of blood on her face.

SARAH

(Breathing heavy)

Ok, ok!

Looks at the time.

SARAH (CONT)

5 seconds.

She SNAPS her fingers in front of the head. Nothing happens. SNAPS again.

SARAH (CONT)

(Upset)

You piece of shit, open your eyes!

She slaps him a couple of times, and he does. He looks around dumbfounded. Blinks several times. (We can exaggerate this. It's a movie.) 

She is surprised, it was unexpected, and she is delighted, to say the least.

SARAH (CONT)

There you go!

She looks at the chronometer.

SARAH (CONT)

10 seconds. 

(Smirks)

You recognize me, don't you?

He looks around. His lips move trying to speak.

SARAH (CONT)

Look at me!

He stares at her. 

Close up - His pupils dilate. Close up - Chronometer: 13 seconds.

SARAH (CONT)

Wow! There you go! You do recognize me!

(Laughter and smirk)

I just cut your head, you piece of shit!

More laughter. His eyes close slowly.

SARAH (CONT)

Oh no, no. Not yet. 17 seconds. Wow!

She snaps her fingers. He opens his eyes.

SARAH CONT)

Welcome back. Now, before you disappear forever… 

She takes a deep breath.

HIS P.O.V. - Sarah approaches him. He can see her and hear her a bit broken and faint.

SARAH (CONT)

This is payback,

The eyelids close and open slowly. She comes closer. Her beautiful face. 23 seconds.

SARAH (CONT)

Wake up! Wake up!

The eyelids open, he can see her clearly, her pretty smile, those beautiful lips and hears,

SARAH (CONT)

…and payback is a bitch!

One more blink. 28 seconds. And he closes his eyes forever. Darkness, silence, and then STATIC as the streaming goes off also.

FADE OUT

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas