As Woody Allen said, the heart wants what it wants. So, why are you here?

"Dark": Draft One

EXT DILAPIDATED HOUSE - NIGHT

RADU, an extremely disheveled and unshaven rough dressed entirely in black, sits in a nondescript car across the street from the building. There are several cars parked outside, but all the lights appear to be out. RADU shuffles through several snapshots carefully, as if to burn each of images into his mind.

RADU (VO)
Two guards and the hit. Basic hit. You’ve done it dozens of times.

He places the pictures back in a small suitcase on the passenger seat and removes a handgun.

RADU (VO)
One more time, God. Please.

RADU loads the gun and slides it smoothly into a holster on his hip.

RADU (VO)
Every time I pray that prayer. Just in case God’s listening
He opens the car door and slowly stands up.

RADU (VO)
I figure he’s got to be. I’m still alive.

RADU walks silently across the street and up to the door. He produces a lockpick.

RADU (VO)
I wonder why I bother. I’m not such a life worth saving.

He picks the lock and slides the door open, revealing a shadowed hallway.

RADU (VO)
I’m not exactly the faithful son.

RADU slips into the house.

INT HALLWAY - NIGHT

RADU comes to a turn in the hallway and hesitates. A GUARD is walking towards the bend in the hallway from the other direction. RADU hears the measured footsteps coming towards him.

RADU (VO)
Just one.

RADU waits for the GUARD to reach the edge of the hallway. He slides a butterfly knife into his hand, but does not open it. He leans anxiously against the wall, shifting his weight slightly from foot to foot.

RADU (VO)
I don’t know why exactly I believe in a God. After all, I’m like
God myself. I decide who lives and dies. I deliver justice on those
judged -

The GUARD reaches the end of the hallway. RADU flips open the knife and slips behind the guard, covering his mouth with one hand. He slashes his throat.

RADU (VO)
- Unrighteous.

RADU releases the GUARD. The body crumples to the floor. RADU studies his face.

RADU (VO)
But that’s all I do. I play at gods, until –

A flicker of blanch crosses RADU’s face. He turns away, flips closed the knife, and continues down the darkened hallway.

RADU (VO)
I should just give up trying. It’s not like I expect him
to be smiling down on me.

RADU whispers up a flight of cramped, narrow stairs and slowly opens a door at the top to reveal another long, empty hallway.

RADU (VO)
But who’s to say he ever was?

He enters silently.

RADU (VO)
I used to fight it. I used to think that God told us not to kill
because he didn’t want us to know how good it felt.

RADU reaches the end of the corridor. He seems to sense that around the corner a GUARD is coming. He withdraws a piano wire from his belt and readies it in his hands.

RADU (VO)
That surge – like every one of your veins was so alive.

The GUARD reaches the end of the corridor. RADU slips out from behind the wall and flips the piano wire around the GUARD’s throat.

RADU (VO)
Like nothing could ever hurt me again.

RADU closes his eyes tightly, as if to shut out the sight, and tightens the wire around the man’s throat.

CUT TO BLACK

We hear the GUARD strangling slowly, then RADU’s voice coming as if in a dream.

RADU (VO)
But I don’t feel like that anymore. They struggle and claw, and then
their eyes start to mist over, and they’re so scared. They’re terrified.

The sounds of the GUARD’s struggle finally cease.

RADU (VO)
And I just don’t care.

INT HALLWAY – NIGHT

RADU is still holding the GUARD’s body in the piano wire. He lets go, and the corpse slumps to the floor.

RADU (VO)
I wish I did.

RADU hesitates over the body. He looks nervous, even scared, for a moment. Then he moves down the hallway. HE comes to another door, reaches for the handle, then withdraws his hand.

RADU (VO)
He’s there. He knows.

RADU waits for a moment. His breathing starts to get a touch heavier.

RADU (VO)
Don’t think about it.

RADU looks upwards almost plaintively.

RADU (VO)
God…

RADU slips his gun out of the holster, readies it, and bursts in the door.

INT OFFICE – NIGHT

RADU scans the dark office quickly. The only light comes from an open window on the other side of the room. RADU notices the open window, and relaxes slightly and lowers his gun. At that moment, a MAN behind RADU grabs him around his torso and attempts to stab him in the chest. RADU lurches away and his gun skitters across the floor. The MAN charges toward him as RADU scrabbles backwards.

RADU (VO)
God…

The MAN swings his knife at RADU, who dodges. RADU tries to pull out his butterfly knife but it slips from his grip and slides away across the floor.

RADU (VO)
God, please…

The MAN takes another swing with the knife at RADU, who blocks the man’s forearm with his leg and twists away. He spies his gun a few feet away.

RADU (VO)
God…

The MAN swings again at RADU. RADU dodges, then kicks out and connects with the MAN’s elbow with one foot, knocking the MAN a steps backwards. RADU rolls over and comes up with the gun. He rises to his feet as the MAN begins to back up desperately. The MAN finds himself against a wall and drops his knife. He stares terrified at RADU. RADU raises the gun to eye level with the MAN, but for a moment seems to reconsider. Then the moment is gone, and RADU blows him away. The man’s body crumples to the floor. RADU contemplates the blood pattern on the wall.

RADU (VO)
Don’t forgive me for this, God.
I can’t take it. Let me be.

RADU replaces the gun in the holster.

EXT DILAPIDATED HOUSE – NIGHT

RADU exits the house, pauses on the front porch, and stares longingly at the sky. Then he turns away, walks to his car, and drives away.

posted by Ben Wyman @ 3:39 AM