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INT. CLUB - NIGHT Throngs of bodies move together on the dancefloor. Hot sweat rolls down their skin. Techno lights flash all over. Music blares over the speakers. JULIET (18) is in the middle of the dancefloor. She’s your typical girl next door. Except right now? She looks like a vixen from hell with her cleavage-revealing dress. ERIC (25) is dancing right next to her. Eric is like the thick, slimy grease on a gas station pizza. JULIET (yelling) Are you having a good time? ERIC A great time! Do you want to sit down? JULIET Sure! Juliet has to lean on Eric as they make their way to their seats. Finally, they sit down. Juliet takes a DRINK from a waiter who passes by. She drinks it almost empty before sitting it down. JULIET (CONT'D) I was soooo surprised when you decided to ask me out. ERIC Really? JULIET YES! I was like me? Me? He’s asking me out? You’re like the hottest guy I’ve ever met! Eric chuckles. ERIC Thank you. JULIET And- Juliet makes a gagging noise. JULIET (CONT'D) I need to go to the bathroom. She rushes off. Eric pulls a DRUG out of his pocket and slips it into Juliet’s drink. After a few minutes, Juliet comes rushing back. She practically falls down on the couch. JULIET (CONT'D) Sorry, I just got like, really sick. ERIC That’s fine. Are you feeling ok? JULIET Yeah, I’m fine. Totally fine. Juliet takes a swig of her drink, smiling at Eric. He’s smiling right back at her. JULIET (CONT'D) See? Perfectly fine. ERIC Do you want to move this party elsewhere? Juliet leans in closer. JULIET What do you have in mind? EXT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT Eric kisses Juliet’s neck. Juliet’s swaying, barely standing on her feet. JULIET I-I’m not sure I feel too good. ERIC Just relax. You’re so tense. Eric begins to open up her dress but Juliet stops him. She suddenly looks stone-cold sober. JULIET That’s what you thought I’d say, right? ERIC What? JULIET That’s what you thought I’d say after you drugged my drink. ERIC I don’t know what you’re talking about. Eric backs away. JULIET You were going to rape me. Right? Juliet crosses her arms, stalking towards him. The power dynamics have shifted. ERIC You’re fucking crazy. I wasn’t going to rape you. Juliet laughs. JULIET Yes, you were. You were going to rape me like you raped those other women. Like Rebecca. Sam. Janice. And Nia. ERIC How did you...? Eric shakes his head. ERIC (CONT'D) I’m getting out of here. Screw you. Juliet grabs his arm, her muscles bulging. She has INHUMANE strength. JULIET You’re not going anywhere. ERIC Let me go! Let me go! JULIET You’re going to suffer, just like you made those other women suffer. You’re going to go to a place where souls like you belong after raping hundreds of women. ERIC Please! I’m sorry! Let me go! JULIET It’s too late. Juliet presses her hand into his neck and Eric sinks to the ground. While he sinks to the ground, he lets out a blood- curling scream. JULIET (CONT'D) Goodbye. Eric bursts into ashes. In his place is a RECEIPT. Juliet picks it up. JULIET (CONT'D) Saturday, 9 pm, April 27th. Right on time. A DOOR appears in front of Juliet. She opens the door and steps through it. INT. THRONE ROOM - NIGHT Juliet appears through the door. She looks ahead at the throne. On the throne sits HADES. He’s so beautiful it almost hurts to look at him. Power rolls off of him. HADES You took your sweet time, Persephone. Juliet (PERSEPHONE) transforms out of her club wear into more regal clothing. PERSEPHONE I got what you wanted. Persephone hands him the receipt. He studies it and waves it off. It bursts into flames. HADES It is done. PERSEPHONE Alright. I’m leaving. HADES Leaving so soon, wife? Why are you so cold? PERSEPHONE I’m only your wife for a few days longer after I collect your last soul. HADES Are you really so eager to collect that last soul? To be rid of me? PERSEPHONE Yes. HADES I’ve only ever loved you. Persephone scoffs. PERSEPHONE So you trick the ones you love? HADES If I never made you eat that pomegranate seed, you’d never see what we could be together. PERSEPHONE We are nothing. Our marriage is a farce. HADES You could’ve tried to love me. PERSEPHONE Who can love a monster like you? They stare at each other. PERSEPHONE (CONT'D) I’m leaving. You’ll have your last soul delivery soon. The door appears again. Persephone leaves through it. INT. PERSEPHONE’S ROOM - NIGHT Persephone enters her room through the door. There are not many personal things. Except on her desk is a DOVE in a CAGE. Persephone pets the dove through the bars. INT. THERAPY ROOM - AFTERNOON Various WOMEN in their 20s and 30s sit around in a circle. CATHERINE (25), is among them. She’s the type of simple, natural beauty. Persephone also sits among them, in casual clothes. The THERAPIST sits at the head of the circle (MORE) THERAPIST Who would like to start off the support group meeting today? Catherine raises her hand. The therapist gives her the go- ahead. CATHERINE I’ve been so scared. It’s like everywhere I look, he’s there. Right over my shoulder. It’s been a couple of months but it’s still like it just happened yesterday. How he violated me. It’s like he ripped who I am right out of me. Catherine sniffles but straightens her back. CATHERINE (CONT'D) I used to love going to the park with my dog, Luna. I loved to breathe in the fresh air. I’d love to walk with her. But now? Catherine chokes back a sob. CATHERINE (CONT'D) I can’t be outside without looking over my shoulder. Without feeling like I’m watched. Sometimes, I can still smell the beer on his breath from just before he raped me...it’s like all my freedom is gone. He didn’t just violate my body. He violated me, my soul, my spirit. It feels like the trauma put scars on me and I’ll never be the same. Terrence ruined me. There’s a BEAT. Catherine has finished. THERAPIST Thank you for sharing, Catherine. Does anyone want to add anything or respond? Persephone raises her hand. PERSEPHONE I know how you feel. Like you’ll never be the same again. Like your very being was ripped from you. It feels like he has a part of you. (MORE) PERSEPHONE (CONT'D) That he’ll always have a part of you. But, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You can reclaim who you were before you were raped. I want you to know that. Catherine looks blankly ahead, her stare is devoid of life. CATHERINE I don’t know anymore. INT. BAR - NIGHT Persephone enters the bar, looking dressed to kill. Her eyes sweep the bar, before landing on their target. TERRENCE (45) is chugging a glass of alcohol and slamming it back down on the counter. He has a beer gut that stretches outward. He looks and smells like a wet sock. Persephone takes the seat next to him, smiling. PERSEPHONE I’ll get a drink for my friend here, his name is...? TERRENCE Terrence. Thank you. Persephone’s face darkens. The bartender serves him his drink. Persephone signals for a drink for herself. The bartender quickly pours her one. PERSEPHONE Why’s a handsome guy like you drinking alone? TERRENCE A question I ask myself all the time. PERSEPHONE A girl broke your heart? TERRENCE How do you know I’m not the one who breaks their hearts? There’s a BEAT. Persephone gets closer to him, fluttering her eyelashes. PERSEPHONE I hope you won’t break mine. PERSEPHONE (CONT'D) Terrence smiles. TERRENCE How about we head over to my place? Persephone slides her hand into his. They leave together. INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT The DOOR slams behind them. Terrence and Persephone are making out furiously. Suddenly, Terrence shoves her on his sofa. PERSEPHONE Wha...? TERRENCE Let’s skip the foreplay. PERSEPHONE I don’t know if I want to do this anymore. TERRENCE Well, I do. And I’m not taking no for an answer. He undoes his belt, throwing it to the side. PERSEPHONE Is that what Catherine said when you raped her? Terrence stops. TERRENCE How the hell do you know my ex? PERSEPHONE You’ve been a very bad boy, Terrence. TERRENCE Who the fuck are you, bitch? He makes a move to strangle her, but Persephone overpowers him with ease. She flips him over. Their positions are switched. PERSEPHONE Was it just like this? TERRENCE Get the fuck off of me! PERSEPHONE It’s time to pay for your crimes, Terrence. Not just Catherine. But Trina. Sarah. Hannah. Ashley. TERRENCE I’ll kill you! PERSEPHONE Goodbye. She touches him, and a fire rips throughout his body. He screams as he is engulfed in flames. He turns to ashes. In his place is a RECEIPT. Persephone takes it. Her emotions are on her face. This is the end. INT. CATHERINE’S APARTMENT - MORNING Catherine’s phone BUZZES. She’s sitting at her dining table, eating breakfast. She picks up her phone. CATHERINE He’s dead? Catherine slowly lowers her phone. Her DOG is curled up at her feet. Slowly, she gets up. She puts on her shoes. Catherine gets her dog’s leash and puts it on. She walks outside. EXT. PARK - MORNING Catherine walks with her dog, smiling. She’s finally free. EXT. FIELD - MORNING Persephone stands in the field with her caged dove. She opens the cage. The dove flies out, free. THE END. Phoebe Angaye is a Nigerian-American. Her writing career started in 2015, when she won a Silver Key in the Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition (past recipients include Stephen King and Sylvia Plath). Since then, she has been published in several literary journals and won competitions. A full list is available on my website https://pangaye98.wixsite.com/phoebeangaye/portfolio. You can follow her on Twitter @PhoebeAngaye.
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