GRIM-REAPERESS
Short Film
Email: [email protected]
Genre: supernatural/comedy 9 pages. Synopsis: The most unexpected 20th birthday celebration.
The Grim-Reaperess
by
Elisabeth Dubois
Elisabeth Dubois
PO BOX 3114
Batehaven NSW 2536
AUSTRALIA
AWG Registered.
+61488558298
INT. UNKNOWN - TOTAL DARKNESS
Total darkness. Muffled voices. Heart pounding. Emphasized
sound of blood rushing through the veins. Heart slows down.
Blood rushing becomes a muffle. Heart stops pounding.
Female’s muffled sobs, SUSAN DESMON.
DOCTOR (V.O.)
I’m really sorry Miss Desmon.
We’ll leave you alone to say your
goodbyes.
Profuse sobs, Susan.
FADE IN:
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT
Susan, stunning 20-year old with undulating long blond
hair, LOVINGLY caresses 20-year old CAMILLA’s cheek while
sitting by her side, on a hospital bed.
Camilla - identical in looks to Susan, except for her long
red hair - lies eyes wide open, facial expression frozen.
Life support equipment surrounds the dim room. They are
alone.
SUSAN
Oh mom.
Susan kisses Camilla’s cheek.
CAMILLA (V.O.)
It’s alright Susan.
Susan, in tears, hugs a motionless Camilla.
SUSAN
You can’t leave me. Please
come back.
CAMILLA (V.O.)
Susan, listen to me.
Susan, sits up, caresses Camilla’s face and hair.
SUSAN
You can’t die mom. You just
can’t!
CAMILLA (V.O.)
Susan, look at me! Look at me
Susan!
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. SUSAN’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
The moonlight barely lights the room. Susan lies alone on a
double bed. She wakes in a startled fright and gasps as she
sits, draws her bedsheet to her neck.
INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT
A candle glows. Camilla dressed in black full body skintype
suit, removes her hood.
She erotically shakes her hair as her deep green eyes
reflect the candlelight. She grins, satisfied.
CAMILLA
Another job well done!
DEMONIC SOUNDING VOICE (V.O.)
It is time Camilla.
The candle flame grows, reveals a DEMONIC FACE, startles
Camilla.
CAMILLA
Do you ever knock?!
DEMONIC FACE
Not usually!
(Demonic chuckle)
Time has come. Prepare Susan.
CAMILLA
Gees, that sure went quick.
The demonic face fades and the candle returns to normal.
DEMONIC SOUNDING VOICE(V.O.)
(Voice fading)
She must be told the truth.
INT. SUSAN’S BEDROOM - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER
Susan, visible in the moonlight, has donned her white
dressing gown and sits in a daze facing the window.
INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER
Cast on the warehouse wall, from the candle glow, Camilla’s
shadow dons on her hood, then disappears.
INT. SUSAN’S BEDROOM - NIGHT - MOMENTS LATER
Camilla appears between Susan and the moonlit window.
CAMILLA
Happy 20th Birthday, Susan!
She startles Susan, who sits on the edge of her bed.
2.
SUSAN
Oh shit mom! Scared the living
daylights out of me! My
birthday’s not until tomorrow.
Couldn’t your wishes have waited
instead of scaring me half to
death?
Camilla smiles.
CAMILLA
Sorry.
(giggle)
But you were born one minute
after midnight and on a leap
year. I am only a few minutes
early. Didn’t want to miss it.
Susan giggles.
SUSAN
How did you get in so quietly
anyway?
CAMILLA
I was just...
SUSAN
No don’t tell me, let me guess.
You’re going to one of those
masquerade parties and...
(beat)
... you’re dressed as a cat
burglar? Am I right?
Camilla removes her hood.
CAMILLA
Something like that.
(beat)
I really need to talk to you,
Susan.
Susan appears concerned.
SUSAN
Sure! What’s up?
Susan taps the side of the bed.
CAMILLA
Not here.
Susan stands and suddenly looks distant. Camilla notices.
3.
CAMILLA
You’ve had a horrible dream,
haven’t you?
Susan looks to Camilla, surprised. Their eyes meet.
SUSAN
Does it show?
CAMILLA
Take my hand.
Camilla holds out her hand, not breaking eye contact.
CAMILLA
Come.
Susan, unchallenged, takes hold of Camilla's hand, both
disappear.
EXT. LARGE CEMETARY - DESMON CRYPT - NIGHT
Both appear near a windowless and doorless stone crypt -
DESMON CRYPT - carved onto its facing wall.
SUSAN
How did we get here? I’m having
another dream, right?
CAMILLA
Come.
Camilla leads Susan toward the crypt, both filter and
disappear through its walls, whilst the crypt letters
DESMON illuminate in flames, all bar the ‘S’.
INT. DESMON CRYPT - NIGHT
Susan and Camilla enter through the walls and enter an
almost infinite cave-like room, dimly lit by oil lanterns.
Carved names adorn its stone walls.
Susan looks around.
SUSAN
Where are we?
CAMILLA
Inside our family Crypt.
SUSAN
Right! Sure! Whatever!
4.
Susan, mesmerized, looks around, begins to peruse the
engraved dates and names.
Elouise - 1108 to 1208. Amelia - 808 to 908.
SUSAN
What is this place?
Susan runs her fingers over some carving.
SUSAN
Lisbeth 208 - 308.
Susan looks to Camilla.
SUSAN
Who are these women?
CAMILLA
Your daughters.
SUSAN
My daughters?!
CAMILLA
All Grim-Reaperesses.
SUSAN
All what?!
Susan looks around and slaps herself.
SUSAN
Wake up Susan! This is not funny!
CAMILLA
Only a woman can give life and
only a woman has the power to
take it.
SUSAN
What are you talking about mom?
Have you gone mad? Grim-
Reaperesses and I’m their mother?
Man, I’ve gotta lay off that
bourbon at night!
CAMILLA
Susan! You are their mother. And
mine.
SUSAN
OK! Spooky! I’ve heard enough!
(Pinches herself)
Wake up! Wake up Susan!!
Camilla gently touches Susan on the arm.
5.
CAMILLA
Susan, please. This is not a
dream. Listen to me. I am your
daughter.
Camilla points around the cave.
CAMILLA
We are all your daughters. You go
through this every hundred years
on a leap year and you will do it
again a hundred years from now.
You’re memory is erased each time
you’re re-birthed.
Susan becomes frantic and looks for a way out as she tries
to appease Camilla.
SUSAN
Sure sweetheart! Re-birth! Memory
erased!
Susan begins to slowly pace backwards, then runs.
SUSAN (O.S.)
Whatever you say, darling.
Susan runs into the darkness of the endless cave, till out
of sight, only to reappear in front of Camilla.
CAMILLA
Mom, please. Listen to me.
SUSAN
Done all the listening I need to
do -- Mom!
Susan covers her ears as Camilla shakes her head in
frustration.
SUSAN
La lala lala! This is just a
bad dream. Yours! Mine! I have no
fucking idea whose. But I just
want to wake up! Like now!
Camilla firmly grabs hold of Susan’s arm, pulls her hand
off her ear.
CAMILLA
Susan! Listen to me! You are one
of the demon’s many concubines.
And should be proud of it. You
are the mother of all Grim-
Reaperesses. It’s an honor!
6.
SUSAN
Ha haha! Sure! Concubine! Grim-
Reaperesses. This is getting
better by the minute! Ah yeah!
Hmmm! Anhonor for sure.
(places her hands firmly
back on her ears)
la lala lala!
CAMILLA
(very loud)
Seriously mother. Look.
Camilla points to fresh carving: Camilla 1908 - 2008
CAMILLA
My time draws to an end!
Susan in a muddled speechless state looks to the carving
then to Camilla as she drops her hands from her ears.
The room darkens.
SUSAN
Now what?!
The demonic entity appears, engulfed by a light blue flame.
It points to Camilla.
Susan, gapes, appears in a trance, looks on.
CAMILLA
I tried to tell her.
DEMONIC FACE
I know. I’ll take it from here.
Your sisters await you Camilla.
They already have the welcoming
banner up.
Camilla, excited, smiles and nods in respect as she begins
to glow.
CAMILLA
Yes father.
Camilla lovingly looks to Susan, who appears in a trance.
CAMILLA
Good bye mother and -- Happy
Birthday.
Camilla disappears.
Susan’s dressing gown gently rolls off her tranced, statue
like, naked body.
7.
A gentle breeze uplifts her hair.
The demonic apparition moves close to Susan, enwraps her in
cool blue flames that gently caresses her body.
DEMONIC SOUNDING VOICE
OK baby. Let’s talk about the
first thing that pops up.
(chuckles)
God. Gotta find some new lines.
The glows turns fiery red, engulfs Susan and the demonic
entity. The glow pulsates, loud and fast heartbeats echo
through the cave.
Heartbeats subsides, the glow and the demonic presence
slowly dissipate, reveals a full term pregnant Susan, eyes
shut.
Susan rubs her pregnant body, smiles, appears content and
calm as she looks to it.
SUSAN
Welcome! Shamaya!
Susan screams in pain, small flames appears on the cave
wall, carves out Shamaya 2008 - 2108.
The cave slowly obscures.
In the darkness a newborn cries.
The interior of the cave glows to a warm yellow, reveals
Susan lying on the stone floor, eyes shut, with SHAMAYA,
her new born infant - eyes wide open - laying next to her,
atop of the white dressing gown.
The glow in the cave intensifies to a cool green.
A transformation then occurs; Shamaya begins to develop at
an accelerated rate and becomes a full grown 20-year old
woman - identical in looks to Susan, but a brunette.
Shamaya, naked, sits, smiles and gently touches Susan’s
face.
Susan’s eyes are shut. With Shamaya’s touch she begins her
own transformation that takes her from adulthood, to the
state of a newborn infant.
Susan, the newborn, takes her first breath and begins to
cry.
DEMONIC SOUNDING VOICE (V.O.)
Look after her, Shamaya. She
will remain in your care as an
infant for the next eighty years.
8.
Then, she will begin to age as
mortals do. Upon her 20th
Birthday she will be summoned,
once again.
Shamaya’s body gradually envelopes itself in a body-tight
black skin.
DEMONIC SOUNDING VOICE (V.O.)
You, on the other hand, shall
never age.
She stands, picks up the white dressing gown and wraps the
calm - newborn - Susan.
DEMONIC SOUNDING VOICE
(authoritive)
Go forth Shamaya, Grim-reaperess
of the 21st century!
(questioning himself)
No, hold on. That’s already
begun.
(cursing himself)
Goddam! That’s right! I forgot
I had to bring this shit forward
eight years.
Shamaya shakes her head in dismay.
SHAMAYA
Males! Always think they know it
all!
She walks with newborn Susan towards the carved letters
that read Shamaya and disappear through the dimly lit cave
wall.
DEMONIC SOUNDING VOICE (V.O.)
(loud sigh)
Nag, nag, nag! Bloody Women!
You can’t live with them! You
can’t live without them! And you
certainly can’t get rid of them!
Oh well! Thank god!
Demonic chuckle.
FADE OUT.
9.
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