IN BLACK

OPENING CREDITS

GIRLFRIEND (V.O.)
You're not crazy.
You're insane!

FADE IN:

INT. WOMAN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

THE NICE WOMAN in a NAUGHTY DRESS frowns in the MIRROR, smiles, scowls, puckers... hurls her lipstick into the sink and hastily wipes it off her lips. Either way she looks okay. Never a raving beauty, showing some age, yet an appealing energy makes her glow from within. She just can't find her Self, in herself, least of all in her own reflection.

WOMAN
I wouldn't make a decent whore!
Why do I do this to myself?

GIRLFRIEND (O.S.)
What if he's a slasher?
Or a cannibal! Don't go.

WOMAN
I told you, Diz.
Less Springer, more Oprah.
(applies final touches, spins around)
There. How do I look?

In contrast, the older WOMAN FADES TO GRAY whenever her GIRLFRIEND DIZ STEPS INTO THE PICTURE - a younger and near-flawless boy-toy. Or maybe she is a girl-toy, as

CLOSE

she inspects the WOMAN's makeup, adjusts a curl of hair, then runs her hands slowly along every critical curve on that naughty dress. She finishes with a tweak of the noticeable nipples beneath the fabric.

GIRLFRIEND
There. Good enough to eat.

WOMAN
Who's the cannibal?

GIRLFRIEND
I'll wait up.
You got my beeper?

WOMAN
Yes, Mommmm.
You got his address?
(yep, she does)
But I'm sure he's harmless.

GIRLFRIEND
So was the last creep I shot.
I could come with you!

WOMAN
Chaperone on a First Date?

GIRLFRIEND
Blind date. The very worst kind.

WOMAN
That's why we agreed
it's not really a Date date.
It's just a little Experiment.
Maybe something to write about.

GIRLFRIEND
But you've never even seen the guy!

WOMAN
And I'm not going to see him tonight
either, am I? Happy?

GIRLFRIEND
It's insane. You're insane.

WOMAN
And I'm late.
(deep breath)
Wish me luck.

The two women hold in a sensual embrace....which quickly shifts to sisterly back-pats. Their relationship remains ambiguous.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. DARK ROAD - NIGHT

WOMAN'S CAR stops at intersection. INTERIOR LIGHT goes on.

CUT TO:

INT. WOMAN'S CAR - NIGHT

She rotates the hand-drawn MAP, trying to find North. Her head bobs, ducks, she leans way over in the seat to look out the windows for

WOMAN
Street signs, anyone?

A HORN BLAST scares her witless.

ANGLE

Only when she pops up do we see her head ILLUMINATED by

OUT BACK WINDOW

a PICKUP TRUCK. It HONKS again and FLASHES HEADLIGHTS.

CUT TO:

EXT. DARK ROAD - NIGHT

WOMAN'S CAR accelerates around corner with a SCREECH, leaving that PICKUP in a CLOUD OF DUST.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CUL-DE-SAC - NIGHT

WOMAN'S CAR turns, stops, shuts off.... just sits there.

CUT TO:

INT. WOMAN'S CAR - NIGHT

She still just sits there. Then she moves so fast suddenly she is

CUT TO:

EXT. CUL-DE-SAC - NIGHT

standing outside, visibly pulling up courage. Her BEEPER LOCKS her car and she walks toward

SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. RELIC'S WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

a spooky dark old building in shabby disrepair.

She stops, turns, points so her BEEPER UNLOCKS her car.

WOMAN
She made a quick getaway.

TRACKING

Holding her KEYCHAIN LIGHT ON THE MAP
she walks up to the front.... around the side....
ahead is SPOOKY DARKNESS BEHIND BUSHES.

WOMAN
If a god-damned black cat
jumps out right now,
I'll piss myself for sure.

SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. RELIC'S BACK DOOR - NIGHT

Hidden by HEDGE and SHRUBS.... one dim bulb reveals a heavy SECURITY DOOR WITH SMALL INSET WINDOW. She steps up and KNOCKS LOUD.... KNOCKS again....

WOMAN
You bastard. You better be...

THE LIGHT GOES OUT! just as A BRIGHTER LIGHT GOES ON BEHIND HER. THE WOMAN'S OWN SHADOW CASTS EERIE DISTORTIONS ACROSS THE DOOR.

WOMAN
That's it. I'm outta here.

but when she steps back, the BRIGHT SPOTLIGHT SHINES DIRECTLY UPON

THE DOORKNOB

hanging on the doorknob is a SMALL BAG

She takes it, opens it, removes: A BLINDFOLD and A JOINT. Her face registers a range of reactions until she selects one emotion:

WOMAN
This is total bullshit.

She whirls on her heels determined to depart, but

STACCATO CUTS MONTAGE:

She stops a few feet away to light the JOINT.
She paces and sucks the JOINT to fire emotions.
Her sideways glance sees furtive MOVEMENT IN WINDOW.
She paces and PUFFS FASTER, CURSING TO SELF:

WOMAN (Doppler fade)
...treat me like...
...this will teach me to...
..."chat" my ass...
...right in his scrotum!

She finishes, flicks the stub away with finality.

TRACKING

she stomps toward the door, jaw and fists clench, DOPE SMOKE BILLOWS FROM HER NOSTRILS. She walks up ready to kick in the door.... just as THE LIGHT GOES OFF BEHIND WINDOW.

UH-OH! She hesitates, feeling the marihuana hit her system.... then steps forward to place her toes on the threshold. She slips the BLINDFOLD over her eyes and pulls it tight.

With one deep Zen breath, she raises both fists. She extends two fingers. She points them at herself, runs them across her chest searching - finding - pinching her own nipples through the fabric.

THE WOMAN winces, licks dry lips, fumbles blindly for the doorglass.... and TAPS THE GLASS like a mouse.

END OPENING CREDITS

The DOOR OPENS, a HAND REACHES OUT to guide her

INTO TOTAL DARKNESS

FADE OUT:

FADE IN TO...?