EXT. New York City - Downtown, Tower Plaza

ANGLE: BIRD'S EYE VIEW

Towering skyscrapers made of mirrors surround an open air plaza teeming with men and women in business suits. The sun reflects tinted off several of the buildings.

We slowly DESCEND toward the mass of people, hovering above their heads. The image goes into the negative then fades back to normal colors. Slowly we LOWER into the crowd.

ANGLE: LOW

We follow the current of the masses. The focus moves from a slow moving set of shiny shoes to a pair of heels. From a pair pantyhose adorned legs to an impeccably pressed pants leg.

We pass into the shadow of a skyscraper's overhang, breaking free of the river of suits. Their passage is seen reflected in the tinted mirrors of the building. A pair of black sneakers, alone beneath the overhang, walks in the direction opposite the suits.

TRACKING, we RISE while raking focus from the sneakers to the reflection of the suits in the building. The image snaps to negative then slowly fades to normal colors as the focus is brought back on the full figure of GABRIEL walking.

ANGLE: GABRIEL

Tall with short, spiky black hair, he looks to be in his mid-20s. He wears a black trench coat and dark blue jeans. His face is hard, sad. His gaze is vacant and unfocused.

EXT. Mirrored Skyscraper

In the green tinted mirrored walls of a skyscraper clouds nearly obscure the sun. Raindrops splatter on the glass, distorting the image.

EXT. City street, tunnel

A few drops of rain fall. More. The man in the trench coat pulls up his collar and moves faster. He reaches a pair of tunnels beneath a bridge, pausing to look up at the rain before entering the left most one.

We stay with the tunnels for a moment, two vacant eyes looking through the bridge.

EXT. Apartment building - Dusk

Heavy rain on faded red brick. TRACKING over the brick we can suddenly see into Gabriel's apartment through a stretch of the wall replaced by panes of glass. Within is a battle between open space and the artifacts of painting.

INT. Hallway

Drab walls and sparse yellowish lights.

Gabriel approaches the door to his apartment.

ANGLE: ABOVE

Looking down into the glass dish of an extinguished light we see a key resting on the left side. Gabriel's hand gropes for the key and finds it.

EXT. Apartment building

The door to the apartment opens and Gabriel enters.

INT. Gabriel's Studio Apartment

Large with a high ceiling. Despite the canvases on easels, the paints, brushes, and rags on nearly every available flat surface, the apartment seems very empty.

Kicking the door shut, Gabriel sheds first his trench coat then his soaked shirt. He walks across the open floor to the window and an easel positioned before it. The canvas has warm, dark reds draped over a black background. It is ripe for a portrait.

Somewhere in the apartment a phone rings.

Gabriel rummages in a bin of paint thinners and turpentine. He sets a bottle of expensive vodka next to the bin then a small tin cup.

Another ring.

He pours the vodka into the cup and drops in brushes. He moves to the window looking out, bottle in hand.

A half ring then a click as the answering machine picks up.

GABRIEL

(recorded)

Gabriel looks out at the drab buildings beyond his window and drinks from the bottle.

A beep.

LAWRENCE

(over phone)

Gabriel's arm falls limply to his side, bottle dangling from his hand.

CLOSE on Gabriel's face. His eyes stare vacantly.

GABRIEL'S P.O.V. Rain falls on decrepit buildings. Image goes to the negative then…

FADE TO WHITE.

FADE IN:

INT. Greenfield Residential Treatment Center - rec. room

White painted walls and picture windows.

LAWRENCE sits in a wheelchair before an easel, looking out the windows at the city's night skyline. He's in his late 20's with short curly hair and a short, unevenly trimmed beard. He's healthy but not plump.

He dips his brush into paint. Makes a thoughtful stroke on an unseen canvas. A plate of food is on a table next to him, the right half is eaten clean and the left seems untouched.

A NURSE in white enters.

NURSE

Lawrence, you're brother is here to see you.

LAWRENCE

(affecting an English accent)

Splendid! Show him in won't you?

Gabriel enters. The nurse smiles and leaves, closing the door.

LAWRENCE

You got my message?

Gabriel nods. He walks slowly across the room to his brother.

LAWRENCE

(animated, excited)

GABRIEL

(unenthusiastic)

They're paying you?

LAWRENCE

Of course!

GABRIEL

How much?

LAWRENCE

I'm not sure. Doesn't matter--

GABRIEL

It does matter.

LAWRENCE

(pause)

What do you mean?

GABRIEL

LAWRENCE

Gabriel looks down at his brothers half-eaten plate. Making sure he's not looking he turns it 180 degrees.

GABRIEL

You've got food right here.

LAWERENCE

(pause, considers)

Oh. I, uh, thought I…

(pause)

GABRIEL

I'm fine, thanks.

LAWRENCE

He gestures to Larry's easel.

CLOSE: CANVAS The left half of the canvas is a woman's face upside down, the right is the beginning of a city at night. The girl's blond hair seems to have set the mood for the yellow stars and lights of the other half of the painting.

ANGLE: LAWRENCE

LAWRENCE

What?! I'm just painting…

Gabriel takes the canvas and turns it over so the woman's face is on the right and the city is upside down.

LAWRENCE

(confused)

But, I'm done with that one…

GABRIEL

LAWRENCE

What?!

GABRIEL

You don't even realize how fucking lucky you are.

Silence. Larry looks at his brushes and paints.

LAWRENCE

Pause.

GABRIEL

(resigned)

Right here.

Gabriel steps between Larry and the easel, turning the canvas back the other way.

LAWRENCE

Thanks, Gabe.

Gabriel picks up his brother's fork and stabs a bit of food. He chews for a moment.

GABRIEL

I had a dream today, at the Tower Plaza.

LAWRENCE

What, were you sleeping there?

GABRIEL

No, I just don't know how else to explain it.

He sits on the table next to Larry. He rubs his face with his hands.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. Tower Plaza

Beneath a skyscraper's overhang. A flood of corporate types walk past, just outside the overhang. Gabriel's figure is alone beneath. Reflected in the glass of the building is another procession of suits, tinted green and darker.

ANGLE: LOW

We slip into the crowd, weaving between the moving legs. Slowly we start to rise. Through the bodies a glint of sunlight can be seen on a mirrored skyscraper.

Escaping we move toward the image of the sun on the building.

CLOSE: THE SUN'S REFLECTION

Piercingly green-metallic. Suddenly a hole appears in the center of the sun. The glass melts away like film burning, from the center out.

INT. Greenfield

LAWRENCE

Gabe, what did you see?

GABRIEL

Look, I'm gonna go…

(pause)

LAWRENCE

(pause)

GABRIEL

We'll see…

FADE OUT:

Gabriel leaves Greenfield and heads downtown. At Asylum, a club with hallucinatory lights and hypnotic music, he sits at the bar and drinks. Dean, the bartender, listens and pours as Gabriel elaborates on his search for Erato, the muse he desperately seeks.

A gorgeous woman (ELIZE), red wavy hair cut to her chin, sits down next to him.

"Maybe that's my name," she says.

"Really?"

"You can call me anything you like," she replies.

"What are you, a hooker?"

"Not anymore."

"Anymore?"

"That's right. Not since I killed the guy with the cane and fashion sense two decades late."

He explains he's an artist. She gathered as much. He tells her he's drunk. This was also apparent. He scrawls his address and phone number on a coaster then excuses himself to the bathroom.

INT. Bathroom

White tile and a long stretch of mirror over sinks. Urinals and two stalls occupy the opposite wall.

Gabriel ENTERS.

He splashes water on his face and gazes at the mirror.

CLOSE: Gabriel's face in the mirror, red eyes

ANGLE: Over Gabriel's shoulder

Gabriel's vision shifts to the negative, his eyes becoming black pits. Slowly FADES to normal.

Behind him are two stalls. A MAN in black walks into frame and enters the left most stall.

He splashes his face with water.

The right stall door opens and a MAN in red walks out of frame.

Gabriel leans across the frame obscuring the left stall and grabs a few paper towels. He wipes his face and leaves.

Now the left stall door is open. No one is inside.

Gabriel returns to the bar. Dean smiles, sliding a coaster across the bar to him. He turns it over, reading.

Thanks for the offer, but I don't know if I want this kind of work anymore. But… you might hear from me… I didn't get your name either.

Gabriel leaves Asylum, walking out into the rain. Hailing a taxi he reaches for the door. In the dark taxi he sees his reflection in the door window. Pulling on the handle a light in the cab goes on and Gabriel's reflection vanishes.

He's stunned. Others behind him want to use the cab. He steps aside as they get in. He walks home.

FADE IN:

INT. Hallway

Gabriel walks down a hallway lit intermittently by yellowish lights. He is drenched. His coat has a wet, black sheen to it and his hair glistens with rain water.

ANGLE: GABRIEL AT HIS DOOR

He turns the knob and sees that its locked.

ANGLE: ABOVE

We see the key on the right side of the dish as Gabriel's hand searches for the key on the left side of the lamp. He doesn't find it. He tries again and gets it.

He unlocks the door and replaces the key on the left side.

INT. Apartment

A wall of glass and metal frame yellow and red city lights reflecting, too, the apartment door opening in space and yellow light flooding over the skyline as Gabriel enters.

The silhouettes of canvases are everywhere: on easels, propped against walls, in broken heaps.

Gabriel crosses the hard wood floor making wet squeaking noises. He drops his trench coat, then sweater on the way. Standing before the glass he looks down to the street three stories below.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. BATHROOM - Unlit

Gabriel's hand turns the switch on a tiny glass lamp by a mirror. The bathroom is small, cramped.

He peels off a wet cotton T-shirt and drops it on to the tile floor. He looks at his reflection in the mirror, pausing. His eyes are tired and inflamed.

He reaches into his pants pocket pulling out the coaster. He places it on the sink.

He turns both faucets letting the water spout out, splashing at his pants and stomach. He slows the water's speed and dips his cupped hands in the basin.

Closing his eyes and bowing his head he splashes water on his face. His hands are dirty. They rub his closed eyes.

CLOSE: GABRIEL'S PROFILE

Water RUNS from his hairline down his forehead and DRIPS off his nose, lips, and chin. He splashes more water on to his face, keeping his hands there, covering eyes and face.

EXTREME CLOSE UP: GABRIEL'S HANDS

Another hand, smooth and slender, glides along the back of his hand.

ELIZE

(softly)

I've been waiting for you.

MEDIUM SHOT:

Gabriel flinches slightly then freezes. Elize molds herself to his back, her arms along his, her mouth to his ear. She wears a robe which falls lazily about her, unfastened.

GABRIEL

I didn't know you were coming.

He stands up and Elize gracefully slides off him, making room in the tight space. Gabriel turns to reach for a towel next to her and she softly puts one fold of her gown over another. He pretends not to notice her.

ELIZE

(smiling)

I let myself in.

GABRIEL

(controlled)

Good. I'll get things ready.

He walks out of the bathroom. A moment passes where Elize plays with the lapel of her robe and then follows.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

EXT. WINDOW OF APARTMENT STUDIO

LONG SHOT:

Light rain.

The warm light of candles bathe one end of the studio where Elize's nude outline can be seen leaning forward on a stool. The other end is similarly lit with the figure of Gabriel sitting on a lower stool before an unseen canvas.

INT. APARTMENT STUDIO

CLOSE UP ELIZE'S EYES

Her head is bowed. Soft, chin-length red hair dangles before her face. She tosses her head back and laughs once. Her eyes looking at us, bright and piercing.

ELIZE

CLOSE: GABRIEL'S PALLET The tip of his brush grabs smears of paint.

CLOSE: ELIZE'S EYES, ZOOMING OUT VERY SLOWLY

ELIZE

(pause)

CLOSE: GABRIEL'S PALLET His brush pauses for a moment in mixing, then resumes.

CLOSE: ELIZE'S EYES, ZOOMING OUT AS BEFORE

ELIZE

We have pulled back to see her arms crossed over her chest. She leans forward, resting on them.

CLOSE: CANVAS The brush drags a long sinuous line of flesh over the paint already there.

CLOSE: ELIZE, ZOOMING OUT AS BEFORE

ELIZE

(taunting)

CLOSE: CANVAS Another thick stroke is added to many other tangled ones.

ANGLE: ELIZE, ZOOMING OUT AS BEFORE

ELIZE

(taunting)

Now we see that her hands are between her legs, resting on the front edge of the stool she sits on. Her knees are spread but flickering candle light deepens shadows and her arms obscure all but her skin.

ELIZE

Her whole figure can be seen now. Knees parted, heels together, her hands rest before her on the edge of the stool. Her bare skin is bathed in the light of many tiny candles placed at different heights around her.

She leans forward.

ELIZE

You wish you could have me--

CLOSE: GABRIEL'S FACE

GABRIEL

(concealing anger)

Hold still.

ANGLE: ELIZE, ZOOMING OUT AS BEFORE She stops moving.

ELIZE

No.

She does not move.

CLOSE: GABRIEL'S FACE

GABRIEL

(pause)

ANGLE: ELIZE, ZOOMING OUT AS BEFORE

ELIZE

But you've been looking for me.

CLOSE: CANVAS Gabriel's brush adds another stroke. The figure on the canvas is taking shape.

GABRIEL

You're the one who sat down next to me.

ANGLE: ELIZE, ZOOMING OUT AS BEFORE

She leans forward, imperceptibly spreading her arms.

ELIZE

I heard my name…

GABRIEL

Erato?

LONG SHOT: APARTMENT Elize RISES from the stool and walks directly toward Gabriel.

GABRIEL

(incredulous)

What the hell are you doing?

CLOSE: ELIZE'S LIPS a smile, secretive.

LONG SHOT: APARTMENT Her pace does not change

GABRIEL

(outraged)

Sit down--

He makes a move to rise but Elize is before him, wrapping fingers around the back of his head, pulling his lips to hers, pressing him back down to his stool.

CLOSE: ELIZE'S LEG draping over Gabriel.

CLOSE: CANVAS A leg in stark contrast to the dark background.

CLOSE: ELIZE'S HIP and Gabriel's hand coming to rest on it.

CLOSE: CANVAS Waist and hip, an arm resting behind the figure that seems to be leaning back.

CLOSE: GABRIEL'S BACK, Elize's hands pressed against it, fingers spread wide.

ZOOMING OUT: Faint candlelight, deep shadows, the two's ardent writhing. The canvas behind them obscured, the image being revealed slowly. It is vaguely Elize with red hair, yet the pose is different. Her head is tossed back, her body arched. Her legs are spread and her arms rest behind her.

FADE TO BLACK

Gabriel awakens in the pale, gray light of an overcast morning. Elize is beside him on his bed. He tries to move but the sheets are wrapped around him tightly. He struggles against them like a straight jacket, his arms bound across his chest beneath the sheets.

He snaps awake a second time into a similarly gray world, this time unhindered by sheets. He rises from bed, walking to the window and the canvas, and gazes at the painting. His vision shifts negative and there is a moment when the painting seems to hold a different image entirely, but it fades back to normal.

He goes to Greenfield and eats dinner with his brother. Gabriel is evasive as his brother tries to find out the reason behind his moodiness. Getting ready to go it becomes apparent that Lawrence can not move anything on the left side of his body.

At Glimmer Pane Gabriel wanders about darkly, constantly glancing to his brother who is surrounded by arts patrons in black formal wear. Lawrence is unable to answer some of their questions; he is truly unaware of his own affliction. Yet his innocent answers only intrigue them more.

One woman asks about his brother. Lawrence tells her he is also a painter, like their father.

She probes deeper, "Who killed himself?"

Lawrence regards her angrily, "Yes."

"Wasn't your brother committed at one point, too?"

Another pause, "Yes."

"Because he had failed? Because he was suicidal, too?"

Gabriel comes to stand behind his brother, his hands tightly gripping the wheelchair.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Lorna Peck… and I can't print that. Care to make another comment?"

His vision goes into the negative, the face of the reporter turns skull like, grinning. The patrons become ghoulish; their eyes sunken, skin flaccid.

Gabriel turns away, storming out of the gallery.

He returns to his apartment where Elize is waiting. He sees her but as his vision goes negative he looks away, not wanting to see her revealed. At the painting his vision flashes between the negative and normal vision.

Something is beneath the paint. He takes a scraper and takes deep gouges of paint from the back ground. Twisted, distorted, gaping mouths appear. They scream out of the painting with Elize's offering pose.

Elize is behind him in abject horror. Her image and soul has been corrupted by Gabriel's vision. He takes his bottle of vodka and shakes the alcohol out over the painting.

He removes a match from his pocket and holds it before his eyes. It ignites suddenly, surprising Gabriel. He tosses it toward the painting and it bursts into flame.

Elize screams as he walks out.

INT. Asylum

Loud, throbbing music. Masses of flesh pulsing with the shuddering bass. Dancers locked, legs between legs, arms wrapped around each other. Hands exploring their bodies and others. Boundaries and inhibitions gone.

ANGLE: ENTRANCE

Gabriel walks in, eyes wide in horror.

POV: GABRIEL Bright strobe flashes leave glowing embers on his retina. Moves forward and down steps into the pit of dancers.

To the left a man and a woman undulate. She bends her head back to bite at the man's ear. His hand slides over her stomach.

His vision shifts negative. The woman has her mouth locked on the man's neck. Blood dribbles down. The man's fingers press against her fishnet shirt. They start to burrow into her skin.

ANGLE: GABRIEL is swept away from the pair pushed out of the pit.

ANGLE: OVER DEAN'S SHOULDER Gabriel looks around. He sees the bar, approaches.

Gabriel sits. Looks fearfully at Dean.

POV: GABRIEL Negative, but Dean remains the same.

ANGLE: GABRIEL AND DEAN

GABRIEL

Vodka tonic. No tonic.

Dean SMILES and nods. Gabriel looks back at the dance pit as Dean turns his back to pour the drink.

We see a flash of negative that comes with a strobe. Beneath Dean's vest something writhes and slithers.

Gabriel turns back at another strobe, all is normal. Dean places a glass on the bar. Gabriel drinks.

CLOSE: GABRIEL'S FACE as the alcohol burns his throat. He turns to look at the others drinking.

POV: GABRIEL sees a couple sitting at a table. They both laugh. The woman places a hand on her companion's. She lifts it and… Gabriel's vision turns to the negative.

The woman grasps her lover's wrist tightly above her empty glass. Her nail drags across the wrist's underside. Blood flows along the deep cut into the glass. She laughs, holding on to the wrist viciously tight.

ANGLE: GABRIEL turns away breathing heavily. He looks to Dean who smiles still. He nods and turns to pour another drink.

Gabriel shudders. Placing his finger tips to his forehead his vision turns negative. His eyes wide but unfocused, Gabriel does not see the teeming mass beneath Dean's vest.

RISING, he staggers to the bathroom. FALLS against the door.

INT. Bathroom

He stumbles forward. Supports himself against the counter of sinks.

In the mirror his eyes are wide open and raw.

His hands fumble for the faucet. Water flows into the basin. Gabriel bows his head and brings water to his eyes. Tears mingle and run off his face.

GABRIEL

(pleading)

No…

His vision snaps negative. He drops his hands to either side of the sink.

CLOSE: GABRIEL'S HANDS, Soft hands slipping over them.

ELIZE

(whisper)

Crucify your vision.

Gabriel looks in the mirror. Blood tears run from pitted eye sockets.

ELIZE

(whisper, harsh)

Sacrifice your soul, your morality…

Gabriel sees Elize's arms entwining his but they are charred, black.

He spins around and his sight is suddenly normal. The bathroom is empty.

GABRIEL

(pathetic, despaired)

Please… no…

He pushes off the counter. Leaves the bathroom.

INT. Asylum

Strobes. Dancers in stop action motions.

ANGLE: BAR Gabriel's hand slapping down.

ANGLE: DEAN smiles. Places a glass of vodka on the bar.

GABRIEL falls to the stool. Drinks. SLIDES the empty glass over the bar to Dean. He looks up at Dean, pleading.

GABRIEL

Please…

Smiling, Dean takes the bottle and starts to pour into the glass on the bar.

CLOSE: THE BOTTLE AND GLASS gurgle. Strobe. Negative. The liquid is milky and cloudy. The bottle's label reads absinthe. Strobe. The liquid returns back to clear, but the label still says absinthe.

CLOSE: DEAN'S WRIST as Gabriel grabs it.

ANGEL: DEAN AND GABRIEL Gabriel stares in disbelief at Dean.

ANGLE: GABRIEL'S ARM The bottle's contents are running down Gabriel's sleeve.

ANGLE: GABRIEL

GABRIEL

(whisper)

You?

ANGLE: GABRIEL'S HAND AND DEAN'S WRIST Strobe. Vision negative. The liquid runs down Gabriel's arm. A BULGE travels down Dean's wrist.

A snake's head appears from his sleeve. Fangs sink into Gabriel's hand.

ANGLE: GABRIEL AND DEAN

GABRIEL

(scream)

No!

Gabriel pulls his hand back. The bottle falls to the bar and rolls. Dean smiles.

POV: GABRIEL Strobe, negative. Dean's arms writhe and squirm beneath his sleeves.

Strobe, normal. Gabriel backs away. Away. Into the dance pit.

ANGLE: PIT

Strobe, negative. Arms and hands grasp at Gabriel, pulling him in.

Strobe, normal. Gabriel is swept away into the center of the pit.

CLOSE: A HAND ON A NECK caressing, possessing. Strobe, negative. The hand pulls hair and head back, violently.

Strobe. We weave among the legs and bodies of dancers.

CLOSE: FINGERS SPREAD ON FLESH. Strobe, negative. Blood smears trails like wounds.

Strobe. Moving left and right, we follow Gabriel into the heart of the mass.

CLOSE: HANDS ON LEGS groping. Strobe, negative. Long nails like razors cutting lines in the fabric. Two hands slide over them, pulling them up the legs, higher.

Strobe. We RISE out of the bodies as Gabriel reaches the center of the pit.

CLOSE: TWO BODIES molded to one another, pumping. Strobe, negative. Tentacles entwine the two. Wrapping around their legs. BINDING them together.

Strobe.

CLOSE: GABRIEL'S FACE eyes tightly shut, hands pressing to his temples.

ANGLE: GABRIEL His right sleeve is dark with alcohol. Strobe, negative. Something writhes beneath his sleeve. He sees the movement, horror.

Strobe.

ANGLE: TWO DANCERS, a woman sliding her hand down her body. A man feeling along her chest. Strobe, negative. Their writhing, throbbing dance becomes more violent. The woman tilts her head back, her mouth catching his neck. The man's fingers scrape at her skin.

Their eyes close. A point appears beneath the woman's skin. Blood appears in the center of her chest. A sharp metal stake slides out, sheathed in red. It pierces the man's hand, impaling it.

Strobe.

ANGLE: GABRIEL

He stands still and straight. A small vacuum separates him from the pulsing flesh.

Strobe, negative.

The pit is a single whole of entwined bodies around him. A match is in his right hand.

Strobe.

CLOSE: MATCH, Gabriel gazes at the match. It flares, suddenly. The flame burns, unmoved.

Strobe, negative.

CLOSE: FLAME, it is the same flame, despite it's change in color. Pure fire.

Strobe.

MEDIUM SHOT, PULLING AWAY: The dance pit with Gabriel in the center. His arm extended, a flickering yellow flame at the end.

Strobe, negative. His arm ignites.

The flame travels along his arm. The pit throbs and squirms as one.

Strobe.

His body bursts into flames. A black, burning effigy of himself.

Strobe, negative. The flames from his body spread out over the pit. Tentacles and arms flail in immolation.

Strobe.

The flames are only on Gabriel. His body falls to the ground.

BLACK