CHAPTER 03
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - DAY:
Jennifer, reaches the door of the Sanctum. Butterfield steps from the shadows. His KNIFE flashes as it strikes Jennifer's hand. BLOOD SPURTS. JENNIFER Fuck! She retreats, staunching her bleeding hand.
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - DAY :
Nix has Swann trapped against the wall and is working his fingers against Swann's temples. Working, working, like a psychic surgeon plying against the belly of a patient. NIX You want to know what the world really looks like? Swann struggles, but he can't get free of Nix's hold. And now -- horribly -- Nix's fingers slide beneath the skin of Swann's temples, without a drop of blood being spilt. NIX Want to see flesh with a god's eyes? Swann SCREAMS as Nix's mind-hold seizes him.
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - DAY:
Quaid levels his gun at Butterfield, who is guarding the Sanctum door. Jennifer is at Quaid's side. SWANN (V.O.) Aah! QUAID Get away from the door! Butterfield shakes his head. Quaid FIRES. The bullet. strikes the wall beside Butterfield's head. He retreats, growling like a rabid animal. Quaid kicks the Sanctum door open, and enters.
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - DAY :
QUAID Swann? NIX (to Quaid) Here he is. Swann stumbles into the middle of the room, the whites of his eyes blood-red. NIX Take a look, Swann! These are your friends. On Swann, reeling like a drunkard as he looks up at Quaid and Jennifer. JENNIFER (V.O.) What have you done to him? SWANN'S P.O.V. of Quaid and Jennifer. To Swann's eyes, their faces seem to be MORPHING. Their humanity is MELTING AWAY. What's left is like a jellyfish with black, soulless eyes: PRIMEVAL MUCK. QUAID (V.O.) Swann. It's okay. Quaid reaches for Swann, who retreats in horror, shaking his head violently. SWANN Don't touch me. He's got... got into my head. NIX You want to be like that, Swann? Mud and shit? Swann turns away from Quaid and Jennifer in disgust. SWANN'S P.O.V. of Nix, his arms outstretched in welcome. His face has an aura of pulsing light. NIX Come here. Share the power. ON a GUN, leveled. .We don't see by whom. The trigger is pulled. The bullet strikes Nix's back and explodes out of his chest. ON SWANN, staring at Nix. SWANN'S P.O.V. of Nix, as the aura of light dies. Just for a moment - a terrible moment - Swann glimpses something else. MORPHING out of Nix's features. A NIGHTMARE FACE with waves of DARKNESS emanating from the middle of its forehead. Swann covers his eyes. NIX (raging, terrifying) Swann! Swann! Nix staggers, letting out an ungodly HOWL, and drops to his knees, clutching the WOUND. As he falls, he reveals the ashen Girl, who is still holding Swann's smoking GUN. NIX (a roar) Help me! Swann shakes his head, ridding himself of Nix's mind- control. SWANN Jesus.
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY OUTSIDE SANCTUM - DAY :
Pinon stands guard, his gun pointed on several cultists. 1ST CULTIST (with distressing confidence) You can't kill him. 2ND CULTIST He'll just rise up again!
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - DAY:
On Nix, doing just that: rising up. Right hand clamped to his bloody chest, left hand reaching for Swann. NIX Help me! Quaid FIRES at him again. Strikes his shoulder. And again. Strikes his leg. Nix collapses to the ground, JENNIFER Quickly! They have come prepared for this. Swann now takes from his jacket the three strange pieces of METALWORK. There are SCREWS in then all. NIX (seeing) Swann? What are you doing? SWANN Binding you. He clamps one of the pieces over Nix's EYES. It fits like an eyeless mask. Nix thrashes and SCREAMS. Swann lays his hands on the side of the mask, and � LIKE MAGIC -- his touch makes the screws tighten of their own accord, grinding into Nix's flesh and bone with a gut- wrenching SOUND. BLOOD runs from the screw-holes. NIX Fuck you, Swann! Fuck you! Now the second piece, over his MOUTH.
NIX Sw� He's silenced. The piece screws itself into-his head, like the first. And now comes the third and final piece: over the nose and into the ears. Again, it screws itself into place. Swann has done all he can. He retreats from Nix's body, as it continues to convulse. We go from face to ashen face, as each man and woman watches and waits. Why won't he die? And now, at last the violence of Nix's death-throes diminishes.
Nix's body bends like a bow, arching off the ground, and with one last, terrible spasm, he dies. GIRL (quietly) Is it finished? SWANN It's finished.