UNTITLED SCREENPLAY

by My Name Here

123/456-7890 no.such@thing.com

RICHARD It speaks to me. CLERGY What does? RICHARD The... The creature. CLERGY The creature? Richard nods. CLERGY What does it say? RICHARD It mocks me. Everything I do and say. It exists to torture me. CLERGY Perhaps, we could burn your clothes. Your sheets-RICHARD NO! No... The clergy puts his hand on Richard's shoulders reassuringly. RICHARD When I lie down to sleep. It whispers to me. It warns me of... Of Henry. CLERGY Henry Stafford? Richard nods. CLERGY Why does it warn you of your Henry? Your friend and ally, Henry? RICHARD It does not think well of Henry. It tells me I should have Henry's head on a pike. It is hard. Hard not to listen. Every night. It whispers to me. I tell it to stop. But it's no use. CLERGY My lord. Perhaps... Perhaps I should cleanse you. I have had dealings with these kinds of things. Ill-adviced voices.

2. Yes... Yes. RICHARD You will help me?

CLERGY I will help you. But you have to help yourself, first. You must convince yourself that the creature does not exist. RICHARD It's inside. I can feel it. It is as real to me as these hands that which you see. RICHARD You do not believe me. I cannot convince a man with closed eyes to see. CLERGY My door is always open, my lord. Int. Bedroom Richard stands naked. Studying himself in the mirror. Grotesque. Hunchbacked. In his right hand he holds a small knife. RICHARD I'll get you out... I'll get you out... Richard calmly presses the tip of the knife into the recess of his bellybutton and cuts upward. Blood trickles down his thighs, soiling the carpet floor. His face folds madly with pain. He drops the knife. his small hands into the red slit. Gasps. RICHARD Where are you...? He gropes madly within himself. RICHARD WHERE ARE YOU!? Richard pushes his hand in deeper. beady eyes lose focus. His face pales and his Falls facefirst into Pushing out tides of blood. Slides

Suddenly, he collapses onto the floor. the bloodstained carpet. The bedroom doors open.

3. My lord? A scream. Sir Gared charges into the bedroom, sword drawn. He takes stock of the situation, then quickly rushes to help the broken bellied man. GARED Staunch the bleeding. Quickly! She presses SERVANT Did you--

The terrified servant is goaded into action. her hands against the ruptured belly.