Resurrectionists (With Props) By Jessyca-Ann Pascua

EXT. CEMETERY GATES, 1788 NEW YORK - NIGHT A GLASS BOTTLE with a paper label. VIEUCX COGNAC. 1788. SAMUELS fingers grip the neck. It gently sways as he walks. JOHN Lemme have a look. JOHN violently tears the bottle away from Samuel. He holds the bottle up to the moon. The liquor inside swishes. JOHN Let us have but a taste. John tips the bottle to his lips. Then -John is SMACKED upside the head. The bottle ripped away from him, now in RALPHS custody. RALPH Are you mad? Our only bit of security and you risk it for your own selfish desire. JOHN Tis cold out. I-RALPH Fools logic will not sway me. It is in your best interest to never speak unless spoken to! John cowers. Ralph holds the bottle close. Protective. Two men approach, cutting through the fog. Gigantic. Menacing. GUARDS. RALPH Quiet night, gentlemen? Ralph hands the bottle to the the first guard, who spins it in his palm, inspecting ever angle. Tis. GUARD

The guard takes a lengthy swig from the bottle. Then hands it to the second guard, who does the same. Ralph, John and Samuel proceed into the cemetery while the guards remain at the gate, trading sips between them. FADE OUT.

EXT. CEMETERY, 1788 NEW YORK - NIGHT No digging. Just an eerie SILENCE. CLOSE ON a METAL SHOVEL. PULL BACK to see a wooden spade to its left and another to its right. A hand reaches for the shovel. A second hand seizes the first by the wrist. The sound of someone clicking their tongue. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. RALPH A man should not touch what is not his, Johnathan. Ralph shoves John away and claims the shovel himself. NATHANIEL Why you bother Ill never know. I suspect the damned can hear that thing from hell. Ralph loudly DRIVES the shovel into the packed earth. Purely for dramatic effect. Ralph smirks. NATHANIEL You beg to be caught. RALPH I am yet to lead you astray, Nathaniel. I make no plan to. Ralph tosses the shovel from hand to hand. Fixated on it. RALPH I used it to bury a loyal comrade. Ralph balances the handle on his palm. It buckles beneath the weight of the blade. Ralph catches it before it falls. NATHANIEL (accusing) And how much did you collect to dig him up before the next morn? RALPH Nathaniel, you make me out to be a monster. I would never. (Pause) I hardly see demand for four-legged specimen. John and Nathaniel each take a wooden spade and begin to dig again. Ralph stares at the metal shovel a moment, nostalgic. FADE OUT.

EXT. CEMETERY, 1788 NEW YORK - NIGHT DIRT. Its everywhere. A stream of dirt is flung out of a hole, onto a mountain of dirt sitting on a strip of canvas just outside the hole. Standing in the hole is NATHANIEL, digging with a wooden spade. Forehead bathed in sweat. Completely focused on the task at hand. His clothes stained with dirt. Boots sunk in to the dirt beneath him. Dirt beneath his fingernails. No matter how fast and hard he drives the spade into the dirt, scooping out clumps, he doesnt seem to be getting anywhere. More dirt crumbles from the sides and fills the hole. Nathaniel stops a moment. Catches his breath. Tries to dust the dirt off his filthy hands. Useless. Suddenly, dirt starts to trickle down, back into the hole, undoing the progress hes made. Nathaniel looks up and finds RALPH at the edge, his boot pushing waves of dirt back into the hole. NATHANIEL Ralph! Why, Ive never met such a cold blooded devil! RALPH What a change of pace this must be. None of your fathers servants here to dirty their hands on your behalf. Nathaniel fists a handful of dirt in his hand and throws it at Ralph, who merely laughs in reply. FADE OUT.

EXT. CEMETERY, 1788 NEW YORK - NIGHT A coffin lid is pried off with a CRACK. Inside is a DEAD BODY. Female. Fresh. JOHN and SAMUEL are careless as they lift the body up and over the side of the hole. They climb out after. JOHN grabs for the womans simple, white gown. The material loudly RIPS. John tosses the shreds of fabric back into the empty coffin. It flutters on its way down. NATHANIEL catches sight of the body, distracted from his argument with RALPH. NATHANIEL She is with child. Was. RALPH

Nathaniel kneels beside the body. Places his hand on her slightly protruding belly. RALPH Imagine what we shall discover. NATHANIEL Surely more than any man should. (Pause) Poor wasted youth. Do you think she was loved? RALPH Coffin and marker suggest so. Save your musing for the dissection. Put this one with the others. John grabs her arms. Samuel takes her legs. They hoist her up as if moving a piece of furniture. RALPH Careful! Have some respect. NATHANIEL Tis odd, coming from you. RALPH I loved once too. Nathaniel stares at her face a little while longer before letting his hand slip away from her belly. FADE OUT.

EXT. CEMETARY GATE, 1788 NEW YORK - DAWN A sliver of light on the horizon. RALPH fixes a sheet in the back of a wagon, covering the bodies. SUDDENLY the silence is disturbed by a CLICK. A GUN. MALE VOICE (O.S.) Be still. I buried my only boy two days prior. Did you take him? RALPH Who be you? Answer me! MALE VOICE (O.S.)

The muzzle of the gun presses into the back of Ralphs neck. RALPH I serve a bigger purpose. If you wish for a report, read a paper. MALE VOICE (O.S.) Our Father Almighty looks down on you, petulant snakes, robbing the faithful of everlasting life! How shall they rise and walk again with bodies in bits, fed to foul beast! BANG. Ralph. Wide-eyed. Turns around and sees a MAN on the ground. Covered in blood. The gun cold beside him. FURTHER BACK is a GUARD. He raises his shotgun. Ralph raises his hand in thanks. NATHANIEL rushes over to inspect Ralph. JOHN grabs the dead mans gun. RALPH I believe that belongs to me now. A token of my immortality. Ralph steals the gun from John, holds it, proud. NATHANIEL Never have I seen such a close brush with death. Should we reconsider our line of work? RALPH Over my dead body. FADE OUT.