Raffa

Main Cast:

Bobby Wood

Raffael Vochiela

Professor

Bobby’s Mum

Man

Wife

Builder

Drug Dealer 1

Drug Dealer 2

Receptionist

Manager

Michael Carringard

Detective

Follower
 ACT ONE

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - 2006

BOBBY
My name is Bobby Wood. I’m going to tell you about the
relationship between me and Raffael Vochiela.

EXT - NEW YORK STREETS - 1999

As BOBBY narrates, we see his young self walking through the

streets of New York on his way to school.

BOBBY(V.O)
I first met Raffael in 1999, when I went to Horace Mann
School. I moved to Horace Mann School in Manhattan in ninth
grade, after my father got a new job as a lawyer in New York.
To me, coming from Texas, Manhattan felt like a city of gold.
Everyone I walked past seemed to have rings, watches, and, if
you were an adult not wearing a suit, you were looked down
on. 

INT. HORACE MANN SCHOOL - DAY

BOBBY(V.O)
Lots of the kids at my school were very arrogant and
conceited, which I realised lots of people might’ve found
worrying, moving from a public school. I wasn’t particularly
phased, however, as I had already given up even trying to make
any friends. I settled down pretty quickly, and had few
troubles in life, except from some of the ignorant teachers
who didn’t think twice about sharing their borderline racist
and fascist views. Life was very average; it didn’t throw
anything extraordinary in my direction, until my fourth lesson
in my third week at the school. (Just to prepare you, most
would not consider this experience extraordinary, but for me,
it turned out to be.) 

It was in social studies, whilst we were talking about the

topic of crime and punishment. 

PROFESSOR: 
So, why do people commit crimes? 
    Yes, Raffael?

BOBBY (V.O): 
I peered over my shoulder, then turned my head round fully to
observe the boy sitting at the back of the room, who I had
never noticed until that moment.
 RAFFA: 
Everyone has a different idea of what is good and bad. In fact
there is not truly such a thing as ‘good and bad’, there are
only the standards which society expects us to meet. 

PROFESSOR: 
Well.. yes-

RAFFA: 
For example, imagine that the first people who lived on earth
tortured each other for fun, and that practice carried on
through to the modern day, then it would be considered the
normal thing to do.

PROFESSOR: 
Ah, but you see Raffael, one could argue that it is human
nature to know what is truly good and bad.

RAFFA: 
*smug* Adaptation. 

PROFESSOR: 
Well, this isn’t a biology class, Mr Vochiela.

BOBBY(V.O): 
At that moment, Raffa caught me looking over at him, and
locked eyes with me for a moment. Some new feeling swept over
me; I felt intimidated by him, and for the rest of the lesson
I couldn’t help but feel his presence from the back of the
room. 

The next few weeks were probably the dullest of my life.

Everyday I would wander around school alone, frustrated that I
had no one to talk to, yet too scared to talk to anyone. I was
around the age where all the people around me were really
beginning to understand what they wanted to do with their
lives, and I couldn’t believe how much confidence they had in
themselves. Some of the boys truly believed that they’d make
it into the NFL. One girl had connections with a whole family
of film producers, giving her a direct route into the
business. The only connections I had were to my grandparents’
fast-food restaurant in Texas.
Over time, my already low self-esteem and lust for life sank
to about 1 percent.

I was invited to a party hosted by a girl called Vanessa. To

me it sounded like a party for the whole year, as I heard
almost everyone talking about it for the rest of the day. I
wasn’t too excited; I knew this was just her way of getting to
know all the new kids who joined. After this, I wouldn’t be
getting another invite.  
INT. BOBBY’S HOUSE - NIGHT

BOBBY gets ready to go to VANESSA’s party.

BOBBY (V.O): 
The weekend arrived. I had my smart clothes on, and luckily my
father let me borrow his cologne. I remember my mother saying:

BOBBY’S MUM
 “Make sure you don’t make friends with the wrong people,
Bobby.” 

BOBBY(V.O):
I nodded, then headed out. 

INT. VANESSA’S HOUSE - NIGHT

BOBBY(V.O)
When I arrived, immediately a herd of girls scrambled past me
like I was invisible, all on their way to greet their friend
who arrived straight after me.
“This is gonna be a long night,” I thought. 
Two guys from my science class, Alex and Joe, were sitting on
the sofa drinking juice, so I went over to join them.

BOBBY: 
Hi guys. What do you think of the party?

ALEX: 
Pretty cool, I’ve never been to a party before.
JOE: 
I don’t think Vanessa’s parents would be happy if they found
out about this. You know I heard she stole some of her
parent’s wine!

BOBBY: 
(laughing) oh no.

Camera transitions by fading to another shot, and music

changes to show time passing.

VANESSA: 
I am honestly sooo drunk, you wouldn’t believe it. 

BOBBY: 
Oh yeah, I can tell. Don’t do anything stupid! (laughing
awkwardly)

BOBBY(V.O):
Impulsively, I decided to take a leap of faith.
 BOBBY:
(Looking down at drink) Hey you know Vanessa, I was wondering
if you could introduce me to some of your-

VANESSA:
Haha! Shush Bobby, don’t get ahead of yourself. Just drink
your juice and enjoy the music. 

VANESSA retreats back to her friends, where BOBBY can clearly

see her introducing them to a group of guys at the party.
BOBBY scowls. Angry, he waits until Vanessa is by herself,
then marches towards her to confront her about not introducing
him to her friends.

VANESSA:
Bobby? I thought you were enjoying the music.

BOBBY:
Vanessa, you-
RAFFA appears from behind BOBBY.

RAFFA: 
Hi Vanessa.
VANESSA: 
Raffaela!

RAFFA: 
It’s just Raffael

VANESSA: 
You made it! You wouldn’t believe it, I’m sooo drunk!

RAFFA: 
Mmmh yeah I’m sure you are *sarcastically*

(RAFFA rolls his eyes and turns around to talk to BOBBY.

VANESSA leaves.)

RAFFA: 
This place is like a mental asylum; idiots everywhere. I bet
you half of these people aren’t even drunk. 

BOBBY: 
(pauses) Oh yeah, aha.

RAFFA: 
Wow, maybe you need some of their alcohol. You need to loosen
up. What’s your name by the way?

BOBBY: 
Oh, my name is Bobby. And yeah, I was thinking about leaving.

RAFFA:
Leave then. Or stay, but don’t procrastinate. In all honesty,
I’ve just come to compare myself with others, with the goal of
reassuring myself that I’m on a better track in life than
everyone else.

BOBBY: 
Well, that’s quite egotistical.

RAFFA: 
It’s just the truth. I told you because I think you seem more
interesting than the rest of these people. 

BOBBY (V.O): 
That was a proud moment. 

BOBBY: 
What do you consider to be a “better track” than others?

RAFFA: 
I believe that whatever you do in life, you must achieve your
full potential in that sector. If you want to be a doctor,
strive to become a medical director. If you want to be a
football player, strive to win the superbowl. Or at least, you
should aim to do something useful in your life. I dunno, like…
solving world hunger or something.

BOBBY: 
And what’s your goal?

RAFFA: 
I don’t yet know, but I long to find out.  

BOBBY(V.O): 
Suddenly, I didn’t care one bit about Vanessa’s rudeness;
meeting Raffa was the most exciting thing that could've
happened that night. Me and Raffa formed a strange
companionship from that moment on. I guess you could say we
were friends, but we never saw each other outside of school.
It was nothing personal; Raffa didn’t care for going out. He
preferred to work as much as possible. As graduation grew
closer and closer, I began to think that Raffa was the most
important thing in my life. It’s not that I loved him, I just
felt intrigued by him. In a way I feel that we were very
similar; he craved purpose and I craved excitement. I found
excitement in Raffa, so I decided to try and stick with him
 throughout life, and experience all the same things as him. I
was guaranteed a life of excitement. 
We studied all the same courses at college: Law, Sociology and
Economics. It turned out that Raffa would have more troubles
in his college life than his high school life. It began with
the death of his father.

EXT. RAFFA’S FATHER’S FUNERAL - DAY

RAFFA: 
(Expressionless) 
My father was ambitious and disciplined. He was never
satisfied. Some people see that as a bad way to live, but I
disagree. You must always have a goal. That’s what I learned
from my father. He was hardworking and always strived to do
better. He was never satisfied. For my father, I will make
sure to achieve my full potential. I will go above and beyond
his standards. I will never be satisfied.

BOBBY(V.O): 
It was a day of shock. I couldn’t believe I had been invited
to this prestigious man’s funeral as it was, but even more I
couldn’t believe that I’d heard his son speak at his funeral
about nothing other than his success in business. Still, what
else should I have expected from Raffa. 

EXT. OUTSIDE CHURCH - LATER

BOBBY: 
How are you feeling pal? 

RAFFA: 
I need to step it up. 

BOBBY: 
What do you mean?

RAFFA: 
Come on, Bobby! What are we doing with our lives? Law,
Sociology, Economics. That’s high school stuff! I’ve done the
learning- I need to get out there now. I need to start making
a difference. 

BOBBY: 
What can you possibly do?

RAFFA:
I sure as hell haven’t found out my purpose yet, but I’ve been
thinking about things recently. I told you that the least
someone could do is aim to do something useful in their life.
 I’m going to be as useful as I possibly can. I have a plan,
Bobby. We’re going to start a cult.

BOBBY: 
But Raffa, what am I supposed to say to my parents? What about
my future?

RAFFA: 
This is your future, Bobby. It’s time to make some sacrifices.
Say goodbye to your parents. You’ve gotta make a decision,
because I’m doing it either way.

BOBBY(V.O): 
I had followed him this far. There was no point in turning
back. It was never important to me why he was the way he was,
I only cared who he turned out to be, because I was part of
his life now. I would simply have to reject my emotions, and
force myself to ignore the missed calls from my mother. It was
for the greater good.
 ACT TWO

EXT. OUTSIDE SHOP - NIGHT - 2006

BOBBY sitting in the car. After a moment, RAFFA looks inside

the shop where a man is holding a cashier at gunpoint. He
hides by the side of the door. The man eventually walks out,
and RAFFA follows behind him for a while, then attacks him
from behind, knocking him out. He picks up all the stolen
money from the robber, and gives it back to the cashier. [From
hiding beside the door to giving back the money is all filmed
in one wide shot from the side.] RAFFA exits the shop and
walks to BOBBY’s car. Shot with both of them in.

BOBBY: 
What are we gonna to do with the body?

RAFFA: 
Our gentlemen will hand him in to the police station. 

BOBBY: 
Great.

Camera zooms in on RAFFA. He looks dissatisfied and

frustrated. 

EXT. OUTSIDE A CAFE - DAY

Raffa has his eye on a woman sat near him. She eventually gets
up and leaves. Walking down the street. RAFFA visibly fights
against himself- he aggressively tugs on his shirt and curls
his fists. He curls himself up with his whole body tense,
until suddenly he springs up and dashes after the woman
manickly. He follows her down a thin, quiet alleyway, where he
grabs her, turns her around and stabs her viciously. He starts
crying. Suddenly he wipes away his tears and becomes
expressionless, as if nothing happened. He walks off calmly.

BOBBY(V.O): 
Raffa told me about that murder a long time after it happened,
but at the time I had no idea that he’d done it. 

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - 2006

BOBBY(V.O): 
I’ve always had a slight bit more sympathy for Raffa than I
seem to for others. And why? I have no idea. It can’t be for
the fact that he forced me to abandon my family, or the fact
that he dragged me into an underground gang for the rest of my
 life. Maybe I’m just crazy, but then so were all of his
followers. Maybe they were all just losers like me, seeking
excitement from a borderline psychotic murderer.

EXT. DARK STREET - NIGHT 

RAFFA: 
There’s six of them. I want us to make sure we catch all of
them. Disperse.

They all get into position, hiding behind objects like walls.
The group of robbers comes down the street with bags of money.
Suddenly, the cult all jump out and ambush them. RAFFA jumps
on top of one boy, who is young and looks scared. RAFFA glares
at the boy like a psycho, and pulls out a knife. BOBBY spots
him.

BOBBY: 
Raffa!

RAFFA looks at BOBBY and then back at the boy. He panics, then
drops the knife. He lets one of the others deal with the boy.
RAFFA walks over to BOBBY, as if that didn’t just happen.

RAFFA: 
(walking past BOBBY) Take them to the police station.

BOBBY: 
Aren’t they gonna start to find this suspicious? Random people
handing in criminals regularly?

RAFFA: 
Nothing wrong with helping the cops.

BOBBY(V.O): 
It was a fair point. I couldn’t argue with it. But the next
day, things changed. 
EXT - OUTSIDE SOMEONE’S HOUSE -DAY

RAFFA: 
Right, so I’m gonna go in, retrieve the stolen guns, and
leave.

BOBBY: 
This is dangerous, Raffa. What if he shoots you?

RAFFA: 
Bobby, I’ll be fine.
RAFFA opens the unlocked door. He sneaks up the stairs. He
looks into the couple’s room. It is empty. He looks inside the
drawer. It’s empty. Suddenly a man comes in.

MAN: 
Hey! What are you doing? 

The scene turns to slow-motion. We see a close up shot of

RAFFA’s eyes, with the MAN in the reflection. For a second,
RAFFA lowers the gun slightly, as if he is deciding not to
shoot, but then he raises the gun again, and shoots him. He
hurries out of the house.

BOBBY: 
What just happened?

RAFFA: 
He attacked me, I had to defend myself. 

MAN’s WIFE arrives at the door, on the phone to the police.

WIFE: 
Come quickly! He’s dangerous!

RAFFA and BOBBY run away. They turn down a dark alley and jump
in a large dustbin. They can hear sirens fluctuating in
volume.

BOBBY: 
Why did you kill him!

RAFFA: 
It was an accident, Bobby, calm down.

BOBBY: 
Calm down? Wha-

RAFFA: 
Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. I’ll get two men to take the blame
for us.

BOBBY ponders for a moment.

BOBBY: 
I just don’t understand. Why would anyone do that?

RAFFA: 
They understand the cause. It’s for the greater good.

It was just an accident, Bobby, don’t worry.

 BOBBY(V.O): 
And I believed him. I completely trusted this man, oblivious
to the worrying signs of his actions- his murderous
tendencies.

INT. BOBBY’S BASEMENT - NIGHT

BOBBY sits on his couch alone, in a dark room lit blue by the
small screen in front. On the TV is a romance film. BOBBY
laughs spitefully. 

BOBBY(V.O):
I hated those romance films. They were just made for rich,
pretty people with no higher or philosophical thoughts and
feelings. I had given up on romance; I was above it.

A news report of ‘The Happiest Man in Africa’. BOBBY watches

intently as it describes how the man successfully rescued
hundreds of endangered rhinos. 
For a minute BOBBY ponders, before reaching for his phone and
getting RAFFA's contact.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Camera is zooming in on RAFFA, with a malevolent look on his

face. Close shot on his fingers, which he is fiddling with.
Wide shot of a builder finishing work. RAFFA crosses the
street to talk to him.

RAFFA: 
Hello. Looks like a tough job!

BUILDER: 
Oh, yeah. It can be.

RAFFA: 
Tough for you, especially.

BUILDER: 
I beg your pardon?

RAFFA: 
Your weight. Work must be twice as hard carrying round all
those pounds. 

BUILDER: 
Goodbye, sir.
BUILDER walks away. RAFFA watches him, suddenly furious that
he was offended by his comment.

BOBBY(V.O): 
Raffa never meant to be rude to anyone. He simply couldn’t
comprehend people’s feelings. To me he once said, “too many of
us misplace our honour. We try to stand up for ourselves when
someone mocks our weight or salary, but barely bat an eyelid
when someone mentions our importance in the world.” 

EXT. OUTSIDE BUILDER’S HOUSE - SUNSET

RAFFA is standing at the front door, sweating like a pig. He

knocks on the door. BUILDER opens the door.

RAFFA: 
(crying) I’m really sorry. This is my flaw, I guess.

RAFFA pulls out a gun and shoots the BUILDER. He runs away.

EXT.INT SUBURBAN HILL - EVENING

        BOBBY’S BASEMENT - EVENING

RAFFA:
(Into the phone)
Bobby! Bobby, you need to come and help me! I shouldn't be
asking for help, but today… I need it.

BOBBY:
Why? Why, what happened?

RAFFA:
I murdered that man in his house on purpose, Bobby. And now
I’ve done it again to someone else! I need your help, please.

BOBBY(V.O):
A part of me had been expecting this already.

BOBBY:
Where are you?

RAFFA: 
I’m out of town- in the hills. Help me Bobby!

BOBBY jumps up, grabs his coat and rushes out the door without
hesitation. 

EXT. SUBURBAN HILL - EVENING

BOBBY arrives at a gate at the bottom of a large hill. Wearing

a coat, he gets out of the car, with police sirens in the
distance. BOBBY embarks on the tiring hike up the hill.
Eventually, he reaches the top. There is a line of trees at
the top, leading to a small woods behind. He cannot at first
spot RAFFA. Suddenly, he hears RAFFA call him.

RAFFA:
Psst! Bobby!

BOBBY sees RAFFA, then goes to join him by the trees. They
both sit beside each other, looking ahead into the distance.
The moon begins to appear from behind the clouds.
RAFFA:
I’ve killed people, Bobby. Not just by accident, but on
purpose. I didn’t want to, but I just couldn’t control myself.
I don’t know where this disorder has come from, but I can’t
help it.

BOBBY tries to think of a way to reply, but can’t. At that

moment, they hear the sound of a bong being inhaled. They both
turn their heads left, and see two people doing drugs. RAFFA
gets up and approaches them. BOBBY follows.

DRUGGY 1:
Can I help you, man?

RAFFA:
What are you guys up to here?

DRUGGY 1:
We’re doing drugs, dipshit. Are you the cops?

RAFFA:
Yeah but what drugs?

DRUGGY 1:
It’s called marijuana, pal.

DRUGGY 2:
And don’t forget the acid.

DRUGGY 1:
Yeah… we got some acid too.

RAFFA:
Acid. Can I have a tab?

DRUGGY 1:
Sure.

BOBBY:
 Raffa? What are you doing?

RAFFA:
Come on, Bobby, let’s both do it. Maybe it will help me find
peace of mind. 

BOBBY:
I don’t know, Raffa. Is it worth it?

RAFFA:
I don’t know, is it? You decide. Maybe it will be exciting.

RAFFA takes a tab from DRUGGY 1 without hesitation. BOBBY

eventually decides to take one two, rushedly putting it in his
mouth. The pair of them return to their former sitting spot.
He goes silent for a while, anticipating the trip. From his
eyes, we can see the grass around him slowly becoming
brighter, and the moon start to slightly fluctuate in size. He
looks at RAFFA. Behind RAFFA, the background appears to start
spinning.

RAFFA:
You know, this is how some people spend their whole lives.
Just… taking drugs.

BOBBY:
Maybe they’re better off than us. At least they know what they
want to do with their lives.

RAFFA:
The very complexity of our intricately designed brains has
caused this struggle. A dog would never have this problem.

Again from BOBBY’s eyes, we can see weird patterns on RAFFA’s

face. 

BOBBY:
Raffa, I don’t know if I’ll get another chance to say this,
and I feel like soon you will blend into nature in my mind. I
was going to call you, to tell you that… Well, maybe we should
really do something good. Let’s put our minds to a project,
and make a difference in this world, like you always wanted.

RAFFA ponders on what BOBBY said, then gets up and walks

wobbly over to DRUGGY 1 and DRUGGY 2. They both have patterns
on their face.
RAFFA:
Tell me- why do you two do drugs?
 DRUGGY 2:
Why do we do drugs?

DRUGGY 1:
I’ll tell you why. I’ll tell you- it’s because: when I’m so
caught up in this motherfuckin’... other dimension in my head,
I’m no longer thinking about all the other stuff. It distracts
me.

RAFFA:
Distracts you from what?

DRUGGY 1:
I lost my son. He was kidnapped, at only three years old.
After that, my wife left, coz she couldn’t look at me without
thinking of him.

RAFFA stands in shock. He darts his eyes around in thought,

and as he does, the patterns behind him increase. He turns
around, and sees a vague child ahead of him. Its body is
shaded blue and its clothes are shabby. He approaches this
child, and asks:

RAFFA:
What are you doing?

It replies in a ghostly voice:

CHILD:
I’m dead, Raffa. And so are many others. But you can save so
many. You cannot help your flaws, but you can carve them into
something useful. Don’t let others suffer like this man has.

RAFFA looks back at DRUGGY 1. He decides then what his goal

is.

EXT. SUBURBAN HILL - MORNING

Bobby wakes up uncomfortably, holding his forehead in pain. 

BOBBY(V.O):
I don’t remember ever feeling more groggy and tired than when
I woke up that morning. I can still remember the pain of my
raging headache. But Raffa, for some reason, appeared to be
raring to go.

RAFFA:
Bobby, last night… I found my purpose. I know now what I must
do. And you’re gonna help me.
 BOBBY(V.O):
Suddenly, at that moment, I completely forgot about my tired
head and my raging headache. The adrenaline rushed through my
body like lightning. I trusted that he had chosen a path which
would positively impact the world, but whatever path he took,
I would follow, for his purpose was my purpose.

ACT THREE

EXT. STREET - AFTERNOON

Long tracking shot of BOBBY and RAFFA striding down a long

street. It is quiet with no traffic, and the day is cloudy
blue. 

BOBBY(V.O):
Let me tell you about Imperial Hotels. 

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - 2006

BOBBY:
In case you don’t know, this is a company which has hotels
conveniently located in cities and towns across the USA.
However, people don’t know that this is not quite the kind,
welcoming company that they all thought it was. 

INT.EXT. MONTAGE

BOBBY(V.O):
The CEO, Michael Carringard, in fact earned most of his money
from all of the sex traffickers who he let stay at his hotels.
For every single hotel, he ensured that the manager of the
branch kept quiet about the evidence they had of sex
traffickers meeting or staying at their hotel. And trust me-
there was evidence. Not only did he earn money from these
animals, but he was in fact a customer, who regularly paid for
a chance to partake in activities abroad.  
But to the world… he was just a good man who created the most
high quality hotel chain in America.

Our goal was clear.

INT. IMPERIAL HOTELS - MINNEAPOLIS - AFTERNOON

BOBBY and RAFFA slowly walk through a large hall with a marble
floor and a wide reception desk by the wall. RAFFA is wearing
gloves. The two of them approach a desk where there is a
RECEPTIONIST. 

RECEPTIONIST:
Hello there, can I help you?
 RAFFA:
I’d like to speak to the manager.

RECEPTIONIST:
Okay, can I ask why?

RAFFA:
I would like to speak to the manager, please.

RECEPTIONIST:
(Looking at BOBBY)
You and your… friend?

RAFFA:
Yes. Me and my friend. Could you just tell me where he is?

RECEPTIONIST:
Sir, if you’re here to stay in a room, I’m here to help.

RAFFA frustratedly reaches for the gun in his pocket, but

BOBBY stops him before he pulls it out.

BOBBY:
Look, we need to see the manager, alright? Could you just take
us to him?

RECEPTIONIST:
(Getting up)
Alright, follow me.

They follow the receptionist to a small office, where he parts

with them. They peep round the door, before entering and
speaking to the MANAGER.

RAFFA:
Hello?

MANAGER:
(Confused)
Hello sir. What are you doing in here? 

RAFFA slowly shuts the door behind him. He marches towards the
MANAGER and punches him in the face.

RAFFA:
Right. I have a few questions for you, you piece of shit. I’ll
start with this: which room are all the sex traffickers in?
Hmm? I know you know? Tell me.

The MANAGER doesn’t speak. RAFFA punches him again.

 RAFFA:
I’d speak up if I were you, or you’ll be in for a whole lotta
pain!

RAFFA punches him again.

MANAGER:
(Squealing)
They’re in room 23 and 34! 23 and 34!

RAFFA:
Aha. Well done. And just so you know, we have men infiltrating
every branch in the USA. You’re all going down. Now, tell me:
where does Michael Carringard live?

MANAGER:
I-I don’t know.

RAFFA:
Yes you do.

MANAGER:
I don’t, I-

RAFFA punches him to the floor. He coughs up blood.

MANAGER:
Alright!
(Cough)
Alright… I have his address. Just look on my wall.

On the wall is a note saying:

’Michael Carringard: 135 Helguard Street - Dallas’

RAFFA
Good.
Suddenly, RAFFA pulls out a knife and slits the manager’s
throat open.

BOBBY:
Holy shit Raffa! What are you doing? I thought you said we
were doing this without killing anyone?

RAFFA:
I lied, Bobby! How did you expect to do that without going to
jail? We’ve got to eliminate all the suspects.

RAFFA steals the MANAGER’s keycard, then pushes past BOBBY and
dashes down the corridor, with BOBBY chasing after him.
Eagerly, RAFFA searches for Room 23, and eventually locates
it. 
Without hesitation, he opens the door. For a moment, the two
TRAFFICKERS in the room are confused, but soon see the knife
in RAFFA’s hand and attack him. TRAFFICKER 1 misses a blow to
his head, leaving him open to RAFFA’s stab. TRAFFICKER 2
tackles RAFFA to the ground, causing him to drop his knife.
TRAFFICKER 2 then tries to grab the knife, but RAFFA grabs him
and stops him. TRAFFICKER 2 punches RAFFA, then darts towards
the knife. RAFFA realises he has lost the race to the knife,
so retreats behind the bed. TRAFFICKER 2 approaches with the
knife, and RAFFA jumps across the bed to avoid a stab. He
retreats to the bathroom, and wacks TRAFFICKER 2 with the
bathroom door. Standing over his body, RAFFA checks to see if
he’s unconscious. Suddenly, TRAFFICKER 2 opens his eyes and
slashes RAFFA’s leg. RAFFA punches TRAFFICKER 2 again, this
time knocking him out. He grabs the knife and viciously stabs
his enemy. At that, he exits and heads for Room 34.

BOBBY arrives at Room 23 once RAFFA has already left. He

inspects the scene, disgusted at the sight of two dead bodies.
He hurries back to the reception, intending to wait for RAFFA
there. 
Eventually, RAFFA comes marching through,with BOBBY trying to
get in his way.

BOBBY:
Just wait a second, Raffa. Think about what you’re doing.

RAFFA:
(Raising a knife to BOBBY)
Get out of my way, Bobby.

BOBBY:
You’re not gonna stab me, Raffa… 

RAFFA:
If you stand between me and my purpose, I may have to.

BOBBY went quiet for a moment, and backed down. RAFFA passed
him and headed for the exit.

BOBBY:
Raffa, the CEO is powerful- he’ll have you killed! He probably
has bodyguards all around him!

RAFFA doesn’t listen, and leaves the building with haste. 

BOBBY(V.O):
I was scared shitless. If I followed Raffa to the CEO’s house,
I would be in just as much danger as him. The pressure of
deciding was too much for me. I couldn’t make up my mind. So I
simply went for a coffee.

INT. COFFEE SHOP - EVENING

BOBBY sips his coffee slowly, deep in thought. 

BOBBY(V.O):
Over and over again in my head I went over those words that
Raffa said. “If you stand between me and my purpose.” Had I
judged the situation wrong the whole time? It was only then
that I realised I had become so invested in Raffa’s life, that
I almost saw it as my life as well. But, was that not what had
kept me going all that time? I couldn’t make sense of it all.

He turns his head and looks around the shop, where a couple of
other people are sitting too. One overweight man sits eating a
sandwich whilst scrolling through his phone. A women sips her
coffee while working diligently at her computer. 

BOBBY(V.O):
Mediocrity. It was more terrifying to me than death. At that
moment, my decision was made.

EXT. ROUTE 35 - NIGHT

BOBBY speeds along the highway in a stolen car. A police

helicopter appears behind his car.

BOBBY(V.O):
I drove as fast as I could, whilst trying my hardest to avoid
a crash. The risk was high, but in my mind, I believed I could
pull it off. 

A police car catches up with BOBBY, tailing him as he swerves

past cars. BOBBY approaches an exit at Tulsa, so turns down it
and drives as quickly as he can to a quiet, hidden street.
When he gets there, he jumps out of his car and sprints as far
away from his car as he can. He runs 5 blocks away, where he
jumps in front of someone’s car with a gun and hijacks it,
apologising to them

BOBBY:
(Holding hand out)
I’m so sorry, I’ll try my best to return this to you.

BOBBY soon gets back on the highway.

BOBBY(V.O):
 I had bought some time. I didn’t stop driving until the
morning, when I finally reached Dallas. 

EXT. OUTSIDE MICHAEL. C’S HOUSE - MORNING

BOBBY gets out of the car, with black around his eyes and very
messy hair.

BOBBY(V.O):
My limbs were shaking trying to hold my exhausted body up. The
door was open, so I knew that RAFFA had already made his move.
I just had to hope that he hadn’t killed him yet.

BOBBY rushes inside, checking each room. 

BOBBY:
Raffa! Raffa!

He runs upstairs, where he can hear MICHAEL CARRINGARD

squealing with pain. He darts towards the noise. MICHAEL is
laying on the floor with a bloody face, while RAFFA stands
over him.

BOBBY:
Raffa, no. If you kill him, you’ll be killed in return.
They’ll either give you the death penalty or he’ll get his
revenge by… getting some mobsters to kill you or something.

RAFFA:
I’m destined for death, Bobby. Who cares whether it comes now,
or in 30 years? As long as I fulfil my purpose.

At that, RAFFA begins to swing his knife for a stab in

MICHAEL’s chest. As he does so, BOBBY tackles him to the
ground, preventing him from doing it. 

BOBBY:
Stop, Raffa! Just fucking stop! You’ve done the job, alright?
Your followers are infiltrating all of the chains of sex
trafficking as we speak. There is no reason to kill him.

RAFFA:
But… but I have nothing to lose? I’ll go to jail either way.

BOBBY:
You won’t, Raffa. You’re ill. You can get help.

RAFFA looks at himself, then back up at BOBBY.

 RAFFA:
Alright. Alright, I’ll leave him. I’ve… done the job. My
purpose is… fulfilled. 

RAFFA exits the room. BOBBY looks at MICHAEL.

BOBBY:
You’re screwed, man. I looked on one of your hotels’
computers- there’s more evidence than I can count against you.

MICHAEL:
Good luck trying to bring me down; I’ve got the best lawyers
in the world, what have you got? You should’ve kept to
yourself, kid. You’re out of your depth.

BOBBY scowls at MICHAEL, then leaves. He catches up to RAFFA

in the hallway.

RAFFA:
(Excited)
Maybe you’re right, Bobby. Maybe I can continue to make a
difference, without killing people!

BOBBY:
Exactly. But I think that the time has come that we part-

Suddenly, RAFFA is shot in the FOOT from behind by MICHAEL. He

cries in agony, and as he falls to the floor, he hurls his
knife at MICHAEL, hitting him in the shoulder. 
RAFFA hauls himself up, and limps towards MICHAEL, with rage
in his eyes. He picks up the knife and insanely stabs him
multiple times, before falling to the ground. 

BOBBY:
(On the phone)
Yes, hello, we need an ambulance, please! Hurry!

Time passes as BOBBY waits anxiously for the ambulance, but

when it arrives, they find that RAFFA is already dead. BOBBY
sobs.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - 2006

BOBBY:
Raffa killed Michael, just like he had killed his other
victims. He died a heroic death, despite the mistakes he made
in his life. I had realised by then that Raffa and I were not
in fact on the same path. Unfortunately, despite his good
intentions, he was a psychopath. 
 DETECTIVE:
Well, sir, you’re going to jail, there’s no escaping that. I
won’t even attempt to read the list of crimes that you’ve
committed. However, it’ll likely be from a year to two years.
BOBBY nods in acceptance.

EXT. HUDSON RIVER BANK - PRESENT DAY (2009)

A free BOBBY strolls along the river bank as a fresh breeze

blows through his hair. He sits down on a bench and looks out
onto the view. After a while a man in black tracksuits sits
beside him. The man turns to him. It is a FOLLOWER.

FOLLOWER:
Hello, Bobby.

BOBBY:
What- er, who are you?

FOLLOWER:
(Whispering)
I’m a follower, sir.

BOBBY:
Oh god, a follower? Still? Don’t you know… Raffael- he died.

FOLLOWER:
I know sir. It’s a tragedy.

BOBBY:
It is. You know, I really used to think we were just the same.
I thought we were partners, you know. But then I realised: I
was just another follower. I’m happy, though; I know he was
satisfied that he had fulfilled his purpose. But me- I haven’t
got a fucking clue what mine is.

FOLLOWER:
Oh, you’re mistaken, sir. Raffa- he gave us a specific
command: if he should die, you would become our leader. It’s
all up to you, now. You have the power to change the world.

BOBBY sits perplexed. He turns his head downwards, trying to

process what he heard. Then he lifts his head up proudly,
realising that his purpose is now to carry on RAFFA’s legacy.

INT. MICHAEL’S HOUSE - 2006

(This is what really happened at Michael Carringard’s house.)

Suddenly, RAFFA is shot in the FOOT from behind by MICHAEL. He
cries in agony, and as he falls to the floor, he hurls his
knife at MICHAEL, hitting him in the shoulder. 
BOBBY marches towards MICHAEL, grabs the knife and stabs him
in the chest uncontrollably, with blood squirted in his face.
He picks up the gun, then turns to RAFFA, painted red with
blood. He approaches him slowly.

BOBBY:
I’m sorry, Raffa. You’ve fulfilled your purpose, but I can’t
let you carry on. You’re dangerous, I’m not. I deserve to
carry on with my life. Goodbye, my friend. May you rest
peacefully.

BOBBY shoots him, and stands over his body afterwards. He

looks down at his gun, then his blood covered hands. His face
is dead and expressionless, just like RAFFA’s used to be.

THE END.