~ Ten Years Ago ~
The 'Detective', though clearly not yet walks to house pulling a cart filled with Bibles ~
Detective - Looking up at the minor manor with a smile ... "A Bible in every bedroom ... " He looks at a folk art metal duck with frozen wind spinning wings. A curious smile before giving them a spin, then turns fast to the gate, realizing he was watched.
Young Miserella on a bicycle watches him from the gate with a smile ~
Detective - Showing the source of that salesman smile ... "Well hello there ! Do you live here ?"
Miserella - Still smiling back, "Sometimes !" Gets off her bicycle and leans it on the fence before walking directly through him, leaving him stuck in a thick viscous effigy of time, struggling to move in its jelly.
All slows down in
Detective - Looking up at the minor manor with a smile ... "A Bible in every bedroom ... " He looks at a folk art metal duck with frozen wind spinning wings. A curious smile before giving them a spin, then turns fast to the gate, realizing he was watched.
Young Miserella on a bicycle watches him from the gate with a smile ~
Detective - Showing the source of that salesman smile ... "Well hello there ! Do you live here ?"
Miserella - Still smiling back, "Sometimes !" Gets off her bicycle and leans it on the fence before walking directly through him, leaving him stuck in a thick viscous effigy of time, struggling to move in its jelly.
All slows down in
his motion while time moves into a blur, until the lady of the house arrives and he's pulled back to our world.
Mom (prior 'the prostitute) - Smiles startled, "Oh ! Hello ... um. Bible salesman. ... Really ?" Heads for the door, unlocking it.
Detective - "I've ... been stuck here. For a year. There was a girl ... she ... "
Mom - Suddenly serious, "Yeah. Look. I've got a guest coming ... you should go."
Detective - Analyzing ... "Hey can I have a glass of water ?"
...
Mom - "Sure. But I'm not lying. Pull anything and he will kill you." Looks at the top of the Bible pile ... "Though That one ... you know my daughter might actually like that big one on top."
Detective - "Ah. Yes ... 'The New Family Bible' ... very popular. Beveled cover and God's own gold on the trim ... wait, daughter ?"
Mom - "Yeah. Think you may already have met her. Still wanna make that sale ?"
...
Detective - "Kinda !"
Mom - "That's the spirit. Come on in ! Though please leave the rest of the cart, it'll be fine."
He follows with apprehension, looking back to the cart and the sky ... then in the greet waiting until the cup of water. The sound of a motorcycle arriving, a sip as he watches her walk for the door just before the knock. Switchblade, but as a normal man.
Two smiles and a kiss in the frame.
Man - Looks at the salesman, "Huh. Didn't think your kind still existed." Takes the book from his frozen hands, looks at her. "You're right, she's gonna love it." A sideways smile at the salesman, "How much ?"
Detective - "Free for some answers. Something very strange just happened to me."
Man - A shared look of concern with the mom, "Yeah ? How bout a bill instead of that."
Detective - "Fair."
The door opens as the money changes hands ... two smiles trying too hard before the mom walks over with a hug.
Miserella - "You again."
The two men look at each other uncertain which she means, she walks for the stairs.
Detective - To the Mom, "No I mean there's something really wrong here."
Man - After Miserella, "Look. Honey ... "
Miserella - "Don't call me that."
Mom - "Ohhh ... Les Mis ...
Miserella - "Stop."
And the man begins crumbling in pain, legs rotting from beneath him, arms scattering their flesh as all else returns to that viscous hell, the Detective banging on the banister becoming a twisted thing, screaming muffled through the fog like water, "Demon from Hell. Demon from Hell ... DEMON From HELL !"
Miserella - Now holding the Bible, "You're right." Looks at the detective, "I just fucking love it." Turns back up the stairs.
Mom (prior 'the prostitute) - Smiles startled, "Oh ! Hello ... um. Bible salesman. ... Really ?" Heads for the door, unlocking it.
Detective - "I've ... been stuck here. For a year. There was a girl ... she ... "
Mom - Suddenly serious, "Yeah. Look. I've got a guest coming ... you should go."
Detective - Analyzing ... "Hey can I have a glass of water ?"
...
Mom - "Sure. But I'm not lying. Pull anything and he will kill you." Looks at the top of the Bible pile ... "Though That one ... you know my daughter might actually like that big one on top."
Detective - "Ah. Yes ... 'The New Family Bible' ... very popular. Beveled cover and God's own gold on the trim ... wait, daughter ?"
Mom - "Yeah. Think you may already have met her. Still wanna make that sale ?"
...
Detective - "Kinda !"
Mom - "That's the spirit. Come on in ! Though please leave the rest of the cart, it'll be fine."
He follows with apprehension, looking back to the cart and the sky ... then in the greet waiting until the cup of water. The sound of a motorcycle arriving, a sip as he watches her walk for the door just before the knock. Switchblade, but as a normal man.
Two smiles and a kiss in the frame.
Man - Looks at the salesman, "Huh. Didn't think your kind still existed." Takes the book from his frozen hands, looks at her. "You're right, she's gonna love it." A sideways smile at the salesman, "How much ?"
Detective - "Free for some answers. Something very strange just happened to me."
Man - A shared look of concern with the mom, "Yeah ? How bout a bill instead of that."
Detective - "Fair."
The door opens as the money changes hands ... two smiles trying too hard before the mom walks over with a hug.
Miserella - "You again."
The two men look at each other uncertain which she means, she walks for the stairs.
Detective - To the Mom, "No I mean there's something really wrong here."
Man - After Miserella, "Look. Honey ... "
Miserella - "Don't call me that."
Mom - "Ohhh ... Les Mis ...
Miserella - "Stop."
And the man begins crumbling in pain, legs rotting from beneath him, arms scattering their flesh as all else returns to that viscous hell, the Detective banging on the banister becoming a twisted thing, screaming muffled through the fog like water, "Demon from Hell. Demon from Hell ... DEMON From HELL !"
Miserella - Now holding the Bible, "You're right." Looks at the detective, "I just fucking love it." Turns back up the stairs.
('The Last Waltz' by Fangbanger)
~ Switchblade ~
Miserella's
mom sits in the asylum, staring at the others in their varied madness,
an orderly whispers in her ear, she looks back shocked.
Orderly - "Yes, you'll be under your husband's care."
Mom - "Oh God."
She nervously exits the asylum and sees an old and clean Cadillac waiting, the Detective leaning on it with a smoke.
Mom - "You ?"
Detective - "Yeah." A drag before tossing to the dry grass. "There was no other way."
Mom - "Miserella ?"
Detective - "We'll get to her. You're gonna get it all back."
Mom - "I don't want it all. I just want my daughter whole again."
Detective - "That's the plan. But first. We've got to kill the beast."
Mom - "But he ... "
Detective - "He's not what he used to be. I'm sorry."
Mom - Looks the car over ... "No. I don't believe that you are." Gets in.
Orderly - "Yes, you'll be under your husband's care."
Mom - "Oh God."
She nervously exits the asylum and sees an old and clean Cadillac waiting, the Detective leaning on it with a smoke.
Mom - "You ?"
Detective - "Yeah." A drag before tossing to the dry grass. "There was no other way."
Mom - "Miserella ?"
Detective - "We'll get to her. You're gonna get it all back."
Mom - "I don't want it all. I just want my daughter whole again."
Detective - "That's the plan. But first. We've got to kill the beast."
Mom - "But he ... "
Detective - "He's not what he used to be. I'm sorry."
Mom - Looks the car over ... "No. I don't believe that you are." Gets in.
~ Now ~
('I Yam what I Yam' by Robin Williams)
In an abandoned manor room Switchblade watches Popeye sing on his little TV intently with an entertained smile, "Yuh."
~ The Cadillac drives the way to the manor, followed by three SWAT vans, then a limousine flying flags, surrounded by police cars and cycles, then the National Guard and last some curious kids on their bicycles.
He dances with the song, the television in hand as though a partner.
~ The entourage turns for the driveway, the Guard stopping at the gate and warding the kids off before setting up their camp.
A spin, "Ha." He roars with the song, "I YAM WHAT I YAM !"
Miserella pulls out an earbud and looks around to see if she heard something ... then back in and playing on the phone.
~ The kids watch the Guard set up from a tree a tree across the street, in the bathroom mirror Miserella dresses as an ice cream monster for stand at the kiddie park. She looks at the giant stuffed ice cream bar, not seeing the detective in the mirror, picks it up and heads for the door.
Switchblade - Stops in the hall in front the door, the many dogs passing and tearing. He smiles as the blades ratchet ... "Wait here, beloved beast. It's your enemies whose heats upon, we wish to feast." He continues on with the last of the dogs. Sounding again like the man he once was, "And feast we shall."
The Bible drops dusty from from the arm of his cloak with mechanical sounds as though the machine he's become was releasing it. She stares at it frozen as he walks away.
~ The Cadillac drives the way to the manor, followed by three SWAT vans, then a limousine flying flags, surrounded by police cars and cycles, then the National Guard and last some curious kids on their bicycles.
He dances with the song, the television in hand as though a partner.
~ The entourage turns for the driveway, the Guard stopping at the gate and warding the kids off before setting up their camp.
A spin, "Ha." He roars with the song, "I YAM WHAT I YAM !"
Miserella pulls out an earbud and looks around to see if she heard something ... then back in and playing on the phone.
~ The kids watch the Guard set up from a tree a tree across the street, in the bathroom mirror Miserella dresses as an ice cream monster for stand at the kiddie park. She looks at the giant stuffed ice cream bar, not seeing the detective in the mirror, picks it up and heads for the door.
Switchblade - Stops in the hall in front the door, the many dogs passing and tearing. He smiles as the blades ratchet ... "Wait here, beloved beast. It's your enemies whose heats upon, we wish to feast." He continues on with the last of the dogs. Sounding again like the man he once was, "And feast we shall."
The Bible drops dusty from from the arm of his cloak with mechanical sounds as though the machine he's become was releasing it. She stares at it frozen as he walks away.