1. INT. HOSPITAL - DAY 51

MUSIC CUE

INTERIOR HOSPITAL ROOM AMBIENCE

Woman

We were being played. Like lab mice we couldn’t see the labyrinth through our bright pink eyes. The man in the mirror wasn’t a reflection looking back at us. No our every move was being observed, chronicled, documented, timed and weighed. But this experiment was not to prove a theory or to find a cure. No he wanted us to teach him how to get out.

MUSIC THEME

ANNOUNCER

Welcome to 13 Reflections. Reflection 8: Through Pink Eyes

1. INT. ASHLEY'S HOUSE - DAY 52

MUSIC CUE ASHLEY’S HOUSE

NARRATOR

The Brimstone County forensic team scurries through Ashley’s house. On the 2nd floor, The Sheriff stands at the doorway to the bathroom.

Billy’s body lies on the floor with his chest ripped wide open.

The Sheriff pulls Agent Lee aside.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

This doesn’t make sense.

AGENT LEE

How do you mean?

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

She has a gun in her hand. Billy has her daughter. She empties the gun and only hits the light?

AGENT LEE

Maybe she’s a bad shot?

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

Bad shot or not. Still doesn’t explain how Billy’s heart got ripped out.

AGENT LEE

There are a lot of unanswered questions Sheriff. How did Billy escape in the first place?

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

The asylum texted me this surveillance footage from last night. Look here on my phone.

AGENT LEE

Is that Billy?

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

Yup. The kid went into the bathroom but doesn’t come out. Let me fast forward.

AGENT LEE

Pause it there. There’s a mirror missing over that sink.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

The kid has vanished and you’re pointing out a missing mirror?

AGENT LEE

I find it curious.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

You think that’s curious? I’ve got three corpses all missing their hearts.

AGENT LEE

Three corpses?

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

The one armed bandit, Mina showed up last night outside the hospital. She checked in but died in her room. Her chest was ripped open just like Billy’s.

AGENT LEE

Have a theory?

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

Yes. My theory is that you’re working on more than just this case. I also think Mrs. Harker knows more than she’s letting on.

AGENT LEE

Let me confirm something with Mrs. Harker first.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

Confirm what?

AGENT LEE

Just give me a moment with Mrs. Harker and Polly, then I’ll let you in on everything.

FOOTSTEPS DOWNSTAIRS

1. INT. ASHLEY'S HOUSE - DAY 53

NARRATOR

Agent Lee makes his way down the stairs. Polly snoozes on the sofa under a fuzzy comforter and headphones over her ears. Agent Lee takes a seat across the kitchen table from Ashley.

ASHLEY FIDGETS WITH HER ZIPPO LIGHTER CAP OFF

FLICK THE DRUM CAP ON

AGENT LEE

I know you may not believe this but I am on your side.

ASHLEY

My side? Is there another side?

AGENT LEE

There’s always another side. When did Polly return?

ZIPPO LIGHTER CAP OFF FLICK THE DRUM

CAP ON SNUFF THE FLAME

AGENT LEE (CONT'D)

Shall I wake her up and ask her then?

ASHLEY

No. She’s been through enough.

AGENT LEE

So when? Yesterday.

ASHLEY AGENT LEE

Where has she been?

ASHLEY

Hiding. She was hiding somewhere. She wasn’t kidnapped.

ZIPPO LIGHTER CAP OFF FLICK THE DRUM

CAP ON SNUFF THE FLAME

AGENT LEE

Alright. We’ll come back to that. Just walk me through what happened last night.

ZIPPO LIGHTER CAP OFF FLICK THE DRUM

CAP ON SNUFF THE FLAME

ASHLEY

He was here waiting.

AGENT LEE

Billy? Where was he?

ASHLEY

I don’t know. He was just suddenly behind us.

AGENT LEE

And he knocks Ray out at the foot of the stairs?

ASHLEY

Yeah. Somehow he grabbed Polly away from me and pulled her up to the bathroom.

AGENT LEE

Where did you keep the gun?

ZIPPO LIGHTER CAP OFF FLICK THE DRUM

CAP ON SNUFF THE FLAME

ASHLEY

It’s not mine. It was that kid’s.

AGENT LEE

Then how did you get it?

ASHLEY

He dropped it. When the...

AGENT LEE

When what? ZIPPO LIGHTER CAP OFF FLICK THE DRUM

CAP ON SNUFF THE FLAME

ASHLEY

He just dropped it.

AGENT LEE

He has your daughter still?

ASHLEY

Yes.

AGENT LEE

But you have his gun. Does he have any other weapon?

ASHLEY

No but...

ZIPPO LIGHTER CAP OFF FLICK THE DRUM

CAP ON SNUFF THE FLAME

AGENT LEE

Then why shoot the light out?

ASHLEY

Did I?

AGENT LEE

Indeed you did. Although the revolver was fully loaded and all five rounds were fired, only three bullet holes were located...in the ceiling.

ASHLEY

I just fired to scare him.

ZIPPO LIGHTER CAP OFF FLICK THE DRUM

CAP ON SNUFF THE FLAME

AGENT LEE

Then what killed him?

ASHLEY

I don’t know and I don’t know why I shot the light out.

AGENT LEE

Could the real reason be that you can’t have a reflection without light?

ASHLEY STOPS FIDGETING WITH THE LIGHTER

AGENT LEE (CONT'D)

Mrs. Harker. Another child has been missing for more than a year. I’m desperate to know how Polly was returned.

ASHLEY

I don’t know. This is all crazy. How do you make sense of crazy?

LEE’S VOICE CRACKS IN DESPERATION

AGENT LEE

Help another parent get their child back. Just tell me the truth.

ASHLEY

Ok. But you won’t believe me.

AGENT LEE

I promise I will try.

ASHLEY

Polly was hiding inside the bathroom mirror.

AGENT LEE

There you see? I’m not laughing. I’m not rolling my eyes. I believe you.

ASHLEY SIGHS RELIEF

AGENT LEE (CONT'D)

So, what did you do? How did you get her back?

ASHLEY

I just reached inside and pulled her out.

AGENT LEE

That’s it? That clean? That simple?

ASHLEY

Not simple. Not clean at all. Something followed her out. The same thing that killed Lucy. The same thing that killed Billy.

AGENT LEE

How did Polly learn about the mirrors?

ASHLEY PULLS OUT THE BLUE STORYBOOK FROM HER POCKET PAGES RUSTLE

ASHLEY

Lucy wrote this for her school assignment. She read it to Polly.

AGENT LEE

Lucy must have learned this from Mina Wen.

ASHLEY

I think so yes.

NARRATOR

Agent Lee suddenly lurches towards Polly. His actions are urgent. He pulls off her headphones and lifts her off the sofa.

ASHLEY

Hey. What are you doing?

AGENT LEE

When you were inside the mirror, did you see a little girl?

POLLY STRUGGLES

AGENT LEE (CONT'D)

Please. Just tell me.

ASHLEY

Put her down.

POLLY SIGHS

POLLY

You mean Freya?

AGENT LEE

Yes, Freya. Where is she?

POLLY

She’s still there. She’s still inside.

CUT TO:

1. INT. SHERIFF STATION - DAY 54

MUSIC CUE SHERIFF STATION SHERIFF STATION AMBIENCE POLICE RADIO CHATTER DISTANT FOOTSTEPS

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

You said you’d let me in on everything. So, what is everything?

AGENT LEE

It begins with this.

PAPER RUSTLES

AGENT LEE (CONT'D)

I got this from Mrs. Harker, her babysitter Lucy wrote it.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

You’re telling me this comic book started all this?

AGENT LEE

Not exactly, that comic book is a retelling of an old myth. An interpretation of very old Mongolian fable.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

A fable? Then this is fiction.

AGENT LEE

Apparently based in fact.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

Fact? This is crap. Fables and myths are not fact.

AGENT LEE

And yet you’ve seen the unexplainable.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

What I’ve seen, I can’t believe.

SHERIFF SNIFFS THE AIR

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON (CONT'D)

You smell that?

AGENT LEE

Last night’s chili?

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

No. Something more rank.

SHERIFF SNIFFS

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON (CONT'D)

Like old cheese. Where is that coming from?

AGENT LEE

Can I ask you something? Are you religious Sheriff?

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

I believe in god and go to church most Sundays, but I don’t know what that has to do with anything.

AGENT LEE

Church implies organized religion.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

I suppose Baptist qualifies.

AGENT LEE

Then your beliefs are based on text written centuries ago.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

This isn’t the same thing.

AGENT LEE

Isn’t it? A fable is a story with a moral lesson. A fable deals with supernatural or extraordinary characters. Seems the same to me.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

Except a fable is fiction. A fable does not inspire millions to dutifully follow.

AGENT LEE

No. I believe that’s a cult.

SHERIFF SNIFFS

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

Look. So far you’ve just been flapping your gums, making noises that sound like words but you’ve not actually told me anything. I want facts and a timeline. I want to know everything you know.

AGENT LEE

What good would that do if you can’t believe me?

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

Cold hard facts is what I’ll believe not some comic book. Your cynical dissertation on organized religion isn’t helping your cause either.

AGENT LEE

Facts? You have facts. You said so yourself. Corpses without hearts and a severed arm that grabs at you.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

Those aren’t facts. Those are unsolved mysteries.

AGENT LEE

Your inability to explain them is exactly what strengthens this theory. This fable explains those mysteries.

SHERIFF SNIFFING AGENT LEE SNIFFS

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

You catching that now too?

AGENT LEE

Yes, where is that coming from?

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

Check your shoes. You step in something?

SHOES SHUFFLE

I did not.

AGENT LEE

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

My shoes are clean.

LEATHERY WINGS FLAP

A FILE CABINET DRAWER IS TUGGED ON

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON (CONT'D)

Now I’m hearing things too.

AGENT LEE

I heard nothing.

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON

It sounded like the file cabinet. Shhhh. Listen.

SOFT BUMPING INSIDE THE FILE CABINET

MUTED CHITTER SCRATCHING

SHERIFF GEORGIE GORDON (CONT'D)

What the heck?

CHAIR ROLLS BACK SLOW FOOTSTEPS

THUMB RELEASES FILE DRAWER LOCK FILE DRAWER ROLLS OPEN SCREECHING

CLAWS ON METAL FLESH RIPPING SHERIFF SCREAMS AGENT LEE GASPS

NARRATOR

As the Sheriff pulls open the file cabinet drawer, dozens of huge rats leap out. Many remain in the cabinet ripping apart the rotting flesh from Mina’s severed arm.

MAIN THEME

ANNOUNCER

This has been 13 Reflections.