Blood of the Innocent

FIRST DRAFT - 04/18/04
by
Lance HaunRogue


SECOND DRAFT - 05/06/05
by
Lance HaunRogue
& Jeromy Cox

THIRD DRAFT - 06/06/05
by
Lance HaunRogue
& Jeromy Cox

            ©2005 Lance HaunRogue & Rogue Creations
            With Escape Arts Entertainment
            All Rights Reserved.

            Lance HaunRogue
            P.O. Box 131684
            Carlsbad, CA 92013-1684



            FADE IN: Rogue Creations Presents

            FADE IN: An Escape Arts Entertainment Production

            A key TURNS within the lock in the logo and it SNAPS open -
            the words fade away, leaving just the lock... 
            TO: Mignon's aged hands remove the lock from a carriage door.


            EXT. EST. A DIRT ROAD - LOUDUN, FRANCE - 1666 -- NIGHT

            WIDE ON: The carriage door swings open and a young woman
            steps from the carriage. She is heavily shackled and
            terrified as Mignon, now in his sixties with grey hair, leads
            her by the arm. Her beautiful, fair complected face is framed
            by long black wavy hair and she has large soulful amber eyes.
            This is JULIETTE GISELLE BALTASAR.

            EXT. EST. CEDAR TREE - LOUDUN -- APPROACHING MIDNIGHT

            WIDE ON: The flicker of a lone torch in the distance - Mignon
            leads Juliette methodically up the hill towards a rider on
            horseback, beneath the branches of a solitary cedar tree.

            PULLING BACK: The torchlight gives way to the illumination of
            the full moon beyond the tree and clouds.

            CLOSE ON: A man's dirty hand caressing a Greek coin.

            PAN UP: LEVITICUS MIGNON sits on horseback, examining the
            coin - he holds a rope that hangs from the branches above -
            he is grimy and weathered, with dirty old clothes and wet
            shoulder-length black hair. Leviticus' fair eyes look distant
            and empty - he steadies his horse as the torch approaches -
            Mignon and Juliette step from the shadows.

            CLOSE ON: Mignon looks up at Leviticus with regret -
            Leviticus returns the silent exchange with an expression of
            spite. He then looks to Juliette, whose downcast face is
            hidden by her dense hair - Leviticus reaches down, moving her
            hair to one side - Juliette cowers - with a finger beneath
            her chin Leviticus raises her head to reveal mournful eyes
            staring back. Leviticus takes the shackles between his gloved
            hand and pulls Juliette up onto the horse in front of him.

            CLOSE ON: Leviticus holds Juliette's face in his hand from
            behind. Leviticus whispers into Juliette's ear and she parts
            her lips allowing him to place the coin into her mouth.

            CLOSE ON: Leviticus' dirty fingers place the coin gently
            beneath Juliette's tongue - a symbol of a cat on the metal -
            he ties a strip of linen around her face, gagging her mouth.

            CLOSE ON: Mignon looks to Leviticus, but his eyes are so
            frightening that Mignon diverts his gaze submissively and
            walks away without a word, torch in hand, back down the path. 

            ANGLE ON: Juliette's eyes are aflutter, staring helplessly
            into the night. Time crawls. She sees Mignon's silhouette
            mount the carriage - horses lead him off into darkness.
            Leviticus looks up to the full moon as the clouds pass above.

            ANGLE ON: Leviticus places a noose around Juliette's neck -
            she begins to flail against her restraints and tries to plead
            from beneath her gag but Leviticus holds her tightly.
            Leviticus pulls the rope tight to her throat - she closes her
            eyes in response, swallowing hard against the constriction.
            A tear wells in Juliette's eye. Leviticus dismounts, and
            glances back at Juliette, his head low - his haunted eyes
            cast up in her direction.

            EXT. EST. FUNERAL - SANTIAGO, SPAIN 1648 -- DAY
            -FLASHBACK-
            ANGLE ON: Leviticus is 15 years old - he looks up in the same
            manner - he is young and handsome and full of youth - he
            smiles nervously, looking back down to his bible - he is
            dressed in Catholic robes and standing beside a priest who is
            giving a benediction over the grave of Juliette's mother.

            ANGLE ON: Juliette is also 15 - tears stream down her cheeks
            as she looks at Leviticus with intense curiosity - though
            sad, her face, like Leviticus', is full of color, like we
            have yet to see them - Juliette's gaze lingers on him...
            -FLASHBACK ENDS-


            EXT. CEDAR TREE - LOUDUN -- MIDNIGHT

            CLOSE ON: Juliette's eyes widen as she is hit by some sort of
            realization - the tear rolls down her cheek. Leviticus raises
            the collar of his coat to shoulder the cold, then he turns
            his back on Juliette and slowly walks away.

            CLOSE ON: Leviticus' opens his mouth - fangs exposed...

                                LEVITICUS
                      YAH!

            Juliette winces. Leviticus sighs. The horse CHARGES.

            WIDE ON: The entire hill and tree are silhouetted against the
            moon. Juliette falls with a brutal snapping sound as the rope
            goes TAUT from her weight. She swings violently side to side.

            ANGLE UP: Juliette swings in slow motion, autumn leaves fall.

            CROSS DISSOLVE: to a dream-like state - a dead leaf drifting
            on a white scape, in time to the pulse of a lone violin.

                                                          FADE TO WHITE: