THE KITSUNE Written by Martin O'Toole [email protected] WGA Registration Number: 2077358 Doc: v6.0 “Hate is not conquered by hate; Hate is conquered by love. This is a law eternal.” — Buddha. INT. OSAKA, JAPAN - PENTHOUSE - MORNING A luxury speaker set BLASTS the room with the cheerful tune of TERRY BUSH’S ‘MAYBE TOMORROW’ as an impeccably dressed JAPANESE WOMAN in her sixties sits at a walnut writing desk. CLOSE on the fountain pen in her left hand, almost ROBOTICALLY crafting beautiful Japanese calligraphy. As the writing hand acts apparently autonomously, the woman’s face appears in conflict. Her right hand suddenly slams down on the page — sweeping the document off the desk. Her left hand calmly places the pen down, then SMACKS her hard across the face. She grimaces as she reaches down to pick up the paper, placing it back on the desktop. Teardrops hit the fresh ink, creating large splodges on the uncoated textured paper, as the hand once again writes, seemingly all on its own. She places the pen down and seals the MONOGRAMMED ENVELOPE, propping it against an object on her desk. Calmly and directly, she walks across the stylish open-plan space, and outside onto the balcony. We watch her from behind, framed on either side by two stunning red Acer trees. Still in HEELS, she climbs onto the balcony wall; and as we hear the lyrics ‘UNTIL TOMORROW, YOU KNOW I’M FREE TO ROAM’, she does a short jig, stopping before the song comes to an end. A breeze blows as the distant city sounds can be heard down below. She stands perfectly still for a moment, then lets out a short and unusual CHUCKLE, before stepping off the ledge. EXT. SIDEWALK - MOMENTS LATER As the street comes alive with panic, we cut CLOSE on her shattered face as it gurgles its last breath. INT. PENTHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER The OBJECT propping up the envelope is an antique MANEKI NEKO (lucky cat). The Japanese calligraphy on the envelope translates as ‘MY DEAREST FUMIKO’. THE KITSUNE 2. INT. LOS ANGELES, USA - HOUSE PARTY - NIGHT CLOSE on the blood-shot eyes of ALICE BURMAN (29), Indian/American, slim, scarred forehead, beautiful. She snorts a line of cocaine the size of an eskimo’s eyebrow, then smashes down three fingers of whisky before standing in a house party doing what house parties do the wrong side of 3AM. As she walks towards the bathroom, her lascivious eye catches that of a CONFIDENT MAN (early thirties), tall, not-so handsome, bearded and scruffy. INTERCUT - INT. HOUSE PARTY BATHROOM - NIGHT / EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT - FLASHBACK After peeing, Alice washes her hands, looking at herself in the dirty sink mirror. There’s a knock on the door. The Confident Man enters, picks her up and roughly plants her on the sink. He kisses her neck and wildly GRABS at her breasts. EXT. TOPANGA, USA - COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT - FLASHBACK A beat-up 1980s pick-up truck drives steadily along the road. INT. MOVING CAR - MOMENTS LATER Alice drives the truck as CLAIRE BURMAN (47), caucasian, average height, once-beautiful, sits in the front passenger seat, taking a lug from a hip flask. INT. HOUSE PARTY BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER - BACK TO PRESENT Squinting and SHAKING her head, Alice produces a wrap of MDMA. Opening it, she dabs a wet finger in the crystals and licks it; snarling at the bitter taste. Another dab — this time slipping her finger into his mouth. He smirks, then moves his hand up her thigh, under her skirt and between her legs. She stares blankly ahead. INT. MOVING CAR - MOMENTS LATER - FLASHBACK CONT’D Claire takes another swig from the flask, then loses grip of it. It bounces off Alice’s knee and into her foot-well. CLAIRE I got it. THE KITSUNE 3. ALICE Leave it, mom. Claire’s head lols as she lunges forward, shoving past Alice as she fumbles for the flask. The truck swerves a little. ALICE (CONT'D) Mom, come on, leave it alone. Flask retrieved, Claire raises, distracting Alice just as the car turns around a bend. ALICE (CONT'D) Goddammit, mom, will y—— CLAIRE Fuck baby—look out! There’s a large buck deer in the headlights. Claire grabs the wheel, yanking the car violently towards the centre of the road. Alice fights her drunken mother, pulling the wheel back towards the roadside. There’s a loud thud and the CRACK of glass, as the truck skids off the road and down a slope, before hitting a tree. INT. HOUSE PARTY BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER - BACK TO PRESENT Alice SQUINTS again, breathing fast. Kissing her neck, his hand is still busy between her legs. Her hand moves over his lower abdomen and jeans, firmly cupping his crotch. INT. TRUCK - MOMENTS LATER - FLASHBACK CONT’D Alice’s face is covered in blood; a gash above her left eye leaks profusely. Her head lols as she slips in and out of consciousness. She looks to her right, to see Claire — head bowed to her chest — which has been impaled by a large antler. Three loud and laboured GASPS of gargled breath from Claire, and then silence. END FLASHBACK INT. HOUSE PARTY BATHROOM - NIGHT - BACK TO SCENE Literally shaking the memory out of her head, Alice suddenly pushes her hungry friend away and slowly steps down from the sink. THE KITSUNE 4. He assumes the fun’s over, but she turns and grips the edges of the sink, and to his surprise, ARCHES her back. Ceasing the opportunity, he yanks her underwear half-way down her thighs, while she tugs at his belt and fly. He moans as he enters her. Quickly picking up pace, he RUTS with the hungry rhythm that comes hand-in-hand with drug-fuelled sex. She looks at the MIRROR in front of her, but her reflection’s obscured by a screen of filth. As she wipes the glass with a sleeve, she still fails to recognise the face looking back at her. ALICE Who the fuck are you? He smirks at the mirror, mistaking it as a compliment. Through pink and pain-filled eyes, Alice watches herself nonchalantly — being fucked and feeling nothing; brokenhearted and empty. INT. TOPANGA, USA, SAI & SARAH'S HOUSE - DAWN Alice comes home wrecked. She clumsily stumbles up the stairs, when she’s intercepted by SARAH BURMAN (43), English, short, cool-casual and vegan slim. SARAH Big night? ALICE No more than usual. (sniffs) Any chance we can do this tomorrow? SARAH Look, I don’t want to lecture you Alice; but getting wasted all the time isn’t going to undo what’s happened. ALICE Spare me the lecture, it was just a few drinks. Sarah holds up a bag of white powder. SARAH Really? THE KITSUNE 5. ALICE (sighs) Give me a break, Sarah. I’m just letting off steam. You shown that to my dad? SARAH Not yet... I don’t want to judge you Alice, but you’re not being honest with yourself — or us. Carry on like this and you’ll become everything you hated about your mum. ALICE WOW—what the fuck? Alice storms up the stairs, leaving Sarah in silence. INT. ALICE’S BEDROOM - SOON AFTER Alice sits on the floor with a large set of ear-cans blasting out trance music as she leans against the side of her bed. She opens a SILVER LOCKET, inside which is a photo of her mother. She looks at it for a moment before producing a bag of cocaine from her pocket. Staring at the bag, she cries, then upgrades to uncontrollable sobbing — snotty nose and all. INT. SAI & SARAH’S HOUSE - DAY Sarah and her friend and spiritual mentor, AMALA (41), Brazilian/American, boho-chic, are in the lounge of a contemporary cottage in the forest-filled Topanga hills. Sarah drops the bag of powder on the coffee table. SARAH She’s using this too. Hell-bent on blotting out the reality of the situation. Amala calmly takes a sip of tea. AMALA If there’s anything I can do for her, you know I would without question. SARAH Like? THE KITSUNE 6. AMALA Perhaps help her focus on healing. Do some sessions with her... Also, we have an Ayahuasca ceremony coming up. SARAH Uh, I don’t think giving drugs to someone with a drug problem is a bright idea, Amala. AMALA Actually, plant medicine is probably one of the best—— SARAH She’s not doing DMT! SAI BURMAN (48), first generation Indian, smart casual, kind eyes, walks into the room. Kissing his wife and hugging Amala, he sits by Sarah, putting an arm around her. SAI DMT? SARAH Amala’s suggesting Alice might do an Ayahausca ceremony with her and—— SAI Ha! Amala, surely you know better than to suggest psychedelics to Sarah. She’s never even smoked a joint! SARAH That’s not true—— SAI She’s more likely to have Alice exorcised than let her try plant medicine. SARAH Sai, you’re not being very—— SAI We’ve had this conversation, I’ve told her, I’ve said, Ayahuasca’s used to treat addiction— THE KITSUNE 7. SARAH So you admit that you think Alice is an addict? SAI Well, no, I’m, I’m just saying… AMALA Regardless of whether she is, Sai’s right. Substance abuse is a symptom of something deeper, which the medicine can heal. SARAH I’d rather she did therapy. SAI Alice can make her own decisions, Sarah. SARAH Can she? Sensing an argument about to ensue, Amala interrupts.