The Skull Ring (50 page)

Never trust a fucking Satanist.

Snead drags Julia toward the ridge. The wind is really picking up.

SNEAD

(to Julia)

Come on.

WHEATLEY

She belongs to the Master.

SNEAD

Cut the crap. It's just us now. No need to put on your boogieman show.

DR. FORREST

She’s ready to become.

SNEAD

(to Dr. Forrest)

You goat slut.

(to Wheatley)

You think she's going to join us and just hand over the money? Or put it in the devil's collection plate? A bullet does a better job than a shrink of scrambling somebody's brains.

Snead waves his gun toward Wheatley.

DR. FORREST

Judas Stone was chosen. She was born to be one of us.

SNEAD

You've fallen for your own brainwashing job. Stay here and explain all these bodies to the cops. Me, I'm taking this whore back to Memphis.

Snead presses the gun against Julia's temple.

SNEAD (CONT'D)

Ain't that right, Sister?

JULIA

If the Master commands.

SNEAD

Go on. I don't want to be out here in the dark with all these idiots running around with guns. A guy could get hurt.

Snead leads Julia up the trail. Wheatley yells but the words are swept away by the wind. The bushes and trees sway like crazy.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE ROCKS.

Just as Snead and Julia reach the boulders on the ridge, two robed figures jump Snead. One swings a branch at Snead, who falls to his knees.

One of the robed figures grabs Snead and the gun goes off. Snead groans, his leg bleeding.

SNEAD

Don't you see what he's doing? He wants it all for himself.

WHEATLEY

No, Judas Snead. Our Master wants it all. Because everything is already his.

(pulling the knife from his robe)

Including your sorry soul.

Julia, momentarily forgotten, edges up the trail, sees Snead's gun where it has fallen. One of the creeps holding Snead has a bloody bullet hole in the back of his robe.

WHEATLEY

Accept this sacrifice, Satan, O Master of the world.

Wheatley plunges the knife into Snead's heart. Snead shrieks, gurgles, and dies. Wheatley turns his attention to Julia.

WHEATLEY

Are you ready to finish the mark and join us?

Julia touches her stomach. She looks at the feet of the creep with the bloody robe. The creep wears Walter's boots.

DR. FORREST

Surrender, Julia. Become Judas Stone.

JULIA

I don't want to be confused anymore.

WHEATLEY

The Master will be pleased.

DR. FORREST

(rubbing her belly scar)

Help her become whole.

The two hooded creeps close in on Julia. The one wearing Walter's boots has a skull ring, blackened from fire.

WHEATLEY

Come to Satan in purity, with nothing to hide.

The creep to Julia's left peels back his hood. It is the brawny cop in his uniform.

He begins taking off his robe. When the brawny cop has the robe over his face, the other creep jumps at him and tackles him.

JULIA

Walter!

Walter's hood falls back as he struggles with the brawny cop. Wheatley draws a gun.

Wheatley aims at the two men and fires. The brawny cop groans and goes limp. Walter rises to his knees, where Wheatley stands over him with the knife raised.

JULIA (CONT'D)

Don't. The Master doesn't need any more worthless sacrifices. He needs me.

DR. FORREST

Take her. Finish what Douglas Stone couldn't.

JULIA

Give me to him. I want Satan to have me, body and soul. Of my own free will.

Julia's and Walter's eyes meet. Walter looks betrayed. Julia stumbles toward Wheatley.

WALTER

No, Julia.

WHEATLEY

Shut up. If it wasn't for your meddling, this whore would already belong.

JULIA

Don't you see his power, Walter?

WHEATLEY

(to Walter)

I suppose Satan owes you a debt of thanks. After all, your whore wife and child were worthy sacrifices.

WALTER

What the fuck you talking about?

WHEATLEY

She would have been a girl. Your daughter.

(grins like a skull)

The Master enjoyed her so.

JULIA

(to Dr. Forrest)

Untie me, so that I might come to him in free will.

Dr. Forrest looks at Wheatley. He nods at her, keeping his gun aimed at Walter, who is crying. Dr. Forrest takes the knife and cuts the rope binding Julia's hands.

She removes Julia's sweater, showing the incomplete pentagram scar on Julia's belly. Then she takes off her robe so she is naked. She slides her robe over Julia, then rips the front open with the knife so Julia's belly shows.

DR. FORREST

(as she cuts)

We'll be together forever, in him.

WHEATLEY

The Master smiles.

Dr. Forrest gives the knife to Wheatley. For a beat, Wheatley's face is replaced by a goat's head, neck bloody and flies swarming.

The sky is in twilight, the wind roaring, clouds overhead, thunder ripping.

JULIA

O Satan, my Master, come take me.

Julia raises her arms to the sky and begins walking up the trail as if in a daze of rapture.

WHEATLEY

Jooolia.

JULIA

Snead has my ring.

Julia reaches Snead's body, then bends down. She grabs Snead's gun from the leaves and hides it in the robe, having trouble turning Snead's body over. Dr. Forrest joins her, helps remove Snead's skull ring.

DR. FORREST

Now you can be his. After you give him your blood.

JULIA

(to Wheatley)

Why use the knife? Does the Master not love bullets?

DR. FORREST

Sister?

JULIA

Or is a bullet too quick? Does Satan like to hear the little children scream while you cut them up? Or is it you who gets his jollies out of other people's pain and suffering?

WHEATLEY

You deceitful whore.

DR. FORREST

Finish it. Give her to him.

Wheatley points the gun at Julia.

WHEATLEY

You're not worthy.

Walter springs at Wheatley, but Wheatley brings the gun down hard on Walter's head. A wound gushes blood. Wheatley grins and licks the blood from the gun.

Julia pulls gun from beneath her robe, aims at Wheatley.

JULIA

Tell Satan I said "hello."

Julia pulls the trigger three times.

Dr. Forrest screams, but Wheatley still stands. He smiles at Julia, and again his face is replaced by the goat's head. He takes a step toward Julia.

WHEATLEY

You can't kill what's already dead, Judas.

Julia fires again. His face changes rapidly, from Mitchell's to Douglas Stone's to the skull ring with ruby eyes to Wheatley's and once again to the goat's head.

WHEATLEY

(voice deep and evil)

I would have given you the world.

Wheatley takes another step and falls. Julia runs to Walter's side and examines his wound.

JULIA

You okay?

WALTER

(nodding toward Wheatley)

Doing better than him, anyway.

Dr. Forrest leans over Wheatley, wailing and moaning.

DR. FORREST

(to Julia)

You were one of us.

JULIA

No. I was never anybody's.

Julia helps Walter to his feet. He leans against her.

DR. FORREST

(really cracking up)

He owns you.

JULIA

I choose who I belong to.

(kicks robe toward Dr. Forrest)

You'd better put that on.

Dr. Forrest snatches the robe and clutches it to her chest. She runs naked toward the trees, laughing and crying.

DR. FORREST

(in broken falsetto)

Satan calls me. I hear him in the trees. He's everywhere.

Walter tries to stagger after her, but Julia stops him.

JULIA

Let her go. They'll find her sooner or later, then get her the help she needs.

WALTER

Hopefully, she won't get a therapist as screwed-up as yours.

JULIA

You're making fun of a woman who's holding a gun.

(peering into woods)

Is that all of them?

WALTER

I think so. Unless your boyfriend’s back.

JULIA

Better the devil you know. But he can’t get the money now.

WALTER

Money?

JULIA

Forget it. Let's get out of here.

CUT TO:

EXT. TRAIL NEAR THE CABIN—NIGHT.

Julia half-carries Walter down the trail. The storm has miraculously passed, and a tiny bit of moon breaks through the clouds. Dr. Forrest's mad voice carries on the wind.

DR. FORREST (O.S.)

Oh, Jooolia. Jooolia. He ooowns you, Jooooolia.

Walter rests against a tree for the moment. He pulls the skull ring from his finger.

WALTER

This is yours. I was keeping it for you.

Julia holds up the skull ring and stares it in the face. Then she steps forward and throws it with all her might into the forest.

JULIA

I'm sorry about your wife and baby—

WALTER

Shh. Later.

The sky clears more, and the full moon shines. They continue down the trail.

CUT TO:

EXT. OUTSIDE THE CABIN- NIGHT.

At the Jeep. All of the tires are slashed.