This is Not the Moment of your Undoing.

FADE IN

INT: Abandoned warehouse – DAY

Sunlight streams in though grimy, filthy windows onto the dirty floor of the warehouse. Two people stand in the room, alone. Sunlight is shining directly on a boy, RYUSUKE, (17), who is suspended from the rafters by a chain looped around his wrists. He is semi conscious, slumped and limp against his chain, his arms high above his head. The chain does not allow him to sit down, or even kneel, never taking the pressure off his arms. He is covered in blood, new and old, his clothing unrecognizable shreds of fabric. A girl, AYUMI (17) circles him, her face hard, eyes alight with malice. She is dressed in an altered school uniform – the kilt long so that is hangs around her ankles. She is wearing flat, round toed shoes and regular uniform top. A long, sleeveless black tunic hangs open on her shoulders, sweeping down to the back of her knees. A crest of a Red butterfly is emblazoned on the back, along with a symbol on the right breast. She also wears a bright red medical mask, so that her face is hidden. She is holding a lead pipe in her right hand and methodically hitting it onto the palm of her left as she walks slowly around Ryosuke

AYUMI
So you think you’re strong? Everyone is strong at first. Caught up in the romance of the idea of strength. The concept of torture. It never lasts long. Surprisingly, its usually the women who last the longest, who put up the most fight. Not good odds for you, Ryosuke.”

Her voice is mocking, baiting. Ryusuke does not respond, only shifts in pain, head down, staring blankly at the crusted puddles of his own blood on the floor around him.

AYUMI
Its fascinating, really, breaking someone. I know that probably sounds
terribly cliché to you but… really… its different for every person. Like little Auska. (laughs.) the things we did to that little girl can’t even be repeated in this company. Horrible. Brilliant. She was screaming to the very end. Screaming, crying, thrashing. But she never gave us one piece of information. Not one single piece. Bravery and appearances meant nothing to that girl. She embarrassed herself terribly. And yet, she was stronger then all the rest of you. (pauses) I wonder how she would feel now, if she knew that after all that pain and agony she suffered, after dying to keep a secret… I wonder how she would feel if she knew that pathetic scum like you gave up everything the instant I pulled out that razor.

The lead pipe comes out of know where, cracking across his shoulders and sending him careening wildly against the chains. Ryusuke cries out, only the slightest. Ayumi Hits him once, twice, but on the third she pauses, hand just about to strike, and flings the pipe to the ground beside her.

AYUMI
You sicken me! You are nothing, you have nothing! No self respect, not importance! You sell your soul to save your pitiful little life, so answer this! What if I did let you go now, what if I let you walk? What would you do, what would you do with your pitiful existence? You sold your allies out Ryusuke. And when I take them out I’m going to make sure they know who the rat was. Who the weak one was. The coward. Do you really think that they will let you walk out of this one alive? Are you that deluded?!

Ryusuke raises his head the slightest bit, turning it in the direction of Ayumis yelling. He shakes his head, mental cohesion long left him. He is finally accepting the fact that, no matter what he does or says, he is going to die.



RYUSUKE
You’re not letting me walk out of this one. Im not that much of a fool.

AYUMI (laughs harshly)
Walk? You think that this is finished? That I got what I need out of you? That I’m just going to kill you, and bang! You got a solution ot your traitor problems? Ha. You haven’t told me half of the things I wasn’t to know. Most of those things you probably don’t even know. (She flips open a switchblade and locks the knife.) How… unfortunate for you.

Ayumi laughs to herself and walks away from ryusuke, standing at a distance to him, looking form afar.

AYUMI
Are you afraid of meeting death?

There is no answer for Ryusuke. He is on his knees, swinging back and for pathetically.

RYUSUKE(barelya whisper)
Yes.

Ayumi lowers the knife to her side and walks deliberately towards her victim, perfectly poised, intent on her subject.

AYUMI
I guess men don’t stand to meet death any longer. Pity. Shows how much our society has simply decomposed.

She reaches ryusuke and stands, looking down over him. She snaps the blade shut in front of his face and he cringes ant the sound. She deliberately places the knife in her tunic pocket, still staring down at him. He is caught, stunned by her gaze. Without warning she sizes him by the shoulders roughly and pulls him to his feet.

AYUMI
Stand the hell up. Have some self respect, you piece of shit. Do you want to go out like a coward?

RYUSUKE
Death doesn’t care if I’m a coward.

AYUMI
I care if you’re a coward. Death. Huh. Death is a faceless concept that we only grasp at the very final moments of out lives. Deaths true face is revealed then, and for every person, the face of death is different. But you will always know Death, intuitively, not matter what form of being or greeting. You will always know death. Do you accept that you are going to die, Ryusuke Shimara, of the Golden Eagles?

Ryusuke, standing, looks past her, chin raised, as if he is trying to find some courage deep inside of himself.

RYUSUKE
I… I…

Ayumi nods stoically and pulls her switchblade out of her pocket.)

AYUMI
Do you accept that now is not the moment of your undoing. That moment has long since past. Do you accept that this is the moment that you will look death face to face, standing until the end?


RYUSUKE
I do.

AYUMI.

Beautiful. (she pulls her red medical mask down around her neck, revealing her face and brushes her hair back.) Nice to meet you.