~ three

Back at the cafe ~

Miserella - "I fucking hated my father.  And I never even knew why.  Like one day I woke up, saw him at the breakfast table and it was like I really saw him for who he was and ... he looked so fucking Weak sitting there.  And I just fucking hated him for it.  I don't know."  

 

Sips ... "Then last night it finally hit me.  He's dead !  And I cried for hours so and I hate him for that too.  So then I cried some more.  Like rage crying"

 

Bets - "Hence coffee."

Miserella - "Yeah ... I'm just going to say I'm not surprised your mom left."

Miserella - "I'm not surprised what happened just after."

Bets - "Yeah ... "

 

~ sips

 

Miserella - "I had a dream about him once.  It was ... I don't know."

~ her dad at the nightclub - "I don't know."

Miserella - "I don't know.  But I hated him and now he's dead.  And that's not even why I want to cry, I don't even know why."

Bets - "I know why."

 

Miserella - "Yeah ?"

Bets - "Relief.  The inevitable.  And now it's done."  Sips examining her.

~ Ten Years Ago ~

The Hunter, though clearly not yet walks to house pulling a cart filled with Bibles ~

Hunter - Looking up at the minor manor with a smile ...  "A Bible in every bedroom ... "  He looks at a folk art metal duck with frozen wind spinning wings.  A curious smile before giving them a spin, then turns fast to the gate, realizing he was watched.

Young Miserella on a bicycle watches him from the gate with a smile ~

Hunter - Showing the source of that salesman smile ... "Well hello there !  Do you live here ?"

Miserella - Still smiling back, "Sometimes !"  Gets off her bicycle and leans it on the fence before walking directly through him, leaving him stuck in a thick viscous effigy of time, struggling to move in its jelly.

All slows down in

 

 his motion while time moves into a blur, until the lady of the house arrives and he's pulled back to our world.

Mom (prior 'the prostitute) - Smiles startled, "Oh !  Hello ... um.  Bible salesman. ... Really ?"  Heads for the door, unlocking it.

Hunter - "I've ... been  stuck here.  For a year.  There was a girl ... she ... "

Mom - Suddenly serious, "Yeah.  Look.  I've got a guest coming ... you should go."

Hunter - Analyzing ... "Hey can I have a glass of water ?"

...

Mom - "Sure.  But I'm not lying.  Pull anything and he will kill you."  Looks at the top of the Bible pile ... "Though That one ... you know my daughter might actually like that big one on top."

Hunter - "Ah.  Yes ... 'The New Family Bible' ... very popular.  Beveled cover and God's own gold on the trim ... wait, daughter ?"

Mom - "Yeah.  Think you may already have met her.  Still wanna make that sale ?"

...

Hunter - "Kinda !"

Mom - "That's the spirit.  Come on in !  Though please leave the rest of the cart, it'll be fine."

He follows with apprehension, looking back to the cart and the sky ... then in the greet waiting until the cup of water.  The sound of a motorcycle arriving, a sip as he watches her walk for the door just before the knock.  Switchblade, but as a normal man.  

Two smiles and a kiss in the frame.

Man - Looks at the salesman, "Huh.  Didn't think your kind still existed."  Takes the book from his frozen hands, looks at her.  "You're right, she's gonna love it."  A sideways smile at the salesman, "How much ?"

Hunter - "Free for some answers.  Something very strange just happened to me."

Man - A shared look of concern with the mom, "Yeah ?  How bout a bill instead of that."

Hunter - "Fair."

The door opens as the money changes hands ... two smiles trying too hard before the mom walks over with a hug.

Miserella - "You again."

The two men look at each other uncertain which she means, she walks for the stairs.

Hunter - To the Mom, "No I mean there's something really wrong here."

Man - After Miserella, "Look.  Honey ... "

Miserella - "Don't call me that."

Mom - "Ohhh ... Les Mis ...

Miserella - "Stop."

And the man begins crumbling in pain, legs rotting from beneath him, arms scattering their flesh as all else returns to that viscous hell, the Hunter banging on the banister becoming a twisted thing, screaming muffled through the fog like water, "Demon from Hell.  Demon from Hell ... DEMON From HELL !"

Miserella - Now holding the Bible, "You're right."  Looks at the Hunter, "I just fucking love it."  Turns back up the stairs.

('The Last Waltz' by Fangbanger)

Miserella's mom sits in the asylum, staring at the others in their varied madness, an orderly whispers in her ear, she looks back shocked.

Orderly - "Yes, you'll be under your husband's care."

Mom - "Oh God."

She nervously exits the asylum and sees an old and clean Cadillac waiting, the Hunter leaning on it with a smoke.

Mom - "You ?"

Hunter - "Yeah."  A drag before tossing to the dry grass.  "There was no other way."

Mom - "Miserella ?"

Hunter - "We'll get her.  You're gonna get it all back."

Mom - "I don't want it all.  I just want my daughter whole again."

Hunter - "That's the plan.  But first.  We've got to kill the beast."

Mom - "But he ... "

Hunter - "He's not what he used to be.  I'm sorry."

Mom - Looks the car over ... "No.  I don't believe that you are."  Gets in.

~ Now ~

('I Yam what I Yam' by Robin Williams)

In an abandoned manor room Switchblade watches Popeye sing on his little TV intently with an entertained smile, "Yuh."

~ The Cadillac drives the way to the manor, followed by three SWAT vans, then a limousine flying flags, surrounded by police cars and cycles, then the National Guard and last some curious kids on their bicycles.

He dances with the song, the television in hand as though a partner.

~ The entourage turns for the driveway, the Guard stopping at the gate and warding the kids off before setting up their camp.

A spin, "Ha."  He roars with the song, "I YAM WHAT I YAM !"

Miserella pulls out an earbud and looks around to see if she heard something ... then back in and playing on the phone.

~ The kids watch the Guard set up from  a tree a tree across the street, in the bathroom mirror Miserella dresses as an ice cream  monster for stand at the kiddie park.  She looks at the giant stuffed ice cream bar, not seeing the Hunter in the mirror, picks it up and heads for the door.

Switchblade - Stops in the hall in front the door, the many dogs passing and tearing.  He smiles as the blades ratchet ... "Wait here, beloved beast.  It's your enemies whose heats upon, we wish to feast."  He continues on with the last of the dogs.  Sounding again like the man he once was, "And feast we shall."

The Bible drops dusty from from the arm of his cloak with mechanical sounds as though the machine he's become was releasing it.  She stares at it frozen as he walks away.

________________

('Hallowed be thy Enemy' by Public Enemy + Iron Maiden)

He tears of the already shredded cloak, blades switching out from all over the body, mechanisms spawning and forcing out random objects, stuffed animals, old toys for a girl, yet for everything dropped he seems to grow larger in his march.

~ Outside the Hunter turns his head as though something were detected throws down his smoke and starts walking the long drive for the manor.  The soldiers and police behind caught off guard by his lack of care for their presence shortly turn to follow, prepping their weapons on the way.

Switchblade builds to a run with a snarled expression.

~ The Hunter does the same while the small army behind sets up their distant front.

Miserella picks up the Bible and opens it.  Four leaf cloves collected and pressed, pictures of her and him with her mom.  Her mind puts it together, she turns the other way from the hall.

Switchblade's arms enumerated skittering wall and ceiling forward for the door.  An appendage scoops up a dog to give it love along the way before returning it to the masse.  The last object drops, a book of nursery rhymes open to a photograph of him reading it to her.

She hears her own voice, "Can we have a puppy ?  Daddy won't let us there."

Switchblade's voice - "Of course we can."

The door explodes from the inside  as he charges through, the dogs sweeping out fast in all directions.  The Hunter continues to charge for him, Switchblade charging still, the backup takes very defensive positions.

They open fire, the dogs are nimble, Switchblade swings but the Hunter isn't there.  Looking back, he's at the manor's blown door lighting a smoke before turning in to.  Switch's flesh then scattered by bullets, he turns to the attackers.

All the dogs stop looking to him.

Switchblade - "Eat him."

They turn for the manor as now all fire is on him.  He looks to the limo and smiles ... as he rhymes the bullets all seem to cyclone in time into the swinging of his blades, directs behind him.

"I'm not afraid of the orange fiddle rhyme.
I'll give you three or four in just a little time.
Hide and shut the door, ingest a little wine.
Have a little more, in gin it tastes just fine.  

! Because !

I'm not afraid of the orange fiddle rhyme.

I am the poet who loves the letter X.
That xylophone
Was a pile of old bone
But the dancers loved it's hex.

So why do we condone
All the broken down tones
Of the orange fiddle sex?

With the high low moans,
In erogenous zones
And foreign jest effects ?  

! Because !

Everybody loves the orange fiddle rhyme ...

I'll give you four in ... "

! Just a little time !"

Hunter - Standing behind him, "Gotcha."  

He slashes a strap holding an appendage on with his razor.  As Switchblade turns he's always behind, another strap here and another one there, until he begins to stumble with blades dangling uselessly.  He turns for the manor door, the little monster staring.

Captain - "! Hold Fire !" ... a look for the strangeness of the outfit.

Parts falling off of his body he stumbles up the manor steps on burned away stumps to the door, nearly falling on her as she falls backward.

Miserella - "I ... I thought I imagined you."

Switchblade - Smiles, "You did."

The Hunter lands slicing on his back, he pulls back his head and slits the throat.

Miserella - Black oil covering her from the wounds, "Then ... the dream.  My ... father."

Switchblade - Weakening but unaffected in tone, "I'm so sorry."

The Hunter hacks as a madman ... "Die demon DIE !  Leave this poor girl alone.

Miserella - "No.  I want you to live."

Switchblade - Smiles again with love, "As you wish."

She remembers in tears watching movies with him and her mom, "Live."

('Fire and Brimstone' by Death Valley Girls)

He stands in a flex knocking the Hunter off his back, arms and legs reforming as a man's again, all things around slowing for the Hunter as it was ten years ago.

Flesh grows, wide eyed children watch from the neighboring trees as Switchblade's body turns slowly in the light as his flesh and mind returns (naked) ~

Hunter - Now himself lost in staring ... "no ... ! NO !"  He strains to release himself from the thick field, until he does once again as before.

Switchblade - Swings a punch and reaches with the hand behind him, catching the Hunter by the throat, "You just think you're so damn clever, don't you."  He spins the Hunter into nearly as a hug from behind, chin held firm.

 

Looks at the limo across the field of throat ravaged police, dogs still chewing.  "Almost done."  Further to the gate beyond where Miserella's mother stands.  An embittered look, a thumb down.  

He cracks the neck and keeps on pulling until the head's torn off.  

 

Picks up a blade fallen off and examines it.  Inside the limo the last man harasses the driver to depart faster.  A blade through the windshield cuts the driver in two.

Switchblade - As he walks naked and complete for the car, looking over the screams and carnage in passing, "Ascending never ending ... toil and trouble but that cauldron never bubbled so it's all been leading to you.

"Descending and pretending ... oil and rubble ... your pauldron clever doubled, a ball of sin and now you're pleading anew !

"Changed man ... man with a plan, the internet stans for a clue.

"Arranged and ... fans in the hand, your splinted wet clan in the dew.

"Spending ever bending, ascending and descending how ... low can you go ?  How far can you throw ?  Your soul, is it so, just pull and let it go, bestow ... you know ... I know ... you know ... "

Metal through the car's window, he pulls the man through and looks him close in the eye smiling.  "Where River Styx flows."  Miserella's mom walks up behind staring at the man with a winter's cold.

The sound of a blade through flesh, the eyes go wide and he drops.

They look at each other in tears before a  long awaited kiss, Miserella running to through the abattoir of a yard still wearing her monster costume.  Straight to credits as they join in the field from a helicopter view.

~ For K8 Panik and Alex Deville ~

('Who Made Who' by AC-DC)



(credits over their family fucking moment from Hell)

Miserella - Sitting in the manor's exploded entryway like a patio, "That's where I got the money.  The city got big time duped and wanted to pay out quietly damage and the carnage and what not."

Bets - "Oh !  ...  Cool." ...  "So ... have you decided what you're gonna study ?"

Miserella - Looking into her tea, "Education."

A look ...
_____

A bowling ball bag slams on the chief's desk with about fifteen pounds in it.

Chief - "Well it's about goddamn time."

Miserella's mom - Cold as ice, "Yeah.  My fee's for a head."

Chief - Leans back and reaches for the money drawer, "Gladly.  One of the worst we've ever seen."   Looks up from the counting, "Oh !  Almost forgot.  Interpol's waiting for you at your shitty little fucked up mansion."
_____

Bets - "Party motel."

~ Mom (voiced over) - "Swell."