Soon

INT. KARA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

KARA (30’s) wakes up covered in sweat, her blankets a heap at her feet. She looks at the clock: 4:00 AM. Like a piece of steel grown weary on the forge, she sits up to put her arms on her knees and hangs her tired head between her legs.

She is both fragile and possessed of a dark inner light. She collects herself and clicks on a lamp. Her apartment is an artist studio filled with paintings in various stages of progress. We catch only brief glimpses of flashing blades and bloodied rooms but no people.

The one we see in full contains only a business man without a face and little else. Kara stares at him with a dark depth of emotion. She looks at her wrists. We see old scars from a failed suicide attempt.

INT. PSYCHIATRIC OFFICE - DAY

Kara sits dressed in humble, frumpy attire. Her therapist, JANNA (40’s) sits across from her.

JANNA Are you still having the nightmares?

KARA Not as bad. Painting is helping.

JANNA Good. I’d like to see some if you don’t mind.

KARA I don’t know. I’m not very good.

JANNA What kind of things do you paint?

Kara’s eyes tear up.

KARA Nothing in particular. Just whatever.

JANNA It’s okay to use it as an outlet. Don’t deny yourself that, okay?

Kara nods, collecting herself. She takes a deep breath and forces a smile.

INT. KARA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Kara paints. The business man still has no face. A nondescript room is beginning to take shape around him.

Her phone BUZZES a text alert. She picks it up and reads something before typing a response. She sets the phone down, her thoughts a mystery.

INT. KARA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Kara concentrates as she applies lipstick. Her hair is slicked back into a tight bun. She finishes with the lipstick and inspects the results. Satisfied with that, she takes a wig and fits it into place atop her head. She then takes a pair of rose colored sunglasses and puts them on, her disguise complete.

INT. HOTEL - NIGHT

Kara walks down the hallway of a cheap hotel dressed in tight black with a short skirt and knee high boots. She comes to Room 213 and knocks lightly on the door.

The door opens and her surly TRICK (50’s) is there waiting for her. He wears a cheap suit and comes off like a sleaze.

KARA Hello.

TRICK You’re late.

KARA Some things are worth waiting for.

She kisses his cheek and steps inside.

INT. ROOM 213 - NIGHT

Kara strides to the night stand. She sets her bag down next to the bed. She turns to her trick, unbuttoning her shirt.

KARA Take your clothes off and get on the bed.

The trick smirks.

TRICK You don’t waste any time do you?

KARA Life’s too short for foreplay.

The trick grins as he undoes his tie. We see his wedding ring.

TRICK I like your style.

INT. ROOM 213 - NIGHT

Kara is on top, astride her trick as he nears his climax.

TRICK Oh, god. Hell yes.

Kara stares at him with a strange intensity as she rides him. Her trick finishes and takes a deep breath.

TRICK Damn, little girl. That was divine.

While he catches his breath, Kara leans over to her bag that still sits beside the bed.

She pulls out a long thin knife.

Kara hides the knife against the inside of her arm as she rises back astride him. She stares at him quizzically as he catches his breath.

KARA Do you believe in salvation?

TRICK Why? You’re not going to get all religious on me now are you?

KARA No. That’s not what I’m here for.

He’s a little unnerved by the way she looks at him.

TRICK Right. Do whores even believe in God? Seems like a conflict of interest.

Her face twitches.

KARA If I’m a whore, what does that make you?

TRICK (insincere) Hey, I shouldn’t have said that. Forgive me?

KARA Do you know why I chose you?

TRICK Chose me for what?

Kara’s cold exterior cracks and a lifetime of abuse briefly bubbles to the surface and then is squashed. She says to convince herself -

KARA You deserve this.

TRICK What the hell are you talking about? Get off me, crazy bitch.

STAB. She buries the knife into his neck.

He GARGLES and stares in shock. She holds him down as he weakly thrashes and STABS him over and over.

EXT. HOTEL - NIGHT

Kara exits the room as she entered it. She adjusts her shades and walks down the hallway.

EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT

Kara’s boots confidently CLICK down the street. As she walks past a storm drain, she takes a cell phone out of her bag and drops it in. She continues on her way.

INT. KARA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

MONTAGE

- Kara cleans her knife in the sink and sets it on the drying rack. She pauses to inspect the still pink scars on her wrists.

- Kara stares into the bathroom mirror. She takes off the wig and walks to a cabinet. She opens it and we see many other wigs.

- Kara showers.

- Kara paints the murdered trick’s face onto the business man.

- We finally see in full her many other paintings with the faces of many other men. All of the men are in death poses, covered in blood.

- A woman lurks in the shadows in each painting wearing one of the wigs we saw in Kara’s cabinet. She holds a long thin knife.

END MONTAGE

INT. KARA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Kara leans back, admiring her work. She smiles a sad strange smile.

Kara’s phone buzzes. She unlocks it and reads the message.

We see the words, “When can we meet?”

Kara turns to another painting. It’s a new one. Only the outline of a room and the partial figure of a man with no face adorn the canvas.

Kara types, “Soon”.

BLACK SCREEN