Lesson 22

[Tasha Espinoza]

Tasha’s Act 4 Climax

Doing this assignment, I learned: Don’t panic if your Climax takes a lot of pages to get through. Take your time and make sure you’re laying the foundations with the key points because it will ultimately make the scene stronger in rewrites.

1. Outline Key Scene 3.

INT. CHURCH – NIGHT

Beginning: Deacon Anders performs the “exorcism” but secretly summons more demons. Deacon Anders tells everyone that Bethany is a conduit for demons and that the crowd is in peril because she has brought more demons into the church.

Middle: The dark spirits swirl around the room and the bishop is the first to become possessed followed by many others. Deacon Anders addresses the crowd and those on the lives stream that he will perform a mass exorcism. The Bishop comes on camera and tells the audience that he won’t. The Bishop seems completely free of demons.

Bethany is shielding him and everyone else by creating walls around their souls. With Demon 23’s help, Bethany performs the revealing spell and is able to visibly manifest the demons that are trying to invade them and their names. She urges the crowd to say their demon’s name. On the live stream, the Bishop names his demon. All are set free as the demons are banished.

End: Deacon Anders says this has been the work of the devil because Bethany had to unit forces with Demon 23 to put on such a show. He grabs her and starts to read the incantation for the death mark, but Demon 23 jumps into Deacon Anders and is about to destroy them both when Bethany intervenes with her awesome power. She exorcises Deacon Anders and sends Demon 23 back to his origins.

2. Write Key Scene 3: Climax – The Ultimate Expression of The Conflict.

INT. CHURCH – NIGHT

Bethany lies against the stand. Her eyes closed, her body tensed. She isn’t doing much, and with Koju still unconscious, Deacon Anders becomes more theatrical to make up for his lackluster hostages.

DEACON ANDERS

She and the demon are now one! See how seamlessly she has accepted the grasp of evil? It is all too natural a fit, she’s almost comatose. But don’t be fooled! The demon duo are like a viper, ready to strike.

Suddenly Bethany opens her eyes!

The crowd startles as she stares at them wildly from eyes that now seemed rimmed with a red glow.

She tears both of her arms free from the rack, uses her hands to frame the crowd between them reminiscent of how she used them during her lessons with Bob. She lets out a labored scream, the force of which rolls over the congregation like a sonic wave pushing people against their seats.

Bethany falls against the rack weakened from the exertion.

Deacon Anders grabs his bible and the book of dark arts and starts dousing her with holy water.

Bethany’s eyes shoot open again and she cranes her neck at an unnatural angle to look at him.

DEACON ANDERS

[Insert Summoning Spell].

Suddenly dark mass after dark mass fly into the chapel.

DEACON ANDERS

It is what I feared! She is a conduit for all manner of demons.

The crowd screams as the demons wish around them.

DEACON ANDERS

Quick drop to your knees and prayer.

The crowd falls to its knees and begins to pray, but it’s too late. Members of the flock fall to the ground and writhe in pain as their bodies are seemingly taken over by the dark shadows that have descended upon them.

The Bishop jumps over the front of his pew and runs to Deacon Anders.

He grabs his hands.

BISHOP

Please, please protect me, brother!

DEACON ANDERS

Of course, I will.

BISHOP

Then what are you waiting for?

DEACON ANDERS

Nothing. It’s just you want me to save you from a demon.

BISHOP

That’s right.

DEACON ANDERS

What way to better save you than with an exorcism.

BISHOP
What? I’m not possessed.

DEACON ANDERS

So you see my problem.

Deacon Anders looks past the Bishop and sees the dark shadow of a spirit land on the Bishop and force him to the ground as it enters him.

DEACON ANDERS

That’s much better. Now if you don’t mind.

Deacon Anders grabs the Bishop by the leg and drags him to the center of the altar. He drops his leg and walks past him to get closer to the mayhem.

DEACON ANDERS

Our beloved Bishop has fallen prey to the evil that Bethany Sawyer has brought to our little church.

But I can still triumph! I will exorcise all of you poor souls!

BISHOP

But you can’t.

The Bishop walks up to Deacon Anders. He is demon free.

BISHOP

You don’t know how to expel Demons back Hell. You only know how to send them in and out of body’s but the attachment remains.

DEACON ANDERS

How do you know that?

BISHOP

She showed me.

The Bishop gestures to Bethany on the altar. She is unbound and stands her ground.

BISHOP

That wave of energy that rolled over us was a projection spell. She was projecting a wall of protection around our souls. So none of these swirly cues are a danger to us. But just the same, she and her demon are going to send them all back to whence they came. And I’ll make sure you answer to the Pope after all this is over. Now Bethany!

Bethany closes her eyes and focuses. Then she opens her eyes and stares directly at Deacon Anders.

BETHANY

Demon 23! Rise!

Reveal that which is hidden!

The dark mass of Demon 23 rises from Bethany as she recites the Revealing spell from memory.

BETHANY

[Insert Revealing Spell]

Bethany raises her hands above her head and frames Demon 23.

BETHANY

Demon 23! Reveal that which is hidden!

Demon 23 manifests before the crowd into his demon form. The light from Bethany’s mental projection emanates through him. Suddenly, all of the dark shadows manifest into demons.

Deacon Anders looks around the room wildly and is both shocked and terrified to be able to see them, too.

Everyone in the chapel can see the demons now. The spell wakes up Koju, so he can see them too. And they can see the numbers that float above them and in front of them.

BETHANY

[to the entire chapel]

Keep an eye on those numbers.

Bethany concentrates.

The numbers turn to names.

BETHANY

Say your demons’ names! Now!

There’s a flurry of chatter as the different members of the crowd say the name of the demon’s closest to them.

DEACON ANDERS

Stop!

He runs up to Bethany and grabs her by the neck.

Demon 23 is so distracted with sustaining Bethany’s projection of the Revealing Spell that he doesn’t see Deacon Anders wrestling Bethany over to where his Dark Arts book lies on the ground.

DEACON ANDERS

This evil must be stopped. She is doing the Devil’s bidding! Can’t you see. No mind! I planned for this.

With a firm grip on Bethany’s shoulder, he thrusts her forward revealing the back on her neck to the crowd.

He takes out a knife and quickly carves a pentagram into it. The blood drips down her neck from the carving.

KOJU

Stop!

Koju tries to get out of his bindings but he can’t do it fast enough.

Continuing to hold her tightly, Deacon Anders flips to the page with the Death Curse.

The crowd is distracted with the act of saying demon names and kicking ass that no one tries to stop him.

KOJU

Somebody stop him!

He takes his knife and raises it above Bethany’s body.

DEACON ANDERS

[Insert Death Curse]

Deacon Anders interrupts the curse arching his body as if he’s been poked in the back really hard.

Deacon Anders slowly turns. Demon 23 stands before him.

DEACON ANDERS

Oh shit.

Deacon Anders tosses the knife.

Demon 23 violently dives onto Deacon Anders, forcing him to the ground. Then Demon 23 enters him through every orifice of his body.

Deacon Anders writhes around on the ground. A mixture of his screaming voice and the mocking voice of Demon 23 come out of him as Demon 23 ravages Deacon Anders.

Deacon Anders’s body knocks violently around, crashing into things, levitating and dropping suddenly.

His skin splits and lesions form all over him. Finally, Deacon Anders is forced to retrieve the knife from the ground. He struggles as he rises it up and holds it in the air.

DEACON ANDERS

I bind you to me Demon in the name of Christ! If I die, I take you with me.

DEMON 23

(talking through Deacon Anders)

Then so be it.

Deacon Anders brings the knife down.

BETHANY

Stop!

Bethany holds the knife. She glows with a glorious energy.

The crowd stops, arrested by Bethany’s radiance.

Koju is in awe.

KOJU

Inner God power.

Bethany cups Deacon Anders’s chin gently in her hand and raises his face. She looks deeply into his eyes.

BETHANY

Demon 23. You will not kill Priest Anders.

DEMON 23

(through Deacon Anders)

His soul is darker and more twisted than you know. He deserves to die.

BETHANY

No. I invited you into my soul, now I invite you into my heart. Feel the divinity of love through me.

Demon 23 lowers the knife.

BETHANY

And now through me you are protected and no longer bound to the Deacon Anders or to me. Please reveal yourself.

Demon 23 removes himself from Deacon Anders.

Bethany walks up to Demon 23 and looks up into his eyes. He takes her hands.

She sees his name and smiles.

BETHANY

Thank you, Xavier.

Demon 23 disappears.

The congregation surrounds her in silent reverence.

She takes the knife and uses it to free Koju from his ropes.

She scoops up Deacon Anders’s dark arts book.

Koju hands her the bible and she places it on top of the dark arts book.

They leave the chapel.

[Pat GALBRAITH Galbraith]

ASSIGNMENT 22

Subject line: Pat’s Act 4 Climax

What I learned doing this assignment is how much conflict should be involved.

1. Outline Key Scene 3.

A wedding is planned at a downtown hotel. The wedding is all setup.

Elaine meets Hank in her wedding dress in the lobby. They argue and Elaine picks up

a vase and throws it at Hank.

Hank ducks but too late the vase hits him on the head and blood

squirts everywhere. The Matre’d calls an ambulance. Elaine escapes

to her dressing room in tears.

2. Write Key Scene 3: Climax – The Ultimate Expression of The Conflict.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY – DAY

Elaine meets Hank in the lobby of the hotel. They begin to argue.

Soon the argument becomes heated, and Elaine throws a vase at Hank.

Hank ducks but too late. Blood squirts everywhere. Overwhelmed, Elaine runs

away. Matre’ d calls an ambulance. The ambulance carries Hank away.

INT. HOSPITAL – DAY

Elaine comes to her scenes and takes a cab to the hospital still in her wedding dress.

She goes to Hank’s side and lovingly expresses her desire to love him to the end.