Hey there, crime kids. Happy Friday. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your most violent fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, where the hardboiled action is non-stop, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.
In the final chapter of THE INVISIBLE GIRL, Bettie gets her final revenge on the popular kids that bullied her at the prom ... and burns the place down ...
INT. HIGH SCHOOL GYM - NIGHT
The windows start SHATTERING. BANG. BANG. BANG.
Kids RUN over to them to try and climb out,
but they’re TOO HIGH.
THE ROOM
Starts filling with ACRID, BLACK SMOKE.
BALLOONS
Start POP-POP-POP-POPPING.
A BIG JOCK
Holds a fire extinguisher.
Aiming the pathetic stream of water
in front of him in a
useless display of bravado.
A GROUP OF KIDS
Hold the base of a smoldering table top.
Try to use it as a battering ram
against the door -- BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.
But it won’t budge.
BETTIE
RUNS back up to the stage.
Looks at the carnage.
Smiles with evil delight.
RACES to the back entrance,
RUNS out the door --
BEHIND THE GYM
With superhuman strength, Bettie
pulls the dumpster in front
of the back door, blocking it.
ON THE STAGE
Lane and Hart get to the back door.
Try to open it.
HART
It’s BLOCKED.
LANE
SHIT.
They turn around.
Look at the stage.
The fire surrounding it.
Lane sees something. Points.
LANE
Look. A TRAP DOOR --
They race over to it. Open it. Climb down below.
IN THE BASEMENT
Lane and Hart go down a ladder.
Look around in the darkness.
Search for the exit. Just then --
A BANK OF ELECTRICAL SWITCHES
Start FIZZLING SPARKS. HUMMING.
Curls of SMOKE coming out.
LANE AND HART
See it.
LANE
Ohmigod.
HART
We gotta get OUTTA HERE.
A WATER HEATER IN THE CORNER
Starts RUMBLING. The gage
turns bright red to VERY HOT.
LANE AND HART
Follow the wall with their hands,
moving quickly in the opposite direction.
THE GAS METER
Start SHAKING VIOLENTLY.
Gas starts HISSING out of it.
HART
Searches through the haze, his eyes
now getting adjusted to the darkness.
Then he sees it.
HART
The DOOR --
He GRABS the knob. SHAKES IT.
But it won’t budge. LOCKED.
Lane pulls out her service revolver.
LANE
Stand back.
Hart moves to the side.
Lane SHOOTS the lock, BANG.
The door FLIES OPEN.
HART
Can’t call you a rookie anymore.
She nods, grimly -- and they RUSH up the steps.
IN FRONT AT THE ENTRANCE
Bernard tries to pry the pipe
off the door, but it won’t budge.
Fleming looks off in the distance.
Sees something.
FLEMING
Here comes the cavalry.
We hear the SHRIEKS and WAILS of POLICE
and FIRE TRUCK SIRENS in the distance.
Bernard BANGS on the doors with his fists.
BERNARD
BETTIE. What have you DONE?
BETTIE (O.C.)
It’s called REVENGE, dad.
Reveal BETTIE. Standing off in the shadows.
Soot from the fire now mixed with the blood stains.
A ghostly spectre.
BERNARD
THERE you are. You’re OKAY.
Bernard and Fleming come over to her.
BETTIE
OKAY? Seeing as how I just got even
with the ENTIRE SCHOOL,
I’d say I was doing fucking GREAT.
BERNARD
We’ve found a cure, Bettie.
We can reverse what happened to you
with a blood transfusion.
We have an ambulance ready
to take you to the hospital.
She weaves a little bit.
Unsteady on her feet.
BETTIE
A blood transfusion?
Are you fucking KIDDING me?
A FIRE TRUCK ROARS into the parking lot.
FIREMEN start JUMPING off the truck,
pulling out hoses.
A pair of them RUN to the door.
Start trying to pry the bar off.
BERNARD
No, it can WORK.
But we don’t have much TIME.
BETTIE
I don’t WANT to go back to the way I was.
I like how I am NOW.
BERNARD
Bettie, LISTEN to me.
We have to HURRY.
Otherwise you’re going to DIE --
BETTIE
(quiet, urgent)
Don’t you understand?
There’s nothing to live for.
The world is an awful, nasty place.
People judge you by
what you look like,
how much you weigh,
how many friends you have --
(beat)
And I’ve had enough.
(beat)
I’m done.
EXT. VENISON HIGH GYM - FRONT ENTRANCE - NIGHT
A pair of FIREFIGHTERS work crowbars
on the iron bar across the door.
Straining. PULLING. It FLIES OFF --
The door FLIES OPEN --
Just as the building
EXPLODES IN A MASSIVE FIREBALL,
sending STUDENTS, TEACHERS and
FIREFIGHTERS FLYING INTO THE AIR.
Everyone turns and looks. Horrified.
A trio of SQUAD CARS roar
into the lot behind them.
COPS JUMP OUT of their vehicles,
run up to them. Guns drawn.
Lane and Hart join them.
Also with guns drawn.
HART
You’re under arrest, Bettie.
Don’t move, or we’ll shoot.
LANE
It’ll go much easier on you
if you cooperate, okay?
Smoke starts coming off Bettie’s body.
She looks at her hand.
BETTIE
What’s -- going on?
FLEMING
(to Bernard)
It’s too late. The Duocaine
is starting the decomposition.
BERNARD
I’m so sorry, Bettie. I shouldn’t have
left the formula where you could find it.
The smoke starts getting thicker. Darker.
BETTIE
It’s okay. I got to do something
most people only dream about.
(beat)
Funny thing.
I was filled with all this rage.
And now I feel --
(beat)
Nothing.
She DROPS to her knees. Exhausted.
Spent. Looks up at him.
BETTIE
I had power, Dad.
Power I didn’t think I had.
BERNARD
(eyes tearing up)
B-bettie --
BETTIE
Love you, too.
And she BURSTS INTO A CLOUD OF DUST --
which FLIES in the air,
then gently falls to the ground.
Silence.
Everyone stares, open-mouthed.
The cops holster their weapons.
Lane turns to Hart.
LANE
Let’s give him a moment.
Hart nods. Motions to the cops
to move away. They leave.
BERNARD
Stares at the pile of dust.
BERNARD
I wish I could’ve -- helped her.
FLEMING
My god, man. Don’t you see you DID?
BERNARD
I don’t -- understand.
FLEMING
You gave her the greatest gift of all.
BERNARD
What’s that?
FLEMING
The gift of kicking ass.
FADE TO BLACK
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