Melts In Your Mouth, Not In Your Hand

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Monday. 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 Chapter 31 of SPIRAL, porn star Savannah, her sylist Dex and his best friend Andy reach day three of their drug and booze binge, and barely make it to the finish line ...


INT. SAVANNAH'S BATHROOM - SAME
Super: "2:54 AM"

Over the action, cheerful female pop,
like early Madonna.

Andy, Shannon and Dex sit on their bar stools.
Shannon sits in the middle, topless.

Andy and Dex each cup one of her breasts
lightly with one hand.

Shannon looks at her reflection.

SHANNON
I thought they were gonna burst.

DEX
It's warm. I'm gonna throw up.

ANDY
Melts in your mouth, not in your hand.

SHANNON
C'mon, you guys. Get serious.

Andy lightly JIGGLES it.

ANDY
What are we checking for? I'm no doctor.

DEX
Don't look at me, I'm allergic.

INT. BATHROOM - SAME
Super: "3:39 AM"

Andy and Dex sit on their bar stools.
Grinding, nasty industrial music SCREECHES.

Shannon BURSTS out of the closet.
She wears a black vinyl dominatrix outfit,
complete with Gestapo hat and riding crop.
She's completely fucked up.

Andy is taken aback.
He's never seen Shannon in costume.
He tries to hide his shock.

ANDY
Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS...

Shannon SMACKS the crop on the toilet seat
with a CRACK. Dex giggles.

SHANNON
No laughing! Did I give you permission to laugh,
you little piece of SHIT!?

DEX
Please Mistress, don't hurt me!

SHANNON
That's for me to decide.
Your mistress thinks you've been VERY
bad little boys, doing drugs, staying up all night.

ANDY
But I...

SHANNON
Shut UP!

She CRACKS the riding crop again.

SHANNON (cont'd)
Don't speak until you're spoken to,
you snivelling little faggot!

Shannon goes to the counter, does a line.
Andy is blown away. Even Dex is a little scared.
She takes a sip of her drink, points to the floor.

SHANNON (cont'd)
(ominously)
Alright you two, get up and bend over,
it's time for your punishment!

INT. BEDROOM - MAGIC
SUPER - Day Three. 5 PM.

It's Sunday, dusk. Shannon, Andy and Dex
sit on the bed in a little circle, drinks in hand.
Shannon chews the ends of her hair.

They've just awakened from four hours
of zombie-like, pill-induced sleep.
Speed stays in the bloodstream for days and days.

Over the action, a female driven power ballad
plays softly on the stereo.

Shannon is crying, a box of tissues in hand.

SHANNON
I mean, who would want me?
These huge fucking tits...I fuck for a living...
I'm practically a whore...any loser can buy a
five dollar tape and watch me fucking.

She blows her nose with a HONK.

SHANNON (cont'd)
I'm not the kind of girl you
can take home to meet your parents.

Andy does a line, hands the mirror to Shannon.

ANDY
Lots of people love you,
Shannon, Slash, Marky, Andyey, Jason.

Shannon does a line. Takes a sip of her drink.

SHANNON
None of them really loved me,
they all just wanted to fuck me.

Dex takes the mirror, does a line.

ANDY
I love you, you know I love you.

DEX
You know we love you.

SHANNON
I know, but I want, I want more.
(pause)
All I ever wanted when I was a little girl
was a nice little house with a white picket fence,
a nice husband, a couple of kids.
I'll never have that now --

From Brassiere To Eternity

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 Chapter 30 of SPIRAL, things get even more intense during their three-day drug and booze-filled binge when Andy thinks he's falling in love with porn star Savannah and Dex starts to get jealous, causing a love triangle of epic proportions ...


INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Shannon and Andy are locked in an embrace,
shuffling a slow dance, a million miles away.

Dex walks in the room. He's wired.

DEX
You guys wanna do a hit?

No response. They don't hear.

DEX (CONT'D)
(louder)
Andy, Savannah! You wanna do a hit?

They continue dancing, lost in a world of their own.
Dex walks over and TAPS Andy on the shoulder.

He JUMPS, stops dancing.
Shannon turns her head at the interruption.

DEX (cont'd)
May I cut in?

SHANNON
I want to keep dancing with Andy.

Dex GRABS Andy by the waist, holds him in a waltz position.

ANDY
What are you doing?

DEX
I'm cutting in. I don't want to lose you to the other side.
Shannon sobers a little. She's confused.

SHANNON
What's going on?

Dex tries to dance with Andy, leads with a waltz,
but Andy doesn't budge.

ANDY
Cut it out!

Andy PUSHES Dex's arms away.

DEX
What's wrong, lover boy, lost your hard on?

ANDY
What?

DEX
You heard me. Your Savannah hard on?

Shannon turns red. She doesn't like that name.

ANDY
I don't know what you're talking about.

SHANNON
Don't call me Savannah!
I told you not to call me Savannah!

DEX
Sorry Savannah, won't happen again.
, by the way, you did feel his big thick cock
nice and hard against your crotch, didn't you?

SHANNON
WHAT?

ANDY
Dex...

DEX
...Your little mascot here confessed to me
that you make him rock hard!
He's dying to fuck you!

ANDY
You little faggot!

Andy THROWS himself against Dex.

DEX
Ooh! Rough trade!

Andy SHAKES Dex like a sack of potatoes.

ANDY
Shut your fucking mouth!

SHANNON
You fucking liar! I'm gonna castrate you!

Shannon JUMPS on top of Andy and POUNDS her fists on his back.
The three FALL to the floor, KICKING and SCREAMING.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
Super: "11:57 PM"

Andy sits at the bar with a fresh drink.
His lip is swollen and bleeding.

He takes a sip of his drink and WINCES.
He picks up the phone and dials the intercom.

ANDY
Don't hang up!

SPLIT SCREEN OF KITCHEN AND SHANNON'S BATHROOM - SAME
Shannon and Dex sit on their bar stools.
Dex is doing a hit of freebase.

SHANNON
Fuck you!

She SLAMS down the phone. Leans over and does a line of coke.
Andy PUNCHES the intercom button again. The bathroom phone RINGS.

ANDY
Shannon, you gotta let me explain!...

SHANNON
...Leave me alone!

She SLAMS down the phone again.
Then RIPS the cord out of the wall.

SHANNON (cont'd)
Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you...

INT. SHANNON'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Andy sees the door to the bathroom is closed.
He gets an idea, goes to Shannon's dresser and opens a drawer.

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT
Super: "12:03 AM"

Dex hands the pipe to Shannon, fires up the torch.

DEX
We don't need him. He's not one of us.

Shannon holds the pipe in her mouth and nods her head.
Suddenly, a loud KNOCK at the door.

ANDY (O.S.)
(in falsetto)
Candygram for Ms. Wilsey and Mr. Gordon!

DEX
Who's that?

Shannon RUSHES on the base. Dex gets up and opens the door.

DEX (cont'd)
Jesus Mary!

Dex LOSES IT and LAUGHS manically.

INT. BATHROOM DOORWAY - NIGHT
Andy stands in the doorway wearing a bra, panties and high heels.
He holds a silver tray coquettishly like a parlormaid.
On it are three fresh cocktails.

ANDY
Did somebody order room service?

Shannon sees this, CHOKES on the smoke,
and BURSTS into insane laughter.

Freebase City

Happy Thursday, crime slicksters. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where the girls are hot, the drinks are cold, and the hardboiled-pulp-noir action is non-stop, right here, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 29 of SPIRAL, Savannah, Andy and Dex's weekend booze and drug binge enters the third day ... and while Dex goes out to get more blow, Savannah and Andy start to bond on a deeper level ...


INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT / MIRROR P.O.V.
Super: "9:44 PM"

Andy and Shannon sit on their bar stools.
Without coke, they've gotten completely, utterly drunk.

Shannon holds her photo album on her lap.
She points to a page.

ANDY (V.O.)
I knew about her famous boyfriends, Dex had told me,
but she never talked about them until that night
we got really drunk waiting for Dex to come back.
It turned out the fast lane had soft shoulders.
Greg Allman, Slash, Billy Idol, David Lee Roth,
Marky Mark, even the singer from Mr. Big,
what's his name, they'd all dumped her.
Every single last one.
And here I was, the perfect guy for her.
And I couldn't do a thing about it.

Shannon turns the page.
Cheerful pop music plays on the stereo.

SHANNON
And here's me back in Texas washing the dishes.
I was about fourteen.

ANDY
So cute. You look happy.

Shannon studies the picture.

SHANNON
I had to do the dishes every night.

ANDY
I had to take out the trash.

She turns the page. Scowls.

SHANNON
Here's me with Mr. White Trash Junkie Pedophile.

ANDY
He looks like one of the Allman Brothers.

SHANNON
That's maybe because he fucking is.

She GRABS her drink and takes a big sip.
Andy can see she's upset. He points to a picture.

ANDY
Hey. Isn't that Paulie Shore?

SHANNON
Yeah.

She smiles.

ANDY
He's got a big cock for such a little guy.

Andy GIGGLES.
Shannon SLAPS Andy on the cheek.

SHANNON
Don't you make fun of my Paulie! He's my friend!

He puts his hand to his cheek.

ANDY
What'd you do that for? I wasn't making fun of him.

SHANNON
You said...

ANDY
...I said he had a big cock. I didn't mean to hurt you.

Shannon finishes her cocktail.

SHANNON
Well you did. You said he was little.

ANDY
He is little. I'm little. It's funny.

She's still stone faced.

ANDY (cont'd)
It's a funny picture. He's wasted, he's staring at it.

Andy takes the picture out and holds up.

ANDY (cont'd)
The caption should read "stoner boner."

Shannon tries with all her might not to laugh.

A beat. A faint flicker of a smile.

ANDY (cont'd)
Gnarly, dude. Let's bone.

Shannon BURSTS OUT laughing.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Super: "9:52 PM"

Over the action, DEAFENING, POUNDING
rap music plays on the stereo.

Shannon and Andy dance hot and sweaty, eyes closed.
They're even drunker.
Dex walks in the room, unnoticed.

DEX
Hey, guys. I'm back.
They don't hear him.

Dex strides over to the stereo and turns it down.
Shannon and Andy are shaken out of their reverie.

ANDY
Hey Dex.

SHANNON
Why'd ya turn it down?

Shannon turns the volume back up and continues dancing.

DEX
I'm back. I got the base.

ANDY
Great.

Dex watches Shannon dance like a madwoman.
She's lost in the music.
Andy is lost in her movements.

ANDY (cont'd)
...We were just dancing.

DEX
Wanna go do some?

ANDY
Yeah, in a minute.
(pause)
I love this song.

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT / MIRROR P.O.V.
A lone candle flickers. Dex sits on the middle bar stool
and methodically starts the freebase ritual.

ANGLE ON BATHROOM COUNTER
Dex's hands dump the baggie's contents onto the tray.
The white powder forms a little mound.
He spoons some into the bowl of the pipe.

CLOSE UP OF TORCH
The music POUNDS from out in the living room.

An acetylene torch BURSTS into bluish flame.
The glass pipe enters the frame, the bowl resting against the fire.
White smoke starts to curl in the glass bulb, slowly filling it.

INT. BATHROOM - SAME
Dex INHALES the smoke. He closes his eyes, holds it in a beat.

The music stops.

He lets the smoke out with a WHOOSH.
It FLIES into the mirror and dissipates.

He THROWS his bead back, rushing on the freebase,
his eyes wide with ecstasy.

DEX
Fuck.

Another song starts. A sexy, slow Sade-like groove...

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Hump Day. 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 Chapter 28 of SPIRAL, when porn star Savannah, her stylist Dex and his best friend Andy run out coke during their two-day binge, Dex pays a visit to his dealer Nickie Vega and works out a 'trade' for some blow ...


INT. NICKIE'S KITCHEN - NIGHT
Super: "9:18PM"

Over the action,
a cheesy vintage ballad,
like "Love is a Many Splendored Thing."

Nickie Vega stands with
his ass up against the sink,
his belt unbuckled,
pants slung low on his hips.

His eyes are closed.
He's about to climax.

Off screen, a male voice
makes GAGGING, throaty sounds.

MALE VOICE (O.S.)
Guhng, gulg, gulp, gurp...

NICKIE
(mumbling, urgent)
Yes, yes, that's it, that's it,
oh god, oh god, yeah, yeah...

Suddenly, Nickie's body SPASMS,
he JERKS his head back,
it HITS a hanging plant.

NICKIE
Urgh... ahh... hah... gah...

His body SHUDDERS, then collapses
against the edge of the sink.

NICKIE
(throaty)
Fuck me Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Nickie pulls his pants up,
zips, buckles his belt, as...

The CAMERA pulls back to reveal
Dex on all fours, head down,
looking at the floor.

NICKIE
You look like you're
fucking praying.

INT. NICKIE'S BATHROOM - NIGHT
Dex splashes water on his face,
drinks from the spigot,
gargles, rinses his mouth.

He stares at his reflection
in the mirror.

CLOSE UP OF TELEVISION SCREEN
A cartoon. "Josie & The Pussycats"
rock out on bass, guitar and drums.

THE BAND
(in unison)
"Josie, and the Pussycats,
long hair, and ears that match..."

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Nickie sits on the couch
watching the T.V.

He leans over the coffee table
and SNORTS a line.

Dex walks into the room.

DEX
So you said you had a quarter?

Nickie's eyes are
glued to the screen.

NICKIE
Is that a fuckin'
piece of ass or what?
Look at that fucking Josie.
I'd love to bang her ass.
I know it's a fucking cartoon,
but shit, look at those tits.

Dex sits down next to Nickie.

DEX
I always preferred the Archies.

He does a line.
Nickie looks at Dex.

NICKIE
Yeah. But I could never choose
between Betty and Veronica. HAH.
Which one do you...

Nickie realizes what Dex likes.
Silence. An awkward moment.

DEX
I hate to eat and run,
but Savannah's waiting.

NICKIE
All I got's an eighth.

He pulls a baggie out of
a box on the coffee table
and hands it to Dex,
who smiles weakly and stands up.

NICKIE
You sure you can't
stay for breakfast?
I can make us some eggs.
Scooby Doo's on next --

Breakfast Of Champions

Happy Tuesday, crime slicksters. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where the girls are hot, the drinks are cold, and the hardboiled-pulp-noir action is non-stop, right here, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 27 of SPIRAL, porn star Savannah, her stylist Dex and his best friend Andy continue their drug and booze binge at Savannah's Hollywood Hills home, but when the party goes into the second day, things start to get nasty ...


INT. BEDROOM - DAWN.
The three sit on Shannon's bed.
Shannon holds a big notebook on her lap.
The stereo thumps soft trip-hop, like PM Dawn.

ANDY
I didn't know you wrote poetry. That was really good.

SHANNON
I don't let anybody see it. They'd laugh at me.

ANDY
I'm not laughing. Read some more.

Dex smiles, closes his eyes, and rolls into
the fetal position at the end of the bed.

DEX
That was pretty.

ANDY
Dex? Are you okay?
(to Shannon)
He doesn't look so hot, maybe he has a concussion.

SHANNON
I'm tired, are you tired? You wanna crash for awhile?

ANDY
Yeah.

A beat. They smile.

ANDY (cont'd)
You wanna split one?

INT. SHANNON'S BEDROOM - DAY
ANGLE ON:
Shannon's nightstand. A prescription bottle
lies next to a package of doggie treats.

CLOSEUP OF LABEL
The typewritten label reads "Tuinal.
One every four hours for pain.
DANGER: May cause drowsiness.
Do not mix with alcohol or attempt
to operate heavy machinery.
0 refills."

INT. SHANNON'S BEDROOM - DAY
Sunlight beams into the room from the outside.
A tree rustles in the breeze. Birds chirp.

Shannon is passed out face down on the bed,
naked, lightly snoring.

Andy sleeps peacefully next to her,
partially under the covers, fully clothed.

Dex lies on his side on the floor, shirtless, mouth open.
His shirt crumpled up for a pillow.

The stereo softly plays the trip-hop music heard earlier.

INT. BEDROOM - MAGIC
SUPER - Day Two.

Shannon and Andy are still asleep. Dex is gone.
Silence. A toilet FLUSHES in the next room. A COUGH.

Suddenly, a long, loud SCREECH of SQUEALING tires,
then a yelp of pain.

Shannon BOLTS UPRIGHT in bed, instantly awake.

SHANNON
DAISY!

She LEAPS Out of bed and RUNS out of the room.
Andy stirs slightly. He slowly, groggily opens his eyes.
Sees Shannon's gone.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
Super: "8:32 PM"

Andy and Dex sit at the bar sipping beers.
Shannon sits on the floor petting Daisy,
her wound dressed with a makeshift assortment of towels.
Eyes closed, Daisy PURRS loudly.

SHANNON
How's my baby girl, Mommie's gonna take care of you,
my little Daisy, dee dee dee dee dee.

ANDY
She's purring like a cat.

SHANNON
Some help you were, Dex.

ANDY
He was...

DEX
...Pardon me for taking a shit.

A beat. Silence.

SHANNON
Well then I guess it's time for breakfast.

ANGLE ON:
Three large TUMBLERS filled with ice sit on the bar.
Red fingernailed hands pour orange juice
from a carton into each glass, filling them half way.
The hands and carton leave the frame.

Bright, cheerful pop music like early Madonna
plays over the action.

The hands return, this time with a gallon bottle
of Stolichnaya vodka, which is poured over the o.j.

The hands and bottle leave the frame,
then quickly come back and top off one of the glasses.

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT
The three sit on bar stools with their screwdrivers.
The dull thump of gangsta rap wafts in from the bedroom.

SHANNON
Time for a little eye-opener...

She grips the glass pipe in one hand,
reaches over to the drug tray with the other.

SHANNON (CONT'D)
Where's the base? The fucking base is gone!
Where's the fucking base? We had almost a half left.

ANDY
It's all gone?

Dex stares into his drink. He couldn't look more guilty.

DEX
You sure?

ANDY
Maybe we were robbed, maybe somebody broke in last night.

Shannon GLARES at Dex.

SHANNON
Yeah, right, and all they took was drugs? I don't think so.

Shannon PUNCHES Dex in the shoulder.

SHANNON (cont'd)
Fess up, motherfucker!

DEX
Ow! What?

SHANNON
You did all the base, didn't you? Huh?
While we were asleep, you did all the base!

Shannon SHAKES Dex by the shoulders and YELLS.

SHANNON (cont'd)
You greedy little...

Dex SNAPS TO, and PUSHES back.

DEX
What was I supposed to do, I couldn't sleep!
I was gonna get some more...

SHANNON
Motherfucker!

DEX
Bitch! Cunt!

Andy JUMPS off his stool and PRIES them apart,
struggling with their slapping, punching hands and fists.

He EXPLODES.

ANDY
(yelling)
Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!

They stop. Silence.

Shannon and Dex are in shock. Andy's never raised his voice before.

ANDY (cont'd)
Look at you two. It's only drugs. We don't need drugs!

Shannon looks like she's about to cry. Dex is confused.

SHANNON
(softly)
Speak for yourself.

Silence. Andy grabs his drink.

ANDY
Now I've got a headache.

SHANNON
But Dex...

DEX
(quietly)
...Okay! It's my fault, okay?
I'm a pig, okay? I'm a fucking Hoover.

Mirror Moves

Hey there, crime kids. Happy Monday. 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 Chapter 26 of SPIRAL, safely back in Los Angeles after their visit to the dark side of New Orleans strip clubs, porn star Savannah and her stylist Dex hang out again with their friend Andy, and embark on another all-night drug binge ...


EXT. CLUB - NIGHT
Dex hails a cab and gets in.

INT. THE CLUB - NIGHT
Shannon is onstage again, dressed
like a white vinyl cowgirl.

She gamely grinds against the pole,
briefly turns her head upstage and COUGHS.

EXT. BAR - SAME
Dex walks out of a
nasty looking bar, dejected.

He gets into the waiting cab,
which speeds off.

INT. CLUB - SAME
Shannon onstage again,
dancing like death warmed over
to scraping, vicious
Nine Inch Nails-like industrial music.

BLOOD drips out of her nose.
She touches it, sees the blood
on her fingertips,
and RUNS off the stage.

INT. DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT
Shannon RACES to her makeup table,
GRABS a Kleenex and puts it to her nose.

SHANNON
Shit, shit, shit...

JIMMY, a large, beefy bouncer walks in.

JIMMY
You okay, honey?
You ran back here like a jackrabbit.

SHANNON
No, I'm not okay.
My stylist was supposed to be
back here with, uh, my medicine,
and the little shit has been
gone for two hours.

JIMMY
'Medicine?'

The bouncer sees the Kleenex.
Then the cocaine fixings on the table.
Puts two and two together.

JIMMY
Oh, shit, honey.
Why didn't you say so?
I know where you can get
the best blow in the Quarter.

SHANNON
You do?

JIMMY
(flirts)
I sure do.
I'll tell you what,
why don't we go out for a drink
after the show and I'll
fix up you real good.

Shannon brightens.
Gives him her hundred watt smile.

SHANNON
You got it, sugar.
But first I need to ask you a favor.

EXT. BACKSTAGE DOOR/ALLEY - NIGHT
Dex approaches the rear
of the club through the alley.

Scared because he couldn't
find any coke,
he hesitates at the door.

The door suddenly FLIES open.
Jimmy walks out holding a
baseball bat in his hand.

JIMMY
(friendly, scary)
Well, there he is.
I've been waiting for you,
little fella.

DEX
Hey, wait a minute,
you've got the wrong person!

Jimmy GRABS Dex by the collar
and drags him away.

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT
SUPER - Day One.

Shannon, Andy and Dex sit on their
bar stools in front of the mirror.

Dex is bruised and bandaged,
He's a mess.

Top forty dance music
plays on the stereo.

Shannon is in the middle of doing
a large pipeload of freebase.

She BELLOWS out the smoke, leans back,
closes her eyes enjoying the rush.

DEX
I said I'm sorry.
I fucked up, okay?
I looked and looked and looked.
But I should have come back sooner.

SHANNON
I was so fucking mad at you.

DEX
I fucked up. I'm sorry.

ANDY
He really tried, Shannon.
I probably couldn't have done any better.

Silence. She takes a swig of her drink.
This arguing is messing up her high.

SHANNON
Alright, everybody shut up.
You're gonna ruin my little surprise.

ANDY
Surprise?

DEX
What surprise?

Silence. She's back in control.

She dramatically pulls out
a little white envelope, slowly,
painstakingly opens it,
and dumps a small mound
of white powder in the tray.

ANDY
It looks like coke.

DEX
Not smack.

SHANNON
Crystal meth. Crank.
Uncut, straight from the fucking Bayou.
(pause)
Fucking dancing life-support.

A Slight Problem

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 Chapter 25 of SPIRAL, porn star Savannah's stylist Dex gets ripped off by a trick he picked up while they're 'on tour' in New Orleans ... and things turn ugly when she asks him to score the coke she needs to do her act at a strip club and confesses he's broke ...


INT. DEX'S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
A young, good-looking CAJUN HUSTLER
lies on the bed wearing shorts.

He smokes a cigarette
and counts his cash.

Dex can be seen standing
in the bathroom taking a leak.
He's naked and perspiring.

CAJUN HUSTLER
It's not this hot all year, though.
It cools off in time for
the Jazz Festival in the fall.

Dex FLUSHES the toilet.
He goes to the sink.

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT
Dex reaches into the medicine cabinet
and takes out his cocaine bumper
and does a hit.

CLOSE UP OF DEX'S FACE IN MIRROR
He looks like shit.
Pale, bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils.

CAJUN HUSTLER (O.S.)
You okay in there?
I thought you were going to
burst a fuckin' blood vessel,
Jesus Mary, you really get into it.

INT. DEX'S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
The hustler is dressed.
He opens Dex's suitcase.

DEX (O.S.)
I'm gonna take a shower
and cool off a bit.
You wanna go again?

INT. LES GIRLS NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT
The club is dark, raunchy, rowdy.
Grinning, leering LOCALS
shout out catcalls.

This is not a tourist spot.

A disco ball with a
few missing mirrors slowly spins,
the light reflected making
the place look like
a scary carnival.

Shannon bumps and grinds
on a tiny stage to
cheesy 80's disco music.

She seems vacant, empty,
her normal 78 RPM down to 33 1/3.

Even wearing the biker outfit,
she looks small, fragile.

TOURIST
Shake it, honey, take it off!

Shannon is oblivious,
off in her own world.

INT. DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT
Dex sits the dressing room
chatting with a STRIPPER,
whose barely 18.

A mirror is laid out
with coke on it.
The stripper does a line.

STRIPPER NO. 1
I'm really an actress...
I'm gonna go to Hollywood
when I've got enough money....
I was on "Cops."
Did you see the one
where they bust the...

Shannon BURSTS into the room,
SLAMMING the door.

STRIPPER NO. 1
See ya.

The stripper leaves for the stage.

SHANNON
Fucking horny deadbeat LOSERS!

Shannon goes to her makeup station,
GRABS her drink, and hungrily DOWNS it.

SHANNON
Two more shows...

She takes out a baggie
and dumps a pile of coke
on the mirror.
Starts savagely CHOPPING it up.

SHANNON
...This shit has been cut
so many times it's SHIT!
We're gonna have to
score some more...

Shannon SNORTS a big fat line.
Then another.

SHANNON
...and don't go back to that
asshole at the hotel.
Find some good stuff, I mean,
this is fucking New Orleans,
for Crissakes.

DEX
Okay.

Dex looks scared, confused.

SHANNON
What are you waiting for?
I gotta go back on soon.
Don't worry, I'll reimburse you.

DEX
There's a, uh, a slight problem.

Shannon lights a cigarette
and regards Dex coolly.

SHANNON
A slight problem?!
What kind of slight
fucking problem.

DEX
I'm kinda, uh...I'm sorta,
uh, kinda tapped out.

SHANNON
You spent all your money? Already?!
We just fucking got here!

DEX
Well, I uh...

SHANNON
Don't tell me!
Another fucking trick! Huh, huh?
That's it, isn't it?

DEX
He uh... stole my wallet.

SHANNON
Fucking loser!
Jesus fucking Christ!

Shannon GRABS her purse and
pulls out a wad of bills,
counts off a couple hundred,
and SHOVES them in Dex's face.

SHANNON
Here, take it, go!
And you better get your ass
back here quick,
or there'll be hell to pay.
(pause)
I need my dancing medicine --