MIRRORS
Written by
Alexandre Aja & Gregory Levasseur
Fourth draft
January 5th 2007
"I give you the secret of all secrets. Mirrors are the gates
through which death comes and goes. Tell no one."
Orphée, Jean Cocteau
1 OMITTED 1
1A INT. NIGHT - HARLEM SUBWAY STATION 1A
A subway screeches by at full speed revealing a station platform
somewhere in Harlem.
A man runs for his life in the deserted space. He's an African
American male in his forties wearing a security guard uniform.
He turns into an empty corridor, climbs a set of stairs towards
the exit, but- The gates are down and the station is closed.
Desperate and out of breath, he is forced to trace his way back,
searching for an exit or a place to hide. He sees a door to the
public restroom and runs inside.
1B INT. NIGHT - SUBWAY PUBLIC RESTROOM 1B
The place is deserted as well. One of the mirrors is smashed
while the others are covered by graffiti and dirt -
The neon lights are flickering, bringing the place in and out of
the dark.
The man checks each stall one at a time.
His face lights up as he looks inside the last one-
A SMALL WINDOW ABOVE THE TOILET IS JUST BIG ENOUGH FOR HIM TO
CRAWL THROUGH.
He steps onto the toilet seat but the window is shut too tight.
After a brief struggle, he swings it open, only to discover-
A wall of bricks.
Panic returns to his eyes. He slowly opens the stall door,
fearful of what could be waiting outside.
A FAINT SOUND OF SHATTERING GLASS is heard.
He quickly shuts the door, holding his breath. Frozen.
Silence.
His heart racing, he exits the stall in the direction of the
sound. The place is empty.
The room is revealed by flashes of flickering neon lights.
He moves closer to the sinks and the spiderweb cracked mirror.
His image is fragmented and deformed. It resembles a Cubist
portrait.
(CONTINUED)
2.
1B CONTINUED: 1B
MAN
I'm sorry... I... I... I wasn't trying
to get away...
He talks to his own reflection in the mirror-
MAN (CONT'D)
No, please don't...
He approaches and starts crying like a child. His head resting
against the mirror, he pleads for his life. Then, seeing the
dirt and grime on the mirror, his behaving shifts to another
extreme. He starts cleaning it frantically with his hands. Too
frantically-
A piece of the spiderweb cracked mirror falls on the ground.
Immediately, he bends down to pick it up but-
HIS REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR REMAINS STANDING IN SILENCE,
WATCHING HIM.
Looking up, the man realizes his reflection has become
independent. A separate being...
Terrified, he slowly stands staring at his stationary double.
The pointy and sharp piece of broken mirror in his hand reflects
the neon lights just like a knife blade.
His eyes turn cold with fear when-
HIS DOUBLE IN THE MIRROR STABS ITSELF DEEP IN ITS THROAT!
IN REALITY, THE MAN HAS NOT MOVED AN INCH, YET HIS THROAT RIPS
OPEN, RELEASING A RIVER OF BLOOD.
Void of any facial expression, the man's reflection slices his
jugular from end to end.
In reality, the man chokes on his own blood which splatters on
the mirror- TURNING THE IMAGE TO A DARK DEEP RED.
CUT TO:
1C EXT. DAY - NEW YORK 1C
OPENING CREDITS ON-
All the reflections catch in the glass buildings of Manhattan-
The traffic in the streets, the old turn-of-the-century façades,
the people walking on the sidewalk, the pigeons flying away, the
Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline reflecting off the
surface of the Hudson River...
(CONTINUED)
3.
1C CONTINUED: 1C
Seen through the mirrored surfaces, everything in the city seems
to move in a distorted way. Ominous.
The softness of the sun's rising light is contrasted with the
eerie, haunting music.
CUT TO:
2 INT. DAY - APARTMENT QUEENS 2
"A WEEK BEFORE"
Bip. Bip. Bip...
It's 8 a.m. The blinking digital numbers of the alarm clock
reflect off the wooden floor of the apartment.
The sunlight is diffused through the drawn curtains of the
living room.
Seen in the reflection of the TV-set, a man is sleeping on the
couch. He switches off the alarm and rises to go into the
bathroom.
3 BATHROOM - CONTINUITY 3
Like a thick fog, the steam from the shower fills the bathroom.
The shower turns off. A hand reaches out to wipe away the mist
on the mirror above the sink, revealing-
The face of BEN CARSON, 41 years old. His eyes reflect the
hardships of life. A life, that from the lines on his face, we
suspect hasn't been easy. On his chest and shoulder, SEVERAL
BULLET SCARS.
Ben changes his razor blade and starts to shave his 3 day old
stubble.
4 BEDROOM - CONTINUITY 4
Ben finishes getting dressed and walks to the half opened
bedroom door.
Inside, ANGELA is asleep in the bed. She is younger than Ben.
ANGELA awakens slowly-
ANGELA
What time is it?
BEN
Almost 8:30... Coffee?
(CONTINUED)
4.
4 CONTINUED: 4
ANGELA
No, you're going to be late.
BEN
Go back to sleep... I'll call you, OK?
ANGELA
Yeah, I won't be working until later
tonight.
He comes to kiss her on the forehead. She opens a sleepy eye and
smiles.
ANGELA (CONT'D)
You shaved?
She strokes his face gently.
ANGELA (CONT'D)
I like it. It makes you look younger.
Ben slips on his old military parka before leaving.
ANGELA (CONT'D)
Good luck!
BEN
See you later, Angie.
5 INT. DAY - HALLWAY BUILDING 5
Ben walks down the hallway. The building is old and clearly not
well maintained, cracks and graffiti cover the walls.
CUT TO:
6 OMITTED 6
7 OMITTED 7
7A EXT. DAY - MANHATTAN 7A
The downtown streets are clogged with the early morning rush
hour traffic.
8 INT. DAY - POLICE STATION- MANHATTAN 8
On the honorary board of the NYPD we can read the names of all
the officers decorated for their courage. In the reflection of
the copper plate we find Ben, sitting on the bench across from
the office of -
(CONTINUED)
5.
8 CONTINUED: 8
Captain LARRY BYRNE (55) who appears at the end of the corridor-
LARRY
Sorry, I'm late... Have you been
waiting long?
BEN
I just got here.
They shake hands.
LARRY
You look awful.
BEN
Thanks Larry.
LARRY
You know, you should sleep at night.
Come in...
Ben follows him into the office.
9 INT. DAY - LARRY'S' OFFICE 9
Larry takes a seat and briefly looks over the messages and files
that have been dropped off on his desk-
LARRY
So did you find an apartment yet?
BEN
No, not yet.
LARRY
You need a place to stay?
BEN
No, I'm staying at my sister's, in
Queens.
LARRY
I didn't know you had a sister. What
does she do?
BEN
She's a bartender.
LARRY
That's not too good for you! Anyway,
you know you are always welcome to
stay at our house.
Larry looks up at Ben, slightly uneasy-
(CONTINUED)
6.
9 CONTINUED: 9
LARRY (CONT'D)
I ran into Amy the other day. How are
things going between the two of you?
Ben remains silent. He obviously doesn't want to get into that
subject.
LARRY (CONT'D)
So, why did you want to see me Ben?
BEN
You know what I want. I'm ready to
come back, I'm feeling much better
now.
LARRY
Listen Ben, I can't bring you back on
the force. Nobody in the squad wants
you around right now. I'm sorry but I
have to be honest with you. You
understand, right?
BEN
Larry, I'm telling you, I'm ready.
LARRY
If it was up to me, I would bring you
back tomorrow, but I'm not the only
one who decides. Listen, I think I've
got something else for you. I know a
guy at the Mayflower corporation and
they need someone to watch over one of
their department stores.
BEN
What?! Come on Larry, a security guard
job... I'm not ready to retire yet!
LARRY
Hey! I'm just trying to help here. I
know you're over qualified for that
position but it's a good opportunity
for you for the time being...until the
situation here quiets down. Also the
money is not that bad.
Ben is having a hard time to contain his anger.
LARRY (CONT'D)
You need the money, Ben. You're in the
middle of a divorce and you've got
child support to cover. If you want to
see your kids, you've got to get a
job, any job.
Deep inside, Ben knows Larry's right.
(CONTINUED)
7.
9 CONTINUED: (2) 9
LARRY (CONT'D)
Do you know the Mayflower on West 38th
Street?
BEN
I do. The one that burned down?
LARRY
Yes, their night watchman hasn't shown
up for work in several days. They need
someone right away. Take it, relax,
and we will talk about your situation
again in a couple months.
BEN
Yeah, in a couple months... I gave
everything for the NYPD. I almost died
out there. Everyone seems to have
forgotten that.
LARRY
I didn't.
CUT TO:
10 INT. DAY- CORONER'S OFFICE 10
We discover a whole different world-
In the sterile environment of the NYC Chief Medical Examiner's
Office, forensic scientists with tape recorders in hand,
describe the corpses.
We are a world away from the Hollywood clichés of neatly laid
out, immaculate cadavers. Here, some of the corpses have reached
a state of advanced decomposition and others are still frozen in
contorted positions, expressing their ultimate agony before
dying. From the homeless man fished out of the river, to the
woman killed by gun shots, each corpse tells his own story...
Amidst the group of doctors 35-year-old AMY, deeply immersed in
an autopsy, is interrupted by her cell phone.
Amy checks the display for the incoming call- BEN. She hesitates
for a moment and doesn't answer the call.
Amy goes back to the postmortem analysis on her tape recorder.
11 EXT. DAY - NEW YORK 11
Dozens of pigeons fly away as the above ground subway passes by.
(CONTINUED)
8.
11 CONTINUED: 11
AMY (O.S.)
" ...You have reached Amy Carson. I am
not available to take your call.
Please leave a message and I will get
back to you as soon as I can."
Caught in the pouring rain, Ben has taken shelter under the
scaffolding at a street corner. He plugs his ear with his finger
to block the traffic and city commotion -
BEN
(on Amy's voicemail)
Amy, it's me... I just wanted to let you
know that I got a job today... It's
nothing special, just a security guard
job... If you still want to go ahead
with it, we can sign the divorce
papers... I mean, if that's what you
really want.
(he hesitates)
I've been thinking about Michael's
birthday tomorrow. It would be nice if
we could celebrate it together ... You
know, for the kids' sake... Call me...
Please.
Ben hangs up the phone. He lingers under the scaffolding for a
moment, watching the falling rain.
12 EXT. DAY - NEW YORK 12
The glass skyscrapers mirror the black clouds in the sky above
as they slowly break up, giving way to the sun.
13 EXT. DAY - MAYFLOWER DEPARTMENT STORE 13
On 38th Street, just off of Broadway, the Mayflower has
withstood the passage of time and the huge fire that forced it
to shut down-
The damage from the fire is still noticeable on the facade of
the building-
The fire appears to have started on the ground floor and seems
to have spread all the way up to the top. Some of the windows
are shattered, while others are boarded up. What was once an
impressive ornate building, a fine example of 1920's
architecture standing on one of Manhattan's most dynamic
streets, now gives off a feeling of devastation and desolation.
What is left of it is a mere ruin, a sort of neglected ghost
ship, abandoned in the heart of the city.
9.
14 INT. DAY - MAYFLOWER 14
The last beams of daylight shine through the broken windowpanes.
Inside the department store, everything has remained the same
since the fire, as if time stood still. The display cases, the
departments, the mannequins, and even the clothes are all burnt
or blackened by the fire. A thick coat of soot covers the floor
and rainwater drips down all over the place.
MAN (O.S.)
It's been five years and they're still
in a legal battle with the insurance
companies. Even cleaning up that mess
is impossible...
In his dark brown uniform, the daytime security guard, LORENZO
SAPELLI, 60's, seems pleased to guide Ben through what was once
a temple of beauty and vanity.
LORENZO
You know, the Meredith family acquired
this building after St. John's
Hospital closed in 1952. It was the
very first Mayflower to open on the
East Coast.
On the cracked walls, THE HUGE 1920 MIRRORS that have survived
the flames reflect merely the remnants of the past. The
customers are long gone and have been replaced by pigeons flying
in and out of the gaps in the roof.
LORENZO (CONT'D)
The company wants us to patrol the
premises every couple of hours, but I
do my rounds every three hours and
that's more than enough. Anyway,
you'll see, there's not much going on.
It's pretty calm around here.
Ben follows Lorenzo through the burnt display counters. He
listens but his mind has drifted elsewhere. This place makes him
uncomfortable. It's not only the lingering smell of a fire, but
also a sense of death that hangs over it.
The whistling of the wind through the store's old ventilation
system sounds like faraway voices.
Ben and Lorenzo appear at the top of the staircase of the 2nd
floor.
LORENZO (CONT'D)
Here you go... Men's department, or
what's left of it anyway...
(CONTINUED)
10.
14 CONTINUED: 14
Ben observes the surroundings- Yet another spectacle of
devastation.
LORENZO (CONT'D)
Thank God you didn't show up any
later. This place gives me the chills
at night. ... No electricity, and all
these mirrors... You know, I live in
Brooklyn near a Jewish neighborhood,
and when someone dies, they cover all
the mirrors in their house. Some say
that it's just to renounce all vanity
during the mourning period, but others
say something else... They say it's to
keep the soul of the dead from being
trapped in the mirrors... Believe it
or not, there's always a bit of truth
in any superstition. Am I right?
Amused and skeptical at the same time, Ben contemplates the
mirrors that surround him-
LORENZO (CONT'D)
I guess you just have to keep your
eyes away from them.
Unlike the rest of the scenery, THE MIRRORS ARE PERFECTLY CLEAN
AND GLISTENING.
BEN
Did you clean them?
LORENZO
What?
BEN
The mirrors, why are they so clean?
Lorenzo smiles-
LORENZO
That's Gary Lewis, the fellow who
worked here before you. He was
completely obsessed with these damn
mirrors. He'd spend the entire night
polishing them.
BEN
Why did he leave?
LORENZO
No idea. Just didn't show up one
night. I take it he's found a better
opportunity somewhere else.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
11.
14 CONTINUED: (2) 14
LORENZO (CONT'D)
I'm not one to complain, but I never
really liked him much... Could never be
bothered to say hello or at least ask
"how are you doing?"... I mean, damn, do
we work together as a team or what?!
You, on the other hand, seem like a
nice guy. How long has it been since
you left the NYPD?
BEN
Almost a year.
LORENZO
Why did you resign from the force? You
were a detective, is that correct?
BEN
I was wounded during a holdup... It kind
of changed my perspective on things.
Ben and Lorenzo reach the next floor.
LORENZO
Third floor... Ladies' department. You
gotta be careful here. When the wind
blows, sometimes the tiles fly off the
roof and they'll just snap your ear
off, if you follow what I'm saying...
Lorenzo checks the time on his watch.
LORENZO (CONT'D)
Well, I'll let you get acquainted with
the rest of the store on your own.
They turn around.
LORENZO (CONT'D)
Follow me, I'll show you our
"headquarters" and I'll get you one of
these uniforms.
15 EXT. DUSK - MAYFLOWER - SECURITY GUARD TRAILER 15
It's almost night. Ben and Lorenzo have finished their visit and
exit the department store.
LORENZO
We were a pretty big team working here
before the fire. When you stop to
think that of all the department
stores in New York, this one was the
most beautiful, the most luxurious... It
breaks your heart, it really does...
(CONTINUED)
12.
15 CONTINUED: 15
Outside the building behind the fence blocking its entry, a
construction trailer has been outfitted for the guards.
LORENZO (CONT'D)
Here you go. This is where you'll be
spending most of your time. At least
you've got electricity in here. It's
nice and warm, and there's even a TV.
16 INT. NIGHT - SECURITY GUARD TRAILER 16
Cartoons flicker on an old television set. All bundled up in a
coat, and wearing a woolen hat, a young boy is watching TV.
Lorenzo and Ben enter the mobile home-
LORENZO
Lorenzo Junior, my grandson... Say hello
Lorenzo.
LORENZO JR.
Hello.
LORENZO
Lorenzo and I are going to the movies
tonight...
Lorenzo strokes his grandson on the head and proceeds to the
back of the mobile home, leaving Ben alone with the child. The
boy looks almost hypnotized by the images on TV.
BEN
How old are you, Lorenzo?
LORENZO JR.
8.
Lorenzo Jr. shifts his attention from the cartoons and stares
Ben in the face-
LORENZO JR. (CONT'D)
Do you work in the department store?
BEN
I do now.
LORENZO JR.
Grandpa says there are ghosts in the
store... Is that true?
Ben smiles.
BEN
I think your grandpa just wants to
scare you a little.
(CONTINUED)
13.
16 CONTINUED: 16
Lorenzo Senior has changed clothes, and returns with a uniform,
which he hands over to Ben-
LORENZO
Here, this should fit you. Lorenzo,
put your coat on... We are already late.
(to Ben, on the sly)
There's a drop of Jack Daniel's in the
cupboard... To keep yourself warm.
Lorenzo hands over the keys-
LORENZO (CONT'D)
Well, Ben, the place is all yours.
He's about to leave when-
LORENZO (CONT'D)
Oh! I forgot the most important
thing... the flashlights! You'll be
needing one of these at night. We've
got two of them. They run on
batteries. Don't forget to charge
them... See you in the morning, Ben.
BEN
See you tomorrow.
Lorenzo and Lorenzo Jr. exit the trailer. Through the window,
Ben sees them walk out to the street.
Ben inspects the trailer- scattered with knickknacks, the
decoration of the place corresponds well with Lorenzo's
personality - warmhearted and humble.
The clock on the wall shows 7 p.m.... A long night lies ahead.
Ben grabs a flashlight and turns it on. The beam of light is
dazzling-
CUT TO:
17 INT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER - A FEW HOURS LATER 17
The flashlight sweeps across the dark entrance hall.
Wearing the security guard's uniform marked with an embroidered
"M", Ben makes his first round of the store.
The pigeons perched on the roof seem to observe him.
Ben proceeds slowly up the stairs.
14.
18 - SECOND FLOOR - 18
In the Men's department, Ben's flashlight is a mere luminous
spot twirling in the night.
The ever-present mirrors magnify the space to infinity.
19 - THIRD FLOOR - 19
Ben walks through the different sections of the Ladies'
department. He examines the remains of the charred garments
sagging on the hangers.
The silhouettes of the burnt mannequins emerge in the gloom of
the night.
STRANGE AND DISTURBING SHAPES REFLECT OFF THE MIRRORS.
19A EXT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER 19A
Wide exterior shot-
By night, the department store's ornate facade takes on an
entirely different appearance - more menacing, almost evil.
19B INT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER 19B
Ben continues his rounds.
We follow his path through reflections in the mirrors-
AS IF HE WAS BEING WATCHED...
Then-
For the first time, we discover another perspective, another POV
FROM WITHIN THE MIRRORS. It feels ominous, slightly detached.
The sound is muted.
Ben crosses back the third floor-
The second floor...
20 OMITTED 20
21 OMITTED 21
22 OMITTED 22
15.
23 - ENTRANCE HALL GROUND FLOOR - 23
In the reflection of one of the grand mirrors in the entrance
hall, we see Ben come down the stairs. He stops for a moment,
facing his reflection in the mirror.
He fixes his collar and looks at himself in his new clothes- Not
quite an NYPD uniform...
Suddenly, his eyes freeze. Intrigued, he comes closer to the
mirror and leans forward-
A HANDPRINT, BARELY VISIBLE, ON THE ICE COLD SURFACE.
He touches it with the tip of his fingers and tries to rub it
off, unsuccessfully. He picks up a rag from the ground, spits on
the mirror, and rubs the mark fervently. The print remains. This
confirms his hunch-
THE HANDPRINT IS INSIDE THE MIRROR...
By angling the flashlight, another handprint is revealed.
Another. And yet another-
THE ENTIRE MIRROR IS COVERED WITH HANDPRINTS, JUST AS IF A CROWD
OF PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE HAD PRESSED ITSELF AGAINST THE GLASS
TO GET OUT...
As he looks back up in the mirror he sees- THE ACCESS DOOR TO
THE BASEMENT OPENING...
Ben turns around. His gaze freezes- THE ACCESS DOOR TO THE
BASEMENT IS CLOSED!
YET, IN THE MIRROR, IT CONTINUES TO SLOWLY SCREECH OPEN!
Ben swings his head back and forth, between the shut door in
reality and the opened door in the mirror. What is happening? Is
he dreaming or hallucinating?
Ben walks backwards towards the basement door, keeping his eyes
fixed on the mirror. As he goes to reach for the handle, he sees
his reflection reaching for the handle of an invisible door!
Ben opens it-
THE SYNCHRONICITY BETWEEN THE REAL WORLD AND THE ONE REFLECTED
IN THE MIRROR HAS BEEN RESTORED. Ben tries to reenact the
phenomenon. He opens and closes the door over and over, while
observing his reflection, but the mirror is no longer deceitful.
The staircase leading to the basement vanishes into the dark.
Ben hesitates.
16.
24 OMITTED 24
25 OMITTED 25
26 OMITTED 26
27 OMITTED 27
28 OMITTED 28
29 OMITTED 29
30 OMITTED 30
31 OMITTED 31
31A OMITTED 31A
32 OMITTED 32
33 OMITTED 33
34 OMITTED 34
35 OMITTED 35
36 INT. NIGHT - BASEMENT CORRIDOR MAYFLOWER - CONTINUITY 36
Ben walks down the stairs, step-by-step, lighting his way with a
flashlight. The beam of light dims, the battery is almost dead.
He gives it a few taps to make the light reappear.
Last step-
HIS FOOT LANDS IN WATER!
BEN
Fuck...
A few inches of water cover the basement floor. One of the water
pipes must have burst due to the cold.
(CONTINUED)
17.
36 CONTINUED: 36
The light flickers back for a moment, revealing before him- the
narrow subterranean corridors of the department store.
Along a wall, Ben finds a fuse box and pushes some of the
switches. Further down in the corridor, a couple of fluorescent
lights flicker to life- two tiny sources deep inside the
darkness.
AS BEN DISCOVERS HIS SURROUNDINGS, THE CAMERA PULLS BACK SLOWLY,
UP ALONG THE STAIRS, THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR, IT ACCELERATES AND
STOPS IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR-
IN THE REFLECTION, WE SEE THE BASEMENT DOOR SHUT...
FADE TO BLACK
37 EXT. DAY - NEW JERSEY STREET 37
It's been snowing all day and a white coat of powder outlines
the trees and houses.
On the front lawn of their house, 5 year old MICHAEL and 7 year
old DAISY are building a snowman.
MICHAEL
Why did they say on TV that it wasn't
supposed to snow today, but tomorrow
instead? Why did they lie?
DAISY
Sometimes they make mistakes, Michael.
It happens...
MICHAEL
Grown-ups don't make mistakes. Only
little children do.
Slightly annoyed, the little boy places the eyes on the snowman.
Daisy's face lights up with a big smile when she catches sight
of her father's car approaching-
DAISY
Daddy!
Michael turns around and sees Ben exiting his 1986 Oldsmobile,
with a big wrapped package in his arms.
The children abandon their snowman and rush towards their
father. Ben takes Michael into his arms-
MICHAEL
(pointing to the wrapped
present)
What is that?
(CONTINUED)
18.
37 CONTINUED: 37
BEN
Well I don't know, I just found this
package hidden behind a tree.
MICHAEL
Is it for me?
BEN
Maybe...
(to his daughter)
Daisy, has Michael been a good boy?
Does he deserve his birthday present?
Michael nods.
DAISY
No! Yesterday he finished the whole
bag of candy when mom had told him he
could only have one piece.
MICHAEL
Not true!
DAISY
Yes it's true!
MICHAEL
No, it's not true... She's lying Daddy.
I've been a very good boy, I promise.
They enter the house.
BEN
Is mom back?
DAISY
Not yet. Rosa came to pick us up from
school today.
38 INT. DAY - HOUSE - CONTINUITY 38
In the kitchen, ROSA, the nanny, is rinsing the dishes from the
afternoon snack-
BEN
Hello Rosa!
ROSA
Hello Señor Carson. How are you?
BEN
I'm good, very good... What time will
Amy be back?
(CONTINUED)
19.
38 CONTINUED: 38
ROSA
Not before six, Sir...
BEN
OK, I'll wait for her.
ROSA
Do you want me to fix you a snack?
BEN
No, thank you. I'll be fine.
Ben takes off his coat and joins the kids in the living room. He
hands over the present to his son.
Daisy is sitting in the armchair, holding her cat, TIGER, in her
arms.
BEN (CONT'D)
Happy birthday, Michael.
MICHAEL
What is it?
DAISY
Duh, open it stupid!
Michael tears away the wrapping paper and discovers a remote
control car. The little boy is on cloud nine.
39 - LATER IN THE AFTERNOON - 39
Through the front window, we see a Volvo station wagon park in
front of the house. Amy gets out of the car, loaded with
shopping bags. She enters the house and hands the groceries over
to Rosa.
AMY
Hi Rosa... Where are the kids?
ROSA
Upstairs...
(in a low voice)
...With Señor Ben.
The expression on Amy's face shifts. Noticeably irritated, she
goes up to the second floor.
Michael's remote control car drives at full speed down the
hallway. Ben shows his children how to operate the remote
control while the bathtub fills up. He seems as excited as the
kids by the new toy.
Ben turns around to find Amy watching them.
(CONTINUED)
20.
39 CONTINUED: 39
BEN
Hey Amy...
MICHAEL
Look Mommy, look what Daddy got me.
AMY
It's great, you will have to show me
how it works!
MICHAEL
It's so fast Mommy!
AMY
Ben, can I talk to you, in private?
Ben puts down the remote control-
BEN
(to his kids)
Ok kids, it's time for your bath. No
fooling around.
Ben follows Amy into the bedroom. She closes the door behind
them.
40 INT. EARLY EVENING- BEDROOM HOUSE 40
Amy is not equally pleased to see him- She's beside herself with
anger-
AMY
What is this? I already asked you not
to drop by without calling, didn't I?
BEN
I do, but you never take my calls!
AMY
I don't need your calls in the middle
of the night. I'm better off without
them.
BEN
I haven't had a drink in three months
but, then again, how would you know?
AMY
I don't want to know, Ben. I don't
want to hear about it. It's not my
problem. You're not my problem. You've
done more than enough harm already.
BEN
You don't think people can change?
(CONTINUED)
21.
40 CONTINUED: 40
AMY
We are not talking about people, we're
talking about you. How many times did
you tell me you were gonna change and
nothing happened? It only got worse.
Ben moves closer to his ex-wife-
BEN
Just give me another chance.
She smiles- How many other chances did she already give him?
Behind the firmness and intransigence she conveys, we sense Amy
is torn. She still loves him as well.
AMY
I need more time, Ben. Listen, I will
never stop you from seeing your
children but we have to set up some
rules.
Out of nowhere, Ben hits the wall with his bare fist-
BEN
WHAT RULES?! IT'S MY SON'S FUCKING
BIRTHDAY TODAY! COME ON AMY, WHAT RULE
IS GOING TO STOP ME FROM SEEING HIM?
41 INT. EARLY EVENING - HOUSE BATHROOM 41
In the bathtub, Daisy and Michael cannot avoid overhearing their
parents arguing. In denial, Michael blocks his ears with his
hands and lies back under the water...
42 BACK IN THE BEDROOM - 42
Amy seems distrustful of Ben, scared of how close he is to the
edge. We can see the anger in his eyes...
AMY
Look at yourself. You're still
carrying around so much of that anger.
He catches a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror- and of the
desperate violence in his eyes... Ben steps back.
BEN
(trying to calm down)
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at
you... Things could be so different
between us.
AMY
Yes I know, but it's up to you Ben.
(CONTINUED)
22.
42 CONTINUED: 42
BEN
Yeah... Anyway, I wasn't planning on
staying. My shift starts in an hour.
I'll just kiss them goodbye and then
I'm leaving.
Ben exits the room. Amy is left alone-
Through the window, she watches Ben exit the house and get into
his car.
When she turns away, she discovers Michael and Daisy standing
outside the bathtub dripping wet in their towels. She smiles,
and quickly comes to dry them.
MICHAEL
Mom?
AMY
Yes, honey.
MICHAEL
Is Daddy coming back to live with us?
She smiles gently.
AMY
I don't know sweetheart. I don't know.
43 INT. DAY - BASEMENT CORRIDOR MAYFLOWER 43
The beams from the flashlight are reflected in the few inches of
water flooding the basement corridor. Since yesterday, the water
level has continued to rise.
The outline of Ben and Lorenzo's silhouettes appear in the
staircase leading to the ground floor-
BEN
I haven't managed to find the source
of the leak. My guess is it doesn't
come from the store... It must be a
municipal pipe that blew with the
cold...
LORENZO
I'll call the company tomorrow morning
and have them come take a look at it.
44 INT. NIGHT- SECURITY GUARD TRAILER 44
On the gas stove, a kettle is whistling.
(CONTINUED)
23.
44 CONTINUED: 44
Ben rummages through the cupboards and the drawers. He finds
some instant coffee next to the bottle of Jack Daniels. He
briefly hesitates between the coffee and the whisky...
He grabs a cup and pours the boiling water into the instant
coffee.
In the reflection of the clock, we see Ben watching TV. It is
past midnight. Ben gets up and grabs his flashlight- It's time
for his rounds.
45 INT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER CENTRAL HALL 45
Through the shattered panes of the central dome, we see Ben
walking through the store.
Since the mysterious occurrences of the night before, his
attitude has changed. He avoids, as much as possible, looking
into the mirrors. He is on guard, fearing another supernatural
manifestation.
The shadows, the mannequins, and the shapes in the mirrors are
all disturbing and unsettling.
Even what remains of the sculptures on the top of the marble
columns seems alive in the dark.
As he crosses the entrance hall, a glint of light catches his
attention. Despite himself, he stops and gazes into the mirror-
AT THE FAR END OF THE STORE, ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS IS IN FULL
SWING AND BATHED IN DAYLIGHT! EVERYTHING IS SPOTLESS, AS IF THE
FIRE HAD NEVER TAKEN PLACE. CUSTOMERS COME AND GO AS IF NOTHING
HAPPENED.
How is this possible? Ben turns around to see the same spot in
the real world- ONLY IT'S IN RUINS...
Ben glances back at the reflection in the mirror-
The vision of the past prevails. Unable to ignore it, Ben
decides to check it out for himself...
Ben wanders off towards the far end of the store, a landscape of
dust and desolation. HIS REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR, ON THE OTHER
HAND, HEADS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE "FLASHBACK"-
We follow him in the mirror-
Ben has left the night behind and enters the "daytime"
department. Everything is in perfect order and unspoiled.
Ben continues his journey into the past.
(CONTINUED)
24.
45 CONTINUED: 45
The customers jostle one another while shopping during a big
sale. Children run wild in the aisles. Women fight over articles
of clothing.
Ben stops dead in his tracks when he notices, around his shoes,
a transparent liquid spilling out on the floor-
He bends down and dips his fingertips into the liquid- GASOLINE.
Gallons of flowing gasoline gradually spreading over the floor
of the department store.
Ben turns around and sees, under the shelving, A HAND LIGHTING A
ZIPPO-
The lighter falls to the floor in slow motion.
The liquid bursts into flame instantly. THE CHEERFUL VISION OF A
DAY IN THE DEPARTMENT STORE QUICKLY TURNS INTO A NIGHTMARE-
EVERYTHING IS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CLOTHES, THE MANNEQUINS
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE CROWD! THE AGONIZING SHRIEKS OF PAIN
AND PANIC ARE DEAFENING.
Frightened, Ben steps back-
The flames spread quickly to the escalators where the crowd has
rushed to escape death-
HORRIFIC VISIONS OF PEOPLE BURNING ALIVE... INCINERATED FLESH.
FACES DISTORTED BY THE PAIN, SKIN MELTING TO THE BONE.
In the midst of the flames through the heat waves, Ben spots the
face of the firestarter- IS IT HIS OWN?
Ben has no time to react. In a split second, his uniform catches
fire.
Panicked, he attempts to put out the fire with his hands-
CUT TO:
IN THE DARK NIGHT SURROUNDED BY THE CHARRED RUINS, BEN QUIVERS
DELIRIOUSLY AS HE TRIES TO SMOTHER THE INVISIBLE FLAMES.
He comes back to reality-
Ben catches his breath, trying to come to his senses. What's
happening to him? What he just experienced certainly felt real.
During his panic, the flashlight rolled under one of the
counters.
Ben bends down to pick it up. The beam illuminates the ground
and throws light on an object a bit further away- A LEATHER
WALLET.
(CONTINUED)
25.
45 CONTINUED: (2) 45
He stretches out his hand to pick it up. The leather is worn-out
but the absence of dust establishes that the wallet has landed
there recently. Ben examines the object with the experienced
touch of a professional accustomed to handling evidence.
Between the collection of cards and scraps of paper, Ben finds a
driver's license belonging to- GARY LEWIS, 55 years old, a
sturdily built African American man. WE RECOGNIZE THE MAN
RUNNING IN THE SUBWAY, AT THE BEGINNING. The name rings a bell
for him-
46 INT. NIGHT - SECURITY GUARD TRAILER 46
Ben returns to the trailer and rummages through the closet-
He stops when he finds another uniform. A name is embroidered on
the shoulder-
AGAIN THE SAME NAME: GARY LEWIS, BEN'S PREDECESSOR, THE MISSING
NIGHT WATCHMAN.
The wallet rests on the table and piques Ben's curiosity. He
cannot hold back his police instincts.
He finally empties out the contents on the table-
A Blockbuster card, restaurant receipts, a driver's license,
Phillips' business card from Mayflower, cash and a sheet of
paper folded in four-
Ben unfolds the sheet of paper and sees, written in ink-
ESSEKER
Ben chews over these seven letters. Is it somebody's name? A
place? A code? Initials? He folds it up again and puts
everything back, neatly, in the wallet that he stows away in one
of the drawers.
FADE TO BLACK
48 OMITTED 48
48A EXT. DAY - QUEENS STREET 48A
A busy street under the subway overpass. We see a neighborhood
bar on the corner-
49 INT. DAY -QUEENS BAR 49
At this time of day the place is deserted. A plasma screen shows
a baseball game. A drunk guy is half asleep at the corner table.
(CONTINUED)
26.
49 CONTINUED: 49
Sitting at the bar, Ben is nervous, tense... He removes the
steeped tea bag from his cup.
Ben stares at himself in the mirror, behind the bottle display
shelves. It is not his mirror image that he is observing. His
gaze seems to pierce through his own reflection, to dive beyond,
into the very depths of his soul.
Angela interrupts, across from him, behind the bar. She works
here.
ANGELA
(intrigued)
What are you looking at?
BEN
Nothing special...
ANGELA
(playfully)
Come on, you've been looking at
yourself for more than half an hour.
You never used to be so vain.
BEN
You can't avoid them. They're
everywhere...
ANGELA
What are you talking about?
BEN
The mirrors... In the department
store, at every street corner, in the
windows of every fucking building in
this city. I feel like I'm not the one
looking into the mirrors, but rather
they're looking at me.
Angela smiles, not sure if he is serious-
ANGELA
You need a drink.
BEN
No, I'm serious.
ANGELA
Don't you think you're being a little
bit paranoid?
Ben observes the palm of his hand.
ANGELA (CONT'D)
Mirrors are just glass and silver,
Ben...
(CONTINUED)
27.
49 CONTINUED: (2) 49
Angela smiles at him and continues to polish the drinking
glasses.
50 INT. NIGHT - BASEMENT MAYFLOWER 50
In the darkness, a rat glides peacefully on the water surface.
In the basement, the water level continues to rise.
With a flashlight in hand, and his feet submerged in the water,
Ben moves deeper into the tunnel.
He is searching for the source of the leak. The beam of light
sweeps across the walls and the piping.
Ben crosses an intersection. In the corner, on the tiled wall,
he barely discerns an old inscription ingrained with decades of
dust and dirt. He sinks his hand into the water and wipes it
off, revealing an arrow pointing to, ST JOHN'S DEPARTMENT OF
PSYCHIATRY.
He continues his exploration of the subterranean passageways.
Suddenly, he notices a darker area on the wall. He comes closer
and discovers a brownish damp-spot, covered with mold. The
humidity has pearled into droplets.
He has found the source of the leak.
His hand brushes the wall, causing it to crumble instantly. Ben
digs into the plaster as if it were butter, bringing a cracked
water pipe to light. The leakage has damaged the wall in which
the tubing was embedded.
Ben hears the echoing sound of streaming water, as if there were
another room on the other side of the wall.
He pushes against the saturated wall, and pierces through it
with his arm. He removes his arm. For a moment, he observes the
gaping black hole that he has just left behind.
Ben peeks through the hole with his flashlight, but he cannot
make out what is on the other side.
He makes the hole bigger, until the passage is large enough for
him to crawl through-
ON THE OTHER SIDE, HE DISCOVERS A LARGE BRICK ROOM AND IN THE
MIDDLE OF IT ANOTHER ROOM- AN OCTAGONAL ONE WHOSE EACH AND EVERY
WALL, INCLUDING THE CEILING, IS MADE OF GIGANTIC TWO WAYS
MIRRORS.
One of the mirrors is opened, ajar- It's a door.
He enters.
(CONTINUED)
28.
50 CONTINUED: 50
His image is reflected in all directions and from infinite
angles. Ben moves towards the center of the room-
ALTHOUGH THE ROOM SEEMED EMPTY BEFORE, SOMEBODY IS NOW STANDING
IN THE CORNER.
It's a well-built man. He too is wearing the blue security
guard's uniform.
From where he stands, Ben can only see the back of the man's
head. As he moves in closer, he can make out the name
embroidered on the man's shoulder-
IT'S GARY LEWIS, THE FORMER NIGHT WATCHMAN!
BEN
Gary?
The silhouette remains still.
BEN (CONT'D)
Gary?
Ben comes a bit closer.
His gaze freezes when he realizes that Gary is not standing in
front of the mirror with his face pressed against it, but-
HE IS BEHIND THE MIRROR, INSIDE!
Ben steps back, terrified.
He doesn't know how to interpret this new phenomenon.
Ben gathers his courage and returns in front of the mirror-
Knock, knock, knock...
He hits the mirror with his fist, as if it were merely a glass
window behind which Gary Lewis was standing, on the other side-
No reaction. Ben strikes the mirror harder.
Knock, knock, knock...
The former night watchman turns around slowly towards Ben,
revealing his face little by little...
CUT TO:
51 INT. DAY - QUEENS APARTMENT 51
Knock, knock, knock...
(CONTINUED)
29.
51 CONTINUED: 51
In his bed, Ben wakes up with a jolt- THE ENCOUNTER WITH GARY
WAS A DREAM.
Knock, knock, knock...
Somebody is knocking at his door. Ben gets up from the couch-
BEN
Coming...
Ben opens the door to a UPS deliveryman holding out a package-
DELIVERYMAN
Mr. Carson?
(Ben nods)
Would you mind signing here, please?
Ben signs for it and takes the package.
DELIVERYMAN (CONT'D)
You have a nice day, Sir...
Ben shuts the door and examines the UPS box. He's not used to
getting many deliveries. He flips it over to see who it is from-
THE SENDER IS GARY LEWIS...
Ben grabs a kitchen knife to open the parcel. He tears away the
cardboard and empties out the contents onto the living room
table-
A DOZEN NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS LAND, ALL MIXED UP, ON THE TABLE.
More or less recent, all the articles relate to the department
store and the fire that burned it down... Gary has meticulously
cut them out and sent them to Ben. But why?
52 EXT. DAY - MAYFLOWER 52
Ben's car parks in front of the fence that encloses the entrance
to Mayflower.
He runs into Lorenzo who exits the trailer, ready to go home
from work-
LORENZO
I've just been through the craziest
day here... No kidding! Your ex-
colleagues came to pay us a visit...
BEN
What happened?
(CONTINUED)
30.
52 CONTINUED: 52
LORENZO
You know Gary, the guy who was working
here before you, the cops found him
dead in a subway station in Harlem. I
never liked him too much, but poor
guy, he didn't deserve to go like
that...
BEN
Did they mention the cause of death?
LORENZO
No... they wouldn't tell me.
Lorenzo hands him over the keys.
LORENZO (CONT'D)
Well, Ben? I better get going, Mrs.
Sapelli is waiting for me at home.
Have a good night at work, Ben. Oh,
and by the way, about that leak,
they're sending someone over to work
at it the beginning of next week.
BEN
Have a good night, Lorenzo.
Ben remains standing on the landing of the trailer for a moment,
his gaze fixed at the department store-
THE WALLET, THE DREAM, AND NOW, ON TOP OF EVERYTHING, THE NEWS
OF GARY'S DEATH... ALL THESE STRANGE COINCIDENCES AROUND HIS
PREDECESSOR HAVE AWOKEN HIS CURIOSITY AND DOUBT. BEN WANTS TO
KNOW...
53 INT. DAY-NIGHT - MAYFLOWER ENTRANCE HALL 53
WIDE SHOT OF MAYFLOWER FIRST FLOOR-
IN FAST MOTION- FROM THE FINAL HOUR OF DAY TO THE FALL OF NIGHT.
IN THE REFLECTION OF THE MIRRORS, LIGHT GIVES WAY TO THE
DARKNESS...
The beam from the flashlight appears in the distance-
Determined, Ben crosses the entrance hall in the direction of
the basement door.
He goes down-
54 INT. NIGHT - BASEMENT MAYFLOWER 54
Ben appears at the bottom of the stairs with his flashlight, and
follows the subterranean passageway.
(CONTINUED)
31.
54 CONTINUED: 54
Suddenly he is struck by a frightening feeling of déjà-vu, HE IS
IN THE VERY ACT OF RELIVING HIS NIGHTMARE IN DETAIL, STEP BY
STEP-
In the darkness, the rat glides peacefully on the water surface.
He crosses an intersection and, once again-
He recognizes the half-visible Psychiatric Department sign on
the tiled wall.
The beam from his flashlight sweeps across the walls and the
piping, bringing to light, in the distance-
THE BROWNISH DAMP-SPOT.
BEN
(to himself)
Damn... What is happening to me?
The moisture has pearled into droplets. Slowly, his hand comes
closer. The wall crumbles at the slightest touch...
Pushed by curiosity, Ben begins to dig a hole in the plaster,
just as he had done in his nightmare...
He hears the echoing sound of streaming water, coming from the
other side of the wall. It confirms the existence of a hidden
room.
Ben begins to dig frenetically in the saturated wall, creating a
large enough opening to access the other side-
He inspects the interior with his flashlight, revealing-
THE BRICK ROOM AND IN THE MIDDLE THE OCTAGONAL ROOM, SURROUNDED
BY THE MIRRORING WALLS.
He enters. His image is reflected in all directions and
multiplied into infinity. His dream was foreboding. Everything
is perfectly identical to the nightmare, with the exception of
Gary Lewis-
The former watchman is not there but...
ALL OF A SUDDEN, BEHIND HIM, ONE OF BEN'S DUPLICATES IN THE
INFINITE REFLECTION TURNS AROUND TO OBSERVE HIM WITH AN ICE COLD
GLARE...
Sensing something wrong, Ben turns around.
In the silence he faces his infinite reflections, all of them
identical- OR ALMOST...
Taking a closer look Ben notices one of the duplicates' faces
bearing an expression slightly different from the others'. A
SUBTLE GRIN.
(CONTINUED)
32.
54 CONTINUED: (2) 54
Knowing that it has been noticed by Ben, the "rebel duplicate"
turns his face towards Ben, eyeing him with an evil gaze-
We can hardly recognize Ben's image.
The duplicate takes a step forward from the line of the other
reflections and slowly walks towards Ben.
Instinctively, Ben closes his eyes in an attempt to make the
vision disappear.
When he opens up his eyes again-
HIS EVIL DOUBLE RUSHES TOWARDS HIM-
Ben steps back terrified.
CUT TO:
55 INT. DAY- CORONER'S OFFICE 55
Under the dazzling neon light of the NYPD coroner's premises,
Amy is in full swing submitting her conclusions on a homicide to
the police inspectors in charge of the investigation.
She is interrupted by somebody who enters the room- There is
someone for her at the reception, who insists on seeing her
urgently. Amy excuses herself, removes her examination gloves,
and exits the autopsy room.
We follow her down the corridors as she passes men in police
uniforms and doctors in white coats, in the endless comings and
goings between the police station and the hospital.
The atmosphere here is highly charged, reflecting the excessive
activity of this particular department. There is no doubt- we
are in New York City.
55A CORONER'S OFFICE LOBBY - CONTINUOUS 55A
Amy comes to the reception desk. Ben, who clearly hasn't slept
since the night before, is pacing back and forth.
AMY
Are you OK? What's happening? What are
you doing here?
BEN
Amy, I need you to do me a favor...
(CONTINUED)
33.
55A CONTINUED: 55A
AMY
Listen, I am in the middle of work, I
don't really have time now.
BEN
I need your help... It won't take more
than twenty minutes. Please, Amy?
From his pocket, Ben takes out Gary's driver's license. He shows
it to her-
BEN (CONT'D)
You picked up this guy yesterday
morning... I need to take a look at him.
It's very important.
AMY
Why do you want to see him?
BEN
He used to work at the Mayflower as a
night watchman, before I replaced him.
AMY
Where did you get his driver's
license?
BEN
I found his wallet in the department
store. I need to find out how he
died...
AMY
You are no longer a cop, Ben. This
isn't your business anymore.
BEN
He sent me a package before he died,
with newspaper articles about the
Mayflower... I think he was trying to
tell me something... I don't know him.
I've never even met him, Amy... I need
to figure this out.
56 INT. DAY - MORGUE 56
The refrigerated compartment bays, containing the corpses, are
aligned along the basement walls.
A young doctor escorts Ben and Amy down the corridors of the
morgue. As he is walking, the doctor flips through the register,
in search of a name.
(CONTINUED)
34.
56 CONTINUED: 56
YOUNG DOCTOR
Gary Lewis... Gary Lewis... Oh, there he
is, 58B... He slashed his throat...
AMY
(to Ben)
There you go... There's your answer.
Your man committed suicide.
BEN
You know a lot of people who cut their
own throats?
YOUNG DOCTOR
(interrupting)
Well, all I know is that the cops are
still investigating this one. That's
why we still have the body. People can
be very creative when it comes to
suicide. I'm sure it's not the
craziest thing you've seen.
The young doctor stops in front of the number 58B. He opens the
door to the refrigerated compartment bay and pulls out the tray
carrying the corpse, wrapped in a white sheet-
YOUNG DOCTOR (CONT'D)
Gary Lewis...
He lifts the sheet, revealing Gary Lewis' upper body-
Gary's eyes are rolled upwards and his throat is wide open. His
skin has become translucent, almost purple. His contorted corpse
is frozen in a deadly expression of profound suffering... His
flesh has started to decompose and putrefy.
Ben stares at the body, in search of a hint, a clue, any useful
information...
Amy becomes impatient.
AMY
I've got to get back to work, Ben.
They're waiting for me upstairs.
BEN
How... What did he slit his throat with?
The doctor checks the report.
YOUNG DOCTOR
With... with a piece of mirror.
Ben looks up.
(CONTINUED)
35.
56 CONTINUED: (2) 56
YOUNG DOCTOR (CONT'D)
...He must have smashed it into pieces
to have something to slash it with...
The doctor, has a smirk on his face-
YOUNG DOCTOR (CONT'D)
...Seven years of bad luck.
Suddenly, reflected in the stainless-steel door of the
compartment bay, Ben sees-
GARY'S FACE TURN SLOWLY TOWARDS HIM. GARY STARES DIRECTLY AT
HIM. WITH A VOICE FROM BEYOND, HE DELIVERS A MESSAGE TO BEN-
GARY
...ESSSEKERRR...
Ben jumps out of his skin and backs away, terrified. Neither Amy
nor the doctor saw anything, of course. They gaze at him with a
puzzled look-
AMY
Are you OK, Ben? What's going on?
Ben looks at the corpse and its reflection again- Gary is frozen
in the same contorted position, as if nothing ever happened.
BEN
(coming to his senses)
I need to see his files...
AMY
What?
Ben raises his voice.
BEN
I NEED TO SEE HIS FILES!
AMY
Come on, Ben, what is it you're after?
I am not supposed to show you any
file... You're not even allowed to be
here. I could get fired for this.
The doctor senses that the conversation is taking on a more
personal turn.
YOUNG DOCTOR
Well, I'll be off. Amy, you know where
to find me if you need me.
Amy is left alone with Ben.
(CONTINUED)
36.
56 CONTINUED: (3) 56
AMY
What is happening to you? What is all
this supposed to mean? What is going
on, Ben?
BEN
I won't leave until I see that file.
CUT TO:
57 INT. DAY -AMY'S OFFICE 57
On the shelves, photographs of Michael and Daisy stand next to
the medical records and legal-medicine textbooks.
Sitting behind Amy's desk, Ben is studying Gary Lewis' file. He
flips back and forth through the different documents,
photographs, and police reports.
Amy observes him, perplexed. We sense that she is concerned
about Ben's strange behavior and over sensitivity.
BEN
Look at this picture... Come and see,
Amy.
He shows her a snapshot taken by the police. We see Gary soaked
in his own blood, the throat slit open. The picture is real,
crude. He lies outstretched, facing a mirror shattered into
several pointy pieces, like a spider web. In his hand, Gary
still holds the piece of glass that he used to cut himself.
BEN (CONT'D)
Look...
AMY
What!?
Ben points to the reflection in the mirror-
BEN
Look at the piece of mirror in his
hand. In the reflection of the mirror
it's covered in blood, and look- in
reality, it's clean. Not a drop of
blood...
AMY
So what?
BEN
Don't you find it strange that this
mirror doesn't reflect an exact image
of reality?
(CONTINUED)
37.
57 CONTINUED: 57
AMY
I can't see the difference. It must be
an effect of the angle from which the
photograph was taken. What is it you
are you trying to prove?
BEN
What if the mirrors were showing us
something different?
AMY
What? For Christ's sake, listen to
yourself, Ben! What are you talking
about?
BEN
What if the mirrors were reflecting
something that goes beyond reality?
AMY
(irritated)
OK... This is way over my head. I don't
have time for your barfly theories.
Ben realizes that he will not succeed in convincing her. Not
today.
BEN
Thanks for your help...
He's on his way out, when she holds him back-
AMY
You should go home and get some rest.
This guy probably just killed himself
because he couldn't live with himself
anymore. It happens to thousands of
people, you know...
CUT TO:
58 INT. DAY - APARTMENT QUEENS - BATHROOM 58
The steam has fogged up the mirror of the medicine cabinet.
Ben grabs a towel and steps out of the shower.
He watches his blurry reflection. With his finger, on the
surface of the fogged mirror, he writes-
ESSEKER
He contemplates the dripping letters for a long moment, trying
to interpret their meaning.
(CONTINUED)
38.
58 CONTINUED: 58
In the end, he wipes off the mirror with his hand, erasing the
word.
Angela is standing behind him in the door opening-
ANGELA
I'm off... Amy called me today, she's
worried about you. What's happening,
Ben?
BEN
Please, not you...
ANGELA
I'm your sister, you can talk to me.
Is it your new job? That place, the
Mayflower, has bad vibes. It's getting
under your skin. Just think about what
I told you...
BEN
I made a deal, Angie... I can't just
walk out on them like that. I need
this job, I need the money. I'm not
going to sleep on your couch for the
rest of my life!
ANGELA
You won't have any trouble finding
another one. A daytime job, a regular
job...
While she's talking, we see the scene from another point of view-
from inside the mirror- As if SOMEONE ELSE WAS LISTENING TO
THEM.
Angela leaves the bathroom. Ben brushes his teeth. He leans over
to rinse his mouth, and when he straightens up-
IT IS NOT HIM IN THE REFLECTION OF THE MIRROR, BUT GARY LEWIS
WHO SLASHES HIS THROAT FROM END TO END WITH A SHARP PIECE OF
MIRROR-
Ben steps back and loses his balance, knocking down a shelf.
Angela rushes into the bathroom-
ANGELA (CONT'D)
What happened Ben? Are you all right?
He refuses her help.
BEN
LEAVE ME ALONE...
Ben gets to his feet and looks into the mirror. His reflection
is back. Everything looks normal but-
(CONTINUED)
39.
58 CONTINUED: (2) 58
WHEN HE TURNS TO EXIT THE BATHROOM, HIS REFLECTION STAYS STILL,
WATCHING HIM...
CUT TO:
59 EXT. DAY- GARY LEWIS' BUILDING 59
The sun sets behind the Harlem skyline.
Ben's Oldsmobile pulls over in the street- He has decided to
pass by Gary Lewis' old house before his nightshift.
He presses the doorbell next to Gary Lewis' name. An old lady
answers-
BEN
Mrs. Lewis... Sorry to bother you... My
name is Ben Carson. I worked with
Gary, at Mayflower. Could I come up
and talk to you for a few minutes?
Silence.
BEN (CONT'D)
Mrs. Lewis ?
MRS. LEWIS
...5th floor, apartment 3B...
The entrance door of the building opens.
CUT TO:
60 INT. DAY- MRS. LEWIS' APARTMENT 60
MRS. LEWIS is at least 80 years old, and almost blind behind her
thick glasses. She lives alone in the small apartment that she
used to share with her grandson.
We sense that she is distraught by Gary's death.
MRS. LEWIS
...My Gary hadn't slept at home for
three weeks. At first I figured he had
found himself a girlfriend, so I
didn't worry much about it... It's
terrible. The policeman told me that
he was living in the streets... They
found his body in the subway. Why? He
had everything he needed here. Every
morning I would have his breakfast
ready when he'd come home from work.
(CONTINUED)
40.
60 CONTINUED: 60
BEN
Did he use any drugs?
MRS. LEWIS
Gary? Huh-huh! Never... He was a good
boy.
BEN
Did you notice anything different, the
days prior to his leaving the house,
anything unusual in his behavior?
MRS. LEWIS
Oh yes, but that goes way back to when
he started working at Mayflower.
BEN
What kind of changes?
MRS. LEWIS
He didn't care much for anything
anymore. Before, we'd sit up and watch
television together. But once he
started that job as a night watchman,
he'd spend all his time-off locked up
in his room...
BEN
Sleeping?
MRS. LEWIS
He hardly slept anymore... He was way
too busy!
BEN
Busy doing what?
MRS. LEWIS
That, I don't know... I never knew what
he was up to...
She reaches for a picture frame on the chest.
MRS. LEWIS (CONT'D)
Look, in this picture he was twelve
years old...
BEN
Is that you standing next to him?
MRS. LEWIS
Yes, back in the days...
BEN
Mrs. Lewis, I found a note that Gary
wrote.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
41.
60 CONTINUED: (2) 60
BEN (CONT'D)
A piece of paper, where he'd scribbled
down the name, Esseker... Does that mean
anything to you?
MRS. LEWIS
Esseker, is that what you're saying?
The old lady dwells on it for a moment-
MRS. LEWIS (CONT'D)
No, that don't mean a thing to me...
She sets down the picture frame.
BEN
May I see his room?
MRS. LEWIS
Yes, of course. Come, follow me, it's
down the hallway, the door at the very
end.
Ben follows Mrs. Lewis to her grandson's room-
It looks nothing like the room of a fifty-year-old man, but
rather like that of an old teenager. From what we can see, Gary
grew up in here, and each object recalls a stage in his life.
Everything is clean and in its proper place, it is perfectly
tidy.
BEN
Do you mind if I stay in here for a
moment?
Mrs. Lewis smiles at him. She too, likes to gather her thoughts
in Gary's room.
Ben scrutinizes the room in search of a clue, a hint that might
help him on the Esseker lead. He opens the drawers and looks
through the papers-
Nothing is of any help to him. The only place left that he
hasn't searched is the walk-in closet, whose half-open doors
seem to invite him to enter...
What Ben discovers inside is beyond anything he could ever have
imagined- The closet has been emptied out completely, and
MIRRORS COVER EACH AND EVERY WALL, FROM THE FLOOR TO THE
CEILING! - It's a miniature replica of the hidden room that Ben
discovered back in the basement of the department store...
MRS. LEWIS
He would spend hours looking at
himself...
Mrs. Lewis steps up behind him-
(CONTINUED)
42.
60 CONTINUED: (3) 60
MRS. LEWIS (CONT'D)
To look at oneself too much is a sin.
A terrible sin. Do you know sir in the
Garden of Eden in order to seduce Eve,
Satan did not keep the appearance of a
snake... Satan reproduced the young
woman's traits in such a way that Eve
would only see and listen to the image
of herself... As in a mirror.
61 INT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER 61
Night has fallen. The department store is calm and silent.
We move down each floor to the entrance hall. The basement door
is open and, in the darkness, we see the gleam of the
flashlight. Ben must be down there.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, A LOUD SHRIEK TEARS THROUGH THE SILENCE. There
is a woman, somewhere in the store.
Ben runs up to the entrance hall at full speed. The shrieks
resound through the department store again. They seem to come
from one of the floors above.
Without hesitation, Ben dashes up the stairs-
He arrives on the second floor and searches through all the
departments. Impossible to tell where the cries originate from.
He climbs up to the third floor. The beam of the flashlight
sweeps past each nook and dark corner-
Somewhere in the store, the woman continues to scream and wail
to death.
BEN
(shouting)
WHERE ARE YOU?!!
No answer. Ben goes up to the fourth floor. The shrieks are
heard again, but this time, coming from one of the floors below.
Ben dashes for the Ladies' department-
BEN (CONT'D)
STAY CALM... I'M COMING!
61A INT. NIGHT - LADIES' DEPARTMENT DRESSING ROOMS 61A
The screams come closer. Ben passes the counters and enters the
dressing rooms - or rather, what is left of them since the fire.
The woman must be in here, hiding somewhere.
(CONTINUED)
43.
61A CONTINUED: 61A
BEN
I'm here Ma'am...
Short of breath, Ben inspects the dressing rooms with his
flashlight.
The woman seems to have vanished.
BEN (CONT'D)
Ma'am? I'm right he...
ANOTHER SHRIEK IS EMITTED, RIGHT NEXT TO HIM. He turns around-
No one there.
About to leave the dressing rooms, Ben catches sight of a
mirror. In the reflection he sees the row of empty rooms-
A BLOODY HAND BURSTS OUT FROM THE LAST ONE, ACCOMPANIED BY
ANOTHER PIERCING SCREECH OF PAIN!
Ben runs to it, but finds it empty. IN THE REFLECTION OF THE
MIRROR, HOWEVER, THE HAND IS STILL STRETCHED OUT TOWARDS HIM!
Ben stops to think- If he can somehow move the mirror to have it
face the last booth, he might be able to see what truly happened
inside.
Ben unhooks the mirror.
It is way too heavy and bulky to carry. He lets it slide down
the wall.
Inch by inch, Ben hauls the mirror across the floor.
He reaches the last dressing room-
Through the reflection in the mirror, he examines the interior
of the cubicle.
In the dark he catches sight of BARE FEET STAMPING AGAINST THE
TILED FLOOR. The torn, half-burnt curtains conceal the rest of
the body...
With his eyes fixed on the mirror, Ben walks backward towards
the dressing room. He is scared of what he is about to discover.
He gives the curtain a quick yank, revealing-
A NAKED YOUNG WOMAN IS GOING INTO SPASMS AND SCREECHING WITH
PAIN. DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF REAL FLAMES, HER SKIN AND FLESH ARE
ROASTING, AS IF SHE WERE BURNING ALIVE FROM THE INSIDE OUT!
CUT TO:
BLACK SCREEN
(CONTINUED)
44.
61A CONTINUED: (2) 61A
CHILD'S VOICE O.S.
Mom! Mom! Mom!
62 INT. NIGHT -NEW JERSEY HOUSE 62
We are in the darkness of Daisy and Michael's bedroom. Michael
is terrified and cries out for his mother-
MICHAEL
Mom! Mom!
Amy swings the door open and turns on the light.
AMY
What is it Michael?
The little boy throws himself into his mother's arms. Daisy
wakes up.
AMY (CONT'D)
What is it? Did you have a bad dream?
MICHAEL
There's a lady screaming...
AMY
Where Michael?
Michael points to the mirror wall facing the bunk beds.
MICHAEL
There... In the mirror...
AMY
No, Michael... Look, there's nothing
there.
MICHAEL
I saw her mom. I swear I did.
AMY
It was just a nightmare. It's late,
you have to go back to sleep. I'll
turn on the night-light, if you want.
Amy tucks him into bed and kisses him. Before leaving the room
she plugs in the night-light.
DAISY
Mom, can you leave the door open?
AMY
Sure sweetheart... OK, you two go to
sleep now.
(CONTINUED)
45.
62 CONTINUED: 62
Amy leaves the room.
In his bed, Michael cannot stop himself from staring at the
dimly lit mirror.
63 INT. NIGHT - AMY'S BEDROOM 63
Amy goes back to her room. The local news play on the TV. She
gets into bed and turns off the light. She reaches for the
remote and clicks the TV off, turning over-
THE NAKED BURNED WOMAN FROM THE STORE STANDS STILL IN THE
REFLECTION OF THE TV SET.
The entity watches Amy while she is sleeping.
Once again, the POV from behind the mirror. OMINOUS, SLIGHTLY
DETACHED AND MUTED.
CUT TO:
64 EXT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER 64
Ben secures the padlock of the department store entrance.
He walks towards the trailer, while keeping a fixed eye on the
facade of the building. The scene he just witnessed in the
dressing rooms has shaken him up.
He goes inside. Through one of the windows we see him pick up
the phone and dial a number-
65 INT. NIGHT - APARTMENT QUEENS / INTERCUT INT. NIGHT - LODGE 65
Angela is in the bathroom when the phone starts ringing. She
turns on the tap of the cast-iron bathtub and goes to answer.
ANGELA
Hello... Ben?
BEN (O.S.)
Sorry I'm calling you this late. Were
you sleeping?
ANGELA
No, no, I just got home from work.
What's wrong? You sound strange.
On the phone, Ben struggles to put his feelings into words-
BEN(O.S.)
Don't worry, everything's OK.
(CONTINUED)
46.
65 CONTINUED: 65
ANGELA
Are you sure?
BEN (O.S.)
Actually, no. I think maybe I'm losing
my mind.
ANGELA
What happened?
BEN (O.S.)
You were right about the Mayflower...
I'll quit tomorrow.
ANGELA
That's the smart thing to do, Ben. You
deserve better than that. You should
come back here and get some sleep.
BEN (O.S.)
No, I'll wait till the daytime guy
gets here to tell him.
ANGELA
Are you sure?
BEN (O.S.)
Yeah, sure. See you later, Angie.
ANGELA
Be careful... Love you.
BEN
Love you too, sis.
She hangs up the receiver and stays in the dark for a moment,
concerned.
The sound of the pouring bath brings her back to reality.
We follow her into the bathroom. She dips her fingers into the
water to check the temperature. The bathtub is almost full.
Angela undresses in front of the medicine cabinet mirror. When
she turns around to climb into the hot bath, HER REFLECTION
REMAINS MOTIONLESS IN THE MIRROR, STARING BLANKLY AT EACH OF HER
MOVEMENTS.
Unaware, Angela soaks into her hot bath.
The water continues to pour from the tap.
Angela shuts her eyes- It's been a long day.
IN THE MIRROR, ANGELA'S REFLECTION FIXES HER WITH A COLD GLARE-
(CONTINUED)
47.
65 CONTINUED: (2) 65
Without a word, Angela's reflection brings its hands to its face
and digs its fingers into its mouth. In a sudden jerk, it pulls
open its jaw-
AS IF SHE WERE ELECTROCUTED, ANGELA'S BODY CONTORTS VIOLENTLY
FORWARD. HER MOUTH IS DEFORMED, AS IF AN INVISIBLE FORCE WERE
WRENCHING IT WIDE OPEN.
IN THE MIRROR, HER EVIL DOUBLE CONTINUES TO PULL OPEN ITS MOUTH,
SUDDENLY RIPPING ITS JAW OFF WITH THE SOUND OF CRACKING BONES
AND CARTILAGE-
AT THE SAME INSTANT, IN THE BATHTUB, ANGELA HAS NO TIME TO REACT
BEFORE SHE UNDERGOES THE SAME AGONIZING TORTURE!
The mirror cracks by itself.
The bathtub overflows with red water spilling out on the white
tiled bathroom floor.
FADE TO BLACK
66 INT. DAY - APARTMENT QUEENS - THE NEXT MORNING 66
The camera flashes illuminate the crime scene.
Angela's body lies afloat in the bathtub. The apartment is
entirely flooded.
Two men in police uniforms close off a security zone, to keep
the intrusive neighbors away.
A detective is interrogating an old Puerto Rican couple- the
downstairs neighbors. They were the ones who alerted the police,
after having noticed the water leakage. The old woman explains
how "it was raining blood into her living room"...
Amongst the police officers and the legal medical squad, we find
Larry. He is in charge of the case.
Leaning over the bathtub, Larry examines the visible parts of
the corpse. Angela's face is concealed by her own long black
hair, floating in the murky water.
Larry slips on an examination glove, pulls up his sleeve and
sinks his arm into the blood-red bath. He feels around for the
chain of the plug in order to drain the bathtub.
The water level begins to recede, gradually revealing Angela's
naked corpse.
With the tip of his fingers, Larry lifts away the few strands of
hair covering Angela's face-
(CONTINUED)
48.
66 CONTINUED: 66
Taken by surprise, he steps back from the horrifying sight of
this JAW-LESS FACE.
Larry removes his glove, wipes off his bloodied arm and starts
to leave the bathroom when something else catches his attention-
He comes closer to the spiderweb cracked medicine cabinet
mirror. A TINY DROP OF BLOOD is dripping from one of the cracks.
Strange.
A DARK SILHOUETTE PASSES BEHIND HIM IN THE REFLECTION. He turns
immediately- The bloodied bathroom is still and silent. Angela's
destroyed body lies in the empty bathtub.
A police inspector in the next room, calls out to him-
POLICE INSPECTOR O.S.
Larry? Take a look at this...
LARRY
What is it?
POLICE INSPECTOR O.S.
Come take a look for yourself.
Larry exits the bathroom. The police inspector in the living
room holds a picture frame in his hands. He turns towards Larry-
POLICE INSPECTOR
Look... Isn't Ben Carson in the picture?
CUT TO:
67 INT. DAY - POLICE STATION - INTERROGATION ROOM 67
Still wearing his uniform, Ben is sitting alone in one of the
interrogation rooms of the police station. His haggard face
expresses great grief. His sister's death has left him
distraught.
He fiddles with an empty plastic cup in his hands.
The classic two-way mirror facing him, throws back his
reflection.
Ben knows that he is being watched.
Behind the two-way mirror, Amy observes him. Larry is standing
next to her.
LARRY
The water has obliterated most of the
marks. No trace of struggle or broken
entry, the entrance door was locked.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
49.
67 CONTINUED: 67
LARRY (CONT'D)
The person who did this must have had
the keys to her apartment, or
otherwise it was somebody she knew...
AMY
He would never have laid a finger on
her. When their father died, Ben took
care of his sister. Angela meant the
world to him.
LARRY
Listen, so far, his statement is
pretty consistent with the facts... We
checked it out, he did place a call
from work at 12:30, and the woman's
downstairs neighbors claim they
started noticing the water leakage at
around two in the morning. The daytime
security guard, Lorenzo Sappeli,
confirms he came on after Ben's shift
at seven a.m. The only strange thing,
and it may just be a coincidence, is
that Ben told Sappeli that he had
decided to quit his job, as if he was
planning to go away somewhere... Did he
mention anything about it to you?
AMY
No, lately, communication hasn't quite
been our strong point...
(she smiles)
I only found out yesterday that he was
staying at his sister's. What are you
going to do with him?
LARRY
I figure we'll let him go. At this
point we haven't got any real reason
to keep him here. And, I think he's
had his share for the day.
AMY
You know what's gonna happen if you
let him go. He won't stop here. I know
him, he won't stop until he finds who
did this to her.
LARRY
Listen, where we stand now, we got
nothing, not a single clue. I'm sure
he can help us.
AMY
What kind of friend are you? You are
using him. He's not a cop anymore.
(CONTINUED)
50.
67 CONTINUED: (2) 67
LARRY
He's still the best one I know, even
if he's one of the suspects.
Amy comes closer to the two-way mirror. She looks at her ex-
husband on the other side. He seems overcome with grief and
confusion. She can see the distress in his eyes.
LARRY (CONT'D)
Try to keep an eye on him.
CUT TO:
68 EXT. DAY - POLICE STATION 68
Ben has been released.
Under the pouring rain, on the front steps of the police
station, Amy tries to reason with him-
AMY
You have to see someone Ben. You
cannot stay in this situation any
longer. You need help, psychological
support.
Ben is not listening. His mind is elsewhere.
AMY (CONT'D)
Why don't you...if you want...come spend a
few days at home, with the kids?
BEN
No, I don't want to put them in any
danger.
AMY
What do you mean?
BEN
I've got things I need to deal with.
AMY
Ben, look at me! I don't want you to
get into any trouble. Think about
Daisy and Michael. You are not going
to solve this case. Please, stay out
of it.
BEN
She asked me to quit and they got to
her...
AMY
What? Who are you talking about?
(CONTINUED)
51.
68 CONTINUED: 68
BEN
I know who did this Amy.
AMY
In that case, you have to tell them
everything.
BEN
They wouldn't believe me and neither
would you... Goodbye.
Ben walks away, leaving Amy alone on the steps of the police
station
AMY
Ben, wait...
Ben does not turn around. The rain is beating down harder and
the thunder grumbles in the distance. The first lightning
flashes light up the sky.
Another flash-
68A - QUEENS APARTMENT - 68A
Ben ignores the crime scene's restriction perimeter and enters
Angela's apartment. Without turning on the light, he goes
straight for a leather pouch stashed among his cardboard boxes.
Inside- A .357 MAGNUM, his former cop weapon.
Another flash-
69 EXT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER 69
The lightning bolts illuminate the facade of the department
store.
Ben's car is parked in front of the construction fence.
70 INT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER 70
The rainwater pours through the openings in the roof,
penetrating the interior of the deserted department store. It
dribbles down the cracked walls and over the half-burnt
mannequins...
71 INT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER BASEMENT- MIRROR ROOM 71
We hear the echo of the roaring thunder outside, but in the
gloom of the flooded basement, there is another blaring sound-
(CONTINUED)
52.
71 CONTINUED: 71
A DULL METALLIC THUD. It gets louder and louder, closer and
closer as we advance towards the opening to the mirror room-
Inside, we find Ben, out of his mind, throwing a chair against
the mirrors with all his strength, in an attempt to demolish
them-
He's exhausted and he's forced to stop.
Not a single shard of glass, not even a scratch, the mirrors
seem completely indestructible...
Ben is not through with them. He drops the chair to the ground
and pulls out the gun from his belt.
Without a moment's hesitation he opens fire-
THE MIRRORS SHATTER VIOLENTLY, CRACKING WITH THE POWERFUL IMPACT
OF THE BULLETS. In the spiderweb-cracked mirror, his image is
deformed.
Having found a weak spot, Ben savors his sweet victory when,
suddenly, something inconceivable unfolds before his very eyes-
THE BULLET IMPACTS DISSOLVE AS IF BY MAGIC AND THE MIRRORS ARE
RECONSTITUTED!
Ben's shock and disbelief give way to rage. He fires, in a fury,
emptying the entire clip this time-
Again, the bullet holes vanish, leaving Ben alone, face to face
with his own reflection. He breaks down nervously-
BEN
Why did you do it? WHY? WHY DID YOU
HAVE TO KILL HER?
Silence.
BEN (CONT'D)
What is it you want? What do you want
from me? ANSWER ME! WHAT IS IT YOU
WANT?!
Suddenly, one after the other, letters, start appearing in one
of the mirrors, as if an invisible finger were tracing them in
the dust-
REKESSE
Ben turns around, and in the reflection of the opposite mirror
he recognizes the inverted word- the same word he found on the
note in Gary's wallet, the word Ben himself had traced in his
bathroom mirror-
(CONTINUED)
53.
71 CONTINUED: (2) 71
ESSEKER
CUT TO:
72 INT. NIGHT -QUEENS APARTMENT 72
Back in the Queens apartment, Ben still hasn't gotten any sleep.
On the wall, he is assembling all the newspaper clippings,
articles and photographs that Gary sent him.
Each and every mirror in Angela's apartment has been covered
with sheets, blankets, old rags- anything he could find to
neutralize the reflective surfaces.
With the phone cradled between his ear and shoulder he is in the
middle of a heated conversation-
BEN
...Look up Esseker... Yes, Echo, Sierra,
Sierra, Echo, Kilo, Echo, Romeo...
Esseker. No idea, my guess is that
it's a name... No, I haven't got a first
name. Yes, in New York. Over the past
five or six years. I know it's hazy
but that's all I've got. I already
looked it up in the phone book. I also
called someone at the IRS and at the
DMV, but nothing there. It's very
important Larry. You'll call me back?
Ok...
Ben hangs up the phone and remains in front of the wall covered
with clippings for a moment. Now he can have a clear overview of
Gary's investigative research.
All the articles date back approximately to the same period and
are all related to the fire that ravaged Mayflower five years
ago.
But not a hint of Esseker.
Ben studies the newspaper clippings, trying to piece the story
together-
" Deadly Fire at Mayflower- 29 dead and 78 wounded "
" Brutal Massacre- Mother and her three daughters slaughtered..."
" ...the children, drowned, in the bathtub... "
" ...the throat slit open... "
" Mayflower's security guard taken in for questioning... "
(CONTINUED)
54.
72 CONTINUED: 72
" The night watchman confesses to setting the fire but firmly
denies the accusation of murdering his family... "
" Terrence Berry confesses but claims the mirrors are guilty-
The security guard at Mayflower finally confesses. He started
the fire in the department store with the intention of
destroying the mirrors, responsible, according to him, for the
death of his wife and three daughters. "
Ben observes Terrence Berry's face in one of the archive
photographs. He looks like a perfectly normal guy, rather kind,
surely he was a good father... Ben can't help but empathize with
him.
As he looks up, Ben catches a glimpse of his reflection in the
window-
What if he too lost his mind and went on to slaughter his
family? Or what if the mirrors would do it?
The phone rings-
BEN (CONT'D)
Yes, so, what'd you find out? Nothing
under that name? Shit, shit, shit,
shit... Can you look up Berry, Terrence
Berry...
Ben holds on the line, for a moment.
BEN (CONT'D)
...Got anything? Great...No, I already
know all that. Is he still alive? No...
Can you find out where he was
committed before his death? Wait, I'm
writing it down...
Ben sits down on the bed and scribbles down the address on a
piece of paper.
BEN (CONT'D)
...Roosevelt Psychiatric Detention
Center... Yeah, I know where it is.
Thanks.
He hangs up the phone. Under the blanket, next to him, he spots
the T-shirt that his sister was wearing the other night.
The pain is too strong. He cannot hold back his tears anymore
and starts crying.
CUT TO:
55.
73 INT. DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE - KITCHEN 73
The next morning -
Heavy-eyed and sleepy, Michael is hypnotized in front of the
weather forecast on TV.
The hot chocolate set in front of him is getting cold. His
sister Daisy pours herself some more orange juice. Amy, shaking
a box of cereal, interrupts the little boy in his dream state-
AMY
Do you want the cereal in your hot
chocolate or in a separate bowl?
The little boy does not answer.
AMY (CONT'D)
Michael?
MICHAEL
In the chocolate...
AMY
...In the chocolate, please, mom...
MICHAEL
(repeating after her)
...Please, mom.
She pours the cereal in his hot chocolate.
DAISY
Yuck, that's gross, how can you eat
that?
AMY
Come on, come on, let's get going, or
you're going to be late for school.
Michael begins to eat his breakfast, his gaze still fixed on the
weatherman's forecast on TV. As Amy fills the cat's bowl with
pellets, Tiger rushes over to join the rest of the family.
DAISY
Mom?
AMY
What is it sweetheart?
DAISY
Do you know that Michael has a new
friend?
(CONTINUED)
56.
73 CONTINUED: 73
MICHAEL
No, that's not true!
AMY
Really, what's his name?
MICHAEL
(to his sister)
You promised not to tell.
AMY
Does he go to your school?
Michael doesn't answer. Daisy shakes her head.
AMY (CONT'D)
(pretending to be
indifferent)
Very well. If you don't want to tell
me about it...
The little boy stays quiet.
MICHAEL
He doesn't want me to talk about him.
Amy suddenly becomes more concerned and sits down next to
Michael-
AMY
Why doesn't he want you to talk about
him? Is he a grown up?
MICHAEL
No...
AMY
So, he's a little boy your age, then?
Michael gives a reluctant nod. Amy is reassured. He finishes his
mug of cereal and goes to place it in the sink. Amy gives Daisy
a questioning look-
AMY (CONT'D)
(to Michael)
Does he live in our street? Is it one
of our neighbors?
Michael remains silent and Daisy answers for him-
DAISY
He lives in the mirror in our room.
Daisy bursts out laughing... Michael glares back at her, furious.
Puzzled, Amy reflects briefly on Daisy's remark-
(CONTINUED)
57.
73 CONTINUED: (2) 73
AMY
Is it your father who told you that?
Michael remains silent.
AMY (CONT'D)
Michael, answer me. Did your father
talk to you about the mirrors?
MICHAEL
No Mommy.
Amy questions him with her eyes. Michael lowers his.
AMY
OK... Come on, come on guys, let's get
our teeth brushed, and our coats on.
The first one in the car is the
winner.
The two kids dash up the stairs. Amy is left alone to clean up
breakfast.
She casts a glance at the front hall mirror. Daisy's comment
lingers in her thoughts.
Dressed in their coats, Michael and Daisy come running down the
stairs and rush out of the house... Amy exits the house. The car
drives away.
Daisy's cat leaps onto the kitchen table and directs his gaze to
the mirror-
FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE CAT SUDDENLY STIFFENS INTO A
POSITION OF DEFENSE. HE BRISTLES HIS COAT AND HISSES AND SPITS
TOWARDS HIS REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR.
CUT TO:
74 EXT. DAY - ROOSEVELT PSYCHIATRIC DETENTION CENTER 74
Wide shot- The high security psychiatric hospital stands under a
leaden sky -
DR. MORRIS (V.O.)
You know, Mr. Carson, when one starts
to perceive one's own reflection as a
completely separate being, one is
suddenly confronted with two entirely
separate egos, two entirely separate
worlds that can surface at any given
moment-
58.
75 INT. DAY - ROOSEVELT PSYCHIATRIC DETENTION CENTER 75
DR. MORRIS, the doctor who had once been in charge of Terrence
Berry, escorts Ben down the corridor-
DR. MORRIS
A feeling of self-hatred, generally
triggered by a psychological shock can
split the personality in two, hence
creating two or more personalities
with distinct memories or behavior
patterns within the same individual.
The patient then has a faulty
perception of the existence of two
distinct worlds, which are principally
the "real" word, and the world "inside
the mirror".
The two men pass a number of guards and security check-points as
they head down towards the hospital's film and video archive-
BEN
Did you consider Terrence innocent?
Dr. Morris swipes his magnetic card through the electronic
device, unlocking the door to the archives.
DR. MORRIS
In my opinion, he was convinced that
he was telling the truth when he
claimed he didn't kill his family. I
too am convinced that when it
happened, Terrence was not himself,
but rather his double, his mirror
image, one might say.
He enters the archives, followed by Ben-
76 INT. DAY - ARCHIVES- ROOSEVELT PSYCHIATRIC DETENTION CENTER 76
Dr. Morris' finger glides across several DV-tapes dated 2001 in
search of one particular tape-
DR. MORRIS
These recordings are from Terrence's
trial. You will find that they speak
for themselves.
He pushes the tape into the deck. A grainy picture appears on
the screen-
We discover TERRENCE BERRY, sitting behind a desk. His hands are
cuffed. Facing him, DR. MORRIS is leading the cross-examination.
(CONTINUED)
59.
76 CONTINUED: 76
Terrence is tense and uncomfortable. He keeps his face down,
never looking into the camera.
DESPITE HAVING SURVIVED THE FIRE, TERRENCE'S FACE IS NONETHELESS
DISFIGURED BY THIRD DEGREE BURNS. HE NO LONGER HAS FACIAL
FEATURES, AND HE STRUGGLES WITH HIS SPEECH.
DR. MORRIS (CONT'D)
Why did you set the department store
on fire?
TERRENCE
In order to... to destroy the mirrors.
Only fire can destroy a mirror, isn't
that right, Doctor?
DR. MORRIS
What made you think you absolutely had
to destroy those mirrors, Terrence?
Terrence remains silent. Dr. Morris repeats his question-
DR. MORRIS (CONT'D)
What made you want to destroy those
mirrors, Terrence?
TERRENCE
They killed Helen and my three little
girls...
DR. MORRIS
For what reason? Why would mirrors
want to kill your family?
TERRENCE
Because I didn't...
Terrence breaks out in tears.
DR. MORRIS
Didn't do what?
With his eyes fixed on the video monitor, deep inside, Ben
already knows the answer that Terrence is about to give...
TERRENCE
They asked me to find Esseker... Like
they did with the others...
DR. MORRIS
Who are the others you're talking
about?
TERRENCE
I wasn't the first one they asked...
(CONTINUED)
60.
76 CONTINUED: (2) 76
DR. MORRIS
And what happened?
TERRENCE
I didn't succeed. I didn't succeed in
finding Esseker...
Ben realizes that he's in the exact same situation-
BEN
Amy...
(to Dr. Morris)
I have to go.
He stands to leave. The monitor keeps playing the old footage-
DR. MORRIS
Tell me about Esseker, Terrence.
Terrence doesn't speak.
DR. MORRIS (CONT'D)
Who is Esseker, Terrence?
Suddenly, Terrence's behavior shifts to another extreme. He
stands up, and flying into a rage, he becomes brutal and
hysterical-
TERRENCE
I DON'T KNOW WHO ESSEKER IS! I DON'T
KNOW WHO ESSEKER IS, I DON'T KNOW!!
Terrence becomes uncontrollable. He wrecks the folders lying on
the desk and throws himself, head first, against a wall mirror
that shatters to pieces.
CUT TO:
77 EXT. DAY - STREET-NEW JERSEY HOUSE 77
Ben's car comes to a screeching halt in front of his old house.
Ben rushes inside.
78 INT. DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE - CONTINUITY 78
He is beside himself. After seeing the video footage on
Terrence, he has been struck with fear and panic for his family-
Before the perplexed gaze of Rosa and his children, Ben
agitatedly comes and goes in the hallway of the second floor. He
is removing the mirrors from each and every room.
He tears away the bathroom mirror, unhooks the one in the far
end of the hallway, and removes some from Amy's room...
(CONTINUED)
61.
78 CONTINUED: 78
Rosa fears more and more for the children and takes them under
her protective arms. Amy is not back yet.
The only mirror left that Ben cannot remove, is the one in the
children's room.
He rushes down to the basement and comes back with a bucket of
old paint. He immediately begins to paint the wall mirror in
order to neutralize its reflection.
DAISY
What are you doing dad?
BEN
Don't worry, there's nothing wrong.
Everything is OK...
DAISY
But why are you doing that?
BEN
I'm doing it to protect you.
79 EXT. DAY NEW JERSEY HOUSE - CONTINUITY 79
At the same time, Amy's car pulls up in front of the house.
As soon as she sees the front door open, and the mirrors laid
out on the landing of the front steps, Amy rushes into the
house, panic-stricken.
80 INT. DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE - CONTINUITY 80
She races up the stairs to the second floor, barging into the
children's room where Ben is painting the mirror. She signals
Rosa to take the kids out.
AMY
Do you mind telling me what the hell
you're doing?
Focused and determined, Ben does not answer her question.
AMY (CONT'D)
Ben!
BEN
Look Amy, you've got to trust me, I
know what I'm doing... It's for your own
good.
AMY
I want you to stop what you're doing
and get out of our house right now.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
62.
80 CONTINUED: 80
AMY (CONT'D)
You're scaring the kids acting like
this.
Ben continues to paint the mirror.
AMY (CONT'D)
If you don't leave immediately, I'm
going to call the police, Ben, and I
warn you, you will never see your
children again. Do you understand what
I'm saying?
Ben stops-
BEN
You have to trust me Amy, I'm not
completely crazy... These mirrors are
dangerous. At first, I thought it was
only the ones at the store, but now I
know they can get you anywhere. They
got Angela... I promise I'll leave the
house once I've taken them all down.
AMY
Do you realize what you're saying,
Ben? What is wrong with you? I know
that what you're going through isn't
easy. Angela was a part of our lives
too, but you have no right to do this
to us... Ever since your obsession with
these damn mirrors the kids are scared
to death. Your son has nightmares.
He's scared Ben... Your behavior is
starting to rub off on him. He's only
5 years old... And I have to protect
him.
Ben can see that she is very upset about the situation. He sets
down the paint bucket on the floor-
BEN
Come Amy, come with me, I want to show
you something.
He leads her back down, through the first floor, and out on the
front steps of the house-
81 EXT. DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE - CONTINUITY 81
BEN
Look, you'll see...
Ben pulls his Magnum out of his belt and points the gun at one
of the mirrors he has dragged outside.
Amy steps back, terrified-
(CONTINUED)
63.
81 CONTINUED: 81
AMY
What are you doing with that gun... Put
it down, BEN... PUT IT DOWN RIGHT NOW!
Without a moment's hesitation, Ben opens fire. The mirror
shatters to pieces-
AMY (CONT'D)
ARE YOU CRAZY BEN? HAVE YOU GONE
COMPLETELY MAD?
Ben smiles, all excited-
BEN
Wait, look, you'll see...
Through the front window, Daisy and Michael witness the scene-
AMY
SEE WHAT, BEN?! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO
SEE ?!
Ben keeps a piercing gaze as the bullet impacts the mirror,
waiting for the magic to do its trick and for the cracks to
dissolve again-
BUT NOTHING HAPPENS. THE CRACKS REMAIN, IN A SPIDER WEB PATTERN.
Behind the front door, Ben notices Michael, watching him, in
tears.
Without any evidence, Ben is in over his head.
BEN
But... I swear to you I... I saw...Amy...
The neighbors, alerted by the blast of the gun, come out of
their houses to find out what has happened.
Ben stands alone, looking like a mad man...
Amy holds back her tears and tries to stay in control-
AMY
Get out...now! I don't ever want to see
you here again, Ben. And I'll have the
lawyers make sure the same goes for
the kids. You are insane, Ben, and
dangerous... You've got to get help.
With gun in hand, Ben walks away, dismayed, as he gradually
becomes aware of the situation he has just created.
He enters his car and drives off at top speed.
64.
82 EXT/INT. DAY - ROAD - BEN'S CAR 82
Ben drives nervously. He feels guilty about his conduct in front
of the children. A thousand thoughts rush through his head,
leaving him in an utter state of confusion. He doesn't know what
to do nor what to think anymore.
Ben reaches for his cell phone and dials Larry's number-
BEN
Hello, Larry? It's me... I'm going to
need your help again-
LARRY (O.S.)
Come on, Ben... For Christ's sake! What
are you doing?
BEN
Mayflower used to be a hospital before
it became a department store. St.
John's Hospital. Do you have any idea
where all the medical records could
have ended up after it closed down?
LARRY (O.S.)
How am I supposed to know that?!
BEN
Go to the city hall archives... They
must have something considering it was
a public hospital.
LARRY (O.S.)
I've got others things to do. I can't
go to City Hall today. I've -
BEN
Larry, Larry stop it... If I could go
myself, I wouldn't be asking you. Go
to the City Hall archives, and ask
them to look up Esseker among the
former patients. Please.
LARRY (O.S.)
Ben, for god's sake, what are you
trying to prove?
BEN
Please, do it for me.
LARRY (O.S.)
You know you're a real pain in the
ass.
(CONTINUED)
65.
82 CONTINUED: 82
BEN
Talk to you later.
Ben hangs up.
He glances back at the rear view mirror and sees ANGELA'S
CORPSE, SITTING ON THE BACK SEAT!
Startled, he loses control of the vehicle. A truck approaches at
full speed in the opposite lane. He barely avoids the collision.
Two other cars appear. Ben zigzags in and out, just barely
avoiding a fatal crash.
He stops along the edge of the road.
Ben closes his eyes and rests his head against the steering
wheel in an attempt to clear his mind. He looks up into the rear-
view mirror again-
ANGELA'S REFLECTION IS STILL THERE. Behind her long black hair,
she fixes him with a milky gaze.
Ben flies into a rage. HE SMASHES THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR WITH HIS
BARE FIST, REDUCING IT TO SCRAPS...
Ben is alone and lost.
BEN (CONT'D)
What have I done? I don't
understand... What have I done?
Insert on what is written on the side rear-view mirror-
"OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR"
83 EXT. NIGHT -MANHATTAN STREET - NYPD POLICE STATION 83
Under the pouring rain, the police patrol cars come and go in
front of the police station.
A bit further away we recognize Ben's Oldsmobile, parked on an
adjacent street. Ben is waiting inside.
A man approaches, knocks on the car window and enters the
vehicle. It's LARRY-
The rainwater drips down his raincoat. Under his arm he holds a
file of documents, wrapped in a plastic bag.
LARRY
This ought to make you happy...
(handing him the file)
Anna Esseker...
(CONTINUED)
66.
83 CONTINUED: 83
Ben nervously tears open the plastic wrapping-
LARRY (CONT'D)
I wasn't quite sure what you needed,
so I got all of her medical records.
BEN
Perfect, Larry. That's perfect.
Ben skims through the pages. He cannot believe that he has
finally discovered who Esseker is...
LARRY
Everyone's real edgy up there. You're
still a fuckin' murder suspect.
People are wondering why I let you
out. You have to tell me more. What
does the history of the Mayflower have
to do with the death of your sister?
BEN
I don't know exactly. I can't tell
you, but some really fucked up things
started happening to me when I took
the job over there. Nothing makes any
sense to me either but I have to
follow my instinct.
Larry notices the broken rear-view mirror-
LARRY
What happened? Did you have an
accident?
Ben is too absorbed in the records. He doesn't answer.
BEN
Anna Esseker... Where did you find her
files? Did you go to City Hall?
LARRY
No, you were wrong about that, they
had nothing. All the medical records
from St. John's Hospital are still up
there with the unclassified cases.
Ben squints at him.
LARRY (CONT'D)
She was a patient at St. John's in the
psych ward run by a Dr. Kane, between
March and September 1952. She was only
twelve years old when she died...
Ben freezes-
(CONTINUED)
67.
83 CONTINUED: (2) 83
BEN
What?
LARRY
When the nurses went on their rounds,
first thing on the morning of October
6th, they discovered that all the
patients had left their rooms during
the night and gathered in the main
room. All of them were dead, including
the girl. Apparently, they had killed
one another... A slaughter house... After
that they shut down the place. Nobody
ever found out what really happened.
BEN
What about the doctor? Dr. Kane?
LARRY
He was arrested. They found him dead
on the first day of his hearing. He
had slit his wrists with a piece of
his cell mirror!
CUT TO:
84 INT. NIGHT - QUEENS BUILDING- ENTRANCE HALL 84
Ben heads home with the file containing Anna's medical records.
He walks through the lobby of his building.
85 OMITTED 85
86 INT. NIGHT - QUEENS APARTMENT 86
Angela's apartment is plunged in total darkness-
Ben lays Anna Esseker's file on the coffee table and aims the
desk lamp at his "research corner" on the wall.
He turns the lamp back at the file and sits down to study it.
WHY ARE THE MIRRORS ASKING FOR ANNA IF SHE'S ALREADY DEAD? WHY?
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE...
On an index card filled in by Anna's parents in September 1952,
Ben finds a Pennsylvania home address.
Dr. Kane's first diagnosis is irrevocable - "Despite her young
age, Anna Esseker suffers from severe schizophrenia, leading to
withdrawal from reality, delusional and violent behavior."
(CONTINUED)
68.
86 CONTINUED: 86
He shuffles through the first few pages of various
administrative documents.
His eye lands on several photographs of Anna taken at the time
she was admitted to the hospital- She is just a child, yet, six
male nurses were needed to restrain and immobilize her in front
of the photographer. Her face is hardly discernible as she
struggles like a wild animal.
A high-pitched sound of cracking glass is heard from behind. Ben
turns around-
Another loud crack - It comes from one of the covered mirrors in
the apartment.
Ben rises slowly to his feet and comes closer. He removes the
sheet hanging on the frame-
A crack has appeared in the upper corner of the mirror. Ben
casts his eyes over the reflection. His glance comes to rest on
Anna's file laying on the desk-
He goes to fetch the photograph of the little girl and presents
it to the mirror-
KRAAAAACK - the crack in the mirror spreads, as if some kind of
pressure were applied on the other side of the mirror as a
reaction to the photograph...
BEN
You're still alive, aren't you?
All of a sudden, Ben realizes something. He runs back to the
file on the table and goes through the documents again, one by
one.
He stops on a carbon copy of a hospital release form and checks
the date.
BEN (CONT'D)
You're wrong Larry, you're wrong...
His eyes light up-
BEN (CONT'D)
...she left the hospital on the 4th.
According to the document, Anna left two days before the
massacre!
CUT TO:
87 INT. - DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE 87
The next morning-
(CONTINUED)
69.
87 CONTINUED: 87
Through the half-opened door at the end of the hallway, we see
Daisy brushing her teeth before going to school. The little girl
is humming as she watches herself in the mirror...
Amy comes out of her room-
AMY
Come on, come on... Let's go... Daisy,
Michael?
She passes in front of the children's room and stops- INSIDE,
MICHAEL IS TALKING TO SOMEBODY. Amy listens closely, but she can
only hear Michael's voice. On the other side of the door, the
little boy bursts out in laughter-
88 INT. DAY - CHILDREN'S ROOM 88
She opens the door and finds her son squatting in front of the
mirror, talking to his own reflection.
AMY
What are you doing Michael? Come on,
we're going to be late.
The little boy does as his mother says. He gets up and dashes
out of the room.
Amy's glance freezes in horror. Terrified, she almost loses her
balance-
MICHAEL'S REFLECTION IS STILL IN THE MIRROR, SITTING IN A
SQUATTING POSITION!
HE LOOKS AT AMY WITH A BIG SMILE.
Amy attempts to speak but can't-
The mirror image of her son remains silent.
Amy steps closer to the mirror and, in the reflection, behind
the boy, she discovers-
HER MIRROR IMAGE IS THERE TOO, BEARING THE SAME FORCED GRIN...
CUT TO:
89 INT. DAY -QUEENS APARTMENT 89
The phone rings. Ben wakes up in a jolt and picks it up- AMY IS
ON THE OTHER END OF THE LINE, IN TEARS.
BEN
Amy ? What's wrong?
(CONTINUED)
70.
89 CONTINUED: 89
AMY O.S.
...You have to come over... Right away...
BEN
What?
Amy cannot get the words out. The convulsive sobs overtake her
voice.
AMY O.S.
I'm so scared, Ben...
BEN
What's happening?
AMY O.S.
There's something in the house...
Something in the mirrors.
BEN
Where are Daisy and Michael? Are the
kids all right?
AMY O.S.
They're with me... They're right here
with me. Come over, please!
BEN
Get out of the house. I'll be right
over...
90 EXT. DAY -QUEENS' STREET 90
Ben runs to his car and throws the Esseker file on the passenger
seat. He drives off at full speed and disappears at the far end
of the road.
CUT TO :
91 EXT/INT. DAY - MAYFLOWER 91
On 38th Street, away from the hustle and bustle of Broadway, the
Mayflower facade is unsettling and disturbing.
AMIDST THE RUINS OF THE DESERTED DEPARTMENT STORE, THE MIRRORS
ARE WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THEIR TIME TO COME...
92 EXT. DAY - NEW JERSEY HOUSE 92
When he arrives, Ben finds his wife waiting in front of the
house. The kids are playing in the snow. Ben's car pulls up in
the driveway.
(CONTINUED)
71.
92 CONTINUED: 92
Amy throws herself into his arms, crying with relief.
BEN
I'm right here, Amy. I'm here now...
Thank god you're alright.
Ben comforts her, holding her tightly with all his strength.
AMY
We can't stay here, we have to leave
the house now... We can go to my
mother's or to a hotel...
BEN
Anyplace is gonna have mirrors or
windows... Anything you can see your
self in is dangerous. We have to make
the house safe. The only way is to
cover all the reflections. If we keep
them in the dark we can avoid them. We
need paint, we need tape...
CUT TO :
93 INT. DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE - A MOMENT LATER 93
Ben has brought up some more paint from the basement. With Amy's
help he paints over all the mirrors in the house. In the face of
this hardship, all the arguments seem far away. We can feel a
connection between the two of them.
The windowpanes and picture frames have been wrapped securely
with newspaper and tape.
Every inch of reflective surface in the house, such as the TV-
screen and the shiny taps, have been "neutralized" with strips
of masking tape...
IN NO TIME, THERE IS NOT A SINGLE SURFACE CAPABLE OF REFLECTING
LIGHT LEFT IN THE HOUSE.
CUT TO :
94 EXT. DAY -NEW JERSEY HOUSE 94
The front door of the house opens. On the landing of the front
steps, Ben kisses Daisy goodbye.
DAISY
When will you be back, Dad?
(CONTINUED)
72.
94 CONTINUED: 94
BEN
As quickly as I can, sweetheart. I
promise.
He kisses Michael who hugs him back-
MICHAEL
I love you, Dad.
He strokes Michael gently on the head and goes to his car. Daisy
and Michael watch their father leave.
Amy walks him to the vehicle-
AMY
What if you don't find her? Maybe she
doesn't live there anymore? Maybe
she's really dead.
BEN
They want her, I'm gonna find her
wherever she is. We don't have any
other choice.
Ben holds her tightly in his arms and plants a tender kiss on
her forehead.
BEN (CONT'D)
I'm sorry about everything I've put
you through... I didn't want to...
Amy interrupts him.
AMY
I know.
Ben gets into the car.
BEN
Amy, I want you to stay here with the
kids until all this is over. All the
mirrors are covered, there's no more
danger. I'll come back as soon as I
can.
Tears well up in Amy's eyes. He takes her hand-
BEN (CONT'D)
Hey baby, everything's gonna be fine.
I love you.
She smiles tenderly. Ben drives off.
73.
95 INT. DAY - BEN'S CAR 95
Through the back window, we see Amy in front of the house,
growing more and more distant.
Anna's medical file lies open on the passenger seat- At the top
of the page we can read her old address in Pennsylvania.
96 EXT. DAY - ROAD 96
-Aerial shot-
We fly over a lake- the waters are so placid that the forest and
outline of the scenery surrounding it reflect off its surface,
creating two perfectly symmetrical landscapes.
We glide over the treetops, diving deeper into the forest, to
follow the main road that zigzags along the slope of the hill.
97 DISSOLVE TO: 97
98 INT. DAY -BEN'S CAR 98
A sign on the edge of the road indicates 67 miles to
Pennsylvania.
Ben focuses on the road, determined to put an end to what hides
behind the mirrors and to rescue his family.
98A OMITTED 98A
99 EXT. DAY - COUNTRY ROAD 99
Ben's car slows down as he reaches a dirt road.
On one of the mailboxes standing on the edge of the road he
spots the name Esseker-
100 EXT. DAY - ESSEKER FARMHOUSE 100
The wind blows over the land.
In the winter season, the muddy fields have little to offer to
the few starving crows flying over them. A feeling of desolation
and solitude hangs over the deserted landscape.
Ben's car has left the asphalt road behind, driving through the
countryside down a winding dirt road.
(CONTINUED)
74.
100 CONTINUED: 100
An old farmhouse stands at the very end of the path. If it
weren't for the parked pick-up truck and the few piglets running
wild, one would think that the farmhouse was abandoned.
Ben gets out of the car and goes to knock on the door.
His shoes sink into the mud. He walks up the steps of the porch
and peeks inside the house through the front window. In the dark
he discerns the silhouette of a person who is watching TV. He
can't help but notice all the mirrors have been covered or
turned towards the wall.
A big dog barks behind the window. Ben steps back, surprised.
The front door opens before Ben has even made his presence
known. A young man stares at him in silence.
BEN
Hello... Is this the Esseker farmhouse?
The young man nods.
A woman's voice is heard from inside-
WOMAN'S VOICE
What is it Jimmy?
JIMMY
I don't know Mom.
(to Ben)
What can I do for you sir?
BEN
I am looking for Anna, Anna Esseker.
The young man looks at Ben questioningly. Apparently he has
never heard the name before.
JIMMY
(to his mother inside)
There's a man who's looking for...
(back to Ben)
You said Anna?
(Ben confirms)
Anna Esseker, Mom!
Jimmy's mother, in her fifties, an obese woman who has trouble
moving around- shows up in the opening of the door -
JIMMY'S MOTHER
What is it you want with Anna Esseker?
She catches him unaware. Ben makes up a false identity-
(CONTINUED)
75.
100 CONTINUED: (2) 100
BEN
I huh... I am doing some research for a
book on the history of St. John's
Hospital, in New York...
Jimmy's mother stares at him for a moment with a suspicious look-
JIMMY'S MOTHER
Jimmy, go tell grandpa that there's a
man here who'd like to talk to him
about his sister.
101 INT. DAY - FARMHOUSE BASEMENT 101
We are in the dark basement, under the farmhouse. The door to
the first floor opens, letting the light in. Ben appears next to
the silhouette of an old man- ROBERT ESSEKER, 80 years old,
Anna's elder brother.
Robert walks down the steps, signaling Ben to follow him-
ROBERT
You know, up to this day, the visions
of Anna's fits still haunt me at
night.
They walk through the basement towards an old wooden door.
ROBERT (CONT'D)
I helped my father fix up this part
of the basement, especially for her-
The old man turns the key in the padlock. Slowly, the door
swings open, revealing-
ROBERT (CONT'D)
Her fits were too violent. My mother
couldn't take her screams anymore.
What's left of a very primitive child's room, SURROUNDED BY
DOUBLE WIRE FENCING AND IRON BARS. Rather than a cell, it more
resembles a HUMAN-SIZED CAGE, CAPABLE OF RESISTING THE MOST
FEROCIOUS BEAST.
As he's talking, images flash on screen- painful memories from
that time come back to him-
Anna being carried to the basement, her innocent eyes full of
hate. It's even hard to recognize the face of a little girl. Her
howling screams. Her nails digging into her own flesh. Her
unnatural strength and the violent thrashing of her arms and
legs.
(CONTINUED)
76.
101 CONTINUED: 101
ROBERT (CONT'D)
We had every priest, doctor, healer,
coming from all over the state, one
after the other. But no one could help
her.
Ben comes closer to the iron bars of the cage. He can see Anna's
scratch marks next to the bed, giving his imagination a taste of
her plight and suffering.
ROBERT (CONT'D)
Finally, Dr. Kane from New York
answered my parents' cry for help. He
rejected the idea of demonic
possession, said he didn't believe in
it. He was convinced that Anna
suffered from a rare form of
personality disorder. He wanted Anna
under his care, at St. John's. My
parents were very poor, but he agreed
to cover all the hospital costs... In
less than five months, Dr. Kane had
cured Anna. It was unbelievable. She
was her old self again. A real miracle
of science.
BEN
And after the hospital?
ROBERT
You don't know? She died there with
all of Kane's other patients.
Ben takes the old release form out of his pocket and shows it to
Robert.
BEN
Anna left the hospital two days before
the massacre. Kane changed the records
to make her disappear.
ROBERT
You're not a journalist, are you? What
do you want?
BEN
I want to know. After St. John's,
where did she go?
Robert stares at Ben, unsure of saying what he's about to reveal
to this perfect stranger-
ROBERT
Anna came back to live with us for a
while...
(CONTINUED)
77.
101 CONTINUED: (2) 101
BEN
For a while?
Robert lowers his eyes.
BEN (CONT'D)
And after? Why did she leave?
ROBERT
Because... Because strange things
started to happen in the house...
BEN
With Anna?
ROBERT
No, not with Anna...
The old man obviously doesn't want to get into the details. The
memories are too painful.
BEN
With the mirrors?
Robert stiffens, eyeing Ben with a dark look- How does he know?
BEN (CONT'D)
Mr. Esseker, tell me where I can find
your sister. It's very important. It's
a matter of life and death.
Robert hesitates -
ROBERT
Before he died, Kane sent us a letter
asking us to keep Anna away from
mirrors and that whatever happens she
should be in a place where the mirrors
could never find her.
BEN
Where is she now?
ROBERT
To protect us, she left the house and
joined the monastic orders, where
mirrors are forbidden... St. Augustine's
monastery, on the road to Midwich.
102 EXT. DAY - ESSEKER FARMHOUSE 102
Ben's car does a one-eighty turn in front of the farmhouse,
heading back to the main road.
(CONTINUED)
78.
102 CONTINUED: 102
Standing on the porch, with an anxious look on his face, Robert
watches him disappear in the distance.
He sits down on the steps, and wipes his glasses.
The crows fly low in the sky- It's a bad sign.
CUT TO :
103 EXT. DAY - MIDWICH MONASTERY 103
The nuns come and go under the arches of the monastic courtyard.
A deadly silence prevails over the monastery, where time seems
to stand still. All these women have taken vows of poverty,
obedience and chastity to serve god.
On the other side of the cloister wall, a small winding road
zigzags between the pine trees. Ben's car draws nearer. He parks
in front of the entrance to the monastery.
104 INT. DAY - MIDWICH MONASTERY VESTIBULE 104
Ben pushes open the heavy front door. The place is dark and
silent. He goes to the front desk-
Behind a wooden screen he can barely make out the two nuns in
charge of admissions. They are the only nuns granted exposure to
the outside world. For the rest, physical and visual contact is
strictly prohibited.
SISTER
Yes, how can I help you?
BEN
Hello Sister. I have come to visit a
member of your community... Sister Anna?
Her real name is Anna Esseker.
SISTER
Is she expecting you?
BEN
No, not really.
SISTER
Are you a relative?
BEN
Listen, Sister, I must see her.
SISTER
If you are not listed, I cannot help
you sir.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
79.
104 CONTINUED: 104
SISTER (CONT'D)
We have strict regulations concerning
visitations, which are exclusively for
family members.
BEN
Please, tell her that I came all the
way from New York and that I work with
Dr. Kane at St. John's Hospital...
SISTER
Wait here for a moment.
She stands up and escapes through one of the back doors.
The other nun behind the screen, observes Ben with curiosity.
Time goes by, and Ben grows impatient.
107 INT. DAY - HOUSE NEW JERSEY 107
Inside the house in Jersey, Amy has isolated herself with the
kids in the parent's bedroom. She's reading them a bedtime
story.
Even if all the windows, screens, and TV are covered by
newspapers or painting, Amy acts in front of Daisy and Michael
as if nothing has happened.
In the rest of the house, everything has been meticulously
covered, wrapped, painted or reversed. Still, here and there, a
barely audible rustle pierces through the silence-
In the children's room, the paint covering the mirror slowly
begins to flake off...
The newspaper wrapped around the windowpanes begins to rip...
THE MIRRORS ARE RESISTING AND ATTEMPTING TO SET THEMSELVES FREE.
107A INT. DAY - MIDWICH MONASTERY VESTIBULE 107A
Ben is losing his calm. Time is running out. The nun reappears
behind the wooden screen-
SISTER
Sister Anna has agreed to talk to you,
you may proceed to the parlor next
door.
Ben crosses the hall and opens the door that the nun gestures
him to.
He enters the parlor alone. In the spare room, a chair stands by
a wooden screen, fencing him off, once again.
(CONTINUED)
80.
107A CONTINUED: 107A
Behind the screen, a silhouette awaits him.
SISTER ANNA
St. John's closed down in 1952. Who
are you?
Ben sits down. Even at a short distance he cannot discern the
face of Anna Esseker, who is now Sister Anna.
BEN
My name is Benjamin Carson. I work as
a night watchman at 1229 West 38th
Street in New York City, what used to
be St. John's Hospital.
SISTER ANNA
What is it you want Mr. Carson?
BEN
I need your help.
SISTER ANNA
My help? I don't quite see how I could
possibly be of any help.
BEN
My wife and children are in danger.
What is threatening my family is
asking for you...
For a split second, Ben makes eye contact with Anna behind the
screen. She has understood...
BEN (CONT'D)
If you don't help me I may lose the
only thing that matters to me.
SISTER ANNA
I cannot leave the precincts. It's
impossible.
BEN
Tell me why are the mirrors from the
old hospital so determined to find
you?
Sister Anna remains silent-
BEN (CONT'D)
I must know, Sister.
SISTER ANNA
It is not the wish of the mirrors to
find me, but of what is imprisoned
inside them. The mirrors are merely
windows on our world...
(CONTINUED)
81.
107A CONTINUED: (2) 107A
BEN
A window... For what? For whom?
ANNA
At the time that I was at St. John's,
Dr. Kane's therapy for personality
disorders consisted of locking the
patient up in a mirrored room for
several days on end, in order to force
him to confront his own image. I spent
the darkest days of my life in that
room. On the 6th day the nurses found
me lifeless, almost dead. Since that
day, I have never had another fit. But
deep down inside I've always known the
truth.
BEN
What truth?
ANNA
There is no cure for schizophrenia, it
was something else, Mr. Carson. And
whatever it was, it entered the
mirror.
We can feel the emotion in her voice.
ANNA (CONT'D)
I thought that after fifty years, this
would have all gone away. They would
have disappeared from the mirrors. I
didn't know.... I'm sorry but if I
agree to go with you and return to
that place, I will make it possible
for them to cross the threshold back
into the real world.
Everything is now making sense for Ben-
BEN
It entered with you and they need you
to get out.
ANNA
The consequences of such an act, Mr.
Carson, would be more devastating than
letting them suffer where they are
now. I'm going to pray for you and
your family. That's all I can do right
now, Mr. Carson. God bless you...
She stands to leave.
(CONTINUED)
82.
107A CONTINUED: (3) 107A
BEN
Wait... Please, listen to me- Terence
Berry, Gary Lewis and many others
before me... Those are the people who
died trying to find you. Because they
failed, their families died too. My
sister was murdered two days ago... My
wife and kids will next if you don't
come with me. Look-
From his wallet Ben takes out a wrinkled photograph of Michael,
as a baby, in Amy's arms. Daisy stands next to them in the
picture. Ben presses the photograph against the grating for Anna
to look at it.
BEN (CONT'D)
My wife and two children. They're all
I've got. They're innocent... Please.
Anna stays quiet a moment behind the screen and leaves.
BEN (CONT'D)
I KNOW YOU ARE SCARED OF GOING BACK
THERE. IT'S EASIER TO KEEP HIDING BUT
THIS IS NOT THE HOUSE OF GOD ANYMORE.
WHILE YOU'RE PRAYING PEOPLE ARE DYING
ON YOUR TIME!
Anna doesn't respond and disappears in the distance.
Ben failed. He's desperate and lost. He has a hard time
containing his anger.
105 EXT. DAY - MONASTERY 105
On the horizon, a red sun sets behind the treetops. It's almost
nightfall.
The bells from the monastery begin to toll.
The cross above the monastery reflects upside down in a puddle
of rain water.
Frustrated, Ben walks back to his car and dials his home number
on his cell phone -
106 EXT. NIGHT -NEW JERSEY HOUSE 106
In the distance, the lights of Manhattan sparkle in the night.
In the house, all the lights are off.
All is quiet, too quiet.
83.
108 INT. NIGHT - HALLWAY 108
In the hallway, the shiny doorknob leading to Amy's bedroom is
the only reflecting surface that has been forgotten.
In the distorted reflection, we see Michael's silhouette
approaching. The little boy reaches for the knob but-
IN REALITY, NO HAND TOUCHES IT-
IT'S MICHAEL'S REFLECTION INSIDE THE SHINY KNOB THAT IS OPENING
THE DOOR!
Inside the bedroom, Amy fell asleep with Daisy in her arms.
On the bedside table, THE HOME PHONE STARTS RINGING- She wakes
up with a jolt and picks up the cordless receiver-
AMY
Hello? Ben... Where are you? Did you
find her? Did you talk to...
She stops speaking as she realizes- Daisy is asleep next to her
but MICHAEL IS NO LONGER THERE.
AMY (CONT'D)
Michael? MICHAEL!?
(on the phone)
Ben hold on, Michael is gone...
BEN (O.S.)
What?
AMY
(to Ben on the phone)
I don't know, I fell asleep with the
kids on the bed and...
She sees that THE BEDROOM DOOR IS HALF OPENED.
AMY (CONT'D)
Michael?
The sound of pouring water is heard, coming from the hallway.
Michael must be in the bathroom.
BEN (O.S.)
Amy, what's going on? Are you alright?
Amy runs to the door, waking Daisy up.
DAISY
What is it Mom?
(CONTINUED)
84.
108 CONTINUED: 108
AMY
(to her daughter)
You stay right here sweetheart, I'm
going to look for your brother. Stay
right here.
(to Ben on the phone)
Ben, I have to call you back, I have
to find Michael...
BEN (O.S.)
No Amy, stay with me...
109 INT. NIGHT - CORRIDOR/BATHROOM - CONTINUITY 109
Amy comes out of the bedroom and notices that the floor is
completely soaked.
She turns on the light in the hallway, only to discover-
The entire upper floor is covered by an inch of water- all the
taps in the bathroom are turned on and have transformed the
surface of the floor into A LARGE NATURAL MIRROR...
AMY
(to Ben on the phone)
Fuck! There is water everywhere...
Michael? Michael? MICHAEL?!
Amy freezes when she realizes that all the picture frames and
all the mirrors in the corridor have been scraped, bringing the
reflecting surfaces, once again, to the light...
AMY (CONT'D)
(scared)
Ben, someone scraped all the
mirrors... There is someone in the
house.
BEN (O.S.)
Where is Michael?
AMY
(panicked)
I don't know where he is. I don't see
him. I...
As she turns in the hallway, Amy sees A DARK SHADOW MOVING IN
ONE OF THE MIRRORS. Terrified, she steps back and hits the
opposite wall. She drops the phone on the flooded floor-
109A EXT. DAY - MONASTERY 109A
At the same moment, Ben, still outside of the monastery, is cut
off in his conversation with his wife-
(CONTINUED)
85.
109A CONTINUED: 109A
BEN
Amy? Amy? Answer me?
He tried to redial but that doesn't work. He knows something
weird is happening there.
Without hesitation, Ben grabs his gun inside the car and walks
back towards the monastery gates.
109B -BACK IN THE HOUSE- 109B
Unsure of what she saw, Amy makes a step towards the mirror but
only finds her own reflection.
She picks up the phone- The water shorted it out...
AMY
Damn it...
Cautiously, Amy walks up to the bathroom.
AMY (CONT'D)
Michael?
She opens the door- the sink and bathtub are filled with water
overflowing onto the tiled floor. Michael is not there.
CUT TO:
109C INT. NIGHT - MONASTERY CELL 109C
A hand enters frame to light some candles.
Sister Anna is back in her cell. The way her hand shakes as she
carries the match from one candle to the other betrays how upset
she is by the confrontation with Ben- It's been too much time
that she's carrying the guilt.
She runs the rosary nervously between her fingers and kneels
down in front of her bed to pray when-
A loud muted sound followed by a sudden wave of agitation is
heard outside the cell. Someone has broken into the monastery.
She recognizes Ben's voice- Like a mad man, he's looking for her
everywhere and threatens the other nuns to show him the way.
Anna stands up when Ben bursts into her cell with his gun in his
hand. Behind him, the other nuns are terrified.
Ben points the gun at Anna-
BEN
My kids are not going to die tonight.
You're coming with me, now.
(CONTINUED)
86.
109C CONTINUED: 109C
Not intimidated by the weapon, Anna steps towards Ben. FOR THE
FIRST TIME, BEN CAN SEE HER FACE- The old lady seems more
determined than ever-
ANNA
If I come with you Mr. Carson, you
have to promise to do everything I
tell you. My way. No questions.
Ben lowers his gun-
BEN
You have my word.
CUT TO:
110 INT. NIGHT- BEDROOM- MEANWHILE 110
Daisy waits patiently in the bed following her mother's
instructions. Suddenly she hears her mother calling her from the
children's bedroom-
AMY (O.S.)
Daisy... Daisy... Come here...
Daisy steps into the corridor and stops, for a moment, when she
notices the flooding. She enters her bedroom, following the
voice that calls out for her-
AMY (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Daisy... Daisy...
111 INT. NIGHT - CHILDREN'S BEDROOM - CONTINUITY 111
Daisy explores the bedroom. The voice is still calling, but her
mother is not there.
The door shuts behind her.
She walks up to the mirror on the wall. The paint has been
partially scraped off-
THE LITTLE GIRL DISCOVERS HER MOTHER'S REFLECTION ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE MIRROR-
112 INT. NIGHT - BATHROOM - MEANWHILE 112
BUT IN REALITY, AMY IS STILL IN THE BATHROOM!
She turns off the tap and sinks her hand into the depths of the
bathtub to pull the plug, when she sees Michael's reflection on
the surface -
(CONTINUED)
87.
112 CONTINUED: 112
AMY
Micha...
She turns around, but Michael is not behind her. The reflection
lied.
SUDDENLY HER ARM IS PULLED INTO THE BATHTUB.
AN INVISIBLE FORCE PLUNGES HER HEAD INTO THE WATER TO DROWN HER.
AMY STRUGGLES FRENETICALLY BUT THE PRESSURE IS TOO STRONG FOR
HER TO BREAK FREE.
113 -BACK IN THE CHILDREN'S BEDROOM- 113
Daisy walks up to her mother's reflection in the mirror.
AMY'S REFLECTION
Come sweetheart... Come, come closer...
Come...
Daisy is mistrustful. She senses that something is not right. In
the mirror, her mother's attitude is different and strange...
DAISY
What are you doing in there, Mom?
AMY'S REFLECTION
Come closer, don't worry... Everything
is all right, sweetheart.
Daisy obeys when, suddenly, she notices that her mother holds a
pair of scissors in her hand.
Daisy has no time to react-
THE REFLECTION OF THE MOTHER GRABS THE REFLECTION OF THE LITTLE
GIRL, HOLDING HER FIRMLY IN HER ARMS-
BY SOME INVISIBLE FORCE, IN REALITY, DAISY IS SUSPENDED IN THE
AIR IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR.
114 -BACK IN THE BATHROOM - 114
With her head still submerged in the bathtub, Amy is drowning.
She tries to fight back. Unsuccessfully. Her head stays under
the water.
With the tips of her fingers, Amy feels her way to the plug. She
pulls it out.
Slowly, the water level begins to go down. Too slowly. Amy
struggles to pull her head out of the water to breath again.
(CONTINUED)
88.
114 CONTINUED: 114
The water continues to recede. Amy has reached exhaustion, her
hands clutch onto the edge of the bathtub. She is suffocating.
At the last minute, she turns her head to gasp for air.
The remaining water swirls down the drain. The bathtub is now
empty and the invisible force seems to have vanished.
Amy collapses to the ground, spitting and coughing. She comes to
her senses, gets back to her feet and dashes out of the
bathroom.
AMY
Michael?! Michael?
As she runs past the bedroom, she notices that the door is open-
AMY (CONT'D)
Daisy !?
Daisy is no longer there.
AMY (CONT'D)
Daisy !
Panicked, Amy crosses the corridor and barges into the
children's room. Inside she discovers-
115 INT. NIGHT - CHILDREN'S ROOM 115
SUSPENDED IN THE AIR, A FEW INCHES OFF THE GROUND, DAISY
STRUGGLES TO BREAK FREE.
In the mirror, Amy sees her own reflection bringing the sharp
blade of the scissors to her daughter's throat. The blade glides
over her skin.
In reality, A TRICKLE OF BLOOD APPEARS ON DAISY'S THROAT.
Instinctively, Amy throws herself against Daisy, tearing her
away from the grip of her own reflection. They land on the floor
and crawl to the corner of the room, safe from the danger of the
reflections.
Amy tears off a piece of her clothing, which she presses against
Daisy's throat in order to stop the bleeding.
AMY
Oh my god, don't move baby, don't
move...
Amy is out of control, holding Daisy tightly in her arms. She is
terror-stricken by the events in the house...
(CONTINUED)
89.
115 CONTINUED: 115
AMY (CONT'D)
Don't move sweetheart...
Fortunately, Daisy's wound is not deep. The blade did not reach
the main artery. Amy saved her life at the very last minute.
Daisy is half conscious from the loss of blood. She struggles to
speak-
DAISY
Why did you do this, Mom?
AMY
(in tears)
It wasn't me Daisy, it wasn't me... I
would never hurt you, you know that.
DAISY
Whe...where is Michael ?
AMY
I don't know where he is... I'm going to
take care of you and then we're going
to find him...OK But for now, we have to
get out of here.
DAISY
Is Daddy coming back soon?
AMY
Yes, he'll be here soon as he can.
A bit further away, in the scraped section of the mirror, we
can see Amy's reflection, on its knees above Daisy who lies on
the floor-
IN THIS EVIL VERSION OF THE REALITY, Amy's double has killed her
own daughter. Using the scissors, she's "working" on the dead
body. What exactly is she doing to the little girl?
She turns toward us, revealing HER FACE AND HANDS COVERED WITH
FRESH BLOOD!
AMY'S REFLECTION COMES CLOSER TO PEEK THROUGH THE MIRROR , WITH
HER HANDS PRESSED AGAINST THE GLASS, AS IF IT WERE JUST A
WINDOW.
IN SEARCH OF THE REAL AMY AND DAISY, the forces of the mirrors
are determined to get them.
Away from the field of vision of the mirror, Amy crawls on the
floor towards the door-
90.
116 INT. NIGHT - BEDROOM 116
Amy comes back to the bedroom, carrying Daisy in her arms.
As she passes the bureau, she grabs the first-aid-kit from one
of the drawers. She sets her daughter down in the walk-in
closet, away from the mirrors. The little girl has trouble
moving.
Amy examines the cut on Daisy's throat. Quickly, with a
professional touch, she disinfects and bandages the wound.
AMY
Listen to me carefully Daisy... I want
you to stay in here and be quiet.
Daisy is terrified and with her remaining strength, she holds on
to her mother tightly.
AMY (CONT'D)
You have to be brave, sweetheart... I
want you to stay in here and not get
out until I come back, no matter what
happens. I'm going to find Michael... Do
you hear me?
Not quite convinced, Daisy accepts reluctantly.
AMY (CONT'D)
I am so proud of you.
Amy shuts the door of the closet. Through the wooden slats she
can see her daughter inside-
AMY (CONT'D)
Don't move...
Amy exits the room.
117 INT. NIGHT - CORRIDOR/STAIRCASE 117
Even though she turned off the taps upstairs Amy can still hear
the water pouring downstairs...
On guard, Amy walks down the stairs, step by step. She is
frightened and her heart is pounding.
AMY
Michael ? Michael ?
At the bottom of the stairs, Amy catches sight of Michael at the
other end of the living room.
(CONTINUED)
91.
117 CONTINUED: 117
The first floor is completely flooded. ALL THE SPACE IS COVERED
BY A THIN LAYER OF WATER THAT'S MIRRORING EVERYTHING IN HOUSE.
The little boy has climbed up onto a stool and is scraping the
paint off the mirror with a sharp knife... It was Michael who had
scraped all the mirrors in the house in order to set the force
of the mirrors free.
AMY (CONT'D)
Michael !
He doesn't answer. He doesn't seem to hear her.
Amy comes down the last step.
AMY (CONT'D)
Michael ? What are you doing?
The little boy turns around towards his mother with a big smile-
IN THE MIRROR, HIS REFLECTION REMAINS FACING THEM.
MICHAEL
They want to come play with us, Mommy.
Amy moves slowly towards her son.
AMY
Michael, I want you to drop that
knife, do you hear me? You know very
well you are not allowed to play with
that, don't you?
Michael looks at her in confusion and steps down from the stool.
AMY (CONT'D)
That's a good boy, now give me the
knife...
Instead of obeying, Michael runs off and disappears into another
room on the first floor.
AMY (CONT'D)
MICHAEL !
Amy rushes after him.
118 INT. NIGHT - BEDROOM 118
Amy's cell phone, laying on the night table, begins to ring. On
the display we can see the call is from Ben.
Through the wooden slats of the closet door, Daisy catches sight
of the phone.
(CONTINUED)
92.
118 CONTINUED: 118
She thinks about leaving the closet to answer, but remembers her
mother's strict instructions about staying in the hiding place.
The phone continues to ring, but no one answer it.
119 INT. NIGHT - FIRST FLOOR 119
Amy hears the phone ringing upstairs, but she cannot answer it
now- She must find Michael first.
CUT TO :
120 EXT/INT. NIGHT - BEN'S CAR - MANHATTAN 120
Ben's car drives down a Manhattan street.
Behind the wheel, Ben is on the phone and gets Amy's voicemail.
He dials again-
BEN
Answer! God damn it... Answer the phone...
Once again he gets the voicemail.
BEN (CONT'D)
Fuck...
Ben is losing his calm.
121 EXT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER DEPARTMENT STORE 121
Ben's car pulls up in front of the department store. Through the
windshield, Anna catches sight of the devastated building.
Ben hangs up the phone-
BEN
Something's wrong over there, my wife
is not answering.
Ben is torn - He knows that going back to Amy isn't going to
help-
BEN (CONT'D)
We have to get inside the Mayflower
now.
Anna steps out. She cannot conceal the sudden shiver that runs
through her when she stands in front of the former hospital-
ANNA
From now on, I'm going to close my
eyes.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
93.
121 CONTINUED: 121
ANNA (CONT'D)
Take me to the basement, to the mirror
room. It has to stop where it began...
Ben grabs her forcefully-
BEN
Come on, let's go.
ANNA
Mr. Carson, no matter what happens in
there, I want you to do as I say and
make sure I never get out of this
place.
Ben pulls out his keys and unlocks the front door. Anna closes
her eyes and follows him inside.
122 INT. NIGHT - ENTRANCE HALL- MAYFLOWER DEPARTMENT STORE 122
Anna has barely crossed the threshold when the hall mirrors
start trembling-
They can feel her presence.
She tightens her grip around Ben's hand. She is anxious, and
even with her eyes shut, she can sense the threatening vibes
sent off by the mirrors.
Ben is focused, gazing straight ahead as they cross the ground
floor in the direction of the basement door.
Yet, from the corner of his eye, he cannot help but glimpse the
mirrors. What he discovers goes beyond his worst nightmares-
A CROWD OF MEN AND WOMEN, FLAYED ALIVE, CRAWLING AND PRESSING
THEMSELVES AGAINST THE GLASS PANES, INSIDE THE MIRRORS. THEY
OBSERVE BEN AND ANNA WITH BLANK, LIFELESS GAZES. SOME ARE
BANGING THEIR FISTS, THEIR HANDS, AND EVEN THEIR HEADS AGAINST
THE GLASS, IN AN ATTEMPT TO BREAK FREE FROM THE MIRROR.
SUDDENLY BEHIND HIM, ONE OF THESE VISIONS BASHES AGAINST THE
MIRROR! KEEPING ITS WIDE OPENED EYES ON THEM, THE VISION STARTS
LICKING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR LIKE AN ANIMAL.
ANNA
They are waiting for me...
Ben turns towards Anna and realizes that in the mirror, there's
something else-
Anna's reflection is different- IT'S NOT THE OLD NUN ANYMORE BUT
THE 12 YEARS OLD GIRL, EXACTLY AS ANNA WAS IN THE TIME OF ST.
JOHNS HOSPITAL!
94.
123 INT. NIGHT -NEW JERSEY HOUSE 123
We are back in the house.
Amy is still searching for Michael. She goes into the kitchen to
turn off the tap.
Above the sink, the newspaper on the windows had been ripped as
well and the hot steam is now covering the glass. A HAND PRINT
APPEARS ON ONE OF THE WINDOW PANES AND SLIDES DOWN AGAINST THE
GLASS...
The forces are everywhere.
Amy steps back and runs out of the kitchen.
THE THIN LAYER OF WATER ON THE FLOOR HAS TRANSFORMED THE ENTIRE
HOUSE INTO A MIRROR EXTENDING THROUGH EACH ROOM.
AN INESCAPABLE MIRROR...
The sound of rapid, splashing footsteps catches her attention.
Amy turns around and leaves the kitchen-
AMY
Michael ?
Michael's reflection sweeps over the water surface.
Amy runs after him but stops short when she catches sight of
him. Michael is hiding under the living room couch.
She comes closer and bends over- THERE IS NO ONE UNDER THE
COUCH!
Yet, in the reflection of the wet floor, Michael is there...
He smiles at her, playfully.
IN A QUICK MOVEMENT, THE LITTLE BOY'S REFLECTION BRANDISHES THE
KNIFE IN EXCITEMENT AND TEARS IT THROUGH HIS MOTHER'S FACE-
AMY LETS OUT A CRY OF PAIN AS SHE BRINGS HER HAND TO HER CHEEK-
THE INVISIBLE BLADE HAS SLASHED HER FACE.
The blood gushes between her fingers. Michael's reflection has
disappeared.
She turns around just in time to catch sight of the little boy's
reflection escaping. His invisible footsteps splash in the water
as he moves further away...
She hears Michael run up the stairs to the first floor.
95.
124 INT. NIGHT - STEP-IN CLOSET 124
Protected from the mirrors, in her hiding place in the closet,
Daisy inspects the room through the wooden slats.
Suddenly, the bedroom door squeaks open. Daisy curls up in the
corner of the closet, overtaken with fear-
It's only the cat who enters the room with a meow.
DAISY
Tiger! Come here kitty, come here...
She opens the door a tiny crack to let him in. The little girl
takes the pet in her arms, reassuringly.
CUT TO :
125 INT. NIGHT -MAYFLOWER BASEMENT 125
In the dark, the surface of the water lies perfectly still. We
are no longer in the New Jersey house, but in the subterranean
passageways corridors of the department store.
Ben and Anna's silhouettes appear, walking down the stairs.
Ben turns on his flashlight. The lights along the corridor are
too weak.
BEN
Watch your step, a water pipe has
burst, the whole basement is flooded.
Ben guides Anna, with her eyes still shut, through the tunnels.
The beam of the flashlight sweeps across the walls, and the
piping.
They pass the junction of the two tunnels and arrive at the
demolished wall.
ANNA
You stay outside...
Anna steps over the rubble as she feels her way into the mirror
room.
IN ALL THE MIRRORS IT'S NOT ANNA THE NUN, BUT ANNA THE LITTLE
GIRL THAT WE CAN SEE-
When she places her hand against one of the mirrors, cracks
appear instantly. The pressure on the other side is growing
stronger and stronger.
(CONTINUED)
96.
125 CONTINUED: 125
Anna positions herself in the center of the room, from where her
reflection is multiplied to infinity from all the possible
angles.
She kneels down with her eyes closed.
CUT TO :
126 INT. NIGHT -NEW JERSEY HOUSE 126
Compared to the gloom of the basement in the department store,
the second floor of the house seems to be bathed in light.
Michael is sitting quietly in front of his room. As Narcissus
did, he is observing his reflection, mirrored in the surface of
the water that covers the wooden floor.
AMY
Michael ?
Hypnotized by his mirror image, the little boy does not hear his
mother's call.
Amy appears at the top of the stairs and catches sight of him.
AMY (CONT'D)
Michael... Michael, look at me... I'm
right here.
Michael doesn't answer. Gently, he caresses his reflection in
the surface of the water.
Amy comes up to him slowly, determined to pull him away from his
reflection...
She lays her hand on his shoulder.
This time Michael reacts and turns towards her.
Before he can utter a single word-
THE REFLECTION OF THE HAND BECOMES REAL, GRABBING THE CHILD'S
WRISTS. MICHAEL'S REFLECTION PULLS HIM THROUGH ITS SURFACE.
MICHAEL DISAPPEARS INTO THE FLOOR.
Amy throws herself to the ground in an attempt to catch him. Too
late, the little boy has been submerged in the thin layer of
water covering the floor. MICHAEL HAS BEEN PULLED INTO THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE MIRROR!
Amy sees her son struggling under the water, as if he were
caught under a coat of ice.
AMY (CONT'D)
Michael, Michael... No, no...
(CONTINUED)
97.
126 CONTINUED: 126
In desperation, Amy beats her fists against the floor with all
her strength, trying to break through to the other side.
AMY (CONT'D)
MICHAEL !! NOOOOO...
Flying into a rage, she beats her fists again and again in an
attempt to break the surface and save Michael from drowning.
She sees Michael's body sinking into the depths...
CUT TO :
127 INT. NIGHT - MIRROR ROOM 127
Back to the subterranean world of the department store.
Ben is waiting in the corridor with his gun in hand.
In the mirror room, Anna recites a prayer for strength. IN THE
REFLECTION, YOUNG ANNA IS DOING THE SAME...
The mirrors around her shake more and more violently-
Anna remains with her eyes still shut.
Ben sees cracks forming on the walls and the surface of the
water at his feet trembling...
127A INT. NIGHT - MAYFLOWER 127A
SOMETHING IS HAPPENING IN THE REST OF THE STORE AS WELL- ON EACH
FLOOR, IN EVERY DEPARTMENT, ALL THE MIRRORS BEGIN TO VIBRATE
UNCONTROLLABLY, TO TWIST OUT OF SHAPE, TO SWELL, TO SHRIVEL AND
FINALLY-
127B BACK IN THE MIRROR ROOM 127B
ANNA OPENS HER EYES-
ALL THE MIRRORS EXPLODE!
FROM ONE AREA TO THE NEXT IN THE DEPARTMENT STORE, THE
EXPLOSIONS ARE SPECTACULAR AND APOCALYPTIC.
Anna's eyes freeze- her pupils constrict- thousands of shards
of glass are sent flying into the air, piercing through her body
like a dozen sharpened daggers.
The blow of the explosion causes the walls to tremble.
Instinctively, Ben takes shelter behind the wall.
CUT TO :
98.
128 INT. NIGHT - NEW JERSEY HOUSE 128
MICHAEL'S BODY REEMERGES TO THE SURFACE!
Amy clings to him and pulls him out of the water. The little boy
is unconscious.
She begins to shake him and to perform mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation as she applies rhythmical pressure to his chest.
Amy tries not to lose her head, determined to bring her little
boy back to life.
Her eyes fill with tears, blurring her vision. She mustn't lose
faith. She mustn't give up...
Cardiac massage, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, cardiac massage...
MICHAEL REMAINS UNCONSCIOUS...
129 INT. NIGHT - MIRROR ROOM / SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGEWAYS 129
IN THE BASEMENT, THE CALM HAS BEEN RESTORED.
Ben is still crouching behind the sheltering wall of the mirror
room. In the silence, he waits. He must establish beyond a doubt
that it's all over.
He aims his flashlight at the surface of the water-
Everything seems to be back to normal. His reflection is
deformed by the slight stir of the water, slowly becoming
placid.
Ben steps over the rubble to enter the mirror room-
All the mirrors have been pulverized leaving behind only the
metal cage that was holding them in place. The floor is covered
with thousands of pieces of mirror floating in the water,
shimmering in the shadows.
The beam of the flashlight sweeps the room in search of Anna, or
her dead body-
Nothing...
Ben inspects all the dark corners behind the metal structure -
The woman has vanished.
He aims his flashlight at the ceiling. The beam of light
instantly reveals a dark shape hanging above him-
It's her, or at least what is left of her- A POSSESSED,
METAMORPHOSED, HUMAN FRAME. SHE IS BARELY RECOGNIZABLE.
(CONTINUED)
99.
129 CONTINUED: 129
WITH HER EYES ROLLED UPWARD, HER SLASHED FACE AND HER BODY
PIERCED BY THE SHARDS OF GLASS, SHE LOOKS LIKE A DEMON, DEPRIVED
OF ANY HUMAN TRAITS. THE REAL ANNA DISAPPEARED FROM THE MOMENT
SHE OPENED HER EYES AND RELEASED THE FORCES OF THE MIRROR.
Ben has no time to react before "Anna" charges at him.
He drops his flashlight to the ground, trying to resist her as
much as he can.
HER WAY OF MOVING IS NO LONGER HUMAN. MORE LIKE A STROBOSCOPIC
CONVULSION, HER MOVEMENTS ARE SOMETHING BETWEEN AN ENRAGED BEAST
AND THE WORST EPILEPTIC FIT.
Ben manages to pin the creature against the wall. "Anna" spits
blood in his face.
He applies all his strength to immobilize her- the shards of
glass dig deeper into the elderly woman's flesh, which only
seems to provide her an intense pleasure...
"Anna" froths at the mouth. Her speech has become a deep,
animalistic, incomprehensible gurgle.
In an effortless movement, "Anna" pushes him away.
Her demonic strength is ten times his. Ben is merely a puppet, a
rag doll that she sends flying into the air, only to crash
violently against the brick walls...
Blood squirts onto the surface of the water.
Ben smashes into the wall separating the mirror room from the
underground passageways.
On the other side, he lands on the ground, in the dark. He
strives to regain consciousness...
Ben takes advantage of the brief respite to pull out his gun but-
"Anna" appears from the dark and, in a flash, she strikes a
backhanded blow that sends the gun off into the air.
She lifts Ben up and throws him across the room. He rams into
the wall.
With the absence of light in the basement, Ben is defenseless.
He cannot see his assailant...
Ben is caught by the leg and dragged backwards. His hand
struggles to catch on to anything that could hold him back.
Suddenly, under the water, his hand lands on the gun. He grabs
it, turns onto his back, and fires point-blank at "Anna".
The bullets go flying through her body, but they don't stop her.
(CONTINUED)
100.
129 CONTINUED: (2) 129
Ben is being dragged. He manages to grab hold of one pipe after
the other, trying to hold on, but the pipe gives way and breaks
off from the wall, LETTING OUT A POWERFUL JET OF GAS.
Once again, Ben is sent flying down the tunnel.
He struggles to get back on his feet-
Apart from the sound of the flowing gas, a disturbing silence
surrounds the subterranean passageways.
Ben makes out "Anna's" silhouette, hiding behind the leaking gas
pipe.
With his bloodied face, Ben is no longer the same man anymore-
Something in his eyes has shifted. Rage and violence have
replaced the terror and dread. He is determined to put an end to
the creature, no matter what happens.
He slides the weapon in his belt and steps, with his bare hands,
towards what once was "Anna"...
Crouched over in the water, the demon looks up, ready to charge.
Ben takes another step forward with the same determination. The
creature thrusts itself against him-
THE CLASH IS EXTREMELY VIOLENT. Ben uses all his strength to
keep his assailant's jaw at a distance.
In a swift movement, Ben turns around AND IMPALES "ANNA" ON THE
BROKEN GAS PIPE!
IN A GUSH OF BLOOD THE SHARP METAL TIP PIERCES THROUGH HER
STOMACH BUT-
Despite being momentarily immobilised, the demon seems
unaffected by the near total destruction of its outer shell. On
the contrary, it struggles more violently to escape from the
trap.
Ben moves away, keeping an eye on "Anna". He takes his gun and
aims it at her. Ben is exhausted. With his arm outstretched, he
is ready to shoot, waiting for the right moment.
The silhouette suddenly emerges from the dark.
Ben stands by-
The demon goes through the cloud of gas- Ben fires-
THE EXPLOSION IS INSTANTANEOUS. "ANNA" IS ENGULFED IN FLAMES.
THE FIRE SPREADS THROUGH THE TUNNELS.
Ben throws himself to the ground to avoid the flames.
(CONTINUED)
101.
129 CONTINUED: (3) 129
SUDDENLY, IN A DOMINO EFFECT, ONE EXPLOSION FOLLOWS THE OTHER. A
BLAST OCCURS A BIT FURTHER DOWN THE TUNNEL, AND ANOTHER INSIDE
THE WALLS.
THE SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGEWAYS ARE ABOUT TO COLLAPSE-
Cracks appear everywhere. The brick walls begin to fall apart.
A part of the ceiling at the far end of the corridor caves in.
Ben gets back on his feet and dashes for the stairs.
Totally burnt, flesh charred, "Anna" is enraged by her prey's
resistance. The blazing demon runs after Ben.
Behind them, one after the other, sections of the walls
collapse.
Ben runs as fast as he can.
"Anna" is coming closer to him, when suddenly -
JUST BEHIND BEN, A SECTION OF THE GROUND FLOOR CAVES IN, BURYING
HER UNDER A MASS OF RUBBLE.
Ben narrowly escaped the collapse. He reaches the staircase and
catches sight of the exit above when suddenly-
THE ENTIRE FOUNDATION OF THE BUILDING COLLAPSES OVER HIM.
Ben finds himself crushed along the floor and penetrates the
mirroring water surface DISAPPEARING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
MIRROR.
129A INT. NIGHT - JERSEY HOUSE 129A
All of her efforts are in vain. Amy is unable to bring back her
son.
Nonetheless, she continues with the same determination, refusing
to accept reality.
She finally breaks down, pleading with the sky above...
129B THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR 129B
Lost and floating in this strange and unfamiliar place, Ben
turns and sees Michael's body/soul which is also trapped in this
parallel dimension, on the other side of the mirror.
In the distance, he can see the surface leading to the hallway
of the New Jersey house. Above it, Amy tries to resuscitate
Michael.
(CONTINUED)
102.
129B CONTINUED: 129B
Ben grabs his son and holds him tightly in his arms for a
moment, then pushes him towards the surface-
THE CHILD OPENS HIS EYES!-
130 INT. NIGHT -NEW JERSEY HOUSE 130
MICHAEL COMES AROUND, COUGHING OUT THE WATER FROM HIS LUNGS. Amy
bursts into tears, sobbing with joy. She holds him tightly in
her arms, with all her strength, with all her love.
Holding Michael in her arms, Amy comes back for Daisy in the
bedroom. She opens the closet door and finds her little girl
inside. The child throws herself into her mother's arms-
DAISY
It is over, Mom?
Amy throws a glance at her reflection in the mirror. Everything
seems back to normal.
AMY
Yes sweetheart, it's over...
Amy holds her two children tightly, savoring this moment of joy
and relief.
Through the window, we see the first light of dawn appearing on
the horizon.
131 INT. DAWN - MAYFLOWER 131
The sunbeams slice through the windowpanes of the glass dome
above the entrance hall of the department store.
The pigeons fly in and out...
The burnt mannequins are still standing in the middle of the
ruins.
ON THE WALLS, ALL THAT REMAINS FROM THE MIRRORS IS THEIR 1920's
GOLD FRAMES.
The floor has completely subsided. It looks like there was just
an earthquake under the building.
In the middle of the pile of debris, something in the rubble
begins to move-
A HAND APPEARS. SOMEBODY SURFACES -
It's Ben. He gasps for air. Wounded and covered in dust, it is a
miracle that he has survived.
(CONTINUED)
103.
131 CONTINUED: 131
He struggles back to his feet and climbs over the blocks of
concrete to regain the ground floor.
Limping, he crosses the entrance hall. His discovery of the
absence of mirrors on the walls brings a smile to his face- He
has finally triumphed over the mirrors that he once believed to
be indestructible...
132 EXT. DAY - MAYFLOWER 132
Ben steps out of the department store, walks out of the closed
off area, and reaches the street.
Police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances with spinning lights
have surrounded the fencing.
Ben approaches the scene. He needs medical attention. He catches
sight of Lorenzo, talking to some policemen. Ben stops dead in
his tracks-
THE NAME LORENZO, EMBROIDERED ON THE UNIFORM, IS WRITTEN
BACKWARDS...
Ben glances at the police vehicles and their license plates-
How is it possible? EVERYTHING IS REVERSED.
Ben steps back in panic.
As he walks away from the scene we discover something else in
the back of the ambulance-
ANNA'S CHARRED CADAVER, THAT HAS BEEN DUG OUT OF THE RUBBLE.
CUT TO:
133 EXT. DAY - TIME SQUARE 133
Ben walks up west 38th Street to Broadway and stops at the
intersection of the streets, paralyzed with fear-
The activity of Time Square seems normal for an early morning,
cars driving by and the eternal hustle and bustle of the
pedestrians, but ALL THE SIGNS, ALL THE BILLBOARDS ARE REVERSED.
AND SO IS THE DIRECTION OF THE TRAFFIC FLOW...
Ben turns around towards a glass building where a homeless
person is sleeping-
His eyes fill with horror-
HE CAN SEE THE REFLECTION OF THE HOMELESS MAN BUT NOT HIS OWN..
(CONTINUED)
104.
133 CONTINUED: 133
Ben presses his hand against the glass. The reflection of the
world surrounding him is the right way around in the mirror but
he remains invisible.
He removes his hand from the mirror, leaving a clear and well-
defined handprint on the reflective surface.
Ben slowly comes to realize what is happening to him -
IF HIS REFLECTION IS NOT THERE, IT MEANS THAT HE NO LONGER
BELONGS TO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING. BEN DID NOT SURVIVE-
HIS SOUL IS NOW A CAPTIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR...
CUT TO:
134 EXT. DAY - MAYFLOWER 134
Back in the ambulance, a paramedic comes to close the back door.
The vehicle starts and leaves the Mayflower.
135 EXT. DAY - NEW-YORK - CONTINUITY 135
The ambulance turns on the avenue.
136 INT. DAY - AMBULANCE - MOVING 136
In the back of the ambulance, as the vehicle drives away, we
discover that another corpse is laid out next to Anna's-
IT'S BEN'S BODY, COVERED WITH DUST AND DRY BLOOD.
Its fingers suddenly twitch...
Was it the bumpy road?
The dead fingers twitch again and-
IN THE SHADOW, BEN'S CORPSE SLOWLY BEGINS TO STAND.
It turns its head-
BEN'S EYES ARE ROLLED UPWARD, NO LONGER HUMAN...
EVIL.
CUT TO :
BLACK
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