OF THE MANY

In a sterile chamber transformed into sacred ground, Maraeth oversees the accelerated conception of Liraeth, the child of the Many Mothers. Using genetic fusion, cosmic energy, and shadow from Vorazd, Kathryn is implanted with a perfect embryo destined for rapid divine gestation. Emilia unknowingly offers a piece of Halsey, and the womb becomes a second gate. As Kathryn begins to glow and convulse, it becomes clear: this is not science. This is prophecy incarnate—correction, rewritten in flesh.

THREE GATES AND A VEIL

As Maraeth violently drags Corey Black through the blood-streaked corridors of a stolen ambulance, a greater reckoning unfolds. In a sealed subway temple, They foretell Corey’s threefold undoing—submission, deathmatch, and legacy—each gate a ritual of collapse. But beyond the fight lies a buried secret: the Veil, a failed prophet long left to rot in the thicket. Now, Maraeth calls her forth. The dream fractures. The hunger returns. CU:LT will not survive what wakes.

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THE ACQUISITION

Yelena Gorgo finalizes her takeover of a video production company to infiltrate XWF broadcasts with subliminal cult messaging. Emilia Glazkov aids the indoctrination of key staff as part of the plan to distribute a corrupted broadcast at May Day that triggers mass hysteria—unleashing the Black Rainbow’s influence on the XWF audience for the first time. The chapter concludes with Maraeth’s ritualistic promo targeting James Shark for the Universal Championship.

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SYNTEX

As SynteX completes its transformation from GreenLit’s ashes, Yelena oversees the first successful human trial of Substance V—a new Unity variant laced with her blood and Vorazd’s will. Dr. Chen’s Resonance device quietly controls the staff. Back in Florida, Marisol initiates seven clients through Unity’s metamorphosis. From the doorway, Yelena watches in silence as bodies convulse and rise transformed. Inside, a new cultist waits beneath the Resonance—Billie Morgan, barefoot and grinning, ready to join the symphony.

GREENLIT

Yelena Gorgo arrives at GreenLit’s Colorado facility to investigate resistance from within. Accompanied by Emilia Glazkov and naïve hacker Steve Goldberg, she uncovers the buried remnants of a forbidden neurochemical experiment: Project Scarecrow. After ousting the anxious Dr. Thorne, she recruits the unnervingly calm Dr. Chen and recovers a living sample of the compound—Unity.

LETHAL TRIAL

Invading Casanova English’s dream, the Eater of Dreams torments him using the guise of his murdered father. Revealing its connection to Yelena Gorgo and knowledge of Casanova’s secrets, including dealings with the entity called the Veil, the Eater demands he sell CU:LT for protection, threatening dire consequences if refused, before abruptly snapping him awake.

THE BLACK RAINBOW

In Miami, Yelena presents the Chrysalis to Marisol. Compelled by Yelena (influenced by Vorazd), Marisol turns its key. Mirrors emerge, consuming Marisol’s memories and desires, transforming her reflection until she declares herself a “Better Me,” corrupted. Later, in New York, Yelena uses nature-bending powers linked to the Chrysalis to attack wrestler Sev Yurievich. She taunts him, implying his corruption is next “underneath The Black Rainbow.”

WHISPER IN THE DARK PART THREE

Yelena finds herself in a decaying ring within her psyche, surrounded by alternate selves. The Entity (Vorazd) reveals her family line are its “Vessels,” causing Spiral’s/Nathan’s fates due to their resistance. It offers a choice: willingly merge with all selves, becoming whole, or be replaced and face oblivion. Yelena submits, absorbing the others. Awakening changed in the hidden chamber, she takes the Chrysalis, now bonded with Vorazd.

WHISPER IN THE DARK PART TWO

Yelena opens the iron door, descending a rune-marked spiral stairwell into a deep hexagonal chamber filled with grotesque thrones and art. She finds her brother Nathan’s medication and a note from Spiral mentioning Nathan’s inheritance and a mysterious “Box.” Feeling betrayed, Yelena sees the black Box appear. Touching it, she’s overwhelmed by dark energy, her consciousness pulled into a psychic vortex, dissolving her physical form as she senses other presences.

WHISPER IN THE DARK PART ONE

Yelena wakes disoriented on her jet heading to Copenhagen, influenced by her “Other Selves” after a loss. Realizing she’s going to her father’s abandoned castle, the Entity forces her unconscious. She awakes driving nearby, lured by a music box. Guided by the shadowy Entity, she enters the derelict castle, finds a hidden door, and steps into a dark chamber, compelled towards a grotesque iron door.

MALEFIC

Yelena finds herself before a surreal “Council of Yelena” – seven alternate selves criticizing her recent wrestling losses and weakness. Presided over by her “Other Me” (The Entity), the council argues Yelena failed by not inflicting enough suffering and by letting Fukuyama live, leading to an assassination attempt. The Entity demands Yelena embrace brutality and kill Fukuyama, threatening a takeover if she fails, leaving Yelena facing her darker self’s ultimatum.

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Scion 02-12-2025

EXT. ROOF TOP — NIGHT. The caw-caw of a crow foreshadows the arrival of a large, black raven before it comes swooping down to land on the eave of one of many historic buildings looming above the dark, empty streets of Savannah, Georgia. ANGLE ON the raven. A worm dangles from its beak. In one quick movement, it tosses the wriggling invertebrate into the air, opens its beak, and swallows it whole. I’ve been meaning to tell you I’ve got this feelin’ that won’t subside The raven beats its wings and takes off. The effort releases a single feather to… Continue reading Scion 02-12-2025

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TWAIN

Yelena meets tech billionaire Johnny Wu in Calgary. Their meeting is interrupted by an assassin disguised as a waiter who kills Wu’s bodyguard and targets Yelena. Paralyzed by fear, Yelena flashes back to childhood trauma until her “Other Self” takes control. A brutal fight ensues. Yelena/Other Me overpowers the assassin, realizes she was the target, kills him, and instructs Wu to clean up the scene.

THE MUSIC TEACHER

A Toronto music teacher receives a coded message during a piano lesson. Excusing himself, he accesses a secure computer system using voice print ID. He receives activation code “JUDGEMENT” and orders for immediate deployment to Calgary. His mission: infiltrate the Fairmont Palliser hotel and terminate two targets meeting in Suite 1201 – tech billionaire Johnny Wu and Yelena Gorgo. Retrieving a handgun, cash, and fake Canadian ID, the assassin prepares for his assignment.

PINK SLIP

In Miami, Yelena reflects on needing restraint after Katz’s death. Board member Evelyn calls, informing Yelena she’s fired as CEO/Chair of the Niels Gram Foundation due to the police investigation. Evelyn presents offers to buy the foundation’s stake in Bifrost Capital. Yelena angrily refuses to sell her majority share of her father’s company. Frustrated, she destroys her laptop and decides to go home for sex with Marisol and Emilia.

Scion: Retribution 01-29-2025

OVER BLACK a woman speaks. There is a hint of Eastern Europe in her otherwise ambiguous accent. The song says Love Makes the World Go Round and people believe it. I mean really believe it. Of course they don’t practice what they preach, now do they? IRIS IN on GORGO’s FACE, slightly out of focus, causing her features to ghost from frame to frame and blend into the dark obscurity surrounding her. Dim circles approximate her eyes and a red smear of lipstick accents her pronounced lips which stretch and contract with every exaggerated syllable. Look around, Glitchy. Can I… Continue reading Scion: Retribution 01-29-2025

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A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

Yelena addresses the reader, demanding cooperation alongside her “Other Self.” In a New Orleans ICU, she visits her dying half-brother, Nathan, after his stroke. She mocks his condition and discusses her XWF career. Nathan dies, triggering unexpected grief. After coldly dismissing a nurse, Yelena informs Marisol, inheriting Spiral’s fortune as her “Other Self” offers dark comfort.

HEAT

Yelena attends a police interview regarding PI Katz’s suicide. Facing skeptical Deputy Wydell but finding allyship in Sheriff Corpus (previously charmed), Yelena presents a fabricated alibi, supported by Angel and staged footage. She deflects questions about past deaths. With SFPD dismissing Katz’s theories and Corpus seemingly convinced, Yelena navigates the interrogation successfully, leaving Wydell frustrated.

Retired NYC detective found dead in Pacifica motel room from apparent suicide was obsessed with Yelena Gorgo and Marisol Vilaro

Retired NYC detective found dead in Pacifica motel room from apparent suicide was obsessed with Yelena Gorgo and Marisol Vilaro By Jordan Parker, Breaking News ReporterDecember 12, 2024 More details have emerged in the death of a retired New York City police detective, painting an even darker picture of the final weeks of his life. Ari Hershel Katz, 57, was discovered at the Seabreeze Motor Lodge last Friday night after the manager noticed a strong odor outside his room. Deputies from the San Mateo Sheriff’s Office responded to perform a wellness check. They found Katz dead of an apparent suicide… Continue reading Retired NYC detective found dead in Pacifica motel room from apparent suicide was obsessed with Yelena Gorgo and Marisol Vilaro

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LOOSE END

Yelena and Marisol confront PI Ari Katz in his motel room, where bodyguard Odion has subdued him and staged a noose. The room reveals Katz’s obsession with Yelena. Yelena psychologically torments Katz, threatening his daughter to coerce suicide. Her “Other Self” emerges. Katz tries warning Marisol, but she stays loyal, telling Yelena/Other Me to proceed. The Other Me kicks the chair, hanging Katz, who dies slowly while they laugh.

HEART

At Yelena’s house, Marisol kisses her passionately. Yelena hesitates, confronted by her suspicious “Other Self.” Yelena confesses the brutal details of murdering Mari’s grandfather, claiming love as motive. Shocked but focused on the love declaration, Mari accepts Yelena. Their intimacy is interrupted by Yelena’s plan to confront PI Katz. Mari asks to join, and Yelena agrees, intending to “convince” Katz to stop investigating.

ARI KATZ: PRIVATE DICK

PI Ari Katz meets SFPD Inspector Eckhardt, presenting evidence linking Yelena Gorgo to multiple deaths/disappearances. Eckhardt dismisses Katz’s theory, attributing Byrne’s death to COVID and suggesting Katz is obsessed due to grief over his wife and guilt from his past. Katz leaves angrily, determined to prove his case. Unseen, Yelena’s assistant Angel eavesdropped, later reporting to Yelena that while the police aren’t convinced, Katz remains a threat requiring action.

COFFEE TALK

Yelena meets PI Ari Katz, instructing her associate Thaïs to plant a GPS tracker on his car beforehand. At the coffee shop, Yelena mocks Katz, admitting the meeting was a ploy. While Katz is distracted, Thaïs plants the tracker. Katz leaves angrily. Yelena retrieves Thaïs, explaining the tracker will reveal Katz’s office. She takes Thaïs to dinner, while her “Other Self” reminds her to stay focused.

SCAR

In a NYC ER, Yelena gets a facial laceration stitched after killing a mugger post-match. Seeing the wound triggers panic. Her “Other Self” appears, reframing the scar as an external sign of her inner monstrosity, making her stronger. Yelena accepts this, her panic replaced by dark resolve. She adopts a menacing persona towards the surgeon before leaving with Angel, embracing the scar as part of her identity.

AN ABRIDGED HISTORY

Yelena meets Leo Schwartz for a Fortune interview, discussing her past. Schwartz reveals he’s Ari Katz, a private detective. He confronts Yelena with evidence linking her to the deaths/disappearances of Petrov, Dupin, and Byrne – all tied to her father. Katz discloses he’s investigating Mari’s missing grandfather, Estaban, and knows Yelena rented the ranch where he was likely held. Recognizing the threat, Yelena leaves, resolving with her “Other Self” to kill Katz.

AMBITIOUS

In San Francisco, Yelena dines with CULT owner Lucas Oilsman, finalizing her contract terms: creative control for minimal pay. She shares a dark story about her father. Later, at a tiki bar, Yelena meets Nessa Wall, who worries about Marisol’s recent negative change, suspecting Yelena’s influence. Yelena deflects. Despite the tension, Nessa apologizes, wanting to salvage the evening. Yelena senses Nessa’s underlying attraction, and they agree to enjoy their drinks, the mood shifting towards intimacy.

WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT?

In Miami, Marisol Vilaró tells Yelena her estranged grandfather is demanding ownership in VilaroFit. Yelena offers help, and Marisol implicitly asks her to “handle” him. Yelena kidnaps the grandfather, taking him to an abandoned meatpacking plant. Strapped nude to a cart, he’s psychologically tortured for seven days with isolation, repeated music (“What’s New Pussycat?”), and deprivation until he dies. Yelena informs Marisol “It’s done” and prepares to incinerate the body.

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS

At a remote bar, Yelena gets drugged and kidnapped by locals Duke and Tommy. In her subconscious, her “Other Self” reveals the situation and forces her awake. Waking in their cabin, Yelena merges with her “Other Self.” She savagely attacks Tommy, then incapacitates Duke before burning him alive in the fireplace. She kills Tommy, then calls CULT owner Lucas Oilsman, blaming his employee Duke and telling him to clean up the mess before leaving.

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THE NEGOTIATION

Yelena meets CULT wrestling owner Lucas Oilsman in San Francisco. Lucas wants to sign her, intrigued by her “character.” Yelena discusses potential opponents while internally reflecting on violence and her father’s legacy. She proposes unusual contract terms: minimal pay for acknowledgment of past titles and full, uncensored creative control. Lucas agrees, believing he’s won. Afterward, Yelena encounters an attractive waitress, and her “Other Self” emerges as they share a moment.

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FOURTEEN

SYNOPSISGorgo seeks to impress Marisol Vilaro by securing the permits for VilaroFit to build a luxury hotel and gym in the heart of Osaka. CAST OF CHARACTERSBROOKE ENCE asYELENA GORGO(THE NARRATOR) TATENO JUNZO asHIMSELF HIROYUKI SANADA asSHŌGUN FUKUYAMA HENRY GOLDING asKAITO RINKO KIKUCHI asYAPONCHIK MUSIC CREDITS“ONLY YOU (AND YOU ALONE)”WRITTEN by BUCK RAMPERFORMED by YELENA GORGO XIV THE PROPOSAL “No one knows what it’s likeTo be hated, to be fatedTo telling only lies“— Native American Proverb LONG IS THE WAY, AND HARD, whispers in my head as I deliver the presentation to the esteemed Osaka Business Development Agency. The topic?… Continue reading FOURTEEN

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INTERLUDE (UNCUT)

PREVIOUSLY ON GORGOAfter suffering another disappointing loss in a non-traditional wrestling match, Gorgo must face the repercussions of her failure. CAST OF CHARACTERSBROOKE ENCE asYELENA GORGO(THE AUTHOR) MADS MIKKELSEN asSPIRAL(THE FATHER) HUNTER SCHAFER asANGEL GLAZKOV MUSIC CREDITS“LET’S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE”WRITTEN by IRVING BERLINPERFORMED by THE SCREAMING MIMIS “IT HAD TO BE YOU”WRITTEN by ISHAM JONESPERFORMED by THE SCREAMING MIMIS INTERLUDE FACE THE MUSIC(EXTENDED CUT) This will never end ‘cause I want more…More, give me more, give me more…— Fever Ray, If I Had a Heart IN THE GREAT BEYOND, consciousness returns to me. I’m disoriented at first, drifting… Continue reading INTERLUDE (UNCUT)

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INTERLUDE

PREVIOUSLY ON GORGOAfter suffering another disappointing loss in a non-traditional wrestling match, Gorgo must face the repercussions of her failure. CAST OF CHARACTERSBROOKE ENCE asYELENA GORGO(THE AUTHOR) MADS MIKKELSEN asSPIRAL(THE FATHER) HUNTER SCHAFER asANGEL GLAZKOV MUSIC CREDITS“LET’S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE”WRITTEN by IRVING BERLINPERFORMED by THE SCREAMING MIMIS “IT HAD TO BE YOU”WRITTEN by ISHAM JONESPERFORMED by THE SCREAMING MIMIS INTERLUDE FACE THE MUSIC This will never end ‘cause I want more…More, give me more, give me more…— Fever Ray, If I Had a Heart HOW DID I GET HERE, I’M asking myself when I wake up at a… Continue reading INTERLUDE

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THIRTEEN

PREVIOUSLY ON GORGORick Ravenswood made promises to Yelena and then changed the rules of the game when it was time to deliver. Now, after spending the last two months dealing with her Japanese interests, she has returned her attention to UPRISING and getting what she deserves. CAST OF CHARACTERSBROOKE ENCE asYELENA GORGO(THE AUTHOR) TOM ELLIS asRICK RAVENSWOOD TIM SAMPSON asBOB MICHAEL SPEARS asHANK TATANKA MEANS asWES MUSIC CREDITS“RUMBLE”WRITTEN by MARK COOPER and LINK WRAYPERFORMED by LINK WRAY & HIS WRAY MEN XIII RUMBLE “Not all danger comes with a warning.”— Native American Proverb JANUARY 19 2024 I WAS SITTING IN… Continue reading THIRTEEN

TWELVE

INT. VISITATION CELL — INSANE ASYLUM Rusted metal, out of focus, frames a square-cut pane of clear acrylic. On the other side is a narrow hallway, not much wider than the window itself but several meters long, and at the end is a windowless metal door, and attached to it is a water-stained poster. In the center, an animated cat girl with pointed ears, large, teary eyes and a drooping frown stares out hopelessly. 大丈夫じゃなくても大丈夫 is printed underneath in thickset characters. SUPERIMPOSED TRANSLATION IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY Fluorescent tubes burn in corroded sockets, casting blocks of cold light… Continue reading TWELVE

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ELEVEN

INT. A DARK ROOM — ANIMATED. MUSIC CUE: “GLIMPSES” by THE YARDBIRDS. CLOSE UP on a cold, unforgiving wall, hand-drawn in a style inspired by classic TMS Entertainment films Golgo 13: The Professional and Akira. A block of light shines down on the alternating bricks, each a unique shade of red. After a beat, a small, right fist flies into frame from OFF SCREEN and smashes into the wall with a dense thud. NOTE: Voice Over (V.O.) is in Japanese with English subtitles. Spoken dialogue is in English with Japanese subtitles. The narration is provided by Japanese voice actress ATSUKO… Continue reading ELEVEN

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TEN

PREVIOUSLY ON GORGOAfter having her career in Miracle Galaxy Pro threatened by Shōgun Fukuyama, Gorgo devised a method to assassinate Vanessa Byrne, former CEO of Valor Pro Wrestling, and fulfill her father’s debt to the Japanese crime lord. CAST OF CHARACTERSBROOKE ENCE asGORGO(NARRATOR) ELIZABETH HURLEY asVANESSA BYRNE MUSIC CREDITS“NOCTURNE IN B FLAT MINOR, OP. 9 NO. 1”WRITTEN by FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN “SUFFRAGETTE CITY”WRITTEN and PERFORMED by DAVID BOWIE “WHITE RABBIT”WRITTEN BY GRACE SLICKPERFORMED by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE INT. CARD TABLE — UNKNOWN. MUSIC CUE:“NOCTURNE IN B FLAT MINOR, OP. 9 NO. 1” by FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN You look down from above at a… Continue reading TEN

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NINE

RECAPAfter joining Miracle Galaxy Pro, Gorgo was summoned to meet Shōgun Fukuyama, a mysterious figure from her father’s past. He demanded Gorgo fulfill her father’s promise to kill Vanessa Byrne, former CEO of Valor Pro Wrestling. Failure will jeopardize her career in MGP before it can even begin. CAST OF CHARACTERSKATRÍN DAVÍÐSDÓTTIR asGORGO(NARRATOR) HUNTER SCHAFER asEMILIA GLAZKOV MUSIC CREDITS“ANGEL” (FEATURING RAYVON)WRITTEN by STEVE MILLER, AHMET ERTEGUN, EDDIE CURTIS AND CHIP TAYLORPERFORMED by SHAGGY (FEATURING RAYVON) IX TOXIC Too high,Can’t come down.Losing my head,Spinnin’ ’round and ’round.Do you feel me now?— BRITNEY SPEARS, TOXIC OCTOBER 16 DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN… Continue reading NINE

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EIGHT

SYNOPSISYelena is in Japan to sign a contract for Miracle Galaxy Pro when an anonymous invitation arrives requesting her presence. CAST OF CHARACTERSKATRÍN DAVÍÐSDÓTTIR asGORGO(NARRATOR) RYOSUKE HASHIMOTO asYuki RINKO KIKUCHI asYAPONCHIK HENRY GOLDING asKAITO HIROYUKI SANADA asSHŌGUN FUKUYAMA MUSIC CREDITSCAT PEOPLE (PUTTING OUT FIRE)WRITTEN by GIORGIO MORODER and DAVID BOWIEPERFORMED by DAVID BOWIE VIII 托鉢笠 TAKUHATSUGASA You must understand thatthere is more than one pathto the top of the mountain.— Miyamoto Musashi, A Book of Five Rings TOKYO, JAPAN—A FAMILIAR FACE has taken its nightly position above the towering skyscrapers and the buzzing, neon-drenched streets. It’s the moon gleaming down… Continue reading EIGHT

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SEVEN

SYNOPSISAfter several months of no contact, Gorgo visits her brother. CAST OF CHARACTERSKATRÍN DAVÍÐSDÓTTIR asGORGO(NARRATOR) ALEX HØGH ANDERSEN asNATHAN GREY / JACK MOREAU REGINA KING asJAMARIE MONÁE MUSIC CREDITSYOU DON’T OWN MEWRITTEN by JOHN MADARA & DAVE WHITEPERFORMED by LESLEY GORE VII THE WOMAN WHO LAUGHS To speak out aloud when alone is as it were to have a dialogue with the divinity which is within.— Victor Hugo, The Man Who Laughs I float at the bottom of the bathtub under a flotilla of ice cubes. My eyes are closed and my lips, too. I am motionless. Frozen. Unfeeling. Seconds… Continue reading SEVEN

SIX

SYNOPSISGorgo confronts Ash Devereaux over his unauthorized treatment of Marisol Vilaró. CAST OF CHARACTERSKATRÍN DAVÍÐSDÓTTIR asYELENA GORGO(NARRATOR) THEO ROSSI asASH DEVEREAUX(HEAD EMT OF UPRISING) KAYLEY CUOCO asGRETCHEN DEVEREAUX(ASH’S WIFE AND BACKSTAGE INTERVIEWER) DELROY LINDO asSAMSON DUNN(UPRISING Producer) VI CHOKEHOLD I come as a bladeA sacred guardianSo you keep me sharp and test my worth in blood— Sleep Token, Chokehold JACKSON HAS A BASTARD isn’t exactly headline news. Wait, is the kid a bastard if it’s a woman? That’s sexist. Women are just as capable of being bastards as men. Imagine that historic WE CAN DO IT poster, except in the… Continue reading SIX

FIVE

SYNOPSISA deal was made. Payment is due. But nothing is ever that simple. CAST OF CHARACTERS KATRÍN DAVÍÐSDÓTTIRasYELENA GORGO(NARRATOR) ALEX HØGH ANDERSENasJACK MOREAU(FORMER UPRISING CHAMPION) TOM ELLIS asRICK RAVENSWOOD(THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT) V THE DEAL “What a man knows not, he to use requires, and what he knows, he cannot use for good.”— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust IT’S MARCH AND I’M PUSHING my brother in his wheelchair down the middle aisle of Christ Church Cathedral’s nave. He’s his usual self—a stiff, silent thing, pathetic and withered, and unable to communicate without his letter board or computer. His… Continue reading FIVE

FOUR

SYNOPSISAfter Jack Moreau suffers a near fatal accident while crossing a street in Las Vegas, Gorgo is called to the hospital by his personal lawyer. CAST OF CHARACTERS KATRÍN DAVÍÐSDÓTTIRasYELENA GORGO(NARRATOR) VICTOR GARBERasMR. QUINLAN ALEX HØGH ANDERSENasJACK MOREAU IV MY BROTHER’S KEEPER For this failure and for no other faultHere we are lost, and our sole punishmentIs without hope to live on in desire.— Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy THE SURGICAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT lies beyond a set of wood-paneled double doors with narrow windows. There’s an intercom mounted on the wall. I press the button and wait. A few… Continue reading FOUR

THREE

SYNOPSISAfter convincing former homicide detective turned writer Alex Dupin to meet her at Spiral’s old house, Gorgo waits to set her trap and exact revenge on behalf of her father. CAST OF CHARACTERSKATRÍN DAVÍÐSDÓTTIRasYELENA GORGO(NARRATOR) PARKER POSEYasALEX DUPIN MUSIC CREDITSBLUE BAYOUWRITTEN by ROY ORBISON & JOE MELSONPERFORMED by LINDA RONSTADT III HIS HOUSE I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge.— Mary Shelly, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus LINDA RONSTADT IS SINGING Blue Bayou as Alex stumbles back into the bookcase filled with row… Continue reading THREE

TWO

II PRETTY LITTLE THINGS There’s a devil waiting outside your door.— Nick Cave, Loverman FOURTEEN MONTHS LATER “LUCY CRIED AS THE REVOLVER PRESSED against the side of her head, just behind her left eye,” the author reads aloud from an unfolded book on a lectern. “The metal felt cold against her skin and every time she paused to breathe, the rancid smell of gun oil burned her throat. It was a sweet scent, like rotten bananas soaked in gasoline.” A poster-sized copy of the book cover rests on a tripod just left of the lectern. In the center is an… Continue reading TWO

ONE

I A DOWNWARD SPIRAL Perhaps you had better start from the beginning.— Christopher Lee, To the Devil a Daughter HELL IS EMPTY AND ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE is sprayed across the sidewalk in runny red paint when I exit the taxi in front of the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Budapest. The other pedestrians walk over the letters without acknowledgement, just as they do the homeless woman praying over an open sewer hole churning out steam. She looks up at me and smiles with a very Gorgo-like smile. Her lips part and I see maggots. I walk through the revolving door,… Continue reading ONE