INT. JOHN’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY

John pops a pill and swallows it without water. His eyes are bloodshot and crazed.

There's a knock at his door.

DR. LINDA VO John? It's me. I've got the blindfold on. Will you let me in?

John stands and approaches the door. The furniture has been shifted to the side. He looks out the peep-hole.

Dr. Linda is wearing a BLINDFOLD.

JOHN I'm opening the door...

DR. LINDA VO Whenever you're ready.

John undoes the locks on the door and shifts it open.

Dr. Linda, with care, steps forward. John grabs her hand and guides her in before closing and locking the door.

DR. LINDA Can I take off the blindfold if I promise to face away from you?

JOHN No! You can't look in my eyes! Not even by accident!

DR. LINDA I can tell you're really upset, John. Why don't you talk to me about it? Tell me what's going on?

JOHN It's those things. They've taken her, and I can't get her back...

DR. LINDA Taken Sara? John, she's right outside. I passed by her just a few moments ago. Nobody has taken her.

JOHN You don't understand! It's that thing! The thing that took my mother! That monster!

DR. LINDA John, your father killed your mother. Not some monster.

JOHN No! You're not listening! They use me! I'm their doorway! Don't you understand?! They take over people, they call them vessels.

DR. LINDA John, I need you to do something for me. Okay?

JOHN What?

DR. LINDA Have you taken your medicine?

JOHN Yes! I've been taking it!

DR. LINDA Then maybe you need a new prescription!

John goes ballistic.

JOHN NO! What don't you get?! I'm not depressed! I'm not crazy! I'm not wrong about this! Just listen to me!

DR. LINDA Okay, okay, John. I'm listening. Tell me again. From the beginning.

JOHN These... things. When I was a kid, they took over my mother. My father figured it out... And when he couldn't get my mother back, he killed her. It was the only to stop her from using me to... take over others.

DR. LINDA So he saved you?

JOHN Yes. Right before he cut his throat, he told me... Told me that I'm their doorway. Their way into our world. When people look in my eyes, they jump out and take them. Make them into... one of them.

DR. LINDA And Sara is one of them?

JOHN Yes. They took her too. I went to their place...

DR. LINDA What do you mean you went there?

JOHN In my dream. Jake tried to stop me.

DR. LINDA Jake?

JOHN I know he's dead, but he was there! He pulled me out before they caught me!

DR. LINDA Okay! Okay! I get it. I do. But I need you to listen to me, John. None of that is real.

JOHN You're not listening!

DR. LINDA Yes, I am, John! You don't get it. Your medication isn't working. You're stuck in a delusion. It isn't real!

JOHN What are you talking about...?

DR. LINDA John, you're hallucinating. Those things, those monsters aren't real. Sara is fine. Nobody was taken over. And your father didn't save you that night, John. That night he murdered your mother.

JOHN No, no, that's not what I remember

DR. LINDA Yes it is, John! You told me this yourself.

JOHN When?

DR. LINDA When you were under hypnosis. You told me that that night, your father went crazy. He started shouting about his eyes, and right after he stabbed your mother to death, he went to murder you.

JOHN No... that's not what happened! Jake was there, he took a videotape!

DR. LINDA Jake was 6 years old that night, John. And he ran, and he called the cops. You're right, he saved you. But it wasn't in your dreams. It was when you were a kid.

JOHN But

DR. LINDA No, John. There are no shadow people, there are no monsters. It's all in your head.

JOHN ... I didn't say anything about shadow people.

DR. LINDA Yes, you did.

JOHN You're one of them. Oh God, you're one of them.

John has the knife in his hand.

DR. LINDA John... John listen to me.

Dr. Linda pulls off the blindfold, and she sees John with the knife. He's brandishing it towards her.

DR. LINDA John put away the knife.

She tries to walk towards the door, and John stops her with the knife.

DR. LINDA John, think about this, you don't need to do this, alright? Let's just take a breather and calm down. Okay?

JOHN All this time... All this time, I thought I could trust you. I've been coming to you for help, and you've been one of them the whole time!

John makes a slashing motion at Dr. Linda who shrieks and dodges away.

DR. LINDA John! Stop!

JOHN I'm going to fucking kill you!

John moves to slash at her again.

Just then behind him, his door burst open. It's Sara!

Sara shoots him with a taser, and he hits the ground.

Dr. Linda and Sara look at each other in alarm. John is out cold.

SARA You alright?

DR. LINDA Fine. Thank you.

SARA What's going to happen to him?

DR. LINDA I'm going to have to Baker Act him, till this whole thing gets figured out.

Sara nods. She looks... disappointed.

Dr. Linda pulls out her phone and begins dialing a number.

INT. ASYLUM - DAY

John wakes up to a rough hand grabbing his mouth. It's an orderly.

ORDERLY Open up.

Johns' mouth is forced open. He struggles, unsuccessfully.

The orderly drops some pills in his mouth with some water.

He then pinches John's nose and covers his mouth.

John struggles, but eventually gives in and swallows.

The orderly releases him.

ORDERLY Show me your mouth. Lift your tongue.

The Orderly checks his mouth. There're no pills.

The Orderly grunts in satisfaction then walks out of the cell.

John is left strapped to his bed.

JOHN Hey! Somebody undo these straps!

Nobody comes.

JOHN Hey! Somebody! I want up!

Nobody answers. The medicine is kicking in, John begins getting groggy.

JOHN I want up... Let me... Let me up!

His shouts grow more slurred and feebler, almost drunken, before fading out.

John gives up. He leans his head back against his pillows and passes out.

INT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - DAY

John sits across from Dr. Linda.

JOHN When can I get out of here?

DR. LINDA You can't. At least, not until I decide to let you.

JOHN You're never going to let me go, are you?

DR. LINDA John, I need you to work with me, here. I am not one of those things from your dreams. I'm not a monster. I'm just your doctor. And I want to help you.

JOHN Bullshit.

Dr. Linda sighs deeply. The Orderly stands nearby, and she signals him to lead John out. He does.

INT. JOHN'S CELL - NIGHT

John stares at his ceiling, with a blank drugged up look. Dead in the eyes.

INT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - DAY

John sits across from Dr. Linda, but he doesn't talk to her, or acknowledge that she's there.

The Orderly leads him away.

INT. JOHN'S CELL - DAY

The Orderly feeds John his pills. John doesn't resist.

The Orderly looks at John with pity.

INT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - DAY

John sits, in a daze.

SARA John. John, can you hear me? Are you even there, anymore?

John doesn't react.

INT. JOHN'S CELL - NIGHT

John sits in the corner, with his head against the wall, zoned out.

INT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - DAY

Dr. Linda sits across from John.

DR. LINDA John. Please. You've got to listen to me. It wasn't real. Nothing was real, you've got to work with me, John.

John turns to face her. He then spits in her face.

The Orderly drags him away.

JOHN Fuck you! I wish I fucking killed you, motherfucker!

Dr. Linda shakes her head, sadly.

INT. JOHN'S CELL - DAY

John is thrown into the cell. He goes to swing a punch at the Orderly, but only gets knocked out in the process.

INT. JOHN'S CELL - NIGHT

John stares his wall, running his fingers along its surface.

INT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - DAY

Sara once more sits across from John.

She seems distraught and shocked by the bruise on his face.

SARA Oh baby, look what they've done to you.

John ignores her completely, seemingly lifeless.

SARA I hate that they have you in here, all alone. John...

John remains utterly unmoved.

SARA John if you're in there, please...

Sara leans towards, reaching out. But the Orderly stops her.

ORDERLY Sorry, miss. But I can't let you touch him.

SARA Are you the one that hit him?

ORDERLY He tried to hit me first.

SARA Do you think I care who hit first?

The Orderly shrugs and moves away, giving up.

Sara reaches out, and dabs at a little scab of dried blood around John's eye. She's in tears.

SARA Just hang in there, baby. And come back to me, soon. I love you so much, and I miss you.

John doesn't even look in her eyes.

INT. JOHN'S CELL - NIGHT

John sits, face washed in tears.

JOHN It's not her. It's not her.

He taps his head against the wall behind him softly.

INT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - DAY

John sits across from Dr. Linda.

DR. LINDA You ready to talk now, John?

JOHN Yeah.

DR. LINDA So what do you want to say?

JOHN I'm sorry.

DR. LINDA You got to give me more than that, John.

JOHN I'm sorry I did that to you.

DR. LINDA Did what?

JOHN Let them take you. I should've done what Jake and my father did from the start and cut out my eyes.

DR. LINDA Jake, what is it going to take for you to realize that it wasn't real?

JOHN Proof.

DR. LINDA Like this?

Dr. Linda waves at the Orderly. He opens a door, and in walks Jake, with both eyes in his head.

John stands up and walks away from him, slowly.

JOHN What the fuck...

JAKE Hey buddy.

DR. LINDA Do you see now, John? Jake is fine. He never died.

JOHN This is insane...

DR. LINDA Yes, Jake. It is. That's what we've been trying to tell you. We need you to come out of this delusion, John. It's not real.

JOHN This is impossible. He can't be here.

DR. LINDA But he IS here, John.

JOHN No, no, no, it's not true. This isn't true! It's NOT TRUE!

John starts flipping shit. Jake, worried, steps towards him, but John shrinks away and starts screaming.

JOHN No! No! Noooooo!

The Orderly rushes over and drags John away. John's voice fades as he gets farther away.

JOHN VO No! It's not true! It's not him! It's a lie!

INT. JOHN'S CELL - NIGHT

Jake huddles his knees to his chest, and stares into space, in a daze.

JOHN It's not true... It's not true... It's not true... It's not true...

EXT. JOHN'S CELL - NIGH

Dr. Linda and the Orderly stand outside his cell.

DR. LINDA He was such a bright guy. He had such a good life. So promising. It breaks my heart.

ORDERLY Mine too.

Sara walks over.

SARA He still doesn't believe us? After all this? Even after seeing Jake?

DR. LINDA Still. I'm sorry. I know how you feel about him.

SARA He'll give in. He's got to. Eventually. It's just... hard. Seeing him like this.

DR. LINDA I know. But we can't risk letting him out again. If he were to lose it and cut out his eyes like his father did…

ORDERLY We'd have to find a new doorway.

Sara nods in agreement. Her eyes flash white.

SARA Disastrous.

They look into John's cell at the same time, all their eyes white and glowing.

INT. JOHN'S CELL - DAY

Super: 4 years later

John's eyes are listless. His cell door opens. In walks the Orderly.

The Orderly leaves a tray of food at the edge of John's bed, then leaves.

EXT. JOHN'S CELL - DAY

The Orderly closes the door, but in a moment of carelessness, he fails to close the door all the way.

INT. JOHN'S CELL - DAY

John remains listless, and then he hears the door creak slightly.

The spark in his eyes seems to return somewhat, and he looks at the door.

He quickly stands up and goes to the door. He looks out, carefully. The Orderly is nowhere to be seen, he appears to be alone.

INT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - DAY

On Dr. Linda's desk is a laptop, a security cam video of John's cell opened on the screen. We see John leaving his cell and sneaking down the hallway.

But Dr. Linda is at the door of her office, talking to the Orderly.

ORDERLY He's not giving in, I think we should terminate.

DR. LINDA I wish we could. He's too valuable.

ORDERLY I've never met a human as stubborn as him.

DR. LINDA I never thought he had it in him. Four years in that cell. He's got to be close to breaking.

ORDERLY Must be.

EXT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - BACK ALLEY - DAY

John exits a back door into an alley.

He breathes hard and looks down the road to his left. There's an old coat on the ground.

He grabs it as he makes his way towards the city street.

INT. PSYCHOLOGY OFFICE - DAY

Dr. Linda sits down at her desk. She opens a letter with a letter opener and glances at her laptop screen. She does a double-take and looks back at her screen.

DR. LINDA No... No. No! No, No, No! John!

Her shout melds into a demonic sounding voice.

THE END.