INT. HOUSE - DAY
DWAYNE sits on the couch, he's wriggling his fingers - a flame hovers above them.
ZAYNE enters.
ZAYNE
DWAYNE!
DWAYNE
ZAYNE!
Dwayne and Zayne are twins.
ZAYNE
Dwayne!!
DWAYNE
Zayne?
ZAYNE
You shouldn't play with fire like that DWAYNE, one of these days you'll set the whole place aflame
DWAYNE
And you shouldn't lecture people all the time ZAYNE, it gets tiring quickly
Dwayne puts out the flame despite his protest, smoke escapes - the tips of his fingers are raw and skinless
ZAYNE
Yeah, yeah, if anything happens to this place it's coming out of your pocket this time...and could you take out the rubbish once in a while?
Zayne starts wrapping up the heavy rubbish bag.
Dwayne is applying a salve to his scorched fingertips. Bone is visible.
DWAYNE
You are always nagging - you nag. Anyway I heard the Crystal Clear Cleric was looking for the Amulet of Angst
2.
ZAYNE
Who the fuck cares about that health freak? He hardly leaves his house, how is he supposed to locate the Amulet?
DWAYNE
I don't know, I think he's doing it online, probably hire some normy to grab it for him - anyway it's no use if you know what I know about the Amulet.
ZAYNE
And what exactly would that be?
Zayne walks past the couch again towards the door carrying the trash bag.
DWAYNE
Hold up.
Dwayne stops him, rips open the rubbish bag and chucks in the empty tube of ointment.
A food container and banana peel fall to the ground in the process.
DWAYNE gives him a filthy look, closes it up again - and mends the broken bag with his magic.
DWAYNE
(watching Zayne mend the bag)
You know with all this magic you'd think we'd be more financially stable...
Zayne is unimpressed
ZAYNE
Speak for yourself...loser.
A single tear runs down Dwayne's cheek.
Zayne walks through the door taking the rubbish bag outside.
Dwayne starts playing with the fire again.
EXT. BACKYARD - DAY
Zayne is putting the rubbish in the bin, his nose twitches, he sniffs and turns around.
3.
The house is a burned rubble, smoke ascends into the sky, Zayne falls to his knees and screams:
ZAYNE
NOOOOOO!!!!
Zayne sits on his knees defeated as the screen starts fading to black:
ZAYNE (O.S)
...Ensure that the range hoods to your oven are kept clean, if you spill any fat or oils make sure you clean them immediately - is there a fire extinguisher in your kitchen? Do you need one?
FADE IN FROM BLACK:
INT. LECTURE ROOM - DAY
There are two people sitting in the room, Zayne stands in front of a whiteboard, a marker in his hand.
ZAYNE
These are all things you need to consider, fire safety is not a joke - I know from experience.
One of the two people looks homeless and is eating a plate full of sandwiches, the other is half asleep:
ZAYNE
The most important lesson I've learnt and one that seems elementary but bears repeating is: Don't play with fire folks.
Zayne's eyes are tearing up, his voice cracking.
ZAYNE
I know because of what happened to my brother last year...if you have any questions ask them now...
The one person is now fully asleep, snoring, the homeless man hesitantly raises his hand:
ZAYNE
Yes?
4.
HOMELESSMAN
Is there anything to drink?
CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY - DAY
Zayne has a folder under his arm and is putting a backpack.
The homeless man walks out of the room behind Zayne, he's moaning:
HOMELESS MAN
What kind of fucking public forum doesn't have beverages, fucking disgraceful
Zayne ignores him and starts walking in the opposite direction.
VOICE
Zayne Payne?
Zayne turns around.
There is a mysterious figure in a hood at the dark end of the hallway, the homeless man awkwardly squeezes past murmuring under his breath.
HOOD
(projecting his voice so that Zayne can hear)
Inspiring...
ZAYNE
It's not supposed to be inspiring, it's supposed to be informative. Who are you and what the heck do you want you mysterious fuck?
HOOD
I want to talk to you about...your brother!
ZAYNE
He died in a fire accident a year ago, the whole house burned down, it resulted in a downward spiral that launched me into a state of eternal depression, I've made it my mission to ensure it never happens to another unfortunate soul--
5.
HOOD
Yeah...I..I know, I have more information about your brother's so called, alleged "accident".
Zayne's eyes squint, this is audible.
ZAYNE
I didn't finish, don't you want to know what motivates me to do what I do?
HOOD
Your brother didn't die by his own hand - or fingers? He was murdered.
ZAYNE
Stop speaking in riddles, you're being unnecessarily vague - it's frustrating and inefficient, just tell me clearly.
HOOD
Okay
The hooded figure takes off his hood, underneath is a young man, his eyes full of tears.
ZAYNE
I don't recognize you, whomst you?
HOOD
No you wouldn't, but do you recognize the name Anthony Burke?
Zayne thinks for a moment.
ZAYNE
Uhh..No actually
HOOD
Well how about The "Crystal Clear Cleric"?
ZAYNE
Now you're talking clearly.
HOOD
Then we're crystal.
ZAYNE
Well not exactly, what about him?
6.
HOOD
Well I worked for him for a spell last year and he tracked down the Amulet of Angst to your brother, I was hired to retrieve the amulet and in the process killed your brother by pouring a barrel of gasoline over his head.
ZAYNE
It was curious how he became that crispy...and I didn't listen to the coroner *tch* *tch*
CUT TO:
FLASHBACK
INT. MORGUE OR OFFICE - DAY
CORONER
The autopsy's in and there's something off...
ZAYNE
My brother never gave his reckless behavior much thought...
CORONER
No, I think this man was burned to death intentionally and not of his own hands - or fingers?
ZAYNE
I'm gonna make it my mission to ensure that something so needless and easily avoidable never happens again...
CORONER
There were traces of gasoline.
ZAYNE
I'll inform the world of fire safety.
CORONER
You're not listening...
FADE OUT:
7.
INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Zayne hangs his head.
ZAYNE
Why didn't you tell me sooner?
HOOD
I was too ashamed, but the memory has haunted me without relent
ZAYNE
You should have told me sooner no matter how ashamed you were back then, I'm not mad, just disappointed. Next time I expect of you to do the right thing and be honest, if you do something bad there is no shame in admitting to it, oft you'd find forgiveness rather than wrath...
The Hood cringes
HOOD
I'm not five, and you're not my dad. Anyway I have someone else to assassinate, some old dude with a big fortune and small line of succession.
The Hood picks up a fuel container and walks away.
Zayne stands alone in the hallway and drops his file, papers on fire safety spill across the floor.
ZAYNE
My mission now is to go talk to the "Crystal Clear Cleric" and convince him to forever change his ways - non violently.
The Hood pops his head back around the door:
HOOD
Huh?
ZAYNE
Never mind.
CUT TO:
8.
INT. CLERIC'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Zayne and the Cleric are standing in the room, both have hands by their sides - the cleric is wearing the amulet (he is also dressed in gym clothes and wears a headband).
CLERIC
We could have met in a public place, I am no longer housebound now that I have rid myself of social anxiety.
He strokes the Amulet sensually, a moan escapes him.
ZAYNE
What you did to get that is wrong, selfish and at the expense of someone else, specifically my dead, deceased brother.
CLERIC
But I wanted it.
ZAYNE
It doesn't matter what you want, taking something that isn't yours is a lazy and evil way to satisfy your own needs. Working hard for something is the way to go you know.
CLERIC
Stop preaching at me, are we gonna fight or what?
ZAYNE
No, I believe in solving my problems with words, next time you should try talking or bargaining with the person that has the object you desire.
CLERIC
You should have talked to your brother like this when he was still alive and told him not be so reckless, but it's too late now.
ZAYNE
I..I did.
Zayne looks away and thinks..
ZAYNE
The last thing I said to him...maybe all this lecturing doesn't work, he didn't listen anyway, no one ever does...
CLERIC
You know I actually have somewhere to be after this...
The GHOST OF DWAYNE appears:
ZAYNE
DWAYNE?!
GHOST OF DWAYNE
Zayne.
CLERIC
Huh?
GHOST OF DWAYNE
I am the ghost of the dead twin brother Dwayne
Zayne stares in amazement.
GHOST OF DWAYNE
I just wanted to say that your lecturing never helped, from beyond the grave it broke my heart to see you adopt that as your life's mission. You just aren't that good at it, I'm sorry. And I know you know, I do and Dwayne probably did too, but the last memory you shared with your brother was unhappy because of your constant fucking nagging.
Zayne looks away from the Ghost of Dwayne and at the Cleric
ZAYNE
No, you aren't going anywhere.
Zayne's hand gets surrounded by a ball of energy.
ZAYNE
We'll fight to the death, looks like that's the only solution...
The Cleric strikes up a ball of energy as well.
The two characters stand facing each other.
The Ghost of Dwayne awkwardly backs out of the room.
FADE OUT TO TITLE:
TO BE CONTINUED...
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