CUT TO:
EXT. GRAVEYARD – DAY
Funeral in the background. Grace walks through the rows of graves touching each headstone in turn. She moves to a tree and presses the backs of her hands to the trunk, followed by her forehead. Behind her slowly an indistinct form coalesces of mist and smoke. Dash’s face can almost be seen. Grace doesn’t turn to face the manifestation.
DASH
(voice hollow, far away)
In the movies it’s always raining during funerals, or overcast at the very least. There’s something wrong about a bright sunny day funeral.
AMAZING GRACE
This is LA, must happen all the time.
DASH
I suppose so. Dabbling in necromancy now are you Grace? I would have just lost a lot of money on a bet if I was still alive.
AMAZING GRACE
Good thing you’re dead then.
DASH
For sure, getting horribly murdered was really the best thing for me. You must be getting desperate if you’re resorting to this.
AMAZING GRACE
Well I have to avenge your death don’t I? The ax forgets the tree remembers, all that.
DASH
That’s cultural appropriation missy. We’ve talked about that. (beat) Are you okay?
AMAZING GRACE
(a few tears slide down her face)
It’s been three years. I watched an episode of Star Trek that really spoke to me about trauma and how moving on isn’t a betrayal of the memory of the person we lost but in fact a way to hold on them. So I’m good now.
DASH
Which episode was that?
AMAZING GRACE
Uh, the one where everyone is on heroin I think.
DASH
Yeah, that’s a good one, not as good as the one where everyone turns into a lizard but still. Well, you didn’t summon me from the great beyond just to shoot the shit did you? What knowledge from the land of the dead can I impart upon you my old friend?
AMAZING GRACE
Who killed you?
DASH
I can’t tell you that.
AMAZING GRACE
Who are the four horsemen and what are they doing?
DASH
I can’t tell you that either.
AMAZING GRACE
(grinding her forehead into the tree in frustration)
Why is necromancy so stupid?!
DASH
Stella would be very disappointed to hear you maligning her profession like that.
AMAZING GRACE
(voice cracking)
Good thing I got her killed then so she doesn’t have to hear it then.
DASH
For sure, getting horribly murdered was really the best thing that ever happened to her. You should have told me when we met that your friends have a bad habit of being horribly murdered. A heads up about that would have been nice.
AMAZING GRACE
I think I mentioned it, you might have been on your phone at the time and missed it. You know how I don’t like to repeat myself
DASH
Ah, you’re probably right, my bad. So you’ve come here for advice from the grateful dead, well here it is, what I would do is stake out the occult shop. You should be there right now actually, whoever is behind all that is likely to show up on account of you killing their minion. Follow them and then work your way up the pyramid. You know how these cultist types operate. Very hierarchical.
AMAZING GRACE
That sounds boring.
DASH
Oh yes, incredibly. But that’s what detective work is. Waiting, lots of waiting.
AMAZING GRACE
What if time is of the essence? What if their evil plan is already in motion? What if I need to take decisive action right now?
DASH
Then you probably shouldn’t be hanging around in a graveyard.
AMAZING GRACE
Have you . . . talked to Stella?
DASH
You know that’s not how it works.
AMAZING GRACE
Is it true? What they say about what happens to necromancers after they die?
DASH
Do you really want to know?
AMAZING GRACE
(after a pause)
I wish I could see you one last time.
DASH
Go ahead and turn around. I won’t vanish right away, you’ll get a look.
Grace straights and moves away from the tree, stepping backwards. After a moment she turns around, Dash’s ghost becomes distinct for a split second and then dissipates. Grace notices that a kid is standing there watching her.
KID
What are you doing?
AMAZING GRACE
Talking to ghosts.
KID
Cool.
CUT TO:
EXT. MYSTIC DOGS – DAY
Grace is sitting outside the hot dog stand at a table eating fries and drinking an ice cold Coca-Cola. Discarded foil wrappers lay scattered before her. She has her phone on speaker talking to Ranni.
RANNI
I did some (sarcastic) hacking . . .
AMAZING GRACE
You don’t have to say it like that.
RANNI
. . . the soccult tore is owned by Henry Sevensworth. He likes people to call him AC.
AMAZING GRACE
Because he’s a big Lakers fan?
RANNI
No, because he’s a big Aleister Crowley fan.
AMAZING GRACE
(disgusted)
Jesus, why does ever black magic fuck-O suck Aleister Crowley’s boney dead dick? That dude was the worst magician I ever saw. AC Green played in 1200 consecutive games! What did Aleister fucking Crowley ever do that was worth a shit?
RANNI
According to people on the dark web he summoned the worm of sixty winters one time.
AMAZING GRACE
Yeah, by accident!
(curious)
There’s magic stuff on the dark web?
RANNI
Looks like, where else would it be?
AMAZING GRACE
I don’t really understand the dark web. Is it the cloud? I watched that movie Unfriended but I still don’t get it.
RANNI
I’ll explain the internet to you later. The point is that Sevensworth is a big fan of Crowley and he’s probably the one that had me install the equipment at the occult shop. And had the other person install the . . . uh, other stuff.
AMAZING GRACE
You don’t know if he hired you?
RANNI
No, that’s the whole point of cryptocurrency, to anonymize transactions.
AMAZING GRACE
Like bitcoin? How does that even work? How is that money if it’s just pixels?
RANNI
Pixels? There’s no pixels, I’ll explain blockchain to you later too. Seventhworth loves Crowley so much that he lives in a mansion outside of town that was once owned by him.
AMAZING GRACE
That rancid pig molester had a mansion in California?
RANNI
Apparently. Sevensworth and his three disciples live there and have all kinds or orgies to power their magic, which also generates a lot of noise complaints from their neighbors.
AMAZING GRACE
Oh, how original! Black magic assholes who love Crowley and have big fuckbeast parties all the damn time. They’re probably trying to open a portal to hell or some shit. It’s like these morons are all using the same tired old playbook from a century ago. Say what you want about esoterrorists but at least they’re trying new evil ways to ruin everything for everyone.
RANNI
I don’t know what that means. Are you saying this guy can really do magic?
AMAZING GRACE
Probably. The two women at the store were throwing around all kinds of magic and these dark magician types are very power oriented, being the assholes that they are, so the people further up the chain should be more power. Anyway, I’ll find out soon enough, send the directions to the god damn Crowley mansion to my phone.
RANNI
What? Like send you a link to google maps? Just look it up yourself.
AMAZING GRACE
In the movies the support girl with a pony-tail and a Dr. Who bobblehead on her desk always sends the information to the field agent.
RANNI
I’m hanging up now.
