INT. MARK’S APT, EARLY MORNING pre-dawm

Mark, Jim and Talee are sitting on the sofa around a table with some empty bottles of beer. Jim is looking through photos on his phone and Talee is laughing. Mark is sitting back, smiling in that half-drunk easy-going way.

Talee

If that’s what you say, I believe you.

Jim

No, no, no. It’s from the first gig we were at. … Where is it? … We are the same age.

Talee

Yeah, yeah.

Mark collapses in a fit of laughter. Jim finds the photo and shows Talee a photo of Mark and himself from about 10 years ago at a gig. Jim is scrawny and very young looking in the photo. He looks a little younger than Mark then.

Talee

(to Mark)

Wow. You really have not aged. At all.

Mark just shrugs and looks pleased with himself.

Talee

Jim, you’ve really let yourself go.

Mark starts laughing again and Jim gives Talee a look, but clearly he’s amused.

Jim

Yeah. Well … I’m going to have to get going folks.

Talee

No! Don’t go!

Jim

Mark. Talee, you’re not at all what I was expecting. A rather sweet surprise.

Mark pulls himself off the sofa.

Mark

I’ll see you out.

Mark lazily goes over to the door and opens it for Jim.

They say goodbyes and Jim leaves. Mark slowly closes the door.

He then turns to Talee, fully alert, sober and furious.

Talee is also fully alert and not surprised by Mark’s change of demeanour.

Mark

You think you can get whatever you want? You think you can manipulate everyone as you please? You think you can use me?

Talee holds her position as he walks over to her. She doesn’t make any defensive movements or actions. She looks Mark straight in the eye.

Mark stands in front of her and moves his face in close to hers.

Mark

So now you’re in my lair. Think you’re safe now? I can wait till the sun is just about to rise and throw you out that door. You are no match for me. With your silly little manoeuvrings you have put yourself in grave danger. You never think anything through, do you?

Talee

I know you’re not going to kill me.

Mark

I can’t kill you. You’re already dead.

Talee

You’re not going to - to make me greet the sun.

Mark

Why not?

Talee

Because you do think everything through. And if you wanted me dead you wouldn’t have come after me in the club bringing your friend along. And if you wanted to you could have got rid of me the first night you saw me. And you didn’t. You just wanted to check me out. I think you have some use for me and OK, maybe I’m not quite what you were hoping for, but you know you can train me to be whatever you want. I wasn’t trying to get one over on you. I just wanted to speed things along because I don’t have any proper place to stay. And I don’t want to be alone.

Mark steps back and turns away for a moment.

Mark

You’re of no use to me.

Talee

But you’re not going to kill me.

Mark

No one can kill you. You are already dead. … But I will not force you out of the night. Not tonight anyway.

Mark goes to the storage room, unlocks it, goes in and then locks it from the inside.

The ALARM SOUNDS.

Talee sits back down on the sofa leaning forward slightly, waiting and listening.