ALTER

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EXT. ALTER, DAY

A circle of patients sit outside the beautiful gardens of the

ALTER Rehabilitation Center for Particular Individuals.

At the top of the circle, the THERAPIST, guides the session.

She sort of looks like the type to collect butterflies in her
spare time. She holds her hands in a praying gesture.

The camera rotates around the circle as she speaks and the
five patients listen, divided.

Ned Flores, extremely nervous and twitchy. Power of

Persuasion.

Kit, goth and dead inside. Can control water.

Piotr “Peter”, two brain cells left. Heightened senses.

Dexter, he’s invisible. Like, you literally can’t see him.

There’s just a spot in the circle that looks empty but we can
hear him if he eventually talks.

Anna, quiet and shy. She found a lady bug and it’s crawling
up her arm. She can control...

THERAPIST
Addiction is defined as constantly
engaging in an activity, despite
continuous negative consequences,
and causing harm to those around
you. The most difficult thing about
an addiction, is continuing to do
something, even though it’s causing
yourselves, and your loved ones,
destructive or even extreme harm.
The question is, if it’s causing
you problems, why do you continue
doing it? It may be causing
problems in your family... your
friends... your neighborhoods...
your cities...yet you continue to
do it. Some of you must ask
yourselves, why? Do any of you ever
ask yourself, “Why do I continue
doing this, if it causes me so much
harm?”

The group nods, some roll their eyes. This isn’t their first
session but it might be their last.
 2.

THERAPIST (CONT’D)
The reason why addicts continue
these harmful actions, is because
we are usually masking something
within ourselves that we are trying
to escape. These actions may help
temporarily, but will never
completely heal our scars deep
down. Why don’t we all share what
burdens us, and maybe we can begin
to explore what those scars are
deep down inside, to begin the
healing process. Would anyone like
to start?

No.

THERAPIST (CONT’D)
There is no judgement here, and no
one needs to share what they don’t
feel comfortable sharing. I see you
a new face in the group. Ned? What
about you?

NED
Uh... okay. I-

THERAPIST
Start with your name please Ned.

NED
My name is Ned Flores.

PIOTR
You’re not supposed to say your
last name.

KIT
(to Piotr)
Do you ever shut up?

PIOTR
What? You’re not supposed to use
last names I’m not telling you
freaks my last name.

KIT
The only one here that cares about
your last name being Clutterbuck is
your fragile ego.

PIOTR
MY LAST NAME ISN’T-
 3.

THERAPIST
Kit and Mr. Clusterfuck please. Ned
has the floor. Only positive waves
of energy while in the circle.
Positive waves. Center yourselves.

The Therapist beings waving her hands like she’s fanning a

fire. The other patients reluctantly follow suit as they had
many times before.

NED
My name is Ned. I’m a cardiologist.

PIOTR
No you’re not.

KIT
Yes he is?

PIOTR
He’s not I can tell. Plus I saw him
filling out the forum in his car.
He’s a physician’s assistant.
Whatever that is.

THERAPIST
Piotr.

PIOTR
Well that’s why he’s here isn’t
he?! You never let me get away with-

THERAPIST
And how did you see him filling out
the forum inside his car?

Piotr rolls his eyes, caught for using his powers.

THERAPIST (CONT’D)
Ned... how did you find yourself
here?

NED
Yeah… I umm… I’m a PA at Northside
Regional. I told some of the staff
I was an anesthesiologist. My dad
was one - helped save Violet Wind
after her accident. I wanted to
just be like him, ya know? They let
me into the surgery room with some
old woman to uh… give her meds. But
when she went to sleep… she never
woke up.
 4.

KIT
Jesus.

THERAPIST
Thank you for sharing your story
Ned. That was incredibly brave of
you. You are free of judgement
here. Would anyone else like to
share? Anna? How about you? I
understand you’re here under some
unusual circumstances. Would you
like to talk about them?

The lady bug flies away.

ANNA
They said I’m not allowed to talk
about it.

THERAPIST
This is a safe space Anna. You are
allowed to talk about it here. This
is a-

KIT
I’ll go.

The group all looks to Kit, surprised.

THERAPIST
That’s great Kit! Go ahead and
share.

KIT
I was... sulking around my parents
neighborhood all depressed and shit
and... there were these two guys
fishing in the drainage ditch.
These two inbred looking fucks.
They had this... cat and they
were... torturing it. I yelled at
them. They called me “Twilight”.
People forget that their bodies are
made up of 60% water. I could’ve...
but I didn’t. I went home. My
little sister- she had just gotten
home and she just started yelling
at me over- I don’t know. I don’t
remember. She was standing next to
the fish tank.

A blackened tear rolls down her cheek.

 5.

KIT (CONT’D)
That fucking fish tank. It wasn’t
even supposed to be there
anymore... I didn’t mean to-

She makes a casual flick of the finger and the black tear
flies off her face like a bug.

KIT (CONT’D)
This rehab shit sucks.

THERAPIST
Thank you Kit. I’m so proud of you
for finally sharing. This is a big
deal and you should feel so proud
of yourself. Anyone else?

DEXTER (THE EMPTY SPACE IN THE CIRCLE)

(Australian accent)
Yeah, what time’s lunch? I need me
a ciggy.

NED
There’s someone else here?

DEXTER
I’m social distancing as much as I
can.

NED
I really didn’t know anyone was
sitting there.

THERAPIST
Anna, why don’t you go ahead?

ANNA
I-

PIOTR
If they said we’re not supposed to
know, then I don’t wanna know!
Suits will throw me in a white room
eating bread and maggots for a
month.

The Therapist waves her hand and Piotr DISAPPEARS. Holy shit.

The group looks terrified. They didn’t even know the

Therapist had powers.

DEXTER
I still wanna know.
 6.

NED
No you don’t.

DEXTER
Roight Mate.

THERAPIST
Go ahead Anna.

ANNA
No.

THERAPIST
Why don’t you talk about a time in
your life when what you did caused
others harm, and then we can talk
about how to move past them.

Beat.

The other patient’s attention shifts to Anna. They’ve heard

the stories.

ANNA
Which time?

We ZOOM on Anna as she stares into the camera, boiling.

Literally.

THERAPIST
Anna? Anna are you okay?

The sounds around her fade out into a mute.

Temperature rises.

The ground shakes.

Anna explodes.