Black Dahlia

silk web spins
a star pattern on
a diorama of hollywood
boulevard built on the movie
set

fade in:

black dahlia
and her widows'
perfume permeate
her inner secrets
and our suspicions

script fresh
with new courier
font the role she was
cast split vamp and horse
breeder

script sits
on a table with
prop blood capsules
with a note, "honor code"
and a knife stabbed into the
back of a black cloak covered
styrofoam voodoo doll

black dahlia
looks into the
camera and in her
best rehearsed vamp
dialogue says the lines
"ashling dawling, I did
nothing wrong, all is fair
in love and war, and this is
love. It's a director's war and
I am declaring insanity, for the
insane are warped. Now I must go
change"

dissolve to:

black dahlia exits-
the horsebreeder in
mind costume and another
personality readies herself
for take two

an arabian
trots across
the green field
never to be seen
again and black dahlia
clad in black lace frederick's
of hollywood recites "morphine and
heroin heavenly divine and jesus is so
quiet where the hell has he been!"

delyse brings a
white robe on set
to cover black dahlia
and whisks her off stage
the drama swarmed by paparazzi

Copyright Ms. Sage Sweetwater, Celebrity firebrand lesbian novelist

FADE IN:

INT. HOME OF ASHLING – DAY

INSERT: BEVERLY HILLS

CLOSE ON -- TWO SILVER ENGRAVED CIVIL WAR PISTOLS on a GLASS art TABLE with a GOLD SPIRAL BASE. There’s a SCRIPT close to the pistols titled JETT DURANGO on the COVER PAGE. There’s TWO WINE FLUTES half-full with BURGUNDY.

The home is simply furnished, but rich in memorabilia. ANDY WARHOL art prints hang on one wall. On the adjacent wall, GENE AUTRY art prints hang. There’s a BLACK-PAINTED, WITH GOLD SADDLE AND BRIDLE FULL SIZE CAROUSEL HORSE WITH a TWISTING GOLD POLE that extends to the ceiling in the corner of the room.

CHARACTER NOTE: (Ashling, Hollywood actress/director, ashen blond,  sometimes light auburn and brown, 40s drives a FAST PORSCHE CABRIOLET.)

ASHLING
When the blackmail came in, it wasn’t like a red flag went up on Rodeo Drive. I just got in my Cabriolet and drove to window shop for less damage to my wallet. I went past the billboards on Sunset Boulevard and one caught my eye.

CHARACTER NOTE: ( Delyse, any hair color, a secret, 40s, producer and born to be wild.)

DELYSE
Which one?

ASHLING
Paramount Studios advertising the film we’re involved in just went up. The Beverly Hills trolley turned into a stagecoach. Armani, Gucci and Coco Chanel had left the building and turned into saloon, whorehouse and livery stable. I couldn’t believe the Paramount billboard, the film we have a part in as big as life. The pavement peeled into dust. Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman-Marcus became rich with Gene Autry and I heard pistols firing and bullets richocheting hitting extortion dead in the conscience.

DELYSE
How did this all fit into valet parking?

ASHLING
Come with me. I need to rehearse the script.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. PARKING LOT LEADING TO UNDERGROUND PARKING – SAME

CLOSE ON –- VALET PARKING sign.

The valet attendant approaches.

JUMP CUT TO:

Ashling and Delyse nude tangled in the sheets on the luxurious Queen-size bed french kissing in a wild, hot passionate lesbian affair that is about to hit the Hollywood tabloids.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. REGENT BEVERLY WILSHIRE HOTEL – SAME

Paparazzi crawling with their cameras.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CATHEDRAL – SAME

BLACK SUV GOVERNMENT VEHICLES and SECRET SERVICE parked in front of the cathedral. Fed Men are getting out of their BLACK-WINDOW vehicles walking official and postured up to the steps to enter into the church.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. PRIVATE BACK ROOM IN THE CHURCH - SAME

The Bishop of the Catholic church is having a meeting in a secret room in the back of the church with three other male clergy dressed in full ecclesiatical attire, white collars, robes, and rosary, the Bishop in a BRIGHT RED ROBE with YELLOW HIGHLIGHTS and BELT SASH.

BISHOP
We’ve got to stop this woman! Now! This screenwriter is ruining our plan. Hollywood absolutely cannot get within its hands this screenplay!  It is damaging. Damaging!

PRIEST #1
And incriminating! How did the screenwriter get this information! Those files of abusive priests were locked in an alarm-rigged room sealed in a locked safe. For the love of God, my brothers, we’re in for Armageddon!

PRIEST #2
What Bishop kept a known pedophile priest in the system! Blasphemy! Brother Berce molested these children, girls and boys, and his higher authorities knew it for years! For the love of God, why didn’t the Bishop pay Brother Berce off to leave the parish? In Christ’s name, our Lord forgives this, but the scandal will live on if this cover-up surfaces!

PRIEST #3
I know a way. Forgive me, Lord, but I know a way. Let me work on it— (he’s cut off by a knock on the door)

The Feds walk in. The mouthpiece of the Bureau speaks.

FED AGENT
Gentlemen, the IRS commences to strip churches of their tax exempt status if they are violating the law by mixing religion and politics. You are in violation of the Tax Exemption Statute of the IRS Code. You are therefore being stripped of your tax-exempt status. You will be taxed on property owned and revenue accrued.

Copyright registered with library of congress and wga Ms. Sage Sweetwater, Celebrity firebrand lesbian novelist