INT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE
It is a place of putrefying elegance, a rotting host of urban maggotry. Trinity leads Rizzo from the stairwell down the hall of the thirteenth floor. They stop outside room 1313.
TRINITY
This is it.
Rizzo can hear his own heart pounding. Sweat runs down his nose as he stares at Trinity’s supernaturally luscious, leather-clad ass.
TRINITY
Let me give one piece of advice. Be honest. He knows more than you can possibly imagine.
RIZZO
So I can skip the meeting, then? Let’s you and me find a nice cozy place to get you out of all that leather and…
She pushes him through the door.
INT. ROOM 1313
Across the room, a dark figure stares out the tall windows veiled with decaying lace. He turns and his smile lights up the room.
MORPHEUS
At last.
He wears a long black coat and his eyes are invisible behind circular mirrored glasses.
He strides to Rizzo and they shake hands.
MORPHEUS
Welcome, Rizzo. As you no doubt have guessed, I am Morpheus.
RIZZO
Man, Trinity is one fine piece of work, yo. You banging her?
He smiles knowingly. Trinity giggles.
MORPHEUS
Please. Come. Sit.
He nods to Trinity.
MORPHEUS
Thank you, Trinity. I’ll see you later?
She bows her head smiling and exits through a door to an adjacent room. Rizzo watches her exiting backside with appreciation, then turns back to Morpheus.
They sit across from one another in cracked, burgundy-leather chairs.
RIZZO
So, did you help Donais get all freaky-styling in my man B’s Nationals Report last year?
MORPHEUS
I imagine, right now, you must be feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole?
RIZZO
Well, it sure don’t feel like some other holes I’d like to be tumbling down, you know what I mean?
MORPHEUS
I can see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up.
A smile, razor-thin, curls the corner of his lips.
MORPHEUS
Ironically, this is not far from the truth. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Can you tell me, Rizzo, why are you here?
RIZZO
I’m burned out, yo. It’s time to step on out while the getting’s good, before I get too stressed and kill somebody. I mean, do you realize how long it takes to pound out 10,000 words on my crappy computer? And do you know how many times I’ve gone 3-5 at tournaments? I just can’t take it anymore. This is some seriously bad times for Becky.
MORPHEUS
But I think we both know there’s more to it than that. Do you believe in fate, Rizzo?
RIZZO
No. But I do believe in your mom.
MORPHEUS
My mom would rock your world, boy. Don’t even joke. But why do you not believe in fate?
RIZZO
I just can’t accept that my beloved Sexual Chocolate is fated to play Edict buffer bait to a damn Atog. I don’t know about you, but my Psychatogs all have”Finkel” scribbled across them. It just ain’t dignified.
MORPHEUS
I know exactly what you mean.
Again, that smile that could cut glass.
MORPHEUS
Let me tell you why you are here. You are here because you have the gift.
RIZZO
I meant to take that back. It was an accident. Free Winona!!
MORPHEUS
I’ve read your stuff, Rizzo. You do not use writing as simple communication. You use it like it was part of body. What you can do when you write is not normal. I know. I’ve read it. What you do is magic. And I don’t mean Magic.
Rizzo shrugs.
RIZZO
It’s not magic, bro.
MORPHEUS
But it is, Rizzo. It is. How else would you describe what has been happening to you lately?
He leans forward.
MORPHEUS
We are trained in this world to accept only what is rational and logical. Have you ever wondered why?
Rizzo leans back in a buffalo stance. He cocks an eyebrow menacingly.
MORPHEUS
As children, we do not separate the possible from the impossible which is why the younger a mind is the easier it is to free while a mind like yours can be very difficult.
RIZZO
You saying I have a closed mind, Big M? I ain’t hearing that, see?
MORPHEUS
I’m saying it’s difficult for us older folks to change, to free our mind to other possibilities. We get in a rut, get stuck in the routine.
Rizzo looks at Morpheus’ eyes but only sees a reflection of himself. He begins to primp and preen in the mirrored shades.
MORPHEUS
Do you want to know what It is, Rizzo?
RIZZO
It? Not if it’s like the It in that Steve King novel. Sh*t, man, that took place just down the road from where I live now.
MORPHEUS
Enough with the joking. I ask you again. Do you want to know what It is?
Rizzo opens his mouth to say something, thinks better of it and just nods his head.
MORPHEUS
It’s that feeling you have had all your life. That feeling that something was wrong with the world. Bad dialogue in movies, bad dialogue in Presidents’ speeches, bad times for Becky. You don’t know what It is, exactly, but It’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad, driving you to me. But what is It?
RIZZO
I thought you were supposed to be telling me…
The LEATHER CREAKS as he leans back.
MORPHEUS
It is everywhere, It’s all around us, here even in this room. You can see It out your window, or on your television. You feel It when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
RIZZO
What truth?
MORPHEUS
That you are a slave, Rizzo. That you, like everyone else, was born into bondage… Kept inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind.
RIZZO
Yo, keep your prison metaphors to yourself. I ain’t down with that, M.
Outside, the WIND BATTERS a loose PANE of glass.
MORPHEUS
Unfortunately, no one can be told what It is. You have to see It for yourself.
RIZZO
I thought you just told me I could see It everywhere… Damn, this is some weird metaphysical stuff you’re laying on my dizzome…
MORPHEUS
Hold out your hands.
Rizzo instinctively tucks his hands under his legs. Morpheus frowns until Rizzo finally puts his hands out.
In Rizzo’s right hand, Morpheus drops a red pill.
RIZZO
Sweet! What sorta illicit chemical is this, chief?
MORPHEUS
This is your last chance. After this, there is no going back.
RIZZO
Whoa – sounds potent!
In his left, a blue pill.
MORPHEUS
You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed with your wife and eggs and you believe whatever you want to believe. Everyone loves you, you pound out 10,000 words a week, you’re a legend among geeks. You’ve got 3-5 tournament records for as long as tournaments exist.
Rizzo looks down dubiously.
MORPHEUS
You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.
RIZZO
Rabbit-hole, huh? Is that your nickname for Trinity?
Rizzo pauses a moment while what Morpheus said sinks in.
RIZZO
Did you just say how deep?!?
MORPHEUS
Remember that all I am offering is mind-blowing sex with extremely athletic, leather-clad women. Nothing more. All you need is an open mind.
Rizzo opens his mouth and swallows the red pill. The Cheshire smile returns.
MORPHEUS
Excellent. Follow me.
He leads Rizzo into the other room, which is lit by lava lamps and a glitter ball. Soft-core seventies funk plays quietly in the background. A huge king size bed dominates the room.
Trinity and Cypher look up as they enter.
CYPHER
Sh*t.
TRINITY
I knew he’d come.
Cypher saddles up to Morpheus, talking in a hushed tone away from Rizzo.
CYPHER
Morpheus, this guy looks too much like me. I think people might get confused.
Trinity glides over to Rizzo, trailing her long nails down his forearms as she walks a slow circle around him. She looks him up and down. For the first time, we notice he’s completely naked. And hairy.
TRINITY
I won’t be confused.
Morpheus smiles and leads Cypher out the room. Closing the door behind him, he turns directly to the camera and smiles.
MORPHEUS
Is Rizzo gone from you forever? Or have you lost him down the, ahem… rabbit-hole? Only time will tell, but know this – people like Rizzo don’t come along every day. Be glad to have walked down the same path with him for a while. And maybe we’ll see him again, sooner than you think… Until then, thanks for the good times, good laughs and best of luck in the future.
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