Shadows On The Farm

FARMHOUSE - XI

BASEMENT -

The man stands over Catherine, holding a sharp object menacingly. Suddenly, the basement door creaks open, and a woman enters. She strides over to the man and places a hand on his shoulder.

WOMAN: (firmly) Enough. You should be a gentleman. This isn't the way.

Catherine, dazed and in pain, looks up at the woman with a flicker of hope, thinking she might help them escape. The woman seems to assess the situation, her gaze cold and calculating.

MYSTERIOUS MAN: (surprised) What are you doing here?

WOMAN: (smoothly) Just making sure you don't get too carried away. We don’t want them to die too quickly, do we?

She kneels down beside Catherine, her face softening briefly. Catherine's eyes widen, thinking the woman might help them.

CATHERINE: (whispering) Please, help us...We're friends, aren't we?

The woman gently strokes Catherine's hair, her touch almost comforting. But then, without warning, she slaps Catherine hard across the face.

WOMAN: (coldly) Friends? Is there a friend who will embarrass their friend in front of a lot of people? You deserve every bit of pain you're feeling. And it's still not enough.

Mark and Ben watch in horror, their hopes dashed. The man chuckles darkly, stepping back to let the woman take over.

MYSTERIOUS MAN: (smiling) See? We’re on the same page.

MARK: (shouting) Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?

The woman stands up, brushing off her hands as if Catherine's pain was nothing more than a trivial annoyance.

WOMAN: (with venom) You think you're so special, don’t you? This is for all the times people like you have looked down on people like us.

She turns to the man, nodding towards the unconscious friends.

WOMAN: (icy) Make sure they understand that their suffering is just beginning.

The man nods, a twisted smile spreading across his face as he picks up his sharp object again. Catherine, Mark, and Ben exchange desperate, fearful looks, knowing their ordeal is far from over.