MIRAGE

FADE IN...

1- EXT. NEW YORK CITY - MIDDLE OF THE DAY

Traffic is heard from the streets. A taxi pulls up in front of a large glass building in New York City. MIRAGE steps out of the taxi. She is 23, an artist that recently graduated from college, well proportioned with brown hair and green eyes, wearing a bright red dress. Mirage starts walking hurriedly to the doors of the glass building, throwing open the door and rushing in.

2- INT. ART GALLERY - NEW YORK CITY - MIDDLE OF THE DAY

Mirage starts looking at the art in the gallery and gets a drink from the refreshments table. Mirage notices an OLD MAN and OLD WOMAN staring at her.

OLD MAN AND OLD WOMAN: *whispering about some experiment*

The old couple walks up to her. The old man is tall and skinny, with dark silvery gray eyes to match his hair. The old woman is tall and skinny as well, with long white hair and dull blue eyes.

OLD MAN: Perfect.

MIRAGE: The art? Yeah, I definitely agree with you. The art is stunning.

OLD MAN: No. You will be perfect.

MIRAGE: Hahaha, pardon? (Nervous laugh)

OLD MAN: We have been searching many years for someone like you, someone that fits the exact requirements. You are the perfect candidate.

Mirage starts to feel lightheaded. She rubs her eyes.

MIRAGE: Uhh- Not aga-

Mirage faints, falling to the floor.

OLD WOMAN: Poor girl.

3- INT. SCIENCE LAB Title- TWO DAYS LATER

Mirage is tied down to a metal operating table. Mirage looks around, panicked. The old man walks into the room. The old woman stays at the doorway, pity in her eyes.

MIRAGE: Where am I this time? Ya know, since you kidnapped me, you could have at least made sure I had a nice comfy bed.

OLD MAN: (sly smile) I'm sorry Mirage, but I have no clue what you are talking about. (fake offended) Kidnap you? I would never!

MIRAGE: Oh, but you do. What are we starting with first this time? Maybe some light torture before you jack my system up again with your disgusting meds. Or maybe you want to be a little more original this time, old man. Not going to lie, this whole torture/kidnapped routine is getting kind of worn out and boring, wouldn't you agree? Dare I say you are losing your touch.

OLD MAN: (faking excitement) I guess it will have to be a surprise, how fun! Old man walks up to Mirage and injects her with some kind of serum. Mirage passes out.

4- INT. SCIENCE LAB Title- THREE DAYS LATER

We see the old man walking into the room and the camera stays on him while he talks to Mirage. We only hear Mirage's voice.

MIRAGE: AHHHHHHH! Where are you, ya old fart!

OLD MAN: You're being awfully rude! Not that you deserve to know, but-

MIRAGE: Oh yeah, why would I deserve to know anything. I'm only the one being experimented on.

OLD MAN: -but, the experiment was very successful, no thanks to you.

We hear Mirage breath an annoyed breath. The old man ignores it and starts to continue talking.

OLD MAN: The experiment successfully made your DNA start to mutate and change indefinitely, causing how your physical body appears to always change.

MIRAGE: Whoa there crazy, slow your roll. No physical body is being changed here, thank you very much.

OLD MAN: (fake excitement) Come on Mirage, don't you see how fun this is? I thought you wanted a surprise!

MIRAGE: You and I have very different definitions of surprise.

OLD MAN: I don't understand, one day you could look like you and another you could be some random woman you might have seen on the street once. It's truly magnificent! What better surprise could there be!

MIRAGE: I'd have to agree to disagree with that, old man. Not really into the whole multiple identities thing.

The old man brings Mirage a mirror to see her new face. We see the mirror in front of Mirage's face and when she puts it down we see that Mirage now looks like a middle aged man.

MIRAGE: EEHHH! You could have given me a better face!

The old man takes the mirror and puts it on a table next to Mirage where empty syringes are. The old man walks away, leaving Mirage tied down to the table once again.

5- INT. SCIENCE LAB Title- LATER THAT NIGHT

Mirage is still stuck on the metal table, now as a man, trying to get free. On a side table she sees one of the left over syringes and knocks it down and takes one of the splintered pieces of glass and starts to saw away at the ropes holding her down. She gets up and slowly walks to the exit, still holding the glass shard. She creeps out and starts running down the hall once the coast is clear. While running, Mirage sees a room full of people. Mirage hears a whisper and turns around, tightening her grip on the glass shard. It's the old woman.

OLD WOMAN: I want to help. Follow me.

MIRAGE: Look, psycho number two.

OLD WOMAN: Follow me!

Mirage follows the old woman. The old woman sneaks Mirage out of the back of the building and there waiting for them is an old, beat up truck.

OLD WOMAN Get in.

The old woman is cut short by the old man standing behind the back door holding a gun. The old man walks closer to Mirage until he is a few feet away. Mirage takes the piece of glass she is holding and plunges it into him. Mirage then gets into the car and drives away.

6- EXT. HIGHWAY - NEW YORK - NIGHT

Mirage is driving. Mirage sees highway signs alerting her she is 40 miles from New York City. Mirage gets to her apartment building and she runs up the steps. People start to look at her funny, due to the experiment she now appears to be a middle aged man in a young woman's dress.

MIRAGE What? You've never seen a guy in a dress? Nothing to see here, folks!

Mirage gets to her door and lifts her mat to get her spare apartment key. As soon as she gets in her apartment and closes the door, she falls to the floor and passes out.

7- INT. ART GALLERY - NEW YORK CITY - MIDDLE OF THE DAY

Mirage wakes up on the floor. Mirage looks up and gasps. Mirage is not in her apartment, she is back in the art gallery, on the floor and the old man is standing over her.

OLD MAN Surprise!

The old man is smiling, standing over her.

FADE TO BLACK... FADE IN...