S1.E2 The Ritual of Thoth - Scene 10

Ritual S1- Episode 2 - Scene 10

Brian Morcombe prays

Characters in this Scene

Brian Morcombe

Julian McMahon as Damien

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Brian Morcombe is seated at the front pew of St Aloysius of the Innocents; he's been coming here every evening over the past month to light a candle for Joannie; and now a second one for his wife. This afternoon was Helen's funeral. Dr Grey was there asking questions about Joannie he didn't have answers for. She was the last person to see Helen alive, and he could not help feeling some jealous animosity towards her. Her lack of belief in what was going on and practical explanations for everything irked him, she was always trying to make things fit perfectly. Well, they don't, he thinks angrily, there are some things you just can't explain away with science, that's why we have faith in God.

Father Deakin was not available to read the eulogy; he had taken ill. Not surprisingly, the sessions he did with Joannie seemed to suck the life out of the man. Brian noted how the priest's hands shook the last time he had left the Morcombe house and how he looked vacant and disorientated, a worrying sign. Helen had the same look in her eyes the days leading up to that horrific accident. Sam and Tracey were staying with their aunt Susan, better that way. He didn't want them to be subjected to the horrors he had seen over the past few weeks with Joannie. He just doesn't know how things could possibly get any worse now that his Helen is gone.

He bends his head in silence and allows the tears to roll.

A gust of wind blows through the Church as the doors bang open. A man wearing a black overcoat strolls down the centre aisle. Two old biddies that were seated halfway down the church stop their whispers to stare at him disapprovingly. He meets their gaze and grins wolfishly - for a split second his eyes seem to flash yellow. He jerks his head to indicate they should leave, and they both scurry out of the church making the sign of the cross, not daring to look back.

Lost in his grief, Brian Morcombe is only vaguely aware of the footsteps on the parquetry floor and someone sitting beside him on the pew.

"I'm sorry for your loss," the man's voice, was smooth and velvety. Brian thought there was something vaguely familiar about the man in the dim light of the Church, but he was having difficulty placing it.

"Huh? What do you know about my loss?"

"Your wife Helen, such a terrible accident. Now your poor daughter is suffering hanging onto life by a thread."

"Who are you?" Brian asked, but the man seemed to ignore that request and went on.

"I'm the only one that can help your daughter. That psych really doesn't know what she's up against and the priest isn't getting anywhere, is he?"

"How is it that you know so much about my family and our troubles?" Brian demanded.

"Word moves through the esoteric circles of such things."

"What are you then, a-a-spiritualist or some kind of faith healer?"

"I don't need faith to heal. You might say, I'm a magician."

Brian's anger begins to escalate. "Look, you'll have to forgive me pal, but I really don't know who the hell you are!"

Damien leans in close almost whispering in Brian Morcombe's ear "Let's just say I'm someone you should have more fucking respect for." He places a business card with just a phone number on it on the pew. He gets up without another word leaving Brian Morcombe gaping open-mouthed like a fish.

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