CHAERIN’S POV – Out of focus, wobbly. Lights, a rainbow of fuzzy colors dance before her. Slowly, bring into focus...

She coughs, gags on something.

She lifts her arms to discover her wrists are tied together tightly.

A middle age woman enters the room carrying something.

She breath quickens. The middle age woman walks right up to her. She places a flower wreath in her hair, adjusts it to fit.

“Perfect. Just perfect. You are lovely as a summer’s day.”

The middle age woman checks her watch. “It’s almost time.”

Chaerin catches her reflection in a small wall mirror.

****

A rope looped through a hook in the ceiling.

Follow the rope down... a pair of bloody and bruise hands, wrists...... Seungri.

Seungri’s passed out. He dangles in the middle of the room.

He wears an old, moth-eaten sports jacket and slacks. A rope gags his mouth.

The sickle/axe moves towards Seungri...

The Concealed Figure, a black ring surrounds his injured eye, steps in front of Seungri, holds the blade centimetres from Seungri’s eye.

An eye for an eye?

Seungri wakes and... immediately freaks out.

He tries to shake loose, but can’t.

The Concealed Figure stares at him, but...

“Stop it!” The Ranges enters. He wears a long garment around his neck, carries a bible. “That’s enough. Get him ready.”

The Concealed Figure backs off.

He undoes a slipknot on the far wall, which causes Seungri to come crashing to the floor.

The Concealed Figure lifts Seungri to his feet, positions him.

It’s only now Seungri gets a gander at the room.

The fetus jars adorn the far wall. There’s a giant wooden cross hanging over a makeshift altar.

Candles anywhere and everywhere.

An old phonograph, one that crank to play, rests in the corner. The Ranger places the needle down on a record, cranks the wheel.

The music kicks in, classical religious... It’s hollow, full of static and futz.

Seungri watches... his eyes open wide, as...

The iron door slowly creaks open.

A filthy pair of white dress shoes. Ropes secure the ankles so movement’s limited to inches at a time.

Shimmying into the room, wearing a dusty, old wedding dress and a flower wreath in her hair is Chaerin.

Her wrists still bound. gagged.

Seungri and Chaerin take each other in. Tears spring to Chaerin’s eyes. She takes another jerky step closer.

The middle age woman is visible behind her, guides her towards Seungri. She positions her next to him so that both face the altar.

The Ranger glances to the middle age woman who silences the music.

“And God answered and said unto them, “Each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.”

“Amen.” The Ranger’s wife said.

“And so, I ask you Lee SeungHyun... and you Lee Chaerin, do you accept the sacred covenant of marriage?”

Seungri and Chaerin stare at the Ranger. Neither flinch.

The Ranger glances to the Concealed Figure, who immediately steps forward, touches the sickle blade to Chaerin’s throat.

“I’ll ask again... Do you accept this covenant of marriage?”

Chaerin nods immediately. Seungri nods too.

The Ranger signals for the Concealed Figure to step back. He obeys.

“Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife.” The Ranger signals to his wife.

His wife removes Chaerin’s graduation ring from her finger. She then slides two tarnished gold bands, one on Chaerin’s finger, the other on Seungri’s.

The Ranger unties the rope securing Seungri’s gag in his mouth, removes it.

“Why are you doing this? We did nothing to you people. Let us go!” Seungri pledged.

“You may kiss the bride.”

“You ing people are ing sick!”

The Ranger’s temper flares...

“Do not use that type of language in this house again. Now... kiss the bride or...” The Ranger gestures to the Concealed Figure “... he’ll cut off your lips.”

Seungri stares in horror at The Ranger, turns to Chaerin.

“I love you.” Seungri kisses her briefly on the cheek.

The Ranger smiles satisfied, nods to the Concealed Figure. He immediately lifts Chaerin up and throws her over his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Seungri’s panic.

The Concealed Figure carries her from the room. Chaerin cries.

“LET HER GO! CHAERIN!!!” Seungri begged to the Concealed Figure. ‘Let her go!...Please, let her go!”

The Ranger pulls the ropes, hoists Seungri back into a dangling position. He secures the knot before exiting the room.

“CHAERIN!!!”

“Please. Don’t hurt her. Whatever it is you want, I’ll give it to you.” Seungri begged to the Ranger’s wife.

“I know you will.”

She stuffs the gag in, secures it in place with the rope.

She ties the knot. Perfect.

The woman exits the room. Seungri is alone.

Seungri tries to yank his hands through the knot.

His wrists and hands turn red, his face is flushed...the knot is too tight. He stops.

Seungri takes a breath and tries again. His face and hands are beet red.

He pulls and pulls...but the rope doesn’t budge. Seungri exhales. It’s no use. He dangles there, helpless.

****

Seungri still dangles by his wrists. The Ranger enters.

He unties the end of the rope on the floor. The rope unfurls, Seungri drops to the ground.

The Ranger picks him up, sits him in a nearby chair. Seungri’s wrists, ankles and mouth still bound and gagged.

“Gonna untie your mouth, now. Have a little “man to man” talk.” The Ranger undoes the gag in Seungri’s mouth.

“Please... It’s not too late. Let us go. We won’t tell anyone.”

(Beat)

“How well do you know your bible?”

“You are ing sick!”

The Ranger slaps Seungri across the face.

“I told you before to watch that mouth, mister.”

“ you!”

The Ranger punches him, not once, but twice. He readies a third.

“You through?”

Seungri spits some blood on the floor. Nods.

“I’ll ask again... how well do you know the bible?”

“Not very.” Seungri replied.

“That’s okay. It’s fine. That’s why I am here... teach you the way things are and the way they should be.”

****

Chaerin sits in a chair in the middle of the room. Still gagged.

She wears a new outfit. A handmade dress with a small crest embroidered over the heart.

The woman pulls tight the rope securing her wrists to the arms of the chair. Satisfied. “I’ll be right back.”

The woman exits the room. The Concealed Figure stands by the door. He and Chaerin alone together.

Chaerin tries not to make eye contact.

The Concealed Figure stares at her. Longingly.

****

The Ranger sits in a chair next to Seungri.

“Relations prior to marriage is a sin. You and your girlfriend are sinners in the Lord’s eyes. And because of those sins,

your souls are damned. But my wife and me, we’re gonna give you a chance to save your souls and

do the right thing, but... as previously stated, you will need to persevere and show 

the strength and will of your character. But you’ll do it. Because that’s what needs to be done.”

Seungri stares unflinching at the Ranger.

****

The Concealed Figure kneels before Chaerin who tries to move, but can’t.

The Concealed Figure lays his scarred hand on Chaerin’s thigh.

Chaerin squirms, but that’s all she can do. Then...

“Step back!”.

The Concealed Figure jumps up, backs off.

“You get away from her. Git! Now!”

The Ranger’s wife sets a tray she was carrying down, chases the Concealed Figure from the room.

She shuts the door behind him.

“I’m sorry about that, Honey. My brother, he’s not well.”

She retrieves the tray, brings it over closer to Chaerin.

“It’s not all his fault. Our father wasn’t very Christian and then there was the accident. Along with the scarring,

lost use of his vocals. Can’t speak a . Now, I’ve spoken to him.

What happened with the others won’t happen to you. He’s promised me that.”

What others? What did he do?

“I’m gonna take that out of your mouth now. I brought you some tea, got some primrose in it. Help you relax, get some rest. Okay?”

The Ranger’s wife unties the gag in Chaerin’s mouth. She coughs a few times.

The Ranger’s wife raises the mug of tea to her lips...

“Please don't do this. Please let me go. Please...I just want to go home.”Chaerin begged to her.

“Drink the tea.” The Ranger’s wife replied coldly.

The Ranger’s wife brings the mug to her lips again, pours some in Chaerin’s mouth. She swallows a big gulp.

“That’s better. Good girl.”

“I almost forgot to ask... How does it feel being married?” The Ranger’s wife changing the topic.

“Why are you doing this?”

“I thought you’d be happy about that. All I ever wanted out of life was two things... to be married and to have

a baby. The Lord blessed me with a husband and I thank Him every day for that.”

The Ranger’s wife pours some more tea into Chaerin.

“But having a baby’s been...complicated.”

****

The Ranger walks over to the fetus jars. Stares at them. A sadness in his eyes.

“She can conceive fine... just...can’t seem to make it all the way through. My last son was the toughest......  

made it to month eight.” The Ranger’s eyes angle on the fetus jar. The most developed of them all.

“City Doctor had some fancy mumbo-jumbo words for the condition.” The Ranger continue and turns to Seungri.

“Breaks my heart every time. That woman was born to be a mother. It’s her calling in life. Just like you

and your wife have a calling.”

“What exactly do you want from us?” Seungri stares in horror at the Ranger.