Decrease

Friday - September 17

Looking around to make sure she's alone, Georgia rips an opening large enough to remove its contents, and unfolds a piece of paper that reads, "Raw fish can be poisonous." Realizing what it means, Georgia refolds the paper, stuffs it back into the envelope, rips it into tiny pieces, and deposits the waste into a vent opening. Once she finishes, Georgia turns around to absorb the beauty of the hillside once more.

Lowering her head, she thinks of Claire, and whispers, "Claire, if you can hear me, I love you, dear. I love you." She looks up into the sky, hoping to see Claire's face smiling down upon her from the heavens. A puff of wind blows across her face. She smiles, assuming that Claire heard her. Taking in a deep breath, Georgia closes her eyes, and yells out, "Claire!" She takes one step toward the roof's edge, and prays, "God, forgive me." Georgia plunges five stories down onto the rocky surface below, splitting her head open. As she lies in a pool of blood, she gazes toward the sky, expels her last breath, releasing the last bit of life within her. Georgia Parks joins the dead, along with her daughter and grandson.

A young woman sitting outside the plaza hears the commotion and decides to investigate. When she turns the corner, she notices Georgia as she lies on the rocks bleeding tremendously. She runs back into the building, yelling for help. Within minutes, Victor and Gerald come running down the hallway, crashing the door open as they both run to Georgia's aid.

Victor stops, falls to his knees and cradles her lifeless body in his arms, crying out, "No, Georgia! No! Oh, God, no! No! No!"

Gerald stands next to Victor, yelling out, "This has gone on long enough! Too many people are dying because of a lie! This must stop, now!"

Gerald reaches into his pocket for his phone and begins dialing. Victor jumps up, hoicks the phone out of Gerald's hand, screaming, "No! No! Damn it, Gerald! No more!"

"What the hell, Victor! Georgia is dead! She didn't have to die! She died because of our lies and because of our... our damn... manipulations... and our... God, we have made a mess of everything! God! Oh, God!" Gerald wails as he falls to his knees, and cries bitterly because of what he has done to everybody he loves.

Other people in the plaza exit the building, and begin gathering around the two men grieving over Georgia.

Charles Stevens kicks the glass door open, and in a stern, terrifying voice yells, "Everybody get your asses back into the building! You saw nothing out here! Move it! Now!"

The people scatter frantically as they make their way back through the door and into the building to resume their duties.

Stevens stares at Gerald as he wallows in his anguish. Then he looks at Victor as he holds Georgia in his arms, rocking and crying, as if she were an infant. Stevens pulls a pack of Marlboros out of his pocket, pulls a cigarette from it with his lips, and then with one finger, strikes a match to light the toxic smoky treat. Inhaling deeply, he says, "Hey, you two take your asses back into the building while I take care of this mess," he says, as his lungs wheeze when he exhales. He waits for Gerald and Victor to comply with his orders.

Victor realizes how much he hates Stevens. Consumed with grief over the loss of Georgia, he leaps to his feet and lunges at Stevens. Seeing how unsteady and disheartened Victor is, Stevens raises his left hand and delivers a hefty blow across Victor's face. Victor loses his balance and stumbles on the rocks, causing him to fall on his backside. As Victor lies in defeat, he wipes away the blood on his lips being discharged from the opening Stevens inflicted upon him.

Stevens stands over Victor, sneering down at him and says, "You rich assholes, you're all alike. You blame others for the decisions you've made and for the problems you've caused. All of you dicks can go to hell! I'm out of this crazy madness!" Stevens flicks his unfinished Marlboro onto Victor, scoffs, and then walks around the side of the building. After a few seconds, Gerald and Victor watch Stevens spin away in a black sedan in the deep snow, leaving behind the plaza and its secrets.