Scene 10: Talking With Kinger (Pomni and Kinger have landed below in Hell.)

Kinger: Not really typical of what you'd think Hell would be.

Pomni: We... are LITERALLY in Hell right now. HELL! (She gets up and walks around crazily.) Of course I'd be in Hell. How could I not be in literal Hell right now?

Kinger: (Puts a hand on her shoulder) Just try to stay calm. I'm sure Caine included a way to escape.

(They walk forward to a swarm of souls floating.)

Kinger: Hold on... (He ponders.) Let me try something.

(He takes his left eye and tosses it into the souls. It looks around.)

Kinger: Hey, there's actually a staircase down there. It could be a way out. Maybe it'll work for us since we still have our bodies? Though, I'm worried about what that tape said earlier.

Pomni: I'm just gonna try going fast.

Kinger: Wait, Pomni!

(She runs forward, but stops as souls enter through her mouth. Her body twitches as if she is being possessed. Her face distorts and her eyes glow orange.)

Kinger: Pomni!

(The possessed Pomni turns her head around, laughing maniacally.)

Pomni: (Voice distorted) Freeeeedooooom.

Kinger: Pomni!

(He extends his hand out and grabs her, forcing her back towards him. Her body twitches on the ground.)

Kinger: Hey! (He begins to beat the demons out of her with the shotgun.) You get out of her, you damn evil souls!

Pomni: (Voice distorted) How's your wife, Kinger?

(Eventually, the souls leave Pomni and she returns to her normal self. She begins coughing and panting.)

Kinger: Hey. You all right there?

Pomni: (Panting) No.

Kinger: I'm guessing the souls are attracted to living things. Just want a vessel to be able to leave with. Man... Seven years of computer science for this, huh? Heh.

Pomni: Why? Every day I spend here is one nightmare after the next! I knew it would end up like this! (She sits on the ground.) He- He just wants me to suffer. (She curls up and buries her face into her legs.) I really am in Hell...

Kinger: Don't say that. You're not in- Well, I-I guess we are technically in- Eh, forget about that. (He sits down next to her.) How about we just relax for a bit while nothing's chasing us?

(Overcome with all the stress and horrors she went through recently, Pomni begins to quietly sob to herself. Kinger attempts to reach out to her.)

Kinger: It was my fault we went down this path, wasn't it? I'm really... sorry for that...

(Pomni stop sobbing and wipes the tears form her eyes.)

Pomni: Why have you been acting so different lately...?

Kinger: (Chuckles) I have, haven't I? I'm normally not too good with memories. But being surrounded by darkness always... brings me back to a certain time.

(Kinger flashes back to when Queenie abstracted.)

Kinger: Right after my wife had- had abstracted... I don't recall the exact string of events, but we both ended up in the fort together. And it was dark. The darkness seemed to calm her down a bit. The harsh, jagged edges smoothed out, and she didn't seem aggravated anymore.

(Kinger reaches his hand out to comfort his wife.)

Kinger: She wasn't the same as before, but she was calm enough to touch one last time... before she got sent to the cellar.

(Flashback ends.)

Kinger: I'm always taken back to that moment when engulfed in darkness.

Pomni: You had a wife? Like, here in the circus?

Kinger: Yeah. She was funny, creative- really into entomology. I used to hate bugs, but... she somehow got me to like them. (Chuckles lightly) It's not the most cheerful memory, but... it's one I at least have control over. I know how it can feel in this... circus. Sometimes it all just feels... pointless.

Pomni: Yeah...

Kinger: But it's not. Not if you have people who care about you. Good memories can do a lot. Hold onto them. And cherish the people around you. You never know when they'll be gone. In this world, the worst thing you can do is... make someone think they're not wanted or loved.