We’re in a dimly lit alley of downtown. Jamie (She/Her, 30’s, gorgeous makeup and hair, a shimmering dress on) crunches on the pavement as the sound of police sirens sounds in the distance.

She stops in front of a nondescript door, glances down at her watch which strikes 11:11. The door glows a faint crimson around the edges as the time hits.

She looks at the door, shakes out her willies, steels herself, and twists the handle.

Jamie tentatively tiptoes into a dark room and peers around.

H-Hello?

She takes another step in.

It echos in the room. In one darkened corner a red pile of leaves rustles like wind buffeting a tree in autumn.

Am I in the right place?

She takes another step into the room and the door SLAMS shut. Jamie YALPS. Gasps. Flailingly grabs the handle. Jiggles it.

She’s LOCKED IN.

The Red leaves in the corner have multiplied... they rustle again.

Jamie peers into the gloomy, dark room.

Are -- you -- in here?

The Red leaves in the corner are large enough to take form, they’re a coiled and piled rust red pile.

Yes. I am here.

The pile elongates and twists into the form of a human dressed in effulgent red draped cloth. It shivers and shakes in a mesmerizing twist of crimson.

H-- How?

Am I not as you anticipated? The crimson visitor you have business with?

Jamie freezes in place and looks at the figure in awe.

The RED MASS is a tall and beautiful woman, covered in Red satin, silk, and glossy cloth. The billowing cloth drapes around her skin and flows onto the floor. On her face a smiling, kind eyed, but otherwise featureless black mask.

Please, let’s sit and discuss.

Suddenly there’s a table with two chairs.

Jamie shakes her head in disbelief. She sits and puts her hands on the table in awe.

It’s comforting? Correct?

Jamie rubs her hands over the grooves in it.

This is my mom’s kitchen table.

Jamie looks up at the dimly lit crimson mass and really takes it in for the first time.

(with some derision)

I-- I thought you’d be scarier.

The demon takes a red gloved hand and touches the mask.

Would you like that?

Jamie recoils.

No. I’m good. I’m good.

The red shape relaxes its hands and gestures to the side. They sit.

So, You must know why I’m here.

An exchange. An Inhabitation.

Yes. That. I want to be the most desirable woman in the whole world and I’m willing to let you... Ride along.

You want to be desired. To be beautiful. To have all the love from everyone you’ve ever wanted.

Yes. Yes!

It can be done.

It can?

It can. Easily. With my power, my beauty. You will become the most desirable of all. By Far.

Beat. The Red thing is solid as a rock, pointed directly at Jamie, who squirms after a long silence.

But?

But there is a cost.

Of course. What is it?

Let me show you.

The red thing gestures and snaps its fingers. Jamie winces, closing her eyes.

After a moment, she opens them to see sitting on the table a gooey homemade cinnamon roll.

Jamie peers at it quizzically. Then looks up at the Red thing with incredulity.

What is the matter?

Mom’s cinnamon rolls?

Do you prefer some other pleasure? Do you find something more... Desirable?

I-- I haven’t had one of these in years. Of course I want it.

The red thing sits, unmoving.

Please, enjoy it.

I-- I really can’t. They’re so messy.

A beat. The treat sits, tempting. The Red thing is unmoved.

Surely you won’t deny how much you desire it? Will you?

Jamie blushes and cowers.

I mean, of course I want it. I do. It looks just like Mom’s..

Tastes just as sweet too.

Jamie squirms in the chair. Surely this is a trap of some sort.

Are you messing with me?

Beat.

Are you messing with me? All I have to do is eat this cinnamon roll?

Yes. Consume it.

Beat. The cinnamon roll drips with icing. Otherworldly deliciousness.

I can feel your desire bubbling up within you. Let it overwhelm you.

Jamie leans away from the roll, as if it were disgusting.

Don’t you want the whole world to desire you? Just like you want this Cinnamon Roll?

Well. Yes.

So first you must experience that desire, that temptation, and what it feels like to relent to it. The ecstatic release of giving in.

I-- I really shouldn’t.

The sounds of a large rushing wind fills the room for a moment. The Red thing bristles.

Consume it. We have been gentle with you but we will not wait forever. NOW. CONSUME.

Jamie gestures to calm the Red thing, and pulls the plate toward herself with a small scrape.

The wind recedes, and Jamie picks up the gooey cinnamon bun, liquid sugar on her fingers.

With one last look over at the Red thing, She sinks her teeth into it and her eyes light up!

This... this is so good. It’s unreal. I.. I’ve never had a cinnamon roll this good.

Correct.

Jamie relaxes a bit and continues in the cinnamon bun. Maybe she’s gotten this whole thing wrong.

As she gleefully munches, the Red thing soaks it in silently, unnervingly still.

Suddenly A CRASHING PLATE startles Jamie, and in the corner, a broken plate is there. A plate that looks identical to the one sitting before Jamie...

What? What’s that?

Desire. True Desire...

Jamie looks back at the Red demon as it leans forward.

Do you understand it yet?

I-- I don’t.

Pity.

What’s going on here? I thought that I would pay some sort of price?

A scuttling shuffling sound emanates from the red figure. What must approximate as a laugh. It’s slightly unnerving.

Amuse me, Jamie. What price should I exact? For the desire of the whole world?

Jamie shifts in her chair. The cinnamon bun drips sugar in her hands. She looks at him expectantly. Pouting as if the Red thing would be beguiled by her.

What about just one last bite? Hmm?

Jamie rolls her eyes, licks her lips with seduction, and slowly takes the last bite of the roll. She licks sugar off her fingers in a sexy way.

The red thing lifts its hand and snaps its fingers.

Another cinnamon roll appears on the plate in front of Jamie. She pouts that she hasn’t affected the red thing with her act and pushes the plate away. Crosses her arms.

Then what will it be like? When you take over? Is it like torture or something? Gonna make my flesh burn forever?

My dear, it is like a dream. A liminal space holds and comforts you. It is like sleeping. A dull and slightly saccharine thing. Then it is over.

What are you going to do with me?

We do whatever it is we will to do. As the inhabiter it is our right to do as we do. We will be inside you. Within you. With you. Always.

In control?

You won’t know any different. But it will be as you have asked for. You will be desired by all.

Jamie pulls the second roll over and sinks her fingers into it. Playing with it.

Please. Enjoy it.

Jamie takes both hands this time and grabs the roll. Icing oozing out of it and onto her hands.

Ugh, they’re so messy but so damn good.

She licks her fingers and looks around.

When you’re in control. Is it kinda like this now?

Yes.

Wait. What do you mean?

The Red thing is silent. Jamie leans forward and raises her voice.

What do you mean? Explain it.

Suddenly there’s another cinnamon roll in front of Jamie, next to her half eaten one.

The Red things laughs a scuttling laugh.

She stands up angrily and throws it off the table. The plate crashes to the ground.

Talk dammit.

The red thing leans back and gestures to the room around it. It’s red garment billowing, wind whooshing.

Suddenly in the space we see ANOTHER Jamie! She’s slightly different, different clothes, different hair. She stands up and takes the plate with the cinnamon roll on it and SMASHES it on the ground.

I will NEVER call you my MOTHER EVER AGAIN. I HATE YOU AND WISH YOU WERE DEAD.

Jamie sits and watches this other Jamie, horrified.

H-- How do you know about that? That was the last time we talked.

You said that. You wish you could undo that. Yes?

The red thing holds up it’s fingers to snap.

I-- How much?

A whooshing guffaw as the Red thing shifts.

She died. That was the last thing I said to her and she was gone.

Oh? And what about these? Do you want to undo them? Take them all back?

All around the room there’s a ton of OTHER JAMIE’s. Each saying something to another invisible person all at once.

Alright dad, don’t worry so much!

Tom is such a loser he won’t even notice.

One Jamie just picks up a red solo cup and chugs it, walks off.

Never talk to me again. EVER!

I’ll text you later I’m gonna go do some weird witchy shit.

(To her cat)

Be a good girl Lulu!

Jamie is overwhelmed by seeing all of her goodbyes. Good. Bad. Unexceptional.

The Red thing cackles and shakes.

Wait, some of these were today. Just casual conversations I had...

Before you entered...

Why are you showing me all these?

Now do you understand it? The TRUE NATURE of DESIRE?

... I?

The Red thing stands and shoves the chair back.

The true nature of desire is REGRET. Lack. It is when you are bereft and broken open from what is missing in your life.

The Red thing towers over Jamie.

All of these goodbyes were your lasts. You’ll never see that person again.

Wait. Wait!?

No. You will never see them ever again. Ever.

Okay, I get it. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here.

Jamie stands up and backs away slowly.

You do not yet understand. You will not understand it until you are the one filled with REGRET.

It... It’s...

There is NO DEAL TO BE MADE. As soon as you opened the door I took control. I am already your INHABITANT. I am ALREADY INSIDE YOU.

No...

The Red thing snaps its fingers and we see a vision played on the wall of a POV of JAMIE on a red carpet, JAMIE being proposed to, JAMIE getting the attention of people on the street.

When you leave. It will be finished. I will be in control, and you will be desired and it will cause you nothing but regret.

No wait. I-- I didn’t agree!

A PILE of GOOEY MOLTEN SUGARY CINNAMON BUNS fall from the sky and cover the room in a gooey coating of icing.

But you DID. You came opened the door! You stepped inside! The agreement began at that instant!

I-- I-- I just want to be loved. I’m sorry.

You fool! You were loved just as you were. You simply couldn’t accept the love you were given!

JAMIE looks back at the door. Ominous. It glows and the light shapes and moves behind the outline of it impossibly fast, like a VHS on fast forward.

No! Make it STOP. LET ME OUT. I DON’T WANT THIS ANYMORE. I WANT OUT.

You want to leave?

Jamie, covered in icing, moves across the floor, slipping and sliding, and over to the door, that she tries in vain to open.

Jamie turns to the demon in horror. It stands, trailing crimson robes covering one side of the room. They seem to move and seek the edges of the space, billowing.

Let me out!

I congratulate you. On being the most desirable person on earth.

Jamie cowers and tears at herself.

I-- I-- I don’t want to do this. Let me take it back. Please. Please!

It is over. You are-- Inhabited.

The door behind Jamie slowly grows in intensity. Glowing more and more.

The red demon removes its mask in a FLASH of bright red light which THROWS Jamie across the room and into the door, pressing her against it as if it were a trick room.

She moans and leans over, opens the doorknob which FLINGS open the door as gravity in the room is now emptying everything inside it downward towards the door which is suddenly the bottom of the room. Gloopy, sticky, cinnamon rolls fling through the door.

Jamie takes one last look at the Red demon, whose face is HER OWN.

Too bad you didn’t desire YOURSELF.

She releases her grip on the door frame and falls down into a black abyss as the door is SLAMMED shut.

Black Screen.

Jamie Screams--

The scream morphs into a howling laugh, as Jamie is holding court, champagne in hand, at a fancy hollywood hotshot party. She’s wearing the red dress from the Red Thing.

A man comes up to her and puts his hand on her arm. He’s dashing.

Oh my god Jamie? I want you so bad.

I know.

There’s a red glint in her eye.