ROSENrot – the Tragedy of the Devil’s Hummingbird & the Son of Sam

The story of Rosenrot- the Tragedy of the Devil’s Hummingbird & the son of Sam begins with Sama’el Tzufit (Hebrew translation: The Devil’s Hummingbird), a famed schizophrenic philosopher, suffers through a mental breakdown after her husband, Armand, divorces her and how her schizophrenia affects her son, Virgil Ishmael (Name translation: God will hear the Guide). Virgil tells us about the divorce, how he resent his father for making his mother go through more pain and trauma.

In the next act (Act II), Virgil receives news of his mother’s death. Their house was set ablaze while Sama’el was still inside. Virgil drives himself nuts; he is certain that this was murder. Even through Sama’el was mentally ill, she was a loving mother, a devote philosopher, and would have never tried to kill herself. At her funeral, Armand is not present, but he is present at the reading of her will. In her will, Sama’el leaves everything to her son, and states that until he is of age, he will live with her brothers, Ariel Remiel (Hebrew translation: the Lion of God’s Divine Vision) and Nero Uriel (Name translation: The Emperor’s Angel of Alchemy). Armand is outraged; Ariel and Nero defend their sister’s wishes.

In the last act (Act III), Virgil tells his uncles his theory; Virgil is desperate to reveal that his mother’s death was a murder. Eventually, Virgil confronts Armand. Armand ridicules Virgil and says that he will eventually die like his mother; sick and alone. Virgil is plagued with nightmares and is constantly haunted over Armand statement, and is driven to commit suicide.

This is the story so far.

---

ACT 1, SCENE 1

INT. SAMA’EL’S ROOM – NIGHT

We see SAMA’EL sitting in her room. Her room is very desolate. She does not sleep on her futon. She sits near the window and looks out. Her kimono is loose and her raven black hair is disheveled. Her kimono has a black base color and there is a huge motif of Baphomet on the back. Her eyes are downcast. There are dark circles under her eyes. Her fingers are constantly contorting and moving. She speaks.

SAMA’EL
I speak in verses, in prophecies, and curses. And I say that there was never a man who loved a woman as a Goddess. Never. Godspeed ye merry gentlemen, for I have seen what love can do to an able mind. Madness. Yes, it is Madness. My mind is plagued with the 9th Holy Plague, Darkness. I am sick. My hands have been stones with pity. And my sight becomes engulfed with red roses. But my heart will never harden. My son, my poor son, Virgil; The Son of Sam.

VIRGIL comes to Sama’el and lies down with her. Virgil is wearing a red child’s kimono with a motif of the crucifixion of St. Peter (the upside-down cross) on the back. His long wavy brown hair is wrapped up in a simple bun. SAMA’EL wraps her arms around him and removes the fastener that holds Virgil’s hair together. He closes his golden eyes.


SAMA’EL (cont.)
I will not die. I must be here; to live as a mortal and give everything I have to my son. My precious Virgil; half of my flesh and blood.

She closes her eyes and Virgil begins to speak.

VIRGIL
I cannot forgive Armand for what he has done to my mother. My mother is wise woman, a philosopher. Her sickness is what makes her beautiful; allows her to see what laymen cannot. Never has there been a woman like her; to raise a son with a burden on her mind. It’s Armand’s fault. I will never give him the honorific of Father. He cause more pain; for me and my mother. He is a Heartless. A cruel Heartless; desperate to take advantage of me.

SAMA’EL
Never mind the fools who talk behind your back, Virgil. It only means that you are one step ahead of them.

VIRGIL
Oh dearest mother, I will heed you. But you must save your strength. Do not let the red roses engulf your wise yet. You need them.

SAMA’EL
My son, our demons will never go away. There is a demon inside all of us. In lurks in our very souls. This is what God wrought. God wrought the plague of madness. You must tame this demon, use it to your advantage. Indulge in the sin of wrath, my son

VIRGIL
Wrath can only fuel my hatred. Soon my hatred will consume my thoughts and intentions. My wrath will ablaze!

SAMA’EL
Not if you contain that fire. Contain it. Harvest it. You will need it.

Sama’el lets go of Virgil. Virgil lays his head on his mother’s shoulder.

SAMA’EL (cont.)
Sleep well, my Virgil. Let dreamscapes fill your mind with revelations.

FADE OUT. SCENE ENDS.

---

ACT I, SCENE II

INT. THE LIVING ROOM – DAY

Sama’el’s brothers, ARIEL REMIEL & NERO URIEL are sitting at the table with Sama’el in the living room. Sama’el is wearing a neat black kimono is a motif of Baphomet on the front. Both, Ariel and Nero are wearing identical clothes. Both are wearing red kimonos. Ariel’s kimono has several snake motifs. Nero’s kimono has several tiger motifs. They are sitting at a Japanese low table. The table is black. On the table are three large skulls, two bird skulls and one horse skull. There are also three apples on the table, two brightly green and the other brightly crimson red. Virgil is serving them tea and preparing his mother’s medicine. They speak.


ARIEL
I have always seen the world as a haunting place. But never have I seen the atrocities of the Layman. I see the atrocities of those higher than us and those of the classes. But I want to see the atrocities of the Layman. His crime of everyday life, I have not seen it.

SAMA’EL
The only way to accomplish your goal, brother, is to live as a Layman. Commit his crime. Feel his guilt. You must become one of them. Do not be a hypocrite, cite your bearings. You must live at his level. To truly understand his crime, you must commit it.

ARIEL
I will strive, but only until I am ready to endure the crime.

SAMA’EL
That is always best to begin a journey.

Virgil begins to pour tea in the siblings’ cups. He presents the tea to the siblings. They all take a cup. Virgil hands Sama’el a two-pronged syringe filled with a clear fluid. Sama’el reveals her neck and Nero assists in administering the medicine. Sama’el’s face remains emotions; she shows no sign of pain. Yet her fingers are constantly contorting and moving. Nero hands Virgil the empty syringe and Virgil goes to dispose of it. When they are done they continue their talk.

NERO
You have such a good son, sister. It’s a shame that what his fath-

SAMA’EL (cuts Nero off)
Do not give Armand the honorific of Father. He does not deserve it.

NERO
My apologies. I’m sorry.

Sama’el begins to cough uncontrollably. She coughs so hard that a tiny river of blood emerges from her mouth. After her coughing fit, her voice is very raspy.

ARIEL
Those years of working in the stockyards have caught up to you, sister.

SAMA’EL
No they haven’t, brother.

ARIEL
Then how would you describe those cuts on your arms? All those years attending the Killing Beds have caught up with you. Sister, look! Even the blood of the cattle has stained your arms.

(He pulls back Sama’el’s sleeve to reveal her blood-stained arms. Sama’el then quickly covers her arms up)

SAMA’EL
Maybe it has. Maybe it has.
ARIEL
Maybe? My dear sister, your legs are also stained with the cow’s blood. Your legs have grown weary with pain.

SAMA’EL
I get the point, Ariel.

Sama’el has another coughing fit. She then holds her head in great pain. Virgil comes over and tries to calm his mother down. Sama’el in her dazed pain splits the red apple on the table in half. The flesh of the apple is not that beige color, but it is instead an obsidian black color. The Horse Skull on the table has somehow developed red muscle. The two Bird Skulls remain bare bone. Sama’el raises her head. Her hair is tangled and some is in front of her face. Her nails are digging into the table. Her eyes are wide, wild, and frenzied. We hear her vertebrae pop gratefully.

SAMA’EL
Gods, let us not die in vain.
Sama’el then closed her eyes. We then see that Virgil and her two brothers are no longer there. She is alone.

FADE OUT. END SCENE.