Jess

**Jess** is a young girl who has lived in the Visser building for her entire life. She was told by Samuel that she was strong enough to hold a new world inside of her, but she often has seizures, so she is taken care of by Father Russo and then by Samuel.

## History

Mel knocks a few doors, but gets no response from any of them. She explains from outside that she was doing a project on the Visser Apartments for her disertation. Suddenly, a kid walks through the hallway and knocks on a door, getting an immediate response. Jess introduces herself to Mel, saying that she works for a bunch of tenants in the building since she had lived in the building since she was born. Mel asks if she could introduce her to some of the tenants for her project. They strike a deal when Jess offers her 25 dollars a week.

Mel gets to meet Tamara Stefano, who was born in Rome and had been in New York since she was 10. She says she can't remember how long she had lived there, but says that maybe 6 years since she needed a place that could fit her piano, since she is a composer. Mel says that she thought she heard her compose something the night before, but Tamara tells her that she was doing a show at the Sanctuary the night before. Tamara plays her some of her music, which creeps Mel out because she thought she remembered hearing it the night before. The telephone rings and Tamara leaves while Mel gets visibly uncomfortable and starts falling down. Jess asks if she is okay, but Mel says that the music is making her feel bad.

Jess tells Melody that she sometimes got low blood sugar as well. Mel starts interviewing her, asking her to tell her about herself. She introduces herself as Jessica Lewis, a student in the ninth grade at East Village Community High, born on March 8th, 1980 on the stairwell of the Visser building. Jess asks if being born in the building was bad luck, but Mel says that it was a fun story. Jess wonders why she wants to know about the Visser and Mel says that there used to be another building there until it burned down and the Visser was built and now wanted to know why people chose the building. Jess says that something pulled them there and wonders if Samuel had told her about it, but brushes it off when Mel says she does not know Samuel. However, she starts breathing heavily and gets uncomfortable, looking past Jess and moving her chair back. Mel asks if she is okay, but Jess stands up quickly and starts gasping for air until she collapses and starts having a seizure. As Dan kept watching, he heard Melody yell out, albeit distorted and the camera started moving very strangely as he heard snarls and growls, which scared him.

Dan untangles some tape and fixes it, putting it into a new cassette. He looks at the rat and wonders if he would tell him if he saw something on the tape. He the next tape which showed Jess on the floor, but then showed her just fine. Jess asks for Mountain Dew, but Mel wonders if she should call her mom. However, Jess says that it was something that happened to her sometimes, but the doctors all said that whatever happened was just part of her imagination. Her mother takes her to see a Father, but Jess says that she never remembers what she sees. She asks Jess who Samuel is, but Jess asks if she believes that there was another world, different to theirs, but Mel simply apologizes and thinks that she should ask her mom for permission to interview her. Jess wonders if she could be more than she is and be strong enough to hold a new world inside of her and Mel tells her that she could be anything she wanted to be. Jess wonders if she could tell her something, but the video cuts, confusing Dan.

Dan grabs another tape and starts working on it and playing it. In it, Mel is with Jess as they walk on the street. Jess was doing a client services run and says that she does not remember what she was about to say. At a store, Father Russo greets Jess and Melody, who Jess says is who she used to talk to. Jess records Melody and says that she makes movies as well, but says her mom does not know about her camera.

In the Visser building, Jess gives Ms. Wall something of hers and gets invited to tea. Jess introduces Melody to Ms. Wall, who smells her and does not answer if she wants to be interviewed. After that, Jess greets Beatriz, who already knew about Melody's film and invites her in.

Samuel and Melody head back to the Visser building, where he hands her a spy key. Melody starts kissing him, so asks if she wants red or white and she asks for whiskey. She walks in and opens the mailbox, but Jess sees her and tells her that nobody lives in that apartment since she was born and says that the mail that was in there was probably thrown away by Mr. Smith. She says that there was somebody looking for her, so she had let her in.

Melody knocks on Jess's apartment and walks in, asking her if she was okay. However, Jess tells her that she got in a fight and does not want to wait, not wanting to call her mom. She says that her mother would take her to Father Russo, who would tell her she was not trying hard enough to have faith and be worthy of God's love. Melody understands and Jess says that she does not want people seeing her like that, since the other teenagers were right and there was something wrong with her. Melody tells her she would be fine, since he had moments of terror before but found someone who helped her. Jess does not believe her.

Anabelle does not think Jess's mother would appreciate Melody taking her daughter to a shrink, but Melody wants to help since she knows that the Catholic church would not help. She wants to take Jess to Dr. Turner since he owed her a favor, but recognizes that he really helped her out and was a good person.

Dan starts looking through tapes and finds one which he plays on his walkman. In it, Melody takes Jess to Dr. Turner, who tells him she cannot remember when her episodes started. She says that right before they happen, she feels as if she is being pulled somewhere, but then comes back. Dr. Turner asks if she likes fogs and hands her a treat. After that, Dr. Turner opens the door so Jess could greet Cleo. Now alone, Dr. Turner tells Melody that what Jess has could be anxiety, stress or a seizure disorder, but needs to do a full neurological workup, which he cannot do without written parental consent. Melody says that she is worried about her, but Dr. Turner asks her how she is doing. She says that she went looking for her mother, which she knows he does not approve of, but he says that it is not his place to have an opinion, but does not want her to get hurt. Melody says that maybe her mother wants to see her, but is scared to do so. She asks Dr. Turner if he ever gets scared of his kids and he says that they scare him all the time because he is afraid that they won't love him as much as he loves them. Jess's mother shows up and asks Melody who she thinks she is taking Jess to a doctor behind her back, but Melody says that she thought Jess had permission. Jess admits tht she did not have time to ask, so her mother tells her to stay out of their business. Dr. Turner tells her that she cannot parent other people's kids, but she tells him that she used to pray that somebody would go and parent her and leaves.

Melody tells Father Russo that she was still getting settled in the Visser, but as he asks if she had noticed anything odd, Jess's mother asks for help as Jess starts having a seizure. They race towards Jess, who was on the floor and Father Russo is able to bring her back.

At a drug store, Melody and Anabelle walk around grabbing some things for Jess. Melody grabs a small bunny for Jess and wonders if her mother would finally get her some help. She tells Anabelle that she is a good person, which she agrees with. Anabelle asks her if she remembers Auntie Mame from the community room because she is rich and an art collector, who wants to see her stuff. Melody says that maybe she would buy something so Anabelle could pitch in for rent.

Melody walks to Jess’s apartment, where they hear her calling for help. The furniture scrapes as Tamara opens up her door, complaining about the volume of Jess’s television. She tells Jess that Father Russo was there and was blasting the television as he usually did; Melody tells her that they need to go in, so Tamara hands her a key. Melody and Anabelle have a hard time opening the door, but once they get in the room, they see Father Russo making Jess drink something, so she pushes him out of the way after seeing Jess in pain. Jess begs her mom to stop, as Father Russo asks her to have courage. Suddenly, Samuel shows up and yells at them to stop, telling Father Russo that he was done there. John Smith grabs Father Russo and pushes him outside as Samuel asks Jess how she is doing. He tells Jess’s mother that Father Russo is a fraud and he has friends from Columbia who are experts in pediatric neurology, which he can pay for. They accept as Melody and Anabelle leave the room.

Dan goes to the basement and works on the next tape in which Melody tries to comfort Jess, who says she is fine. Jess says that she would stick to her exercises, but Melody says that one of her exercises is watching Secret of NIMH. Jess says that she has homework and talks about a comet which would be visible in a few weeks. She tells Melody that Samuel got her a new telescope so that they could watch the comet together. Anabelle knocks and tells Mel that they have an interview, so they visit Cassandra.

Anabelle paints and likes the black color, feeling that she was travelling to Eleanor's soul. She wonder's who Melody is seeing in her dreams and she describes them as conversations. Melody walks up to Cassandra's and sees Jess, who says she is there because Cassandra wanted some young energy there. Melody tells her that her necklace looks good on her. Cassandra notices that Melody had brought her camera and wonders where Anabelle is. Melody tells her that she would be there later and the dinner party begins.

Jess introduces Melody to Patricia, who she says would not mind being interviewed. The interview starts and Patricia says that she had been there since 1962. She says that she records stories mostly and feels as if someone has a message for her, but she should not say who. Melody asks if she remembers Julia Bennett, but she remembers incorrectly.

After that, Melody interviews Helen, who lives in 5A and designs masks, like for Tamara's opera. Melody asks if she is part of the historical society that meets in the community room, but Helen leaves to go mingle.

Jess wonders if Patricia told Melody about her tapes, which surprises her. Samuel brings a guest named Evie Crest who was outside and says she forgot the code.

Melody sees Jess on the elevator, who has a jar. However, she simply asks if Beatriz was going to be okay and tells Melody that she could not tell her what was in the jar or who it was going to.

As she walks into her apartment, Melody calls for Anabelle, but cannot find her. She knocks on Ms. Lewis' house and asks if Jess is there, but is not allowed to see her. Melody starts playing her tape as Beatriz calls for Julia. However, the voice sounds very distorted and a demon takes over the tape, startling her and causing her to jump back. Melody seals the tapes in an envelope and prepares to send them to Dr. Turner. However, she opens her door and Jess tells her that she knows where Anabelle is.

Jess walks up to Melody, saying Cassandra had brought her there. She does not answer when Melody asks if her mother knew she was there, but Cassandra tells her that Jess was not a child, but a bright young artist who needed stimulation, telling her to stop smothering.

Jess walks in and wonders what was happening - Melody tells her that she needs to leave with her, but Jess says that she is not supposed to see her anymore per Samuel's instructions, since she was not well. Melody tries convincing her that Cassandra and Samuel are bad people, but Jess does not listen to her and drops some tea, which was not only liquid. Melody asks Cassandra if the mold was in the tea, which she says is ridiculous. Melody tells her that the jar that she saw in the elevator was probably mold and asks where she had gotten it, saying she needed to take a sample to the doctor in order to help Anabelle. Cassandra shakes her head, but Jess tells her that she needs a key.

Melody rushes to Jess's house, where Tamara opens the door and tells her that they had gone to Florida the day before, but she pushes Tamara out of the way, since she had just seen Jess. However, when she walks inside, she sees the apartment is empty. Melody starts recording a video, saying that they had taken Jess and films. John says he does not understand what Melody is talking about when he mentions Jess and follows Melody. Samuel tries to stop her as well, telling her that Jess is gone, but Melody says that she would not let him do that to Jess. She runs out and sees two men walking towards her. They tell her that she needs to go with them, but Samuel asks who they are. Melody begs at the camera, asking to be found as Dr. Turner shows up, telling her that everything would be alright. Melody tries to escape, but the men grab her and she is taken away.

Melody grabs a key and moves through the Visser building, going up to the 6th floor. There, she looks for Jess, but nobody answers the first door. She walks into the other door and hears chanting - she hears Jess and wants her to open the door, but Jess cannot do so. Melody asks her to stay where she is and tries to use the fire escape. There, through a window she is able to see Jess and gets in the room with her. She tells her that she is fine and wonders if she would be a part of it, but Melody says that she was not and sets a chair so that the door cannot open. She tells Jess that they need to go through the window, but Jess says that she is needed since she could hold a new world inside of her. Melody tells her that she is not safe, but Jess says that she had already been warned that Melody would try to stop them and wants to help them, since it was her destiny. Melody tells Jess that she was going to be sacrificed by slitting her throat since it was part of what their cult did. Jess has a hard time accepting it, but Melody tells her that she was chosen because she wanted to help people. Melody asks where her mother is, but Jess does not know. Melody tells her that they need to go through the fire escape, and they start leaving when a man calls for her. Melody tells Jess that she needs to go and run, saying that she would be right behind her.

Melody yells to be let out as Samuel begins the ritual and everybody begins humming and placing their masks on their face. John approaches Melody and grabs her, bringing her towards Samuel while she calls for help. Samuel grabs the knife and cuts the palm of her hand, which John places on the Kaelego figure, covering it in blood. After that, Tamara approaches Samuel, who slits her throat and she dies instantly. Samuel asks Kaelego to come forth and a blue portal opens above them and stretches into the ground. Inside the portal is Iris Vos, which Samuel does not understand. She looks at Melody, who turns around when Jess calls her name. Melody tells Jess to run and Iris turns around to look at her as well. Jess records everything as Iris vanishes and the portal starts covering everything.