It Lives Inside

"It Lives Inside" is a supernatural teen thriller that revolves around the life of Sam, a high school student struggling to find her place among her peers. Born to an East Indian family, Sam often feels like she doesn't fit in, not because of anything inherently wrong with her family, but because she has an overwhelming desire to be accepted and loved by everyone around her. As a result, Sam makes a conscious decision to distance herself from her Indian heritage and family traditions, deeming them to be too foreign and unfamiliar to her classmates. Her friends, who have always been her biggest supporters, begin to notice the change in her and try to intervene. However, Sam's resolve only strengthens, and she becomes further entrenched in her decision to discard her cultural roots. Meanwhile, a mysterious supernatural force begins to manifest itself in the life of Sam's former best friend, Aisha. At first, everyone is under the impression that Aisha has simply gone off the rails due to the pressure of high school life. However, strange occurrences begin to happen in quick succession, and soon, everyone realizes that something sinister is amiss. Aisha starts to act erratically, displaying erratic mood swings and an unsettling fascination with anything and everything dark and occult. It quickly becomes apparent that a malevolent entity has taken hold of Aisha's spirit, a demonic entity known in Indian mythology as "Asura." This is an ancient evil being that has a profound connection to the dark aspects of the Indian pantheon. Once Aisha becomes its vessel, Asura begins to wreak havoc on the small town where Sam and Aisha live, exploiting the deepest fears and darkest desires of those around her. Sam, who initially had disassociated herself from her own cultural heritage, is forced back into her own skin when she discovers the true nature of Asura. She realizes that Asura's presence in their town is somehow tied to her family and their East Indian traditions - in fact, it's precisely her heritage that Asura feeds off of. In a desperate bid to save Aisha and break the curse that Asura has laid over their town, Sam begins to delve deeper into her family's history and cultural practices. Along the way, she learns more about her own East Indian roots, which were initially rejected in favor of a more superficial acceptance. As Sam learns to appreciate the depth and richness of her Indian heritage, she gains a unique perspective on the true nature of Asura and its motivations. Sam's journey takes her on a thrilling and often terrifying ride, taking her from dim-lit streets and crumbling ancient temples to haunted forests and abandoned ritual sites. With each step forward, she faces numerous challenges that threaten to overwhelm her, from fierce demonic attacks to the harsh judgments of her former friends who think that Sam's return to her cultural roots is a form of weakness. However, when push comes to shove, and the battle with Asura reaches its climax, Sam rises to the challenge with a newfound sense of determination and cultural pride. In a heart-stopping showdown, she confronts Asura, armed with the knowledge and understanding of her East Indian heritage that has helped her understand its true nature. The confrontation that follows is intense, chaotic, and breathtakingly thrilling, taking the audience on a wild ride of emotions and supernatural terror. In the final act, Sam faces Asura head-on, leveraging her newfound appreciation for her East Indian roots to confront this malevolent entity head-on. Ultimately, it is through these roots - in a blend of love, courage, and fierce loyalty to her culture - that Sam is able to exorcise Asura and save Aisha, their town, and herself. As the dust settles, "It Lives Inside" comes to a triumphant close. Sam emerges stronger, wiser, and more at peace with her cultural identity than ever before. In the process, she also helps her friends, including Aisha, to understand the true power of their shared humanity - and the importance of embracing and celebrating the diversity that makes them stronger, rather than hiding it in the shadows. This supernatural coming-of-age tale serves as a reminder that, ultimately, it is not our differences that should divide us, but rather the shared aspects of our humanity that should unite us in a world that is far too dark and mysterious for us to navigate alone.