Dead Rise

DEAD RISE
Written by
Carl Franzen
[email protected] August 2014
FADE IN TO:
INT. KITCHEN, TANYA’S HOUSE, QUEENS, NY - DAWN, SUMMER,
PRESENT DAY
The kitchen is dark, all blue tones and shadows, broken
suddenly by the orange crackle of a match. It lights a candle,
illuminating the face of a beautiful late 20s black woman,
TANYA. She speaks in a mild Haitian accent.
TANYA
Once upon a time, back in the old
world, the world of my ancestors,
there was only the brown man and
the spirits.
A trail of smoke curls up from the candle as we flashback over
500 years…
EXT. BEACH, HAITI - NIGHT, DECEMBER 1492
TANYA (V.O.)(CONT’D)
Then the white man came in their
ships, with their guns and their
Bible…
An enormous, creaking Spanish GALLEON looms in the distance of
a moonlit cove. In the foreground, a small rowboat digs into
the wet sand of the beach.
Three pale, bearded EXPLORERS in armor and frilly 15th-century
European garb disembark onto the misty beach. They raise
torches ahead of them, their eyes wild with fear.
TANYA (V.O.)
The spirits grew angry. They spoke
to the brown man and said to him,
‘go, drive the white man from this
place.’
An inhuman, blood-curdling shriek rings out in the darkness.
The explorers look at each other, terrified.
There’s a CRACKLE of a branch breaking and out of the mist
appears a near-naked Caribbean INDIAN MAN. He stumbles
drunkenly towards the explorers.
The explorers draw their swords. But for nothing: The Indian
man faints a few feet from them, falling forward onto his
face.
The explorers approach the Indian man’s motionless body. One
of the explorers, the LEADER of the, kicks it. Nothing. They
sheath their swords, puzzled.
2.
TANYA (V.O.)
But the spirits had never seen the
weapons of the white man, and they
did not know how to fight them.
Suddenly, the body twitches and leaps onto its feet, snarling
and snapping. The Indian man lunges at the lead explorer,
sinking his teeth into his neck. The explorer WAILS. There’s a
sudden CRACK and a flash in the dark as sparks shoot out of
another explorer’s musket. The Indian man falls.
TANYA (V.O.)
So the spirits hid, the brown men
were conquered, and the white men
ruled this world for generations.
Until one day, not long ago, the
spirits returned, desiring only
one thing…
FLASH FORWARD TO:
EXT. CONDO CONSTRUCTION SITE, BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN, DAY - TWO
MONTHS AGO
An early 40s WHITE MAN in a business SUIT and a yellow hard
hat trudges up a mound of dirt away from clanking bulldozers,
backhoes, cranes and other big machines. His handsome face
twisted in annoyance. He shouts into his cell phone in a thick
New York Italian accent.
SUITED MAN
BRIANS! BRAINS! I said you have
shit for brains! You hear me now,
fuckwit?
Workers in yellow hard hats mill around below him. The Suited
Man pauses, listening. We can’t hear the caller on the other
end of the call.
SUITED MAN (CONT’D)
What’s wrong? What’s wrong? (beat)
You said everyone was out. I get
here, I find out the crew can’t
break ground cause there’s still
one fuckin’ Aunt Jemima sittin’ in
her fuckin’ crack shack! (beat)
No, no, fuck you, Larry! You’ve
fucked it up enough as it is. I’ll
handle it.
He pockets the phone angrily, then looks down at the
construction site: a gaping foundation, cleared of everything
except dirt and one ramshackle, 3-story brownstone OLD
APARTMENT.
3.
The Suited Man grits his teeth and walks down the mound of
dirt toward it.
EXT. OLD APARTMENT
The Suited Man stands on the porch to the apartment. He
knocks. Nothing. He pounds again harder, shouting now.
SUITED MAN
Come on, let’s go, open up. I know
you’re in there.
The door opens violently, and the Suited Man freezes, his hand
in mid air.
A skinny, wrinkled, black OLD LADY, late 70s, glares up at him
with piercing green eyes.
SUITED MAN
Uh, listen lady, I don’t know who
you think you are but, you see
this here?
He jabs at the front door, which has several pieces of yellow
paper taped to it, one reading ‘EVICTION’ in black boldface
type.
SUITED MAN
This means you gotta leave! Now!
You get that?
The Old Lady gives him the finger and attempts to slam the
door in his face, but the man steps in the way and stops it
with his arm.
SUITED MAN
Hey, lady, I’m not fucking around
here. You had two months to clear
your stuff out. Plenty of notice.
Let’s go!
He pushes into the apartment and grabs her by the arm. She
digs in her heels, shouting in a thick Haitian accent.
OLD LADY
Take your hands off me, you
animal!
He begins yanking her out the door, her heels dragging across
the doorstep. The Old Lady hisses and scratches the Suited Man
hard in the face, drawing blood. He flinches but recovers,
grabbing her other wrist in his hand and forcing it roughly
behind her back.
4.
SUITED MAN
You attack me again, I’ll sue your
old ass for every last rag on your
back! Now let’s go.
OLD LADY
Get off me! Let me go this
instant! You pig!
The rest of the construction workers halt their tasks and
stare uncomfortably at the scene.
The Suited Man drags the Old Lady down the porch stairs.
Midway down, she trips and falls to the ground, skinning her
hand on a rock. She cries out: her hand is bleeding. She looks
up at the Suited Man, glaring, then begins to laugh.
SUITED MAN
What so fuckin’ funny?
The Old Lady continues laughing, louder and louder. She closes
her eyes in ecstasy and grabs fistfulls of dirt. Finally, she
stops and gazes intently at the Suited Man.
OLD LADY
You doomed yourself today, white
man. You and all who take my land.
My blood was meant for the spirits
of the dead. Now you spilled it,
they want yours instead. But I
make you a deal, same as you gave
me: return my home in two months’
time, or you will suffer for your
crimes. You will beg and you will
curse. You will cry out, but you
won’t be heard. And by the time
that night is through, you will
beg for death, and death will come
for you.
She finishes her rhyme in an eerie, singsong voice. The Suited
Man and workers stare at her, unsettled.
The ground begins to shake like an earthquake. The Old Lady
calmly stands up. The workers look to each other, alarmed.
Robelli’s face is ashen.
Then a construction vehicle rolls into view, cutting a channel
into the earth: the source of the vibrations. The vehicle
stops and the DRIVER hops out and shouts over to the Suited
Man.
DRIVER
Hey, Mister Robelli, you want me
to get started over here or what?
5.
The Suited Man, luxury condo developer ERIC ROBELLI, looks at
the driver irately.
MR. ROBELLI
No. Go get the wrecking ball. I’m
done fuckin’ around here.
CUT TO:
EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE, BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN - 20 MIN LATER
A wrecking ball smashes into the old 3-story apartment, caving
in a wall.
Several hundred yards away, a COP lowers the Old Lady into the
back of a squad car. TANYA, the woman from the intro, stands
outside, arguing with the cop.
A few feet away from them, a REPORTER with a giant camera
snaps photos of the proceedings.
TANYA
Please, you have to let her go.
She’s old and senile. She doesn’t
know what she’s doing.
COP
Who’d you say you are again?
TANYA
My name is Tanya Dola, I’m her
niece. Please! Just let her go
with a warning. I’ll take her back
to my house in Queens.
COP
I’m sorry ma’am, but you’ll have
to pick your aunt up at the
station. Here’s the address.
The cop hands TANYA a business card and gets into the car. The
reporter rushes her but she brushes him off.
Several hundred feet away, A SECOND COP interviews a stewing
Mr. Robelli.
SECOND COP
Tell me again, what happened? From
the beginning…
MR. ROBELLI
(MORE)
6.
MR. ROBELLI (CONT’D)
Look, I told you, I asked her to
leave, politely, and she fuckin’
attacked me and threatened to kill
me. Drew blood even, see my face?
Ask any of the guys here, I only
held her back in self defense, to
try an’ protect myself and my
property.
The cop nods as he scribbles away in his notepad.
SECOND COP
Did you think to call the police
to have her removed?
MR. ROBELLI
No, no. I thought I could reason
with her, that was my mistake.
(beat) Listen offica’, I know,
people say New York is safer than
eva’, and I believe it, cause you
guys - you do a good job. My
family is safe. But for me, every
day in this business, I put my
life on the line.
The camera PANS OUT from the construction site, showing a
chain link fence with an illustration of the completed
structure: NECRISE LUXURY APARTMENTS, a shimmering glass tower
with balconies jutting from every few floors.
OPENING CREDITS
ELECTRONIC MUSIC plays over a montage of various scenes of
zombie-like herds of New Yorkers — pouring out of a subway
entrance; getting coffee at Starbucks; bouncing up and down at
a concert; crushing into a tiny elevator.
TITLE CARD: TWO MONTHS LATER
EXT. NECRISE LUXURY APTS, BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN - DAY, PRESENT
The now-finished, gleaming high-rise building towers over the
neighborhood. Behind it is another empty lot and some
construction equipment.
An early 20s WHITE MAN with long hair and a stubbly beard
stands patiently facing the glass vestibule leading into the
building. He has a gym bag slung over one shoulder. He looks
down at his cell phone.
A pretty YOUNG WHITE WOMAN — early 20s, pale, slender, long
red hair pulled back in a ponytail — bobs into view in the
vestibule. She waves at the young man and opens the door.
(MORE)
7.
He pockets the phone.
YOUNG WOMAN
Oh my god, Mike! It’s so good to
see you! It’s been so long. How
are you!
She moves to hug him, but is stymied by the gym bag. He shifts
awkwardly, moving the bag to one side to allow for a half-hug.
She giggles.
MIKE
Yeah, you too, Sarah. Sorry about
that.
He looks at the bag. Sarah waves it off.
SARAH
Oh no worries. Come in, come in.
I’m so excited you’re staying with
us!
INT. LOBBY — NECRISE APARTMENTS
Mike follows her into the vast open lobby. They pass a shiny
marble desk manned by a African-American security guard, late
20s, with short hair, whose name tag identifies him as DANIEL.
Daniel nods at Sarah and Mike pass. She smiles back.
Sarah and Mike reach an elevator bank and she presses the
button. They wait as the number counts down steadily from 27.
Sarah looks over again at Mike’s gym bag.
SARAH
Is that really all you brought?
The corner of Mike’s mouth turns upwards in a half-smile.
MIKE
Uh, yeah. I mean, it’s really all
I need.
Sarah shakes her head maternally. The elevator doors open,
they step in.
INT. ELEVATOR, NECRISE APARTMENTS
Sarah presses the button marked ‘15.’
SARAH
Well, if you need to borrow
anything from Nat or I, let us
know.
8.
The doors close. Mike smiles at her.
MIKE
Will do, thanks.
There’s an awkward pause as the elevator continues to rise.
MIKE
Hey, and thanks again for letting
me stay with you on such short
notice. If there had been any
other option, I wouldn’t have
imposed on you like this.
SARAH
Oh, Mike, you’re so sweet! It’s no
big deal, honestly. We have way
more space than we need. And I’m
glad we get to hang out again.
Mike nods gratefully.
MIKE
Yeah, me too. Thanks.
INT. HALLWAY, 15TH FLOOR, NECRISE APARTMENTS
Sarah leads Mike around the corner of a dimly-lit hallway.
SARAH
We’re just down this way.
Suddenly, a FIGURE jumps out of the darkness out at them,
roaring loudly. Sarah shrieks in pure terror and shrinks back.
Mike freezes in his tracks.
Their fear quickly dissolves as the FIGURE begins laughing and
steps forward into the light: a gangly mid-20s freckled white
guy in a STRAW HAT. Behind him is an ITALIAN GUY, 20s, with
long, stringy dark hair in a V-neck shirt. Both are carrying
six packs of beer.
SARAH
Oh my god, you scared me half to
death!
The two men bump fists with their free hands as their laughter
trails off. The man in the straw hat turns to Sarah, his eyes
running up and down her body approvingly.
STRAW HAT
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I couldn’t
help myself. You should’ve seen
your faces, though.
(MORE)
9.
STRAW HAT (CONT’D)
Tell them, James. They looked like
they were about to shit their
pants, right?
The Italian Guy nods in agreement. Straw Hat sticks out his
free hand for Sarah to shake.
STRAW HAT
Anyway, I’m Tom. That’s James.
What’s your name?
Sarah shakes Tom’s hand gingerly.
SARAH
‘Sarah’, and well, I’d say it was
nice to meet you but since you
accosted us, I’m not so sure!
Tom chuckles and shrugs mischievously.
TOM
Aw, we were just playin’. This
place is so big and mostly empty
right now, it’s just too easy to
scare people. Don’t worry, you’re
not the first and you won’t be the
last. You guys live here, too?
SARAH
Yeah, me and my roommate, Nat.
This is my friend Mike. He’s just
staying with us for the weekend.
She smiles at Mike.
TOM
Oh. Cool, cool. Well, when you
guys are done being scared you
should come up to the roof with
us. There’s a little social
gathering happening, some
barbecue, you know? Should be fun…
Tom looks at Sarah expectantly.
SARAH
Yeah, maybe. Mike still has to
drop his stuff off and I’ve got to
show him around. But maybe later.
Thanks for the invite!
Tom clucks in approval.
10.
TOM
Alright, check you later, then.
Sarah begins walking away down the hall and Mike quickly
follows. She shouts back.
SARAH
Maybe.
Tom and James continue toward the elevator. He turns around
and shouts back at Mike and Sarah.
TOM
C’mon. What’re you afraid of? It’s
gonna be fun.
Sarah rolls her eyes and motions for Mike to follow her. They
reach Sarah’s apartment door and she opens it a keycard,
leading Mike in.
INT. SARAH’S APARTMENT, 15TH FLOOR
Sarah steps into the sunny, stark white apartment. Mike
follows her and stops dead in his tracks.
A young, early 20s WOMAN in athletic short shorts is bent
over, reaching into an open refrigerator. Mike gazes up her
long, tanned, toned legs.
She whirls around to face the new arrivals. Her frizzy hair is
pulled back into a bun, a stern look upon her vaguely Asian
features. She’s holding a clear plastic water bottle.
SARAH (O.S.)
Hey Nat! This is Mike! Mike, meet
Nat.
Mike looks up at NAT and nods. She stares at him coolly and
opens and sips the water bottle.
NAT
Yo.
MIKE
Hi, uh, thanks again for letting
me crash with you guys.
NAT
No problem. Sarah said you were
her best guy friend in college, so
you must be pretty great.
11.
MIKE
Ha, well, uh, thanks. Sarah’s too
kind. But yeah, I should only be a
couple days at most. Whenever
they’re done gassing my place.
NAT
(narrowing her eyebrows)
And you’re sure you didn’t bring
any bed bugs with you here in that
bag?
MIKE
No, definitely not. I mean, they
weren’t even in my apartment.
They’re just gassing the whole
building to be safe, I think. I
checked all my shit though before
I came here. I’m clean, I promise.
Nat shrugs dismissively. She leans down and picks up a tote
bag from the floor and slides the water bottle inside.
NAT
Well, I gotta head out to class
now. Catch you guys later.
Mike nods.
SARAH
Later, Nat.
Nat walks out of the room. Just before the door swings shut
behind her, Sarah calls out.
SARAH
Oh, hey Nat, wait up, just a sec.
Nat pushes the door back open a few inches and cranes her head
back, slight annoyance on her face.
NAT
Sup?
SARAH
Oh, I just wanted to tell you,
some of the guys from the building
invited us to a party on the roof.
They’re having like a barbecue, I
think.
NAT
Ok. Cool.
12.
SARAH
So, yeah. Mike and I might check
it out later. You should come up
too, when you’re done.
NAT
Yeah, maybe I will.
SARAH
Alright, well, see you later then,
maybe. Have a great class.
NAT
Later.
Nat closes the door. Sarah turns to Mike and shakes her head,
bemused.
SARAH
Nat’s a little stand-offish at
first, but she’s great. Trust me,
you’ll love her.
MIKE
(shrugging)
She seems cool.
SARAH
(nodding)
Yeah, no, she is. She’s just,
like, really into yoga and
fitness. I’ve been to one of her
yoga classes here, it’s honestly a
little intimidating.
MIKE
She teaches yoga here, in the
building?
SARAH
Oh yeah! I mean, there’s a really
nice studio. This place is like,
paradise. There’s also a movie
theater, a huge gym with a
basketball court, a game room with
ping pong — even a bowling alley.
And downstairs there’s a natural
foods store and a wine store. You
like, never have to go outside if
you don’t want.
MIKE
That’s crazy. Great in the winter,
though.
13.
Sarah nods.
SARAH
Definitely. Here, let’s put your
stuff in my room and I’ll give you
the full tour.
She motions again for Mike to follow her. They walk down a
hallway and climb a spiral staircase to the second level.
Afternoon sunlight streams in through wall-to-ceiling glass;
the new One World Trade Center towers in the distance.
MIKE
Yeah, this is something.
SARAH
Oh, did you bring a swimsuit?
MIKE
No. Should I have?
INT. ROOFTOP POOL - DUSK
Sarah and Mike walk into a cavernous glass-walled indoor pool
complex. Girls in bikinis and sunglasses sit on the edge of
the pool as guys play water volleyball and dive off plastic
rock cliffs.
MIKE
This place is insane.
SARAH
It’s almost enough to make you
glad your old place got infested
with bed bugs, huh?
Mike turns and glares at her playfully.
MIKE
Almost.
He and Sarah stand for another moment gazing at the pool,
taking in the sea of flesh around them. Then she cocks her
head away from him, towards the end of the pool.
SARAH
Shall we check out this barbecue?
MIKE
Yeah, totally.
Sarah and Mike walk out from the glass box and onto the open
roof.
14.
EXT. ROOF DECK
Dozens of 20somethings in short shorts, tank tops and bikinis
gather in circles, sipping beer and chattering over loud dub
step. Barbecue smolders on a line of grills beside them.
CLOSE on JAMES seated on a large roof pipe beside a tattooed
BEARDED MAN in a leather jacket and beanie. They’re out of
view from the partiers, backs against a small squat hut — the
ROOF ACCESS STAIRWELL.
James snorts a line off white powder off the smooth back of a
cell phone on his lap. He shakes his head furiously, like a
dog shaking itself dry.
JAMES
Not bad. Not bad at all. You got
any Molly?
The Bearded Man smiles sinisterly.
BEARDED MAN
I got something better.
He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a baggie filled with
DARK BLUE POWDER, a skull and crossbones logo stamped on it.
JAMES
What is that?
BEARDED MAN
Tetrodotoxin powder. Also known as
‘Zombinol.’ They make it out of
Pufferfish poison. Verrry strong.
Could TKO you if you’re not
careful.
James stares at the baggy longingly.
JAMES
How much?
The Bearded Man pulls the baggy back and points at the phone
case.
BEARDED MAN
More than that.
JAMES
Oh come on, man. You know I’m good
for it.
BEARDED MAN
It’s super rare. If you’re
serious, I need to see the cash up
front.
15.
JAMES
Alright, alright, give me a
second.
James picks up his cell phone and dials. He stands and walks
away from the Bearded Man as he speaks.
JAMES
Hey, Dad? Yeah, I’m gonna need you
to deposit more money in my
account. Like, stat.
INTERCUT WITH
INT. LIMOUSINE, MANHATTAN
Robelli is seated alone in the back seat of the limo, his cell
phone to his ear.
ROBELLI
Are you serious, James? I just
gave you enough to last more than
a month! How the hell did you blow
through it all that fast? You’re
not using again, are you?
JAMES
No, no, course not. It’s just, you
know, I’m trying to stay healthy.
Going to the gym. Eating all
organic. Shit’s expensive.
Robelli sighs and looks out the window at the setting sun.
ROBELLI
How much do you need?
EXT. TANYA’S HOUSE, QUEENS
PAN DOWN from the sky to a white two-story row house. Well
kept but wholly unremarkable. A few large plants grow in the
front yard.
A purple BUICK, mid-90s vintage, pulls up into the driveway.
The loud engine cuts out and TANYA steps out of the driver’s
seat. She’s wearing hospital SCRUBS. She walks to the back of
the car and opens a door, pulls out white bags of takeout
food. She takes them up to the front door.
16.
INT. COZY BEDROOM
The OLD LADY from the construction site leans against a cane,
motionless, starting out the window at a thin trail of smoke
rising in the sky.
We hear the faraway sound of front door to the house opening
and then Tanya’s voice calling out.
TANYA (O.S.)
I’m home. I brought dinner!
OLD LADY
Tanya! Tanya! Come up here, girl.
We hear Tanya’s footsteps and then she appears in the doorway.
TANYA
What is it, Mambo?
MAMBO DOLA
Help your Mambo down to the TV,
it’s almost time.
TANYA
Time for what?
MAMBO DOLA
The beginning of the end, child.
Tanya stares at her auntie. Has she finally lost it?
INT. YOGA STUDIO, NECRISE APARTMENTS
About a dozen spandex-clad women, and a few men, sit cross-
legged on yoga mats, facing Nat, who sits the back of the room
in front of a boxy red HARMONIUM. She begins playing the
instrument, eerie minor notes. She chants.
NAT
Hey mata kali, hey mata durgay.
The class repeats her in unison.
EXT. ROOF DECK
The sun has almost set and the party has only gotten more
raucous: The dub step thumps louder; couples make out; joints
are passed; paper plates spill out of black garbage bags.
Mike stands apart, by the edge of the roof, tipping back a
beer bottle. Tom strides up next to him, puffing a joint.
(MORE)
17.
He offers it to Mike, who accepts and drags on it.
MIKE
Thanks.
TOM
Yeah man, saw you standing here
being all antisocial, figured you
could use some company.
Tom turns and leans next to Mike, then holds his phone out in
front of them and snaps a noncensusal selfie of the two of
them. He lowers his phone and glances at it.
TOM
Not bad, not too bad at all.
MIKE
Yeah… (beat) Hey, thanks for the
joint, man, but I’m cool over here
by myself.
Tom chuckles as Mike passes him back the joint.
TOM
You’re a funny one, you know that?
MIKE
(dubiously)
Sure.
TOM
No, seriously, you seem like a
legit guy.
Tom passes the joint back to Mike.
MIKE
Thanks, I guess. Not legit enough
to live here.
TOM
Hey man, don’t be so sure. You see
my boy James over there?
Tom motions behind him where SARAH and JAMES stand in a
semicircle of other post collegiates chattering around a
grill, their faces lit by the glow of the coals.
TOM
His dad owns the place. I’m sure
he could hook you up if you asked
him. You know, family discount and
all.
18.
Mike nods and exhales a cloud of weed smoke.
MIKE
Yeah well, my dad worked
construction and he’s not exactly
giving any of my friends discounts
on lumber and nails.
He passes the joint back to Tom, who chuckles.
TOM
Dude! You know what I mean. (beat)
Anyway, how do you know little
miss scaredy cat over there?
Tom motions to Sarah. She’s wearing his straw hat.
MIKE
Sarah? We went to college
together.
TOM
You her boyfriend?
Mike shakes his head.
TOM
You guys hook up?
Mike grimaces, regretful.
MIKE
Nah, just friends. She’s just
letting me crash with her this
weekend while my place gets
fumigated for bed bugs.
Tom winces, nodding.
TOM
Shit’s gross man. But at least you
get to post up here for a while,
could be worse. (beat) So you
wouldn’t mind if I made a move on
her?
Mike stares at Tom, trying to stay expressionless, but his
eyes betray some objection.
MIKE
I mean, what’s so great about her?
There are tons of other girls here
that seem more down, honestly.
19.
TOM
(nodding)
Yeah, yeah, I guess. I mean, it
depends what you’re looking for.
Take me, I’ve been in a real ‘girl
next door’ phase lately, and
little Sarah over there has that
going on in spades.
They both look over at Sarah, who, as if on cue, giggles. Mike
sighs.
TOM
Hey man, I’m just trying to give
you a heads up, alright? I don’t
want there to be any bad blood
between us when you get up in the
morning and see me drinking your
girl’s OJ and chomping her
Cheerios.
Mike shakes his head.
MIKE
Yeah, we’ll see about that.
TOM
Yeah, we will. I’m just sayin’, I
hope you brought earplugs for
tonight. Cause let’s be real,
little Sarah over there is
definitely a screamer.
Sarah SCREAMS in terror. James, standing beside her, has
doubled over, vomiting. He falls to the ground into a puddle
of his own puke, unconscious.
The crowd backs away from him in disgust. Some hold up phones,
taking photos and video. Tom rushes over to his fallen friend,
Mike following close behind.
TOM
Back up! Give him some air!
Tom kneels down near James’ unconscious body and rolls him
over. He’s sheet white. Tom leans down and puts his ear to
James’ mouth, checking for breathing. Mike kneels down beside
him. Someone from the crowd behind them pipes up.
CROWD MEMBER
Is he alright? What happened to
him?
20.
TOM
Passed out cold. Maybe he choked
on something. Someone get him some
water!
Mike puts his fingers on James’ neck, checking for a pulse.
Finding none, he yells to Tom.
MIKE
Hey, hey! I’m not feeling a pulse.
TOM
What? Are you serious?
Mike nods.
MIKE
He might have had an allergic
reaction or something. Could be
serious. We need to call 911.
Tom nods and takes out his phone. Suddenly, the unconscious
James reanimates and lunges at Tom, sinking his teeth deep
into Tom’s arm. Tom screams in terrified agony and throws his
phone away from him. James gnaws on Tom’s arm for a few
seconds until Mike pushes them apart.
MIKE
(to James)
Fuck man, stay back!
James faces them, eyes bloodshot and rolled back in his head.
He takes one wobbly tentative step, then another. By now, a
larger crowd has gathered around the scene, all filming with
their mobile phones. The zombified James lets out an unearthly
moan that sounds like…
ZOMBIE JAMES
BRAINNNNNS!
MIKE
You’ve got to be shitting me.
Zombie James lunges again at the crowd, which dissipates into
an unruly, screaming mob, everyone trying to flee
simultaneously, many still attempting to videotape on their
phones.
The crowd bottlenecks in the center of the roof at the roof
access stairwell, pushing and shoving to get through. Zombie
James catches up behind them and pounces. There are screams
and blood spurts as he sinks his teeth into his first victim.
Mike grabs Sarah and runs. Tom follows, unsteady from his
bleeding arm. They run toward a corner of the rooftop.
21.
SARAH
Oh my god! Oh god! What the fuck
is going on?
Tom leans over the edge of the rooftop, wobbling perilously
from the loss of blood. Mike catches him and eases him back on
firm ground. He grabs a towel off a chair and wraps it tightly
around Tom’s still gushing wound.
MIKE
Woah there, easy man. Here, we
gotta keep this tight.
Sarah ignores them, staring dumbfounded at the massacre
happening a few yards away. The crowd by the roof access
stairwell has become a sea of blood and bodies, with many of
the corpses staggering back up — they’ve turned into ZOMBIES.
Some partygoers have scattered to the edges of the rooftop and
are making panicked calls on their phones to police, loved
ones.
SARAH
What the fuck is going on? What
the fuck do we do?
Mike finishes tying the makeshift bandage around Tom’s arm and
turns to her.
MIKE
We have to get the fuck out of
here, now!
Sarah nods, her face panic-stricken.
SARAH
How? Where the fuck do we go?
They’re…they’re everywhere.
Mike looks over at the steadily rising zombies, which are
taking jerky but quick steps towards them and the other
survivors.
MIKE
Down there.
Mike points over the ledge of the roof to a balcony sprouting
from the penthouse apartment below them, at least a 15 foot
drop. Sarah looks at him like he’s crazy.
SARAH
What!?
22.
MIKE
We have to go over, jump to the
next balcony.
SARAH
Mike, no, there’s no way we can
get down there. We’ll kill
ourselves!
Mike looks over toward the zombie horde: several zombies have
broken off and are sprinting for the survivors on the other
side of the roof deck.
MIKE
Better than one of them getting to
us. We have to try.
Mike looks around frantically and spots an orange EXTENSION
CORD lying flat on the roof a hundred yards away from them.
MIKE
Hold on, I’ve got an idea.
Mike races over to the cord and grabs it. He turns and yanks
it with him, but finds it still attached to something. A
ZOMBIE WOMAN sees him and begins charging toward him. Sarah
notices and screams out.
SARAH
Mike! Mike! One’s coming this way.
Oh god, hurry up!
Mike looks up and sees the ZOMBIE WOMAN running directly for
him. He yanks the cord again, finally freeing it from an
outlet offscreen.
Too late, the ZOMBIE WOMAN is in front of him, lunging with
open jaws. Before she can bite him, a barbecue skewer erupts
from her mouth in a spray of blood.
The zombie gargles and falls over, as Tom withdraws the bloody
skewer from the back of the creature’s head, wobbling with
exertion.
TOM
I had to man! It was her or you.
Mike nods and grabs Tom. They hobble over toward Sarah near
the edge of the building. Mike tosses one end of the cord over
the side. It just barely touches the floor of the balcony
below.
MIKE
Go, Sarah. You have to go now.
I’ll hold it.
23.
Sarah looks at him slack-jawed.
MIKE
Sarah, I know you’re scared but we
don’t have time. Grab onto the
cord and get down there. I won’t
let you fall.
TOM
He’s right, you gotta go now. I
can’t get down by myself with my
arm like this.
Sarah nods, uncertain, but takes the cord as instructed and
looks over the ledge. Another MALE ZOMBIE is about 30 feet
away at this point and closing in fast.
MIKE
Sarah, now!
Sarah grabs the cord and saddles over the ledge. She looks at
Mike briefly with frightened eyes, then drops over the side.
The cord pulls taught. Mike holds it, grimacing, leaning back
and pushing his heels into the ground.
The Male Zombie reaches them. Tom shouts and plunges his
skewer into the creature’s neck.
TOM
Eat shit, zombie bitch!
The zombie struggles and falls to its knees. But other zombies
notice the easy prey and are running toward them in a stagger
step.
Mike calls out over the ledge.
MIKE
Sarah! You alright?
She shouts back up something unintelligible. Mike turns and
looks over his shoulder.
Tom has grabbed an entire grill rack and is swinging it wildly
in front of him, smashing it into zombie skulls left and
right.
Mike feels the cord go slack. He rushes to the edge of the
roof and looks over. Sarah looks up at him from the balcony
below. She’s fine.
SARAH
Mike! Watch out!
24.
Another zombie lunges at him, but Mike moves away at the last
second. The creature overshoots, teetering over the roofledge,
gnashing its teeth at Sarah. She screams. Mike grabs the
fallen skewer and stabs it viciously in the chest till it
drops on the roof.
He turns back and sees Tom is still fighting valiantly, but is
seconds away from being overwhelmed. Mike rushes toward him.
TOM
No! Stay back! You gotta go man,
take care of our girl!
Tom swings the grill rack wide, knocking a few zombies down
before they overtake him in screams and spurts of blood.
Mike turns away grimly. Another zombie charges at him. Out of
time, he runs to the ledge and jumps over it.
EXT. BALCONY, 27TH FLOOR PENTHOUSE
Mike falls like a stone. Sarah squeals and moves out of the
way at the last instant. He crashes into a small wooden table
on the balcony, instantly destroying it, and rolls to his
side, breaking several wooden deck chairs.
He comes to a stop and Sarah rushes to his side. He’s covered
in cuts, bruises, and zombie blood splatter.
SARAH
Mike! Oh my god, are you alright?
Mike pushes himself up slowly. Sarah helps him stand. He takes
his cell phone out of his pocket: pulverized glass.
He drops it and looks down at his chest. Remarkably, he’s
otherwise ok. Sarah hugs him tightly. He winces.
MIKE
Hey, it's ok. I’m ok, Sarah. Come
on, we gotta go.
Mike grabs Sarah’s hand and reaches for the sliding glass door
leading into the penthouse apartment. He freezes.
Inside, a 20s SHIRTLESS MAN sits on a couch while a mostly
nude young woman in striped yellow KNEE SOCKS bobs her head up
and down in his lap.
Mike looks back at Sarah, then remembers that zombies are
attacking them. Fuck it. He pulls open the door.
25.
INT. LIVING ROOM, 27TH FLOOR PENTHOUSE
Booming POP MUSIC blares as Mike slides open the door. The
couple don’t notice and she continues blowing the man for a
second. But he finally opens his eyes and sees Mike. He yelps
and pushes the woman off him.
SHIRTLESS MAN
Hey, what the fuck!? How the fuck
did you get in here? Who are you?
The woman seems cooler, less startled than the man. She stands
up and saunters offscreen into the kitchen as the Shirtless
Man scrambles to pull up his pants. Mike steps forward.
MIKE
Look dude, I’m sorry, but I don’t
have time to explain right now.
We’ve all got to get the fuck out
of here, some crazy shit is
happening upstairs. People are
dying.
SHIRTLESS MAN
What? What the fuck are you
talking about?
The Shirtless Man reaches a shaky hand over to a side table
and fumbles with a large smartphone, silencing the music.
Finally, he notices Mike’s bloodied and bruised appearance.
SHIRTLESS MAN
Oh Jesus, what the fuck is going
on up there? Did you jump down
here from the roof?
Mike nods, exasperated. He opens his mouth to speak but
suddenly a whooping siren begins blaring and all the lights in
the apartment begin blinking.
LOUDSPEAKER
Attenion! Attention! An immediate
evacuation notice is in effect.
This is not a drill. Please follow
the flashing lights to the nearest
emergency exit.
There are two more loud whoops of the alarm and then the
recording begins repeating itself. The Shirtless Man jumps off
the bed and stands as the woman in Knee Socks re-emerges from
the kitchen, now wearing shorts and an oversized plaid shirt.
She looks confused and frightened.
26.
KNEE SOCKS
(to the Shirtless Man)
Dave? What the fuck is going on?
DAVE
I don’t know!
The woman in Knee Socks grabs her purse, digs for her cell
phone and begins texting. Mike looks back at her.
MIKE
You need to call the police.
KNEE SOCKS
What the fuck? What happened?
SARAH
(to no one in particular)
I need to warn Nat.
Sarah pulls out her phone and begins texting. Dave follows
suit. Knee Socks holds her phone looks at Mike.
KNEE SOCKS
What should I say?
MIKE
There’s been an attack on the
roof.
KNEE SOCKS
Seriously? Like a shooting?
Mike shakes his head.
MIKE
Just dial.
The woman begins dialing frantically. She presses send, then
curses.
KNEE SOCKS
Fuck! No signal in here. Fucking
AT&T!
DAVE
Yeah, it’s terrible inside for
some reason. The only place it
works for me is out on the
balcony.
All four kids look out at the balcony. A BLOODIED BODY falls
from the roof, screaming, tumbling past the balcony and down
to the ground below. All four SCREAM.
27.
Mike grabs Sarah by the hand and pulls her toward the front
door. He puts his hand on the knob, then peers out through the
peephole and grimaces. He turns back to face Dave.
MIKE
We need to get the fuck out of
here, now, but we need protection.
Knives, pots and pans, anything
that can be used as a weapon. The
sharper the better.
DAVE
Just tell us what the fuck’s going
on!
Mike grimaces and walks past Dave into the back of the
apartment, Sarah following him close behind.
INT. KITCHEN, 27TH FLOOR PENTHOUSE, NECRISE APARTMENTS
Mike opens cabinets and drawers one after the other, roughly.
He’s not finding what he’s looking for.
MIKE
No, no, no, too small. No…
DAVE
Look man, I don’t really have,
like, cooking supplies. I just
moved in.
MIKE
How do you eat, then?
DAVE
Ever heard of Seamless?
Mike finally finds a metal corkscrew with the cork still
attached to it. He unscrews the cork and throws it aside, then
hands the implement to Sarah.
MIKE
We don’t know how many of them are
downstairs. We have to be ready.
KNEE SOCKS
Ready for what?! What’s going on
up there?
Mike and Sarah lock eyes, trauma passing between them.
28.
SARAH
(quietly)
Zombies.
KNEE SOCKS
What’d you say?
She turns to face the men.
KNEE SOCKS
Did she seriously say what I think
she just said?
Suddenly, a WOMAN’s SCREAM echoes outside the apartment,
getting louder as it draws closer. The four kids look at each
other, frightened, uncertain. Mike grabs a nearly empty bottle
of wine off the counter and moves for the front door.
INT. LIVING ROOM, 27TH FLOOR PENTHOUSE
Mike peers out the peephole into the hallway.
MIKE’S POV — INT. HALLWAY, 27TH FLOOR PENTHOUSE
A YOUNG WOMAN bleeding from the face and ribs runs screaming
down the hallway. A BIKINI-WEARING ZOMBIE runs after her.
INT. LIVING ROOM, 27TH FLOOR PENTHOUSE, NECRISE APARTMENTS
Mike waits until they disappear, then gently pulls open the
door, wielding the upside down wine bottle like a club. He
motions for the rest to follow him.
INT. HALLWAY, 27TH FLOOR, NECRISE APARTMENTS
Rows of white LED lights blink softly on the ceiling and
floor, leading them to an unseen destination. Mike rounds a
bend and spots it: a neon red ‘EXIT’ sign over a door. But in
front is the BIKINI ZOMBIE straddling the bleeding young
woman, devouring her. Mike cringes and turns back to the
group.
MIKE
It’s blocked. Is there another way
out of here?
Dave opens his mouth to speak but before he can, the woman in
Knee Socks lets out a wail.
At the opposite end of the hall, a severely bloodied white man
stumbles into view: the reanimated corpse of TOM. He runs
towards them, gasping, a single eye bulging in his skull. TWO
MORE ZOMBIES follow quickly behind him.
29.
MIKE
Shit, nevermind! This way!
Mike grabs Sarah’s hand and hauls her around the bend and
toward the emergency exit.
The Bikini Zombie looks up from its feast. It crouches, ready
to devour them.
Mike charges forward, whirling the wine bottle like a polo
mallet. He slams it into the Bikini Zombie’s head. Both
shatter in a shower of glass and blood.
Sarah runs past them and pushes open the exit door, entering a
concrete stairwell.
INT. EMERGENCY EXIT STAIRWELL, 27TH FLOOR
Mike follows Sarah, holding the door open for Dave and Knee
Socks…
INT. HALLWAY, 27TH FLOOR
…The two living souls run for it. Zombie Tom and the other TWO
ZOMBIES are only steps behind them.
Dave makes it through the door first. Knee Socks is almost in,
but the Bikini Zombie springs back to life and grabs her by
the ankle, yanking her to the ground. She shreaks.
KNEE SOCKS
Help! Dave! Somebody help me!
Mike charges forward and kicks the Bikini Zombie in the face,
to no avail. Zombie Tom is almost upon them.
Sarah leaps back out into the hall, screaming, and stabs the
corkscrew squarely into Zombie Tom’s skull. He falls backward,
but it’s still too late for Knee Socks — the THIRD ZOMBIE
pounces on her.
Sarah pushes Mike violently back into the stairwell and slams
the door shut.
INT. EMERGENCY EXIT STAIRWELL, 27TH FLOOR
Through the metal, they hear KNEE SOCKS screaming for her
final few terrified seconds as the zombies rip her apart.
Sarah looks at the two boys, guiltily at first, then
defensively.
30.
SARAH
What? I’m sorry, we tried to save
her, but they would’ve gotten us
all if we waited any longer! I
saved our lives, ok? There was
nothing else we could do for her!
Mike opens his mouth as if to say something but Sarah cuts him
off.
SARAH
Don’t start with me, Mike! Like
you said, we need to get the fuck
out of here, now. All of us,
including Nat. Come on, let’s go.
I know where to find her.
Sarah stomps down the steps. She takes out her cell phone and
types furiously. Mike and Dave look at each other, baffled.
Dave shrugs and heads down after her. Mike waits a few
seconds, then follows behind.
INT. YOGA STUDIO, 17TH FLOOR
The entire sweaty class lies flat on their mats, facing the
ceiling, their eyes closed. An oozing electronic beat plays
lightly over the speakers. Nat walks to the front of the class
and turns to face the students.
NAT
Come to your final savasana. This
is ‘corpse pose.’ Your palms are
open and relaxed. Let your
breathing come and go as it
wishes. Let your thoughts come and
go like waves on a beach, don’t
try to resist anything.
There’s a scratching outside the door. Nat furrows her brows
and pads her long legs over to the front of the room. She
opens the door, glaring at whoever would dare interrupt her
class. She begins whispering quietly.
NAT
We’re almost done, I-
She catches site of a bloody, snarling face. A ZOMBIE.
NAT
Fuck!
The door flings open, knocking Nat aside. The class, still
zoned out, don’t notice at first. The ZOMBIE leaps onto the
floor and chomps into an OLD WHITE WOMAN'S shoulder. She
screams in pain and terror, and the class blinks to life.
31.
Several students begin shrieking. The yoga students move
quickly, backing against the walls as THREE MORE ZOMBIES
stumble into the middle of the room.
Nat doesn’t hesitate. She rushes forward and LASSOS the first
zombie's neck with a purple stretching strap, then jerks it
viciously, pulling the creature to the ground with a thud.
NAT
Guys, don’t just stand there,
move!
Several of the students sprint for the door. One woman makes
it out, but runs straight into a ZOMBIE and is devoured,
screaming as her bones CRACK.
The rest of the students grab foam blocks, water, their yoga
mats, swinging them wildly as they try to fend-off the
zombies. They’re quickly overwhelmed.
Nat drags her lassoed zombie to the back of the room. She
turns to a shelf and grabs a heavy bronze STATUE of GANESHA,
the Hindu elephant god, heaving, then drops it straight onto
the zombie’s head. It crushes with a sick, grape-like SPLAT.
A SECOND ZOMBIE roars up to her, but Nat’s quicker: She grabs
the HARMONIUM off the shelf and smacks the wooden box across
its face, knocking it sideways.
A THIRD ZOMBIE appears but Nat’s ready with the harmonium,
bringing it down on its head with a guttural cry, shattering
the creature’s skull along with the instrument in a burst of
blood, splinters and dangling metal strings.
Nat turns and sees a beautiful blonde yoga student pinned up
against a wall by a FOURTH ZOMBIE.
NAT
Fuck, Mandy!
Nat rushes forward. She grabs the zombie by its shirt collar
and throws it away from MANDY. The zombie snarls and comes
chomping back at them. But Nat bends low to her right and
KICKS her long leg up to its head, snapping its neck.
NAT turns to face the bleeding Mandy, but before she can
attend to her, A FIFTH ZOMBIE charges through the door.
Nat stands, waiting for it, and SIDESTEPS out of the way at
the last second. The zombie overshoots, then skids to a stop
and turns to face her.
Nat crouches and yanks a slick yoga mat out from beneath the
zombie’s feet. It falls backwards onto the pointed metal hat
atop the GANESHA and is impaled through the chest.
32.
Nat turns and faces the front of the room, her chest heaving
beneath her blood-flecked tank top, dukes up, ready for
whatever’s next.
But she’s done — at least for now, all the zombies in the room
are out of commission.
She wipes her mouth off on the back of her hand, then runs to
the side of the old white woman, who’s rolled over onto her
stomach, blood pouring from her neck.
NAT
Oh god, Geninne.
Nat grabs a towel off the floor and turns the old lady around.
GENINE’S face is ashen, eyes rolling back in the head, teeth
chattering.
Nat drops her with a thud and looks around the room, seeing
the other students who have been attacked twitching, quickly
coming back from the dead.
Nat walks to the front of the room, cricks her neck sideways
with a satisfying pop, then picks up a remote and changes
tracks to a faster paced song. She bows and prays.
NAT (to no one)
Jai. Namaste.
A zombie runs at her and she kicks it in the face.
INT. EMERGENCY EXIT STAIRWELL, 18TH FLOOR
Sarah, hellbent, leads Mike and Dave down the gray concrete
stairs. They pass a large blue number 18 painted on the wall
beside a door. Dave puts his giant cell phone to his ear,
trying to make a call. Instead, he hears the standard vague
service denial recording.
DAVE’S PHONE
All lines are busy now. Please try
again later.
DAVE
Fuck!
Dave lowers his phone. Mike looks at him.
MIKE
Nothing, huh?
Dave shakes his head. Mike rushes down the stairs and catches
up to Sarah on the landing. They’re walking side by side now.
33.
MIKE
Hey, Sarah, did you get through to
anyone?
Sarah ignores him and keeps walking.
MIKE
Sarah, look, I know Nat’s cool and
and all. Not to be an asshole, but
you saw what happened to that girl
upstairs. We have no idea how far
down these things are by now. The
best thing we can do for Nat is
just get our asses outside and
tell the cops she’s in there. They
must be here by now.
Sarah stiffens and quickens her pace.
SARAH
You can do whatever you want,
Mike. I’m going to get my
roommate.
Mike looks back at Dave, who shrugs. He turns to Sarah.
DAVE
I mean — Sarah, is it? I think
he’s right. We just gotta keep
moving.
Sarah freezes and walks back up a few steps, eyes blazing with
fury.
SARAH
Maybe you wouldn’t understand,
since you just stood there like an
asshole and watched your
girlfriend get eaten! But in my
world, if you care about someone,
you don’t just leave them behind
when the shit hits the fan!
Dave looks at Sarah, shocked. She turns on her heel and
continues her march down the stairs. Mike follows her, dour.
Dave mutters behind them.
DAVE
She’s not…she wasn’t…my
girlfriend, technically.
MIKE
Just save it, man.
34.
INT. EMERGENCY EXIT LANDING, 17TH FLOOR
Sarah reaches the door to floor 17 and puts her security card
up to a terminal on the wall to open it, but Mike runs up from
behind her and stands in front of it.
MIKE
Wait! Just wait, ok? I get it,
I’ll help you find Nat. We can’t
just charge out there, though.
Those things, zombies, whatever
they are, they could be out there
by now.
Sarah looks at him, still angry but realizing he’s right.
SARAH
Ok, so what do you suggest we do,
then, Mike?
Dave calls up to them from the landing below.
DAVE
Hey guys, I found a bike down
here.
INT. EMERGENCY EXIT LANDING, 16TH FLOOR
Sarah and Mike walk down to the 16th floor landing. Sure
enough: a chunky blue plastic CITIBIKE bicycle is propped up
against the stairwell.
DAVE
I dunno how much good it does us,
we can’t exactly ride out of here.
Mike smiles.
MIKE
Maybe we can.
INT. HALLWAY, 17TH FLOOR
The hallway is silent, empty, save for the blinking LEDs.
The emergency exit door whips open and a bike comes flying
out, nobody behind the wheel. It ghostrides for a few seconds
then careens into an apartment door at the end of the hall,
clattering to the ground.
The noise attracts two ZOMBIES from the darkness. They run
after it.
35.
Mike pulls open the door and shouts.
MIKE
Go! Now!
Sarah and Dave take off sprinting away from the zombies, Mike
following shortly behind.
One zombie catches up, just a few paces behind him now. Mike
spots a FIRE EXTINGUISHER in a glass box ahead of him. He
whips the door to the box open as he passes and the zombie
SMACKS into it.
Mike grabs the red extinguisher and heaves it around at the
next zombie, knocking it over. He loses his grip and the
cylinder goes flying out of his hand, clanging into the wall.
Another zombie charges him, but Dave chucks his phone at its
head. It bounces off and knocks the zombie over.
MIKE
Go! Go! I’m ok. Just keep running!
Sarah sprints to the end of the hall and reaches a glass and
steel door marked ‘RISE AND SHINE YOGA.’ She whips it open and
darts inside. Dave and Mike enter right behind her.
INT. YOGA STUDIO LOBBY, 17TH FLOOR
Mike turns and slams the door, fumbling with a metal twist
lock, the zombies banging and snarling outside. Sarah rushes
forward, past a front desk, and pushes open yet another door
into the studio itself.
INT. YOGA STUDIO, 17TH FLOOR
Nat stands from a crouch, rising over a zombie who’s head
she’s finished pummeling to a pulp, her fists wrapped in
purple straps. She’s covered in zombie blood and sweating
profusely, but otherwise alright.
Sarah, overcome with momentum, runs forward a few steps then
stops and stares at Nat. Her lip trembles with emotion. Sarah
runs forward and embraces her roommate tightly, kissing her on
the cheek and stroking her hair.
SARAH
Oh my god, oh god. I’m so glad to
see you.
Nat puts one hand gingerly on the back of Sarah’s head and
pets her head twice, awkwardly.
36.
NAT
Uh, thanks, yeah. You too.
The two girls draw apart, flustered. Mike and Dave enter, Mike
closes the door behind them. They look around the bloodsoaked
studio, flattened zombie corpses everywhere. Dave walks
forward, amazed. He looks up at Nat.
DAVE
Did you do all this?
Nat shakes her head as if waking from a dream, her hand flies
to her forehead.
NAT
Uh, yeah. I mean, they attacked my
class. Then my class turned into
them.
Dave shakes his head and takes another step forward, looking
up and down Nat’s blood-splattered form with a mixture of awe,
fear and desire.
DAVE
How? How the hell did you do this?
Nat looks down, guilty.
NAT
I mean, I dunno, there was no
other way, right?
Dave locks eyes with Nat.
DAVE
You could’ve just died.
Sarah steps forward.
SARAH
No, Nat’s been kickboxing for
years. She could drop your ass in
a heartbeat, right Nat?
NAT
I mean, I guess.
Mike looks suspiciously at Sarah, then turns to Nat.
MIKE
You alright?
Nat nods.
37.
NAT
Yeah, considering.
MIKE
Alright, good. We should keep
moving, though, before more of
those things show up.
Sarah glares at him, impatient.
SARAH
You mean, the ‘zombies’?
MIKE
Well, if that’s what you want to
call them, sure.
SARAH
That’s what they are.
MIKE
I mean, they’re people too, Sarah.
At least they were, until…
Mike trails off. She finishes for him.
SARAH
…Until they went psycho and
started trying to kill us.
MIKE
Yeah, point taken. Well, call them
whatever you want, we can’t afford
to stay here now. There’s at least
two ‘zombies’ in the hallway. Is
there any other way out of here?
Preferably one that doesn't
involve diving onto a balcony.
NAT
The staircase in the lobby, by the
front desk. It goes down to the
gym and the spa but not any lower.
MIKE
Can we get from there back into
the building?
Nat and Sarah nod.
SARAH
Yeah.
38.
MIKE
Ok. I guess that’s our only
choice.
Mike gestures to Nat.
MIKE
Lead the way.
Nat steps over a corpse and pulls open the door. The rest of
the pack follows her.
INT. YOGA LOBBY STAIRCASE, 17TH AND 16TH FLOORS
Nat and Sarah walk down a glass staircase first, followed a
few steps behind by Mike and Dave. They reach a level marked
‘GYM’ in giant letters on the wall and continue down to one
marked ‘SPA & LOCKER ROOMS.’
INT. SPA LOCKER ROOM, 15TH FLOOR
The survivors reach another landing and peer into two
identical, doorless tiled hallways marked ‘MEN’ and ‘WOMEN’
respectively. The pack stops and the men and women stare at
one another. Dave speaks up.
DAVE
Well, it really doesn’t make sense
for us to split up. Let’s just
pick a side. Women’s?
Sarah glares at him skeptically.
SARAH
Why? If anything we should split
up, maximize our odds. If there’s
zombies in just one locker room,
and we pick the wrong one, then
we’re all fucked.
DAVE
Haven’t you seen any horror
movies? The worst thing to do in a
situation like this is to split
up! That’s how everyone dies.
SARAH
(shaking her head)
Horror movies aren’t real life,
dude!
39.
DAVE
Well, given what’s happened today,
I’d argue, yes, they are.
Sarah rolls her eyes.
SARAH
Let me guess, next you’re going to
say we all need to shower
together, too, to get the scent of
blood off us?
Dave’s eyes widen excitedly.
DAVE
I mean, that’s honestly not the
worst idea I've heard. We should
at least give it some thought…
Mike steps forward and turns to face the rest.
MIKE
Alright, alright, that’s enough.
We’re wasting time sitting here
arguing. We need to keep moving.
Dave’s right, it doesn’t make
sense for us to split up, at least
not yet. We need to look out for
each other. It’s the only reason
we’ve made it this far.
Sarah glares at Mike, while Nat and Dave nod.
MIKE
I’m choosing. Let’s go this way.
He walks into the men’s locker room and Dave and Nat start to
follow him but Sarah hangs back and calls out.
SARAH
Guys, wait, I need to use the
bathroom!
Her three companions stop and turn to her.
SARAH
Sorry! I really need to, though.
Mike, visibly annoyed, motions to the men’s locker room.
MIKE
Ok, so go in a stall in here,
we’ll wait for you.
Sarah shakes her head.
40.
SARAH
No, just because we’re all in the
middle of a fucking living
nightmare doesn’t mean we have to
give up our dignity. I’m going in
here, and Nat’s coming with me.
That’s that. We’ll meet you guys
on the other side.
Mike sighs.
MIKE
Sarah, we really don’t have time
for this. Look, I know it’s not
the most comfortable arrangement,
but we can’t let the two of you go
in there alone. Dave and I will go
in first and check it out, then
you can use the bathroom, how’s
that?
Sarah glares at him fiercely and motions for Nat to follow her
into the women’s locker room.
SARAH
Mike, I’m sorry, but you don’t get
to tell us what to do. Nobody
appointed you president of the
zombie survivor’s club! I’m going
in here, you guys can do whatever
the fuck you want.
MIKE
Sarah, come on!
Sarah storms off into the women’s locker room. Nat looks at
Mike and Dave, torn, but eventually gives in.
NAT
Uhhh, yeah, it’s fine, guys, we’ll
see you in a minute.
INT. WOMEN’S LOCKER ROOM, 15TH FLOOR
Nat follows Sarah in, turning a corner. Sarah looks back
toward the doorway to be sure they’re alone, then pushes Nat
up against the tile wall and kisses her hard on the mouth,
taking her by surprise. Nat allows it for a second, then
pushes Sarah back, shocked.
SARAH
What? Aren’t you happy to see me?
Nat, still a bit dazed, walks away from Sarah then chuckles
once.
41.
NAT
Yeah, of course Sar.
SARAH
Then why are you acting so weird?
NAT
I mean, getting attacked by
zombies was not exactly on my to-
do list today.
SARAH
Oh my god, don’t make excuses Nat.
Just tell me what the fuck’s up?
Did I do something wrong? Is this
about the guys? They won’t care if
we stay in here for a few minutes,
we’re girls, they expect it.
Sarah leans forward and grabs the back of Nat’s head as if to
kiss her again but Nat pushes back, a bit harder.
NAT
Sarah, no! It’s just, I mean, what
we did…I…I’m just not sure how I
feel right now, ok? Last night was
crazy. I’m just, still trying to
process it. And with all this shit
happening, I just haven’t really
had time, ok?
Sarah moves forward and caresses Nat on the face.
SARAH
It’s alright. I’m overwhelmed too.
But I’m here for you, whatever
happens, alright?
Sarah leans and hugs Nat tightly, stroking her head and back.
Nat tenses up and doesn’t hug back, hands at her sides. Sarah
quickly realizes the hug isn’t being reciprocated and takes a
step away, casting wounded eyes at Nat, tearing up.
SARAH
So, is this what I think it is?
Last night was nothing, then? Just
a fluke?
Nat opens her mouth as if she’s about to say something, then
looks down at the floor and shakes her head.
NAT
Sarah…
42.
SARAH
Don’t answer that! Just don’t say
anything, alright?
Sarah storms off toward a stall and pushes open the door,
locking it behind her. Nat springs after her.
NAT
Sar, wait! I just…
Sarah shouts at her from behind the stall.
SARAH
Just leave me the fuck alone, ok?
NAT
(quietly)
Sar, I just, I don’t think we
should talk about this here, right
now, okay? Let’s just try to get
out of here alive, first, and then
we can talk, alright?
The toilet flushes and Sarah opens the door, furious.
SARAH
That’s exactly why we need to talk
about it now! We could die in a
second, either one of us! I was so
worried that you’d died! That’s
why I came back for you! Don’t you
understand? Don’t you care?
Nat nods and moves to speak, but there’s a loud groan and
sudden movement over by the door leading out into the spa
lobby.
Steam spews out into the locker room as a bathrobe-clad,
middle-age WOMAN shuffles into view, her eyes covered with
cucumbers and her face smeared with white goo. She groans
again and takes another step toward Nat and Sarah.
Nat tenses for a fight. The woman takes one more step forward
then removes the cucumbers from her eyes. The woman SPA GOER
blinks rapidly, taking in Nat and Sarah. She’s blissed out —
not a zombie.
SPA GOER
Oh gosh, pardon me! Hello! I’m so
sorry, I must have lost track of
time. Oh my, you two look like you
could use a treatment and a
massage. But first a shower. What
is that on you, did you spill
wine? Is that blood?
43.
Sarah and Nat gape, unsure of what to say. The Spa Goer opens
her mouth to speak but shrieks instead, as a metal nail file
punctures through her eyeball from the back of her skull.
She falls forward onto the ground, a pool of blood forms
around her skull. Dave steps into view, raising his fists
triumphantly.
DAVE
Got her!
He shouts back to Mike behind him.
DAVE
I got her, man! They’re ok.
Mike steps into the locker room wielding nail scissors. He
lowers them when he sees the body.
MIKE
Jesus.
Dave looks over to Nat and Sarah, who look back up at him in
horror.
DAVE
What? You guys are ok, right?
Nat steps forward and glares at Dave.
NAT
Dude, she wasn’t a zombie. She was
alive. At least until you… killed
her with a fucking nail file!
Dave looks down at the body, aghast.
DAVE
What? No! No way! She was
shuffling around, making that
weird noise they all make. And her
face, it was all white!
Sarah steps forward and shouts at him.
SARAH
That was exfoliator, you prick!
She was getting a facial!
Dave looks over at the body again, his eyes widening as he
begins to grasp what he’s done. His hands fly up to his
forehead.
44.
DAVE
Fuck! Fuck man! I didn’t know.
SARAH
Yeah, well, that’s the thing about
zombies: they don’t really talk,
do they, dumbass?
Dave’s voice begins to waver. He looks panicked, almost on the
verge of tears.
DAVE
I thought she was one of them! I
swear! Fuck! Fuck, I’m so sorry!
Sarah walks up to him.
SARAH
Don’t worry, Dave, with all the
dead bodies around here, I’m sure
no one will notice. You fucked up,
it’s true. But at least now we all
know you’re capable of more than
just standing around.
Sarah’s eyes flash at Nat then quickly back to the body on the
ground.
SARAH
There’s nothing we can do for her
now. Let’s go.
Sarah begins walking through the door into the spa, but Mike
calls out.
MIKE
Wait — we should at least keep the
file.
He bends down to the body and grabs the handle of the nail
file sticking up in the back of the spa goer’s skull.
As he withdraws it, the body rolls over and the woman coughs
blood. The four living souls gasp. The corpse has reanimated.
Mike looks down at the woman, whose body has begun twitching
again, teeth gnashing. She pushes herself up to a seated
position.
SPA GOER
BRAIIINSSSSSS.
Mike looks at this fellow survivors.
45.
MIKE
I think we can all agree on this
one.
He grasps the file and nail scissors in the same hand and
stabs them viciously into the top of the woman’s skull, again
and again, blood splattering onto his face as the rest of the
group looks on with disgust and resignation.
CUT TO:
INT. WOMEN’S LOCKER ROOM, 15TH FLOOR — A FEW MINUTES LATER
Mike leans over a sink, splashing water on his face to clean
off the zombie blood. He stares at himself in the mirror,
stoic. His eyes flash with anger.
MIKE (V.O.)
Something doesn't make sense. And
I mean beyond the obvious fact
that people are coming back from
the dead. That woman in the spa,
she wasn't bitten or scratched by
a zombie, right? So how did she
turn into one of them?
INT. EMERGENCY EXIT STAIRWELL, 14TH FLOOR
Dave and Sarah make their way down the concrete flight of
stairs as Nat and Mike follow, a few steps behind. Nat looks
over at Mike.
MIKE (CONT'D)
We need to try and figure out how
this disease… virus…whatever the
fuck it is, works. How it spreads.
We’ve been lucky so far. None of
us have turned yet. But we’re all
covered with blood. It could only
be a matter of time. If we want to
survive this, we need to know what
the fuck we’re dealing with.
SARAH
Unless it doesn’t spread through
blood.
Mike nods, thinking.
MIKE
Yeah. Nat…your yoga class. How did
they turn into zombies? Were they
all bitten first?
46.
NAT
I don’t know, it all happened so
fast. It’s hard to say. I think
so.
They round a landing and continue down onto the 13th floor,
marked with huge ‘13’ numerals.
INT. 13TH FLOOR EMERGENCY STAIRWELL
Mike looks straight ahead as the foursome descend, thinking.
MIKE
Sarah’s onto something. Tom, he
took a huge bite to his arm, but
he didn't turn into one of them
until after they massacred him.
And the first guy — James, the one
on the roof who collapsed. He
seemed fine until then, right
Sarah? You were with him. You
didn't see anything weird happen
to him before then?
SARAH
Well, yeah, I mean I wasn't
exactly paying attention until he
fainted.
MIKE
Yeah I wasn’t either. At least
until Tom told me his dad owned
the place.
Sarah freezes in her tracks. The rest continue on until they
notice she’s stopped, and look back at her.
SARAH
What did you say, Mike?
MIKE
Oh, just that, that guy James. Tom
said that his dad owned this
building or something.
Sarah takes up her smartphone and Mike and Nat gather on
either side of her. She pulls up an article: THE BROOKLYN
PAPER dated JUNE 2014, headline: ‘LUX DEVELOPER ATTACKED AT
HIS CONSTRUCTION SITE’
MIKE
I thought you couldn't get service
in here?
47.
SARAH
I can’t, it’s really bad. I saved
this to my phone ages ago…See,
this is how we got the apartment
so cheap: there was this big
controversy before we moved in,
and our broker said the owners
were trying to buy off the bad
press.
She scrolls down the article to a black and white photo of a
visibly enraged MR. ROBELLI. In the background, the OLD LADY
is being loaded into a police car. Sarah reads from the
article.
SARAH
'Gentrifight! Luxury condo
developer ERIC ROBELLI was
attacked at his own construction
site in East Bushwick Tuesday
night by a longtime resident who
refused to obey an eviction
notice. The 42-year-old Robelli
suffered cuts to his face and
bruises to his chest and arms,
according to a police report
obtained by The Brooklyn Paper.
Embarrassingly, the attacker could
have been his grandmother: 79-
year- old Bushwick resident
Cassandra Dola was booked for
assaulting and battering the real
estate tycoon. Dola, a leader in
Bushwick Voudon Church, said she
‘cursed’ the new construction as
she was cuffed.’
Mike steps away from the phone, shaking his head.
MIKE
Aw, come on, you can’t be serious,
Sarah. You can’t think some crazy
voodoo lady is behind all this? No
fucking way.
Sarah bristles at Mike.
SARAH
What, Mike? You have any better
ideas? You know what religion
makes zombies, Mike? Voodoo!
MIKE
This is bullshit, Sar. Just stop.
This isn’t helping.
48.
SARAH
Oh really, Mike? You said it
yourself, this can’t be a virus,
otherwise we’d all be zombies by
now. What else can it be? We know
that this kid died, his dad was
the fucking landlord and he kicked
out this voodoo lady. She said
right here she put a curse on the
building! And now anyone who dies
of seemingly any wound, not just a
fucking zombie bite, comes back as
one of them! That's one hell of a
coincidence, wouldn't you say?
MIKE
Look, I don’t know what the fuck
is going on here. It could be a
virus that only targets specific
genes. It could be a bioterror
attack or something. Fuck, there
could be a gas leak and we could
all be having a mass hallucination
for all I know. But one thing I
know is that there’s no such thing
as black magic, hocus pocus,
voodoo, or any of that shit. Ok?
So just drop it.
NAT pipes up.
NAT
How can you be sure?
MIKE
Because…because the laws of
physics and reality don’t just
disappear when bad shit happens,
alright! Even really bad shit.
NAT
I mean… that is one hell of a
coincidence…
Mike looks at them all incredulously.
MIKE
No way, no. Look, I know it’s been
a fucked up day. The most fucked
up in my life, I’ll give you that.
But there’s no voodoo curse, this
can be explained logically
somehow, and we are going to get
the fuck out of here and find out
what the fuck it is, ok?
49.
Sarah and Nat look at each other uncertainly. Dave calls up
from a few steps down the next stairwell.
DAVE
Guys, stop. You need to see this.
INT. EMERGENCY STAIRWELL LANDING, 12TH FLOOR
Mike and the two girls race down the steps and follow Dave
down to the landing. The concrete interior gives way to a
floor-to-ceiling glass wall that overlooks the street in front
of the apartment.
EXT. STANWIX ST., BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN - NIGHT
The street is filled with a whole mass of police cars and SWAT
vans; firetrucks, ambulances, and a few TV crew cars, with
scores of emergency rescuers milling about outside.
Several helicopters churn through the air, sweeping bright
beams of white light across the face of the building,
illuminating the 12th floor landing every so often like
flashes of lightning.
INT. EMERGENCY STAIRWELL LANDING, 12TH FLOOR
Dave lets out a hoarse yelp of joy, jumping up and down and
waving his arms. He shouts at the glass as if they can hear
him down below.
DAVE
Hey! Hey! We’re here! We’re alive!
Help us! Please!
A beam passes over them and Dave begins pounding on the glass
with his fists.
DAVE
No wait! Come back! Come back!
Please!!
The three survivors join him against the glass, riveted by the
activity below.
EXT. STANWIX ST.
The flash beam climbs beyond them, to the upper floors of the
apartment building.
Outside on the street, A COP with a bullhorn yells and a fire
truck rolls forward, extending a ladder arm with a bucket
toward the higher floor illuminated by the beam.
(MORE)
50.
Inside the bucket is a stoic male FIREFIGHTER, he leans toward
a balcony where a YOUNG WOMAN and YOUNG MAN wave frantically,
locked in the helicopter’s beam.
INT. EMERGENCY STAIRWELL LANDING, 12TH FLOOR
MIKE
Oh shit, they’re trying to rescue
people from the top first.
EXT. STANWIX ST.
The Firefighter shouts something. The Young Man lifts the
Young Woman and hoists her up, over the ledge of the balcony.
She teeters for a worrisome second, but the Firefighter grabs
her and pulls her across the gap, into his bucket.
INT. EMERGENCY STAIRWELL LANDING, 12TH FLOOR
The four survivors cheer in unison. Mike clenches his fist.
EXT. STANWIX ST.
The Firefighter waves to the young man, telling him to stay
put. The bucket slowly retracts. The Young Man waves goodbye,
then a ZOMBIE bursts through the glass balcony door behind him
and sinks its teeth into his neck.
INT. EMERGENCY STAIRWELL LANDING, 12TH FLOOR
DAVE
Oh fuck!
EXT. STANWIX ST.
The Young Woman in the bucket screams as the Young Man on the
balcony crumples, the zombie devouring him. Another ZOMBIE
appears in its place, and another, and another still. A whole
PACK OF ZOMBIES fills the balcony, snapping their jaws,
staring hungrily down at the retracting bucket.
Then one ZOMBIE stands on the ledge and jumps for the lowering
bucket like a monkey swinging for a tree. It misses and
tumbles to the ground, hitting with a SPLAT. Another zombie
follows suit. And another. It’s raining zombies. Finally, one
lands in the bucket and begins devouring the Firefighter.
51.
INT. EMERGENCY STAIRWELL LANDING, 12TH FLOOR
DAVE
(screaming, pleading)
Oh god, no! Oh god! Fuck!
EXT. STANWIX ST.
The bucket teeters with the sudden weight of the zombie, then
buckles. The entire ladder supporting it breaks off and
smashes into a police van below, engulfing both vehicles in a
massive fireball.
The rest of the emergency workers on the ground flee in
terror, some running toward the building itself, where they’re
met by a WAVE OF ZOMBIES staggering out the front door.
Other emergency vehicles reverse from the building. Several
collide, causing more fiery explosions. BOOM! BOOM! The
resulting shockwaves knock fleeing cops and emergency workers
to the ground. Zombies quickly overrun them.
The helicopters overhead fire automatic weapons at the undead,
attempting to quell their movement into the street. But the
copters quickly run out of ammo and zip off into the darkness.
An AIR RAID SIREN begins.
INT. EMERGENCY STAIRWELL LANDING, 12TH FLOOR
Mike turns to the rest of the group, who are stunned silent,
aghast at the horrors below them.
MIKE
We can’t go outside now. We need
to find somewhere in here to post
up in and figure out our next
move. Does anybody know where we
can go?
The two girls look at each other numbly, in shock. Dave pounds
his fists against the glass, sobbing. Mike grabs him and spins
him around.
MIKE
Dave, come on, snap out of it! You
guys live here, where the fuck can
we go, quickly, with a door we can
lock or barricade?
Sarah’s face alights with inspiration.
SARAH
The game room.
52.
Nat nods in agreement.
MIKE
Ok, great, where is that?
SARAH
It’s here, on the 12th floor.
Follow me.
Sarah sprints over to the hallway door and waves her keycard.
It beeps and she pulls it open.
NAT
Sarah! Wait!
Nat bounds after her, Mike and Dave follow behind.
INT. TANYA’S LIVING ROOM, QUEENS - NIGHT
The scenes of the zombie attack carnage flicker across a small
TV set, a female newscaster talking in grave, hushed tones.
Mambo Dola and Tanya sit on a couch, staring at the screen,
transfixed. Styrofoam takeout boxes sit on the coffee table in
front of them. Mambo Dola shakes her head and sighs.
MAMBO DOLA
I warned them, yes I did.
Tanya turns and glares at her.
TANYA
Whad'ya mean you warned them? You
knew this was going to happen?
Mambo Dola looks at her niece dismissively.
MAMBO DOLA
None of us can know anything for
certain, child, but, let’s just
say I had a good feeling, alright?
Tanya swears and shakes her head.
TANYA
This is no terrorism. You, you had
something to do with this, didn't
you?
Mambo Dola returns her gaze to the TV, ignoring Tanya. Tanya
stands, shouting and pointing to the screen.
TANYA
You’re so mad at the landlord for
kicking you out, you do this?
(MORE)
53.
TANYA (CONT’D)
Those are innocent people, Mambo!
Most of them my age. They have
nothing to do with your hate for
this man. He’s not even there! You
need to bury your pride and stop
this!
Mambo Dola mutters and waves Tanya off.
MAMBO DOLA
Nothing stays buried, child.
Tanya stands and storms into another room, muttering under her
breath. We hear the sound of car keys jangling offscreen.
Mambo Dola calls into the other room.
MAMBO DOLA
Where are you going?
Tanya calls from another room.
TANYA
Where I’m needed.
Tanya slams the door. We hear the sound of a car starting
offscreen as Mambo Dola’s brow furrows with concern.
INT. ROBELLI’S PENTHOUSE — MANHATTAN
Robelli stands in front of a large glass wall-to-celing window
overlooking Central Park. His suit jacket is off, dress shirt
unbuttoned at the top. He’s back on his cell phone, drenched
in sweat, his face gripped with fear.
ROBELLI
No, please, listen to me. I’ve
been calling you for the past two
hours and it’s all busy signals.
You’re the first person I’ve
talked to all night. Just tell me
if you’ve heard anythin’ from my
son. He lives there, 26th floor.
His name’s James Robelli. That’s
R-O-B-
FEMALE OPERATOR
(interrupting)
I’m sorry, sir. We don’t have any
information to share at this time.
Your name and number have been
recorded. Please remain inside
until the emergency alert is
lifed.
54.
ROBELLI
No, you can’t do this to me! I’m
the owner of the fucking building,
for chrissakes! I need to know
what’s going on!
FEMALE OPERATOR
I’m sorry sir. I have to go now.
ROBELLI
Wait, just tell me—
Too late, the phone goes to dial tone.
Robelli looks down at the finished call screen on his phone.
He grips the phone tightly, tighter still, as if squeezing a
grape. Finally he utters a gutteral scream and chucks it
against the floor. It explodes into several hundred shards.
ROBELLI
Fuck you!
Robelli grimaces. He stares at the phone wreckage on the
ground, instantly regretting it. He falls to his knees and
begins scraping the shards together into a pile.
ROBELLI
Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck. No! Please.
God fucking damn it.
INT. HALLWAY, 12TH FLOOR, NECRISE APARTMENTS
Sarah opens the door and peeks her head into the empty
hallway, glancing from side to side as the lights flicker
rhythmically overhead.
Satisfied she’s alone, Sarah pushes the door open and breaks
into a run. But as she reaches the end, a shadowy FIGURE steps
out from the corner and fires a gun at her. She collapses to
the ground, spasming.
Nat peeks out through the door. She sees Sarah’s crumpled body
and the Figure standing over her. Nat sprints toward them,
shouting.
NAT
SARAH!
Before the Figure can move out of the way, Nat’s upon him. She
knees him in the balls, rips the gun out of his hands, throws
it onto the ground.
The Figure yelps and crumples, and Nat pins her foot on his
throat.
(MORE)
55.
The lights flicker on and we see he’s wearing a security
uniform and a gold name tag: DANIEL — the guard from the front
desk.
NAT
You?? What the fuck did you do to
her?
Daniel gasps, trying and failing to speak through the pressure
of Nat’s foot.
Mike and Dave enter the hall and sprint to the scene of the
battle. Mike reaches the combatants first. He leans over
Sarah’s twitching body with concern.
MIKE
Sarah! What the fuck happened?
Dave grabs Nat by the shoulders and tries to pull her off
Daniel.
DAVE
Hey, hey, let him breathe! He
can’t speak.
Nat pushes him off and steps down harder on Daniel’s throat.
NAT
You could have killed her!
Mike leans closer to Sarah and sees metal prongs attached to
her chest and a coiled wire stretching to the dropped gun – a
yellow TASER. He grabs the stun gun, fumbles, then finds the
‘off’ button and hits it. Sarah’s limbs go slack, but she
remains on the ground, her eyes wide in terror.
Dave finally pushes Nat off Daniel’s throat. Daniel coughs
loudly as Dave hauls him up to stand.
DAVE
What the fuck’s up man? Why’d you
taze her bro?
Daniel raises his index finger, signaling he needs a second.
He regains his breath and begins speaking.
DANIEL
I’m sorry, I thought she was one
of them.
DAVE
Well you should get your eyes
checked, brah!
Nat glares at Dave knowingly, and he steps back, chided.
Daniel shakes his head, sincerely apologetic.
56.
DANIEL
Like I said, man, I’m real sorry.
It was an accident. The shock
isn't lethal. As long as she
doesn't have a heart condition and
isn't pregnant, she’ll be fine in
a minute or two.
Nat turns her icy stare to Daniel.
NAT
You better damn well hope she is.
Mike and Nat ease Sarah into a sitting position. She’s rubbing
her head, squinting her eyes, looking generally out of it.
Daniel crouches down and locks eyes with her.
DANIEL
I apologize, miss. Sarah, right?
Sarah nods dumbly. Daniel rises and looks at the rest of the
bunch.
DANIEL
We need to get the fuck out of
here before any real zombies show
up. Where were you all headed?
MIKE
The game room.
Daniel allows himself a slight smile of relief.
DANIEL
Me too.
Daniel crouches and picks up the TASER. He pockets the gun.
INT. GAME ROOM, 12TH FLOOR
Daniel swipes his security card and pushes open a glass door
to enter the high-ceiling room, followed by Dave, and then
Mike and Nat, each propping up one of Sarah’s shoulders.
The room is enormous: The front half looks like something out
of CLUE: crimson carpet; mahogany bookshelves as walls; a
billiards table. A pizza-sized dartboard sits on the wall,
crackling fireplace somewhere below it.
The far half looks like a tech startup’s office: gleaming wood
floors with ping pong, foosball tables, even a bowling lane.
At the other end is a marble counter bar; three flat screen
TVs; a single unisex bathroom door.
57.
Dave whistles as he enters.
DAVE
Damn. This place is fucking sick.
Daniel cocks his head and looks at him.
DANIEL
Don’t you live here? You've never
been in here?
Dave nods.
DAVE
Yeah man but I just moved in like,
three weeks ago. And I go out a
lot, you know?
Daniel looks to the beleaguered Sarah and points to a set of
neon colored reclining chairs by the bar and TVs.
DANIEL
Bring her over. She can lie down
here.
As Mike and Nat ross the room with Sarah, Daniel turns to
Dave.
DANIEL
We should barricade up these
doors.
Dave nod and follows Daniel. They begin piling furniture in
front of the doorway.
On the other side of the room, Mike and Nat place Sarah gently
in an orange chair. She looks up at them gratefully.
SARAH
(hoarsely)
Thanks guys, honestly, I’ll be
alright. I just need a minute.
NAT
You need something, you let us
know, okay?
Sarah nods. Nat gently leans and pats her on the shoulder.
Mike nods and turns to help with the barricade and Nat moves
to follow him, But Sarah grasps her hand tightly for a minute,
locking eyes.
NAT
Sar, I’m right here, don’t worry.
(MORE)
58.
NAT (CONT’D)
We’ll talk when you’re feeling
better.
Sarah nods and leans back in her chair, closing her eyes. Nat
moves to help with the barricade.
INT. GAME ROOM — 15 MINUTES LATER
The three guys and Nat are gathered around the marble counter
bar, the barricade complete. Sarah is seated off to the side
in a reclining chair.
Daniel plays bartender: he stands behind the counter and
pouring a bottle of whiskey into red plastic cups. Nat and the
other guys sit atop bar stools, facing him.
DANIEL
What’re y’all names?
MIKE
Mike.
DAVE.
Dave.
Daniel looks up at Nat.
DANIEL
And you? Would you like some?
Nat nods.
NAT
Nat, yeah.
Daniel pours a third cup. He looks over to Sarah.
DANIEL
How about you, Sarah?
Sarah calls up, hoarsely.
SARAH
Just some water, for now, please.
DANIEL
Coming right up.
Daniel fills another cup with water from a faucet. He hands it
to Mike who hands it to Sarah. When Mike returns, Daniel
raises his own whiskey glass in a toast.
59.
DANIEL
To us, and anyone else who’s still
alive in here!
He smiles. They down their drinks, some coughing. Dave holds
out his cup to Daniel, who pours him another one. Nat pushes
her cup forward and nods for another one as well.
NAT
So what the fuck are you doing up
here, Daniel? And why do you have
a fucking taser?
Daniel finishes pouring Nat’s shot and then holds the bottle
out to Mike, who nods. Daniel pours.
DANIEL
Well, we rotate during each shift.
One guard watches the front desk
while the other does rounds,
walking the building to make sure
nobody’s jumping off the roof or
getting’ too nasty up in these
communal areas. I dunno where
Frank, the other guard is. Tried
him on the radio a couple times
but got nothing. Hopefully he just
got the fuck outta here.
Dave slams his cup and stares at Daniel eagerly.
DAVE
You actually caught people boning
in here?
Daniel nods, motioning over to the restroom door. Dave grabs
the whiskey bottle and refills his own cup.
DANIEL
Yeah, one time. Mostly I just find
drunk people and help get them
back to their rooms before they
puke. But I take my job to keep
people safe seriously. I’m gettin’
my criminal justice masters. Most
of the other guys who work here,
they don’t give a fuck. They all
act the fool, flirting with ladies
and playin' on they phones. I’m
not saying we should be all stop-
and-frisk up on your asses, but
for real, that’s probably why this
shit went down like it did. Nigga
at the front desk didn't call the
police in time.
60.
NAT
And you need a taser…why?
Daniel shakes his head and smiles slightly.
DANIEL
It’s my personal carry. My
grandmama got it for me, she
thinks I have a rough commute.
Never used it ‘till today, though.
NAT
Yeah, well, you probably shouldn't
use it ever again.
Daniel sighs and looks over at Sarah.
DANIEL
How many times do I gotta say I’m
sorry? Would you have done any
different? Look at you all…
He gestures around the room to the four survivors.
DANIEL (CONT’D)
…Covered in blood. If I had to
guess, since you’re all still
alive and in one piece, more or
less, you probably had to take out
some of these zombies yourselves.
And don’t tell me you knew for
sure whether they was all alive or
dead.
Mike and Nat glance at each other and then at Dave, who lowers
his gaze to his drink, guiltily.
MIKE
So what was your plan, Daniel?
Just wait here for the cops to
show up? Cause I hate to be the
one to tell you this, but they
were just here, and it didn't go
so well.
DANIEL
For real? What happened?
The four white kids look at each other, traumatized and
unwilling to speak.
DANIEL
That bad, huh. Well let's see
what's going on out there now.
61.
Daniel rummages under the counter and finds a TV remote. He
flicks on the three TVs, one after another, each displaying
nothing but broadcast fuzz. He changes channels — still
nothing.
MIKE
Can you get the news?
DANIEL
Nah, the apartment kicked over to
the emergency generators a few
hours ago, when all this shit
started going down. The cable and
internet all got cut, for some
reason, probably to save power.
MIKE
So what are you hoping to see on
here now?
DANIEL
The security feed.
One by one, each screen flashes over to a grainy, sickly green
night vision view of the STREETS OUTSIDE the apartment,
including, on the rightmost screen, STANWIX STREET in all its
ruined glory.
A few zombies stagger around flaming shells of police cars. On
the other feeds, zombies roam the deserted streets.
Helicopters circle overhead, occasionally shining their
spotlights and gunning down zombies with well placed bursts of
automatic weapons fire.
DANIEL (chuckling)
There we go. Headshot. These guys
must rule at Left 4 Dead.
Sarah stands and walks over to the rest of the crew in the
bar, staring up at the screens like them, transfixed at the
eerie poetry of the zombie extermination. Daniel turns to her.
DANIEL
Hey, how you feelin'?
Sarah nods at him.
SARAH
Better, much better, thanks.
DANIEL
Good, I’m glad to see you up
again.
Daniel opens his coat and pulls out the TASER. He holds it out
to Sarah.
62.
DANIEL
I want you to have it. It’s the
least I can do. Go on, you can
taze me back if you want.
Sarah looks at him, confused at first. Then she waves it off.
SARAH
That's okay, you can keep it. I
think I've had enough of that for
one day.
DANIEL
No, come on, I insist. You're
probably a much better shot than I
am. And who knows, we may need it
again.
Sarah reluctantly accepts the gun. There’s a sudden flash on a
TV screen as a helicopter swoops in and sprays a line of
zombies with bullets, knocking a few to the ground.
DANIEL
Oh shit! Looks like they doin'
aight now. At this rate, this will
all be over by morning.
MIKE
I’m not holding my breath.
Dave stands, jiggling his cup.
DAVE
Well, until then or until we die…
I’m gonna keep the juices flowing.
Who wants more?
SARAH
Please.
DANIEL
There's beer and wine over there
somewhere too.
Mike walks over and takes a seat next to Daniel.
MIKE
Shouldn’t one of us try and stay
like, a little sober, you know, in
case one of them gets in here or
something?
Daniel shrugs.
63.
DANIEL
That barricade is solid my man.
Nothing’s getting through unless
they got an axe and a whole lotta
time, and even then we’d hear it.
All we can really do is chill out,
pass the time till the cops show
up. You got any better ideas?
MIKE
Nah, not really.
MONTAGE of plastic red cups clinking; the five survivors
chugging; then taking sides opposite each other in pool,
darts, bowling.
They pause every once in a while to stare at the TV, cheering
and clinking glasses as more zombies are gunned down.
More alcohol flows. Glass bottles pile up on the counter and
the barricade. The surviros get sloppier and sloppier,
laughing hysterically. Someone lights a bowl and they’re all
toking.
Then they’re playing pool again with less clothes, strip pool!
Daniel wears a blank ribbed tank top; Dave’s shirtless; Mike
is in his boxers and his T-shirt; Sarah has on a lacy blue bra
and jeans while Nat remains clothed in her tiny yoga outfit,
clearly winning. Suddenly the lights cut out — even the fire
in the fireplace — and they all groan.
DAVE
(slurring)
What the fuck? Did someone hit the
lights?
Mike walks over to a wall and flicks a lightswitch, nothing.
MIKE
No, but I am now, and they’re not
doing anything.
DANIEL
The emergency generator must have
run out. Or the cops cut the power
‘cause they about to raid this
place.
SARAH (giggling)
Oooooh a raid! What is this, a
fucking pirate ship?
Daniel shakes his head and looks at her quizzically.
64.
DANIEL
Girl's a lightweight over here. Or
maybe you suffered more brain
damage from that taze than we
thought.
Sarah leans over and shoves him playfully.
SARAH
Shut up! When we get out of here
I’m gonna sue your ass, you know
that?
Daniel snorts.
DANIEL
Yeah I’d like to see you try.
His voice takes on a stiff, formal tone, mocking her.
DANIEL
'Your honor, I was running down
the hall and charged the defendant
in the dark. Oh, in the middle of
a zombie apocalypse.’
Sarah laughs. Daniel notices Mike staring at him and Sarah
sadly.
DANIEL
Alright, who’s ready for another
bowl?
He moves to the bar counter and begins packing marijuana into
his pipe. Dave throws down his cue and stamps over to Daniel,
hand raised.
DAVE
I’m down, brah.
Daniel looks over at the other survivors in various states of
undress.
DANIEL
Ladies? Mike?
Mike nods and walks forward, taking a seat in a recliner chair
by Daniel. Sarah shrugs and moves forward as well.
SARAH
Sure, why not.
Nat shakes her head disapprovingly but walks forward as well.
65.
NAT
Funny how you all want to stop and
smoke right in the middle of my
hot streak. Guess you’re not cut
out for strip pool after all.
Daniel shakes his head, laughing.
DANIEL
Oh I’m cut out alright. You want
to see how cut out I am?
He stops packing and places the bowl down to peel off his tank
top. The rest of the survivors, girls and boys, hoot and
holler as he raises it over his head and balls it up, throwing
it right at Nat’s face. She catches it as it hits and lowers
it, grinning despite herself.
DANIEL
You better hold on to that one,
pool hall junkie, ‘cause that’s
the last piece of clothing you’re
getting from me tonight. I was
going easy on you before, but now
I’m letting you have it.
Nat grins and raises her eyebrows at him tauntingly. He passes
her the bowl first.
NAT
Yeah, ok, whatever you say, as
long as I don’t hear any more
about how the ‘table is slanted’
and ‘they’re ain’t enough chalk’
and ‘wah wah wah!’
She ignites the bowl and inhales, releasing tendrils of smoke
into the black room. Nat passes the bowl to Mike, who inhales
and passes it to Sarah, trying to catch her gaze, but she
laughs and looks away and passes it to Dave.
DAVE
(inhaling)
Thanks… So I still don’t get it,
why did the fireplace go out when
the lights went out?
DANIEL
Aw that shit is fake man, it was
just like, a heated screen.
Bullshit, right? That’s what this
whole place is, fake luxury, I’m
telling you.
He inhales and looks at it to make sure it’s still burning,
then passes it on again to Nat.
66.
DANIEL
I mean, this room is trippin’, no
doubt. But seriously, I walk every
floor of this place and I can tell
you it’s not as solid as they want
you to believe, not even close. We
get complaints of shit breaking
all the time. AC being out, power
out, leaks and shit, you name it.
Nat blows out another smoke curl.
NAT
So where do you live, then?
DANIEL
Out in Sunnyside. It’s alright,
you know. Good for the money for
sure, especially now that I’m in
school and all. My grandma is a
little crazy, but she means well.
Mike passes the bowl to Sarah, who looks intently at Daniel.
SARAH
Crazy like how?
DANIEL
Oh, you know, just a worrier.
She's super religious, too. She’s
always telling me to say my
prayers, go to church, that sort
of thing. Why?
Sarah passes the bowl to Dave and shakes her head.
SARAH
Nothing, nothing.
She pauses, thinking stoned thoughts.
SARAH
She’s not Haitian, is she?
Daniel laughs and shakes his head.
DANIEL
Girl, I know you are plain’ me
now. Just because I’m black does
not mean my grandmama's Haitian.
But, if you got a thing for
Haitians, I’m not saying I
couldn't get down with a little
role-play.
67.
He affects a mock Haitian accident.
DANIEL
‘You know how we do down in a Port
au Prince with the earthquakes and
the Wyclef and the sugar cane.’
Right, is that what you like girl?
Daniel laughs loudly as Sarah shakes her head, giggling with
embarrassment. Again, Daniel catches Mike looking over at him
forlornly.
DANIEL
You aight over there, Mikey?
Mike blinks furiously, coming back to reality.
MIKE
Huh? Oh yeah, you know. Not bad.
Given the circumstances.
Daniel smiles.
DANIEL
That’s it, brother. That’s what I
like to hear. Here we are,
surviving. And you know what, no
matter what happens tonight,
tomorrow is a new day.
Dave scoffs and reaches for the bowl.
DAVE
Psh, yeah, not like we’re gonna
live to see it.
Daniel slaps at his hand and Dave retracts it.
DANIEL
What the hell are you saying, son?
Now you gone and broke two of my
rules there: no jumping in line
and no haters going to be smoking
my shit. Optimism, young David.
Optimism! That’s what we’re all
about.
The girls giggle as Daniel lights the bowl. Mike stands and
looks at Sarah intensely.
MIKE
Hey, can I talk to you a minute?
Sarah looks up at him, drunk and startled.
68.
SARAH
What? Oh, yeah, sure. Now? Where?
Mike motions for her to follow him and she does. They stand
outside the bathroom door, just out of earshot of the laughing
drunk people across the room.
MIKE
So, I didn't want to bring this up
now. But he's right, we could all
be dead tomorrow. So I have to.
Why the fuck didn't you ever give
me another chance in college?
Mike stares at Sarah, eyes blazing with anger and hurt.
SARAH
What? Mike, what are you talking
about?
MIKE
Us. Like, I was always there for
you. Always, no matter what
happened. And we had fun together.
And I’m a decent looking guy, you
said it yourself. So I just don’t
get why, after we made out that
one time, you never gave me
another chance?
Sarah looks at Mike, her face torn between sympathy,
defensiveness and pity.
SARAH
Oh Mike…
She reaches up as if to touch him but instead grabs the back
of her neck awkwardly.
SARAH
I don’t know what to say. I mean,
fuck, you were my best friend. And
we did have fun, so much of it.
But you knew I didn’t like you
like that. I told you. I don’t
know why I don’t, you’re a great
guy. It just didn't click. I think
I might know why now, and I would
tell you if we were still friends.
But after we graduated, you were
the one who just stopped talking
to me. You dropped off the face of
the earth and you never said why.
(MORE)
69.
SARAH (CONT’D)
I tried texting you and leaving
you voice mails, but you never got
back to me. Not until you needed
something. You know how that felt
for me Mike? To have my best
friend in the whole fucking world
just stop talking to me, and never
tell me why?
Sarah’s tearing up now. Mike looks at her, crestfallen. He
takes a step forward and holds out his hand as if to embrace
her.
MIKE
Sarah, I… I’m sorry… I just… I
couldn’t be around you knowing you
weren’t into me like that.
Sarah holds up one hand to stop him while the other wipes
tears from underneath her eyes.
SARAH
No, Mike, it’s fine. You don’t
have to apologize. I’m sorry. I’m
just drunk and emotional. And I’m
sorry if you feel like I led you
on. Believe it or not, I know
exactly how that feels.
Sarah looks up past Mike and over to Nat, who’s now seated on
the pool table with the guys on either side of her, passing a
bowl, having a whole separate conversation. Dave coughs smoke
and hands the bowl back to Daniel.
DAVE
(coughing)
So let me get this straight: you
and her…
He raises his finger and points at Sarah.
DAVE (CONT'D)
Hooked up last night.
Nat nods.
DAVE
And you guys are roommates?
Nat nods again. Dave blinks and shakes his head, awestruck and
stoned.
70.
DAVE
Aw, man. I mean, that’s trippy.
Dope though.
Daniel shoots Dave a look of withering contempt.
DANIEL
Brilliant analysis, Skip. They
should give you your own show on
Sportscenter.
Dave ignores him and continues questioning Nat.
DAVE
So what was it like?
Nat puffs on the bowl and exhales smoke suavely.
NAT
Complicated. We just have…
different ideas about what it
meant.
Daniel nods at her knowingly.
DANIEL
Let me guess, one of you is more
‘bout the other. And that one's
not you.
Nat nods slightly.
NAT
Yeah well, it didn't help that it
was her first time with another
woman. There’s always a lot of
feelings with that. And we were on
ecstasy, too.
Dave’s eyes open and he begins chuckling a ragged, throaty
chuckle.
DAVE
Whaaaat. Oh my god that’s awesome.
He leans forward and stares at Nat intently.
DAVE
You don’t have any more, do you?
Nat shakes her head. Daniel inches closer towards her, French
inhaling as he hands back the bowl.
71.
DANIEL
So is that how you get down? With
women, I mean.
Nat eyeballs him and takes a drag.
NAT
Are you asking if I’m a lesbian?
She puffs out and hands the bowl back to him. Daniel inhales
and looks at her enticingly.
DANIEL
I’m just asking who you prefer,
sexually. Guys or girls.
Nat stares at Daniel tauntingly. She takes another drag and
passes the bowl.
NAT
What if I said it depends on the
person?
DANIEL
I’d say, whatever makes you happy,
girl.
Daniel and Nat fixate on each other, the bowl burning in his
hands, both daring the other to make the first move.
A sudden loud SNORE breaks the tension. They both turn to the
source: Dave, who’s completely passed out on the pool table,
mouth wide open to the ceiling, snorting and smacking his lips
as he dreams. Daniel and Nat laugh.
NAT
We should all probably get some
rest.
DANIEL
Aw, and we were just getting to
know each other so well!
Across the room, Sarah hugs Mike awkwardly. When they part,
she wipes off more tears and flees into the bathroom, closing
the door. Back at the seating area, Daniel offers the bowl
back to Nat but she waves it off and stands.
NAT
I better go check on her.
Daniel sighs.
72.
DANIEL
Yeah.
Nat leaves him and walks over to the bathroom door, passing
Mike. The two share an awkward glance and Mike continues
onward. Nat knocks on the door.
NAT
Sarah, you ok in there?
Sarah shouts from inside, her voice muffled but still
emotional.
SARAH
I’m fine! I just need a minute.
Nat leans on the wall by the door.
NAT
Okay! I’m out here if you need me.
Back in the seating area, Mike sits and takes the bowl from
Daniel.
DANIEL
You cool, my man?
MIKE
Yeah, yeah, it’s fine.
DANIEL
We gonna get through this, man. I
promise, you’ll see.
Mike nods and exhales a huge cloud. He passes the bowl back to
Daniel then leans back in his chair and blinks, his eyes heavy
and lidded, finally closing in sleep.
INT. GAME ROOM - SEVERAL HOURS LATER
Mike wakes up, sits up and blinks, trying to remember where he
is and what’s happened. As eyes adjust, he sees Dave passed
out on the pool table and Sarah standing alone in the dark,
facing away from him, looking at the bathroom door.
MIKE
Sarah!
Mike stands and gingerly walks up behind her.
MIKE
Sarah, are you ok? What’s the
matter?
73.
He follows her gaze to the crack of light below the bathroom
door and sees shadows moving. Inside the door is heavy
panting, the slapping of flesh, moans.
DANIEL (O.S.)
(muffled)
Yeah, give me that dyke pussy.
Mike looks over at Sarah, concerned. She reaches her hand out
slowly to the bathroom door handle.
MIKE
(whispering)
Sarah, no, don’t!
Sarah looks at him, wounded and angry, then opens the door.
INT. BATHROOM, GAME ROOM
Sure enough, a near-naked Nat is bent over the sink as Daniel,
shirtless with pants at his ankles, pounds her from behind.
The two continue fucking for a second, not noticing the
partially open door. But then Nat looks up in the mirror and
her eyes catch Sarah’s. Nat pushes Daniel off her and stands
abruptly.
NAT
Sarah! What the fuck?
INT. GAME ROOM
Betrayed and mortified, Sarah breaks down crying and sprints
to the barricaded doors. Mike doesn’t move to follow her. But
Nat does, quickly pulling down her shirt and sliding her
shorts back on and calling back after her.
NAT
Sarah, wait! You don’t understand!
Sarah, sobbing hysterically, struggles to dismantle the
barricade, violently pulling furniture out of the way. Nat
grabs her by the arm.
NAT
Sarah, stop. You can’t go out
there, it’s not safe!
Sarah turns to her, eyes blazing. She pushes Nat off her and
brandishes the Taser at her menacingly.
SARAH
Watch me, bitch!
74.
With a surge of adrenaline, Sarah knocks over a side table
from the barricade. It falls on the floor with a loud BANG.
She pulls open one doors a crack and sprints out into the
hallway. Nat tears after her. Dave, awoken by the commotion,
sits up and rubs his head.
DAVE
Wha- what the fuck’s going on?
Daniel walks out of the bathroom, pulling on his tank top. He
looks at the open door to the hallway. A ZOMBIE staggers by,
moving in the direction of Nat and Sarah.
DANIEL
Oh shit, we got problems.
The ZOMBIE stops in its tracks and looks into the game room,
spotting them. It pushes into the room. Dave, still waking up,
doesn’t see it creeping up behind him.
MIKE
(yelling)
Dave! Behind you!
Too late: the zombie lunges forward and bites deep into Dave’s
shoulder. He screams as blood soaks his shirt.
DAVE
Ahhhh! Fuck!
He manages to grab a billiard ball and smash it into the
creature’s skull. But the activity has attracted other undead
creeps, who quickly stumble into the room overtake him. Mike
rushes forward. Daniel looks on, aghast.
DANIEL
Fuck this day.
He sprints after Mike.
EXT. HALLWAY, 12TH FLOOR
Sarah sprints down the hall, tears streaming from her wild
eyes. She rounds a bend and sees Nat catching up behind her.
NAT
Sarah, wait! Please!
Panting, Sarah kicks her legs faster. She sees an emergency
exit door at the end of the hall and makes for it. But Nat is
upon her before she gets there, grabbing her arm, jerking her
to a halt. They’re both heaving for breath.
75.
NAT
Sarah, come on. Don’t do this.
Please.
SARAH
Don’t do what? Don’t abandon you?
Don’t leave to go fuck someone
else right in front of your face?
NAT
Sarah, it’s not like that. It was
just, I don’t know, I just wanted
to forget about all this shit for
a second, you know? It has nothing
to do with us, or last night.
SARAH
Don’t you even start. There is no
‘us.’ There never was. There’s
just you, you and your selfish
fucking desires. I can’t believe I
thought there was something
between us. I don’t know what the
fuck I was thinking. You last
night, telling me you always
thought I was hot, how you wanted
me from the moment you saw me.
That was all just bullshit, wasn’t
it?
NAT
No! Sar, come on, don’t say that…
Nat reaches forward to grab Sarah again, but Sarah recoils and
pulls out the Taser. She points it at Nat.
They hear the ghoulish gnashing of zombie teeth, and around
the bend at the end of the hall comes a whole PACK of the
creatures. They’re only a few hundred feet away and gaining
quickly, in their halting, jerky run.
Nat looks at Sarah, pleading. She takes another step forward.
SARAH
Don’t you dare touch me, slut!
Sarah shoots the taser at Nat, hitting her in the stomach. Nat
cries out and falls to the ground in an electrified spasm.
Sarah, realizing what she’s done and immediately regretting
it, falls to the ground. She quickly disconnects the prongs
from the Taser and pulls them out of Nat's chest. The zombies
are closing in.
76.
SARAH
Oh my god, Nat! Fuck! I’m sorry!
A zombie pounces on Nat, but before it can sink its teeth into
her, Sarah whips the taser up and fires it again.
A PRONG shoots into the zombie's chest: it jerks, takes a few
steps backward, and falls to the ground in spasms, knocking
several other zombies down with it. But EVEN MORE ZOMBIES
appear, stepping over their fallen counterparts.
Sarah backs up and yanks the taser wire taught across the
hallway. The next few zombies step into it, tripping and
falling to the ground.
Sarah takes the opportunity to grab Nat underneath the arms
and drag her the few feet up to the emergency exit door. She
pushes it open with her back and heaves both of them in.
A zombie lunges at them from the ground, but Sarah slams the
door just in time, severing its arm in a spray of blood.
INT. GAME ROOM
Mike rushes forward to the pack of zombies devouring Dave but
catches himself. He sees Dave’s bloody, bony corpse trembling
and jerking back to life.
Dave and the other zombies turn toward him, groaning hungrily.
Daniel shouts from behind.
DANIEL
Catch!
A POOL CUE sails through the air and Mike grabs it. A zombie
charges at him, and he spears it in the chest with the cue,
then breaks it in half and begins thwacking zombies left and
right.
Daniel moves forward to join Mike, wieding another pool cue,
but he stops as he catches sight of something hanging off the
darkened, faux fireplace behind him: a real METAL FIRE POKER.
He drops the pool cue and grabs it.
DANIEL (to himself)
Not all fake.
The zombies charge him, but Daniel swings the poker viciously,
knocking them over with ease.
Mike makes it to the door. ANOTHER ZOMBIE pops up, blocking
his way, but he stabs the half pool cue into its mouth, then
releases it and kicks the creature into the glass doors. It
falls with a thud against them, cracking the glass.
77.
Mike kicks it again, shattering the glass. He steps out into
the hallway.
EXT. HALLWAY, 12TH FLOOR
He turns and shouts back to Daniel.
MIKE
Daniel, come on!
Daniel fights his way toward the doorway. As he sets foot into
the hallway, the zombies at the end of the darkened hall that
were attacking Nat and Sarah turn around and face them.
DANIEL
Oh shit.
The zombies move swiftly toward them with their jerky,
terrifying stutter step.
MIKE
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
The first zombie is upon them and Daniel impales it with the
fire poker.
Mike, weaponless, looks to the zombie on the ground that he
stabbed with the pool cue. He reaches to grab the cue but the
zombie gargles and grabs his arm instead, pulling him onto the
ground as well. Mike fights to get away.
As he kicks the zombie off him, Mike notices a glass bottle of
whiskey has rolled free from the barricade, into the hallway.
He stands up and grabs it, then shouts to Daniel.
MIKE
Lighter man!
Daniel kicks an impaled zombie off his poker and looks back.
DANIEL
What?
MIKE
Give me your lighter!
DANIEL
Why?
Another zombie rushes Daniel but he raises the poker like a
pike and stabs the creature through the neck. He fishes into
his pockets and throws Mike the LIGHTER.
78.
MIKE
And your shirt?
DANIEL
What?
MIKE
Just do it!
Daniel takes off his shirt, balls it up, and throws it to
Mike, who catches it and stuffs it into the neck of the
bottle. He LIGHTS the shirt on FIRE and then yells to Daniel
again.
MIKE
Watch out, man!
Daniel steps out of the way just as Mike violently whips his
Molotov cocktail over the carpeted hallway. It hits the next
zombie rushing towards them and shatters, sending flames
racing over the creature’s body.
The FLAMING ZOMBIE staggers backward into another undead
creep, igniting it and the remaining zombies behind them on
fire. They gurgle and fall to their knees as the flames engulf
them.
Daniel looks to Mike, impressed and relieved.
DANIEL
I can’t believe that worked.
He rushes forward and kicks one of the zombies out of the way
to his left. Mike follows and the reach the emergency exit
door just as the sprinklers in the ceiling turn on and begin
showering the room with water.
INT. EMERGENCY STAIRWELL, 12TH FLOOR
Mike and Daniel burst in through the door. Sarah screams as
Mike slams the door shut behind them.
SARAH
Oh my god! Oh fuck! Oh, god, I’m
so glad you guys are ok.
MIKE
Us too.
Daniel looks down at Nat, who’s just sat up and is rubbing her
head.
79.
DANIEL
She alright? What happened?
Daniel catches sight of the giant windows and the fiery,
smoldering wreckage from the failed rescue on the street
below. Dozens of zombies stagger around like shadow puppets.
DANIEL
Oh my god, what the fuck happened
out there?
Mike interrupts.
MIKE
We don't have time, we need to get
the fuck out of here right now!
On cue, there’s a thump and ghoulish wailing behind the door.
Mike looks to the other survivors.
MIKE
Is there any other way out of here
besides the front door? I don't
think we want to go out there…
He gestures to the window and the ruined street.
DANIEL
Yeah man, the parking garage in
the basement goes out the back,
but they're probably around there
too…
The thumping behind the door becomes louder, more insistent.
MIKE
We don’t have a choice. We gotta
try.
Nat stands up. Sarah tries to help her, but Nat pushes her
away, glaring.
NAT
What are we waiting for?
INT. PARKING GARAGE, NECRISE APARTMENTS
A metal door whips open and the four remaining survivors
stagger out into the garage, their footsteps echoing in the
vast, dark space. The garage is mostly empty, with a few cars
and construction vehicles sitting idle.
They look around at the space suspiciously, eyeing for
zombies. Daniel steps forward, looking into the distance.
80.
DANIEL
Alright, this way.
The four walk rapidly into darkness. They’re walking uphill.
The climb gets steeper. Eventually, the slight pink light from
the dawning sky can be seen over the incline.
They reach the entrance to the parking garage. Beyond it is
backlot with a driveway, and beyond that an empty dirt
CONSTRUCTION LOT encircled by a chain link fence. Zombies mill
about on the street on the opposite side of the lot, BUSHWICK
AVENUE, far from our heroes. The survivors allow themselves
sighs of relief.
DANIEL
Hell yeah! We did it.
He looks over at Nat and smiles, then claps Mike on the
shoulder.
DANIEL
Told you we’d make it! Now let’s
get the fuck up outta here.
EXT. BACKLOT, NECRISE APARTMENTS - DAWN
Daniel strides forward into the open air. He takes two steps
and is immediately locked in the SPOTLIGHT of a passing
helicopter and GUNNED down. His body slumps to the ground in a
bloody pool as the copter whirs overhead.
INT. PARKING GARAGE, NECRISE APARTMENTS
The three survivors recoil in shock and horror.
NAT (screaming)
No!
MIKE
Fuck!
Nat lunges forward then stops, realizing she’ll be next.
Daniel begins twitching, reanimating. He pushes himself up on
his arms, but the helicopter sprays another shower of bullets
and cuts him down again.
The three survivors look at Daniel’s twice-dead body,
inconsolable, then to each other, despairing. Mike begins
pacing. He looks up at the sky and sees the helicopters
buzzing by.
81.
MIKE
(shouting)
What the fuck! Why? He was so
fucking close! We all were! You
fucking animals!
Mike slumps to his knees and puts his face in his hands.
There’s no way out. Sarah comes up behind him and puts her
hand on his shoulder. He looks up at her, tears streaming down
his face. She has a look of quiet resolve.
SARAH
Mike, the cars.
She points back into the garage.
SARAH
Zombies don’t drive cars.
Mike looks up at her, face uncomprehending.
MIKE
But… we don’t have keys.
SARAH
I bet that one does.
She points to one of the construction vehicles: a large
BULLDOZER with treads. Sarah grabs Mike’s face and looks at
him intently.
SARAH
Mike, we can do this. Your dad, he
worked construction, right? You
told me you helped him back when
you were in high school. He let
you drive the machines when you
weren’t supposed to…
Mike shakes his head, tears streaming down his face.
MIKE
I can’t, I don’t remember how…
SARAH
Mike, I know you’re scared. But
you can do this. We have to try.
Mike looks up at her and nods.
82.
EXT. QUARANTINE CHECKPOINT, BUSHWICK AVENUE, BROOKLYN
A parade of emergency vehicles — dark black SWAT vans, police
cars, firetrucks, ambulances — are parked staggered in the
middle of the road, emergency workers milling around. In front
of the vehicles is a series of plastic road horses, where one
SWAT officer directs a few vehicles away from the scene.
Tanya’s purple BUICK rolls up to the blockade and breaks.
INT. TANYA’S CAR, BUSHWICK AVENUE
Tanya rolls down the window as the SWAT OFFICER approaches,
carrying a large automatic rifle. He bends over and speaks to
her through the window.
SWAT OFFICER
No entry ma’am. I need you to turn
around and head back the way you
came.
Tanya nods.
TANYA
I understand, sir. But I’m here to
help. I’m a disease specialist at
Columbia Hospital. My supervisor
called me in.
Tanya holds up an ID card that shows her face underneath blue
logo and lettering for “COLUMBIA HOSPITALS”. The Swat Officer
squints and leans forward, glancing at the ID.
SWAT OFFICER
Alright, go ahead, then. Just pull
over up there by the ambulances,
that’s where they’re all suitin’
up.
TANYA
Thank you, officer.
Tanya rolls up her window and drives slowly forward through
the gauntlet of emergency vehicles.
83.
INT. BULLDOZER CABIN, NECRISE PARKING GARAGE
Mike sits in the driver’s seat and stares at the ignition.
Sure enough, the keys are in it. He looks at the rest of the
controls, all unfamiliar levers and buttons. He breathes and
closes his eyes. Sarah slides in next to him, then Nat on the
other side. It’s a tight fit.
SARAH
You ready?
Mike opens his eyes.
MIKE
As I’ll ever be.
He turns the key and the machine roars to life.
INT. LIMOUSINE, BUSHWICK AVENUE
Robelli sits in the back of the limousine, frozen in a trance,
his face utterly desolate, hopeless.
CHAUFFEUR (O.S.)
Sir, there’s a roadblock.
ROBELLI
What? Oh. Well, keep going as far
as you can.
Robelli leans his face up to the window. The limo slows to a
stop and he rolls it down. The Swat Officer appears.
SWAT OFFICER
Sir, this is an active crime
scene, you need to turn your
vehicle around now.
ROBELLI
Officer, I’m th eowner of this
building. My son lives there. I
need to get through.
SWAT OFFICER
Not right now, you don’t. Turn
around and call 311. They might
know where your son is.
ROBELLI
What is it with you people? This
is my fucking property you’re on.
(MORE)
84.
ROBELLI (CONT’D)
And I’m not leaving here without
my son.
The Swat Officer steps over to the front of the limo and
shouts at the driver.
SWAT OFFICER
You’re trespassing on an active
crime scene. You need to turn this
car around now!
Robelli calls up to him from the back seat.
ROBELLI
Stay where you are, Sayeed. We’re
not going anywhere.
EXT. EMERGENCY CHECKPOINT
Robelli opens the door to the limo and steps out.
SWAT OFFICER
Sir! Remain in your vehicle.
ROBELLI
All do respect officer, but you
can go fuck yourself.
POV HELICOPTER GUNNER — EXT. NECRISE APARTMENTS BACKLOT
We're looking through a grainy-green night vision AERIAL SHOT
of the apartment below and the surrounding devastation; fires
burn on every few floors. The street is littered with corpses,
vehicle debris and lurching zombies.
A CROSSHAIRS in the center of our view tracks RIGHT, leading
the camera. It focuses on the street behind the apartment and
the new construction site, BUSHWICK AVENUE.
We see Tanya’s purple Buick roll past. The crosshairs zoom in
on it, then suddenly SWERVE LEFT back to the backlot, where a
bulldozer comes rumbling up out of the underground parking
garage.
85.
INT. BULLDOZER CABIN, NECRISE APARTMENTS BACKLOT
Mike is sitting at the wheel, Sarah and Nat watching him
intently, riveted as he pulls the levers and drives the loud,
clanking machine out into the backlot. A spotlight blasts them
from above, whiting-out their vision. Sarah shouts over the
din.
SARAH
You still okay Mike?
Mike nods and yells back.
MIKE
Yeah!
Bullets pelt them suddenly from above, shattering the glass
windows and pinging off the metal exterior of the bulldozer.
Nat and Sarah duck. Mike shouts to them.
MIKE
Get down! On the floor!
Sarah and Nat obey as best they can, crouching below the
windshield.
EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE, NECRISE APARTMENTS
The bulldozer pops a curb and smashes into a chainlink fence
around the dirt construction site. It rolls forward, a few
zombies running after it.
INT. BULLDOZER CABIN
The hail of bullets keeps pounding the roof and Mike crouches
slightly, trying to keep his eyes on the drive while avoiding
getting hit.
NAT
(yelling)
Why are they shooting us?
MIKE
I don’t fucking know!
The shooting abruptly stops. Mike sits back up as Sarah and
Nat raise their heads.
The whirring sound of helicopter blades intensifies. The craft
drops into view in the windshield: Sleek, black, thin. Too
thin to fit a human pilot. It’s a DRONE.
86.
SARAH
Oh my god, Mike, what is that?
EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE
The drone hovers in front of them. Two machine guns emerge
from its nose, whirring to life in front of them.
THE DRONE’S POV — THE BULLDOZER
We see the grainy green filtered view of the bulldozer. Our
crosshairs centers on the windshield. It begins to blink and
we see numbers scroll by.
INT. BULLDOZER CABIN
Mike grimaces.
MIKE
Just stay down!
He lunges forward and pulls a lever.
EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE
Just as the drone starts to fire, the bulldozer’s front SCOOP
lifts up and smashes into the drone’s tail rotor.
The rotor blades dissolve in a shower of metal fragments. The
drone tips backward, shooting aimlessly into the night sky. It
quickly spirals out of control through the air, trailing smoke
and bits of metal.
EXT. EMERGENCY CHECKPOINT, BUSHIWCK AVENUE
Robelli’s mouth is open, vein popping in his forehead. He’s
standing in front of the SWAT OFFICER, about to yell at him.
But he stops, staring at the sky, fascinated. He sees the
drone pirouetting toward them in a long arc. The SWAT Officer
has his back turned to it.
SWAT OFFICER
Sir, return to your vehicle now,
or I’ll be forced to arrest you
and your driver!
Robelli ignores him. He begins sprinting toward the
construction site.
The SWAT Officer sees Robelli take off and raises his rifle.
87.
SWAT OFFICER
Freeze! Freeze or I’ll shoot!
Robelli doesn’t stop. Instead, the wayward drone crashes into
the checkpoint just behind the SWAT officer.
A giant, thunderous explosion envelops him and blasts the
other emergency vehicles up, end over end, rippling fire and
destruction outward.
Robelli makes it a few hundred feet away before the blast
knocks him forward into the chainlink fence around the
consturction site. It collapses under his weight and that of
the explosion.
INT. BULLDOZER CABIN
A football field away, Mike flinches as he sees a fireball
through the windshield and hears the loud BOOM. Sarah and Nat
pop their heads up to look.
SARAH
What the fuck was that?
MIKE
I think that was the helicopter.
Hang on!
He continues driving the bulldozer through the construction
site. A few zombies run toward them.
SARAH
Oh fuck!
Mike lowers the scoop on the front of the vehicle and severs
the approaching zombies in half.
EXT. BUSHWICK AVENUE
Finally, after a few moments of mowing down the creatures, the
bulldozer reaches the the end of the construction site and the
street. It's vacant now except for a few burning vehicles.
Mike stops the bulldozer. He opens the cabin door and hops
out, then helps Sarah and Nat out onto the street. Sarah walks
quickly forward, looking around here in all directions,
overwhelmed with the sheer joy and relief of survival.
SARAH
Oh my god, oh my god!
She looks at Mike, wiping his brow, his tattered shirt soaked
in sweat. Sarah throws her arms around him.
88.
SARAH
Oh my god, Mike, you did it! We
made it.
Mike looks over Sarah’s shoulder at Nat, who shrugs and smiles
at him.
They don’t have long to celebrate, because a a PURPLE BUICK
pulls up alongside of them. Tanya lowers the driver’s side
window and looks out at them.
TANYA
Get in.
MIKE
Who are you?
Tanya nods and looks beyond to the construction site where
more zombies have begun walking running toward them.
TANYA
Just get in, I'll tell you on the
way. Come on, before more of them
show up.
Mike nods and opens the door to the back. He lets Sarah and
Nat get in and then sits in the passenger seat.
EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE
Robelli crawls on the dirt, dragging himself forward slowly,
painfully by his arms. He’s covered in black soot, cuts and
bruises. His legs are badly burned. He is in rough shape.
He hears footsteps and a familiar groan. He looks up. ZOMBIE
JAMES rises in front of him, clothes shredded, covered in
blood. His right eye hangs out of his socket by a thread.
ROBELLI
Son! Oh my god, my son…what have
they done to you?
ZOMBIE JAMES grunts and leaps at his father, jaws snapping.
The air fills with Robelli’s screams.
INT. TANYA’S CAR
Mike sits in the passenger’s seat. He turns to Tanya, her eyes
on the road as she drives.
MIKE
Thank you.
(MORE)
89.
MIKE (CONT’D)
I don’t know who you are or how
you got here, but thank you so
much.
TANYA
Don’t thank me yet.
Tanya looks back in the rear view mirror at Sarah, who pulls
out her phone and tries to turn it on. The dead battery
indicator shows up instead.
Sarah sighs and puts her head on the window. Nat stares out
the other side.
TANYA
(to the passengers)
Where do you need to go?
Mike turns and looks back at Nat and Sarah, who both stare
back at him vacantly, uncertain.
MIKE
Uhh, I dunno. Anywhere but here.
TANYA
You can stay with me for now. I
have a house in Queens. It’s not
too far. And it’s safe. But I need
you to do something for me too.
MIKE
What’s that?
Tanya sighs and looks out the windshield, then back up in the
rear view mirror.
TANYA
Do you know what Voudon is?
Mike turns and looks at Sarah. Their eyes widen.
INT. KITCHEN, TANYA’S HOUSE, QUEENS, NY - DAWN
We hear a door opening and Tanya speaking offscreen.
TANYA (O.S.)
It’s fine, keep your shoes on.
This way.
Tanya enters, leading Mike, Sarah and Nat into the darkened
kitchen. She gestures to a large wooden table.
90.
TANYA
Please, have a seat. Can I offer
you something to drink?
MIKE
Water would be great.
Sarah and Nat nod. Tanya takes glasses out of a cabinet and
fills them from the tap.
Mambo Dola enters on the other side of the kitchen from the
living room. She leans on a cane, her forehead is more
wrinkled than usual, wrinkled with alarm.
MAMBO DOLA
So this is what you have gone to
do? You foolish girl. You could
have died.
Tanya turns and glares at Mambo Dola. She sighs and looks at
the three survivors, then gestures to Mambo Dola.
TANYA
Guys this is my auntie, Cassandra
Dola. We call her Mambo Dola, but
I'm not sure she deserves that
title anymore.
Sarah looks at Mambo Dola suspiciously, while Nat just stares
at her and Mike raises a meek hand in hello. Mambo Dola nods
at them and then turns her sharp eyes on Tanya.
MAMBO DOLA
What is the meaning of this,
Tanya?
TANYA
You tell them, Mambo. You’re the
reason they’re all here.
Mambo Dola scoffs and retreats to the living room. Tanya sighs
and rummages in a drawer, pulling out a candle.
TANYA
The power’s out all over Brooklyn
now. And she complain that the TV
is out. She should’a thought about
that before she started all this.
Mike looks at Tanya intently.
MIKE
I’m sorry, but, do you… I mean,
you seem like a really nice
person.
(MORE)
91.
MIKE (CONT’D)
I really appreciate you saving us.
I just… you can’t really believe
your auntie is behind all this,
can you?
Tanya shakes her head as she places the candle in a holder on
the table. She pulls out a match.
TANYA
I don’t. I know she is. Let me try
and explain.
Tanya lights the match.
TANYA
Once upon a time, back in the old
world…
THIRTY MINUTES LATER
The candle flame flickering as Tanya finishes her story. Mike
and Sarah look at each other. She nods at him, vindicated.
MIKE
I don’t know what to say. I’m
sorry, I still don’t believe it.
I’m sorry about your auntie
getting evicted and I agree it’s
an incredible coincidence, but
there has to be a rational
explanation for all this. There
has to be.
Tanya stands and picks up her glass. She looks to the white
kids around her table.
TANYA
More water?
Sarah nods and Tanya grabs her glass and walks over to the
sink. She fills the glass, sets it down and sits back in her
seat. Finally she stares at Mike.
TANYA
Fine then. Don’t believe it. But I
saved you, right? So I’m asking
you to talk to my auntie. Tell her
you had nothing to do with this.
Tell her she needs to stop before
the whole city is ruined. Even if
you think I’m crazy, and she’s
just a senile old woman. Just tell
her about yourself. Please.
92.
MIKE
What do you want us to say?
TANYA
Just tell her how you feel.
INT. LIVING ROOM, TANYA’S HOUSE - DAY
Tanya leads Mike into the living room where Mambo Dola sits
staring out the window at the morning light. Mike breathes out
loudly, looking at Tanya nervously. She nods at him,
encouraging. Mike steps forward and Mambo Dola swivels her
head to glare at him.
MAMBO DOLA
Yes boy?
MIKE
Mrs. Dola. I uh, I’m sorry to hear
about what happened to your house.
Truly. I uh, I can’t imagine how
that must have felt.
Mambo Dola snorts and looks out the window again. Mike looks
at Tanya, uncertain. She nods again. He continues.
MIKE
Look, I just — I don’t know
anything about you and your life.
But I also know that none of us,
none of the people who live in
that building ever meant to hurt
you. They didn't even know what
happened to you. That’s no excuse,
I know, but if they did they’d be
sorry too.
Mambo Dola looks back at him and snarls.
MAMBO DOLA
You don’t know anythin you talkin’
about, white boy.
Mike nods.
MIKE
Yeah, that’s true. But I know that
you’re upset. It’s obvious. I just
don’t know how all this — all
these people dying — makes it any
better for you.
Mambo Dola glares up at him.
93.
MAMBO DOLA
Your people kill my people for
centuries! Make us slaves, take
away our land, kill us when you
feel like it. Of course you don’t
see boy. You can’t see no-ting
with those eyes.
Mike exhales heavily, struggling to keep going.
MIKE
Yeah, I know. I’m sorry about all
that. I didn’t have anything to do
with it, but I’m still sorry that
anyone related to me might have.
Really, I wish I could take it all
back. But I can’t. All I can do is
try to be a better person than
they were. And I’m trying. I
really am. I know that’s never
going to make up for anything they
did to you. But please, I’m
begging you, stop this if you
still can.
Mambo Dola looks up at him and back at Tanya.
MAMBO DOLA
She put you up to this?
MIKE
(overcompensating)
Uh, no. I mean, I wanted do it.
Mambo Dola shakes her head. A sly grin forms across her face.
MAMBO DOLA
Don’t lie to me, boy. She bring
you here and tell you what to say!
Mike looks at Tanya, panicked, caught in a lie. Mambo Dola
begins chuckling. She slowly stands up, leaning on her cane,
and looks out the window, sighing loudly.
MAMBO DOLA
Oh you white boys are so funny.
You think you can just explain it
all away. I ask the spirits to
leave for you. But you know why?
If my Tanya can tell you what to
say and you obey her — you, a
white man like your fathers before
you — then maybe there be hope for
us yet.
94.
Mambo Dola continues chuckling and moves to hug Tanya,
touching their foreheads together. She clops her cane over to
the kitchen and begins humming a Haitian tune.
Mike stares at Tanya, completely uncertain of what to do next.
She smiles and laughs at him.
TANYA
You done alright, white boy.
EXT. NECRISE APARTMENTS - DAY
Sunlight bathes the ruins of the zombie apocalypse; the
smoldering building and the countless bloody bodies.
A few ZOMBIES stagger around, then drop suddenly like wilting
flowers.
CUT TO:
MONTAGE of NEWS FOOTAGE of the fallen zombies and debris and
police and people in biohazard suits sweeping the city.
FEMALE BROADCASTER (V.O.)
A state of emergency remains in
effect, but CDC officials are
cautiously optimistic that the
worst is over…
TITLE CARD: TWO MONTHS LATER
EXT. SUBWAY ENTRANCE, UNION SQUARE, MANHATTAN — AUTUMN, DAY
Mike walks across the flat plaza, bobbing to upbeat ELECTRONIC
MUSIC blasting in his headphones. He’s all cleaned up now:
short hair, clean shaven face, wearing a suit and tie. He
stops a few feet in front of the subway entrance and pulls out
his phone to change the song.
Suddenly, HANDS clasp over his eyes and mouth, knocking off
his headphones. He can’t see, can’t scream. He struggles to
get away. When he whirls around, he sees his assailant: a
giggling, slim, redheaded woman wearing a purple turtleneck.
SARAH.
MIKE
Oh my god, Sarah. You scared the
shit out of me.
Sarah giggles as Mike bends over to pick up his headphones.
95.
SARAH
Oh Mike, I’m sorry. I couldn’t
resist. I saw you walking all cute
with your suit and I shouted to
you, but you had your headphones
on.
MIKE
I guess that’s what I get for not
paying attention.
They embrace and pull apart. Mike stares at her. She looks
different. It’s not just the new pixie haircut. More
confident, happier.
MIKE
Nice haircut.
SARAH
You too! How have you been? What’s
with the suit? Don’t tell me you
work on Wall Street now?
Mike laughs.
MIKE
Yeah right. I’m doing site
evaluations for the city…Doesn’t
pay a whole lot, but it’s not as
boring as it sounds, and the
benefits are good. How have you
been?
SARAH
Oh Mike, that’s great! I’m sure
you’re the best…’site evaluator’…
is that right?…
Mike nods.
SARAH
(CONT’D)
I’m sure you’re the best site
evaluator they have. I just got a
new job, too, actually. With
Penguin, the publishing company.
I’m a manuscript reader. It’s been
good, but super busy.
MIKE
Yeah, tell me about it.
They pause awkwardly. Mike looks down at his phone.
96.
MIKE
Well, I should get going, I don’t
want to keep this guy waiting. We
should totally grab drinks some
time though.
SARAH
Definitely! Anytime.
Mike holds out his phone to Sarah.
MIKE
That still your number?
She nods.
SARAH
I’ve still got your’s, if you
haven’t changed it.
Mike shakes his head.
MIKE
No, the same. (beat) Well, it was
great seeing you.
He moves to hug her, then stops and looks at her.
MIKE
Oh, have you talked to Nat lately?
Sarah beams.
SARAH
Yeah, actually, she’s my
girlfriend now. We’ve been
together since right after the…
that night.
Mike nods slowly, processing it. He feels oddly okay.
MIKE
Oh, cool, how’s she doing?
SARAH
Great. She’s great. We’re both
great, Mike.
MIKE
Tell her I say ‘hey.’
SARAH
I will. And you will too when we
all hang out! Soon, right?
97.
Mike nods.
MIKE
Definitely. Alright, I’ve really
got to get going.
Mike hugs her.
MIKE
Talk to you later.
SARAH
Definitely! I’m so glad I ran into
you.
He turns and walks toward the subway entrance. Just as he’s
about to descend, Sarah calls out to him.
SARAH
Hey Mike?
Hey turns and looks back at her.
SARAH
Thanks again for everything.
Mike smiles. He turns back over his shoulder and looks at her.
MIKE
Don’t mention it. Thanks for
letting me stay with you.
EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE, BUSHWICK NEW YORK
The tall, wounded tower of NECRISE APARTMENTS looms vacant
over a brown dirt lot; windows broken and covered with plastic
tarps flapping in the wind.
Mike trudges foward across the dirt of the consturction site,
carrying a tablet computer. He approaches a tall, early 40s
BLACK MAN in a dark business suit. They shake hands. Mike
looks around at the construction site, uneasy.
MIKE
Mr. Thompson.
THOMPSON
What’s up Mike. You feelin
alright? You look a little sick.
MIKE
Yeah, yeah, I just…I was here the
night it all happened, you know?
98.
Thompson sighs and looks at him, then up at the sky.
THOMPSON
I forgot. Well if you need to get
someone else on this one, I
understand.
Mike shakes his head and holds up the tablet for Mr. Thompson
to look at.
MIKE
No, I’m good. But you have an
issue here, Mr. Thompson.
Mike points at the screen. It ZOOMS in to show a BLUEPRINT
VIEW of Necrise Apartments and a tunnel beneath it. Thompson
squints at the screen and points at an area of it.
THOMPSON
What’s that, is that part of the
parking garage?
MIKE
That’s what we thought initially,
but that actually ends over here,
well above this area.
Mike gestures at the screen.
THOMPSON
So what I am looking at, then?
MIKE
Well, I checked with the city and
their best guess is that it’s an
abandoned subway or sewer system.
We didn't know about it because
the previous developer never filed
the paperwork acknowledging it.
Thompson nods and looks up at Mike, annoyed.
THOMPSON
Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. He
wasn't exactly known for crossing
all his T’s and dotting all his
I’s. So what’s our next move?
MIKE
Some more inspectors are on the
way, and your team is carefully
excavating the area right now to
ensure it’s stable enough for you
to proceed.
(MORE)
99.
MIKE (CONT’D)
If it looks good, you should be
clear to knock down the building
as planned.
Thompson nods and claps Mike on the back.
THOMPSON
Great, great, keep me informed.
And if you need anything, let me
know, alright?
Mike nods.
MIKE
Will do.
INT. EXCAVATION SITE, BELOW NECRISE APARTMENTS
The room is dark, airless, completely black. But we hear
groaning, and the steadily increasing hum of what sounds like
a large drill. Eventually, the wall CAVES-IN and a GIANT
BORING MACHINE lumbers in, illuminating the chamber with
floodlights: It’s indeed an old subway tunnel, full of
shuffling ZOMBIES.
END.