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FADE IN:
INT - VIDEO CAMERA - MULTIPLE TIMEFRAMES
After several moments in the dark, there is an explosion of
snowy STATIC. As soon as it starts, the static vanishes as we
are greeted with the scene before us: a birthday party for a
5-YEAR-OLD GIRL. Family and friends surround her as they sing
"Happy Birthday." With a grin, she blows out the candles,
followed by tumultuous applause. A SMILING WOMAN behind the
girl motions to the camera.
MOM
Matt, put down the camera and help
cut the cake!
After some more static, the scene changes to a barbecue on
the 4th of July. The same relatives sit outside at a small
table, plates heaped with meat and vegetables before them. A
FATHERLY FIGURE is at the barbecue flipping hot dogs and
burgers.
Some more static, followed by beautiful fireworks. Cheering
is heard behind us, as well as a GROUP OF TEENAGERS singing a
badly botched version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
TEENAGERS
...what so proudly we hailed...at
the twilight's last gleaming...
The familiar static brings forward a new scene, different
from all the others. The cameraman is running down the
hallway of a house to the living room, where a TEENAGE BOY
WITH GLASSES is setting up a VCR. The boy has a sweaty brow
and appears extremely stressed by the situation. A FAINT
BANGING can be heard in the distance. This frustrated youth
is MICHAEL ANDERSON, and our unseen cameraman is his cousin
MATT DYER.
MATT
Mike, are you getting this?
MICHAEL
(stressed)
I'm trying!
The television abruptly turns on, startling Michael as he
falls to the floor. He immediately gets up and sits on the La
Z-Boy behind him. On the TV is a NEWSCASTER, a tall man who
appears just as stressed and worried as Michael. He looks at
the slightly crumpled papers before him and uneasily speaks
towards the camera.
NEWSCASTER
...Again, the rescue stations in
Randall and Townshend are now
inactive. United States Government
officials have refused to comment,
but it has been confirmed that the
"superflu" epidemic reported
earlier last week has been causing
hundreds of deceased to...reanimate
and seek the flesh of...
The newscaster is cut off as the television suddenly goes
dark, accompanied by a loud THUD from Matt's right. The
camera turns towards the source of the noise: four figures
have burst through the front door. Their features are
remotely visible, but there is a distinct feature among them:
they are all covered in blood. They emit a loud snarling
noise as they run towards Matt and Michael.
Michael jumps out of the La-Z-Boy and runs directly behind
Matt, who turns and follows him. They run through the kitchen
and down a hallway, circling their attackers. They run down
the hall and through a set of doors to the GARAGE. There is a
brief SMACKING SOUND of teeth sinking into flesh behind us,
bringing a cry of pain from Michael off screen.
The angle changes in a flurry of static to a drastic vertical
angle: the camera is on the garage floor. Matt is finally
visible, but for a horrible reason: Michael is being pulled
through the doorway to the garage by the attackers, and Matt
is trying with all his might to pull him away from his death.
A pool of blood is steadily forming on the floor inside.
MICHAEL
Matt! Oh, my legs! Quit eating
them!
Michael's hands, sweaty from his earlier frustration, quickly
slip out of Matt's grip. He screams deafeningly as he is
ravenously pulled inside. The door slams with a final BANG.
As Matt tries to open the door, he crumples down as Michael's
screams abruptly stop.
There is no time for Matt to grieve. The creatures inside are
already pulling at his only barrier. He abandons his post and
ducks to get the camera. It steadies as Matt pushes at the
garage door button. It slowly opens with a loud whirring
noise. Matt stoops down to get through the garage door's
slowly opening passage just as his attackers get through the
door.
He runs down the street and turns the corner just as the tape
begins to static once more.
The OPENING CREDITS are intercut with snippets of Matt's
journey through the surrounding area: bodies lie in the
streets that slowly start to get up, blood surrounds the
opening of a nearby house, and other ominous and grotesque
images that all culminate in static.
EXT - SCHOOL - MORNING
The blurry gray frame of the camera is rhythmically invaded
by Matt's running feet. He breathes heavily, chased by
unknown attackers. Pulling up the camera, the frame radically
changes perspective...
...and Matt is greeted with the gray monolithic structure of
REINIGER HIGH SCHOOL. Part castle, part prison, the school is
a monument to the standardization of education. But let's
forget about that: this prison is his future sanctuary.
Matt runs through the school's football field towards a set
of tan portables.
Slightly hidden in the distance is a GLINTING METAL STRUCTURE-
a small "cage" constructed of chain-link fence. We can almost
hear Matt's lungs scream for air as he sprints to the cage.
As he makes it to the cage, the camera changes perspective
again to a slightly tilted vertical position, then
immediately to the "standard" horizontal angle.
We finally see our attackers: their skin still retains some
of their original pinkish hue, but they have sporadic
splotches of mottled gray derma, most of them around their
wounds. Their fingernails, if not gone entirely, are heavily
chipped and caked in dried blood. None of these grotesque
details compare to the creatures' eyes: whatever eye color
they had when they were still alive is gone, replaced by an
oozy brown color specked with the dripping red of burst
miniature blood vessels.
The attackers, two boys and a girl, barely notice their
impact against the walls of the cage as they lunge and reach
towards Matt. Suddenly, a faint but distinct voice is heard
shouting behind Matt.
NICOLE
Fenton, someone's outside!
Matt rapidly turns to see a TEENAGE GIRL WITH YELLOW
BINOCULARS standing on the balcony of the school cafeteria.
Directly below her are a set of PURPLE METAL DOORS, sealed
shut by the school's magnetized security system. A loud
WHIRRING is heard, followed by a much less audible CLICK. The
magnets have been disabled.
Matt sees his window of opportunity and pushes as hard as he
can against the cage's entrance, thrusting back the mindless
attackers. Again with lighting speed, he breaks into a run
towards the school's entrance. He flings open the school
doors and enters the entrance to the DUNGEON, the school's
basement. He runs up the stairs directly in front of him, the
zombies in direct pursuit.
Reaching the end of the mountain of stairs, Matt runs to the
right towards another set of purple doors, this time with no
handles. He pounds against the doors' lone GLASS FRAMES,
hoping someone hears him.
MATT
Help me!
Meeting his aid is Fenton Miller (16-17), an imposing
teenager wielding a slightly bloody metal baseball bat. The
fire in his eyes is an almost identical match to those of the
attackers, but his otherwise normal stature contradicts these
grim thoughts.
FENTON
(calmly)
Are you one of them?
MATT
(pleading)
Just let me in, they're almost
here!
FENTON
(still calm)
I asked if you were one of them.
MATT
I'm not! Are there others with you?
Please, let me in!
Fenton doesn't move. Matt turns around and confirms his
suspicions: the zombies are almost through the metal doors.
Their snarls echo through the empty hallway.
FENTON
I don't trust you. You'll let them
in.
MATT
I don't even know what the hell's
goin' on. Besides, you're the one
with the baseball bat.
Fenton slowly starts to walk towards the door. There is an
echoing CLANG as, down the stairs, the zombies break in.
FENTON
Move it!
Fenton opens the door and Matt barely dodges the grips of a
zombie as they slam into the metal door. Pushing away, Matt
runs inside as Fenton forces them back with the bat. When
they are a few feet away, he pulls as hard as he can on the
door, shutting it. There is a small CLICK as the door locks.
He turns to look at Matt as he wipes blood off his hands.
FENTON
You're lucky that wasn't you. I'm
Fenton.
He taps Matt's feet with the bat.
FENTON
Get up. It's time for social hour.
Matt unsteadily gets up and they walk into the main hub of
Reiniger Jr. High.
INT - SCHOOL ENTRANCE - MOMENTS LATER
Matt and Fenton continue their trek down the hallway. Trash
cans are tipped over, papers spilling out of them like a pile
of snow. Matt pauses at the end of the hallway, looking at a
display case: inside, among the photos of school life, is a
painting of children playing in the shadow of a burning
building.
FENTON
This way.
Matt starts up the nearby stairs, but stops when he notices a
bloody handprint trailing off the main doors. Matt's
curiosity gets the better of him and he peers through the
doors leading from the handprint. Inside is the body of a
zombie, blood pooling from its head.
Whomever these survivors are, they've killed before. Judging
from Fenton's attitude, they'll kill again. Matt slowly
starts climbing the stairs, catching up with Fenton.
INT - HALLWAY (LIBRARY) - DAY
Fenton and Matt reach the end of the staircase and towards
the school's library. The library is a striking contrast to
the hallways around it: an explosion of purple and orange
amongst a field of gray. Several other teenagers are sitting
in the library, reading magazines or novels. They are all
huddled together.
TUCKER: A sci-fi addict with striking red hair and blue eyes.
The person you'd find glancing through a manga at the local
Borders. He carries two objects with him at all times: the
first is a well-worn copy of The Zombie Survival Guide,
decorated with several bite marks. The second is a small blue
and-black crank radio, which is quietly emitting nothing but
static. These two small items might be the most important
possessions in the group.
NICOLE: The girl you'd pass in the hallway on a day-to-day
basis, but would never notice. Upon closer inspection, one
would discover a oddly-striking beauty about her. She keeps
her thoughts hidden among her flowing dark hair, her
expression-filled eyes the only gateway to her mind. She
longs to be independent, but feels like a child under the
watch of Julie, her older sister.
JULIE: A slightly empowering authority figure sporting brown
hair and blue eyes. Her usual moods are mellow and cynical,
but it is barely obvious she is troubled on the inside. To
compensate for the absence of their parents, Julie feels like
she must act as both a mother and father figure to her
younger sister, Nicole.
ALEX: Alex is to gaming as Tucker is to sci-fi. She is of
medium build and always wears a bandana across her forehead.
Her glasses are slightly hidden amongst her long brown bangs.
Don't get mistaken by her casual, artistic appearance: she is
a fighter, and will kick your ass if necessary.
FENTON (CONT'D)
We're all that's left.
INT - LIBRARY - DUSK
The eight kids sit in an 'information circle' of chairs.
MATT
Can somebody please...just explain
to me what happened.
FENTON
You should already know what's
happened. You're lucky to be alive
this long.
MATT
Please, don't...Fenton, right? I've
already lost my family during this.
NICOLE
You're not the only one.
FENTON
The news said it began in the air
when people started getting sick.
They called it a superflu. It took
awhile, a month at most, for them
to die...and get up again.
(beat)
Then it started to rain.
Images of News broadcasts flash by in the blink of an eye.
MELTDOWN IN WHITE SANDS.
MASS "SUPERFLU" PANDEMIC.
INFECTION.
While Fenton explains what happened, zombies scratch and
snarl at the doors. With every swipe at the glass, a bloody
handprint is made.
FENTON (CONT'D)
The rain made it worse. It escaped
into the water system. It was all
across the news. It spread across
the cities like wildfire. Whoever
drank the water became infected
with the disease. The symptoms
became worse. There was no
escape...except for us. This school
has a separate purifying water
system, so this water is clean.
MATT
So wait...we're all infected with
it?
FENTON
Yeah...we must be. I guess
it's...only a matter of time.
MATT
Are they dead?
FENTON
Yeah, they're dead. Dead as a
doornail. If you drink contaminated
water, or get a bite or scratch
from one of those things, the virus
speeds up and you become one of
them.
MATT
Are we safe here?
FENTON
We could be. The magnets on the
doors are holding them shut. At
least it works.
MATT
You got the power restored?
FENTON
Emergency power. Besides the doors,
lights and the security cameras
everything's dead.
ALEX
I've been hearing on Tucker's radio
that the National Guard was going
to come through here. Shouldn't we
make a sign?
JULIE
It's doubtful. They could be those
things outside.
ALEX
I found some paint cans in the
theater...and there's plenty of
paper. It could work.
FENTON
Fine. Time's a-wastin'.
EXT - SCHOOL ROOF - DAWN
The group makes the sign on a giant piece of paper. We time
lapse through this event and eventually it gets done.
EXT - COURTYARD/QUAD - DAY
Matt and Tucker are walking towards the Fine Arts building
when Tucker stops. He walks up to a vending machine that
carries different flavors of milk. He puts in a coin or two
and presses a button. A can of chocolate milk comes out. He
picks it up, opens it, and takes a swig. He spits it out
after a few moments. He looks at the expiration date on the
can and looks in disgust.
Matt starts laughing at him. Tucker wipes his mouth and
proceeds to the next vending machine, which carries juice and
soda. He makes a purchase and a soda comes out.
He takes a swig of it and swishes it around in his mouth. He
swallows it.
TUCKER
Not bad.
In the background, we can see Alex get a water bottle from
one of the vending machines. She pockets it and goes through
a door offscreen.
EXT - SCHOOL - NIGHT
The undead continue to scratch and snarl at the doors.
INT - LIBRARY - NIGHT
The group of survivors sit around the library reading various
books. Tucker has plugged a TV into a wall and flips through
the channels, all displaying the words "Emergency Broadcast
System." Matt is reviewing footage on his camera.
Matt notices Alex in the corner, scribbling away in a medium
sized sketchbook. He turns off his camera and walks towards
her.
MATT
Hey. Matt.
ALEX
Alex.
He looks down at the sketchbook.
MATT
So, what'cha doing?
ALEX
Sketching.
MATT
You an artist? It explains all your
paint.
ALEX
I was on my way to the regional art
competition when all this happened.
Lucky I had all I needed to
survive.
She points to her denim courier bag- it is filled to the brim
with Mead journals and art supplies.
ALEX
Cut me, and I bleed paint.
MATT
So what's your subject?
ALEX
Boredom. Tragedy.
(beat)
My parents get a real kick out of
it.
Matt thinks, remembering the painting in the display case in
the hallway, containing the painting.
MATT
So that was your painting outside?
With the burning building?
ALEX
Yeah. It's why I was going to the
competition. Not that it matters
right now.
She looks around the library.
ALEX
All of us waiting for rescue will
only live until the infection takes
hold of us. The only thing that
will outlive us all is what we put
on paper and canvas.
She laughs.
ALEX
And when we're zombies, we won't
give a damn about any of it.
MATT
So why draw now?
ALEX
Because we're great material.
Matt chuckles.
ALEX
That painting outside?
(beat)
I hate it.
She smiles, then continues drawing.
Fenton puts down a copy of "Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk and
heads towards the exit.
FENTON
I'm goin' to bed.
NICOLE
Where are we going to sleep?
JULIE
Here's OK with me.
NICOLE
There's only one exit.
TUCKER
How about one of the two-door
classrooms?
MATT
I agree with...um...
TUCKER
Tucker.
FENTON
OK.
Everyone gets up and leaves.
INT - SCHOOL OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER
Fenton cracks open the door to the office using his bat. He
quickly heads down the hallway, Matt in pursuit. He stops in
front of the PRINCIPAL'S office. He pushes the door and meets
no hesitation. Fenton and Matt enter the room.
INT - PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE - NIGHT
The office is small but conveys an old sense of authority.
Fenton steps behind the desk and breathes in the air heavily.
FENTON
For once I'm on the other side of
this desk.
He chuckles to himself and tries to pull open the desk
drawers, but they're locked. He looks behind him at a
bulletin board covered with papers advertising clubs and
after-school events. In the middle, barely noticeable, is a
small brass KEY.
He unlocks the top left drawer, inside storing a RING of
various keys of different shapes and sizes. Keys to every
door in the school, save the ones locked by magnets.
FENTON
Keys to the city.
EXT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - NIGHT
Fenton finds the right key and unlocks the door to the two
door classroom. He steps inside.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - NIGHT
The multiple computers in the dark classroom are illuminated
by the fluorescent lights of the hallway. The survivors walk
inside and switch on the lights, revealing more of the
spacious room...
The walls of the room are lined with Macintosh computers,
powerless in this new world. Internet cables behind them
useless, unavailable of contact with anyone still alive. The
room itself has two smaller rooms inside it: one room with
glass pane windows and one smaller "closet."
INT - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER
Fenton pulls out the keys and opens the school's
refrigerator, which is filled with food. Tucker scans his
copy of the Zombie Survival Guide.
TUCKER
The book says we should take only
perishables.
Everyone loads cans of food and miscellaneous items into
several cardboard boxes.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - NIGHT
The boxes of food are stacked up in the closet among the
various pieces of equipment. After they are finished, Fenton
closes the door and locks it with the keys. He pockets them
and taps his pocket with his baseball bat.
FENTON
I'll be rationing out food until
the National Guard gets here.
Anybody wants something, come to
me.
Upon hearing these words, Tucker looks at Matt with an uneasy
expression. Matt doesn't know how to return the expression
and brushes it off.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - NIGHT
Everybody is in a corner doing different things. Some read
books from the library, some sit in desks, and some are on
the floor, just waiting for sleep to kick in. Tucker gets up
and leaves the room. Before he does, however, he glances at
Matt. He gets up and follows him.
INT - HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER
Tucker and Matt walk down the dark hallway.
MATT
Is he always like this?
TUCKER
I guess so. I only met him
yesterday after those people dumped
me here.
MATT
What happened yesterday?
Tucker sighs and begins his tale.
TUCKER
My grandpa was an old military vet.
Fought in Korea. After my parents
died I lived with him. He taught me
things you won't find in any
textbook.
(beat)
When the outbreak hit, we tried to
take the bus out of here. He said
planes cost too much and the
highway was too "unsafe."
He chuckles.
TUCKER
So, we headed to the town shelter
and met up with some more
survivors. We were safe then. All
20 of us headed to the Greyhound,
destroying those things as we went.
We got on the bus...and so did some
of those things out there.
(beat)
Grandpa handed me his pack and beat
them off with his old army
rifle...the damn thing still worked
after all these years. Then the bus
started moving...and then grandpa
was gone. Last thing I heard were
rifle shots. Four of them.
(beat)
He always wanted to go out in a
burst of flaming glory.
Faded sounds of rifle shots penetrate the empty silence.
TUCKER
Inside his pack was the crank
radio, which is pretty much useless
since all the stations must be gone
now...and this.
He pulls out a well-sized 9MM handgun. Matt backs up rapidly.
TUCKER
Relax, the safety's on.
MATT
I'll keep my distance, thanks.
Tucker holds the gun tenderly before he hands it to Matt. He
reluctantly accepts it, studying it.
TUCKER
I checked the magazine before I got
here. There's eight bullets left.
It'll be handy if you need a quick
exit.
(beat)
Fenton doesn't know.
MATT
He doesn't?
TUCKER
Yeah...and I don't think he should.
MATT
You didn't finish.
TUCKER
What?
MATT
How you got here. You didn't
finish.
TUCKER
That group on the bus? They turned
out to be more worried about saving
their own skins than anybody
else's. They didn't want to deal
with a kid like me, so first chance
they got they dropped me off here
and drove off into the distance.
Tucker starts to walk off. Matt realizes he still has the gun
in his hand.
MATT
Hey, Tucker!
Tucker turns back to face Matt.
MATT
You forgot the gun.
TUCKER
Keep it. You look like you'll need
it.
He walks off.
TUCKER
(yelling)
Not like your camera, is it?
(beat)
You know, shooting things?
Matt chuckles to himself before heading back down the
hallway.
INT - CLASSROOM - NIGHT
Julie sits near an entrance to the classroom reading a book
from the library: "Gil's All-Fright Diner." Suddenly, someone
sits next to her: her sister, Nicole.
NICOLE
Julie?
JULIE
Hey, Nicole. Can't sleep?
NICOLE
I...want to be awake when the
National Guard comes.
JULIE
Tucker's radio said they won't be
coming until they take care of the
surrounding towns. You were there.
She gets closer to her.
JULIE
It's Mom and Dad, isn't it?
NICOLE
Yeah...I'm just so scared. What if
they're out there?
JULIE
Mom said she was going to get Dad
at the station in Randall. They're
all right.
NICOLE
I didn't mean Randall...I meant out
there.
She points out the door and starts to cry. Julie tenderly
grabs her by the shoulders.
JULIE
Nicole, they're all right! They
must've already gone through there,
so they have to be safe!
Nicole has broken down, crying. Julie pulls her into a hug,
Nicole crying on her shoulder.
NICOLE
(crying)
It just seems that we're the only
ones alive.
JULIE
We're not, Nicole. You have to know
that.
They separate.
JULIE
But if one of us is attacked before
the Guard comes, you have to run
with the survivors.
NICOLE
(crying)
No. I don't want to leave you
alone.
JULIE
Nicole, you have to. Promise me
that.
She pauses, sniffling.
NICOLE
(faltering)
...I promise.
They hug again.
JULIE
OK, go to sleep. You need to keep
your energy up.
NICOLE
OK.
She goes over to Matt and lies down, using her jacket as a
pillow. She falls asleep almost instantly.
Julie, pretending to read, looks up at her sister. She
sniffles a bit, but then wipes away her tears with her sleeve
and continues to read, brushing off the moment. She can't
afford to show weakness.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - MIDNIGHT
Matt is now on guard, filming all the way.
MATT
I just started my shift...so far
there's nothing. Alex is on the
other side. I think there's
like...30 zombies outside. At least
we still have the six of us.
JULIE (O.S.)
Shh!
MATT
Anyways, it's almost...
Offscreen, he checks his watch.
MATT (CONT'D)
...4:30 in the morning.
Matt takes a big breath.
MATT (CONT'D)
...Nicole and Julie seem to be
taking all this very well
considering their parents could be
out there, but we still have hope
for them. Alex...seems to be going
off the deep end: she's been
spacing out alot. Fenton is already
crazy. He never seems to leave the
side of that baseball bat.
ALEX (O.S.)
(whispering)
Hey...Matt...
MATT
What?
Matt turns around to face Alex. She seems normal, but looks
kind of nervous.
ALEX
I'll take care of both doors. You
look tired.
MATT
Why?
ALEX
I was listening to what you were
saying, and I kinda agree with you.
Guarding these doors...seems like
overkill. And I think they're going
away now, 'cause there's less
moaning. Besides, you need some
sleep.
MATT
OK...I guess. I'm turning off the
camera. See you in the AM.
He turns off the camera.
INT. CLASSROOM - MORNING
Tucker tosses an empty pudding cup in a bursting trash bag,
which is pulled shut. Matt tosses it out the classroom window
into the crowd of clamoring zombies.
EXT. SCHOOL - MORNING
Several reach down and tear at the trash bag, but they
quickly realize there's no food. They resume their actions,
reaching skyward at the faces of the students in the window.
INT. CLASSROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Fenton shuts the window and turns toward the group.
FENTON
That was the last piece of food.
JULIE
So what now?
TUCKER
The human body lasts three days or
so without food.
ALEX
There's nothing to drink either.
MATT
There's the school's water...right?
ALEX
We ran out of water purifier
yesterday.
Matt runs to the window and zooms in on something in the
distance: a convenience store.
MATT
What's always open whenever you
need it despite when the world's
gone to hell in a handbasket?
He turns towards the group and they look out the window.
NICOLE
How do we get over there?
MATT
We need things. Things that hurt
other things.
FENTON
I know what you mean.
INT. LOCKER ROOM - MONTAGE
Julie opens the door to the Girl's locker room, which holds
several lacrosse sticks.
INT. CAFETERIA - MONTAGE
Tucker and Matt get several large knives out from a metal
drawer. They shine under the illumination of the fluorescent
lights.
INT. CLASSROOM - MONTAGE
The room is almost factory-like as the various knives are
duct taped and secured to the ends of lacrosse sticks.
BINOCULARS: THE CONVENIENCE STORE
MATT
Now we just need to get over there.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - DAY
He points his binoculars down towards the football field.
EXT - FOOTBALL FIELD - DAY
Surprisingly, it's sparsely populated with zombies, the
largest concentration around the main entrance.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - DAY
Matt looks away from his binoculars.
MATT
Fenton, c'mere!
He does so.
MATT
They're mainly clustered around the
entrance. Few of them are on the
football field.
FENTON
What about the other exits?
Matt scans the field again.
EXT - FOOTBALL FIELD - DAY
Looking away from the school's entrance, Matt spots two
entrances near the school cafeteria. Both have only a few
zombies that can easily be taken out.
INT - CLASSROOM - DAY
Matt lowers his binoculars as he and Fenton stare at the
doors, lost in thought.
INT - SUPPLY CLOSET - DAY
Each of the survivors grabs a "deadly lacrosse" as they are
passed out by Fenton.
EXT - FOOTBALL FIELD - TIMELAPSE
The sun sets on the football field, shrouding the zombies in
darkness.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - NIGHT
Matt is sitting in a desk, asleep. Out of nowhere, there is a
loud WHOOSH, causing Matt to jerk awake. He surveys his
surroundings:
There's nobody else in the room.
Matt jumps from the desk and walks around the room,
confirming what's happening. Everyone's just vanished.
There's a noise from Matt's left. He glances-
- there's a single "deadly lacrosse" in the small corner next
to the door...which is slightly ajar. He grabs it and exits
the room.
INT - HALLWAY - NIGHT
The hallway is filled with a different kind of silence than
before: where there was once sanctuary, there is now an eerie
sense of isolation. Matt walks down the hallway, calling the
survivors' names. There is no reply.
As Matt begins down a set of stairs, he hears it: the cold,
raspy moan of a zombie. He turns wildly and runs down a set
of hallways and down a corner.
He comes out with Tucker's gun and continues running down the
hallways. At one point, the shuffling noise suddenly ceases.
Matt breathes a sigh of relief and turns around to see
Nicole, zombified. Matt screams in shock and raises the gun.
Nicole's clothes are slightly torn, revealing a bloody bite
mark on her neck, giving rise to a collarbone of dead gray
tissue.
Matt aims the gun at Nicole, who shambles forward. He can't
bring himself to shoot. The gun shakes in Matt's hands.
Nicole is closer, emitting a moan.
Matt gives up, taking off in the opposite direction. He runs
through a set of lockers and is knocked to the floor by
zombie versions of Julie and Alex.
They lurch forward as Matt crawls to his feet and continues
running down the hallway and down a set of nearby stairs.
INT - EXIT HALLWAY - NIGHT
Matt speeds down the stairs, taking a quick breath of air.
Panic marks his face. Suddenly, there's a BANG and a flash of
metal as a zombified Fenton comes out of the restroom. A
zombified Tucker rounds a corner. The other zombified
survivors shuffle down the stairs.
Matt gets up and runs down the only available hallway, an
exit at its end. The outside is pitch black.
Matt finally reaches the end of the hallway: a set of metal
doors. Matt pushes the bars...and the doors don't budge.
They're stuck.
Matt turns around and sees the zombies are still shambling
closer. He presses his back against the doors...
...and a zombified Michael bursts through the doors, biting
Matt in the neck. Matt screams in pain and falls to the
floor, the gun sliding away from him.
The zombies are now several feet away from Matt. He backs
against the wall, hand to his bleeding neck. He notices the
gun next to his hand and grabs it.
He raises it to under his chin, closes his eyes, and pulls
the trigger.
An empty click. No bullets.
Matt gazes up at the zombies in terror. He screams as the
zombies reach towards him...
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - MORNING
Matt jerks awake in the desk, emitting a gasp of panic.
Nicole stands next to the desk, a look of worry on her face.
The other survivors wait outside.
NICOLE
Matt? It's time for the raid.
He nods his head.
MATT
Yeah. Let's go.
Nicole doesn't move.
NICOLE
Matt, are you all right?
Matt wipes away the cold sweat on his brow.
MATT
Yeah...I'm fine.
NICOLE
You sure? You were muttering in
your sleep and...
MATT
I said I'm fine.
He gets up and walks towards the exit when he sees it: the
deadly lacrosse in the same place as his dream. He stops.
NICOLE
What is it?
MATT
Nothing. Come on.
She doesn't move. Matt walks up to her.
MATT
Don't worry, Nicole. I'm fine. When
something's wrong, you'll be the
first to know.
She smiles. Matt quickly grabs the lacrosse stick and exits
the door with Nicole.
INT- STAIR HALLWAY - MORNING
The survivors slowly and silently run down the stairs, all
wielding "deadly lacrosses." Fenton makes hand gestures to
guide them down the stairs and when to wait. When they're all
at the bottom of the stairs, Fenton readies his hand on the
door handle.
FENTON
Ready?
They nod.
EXT - SCHOOL - DAY
The survivors open the door and start running across the
pavement and to the football field. They catch the
dismembered eyes of the undead who proceed to shamble towards
their fast prey.
The survivors reach the football field, where they all spread
out in a sprint. Zombies try to take a bite at our heroes,
but they quickly lose a limb or a head as the lacrosse sticks
twirl their silver blades in a blaze of fury.
After what seems like an eternity, the survivors reach the
end of the field. Breaking through the fence at the opposite
side, the group runs up a hill to the convenience store.
EXT - CONVENIENCE STORE - DAY
It is surrounded by zombies. The survivors raise their
weapons...and go to town.
Limbs, heads, organic matter fly through the air as the
survivors make their way to the entrance.
Alex smashes the lock of the convenience store and pulls open
the door.
ALEX
Get in!
The survivors stop the bloodbath and rush towards the
entrance. As soon as everyone gets in, the door immediately
slams and is barricaded shut.
INT - CONVENIENCE STORE - DAY
Aisles stocked with junk food (with a smattering of health
bars) loom in front of the survivors. Realizing time is of
the essence, they grab whatever they can reach and toss it
into small shopping carts.
Matt and Tucker head over to the wall stocked with drinks.
Most are lukewarm, but there are a few that are still fresh.
The milk and dairy section has spoiled completely. Matt grabs
forbidden fruit: a can of beer. He cracks it open, foam
spewing everywhere.
He exchanges glances with Tucker before he swallows a gulp.
He retches, spitting out the lukewarm liquid.
MATT
Who drinks this stuff?!
The moaning of the undead hasn't ceased. Suddenly, it grows
louder: they've pushed their way through the barricade. Alex,
who was standing guard at the entrance, collapses under the
mob. She is able to crawl out without a bite. However, the
gods have struck her down: she has been scratched by infected
nails.
Everyone rushes to her aid as she quickly conceals her wound.
They grab hold of all the shopping carts and rush out the
back entrance, where Julie stands guard.
EXT - CONVENIENCE STORE - DAY
Thankfully, most of the undead have congregated outside the
front of the store. The survivors rush out of the back
entrance and down the hill towards the school. The multitudes
of zombies follow, shambling away.
EXT - FOOTBALL FIELD - DAY
Pushing the carts across the football field proves no easy
task for the group. On more than one occasion a cart falls
over, spilling its contents across the unkempt lawn.
What was a few zombies has grown into a mob on the field.
Slicing their way through the crowd, the survivors are able
to make it to their entrance unscathed and push 4 carts of
food inside. Everyone makes it inside except for Nicole,
whose cart has spilled over.
MATT
Nicole!
NICOLE
I'm trying!
She tries to collect her belongings and get inside, but there
is no time as the zombies start to crowd around her. Matt
outstretches his hand to grab her.
MATT
Nicole, come on!
Common sense prevails as she grabs her lacrosse stick and
runs for Matt's hand. She suddenly trips as the hand of a
zombie grabs her leg. It lowers its jaw to bite her, but its
head is sickeningly pierced by Nicole's lacrosse blade.
She regains her balance and clasps Matt's hand, who pulls her
inside. She is safe.
EXT - SCHOOL - TIMELAPSE
Like the previous night, the sun sets over the school as the
survivors bask in their accomplishment.
INT - EXIT HALLWAY - EVENING
Nicole carries a box of food down one of the hallways when
she spots Matt at the end of the "exit hallway" from his
dream. He is placing different obstacles in front of the door
that would impede the average zombie.
NICOLE
Matt!
He turns around at the end of the hallway.
NICOLE
What are you doing?
MATT
I'm making it better.
He grins, eliciting a small, but nervous grin from Nicole.
She picks up the box of food and heads up the stairs behind
her.
INT - HALLWAY (LIBRARY) - EVENING
Nicole walks down the hallway towards the classroom when she
hears a muffled cry of pain. She turns around, looking for
the noise's origin. She looks towards the girl's bathroom and
enters it.
INT - BATHROOM - EVENING
All is not well. Alex is alone, tending to her newly
pustulating infected scratch. She pours a bottle of Hydrogen
Peroxide on it, hoping for relief. It brings only pain,
eliciting a brief yell of agony from Alex.
NICOLE (O.C.)
Alex, are you alright?
She whimpers.
ALEX
Fine! I'm fine...
(whispering)
I think.
INT - HALLWAY (LIBRARY) - EVENING
Julie walks down the hallway adjacent to the library when she
hears a faint crackling that seems to fade in and fade out.
She sets down her box of food and slowly enters the library.
INT - LIBRARY - EVENING
Julie searches the library for the source of the static.
After several rows of bookshelves, she finds it: Tucker's
crank radio. Although most of it is static, there is a
definite noise she hears: screaming voices.
RADIO VOICE (V.O.)
(breaking up)
We are sad...unable to...contact
impossible with...Randall
station...dead...
The rest is enveloped in static. Julie already knows what's
happened. She crumples to the floor and begins to cry. She
pulls out a photo from her pocket, its subjects unseen. She
looks up, outside of the library.
Nicole is walking by with an uneasy look on her face, worried
about Alex.
Julie wipes her tears in determination, rises, and exits the
library.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - NIGHT
Alex walks into the classroom as everyone munches on the
spoils of their victory.
MATT
Alex, you want some food?
ALEX
(put off)
No, nothing.
Matt looks at her questioningly.
MATT
Suit yourself.
He goes back to his sandwich as Alex slumps in a corner and
goes to sleep.
Tucker gets up from his conversation with Nicole and walks
over to Matt.
TUCKER
How you doing?
MATT
Pretty good.
Tucker's voice drops to a whisper.
TUCKER
How's "grandpa" doing?
Matt doesn't know what he's talking about at first, but then
realization dawns on him.
MATT
He's doing pretty fine.
(whispering)
It's holed up in one of the
closets.
Tucker smiles a bit, but then turns serious once more.
TUCKER
Good to hear he's safe.
Fenton, sitting across the room near the supply closet, looks
up from his shrink-wrapped sandwich at Matt and Tucker.
Suspicion furrows his brow, planting the seeds of paranoia in
his mind.
Tucker gets up and goes to a corner of the room to read the
Zombie Survival Guide. Matt gets up and heads to the door.
MATT
I'll be in the library.
He exits the room.
Across the classroom, Nicole is finishing up her meager meal
of chips and a small sandwich. She picks up her trash and
throws it in the trash can near the classroom door.
Nicole comes back to where she was sitting to find Julie
opening another sandwich and places it in front of her.
NICOLE
What are you doing?
JULIE
You have to eat more. Keep your
strength up.
NICOLE
I'm not hungry.
JULIE
Doesn't matter.
Julie goes back to eating a small chocolate bar.
NICOLE
No thanks, Julie.
Nicole goes to sleep on her jacket, but finds herself
reawakened by Julie.
JULIE
You have to finish your food.
There's nothing to keep it cold.
NICOLE
I'm not hungry, all right?
Julie is visibly shaken, and it's not because of Nicole's
refusal.
JULIE
Nicole, please eat. How am I
supposed to take care of you if you
don't eat?
Nicole pauses, shocked.
NICOLE
Is that what this is about? You
taking care of me?
(beat)
I can take care of myself.
Julie is unresponsive.
NICOLE
(semi-reassuring)
I'm not your little sister anymore.
OK? I love you and all, but
still...you don't need to be my
mom. That's her job.
Julie starts to tear up. She smiles.
NICOLE
I'll eat half later, OK?
Nicole manages a half-smile for her sister. Julie smiles as
Nicole gets up and leaves the room.
Moments later, Julie begins to cry and leaves through the
opposite exit.
INT - BATHROOM - NIGHT
Julie is sobbing in one of the stalls. She momentarily stops
crying and pulls a picture out of her pocket.
It's of Julie and Nicole, as well as their parents. They're
smiling without a care in the world.
This sight brings Julie to cry again, knowing she can never
tell her sister about what she heard earlier.
She can't afford to show weakness.
INT - LIBRARY - NIGHT
Matt wheels the TV cart to a couch and plugs it into the
wall. Taking a cord from his pocket, he connects his video
camera to the TV and begins to review the tape's contents. He
takes a seat on a squashy couch in the library.
Each scene brings new emotion to Matt, but all reveal an
underlying grief. His family is shown around the house. He
hangs out with his friends around school.
Michael is attacked. Matt reaches to turn the tape off.
NICOLE
Don't stop it.
Matt looks behind him to find Nicole, standing up from a
chair. She's been watching the tape in secret.
NICOLE
...Makes me feel better. At least
the happy parts do.
She gives a light smile and sits down with Matt as he quickly
rewinds the tape and explains all the different moments to
Nicole. At some she gives a brief chuckle, eliciting a small
smile from Matt before he turns back to the screen.
INT - CLASSROOM - DAWN
Matt picks up the camera and surveys the scene. It is almost
dawn and everyone is asleep.
STATIC.
Matt turns toward the doorway to the classroom and spots
something: a water bottle.
MATT
No.
He turns toward a corner to get Fenton's baseball bat.
STATIC.
INT - HALLWAY - DAWN
Matt runs out of the classroom and sees Alex limping away.
Suddenly he stops.
MATT (CONT'D)
Alex?
Alex runs toward Matt, snarling and growling. She is one of
them.
Matt screams. The camera falls in a direction so we can see
the front of the classroom. Fenton and the group runs out of
the classroom and towards Matt's aid.
STATIC.
The classroom is a blur of panic and anger as Matt captures
the aftermath of Alex's attack. Although everyone's voices
are raised, the main argument is between Fenton and Matt.
Fenton is sitting in a chair, cleaning what looks like blood
off his baseball bat.
FENTON
What the hell did you do, Matt?!
What did you do?!
MATT
Why are you accusing me of
anything?
FENTON
You were the last one to see Alex!
MATT
I couldn't have been! I was at the
library with Nicole!
Fenton whips around to face Nicole, who nods.
NICOLE
How was she infected in the first
place?
Fenton is at a loss for words. He doesn't know.
Then Matt remembers: he saw Alex in the background in his
footage. He sets his camera to "play" and begins to review
the footage.
He notices it. Alex takes the water bottle.
The same bottle outside.
Fenton is boiling with anger.
FENTON
Turn it off.
MATT
Wha--
FENTON
Get that camera out of my face!
The camera falls as he tackles Matt and begins punching him
in the face.
FENTON
You...knew...and
didn't...do...anything!
Matt is dragged out from under Fenton by Julie, Nicole, and
Tucker. He leaves the classroom with the metal baseball bat
as Matt picks up the camera. As Fenton leaves, he yells:
FENTON
You're cut off from the food.
Matt is slumped in a plastic chair, glaring at him. Fenton
comes back in the room and suddenly pulls Matt by the collar.
FENTON
Come with me.
Matt gives protest, but Fenton hits him slightly with the
bat. He gives a scream of pain.
They both exit the room as the door to the classroom slams.
INT - HALLWAY - DAY
Matt, expressionless, is mopping up the place where Alex
"died." The blood mixes with the bubbles of the mop's soap,
creating an eerie-looking red liquid. He rinses out the mop
into the bucket, spilling its red contents.
Fenton comes from around the corner.
FENTON
You done yet?
MATT
(hollow)
Almost.
Fenton begins to walk away.
MATT
Why aren't you the one cleaning
this up?
He pauses.
FENTON
You found it. You clean it up.
MATT
(coldly)
You killed her. She's still Alex.
In a flash, Fenton rounds on Matt, cornering him against the
wall.
FENTON
(angrily)
I didn't kill anybody. She wasn't
herself anymore. Just one of them.
MATT
If she's just one of them, why are
you letting us keep her alive?
FENTON
She's NOT alive! She was weak...so
she became one of them.
MATT
What do you mean, weak?
FENTON
If she told us before, we wouldn't
have kept her. She only thought of
herself, not all of us. That makes
her weak.
(beat)
But I won't be like her. Neither
will any of the others. That's why
I'm letting you keep her. It's an
example...what'll happen if we keep
too many secrets.
(beat)
Do you have any secrets, Matt?
MATT
No.
(beat)
Of course not.
FENTON
Good.
He walks off, leaving Matt visibly shaken. He mops up some
more blood and pauses. Sighing heavily, he squeezes it in the
bucket, another miniature waterfall of red liquid in its
wake.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - DAY
Matt is led back into the classroom by Fenton, who presses
the tip of the baseball bat into his back. Matt's nose is
still bloody. The bat falls to the ground as Matt walks off
to sit in the chair he was sitting in before.
FENTON
I'm going to walk around. Nobody
move.
He quickly walks out of the room with the bat, slamming the
door as he leaves.
There is silence in the room until Matt decides to break it.
MATT
Why the hell do you support this
guy?
JULIE
He's just tense. We've been in this
room without much sleep, so it's
natural for some people to get
claustrophobic.
MATT
Tense? He's insane! He kept talking
to me about how weak Alex, everyone
was!
JULIE
We don't have much of a choice.
NICOLE
Don't have a choice? Come on,
Julie. You're older than him! Why
are you bowing down to this guy?
JULIE
Nicole, please.
NICOLE
Please, what? Matt's right, he's
gone off the deep end!
JULIE
I'm just trying to insure your -our-
safety.
NICOLE
I don't need to be controlled!
MATT
Everyone just SHUT UP!!!
Total silence.
MATT
If we can just keep our heads
clear, we can be OK. Just chill.
Fenton obviously needs to be dealt
with, but we can't do anything now.
(beat)
Wait 'til he comes back.
NICOLE
What about Alex?
He winces as he touches his probably broken nose.
Picking up the camera, Matt turns to the GLASS-PANELED room,
which is now covered in blood.
MATT
There might be a cure for her. We
just have to wait.
INT - GLASS-PANELED ROOM - DAY
A ZOMBIFIED ALEX lies bound by duct tape on the tile floor.
Brown-colored blood spits out the air pockets of the tape on
her mouth as she snarls loudly.
EXT - SCHOOL - DAY
A zombie, looking for a way in, stumbles upon the power
generator. The HIGH VOLTAGE sign is knocked away as the
zombie gets closer and closer. The zombie brushes against a
wire and...
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Suddenly, the power goes out. Panic ensues. Nicole and Tucker
run for the doors to the classroom but they don't budge.
Fenton has locked them.
INT - HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER
Fenton wanders the hallway, hitting the walls with the
baseball bat in grief. The eerie silence of the hallway is
punctuated with the hard SMACK of drywall.
Fenton slumps down and sobs, bringing his hand to his face.
However, something's wrong: two of his fingers have changed
hue to a MOTTLED GRAY. The virus is starting to take over in
its airborne form. This is the only thing that can get under
his skin.
Fenton is infected.
In the midst of his fear, the hallway is suddenly plunged
into darkness.
INT - SCHOOL ENTRANCE - MOMENTS LATER
There is a whirring "click" and the doors to the school open.
Multitudes of zombies pour in and flood every corridor. All
of this is caught on the school's video surveillance network.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Fenton comes running back in, terror on his face.
FENTON
They got in!
Fenton is almost cut off as Matt smacks him in the head with
his plastic chair. Fenton falls to the floor, unconscious.
Tucker runs to Matt's side and pulls out his duct tape.
MATT
Nicole, go look out the window.
She rushes to the door to look out the little window.
NICOLE
The magnets must have failed when
the power went out.
INT - CENTER STAIRCASE - DAY
The zombies continue to pour into the school. They can sense
their prey kept from them, creating a mood that Tantalus must
have felt eons ago.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - DAY
Nicole continues to look through the glass panel.
MATT
Nicole, move!
Matt pulls her back just as a zombie passes through the
panel's view. Everyone ducks to hide as they try to conceal
their location.
MATT
Looks like we're stuck here.
TUCKER
Yeah, thanks to Alex the infected
psychotic.
JULIE
We don't know how she was infected.
Besides, it wasn't her fault.
NICOLE
He's snapped just like Alex.
MATT
We don't need this right now.
Silence.
MATT (CONT'D)
We just need to figure out how to
get those zombies out of here.
NICOLE
We don't have any weapons.
Another pause of silence.
MATT
What do you mean, "we don't have
any weapons?"
NICOLE
They're all in the locker room.
MATT
Why don't we have any up here?
NICOLE
We were supposed to be safe, but I
guess we were wrong.
She glares at Fenton.
JULIE
It doesn't matter anymore if we
can't get outside.
(sliding down the wall)
We'll have to wait it out.
A pinging noise is heard.
TUCKER
What's that?
Matt fumbles with something.
MATT
The batteries are almost dead.
Another fumbling noise and the screen goes black.
INT - CENTER STAIRCASE - NIGHT
Many zombies are walking around in search of prey. They
wander through hallways aimlessly, without direction, seeking
for the prey that is not there.
INT - CLASSROOM - NIGHT
Fenton, bound with duct tape, is in the far corner of the
room in front of a door. He slowly wakes and realizes his
predicament.
FENTON
Let me out of this!
The others sit in the middle of the room, ignoring him. Matt
holds the baseball bat.
FENTON
Traitors! You were safe with me!
They remain silent. Fenton turns his head to look at Matt.
FENTON
It's all your fault, Matt! I
shouldn't have let you in in the
first place! You should have died
and become one of those things out
there!
He looks at Tucker.
FENTON
You too, Tucker! Like I didn't see
you and Matt conspiring behind my
back. It took me a while, but I did
some looking and now I know.
Matt and Tucker turn their heads in shock.
FENTON
Grandpa? You told me about your
Grandpa whenever you came here,
Tucker! Where are you hiding the
gun?!
Matt and Tucker continue to stare.
FENTON
Yeah, the gun. You think this can
hold me? I'm going to break out and
grab that bat and feed you to them!
Matt gets up and walks to the door next to Fenton.
MATT
There's no point in your shouting.
Now if you don't shut up, Alex will
get a hearty meal in the next
couple of minutes.
He shuts up. Matt, feeling justified, goes back to the center
of the room. He throws a sandwich to Fenton, which is opened.
MATT
Eat.
He begrudgingly begins to eat, his sandwich inching along the
floor as he tries to take bites.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - NIGHT
The six survivors have no lights on as to not attract the
zombies. The only way we are able to see is through night
vision on Matt's camera.
Julie and Nicole stand guard over the two doors of the
classroom.
Fenton sits in one of the corners wide-awake and holding his
trusty baseball bat.
Matt is in another corner filming them through the camera.
He is joined by Tucker, who sits to his left.
TUCKER
Hey.
MATT
Hi.
TUCKER
How's "grandpa"?
MATT
You keep asking me that. You know
Fenton doesn't really know where it
is.
TUCKER
How do you know?
MATT
Even idiots can bluff.
Tucker notices Matt is filming.
TUCKER
What are you doing?! Couldn't he
look at this later?!
MATT
I'll edit it out later.
TUCKER
When?
MATT
After we get out.
TUCKER
If we get out, Matt. Fat chance
with those things right outside our
door.
(beat)
I've always wondered why, Matt. Why
do you film everything? Our
conflict. Our grief.
(beat)
All this.
MATT
Why? Because when you press record,
the world changes. Your best friend
becomes your enemy. A horrible act
becomes a scene of triumph. And you
choose to stop recording. It's a
self-contained world...and you're
God.
(beat)
In my world, we aren't hiding. Alex
isn't in that room. Fenton isn't
bound over there. We're at home
with our families and friends.
We're happy.
(looking at Tucker)
It just makes everything feel
better, you know?
Tucker gets up and begins to go to the other side of the
room.
TUCKER
You might want to turn it off.
Aren't your batteries running out?
Matt does so.
After awhile, everyone starts to fall asleep. In a couple
minutes, Julie, Fenton, and Matt are the only ones awake.
Julie stands at one door while Fenton is at the other.
Suddenly, there is a BANG at the door. Everyone wakes up.
Matt bolts up from his slumber and grabs the camera, turning
it on. The camera goes to eye level and looks at everybody.
There is another BANG. A TEARING NOISE: Fenton is free.
Before he can round on the group, however, there is another
BANG. Fenton goes to see what is outside through a little
wired glass window in the door.
Suddenly he tries to run away, but to no avail. The door
opens and Fenton falls down. Several zombies run inside the
room. Fenton hits the zombies attacking him with his baseball
bat.
NICOLE
Fenton!
Nicole tries to save Fenton but she loses contact with him as
Tucker pulls her away.
Julie backs up in shock against the glass paneling where the
zombified Alex lies in wait. With a loud SHATTER, she breaks
the glass and grabs Julie's arm, sinking her teeth into it
immediately.
She pulls back, the sinewy flesh slowly ripping away from the
creature's jaws. The wound oozes wine-colored blood.
As the undead fill the room, the survivors run towards the
opposite door. Julie tries to run away at the last minute but
pauses, looking down at her bitten arm. She realizes what she
must do. She turns to Nicole, tears forming in her eyes.
JULIE
Say "hi" to Mom and Dad for me.
With a final gasp, Julie slams the door to the classroom.
Nicole runs to the door screaming for her sister, who is
hidden by the tremendous amount of zombies in the room.
Tucker pleads for her to get up.
NICOLE
Let go.
She wipes away tears, and, still sobbing, follows Matt and
Tucker as they run down the hallway.
INT - HALLWAY - NIGHT
The remaining four survivors run for their lives down the
dark hallway. Many zombies chase them as they go.
As the trio rounds a corner, a zombie manages to grab hold of
Nicole's ankle. She falls, screaming.
The zombie's legs are impaired as it crawls up to bite
Nicole. Suddenly, the zombie's head becomes a BLOODY
PULP...as it is destroyed by Fenton's bat. Nicole's face is
spattered with blood.
Fenton stands over Nicole and outstretches a bite-covered
hand. His eyes are becoming increasingly glossy. However, the
living dead still consider him edible.
FENTON
Get up.
She uses his arm as support as she gets to her feet. Fenton
points the bat to all of them.
FENTON
What are you lookin' at?! Run!
They run off down the hallway as numerous zombies come
lunging for him. Fenton readies himself. With baseball bat in
hand, he screams out his final words:
FENTON
Come and get me.
The event is a blur: Fenton beats a few zombies away with his
bat, crushing their skulls with a sickening spurt of gray
matter. For every zombie dead, however, three more appear in
its place. Fenton is quickly overpowered and he collapses to
the floor as the zombies feast on the treasure trove of
organs within their reach.
Fenton screams in pain and fear as his intestines are ripped
from his body, hastily becoming the sustenance of the undead.
A zombie munches on a finger, ripped from Fenton's "good"
hand.
Eventually the screams stop as Fenton's torso is dragged
away, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.
INT - CENTER STAIRCASE - NIGHT
The three survivors arrive at the main staircase, unsure of
where to continue. They look down at the entrance: it is
packed with zombies. One of the zombies spots Nicole and
starts up the stairs, a large group following her.
They back away from the staircase and start down the left
hallway, almost clear of zombies. The trio looks down the
opposite way: it's the same way.
MATT
Which way?
NICOLE
I don't know.
Suddenly, as if spurred by an unknown force, Tucker runs down
the left hallway and down a corridor filled with lockers.
NICOLE
Tucker!
Tucker turns around.
NICOLE
Good luck.
He smiles and continues running. Matt and Nicole are left
deciding which way to run as the undead lurch closer. They
look at each other, exchange a hug, and run opposite ways.
INT - HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER
Nicole, continuing down Tucker's hallway towards the
classroom, runs through a set of double doors to a small set
of stairs. She speeds down them and runs down the Fine Arts
hallway.
Instead of going further down the hallway, she makes a quick
right and down the stairs to the dungeon, the school's
basement. As she rounds the stairs, the zombies appear
running down the fine arts hallway.
Nicole reaches the dungeon doors. In a blur of panic and
fear, she manages to open the door to the section of the
school and gets inside. She locks the door behind her.
Nicole runs inside and breathes a sigh of relief. Then she
opens her eyes to see...zombies. She runs forward at them,
trying to get to the exit on the opposite side.
She runs through the "sci-tech room", picking up a power
drill as she escapes the zombies's grasp. She gets to it, but
it is barred shut, locked from the outside.
She turns to the numerous zombies running towards her. She
fires up the power drill. As one zombies comes closer, she
sticks the power drill inside its head, a putrid red liquid
oozing from the wound. She does the same to other zombies.
Suddenly, she loses power. She looks over at the drill's
battery gauge, which reads EMPTY.
She tries the door again, but to no avail. As she inhales to
scream, we...
INT - JANITOR'S CLOSET - MIDNIGHT
Cut to Tucker, who has decided to hole up in a closet. He is
breathing erratically. He gropes around in the dark and finds
a lone flashlight. As he turns it on, he spots the handgun.
Matt's hiding place.
INT - HALLWAY - SAME (MIDNIGHT)
Matt, still behind the camera, is running towards an empty
classroom, first closing a set of big metal doors behind him,
keeping out numerous zombies. He eventually gets inside a
classroom and shuts the door. The camera is set down, so we
only see Matt's legs in a crouched position. We can see a
little bit of his head, his ears being covered by his arms.
He is freaking out. We cut to him back out in the hall when
he hears another BANG and a WHINING. He turns around to see
the zombies chasing after him. He runs towards the very end
of the hallway when he stops to turn around again. The
zombies are closer. In front of him is another set of purple
doors.
Matt wrenches them open to find a set of stairs. Hearing the
zombies getting closer, Matt sprints down the stairs.
However, he accidentally trips, causing the camera to go
flying to the linoleum floor.
Matt quickly gets up and runs back for the camera, but on
second thought decides to continue fleeing. A wise choice.
He speeds down stairs and turns a corner. As the film slowly
runs out, the snarling of the vicious zombies grows louder,
as well as the sound of footsteps coming ever so closer.
INT - FINE ARTS BUILDING - NIGHT
The zombies run towards Nicole, who screams in terror.
However, a HAND grabs Nicole's shoulder and pulls her
outside.
EXT - SCHOOL - NIGHT
Nicole looks up at Matt, her savior.
MATT
You OK?
NICOLE
Yeah.
MATT
There's more coming. We have to
leave!
As he pulls her hand to run off, she pulls him back.
NICOLE
What about Tucker?!
INT - JANITOR'S CLOSET - MIDNIGHT
Tucker is still holding the handgun in his sweaty palms. He
clicks off the safety and slowly raises it. He places his
finger near the trigger...
Suddenly, the door flings open, Matt and Nicole running
inside. Tucker screams like a bat out of hell.
MATT
Tucker. Tucker! It's just me.
As he catches his breath, a LOUD BANG causes the group to
look towards the doors. Zombies pour into the hallway as they
slam the doors against the wall.
TUCKER
Oh, God.
Tucker grabs the gun and they all run off.
INT - HALLWAY/STAIRS - MOMENTS LATER
Matt, Nicole, and Tucker reach the end of a long stretch of
hallway. Tucker turns and runs.
TUCKER
I know where to go! Follow me!
INT - CLASSROOM - NIGHT
Our three survivors reach the point of their destination: an
empty classroom. Matt runs and locks the door. After sliding
open a vertically-opening window, they go outside into the
brisk night air.
EXT - SMALL BALCONY - NIGHT
The trio steps out onto a small balcony connecting two
classrooms. They look down at their feet: the big banner that
reads "Help Us!" has fallen from the roof, now worn by the
elements. They snap back to their senses as a jarring BANG is
heard. The window that separates them from the zombies is
barred and they wait for the salvation of daybreak.
FADE OUT.
EXT - SCHOOL ROOF - DAWN
Matt, Tucker, and Nicole are still on the balcony. Matt is
scanning the horizon for any signs of aircraft or land
transport. There is nothing.
TUCKER
Anything yet?
MATT
No. Not yet.
NICOLE
But they are coming, aren't they?
MATT
I hope. Are they gone yet?
Tucker gets up and looks through the window.
INT - SCHOOL HALLWAY - MORNING
The hallway is empty. The school is quiet and undisturbed.
EXT - SCHOOL ROOF - MORNING
Tucker turns to Matt and Nicole and nods. They move towards
the window and lift it open. They climb through the window
and enter the school.
INT - HALLWAY - MORNING
The trio walks down the hallway looking for anything that
would be of help. As they walk towards their classroom, Matt
spots something: his video camera.
The camera is heavily beat up, the lens cracked and missing
the viewfinder. He checks the tape inside: it is undamaged.
He pockets the tape and lets out a sigh. Whether it be from
relief or exasperation, he is now visibly happier.
Suddenly, there is a faint sound of static emanating from
inside their two-door classroom. It slowly dies, then starts
back up again.
NICOLE
The radio!
She exits the classroom with a crank radio. She cranks it
thoroughly and tunes the radio. She reaches a stable signal
and the group listens eagerly.
RADIO VOICE (V.O.)
...Because of the seriousness of
the situation, the city of Parker,
Arizona has been quarantined and
all rescue attempts by the National
Guard have been cancelled. The area
has been scheduled for demolition.
Everything is under control. You
are doing a service for your
country. I repeat again: because of
the seriousness of the situation...
While the message repeats, the impact of what the trio has
just heard starts to sink in. Tucker mutters to himself.
Nicole starts to cry. Matt holds her, a stony expression of
disbelief on his face.
After a long while, Tucker raises his head.
TUCKER
So that's it, then? We're not being
rescued?
MATT
I...I guess so.
NICOLE
So what do we do now?
Matt is troubled. He doesn't quite know how he should respond
to Nicole's question. He takes a deep breath...but has
nothing to say. He remains silent.
NICOLE
OK.
They turn and walk down the hallway. As they pass the bloody
trail left by Fenton's corpse, a FOUR-FINGERED HAND twitches
with a quiet crunch. Tucker turns around, causing the others
to do the same.
The hand moves forward, attached to a very bloody
arm...belonging to Fenton, now ZOMBIFIED. A throaty MOAN
escapes his bloody lips, flecks of blood spitting out. He
pulls himself forward towards the trio.
Matt steps forward and holds out his hand. Tucker slowly
hands him the handgun. Matt walks closer to Fenton and raises
the handgun. His hands are shaking. Fenton lurches closer,
his torso visibly torn.
EXT - SCHOOL - MORNING
The silence outside is penetrated by a loud GUNSHOT. In the
aftermath, there is no other noise except the cold wind.
INT - TWO-DOOR CLASSROOM - LATER
Matt pushes the broken-lock door open as the trio enters the
two-door classroom. Dried blood covers the linoleum floor.
The door to Alex's small room is wide open, the lock also
broken. More dried blood marks where Alex's body lay. Shreds
of duct tape lie around the room. Matt pulls out the supply
key and unlocks the door containing all the supplies. They
are unharmed.
INT - HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER
They each carry boxes of supplies down the hallway. Nicole is
silently crying, sometimes letting out a quiet sniffle.
Suddenly, she stumbles to the floor, causing her box of
supplies to scatter.
She can't take it...it's too much. No hope.
Nicole crumbles to the floor, sobbing. She starts gathering
her stuff, but Matt helps her gather her stuff as she looks
up, still crying, but not as much. They both place
miscellaneous items inside the box. Then, their foreheads
press together as they both break down crying. Tucker stands
several feet away, his face without expression but one can
feel his sadness.
Then Nicole notices it: the milky gray blotch on Matt's left
hand. Matt looks up and looks at Nicole's collarbone: a
similar gray blotch has formed. Their expressions turn to
horror. They look up at Tucker:
A few of his fingers have turned too.
TUCKER
Fenton was right. It was only a
matter of time.
Tucker looks out a nearby window.
EXT - SCHOOL - MORNING
Several zombies remain outside the school. One or two dead
bodies can be seen.
TUCKER
But we'll be different. We can take
them.
He turns back to Matt and Nicole.
TUCKER
Why not make the best of what we
have left?
The two get up, knees shaking. They stare at each other,
quiet. The silence sinks in.
INT - SCHOOL ENTRANCE - MORNING
The trio walks down the stairs of the school and towards the
entrance of the school. They stop for several seconds and
look back at their home.
Matt is the first to turn towards the entrance. He slowly
starts walking and quickens his pace. Tucker and Nicole
follow him. Nicole catches up to him and grasps his hand.
Tucker holds the gun.
Matt pushes open the door and they walk out, eclipsed by the
morning sun. They walk into the sunrise, away from Reiniger
High School. Escape from the prison.
Suddenly, we hear it. Silent at first, but growing louder
until it reaches a deafening volume: the moaning of the
undead.
As we remain on the entrance door, images of a military plane
flying in the sky flash by in the blink of an eye. Something
falls from the plane...very fast.
Suddenly, there is a rushing noise, followed by a SUDDEN
FLASH OF WHITE...and then nothing at all.
ROLL CREDITS.
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