S1: E5: Monkey Blood

            A younger Zach at age 13 is running outside crying, and carrying a rope with him. He’s running into the wooded area of the property. He climbs up a tree and ties a rope around the branch he stood on, and then ties the other end around his neck. Zach is crying louder, standing on the branch and looking down at the ground. He shuts his eyes tightly before he steps off the branch.

{Scene goes black}

            Lee is sitting on the ground staring at his dad’s severed arm. Lee’s face, shirt and hands are showered with blood. He hears the rovers in the mobile home-neighborhood getting closer. He stands up and pulls his dad into the truck. He throws the machete and the backpack into the bed of the vehicle and races into the driver’s seat, speeding away from the rovers.

{Intro}

            Mrs. Balusek runs inside the bathroom to Dylan with a medical kit. She takes Dylan’s arm, holding it tightly along the bone above the elbow to prevent blood flow. She pulls out one of the towels in the bathroom to cover the cut.

[Robyn]: Kelly! I need string or zip-ties; anything that’ll stop the bleeding!

            Kelly runs up to Robyn with a bandana. She ties it around Dylan’s arm above the cut as tight as she can.

[Robyn]: Ok Kelly, I need you to hold up his arm while I work on stopping the blood.

            Kelly holds Dylan's arm just like Robyn told her and she held his arm up above her head so that the blood flow would have to fight gravity and pressure points to get to the wound. The blood slows down some. Robyn cleans off as much blood as she can so she can look at the deepness of the wound.

[Robyn]: It’s not deep. But if the blood doesn’t stop he could possibly bleed out.

            Dylan is crying with growing regret of his actions. 

[Kelly]: Dylan, baby, I need you to relax.

            Zach and a few other students are outside the guest bedroom. Zach is freaking out, and Taylor, Danielle and Rose are crying. Robyn then calls out for Zach.

[Robyn]: Zach, do ya’ll have anything that you can think of that will stop the bleeding?!

[Zach]: Let me check!

            Zach runs into the kitchen cabinets where his grandma used to keep her medical supplies. He looks around and sees a small tincture of Iodine. He snatches it and then looks in the arts and crafts drawer in his grandpa’s old designer’s office. He finds a capsule of superglue, and races to the bathroom. He gives both of the items to Robyn.

[Zach]: I found some superglue and this extract of Iodine.

[Robyn]: This will work?

[Zach]: My grandpa used both of the stuff for when he got cuts and it worked pretty well. Construction workers used to call the Iodine stuff “Monkey Blood”.

            Robyn took the Monkey Blood, opened it and poured several drops on the line of the cut. Dylan yelled at the top of his lungs in agony.

[Robyn]: Zach, hold the cut together so I can glue it.

            Zach runs to Dylan’s arm and squeezes the wrist together as Robyn spread huge blobs of superglue onto his arm.

[Robyn]: Is there a hairdryer in here?

[Zach]: Center drawer under the sink.

            Robyn opened the drawer and pulled out the hairdryer, plugged it into the power outlet, and activated it, holding it over the superglue so that the heat dried it up quicker. Just then, Dylan’s knees buckle as he falls unconscious and he collapses. Zach and Kelly carry him to the bed.

[Kelly]: Use the pillows to keep his arm up.

            They stack pillows on top of each other and set Dylan’s arm on the stack. Robyn sits beside him to continue to dry up the superglue. Kelly takes Zach outside the guest room and closes the door.

            Lee is going over 90 miles per hour down the road. He pulls into the property and parks the truck just outside the green house. He takes his dad’s shotgun and fires a shot into the air. He pulls his dad out of the car as Dustin and Shane rush out to see what the shot was. They help Glenn into the house. Glenn, at this point is unconscious due to loss of blood. Maddy sees her dad and sobs loudly along with everyone else who saw him. They lay him on the bed in the boy’s bedroom. The arm is still bleeding badly.

[Lee]: (Crying) He was bit I didn’t know what else to do!

[Shane]: You’re ok, Lee, you might’ve just saved his life.

            Dustin took off his belt and tightened it around the arm a couple of inches from the sliced area.

[Dustin]: We gotta keep his arm elevated.

[Shane]: I could rig up a string that’ll tie around the arm and secure the string on the wall.

[Dustin]: Ok, do that now.

            Shane runs out of the room to find supplies.

            Lee is just outside the guy’s bedroom in tears when Maddy runs to him and hugs him. Lee hugs her tightly crying into her shoulder.

[Maddy]: Come on, let’s go, you don’t need to see this. 

            Lee and Maddy back out of the room and close the door. Lee sprints across the property and inside the white house. He runs up to Kelly as other students freak out at seeing him covered in blood. Zach is surprised to see him.

[Zach]: Lee?

[Lee]: Dustin needs Kelly and all the medical stuff we can. My dad’s hurt.

[Kelly]: Ok, I’ll get the stuff.

            Lee runs back out to the other side before Zach can ask further questions. Shane has already strung Glenn’s arm up so that it’s elevated. Shane isn’t in the room when Kelly comes in. There is still blood coming out but not as much as earlier. Glenn’s skin is increasingly pale. Kelly runs inside the room with the medical supplies. She gasps in shock at seeing Glenn’s missing arm.

[Dustin]: We need to wrap it.

[Kelly]: We can’t until it stops bleeding, or else it’ll just bleed through the gauze.

[Dustin]: How do we stop the bleeding?!

            Shane steps into the room with the lid to a pot. The lid is glowing red with heat.

[Shane]: We have to cauterize it.

            Shane kneels down next to the stump and holds the lid firmly against the stump. The stump hisses as the flesh cooks. Smoke rises from the wound. After a minute or two, Shane pulls away the lid, some of the flesh sticking to the it.

[Shane]: We might need to do it one more time just to ensure the cauterization worked.

            Shane goes back out the room and to the kitchen stove to heat the lid again. Lee steps into the room.

[Lee]: Is he gonna be ok?

[Kelly]: Of course he is, honey.

            Dustin looks doubtful. With the amount of blood lost, Glenn could possible die.

[Kelly]: Why don’t you go step out of the room, we’ll do what we can, ok?

            Lee walks back out of the room and closes the door. He steps into the living room and Zach is standing there. They’re the only two in the room.

[Zach]: (Quietly) what happened?

[Lee]: (Shaken voice) we were attacked. He was bit, so I…

[Zach]: I’m sorry, man. I sorry for a lot. I’m sorry for almost hitting you this morning.

[Lee]: You don’t have to be. I get it.

[Zach]: Whatever happens, Lee, I promise I’ll be here.

[Lee]: Thanks man.

            The two “bro-hug” it out. Lee and Zach start walking towards the white house.

[Zach]: (Hesitant) Dylan cut his wrist this morning.

[Lee]: What?!

[Zach]: He should be ok though. Before you came, we managed to stop the bleeding. I don’t know how he’s doing now, though.

[Lee]: Dang.

            The two are walking outside across the property.

[Lee]: Things literally have been getting worse every day.

[Zach]: …

[Lee]: I mean we’ve been here for three days. I thought it was bad enough having to be around people who’ve worn the same pair of socks and underwear for the past few days, so thanks, by the way, for letting me wear some of your clothes.

[Zach]: Yeah.

[Lee]: But then Dylan’s family, and then yours…now Dylan attempted suicide and I had to chop off my own dad’s arm. I’m getting so sick of this, you know?

[Zach]: …Yeah.

[Lee]: (Hesitant) Sorry, I wasn’t thinking when I brought up your family.

[Zach]: It’s fine.

            A tear rolls down his face and Zach wipes it away. They reach the white house and they walk inside the guest bedroom where Dylan is still unconscious. Robyn is sitting beside him in a chair watching him.

[Robyn]: Lee, you’re back!

            She gives Lee a hug.

[Robyn]: Why are you bleeding, what happened?!

[Lee]: You need to go to the other house. It’s dad.

            Robyn covers her mouth with her hands.

[Robyn]: What happened?

[Lee]: He should be fine. You’ll just have to go.

[Robyn]: …Ok, when it reaches 4:30 wrap his wrist in gauze carefully. His arm should be ready in a couple of minutes I wanna make sure the glue is dry.

            Robyn immediately leaves the room, leaving the two to watch Dylan. Lee notices the orange stain on Dylan’s wrist as well as the huge amount of dried superglue around the wrist.

[Lee]: Superglue?

[Zach]: …

[Lee]: What’s the orange stuff?

[Zach]: Monkey Blood.

[Lee]: What?

[Zach]: It’s an Iodine extract. Construction workers used to call it “Monkey Blood”.

[Lee]: Oh.

[Zach]: My grandpa used it all the time…he used to manage his own construction business.

[Lee]: That’s cool.

            Alissa is talking to her brother Josh in the living room of the white house.

[Alissa]: We need to talk to Dustin about going back home.

[Josh]: Right.

[Alissa]: Thing is, they’re probably not gonna let us and Nick go on our own.

[Josh]: Of course not.

[Alissa]: I’m just saying that right now things are really crazy, but we need to get home. 

[Josh]: Right.

[Alissa]: What do you think? Should we just leave a note and then go, or wait another couple of days?

[Josh]: I don’t know. I wish we could call our parents but the phone lines went down yesterday I can’t get a hold of them.

[Alissa]: Yeah. I’m gonna go talk to Nicholas and see what he thinks.

[Josh]: Ok.

            Alissa gets up and walks away. Josh watches her leave. He looks down at the ground contemplating of what they should do.

            Taylor’s grandpa drives into the parking lot and takes her home. Dustin waves them goodbye. He stays outside by himself to enjoy the silence. He covers his hands with his face.

[Dustin]: (Whisper) when is this going to end? Is it going to end?

            Dustin moves his hands from his face.

[Dustin]: (Normal voice) is this the end?

            Noah comes out of nowhere and hugs his dad’s leg.

[Noah]: Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy.

            Dustin smiles and picks up his son and hugs him as he walks back inside.

            Glenn’s arm is wrapped up. The string rig was taken down, allowing his arm to rest on top of several pillows to keep it elevated. Robyn is crying over him, and Maddy is in the corner with tears falling down her face. Haven comes into the room and hugs Maddy.

[Robyn]: Come back to me, Glenn. I lost a husband before I can’t bear to lose you.

            Robyn kisses Glenn’s forehead.

[Robyn]: (Sobbing) I love you, Glenn.

            Dylan’s entire arm is poorly wrapped in several layers of gauze. Lee and Zach are standing over him.

[Lee]: I think that’s good.

[Zach]: Yeah.

            The two hear the sound of a car engine turning on. They run outside and see Josh, Alissa, and Nicholas in Josh’s truck about to leave the property. Zach and Lee run in front of the truck to stop it. Josh slams on the breaks and gets out of the truck.

[Zach]: What are ya’ll doing?!

[Josh]: We’re going home.

            Alissa gets out of the car.

[Zach]: Without telling me: one of your best friends?! You just decide to leave expecting everyone to not notice?!

            Zach pushes Josh in the chest. Alissa steps between the two.

[Alissa]: That’s not true! We didn’t wanna burden Dustin or any of the others to have to come with us while everything else is going on!

[Lee]: My sister needs her friends right now; all of them. And it honestly doesn’t help either way for you guys to leave.

[Alissa]: We want to stay with you guys, don’t think that we don’t!

[Zach]: Then stay until we figure this out! We’ll figure it out I know it!

[Alissa]: Almost four days, Zach. I can only imagine what our parents are thinking right now. They probably think we’re dead.

[Zach]: And you think you will be any different going out there on your own?

[Josh]: You expect us to stay here?

[Lee]: No…well I mean, kind of, but just until things slow down before the adults freak out over a couple of students disappearing all of the sudden.

            There is a pause for a few seconds.

[Josh]: We’ll stick around.

            Alissa turns around to face josh with a bit of shock on her face.

[Josh]: They’re right. If we leave we’ll just be another problem for them.

            Alissa understands and calms down.

[Alissa]: Fine. But once Mr. Balusek is for sure gonna make it-

[Lee]: My dad will make it.

[Alissa]: Then we have to get to our family.

[Zach]: We understand, Alissa, we do. We just love you guys too much. Ya’ll are family.

            Zach hugs Alissa and bro-hugs Josh.

[Zach]: Just don’t leave without saying goodbye. I’m sorry for pushing you.

[Josh]: Don’t worry about it.

           

            Another car pulls into the property in front of the green house. It’s Haven and Emily Chance’s parents. The two step out of the vehicle and Dustin leads them inside. They walk into the boy’s bedroom to see Glenn. Mrs. Chance hugs Robyn.

[Mrs. Chance]: We saw the paper on the student center door while we were looking for Haven and Emily. Are they here?

[Robyn]: Yes, they’re here. They’re probably in the other house on the other side.

[Dustin]: I’ll walk them over.

[Mrs. Chance]: I’m sorry Robyn. We’ll be praying for him. We’ll stay until he gets better.

[Robyn]: Thank you.

            Dustin, and Mr. and Mrs. Chance walk into the white house. Haven and Emily immediately run to them and hug them. Emily starts crying.

[Emily]: I thought ya’ll were dead!

[Mrs.]: We’re here now, Emmie, it’s ok.

            Zach, Josh, Alissa, Lee and Nick watch the family’s reunion in the kitchen until they hear Dylan groan in the guest room. The five run inside to see him. Zach sits next to him. Dylan is waking up.

[Zach]: Hey, man, hey you’re ok, dude.

            Dylan sees his friends watching him. At first he’s confused as to why they’re looking at him, and then he remembers. He covers his face with his hands.

[Dylan]: I…

[Zach]: (interrupts) you’re alive, and that’s all you gotta worry about. I’m glad you’re safe, man.

[Dylan]: (Sighs) Dude, now everybody’s gonna judge me and-

[Alyssa]: No one’s gonna do that, Dylan.

[Lee]: If they do, we’ll punch them in the nuts.

[Zach]: No one is gonna look at you differently, man. I know it.

[Dylan]: How? They all know what I tried to do! I feel awful, bro.

[Zach]: I know because a lot of us here right now have tried the same thing you did…

            Dylan looks at Zach as well as the other four. Zach hesitates before finishing his sentence.

[Zach]: …including me.

[Nicholas]: Seriously? What? That’s stupid what do-

[Alissa]: (Punches Nick in the stomach) shut up nick!

[Zach]: (Hesitates) I was thirteen, I was depressed because I was rejected by almost everyone. I was self-centered and thought my life would be better if I ended it. So I climbed up a tree and tied a rope around the branch and the other end around my neck, and then I stepped off….

            Zach sees a flashback of him stepping off the branch.

[Zach]: …and then I heard a loud snap. I thought that was it; I just killed myself; I just ended my life because life threw me a curve ball in that particular time. I just killed myself not thinking of what my family would react to seeing my lifeless body dangling from a tree. I felt this overwhelming weight of selfishness but I knew it was too late. Then suddenly…

            Zach sees a flashback of himself landing on the ground hard.

[Zach]: My feet hit the ground and I landed on my back. I didn’t know what was happening. I looked around and behind me…was the branch that I tied the rope around. It just snapped. Like a twig. I felt so relieved in that moment, I started crying. I was given a second chance that I didn’t deserve, but God gave it to me anyways. I think it was that moment that I decided to live out my life as a better Christian. Since then I have friends that I call family. Lee, Josh, Alissa, Maddy, you. Ya’ll are my family, and I almost lost all of you when I lost my mind yesterday.

[Lee]: Nah, man. You wouldn’t have lost us, just like you won’t lose us, Dylan. We got you.

[Zach]: (slight smile) But hey Dylan, listen. Just because life is hard now, doesn’t mean it’s going to be hard forever. You gotta pull through, poor some monkey blood on it, and move on as best you can. Find a reason to keep going, and there’s always is a reason.     

            Dylan nods, and bro-hugs Zach.

            Haven and Maddy are talking in the living room of the green house.

[Haven]: So maybe now we can go to the farm.

[Maddy]: Yeah. Well, I don’t know, because my mom was saying that things might change with Zach and Hannah and everything.

[Haven]: They could come with us.

[Maddy]: Yeah they should that would be cool. But I don’t know, my mom’s weird, she doesn’t think there’s enough room, not even for your family, and my family, and Brittany’s family.

[Haven]: Yeah.  

[Maddy]: I just can’t wait for it all to be over.

            Lee, Brittany, Dylan and Zach are sitting on the couch in the living room of the white house.

[Brittany]: So what do you think is gonna happen?

[Lee]: The farm?

[Brittany]: Yeah.

[Lee]: (Inhales sharply) I don’t know. I don’t really see the point. We haven’t seen any rovers for the past three days.

[Zach]: Almost four.

[Dylan]: It’s only been three days? It felt like an entire week.

[Lee]: Yeah.

            The four are silent for a few seconds. Zach is thinking hard.

[Zach]: (Mumbling) we could stay here.

[Brittany]: What?

[Zach]: We could stay here. There’s plenty of room for more beds, we’re isolated from most of society so rovers are gonna be fewer in number…

[Lee]: I don’t know, tell that to my dad.

[Zach]: Ok yeah what happened was terrible, but at the same time, if we’re honest with ourselves, we don’t know how to deal with any of this. All we know is how to kill them, and how to distract them. We haven’t figured out how to survive this, but when we do, we will.

[Dylan]: That’s true.

[Zach]: We can build stronger fences, put together inventions to help us collect water when it rains, we can plant food and go on supply runs when we need to, my grandpa has the gun shop just outside the house and I know how to make bullets so we don’t have to worry about ammo…we could survive here.

[Lee]: …Honestly, it’s not a bad idea.

[Dylan]: We should talk to the adults. See what they think.

[Zach]: You want to?

[Brittany]: Yeah we really should, plus it’s in the area of most of the homes of the other kids and it would give us more time to find their parents.

[Zach]: Exactly. We should go talk to them, let’s go.

{Cut to the end of the conversation between the four kids and Dustin, Robyn, Mr. and Mrs. Chance, and Shane.}

[Robyn]: No.

[Zach]: Hold up, let me finish: If we stay here, first of all, it’ll give Uncle Glenn more time to heal, and less stress. Also, we’re already here, and risking the safety of everyone just to get to another area that is just like this one doesn’t make sense. Plus, there’s enough room for all of us, even the students. We throw away the furniture we don’t need and replace them with beds, and…

[Dustin]: No, Zach, listen. This isn’t some apocalypse movie where all of your best friends survive together all the way to the end. This is actually happening and people are dying. We all have families to go to, even if some of the students lost some. You seriously can’t expect all of us to stay here and not go back to the rest of our families?

[Zach]: Well no, but at the same time how would we find them in the first place? If the kid’s parents are not at their homes, where else are we gonna go? Do you expect all of these kids to remember where their uncles and aunts or grandparents live if they have any?

[Dustin]: So you’re just gonna give up on them and have them stay here?

[Zach]: (Raising his voice) No, that’s the thing, staying here will buy us more time to help them find their way back home!

[Lee]: It really is safer here too, attempting to get our farm would be risking too much because we gotta drive through town and down the highways and that’s gonna be impossible.

[Robyn]: How can you think this place is safer? Do you realize what could happen to your father?!

[Lee]: Because we didn’t know and we still don’t know how to deal with them! Look we had a good system going using sound to drive them away and everything, it was because dad’s truck got stuck that this is happening not because it isn’t isolated enough!

[Zach]: But we’ll learn, we’ll figure it out because that’s how we’re gonna make it is by learning. We’ll wait for Uncle Glenn to heal, and then we’ll help the students find their families-

[Dustin]: You guys can do what you want, but my family and I aren’t staying.

            The group is silent.

[Dustin]: Kelly and I were gonna wait to tell you after Glenn healed, but apparently I gotta tell you now. We’re leaving as soon as Glenn’s survival is confirmed.

            Brittany starts tearing up.

[Brittany]: After all that’s happened and after everything we’ve been through your just gonna leave?

[Dustin]: I have family, Brittany. Kelly has family. We can’t abandon them. I don’t want to leave I really don’t. But I have to do what I feel is best for my family.

            Brittany starts crying, she walks away from the conversation. Lee is beginning to tear up. A tear roles down Dustin’s cheek but he quickly wipes it away. Zach starts welling up with tears.

[Dustin]: Now, Zach. I know you’re trying to make things work out so that everyone wins. But it’s not. You just can’t.

            Zach shuts his eyes tightly to hold the tears and walks away. Dylan follows him. The adults are quietly standing together.

            Brittany and Lee are sitting together up against the wall of the girl’s bedroom. Shane walks in.

[Brittany]: (Sobbing) did you know about Dustin leaving?!

[Shane]: No, Brittany I-

[Brittany]: Are you leaving too?!

[Shane]: No, of course not, you and Roger while your mom isn’t here are my responsibility. You need to relax, and calm down. 

[Brittany]: (Sobbing) After everything…all those praise band practices the events we planned for the youth group all summer, all the good times the youth had with Dustin and now all of the sudden he’s just gonna leave.

[Shane]: You have to understand his predicament. You want to see your mom just as much as Dustin wants to see his family. As close as you are to Dustin, he’s not your family.

[Brittany]: You don’t have to be blood to be family, Shane! You and I and Roger of all people should know that!

[Lee]: Brittany…

[Brittany]: No, Lee, you are not taking Shane’s side on this!

[Lee]: (Stands up) I’m not taking anyone’s side, Brittany but you have to understand what’s happening.

[Brittany]: (Stands up) Do you wanna know what’s actually happening?! We are falling apart! Our youth group used to be so tight but now when things are falling about and when our relationships are supposed to be stronger…we’re falling apart just like the rest of world. You know maybe Dustin never cared in the first place! Maybe all this time, me, you, Zach, Lauren, all the older kids were just kids going through the youth group and made Dustin smile every once and a while!

[Lee]: Ok, you and I both know that’s not true.

[Brittany]: Then what is, Lee?! What else is there?!

            The three simply stare at each other without a response.

[Lee]: There’s me…Shane, Zach…my sister and mom, there are still people here that you call family. If you really care about Dustin like I do, you have to let him go to his family. If God plans it, then we’ll see him again.

            Brittany is left without words. She burst into tears submitting to what Lee and Shane were trying to tell her.  

            Zach is walking down the hallway entrance to his house in tears when he suddenly hears the door knock. He stops what he’s doing and slowly walks towards the door. He opens it, and standing in front of him covered in dirt and blood stains is Timothy and Kelly Roland.

{Scene goes black}

{End Credits}

S1: E4: Repair

            {Panning right}

            The graves of Joanne, Tray, Todd, and Parker Golden are surrounded by the group. They are mourning the four of their dead outside along the side of the fence beside the pond within the property. Hannah is crying and Zach is zoning out as a ringing noise in his head grows ever louder. Hannah runs off.

[Dustin]: Zach, do you wanna say a few words?

            Zach is distracted by the noise. He’s hitting himself in the head to try to make it stop. Some of the students are staring at him. Lee, (who is standing beside him) nudges his shoulder.

[Lee]: (Whisper) Zach…?

            Zach looks at the group and at the graves. For a moment the ringing stops. Zach blinks hard and then walks away from the group. Brittany looks at Lee, and Lee looks back at her, knowing that now is a good time to talk to Zach. Lee goes after his friend.

            Zach is walking towards his grandma’s house. Lee catches up behind him.

[Lee]: Zach…

            Zach keeps walking. Lee puts his hand on Zach’s shoulder. Suddenly, Zach grabs Lee’s arm and pulls him to the ground, kneels down on his chest and yells as he gets ready to throw a punch at Lee. He stops when he realizes that he’s about to hit his friend. He stands back up and walks away leaving Lee on the ground shocked and confused.

            Zach hides inside the bathroom tub squeezing the sides of his head and banging the back of his head against the wall trying to get the noises to stop.

{Intro}

            Shane is sitting alone in Zach’s house. He’s looking at a picture of his wife Noel on his phone. Brittany walks into the room and Shane wipes away his tears.

[Brittany]: Hey.

[Shane]: Hello.

            Brittany sits beside him.

[Brittany]: I’m sorry, Shane.

[Shane]: Noel could very well be alive. I’m not giving up on her yet until I find the body.

            Shane looks at Brittany.

[Shane]: You shouldn’t give up on your mom either.

[Brittany]: I’m not. It’s just…

[Shane]: It’s been a while.

[Brittany]: Yeah. Roger doesn't really seem to feel anything anymore.  

[Shane]: Brittany, now is the time when you need to hold your brother close. I’m not saying something happened to your mom, but if that were the case, Roger is gonna need you.

[Brittany]: Yeah. (Smiles) He’s gonna need you too, so don’t go anywhere.

[Shane]: (Chuckles)

            Suddenly, they hear the sound of a car pulling into the property. It’s Mr. Nichols: Audrey and Bailey’s dad. Shane and Brittany get up and run outside. Bailey and Audrey run towards their dad and hug him.

[Audrey]: (Crying) I thought you were dead!

[Keith Nichols]: No, kiddo I’m here, I’m here.

            Dustin walks out towards Keith and pats him on the shoulder.

[Dustin]: I’m glad you’re here, Keith. I was getting worried, and your kids were beginning to be a handful.

[Keith]: (Laughs) I bet. I can only imagine how Todd must feel right now!

[Dustin]: ….

[Keith]: What? Is he…?

[Dustin]: It’s gotten really bad for some of the kids. Dylan, Zach, possibly some of the other students is orphaned at this point.

[Keith]: My lord…

[Dustin]: You need to go. Find a safe, isolated place for your family, and stay there.

            Keith nods and hugs his daughters one more time.

[Keith]: Kids, let’s go.

            Audrey and Bailey hug there friends one last time and get in the car. Keith gets in and they drive away. Dustin watches them drive off, and he walks back into the house with the rest of the students.

            Zach is going crazy as the noises grows louder and louder. Finally, he gets out of the bathroom and walks outside. He’s looking around to see if anyone is watching. He then climbs over the wooden fence and into the forested area surrounding his property and he runs deeper into the wood.

           

            Glenn and Robyn are talking inside the green house.

[Robyn]: We need to figure out what we’re gonna do. Our plans were to go to the farm, but we can’t go without Haven’s parents, or Brittany’s mom. And Zach, he’s family, he’s like our adoptive son and he just lost nearly everything.

[Glenn]: I’m not sure what we should do right now. But I think we need to stick around until we get everything situated with the kids finding their parents, and when we can we can think about leaving.  

[Robyn]: Ok.

[Glenn]: But right now, we don’t even have the fuel to get there. I’m gonna talk to Dustin to try to go on a fuel run to see if we can’t try to refuel all the vehicles.

[Robyn]: Ok. And take Lee with you.

[Glenn]: Why should Lee go when he could be safe here with you?

[Robyn]: Because he needs his father. He needs someone to look up to right now.

[Glenn]: Okay.

            Lee is sitting in the guest bedroom at the white house mulling over what happened to him and Zach a few minutes ago. Brittany comes in and sits beside him.

[Brittany]: Did you talk to him?

[Lee]: (Chuckles) Kinda…not really…no not really at all.

[Brittany]: What happened?

[Lee]: (Looks at Brittany) I came up to him, and he threw me to the ground and almost punched me. As if he didn’t know it was me.

[Brittany]: Did he hit you?

[Lee]: No, but he was about to.

[Brittany]: Where is he now?

[Lee]: He was walking into the house afterwards but I didn’t see him when I came in.

            Zach is sprinting through the woods. The noise is increasingly loud. Finally he reaches an open area with tall grass. He crouches low and pulls out his knife and listens. For several minutes it’s quiet before finally he hears faint growling out in the distance. He runs towards the noise until he finds a lonely rover walking through the grass. He taunts it letting it chase him for a couple of minutes before finally; he tackles it to the ground and stabs it several times in the chest to see the blood run out. Blood sloshes onto his clothes and face, and then he jams the knife into the rover’s eye socket. Zach sits down beside it. The ringing noise stops, and Zach feels at peace.

            Robyn and Glenn walk inside the white house. Maddy runs up to them.

[Maddy]: Mom, Zach isn’t anywhere. He’s not at the green house or over here.

[Robyn]: What?

            Zach walks back onto the property with blood stains all over his clothes and splattered on his face. He walks through the front door just as Robyn was walking by. She jumps at seeing him. Maddy, Lee, Brittany, and a few other students see Zach.

[Robyn]: (Shocked) Zach! Where were you?!

[Zach]: I’m fine.

[Robyn]: Is that your blood?!

[Zach]: No.

            Robyn pauses.

[Robyn]: Zach…what did you do?

            Zach doesn’t respond. Robyn slaps Zach across the face.

[Robyn]: (Crying) how can you do this to us; to your sister?

            Zach doesn’t respond. Robyn grabs Zach’s wrists and checks them for cuts. There are none.

[Robyn]: Zach, please just tell me what you were doing out there?

[Zach]: (Whisper) I killed a rover.

[Robyn]: Why? You had no reason to go out there. You were safe here on the property.

            Zach doesn’t respond.

[Robyn]: Give it to me. The knife, give it to me.

            Zach slowly pulls the knife out. Robyn takes it from him.

[Robyn]: Go clean yourself right now.

            Zach walks away.

            Dylan is in the bathroom. (Audience can’t see what he is doing) Annie bangs on the door outside the restroom. Dylan frantically puts stuff away. He throws toilet paper covered in blood into the toilet and flushes it. He washes the blood off of his wrist and places several Band-Aids over the multiple cuts.

[Dylan]: I’m almost done.

[Annie]: Hurry up, I have to go!

            Dylan steps out of the bathroom and Annie runs in. He mulls over what he just did.

           

            Glenn and Lee load up the five empty tanks of fuel into Glenn’s truck, and Lee takes Dustin’s keys. Brittany stood by watching the two load up.

[Brittany]: Be careful.

[Lee]: I will. It’ll be ok it’s just a fuel run.

            Dustin pats Lee on the back.

[Dustin]: Hey. Be careful with my truck.

[Lee]: Sure thing, jelly bean.  

            Dustin smiles and walks away. Lee looks at Brittany.

[Lee]: You think you could get Maddy or Josh to talk to him?

[Brittany]: I mean… I could try. But if they don’t want to I’ll see what I can do.

[Lee]: Thanks. I’ll see you soon.

            Lee gets into the truck and Glenn gets into his and they drive away. Brittany watches them leave and then she and Dustin go back inside.

           

            Pulling up to one of the gas stations at 242, Lee and Glenn pull into their own service pods.

[Lee]: So we just use our cards?

[Glenn]: I guess so.

[Lee]: That sucks.

[Glenn]: At this point the most valuable thing on the planet is weapons and fuel. 

[Lee]: True.  

            The service pods give about two gallons each before stalling, and indicating that the pod needs refilling.

[Glenn]: Let’s check the other 6 before moving to another gas station.

[Lee]: Dude this is gonna take forever.

            Brittany walks up to Maddy, who is hanging out with Haven, Lauren, and Maddison.

[Brittany]: Maddy, can I talk to you real quick?

            Maddy gets up and walks into a room with Brittany.

[Brittany]: I need you to talk to Zach.

[Maddy]: Ok.

[Brittany]: Thank you so much. Lee has already tried and he almost got punched in the face. Plus, you’re a close friend of Zach’s just like Lee, but maybe since things have died down, it’ll be easier.

[Maddy]: I’ll talk to him.

            Zach is sitting inside the guest bedroom of his grandma’s house. Maddy walks in.

[Maddy]: Hey.

            Zach doesn’t respond. Maddy sits next to him.

[Maddy]: You ok?

[Zach]: …

[Maddy]: Zach.

[Zach]: …

[Maddy]: Ok, you know I’m not good at this sorta thing so here’s the deal. You still have people here that care about you, and if you don’t wake up and realize it then you will lose everything. So suck it up and get over it because half of these kids are going through the same thing.

            Maddy gets up to walk away.

[Zach]: I went hunting with my dad and grandpa once.

            Maddy sits back down.

[Zach]: I was eight. We didn’t ever see anything. On our last day, my dad told my grandpa to let me shoot a shotgun. It was my first time. I shot it. (Slight chuckle) I started fighting tears, (Tear roles down Zach’s face) I wasn’t ready for the kick. My grandpa took the shot gun and told me, “One day you’ll be ready.” I ran to my dad and gave him a hug. He told me it was ok.

[Maddy]: …

[Zach]: Yesterday at the church. I thought I was ready. Deep down, I knew my father was dead. I just didn’t want to believe myself. What did he mean?

[Maddy]: What?

[Zach]: (Tears role down his face.) What did he mean when he said “it was ok”?

[Maddy]: That it was ok to cry…to not be ready at the moment. Thing is we can’t ever be ready. Eventually, I’m gonna die, Lee, Brittany, Hannah, even you; we’re all gonna die. It just depends on where and how it happens.

[Zach]: (Looks at Maddy.)

[Maddy]: But, your sister needs you. She’s getting bad, and she needs her big brother. If you’re not there, who knows what she’ll do.

            Maddy leaves the room. Brittany is waiting for her.

[Brittany]: So how’d it go?

[Maddy]: I don’t know… I feel like I was getting somewhere. It was hard to tell.

            Another vehicle pulls into the property. It’s another one of the student's parents. Dustin helps the students to their vehicles. They say goodbye to their friends one last time and they drive away. As they drive away another parent pulls into the property.

            Glenn and Lee leave the gas station, each with almost half a fuel tank, but none of the five gallon tanks that they brought with them filled yet. Lee pulls out a walkie-talkie.

[Lee]: I’m just throwing this out there, but some of these old mobile homes and their garages could have fuel, especially in that neighborhood down the road.

[Glenn]: We’re not gonna trespass onto someone’s property.

[Lee]: But most of the people here left or didn’t make it. If we-

[Glenn]: Lee we don’t talk like that. We can’t assume that all these people are dead. We’re not gonna do it.

[Lee]: I’m not saying that everyone’s dead, I’m just saying there are gonna be at least a handful of houses that aren’t holding people anymore.

[Glenn]: We’re not gonna intrude on people’s homes. End of discussion.

            Lee puts down the walkie-talkie. He looks irritated as they drive down the road. They pull up to another gas station, but Glenn notices a sign on each row of pods saying “no more fuel”. They continue searching.

           

            Annie’s mom pulls out of the parking lot with Annie. Dustin waves goodbye. Shane watches the car drive away.

[Shane]: We’re gonna miss them. But it’s really nice to lighten the load.

[Dustin]: I was gonna say. (Chuckles)

            The ringing starts again in Zach’s head. He’s still in the guest bedroom. He’s clutching his head to try to get it to stop. He sees flashes of rovers, and running blood. He feels the urge to go out and kill again. Then he hears voices.

[Tray]: One day you’ll be ready.

[Todd]: It’s ok.

[Tray]: I love ya, son.

            The voices stop.

[Zach]: (Breathing heavily)

[Maddy]: Thing is we can’t ever be ready. Eventually, I’m gonna die, Lee, Brittany, Hannah, even you; we’re all gonna die. It just depends on where and how it happens.

            Zach stops breathing heavily.

           

            Brittany is at the green house in the game room with her guitar. Some of the students are in there with her. They start singing “You’re A Good, Good Father”.

{“You’re a Good, Good Father” song playing}

            Zach walks outside.

            Almost every student and adult is in the game room singing.

            Zach walks over to the green house.

            Hannah is in her old room wiping tears from her face. Zach walks inside.

            Students continue to sing.

            Zach sits next to Hannah. The ringing noise is growing louder. Zach puts his arm over Hannah and hugs her. Hannah hugs him back. The ringing stops.

                       

            {“You’re A Good, Good Father” song fades out}

            Lee picks up the walkie-talkie to contact his dad while they’re driving down the road.

[Lee]: Dad, we haven’t gotten any fuel since the first station we hit. Let’s go check out some of the houses.

[Glenn]: Lee-

[Lee]: No, Dad. Listen. We’re losing more gas than we’re finding, if we’re actually gonna get gas like we’re out here for, then let’s check out the houses that are empty. Nobody is gonna care if we take some stuff from a house that nobody is using anymore. It’s not like the cops are gonna arrest us.

[Glenn]: Son…

[Lee]: Dad. Come on.

            There is a slight pause.

[Glenn]: Ok. 

            Lee puts down the walkie-talkie and gets excited. The trucks turn around and drive towards the mobile-home neighborhood. They pull inside and park next to a house. They step outside. Lee has a lever-action rifle, and Glenn has a shotgun.

[Glenn]: We’re gonna knock first.

[Lee]: Yeah.

            They walk up to the front door and knock a few times. The door is already slightly open. They hear shuffling from inside.

[Glenn]: Yeah, see: there’s someone here.

[Lee]: But we can still ask though.

            The door swing opens and it’s a rover. Glenn and Lee step back quickly. Glenn raises his shotgun and fires a shot into the rover’s face. The rover flies back a foot with some of its head shredded off. The two stand there for a few minutes in shock. Lee steps back and pukes inside a trash can. Glenn slowly steps towards it. He notices the rover’s arm is all chewed up and bit.

[Glenn]: It looks like he got bit. Just like the ones on the news.

            Lee wipes his mouth. He walks up to the door of the house and walks inside.

[Glenn]: Lee!

            Glenn follows Lee inside. Lee has his rifle up and ready to shoot. He clears the rest of the mobile home.

[Lee]: It’s empty. You can check the garage for fuel and I’ll check for food here.

            Glenn hesitates before listening to his son. He slowly walks outside as Lee stuffs a backpack full of bread and canned goods. Glenn steps into the garage and looks for fuel. In the process he finds a machete. He keeps looking, and sitting in the corner is a five-gallon tank of fuel. Glenn is humbled realizing his son was right to come here.

            Lee is almost done packing his bag full of food when he hears footsteps coming towards the entrance of the house. He thinks it’s his dad.

[Lee]: Did you find anything?

            The figure walks inside the house and it is a rover. Lee turns and sees the rover coming towards him. He lifts his rifle to try to shoot it but the rover closes in on him and braces him against the wall. Lee uses the rifle to prop it against the rover’s throat and keep it from biting him.

[Lee]: DAD!

            Glenn comes rushing inside. He sees the rover attacking his son.

[Lee]: Dad, shoot it!

[Glenn]: I don’t wanna hit you!

[Lee]: Well…figure something out!

            Lee’s strength gives in some as the rover comes inches closer towards his face. Glenn reaches up behind the rover and throws it to the floor. Lee holds up his rifle and fires a shot into its forehead, blood blasting all over the floor. The two wait a moment, then the sound of several rovers outside draws Glenn and Lee to look out the door. They see several dozen rovers headed towards the house.

[Lee]: What the freakin’…

[Glenn]: Close the door!

            Lee slams the door shut. The rovers soon pile up against the mobile home. They can feel the house shaking.

[Lee]: How are we gonna get outa this?!

[Glenn]: Oh, you don’t have any ideas this time?!

[Lee]: What does that mean?! You want me to be in charge?!

[Glenn]: No son, we’ll figure it out just hold on. Is there a back door?

[Lee]: Not when I searched the place. What if we go through one of the windows?

            Glenn raises his arms up to Lee to emphasize how big he was compared to the small, square shaped windows.

[Glenn]: Maybe you could, but I sure can’t! And we aren’t pulling that stunt we did like at the church! 

            The rovers break through the door. One at a time, the rovers come through. Glenn and Lee shot three or four before the door gets jammed full of dead rovers, temporarily preventing anymore from coming in.

[Lee]: We’re gonna have to pull that stunt like at the church. I’ll distract them so you can get to the truck, then you’ll lead them away so I can get to my truck and then we’ll drive off.

            Lee shoots the living room window and crawls through it. Glenn pulls the bag over his shoulder, stuffing the machete in the bag as well, in one hand holding the shotgun, and in the other holding the tank of fuel. Lee runs around the house firing the last seven shots in the rifle into the air so the rovers can chase him. When the area is clear, Glenn runs for the truck throwing everything in the bed and scrambles in the driver’s seat and honks on the horn as he drives around trying to gain the attention of the rovers. The rovers change direction and head for the truck and Lee sprints back around for his truck. He runs past a garage attached to a separate house, then runs back to it and rushes inside. He finds two smaller tanks of fuel. One of them is half full, and the other is full. He runs to the truck laying them on the bed. He grabs the walkie-talkie.

[Lee]: I’m here, Dad, let’s go!

            Glenn heard his son on the remote and turns around sharply and runs over a few rovers. One of the rovers gets jammed into the axel and slows down the truck and then the rest of the rovers pile around the vehicle completely. Glenn uses the remote to contact Lee.

[Glenn]: Lee I’m stuck with all of these things trying to get in. You’re gonna have to come around and try to redirect their attention.

            Lee turns around the truck, looking a bit shocked.

[Lee]: How does he get a giant truck like his stopped by a group of rovers?! This is exactly how people freakin’ get killed in horror movies!

            Just then the passenger window to Glenn’s truck shatters and the rovers reach in through the door. Glenn holds up his shot gun and shoots a rover in the head. Just then, the window to the driver’s seat shatters open. A rover peaks in and bites Glenn’s right arm just above the elbow. He cries out in pain but turns around and shoots the rover that bit him.

            Zach and Hannah are still in the same room talking.

[Zach]: I’m sorry I wasn’t there, Hannah.

[Hannah]: It’s ok. I should have been there too.

[Zach]: I promise I’ll try harder to be a better brother. I’m sorry for all the fights we’ve had in the past.

[Hannah]: It’s ok, Zach, I love you.

            Hannah hugs Zach again.

[Zach]: I love you too, Hannah.

            Another car pulls into the property. Dustin and Shane go out to greet the parent. He walks inside the house and into the game room. Zach follows the three into the game room. the youth student sees her dad and runs to him, hugging her father and crying. Zach smiles; he is going to miss his dad, but he is ready to move on. It was ok to cry then, but he has to appreciate the family he has left. Maddy and Alissa go to say their goodbyes along with the rest of the girls. Josh walks up to Zach.

[Josh]: Hey Zach. You good?

[Zach]: I’m fine, dude.

            He hugs his friend, and walks up to Brittany.

[Brittany]: Hey.

[Zach]: Hey. Where’s Lee?

[Brittany]: He went with his dad to go find more gas. How are you doing?

[Zach]: I’m doing better. I’m ready to move on.

[Brittany]: Yeah.

            Zach walks away. Maddy catches up to him.

[Maddy]: Hey, are you ok?

[Zach]: I will be. I wanted to thank you for kinda talking sense into me.

[Maddy]: Nah, it’s all good, fam.

[Zach]: I was gonna go look for your brother and apologize for almost hitting him.

[Maddy]: I wouldn’t worry about it. He would’ve deserved it.

[Zach]: (slight smile)

            Lee drives by his dad’s truck honking the horn. Most of the rovers follow Lee while Glenn shot the remaining rovers. Driving around the neighborhood to confuse the rovers, Lee came back around to the truck and stopped to help his dad. He looked shocked to see the bite mark on his dad’s arm.

[Lee]: …You got bit.

[Glenn]: I know, I…I…

            Glenn stumbled to the ground next to the dead rovers.

[Lee]: Dad I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to do!

[Glenn]: Its ok, son…it isn’t your fault.

            Lee starts tearing up. He looks around and sees the machete in the bed of his dad’s truck. He looks at his dad, then at the machete. He grabs it, running to his dad. He pulls out the shoe string in his tennis shoes. He ties it around his dad’s arm as tight as he can. Then he runs to his truck and gets his rifle.

[Glenn]: (Weakly) Lee…what are you doing?

[Lee]: (Raising the butt of his rifle) sorry dad!

            Lee hits his dad in the face with the rifle, knocking him unconscious. He sets his dad’s arm in place and raises the machete. He sobs, hesitates for minute, and then swings the machete down on his dad’s arm over and over again.

            Zach walks towards one of the bathrooms. He hears Dylan crying inside the restroom.

[Zach]: Dylan…I’m so sorry. If you wanna talk…?

            Dylan’s crying grows louder. Zach slowly opens the door to the restroom. Dylan turns around gripping his wrist as it leaks blood.

{Scene goes black}

{End Credits}