S1: E3: “Deny no more”

            Zach storms out of the house. He’s angry. He’s looking around and sees a concrete block. He picks it up and throws it as far as he can. It doesn’t go very far so he picks it up again and he breaks it against the ground. Zach is calming down now. His dad walks outside and solemnly meets him.

[Zach]: She is impossible dad. She totally over exaggerated to make me look bad, and then she turns on the tears and makes herself look like the victim in all of this!

[Todd]: Is she?

[Zach]: No! Dad, I’m tired from working all day, I come home and she wants to get onto me for losing the remote to the t.v! First of all, I didn’t even touch it and she doesn’t need to be assuming that I did. Second, why can’t I just come home without her causing issues that are as stupid as remotes getting lost?!

[Todd]: That still doesn’t give you the right to yell at her and do all of what you did in there.

[Zach]: How can I defend myself if she’s talking over me and I can’t get a single word out?!

[Todd]: That’s the thing, son: you don’t have to defend yourself. All you have to do is calmly answer her question. Just say you never touched the remote and you don’t know why it’s missing, and then it’s over! If you would have done that, then the only person who would have been wrong in all of this is Hannah.

[Zach]: …

[Todd]: You know it all comes down to how we treat people. Yes: she was wrong. But if you spoke to her and treated her the way you would want to be spoken to, she would eventually do the same. And Zach…

[Zach]: (looks at dad.)

[Todd]: Our actions, and how we handle situations, will determine the future not just for yourself, but for everyone else around you.

(Pan on Zach’s face.)

{Audio of phone ringing comes on before next scene.}

            Zach’s phone is ringing in his room. Some of the guys notice it as Zach races for the phone. He picks it up.

[Zach]: Dad!

[Tim]: Hey, Zach. It’s Tim.

[Zach]: Tim! Hey are you guys ok?

[Tim]: Yeah, how about you guys? We heard about the attack at the church!

[Zach]: Yeah we’re fine. Actually the entire youth group is huddled up inside the houses on our property. We couldn’t get most of the students to their parents so we came here.

[Tim]: Oh wow. Are you going to bring them back to their families today or…?

[Zach]: Yeah, that’s what Dustin was saying this morning. My dad and Parker are somewhere at the church so while we’re out we’re gonna go get them.

            Lee and his friends watch Zach.

[Tim]: Are they ok?

[Zach]: Yeah, they’re fine. They have to be.

            Lee’s eyes focus on Zach, seeing the denial on his face.

[Zach]: Listen, Tim…those things…the sick people. We saw them…Carter and Carson Coker, they were…

            Tim hangs his head, understanding what happened to them.

[Tim]: They got them.

[Zach]: Yeah. But Tim…whatever happens…don’t get bit. They were saying on the news that that’s where all the symptoms and sightings are coming from. They’re also attracted to sound.

[Tim]: Really?

[Zach]: Yeah. Also, the only thing that seems to take care of them is lethal blows to the head. Remember that.

[Tim]: Ok. Thank you Zach for telling me. Also I wanted to tell you, the phone lines are getting worse and service is dying, we’re gonna need some way to stay in contact.

[Zach]: Couldn’t you guys just come here?

[Tim]: My dad and Nanny don’t want to leave their property.

[Zach]: Oh…ok.

[Tim]: Yeah. Maybe we can try to find ourselves some really nice walkie-talkies like what the police use so we can stay in contact.

 [Zach]: Yeah. Well hey, man, I have to go. We’re gonna start planning on how to get the students back to their parents. I talk to you later.

[Tim]: You too, Zach, be careful. Bye.

[Zach]: Bye.

            Zach puts away the phone. The other guys except for Lee have walked away. Zach looks at Lee and looks down at the floor.

           

            Tim hangs up the phone. Kelley (His sister) walks into the kitchen where Tim is.

[Kelley]: Who was that?

[Tim]: That was Zach. Last night the church was attacked.

[Kelley]: What?! Is everyone ok?

            Mrs. Roland (Mickey) and Mr. Roland (Bobby) walk into the kitchen hearing the conversation.

[Mickey]: What happened?

[Kelley]: The church was attacked last night!

[Tim]: The same sick people we saw on the news attacked the church. Zach was saying the entire youth group is huddled up in his house. They’re gonna try to take the students to their parents today.

[Bobby]: Man. I hate to say it, but some o’ those kids won’t be able to find their parents.

[Tim]: I know.

            Kelley looks out the window.

[Kelley]: Dad! There’s a person out in our yard!

            The four look out the window, and off in the distance shuffling through the grass is a rover.

{Intro}

            Zach and Lee are walking from their house to the second house on the other side of the property. Lee is lagging behind; Zach can tell something is wrong.

[Zach]: What’s on your mind?

[Lee]: Nothing.

[Zach]: Come on, dude, I know when you are upset.

            Zach stops walking and faces Lee.

[Lee]: I don’t know…I don’t think you should keep your hopes up, you know?

[Zach]: (Pause.) You think my dad and brother are dead?

[Lee]: No I’m not saying that, I just think you need to prepare yourself for both situations. Because come on, you don’t know for sure.

[Zach]: I do know, Lee. They’re not dead, I know it. (Starts walking towards the house.) Goldens don’t die easily.

            The two walk inside the house. The girls greet them. Brittany and Lee hug first; Zach hugs his grandparents, then Uncle Glenn and Aunt Robyn. Zach talks to his grandpa, Jr.

[Zach]: So I spoke to Dustin and he wants us all to meet back at the other side and talk about how we’re gonna take the students back.

[Tray]: Ok, also I was gonna tell you, that we have two of these radios that we can stay in contact with each other when we’re split up at the different houses.

[Zach]: Ok, I’ll take it to Dustin.

[Tray]: Ok good. I’ll let everybody know that we’re heading on over.

            As Jr begins telling the group that they are about to head over to the other side, Alissa walks up to Zach.

[Alissa]: Hey Zach.

[Zach]: Hey.

[Alissa]: Hey, so you need to talk to Hannah. She was crying all night. It’s really bad.

            Zach pauses.

[Zach]: Yeah I’m…I’m a little busy right now. I don’t have time to talk to her I’m gonna be going with Dustin to take the students back. Maybe you guys could; a little girl-to-girl conversation will probably be better than brother-to-sister talk.

[Alissa]: I mean…

[Robyn]: Hey kids, we’re headed over to the other house so let’s go.

            Zach walks away and Alissa hesitates before following.

           

            Bobby Roland storms out of the house with a Glock, walking towards the rover in his yard.

[Bobby]: Hey! Get off my property!

            Tim races out of the house with a rifle to follow him. The rover turns around and looks at Bobby and starts walking towards him.

[Bobby]: You ain’t got any business here, boy. I’ll shoot you, don’t think I won’t.

            The rover keeps going.

[Tim]: Dad, Zach was saying-

[Bobby]: Not now, Tim!

            The rover is getting closer. Bobby stops walking and points the gun at it.

[Bobby]: Come any closer and I’ll shoot you! You ain’t making my family sick or anybody else.

[Tim]: Dad, you have to shoot-

[Bobby]: I know what I’m doing, Tim, get your butt back inside!

            The rover is still moving towards him.

[Bobby]: Last warning…

            The rover persists, and finally Bobby fires his gun shooting it in the chest several times but it keep walking towards him. Bobby is backing up as the rover stumbles toward him. Finally the corpse makes a sudden burst of energy as it rushes upon Bobby tackling him to the ground. Tim runs over to his dad who is struggling to keep the rover off of him. Tim holds up his rifle and shoots it in the head, blood splattering onto Bobby. He spits the blood out of his mouth and stands up.

[Tim]: Dad are you ok, are you bit?!

[Bobby]: (Shaken.) I’m…I’m ok, son. Those shots shoulda killed him.

[Tim]: That’s what I was trying to tell you: Zach was saying only lethal blows to the head will kill it.

[Bobby]: I guess so. (Spits.)

[Tim]: Are you sure you’re ok?

[Bobby]: No, no I’m fine, don’t worry. Come on; let’s get this mess out into the woods away from the house.

            Timothy looks doubtful, but then helps his dad.

            All the students are in the living room of Zach’s house. Dustin is in the center once again like the night before.

[Dustin]: Ok kids, what we’re gonna be doing is taking all the students we can carry to their parents within in the general area of the property. So we’re taking: Dylan, Hunter, Christian, Sarah, Charles, Daniel and Susan. We’re gonna be making a trip to the church to see if there are any survivors there. I’ve spoken to Mr. Golden, and he, Zach and I are going to go to make sure everything goes well. Josh, you can drive so you can take Alissa and Nick and come along with us.

[Josh]: Got it.   

[Katlyn Hadash]: What about the rest of us?

            Students start yelling and arguing.

[Dustin]: (Yelling) Hey! Listen please! We can’t take every single one of you guys all at the same time. There’s not enough fuel, space, or protection to do something like that. Your lives are my top priority I’m trying really hard to stay calm. But guys, you need to quit the complaining and freaking out all the time because it isn’t helping. For those of you whose names I called, I need yall to get ready we’re leaving as soon as we can.

            Zach is in his room. He’s wearing blue jeans with his combat boots, a “be different” bible shirt on, and his holster with a Colt 45 sitting in it. He stuffs bullets in his pocket. Lee walks in.

[Lee]: Hey.

[Zach]: Hey.

[Lee]: (pauses.) Hey Zach.

[Zach]: (looks up at Lee.) Yeah?

[Lee]: (hesitates.)…be careful, ok.

[Zach]: I will, man. Keep an eye out over the place while I’m at it.

[Lee]: Ok.

            Dustin is loading backpacks and other items into his truck. Kelly walks out of the house holding Noah.

[Kelly]: Hey.

[Dustin]: What.

[Kelly]: Dustin, look at me.

            Dustin stops what he’s doing and turns around. Kelly pauses to put down Noah.

[Kelly]: What was that back there?

[Dustin]: (Sigh) that is me stressing out, and losing my patience.

[Kelly]: I understand why you’re doing this. I do. But you’re a youth pastor, not some kind of military leader.

[Dustin]: Well right now, I have to be.

[Kelly]: That’s the thing: no you don’t. Yes it’s a burden, but it’s a burden you don’t have to bear.

[Dustin]: So you want me to put Shane in charge? Or leave a student to take care of everything?

[Kelly]: No of course not. I want you to bear the problem. But I want you to not bear it alone. Okay?

            Noah hug’s Dustin’s leg.

[Noah]: Daddy.

            Dustin and Kelly smile. They kiss.

[Kelly]: Be careful. Come back.

[Dustin]: I will.

            The students start loading into the vehicles. Zach is hugging his friends telling him that he’ll be back. Him and Jr step into their vehicle and they drive away.

           

              Bobby and Tim Roland fill the burial spot of the rover with dirt and start walking back towards the house. When they clear the woods they see several dozen rovers walking around the house.

[Bobby]: Jesus!

            The two sprint for the house, weaving through the crowd as the rovers close in towards the house. Tim and Bobby get inside, lock the door and start barricading the house. Kelly, Mickey, and Jesse Roland already have barricaded the front door and are armed with guns.

[Mickey]: We didn’t want to close off the door until yall were back.

[Tim]: What about Nanny?

            Nanny (or Dorothy) walks into the kitchen with them carrying a rifle.

[Dorothy]: I’m here Tim, don’t worry.  

            The rovers start banging on the door, the barricades start shaking.

[Dorothy]: If we run out of ammo, I brought some of Wayne’s old swords.

[Kelley]: Are you sure we should use them?

[Dorothy]: Don’t worry about it. He would want us to use them.

            The table braced against the back door falls over and the glass door breaks. The rovers start spilling inside.

{Scene cuts to black, audio of gunshots go off.}

           

            The group pulls into the front yard of Dylan’s house. He runs out of the car, Zach closely follows.

[Zach]: Dylan, hold on!

[Dustin]: Guys!

            Dylan rushes inside.

[Dylan]: Mom!

            There’s no reply. Zach steps inside slowly with his gun out looking around for any threats. Dylan runs inside his mom’s room, and finds nothing.

[Dylan]: Dude…

[Zach]: Did you check your room?

[Dylan]: Why would they be in my room?

            Dustin walks inside the house. Dylan opens the room to his door and his whole family and a random rover stumbles out of the room towards Dylan. He falls down yelling. Zach backs away, holds up his gun and fires. Blood splatters on the wall behind the rover he killed, and it fell at Zach’s feat. Dylan is crying while Dustin is shooting the rest of rovers. Zach is numb and silent, reacting emotionlessly at killing his first rover. He then wakes back up from his trance. Dylan cries out in mourning with his back on the ground. Zach kneels down beside him and hugs him.

[Zach]: (Hyperventilating, crying) you’re with us. You’re with us now. You’re with us. 

            Dustin runs outside pulling his hair, yelling into his arm. Tray Jr steps out of the car, walking past Dustin and into the house. He sees the dead Rovers. He helps Dylan to his feet.

[Tray]: Come on, son. Let’s go.

            Tray walks out with Dylan and Zach. Dustin prepares himself to start giving orders but stops as he notices Tray giving them. Tray tells Josh to take Dylan back to the property and stay there. Dustin steps into his car. Tray does the same, sitting beside Zach. Zach is quiet, he wipes the tears from his face.

[Tray]: You ok, son?

[Zach]: (Shakes his head)

            Tray puts his hand on Zach’s shoulder.

[Tray Jr]: We’ll take care of him. It’ll be ok.

[Zach]: (Silent)

[Tray]: We’ll find your dad.

[Zach](Looks at his grandpa.)

            The two vehicles drive off to the next house.

            The Rolands are held up inside their homes. They’re continuously firing their guns as rovers pour inside the house. Dorothy is cornered in the kitchen, Tim, Kelley, and Mrs. Roland are in the living room, and Bobby and Jesse Roland are in the master bedroom hall way outflanking the rovers. Tim runs out of ammo and picks up a machete and starts whacking into the rovers. Rovers then crash through the widows on the front porch and come up behind the three.

[Tim]: We need to get out of the house!

[Mickey]: How?!

            Thinking, Tim starts cutting into the rovers so he can get to his room. His sister and mom follow him. He opens up his room window and lets them out first, then runs back to get Jesse and his dad as well as Nanny. He grabs a second sword that which being a cross-guard, and he stabs his way back to the kitchen area.

[Tim]: Come on!

            Bobby, Jesse, and Dorothy follow him to his room fighting off the rovers as they went.

           

             Zach is sitting in the vehicle alone. Dustin and Tray Jr say goodbye to Christian McDowall. They managed to take all the other students back to their house. Jr gets in the truck and they drive to the church. They park in the parking lot. There are a few rovers still roaming around. They get out of the vehicles and run inside the student building. There aren’t any rovers inside, so staying inside the cafeteria, they go over the game plan.

[Dustin]: Ok guys, we can’t split up, I’m not gonna do that. So what we’ll do is go through the back of the church where the choir practices, and work our way in from there.

            Quietly moving coming through the entrance of the church, the three move towards the sanctuary door. They slowly open it, and inside are dozens upon dozens of rovers. Some are sitting in the pews as if musing over their sins. Littered around the sanctuary are piles of eaten, rotten flesh. Dustin quickly closes the door. The three are silent, wiping the tears from their faces.

[Zach]: No no, we have to keep looking.

[Dustin]: We will, Zach. We will.

            The three cut through the choir practice room and to the other side of the church. When they reach the corridor, they stumble upon four walkers. One of them has his back turned and its missing a chunk of his face and his left arm. Tray Jr raises his pistol and shoots the first three. The fourth rover turns around and it is Zach’s father; Jr’s son. Dustin backs away, Tray starts crying, stumbling against a wall. Zach is frozen before he starts crying. Dad starts stumbling towards him growling loudly. Zach pushes his dead father away sobbing silently. Dad walks back towards him again, but Zach pushes harder. Dad falls to the ground.

[Zach]: (Whisper) wake up, Zach, wake up.

            Dad crawls up to his feet.

[Zach]: (Screaming) STOP!

            Dustin sees the dozens of rovers in the sanctuary being attracted to the noise and walking towards them.

[Dustin]: (Crying) Zach we have to go.

            Zach pulls out his Colt 45 and yells at the top of his lungs as he shoots his dad in the face. The flesh pops from his skull and the rover jolts on the ground but Zach keeps shooting it until his revolver is empty. By then the rovers start pouring into the corridor. Dustin turns around and starts shooting some of the rovers. Tray angrily stands up with his lever-action rifle, and shoots down ten rovers within a couple of seconds, then transfers to his revolvers. Zach angrily pulls out his knife, steps towards a rover. The rover grabs him first, pushing him up against a wall. Zach tries to stab the rover in the forehead, but the skull isn’t weak enough and it doesn’t go deep. Hauling the knife back out of its head, Zach braces his hand against the rover’s throat. By then two more rovers were walking towards him. Zach quickly slides the knife into the rover’s eye socket, eye fluid and blood bursting into Zach’s face as it slumps to the ground. Zach then proceeds to do the same to the other two.

            Dustin is struggling as he takes out one rover after the other. Tray Jr continuously shoots down rovers with his revolvers until unexpectedly, he runs out of ammunition. He pulls out his knife, and does the same as Zach was doing.

[Dustin]: We gotta get outa here!

            The rovers come from all entrances, blocking the exits.

[Tray]: We’ll cover you so you can load our rifles!

            Dustin races up against a wall hiding behind a trach can. Tray and Zach are still ramming knives into the eye sockets of the rovers. Zach at this point is covered in blood. Suddenly, a rover sneaks up behind Zach and grabs him by the shirt. Zach rushes away from the rover, his shirt sleeve tearing. He attacks the rover jamming the dripping knife into the rover’s eye, and continues on. Tray stabs several, and then rams a rover into the corridor, the rover crashing into the wall.

            Finally, Dustin finishes loading Tray’s rifle, and then replaces the clip in his AR-15.

[Dustin]: Tray!

            Dustin throws the rifle to Tray. Rushing towards the church exit, Dustin and Tray takes out all the rovers lingering at the door in couple of seconds. Zach is still fighting the rovers attracted to him from the sanctuary.  

[Dustin]: Zach we have the opening let’s go!

            Zach isn’t listening and continues stabbing the rovers. All he hears is an ear piercing ringing noise. His hatred fueling him to blind rage, Zach rams his knife in one rover after the other. Tray orders Dustin.

[Tray]: Go, get outa here, I’ll stay with him!

            Tray still has three bullets left. He shoots the three closest to Zach, buying them a few seconds to run.

[Tray]: We have to go, son. We have to go.

[Zach]: (Crazily) NO!

            He leaps back into the fray of the undead stabbing rovers as he goes, until he disappears into the sanctuary. Tray follows him knife in hand.

            Zach scrambles to the stage where he fights off the remaining couple of dozen rovers. Three come up on him at the same time. Zach kills one, kicks the other in the chest, and the other tackles Zach as he pushes his knife into its temple. The two fall down the stairs. Zach stands up, bracing his foot against the rover’s head and yanks the knife out of the rover’s temple. Tray tries to keep up to protect his grandchild. Suddenly, he trips over a half-eaten victim. Tray falls down, moments before a rover lurks towards him, drops to its knees and bites into Tray’s neck.

            Zach turns around, hearing his grandpa’s screams. He runs up towards the rover, tackling it to the ground, stabbing it over and over again. Zach then looks at Tray.

[Tray]: I love ya, son. Get outa here.

            Tray dies. Zach doesn’t listen and fights off the remaining rovers. While Zach is taking down the rovers in the church, the Rolands are fighting off the rovers pouring into their home.

            Timothy frantically cuts into the undead with his machete, blood pops onto his face and clothes.

            Zach is surrounded by the remaining ten rovers and in a fury stabs one after the other.

            Kelly Roland picks up her brother Jesse’s Glock and shoots uncontrollably.

            Zach is down to the last three. His body covered in gore.

            Timothy yells furiously as he decapitates the last rover. He falls to his knees sobbing loudly. Kelly is screaming on the ground.

            Zach is on lying on the ground resting beside the dead rovers. His clothes are torn; his body is almost completely covered in blood. He sits up and looks around. He stands up, hesitates, and slowly starts walking outside. The rovers out in the parking lot walk towards Zach. Zach doesn’t even care anymore. The rovers simply walk past Zach, the smell of the blood working as a camo. He walks past his grandpa’s truck, not even thinking anymore. He walks down the street towards his house.

            The sun is going down; Zach is walking down Firetower rd. to his house. He reaches the drive way. He stands there and looks at his house for a few seconds before walking towards it. Dustin closed the gate upon his arrival, so Zach had to open it. He left the gate open, and walks up to the front door of his house. He simply stands there.

            The sun goes down and it’s dark. Zach is still standing at the door. Suddenly Chewie the dog starts barking at the door. Dustin walks up to the door, gun in hand and sees Zach through the window. He opens the door.

[Dustin]: Zach…where’s…

            Zach looks at Dustin, and tells him that Tray is dead without saying a word.

[Dustin]: Come on get inside.

            Dustin pulls Zach inside, and walks him into the living room where the whole group is. Some of the students freak out. Almost everyone stands up from their seat.

[Alissa]: Zach?

[Dustin]: It’s ok, guys, he’s fine.

            Dustin walks Zach to the bathroom.

[Joanne]: Where’s Tray?

            Zach stops walking.

[Hannah]: (Crying) where’s daddy?

            Zach turns around and looks at his grandma and sister.

[Zach]: (Whisper) sorry.

            Hannah and her grandma start sobbing loudly. Kelly (Dustin’s wife) hugs Hannah. Joanne cries so hard, she falls to the ground. Glenn tries to help her up. Joanne grips her chest, her sobbing stops, and she sighs loudly, and closes her eyes. Joanne dies. Hannah screams at the top of her lungs, students scramble out of the living room into other rooms. Kelly pulls Hannah away into another room. Lee calls out to the rest of the students.

[Lee]: Guys let’s go! We’re going to the other side! Come on Brittany.

[Brittany]: Oh my God.

            Students flow outside and head over to the other house. Kelly takes Hannah with her. Zach is still standing with his back turned to everything. Dustin leads him outside.

[Dustin]: Go, to the other house, Zach.

            Shane walks out with him.

[Shane]: I’ll take him.

[Dustin]: Thank you Shane.

{“Madness” song plays}

            Zach is in the shower watching the blood go down the drain. Suddenly an ear piercing ringing goes off inside Zach’s head and he’s slightly bothered by it, but tries not to pay attention to it. Dylan is sitting alone in the corner of the house holding a knife in his hand. Hannah is screaming into her bed as her friends try to comfort her. Lee is sitting on the living room couch with Brittany. She’s sitting beside Lee wiping tears from her face.

[Brittany]: You need to talk to Zach.

[Lee]: Yeah.

            It’s quiet for a few moments. Roger, Brittany's younger brother walks into the room and sits beside Brittany. 

[Roger]: How is this gonna end?

[Brittany]: One rover at a time I guess. 

{Camera panning right}

            Timothy is sitting on the ground with Kelly (Roland) beside him. There are dead rovers everywhere, and the two survivors are covered in blood.

{Scene goes black}

{Song ends}

{End scene credits}