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}