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by k.j. diagostino (twelthofadime@comcast.com)

Rated:

Genre: Horror User Review: NOT YET
RATED

FADE IN:

INT. LOWER FLOOR FRONT HALLWAY - DAY

Through the double paned doors we see a car pull in the
school's parking lot and come to a stop. Two men exit the
car and run to the doors. They try the locks until one
gives. The pair then enters the building.

NEIL
(cautiously)
I don't think anyone's here.

NEIL, a studious looking twenty something looks to the other
man, PHILLIP, for a response. Phillip, the collegiatic type
as well, shakes his head doubtfully.

PHILLIP
Then why's there cars parked out
front?

NEIL (turning towards the door to see)
Where?

Phillip turns around and opens the door back up. He points
to an area offscreen once Neil gets in a position to see.
Neil shakes his head affirmatively and the two come back
inside.

PHILLIP
Door was open too, if nobody was
here they would have locked it.

NEIL
You think we should yell or
something?

PHILLIP
No, let's go to the main office
and see if anyone's in there.

The two begin walking forward down the hallway. Both seem
overly anxious, constantly looking over their surroundings.
The school is omniously quiet and seemingly vacant.

PHILLIP
They'd have to have heard the
broadcast.

NEIL
It's a school, they'd be the first
to get the news. Situation like
this the school doesn't want to be
(MORE)

NEIL (cont'd)
held liable for the safety of
what, seven, eight hundred kids?

PHILLIP
Still. We haven't seen any police
officers or safety officials, like
where are they? There's a radio
broadcast telling people to get
off the streets, to basically lock
themselves in their homes, and
there's no cops, anywhere?
Shouldn't there be roadblocks or
something?

NEIL
(unsure)
I guess.

The two come within sight of the office and slow to a stop.
They hesitate for a moment, then Phillip walks up to the
automatic doors and peers inside.

NEIL
See anyone?

PHILLIP
(disappointed)
Nope.

Beat.

NEIL
(hesitant)
I'm goin' go check outside again
real quick.

PHILLIP
Alright.

Neil walks over to the lobby doors and walks outside.
Through the glass we see him survey the grounds doubtfully.
Inside, Phillip pulls the automatic doors open and enters
the office.

INT. MAIN OFFICE - DAY

Phillip begins inspecting the vacant area. He passes by the
main desk and searches the individual cubicles for a sign of
life. Finding no one, he heads back to the main desk.

PHILLIP (looking for a response)
Hello?

Beat.

PHILLIP
(louder)
Hello? Anybody?

Phillip begins rummaging through handouts laid out on the
desk. Finding nothing, he goes around the otherside of the
table and picks up the phone. Neil enters the office.

NEIL
Front parking lot's empty. I heard
sirens though.

PHILLIP (taking the phone away from his ear)
What?

NEIL
I said I heard sirens.

PHILLIP
Okay, but what kind? Ambulance,
police, air raid, what?

NEIL
Sounded like firetrucks and
ambulances.

PHILLIP
How many did it sound like?

NEIL
Alot.

PHILLIP
Close by?

NEIL
Nope. And they weren't heading
this way either, sounded like they
were going in the complete
opposite direction.

Phillip shakes his head in frustration and puts the phone
back up to his ear.

PHILLIP (to himself)
(angry)
What the fuck?

Neil walks over to the desk and begins inspecting the papers
laid out on it. Phillip begins trying to dial out.

PHILLIP (to Neil)
I already looked through those.

Neil searches a moment longer before picking up one of the
papers.

NEIL (to Neil)
What is that?

NEIL (looking the paper over)
A map of the school.

Neil turns and begins pacing around in the large area behind
the desk, looking the map over. Phillip, after several
tries, slams the useless phone back down on the hook.

PHILLIP
(annoyed)
Goddamnit.

NEIL (looking up from the map)
(concerned)
What?

PHILLIP
(annoyed)
The phone lets you dial out,
right? Then when it does there's a
five second pause and then it's
just static.

NEIL
(concerned)
So it's not working at all?

PHILLIP
(annoyed)
No, it just fucking static.

Beat.

NEIL
(quietly)
What do you think we should do?

PHILLIP (crossing his arms)
I don't know.

Beat.

NEIL
(hesitantly)
I think we should find a tv in one
of the classrooms, or a radio, and
see if we can find out what's
going on.

PHILLIP (shaking head in agreement)
Yeah.

NEIL
(more confident)
Because right now we really can't
make an intelligent decision about
what to do, because we don't even
really know what's wrong.

PHILLIP
So you think we should stay here?

NEIL
At least until we get some
answers. The radio said to seek
reinforced shelter, this school's
about as reinforced as you can
get.

PHILLIP
(jokingly)
Watch us-

A loud thud from the lobby cuts Phillip off. Both men look
at one another in surprize before cautiously walking out
into the lobby to investigate.

INT. LOBBY - DAY

Phillip walks out, with Neil trailing anxiously behind. They
catch sight of a man and a woman on the lobby stairwell. The
man appears to have dropped a box of goods while walking up
the stairs. The woman is helping him clean up.

AVRIL (putting goods back in the box)
(timidly)
I didn't break anything, did I?

AVRIL is a well dressed Hispanic youth. The girl helping
him; HANNA, is a plainly dressed, though strikingly
attractive, young woman. Both look to be in their early
twenties.

HANNA
(reassuringly)
No, your fine.

The two get all of the items back in the box. Avril picks it
up, though obviously struggling with the weight.

HANNA
Sure you got it?

AVRIL (struggling with the weight.)
(strained)
Yeah, I just misplaced my foot
last time coming up, I should be
fine now.

Hanna stands up to follow Avril as he begins going up again.
She catches sight of Phillip and Neil and cries out in
surprize. Startled, Avril drops the box again.

AVRIL (cutting himself off)
(frustrated)
Godda-

Avril catches Hanna's shocked expression and turns to see
what she's looking at. He is startled slightly when he sees
the two. Phillip smiles and waves to the pair.

PHILLIP
(awkwardly)
Hi.

Hanna laughs nervously.

HANNA
(awkwardly)
Hi.

PHILLIP
(awkwardly)
We uh...pulled in here, off of
route two, after we heard that
broadcast on the radio.

Beat.

PHILLIP
(awkwardly)
You don't know what I'm talkin'
about, do you?

Avril shakes out of his shock and smiles politely. Phillip
and Neil become noticeably more relaxed seeing this.

AVRIL
(socialbly)
No, I'm sorry, my heart's still
beating a mile a minute. You guys
scared me!

HANNA
(relieved)
Yeah, me too. Well, obviously.

Avril walks downstairs to greet the pair, Hanna follows
behind. Neil and Phillip move forward to meet them.

AVRIL
(cordially)
My name's Avril.

Avril shakes both of their hands. Hanna comes behind and
does the same.

HANNA
(cordially)
I'm Hanna.

Hanna and Avril take a step back and look at the others
expectantly. It takes a minute before Phillip catches on.

PHILLIP (gesturing to Neil and himself)
(sheepishly)
Oh, I'm Phillip and this is my
friend Neil. We work together a
couple miles from here, just got
off actually.

AVRIL
(anxiously)
Very cool, very cool.

Beat.

AVRIL
(anxiously)
Now what did the broadcast say?

PHILLIP
You've heard it?

AVRIL
Yes, well we actually saw it on
one of the tv's upstairs thirty or
fourty minutes ago.

NEIL
(anxious)
Did it say what was going on?

HANNA
(hurried)
No, like the show that was on just
got cut off and replaced with a
blank screen with one of those
streaming messages at the bottom.
It said "seek reinforced shelter
immediately, stay tuned for
details."

PHILLIP
Then what?

AVRIL
(quietly)
Then the cable went out.

Beat.

PHILLIP
(shocked)
Seriously?

HANNA
(quietly)
Yeah.

PHILLIP
(frustrated)
What the fuck man, this is insane.

DARIAN (O.S.)
(yelling)
Avril!

Avril turns and yells back upstairs, to where the voice
originated. The nervous eyes of the others follow this
action.

AVRIL
(yelling)
We're downstairs Darian, what is
it?

DARIAN (O.S.)
(yelling)
Who's down there?

AVRIL
(yelling)
A couple of guys, Phillip and Neil
are their names, they just came in
off the road after hearing the
warning.

NEIL
(low tone)
Who's he?

HANNA
(low tone)
Darian?

NEIL
(low tone)
Yeah.

HANNA
(low tone)
He's kinda like a janitor, he
cleans and locks the school up at
night. Me and Avril are student
aides, we tutor the kids. I guess
we were the last ones to leave
today.

DARIAN comes into sight on the stairwell. He's a thin, dark
haired young man. In one hand he clenches a set of keys.

DARIAN
Which door did ya'll come in?

PHILLIP (pointing down the hall)
The side door next to the
cafeteria, I'm pretty sure there
was a room full of computers on
the left coming in.

DARIAN
And you heard the broadcast on
what, the radio?

PHILLIP
Yeah.

Darian starts walking down the stairs quickly.

DARIAN
And it was still goin' when you
pulled in?

10.

PHILLIP
Yeah, just repeating the same
thing over and over.

Darian gets to the mess and begins boxing the goods
hurriedly. Avril goes quickly to his aid.

DARIAN (throwing goods in the box)
What was it sayin'?

PHILLIP
The same thing I think you all
heard, basically to get off the
street and get inside some kind of
shelter, somewhere reinforced if
you could find it.

DARIAN (stopping for a moment to look up at Phillip)
Did it say why?

PHILLIP
(frustrated)
No, no explanation whatsoever.

The two finish repackaging the box.

AVRIL (to Avril)
Grab that.

Avril picks up the box. Darian starts down the hallway
through which Phillip and Neil arrived. He motions to the
others to follow and they do.

HANNA (to Darian)
Where are we going?

DARIAN
You remember what you were talkin'
about earlier?

HANNA
What, the plywood idea or about
finding a safe place to take
refuge or whatever?

DARIAN
Yeah, the safe room idea. Well, I
checked all the rooms upstairs,
janitor closets and all, and
thought about it some.

11.

Darian goes on up ahead and locks the door the others
entered through. He then walks into the cafeteria and the
group follows.

INT. CAFETERIA - DAY

The group enters and Darian immediately moves into the
kitchen area. Avril, exhausted, drops the box on the serving
counter dividing the dining area from the actual kitchen.

DARIAN (rummaging around the kitchen)
There's a bunch of rooms near a
bunch of windows, surrounded by
drywall, ceilings aren't load
bearing worth a shit. So what if
it's a big storm coming, or-or god
forbid a blast of some kind?

Hanna crosses her arms, Avril begins shaking his head "no".

AVRIL
(anxious)
Don't say that.

PHILLIP
(critically)
C'mon guys.

Beat.

PHILLIP (to Darian)
Go on.

Neil walks into the kitchen, examining the area. Hanna
follows after him. Avril and Phillip stay in the dining
area, watching Darian intently.

DARIAN (rummaging around the kitchen)
Yeah, anyway I figured like I was
talkin' before with Hanna before
ya'll came, that just being inside
the building may-MAY not be enough
in case something bad like that
does happen.

Darian picks something up and rests it on the steel table
within the kitchen. It's a radio. He begins looking it over
as he speaks.

DARIAN
So I checked the rooms upstairs,
checked the room
downstairs...nothin'. And I was
(MORE)

12.

DARIAN (cont'd)
about ready to settle for one of
the utility rooms down here when
bam, I got it.

Neil knocks on the steel door of the massive walk in
freezer. Darian looks at him and smiles.

DARIAN
(approvingly)
That's a smart motherfucker right
there.

Neil laughs. The rest of the group enters the kitchen and
moves to examine the freezer. All of them walk inside the
empty container except for Darian, who stands at the
threshold admiringly.

AVRIL
It's not cold, why's that?

DARIAN
Needs to be repaired, internal
temperature would get too low and
it would ruin all the food. Cut
the power to it two months ago,
supposed to be fixed for next
fall.

HANNA
(anxious)
Can't we get locked in here?

Darian taps on the interior emergency door release next to
the entrance.

HANNA
Oh.

Darian walks away from the door while the others meander
inside for a moment longer. When they walk out, they hear
the radio on, recycling again the omnious warning.

RADIO ANNOUNCER (over the radio)
All residents of New Haven,
Ridgemond, Franklin, and
Montgomery county are to seek
shelter immediately. It is
strongly advised that all windows,
doors, and entrances into the area
you are occupying are firmly shut
and secured. If you or persons in
your immediate vicinity have been
injured, try to treat the wounds
(MORE)

13.

RADIO ANNOUNCER (cont'd)
with the resources availble before
calling for medical attention. All
residents of New Haven,
Ridgemond...

The group seems obviously unnerved. Darian turns down the
radio's volume and begins shutting the doors between the
dining area and kitchen. There's a slight noise out in the
hall. Darian looks, but sees nothing.

AVRIL
(unconvincingly)
We're goin' be fine, I'm sure, no
I'm positive of it. Nothin's goin'
blow us up, or wash us away, or
get in from out there.

NEIL
(cryptically)
No, no it's already gotten in.

AVRIL (turning to Neil quickly)
(frightened)
What has, gotten in where?

The other group members, except for Darian, hear this
outburst and turn to look at the two fearfully.

NEIL (tapping the side of his head)
(cryptically)
In here.

Darian slides down the metal divider over top the counter,
shutting the group in from the outside.

Cut to credit screen.

INT. WALK-IN FREEZER - NIGHT

The group is seated, cramped, around the radio which is now
broadcasting only static. Nervous, overly stressed
expressions adorn all of their faces.

AVRIL (gesturing to the radio)
(to Darian)
Do you think you could...?

Darian turns the radio off.

14.

NEIL
We should probably leave that on
though.

AVRIL
Diffentily, I just can't...you
know...it's been twenty minutes of
it now and I just need a break,
even if it's for a minute.

NEIL
Yeah, sure.

Beat.

PHILLIP
It's got to be a storm. The only
time they issue warnings like this
is when a storm is on it's way.

HANNA (to Avril)
But wasn't the tv playing that
sound earlier, the one that's
supposed to warn you if there's
meltdown or-or something?

AVRIL
(alarmed)
What do you mean, a nuclear
meltdown?

HANNA (to Avril)
I guess.

AVRIL (to Hanna)
(alarmed)
No, no I didn't hear that at all.
Are you sure that's what you
heard?

NEIL
What did it sound like?

HANNA
Like an air raid siren, just
longer and more drawn out.

DARIAN (shaking head doubtfully)
Nah, that ain't it.

PHILLIP
We would have heard it too, c'mon,
a nuclear blast? We would have at
least seen a mushroom cloud or
(MORE)

15.

PHILLIP (cont'd)
something.

NEIL (to Hanna)
Not necessarily, is there a
nuclear plant near here?

HANNA (to Neil)
I think there's-

DARIAN (to Neil)
(curtly)
The only thing near here is Fort
Hood. Nearest nuclear power
plant's about a state away.

NEIL
The fallout could still affect us
if the plant did meltdown though.
The radiation cloud could have
been picked up by the prevailing
winds, from there it could go
anywhere.

AVRIL
(anxious)
Could the radiation get in here?

NEIL (to Avril)
Probably.

HANNA (to Neil)
(anxious)
Not into here though, you think?

PHILLIP
Listen guys, it's a tornado, or
it's a hurricane, or a tropical
storm maybe. This is not some kind
of nuclear disaster, we would have
been evacuated, quarantined.

AVRIL
(anxious)
I want to know why the radio said
"if people are around you who are
ALREADY injured, treat them
yourselves." I don't believe any
of us have seen any kind of storm
activity yet, so how could anyone
be injured by a storm if one
hasn't even arrived?

16.

HANNA
(doubtfully)
Maybe it's a virus.

PHILLIP
(frustrated)
Seriously-

DARIAN
(interrupting)
We don't know what's goin' on, we
could be at war for all we fuckin'
know. What we do need to worry
about is gettin' supplies and
bringin' 'em in here so we don't
have to make fifty trips in and
outta this cage everytime we need
somethin'.

NEIL
What do you think we should get?

DARIAN
Think one ya'll should come with
me to the storage closet and just
look it over for anything useful
we think we might need.

PHILLIP
I'll go with you if you need help.

DARIAN
Okay. Ya'll think of anything else
we might need?

AVRIL
(quietly)
Food, I need something to eat, I
feel like I'm going to vomit if I
don't.

HANNA
Is there any leftover food in the
kitchen?

Darian stands up and brushes himself off. Phillip gets up
slowly as well.

DARIAN
Yeah, just don't vomit and shit in
here. If you feel like you're
goin', use the sink out in the
kitchen. God knows how long we're
goin' be in here, and I don't want
(MORE)

17.

DARIAN (cont'd)
it smellin' like puke while I am.

Phillip snickers.

AVRIL
(submissively)
Alright.

Phillip and Darian walk out. Hanna looks at both Neil and
Avril for a response. The two only stare off blankly, deep
in thought.

HANNA
(to Avril)
So...do you want to go now or does
your stomach need to...?

            AVRIL (looking up at her)
      (feigning a calm
       attitude)
Huh? Oh, no I'm fine, just got
lost in thought there for a
second. Yeah let's go.

The two get up and start to walk out. Hanna turns to Neil,
who remains sitting, staring at the radio.

HANNA
(to Neil)
Do you wanna come?

NEIL
(distantly)
No, I think I'm goin' stay here
for now.

HANNA
Alright.

Avril and Hanna walk out. Neil sits in thought for a long
while. He reaches over and turns the radio back on. Hearing
the static again, Neil turns the volume down and sits
watching the device, alone.

INT. STORAGE CLOSET - NIGHT

Darian unlocks the door to the closet and turns on the light
inside. The room is large and cluttered with tools. Both he
and Phillip step in and go quickly about gathering supplies.

18.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Avril and Hanna are stacking boxes of food on the kitchen
table. Phillip and Darian enter carrying their supplies.

AVRIL
How'd you guys do?

PHILLIP
Pretty good. Found some walkie
talkies.

AVRIL
(hopeful)
Really?

Darian throws one of the walkie talkies to Avril. He barely
catches it.

DARIAN
Turn it to channel 9, it's the
frequency we're goin' run 'em on.

Avril turns the walkie talkie on and changes it to channel
9.

AVRIL
You know these models can scan and
intercept radio waves in the
immediate area, if someone else a
few miles away were using-

DARIAN
(evenly)
That's what the radio's for.
Someone a few miles away got no
more idea about what's goin' on
then we do. And I don't want to
run the batteries down on these in
case we need to use 'em.

AVRIL
(sheepishly)
Definitely, I just thought
I'd...you know, mention it.

HANNA (pointing at Phillip's load)
What's the hatchet for?

PHILLIP
(defensively)
I thought I should grab it, you
know, in case.

19.

HANNA
Of what?

PHILLIP
(defensively)
I don't know.

HANNA
(awkwardly)
Oh.

Neil walks out of the freezer and into the kitchen,
startling Avril.

PHILLIP (to Neil)
Radio working yet?

NEIL
It's dead now, completely. It's
not even picking up static.

DARIAN
Batteries gotta be dead then.

AVRIL (to Darian)
(slightly alarmed)
Tell me you have more?

NEIL
It's not dead. It switches on and
off still. But it's only
transmitting silence.

Beat.

NEIL
Before the static cut out, I heard
the tail end of a different
broadcast, the guy was talking
really fast, didn't sound
professional either, but I'm
positive I heard him say "don't
let anything in."

AVRIL
Anything? What the hell do they
mean anything?

PHILLIP
Bullshit. He's fucking
bullshitting us, look at him.

20.

NEIL (to Phillip)
I'm being one hundred percent-

AVRIL
Do they mean don't let air in?
Air's anything, isn't it? Maybe we
should just block out all light,
sound-

HANNA (to Avril)
Can you please not interrupt
people when they're speaking?

DARIAN (to Hanna and Avril)
(sternly)
Hey.

Hanna and Avril stop squabbling. Darian turns and looks at
Neil.

DARIAN (to Neil)
(evenly)
You playin' games?

NEIL (to Darian)
No, the radio said "don't let
anything in." That's what I heard
and that's what I'm telling you.

Darian looks Neil over questioningly for a moment. He then
begins walking towards the freezer.

DARIAN
Alright. Let's get all this shit
in the cooler.

AVRIL (to Darian)
(anxious)
Then what?

Darian grabs ahold of the handle to the freezer before he
turns to address Avril.

DARIAN (to Avril)
Then we're goin' lock this place
down before good ole anything
finds a way in.

Darian opens the freezer and steps in, Phillip following
close behind. The rest of the group begins picking up the
other supplies and bringing them in as well.

21.

INT. WALK-IN FREEZER - NIGHT

Insert title '9:37 pm'. Avril is seated in the far corner of
the room with the walkie talkie in hand. He anxiously
watches as Neil and Hanna argue.

HANNA
(defensively)
What are you talking about? I'm
not being irrational, I'm just
saying that-

NEIL
Hanna, listen for one second,
okay? What I said wasn't meant as
an insult, I only meant that this
situation is already extremely
stressful, the last thing we need
to start doing is scaring
ourselves for no reason.

HANNA
(distressed)
I understand that, but they
haven't said anything back in ten
minutes, it's been at least ten
minutes, and I really don't get
why they would do that unless
something happened.

AVRIL
(quietly)
Fifteen.

NEIL (to Avril)
What?

AVRIL
(quietly)
It's been fifteen minutes.

Beat.

NEIL (to Avril)
Try them again.

Avril hits the 'alert' button on the device several times.
Hanna shifts back and forth anxiously while he does this.
Neil begins chewing on his thumb nail.

HANNA (to Neil)
(distressed)
What's he doing?

22.

NEIL
(offhandedly)
He's ringing them, you press that
button and it makes the other
walkie talkie start ringing, it's
like a distress call to the other
user.

AVRIL (into the walkie talkie)
(anxiously)
Darian, Phillip? If you guys can
hear this please answer.

Beat.

AVRIL
(desperately)
If for some reason you can't speak
just...just hit the call button,
just hit the call button so we
know you guys are alright.

Beat.

HANNA (to herself)
(scared)
Oh my God...oh my God...

NEIL
Fuck...okay, now we've got to make
a decision.

AVRIL (to Neil)
(quickly)
I'm not going out there.

NEIL (to Avril)
(surprized)
What?

AVRIL (to Neil)
(sternly)
I'm not going out there, there is
absolutely no way I am going out
there to look for them.

            NEIL
      (loudly)
For Christ's sake guys, there is
nothing, nothing we've seen,
heard, smelled, or tasted what so
ever that's even given us the
slightest indication there's
anything in this school that can
            (MORE)

23.

NEIL (cont'd)
harm us!

AVRIL (to Neil)
(argumentively)
What about the radio? What about
the fact that the last two people
who left this room haven't come
back?

NEIL (to Avril)
(loudly)
Maybe their walkie talkie died
Avril, did you think of that? Or
maybe the same interference that's
been fucking up the radio is
screwing up these things too. I
mean the last time I checked
walkie talkies operated on radio
frequencies just the same as every
goddamn radio ever-

            HANNA (interrupting)
      (extremely
       distressed)
Can the two of you stop yelling, I
really want you to please stop
yelling.

NEIL
(loudly)
Why? I think this is an extremely
valid point I'm making, a point I
knew I-

HANNA
(screaming)
Because something might hear us!

Beat.

NEIL
I guess it's out in the open now,
huh? It went from a storm, to a
virus, to a military coup, to
now...finally, something. What's
something, Hanna? What's it in
your mind now? Is it a killer? Is
it a monster? Or is it just your
own mind?

Beat.

24.

NEIL
All we've heard is radio silence.
And if no one's going with me, I'm
going to go out into the empty
school, and I'm going to track
down the only other two people who
are in it, and I'm going to find
out why, exactly, they haven't
contacted us back. Okay?

HANNA (to Neil)
(mildly distressed)
No, no stay here. I don't think
anymore of us should go anywhere.
Let's just keep calling them,
okay?

NEIL (to Hanna)
(quietly)
No, this has got to be solved, and
it's got to be solved now.

Neil stands up and walks past Hanna into the next section of
the freezer. He sifts through the supplies and emerges with
a crowbar and a flashlight. Neil moves to the door before
turning to Avril.

NEIL (to Avril)
I want you to hit the call button
on your walkie talkie every ten
seconds. I'll follow the sound,
and hopefully it'll take me right
to them.

HANNA (to Neil)
If there's nothing out there, why
are you bring the crowbar?

Neil looks at Hanna for a moment, obviously lacking a
suitable answer. He turns back to Avril before opening the
door.

NEIL (to Avril)
(sternly)
Don't stop calling until I come
back.

AVRIL
(quietly)
Okay.

Neil opens the freezer door slowly before walking out into
the kitchen. The door slams shut behind him.

25.

INT. LOWER FLOOR WEST WING - NIGHT

Neil is moving cautiously down the long hallway, letting the
flashlight guide his way. He stops when he sees that one of
the side doors has been torn of it's hinges.

NEIL
(shocked)
Oh fuck...

Neil tries to pick up the door to reset it, but it proves to
be too heavy. He cautiously checks his surroundings before
moving quickly up a nearby stairwell.

INT. UPPER FLOOR WEST WING - NIGHT

Neil emerges from the stairwell into another hallway, this
one lined with lockers. Ahead of him, the silence is broken
by the faint sound of Darian's walkie talkie ringing. Neil
precedes cautiously but quickly in this direction.

INT. UPPER FLOOR EAST WING - NIGHT

Neil enters this hallway quickly, frantically shining the
light to find the walkie talkie's location. It rings again,
this time very near. Neil finally sees it on the floor, a
few feet away from Darian's mutilated body.

NEIL
(shocked)
Oh my God...

Neil stands staring at the body for a long while. The walkie
talkie rings again, startling Neil into action. He grabs the
device and ducks into a nearby room, locking the door behind
himself. He sits with his back to the door and calls Avril.

NEIL (over the walkie talkie)
(frantic)
Avril-Avril, stop ringing the
walkie talkie, I need you to stop
it right now.

AVRIL (over the walkie talkie)
Who is this? Neil, is that you?

            NEIL (over the walkie talkie)
      (urgently)
Yeah, it's Neil. Listen, I need
help, okay? I really need your
help. Darian's...uh...Darian's
dead. I'm pretty sure he's dead. I
            (MORE)

26.

NEIL (cont'd)
need you guys to call an-an
ambulance or something...I need
you to...oh Christ...

Neil, overcome with emotion, takes his hand off the call
button.

AVRIL (over the walkie talkie)
(paniced)
Oh my God...oh my God...how did he
die?

NEIL (over the walkie talkie)
(frantic)
It uh...it looked like he his-his
skull was fractured, there were
lacerations all over his face and
neck.

AVRIL (over the walkie talkie)
(paniced)
Are you sure he's dead? Who...who
are we supposed to call? The-the
phone's dead Neil, how...how the
fuck are we supposed to call
anyone?

NEIL (over the walkie talkie)
(frustrated)
Listen to me, I am on the second
floor, okay? I am in potentially
serious danger, I don't know what
you are supposed to do about a
fucking phone, okay? What I
need...

There is movement in the hallway. Neil stops talking
immediately and turns the walkie talkie off. Something moves
past the door.

INT. WALK-IN FREEZER - NIGHT

Hanna is on the verge of tears, huddled in the corner. Avril
is seated as before, obviously distressed.

AVRIL (over the walkie talkie)
(terrified)
Neil? Are you there? Neil?!

27.

            HANNA
      (on the verge of
       tears)
Oh God, I can't take this shit
anymore!

Hanna leaps up and moves to the interior door which opens
into the group's makeshift supply room.

AVRIL
(frightened)
Hanna what-what are you doing?

Hanna spins around to face Avril. Tears in her eyes, she
gestures for him to stay aback.

HANNA (warding Avril off)
(crying)
I'm not going to be a part of this
anymore, I'm sorry, I just can't
fucking do this.

AVRIL
(pleadingly)
Please don't do this...I need you,
I don't want to be alone with all
of this.

Hanna shakes her head 'No'. She opens the door to the next
room.

HANNA
(crying)
I'm sorry.

Hanna enters the room and shuts the door behind her. Avril
cradles his head in his hands. Suddenly, the exterior of the
freezer door is slammed. Neil watches, paralyzed with fear,
as the door is struck two more times.

PHILLIP (O.S.)
(out of breathe)
Open...the door. Whoever the fuck
is in there, open the door NOW!

Beat. Phillip then begins pounding urgently on the door.

PHILLIP (O.S.)
(frantically)
Open the fucking door! It's
Phillip! I need to get in there,
let me in, please!

28.

Hearing the name, Avril snaps out of his shock. He scrambles
up to his feet towards the door.

AVRIL
(relieved)
Phillip? I didn't know...hold on.

Avril opens the door. Phillip pushes past him and slams the
door shut himself. He then slumps down to the floor,
exhausted. Avril is taken aback when he sees the blood
Phillip is covered in.

AVRIL
(worried)
Please tell me your alright,
because we don't have any-

Phillip seems to break out of his daze suddenly, and an
expression of confused terror washes over him.

PHILLIP (interrupting)
(anxiously)
Where is everybody?

AVRIL
Neil left to find you. And
Hanna...she's in the other room.

PHILLIP
(alarmed)
Did he just leave or...?

AVRIL
(frightened)
No, no he left about ten minutes
ago, after we couldn't reach you
on the walkie talkies. He went to
go find you but-but I think he's
in trouble. And I can't reach him
now either and I...I don't know
what to do, oh God I don't know
what to do anymore.

Phillip stands up quickly, gesturing for Avril to hand him
the walkie talkie.

PHILLIP
(urgently)
Give it to me.

Avril hands him the device.

29.

PHILLIP (over the walkie talkie)
(urgently)
Neil, are you there? If you can
hear me, you don't even have to
respond. Just get down here now.
There's something on the second
floor, it's moving from room to
room. Do not try and hide, just
run back here as fast as you can.

AVRIL
(frightened)
What's up there? What did you see?

PHILLIP (gesturing to the door)
(urgently)
Is that door locked?

AVRIL
No, I don't-

PHILLIP (interrupting)
(urgently)
Lock it.

INT. UPPER FLOOR EAST WING - NIGHT

Neil is at the door, peering out of it into the hallway.
Slowly he opens the door and exits the room. He begins down
the hall quietly until he hears something behind him. Neil
turns to see a slim, inhuman figure staring back at him.

NEIL
(terrified)
No...

The figure retreats around a nearby corner. Neil turns and
runs in the direction he was originally heading.

INT. LOBBY STAIRWELL - NIGHT

Neil, running at a frantic pace, comes within sight of the
lobby stairs. He starts down them but falls once he sees the
creature heading towards him from the opposite direction.
Neil is up in seconds, and darts away down the stairs.

30.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Neil bursts into the kitchen. He runs over to the freezer
door and tries to open it. Realizing it is locked, he begins
to pound on it furiously.

NEIL
(exhausted)
Open the door! It's me, Neil...

The door swings open and Phillip pulls Neil quickly in. The
door slams shut behind them, and is locked mere seconds
later.

INT. WALK-IN FREEZER - NIGHT

Phillip is seated in the corner, facing Neil and Avril.
Avril is holding the radio tightly in his arms while Neil's
eyes rest intently on Phillip.

PHILLIP
(frightened)
It didn't take long for us to
realize we were being followed. It
would come to a stop every time we
did, always just a moment too late
so that I could hear it's last
step. It would uh...

Beat.

PHILLIP
(frightened)
It would wait around the corners
of the hallways so that we
couldn't see it. Darian thought it
was just my mind playing tricks on
me, he said he couldn't hear a
thing and that we needed to focus
on locking up the rest of the
windows and roof access ways.

Beat.

            PHILLIP
      (frightened)
I went kinda...kinda crazy then,
up there in the dark. I heard it
getting closer, every time we
turned down a new hall, it would
follow just a little bit closer.
The last five minutes I was up
there it couldn't have been more
            (MORE)

31.

PHILLIP (cont'd)
than ten feet away from me. I
couldn't run, could hardly even
breathe I was so utterly
petrified...it wasn't until I
caught it's reflection in one of
the windows of the classroom
doorways that I finally screamed.

AVRIL
(scared)
I don't think I want to hear
anymore.

NEIL
(frustrated)
Avril, please.

Phillip looks up at Avril quickly.

PHILLIP
(evenly)
What, is this all too much for
you? Am I jeopardizing your poor
piece of mind?

AVRIL
(appeasingly)
No, I just...okay yes, you're
frightening me but that-that's
fine, I just don't want Hanna to
hear all this. She's already
started-

PHILLIP
(argumentively)
Hey, I don't care if Hanna hears,
okay? I just spent the last half
an hour accepting the fact that I
was going to die, and I'll thank
Christ every day after this that I
didn't, but you didn't, she
didn't, nobody here had to go
through that but me. That memory's
going to haunt me the rest of my
life.

            AVRIL
      (passive
       aggressively)
That's fine, I'm just saying she
was getting hysterical, and if she
hears what you're saying-

32.

NEIL
(sternly)
Let's talk about how Darian died.

Phillip looks down at the floor, a conflicted look adorning
his face.

NEIL
The wound I saw, the one which
most certainly caused his death,
wasn't caused by some unearthly
creature or phenomena.

Beat.

NEIL
It was caused by a relatively
sharp instrument striking him in
the face, and the fracturing of
his cheek bone and eye socket tell
me that this object was something
very much like an ax. Or a
hatchet.

PHILLIP
(desperately)
I had to...he was going to kill us
both.

AVRIL
(mortified)
So you killed him instead?
What...what the hell is wrong with
you?

PHILLIP
(yelling)
I was going to die up there,
alright?! You tell me what the
fuck I was supposed to do?!

NEIL
(probingly)
Did Darian ever acknowledge the
presence you described? Did he
ever see or hear it, even once?

PHILLIP
(frantically)
No, but didn't you? You were up
there, you had to have
felt...known you weren't alone up
there!

33.

NEIL
(sternly)
The only thing I know is that I
saw the dead body of a man you
killed.

PHILLIP
(frantically)
Neil! For Christ's sake I'm not
crazy, we're not alone here, I've
heard the goddamn thing, I've seen
it!

NEIL
(pleadingly)
I saw something too! But what you
need to realize is that under
certain levels of extreme distress
your mind can and will generate
auditory, even visual
hallucinations, ones which seem
impossibly real when they happen.
We see things when we dream that
aren't there, why should our
waking life be any different?
Hundreds of thousands of people
who suffer from mental illnesses
witness unexplainable phenomena
everyday, but it's not
unexplainable anymore than it is
real, it's there own minds. And
here in this little metal box, or
the miles and miles of darkened
hallways out there that's the only
thing any of us are going to fall
prey to!

PHILLIP
(evenly)
That's easy to say in here, with
the light on.

AVRIL (to Phillip)
(quickly)
Well that's exactly where we're
all staying, me for sure. And once
Hanna calms down, you can be the
one to go tell her what happened
to Darian.

Phillip looks away shamefacedly. Avril shifts the radio
around in his arms and begins fiddling with the dials.

34.

            AVRIL
      (reassuring
       himself)
And we're surrounded by what?
Five, ten inches of steel in here?
We've got food and supplies and
a-a radio. I mean yeah, an
infinite number of things could
happen to any one of us out there,
but in here , where it's safe,
nobody's goin' fall prey to
anything.

NEIL
(cryptically)
Except ourselves.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Hanna is wielding a bloodstained knife, her back to the open
storage closet. Neil is standing nearby, trying to reason
with her. Avril is closer to the freezer, applying pressure
to his now lacerated hand.

AVRIL
(screaming)
Jesus-Jesus..I can't stop the
bleeding, I think she cut the
tendons, oh God it fucking hurts!

NEIL
(nervous)
Hanna, look at me...

Hanna looks at him for a moment, then back at the others.
She is obviously extremely distressed.

HANNA
(crazed)
No, get the fuck away from me.

NEIL
(nervous)
Okay, I can assure you I
absolutely will. I just need you
to put the-

HANNA (interrupting)
(screaming)
I said get the fuck away from me
NOW!

35.

Hanna takes a swipe at Neil with the knife. He stumbles
aback, catching himself on one of the counters before he
falls. Phillip makes a move to grab her, but she wards him
off before he can.

HANNA
(screaming)
If you even TOUCH me, I'll fucking
kill you, I swear to God I'll cut
your fucking head off!

NEIL (to Phillip)
(frustrated)
For the last goddamn time Phillip,
go help him with his hand before
he goes into shock!

PHILLIP
(low tone)
I'm going to say this one more
time you stupid, crazy bitch-

HANNA
(screaming)
I'm not crazy, you're crazy you
strung out piece of shit!

PHILLIP
(low tone)
Yes you are.

NEIL
(yelling)
Phillip, for Christ's sake!

HANNA
(screaming)
No I'm not!

PHILLIP
(low tone)
Yes you are.

HANNA
(screaming)
No I'm not! I'm not-I'm not-I'm
not-I'M NOT CRAZY!

            PHILLIP
      (yelling)
Then why are you standing in the
middle of the kitchen waving a
knife around screaming at the top
            (MORE)

36.

PHILLIP (cont'd)
of your lungs?!

            HANNA
      (
       mournful/screaming)
Because I want out of here!

PHILLIP
(yelling)
Then go!

NEIL
(nervous)
No Hanna, nobody's-

HANNA
(screaming)
No, you fucking go! I don't want
you here, you killed Darian, I
heard you say it, and I don't give
a shit what you saw!

PHILLIP
(yelling)
My life was in danger, I didn't do
it because I wanted to! You think
I wanted to kill him? You think I
enjoyed hitting him in the face
with a hatchet you sick fucking
bitch?!

HANNA
(screaming)
I don't CARE! You killed him and
you're a fucking murderer! And if
you-

NEIL
(yelling)
STOP IT! This is over right now!
Hanna, he's the crazy one, okay?
But right now you're putting us
all in danger. If you want to stay
here with us, you have to drop the
knife.

HANNA
(pleadingly)
But I don't want to...I don't want
him to hurt me...

37.

NEIL
(reassuringly)
Nobody's going to hurt you Hanna,
I promise. Now please, for all our
sakes, drop-

AVRIL (swaying back and forth)
(delirious)
Oh God...

Avril lapses into shock and drops to the floor.

NEIL (turning to Avril)
(scared)
Jesus...

Neil runs to his aid. While Hanna is distracted by this,
Phillip lunges at Hanna.

HANNA
(screaming)
No!

She swings the knife at Phillip and misses. He grabs her arm
and shakes it free from her hand. Hanna begins screaming
hysterically. Alarmed, Neil stands up from Avril's side
when he sees this.

NEIL
(frightened)
Hey...HEY!

In their struggle, Phillip pushes Hanna forcibly aback. She
slips and slams the back of her head on the metal counter
behind her. She falls to the floor and begins convulsing.

NEIL
(mortified)
Holy Christ...Hanna...HANNA?!

Neil runs over to her. He takes hold of hand and checks the
back of her head. Phillip stands looking at the scene in
shock.

NEIL
(quietly)
Her skull's fractured.

Hanna's convulsions become more pronounced. She begins
bleeding from the ears. Hanna squeezes Neil's hand before
she dies.

38.

NEIL
(quietly)
You killed her.

PHILLIP
(in shock)
No...I'm going to go to the
nurse's office, every school has a
nurse's office. I'll go get some
bandages, and stitches...then
we'll take her in freezer and then
we'll...we'll...

NEIL
(quietly)
Then we'll what, Phillip?

Phillip is on the verge of tears. Neil stands up and moves
over to him.

NEIL (outstretching his hand)
(quietly)
Let me see the keys.

            PHILLIP
      (on the verge of
       tears)
Oh my God...it was an accident, I
swear to God I...I

NEIL (outstretching his hand)
(quietly)
Give them to me.

Phillip reaches in his coat and hands Neil the keys with one
shaking hand.

NEIL
(quietly)
Help me pick her up.

Phillip walks over to Hanna's body. The minute he gets close
to Neil, Neil grabs him and pushes him out the kitchen door.
He then locks the door, barring Phillip from entering again.

PHILLIP
(frightened)
Hey, what are you doing? Did you
lock me out?!

Phillip tries the lock. The minute he realizes it's locked,
he begins pounding frantically on the door. Neil slides down
to the floor, and rests his back on the door.

39.

PHILLIP (pounding on the door)
(screaming)
Neil, you know me! Please don't do
this, I didn't mean to, oh God I
didn't mean to kill her!

Beat.

            PHILLIP
      (screaming
       hysterically)
Please, you gotta let me in, it's
already heard us...it'll kill me,
it's going to fucking kill me if
you don't let me in! NEIL PLEASE!
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S OUT HERE!

Neil looks at Hanna's body mournfully for a moment. He then
gets up and moves over to Avril, helping him into the
freezer. All the while Phillip continues his pleading and
pounding on the door.

INT. CAFETERIA - NIGHT

Phillip stops pounding the door to the kitchen with his
hands, resorting to kicking it frantically instead.

PHILLIP
(screaming)
OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!

Phillip moves quickly to a stack of chairs in the far corner
of the room. He picks one up and rushes back over to the
door. Phillip raises the chair over his head to throw it,
but stops short once he realizes he's not alone in the room.

PHILLIP
(terrified)
Oh God...

Just inside the entrance to the cafeteria a large, inhuman
figure stands staring at Phillip. The chair drops from his
hands in this moment of fright, and in seconds Phillip runs
out of the cafeteria through the opposite door.

INT. LOWER FLOOR FRONT HALLWAY - NIGHT

Phillip darts out into the hallway. He slows to a stop once
he reaches the doorway of one of the adjacent halls. Phillip
looks down the hall just in time to see his pursuer run by
in the direction he was heading at the opposite end.

40.

PHILLIP
(terrified)
This isn't real, none of this is
real...oh God, God please help
me...somebody please help me.

Phillip looks towards the lobby anxiously. When he turns and
looks back down the adjacent hallway again, he sees the
creature halfway down the hall charging towards him. Phillip
screams and runs quickly towards the lobby.

INT. LOBBY STAIRWELL - NIGHT

Phillip runs into the lobby and begins rushing up the
stairwell to the second floor. He fumbles to a stop when he
sees the creature standing at the top of the stairs waiting
for him.

PHILLIP
(desperately)
No...

Phillip begins retreating cautiously back down the steps,
his eyes transfixed on the monster. It begins advancing
slowly towards him as he moves away.

PHILLIP
(terrified)
You're not real...you're just a
product of-of my fear and-and
paranoia. None of this is
happening, it's all in my mind,
it's all in my mind, it's all in
my mind, it's all in my mind,
it's...

Phillip is now back at the bottom of the stairwell. The
creature, within striking distance of Phillip now, begins to
outstretch it's arms towards him.

PHILLIP
(terrified)
Oh God please, please no...make it
go away, make it stop, please
someone make this stop!

Both Phillip and the creature have descended the stairwell
now. Phillip begins screaming hysterically as he is taken
hold of and dragged into the darkness by the inhuman form.

41.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Neil is helping Avril treat his wound. Suddenly the two hear
Phillip's scream. Neil quickly helps Avril into the freezer
then returns with the flashlight and a hammer. Cautiously,
Neil then moves from the kitchen into the cafeteria.

INT. LOBBY - NIGHT

Neil moves cautiously into the lobby. He catches sight of
Phillip's dead body sprawled out in the center of the floor
with the hatchet lying next to it. The flashlight's glow
reveals a figure standing across the room from Neil.

SRGT. BRENICK
(sternly)
Identify yourself.

Neil directs the light more fully on the figure, and it is
revealed to be a stocky man dressed in SWAT team gear with
the title of SRGT. BRENICK stitched over his right breast
pocket. He has his rifle trained on Neil.

SRGT. BRENICK
(sternly)
Keep your hands in plain sight or
I'll shoot.

NEIL
(frightened)
I'm unarmed, so-so there's no need
to-

SRGT. BRENICK
(sternly)
You were not asked if you were
armed, you were told to identify
yourself.

Beat.

NEIL
(frightened)
My name is...Neil Anthony Madison.
I came here to seek refuge with
four others. The man lying there
was one of them. Now please-

SRGT. BRENICK (interrupting)
(curiously)
Refuge from what?

42.

NEIL
(in disbelief)
You don't know?

Beat.

NEIL
(pleadingly)
No...you have to. Tell me you
know, tell me someone knows what's
happening out there.

Beat.

SRGT. BRENICK
(sternly)
Lay face down on the floor and
spread your arms out in front of
you.

NEIL
(intently)
But...

Neil relinquishes and lays face down on the floor as
instructed. SRGT. Brenick moves over to Phillip's body and
checks his pulse. He then turns his body over, examining for
a cause of death.

SRGT. BRENICK (examining Phillip's body)
No knife or gunshot wounds. Neck's
not broken either.

SRGT. Brenick motions for Neil to get up. Neil cautiously
gets to his feet.

NEIL
(cautiously)
You mean you didn't...?

SRGT. BRENICK
(sternly)
Did you?

Beat.

SRGT. BRENICK
My guess is it was something
internal. Heart attack, something
like that.

NEIL
You're sure?

43.

SRGT. BRENICK
No, I'm not sure, I'm not a
doctor. But what else could have
killed him? The guy's got no
visible external wounds, least not
that I can see.

SRGT. Brenick stands up.

SRGT. BRENICK (motioning with his gun)
(sternly)
Turn around for me please.

Neil hesitates.

SRGT. BRENICK
I'm military, it's alright.

Neil turns around. SRGT. Brenick pats him down. Once he's
satisfied, Brenick regards Neil with a little less caution.

NEIL
(cautiously)
You haven't seen
anything...strange have you? In
here I mean.

SRGT. BRENICK
In the school?

NEIL
(cautiously)
Yes.

SRGT. BRENICK
Just empty hallways and
classrooms. Why?

NEIL
(quietly)
No reason.

Neil looks closer at Phillip's body. His eyes rest on the
hatchet lying next to his dead friend.

SRGT. BRENICK
Your friends, are they armed?

NEIL
(quietly)
No, not anymore.

SRGT. Brenick nudges Neil forward with his gun.

44.

SRGT. BRENICK
(sternly)
Well let's go make sure.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Brenick and Neil enter the kitchen. Avril is looking in the
storage closet at Hanna's dead body. He's obviously startled
when he sees Brenick.

AVRIL
(nervous)
Neil? Wha-what's going on?

NEIL
(insincere)
Nothing, it's fine,
everything's...just perfectly fine
now.

SRGT. BRENICK
Sir, could you step over here for
a minute?

AVRIL
(nervous)
What is this?

SRGT. BRENICK
Sir you can ask all the questions
you want once you're over here,
but until then I'm going to need
you to comply with my request.

NEIL
It's alright, he's a soldier. So
just-

SRGT. BRENICK
I'm also going to need you to drop
whatever it is you have in your
hands before you turn around.

AVRIL (begins turning around)
But I don't have anything in my-

SRGT. BRENICK
(yelling)
Hey!

Brenick draws his gun on Avril. Terrified, Avril raises his
hands above his head.

45.

NEIL
(terrified)
No!

Neil lunges forward and pushes Brenick, stopping him from
firing. Brenick regains his balance and lowers the gun once
he sees Avril is unarmed.

NEIL (to Brenick)
(screaming)
You...I told you he was unarmed!

Brenick wheels around to Neil, grabbing his shirt with his
free hand. Brenick slams Neil against the freezer door, gun
hand raised in a threatening manner.

SRGT. BRENICK
This weapon is loaded...look at
me...there are live rounds in this
thing you fucking idiot. What if I
had fallen and it went off, huh?
Are you a doctor? Do you know how
to treat a gunshot wound? Do you?!

NEIL
(quietly)
No.

Brenick lets go of Neil and turns to Avril.

SRGT. BRENICK (to Avril)
Do you?

AVRIL
(terrified)
I uh...I...

Avril trails off and eventually shakes his head 'No'.

SRGT. BRENICK
Trinity hospital, five miles from
here, is abandoned. The next
closest is twenty miles, and my
C.O. couldn't even get through to
them. If I had shot you, you would
have died right there on the
floor, do you understand that?

Avril appears to be on the verge of tears. He shakes his
head 'Yes' and turns quickly away from Brenick's glare.

46.

NEIL
(anxious)
Abandoned? It's a hospital,
they...the doctors, the nurses,
they can't...you're telling me
they just left?

SRGT. BRENICK
Trinity hospital is abandoned, as
to why right now I don't know.

AVRIL (to Neil)
(anxious)
He doesn't know what's happening
either?

SRGT. BRENICK
I know enough to get you out of
here alive, you find someone who
knows much more than that at this
point you come and tell me,
alright?

AVRIL
(anxious)
Out of here? What do you mean out
of here, we're leaving?

NEIL
No, that's a decision we have yet
to make, one we need to make
rationally, and as a group. Now-

AVRIL
(panicing)
Leave and go where? Out there? Are
you...fucking in-insane? After
everything that's happened in
here, where we've been in control,
you-

NEIL
(distressed)
We were never in control Avril,
can't you see that? Ever since we
walked into that freezer,
that-that steel prison it's been
one paranoid theory after the
next, and three innocent people
are dead for it. What next?
You...me?

47.

AVRIL
(shocked)
Phillip...he's-he's dead too?

Neil mournfully shakes his head 'Yes'.

AVRIL
(anxious)
What killed him?

NEIL
(doubtfully)
It was a natural cause. Probably a
heart attack.

Beat.

NEIL
I know you don't know much about
what's going on out there, but for
our sakes, could you please tell
us what you do know? Anything that
could help.

SRGT. BRENICK
This county and several of the
ones surrounding it are currently
under a state of civil emergency.
Police stations, hospitals,
eventually national guard units
started responding to reports of
mass panic throughout the area.
But the reports were conflicting
as to why, and before anyone could
get a viable reason we lost all
means of communication. Fourty
minutes pass after the first
communication to our base and
they're shoving rifles into our
hands and cramming us onto
convoys. Each of us was told to
conserve our ammunition and to
shoot as few civilians as
possible.

Beat.

SRGT. BRENICK
Some thing's happening out there,
and it's spreading. It could
simply be a case of mass hysteria,
one which those emergency
broadcasts they were airing
earlier wouldn't have helped much.
(MORE)

48.

SRGT. BRENICK (cont'd)
And a whole lot of me hopes that's
the truth. But something caused
all this, I've seen it's touch
outside these walls. And it's not
an all together human touch
either.

Beat.

NEIL
So what do you propose we do?

SRGT. BRENICK
Me?

Neil shakes his head 'Yes'.

SRGT. BRENICK
Leave, leave before whatever's
coming makes it's way here.

AVRIL
(desperately)
And go where?

SRGT. BRENICK
Back to Fort Hood. My convoy's
stationed a mile from here, we can
be back on base in just over an
hour.

AVRIL
No, no, no, I won't, I can't.

NEIL
Yes you can, you have to. The
answer to all this, the truth, is
out there. If we stay here, if we
stay here and die this all will
have been in vain. Out there at
least there's a chance we can
learn why this is all happening,
maybe even find a way we can stop
it

Beat.

AVRIL
(quietly)
I can't, I don't want to die out
there like the others, I'm sorry.

49.

Neil looks at Avril a moment longer, then shakes his head
understandingly.

SRGT. BRENICK (to Neil)
Alright, any belongings you need
to collect before we head out?

Neil shakes his head 'No'.

SRGT. BRENICK
I'm going to head to the main
office then and get the primary
lights back on. You head down
there when you're ready.

Brenick walks out the cafeteria door. Neil walks over to
Avril and the two shake hands awkwardly. Avril lets go of
Neil's hand and hugs him instead. Neil walks out of the
cafeteria door. A moment later Avril retreats back into the
freezer.

INT. LOWER FLOOR FRONT HALLWAY - NIGHT

The overhead lights switch on. Brenick enters the hallway,
followed by Neil. Brenick draws his gun and opens the door
to the outside cautiously. He waves Neil over and the two
walk outside into the darkness.

FADE OUT.

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