Working Title

by

Erika Thomas

Lorem Ipsum © 2008 Lorem Ipsum Dolor

Heath Park Films Prestwood Road WV1 1RD

1

INT. CLASSROOM. DAY

The room is dark, strips of light break through the small win-dows, lighting a radiator at the far end of the classroom, the camera moves in. Off camera, we can hear a door slam and pant-ing of breath.

CUT TO BLACK

ANDREW Its going to be okay, you’ll be fi-ne, I said I would, i’ll make it... (drifts off, knowing its not the truth)

INT. CLASSROOM. DAY

There is a girls arm, blood is trickling down slowly, as we move up the arm we see a bite mark on the arm.

CUT TO BLACK

MICHELLE We don’t have long,(wince of pain) please, you’ve got to, NOW!!!

INT. CLASSROOM. DAY

A pile of chains are dropped onto the ground. A hand grabs one end of the chain and starts to pull the end out of the pile making a metallic grinding sound. The body of the girl slumps against the radiator, quickly the chain goes across her chest and behind the radiator.

CUT TO BLACK

ANDREW I’m so sorry, I should have...

MICHELLE It’s not, (audible gasp of pain), faster, please...both my hands.

2

INT. CLASSROOM. DAY

Chains are quickly wrapped around the hands of Michelle, each hand is wrapped several times and then tightly linked to the radiator. The final strap crosses the other side of her chest creating an X. Andrew bows his head, his eyes are focused on forward, he wipes a hand across his face.

CUT TO BLACK

MICHELLE You know what you promised me...

ANDREW I know but, but, I don’t, I’m so sor-ry, I don’t know if I can, I love you, don’t ask me to do that...

MICHELLE I don’t want to be like that, one of them, I could hurt you, anyone, please, I’ll try to kill you, you promised I love you, but you prom-ised, please... (wince, scream and gargles of pain).

INT. CLASSROOM. DAY

Andrew stares, he is holding onto Michelle’s hand, though we can not see her, only her hand.

ANDREW (WHISPERED)

Shell,

MONTAGE - A quick series of images flutter through the screen conveying, through obscure close up shots, the painful death and change of Michelle. Andrew never lets go of her hand and we are moving constantly between his face and these series of images, the veins begin turning black along her neck, the coughing of blood out of mouth, her eyes blood shot, the awful wound still weeping along the opposite side of her neck. He strokes her hair with his hand. Suddenly quickly her hand con-vulses, her head whips back throwing her hair back, her feet kick out violently, Andrew leans in grabbing her head.

3

ANDREW

Shell, Shell, please say something no, no,

Michelle’s face bursts into frame, snapping and chomping. An-drew throws himself backward and away, the sudden fear and terror obvious but at the same time washed out by the obvious pain of loss, he begins to weep. Michelle continues to snap and try in vain to reach Andrew.

ANDREW (trying poorly to hold back the tears)

I’m so sorry, I promised them I would protect and I couldn't I let you down I should have stopped it I should have know I should, I should, I, so sorry so, sorry, so sorry...

The camera slowly tracks about of Michelle still groaning and snapping at the air trying to get at Andrew, he has bowed his head, consumed by guilt, the shot ends on a wide shot reveal-ing the scene in its entirety for the first time.

CUT TO BLACK

GRAPHIC - TITLE ON SCREEN.

FLASH TO WHITE

EXT. GARDEN. DAY - Flashback

Andrew burst into shot through the patio doors and into the garden, Michelle is quickly behind him. A body lies spread on the grass, its head has been smashed with the shovel lying out from the body like the growth of new a limb. There is no re-mains of the head only the outward spray of the event pock marked with brain fragments. Andrew glances around his face stricken by terror and desperation. He sees his father slumped against the wall of the shed his chest is smeared in blood he is clinging to the remains of his arm a bloody stump.

4

ANDREW Dad, what happened, my God your arm, who did this, wheres Mom? What hap-pened, Who’s on the garden, did he...

Andrew leans into his father looking at his father’s wound, he goes to touch his arm. His father grabs his arm and pulls him close.

FATHER GO!, Don’t look back, you take her (looking at Michelle who just seems terrified). Don’t trust anyone I don’t who they are you are alone, get out get safe, GO GO NOW!!!

CUT TO BLACK

INT. CLASSROOM. DAY

Andrew sits sobbing opposite the snarling Michelle. He lifts his head, that seems to be very difficult.

ANDREW All I ever wanted was to be with you, do all the normal things, finish Uni, a house job, propose you would have been a beautiful bride...

Michelle as if on queue snaps at him violently, her snarls seeming to become louder for a moment.

ANDREW You deserved better, someone who could have protected you, saved you from this madness (he pauses), All I can do is what you made me promise, I am so sorry it’s just I don’t want to leave you, being alone, I can’t do this...

FLASH TO WHITE

5

INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR. DAY - Flashback

A school corridor littered with rubbish, signs on the floor pointing direction to the emergency assembly point, small oc-casional splattering of blood. A foot quickly slams into frame and ten out, as almost as quickly a second foot runs through. Andrew and Michelle are terrified, we hear there fast panting and their breath as they sprint towards the door at the far end of the corridor its warm glow of light their salvation. Behind them the fast moving shadows that snarl and gargle the sounds of the undead, moving closer with each step, the snap-ping seeming right behind them especially michelle.

CUT TO

EXT. SCHOOL. DAY

Andrew burst through the door, with michelle close behind, she is grabbed by her hair by a blood soaked hand. Andrew is try-ing to force the door closed onto the hand. Michelle is grasp-ing trying to pry the fingers off her hair, Andrew keeps slam-ming the door onto the hand. The sudden arrival of more of the undead, forces the head of the zombie who has Michelle through the small gap in the door, sinking its teeth into her arm. A final hand slam forces the zombie back in, using the chains on the ground they seal the door, a spare chain is now in An-drew’s hand, he turns only to see Michelle holding the blood pouring bit on her arm. His face drops neither can say any-thing to one another.

CUT TO BLACK

INT. CLASSROOM. EARLY EVENING

The room has darkened the warm streaks from the sun replaced by an orange glow of low evening sun. Andrew sits up suddenly, the tear marks run like tracks down his face, his emotion switches from the loss and grief, mutating to rage, he snatch-es a computer monitor tearing the cabling away from the wall. He stands over her, his breath quickening, his eyes starring intently at her. Michelle stares back returning the flinching stare the intent behind them nothing more animalistic hunger. His fingers adjust on the monitor tightening. The decision made, he raises the monitor and hits it off the wall beside her head, he slumps back down along the wall opposite her.

ANDREW

6

I’m so sorry, I can’t do this who am I some murderer, I know your not you but...

He leans towards, smiling, for a second there seems a glimmer of recognition in her lifeless eyes, or perhaps it is the hope that simply clouds his. she lunges forward snapping just inch-es from his face.

ANDREW (He gently touches her hand as she continues to snap, his face starring at the ground)

The only thing they told me to do was protect you, I failed, all you wanted me to was end your nightmare and I failed, I failed everything... (Look-ing into her eyes) I am so sorry I failed everyone, I love you, at least you don’t know how much I failed you.

He slowly backs way from her, her becomes upset, weeping open-ly very softly, its hard for him to turn away as he knows he will never see Michelle again. He is almost at the door before he turns, straight into the face of another Zombie, it lunges at him. We see Michelle her snapping easing as we hear the screams and tearing, biting of the attack.

FADE TO BLACK

INT. CLASSROOM. NIGHT

Moonlight streams in through the small windows, Michelle and Andrew stand beside each the only sound the steady grumble of their groans, the camera slowly moves away from the two into a full wide shot of the whole classroom, they are together and alone beside each other in the empty silence of the class.

FADE TO BLACK

7