INT. LIQUOR STORE - EVENING
Ben is inspecting the windows when Dave comes in and stands
beside him.
BENJAMIN CROWE
You don't have some kind of gate or
something to cover these when you
close?
DAVE
No need.
(knocks on the window)
Bullet proof glass. Had it
installed last summer.
BENJAMIN CROWE
Okay.
(he hesitates)
I'll be right back.
Ben makes for the door.
DAVE
Where the hell you going?
BENJAMIN CROWE
We can't just leave that kid out
there.
DAVE
You mean Steve?
Ben gives him a blank stare.
DAVE
The kid that just crashed your
vehicle into a light post while
trying to steal it?
BENJAMIN CROWE
Yeah, him.
Ben exits the liquor store.
EXT. DESERTED MAIN STREET - EVENING
Ben walks briskly down the street as Dave struggles to catch
up.
DAVE
You're better off leaving the punk
to rot, if ya ask me.
BENJAMIN CROWE
I'm not gonna leave him out here to
die just cause he tried to steal my
car.
DAVE
You car? Do you know how much money
that little shit and his friends
have cost me over the years? Shit,
they're the reason I had to install
the bullet proof glass.
BENJAMIN CROWE
Well, I can carry him myself if you
wanna head back to the store.
The two come upon the overturned SUV to find Steve is still
unconscious when Ben and Dave arrive at the truck. Ben
crouches down to check Steve's pulse.
DAVE (O.C.)
I don't think you get what I'm
sayin'.
Ben looks up to see that Dave has a gun pointed at his
forehead.
DAVE (cont'd)
The boy ain't welcome in my store.
Ben puts his hands in the air to signal his surrender.
EXT. DESERTED MAIN STREET - CONTINUOUS
Ben rushes to the SUV with Dave right behind him.
DAVE
What the hell happened?
BENJAMIN CROWE
I came to see if you guys needed
help and she just took off.
Ben gets to the vehicle to see a kid a couple years younger
than him sitting unconscious in the driver's seat. The kid,
STEVE, is fully decked out in G-Unit clothing from head to
toe.
Ben pulls him out of the car and slams him down hard on the
street before heading around to the other side where Sarah
lies unconscious as well, bleeding from her forehead.
Dave kicks away at Steve's mid-section a few times in
frustration.
DAVE
You fucking punk piece of shit!
Dave finally lets up, goes around to the front of the SUV and
lifts the hood, releasing a big cloud of smoke.
INT. GORDON CROWES' TRUCK - CONTINUOUS
Ben is trying to revive Sarah with no luck when Dave sticks
his head in the driver's door.
DAVE
This thing ain't going no where,
man.
BENJAMIN CROWE
Damnit!
(he pauses for a second)
How safe is your store?
DAVE
It's pretty safe, I guess, but we
can't stay here. I've gotta get my
wife to a hospital.
BENJAMIN CROWE
If we had a working vehicle I'd
agree with you, but I gotta get her
out of the street.
Ben begins to unbuckle Sarah when he spots two zombies about
three blocks down the road.
DAVE
I don't think you're supposed to
move somebody that's been in an
accident.
BENJAMIN CROWE
I'll take the chance.
INT. LIQUOR STORE - EVENING
Dave holds the door open as Ben rushes through it with Sarah
in his arms and lays her down on the counter near the
register.
The liquor store is dark. The only light sources are the
emergency lights above the exits, a few candles and what
little sun can get through the ad covered windows.
The shelves are mostly empty and broken glass has been swept
up into the corners.
The pregnant woman, MICHAELA, is huddled on the floor with
her 6 year old daughter, SOPHIA, until she sees that Sarah is
hurt and rushes to help. Sophia trails closely behind her
mother.
Michaela speaks with a slight Irish accent.
MICHAELA
What's wrong with her?
DAVE
She was in a car accident. Hurt her
head and God knows what else.
Michaela checks Sarah's pulse and pupils before looking for
any serious injuries.
MICHAELA
I think she's okay, she just needs
rest. I'll go get some bandages and
get this wound cleaned up.
(to Sophia)
Stay with your father for a minute.
DAVE
(to Ben)
That's my wife Michaela.
(brief pause)
I don't believe I ever got your
name, though.
BENJAMIN CROWE
It's Ben.
DAVE
Well, Ben, it's a pleasure to meet
you. My name's Dave.
The two shake hands before Dave bends over and picks up
Sophia.
DAVE
And this little angel is our
daughter, Sophia.
BENJAMIN CROWE
Hello, there.
Sophia hides her head in her Dad's shoulder as Michaela
hurries back into the room with a wet cloth and some
bandages.
Michaela has a bloody bandage wrapped around her right hand a
but Ben is too focused on Sarah to notice.
INT. GORDON CROWES' TRUCK - EVENING
SUPERIMPOSE: 20 Minutes Later
Ben and Sarah drive down a mostly deserted road as a generic
pre-recorded message plays on the radio.
RADIO DJ
...that the first reported cases of
the "disease", as officials are
calling it, were from Hayward Area
Memorial Hospital in Sawyer County,
Wisconsin around twelve hours ago.
Medical officials are calling it
the most aggressive and contagious
virus they've ever seen and are
urging government officials to begin
treating it as a the outbreak as a
pandemic.
SARAH HAWKINS
I can't listen to this again.
Sarah turns the volume knob down on the radio in frustration.
SARAH HAWKINS
So what are we going to do?
BENJAMIN CROWE
I don't know, your Dad didn't
really give me much to go on. All
he said was to take care of you.
SARAH HAWKINS
Great.
BENJAMIN CROWE
We're just about into town, we'll
stop and see if anybody knows
what's going on.
EXT. DESERTED MAIN STREET - LATER
The town looks almost as if a tornado has ripped through it.
Cars are left crashed into each other, store windows have been
busted out and there are no signs of life.
INT. GORDON CROWES' TRUCK - CONTINUOUS
SARAH HAWKINS
Jesus Christ.
BENJAMIN CROWE
Looks like everyone's already left.
Before Sarah can even respond there's a sudden pounding on
the driver's side of the car and Ben slams on the breaks to
see a man in his late forties frantically trying to get his
attention.
DAVE
(muffled by the glass)
Please, you gotta help us, please!
Ben begins to roll down his window.
SARAH HAWKINS
What the hell are you doing?
BENJAMIN CROWE
He needs help.
SARAH HAWKINS
But, what if he's one of them?
BENJAMIN CROWE
He's talking.
Ben continues to roll the window down.
DAVE
Oh thank god! You've gotta help us
my wife is pregnant and needs to
get to a hospital.
Dave points to a very pregnant redhead in her mid twenties
standing in the entrance of a liquor store with a small child
beside her across the street and a few buildings back.
BENJAMIN CROWE
Sure, get in but we've gotta be
quick.
DAVE
Oh God, thank you! Thank you so
much! Just give me two minutes
I've got some supplies in the store
too.
BENJAMIN CROWE
Okay just be quick about it.
SARAH HAWKINS
What the hell are you doing?
BENJAMIN CROWE
Well, we can't just leave them here
to die. Besides, they probly know
this area a whole lot better than
we do and we've got plenty of room.
SARAH HAWKINS
Whatever.
BENJAMIN CROWE
I'm gonna go see if I can help them
speed this up.
SARAH HAWKINS
You can't just leave me here alone!
BENJAMIN CROWE
I'll just be across the street.
Honk if you need me.
EXT. DESERTED MAIN STREET - CONTINUOUS
Ben gets across the street and reaches for the door's handle
when he hears the SUV's engine rev and the tires squeal. He
turns to see the vehicle peeling off down the road.
BENJAMIN CROWE
What the fuck are you doing?!
The car gets to an intersection and suddenly darts to the
left and into a light pole where it remains motionless.
