YOUNG MAN
There’s two of ’em now. They’re coming up the driveway.
The inhabitants begin to panic. The elder man grabs a rifle.
ELDER MAN
Why are we keeping those kids in here?
The young woman holds Julie.
young WOMAN
Jesus. Jeffrey’s outside!
The elder man steps cautiously to the stoop door.
ELDER MAN
They come for the kids, I bet.
EXT.FRONT STOOP DAWN
Jeffrey sees Mary running towards him and he freezes.
JEFFREY
Oh God, no.
Les reaches half way up the drive way and stops.
LES
Mary! MARY!
Mary stops running. Jeffrey is frozen on the stoop. Mary a few feet from him and Les on the driveway. They all stare silently at each other.
The Elder man comes out onto the stoop to the silent tableau. He takes it in for a second.
ELDER MAN
Oh shit.
INT.CLUTTER HOUSE – living room dawn
The Young Man at the window.
YOUNG MAN
They got Jeffrey!
He jumps for the door to help the Elder man in.
young WOMAN
Oh God! Oh God!
The Elder man is in, panting.
ELDER MAN
Shut this door. Hammer this door up. We gotta seal this place off.
young WOMAN
We can’t seal this place off! They can get in the windows! They can tear those planks off!
YOUNG MAN
She’s right. We can’t keep ’em out forever! We’re gonna have to kill ’em
young WOMAN
How many of them are there?
Elder MAN
I saw two. But if you can see two there’s two hundred you can’t see.
They all stare at each other.
YOUNG MAN
Then we’re all gonna die.
EXT.CLUTTER DRIVEWAY. DAWN.
Les is holding Mary tightly as she cries.
MARY
They got my babies. They got my little angels.
Mary sobs and tries to get away, but Les holds her tightly. Mary stops struggling.
MARY
What are we gonna do?
Les pulls back. There is blood on his shirt and his chin.
LES
Did I kill him?
Les looks towards the stoop. A body is barely visible in the debris. Les touches his mouth and looks at the blood.
les (CONT’D)
That was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen …
mary
They’re going to kill my children.
les
No they’re not.
Close up on Les: his eyes are cold. He looks toward the house.
les
Not if we kill them, first.
Les looks down at Mary. Mary stops crying and takes a shallow breath.
les
We’re going to kill ’em all.
INT.CLUTTER Living room dawn
The Young Woman is sitting on the couch holding Julie and Jimmy tightly. There is a piece of tape across the children's mouths. Also sitting in a chair is a SHORT man with black curly hair, he is holding a hammer. The Elder Man comes in with a shotgun. He looks through the slats over the TV.
ELDER MAN
I can't see nothing. We gotta be able to see outside.
YOung WOMAN
What do they want from us?
ELDER MAN
Ask them kids.
Young WOMAN
They can hear you.
ELDER MAN
That's right. And maybe we get sick cause they hear what we're saying. Maybe it works that way too.
Young WOMAN
These children are as healthy as you and me.
ELDER MAN
Well, shit. I'm not sure you and me should be talking either.
YOung WOMAN
Listen, there's nothing wrong with us …
The young man bursts in from the kitchen.
YOUNG MAN
Better get in here.
The elder man gives the woman a serious look – this is it.
ELDER MAN
We have to dispose of those kids somehow.
INT.KITCHEN dawn
The Young Man looks through the boarded window and waves the Elder Man to look.
The view through the slats: the barn roof is on fire. Zombies start running from the barn with their heads on fire. They run in different directions into the field.
YOUNG MAN
That's beautiful.
The scene is in fact, beautiful, with black columns of smoke rising from the orange heads of people running in the open field.
YOUNG MAN
It’s the kids you know.
ELDER MAN
I know.
YOUNG MAN
She’s gonna let us get rid of ’em?
The men sit back in profile from the window. A CLICK. The men turn around slowly and look. The door to the basement. The door knob turns. Les opens the basement door.
He walks in, calmly looks at the men and walks over to the stoop opening the door letting Mary in.
Les walks forward, a lustful look, eyes rolling, he approaches the two men.
The two men cover their ears.
Les sees this and realizes they think he’s a zombie.
LES
Hi fellas. I don’t think you live here do you?
The Young man starts saying: LA LA LA LA, trying to drown out Les’s voice.
Les strikes him, knocking him down. The Elder man looks up and drops his hands.
Les gives him a nasty look.
LES
We interrupting your little home invasion?
MARY
You got my children. If you’ve hurt them.
ELDER MAN
They’re inside! THEy’re TALKING!
Les strikes the Elder man, sending him down.
Mary runs to the living room. Les watches her, looks momentarily confused.
INT.CLUTTER HOUSE – LIVING ROOM day
Mary goes to the couch and pulls the terrified young woman to her feet.
MARY
Make your own babies.
The young woman gasps, her eyelids flutter and she faints to the floor.
Les enters. Sees the short man with curly hair sitting in the reclining chair with his hammer. Les walks directly up to him.
LES
A little less conversation.
Les snatches the hammer up.
LES
A little more action.
Les raises the hammer to strike the man.
MARY
Les. No!
Mary looks at the couch. Julie and Jimmy, their mouths taped shut, look up terrified.
MARY
My babies.
Mary sits between them and holds them tightly.
Close up of Julie’s face, her eyes wide with fear.
mary
Oh my sweetheart. Oh my love. You’re gonna be OK.
A frightened peep from Julie’s taped mouth. Mary looks up at Les
mary
They’re terrified, Les.
Mary turns to Julie
mary
Oh baby. Are you OK? You’re OK. You’re gonna be fine. Let’s get this off. I want to hear you baby, I want to hear your voice.
Mary pulls the edge of the tape and Julie squeezes her eyes shut, tears rolling down her cheeks into the duct tape.
mary
Oh Les, the tape … it’s hurting her.
Mary looks up at Les. Les stares back with a look of incomprehension.
Mary
Les, help me please.
Les smiles.
LES
They’re gonna be OK. Mary.
Mary smiles back as Les carefully removes the tape.
MARY
They’re alive Les.
She li
es her face against Les’s arm.
MARY
You’re my hero, Les. You’re the greatest man that ever lived.
Les lowers his eyes humbly – they are uplifting words, but also painful.
The baby CRIES from outside. Les’s eyes pop open.
He jumps up.
LES
I left the baby outside.
Les turns and runs through the kitchen.
The baby cries intermittently. In the silent moments the room in the kitchen is the scene Les had left. The bodies of two men and the women on the floor.
When the baby screams we see:
Les’s hands pulling apart the mouth of the older man and viciously drawing the fleshless face, the bleeding teeth up to his own mouth.
Baby stops screaming, Les stands still, jolted by the vision. He looks back down at the man.
Les looks back to living room, vexed and confused.
The baby screams and we see:
The woman’s headless body floating in slow motion to the wall, her neck hits and an explosion of red blood cascades down the white wall.
The baby stops crying, and Les is standing panting, he looks down at his hands, frantic.
Les moves quickly back into the living room.
INT. LIVING ROOM.
Les enters the room as the baby starts to cry again, a more distant sound.
Les slams the door shut and leans his head against it, afraid to turn around.
He squeezes his eyes shut.
LES
Mary?
A dark vision: Mary on the couch leaning over her children. Les behind her, his head shaking violently like a wolf ripping prey.
Close up of Mary’s face, the booming sound of Les’s insane voice. Parts of her face gouge and split at the sound of his illegible speech.
LES
Mary!
Les takes a breath and turns as the baby stops screaming.
Mary is lying dead across her dead children.
Les steps forward.
Les looks up at the wall above the couch. The baby screams and blood flies up in an arc.
Les sees this and is vibrating. The baby stops crying.
Les drops to the bodies. He turns Mary over.
He embraces her corpse.
LES
No. No. I can’t … I can’t … have done this …
The baby stops crying. Les lowers Mary and strokes her hair.
LES
Did I say something? Did I say something wrong? Oh Mary … I wanted you to be alive. I wanted all of us to be alive. I’m your hero. I didn’t do this.
Les sits up and lays his hand on Mary’s face.
LES
I can’t see myself. I can’t see this. I’m a … a … thing … I’m a thing the world kills people with.
Les pulls Mary up and holds her tightly.
MARY
I wanted you to be alive. I don’t care what the world does, it’s stupid and it’s wrong. I’m the one … I’m the one who wanted you alive. I’m so sorry.
Les lowers her slowly and stands.
LES
And I want peace on earth. I want happy babies. I want this war to be over. I want rich people to give their money back.
Les stumbles through the room.
INT. KITCHEN
Les staggers in.
LES
I want perfect, pure … air and … no …
He thinks, putting a finger to his chin.
LES
Hmmm. Disease. No more. No more and free love. And good people.
He smiles at the simplicity.
LES
Even just one. Somebody, who’s OK. Somebody who can help me a little bit.
Les leans to the window and looks out.
Through the window: Soldiers are swarming the front yard. One has scooped the baby out of the barrel.
LES
And finally, what I want … since, what I ask for, I get,
A soldier spots Les and drops to his knee and raises a rifle.
LES
I’d like this.
BANG! The muzzle of the rifle flares. A hole plinks through the glass and …
PONTYPOOL CHANGES COMING SOON …
Holiday of the Dead Page 56
