ARE WE ALONE?

by Durbin, Bruce

  GINA

  What the fuck do they want? Anthony sees Gina looking in the rearview mirror and turns around, looking out the back window, also seeing the BLURRED SHADOWS.

  Anthony turns and looks out the front windshield, seeing the RED BRAKE LIGHTS of the Ranger’s patrol car. Anthony looks back out the rear window.

  ANTHONY

  Whatever they want, they’re moving slow. We could outrun them.

  Gina looks out the side windows, failing to see any BLURRED SHADOWS. She looks out the front window, just as the RED BRAKE LIGHTS disappear around a corner.

  GINA

  If we can make it to the highway, then...

  ANTHONY Yeah. Anthony reaches down and grabs the cameras, quickly putting them in with his laptop. Gina grabs a flashlight and opens the door, as Anthony also opens the door. Anthony then turns back towards the back seat.

  ANTHONY (CONT’D) We have to leave...NOW. No response. ANTHONY (CONT’D) (SCREAMING)

  They will fuckin’ kill you. No response. Anthony looks across the car to Gina. In silent agreement, they move to the back doors, open the doors, and pull Christina, Chaz, and Yasmine from the car.

  EXT. ROAD - NIGHT They start jogging down the dirt road, with Gina in front and Anthony in the rear, trying to push Christina, Chaz, and Yasmine, as they keep slowing down to a walk.

  Anthony looks behind, failing to see the BLURRED SHADOWS. He nervously scans the sides, again, failing to see the BLURRED SHADOWS. He looks up at Gina, who just happens to look back.

  ANTHONY (CONT’D) I don’t see them.

  Gina turns back around and looks to the sides, failing to see any BLURRED SHADOWS. She smiles, as she continues forward. Suddenly, a BRIGHT LIGHT appears above the road and then lowers, with the LIGHT blinding the students. Without thinking, Gina runs to the side, with Anthony pushing the other students.

  EXT. FIELD - NIGHT Anthony has shoved the other students off of the road and he chances a look back, seeing the BLINDING LIGHT. He turns back around and runs after the students.

  Gina looks back, seeing the students, who are silhouetted from the LIGHT, coming from the road. She turns back around, continuing to run. She crests a slight hill and sees a small cabin. She runs for the cabin, as Anthony brings up the rear, urging the other students.

  EXT. CABIN - NIGHT Gina reaches the cabin and HAMMERS on the door. No response and she tries the doorknob, turns it, and then swings the door open.

  As she steps in, POV switches to inside the cabin, with Gina silhouetted in the doorway.

  GINA Hello?

  No response. POV switches to Gina, as she turns on her flashlight and shines it around the cabin, revealing that it’s empty, with cobwebs and dust covering an old table and some chairs, which have been turned over.

  INT. CABIN Gina enters the cabin, with the other students then entering. Anthony is the last and he takes one look behind him, looking at the LIGHT, which has turned into faint RAYS, cutting beams through the area.

  Anthony slightly smiles, then turns to go inside the cabin. He senses something and turns to the side. He sees BLURRED SHADOWS, slowly moving over the crest of the hills. Anthony frowns, enters the cabin, and shuts the door, leaning his back against the door. He looks across the cabin at Gina.

  ANTHONY

  They’re, they’re following us. Gina drops her head. The other students just stand in the middle of the floor, unmoving. Gina looks up at them. GINA

  What is wrong with you? No response. They just blankly stare at Gina. Gina suddenly cracks, as she moves forward, facing Yasmine. GINA (CONT’D)

  Can’t you see what’s happening? No response. Gina loses it and swings her hand, intending on slapping Yasmine. At the last possible second, Yasmine quickly raises her hand and grips Gina’s hand, stopping Gina cold.

  Gina struggles to release her hand and then steps back, looking at Yasmine. She looks past Yasmine, seeing Anthony. Gina moves around the students, moving up to Anthony.

  GINA (CONT’D) What’s wrong with them? ANTHONY

  They could be in shock. Anthony moves to a window and peeks out. Gina moves and joins him, also looking out. They don’t see anything. They scan the other direction and still see nothing. They look back towards the road, with the LIGHT having vanished.

  GINA

  What do you think? ANTHONY

  If we stay here, we’re trapped. If we go outside, then we’ll be out in the open. They could easily cut us off from making it to the road.

  Anthony looks around the cabin, seeing another door. Anthony reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone. He looks at the dial, seeing “NO SERVICE.” Gina does the same thing, with the same result.

  GINA

  What are we going to do? ANTHONY

  (instantly angry)

  Why the fuck do you keep asking me? How should I know?

  GINA

  You did the research. Maybe, you remember some story, something that helped others to...to escape.

  Anthony ignores Gina, takes out a flashlight, and moves to the other door. He looks down at the doorknob, hesitating, as Gina moves up behind him.

  Anthony reaches and slowly turns the doorknob. He swings the door in and then slowly walks into the room.

  Anthony and Gina slowly sweep the room with their flashlights, with the beams falling on weathered newspaper clippings, detailing U-F-O sightings and MISSING PERSON FLYERS.

  INT. CABIN - BEDROOM The room is also cluttered with an assortment of clothes, just tossed on the floor. ANTHONY

  (softly)

  The author, the one we interviewed. In his book, he said that large numbers of people have vanished from various parts of the world without leaving a trace. My, my research of this area...

  Anthony looks at one MISSING PERSON FLYER, showing the smiling face of a young GIRL. ANTHONY (CONT’D) (reading)

  Last seen, December

  tenth...Nineteen seventy-one.

  Anthony moves the beam of his flashlight to another MISSING PERSON FLYER, showing the face of an OLD WOMAN. ANTHONY (CONT’D)

  (reading)

  Last seen, June fifth....Nineteen sixty-eight.

  GINA

  Your, your research... Anthony turns around in the room, shining the flashlight on the walls, which are literally plastered with U-F-O and MISSING PERSON clippings.

  ANTHONY

  I dumped all data from U-F-O sightings into a spreadsheet and then dumped all data from missing person files into the same

  spreadsheet.

  Anthony moves to a wall, puts his back to the wall, and slides down, sitting on the floor, as Gina nervously looks at him.

  GINA

  What, what... ANTHONY

  95 percent of all last seen

  locations for missing persons were within a two mile radius of U-F-O sightings. Some people argue that there is no plausible explanation for people to go missing, except for...alien abduction.

  Anthony looks up at Gina. ANTHONY (CONT’D)

  Think about it. Aside from the work of a serial killer, how can a person completely vanish from this world?

  Gina looks at Anthony, then slowly shines her flashlight around the room. She suddenly stops, focusing on a MISSING PERSON FLYER.

  GINA Look. ANTHONY

  It’s pointless. We might as well accept...

  GINA It’s the old man. Anthony doesn’t understand, but gets up and moves beside Gina. They look at the MISSING PERSON FLYER, seeing that it is a younger version of the Old Man.

  GINA (CONT’D)

  (reading)

  Last seen, July fourth, Nineteen sixty-four.

  ANTHONY We can’t stay here. GINA

  But...you said that going out there...they could surround us.

  Anthony sweeps the room with the flashlight, then stops on a MISSING PERSON FLYER. ANTHONY

  They were last seen, last month. Whoever’s keeping track, putting up these clippings, must be helping them.

  GINA Them? ANTHONY

  The aliens. He’s go
tta be supplying them with...with specimens. Come on.

  Gina spins around, looking at the clippings, as Anthony heads through the door. Gina hesitates and then follows him. She almost bumps into the back of Anthony.

  Gina looks up, seeing that the other students are gone, with the door open. They scan the room, failing to see the students.

  Anthony and Gina run to the door and carefully look out. They don’t see anything.

  GINA

  Why? Why would they leave? ANTHONY

  Maybe, they didn’t leave. Maybe...Someone took ‘em.

  Anthony is debating about whether to leave the cabin. GINA

  We, we should see...see if we can find them.

  Anthony happens to look to the side, seeing the back of Chaz, as he starts over a slight hill.

  ANTHONY (pointing) There.

  Anthony runs out of the cabin and after Chaz, with Gina following.

  EXT. FIELD - NIGHT Anthony and Gina run after Chaz, seeing Chaz crest a hill and then disappear.

  As they start to move up the hill, BRILLIANT BRIGHT LIGHT comes from the other side of the hill, causing Anthony and Gina to stop, just below the top of the small hill. They lay down and carefully start to crawl towards the top.

  EXT. HILL - NIGHT Gina starts to look over the top, then stops, realizing that Anthony isn’t following her. She turns and looks at Anthony, seeing that he’s fumbling with a camera.

  GINA

  (whispering)

  What the hell are you doing? Anthony jerks up, looking at Gina. ANTHONY I was going to... Anthony stops and looks down at the camera and then back up, looking at the LIGHT shooting rays above the top of the hill. Anthony moves tup to Gina and then they both inch above the crest of the hill.

  They see just the outline of a SPACESHIP, which is above the ground, hovering, with a column of BLINDING LIGHT going from the spaceship to the ground.

  Anthony fumbles with the camera and then begins filming. They watch, as Christina and Yasmine walk into the column and then disappear.

  They see the back of Chaz’ T-shirt (reading “TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER” - still turned around), as he watches. GINA

  What are we going to do? ANTHONY What can we do? Suddenly, the column of light flows up into the spaceship. The spaceship hovers for a moment and then vanishes. Chaz moves to the side and picks up the handles of a wheel barrel, pushing it closer to the spot where the column of light had just been.

  ANTHONY (CONT’D) What is he...

  Gina jumps up and starts running towards Chaz. Anthony hesitates and then gets up, running after Gina. EXT. LANDING SPOT - NIGHT As Gina moves towards Chaz, she seems to sense something and slows down, as Anthony moves up behind her.

  GINA

  Chaz? What are you... Chaz turns around and becomes recognized as Old Man, who is wearing Chaz’ T-shirt.

  OLD MAN Doing? Old Man moves a little closer to where the column of light had been, bends down, struggles, and then lifts something into the wheel barrel.

  OLD MAN (CONT’D) Just cleanin’ up.

  Uncertain, Gina steps closer, as Anthony moves up to her side, holding the camera.

  ANTHONY Chaz? Old Man moves slightly, with Anthony seeing that it’s Old Man, not Chaz. Old Man moves back to where the column of light had been and again struggles, then places something into the wheel barrel. Anthony and Gina slowly move forward.

  OLD MAN

  Expecting it’s too much for you two to help?

  Anthony and Gina look down into the wheel barrel, seeing the torsos of Yasmine and Christina, but no heads. Gina SCREAMS and drops to her knees, covering her face, as Anthony steps back.

  OLD MAN (CONT’D)

  Unusual sorts. Can never tell what they’ll take and what they’ll toss back.

  (beat)

  Sometimes, they keep everything, sometimes, they toss everything back. Sometimes, I seen them put heads on different bodies. Can never tell. But...one way or the other, they all come back.

  Anthony slowly looks up, seeing Chaz’ T-shirt (reading “I AM YOUR LEADER”).

  ANTHONY

  Chaz? What have you done with... Old Man looks down at the T-shirt and slightly pulls it away from his chest, looking down. He then looks up at Anthony. OLD MAN

  I reckon he was different, caus’n they took all of him, ‘cepting his clothes of course. Seems they don’t have much call for clothes.

  Old Man turns, picks up the handles of the wheel barrel, and starts to push it away, with one of Christina’s arms flopping out of the wheel barrel, and lightly brushing Gina’s head. Gina jerks up, sees the hand, and SCREAMS.

  OLD MAN (CONT’D) Screamin’ don’t do no good. Old Man turns back around, looking at Gina and Anthony. He gives an evil smile.

  OLD MAN (CONT’D) You’ll see. As Old Man starts to push the wheel barrel away, Anthony and Gina look past him, seeing BLURRED SHADOWS on the crest of the hill.

  Old Man looks at the BLURRED SHADOWS, which begin to move towards them. OLD MAN (CONT’D)

  (looking at shadows)

  They like to walk around...Watch man in his natural element. Like they were on a field trip.

  Old Man chuckles, as he continues pushing the wheel barrel. Anthony and Gina start to back up.

  They turn around, seeing that they’re surrounded by the BLURRED SHADOWS. Anthony stumbles backwards and falls to the ground. He moves and sees a ROCK. He picks the ROCK up, seeing that it’s similar to the ROCK that Old Man had shown them.

  Without seeing Anthony, Old Man instantly stops in his tracks and doesn’t even turn around.

  Don’t fuckin’ touch that. In shock, Anthony drops the ROCK. He looks at the ROCK, which beings to GLOW. Gina looks at the ROCK and then they slowly look around, seeing that they’re in a circle of slightly GLOWING ROCKS, which matches the area where the column of light had been.

  OLD MAN (CONT’D)

  (still walking away)

  You’re never know what happened. One minute you’re here. The next minute you’re gone and you don’t know no damn different.

  Except...sometimes, you get a flash of what you had been. What you’ll never be again.

  Gina figures it out before Anthony and grabs his arm, dragging him out of the circle, just as a column of LIGHT shoots down.

  Gina and Anthony start to run, then stop, seeing the approaching BLURRED SHADOWS. They turn back, looking at the column of light, then back to the BLURRED SHADOWS.

  They start running towards the BLURRED SHADOWS. As they reach the shadows, they stop and hesitantly look at the shadows, seeing a face.

  FLASH IMAGE: FACE ON A MISSING PERSON FLYER. They turn slightly, looking at another face. FLASH IMAGE: FACE ON A MISSING PERSON FLYER. They turn slightly, looking at another face. FLASH IMAGE: FACE ON A MISSING PERSON FLYER.

  The SHADOWS move closer, with Anthony and Gina tightly closing their eyes, gripping each other.

  BRIEF PAUSE. They open their eyes, failing to see the SHADOWS. They turn slightly, seeing that the SHADOWS have walked past them and are walking towards the column of LIGHT.

  The SHADOWS approach the column and then disappear. BRIEF PAUSE. The column of LIGHT disappears. Anthony and Gina look at each other.

  ANTHONY The road.

  They look around and then start running.

  EXT. FIELD - NIGHT Anthony and Gina run, periodically looking behind them, but seeing nothing. They crest a small hill and see the outline of the road below.

  They both slightly smile, as they start down towards the road. Gina makes it to the road first and then looks down the road, seeing approaching headlights. She waves, smiles, and then turns around towards Anthony.

  GINA We made it. Anthony starts towards the road. WHAM!!!

  Anthony staggers and then drops to the ground. Gina is confused, then slowly looks behind Anthony, seeing Old Man, holding the shovel. Old Man starts to move closer.

  OLD MAN

  Some...the damn aliens take. Some...

  Old Man cocks the shovel, as he moves close
r to Gina. Gina is in shock, as Old Man swings the shovel.

  OLD MAN (CONT’D) I take.

  Gina drops to the ground, watching Old Man’s boots, as he walks over to Anthony and hoists him into the wheel barrel. Old Man wheels the wheel barrel closer to Gina, who now looks past Old Man’s boots, seeing a slightly GLOWING ROCK. OLD MAN (CONT’D)

  Some...we share. Deja vu ain’t nothing more than seeing where you already been. It’s a game they play. You think invasion means they’ll kill us?

  (MORE)

  Nope, they’re smarter. They’ve just been replacing us...one at a time.

  Focus on Gina’s eyes, which BLINK. SCENE CUTS TO BLACK: CHAZ (V.O.)

  It’s never gonna fit, Gina. FADE IN:

  EXT. HOUSE - DAY The shapely buttocks of Gina fill the screen of a video camera, as she seductively moves her buttocks back and forth. Gina moves, looking back at the camera, as the VIEW EXPANDS OUT, showing Gina putting bags into a CAR. Gina is wearing low cut T-shirt and tight fitting cargo shorts. She’s very attractive, but seems to be unaware of her attractiveness, displaying a more business minded attitude.

  Several more bags of equipment and a couple of sleeping bags come into view, next to the CAR. Gina stops and straightens up, looking at Chaz.

  GINA Chaz? Gina feels something and looks down, seeing a pendant. She pulls the pendant away, seeing a slightly GLOWING ROCK. She slowly looks at Chaz.

  GINA (CONT’D)

  (softly)

  Aliens could look just like us. They could be the clerk at the taco joint. They could be a professor. They could be some old crazy guy walking the streets.

  (looking into camera)

  You could be one. SFX: MUSIC BEGINS PLAYING. CUT TO: EXT. CITY - SIDEWALK - DAY

  PEOPLE come into view, as they walk down a busy sidewalk, almost acting like zombies. SCENE DISSOLVES TO BLACK: FADE OUT: