Monday, April 11, 2011

Act One - The Begining - Part 2

INT. JIM'S ROOM - EARLY MORNING
Jim's room is a mess of geek stuff, blank DVDs, and books.  On one wall, a collector's replica of a LIGHTSABER is on display.  There is a TELEVISION with a PS3 on one side.   The laptop near Jim's bed turns itself on at 9am and begins to play music. JIM wakes up to a wonderful morning.  He leaps out of bed, grabs his cellphone and loads up PAM's number.  He smiles.

JIM stands up from his bed and dials the number.  While it tries to connect, Jim heads to the bathroom, switches the phone to speaker, sets it down by the toilet as he washes his face real quick.  He grabs the toothpaste and rinses his brush.



PAM (through phone)
Hello?

JIM 
Hey!  Good morning.
You... gave me your number last night?
JIM slides the toothbrush into his mouth and begins to brush.  He starts to notice the long delay.

PAM(through phone)
I'm sorry...

JIM
No no no... Wait, I'm sorry.  I just wanted...
Wait.

PAM(through phone)
The ice cream guy.


JIM

Yes!  The ice cream guy!


PAM(through phone)
Right, I never got your name.

JIM
It's-

PAM(through phone)
No!  Let's save it for later.


JIM

Oookay...



JIM spits out a mouthful of bubbles.


PAM(through phone)
I'm sorry, I didn't catch that.

JIM
Oh no.. my bad.  I was just... brushing.. anxious.. 
Wait.


JIM quickly rinses with water.  PAM chuckles from her end, clearly having heard it.


PAM(through phone)
Oh my... are you brushing your teeth right now?


JIM

Alright.. you caught me.


PAM(through phone)
Someone's pretty excited.

JIM
Me?  Excited?  No, more like just multi-tasking.

PAM(through phone)
I did ask you to call me.


JIM

Yes, you did.

(a beat)
Unless this is still a bad time?


PAM(through phone)
That would require even more ice cream.


JIM

Probably a full gallon.



JIM looks up, seeing his reflection on the mirror.  He sheepishly grins.  It is clear he's very amused how this is going.


PAM(through phone)
So, how is your morning so far?


JIM

Pretty good.  Woke up from an interesting dream.  


PAM(through phone)
What kind?


JIM walks back to his room and sits on the chair by the bed.  He muses about his dream.


JIM 
It was a strange action movie.  Lots of things moving in slow motion.

PAM(through phone)
Dreams have never been the same since The Matrix, huh?

JIM
Didn't make much sense though.  Just like the next two movies.

PAM(through phone)
There were other movies after the first?


They share a laugh.  JIM reaches for a BAG OF MARSHMALLOWS on his desk.  He smiles.


PAM(through phone)
So, brunch...


JIM

Oh wait.  I haven't asked you how your morning has been so far?


PAM(through phone)
Oh haven't slept.  Been working all night.


JIM

Yikes!

PAM(through phone)
Yeah, too many clients with strange requests.  Chains and whips and rubber ball gags.



JIM

Whaaat?


PAM(through phone)
I'm kidding.  I work at a call center.  Helps pays the rent while waiting for a bigger project.


JIM

You're crazy.  But isn't that worse?


PAM(through phone)
Not when you have ice cream to keep you sane.


JIM moves the BAG OF MARSHMALLOWS to a spot beside his WALLET and KEYS to make sure he remembers to bring it.  He heads to his CLOSET and pulls out a shirt to wear.



JIM

So, brunch.


PAM(through phone)
Yeah, brunch.

JIM
Where will you be coming from?

PAM(through phone)
Sneaky.  We haven't really met yet and you're already asking me where I live!


JIM

No! I- (smirks)


PAM(through phone)
I knew I should be careful of guys like you.


JIM (amused)

Guys like what?


PAM(through phone)

Ice cream pushers.

Or convenience store cashiers.


JIM
Ah yes.
They make reality shows based on us.

PAM(through phone)
Ortigas would be fine.
(a beat)
Unless that's too far for you?


JIM reaches for the venetian blinds of the window.  He peeks between the blinds to reveal the view outside, showing buildings (suggesting he's near Ortigas).  


JIM
No, Ortigas would be great.
See you then!

JIM closes the phone and just stares outside, seeing the possibilities ahead.  He cannot help but smile.


JIM then notices some smoke, and pushes the blinds wider open to see the streets as well.  There are hundreds of people running around and being chased.  A car suddenly crashes into another.  A helicopter appears and Jim can see the army on it, with guns ready.   

JIM peers down at the street and sees people attacking others.  ZOMBIES!  Jim blinks a few times and tries to make sense of what's happening.


JIM
No... way...



FADE TO BLACK

CUT TO CUE CARD


WHITE TEXT
Three Days Later


INT. JIM'S ROOM - LATE EVENING


The TELEVISION is on.  We see a politician on the screen talking to a large gathering of people.  People are cheering.



Politician (Television)

...have survived the zombie apocalypse!  We have forced the dead back into the earth! We are alive!



JIM is sitting on his bed.  His face and arms are caked with dried blood and brain bits.  The replica LIGHTSABER is now broken in his arms.  The DVDs are broken and shattered.  The PS3 is smashed in one side.  The windows are broken open.  He doesn't notice however. All he notices is the cellphone in his hand.



SFX:
The number you dialed cannot be reached or is out of the coverage area... please try again later...



JIM lies back down onto his bed.  Exhausted.  A BAG OF MARSHMALLOWS still in his other hand.

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