285. Zombie! A Parable of Church Life - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. CAR: ON ABANDONED HIGHWAY - DAY


• LUCY, TONY, JULIA, and ALEX sit in the small Honda as it whizzes along the highway.


• Lucy is at the wheel and Tony sits next to her; Julia and Alex sit in the back.


• Julia glances up at Lucy, whose arm is livid with bite marks and swelling.


• Tony's face is swollen so much it is misshapen.


• TONY
• Watch out!


• Lucy dodges a pile of burning rubbish on the road.


• The highway is littered with the carcasses of burning cars and twisted metal.


• Julia looks over at Alex and speaks softly.


• JULIA
• We need to get out of the car. They're going to turn on us. They've already been bitten, who knows how fast the virus spreads.


• ALEX
• We're getting closer, it's not that far. I know we must be close to the refuge; we can get there before it's too late, I've heard the doctors there have the anti-virus.


• JULIA
• Look, we can travel by foot I know we can; how can we trust them anyway? I think they're taking us the wrong way.


• ALEX
• What if you're wrong?


• JULIA
• What if you are?


• ALEX
• It's not safe out on the roads.


• JULIA
• We'll find another car, I saw a few behind us.


• ALEX
• Those were miles behind...


• Tony turns around.


• TONY
• Sorry about the speed guys, we're trying to figure out some of these directions.


• ALEX
• It's fine.


• Tony turns back, flinching hard as pain shoots through his body.


• Julia looks at Alex and motions.


• ALEX
• Ok, maybe you're right.


• JULIA
• I am, come on.


• ALEX
• Uh, Tony...I'm, well, we're not comfortable staying on this road. I feel like this is maybe a detour.


• LUCY
• No, this is right, I'm sorry we're going slower, this road is murder to drive.


• JULIA
• We'd like to get out; we'll find another ride. I mean, let's just be honest, you could turn on us at any minute.


• LUCY
• It's really not safe outside, you know that. We've fought the infection this long. I know Tony and I can make it to the refuge.


• JULIA
• I'm sorry, Alex and I would like to get out.


• Lucy looks at them through the rear-view mirror.


• LUCY
• Alright, it's up to you.


• TONY
• Please, don't go, you don't have many chances of survival out there, it's getting darker, and you know they prowl in the shadows.


• JULIA
• Please stop the car.


• LUCY
• Alright, but I'm telling you, you're making a big mistake.


• She pulls over and Alex and Julia slip out and the car speeds off.


• EXT. ABANDONED HIGHWAY - DAY


• The two begin walking, looking out for cars.


• They sun sinks lower and lower as Alex looks around nervously.


• They pass signs of lost civilization, a half-burned billboard from which bodies hang.


• They pass a gutted strip mall.


• The day grows later.


• Alex perks up.


• ALEX
• Listen!


• Julia stops.


• JULIA
• That's a car.


• ALEX
• Thank goodness.


• An SUV pulls into view, its engine purring.


• It slows as Alex and Julia wave.


• STEPHAN the driver, a pair of sunglasses wrapped around his face, rolls down the window and waves a them.


• STEPHAN
• Looks like you folks could use some help.


• ALEX
• Yes, please - we're looking for the refuge.


• STEPHAN
• As are we. Are you marked?


• Alex and Julia shake their heads and raise their hands.


• Alex pulls back his collar to show no bites on his neck.


• STEPHAN
• Excellent, climb in. I'm riding with my nephew John.


• JOHN, who also wears a snug pair of sunglasses, grins and waves from the passenger seat.


• Alex and Julia quickly open the SUV doors and slip into the seats.


• INT. SUV: ON ABANDONED HIGHWAY - DAY


• John covers a bite on his arm and Stephan pulls his turtleneck higher to cover up the welts growing across his throat.


• JULIA
• Oh, it feels good to sit.


• Stephan chuckles and begins to drive.


• They follow an exit onto another highway.


• JULIA
• See! I knew the others were taking us the wrong way.


• ALEX
• Ok, ok, fine.


• INT. SUV: NEAR REFUGE - NIGHT


• Alex and Julia are sleeping in the back.


• Alex stirs.


• STEPHAN
• Hey, you're finally awake. We're almost there.


• Alex shakes Julia.


• A large concrete wall stretches for miles in front of them, the walled city of refuge.


• Large spotlights dot the walls and even from a distance, sentries can be seen.


• Alex and Julia watch the walls grow closer with relief growing on their faces.


• Alex grins at Julia.


• Stephan looks at them in the rear-view and smiles, then trades a look with John.


• Alex notices that Stephan is still wearing his sunglasses and looks at him quizzically.


• Dark shadows crouch around the SUV.


• The SUV pulls in closer to the gates.


• In front of them, a little Honda pulls in from a side road.


• ALEX
• Well, look at that, I guess they did make it.


• Julia shrugs.


• The Honda pulls close to the gates and Lucy and Tony stagger out.


• Figures, humans ravaged by the virus, lurch out of the shadows, growling.


• Lucy and Tony drag themselves towards the gates.


• Sentries shout an alarm and begin firing, tracers lighting up the nights.


• A medical team races out and pulls Lucy and Tony to safety.


• The SUV stops.


• JULIA
• Hey, why are we stopping?


• Stephan turns around and smiles again, strangely.


• He pulls off his sunglasses, his eyes dead.


• Julia screams and attempts to pull off her seatbelt.


• John lurches out of the car with an astonishing speed.


• Alex locks the doors as Stephan reaches back and begins grabbing at Julia.


• She fights back.


• ALEX
• Oh, God, oh God.


• JULIA
• Why aren't the guards coming?


• ALEX
• We're too far!


• Stephan's welts are now clearly visible.


• John begin tearing through the metal of the door.


• He finally pulls the door off.


• Stephan tears the seatbelt off of Julia as John pulls Alex off into the shadows.


• EXT. NEAR REFUGE - NIGHT


• Julia screams as Stephan pulls her into the dark, his grin fixed on his face.


• The car SUV sits, just outside of the gates, another hunk of metal on a long highway.


• FADE TO BLACK.