SLiTHER
written by
James Gunn
September 10, 2004
FADE IN:
INT. HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM -- DAY
CLOSEUP: A slender woman's hand writes on a chalkboard,
in teacherly cursive.
We PULL BACK to REVEAL STARLA GRANT, a stunningly beautiful
Southern woman in her twenties, as she finishes writing
out, "SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST"
Starla glances at the classroom of high school students.
She is a demure woman, somewhat awkward in her speaking,
but she has the rapt attention of all the boys in the
class.
STARLA
When Darwin said 'fittest,' he
didn't necessarily mean the
strongest or the most intelligent,
or any one trait -- he merely meant
those organisms most well--suited
to their environment.
The boys in the class look her up and down as she speaks.
KYLIE STRUTEMYER, a pretty student, notices a BOY beside
her drawing Starla, only without her clothes. She hits
him. He CHUCKLES.
STARLA
We humans think we're more fit,
more evolved, because we're smarter.
But we're neophytes. We've been
around two million years, give or
take. The cockroach has been here
for 350 million. You tell me who's
the more successful species.
A BOY raises his hand.
STARLA
Will.
WILL
How's all this go with how the
Bible says there ain't no dinosaurs?
Some of the kids LAUGH at the boy. Starla pauses, about
to answer, when the BELL RINGS.
STARLA
We'll tackle that tomorrow...
Everyone bring your boxing gloves.
The kids start to leave.
EXT. MAIN STREET -- DAY
Celebratory banners are strung over this street, including
one that reads: "DEER SEASON STARTS TODAY!" We're in the
center of Wheelsy, South Carolina, a moderately depressed
small town. Today's a big day, as HUNTERS from far and
near crowd the streets in their massive pickups.
MEN spill in and out of a gun store buying loads of
ammunition. OLD HUNTERS with faces like prunes stand
outside Angell's Tavern getting drunk. A MAN WITH FEW
TEETH has a dead deer strung out across the back of his
truck, skinning the carcass, its innards spilling loose.
JACK, an older, uptight man in fancy clothes, is driving
through town in his big old Cadillac. He comes upon a
hunter's truck, double--parked, jamming up traffic. Jack
jams on his HORN.
JACK
Get the fuck out of the way,
cocksucker!
Jack turns to see a MOTHER and her two CHILDREN on the
sidewalk, listening and staring in shock.
MOTHER
Mornin', Mayor.
Jack smiles, a bit embarrassed. Jack notices a group of
HUNTERS on the sidewalk, looking and pointing at something
up in the sky.
He looks up to see a small meteor plummeting toward earth.
EXT. HIGH SCHOOL -- DAY
Students file out of the open door for the day. Kylie,
Starla's pretty student, is among them. She and her FRIEND
are looking up at the falling meteor.
KYLIE
Prolly go find it later, sell it
on eBay.
EXT. HORSE RANCH -- DAY
A RANCHER with a cleft palate turns his head to see the
meteor, much closer to him. It's rushing down toward the
treetops of a nearby forest.
INT. GRANT'S OFFICE -- DAY
A framed wedding photograph of a very young Starla and a
large man is sitting on a desk. The photo TREMBLES
LIGHTLY, with the impact of the meteor hitting the earth.
GRANT GRANT, a large, indelicate man in his mid forties,
notices the photos on his desk moving. He looks up from
his desk and out his door, where there's a GLASS WORKSHOP.
Two WORKERS are carrying a large pane of glass, looking
relieved they didn't drop it.
GRANT
Just a tremor, boys.
Grant goes back to filling out the tags of file folders
with a Sharpie.
EXT. POLICE STATION -- DAY
Four cops -- BILL PARDY, the town's young, relaxed, and
handsome Chief of Police, WALLY, an older, toad--like cop,
TREVOR, a younger, somewhat goofy cop, and MARGARET, a
mannish cop -- are standing stock--still in the station
parking lot. They CHUCKLE.
TREVOR
Did ya' feel that?!
They enter the station.
INT. POLICE STATION -- DAY
The four cops start to remove their holsters and so forth,
finished for the day.
TREVOR
I always get afraid when that
happens, 'cause what if the ground
cracks open and you fall inside?
It's so hot in there you get all
burnt to nothin' like that --
(snaps)
Happened to my uncle Barry.
Wally and Bill LAUGH at him.
WALLY
Who told you that story, Trevor?
TREVOR
My aunt.
BILL
Your uncle Barry left her for a
stripper up in Winnsboro.
Trevor looks shocked, sad.
SHELBY, a slightly dim dispatcher, on his headset at the
police operator's unit, swirls toward them, alarmed.
SHELBY
Chief! We got a 'mergency over at
the diner!
INT. DINER -- LATER
The four cops move in. There's a COMMOTION. Most of the
patrons are standing.
WAITRESS
Back there, Bill!
The Waitress nods back through the service window, into
the kitchen, where a large DOE is hopping around. A
DISHWASHER stands on the counter, YELPING with fear.
INT. DINER KITCHEN -- MOMENTS LATER
Bill, Wally, Trevor, Margaret, and the Waitress enter.
The doe skips around.
WAITRESS
She slipped in, was eating trash.
We seen it on TV, how they kill
ya'--
BILL
Right.
WAITRESS
So we thought we best call in.
Bill spots the open rear door, and tries to herd the deer
toward it.
BILL
Come on now, honey, door's this
way.
MARGARET
It's open season. Let's shoot
her.
BILL
She's just scared, Margaret.
WALLY
Also, Bill likes to take a female
through the back door any chance
he gets.
Wally and Margaret LAUGH. Trevor snatches a dish--towel
and rushes the doe, using it like a cape. The scared doe
leaps away from him, jumping onto the kitchen counter.
BILL
She ain't a bull, Trevor!
The animal kicks off a pot, which hits Margaret.
MARGARET
Goddamn bambi--rat!
As the doe jumps to the floor, she gets her hoof wrapped
in a telephone cord.
The cord is plugged into the wall, trapping the doe in
place. Wally, Margaret, and Trevor attempt to dive for
the cord, but can't avoid the doe's crazy, flying hooves.
BILL
Get back.
The other cops step away. Bill steps slowly toward the
doe, speaking calmly.
BILL
It's okay, sweetheart. Nobody's
gonna hurt you.
The doe looks at him, settling a bit. His voice seems to
be soothing her. Bill gets closer.
BILL
That's right. Just gonna pull
this cord out. It's gonna be all
right.
The cops and restaurant folk look on in awe as the doe,
breathing heavily, becomes still. Bill scoops close past
her, and yanks the telephone cord out of the wall.
Bill smiles. Then the doe runs forward, almost knocking
Bill over, and streaks out the back door.
Bill, Wally, Margaret, and Trevor move up to the doorway
and watch the deer skitter off into the woods beyond,
dragging the telephone, tied to her leg.
BILL
Hell, she took a phone. Now them
forest critters are gonna be calling
us all hours of the night.
Everyone LAUGHS. Wally pretends to be on the phone.
WALLY
Chief of police there? This a
squirrel. Bring me a bag of
peanuts, motherfucker!
Everyone LAUGHS some more.
INT. GLASS WORKSHOP -- EVENING
Grant locks his office for the day. His SECRETARY sees
him going.
SECRETARY
'Night, Mr. Grant.
GRANT
See ya', Ashley.
Grant walks across the workshop toward the door. He sees
a crowd of WORKERS lounging around a glass--cutting table,
LAUGHING at something.
Some of them nod at Grant, and he nods back. But he's
completely outside their circle.
EXT. GRANT HOUSE -- NIGHT
A sizable two--story suburban home. All the lights are
off but one.
GRANT (O.S.)
So I get home today, phone's
ringing. It's Hank Wilcox.
INT. GRANT DINING ROOM -- NIGHT
Starla and Grant eat dinner in this well--decorated room.
As Grant chatters, Starla occasionally smiles politely at
him.
GRANT
Callin' for you. What the hell?
I said, 'Hank, that's a little bit
outta line don't'cha think, a single
man callin' someone's wife?' At
night, nonetheless.
Starla is quiet, almost afraid:
STARLA
He's teaching environmental science,
Grant. Probably wants to borrow
my lesson plans from last semester.
GRANT
Oh yeah, that's what he wants to
borrow, this guy.
STARLA
It's just a work thing.
GRANT
Work thing hell, Starla. He just
wants to get in your pussy. Him
and most these other ones around
here. That's where their minds is
at, them sick fucks.
Grant takes a big bite of food, stuffing his mouth.
GRANT
I'll tell you, sugarplum, you're
lucky you got me. You're too damn
trusting. Without me to protect
you, you'd get kilt one of these
days.
Starla nods.
INT. GRANT MASTER BATHROOM -- LATER
Starla stares at herself in the mirror as she brushes her
hair. She uses long, slow strokes, as if stalling.
GRANT (O.S.)
Sugarplum, you coming into bed?
Starla turns toward the door. She doesn't say anything
for a moment.
STARLA
Just a second.
Starla sets her brush down on the counter. She arranges
it neatly beside the others. And walks into the bedroom.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- MOMENTS LATER
Grant turns off the TV as Starla gets into bed with him.
It's almost completely dark in here.
Grant crawls on top of Starla. He kisses her and grabs
her in a way not meant to be rough, but is utterly without
grace.
After doing this for a few moments, Starla starts to push
him off her.
STARLA
Grant, no -- I'm sorry, I'm just --
I'm not in the mood.
Grant is on top of her, breathing a little too heavy.
GRANT
Come on, baby, it's --
STARLA
I'm sorry. I don't just have some
switch.
GRANT
Sure you do.
Through Starla's nightgown, Grant pretends to flick one
of her nipples.
GRANT
Flip.
Then the other.
GRANT
Flip.
STARLA
That's disrespectful.
Grant, peeved, gets off of her. He sits on the edge of
the bed for a moment, in silence. Starla looks afraid.
GRANT
When are you in the mood, exactly?
Seems to me that mood's as rare as
winnin' the Goddamn lotto.
Grant grabs his slacks off the valet and starts putting
them on.
STARLA
Where are you going?
GRANT
I'm just some big clown to you,
ain't I?
STARLA
That's not true -- Where are you--?
GRANT
Out.
INT. HENENLOTTER'S SPORTS BAR -- LATER
Grant sits at the bar, knocking back a shot of tequila.
He's getting drunk. He taps his glass.
GRANT
Hit me again there, killer.
The BARKEEP fills his drink.
BARKEEP
Hey, Grant, how's it you come to
have the same last name as first?
GRANT
Parents thought it sounded pleasant,
I s'pose. Joke on me, ain't it?
Grant notices a woman with a lot of makeup -- BRENDA
GUTIERREZ -- staring at him from across the bar, smoking
a cigarette. Grant stares at her, trying to figure out
who she is. She slides off her stool.
She sashays toward him. She props herself on the stool
beside him, leans drunkenly in toward him.
BRENDA
Megan Halesy' little sister.
GRANT
Shit. You're kidding me.
Nope.
BRENDA
Brenda!
GRANT
Hell, you were --
Grant holds his hand only so high.
BRENDA
I was! And I'll tell you somethin',
Grant Grant. I's in love with
you.
Grant stares at her.
BRENDA
My sister Megan, she's a big fat
cow. Was then, even more so now.
I'd be thinking, what'd you see in
her ain't in me?
GRANT
Shit, girl, you couldn't'a been
eleven.
BRENDA
Hell, I was game!
She LAUGHS. So does Grant. He stares at her,
contemplating sinful things. He nods at her wedding ring.
GRANT
Who's the lucky fella?
BRENDA
Fuck lucky. Never marry a damn
half--Mexican.
GRANT
Already ain't. Married a gal named --
BRENDA
Starla Covington. Don't be
ignorant. Everyone knows that.
Fucking prom queen.
Grant thinks.
GRANT
Yeah.
Grant finishes his drink, and gets up to go.
BRENDA
Where you goin'?
Grant speaks more loudly than need be:
GRANT
Starla, she gets real worried 'bout
me I stay out too late. Loves me
too much, that one.
He glances around to see if people have heard, and stumbles
out.
EXT. SHADED CREEK -- LATER
Grant sits on a boulder beside a creek, looking miserable,
downing a six pack.
He throws an empty can into the creek, when he glances
down and sees particles flowing down the river.
Grant slides off the boulder. He kneels and examines the
particles. They shimmer in the moonbeams coming down
between the trees.
Grant peers up the creek from where the particles are
coming.
He sees a gap on the edge of the creek, where water
splashes and is diverted in streamlets down the hill.
He approaches the spot, and comes upon a small crater on
the side of the creek. The meteorite is inside the crater,
but it's cracked into pieces. The rock seems almost
organic, like a shell. The shimmery specks are part of
the shell itself, flecking off into the creek and rushing
downstream.
Grant crouches. He touches the meteorite, and feels some
sort of goo inside it. It's sticky.
He notices a strip of the same slime leading out of the
crater itself and into the woods.
Grant, curiously, slowly, follows the slimy trail.
He comes to a flurry of colorful wild flowers. Something
is rustling the flowers ever so slightly. He moves in
closer.
A gelatinous yellow organism slithers sluggishly between
the flowers. The organism is a mound a few inches high,
gross and veiny, yet as colorful as the flowers around
it. A small cavity on the apex of the organism constricts
and expands lightly. I guess it's not worth keeping secret
that this thing looks a tad like a bright yellow vagina.
GRANT
What the…?
Grant is a little freaked--out by this thing, even
frightened. He looks around for someone else.
GRANT
Hey, anybody 'round here? 'Lo?
No one answers. Grant looks down at the organism, unsure.
He picks up a tree branch.
Grant softly prods the organism with the pointy end of
the branch.
Nothing happens.
He does it again. The thing pulses a little, and surges
toward Grant.
Grand pokes it again.
A small, thin quill -- a SPORE -- emerges from the cavity
in the center of the organism. The spore is quivering
and, as it trembles upward, little bulbed spurs pop up as
well.
Grant slowly bends down to look at it when --
The SPORE suddenly SHOOTS OUT. It strikes Grant in the
stomach.
GRANT
Ow! Fuck!
Grant yanks up his shirt, looking at a wound on his
abdomen. He watches as the spore quivers and disappears
inside him.
He clutches his stomach, SCREAMS in agony. He falls back
into the colorful flowers. His body convulses.
MATCH CUT TO:
CAT SCAN SHOT -- INT. GRANT'S BODY
We see the insides of Grant's body, as if sliced in half.
We ZOOM IN on the little spore, which is jittering up
through his body, and into his neck.
The spore keys into the base of Grant's cerebellum, and
his entire brain crackles with a WHITE ELECTRICAL ENERGY.
BACK TO SCENE
Grant freezes in place, his fingers contorted up in front
of him, silent. He's utterly still, a wax corpse.
A hippie CAMPING COUPLE run into the area, looking for
the source of the screams. The man looks down at the
frozen Grant.
CAMPER
Over here!
The Camper crouches down beside him.
CAMPER
Hey, man. You all right?...
Dude?... Oh shit.
The Camper turns from Grant to his girlfriend.
CAMPER
I think he's d --
Grant GASPS suddenly, sitting up and grabbing the man,
like a drowning man popping up above water. The Camper
YELPS and jumps back. Grant sweats and heaves, trying to
speak, but hardly can --
GRANT
It's taking... my... brain.
CAMPER
Buddy?
Grant's eyes glaze over, and he eases off. He heaves
there, momentarily confused. His eyes dart around, as if
seeing his surroundings for the first time. Grant stands.
CAMPER
You all right, man?
Grant looks down curiously at the camper. Then he turns
and stumbles away from them, out of the forest.
CAMPER
That might of been a stroke, buddy.
You better take it easy.
INT. GRANT'S PICKUP -- DAWN
Grant drives down the road in his luxury pickup truck,
sweating and blinking rapidly.
EXT. GRANT HOUSE -- MORNING
Grant steps out of the truck in his driveway, when he
hears --
NEIGHBOR (O.S.)
Hey ya', Grant.
Grant swings his head toward his NEIGHBOR, who is taking
a happy BEAGLE for a morning walk.
NEIGHBOR
What were ya', night--fishing again?
You catch anything?
GRANT
I caught a little somethin', yeah.
Grant walks inside his house.
INT. GRANT FOYER -- MORNING
Grant looks around the foyer.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- MORNING
Grant creeps into the bedroom, looking around. We can
hear the SHOWER RUNNING.
Grant spots his face in a mirror above the dresser. He
moves in close to the mirror, and stares at his own image.
He pulls on his face a little, his eyes brimming with
excitement. He smiles at himself.
Grant looks toward the open bathroom door, where he hears
the running shower. He creeps toward it.
Grant peeks around the doorway. Starla is in the shower,
soaping herself. She looks beautiful there. Grant tilts
his head to the side like a dog. He watches her,
mesmerized, even moved.
INT. GRANT BATHROOM -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla is wearing a white towel and brushing her wet hair
in the foggy bathroom mirror when she hears Air Supply's
EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD coming from the bedroom. She's
struck by it.
She moves toward the door. Opens it.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- MORNING
The shades are drawn, darkening the room. A few candles
have been lit. Grant is standing there, mostly in
silhouette. He's silent, and he doesn't move.
GRANT
Hey there, sugarplum.
Starla looks at him, stirred.
STARLA
Haven't heard this for a while.
Grant walks toward her. He takes her hand in his own,
lifting it beside him. He wraps his other arm around her
waist. And he slow dances with her. Starla dances too,
a bit hesitantly, a bit shy.
STARLA
I never danced in a towel before.
GRANT
Wearing white, just like on our...
wedding day. I remember it.
Starla nods.
GRANT
I'm sorry about last night. I get
a little insecure sometimes, want
to hold on too tight. It's just
'cause you're precious to me,
Starla.
(MORE)
GRANT (CONT'D)
But I swear to God, baby, I'm
turning over a new Goddamn leaf.
Okay?
Starla nods, touched. Grant's eyes are teary.
GRANT
I love you, sugarplum.
Starla and Grant kiss, tenderly.
Grant falls to his knees in front of her. He runs his
hand over the curve of her hip, her thigh, her buttock,
with as much fascination as lust. He pushes Starla back
onto the bed.
He lifts her leg, and kisses it, nibbles on it a little,
scrapes his teeth on it. Starla is surprised by this,
but enjoys it too: it's probably the most foreplay she's
had in years.
Grant crawls on top of her, runs his hands over her
breasts, her face. Starla's hand moves over Grant's back,
and to his stomach. When she stops, startled.
STARLA
Grant, what's that?
She gazes down at the wound between them, on Grant's bare
abdomen, where the spore entered him. The wound is
yellowish, and surrounded by veins.
Grant, embarrassed, pulls his shirt down.
GRANT
Just a little bug bite is all.
Grant kisses and munches on Starla as she lies back on
the bed, enjoying it.
O.S. HUMMING.
FADE TO:
INT. TEACHER'S LOUNGE -- DAY
Starla is HUMMING Every Woman in the World as she drops
coins into a soda machine and chooses Tab. JANENE, a
a heavyset black teacher, notices this.
JANENE
What are you so smiley about, girl?
STARLA
Oh, nothin'
Starla grabs her soda and sits down with Janene.
just stares.
Janene
STARLA
Just, Grant and I had a nice
morning. It's been a while.
JANENE
Oh! You got that fresh--fucked
glow, don't you?
Janene.
STARLA
You slut.
JANENE
Hush.
STARLA
No shame.
JANENE
You're a married woman.
STARLA
He was... considerate. Maybe this
is the start of a real change in
Grant.
INT. GRANT BATHROOM -- DAY
Grant is holding up his shirt, and looking at his torso.
The wound on his side is blackened and gangrenous, and is
starting to puff up into a veiny little spout. A fuzzy
bluish moss is growing in the crevices around the spout.
A pus oozes out.
Grant looks concerned. He squirts some Neosporin onto
his fingers. He massages it slowly into the wound.
INT. GRANT KITCHEN -- MOMENTS LATER
Grant opens the refrigerator door and rummages around
inside. He pulls out some bread. Some cheese.
He opens the meat drawer. It's replete with cold cuts.
He pulls out some Oscar Mayer baloney. Turkey. Pastrami
and salami. He grabs every type of meat there is.
MOMENTS LATER
Grant assembles a sandwich at the table. Two pieces of
bread and some cheese. He starts putting the meat on.
But he can't stop, piling more and more on until he has
a little sandwich tower.
He looks at it. Something seems off about it. He removes
the cheese. Better. And then the bread. Even better.
He stares at what is now simply a tower of cold cuts.
GRANT
Meat.
After contemplating it for a moment, Grant stands and
carries off the pile of meat.
INT. GRANT GARAGE -- MOMENTS LATER
Grant enters the garage through a door from the FOYER.
He flips the lights on with his shoulder. He looks around.
Grant spots an old file cabinet. He sets the tower of
meat down on the oily floor and opens a drawer. It's
filled with files. He closes that drawer, and opens
another. It has manila file folders, but no files.
Grant takes out the folders. He uses a Sharpie to write
out "BALONEY" on a folder. Then he stuffs all the baloney
into the folder and files it away.
He starts writing out "PASTRAMI"
LATER
Grant flips through his alphabetically--filed meat: from
BALONEY through "TURKEY." But he doesn't look satisfied.
INT. SUPERMARKET -- LATER
Grant stands beside the butcher's counter with a shopping
cart. He peers dreamily in through the glass at the rows
of steaks, pork chops, and so on.
GRANT
Meat.
BUTCHER
Howdy, Mr. Grant. You goin' to
the Deer Cheer this weekend?
Grant snaps out of his reverie.
GRANT
Sure thing, killer.
BUTCHER
What can I do you for?
GRANT
Thinkin' 'bout getting me a couple
of these big ol' rib eyes.
BUTCHER
How many you need?
Grant stares at the steaks.
GRANT
Well... having us a little dinner
party... I'd say... eight. No,
no... fourteen...
The Butcher nods, starts to grab steaks. Grant CHUCKLES.
GRANT
Hell, what am I holding back for?
Why don't you just give me
everything you got here?
BUTCHER
All the rib eyes?
GRANT
Yep. And while you're at it, get
me a few of them chicken wings...
some pork loins... and, ooo, what's
this here? Osso buco?...
EXT. GRANT HOME -- LATER
Grant backs his pickup toward the garage. Meat is piled
into the bed. Wrapped packages of meat fill the seats
around him.
INT. GRANT GARAGE -- MOMENTS LATER
Grant stands in the garage, tearing open the packing, and
letting the loose meat slide into piles onto the floor,
muttering:
GRANT
Meat.
MOMENTS LATER
Grant rolls slabs of beef over the dirty floor and into
a pile.
SOMETHING skitters across the garage and around the pile.
Grant peers around the pile and sees a RAT nibbling on
some ribs. He realizes something.
GRANT
You're meat.
The rat moves away from Grant. But Grant snaps out his
arm with alarming speed, snatching the rat. It SQUEAKS
and wriggles in his grip, tearing and biting at him, trying
to get free.
Grant snaps its neck, and tosses the dead rat onto the
pile of meat. Continues on.
EXT. GRANT GARAGE -- NIGHT
Starla pulls into the driveway. She presses the button
on her garage door opener.
The door SHUDDERS but stays closed. Starla's confused.
She gets out of the car and examines the door. She looks
down and sees a new padlock, locking the door to the cement
driveway with bolts on both sides.
INT. GRANT FOYER -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla enters the house. She heads toward a door along
the wall that leads to the garage. There's a shiny new
lock on that door as well. She touches it, baffled.
She turns to see Grant standing at the end of the foyer.
He's in shadows, a little spooky in the darkness.
GRANT
Welcome home.
STARLA
Grant? Why are there -- did you
put locks on the garage?
Pause. No answer.
STARLA
You drilled into the driveway.
Grant walks into the light.
GRANT
Yeahhhh. I'm sorry. I just got
so excited about... your present.
STARLA
My present?
GRANT
You're my princess, aren't you?
STARLA
Okay.
GRANT
I got a super--special birthday
present for you this year. I
couldn't risk you finding it, so I
had to put them locks on the doors.
Pause.
STARLA
All right... I have to clean up
before dinner.
Grant smiles at her. Starla confused, tries to smile
back, then turns and heads up the stairs. Grant watches
Starla's fine form from behind, somewhat lustily. But
his leering gaze gradually turns into something darker,
and he has a realization.
GRANT
You're meat.
Starla turns.
STARLA
What?
Grant snaps himself out of it.
GRANT
Oh, nothin'. Nothin'. See you in
a sec.
Starla smiles uneasily, and heads on upstairs.
EXT. GRANT HOME -- MOMENTS LATER
Grant steps onto the front porch to get some air. He's
blinking and seems a little dizzy. He gazes around the
neighborhood:
Down the way, a BOY in a little league uniform and his
MOTHER get out of their car and walk toward the front
door.
Across the street, THROUGH A KITCHEN WINDOW, a PLUMP MAN
and his WIFE are eating dinner.
At another home, a SHORT MAN steps on a stepladder,
changing the dome light on his porch.
Grant stares at these individuals, looking like an animal
ready to lunge at its prey, fighting the urge.
GRANT
Meat.
He HEARS a BARKING. Grant turns to see the beagle next
door, tied to the tree, YAPPING at him.
Grant looks around to make sure no one's watching.
EXT. GRANT HOME -- MORNING
Starla walks to get the paper in her robe, and she sees a
BOY, aged thirteen or so, stapling a LOST: REWARD flyer
to a telephone pole, with a picture of the beagle.
STARLA
Roscoe's gone?
The Boy's face is streaked from a long night of crying.
BOY
You haven't seen him, have you?
Starla shakes her head.
STARLA
I'm sure he'll show up, Tim.
The Boy nods, and walks to the next telephone pole to put
up another flyer.
EXT. SHADED FOREST -- DAY
Grant moves up a hill, between trees, looking around for
something. He comes to a stop, trying to remember which
way to go. He does, and moves on.
EXT. OLD BARN -- LATER
Grant comes upon an old wooden barn. The structure is
maybe a hundred years old, and long abandoned. It's
spattered with graffiti. Grant stares at it.
MOMENTS LATER
Grant gathers large fronds and other foliage in his arms.
INT. OLD BARN -- LATER
Grant spreads the plant life over the floor of the barn.
He arranges it, fluffs it there. His actions are very
animal--like when no one's around. He seems to be making
a nest. He sits back, looks at it.
He's happy.
FADE TO:
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Starla, dressed in her weekend finery, is looking in the
mirror above her dresser, and putting on earrings.
STARLA
Grant, are you almost ready?
INT. GRANT MASTER BATHROOM -- MOMENTS LATER
Grant looks ill. He is leaning over the sink, sweating,
clutching his stomach.
GRANT
Yeah, hon, I'll be right there!
Grant turns and pushes open his door.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Grant sees Starla sitting on the edge of the bed, her
back to him, as she puts on her nylons. She doesn't know
he's there.
Grant stares at her, demented, and moves slowly toward
her, stalking her.
Something starts to push Grant's shirt up at his stomach,
like a bellybutton erection. The thing slips out of his
shirt -- a writhing, pointy tubule, aiming toward Starla's
back.
Grant looks at the nape of Starla's neck. Her delicate
ear. He becomes confused; he softens.
Starla turns to see Grant, his body now turned away from
her. He's trying to push the tubule back down.
STARLA
What are you doing?
GRANT
You're pretty.
Starla nods, confused by his behavior.
EXT. WHEELSY SADDLE LODGE -- LATER
A banner hangs across the front of the lodge, "DEER CHEER
05" -- the first Friday of deer season in Wheelsy.
Inflatable deer totems decorate the front of the wooden
lodge. RAMBUNCTIOUS MUSIC comes from inside. Partyers
enter.
Grant and Starla step out of his truck. As they do, one
of Starla's students, Will, sees her and waves. Starla
waves back.
Grant notices this and grabs Starla's arm, a bit too hard,
pulling her back.
GRANT
Who's that?
STARLA
It's just one of my students, Grant.
Grant stares at the boy with distrust, and ushers Starla
towards the lodge.
Bill, Trevor and Margaret are hanging out on a large rock
outside the entranceway, drinking beer. Bill watches
Grant and Starla cross the lot. Trevor sees this.
TREVOR
What's she see in that douchebag?
BILL
That's the mystery of the ages
there, Trev. Starla was seventeen
when they got engaged. He was,
like, in his thirties. No one
even knew they were goin' out till
she had that ring on her finger.
MARGARET
Ain't no mystery to it. She's
raised in them shanties off St.
Luc. Dirt--poor.
TREVOR
Gold--digger, huh?
BILL
Hell, you don't know that, Margaret.
Margaret shrugs, BELCHES. Jack, the mayor, with his WIFE,
stops beside them after she does, staring at her.
JACK
Bill, you're Chief of police now.
(MORE)
JACK (CONT'D)
Comes with some Goddamn
responsibility, like keeping your
people in line.
BILL
You're right, Jack. Margaret,
you're fired.
Margaret and Trevor LAUGH. Jack shakes his head with
disdain, and enters the party.
INT. WHEELSY SADDLE LODGE -- NIGHT
Wheelsy citizens celebrate. A country--western band PLAYS.
Couples two--step.
Starla and Grant move through the party. Grant looks
around at the dancing and laughing bodies. Starla sees
her friend from school.
STARLA
Janene!
Janene LAUGHS heartily and the two embrace
JANENE
Hey, Grant.
GRANT
Why don't you two catch up? I'll
go see what the boys are doing.
Starla nods. She and Janene watch as Grant moves off
through the crowd.
STARLA
He's been strange the past couple
days.
EXT. WHEELSY SADDLE LODGE -- MOMENTS LATER
Grant steps outside, and looks around.
Across the parking lot is a playground. Two YOUNG CHILDREN
are spinning on a little carousel there.
Grant starts toward them.
EXT. SADDLE LODGE PLAYGROUND -- NIGHT
The Children GIGGLE, unaware of Grant inching up on them.
Grant gets closer, excited, when he hears:
BRENDA (O.S.)
Hey there, handsome.
Grant turns and see Brenda Gutierrez standing there.
Once again, she's very drunk.
BRENDA
Must be fate, us meeting again
like this.
Grant smiles.
GRANT
Well, you might be right...
Grant sees if anyone's watching. He circles around her.
GRANT
You're lookin' awful pretty.
BRENDA
Shut up.
Brenda SNICKERS.
GRANT
Where's the old half--Mexican?
BRENDA
Took the kids to his Mom's for the
weekend.
Grant smiles.
EXT. FOREST -- NIGHT
Grant holds Brenda's hand, and he pulls her between the
trees. She GIGGLES.
BRENDA
Where you takin' me, you bad boy!
Grant stops in a secluded place, beside the creek, looking
around. No one's there. He turns toward her, smiles.
GRANT
Take off your shirt, doll.
Brenda looks at him, confused.
GRANT
Guess it's hard to explain how
amazin' a human brain is to someone
who that's all they know.
BRENDA
What?
GRANT
Stuff you can never imagine.
Feelings. Big thoughts. And love.
Yeah. I'm inclined to parlay it
into somethin' more. So, go ahead
there, beautiful, and take off
your shirt.
Brenda, though startled, leans back on a boulder and starts
unbuttoning her blouse. After a moment, she looks at
Grant, trying to be sexy while she does it. Grant looks
at her in her bra.
GRANT
Nice.
Grant unbuttons his shirt as well. As he removes it
completely, he turns toward her.
Brenda sees the wound on his stomach has blossomed into a
veiny, blue--moss--encrusted yellow spout, huge and pulsing.
BRENDA
Grant!? What -- ?!
Grant grabs her. She tries to push his arms away.
BRENDA
No, no, we --
Brenda gets up, trying to run away. But Grant grabs her
necklace, yanking her back. The necklace snaps and falls
into the creek beside them.
Grant pins Brenda's wrists against the rock. She struggles
to get free.
Brenda's eyes widen as she looks down to see the writhing,
tentacle--like tubule emerge from Grant's wound. She
SCREAMS.
Grant shoves his hand over her mouth, shutting her up.
He's extremely strong. She watches as the tubule twitches,
feeling its way like a blind snake.
The tubule comes to rest on her abdomen. Tears stream
down from Brenda's eyes. It pushes into her flesh.
Brenda goes into convulsions. Something -- a fluid --
pumps through the tubule and into Brenda.
Grant watches Brenda without emotion as her body spasms
there beside him.
Then she falls back, unconscious. The tubule retracts
into Grant's torso.
EXT. WHEELSY SADDLE LODGE BACK PORCH -- NIGHT
Starla is leaning over a wooden rail, looking at the lights
of the town below. She turns to see Bill lean on the
rail beside her. She looks genuinely happy.
STARLA
Hey, Bill!
Starla catches herself, and looks around to see if Grant
is watching.
BILL
Don't worry. The lurker ain't
around. I checked.
STARLA
That's not funny.
BILL
Sorry.
STARLA
Whatcha' doin'?
BILL
Tryin' to get a buzz on. But I'm
too buff. Too much muscle mass.
Starla LAUGHS.
BILL
What you up to?
STARLA
Just checking out the lights.
Bill and Starla look out over the city together.
BILL
Pretty, ain't they?
STARLA
I don't know. I've seen them so
many times before. I guess any
spot gets boring after awhile.
BILL
Well that's only if you're in the
wrong spot.
Starla looks at him.
BILL
There's a place over there on the
bluffs. When the fog is just right,
like tonight, the lights of Main
look like a kaleidoscope.
STARLA
Oh, yeah?
BILL
Mm hm. But only a few folks know
how to get there. Wally. Rollo
Linkski coulda taken you, but
'course he got hit by that train.
Me.
STARLA
I'll get Wally to show me sometime
then.
Starla LAUGHS out loud. So does Bill.
BILL
Oh, will you now?
STARLA GRANT (O.S.)
Or Rollo's ghost. Starla.
They turn to see Grant approaching. He's a mess. His
pants are streaked with mud.
STARLA
Grant, where'd you go?
BILL
Hey, Grant.
Grant eyes Bill with suspicion. He grabs Starla.
GRANT
You ready, sugarplum?
Starla nods. She looks at Bill and mouths:
STARLA
Bye.
Bill watches Grant and Starla head off, as he downs the
rest of his beer. Wally walks up beside him.
WALLY
Surprised you're able to lift a
mug after carrying that torch for
so long.
BILL
Hey, Wally. Glad you're here.
There was something I wanted to
tell you...
Bill SNAPS his fingers, trying to remember.
WALLY
What?
BILL
Oh yeah. Fuck you, fat ass.
They both LAUGH.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- LATER
Starla lies on her side, awake. She's staring at the
dirt on Grant's pants, which are hung over a valet. Grant
holds her from behind, sleeping peacefully.
FADE TO:
INT. WHEELSY POLICE STATION -- DAY
The front door of the precinct opens, and a confused
Mexican MAN walks inside. He is trying to keep from
crying. Three half--naked children follow him, clutching
onto his clothes. The man walks slowly through the office,
looking around for help.
Margaret sees him from her desk.
MARGARET
Sir, may I help -- ?
BRENDA'S HUSBAND
My wife, Brenda. I think something
has happened to her!
EXT. STOP SIGN -- DAY
Starla, in her car with groceries, comes to a stop sign.
She looks at the telephone pole beside it and sees that
it's covered with flyers for missing pets.
INT. GRANT FOYER -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla enters with a shopping bag. The lights are off.
CREEPY MUSIC plays.
STARLA
Grant?
No answer. Starla tries to turn on the lights, but nothing
happens.
STARLA
Damn fuse.
She passes the door to the garage, noticing the lock.
INT. GRANT KITCHEN -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla sets down the bags on the counter, looks around.
STARLA
Grant?
Again, no one's here. She sees a potted flower on the
counter. A green INCHWORM is crawling up the stem, little
by little. She stares at it, as if it's a portent.
She hears a MOAN, coming from upstairs.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla moves slowly into this dark room, looking for her
husband. It seems no one is here.
STARLA
Grant, where are y -- ?
Starla turns, when Grant POPS INTO FRAME. Starla,
startled, SCREAMS. Grant is sick and trembling. But,
worse, he's been transforming. There are small pustules
all over his face.
STARLA
Grant. Oh my God. What happened
to your -- ?
GRANT
Heh. It ain't as bad as it looks,
sugarplum. Dr. Carl was just here.
I had a reaction to a bee sting.
He gave me a prescription. Said I
should be fine, in a couple days.
Starla stares at him, mute and horrified.
GRANT
Don't look at me like that, baby.
Please? I'm gonna go get my...
prescription filled.
Grant grabs his keys off the dresser, puts them in his
pocket, trying to pretend he doesn't hurt.
STARLA
I'll get if for you.
GRANT
No! No. Heh. I'll be right back.
He moves outside the door, leaving Starla, shell--shocked.
INT. GRANT GARAGE -- DAY
It's too dark to see much in here, but we do see Grant
putting meat into a garbage bag.
EXT. GRANT HOUSE -- DAY
Grant looks around to make sure no one's looking, as he
places the garbage bag full of meat into his trunk, closes
it.
EXT. OLD BARN -- EVENING
Grant moves through the forest, in massive pain, dragging
the garbage bag.
Grant comes upon the old wooden barn.
INT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
Grant enters. It is almost completely dark. He hears
WEEPING. CHAINS RATTLE.
Grant peers over at Brenda, mostly in silhouette, sitting
on the nest he has made. She's chained up and MOANS
through a mouth gag. Grant walks to her. Her body is
horribly pear--shaped and misshapen, like some tumorous
pregnancy. Grant pulls her gag away.
BRENDA
Grant? Grant, I'm hungry. I'm so
fuckin' hungry I think I'm gonna
die.
GRANT
Brought you munchies.
Grant pours the garbage bagful of rotting meat and dead
animals out in front of her.
GRANT
Been saving for a rainy day.
CLOSEUP: Brenda's face, still mostly in darkness. She
stares at the meat, simultaneously excited and repulsed.
She looks up at Grant.
BRENDA
Grant, I'm sorry if I did something
wrong! I think I gotta -- I think
I should go to a hospital!
Grant doesn't respond. Brenda's eyes trail back down to
the meat.
Brenda's hand reaches out, and grabs a maggot--infested
pork chop, pulling it toward her.
We HEAR, but can barely see, Brenda CHOWING DOWN on the
raw pork in the nearly pitch black barn.
INT. GRANT'S TRUCK -- LATER
Grant gets into his pickup; he trembles and YELPS as his
body is wracked with pain and his body starts to transform
even more.
INT. GRANT FOYER -- NIGHT
There's a HARD KNOCKING on Starla's door. She swings it
open to see Bill and Wally standing there, worried.
Wally tries to see inside.
WALLY
Grant around?
STARLA
No. He went to the pharmacy.
WALLY
Pharmacy?
STARLA
He's got a... rash.
Bill and Wally exchange a glance -- maybe this means
something. Starla can see Trevor and Margaret, across
the street, talking to another neighbor.
BILL
Starla, you know Brenda Gutierrez?
Starla shakes her head.
BILL
Maybe she's ever called the house,
or -- ?
STARLA
No. What…?
BILL
She disappeared Friday night. We
got reason to believe foul play
might be involved.
WALLY
Some kids found her necklace near
Tipper Creek, as well as what might
be her blood on a rock.
BILL
The problem, Starla, is, the last
person anyone saw her talking to
was Grant.
Starla looks at him, surprised.
BILL
The Deer Cheer. And Wally and me,
we also saw him that night, with
mud all over his slacks.
Bill hands her his card.
BILL
Have him call me right away, okay?
Starla nods, distraught. Bill tries to smile kindly before
he and Wally move out and off to canvas other neighbors'
homes.
Starla closes the door behind her, distraught, panicked.
She looks at the foyer door, leading into the garage.
Her eyes fall down to the floor, where she sees what
appears to be blood drop stains near the door.
She gains courage, and moves off toward --
INT. GRANT CLOSET -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla throws open this door. She looks at old, unused
sports equipment. She grabs an aluminum baseball bat.
INT. GRANT FOYER -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla holds the aluminum bat, standing in front of the
door to the garage. She hesitates a moment. But then
she swings the bat at the lock on the door.
She swings it again, GRUNTING.
And again.
Finally, the lock is knocked off the wooden door.
Starla pushes away the useless lock, letting it fall to
the floor.
Starla steels herself, and slowly pushes open the door
into the dark garage. As she does, the horrendous stench
hits her. Terrified, she covers her face with her hand,
and enters.
INT. GRANT GARAGE -- NIGHT
Starla sees what's there: not only a huge stockpile of
rotten meat, but a dozen dead pets. They are neatly
divided into various categories, and labeled: Pork, Ground
Beef, Cats, Dogs. The walls and doorway have been heavily
insulated so the smell doesn't sink into the home. She
looks on the floor and sees poor, dead Roscoe the beagle,
his tongue dangling out.
Starla starts to CRY.
She moves quickly back inside.
INT. GRANT LIVING ROOM -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla runs to the front picture window, and looks out
onto the street. She can't see any of the cops.
She turns from the window and picks up a cordless phone.
She looks at the card Bill gave her, and dials the number.
The phone RINGS, and:
SHERRY (O.S.)
You've reached Chief Pardy at the
Wheelsy Police Department. Please
leave a message and your call will
be returned as soon as possible.
There's a BEEP. Starla tries to speak through her SOBS,
pacing:
STARLA
Bill, it's Starla!
As Starla passes the large picture window, she doesn't
see Grant staring in at her, his face now that of some
diseased cephalopod.
STARLA
It's -- I think you better come
over right away -- I think Grant's
sick, he --
Starla turns to see the monstrous Grant through the window.
She just stops. They stare at each other for a moment.
And then Grant lets out a FURIOUS WAIL.
Starla turns and dashes toward the back of the house.
Grant disappears from the window.
INT. GRANT FOYER -- NIGHT
As Starla runs through here, she looks behind her at the
front door to make sure Grant isn't following.
INT. GRANT HALL -- NIGHT
She runs past a wall of family photos.
INT. GRANT FAMILY ROOM -- NIGHT
Starla sees the door on the rear of the house, leading to
the backyard.
She arrives at it, and flings it open --
Grant is there.
He lunges onto her. Starla SCREAMS and drops the cordless
phone, just as it starts RINGING. Grant crawls on top of
her body. Starla reaches for the ringing phone, but he
pins her hands above her head. He looks into her eyes.
He's CRYING. His voice and breath are sick and raspy.
GRANT
Why'd you betray me, sugarplum?!
STARLA
Grant, no!
GRANT
I loved you. I loved --
STARLA
Grant, you're sick!
Grant is about to cry.
GRANT
I wanted you by my side, but you --
I can't trust you now!
Starla's WEEPING, confused. Grant rips his shirt open.
Starla looks down to see the tubule protruding from the
now enormous yellow spore on Grant's chest. The tubule
feels over Starla's blouse, and then slips beneath it.
It starts to poke into her skin.
STARLA
Noooo!
Starla grabs the leg of a coffee table beside her. She
SLAMS the table into Grant's head. This hurts and
surprises him sufficiently to let Starla get out from
under him.
Starla grabs the cordless phone, which is no longer
ringing, and scurries behind the couch. She dials 9--1--1.
Grant thrusts the couch aside.
Starla crawls away again, when Grant attacks her from
behind. He wraps his arm around her neck, pulling her
back. He looks down at her with his sick, angry eyes, as
his arm -- now apparently jointless -- curls around her
like a snake.
Starla gasps for air. Her face turns purple. She hears
a SLAMMING on the door.
BILL (O.S.)
Starla?!! Starla, are you in
there?!
Starla tries to speak but she cannot. Suddenly, we HEAR
the FRONT DOOR OPEN.
BILL (O.S.)
Starla?!
Starla, with barely an ounce of life left in her, sees
Bill, Wally, Trevor and Margaret burst into the living
room.
They are surprised, to say the least, to see this diseased
humanoid strangling Starla from behind.
TREVOR
Fuck!
The cops, freaked out, pull their guns. Grant makes a
SCREECHING SOUND at them. They SHOOT at Grant, nicking
him.
Grant jumps away from Starla, back into the shadows,
SCREECHING in anger and pain. Starla falls to the floor.
Grant slips out the back door and away.
The cops stare, gape--jawed and frozen with shock; what
the hell was THAT?!
Starla rubs her neck, COUGHING.
Bill Pardy runs toward the back door.
EXT. GRANT HOME -- NIGHT
Bill runs out into the backyard. Wally runs up behind
him. They look around at the trees surrounding the area.
Grant is nowhere to be seen.
We CRANE UP and AWAY from them as we...
FADE TO BLACK.
O.S. SNIFFLING.
PASTOR (O.S.)
Jesus, these past few days have
been a trying time for us.
INT. CHURCH -- DAY
We PAN OVER an altar where family members have placed
little items that remind them of Brenda -- photographs,
mementos, "Come home, Mommy" cards, etc.
PASTOR (O.S.)
We ask you now for the safe return
of our beloved Brenda.
Everyone in this modest little church has their heads
bowed as the PASTOR leads the prayer service.
PASTOR
Our sister. Our daughter. Our
mother. Our wife.
Brenda's husband, in the front pew, loses it, CRYING.
His little children, beside him, fiddle in their seats.
PASTOR
And we ask that you keep your light
alive in her heart, wherever she
may be. We ask all this in your
name, Lord. Amen
Bill Pardy is here, in full uniform, hat in hands.
BILL CONGREGATION
Amen. Amen.
Bill looks around the church. He spots Starla, in the
very back of church, head down, distraught, guilty.
He also sees a group of OLD CRONES nearby, pointing at
Starla, and whispering about her.
EXT. CHURCH PARKING LOT -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla's high heels CLACK on the pavement as she moves
quickly to her car.
BILL (O.S.)
Starla.
Starla turns to see Bill coming after her. She stops.
BILL
I talked to the CDC. They didn't
have nothin' on file consistent
with Grant's... symptoms.
Starla nods.
STARLA
How about Brenda?
BILL
New? No. We're hoping we find
Grant, he'll lead us to her.
Starla nods. The wind is strong. Her hair is flying
over her face. Tears come to her eyes.
BILL
You all right?
Starla nods.
STARLA
Yeah.
She moves away from him.
Bill watches her go.
INT. POLICE STATION -- DAY
Bill enters. A few COPS and SECRETARIES are bustling,
making phone calls, etc. They all look tired, as if they
haven't slept. Jack, the mayor, sees Bill.
JACK
Bill!
Bill spots him, moving quickly toward him.
BILL
Shit.
JACK
Bill, we need to talk!
BILL
'Mornin', Jack.
Bill crosses the station. Jack follows.
JACK
Bill, this Brenda's Randy Flagg's
niece. We need to find Grant
yesterday! The town council has
lit a Roman candle and stuck it up
my ass!
BILL
Hell, Jack, your leisure activities
ain't my business.
JACK
Don't fuck with me, Bill. Your
post here as Chief is in dire
straits you don't work this shit
out.
They come to a desk with Wally and Trevor working away.
BILL
Don't worry, we'll find him.
(to Trevor)
Anything new?
Trevor shakes his head.
JACK
How are you going to find him?
BILL
Dude's a half--squid. Ain't many
places he can hide. Sea World,
maybe.
Jack sees a SECRETARY making copies nearby. He speaks in
hushed tones:
JACK
That young lady heard you say
'squid.' She's gonna go out and
create a Goddamn hysteria!
BILL
Sherry, you gonna create a hysteria?
SHERRY
Not today, Bill.
JACK
Still, quit that talk! You yourself
said it was dark in there! You
don't know what you saw!
TREVOR
We saw his arm was all bendy.
JACK
Bastard obviously got lyme disease!
BILL
What?
JACK
Touch some deer feces out in the
forest. Eat a sandwich without
washing your hands. Then you got
lyme disease.
BILL
And that makes you look like
a squid?
JACK
I'll tell you what, no one with
lyme disease gonna win any damn
handsome contests!
Bill, Wally, and Trevor can't help but SNICKER.
JACK
Well, screw you all for laughin'
SHELBY (O.S.)
Bill!
Bill looks over at Shelby, on his headset at the dispatch
unit.
SHELBY
Another ranch attack! Up at the
Castavets'
Bill nods for Trevor and Margaret to get up from their
desks. They do, and start to move out with Bill and Wally.
JACK
Ranch a --'? What 'ranch attacks'?
EXT. CATTLE RANCH -- LATER
POV: A dead rottweiler is lying on its back in the long
grass, its gut split open and intestines spilling out,
almost perfectly symmetrical.
WALLY (O.S.)
It looks like one of them psyche
tests. What do they call it?
Bill and Wally are staring at the dog from above.
BILL
Rorschach.
WALLY
What do you see? I see a butterfly.
Bill moves on through the windswept weeds.
BILL
I see we're fucked. Three ranches
in three days.
Margaret is taking measurements and writing in a note
pad; she sees Bill.
MARGARET
So, I think I got it part--way
figured. You want to hear it?
Bill nods.
MARGARET
So Grant -- I mean, we're saying
this is Grant, right?
Bill nods.
MARGARET
Grant kills a cow right about here.
See there's the blood, musta slit
its neck.
Margaret walks backward, showing the trail of blood in
the crushed grass.
MARGARET
So he drags the cow backwards here.
Only he prolly didn't know 'bout
the Castavets had them dogs.
TREVOR (O.S.)
Hey, look!
Bill looks over at Trevor, standing up between the tall
weeds, holding a dog's head in his hand.
TREVOR
He knocked this'n's head clear
over here!
WALLY
Put that down, numbnuts!
Bill peers at the various slaughtered dogs around them.
MARGARET
So the dogs attacked, somehow he
slew 'em all, and he stole off
with the cow into the forest.
Trevor heads toward them. Bill looks off into the dark
forest on the edge of the ranch.
BILL
He's gotta be in the forest. All
three ranches run alongside it.
TREVOR
Think we should get up a search
party, head in there?
WALLY
It's a hundred thousand acres. Be
finding a needle in a fuckstack.
Bill has a realization. He moves quickly for his car.
BILL
Wally, come on. Trevor and
Margaret, get some folks together.
I think I know where he's gonna
hit next.
INT. POLICE STATION -- LATER
CLOSEUP: A property map of Wheelsy is tacked to a bulletin
board. Red Magic Marker circles are around various ranch
properties on the edge of the city, next to an enormous
forest. A finger points to one of the red circles.
BILL
So the night after Grant ran off,
a calf went missing from here, the
Raglans' ranch.
REVEAL Bill, standing beside the bulletin board. A posse
has gathered, listening intently: Wally and the usual
cops; Jack; an OLDER COP, probably pulled out of
retirement; and a couple of recruits -- a REDNECK and
a GOOD OL' BOY. Bill points to the next red circle.
BILL
Two nights ago, a mare was stolen
from this property, run by
Fitzgibbon, that old rancher with
the cleft palate.
Wally whispers to Margaret, amused:
WALLY
Looks like a chipmunk.
BILL
Your momma wasn't too proud when
you came out neither, Wally.
Bill points to the next circle.
BILL
And then we get here, the
Castavets', where last night's
shit--storm took place.
TREVOR
I see. It's like as if he's going
in a pattern. Is that what you're
saying, Bill?
Bill nods and points to the next red circle.
BILL
And if he sticks to that pattern
he'll be here next. Belongs to a
family, the Strutemyers'. Now I
know y'all are tired and you've
barely seen your families. But
we're gonna have to go there
tonight, lie low and wait.
The posse nod, agreeing.
REDNECK
Let's get that son--of--a--bitch,
Chief.
BILL
Just remember, we don't know what
we're up against here. So let's
be careful.
INT. POLICE STATION/ARMORY -- DAY
Beside a small armory, Trevor loads a Benelli M--1 super
semiautomatic shotgun. Margaret checks the site on a
Remington 700 PSS rifle. Bill takes a Springfield M--1A
pump--action for himself, while Wally stuffs numerous
pistols and ammo into a leather satchel. Trevor notices
a dusty grenade on a shelf.
TREVOR
Hey, Bill, we got that grenade we
confiscated from them jokers wanted
to use it fish for trout?
Bill looks at Trevor, considering.
BILL
Can't hurt.
As Trevor puts the grenade into a side--pocket on the
satchel, Bill sees Jack and the Older Cop, watching.
JACK
I didn't know the Russkies were
invading there, folks.
MARGARET
You seen this guy, you'd wished
they was.
EXT. POLICE STATION -- LATER
The posse loads up their vehicles, and start taking off
out of the parking lot.
Bill and Wally walk out to their police car. Bill tosses
the leather satchel into the trunk.
They get in the car, Bill starts the engine, when --
Starla Grant pulls quickly into the parking lot. Bill
rolls down the window as she gets out of her car and runs
toward them.
STARLA
Bill, I heard what you're doing.
I think I should go along.
BILL
Why? Listen, it doesn't matter.
I gotta go.
Bill starts to roll away, but Starla holds on to the car,
following.
STARLA
Wait! Dammit, Bill, if that girl's
still out there, how will you find
her? How, unless you bring Grant
in alive? Your best chance of
doing that is with me. I can talk
to him --
BILL
He tried to kill you, Starla.
STARLA
He did. I know. But I got him
angry 'cause I wasn't calm. This
time I could --
Starla's on the verge of tears.
STARLA
Please, Bill. What happened, it's
my fault, I know it.
BILL
Starla, it ain't --
STARLA
It is. He'd been acting strange.
And the physical changes. I should
have told someone right away...
But I was just blind. I wanted to
pretend it wasn't happening... If
I don't do what I can to help now,
I just couldn't live with it.
Bill looks at her. He looks at Wally. Wally shrugs.
Bill nods for Starla to get in.
INT. STRUTEMYER KITCHEN -- EVENING
Kylie is blowing on a cup of coffee. Her MOM, DAD, and
two younger SISTERS, aged 9 and 11, are relaxing after
dinner. As Kylie's Mom picks up plates --
KYLIE'S MOM
Kylie! What'd you do to your
fingers?
Kylie's Mom grabs her hand, looking at her very long
fingernails. They're painted sky blue and spotted with
minute teddy bear and bumblebee decals.
KYLIE
Kiri Goshima done 'em. She's
Japanese.
KYLIE'S DAD
Looks like Pokemons done 'em to
me!
Kylie's sisters LAUGH out loud.
KYLIE
Foreign stuff is classy if you
knew something.
Kylie's family sees, OUT THE WINDOW, police cars pulling
up by a gravel road.
KYLIE'S DAD
Oh. There's Jack. I want y'all
to stay inside tonight. All right?
Kylie's sisters nod. Kylie too.
EXT. STRUTEMYER FARMHOUSE -- EVENING
Kylie's Dad steps onto the front porch of this quaint
family farmhouse. He sees Jack heading toward the ranch,
and waves. Jack gives a little salute, while muttering
to the Older Cop.
JACK
This turns out to be a mountain
lion we're gonna look like a damn
bunch of idiots.
The Redneck and Good Ol' Boy make their way to the ranch
as well. They see Bill with Starla.
REDNECK
Didn't know it was date night.
The Good Ol' Boy LAUGHS.
REDNECK
I'll be expecting you toss my salad
at the end of all this then,
Charlie.
GOOD OL' BOY
Shut up.
EXT. STRUTEMYER RANCH -- MOMENTS LATER
The posse fans out over this grassy land where the cattle
graze, finding places to hide. The sun sets behind them.
FADE TO:
EXT. STRUTEMYER RANCH -- NIGHT
Darkness has crept over the ranch, and the beautiful,
pastoral scene has become distinctly more sinister.
The wind blows hard, WHISTLING through the long weeds.
A rusty rooster windmill atop the old barn twists and
CLINKS on its half--bent perch.
A piece of tarp hangs down from the barn roof, FLAPPING
incessantly against the wooden wall.
Trevor and Jack; the Redneck and the Good Ol' Boy; and
Margaret and the Older Cop are hidden around the ranch,
waiting, watching or dozing.
INT. STRUTEMYER BARN -- NIGHT
Inside the barn, the wind is only slightly quieter, and
it's darker. Bill, Starla, and Wally are here. Bill
peers out through the doorway at cattle drinking from the
trough. He looks at Starla; her head tilts to the side
as she nods off. When her head falls all the way, she
snaps back up, and catches Bill gazing at her.
Bill nods and smiles. She doesn't smile back; she's
embarrassed and miserable and this is the last place she
wants to be.
They sit there for a moment in the dark.
BILL
Hey, Starla, remember that time
when you were a kid and you came
knocking on my window in the middle
of the night?
Wally looks at them.
BILL
Starla here's twelve. Guess I was
fourteen. I said, 'Starla, what
the hell you doing out there?'
She tells me she's running away to
Hollywood to become a big star.
She said she knew I was in ROTC,
and she was gonna need a bodyguard.
Invited me along.
Wally LAUGHS. Bill smiles. Starla is embarrassed, but
grudgingly enjoys the story.
BILL
I said, 'Starla, if there's anybody
can take care of herself, I think
it's you. I'm gonna have to
decline.'
WALLY
(to Starla)
How far'd you get?
STARLA
About the bus stop. Ranger Rick
here called my dad.
WALLY
Ha! A cop from the get--go! You
son--of--a--bitch!
STARLA
You fucked up our fame and fortune,
Bill Pardy.
BILL
Yeah, maybe I did.
EXT. STRUTEMYER RANCH -- NIGHT
Jack smokes a cigarette as he keeps an eye out for the
cow killer. The burning ember of the cigarette is blown
off by the wind. Jack searches for it in the dry grass,
trying to catch it before it starts a fire. He crawls
forward, slapping the ground, when he glances up and
sees...
A large, shadowy shape hulking through the trees on the
edge of the forest.
INT. STRUTEMYER BARN -- NIGHT
Bill, Starla, and Wally see Grant Grant emerging from the
forest. He has transformed into something much more
monstrous: a giant, gangrenous, slug--like beast, a clump
of cells and tumor--like protuberances. He has various
tentacle--like--arms growing out of him, like overgrown
eyes on a potato. As opposed to just having the disease,
he now seems to BE the disease itself.
STARLA
Grant?
EXT. STRUTEMYER RANCH -- NIGHT
Jack and Trevor watch in amazement as Grant slithers across
the field, his large, dark, watery eyes searching out
prey. Jack turns to Trevor, pissed, and whispers:
JACK
You said 'squid'!
TREVOR
It got worse.
The Redneck and the Good Ol' Boy watch too, mouths dropped.
The diseased Grant slithers through the grass just a few
feet beside Margaret and the Older Cop. They duck below
the grass, looking as if they're going to have heart
attacks.
Grant approaches a cow. The cow makes a little MOO of
protest when he gets too close, and steps back.
The Grant--creature stabs one of his tentacle growths into
the cow's neck, piercing it. The cow stumbles, choking.
Blood spurts from her neck. And she topples over.
INT. STRUTEMYER BARN -- NIGHT
Bill and Wally stare out the window, motionless.
WALLY
What we gonna do now, Bill? Cuffs
won't even fit on 'im.
Starla musters courage. She stands, and moves out of the
barn.
BILL
Starla, where you…?
EXT. STRUTEMYER RANCH -- NIGHT
Grant wraps a feeler around the cow's horns, and starts
dragging it back in the direction of the forest.
INT. STRUTEMYER BARN -- NIGHT
Bill motions through the barn window to Margaret.
EXT. STRUTEMYER RANCH -- NIGHT
Margaret motions to Trevor.
Trevor motions to the recruits.
And Starla moves slowly in toward Grant.
STARLA
Grant?
Grant turns and looks at her with his half--human eyes.
His breathing is loud, raspy, and sick. He sees, in a
wide circle around him, the nervous posse standing up,
their guns at the ready.
Starla moves even closer. Bill and Wally are coming in
close behind her.
STARLA
Grant? It's okay.
As Starla and the posse get closer, Grant looks almost
scared. His eyes dart around from cop to cop.
STARLA
You're just sick is all. But we'll
take you to get help right now.
I'll stay by your side, Grant,
just like I swore I would. For
better or worse. Remember?
Grant's huge milky eyes betray that he does.
STARLA
Okay?
The posse inch in closer, tightening the circle.
Grant lets out a PIERCING SCREECH of protest. All of the
posse stop, terrified.
Everything is quiet and still except for Grant's gross
breathing. Deep: In, out.
STARLA
Okay, Grant? It's gonna be all
right.
Grant SCREECHES again: a warning. He looks from Starla
to Bill, with hurt, jealous eyes, and GROWLS.
Then Grant's eyes close to half--mast, and he turns away.
His tentacle tightens around the cow's horns, and he again
drags it toward the forest.
While Bill tries to decide what to do, the Good Ol' Boy
nervously blocks Grant's path. He aims his pistol at
him.
GOOD OL' BOY
You stop right there, you son of a
bitch. I don't care what kinda
leprosy you got. We need to find
that girl. Now you can make this
peaceful, or you can make it hard.
Pause. Grant and the Good Ol' Boy stare at each other.
And then Grant SNAPS out a tentacle--arm, whipping it up
the front of the man's body, and back.
The front of the Good Ol' Boy's whole body is split neatly
in half. For a split second, he remains alive: the two
different sides of his split head look down in disbelief
as his organs spill out from inside him. And then he
topples over.
BILL
Fire! Fire!
The posse SHOOT at Grant. Starla covers her head.
Grant is struck; he SCREECHES in pain. He lets go of the
cow. He slithers with incredible speed off toward the
forest.
Bill and the other posse members take off after him like
hounds on the heel of their prey. They SHOOT madly.
Starla watches as the posse follows Grant into the woods.
Starla stands alone and worried a moment, and then she
darts off after them.
INT. KYLIE'S BATHROOM -- NIGHT
Kylie is running a bath. She hears GUNSHOTS ECHO in the
distance.
She peers out a little window above the tub, trying to
see where the shots are coming from.
EXT. FOREST -- NIGHT
The posse run through this very dark forest after Grant,
leaping over brush and rocks. They're nervous, but also
excited, as the primordial hunting urge takes over. Their
eyes are filled with anger and bloodlust.
They're able to follow Grant only by catching glimpses --
a flash of flesh between trees, a tentacle disappearing
around brush.
WALLY
There he is! Over there!
They FIRE at the creature, taking chunks out of trees,
but missing. He's too fast.
EXT. CREEK -- NIGHT
Grant slips around a boulder and splashes through a creek,
and into the plentiful trees beyond. He rustles thick
fronds as he moves up alongside the creek.
The posse run up the creek itself, splashing, trying to
peer through the leaves to get a shot at Grant.
Jack, carrying his revolver, trips and falls in the creek.
He cuts his knee on a sharp rock. He stands, and keeps
going.
They come to --
EXT. FOREST CLEARING -- NIGHT
The posse come up out of the creek. They've completely
lost track of the diseased man--beast.
They stop, out--of--breath and looking around. They whisper:
TREVOR
Where'd he go?
MARGARET
We ain't never gonna find that
girl now.
The Redneck is WEEPING with rage.
REDNECK
I'll kill that asshole what he did
to Charlie.
Bill sees Starla run up behind them. He waves her back.
BILL
Starla, get the hell out of here!
Starla takes a couple steps back, but doesn't leave. She
watches there, half in shadows as the posse creep around,
searching for some trail of Grant.
Margaret looks down into the bubbling creek. She sees
it's turning red. She looks up the trail of red, which
is rippling downhill in the water. The red flow starts
somewhere near a boulder.
Bill and Wally are searching in front of the boulder.
Margaret SEES, but they don't, Grant pulling himself up
on a tree branch and RISING behind them. Blood from a
shotgun wound is dripping into the creek. Grant, pissed,
lifts a tentacle.
MARGARET
Bill!!
Bill turns as the tentacle swings down toward him. He
falls back; the tentacle slashes inches from his face.
Bill BLASTS his shotgun up at Grant, but Grant is already
slithering swiftly back into the thick brush.
The posse squeeze themselves though the brush, following.
EXT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
The posse emerge on the other side of the brush, only to
be confronted by a terrible odor. They cover their noses
and mouths as their faces shrivel in disgust.
TREVOR
What the hell's that smell?
WALLY
It's something dead.
The posse gaze up at the old ramshackle barn where Grant
had brought Brenda.
JACK
It's coming from in there, ain't
it?
Margaret looks at Bill.
MARGARET
Think he's inside?
Bill takes the lead, carefully approaching the barn.
The posse follows, their weapons drawn. The closer they
get to the barn, the more unbearable the smell becomes.
Only Bill, intent on the task in front of him, doesn't
react to the stench at all.
Bill leans his ear in close to the front door, and listens.
Through the door he can HEAR a QUIET SOBBING. Bill and
Wally exchange a look.
Bill steps back. He and Wally aim their shotguns at the
door. Bill nods to Margaret, and gestures for her to
open it. Starla watches all this from the rear.
Margaret swings open the door.
INT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
Bill and Wally move cautiously but quickly inside. But
they stop suddenly, in disgust and horror.
BILL
Oh...
It's Brenda. And she doesn't look good. Her weepy little
head is stuck to the front of a huge fleshy orb, which is
what her body has become. This enormous ball of flesh is
nine or ten feet tall. Vestigial fingers protrude from
the sides. She is utterly immobile. Her flesh sloshes,
slightly and constantly; a thousand snakes seem to be
slithering beneath her thin, tight, bruised skin. The
woman is in great pain. She SOBS. Her mouth and chin
are stained with blood.
The posse and Starla enter behind Bill and Wally and are
equally astounded.
OLDER COP
Oh, shit!
They see the source of the awful stench:
Brenda is encircled by the rotting carcasses of cows and
horses and forest critters. They are mostly skeletal, as
they have been largely devoured. They're swarming with
flies. The stench is so bad the posse cover their faces
with the bottom of their shirts.
The SOBBING Brenda looks desperately at Bill and Wally.
BRENDA
Something's wrong with me.
WALLY
Uh, yeah.
Bill and Wally get in a little closer.
BILL
Brenda, um...
BRENDA
I didn't want no one to be seeing
me like this.
As the posse inch closer, Brenda's whole body suddenly
LURCHES FORWARD a bit -- like whatever's inside her is
trying to get out and to the posse. Brenda SCREAMS in
agony.
The posse jump back. They stare as she recomposes herself.
BRENDA
How are my boys, Bill? Are they
all right?
BILL
Boys are fine, Brenda. Uh, what's --
what's happening here, exactly?
BRENDA
I'm so fucking hungry, Bill. I'm
so hungry. I just never knew
anybody could be so hungry.
Brenda tries to smile in a way she might charm her Daddy
into giving her candy. This is creepy as hell.
BRENDA
Would you mind handing me a piece
of that possum there at your feet?
Little bit?
Trevor gags and runs out of the barn.
EXT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
Trevor vomits into some bushes.
INT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
Bill eyes poor Brenda.
BILL
I think we best get you to a
hospital right quick.
WALLY
What the fuck they gonna do with
her in a hospital, Bill?
Again, Brenda SCREAMS. Her body LURCHES FORWARD.
OLDER COP
Why's she doing that?!
REDNECK
Her tumors is moving.
JACK
Bill, get her to stop that shit!
BRENDA
It hurts!
Her body lurches forward AGAIN. She sobs.
BRENDA
Help me!! Help!!
And then AGAIN. Starla notices that Brenda's skin is
starting to SPLIT AND TEAR on her side.
STARLA
Bill!
BRENDA
Little fuckers are tearing me
aparrrr-- !
Brenda SCREAMS like a woman giving a thousand evil births
at once and her body RIPS OPEN in one part; and then, in
quick succession, ANOTHER, and ANOTHER. Bill looks out
one of the windows. Grant is peering in at them, smiling.
BILL
He led us here.
And then Brenda's body BURSTS OPEN COMPLETELY, like a
water balloon hitting cement, and thousands of little
SLITHERING EYELESS PARASITES with slippery black--red skin
like slugs spill forth. The horrid creatures, eight inches
long and a few inches thick, swarm over the posse,
completely covering them before they can react.
EXT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
Trevor sees the things flooding over the posse in the
barn. The parasites are especially drawn to the posse's
heads. Because there are so many, the weight of the beasts
knocks most of them down.
Trevor runs, but the things make it out the doorway,
covering him like lava in One Million B.C., and he buckles.
INT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
A parasite slithers quickly and fluidly into Wally's mouth.
He gags on it. His eyes flip back up into his head, and
his body starts to spasm.
Jack tries to pull one away from his face, but it's too
slippery and it disappears inside his mouth. His body,
too, convulses, and he spits up blood.
Bill notices the parasites slithering into the mouths of
the Redneck and the Older Cop as well; whites of their
eyes, bodies convulsing, spewing blood. Bill sees the
things oozing up Margaret's neck.
BILL
Margaret, cover your mouth!
Bill sees Trevor outside the door in the dirt, trying to
slap the parasites off. Bill yells to everyone:
BILL
Don't let 'em in your mouths!
One starts to get in Bill's mouth as he speaks, but he
slaps it aside. Margaret pulls her shirt over her face.
Starla SHRIEKS. She puts her hand over her mouth as the
parasites rush up her. She's knocked over, and falls
back onto the floor.
A parasite slithers between Starla's lips -- when,
suddenly, a KNIFE thrusts down, pinning the creature to
the dirt, stopping it from oozing further into Starla.
Bill is holding the knife in one hand, his other hand
firmly over his mouth. Bill swats more incoming parasites
away from Starla's mouth. He covers her mouth with his
free hand. He lies on top of her, mushing their bodies
and faces as closely together as possible so the things
don't get into them. The parasites swarm all over them,
flapping their slimy little tails as they try to fight
their way inside their mouths. But Bill holds tight to
himself and Starla.
Eventually, the parasites give up on Bill and Starla, and
begin to slither away. Bill watches as they crawl off
the posse and filter out of the barn in a squirmy mound.
Eventually, they're gone. Bill takes his hand from
Starla's mouth. Starla looks around.
She sees Margaret lift her face from the ground, shivering,
holding her shirt over her mouth. They gaze out the front
door of the barn.
EXT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
Trevor pulls his face from the dirt and stands. He spits
violently and wipes the dirt off his tongue with his wrist.
TREVOR
They wanted us to eat 'em! Why
would they want that!?
INT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
Bill is trying to make sense of it all. He gazes down at
Brenda's body, her bloody skin and misshapen skeleton
spread out over the floor, split open like an enormous
bloody tiger rug.
He looks around at the posse lying on the floor in mangled
positions, their mouths and lips covered in blood, still
lightly convulsing.
He gazes out INTO THE FOREST to see the parasites rushing
away like an ugly wormy army, shaking the brush as they
head off in different directions.
CUT TO:
EXT. STRUTEMYERS' RANCH -- NIGHT
Parasites crawl over rocks and out of the forest and onto
the ranch. The Strutemyer farmhouse looms nearby.
INT. KYLIE'S BATHROOM -- NIGHT
Kylie is taking a steamy bubble bath. Her head is back,
her eyes shut; she's enjoying the warm water. The tub
faucet drips lightly in an uneven rhythm.
EXT. STRUTEMYERS' FARMHOUSE -- NIGHT
The parasites squirm up the side of the house, sticking
to the wood siding.
INT. KYLIE'S BATHROOM -- NIGHT
Kylie glances out the window beside the tub, at the starry
sky and crescent moon, beautiful and still.
There's a KNOCK on the bathroom door. Kylie turns toward
the door -- as she does, a parasite crawls across the
window behind her, streaking a moist slimy trail.
KYLIE'S MOM
Kylie! You're gonna turn into a
plum in there!
KYLIE
Prune, Mom. Plums turn into prunes.
INT. STRUTEMYERS' HALLWAY -- NIGHT
Kylie's Mom is at the bathroom door.
KYLIE'S MOM
I know what turns into what. You
got school tomorrow. Finish up in
there and get to bed.
O.S. Kylie GRUNTS in vague agreement.
Kylie's Mom trots down the hall, to another door.
She KNOCKS once, then opens the door to --
INT. STRUTEMYER GIRLS' BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Kylie's younger sisters lie in single beds, reading
Goosebumps by bed--lamps clipped to the headboards.
KYLIE'S MOM
Time to turn in, ladies.
KYLIE'S SISTER
Just a couple more pages, Mom?
KYLIE'S MOM
Come on now.
The girls SIGH in lazy protest, but still turn off their
reading lamps.
KYLIE'S MOM
G'night.
KYLIE'S SISTER 1 KYLIE'S SISTER
Night, Mom. Night.
EXT. STRUTEMYERS' FARMHOUSE -- NIGHT
THROUGH THE WINDOW we see Kylie's Mom start to close the
door.
KYLIE'S MOM
Sleep tight. Don't let the bed
bugs bite.
Numerous parasites slither INTO FRAME, up the side of the
house, approaching the girls' bedroom window, which is
open a few inches for air.
INT. STRUTEMYER GIRLS' BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Kylie's Mom shuts their door completely. The girls turn
on their sides and close their eyes to sleep.
And the parasites pour in through the cracked window.
They slither over the walls. Their slimy black--red bodies
contrast sharply with the pretty flowered wallpaper.
INT. KYLIE'S BATHROOM -- NIGHT
The door cracks open, and a parasite enters. It slithers
silently over the linoleum tiles.
It arrives at the base of the tub, and crawls up the side.
Kylie continues relaxing, her eyes closed. She doesn't
see the parasite enter the soapy bath water at her feet.
Kylie hears a SOFT SPLASHING and peers down. She spots
the creature swimming toward her between her knees.
Kylie SHRIEKS and scrambles up to get out of the tub. As
she clamors out, she slips and falls to the floor.
The parasite squirms up Kylie's wet naked back. Kylie
SHRIEKS again, jumping up as she tries to slap the thing
off.
KYLIE
Mom!!
The parasite winds toward her lips. Kylie goes to grab
it with both hands, but it slips through them. The thing
slides into Kylie's mouth as she looks down at it.
Kylie snatches the very end of the parasite's tail. Her
long, teddy--bear--spotted fingernails pinch it there,
digging into the parasite's flesh, barely stopping it
from sliding completely into her mouth. It wildly flaps
its tail like a docked trout, desperate to enter her.
Kylie falls to her knees. Her eyes roll back in her head,
and her body spasms while she holds tenuously onto the
very tip of the parasite's tail.
We TRACK IN to a CLOSEUP of Kylie's face: a slight white
electrical--telepathic charge can be seen SPARKING inside
her mouth.
FLASH TO:
KYLIE'S VISION
We are RUSHING through some amoebic landscape, PAST
microbes and cytoplasm and cells, and to:
KYLIE'S VISION -- SERIES OF IMAGES -- CREATURE'S POV
Perhaps the memories of some creature not of earth. Its
eyesight is not like our own; it's in grainy black and
white and amber outlines. Various images FLASH in quick
succession, including the following:
--We are on top of an alien ANIMAL, pinning it down. it
HOWLS beneath us as we tear into its flesh, feasting.
--All around us, diseased monstrous BEASTS feed on more
alien animals. They lunge toward them and pin them down,
ripping them apart, like some National Geographic
documentary shot in Hell.
--In FAST MOTION, unfamiliar plant life around us grows
sick and withers, dying out.
--A group of diseased monstrous BEASTS CRY OUT In uniform
pain. They buckle to their knees; now they're dying.
--The diseased BEASTS feed on their own appendages.
BACK TO SCENE
Kylie tries to regain control of her mind. Her eyes fight
against flipping back in her head. Tears pour down her
face. She pulls the parasite out just a bit.
But then it SLAMS back into her and there are more SPARKS
inside her mouth --
KYLIE'S VISION -- SERIES OF IMAGES -- MANGLED INSECT POV
--We are CLIMBING UP through A creamy, gelatinous yellow.
An opening slit widens in front of us, and we see Grant
slowly bending to look at us, the forest behind him.
KYLIE'S VISION -- SERIES OF IMAGES -- GRANT'S POV
--We watch Starla soaping herself In The shower.
--We make love to Starla, our hands on her face.
--We sit over A convulsing Brenda, impregnating her with
our tubule.
--We see The posse members coming In toward us.
BACK TO SCENE
With a last, desperate effort, Kylie yanks at the exhausted
worm, pulling it fully from her mouth. It flaps in her
fingers. Kylie spits up blood.
Kylie tosses the parasite away from her. Though slightly
crippled, the little bastard writhes back toward her.
Kylie spots her curling iron on the counter; it's plugged
in, the red light is on. She grabs it, and swings it
into the wormy thing.
The parasite SQUEAKS and trembles with pain. Smoke rises
from it as Kylie digs the curling iron in deeper, burning
it, and, finally, killing it.
Kylie lifts the iron in front of her and looks at it.
The dead parasite is stuck to it, dangling from the metal.
KYLIE
Mom!!
Kylie drops the iron. She quickly steps into her clothes
lying on the floor. She runs out of the bathroom and
into --
INT. STRUTEMYERS' HALLWAY -- NIGHT
Kylie runs to the stairway.
KYLIE
Mom!! Mom!!
Kylie stops. Dozens of the things are slithering up the
stairs and up the handrail towards her.
O.S. Kylie hears her SISTERS' SCREAMS. She looks in their
direction, running toward their room.
KYLIE
Emily!! Jenna!!
Kylie tosses open her sisters' door.
INT. STRUTEMYER GIRLS' BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Kylie's youngest sister is on her knees on the bed, a
parasite sticking out of her mouth. Her eyes are rolled
back. Her arms flail spastically. The slithering beast
wags its tail as it disappears down her throat.
Kylie's other sister is backing into a corner, with
parasites crawling up her body. She's SCREAMING bloody
hell, trying to slap them off.
Kylie runs toward her to help. Kylie slaps the parasites
off her sister. But there's too many and they're too
fast. They slide into her sister's mouth.
KYLIE
No!! Nooo!!
Her sister's eyes flip back in her skull as the thing
disappears completely, and she starts spitting up blood.
Kylie sees the parasites around the room coming at her.
There's a clear path toward a window. Kylie runs to the
window, and shoves it open. As the things approach her,
she crawls out --
EXT. STRUTEMYERS' FARMHOUSE AWNING -- NIGHT
Kylie steps onto this shingled, angled canopy over the
front porch. She turns to see the parasites slithering
out towards her. She looks down. It's probably too far
to jump, but she has no choice.
So she jumps down onto --
EXT. STRUTEMYERS' FRONT LAWN -- NIGHT
Kylie lands, hard, tumbling over.
She glances back at the front of the house.
THROUGH THE KITCHEN WINDOW she sees her Mom and Dad, eyes
rolled back, convulsing, spitting up blood.
More parasites are crawling towards Kylie through the
grass.
She spots her family's old Luv pickup truck on the driveway
in front of her. She breaks for it.
She throws open the front door, and jumps inside.
The things approach, crawling in after her. Kylie tries
to slam the door shut, but it won't; many things are stuck
in the door jamb.
They SQUEAK in a chorus of pain, trying to wriggle toward
her.
So she SLAMS the door AGAIN, and AGAIN, and she slices
the little bastards in half.
INT. PICKUP TRUCK -- NIGHT
Kylie makes sure none are inside.
She feels for the keys in the ignition. There aren't
any.
The creatures crawl up and over all the pickup's windows,
trying to get in. Slithery shadows cover over Kylie,
leaving her in almost complete darkness.
Kylie crouches down in on herself, and WAILS.
INT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
Starla, Trevor, and Margaret stand, wide--eyed and shaken.
All three seem to be in some mild state of shock.
Bill, suppressing his desperation, is trying to make
contact on his police radio.
BILL
11--41. We're gonna need paramedics
out here right away. We got four
men down.
Bill listens for a response, but there's only STATIC. He
presses the button again.
BILL
Shelby, you there?
Still, only STATIC. Bill tries another frequency.
BILL
Shelby, this is Bill. We got an
emergency here.
STATIC.
BILL
Goddammit.
Bill steps outside the doorway, to see if he can get
reception. Trailing off:
BILL
Shelby?
Starla sees Wally's body on the floor. His skin is white
and corpse--like. His mouth is streaked with blood. Starla
crouches beside him, and takes his pulse. Her hands are
visibly shaking.
MARGARET
Is he alive?
Starla looks at Margaret, and nods.
MARGARET
Praise Jesus.
TREVOR
'Praise Jesus?' That's fucking
pushing it, Margaret.
Trevor looks about to cry.
TREVOR
What the hell were those things?!
You ever seen anything like that?
You ever heard of anything like
that?
Margaret shakes her head. Trevor looks at Starla, who
also shakes her head.
TREVOR
Me neither. And I watch 'Animal
Planet' all the fuckin' time!
Bill re--enters.
BILL
No reception out here.
STARLA
Bill, I'll run out to your car,
call for paramedics from there.
MARGARET
That's a long ways. Them worms
are out there.
STARLA
I'll keep my mouth covered.
BILL
No. I'll go. The three of you,
you wait here. Get these folks,
out of the barn. The stench and
rot can't be any good for 'em.
Margaret and Trevor nod. As Bill starts to leave, Starla
grabs him.
STARLA
Be careful, Bill.
Bill nods. Makes a feeble attempt at a smile. He jogs
off into the forest.
EXT. FOREST CLEARING -- MOMENTS LATER
Bill runs into the small glade, and looks around, trying
to remember which way he came from.
He gazes between some greenery, some distance away, and
spies a long--lashed deer munching on foliage. A couple
more deer and a fawn are eating as well. Bill looks at
them a moment, peaceful, perhaps a sign of some hope...
And then a parasite crawls up the deer's neck and slithers
into its mouth. Parasites crawl up the bodies and necks
of the deer behind it. The deer buck and flounce and
scratch trying to get the things off of them.
Bill runs away as fast as he can.
EXT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
Trevor and Margaret carry Jack out of the barn. He's
bloated, corpse--like and covered in varicose veins.
Margaret is wearing a gag--like swatch of clothing tied
around her mouths, to protect themselves. Trevor's gag
is down around his chin so he can chatter.
TREVOR
It's got to be some Goddamn
biological weapons. Government's
testin' 'em out on us! 'Cause who
gives a shit if Wheelsy disappears,
right?!
They set down Jack and head back toward the barn.
TREVOR
I hope it ain't contagious. I'll
be pissed as hell I turn into a
big mollusk. I'll fuckin' sue, I
swear to God.
Starla, also wearing a gag, is kneeling beside Wally, who
is similarly sick and bloated. His lips are parched and
cracking.
Starla squeezes a wet cloth, dripping all the water onto
Wally's lips. Then she stands, and heads toward the creek.
She doesn't see Wally open his eyes behind her. He sits
up, and stares over at Starla with milky eyes as she kneels
down beside the water.
Starla dips the swatch of clothing into the creek, re--
wetting it.
She stands, and turns, only to see Wally directly in front
of her, standing between trees, almost completely covered
in darkness.
WALLY
Hey, sugarplum.
Pause. Starla pulls the gag from her mouth.
STARLA
What?
Wally speaks with Grant's cadence.
WALLY
Marriage. It's a sacred bond.
Just like you said.
Starla stares at him. Wally almost looks weepy.
WALLY
I'm sorry 'bout trying to strangle
you and all. I lost -- Lost my
head. I didn't want to do none of
the things I done. Not kill them
pets. Not make Brenda a womb.
But it's my nature, ain't it? How
can you blame a one for actin'
according to his nature?
Starla, too freaked to speak, takes a step back from him.
WALLY
I wanted to tell you what was going
on. But I didn't -- didn't think
you'd love me no more. I never
knew... love, Starla, I --
Trevor and Margaret are setting down the Older Cop. They
see Wally standing. Margaret pulls down her gag.
MARGARET
Wally?
Wally turns and stares at her like some angry animal.
MARGARET
You all right?
Wally doesn't answer.
MARGARET
Maybe you better sit back down.
You don't look so good.
TREVOR
Margaret.
Trevor's staring at something. Margaret follows his eye
line. Jack and the Older Cop are sitting up, staring at
her, just like Wally.
The Redneck stumbles into the barn doorway, also staring
at them.
EXT. STRUTEMYERS' FARMHOUSE/INT. PICKUP TRUCK -- NIGHT
Kylie is still alone in the Luv truck. The windows are
clear; the parasites have abandoned their quest, just as
they did with the posse in the barn. But Kylie stays in
the car, trembling, afraid to leave.
She HEARS a DOOR OPEN. She sees her parents and her
sisters come stumbling out the front door of her home.
They're also bloated and diseased. Their chins and shirts
are stained with the blood they spit up.
KYLIE'S DAD
Kylie, honey, you okay? Come on
out.
Her family lumbers up to the truck. They peer in with
their milky eyes. Her youngest sister pushes her face up
close to the window.
KYLIE'S SISTER
Hi, Kylie. It's me.
Her family tries the door handles, but they're locked.
KYLIE'S MOM
Open the door, sweetie. I know we
don't look so good, but your mommy
and daddy love you.
KYLIE
Get away!!
KYLIE'S MOM
Now, Kylie, there's no excuse why
not to be with your family. This
is family fun day, isn't it?
They continue RATTLING the door handles, over and over.
They SLAP the windows.
Kylie SOBS. Her sister speaks in a singsongy voice:
KYLIE'S SISTER
Kyyy--leee, this is your last cha--
ance.
Her Dad leans over and picks up a large rock. He carries
it toward the truck. He holds it up over the windshield.
Kylie SCREAMS as he SMASHES it down. The windshield
CRACKS, but doesn't shatter. He holds it up again.
EXT. FOREST NEAR STRUTEMYER'S -- NIGHT
Bill, out of breath, runs out of the forest --
EXT. STRUTEMYERS' RANCH -- NIGHT
Bill emerges on the edge of the ranch, stretching five or
six acres out in front of him. On the other side of the
field is the gravel road, where his police car is parked.
Beside the field is the Strutemyer's farmhouse.
Bill HEARS a CRASH. He turns to see the diseased
Strutemyers in their driveway, all holding rocks now,
smashing the pickup's windows.
BILL
Hey!
The Strutemyers stop, mid--swing. They turn toward him.
Kylie sees Bill through the rear windshield. She unlocks
the door, and jumps out of the car.
BILL
What's -- ?
Kylie runs past her family and up to Bill. She grabs
onto him, and hides behind him, WEEPING.
BILL
What's going on here?
Kylie's Dad's cadence is also like Grant's:
KYLIE'S DAD
Well, hello there, Pardy.
BILL
What happened to you, Dwight?
Kylie's Dad looks down at his own bloated arm.
KYLIE'S DAD
Poison ivy out back, maybe?
KYLIE'S SISTERS
We're itchy!
Kylie is obviously in shock.
KYLIE
They're not my... They killed...
BILL
Okay. Y'all just wait in this
spot. I'm gonna call the paramedics
for you. Kylie can come with --
RANCHER (O.S.)
Hey there, killer.
Bill turns to see the RANCHER with the cleft palate, now
diseased, holding a shovel. He swings it into Bill,
knocking him down.
Kylie SCREAMS. Her family runs in toward them. She looks
around to see a couple more DISEASED RANCHERS rushing
toward them through the fields.
The Cleft Palate Rancher stands over Bill and raises the
shovel to bring it down again.
Bill feels for his shotgun, which has fallen into the
dirt beside him. He yanks the trigger.
The BLAST hits the Rancher in the foot. He buckles.
Bill stands, pulling Kylie with him as the other diseased
folks rush toward them through the fields.
BILL
Come on.
Bill and Kylie dash toward the cluster of cars as the
diseased chase them.
EXT. OLD BARN -- NIGHT
The infected posse -- Wally, Jack, the Older Cop, and the
Redneck recruit -- are all coming in towards Trevor and
Margaret.
MARGARET
Now, what'd I say?! Y'all just
sit down! You need to get some
Goddamn rest! You're sick!
Starla watches this, by herself, next to the creek. She
eyes a rifle in the dirt.
Jack grabs a fistful of Trevor's hair and restrains his
arms. Wally pulls his pistols from their holsters and
tosses them into the dirt.
TREVOR
Let go!!
Margaret goes to grab her pistol, when the Redneck opens
his mouth wide and --
GLEEKS; that is, he sends a yellowish globby--stream
shooting out of the back of his throat. The glob SPLASHES
on Margaret's hand. Margaret SCREAMS, drops the pistol.
MARGARET
It burns!!
Margaret looks at her hand as the gleek--liquid sinks into
her skin. The hand is swelling monstrously. It's soft.
Parts of it are nearly dripping off the bone.
MARGARET
What'd you do to my fuckin' hand?!
Jack opens his mouth and GLEEKS too -- shooting the stream--
glob forward and onto her neck. Margaret SCREAMS again,
grabbing onto her neck.
Margaret tries to speak, but she struggles just to breathe,
as her neck puffs up, impeding her thorax.
OLDER COP
Meat.
The Older Cop buries his fingers into her neck. The puffy
flesh comes off easily; it's soft, almost creamy. He
stuffs the flesh into his mouth, eating it.
As Margaret topples over, dying, the other posse members
turn to look at a very freaked--out Trevor. The Redneck
opens his mouth at him, when --
STARLA (O.S.)
Let him go!
The posse turn and see Starla, who has made her way over
to where the rifle was on the ground, and is now pointing
the rifle at the posse, trembling.
STARLA
Trevor, come on.
Surprised, they release Trevor.
STARLA
What'd you do to her?!
Jack stares at Starla. He too speaks with Grant's cadence.
JACK
There you go, sugarplum! Why you
choosing camps 'fore you hear --
JACK REDNECK
Both sides of the story!? Both sides of the story!?
STARLA
Why are you talking like Grant?!
The posse moves toward her. Starla is CRYING. The posse
makes a COLLECTIVE SCREECHING sound, then speaks again:
WALLY
'Cause I am Grant!
WALLY REDNECK
I'm you husband --I'm
you husband, Goddammit --JACK
You swore to honor and obey --
OLDER COP REDNECK
Obey me --Obey me, so put that Goddamn
gun down.
STARLA
Don't come any closer. I'll...
shoot.
WALLY
You ain't gonna shoot me! You
always needed me to protect you!
You for damn sure ain't got the
balls to --
Starla BLASTS Wally, blowing open a big crater into his
face.
Wally falls to his knees. Starla and Trevor look on in
shock, as they see...
A slithering parasite squirming out of the crater on his
face -- out of the Wally's brain.
The little thing squirms down Wally's body and slithers
off quickly into the woods. Wally falls over, dead.
The sick posse look at Starla, surprised, infuriated.
And then they leap at her.
Starla tries to shoot them. But she's out of ammo.
She and Trevor turn and dash away as quickly as their
legs can take them.
EXT. TREE--THICK FOREST -- NIGHT
Trevor and Starla run in a zigzag pattern through trees
rooted closely together, panicked, breathing heavy.
TREVOR
Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit!
EXT. STRUTEMYERS' RANCH -- NIGHT
Bill and Kylie arrive at his police car. Bill throws the
door open, and shoves Kylie inside. As he starts to get
in, he turns to see the two little girls closing in.
One opens her mouth and GLEEKS -- it shoots out and lands
on the car right beside Bill's hand.
The other little girl opens her mouth to GLEEK as Bill
jumps into the driver's seat. He slams the door shut
just as the oozy liquid splashes on the window beside
him.
Bill is grossed--out by this, but he doesn't have much
time. He goes to reload his shotgun, when he remembers.
BILL
Shit. Ammo's in the trunk.
He grabs the police radio.
BILL
Trevor! Margaret!
EXT. TREE--THICK FOREST -- NIGHT
Trevor turns and sees Jack, the Redneck, and the Older
Cop leap powerfully over the brush behind them, coming in
fast. But he's able to grab onto his radio.
TREVOR
They killed Margaret!
EXT. STRUTEMYERS' RANCH -- NIGHT
Kylie's two sisters jump onto the hood, SCREECHING. They
SLAM rocks on the windshield. Kylie SCREAMS.
BILL
(into radio)
Where are you?!
TREVOR (O.S.)
We're coming your way, man!
Bill JAMS the car forward, knocking the sisters off the
hood. Then he slams on the brakes.
He looks back and sees the two little girls running toward
the car again.
And he sees the mass of diseased ranch families also
running toward the car. Kylie is SCREAMING and CRYING.
KYLIE
Go! Go! Please!
But, instead, of pulling forward on the gravel road, Bill
turns up and onto the ranch itself -- back towards the
running diseased.
BILL
My friends are still in the forest.
Bill speeds the police car over the dirt field, trying to
avoid approaching ranchers. Some leap at the car, holding
on and getting tossed aside. Bill zooms back toward the
trees.
Just as Bill gets a little headway on the diseased, the
car gets stuck in some mud. The wheels spin, spraying
mud, as the infected approach.
INT. TREE--THICK FOREST -- NIGHT
Starla looks back to see Jack right behind her.
EXT. STRUTEMYERS' RANCH -- NIGHT
The infected arrive at the car. Bill just lets his foot
off the gas, and sits there, letting the ranchers leap
onto the car. Kylie looks at Bill, panicked by his choice
to do nothing.
BILL
We need their weight.
Bill slams down the gas again, and the car zooms forward.
The diseased get knocked off.
BILL
Dumbshits.
Bill rushes toward the trees of the forest.
INT. FOREST -- NIGHT
Starla keeps running, when she trips and falls. She looks
down to see she stumbled over old barbed wire fencing,
now long fallen and curling on the forest floor. Starla
forces herself up, as Jack closes in.
Jack grabs onto her blouse, SCREECHING furiously. When
he HEARS something and looks over to see:
Bill's police car, cruising over the forest floor, directly
toward him. Jack, frightened, lets go of Starla. He's
about to get hit when --
The police car suddenly stops, jammed between two trees,
inches from Jack.
Jack smiles, and moves toward Bill -- but Starla rises
behind him, holding a sharp rusty stake from the barbed--
wire fence.
She thrusts it forward, hard; and it pops out the front
of Jack's neck.
Jack turns to look at Starla, and topples over into the
leaves.
Bill backs the car out from between the trees. He sees
the Older Cop and Redneck coming in toward them.
BILL
Come on!
Trevor and Starla get into the car. The Older Cop watches
them back away and yells:
OLDER COP
Starla!!
EXT. ROAD AWAY FROM FOREST -- MOMENTS LATER
The police car pulls up and out of the forest. The car
is in bad shape. Steam rises from the smashed grill.
Bill looks to his side; he's down a bit from the
Strutemyers' ranch. He pulls away, heading back toward
town.
The foursome sit in a stupefied daze. Starla's beside
Bill. Trevor and Kylie are in the back. Bill grabs the
police radio.
BILL
Shelby?
Nothing. STATIC. Everyone notes this, worried. Bill
tries again:
BILL
Shelby, you there?
For a moment, there's nothing. And then:
SHELBY (O.S.)
Yo, Chief. How y'all doin'?
Bill and Starla look at each other, relieved.
INT. POLICE STATION -- NIGHT
Shelby sits at the police operator's unit, peppy.
SHELBY
You dig that rat out of the hole?
INTERCUT POLICE CAR AND STATION
BILL
Listen, you got any reports of...
I don't know what you call 'em.
They look like big slugs, only
fast.
SHELBY
Slugs? No. 'Less you talkin'
about that new waitress down at
Sloan's! Ha ha!
BILL
Shelby --
SHELBY
Oh, shit! I hope she ain't a police
radio aficionado. If so, I apolog
BILL
Shelby, shut up. Keep an eye out
for these things. If you see 'em,
keep your mouth covered. Otherwise
they'll go straight down it. All
right?
Shelby looks confused, and nods.
BILL
Are you nodding?
SHELBY
Yeah.
BILL
I can't hear when you're nodding.
SHELBY
Sorry.
BILL
We'll be there in ten minutes.
Bill hangs up. Kylie is clutching onto herself, hollow--
eyed, in deep shock. She mutters, almost unintelligibly:
KYLIE
The worms are in their brains.
Starla, Bill, and Trevor look at her.
INSERT -- FOREST
The CAMERA TRACKS QUICKLY FORWARD, through the forest,
and to a CLOSEUP on the Redneck, who is hunched over
Margaret's body, eating her flesh.
MATCH CUT TO a CAT SCAN of the REDNECK'S HEAD: a parasite
is imbedded into his brain; its tail hangs down his spine,
wagging just a bit.
KYLIE (O.S.)
Drivin' 'em around...
BACK TO THE POLICE CAR
Bill stares at Kylie like she's insane.
STARLA
She's right. We saw one -- one
came out of Wally's head.
TREVOR
Yeah. Sort of his eye, it came
out there --
STARLA
Kylie, how do you --
Kylie is rocking back and forth.
STARLA
Kylie, how do you know that?
Kylie shakes her head. She doesn't want to answer.
BILL
Kylie, honey. Please.
(MORE)
BILL (CONT'D)
A lot of bad things have happened
to you today, we know. But we
need your help to find out what's
going on.
Kylie CRIES.
KYLIE
I was in the bath. It tried to go
inside me and I -- for a minute I
became it.
BILL
The worm?
KYLIE
I got it out.
TREVOR
What are they?
KYLIE
Part of him.
BILL
Who?
(pause)
Who?
KYLIE
Mrs. Grant's husband.
Starla stares at her.
KYLIE
But not always. I was -- He was...
other stuff too.
STARLA
What other stuff?
Kylie kind of points at the sky.
TREVOR
He's a fucking Martian?!
BILL
A Martian is from Mars, Trevor.
Kylie tries to think.
KYLIE
For real it looks like a needle.
Its real face. But it always gots
another.
(MORE)
KYLIE (CONT'D)
He goes from place to place,
worlds... planets... killing 'em.
He takes over half of what's alive
and eats the other half. Till
they're gone.
They stare at her, freaked out.
KYLIE
Now he's here. He went in Mr.
Grant.
STARLA
Through a wound on his stomach?
Kylie nods.
KYLIE
He took him over. His body. His --
his brain, everything what he knew.
He's only been dumb stuff before
amoeba--things, and rhino--things.
He liked being human. Didn't want
to change.
STARLA
And you said the worms are part of
him. They're all linked, like one
creature?
KYLIE
When one sees you they all see
you.
STARLA
An animal that doesn't procreate.
It spreads, grows. A living
disease.
BILL
(to Kylie)
So the way to stop this thing is
to stop Grant?
Kylie shrugs. The police car starts CHUGGING.
BILL
Shit.
The car slows, and comes to a stop.
EXT. ROAD TOWARD WHEELSY -- MOMENTS LATER
Bill, Starla, Kylie, and Trevor step slowly out of the
car. They look around the deserted road.
The wide--open night is shrouded in darkness. Quiet.
They can see the lights of Wheelsy down the road in front
of them.
Bill speaks into the radio again, as he gets his leather
satchel of weaponry out of the trunk. Trevor grabs ammo
from the satchel to reload his pistol.
BILL
Shelby, we broke down on 22, a
mile outside town. Come pick us
up.
SHELBY (O.S.)
I got to leave my post.
BILL
Do it.
MOMENTS LATER
The foursome walks down the road, toward the city. Starla
and Bill are in the lead.
BILL
Hey, Starla.
She looks at him.
BILL
Was always curious why you...
married Grant in the first place...
Just never seemed outta love.
STARLA
I know what people say, Bill.
I... Remember, back in high school
I worked at my father's gas station?
Bill nods.
STARLA
Grant used to get filled up every
day. I knew it was just to see
me. He was too old -- But he was
handsome. And he had that big ol'
Lincoln then. I flirted with him.
BILL
Well, big ol' Lincoln, sure. Guess
I would have flirted with him too.
Starla smiles, thinks.
STARLA
My father, he was -- he was real
close to evil. People didn't know.
Still don't. From the time I was
a toddler he'd beat the hell out
of me. I don't mean just like a
smack for smart--mouthing... he
took a real enjoyment in it. And
when I turned eleven or twelve,
things... well, they got worse.
Starla looks at Bill, who seems struck.
BILL
When you wanted to run away, I
called your dad.
STARLA
That wasn't a good night, no.
BILL
I'm sorry.
Starla shrugs it off.
STARLA
Anyway, Grant rolls in one day. I
fill his tank with like an eighth--
a--gallon as usual. And he notices
my lip's all swollen up, and starts
asking me how it happened. I don't
know why I chose then, why Grant --
I guess I saw an opportunity. And
I told him everything, first time
I told anyone. Grant was furious.
He picked up a tire iron, walked
straightaway into the garage, and
beat my father half to death. You
say it's not about love, Bill.
But that was the closest thing to
it I ever knew.
Pause.
STARLA
Grant asked me to marry him a few
weeks later. I felt... safe with
him.
Bill nods. Starla looks at him, smiles.
STARLA
After all this shit tonight, I
know for sure now you regret not
running off with me to Hollywood!
BILL
Hell, Starla. I always regretted
that.
Starla looks at him, moved.
Trevor looks at Kylie, shivering and terrified.
TREVOR
Don't worry, kid. Pretty soon,
we'll be in town, everything'll be
fine.
EXT. WHEELSY CITY LIMIT -- NIGHT
A slithering parasite squirms over a paint--chipped sign
that reads "WELCOME TO WHEELSY, SOUTH CAROLINA, THE WHEELS
OF THE FUTURE," featuring early--'sixties graphics of a
utopian future.
THE CAMERA MOVES DOWN to the road, where hundreds of
slithering parasites squirm into the city. They divide
off in thin lines heading toward the various homes.
We MOVE UP TO a WINDOW on a SMALL HOUSE, through which we
can see an OVERWEIGHT WOMAN in spasms with a slithering
thing in her mouth.
We PAN TO the WINDOW of the HOME NEXT DOOR, where we can
see a FAMILY gathered around a CORPSE, feasting on his
goopy flesh.
EXT. ROAD TOWARD WHEELSY -- NIGHT
STARLA
What's that?
Our foursome look up to see a Buick Century parked at a
haphazard angle in the middle of the road. The driver's
side door is open. The headlights are still on.
They look at each other. Bill takes his flashlight off
his belt and aims it in front of him. They all slowly
approach the car, in the darkness.
Bill aims his flashlight into the Buick. The keys are
still there, but no one's inside.
Trevor looks at the grill of the car. It's dented.
TREVOR
They musta hit a deer. Probably
got out to see if it's okay.
Bill and the others look around.
Bill hears a LAPPING sound behind him. He turns, aiming
the flashlight downward.
A DISEASED DEER is lapping a thick purple tongue on the
wound of a dead man. The sick creature is mostly hairless
and pink and covered in veins. Bulbous black eyes hang
on the sides of its head like a goldfish's.
The diseased deer glances up at Bill and GROWLS a low
growl.
BILL
Fuck me.
The deer springs upward, bringing his hoofs into Bill's
chest. Bill is knocked violently to the gravel, dropping
his shotgun and satchel. The deer rears back and brings
his hoofs down into Bill again. They CRACK Bill's head
against the hard road.
Kylie, Trevor, and Starla see diseased deer coming in at
them from different directions. The deer SCREECH like
dying rabbits.
TREVOR
Bambi--rats!
Trevor aims his pistol at a DEER jumping toward him. He
SHOOTS, misses. The deer knocks him down. The deer stomps
his feet, rearing up and down on Trevor's ribs, almost
like a little dance. The deer tears at Trevor's sleeve
with decidedly carnivorous teeth, forcing him into letting
go of his gun.
Kylie SCREAMS. She dives into a small space beneath a
rock overhang on the side of the road. She watches what's
going on from there.
Starla sees the Buick a few yards away. She glances beside
her to see the largest diseased deer of all, a HORNED
BUCK, careening toward her.
She dashes toward the Buick as fast as she can.
A TUMOROUS DOE leaps onto Bill, biting into his shoulder
and tearing at his flesh, so now he has two deer on him.
Bill is bleeding, dizzy, and disoriented, but he's able
to turn, just a bit, to see the barrel of his shotgun
above him. He tries to scoot himself back as he's being
battered. He reaches up for the shotgun; but the tips of
his fingers barely graze the muzzle.
Starla arrives at the Buick, and starts to crawl into the
front seat.
But the horned buck is upon her. He bites into Starla's
ankle. She SCREAMS.
He yanks back on her, half pulling her onto the road.
But Starla grabs onto the steering wheel with all her
might, and pulls against the horned buck's massive power.
The deer on Trevor starts pulling him off, dragging him
down the road as he HOLLERS.
Kylie, underneath the rock overhang, watches Bill try to
scoot himself back and reach for the shotgun. It's just
a little too far away. She works up her nerve and slowly
starts to crawl out toward him.
As Starla is stretched between the horned buck pulling on
her ankle, and her hand on the steering wheel, she's able
to flip on her side and turn the keys in the ignition;
the ENGINE STARTS. She reaches one hand down to the
floorboard, pressing on the gas.
The Buick lurches forward, wrenching her away from the
horned buck's mouth.
Bill reaches again for the barrel of his rifle. It's too
far away. But then he sees Kylie, at the butt of the
rifle. She reaches out and pushes it just a little, into
Bill's hand. Bill grips the muzzle like a baseball bat,
and swings it into the face of the deer jumping on him,
knocking the beast back.
The deer tries to stumble forward again, but its whole
head and neck have been knocked askew. It topples over,
dead.
Bill flips the shotgun forward into his hands. He stuffs
the muzzle into the tumorous doe biting into his leg.
The deer looks at him. Blood is running down Bill's face
and he looks half--crazed. Bill glances down and sees the
telephone wire wrapped around her ankle.
Bill pulls the trigger, destroying her.
He stands, looking around for the deer with Trevor. It
has dragged him a fair distance down the street. Bill
SHOOTS once, missing it, and again, hitting it straight
on.
Kylie looks around to see more diseased deer running
through the fields toward them.
Starla pulls herself into the driver's seat and backs up
alongside her friends. Throws open the passenger door.
STARLA
Get in!
INT. BUICK CENTURY -- MOMENTS LATER
Bill fumbles for the radio controls.
BILL
Shelby!
Trevor looks out the window, watching the deer fade away
behind them.
TREVOR
When I buy my zoo, I'm leaving
them things the hell out!
BILL
Shelby!
SHELBY (O.S.)
Hey there, Chief.
BILL
Shelby! We need people out here
at Cosgrove and McCammon right
away!
SHELBY (O.S.)
Don't worry, Chief.
EXT. MAIN STREET -- NIGHT
Shelby, sick and bloated, speaks into his radio, as he
moves down the street with a hoard of the infected.
SHELBY
Already on our way.
BACK TO BUICK
Kylie turns her head, and glances out the window. And
SCREAMS. Starla, Bill, and Trevor turn to see --
An SUV barreling straight towards them.
It SLAMS hard into the side of the Buick.
And SMASHES the car back, across a short lot, and through
the glass storefront of a flower store.
INT. FLOWER STORE -- NIGHT
The Buick and SUV are destroyed, amidst the ruins of this
store. Shattered vases and flowers surround them. Glass
fragments dangle from the window frame. Some fall and
CLINK to the floor.
Starla lifts her battered head from the wheel. She looks
beside her to see Bill and Trevor, seemingly unconscious.
She looks back at Kylie. The impact has killed her. Her
neck is bent at an ungodly angle. Bone juts up out of
her skin.
Starla looks out her rear window and sees the SUV door
open, and the DISEASED DRIVER stumble out. His body is
battered and broken, but, still, he lumbers toward her.
He tries to speak, but his jaw is broken, and only a MUMBLY
MOAN comes out.
Starla struggles to get out of the car. Eventually, she
does, and she falls to the floor, amidst the broken glass
from the shattered window, and the water all over the
floor from the broken vases.
She sees the moaning driver limping toward her. He's
still trying to speak, but he's unintelligible.
The driver gets close, ready to grab her. Starla sees a
metal bar. She grabs it. And SLAMS it into the diseased
man's shin.
He topples over.
She crawls onto the fallen driver and brings the metal
bar down into his head, again and again, SHOUTING and
CRYING with fury.
Starla looks down at the man, who is very dead.
Starla looks up to see dozens of DISEASED TOWNSFOLK coming
at her, from down the street, between buildings. They
see Starla there.
DISEASED TOWNSFOLK
Starrrrrlaaaaaa!!
Bill and Trevor limp up behind Starla, pulling her toward
a door on the back wall.
BILL
Come on.
INT. FLOWER STORE STORAGE AREA -- MOMENTS LATER
Bill closes and locks the door behind them.
EXT. FLOWER STORE -- NIGHT
The diseased townsfolk surround the little store on all
sides. They SCREECH.
INT. FLOWER STORE STORAGE AREA -- NIGHT
TREVOR
What the hell are we going to do?!
BILL
Just block the doors, any way you
can.
Bill grabs hammers and nails off a hardware bench.
Trevor knocks things off shelves and yanks up the metal
shelving.
Starla looks doubtful of this whole activity. But still,
she helps.
The storeroom has two doors. They start nailing anything
over them they can.
Trevor sees some slithering parasites coming in through a
crack in the upper corner of the room.
TREVOR
Goddamn snakes!!
Trevor aims his pistol at the things and starts shooting
wildly at them, BLASTING up the whole room.
Bill and Starla see slithering parasites coming in from
other cracks in the room as well. They also BLAST at
them. Dust is all around; they can hardly see.
Bill runs out of ammo. He grabs a hand--held Black and
Decker electric circular saw and turns it on. He starts
jamming it into the parasites, cutting them up, and putting
big slices in the floor. They SQUEAK with pain.
EXT. FLOWER STORE -- NIGHT
The diseased townsfolk WAIL and SLAP their hands on the
walls, almost rhythmically, like some tribal ritual.
Some push on the doors.
INT. FLOWER STORE STORAGE AREA -- NIGHT
Bill hears something POP behind him. He turns to see a
little hole in one of the doors. Three diseased fingers
slip inside, trying to pull away more.
Bill uses the circular saw to cut off the fingers.
An arm pops through the door. Bill slams the circular
saw into that. Blood spurts. Bone grinds.
A man's eye peeks through another crack. Bill jams the
circular saw through the crack and into the man's face.
EXT. FLOWER STORE -- NIGHT
The FACE--SAWED MAN backs away from the hole, clutching
his bleeding eye.
INT. FLOWER STORE STORAGE AREA -- NIGHT
Bill spots a wide piece of shelving falling off the door
across from him. He runs over to the space, when the
circular saw stops turning. Bill turns to see he's
accidentally unplugged it.
EXT. FLOWER STORE -- NIGHT
The diseased townsfolk have all gathered on one side of
the building now, putting all their efforts into tearing
down one door. Some have even climbed onto the roof above
it, curling off the gutter and roofing overhead.
INT. FLOWER STORE STORAGE AREA -- NIGHT
Bill grabs his leather satchel, and starts to reload his
shotgun. Starla sees that the diseased townsfolk have
almost torn down one of the doors.
STARLA
This is stupid.
Starla goes to the other door, and starts tearing away
the planks they nailed there.
BILL
What are you doing?!
STARLA
We can't make it. Just get away,
when you get the chance.
BILL
What?
STARLA
He wants me, Bill! I'm going to
get him to take me to him! See if
you can follow me, and kill him!
BILL
No, Starla! No!
Another full metal plate is pushed off the door.
A DISEASED MAN'S face peeks through. Trevor swirls to see
it. The Man GLEEKS, hitting Trevor on his chest. Trevor
looks down, in shock.
And the whole door and part of the wall bursts open. The
Diseased pour inside and around Trevor, GLEEKING all over
him, splattering his body with the burning liquid. Trevor
starts to puff up, swelling, becoming soft. They grab
him.
BILL
Nooo!
Bill grabs Trevor by the wrist, and tries to pull him
away from them. But Trevor SCREAMS in agony; the liquid
has made his flesh too soft. His entire body splits apart
like wet tissue, his organs spilling out in front of them.
Bill stares down in shock, still holding Trevor's arm.
Starla has pulled away enough boards of the other door.
She throws it open. None of the diseased are on this
side of the building anymore. She moves outside.
EXT. FLOWER STORE -- NIGHT
Bill follows her. Two DISEASED PEOPLE appear, SCREECHING
and running toward them. Bill SHOOTS them both. And he
makes a break for it, running as fast as he can across
the street.
He turns, expecting to see Starla right behind him. But
she has stayed behind, staring quietly at the ground.
Starla has tears in her eyes. She motions with her head
for Bill to go. Bill is confused.
The diseased townsfolk come up around Starla from the
sides of the flower store, no one paying attention to
Bill. They encircle her, slowly. Some SCREECH angrily
at her. She's too disgusted or fearful to even look in
their eyes. They BREATHE with SICK, RASPY breath.
DISEASED WOMAN DISEASED KID
Starlaaaaaaa! Starlaaaa!
And they WAIL, in a cacophony of simultaneous voices, all
the deep angers, fears, frustrations, and jealousies they
inherited from Grant Grant, such as:
SMASHED--FACE MAN
You said for better or worse! You
lied!
NO LONGER PRETTY BRENDA'S HUSBAND
I gave you everything! I. Loved. You!
SHELBY FAT SICK GUY
It's not just about lesson I wanted you by my side,
plans! Hank Wilcox wants sugarplum. But I'm too
your pussy! ugly now, huh!!?
MR. INAPPROPRIATE WAITRESS
Your daddy'd still be You always thought I was
a fucking your every hole joke, ain't you?
weren't it for me!!
BRENDA'S HUSBAND
You like Pardy better'n me? That's
who you want to screw now?!
STARLA
Grant... Please...
They surround her. They touch her body, her ass, her
breasts. Pull on her clothes. She trembles.
STARLA
I'm sorry... I know I haven't
behaved how you -- how you want.
I know. Don't... hurt... me.
Starla glances down to see a diseased dog licking her
calf, tasting her.
STARLA
We need... to... talk.
A DISEASED MAN grabs the side of her neck and face.
DISEASED MAN BRENDA'S HUSBAND
Then talk. Then talk.
STARLA
Not here, though, okay? Not all
of you. I'm not used to -- I want
to talk to your face, Grant. Your
more real face. Your --
The diseased townsfolk grab Starla, enveloping her, and
start dragging her away.
A few townsfolk remain behind. They look around for Bill.
SMASHED--FACE MAN
Pardy?!! Where are you, Pardy!!
But he's nowhere to be seen. They SCREECH angrily.
EXT. MAIN STREET -- NIGHT
Bill runs as fast as he can across the street here -- the
same direction the hoard took Starla, but down a block.
EXT. SIDE OF MOVIE THEATER -- NIGHT
Bill falls against the side of this building, hiding in a
dark crevice. Down the way, he can see numerous dead
bodies, and a WOMAN chased down and tackled by some
infected townsfolk.
Some diseased townsfolk wander by Bill, looking for him.
Bill crouches down so he isn't seen.
DISEASED WOMAN SHELBY
Pardy. Pardy. Pardy. Come on out, Pardy.
PASTOR
We've surrounded the town, you
prick! Ain't no way outta here!
Bill waits for them to pass. When they're gone, Bill
looks up toward the next street -- he can see the hoard
moving Starla across that street.
He makes sure no one's looking, and follows her.
EXT. GRANT STREET -- LATER
One of the diseased pushes Starla too hard, and she falls
to her hands and knees. They keep pushing her. She
stumbles back to her feet and moves on. She's almost
hyperventilating.
EXT. GRANT HOME -- MOMENTS LATER
Here, the Diseased Townsfolk around Starla stop. She
looks up to see that they've led her onto her own front
yard. Starla gazes up at her home:
The diseased have done a little remodeling. Part of the
front wall has been torn away, replaced with some primitive
thatched woodwork. The front doorway has also been
partially destroyed. Because of the sloppy reconstruction,
the roof is caved--in and sloping.
Diseased people sit in meerkat--like poses on all sides of
the Grants' home, watching out for trouble.
EXT. HOUSE ACROSS FROM THE GRANT HOME -- NIGHT
Bill, out of breath, arrives across the street. He can
see Starla standing with the diseased. He hides behind
some shrubs.
EXT. GRANT HOME -- NIGHT
The diseased push Starla up between them, violently, to
the front door.
Starla stops at the dark hole on the front of the house.
It's pitch black inside. She looks back at the rotting
faces behind her. And then slowly enters.
INT. GRANT FOYER -- NIGHT
Starla balks at the smell. She looks beside her at the
garage; the wall has been torn out, and this has become
Grant's feeding area, with rotten meat, including some
bodies, in a pile.
Starla steps slowly forward, looking around.
STARLA
Grant?
Starla can see into the shambles of a kitchen from here.
EXT. HOUSE ACROSS FROM THE GRANT HOME -- NIGHT
Bill looks at the diseased surrounding the Grant home.
They seem impossible to get through.
Bill eyes the house next door, maybe twenty--five feet
from the Grants'. He makes sure no one's paying attention
for a moment, and he darts across the street to a parked
car. The diseased don't see him. Bill gazes down the
street beside him.
The sun is just barely beginning to rise. They don't
have much time to move in the darkness.
Bill makes a break for the house next door.
INT. GRANT KITCHEN -- NIGHT
Starla walks into the kitchen. Cooking supplies and
condiments are scattered over the floor. She spots a
meat thermometer on the floor amongst other utensils.
She glances out the rear window. Diseased people are
guarding the backyard, looking away from the home.
She grabs the meat thermometer. She snaps the thermometer
part off the top, discards it, and shoves the long metal
spike into the seam of her skirt.
Suddenly, Starla hears EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD, the song
she and Grant danced to earlier, starting to play through
tinny speakers.
Starla looks up through a missing section of ceiling; she
can see a tiny piece of Grant in the bedroom above her.
STARLA
Grant? We should talk.
EXT. NEIGHBOR'S BACKYARD -- NIGHT
Bill has made his way into the backyard. He looks over
at the Grant home. Some diseased townsfolk in the backyard
could conceivably see or hear him. He tries the back
door, but it's locked.
Bill notices a window slightly open. He starts to push
it up. It SQUEAKS LOUDLY.
He peers over at the diseased. They don't hear. He throws
the window up further, and crawls inside the home.
INT. GRANT FOYER -- NIGHT
Starla stands at the base of the stairwell. The SONG is
louder.
STARLA
Grant?
She starts to ascend the stairs. They CREAK beneath her
feet.
INT. NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE -- NIGHT
Bill peeks out the window, careful not to be seen by the
diseased humans around Grant's. Bill can see Starla in
the home next door, walking up the stairs.
Bill runs toward the stairwell here.
INT. GRANT UPSTAIRS HALLWAY -- NIGHT
Starla looks down the hall. Most of the walls have been
torn away.
Between wooden beams, Starla can see Grant's cumbersome
mass, his back to her, in what was once the bedroom.
In front of him, the SONG ENDS on the CD player. It starts
into the NEXT SONG on the album. Grant uses one of his
crusty tentacles to push the back button.
EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD starts over.
Starla walks toward him.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Grant keeps his back to her. Starla takes in the room.
Photographs from their scrapbooks are all over the walls:
photos from their wedding, and vacations, and family
parties.
STARLA
Hey, Grant.
Starla walks around Grant, giving him a decent berth.
STARLA
You did some real interesting
decorating here.
Grant watches her from the corner of his sad, purulent
eye.
STARLA
Hey.
Starla walks by a window.
STARLA
Look, the sun's starting to come
up.
Starla starts to open the drapes.
INT. NEIGHBOR'S UPSTAIRS HALL -- NIGHT
Bill happens to look through the neighbors' kid's bedroom
and to the home across the way where Starla is pulling
the drapes away from the window. She sees Bill there.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Grant SCREECHES angrily at Starla. She quickly closes
the drapes, not letting on she saw Bill.
STARLA
Sorry. I didn't -- I didn't know
you wanted it dark.
INT. KID'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Bill walks into this young boy's bedroom, filled with
airplanes and sports memorabilia.
He peeks around the window frame at the Grant bedroom
window, now closed to him. He makes sure his shotgun is
loaded.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Starla tries to change the subject by walking to a wall
with the photos.
STARLA
You like these memories, huh, Grant?
Grant looks away from her. Starla moves toward him, almost
seductively.
STARLA
You like being called Grant, don't
you?
Grant is silent. She gets closer.
STARLA
I think you do. You really do.
You like being Grant. Like when
we danced. And when you... made
love to me here on the bed.
Remember that?
Grant looks embarrassed. Starla becomes more brazen.
STARLA
I know you've been alone, Grant.
Almost forever. From here to there
to there to here, there's never
been another one for you.
Starla almost looks as if she's about to cry, out of
compassion for him.
STARLA
Grant. Grant, I could help you.
Be with you the way you want.
See, I want to live. I've never
had much use for this world, not
really. You and I, together, we --
She touches his tentacle with her fingers. He moves it
back, and GROWLS a little.
Starla moves her trembling fingers toward him again. She
sets them on his tentacle once more. He glares at her
distrustfully, breathing his deep, sick breath.
STARLA
You don't trust me, I know. That's
why I brought you someone, Grant.
Starla looks into his eyes.
STARLA
It's Bill. He's in the house next
door. Just look.
INT. KID'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Bill glances down to see a diseased man looking up at
him. In fact, they're all looking up at him. Bill is
confused.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Grant looks at Starla with sad eyes, perhaps touched.
Starla smiles nervously, expectantly.
STARLA
See? I brought him here for you!
As an offering! To prove I love
you more than him!
Grant wraps his tentacle around Starla. Starla, though
obviously disgusted, touches his face with her hand.
INT. NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE -- NIGHT
The diseased townsfolk break down the door, moving into
the downstairs below Bill.
INT. KID'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Bill hears them approaching. He SHATTERS the window, and
crawls onto a small mock--balcony outside.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Starla moves slowly in toward Grant, as if to kiss him.
Grant looks, well, joyful.
And then she yanks the metal spike from her skirt and
JABS it into Grant's eye.
Grant SCREECHES, blind and bucking. Starla SLAMS the
spike into his other eye.
And she STABS him again, shoving the spike into his
forehead, where it stays.
Starla leaps to the window. She throws open the drapes.
STARLA
Now, Bill!! Kill the motherfucker!!
EXT. NEIGHBOR'S MOCK BALCONY -- NIGHT
Bill raises his shotgun and BLASTS as Starla jumps away
from the window.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- NIGHT
The WINDOW SHATTERS and the shot strikes Grant. He
SCREECHES, swinging his tentacles aimlessly around the
room in fury.
One tentacle SLAMS Starla against the wall, probably
breaking a rib or two. Another tentacle SMASHES the CD
player, squelching the song.
EXT. NEIGHBOR'S MOCK BALCONY -- NIGHT
The diseased townsfolk enter the kid's bedroom, rushing
toward Bill on the balcony. But Bill won't stop. He
BLASTS the shotgun again.
INT. GRANT BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Grant is struck in the head. He starts slithering out of
the bedroom, feeling his way out.
EXT. NEIGHBOR'S MOCK BALCONY -- NIGHT
Bill is out of shells. He drops his shotgun. He grabs
the grenade out of the pocket on the black leather bag.
INT. GRANT BATHROOM -- NIGHT
Starla, clutching her ribs and barely able to move, pulls
herself up on the window.
Bill tosses her the grenade. She tries to catch it, but
misses it. It lands on the carpet. She see Grant's
tentacles slipping away. She tries to move but she's
hurt bad, bleeding.
EXT. NEIGHBOR'S MOCK BALCONY -- NIGHT
The diseased GLEEK at Bill, but Bill throws himself
forward, letting himself fall through the flimsy balustrade --
EXT. GRANT HOME -- NIGHT
Bill lands hard on the lawn between the two homes. He
grabs a .38, and stands beside the window on Grant's house.
Through the window he sees Grant barreling down the stairs.
Bill SHOOTS Grant with the .38, SHATTERING the glass.
He UNLOADS the clip into him.
The diseased townsfolk surround Bill, grabbing him. Grant,
using the others' eyes to see, snaps his tentacle forward,
wrapping it around Bill's neck, raising him up. Grant
SCREECHES.
INT. GRANT FOYER -- NIGHT
Starla appears at the top of the stairs, clutching her
bloody side. She has the pin in one hand and the grenade
in the other.
With all her remaining effort, she lobs the grenade behind
Grant.
GRANT
Er…?
It EXPLODES.
EXT. GRANT HOME -- NIGHT
Grant's exploding flesh sends Bill flying backwards.
INT. GRANT HALLWAY -- NIGHT
Starla is thrown back.
EXT. GRANT HOME -- NIGHT
Around the house, the diseased's eyes gaze lifelessly
upward as they each plummet to the grass.
FADE TO:
EXT. GRANT HOME -- MORNING
Bill unwraps what's left of the tentacle from his bruised
neck, and looks around at the dead diseased. Grant's
splattered flesh is around him.
Bill hears a quiet RATTLING sound. He looks around him.
And then sees, down at his feet, what is actually a
distorted piece of Grant's cerebellum. Sticking out of a
new organic slit in the cerebellum is the quill--like spore.
It quivers and trembles upward, its little bulbed spurs
popping out.
INT. GRANT HALLWAY -- MORNING
Starla crawls forward to look down through the smoke:
most of the second floor has been blown away. Her mutated
husband is just a mass of flesh and alien organs.
EXT. GRANT HOME -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla comes around the side of the house, holding a paper
towel roll to the slice on her ribs. She sees Bill
standing there. She smiles.
STARLA
Hey.
Bill smiles too.
BILL
Hey.
EXT. MAIN STREET -- DAY
Bill and Starla hobble down the town center. The leather
bag is slung over Bill's shoulder. Everything around
them is dead: the victims who were being feasted on, as
well as the various diseased. The torture is over, but
no life remains.
EXT. MAIN STREET -- MOMENTS LATER
Bill finds an abandoned Nissan Maxima in the middle of
the street, with the keys still in it.
BILL
Starla, over here.
EXT. WHEELSY EXIT -- LATER
In the Maxima now, Bill and Starla pull around a toppled
ambulance and through a spouting fire hydrant, and out
onto --
EXT. ROAD BEYOND WHEELSY -- DAY
The sun is bright and beautiful, glistening on the car.
Bill and Starla breathe more easily and smile a little as
they head up this long, barren road outside the city.
EXT. CLUSTER OF STORES -- MOMENTS LATER
Bill and Starla pass through a small block of stores.
Starla gazes out the window to see people -- real, actual,
HEALTHY HUMAN BEINGS: men and women and children -- going
about their daily chores. Tears come to her eyes.
Bill grabs Starla's hand. She clenches his tightly.
STARLA
We can probably get some first aid
and food at this gas station up
here.
BILL
Yeah. Good.
EXT. GAS STATION -- MOMENTS LATER
The Maxima pulls into the station, and stops.
INT. GAS STATION MART -- MOMENTS LATER
Starla and Bill pile stuff up on the cashier's counter --
Band--Aids, gauze, alcohol; Power Bars and Gatorade. The
CASHIER rings it up, staring at them because of their
wounds.
CASHIER
Comes to 32.87.
Bill pulls money out of his pants pocket. As he does,
Starla glances down. His arm pulls up his shirt, and
Starla can see the black and yellow wound there on his
stomach. She turns away, looking around, confused.
Bill pays, smiles at the cashier.
BILL
There you go.
EXT. GAS STATION -- MOMENTS LATER
A stunned Starla steps with Bill out of the station, moving
toward the car.
Starla stops.
STARLA
Shit. I-- I forgot... I wanted to
get aspirin.
She starts to move back inside. Bill stops her.
BILL
I'll get it for you. Ibuprofen or
aspirin?
STARLA
Aspirin.
Bill smiles, and goes back inside. Starla moves quickly
with the bag of stuff toward the car.
INT. GAS STATION MART -- MOMENTS LATER
Bill pays for the aspirin, and walks out with it.
EXT. GAS STATION -- DAY
Bill walks out; the Maxima is still there.
INT. MAXIMA -- DAY
Bill gets in the driver's seat, puts his keys into the
engine.
BILL
We'll just head up here into
Bishopville, get checked up in the
hospital. Then maybe we'll head
off to Hollywood after all, huh?
STARLA
Okay.
Bill turns to smile at Starla. She's aiming the .38 at
his face. Tears are streaming down her cheeks.
BILL
Please, Starla. I'm gonna do my
best not to hurt anybody --
STARLA
You took Bill.
BILL
It's my nature.
STARLA
And this is mine.
Starla pulls the trigger, the GUNSHOT CRACKS OUT.
EXT. GAS STATION -- DAY
As the Maxima sits in the lot, ANOTHER GUNSHOT CRACKS
OUT. Then we hear the HORN BLARING.
INT. MAXIMA -- DAY
Bill's dead body is slumped over the steering wheel.
Starla really can't bring herself to look at it, as she
reaches across it and toward the door handle.
EXT. GAS STATION -- DAY
The car door flips open. The horn stops blaring.
And Bill's body is kicked out of the car, sliding onto
the pavement.
INSERT TITLE, FULL SCREEN:
SLiTHER
INT. MAXIMA -- DAY
Starla WIPES the tears away from her face. She glances
out the window to see the cashier peeking out of the
cashier's station.
Starla scoots over into the driver's seat. She shoves
the car into drive.
And she takes off down the road, not looking back.
Starla's blanched and numb but the tears still keep coming.
CUT TO BLACK.
END