Let There Be LIfe

Happy Thursday, crime slicksters. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where the girls are hot, the drinks are cold, and the hardboiled-pulp-noir action is non-stop, right here, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 9 of FRANKENSTEIN IN LOVE, officer Chet Beverage interviews cheerleader Shayla Petrie's parents Adelle and Brub about her disappearance. Meanwhile, science genius nerd Frankie Stein successfully brings Shayla back to life in his basement lab... and then asks her out on a date.


INT. PETRIE HOME - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Brub and Adelle sit on the couch.

Chet Beverage sits across from them
on a big, overstuffed chair.
Jots down notes.

CHET
And you say she’s never late for dinner?

BRUB
NEVER.
Our daughter is a model citizen.
She was PUMPKIN QUEEN --

ADELLE
(dabs her eyes with a tissue)
And the head cheerleader --
(sniffles)
We’re so WORRIED about her.

She HONKS on her tissue.

CHET
Oh, I know.
I haven’t missed a game.
She’s -- lovely.

BRUB
You need to FIND her, officer, NOW.
Something TERRIBLE could have
happened to her.

CHET
Well, we can’t file a
missing persons report
until twenty-four hours have passed --

BRUB
But we can’t WAIT twenty-four hours --

CHET
Not to worry, Mr. Petrie.
I can still do a little
unofficial snooping around on my own.

ADELLE
Oh, THANK GOD.
Thank you, officer Beverage.

CHET
Please. Call me Chet.
(off her weak smile)
Is Shayla dating anybody right now?
That might be a good avenue to explore --

BRUB
Yes, she is.
Willis Grubb, that low-life.
Crazy girl broke up with
Brent Brock, the football captain --

ADELLE
AND prom king --

BRUB
To go out with HIM.

CHET
I see.
(stands up)
Well, thank you for letting us know.
I’ll go check on Willis, and tomorrow
we’ll start our investigation.
Don’t worry, we’ll find your daughter,
dead or alive --

ADELLE
(BURSTS into tears)
DEAD or alive?

Brub GLARES at him.
CLENCHES his fists.

BRUB
GET OUT.
Get out RIGHT NOW.
You’re upsetting my WIFE.

CHET
Ohmigosh, I’m so sorry.
I, I -- didn’t mean --
(beat)
I’m gonna go now.

He nods.
Hurries out the door.

Brub rushes over to Adelle.
Tries to comfort her.

BRUB
Don’t worry, my little flower.
They’ll find her.

PUSH IN ON Adelle’s face.
Now livid.

ADELLE
They fucking BETTER.

INT. FRANKIE’S BASEMENT LAB - NIGHT
Shayla lies on the workbench.
All the blood has been cleaned off.

She looks almost peaceful.
A scarf now drapes where
the side of her head was smashed in.

Wires have been attached
to various points on her body.

He attaches one on her right temple,
then her left. Done.

FRANKIE
Now it’s time to find out
if we have chemistry.

He rubs his hands together.
Excited. Goes to his laptop.

Starts PUNCHING commands on the keyboard.
Humming softly.

THE MONITOR
Shows the now-familiar graphs
that read HEART, LUNG and BRAIN.
Each reads zero percent.

Frankie reaches over,
picks up a GIANT syringe.

Much bigger than the one
he used on the rat.
He SQUIRTS it --

FRANKIE
This is gonna hurt me
alot more than it hurts you --

And INJECTS IT into her neck.
Pushes the plunger all the way DOWN,
then quickly PULLS IT OUT.

He turns to the transformer.
Starts FLIPPING the series of switches.

It starts to HUM.
Frankie watches her intently.

A NEEDLE
On the transformer starts
SLOWLY moving from left to right.

FRANKIE
Watches it. Shakes his head.

FRANKIE
C’mon, c’mon --
(beat)
Fucking Radio Shack --

He TAPS the side of it.
The needle JUMPS into the red.

FRANKIE
We have LIFT-OFF.

Frankie FLIPS down the metal bar, and --

SHAYLA
Gets ZAPPED with electricity. BUZZZ.

THE GRAPHS
Jump to ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.

FRANKIE
PUMPS a fist.

FRANKIE
Let there be LIFE.

Shayla’s body starts SHAKING.
Begins to VIBRATE.

Tendrils of SMOKE fly off her.
Frankie watches, bug-eyed.

FRANKIE
C’mon, baby -- you can DO IT.

Her eyes OPEN.
She BOLTS UPRIGHT. Blinks.

Looks at Frankie quizzically.
Opens her mouth to speak.

FRANKIE
Shayla. You’re BACK.

SHAYLA
(slowly, with difficulty)
Who’s -- Shayla?

FRANKIE
You’re Shayla.

SHAYLA
Don’t -- know --
(beat)
Shayla.

FRANKIE
You don’t remember who you are?

She stares at him.
Confused. Shakes her head.

FRANKIE
Do you remember anything?

SHAYLA
No. Who -- are you?

Frankie stares. Holy shit.

FRANKIE
I’m Frankie.
(beat)
Your boyfriend.

Shayla nods her head slowly.
Looks around the lab.

SHAYLA
Where -- am I?

FRANKIE
You’re home.
This is where we live.

SHAYLA
(feels her head)
What -- happened to me?

FRANKIE
You were in an accident.
But now you’re okay.
You’re home now.

She nods slowly.
Looks like she’s about to cry.

Frankie starts taking the wires off her.
She watches. Confused.

SHAYLA
Would you -- hold me?

Frankie gulps.
Takes her in his arms.

FRANKIE
(under his breath)
Thought you’d never ask --