The Times Square Massacre

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In Chapter 13 of ZOMBIE & JULIET, Romy's parents lament his being ejected from the republic due to his being infected with the zombie virus, while Jool's parents are horrified to discover that she's been infected. Meanwhile, it's announced on the news that a 'shoot on sight' law has just gone into effect, putting them both in jeopardy ...


INT. CARLING’S MANSION - OFFICE - DAY
A giant room. Stately. Elegant.
Walls full of books.

A roaring fireplace.
Right out of Masterpiece Theater.

Carling sits behind his desk.
Nin stands in front of him.

NIN
Still no word?

CARLING
No. And I’m worried sick.
My darling niece is MISSING.
I’ve got a whole squadron
out there looking for her.
Are you SURE you have no idea
where she went?

NIN
No, I’m sorry --

FOOTSTEPS in the next room.
They both turn, look -- see --

Jool stands in the doorway.
Clothes torn and dirty.

Face scratched and bloody.
Skin a dull green.

JOOL
I don’t feel so good.

PUSH IN ON Carling’s face.
Freaked out.

CARLING
My god, you’re INFECTED.
Quick, Nin -- CALL THE DOCTOR.

INT. MONT RESIDENCE - KITCHEN - DAY
Orson sits at the kitchen table
with his wife CLIO (40’s), Rommy’s mother.

Attractive, bohemian in denim.
They both look haunted. Lost.
Clio pours more coffee in their cups.

CLIO
I just don’t understand why he’d --
run away like that.

ORSON
I bet it had something to do
with that Kapp girl.

CLIO
But didn’t you tell him
he couldn’t see her anymore?

ORSON
Yes, I did.
But you know young love --

CLIO
(sad smile)
I seem to have a dim memory of it --

The phone RINGS.
Orson gets up. Answers it.

ORSON
This is Orson --
(listens)
WHAT? But that’s IMPOSSIBLE --
(listens)
But that’s my SON.
You can’t just --
(listens)
Hello? Hello? HELLO?

He BANGS down the phone.
Clio starts shaking with fear.

ORSON
He HUNG UP on me --

CLIO
Wh-what happened?
Where’s Rommy?

ORSON
Rommy got infected.
He’s being ejected from the republic.

CLIO
Oh, NO. My BABY.

Clio SHRIEKS with horror.
Buries her face in her hands.
Starts sobbing.

INT. NEWS STUDIO - DAY
Brock Landers sits at his desk
with Nobu Phillips.

But this time, they aren’t smiling.

NOBU
A late-breaking bulletin just came in --

BROCK
The president has just signed into law
the controversial Shoot On Sight bill
that has been the subject of fierce debate
amongst our republic’s lawmakers --

NOBU
As of today, anyone who is infected
with the HIZ Virus will be shot on sight.
The state police are right now
sweeping Times Square and have
already killed several dozen
infected citizens.
(sighs)
I don’t know how I feel about this, Brock.
Isn’t it kind of barbaric?

BROCK
Gosh, Nobu, I don’t know.
But heck, we’re not
supposed to offer our opinion.
We’re just here to read the news.

NOBU
I know. And that’s another thing.
I could write my own stories,
but they won’t let me.

BROCK
Aw, gee whiz.
Is it that time of the month again?
(into the camera)
We’ll bring you more on this
late-breaking story as it unfolds.
We now return you to our
regularly scheduled programming.

NOBU
(leans over, whispers)
Brock. This IS our
regularly scheduled programming.

Brock clears his throat.
Looks at the Teleprompter.

BROCK
We now take you to
our man on the street,
Paul David Brazill,
live on the scene,
where chaos has erupted in midtown --

NOBU
In what the media is now calling
'The Times Square Massacre.'

BROCK
Nice.

NOBU
See? I told you I could write --