The Talking Dead

Happy Tuesday, 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 2 of ZOMBIE & JULIET, after Gaga gets ejected from the republic of Manhattan after getting infected, she's unceremoniously dumped into the wilds of New Jersey. Meanwhile, the local news touts the big sporting event of the day ... a black vs. white 'fight to the death' in the coliseum ...


EXT. HIGH SCHOOL ROOFTOP - DAY
A BLACK HELICOPTER sits on the roof.
Blades WHIRRING.

The troopers race out of the
rooftop exit with the body bags.

Load them onboard.
The copter TAKES OFF.

EXT. LOWER MANHATTAN - CHOPPER POV - DAY
We see the giant wall around the city.
The chopper flies over the Hudson river.

On the other side,
in what was New Jersey,
is now a series of burnt-out slums.

EXT. NEW JERSEY - BURNT-OUT WATERFRONT - STREET CORNER - DAY
In front of what was an apartment building,
now a pile of smouldering ruins,
a body bag lies on the sidewalk.

It ZIPS open. Gaga crawls out.
Looks around. Deserted. Huh.

GAGA
Not TOO scary --

A PACK OF ZOMBIES appear down the street.
Hideously disfigured. About half-way gone.
They SCREAM at her.

Gaga WHIPS her head
in their direction.

GAGA (CONT'D)
Omigod, omigod, omigod --

She starts RUNNING --
and they CHASE AFTER HER.

INT. NEWS STUDIO - NIGHT
A GLOSSY, AIRBRUSHED ANCHORMAN sits
behind his desk with a
PERT, SMILING BLONDE ANCHORWOMAN.

SMILING BLOND ANCHORWOMAN
Drilling commenced in Harlem today,
where officials believe there might
be enough oil to keep government vehicles
in operation for another few years --
and for private citizens that can afford
one-hundred dollars a gallon.
(shakes her head)
I can remember when it was ten bucks --

GLOSSY, AIRBRUSHED ANCHORMAN
This just in. The Department of Health Control
estimates that there still might be several
thousand Infected-Americans in the republic.
(looks at Smiling)
I don’t know about you,
but that reward money
is sure an incentive --

SMILING BLOND ANCHORWOMAN
Tell me about it.
I turned in my mother-in-law,
and it paid for my vacation to Central Park.

They both laugh.
Glossy suddenly looks serious.

GLOSSY, AIRBRUSHED ANCHORMAN
In other news, tonight in Times Square,
another fight broke out
between the Monts and Kapps.
Fortunately, police officers arrived
and broke up the fight
before anyone was badly injured.

SMILING BLOND ANCHORWOMAN
Due to a recent rash of such incidents,
Republic of Manhattan president Don Gotti
has declared that anyone involved in
future acts of violence will be shot on sight.

GLOSSY, AIRBRUSHED ANCHORMAN
I must say, Nobu --
it’s a sad state of affairs
to have this trouble on the eve
of the tenth of October weekend.
What a way to start celebrating
the birth our republic --

NOBU
Indeed, Brock --
(beat)
We now go to Paul David Brazill,
live at The Madison Square Coliseum,
where the Ultimate Extreme Gladiator
finals are just getting underway.
Tonight, it’s black vs. white
in a fight to the death.

BROCK
Again?

The look at each other. Big smiles.