Day of the Dead

Happy Friday, 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 8 of Frankenstein In Love, dead cheerleader Shayla Petrie's ex-boyfriend comes home after school feeling guilty about what he did to her. Meanwhile, science genius nerd Frankie Stein and his pal Josh bring Shayla's dead body downstairs to his basement lab ...


EXT. SHITTY, RUN-DOWN HOUSE - NIGHT
On the wrong side of the tracks.
If there WERE tracks.

The cheap seats. Threadbare lawn.
Grey picket fence. Sagging foundation.
A dim light flickers behind dirty windows.

Willis’ truck pulls into the driveway. Parks.

INT. WILLIS FAMILY HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Like the carpet and drapes,
it matches the outside.

Piles of pizza boxes, newspapers,
empty beer cans litter the joint.

Willis’ father BUCK (40’s), fat
and sloppy, sits on the shitty,
faded couch watching a ball game.

Wolfing down a TV dinner and
chugging a bottle of cheap beer.
Willis walks in.

WILLIS
Hey, pop.

BUCK
(eyes on the screen)
Hey, kid. You’re home kinda late.

WILLIS
I was hanging out with Shayla.

BUCK
Picked up some of those
Hungry Man dinners.
They’re in the freezer.
Help yourself.
Have two if you want.
They were on special.

WILLIS
Thanks.

He starts walking to the kitchen.

BUCK
Oh, and your mother called.
Said you could stay a few more days.
She’s gonna work in Vegas awhile longer.

WILLIS
(over his shoulder)
Cool.

INT. WILLIS FAMILY HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
‘Bare bones’ would be a compliment.
Willis puts a TV dinner in the microwave.
Turns it on. Looks around guiltily.

WILLIS
(under his breath)
Fucking bitch.

INT. FRANKIE'S VOLKSWAGON BUS - NIGHT
Frankie and Josh roll up Shayla
in a brightly-colored bed sheet.

Frankie looks at it. Makes a face.

FRANKIE
Spiderman sheets?

JOSH
Shut up. They’re from when I was a kid.

FRANKIE
I bet you still sleep on them.

JOSH
Fuck you. C’mon. Let’s move it.
I don’t wanna get caught.

EXT. FRANKIE’S HOUSE - SIDE YARD - NIGHT
Frankie and Josh carry Shayla’s
wrapped-up body around the side
of the house toward the back door.

INT. FRANKIE’S HOUSE - BACK YARD - NIGHT
Frankie sets down his end.
Reaches for the back door knob.

FRANKIE
(looks around)
So far so good. No one’s seen us.

JOSH
Thank god. She’s fucking heavy.
Come on, hurry it up.

In the window, a light
TURNS ON in the kitchen.

FRANKIE
Shit. DUCK DOWN.

Josh DROPS Shayla. Gets down.
She hits the grass with a THUD.

JULIE’S FACE
Appears in the window.

Looks around. Shrugs. Disappears.
The lights SHUT OFF.

FRANKIE AND JOSH
Breath a sigh of relief.
Pick her back up.

JOSH
Jeez. Now I know how Dexter feels.

FRANKIE
Enough wisecracks, Igor.
Let’s get her down to the dungeon.

INT. FRANKIE’S BASEMENT LAB - NIGHT
Shayla lies on a makeshift bed.
An inflatable mattress on top of
a piece of plywood on a couple of sawhorses
covered by the Spiderman sheet.

She looks like some kind of ungodly doll.
The left side of her head looks fine.

Face still pretty. But the right side
has been smashed in and flattened.

Skull exposed. And she’s
pretty much COVERED in blood.

JOSH
She doesn’t look so good, Frankie.

FRANKIE
Nonsense. We’ll get her cleaned up,
maybe put a nice scarf around her head.
Get one of my mom’s old dresses.
She’ll look great.

JOSH
It’s late. I’m gonna split.

FRANKIE
(still staring at her)
Okay. Thanks for all the help.

Josh nods. Starts for the stairway.

JOSH
See you tomorrow in school.

But Frankie’s entranced. Ignores him.

JOSH
Be sure to wear protection.
(off his silence)
Whatever.

He leaves. Frankie leans down.
Pushes her hair behind her ear.
Strokes her cheek.

FRANKIE
Everything’s gonna be okay.
(beat)
I’m gonna save you.