Vanishment: Game Screenplay Sample
## Chapter 1: No Sleep ##
Summary: You arrive at your shift at the hospital to learn a strange new illness is sweeping the city, threatening the lives of the people you love most...
Cold Open:
Mika McCammon: One more step and you're a dead man.
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Mika's House Ext.
Mika McCammon: This is not a drill, Ryan.
Mika McCammon: Do not come any closer to me or my son.
Mika McCammon: I will shoot.
Ryan McCammon: Mika... put the gun down. It's me.
Ryan McCammon: I'm your husband!
Mika McCammon: Were.
Mika McCammon: Now you're just a threat. Back off.
Nicky McCammon: Mom? Are you really going to shoot him?
Ryan McCammon: Listen to him, babe. Christ! We're a family!
Mika McCammon: I said. Back. OFF.
Ryan McCammon: KeKe, I'm begging you.
Mika McCammon: One more step.
Mika McCammon: Take one more step, and I will blow your goddamned head off!
Ryan McCammon: No! You let me hug my SON!!--
Ryan lunges to grab Nicky.
You pull the trigger.
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: None
BANG!
Int. Hospital Day
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Nurses' Station
One day earlier.
You arrive to your shift at St. Raymond's Hospital to find the place in utter chaos.
You don't normally work Fridays, or outside of Oncology...
...but you received a call at 4:30 this morning asking you to come in to support the Emergency Room staff.
Over the past twelve hours, an abnormally high influx of patients has overburdened the hospital.
Mika McCammon: Jeez, this place is a zoo.
Mika McCammon: Glad I came in early today.
Mika McCammon: Otherwise, I might not have had time to eat something...
You make your way through the throngs of bodies to the nurses' station, where you sit and quickly eat your sandwich.
Your ten-year-old son Nicky made it for you.
He wrote you a note on the outside of the sandwich bag that reads: "TOMATO (P.S. I LOVE YOU!)"
Mika McCammon: (Tomato, again...?)
You bite into the sandwich.
The tomatoes - which Nicky grew himself in his school garden - have already made the bread soggy.
Mika McCammon: (Still. How did my kid turn out to be so thoughtful?)
Mika McCammon: (Sure didn't get it from me. Or his dad...)
A blood-curdling scream echoes from one of the patient rooms, interrupting your thoughts.
Mika McCammon: Uh oh. That sounded bad.
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "React to Scream"
Mika McCammon: Going to be one of those days...
OPTION 1: The kind I'd rather not think about yet.
Mika McCammon: (My self-care is telling me to finish this sandwich so I don’t have to mentally check in yet.)
Mika McCammon: (Although, someone screaming bloody murder is probably a good sign I shouldn't drag my feet.)
Mika McCammon: (Nope. Not gonna think about it.)
Mika McCammon: (Not on the clock yet. I'm finishing my sandwich.)
OPTION 2: The kind that starts the next big, horrible thing.
Mika McCammon: (The news did say something about yet another weird new illness...)
Mika McCammon: (Something about a.... no, they were worried about a... hmm...)
Mika McCammon: (Guess I should've paid attention. But I was in such a rush...)
OPTION 3: The kind my teammates might not be able to handle.
Mika McCammon: (Ugh. Why did we have to get stuck with so many new people before a crisis?)
Mika McCammon: (This hospital's been hemorrhaging staff.)
Mika McCammon: (Salem and I are the most experienced nurses here today... and we're both under forty.)
Mika McCammon: (At least I THINK she's under forty. I don't really want to ask...)
END CHOICE BLOCK "React to Scream"
Your phone buzzes.
It's your mom.
Gritting your teeth, you answer.
You try to sound as enthusiastic as possible given the circumstances.
Mika McCammon: Hi mom.
Olga Zhurbenko: Do you know anything about this "Vanishing virus?" It's all over the news.
Mika McCammon: Nope. I just got to work.
Mika McCammon: But I'm sure I'll be able to tell you all about it by the end of today.
Mika McCammon: On that note...
Mika McCammon: Are you coming down to babysit Nicky tomorrow?
Mika McCammon: I have to pull a double. We're really understaffed.
Olga Zhurbenko: I'm sorry, but I can't.
Mika McCammon: Mom, you said...
Olga Zhurbenko: Now is not a good time for any of us to travel. I'm really worried.
Mika McCammon: (Ugh. This is so frustrating.)
Mika McCammon: (She offers to help, then flakes as soon as the news tells her to be scared of something!)
Mika McCammon: (I mean... I get it. She's older, and lives alone on her farm in the middle of nowhere, but...)
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "React to Mom flaking"
Mika McCammon: Mom... can I say something?
OPTION 1: I understand.
Mika McCammon: It's okay. I'm disappointed, but I understand.
Mika McCammon: I'll make other arrangements for Nicky.
Mika McCammon: We'll see you when we see you.
OPTION 2: You're losing precious time with your grandson.
Mika McCammon: My main concern here is you losing quality time with Nicky.
Mika McCammon: When was the last time you came down to help out? I can't even remember.
Mika McCammon: Salem has basically resigned herself to the position.
Olga Zhurbenko: I'm sorry you feel this way, honey. But Nicky is ten years old.
Olga Zhurbenko: You know I'm always happy to host you here.
OPTION 3: You weren't there for me, either.
Mika McCammon: I hate to point this out, but this is all just history repeating.
Mika McCammon: You were never there for me, either.
Olga Zhurbenko: "Always" and "never" language.
Mika McCammon: Oh, whatever.
Olga Zhurbenko: I didn't know you felt so abandoned.
Mika McCammon: I don't. But I'm worried that Nicky barely knows his grandma.
Mika McCammon: He needs you.
Olga Zhurbenko: He needs his mother, too.
Mika McCammon: (I don't know why I bother...)
END CHOICE BLOCK "React to Mom flaking"
Olga Zhurbenko: One more thing I've considered...
Olga Zhurbenko: I know you haven't spoken to him in years, but...
Olga Zhurbenko: You don't think You-Know-Who would use this emergency to try and contact you, do you?
Mika McCammon: Not a chance in Hell.
Mika McCammon: And if Nicky's father does try to weasel his way back into our lives again?
Mika McCammon: I'll handle it.
You check the time. Your shift started one minute ago.
Mika McCammon: Shoot. I'm on.
Mika McCammon: Gotta go!
You hang up the phone in time to catch the tail end of the special report blaring on the nurses' station TV.
Jorge Rumero: "This is Jorge E. Rumero for San Cristobal News, with a shocking story about a viral video..."
Jorge Rumero: "...claiming to show what some people are referring to as 'Vanishing Disease'..."
Jorge Rumero: "...A social media user says she took the video of a schoolmate apparently suffering from the strange new illness..."
Jorge Rumero: "...I warn you, some of what you're about to see may be shocking."
The news plays a short video clip shot with a cell phone.
In the shaky video, a girl stands on a middle school playground holding her arm and screaming.
Her arm is so translucent it is nearly invisible.
Her skin is clear. Flesh and bones, also clear. Like they are barely even vapor.
The arm of her jacket hangs limp, like there is no limb there to support it, at all.
Your immediate reaction is to groan and roll your eyes.
Mika McCammon: (God, that looks so fake.)
Mika McCammon: (This whole panic is probably just another teenage prank.)
Mika McCammon: (I mean... a "vanishing virus?" C'mon.)
Mika McCammon: (People are so gullible these days.)
Mika McCammon: (But with all the misinformation flying around, who even knows what’s real anymore?)
Still, despite your skepticism, you can't look away from the TV.
Jorge Rumero: "Experts still can't agree how to classify this terrifying phenomenon..."
Jorge Rumero: "...let alone if it is caused by a virus..."
Jorge Rumero: "What we can tell you is that the CDC are recommending that you don't panic..."
Jorge Rumero: "...that you don't run errands or meet with friends unless it is absolutely necessary..."
Jorge Rumero: "...and that vulnerable populations stay in their homes until we know more."
Mika McCammon: Ugh. They're treating it like it's real, at least.
Mika McCammon: I mean... what if it is?
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "React to the news"
Mika McCammon: A disease that makes you disappear...?
OPTION 1: How awful...
Mika McCammon: How awful...
Mika McCammon: Slowly vanishing while you're still alive? I can't even imagine.
Mika McCammon: I'll do my best to care for anyone we admit today.
Mika McCammon: Regardless of their condition.
Mika McCammon: It's easy in times like these to forget the infected are people.
Mika McCammon: Even though no one chooses to get sick...
OPTION 2: Safety must be our highest priority.
Mika McCammon: The new safety guidelines they posted today don't look like they'll cut it.
Mika McCammon: Until they at least know what kind of pathogen it is...
Mika McCammon: ...those of us on the frontlines cannot take any chances.
OPTION 3: Hope they don't touch me.
Mika McCammon: I feel like a jerk for even thinking this...
Mika McCammon: ...but I sure hope the patients we bring in today don't infect me.
Mika McCammon: Whether it's a virus, or a curse, or nano-machines, or an alien space plague...
Mika McCammon: ...all I know is that I do not want that shit.
Mika McCammon: Nope. No thank you.
END CHOICE BLOCK "React to the news"
The TV clicks off.
You turn around to see a tired, familiar face smiling at you.
Salem True: Talking to yourself again?
Mika McCammon: Oh, hey Salem.
Mika McCammon: For the record, I was thinking to myself, too. You just couldn't hear that part.
Salem True: Well, I thought it was a beautiful internal-slash-external monologue.
Mika McCammon: So happy you were entertained.
Mika McCammon: So, am I hearing all of this right?
Mika McCammon: About this "Vanishing Disease?"
Salem True: I'm afraid the reality is worse than what they're saying on the news.
Salem True: You'd better clock in. They need all hands on deck, and I'm almost off.
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "Pick up Nicky?"
Mika McCammon: Salem, wait...
OPTION 1: How are you feeling?
Mika McCammon: Are you feeling okay? You look exhausted.
Salem True: Honestly, I feel like an empty can of gasoline right now.
Salem True: Let's just say it's been a long twelve hours.
Salem True: But I'll be fine. I get to go home and rest. Also... no kids.
Salem True: Take care of yourself today. And, more importantly, take care of Nicky.
Salem True: He's going to need you to get through this.
Mika McCammon: Damn. Is it that bad?
Salem True: You'll see.
OPTION 2: Can you pick Nicky up from school?
Mika McCammon: I really hate to ask this, but...
Mika McCammon: Can you pick up Nicky from school today?
Mika McCammon: I swear it's the last time. It's just...
Mika McCammon: ...my mom bailed. Again.
Salem True: Of course. Don't worry about it.
Salem True: I have the day off tomorrow, anyway. Thank God...
Mika McCammon: I owe you. Big time.
OPTION 3: Has anyone died?
Mika McCammon: Have any patients died from this thing yet?
Mika McCammon: I noticed the news didn't report any deaths.
Salem True: I'm not sure "died" is the word I would use.
Salem True: You just... need to see it for yourself.
Mika McCammon: That's what I was afraid of.
END CHOICE BLOCK "Pick up Nicky?"
Salem True: Oh, one more thing.
Salem lowers her voice.
Salem True: That new doctor? Glaston? Zero idea what she's doing. Be careful.
Mika McCammon: I'll do my best.
Mika McCammon: Appreciate the heads-up.
You clock in and head into the fray.
Int. Hospital Night
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Patient Room
Several Hours Later.
Mika McCammon: Hi, Darlene.
Mika McCammon: Why don't you take a seat?
Patient: Over here?
Mika McCammon: Right over there is fine.
Mika McCammon: So, you're not feeling well? Talk to me. What's going on?
Patient: I know this sounds crazy, but...
Patient: I think I may be vanishing.
Mika McCammon: We've had a lot of people come in today saying the same thing.
Mika McCammon: The good news is, most of them weren't sick, and got to go home right away.
Patient: Honestly... that doesn't make me feel better.
Mika McCammon: Where does it hurt? Can you show me?
Patient: It's my arm.
Mika McCammon: Roll up your sleeve for me. I'll take a look.
The patient rolls up her sleeve and offers you her arm.
You gasp.
Mika McCammon: Holy shi--
Her forearm is totally see-through.
All morning, all you heard from your patients was how they only felt they were "vanishing..."
...having trouble holding objects, or thinking they couldn't see their own fingertips...
But this woman is.
It isn't a hoax.
It isn't psychosomatic.
Her arm is fully transparent.
Mika McCammon: (Just like the girl in the video...)
Mika McCammon: (Was that video actually real...?)
You can't believe your eyes. But you don't have time for disbelief.
Mika McCammon: Stay right there.
You run and grab a flashlight from the nurses' station, then return and shine it under arm.
The light passes through the patient's arm as if through mist.
Patient: I told you. I'm vanishing.
Mika McCammon: J-just wait right here.
Mika McCammon: D-doctor Glaston will be in sh-shortly.
Mika McCammon: W-we're very busy today, so she's a little tied up.
Patient: Nurse... I'm scared.
Patient: I feel like I'm losing my mind.
Patient: Like I'm slipping away.
Patient: Like I can't remember important things.
Patient: I almost couldn't remember my name and birthday when I checked in...
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "Comfort patient"
Comfort her?
OPTION 1: It will be okay.
Mika McCammon: Hey. You're going to be fine.
Mika McCammon: We're going to take good care of you here. Don't worry.
Patient: That... makes me feel a little bit better.
Patient: I won't assume the worst yet.
Patient: Thank you.
OPTION 2: Your health is our top concern.
Mika McCammon: I'm not sure exactly what's going on with your arm here.
Mika McCammon: But whatever it is...
Mika McCammon: ...we are going to do everything we can to help you get well.
Patient: Thanks... I think?
OPTION 3: It doesn't look good.
Mika McCammon: I'm not going to lie to you.
Mika McCammon: Your arm is in bad shape.
Mika McCammon: We're going to do everything we can, but--
Patient: Say no more.
Patient: I appreciate your honesty.
END CHOICE BLOCK "Comfort patient"
Mika McCammon: I need to step out and check something.
Mika McCammon: The doctor will be right in.
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Nurses' Station
Doctor Glaston is nowhere in sight... only hordes of anxious patients waiting to be seen.
Mika McCammon: (Where the HELL is she...?!)
You take the opportunity to send Nicky a quick text to see if he's safe.
He responds with a selfie of him and Salem in Salem's car, and a "YEP."
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Patient Room
A few hours later...
Doctor Glaston: McCammon, you need to get your head in the game, or we are going to LOSE this patient.
Patient: Ahh! What is happening to me? Help me! Please!
Doctor Glaston: I need that drip, five minutes ago!
Mika McCammon: Doctor, I need to tell you this patient is growing increasingly agitated...
Mika McCammon: ...she keeps trying to touch me and the other nurses.
Patient: Please! I don't know where I am!
Doctor Glaston: McCammon! Do your job!
Mika McCammon: I'm concerned, given how... advanced this patient's, um, "vanishing" seems to be...
Mika McCammon: ...we could all be placing ourselves at high risk of infection by not quarantining her.
Mika McCammon: Not to mention, her cognitive decline in the past hour has been staggering.
Patient: Please. I don't know where I am...
Patient: Who are you?
Patient: I'm so scared...
Mika McCammon: Look at her skin, Doctor. It's almost totally transparent.
Mika McCammon: I just don't think latex is going to protect us from--
Doctor Glaston: You know what? Screw it. You're useless!
Doctor Glaston: Give me that drip.
Doctor Glaston: I'll insert it myself!
Doctor Glaston: As soon as things calm down, I'm writing you up.
Mika McCammon: (Yeesh. This is the worst day since forever...)
Mika McCammon: (And what is up with this Doctor Glaston?)
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "React to the chaos"
Mika McCammon: (Maybe I should…)
OPTION 1: Forgive her.
Mika McCammon: (I shouldn't take any of this personally.)
Mika McCammon: (She's human, just like the rest of us.)
Mika McCammon: (No one has any clue what's going on.)
Mika McCammon: (And we are all under a ton of stress.)
OPTION 2: Remind her of the safety guidelines.
Mika McCammon: (As soon as we're done taking care of this patient...)
Mika McCammon: (...I'm going to grab a copy of today's safety guidelines and staple it to her forehead.)
Mika McCammon: (We can't help anyone if we get infected, too.)
OPTION 3: Give her an earful.
Mika McCammon: (Ugh.)
Mika McCammon: (Once we're done in here, she is going to hear it.)
Mika McCammon: (I've never been barked at by a doctor like that before.)
Mika McCammon: (It's like, come on! We know what we're doing.)
Mika McCammon: (Actually, that's not true.)
Mika McCammon: (No one has any idea what we're doing, because today is totally FUBAR.)
Mika McCammon: (I wish this wasn't happening right now...)
END CHOICE BLOCK "React to the chaos"
You hand the doctor the IV drip.
She takes it from you, but struggles to insert it into the patient's arm.
Doctor Glaston: Ah! Goddamnit...
Doctor Glaston: This needle won't even make contact with her skin! It keeps passing through her...
Then, it happens.
Doctor Glaston screams.
Doctor Glaston: Ahh! Shit! Shit shit shit!
The patient reaches through the doctor's latex gloves to touch her on the hand.
The patient's fingers, almost totally invisible now, penetrate the latex barrier with ease.
Patient: Please, Doctor. I'm so scared...
Doctor Glaston: Shit! Get away from me!
The doctor stumbles back, clutching her hand where the patient touched her.
In an instant, the skin of her own fingertips begins to blink through the double-layered gloves...
...like the gloves aren't there, at all.
Doctor Glaston has been infected and is already beginning to vanish.
Doctor Glaston: Wait! But... I'm protected!?
Doctor Glaston: How is this happening?
Doctor Glaston: McCammon! Do something!
Eyes widening with disbelief, you slowly back away.
You've seen this happen to countless people throughout the day.
It starts in the hands. Always the hands.
Then the rest of you begins to vanish, slowly fading out of existence like you're becoming a ghost, until you simply...
...disappear.
As far as anyone can tell, the process is irreversible.
Doctor Glaston: Pull your head out of your ass, McCammon, and HELP ME!
Your first instinct is to help.
But, it's the end of your shift, and if the disease can travel through latex gloves and PPE...
... then it's only a matter of time, isn't it?
Your son's face flashes through your mind's eye.
You hesitate.
Doctor Glaston: Goddamnit, someone do something!
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "Help Doctor Glaston?"
Help Doctor Glaston?
OPTION 1: Render aid.
Mika McCammon: Doctor, I need you to calm down.
Mika McCammon: We're going to take good care of you.
Mika McCammon: Just come with me.
The doctor's panicked demeanor mellows, and she gives you a small, frightened nod.
Doctor Glaston: Alright. Let's make this quick.
Doctor Glaston: First, do not touch me.
Doctor Glaston: Second, do not waste any more time on me than necessary.
Doctor Glaston: You need to help the other patients first. Understood?
Mika McCammon: Yes, Doctor. Come this way...
Keeping a safe distance, you escort the doctor to a separate room and carefully set her IV drip.
When you return, the patient who touched her is gone.
Only a crumpled hospital gown remains on the now-undisturbed hospital bed.
The patient has vanished.
OPTION 2: Tell the others not to touch her.
Mika McCammon: Nobody touch her!
Mika McCammon: She’s infected and needs to be quarantined immediately.
Doctor Glaston: Please, somebody HELP ME!
The other nurses exchange a series of conflicted glances.
None of them move.
Mika McCammon: I'm telling you all, it can pass through latex and clothes.
Mika McCammon: I repeat...
Mika McCammon: Do NOT touch her or let her touch you.
Mika McCammon: That goes for every other patient here, too.
Doctor Glaston: Unbelievable!
Doctor Glaston: How dare ANY of you...
The doctor's voice trails off and you all follow her gaze to the hospital bed.
The patient who touched her is no longer there.
Only a crumpled hospital gown remains where she laid a moment ago.
She has completely vanished.
OPTION 3: Slowly back away.
A thought flashes through your mind of your little boy growing up without a mother.
That seals it.
Mika McCammon: I'm... sorry.
You slowly walk backward as the other nurses rush to grab the infected doctor a bed and an I.V. drip.
While they render aid, you quietly slip away.
END CHOICE BLOCK "Help Doctor Glaston?"
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Nurses' Station
Quivering, you head back to the nurses' station to clock out.
As you're preparing to leave, an announcement crackles over the intercom.
"Attention staff: the hospital is at full capacity."
"Repeat: there are zero beds currently available."
"Please make alternate arrangements for any new patients admitted."
Your blood runs cold at the news.
Mika McCammon: ("Alternate arrangements...?")
Mika McCammon: (So, they're going to put them in the hallways? And then what...?)
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "Reaction to full capacity news"
Mika McCammon: (This all feels so...)
OPTION 1: Surreal.
Mika McCammon: (This is so horrible. I feel like there's a weight in my chest.)
Mika McCammon: (No matter what happens, we cannot forget our humanity.)
Mika McCammon: (Every patient in here is a human being. Even Doctor Glaston.)
Mika McCammon: (What the hell are we going to do...?)
OPTION 2: Dangerous.
Mika McCammon: (We're going to have to ramp up our safety measures a shit-ton.)
Mika McCammon: (Full quarantine for every patient. No touch care.)
Mika McCammon: (At this point, even that may not be enough.)
Mika McCammon: (But if we don't, we won't stand a chance.)
Mika McCammon: (It's gonna get ugly.)
Mika McCammon: (Who am I kidding? We need a miracle.)
OPTION 3: Avoidable.
Mika McCammon: (Everyone infected should be rounded up and put in a special quarantine zone.)
Mika McCammon: (It's harsh, but necessary.)
Mika McCammon: (It's us or them now. Contain the spread.)
Mika McCammon: (Hospital full in a single day...?)
Mika McCammon: (What a disaster.)
END CHOICE BLOCK "Reaction to full capacity news"
Though no one is there to hear you, you whisper to the empty nurses' station as you depart...
Mika McCammon: Good luck, everyone. You're gonna need it.
Int. Grocery Store - Night
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Grocery Store
You stop at the grocery store on the way home to stock up on essential supplies.
You pick a more upscale place, hoping it will be slightly less crowded.
Unfortunately, the scene when you arrive at Stark's Fine Foods is a zoo.
A man bumps into you within a minute of you walking in the door.
His cart is piled high with canned food and toilet paper.
Angry Shopper: Move it, lady! What are you, stupid?
Mika McCammon: Sorry. Didn't realize I was in your way.
Angry Shopper: Idiot...
You navigate the teeming throngs of anxious shoppers and grab your items as quickly as you can.
Everyone seems on edge.
You can't help but wonder how bad the coming days will be if things are already this tense on Day One...
You wonder if Nicky will be safe.
Feeling a deep need for reassurance, you call your mom while you shop.
Olga Zhurbenko: Hi. Everything okay?
Mika McCammon: Not really.
Mika McCammon: Can Nicky and I come stay with you?
Olga Zhurbenko: That's a different tune than you were singing earlier.
Olga Zhurbenko: Must've been bad at the hospital today.
Mika McCammon: It wasn't great.
Olga Zhurbenko: Well, of course you can. But for how long? And what about your job?
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "How long?"
How long will you stay with your mother?
OPTION 1: Indefinitely.
Mika McCammon: I don't know how long, mom.
Mika McCammon: Maybe a long time.
Olga Zhurbenko: Say what you mean, KeKe.
Mika McCammon: What I saw today set off my alarms.
Mika McCammon: This thing is going to be bad.
Mika McCammon: In times like this, family is supposed to come first, right?
Mika McCammon: We need to take care of each other.
Mika McCammon: I can always get another job.
Olga Zhurbenko: I'm worried too, but you know I'll be happy to have you.
OPTION 2: Three months.
Mika McCammon: Based on what I saw on my shift today...
Mika McCammon: This is going to be the worst-case scenario.
Mika McCammon: Your farm is far safer than our place in the city.
Mika McCammon: But I promise we won't stay a minute longer than necessary.
Mika McCammon: My guess is probably three months.
Olga Zhurbenko: Don't you think, that if it is the worst case, that may be optimistic?
OPTION 3: Two weeks, max.
Mika McCammon: Mom, please don't give me any grief right now.
Mika McCammon: I just had the shift from Hell. Things are falling apart here, fast.
Mika McCammon: Be a good mother for once in your life.
Mika McCammon: If we stay here, we’re going to die.
Olga Zhurbenko: Don't be dramatic. You're welcome here any time.
Olga Zhurbenko: Did you forget the reason I bought this farm in the first place?
END CHOICE BLOCK "How long?"
Olga Zhurbenko: Anyway...
Olga Zhurbenko: What about Nicky? Can he afford to miss school?
Mika McCammon: Mom, I really don't think now is the time--
As you turn into the checkout lanes, you see the same angry man arguing loudly with the shopper in front of him.
Angry Shopper: Oh, I'm an asshole for telling the truth? How 'bout this. How 'bout you just shaddap?
Angry Shopper: It's not a conspiracy theory, pal. I just read an article about it.
Angry Shopper: This is 100% being caused by government nano-probes.
Calm Shopper: Man, you need to relax.
Calm Shopper: No one knows where it came from, or what it is.
Calm Shopper: Terrorists, bioweapon, whatever. We simply don't know.
Calm Shopper: So why don't you calm down and stop making these people nervous?
Angry Shopper: Calm down? I AM calm!
Angry Shopper: How 'bout we take a walk outside, so you can see how calm I am?
Olga Zhurbenko: KeKe, are you alright? I hear men yelling.
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "React to fight"
Mika McCammon: Actually...
OPTION 1: Everyone's scared.
Mika McCammon: There's a man here yelling about UFOs, or the FBI, or... something?
Mika McCammon: He is so terrified.
Mika McCammon: I mean, we all are, but... damn.
Olga Zhurbenko: Then, should you maybe consider not sticking around?
OPTION 2: This could get ugly.
Mika McCammon: There are two guys arguing who look really close to a fight.
Mika McCammon: I do not feel safe here right now.
Olga Zhurbenko: So, get your groceries and go straight home.
OPTION 3: Just some asshole.
Mika McCammon: Just some asshole spouting conspiracy theories.
Mika McCammon: Probably been waiting for something like this so he can show his true colors.
Mika McCammon: Trust me, everybody wants him to shut up.
Mika McCammon: God, what is wrong with people in this country...?
Olga Zhurbenko: Either way, I don't want you sticking around there.
END CHOICE BLOCK "React to fight"
Olga Zhurbenko: Mika?
Olga Zhurbenko: Mika Marie...
Mika McCammon: Mom, hold on!
You watch in horror as the angry man smashes a glass bottle over the other man's head.
The punches fly.
An instant later, half the store is brawling.
Olga Zhurbenko: What's going on?
Mika McCammon: I have to call you back.
You hang up the phone and duck as a gallon of milk flies over your head, missing you by inches.
You glance toward the door.
There's a clear path through the mob, but it will mean abandoning your groceries...
...or not paying for them.
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "Pay or Flee?"
Pay or walk out with your stuff?
OPTION 1: Pay.
You throw some balled-up cash at the register and quickly push your cart outside.
You're not sure if the cashier saw you, but your conscience feels clear.
OPTION 2: Walk out.
You run your cart outside without paying, heading straight for your car.
You don't think anyone saw you (other than the security cameras).
You can't ever set foot in a Stark's Fine Foods again, but...
...desperate times call for desperate measures, right?
Still, you feel a little guilty about your decision.
END CHOICE BLOCK "Pay or Flee?"
Int. Mika's House - Night
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Mika's House Int.
You arrive home to find Nicky on the couch watching TV.
Mika McCammon: Hey, hon! How was your day?
Nicky McCammon: Take a guess.
You crouch next to him and kiss him on the forehead.
He barely seems to notice.
Nicky McCammon: I was worried about you. Seriously? One text?
Mika McCammon: I know, sweetie. I was just too busy to call.
Mika McCammon: I was running around all day. I didn’t even have a chance to look at my phone.
Nicky McCammon: Did you find anything out about the Vanishment?
Mika McCammon: Probably nothing they're not saying on TV.
Nicky McCammon: They've been repeating the same thing for the past six hours.
Mika McCammon: They tend to do that...
Mika McCammon: By the way, that tomato sandwich you made me was killer.
Nicky McCammon: Hmm.
Nicky McCammon: Did you talk to grandma yet?
Mika McCammon: A few times. Why?
Nicky McCammon: She just called. Said we were going to stay with her?
Mika McCammon: That's the plan.
Nicky McCammon: You don't think you can keep us safe here, do you?
You're taken aback by Nicky's anger... his bluntness.
Mika McCammon: Excuse you...?
Nicky McCammon: It's okay, mom.
Nicky McCammon: You think we'll be safer at Grandma's.
Nicky McCammon: It's probably a good idea... you're never here, anyway.
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "Nicky's coldness"
Mika McCammon: (How do I even respond to that...?)
OPTION 1: It's okay to be scared.
Mika McCammon: Honey, whatever you’re feeling right now is valid.
Mika McCammon: Whether you're scared, mad, numb, all of the above... it's okay.
Mika McCammon: I support you.
Nicky McCammon: Do you, though...?
Mika McCammon: Yeah, silly. Why do you think I go to work everyday?
Mika McCammon: It's not because I like it.
OPTION 2: This is about our health.
Mika McCammon: The reality is this is an extremely dangerous disease.
Mika McCammon: It's not that I don't think I can protect you.
Mika McCammon: It's that it is spreading faster than anyone can predict or control.
Mika McCammon: I want us to be as far away from this thing as possible.
Nicky McCammon: I guess that makes sense.
OPTION 3: Tell him to man up.
Mika McCammon: Your father was a coward. You don’t want to be like him, do you?
Nicky McCammon: That's what you always tell me.
Mika McCammon: He was. He was the kind of man who hurt others when he was afraid.
Mika McCammon: I don't want you to be anything like him when you grow up.
Nicky McCammon: I don't, either.
Mika McCammon: Well, neither does your grandma. And she's dying to see you.
END CHOICE BLOCK "Nicky's coldness"
Mika McCammon: C'mon. Let's go get packed.
Mika McCammon: We're leaving first thing in the morning.
Nicky McCammon: Alright.
Nicky turns off the TV and gets up.
Nicky McCammon: Do you think Grandma will need help in the garden?
Mika McCammon: Probably! One more reason to get lots of rest.
Mika McCammon: Grandma's not an easy boss...
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Int. Mika's Bedroom
Later that night.
You stare at the packed bags littering the floor that now represent your life and wonder how it ever came to this.
Only one thing remains left to pack.
You go to the safe in the back of your closet and open it.
There is a .38 special snub-nosed revolver inside.
You take it out.
Mika McCammon: Hmm... let's see.
Mika McCammon: Check cylinder--okay, good, it's empty.
Mika McCammon: The gun is safe.
Mika McCammon: No rust. Sure glad I oiled this thing.
You haven't fired the revolver since your concealed carry permit class a few years ago.
Aiming in a safe direction, you make a firm grip and dry-fire it a few times as a refresher.
You cannot imagine what it would take for you to actually shoot a human being.
But if there is one thing your life experiences have taught you, it's "better safe than sorry."
Nicky McCammon: Mom...?
You spin and see Nicky standing in the bedroom door.
You didn't hear him open it.
Mika McCammon: You're supposed to be in bed.
Nicky McCammon: Holy crap. Is that a gun...?
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "Gun explanation"
Mika McCammon: Well...
OPTION 1: It's for self-defense.
Mika McCammon: Yes.
Mika McCammon: But I only bought it to protect us.
Mika McCammon: There are a lot of scary things happening in the world right now.
Mika McCammon: And a lot of scary people.
Mika McCammon: I'm not planning on shooting anyone with this revolver.
Mika McCammon: But if someone were to try to hurt you, or me, for that matter...
Mika McCammon: ...I would do what I had to do to defend us.
Nicky McCammon: Meaning, you'd kill them?
Mika McCammon: Only if I had no other choice.
OPTION 2: The law might break down.
Mika McCammon: Nicky, sweetie...
Mika McCammon: I hate that we're even having this talk right now.
Mika McCammon: But, given the circumstances...
Mika McCammon: If we get in trouble right now, there may not be anyone coming to help us.
Mika McCammon: Do you understand what I'm saying?
Nicky McCammon: Like, raiders and mutants and stuff?
Mika McCammon: Probably not, but you never know.
Mika McCammon: Think of this revolver as a shield.
Mika McCammon: If anything bad happens, at least we can take care of ourselves.
Nicky McCammon: Cool...
OPTION 3: It's you and me now.
Mika McCammon: There's no way I can sugar-coat this.
Mika McCammon: We're on our own from here on out.
Mika McCammon: Things are going to get worse. Much worse.
Mika McCammon: The rules have changed.
Mika McCammon: People who can't fend for themselves are going to suffer.
Mika McCammon: Many are going to die.
Mika McCammon: But you and I are never going to be victims again.
Mika McCammon: Ever.
Nicky McCammon: That's so badass, mom...
Mika McCammon: Excuse you?
Mika McCammon: Just because the world's ending, doesn't mean you get to swear, pal.
Nicky McCammon: Sorry.
END CHOICE BLOCK "Gun explanation"
Nicky's eyes slip past you to the back of the safe.
Nicky McCammon: Um,... mom?
Nicky McCammon: You didn't buy that gun because of dad, did you...?
You turn and follow your son's gaze to the photo resting where the gun was.
It's the last photo you still have of your ex, Ryan...
...of Nicky's dad.
Mika McCammon: No, sweetie.
Mika McCammon: But I don't think we need to worry about daddy right now.
Mika McCammon: All that matters to me right now is that you're safe.
Mika McCammon: Now, c'mon. Go get in bed.
Mika McCammon: We've got an early day tomorrow.
Nicky McCammon: Alright. Night, mom. Love you.
Mika McCammon: I love you so much.
Nicky goes to bed.
You put all your bags by the door, hesitating as you slip the revolver into one of the zippered pockets.
You burn the photo of Ryan and throw the ashes in the garbage bin before getting into bed.
You don't sleep at all.
There is too much noise and fear.
The bumps outside your window. The constant wail of sirens. A few scattered instances of distant gunfire.
You toss and turn until dawn, unable to sleep more than thirty minutes a stretch.
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "no sleep"
You simply can't stop thinking about...
OPTION 1: You and Nicky dying in the wilderness.
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Wilderness
You can't stop picturing what life looks like for you and your son after today.
You can't stay in the city.
But you don't think you have what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness, either.
If, for some reason, you're forced to flee your mother's farm...
...or, if you never make it there to begin with...
...your best bet will probably be to find a group of like-minded people and band together.
But what if there are no other people...?
What if all that awaits you when you leave this house is a cold and bitter end?
You picture holding Nicky to your breast as you both breathe your last...
Shivering to death in some frozen waste, with nothing but the hard ground and an empty belly...
You've never been the praying kind.
But you find yourself whispering to your ceiling, pleading to anyone who may be listening...
Mika McCammon: Please, don't let anything happen to my son.
OPTION 2: The end of America as you know it.
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Ruins
A rabbit hole of ever-worsening scenarios unfurls in your mind about the fall of the United States.
About what life will be like once there's no more easy potable drinking water, electricity, or food...
What the world will look like without its lone superpower...
What will happen to the global economy without free and open shipping lanes...
What America's enemies will do in the inevitable power vacuum that follows...
If and when the borders will close, and imports and travel will cease...
What will happen to the 330 million people stuck together inside this country as it collapses...
If the video games and gangster rap really did desensitize us all to ultra-violence like the pundits said...
...or maybe even taught us to enjoy it...
What human life will be worth in the Land of the Free, once $1000 can't even buy a loaf of bread...
What monsters will come to feast on the corpse of the richest, most powerful nation in history...
If there will even be monsters left... or anyone, at all.
OPTION 3: Killing your ex.
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Prison Cell
You feel horrible that Nicky saw you holding the revolver.
Even worse that you lied to him about the reason you bought it.
The truth is it was 100% because of that abusive asshole who calls himself Nicky's father.
An old, familiar fantasy surfaces of shooting your ex-husband in the face.
You feel sick that such a thought can even exist in your brain.
But after what he did to you and Nicky...
How are you supposed to feel?
You wish he'd gone to jail or died in a car crash.
But it's pointless now. You and Nicky got out.
You just pray Ryan doesn't somehow find you...
...especially now that the world is in freefall.
END CHOICE BLOCK "no sleep"
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Olga's Farm
The one thing that eventually calms you enough to doze off is picturing your mother's farm.
You get an hour or so of poor, restless sleep before Nicky wakes you.
Ext. Mika's House - Day
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: Mika's House Ext.
Mika McCammon: Alright! Car's packed. We got everything?
Nicky McCammon: Yep! Think so.
Mika McCammon: Do you need to go potty one more time before we hit the road?
Mika McCammon: It's a two-hour drive to grandma's if the roads are clear...
Mika McCammon: ...and that is a big if today.
Nicky McCammon: First of all don't say "potty." I'm not five.
Mika McCammon: Well, I'm thirty-five, and I still say "potty.".
Mika McCammon: Everyone else I know does, too.
Nicky McCammon: Salem doesn't.
Mika McCammon: You know what?
Mika McCammon: Get in the car, and you can just hold it.
Nicky McCammon: Whatever, mom.
Mika McCammon: Oh, no! He's starting with the whatevers! What will I do?
Nicky McCammon: Ugh. Stop.
Mika McCammon: Oh, before I forget. I have something for you.
You thought long and hard about giving Nicky the taser.
It feels like the right decision.
You produce the small, rectangular plastic and metal shape from your pocket and hand it to him.
Mika McCammon: This was in the safe.
Mika McCammon: I want you to have it.
Mika McCammon: Even if you never use it, it will make me feel better knowing you can defend yourself.
Nicky McCammon: Is this a taser...?
Nicky McCammon: Cool!
Nicky McCammon: How does it work?
BEGIN CHOICE BLOCK "Taser"
Mika McCammon: If you think you need to tase someone, remember the following:
OPTION 1: Don't use it unless you absolutely have to.
Mika McCammon: This is only for "just in case."
Mika McCammon: Do not tase anyone unless it is absolutely necessary.
Mika McCammon: And definitely don't use it on me.
Nicky McCammon: Tase you? Got it.
Mika McCammon: Ha. Ha. Ha. Wow. You are so funny...
OPTION 2: Trust your gut.
Mika McCammon: Learn to listen to your gut.
Mika McCammon: You'll know who is and isn't a threat.
Mika McCammon: When that little voice inside you says, "This person intends to hurt me?"
Mika McCammon: Run away.
Mika McCammon: And if you can't run away? Zap 'em.
Nicky McCammon: Sweet! Thanks, mom!
OPTION 3: Zap them until they drop.
Mika McCammon: Don't hesitate or take any chances.
Mika McCammon: If someone gets too close to you, or acts threatening...
Mika McCammon: Aim that at their eyeball and zap the shit out of them.
Nicky McCammon: Mom!
Mika McCammon: What? I'm a grown-up. I'm allowed to swear.
END CHOICE BLOCK "Taser"
Mika McCammon: Okay. We ready to roll?
A familiar voice echoes nearby, stopping you dead in your tracks.
Ryan McCammon: Mika? Nicky...?
You instinctively step in front of Nicky as his father appears at the bottom of your driveway.
Like a slow-motion dream, your hand dips into your purse and grips the revolver.
But you don't take it out.
Mika McCammon: Ryan, stay right where you are.
Mika McCammon: Do not come any closer.
Just as you always knew would happen if this day ever came, he completely ignores you.
Ryan McCammon: Mika, I'm so grateful I found you.
Ryan McCammon: Nicky! Hey, buddy. Long time no see...
Ryan takes a step toward you up the driveway.
Ryan McCammon: Look, I know this is a scary time for all of us...
Ryan McCammon: ...and we didn't leave things on the best terms.
Ryan McCammon: But we'll get through this together...
Ryan McCammon: ...as a family.
As your ex-husband extends his hand to reach for you and your son, you see it.
Ryan's hand is almost totally transparent.
He is infected with the Vanishment.
The panicked look in his eyes finally makes sense.
The disease is entering the advanced stage.
Ryan doesn't have more than an hour or two to live.
Mika McCammon: You're infected.
Ryan McCammon: I need you Mika... Nicky...
Ryan stumbles toward you as fresh tears burst down his cheeks.
Ryan McCammon: I'm sorry I was so terrible to you...
Ryan McCammon: Mika, I'm scared...
Ryan McCammon: Please just let me hold you.,,
Ryan McCammon: Both of you. Please...
In one smooth motion, you draw the revolver and aim it at Ryan's chest.
Mika McCammon: One more step and you're a dead man.
Mika McCammon: This is not a drill, Ryan.
Mika McCammon: Do not come any closer to me or my son.
Mika McCammon: I will shoot.
Ryan McCammon: Mika... put the gun down. It's me.
Ryan McCammon: I'm your husband!
Mika McCammon: Were.
Mika McCammon: Now, you're just a threat. Back off.
Nicky McCammon: Mom? Are you really going to shoot him?
Ryan McCammon: Listen to him, babe. Christ! We're a family!
Mika McCammon: I said. Back. OFF.
Ryan McCammon: KeKe, I'm begging you.
Mika McCammon: One more step.
Mika McCammon: Take one more step, and I will blow your goddamned head off!
Ryan McCammon: No! You let me hug my SON!!--
Ryan lunges to grab Nicky.
You pull the trigger.
Transition: Dissolve - Slow
Background: None
SFX: BANG!
(To be continued...)