Hard Fall: First Draft 1950's Script

Remember, a lot has changed since I wrote this, so don't expect the same thing just in novel form. I would like to write a zombie story set in the 50s, though. It would be very interesting to use Communism and the Cold War in a zombie plot. Of course, that would require I touch up on my history a bit...

Here's the Hard Fall draft.

INT. Ryder's apartment, bedroom - Day

Beams of sunlight shine through the white blinds that cover the one window in the room. The Queen-sized bed is in the middle of the room. Sheets on the right side are shuffled and out of place. A wall of pillows lines the left side, on top of the sheets, untouched. The room is covered with a very ugly 1950's style wallpaper--retro green with brown pin-stripes.

On top of the hope chest at the end of the bed is several 1950's editions of the magazine MY HOME. On the table along the right side of the bed sits a picture frame. Inside, a picture of RYDER, a fit, 20 year old, black-haired confident man with his arm around VIOLET, his girlfriend, same age, with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a pretty summer dress. They are leaning on a red 1951 FORD COUPE. Both look radiant and untroubled. Also on the table is an open notepad. The words WEDDING PLAN IDEAS is scribbled on top of the page, with nothing underneath.

In one corner, a large black military duffel bag is propped up. It looks stuffed, bulging. It's tied shut. Scattered on the floor around the bag is pages of a newspaper. The front page is face up--it reads, IMPENDING SOVIET ATTACK?

In the other, a frame to a baby crib with piles of blue and pink clothes inside. On the top of the pile, a fluffy brown teddy bear.

INT. RYDER'S APARTMENT, central room - day

The room is clean and tidy. It too is covered with ugly wallpaper, except this is a light blue with yellow and green flowers. One half is arranged like a living room. The other half is the kitchen. The room is split by a bar, with three stools with metal legs underneath and a fruit basket on top. The sunlight from the windows is the only light.

A very small 1950's box television with a long pair of antennae sticking from the top is facing two recliners and a small sofa that clashes with the wallpaper. A black and white cartoon is playing silently on the television.

A Coffeematic coffee machine GURGLES. Steam rises above, the sun gleaming against it through the window above the sink. The small yellow refrigerator is HUMMING, then suddenly COUGHS to a stop.

The cartoon on the television becomes grainy, then goes to pure static.

Ryder emerges from the bathroom, wearing shorts and a white t-shirt. He moves a toothbrush around in his mouth with his tongue like a lollipop. He walks to the television. He moves the antennae, waits, wiggles them more violently, then shrugs and starts to actually brush his teeth, heading back into the bathroom. As he walks away from the television, it turns to black from the edges of the screen to the center. He shuts the bathroom door.

A RUMBLE from outside, muffled. Then the floor VIBRATES slightly. A pause, then a louder RUMBLE, followed by another VIBRATION.

The bathroom door opens. Ryder is frowning, confused and curious. He goes to the window above the sink and peers outside, still brushing his teeth.

EXT. 1950's HARRISBURG SUBURBS, apartment complex, roof - day

Thick clouds of black smoke rise in the distance, from within the city. Faint SIRENS and occasional POPS of gunfire. A jet fighter zips by overhead, going towards the inner city. Another flies from the city, directly over the apartment. It is a F-86 SABRE.

INT. RYDER'S APARTMENT, CENTRAL ROOM - DAY

Ryder backs away from the window. He pulls out his toothbrush and throws it in the kitchen sink carelessly. As he walks towards the bedroom, a very loud THUNDER makes him duck. The apartment shakes violently. Plates CRASH against the floor from the kitchen.

Ryder falls over. His breathing becomes audible and heavy. He scampers into the bedroom on his hands and knees, struggling to come to his feet.

INT. RYDER'S APARTMENT, BEDROOM - DAY

Ryder, now on his feet, goes directly to the corner and picks up the bag. He grunts as he tosses it onto the bed. It lands heavily with a THUMP.

Ryder looks around the room, frantic. He throws open the dresser drawers and grabs some clothes.

INT. RYDER'S APARTMENT, CENTRAL ROOM - DAY

Another THUNDEROUS BOOM, this time in sync with the quake. The coffee falls from the counter onto the floor. Hot coffee spills and quickly spreads across the tiled floor, steaming excessively.

Someone runs by the door to the apartment building's inner hallway, THUMPING loudly.

INT. RYDER'S APARTMENT, BEDROOM - DAY

Ryder stuffs clothes into the bag, which is almost overflowing with clothes and supplies. He is now wearing a white button-up shirt and black slacks with a belt. A marked map falls out. He folds it and crams it into is back pocket. A gas mask, binoculars, and a sheathed bowie knife sit next to the bag, in addition to M1949 military mummy bag and a tent kit. The sheath for the knife is very worn and scratched.

He pauses, looking around the room. He sees the picture frame of him and Violet and opens it. He gently picks the picture up and folds it. He reopens it, looks down at it, bites his bottom lip, and refolds it. He slides it into his front right pocket. He glances at the notebook, moves his hand towards it, but moves towards the crib.

He grabs the teddy bear off the pile of clothes and places it in the bag.

Ryder finishes packing and ties the tent and mummy bag to the duffel bag. He bends backward and puts his arms into the bag's straps. He winces as he straightens to stand. He puts the gas mask and binoculars around his neck. The knife goes in between the belt and the slacks.

INT. RYDER'S APARTMENT, CENTRAL ROOM - DAY

Ryder briskly walks over to the door to the hallway. He begins to open the door, but stops and turns towards the kitchen. He shuts the door. Ryder walks to the refrigerator, steps around the spilled coffee, and opens the fridge. Scanning the contents, he pushes some SWANSON T.V. DINNERS to the side and grabs two glass bottles of soda (preferably Coca-Cola) and takes off his bag.

Ryder opens the bag and wraps the bottles in clothes. He carefully places them in the bag, ties it shut, and heaves the bag back onto his back.

Ryder rushes to the door and opens it.

Int. Apartment complex, second floor hallway - day

The hallway is dim. The overhead lights are off. A window at the end of the hallway is the only light. A garbage can lays on the floor, trash spilling out and down the hall.

Ryder peers outside, looking both ways. No one. He steps out runs to the stairwell door. He doesn't shut his door.

int. apartment complex, stairwell - day

The light seeping through the door frame struggle to illuminate the stairs. There is no window. Ryder jogs down the stairs, skipping every other step. A woman's SCREAM echos down from above. Ryder doesn't stop. He throws the door to the lobby open forcefully.

int. apartment complex, lobby - day

The lobby is nothing more than a service desk, a couple of folded metal chairs, mailboxes, a U.S. Army propaganda poster, and some fake foliage. The only light is from the front door leading outside. PEOPLE are running past the door outside. Muffled SCREAMS and SHOUTS come from the front door.

A BALDING MAN, 40s, rather short and still in his sleepwear, and a SOBBING WOMAN, 50s, long, curled graying brown hair, wearing only a blouse and underpants, rush in front of Ryder, coming from another stairwell. The Balding Man is pulling the Sobbing Woman along by her hand. She is SOBBING uncontrollably, gasping for breath. The Balding Man glances at Ryder, showing a crazed and frantic look, then faces towards the front door.

The couple rush to the front door. Ryder follows behind, cautious. As they open the door, the SCREAMS and SHOUTS immediately become louder. Ryder stops and begins to put on his gas mask.

The couple stop on the sidewalk just outside the door. The door shuts and the sounds are again muffled. The Balding Man looks to the left, then suddenly dives into the street. A POLICE OFFICER comes leaping from the left and tackles the Sobbing Woman. She slams to the ground, her torso and head sliding to the right, past the door frame and out of view. The Police Officer remains on top of her. The Balding Man looks towards the Sobbing Woman, horrified, and darts away. The Sobbing Woman's legs kick up and down, then stop.

Ryder stands frozen, holding the gas mask over his face, unable to continue to put it on.

The Police Officer sits up on his knees and looks around. Blood runs down from his mouth. His skin is pale. His eyes find Ryder. The Police Officer stares, wide-eyed, teeth clenched. As he breathes through his teeth, blood flies and sprays into the front door's glass.

A door behind Ryder SLAMS open. Ryder jumps, the gas mask snapping against his face as he lets it go. He backs against the wall. A SCRUFFY MAN, overweight, 40s, holds a shotgun. He pulls it up and aims at Ryder. He pauses. Ryder glances at the front door, then looks back at Scruffy Man. The Scruffy Man looks at the front door, swings his gun towards the door and shoots. A deafening BANG followed by a high pitched RINGING.

Ryder moves towards the door, stumbling. The Police Officer is strewn on the sidewalk, twitching. Ryder steps on broken glass from the door. It CRUNCHES under his boots.

Behind Ryder, Scruffy Man--barely visible--fires another shot, and another, and then is tackled to the ground by three figures.

Ryder stops momentarily, turning his head so his right ear faces back into the lobby, then looks to the ground, then forward again. He steps through the door frame where the glass was previously.
 

Hard Fall

Today's the day I'm starting Hard Fall, a story I've been developing for a year or two now. What you need to know: It's a somewhat expansive look at the outcome of a zombie-infested America through the eyes of a man trying to find his pregnant wife-to-be. That's a pretty simplified version of the plot. I hope to get the first couple chapters done in the next several weeks at the very least.

I'll be posting songs and pictures depending on what scenes I'm writing, as a lot of inspiration is coming from them, especially a playlist I have on my ipod.

While I struggle to get the first pages done (always the hard part in my opinion), I'll post a screenplay version I did in my screenwriting class. Just keep in mind that a lot's changed, and that I realize I broke some rules (more than five lines of description in a paragraph happens a lot, deal with it).

Eli himself won't make an appearance, but the film is a big influence.

Back...again, for good? Let's hope so

So it's been forever since I've even logged in. For all I know, it could've been really popular...of course, that's not the case, and that's fine. This is for me, to encourage myself.
Anyways, I'm finally done with my least favorite semester of college, done with all my senior projects, done with pretty much anything that's been hanging over my head. Meaning I can finally start writing again. And I'm actually feeling pretty inspired.
It's my Christmas break, so I get to just chill and do whatever for about a month. I really want to start one of my larger projects, so that's what I'll be talking about in the next couple days. The first couple "scenes" (not writing it as a screenplay, though it was originally) are all planned out. Hopefully my hard drive won't die again, like it did last time I started this story.
On a side note, I plan to start a tumbr as well...though that will probably be more of my personality and fun stuff (not that this isn't fun) instead of my depressing blog posts and writing examples.
I've also changed a couple scenes in the small amount of The Quietside I posted...always editing :)
Here's a hint at what my next project is going to be about...I take no credit for the image. I'll probably post some thoughts on using pictures and music to help inspire stories soon too, including some playlists.