PAGE 1
PANEL 1
EXT. DARK AND FILTHTY ALLEY. LATE NIGHT - BLUE "LIGHTING"
FULL PAGE PANEL - OVERHEAD SHOT
Looking down into an alley, It is neglected, somewhat short, narrow and cluttered with trash, broken derelict furniture, a couple of dumpsters, broken pavement. The only light comes from the moon, full in the sky. We can see two shadowy figures, one at each end of the alley. One is Male, tall, disheveled, menacing, disfigured and hideous, bloody nose. He stares down the alley at his opponent. You can't really make out their details much. It is a short woman, hair in a ponytail. She stands firm and confident with her feet shoulder width apart.
PAGE 2
PANEL 1
Close up of MENACING MAN sneering with his bloody nose. He is repulsive and through his sneer we see a pair of gleaming fangs. He is a VAMPIRE.
PANEL 2 & 3
Closer shot of the lower half of the WOMAN at the end of the alley. We are drawn to her right leg. A mechanized panel on the outside of her right calf seems to have swiftly opened and shot something up into the air before just as swiftly closing with an audible subtle *click*.
PANEL 4
Close Up - MENACING VAMPIRE unable to really comprehend what has happened. Somewhat unable to hid his confusion or, better yet, surprise.
PANEL 5
CLOSE UP - MENANCING VAMPIRE wipes the blood from his nose and snarls.
PAGE 3
PANEL 1
WIDE SHOT - Back to the WOMAN at the end of the alley. She is
sprinting towards MENACING VAMP, clutching something tightly in her right fist. We can tell by the outline it is a wooden stake.
PANEL 2
WIDE SHOT - Right as the WOMAN gets close enough to attack MENACING VAMP with the stake, he leaps into the air flipping over and landing directly behind her. (I see this as an action shot in one panel. Struggling to find the best way to articulate this. A series of specific shots, points along his path of motion where we see his foot in the air in front of her, another then above her, and his full body behind her. I drew it in storyboard)
PANEL 3
MEDIUM SHOT - Without changing her expression, the WOMAN knocks MENACING VAMP backwards with one simple yet powerful backfist from her right hand that still clutches the stake. We see her clearly now.
WOMAN is short, medium to pale skin, a few freckly across her nose, she has long thick dark chestnut hair which she wears in several French braid from her bangs to her crown, with all of her hair pulled back into a somewhat high ponytail. No makeup to really speak up, she wears a worn black leather motorcycle jacket, white generic t-shirt, black yoga pants, and thick black combat boots.
PANEL 4 - 5
MEDIUM SHOT - While MENACING VAMP lays startled in a puddle, WOMAN forces her right foot down on MENACING VAMP'S chest. He is surprised by the crushing weight from such a tiny woman. Who, even though is of small stature, seems to tower over him. He tries to grab at her foot but his futile attempts are casually swatted away.
PANEL 6
Medium shot from the perspective of MENACING VAMP looking up at WOMAN.
WOMAN look down at MENACING VAMP and chides:
"Didn't your momma ever teach you not to go wandering down dark alleys all by yourself?"
PAGE 4
PANEL 1
Close Up looking down at MENACING VAMP from WOMAN'S perspective.
MENACING VAMP gurgles
"HOW?! Who are you?"
PANEL 2
WIDER SHOT showing both characters,
WOMAN
"That's an excellent question. I'll have to give that some thought."
WOMAN Lunges down sharply and plunges the wooden stake deep into his left breast. He looks at her in shock and agony as he grasps for the stake in his chest.
PANEL 3
MENACING VAMPIRE Bursts into a cloud of embers and ash that engulf the WOMAN as she remains hunched over where the MENACING VAMP had lain.
PANEL 4
WOMAN stands to dust herself off and inhales to sigh. Incidentally she inhales some of the ashes and begins to choke.
PAGE 5
PANEL 1 & 2
She stands gasping for air, coughing and gagging, trying desperately not to vomit. The chunks and ashes of the remains of MENACING VAMP cover her especially her hair.
She complains out loud to herself in between gagging:
"DAMMIT, EMMA! When will I learn.. NOT .. to breathe... when they do that?! Oh, God... I'm going to be tasting him for a WEEK!"
PANEL 3 & 4
Wider shot - WOMAN now known as EMMA continues to catch her breath, thunder tears through the sky above her heralding the downpour that immediately follows.
EMMA drops her arms and stands dejected as the rain turns the ashes/remains in her hair and face into a slurry, caking the disgusting mess that much more into her hair, skin, eyes and clothes.
EMMA
"OF COURSE. As if evil undead guy in my MOUTH wasn't enough. Best job ever."
PANEL 5
Wide show of EMMA storming off down the alley into the rain and into the dark.
PAGE 6
PANEL 1
EXT. 2 YEARS AGO EVENING/TWILIGHT RURAL/SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD
Front yard of a brick ranch style home. Older slightly rusty blue Dodge pickup truck in the driveway. A young man, tall, worn jeans and t-shirt, short, disheveled curly hair, and glasses, bursts out of the front door angrily and storms to the truck.
PANEL 2
As the young man swings open the heavy driver's side door with a loud creak, another man in his mid forties with similar features and also wearing glasses, nicer jeans, cable knit sweater, wavy brown hair peppered with grey, come out of the front door chasing after the YOUNG MAN.
PANEL 3
The YOUNG MAN peels out in the truck and drives off. A woman appears in the front door. Long deep auburn, touch of grey with heavy waves. She is dressed in a long heavy beige sweater with think turtle neck and black leggings.
WOMAN:
"John, honey come back inside.
PANEL 4
WOMAN ( stands next to JOHN with a gentle hand on his shoulder. She is several inches shorter than him.
WOMAN:
"Let's do our best to enjoy the rest of the evening. EMMA leaves for school in the morning and SHAE has cheerleading camp next week. JIMMY will cool off and come home later. Let's all just go downstairs and watch the movie!"
PANEL 5
JOHN embraces his wife, smiles at her. She is a breath of fresh air for him. She is very lovely. Long dark wavy hair still shines in her late 40's. She bats her large brown eyes at him, pleading with him. She is heartbroken to see him and her son fight.
JOHN
"Ok, Kathryn."
PANEL 6
With his arm around his wife's tiny frame, JOHN kisses her on the forehead and they walk towards the front door that glows with the warm inviting light from the living room. He speaks.
JOHN
"Let's go, shorty. What movie are we watching tonight?"
KATHRYN
"The Wrath of Kahn."
JOHN
"Great! I haven't seen that one in a whole week!"
PAGE 7 PANEL 1
INT. BASMENT
From the perspective of standing at the back wall of and looking out towards the front of a large, mostly unfinished basement with cheap paneling on half of the walls. We see a couch towards the middle of the room and to the left, where EMMA and her younger sister, SHAE, a 15 year old girl with a long light brown hair in a high ponytail, freckles, and large brown eyes, are seated. In front of them is a wood plank coffee table and in front of that a large console television. To the right against the concrete basement walls with those the usual rectangular basement windows, there are tall metal shelves. Towards the front of the basement against the front wall, we see a flight of stairs descending from the right. There is that same paneling covering the outside of the stairs with an air hockey table in front of it.
JOHN and Kathryn are descending from the stairs.
EMMA
"Don't worry, Dad. He'll be back in the morning. He feels bad too."
PANEL 2
John sits on the couch between his daughters.
JOHN
I hope you're right, sweetie. Now, who's got the popcorn?
SHAE (HOLDING A LARGE BOWL OF POPCORN)
"I do!"
PANEL 3
JOHN faces SHAE and shoves a large hand deep into the popcorn bowl causing popcorn to fly out.
SHAE (GIGGLING)
"Daddy! Save some for the rest of us!"
The doorbell rings from upstairs.
PANEL 4
All four characters look at each other confused.
PANEL 5
JOHN gets up and heads up the stairs while KATHRYN, EMMA, and SHAE huddle on the couch sharing the popcorn.
JOHN
"I'll get it. If it's any of the neighbors, your mother will be up there all night."
PAGE 8 PANEL 1
JOHNS hand on the door knob of the front door.
PANEL 2
JOHN has opened the door and we see two clean cut men in polo shirts and khakis. One is blonde the other dark haired.
BLONDE MAN
"Excuse me, sir. But, our car broke down. We've been on a road trip. Our phones died and then our car broke down. Do you have a phone we can use really quick?"
PANEL 3
JOHN escorts the BLONDE MAN to the side table where the phone is and the DARK HAIR MAN shuts the front door behind them.
JOHN
"Sure, boys. There's a landline on the table next to the couch. My kids make fun of me for keeping it. But, I never have to worry about it's battery dying! Can I get you two anything to drink while you wait?"
PANEL 4
JOHN has turned to face the two men. JOHN'S face is one of shock and horror from what he is seeing.
"My God..."
PANEL 5
Both men's faces have distorted into a mutated, disgusting, vampiric form. Like their skin has been twisted and remolded. Their eyes are yellow, their fangs jagged and gnarled.
BLONDE VAMP
"How kind! We happen to be positively PARCHED!"
PAGE 9 PANEL 1 - 2
Both VAMPS grab JOHN and throw him.
PANEL 3
JOHN lands on the other side of the living room near the fireplace, opposite the basement door in the hallway.
PANEL 4
JOHN's eyes notice the fireplace tools next to him.
PANEL 5
JOHN grabs the fire poker
PAGE 10 PANEL 1
JOHN swings the fire poker wildly at his attackers who laugh at his attempt to save himself and his family.
PANEL 2
DOWNWARD ANGLE MEDIUM SHOT (MAYBE SORT OF FISH EYE?) of KATHRYN, EMMA, and SHAE huddled , frozen on the couch looking up, scared and confused, at the ceiling. Sound bubbles showing the thuds, bangs, and laughter from upstairs in the living room. All three women "GASP" at the sounds as they stare at the ceiling.
PANEL 3
WIDE SHOT - KATHRYN stands from the couch and slowly walks towards the stairs. The girls bed her silently, or very hushed to come back to them on the couch. They are terrified by what they are hearing. KATHRYN shushes them.
PANEL 4
DOWNWARD ANGLE MEDIUM SHOT - KATHRYN, wide eyed with fear carefully makes her ascent up the stairs. Sounds continue to emanate from the living room.
PANEL 5
TIGHT SHOT - KATHRYN'S Socked feet climbing the stairs as the screams and laughter and bangs continue and get louder as she approaches.
PANEL 6
TIGHT SHOT - KATHRYN reaches the top of the stairs to the basement door that is not quite closed. Her hand gently touches the door and begins to gently push it open more.
PANEL 7
TIGHT SHOT - We see the basement door from the living room. The door is cracked open an inch or more, we see KATHRYN'S face frozen in utter horror and despair.
PAGE 11 PANEL 1
Perspective is KATHRYN'S through the crack of the door. The two VAMPS are beating JOHN with the fireplace tools. They are laughing.
PANEL 2
TIGHT SHOT ON JOHN - With Each blow of the fire poker and shovel, blood flies into the air.
PANEL 3
Blood splashes into the face of the DARK HAIR VAMP and the BLONDE VAMP points and laughs at him. They are drunk on the carnage.
PANEL 4
JOHN is still conscious and rolls, groaning in pain.
PANEL 5
JOHN'S eyes fall on KATHRYN'S
PANEL 6
KATHRYN'S eyes stream tears down her cheeks, pooling on her chin.
PAGE 12 PANEL 1
The VAMPS continue their assault.
PANEL 2
TIGHT SHOT - JOHN keeps eyes on KATHRYN
PANEL 3
TIGHT SHOT JOHN'S BLOODY MOUTH - and mouths "RUN".
PANEL 4
Back to KATHRYN, she looks torn and unable to reconcile what she must do next.
PANEL 5
TIGHT SHOT KATHRYN'S MOUTH - she mouths "I LOVE YOU" without breathing.
PANEL 6
MEDIUM SHOT JOHN - His eyes roll back. He is gone.
PAGE 13 PANEL 1
The VAMPS are on all fours like dogs, lapping at and slurping the blood on JOHN and the floor.
PANEL 2
MEDIUM SHOT KATHRYN at the basement door, the light from the living room illuminating part of her face through the crack of the door.
PANEL 3
MEDIUM SHOT KATHRYN socked feet slowly trying to back down the stairs.
PANEL 4
MEDIUM SHOT KATHRYN socked feet continue down the stairs. But, the next step makes a loud "CREAK".
PANEL 5
KATHRYN freezes and covers her mouth with both hands.
PANEL 6
The VAMPS stop their gorging and jerk towards the basement door.
PAGE 14 PANEL 1
With lightning speed the VAMPS Are at the basement door, the light from the living room at their back, they faces are darkened and their yellow eyes gleam. Covered in JOHN'S blood, they see KATHRYN and grin menacingly.
PANEL 2
KATHRYN whips around before they can grab her and let's out an urgent, terrified "RUN!!!!!" for her girls to make their escape.
PANEL 3
WIDE SHOT BASEMENT - KATHRYN'S dangling feet and legs are visible from the drop ceiling at the top of the stairs. SHAE stands in front of the couch with her back to us. EMMA is sprinting for a window above the large shelves against the right wall.
PANEL 4
MEDIUM SHOT DOWNWARD ANGLE - EMMA looking panicked trying to climb the slick metal shelf.
PANEL 5
TIGHT SHOT - EMMA'S socked feet slipping off of the shelf.
PANEL 6
EMMA trying to climb the shelf, realizing SHAE is not with her to give her a boost. She looks back at her little sister who stands frozen with fear staring at the tops of the
stairs.
PANEL 7
EMMA spins around looking for a place to hide and she spies the crack in the paneling under the stairs behind the air hockey table. She thinks to herself:
"Our old 'clubhouse'"
PAGE 15 PANEL 1
WIDE SHOT basement from EMMA'S point of view at the basement window. We see SHAE standing with her back to EMMA by the couch, staring up at the stairs. And to the right we see the cracked paneling wall under the stairs with the air hockey table in front of it.
PANEL 2
EMMA looking panicked yet determined, runs for SHAE and the "clubhouse".
PANEL 3
CLOSE UP of EMMA'S hand reaching to grab SHAE'S arm to drag her with her.
PANEL 4
KATHERINE'S feet dangle below the dropped ceiling at the top of the stairs as blood trickles down her legs and swings feet and a loud hungry growl is heard from the vampire obviously feeding from her.
PANEL 5
CLOSE-UP of profile of SHAE, in shock, terror, tear stricken. She screams:
"MOMMY!!!!"
PANEL 6
CLOSE-UP of EMMA, devastated, afraid, tears stream down her face. Thinks to herself"
"Now they know you are down here!"
PANEL 7
CLOSE-UP of SHAE'S arm snatching out of EMMA'S grasp.
PAGE 16 PANEL 1
SHAE runs up the stairs towards her wriggling and dying mother in the clutches of one of the vamps, while fear compels EMMA to continue her dash for the 'clubhouse'. All EMMA can hear is the pounding of her heart in her chest.
PANEL 2
EMMA slides under the hockey table. Her heart beating like a panicked drum in her ears.
PANEL 3
EMMA fits her finger tips into the cracks of the paneling and pulls it back; a small and old door is visible behind it. Her heart still pounding away.
PANEL 4
EMMA pushes the door open and hurls herself inside. 'Thump- Thump Thump-Thump' her heart races loudly.
PANEL 5
EMMA pulls the paneling back into place and shuts the tiny door. Her heart deafening in her ears.
PANEL 6
EMMA squished herself as far back as she can go in the closet under the stair and tries to make herself as small of a ball as possible. She covers her ears with her hands and squeezes her eyes shut tight. The floor is littered with small old toys, books, comic books, a couple of leftover candles. A soft green glow emanates from a forgotten clock radio in a far corner. SHAE'S frantic footsteps are heard on the stairs above EMMA.
PANEL 7
The DARK HAIRED VAMP tosses KATHERINE aside and snatches SHAE by the throat in one movement.
PAGE 17 PANEL 1
DARK HAIRED VAMP holds SHAE close to him with one hand while he sniffs her neck.
DARK HAIRED VAMP
"Well! Looks like we have a young one!"
PANEL 2
DARK HAIRED VAMP licks SHAE'S neck
"She's fresh too! Nice and ripe and never been picked. We're gonna have fun tonight, baby girl. Too bad mommy and daddy were in too big of a hurry to die, they could have watched."
PANEL 3
CLOSE-UP of SHAE'S terror and tear stricken face, the DARK HAIRED VAMP'S grotesque and gnarled mouth curled up into a sneer showing his mouthful of jagged fangs. He groans:
DARK HAIRED VAMP
"I bet you smell like peaches."
PANEL 4
DARK HAIRED VAMP bits down hard onto SHAE'S neck and gulps deep. SHAE GASPS in sharp pain.
PANEL 5
EMMA under the stairs in the 'clubhouse'. She could hear everything including the bite into SHAE. She covers her mouth to stifle her sobs.
PANEL 6
DARK HAIRED VAMP pulls back from SHAE'S neck abruptly.
DARK HAIRED VAMP
"I better save some for later. I want you awake so you can scream for us."
PANEL 7
EMMA in the dark of the 'clubhouse' rocking with her hands over her ears and gritting her teeth through tears while sounds of torture and violence emanate from upstairs to her hiding place.
PANEL 8
EMMA in the dark of the hidey hole, zoomed out, she looks so tiny and alone. Like a dot of light in a vast blackness.
PAGE 18 PANEL 1
EMMA sits in the furthest reach of the tiny closet under the stairs. Her thoughts are full of shameful scolding.
EMMA
"Selfish! Selfish! How could you be so relieved that it isn't you?! How could you not have tried harder?! This is all my fault! Selfish! SELFISH!"
PANEL 2
She can hear the sounds of her sister being dragged down the upstairs hall and a door slam.
PANEL 3
She hears the basement door open again and footsteps on the stairs.
PANEL 4
The BLONDE HAIRED VAMP comes down the stairs and is looking around.
PANEL 5
EMMA freezes wide-eyed in her hiding space and covers her nose and mouth with both hands.
PANEL 6
BLONDE HAIRED VAMP searches the perimeter of the basement.
PAGE 19 PANEL 1
BLONDE HAIRED VAMP pushes open a door on the far end of the basement to a closet full of old books.
PANEL 2
EMMA in her hiding spot, terrified thinking frantically to herself.
EMMA
"Is he searching for me? Does he know I'm here?"
PANEL 3
BLONDE HAIRED VAMP turns for the close shutting the door and heads for the stairs.
PANEL 4
As he bounds up the stairs whistling a happy tune, EMMA feels a slight wash of relief.
PANEL 5
HOURS have passed. We can tell by the clock radio with it's eerie green glow. EMMA thinks to herself
EMMA
"They've been quiet for so long. It feels like forever."
PANEL 6
EMMA is on all fours searching carefully around the floor of the closet. From the soft green glow of the clock radio, her attention is pulled to a discarded comic.
PAGE 20 PANEL 1
CLOSE-UP of the cover of a DRACULA comic book.
PANEL 2
EMMA staring down at it fearfully and quizzically.
EMMA
"I can't be... COULD they... What else could they be? I saw what they... I heard..."
PANEL 3
EMMA gently feels around over more books and comics, she comes across a candle.
PANEL 4
EMMA searches more and finds a lighter and carefully, lights the candle.
PANEL 5
EMMA'S face illuminated by the single stubby candle she inspects her surroundings and gets close enough to the clock radio to turn it facing her and read the time. It reads 7 AM on it's face.
PANEL 6
EMMA stares confused at the clock while a subtle electrical tingling sensation shudders through her.
PANEL 7
EMMA shakes the sensation off and focuses on the time again.
EMMA
" It's just nerves. Is it really 7 am? How accurate is this clock? IF Vampires are real, they sleep during the day right? Oh God, Jimmy! Where are you, big brother? I could really use your help right now!"
PAGE 21 PANEL 1
THREE MILES AWAY AT THE SAME MOMENT
JIMMY wakes with a start.
PANEL 2
He leaps up off of an apartment floor littered in beer cans and pizza boxes.
JIMMY
"EMMA!"
PANEL 3
JIMMY kicks beer cans out of the way as he runs out of the door throwing his jacket on.
JIMMY
"I'm coming, sissy. I'm coming."
PANEL 4
He tears off in his big blue pickup truck down the road.
PANEL 5
EMMA is taking her socks off inside of her hiding place.
EMMA
"No slipping this time."
PANEL 6
EMMA takes a deep breath and pulls open the little door.
EMMA
"Ok, now for the paneling. You can do this! You can!"
PAGE 22 PANEL 1
Shaking, she sticks her hand out slowly and touches the paneling.
PANEL 2
EMMA closes her eyes and breaths deep one more.
PANEL 3
As EMMA exhales, she opens her eyes and and gives the paneling a tiny bit of pressure.
PANEL 4
The paneling silently gives way.
PANEL 5
EMMA slowly peeks out from the doorway and looks around.
PANEL 6
EMMA Crawls under the air hockey table and stands up.
PANEL 7
EMMA surveys her surroundings. She is alone in the quiet basement.
PANEL 8
EMMA looks behind her at the stairs and sees the blood splattered on the wall and pooled on the stairs. She covers her mouth in disgust and fear trying to stifle a gag.
PANEL 9
As EMMA forces herself to turn and head for the shelves under the basement window that she tried to flee through earlier, she hears the voices of the VAMPS from upstairs.
BLONDE VAMP
"Hey, do you smell that?"
DARK HAIRED VAMP
"Yeah, smells like, sniff, a candle? Is it coming from the basement? I thought you said no one was down there?"
BLONDE VAMP
"I checked, I swear! There wasn't anywhere anyone could have been!"
DARK HAIRED VAMP
"Do I have to do EVERYTHING?!"
PAGE 23 PANEL 1
EMMA panics and darts for the window with the metal shelf.
PANEL 2
The basement door flies open and the DARK HAIRED VAMP spots her.
DARK HAIRED VAMP
"HEY! Where have you been hiding? And Where do you think you're going?"
PANEL 3
EMMA makes it to the shelf and starts climbing. She feels the tingle shuddering through her again more intensely this time.
PANEL 4
The DARK HAIRED VAMP catches her by her leg and tries to pull her down.
PANEL 5
EMMA surprises herself and instinctively kicks backward, knocking the equally as surprised vampire backwards a few feet.
PANEL 6
EMMA doesn't stop to question where that power and confidence came from and climbs the shelf to the window, pulling the tiny curtain away and a sunlight bursts down in a small beam of warm and welcome light.
PAGE 24 PANEL 1
The DARK HAIRED VAMP is momentarily blinded and ducks to the side away from the sunlight.
PANEL 2
EMMA yanks open the small rectangular window and begins to tear her way up and thru it.
PANEL 3
CLOSE-UP the DARK HAIR VAMP'S hand grabbing EMMA by her right ankle as it sticks out from the top of the shelf and her left foot pushes her up and forward.
PANEL 4
EMMA - SCREAMS
"NOOO!"
EMMA tries to shake free from his grip. She feels the surge of electric sending shocking waves yet again. This time is more intense then the other times combined. She feels like a live, powerful, wire.
PANEL 5
EMMA's head and right arm are out of the window and scrambling while the DARK HAIRED VAMP keeps hold of her ankle.
PANEL 6
EMMA reaches out and grabs hold of the clothesline pole with her right hand.
PANEL 7
EMMA gets her left arm out of the window and grabs the clothesline pole with that hand as well.
PANEL 8
EMMA feels and intense and sharp, blinding pain and lets out a wail.
PANEL 9
The DARK HAIRED VAMP has dug his claws deep into the flesh of her right ankle. Blood runs and drips all over her foot and his hand.
PAGE 25 PANEL 1
EMMA, screaming through the pain, pulls with both hands, with all of her might and gets herself free from the basement window.
PANEL 2
EMMA crawls on her hands and knees away from the house into the middle of the yard in direct sunshine.
PANEL 3
EMMA flips onto her back and lays in the grass, in the sun for a moment, breathing fast.
PANEL 4
Something doesn't feel right, EMMA feels woozy and looks down at herself.
PANEL 5
EMMA'S right foot is gone. From the torn residual limb a trail of blood leads back to the basement window.
PANEL 6
the DARK HEADED VAMP holds her bloody foot in his claws and waves.
DARK HAIRED VAMP - LAUGHING MANIACALLY
"Not bad. At least I got a souvenir!"
PANEL 7
EMMA's head falls back and her eyes begin to roll.
PAGE 28 PANEL 1
We see through EMMA'S closing eyes, staring up at the sunny blue sky.
PANEL 2
EMMA is fighting against losing consciousness.
EMMA
"Jimmy... Jim.."
PANEL 3
We see EMMA'S left foot and torn right limb bleeding profusely.
PAGE 29 FULL PAGE
WIDE OVERHEAD SHOT - EMMA lying on the ground in the middle of the side yard bathed in sunlight as her life's blood drains from her mutilated right leg.
TO BE CONTINUED...