RANT

Written by Richard Gibson and Mark Pennell

Based on the novel By Chuck Palahniuk

Address Phone Number FADE IN:

EXT. BROOKLYN GAS STATION - EVENING RANT CASEY 18; anti-freeze green eyes, dirt scars tattooed up and down both forearms and wearing a cap that reads; Jesus is comin’, Better get busy. He takes the gas nozzle out and starts hosing petrol over a white Cadillac Seville and a decorated Christmas tree that is tied to the roof. A CUSTOMER watches in disbelief. He recognizes Rant. Rant catches his stare. CUSTOMER Are you... Rant grins. RANT Merry Christmas Sir! FLASH TO:

EXT. BROOKLYN GAS STATION - EVENING Two men and a woman exit the Gas Station store. ECHO LAWRENCE 23; sexy if not for her withered arm and a limp. SHOT DUNYUN 20; skinny, long hair and old school ink covering both arms and GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS 73; (once known as CHARLES CASEY) young for his age with anti-freeze green eyes and dirt tattooed scars up both forearms. He looks like an older version of Rant Casey. They see that the Cadillac is gone and there is nothing but a puddle of gas beside the pumps. SHOT That son-of-bitch. FLASH TO:

EXT. BROOKLYN GAS STATION - EVENING Echo runs to the side of the road. Trying to thumb a ride. No one will stop. She lifts her top and flashes her breasts at a car full of TEENAGE STONERS. They skid to a stop. Echo gets in, slams the door and points towards the vanishing Cadillac. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 2.

ECHO Go! FLASH TO:

EXT. ROAD - CONTINUOUS Rant crashes a red light, cutting off a Police Car. The Police car skids to a stop. The OFFICER in the Passenger seat looks from Rant to a photo on the dash. POLICEMAN It’s him! The OFFICER driving turns on the siren then floors the gas. POLICEMAN (CONT’D) This is one Adam twelve requesting assistance. We are in pursuit of Rant Casey. He is heading east on Fort Lee road, driving a white Cadillac Seville with a Christmas tree on the roof. FLASH TO:

EXT. AERIAL HELICOPTER A POV from a Police helicopter. The blue Christmas tree lights on the Cadillac‘s roof glisten below. The Christmas tree on the roof is on fire. The flames trail out behind it. The Police car is seen closing fast, warning lights flashing. Fifty yards back a convoy of cars are giving chase. FEMALE RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.) An unusually large number of vehicles are now pursuing the Cadillac, following in the path cleared by pursuing Police. Not your every day civic service, but none the less, a thank you to New York’s finest.

INT/EXT. RANT’S CAR - CONTINUOUS An Orange Dodge Charger with black stripes slams into the back of the Cadillac. Silver baubles tumble off the tree and shatter on the road. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 3.

EXT/INT. CAR The Stoned teenagers and Echo chase after Rant. Echo leans forward. FEMALE RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.) Live from the burning Cadillac, are you still on the line? The radio crackles. FEMALE RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.) Caller? Rant are you there? A moment later.

INT. ECHO’S CAR - CONTINUOUS RANT There’s somethin’ I got to say. A beat. RANT (CONT’D) The future you have, tomorrow, won't be the same future you had, yesterday. Police sirens wail and cars slam into the Cadillac as Rant talks on his phone. RANT (CONT’D) I hope you’re listenin’ Echo Lawrence. A beat. Echo stares at the radio. RANT (V.O.) Cause I love you. Tears well in Echo’s eyes. FLASH TO:

EXT. HELICOPTER - AERIAL The Cadillac is in flames. It smashes through a riverside barrier then launches into the air in super slow motion. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 4.

It hits the water and sends up a huge slow motion wave and then sinks into the murky depths. ROLL TITLES. A close up image traveling over the CASEY FAMILY TREE plays behind. There are all the extended family’s names. The dates people were born, when they died. Who married who and their children. Amongst them; Charles Casey, Hattie Shelby, Esther Shelby, Clem Casey, Patty Casey, Cleatus Shelby, Walt Casey, Chester Casey and Rant Casey. The hand of an unseen man strikes a line of red ink through the name ‘RANT CASEY’. THE TITLES END.

EXT. MIDDLETON AIRPORT - MORNING Half a dozen planes are parked around the terminal.

INT. TRANS-AMERICAN JET - CONTINUOUS CHESTER CASEY 38; anti-freeze green eyes and dirt scars tattooed up both forearms. It is clearly his first time on a plane. He is trying to find his seat. WALLACE BOYER 32; car salesman, dressed in typical car salesman style. He walks up the aisle. Chester turns. CHESTER Row 18? WALLACE I’m by the window. Chester moves aside. Wallace takes his seat. An announcement over the intercom. PURSER Ensure that your seat belts are fastened, your seat back is upright and your tray table stowed away. In the cockpit. A voice crackles over the radio. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 5.

TOWER (V.O.) Gulf Yankee Bravo this is Middleton Tower. You are cleared for take- off. PILOT Roger that Middleton tower. You have yourself a great day. CLOSE ON the throttles being pushed forward. The ROAR of the jet engines reverberates through the cabin. The plane accelerates down the runway. Chester grips the arm- rests. Wallace watches him smugly. A moment or so later the plane lifts into the air. The plane levels out into cruise. The cabin crew start the in- flight service. Wallace is reading a newspaper. Chester eyes the front headline: ‘STILL NO END TO RABIES EPIDEMIC.’ An AIR HOSTESS stops in the aisle. She looks to Wallace. HOSTESS Sir. Something to drink? WALLACE Bourbon and dry. With ice. The Hostess pours Wallace’s drink. She holds it out to Chester. HOSTESS If you would Sir? Chester passes it over. Wallace sees Chester’s rough hand wrapped around the lip of the glass. WALLACE Appreciated. Wallace puts the glass down without touching it. HOSTESS For you Sir? CHESTER Bourbon. HOSTESS With? Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 6.

CHESTER Bourbon. She hands the double Bourbon to Chester. CHESTER (CONT’D) Kindly. Chester swallows half of it in one gulp. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) You don’t become a Car Salesmen. It’s in your DNA. Not everyone can strike up a pointless conversation and then be an authority on whatever topic floats. This is a billet exclusively reserved for salesmen and Game show hosts. Wallace clears his throat. WALLACE First time on a plane? Wallace grips the arm-rests. WALLACE (CONT’D) I can tell. Chester takes another hit of Bourbon. WALLACE (CONT’D) Statistically it’s still the safest way to travel. Chester turns. WALLACE (CONT'D) How much did the ticket set ya back? CHESTER Fifty dollars. Round-trip. Wallace whistles. WALLACE That’s one heck of a deal. How do you get a deal like that? Chester empties his glass. Wallace waits. Eager for an explanation. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 7.

CHESTER First, what you have to do is escape from inside a locked insane asylum. Then you have to hitchhike cross-country, wearing nothing but plastic booties and a paper getup that won't stay shut in back. You need to arrive about a heartbeat too late to keep a repeat child- molester from raping your wife. And your mother. Spawned out of that rape, you have to raise up a son who collects a wagon full of folks' old, thrown-out teeth. After high- school, your wacko kid got's to run off. Join some cult that lives only by night. Wreck his car, a half a hundred times, and hook up with some kind-of, sort-of, not-really prostitute. Along the way, your kid got's to spark a plague that'll kill thousands of people, enough folks so that it leads to martial law and threatens to topple world leaders. And, lastly, your boy got's to die in a big, flaming, fiery inferno, watched by everybody in the world with a television set. Chester looks at Wallace’s bourbon. CHESTER (CONT’D) You drinkin’ that? WALLACE Go ahead. Chester takes it. CHESTER When you go to collect his body the airline gives you a special bargain price on the ticket. It’s called a bereavement fare. Chester takes a hit of Wallace’s drink. CHESTER (CONT’D) Simple as that! WALLACE Are you talking about Rant Casey? Chester turns to Wallace. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 8.

CHESTER Rant is not and never was his name. Buster. Buster Landru Casey is what his mother called him. That, and Buddy. WALLACE Well ain’t that something? Are you saying you’re some kind of kin to Rant... I mean Buster Casey? Chester holds out his hand. CHESTER Something like that. Chester Casey. They shake. WALLACE Whoa! Well here’s a story I can tell the wife. Wallace gives Chester his business card. WALLACE (CONT’D) Wallace Boyer Pre-loved Autos. Next time you need to trade up drop by. We give a discount for celebrities! Wallace winks conspiratorially.

GRAPHIC OVER: TWENTY YEARS EARLIER.

INT. MIDDLETON HOSPITAL - DAY A new-born baby. BUSTER CASEY (to become known as RANT), anti- freeze green eyes and full of wonder. NURSE WINSTON 24; small town pretty. She hands Buster to his mother. IRENE CASEY 16; attractive and caring. She looks concerned. DOCTOR PHILLIPS 40; clean cut, white bread, white scrubs. DOCTOR PHILLIPS Nurse. A Boost port. If you would? NURSE CHILTON 42; matronly, big bosomed and officious. She opens a packet labeled BOOST PORT and takes out a small digital socket. Two fine surgical pins extend from it’s base. She hands it to Doctor Phillips who loads it into an over- sized hypodermic syringe. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 9.

IRENE I’m still not sure. Doctor Phillips looks to Chester. DOCTOR PHILLIPS Maybe you can reassure your wife Mr. Casey? You must have been one of the first. A Boost is rare for a man of your age. CHESTER It ain’t workin’. Doctor Phillips looks puzzled. DOCTOR PHILLIPS You should let me look at it some time. Irene turns to Doctor Phillips. IRENE Will it hurt him? DOCTOR PHILLIPS Not as much as being bottom of the class. Besides, it’s the law. Irene still doesn’t look totally convinced. Doctor Phillips places the implant gun against the back of Buster’s head. DOCTOR PHILLIPS (CONT’D) Okeydokey. Here we go. Just a little prick. SNAP! The port imbeds into Buster’s skull. The two surgical pins are implanted into his Cerebral Cortex. He bursts into tears. IRENE It’s OK Angel. It’s OK. NURSE CHILTON Better a few tears now than the only child in school who can’t Boost.

EXT. CASEY HOUSE/ MIDDLETON - MORNING A plane flies high above across an expansive sky. Buster (now 9) watches it pass behind the branches of one of two lines of Oaks growing either side of a path up to the house. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 10.

Irene (now 25) exits dressed in her Sunday best. IRENE (calls out) Buster. Buster. Come on, quick sticks. Time to go. Chester (now 28) also in his Sunday best, joins her. Buster keeps watching the plane and day-dreaming. BUSTER Wish I was goin’ some place. CHESTER You are. You’re going to church. Irene turns and calls out. IRENE Grandma Hattie? GRANDMA HATTIE I’m here. GRANDMA HATTIE 57; a family resemblance to Irene, appears, still powdering her nose.

INT/EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY A Chevrolet sedan drives along a dirt road through the rural outskirts of Middleton. Chester, Irene, Buster and Grandma Hattie ride inside. They stop out front of a quaint cottage. Buster scrambles out and runs up the path. CHESTER Beats me why she don’t just ride in the car. IRENE Hush! Grandma Hattie calls out the car window. GRANDMA HATTIE Tell your Grandma Esther don’t be late. You know how Reverend Fields hates late! Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 11.

EXT. DIRT ROAD - MOMENTS LATER GRANDMA ESTHER 41; dressed in her Sunday best and wearing a hat. She looks similar to her daughter Irene. Buster looks to her as they walk holding hands. BUSTER Grandma Esther? She smiles softly. GRANDMA ESTHER Yes Buddy? BUSTER Great Grandma Hattie said... GRANDMA ESTHER ...Don’t be late. (Chuckles) We all know Reverend Fields hates late! Grandma Esther suddenly jerks and grabs at her hat. She tears it off and throws it to the ground. GRANDMA ESTHER (CONT’D) Good Lord! She toes the hat over then bends to look closer. There is a black spider with a red hourglass on its belly amongst the dust. Buster reaches for it. GRANDMA ESTHER (CONT’D) Don’t! She looks at Buster. GRANDMA ESTHER (CONT’D) It’s a Black Widow! Buster looks at her then back to the spider. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) Until indoor plumbing became the norm, black widows commonly bit the victim’s buttocks. People are now more likely to be bitten by a spider trapped inside seldom worn clothing. Like a shoe. Or a hat. Grandma Esther presses a tissue to her head. She pulls it away and sees a spot of blood. Tears well in her eyes. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 12.

A car is heard approaching. Grandma Esther turns to see a black Chrysler Le Baron with a plume of dust behind it. GRANDMA ESTHER You... May the devil take ya! She falls to one knee then looks to Buster who is frozen with fear. GRANDMA ESTHER (CONT’D) Run. Run as fast as you can child. Go get your Pa. Buster stands there, still frozen. GRANDMA ESTHER (CONT’D) If you ain’t fast enough, remember I still love ya. Buster starts running up the road. Grandma Esther collapses to the ground. A moment later the Le Baron speeds past and she is swallowed up in a cloud of dust. Buster runs as fast as he can. But not faster than the Le Baron which pulls alongside. Behind the wheel, Green Taylor Simms (aged 63). GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Where’s the fire? Buster glances over. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Damn boy. Quit running. I gotta tell you somethin’. Rant doesn’t stop. BUSTER My Grandmas been bit. I gotta get my Pa. Green reaches out the window and grabs Buster by the collar then stamps on the brakes. BUSTER (CONT’D) Let go. Didn’t ya hear. My Grandma’s been bit. Green looks into the rear view. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 13.

GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS I seen that. BUSTER I gotta get my Pa. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Your Pa. He ain’t your real Pa. Buster glares at Green. BUSTER That ain’t so! Who are ya to say so anyway? GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS I’m the one that’s telling you the truth even though you don’t want to hear it. Buster keeps struggling to escape. Green holds him tight. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Listen and listen carefully. Get yourself out and collect as many old paint tins as you can find. Say you’re collecting for the scouts. Buster spits out his words. BUSTER Let me go Mister! Green lets Buster go. GREEN I’ve said what I said. Now, go on. Run. Run get him if you must. Buster stands there staring. GREEN (CONT’D) Go on. Run!

INT. MIDDLETON CHURCH - LATER The Middleton Unified church. Ship lapped boards painted white and a steeple without a bell. REVEREND CURTIS FIELDS 55; pious and authoritarian, leads the congregation in the hymn ‘Jerusalem’. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 14.

CONGREGATION And did those feet in ancient time, walk upon England's mountain green? And was the holy Lamb of God on England's pleasant pastures seen? As Chester passes the collection plate along he senses something. His eyes dilate and his mind races. The church doors slam open. The door handle punches a hole in the vestibule wall. Everyone turns. Buster stumbles inside panting, sweating and desperate to catch his breath.

INT/EXT. CAR - MOMENTS LATER Chester, Irene and Buster speed back to where Buster left Grandma Esther. Chester is hammering the Chevrolet. He drifts around corners, doubles the clutch and heel/toes the gas and brakes as if a Rally driver. In the back seat, Buster holds on tight. Irene glances across to Chester. IRENE Where did you learn to drive in such a way? Green’s Le Baron approaches from the opposite direction. IRENE (CONT’D) Careful. There’s someone comin’. CHESTER Yep. I see him. As the cars pass Green and Chester lock each other’s eyes in unwelcome recognition. A hundred yards ahead SHERIFF BACON CARLYLE 41; short cropped hair and a demeanor as starched as his uniform gets out of his Police Trooper. A pack of wild dogs are fighting in the road ahead. He draws his gun and fires into the air. The dogs scatter to reveal what is left of Grandma Esther. CHESTER (CONT’D) Stay in the car. Chester gets out. His expression changes. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 15.

EXT/INT. CASEY HOME - TWO DAYS LATER A POV of someone entering through the back fly-screen door and slipping inside. The POV climbs the stairs. We see a distorted reflection of a man passing by framed photographs of a young Hattie, young Esther and a young Irene. The unseen man walks quietly towards Grandma Hattie’s slightly open bedroom door. He watches as she powders her face. He continues up the hall. Chester is in his bathroom shaving. He catches a glimpse of someone reflected in the mirror. Chester spins. No one is there. Chester steps out into the hallway. CHESTER Rene? GRANDMA HATTIE (calls out) Almost ready. He sees Irene’s bedroom door pull shut. Now alarmed, he bursts into the room. Just in time to see the man disappearing out the window. He leaps down the stairs, passes Irene in the kitchen. Crashes out onto the back porch to see the man sprinting for the fence. He picks up a hatchet off the wood basket and throws it. The hatchet spins through the air. The man leaps, impossibly high. He clears the fence a split second before the hatchet blade buries into the boarding up to the handle. On the opposite side of the fence, Green turns back. Green howls. GREEN You’re nothin’ but a Junk yard dog! CHESTER Next time I’ll bury it in your head. Green turns and heads towards his Le Baron across the field. Irene steps out onto the porch and sees Chester. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 16.

IRENE What in the Lord’s name are ya up to?

EXT. MIDDLETON CEMETERY - LATER THAT DAY The extended Casey family are at Grandma Esther’s funeral notably Chester, Irene, Grandma Hattie and Buster. Reverend Fields reads from the bible as the mourners sprinkle dirt onto the coffin and place flowers by the headstone. Aunt Patty lays a Poesy of white chrysanthemums on top of the rest. Rant sniffs the air. Chester sniffs as well. A bee starts buzzing around the gathering. UNCLE CLEM 72; grizzly and mean tries to wave the bee away. UNCLE CLEM Scoot! Damn interloper. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) A vial of Nasonov pheromones the size of your pinky is equivalent to five thousand honeybees scenting the air with bee attractant. CLOSE ON a second bee arriving. It is joined in quick succession by several more. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) The common honeybee, Apis mellifera, follows the scent, seeking out any cracks or openings within which to build a new hive. The Grannies, Aunts and Uncles all start shooing the bees away. Chester pulls Irene and Buster away and moves them towards the car. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) Swatting at the bees will prompt them to exude an alert pheromone, which attracts additional bees to attack. Moments later a huge cloud of bees arrive, almost blotting out the sun. Everyone starts screaming and running. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 17.

IRENE (to Chester) Grandma hattie! Chester turns back and pushes Grandma Hattie towards the car. GRANDMA HATTIE Quit pushin’! Chester has been stung half a dozen times by the time he gets her into the car. They slam the doors. A moment later Reverend Fields arrives covered in bees and stings and bangs on the windows. REVEREND FIELDS Open the door! Irene looks to Chester. IRENE Chester! Reverend Field’s Cassock is covered in bees. Chester shouts at him through the window. CHESTER Take the damn robe off! It’s covered in bees! Reverend Fields reluctantly pulls his Cassock off revealing baggy white underpants and a white under-shirt. Chester unlocks the door and Reverend Fields scrambles inside with half a dozen bees in pursuit. Chester swats with one hand and snatches with the other. A few beats later the bees are all dead. Reverend Fields looks at Chester in disbelief. CHESTER (CONT’D) Coupl’a nasty stings ya got yourself there Reverend! They all watch in horror as anyone who hasn’t made it to safety screams as their mouths fill with bees that choke, sting and smother them to death. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) The bees focus on the eyes, nose and mouth in fact any dark opening, even the ears. (MORE) Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 18. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) (CONT'D) Any carbon dioxide the victim exhales makes the bees even more aggressive. REVEREND FIELDS Shouldn’t we do somethin’? Uncle Cleatus falls to the ground wrapped up solid in bees. Hundreds more bees buzz angrily against the windows. CHESTER Not unless you’re looking to get stung! As Uncle Cleatus breaths his last Buster and Chester both feel a surge rush through them. Their pupils dilate and their minds race. Rant sniffs. His sense of smell suddenly seems even more heightened. RANT I can smell Devil’s food cake. He and Chester both turn. They hear a car start two hundred yards across the cemetery. They both see Green’s Le Baron accelerating way. IRENE What do ya see? Reverend Fields sees that Grandma Hattie is sweating and has turned ashen. She is having trouble breathing and begins convulsing. REVEREND FIELDS I don’t think Miss Hattie is at all well.

INT. SHERIFF’S OFFICE - THE FOLLOWING DAY Sheriff Carlyle has his boots up on the desk reading a file. SHERIFF CARLYLE Hantavims. You ever heard of such a thing? Across the room, DEPUTY SILAS FOSTER 24; eager to please but far from smart enough to do so. DEPUTY FOSTER Ain’t it for an allergy? Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 19.

SHERIFF CARLYLE That’s anti-histamine ya thimble head. Hantavims is from the excrement of the white-footed mouse. The mouse shits, the shit dries, then if you breathe in that shit dust the virus kills ya dead. DEPUTY FOSTER Is it something to do with something I should know? Sheriff Carlyle spits into the trash-can. SHERIFF CARLYLE When they tested old Hattie Casey’s powder puff they found it was half full of mouse turd dust. Sheriff Carlyle looks up to Deputy Foster. SHERIFF CARLYLE (CONT’D) Now how’d ya reckon mouse turd finds its way into a powder puff? Sheriff Carlyle taps his coffee mug. SHERIFF CARLYLE (CONT’D) That there is the sixty four thousand dollar question. Deputy Foster picks up Sheriff Carlyle’s coffee cup and crosses to the bench. DEPUTY FOSTER I sure wish I knowed cause I could use some money like that. Sheriff Carlyle picks a pile of photographs. They show Rant's Uncle Clem, Aunt Patty, Uncle Cleatus and Uncle Walt swollen, disfigured and dead. SHERIFF CARLYLE Killer mouse shit, a poisonous spider in a Sunday hat and four others killed by bees. Deputy Foster hands him the cup of coffee. SHERIFF CARLYLE (CONT’D) Seem somewhat apocalyptic. Deputy Foster holds out his hand. He holds two sugar-cubes. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 20.

DEPUTY FOSTER One lump or two?

INT. CASEY HOME - EASTER FRIDAY Irene sits at the kitchen table painting a picture on an egg with a needle dipped in melted wax. There are four pots on the stove, each with a different colored dye steaming inside: yellow, red, green and blue. Buster and his best friend BODIE CARLYLE 9; a younger version of his father Sheriff Carlyle but without the starched persona, enter through the back screen-door. Irene stays focused on her painting. IRENE Buster, spit out that tar you’re chewin’ and offer Bodie one of those Graham crackers over the stove. Buster stows the tar-ball behind his ear then takes the packet down. Bodie puts a jar down on the table. BODIE Ma bottled you some jam on account of your Ma and Grandma dyin’. Pa said it was kinda apocalyptic. Buster and Bodie crunch loudly on the Graham crackers. IRENE Either pull up an egg or move along. You're makin’ me nervous. Buster and Bodie sit down and each take an egg. Irene hands them both a needle. IRENE (CONT’D) Dip it in the wax then draw whatever comes into your head. BUSTER I can't figure what. IRENE Somethin'll come. Bodie starts painting. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 21.

IRENE (CONT’D) As soon as you finish we can drop ‘em into the magic dye. Buster starts to paint. CLOSE ON an egg cradled in a spoon lowering into a pot of steaming dye.

EXT. IRENE’S GARDEN - EASTER SUNDAY CLOSE ON a basket full of hand decorated eggs. Irene is hiding them amongst the flowers in garden. Buster waits in the kitchen in his Sunday best with his hands covering his eyes. Irene enters. IRENE Okay. You can go look. Irene hands him a basket. IRENE (CONT’D) Happy Easter hunting Buddy. He runs outside excitedly. He sees two eggs hidden beneath a rosebush. As he reaches for them a Black Widow spider alerts. Buster grabs the egg and drops it into his basket. He reaches for the second one. The spider raises up on it’s haunches. Buster reaches even further in. The egg but a few inches away. The spider strikes! Buster screams. He rips his hand out. There is a red and puffy spot with two tooth marks on the back of his hand. BUSTER (shouts out) I been bit!

INT. CASEY HOME - CONTINUOUS Irene is in her bedroom getting ready for church. There is one single bed in the room. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 22.

Chester enters the kitchen just as Buster bursts through the door crying with his hand held out. BUSTER I got bit! Chester takes a look and nods. CHESTER That you did. Irene enters adjusting her Sunday hat. CHESTER (CONT’D) He’s been bit. IRENE I’ll call for the ambulance. CHESTER Just fetch the bleach and some baking soda. Irene stands there frozen. IRENE He’s been bit! CHESTER Baking soda and the bleach! BUSTER Am I gonna die like Grandma Esther? CHESTER No. I reckon not. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) If you don’t die soon after being bitten by a black widow the neurotoxin a-latrotoxin spreads through the victim's lymphatic system. A common side effect is priapism. It’s nature's Viagra. A cure for erectile dysfunction. BUSTER Is this what Church is supposed to feel like? Buster looks down to the erection pressing against his pants. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 23.

CHESTER Happens every time. The poison does it. (Beat) Don’t go making a habit of it. A beat. Buster looks up to Chester. BUSTER Are you really my Pa? CHESTER Don’t see anyone else here fixing your hand do ya? BUSTER No sir. Chester nods towards Buster’s erection. CHESTER Best hold your jacket on your lap in church.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - A WEEK LATER Scorched fields stretch out to the horizon. Buster and Bodie tow a Billy cart along the road. BODIE Todd Tyler, Lou Ann Perry and some others are goin’ to the movies. BUSTER I heard. BODIE I’m just saying cos this seems kinda stupid since we ain’t even real Boy Scouts. Buster pulls two yellow kerchiefs from his pocket and hands one Bodie. BUSTER If ya look like a Boy Scout and says you’re a Boy Scout then ya is a Boy Scout. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 24.

BODIE Where’d ya get these? BUSTER Cut up one of my Ma’s dish towels. Bodie ties the home made scout scarf around his neck. BODIE Couldn’t we be collectin’ somethin’ useful like Cookies or Firecrackers? Buster pulls a note from his pocket. BUSTER This here’s like a treasure map with all the instructions on it, right down to being a Boy Scout. Bodie looks to Buster in total disbelief. BODIE Where did ya get it? BUSTER Remember that day my Grandma Esther passed... Well some crazy guy grabbed me and tells me I should go collectin’ paint tins. Then last Sunday after church I find this here note in my room. BODIE The crazy guy was in ya room? Bodie looks terrified. BODIE (CONT’D) Did ya tell ya pa? BUSTER Hell no... He says right here, don’t go tellin’ ya Pa. He then says, PS: I’m watchin’. Bodie looks around, petrified. BODIE If that stranger comes and kills me dead in my house cos of you Rant Casey, we ain’t no longer friends. Buster suddenly stops and looks across the field. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 25.

He drops the cart handle and runs towards a hole in the ground. BUSTER A burrow! Buster sniffs at the opening. BUSTER (CONT’D) Badger. But long gone. Buster reaches down the hole. BODIE You’re crazy. Could be a snake down there! BUSTER Snakes are more scared of us than us of them. Bodie watches, wide eyed. BODIE What if ya get bit? BUSTER I think I got special powers. Cause I been bit plenty and I ain’t dead yet. BODIE Feel anythin’? A Cotton Mouth snake down inside the hole opens it’s jaws. Buster’s hand slowly moves closer. The snake strikes! Buster grimaces but keeps his arm down the hole. Bodie watches in awe. BODIE (CONT’D) You like some kinda comic book Super-Hero or somethin’. Buster pulls him arm out, there are two red holes in the web of his hand. BOIDE What was it? Buster smells the bite. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 26.

BUSTER Cotton mouth. BODIE How’s it feel. BUSTER This is what church should feel like. Buster and Bodie walk back to the road and pick up the billy cart handle. Buster’s hand is red and swollen. He shakes a little as if he’s getting a chill. BUSTER (CONT’D) Let’s go collectin’.

INT. CASEY BARN - LATER The barn doors swing open. Buster and Bodie enter with the billy cart loaded high with old paint tins. BUSTER Close up the doors. Bodie swings the doors closed. Buster fetches a screwdriver, takes a tin and pries off the lid. BODIE Well? Buster looks. BUSTER Dry paint. He opens a second tin, peers in then tosses it aside. BODIE All that collectin’ for nothin’. Buster takes a third tin. He shakes it. Something inside makes a dull thud. He pries it open and pulls out something wrapped in old newspaper. He tears it open. Bodie’s widen in amazement. BODIE (CONT’D) Pirate treasure! The package is full of antique coins. Buster grins and gives one to Bodie. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 27.

BUSTER Anyone asks, ya got it from the Tooth Fairy. BODIE Open some more!

INT. CARLYLE HOME - AFTERNOON Sheriff Carlyle arrives home carrying the frustration of his day. He growls as he almost trips over an empty cardboard box. He glares at his wife. MARGARET CARLYLE 30; a homely brunette. She is watching a brand new television. SHERIFF CARLYLE What the hell is that? MARGARET It’s a television! SHERIFF CARLYLE I know it’s a television. Where the hell did it come from!? Margaret glances back. MARGARET The tooth fairy. SHERIFF CARLYLE What? MARGARET That coin you left under Bodie’s pillow turned out to be an 1884 silver quarter worth five thousand dollars. He bought us this here television. Sweet Angel. SHERIFF CARLYLE I gave him 2 quarters worth fifty cents. MARGARET (dismissive) You’re remembering wrong and I have no intention of looking a gift horse in the mouth. Sheriff Carlyle knows better than to argue. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 28.

SHERIFF CARLYLE Where’s Bodie? MARGARET With Buster Casey. Collectin’ for a Scout merit badge or some such thing. Margaret flicks through the channels. MARGARET (CONT’D) What do you want to watch. SHERIFF CARLYLE I’ve no time for that boy. Margaret surfs through the channels. MARGARET Don’t be so hard! He ain’t had an easy time, what with so many kin befalling such tragic ends. Bacon scoffs. SHERIFF CARLYLE While it’s the Lord’s business more so than mine, no Casey never paid to fix that hole in the back wall of the vestibule... That’s why God keeps collectin’ their souls. MARGARET Seems like a mighty big atonement for such a little hole.

EXT. MIDDLETON FAIR - HALLOWEEN Out the front of the Fair, a painted sign reads ‘WELCOME TO HALLOWEEN’. Reverend Fields man’s the entrance, meeting and greeting everyone that arrives. Inside a long queue of people wait to ride a small Ferris wheel. Twenty or more small children line up for the Merry go Round, eyes locked on the horse, carriage or motor cycle they are desperate to ride. There is another line out front of the Haunted House waiting for to enter. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 29.

Buster (now 16) is wearing a Boater and a candy striped vest spruiking for customers. BUSTER This here’s the scariest, most blood curdlin’ and spine chilling thing ya ever could imagine. DYLAN McBRIDE 9; chubby, red hair and freckles. DYLAN It ain’t scarey. Its ain’t nothin’ but peeled tomatoes and Jello pretendin’ to be blood and gizzards. BUSTER Is that what ya think? Then don’t be chicken. Buster disappears through the entrance. Moments later they all run out of the Haunted House exit screaming. They are covered in blood and stinking of animal entrails. LUELLA TOMMY 9; pretty with her blonde hair in curls and little tissue paper angel wings dusted with gold glitter. She vomits violently and sounds like she is saying ‘Rant’. A moment later Buster exits the Haunted House wearing a butcher’s apron, covered in blood and gizzards and grinning. REVEREND FIELDS Buster Casey! At the moment Reverend Fields says Buster, the sound of all the children vomiting drowns him out. From that point on everyone called him RANT.

EXT. MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL - DAY Prefabricated school buildings and ugly concrete paths. It is recess. Rant (now 17), Bodie (now 17), TOBY; 16, LOU ANN; 15 and SEVERAL OTHER FRIENDS. Rant stands close in front of Lou Ann. Her school blouse is stretched tight across her breasts. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 30.

RANT You ever been snake-bit? LOU ANN If I did I’d be dead. For sure. Rant rolls up his sleeves revealing the scars on both arms. RANT Badger, Coyote, Pit Viper, Cotton Mouth, Rattler then plenty more. Everyone looks on in amazement. RANT (CONT’D) Their my vaccinations against boredom. Rant leans close to Lou Ann and sniffs her neck. RANT (CONT’D) Last night you had pot pie then strawberries and cream. LOU ANN How’d you know so? Rant takes a second sniff then whispers in her ear. RANT And you’re bleedin’. Lou Ann flushes crimson. RANT (CONT’D) Ya wanna kiss me or what? A moment. LOU ANN Well. I guess... Rant kisses Lou Ann straight on the mouth. EVERYONE WATCHING Whoa!

INT. DOCTOR’S SURGERY - THREE WEEKS LATER DOCTOR SCHMIDT 54; salt and pepper hair, white shirt and a polka-dot bow tie. He sits behind his desk reading a lab report. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 31.

Lou Ann and her Mother sit opposite. DOCTOR SCHMIDT I’m sorry to say Lou Ann has Rabies. Doctor Schmidt drops the report onto his desk then looks up. DOCTOR SCHMIDT (CONT’D) It’s lucky we got it early else she could have ended up mad as a rat. Lou Ann bursts into tears. DOCTOR SCHMIDT (CONT’D) Shh! Don’t go crying! We’ll get you back to good as new. Doctor Schmidt offers Lou Ann a box of tissues. DOCTOR SCHMIDT (CONT’D) Dry off those tears and wait outside while I chat with your Mother. As the door closes Doctor Schmidt’s tone becomes serious. DOCTOR SCHMIDT (CONT’D) The truth is I've seen forty-seven such infections in as few days. Mostly girls from Lou Ann’s school. Even two female teachers. Of those, three chose to terminate pregnancies at the same time. Lou Ann’s Mother looks horrified. DOCTOR SCHMIDT (CONT’D) It’s the kind of mistake best made while a girl’s young enough to recover.

EXT. ROAD - MORNING Rant walks down the road chewing tar and kicking stones. Bodie catches up looking tired. BODIE I'm done wore out from stayin’ plugged in crammin’ for Algebra. Rant kicks another stone. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 32.

RANT I tried but I can’t Boost nothin’. Bodie looks at Rant’s Boost port. BODIE Ya reckon it’s broke? RANT Old Doctor Schmidt said it’s maybe on account of havin’ Rabies. BODIE Why don’t he just fix the Rabies? RANT Says the damage is already done. BODIE What are ya gonna do? Rant shrugs. RANT Havin’ to experience things for real seems like somethin’ more folks should be doin’. Rant takes a jar from his school bag, unscrews the lid and tips a Brown Recluse spider into his hand. RANT (CONT’D) I can’t Boost but I can remember if I just been bit. He closes his hand, grits his teeth and turns to Bodie. RANT (CONT’D) Tell me that algebra stuff. Bodie looks at Rant’s crotch in awe. BODIE You got a huge woody! RANT Its a spider bite boner. Always happens. BODIE You got any more of those spiders? Rant holds up the jar. There are a dozen more spiders inside. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 33.

RANT Tell me that algebra first.

INT. MIDDLETON HIGH CLASSROOM - LATER MISTER WYLAND 42; bookish and thick glasses. MISTER WYLAND If X equals the cosine of Y and Y is of greater value than seven, the determining factor of X must be? Rant sits at back of the class, distracted. MISTER WYLAND (CONT’D) Mister Casey? Rant fidgets. Mister Wyland walks over and slams his ruler on the desk. Rant looks up startled. MISTER WYLAND (CONT’D) The determining factor of X must be? Mister Wyland points at the blackboard. RANT As much as I’d enjoy nothing more than diagramming that equation, I can’t on account I'm suffering a chunk of pig iron so beet red it's hurtin’ somethin’ wicked. Rant stands. The class starts snorting and tittering as they see his flies pushed out so far they can see the zipper teeth. RANT (CONT’D) As a fellow matured male Mr. Wyland, I’m sure you can appreciate the potentially injurious nature of my situation. The breath rushes from Mr. Wyland. MISTER WYLAND Well I... RANT You think that maybe someone should take a look at it? Rant looks down. The class bursts out laughing. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 34.

INT. TEACHER’S LOUNGE - THE NEXT DAY PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS, Mister Wyland, the SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, and a LAWYER are in the teacher’s lounge. LAWYER My legal advice is that there should be no direct condemnation of any erections on school property. Also no school representative should attempt to resolve any said erections without a third party present. MISTER WYLAND I’ve got pupils tying shoelaces around the base of their... you know! I even caught one with a cucumber down his trouser leg! Principal Williams snorts. PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS I doubt there’s a sin written that Rant Casey wouldn't commit. He thinks. PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS (CONT’D) All those in favor of coming to a financial settlement ridding us of Master Casey say ‘I’. They unanimously shout ‘I’.

INT. PRINCIPAL WILLIAM’S OFFICE - LATER Principal Williams sits behind his desk reading a document. Rant is sitting opposite. PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS A boy who never kicked a ball nor ran as much as a yard graduates with a letter in every sport. A student that can’t Boost and by all reports never completed a single school assignment departs with a 4.0 grade-point average and honors. Principal Williams hands Rant his graduation certificate. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 35.

PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS (CONT’D) You only get one chance at life son, and short-cuts only lead to disappointment. Principal Williams hands Rant a check. PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS (CONT’D) Now leave Middleton and don’t come back.

EXT. CASEY HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON Rants exits the front door carrying a suitcase. His Mother follows behind wiping her hands on her apron. IRENE I’ve never been one much for writin’. She hands Rant an envelope. IRENE (CONT’D) So don’t go openin’ it til you get to the city. She kisses Rant. Chester exits behind. IRENE (CONT’D) On your way now. You don’t want to miss that bus. She watches as Rant and Chester walk away.

EXT. SIDE OF ROAD - DUSK Rant and Chester wait beneath a bullet riddled bus-stop sign. Rant sits on his suitcase chewing tar. RANT I got a somethin’ I need to tell. CHESTER You ain't got no secrets from me. Chester kicks Rant’s suitcase with his cowboy boot. CHESTER (CONT’D) I know you're packing nothing but them old coins. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 36.

RANT How d’ya figure? CHESTER Same as I know you talked to that man before ya come runnin’ about Grandma Esther. Rant spits a stream of black tar into the gravel. CHESTER (CONT’D) Same as I know he wiled you where to find all them coins as well as sayin’ about me not being your for- real pa. A beat. RANT Was he tellin’ the truth? Chester turns to the approaching bus. CHESTER Once you find out, get back quicker than I did. Get back and save your ma. Ya hear? The bus arrives. Rant climbs aboard. CHESTER (CONT’D) When you meet Echo Lawrence give her a big kiss and say her cholesterol tastes too high. RANT Who? The bus doors close. Chester turns and walks away as the bus leaves.

INT/EXT. BROOKLYN - AFTERNOON High above the city. Chaos and disorder from horizon to horizon. Rant looks out the bus window wide eyed at the countless people, endless cars and the city mayhem. He taps his Mother’s letter on his thigh. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 37.

As soon as the bus passes the ‘NEW YORK CITY’ sign heralding his official arrival he tears the letter open. CLOSE ON the letter. IRENE (V.O.) My precious Buddy. I used to walk down amongst the trees by the Middleton River and pretend the sound of the rushing water was passing traffic. I'd make-believe I lived in a city, full of noise with the promise that something wonderful might happen at anytime. Life ain’t like that here in Middleton. I never did get to visit that city but you going is the next best thing. I look forward to hearing all about your adventures. You’ll always be my Angel. x Your Ma. Rant folds the letter away. The bus pulls up at city hall. Above the main entrance there is a large digital CURFEW COUNTDOWN CLOCK marks off the hours, minutes and seconds until the 6:00 PM Curfew. 02:21:36 AM The BUS DRIVER makes an announcement over the bus PA. BUS DRIVER Passengers arriving in New York for the first time should proceed to the City Hall registration office for classification.

INT. CITY HALL - MOMENTS LATER Rant crosses the expansive public area carrying his suitcase. He is awe-struck. He stops to read a large sign on a wall. We see his POV. I-SEE-U ACT - NEW YORK CITY The inception of the Infrastructure Effective and Efficient Use Act, now known as the I-SEE-U act was developed as an initiative to bring about a more efficient flow of traffic. Accordingly all residents are required to report to City Hall where they will be designated as either a Day-Timer or Night- Timer according to city statutes. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 38.

The siren signalling Curfew change sounds twice a day at 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. There is a five minute warning followed by the Curfew change siren. Breaking curfew will result in significant penalties. Rant looks around. Countless people come and go. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT (V.O.) Please take a number from the ticket dispenser then wait until it is called. Rant tears a ticket from the dispenser, sits down in a plastic seat. Across the room, another Curfew Countdown clock. 02:10:36 AM. A BELL chimes. Across the room a dot matrix screen changes from reading B172 - room 26, to display B173 - room 15. Rant looks at his ticket. B193. He waits. FINALLY a bell chimes and B193 - room 13 flashes on the screen. Rant slouches in a plastic chair in room 13 as the CITY HALL OFFICIAL reads his documents. CITY HALL OFFICIAL (disbelief) Letters in every sport. A 4.0 grade- point average and graduating with honors. Rant shrugs. RANT All my hard work paid off I reckon. CITY HALL OFFICIAL Only one person in ten gets Day- Timer status stepping straight off the bus. RANT Some of us have got it, some of us ain’t! The Official takes a stamp, loads it on an ink-pad and then stops, the stamp hovering above Rant’s ID. He puts the stamp down. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 39.

CITY HALL OFFICIAL I need to see your Boost port. If you have one that is. RANT What? You think I got grades like that through workin’ hard? A beat. Rant turns and shows his port to the Official. The Official stamps Rant’s ID. “DAY-TIMER” CITY HALL OFFICIAL Day-Timer curfew is 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Countdown clocks are all over the city so no excuses. The Official looks at his own watch that displays an LED countdown of 00:01:43 AM then 00:01:42 AM. CITY HALL OFFICIAL (CONT’D) Well time waits for no man so I suggest you find somewhere to stay before the night-time scum come out. You need to notify city hall as to your address within seven days. FYI, breaches are taken very seriously and could affect your status. Consider it a privilege.

INT. APARTMENT - DUSK. SPIDER 24; pale and dressed in black. He finishes a joint then struggles to focus on his countdown watch. It reads 00:00:03. He looks at a clock across the room through blood- shot eyes. It has stopped.

EXT. CITY - EARLY EVENING Rant walks down the street carrying his suitcase. Twenty feet ahead Spider exits his apartment and walks slowly down the steps, obviously stoned. He unlocks his car that is parked out front. He clumsily pushes the key into the ignition. He turns. The engine turns slowly twice then stops. SPIDER Bugger. Spider looks up, confused. Day-Timers are hurrying home. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 40.

Twenty feet up the street the CURFEW POLICE stop Rant. CURFEW POLICEMAN ID. Rant takes out his ID and hands it over. Across the top in black: DAY-TIMER. The Curfew Policeman indicates a countdown clock on the street corner. 00:10:06 AM. It counts down the seconds. 00:10:05 AM. 00:10:04 AM. CURFEW POLICEMAN (CONT’D) Ten minutes to curfew. Hope you’re close to home. Back in his car, Spider tries his ignition again. CLICK! The battery is dead. SPIDER Shit. There is a knock on the window. Spider lowers it, red eyed. CURFEW POLICEMAN ID! SPIDER My car won’t start! CURFEW POLICEMAN I asked for an ID not an excuse. Spider takes his ID out clumsily and hands it over. Across the top in black: NIGHT-TIMER. CURFEW POLICEMAN (CONT’D) Are you stupid or just an asshole? SPIDER What? The Policeman points to a public ‘countdown clock’. It reads 00:07:45 AM and counting down SPIDER (CONT’D) But my watch says.... The Policeman turns to the JUNIOR OFFICER by his side. CURFEW POLICEMAN Impound the car and book him. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 41.

INT. GARAGE - SAME TIME CLOSE ON a key being put into a car ignition. CLOSE ON a wrist watch. The countdown reads 00:00:59, 00:00:58 and so on. Green Taylor Simms (a young 75) is behind the wheel of his black Chrysler Le Baron. The Curfew warning siren sounds. Green turns the key. The car engine fires. It’s throaty rumble echoes off the garage door. Green triggers a remote control. The garage door opens.

EXT. CITY - EVENING, CHANGE OVER The Final curfew siren ends. A countdown clock re-sets to read 12:00:00 PM and starts counting down again. Other than the Curfew Police, the streets are empty. A few moments later people and cars start appearing from every direction as Night-Timers come out. Within a few minutes the streets are alive again. Green’s Le Baron blasts into frame. He weaves through the traffic. He hits the brakes. The Le Baron screeches to a stop two feet short of a CONSERVATIVE MAN 34; polo shirt, chinos and a news- reader haircut who is running across the road. He waves to Green, apologetically. Green watches as he passes. An unreadable expression. The sign above a store nearby reads: PREMIUM BOOSTS - KNOWLEDGE AND FANTASY.

INT. PREMIUM BOOST STORE - NIGHT Shot Dunyun stands behind the counter. Echo sits on a bench behind him adjusting her wedding veil. CONSERVATIVE MAN Tell me. What’s your best seller? Shot leans on the counter. A look of destain. He drops a Boost of “LITTLE BECKY” on the counter. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 42.

SHOT DUNYUN Despite nothing actually happening, people can’t get enough of anything this little saccharine wannabe tastes, hears, sees or touches. The man reads the Boost sleeve. ECHO It’s full of hay rides and walking on a warm summer’s day so if you’re after a happy ending it’s right up your alley. Shot snorts. ECHO (CONT’D) No pun intended Sir. The man goes back to reading the sleeve. ECHO (CONT’D) Next he’ll say it's for his kid. CONSERVATIVE MAN It’s for my daughter! Echo and Shot exchange a ‘told ya so’ look. SHOT DUNYUN $22.50. Plus tax. The man hands across his credit card. SHOT DUNYUN (CONT’D) I need to unlock the security tag. Shot takes back the Boost and feeds it into the de- magnetizer. SHOT DUNYUN (CONT’D) Wanna know somethin’? The customer doesn’t know what to say. SHOT DUNYUN (CONT’D) I once took a Little Becky's Halloween Pumpkin Party Boost and re-witnessed it to add some spice. Echo smiles. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 43.

SHOT DUNYUN (CONT'D) I hooked up, plugged in, dropped a tab of acid and out-corded a transcript of the Pumpkin Party in an altered state... As such. Shot hands the Boost back. SHOT DUNYUN (CONT’D) Anyway... He smiles. Contemptuously. SHOT Enjoy your Boost.

EXT. STREET - MOMENTS LATER Rant walks past the Boost store with his cardboard suitcase in one hand and a malt shake in the other, sucking on the straw until it rasps. He almost crashes into the conservative man as he exits the store. CONSERVATIVE MAN Apologies. Rant half nods then looks to a sign out front of a building on a corner ahead: PLACES TO RENT - WELL WORTH THE LOW ASKING PRICE. A sign on the corner reads CHESTER ST. Rant mounts the steps then rings the doorbell repeatedly. A moment later the door opens. LEW TERRY 46; a weasel of a man, weasel face, weasel thin body, weasel shaped teeth. He holds his hand over the buzzer. LEW TERRY I heard the first time. RANT The sign says ya got places to rent? LEW TERRY Bein’ able to reads the first requirement. Bein’ a Day-Timers the second and havin’ money’s the third. CLOSE ON a key entering a lock. Lew Terry opens the apartment door. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 44.

Rant enters and looks around. There is a mattress on the bedroom floor. There is an answering message machine in the kitchen and mould on the bathroom walls. Rant puts his suitcase down. He sniffs the air. RANT Place smells like poison. LEW TERRY Its two fifty a week. Cash up front. Rant takes a 1897 Liberty Head dollar from his pocket and flips it to Lew Terry. RANT Should cover the first month and then some. Lew Terry inspects the coin. He tries to conceal the expectation that curses through his veins. LEW TERRY I’ll need to get it evaluated. RANT You do that.

INT/EXT. CITY - EVENING All over the city there are cars decked out as if having just left a wedding. There are brides, grooms and every other possible member of a bridal party riding inside. Just married slogans adorn the doors and tin cans tied to their fenders bounce noisily along the road. Green’s Le Baron has ‘Just Married’ written in toothpaste down each side. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) Prior to the inception of the Infrastructure Effective and Efficient Use Act, or I-SEE-U as it is now known, transportation engineers endeavored to make the road system carry more vehicles. They first studied the collateral of an accident. Echo is driving the Le Baron wearing a wedding dress and a veil that almost hides her face. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 45.

Green is in the passenger seat. Shot Dunyun is in the back. Sitting beside him is TINA SOMETHING 23; unusual, pretty but bitter and spiteful. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) They created controlled crashes, as part of a series of covert tests. It was a bit like LSD around the time of Woodstock. On paper, the government refers to the project as "Incidence Event Prompting”, but what started out as a road transport experiment soon turned into an entire subculture. It is now known as PARTY CRASHING. Echo accelerates towards a Camaro in front that has ribbons stretched from the bonnet emblem back to the door pillars and cow-bells clanging behind. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) The window is the determined time a game begins and ends. You might have a Saturday four-hour window. Or you might play a Monday all- night window from curfew to curfew. The Le Baron slams into the back of the Camaro. As they part the Camaro’s fender clatters to the road. Tina kicks the back of Echo's seat. TINA SOMETHING Call that a hit? It’s nothin’ but flirtin’. Echo scowls in the rear view. ECHO Do you even have a licence? Tina looks daggers. ECHO (CONT’D) Sorry, I just remembered you need to know how to drive to get one. Rant is walking down the street a hundred yards ahead. Tina kicks the back of Echo's seat again. ECHO (CONT’D) Quit it! Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 46.

TINA SOMETHING We ain’t got all night to find a car with a flag up. Tina kicks Echo’s seat for a third time. Echo skids to a stop. ECHO I don’t care if you are on the radio... Get out! TINA SOMETHING What? ECHO Out! Tina throws her door open and gathers up her pink bridesmaid dress. TINA SOMETHING Oh, I am so gone... Even walkin’ beats riding with a Whore! Ten feet ahead Rant stands with his hands in his pockets chewing his cheek. His tar black stained teeth make it look like there’s nothing in his mouth but a tongue. Echo is about to drive off when Green sees Rant. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Stop! They all see Rant. Shot leans out the window. SHOT DUNYUN Hey. Black mouth! Rant looks up. SHOT DUNYUN (CONT’D) You playin’? Rant shrugs. Green watches as he walks over. RANT I guess. SHOT You got gas money? Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 47.

RANT I got money. Some any-ways. Rant looks in the car and recognizes Green. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS You getting in or is there somewhere you need to run? Rant and Green locks eyes. RANT Nope, ya might say I’m through with running. Rant looks to Echo and smiles. RANT (CONT’D) Howdy Miss. Echo swings the left rear door open. ECHO You’re on left B. Rant gets in and flips Shot a quarter. Echo drops the car into gear and slips out into the road. SHOT DUNYUN A quarter? Rant is more interested in taking in the sights and sounds than he is in his official spotting duties. We see the city through his eyes. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) A driver shouldn't have to look anywhere but forward. Good backseat lookouts shouldn't watch anywhere but behind and sideways. A good shotgun handles his side and half of the windshield. A Maserati Quattroporte accelerates towards the Le Baron. Behind the wheel, KARL WAXMAN 28; bad boy good looking, ruthless and self obsessed. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) Players aren’t just looking for cars to hit. They're looking for cars already on someone's tail. The Maserati SLAMS into the Le Baron. Rant whips around. He sees Waxman’s pearly white smile. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 48.

RANT He just crashed into us! Echo glares at Rant in the rear view. ECHO What the heck? Mind your field left quadrant! Shot turns to the Maserati. SHOT DUNYUN It’s Tina with that asshole Karl Waxman. Wax and Tina are laughing so hard their breath fogs the Maserati's windshield. RANT He sure has perfect teeth! The Maserati smashes into the Chrysler for a second time squeaking it’s springs and shocks. It then drives so close it sets off the Le Baron’s parking alarm and it’s wheels bite off the trailing cans one by one. ECHO Find me a gap, NOW! Tina Something gives Wax a filthy smile. TINA SOMETHING (calling out) In about 30 seconds you’re gonna need new wheels Whore. Shot sees a blue Ford Thunderbird fifty yards back. SHOT DUNYUN Another player is comin’ in fast. Echo sees it in the rear view as it charges for the Maserati. ECHO Tag that Bitch. The Thunderbird slams into the Maserati. RANT That T Bird just totalled the Maserati and it weren’t accidental! 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 49.

Wax slams the Maserati into reverse. The transmission locks up solid. The T bird slams into it. The T bird’s grill and radiator are rammed hard into its engine. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) All my automobile accidents have felt the same. It feels like swimming through honey. Every moment uncoils as time slows down until you can recall every moment of every moment of every moment. Everything and everyone in both cars moves in super slow motion. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) As one car hits the other time slows down until every second of every boring day explodes outwards filling up the emptiness. The BRIDE in the front passenger seat of the T bird smiles as she flies towards the windscreen in slow motion. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) Every player in every accident tries to milk every sliver out of each extended moment and as those few seconds extend outward life somehow feels more important. The bride’s expression is a mix of fear and expectation. At the last moment her seat belt tightens and her head stops just short of slamming into the glass. Wax looks to the rising steam in his rear view. Tina Something dials a number on her phone. She reaches over and grabs Wax’s crutch. She gives a dirty smile. TINA SOMETHING Patch me through. A moment later we hear Tina Something over the radio of every Party Crashing vehicle on the street. Traffic crawls past as people rubber-neck for any carnage. TINA SOMETHING (V.O.) (CONT’D) Watch out for a two-car fender bender along the right shoulder, west bound at Milepost 67, on the City Center Thruway. (MORE) Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 50. TINA SOMETHING (V.O.) (CONT’D) Both vehicles appear to be wedding parties, complete with hood ribbons and tin cans tied to their bumpers. Traffic is down to a crawl as drivers rubberneck to watch the brides and grooms scream and throw rice at each other. This is Tina Something with DRVR Graphic Traffic. We know why you rubber- neck. The bride and groom get out of the crumpled T bird followed by the rest of the wedding party then start shouting abuse at Wax, Tina and the others in the Maserati. Wax slams the Quattroporte into drive. He stamps on the gas. Fifty yards down the road he clips a fire hydrant and tears the front fender off. Thirty yards later he side swipes a traffic light twisting every panel down the left of the car. Three hundred yards ahead Echo turns down a dark alley and shuts off the head lights. ECHO She is such a Bitch! Green studies Echo then turns to Shot. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS May I take a closer look at that coin? Shot flips the quarter to Green. Green turns on the visor light and studies the coin. Rant leans over from the back. RANT By the way, congratulations. Echo turns. ECHO For what? RANT Gettin’ married! Echo parts her veil. ECHO Get out of my car! Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 51.

GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Actually, it’s my car. Green passes Echo the gold quarter. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Know what it’s worth? Echo looks at the coin. ECHO It’s a quarter, so I’m guessing twenty five cents? GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS A quarter minted in 1884. Green holds his hand out. Echo gives the coin back. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Probably worth more than the car. He stays. Green gives Rant a knowing look. ECHO Okay... But you’re not a tourist black mouth. Watch your quadrant! Echo hits the gas and the Le Baron fish-tails backwards out the alley. Echo looks to Rant in the rear view. He gives a black tooth smile.

EXT/INT. MIDDLETON CHURCH - DAY Five coffins are set at the front of the church, each with a dead and pale teenager inside. Reverend Fields is delivering a sermon. REVEREND FIELDS As the bible tells in John 10:10, ‘The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy.’ And destroy he does as here today each of us knows only too well. However, the truth is, the truth according to God’s word, ‘Weep you not for putrid refuse all the better lost’. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 52.

In the front row, DENISE GARDNER 34; a chubby small town girl. Sitting beside her SEAN GARDNER 35; a male version of his wife. Denise erupts into tears. Sean puts an arm around her shoulders, awkwardly.

EXT. CHURCH - LATER The congregation mills out front. Reverend Fields makes his way around each of the bereaved. REVEREND FIELDS Margot was so full of promise. DENISE Shame on me. When I first suspected, when I had my first inkling that Margot might have rabies, I wrote it off as just play acting. Margot and her Goth friends made such a point to be rude and outlandish. It seemed as if their fondest dream was to have rabies. Like I said, shame on me. SEAN I blamed it on that music they listened to, and those Boost games. REVEREND FIELDS Blame is God’s and God’s alone to place. As the Lord tells us in Romans 14:12 ‘So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.’ Sheriff Carlyle approaches. Denise, Sean and Reverend Fields turn. Sheriff Carlyle tips his hat to Denise then shakes Sean’s hand. SHERIFF CARLYLE Denise. Sean. My condolences. He acknowledges Reverend Fields. SHERIFF CARLYLE (CONT’D) Reverend. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 53.

REVEREND FIELDS I was just saying that God’s will be done. Sheriff Carlyle doesn’t agree. SHERIFF CARLYLE As that may be, sometimes he needs a little help along. The truth is I’m findin’ it hard to just stand by when I know why there’s all those coffins in the church. Reverend Fields bristles. REVEREND FIELDS There’s a time and place Sheriff. SHERIFF CARLYLE So when might that just be? Ya see while Rant Casey may be long since gone, he’s still killin’ with his filthy disease; as good as if he was pullin’ a trigger. Parishioners turn as they hear what he is saying. SHERIFF CARLYLE (CONT’D) Why he himself ain’t dead from it, God alone knows. But as a tool of justice, I do promise that I will see him brought to account. Sheriff Carlyle tips his hat. SHERIFF CARLYLE (CONT’D) Denise. Sean. He turns and leaves.

EXT/INT. PEST EXTERMINATORS - DAY The sign above the entrance reads, LYNCH PEST EXTERMINATORS. Inside Rant sits opposite ALFRED LYNCH 50; thin, dark patches of skin necrosis on his arms. He places a jar with a Brown recluse spider inside on the table in front of Rant. ALFRED Hope you ain’t scared of spiders. Rant unscrews the lid and tips the spider onto his palm then closes his hand. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 54.

RANT You need to squeeze a bit to make ‘em bite. Rant opens his fist and drops the spider back into the jar. There is a a bite mark in the centre of his palm. Horrified, Alfred takes the jar and inspects the spider. RANT (CONT’D) It ain’t dead. ALFRED That’s the damndest thing I ever did see. RANT When do I start?

INT. SHERIFF CARLYLE’S OFFICE - DAY Sheriff Carlyle picks up the phone and dials a number on a pad. While waiting he picks up a photograph of Rant. INTERCUT BETWEEN SHERIFF CARLYLE AND AN NYPD OPERATOR NYPD OPERATOR Good morning NYPD, extension please. SHERIFF CARLYLE Mornin’ Ma’am, this is Sheriff Bacon Carlyle callin’ from Middleton. I’d appreciate it if you could connect me to Homicide. NYPD OPERATOR There’s one hundred and twenty three precincts in the NYPD Sheriff and they all have a homicide division. Sheriff Carlyle drops Rant’s photograph on the desk. SHERIFF CARLYLE Well which one’s the busiest then? NYPD OPERATOR (O.S.) That would be the 75th precinct in Brooklyn. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 55.

SHERIFF CARLYLE I’d appreciate it if you’d put me on through. NYPD OPERATOR (O.S.) Connecting you now.

INT. 75TH PRECINCT HOMICIDE - DAY A phone rings amongst the chaos of 75th Precinct Homicide. DETECTIVE TWINKIE WILLIAMS 40; overweight and scruffy has a FERAL YOUTH in handcuffs. DETECTIVE WILLIAMS Get that for me could you Romie? I’m up to my armpits in turds here. Williams turns back to his prisoner and pushes him forward. DETECTIVE WILLIAMS (CONT’D) That means you shit for brains. Across the room. DETECTIVE ROMIE MILLS 34; Italian American, masculine, humorless and hardened by dealing with relentless crime. DETECTIVE MILLS What the hell is it with you and the phone? Mills rolls his chair over and answers the call. DETECTIVE MILLS (CONT’D) Mills. CUT BETWEEN SHERIFF CARLYLE AND DETECTIVE MILLS. SHERIFF CARLYLE This is Sheriff Carlyle callin’ from Middleton. DETECTIVE MILLS And? Sheriff Carlyle lifts up the photograph of Rant. SHERIFF CARLYLE I’m currently investigatin’ what I believe to be a case of mass killin’s here in Middleton. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 56.

DETECTIVE MILLS Never a dull moment out there in Middlebrough I guess Sheriff. SHERIFF CARLYLE That’s Middleton Detective Mills. DETECTIVE MILLS Middleton. Right - What can I do for you Sheriff? SHERIFF CARLYLE I’ve reason to believe my prime suspect has relocated to your where a bouts. DETECTIVE MILLS (distracted) Is that so. SHERIFF CARLYLE I’m sending through his photograph along with some material detailin’. The victims all died on account of bein’ infected with Rabies. DETECTIVE MILLS Rabies? As in a mad dog? SHERIFF CARLYLE Affirmative. DETECTIVE MILLS Shouldn’t you be calling a vet or something? SHERIFF CARLYLE FYI Detective, when carried by a human rabies can be transferred via a simple kiss killin’ the victim in well under a month and it spreads like wild fire in heat. DETECTIVE MILLS Well... Thank you for the heads up, I’ll be standing by the fax machine. Sheriff Carlyle smiles. SHERIFF CARLYLE Much obliged Detective. Mills hangs up. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 57.

DETECTIVE MILLS There’s the reason I’ve never traveled further than Pittsburgh. Sheriff Carlyle leans back with his boots on the desk. SHERIFF CARLYLE That rattled the cage and then some!

EXT. BURGER JOINT CARPARK - EVENING The large carpark has an unusually high number of cars with Learner Driver signs on their roofs. Including Green’s Le Baron, which Green, Rant and Shot Dunyun lean against eating fast food. Shot sucks down a frozen coke as Rant finishes half a burger in one massive bite then talks past it as he chews. RANT How about a sip? SHOT Get your own. RANT That ain’t real Christian. Shot hands the drink over. Reluctant. Rant grins then sucks hungrily on the straw. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) Party Crashing primarily appeals to people who wake up one day thinking their lives have no meaning. As for Rant Casey and yours truly, well we have quite different agenda. Rant hands Shot back his drink. A ball of spit sits on top of the straw. RANT Much appreciated. As Shot takes a sip, the spit ball disappears down his throat. Echo approaches with an arm full of junk-food. She sees Rant watching. ECHO You should just take a picture. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 58.

Rant grins. RANT In your expert opinion, what make of car has the biggest back seat? Green finishes his burger and casually tosses the wrapper into a trash can ten feet away. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS That would be the Cadillac Elderado. Rant turns. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) I suggest one with dark upholstery.

INT. SAMMY’S AUCTION - FOLLOWING NIGHT Wrecked, abandoned and impounded cars are being put under the hammer. Echo is inspecting the vehicles. Rant follows a few steps behind. Echo looks over a Buick Skylark. It has a baby seat on the roof with a realistic looking doll strapped inside. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) The "Baby on Board" events used what’s known as a mishap flag. Understandably, public reaction was less than jolly at the sight of a seemingly forgotten baby left on a speeding car’s roof. Across the warehouse an AUCTIONEER is spruiking for buyers on a totalled Mercedes. AUCTIONEER Seventy-five, seventy-five, who'll give me eighty? Who'll bid eighty? Do I hear eighty dollars? Echo opens the driver's door of a Cadillac Elderado. She punches a button on the stereo and a CD ejects. She shows it to Rant. ECHO My favorite chase mix. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 59.

She walks around the car and lifts the hood. As she bends over Rant checks out her cute rounded ass. ECHO (CONT’D) The butterfly valve is tight. It needs some lubrication. Across the warehouse a Charger sits on it’s rims with a fake Christmas tree bolted to the roof. Tina Something stands beside it. She turns and sees Echo. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) For sheer spectacle nothing surpasses Tree nights. The original idea was to tie a Christmas tree to the roof as if you were a happy family taking it home. Everyone arrives early for these rare events. The Auctioneer is still hustling to make a sale. AUCTIONEER Forty dollars. Do I have forty dollars? Come on folks, it costs more than that to fill the gas tank! Rant is resting on the Eldorado’s left front fender, watching Echo who is buried up to her shoulders in engine when Tina Something walks up behind. TINA SOMETHING Hey. Whore! AUCTIONEER Do I hear twenty-five? Twenty-five dollars? TINA SOMETHING Stop calling bogus fouls on me or I'll phone you in. Echo keeps inspecting the engine. ECHO Listen pinhead... How can I call fouls on you when you don’t even drive? AUCTIONEER Twenty! I got twenty. Do I hear twenty-five? Who bids twenty-five? 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 60.

Tina turns to Rant. TINA SOMETHING Hey you. Black teeth. Is it true you’re a Day-Timer. Rant turns. His shirt sleeves are rolled up revealing the bite scars up his forearms. RANT I reckon so. TINA SOMETHING What’s with that? Why would ya risk all those benefits to hang out with a bunch of Night-Time losers? Rant looks at Echo and smiles. Tina off Rant’s look. TINA SOMETHING (CONT’D) Really? Has your gimpy girlfriend told you what she does for work? How she makes what she spends on wheels? Rant doesn’t reply. TINA SOMETHING (CONT’D) She’s a God-damn Whore. She fucks for money. AUCTIONEER I have twenty-three. A bid of twenty-three dollars. Going once. Rant turns to Echo. RANT Is that true? AUCTIONEER Going twice... Echo twists her head to each side and pops her neck. ECHO Is what true? RANT What she said? Is it true? 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 61.

AUCTIONEER Sold! RANT Are you really my girlfriend?

EXT/INT. CITY - LATER A spaghetti junction of entwined over passes, off-ramps, on- ramps and freeways. The Cadillac Elderado speeds past. Echo at the wheel. Rant’s eyes caress her body. RANT Like it? Echo turns. ECHO (accusingly) Are you planning on taking me home as a freak for the folks back on the farm? Or is sex with normal girls just too boring? Rant doesn’t respond. Echo stamps on the brakes. The Cadillac Elderado screeches to a stop. ECHO (CONT’D) Thank you for the car, much appreciated. But if handicapped sex is your way of coping or getting a twisted thrill, I ain’t ya girl and you better take back your car. Rant studies her. Rant reaches across the seat until his fingers touch Echo’s. He lifts them to his face and sniffs. RANT Yesterday you had rolled-oat granola with maple sugar and pumpkin seeds, vanilla yogurt and dried cranberries for breakfast. The look on Echo’s face tells him he is right. Rant slides across and nuzzles his nose into Echo’s hair. He sniffs again. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 62.

Rant’s lips touch the side of Echo’s neck, just under her ear. She feels his warm breath, his lips and the tip of his wet tongue against her skin. Rant whispers into her ear. RANT (CONT’D) Last night you had Taco salad. White onions, not yellow or red, white. You had shredded iceberg lettuce and ground chicken. Echo feels her nipples press against her blouse as they harden. Rant softly kisses Echo’s eyelids. RANT (CONT’D) Two dozen Nancy Reagan’s mixed with baby's breath and white carnations. Time to throw them out. He smells then tastes Echo’s skin. His eyes closed. ECHO They were a gift. From a couple I sometimes work for. Rant pauses. ECHO (CONT’D) I know what you’re thinking but I ain’t no Whore. They might pay me to be one but it’s not that hard to talk the average white bread out of their fantasies and into a deep and meaningful. Rant kisses Echo. On the mouth. RANT Your shower head is brass, your pillow is goose-down and there’s coconut-scented candle sittin’ beside your bed. Rant unzips the pocket of his coat and reaches inside. He takes out a huge spider and turns it slowly in his hand. Echo looks at Rant with a combination of fear and excitement. ECHO Is it poisonous? Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 63.

RANT (nods) She’s called Doris. Rant's lips move down Echo’s throat, down to her chest. Echo keeps one eye on the spider as she drifts into the passion of the moment. Their breath starts to fog the car windows. Rant flinches as the spider bites his hand. RANT (CONT’D) Roll down your window. Echo opens her window. Rant leans across, the spider close to her face and reaches out into the night. He shakes the spider off his hand. RANT (CONT’D) Goodbye Dorry. Echo glances down to Rant’s rock hard erection. He lifts her chin, gently tastes the corner of her mouth. He looks into her eyes. RANT (CONT’D) And you’re still a virgin. Passion explodes... She tears off her clothes. Rant starts tasting every inch of Echo’s skin. She pulls at his hair and rips at his shirt... Then looks to the rear of the car. ECHO I’m sure glad the seats are dark burgundy.

INT. PREMIUM BOOST STORE BACK OFFICE - EVENING Shot is flicking through the recent-release titles. SHOT DUNYUN Little Becky’s country stroll, Little Becky’s Grand Canyon trip. I’m so hyped I could shit! He picks up a Boost titled ‘Deserts’. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 64.

SHOT DUNYUN (CONT’D) Now we’re talkin’. Chocolate cake, double layer and extra rich. He opens the case and connects it to his port. CUT BETWEEN SHOT BOOSTING AND THE IMAGES HE IMAGINES A POV of a huge piece of moist chocolate cake moving towards an open mouth. Shot’s expression is as if he was eating the cake. A POV of a tongue licking cake crumbs from chocolate covered lips. Shot licks his lips the same. A POV of the cake moving towards the mouth for a second time. A POV as a nose sniffs it. A look of confusion flashes across Shot’s face. He sniffs again. His eyes blink open. He pulls the Boost out of his port. He flicks through the other new Boosts. He selects one titled ‘Breakfast of Champions’. He mounts it into his port and closes his eyes. CUT BETWEEN SHOT BOOSTING AND THE IMAGES HE IMAGINES. A POV of a woman getting undressed. Shot smiles. Lascivious. The woman pushes the POV down between her legs. Shot wets his lips. He sniffs. He sniffs again. His eyes flash open and he pulls the Boost out of his port. He turns to a CO-WORKER across the room. SHOT DUNYUN (CONT’D) No scent channel! That’s two in a row. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 65.

CO-WORKER You’re messin’ with me. SHOT DUNYUN Chocolate Cake and Breakfast of Champions. CO-WORKER I ain’t much for cake but Breakfast Of Champions smelled like sweet fresh fish taco to me. Shot is troubled. SHOT DUNYUN I’m probably gettin’ a cold or somethin’.

INT. HEALTH CLINIC - SEVERAL DAYS LATER Shot enters the surgery. DOCTOR MICHAELS 42; read hair, bookish. DOCTOR MICHAELS Please. Take a seat. Shot sits down. Doctor Michaels studies his file. DOCTOR MICHAELS (CONT’D) Your blood work has come back. Shot waits for him to elaborate. DOCTOR MICHAELS (CONT’D) Tell me. Have you been in contact with any wild animals of late? Doctor Michaels looks up. DOCTOR MICHAELS (CONT’D) Because it seems you have Rabies. Shot is shocked. SHOT I’ve got what? DOCTOR MICHAELS Rabies. Or maybe you’ve been kissing. Kissing someone new that is? 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 66.

INT. APARTMENT - FLASH BACK SHOT DUNYUN Kiss me! EDITH LIBBY 22; sexy, medium height and medium build. A Hooker. She kisses Shot on the mouth. He orgasms. Hard. She slaps him as he comes. EDITH Yeah... You feel so good Baby! JUMP CUT TO: A short time later Shot pulls his jeans on. Edith ties a sash around her silk dressing gown. Shot hands her a handful of bills. She kisses him again. As she shows Shot to the door. EDITH (CONT’D) Same time next week? SHOT Of course! Shot passes a second MAN heading in the opposite direction as he walks up the hall. As he waits for the elevator, Shot sees Edith open her door. The second man heads inside and Edith closes the door.

INT. HEALTH CLINIC - PRESENT Doctor Michaels opening a cabinet and takes out a syringe, a needle and a glass vial. He draws the liquid from the vial up into the syringe. DOCTOR MICHAELS You’re lucky, once the virus takes hold there isn’t much we could do. He pushes the needle into Shot’s arm. DOCTOR MICHAELS (CONT'D) An injection a week for five weeks should see you to good as new. He pulls the needle out and looks up to Shot. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 67.

DOCTOR MICHAELS (CONT’D) Any idea as to who you might have caught it from? Shot shakes his head. SHOT Sorry. Doctor Michael looks at Shot and thinks. DOCTOR MICHAELS You can get it from exchanging saliva. Maybe sharing a drink might even be enough. Shot’s expression hardens. DOCTOR MICHAELS (CONT’D) Well, be a good idea to make your self a list of people you may have swapped saliva with and get them tested.

EXT/INT. APARTMENT - DAY Rant climbs the steps to the front door of an apartment building. He is wearing his Lynch Pest Exterminators coveralls. He presses the buzzer. A few moments later AN UPPER MIDDLE CLASS MAN answers the door. He looks Rant up and down. RANT I understand you got an infestation of spiders that you are requiring to be exterminated. The man looks at his watch. The countdown reads 03:42:15 AM. UPPER CLASS MAN You’re late. RANT Well I need to tell ya Sir, Spiders ain’t likely to be coming out before the time it is. Strange as that may be. The man is lost for a response. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 68.

Inside the man’s apartment. The man unfolds the ladder up to the loft. Rant looks up the ladder and grins. RANT (CONT’D) You wanna show me? UPPER CLASS MAN You won’t have trouble finding them. There’s a whole damn nest! Rant climbs the ladder. The man calls over his shoulder as he walks away. UPPER CLASS MAN (CONT’D) Call out when you are done. Rant climbs up into the attic. He instantly sees the family of Brown Hobo spiders who have set up home in the attic. RANT Well hello there! Rant starts collecting up the spiders and dropping them down the front of his coveralls. He pauses. He can hear something. Downstairs and across the apartment Rant can hear the sounds of two people enjoying sex. He climbs quietly back down the ladder. He tip toes silently down the hall. He looks through the crack of an open door. He sees the man and his wife both plugged into the same boost. We see the images that the boost feeds into their imaginations. Sex. But only virtual sex. Rant creeps back down the hall and into the bathroom. He takes first one then a second toothbrush out of a glass. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 69.

He licks them both.

EXT. CITY STREET - PRE-DAWN Edith Libby is walking down the street. She looks confused and disorientated. An approaching YOUNG COUPLE try to get out of her way. As they pass Edith grabs the man by his shoulders. EDITH Help me! Edith lunges at the man. She tries to bite his cheek. MAN Fuck! He hits Edith in the face. She stumbles backwards. He grabs his wife buy the arm. MAN (CONT’D) Run! Edith drops to the ground. EDITH Please! A FLASH CUT:

EXT. CITY STREET - THE NEXT MORNING A CRIME SCENE PHOTOGRAPHER takes a shot of Edith Libby dead on the pavement. Detective Williams finishes his coffee and tosses the cup aside. DETECTIVE WILLIAMS No street camera footage and no apparent cause of death. UNIFORMED POLICEMAN A Night-Timer kills a Night-Timer. Why give a damn? DETECTIVE MILLS The curfew ain’t exactly a razor wire fence. Mills turns to TWO MEN from the Coroner’s office. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 70.

DETECTIVE MILLS (CONT’D) Tag, bag and get her the hell out of here.

EXT. COFFEE SHOP - DUSK Green, Echo and Shot are stand around a white Lincoln Continental in a parking lot drinking coffee. There is a Styrofoam deer tied to the Lincoln’s roof. Green runs his hand across the hood of the Lincoln. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS It's one thing to buy a girl roses that wilt and rot, it's another to give a her a fully optioned Lincoln Continental to crash and total. Shot turns to Echo. SHOT So that’s all it takes? Echo scoffs. ECHO Hell no... In six months he has bought me a Le Sabre I couldn't total fast enough. A Cavalier that I rammed into an Audi, you remember that one. Then he bought me a Regal that I trashed a Taurus with. Oh. Wait. There was a Grand Am and a Grand Marquis in there somewhere. There was also that Lebaron that caught on fire while we were eating fondue, but maybe it shouldn't count. Shot shakes his head. SHOT Still givin’ it up for money. ECHO Don’t you fuck’n judge me. We’re exclusive. Not like you and ya penny dreadful skanks. They spot Rant as he approaches dressed in his work coveralls. LYNCH PEST EXTERMINATORS is embroidered across the left breast pocket. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 71.

SHOT (to Echo) He’s got Rabies! ECHO I know... Shot looks to Green who simply shrugs ECHO (CONT’D) (to Rant) Nice overalls. RANT Day-Timer duds. Rant looks to the Styrofoam Deer on the Lincoln’s roof. RANT (CONT’D) Who killed Bambi? Echo laughs. ECHO That the flag tonight. A hunting theme. Lets go. She gets in the car Shot grabs Rants arm. SHOT You gave me Rabies asshole. That’s why I cant Boost anymore. Rant moves close to Shot so no one else can hear. RANT Do you really just want to spend your life plugged in and living other people’s hand-me-down adventures? A beat. RANT (CONT’D) Haven’t you just once wanted to get a hit of something real? SHOT Fuck you. Echo puts down the window, throws her coffee cup aside and call out to the boys. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 72.

ECHO Rant. You’re riding Shot gun. Freaked out, Shot gets in the left rear and beside Green. ECHO (CONT’D) Buckle up. Echo starts the Lincoln and accelerates out of the Carpark.

INT/EXT. CITY A Buick Park Avenue cruises the street. Fake blood, fake deer on the roof. Four pale skinned Party Crashers inside scan for a target to tag. The GIRL RIDING SHOTGUN sees a flash of the Lincoln as it crosses the intersection ahead. SHOTGUN GIRL Next right. Pristine white Lincoln just waiting to be tagged. A BOY GIRL 22; cropped hair and sexy is driving. She accelerates after the Lincoln. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) When it comes to Party crashing, every team is looking for something concourse clean. If something with a perfect paint job drives by flying a flag, you'll go for that cherry in a flash. SHOTGUN GIRL Outside lane, a hundred yards ahead! The Buick changes lanes and closes on the Lincoln. Echo sees a bumper sticker on the car ahead. ‘Moonlight Is Enough Light’. ECHO That is right up there with ‘Magic Happens’. Rant looks to Echo and laughs revealing his black teeth. BANG! The Buick side swipes the Lincoln’s right guard crumpling it hard up against the wheel. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 73.

ECHO (CONT’D) Fuck! The Buick swerves off with nothing but surface damage. Even with their windows up, the people inside are heard laughing. Echo slams the steering wheel as the Buick accelerates away. Shot leans forward and looks at Rant. SHOT You riding shotgun or not money bags? Shot gets out and walks around to the front of the car. The guard is crushed hard against the tire making it impossible to drive. Shot pulls at it. Its jammed. SHOT (CONT’D) We ain’t goin’ anywhere. Rant gets out of the car and looks at the damage. Shot looks at Rant contemptuously. SHOT (CONT’D) Thanks Hillbilly... A wasted night. Know how long it took me to find that flag (deer)? Rant takes hold of the crumpled guard and with freakish strength pulls it off the wheel. Shot watches in total disbelief. Rant gets back into the car and shuts the door. Shot gets in a moment later. ECHO Fixed? RANT Nothing but a scuff. Echo hits the gas. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) In Party Crashing, the more front- end damage your car has the better you look. The Lincoln cruises, a little worse for wear but far from being a wreck. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 74.

GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) Having rear-end damage is the total opposite. Firstly because it marks you as being a loser. Secondly because nobody even bothers trying to tag you. Smashing into some clunker out of pity or desperation is called Mercy Crashing. The Lincoln stops at a red light. Echo glances to the rear view and sees a wreck coughing toward them, a squealing fan belt, flickering headlights. ECHO Clunker out the back! Shot turns and sees the battered car approaching. SHOT Go! The lights stays red. ECHO Green means Go! The light finally turns green. As Echo guns the engine, Rant reaches across and grabs her knee. RANT Wait! Echo turns to Rant then lifts her foot off the gas. SHOT This is total bullshit! The wreck shudders closer still. RANT Where’s ya sense of Christian charity. SHOT Last time I got soft and charitable I ended up catching rabies! A half second later the old Clunker gently nudges the Lincoln’s bumper then expires. Steam billows from it’s grill and it sinks down onto it’s shocks and dies. NEDDY NELSON 18; a skinny and awkward loner gets out. He appears despondent. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 75.

Rant climbs out of the Lincoln drinking a soda from a can. He takes a gold coin from his pocket as he walks over and flips it to Neddy. RANT For your next wheels. Neddy looks at the coin in disbelief. It is a gold 1917 Indian five dollar. RANT (CONT’D) The name’s Rant. Rant Casey. He offers Neddy a drink. RANT (CONT’D) Thirsty?

INT. CHICAS LOCAS STRIP BAR - NIGHT The main room looks as though a biker bar crashed with Marie Antoinette’s bedroom. Every pole has a girl. Every customer has a drink. Neddy makes his way past the half-naked girls soliciting for private lap dances. Neddy is sandwiched between a sign on the wall that reads, ‘NO TRANSCRIBING or OUT-CODING’ and BERNIE THE BOUNCER 35; imposing, easily three hundred pounds. Bernie drags a patron by the scruff of the neck towards the exit. He Scrunches the offending customer’s face hard up against the sign muscling Neddy out of the way. BERNIE See?! No Transcribing. If ya Boosting buddies want to see the girls - they can come down and cough up like the rest. Bernie drags the customer on to the exit. Neddy carries on through the crowd. There are thirty plus men in the bar. Some appear on edge and are acting strangely. The room lights dim. A moment later the stage lights up. CARLO (O.S.) The moment you have all been waiting for. The girl with feet so impossibly gorgeous one glimpse drives a man crazy. Give it up for the one and only VIVICA! Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 76.

The stage lights start flashing to a pulsing track. The room goes quiet in anticipation. A moment later a silver slippered foot slides into the spot-light and then Vivica steps out of the shadows, throws her head back and thrusts her hips forward. VIVICA (provocatively) Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world! The room erupts. Vivica starts dancing. A titillating tease. She slowly works the room. She slowly lowers the straps on her top. She turns back on to the room. VIVICA (CONT’D) Well should I? The crowd roars. Vivica flings her top over her shoulder and into the crowd. Money fills the air, fluttering onto the stage. Neddy scowls as an overweight and fat balding CUSTOMER pushes him out of his spot at the front of the stage. CUSTOMER Vivica! Vivica glances over her shoulder, glassy eyed. CUSTOMER (CONT’D) Show us some pink baby! Vivica turns. As the crowd see her perfectly shaped breasts they go crazy. Neddy pushes his way back to the front. Vivica gives an overtly mimed ‘what the hell’ then tears a string at each side of her bikini bottom and tosses it into the crowd. It lands right on Neddy. A TEAMSTER type standing next to Neddy tears the bikini bottoms out of Neddy’s grip. He holds them against his face. TEAMSTER (distorted) Mine! Mine! 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 77.

Neddy looks at him. He has drool running down his chin and crazy eyes. NEDDY Get a room why don’t ya? The Teamster turns back to Vivica, squinting into the lights. Vivica thrusts her left foot forward. The room goes wild. She then pulls it back. Teasing. CROWD More! More! More! Vivica thrusts her foot out again. Several other customers in the front row are drooling and twitching. Vivica pulls her foot back. VIVICA How much do you want it? The crowd explodes. Vivica thrusts her foot forward for a third time. Her shoe flies into the air. Everyone in the room goes insane as they see her perfectly beautiful foot. CARLO (on the microphone) There it is Mija! There it is! Money fills the air. Chaos fills the room. The Teamster next to Neddy launches himself into the air and onto the stage, his mouth wide open and teeth bared. He grabs hold of Vivica’s ankle. He bites down on her toes. A loud CLICK echoes around the room as his teeth snap closed. Vivica screams. Blood sprays across the Teamster’s face. Blood sprays across everyone in the front row and then some. Bernie is already half way across the room. Vivica kicks the Teamster in the face as hard as she can. The Teamster spits a mouth full of toes at her. She screams. She scrambles backwards. Bernie spins the teamster around and punches him hard in the face. The Teamster is totally psychotic. He sinks his teeth straight into Bernie’s juggler. A fountain of blood sprays over anyone within six feet. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 78.

The other infected men in the room start crashing through the crowd towards Bernie and his gushing blood. The Strippers run backstage screaming. Vivica reaches the door a beat after it slams shut. Blood is pouring from her foot onto the floor. She hammers on the door in desperation. VIVICA Open the door! The door opens. Vivica crashes inside. The door slams shut.

EXT. CHICAS LOCAS - LATER The flashing red lights of the Police cars and Ambulances out front of the club bounce off the surrounding walls. Detective Mills is interviewing Carlo out front of the club and taking notes. CARLO Its the government. They’re spreading Rabies. DETECTIVE MILLS (incredulous) The government is spreading Rabies? CARLO Where the hell you been hiding? Just like heroin in Harlem and Crack in South Central! I should've known. Any Tuesday there’s never more than a dozen here. Tonight there was fifty. They get infected, can't Boost smut so they come here drooling for the real thing. Detective Mills doesn’t write this down. Two PARAMEDICS pass with Bernie’s bloody remains. DETECTIVE MILLS Sorry about your Doorman. Carlo crosses himself. CARLO Bernie. Carlo shrugs. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 79.

CARLO (CONT’D) Cholo. Carlo sees the RIOT POLICE coming out of his club. CARLO (CONT’D) Those trigger-happy Hoda messed up my place somethin’ bad. I hope you’re gonna clean it up. DETECTIVE MILLS (sarcastic) Sure. I’ll get right on it.

INT. 75TH PRECINCT/ CAPTAIN’S OFFICE - FOLLOWING DAY CAPTAIN WILLARD 52; over weight, high blood pressure and stress lines across his face. He flicks through a stack of photographs. CLOSE ON Edith Libby dead. The Captain flicks to a second. Wade Morrison dead. His face contorted. The Captain looks up to Mills and Williams. CAPTAIN With the Amityville cluster fuck from last night there are 37 casualties another 162 reported cases and fuck knows how many are wandering around there unaware they are infected. Mills lights a cigarette. The Captain taps a NO SMOKING sign. CAPTAIN (CONT’D) Are you a literate (sic)? Mills reluctantly stubs his cigarette out. The Captain studies the Coroner’s report. CAPTAIN (CONT’D) Well the good news is, so far it’s contained to Night-Timers DETECTIVE WILLIAMS Rabies? I didn’t think that even still existed. The Captain throws the file down on his desk then takes a sip of coffee. He recoils. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 80.

CAPTAIN Cold! So, get out of my office. Don’t come back until you’ve got some answers!

INT. 75TH PRECINCT HOMICIDE - MOMENTS LATER Detectives Mills and Williams enter the squad room. Mills starts searching through the chaos on his desk. DETECTIVE WILLIAMS You lose a donut? Searching. DETECTIVE MILLS Some hillbilly Sheriff called about a guy that had Rabies or something. DETECTIVE WILLIAMS How did you find anything amongst all that shit? DETECTIVE MILLS I’ve got a system. DETECTIVE WILLIAMS Not exactly the Dewey Decimal system. Mills finds the fax Sheriff Carlyle sent him. He holds it up for Williams to see. DETECTIVE MILLS Ha... Fuck you right in your Dewey Decimal. DETECTIVE WILLIAMS Everyone gets lucky sometimes. Mills picks up the phone and dials the number on the fax. Williams looks at Rant’s photo as Mills waits on the phone. Deputy Foster answers. DEPUTY FOSTER (O.S.) Middleton Sheriffs office. Deputy Silas Foster speaking. Yellow Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 81.

DETECTIVE MILLS I need to talk to a Sheriff Bacon Carlyle.

EXT/INT CITY HALL - LATER Detectives Mills and Williams are in City Hall Records with a CITY HALL CLERK 27; effete, over-starched and over-groomed. The Clerk logs on to a computer. CITY HALL CLERK Name? DETECTIVE MILLS Buster Casey. AKA Rant Casey. The Clerk opens the data base. CITY HALL CLERK Buster Casey you say? DETECTIVE WILLIAMS That or Rant. The Official turns. Officious. CITY HALL CLERK Day-Timer of Night-Timer? DETECTIVE WILLIAMS (unsure) Night-Timer. The Clerk huffs at the Detectives then turns back to the computer, enters some information then waits in silence. CITY HALL CLERK Nothing. DETECTIVE MILLS You sure? CITY HALL CLERK More sure than you are of his name or classification.

EXT. APPLIANCE STORE - EVENING The evening news plays across all channels on the numerous televisions in the store window. Night-Timers start gathering in front of the store to watch. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 82.

NEWS READER 1 Despite the victims having died in similar circumstances, Police are refusing to confirm or deny that the suspicious deaths of a number of Night-Timers are in any way connected to... Photographs of the three victims are seen on another television.

INT. GREEN’S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS Green stands watching as he finishes his sandwich. NEWS READER 2 (V.O.) It has yet to be confirmed that the virus Rabies, most commonly transmitted by bats, dogs and other feral animals might be the cause of death.

INT. GAS STATION, CHECK OUT Echo is paying for petrol and buying munchies. She turns to the news playing on an in-store television. NEWS READER 3 Eye witness reports to hand claim that Night-Timer Wade Morrison became “agitated and aggressive” after being refused service while trying to buy cigarettes half an hour after curfew.

INT. SHOT’S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS Shot pulls his pug dog from drinking out of the toilet and gives him treat as he walks past his TV... On the TV a CONVENIENCE STORE OWNER being interviewed. STORE OWNER He was drooling. That’s the only way I can describe it. Next thing I know he is trying to bite my BEEP ear off. I tell ya’, he was BEEP insane. I’m thinkin’ I should have something kept under the counter. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 83.

Cut back to the first television channel.

EXT. APPLIANCE STORE - EVENING NEWS READER 1 Police are still refusing to comment on what many are describing to be “a major outbreak of Rabies” across the city. We pull back from the TV to see...

EXT/INT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT Neddy Nelson behind the wheel of his recently purchased New Yorker. A sign on the rear and side window in white marker reads: FOR SALE - FOURTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS. The streets are busy. People are out night cruising. Quite a few other vehicles also have ‘for sale’ signs. CLOSE ON a custom shark’s tooth grill on a Dodge Challenger. Wax is driving with Tina Something riding shotgun. There are two curb-side pickups on each rear pillar. Tina sees Neddy’s New Yorker a hundred yards ahead. TINA SOMETHING A Chrysler New Yorker with metallic cherry red paint. Concourse perfect. Wax accelerates towards the New Yorker. WAX Let the festivities begin. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS(V.O.) The person or persons who runs Party-Crashing is a closely guarded secret. As far as I can tell, no one really knows who he is. But they decide the theme. The start time, the end time and keep track fouls. Through social networking and word of mouth, its surprisingly well organized for something so subversive. But then most underground movements are. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 84.

The Dodge slams into the back of the New Yorker so hard the sprockets on the axle spindle are instantly stripped. The accident shifts time into super slow motion. Neddy’s head slowly slams into the steering wheel. When it slowly bounces back up an instant later Neddy is out cold. WAX Woohoo.. Now that’s how ya Party Crash. Tina Something dials a number. A moment later the station answers. RADIO PRODUCER (V.O.) DRVR radio. TINA SOMETHING Patch me through. Tina Something starts broadcasting. TINA SOMETHING (CONT’D) Here's a quick look at the nose to tail on the 182...

INT. ECHO’S CAR - CONTINUOUS Echo, Rant, Green and Shot cruse the street. They listen to Tina’s report coming through the radio. TINA SOMETHING (V.O.) ...The meat-wagon boys tell me the driver exhibits head injuries consistent full force contact with a steering wheel. Word is that the Driver’s injuries that may be listed as critical. All that’s left to say is dead means dead and drive time means an update every ten minutes. This is Tina Something bringing you the DRVR Graphic Traffic Report: We know why you rubberneck. They pass a smashed up New Yorker. They don’t see Neddy bleeding over the steering wheel. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 85.

EXT. CITY STREET - PRE DAWN A RABIES INFECTED WOMAN staggers down the street, slack-jawed and disorientated. A Curfew Countdown clock mounted on a street corner pole reads 00:02:13 AM. Back up the road an armored vehicle pulls to the curb. A squad of CURFEW POLICE get out. They swap small talk and jibe each other as they prepare for patrol. The curfew sirens start to sound. The woman doesn’t react. Her focus is on a man ahead. He is drunk, blurry eyed and wobbling toward her. CUT BETWEEN THE WOMAN, THE MAN AND THE CURFEW POLICE. The Squad leader calm and settled. Another day at the office for him. He glances to a street corner Curfew Countdown clock. It clicks over to read 12:00:00 AM and then start counting down yet again. SQUAD LEADER Its officially day time. For the next 10 minutes we should be the only ones on the street? Should that not be the case... Enforce the law. The infected woman starts making guttural sounds as she nears the drunken man. The Squad Leader loads a magazine into his rifle. The infected woman starts gnashing her teeth as she nears the drunken man. The Curfew Squad move down the center of a deserted road, looking for movement. Cameras scan the city looking for Night-Timers breaking curfew. Locations being radioed to the Squads. Neddy Nelson comes around. He tries to open his eyes but dried blood glues them closed. He rubs his hand across them then tears the lids apart. He tries desperately to focus. Two hundred yards ahead he sees the Curfew Police approaching with guns raised. Only yards ahead the infected woman crashes into the drunken man and bites his face. He screams. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 86.

The Squad leader fires. The bullet smashes into the infected woman’s head. She is dead before she hits the ground. Neddy scrambles over into the back seat. Terrified. His heart races. He tries to hide beneath a clutter of dirty laundry and fast-food trash. The Curfew police step up to the scene. The man reaches out for assistance. SQUAD LEADER (CONT’D) You are in violation of section 51:1 of the I-SEE-U Act. You have been duly notified of your breach and have been determined to be a safety risk, do you understand? The man clutches his wound and rolls his eyes. SQUAD LEADER (CONT’D) I’ll accept that as a ‘yes’. The squad leader shoots the dying man in the head. SQUAD LEADER (CONT’D) Call the Blood boys. Tell them they got two to bag and tag. Neddy holds his breath as they mill around the car. The Squad Leader looks in the windows of the New Yorker. SQUAD LEADER (CONT’D) I had one of these. My first car. CURFEW POLICEMAN Its got a Night-Timer plate. CURFEW POLICEMAN 2 The meter’s expired. SQUAD LEADER Leave it to traffic. The Curfew Police continue up the road. Neddy remains still until he can’t hear their footsteps any more. He breaths out then sucks in air, still hidden beneath the trash and terrified. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 87.

INT. TELEVISION STUDIO - DAY A live to air news show featuring a panel of guests and a studio audience. LYNN COFFEY 42; television presenter, blonde hard-set hair, reworked face and a carefully crafted persona. She paces the stage between her guests and the audience. LYNN COFFEY Thomas Jefferson once said that a nation needs a frontier in which to store the perennial tide of lunatics and idiots. Today our boarder is the rise and setting of the sun. Day-Timers versus Night- Timers and while you won’t read it anywhere officially, it is common understanding that night time has become the trash bin for society’s defectives. Lynn turns to the panel of guests. LYNN COFFEY (CONT’D) Councillor Galton. Would you agree? Is this the unspoken truth? GALTON NYE 50; a City Councilman, overweight and self righteous. He has no intention of answering directly. GALTON NYE You raise an interesting point Lynn. It seems that all our current troubles and unrest find root in the Night time. Night-Timers condemn me as a bigot when in fact that is far from the truth. Councilor Nye shakes his head then looks directly to camera. GALTON NYE (CONT’D) My daughter is a Night-Timer. So I understand the worries and frustrations of Day-Timers with loved ones facing the issues of the night time. Including this epidemic. Councilor Nye stops and gathers himself. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 88.

GALTON NYE (CONT’D) I still love my daughter. But I, you all of us have a civic responsibility. And God bless her, but if my daughter or any other Night-Timer turns up at our window drooling... I will defend my Day- Time family with force if necessary. Lynn Coffey turns to the studio audience and their shouts of approval and applause. LYNN COFFEY Clearly a popular sentiment. My next guest is a Professor of infectious diseases and Chief consultant to the Ministry of health and coauthor of the controversial section 51:1 of the I- SEE-U curfew Act. Please welcome Professor Phoebe Truffeau. Lynn Coffey turns to PROFESSOR PHOEBE TRUFFEAU 42; plain, hair pulled back into a severe style. LYNN COFFEY (CONT’D) Professor Truffeau, you recently discovered that the strain of Rabies that is sweeping our city has not been seen before.

INT. GREENS APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS Green sits at a table. A chart of his family tree is open in front of him. Some of the names on it have been struck through with red ink. Hattie Shelby. Esther Shelby. Clem Casey. Patty Casey. Cleatus Shelby and Walt Casey. Lynn Coffey’s news show is playing quietly in the background. PHOEBE TRUFFEAU Unfortunately that is true. Let me just say section 51:1 is there for the long term safety of the community. The I-SEE-U administration would prefer not have to impose such rigorous controls but in order to protect and serve, what choice do we have. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 89.

LYNN COFFEY A zero tolerance curfew, indefinite quarantine and random testing stations are all part of the recommended measures. PHOEBE TRUFFEAU These measures only serve to keep you safe. If you’re not infected and don’t break the curfew then you have nothing to fear. The truth is that this strain of Rabies... the one sweeping our city... There is no cure for it. No cure yet. The studio audience reacts with horror. LYNN COFFEY Are you saying that there isn’t one? Green looks up to the television. PHOEBE TRUFFEAU In cases like this there is usually an asymptomatic infectious carrier who has become immuno-compromised allowing the original strain to then mutate. We call this person ‘Patient Zero’. Once identified a vaccination can usually be synthesized. LYNN COFFEY Do we have any idea as to who Patient Zero might be? Green turns up the television. PHOEBE TRUFFEAU We are looking for this man. A copy of Rant’s ID fills the television screen. Green turns the television off. He stands totally still, deep in thought.

EXT. RANT’S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT Detectives Mills and Williams mount the steps. Detective Williams takes out a copy of Rant’s ID. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 90.

Detective Mills bangs hard on the door. LEW TERRY (O.S.) Keep your shirt on! Lew Terry walks down a hall. Peeling wallpaper and thread- bare carpet. He peers through a peep-hole in the door. LEW TERRY (CONT’D) What? Mills flips his ID up to the peep hole. DETECTIVE Open up before you don’t have to. Lew Terry opens the door and looks out. LEW TERRY What about a warrant? Mills kicks the door open. Lew Terry stumbles backwards. Mills holds up an I-SEE-U clearance. DETECTIVE MILLS This is an I-SEE-U matter. We don’t need one. Williams holds up a photocopy of Rant’s ID. His classification across the top reads, Day-Timer. DETECTIVE WILLIAMS You know him? Lew Terry looks at Rant’s ID. Screws his face. LEW TERRY He ain’t here! DETECTIVE WILLIAMS So you’re telling me a Day-Timer is still out four hours after curfew. LEW TERRY (nods) Ya want to see his room? Mills hands Lew Terry his card. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 91.

DETECTIVE MILLS Call as soon as he comes back. Capice!? Lew Terry nods. LEW TERRY (calling after them) Be sure to let the I-SEE-U folks know that I cooperated.

INT/EXT. DETECTIVE’S CAR - MOMENTS LATER As Mills and Williams get in their car. DETECTIVE MILLS What’d you think? DETECTIVE WILLIAMS Day-Timers only risk the night for one of two reasons. Sex or Party Crashing. I’m guessing our elusive Mr. Casey into a bit of both. Mills starts the engine.

INT. GREEN TAYLOR SIMM’S APARTMENT - LATER The windows are blacked out. Green enters followed by Rant. Green switches on the lights. Green has an impressive collection of antiques and historical memorabilia. Rant wanders around. He picks up an antique baseball card, one of many in a display case. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS That’s a 1949 Jackie Robinson Rookie original. He was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. RANT Ya still haven’t told me why I’m here. My place don’t have no baseball card collection or other museum stuff but it’s still my place. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Going back there would just be another bad decision. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 92.

Green switches on the television. A news programme plays. TEVEVISION ANNOUNCER (V.O.) The breaking news this evening is all focused on one man. The person believed responsible for starting the Rabies epidemic that is sweeping the city. Rant looks to the television. Green turns the volume up. TEVEVISION ANNOUNCER (V.O.) Authorities are asking anyone who has seen or knows the where-a-bouts of the man known as ‘Patient Zero’ to contact the nearest Police station immediately. CLOSE ON Rant’s picture filling the screen. TEVEVISION ANNOUNCER (V.O.) Buster or as he is more commonly known, Rant Casey is still at large and considered dangerous. Authorities ask anyone knowing of his location to contact the hot line below. RANT Dangerous? I hurt no one my entire life. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS There’s plenty of time to make up for that. Rant turns to Green and grins. RANT But I’m on the TV! Green turns the television off. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS And now you’re gone. A beat. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Roll up your sleeves. Green stares Rant down. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 93.

Rant slowly rolls up his sleeves to reveal the dirt tattooed scars up his arms. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Badger, coyote, pit viper, Black Widow, Brown Recluse, Rattler. (a beat) I know you remember me. RANT I remember. Did from the second I seen ya sitting in the car. My Pa said you were the devil. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS I told you. He’s not your Pa. Rant’s look hardens. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) I am. RANT You’re full of crap. Green takes a Boost case from a shelf. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS If you don’t believe me I’ll show you. Green opens the Boost case. RANT I can’t Boost on account of... GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Boy, there is nothing I don’t know about you. You can Boost. You just need the right kinda kick along. Green hands the Boost to Rant then crosses the room, opens a cupboard and take out a large bell jar. He holds it up for Rant to see. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Phoneutria bahiensis. The Brazilian wandering spider. Rant looks at the massive spider inside. Its leg span is well over five inches. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 94.

GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Look at those fangs. Even the smallest bite kills people within the hour. A shame because the venom makes you wood hard for hours. The spider rears up, ready to strike. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Plug in the Boost. Rant is still staring at the spider. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Not scared are you? RANT (defiant) I ain’t scared of you old man! Green plugs the Boost in. RANT (CONT’D) What ya doin’? GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Just showing you the truth. Green takes the lid off the jar. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Your hand. Rant holds out his hand. Green tips the spider into his palm. It instantly strikes. Rant’s eyes open wide. His pupils dilate. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Hell of a rush ain’t it? Rant’s eyes slam shut. His head rocks back. The Boost starts and a rush of images, sounds, tastes, smells and emotions flood Rant’s brain. INTERCUT BETWEEN RANT BOOSTING AND THE IMAGES FROM THE BOOST. A FLASH of a gray sedan on a highway. Echo is asleep in the back seat. She is only 8 years old. In the front seat, her father LAWRENCE, 32. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 95.

Her mother ALICE 30, is driving. They look at each other. A moment. Lawrence turns away. A FLASH of a car approaching. CHARLES CASEY 23; (the man we know as Green Taylor Simms). Anti-freeze green eyes and dirt tattooed scars up and down both arms. Rant sees a mirror image of himself. He reacts. RANT (V.O.) It’s me. GREEN (V.O.) Wrong. It’s me. A FLASH. Alice turns the car straight into Charles’ path. A FLASH. The two vehicles collide head on. Time shifts into super slow motion. Charles is thrown forward by the force of the crash. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS(V.O.) It all started because someone decided to study why people rubber neck every time there is an accident. Charles’ seat belt snaps tight. A FLASH as Echo flies out of the rear seat. A FLASH as Echo smashes into the back of her father’s head. Rant recognizes her. RANT (V.O.) Echo? A FLASH of Alice smashing through the windscreen then floating through the air in super slow motion. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS(V.O.) Time travel was accidentally discovered by government test crashers. (MORE) Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 96. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS(V.O.) (CONT'D) Echo's mother was one of them. She wanted to travel back to escape her life in the present. Charles sees the carnage unfolding around him in slow motion. He has time to see every minute detail. A FLASH of the side windows bursting. Fragments of glass float slowly through the air glistening like crystal. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS(V.O.) In a confirmation that she was just another selfish Bitch, Alice Lawrence decided to swerve into the oncoming traffic. Of all the cars, on all the roads, in all the world, she hit mine. She died. I went back. A FLASH of a swirling portal of energy opening up in front of Charles. A FLASH as he reaches out and touches it. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS(V.O.) At that moment time splintered and I started living a whole other life. Rant frowns. He tries to make sense of what he sees. A FLASH as Charles Casey vanishes leaving his empty car to crumple into a twisted wreck. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) Imagine two roads running parallel. A FLASH of Charles unconscious in an old fashioned looking psychiatric hospital. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) Well I jumped from one road to the other. I was still travelling in the same direction but towards a different destination. A FLASH as his eyes open. He looks around wide eyed with no idea as to where he is. A plastic ID bracelet on his wrist has UNKNOWN written on it. NURSE JANE WILCOX 36; matronly with a personality to match her ample bust and dressed in an old fashioned uniform. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 97.

NURSE WILCOX Welcome back to the land of the living. Charles tries to sit up but finds his wrists strapped to the bed. Nurse Wilcox rests a hand on his shoulder. She crosses to the nurse’s station and picks up an old style telephone and turns the handle. NURSE WILCOX (CONT’D) Our John Doe is awake. Charles looks down to his wrist restraints, his mind racing. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) Take a man with no ID, no social security number, add some crazy talk about a car crash that there’s no record of. Well, you find yourself getting of some ‘Special Care’. A FLASH of a YOUNG WOMAN 26; pretty, old fashioned dress. She pegs the last of her washing on a line. Sirens are heard in the distance. The young woman heads inside. Charles appears out of some bushes dressed in an open back hospital gown. He starts towards the washing line. As he reaches for a pair of drying pants Charles (Young Green) sees a SMALL BOY dressed as the Lone Ranger looking at him. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) In such a predicament, first instinct is to get to safety, some where you know. A place where people know you, familiar faces as such. A FLASH of an old fashioned roadside sign reading ‘WELCOME TO MIDDLETON - THE GOOD NEIGHBOR TOWN’. A FLASH of Charles walking along the road wearing the stolen shirt and pants. A FLASH of a new looking home on the outskirts of Middleton. Half a dozen recently planted Oak saplings grow either side of a newly laid concrete path. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 98.

Still Boosting, Rant recognizes his parents’ home. RANT That’s... GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Home sweet home. A FLASH of Charles (Green Taylor Simms) looking at the house, puzzled. A FLASH of the freshly painted mail box with the polished brass numbers ‘86’. A FLASH of a girl watching Charles (Green) through the front window. HATTIE SHELBY 16; pretty and mature beyond her age. Rant recognizes his Great Grandma Hattie. RANT Great Grandma Hattie? A FLASH of Hattie’s blossoming bosom pressed hard against her light summer dress. A FLASH of the thin cotton clinging to her thighs in the heat. Hattie opens the front door. Charles is walking slowly up the path. HATTIE You selling somethin’? Cos if you are my folks ain’t home. CHARLES CASEY (GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS) When did they paint the place? Hattie looks puzzled. HATTIE When they built it. I guess. A FLASH of Charles still confused. CHARLES CASEY/GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS This here’s number eighty six? HATTIE I reckon so. A FLASH of Charles now standing close to Hattie. A FLASH of Hattie’s breasts between her open dress. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 99.

Hattie sees Charles looking at them. A FLASH of Hattie’s eyes. A FLASH of her mouth. HATTIE (CONT’D) It’s hotter than Hades ain’t it? A moment. HATTIE (CONT’D) So what’s your name? A FLASH of a label on the waistband of Charles’ stolen trousers. GREEN SIMMS TAYLOR’S’ HATTIE (CONT’D) Got a name ain’t ya? A FLASH of Charles thinking. CHARLES CASEY Green Simms... Green Taylor Simms. HATTIE Green? Strange kinda name. From that day on Charles Casey has been known as Green Taylor Simms. HATTIE (CONT’D) Ya want some lemonade? A FLASH of Hattie naked on her single bed. A FLASH of Green lying over her. A FLASH of them having sex. RANT No! Rant tries to disconnect the Boost. Green grabs his wrists. They struggle against each other. Rant is strong. Green is far stronger. He tightens his hold. He crushes Rant’s wrists. Rant succumbs. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Not yet. The best part is to come. A FLASH of Green as Green orgasms. A FLASH as Green’s eyes open wide. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 100.

A FLASH as his pupils dilate. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) (CONT’D) The moment that first seed was sown and that first child was conceived, I felt a rush of energy bringing with it smarts, balls and a whole lot of other craziness. A FLASH of Green and Hattie lying back on the bed. A FLASH of Green feeling the crisp linen between his fingers. A FLASH of Green reading Hattie’s open diary across the room. A FLASH of Green sniffing the air. A FLASH of the rose petals scattered amongst Hattie’s underwear inside her closed dresser drawer. A FLASH of Green as he realizes that he can now smell, see, touch and feel far more acutely than he could before. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (V.O.) (CONT’D) Sound familiar? Green kisses Hattie on the mouth. He tastes her. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) You had Meatloaf with onions and sausage for lunch. Last night you had calf’s liver for dinner. Hattie looks at him in disbelief - he’s right. A FLASH of Green looking at a calendar on the dresser. A FLASH of the date. It is 55 years before the car crash. A FLASH of Green as he realizes. The Boost ends. Rant’s eyes blink open. Green stands over him. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) The future you have, tomorrow, won't be the same future you had, yesterday. Rant recognizes his saying. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Still don’t get it, do you? 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 101.

Rant’s mind races. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) I’m your Grandma Esther’s father. I’m your Ma’s father and your Pa’s too. It's because of me you have superhuman powers. Because I went back in time and made it so. I made us stronger, smarter, better in every way. I changed the past so that you could live a different future. A beat. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) (Mocking) Or did you think you were just born special? Green pours two generous bourbons. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Every time I went back, each ancestor I seeded made me, us stronger. Every one I killed even more so. Rant remembers how his eyes dilated at Grandma’ Ester’s death. He remembers the feeling when the bees killed his relations. He remembers seeing Green’s Le Baron. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) The moment you were conceived my father ceased to have ever existed. Rant looks at Green. He can’t accept this craziness. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) The only one left alive is your mother. Kill her and we live forever. RANT You’re shit crazy. For sure. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Why? Because I know what no one else knows. That doesn’t make you crazy son. It makes you powerful. A beat. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 102.

GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Go back. Go back and kill your ma. She’s the last. Once she’s gone we will be immortal. I would have done it myself if that ignorant Junk Yard dog that ain’t your Pa hadn’t got in the way. You. You can walk right on in and just finish it. Rant looks at Green, horrified. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Just open the door, get in a car and crash it. It’s not that difficult. It’s the kind of thing even you can handle. Rant snaps him a look of fear and destain. Green smiles. Cruel. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) You have one of two choices. Stay here and get caught and they will get you. And when they catch you they will kill you or quarantine you for the rest of your life. Or you can go back, bid your Ma goodbye and live as a god amongst men. Like the Buddha. Like Jesus Christ himself. Green puts a fartherly arm around Rant. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) You might be on the television now, but when they lock you away and paint you in blame, do you really think you will be remembered? Rant stares at Green. Thinking. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) In a week’s time someone else will be in the news.

INT/EXT. CITY - NIGHT A full moon hangs low in the sky. A Curfew Countdown clock mounted on an overpass reads 00:08:15 PM. The seconds click down. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 103.

Party Crashing teams with trees decorated with lights and decorations on the roof are cruising the strip. Christmas music blares from car stereos and wanna-be players wearing red hats trimmed with white fur are on every corner. They flash skin at the passing Players, desperate for a ride. A Cadillac Seville with a Christmas tree on the roof cruises by. The blue lights on the tree look like a comet tail trailing behind. Green, Echo, Rant and Shot ride inside. Rant wears a denim shirt embroidered enthusiastically though not expertly with rainbows, flowers and sparkles. Shot turns and chuckles. SHOT Nice threads black mouth! Rant looks to Shot. A cold hard stare. SHOT (CONT’D) Did your Mama sew them for you? With unnatural speed and strength Rant grabs Shot by the throat. He squeezes. Shot tries to break the hold. Rant is too strong. Shot starts choking. He turns blue. Rant tightens his hand around Shot’s throat. RANT Don’t ever say nothin’ against my Ma. Shot is seconds from passing out. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS If you kill him we’ll have to find someone else to ride right rear B. A beat. Rant lets go. Shot’s color slowly returns. SHOT Jesus. Fucking psycho! Green calms things down. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Just a bit twitchy about the whole mother thing. Ain’t ya son. Rant scoffs revealing a mouth full of white teeth. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 104.

ECHO Nice pearly whites. RANT Carbamide peroxide gel. SHOT You are one crazy fuck! Green looks across, nods at Rant. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Kinda suits you more than the black did. Echo leans across for the back. She grabs Rant, turns his head and kisses him hard on the mouth. ECHO I reckon it makes you just about perfect! Out on the street a SEXY SANTA desperate for a ride lifts her top, flashing her substantial breasts. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS You have to love Christmas tree night. I would go so far to say that it is my favorite Party Crashing theme. ECHO That is so wrong in so many ways. SHOT Not to me it ain’t. Green checks his countdown watch. 00:08:08 PM. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Eight minutes. Quick pit stop. Anyone for Red Vines or Nachos? He indicates for Echo to pull into the Gas station.

EXT/INT. GAS STATION - CONTINUOUS Green hands Rant a cap with ‘Jesus Is Comin’ Better Get Busy’ embroidered on the front. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 105.

GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Put it on and keep your head down. Given your celebrity status. Best to not advertise your self. Rant gets out. He walks to the back of the car and opens the gas cap. The others head towards the store. RANT Hey. Green and Echo turn. RANT (CONT’D) Can you get me some pork rinds and root beer. I’ll gas up. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (to himself) Yep, that’s right keep your head down by yelling across a busy gas station. Inside the shop. Shot takes a pack of nachos and throws them into the microwave. He punches ‘Start’. Green approaches the counter. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Tell me Sir. Do you carry Red Vines licorice? Echo finds pork rinds and root beer. The microwave chimes. Shot takes the nachos out and throws in a corn dog. He looks to the shop assistant. SHOT Ya got beef jerky? Out on the forecourt, Rant takes the gas nozzle out and starts hosing petrol over the Christmas tree and the Cadillac. A CUSTOMER watches in disbelief. Then recognizes Rant. Rant catches the Customer’s stare. CUSTOMER Nice tree. RANT Yep. Grew it myself from a seed. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 106.

Rant drops the gas nozzle onto the forecourt. He gets into the Cadillac. He looks to the customer and see that he is already phoning the authorities. RANT (CONT’D) Merry Christmas! Caught. Nervous. The Customer fumbles and miss-dials. CUSTOMER It’s September? Rant starts the Cadillac and burns rubber out of the gas station. A moment later Echo, Shot and Green exit the store. There is nothing but a puddle of gas beside the pumps. SHOT That son-of-bitch CUSTOMER (into his phone) ... I’m positive it was him. He’s driving a... Echo grabs the Customer’s phone and smashes it to the ground. ECHO Apologies... CLOSE ON Green. A knowing smile.

EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - CONTINUOUS Echo runs to the side of the road. Trying to thumb a ride. No one will stop. She lifts her top and flashes her breasts at a car full of TEENAGE STONERS. They skid to a stop. Echo gets in, slams the door and points towards the vanishing Cadillac. ECHO Go! Green hails a cab. Frantic. Shot stands beside him. An arm full of nachos, red vines licorice and root beer. A cab stops. Green gets in. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Follow the white Cadillac. The one with the Christmas tree on the roof. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 107.

Green hands the TAXI DRIVER a $100 bill. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) There’s two hundred more if you catch him. The taxi accelerates out into the traffic leaving Shot standing on the curb. A half mile ahead Rant crashes a red light, cutting off a Police Car.

INT. POLICE CAR - CONTINUOUS The Police car skids to a stop. The OFFICER in the Passenger seat looks from Rant to a photo on the dash. POLICEMAN It’s him! The OFFICER driving turns on the siren then floors the gas. POLICEMAN (CONT’D) This is one Adam twelve requesting assistance. We are in pursuit of Rant Casey. He is heading east on Fort Lee road, driving a white Cadillac Seville with a Christmas tree on the roof.

INT. DETECTIVE’S CAR - CONTINUOUS Detectives Mills and Williams hear the radio call. Mills hooks a U turn as Williams turns on the siren and puts a flashing light onto the roof. DETECTIVE MILLS Everyone’s luck runs out sometime.

INT. PARTY CRASHER’S CAR - CONTINUOUS Tina Something is riding shotgun in a pristine first generation Mustang hard-top. The three others in the car are MEN IN THEIR TWENTIES, all with Rock'a'billy haircuts, tab sleeved shirts and jeans with rolled up cuffs. Tina is talking into her phone. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 108.

TINA SOMETHING The Cadillac is east bound on Fort Lee road and the latest sighting has a Christmas tree tied on the vehicle's roof with silver glass balls and flashing blue lights.

INT. RANT’S CAR - CONTINUOUS Rant tunes the radio to DRVR Graphic Traffic. He reaches out the window with a cigarette lighter and ignites the petrol soaked Christmas tree. TINA SOMETHING (V.O.) Three Police vehicles and a Police helicopter in pursuit. Reports are that the Cadillac could be one of Santa’s little helpers. In fact the naughtiest of all elves the one and only Rant Casey. Reporting for DRVR Graphic Traffic, this is Tina Something.

EXT. AERIAL HELICOPTER - CONTINUOUS A POV from the Police helicopter. The blue Christmas tree lights and wind swept flames on the Cadillac‘s roof glisten below. The Police car is seen close behind, warning lights flashing. Fifty yards back a convoy of cars are giving chase.

INT. ECHO’S CAR - CONTINUOUS Echo leans over, desperate to catch up. ECHO Could you speed the frick up College boy? She puts her hand on the driver’s thigh and pushes down hard so that his foot presses down on the gas pedal. TINA SOMETHING (V.O.) An unusually large number of vehicles are now pursuing the Cadillac, following in the path cleared by pursuing Police. Not your every day civic service, but none the less, a thank you to New York’s finest. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 109.

INT/EXT. RANT’S CAR - CONTINUOUS An Orange Dodge Charger with black stripes slams into the back of the Cadillac. Silver baubles tumble off the tree and shatter on the road.

INT. CAB - CONTINUOUS Two hundred yards back Green hands the taxi driver $200:00. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Turn the radio to DRVR and speed the hell up.

INT/EXT. RANT’S CAR - CONTINUOUS A Prius smashes ineffectually into the Cadillac. The driver loses control and slams into a roadside lamp pole. TINA SOMETHING (V.O.) From DRVR Radio Graphic Traffic. Police and emergency-dispatch officials have requested that private citizens refrain from interfering with the pursuit of Rant Casey. Good luck with that. At last count at least six cars have made attempts to ram the Cadillac. All six vehicles were also carrying Christmas trees. Folks getting ready for Christmas early. Rant swings the wheel left. He slams into a Lincoln. It smashes into a parked car then explodes in flames.

EXT. AERIAL HELICOPTER - CONTINUOUS A POV from the Police Helicopter. Several news helicopters have joined the first. Below Rant speeds towards the Hudson river. A dozen police cars and a hundred or more other cars with Christmas trees on their roofs in pursuit.

INT/EXT. RANT’S CADILLAC - CONTINUOUS Rant looks to the rear view. A hundred or more cars are chasing after him. He grins. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 110.

INT/EXT. CAB - CONTINUOUS Green’s taxi swerves wildly through traffic as it chases after Rant. CAB DRIVER If my taxi gets damaged you will have to pay for it! Green hands his wristwatch to the driver. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS It’s an antique Rolex Sans Tritium Stainless Steel Chronograph. It’s worth $35,0000:00. I’m guessing that’s more than this Clunker. The Driver looks from the watch to Green then accelerates.

INT/EXT. RANT’S CAR - CONTINUOUS Rant punishes the Cadillac, desperate to stay ahead of his pursuers. Rant takes out his phone then dials.

INT. TINA SOMETHING’S CAR - CONTINUOUS Tina’s phone rings. Caller ID Rant Casey. She answers. RANT Put me on the air. TINA SOMETHING Are you insane? RANT Put me on. It’ll make you famous. A beat - she wants this. TINA SOMETHING Stand by caller.

EXT/INT. CAB - SAME TIME Green’s taxi is making ground on the Cadillac. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 111.

TINA SOMETHING (V.O.) From DRVR Radio Graphic Traffic, I, me, Tina Something have just received a call from Rant Casey, Patient Zero and confirmed driver of the burning Cadillac. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Turn it up! The driver turns up the radio.

EXT/INT. TEENAGER’S CAR - SAME TIME Echo leans forward. TINA SOMETHING (V.O.) Live from the burning Cadillac, are you still on the line? The radio crackles. TINA SOMETHING Caller? Rant are you there? A moment later.

INT. ECHO’S CAR - CONTINUOUS RANT There’s somethin’ I got to say. A beat. RANT (CONT’D) The future you have tomorrow isn't the future you had today. Police sirens wail and cars slam into the Cadillac as Rant talks on his phone. RANT (CONT’D) I hope you’re listenin’ Echo Lawrence. A beat. Echo stares at the radio. RANT (V.O.) Cause I love you. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 112.

Tears well in Echo’s eyes. RANT But I’ve got to go. I’ve got to try and save my Ma. Echo leans forward and whispers to the car radio. ECHO I love you too Rant Casey.

INT. CAB - CONTINUOUS Fifty yards back, Green explodes in anger. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Fuck... You’re nothing but another Junk yard dog!

INT. DETECTIVE’S CAR - CONTINUOUS Detectives Mills and Williams look at each other, a sense of defeat.

EXT. HELICOPTER - AERIAL The burning Cadillac smashes through the riverside barrier then launches into the air. Everyone in pursuit hits their brakes then slam into each other. There is total chaos.

INT. RANTS CAR - CONTINUOUS The Cadillac flies through the air in super slow motion. It hits the water and sends up a huge slow motion wave. A portal of energy appears in front of Rant. He smiles. A victorious slow motion smile. He reaches out and touches it.

EXT. RIVER - THE FOLLOWING DAY A POLICE DIVER surfaces beside the steel cable that hangs from a crane above and descends into the murky river. The Diver signals the CRANE OPERATOR. He starts the cable winch. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 113.

Detectives Mills and Williams watch as the crane lifts the Cadillac out of the water, swings it through the air then lowers it down onto the river bank. A JOURNALIST is doing a piece to camera for the evening news. JOURNALIST Once authorities recover the body of Rant Casey it is still believed that samples can be taken and a vaccination to the plague he unleashed can be found. Detectives Mills and Williams approach the Cadillac. Mills tries to open the door. It is locked. He looks through the slime covered window. There is no one inside. He turns. DETECTIVE MILLS Anyone got a Slim Jim rod? One of the POLICE RESCUE crew opens a tool box and takes out a long metal strip with a hook at one end and hands it to Detective Mills. He slides it between the glass and the door frame, pulls it quickly up and unlocks the door. On the front seat there are a blue denim shirt embroidered with flowers, one pair of blue jeans embroidered with ivy leaves, two Converse high-top basketball shoes but no sign of Rant Casey. He turns to Detective Williams. DETECTIVE WILLIAMS Shit!

INT. GREEN TAYLOR SIMM’S APARTMENT Green picks up a hard boiled egg from his kitchen table. There is a cup of red dye beside it. He dips the egg in then takes it out. The words FUCK YOU are revealed in wax. FLASH TO:

INT. SHOT DUNYUN’S APARTMENT - SAME TIME Shot is studying a hard boiled egg he has found on his bed. It is dyed green. He holds it in the light and reads the wax words written on it. They say GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS. FLASH TO: 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 114.

INT. ECHO’S APARTMENT - SAME TIME Echo drops a hard boiled egg into a cup of coffee, drinks the cup down then takes the egg back out. The coffee stain reveals the words; Back in 3 days. FLASH TO:

GRAPHIC OVER: TWENTY YEARS EARLIER.

INT. HOSPITAL - LATE AFTERNOON Rant’s eyes flash open and he looks around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He is in bed in a hospital ward. There is a plastic ID bracelet on his wrist with ‘JOHN DOE’ written on it. He gets up and tip-toes over to the next bed. He picks a newspaper up off the cabinet. He looks at the date. It is twenty years earlier than his car accident. He turns to the sound of someone approaching. He drops the paper. He opens a window and slips outside.

EXT. RIVER BANK - LATER Irene is wandering along the river bank. She stops and closes her eyes, lost in her day dreams. She opens her eyes, smiles and slowly carries on her way. Something on the ground ahead glimmers in the setting sun. She kicks at it with her shoe. A POV of someone watching her. She picks at the ice, finds an old gold coin. She picks it up and turns it in her fingers. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (O.S.) Well. Don't you look kinda beautiful? Irene turns. Green Taylor Simms (aged 55) steps out of the trees. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Hello Miss Shelby. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 115.

Green walks over and takes hold of the sleeve her new sweater. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) Isn't this pretty. Irene clenches her fist tightly around the old coin. Green twist his fingers into the yarn of the sweater. IRENE Don’t do that Mister. You’ll ruin it. Green pulls the sleeve toward him so hard the seams start to pop. IRENE (CONT’D) Quit pulling. Please. Irene slips on the ice. Her sweater stretches. IRENE (CONT’D) Please you're spoilin’ it. Green purses his lips. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Shush. Don’t fret. Blood starts to trickling through Irene’s fingers. Green pries her fist open. The coin has cut her hand. Green sees the date. 1884. IRENE Don’t take it Mister. It’s mine! GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Don’t worry yourself none. Green looks at Irene up close. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS (CONT’D) You ever wonder about your real pa? Irene stares back, unable to move. Green reaches inside the zipper of her pants. IRENE Please. Don’t hurt me. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 116.

GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS It’ll be a boy. He’ll be a king, an emperor, a genius who will make you rich and exalted above all other women. IRENE I need to pee Mister. GREEN TAYLOR SIMMS Soon. When we're done.

EXT. MIDDLETON - SAME TIME Rant is running along the side of a road still dressed in the paper hospital gown and booties. He tries desperately to wave down a passing car. The car slows. Rant’s paper gown flaps open. The Driver sees and accelerates away.

EXT. RIVER BANK - NIGHT Irene stands on the frozen river pulling on her wet jeans. She trembles. Tears roll down her cheeks. Someone calls from the trees beyond. She looks up. RANT (V.O.) Ma? Irene? A moment later Rant steps out of the shadows shivering. RANT I'm too late. Please don’t tell me I’m too late. Irene doesn’t answer. Rant can see that he is. Irene starts crying again. Rant walks over and wipes the tears from her face. RANT (CONT’D) It'll be okay. I promise. You’re safe now. Irene looks from the scars up and down Rant’s arms to his chattering teeth. IRENE Who are ya Mister? Rant thinks. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 117.

Flash to the sign in the city “Chester St.” RANT Chester. My name’s Chester Casey.

INT. MIDDLETON CHURCH - 8 MONTHS LATER Irene and Rant stand either side of Reverend Fields (now 34). Irene wears a simple white wedding dress and is eight months pregnant. Rant wears a second hand suit and a sombre expression. REVEREND CURTIS DEAN FIELDS Do you Chester Casey take Irene Shelby to be your lawfully wedded wife? RANT I do. REVEREND CURTIS DEAN FIELDS And do you Irene Shelby take Chester Casey to be your lawfully wedded husband? IRENE I do. REVEREND CURTIS DEAN FIELDS By the power invested in me through Jesus Christ and God Almighty I hereby pronounce you man and wife. Reverend Fields looks to Rant. REVEREND CURTIS DEAN FIELDS (CONT’D) You may kiss the bride. Rant kisses Irene lightly on the cheek, without any passion or romance. From that day on he was known as Chester Casey. The only others in the church are Irene’s mother Esther and her Grandma Hattie.

INT. MIDDLETON HOSPITAL - DAY Close on a new born baby’s foot being pressed against an ink pad. It moves across to a birth certificate then makes a print next to a first already there. Nurse Winston takes the brith certificate, blows it dry and feeds it into a typewriter. Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 118.

CLOSE ON the birth certificate as Nurse Winston enters the place of birth as ‘Madison General Hospital Middleton’. She positions the keys over the line below ‘Mother’s name.’ She looks to Irene. NURSE WINSTON Mother’s full name? IRENE Irene Edith Shelby... I mean Casey that is. Nurse Winston types Irene’s name, moves the keys and looks up to Chester. NURSE WINSTON Father’s full name? There is an awkward silence. Nurse Chilton glances across to Nurse Winston. Pursed lips. Chester turns to Irene. She is smiling lovingly at her baby. A beat. Chester clears his throat and turns to Nurse Winston. CHESTER The name’s Chester. Chester Casey. Nurse Winston types his name. Chester takes a small camera from his pocket and frames up on Irene and her new baby. FLASH! He takes a photograph.

INT. THE CASEY HOME - MORNING CLOSE ON the photograph of Irene holding newly born Buster on a bedroom dresser. Irene is looking at it, remembering Rant. Chester finishes packing a suitcase, snaps the latches shut then looks around his bedroom. Same as Irene’s, it has just one single bed.

EXT. THE CASEY HOME Chester loads the suitcase into the Chevrolet, slams the trunk then gets into the Driver’s seat. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 119.

He starts the engine and sounds the horn. A moment later Irene appears out the front door.

EXT. ROAD - MOMENTS LATER The now built up outskirts of Middleton. The Chevrolet speeds by. IRENE It’s the right thing to do. Bringing him home. Chester keeps looking ahead. CHESTER You've had a difficult time in this life Reen. I’m sorry I didn't get to you sooner... But you were a wonderful mother. I wish I could’a been a better husband. A moment later he turns. CHESTER (CONT’D) You should take a look in them old paint tins stacked in the barn. DO and you’ll never want for money again. A beat. IRENE How long you plannin’ on bein’ gone? Chester looks at Irene as if the question she’s asking is strange. CHESTER Long enough I reckon.

EXT. JFK AIRPORT - LATER THAT DAY A Trans-American jet is on final approach.

INT. PLANE - CONTINUOUS Chester holds the armrests tightly until the jet finally touches down. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 120.

The plane taxis towards the terminal. The Hostess makes an announcement over the PA. HOSTESS Welcome to New York. For your safety and the safety of others we ask that you remain seated until the plane comes to a stop outside the terminal. WALLACE My condolences. About your boy. Chester looks at Wallace thinking, then elbows him in the ribs. CHESTER Anyway you look at it, it's still a damn sweet deal on a ticket.

EXT/INT. BROOKLYN GUN STORE - AFTERNOON CLOSE ON a semi-automatic pistol on a shop counter. A GUN SALESMAN leans on the store counter opposite Chester as he picks up the pistol and feels it’s weight. CHESTER How much? GUN SALESMAN $350:00. Provided you got all the paper work. Chester takes a half cent Liberty Cap (with the head facing left) from his pocket and places it on the counter. CHESTER It’s worth about $5000:00 and then some I reckon. The gun salesman picks the coin up and inspects it. GUN SALESMAN I reckon I can throw in a box of ammo too. Hard nose or hollow?

INT. PREMIUM BOOST STORE - LATER Chester enters the store. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 121.

Shot is slouching behind the counter and Echo leaning against it on the customer’s side. Chester approaches. CHESTER Did you miss me? Echo turns. ECHO Who are you? Chester walks over to Echo and kisses her on the mouth. She struggles for a moment but something inside her lets him. Chester stops kissing her. SHOT Who the fuck is this freak? Chester stares at Shot. CHESTER You never were the sharpest tack in the tin. Echo studies Chester. She recognizes his green eyes. She touches the scars on Chester’s arms. She touches his face. Everything is so familiar. A moment of complete tenderness. Tears well in her eyes. ECHO This is frickin strange. Chester folds an 1884 quarter into her palm. CHESTER What’s it worth? Echo looks at the coin in disbelief. She realizes who Chester is. ECHO I’m thinking more than twenty five cents? Chester hands Echo an addressed envelope CHESTER When you get there, tell Irene who you are. You’ll be safe. Chester turns to Shot. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 122.

CHESTER (CONT’D) Stop living life at an arms length and try to have at least one original experience before you die. Shot doesn’t respond. Echo looks to Chester. ECHO I still don’t understand? CHESTER I spent the last 20 years and three days figuring out a way to put something right and I figure that time is now time enough. Chester takes the gun from a bag and slips it into the front of his belt. CHESTER (CONT’D) Where can I find Green Taylor Simms? ECHO (processing) What?.. Um... He’s dead. Car crash. Three nights ago. Less than an hour after... Who are you? CHESTER Didn’t find his body. Did they? ECHO Still looking. CHESTER That means I beat him back. Echo and Shot both look up towards the front door of the store. Chester sees their looks and turns to see Green Taylor Simms walking through the front door. Green Taylor Simms sees Chester and slows. CHESTER (CONT’D) Ya look like you’ve seen a ghost or somethin’. Green gives a dismissive smirk. 2nd Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 123.

GREEN You’re a long way from home for a Hillbilly aren’t you? A beat. CHESTER Well if it ain’t the man named after a Laundromat. Green stares Chester down. Chester draws the gun from his belt and levels it at Green. CHESTER (CONT’D) Like you always said, the future you have, tomorrow, won't be the same future you had, yesterday. FADE OUT.