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Chapter Text

The Morganville Vampires - The Dead Girls' Dance (Extended Script)
Day Eight: Dead Girls All Around, Part 2
"The Mouse Is In The Trap"

REAP WHAT YOU SOW:

[ A REBELLION BUNKER ]
*the room Monica is being held captive in is cramped & smells like a dirty sock. she’s tied to a chair by ropes that have left friction burns on her fake-tanned skin, her eyes are bloodshot & her makeup is no longer flawless. there’s a footlocker in between two unmade camp-beds at the far end & a flickering light bulb hanging from the ceiling. someone has carved tallies into one of the walls, adding up to twenty-two. the metal door swings open with a startling creak then Frank comes stomping inside*

FRANK: Still No Word From The Mayor - Guess You’re Not As Important To Him As You Thought. Maybe By Dealing With His Problem Child, I’m Doing Him A Favour; I Seem To Be Doing That A Lot These Days. Cold In Here, Isn’t It?

*he dumps a bucket of freezing water over Monica & once she finally stops yelling about it, he removes the gag from her mouth. she was already shivering in her tiny tank top & low-rise jeans, now she’s chilled to the bone*

MONICA: What The Hell Was That For!?

FRANK: Incentive. You And I Are Going To Have A Little Talk Since We’ve Got Some Time. I’m Hoping You’ll Actually Have Something Useful To Say, For Once.

MONICA: Screw You!

FRANK: Hold Your Tongue Or It’ll Be The First Thing I Cut Off And Send To Your Father.

*as Monica grinds her chattering teeth, her soaking wet clothes inspire an idea of how to escape*

MONICA: I Have To Use The Bathroom.

FRANK: Here You Go.

*the spoilt brat grimaces at the dirty bucket Frank drops by her feet*

FRANK: Changed Your Mind, Huh? You Know I’m Not Letting You Leave This Room, So If You Get Desperate…

MONICA: It Was Worth A Shot. You And Your Disgusting Pack-Rats Are Going To Get What’s Coming To You All Soon Enough.

FRANK: Not Before You Do.

MONICA: I Doubt It. Claire May Not Like Me - And She Has Plenty Of Reasons For That - But She’s Too Much Of A Do-Gooder To Let You Kill Me. She’ll Tell The Cops Everything And-

FRANK: Claire Doesn’t Know A Damn Thing. And Certainly Nothing That Will Help Your Dad Find You, If That’s What You Were Betting On.

*he retrieves a circular canteen from the foot locker & holds it in front of Monica’s face*

FRANK: Drink.

MONICA: Why? What Did You Put In It?

FRANK: It’s Water, Not Cyanide. Now Drink It, Or Would You Prefer It From The Bucket?

*encouraged by that disgusting idea, Monica hesitantly puts her lips to the canteen & Collins tips it up for her. she only gets a few mouthfuls before Frank pours the rest of the water over her head - earning himself a furious open-mouthed glare*

MONICA: When My Dad Finds Me-

FRANK: Your Dad Wouldn’t Walk In Here To Rescue You Even If I Promised Him That’s All He Had To Do. No Bodyguards, No Backup Waiting Right Outside, No Snitching To The Vampires. He Wouldn’t Take The Risk. Not Even For You.

*he bends down to Monica’s eye level, so she silently glares at him since she’s temporarily out of empty threats*

FRANK: And I Think Deep Down You Know That. Roland’s The Same Pathetic Mommy’s Boy He Was When We Were Kids. Always Fancied Himself As A Soprano But Couldn’t Handle A Little Confrontation, Let Alone Throw A Punch. He’s Still Buying Himself Friends And Using His Last Name To Get Whatever He Wants. He Even Got Your Brother A Badge And A Gun Before He Was Old Enough To Graduate Out Of The Academy. And You Used MPD’s Youngest Recruit To Help Cover Up Your Part In Alyssa’s Death. Your Family Thinks Rules Don’t Apply To Them - Not Anymore. That Act The Mayor Puts On Seems To Have Everyone Convinced He’s Untouchable, Including Himself. You’ve Learnt It From The Best, And Yet Here You Are.

MONICA: You Don’t Scare Me.

*with a disagreeing grunt, Frank simply raises an eyebrow & stands up straight, towering over her again*

MONICA: All I See Is Just Another Drunken Asshole Who’s Seriously Let Himself Go, Like The Majority Of Morganville’s Population. It’s Sad. FYI, Leather Vests Don’t Look Good On Anybody.

*Frank backhands her hard enough to leave her cheek red & cut from the bulky skull ring he’s wearing*

FRANK: You Really Don’t Know When To Shut Your Mouth, Do You? You’re All Bark And No Bite Like Your Father.

MONICA: How About You Untie Me And I’ll Show You That I Definitely Bite. If You Dare Touch Me Again, I Swear I Am Not Telling You A Damn Thing. Count On It.

FRANK: You’re In No Position To Be Negotiating With Me, And I Have No Problem With Hurting You. Don’t Push Your Luck. You Either Cooperate Now Or I Come Back With Those Bolt Cutters And This Gets Personal. You Were Screwing Brandon, Right? Here’s A Memento For You.

*when he pulls Brandon’s severed finger from his pocket & pitches it to Monica, she squirms to get it off her leg, barely resisting her urge to squeal*

MONICA: What Do You Want From Me?

FRANK: Right Now-

*Frank scrapes a chair across the concrete floor to take a seat opposite Monica - slouching in a way that shows how naturally intimidating he is without much effort*

FRANK: Information. All You Have To Do Is Answer My Questions Truthfully And I’ll Make This Part Painless. As Much As I Will Enjoy Making You Suffer, I’ll Get To That When I Have What I Need From You.

MONICA: Why Should I Tell You Anything?

FRANK: Because You Already Got One Of My Kids Killed, So You’re Going To Help Me Stop That From Happening Again.

*he takes a sip from his hip flask*

FRANK: You Owe Me Something You Can Never Repay. Sharing Some Secrets Is The Least You Can Do. Consider It Clearing Your Conscience Before It’s Your Turn To Burn. Besides, I Don’t Think You Want Shane To Die Either. Maybe You Never Did.

*tilting her head, Monica frowns at the man holding her hostage*

MONICA: Why Would I Care If That Waste Of Space Gets What He Deserves?

FRANK: Shane Told Me The Whole Story About What Led To The Fire Once We Were Out Of Odessa. Brandon Filled In The Gaps, But We’ll Get To That. What I Want To Know First Is Why The Founder Put The Glass House Under Her Protection. Why Now? What Does She Care About A Bunch Of Unsigned Teenagers?

MONICA: I Don’t Know. Seriously. That’s What Everybody’s So Curious About. They Don’t Exactly Fill Me In On All The Shady Shit That Goes On Around Here. I Thought It Might Have Something To Do With Claire.

FRANK: The Kid? Why? She’s Not Even From Morganville.

*Morrell shrugs her shivering shoulders*

MONICA: She’s Smart. Like Freaky Genius Type Smart. Maybe Amelie Thinks She Could Be Useful- Don’t Bother Asking Me What For Because I Have No Idea. All I Know Is She Found The Book That The Founder’s Been Searching For. That’s Why We All Have This Stupid Symbol On Our Arms. I Am Totally Getting This Thing Lazered.

FRANK: So Oliver Wants Claire Because Amelie Does.

MONICA: Yeah, He Doesn’t Like Giving Her What She Wants; They’ve Got Some Really Old Feud Or Something. Claire Was Supposed To Give The Book To Oliver But She Played Him And Handed It Over To Amelie. He’s Still Pretty Pissed.

FRANK: What Can You Tell Me About Founder’s Square? Do You Know Another Way In?

MONICA: My Dad Said There’s A Way Through The Underground-

FRANK: Which They’ll Be Guarding; They Know We’re Using The Tunnel Routes.

*after scheming for a moment, Monica’s mouth curls into a slight smirk*

MONICA: But There Is A Way In That They Won’t Expect You To Know About. It’s Like Their Emergency Exit That Only The Elders’ Council Knows About. My Dad Told Me Where It Is In Case I Was Ever In Trouble. I’ve Never Actually Used It, But I Can Take You There If You Let Me Out Of Here.

FRANK: You’re So Used To Always Getting Your Own Way, Aren’t You? Nice Try Though.

MONICA: Then I’m Not Answering Any More Of Your Questions, Asshole! In Fact, It’s My Turn. So, Was I Always A Part Of Your Petty Revenge Plan?

FRANK: This Isn’t Revenge; It’s Retribution, And It’s Been A Long Time Coming. You Must Have Known Karma Was Coming For You Some Day. Sure, You’ve Got Your Family Wrapped Around Your Little Finger, Manipulated Into Thinking That You’re Someone Worth Saving. But Let Me Break It To You, Kid, You’re Not. No One Else In This Town Is Going To Come Running To Your Rescue. They’ll Be Thanking Me For Finally Putting You Down Like The Vicious Mutt You Are. Think About It - How Many Lives Have You Ruined? How Many Families Have You Torn Apart Because Of Your Ego? Do You Even Know The Death Toll To Your Name?

*deeply buried feelings of guilt make the teenager drop her gaze, recounting all of the terrible things she’s done. Frank saunters behind Monica to speak his next words close to her ear*

FRANK: I Want You To Understand Exactly What You Did To Deserve This.

*similar to what he did to Shane a week ago, he drops a stack of crime scene photos into the lap of his daughter’s killer & some flutter to the floor around her. half of them show the gruesome severely burned body of Alyssa, the others feature Molly’s ghostly blue face & the bloody bathtub. sickened by the images, Monica turns her head away but Frank forces it back down*

FRANK: Look At Them! Look At My Daughter! Did Your Brother Ever Tell You How Long She Was Stuck In That Fire? Fifty-Two Minutes. The Coroner Said It Was A Good Thing That She Was Unconscious From Inhaling So Much Smoke Before The Flesh Started Melting Off Of Her Bones. And In A Few Hours You’re Going To Know What That Feels Like. I Hope Her Face Is The One That Haunts You In Hell.
‘Lyssa Didn’t Deserve To Die - She Never Did A Damn Thing To Anybody - She Was Twelve. A Good, Talented And Caring Kid, But You Stole Her Life Before She Even Got To Live It. I Lost My Home, My Kid, And My Wife That Day. Molly Was Never The Same After The Fire, She Couldn’t Cope. And Then Morganville’s Little Memory Wipe Messed With Her Head Till She ‘Bout Near Lost Her Mind. When She Finally Remembered What Really Happened, Your Beloved Founder Murdered Her - Left Shane To Find Her Body. Did You Think I’d Come Back To This Godforsaken Town And Not Make The People Who Took Them From Me Pay For It!?

MONICA: I Already Told You, I Didn’t Set The Fire!

*the vampire hunter presses the blade of a large knife against her throat*

FRANK: And You Really Believe That Makes You Innocent? It Was A Deal You Made With Brandon That Got My Daughter Killed.

MONICA: No! I Had Nothing To Do With That!

FRANK: Lying To Me Won’t Save You Now. It’ll Only Piss Me Off. Fact Is, I Already Know The Truth, I Just Want To Hear You Admit It. So Tell Me… Tell Me What You Did To Alyssa!

MONICA: I- Yes, Okay, I Made A Deal With Brandon.

*suddenly the weapon is being pointed at her face, meaning that Frank back her sights*

MONICA: But It’s Not What You Think! I Wanted To Get Back At Shane For All Of The Times He Embarrassed Me. I Just Wanted To Scare Him, That’s All. Send Him A Message That He Messed With The Wrong Girl, But…

FRANK: Brandon Had Other Ideas.

*Monica nods*

FRANK: You Should’ve Known Better Than To Involve Yourself With Things You Don’t Understand!

MONICA: I Tried To Call It Off, I Swear, But No One Breaks A Deal With Brandon. I Didn’t Know That He Was Going To Start That Fire. He Already Had The Whole Thing Set Up Just To Teach Me A Lesson.

FRANK: And Yet You Stood There - As Our House Burnt Down With Alyssa Trapped Inside It - Taunting Shane With A Lighter.

MONICA: I Didn’t Know That She Was Still In There!

FRANK: That’s Not The Point!

*a second back-handed slap leaves another small wound dangerously close to his victim’s eye. Des arrives just in time to join in the cruelty, blowing out a cloud of cigarette smoke & carrying a bag that presumably contains torture weapons*

DESMOND: She Talk Yet?

FRANK: Not The Easy Way. I Think I Need To Send The Mayor A Clearer Message.

DESMOND: ‘Bout Time. The Rebellion Guys Are At The Meeting Point. Things Are Good To Go On Our End. You Ready?

FRANK: Not Until She Tells Me Where The Back-Door Into Founder’s Square Is.

MONICA: I’m Not Telling You Shit!

FRANK: Then This Is Going To Be A Lot More Fun.

*he wrangles the gag back into Monica’s mouth to silence her pained shriek as Des extinguishes his cigarette on her collarbone*
- - - -
[ MORGANVILLE CITY HALL - MAYOR’S OFFICE ]
*a knock at the door interrupts the intense conversation the mayor & his son are having, which can probably be heard from all the way down the hall*

ROLAND: What!?

*two uniformed cops enter the office - one of them is carrying an envelope*

COP 1: Mayor? We’ve Got A Delivery For You… It’s From Frank Collins.

*the Morrells exchange an anxious look then Richard snatches the package to tear it open. inside are polaroids of Monica: bound to a chair, sporting a few cuts & bruises on her face. each photo has a word written on it, so he orders them into a sentence*

WRITING: Midnight, Your Daughter Will Burn Like Mine Did.

RICHARD: That Son Of A Bitch. Looks Like He’s Got Her In A Basement - I Can’t Tell Much Else From These Photos.

*Roland turns to point a finger at the officers*

ROLAND: Someone Get Briggs On The Phone Now. I Want Every Cop Out There Looking For Her.

COP 2: But We-

ROLAND: My Daughter Is Being Tortured By A Sociopath! Don’t Just Stand There, You Imbeciles, Get Out! Go! If You Want To Keep Your Jobs, Then Find Her!

*the cops promptly obey their rather pointless orders*

RICHARD: In The Meantime, What Do We Do About Oliver? He Still Wants This Over By Midnight.

ROLAND: You Can Tell Oliver That I Don’t Care What He Wants, The Execution Is Not Happening Until Monica Is Found Alive. We Have To Hold Things Off For As Long As We Can, Buy Ourselves More Time.

RICHARD: He Won’t Be Happy About That.

ROLAND: He Never Is. Oliver’s Had His Way For Too Long Already.

*Richard picks up one of the blackmail photos*

RICHARD: Hang In There, Trouble.

LAST RESORT:

[ THE GLASS HOUSE - LIVING ROOM ]
*after a few hours of much needed rest, Claire suddenly springs awake like someone has screamed her name. the house is dark & dead silent, so is the world outside of the windows. she checks her watch to confirm how much valuable time she’s wasted*

CLAIRE: No, No, No!

*Claire sprints to the [SECOND FLOOR LANDING] since it’s the only light that’s on - grabbing her jacket & converse on the way in case her friends have left without her*

CLAIRE: Michael! Eve! Where Are You?

*a rather flustered Mike appears from his bedroom, buttoning his shirt. his jeans are undone too & resting low on his hips, fully showing off the faint outline of abs. behind Mike, Eve is asleep in his bed - her bare legs are peaking out of the sheets. the whole situation is outrageous to Claire*

MICHAEL: You’re Awake.

CLAIRE: Yeah. So If You’re Done Screwing Around, Maybe We Can Talk About Shane Dying Tonight!

*Mike dips his chin to warn Claire with a chilling look. the last time she saw him do that, Oliver - the vampire who killed him - was on the receiving end*

MICHAEL: You Do Not Want To Go There, Claire. You Really Don’t Have A Clue. I Haven’t Forgotten, And Don’t You Dare Think For A Second That I Don’t Care. What Do You Think Eve’s Been Doing All Day While You-

CLAIRE: Slept? Yeah, I Fell Asleep. You Could Have Woken Me Up! I’ve Wasted Hours!

*as Mike steps forward, Danvers takes two back because for a split-second his bright blue eyes flash silver. it’s the same threat display she’s seen vampires do*

MICHAEL: Why, So You Could Sit And Rip Your Guts Out Too? Enough Of That Going Around, Claire. You Needed To Sleep, I Let You Sleep. Get Over It.

CLAIRE: So What’s The Brilliant Plan You Guys Came Up With While I Was Napping Then? What Is It, Michael? What The Hell Do We Do Now?

MICHAEL: I Don’t Know… I Don’t Know!

*his whisper turning into a guttural yell is enough to startle Claire, even without all of the doors upstairs flying open or the lights flickering*

MICHAEL: What The Hell Do You Want Me To Do, Claire? I’m Trapped Here. What Can I Do? Tell Me!

CLAIRE: Anything. God, Please, Just… Anything.

*feeling utterly hopeless, she discards her belongings; there’s no point in aimlessly wandering around at night looking for Frank. Mike’s demeanour softens & he tightly wraps his arms around the tearful kid, resting his chin atop her head. it takes them a moment to notice that Eve is standing in the bedroom doorway, wearing Shane’s oversized hoodie to maintain her modesty. the hint of jealousy in her expression makes Claire quickly pull away from the embrace, wiping tears from her cheeks*

CLAIRE: Eve, I-

EVE: Whatever. There’s Still One Vampire Who Might Help Us. If We Can Find Him And Get Him To Agree. He Could Get Us Into Founder’s Square Without Any Problem. He Might Even Be Willing To Bust Open Shane’s Cage If We Create Some Kind Of Diversion.

*Mike shakes his head of loose blonde curls*

MICHAEL: Eve, No. We Talked About This.

EVE: Michael, It’s The Last Thing We Can Do And It's Crazy, I Know That. But We Need To Go For It Now If We’re Going To Do It At All. We’re All Out Of Options.

CLAIRE: What Vampire?

MICHAEL: Sam. But It’s A Long Shot.

EVE: And The Only One We’ve Got.

*she pads past them to gaze out of the tall window that overlooks Lot Street. (above the front door)*

CLAIRE: Why Would Sam Help Us? He’s On Team Vampire, Right?

MICHAEL: Sam’s Sort Of On His Own Team; An Outcast From Both Sides. He’s The Youngest Of All Of Them. The Most Like… Well, Like Us. He Hangs Around Humans A Lot More Than His Own Kind. I Don’t Know How True It Is Because I Never Asked Much About Him, But People Always Said Sam Was A Good Guy. At Least Before He Was Turned. The Kind Who Influenced Change.

EVE: And That’s Why I Said He Could Help Us. Or At Least, He’d Be Willing To Do Something. Bonus Because He’s Family. You Know Anything Else About Him? Family Secrets, I Mean? Anything We Can Use.

MICHAEL: Why? If You’re Looking For Something To Blackmail Him With, All I Know Is That Supposedly He Took On The Vampires And Won.

EVE: Won? He’s One Of Them! How Exactly Is That Winning?

*Mike closes the distance between himself & Eve, lays his hands on her shoulders then places a feather-light kiss on her neck*

MICHAEL: I Don’t Know, Eve. I’m Just Telling You What I Heard. He Got Some Kind Of Agreement Out Of The Vampires, And It Was Because Amelie Loved Him.

CLAIRE: “Amelie?”

EVE: Yeah, Loved Him Enough To Kill Him And Turn Him Into A Bloodsucking Fiend Then Ex-Communicate Him. How Sweet. Romance Isn’t Dead. Oh Wait, It Is.

*when she dismissively brushes off her boyfriend’s touch to head downstairs, Mike looks to Claire for reasons she’s unsure of - advice maybe? - which garners a shrug in response*
[ KITCHEN ]
*at the counter, Eve is assembling sandwiches. Claire snatches another bologna one while she’s still wolfing down the first. her ravenous hunger seems to amuse her peers*

CLAIRE: What? I’m Starved.

MICHAEL: Be My Guest, I Hate Bologna. Besides, Not Like I Can Starve.

EVE: I Made You Roast Beef, Genius.

*she adds a couple extra slices of lunch meat to the plate then sets it on the kitchen table, prompting them to each take a seat*

EVE: So Go On. This Is The First I’ve Heard From You About The History Of Sam. What Made Him So Special To Be The Last Vampire Ever?

MICHAEL: I Don’t Really Know, No One Does. The Only Thing My Mom Ever Told Me Was What I Just Told You. Dad Didn’t Want To Talk About What It Was Like Being The Son Of A Vampire. The Point Is, Sam’s Never Really Fit In With The Vamps. It Had Been A Hundred Years Since Anyone New Was Turned, So People Were Kind Of Opposed To Him. Amelie Doesn’t Like To Be Reminded Of Weakness And He Was A Constant Flashing Neon Sign. She Really Cared About Him, So She Cut Him Off And Warned The Others To Leave Him Alone. Last I Heard, She Wouldn’t See Or Talk To Him.

EVE: Brutal. Can You Call Him?

*Mike digs his cell out of his back pocket to speed dial Sam but all he gets is an automated message saying that the number he’s called is not in service at this time*

MICHAEL: Weird. His Phone’s Off.

CLAIRE: So Where Do We Find Him? At Common Grounds?

EVE: Off-Limits To You. Hess Told Me What Happened With You And Oliver.

*with a furrowed brow, Mike takes a huge bite of his sandwich*

MICHAEL: Something Happened? Why Don’t I Know About It? God, I Needed This, By The Way. Thanks.

*Rosser rolls her eyes before narrowing them*

EVE: Yeah, Sandwiches Take Great Skill. I’m Thinking Of Teaching A Class. Meanwhile, Back On The Subject: Claire Is Not Going Anywhere Near Common Grounds. Hess And I Said So. I’ll Go.

MICHAEL: No.

EVE: We Had This Talk. You May Be Drop Dead Gorgeous, And I Mean Like Really Dead And Really Gorgeous, But You Don’t Get To Tell Me What To Do, Alright? And No Head-Shrinker Stuff Either, Or I Swear To God You Will Never See Me Again.

*to put an end to their bickering, Claire retrieves the kitchen landline from the wall & dials a number from a business card that’s stuck to the fridge*

♦SWITCH: [ COMMON GROUNDS ]
*it’s not a very busy night at the coffee shop. no one sitting at the four occupied tables are collage kids; Halloween being on a Tuesday will not deter them from partying. Oliver is busy repairing the espresso machine, so a chirpy blonde barista answers the ringing phone instead*

BARISTA: Hello, You’ve Reached Common Grounds! How Can I Help You?

CLAIRE: Hi, Can I Talk To Sam Glass, Please? I Know He’s A Regular Of Yours.

BARISTA: Sam? Hold On.

*she glances over her shoulder to find that Sam isn’t where he normally is - amongst the humans - nor is he residing with the two vampires in the furthest corner, sipping blood from fancy teacups*

BARISTA: Hey, Oliver, Do You Know Where Sam Is?

OLIVER: I Presume He’ll Be Wherever The College Crowd Is Tonight. Some Sort Of Big Halloween Party On Campus. Oh And In The Future, Please Tell Callers That Our Landline Is Not For Making Social Calls. We Are Not A Patch The Line Service.

BARISTA: Right, Whatever That Means.

OLIVER: It Was Much Before Your Time.

BARISTA: Clearly. Sorry, Lady, He’s Not Here Tonight. I Think He Went To The Party.

CLAIRE: The Party?

BARISTA: You Know, The Zombie Frat Party? Epsilon Epsilon Kappa? The Dead Girl’s Dance. Also My Boss Said That-

♦

CLAIRE: Thanks.

*upon returning the phone to its holster, she shrugs at her dumbfounded roommates*

CLAIRE: The Power Of Technology, Guys, Embrace It.

MICHAEL: You Found Him?

CLAIRE: And Without Going Into Common Grounds. He’s At A Party On Campus. That Big Frat Halloween Thing, The Dead Girl’s Dance.

*that reminds her of something rather imperative to their plan*

CLAIRE: The One I Was Invited To! It Was Kind Of A Date. I Was Supposed To Meet This Guy There, Ian Jameson. He Can Get Me In And I’ll Find Sam.

EVE: And You Told Me He Wasn’t Flirting With You! Well Guess What, We’re Both Going; I Don’t Trust Frat Boys. Time To Put On The Dead Look, Claire.

CLAIRE: The What?

*Eve’s deep brown eyes critically sweep over Claire*

EVE: Size Two, Maybe Even Zero, Right? I’ve Got Some Things That Would Fit You.

CLAIRE: I’m Not Getting Dressed Up! We Just Need To Find-

EVE: I Don’t Make The Rules But Everybody Knows You Don’t Get Into That Halloween Party Without Making An Effort. Besides, You’ll Look Way Cute As A Teeny Little Goth Girl. Has Anyone Ever Told You That You Look Like A Young Winona Ryder With That Haircut? Which Reminds Me, I’ve Still Got The Beetlejuice Dress I Wore A Couple Halloweens Ago.

MICHAEL: No. It’s Too Dangerous For You To Be Out At Night Without Backup.

EVE: Well We’re Fresh Out Of Backup. I Think Claire Broke Detective Hess Last Night. And I’m Not Going To Just Sit And Wait, Michael, You Know That. Shane Is Family.

*Glass reaches across the table to hold her hand*

EVE: No Mind Control Stuff, You Promised.

MICHAEL: I Promise. Never Happen Again.

EVE: Cute As You Are When You Worry, It’s A Party. There Are Hundreds Of People There. It’s Safe Enough. Safer Than Shane Is, In That Cage, Waiting To Die. Unless You’re Giving Up On Him.

*Mike scrapes his chair across the floor tiles & leaves the room in a huff. there’s simply no talking the girls out of their suicide mission*

EVE: Guess Not. Good. We Need To Find Out What The Timeline Is, Whether They’ve Moved It.

CLAIRE: I’ll Call Joe.

LIKE LOOKING IN A MIRROR:

[ THE GLASS HOUSE - KITCHEN ]    [ MORGANVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT - HESS & LOWE’S OFFICE ]
*in a quiet room of the precinct, Joe has Shane’s case file splayed across his desk. a work lamp casts a circle of light over the pages - the only source of light in fact. the detective’s cell phone begins playing the classic chime of an incoming call, so he fishes it out of his pocket*

JOE: Hello.

CLAIRE: Sir? It’s Claire, I’m Sorry To Wake You-

JOE: Not Asleep. *yawn* Haven’t Been For Days. Claire, Whatever You’re Thinking Of Doing, Don’t. Stay Home, Lock The Doors, And Keep Your Head Down Until This Is Over. I Mean It.

CLAIRE: Yes, Sir. I Just Want To Know- There Was Talk About… Moving Up The Execution?

JOE: The Mayor Said No. Said He Wanted Due Process, And Called For Shane’s Dad To Give Himself Up And Return Monica. Looks Like A Mexican Stand-Off To Me. He’s Got Shane, Frank Has Monica. Nobody Wants To Blink.

CLAIRE: How Long?

JOE: Just Before Sunrise.

CLAIRE: Okay And Let’s Say For Argument's Sake That I Don’t Know The Exact Times Of The Sun Cycle?

JOE: Six-Thirty. It’ll All Be Over By Dawn - For Monica Too If Shane’s Dad Isn’t Just Bluffing.

CLAIRE: He’s Not Bluffing. Oh God, That’s Not Much Time.

JOE: Better Than What Oliver Wanted. He Wanted To Do It At Sunset Tonight. The Mayor Backed Him Off But Only To The Legal Deadline.

*Joe leans back in his chair, causing it to creak*

JOE: There Won’t Be Any Last Minute Stays Of Execution. Claire, You Need To Prepare Yourself For That. There’s No Miracle Coming, Nobody’s Going To Have A Sudden Change Of Heart. Never Seen It Happen Before, And It Won’t Happen Now. Shane’s Going To Die. I’m Sorry, But That’s The Way It Is. We Did What We Could.

CLAIRE: I Have To Go Now.

JOE: Claire. Don’t Even Try; They’ll Kill You.

CLAIRE: Goodbye, Detective.

JOE: Listen To Me-

*the abrupt end to their call has him frowning at his phone in disappointment*
[ EVE’S BEDROOM ]
*Claire crosses the threshold of Eve’s bedroom to survey the mess she’s created while picking out their costumes. a bunch of black leather, lace & mesh is strewn across her bed. she’s already gotten dressed in her black widow inspired outfit (the deadly spider, not the Marvel character). on top of an intricately crocheted spider-web top is a tightly-cinched silk corset that has lace appliqués at the bust & hips, accentuating Eve’s curves. her tights feature the same webbing detail, showcased by a short skirt that’s formed from many ripped layers of tulle. her lips are the symbolic touch of red to her otherwise black ensemble*

CLAIRE: Alright, We Have Until Six-Thirty. If I Have To Be A Zombie, I’ll Be A Damn Zombie.

EVE: Cutest Zombie Ever.

♦MONTAGE: *first on the agenda is styling Claire’s short shag-cut to look edgy & effortlessly cool; something she’s never managed to achieve. Eve coats her friend’s hair in temporary black spray, slicks it back then pulls a few tousled strands forward around her eyes. the next step is expertly applying makeup: white base, grey toned contour to give the dead skin illusion, thick winged liner, black into purple eyeshadow that mimics bruises & a lipstick colour to match. there’s some fake blood added here & there for the sake of Halloween. Claire asks questions during her makeover process & listens intently to their answers*
♦

CLAIRE: I’ve Never Worn This Much Makeup In My Life. You Wear This Every Day? It Feels Weird. Like I’ve Shoved My Face In A Cake.

EVE: You Get Used To It. Haven’t You Ever Got All Dolled Up Before?

CLAIRE: No, Not Really. I’ve Never Had Someone To Show Me How. My Mom Used To Do My Hair For Me When It Was Longer But She Didn’t Let Me Wear Makeup Till I Was Fifteen. I Secretly Bought Mascara And Lip Gloss At The Mall Once, That Counts For Something, Right?

EVE: Not In My World. I’ll Teach You Everything You Need To Know, Claire Bear. Now Close Your Eyes And Hold Still.

*with the other false lash carefully applied, she takes a step back to admire her work*

EVE: Cute! Right, Clothes. Here You Go.

*Claire begrudgingly carries the armful of black clothes that are dropped into her lap off to a private corner by the closet. the room divider she undresses behind is definitely vintage: gold brocade frames & Eve’s own gothic artwork painted onto the dark wood*

CLAIRE: Where’d You Find This Stuff?

EVE: The Internet. Or Occasionally People Donate Their Retired Nineties Grunge Look To The Thrift Stores. Oh Skulls Go On The Back!

*a perfectly timed comment because Claire had been struggling to figure out which way to wear the skulls on the tights. Eve has given her two skirt options: both land just above her knees & are leather with zippers, buckles & chains. one is skin tight, the other is asymmetrical - therefore, her choice is obvious. again Claire doesn’t really know the correct way to wear it but putting the full length zipper in the front seems to be the safest option. for the top, its more skull motifs printed onto mesh. she pokes her head around the divider to scowl disapprovingly at her “stylist”*

CLAIRE: Eve! No Way, It’s Transparent!

EVE: You Wear It Over A Camisole, Genius.

*she picks up a silky piece of fabric Claire must have dropped & tosses it to her*

EVE: And Watch The Makeup!

*when Danvers steps out in her full outfit - clearly feeling ridiculous in it - Eve comes skipping over to her, squealing in delight*

EVE: Honey, If Only Shane Could See You Now.

CLAIRE: And If We Don’t Hurry, He Never Will.

EVE: You’re Right, Stay On Mission.

*one of the walls in her closet has floor to ceiling shelves for her shoes*

EVE: These Are Demonias; The Coveted Shoes Of The Alternative Scene From Goths To Teenagers Going Through Their Emo Phase. My Collection Is Expensive, So You Will Take Every Step With Great Care, Understand? How Well Do You Walk In Heels?

CLAIRE: I Don’t.

EVE: Shame; Some These Would Look Killer On You.

CLAIRE: More Like They’d Kill My Ankles.

EVE: Beauty Is Pain.

*the chunky ankle boots that she picks out for Claire have chains & a front zipper to match her skirt*

CLAIRE: You’re Kidding Me?

EVE: No Girl Is Getting Into A Frat Party In Flats.

CLAIRE: But I’d Rather Not Break My Ankles Since Running For My Life Is Practically A Daily Occurrence.

EVE: Sweetie, These Are Your Intermediate Option. Take It Or Leave It.

*she raises an eyebrow, so Claire obediently dons the boots & takes a few precarious steps forward; scared to trip over her own feet. at least the platform on them is considerably shorter than the pair Eve has on*

EVE: Okay, Now You’re Good. Ready To Take A Look?

CLAIRE: I’d Rather Not.

EVE: Oh Shush.

*she spins Claire around to face the full length mirror. the beaming smile on her face is a comical contrast to the sixteen-year-old’s stunned reaction. she looks exactly how she expected, like a tinier version of Eve*

EVE: Ta-Da!

CLAIRE: Oh God, I Can’t Believe I’m Doing This. *sigh* Let’s Go.

[ FOYER ]
*as the girls descend the stairs, Mike wanders out of the living room, sporting a small smile that doesn’t quite mask his worry*

MICHAEL: You Girls Look Great.

EVE: I Know Right. Too Bad It’s Going To Waste.

*Glass takes both of his girlfriend’s hands in his own before kissing her scarlet lips*

MICHAEL: Just Be Careful Tonight. Stay Together. And Tell Sam That If Anything Happens To You - Either Of You - Then I’ll Stake Him Myself. Don’t Do Anything Stupid.

EVE: Yeah Well, Stupid’s Kind Of All We’ve Got Right Now.

CLAIRE: And Not A Lot Of Time.

*from the doorway, Mike watches his roommates sprint across their long driveway to reach the Cadillac. Claire clings onto Eve’s hand the whole time & nearly topples over twice*

ALL HALLOWS’ EVE:

[ EVE’S CAR ]
*the sleek black car’s front windows are still busted-out & the windshield is cracked in a couple spots - it’s hardly a safe way to travel, especially at night. halfway through their journey, the platform of Claire’s boot hits something in the footwell, so she reaches down to retrieve whatever has fallen down there. to her relief, it’s the cell phone she accidentally abandoned earlier, jammed with worried texts & missed calls from Eve*

CLAIRE: So I’m Guessing Halloween In A Town Full Of Vampires Gets A Little Crazy, Right?

EVE: Kind Of. It’s Actually The One Day Of The Year Where People Are Relatively Safe Outside After Dark Because Of The Kids Trick Or Treating. Though They Stick To The “Nicer” Neighbourhoods. Growing Up It Was Like The Best Night Of The Year. It Felt… Normal.

CLAIRE: Is There A Law Against Vamps Biting Kids? ‘Cause It’d Be Nice To Know That They Have At Least Some Decency.

EVE: They Don’t. But Yeah, It’s Considered Illegal. Minors And Those Accompanying Them After The “Unofficial” Curfew Are Not To Be Targeted.

CLAIRE: What About Charles? He Was Feeding On Miranda, Right? She Had All Those Bite Marks.

EVE: Yeah And Jason’s Got Plenty Of Scars From Brandon. They Don’t Always Follow The Rules, Sweetie, So Don’t Count On ‘Em To Protect You.

*one of the neighbourhoods they pass through is exactly how Claire remembers Halloween being: tacky decorations, carved pumpkins, kids in costumes trick or treating & teenagers misbehaving. she smiles at the sleepy parade of sparkly dresses & fairy wings, glad to see at least some normalcy around here*

EVE: As For People Throwing Halloween Parties - Especially On Campus - Those Are Still Fair Game For Vampires. That’s Why You Need To Be Extra Careful Tonight, It’s Harder To Spot Who Are The Real Pale Faces When Everyone’s Wearing Makeup And Masks.

CLAIRE: Got It. Don’t Get Close Enough To Find Out If The Fangs Are Plastic.

EVE: Exactly. It Might Be Nothing More Than Gossip But I’ve Heard That The College Crowd Aren’t The Only Ones That Go All Out Celebrating. Apparently The Bloodsuckers Throw Their Own Exclusive Party. The Kind You Really Don’t Want To Get An Invite To.

♦SWITCH: [ DARKEST DELIGHTS ]
*in a graffiti-covered back alley, the peep hole of a metal door opens up to reveal a pair of pale grey eyes. a girl in a sparkly party dress holds up a crimson envelope then the door opens for her. she struts through the dark corridor & down a flight of stairs in time to the music that’s playing from the floor below. at a second security-guarded entrance, she again shows off her exclusive invitation to gain entry.
the first room is one big, red-lit dance-floor; the grungy warehouse rave kind. through the crowd of sweaty swaying bodies is an industrial set of double doors that lead to a much more chic bar lounge. the whole place has an antique gothic vibe, in a rather stereotypical vampire way. lots of dark wood, dim lighting, velvet, leather, a black & red colour scheme. here it’s easier to differentiate the vampires from the humans simply by the way they look at people: hunters eyeing up their prey. some of the humans have dressed up to the nines, others are hardly dressed at all; draping themselves over the laps of immortals. an unfortunate few of them are just mindless hypnotised zombies covered in bite marks. all around blood is flowing from crystal decanters or straight from the vein*
♦

EVE: Oh And Get This, There’s A Secret Vamp Bar Somewhere In Town. No One That Comes Out Remembers Even Going In. And A Few Of Them Don’t Come Out At All.

CLAIRE: This Town Just Gets Weirder And Weirder.

EVE: You Have No Idea.

*in a few more turns, the blaring party music begins to rival her “queens of rock” mix-tape. it’s already making poor Danvers want to cover her ears & it’ll be far worse once they’re inside of the house*

CLAIRE: Did These Guys Buy Stadium Speakers Or Something? It Sounds Like A Music Festival.

EVE: I Wish. The Closest Thing We Have To A Concert Around Here Is Local Musicians Getting Booed Off Stage By The Bar’s Regular Crowd Of Drunks. No Bands Ever Tour Through Vamp-Central, Texas.

CLAIRE: Last Summer, My Friend Coerced Me Into Attending A Concert With Her - First And Only One I’ve Ever Been To. I Lasted An Hour And Never Saw The Headline Act. It Was So Crowded I Felt Like I Couldn’t Breathe. Nearly Passed Out And Had To Leave The Venue. Liz Never Really Forgave Me For That… Although She Seemed To Have A Great Time Without Me.

*Eve finds somewhere to park a block away since she doesn’t want her precious Cadillac hit by drunk-driving college kids, who’s cars are lined up bumper to bumper on either side of the next street*

EVE: I Can Handle This On My Own If You Want To Wait In The Car? It’s No Biggie.

CLAIRE: As Much As I Would Like To Sit This One Out, It’s Probably Best If We Don’t Split Up; That Never Goes Well In Horror Movies.

EVE: Good Point. Stay Close. Let’s Find Sam Quick, Okay? In And Out.

*Claire gives a single assertive nod*

CLAIRE: In And Out.

*the girls bail out of the car in accidental synchronicity then take off sprinting towards TPU’s wildest party of the year*
[ EPSILON EPSILON KAPPA FRATERNITY HOUSE - FRONT YARD ]
*the frat house itself is a considerable three-floor, red brick mansion with tall white columns that are wrapped in strobing string lights. the whole place is currently covered in huge fake cobwebs & plastic spiders. they’ve boarded up some of the windows too & gory hands are reaching through the gaps. the scariest part, however, is a freshman student, bent over the balcony’s metal railing, purging the alcohol from their system.
correspondingly, the front garden has been turned into a rather brilliant graveyard: tilting tombstones, crumbling statues, creepy animatronics & a shed masquerading as a mausoleum. there are even “zombies” shuffling around, performing for people’s cameras. a poster staked into the grass has been written in dripping fake blood*

WRITING: Welcome To The Dead Girls’ Dance. Good News, Girls: Your Dates Are Here. Bad News, Girls: They’re Dead!

EVE: Wow! They’ve Really Gone All Out This Year. Good Old EEK.

CLAIRE: Let’s Get This Over With.

*Claire’s a total novice at wearing heels & now here she is clomping about in a towering pair of boots that feel like bricks are attached to her feet. it doesn’t help that she also has to navigate through a minefield of plastic bones & body parts. in the midst of her intense focus on not falling over, a guy in a cheap Dracula costume jumps out at them from behind a gravestone & with a high-pitched shriek, Claire topples backwards onto the grass*

DRAC: Happy Halloveeeen!

EVE: Dracula? Really?

DRAC: It’s Ironic.

EVE: It’s Overkill. Come On, Bambi, Back On Your Feet.

*she hauls her friend upright & nudges her onward but they soon fall victim to more opportunistic pranksters. one of the hands sticking out of the ground turns to grab hold of Claire’s ankle & sends her reeling back into Eve’s arms, screaming*

EVE: Jesus, Guys, Grow Up! Where Are You?

*when she crouches down to examine the freshly dug pile of dirt, the ground shifts & opens up just enough to reveal a nerdy teen standing in a narrow pit. its trap-door has been created by cutting a couple of holes into a square of wood, covering the whole thing in black mesh & burying it in the soil*

PLEDGE: Right Here. Uh, Sorry. Just Kidding Around. I Have To-

EVE: Grope Girls And Look Up Their Skirts? Yeah, Tough Work, Pledge. Carry On.

*she stands back up, brushing the dirt from her knees, whilst the grinning boy returns to his gruelling pledge duties. Claire takes a look around them, counting at least four more suspicious hands poking out of the lawn*

CLAIRE: Wow, How Many Of Them Are There In The Ground?

EVE: Just The Pledges. Come On, If Sam’s Here, He’ll Be Talking To People. He Loves To Talk.

CLAIRE: What’s The Plan To Get Inside?

EVE: You Don’t Need A Plan When You Have Boobs Like Mine.

*blocking the front door are two broad jock types wearing black “Undead Security” t-shirts. from here on out, shouting is the only way to be heard above the noise*

EVE: Hi, Boys! If We Could Just Squeeze Past You-

FRAT SECURITY 1: Invitations?

EVE: Yeah, About That…

CLAIRE: Uh, I’m Claire Danvers. Ian Jameson Invited Me.

*the other guy reads through the guest list on his check board then nods*

FRAT SECURITY 2: Upstairs. Last Door On The Left.

CLAIRE: Thanks.

*neither of the security guards move aside, thus forcing the girls to awkwardly squeeze in-between their muscular bodies. #2 shoots his friend a devious grin & raises a walkie-talkie to his lips*

FRAT SECURITY 2: The Mouse Is In The Trap. Over.

DEAD GIRLS ALL AROUND:

[ EPSILON EPSILON KAPPA FRATERNITY HOUSE ]
♦MONTAGE: *despite the fact that the party only began an hour ago, the old mansion is completely trashed & crammed wall to wall with drunk teenagers having a good time. the drinks spilled from red solo cups that litter the floor are making it dangerously slippery. some of the furniture is broken, though it might have already been that way. a few of the rooms have a cooler of punch that people are helping themselves to: each one is full of a dark red liquid with plastic eyeballs & severed appendages in it. the spacious living/dining room has all of its furniture stacked up & shoved against the walls, creating more space for people to dance.
everyone has gone all out on their resurrected from the dead look. some guys have masks on & plastic weapons. a few lightweights are passed out on the couches. vampires are stalking their next victim. Gina & Jennifer are dancing back-to-back; they’re clearly having more fun without Monica here demanding to be the centre of attention at all times*
♦
[ LIVING ROOM ]

EVE: Wow, It’s A Great Party! Man, I Wish I Could Stay And Enjoy It.

CLAIRE: Yeah…

EVE: Come On. At Least Sam’s A Red-Head.

*our girls plunge into the sea of bodies, pushing their way through hand in hand. neither of them recognise the song that’s playing, something about discos in Paris & Berlin? the fog machines & strobe lights impair their ability to spot Sam amongst the college crowd. a hand ventures up Claire’s skirt, another swats her on the butt - both startle a yelp out of her*

CLAIRE: Move Faster! God, I Can’t Breathe In Here. And I Need Earplugs!

EVE: What Did You Say?

CLAIRE: Never Mind!

EVE: This Way!

*at last they reach the other side of the room where the wallflowers are residing, yearning for the confidence it takes to actually join the party*

CLAIRE: Any Sign Of Sam?

EVE: No, Not In Here. Let’s Try The Other Rooms.

*the [KITCHEN] isn’t any less crowded, it’s just that instead of dancing, people are having loud conversations & stuffing Doritos into their mouth. the patio doors are open to let in some much needed cool air - partially filtering out the stench of sweat too*

CLAIRE: What Time Is It?

*Eve retrieves her cell phone from the coffin shaped harness/holster that strapped to her thigh*

EVE: Ten. I Know, We Have To Hurry.

*the touch of a hand on Claire’s shoulder brings her face to face with the boy she’d name-dropped to get in here. Ian’s hair has been sprayed black & coiffed in a complicated style to match the blood-splattered 50’s greaser outfit he’s rocking. he looks drop dead gorgeous. literally*

IAN: Claire? Wow, I Almost Didn’t Recognise You. You Look Great! Dare I Say Hot.

CLAIRE: Oh, Ian, Hi.

EVE: Stay Here. I’ll Keep Looking.

*Rosser’s on the move before Claire can turn around to shoot her a pleading look that conveys “please don’t leave me here alone”*

IAN: I’m So Glad You Came. I Was Starting To Think You Wouldn’t Show. Can I Get You Some Punch?

CLAIRE: Uh, Do You Have Anything That’s Not, You Know…?

IAN: Every Kind Of Alcohol Mixed Together? Right, Yeah. How About Some Water?

CLAIRE: Water Would Be Great.

*whilst her “date” fetches her a drink from the fridge, Claire’s black-lined eyes search for Eve; unsure what room her friend has wandered off to. the kitchen mob strikes up a “ chug ” chant for someone doing a keg stand*

IAN: Here You Go. Crazy, Huh?

*Claire is so grateful for some cold water to quench her thirst that she doesn’t notices the bottle’s cap has been opened*

CLAIRE: Crazy. Did You See Where My Friend Went?

IAN: Girls, *sigh* They Always Travel In Packs. Yeah, She Went Into The Library. Come On.

*as another zombie football player takes on the keg, Claire follows Ian out of the room, unaware that he’s leading her in the wrong direction. they step over the legs of people who have decided that the [HALLWAY] is a great place to sit. a couple in the corner are doing something that has Danvers quickly averting her eyes*

♦SWITCH: [ BASEMENT ]
*Eve is in fact not in the library. similar to the Glass house, the frat boys have turned their dingy basement into a games room. groups of people are playing beer pong, pool & - rather dangerously - darts. a familiar face is in the corner by herself, dancing & twirling like Stevie Nicks is playing Edge Of Seventeen*

EVE: Mir? What The Hell Are You Doing Here?

MIRANDA: I Was Invited. Charles Is Here.

EVE: God, I Should’ve Known It Would Be His Genius Idea To Bring A Fifteen-Year-Old Borderline Epileptic To A Frat Party And Leave Her Unattended. Look, You Need To Go Home. Now. Before I Forget Why I Should Even Care After You Knifed Me.

*a sudden wave of madness washes over Mir & she grabs hold of her so-called friend*

MIRANDA: Eve, You Have To Help Me! No One Will Listen. I Had This Awful Vision. People Are Going To Die Here Tonight And-

EVE: Then You Have To Get Out Of Here. I Don’t Have Time For This Right Now, Mir! I Need To Find Sam.

MIRANDA: Oh, Sam Is Upstairs.

EVE: Thanks For The Tip.

*she frees herself from the fifteen-year-old’s bony fingers*

EVE: Go Home. I Mean It!

MIRANDA: Eve, Wait! I’m Sorry For Hurting You. And For What’s Going To Happen To Shane…

*Eve pauses her dramatic walk away moment to spin around & glare at Mir. if she intended on saying anything, she’s interrupted by a girl vomiting right at her feet*

EVE: *gasp* Are You Fucking Kidding Me!? Bitch, Do You Know How Much These Shoes Cost? Oh My God, I Sound Just Like Monica.

♦
[ LIBRARY ]
*all that’s awaiting Claire in the library is a few people defacing books or taking photos on their digital cameras*

IAN: Huh, Your Friend Moves Fast. Hang On.

*he leaves to talk to one of the guys scrawling phalluses on the whitespace of The Tempest. for some reason the more water Claire drinks, the more she seems to need. the anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach is developing into nausea & the heat is making her lethargic. Claire goes to wipe the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand then remembers she would be ruining Eve’s immaculate makeup job, which she can’t wait to wash off. a gory nurse sitting on the floor close to Claire is vaguely familiar to her, perhaps it’s someone from her chemistry class*

CLAIRE: Hi… Uh, Anna? Have You Seen Sam? Hangs Out In Common Ground A Lot? Red Hair, Blue Eyes, Maybe Wearing A Brown Leather Jacket?

ANNA: Oh, Sure! Sam. He’s Upstairs Somewhere.

CLAIRE: Thanks.

*taking her opportunity to ditch Ian, Claire ventures off back down the [HALLWAY] to find the staircase she had passed on the way in but Jameson promptly chases after her*

IAN: Hold Up! She Went Upstairs. She’s Looking For A Guy Named Sam, Right?

CLAIRE: Yeah, He’s Upstairs Too. Would You Mind If I-

IAN: No, Sure. I’ll Go With You.

*he offers Claire his own untouched water bottle since hers is now empty*

IAN: Want Some More?

CLAIRE: Please.

*she takes the bottle to gulp down some more crisp h2o*

NICE GUY:

[ EPSILON EPSILON KAPPA FRATERNITY HOUSE - SECOND FLOOR LANDING ]
*on the staircase, Claire manoeuvres past more people sitting in the way, relaying a joint & a bottle of liquor. she feels more weak in the knees with every step she climbs, desperately clinging to the banister for support. the unrelenting noise & lack of fresh air also isn’t helping*

IAN: You Okay?

CLAIRE: Yeah, I’ll Be Fine.

IAN: I Don’t Know Which Room He’s In. We’ll Just Have To Look.

*the open landing is essentially another living room with a hallway leading off either side. Ian saunters through a gory group of dancing cheerleaders - enjoying their close proximity to him - & peaks inside the first room on the left. lurking within is a group of five vampires; each of the wavering party girls they’re accompanied by have a bloody vampire bite mark*

IAN: Wrong Room.

*he quickly shuts the door & moves onto the next. Claire can’t see what’s happening in the second room, & judging by Ian’s reaction, she’s glad about that*

IAN: Oh Really Wrong Room. Sorry.

*by door number four, Claire’s lightheaded feeling has developed a nauseous room-spinning side effect that can’t be eased by drinking water*

CLAIRE: I Don’t Feel So Good.

IAN: Well That Was Fast.

*the way Claire’s “date” smirks at her reminds her of the vampires she’s faced, all that’s missing are his fangs. there’s no time for her to even think; Ian grabs Claire around the waist, pulls her into a [BEDROOM] & locks the door. three more grinning frat boys are waiting for them - it’s the same group who harassed Eve yesterday at the coffee bar*

IAN: I Thought I Was Going To Have To Work A Little Harder, But Turns Out, You’re Pretty Easy. Monica Was Right.

*his wandering hands search for the sixteen-year-old’s cell phone, digging it out of her pocket to toss it aside*

CLAIRE: Don’t Touch Me! You Don’t Want To Do This. Please!

IAN: Oh… I Really Do.

CLAIRE: But- I Have Protection!

IAN: Don’t Worry, Baby, So Do I.

*the guys laugh & proclaim their excitement by bumping fists. Claire backs away from Nate’s reaching hands until she’s in a corner, trapped from all sides. there’s a window beside her in case a two story fall is her last means of escaping. Claire nearly trips over a wooden object that’s poking out from under the unmade bed, which she picks up & tries to wield in a menacing way. the last time she was holding a baseball bat for self defence at least she had Shane for backup*

CLAIRE: *scream* Eve! Sam! I Need Help!

*when she swings at Ian, he swerves to the right & keeps moving closer. if Claire repositions her weapon to take another shot, Jameson could rip it out of her hands. with the bat resting over her left shoulder, the narrow end of it is pointing up at Ian’s face, so she drives it forward. the knob hits him hard enough in the mouth that he staggers backwards & spits up blood. Claire must’ve caught his nose too because it begins to bleed profusely*

IAN: You Bitch! Oh, You Are Gonna Pay For That.

NATHAN: Hold Up. You Put The Full Dose In Her Bottle Drink, Right? And She Drank It All?

*nodding his head, Ian removes the bandana from his back pocket & presses it to his nose to soak up the blood*

NATHAN: Then All We Have To Do Is Wait A Couple Of Minutes. She’s Not Going Anywhere Except To La-La-Land.

*the four boys sneer at their victim, eagerly waiting for their moment to strike. it’s only a matter of time before Claire is unable to fight the sedative flooding through her blood stream that’s making her vision hazy. she sags against the wall to steady her shaking legs & eventually they cave beneath her. a rattle of the doorknob wakes Claire up just enough to yell for help*

CLAIRE: Help! Get Help! Find Eve! Please!

IAN: Just Somebody Looking For A Place To Screw. Nobody’s Coming To Save You. Don’t Worry, Baby, We Won’t Hurt You. Not That You’ll Remember Anyway.

CLAIRE: Eve… Eve Will Come.

*she lets her heavy eyes drift closed, resting the bat on the floor between her bent-up legs*

NATHAN: That’s It, She’s Out. Get Her On The Bed.

*once Ian is standing over Claire, she heaves the bat straight up with all of the force she can muster to hit him where it’ll hurt the most. he hunches over, groaning in pain, & falls to his knees. a mischievous grin forms on Claire’s face as she slowly gets back to her feet, using the bat like a cane, then she taps it against her leg. it’s the best Claire can do to look intimidating since she can’t possibly raise her weapon again*

CLAIRE: Batter Up, Boys. Who Wants Some? I Won’t Hurt You. Much. Shane… Shane Needs Me.

*although she’s confused & simply mumbling her thoughts out loud, remembering Shane gives Claire some much needed mental clarity*

CLAIRE: I’m Not Letting You Stop Me. So You’re Going To Back Off. Now.

NATHAN: Don’t Think So, Sweetheart. You’re Bluffing.

*he pushes off from the wall to prowl towards Claire, so she swings at his legs but misses her intended target - leaving a hole in the wall instead. on her second attempt, Nate catches the bat then twists it out of her grip*

NATHAN: Now That-

*he tosses the bat across the bed to Dalton*

NATHAN: Was Really Stupid.

♦SWITCH: [ BALCONY ]
*out on the side balcony, Sam is amongst the wallflowers - probably giving them life advice & sharing his words of wisdom. he politely excuses himself from the conversation to pull aside someone who’s groping & trying to undress a passed-out girl on the couch. luckily no one else can see the way Sam’s eyes change from pale blue to almost white*

SAM: I Believe I Already Told You To Leave The Lady Alone. Go. Now, Before I Change My Mind About Letting You Walk Away Unharmed.

*the creep mindlessly wanders back inside, bumping into Eve. Sam greats her with a warm smile*

SAM: Eve, Hey! Should’ve Known You’d Be Here. Are You Having A Good Time?

EVE: Yeah, Yeah, Party’s Great. Can We Get Out Of Here And Talk? Like, Right Now?

*at the nod of his head, Glass turns to say goodbye to the college kids*

SAM: It Was Nice To Meet You All. Enjoy Your Night, Be Careful, And Make Sure My Friend Here Gets Home Safe For Me.

EVE: Come On, We Need To Find Claire.

SAM: Claire’s Here?

EVE: Yeah, I Left Her Downstairs With The EEK Guy Who Invited Her.

*a girl wearing a dead bride costume beckons her message from the open doorway*

GIRL: Hey, Sam? I Think The Frat Boys Are At It Again. Someone Said They Heard A Girl Screaming, And Not The Fun Kind.

*reading the worry in Eve’s expression, Sam focuses on the chaos of noise all around him - trying to cut out the chatter, cheering & shuffling feet - to pinpoint a faint shriek that can barely be heard over the thumping bass*
♦
[ BEDROOM ]
*Claire’s scream is silenced by Nate’s hand wrapping around her throat as his body pins her to the wall*

NATHAN: Quiet! This Could Have Been Real Nice And Easy. You Know That, Right? They Say You Never Forget Your First Time… But You Might.

CLAIRE: I’m Under Amelie’s Protection.

NATHAN: I Don’t Care. I’m Not From This Stupid Town. None Of Us Are. Monica Said That Was The Way To Go, To Get Around All The Dumbass Rules - Whatever They Are. And Whoever Amelie Is, She Can Kiss My Ass. After I’m Done With Yours.

MY NAME IS SAMUEL AND I’LL SEE YOU ALL IN HELL:

[ EPSILON EPSILON KAPPA FRATERNITY HOUSE - A BEDROOM ]
*at the clank of snapping metal, the door swings open & its handle rolls across the carpet. the four EEK frat members direct their dismayed expressions to Sam as he comes striding into the room like a force to be reckoned with. at his side is Eve: an equally fierce opponent if angered*

SAM: Excuse Me, But What Did You Say About Amelie?

CLAIRE: Sammy! Samuel. Sam I Am. Green Eggs And Sam.

*the world has become a very hazy & strangely silly place to Claire that, regardless of her given situation, reduces her to giggles*

EVE: Claire, Oh My God. Did You Assholes Drug Her?

CLAIRE: Uh Oh, Eve Is Totally Gonna Kick Your Asses!

EVE: Damn Right I Am.

*Nate lets go of his victim to arrogantly approach the intruders. since there’s no one keeping Claire on her feet anymore, they slip from under her, planting her bottom firmly back on the floor. Claire’s hands search for a weapon, finding only a dirty sock that she limply throws at “coffee bar jerk;” a rather funny idea for a defence. her head lolls to one side & hits the wall with a hard thump, which for some reason is also highly comical to her. during this time, Ian must have stopped sulking about his wounded manhood because he now stands beside Nate, blocking anyone from getting to the snickering sixteen-year-old they’ve cornered*

NATHAN: I Said That Amelie Can Kiss My Ass, Red. And What Are You Going To Do About It? Blue-Steel Me To Death?

SAM: You Really Don’t Want To Do This.

NATHAN: I Rather Like Our Odds; Four Against One.

SAM: Do You? Eve, Go Get Your Friend.

IAN: Yeah, Eve, Come On In. Join The Party. We’ve Got A Nice Big Bed. I Hear You Know How To Have A Real Good Time *laugh*.

*he tosses his balled-up, blood-soaked bandana at the gothic girl dressed in spider webs. Sam catches it instead & tips his head back to squeeze a few drops of blood into his mouth. when he returns his focus to Ian, Sam’s once pale blue eyes are red & his fangs have snapped down into place*

CLAIRE: Ew, Sammy. Bad Vampire.

SAM: I Said, You Really Don’t Want To Do This.

IAN: Oh Shit.

*grimacing in disgust, he backs up until his shoes hit Claire’s*

IAN: You’re Sick, Man.

SAM: Sometimes. Eve, Go Get Her. Nobody’s Going To Touch You.

*Ian takes the hint to clamber over the bed to where Zach & Dalton are standing. Eve sets her scowl on Nate as she slips past him to embrace Claire, hauling her upright again*

EVE: Can You Walk?

CLAIRE: Not Very Well. That’s Partly Your Boots’ Fault.

*she places one wobbling foot in front of the other, each step bringing her closer to Nate until he spins around to grab Eve’s wrist. in the blink of an eye, Sam suddenly has him pinned against a wall & he pathetically whimpers like an injured dog*

SAM: I Said, Nobody’s Going To Touch Her. Are You Deaf?

*he glances over his shoulder at Claire*

SAM: Claire, Are You Alright?

*the act of nodding her aching head makes the drowsy kid pitch forward. Eve just about manages to keep her standing up & practically has to drag her onward. even the two accomplices that have quietly stayed on the other side of the room this whole time back away from them, heeding the vampire’s warning*

EVE: And Which One Of You Assholes Has Claire’s Phone?

*Dalton fishes the cell out of his back pocket & pitches it across the room. Sam’s hand reaches out to catch the phone at lightning speed without seeing it coming*

CLAIRE: Monica. I Think It Was Monica. She Got Ian To Ask Me.

EVE: What?

CLAIRE: Monica Told Him To Invite Me. And Told Them To Do This.

EVE: That Bitch! Okay, I Take It All Back. She Needs A Good Blow-Torch Tan.

CLAIRE: No. Nobody Deserves That. Nobody.

EVE: Great. Saint Claire, The Patron Saint Of The “Kick Me” Sign. Look, Keep It Together, Okay? We Need To Get Out Of Here.

CLAIRE: Sleepy.

*Claire finally drifts unconscious, resting all of her dead weight on her friend’s shoulders*

EVE: Crap. Sam! Come On, Leave Them.

*Sam shoves Nate aside to prowl the room in the way a hunting animal would assess their prey: Zach & Dalton can’t quite believe they’re being confronted by an actual vampire, Ian has his hands up in surrender & Nate is still quivering*

SAM: Manners, Boys. Looks To Me Like Nobody Ever Taught You Any. It’s Time You Had A Lesson Before Somebody Else Gets Hurt.

IAN: Hey, Man. Seriously, Just Having Fun.

SAM: “Fun?” This Is Your Sick Idea Of Fun?

IAN: We Weren’t Going To Hurt Her. No Need To Go All Batman On Us. We Didn’t Even Really Touch Her. Look - Clothes Still On.

SAM: Don’t Even Try; I Can Tell You’re Lying. I Like These Girls, I Don’t Like You. Do The Math And Consider Yourselves Subtracted.

EVE: Hey, Enough With The Macho Hero Stuff! We Came To Find You, So Let’s Get Out Of Here And Talk.

SAM: I’m Not Leaving. Not Until Disney Princess And His Animal Sidekicks Here Apologise. Or His Head Comes Off. One Of The Two.

EVE: Sam! What We Need To Talk About Is Important, And Disney Princess Is Not. Guys Like This Never Change.

SAM: Oh I Know, And I Never Forget A Face.

*an evil grin forms on his face*

SAM: Fine. Consider Yourselves Horribly Tortured. For Now. Make Sure You Think About All The Ways I Could Have Hurt You, Because I’ll Be Keeping An Eye On You. And If I Hear About Anything Like This Happening Again, I Want You To Know What’s Coming. Have I Made Myself Clear?

*he takes Danvers from Eve’s arms then glares at each of the boys in turn & they nod their head. a single step out of the door, however, a faint sound stops him in his tracks

EVE: What? And By The Way, You’re Blocking The Escape Hatch.

SAM: Hush.

*screams pierce through the blaring music; something terrible is happening downstairs. Sam & Eve exchange a troubled look before running towards the commotion. people rush past them, desperately looking for a room to hide in. from the [SECOND FLOOR LANDING], they watch the terrified partygoers downstairs fleeing from the house of horror, trampling others in the process.
Sam bursts back into the bedroom. judging by the looks on the boys’ faces, they must be thinking that he’s changed his mind about not killing them*

SAM: You, O Positive, How Many Exits?

IAN: What? Oh Shit, Did You Just Call Me By My Blood Type?

SAM: How Many Exits!?

IAN: The Stairs! You Have To Take The Stairs. There’s Three Doors Out Of The House.

SAM: Shit.

EVE: Can’t We Just Go Out The Window?

SAM: And Let The People Downstairs Die?

*he kicks open the closet to set Claire - who’s quietly murmuring gibberish - down on the floor then shoves her confused roommate inside too*

EVE: Hey! What Are You Doing?

SAM: Stay Here. If You Guys Want To Live, Get In. But Touch These Girls And I’ll Kill You Myself. You Know I’m Serious, Right?

IAN: Yeah, Not A Finger On ‘Em. What’s Happening? Is It, Like, One Of Those Mass Shooting Things?

SAM: Yes, Something Like That. Hurry.

*one by one they pile into the [CLOSET] that’s barely big enough to fit six people. the door is closed behind them, leaving the teenagers in darkness*

IT’S MURDER ON THE DANCE-FLOOR:

[ EPSILON EPSILON KAPPA FRATERNITY HOUSE - BEDROOM - CLOSET ]
*Eve drags Claire into the back corner, moving dirty clothes aside*

NATHAN: What The Hell Is Going On?

EVE: People Are Getting Hurt. Could Be You Next If You Don’t Shut Up.

NATHAN: But-

EVE: Just Shut The Hell Up!

♦MONTAGE: *downstairs, a group of men in leather jackets/vests are patrolling through the house in a close formation, searching for targets amongst the fleeing students. three of them are wearing those biker neck warmers that cover the bottom half of their faces, & five are in full black balaclavas - easily identifiable to each other. they’re all heavily armed too, from guns & silver knives to stakes & crosses around their necks. party music is still playing which greatly benefits the encroaching vampires that move in blurs around them, waiting for their moment to strike. the less patient of their kind commence the battle of fangs versus fists with reckless abandon. some of the bullets that begin flying in all directions explode on impact with walls, furniture & - most importantly - vampires. one night-stalker gets a face full of silver powder & glass from a homemade grenade, another is reeling from a chest full of ammunition.
Sam carefully avoids the chaos to get the remaining humans out of the house since both sides of the fight show little regard for their lives. anyone in their way is simply collateral damage. he picks up an unconscious girl on his way from one room to the next where he finds three cowering college kids*

SAM: It’s Okay, I Can Get You Out Of Here. Come With Me.

*they follow Sam out to the hallway until he turns to face them holding his finger to his lips. the sound of fighting & gunfire is coming from the kitchen. he peaks around the doorframe just in time to witness a biker drive his stake through a pale woman’s heart while she’s momentarily incapacitated by the bullet in her head. once the threat is gone, Sam leads the trio out of the back door to safety. the young adults cover their mouths in horror as they hurry past the dead vampire. upstairs, there’s plenty more people hiding in the bedrooms, bathrooms & closets - speaking of*
♦
[ CLOSET ]
*in Zach’s blind search for a weapon, his hand lands on flesh*

EVE: Alright, Who’s Touching Me?

ZACH: Oh Shit! Sorry.

*he withdraws his hand from Eve’s thigh & scooches away from her*

EVE: Better Be. My Brother Isn’t The Only One Who Always Carries A Knife, By The Way. Lay A Hand On Me Or Claire And I’ll Cut It Off, Along With Your D-

*the music shuts off mid song, allowing them to hear heavy footsteps heading their way*

EVE: Quiet.

*a familiar tattooed biker kicks the [BEDROOM] door open wider, using the infrared scope on his gun to scan for vampires. the weapon seems to be military grade & was definitely acquired illegally. an audible rush of air behind Kenny has him spinning on his heels to shoot at the blood-sucker lunging for him. Sam narrowly misses the bullet that’s intended for him, knocks the gun out of Kenny’s hands then throws him across the room, rendering him unconscious. or so Glass thinks - his opponent quickly draws a handgun from his hip & fires it at Sam’s back.
in the closet, the teenagers flinch at the loud gunshot. all they can do is listen in fearful anticipation to what follows: scuffling, men shouting, wailing sirens in the distance, running footsteps down the stairs*

IAN: Oh God.

NATHAN: Cops. We’ll Be Okay. We’re Going To Be Okay, Right?

DALTON: Yeah, Until Those Two Turn Us In For, You Know, The Thing.

EVE: You Mean For Attempted Rape. Jesus, Listen To You. “The Thing.” Call It What It Is, You Asshole.

DALTON: Look, It Was Just- I’m Sorry, Okay? We Didn’t Want To Hurt Her. We Just-

EVE: Just What? She’s Sixteen, Man.

ZACH: What?

EVE: Sixteen. So You Can Thank Me Now For Saving You Serious Jail Time, Because An Attempted Rape Sentence Is A Hell Of A Lot Better Than The Statutory Kind. Especially Of A Minor! Did Monica Really Put You Up To It?

NATHAN: I Uh, Yeah. Like A Prank. She Said Claire Was Game For It And To Just Make It Rough. She Wanted To Be Sure We Got Her Here, That’s Why Ian Did The Whole Nice Guy Act. Look, I Just Needed The Money.

EVE: You Accepted Money To Rape Someone? What The Fuck Is Wrong With You? I Swear-

*Claire mumbles something that’s presumably Eve’s name & her eyelids flutter open. it’ll be a struggle for her to remain conscious for much longer though*

EVE: It’s Okay. You’re Okay, Just Focus On Staying Awake. I’m So Sorry.

CLAIRE: I Was Doing Okay. Thanks For Saving Me.

EVE: I Didn’t Do Anything But Find Sam, He Heard You Scream.

*a bedroom floorboard creaks right outside of the closet*

CLAIRE: Shhh!

*there’s a collective intake of breath when the door swings open, revealing a slender silhouette standing in the dark*

SAM: Out. Move.

*the four boys scramble out of the closet whilst Rosser - for the third time this evening - picks her friend up off the floor. whatever Ian opens his mouth to say, he must second guess because not a single word comes out*

CLAIRE: I’m Sorry About Your Nose.

*Ian frowns at Claire for remaining so polite even after he tried to assault her*

IAN: It’s Not So Bad. Look, Claire-

CLAIRE: Don’t. You’re Not Really Sorry.

NATHAN: Are You Still Going To Tell The Cops?

CLAIRE: Yes.

EVE: Hell Yes! I Happen To Be Friends With A Couple Of Detectives And They Are Going To Flip When They Hear About This.

IAN: But-

CLAIRE: Just Stay The Hell Away From Me.

EVE: And From Women In General. You’d Better Not Try This Shit Again - Ever. And Besides, If You Do, The Last Thing You Have To Worry About It’s The Cops. Right, Sam?

*letting his eyes flash white for emphasis, the man in question nods his head*

EVE: Let’s Get Out Of Here. Claire, Can You Walk?

CLAIRE: I Can Try.

*Sam wipes the blood from his hands onto his jeans before scooping Danvers up in his arms like she weighs nothing at all*

CLAIRE: Whoa, No Sudden Movements Or I’ll Hurl.

NATHAN: Hey, We’re Sorry. Seriously, It Was Just… Monica Said-

IAN: Stop. Monica Just Gave Us The Idea. We Were The Ones Who Did It. No Excuses.

NATHAN: Yeah, Whatever, Man. Won’t Happen Again.

SAM: If It Does, Never Mind The Police Or Jail Time. I’ll Find You.

[ LIVING ROOM ]
*the house is substantially more trashed than it was an hour ago thanks to the gate-crashing vampire hunters. Eve checks the pulse of a lifeless boy who’s dressed up in full gothic vampire gear, including plastic fangs. the blood on the dance floor isn’t fake, neither is the stake through his heart*

EVE: Oh God, He’s Dead.

CLAIRE: But… He Wasn’t A Vampire, Right?

SAM: They Didn’t Care. He Looked Like One And He Must Have Just Gotten In The Way. There Are Two Vampires Dead In The Other Room. This One Was A Mistake.

CLAIRE: In The Other Room? How Do You Know?

SAM: I Know.

EVE: Was It Frank’s Guys? The Bikers? Was He Here?

*ignoring her questions, Sam steps over the body & continues walking towards the front door, crunching broken glass beneath his feet*
[ FRONT YARD ]
*the cool night breeze makes Claire shiver as Mike’s grandfather carries her through the graveyard of trampled tombstones. she’s fast asleep by the time they reach the street, passing a couple of squad cars & a cop talking into his radio*

COP: This Marks The Fourth Party Tonight That’s Been Targeted. We’re Heading In Now, I’ll Report Back When We Know The Number Of Casualties.

EVE: Oh This Is Not Good. Dead Students And A Campus Full Of People Freaking Out About What Happened. Way Too Many Out-Of-Towners Saw Things They Shouldn’t Have Tonight. What If There’s Videos!?

SAM: It’ll Be Handled.

TOO MUCH TO ASK:

[ THE GLASS HOUSE - FOYER ]
*the sound of jangling keys brings Mike rushing out of the kitchen to wrap his arms around Eve. alas, seeing his grandfather cradling their unconscious roommate instantly turns his relief into hostility*

MICHAEL: What The Hell Happened?

SAM: She’s Alright, Michael.

EVE: Come On In, Sam. Let’s Get Her Upstairs.

*Mike puts a hand on Sam’s chest to stop him from coming more than a couple of steps inside*

MICHAEL: That’s As Far As You Go. You Were Supposed To Protect The Girls Tonight, Did Eve Not Make That Clear Enough?

EVE: Michael, Don’t. This Had Nothing To Do With Sam. I Broke The Golden Rule And Left Claire With That Frat Douche Who Asked Her To The Party - Ian? Turns Out Monica Put Him Up To It; Paid Him And His Buddies To “Show Claire A Good Time.” And Yes, I Know How Badly I Fucked Up, Okay? We’re Lucky That Sam Found Her Before Any Clothes Came Off. So Stand Down, He’s Not The Enemy Here. He Saved Our Lives Tonight.

*her boyfriend’s whole demeanour softens, registering the danger they faced tonight that he couldn’t protect them from*

MICHAEL: Are You Okay?

EVE: Not A Scratch On Me. Can’t Say The Same For Those Jerks And They Deserved A Whole Lot More Than What They Got. Claire Really Held Her Own Back There.

MICHAEL: Told You She’s Tougher Than She Looks.

*he reaches out for Claire*

MICHAEL: I’ll Take Her From Here.

SAM: If You Insist.

*with Danvers carefully placed in his arms, Mike carries her up to [CLAIRE’S BEDROOM] & lays her on the unmade bed. he removes the chunky boots Claire had been forced to wear, & a spiked bracelet in case she injures herself, then he tucks her in*
[ PARLOUR ROOM ]
*by the time he pads back downstairs, Eve & their guest are sitting on the velvet couches in the parlour room. this snug unfrequented space is more accurately a home office/library. there’s built-in bookshelves displaying an abundance of classic books, a 1930’s typewriter on the desk, & an old wood burner that probably hasn’t been used in at least two decades. all the deep shades of green compliment Sam’s ginger hair & his pale, freckled skin. no wonder it’s his favourite room in the house*

SAM: Eve, This Is Madness. Not A Single Person Has Escaped From That Cage And Lived To Tell The Tale. Nor Have The People Who Helped Them.

EVE: But None Of Them Have Had A Vampire On Their Side Before! Total Game Changer.

*Sam redirects his pleading frown to Mike, who takes a seat opposite him*

SAM: Michael, Talk Her Out Of This Before Her Recklessness Gets Her Killed.

MICHAEL: I’ve Tried, Believe Me. She Won’t Listen To A Word I Say.

EVE: “She” Is Sitting Right Here. And Until You Come Up With A Better Plan, I’m Sticking To Mine. With Or Without Sam.

*the couple exchange opposing looks: one wordlessly conveying “please don’t do this” & the other retorting “watch me”*

SAM: You Really Do Have Such Little Regard For Your Own Life.

EVE: Shane Wouldn’t Hesitate If It Was Me In That Cage, I Can’t Just Let Him Die. You Saved Him Once Too, And He Needs Your Help Now More Than Ever- We Need Your Help. Doesn’t That Count For Something?

SAM: Of Course It Does. But There Are Rules In Place Here For Good Reason, And A Long List Of Consequences If You Break Them. Not Just For Humans. My Hands Are Tied Too, Eve. It’s Not That I Don’t Want To Help Shane.

EVE: Well If You’re Too Much Of A Lap Dog To Defy Amelie’s Orders Again, The Least You Can Do Is Get Me Into Founder’s Square. I Won’t Be The Only One Trying To Rescue Shane, I Just Have To Be There When Frank’s Groupies Show Up.

SAM: I’d Rather You Not Be There At All. I Know You Don’t Want To Hear The Truth But Michael And I Are Only Trying To Protect You. This Is Not A Fight You Want To Be In The Middle Of, You’ve Seen What Happens.

EVE: I Can Protect Myself, Okay? Have Done For Eighteen Years Now In Case You Haven't Noticed, And The Person Who’s Always Had My Back Is Going To Burn In A Few Hours If I Don’t Do Something To Stop It.

*Mike hangs his head; he feels the same way she does, he just doesn’t want the girl he loves risking her life*

MICHAEL: Sam, She’s Safer With You Than She Is Going Off On Her Own.

SAM: You’re Condoning This?

MICHAEL: No. I Don’t Like This Plan As Much As You Don’t, But I Can’t Stop Her.

SAM: I Can. Just Say The Words.

EVE: Don’t Even Think About It. Michael Already Did That Mind Control Trick You Guys Do.

SAM: I Wasn’t Aware He Could. How Is That Possible?

*Mike dismissively shrugs his shoulders*

MICHAEL: A Gift From Oliver, I Guess.

EVE: That’s About As Much Of A Gift As An STD Is. Which, Now That I Think Of It, Can Vampires Get Those? ‘Cause Getting Bit Is Bad Enough, But Herpes Is Forever.

*the discomfort in Sam’s expression makes one side of his grandson’s mouth curl upwards*

SAM: Uh, As Far As I Know, We’re Immune To Disease. Still, Most Of My Kind Avoid Drinking From The Sick. Not Because It Has Any Affect On Us But…

EVE: It’s Less Appealing? Got It. Remind Me To Make The Most Of That Next Time I Have The Flu.

MICHAEL: Who’d Of Thought Vampires Are Picky Eaters?

*Eve unbuckles her party shoes to put her feet up on the couch*

EVE: Was Frank One Of The Guys That Crashed The Dead Girl’s Dance?

SAM: No, He’s Just The Puppeteer Pulling The Strings. Maybe Not All Of Them…

EVE: That Cop Said Four Parties Were Attacked Tonight - Why? Shouldn’t They Be Storming Founder’s Square Already?

SAM: They’re Creating Chaos: Diverting The Police And Keeping Them Busy, Taking Out A Few Vampires While They’re At It. Between Handling A Bunch Of Dead Or Injured College Kids, And Finding The Rest That Ran Off, The Cops Have Got Their Hands Full. The Situation Has To Be Contained Before It Escalates.

MICHAEL: It’s One Hell Of A Distraction.

EVE: Yeah, Which Means We Need To Move, Now.

*Sam shakes his head whilst he tries to piece together Frank’s plan from what little he knows*

SAM: It’s Too Obvious For Them To Strike Now; Surprise Has Been Their Tactic So Far. I’m Betting They’ll Wait This Out Till Dawn.

EVE: But That’s When Shane’s Execution Is. It Doesn’t Give Them A Lot Of Time.

SAM: More Importantly, It Doesn’t Give Vampires The Advantage They’ll Have In The Dark. Plus Frank Still Has Monica, So The Mayor Is Trying To Hold Things Off For As Long As He Can - Despite What Oliver Wants.

EVE: I Can’t Believe That Blood-Sucker Fooled Me. I Actually Thought He Was Someone I Could Trust.

SAM: He Didn’t Fool You - Not Entirely. He Made You Forget. I Saw Him Do It Once.

EVE: He Did What?

SAM: A Few Months Ago, When You Were Working The Night Shift, There Was An Incident With Brandon’s Friends.

♦FLASHBACK: [ COMMON GROUNDS ]
[ JUNE ]
*EVENING. the coffee shop is rid of its patrons for the night - chairs are stacked on tables, the floor is freshly mopped & the machines are no longer rumbling. Eve dons her leather jacket then salutes Oliver goodbye on her way out the door, which Sam is graciously holding open for her. halfway across the [PARKING LOT], Brandon’s blood-thirsty trio suddenly surround them before charging at Sam from all sides, trying to bypass him to capture Eve. the vampires are moving so fast that the world around them is in slow motion. within seconds, Jackson has a hand around the snarling red-head’s throat & his back pinned the gravel, leaving Rosser defenceless. her sprint towards safety is intercepted & in the blink of an eye, Morley is dangling her over the edge of Common Grounds*

SAM - VOICE OVER: They Were Causing Trouble As They Usually Did. Only This Time, The Game Was On You. And It Was One I Couldn’t Win.

*once Morley’s accomplices have joined him on the roof, they begin passing their victim around much like a football in a taunting game of keep-away. every time Sam gets close to Eve, he’s outmanoeuvred by his adversaries. that is until there’s a crack of bones & Grayson lifelessly collapses to the floor, releasing the teenager from his clutches. she spins around to face her saviour, but discovering that those glowing eyes & fangs belong to Oliver has her backing away from him in shock*
♦

EVE: Let Me Guess, It Wasn’t Freeze Tag Or Dodgeball. Just Please Tell Me None Of Those Creeps Got Their Fangs In Me.

SAM: They Didn’t, But They Easily Could Have. There Were Three Of Them, All Faster And Stronger Than I Was. Oliver Intervened Before You Got Hurt, And It Came At A Cost. It Blew His Cover And He Wasn’t Going To Let That Go.

♦FLASHBACK: [ COMMON GROUNDS ]
*Eve is now shaking on one of the couches in Common Grounds, staring wide-eyed up at her boss. Sam, however, glowers loathingly at Oliver. it’s the most threatening & not human he’s ever looked - vampire with a capital V*

SAM: I Said We’re Done Here, Oliver. Get Out Of My Way.

OLIVER: I Believe That’s My Line. Or Do You Wish To Continue Your Losing Streak?

SAM: Eve’s Been Through Enough Already. I’m Taking Her Home.

OLIVER: Well, When She Tells Michael What Happened Tonight, I’m Sure He’ll Have Much To Say. I For One Am Intrigued By His Current Situation.

*Glass clenches his jaw*

OLIVER: Ah, It Seems Your Grandson And I Would Both Like To Keep Our Anonymity Then.

EVE: What Does Michael Have To Do With This? What Are You Talking About?

OLIVER: Do You Want To Tell Her Or Shall I?

SAM: Eve Is Not A Clueless Out-Of-Towner That You Can Just Mess With. You Don’t Get To Make This Decision For Her.

OLIVER: Yes, In Fact, I Do - Regardless Of Who She Is. And If You Try To Stop Me, Glass, I Will Snap Her Neck. After All, I Only Trust “Taking A Secret To The Grave” In The Literal Sense.

*he pushes Sam aside to hold his employee’s head in his hands, locking his silver eyes on hers*

OLIVER: Eve, Listen To Me. Do Exactly As I Say. You’re Going To Forget What You Saw Here Tonight. You Closed The Shop, Got In Your Car And Went Home. Nothing Else Happened, Understand?

EVE: Nothing Else Happened.

OLIVER: Good. Now, You Best Get Going.

*when he lets go of Eve, she snaps out of the hypnotic trance like it never happened. in fact, she’s rather cheery in her ignorance*

EVE: I Should Get Home Before The Boys Come Looking For Me. Have A Good Weekend, Oliver.

OLIVER: And You. Do Be Careful, Good Employees Are Hard To Find These Days.

SAM: Don’t Worry, I’ll Be Keeping A Closer Eye On Her From Now On.

*he keeps his narrowed eyes on Oliver as he passes to escort Eve outside*
♦

SAM: I Had To Let Him Make You Forget, He Would Have Killed You Otherwise.

EVE: That Bastard. I Didn’t Even Know Vampires Could Do That.

SAM: Control Is One Thing, Erasing Memories Is A Much More Powerful Skill Not All Of Us Possess. Oliver’s Had A Millennia To Hone His Gifts.

MICHAEL: Then Why Couldn’t He Make Me A Vampire?

SAM: It’s Not As Simple As You May Think It Is. Not Everyone Survives The Transformation. Coming Back From The Dead Is A Game Of Chance, Not A Guarantee. Especially When You’re Coming Back As Something Else.

*pondering the complexities of vampirism temporarily steals Mike’s focus*

EVE: That… Makes A Lot Of Sense Actually. So, Are You Gonna Help Me Find Frank Or What? We’re Running Out Of Time Here.

SAM: Eve, I Know You Went Through A Lot Of Trouble To Find Me, But I’m Sorry To Say You Wasted Your Time. I’m Not Helping You Get Yourself Killed.

*Eve stands in front of him with her arms folded in a bratty display of defiance*

EVE: Fine. Then I’ll Do This Without You. I Should’ve Known Better Than To Trust A Vampire Anyway; They Only Look Out For Themselves.

SAM: Have You Not Understood A Word I’ve Said? I Can’t Get Involved. No Matter What Shane Did, He’s Was Always Going To Be The Bait To Catch Frank In The End. Even If Your Friend Is Freed From The Cage, They Will Still Hunt Him Down - Along With Anyone Who Helped Him Escape. And What’s Worse Is You Knew All Of This Before You Came To Me For Help. You’re Not Playing The Hero, You’re Being A Martyr!

EVE: Better A Martyr Than A Coward. At Least I’m Doing What’s Right.

*Sam shakes his head again, watching Rosser storm out of the room. the slam of her bedroom door is a wordless “fuck you”*

SAM: She’s Brave - Albeit Reckless - But Her Loyalty Is Commendable Nonetheless. You Understand Why I Can’t Let Her Do This?

MICHAEL: I Know. I Thought Maybe You Could Talk Some Sense Into Her, But You Had As Much Luck As I Did.

*he sits forward, anxiously wringing his hands*

MICHAEL: There’s Still A Way You Can Help Us. Consider It One Last Favour. I Know It’s A Lot To Ask Of You But We Don’t Have Any Better Options Right Now. I Need You To Get The Girls Out Of Town By Dawn. I Have To Know That They’re Going To Be Safe, Whatever Happens Next, And I Can’t Do Anything While I’m Stuck Here. So Please, Get Them The Hell Out Of This Place Before It Kills Them Too. Even If You Have To Drag Them Kicking And Screaming Across The Border. They Can Hate Me For It Later.

SAM: Where Do You Propose They Go? Eve Has Never Left Morganville, It’s All She Knows.

MICHAEL: Anywhere Is Better Than A Town Full Of Vampires. Eve Has A Cousin In Illinois, Claire’s Family Are In San Angelo. She Won’t Have A Problem Forgetting About Morganville, She Hasn’t Been Here Very Long.

*after a moment of contemplation, the vampire nods in agreeance*

SAM: I’ll See To It That They Get Somewhere Safe. But Know That I’m Not Just Doing This For You. I Care About Eve And I Happen To Have Her Best Interests In Mind, Even If She Doesn’t.

MICHAEL: Thank You, For Looking Out For Her When I Can’t. I’m Not Much Use To Anyone Once They Leave This House.

*the sombre tone of his voice raises concern*

SAM: Michael? There’s Something Else You Want To Tell Me, Isn’t There.

MICHAEL: Yeah… But You’re Not Going To Like It. And It’s Something Eve Can’t Know About. You Have To Promise Me That You Won’t Tell Her.

SAM: I Don’t Make Promises I Can’t Keep - And I Don’t Think Lying To Your Friends Again Is Wise, But I’m Sure I’m Wasting My Breath Telling You That.

MICHAEL: I Don’t Really Have A Choice. I Thought They Wouldn’t Understand The Whole Part-Time Ghost Thing. This Time I Already Know How They Feel, But It’s Too Late To Let It Stop Me. It’s Just That- I Uh… I Need To Get Out Of Here. I Can’t Be-

*he gestures at himself*

MICHAEL: This Anymore. Half-Alive. I’d Say It’s Killing Me But That’s Part Of The Problem - I Can’t Die. When The Sun Sets, I Just Come Back To Life, Good As New. I Can’t Spend Another Month Trapped In This House, Sam. But As Long As It’s Still Here… So Am I.

SAM: *sigh* I Knew It Would Come To This Soon Enough. This Has Been My Family’s Home For Generations. I Raised My Son Here. You Can’t Possibly Expect Me To Have Any Part In Burning It To The Ground With My Only Grandchild Inside.

MICHAEL: That’s Why It’s Only My Backup Plan. I’ve Been Thinking A Lot About How I Died - What It Did To Me. Oliver Was Trying To Turn Me Into A Vampire And Something Must’ve Gone Wrong. It’s Like I’m Caught In The Middle. So I Figured, Maybe That’s My Way Out Of Here. What Else Have I Got To Lose Now Anyway?

*Sam’s expression turns grim at the thought of Mike experiencing what he has for the past 50 years*

SAM: More Than You Can Imagine. Your Humanity, Your Friends, Your Normal Life-

MICHAEL: “Normal?” Nothing About Me Dying Over And Over Again Is Normal. I’m Already Dead, There’s No Coming Back From That. The Only Choice I Have Is How This Ends, And I’ve Made Mine… I’m Going To Meet With Amelie. I Want Her To Turn Me.

SAM: Michael, This Is Not Something You Should Ever Choose. If Given The Choice, Many Of Us Wouldn’t Have. You Don’t Understand What You’re Asking For!

MICHAEL: Then Tell Me. Everything.