Thought I would post an excerpt from a screenplay I submitted to a previous writing class, just to get my mind into the right (write?) frame of mind. Will probably continue this throughout the semester, bit of new stuff mixed in with a bit of old.
EXT. THE CAMP - NIGHT
The group is busy bundling up the campsite, each of them carrying packs full of supplies. There is lots of quiet, ambiguous chatter between them all. GIBSON, late forties, rugged, the last 10 years have aged him considerably with his eyes telling a tale of grief and loss. He appears uneasy, distracted, he stares off in the direction where LIA was last seen headed. It’s been a while now. BEN, early twenties, his thick copper locks tied up into a messy bun, his youthful face covered by an equally thick auburn beard, approaches GIBSON.
BEN
We’re pretty much done here.
GIBSON
Start to head north, towards the cliffs. I’ll stay back and wait for...
THWIP! An arrow zooms past GIBSON and strikes BEN in the shoulder. CLOSE ON BEN as he drops to his knees. THWIP! Another arrow zips out from the darkness, this time striking BEN right in the heart. He slumps backwards, dead. Before GIBSON can react, THWIP, THWIP, THWIP, more arrows dart out of the darkness, raining over the group. Our survivors disperse, running for cover. Another two of the group, CHARLIE and OLIVER are felled by arrows before they can make it to shelter.
Suddenly, FIRE!
TIGHT on the first fire bomb as it sails through the air, exploding into flames the instant it smashes into the ground. The fire spreads quickly, engulfing the area where the group have taken shelter. Another fire bomb hurtles through the air, into the campsite and another. A fluorescent wall of orange consumes the dry foliage, the flames lapping at our group’s feet. GIBSON scrambles to join them, crouching low to ground and covering the distance on all fours. He reaches the survivors, only six left now, they cough and splutter as the smoke from the fire begins to overwhelm them. For a moment, the onslaught pauses. From the darkness, incoherent howling and ramblings as the SCAVENGERS seek to unsettle the survivors.
GIBSON
Harry and Georgia, stay with me. The rest of you, get to the river and just keep going. Don’t stop, you hear me?!
OWEN
What about you guys?
GIBSON
Don’t stop!
HARRY, muscular, quite short and compact, he is quiet and unassuming and GEORGIA, lean and taller than HARRY, she is tough and tenacious. The two of them are considered to be the best shots within the group. HARRY takes cover behind a fallen tree. TIGHT ON HARRY as he readies his rifle searching for a target amidst the flames. GEORGIA takes up a position to HARRY’S right, behind some boulders on a slight rise, she works the lever on her lever-action rifle, loading a fresh cartridge into the barrel of the chamber. For an instant, it is calm. HARRY and GEORGIA wait for their moment.
INTO FRAME leaps a screaming SCAVENGER, he hurtles through the flames brandishing a small axe.
BOOM! The screaming SCAVENGER stops dead in his tracks, stunned. He looks down at his chest in disbelief as blood starts to ooze from a large wound in his torso. He drops to the ground, dead. HARRY turns to GEORGIA and smiles as she cracks her lever back and forth to load another round into the chamber. Seeing the opportunity, OWEN, followed by LEE and VAL take off at speed towards the river. They hurdle through the flames and smoke, disappearing into the darkness. MR. GIBSON slides up in between HARRY and GEORGIA.
Suddenly a SCAVENGER appears to HARRY’s left. He charges at HARRY catching him off guard, bundling him over. HARRY uses his rifle in an attempt to keep him at bay, but the SCAVENGER is strong. Whilst this is happening, another SCAVENGER appears to GEORGIA’s right but she is distracted by HARRY. The SCAVENGER grabs GEORGIA from behind, knocking her firearm away. GEORGIA struggles violently as GIBSON reaches for the rifle. The SCAVENGER pulls GEORGIA backwards into the smoke and darkness, her screams muffled by his hand. As GIBSON retrieves the rifle, he looks up to assist GEORGIA but it’s too late, she and the SCAVENGER have disappeared into the darkness. GIBSON spins around to where HARRY is struggling to defend himself against his attacker. GIBSON grips the rifle like a baseball bat and takes a massive swing, collecting the SCAVENGER’s head with the stock of the rifle. The force of the swing knocks the SCAVENGER out cold instantly. He collapses on top on HARRY who immediately scrambles out from underneath him. Blood begins to pour from the fresh wound atop the SCAVENGER’s head.
HARRY
Georgia?
GIBSON pulls Harry in close and embraces him.
GIBSON
Re-group with the others. You have to keep moving.
GIBSON pushes HARRY away. HARRY stumbles into a run and then sprints off in the direction of the river. A towering colossus of smoke and flames now confronts GIBSON. Trees and foliage explode into embers; the wind blasts them ahead of the main fire front like a grenade launcher. The blistering wind, roaring like a jet engine scorches GIBSON’s face. He starts to cough, the smoke is inescapable, invading his lungs like a weed. He pulls his shirt up over nose and mouth and scampers to where the SCAVENGERS launched their attack from.
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