The Vail
By Joey Pettine
Episode Twelve: Family
(A small mortician’s basement. Along the back wall, a strange green liquid percolates through a massive chemistry set of pipes and tubes. ALINA WAITTS sits in a chair, flanked by ZED and ZOD, her literally brainless lackeys. She is enjoying a cigar and holds a revolver at the ready. STEVEN TILLHOUSE, HENRY, and ANDY VAIL enter. Henry has his trusty sawed off shotgun at the ready. Neither of them really seem afraid of the gun.)
ANDY
Mr. Waitts.
ALINA
They told you.
ANDY
Where's Nancy? Tell and I won't rip out your throat.
ALINA
Still having trouble with the temper, I see.
STEVEN
Answer his question.
ALINA
Why? He doesn't need me to figure it out. He tracked Henry down just fine.
STEVEN
She... He makes--
ANDY
It! Don't let it fool you, Steven. Whatever resides in that poor girl's body stopped being human a long time ago.
STEVEN
It's a good point. Can you track her like you did Henry?
HENRY
Andrew is still weak. You were recently shot. It might expel too much energy to utilize your advanced skills.
ALINA
But you have to. It's the only way. I sure as hell ain't gonna give up the ghost.
ANDY
It's right.
ALINA
Oh, stop it! Couple weeks ago you were ready to be my Valentine, now I'm not even human?
STEVEN
He's right. To call you a monster wouldn't be enough.
ALINA
Ooh. Harsh, Deadman.
STEVEN
You were afraid to die. It's natural, I can't blame you for that. But you sacrificed your own family for a few more years. You're just wrong.
ALINA
A few more years? I'm over a hundred. That's what family's for. To carry on your legacy. I was smart. They all had the chance, I took it. Survival of the fittest. You morons must realize that. Look what's happened to your lives because of what you did for your family. Especially you, Vail, your brother didn't even like you.
HENRY
That is enough.
ALINA
And you are the most pathetic of all. The whole of time and space at your fingertips and you come back here. Fighting for a hopeless future.
ANDY
It's what's right.
ALINA
It's what's right. For the good of humanity. To avenge your families. Blah diggity fuckin' blah. It's always some excuse. Right and wrong is the bullshit weak people came up with to trick the stronger creatures into leaving them alone. Creatures like you. A zombie, a body snatcher, and “the Vail”. Like you guys are human.
ANDY
More human than you.
ALINA
You sure, Vail. Lemme ask you something. Where is Nancy? Who's with her?
HENRY
Do you know, Andrew?
ANDY
Yes.
ALINA
How? How the hell could you know ? Can you smell it? Sense it? Can you read my mind? What? Because none of those things are human.
ANDY
I can find them.
STEVEN
Who's them? Dr. North?
ANDY
Yes. But...
(Andy breathes in deep, letting the world soak into him, and then his eyes go wide.)
ANDY
No!
ALINA
Surprise, surprise.
HENRY
What is it?
ANDY
Mike. Mr. Skinner. I can't tell.
HENRY
The Insect.
ALINA
The very one that killed your brother.
STEVEN
I died killing that thing.
ANDY
It survived.
ALINA
Dr. North rescued it, actually. He has plans.
ANDY
We have to go.
ALINA
Yeah, right.
ANDY
Put down the gun.
ALINA
Shut it!
STEVEN
You've already proven you're a lousy shot.
ALINA
I don't need to kill you.
(She pulls out a cell phone.)
ALINA
One ring and they'll kill Nancy. So why don't we just have a sit and wait. Then you all can go on your merry way.
(Henry points at the cell. It sparks and explodes. Alina yelps and drops it to the ground. She looks angry and fires. Steven steps in front of them, taking the bullet in his chest. It looks like it hurt but he shakes it off.)
STEVEN
Go. I got this.
(Andy and Henry don't hesitate. Alina fires twice more into Steven's back.)
STEVEN
That stings! I'm already dead idiot!
ALINA
I can shoot you in the head. Can't work without a brain.
STEVEN
Think you're a good enough shot.
(Alina fires the remaining three rounds but Steven is moving. One of them hits the wall and two of them hit Steven's torso. Alina tosses the empty gun.)
ALINA
Kill him!
(Zed and Zod move forward to attack. Steven prepares to fight back but the two zombies have already stopped. They sniff the air then just stop.)
ALINA
What are you doing! Kill him!
(Steven takes the chance to try and fight back. He goes to throw a punch at Zod but stops short. He also sniffs the air.)
STEVEN
I'm sorry brothers. I didn't know.
ALINA
What's going on?
STEVEN
We're all part of the same undead family. Except for you.
(Zed and Zod turn back to Aline. For the first time ever, their faces are filled with anger. They grab her arms and hold her in the chair then look to Steven.)
ALINA
Get off me! Let me go! Steven.
STEVEN
Don't worry. You won't be dead for long.
ALINA
No. Please, no. I've worked so hard.
STEVEN
You're getting what you wanted. Immortality. My brothers, give your baby sister a kiss.
(They both sink their teeth into her flesh with relish. They rip and tear like animals and she screams as the flesh comes off of her body.)
ALINA
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
(Steven goes to the elaborate chemistry set, looking quite calm, and begins to whistle “Innocent When You Dream” by Tom Waits. He starts smashing the set to pieces and a thick green steam begins to jet from the broken pipes and beakers, obscuring the stage until nothing can be seen. Alina screams and pleads a few moments longer and then just stops. Steven continues to whistle his song as the lights fade.)
No comments:
Post a Comment