Professional Documents
Culture Documents
An original screenplay
By Stephanie Whitehall
Stephanie Whitehall March 31, 2009
swhitehall@ut.edu Copyright 2009
FADE IN…
INT. STORE – BACKROOM
MAGDA enters the backroom. Coworkers are milling about.
MAGDA
Hey, did you know the light up front is—
ALEX
(looking inside his locker)
Where’s my vest?
MAGDA
…not working…
MAGDA heads over to her locker. She takes out her own vest
and starts putting it on.
ALEX
(Barely restrained hostility)
I said, where’s my vest?
(Slams the locker door and
turns to look at coworkers)
Did someone borrow my vest without
asking? Hey, it’s okay, I just want to
know.
MAGDA starts walking to the door. She almost makes it before
COWORKER 1 sees her.
ALEX
Hey!
(MAGDA freezes where she is)
Where’s my vest, Magda?
MAGDA
What?
ALEX
Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m
talking about.
MAGDA
(nervous)
I don’t know where your vest is.
ALEX
Thought you just said you didn’t know
anything. What happened, did you lose
your own vest and think you could take
mime?
MAGDA
(more confidant)
Alex? I don’t think your brain is
working today. How much smaller am I
than you? If I had taken your vest to
wear today, I would be swimming in it.
Think.
A light flickers.
ALEX
(O.S.)
Did you fall asleep? I don’t like being
ignored.
MAGDA blinks. Her previous lines were all in her head; ALEX
is still on her case.
MAGDA
AAlex? I don’t… I don’t think…
ALEX
You don’t think what?
MAGDA
…Nevermind.
BILL
(O.S.)
Is there a problem here?
ALEX
(immediately backs off)
No.
BILL (early to midthirties) is not a big guy, but he
immediately commands respect when he enters the room.
BILL
You should keep better track of your
things. Here.
(gives Alex a vest of his)
All right, everyone, they’re not paying
us to socialize.
The tension is broken and people start acting normally
again. MAGDA gives BILL a small smile.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
A series of scenes: MAGDA behind the register ringing up
customers, MAGDA directing customers to a product in a
friendly manner, MAGDA being refused access to the
stockroom.
Insert: MAGDA trying to use an access code. It doesn’t take
her code.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
INT. STORE AISLE
MAGDA pushes a cart full of merchandise down an aisle. MAGDA
runs into two coworkers while pushing her cart.
COWORKER1
What kind of Scooby Doo shit is that?
(mocking)
Oh, no, whatever shall I do? A
transparent sheet is after me. Maybe if
I left the house, but I’m too dumb to do
that.
COWORKER 2
Have you ever watched a horror movie
with ghosts in it? You are not getting
out of there alive. Especially the ones
with Japanese ghosts. Dude, those things
are freaky! And, what, I’m supposed to
be afraid of zombies like you are?
COWORKER 1
I’m not afraid of them, I just think
they’re the scariest movie monsters
around. Big difference.
COWORKER 2
Please. If a zombie apocalypse was
happening in real life, all I’d have to
do is go to sporting good, stock up on
guns and ammo, and then hang out on the
roof picking off whatever was stupid
enough to get in range. It’s not like it
would be hard. They’re the slowest
creatures on the face of the earth.
COWORKER 1
Yeah, right. You have to sleep
eventually. Or were you planning on
staying up for the rest of your life?
‘Cause they may be slow, but they don’t
have to rest.
MAGDA
(interrupting)
Yeah, but if you think about it,
Hollywood has created a nighunkillable
monster in modern interpretations of
vampires. Think about it: Their skin is
impenetrable, they’re superstrong, and
they can heal from fatal wounds within
seconds. They’re terrifying if you stop
to think about it.
The two coworkers look at her like she’s weird.
MAGDA
(continuing eagerly)
Of course, it didn’t used to be like
that. Vampires used to actually have
weaknesses. They couldn’t smash cars,
for one. They were more approaching
human strength. Then there’s all the
stuff they added for the film versions
of Dracula. The whole sunlightisfatal
deal? Completely made up by Hollywood.
In the book, Dracula could walk around
in the sunlight, no problem. Sure, it
weakened him, but he could do it. Take
folklore, for instance: Vampires were
little more than bloodsucking humans—
The two coworkers turn away from her and start talking to
each other again.
COWORKER 1
So, like I was saying, they’re slow, but
they don’t need to rest.
MAGDA
(trails off)
…with some rising from the dead pasted
on…
MAGDA quickly grabs something from a shelf, throws it in her
cart, and hurries away.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
INT. STORE CASH REGISTER COUNTER
MAGDA is behind the cash register. The manager ANNA (late
thirties to early forties) walks up.
ANNA
Magda, I’m going to need you to stay a
little longer today.
MAGDA
(warily)
How much longer?
ANNA
Another shift. Laurie couldn’t make it
tonight, so we’re going to need you to
fill in.
INSERT: LAURIE’S Employee of the Month picture. She’s peppy
and smiling. LAURIE is a little younger than MAGDA.
MAGDA looks out the window and sees LAURIE’S car in the
parking lot. The cutesy vanity plate with her name on it is
a dead giveaway.
MAGDA
(dryly)
Her car’s outside.
ANNA
(doesn’t look out)
Lots of people have cars like that. Be a
team player, Magda.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
INT. CAR – LATE AFTERNOON
MAGDA sits in the driver’s seat of her car talking on the
cell phone to her mother.
MAGDA
They keep doing this to me.
MOTHER
(V.O.)
Then why don’t you quit? Just go in
there and tell them.
MAGDA
I can do that?
(laughs depreciatively)
No. I have to give them two weeks notice
or else I’d lose them as a
recommendation for my next job and I’d
get the “we wouldn’t hire her again”
attached to my name.
MOTHER
(V.O.)
You could go back to college. You’d have
the time. When was the last time you
looked into universities? The longer you
stay away from college, the harder it
will be to go back.
MAGDA
Not right now. Besides, it’s hard to
find a job right now. I’m fine here.
Really, I am. I’ve got to go, my break
is over.
MOTHER
(V.O.)
Bye. I love you.
MAGDA
You too. Bye.
MAGDA closes the cell phone.
FADE OUT…