RENFIELD

By
Seyed Majdidin Badri

Majdi Badri
510 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL 60657
1-773-319-5093
INT. A CLOSET IN LILY’S HOUSE - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING
LEO is in a pitch-black closet. His breath is harried and
his heartbeat can be heard.

LILY
Leo? Leo, baby, where are you?
Leo’s breathing becomes quiet. His heart is still beating
audibly loud. There a few moments of silence before LILY
smashes a hand though the door and pulls Leo out.

INT. LILY’S HOUSE - NIGHT

Lily pushes Leo up against the opposite wall from the
closet. We see Leo, a man with short, shaggy hair and not to
bad looks. A small scar on his forehead and current black
eye shows that although this man looks strong, he is as
frail as the rest of us. He has a hard exterior, but inside,
he is weak to the indomitable will of Lily. Lily’s frail
arms hold Leo up with more strength then they should. Lilly
is not yet clearly seen.

LILY
Say it! Tell me it!
LEO
(Mumbling)

Lily throws Leo, like a broken doll, into an adjacent room.

The room has a few furnishings, but is bleak. An old green
couch sits on a circle rug in the center. Leo scrambles
behind it.

LILY
Tell me I’m beautiful!
Lily flips the couch over and Leo tries to back away. Lily
picks him up again and proceeds to smash him into a wall
over and over again. Leo lets out little yelps of pain. This
waif is seriously hurting Leo.
LILY
Say it!

We finally see Lily. She has the round sweet face that your
neighbor has. Almond colored eyes hiding the disgusting
interior. She is not beautiful, but cute. In that all
American kind of way.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.

LEO
You’re...

Lily shifts, letting her cute visage drop. We can now see
her for what she truly is. This is the same face as before
but run through a meat grinder. Her teeth are crooked
pointing in all directions. Her skin hangs loosely on her
cheeks and her eyes are sunken in.

LEO
...beautiful.
Lily’s face shifts back into the lie. She sets Leo down.
LILY
I’m sorry sweetie. I just, forget
how fragile you are sometimes.Let
mommy make it better.
Lily pushes her wrist toward Leo. Leo flinches, but then
takes the wrist, greedily biting down. Blood pools around
his mouth and the wound. He closes his eyes in total bliss
before she tugs her bleeding wrist away.
LILY
That’s enough, baby. Too much and
I’d be all dried up.

She begins to walk away

LILY
I need to lie down for a bit. You
need to go pick some things up for
me tomorrow. I left a list on the
table downstairs.
ZOOM IN on Leo’s face as he licks away what blood is left on
his chin and lips. The black eye along with a few gashes and
scrapes made by Lily begin to pucker and close.

INT. MARY’S BASEMENT - DAY

MARY is sitting at a desk. She has short blond hair that
begins to naturally curl on its own. She looks like a woman
who would have been a great mother and wife. There are set
lines in her face. She is pretty. The kind of suburban mom
pretty. She twists at her wedding ring, a simple affair with
a small diamond in the middle. A picture album lies open in
front of her. We see a large picture taking up a full page
in the album of Mary getting cake smeared on her face by a
man. She wears a wedding dress, and he’s in a tux. They are
both laughing. Mary looks up over at the chains and shackles
affixed to the opposite wall in the basement

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.

SFX: A loud, obnoxious ring of Mary’s phone.

The sound makes Mary jump a bit and ruptures the sad peace
she was in. She gets up and moves up the stairs out of the
basement, into the kitchen above. She picks up the phone.
MARY
Hello?

DEREK (V.O.)
We’ve found another Renfield.

EXT. A PARKED WHITE VAN - DAY

The van is parked outside a home crafts store. It sits in a

big, empty section of the parking lot. Mary and DEREK can be
seen inside. PAUL sits behind them.
PAUL (V.O.)
I knew as soon as the report came
over the police scanner that this
was a guy to look out for.

INT. THE VAN

Derek sits in the drivers side of the car. If Mary looks

like the woman who would be perfect to be a mom, but harder,
Derek looks like he could be a dad if it wasn’t for those
sharp worry lines. His face and body is that of a working
man’s. He has things to do and he gets it done. Mary sits in
the passenger seat. Paul is sitting in the empty space in
back. Paul is a man who looks like he lives a comfortable
life. He has traces of softness and fat on his body and
face. Compared to the two hard faced people in the front of
the van, Paul looks like a jolly old uncle.

PAUL
A fight broke out around one of
those new clubs over on Bakers
street. Supposedly someone called
this guy’s girlfriend a filthy
name, and the guy went berserk.
Practically tore the guy and his
friends apart before his lady
called him back.
DEREK
Matt, down at the station, gave me
a description of the guy. He got
off without any charges. No one
wanted to touch him. Legally or
physically.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.

MARY
He just walked off into the night?
DEREK
With his lady.

MARY
Obviously his regent.
PAUL
Tracking this guy was a
sonofabitch, but we finally found
him.
MARY
So, follow him to that monster’s
house and burn it all down.

PAUL
If only it were that easy. The
Renfield goes to a different house
every night.

DEREK
Besides, Mary, we do this to help
people. First we need to help him,
"kick" his habit.
MARY
Whatever you say, Derek.

EXT. HOME CRAFTS STORE - DAY

Leo leaves the store, a bag tucked under his arm. There are
hardly any marks from the beating he received the night
before. Leo turns down an alley and begins to walk away. The
van with the hunters in it starts up and follows Leo into
the alley, pulling up beside Leo.

EXT. ALLEY BY CRAFTS STORE - DAY

The van is now beside Leo. Mary rolls down the window.
MARY
Hi, I’m sorry, but we are bit lost.
We’re trying to get to a friends
house and she lives on Trumbull and
Finch and we can’t seem to figure
out which way to go. Can you help
us?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5.

LEO
Sorry, I need to get going.
MARY
It’ll only take a minute.

LEO
I said I was sorry, lady, but-
Leo is completely unawares when Mary throws her door open,
into him. He stumbles back, surprised, dropping his bag full
of tools. The rear van door slides open and Paul leaps out,
a syringe in his hand. He runs toward Leo who, regaining his
footing, knocks Paul away with a smooth move of his arm.
PAUL
Shit!

LEO
Who the fuck are you people?
Marlena throws herself on Leo from her open passenger seat,
while Derek runs around and picks up the syringe that Paul
dropped. Leo in another smooth move, flips Mary onto the
hood of the van.
MARY
Ah. Fuck!

LEO
You shit-heads messed with the
wrong guy.
Leo pulls back, about to punch Mary’s exposed throat when
Derek sticks the needle into Leo’s neck. Leo stumbles back,
confused. He collapses.
FADE OUT

INT. MARY’S BASEMENT - NIGHT

Leo is shackled to Mary’s wall. Paul is winding bandage
around the gash he received when Leo threw him. Mary is
leaning back on the desk, looking at the unconscious and
pathetic form of Leo.

PAUL
I never got it.
MARY
Never got what?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.

PAUL
What is so romantic about
cannibalism?
MARY
Two becoming one. Blood is
symbolic. Bullshit like that.
PAUL
Zombies aren’t sexy.

MARY
They aren’t zombies.
PAUL
If they were, this shit would be
easier.

Leo begins to come to. The shackles shake and clink

together. He looks up, confused, then frightened, then
angry. Paul is done bandaging himself up. Mary watches him,
cool and detached.

LEO
Where am I?!
PAUL
Quiet down. You’re safe.

LEO
Who are you people?!
MARY
We’re the people that are going to
help you-

LEO
Fuck you! I need to get out of
here!

Leo struggles against the shackles. They pull taught, but

they hold. Mary and Paul turn and begin ascending the flight
of stairs out of the basement.
LEO
Please! Please. I’m sorry, just let
me out please.
Paul and Mary leave, closing the door behind them. Leo is
thrashing at his bonds, angry again.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 7.

LEO
You idiots! It doesn’t matter!
She’ll find you! She’ll kill all of
you. She’ll find you! She’ll...
find me.

INT. MARY’S KITCHEN - NIGHT

Mary shuts and locks the basement door behind her. They move
to sit down at an island that sits in the middle of the
kitchen. Derek is making stiff drinks. He slides them both a
glass. He makes one for himself as they talk.
DEREK
Glad to see our guest is awake.

MARY
And cranky.
PAUL
He’s scared.

DEREK
Who wouldn’t be. The situation he’s
in would scare anyone.
PAUL
No, he’s not scared for his life.
He’s scared he won’t get the blood
he needs.
They all sip at their drinks. There is a moment of silence.
MARY
How old do you think he is?
PAUL
With or without the blood?

MARY
Both.
PAUL
Hard to say. He’s a stone cold
addict. He must have been on it for
a while.
DEREK
He seems new though.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 8.

MARY
Why do you say that?
DEREK
The way he moves, talks. He isn’t
one of those ancient Renfields. He
won’t die if we starve him from
that shit for to long.
Mary finishes her drink by downing whats left of it.

MARY
So, I guess we’re keeping him here
then.
DEREK
Mary, if we could-

MARY
I know. I’m the only one on this
whole block with a wannabee S&M
torture chamber in her basement.

They all laugh a tired laugh.

PAUL
It will only be for a few weeks.
Two months at most. He should be
clear headed by then.

MARY
Then we find that thing.
DEREK
And we kill it.

The men get up to leave. Mary collects the glasses and puts
them in the sink. She walks with the men to the door.
PAUL
Take care now. He seems like a
tricky one.
MARY
Don’t worry about me. Get home. I
bet Lisa is already worried.

Paul laughs and leaves. Derek and Mary stand alone on the
doorstep.
DEREK
How’s your back?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 9.

MARY
Fine. A little bruise, but nothing
too bad.
DEREK
You went Wonder Woman all over him.
MARY
Really? Wonder Woman?
DEREK
What? Is that not hip? I couldn’t
think of anything else to compare
you too.
MARY
Well, maybe if you spent less time
in your workshop and more time in
front of a T.V. you’d learn whats
"hip".
They laugh. There is a pause.

DEREK
Good night Mary. If he gives you
any trouble-
MARY
I’ll give a call to my knight in
shining armor.
DEREK
You’re the knight. I’m the little
squire boy.

MARY
Good night, Derek.
DEREK
Good night.

He leaves. Mary closes the door and proceeds back to the

kitchen. She opens the basement door a crack and hears Leo
crying. She shuts the door and goes up stairs. Here we see
quick shots of her doing mundane things. She brushes her
teeth, combs her hair and gets into bed. The king sized bed
is large and neatly made. There is an empty place next to
her that looks huge.
 10.

INT. MARY’S BASEMENT - DAY THREE - WEEKS LATER

Leo is no longer shackled to the wall. Now he has a large
chain shackled to his foot and to the wall and only that. A
simple bed is in the corner. A bucket sits on the other side
of the room. Leo has grown a shaggy mane while being locked
up. A plate of half eaten food sits by the bed. Mary hands
him a bottle of water. She doesn’t like doing this, but she
knows its helping him.
LEO
Thanks.
He open and begins to drink the water.
MARY
What was it’s...

LEO
Name? Her name was Lily.
He puts the water down.

MARY
Sorry. I shouldn’t talk to you
about it.
LEO
No. No. Its fine. Actually, it’s
kind of a load off.
MARY
How did you meet...her.
LEO
I was a muscle head. Kept my eyes
on the skirts and gave chase when
they ran. She was something
different.

Mary leans back against the desk.

LEO
She’s beautiful, or at least she
was. She was into biting and I’m
all up for new stuff, but then
she..
MARY
What? Fed you blood? Her blood?
Leo physically shivers.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 11.

LEO
Yeah.
MARY
Why did you drink?

LEO
I dunno. Thought it was just some
new kinky stuff. Turns out it
wasn’t. The shit... its addictive,
mind opening, amazing and awful all
at once. It was like sex, but
better. We were actually one. She
was a shining piece of glory in
this shit of a world and I... I was
her chosen disciple.

MARY
Poetic.
LEO
I didn’t used to be.

Leo picks up the water and drinks from it again.

LEO
Why do you do this? You just full
of good intentions?

MARY
No, well, I just don’t want people
to end up as fucked up as me.
LEO
You were also addicted to the
blood?
MARY
No. Wasn’t that easy. Me and Frank,
my husband, we, we were coming home
from Thanksgiving. We were up at
his parent’s place, up in the
country. We took a road we’d never
used before and figured a few
sights wouldn’t hurt.

She stiffens a bit as she speaks. Leo cannot stop watching.

MARY
It was getting dark out and
something was on the road. Frank
didn’t see it. We hit it and got
pulled over to figure out what it
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 12.

MARY (cont’d)
was. One of those, things, was
pretending to be dead, lying in the
middle of the road. Frank, he was
so upset, tried to go see if he was
ok.
Mary twists her ring again. The way she does it makes it
look painful.
MARY
It’s hands shot up and wrapped
around Frank. He had no idea what
was happening and neither did I. It
pulled him down close and shoved
its dirty face in between his neck
and shoulders. I tried to help, but
then it just... it looked at me. In
the eyes. And I couldn’t do
anything. When I came to, it was
almost dawn. It was gone and all
that was left was Frank’s body. I
loaded it up into the car and drove
into town.
LEO
And the police?

MARY
Apparently it happens a lot up
there. They swept it under the rug
and the coroner said he died from
natural causes. I’ve been too
afraid to go around that town or
roads. Something has its hand in
the pie, and I can only do so much.
LEO
I’m, I’m sorry.

MARY
Anytime I get the chance. I try and
get one of those fuckers. It
doesn’t bring Frank back, but it
helps.

Leo finishes the water and Mary begins to relax again,

letting go of her ring.
LEO
Mary?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 13.

MARY
Hmm?
LEO
Do you need to know... where Lily
lives?

INT. MACK’S DINER - NIGHT

Derek, Paul and Mary are sitting in a booth inside of a neon
diner. Plates with finished food sit in front of them. A
half finished milkshake is being sipped by Mary. A map is
unfolded on the table. A few spots on the map are circled.
They are the only ones in the diner.
PAUL
Well, we can just burn the place
down. She’s the only one there,
according to the blood doll.
MARY
You mean Leo?

PAUL
Yes.
DEREK
Then there is arson charges and all
sorts of shit we can’t deal with.
We’ll just go in there, find her
and kill her.
PAUL
Easier said then done.
DEREK
Easier then burning it down. Less
collateral damage.

PAUL
More danger to us. She could tear
us apart.
DEREK
Could being the key word.

Mary finishes her milkshake loudly. The two men look at her.
She looks up at them and smiles.
MARY
I think Leo should come with us.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 14.

PAUL
Really?
DEREK
That’s not a good idea.

MARY
And why not?
DEREK
He’s her... what did you call it
Paul?
PAUL
Blood doll. I think it’s a better
word for Renfield.

MARY
I think he should come with us.
He’s kicked his addiction, he’s
been locked up in my basement for
long enough.

DEREK
He’s still susceptible to it’s
will.
MARY
He’s knows the place like the back
of his hand. He could get us in
easy, and then blam. No more
bloodsucker. Leo is cured and may
even join up with us.

PAUL
She has a point Derek. Maybe he can
be a asset.
Derek looks back and forth between the two.

DEREK
Fine. We attack next week, so
unlock him and get him ready.

INT. MARY’S BASEMENT - NIGHT

Mary unlocks Leo from his chains. He almost falls, but she
catches him. Leo is now upstairs, eating a nice big meal,
then he is shaving his beard and finally ends lying on
Mary’s couch. The shots should seem parallel to Mary’s from
before.
 15.

EXT. A PARKED WHITE VAN - NIGHT

The van is parked outside a medium sized, mundane house. It
really looks like anything amazing or creepy, just a house a
little worse for the wear. The houses next door are boarded
up. Black rims around the windows and doors suggest fire
damage.
DEREK (V.O.)
Your sure this is the place?

LEO (V.O.)
Yes.
DEREK (V.O.)
Then lets go.

The group exits the van. They all are sporting guns, along
with various other forms of hurt. They approach the door and
before they go in, Mary squeezes Leo’s hand. Leo takes out a
key and unlocks the door. They all move in.

INT. LILY’S HOUSE - NIGHT

The group splits, silently going around the main floor. The
entire house looks like someone decorated in the 60’s and
then just left it. All oranges, greens and browns. The group
circles around and comes to the back of the house. They pass
a stair case on the way to the back and where they meet
there is a door that leads to the cellar, open. They all
whisper.
PAUL
It could be upstairs or down.

MARY
Thankfully there is at least four
of us.

DEREK
Mary, you come with me upstairs.
Paul, Leo, you two go down.
They all nod and split up. Two descend the stairs while the
other two climb the stairs to the second floor.
 16.

INT. LILY’S BASEMENT - NIGHT

Paul and Leo move down the stairs. They reach the basement
floor where trash, dirty clothes and a rugged beat up
looking mattress decorates the floor. Leo flinches.

PAUL
Is this where you slept?
Leo nods. They begin to fan out.

INT. LILY’S SECOND FLOOR - NIGHT

Derek and Mary make it to the top of the stairs. A hallway
spreads out in front of them. A straight shot with a dead
end. Four doors line the hall. They whisper.

DEREK
So, I was thinking. After all this,
wanna get away? A tropical cruise
maybe?

Mary smiles and opens her mouth to say something when a

sound ahead of them makes them both focus. They move up the
hallway slowly and make their way to the first two rooms.
They both flick on flash lights and peer into the rooms.
They just stick their heads in when a gunshot rings out
though the house. Mary and Derek turn towards each other,
startled. Lily, who had snuck up on them from one of the
further rooms and had been waiting in the hall, decks Derek.
A pop and a crunch is heard as he flies into the wall at the
end of the hall. Lily follows.
MARY
Shit! Shit!
Derek scrambles to sit up and fires a shot into Lily. Lily
screams and her true, horrid form is reveled. She bears down
on Derek, hands rending.

MARY
Hey!
Mary takes aim and fires off a shot into Lily’s back. She
turns and screams as Mary, running at her. Mary fires off
another two shots and the Lily creature stumbles and falls
into one of the open rooms. Mary runs over to Derek, who is
in pretty bad shape.
MARY
Fuck. Derek, I’m sorry. She’s dead.
We’re getting out of here.
 17.

Derek’s eyes go wide and he tries to point up, behind Mary

we see a figure strike Mary in the head. She blacks out.

INT. LILY’S BASEMENT - NIGHT

When Mary comes to she is in the basement, on the dirty old

mattress. Her arms and legs are bound. Next to her against
the wall is Paul’s dead body, his head is no longer intact.
Leo stands over Mary, crying. She tries to ask why, but it
comes out silent. Behind him, in the shadows, Lily drops
Derek’s body. She’s done feeding. Lily approaches the bed.
Mary squirms.
LEO
Stop. Please stop Mary. Its not so
bad. Really. You’ll never feel
lonely again. You’ll have closure.
You’ll have family. Please. Please
stop squirming.
Lily bends down and tears out a chunk of her wrist with her
teeth and forces it into Mary’s mouth. Mart fights, but then
closes her eyes and drinks deep. Lily looks up at Leo and
bites out the other wrist. He drops to his knees. Sobbing,
he begins to drink.
The End