Sore Throat

By
Alice Plampin

INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT

Ava,(16) settles down for the night. A typical modern

teenage girls bedroom. White walls, fairy lights around
the frame of her bed and polaroids of her friends, along
with pieces of her own artwork scattered around the wall.
From outside her room, the family cat Pickles meows.
PICKLES (OS)
Meooooooow.
AVA
Pickles, come here! Come here
boy.
Pickles backs into the room, frantically meowing. Hes
dragging one of his legs behind him.
AVA
Hey whats the matter? Come here
fatty. Hey, its alright.
Pickles stops meowing and turns to face Ava. Blood covers
his mouth and splatters his snow white fur. A couple of
drops of blood splash onto the carpet.
AVA
What the hell! If you want to
bleed, go bleed all over mums
carpet. Not mine. Now Im going
to have to hire someone to get
the stain out that you made.
Stupid cat.
Pickles stares at Ava.
Ava stares at the cat.
The siren from Kill Bill starts to play. Switch between
Avas and Pickles POV as Pickles lunges at Ava.
Smash. Cut to black.
2

INT. BEDROOM. DAY

An alarm clock buzzes. Seven AM flashes on the screen.A

pale grey/green hand slams on the top. The buzzing stops.
Ava sits up in bed but the hand stays on top of the
alarm... along with the rest of the arm. She tries to push
herself off of the bed, then realises that her arm is
missing. She tries to scream.
AVA
(Low but shocked groan)
UUUUURRRRGGGHHHHHH!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

(2)

2.

Ava looks at the stump and continues to scream. She

shuffles to the mirror and sees the gash in her neck.
AVA
(Screaming groan)
UUUUURRRRGGGHHHHHH!
After a few moments, Ava calms down. She turns her head
and looks at her calendar. In a huge red circle are the
words ART SCHOOL ENTRY EXAM. Ava looks at the stump
again.
AVA
(Hysterical groan)
UUUURRRRGGGGHHHH!
Ava fumbles for her phone, clumsily punches in some
numbers and calls a friend.
OUT TO:
SPLIT SCREEN
3

INT. FRIENDS/ AVAS BEDROOM. DAY.

Ava and her friend on their phones.
FRIEND
What dya want? Im halfway
through doing my eyeliner!
AVA
(Panicked)
Urrrghh)
FRIEND
What?
AVA
(Still panicked)
Urrrghh!
FRIEND
Jesus Ava, if youre calling me
to panic about your art exam then
panic about it later.
AVA
(Extra panicked) Urrrggghhh!
FRIEND
Ugh I give up. Its like talking
to a zombie.

3.

INT. BEDROOM. DAY

Dialling tone as line goes dead.

She stares at herself in the mirror again. Her skin is
pale, green and grey. There is a massive hole in her neck,
her arm is missing. And shes dead. At this moment, Ava
realises that shes a zombie.
Theres a knock at the door.
MUM(OS)
Ava are you up yet hun? Theres
tea in the pot if you want some.
Dont forget youve got your
entry test today. So youll need
get a move on.
Ava stands there like a rabbit in the headlights.
MUM(OS)
Ava sweetie. Are you up yet? Ava?
Ava? Are you on your phone again?
Teenagers.
Ava shuffles heads towards the door. Hiding behind it, she
opens it slightly after a brief struggle with the handle.
MUM
So youre alive then. Ive packed
your bag for you, its in the
hall. Breakfast is on the table.
Avas mum leaves and we hear her head downstairs. Ava
shuts the door and rests against it.
AVA
(Relieved)
Urrrggghhh
Ava notices her arm
shuffles over to it
socket. After a few
the arm fall to the

still lying on the alarm clock. She

and attempts to shove it back in its
failed attempts, Ava gives up and lets
floor.

Ava clumsily pulls out clothes from her wardrobe; a pair

of jeans, odd socks, a bright yellow t-shirt and a blue
cardigan. She quickly wraps a pink scarf with
multi-coloured butterflies around her neck. She returns to
the mirror and stares sadly at her reflection.
AVA
Urrrggghhh.
MUM(OS)
Ava. Get a move on! Youre going
to be late! Ava. AVA!
(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

(2)

4.

She tips out the content of her makeup bag over her
dressing table. She plasters her face with makeup; caked
foundation, thick mascara, bright blue eyeshadow and
haphazardly applied lipstick. She liberally sprays herself
in perfume to mask any un-dead smell and sets about
sorting out her fringe.
Knock on the door.
MUM(OS)
Do I have to drag you out?!
Ava opens the door, head down and shuffles past her mum.
5

INT. KITCHEN. DAY

MUM
Cup of tea?
AVA
Urrrgghhhh.
MUM
Ill take that as a no. You need
to eat though. Breakfast is the
most important meal of the day.
You need your brain food.
Ava doesnt reply.
Her mum stares at her suspiciously.
MUM
What are you wearing?
Ava hears the heartbeat of her mum becoming increasingly
louder with each thud.
MUM(CONT)
Going for the drag queen look I
see. And your makeup looks, um,
different today. Bit liberal,
especially with the eyeshadow
love. Clashes a bit with your
-um- interesting clothing choice.
You look, pale. Are you sure
youre alright? Let me feel your
temperature.
The thumping heartbeat gets louder.
Avas mum reaches her hand up to Avas forehead. Unable to
control herself, she goes to bite her arm but her mum
quickly pulls it away. She looks at Ava suspiciously.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

(2)

5.

MUM
Youre not yourself today, are
you love? Lets just get you
through this test
A kitchen radio can be heard broadcasting the news.
NEWS REPORTER(OS)
(Faintly) Breaking news. The
government has just released a
warning of a possible viral
outbreak that causes people to
turn into zombies. People are
being advised to stay in their
homes until further notice.
Panicking, Ava tries to turn the radio off. Mum blocks
her.
MUM
Dont turn it off. Take an
interest in the news. You might
learn something.
NEWS REPORTER(OS)
The virus appears to be spreading
through domestic pets.
MUM
See, if youd turned it off, I
wouldnt have remembered that I
need to worm and de-flea Pickles.
Where is Pickles by the way?
AVA
Urrghhh.
MUM
Typical teenager. You should go
to bed earlier. Then you wouldnt
be so grumpy in the mornings.
Ava points to her throat.
AVA
(Pretending to be in pain)
Ugghhhhhhh.
MUM
Oh its your throat poor thing.
Youve got a sore throat?
AVA
(In agreement)
Uggghhhhh.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

(3)

6.

MUM
Stay there, Ill get you some
medicine.
Avas mum disappears then re-appears holding a bottle of
calpol and a spoon.
MUM
Sorry love, all I could find.
Five years out of date but it
wont kill you.
AVA
Urrgghghhhh.
Her mum pours the calpol onto the spoon and gives it to
Ava. Ava stares at it then swallows.
MUM
Down the hatch. That should make
you feel better.
Pink liquid drips straight out of Avas throat. She
frantically tries to stop the dripping by blotting it with
the scarf around her neck.
MUM
Oh look at the time. Youre going
to be late.
6

INT. HALLWAY. DAY

Avas mum shepherds her towards the door She fiddles with
her fringe to make it neater before pulling her in for a
hug.
MUM
Your fringe wasnt sitting right.
Thats better now. Youll do
great today. Good luck pet.
Ava steps out of the door and is shot in the head, ruining
her fringe.