Bird Box Page #9

MALORIE:

Keep going around.

Tom goes for the shifter.

Something crashes, outside. Glass breaks.

Everyone remains quiet. The car idles.

Then:
Beep. Front bumper proximity.

Growing more incessant.

LUCY:

Someone else driving?

TOM:

Shh-

Beep-beep-beep-beep.

The front end of the Cadillac sinks. Metal warps.

A heavy weight advances along the car.

MALORIE:

(sotto)

Oh god, oh god-

The group looks up:

Dents form in the roof. The middle bows. A muted, rhythmic

RASPING carries heavy from outside.

Felix sweats, his hand gripping the axe.

52.

The roof bows over the back seat.

Lucy holds up her golf club at it, as if to prevent the roof

from caving in. It trembles in her hands.

Everyone in the car is on the verge of panic.

Then the rear end lowers. It’s walked onto the trunk.

Lucy and Felix look back at the rear window, even though it’s

walled off with tape and box lids.

Glass cracks.

And then, out of the tense silence: BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.

Rear bumper proximity.

Suddenly:
something strikes HARD at the back window-The

taped glass caves inward from it-- exposing the outside-

TOM:

Don’t look back!

Tom puts the car into gear.

And he drives straight ahead. Alerts be damned.

Sunlight pours in from the partly caved-in window-

The side-view mirror bashes something.

Tom keeps going. He pops a curb. The car lurches.

FEMALE GPS VOICE (V.O.)

In one hundred yards, turn left.

Tom speeds up. Driving faster.

MALORIE:

Tom...

FEMALE GPS VOICE (V.O.)

Turn left, here.

MALORIE:

Tom, just slow down-Tom

yanks the wheel left, the car ascends a short ramp-And

the whole car jostles from another curb bump-And

then Tom brakes hard. The tires screech on asphalt.

FEMALE GPS VOICE (V.O.)

You have arrived.

53.

They all catch their breath. Beat.

TOM:

Now... we just have to go outside.

Tom brings up a blindfold. Ties it.

Malorie covers her eyes with a sleep mask.

In back, Lucy dons a ‘do-rag for a blindfold. Felix puts on

his motorcycle helmet, its visor painted black.

The four sit there with their hands on the doors. No one

wants to step out first.

INT. SUPER TARGET - DAY

Some lights are still on. But the place is eerily quiet.

Tom, Malorie, Felix, and Lucy enter the store.

TOM:

Shut the door behind us.

Lucy and Malorie work together to slide the doors shut, which

are papered with ads for some sale, covering any view of the

parking lot outside.

FELIX:

What now?

TOM:

Shh...

Tom listens intently. Quiet is the reply.

TOM (CONT’D)

I’m taking off my blindfold.

He peels it off, blinks, and adjusts to the dimly-lit store.

MALORIE:

...Tom?

TOM:

Form a chain together and follow.

But keep your eyes covered.

Tom grabs Felix by the hand. Felix reaches for Lucy, who in

turn grabs hold of Malorie.

MOVING WITH TOM as he checks down every aisle, one at a time.

54.

Emergency lighting casts the warehouse-sized store in red and

amber. A handful of carts have been abandoned in aisles but

otherwise the store shows no signs of disaster.

Tom reaches the end, and his muscles relax.

TOM (CONT’D)

We’re clear.

The others take off their blinders and look around.

FELIX:

It’s loaded.

Tom smiles.

TOM:

Everybody grab a cart.

INT. SUPER TARGET SNACK FOODS AISLE

Felix grabs potato chip bags by the fistful. He tears one

open and starts snacking. From somewhere else in the store,

Tom calls out:

TOM (O.S.)

Stick to non-perishables. We need

food that will last.

INT. SUPER TARGET LIQUOR AISLE

Lucy twists off the cap to a beer bottle and takes a swig.

TOM (O.S.)

Avoid bulky items. Remember we

gotta pack this into the trunk.

Lucy looks over at her cart: full of energy drinks and beer.

INT. SUPER TARGET HYGIENE AISLE

Tom marvels at the deodorants, shampoos and soaps. Grins.

TOM:

I’m gonna be a hero.

INT. SUPER TARGET CEREAL AISLE

Felix searches through boxes of cereal, most of which has

been shoved around and mixed together.

55.

FELIX:

C’mon baby c’mon... Yes!

He lifts up a box of Choco-Burst like it’s a gold medal.

INT. SUPER TARGET WOMENS FASHION

Lucy stands at a mirror wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat and

holding up an evening gown to see if it’s her size. All of it

very dressy and upscale, unlike her workout clothes.

She does a mock accent for the mirror:

LUCY:

My name is Cheryl. Don’t you have

any Pelligrino?

INT. SUPER TARGET DELI SECTION

Malorie picks up a pack of sealed lunchmeats. Sniffs it.

A shopping cart rolls into view behind her. Tom.

TOM:

Anything still good?

MALORIE:

Maybe. If we eat it tonight.

TOM:

Thought you might like this.

He hands her a gift bag, complete with hastily-stuffed tissue

paper and a bow. And also still sporting the price code.

MALORIE:

What is this?

TOM:

A baby shower gift.

Malorie smiles and digs into the bag. Pulls out a classic

baby’s pacifier. She’s happy. A small thing with a big

gesture behind it.

MALORIE:

It’s lovely. Thank you.

TOM:

No doubt you and your husband

already have one back home.

Malorie tilts her head. Is he fishing?

56.

MALORIE:

No husband. It was all casual until

he knocked me up. But he didn’t

want his “whole life turned upside

down,” so he bailed.

TOM:

Well. I bet he’s gotta be really

inconvenienced by how the world has

gone to hell now.

He grins at her. Malorie laughs. Nods. Then the distant

sounds of someone loading their cart pulls Tom back to:

TOM (CONT’D)

(checking list)

Can you go and grab some batteries?

The flashlights take double A. I’m

gonna grab some clothes for people.

MALORIE:

Aye aye, captain.

Malorie pushes her cart onward and Tom turns his around.

As Tom ventures back to the Mens department, Malorie looks

back at him. She smiles.

INT. SUPER TARGET AUTOMOTIVE AISLE

Malorie grabs batteries and tosses them into her cart.

A fly buzzes past her. She sniffs. Something stinks. She

approaches the end of the aisle. Wary.

The smell is definitely coming from this end of the store.

Malorie brings up a flashlight. She rounds a corner. More

flies buzz from a neighboring section.

Malorie shines her light on the sign: “FOR PETS”

She frowns, and advances.

INT. SUPER TARGET PET AISLE

The flashlight beam reveals a line of cages placed on shelves

along one side.

A trampled sign on the floor: “TODAY ONLY / ADOPT A PET!”

Some cages hang open. Empty.

57.

The flashlight glimpses shapes in others. Matted fur. Blood

and feces. In this low light it’s hard to tell if they are

cats or dogs.

Malorie winces, covering her nose and mouth.

And then she hears it. A small CHIRP.

She turns back. Sweeps the light. Finds a bird cage at the

end, covered in black silk.

Malorie lifts the veil and peers inside:

Six fat, little BUDGIES turn their heads at her.

One hops over to her side of the cage.

MALORIE:

You made it. You cute little guys.

INT. SUPER TARGET GROCERY AISLE

Felix wheels his cart up next to another cart.

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