In the Flesh

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1 INT. SUPERMARKET - NIGHT 0 1

CLOSE ON A JUMBO PACK OF MONSTER MUNCH - A female hand

reaches into frame and plucks the crisps from the shelf.

MEGA PACK OF HULA HOOPS- Swipe... SIX PACK OF KIT KATS -

Again the hand swipes the chocolate.

THE MYSTERY SHOPPER’S TROLLEY - Overloaded with comfort

foods. Then we spot something peaking out of the mountains of

junk:
An old, battered SEMI AUTOMATIC RIFLE.

PAN up to LISA LANCASTER (18) pushing the shopping trolley

along. A normal shopper. A normal shopper with a semi

automatic rifle. A normal shopper in a DIRTY ARMY SURPLUS

JACKET. A normal shopper with a blood-encrusted BLUE ARMBAND

on her right bicep. The band reads “Human Volunteer Force”. A

normal shopper in what seems to be a completely deserted

supermarket.

LISA:

(On Walkie Talkie)

Thought you said you were on a

diet, mate? (Beat) Well I’ve picked

you up some shortbread.

WALKIE TALKIE:

(CRACKLING NOISE FROM WALKIE

TALKIE)

LISA:

No, they don’t have those. They’ve

got caramels. If you stick them

both together in yer gob it’s the

same thing.

Lisa gets to a long aisle. She looks down it. Why not, it’s

safe in here. She revs up. Then bolts it, pushing the trolley

full pelt. She jumps on the back (like she used to do as a

kid). The trolley freewheels it down the aisle at speed. Lisa

on the back. Face radiant. Alive. Free from...

CRASH.

From behind her. Lisa cranes her neck to see what could have

made that sound. The trolley wheels HIT something lying on

the floor. The trolley goes FLYING, as does Lisa. She hits

the ground HARD. Her left foot twists in on itself. Lisa lies

on the floor for a moment, covered in bars of chocolate and

crisp packets...

A MUNCHING SOUND.

Lisa opens her eyes. Turns to see what her trolley hit. It

hit a DEAD BODY.

(CONTINUED)

IN THE FLESH by Dominic Mitchell EP 1 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 27.11.12 2.

1 CONTINUED:
1

The dead body is a fellow Human Volunteer Force fighter.

Cradling the dead FIGHTER is A YOUNG FEMALE (18). We will get

to know this zombie as AMY DYER (18)

Lisa focuses and sees that The Young Female is cradling the

fighter’s head so as to more easily EAT HIS BRAINS. The Young

Female looks up and stares at Lisa with pin prick eyes. The

dead eye gaze of a ZOMBIE. Lisa stumbles to her feet. The

Young Female Zombie does likewise.

Lisa looks around, searching for her rifle. Spots it inches

off to her right. The Young Female Zombie jerks forward. Lisa

dives for the rifle. Grabs it as she hits the floor and

points it in the zombie’s direction...

BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG.

The Young Female Zombie’s been hit. But only in the shoulder.

Lisa takes careful aim and pulls the trigger. CLICK. No

bullets. The Young Female Zombie launches forward. Lisa

scrambles up, hobbles fast, her twisted left foot dragging

behind her. She turns into the frozen food aisle.

A blood curdling ROAR. Lisa looks behind her. The Young Woman

Zombie is keeping pace, shuffling, but shuffling with speed.

SMACK. Lisa’s hit something. Someone. She looks up at the

person she’s bumped into... A YOUNG MALE ZOMBIE. Teeth bared.

Hunger in his pin prick eyes.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD (V.O.)

Kieren.

Lisa screams. The Young Male Zombie (KIEREN) grabs Lisa’s

head and...

DOCTOR SHEPHERD (V.O.)

Kieren.

SMASH CUT TO:

2 INT. PDS TREATMENT CENTRE - DAY 1 2

KIEREN WALKER (18), the Young Male Zombie from the previous

scene, now dressed in a standard hospital uniform, JUMPS back

out of his chair. He’s scared and disoriented. He’s just had

a vivid medication flashback. DOCTOR Shepherd (54) his

doctor, who’s holding a medication injector gun in his hand

(obviously just administered a shot), gets up and goes to

Kieren, holds onto him.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD:

Breathe, Kieren. Deep breaths.

Kieren, still freaked out, starts to take some deep breaths.

He calms a little.

(CONTINUED)

IN THE FLESH by Dominic Mitchell EP 1 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 27.11.12 3.

2 CONTINUED:
2

Doctor Shepherd takes out a medical pad.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD (CONT’D)

Another Involuntary Recurrent

Memory?

Kieren nods. Doctor Shepherd jots it down.

KIEREN:

They’re getting more vivid.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD:

That’s a good sign. Means the

cognitive circuitry’s connecting

again. Like a computer rebooting.

KIEREN:

Maybe it means I’m not ready?

DOCTOR SHEPHERD:

No. It means the opposite.

KIEREN:

I don’t feel ready.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD:

That’s exactly why you’re ready.

You’re feeling.

KIEREN:

I can’t - I can’t even keep my

contacts in - The medication, it’s

not just the flashbacks, all the

side effects

DOCTOR SHEPHERD:

Means your brain’s responding.

Repairing. That’s positive. Believe

me you don’t want to be a patient

who doesn’t respond to

Neurotriptyline.

KIEREN:

Where do they go? The ones that

don’t respond?

DOCTOR SHEPHERD:

We take care of them.

An ambiguous and unsettling response.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD (CONT’D)

Your parents. They’re looking

forward to seeing you again.

Kieren gives him a look - “I highly doubt that”

(CONTINUED)

IN THE FLESH by Dominic Mitchell EP 1 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 27.11.12 4.

2 CONTINUED:
(2) 2

DOCTOR SHEPHERD (CONT’D)

Why wouldn’t they?

Kieren takes a deep breath.

KIEREN:

Because...I’m dead. And I killed

people.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD:

No. What are you?

Kieren doesn’t meet his eye.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD (CONT’D)

What are you, Kieren? (Prompting

him)... You are a...

KIEREN:

(flat, as if reciting)

I am a Partially Deceased Syndrome

sufferer.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD:

And?

KIEREN:

(same tone as before)

And what I did in my Untreated

State wasn’t my fault.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD:

Good.

Dr Shepherd ushers Kieren out of room into lobby.

CUT TO:

2A INT. PDS TREATMENT CENTRE - CORRIDOR - MOMENTS LATER - DAY 1

2A

KIEREN exits Dr Shepherd’s office, looks down the corridor at

a long line of other TREATED PARTIALLY DECEASED PEOPLE

waiting for their final consultation. Kieren is one of many.

KIEREN:

Could you maybe talk to someone,

Doctor Shepherd. Say that I need

more time.

DOCTOR SHEPHERD:

(shakes his head)

It’s going to be good for you,

going home.

(CONTINUED)

IN THE FLESH by Dominic Mitchell EP 1 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 27.11.12 5.

2A CONTINUED:
2A

Kieren fixes Dr Shepherd with a look-‘That’s what you think’.

CUT TO:

3 EXT. ROARTON VILLAGE - DAY 1 3

A panoramic view of the small rural village of ROARTON in

Lancashire. It’s a remote, location surrounded by woodland,

that’s in the books as an “Outstanding Place of Natural

Beauty”. And from this hill top view it certainly seems like

it. But looks can be deceiving... if you look really

carefully you may catch sight of a gibbet, left over from the

rising, in the distance.

CUT TO:

4 EXT. WALKER HOUSE - DAY 1 4

A detached, pebbledash house at the end of a cul de sac.

Outside the house, a FOR SALE sign in the front garden.

CUT TO:

5 INT. WALKER HOUSE - KIEREN’S BEDROOM - DAY 1 5

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