# The Last Man (WARNING: SWEARING)



## Justinian (Jan 25, 2013)

FAde In:
ext. forest – midday
ZACH is at a stream’s edge. Next to him is IRINA. They are wearing summer clothes and are about 17 years of age. Both are holding hands, facing each other. Zach is about to kiss her.


SUPER. TITLE: Two months ago


They kiss, and Irina stumbles and falls in the stream.

zach (worried)
Irina!

He reaches his hand towards Irina. She takes it and Zach pulls her up.

zach
Are you okay?

irina (smiling)
Except for being kissed and suddenly pushed in a river, yes.

Zach smiles, and, holding hands, he leads her away.

zach
Let’s get you dry, then.

Suddenly, a GUNSHOT is heard. They look around, startled by the sound.

irina
What was-- 

matt (vo) (yelling)
--Fuck you! I’m not letting you--

Matt’s SCREAMS. Zach and Irina are startled.

matt (Vo) (yelling)
Stop it! Stop! No, you’re not going to find me!

Another GUNSHOT. More yelling.

matt (vo) (yelling)
My head! I just did that, you bitch! You’ll never... 

There is silence for a few seconds. Both Zach and Irina look frightened.

irina
Wasn’t that your--

zach
--Dad!

He begins to run through the forest.

Irina
Zach, wait!

She follows. Eventually, they both run into a 


PARK


And stop. MATT is on the ground about 10 yards away, dead. Blood is leaking out of his head, and a handgun is in his right hand. Leaning over him is HELLEN, Zach’s mother. She looks up at Zach and Irina, tears running down her face. Zach suddenly looks angry.

zach
You . . . You killed him!

Hellen stands shakily.

hellen (crying)
He killed himself.

zach
I . . . But you . . .

He falls to his knees. Irina is still looking on, terrified.

hellen (crying)
Look at the gun, Zach. He . . . He shot himself.

She tries to put herself together. She walks up to Zach, leans down, and grabs his shoulders firmly.

hellen
Everyone is sick, Zach. There’s a disease that’s infected everyone, even me. It kills everyone it infects. Do you understand what I’m saying?

Zach is silent, tears running down his cheeks.

hellen
Zach! Tell me what I said.

He looks up at her after a few seconds.

zach (crying)
But the disease wasn’t supposed to--

hellen
--That was a week ago. The news was lying. They didn’t want people to panic. People go crazy with this disease, Zach . . . Like your father. Tell me what I told you.

zach (crying)
The disease has spread and . . . everyone is infected, including . . . my family, and probably me.

hellen
And what does the sickness do? Tell me.

Zach tries to compose himself.

zach
It kills everyone.

Hellen hugs Zach tightly.

hellen
You’ve always been strong . . . Look, I know I tried to hide the sickness from you. I’m sorry. That’s over, now. We are both going to die.

zach
But how do you know? You’re fine.

hellen
I’m not. I’ve had a fever for a week, and so did your father. It’s only a matter of time before we both show more symptoms. I’m sorry, Zach.

Both are silent for a few seconds.

zach
What do we do now?

hellen
Let’s go to church. I know we never go, but now . . . there’s nothing else to do but pray.

Zach nods, and they both stand. Zach sees Matt.

zach
Should we bury dad?

Hellen
Do you want to take the body with--

zach
--No.

They start walking towards the car.

zach
Where’s Irina?

They reach the car.

hellen
She probably left to check on her family. Let’s go.

They get into the car at the edge of a road. Hellen starts the car, and they drive away down the road.


SUPER. TITLE: THE LAST MAN

FAde out



SCENE 2 – Insanity
CUT TO:


INT. CHURCH AUDITORIUM – MORNING


Zach selects music on a computer next to the sound system. He goes to the sound board and turns up the volume. The song is MY THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE by Demon Hunter. Zach looks around the empty room and sees chairs stacked on the sides. He groans, and then begins setting up the chairs to fill the auditorium. When he is finished, he turns off the music, dims the lights around the stage, walks up to the stage and faces the chairs.

zach (loudly)
I know that many of us are facing difficult times right now. I understand what you are going through. Uh . . . God, why am I talking to no one?

He is silent, and then he tips over a table on the stage. He begins knocking things down.

zach (yelling)
Where the fuck are you people?

He stops, breathing hard.

zach
Hey, could someone help me get the chairs and . . . never mind, godammit. I’ll do it myself. God, I hate this!

LATER Zach is stacking the last of the chairs against the walls. He looks extremely tired. Suddenly, everything goes blurry, and the screen starts to spin. Zach leans against the wall for support, then holds his hands to his head as if in pain.

irina (VO)
Zach! Help me!

HELLEN (VO)
We need to pray.

MAtt (VO)
Fucking bitch! What’s wrong with you, Zach?

zach (yelling)
STOP IT!

Everything suddenly swings into focus, and Zach falls to the floor, breathing hard, looking terrified. 

zach (crying)
What’s happening to you? Why are you hearing things?

He looks up at nothing.

zach (yelling)
Why the hell am I talking to myself?!

Everything begins to spin.

zach
Shit, not again.

He stands up, shaking, and stumbles out of the auditorium.


CUT TO:


INT. CHURCH BATHROOM – AFTERNOON


Zach is throwing up in the sink. He turns on the sink and splashes water over his face. He looks into the mirror in front of him. His reflection looks like a rotting corpse. He shakes his head quickly and the reflection is suddenly himself again.

zach (whispering)
What’s wrong with . . . I need sleep.

He leaves the room.


CUT TO:


INT. CHURCH LOUNGE – SAME


Zach is lying on a couch in a small room. INDISTINGUISHABLE VOICES are heard, and Zach is holding his head, breathing hard. Suddenly, everything is quiet. After a few seconds, Zach begins to cry.


LATER Zach opens his eyes. He slowly sits up and, stumbling, walks out of the room into a 


HALLWAY


He starts walking down the hallway. He seems more awake. Then a DOOR SLAM is heard behind him. He turns around fully and sees nothing. He turns back and jumps when he sees Irina a little down the hallway.

irina (excited)
Zach!

She runs towards him, about to hug. Zach pushes her away.

zach
You are not real.

Irina looks confused.

irina
Of course I’m--

zach
You are not real. Get away from me.

irina
Are you okay? It’s me.

She puts a hand towards his cheek.

irina
You seem--

Zach slaps her in the face and takes several steps back.

zach
I am going to turn around and leave, and you are not going to follow me. I--

Tears start rolling down his cheeks, and he starts to shake.

zach
--I do not ever want to see you again.

Zach turns around and begins to walk away. Suddenly, Zach stops.

zach (muttering)
Who cares if she isn’t real?

He turns around, and Irina is gone. Zach runs down the hallway and hears a door SLAM to his right. He goes that way.

zach
Irina? Irina, I’m sorry!

He stops next to a door and Irina’s CRYING can be heard faintly from the other side. Zach puts a hand on the door, hesitates. He takes a deep breath and slowly opens the door and goes into the 


EMPTY ROOM


Irina is sitting against the wall, crying. Zach walks towards her.

zach
Irina?

She continues crying. Zach leans down across from her and puts a hand on her shoulder.

zach
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to--

Irina grabs him, still crying, and pulls him in for a hug. Zach pats her back gently.

irina
I forgive you. I’ve been seeing things, too.

Zach pulls away and looks at Irina, stunned.

zach
You . . . you have?

Irina
I thought I was . . . I thought I was going insane when I saw you.

Zach backs up slowly towards the door. He seems compromised.

zach
No . . . You can’t be real.

Irina stands.

irina
Please, Zach. I’m here. I’m not a hallucination.

Zach continues backing up towards the door. Irina looks pleading now.

irina
Zach, please! 

Zach shakes his head. He looks stressed.

zach
I . . . I’m sorry, but I want to be sure.

Zach suddenly runs out the door and closes it as fast as he can. He brings out keys from his pocket and starts searching through them with one hand, keeping the other on the door handle. Irina runs to the door and tries to open it.

irina
What are you doing?!

Zach keeps the door firmly closed. 

irina (screaming)
Zach! Don’t do this to me! I’m--

zach (angry) (yelling)
You’re not real!

He finds the key and locks it, and he’s on the verge of crying. He starts walking away. Irina bangs on the door frantically.

irina (screaming)
No! I’m real! I swear! I--

zach (crying) (yelling)
Quiet! I don’t care what you think!

IRina (screaming)
You have to! Just open the door!

zach (crying) (yelling)
No!

Zach breaks into a run. Irina’s screams start fading. Zack runs into walls on turns, trying to get away. He goes into the


CHURCH LOUNGE


He slams the door behind him and kicks the wall. He leans against a wall, falls to the floor, and cries.

zach
Just calm down . . . She’s not real.

fade out


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## chrisl (Feb 11, 2013)

Sorry, this was too melodramatic for me. I made it through scene 1, but got tired into scene 2 and stopped reading.
It could just be me, cause I'm new to screenwriting, but I want to see more, know more what's going on. As it is, it's a bunch of screaming, some gunshots, some blood.


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## Super00141 (Apr 29, 2013)

It was interesting, at first. It kinda fell into stories ever heard before. Can't think of any names at the moment. But it's a good start if you word smith it a little. Can't wait to see more!


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## Matthew Frassetti (Aug 16, 2013)

Not sure if others here would disagree with me, but as far as my experience goes, from a technical standpoint, drop the parentheticals. They are distracting and rarely ever needed. They also tend to get in the way of people reading the scripts aloud on actual sets.


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## Robert_S (Aug 16, 2013)

Too many parenthetical. The occasional is fine, but they should be used sparingly.  The ones indicating (smiling) are especially bad.  That's telling the director/actor how they should do the role.

Character names for dialog purposes should be in ALL CAPS. If MATT is in the scene with ZACH and IRINA, but not seen, than that is off screen (O.S.). Voice over (V.O.) is used for non-present communication, such as intercom or hallucination.

Get rid of all the ellipses and em-dashes.  They can be used for specials, but you have an abundance of them and that looks bad. It makes the whole less special. If an actor is supposed to stutter a line, write that as action, or a parenthetical, but don't write it as dialog. And there is too much stuttering/pausing going on.


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## illiteratewriter (Mar 20, 2014)

The format is off a bit and the narative doesnt need to be so heavy


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## Redhouse (Jan 29, 2015)

I liked it for one reason. Like an asymptote, a graph that infinitely approaches a finite set, this play infinitely approaches a theme that it cannot possibly grasp. The problem is that the play is filled with contrived devices such as the Ebola zing and the gunshot. I get it, I do, but this kind of magical realism is hard to give a legitimate chance. Infinitely approaching a theme it cannot possibly contain in the current "meta" of plays is very interesting though, and I see potential in the idea. It needs higher stakes. Right now the stakes are three characters on a farm somewhere. Hardly the whole world. You need to do something to make us feel like the world is at stake, rather than just tell us it is. That never works, we don't actually believe(I hate using that word but whatever) that the world is at stake, we just have to trust it is right now and zach is too ordinary to make that work.


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## writingworld (Jul 11, 2015)

It escalated a little too quickly. I also think you should just add more details and explanation into your idea. That said, I like the how this illness seems to cause insanity, and the symptoms you had going with it I thought were working out well in your story.


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## HalfRail (Aug 12, 2015)

For now I think the only problem you have is formatting. Before a characters line, all the letters in their name have to be capitalized.


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