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The Slushie Bandits 1x01: Origin
By Aragorn
Author's note: This is only a rough draft, so its subject to change in the future upon re-writes. For more Slushie Bandits goodness, go to:
http://www.geocities.com/desperado_newfie/slushiebanditshome.html
***
EXT. MACS CONVENIENCE STORE – NIGHT
This 24-hour convenience store sits alone in the dark night, the only building in the area with lights on at such a late hour. There are a couple vehicles in the parking lot.
INT. MACS CONVENIENCE STORE
Inside the store, ALI NAHINIJAR, the current cashier on-shift, looks up from his opened newspaper, which has an article about recent bombings of buildings in town that sell slushies, to glance around the store.
The only people currently in the store is one older married couple that are looking at the sandwich selection – more then likely for a road trip they are on with their mobile home in the parking lot - a younger couple that can’t keep their hands off each other and are publicly groping each other full on in public, and one group of three teenagers that are hustling around the slushie machine, filling up the biggest size cups as full as they can.
Ali looks back down at the paper and shakes his head as he goes back to reading the huge two-page article. The phone rings and he answers it.
ALI: Macs, how may I help you?
GIRL VOICE: Hey Ali, baby, how’s your shift going?
ALI: Slow as hell.
GIRL VOICE: How’re you holding up?
ALI: A bit nervous, but nothing’s happened yet, although the bloody newspaper doesn’t help matters much. It even mentions that our store is the last one that still sells slushies. If that doesn’t glare out at the bomber, I don’t know what will.
GIRL VOICE: I heard that the grocery store Sobeys is going to start soon too though, so as long as your store holds out that long, you should be safe.
ALI: I don’t care about the store getting hit. I hate this shitty job. I’m worried about the store getting hit while I’m working.
As Ali talks to his girlfriend on the phone, he glances at the people in the store again. The older couple finally agree on a set of sandwiches and start making their way towards him. The younger couple start making their way towards the bathroom area as the girl continues to bite playfully on the guy’s neck while he uses one hand to grab an energy drink and the other to slap his girlfriend’s ass. The group of friends at the slushie machine make a rather large pile of spilt slushie on the floor and act like they don’t notice as they fool around with each other.
ALI: Well baby, I have to let you go, I have customers. I love you.
Ali hangs up the phone and turns to the counter just as the last kid fills his slushie cup and turns the machine off, the older couple place their sandwich purchases on the counter.
ALI: Hello there, is this...
And that is the last thing any of them see and hear before the entire building is destroyed within a split second with a thundering explosion and is replaced by a raging fire and burning debris.
EXT. ROOFTOP – NIGHT
A figure clouded in shadow and protected by a dark brown hooded cloak, stands atop a rooftop across the street from Macs, the reflection of the burning fire lighting up the front of the figure, but still not revealing its face. Sirens are heard in the distance and the figure chuckles softly as it turns and leaps onto a lower roof before leaping all the way to the ground and running off into the darkness.
OPENING CREDITS
The opening credits play with the song ‘Downfall’ by Trustcompany. We see various action scenes from upcoming episodes, and then we see a collage of scenes of each main character as his or her name is shown in the credits. One on side of the screen is three blocks, each with a different scene of the character, from a future episode. On the other side of the screen is the same thing, only with the character in their Slushie Bandits costume. Overlapping, in the middle, is a close-up of the character’s head.
Jeff – Slushie Man
Karsen – Slurpee Dude
Dane - Froster
Chase - Slushor
After the main cast, we see a few clips of them in some action shots, including some with their upcoming vehicles (hover board, leg jet boosters, and the Slushiemobile), as well as some shots of them out-of-costume interacting with other characters. The final scene shows the Slushie Bandits walking side-by-side as something explodes behind them. Opening credits end.
EXT. HIGHWAY – DAY
A school bus drives down a long highway just outside of the town, approaching an upcoming factory. ‘Just a Ride’ by Jem plays.
SUBTITLE:
Origin
INT. BUS
The bus is half-full of Sobeys employees. The married store managers, PAUL and SHALE, sit at the front of the bus, behind the driver. 22-year-old JEFFREY LONG is sitting next to his non-relationship roommate, JENNA. Jeff is 5’5, white-skinned, but dressed like a teen gangster-wannabe, complete with massively baggy pants, a ‘wife beater’ tanktop shirt, a metal silver cross hanging from his neck, an earring, and a couple different kinds of cheap vending machine rings on a couple different fingers, as well as a black cross tattoo on the side of his left arm.
Jeff yawns as he looks at his digital watch and sees that its 8:45AM. Jenna brushes her brown hair out of her eyes as she glances at Jeff.
JENNA: Still tired?
Jeff nods grumpily as he yawns again and looks out the window at the passing road side.
JEFF: What’s the point of this trip anyway? All I know is that I started hearing rumors that Sobeys was preparing to sell their own brand of slushie and then next thing I know, there’s these notices up all over the store, informing us of this stupid mandatory trip.
Jenna just shrugs.
JENNA: I really have no idea, but its giving me half a day off from work, with pay, so I’m not complaining.
Jenna chuckles, but Jeff doesn’t even smile. Instead he silently mocks Jenna’s chuckle. That’s when 17-year-old KARSEN GAUTHIER turns around in his seat in front of them. Karsen is chubby and has a potbelly from drinking a bit too many beers, and has a thin set of glasses on his face.
KARSEN: Head Office is making Paul and Shale take us on a tour of the building so that the people that are responsible for either the making or selling of the slushies know how they’re created and what’s used to make them, in case a customer is allergic to something and asks.
Jeff turns to face Karsen.
JEFF: It’s frosted flavored liquid. Nothing more to say on that matter.
KARSEN: Actually, I talked to Shale yesterday after they took the first group of people in, and she said that she was surprised by how much actually goes into that liquid.
DANE LUCAS, Karsen’s 17-year-old friend, also turns around in the seat next to Karsen. Dane is taller then either Jeff and Karsen, thin, and a boyish face.
DANE: Wow Heffrey, you look horrible. Probably wishing you didn’t go out drinking last night, huh?
Dane lets a giant smile play across his face.
JEFF (mumbling): Shut up.
Jeff puts a hand up to his throbbing head as he winces.
JENNA: Heffrey? I don’t get it.
JEFF: You know the Melissa that used to work with us before she quit? She misspelled my name on MSN when her, those two, and me were having a four-way convo, and apparently I’m the one that’s made fun of for it, even though she’s the one that can’t spell.
JENNA(laughing): Oh.
Jeff glares at her, but it just causes her to laugh even harder and even let out a loud snort, which everyone else even laughs at, including Jeff who lets out a few chuckles. Karsen smiles as he says to Dane,
KARSEN: I still find it funny that even though me and Jenna were also drunk with Jeff last night at their place, that he’s the only one hung over.
JENNA: That’s because me and you were smart enough not to get out and out hammered, unlike somebody else.
JEFF: I did not get hammered...
JENNA: Jeffrey, you were dancing on the coffee table and singing karaoke with a banana as a microphone.
Jeff shrinks in his seat.
JEFF: Ok, I SO did not mean to drink that much.
Uncontrollable chipmunk-like laughter comes from the cute 20-year-old girl that is sitting in the seat across from them, Jenna’s best friend, VANESSA.
VANESSA: I wish so much I had showed up last night.
JENNA: You should have. Jeff made an idiot out of himself like always.
Vanessa continues laughing as the bus comes to a squeaking stop, just on the inside of a security-checked gate, right in front of the massive factory. As everyone is getting to their feet, Jeff looks out the window and sees a fairly attractive girl walk out from the building, approaching their bus.
JEFF: Hey Karsen, three o’clock.
As Jenna, Vanessa, and Dane merge into the crowd filling up the bus aisle, Karsen joins Jeff in looking out the window.
KARSEN: Noice! Hey, check out her ass.
JEFF: What the heck do you think I’ve been looking at? The sky?
Jeff and Karsen laugh as they to join the aisle crowd of people moving off the bus.
EXT. BUS – DAY
The group of Sobeys employees step off the bus one-by-one and into the sweltering heat of outside. Some of the people instantly wipe sweat from their heads and others, like Vanessa, remove their jackets if they are wearing any. Jeff lowers a pair of sunglasses from the top of his head down to in front of his eyes, while Dane takes a pair out from his pocket to put on. Paul and Shale start doing a quick head count and Jenna turns to talk to Jeff, but finds him gone.
JENNA: Um, Jeff? Hey guys, where’s Jeff?
Vanessa, Karsen, and Dane look around the area and Dane is the first to spot Jeff.
DANE: Oh no...Hey guys, look.
He points and everyone turns to the area Dane was pointing in to see Jeff approaching the tour guide girl. Karsen grew a giant smile.
KARSEN: Oh man, this is gonna be good...
Jeff reaches the girl.
JEFF: Hey there. (the girl smiles back at him) So...what do you think of this weather we’ve been having?
Karsen, from his spot nearby, lowers his face into his hands.
KARSEN: That dumbass...
The girl nervously smiles back at Jeff.
GIRL: It’s pretty hot.
JEFF: Well then, you must be right at home.
The girl nervously chuckles and then instantly stops and walks away. Karsen, Dane, Jenna, and Vanessa walk over to Jeff, laughing their asses off.
JEFF: Dude...I totally caught her checking me out through my sunglasses.
They all give up any hope for Jeff. CHASE HOWKINS, a 19-year-old thin but muscular teen approaches the group.
CHASE: Hey Dane, how’s that car coming along?
DANE: Oh man, it’s almost finished. Just got to put the finishing touches on the body and tweak the engine just a bit and it’ll be ready for the track races next weekend.
CHASE: Better have something special this time if you plan on beating me at all.
DANE: Hey, I would have whopped your ass last time if my engine didn’t blow half-way down the track.
CHASE: Yeah, yeah. Keep making excuses, buddy. But hey, I do have a serious question for you.
DANE: Shoot.
CHASE: If you have any free time this weekend, do you want to stop by my place and hook up my net? I already called the company and got it running into my house, but I don’t really want to pay a tech to come hook everything up and install everything, when I know you’re a tech expert and probably know more then anyone they’d send anyway.
DANE: Sure, I can probably come by this evening if you want.
CHASE: Sweet. I don’t have any tae-kwon-do classes tonight, and I don’t work until after the weekend, so that’d be awesome, thanks.
KARSEN: Hey man, I haven’t seen you in school lately, where’ve you been?
CHASE: I’m living on my own now, so I need to work fulltime. I do my school work through correspondence now.
JEFF: That’s why I work evenings now. Chase here is working my old morning shifts. It works out better this way anyway, as Jenna hates walking home by herself in the dark, and now I can close with her.
KARSEN (joking): Aren’t you two dating yet?
JENNA: Uh, no, I don’t think so. We’re just roommates. I have a boyfriend now anyway.
CHASE: By the way, Jeff, your old shifts really suck, just to let you know.
JEFF: Yeah, I know, that’s why I’m glad their not my problem anymore.
Jeff smiles and pats Chase on the back as the girl from earlier approaches Paul and Shale.
GIRL: I’m ready to start the tour if you guys are. Is this everyone?
PAUL: Yep.
SHALE: Alright, everyone, listen up.
Everyone pauses their own various conversations to listen.
SHALE: This girl next to me is Shauna King. She’s worked here for three years and she’s going to be our tour guide. We’re starting the tour now, so everyone listen to her and give her your full attention.
SHAUNA: Thank-you, Shale. This factory is one of the largest slushie-creating factories in all of Canada. We make all kinds of slushies for all kinds of stores including Macs’ Frosters, 7-11’s Slush Puppies, and Shell’s Slurpees. Because of the recent slushie-related bombings through-out Fort St. John though, you’ll notice that we currently have extremely tight security, but don’t let that intimidate you. On the contrary, its to make you feel safer. So now, if everyone can just keep up with me, I’ll start the tour of the building.
Jeff nudges Karsen.
JEFF: She won’t have to tell me twice to stick with her.
Karsen just shakes his head as he tries not to smile. Shauna leads the group across the parking lot and to the main doors. She swipes a security card through a slot and the doors unlock for her.
INT. SLUSHIE FACTORY – MAIN LOBBY
Shauna leads everyone into the pristine clean lobby. In the middle of the sparkling-clean lobby is a statue of a slushie cup at an angle, slightly tipping down. Shauna waves to the older receptionist behind the desk.
SHAUNA: That lovely lady there is Beth MacAdams, she’s been with the company longer then I’ve been alive, it seems.
Shauna and Beth both chuckle.
SHAUNA: You can’t see them, but this lobby, as well as the rest of the factory, has recently been installed with hidden cameras.
While Shauna continues talking, a long-haired boy named GAVON, nudges Chase and points at the slushie statue.
GAVON: I dare you to climb inside that.
Chase chuckles but doesn’t make a move towards it.
GAVON: No, seriously. (pause) I’ll do it then.
Gavon makes a move towards the statue, but Jeff and Karsen grab him and pull him back.
KARSEN (sighing): Gavon, don’t.
GAVON: I was just joking...
Karsen rolls his eyes and turns back to pay attention to Shauna.
SHAUNA: Now, with that brief history out of the way, when I start in the morning, after I sign in using the sign-in book here at the front desk, I go over this way...
Shauna has everyone follow her through a set of double doors and into a small room.
INT. SLUSHIE FACTORY – SECURITY CHECK POINT
In this room are nothing other then a metal scanner and a security guard.
SHAUNA: If you have any metal on you, just put it in the tray like this...
Shauna takes a necklace and a ring off and puts in the tray, and then steps through the metal detector.
SHAUNA: And walk through like this.
Everyone does so, and then gathers their stuff on the other side. Shauna shows her id to the guard, who just smiles and nods his head.
SHAUNA: After proving I’m me to Wes here, then I go through these doors...
INT. SLUSHIE FACTORY – FACTORY SECTION – FINISHED PRODUCT
Shauna leads the group through another set of doors and onto a catwalk that is suspended high above many large vats of colored liquid being mixed. This area of the factory is dimly lit by a few dim light bulbs high above everyone’s heads, that leave large dark shadows in every corner. There is also a thick layer of dust covering the large sections.
SHAUNA: I’ll have to ask that nobody horses around in this area. Its very easy to tip the catwalk and I don’t want to see anyone falling over the edge. It’s a very long fall to the floor below and it could result in death. Now, this area is what the finished slushie liquid looks like. After this room, we’ll proceed to see how the liquid is actually made and what exactly goes into it.
The room is even more sweltering then it was outside, and many people loosen their shirts a bit. Jenna wipes sweat from her head and leans into Vanessa while Shauna continues to talk.
JENNA: It’s so hard in here, I can’t stand it, it’s making me grumpy.
VANESSA: I know, haven’t these people heard of air conditioning?
Shauna leads the group down the creaky catwalk and through another set of double doors and into another wide-open room. This one, the catwalk overlooks nothing special – just a room full of forklifts, pallet jacks, and various cleaning supplies.
SHAUNA: This room isn’t anything too special for this tour. Just our basic maintenance room. However, on the other side of these doors here...
Right before Shauna walks through the next set of doors, Gavon sighs.
GAVON: This is so boring.
He reaches forward real quick and snatches Vanessa’s jacket out from under her arms, and then he turns and pushes through a couple people on the catwalk and runs off.
VANESSA: Hey!
Instead of going back through the doors they just came from though, Gavon turns and runs down an L-shaped part of the catwalk. Everyone stops and turns back to look.
SHALE: Gavon, stop!
PAUL: Get back here!
Chase was at the end of the line, so he could run after Gavon the easiest without pushing people up against the side of the catwalk. He turns and gives chase. Jeff leans in to Karsen.
JEFF: Vanessa would love me forever if I was the one that got her jacket back. Watch this.
And then Jeff too rushes off to join the chase. Karsen nudges Dane.
KARSEN: Paul, Shale, don’t worry, we’ll get them back.
DANE: Man, you are such a suck-up.
KARSEN: Just shut up, and let’s go.
Those two also take off running after Gavon, Chase, and Jeff. Once they turn a corner and disappear through another set of doors that the others have already gone through, there is a small tremor that shakes the catwalk for a few seconds, forcing everyone to hold on tightly to the rail. Paul turns to Shauna once the tremor ends.
PAUL: Uhh, what was that?
SHAUNA (confused): I have no idea…
Suddenly a blast of hot air slams the doors open and a small bit of fire licks out at them as the group is all pushed down by the force of the air.
SHAUNA: Everyone cover your heads!
Everyone does so as they bend down and a deafening boom! thunders through the room. The entire room shakes violently as the room that they would have been in if it wasn’t for Gavon’s distraction, explodes.
INT. SLUSHIE FACTORY – FACTORY SECTION – FROZEN MATERIAL ROOM
Gavon laughs dorkily as he runs into a different section of the factory, this area being kept at a near-freezing temperature so the vats of frozen slushie material stay that way. He brushes his messy hair out of his eyes and shivers slightly but then has to brace himself as the catwalk shakes slightly from an explosion some place else in the factory.
Gavon is half-way across the catwalk when the doors open again and Chase rushes into the area, followed by Jeff, who is quickly followed by Karsen and Dane. Gavon turns to look at them.
KARSEN: Gavon, you’re a friggin moron! Just hand the jacket back and come back with us now, and you might only be written up and suspended from work instead of out and out fired. Maybe.
GAVON: Oh come on! This is so much fun. That tour was boring.
DANE: How old are you? Fifteen or five?
JEFF: Gavon, you know I always stand up for you, but you’re crossing the line this time.
CHASE: Come on, Jeff’s right. You’re not thinking properly.
Chase takes a few steps towards Gavon, but instantly stops and backs up as a large explosion from the next room over knocks out part of the wall and washes over a part of the catwalk, throwing debris everywhere. Gavon is temporarily obscured from their view by the explosion. When the fire and debris passes by, we see Gavon scared shitless on the other side of the now-gaping hole of twisted metal in the catwalk, cutting Gavon off from the rest of them. They all look around, fear filling their facial expressions.
CHASE: What the hell was that?
KARSEN: We better get out of here and back with the group.
Jeff and Chase move to the very edge of the hole in the catwalk.
JEFF: Come on Gavon, run and jump. Me and Chase will catch you.
GAVON: Are you crazy?! I’m not gonna jump! There has to be another way out of here!
JEFF: Look behind you! There’s a dead end!
Gavon looks back and sees that the catwalk leads to a wall.
GAVON: Shit.
He turns back around to face the others and opens his mouth to shout something to them, but doesn’t get the chance to, as the ceiling explodes right above the others, raining debris and fire down on them. They all screamed as a second even more powerful explosion happens in the same spot, even before the debris from the first can reach them, and they are obscured from view as the explosion completely covers them and their painful high-pitched screams are cut short.
Gavon cowers against the dead-end wall as the blasts of hot air knock him back off his feet and against the wall. After the dust settles and Gavon returns to his feet, he runs to the edge of the catwalk hole.
GAVON: Guys!
When the smoke clears, Gavon can see that there is nothing left in front of him. No catwalk and no people. Everything is just gone, including three quarters of the ceiling above him as well, broken shards of metal and concrete twisting this way and that. If Gavon wasn’t in such a state of shock, he may have noticed a small green gel-like liquid dripping from what was left of the floor above and into the frozen vats of slushie below. The camera pans down as focuses on a few obscured damaged barrels slowly sinking into the frozen material. We pan back up to the broken catwalk and see a piece of twisted burning metal. The words ‘Radioac...ste’ is on it, however the entire middle is obscured by a burn mark.
A gurgling sound snaps Gavon back from his shock and he looks down below just as a hand emerges from one of the vats of slushie, breaking through both the slushie and the radioactive sludge that’s floating around the top of it.
GAVON: Help! Somebody help! They need help down there!
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM
The view is fuzzy at first, but we can pick out a lot of white. Slowly, we come a bit more into focus and we can see our body is wrapped up in white blankets on a white bed, with some kind of cord attached to our arm. As our vision becomes more clear, we are able to pick out more of our surroundings and within a couple seconds we are able to come to the realization that wear in a hospital room, hooked up to an IV unit.
The camera view changes and we can see that we had just been looking through Karsen’s eyes as he first wakes up. On either side of him is Chase, Jeff, and Dane, still all unconscious. It seems Karsen is the first to wake up. He slowly sits up and licks his lips as a hand flies up to his pounding head.
KARSEN (wincing): What happened? Why am I here?
Karsen finds a device on the edge of his bed and picks it up, pressing the lone button on it. A few seconds later, a nurse walks in and instantly stops, shocked.
NURSE: You’re...awake!?
Karsen nods and the nurse rushes to an intercom on the wall and press a button on it.
NURSE: Doctor Lee to Room 217 immediately, please, Doctor Lee to Room 217 immediately.
KARSEN: What’s going on? What’s happening?
NURSE: A miracle, that’s what.
The nurse rushes around to prepare the equipment for the doctor when he comes in. Karsen just looks on, confused, trying to figure out what happened. DOCTOR LEE rushes in, and looks at Karsen with awe as he starts right in doing the tests. Karsen can catch a crowd of people in the hallway, poking their heads in to see what’s happening. Among them, he notices both his parents, his girlfriend AMBER, and Jenna, Vanessa, and Jeff’s brother and sister and their significant others. There are also others that are further around the corner that he doesn’t see, or doesn’t recognize. As the doctor rushes through the equipment and various tests and readings, Karsen looks at him.
KARSEN: Please, what’s going on? No one will tell me.
Doctor Lee turns to the nurse.
DOCTOR LEE: He seems perfectly healthy. A bit dehydrated and some bruises and burns, but healthy. (turns to face Karsen) You were caught in an explosion at the slushie factory, do you remember that?
In the reflection of Karsen’s eyes, we can see the final few seconds as the explosion happened earlier as he remembers. Karsen slowly nods.
DOCTOR LEE: You and your co-workers were saved, but you all went into a coma. It’s been over a month. The families were just considering pulling the plugs on the life support systems.
This is so much information, Karsen feels dizzy and his reaction and facial expression mirrors this. He shakes his head.
DOCTOR LEE: We were actually just about to have an official meeting with them regarding that, when you woke up.
KARSEN: What about...the others?
DOCTOR LEE: That’s up to the individual families, but I’d imagine they’ll hold off longer now, as I’m sure your waking will give them renewed hope for their own. Now, is it ok if I allow people to come in?
Karsen nods his head and the doctor turns and nods his own head. The nurse allows the people in the hall to come into the room. The doctor intercepts Karsen’s parents to inform them of the situation, while most of the other family members go to the bedside of their loved ones. Jenna and Vanessa stop by Karsen’s bed.
JENNA: How are you feeling?
KARSEN: Head hurts alot...mouth’s dry... (holds up bandaged arms) ...arms hurt like hell.
JENNA: You have no idea how happy everyone is to see you awake. Everyone’s relieved and we all have more hope for the others now.
Karsen’s parents, and Amber, approach.
VANESSA: We’ll let you spend time with your family. Take care, and get better.
Vanessa and Jenna continue on their way to Jeff’s bed, where his family stands.
AMBER: Hey babe.
Amber leans over and gently kisses Karsen. His parents are not as careful as they instantly reach down and hug him tightly, putting him in more pain. They are all crying tears of happiness, but Karsen can only look on at his unconscious friends, fearful for their lives now that he’s joined the ranks of the awake, and joined in on their fears.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – MONTAGE
‘Shambala’ by Three Dog Night plays during this montage. It is about Karsen spending time recuperating, just laying there, tossing and turning, trying to be comfortable, being bored as he has nothing to do, just huffing and puffing out of boredom as he twiddle his thumbs, and flips channels, watching whatever’s on TV. All that stuff is interconnected with scenes of nurses and the doctor checking on him and doing various tests, and bringing him his meals. In some of those shots, we see a close-up of the doctor’s clipboard, as the top paper always has the date and we can see that over a week is passing during this. In some of the scenes, his family and/or Amber are by him. After the song ends, so does the montage.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - LATER
Karsen is eating on of his meals, while Amber sits in a chair next to him. The TV is on and they’re watching a news program on the slushie attacks.
NEWS REPORTER: A month and a half ago, this wreckage you see behind me, was once a great factory, however while what it created – slushies – may seem harmless at first, it was what made them a target by the culprit being referred to as the Slushie Exploder – an unknown person that has been setting off bombs in any store that dares to sell slushies. Now, almost two months later, the trail has gone cold and the police have no more leads to follow. With no other location in town that sells...
AMBER: Are you done?
Karsen finishes sipping his juice and nods his head. Amber gets up and moves the tray off Karsen’s bed.
KARSEN: This is bull.
AMBER: What is?
KARSEN: This news report. How can someone destroy that many buildings...cause that many deaths...and not leave behind ANY clues? The police just aren’t trying hard enough.
AMBER: You’ve been out a long time, honey. The investigation last almost the entire time you were out. The news has only JUST stopped talking about non-stop a few days before you woke up. Everyone in town seems to be angered by the lack of results, but the person is probably long gone.
KARSEN: What about Sobeys? Do they still plan on selling slushies now?
AMBER: I have no idea. My family doesn’t shop there, but...
She’s instantly cut off by a moan. Both her and Karsen swerve their heads to see Jeff slowly sitting up, wincing in pain.
KARSEN: Jeff!?
Jeff opens his eyes and squints at Karsen.
JEFF: Karsen? Where am I? What happened?
AMBER: Oh my god...I’ll go get the doctor.
She turns to run out of the room, but stops and stares at something off-screen.
AMBER: Karsen!
Karsen turns to look at what his girlfriend is staring at, and gasps as well. The camera pans over and we see Dane slowly opening his eyes as well. Amber quickly runs out of the room.
DANE: Karsen? Jeff? What’s going on? Why are we in heaven?
Karsen laughs, but Jeff is still confused and just stares around blankly, trying to figure out what’s going on. Amber returns with the doctor from earlier and several nurses who all prepare the equipment so the doctor can examine the two new awakers. ‘So far Away’ by Staind begins to play, without any other audio in the scene, as Doctor Lee checks the two people out and the family members and friends rush into the room much like they did before when Karsen woke up, some smiling, some crying tears of happiness. Dane’s mother, Jeff’s brother and sister and their significant others, Jenna, Vanessa, Paul, and Shale are among the faces rushing into the room. Dane, Karsen, and Jeff all glance at each other, and a smile starts to form on Karsen’s face, as everything will finally be alright. That smile is soon picked up by the other two as well as they turn away from each other to face their family and friends. The song fades out as we transit to the next scene.
INT. HOSPITAL – DOCTOR’S OFFICE
SUBTITLE
Three Weeks Later...
Jeff, Karsen, Dane, and their families stand in the doctor’s office, looking healthy and fine apart from a few bandages and bruises here and there on the three boys.
DOCTOR LEE: So we’ve had an...interesting time together here, haven’t we? But it’s about time you boys get sent home. You’ll all be fine, so nobody has to worry, as long as you take the prescribed meds, and make sure you all show up for your therapy sessions twice a week. I don’t want to see any skimping out on those, ok?
The boys nod.
DOCTOR LEE: Well...you’re free to go.
As the group starts making its room out of the office, the family members each thank the doctor and shake his hand. Karsen leans into Jeff and Dane.
KARSEN: Are you guys going to the party tonight?
DANE: Hell yeah.
JEFF: What party?
DANE: You haven’t heard? Vanessa’s throwing a party in honor of our recovery, at her place tonight. It’s gonna be off the hook.
Jeff smiles.
JEFF: Kick ass.
The family members begin to fan out and the three boys knock knuckles together before parting.
KARSEN: See you guys tonight.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM
Chase’s body still lays in its bed, unconscious, remaining alone in the room with his family, who all sit around him, dried tears covering their faces when Doctor Lee walks in. Chase’s mom wipes some new tears from her eyes as she turns to face him.
CHASE’S MOTHER: Doctor Lee? We’d like to talk now about pulling the plug.
EXT. VANESSA’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
‘Party Like a Rockstar’ by Shop Boyz booms from a stereo inside the apartment as dozens of people approach the building.
INT. VANESSA’S APARTMENT
The apartment is packed with people, and a giant banner hangs from the ceiling that says ‘CONGRATULATIONS JEFFREY, KARSEN, AND DANE!’ The scene inside is pretty much the average stereotypical large, noisy, party. Dozens of different things going on with dozens of different groups of people. The apartment is so crowded, there’s hardly any room to move around.
Jeff is standing by one of the couches, facing a brown girl named SONUM SIDHU. We can tell by their conversation and interaction that he’s pretty into her. He’s completely different around her, then he is around most girls. He’s more...sincere...around her. More himself.
JEFF: ...but then why would he do that? That just doesn’t make any sense.
SONUM: Hence why it’s the dumbest movie I’ve ever seen. Nothing in it makes any sense. (pause) Jeff, I’m glad you’re ok. I missed you while you were gone.
JEFF: You did?
SONUM: Well yeah, of course. I mean, who else do I got to talk to about obscured movies with? All my friends watch are those stupid parody movies and other junk like that.
JEFF: Well then, To many nights of movie watching!
Jeff raises his glass and Sonum clinks hers against his and they take a drink.
SONUM: I should go see what Melissa’s up to. Stop her from getting into any trouble like she always does at parties.
Jeff nods.
JEFF: Alright, I’ll talk to you later.
Sonum hugs Jeff before turning and disappearing into the crowd.
DANE (v.o.): So how’re things?
Jeff turns to face him.
JEFF: What?
DANE: With Sonum.
JEFF: I don’t know what you...
Dane cuts Jeff off.
DANE: I remember a couple days before the accident, you told me and Karsen about how you finally told Sonum your feelings for her. How’re things with that?
JEFF: Oh. She told me the next day that she appreciates me telling her, but she just doesn’t feel the same way. Hence why I got so drunk the night before the accident. Now she’s acting like nothing happened.
DANE: Dude, that sucks. You’ve pretty much in love with her for like, ever.
JEFF: Tell me about it.
DANE: But hey, look over there at that hot chick. Check out her rack.
Dane points and Jeff smiles, but it’s forced. At least he’s thankful for Dane trying to get his mind off Sonum.
INT. VANESSA’S APARTMENT – KITCHEN
Karsen is in the kitchen with Amber and some other people, mixing drinks. While he’s mixing a drink for a random party person, Amber takes a sip of hers and scowls.
AMBER: Urg, this is so warm, how long as this alcohol been out for?
KARSEN: Really? Mine’s freezing. Let me try it.
Karsen takes Amber’s glass and the camera zooms in on it, just enough to see a very slight ripple leave Karsen’s fingers and travel through the glass. So feint that nobody, not even Karsen, notices. Karsen takes a sip.
KARSEN: I don’t know what drugs you’re on, Amber, but this drink is freezing.
AMBER: Me? What drugs are YOU on?
Amber takes it back forcefully and takes another sip, but she looks shocked.
AMBER: Oh...kaaay. Now that’s weird...
Karsen leaves over the counter and kisses Amber.
KARSEN: I think you’re just weird.
Amber laughs.
AMBER: Oh really?
INT. VANESSA’S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM
Jeff walks by Jenna and Vanessa, his short soaked. Jenna has her arms around her boyfriend, ADAM. She’s also pretty drunk. They stop him as he passes by.
VANESSA: Holy, what happened to you?
JEFF: Some jerk-off just spilt his entire drink on me while I was hittin’ on this real hot chick that Dane dared me to hit on.
Vanessa chuckles but Jenna bursts out laughing.
JENNA: Only you, Jeff, only you. It’s good to have you back. My life’s been missing the comedic moments from your life.
Jeff mock laughs.
ADAM: Don’t listen to her. She’s had a bit to drink.
VANESSA: Um, Jeff, you have something right...
She motions to the area right under her nose and Jeff reaches up and touches the area on his face, as if he was having a nosebleed, as there’s a kind of liquid stuff coming from his nose. He brings the finger around to his eyes and there’s a small amount of near-frozen purple and blue material – very similar to slushie material, actually, on it.
JEFF: Huh. Must be some stuff from that jerk’s drink. I’ll be right back. I have to go clean myself off.
Jeff continues on into the bathroom.
INT. VANESSA’S APARTMENT - BATHROOM
Jeff closes the door and looks in the mirror. More of that material is coming from his nose, very similar to a nose bleed, and he uses a cloth to wipe it away. He looks down at his clothes, and turns on the water from the sink. He uses another cloth to dap at his shirt. While he’s doing that, we zoom in on the previous cloth, to see that there is a small hole burning through it, while a slight layer of ice is forming over the top of the hole. The hole is being caused by the green-colored material, while the ice is being formed from the blue-color of the same kind of material.
INT. VANESSA’S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM
Jeff exits the bathroom, and as he starts making his way back through the room, he hears his name get shout out.
DANE: Jeff! Come join us!
Jeff locates Dane and walks over. One kid is holding a giant jar of mayonnaise.
DANE: A bunch of us just bet Shaymus here to eat a liter of mayonnaise. Want in?
Before Jeff can answer, Sonum breaks through the crowd.
SONUM: I say we should bet Jeff to do it. Shaymus is a pussy anyway.
She looks at Jeff and smiles mischievously. Jeff glares back.
JEFF: Sometimes I really hate you...
DANE: So does that mean you’re in?
JEFF (reluctantly): Yes, that means I’m in.
The crowd cheers, but its stopped short as the apartment door slams open and the room of people starts screaming as a group of four men wearing masks and carrying guns storm into the room.
LEAD ROBBER: Nobody panic or do anything stupid! We’re just here for your money, jewelry, anything of value. As long as everyone cooperates, no one will get hurt!
The other three masked men move around the room, collecting money and jewelry from the partiers, and shoving them into bags.
INT. VANESSA’S APARTMENT – KITCHEN
Karsen, Amber, and a couple other people are ducked down behind the kitchen island, hiding. Karsen turns to Amber.
KARSEN: You have your cell on you?
Amber nods.
KARSEN: Good, call the cops.
Amber fumbles in her pocket and pulls out her cell. She opens it up and dials 911.
VOICE: Hang up the phone, pretty face.
Amber, and the others, look up and sees one of the masked men standing there, gun pointed at them. Amber closes her cell and places it in the robber’s outstretched hand.
LEAD ROBBER: Come on, into the other room.
Karsen, Amber, and the other couple that are there stand up and move into the living room, the lead robber walking behind them with the gun.
INT. VANESSA’S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM
As the robbers continue to fill up their bags, Jenna slips her cell down into her hand, which stays hidden at her side. She flips the phone open and starts sending ‘Help Us’ followed by the address, to 911, but seeing as how she can only glance down at it from time to time, she has to do it slowly.
LEAD ROBBER: Hurry! Come on, come on! Let’s get going!
As one of the robbers get to Jenna and hold the back out for her to put her money in it, she doesn’t move.
ROBBER: Money and jewelry. Come on, hurry up.
When Jenna still refuses to move, the Robber starts to get mad, but then stops when he sees the cell phone at her side.
ROBBER: What’s this?
He reaches down and snatches it from her, only to see ‘Text-to-Land-Line Sent’.
ROBBER: What the hell was that?
Jenna stands up straight, defiant in her drunkenness. She slurs as she talks.
JENNA: I just sent a test to the cops and they’ll be here soon, asshole, so you and your goons better get the hell out of here.
ROBBER: Hey Brad! This chick just contacted the pigs!
LEAD ROBBER: Shit. Alright, pack it in, we’re out of here.
The head robber turns to leave as the other robbers rush to the door, however he ends up grabbing Sonum by the arm and twirling her into his arms.
LEAD ROBBER: We’ll let her go as soon as we’re away from here and safe from the pigs. Nobody follow or she’s dead! Come on Chocolate Chip, let’s go.
The robber runs out of the apartment with Sonum in his grasp and his buddies around him as they rush off down the street.
JEFF: Sonum!
He starts to move, but Dane grabs his arm, stopping him.
DANE: Jeff, don’t. You heard them.
JEFF: I have to do something, Dane! Who knows what they’ll do to her or if they’ll even let her go!
Jeff breaks from Dane’s grasp and runs for the door. Dane locates Karsen from half-way across the room.
DANE: Karsen, we have to stop him!
Dane points and Karsen sees Jeff running for the door.
KARSEN: Shit.
AMBER: Karsen, don’t...
But it’s too late, Karsen and Dane run across the room and reach Jeff seconds after he emerges outside.
EXT. VANESSA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Dane grabs Jeff’s arm again and Jeff whirls towards them, anger radiating off of him.
JEFF: Dane, let me go!
DANE: We’re not letting you do this...alone.
Dane lets go and Jeff nods.
JEFF: Thank-you. Now let’s hurry.
The three run off down the street, following the robbers who are far ahead.
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
Sonum keeps trying to drag her feet to slow them down, until the lead robber holds the gun to her head.
LEAD ROBBER: If you don’t start cooperating, I’m gonna blow your brains out.
Sonum starts cooperating as they continue running.
SONUM: Why don’t you just let me go? Having to drag an extra persona round is bound to slow...
The gun returns to her head.
SONUM: Alright, alright, I’m shutting up, jeez.
They turn down a dark side alley, and are half-way down it when Jeff, Karsen, and Dane show up at the end of it, blocking it off. Karsen leans into them.
KARSEN: I don’t think we thought this through. What are we supposed to do now?
Jeff gulps.
JEFF: Improv?
KARSEN (sarcastic): Great. Just great. I’m SO glad I followed you.
JEFF: Hey! Let her go!
The robbers stop on the spot, chuckling to each other.
SONUM: Jeff, no! They’re going to kill you!
JEFF: Just let her go, please. She did nothing to you guys, and you’re far enough away now that you can easily be far away by the time the cops get here. You don’t need her now.
DANE: If you let her go, we’ll move out of your way.
Karsen leans into Dane.
KARSEN: They have guns. If they really want us out of the way, I’m not gonna argue.
One of the robbers starts to raise a gun.
ROBBER: Move or we’ll shoot.
Jeff, powered by fear and adrenaline, and maybe even a bit of something else...something mysterious...runs forward. The gun is fired. Luckily Jeff reaches the robber in time and manages to hit his arm away just as the shot is fired, hitting the wall of the alley. Jeff slams his elbow down on the robber’s arm, the pain forcing him to drop the gun. He kicks out and kicks the gun from the hand of the next robber over, which is the lead robber. Sonum uses that moment to elbow him in the stomach and escape his grasp. She runs towards Karsen and Dane.
KARSEN: Go on, get back to Vanessa’s, hurry!
Sonum runs off, just as Karsen and Dane jump forward to help Jeff, tackling the lead robber. The alley is too narrow for the other two robbers to join in, so they just wait, with guns raised. The first robber that Jeff is still in a struggle with, pulls a small switchblade out and rams it into Jeff’s arm, pulling down and then out again.
The fighting instantly all stops at Jeff’s scream of pain, which cuts through the night air and travels far distances. He goes to cover the gash on his arm with his other hand, but stops and stares at what everyone else is glued to the spot, already staring at. Instead of blood oozing from Jeff’s wound, it’s multi-colored slushie-like material. Each color seems to have its own unique effect as well as it drops from the wound to the ground; a green blotch starts to melt away the ground, a blue blotch freezes over into ice, a red blotch bursts into flames, and a yellow blotch heals the wound almost instantly, stopping any other kinds from coming out, and removing Jeff’s pain.
The robber with the knife is the first to come to his sense at the weird occurrence they just all witnessed, and moves to slash Jeff’s throat with the knife. Karsen instinctively jumps in the way, throwing his arm up to block Jeff’s neck.
DANE: Karsen, no!
However, the second before the knife embeds into Karsen’s arm, his arm mutates into an arm made of slushie material, which then solidifies over into a block of ice in the shape of his arm, trapping the knife harmlessly in it.
ROBBER: What the hell...
Everyone is once again sent to a state of shock as this time, it’s Karsen’s turn to experience the weird phenomenon.
LEAD ROBBER: Man, these guys are freaks of nature! Let’s get the hell out of here!
The four robbers turn and start to run back the way they had come from. Dane moves to run after them, but starts to melt away.
DANE: Woah! What’s going on?
Dane quickly melts away in a pile of slushie material that snakes across the ground at high speed, rushing past the runner robbers, and then the pile of slushie starts to form back into the shape of Dane, right in front of them. Before going into his own state of shock, Dane throws a couple punches, knocking the first two robbers out. Karsen and Jeff come up from behind and Karsen uses his ice arm to conk the last two on the head, also knocking them out, just as police sirens can be heard arriving in the distance.
JEFF: We need to leave before those cops get here. We can figure out exactly what just happened later.
Karsen’s arm unsolidifies and returns to its slushie state, the knife falling through and hitting the ground below, before the arm returns to perfectly normal.
KARSEN: I’m freaked as shit right now, but you’re right, we have to leave. Come on, Dane.
The three turn and run back the way they had just come from themselves, disappearing around the corner. As the police sirens get closer, the lead robber, with a moan, slightly moves and then rolls over onto his back, removing the mask, revealing a young face in its mid-late 20’s. He winces in pain, but sees the reflection of sirens coming nearer. He gets up, retrieves his gun, and runs off as well.
EXT. VANESSA’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Everyone from the party is standing around outside, waiting anxiously for the cops, and for Jeff, Karsen, and Dane to arrive Sonum is already back there, huddled with Jenna, Vanessa, and Amber.
GAVON
I see them! Over there!
The three boys jog down the street as everyone turns their heads. They reach the party, out of breath, and Amber runs over to Karsen and throws her arms around him, kissing him, and then stops long enough to slap him.
KARSEN: Ow!
AMBER: Don’t EVER do that again!
SONUM: What happened back there?
Jeff looks at her, trying to hide the still-current shock from his face.
JEFF: Honestly? I have no idea...
VANESSA: Are you guys alright?
JEFF: Yeah, the cops showed up and I’m sure they’re arresting the robbers now.
GAVON: Let’s get this party started up again! Yeeeaaahhh!
Most of the crowd cheers as they return back to inside to continue partying. Jeff, Dane, and Karsen just exchange glances as they slowly make their way with their friends, back inside as well.
INT. JEFF AND JENNA’S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM
Jeff pretty much has to carry Jenna inside their apartment, as she’s pretty much passed out from drinking. ‘Prelude 12/21’ by AFI begins to play once Jeff covers Jenna’s body with a blanket and moves to the kitchen. He holds his arm up, moonlight from outside shining in on it, as he inspects it over, running his other hand over the spot of his arm that had the knife go into it, but now has not even a scar.
INT. DANE’S HOUSE – DANE’S ROOM
Dane is sitting at his desk, inspecting his hands in the same kind of manner, under a lamp.
INT. KARSEN’S HOUSE – KARSEN’S ROOM
Karsen and Amber are laying in bed together, Amber’s head sleeping on Karsen’s chest. Karsen just stares up at the ceiling, eyes wide open, not even blinking.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM
Chase’s unconscious body lays completely alone in the hospital room, this time not even family members are around. The song ends as the lights to the room are turned off, plunging Chase’s body into darkness.
INT. UNKNOWN HOUSE – LIVING ROOM
The room is a huge mess, old food piled here and there, with bugs crawling on them. Books and unfolded building plans lay everywhere. A mysterious figure, which we cna only see the outline of in the dark, sits on the ripped-open couch, watching the TV, which has a couple bugs crawling over the screen as well.
NEWS REPORTER: ...Welcome to Late Night News, where we recap and update today’s earlier stories. The first matter is the one of the Sobeys Press Conference earlier on today, where Sobeys Manager Paul Neilson confirmed that while their plans for opening a slushie section were postponed due to recent events, it is back on track now and should be ready to be opened in the coming week or two. Also, are you a fan of Moose hunting? Because...
The figure roars with rage and throws a small 10-pound weight across the room and at the TV, smashing its screen, causing sparks to fly. The figure jumps up and runs to the other side of the room, tossing books every which way off the bookshelf. The figure lifts open a small secret compartment in the back of the shelf and reaches in, rummaging through the rolled-up paper in there.
The figure pulls one of those papers out and unfolds it. The camera zooms in on it to see it marked ‘Sobeys Blueprints’.
The screen cuts to darkness on an ominous tone.
The Slushie Bandits
Episode 1: Origin
Written by: Jeffrey Long
Creative Consultants: Brandon Keith and Michael Banno
2/10/2008 11:20:28 PM
(Updated: 2/11/2008 10:15:07 PM)
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