lyrics
INT. GERALD’S HOUSE - MORNING
Footsteps.
GERALD:
Ugh. I wonder if there’s a formula
for calculating how much you drank by the severity of the headache.
Fridge door opening, lighter lighting.
Pause.
ALICIA:
Good night then?
GERALD:
When did you start smoking?
ALICIA:
This morning.
GERALD:
Well, why the hell would you...
(There’s a scream outside, as if someone were running down the street)
Jesus, was that Ed?
ALICIA:
I don’t know. Was it?
Pause. Footsteps. Telephone being taken off the ringer.
ALICIA (CONT’D):
What are you doing?
GERALD:
Calling the police.
ALICIA:
Why?
GERALD:
Oh, I don’t know, maybe because our neighbor is running around screaming in the middle of...
(the sound of a busy signal)
...the night. Why are all the lights off?
ALICIA:
They aren’t. And it’s not. It’s
eleven in the morning.
GERALD:
What’s going on?
Pause.
ALICIA:
We need to talk.
Sirens in the distance.
GERALD:
Would you stop being so goddamn...
ALICIA:
Coy?
GERALD:
Yes! Coy! Or flip, or I don’t know.
Pause.
ALICIA:
Sorry. I’ve been a little stressed.
GERALD:
About what?
ALICIA:
At 4:17 this morning, electricity
went out.
GERALD:
Okay. No big deal.
ALICIA:
Except that there is nothing on the radio. No emergency broadcast channels or even CB’s. Check your watch.
GERALD:
My... oh, yeah, it... it’s stopped.
(Sound of a crushing cigarette)
It stopped at 4:17.
Footsteps, pacing.
ALICIA:
Why don’t you sit down.
GERALD:
Jesus, don’t you get it? A blackout is one thing, but if battery-driven go... oh, man. Oh, how did devices this happen?
ALICIA:
How did what happen?
GERALD:
It’s a fucking nuke, Alicia! EMP pulse, knocks out the electronics! Jesus, we should be...
Alicia is laughing.
GERALD (CONT’D):
This is funny to you?
ALICIA:
Gerald, honey, sit down. For a scientist, you sometimes ignore the data that’s right there.
GERALD:
What?
ALICIA:
If we were in the blast zone of a nuclear explosion, don’t you think it’d be a bit hotter in here?
GERALD:
Well... I am a biologist and... hey, how do you know so much about this?
ALICIA:
I know a lot of things. End of story.
GERALD:
End of story?
ALICIA:
One way or the other. Let’s take a step outside.
credits
from
MADE OF SHADOWS,
released December 24, 2013
Script written by Jeremy Berger
license
all rights reserved