Colder Than Cold: First Draft Script
1. EXT: WATERWORKS/SHELTER. DAY.
A hooded man, wrapped in scarves and shreds of cloth, drags a large garbage bag through the snow as he exits his makeshift shelter, amongst the ruins of an old plant. As he walks, the bag snags against a toppled power line. He struggles with it for a moment, then continues along into the surrounding woods.
DANIEL (V.O.)
It is so dark. Used to be bright as day with all the streetlights and traffic lights and car headlights and... and now it's just nothing. The sun goes down and we disappear.
2. EXT: WOODS. DAY.
The hooded man drags his sack through the ice and snow onto a small wooden walkway, staring down a frozen bridge that looks ready to collapse. He stops walking, sitting down on the path beside his bag to rest, or perhaps to think for a moment.
DANIEL (V.O.)
We have plenty of batteries, but our flashlights are falling apart. Ira rigged up a desk lamp, but we're down to the last lightbulb. I don't think it matters much, though; we're starting to get used to seeing the sky only an hour or two every day.
3. EXT: STREAM. DAY.
Forging along, the hooded man finds a shallow stream, perhaps a result of a rusted pipe having recently burst. He stops at the edge of the water, testing it with a stick. As he examines the mud, it is clear that there is some kind of blood, human or otherwise, mixed in with the sewage. The hooded man sighs, disappointed as he takes up his burden and moves on.
DANIEL (V.O)
We hadn't seen birds in weeks. We were starting to think they'd migrated somewhere else... and then they started washing up in the rivers and sewage.
4. INT: SHELTER.
Basking in the warmth of a small cooking fire, Ira glances across the room to his compatriot, Daniel, chattering away at a small camera.
IRA
(Low) Food's ready.
Daniel continues his description of the dying game. Annoyed, Ira puts his food can down and turns his attention completely to Daniel.
IRA
(Shouting) Food's ready!
DANIEL
Okay! Okay, I'll - thank you. I'll be there in a second.
Daniel quickly wraps up his recording as Ira hungrily stuffs half-cooked noodles into his mouth. Reaching for his own ration, Daniel cringes at the pile of egg noodles, then steals a glance at Ira who angrily crunches on the visibly bland dinner.
IRA
They're a little tough.
DANIEL
Practically raw. Do we have any salt left?
IRA
Not for noodles, we don't. We still need to thaw out the old lady's front door. Get the car keys.
They eat in silence. Daniel struggles with the undercooked, flavorless noodles, but forces it down nonetheless. Hesistant, he seeks Ira's gaze before speaking, but is unable to meet his eyes.
DANIEL
How do we know her car even works?
IRA
No reason not to. Been indoors this whole time. Raiders must've missed it.
DANIEL
We don't have any gas.
IRA
She did. She had to.
A pause.
DANIEL
Couldn't we just wait another week for -
IRA
They're not coming. No one else is coming. We talked about this.
DANIEL
I wouldn't call it talking. You pretty much just screamed for half an hour.
IRA
What makes you think we're not alone here? Don't you think we would've heard or seen something? I've been going out every day for two weeks and the only tracks I see are yours and mine.
DANIEL
Maybe we're just not looking hard enough.
IRA
Hard enough? You think I just spend the daylight taking pictures of dead ducks and marking trees like you? I climbed the hills, Daniel - I rowed across the fucking bay last week just to see if anyone was hiding in a goddamned bait shop. Hard enough. There is no hard enough.
DANIEL
I didn't say -
IRA
You don't say a lot of things, but I'm not an idiot. You think I'm paranoid. You think I'm going crazy, and maybe you're right - maybe I am going crazy. But it's not because of raw noodles and frostbite. It's because of your stupid videos. It's because of your stupid little field trips. It's because of all the people I knew in my life before the lights went out, I got stuck with you.
DANIEL
Listen to yourself, Ira. You're -
IRA
I should have - I should have -
DANIEL
You're not making any sense! We know there are people out there.
IRA
Bullshit. It's bullshit.
DANIEL
There were boats in the marina five days ago, and now they're gone. They're going to come back.
IRA
You don't know that. You have no way of knowing that.
DANIEL
They're going to come back, and if we're not here, what'll they do?
Pause a beat.
DANIEL
They'll turn their backs, Ira, just like you want to do. They'll turn their backs and leave.
IRA
And what if they don't? Hm? What if they don't come back, and we die here waiting in a ditch?
DANIEL
There are other houses. More supplies up north. We can -
IRA
There's nothing!
DANIEL
Listen. We can live out here as long as we need. You just have to trust me. If we just hold on until they come back, we...
IRA
What? We find a bunch of a hungry fishermen. Then what? More mouths to feed. You think they'll help us find everyone else? Huh?
You think they'll find your parents for you?
DANIEL
That's not what I said.
IRA
They're dead, Dan. You hear me? They're dead. So are mine. So is Samantha. They didn't meet us here because they died. If we wait for more people to find us, we'll die, too. I haven't seen a single person man or woman who wouldn't skin me alive at the first chance since this whole fucking thing started.
DANIEL
What about me?
Beat.
IRA
Jury's still out on you.
5. EXT: MARINA. DUSK.
The hooded man hauls his bag across an iced over dock, struggling to keep his footing as he walks by row after row of abandoned boats. He nears the end of a boardwalk and hears a seagull in the distance. There are birds on the shore.
IRA (V.O.)
About a week ago we found an old lady bundled up, leaning against the front door of her house. She'd been there a couple days, stuck against the door. She didn't have the keys, but we knew it was hers because we could see pictures through one of the windows. They were barred up, so we couldn't just smash our way in.
6. INT: OLD LADY'S HOUSE. DAY.
There is a jingling, followed by a violent thud at the door before it swings open, revealing both Ira and Daniel hooded and scarved. They enter, treading lightly as the cold air follows them in.
IRA (V.O.)
Lock yourself out of your apartment enough times and you get pretty good at breaking back in.
7. INT: OLD LADY'S KITCHEN. DAY.
The pair shuffles through the kitchen, examining cutlery, raiding shelves for supplies.
8. INT: OLD LADY'S HALLWAY. DAY.
Daniel wanders into what seems to be a pantry or laundry room as Ira examines a sliding door leading to the backyard. It is unlocked.
DANIEL
Canned peas! And some cola!
IRA
Quiet.
Opening the blinds over the sliding glass door, Ira spots several tracks - some human, some animal - leading from the door into the yard and beyond.
IRA
Daniel! We're leaving.
Confused, Daniel steps out of the pantry with a handful of cans.
DANIEL
What?
IRA
Someone's been here. May still be close.
DANIEL
Well, then, why are we -
IRA
They're not throwing a party, Dan. They left the food out as bait.
Daniel tenses as he slowly becomes of aware of what is transpiring. A faint hollering is heard in the distance, and Ira instinctively locks the sliding door and closes the blinds.
IRA
We have to go.
DANIEL
They're just waiting outside!
IRA
We can outrun them. Just go!
Daniel starts off as Ira takes one last look through the blinds into the yard. The hollering grows louder, accompanied now by the barking of wild dogs. Ira arms himself with an improvised weapon, a tool lying among the old lady's other belongings, and follows after Daniel as hands begin thudding against the glass door.
9. INT: OLD LADY'S DEN. DUSK.
Daniel and Ira seek refuge in a musty old den as the raiders enter the house. The daylight begins to dim as the sounds of men running and shouting orders surround them.
DANIEL
You think they saw us?
IRA
No. But they definitely heard you.
They sit in silence against the door for some time as the search beyond seems to die out and the voices lessen.
DANIEL
It's getting dark. They can't find us once the light dies out.
IRA
They can with dogs.
Time passes without incident, until at last the light dies out. Left in the dark, Ira begins to doze off until beams of artificial light cut across the bottom of the door, alerting them to another's presence. The stranger's footsteps grow louder and closer, joined by the scratching of paws against the hardwood floors.
DANIEL
Shit.
Clued in by Daniel's exclamation, the footsteps cease. The dog barks once, then yelps as its master seems to tug sharply on its leash. Slowly, Daniel and Ira rise to their feet as the light beam, now shining directly on the door from just outside the hallway, dies out, enveloping them in pitch black.
The dog begins to emit a low growl, rising steadily until a sudden swing of the door shrieks through the room, followed by manic barking and the sounds of struggle. Daniel struggles to speak, but is drowned out by the sounds of Ira and the stranger fighting wildly in the dark.
10. INT: OLD LADY'S HALLWAY.
Just outside the den, a man finishes lacing up a pair of boots. He enters the room, walking past the corpse of the stranger, to a body covered in an old bedsheet. He reaches under the sheet to retrieve a scarf. While on his knees, he pulls his hood over his head, then rises and walks away. He returns shortly with a black garbage bag, and begins rolling it over the sheet-covered body, the recovered scarf now wrapped tightly around his face.
11. EXT: SHORE. DUSK.
The hooded man comes to a stop at the edge of the water, resting against a large rock as the sun begins to set again. Removing the scarf, he is revealed to be Ira, bruised and sickly looking after dragging his friend's body for so long with his injuries. He slinks down to the floor beside the bag, opening it. Taking one last look at the last of his family, he reaches into Daniel's pocket and retrieves his camera. He fumbles with it, revealing severely frostbitten hands, but finally manages to hit the power button and turn it on himself.
IRA
This is... this is Ira. Uh...
Momentarily disoriented, Ira unbuttons his coat, revealing a rather large wound in his side sustained in his fight with the stranger. He tilts the camera down to capture it.
IRA
This is me.
Gasping for air, Ira holds back tears as the pain becomes unbearable. He tightens his grip on the camera for fear of losing focus, and turns it back on his face.
IRA
It is so dark. The sun goes down... and we all disappear.
A hooded man, wrapped in scarves and shreds of cloth, drags a large garbage bag through the snow as he exits his makeshift shelter, amongst the ruins of an old plant. As he walks, the bag snags against a toppled power line. He struggles with it for a moment, then continues along into the surrounding woods.
DANIEL (V.O.)
It is so dark. Used to be bright as day with all the streetlights and traffic lights and car headlights and... and now it's just nothing. The sun goes down and we disappear.
2. EXT: WOODS. DAY.
The hooded man drags his sack through the ice and snow onto a small wooden walkway, staring down a frozen bridge that looks ready to collapse. He stops walking, sitting down on the path beside his bag to rest, or perhaps to think for a moment.
DANIEL (V.O.)
We have plenty of batteries, but our flashlights are falling apart. Ira rigged up a desk lamp, but we're down to the last lightbulb. I don't think it matters much, though; we're starting to get used to seeing the sky only an hour or two every day.
3. EXT: STREAM. DAY.
Forging along, the hooded man finds a shallow stream, perhaps a result of a rusted pipe having recently burst. He stops at the edge of the water, testing it with a stick. As he examines the mud, it is clear that there is some kind of blood, human or otherwise, mixed in with the sewage. The hooded man sighs, disappointed as he takes up his burden and moves on.
DANIEL (V.O)
We hadn't seen birds in weeks. We were starting to think they'd migrated somewhere else... and then they started washing up in the rivers and sewage.
4. INT: SHELTER.
Basking in the warmth of a small cooking fire, Ira glances across the room to his compatriot, Daniel, chattering away at a small camera.
IRA
(Low) Food's ready.
Daniel continues his description of the dying game. Annoyed, Ira puts his food can down and turns his attention completely to Daniel.
IRA
(Shouting) Food's ready!
DANIEL
Okay! Okay, I'll - thank you. I'll be there in a second.
Daniel quickly wraps up his recording as Ira hungrily stuffs half-cooked noodles into his mouth. Reaching for his own ration, Daniel cringes at the pile of egg noodles, then steals a glance at Ira who angrily crunches on the visibly bland dinner.
IRA
They're a little tough.
DANIEL
Practically raw. Do we have any salt left?
IRA
Not for noodles, we don't. We still need to thaw out the old lady's front door. Get the car keys.
They eat in silence. Daniel struggles with the undercooked, flavorless noodles, but forces it down nonetheless. Hesistant, he seeks Ira's gaze before speaking, but is unable to meet his eyes.
DANIEL
How do we know her car even works?
IRA
No reason not to. Been indoors this whole time. Raiders must've missed it.
DANIEL
We don't have any gas.
IRA
She did. She had to.
A pause.
DANIEL
Couldn't we just wait another week for -
IRA
They're not coming. No one else is coming. We talked about this.
DANIEL
I wouldn't call it talking. You pretty much just screamed for half an hour.
IRA
What makes you think we're not alone here? Don't you think we would've heard or seen something? I've been going out every day for two weeks and the only tracks I see are yours and mine.
DANIEL
Maybe we're just not looking hard enough.
IRA
Hard enough? You think I just spend the daylight taking pictures of dead ducks and marking trees like you? I climbed the hills, Daniel - I rowed across the fucking bay last week just to see if anyone was hiding in a goddamned bait shop. Hard enough. There is no hard enough.
DANIEL
I didn't say -
IRA
You don't say a lot of things, but I'm not an idiot. You think I'm paranoid. You think I'm going crazy, and maybe you're right - maybe I am going crazy. But it's not because of raw noodles and frostbite. It's because of your stupid videos. It's because of your stupid little field trips. It's because of all the people I knew in my life before the lights went out, I got stuck with you.
DANIEL
Listen to yourself, Ira. You're -
IRA
I should have - I should have -
DANIEL
You're not making any sense! We know there are people out there.
IRA
Bullshit. It's bullshit.
DANIEL
There were boats in the marina five days ago, and now they're gone. They're going to come back.
IRA
You don't know that. You have no way of knowing that.
DANIEL
They're going to come back, and if we're not here, what'll they do?
Pause a beat.
DANIEL
They'll turn their backs, Ira, just like you want to do. They'll turn their backs and leave.
IRA
And what if they don't? Hm? What if they don't come back, and we die here waiting in a ditch?
DANIEL
There are other houses. More supplies up north. We can -
IRA
There's nothing!
DANIEL
Listen. We can live out here as long as we need. You just have to trust me. If we just hold on until they come back, we...
IRA
What? We find a bunch of a hungry fishermen. Then what? More mouths to feed. You think they'll help us find everyone else? Huh?
You think they'll find your parents for you?
DANIEL
That's not what I said.
IRA
They're dead, Dan. You hear me? They're dead. So are mine. So is Samantha. They didn't meet us here because they died. If we wait for more people to find us, we'll die, too. I haven't seen a single person man or woman who wouldn't skin me alive at the first chance since this whole fucking thing started.
DANIEL
What about me?
Beat.
IRA
Jury's still out on you.
5. EXT: MARINA. DUSK.
The hooded man hauls his bag across an iced over dock, struggling to keep his footing as he walks by row after row of abandoned boats. He nears the end of a boardwalk and hears a seagull in the distance. There are birds on the shore.
IRA (V.O.)
About a week ago we found an old lady bundled up, leaning against the front door of her house. She'd been there a couple days, stuck against the door. She didn't have the keys, but we knew it was hers because we could see pictures through one of the windows. They were barred up, so we couldn't just smash our way in.
6. INT: OLD LADY'S HOUSE. DAY.
There is a jingling, followed by a violent thud at the door before it swings open, revealing both Ira and Daniel hooded and scarved. They enter, treading lightly as the cold air follows them in.
IRA (V.O.)
Lock yourself out of your apartment enough times and you get pretty good at breaking back in.
7. INT: OLD LADY'S KITCHEN. DAY.
The pair shuffles through the kitchen, examining cutlery, raiding shelves for supplies.
8. INT: OLD LADY'S HALLWAY. DAY.
Daniel wanders into what seems to be a pantry or laundry room as Ira examines a sliding door leading to the backyard. It is unlocked.
DANIEL
Canned peas! And some cola!
IRA
Quiet.
Opening the blinds over the sliding glass door, Ira spots several tracks - some human, some animal - leading from the door into the yard and beyond.
IRA
Daniel! We're leaving.
Confused, Daniel steps out of the pantry with a handful of cans.
DANIEL
What?
IRA
Someone's been here. May still be close.
DANIEL
Well, then, why are we -
IRA
They're not throwing a party, Dan. They left the food out as bait.
Daniel tenses as he slowly becomes of aware of what is transpiring. A faint hollering is heard in the distance, and Ira instinctively locks the sliding door and closes the blinds.
IRA
We have to go.
DANIEL
They're just waiting outside!
IRA
We can outrun them. Just go!
Daniel starts off as Ira takes one last look through the blinds into the yard. The hollering grows louder, accompanied now by the barking of wild dogs. Ira arms himself with an improvised weapon, a tool lying among the old lady's other belongings, and follows after Daniel as hands begin thudding against the glass door.
9. INT: OLD LADY'S DEN. DUSK.
Daniel and Ira seek refuge in a musty old den as the raiders enter the house. The daylight begins to dim as the sounds of men running and shouting orders surround them.
DANIEL
You think they saw us?
IRA
No. But they definitely heard you.
They sit in silence against the door for some time as the search beyond seems to die out and the voices lessen.
DANIEL
It's getting dark. They can't find us once the light dies out.
IRA
They can with dogs.
Time passes without incident, until at last the light dies out. Left in the dark, Ira begins to doze off until beams of artificial light cut across the bottom of the door, alerting them to another's presence. The stranger's footsteps grow louder and closer, joined by the scratching of paws against the hardwood floors.
DANIEL
Shit.
Clued in by Daniel's exclamation, the footsteps cease. The dog barks once, then yelps as its master seems to tug sharply on its leash. Slowly, Daniel and Ira rise to their feet as the light beam, now shining directly on the door from just outside the hallway, dies out, enveloping them in pitch black.
The dog begins to emit a low growl, rising steadily until a sudden swing of the door shrieks through the room, followed by manic barking and the sounds of struggle. Daniel struggles to speak, but is drowned out by the sounds of Ira and the stranger fighting wildly in the dark.
10. INT: OLD LADY'S HALLWAY.
Just outside the den, a man finishes lacing up a pair of boots. He enters the room, walking past the corpse of the stranger, to a body covered in an old bedsheet. He reaches under the sheet to retrieve a scarf. While on his knees, he pulls his hood over his head, then rises and walks away. He returns shortly with a black garbage bag, and begins rolling it over the sheet-covered body, the recovered scarf now wrapped tightly around his face.
11. EXT: SHORE. DUSK.
The hooded man comes to a stop at the edge of the water, resting against a large rock as the sun begins to set again. Removing the scarf, he is revealed to be Ira, bruised and sickly looking after dragging his friend's body for so long with his injuries. He slinks down to the floor beside the bag, opening it. Taking one last look at the last of his family, he reaches into Daniel's pocket and retrieves his camera. He fumbles with it, revealing severely frostbitten hands, but finally manages to hit the power button and turn it on himself.
IRA
This is... this is Ira. Uh...
Momentarily disoriented, Ira unbuttons his coat, revealing a rather large wound in his side sustained in his fight with the stranger. He tilts the camera down to capture it.
IRA
This is me.
Gasping for air, Ira holds back tears as the pain becomes unbearable. He tightens his grip on the camera for fear of losing focus, and turns it back on his face.
IRA
It is so dark. The sun goes down... and we all disappear.
