Etan Muskat

Consume Written by Etan Muskat Copyright (c) 2020 2nd Draft Toronto July 2020 Etan Muskat 410 Christie St. Toronto, ON M6G 3C6- EXT. DRIVE THROUGH - DAY A drive through at a not-quite-bottom-wrung-but-not-muchbetter franchise restaurant. A clean, mid-size sedan pulls up. Driving it is MIKE (charmingly schlubby, mid-30's). DRIVE-THROUGH CASHIER Hi, can I take your order? MIKE Hi! Yes, hi. I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about your menu offerings? DRIVE-THROUGH CASHIER The menu is on the right. MIKE No, I know. I'm... I'm not bl-- I can see. I'm a seeing person. I just want some information about your food sourcing. DRIVE-THROUGH CASHIER There's a video on our website that tells our food story. MIKE Yeah, I just watched it. In the parking lot. Not while I was driving, of course, I NEVER look at my phone while the car is moving. Ok maybe a glance at the GPS once in a while. But I'm very careful! I watch the road. I watched it in the lot. The parking lot. The video. I wanted to know about your food sourcing. I have data. What data? On my phone. DRIVE-THROUGH CASHIER MIKE DRIVE-THROUGH CASHIER What's your question? MIKE Right, look, I just started driving for this rideshare service. (MORE) 2. MIKE (cont'd) I've been out all day and I'm STARVING! I haven't eaten in like... 10 hours. That may not seem long but it's long for me. And I don't usually like to order from places like this, no offense. I've been really good about food lately. I've gone vegan. I'm trying. Not that veganism is necessarily the solution to global food issues, just look at the practices around soybean farming... It's just, I care about the environment. And animals. And fair labor. By the way, are they treating you fairly? DRIVE-THROUGH CASHIER I'm assistant manager. MIKE That's good, I'm glad to hear it. Congrats! I really do care. I'm not just virtue signaling here. I don't want to harm anything or anyone just to feed my own selfish appetites! I like to think of myself as a good person! Mike waits for approval. DRIVE-THROUGH CASHIER So what can I get you? MIKE Given the unique parameters of my situation, vis a vis the ethical needs I described, I'd like whatever has the least negative holistic global impact, ecologically, economically, and personally. To go. Beat. DRIVE-THROUGH CASHIER You need to choose from the menu. MIKE Just gimme a double burger combo. DRIVE-THROUGH CASHIER $6.85. Pull up to the window. MAIN TITLE: CONSUME 3. INT. MIKE'S CAR - CITY STREETS Mike eats his meal in his car. The door opens, in steps a COOL KID (fashionable, early 20's). You Mike? Yeah. COOL KID MIKE COOL KID Do you mind putting your food away? I can't deal with meat smells. I'm vegan. MIKE Of course! Me too. Mike tucks away the food and starts driving. COOL KID Hey, weren't you my TA? What? MIKE COOL KID Yeah, last semester. Introduction to Ethics. You gave me an A on my paper. MIKE Oh. Well, I'm glad I could give you such a high grade. You earned it! COOL KID Nah, I didn't write it. Paid some kid to. Ethics are a waste of time. MIKE Oh. That's actually pretty unethical. Maybe you should retake the class? Beat. Cool Kid eyes him and picks up their phone. Three stars. COOL KID CUT TO: 4. INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Mike comes in, hangs up his coat and sighs. ELLIE Hey. Hey! MIKE (Forced chipper) Mike enters the kitchen where his former partner, current roommate ELLIE (mid-30's, bookish/stylish) is cooking dinner. ELLIE How was your first day? MIKE Oh, you know, okay. ELLIE Are you hungry? I... ate. Oh. MIKE ELLIE MIKE I know! I said I'd eat at home to save money, but I was starving. I caved. ELLIE Mike, I'm not judging you. Anyway I'm just your roommate now... MIKE I feel guilty. ELLIE I'm not mad at you! MIKE Is that ratatouille? ELLIE All veggies from the green box. MIKE That's great. It smells so good. Could I take some tomorrow? (MORE) 5. MIKE (cont'd) For lunch? So I won't have to buy food? Is that okay? Smells so good. Thanks. ELLIE Beat. MIKE I'll sit with you! CUT TO: INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - MINUTES LATER Mike and Ellie sit at the table. Ellie eats, Mike has a glass of water. ELLIE So are you busy tonight? MIKE Well, I'm defending my thesis on Friday. ELLIE Oh. Right. I forgot. MIKE Nate still has some notes he wants me address. So yeah, I should probably work. It's fine. ELLIE MIKE Did you want to do something? ELLIE I was thinking we could watch a movie. But-Uh, maybe-- MIKE ELLIE No, it's alright, I get it. You've got to work. Maybe I'll go out. MIKE You should! Go have fun! 6. Oh. ELLIE MIKE Not that I don't want you here! I mean, you should do whatever you want! ELLIE It's okay. I'll just watch TV in our room. My room. MIKE Cool. I'll try not to bother you. I'll be quiet.... Oh but! But what? ELLIE MIKE I was hoping I could borrow your computer? Mine doesn't have powerpoint. Ellie tries to smile. ELLIE Sure. I can watch tv on my phone. MIKE Thanks Ellie, you're a lifesaver. I'm so lucky to have you as a roommate! Off Ellie's look. Mike feels bad. CUT TO: INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - LATER It's dark, but the room is lit by the glow of a screen. Mike is on the couch looking at JSTOR, reviewing an article on John Stewart Mills' "The Harm Principle". He looks over at Ellie's closed door. Then he opens a new tab and types PORN into the search bar. He grimaces and deletes it. Then he types ETHICAL PORN. Then he deletes this and types HIGHLY ETHICAL PORN. 7. He clicks a link and watches, his brow furrowed. He unzips his fly. CUT TO: INT. MIKE'S CAR - CITY STREETS - NIGHT Mike is driving when he receives a ride request from nearby. He makes a u-turn and pulls over. In steps a stunning creature in a velvet cloak: (ageless but late 20's, gender non-binary, glamorous). This is TRISTIANI. MIKE Are you... Tristiani? I am. TRISTIANI Tristiani's eyes glow with a golden light, their teeth gleam menacingly. Mike is taken. MIKE Do you want some water? Snacks? There's a phone charging station in the back of the seat. Music? No, nothing. TRISTIANI A beat of silence as Tristiani stares out the window. Mike keeps sneaking looks. MIKE Some weather, huh? It's almost like, no weather? Like, it's overcast but it's not gonna rain. Just kinda regular. Hm. TRISTIANI MIKE I know, I know. Talking about the weather. The worst, right? Like, can't I think of anything better to talk about? Haha. (Beat). But I think I was talking about it ironically? Like (dumb voice) 'Uh, some weather we're having.' 8. Ah. TRISTIANI MIKE I don't have to talk. I can just drive. (Very brief beat). But with the way my life is right now, driving is one of my few opportunities to interact with new people. And I don't want to alienate anyone by discussing anything charged. Anything quoteunquote political. Even basic matters of human rights issues seem to be hot button-TRISTIANI Mike, is it? Why don't you take us somewhere quiet. It takes Mike a second, then he gets all flustered and turns red. MIKE Uh, I really shouldn't but... ok! CUT TO: INT. MIKE'S CAR - PARKING LOT - LATER Mike pulls into an empty lot. It's dark, there's no one around. TRISTIANI Get out of the car. MIKE Oh, wow. This is happening! He gets out. Tristiani follows. EXT. SECLUDED PARKING LOT - NIGHT MIKE (Rambling) Look, I should tell you, I'm in a pretty vulnerable state, emotionally speaking. I just broke up with someone. We're still living together, but just as friends. And she's great! (MORE) 9. MIKE (cont'd) But I think mostly, I need to be alone right now, to learn a little more about myself. I've been in and out of relationships since high school, and I've never really stopped to think about what I want? Like, I've been so focused on the needs of others, it's hard for me to admit to myself that I have certain needs thatTristiani dashes up to Mike and plunges their fangs into his neck. Mike gasps in shock, then slumps back against the car in an elated stupor. As Tristiani gulps his blood, Mike's face opens in wonderment: this is more erotic than anything he's experienced in years. He slowly closes his eyes as he succumbs to the seduction... Then the spell is broken: Tristiani has had their fill. They disengage, drop Mike to the ground, and vanish in a whisp of shadow. A beat while Mike lies motionless on the asphalt. Dead? MIKE (cont'd) Ahhh! What the fuck?! He sits up and grips his bloody neck in pain. He pulls out his phone and enters a rating: MIKE (cont'd) Three stars... CUT TO: INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Mike stumbles in, haggard. He flops onto the couch. Ellie enters. ELLIE Jesus, Mike! Are you okay? MIKE I got attacked... by a passenger. 10. ELLIE What? Let me see! MIKE It's nothing, just a couple of pokes. ELLIE Did you go to the hospital?? MIKE (Groggy) I didn't want to... increase my insurance premium... ELLIE But you were attacked! Call the police? MIKE The police... are just paramilitary thugs tasked to reinforce... racial and class inequity by declaring war on the most... vulnerable... members of... Mike? MIKE! ELLIE Mike passes out. INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - MORNING Mike wakes with a start: alone, naked, soaked with sweat. He winces at the sunlight then checks his phone. Shit! MIKE EXT. COLLEGIATE UNIVERSITY - QUAD - DAY The suburban campus is busy. The brutalist concrete buildings must have seemed hip and modern when they were built in the late 1960's but now look like dystopian prison blocks. We see Mike jogging across the quad. His phone buzzes. 11. INT. COLLEGIATE UNIVERSITY - HALLWAY - DAY Mike speed walks through the busy halls carrying a heavy book bag. He wears two band-aids on his neck as he talks into a cellphone. Ellie, I'm like three I'll go to Thanks for go. MIKE fine! I have my defense in minutes. If I'm suffering, the on-campus nurse. checking on me but I gotta He blows through a set of doors. CUT TO: INT. COLLEGIATE UNIVERSITY - LECTURE HALL A photo of Hermione Granger from Harry Potter fills the screen. MIKE This is Hermione Granger. From Harry Potter, the movie. The next slide shows a beautiful model wearing a t-shirt that features the slogan THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE. MIKE (cont'd) In 2014, Hermione actress Emma Watson acted as the spokesperson for this tshirt, in collaboration with a fashion brand, a magazine, and the Fawcett Society, a UK based organization championing equal rights and compensation for women. The shirt was emblazoned with the solidarity slogan "This Is What A Feminist Looks Like." Another slide features 3 women on a factory floor holding up one of the t-shirts. 12. MIKE (cont'd) It was soon revealed that the Mauritius-based factory producing the shirts was horribly exploitative: hiring migrant workers with little in the way of labor rights, compensating them less that a dollar an hour, and forcing them to sleep 16 to a room. The shirts sold for $60 each. We see this is a Powerpoint presentation in a large, barelyfull lecture hall. In attendance are various department heads, watching with scrutiny. MIKE (cont'd) Now, what conclusion can we draw from this? Is Emma Watson a hypocrite? Did the shirts, which raised funds for the Fawcett Society's operations, do more harm that good? Is there some way to calculate the net benefit to society of a deed done with good intentions, once you deduct the human suffering caused? Mike is pale and sweaty, his hands shake. MIKE (cont'd) Did Emma do the right thing? And can we still even like Harry Potter, now that we know more about JK Rowling's personal views? Another slide shows iconic SEGA video game character Sonic the Hedgehog. MIKE (cont'd) This is iconic SEGA video game character Sonic the Hedgehog. He doesn't wear a t-shirt, but he does wear sneakers. No word on the conditions of the factory where they were made. Mike pauses for laughs, unnecessarily. Next slide. We see Sonic posed within a ring of words: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ETHICAL CONSUMPTION UNDER CAPITALISM 13. MIKE (cont'd) In response to the t-shirt scandal, a meme appeared online featuring Sonic and the slogan: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ETHICAL CONSUMPTION UNDER CAPITALISM. So, what does this mean? Pause for effect. MIKE (cont'd) What I think it means, what it means to me, is that under a system like capitalism, the idea that we can avoid cruelty and exploitation by choosing only to consume 'ethical' products, is absurd. There is no such thing. He starts to get worked up. MIKE (cont'd) We can't help but consume. Our appetites are irrepressible. And given the predatory nature of the market, and no matter how noble our intentions seem, every time we consume we do evil. His face is red now. MIKE (cont'd) The system itself is a parasite! It feeds on human suffering, sucking the lifeblood from the... throats of the people... feeding itself... killing us.... Mike collapses. Academics rush to his side as we... FADE TO BLACK. INT. DREAMSCAPE We see a series of decontextualized images that emerge from the darkness and return to it: - A small medieval village being burned. A dark figure on horseback watches. - Blood drips on an ancient stone seal. 14. - A crumbling old church. A flock of bats fly out of its doors. - Eyes and fangs flashing in a pool of black shadows. - A demon wearing a T-Shirt that says "This Is What DEATH Looks Like". - A fast-food drive-thru worker passes a paper bag full of blood through the window. - Sonic the Hedgehog pops into a golden ring SONIC Wake up, fuckhead! SMASH CUT: INT. NATE'S OFFICE - DAY Mike wakes up on the couch in the office of NATE (40's, dandyish) Mike's thesis adviser. The modern space is clean, open and brightly lit. Mike groans. Michael? NATE MIKE What happened? NATE You fainted during your defense. MIKE I must be exhausted. I've been up nights. Um, did I pass? NATE The defense? No, it was a train wreck. I thought you fake fainted to get out of it. Oh. MIKE Nate pulls out a vape pen and takes a hit. NATE I'm recommending that you resubmit in a few months time. Your thesis is... well, it's a mess. Your position is full of apologies and contradictions. (MORE) 15. NATE (cont'd) You offer no solutions to ethical quandaries you present, like you're caught in a web of self-reflexive doubt. Are you for passive nonintervention or violent revolution? Both? MIKE Nate shakes his head in a cloud of vapor. NATE Hey, you wanna get fucked up? May help clear your head. MIKE I shouldn't. I've got to drive tonight. NATE Don't you have financial aid? Mike touched his neck and winces. MIKE It's been drained. NATE Just borrow off Ellie. MIKE We... broke up. NATE Wow. Was that her choice? MIKE Mine. I feel guilty. NATE Don't you always? MIKE Hey Nate, can you recommend someone on campus who knows about the occult? NATE Like, the witch trials? MIKE Like... the supernatural. 16. Nate turns and writes something down, then passes the slip of paper to Mike. NATE You are in an ideological tailspin, my friend. But what the hell, I'm curious to see where this goes. CUT TO: INT. COLLEGIATE UNIVERSITY - SPOOKY BASEMENT - THE NEXT DAY Mike shuffles down a dank, grim corridor in the gloomy basement of the university. He approaches a door and consults a slip of paper. Then notices a chalk sigil drawn on the floor. He hisses. He knocks. Who! VOICE MIKE Hi, Professor St. Germaine? My name's Michael Bloom, I'm a graduate student in the Philosophy Department? Nate Freeman referred me to you. I need to ask you some question about... how do I say this without sounding crazy... The door flies open, revealing a tiny, ancient woman in huge glasses. This is PROFESSOR ST. GERMAINE. She looks Mike over carefully. ST. GERMAINE Someone bit your neck. CUT TO: INT. PROFESSOR ST. GERMAINE'S OFFICE St. Germaine's office is cramped and packed with weird sculptures and paintings of occult imagery. Some of it is highly sexual. MIKE ...and ever since then I've been experiencing these dizzy spells, cold sweats, sudden bursts of emotion. St. Germaine leans back in her chair and thinks for a moment. 17. ST. GERMAINE You're becoming. MIKE Becoming? Like becoming a...? ST. GERMAINE A drinker of blood. A hater of daylight. A bat man. MIKE But that's... that's not a real thing. St. Germaine grabs a huge dusty tome and tosses it to Mike. He doesn't catch it, then picks it up. ST. GERMAINE Was Vlad the Impaler real? The razing of Târgoviste and the forests of the skewerd? What about Peter Plogojowitz? The Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory? The Hunderpriest Of Melrose Abbey?? People have been telling these stories for hundreds of years. And what, you think it's all just erotic fantasies for abstinent teenagers and frustrated housewives? Mike thumbs through the book, examining the gruesome illustrations. People with bat wings, demons drinking blood. MIKE No, I just thought it was like... folklore, or whatever. ST. GERMAINE People are not that creative. She retracts his upper lip and inspects his gums. Hey! MIKE ST. GERMAINE Hush. What you have is a disease that rewrites your DNA. Into what? MIKE 18. ST. GERMAINE Something new, something old. Part feral beast, part... mosquito. Mike puts his face in his hands. MIKE This can't be happening. (Then) What should I do? ST. GERMAINE Prepare yourself. You are about to leave the mundane world behind. Many things will become lost to you. Food will repulse you. Daylight will torment you. Your senses will be heightened as your body transforms. But most of all will be the hunger. What hunger? MIKE ST. GERMAINE (booming voice) You will be consumed by an insatiable need to feed on human blood. Your deepest desires will rise to the surface! She leans in close and whispers right into his ear. ST. GERMAINE (cont'd) And you'll become very, very horny. CUT TO: INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - HALLWAY - LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS NIGHT Mike stumbles in, pulling down the coat rack and tripping over some shoes. He shuffles into the living room where Ellie is seated at the table, a beautiful dinner laid out before her. Hi. MIKE ELLIE Hi. I thought we could eat together. 19. Oh. Sure. MIKE Mike sits. ELLIE I made that cashew bell pepper stirfry that you like. MIKE But you don't like it. ELLIE I don't mind it. Mike gingerly lifts a forkful to his mouth and tries it. He shudders but chews. ELLIE (cont'd) Mike, I was hoping we could talk. When we decided... when you said you wanted to end things, you laid out your position very clearly. We grew apart. And that's completely true. But since then I've had some time to think about things, and I realized that maybe I've been too rigid. Mike tries to swallow the food but he can't, so he just keeps chewing. MIKE Wah ooh yoo meeah? ELLIE I found your search history. You looked at porn on my laptop. Mike painfully gulps the food down. Oh. MIKE ELLIE Obviously people change. They grow. Nobody stays the same forever. So if there's anything you wanted to try, whatever that may be, I thought that might show you that there's still room for something new between us. A fresh start maybe, to try-Mike holds a finger up, then runs out of the room. 20. INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - BATHROOM He scrambles into the bathroom and hurls a mouthful of food in the sink. He flicks on the light. He sees a corpse in the mirror. He runs cold water, then plunges his face into it. Bubbles rise from his mouth to the surface, then... stop. He stays motionless with his face in the water. Then golden eyes open! INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN Mike emerges from the bathroom. He watches from the shadows as Ellie clears the plates from dinner. Her expression is unreadable. Mike's hand grips the doorframe. A guttural sound emerges from his throat. He opens his mouth, his fangs are out. He slaps a hand over them. MIKE I'm going out! He turns and slams the door behind him. EXT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - STREET - NIGHT Mike pulls out his phone and sends a text. TEXT: HELP ME!!! CUT TO: EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT Mike drives, looking like a tweedy Travis Bickle. He surveys the sidewalks: people smoking, laughing, fighting, making out. Ids exploded onto the streets. He passes a long line of people waiting at a BLANK DOOR. Two BEEFY BOUNCERS guard it. Mike gasps -- at the front of the line is Tristiani. They smile at the bouncers, who cheerfully let them in. Mike bares his teeth and growls in desire and disgust, or disgust at his own desire. Then he opens his mouth and lets out a "BLEUAAHH" sound. 21. Horrified at himself, he drives on. CUT TO: INT. NATE'S APARTMENT - HALLWAYS - NIGHT Nate opens the front door of his apartment. Michael! NATE INT. NATE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Nate shows Mike into his well-furnished, tastefully lit apartment. MIKE Hey, thanks for seeing me. NATE I wasn't busy. I just... A middle-aged woman walks confidently out of the apartment, brushing past Mike on her way. NATE (cont'd) My neighbor. We have an arrangement. It's... pragmatic. MIKE I haven't had sex in months. NATE Oh. (Beat) So what can I do for you? MIKE I need your perspective on a thought experiment. NATE A three exclamation point emergency if I ever heard one. Forget it. MIKE NATE I'm kidding! Come on, now I'm curious. 22. MIKE Ok, here goes: If you had to kill someone, who would you kill? Beat. NATE We're gonna need to white-board this. CUT TO: INT. NATE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Nate has wheeled out a white board written on it: WHO SHOULD DIE? NATE So are we talking like... an execution? MIKE More like a sacrifice. Like say you were on a life raft and you had to eat someone to survive. NATE Are you planning on eating someone, Michael? MIKE It's a thought experiment. Please. It's... for my thesis. NATE I don't think your thesis needs more ideas, but ok. Let's see... I'm assuming you're trying to judge prospects based on the intrinsic value of that individual, rather than some other aesthetic category? Like what? MIKE NATE Like how attractive they are, or... how good they'd taste? MIKE Ew, what? No! Value! 23. NATE Hey, this is your fucked-up fantasy. MIKE Thought experiment! NATE Right. Ok, so we need a matrix to assess value. I mean, the responsible thing to do would be to apply a theoretical framework of (writing as he says it) or con-se-quen-tial-ism. Great. MIKE As Nate speaks, he draws little stick-figures on the white board that animate to act out his descriptions. NATE Consequentialism states that the merit of an individual's action must be judged according to their net positive or negative impact on the world. We see a stick figure give money to another, and a bunch of "+1" icons pop up. NATE (cont'd) As opposed to virtue ethics, where one is assessed on the virtuous intent of their actions... A halo appears above the figure. ...or deontology, where they're judged based on upholding notions of duty. The stick figure is surrounded by icons like the 10 Commandments and the Constitution. MIKE So consequentialism is all about the effect. NATE But it swings both ways. You've also got to judge their negative impact and determine their overall net value to humanity. 24. The figure stabs another figure in the face. Blood everywhere. A "-10" appears MIKE Oh. So like, if they donate to charity but they stomp puppies to death. NATE What the fuck, Michael? But yes. And even so, the relative value of those acts is massively subjective. How to you balance benevolent altruism against harmful criminal acts? It would require extreme detachment and objectivity. A s the first figure gives someone a fruit basket then stabs them, a second stick figure appears in a lab coat with a clip board, taking notes. MIKE But that's a double edged sword too. To be objective, you'd have to choose between prospects -To eat. NATE MIKE --Yes, to eat... prospects to whom you have no emotional attachment. So, a stranger. But that would make their actions harder to judge, out of context. NATE And, determining someone's value based solely on their actions is essentialist. I mean, you'd end up roasting some poor shipwreck survivor just because they once shoplifted and don't volunteer at a soup kitchen! Pretty cold, Michael. A bunch of stick figures appear with numerical scores above their head. The one with the lowest flashes red, then turns into a skull. Yeah. MIKE 25. NATE Plus, if you look at this from a sociological perspective, you also have to weigh their past actions against prospective future acts for good or ill. Mike rubs his face. MIKE This is impossible. Nate shrugs. The stick figures shrug. NATE I'm trying to help. Maybe there's just no way to ethically dehumanize someone to the point that you can take their life. But whatever you do, try to remain rational when you select your... means for survival. Don't just eat whoever's convenient. MIKE Why would I do that? NATE You ever go grocery shopping on an empty stomach? MIKE I'm not a monster! NATE Yeah, I've heard you say all that. But have you considered the possibility that the relative virtue of the prospective survivor may be outweighed by their potential means of survival. MIKE That by eating someone, I become the one who deserves to die? Well, yeah. NATE Mike looks suddenly woozy. I should go. MIKE 26. NATE Just when it gets hard, huh? Mike opens the door. NATE (cont'd) Hey Michael! You wouldn't eat me, would you? Mike touches his incisor with his tongue and shakes his head. MIKE You don't give me the urge. He exits, leaving Nate shaken. EXT. CITY STREET - BLANK DOOR NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT Mike sits his car and stares intensely at the lineup for the BLANK DOOR. The throb of an electronic dance beat pumps from inside. Gets out of the car and crosses the street. To his surprise, the bouncers let him cut the line. He goes inside. INT. BLANK DOOR NIGHTCLUB - BAR The thumping bass is the heartbeat of a throng of young lovers, all searching for their next romance. Mike looks like an undercover librarian. He tries to get the bartender's attention. Yeah?! BARTENDER (Shouting) MIKE (Shouting) Hi, what kind of microbrews do you have?! Nothing too hoppy! I just find hoppiness was like this bandwagon that everyone jumped on, when really-TRISTIANI (Shouting) He'll have a red wine! 27. Oh. Hello. MIKE BARTENDER (Shouting) 16 bucks! TRISTIANI (Shouting) Tab! (then) Come here. INT. BLANK DOOR DANCE CLUB - BALCONY Tristiani pulls Mike by the sleeve through the crowd up to a roped-off balcony overlooking the dance floor. TRISTIANI What the fuck are you doing? MIKE I don't know? Tristiani looks him over. TRISTIANI So, you survived the feed... and you turned. MIKE Was I not supposed to? TRISTIANI I thought you would die in the dirt like a drained animal. MIKE Oh. I guess I should be offended at that. But I'm actually happy to see you. How are you? TRISTIANI Something drew you here. MIKE I've been having... and this feels like an inappropriate term, but the only one that feels suitable... URGES. 28. TRISTIANI It's the thirst. You're awakening... This place is a feeding ground for our kind. You must hunt. MIKE I'm not sure I'm comfortable... TRISTIANI Feeding in the first day is essential for your survival. Drink or die. Shit. MIKE TRISTIANI You look... wrong. Take off your glasses. He does. TRISTIANI (cont'd) And your beard is... indistinguishable from your sweater. Remove one of them now. Mike pulls off his sweater, revealing a t-shirt that says HEGEL'S AND LOCKE'S. Tristiani observes the shirt. TRISTIANI (cont'd) Maybe your death would not be such a loss. Now pay attention: hunting is a subtle art, but if you want to live through the night you must be swift and simple. Pick your target, get them alone and go for the throat. You must not leave them alive or they'll turn. MIKE Whoa whoa, slow down! I'm just not sure I'm comfortable (sotto) sucking someone's blood!? I'm vegan! Theoretically. TRISTIANI Listen to me, you limp dildo! The society you belonged to can no longer serve your needs. It casts you out. (MORE) 29. TRISTIANI (cont'd) You must move beyond the soft bed of it's petty morality: your mission now is to survive. MIKE But how can you justify taking someone's life? Tristiani's had it. TRISTIANI Life is suffering! I'm suffering just talking to you! Now find someone that deserves to die and fucking do it! Mike turns and looks out at the heaving bodies of the night. MIKE Wait, is that why you chose me? He looks over his shoulder but Tristiani is gone. INT. DANCE CLUB - DANCE FLOOR The flashing, colored lights and deep boom of the bass put Mike into a hypnotic state. He searches for his prey. He sees a middle aged man, buying rounds of shots, handing them out to younger girls. When he approaches, he sees the man's t-shirt bearing the slogan: I BEAT CANCER TODAY! All cheer and drink. He continues his search. He spies a couple in a booth. A young woman appears asleep or unconscious. A young man takes a selfie with her. Mike circles around an surreptitiously spies the phone, where the man has edited the photo with a heart around their faces and a caption reading I LOVE YOU, MY SLEEPY BABY. He moves on. Then he spots a pair of figures on the dance floor. An ALPHA MALE is dancing up on a woman. The woman looks uninterested, but ALPHA persists. She pushes him away but he advances again, grinding at the air around her body. Mike touches his own hair, tugs at his t-shirt, and enters the throng. Mike cuts in and begins to dance awkwardly with the ALPHA. It's a nightmare of elbows and lip-biting. 30. Alpha stares at him in confusion. Mike pauses and closes his eyes, reaching inward. When he opens them, his schubbliness has transformed to scruffy charm, his awkwardness to coyness. He dances closer to Alpha, who responds. Their bodies touch, and they move as one. When the song ends, Mike leads Alpha off the dance floor. EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT The exit into the alley and walk away from the street and deeper into the darkness. Soon they're alone, lit only by moonlight. They Begin to kiss. Mike is kissing his throat, trying to psych himself up. ALPHA Hey, I don't usually do this sort of thing. I mean... I usually play it straight. MIKE Oh. Yeah. Me too. ALPHA So what do you do? Mike pauses. MIKE I'm a teacher, I guess. Oh, cool. Uh, you? ALPHA MIKE ALPHA Well, I don't define myself by my job, you know? I'm pretty politically active. Oh? MIKE ALPHA Yeah I try to spread the word on important stories the lamestream media doesn't want you to know. You heard of QAnon? 31. Mike approaches his throat. Yeah? MIKE ALPHA Total bullshit. He pulls away. Oh! MIKE ALPHA The real guy is Mainline. That dude knows what's up. Exposed which Hollywood SJWs are behind a secret sex trafficking ring. Oh. MIKE He pauses, not knowing how to interpret that. ALPHA But for work, I produce PR videos for corporations to reform their brand identity after bad press. MIKE Really, like what? ALPHA Like this burger place? They got in deep shit for factory farms, real hell-scape stuff. We did a vid telling their 'food story': farm to table and all that shit. Total fucking lie, but it crushed. Company sales spiked and I leased a Beemer with the commish. You know the place, you look like you eat there. No offense, I'm still up for this. A beat. There's palpable tension. ALPHA (cont'd) You work out? Mike's eyes flash and he dives at Alpha. The scene intercuts with Mike's mind's eye as he sees: 32. - Images of an slaughterhouse, cows in narrow pens. They're kissing, grabbing at each other's bodies. - Cows being led up ramps to a killing machine Alpha puts his hand on the front of Mike's crotch. - A meat processing plant, workers in HASMAT suits carry bins of mangled flesh Mike moans and pushes Alpha back, knocking him to the ground. - Sizzling patties on the grill Mike's fangs are out, ready to strike. He's about to bite into Alpha's throat. - A hapless Mike biting into a burger, ketchup dripping onto his chin He groans, then slumps and rolls off Alpha, who's neck is intact. MIKE (Defeated) There's no ethical consumption under capitalism. The two men are bathed in a moonlight glow. There isn't? ALPHA CUT TO: INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - HALLWAY - NIGHT Mike arrives home, drunk. You can almost see the cartoon bubbles floating off him. INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM Mike does a header over the couch and his feet go right through the coffee table. Ellie rushes in. ELLIE Mike?? What the hell? 33. MIKE I drink some wine. Some drank. Ellie sighs and helps him up. ELLIE Let me get you into bed. INT. MIKE'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM Mike crashes onto the mattress, Ellie sits beside him. ELLIE What's going on with you? MIKE Something's changing in me, Ellie. I've got this thirst... ELLIE You want some water? MIKE Not water, no. Something else... ELLIE Listen, I meant what I said before. Whatever happens, I want you to be happy. Even if that means me... sacrificing. He turns to her. Something passes between them, a reckoning. Ellie's doubt turns to desire. This is something new. She kisses him with a deep need. They strip out of their clothes, the Hegel's and Locke's t-shirt flutters to the floor like a shed skin. Mike climbs on top of Ellie, eyes golden with light, fangs bared. MIKE Do you want this? Yes. ELLIE He bites. He drinks deeply from her. She holds his head, moaning in ecstasy and pain, all of it building with mad intensity until... a climax! Mike, sated, falls to the bed beside her. Blood on his jaws. They catch their breath. 34. Beat. ELLIE (cont'd) Um, did you bite me? Yeah. MIKE Beat. ELLIE So does that mean you're a...? Yeah. MIKE Beat. ELLIE Am I gonna become one too? I guess so. MIKE Beat. ELLIE What the fuck?! MIKE What? You said you'd "sacrifice" for me... I thought-ELLIE I meant doing some weird kinky shit, not turning me into a vampire you fucking lunatic! Mike covers his face in shame. MIKE (mumbling) I am a monster... CUT TO BLACK. EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHTCLUB - DAY A black SUV pulls up. The doors open and two pairs of shiny black shoes step out. 35. We follow those shoes as the cross the street. ANGLE UP to two big men in suits and sunglasses. On their belts are golden badges, crosses over seals. They are AGENT WHITE AND AGENT HARD. They're outside the night club. They tear through police caution tape and enter. INT. NIGHTCLUB - BAR - DAY The club is dim, but sunlight penetrates in harsh beams through tiny gaps in the blackout curtains. As they make their way into the bar area they approach a crowd of cops and crime scene investigators: the flash of cameras as they photograph the scene. White and Hard kneel down over a corpse. WHITE Jesus Christ. Holy Fuck. HARD Reverse to see Alpha, dead, two holes in his neck. END OF EPISODE