NOWHERE- UNKNOWN TIME

Everything is black. There are three rhythmic knocks, the sound of knuckles on wood.

INT. ALEX’S BEDROOM- MORNING

HEATHER is sound asleep, her face bathed in sunlight, filtering in through a window only half-covered by its blind. She is lying on her stomach, her limbs splayed across a bed that isn’t hers. Curled up next to her is a dog that is. On a nightstand that also isn’t hers, sits an alarm clock radio- a 20th century artifact. It’s digital display reads “8:03 AM, April 14th” and it is tuned in to an FM station.

BROADCASTER (V.O)
Good morning, WKLT cult! It is 8:03 AM, and what a beautiful morning it is after such a long night. I’ll tell you, if I never hear Michael Stipe’s voice again I’ll die a happy man.

The knocking comes again. HEATHER’S dog, GATOR’S, ears perk up at the sound, and his eyes shoot open. He jumps off the bed and barks at ALEX’S bedroom door.

ALEX (from outside)
Heather?

He knocks again. GATOR continues barking. HEATHER wakes up. She rubs her eyes, forgetting about the dark makeup she’s wearing, smudging it in a way that makes her resemble a panda. She looks around the room, her eyes still droopy. Rock music is playing quietly from the alarm clock radio.

ALEX (from outside)
Heather.

HEATHER realizes suddenly where she is.

HEATHER
Oh, s***.

GATOR barks again.

HEATHER CONT’D
(to GATOR)
Shut up.

She hurries over to the door and opens it. ALEX is standing just outside the door.

HEATHER CONT’D
I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was lock-

ALEX swoops her up in a hug. HEATHER seems confused.

HEATHER
Um, what’s up?

ALEX releases her. Upon doing so, HEATHER notices the dark circles under his eyes, his frazzled hair, the stench of alcohol, and her own attire. She is still wearing a party dress from the night before.

ALEX
We’re alive, Heather.

ALEX is grinning ear to ear.

HEATHER
We’re- what do you-? Oh, my God, we’re alive!

ALEX
Yeah.

HEATHER
It didn’t- we’re still alive.

ALEX
Yeah.

HEATHER hugs him this time. GATOR wags his tail.

HEATHER
I can’t believe this.

The hug breaks apart.

ALEX
I know. I know. I feel- ugh! Weird!

The two laugh with a sort of elated exasperation.

ALEX CONT’D
Happy, though. I think. So, that being said- I need you to leave.

Both of them are still all smiles.

HEATHER
Huh?

ALEX
You’re the only one still here. I want to take a nap and I just need some… quiet.

The alarm clock radio is still humming away.

HEATHER
Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry.

ALEX walks past her into his bedroom.

ALEX
That dog better not have pissed on my carpet.

HEATHER looks down at GATOR.

HEATHER
I couldn’t have left him at home last night.

ALEX flops down on the bed, tangling himself up in the covers and pressing the cool fabric of his pillow against his cheek. He closes his eyes tightly and fumbles blindly at the alarm clock radio until the music turns off.

ALEX
Yeah, I understand. I don’t really- I don’t really even care.

HEATHER
Hey, I’ll see you later, okay?

ALEX smiles a wide smile, his eyes still squinted shut.

ALEX
Later.

His smile relaxes into an expression of easy contentment.

ALEX CONT’D
For sure.

HEATHER grins, too, but there’s more to her expression. She looks uneasy.

HEATHER (whispered)
(to GATOR)
Come on, buddy.

GATOR and HEATHER leave the ALEX’S bedroom, closing the door gently behind them.

INT. ALEX’S LIVING ROOM- MORNING

ALEX’S bedroom opens out into his living room, which is completely trashed from the night before. Plastic cups are strewn about every surface, including the floor, which is also speckled with confetti. Streamers are hanging off the walls, few of them still attached to the molding in two places. Above the smashed TV are reflective paper letters reading “HAPPY DOOMSDAY.”

HEATHER navigates the room gingerly, her mouth agape at the mess, how lonely and ugly it was without people to distract the eye. GATOR stops to sniff at a half eaten piece of cake on a paper plate, sitting on the floor. HEATHER veers into the bathroom.

INT. ALEX’S BATHROOM- MORNING

HEATHER stares at herself in the mirror. Her makeup is smeared and fading around her eyes. She looks as tired as ALEX did, despite the sleep she’d gotten. Her hair is sticking up awkwardly in various places. She digs through the vanity drawers and eventually finds a comb. She pulls it through her disheveled and somehow stiff hair. It get’s caught, and she winces. She decides to sort through that knot herself.

She turns on the sink and splashes cold water in her face, before paying specific attention to her eyes. She wipes the makeup off on a towel, leaving black stains against white fabric.

INT. ALEX’S LIVING ROOM- MORNING

HEATHER walks back out into the living room, where GATOR has since cleared the paper plate. She continues through the living room towards his kitchen. GATOR follows suit.

INT. ALEX’S KITCHEN- MORNING

HEATHER stretches as she passes through the kitchen, which looks just as bad as the living room. Empty pizza boxes are left out, the grease-stained cardboard exposed in the morning light.

She opens the door to ALEX’S coat closet and retrieves her own jacket. She pulls GATOR’S leash out of its pocket.

HEATHER
Come here, Gator.

The dog trots up complacently. HEATHER attaches the leash to his collar, and the two of them walk out the door of ALEX’S first floor apartment.

EXT. THE APARTMENT COMPLEX- MORNING

The sunlight is blinding compared to the dim ambiance of the indoors. HEATHER squints. It’s still early spring, and early morning. She pulls her jacket tighter over her shoulders by the lapel.

The front lawn of ALEX’S suburban apartment complex is covered in garbage. The mailbox has a massive dent in its corner, as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. A gentle breeze pushes along balled up newspaper pages. There are big patches of scorched grass.

One door down, an OLD MAN stands outside his apartment, watering flowers in a raised planter. A few have been ripped out, and are scattered on the ground.

HEATHER
(to the OLD MAN)
Good morning.

OLD MAN
Good morning.

HEATHER
The flowers look nice.

OLD MAN
The end of March was warm this year. I’m hoping they can hold up through this cold front.

HEATHER
They’ve seen worse, right?

OLD MAN
I suppose so.

HEATHER
Have a nice day, sir.

The OLD MAN raises a hand, and HEATHER heads out of the apartment complex and turns towards Main Street.

EXT. MAIN STREET- MORNING

HEATHER walks down Main Street, which is lined with shops and restaurants on both sides, all of them packed this morning. Cars flank the curb on both sides. Some of them are missing mirrors, or have driver’s seats coated with glass from the shattered windshield, as fine as shaved ice. The streets wear a similar dressing of broken bottles. HEATHER passes by a group of exhausted men and women, huddling on the sidewalk, holding signs that read “THIS IS HELL” and “REPENT.” One of them is using a rolled up sheet of poster paper as a megaphone.

STREET PREACHER
GOD DOESN’T SPARE SINNERS! OUR SURVIVAL IS AN ILLUSION, A SECOND CHANCE TO GIVE UP YOUR HEART TO THE LORD AND REPENT. WE ARE ALREADY DEAD!

Some of the people in the small crowd are sobbing. HEATHER tries to pass them quickly, but she catches the eye of the STREET PREACHER.

STREET PREACHER CONT’D
MA’AM, ARE YOU WILLING TO CHANGE TO LET HIM IN? IS ETERNAL PARADISE WORTHY OF YOUR ABANDONING SINFUL PRACTICES?

HEATHER doesn’t answer. She keeps her head down. GATOR shrinks away from the crowd and stays close to HEATHER’S feet.

STREET PREACHER CONT’D (distant)
MA’AM? MA’AM?

HEATHER and GATOR have made it past them by now, though. They pass a coffee shop, where a few couples sit outside, some sitting in total silence, others laughing deliriously.

Next door is a pub. The door is wide open, and the chalkboard sign is kicked over. The chalk-dust words “IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT AND I FEEL F***ING AWFUL” have a sneaker print, smearing the pastel colors across the black slate, though it is mostly legible. The bar is lousy with people, drinking at 8 in the morning after their all-nighters. From inside, a voice calls:

BRIAN
Hey, Heather!

INT. THE PUB- MORNING

BRIAN is sitting at the bar, a mug of beer in front of him. He waves HEATHER in. HEATHER weasels her way between the customers, pulling GATOR behind her.

HEATHER
Hey. I don’t think I’m allowed to have a dog in here.

BRIAN waves his hand dismissively.

BRIAN
It’s not the end of the world. Ha.

HEATHER rolls her eyes.

HEATHER
Ha, ha.

BRIAN’S eyes are droopy. He puts a clammy hand on HEATHER’S shoulder.

BRIAN
What’s up, hun?

HEATHER exhale-laughs.

HEATHER
Uh, nothing much, buddy. You seem drunk.

BRIAN
That, yeah, you- you’ve got me there.

BRIAN takes a swig of his beer.

BRIAN CONT’D
I am just really having the worst twenty-four hours.

HEATHER
Yeah, they’ve been tough on all of us. But it’s over now, right? You should go home.

BRIAN
Nah, I can’t go home. I can’t go home.

He’s laughing a little bit.

HEATHER
Why not?

BRIAN
Because-

BRIAN’S laugh devolves into a single, breathy cough.

BRIAN CONT’D
I haven’t paid rent, in, like, months.

HEATHER is unsure what to say.

BRIAN CONT’D
Oh, God. You know what I did last night?

HEATHER
What?

BRIAN
I sat where I’m sitting right now. Gave my mom a quick phone call. And I spent everything I had. I’ve got thirty-six cents in my pocket and rent to pay and I’m still alive. God damn it.

BRIAN shakes his head, flustered. His words are slurred together.

BRIAN CONT’D
I don’t know what I’m going to do. I wish I was joking. I wish I was joking. It was funny, flushing everything away last night. It wasn’t much, but it was… liberating, I guess, not to have to care.

HEATHER
Why don’t you… you can come sleep on my couch, if you want.

BRIAN
Yeah, maybe.

HEATHER
Why don’t you get up? I’m heading back there right now.

BRIAN
Nah, nah. I’m going to finish this up first. Get my money’s worth, and all.

There’s a pause.

BRIAN CONT’D
You know, I could just kill myself, but that seems super lame now, having just lived through an apocalypse or whatever.

HEATHER
Brian-

BRIAN
No, I’m not- I wouldn’t do that. Don’t worry about me.

HEATHER
You’re going to get through this.

BRIAN
Yeah, no, I’ve heard. You should go home. I promise, I’ll meet you.

HEATHER
Are you sure?

BRIAN
Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll… I’ll call a cab. Although… no, they won’t charge me will they?

HEATHER
I can pay. It’s not far.

BRIAN
I’ll see you in a few.

HEATHER
Right. Be careful.

BRIAN nods. HEATHER turns back towards the door.

BRIAN
Hey, Heather.

HEATHER glances back at him.

BRIAN CONT’D
D’you think thirty-six cents is enough to sue the s*** out of every astrophysicist on this stupid planet?

HEATHER
Probably not.

BRIAN
Probably not.

BRIAN occupies himself with his drink, and the TV hanging above the bar. HEATHER and GATOR make their way back outside.

EXT. MAIN STREET- MORNING

HEATHER and GATOR walk around the corner of the block, turning onto a somewhat quieter street.

EXT. THE PARK- MORNING

The town begins to peter out, and HEATHER veers off of the sidewalk onto a dirt path that winds down a hill and into the local park. The park is quiet at first, the occasional gust of wind ruffling HEATHER’S skirt and pushing the extra fabric of her jacket out in front of her. Soon, people begin to come into view- another crowd. It isn’t shouting at passersby like the other. Instead, there are children blowing bubbles and throwing Frisbees, weaving between adults kicked back in foldout chairs and pouring themselves glasses of orange juice at picnic tables. Some of them are gathering dandelions, and a man is cooking omelets and sausages on a piece of tinfoil stretched over a grill.

GATOR tugs on his leash, following the smell. HEATHER allows herself to be pulled along out of curiosity.

She is immediately greeted by the crowd.

CROWD MEMBER 1
Good morning!

CROWD MEMBER 2
It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?

She is approached by a WOMAN.

WOMAN
Good morning!

HEATHER
Hi-

WOMAN
Isn’t it just lovely out?

HEATHER
Well, it’s definitely nicer than I thought it’d be.

The woman maintains her cheerful air.

WOMAN
Well, we’re all right with you there.

The WOMAN puts her hand on HEATHER’S back and guides her and GATOR between chairs.

HEATHER
What, uh, what’s going on out here?

WOMAN
Oh, we’re just having a little, “We survived the apocalypse” get together with the neighborhood. Do you live around here? Do you want something to eat- we’ve got Jim on the grill, and Helen brought bagels from the place down the street. It got looted last night but the bagels were still mostly intact- not even stale or anything. I think it’s called Wade’s Bagels. Do you know it?

HEATHER
Yeah, I think so.

WOMAN
Do you live around here?

HEATHER
Uh, yeah, I’m in the neighborhood.

WOMAN
I’m surprised we’ve never met before. I’m Marlene.

The WOMAN holds out her hand. HEATHER shakes it.

HEATHER
I’m Heather.

WOMAN
It’s very nice to meet you, Heather.

She sounds incredibly genuine.

WOMAN
Can I get you something?

HEATHER
Oh, I’m not really hungry, but thanks-

WOMAN
I’ll be honest, I’m not feeling all that hungry this morning myself, but the food tastes good, Jim’s a great cook and he put a lot of effort into preparing this breakfast for us. Think of what we’ve just been through. Why deny yourself anything?

HEATHER
I get it, really. I’m just not hungry.

The WOMAN shrugs.

WOMAN
I hope… your decisions make you happy.

The WOMAN hugs HEATHER, taking her by surprise, then lets go, smiles awkwardly at her, and wanders off. HEATHER turns to leave, but realizes there’s a child kneeling on the grass, petting GATOR and feeding him pieces of bagel with cream cheese. The CHILD notices her looking.

CHILD
I’m sorry, I know I should’ve asked, but you were talking and he was whining and I didn’t want him to feel sad.

HEATHER
It’s okay.

HEATHER smiles gently. She has a soft spot for kids.

CHILD
What’s his name?

HEATHER
Gator. Because he’ll eat anything you put in front of him.

GATOR puts a paw on the child’s shoulder and licks his cheek. The CHILD giggles.

CHILD
I have a dog, too.

HEATHER
Oh, and what’s his name?

CHILD
Rosie. She’s a girl. My brother’s taking her for a walk around the park right now.

The CHILD runs his hand through GATOR’S fur.

CHILD CONT’D
I was really scared last night.

GATOR’S tail sweeps the grass as it wags from side to side.

CHILD CONT’D
We were all really scared, even my dad. We all got under the covers together and we watched a movie but I we couldn’t finish it because none of the jokes seemed very funny, and Rosie just slept next to me. I got really sad for her because she didn’t know. She didn’t know what was going on, she was just happy because she didn’t usually get to sleep in mom and dad’s bed.

The CHILD gives GATOR his last piece of bagel.

CHILD CONT’D
But now everything’s okay and Rosie doesn’t know any different. I just want to hug her really hard and tell her how happy I am, but I don’t want her to know she was ever in any danger.

The CHILD stands up.

CHILD CONT’D
Thanks for letting me pet your dog.

The CHILD runs off abruptly, leaving HEATHER dazed.

HEATHER
No problem.

HEATHER looks down at GATOR, who seems satisfied after his feast of bagel bites. He, too, is oblivious to the state of the world. There is an innocent glimmer in his dark eyes. HEATHER catches herself in a yawn.

HEATHER CONT’D
Ugh, we’ve got to get home, buddy.

The two continue on their journey home. The sun is higher in the sky now, and the park has more people in it than there were upon HEATHER’S arrival. She and GATOR follow the dusty path through the park and over a bridge that stretched a few feet across a small creek. They pass some other people, most of them accompanied by family, others totally alone, hands tucked away in jacket pockets, taking in the world around them. They eventually reach the opposite end of the park, the bordering street happens to be HEATHER’S.

EXT. HEATHER’S HOUSE- DAY

We jump ahead to HEATHER arriving at her home. She is visibly relieved to finally be back. As she rummages through her jacket pockets for her keys, she is approached by her neighbor, MAGGIE.

MAGGIE
Um, excuse me.

She taps HEATHER on the shoulder, who recoils with surprise.

MAGGIE CONT’D
Sorry-

HEATHER
Oh, no, you’re fine. I just wasn’t expecting- what, uh, how can I help you?

MAGGIE
I live next door, I don’t think we know each other, I’m Maggie. I just got back from my parent’s house and my place is totally destroyed. I was just wondering if I could hang out here until the cops show up.

HEATHER looks over at the yard beside hers. Sure enough, nearly every window has been smashed. The broken glass has rained down and settled on the porch, and there is a TV in the middle of the yard, it’s screen cracked, likely dropped by the looters and left behind. HEATHER furrows her eyebrows- wondering if she didn’t think to look, or if she’s already adapted to the destruction of the night before.

HEATHER
Oh, my God, yeah. Please. I’m Heather, by the way.

HEATHER unlocks her front door and leads MAGGIE inside.

INT. HEATHER’S KITCHEN- DAY

HEATHER unhooks the leash from GATOR’S collar. He disappears into the house, leaving the two girls alone.

HEATHER
Can I get you anything? Do you want something to drink at all?

MAGGIE
Water would be good.

HEATHER
Sure.

HEATHER fills up a glass and hands it to MAGGIE. The two migrate into the living room.

INT. HEATHER’S LIVING ROOM- DAY

MAGGIE sits down on the couch, sipping from her glass. HEATHER sits down with her to be polite, though she seems uncomfortable. Her hands run over the fabric of her dress, which she has been longing to trade for a t-shirt since she woke up that morning. She slides her heels off, which is little release.

MAGGIE
I’m really sorry if I’m intruding. You don’t have to-

HEATHER
Don’t worry about it.

MAGGIE sets her glass down on the coffee table.

MAGGIE
So, how has your morning been?

There is a touch of humor in MAGGIE’S voice.

HEATHER
Weird.

MAGGIE
Mine, too. I have to wonder what logic justifies looting the night before an extinction event.

HEATHER smiles.

HEATHER
No consequences, maybe?

MAGGIE
Right, but you’re going to die anyways. I’m surprised they didn’t hit your house too. They got some of the other neighbors.

HEATHER
I left my lights on. I had a feeling people’d be pretty riled up.

MAGGIE laughs.

HEATHER CONT’D
I mean, they were, weren’t they?

MAGGIE
You left your lights on?

HEATHER
Yeah.

MAGGIE
You thought you were dying, and you left your lights on.

HEATHER begins to realize the absurdity of her own actions, based on the same flawed thought process of the looters.

HEATHER (laughing)
I didn’t want to get robbed. Besides, it’s not like I was going to have to pay for the electricity.

HEATHER and MAGGIE both revel in the irony. The laughter fades shortly, punctuated by a sigh from MAGGIE.

MAGGIE
God, I feel off this morning. I’m happy, though. My house is destroyed, which isn’t great. But I’m here, you know? We’re all still here.

HEATHER shifts uncomfortably in her seat.

HEATHER
Yeah, I’ve seen some mixed reactions this morning. I wish I could I say I understood. But I don’t- I don’t feel a thing.

HEATHER swallows.

HEATHER CONT’D
I didn’t even realize when I first woke up. I locked myself in my friend’s room at his party because it was getting too loud- sometimes noise is just way too much, do you ever get that?

MAGGIE nods.

HEATHER CONT’D
I had brought Gator along- my dog- because I didn’t want him to be alone last night. I didn’t want to be either. We fell asleep in his bedroom a little after midnight. It was supposed to hit at five, from what I’d heard. I wasn’t that drunk. I closed the blinds. Even though I knew the sun wasn’t going to come through the windows the next morning, I closed the blinds.

HEATHER inhales deeply through her mouth.

HEATHER CONT’D
I cried for a while, because of the anxiety more than anything. I don’t do well with uncertainty. I had to convince myself it was going to happen before I could get any rest. I told myself I was going to die, and I accepted it. I accepted nonexistence. I was ready to die.

Tears spring into HEATHER’S eyes. She doesn’t seem to notice.

HEATHER CONT’D
And then I woke up, and everything was fine. Give or take some property damage. But I still know what it feels like to be dead. I can’t worry about having left the lights on, or paying rent, or how nice it is out. I tried to, but I just can’t make myself feel anything other than empty.

The tears have spilled over. MAGGIE smiles sympathetically.

MAGGIE
Oh, honey.

The tears turn quickly to heaving sobs.

HEATHER (crying)
Sorry- this, uh- this sort of blows a hole in my story.

MAGGIE hugs her. HEATHER wraps her arms around her, too.

HEATHER CONT’D (crying)
Oh, God. I’m still alive.