Children of the Goat-King

[spshane]

***Script-writing or whatever it's called really isn't my thing. I started this as short story, but then I just started seeing it as a film, so I am writing it that way (for now at least). Here's just the first few scenes, though I have to story mapped all the way out. Oh, and I know this isn't proper formatting and shit.****

EXT. cul de sac - afternoon light

A pick-up truck towing a landscape trailer stops in front of a split-level house with a crooked tree in the front lawn. CALEB CORDOBA slides out of the truck, glances at the house, checks his work order, and then begins unloading the mower onto the sidewalk.


CALEB VONear as I remember, there wudn't anythin' special about the Blackburn place. Jist another house. Another lawn. Easy enough.



Caleb starts the mower and cuts the front patch of lawn.



CUT TO:

EXT. side gate - bright sunlight



Caleb wipes sweat from his face as he peels of his shirt and tucks it in his back pocket.



He looks over the gate at the back yard. A row of hedges by the fence, a tree in the center, a bed of flowers by the patio. Nothing fancy.



He lifts the latch on the side gate and the mower stalls behind him.



CALEB

(Muttering)

Piece of shit.



He pushes open the gate and turns back to the mower. He takes one step and grimaces in pain, clutching at his butt.



CALEB

Oww, shit!



His hand falls upon something hard as he grabs his butt.



CALEB

The fuck?



He turns to see a black goat behind him. He pauses at the side gate as the mower stalls.



CALEB

Holy sh...



The goat buds forward and knocks him in crotch with his horn.

Caleb stoops forward, clutches his groin, and groans the goat back away. Caleb reaches out and flings the gate shut. He sinks his knees, cups his junk with one hand, and reaches for his cell phone with the other. He dials.



TURNER OS

What's up, Cal? You about done over there?



CALEB

(In pain)

No... I... Fuckin' no, man.



TURNER OS

Jesus, you sick or something?



CALEB

What! No. Just got my nuts knocked in by a fucking goat.



TURNER OS

(Laughing)

What? A goat? You mean an actual fucking goat?



CALEB

Yes, a goat. It's not funny.



TURNER OS
(Trying to contain his laughter)

Shit, man. I'm sorry. That's not funny at all.



CALEB
He bit me too.


TURNER OS

Shit! You mean he bit your nuts?



CALEB

No, my ass.



TURNER OS

Are you bleeding?



Caleb takes his hand off his groin and reaches back to check his butt. He pulls his hand back with blood on his fingers.



CALEB

Yeah, a little.



TURNER OS

(Serious)

Alright, well head on over to the ER to have it checked out.



CALEB

Damn it, Turner! I can't go to the emergency room.



TURNER OS

What? Do you need uh...



CALEB

(Cuts him off)

If I go in there with a worker's comp claim, they're gonna piss test me.



TURNER OS

Shit, well... alright.



CALEB

Look, it's just a scratch. But you gotta tell these assholes to do something about their goat.



TURNER OS

Alright. I'll call them.



CALEB

Okay, I'm out.



Caleb hangs up. He hobbles back to his truck, open the passenger door, and grabs a first-aide kit from under the seat.



Caleb leans into the cab and starts treating his wound. He opens an alcohol swab presses against his butt, gasps, and then passes out.



FADE TO BLACK

IN DARKNESS:

A truck engine accelerates. Gears shift. Shocks squeak.



JAMOZEK VO
(Whispering)

Caleb.



FADE IN:
INT. TRUCK CAB - AFTERNOON
Caleb's head is slumped over as if asleep, but his hands remain active steering the truck. His feet work the accelerator and the clutch. He shifts gears.

The truck speeds into a parking lot and skids to a halt in front of a drug store.



JAMOZEK VO

Caleb! Take care of this.



CALEB

(Groggily in his sleep)

Don't worry. I will take care of us.



Caleb wakes slowly. He glances around appears disoriented. He glances through the windshield at the truck store. He squints, blinks, shakes his head.



CALEB'S POV: the door of the drugstore warps and bends psychedelically as TRENT IMMACULATA steps outside takes a view steps, stops, and squints through the window at Caleb. A gaseous cloud of three red lines hovers above his head.



JAMOZEK VO

He's marked, Caleb. All the chosen ones are marked.



END POV



CALEB

Marked? For what?



JAMOZEK VO

Reaping, my child. Harvest him.



CALEB

Harvest?



TRENT

(Gawking through the window)

Cal? Is that you?



CALEB
(Waving him away)

Go away, Trent. Now's not a good time.



JAMOZEK VO

Reap him, Caleb.



CALEB

No, it's Trent. I'm not gonna do anything to...

Trent's body jerks up into the air, as if held by an invisible hand. His arms and legs flail.



TRENT

What the...



CALEB

Fuck no!



He draws the sign of the cross on himself.



JAMOZEK VO

Reap him!



CALEB

Our father who...

Trent's head snaps violently to one side. His neck cracks and he drops lifelessly to the ground.



CALEB

Oh my God! Trent!

Caleb throws his door open and crouches down to Trent's body.



JAMOZEK

Pick him up, Caleb.



He looks up and sees a black goat standing next to him.



CALEB

You sick shit! You killed Trent!



JAMOZEK

(Lauging)

Oh, Caleb. You're so dramatic.



CALEB

He's dead, you fucking asshole!



JAMOZEK
(Laughing)

Alright, Mr. Shatner. Don't you think you're going over the top?



CALEB

(Screams)

Aaaah!



JAMOZEK

(Mocking)

Aaaah!

(Cackles)

Get this piece of meat in your truck and resurrect him.



CALEB

Resurrect? The fuck?



JAMOZEK

(Annoyed)

Just get him in the truck.



Caleb scoops Trent's body up, drags him to the truck, opens the door and throws him on the seat.



CALEB

Okay?

(looks at the goat)

Now what?



JAMOZEK

Resurrect him.



CALEB

Resurrect? The fuck how?



The goat disappears into thin air. Caleb looks around like "what the fuck?"



JAMOZEK VO

Clearly, I'm gonna have to do this one myself.



Caleb gags. His body trembles and shakes. His head snaps back. Then his head drops like he's asleep, but his body still stands. He rolls Trent's body over and jerks his pants down. He drops his own pants and climbs on top of him.



JAMOZEK VO

Let me show you the smoldering rod.



In a stupor, Caleb pounces up and down on Trent's body.



JAMOZEK VO

My venom went into you when I bit you. And NOW... you're gonna use it to bring him back.



FADE TO BLACK


IN DARKNESS:

A truck engine accelerates. Gears shift. Shocks squeak.



TRENT OS
(Softly)

Caleb.

fade in:



INT. TRUCK CAB - evening light

Trent wakes on the floorboard. He looks around notices Caleb. Caleb appears asleep behind the wheel, but his arms and feet are active. Trent looks down and notices he's not wearing pants.



TRENT

(Panicked)

Caleb!



Caleb jumps as he wakes up.



CALEB

Shit!


He panics, slams on the brakes, and wrestles the steering wheel as the truck slides off the road.



TRENT

(Angry)

What. the. fuck?



Caleb lets out a sigh of relief. He laughs and smiles as he looks at Trent.



CALEB

Thank God... you're alive.



TRENT

Where the fuck are my pants, Cal?



CALEB

I...don't know.



TRENT

And my...

(He reaches a hand to his butt)

You didn't.



CALEB

(Confused)

What? No! No, no, no. I...resurrected you.



Trent sees his pants and shoes. He snatches them, reaches for the door handle, and rolls out of the truck.



TRENT

(Angrily)

Fuck!!!



CALEB

Wait!

(Shouting)

Trent!



Trent slips into his jeans and shoes. He runs into the woods.



Caleb throws open his door and slides down from the truck.



JAMOZEK VO

Leave him be, Caleb.



CALEB

Trent! Get back here!



JAMOZEK VO

Let him go. We've got work to do.



CALEB

(Yelling after Trent)

I can explain.



JAMOZEK VO

Let's go, Ca. We'll come back for him.



Caleb climbs back into the truck, slips it into gear, and drives away.

[brianpatrick]

I would really like to read this as a short story. Maybe you saw pictures in your head, but I have no use for scripts. So, post it as a short story as well.


I think WRC has some experience with scripts, but he may have left recently for greener pastures. So it goes.

[spshane]

Thank you for your input. I'll give it some consideration. I'll tell ya what I was going for. Yes, I saw this more visually, but more than that I saw it kind of like a B-movie. I don't know that there's a literary equivalent to the B-movie. I'm talking about films like Sharknado, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. You know the kind? Movies that aren't supposed to be "good". Movies that are so terrible they're funny in a warped kind of way. And I just haven't had that experience with readership, like "hey, read this! It totally sucks! You're gonna love it!" I'll give it a try as an SS, see if it works. I agree though. I don't get terribly excited about reading scripts.