Marcus

DARKNESS

MARCUS (V.O.)

Dying doesn’t sound like it would be so bad.

CUT TO:

EXT. PARK - NIGHT

Marcus (20’s mysterious) sits on a park bench reading a book. Watches a couple walk by.

CUT TO:

CLOSE ON COUPLE

MARCUS (V.O.)

Living through your life by yourself can rob you of any sense of living at all.

CUT TO:

CLOSE ON MARCUS

MARCUS (V.O.)

I’ve been alone longer than I can remember. Probably longer than most people ever are.

Marcus looks up from his book and sees an attractive girl (Amy 20’s flirtatious) comes and sit on the same bench he is. He smiles and awkwardly shifts so she can fit. The girl begins to read a magazine.

MARCUS (V.O.)

I may bring this isolation down on myself, but maybe it’s time to throw out a message in a bottle.

Marcus puts down his book on his lap.

MARCUS

(Flirty)

Do you often sit by strangers in the park?

Amy giggles and puts down her magazine.

AMY

Am I that obvious?

MARCUS

Well there’s at least 30 other benches in the park and you sit at the only one that has anyone else sitting on it. So I would say only a little bit.

They both laugh.

AMY

So what are you reading?

MARCUS

Just some Ernest Hemingway. How about you?

AMY

(Awkwardly)

Vanity fair.

MARCUS

Okay now it seems completely obvious.

They both laugh.

AMY

Yeah I guess you’re right.

MARCUS

You know I’ve seen you here before. You come walking at night a lot. Although this is the first time I’ve seen you read at night.

Amy laughs.

AMY

Yeah I saw you a couple times too. You really seem to like reading in the dark. You’re here almost every night. Wouldn’t you rather read at home with a lamp?

MARCUS

I love reading out here. But to be perfectly honest reading isn’t the real reason I come out here.

AMY

What is the real reason?

Marcus points at the couple, now kissing.

MARCUS

Because of that.

AMY

What are you like a stalker or something?

Marcus laughs.

MARCUS

No. At night you find more people who are open with themselves. Since there’s not as many people here as there are during the day they can just let loose. Why would anyone mind the lonely guy sitting on a bench reading? They can just be themselves and not worry about the judgmental eyes of the world. In a way I envy that freedom of thought. Sometimes I love to just come here and soak in the atmosphere and wonder what it would be like to have that kind of personal freedom. Other times I wonder what it would be like to have someone to share my problems with.

Marcus holds up his book.

MARCUS (CONT’D)

And sometimes I just like to read.

AMY

You sound like you have a lot of time on you hands and that you put a lot of thought in this.

MARCUS

Time is the one thing I have plenty of. It’s the other things in life I’m lacking. I have more empty hours in my day than I care for.

AMY

Well I have to admit. The only reason I came here tonight was to try to meet you. I wasn’t sure if you were going to be here. I’m glad you were.

MARCUS

I have a confession myself. When I said I saw you the last couple of nights, I was hoping you would be here too.

Amy and Marcus looks at each other.

AMY

Do you want to get out of here?

Marcus smiles.

MARCUS

Definitely.

CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY WAY- NIGHT

Marcus and Amy throw themselves against the alley wall making out passionately.

MARCUS (V.O.)

What does it mean to die? What is dying really?

CLOSE ON THEIR LIPS KISSING

MARCUS (V.O.)

It’s a fine line between being living a life alone and being dead.

WIDE ON THE ALLEY

MARCUS (V.O.)

Although if I had to choose, I’d rather be dead. At least I know what death holds for me.

They stop kissing.

AMY

I normally don’t do this when I just meet someone.

MARCUS

Well we’ve been eye dating for about a week now.

Amy laughs.

AMY

I guess I never looked at it that way.

They kiss again.

AMY (CONT’D)

I don’t live too far from here. Do you want to come back to my place?

MARCUS

Why walk so far? What’s wrong with right here?

Marcus starts kissing her neck.

AMY

Oh you’re kinky.

Amy breathes heavily as Marcus kisses her neck.

MARCUS (V.O.)

I’m so tired of being alone. Why should I have to live by myself in complete isolation? I’ve driven everyone in my life away. I’ve cut all connections to my past, moved to a new state and started fresh. Yet my past always seems to come back to haunt me. Maybe it’s time to start over again. I think I’ve earned it.

Marcus pulls Amy off the wall kissing her and grabbing her on the butt. Amy breathes heavily as they get more passionate.

CLOSE ON AMY’S BACK LOOKING AT MARCUS.

Marcus starts kissing her neck again.

MARCUS (V.O.)

It’s been so long . . .

Marcus stops kissing her neck pulls back his mouth revealing fangs. He bites Amy’s neck and she screams. Blood gushes from the wound.

CLOSE ON THE WALL

Blood squirts on the wall.

CLOSE ON MARCUS

Marcus pulls his head back and is almost feral, out of control. Blood covers his mouth and goes back to her neck. Amy starts to go limp. The screaming stops.

CLOSE ON AMY’S FACE

Amy starts to get woozy as her eyes close. Her body goes limp as Marcus lowers her. He seems satisfied, then he panics.

MARCUS

Oh no . . . No no no!

Marcus checks her pulse.

MARCUS (CONT’D)

Shit. Shit!!

MARCUS (V.O.)

What is the difference between death and loneliness?

Marcus picks up her body and begins to carry her away.

FAR ON MARCUS

MARCUS (V.O.)

For me they are pretty much the same thing.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Marcus sits on a stair case. He wipes the last of the blood off his mouth.

MARCUS (V.O.)

She didn’t deserve to die. I should have had more control.

Marcus buries his face in his hands.

MARCUS (V.O.)

I live with this curse. Feeding on the living. So I exiled myself and tried to survive on alternatives.

Marcus looks up across the road.

MARCUS (V.O.)

Its excruciating. Every day, the need to drink and the necessity to kill is my daily battle. Like an addict I crave any life that I can get. These people don’t deserve to be food for a monster.

A group of people walk out of the bar behind Marcus. Marcus watches them walk away.

MARCUS (V.O.)

She had a family. She had friends and a home. I didn’t just rob her of her life. I took her from everyone she knew. And the worst part is . . . It’s never enough.

CLOSE ON MARCUS

A girl walks up behind Marcus.

GIRL

Hey there stranger. You look lonely.

Marcus looks at the girl.

MARCUS (V.O.)

There’s no fighting it. It keeps coming back no matter how hard I try. I’m so tired of being lonely.

Marcus smiles.

MARCUS

I could use some company.

FADE TO BLACK.