ALONE?

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THE STORY STARTED AT THE BOTTOM AND GOES UP. SCROLL DOWN TO BEGIN!

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EXT. STREET - SAME DAY - A LITTLE LATER Beth is walking in the wonderful sunshine, feeling good. She picks it up a bit and begins jogging. There's a happy look on her face. We watch her jog right off camera. INT. BETH'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - LATER Beth moves around with ease, making a spaghetti meal. She's looking in the pantry. We see inside it. It's completely full with home canning, dry ingredients, canned goods, juices, water, and baking needs. She takes out a cake mix, out of the many there, placing it on the counter as well as a tub of icing. She grabs a brick of cream cheese from the fridge, and that gets put beside the cake mix and icing. BETH That should do it. She smells the sauce with delight, giving it a bit of a stir. EXT. SECOND HOUSE - BACK YARD - DAY We see the additions to the yard. The fire pit is about 2 and a half feet high and has a large grate on the top of it. The garden has sprouted from the seeds she's planted. There's a wheelbarrow full of weeds. We see a large compost built into the corner of the yard in a triangle shape. The fruit trees are showing signs of fruit. Under the deck are stacks of wood to build with. All in all, quite the sight. Beth comes from the basement door leading to the yard. She's got her SLR camera with its neck band around her neck, and she's taking photos of her work. She looks to the sky. It's a perfect day with the sun beaming down on her. BETH You know what this means, Beth? Yes, summer is almost here. It'll be a year in just a month. She looks to the sky again. We pull back and up to the sky, leaving her to her day. EXT. STREET APARTMENT IS ON - MORNING Beth's walking. We follow her up the street, just walking. She's wearing her backpack, listening to music with her iPod in her hand. At a crossroad, she turns to the left, walking up to the 3rd house on the right. It's the second house that she's been making the yard into a beautiful sanctuary. She exits into the house. It's only a few minutes from her apartment. INT. SECOND HOUSE - KITCHEN - SAME DAY Beth is rooting through the cupboards. She pulls out a large canning jar of peaches. BETH Maybe this year we'll have a tree full of peaches! And apples! She's thinking. BETH Plums too! Oh my … I forgot about the blackberry and raspberry bushes up the road in the alley. Hoo hoo! INT. BETH'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - MID-MORNING The front door is wide open. We see Beth looking through the cabinet. BETH Gotcha! Thought you could invade my life with your negativity. No, Sir, no more. She tosses her few copies of Kendall's ballet in a trash can across the room. Dusting her hands off, she smiles. BETH Feelin' SO good about this! What else don't I want in my life? Think about it for a while, Beth. It'll come to you. I'm sure of it. You've got all the time in the world. She looks at her space - her drapes are open, the sun is shining in and there's CDs, Blueray movies, concerts and the like, all scattered around on the floor.

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INT. BETH'S APARTMENT - DAY Beth is busy burning media, charging her iPod, and power bank. She's got several power banks on the desk. BETH Thank you! Thank you for my brain! Things are coming along. I'm so happy I chose my own life, my direction. I'm going to do it for my family … Miss Kitty included. She gets up, thinking out loud, BETH Check the greenhouses! Yes. She gets one of her address books off a shelf in a bookcase. BETH (searching) Got it! INT. BETH'S CAR - SAME DAY We see Beth pulling into a large parking area for a large greenhouse operation. She parks, kills the ignition, hops out. INT. GREENHOUSES - MOMENTS LATER BETH All I need to do is find the seeds and get this rollin'! INT. BETH'S CAR - NIGHT Beth is driving home. She's got a grey file on the front passenger seat and a bag of food she just retrieved from the greenhouses that's still edible. In the back seat, there are a few plants, looking very healthy if not a little overgrown. EXT. SECOND HOUSE - DRIVEWAY - SAME NIGHT Beth is taking out what she gathered at the greenhouses. We see Asa "passing" her the bag of veggies. She ignores him, going to the other side to retrieve a plant or two. Kendall is right there "passing" her one. She slams the door, then the other open one. She walks inside, slamming the front door. INT. SECOND HOUSE FOYER - IMMEDIATELY AFTER Asa is standing by the coat closet with Kendall perched on a stair near the living room. Beth ignores them; she's quite upset. BETH I thought they were gone!? What am I supposed to do? Tell me that, please! ASA Let it all out. I'm here for you. KENDALL She doesn't understand that we're only looking out for her best interest. Beth cracks the silent treatment. BETH God? You here? She waits a beat. Continues. BETH Please help me. I'm frustrated and a little bit angry. KENDALL I'll say! ASA Did I not give you advice on accepting God? If it weren't for me, you'd be totally lost. KENDALL I think that's so true of both of us. ASA (TO KENDALL) Meaning? What exactly? KENDALL If it weren't for me, as well, she'd be truly lost. Beth walks up the stairs and exits the scene. Both Asa and Kendall have now disappeared. INT. SECOND HOUSE - BEDROOM - LATE EVENING Beth is lying in bed on her back with the duvet. BETH I choose me. I choose my direction, my path, bringing it all around to my destiny. She flops over to her side, props her head up with her hand and arm. BETH I guess it's as simple as this: I want reality. She closes her eyes a moment, pulls up the duvet, and says: BETH Thanks. Rolling over, she falls into a deep sleep, quickly. INT. SECOND HOUSE - BEDROOM - MORNING - THE NEXT DAY Beth is just waking. She looks well rested. She looks at the clock radio and rolls over back to sleep. INT. SECOND HOUSE - KITCHEN - SAME DAY - A FEW HOURS LATER Beth's just finished loading the dishwasher with ease. BETH (TO HERSELF) This has to be the epitome of stress. (beat) But wait! I've got it!

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BETH You thought this day might happen. She rubs her face with both hands, reaching around to hold her hair. It's quite long. EXT. SECOND HOUSE - BACK YARD - SHORTLY THEREAFTER Beth works on the firepit. INT. SECOND HOUSE - OFFICE - SAME DAY We see a bookshelf full of files. Some are blue, some are grey, and some white. Beth is at the desk gathering pages from the printer. She attaches them to the file via a fastener. BETH Everything I ever wanted to know about photo developing and dark rooms. Goodbye, internet, oh how I loved you! (beat) Ah, yes. Relaxing, she stretches back in her chair, arms raised above her. INT. LOCAL LIBRARY - MORNING Beth's browsing the in-library computer. She sits at a round table with a stack of books, including a phonebook. She opens that. She finds listings, and she writes down some information. INT. BETH'S APARTMENT - NIGHT BETH I saw myself spiral downward. Not choosing my way, my path. This is my life, and I won't be taking advice from either of you. We see Asa on the big chair. Beth sits there, and Asa moves to the couch. Kendall appears from the kitchen. BETH I choose me. My family. My work, my effort - all of it. If I hadn't needed someone so badly, Asa, you would have never been back. Kendall, you too. KENDALL Why are you thinking these awful thoughts? ASA Ya, we don't want to hurt you. BETH It's not like me to take anyone's advice, ESPECIALLY when I can do this better on my own. Sorry, now get out. They both stay. Beth gets up, heads to the kitchen. We stay with Asa and Kendall. ASA (TO KENDALL) This is weird. KENDALL How so? ASA We didn't do anything wrong. KENDALL Yeah, you're right! Beth is drinking water when she comes back into the living room. On the floor is a bag full of DVDs. She digs through it and selects one. The program starts. It's about decorating a home. ASA Why did you get this? KENDALL Ya, kinda stupid of you. BETH Right there! That's my case and point. She begins watching the program, takes a drink of water, and lets herself get absorbed into the show.

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INT. GARDEN CENTRE - BRICKS AND SUCH - AN HOUR LATER Beth is loading medium-sized, stone-colored blocks onto a flat deck cart, gloves on. INT. SECOND HOUSE - MORNING Beth's pouring egg whites from a carton into a measuring cup, then into her small frying pan. She adds some spices from a spice jar and then a little shredded cheese. She puts the remaining egg whites and cheese back into the fridge. We see inside it, and it's full. INT. SECOND HOUSE - BASEMENT - A LITTLE LATER Beth opens the large freezer. We see there's much in it. She grabs a gallon of milk. Then she rustles through some of the food and comes out with a block of cheese. Another look and she finds peppers, chopped up, and ground beef. INT. SECOND HOUSE - KITCHEN - SHORTLY THEREAFTER The beef, block of cheese, and peppers are on the counter, thawing. INT. SECOND HOUSE - KITCHEN - 5 PM Beth is just pulling her gourmet nachos out of the oven, placing them on a waiting cooling rack. Salsa and sour cream are in small dishes on the table. She looks hungry. At the table with her meal, she begins to eat, looking very happy after the first bite. CUT TO BLACK. EXT. BACK YARD OF SECOND HOUSE - DAY Beth is making a fire pit with the blocks. It's coming along, well. It's almost complete. She pulls her cell phone out of the big pocket in her gardening apron. She looks perplexed, trying to use it. She exits into the basement. INT. SECOND HOUSE - BASEMENT - OFFICE - MOMENTS AFTER The computer is on, Beth is standing using the mouse. A moment passes, then she exits. EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - PARKING LOT - 15 MINUTES LATER We see Beth's car out front. INT. BETH'S APARTMENT - DAY - CONTINUOUS Once inside, she throws her purse on the couch. It's full of keys on lanyards that hang out of the purse once thrown. She's wearing a lanyard with a few keys on it, hanging on her neck. Quickly, she tries her cell phone, next ... to the computer. She checks her modem to see the lights are blinking. BETH Think, think, think. She opens the door and briskly walks to an apartment just down the hall. She boots up the computer. After a moment of plunking keys on the keyboard, she gives up. BETH Humph. Scratches her head. BETH Okay. No problem. She walks over to her apartment, goes to a bookshelf. She finds a red file, out of many, after searching a little. BETH Mechanics. It's fairly full of pages she's bound together with a fastener. BETH Looks like it's the library for you, Beth. BETH (mildly) Woo. She is visibly upset.

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BETH (TO HERSELF) Not a bad day there, Beth. What does tomorrow hold for you? She opens the door to the backseat. Grabbing a plush toy from a bag, she looks fondly at it. BETH (TO THE STUFFY) Maybe you'll be nice and let me hug you while I sleep, Little Rabbit. She heads into the house as the sun sets and darkness enters. INT. THE FIRST HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAWN Beth is just getting out of bed, looking chipper and freshly awake. She makes the bed, tucking Little Rabbit partway under the duvet. She bends down to kiss it. INT. THE FIRST HOUSE - OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER Beth is sitting at the computer holding a book. She puts a bookmark in it and lays it on the desk, gets up, and exits. We look at the book "Mastering Computers." There's a sewing machine, new in the box, sitting on the floor that wasn't there before. We see a few bags of material beside it and others with many patterns. EXT. APARTMENT - BETH'S CAR - EARLY AFTERNOON Beth is sitting, cross-legged, on the roof of her car. We see her from behind. Slowly, we approach to look directly at her. She's knitting. EXT. STREET - DAY Beth is jogging past the camera, which follows her up the road from the spot it's in until she jogs off-screen. EXT. CARPORT OF APARTMENT BUILDING - MORNING Beth's car is backed in, the hood is up. We see Beth with a socket wrench. She's working under the hood. She takes a moment until we hear a snap, she finishes. She's got a rag tucked into her jeans at the waist. It's grimy. She wipes her hands on it nonetheless. Beth jumps in, leaving the door open, and turns the key in the ignition. VROOM!! Sounds good. INT. CAR REPAIR SHOP - MORNING Beth has her glasses on, standing in a section with car batteries. She finds the one she needs and grabs it. INT. HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE (BETH'S WORK) - DAY We see Beth watering plants, all inside the garden center. There are green pepper plants, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. She's sweating. Turning off the hose, she drags it back to the partial outside area of the garden center, hanging it on a hook that's coming from a beam above. She looks to the sky. It's a beautiful day. BETH Asa you were right about getting on these plants. Asa appears in a gardening apron, jeans, a T-shirt, and dirty boots as if he's been working. BETH No thanks. He stays. Kendall appears too, standing on his toes with his arms out to his sides, head tilted to the right. She chooses to ignore them and gets back to work. INT. BACK YARD OF SECOND HOUSE - SPRING - AFTERNOON Beth is working soil in her garden, turning it over and over again with a rake and shovel, pulling the odd weed out here and there. BETH Springtime, I love ya! She continues to work. We see all her veggie plants around the area that need planting. There are bags and bags with bulbs spilling out of them. She wipes her forehead to get the sweat away. We scan the yard, seeing 20 or so medium-sized rocks, a new lawn mower, a new BBQ, and fruit trees she's in the middle of planting. INT. HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE - BACKROOM Beth is at the offices of her work. She's looking in a set of cubbies with gloves in it. She finds her size, grabs a couple of pairs, exits.

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INT. THE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - SAME DAY - LATE EVENING Beth takes a quick break from organizing her photos with a hot chocolate. She's got an apron on over some jammies. She savors it with a final drink, placing the mug on a side table. BETH Delicious and yet oh-so-simple. INT. HOUSE - BEDROOM - EARLY AFTERNOON Beth is in bed, asleep. She quickly wakes with a jolt and grabs her robe. BETH Work! Work! Work! Once dressed, she quickly scoots out the door. EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE - AFTERNOON Beth parks her car right in front of the doorway. INT. CONVENIENCE STORE - MOMENTS LATER Once inside, we see that the shelves are near empty. There are boxes with items in them, but not full, opened and all over the floor. She walks up to the counter, hops on top of it with ease, and looks down at the floor on the other side. BETH Hey, REGGIE! How's it goin'? Me? Just fine, just fine. Thank you for asking, my friend. Just looking for a few things today … She slides off the counter to the floor. She grabs a basket and begins shopping around, casually as if nothing could be more normal. As she does that, we look at Reggie and see his name tag: Jim. INT. BETH'S CAR - MOVING - MOMENTS LATER Beth's driving. She pulls up in front of the entrance of another grocery store. She turns off the ignition, sits for a moment with a pop in her hand, opens it, and enjoys it to the utmost. We see the shopping basket from her last stop on the floor in front of the passenger side with a few items in it. EXT. ANOTHER HOUSE - DAYS LATER - EARLY EVENING Beth is standing in front of the house. BETH You can. You can. I can! I've always admired this place. Go check it out! Be brave, B. Be brave. Carrying a flashlight, she approaches the front door. She rings the bell and waits, but no one answers. She knocks on the door loudly and waits. Nobody. Noticing she's standing on a mat, she flips it up, finding the house key. BETH HOO HOO! Slowly, she opens the door. INT. NEW HOUSE - FRONT FOYER BETH Hello? Waiting. She listens. BETH I let myself in. Aunt Rose? Are you home? Very cautiously, she steps the stairs, going up. INT. NEW HOUSE - LIVING AREA - A MINUTE LATER Beth begins breathing slowly, intentionally. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Several times. She looks frightened. She looks around: a fireplace, a fan that's blowing cold air into the room, and pictures on the wall. Clicking the fan off with a shiver, she looks at all the photographs displayed around the room. She sees "Aunt Rose" and gets a scare from seeing the whole family sitting in pictures. A moment later … BETH Yes, Beth, you are doing this by yourself! Yippee, I'm getting freeeee! INT. NEW HOUSE - MAIN BEDROOM - THE NEXT DAY - AFTERNOON Beth is taking sheets out of their packaging. She flaps them, each piece, and tosses them into a laundry basket at her feet. She's got a red set as well as a black set, all now in the basket. BETH First night in the new home. Golly gee … can you taste the fear? Yes, I can! INT. NEW HOUSE KITCHEN - SAME DAY - MINUTES LATER Beth opens the lid of the washer that's behind the bi-fold doors. The table has many full grocery bags on it. She's wiping the washer and dryer with a wet cloth. She starts the cycle. She begins taking food out of one of the bags. INT. NEW HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING Beth is putting a cover on her large, king-size duvet. We see the black sheets on the bed. The closet door is open, and the light in the en suite is on. FADE OUT. INT. SUPER MART - AFTERNOON BETH (O.S.) YAHOOOOOOOOO! A moment later, Beth zips past the camera riding a cart, one arm in the air and smiling like a fool. The camera follows for a quick second. She then rides off camera. EXT. THE FIRST HOUSE - A FEW HOURS LATER We see the sun beginning to set. Beth watches and lets out a sigh. She leans against her car, looking pleased.

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KENDALL Ya, turn around and go back. You'll catch another bug. Beth keeps walking. BETH (TO HERSELF) Why would they come back? What did I do? She keeps walking up the street. KENDALL You need to turn your minivan around and get back inside. Her voice raised … BETH Don't tell me what to do! ASA Aren't you cold? It's really chilly still. BETH (TO HERSELF) Keep on keepin' on, Beth. Asa stops and prevents Kendall from continuing by putting his arm out in front. Beth carries on. ASA Let her go. KENDALL I guess she wasn't sick enough to learn. Maybe the next bug that she's picking up right now will teach her. ASA You got that right. Beth stops and turns around. KENDALL Smart girl! ASA I'm glad you've seen the light. BETH I'm not turning around because of you two! You, bossy figments of my imagination. Both delusions disappear. Beth stops a moment, breathes in the cool air, smiles. EXT. PARKING LOT OF APARTMENT - DAYS LATER Beth's walking just entering the parking lot. She approaches the building. We see Betty in her chair facing the opposite direction, just about to stand up. Beth is in shock. She slowly inches forward toward Betty. Betty jumps at Beth very quickly, making Beth stumble falling on her bum. Betty stands over Beth with the same gaping mouth and canine fangs of the passenger's months and months ago. Beth scrambles to get up. Once she can, she races to the front door and gets inside. INT. BETH'S APARTMENT BEDROOM - MINUTES LATER Beth's visibly upset, shaking. She kicks off her boots, takes off her coat, and tosses it on the floor just as she's climbing under the covers of her bed. She closes her eyes, pulling the duvet over her head, terrified. INT. BETH'S APARTMENT - THE NEXT DAY - MORNING Beth gathers her courage enough to peek out the bedroom window. Seeing Betty in her chair, glaring up at her, Beth closes the drapes quickly. INT. BETH'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY At the computer, Beth is printing out a few pages. Once done, she staples all of what is printed together. She exits into the kitchen, papers in hand. INT. KITCHEN - SAME DAY, MOMENTS LATER Reading the last page of the few she just printed, Beth has a calm look on her face. First time in quite a while. BETH Thank you! INT. LIVING ROOM - SECONDS LATER At the window with the couch under it, Beth peers out to the parking lot, finally free and clear of Betty. BETH What's that saying, Betharoo? Asa stands a few feet away. Beth sits on the couch and stares at him. BETH No thanks. He disappears. BETH Fear. It's all from fear. She chuckles. BETH Finally getting something done WITHOUT those things I had been packing around. ASA (V.O.) Who you calling a thing? Beth ignores him.

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INT. HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - EARLY DAY Beth yawns and opens the drapes with one big pull; they open with ease, gliding across the rod. It's a chilly, breezy day. We see a box of facial tissue beside her big chair as well as a trash can partly full of used tissues. She gets to building a fire. She sneezes a few times. She looks extremely tired. INT. HOUSE - BATHROOM Beth is taking vitamins, but is still looking tired. Her hair is quite a bit longer and completely messed up from sleeping on it. She's in her robe with warm jammies under it and nice sheepskin slippers. She starts to run a bath. FADE OUT. INT. HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - EVENING At the window, we see falling snow. Beth closes the drapes, looking chilled. She rubs her arms with her hands on her way to the fireplace. It's slowly dying. She sees the log holder is empty. BETH Later. INT. HOUSE - BEDROOM - AFTERNOON Beth is in bed, coughing and coughing. The light is low. She reaches for another cough drop, fumbling with it until it finally falls to the floor. Her eyes are leaking with tears. She reaches to grab another cough drop, but the package is empty. She slowly gets up, turning the big, overhead light on. She squints. Going to the dresser, we see nothing on top but a large mixing bowl full of cough drops. She's in the same outfit we last saw her in. She unwraps a cough drop quickly, stuffing it in her mouth, and putting as many that will fit in each pocket of her robe. She's back to bed once she's got her cough under control. INT. KITCHEN - ANOTHER DAY - NIGHT Beth is heating a can of soup. She's got a satisfied look on her face. She sits at the kitchen table, eats. BETH (raspy voice) Wow, it's so good. She coughs a little, sounding much better. She's up to fill her bowl again. INT. THE HOUSE - KITCHEN - A FEW DAYS LATER - DAY Beth is unloading the dishwasher. She's dressed. The kitchen is much cleaner. Music is playing. One of the brooms is leaning up against a wall. The door window has a wood covering over the opening. Once she has put the dishes away, she retrieves a few items from the fridge. She begins humming to the music, tapping her foot, and swaying a bit. She turns it up with a remote. She strikes a ballet pose without really noticing. INT. KITCHEN - SAME DAY - A LITTLE LATER Beth has just taken a bite of her pizza. She's thoroughly enjoying it. Wiping her mouth with a cloth napkin, she smiles. Taking another bite, and another until she finishes. She's up for more. BETH I wonder what today holds. A moment passes. She's looking really well. EXT. STREET THE HOUSE IS ON - MOMENTS LATER - CONTINUOUS Beth walks down the street. All the dead are gone, their cars and trucks also. She's got winter boots on, a winter coat we haven't seen yet, and stylish ski pants. She looks happy. Suddenly, Asa appears walking beside her, then Kendall walks beside Asa. Beth takes a double-take on them. ASA Where are you going?

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INT. THE HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY Beth is seated at the kitchen table, looking inside a red file. We see the first page has a list on it. Looks like there's a mini stack of pages, all bound with a fastener. BETH Hey, guys!? They show up sitting at the table with her. BETH (excited) Look at all the things we've been learning to do! ASA Read them out. BETH Kendall, are you at all interested? KENDALL Naw. Kendall stands and goes to the fridge. KENDALL You go ahead, though. Gonna rustle through this and see what's good. Asa pulls his chair in closer to the table. ASA Whatcha got? BETH First off, number 1 is: We learned how to garden a bit. ASA That's been beneficial. Asa looks at Kendall, peering into the fridge but keeping his ears perked. Asa points at him so Beth will notice. She does, smiles. BETH Two … My B&E is pretty good. Asa laughs. Kendall doesn't. KENDALL What is that anyway? ASA (chuckling) Break and enter. KENDALL That's a skill? BETH These days it sure is. Number 3: Building a fire! Hoo! ASA That's a good one to have. Kendall has an apple he's eating, but he really doesn't. Beth can see that. She closes the file - rubs her eyes. After a second … BETH Oh my God! We see her with her head down on the table and her arms lying on it too. Asa and Kendall have disappeared. She weeps, looking suddenly terrified. Standing, she exits the room. INT. HOUSE - BEDROOM - HOURS LATER Beth is in bed sleeping. Suddenly, she wakes, sweating profusely. She rolls over, pulls the duvet up some more. She's shaking. CUT TO BLACK. INT. BETH'S CAR - MOVING - WEEKS LATER - DAY There's no snow remaining on the road. It looks very cold out. Beth arrives at Super Mart, still parking right up before the doors. She coughs for more than a minute. She's wearing a full-length wool coat with a warm hat and scarf, winter boots, and gloves. INT. SUPER MART - AN HOUR LATER Beth has a half-full cart. In the vitamin aisle, she stocks up on 4 or 5 of them, sliding many of each off the shelf into her buggy. BETH God? Are you here? I know I've never prayed to you before, but I've been reading your book. She's gathering cough drops now, putting all the single packages that will fit in the bag she has. Next, she's ripping bags off hooks, throwing them in the buggy. BETH (TO GOD) And I wanted to tell you I'm feeling better now. These past few weeks have been really scary for me. We see her still in the pharmacy section, now taking a drink of apple juice. BETH (TO GOD) I still don't know if it's you, for me. But if you're listening, I wanted to thank you for my time with Asa and Kendall. They helped me a lot. Thank you.

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ASA That's too bad. I trust everyone I meet. I think deep, deep down we're all good. So if someone shows me otherwise, then I have to ponder being around them or not. BETH You're a good man, Asa. KENDALL K-hum? BETH You too, but you're very skeptical at times. We're all friends here, stuck in this crazy situation we're in. KENDALL Ya, I guess. ASA There you go again. Beth looks out the window. BETH It's so pretty. Neither men look. The fire is coming along well. We focus on the walls, all done now with pictures in frames of Beth's family, Miss Kitty, and some beautiful locations. It looks great. BETH I think I'll go to the office and see what I can do with the computer. Look into printing some more pics. Glad we grabbed lots of ink. ASA Try the heat again. Beth checks the thermostat on her way downstairs. BETH Still can't figure it out. KENDALL Maybe it's out. ASA As in? KENDALL Maybe it needs parts. BETH We should look into it. Good call! Kendall gets up and sits on the hearth. KENDALL The fire is nice … BETH But? KENDALL We should go back to the apartment if it's not snowing badly tomorrow. ASA We're here. BETH I think it'd be good back there, too, Kendall. I don't want to waste firewood. KENDALL That's what I was thinking. ASA We've got lots to get us through, we do. It's better here. We all know it, right? KENDALL I like it fine, but … BETH Well, let's sleep on it. She turns and exits down the stairs, disappearing to the basement. Asa takes her spot on the big chair, pulling up the duvet over himself. Kendall sits in front of the fire doing leg stretches. ASA Hey, Kendall. Do you feel fear yet? KENDALL No, why? Do you? ASA Yes, absolutely. KENDALL What's there to fear but fear itself? ASA Quite poetic, but can't you see the scare she should have right now? KENDALL Man, why? She called me a skeptic, but you, you're a worrywart. ASA Just want to be prepared, is all. KENDALL What are you thinking? ASA Winter. Cold, cold winters. How are we going to make it for 30 years or more? KENDALL Take it like me, one moment at a time. Be happy with all you have, right here, right now. ASA I like my way better. To prepare and have when needed. Beth comes up the stairs. BETH I like both ways. It's a good thing we're all here. She looks at Asa in the chair and then looks at Kendall, still stretching. We see that happening, then we pull back and see there is no one there but Beth.

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Asa does another one, better than the last. KENDALL Point hard! Kendall does one. Asa tries his, with improvement. Beth is stuffing her single duvet into the car. KENDALL (TO BETH) Why are you bringing that little one when you've got queen-size ones? Beth smacks her hands together like she's getting dust off them. BETH It's for sitting in the living room chairs. EXT. THE HOUSE - EVENING We see Beth's little car parked up the road. It's a very windy day. INT. THE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - WINTER - DAY Beth is bundled up in her winter jammies, sitting under her single duvet, on a large chair. There's a tea beside her on the table. BETH Snow's in the air today. Burr. We see the log holder is low on wood. Beth notices, gets up, and grabs it. She exits the room. INT. HOUSE - HALLWAY - SECONDS LATER Beth comes to a room full of the firewood she's collected. There's nothing but wood in it, stacked up high. INT. HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - A FEW MINUTES LATER Beth is putting the full holder on the hearth. She adds more wood to the fire and sits back down in her chair. BETH We've got lots of wood for right now, but I'm starting to see the big picture here. Asa and Kendall show up. Kendall sits on a chair, and Asa stands at the entrance from the dining area. He's dressed just like Kendall … jeans, dress shirt, and Dr. Martens. Right down to the lonely button done up in the center of his shirt. ASA Bout time. KENDALL We're alright. We'll go to the campgrounds in spring and get more wood. ASA More? We took lots of it already. There's more? KENDALL Fallen trees. Happens every day. We'll just bring an axe. ASA Ah, very nice. What did we ever do without you? We look outside the large window and see the snow starting to fall. BETH Look outside. KENDALL Wow. Glad we're here! ASA Ah huh! Admit it, you didn't trust me. Asa now sits cross-legged on the floor wearing sweats with hoody and skate shoes. KENDALL Trust is not my forte.

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EXT. - SAME STREET AS THE APARTMENT - 1 HOUR LATER - CONTINUOUS Beth is carrying Asa by piggyback. He looks completely worn out. Kendall is kicking rocks, finding them on both sides of the street. They walk along until they are in the parking lot of Beth's apartment. They try all the cars and trucks they've collected. Not one starts. We see the beat-up compact car that's Beth's still in the same spot. BETH I'm going to try mine. The key is on her chain that she's dug out of her pocket. She turns the key - VROOMMM BETH (overjoyed) Yahooooo! Can I hear a 'Yahoo'? KENDALL, ASA (in unison) Yahooooo! She lets it run a minute and then drives out of the parking lot. INT. - APARTMENT - KITCHEN - DUSK Beth is making chili. It's become quite chilly at night. Their clothing reflects this. We see an Instant Pot, a cookbook, and all the ingredients she's putting into the pot. She stirs it and puts the lid on. INT. KITCHEN - SAME DAY - 30 MINUTES LATER BETH (yelling into the living room) Anyone want chili? No reply. BETH Hello in there? KENDALL (O.S.) (yawning) No thanks. BETH It's got bacon in it! KENDALL (O.S.) That's nice. Goodnight. INT. LIVING ROOM - SECONDS LATER Beth is standing, watching both men sleep. A smile appears on her face. She wipes her hands on the dish towel she's holding. BETH (softly) Baby boys. Oh, how I love you so. INT. THE APARTMENT - MORNING Beth is sitting at her dining room table, eating scrambled eggs. She's sipping on orange juice. ASA All I know is that winter is right around the corner. KENDALL There's time, Asa. Beth continues eating her breakfast. ASA I say today we move to the house. KENDALL Why? ASA The fireplace. All the wood. A lot of the candles are there. KENDALL I like it here better. BETH Asa's right. Our car won't make it to the Super Mart in the snow. It's got a really low front. KENDALL How much snow do you typically get a year? ASA Enough to make it a total drag to get over there. Plus, all the stores we've been stashing stuff in are closer to that location. Kendall rolls his eyes and shakes his head side to side, looking fed up. KENDALL You always side with him, Beth. Why is that? ASA Because I'm right all the time. KENDALL And humble. Don't forget humble. Asa sticks his tongue out at Kendall. BETH It's just good advice. If you were to come up with a few reasons to stay here, I'd bite on what was good, too. She takes another bite of her food. FADE TO BLACK. EXT. APARTMENT PARKING LOT - MORNING Beth is loading her car. She's got it loaded up pretty well. BETH Trip number 3, boys! Asa is trying out his run, jump, and leap through the air. Kendall does one, absolutely perfectly. KENDALL (TO ASA) Tighten your abdomen and your legs.

[alonethemovie]

ASA That reminds me, you need to download a bunch of years' worth of the calendar. KENDALL Smart. ASA Thanks, man. Beth stands back, looking at them. KENDALL What are you looking at us like that for? ASA She wants us to dance. She's beggin' for it. Hey? Hey Beth? Beth smiles, but puts her hand up. BETH Now now. None of that, please. ASA What? I heard I'm graceful from the man himself. He points to Kendall. BETH You are quite lovely of a dancer. KENDALL Then what? BETH I was just thinking, look at you two now, best friends. KENDALL What did it for me was that Asa was happy and excited about learning to dance. Beth nods in agreement. ASA And what did it for me was finding out that Kendall is pretty darn cool to even offer that. Not many people could say that they're learning an art form from the best there is. He smiles at Kendall and says: ASA He is my best friend. Asa, covering his butt, says: ASA (TO BETH) You too, of course. BETH Of course … She laughs and opens the door to Suite #1. They go inside. INT. SUPER MART - AFTERNOON We see Asa and Kendall racing on flat deck carts. Beth comes out of the backroom wearing a winter coat, gloves, and a smile on her face. She takes off the jacket and gloves, reaches for a bottle of water in the meat department - it's bare bones other than some water. Asa and Kendall ride off camera. We can hear them laughing. INT. THE HOUSE - GARAGE - MORNING One of the garage doors is open. We see a nice, fairly new Jeep parked in one spot and a pickup truck in the other. Beth gets in the truck. Asa is sitting on the roof cross-legged, and Kendall is just getting into the back cab. Beth turns the key. Nothing. She looks completely surprised. BETH Huh? ASA (rapping his hand on the roof) Let's GO!! Beth tries again and again. Same results. She opens the hood. She's now looking at the engine. Kendall is by her side. BETH You know anything about motors? KENDALL Notta. Asa appears on the other side of Beth. ASA What are we looking for? KENDALL It won't start. ASA Yikes! What are we going to do? BETH Hop in the Jeep. She opens the second garage door. Beth turns the key. Nothing. She tries again and again. Same deal. She puts her hands in her hair. BETH Let's try the cars outside. EXT. HOUSE - IMMEDIATELY AFTER Beth jumps into a nice car, turns the key (found in the ignition). Nothing. Stumped, Beth tries all four of the cars outside along the yard, getting the same results. She's getting worried, visibly. BETH Let's go to the apartment. KENDALL Walking? ASA Yup. And we can try all of our cars and trucks along the way. KENDALL Hmm. They start walking off camera.

[alonethemovie]

INT. THE HOUSE - BASEMENT - MOMENTS LATER - CONTINUOUS BETH (TO ASA) Asa? Where are you? He appears right in front of her. ASA Jes? You called? BETH Ya. What'd you find? ASA Nothing was waiting for you. His hair curly and really long. ASA Aren't you going to say anything about my lovely locks? BETH Lovely. Very lovely. You hit the nail on the head. I want to see if they have firewood. Kendall appears. KENDALL Near the campsites. You'd find lots this time of year. People sell it from their driveways, plus too the sites will have lots. Both Beth and Asa stare at Kendall. KENDALL What? I come from a small town with a few lakes. We camp. BETH It's a really good idea. ASA Let's check it out down here and look outside next. They walk a bit and look inside the rooms. They find a LADY dead in her office chair in what looks like a little office. BETH What do we do? ASA Roll the chair to the garage, or someplace she won't bug us. BETH We have to keep her? KENDALL Indeed. Or this house becomes off limits within days. BETH You know all this stuff, too? KENDALL Like I said, I'm a good dancer, and I'm smart too. He spins around in place. Stops. KENDALL Ta-da! BETH Bravo! You're an amazing dancer. KENDALL Thanks, Beth. Maybe we can be friends … if your best buddy over there wouldn't mind too much? Asa is now facing a wall, arms crossed, leg out, foot tapping against the carpeted floor. KENDALL Is that a no? ASA I don't like you. KENDALL I can teach you to dance! Asa spins around to face Kendall. ASA DEAL!!! Beth laughs. BETH I'd like that, both of you friends. That's good stuff! We see Asa with his hair like normal, Kendall smiling, doing a little jig, and Beth pushing the chair, lady in tote, to find the garage. INT. THE HOUSE - GARAGE - DAYS LATER - AFTERNOON Beth shuts off the engine of a different, larger SUV. Kendall is in the front passenger seat with Asa seated in the back. They have the entire back area, behind Asa, full of nicely cut firewood. In the garage, we see stacks of firewood in the second car spot. They all get out of the vehicle. We see the lady on her chair, dead, in the corner. She's slumped over, arms hanging down beside the chair's arms. Beth, Kendall, and Asa walk towards the back door entrance to the house. BETH (TO LADY) Hi Betty! Good to see you! Beth gives a wave to their garage resident. We look at "Betty." ASA Betty, you look so nice today. What's different? Is that a new dress? KENDALL She's looking fabulous! ASA Isn't she, though? BETH Lovely. They enter into the house. EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - YARD - AFTERNOON Beth is standing back with a shovel, looking at her work in getting the bush planted. Her hair slightly longer. Asa is wearing his hair up in a bun with a white visor on his head, longish blue shorts, and a baggy, white t-shirt with a gardening apron. We see a flat of flowers, and a few more bushes and shrubs around the yard, still in their original buckets. Kendall is doing elaborate cartwheels, ending with bows to Beth and Asa. They acknowledge him with bows. We see the front door of the building has beautiful, long drapes now. BETH Let's go inside for a drink. She places the shovel up against the building and walks the steps up to the landing before the door, turning to see her work. BETH It looks great! Asa and Kendall appear on the inside of the building. Beth is looking for them in the yard until she sees them holding open the drapes, staring at her, pointing, and laughing. BETH Very humorous. Ha ha. She opens the door and goes inside. INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - 1ST FLOOR - SAME TIME We see a couch down in the entryway, boot mats (3) scattered around the area, and a set of hooks on the wall that wasn't there before, with a few lanyards and keys hanging on it. The guys wait for Beth to take off her dirty shoes. She places them on a boot mat. BETH Looks good in here. We've got to gear up for winter really soon. Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn.

[alonethemovie]

EXT. YARD OF APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT The building's outside lights are on. There's now a pretty red flowering bush, still in its original bucket, where Kitty disappeared. EXT. SUPER MART - PARKING LOT - DAY - CONTINUOUS Beth has a large designer tote. Asa and Kendall are nearby searching the dead. KENDALL Someone tell me why we're doing this. ASA How many times do I have to say this? Because she'll need it. BETH I get it, Asa. She finds a lady near a car. BETH Got one! KENDALL Why are you only getting ladies' purses and not wallets from the gents? ASA She doesn't want to dig to find the wallet of a dead guy. Asa looks at Beth, gives her a look as he says: ASA For a smart guy, he's not so smart. Kendall laughs, but it's phony. Asa and Beth give each other another look. ASA Let's go inside, there's some money to be had! Happily, he skips toward the store with Beth running to catch up to him. Kendall kicks a rock and heads in after them. EXT. THE SUV - MOVING - A FEW HOURS LATER - CONTINUOUS Asa is in the back seat, chewing gum, blowing bubbles. Kendall sits up front, with Beth driving. ASA Beth? Do you see any homes you'd like around here? BETH Well, if I can just choose … ya! I want one with a fireplace. ASA Good thinking. What about that one? He points to a nice home, not too big, not too small. Beth pulls into the driveway, parks. She jumps out. Asa and Kendall follow. EXT. THE HOUSE - DRIVEWAY - IMMEDIATELY AFTER BETH Ya, but how do we get in? ASA First, check the doors and windows. KENDALL Kinda creepy doing this. ASA Again, she's gonna need it. KENDALL Why? What's wrong with the apartments we've taken over? ASA Nothing. Nothing at all. ASA (TO BETH) Let's go around back. He starts off in that direction. Kendall leans up to the truck. Beth hurries after Asa. INT. THE HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER We see Beth standing in the older, retro-style kitchen, avoiding the broken glass on the floor. We see a large rock amid the glass. The door's window was shattered. ASA Find the broom. BETH We should look for people. ASA I wanna see what it's like in here! Kendall stands just before the doorway, with the mess inside. KENDALL You'll have to fix that window if you're planning on living here through winter. ASA Yup. BETH Oh man, that could be fun. ASA You're capable, able, and good to go on stuff like this. He strolls around with his hands in his chinos and sees the broom closet. ASA Over here. Beth opens the door, finding two brooms, a dustpan, a mop with bucket, and many cleaners that are sitting on the shelf above the brooms and such. BETH Jackpot! Grabbing a broom and dustpan, she tidies up the mess, sees the garbage pail against the wall, tosses the glass. ASA Let's gooooo check it out! (beat) I'm excited! He scoots off in search. Beth gets the broom back in the closet and follows where Asa went. Kendall, with his right leg forward, shoe pointing, jumps and leaps high across the floor with ease. His arms out to his sides, head back. He then bows. CUT TO BLACK.

[alonethemovie]

BETH And you're lucky I … She rushes at him and tries to push him in the chest. Her hands go right through him. BETH You're a delusion. I'm truly the only one here. She stands back, covers her face with her hands. Kendall disappears. ASA (O.S.) Now whatcha gonna do? Beth sits at her computer, starts browsing. She's searching and reading some results. ASA Smart. He stands behind her. She's reading. KENDALL (O.S.) Stick with that loser, and you're going to waste your life away while you could have been dancing your way through your days with the beautiful me! BETH (ignoring Kendall) Says here, Asa, that delusions and hallucinations can come from trauma and stress. I've had some trauma in my past. And I'd say I'm pretty stressed. Hmm. I wonder. ASA I don't like that guy. BETH I think I'm with you on that. We've got to get to work. ASA Let's figure out what's the most important thing to do today. BETH Water. ASA Check BETH Food. ASA Check. Kendall reappears. KENDALL Dancing. ASA Go away! KENDALL Can't. She loves me. BETH How would you know? KENDALL I'm not only gorgeous, but I'm smart too. ASA Humble. Don't forget humble. Kendall is mildly chuckling to himself. Asa, with his hands on his hips, watches Beth. She stands to get her pad of paper with their list. She sits on her comfy chair. Kendall appears at her feet, on his knees. KENDALL I love you, too, Bethany. Don't be afraid. ASA Oh ya, that's love alright. KENDALL (TO ASA) Who's asking you? You can leave. Take your final exit. Beth stands. BETH I'm going to make something to eat. Excuse me. EXT. FRONT OF APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY - CONTINUOUS We see Beth, Asa, and Kendall standing by an SUV. Beth has a large area rug in her arms. She's heading up the steps, and the door is propped open. Asa is right after her. We see Kendall doing a bit of ballet on the cement before stepping to the door. INT. SECOND APARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER Beth is bringing the rug into the living area. We see several rugs, all new in wrap, lined up against a wall. There's another freezer, many panels of drapes in packaging still, and a couch.