The War Against The Shadows

“The Rise Of The Shadows!” or, more prosaically, “The War Against The Shadows” (or “Remain In Light” or “Cast No Shadow”. part one: "Right Under The Sun")
Copyright Loïg Allix Thivend 1997. Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, Zooey Deschanel in Tobe Hooper's triumphant return. Produced by John Carpenter.

An idea I've carried around since I was about twelve! Thanks to the Internet, I can finally publish it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------VIDEOCLIP PROPAGANDA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night scene: a smart blonde young woman is walking down an empty, squalid street (cheap production values: clearly a bad film set), when suddenly some caricatural baddies (unshaved, foreign-looking etc.), pull a knife on her.

Black baddie: "Hey guys, let's slash the bitch up ‘n get ourselves our doses knowhatImsayin bro'!"

Middle-Eastern looking baddie: "Yeah mofo, and let's take her into slavery for pornos"

The horrified pretty young blonde opens her mouth to scream. Picture freeze. Kitsch (easy listening, seriously bad) music starts. Fade to cheap 80s style special effect stressing the VHS colours.

Cut to aerial shots of a sunny Mexican-looking countryside landscape.

Soothing voice-over: "Evil, evil everywhere in our mad mad world... If you could stand up to evil, wouldn't you rise to the challenge? Wouldn’t you strive to defeat it? ... Or would you let it happen?" Still shots of starving children, beggars, police line around a crime scene, pollution, traffic-jams. Back to the sunny countryside: "Surely you can't let evil infect your life. You can react." Footage of a smiling, sun-tanned, white-teethed blue-eyed guru. "Eogh knows all about dismay and despair. He knows your pain; he's been through the same."

Eogh (the suntanned guru), smiling to the camera: "I know your pain. But I didn't let it overcome me."

Flattering shots of a compound. Back to soothing voice-over. "He too toiled through the dreadful urban landscape before he founded The Commune. Your Commune. Eogh made the choice to retire to the country, he went back to the roots of life. Living off the earth, rediscovering what Our Saviour gifted us with..." Sequence showing Eogh smiling wistfully at his Bible. "You may be tempted to join us... well fret no more, you can join us. It's never too late. You too can reclaim your life at any time. Leave the rat-race behind, don't get caught up in the strife and grime -come and meet Eogh. He will listen to you; he is not here to tell you what to do, but to listen."

Eogh to the camera: "I will listen to you."

Footage of rosy-cheeked children gazing adoringly at the guru who takes them to a nice garden, attended by a happy-looking group of folk. "You know how Eogh turned his life around, you can see how he has dedicated it to rediscovering traditional, natural values -Well so can you. So come on and... visit us. Visit with us, would it be just for a week-long retreat, come to refuel and detoxify in The Commune. Only five miles to Aurora, Florida, you can't miss us: we're right under the sun."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CULT IN REALITY--------------------------------------------------------------------

Brutal cut to the compound shown in the video: much harsher. Night-time. Uniformed, undernourished, shaved-headed adepts with bleak faces stand to attention. The guru presented in the vid walks up and down a square, getting worked up, in the middle of haranguing them: he is increasingly manic, to increasing cheers.

"Cos you don't want these politically-correct God-denying psychiatrists types meddling with your brain! You don't want these charlatans with their fancy words and Jewry affiliations telling you what to do! ...Do you want that? " -automatic response: "No!" from the audience- "They don't listen to you, they don't care, they don't listen to you, all they want is to... infect your mind with their sexual obsessions! Contaminate it with their sick fantasies! "Ooooh I want to sleep with my Mommy!" "Oooooh I like to play with my poo!" -They are filthy! They are filth and they are filthy!" -response: "yeah! hear, hear!"-But we don't want that! We don't need that, do we?" -response: "Nooo"- "That's not the way to go back to our roots, that's not the way to rediscover our true nature, our only true nature Our one and only Lord has gifted us! Let's go back to the Scriptures! Let's go back to The Word!" -brandishing his Bible and thumping it.

A frightened pretty young girl joins the flock, trying to be discreet about it. But the guru has spotted her.

"Take Natalie down here: take our Natalie, trying to hide her late arrival from the eyes of God and mine. Well hello Natalie, so kind of you to join us... ...... Does any of you imagine that God didn't see her? Do you imagine that God doesn't see everything??" -patrolling up and down the ranks- "Whether you're not listening, whether you're late... whether you're lusting after your neighbour, whether you're slobbering after your next meal!"

"Well soon all will be revealed my children, all will be unmasked, cos' I can tell you..." -pointing at the Bible- "...I have found the code. The code and meaning... -to the Revelation!" -Flash of light-

Opening credits.

--------------------------------------------------------------------INTRODUCING TWO MAIN HEROES--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cut to sleepy, sun-kissed little town. A rugged looking man walks in the middle of the street; then is filmed framed from inside a window (from which a lot of the action will be framed later). He spots and enters a general drugstore:

"Howdee, everyone!" The few local customers eye him with caution. A man is browsing through the magazines, not even discreetly ogling the girl behind the counter. The stranger spots the bored-looking Goth checkout girl who welcomes the diversion: "Top of the morning, Vampirella. I say, you do look a sight today, 'love your pale foundation, just love it, ‘brings out the bags under your eyes..." (winks at her). "Well at least that's one person up in this town. Do you folks ever rise before mid-day?"

Goth girl, chewing gum: "??"

A woman in her nightdress and slippers pays up in for a bottle of milk, looking at the foreigner disapprovingly.

The man, tipping his cap: "Ma'am."

She gathers her pink gym-top over her shabby nightdress and leaves haughtily, shrugging her shoulders. The Goth girl barely represses a smile.

The man, wiping his brow: "Phew! I'm knackered, am sweating like a pig, ‘could go through a dozen towels today! .... Right. I would need some antiseptic, some bandages, basic medicinal stuff: need to go trekking through your lovely woods. Would you have any? I lost my first-aid kit... and that's a bit of a worry, that, losing your first-aid... "

Goth girl, amused: "You're not from here you, are you? Here, I'll show you..." (leading him to the medicine section at the back)

Man: "That's right I'm not: Maddock, originally from Ireland. From Cork."

Goth girl: "From Cork. Never heard of it. But then I've never been further than Texas (once), the Surfers and Jesus Lizard were playing this festival... it was pretty cool... And what are you doing here, in our picturesque town of Aurora, so far away from Cock?"

Maddock: "Ahem (cough). Cork. Just snooping around your secret gold reserves -only kidding: sent down to check on the old mines."

Goth girl: "The old mines?"

Older customer who was ogling the girl while pretending to browse through the newspaper, eavesdropping: "You must mean the silver mine, right? Some ways back from here... Snoquialme, it was called. Been closed for yonks!"

Maddock: "Cor-rect. Been closed for fifty. Concession was taken over by a sect, I understand... The Digit Dei, right? "The Finger of God"!?"

Goth girl: "Oh, them..." (clicks her chewing-gum; shows him around to the medicines section of the shop) "Good luck to you if you manage to get in there.. they're not the most friendly bunch, like..."

Maddock: "I know, I've already had the displeasure of talking to their charming PR hostess over the phone. ...Still need to go and check on their end of things. I'll save that official call for the last visit, no question. ...Snoquialme, is that Indian? What's that mean?"

Goth girl: "I'm sure I don't know! ... 's just a name, I s'ppose"

Older customer: "It means "Hell's Mouth", s'that what it means; lots of nasty stories going on about that place... the Indians steer well clear of it... older folks reckon that's why the mine got closed down so quick."

Maddock: "Maybe too quickly." (completes his purchases) "These.... Bible bashers, they give me the creeps personally but, hey, each to their own, right?" (winking at the girl) "...Siouxsie?"

Goth girl: "Ha! 'You know her?"

Maddock: "Sure I do. Did. twenty years ago. Not many Goths round here, I would imagine... being Florida..."

Girl: "A few... we come out at night... We check the action on the Net..."

Maddock: "...the State capital of serial killers and religious cults... -Huh; something in the water I guess. Is it what you do, then? Spend your time on the Net?"

Girl: "Mostly..., nothing much happens around here... it's where the townie squares retire ...they stare at their wallpaper, waiting to die..."

Maddock: "Fabulous. Well maybe you should think of moving? Join a company that would send you prospecting here and there? (By the way, I need a receipt. They can't seriously expect me to pay for my own work hazards!)  Anyway, thank you for your assistance. Right... ‘Hope I won’t come across any nasty surprise out there. Plenty of caves to map first and then..." (Starts to leave.) "Oh, and Buffy -you do need to work on your suntan, love." (tips his cap) "Good luck!"

------------------------------------------------------------INTRODUCING THE MAYOR WHO DOESNT WANT STRANGERS AROUND--------------------------------------

A car, cruising the main street. Inside a teenage girl is sobbing her eyes out. She rants at the camera, staring straight at (us):

Girl’s monologue: "But when he said he loooved me, he said that to every girl!! Everyone! The rat went round and said that to every girl! I can't believe I looked into his eyes and told him all these things about me, I told him everything: my secrets, my fears, my wishes" (goes on for a while)

The camera pans to her right, to reveal a middle-aged man, clearly her father, looking like he couldn’t care less:

Man, trying to sound concerned: "yeah yeah I know, baby... I know, men are ever so bad, ah yes, how can they be so bad..."

Girl: "But you don't understand! You don't understand! I thought he was the one -not just some... small-time punk who thinks he can... just play me, he was, like, the real thing, he was the one you know"

Man: "Yeah yeah, ah, oh..." his eyes drifting to the sidewalk where he checks out young women

Girl: "I opened myself to him.... I told him all about my dreams, my wants... I felt so used and cheated"

Man: "ah... I know baby, I know..."

Girl: "You think you know someone, you think you can confide in them, you think they're for real, and that they... you know them, you think you know them deep inside your gut, your heart"

Man: "Hmm... heart, yeah..."

Girl: "your soul, your heart -and meanwhile, they've just been playing you, they've just been using you for their own agenda, their own"

The driver, finding himself stuck behind a truck that pulls over, honks angrily and interrupts her: "Come on now! We ain't got all day!! Get a move, ya pillock!!"

Latino truck driver comes over, looks him up and down, and starts to unlock the door to his truck: "Sorry, man. Deliveries."

The girl, shocked by her dad's (exposed) lack of concern, stops midway through her rant and stares at him as he mutters under his breath: "That's right, treat the street as your own Pancho, don't mind anyone else ooooh no..."

He manoeuvers around the truck and... pulls over only twenty meters further afield. To his daughter: "Stay right here sweetypie, Daddy won't be long. And you can tell me aallllll about it, there’s a good girl." He dusts down his suit, adjusts his tie and enters the small hotel.

The man: "Good moooorning Walt! How's going today?"

Walt: "Good morning, Mr. Mayor. Fancy seeing you here at this time of day!" (with a wink)

The mayor: "Just passing by, Walt, just passing by –am giving my daughter a lift to school, see. Listen Walt, ‘just wanted to make sure: how 'we doing for this eclipse party tomorrow night? No more visitor booked, I take it?"

Walt, checking his registry: "No-one new, as promised. We're officially booked up. Just the usual weekender: Mrs Minniver and her "son"." (wink) "Her son."

The mayor: "H’e! I hear you. ....'s just that we don't want to get invaded, do we? These hippies and tree-huggers, what-have-you.... We want to save our "optimum premium" viewing perspective for the good folks of our town, isn’t that right?"

Walt: "Right you are, Mr. Mayor!"

The mayor: "OK. Just wanted to make sure, is all. Alright then, and don’t keep no keys on the"

Walt: "You don't need to tell me my business George, and I won't ask about yours. What I may need though, is a little... sweetener in my coffee, catch my drift? I can't have no coffee without sugar and cream, can I?"

The mayor, laughing: "Why you greedy monkey, you are a cunning fox aren't cha? -OK, I'll see what I can do. 'slong as you're going the extra mile. The extra mile for the peace and quiet of our good citizens naturally."

Walt: "Naturally."

The mayor: "And that's precisely why I wanted to ask you, huh Well, you might want to come outside and take a look at your façade..."

Walt: "Huh?"

The mayor: "...you will find that your old rainbow banner advertising the eclipse is still hanging... which is quite unnecessary, I think we can agree."

Walt:"Oh that banner? It's still there?"

The mayor: "It's still there my friend, and it kinda... distracted me from driving, ‘know what I mean? These garish colours... They could cause an accident if one weren't so careful!"

Walt: "Oh waow, you're absolutely right George, ‘completely slipped my mind -'sbeen here for yonks! Joel Rohrer put it up, you know, the teacher?"

The mayor: "Rohrer? Oh aye, you bet I know him -Royal pain in the butt, is Mr. professional malcontent -Tsss, probably one of them on a rabbit-food diet!"

Walt: "Sorry 'bout that George, will see to it immediately -if I get any question, I'll say it caused offence"

The mayor: "That's the spirit: it caused offence. Alright then, and I'll... make the proper enquiries regarding your sugar delivery, OK? Good day to you Walt!"

Walt: "Good day, George."

The mayor leaves the hotel. Roll of thunder in the blue sky: he looks up, surprised.

A pedestrian: "There's a storm coming."

The mayor: "I know."

Gets back to the car, only to discover that his daughter has left and walked off. "Huh?!!" Shrugs his shoulders, none too worried, and, with a grin, switches on a tape: some heavy metal like "I wanna fuck like a beast". Tips an imaginary hat to someone offscreen: "Good day to you, rabbi."

-----------------------------------------------------------THE GURU ANNOUNCES IMPORTANT CEREMONY-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to the sect. The guru is lecturing his flock.

"For tonight is the night! The Scriptures are right!! Tonight is the date prophesied! Cos if you don't believe the Scriptures, what will you go by?? Tonight is the night, remember what they said: "the last shall be first", well you are the last! You are the scum of the Earth!! Drug abusers... women of fallen virtue... alcohol takers... you've all come to me to be saved and redeemed, you've all come here to be given a second chance and rediscover your true nature-Well here is your chance! You can be saved! We have all got back to the simple life and have abstained! We have kept away from the poison of town-life! Down with modern madness!  ....And now it's time to ascend further, it is time to advance! You are now worthy –for you are the chosen people! You will be saved, children, saved, and I know the way!"

-pause- Someone comes to whisper something in the guru's ear. He dismisses him: "??.... So...?! Not now I'm busy! Tell him to pick up a brochure or something, how dare you interrupt me!" -resumes his oration:

"Technicalities. Trivial technicalities typical of material life. Do you see how easily waylaid grand missions can get? How easily we can get distracted? ...But that doesn't matter anymore. That doesn't matter because we are on the threshold. We are on the threshold of the next dimension!

Oh yes we are. Yes we are for tonight He'll come back! Tonight He'll come back! It was written in plain black on white! Tonight He can be brought back! -Cos' we have the code!!" thumps his dog eared bible. "We have the code!! It's been in the book of books all along! The pure of heart are ready and the stars are with us, the eclipse is closing in on our salvation! All the conditions described, all the conditions foreseen -we are here to uphold! We are here to observe! Once in two thousand years! Only once in two thousand years! And it is down to me! It is down to me to fulfill His will! Are you with me, are you with me?" Big cheers from the brainwashed audience. "Tonight we will light a fire... and keep it burning! We will light the fire and keep it burning....... for the return of Our Lord!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------RELIGIOUS CEREMONY---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night-time.

The sect builds a huge pyre in the centre of the square with various cauldrons, herbs and things besides. The guru directs Natalie (the young woman who was late) to throw tree branches and various things onto the fire as he starts chanting incantations from his book; adequate bombastic music, ecstatic rapt faces in the audience, and so on.

More hysterical speech by Eogh to the heavens: "For He now must be revived, it is time! It is time! Arise, arise and lead the final fight! Dear Lord we are calling for the power of the divine light, come back amongst us, poor sinners! Our Father who art in heaven, come back down amongst us!”.

Everyone waits, spies the sky. And waits.  And waits. “Repent the power of darkness!” the increasingly frayed priest intones. Flash of light. "Aaahh.... you Master be blessed!" they intone, delighted. And wait. And wait some more, faces raised to the sky.

And wait, arms raised up. Night is now unmistakably turning to dawn. But nothing seems to happen: disappointed faces all round.
One by one, they repair to their quarters: "Better luck next time! The power of divine light be with you, brother" they console each other.

The guru, to his female aid and last circle of listeners: “I don’t understand, I followed the ritual to the letter, the Prophecy..., there was the eclipse mentioned, in 52 hours exactly, every element fell into place..." -consults his documents- "No such chance before another millennium., the numbers are right... the ritual was respected... We must see this as further punishment from God -Punishment from God! ...all the heavenly conditions fell into place...”

Meanwhile, more adepts leave the spot (on top of the compound, surrounded by a forest). The guru turns on the girl: "Did you follow the rules? Did you follow the rules in the right order?! Did you?!!"

Tearful girl: "Yes Master I did -you know I always do!"

Eogh: "God has been disappointed with you, my child... and He is angry through me! Go back to your room! Go back to your quarter and wait for my orders!" (she flees) -to himself: "But we must not let up...We must not give up -Keep the fire burning! Let's keep it burning!" and he throws some more herbs.

The camera zooms in one some weird misty volume taking shape in the air, tentatively rising from the ground behind him. The guru, now on his own and lost in his documents, senses a presence, looks up, can't see much: "Huh. Huh. Is there anybody out there...? ...Who’s there? But, what da..." Close-up of his intrigued / enigmatic face.

Sudden burst of "this is the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)" -REM.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------TITLE: THE RISE OF THE SHADOWS!------------------------------------------------------------------

The sect's compound. Morning call. A member of the sect walks out in the square towards the fire. He attends to it, gets caught in its smoke, senses something weird, turns round and, mesmerised, witnesses something offscreen. He is attacked by some undistinct black figure. As others try to rescue him in the sun, they too get overcome, suffocated, trapped inside by what appears to be their own other black half (hidden from the audience's point of view) rising with the same hissing sound effect.
Children, who were dragged kicking and screaming by their parents to the chapel, rush back inside to escape their emerging and still groggy black reflection: every (half-glimpsed) shadow takes some time to come into its own before charging at its "owner".

The children's terrified faces bear witness to what is happening off-screen: intriguing noises of violent struggle, finally followed by eerie silence. (We can't see too much of the creatures so soon.) The bell stops ringing.

Pause.

----------------------------------------------------------------THE CHILDREN FLEE TO THE TOWN NEARBY-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nightfall. The silent compound. Children tiptoe outside tentatively, then retreat inside, then try again, step outside. They unlock the gate, start a motorbike and flee through the forest (off to the nearest town to raise the alarm).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------THE CHILDREN’S TESTIMONY IS NOT BELIEVED-------------------------------------------------------------------

Cut to a typical small town named Aurora (the kind you see in “8 Legged Freaks”): one-street town, like. Night-time (the clock indicates three a.m.). The Post Office master is disturbed in his task by the group of five kids who turn up on a couple of noisy motorbikes. In a panic, they take refuge in his office, explaining that "the shadows are coming! They're after us, they're following!" Of course, he laughs their tale off, and tells them to sit still while he sorts out the mail for today. He steps outside: nothing happening.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE SHADOWS ATTACK-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later on, the first customers who turn up don't believe the kids either ("children have such great imagination"). To prove them wrong, villagers step outside in the main dusty main street: indeed, everything is normal. But the children cling on to the table or doorframe, resisting all efforts to drag them outside in the sun. The adults tease them: "You see, nothing to fear!"

When some fool, exasperated, finally manages to carry one of the children outside, the child's shadow rises from the ground behind the man's back; it enters into contact with the man's, and these two attack him (along with the child), to his stupefaction: "What da...?" Big battle / slaughter scene ensues, as other people rush out to help the man and get killed in the chain reaction; the child gets killed too. Shot in a reportage style with fast editing and close-ups: no clear sight of the creatures, only briefly glimpsed.
In the mêlée, someone recalls what the children have been claiming all along; he plunges inside a shop through the window. A girl, pursued by her still groggy shadow, hears the shouts from inside “Get inside! Go hide inside! Quick, don't stay outside in the sun!” She jumps in her car; but it’s a roofless model; she tries to close the roof. The groggy creature is getting close. Finally, the girl drives right into a shop window. Pause.

----------------------------------------------------------------ENTER THE INCREDULOUS HERO------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arrive the future hero. The protagonist has been working underground on his own, and is therefore unaware of the commotion: he remarks on his cellular phone that he hasn't met anyone at all today: "Can you believe it? Typical country folk! I bet cha they're all having a siesta -fair play to them, mind!" Walking unconcernedly bang in the middle of the empty street chatting on his mobile, he manages to miss all the fights going on all around (right behind him / around the corner / over him as he does his boot laces: a bit of choreography required here): not a single shadow "overspills" onto his. To the (terrified) refugees' bafflement (who are witnessing the general mayhem from within), he casually strolls through the main street unconcerned. He eventually enters a supermarket just as a shadow is about to catch up with him. The shadow "dissolves" at the threshold.

He cracks a few jokes at the stunned Goth checkout girl: "Howdee Vampirella. What's going on here? Where's everyone today? Are the Commies or Ay-rabs on the loose? Looks like a desert town straight outta a western...” He proceeds through the shop and gets to the check-out, passing by those who will become his posse: staff and customers who cower in hiding, much to his amusement: "Sorry cowboy, 'fell off your horse? You need to stand back up sometime, you know..." They are too baffled to vocalise and tell him; make tentative gestures towards outside (“But… did you… not see the…") instead. The increasingly sniggering shopper pays at the checkout and is about to step outside when one of the (incoherent with fear) refugees grabs his arm and stops him, pointing at a place offscreen where (right by the main window) a snarling group of creatures lay in wait for him, only inches away from his face. A melee ensues, as the protagonist mistakes the man’s intentions and shakes him off-but other refugees pile in and drag him back inside just in time.

The hysterical refugees surround the man and, all at once in a scene reminiscent of the children's arrival, "explain" what's been happening.
"What da...?!!" The man is naturally disbelieving, turns round to check out what is going on outside, but by that time all the shadows are gone, the street is empty. The others beg him not to step outside: "Who knows Mister, they may be hiding in wait for you to come out! / What do you think they’re doing, they are busy slaughtering the rest of the town! And Sally hasn't got a cell, I can't even warn her!"
“You’ve godda be fuckin’ kidding! Hey man, I come from Ireland but this beats the fairies!"

----------------------------------------------------------------THE HERO ENCOUNTERS THE SHADOWS---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He does walk out against their protestations… yet somehow gingerly. No evil shadow to be seen. Triumphant and incredulous: “See? Nothing to fear, that must have been a mirage or what have you... you guys have been on the wacky backy again, I didn’t know we were in Eureka!” The man gets increasingly confident ("Country bumpkins eh!" What next? Aliens?!") and wanders down the empty street. He turns the corner ...and comes across a bunch of corpses littering the street. “Holy fuck!” he just about escapes the stretched arm of a creature surprised hovering over a body, and can only find an old beaten truck to dive under (in its shade). He looks up to see the "legs" of the evil shadow circling the car. "Fuck me sideways! ...You are ugly, aren't cha? Good thing you lot only spreads to your own kind!" taps the underside of the truck "Good old Trabi, good car, good! ...and now what? Do I just... stay here?" Camera backs off to show him him isolated and irritated under his truck. "He-llo! Anybody out there? He-lloooo.... you good people of Aurora, you do know how I always loved your simple manners... (huh; in a manner of speaking!)  ...don't you? ...Hello, anyone hear me?" (under his breath) "Bitches. All the same." Fade to black. Return to him, still moaning under his truck. Fade to black. Return to him, now snoring under the truck.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE TOWN GETS CUT OFF---------------------------------------------------------------------

Brutal cut to another part of town. As the shadows rebel one by one, the trucker seen before panics, steering away from the black creatures appearing on the road ahead and crashes his truck. His juggernaut now blocks off the main (exit) road, preventing other cars from passing. He slumps in his seat, unconscious; he eventually comes to only to be confronted by the sight of a car coming right at him: crash! A couple of more cars, driven by desperate / panicky people, try to push him out of the way or pass around his wreck. Pyrotechnics. Aurora’s inhabitants are now stranded inside the town, cut off from the rest of the world.
Eerie silence ensues.

  

-------------------------------------------------------THE LOCALS PHONE EACH OTHER-----------------------------------------------------------------

Other parts of the town. Locals call to each other from opposite windows across the street: "Are you OK? What about what'shisname... the old barber? The children? The children on their way to school? Know anything about them? ...What’s your number?" Then they phone each other: travelling of the empty sun-kissed street littered with corpses with phone ringing all along. Fragments of multiple phone conversations (on voice-over) overlap each other:

“What shall we do? Call in the army? / The army? What have they go to with this? And what do you imagine they’ll be able to do? Besides, are you out of your mind: we can’t get any outsider into this mess! No-one will believe us anyway ...would you? Nah, they'd be ripped to pieces! / Maybe so, but we need to do something, anything!  We need to call someone! / What happened exactly? I missed the start, all I can see 's corpses -is this a chemical attack? / Is it radioactive? / Norma, have you seen my dog? What the fuck is going on?? Who are they? Aliens? / What ‘you talking about? / We should never have let gays live openly! First they cause floods and now this! / Ah, don't be silly now -this ain't the X-Files! / What shall we do, what shall we do? Where’s Bruce Willis when you need him! / First thing first, let’s call a town meting, ‘see who’s still out there and who’s down for the count / Well, I'm still here! / Yeah, 'can hear that... / I knew we shouldn't have allowed this solar power thing..."

Cut to the supermarket. Presentation of the survivors there: a checkout /Goth girl ("I'm used to living at night, anyways!"); an athlete (who will try to his own reflection); various outcasts to be defined. Reflecting on how the shadows get to turn evil, the survivors understand that, for a shadow to turn against its master, it needs to come into contact with an "infected" one. If they manage to steer clear, they keep their chances to make it through, they reckon.
They also insist on the importance of staying indoors; "but what will happen at night?" they wonder. As they progress down a long underground corridor, the neon lights come on, one by one, to their terror -but nothing happens. They therefore assume that electrically lit shadows are harmless. One more adventurous person explores the surrounding houses, dashing / jumping from one entrance to another, searching / calling for other survivors inside.

 Cut to another part of the town: the hospice for the elderly. The group of survivors cower in the unlit rooms inside. Mainly elderly people, under the leadership of a more determined head-nurse, “Felicidad”. They wonder about other survivors in town, and suggest going in search of them (“Surely, our first duty is… we must determine if we’re the last ones, ...are we all alone. / What do you think, nurse? We should try to find out if there are any other survivors, what about Davey Jones? Mark Linkous? / I suggest we get to the town-hall and maybe... find the local register, with all the names and addresses, what do you think? Or the Post Office?") Felicidad, meanwhile, keeps silent; she then interjects: "Nope. No we won't. We’ll just stay here for a while, and we’ll wait it out -Let's not split up, people! Let’s stick together. Who knows what's still roaming the streets out there? Let's stick together first, and we'll just... see what happens next. People will come. People will be alerted; it would be madness to go explore at this time under threat, I suggest we just... close ranks and keep watch. ...Sorry people, but if any of your friends has been attacked, chances are that they're dead by now, there's nothing you can do for them now." Looks out the window.

Aerial shot over town, cut to the first group of survivors not too far away.

On their way through cellars and shaded back alleys, they reach a surprisingly hi-tech corridor; they are talked to on a P.A. system by a mystery person, who then switches on a blue light to reveal an antiseptic room (“Mulholland Drive” style) in which this person lives: an albino disabled teenager. He explains that he is the hidden son of a State bigwig and has spent his life secreted away indoors. Linkus (is his name) also tells them that never coming into contact with the sun is not the end of the world. He shows them a secret tunnel to the local library adjacent to the town hall.
The group survey the darkening sky outside with worry: “Soon it’ll be night-time… what will it mean for them? Will they blend into the night like ink in water? What did the kids say again, dammit, can't remember, where are the brats when you need them! / Remember you told them to stay safely behind? / Huh…”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out: if you fear the dark, don’t switch off the light! I’ll keep the light on all night, me, and I sure ain’t gonna step out to test the air –who knows what it will contain! The... essence of evil? / I’ll be damned if I’ll find out for myself!” They agree to stay put and await the night in well-lit rooms.
“Can’t see anything moving!” / “Can’t say I do either!” But there’s a grumbling sound all round. “Listen, come by the window, don’t open it! Can you hear this… Sounds like… sound waves, or an engine coasting… under tension…” Various sound effects. “Huh. Don’t want to sound rude but…” the one closer to the window dashes to the toilet. The other guy laughs: “Ha, ha! Dodgy squirrel again, Elmer?” But suddenly he too presses his stomach; the other ones wonder what’s happening. “It’s like… huh. The Earth’s grumbling… Like bass guitar inside my guts, owww!” Soon everyone starts to feel slightly nauseous. Sound effects outside.
One woman remarks: “You’ve obviously never experienced the joy of pregnancy, gentlemen. Contractions. It’s like… the Earth’s about to give birth or something.” The men make funny faces.
“It’s like some kind of electric current in the air…” They all feel on edge. And somebody adds: “Doesn’t look like we’re gonna get much sleep tonight.”

Soundtrack: "waiting for the night"-Depeche Mode

------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE HERO RETURNS TO THE DRUGSTORE AT NIGHT-----------------------------------------------

Night-time. Back to the man under the truck: he wakes up in a jerk, bangs his head; remembers what happened; checks his whereabouts; emerges cautiously: first an arm, then the rest of his body. He rushes to a house; finds out it's empty. "Right... need to find them again" (i.e. the people he last saw in the shop); he dashes from one entrance to the next. Makes it to a house. Sudden noise in a the next room: he braces himself and almost knocks out the guy from the supermarket also on a reconnaissance mission in the other direction.
They make their way back to the supermarket.

That night, the group take over a commercial centre, raiding the lamp / light-bulb department, where they meet the other group of survivors who had the same idea. (At first the two groups fight each other, then decide to unite their efforts.) A scientist among them –the mandatory intelligent-therefore-ridiculed figure- reckons that electric light (which is not natural) does not act in the same way as sunlight, and even has an adverse effect on the "shadow-vampires" for some reason. They stock up on batteries and torches to scare the evil shadows away with when day breaks. Electric light acts like holy water sprayed onto the undead; cue sound effect: when hit, the demons emit a “pschitttt” burning sound.

-------------------------------------------------------Part Two: "High Noon All Over The World" / "THE TRUTH IS OUT" ----------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE SURVIVORS’ DISCUSSION--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn breaks after a stressful night. 

Man-from-under-the-truck to the Goth girl: "Good news for you Princess: ‘looks like we are destined to lead our lives in the dark.

Albino character: "It's not the end of the world, it can be done."

Albino guy: "The sun gives life, but it also gives cancer. Many people forget it -I never did."

mm: "Right. Er..."

Albino guy: "It's like when people moan about the rain that ruins their day... -Well rain is necessary for life, for plants to grow."

mmm: "Well, sure... it's just that..."

Albino guy: "Besides, for all we know rain might protect us in our present condition: aren’t shadows blurred in rain? They tend to disappear, don't they? So who knows... This might buy us some time."

Maddock: “What’s your name, then? Poison Ivy? Siouxsie? Eloise? I'm Maddock. From Cork."

Goth girl: "From Cork. Which State is that? I've never been further than Texas, when the Butthole Surfers were playing... I am Draghixa ...but I guess you may call me Tina."
Maddock: "Hey Tina. Cork. From Ireland, you know? ...across the seas, like. Some faraway State, never mind. And your charming neighbour is...?" (pointing at a snoring teenager)
Tina: "I don't know. Just some bloke. Works across the road. I think."
Maddock: "You think? Why... you guys see each other every day and you don't know his name?"
Tina: "Why should I! It's not like we... have anything in common. We just live in the same town, is all."
Maddock: "Well thanks God for complete calamities then, if it gets people talking to each other... 'Tell you why, why don't you let me do the honour when that charming lad wakes up: I'll introduce you. I've seen you check him out." (She reacts to the word "lad" and looks horrified at the suggestion.)

People gradually get up, check the outside. They spot activity in the street.

Voice-over: "Shall we tell them? Hey! Get back inside!!" / "Wait, wait! Maybe it's finished, let's see what happens! / "Eh?? When I don't even have my camera?! "

Someone in the background: "Does anyone know the mayor's number?"

Someone else: "The mayor? And what d'you think he'll do about it? What has he got to do with this voodoo shit going on?"

Old lady: "you 'what? You're a "Goth"?"

Tina: "yeah"

Old lady, disapproving: "Hmm! I've read about them... satanists, nazis! Sacrificing babies and small animals!"

Tina: "I'm actually a vegetarian."

Old lady: snort of derision "Exactly! Hitler was a vegetarian."

Tina: "Wrong again. In fact he wasn't, it's just red meat he didn't like."

Old lady: "Well, that's what I heard on Fox News!"

Tina: "Well maybe you shouldn't believe everything you hear Ma’am... and maybe ask the person concerned."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE MAYOR RUNS AWAY---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cut to the mayor's office. The lovable rogue type stuffs banknotes inside his attache-case hurriedly, leaves his desk’s drawers open, checks outside. He hears a noise in the next room: "Jeeeean... Jean is that you?" Picks up a gun, then goes to investigate; then thinks the better of it, shrugging his shoulder, and goes back to the window which he opens. The door to his study opens: left-wing character Joel Rohrer:

Joel: "Mr. Mayor! ...I see that that you are taking the interests of your electorate at heart. Where you think you're going"

The mayor waves his gun at him: "Back off, Rohrer! You've got no business here!"

Joel: "Indeeeed... I'm sure it's all yours" (pointing at the papers sprayed on the desk) "What you gonna do with this gun, Mr. Mayor? Shoot me? Ain't there enough death around at the moment, you want to contribute your personal touch?"

The mayor growls: "Aaah you ain't worth it" and flings his gun away. It goes off, and both men jump.

Joel: "What have you got to hide, chief? What's the big skeleton in the closet here?"

The mayor: "Aaah leave it Rohrer, it's all gone sideways now anyway"

As the conversation goes on, a black creature walks by outside and comes back into the frame of the window, alerted by the voices; it comes closer. Joel spots it and moves towards the mayor.

Joel: "Don't move! Don't move now, come back inside!"

But the mayor, his back to the creature, hasn't seen it: "Aaah back off, back off will you, you think you can hold me accountable for" as this moment the shadow of one of his limbs comes into contact with the infected shadow and the mayor, a gasp of incredulity on his face, is dragged outside. Offscreen sounds of a battle to Joel's horrified face. He goes out to check what's happening: the mayor is fighting his way out; he is grabbing his double by a leg and flings it around; finally throwing it inside the window opening where it evaporates with a characteristic sound. Growls, out of breath: "Pussy." Then legs it to his car.

Joel reappearing at the window, relieved, punches the air: "Run Lola, run!"

-----------------------------------------------------------TWO OBSERVERS START VIDEOTAPING THE EVENTS----------------------------------------------------------------------

Some passers-by try their luck; everything looks fine -when suddenly a rogue shadow appears from a side-street and gleefully jumps into that person’s  shadow. The new "infected" shadow turns on its owner and soon enough, the carnage kick off all over again and spreads to his companion.

Groans of horror (voice-over):
"Did you get it on your phone? Huh? Huh? ‘Got the footage? / Well at least we now know... poor Marty, that makes for a lovely widow ha ha! / and how the virus spreads. They –like- contaminate each other, don't they? These... things. Are they, er, people's secret identities or something? Their dark secrets? / You’re in trouble then, mate! / Where do these things come from...? D'you reckon they're terrorists? / Shit I hadn't thought of that! Are they... Muslims? / Dear oh dear... / To think I didn't even get it on my phone!  / Film this?! Are you for real? / ‘Course I am!  Are you kidding? You remember the JFK film, right? This is worth millions! Millions. Historical document y’know, Reality TV and all... / Look at 'hem, look at ‘hem doing this poor fuck... Waow, that must have hurt! / Oooh, take that! Nasty. Nasty. Poor sod eh (hmm, I guess). / Where we supposed to go? / Hmm... hmm... where’s the food reserves is the question. Trolley dash! See the drugstore... Can you manage to make it over there? / No probs. Sure you can. / Tell me you are kidding, right? / It's only fifty meters from your house; I’ll spot you. / And who says our own shadow aren't already infected? / Like ...dormant like a virus? / I'm ready to take that chance. I'll just... chance an arm outside... 'see what happens..."

The man gradually inches outside: nothing happens. He gets his entire body in the sun. Nothing wrong. He dashes across the street. Finds the shop locked. Nervously looking over his shoulder, he bangs on the window and tries to smash it; doesn't manage; finally rushes back to his mate. They pick up a hammer or something and cross the street again, the second man also testing his own shadow. They run parallel to each other, careful not to overlap their shadows. The shop turns out to be a hi-fi shop, where they load up on audiovisual equipment cackling like hyenas. Set up cameras. Wait for a new victim.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(DISCUSSIONS)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in the hospice. The elderlies: "Where’s it come from? Looks like black magic to me... that darkness rising... -Black magic, that is.”

People –who now start to understand the reciprocation process- try to maintain their distance from each other when they meet, circling round each other cautiously.
Scene featuring a dancer, nimbly preventing her / his shadow from getting "contaminated" by surrounding evil ones, out-jumping them gracefully and evading them.
Barricaded inside the supermarket, the group weigh all their options. The learned one in the group (i.e. “g**k”) proposes to build "portable light armours" individual lamp-post: people could try to carry lamps strapped all around their body, augmented with mirrors and aluminium paper so as to maximise luminosity –but this means stocking up on batteries. And so batteries become the most precious commodity, for which rival groups come to blows inside various supermarkets. Special effect: the torches burn holes through the shadows, erasing them away. Humans wave their ray of light about, inside the (initially unafraid) shadow silhouettes.

The Goth girl, the elderly caustic WC Fields character and others chat with Erik:
Erik “My main worry is for tourists chancing upon the town, fancy stepping right into this…”
“Ha! You’re not from around here! Nobody ever chances upon Aurora, nobody. If this isn’t the arsehole of the world, it has to be its armpit! Conversations stop whenever an outsider turns up… Take yourself, for one –what on Earth possessed you to come here of all places??”
“Oh it wasn’t my choice… It wasn’t my choice. You see, I’ve been sent to study oil prospects in the area –you know I’m a geologist, right? I still should be teaching, in my couchy job up North… but let’s say I’ve ruffled a few feathers, in some circles… And there was my assignment as a result, I’ve been sent to Coventry as we say.”
“(??) Sent to Aurora... good Lord. They couldn’t have chosen a better place.”
“Look at it this way, the ground has delivered -and big time too! Just not quite what was expected, black gold, but…

“Were you prospecting near the nutcases encampment?”

“Nah couldn’t, that lot forbid me to check downbelow where the old shaft was."
Someone: "Well, you can't blame them. These guys are, like, cut off from the rest of the world. Wanna go back to the roots or something, their main man's on a mission. And he likes his privacy."
Maddock: "Oh so you know them?"
Third person: "Everyone knows them around here, in a manner of speaking: they brought business to the whole town when they did up the old place. ‘Word goes, their leader's been a generous benefactor to the town-hall in exchange for privacy...."
Tina: "Lots of stories going round about them, yeah.... but the general attitude is if you don't bother them, they won't bother you."

Meanwhile, a few local or State policemen dispatched to the rescue are engulfed by their own reflections.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MORE DISCUSSIONS / THE SURVIVORS GET ORGANISED ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Idea: armed forces are of no help whatsoever, as the couple of local policeman hurriedly dispatched to the rescue blindly rushed outside to be engulfed by their own reflections; -science has been wrong-footed and can't cope with supernatural. What remains, then?

“Human spirit, inventivity, that’s what. In extra-ordinary circumstances, you have to think outside the box… if I may say so”, someone proclaims, to nonplussed looks (“Think. Outside the box. What you goin’ on about, man?”). “What I mean is… we just can’t apply the same mind-frame that we normally would can we? We need to be clever. You know, substitute cleverness to traditional cop-outs.” “Go on be my guest, be clever all you like, as long you find a way of getting rid of these pests! And how exactly do you propose doing that, smart pants?” “Well what we need to do is… find and exploit the shadows’ weak point. We already know what they can’t stand, and at what time they manifest themselves. We have the upper hand at night, for instance.”
“Yeah but we also need to defend ourselves in the day-time, so when can we rest!”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that detail…”

In a twist, some religious person actually welcomes the arrival of the forces of evil, based on/expanding on what the children explained; he/she offers the thought that maybe the ceremony did achieve its intended effect, and signals a prelude to Christ's Second Coming.
"So, why don't you step outside then, and do your maker's work? Join in the fun, the Revelation! I’ll rapture you anytime…" the sarcastic “leader” of the group replies.

Also, someone in the group remembers that children were /are more apt to grasp the new, mad, situation than rational adults: they are accustomed to terrifying fairy tales; maybe adults should heed their advice next time or ask for their opinion?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACTION SCENES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.

Chase scene, in which a main character dives into a staircase leading downstairs. He first thinks, jubilantly, that he is now safe in a corner, even though surrounded by the hissing creatures who corner him but can't enter the dark zone; he teases them: “Eat – my – dust, fogface”. ...But inexorably the Earth turns and he realises (“Huh oh”) that his angle of protection is gradually diminishing: he retreats in the ever dwindling tightest of angles, sucking his belly in etc.. Thankfully night-time also falls, and in the last minute he is saved, as the shadows dissolves in a “whoosh” sound.

Such action scenes alternate with anguished discussions / reflections.

Possible sound-effect for the shadows: played backwards (like speaking in tongues), which indicates their unseen presence in the vicinity (a bit like serpents hissing in the grass).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SURVIVORS PONDER THEIR OPTIONS----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To move around, the humans have the option of waiting for the night, groping in the dark; or –if in the daytime- progressing outside protected by their portable full-body lamps protection. If attacked, their torch is their only weapon, which they flash in the hissing creatures' direction in order to keep them at bay. Obviously, batteries run out at some point: a character is thus forced to jump into a car and ram it into a shop window.
Fight and chase scenes. Chase scene in which a main character dives into a staircase leading downstairs; aha ! He first thinks, jubilantly, that he is now safe in his corner, even though surrounded by the hissing creatures that can't enter the dark zone. He teases them (“Eat – my – dust, fogface”) ...but inexorably time passes and he realises (“Huh Oh”) that his angle of protection is gradually diminishing: he retreats in the ever dwindling tightest of angles, sucking his belly in etc.. Thankfully night-time also falls, and in the last minute he is saved. The shadows dissolves in a “whoosh” sound.

Such action scenes alternate with anguished discussions / reflections.

Possible sound-effect for the shadows: like speaking in tongues, or serpents’ hiss, or crickets -which will be used to indicate their unseen presence offscreeen / in the protagonists’ vicinity. Sound louder at night, keeping the humans on edge.

The possibility of the shadow not being born evil lends for trial-by-error suspense scenes in which two humans meet in the street, eye each other up, circle each other, keep a worried eye over the other one's shadow. Gradually, the shadows learn how to pretend, and may appear to be uncontaminated at first, only to strike when in a more advantageous position. Or they may prop up / hide behind a (already dead) old man (in the street), whom someone takes pity on and approaches ...with disastrous results: the evil shadow jumps out from behind to strike at the misguided helper.
Duel scene: a body-builder imagines he can outfight his shadow ...and loses. The evil unleashed being proportionate to the size / volume of the originator, the man gets thrown about in the air (cf. “Matrix” fight scenes).

The group come across an Otaku kid, whom they had never met before: an intensely private person, this almost autistic artist only lives at night, drawing sci-fi cartoons and watching films. He offers to take up night-time vigils on their behalf as he is already used to live at night. He remarks: “This is the perfect anti-Nightmare On Elm Street.” “What on Earth you talking about?” “Well you see, just like in vampire movies, the characters are safe in the day-time. They dread the night. Whereas for us… it’s at night-time that we’re safe, see?”
Someone realises that the only way for the shadows to spread seems to be coming into contact with innocent ones (i.e. outsiders' shadows), as the children have been saying all along. Therefore, calling for help will only make the matter worse: outsiders wading in will increase contagion. In fact, the shadows have everything to benefit from global exposure: the world at large is a fertile ground to infest. Aurora’s inhabitants must therefore not bring attention to this –as yet- local "virus". In fact, they must make sure that no-one bursts in or visits the little town. The fact that Aurora is so isolated may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, as it contains the epidemic.
-“Because of its history.” …(pause) They cast a glance at an old mural depicting the massacre of native Americans. General feeling of unease... common guilt...
‘Yep. Because of its history.”
“-But then, how can we be sure it hasn’t spread elsewhere yet? We can’t be sure! Some of these Digit Dei loonies, they may have fled and spread the virus elsewhere for all we know.”
“That’s right. But this we don’t know if that’s the case. ... Do you fancy travelling up to their camp to find out what’s going on? No, we can’t assume anything.  We can only deal with what we know. What we see. This here, this instance of infection. And being in the middle of nowhere, at least this reduces the risk of interference. ... Consider it a plus.”
“Ha! ... Why not a blessing while you’re at it. ... If only we had a way of raising the alarm though. I still think we should. I think it’s imperative, even. ‘Wish there were some kind of interconnected phone network…”
“On that subject, the phone company is bound to notice. They’ll send someone.”
“-And waltz right into trouble.”

At the same time, sacrificing themselves is no guaranteed solution: who knows what will happen afterwards when someone inevitably comes across the town -even if they were to leave plenty of warning signs everywhere? Someone remarks that the more you try to warn people against something, the more attractive that thing becomes.

Erik resents being co-opted as a leader as he is a natural, straight-talking loner. At some stage, he makes it clear that his first objective is to save his skin.

------------------------------------------------------------THE MAYOR CHECKS ON HIS DAUGHTER, DISCOVERS WEAPON BY CHANCE-----------------------------------------------------------------

The mayor, with his suit increasingly soiled and torn apart, makes it to his daughter’s college. Students cheer on from windows giving onto the front court ("fight! fight! fight!") as other kids get overcome by their shadows. The mayor is appalled; he goes looking for his daughter in the entertained and / or panicky crowd. Some gangs of kids who now feel  untouchable go on a rampage, smashing up classrooms, throwing equipment out of windows. The mayor is even more appalled and fights his way through the braying kids, as if negotiating an assault course (riotous atmosphere; soundtrack Lard-"The Power Of Lard").

Meanwhile, a terrified group of girls is looking for a safe place within the building. As they pass a classroom, they notice a door left ajar and stop, go back and peek inside. They look relieved, snigger: they can see the back of a kid talking to someone apparently slumped onto a chair next to him. The girls almost call up to him until then one of them thinks better ("Sssshhh, that's Donny... what's he saying? Listen!"). Giggling to themselves, they tiptoe inside the room.

Schoolkid Donny (in the middle of a monologue addressed to his offscreen neighbour): "...the truth is I never felt comfortable, I never did. I could never feel... I could trust them, you know. It's like I just can't trust anyone, I don't... believe they'll understand me -and so it's just easier to pretend. It’s easier to play dumb, to make stuff up, to play to the gallery -but I hate that! I hate that. Deep within me I feel like such a fraud. I feel like a clown -that's what I am, a clown, playing to the gallery, which is so much easier than, er..., open up, y' know. Let it be known how I'm really like."

As he delivers his anguished confession, the camera rotates to reveal that he is in fact talking to a beaten-up corpse. The girls make the gruesome discovery and flee, horrified.

Donny, turning round: "But? But... Wait, wait! It wasn't me, it wasn't me I didn't do it, 'just dragged her body in, it wasn't me"

The girls run away, only to crash into the mayor.

The mayor: "Thanks God you're alright! I was so worried about you..."

His daughter (Julie): "Daddy Daddy!" They embrace.

The mayor: "I know I know, I shouldn't have let you walk to school this morning, it was all my fault, who know what might have ha"

Julie: "Don't leave me now, don't leave me!"

The mayor: "I've gottago now, I've gottago"

Julie: "Don't leave me, don't leave me again!"

The mayor: "I've gottago, there's something I need to take care of, I think I know who may be responsible for this, I've gotta find out, there will be hell to pay"

Julie: "No don't go!!"

He tears himself away from Julie, giving her back to her friend: "Listen sweetheart, you've got a heart of gold, don't ever let anyone abuse it –I need to sort this, I may be responsible, I need to sort this fucker out. Be good er... -Be true, don't make things up!"

Back outside, he makes his way to his car clinging to the wall, flashing a torch away from his own body. He advances as several hissing creatures gather around him.

"Ah, fuck off you big fart! You heard me, don't imagine I can't recognise you! You always were a pain in the butt when you were alive and now you –ah, enough with you!"

Waving his lamp at them, he finds out that it burns holes into them. The shadows scarper off, squealing (or like a balloon losing air: sound effect to be determined). (Future leitmotiv from then on: burning sound effect as the demons are hit by the light that drills a hole through them -but then, this sort of ray of light can only go so far, the attacker will need to get close to his target). On a roll, he gives chase to them, burning them off. But as he shakes his torch about, there is a false contact and the light goes out. "Uh-oh..." He shakes it again and the light comes back on, then dies out again. "Uh-oh. Ahem..." The creatures who have taken notice start to return. He coughs nervously: "Ouch."

He stares at his surroundings: finds himself exposed; there is only a filthy looking ditch to dive into, in the suit he was so proud of in various scenes. "My suit, my beautiful suit..." he takes a deep breath and jumps into the foul ditch.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SURVIVORS DISCUSS THE EVENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  

Maddock resents being co-opted as a leader, being a natural straight-talking loner. He makes it clear that his first objective is to save his skin.

In their shelter, the group try to assess the situation, and how to remedy it:

1) define danger at stake; 2) fight back (with lamps is the only option so far); 3) escape?

But only to an uncontaminated place, making sure nobody amongst them is a carrier of the virus. Who is the least likely to get affected by these shadows? "Vampires" answers Marisa, to much sarcasm in the audience; she insists: "oh, but they exist!" The main man backs her up: "You may laugh -and I would too, normally- but in these circumstances my friends... normal conditions no longer exist nor apply, we are way out of the loop here! I don't know, we have stepped into The Twilight Zone, here... Let's face it, humans have to adapt and survive in a world gone sci-fi. In a world where shadows turn on men, maybe vampires do exist after all, maybe these scary movies weren't that deluded after all, maybe they actually meant something, who knows... Maybe vampires do exist and they can help us out in showing us how to evade daylight!"

Or else, humans can try to copy films and venture outside hidden under protection; maybe surfaces are not affected: Marisa reckons only living creatures' projections get a life of their own, whereas objects don't suffer the same indignity. After all, houses' shadows haven't rebelled so far. Or cars'. If humans were to venture outside, hiding under, say, a table held aloft, they should be fine, providing they totally stay inside the shade. The only thing... who is willing to try? They look at each other: this will be their next trial-and-error case.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FAILED ESCAPE SCENE---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some people try driving out furiously, but their car is raced by the people's shadows who throw themselves at the vehicle. The shadows catch up with the runaways as the vehicle finds itself blocked at the end of the main street; it tries to push the wrecks obstructing the road. The creatures burn holes into the car (suspense scene). In the end, the driver gives up and reverses all the way with the car falling to pieces: hellish vision of the car under attack between two towering hissing “walls” of demons swarming upon it then dividing as the parting of the seas. He drives through a barricade of demons obstructing his way into the garage. The car just about makes it to the garage, shot to pieces.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MORE DISCUSSIONS NEEDED AS TIME RUNS OUT-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The group need to to get organised as it appears that the forces of evil outside evolve and get stronger:
As they grow in numbers, the shadows get increasingly evil and organised. They now spread unrolling tentacles to overlap and contaminate innocent ones: scene in which a man assumed he was at a safe distance from a nasty one on the other side of the road ...then the evil shadow doubles in volume and throws a gigantic arm at him. He gasps "you've godda be fuckin' kidding", slightly fascinated and dazed by the monstrous sight; succumbs to its embrace.

The Goth member of the survivors hazards a vision of the shadows gradually  linking to form a gigantic creature. The group are led to ponder whether this is not the Antichrist (cf. original scene / intention) + it’s just like what the kids told them in the first place: they should have paid more attention. The lesson being (as a character puts it) not only were these Digit Dei guys totally barking ...but they actually were onto something and bought the Devil back to life! And the character wonders: isn’t it what is supposed to happen for Christ to come back (i.e. first witness the rising of its enemy)? Silence all round: nobody’s quite sure of the biblical details involved. Someone goes in search of a Bible in the hotel to read up on it.

Keeping track of what the shadows are up to outside (via eyeholes in the increasingly battered wall), the survivors note that the creatures now tend to congregate, rather than roam the streets in search of passers-by. It looks like a super-creature is emerging, which gains strength with every new addition: the dark collective is forming a super entity (cf. Tetsuo, Quatermass.)
What is to be done, then? The survivors are aware of their vulnerability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SOME PEOPLE REFUSE TO FACE UP TO THE SITUATION-------------------------------------------------------------------

A couple of stressed-out youth decide to do just that: they refuse to face up to the fight going on outside and play video-games all day long, going bowling and dancing in an empty disco in complete hedonistic denial. Similar scenes of survivors enjoying the available indoor  facilities while cries of pain and sounds of battles can occasionally be heard outside. One of them keeps mumbling to himself reassuring mantras, hope against hope, his head bobbing up and down maniacally. “Surely, these demons will go away… they’ll go away… They’ll latch onto someone. Someone will drive them away… that will be it, he will take them away, far from here... And we will be saved, we shall be saved, they’ll just leave us alone, they’ll go away, they’ll forget about us, evil, evil will forget us…” To which someone replies: “Don’t kid yourself son, evil never forgets you, it just doesn’t go away… It will always catch up with you. You can’t hide, you can’t bury your head in the sad, it will find you.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MADDOCK GETS KILLED -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shock twist: the group lose their most influential figure who gets killed in an ingenious ambush. Maddock (played by Christopher Walken or James Wood) comes across a dazed woman in the street, wandering about, hardly responsive to his shouts: "Hey, ma’am, hey, can you hear me? Can you hear me? Do you understand me? Get out of the street, get inside a house, hey, are you alright? I can hear them –hurry up!" Against his better judgement, the usually grumpy, cynical man decides to come to her rescue; he scans around, reaches out to her; she falls to the ground: already dead or drugged, she was just propped up by a vicious shadow hiding behind her, who attacks and engulfs the hero in its darkness.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE MAYOR SPREADS THE WORD ABOUT LAMPS-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group of characters talking hear a car roaring up their way. They peer outside: the vehicle is covered with creatures clinging to it, banging on it; the car swerves and gets rid of the two shadows on its top. Then a cat creature dives on it from a balcony. The car screeches to a halt and the cat loses his balance. The car stops by the door: its window opens, it's the mayor, in his suit now covered in goo: "Stock up on torch-lights! Get some torch-lights! These things can't put up with them, it's like shooting at them -Get yourselves some torch-lights I tell you! Torch the lot of them, spread the word!"

Character: "Where ‘you off to, Mayor?"

But the mayor reverses into a creature just as it is about to reach him; drives off, shouting "I'm off to" (incomprehensible),

He stops at the next block of flats to repeat his instructions to people hiding there.

The locals descend on the drugstore to loot its supplies of batteries and lamps.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE MAYOR HEADS FOR THE COMPOUND---------------------------------------------------

The car driven by the mayor (covered in goo) speeds towards the compound, gleefully ploughing its way through the shadows' bodies (flying through the air, left and right) which it finds standing in its way.

The mayor, manic (think end of “Braindead”): "Take that, goo goo guy! And you, oil face! I'll have you rise and terrorise my township, nobody fucks with the fuckmeister! Not even ghosts, hear that? Say "ah" for Daddy, hear comes your little treat!" -opens his car door smack into a creature, which is sent flying in the air. "Didn't see it coming did you? Oooh I forgot, no eyes! Sorry!"

He finds himself on the last straight stretch of road leading up to the fort after a hairpin curve. And stops, open-mouthed: "Uh-oh... Fuck me sideways with a rusty spanner...". The camera turns round to reveal the dirt road crawling with creatures (including animal ones?) making their way up there. (Appropriate music at this juncture.) He draws a deep breath: "Knew it. There is something going on there..." He revs up his engine and races to the gate, with the sea of creatures opening as if to make way for him. Heroic soundtrack: think Pink Floyd-"One Slip".

Cut to the fort's internal central square: the car, by now just about holding up in one piece (comic effect) arrives at its destination and skids to deposit its occupant next to a balcony. The mayor climbs out the smashed windscreen and up through the upstairs window, bellowing:

"Eeeeeeeogh! Where are you? What the fucking fuck is going on round here!!! What have you been up to, you sorcerer!"

Cut to room inside. The mayor freezes: in the room is a group of catatonic kids (in the sect uniform), rocking back and forth in shock. One of them is the young woman from the ceremony.

The mayor: "it's OK, it's OK Daddy's here, it's OK son, don't worry I... er... -you'll be fine now, I'll just..." Realises how powerless he is. "It was just a dream, a nightmare from a crazy book... -Anyone seen Eogh? You know, the big chief, funny beard white robe? D'you know what happened to him, can anyone tell me what happened at all?" He grabs them in turn.

Then the girl snaps out of her trance: "Eogh... Eogh? Yes, Our Leader, the Saviour... "rediscover yourself", Eogh..."

The mayor grabs her: "Yes yes,  the Leader, that’s the one, do you know what happened to him? What did he doooo? For God’s sake, what has he been up to?? Where can I find him??"

The girl: "Eogh... "for He shall rise and return"... "this is the time of Revelation", our Leader yes..."

The mayor shakes her up: "What did he do? Where is he? I need to see him!"

"See him? but it's too late now, the Revelation is upon us, he"

"Where is he, I need to know!"

"I know. I know where he is..."

“Show me then -take me to him, take me to your leader!"

He pulls her up and pushes her towards the bowels of the building: "Show me love, let's go, we'll see about this Revelation..."

She takes him to the guru's study.

----------------------------------------------THE MAYOR CONFRONTS EOGH AND IS TAKEN PRISONER-----------------------------------------------------------

Cut to Eogh's study (religious symbols everywhere, etc.). They find him deep in thought, with mad eyes, in a sea of papers, melted candles and so on.

-the mayor: "Eogh, thanks God you're safe -What the fuck happened, man?? Who are these fuckers outside and since when do shadows rise I ask you! Not in my town they don’t! What can you do about it, you bloody clown? I've got a town-load getting slaughtered right up my arse, me"

Eogh jumps at their entrance as if in a trance. His expression goes through various states until he eventually focuses, bright-eyed, on the mayor:

"!?!!?? Oh. Oh what are you doing here? Yes yes, this is er... We, er..., ah, need to resist it -Thanks God you're here: I couldn't otherwise, er..."

The mayor stands him up roughly: "What the fuck happened, man? Call that an exorcism? Call that a "mass cleansing"? -I call that a killing fuckin' field!!"

Eogh pushes him off: "Enough, enough, this is no place for obscenities -I know!"

The mayor: "So-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it you flying fairy, stop it at once!!"

"I will I will -Get off me first! ...Right. ...Follow me then, since you are here, there is no time to lose." (thinks hard and looks around) "But first, you need to get some supplies for your own safety"

"Supplies, what supplies?"

Eogh, pointing to a cabinet: "Down there, you'll find some holy sacraments and a Bible"

The mayor rushes inside ...only to find himself locked in by Eogh: "??!? What da -What does this mean you fucking fuck?"

Devilish laugh from Eogh: "Ha ha ha ha ha you fool! What did you imagine? You definitely know nothing whatsoever! ...but I'm afraid I will have to leave you my friend, leave you here... for eternity! (Wha ha ha ha!) Mind you, it won't be long coming now... any minute..." He gathers his personal effects and leaves the study, leaving the apoplectic mayor to pummel the heavy door. "Follow me Rachel -We have more holy work to attend to."

Close-up of the door, behind which a stream of obscenities can be heard in-between blows and then "Ouch, ouch that hurt, that... My hand..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE TWO VIDEO-VOYEURS-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two videasts share their views as more people get slaughtered in the background.

Wyatt, philosophical and drunk: "The say that if you stay long enough by the river, you'll see the body of your enemy floating by" (pointing at the main street)

Earl: "What you on about Wazz man (burp), you ain't got any enemy!"

Wyatt: "Are - you - so - sure... -Are you so sure, pal? People, they sneaky fuckers they are... Behind their knowing smiles, you can never tell, you never know what goes on insde their heads... Like when they short-change you at the shop eh? And they imagine I haven't noticed..."

Earl: "But (burp) but you can go back to the shop, why don't you go back to the register, Wazz, and tell them 'change's not right? You can clear up the mistake, may be just a misunderstanding for all you know"

Wyatt: "Fuck the "misunderstanding"! Keeps me on edge it does, keeps me alert!" "...Unlike this poor fool, check this! Looks like some folk still don't get it!"

Earl: "To be fair, how could they know? ...if no-one's told them"

They look at each other and burst out laughing.

Wyatt: "Goddammit, sometime Earl I could swear you 'going soft on me! -You going liberal on me Earl? Is that hair I see past down your ears?!"

Earl: "Yee-ah, "Man, I feel like a woman!" (Shania Twain tune) I love saving the whales me! ...wherever these bloody fishes live..."

Wyatt: "Check out the Chink -Hotmamma! Can he run or what?"

Cut to the street, where an Oriental guy is speeding past them. Freeze frame, fun rewind. The man is crossing the street cautiously and suddenly finds himself in trouble as his shadow gets "infected" by a darting cat's. Taking advantage of the slight delay as his shadow emerges and rises, he sprints away to safety ... so fast that his own shadow can't catch up.

-“Hang on, is that the swimming-pool guy down there? Wass he up to, the old ginger nuts?"

Cut to Daryl for next scene.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DARYL IS SURROUNDED  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Daryl sprints to the car and dives underneath. He checks his surroundings. Familiar sound of the creatures. Daryl looks up: he is surrounded by shadows' legs. He sighs and sniggers: "Hang on motherfuckers, I've got a surprise for you", gets his lamp ready. Then surprise, as the car is rocked above him... and is lifted by the shadows (who can now interact with objects). "???!!!?? ...Oh boy."

Cut to the scene shot on video-camera: Daryl's shadow is contaminated and he gets killed, with other creatures in attendance.

Voice-over: "You got that?"
Other voice: "Yep I got that. Ha! Poor fucker. Didn't stand a chance, did he? Old Daryl. ............Pussy."

Cut to the two cameramen, drunk, surrounded by bottles and junk food, filming from their refuge. One of them whistles "Another One Bites The Dust": "What's the score so far?"

"I counted six in the last hours."

"'slong as we don't run out of tape..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ANOTHER ATTACK ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dog barking offscreen. Fat lady: "Oh Toby, here you are... here you are sugarpuff, don't be shy now, come to Mummy, look at you with your lickle tail between your legs, you’re looking all scared, awww what a cutie, come here baby...Toby...? Toby??" Sound of struggle, the dog starts to squeal and then barks; pandemonium going on offscreen. The fat lady: "Oh Toby Toby, don't let that nasty dog -Aaaaah, aaaah!!! Ha!! Stop it you brute, you leave him alone!" Then dead silence; ominous dog growl.

Fat lady: "Ooooooh, oooooh, stay away, you stay away now, why, you're not my Toby" -interrupted by terrifying roar; her pink tracksuit clothes are seen flying through the air.

Back to the two video-voyeurs.

Scene of someone getting mauled. Voice-over from the two drunk videasts:

Earl: "Check the uppercut... admire the footwork... Wep! Double Nelson!"

Wyatt: "That's not a Double Nelson dude, that was a Lawyer's Cravat –now that’s what I call a Double Nelson! Right up his ass!"

Earl: "Gee you could be right here, you're on the money, your man ‘better hold on to this head or he's gonna lose it –Sheesh! ‘Lost it! Told you he would!"

Wyatt: "Gee, Earl, wasn't that Dan from the off-licence?"

Earl: "Damn you're right! Off you go buddy, into the trash with the empties! Game, set and match!"

Wyatt: "But... but... Didn't you use to get on well with him... wasn’t he letting you keep a tab or som'fin'..."

Earl: "Sure he did!  Never liked him though. Can tell you now: never dug him. You know their kind. These people right? they 'got no right selling us our essentials and then try to pass off as Mr. Morality, Chosen People and-what-have-you"

Wyatt: "’bit harsh, though... after all, he did give you a tab..."

Earl: "Indeed, he did! –And I don’t owe him anything any more! Re-sult!

Wyatt: “Now what?”

Earl: “Now we wait. Godda look after number one ...wait for the cavalry. Any day now, any day... the good old boys from the US Marines. Ain't no Mister Superior in them. All good proper sons of bitches. Our sons of bitches."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------INTERLUDE DISCUSSION--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Child prodigy geek character named Aurelio: "Well at least, there's little chance of this virus being airborne!"

Someone: "Huh?"

Aurelio: "Being spread by birds, that is."

Someone: "And whysthat?"

Aurelio: "Well, for this... curse to be transmitted, the bodies affected would have to cast a shadow over the birds. ... Hang on. Actually they can. Of course. Oooh my bad, of course they could -easiest thing in the world!"

Someone: "Oooooh do I really want to hear this now!"

Aurelio: "You see, birds... and insects... bees... butterflies... a wide variety of species could serve as vectors, really"

Someone: "Please can someone shut him up? Enough already!"

Aurelio: "This is so exciting, this is –like- universal in its potential reach -possibly the first ever virus to affect every living creature on the planet!"

Someone: "Enough now!"

Aurelio: "Mind you, death is the universal disease -everyone's condemned."

Someone: "Eeeee-nough!!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------THE GROUP DECIDES TO GO TO THE RELIGIOUS FORTRESS-------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE: PART 3 “THE FINAL COUNTDOWN”-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aurelio: "One thing which bugs me is... where do they go?"

Ulla: "What d'you mean, where do they go?"

Aurelio: "Yeah, they don't hang around, do they? They try to spread and then... they sort of get on their way"

Tina: "That's true that, they drop from view."

Aurelio: "they all leave in one direction, by the look of it."

Ulla: "Well, seems to me, they pro’bly leave town and try to spread as you said. Must be roaming the Earth by now, ooh do I not like this thought..."

Tina: "No they don't. They go West. Towards the loonies’ camp -Haven't you noticed?"

Maddock: "Towards the sect?? Why of course, it's where they all go!! Remember what the kids said: this is where it started!"

Someone: "Next thing you know, Mozart here will tell us we should go and check it out!"

Tina: "That's exactly what we should do!"

Someone else: "Except we don't know what's up there... can't say I remember what the kids said, back then...They were going on about a ceremony or something -Does anyone here remember?"

The audience: "Nope / That was just kids' talk, crazy kids at it! / They're all dead now, anyway"

Aurelio: "It still seems to me to be the key, though. This is where it's at; this is where this is clearly happening."

Someone: "And how you gonna get there, son? Eh? In how many pieces? Ever though of that!"

Maddock: "But that's not a problem. Not a problem."

mmmmmm: "Meaning? How do you suggest we get there? Ten miles of open ground? Hel-lo, reality check here!"

Maddock: "Sure. Ten miles it may be. ...but remind me of what I do for a living."

mmmmmmm: "?? Bothering small hibernating mammals underground...?"

Maddock: "Cor-rect: touring mines. And we all know one which is connected to where...?"

mmmm: "To the fort!!"

Maddock: "Get me six feet under and I can take you to the loonies' place. I know the network of mines ...roughly."

mmm: "It's just a question of getting to the nearest shaft, then."

vvvv: "That, and not getting lost down there."

rrrrrr:"And re-emerging at some stage."

vvvvv: "Well I certainly ain't going anywhere near that place! ‘Specially if this is where these things come from!"

rrrrr: "That kid's got dangerous imagination –‘You sure you don't have anything to do with it?"

Maddock, raises his arm: "Enough already! ...Sounds like a plan. I for one am up for it."

Tina: "Oh, and one last thing: you don't want to get lost inside. Get my drift? You might need someone who knows the place inside out."

Maddock, smiling: "And who might that be, I wonder?"

Tina: "Someone who might have done deliveries for them, for instance..?"

Maddock: "For instance."

mmm: "You don't suggest taking the kid down there? Who knows what you'll might find. And a girl, too!"

Maddock: "That "kid" -as you call her- has proved to be a handful more than most men already. So I won't even bother arguing. Time’s running out and you're very welcome to join us or stay behind if you prefer. No skin off my arse, mate."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THEY TRAVEL THROUGH THE MINES / CAVES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group make their way through spectacular caves, some of them decorated with ancient ominous religious wall paintings and otherworldly mineral stalactites of evoking shapes. Lighting a la Woodentops / Husker Du (“Warehouse”) album cover.

Maddock: "Right right... if I'm not mistaken, this should be... adjacent to the... Western shaft..." Leads them to a dead end / groans of disappointment. "Ahem. As I said, should be. ...” (they get lost)  “We might have to track back."

Someone: "You sure you know the way, man? I don't exactly see a a lifelong trek underground as an improvement on our supermarket!"

Maddock: "OK OK, lemme concentrate, will you? I'm trying to check the minerals... on the walls... These are consistent with the... here we are... We should be near. We need to find a way out again, one of the exits should lead us to the place"

They walk back, and get up outside. Blinded by the sun: "Now where are we? Is this el Paso?"

Tina, pointing outside: "There it is!"

Desert landscape; a mine entrance in sight; no creature around.

vvvvvv: "Do we risk it? Well, we have to."

Maddock: "Thank you for pointing out the obvious: it’s not like we have plenty of choice. The only thing I'm worried about is managing to get through the entrance, leaves us exposed... This will require cojones, guys: we need to ram it one way or another in a minimum of time. This gate doesn’t look like it’s been open for fifty years..."

vvvv: "’Panel might be rotten, then..."

Maddock: "Might be."

They check their whereabouts for signs of life and run for it, blasting the rusty lock with their guns -with Tina on the lookout. They get inside the mine proper with whoops of triumph.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ARRIVE AT THE FORT/BATTLE SCENE---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They emerge inside the compound; make their way up the rickety mining infrastructure to the outside; survey the central court: it is deserted. They venture outside to get to the ranch buildings.

Maddock: "So far so good... can't see any of them... can you?"

MMM: "Nope."

Tina: "None on my side..."

Maddock: "Weird, that... too good to be true..."

mmm: "Yep. Funny but I don't like it either."

Maddock: "Anyway. Can't stay here all day, need to get to the building. Everyone OK?" (Grunts of approval.) "OK, let's move!"

They dash into the open. But the wind turns and they now hear the dreaded creature buzz. They look at each other ("What da..." / "Come on, run!"); they make it to the headquarters and desperately kick down a door. They go upstairs to check what’s going on: beyond the parapets is a teeming army of shadows (cf. the image in "StarShip Troopers" when they look over the fortress walls and discover the masses of creatures).

mmmm: "Ohhhhhh myyyyyy... Is this homecoming or what?"

Maddock: "Looks like it -they certainly made it here for a reason..."

Tina: "The pyre. They're circling it, the pyre."

Maddock: "They guarding it?"

mmm: "Could be."

Maddock: "Anyway, need to find out more about what went on. We need to find that Ego guy"

mmm: "...if he's still alive."

Maddock: "If he 'still alive."

Suddenly, they receive a projectile.

Tina: "Wow! What was that?"

Maddock: "Looks like we 'been spotted -are they getting smarter or what?" as other missiles follow.

mmm: "They are guarding that fire!"

Maddock: "Right, why don't a couple of you keep them amused and blast them a bit while we go look for that guy?"

BATTLE SCENE. Battle ensues, with the humans blasting away at the shadows underneath. Maddock and Tina go in search of Eogh inside.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FINAL SHOWDOWN / ECLIPSE----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They find him in one of these Gothic studies.

Maddock: "Eogh! Eogh! Thanks God we've found you; don't be scared man, it's OK, we are safe here -I've come to get you out of here! We need you, man! Your... what you managed, we need you to reverse it, we need you to, er... cancel it you know? Burn your manual or something, reverse the curse, find the antidote -I don't know! All I know is that if anyone can achieve this, you're the man to do it -that's why they're keeping you prisoner I bet... Tell me though: do they communicate to you? What's the deal? Are they pressurising you to... help them? ....Anyway, go get your stuff man, your... documents" (all the while gathering / fetching religious books) "we're taking off!"

Eogh finally replies: "...and what exactly do you think you're doing, miscreant? Don't you realise the enormity of the situation... the sublime nature of the occasion! For oh yes we are! We know what we’re doing! We are bringing Him back! ...by sounding the bugle of The Four Horsemen!" "How do you wretched human dare stand in the way? You can't stop this! Are you mad? Who are you to stand in the way of Or Lord! Worldwide evil is the one condition for Our Lord to intervene, don't you fool understand? All hail the greatest evil!! All hail the Second Coming!! You mustn't you im-becile, you are compromising the most important moment in our history!"

Colours are starting to change (as if the film were turning into colour negative) and a new sound effect rises in pitch to herald the start of the oft announced eclipse. The remaining scenes to be played to the thumping, oppressive, manic sound of the new soundtrack and in these nearly inverted colours (such as white appearing fluorescent in a deep purple background).

----------------------------------------------------------------------FINAL SHOWDOWN / ECLIPSE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maddock pursues Eogh through the collapsing building (think Parkour, start of “Casino Royale”, Escher staircases); finally corners him; but Eogh has in fact tricked him: Maddock gets buried under a crashing ceiling. Eogh gloats (devilish “wha ha ha ha ha” laugh); gets on his way to kick off the final ceremony. ....pause.... And, exploding out of the rubble, Maddock's hand emerges!

Eogh, clutching his ritual handbook, gets ready for the ceremony. As day has turned into night, he is now able to get out in the square and stand by the fire, which is now burning green.

Tina suddenly grabs Eogh's book of incantations; Eogh chases Tina down the building; grabs his book back and throws her off the roof. She manages to hang on, by one arm. Maddock makes his reappearance at this stage, badly limping and holding his dislocated shoulder (i.e. slightly incapacitated). He has a choice: either going after Eogh or saving Tina. He hesitates. Eogh is triumphant.

"Ha! And now comes the greatest moment of History! ...as directed by me!"

Maddock opts to go to Tina's rescue.

Eogh starts to intone the decisive ritual by the fire. Everything seems to be lost.

Maddock to Tina: "Come on babes, help me out here, I can't... I am trying... I can't..."

Tina: "Come on... come on..." (that sort of thing)

Back to Eogh, going through his incantations. Sound and light effects: he and the fire get overcome by a fluorescent mist (think the end of "Raiders Of The Lost Ark") rising up all the way to the sky.

But suddenly Eogh's female slave from the start of the film reappears and, braving danger, makes for him: "No you won't. You won't, I won't let you. You mad mad man... You are not a prophet, you are the devil's puppet! Everything you said was a lie! So you wish for the apocalypse, eh? Then go to hell!"

She throws herself onto him, pushing him into the fire.

Sound and light effects as if the air was sucked out; the colours turn day-glo as if exploding and then return to normal.

Meanwhile Maddock manages to pull Tina up over the parapet. End of the eclipse; they both freeze and finally dare turn around to check what the situation is, dreading to see whether the creatures are still here. But all appears normal: panorama shot to scope the premises. Silence, then some birds can be heard singing. They check the smoldering fire ashes: the black outlines of the two bodies (or just the one?) can be spotted.

Maddock, clutching his shoulder: "Somehow I don't think I'll recommend this venue for weddings and parties."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE MAYOR STILL IMPRISONED (AFTER CREDITS)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Slow travelling shot down the battered ranch's corridors and stairs, all the way to Eogh's study. Sound of fists against a door. The mayor's muffled voice: "Hello, hello? Anyone out there, hel-lo? This is your mayor speaking! ...Bunch of bitches. Not even a porn stash in here. Oh, hang on, what’s this? Spoke too soon."

"The End." (+ "To Be Continued"?) appears on the screen…followed by the distinctive hissing sound a few seconds later.

Notes.
Possible sequence after the closing credits: the two drunk voyeurs who filmed the fights now have their own "Reality TV" show, laughing at other people's misfortunes.

The story may take place in the past, so as to eliminate the Internet factor and reinforce the town’s isolation. In fact, could take place in the fifties, as a tribute to all these classic sci-fi B-movies (“The Blob”). Why not lurid 50s style lettering, to compound the effect? The creatures / shadows must only be revealed progressively (only glimpsed at first). This could also apply to the circumstances under which they came into being: progressive revelations.

For variations on the main theme, they could come across a suntanning salon, have a car race with shadows on foot, and so on. Amenable to all sorts of directions, including joke musical references such as playing Rage Against The Machine’s stonking “People Of The Sun”. You can feature all your standard stock characters (shifty, unreliable local politician; grumpy old man with common sense; hot-blooded young punk etc.)

Underlying theme of isolation –its pros and cons- and community; parable about virus and information transmission.

Musical in-jokes: listening to college radio in the supermarket, the characters hear "Shadowplay"-Joy Division, "Shadow Of A Doubt"-Sonic Youth; Gainsbourg “Sous le soleil exactement”; they switch to another channel: "Ne me quitte pas"-Brel or Nina Simone: "-aah, that's better!" (Line: "laisse moi être l'ombre de ton ombre", eh eh!) and The Stone Roses: "I am the light, I am the Resurrection".

Open end paving the way for a bigger budget sequel, in which the fight continues and intensifies throughout the world.

Abstract. Central America. A sect of Christian Fundamentalists try to accelerate the Second Coming and, in doing so, endow shadows with a (murderous) life of their own.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ other possible ending ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

A child with an interest in geography comes up with the solution: for the time being, they must flee to an uncontaminated area. They mustn't risk contaminating other towns, as some of them may carry the "virus" unbeknown to themselves (they may not even know who but it doesn’t matter: they can’t take the risk of finding out and spreading the infection in an understandably unbelieving world). They must find a place (to survive) for themselves. An island for instance, at least an isolated region. Aand what better place on Earth than... Iceland, the child suggests? Iceland, where night lasts for six months. That should give them some thinking time. In the meantime, they will leave banners and signs behind all around town warning against trespassing: alleging some kind of catastrophe took place such as a chemical spill or a biological warfare experiment. They also reckon that, conversely, they must try not to draw attention to the place either. They frantically paint warning signs; pack up; get ready to break-out.
After making sure one last time that nobody else remains in town, the survivors get ready to leave Aurora behind. The motley crew rev up their armoured truck’s  engine (driven by a kid under instructions by the injured original pilot), and go for it: they storm their way out at night in a school bus crammed with torches, food, and petrol. They blow up the wrecks on the road, tow the truck away, and manage to pass through. By then dawn is breaking.

The End.