“Two In The End”

Scene 1: 

*Scene begins with Aida, in her apartment, watering her plants. She suddenly begins to wheeze violently, coughing up blood. Her brother, Ezra steps into the room*

Ezra: Aida? What the hell’s going on in there? 

*Aida heaves, regaining her breath*

Aida: Nothing! I choked, that's all. Room gets a bit stuffy this time of year, hard to breathe, you know? 

*Ezra pauses in silence*

Aida: Oh, did you hear that? The radio is going off, I think. Hurry, they might have some news on the infected!

Ezra: Wait, really? I didn’t hear anything, though.

*Aida pushes him fully out the room*

Aida: Yeah, they’re talking alright. Go on now! 

*Ezra recedes from the hallway slowly*

Aida: *talking to self* Damnit, why has the medicine stopped working?

*Aida grabs onto chest as she limps over and grabs a vial underneath her desk and drinks it* 

*END SCENE* 

Scene 2: 

*Aida and Ezra check the building during their morning routine and hear sound from a nearby apartment.*

Ezra: Mrs. Downsey!

*The two slowly enter her apartment*

Aida: It’s us Ms. Downsey, we heard some banging and wanted to check on you -

*Ezra covers Aida’s mouth and shakily points towards Mrs. Downsey as she coughs up blood and snarls* 

Aida: Is she...? 

Ezra: Infected. Must’ve gotten bit when she stepped out yesterday to feed the cats. I’ll take care of it; step outside and cover your ears.

*Mrs. Downsey looks up at the two of them and starts to crawl forward*

Ezra: Aida, out. Now. 

*Aida steps out of the apartment and crouches down, covering her ears. Ezra then steps out covered in blood*

Ezra: Come on Aida, let's go. 

*END SCENE* 

Scene 3:

*Aida and Ezra return to their apartment and Ezra confronts her about some of his suspicions.* 

Aida: Well, I hope we never have to do that again. 

*Aida coughs into her sleeve* 

Ezra: Yeah, it was pretty horrific but it was kind of interesting seeing an infected up and close. You start to notice some of their… symptoms. 

*Ezra places his hand on Aida’s shoulder*

Ezra: The shaking.

*Ezra points to Aida’s eyes*

Ezra: The exhausted expression.

*Ezra grabs Aida's arm and points to the blood stain on her sleeve from where she coughed.*

Ezra: And the undeniable, blood ridden coughs. 

Aida: So what? Are you trying to say I'm infected or something? You’re overreacting, Ezra. 

Ezra: Am I? Or are you just afraid I’ve figured it out? 

Aida: Gosh, I hate it when you get like this! 

Ezra: I know what you are.

*Radio buzzes in alerting residents of a military raid incoming.*

Aida: We need to leave now. Once those men come in they’ll take all of our supplies and leave us to die.

Ezra: Don't do that. Brush me off like I didn’t just say what I did. I want answers Aida, now. 

Aida: You’ll get your answers once we get out of here. 

Ezra: Fine. 

*END SCENE* 

Scene 4: 

*Ezra and Aida run through the hallways of the apartment building rounding up survivors*

Aida: Ez, it's the middle of the day, infected will be all over us if we step out with this many people. How are we going to get anywhere?

Ezra: Don't know, they’re your kind, aren’t they? Maybe you can try talking to them. 

Aida: Oh right, because being sarcastic is the appropriate thing to do in this situation. 

*Ezra sighs*

Ezra: We’ll wait until the tanks start rolling in on the other side of the block. That’ll keep the infected busy while we run for the woods. 

*Aida places a hand on Ezra’s shoulder*

Aida: I know you’re mad, but promise me you won’t do anything stupid out there. 

*Ezra flinches away*

Ezra: No promises. 

*Group reaches the front door of the building and Ezra begins to tear down the barricades*

*END SCENE*

Scene 5

*Infected run through the streets toward the military tanks while the group walks toward the forest.*

Ezra: Morons can barely think for themselves. 

*Ezra looks to Aida*

Ezra: Y-you better not turn into one of those things. 

Aida: Ez, I’m different. I’m sick, but I’m not, and I don’t want to bite people or eat brains, I just…want to get better. 

*Soldier steps out from the alley way of a building and pulls out a gun*

Soldier: Get back! 

*Aida coughs* 

Soldier: Ha, so you’re one of them, aren’t you? You’re coming with me. 

Ezra: Get your hands off my sister! 

*Ezra plows into soldier* 

Ezra: Everybody run! 

*Group begins to run forward as nearby infected are alerted and Aida pulls Ezra off the soldier.*

Aida: Come on Ezra, we need to leave now. 

*Bullets fire from distance as Ezra and Aida run to edge of forest* 

Aida: (yells) Ezra, you okay? 

Ezra: (out of breath) Fine, just keep moving.  

Aida: Uhm, Ez? 

Ezra: What? What’s wrong - 

*Group of infected shuffle out from the trees* 

Aida: We need to turn back-

*Military emerges from other side of the forest* 

Boheme: Not so fast, Mutant. 

Ezra: Who the hell are you? And what do you want with my sister? 

Boheme: I’m not quite sure yet, guess we’ll have to figure that out…together. Load them into the truck boys. 

*Soldiers knockout Aida and Ezra and drag them away and off stage*

*END SCENE* 

Scene 6:

*Scene begins with Aida in a laboratory, strapped to chair with the scientist, Rivka, preparing syringes* 

Aida: (groggily) W-what’s happening…where am I? 

Rivka: You’re currently in Natura Labs, sector B, Quarantine Zone. 

Aida: Quarantine Zone? 

Rivka: Oh yes, because you’re infected of course! 

Aida: Y-you know? 

Rivka: Gosh, everyone knows and Boheme won’t stop talking about it! He’s been looking for your kind for months and now that he's captured you…he’s making me do all the dirty work. 

Aida: What am I? 

Rivka: Immune, I suppose? Or somewhat at least. Those exposed to the virus turn in less than a few minutes but you — you've been like this for how long? 

Aida: Seven years.

Rivka: Incredible. Can I see where you were bitten?

*Aida lifts her arm to expose bite on her forearm* 

Rivka: Fascinating.

*Rivka cuts into Aida’s arm, taking a sample*

Aida: Why are you doing his dirty work? If he wanted me so badly, he should have come and experimented on me!  

Rivka: Aida, Boheme is not the man to mess with. He’d kill me if I didn’t obey his rules and I need this job…and my life. 

Aida: And I need to get out of here, find my brother, and make a cure. I don't want to be like this anymore, and trust me, I can’t be your lab rat. I’m dying! 

Rivka: But, you’re immune? 

Aida: Not entirely. For years I’ve used plant remedies and they’ve kept me normal for the most part, but they’ve stopped working and I think I’m going to turn soon. 

Rivka: Plant remedies? That's…smart — very smart. Plants have natural healing properties, but your body must have developed a tolerance to it by now. 

Aida: Exactly, so there’s no more hope, I-I’m going to die. 

Rivka:  But, maybe, if we were to infuse these plant concoctions with stronger antibiotics than…a cure could be made. 

*Rivka moves in closer to Aida, whispering* 

Rivka: Listen, Aida, I have a son who is much like you. Immune yet growing sicker by the day. I need to make this cure and save him, and maybe it can save you too. I am going to untie you and you’ll have to find me in my laboratory after the guards have taken their break. 

Aida: Thank you…and I hope this works. 

Rivka: As do I. 

*END SCENE*

Scene 7:

*Scene begins with Ezra locked up in a jail cell with Boheme stand directly in front of it* 

Boheme: Good morning, princess. 

*Ezra spits, sitting up* 

Ezra: Well, you’re a lot uglier than Prince Charming. 

Boheme: Ha! You’re funny! Most of my prisoners don’t have a sense of humor. 

Ezra: I am not your prisoner! 

Boheme: Right, you’re just a dirty, angry man stuck inside a jail cell in my facility. 

Ezra: Alright tough guy, who are you then? 

Boheme: Sergeant Major of the Apocalypse Army. 

Ezra: So what’s an army man got any business with my sister? 

Boheme: Well, that's personal. 

Ezra: What, she broke your heart or something? 

Boheme: No, the infected took everything from me. My city, my mother, my dreams. It has been my mission to eradicate them, and killing the obviously infected ones has been easy enough. But there are some, like your sister, who have been harder to kill because they're hiding who they truly are.

Ezra: What are you talking about? 

Boheme: I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, the symptoms. It must be hard to accept the fact that your sister is infected.

Ezra: She’s still my sister, and you’re delusional if you think I’m going to let you lay a hand on her! 

Boheme: I don't need your permission. I’m going to find out how your sister hides her infection and I’m going to stop all the others like her from doing so. 

*Boheme leans in closer to the cell*

Boheme: And then…I’m going to kill her. 

*Ezra headbutts Boheme and he flies backward, knocking into a lever which opens Ezra’s cell door. Ezra rushes out, spitting on Boheme and running off stage.* 

*END SCENE*

Scene 8:

*Ezra bangs open door to Aida’s room*

Ezra: Aida!

*Aida slumps down in her chair* 

Aida: Ezra, you were right, I’m infected. I’ve been this way for years and I-I was scared to tell you.

Ezra: Gosh, Aida, I don’t care how sick you are, I’ll always be by your side. But, what’s happening? I thought you were immune?

Aida: I don’t know what’s happening but I think…the virus is winning. You need to get me to Rivka’s laboratory, she has something for me there. 

Ezra: Who’s Rivka? 

Aida: A friend. 

Ezra: Fine, let's go, can you walk?

*Aida stumbles off the bed*

Aida: I’ll try. 

*Aida and Ezra walk out of laboratory and off stage* 

*END SCENE*

Scene 9: 

*Ezra and Aida walk through the hallways and up by Rivka’s laboratory*

Aida: It’s just down there, I can see her through the door window. 

*Alarms begin to go off*

Ezra: Damnit, he must’ve woken up. 

Aida: Who must’ve woken up?

Ezra: Uhm, Boheme…I may have headbutted him. 

Aida: Ezra, are you crazy! 

Ezra: I'm sorry! Come on, keep walking before he catches up.

*Ezra and Aida enter Rivka’s laboratory* 

Aida: Rivka! How’s it going?

Rivka: Perfectly, your plant remedy was all I needed to make the final supplement. It’ll be done in just a minute. 

Ezra: What’s that? 

Rivka and Aida: The cure. 

Ezra: The…cure? Really? Aida, you’ll be saved! 

*Soldiers bust through the doors* 

Rivka: Oh no, Aida take the cure and go! Find my son, Chakshan, and save him too. 

Aida: Rivka, you can come with us!

Soldier: Get on the ground! 

Ezra: Aida, come on, what are we going to do? 

Rivka: No, I spent a long time hurting other people so that I can stay safe. It’s time to protect someone for once. 

*Rivka takes explosive solution and throws it to the ground* 

Aida: Rivka, no! 

*Ezra grabs Aida and the cure and the two run out of the lab as it is engulfed in flames* 

*END SCENE*

Scene 10:

*Ezra carries Aida on his back as they speed through the hallways of the facility* 

Aida: She — she died for us. 

*Ezra sighs sadly just before Boheme rounds the corner looking disheveled* 

Boheme: You two! 

Ezra: Look who finally decided to wake up? Hey, that lump looks really nice on your forehead, how’d you get it? 

*Boheme pulls out a gun and Ezra begins to run down the hallway.*

Boheme: Run mutants, run! I’ll hunt you until you no longer have any breath for begging! 

*Ezra rounds a corner, slamming into the nearest wall* 

Ezra: Ack! Aida, you okay-

Aida: (whispers) Ezra, look.

*Ezra looks up to see a child’s eyes peering from a room down the hall*

Aida: Follow him!

Ezra: Aida? No! Everyone in this facility is either insane or on their way there! 

Aida: Rivka wasn’t insane! She was fighting for someone, someone like me. 

*Ezra looks back up as the child's head disappears behind the door of the room* 

Ezra: Let's hope this is who you’re talking about.

*Ezra picks Aida back up and jogs off toward the room, crashing inside frantically*

Ezra: Nobody’s in here, Aida! 

*Boheme whistles from just outside the door, reloading his guns loudly* 

Aida: (whispers frantically) Inside the closet, Ez! 

*Ezra files inside the closet* 

Chakshan: Hello?

*Ezra and Aida scream*

Ezra: Who — who are you?

Chakshan: I-I’m Chakshan. Have you seen my mommy? She said she’d be back with something for me. 

Aida: You’re Rivka's son? Oh my gosh, Ezra it's him! 

*Boheme rips the closet doors from it’s frame* 

Boheme: Too easy. 

*Boheme grabs Ezra and throws him to the other side of the room* 

Aida: Ezra! 

Boheme: Quiet, mutant! And would you look at this, another little rat!

Aida: You leave him alone, you lunatic! 

Boheme: Why? Is he like you? Then I guess I’ll just have to kill you both. 

*Ezra runs into him from behind. The two fight as Aida begins to succumb to the virus.

Chakshan: Are you sick too, miss? 

Aida: Yes, just like you, Chakshan. Actually, your mom made you something to help you feel better. 

*Aida smiles, pushing the cure toward Chakshan* 

Chakshan: You should have some too, so you can stop being sick! 

*Aida watches in horror as Boheme punches Ezra* 

Aida: (shakily) It’s okay…I’m going to need my sickness.

*Chakshan drinks the cure hesitantly*

Ezra: Aida! No, you're going to turn! 

*Aida coughs more violently before shaking and beginning to growl*

Aida: G-goodbye Ezra

*Aida snarls and pounces on Boheme.*

Ezra: No, no, no. Aida!

*Aida turns quickly to him, fully infected, with little recognition in her eyes*

*Ezra grabs the boy before running from the room. Ezra barrels through the front gates of the facility and into the forest with the last few drops of the cure in hand* 

*END OF PLAY*