Service with a Smile

EXT. GAS STATION - MORNING.

The red pickup truck pulls into the gas station. It stops at
the pump farthest from the convenience store, underneath the
overhang. Jack steps out of his door, looking around
cautiously. All around the station the rain is coming down
in torrents.

INT. PICKUP TRUCK - MORNING

Zoe is still in the truck. She watches Jack as he gets out.

ZOE
What are we going to do?

JACK
See if these pumps work. If they
do, we fill up, and then we get
out.

ZOE
And go where?

JACK
Away.

Zoe frowns, and looks down at her lap.

JACK (CONT’D)
You have anything to stay for?

ZOE
(whispers)
No.

EXT. GAS STATION - MORNING

Jack walks back to the back of the truck and grabs a gas
nozzle. He opens the way to the tank and starts to fill up.

JACK
Works.

Zoe gets out of the truck and shuts the door. She’s carrying
the pistol. She walks toward the gas station.

JACK
Hey, where you going?

ZOE
(not looking back)
To pay.

She sprints off toward the convenience store, her feet
splashing the puddles and the rain soaking her almost
instantly.

Jack mutters in frustration and looks to the turning numbers
on the gas pump..


INT. GAS STATION - MORNING

The door swings open and we hear a CHIME. Zoe enters. The
lights are on inside and it’s deadly still. There’s some
dust in the air. Music is playing through unseen speakers,
and it’s a little louder than you would expect.

Zoe holds the pistol out in front of her in the fashion
you’d see someone do on a TV show- accurately but not quite
convincing.

She paces through the store, checking row by row. When she
reaches the last row, and finds nothing, she relaxes. She
stuffs the pistol into the back of her jeans and starts to
pick up some things to eat off the shelves- powered donuts,
oatmeal pies, some canned goods.


EXT. GAS STATION - MORNING

Outside Jack is finishing up pumping the gas. He looks
toward the food mart but the rain makes it impossible to see
inside.

Something in his periphery catches his eye, and he see a
zombie child, a doll still clutched in its hand, shambling
toward the back of the store through the downpour. It
disappears from view.

Jack begins to panic. He pulls the nozzle out of the tank
with the gas still running. It spills onto the cement and
soaks his shoes.

JACK
Hey! HEY! Zoe! Watch the back door!
The back door!

INT. GAS STATION - MORNING

Zoe continues to shop. She is facing Jack but doesn’t see
him waving his arms. His cries are barely audible over the
loud song. She picks up a loaf of bread and turns around.


EXT. GAS STATION - MORNING

Jack scrambles to get the nozzle back on the pump. He grabs
the rifle out of the cab of the truck and starts running
toward the station.

JACK
Zoe! Zoe!

INT. GAS STATION - MORNING

Zoe’s hands are full but she’s still fingering the pistol.
She takes her things and walks up to the register and lays
everything on the counter. She walks around to the back of
the counter and pulls a couple plastic bags from a
dispenser.

Then her eyes fall on a body behind the counter. The
convenience store clerk lays still, bite marks all over his
arms and chest. Zoe holds her hand- and gun- to her face and
backs up against the wall.

JACK (O.S.)
Zoe! Look out!

Zoe looks up to see Jack running to the front of the store
in hysterics. He swings the door open and wildly and
immediately brings the rifle up in a shooting position. The
rainwater is rolling off him. He’s aiming to Zoe’s right.

Zoe turns to look where he’s aiming and sees the zombie
child just a few feet from her, dragging one leg as it
walks.

Zoe is frozen. The zombie child reaches out and lays a cold
hand on her leg. It lets out a horrifying, childlike moan.

BLAM! Jack fires the rifle and lays down the zombie child.
The doll in its hand falls to the dirty store floor. It
lands awkwardly, just like the zombie. There are X's on its
eyes.

Jack moves to Zoe. Her eyes have glazed over.

JACK
Are you OK?

ZOE
I was just trying to help. Get some
food.

Jack puts his arm around her.

JACK
Let’s just get to the truck and get
out of here.

The two exit the convenience store, leaving the groceries
behind on the counter.