A Man and his Dog

written by

Brandon Medford

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EXT. HOUSE DOOR - DAY

An entire swat team is stood outside a detached run down suburban estate.

It's a bittersweet winter's morning.

OFFICER #1Alright folks, debrief says we're looking for a body and preferably a gun. We're unlikely to find anything alive in here so just don't make a mess okay? And if you do find anything you report to me.

Two police officers take centre kitted out with bullet-proof vests and hand guns.

OFFICER #1 (CONTD)Ready?

OFFICER #2 On your word.

INT. HOUSE - DAY

The door crashes open, OFFICER #1 runs in first.

OFFICER #1POLICE!

The Swat's rush in OFFICER #1 runs around searching the house.

INT. BEDROOM- DAY

OFFICER #1 walks around the room flicking through pictures and books.

He stumbles across a Diary titled

"I AM THE LAST MAN ON EARTH"

He flicks through it stumbling on several pages

"Today I thought I'd go shopping...."

2.

"I didn't do anything today...."

"I might go for a walk to the beach....."

OFFICER #2 (O.S.)Hey sir, you might wanna come see this.

The Officer picks up the Diary and puts it in a plastic wallet.

OFFICER #1One minute!

He flicks through the diary more throughly and we

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM- DAY

Graham's asleep in a canopy suspended next to a window.

Wind blows in violently rustling the curtain.

Coke cans fall to the floor.

Paper's fly around the room.

He remains asleep.

VOICE FROM TV (O.S.)Mrs Grayburn told me to bring you these flowers

VOICE FROM TV #2 (O.S.)Oh thank you dear they're lovely, please leave them on my desk over there.

Graham slowly awakes, one eye parting.

He looks at the wide open window. Mechanically sits up and walks off the canopy.

He walks up to the window and shuts it.

A radio is sat on the floor next to him playing white noise.

He then walks up to his calender nailed onto the wall.

"20th of January-FEED DOGS."

3.

He nods then sniffs himself. I stink

The voices from downstairs becomes louder and he takes notice to them.

VOICE FROM TV(O.S.)I told you, it's father I'm worried about, he hasn't spoken for weeks.

VOICE FROM TV(O.S.)#2Well you know how he likes his space.

Graham stretches and yawns.

Then walks downstairs.

INT. STAIRS - CONTINUOUS

He takes sevearal robotic steps down the stairs. Stopping halways to see his TV had been left on with a film playing through his VHS.

INT. LONGUE - CONTINUOUS

He walks up to the TV and up to the VHS.

One of the buttons "Repeat" had been pushed.

VOICE FROM TV (O.S.)Mrs Grayburn told me to bring you these flowers

VOICE FROM TV #2 (O.S.)Oh thank you dear they're lovely, please leave them on my desk over there.

Graham dislodges the VHS and takes the video tape out.

He throws the tape onto his sofa.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

He opens his cupboards. Empty.

Sigh.78

4.

INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Walking down the hallway he takes a left down a staircase into the basement.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS

A calloused pitch black square room.

Graham mavoures with his hands across the walls until he reaches a frame.

The frame lights up to show a magnificent painting of himself.

A tall handsome man ontop of a hill with an M16 strapped to his shoulder.

He's also wearing elizabeathan school clothes.

He moves the frame out of the way to reveal an empty chamber.

The M16 sits there mounted.

He moves up to it and picks it up. Smiling.

EXT. FIELD - DAY

A cold winter's morning. Sleet covering the grass.

The man is walking across with his gun to his side.

Graham stops to observe five cub foxes all huddled around each other.

He kneels and peers into his rifle.

Confident. Calm I can do this.

He shoots catching two foxes, the other flee.

Nice

EXT. FIELD - BY FOXES - DAY

He looks at the two bodies

This should be enough

5.

He slings them on his shoulders with ease

INT. LONGUE - DAY

The man's sat in front of the TV with a bowl eating the fox meat.

Staring blankly at the TV.

The Dogs begin to bark loudly.

He takes a look at the bowl.

INT. ROOM - DAY

The Dogs are slamming against their kennels labelled.

"WILD DOGS APPROACH WITH CAUTION."

Graham opens each one and leaves the bowl for them.

GRAHAMThat's all you're getting today. You should be thankful. I worked hard for that.

They rush up to it and eat ravenously.

One of the dogs heads in first gnarling at the others.

Graham hits it.

GRAHAM (CONTD)Hey!

The Dog gives him an evil stare and snarls at him.

Graham stares back. Intense.

INT. SHOWER - DAY

Graham stands naked in the shower, steam fogging up the room.

He indulges for a while, washing the dirt from his hair.

A green/red liquid forms at the bottom of the bath. Like mould.

6.

On the floor next to the shower the radio plays the same white noise from earlier.

A voice comes out of the radio

WOMAN (V.O.)Hello! Hi is anyone there? Can anybody hear me.

Back in the shower Graham freezes. Nearly slipping he jumps out of the shower and picks up the radio.

WOMAN(V.O.) (CONTD)Hello! Is there anyone out there. Please if anyone can hear this please help me I am at co-ordinates 29/42/15 north. Please I'm very alone out here.

EXT. CITY STREETS - DAY

A wide empty abandoned city.

No life to be found save the sound of hawks in the distance.

A car passes through

INT. CAR - CONTINUOUS

Graham's got a map pinned to the wind-shield, he scans it with his finger while driving.

EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY

The woman's standing holding a radio in her hand.

She's jacketed and waves as the car comes to a halt next to her.

Graham steps out of the car and cautiously approaches her.

WOMANHey partner! I thought no one would get my message.

A beat

Grahamn just stands there observing her.

Awestruck.

7.

WOMAN (CONTD)Is something wrong?

A beat

WOMAN (CONTD)Hey you can talk to me, I don't bite. I'm not a zombie.(Laughs)

A beat

GRAHAMWho else is with you?

WOMANNo one. Just me. Just us.

GRAHAMWhy are you here?

WOMANWell my husband told me this city was abandoned, reckoned I check it out look for supplies.

GRAHAMYour husband?

WOMANYeah he's back in boston taking care of the little one. Why?

GRAHAMI-

Mandy's taken an interest to the car which has started to splutter.

WOMANImpressive get up.

Mandy goes to the car bonnet

GRAHAMDon't touch it. Please.

WOMANSorry, where are my manners.

The Woman laughs

8.

WOMAN (CONTD)I never got your name by the way.

GRAHAMIt's Grahamn.

WOMANHello Grahamn name's Mandy.

Mandy goes in to shake his hand but he doesn't lift his.

Graham takes a look at his car. He's made his mind up.

He takes a deep breath.

GRAHAMYou must be lonely Mandy.

MANDYThat'll be the half of it.

GRAHAMAnd the other half?

MANDYNo food.

A beat

GRAHAMI have a house down town if you want somewhere to stay. Food too. Lots of it.

WOMANOh I...I couldn't.

GRAHAMWhy not?

WOMANI'd be a burden.

GRAHAMYou'd be the first human being I'd seen in years.

WOMANWell I mean ...that'd be awful kind of you. I'd normally refuse but in these circumstances.

The Woman takes a look around. Completely empty.

9.

GRAHAMGood.

Graham walks back to his car, Mandy confused follows suit.

INT. LONGUE - DAY

Graham guides Mandy through the house.

The dogs are once again barking.

GRAHAMI'd appreciate it if you took your shoes off.

MANDYNot a problem.

Mandy undoes the laces to her boots and places them on the ground.

GRAHAMNo no. Pass them to me.

Mandy passes him the boot and he places them on a rack.

MANDYHow long have you been here.

GRAHAMFive years.

MANDYWow.

GRAHAMPlease follow me.

MANDYWhere are we going?

GRAHAMJust down into the basement.

MANDYWhy?

GRAHAMNYou wanted food didn't you?

MANDYYou keep food in your basement?

10.

GRAHAMNThat's correct.

MANDYWell can't I just wait here?

GRAHAMI can't carry it all by myself can I?

MANDYWell alright.

INT. BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS

Grahamn leads Mandy down into the basement. Locking the door.

MANDYWhat's this?

Grahamn reaches into his pocket tacking out a .45 pistol and pointing it directly at Mandy.

GRAHAMTurn around.

Mandy whimpers

MANDYHey man easy . You don't need to do this.

GRAHAMTurn around.

MANDYI'm begging you don't do this. I've got a family.

GRAHAMNot my problem.

Graham clicks the gun.

MANDYYou're a fucking coward.

Graham shoots her and she slides to the ground blood staining his painting.

11.

He smiles.

CROSSFADE:

INT. CORRIDOR- CONTINOUS

OFFICER #2 is showing OFFICER #1 the diary walking and talking

OFFICER #2That's crazy.

OFFICER #1Won't doubt you there.

OFFICER #2I mean this guy was a lunatic, he'd kept a record of everything. His sleep schedule his fucking bowel movements. I mean if you genuinely thought you were the only human being left on the planet why'd you bother making a diary of it?

OFFICER #1I wouldn't try and make sense of it of I were you.

OFFICER #2I suppose. Shame about the girl though.

OFFICER #1Damn right. So that's where it ends?

OFFICER #2'fraid so

OFFICER #1Only thing is, that doesn't exaplain this.

They stop at an open door to a room

OFFICER #2Oh my god.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Graham's cooking human stew.

12.

A vinyl's playing classical music.

The dogs are howling at the top of their lungss.

He looks at the calander pinned to the wall

"FEED THE DOGS"

He stares angrily at it.

INT. ROOM - DAY

He walks up to the kennel and places a large bowl of meat there for them.

The dogs rush out and eat. One dog rushes for the door.

Grahamn goes up to the door and ushers the dog back in. Closing it.

GRAHAMNo no no.

Some continue barking.

GRAHAMWhat do you want? Look.

He nudges the bowl in front of them.

They keep barking at him.

Some refuse to eat it.

The Dog from earlier snarls at him again.

The music increases

Grahams face shifts to a cold realisation.

INT. LONGUE - DAY

The vinyl plays louder and louder.

CUT TO:

INT. ROOM - DAY

Forensics are walking through the dog room picking up evidence.

13.

Graham's body in a pool of blood.

POLICE OFFICER #1 is playing with the dogs

OFFICER #2Murder?

OFFICER #1Most likely. I mean this was brutal look. These wounds cut 3 inches deep at least.

OFFICER #2Dude must've been hungry.

OFFICER #1

I don't get it, why go for the neck if you're looking to eat the guy?

OFFICER #2I don't know. Besides we don't even have the equipment to find out if we wanted to.

OFFICER #1Crazy world my friend. Crazy world.

OFFICER #2You got that right.

OFFICER #1(Taking one final look at the body)

What a god damn shame.

OFFICER #2 Come on let's go.

The Officers leave the room and we push in on Graham's body.

End