4 days til sundown: The original screenplay

By Robert McTyre Jr

This is a prequel episode centering around the origins of Maggie Greene two years after the zombie apocalypse began. At this time the Greene family lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere. This is the story of how Maggie’s family adjusted to living around the walking dead.

As Maggie and her brother grow older they must inevitability take on more adult responsibilities and begin making needed supply runs into town on their own.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MCTYRE ENTERTAINMENT
• Release date: Sep 8, 2018

Book preview

2018

This is a prequel episode centering around the origins of Maggie Greene two years after the zombie apocalypse began. At this time the Greene family lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere. This is the story of how Maggie’s family adjusted to living around the walking dead.

As Maggie and her brother grow older they must inevitability take on more adult responsibilities and begin making needed supply runs into town on their own.

TEASER

EXT. HOUSE - AFTERNOON

A house surrounded by woods sits on a long stretch of land, dead, silent, empty of life. Off in the distance three

figures run from a few walkers. The form of two teenagers and one man, clutching his arm, can almost be made out. Both the teenagers are carrying full tote bags.

EXT/INT HOUSE - MORNING

It is a single story cabin with two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room and a kitchen. All of the windows and the front door are boarded up and fortified with scrap metal.

Attached to the the backdoor is a greenhouse where the

generator is kept with cables running into the house and one up to the roof, leading to a lightning pole.

INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

The kitchen is very small. The pantry is empty, but would otherwise be filled with canned and preserved foods.

Josephine stands in front of the sink opening a can of tuna fish.

INT. KIDS’ ROOM - MORNING

There is a single bed in the room, with a couple of blown up photographs, preserved by glass, framed and hung on the walls. Clothes hang in the open closet. Guns are hung up on the walls and clips of different-sized ammunition neatly stacked on a shelf.

INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

Arnold and Maggie lay in their bed oriented in opposite positions, feet to head.

INT. KIDS’ ROOM - MORNING

Arnold wakes up. He sits up and looks around, sniffs at the air, then tries to wake his sister. Maggie brushes his arm away. He pushes her harder, but she refuses to get up, so he pushes her off the bed.

FADE IN:

2.

INT. KIDS’ ROOM - MORNING

Maggie falls to the floor with a yelp and a crash. She sits up, looking furious, staring dead at Arnold.

MAGGIE

What the fuck?

ARNOLD

You overslept. Mom’s making

breakfast.

Maggie’s eyes go wide.

MAGGIE

Mom!

MAGGIE

Oh, shit!

INT. KIDS’ ROOM - MORNING

Maggie jumps to her feet and runs out of the door.

INT. KIDS’ ROOM - MORNING

Arnold gets up more calmly. He grabs the rifle from under the bed and leans it against a wall, then proceeds to do jumping jacks.

INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

Maggie runs in to see her mother preparing breakfast.

JOSEPHINE

Good morning, Maggie.

MAGGIE

Why are you making breakfast?

JOSEPHINE

Because you aren’t.

MAGGIE

I know, I’m so sorry. It was my

turn, but I didn’t think you’d

already be up this early.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

3.

JOSEPHINE

I’m always up this early.

MAGGIE

No, I mean- you’re not-.

Maggie looks disappointed and sits down.

MAGGIE

I’m sorry.

JOSEPHINE

Did you forget what day it was?

MAGGIE

(beat)

Yes.

JOSEPHINE

Maggie, how can I trust you out

there on your own if you can’t even

wake up on time?

JOSEPHINE

(annoyed)

I’m not impressed.

MAGGIE

(realizing)

Oh, god, I forgot! The supply run!

JOSEPHINE

(interrupting)

The supply run.

Maggie looks down at the table as Josephine pauses preparing the food and looks at Maggie.

JOSEPHINE

I agreed to let you two out on your

own because Arnold promised

me--made you promise me--that you

can handle it. This is important,

it’s dangerous out there. If

anything happened to you kids I

wouldn’t-

CUT TO:

" THE WALKING DEAD"

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

4.

ACT ONE

Maggie looks up at her, scared for what she might say next, scared what her mother would do if she and her brother

weren’t around. Josephine senses this, so she stops.

JOSEPHINE

(beat)

Go to the garden and grab me a

tomato.

MAGGIE

(ashamed)

Yes, ma’am

Maggie gets up and leaves the kitchen.

EXT. HOUSE - AFTERNOON

Now the camera follows Arnold and Maggie as they run

alongside Jacob from the group of walkers behind them.

Arnold turns back to aim his rifle. Jacob smacks it down with his good arm, his other one somewhat injured.

JACOB

Don’t waste your shots! Just get to

the house. Worry about it once

we’re inside.

INT. GREENHOUSE - MORNING

There is a net in the ceiling for rain to fall, but the sky is currently cloudless. There are buckets with makeshift sand filters positioned above a large metal tub that sits atop a fire pit. The generator hums against the house. The sun is barely up. Maggie walks into the greenhouse cursing herself.

MAGGIE

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.

Maggie picks a tomato from a vine propped up by metal wires and heads back to the house.

5.

INT. KIDS’ ROOM - MORNING

Arnold is doing push ups, staring at the door the entire time. He finishes, gets up and walks over to the door where a