Chapter 9 (The White Shapes)

Chapter 9 is the ninth chapter of The White Shapes. It was written by Donald Newton.

Plot
The group goes on a run to the Cosgrove Mall. But their trip ends in tragedy.

Full Chapter
NOTE: This chapter takes place two weeks after Chapter 8.

EXT. COSGROVE MALL - FRONT PARKING LOT - DAY

We are focused on a SHAPER, whose head is facing down. The Shaper brings it's head up, facing us. It appears angry as we find that it's chrome eye is shattered. Before it can do anything -- SPLAT -- A knife is lodged into it's forehead by -- NICOLE.

We find that the entire group is out on a run and killing Shapers together. They're all wearing backpacks.

Sierra, using a nailgun, shoots the Shapers in their chrome eyes and their heads.

Andy, with a belt holding sticks carved into spikes, throws multiple wooden spikes into the Shapers.

Gage lunges the butt of his shotgun into the stomach of the Shaper that is trying to stab him. Before the Shaper can respond, Gage uses the butt to damage the chrome eye. The Shaper doesn't get a chance to fight back as Gage beats him to death by whacking it over the head with the butt of his shotgun multiple times.

Sam uses an axe to take down multiple Shapers around him.

Chris grabs a Shaper that attempts to attack an occupied Nicole and bashes it's head against a BIG ROCK. This, of course, damages the chrome eye and eventually kills it as Chris goes overkill on bashing the Shaper's head against the rock.

Linda charges at a Shaper with a pitchfork, impaling it's Chrome eye, and it dies instantly.

Clay uses a hammer to bash a Shaper's chrome eye, then uses the hammer claw to imaple the Shaper's head.

Dani is using her karate skills to take down Shapers before using a knife to kill them.

Carla is using a fireplace poker to damage the chrome eyes and to stab the fatal wounds onto the Shapers.

Jackson uses a knuckle brass to crack a Shaper's chrome eye. Then he uses the hidden knife of the brass knuckle to fatally stab the Shaper.

Anthony swings his police baton against a Shaper's chrome eye, damaging it, and then stabs it in the chest with a knife.

Amanda swings a baseball bat against a Shaper's chrome eye, damaging it, and proceeds to bash it's head in with the bat.

The group defeats the small crowd of Shapers. It wasn't easy. But they are starting to get the hang of it.

CLAY: Good work, everyone.

ANTHONY: That's right. Good work.

SAM: Now let's go inside and get some stuff.

They all head for the main entrance.

INT. COSGROVE MALL - FOOD COURT - DAY

The group walk into the mall, where the first section they enter to is the FOOD COURT. The mall has been looted and trashed by other survivors since the beginning.

AMANDA: So other people have managed to survive. This place has been looted.

CLAY: That's good news. It means we're not the only survivors out here.

ANTHONY: Let's have a look around. Let's split up into groups. Clay, Sierra, and Amanda go together. Sam, Linda, and Mom together. Nicole and Chris together. Gage and Jackson go together. I'll go with Dani and Andy. Everyone agree?

EVERYONE: Agree.

ANTHONY: Alright. Keep in contact with your walkie-talkies, but preserve your batteries, and yell if you're in trouble. Be safe everyone.

And with that; everyone splits up and goes to different sections of the large mall.

INT. SPENCER'S GIFT SHOP - DAY

Clay, Sierra, and Amanda enter the Spencer's Gift Shop. It's very dark due to power outage, as well as the dark nature of the store in general. Memories are hitting Clay from his history with the store.

CLAY: I use to come to this store all the time. Got a lot of my shirts and posters here.

Clay looks through the shirt aisle and finds one of his favorite band -- RIDERS

CLAY: (to Sierra) This is Daddy's favorite band.

SIERRA: I know. You use to sing their songs to me.

CLAY: I loved doing that for you.

SIERRA: I did, too. I wish you kept going.

CLAY: Maybe I will.

Clay looks through the shirts until he finds one that is of Sierra's size. He pulls out the shirt and hands it to his daughter.

CLAY: Here you go, baby. Your first Riders shirt.

SIERRA: Thanks, Daddy. I'm going to go try it on.

Sierra heads for the dressing room.

CLAY: Don't go too far. We don't know what's around here.

SIERRA: (o.s.) I won't!

Amanda smiles. It's clear that she loves the father and daughter bond between them.

AMANDA: She is such a sweetheart.

CLAY: She is. That little girl is my whole world.

AMANDA: I can tell. When we were at the school and you thought that she may have been killed...you look like you were about to give up on your life. You had a look in your eye like you didn't care if you made out of that school alive.

CLAY: I did. For a brief moment, I thought I had lost my daughter. And if she wasn't going to leave that school alive that day...then neither was I.

AMANDA: But you both did.

CLAY: Thanks to you. I'm sorry...I never thanked you for your help that day.

AMANDA: And you'll never have to. Just seeing you two alive and well and happy even through all this shit that's happened to this world...that's thanks enough. She has such a beautiful happy smile.

Clay smiles over this.

CLAY: Her smile...just like her mother.

AMANDA: Where is her mother?

Clay takes a moment to think about it before answering. He has a look on his face that makes Amanda feel uneasy about asking.

AMANDA: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. It's not my...

CLAY: It's okay. It wasn't long after Sierra was born. My fiancée Mallory was driving home from work. She was on a bridge between Cosgrove and Japlan when her car was hit by a drunk driver. It resulted in her losing control of her car, going over the bridge, and plunged into the lake. By the time rescue arrived...Mallory had already drowned. Sierra has no memory of her mother. All she has are pictures of her and stories that we tell her about Mallory.

AMANDA: I'm so sorry.

CLAY: I've hoped to find someone who could be there for Sierra like a mother aside from her grandmother. But I just never found anyone. I'm personally okay if I don't find someone for myself. But...

AMANDA: You want a mother for her.

CLAY: It's hard to raise a child. Even with my parents. I feel that a child deserves to have both parents along with her grandparents. But I just can't pick any woman. It must be someone that not only would I feel connected to...but someone that Sierra can feel strongly about.

AMANDA: You're a good father, Clay. You put her interests before yours.

Clay smiles over this.

CLAY: Thank you.

Amanda smiles back.

AMANDA: Of course.

Clay and Amanda stare at each other for a moment...smiling. Is it possible that something is slowly growing between them?

Sierra comes out wearing the black RIDERS t-shirt.

SIERRA: Check it out.

Clay and Amanda smile upon seeing Sierra wearing the shirt.

CLAY: It looks good on you, Sierra.

AMANDA: Very pretty.

SIERRA: Thank you.

INT. SPORTING GOODS STORE - DAY

Nicole and Chris enter a sporting goods store. They find a Shaper sleeping on the floor.

NICOLE: So they actually sleep?

CHRIS: Apparently.

The Shaper hears them and wakes up. The couple just stand there and watches without fear as the Shaper rises from it's slumber. The Shaper pulls out a knife. But the couple is prepared.

Chris and Nicole aren't the same scared young couple that had to run away from the herd back in Chapters 4 to 6. They've learned to defend themselves from the Shapers.

They both pull out rocks as the Shaper prepares to attack them. Before the Shaper can charge at them, Nicole throws her rock into it's chrome eye. The Shaper shrieks in pain. Chris throws his hard rock at it's head, injuring it enough that it steps back away from them.

Nicole pulls out a knife and plunges it into the Shaper's stomach. The Shaper gasps in pain, dropping it's knife. Nicole pushes the knife further into the Shaper's body -- Killing it. Upon the Shaper's death, Nicole pushes the Shaper's body down to the floor, pulling the knife out of it's body.

CHRIS: That was so hot, Nicole.

NICOLE: Oh, yeah?

CHRIS: Yeah. You just straight up murdered that thing like a badass.

NICOLE: Right. Let's look around.

Nicole and Chris proceed to look around the store. Chris walks over to the shoe section and finds a pair of orange and blue shoes.

CHRIS: AH! I remember when these first came out. I couldn't afford to get them. I still don't.

NICOLE: Take them. I don't think Anthony or Amanda will arrest you for taking them.

CHRIS: The only benefit of the world ending...nobody is getting arrested for stealing from stores.

Chris snatches the pair of shoes and puts them into his backpack.

INT. FOOD STORE DEPARTMENT - DAY

Anthony, Dani, and Andy are gathering canned and box food. Andy is carelessly grabbing food items and shoving them in her bag.

ANTHONY: Andy, check the dates before you just shove them in. We don't want anybody get sick from having expired food.

ANDY: Okay, Uncle Anthony.

Andy pulls out the food from her bag and checks the dates.

Dani looks through her bag that is getting filled up.

DANI: I think this may be enough for at least a few days.

ANTHONY: It should be. I think we'll be okay for now.

INT. CLOTHING DEPARTMENT STORE - DAY

Sam, Linda, and Carla are looking at clothing for survivors. Carla finds a male blue shirt and checks the size.

CARLA: Sam...you and Anthony are about the same size right?

SAM: About.

Carla places the shirt against Sam's chest and checks to see if it would fit. It does.

CARLA: Perfect. I think this will fit my son. Thank you.

SAM: No problem.

Linda approaches them with two matching shirts for the girls.

LINDA: Don't you think that Sierra and Andy would look good in these?

SAM: They would.

CARLA: They'd look so cute on our granddaughters. We should get them for them.

LINDA: I agree.

The three go back to looking through clothes. Carla turns to find a pile of mannequins that have been pushed and tossed around during the looting. She gets an eerie feeling about them as they remind her of the Shapers' appearance.

Suddenly -- One of the mannequin's eyes OPEN -- IT'S A SHAPER -- It jumps out at Carla and lunges a knife into her chest. Carla cries out in pain.

Sam and Linda are alerted of the attack.

SAM: NOOOO!

LINDA: CARLA!

The Shaper pushes Carla aside and turns to the Foster couple. Linda pulls out a rock and angrily throws it at the Shaper's chrome eye. This hurts the Shaper, who growls at her. But before it can attack her, Sam jumps at it and swings his axe into it's face. With the axe lodged into it's face, the Shaper drops to the floor to it's death.

Sam rushes over to Carla, whose blood is forming a pool on the floor.

SAM: Carla?

Linda grabs her walkie-talkie.

LINDA: (into the walkie-talkie) ANTHONY! YOUR MOTHER HAS BEEN ATTACKED! WE'RE AT THE PERRY'S CLOTHING STORE.

CARLA: (barely talking) Did...did...did you get it?

SAM: I did. It can't hurt you anymore.

CARLA: I'm dying.

SAM: No, don't say that. Carla, you're going to be fine. We're going to get you outta here and fix you up.

But Sam and Carla both know this isn't true. Sam looks down at his hand, which he's been using to put pressure on her wound. Carla's blood covers his entire hand.

SAM: Oh, God!

Anthony and the rest of the group finally arrive. He rushes over to his mother.

ANTHONY: Mom!

Anthony holds his mother who turns to him.

CARLA: Anthony. Baby...I'm sorry.

ANTHONY: No, Mom. It's not your fault.

CARLA: I just want you to know...that...I love you.

Anthony realizes what this means. His mother's breathing becomes labored.

ANTHONY: No, no, no. Mom...please...stay with me. Stay with me, Mom.

But Carla takes her final breath. Then she ceases to move and her eyes roll back.

ANTHONY: Mom! NO!

Carla Lopez is dead. Everyone begins to cry. Dani has to hold and comfort Andy as she cries over her grandmother. Anthony begins to cry for his mother.

ANTHONY: (crying) No. Mom...

Sad music plays in the background as Anthony closes his mother's eyes.

Deaths

 * Carla Lopez - Stabbed in the chest by a Shaper.
 * Carla's Shaper Killer - Axed in the face by Sam Foster.
 * Mallory (Sierra's Mother) - Drowned as a result of a car accident (Fate mentioned by Clay)
 * Multiple Mall Parking Lot Shapers - Killed by Clay, Anthony, Amanda, Sierra, Nicole, Chris, Sam, Linda, Andy, Dani, Carla, Gage, and Jackson.

Trivia

 * The first chapter where a member of the group of survivors is killed off.
 * Carla Lopez is killed by a Shaper in a clothing department store.
 * It is revealed that Sierra's mother was killed by drowning when a car accident resulted in her car plunging off a bridge.
 * RIDERS is a fictional rock band most likely based on The Doors.