Chapter 10 (The White Shapes)

Chapter 10 is the tenth chapter of The White Shapes. It was written by Donald Newton.

Plot
A depressed and devastated Anthony makes a dangerous move.

Full Chapter
EXT. COSGROVE MALL - FRONT PARKING LOT - DAY

A large group of Shapers arrives at the parking lot of the Mall. They find the dead bodies of their fellow Shapers that the group of survivors had killed at the beginning of Chapter 9. Realizing that there are survivors in the mall, the Shapers proceed into the mall.

INT. COSGROVE MALL - FOOD COURT - DAY

The large group of Shapers walk through the mall's food court, which is where our survivors had entered through in the previous chapter. The Shapers appear to be following their path.

The Shapers look around the mall for survivors. Then they hear from the distance -- CARLA'S SCREAM!

INT. CLOTHING DEPARTMENT STORE - DAY

Sam and Linda have just witnessed the Shaper stabbing Carla.

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.

INT. COSGROVE MALL - HALL - DAY

The large group of Shapers follow the commotion. They witness Anthony and the others running for the Clothing Department Store as they hear Linda's voice over the walkie-talkie.

LINDA: (over the radio) ANTHONY! YOUR MOTHER HAS BEEN ATTACKED! WE'RE AT PERRY'S CLOTHING STORE.

The Shapers attempt to follow them. But the survivors run too fast for them. The group make it to the clothing store with the Shapers far behind them.

The Shapers slowly follow their path towards the Clothing Department Store.

INT. CLOTHING DEPARTMENT STORE - DAY

Anthony is now holding his dying mother in his arms.

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. Anthony begins to cry for his mother.

ANTHONY: (crying) No. Mom...

Everyone is in mourning. Sierra is crying and being comforted by her father. Linda cries into Sam's arms as she mourns her friend. Andy is crying over her grandmother and is being held by her Aunt Dani for comfort. But they don't have time to mourn for long.

Gage hears the footsteps coming from the hall. It's alot of footsteps. Not good.

GAGE: We gotta go. Shapers are coming.

Everyone begins to panic as they realize the amount of Shapers are coming. It's not a small amount for them to take out together.

SAM: Let's get out of here.

Everyone starts to move out. But Anthony doesn't move, still holding on to his mother's body.

CLAY: Anthony!

DANI: Baby, we have to go.

ANTHONY: (trembling, crying) I can't leave her.

DANI: You have to. She'd want you to go. I know it's what she wants. She'd want you to leave her behind to survive. Come on, Baby.

Too weak and devastated by his mother's death, Anthony is unable to move. So Gage and Jackson grab a hold of him, pulling him away from his mother's body, and escorts him out as the rest of the group runs out of the store.

INT. COSGROVE MALL - HALLWAY - DAY

Everyone finds that the Shapers are blocking their path to where they came from. They must find an alternate route for escape. They proceed to run in another direction as the Shapers follow closely behind. The Shapers pull out their weapons.

Clay spins around and proceeds to shoot the Shapers that are the closest to the group in their chrome eyes before fatally shooting them in the heads. By doing this, he is able to kill enough the Shapers in front, allowing the group to escape. The Shapers further behind are still coming. But they are back far enough that the survivors are able to avoid them.

When enough Shapers are down and there is a big enough gap between the group of Shapers and the group of survivors, Clay continues to run away with his fellow survivors.

EXT. COSGROVE MALL - BACK PARKING LOT - DAY

The group run out of the mall through another exit and into another parking lot. It's on the complete opposite side from where they came from. There are many Shapers scattered around. Not so big and just enough for them to take down.

The Shapers in the parking lot attempt to attack the survivors. But the survivors attack first, using whatever weapons that they have to damage their chrome eyes and fatally stabbing them or beating them to death.

CLAY: We have to carefully run to the other side.

AMANDA: Let's go!

They all proceed to run around the building in hopes of making it to the other side to the other parking lot. There are small amounts of Shapers scattered around, which they easily dispatch on their way.

While Gage is in the process of killing a Shaper with his knife, another one sneaks up on him and slashes his arm with a knife.

GAGE: ARRGGH! YOU FUCKER!

An enraged Gage decks the Shaper in the chrome eye, miracously damaging it. Gage stabs the Shaper in the chest -- KILLING IT.

The large group of Shapers that was chasing them in the mall finally make their way out through the exit. But the survivors are already almost to the front parking lot.

EXT. COSGROVE MALL - FRONT PARKING LOT - DAY

The group finally makes it to the front parking lot, which is where they came from earlier. We find the three vans and the single car that the group had arrived from earlier.

Gage and Jackson throws Anthony in the back of the first van. Jackson gets into the driver's side and Gage gets in the passenger side. Dani and Andy jump into the back with Anthony.

Clay jumps into the driver's seat of the second van and Linda jumps in the passenger seat. Sam, Sierra, and Amanda jump into the back of the van.

Chris and Nicole jump into the third van. The car is left behind (it was the car that Anthony drove with his mother, wife, and niece).

The survivors safely drive away from the mall parking lot just as the large group of Shapers make it to the front parking lot.

INT. FIRST VAN - BACK - DAY

Anthony just stares out the window with great depression as they drive further and further away from the mall where his mother was just killed. The Shapers stand in the parking lot with anger over not catching their targets.

ANTHONY: (to himself) I'm sorry, Mother.

INT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Everyone is scattered around the living room except for Anthony. Everyone is still mourning the loss of Carla. Especially Andy, who is still crying over her grandmother.

Linda has made some hot chocolate and brings it over to Andy to comfort her.

LINDA: (handing Andy mug) Here you go, sweetie.

ANDY: Thank you.

LINDA: You're welcome.

Linda places her hand on Andy's face motherly. Showing her love, care, and sorrow.

EXT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - BACKYARD - DAY

Anthony is sitting on a chair, facing the backyard, and smoking a cigarette. Clay steps out.

CLAY: You okay, brother?

ANTHONY: (sarcastically) You mean after losing my mother? I'm doing just perfect!

CLAY: I understand how you feel...

ANTHONY: (angrily) I'm pretty sure I just saw your mother alive and well and giving my niece some hot chocolate. No, Clay. You don't know how I'm feeling. And you won't...until the day you lose your mother.

Clay is speechless. He's never been talked to this way by his best friend. But he understands. He says nothing more and heads back inside.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - BACKYARD - DAY (A FEW HOURS LATER)

Anthony is still sitting on the chair and facing the backyard. Next to him on a tray is an ashtray filled with cigarettes that he's smoked in the last few hours. On the ground are empty beer cans that he's drank. He's intoxicated.

Dani comes out and sees the state that her husband is in.

DANI: Must you?

ANTHONY: Must I what?

DANI: Must you go destructive on yourself in response to your pain? You keep doing this, you're either going to get lung cancer or liver damage.

ANTHONY: Like it matters anyways. I mean, really? What difference does it make? I'm going to die anyways. If not from the smoking or drinking, it'll be from those assholes who took over this world and killed my mother. I might as well drink myself to death.

This disturbs Dani.

DANI: Anthony Carlos Lopez...don't you talk like that. Your mother and your father would be very disappointed in you if they heard you talking like that.

ANTHONY: They're both dead.

DANI: It doesn't matter. You can't do this. You can't do this to us. You can't abandon us like that. You have people who depend on you. This group needs you. Andy needs you...(starts to cry)...I need you.

Dani embraces her husband. Anthony responds by putting his arm around his wife. They cry together.

ANTHONY: (crying) I just wish that I could have brought her home for a proper burial.

DANI: I know, baby. I know. I do, too.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - NIGHT

We find that the lights are off from outside the front of the Lopze house. It's a very dark night.

INT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Amanda stands guard at the front door. Gage is sleeping on the couch. Jackson is sleeping on the recliner chair. Clay is sleeping on the floor with a sleeping bag.

INT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - GARAGE - NIGHT

Nicole and Chris are sleeping on a pulled out bed from a couch in the middle of the garage.

INT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - ANDY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Both Andy and Sierra are sharing Andy's big bed together.

INT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - ANTHONY AND DANI'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Sam and Linda are sleeping in the queen size bed together in the bedroom that served as Anthony and Dani's bedroom before the fall.

INT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

In the bedroom that was once Anthony's mother's room until now -- Dani is sleeping alone.

EXT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - BACKYARD - NIGHT/EARLY MORNING

Anthony is still on the chair. Going back and forth between dozing off and staying awake. He's still thinking about his mother and how he wishes that he could have buried her rather than leave her behind.

Anthony rises from his chair and vomits due to his large consumption of alcohol. He looks up at the sky.

ANTHONY: I promise you, mom...I'm bringing you home.

EXT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - NIGHT/EARLY MORNING

Anthony backs out of the driveway in a hurry in the van. As this happens, Amanda storms out of the front door.

AMANDA: Anthony?! Where the hell are you going?!

Anthony ignores his colleague as he drives off. Clay, Jackson, and Gage, awoken by Amanda's shouting, joins her outside in confusion.

CLAY: What the hell is going?

AMANDA: I have no freaking clue what he's up to.

EXT. COSGROVE MALL - BACK PARKING LOT - EARLY MORNING

The sun is barely visible in the dark sky as the morning slowly rises for a new day. There are several Shapers roaming around the parking lot in search for survivors.

We focus on a Shaper that is scanning the area. He suddenly hears something coming from behind him. The Shaper turns around -- CRASH! Anthony runs the Shaper over with the van. This gets the attention of the other Shapers around.

Anthony gets out of the van. The Shaper that he ran over attempts to get back up. But he kicks the Shaper back down and stomps EXTREMELY HARD on it's face -- KILLING IT.

The other Shapers surround him. He looks like he's about done with. But Anthony is filled with rage and adrenaline. Who are you more worried about here? Anthony or the Shapers?

Anthony pulls out a brass knuckle with a knife attached to it and a machete. A Shaper attempts to attack Anthony. But Anthony punches it in the chrome eye with the brass knuckle, damaging it, and slashes it's body up with the machete. Another Shaper attempts to attack him, but he kicks it back into three other Shapers, making them fall to the ground.

Anthony stabs a charging Shaper in the chrome eye with the brass knuckle knife. He then pulls that Shaper towards him, spinning it around, and using it as a shield as other Shapers begin attacking. This Shaper is killed by his fellow Shapers accidentally stabbing it in an attempt to stab Anthony.

Anthony throws the dead shield Shaper into the other Shapers, making them fall to the ground. He swings the machete down at a Shaper on the ground that is trying to get back up. But because the machete goes through the chrome eye and down it's head, this blow of the machete kills it.

Anthony continues to punch, slash, and stab multiple Shapers as they come at him one by one...until they are all dead. Anthony stands alone in the middle of the parking lot, surrounded by all the Shapers that he has just killed.

INT. COSGROVE MALL - HALLWAY - EARLY MORNING

Anthony enters the mall through the same door that the group had escaped out of the mall the previous day. It's the quickest way to the scene of his mother's death. He finds a large sheet abandoned on the floor and takes it. He finds a bunch of long wires hanging from the wall. He uses the brass knuckle knife to cut some long strips of the wires off and takes them with him.

INT. COSGROVE MALL - CLOTHING DEPARTMENT STORE - EARLY MORNING

Anthony finds his way to the clothing department store. He stops upon finding his mother's dead body still lying on the floor. He is relieved to find it undisturbed by the Shapers or other survivors. He approaches his mother's body before dropping to his knees and proceeds to sob over his mother.

ANTHONY: (crying) I'm so sorry, mother. I'm sorry.

Anthony holds his mother's body and continues to cry.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - DAY

The sun has fully risen as Anthony returns home with the van. He parks in the driveway.

INT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - DAY

Amanda sees the van from the door window.

AMANDA: (to everyone) He's back.

EXT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - DAY

Everyone runs out of the house, keeping an eye out for Shapers, as they approach Anthony, who moves to the back door of the van. Dani approaches her husband.

DANI: Where have you been, Anthony?

Anthony just glares at his wife as he opens the back of the van. He proceeds to pull something out of the van. Everyone is shocked upon seeing -- Anthony pulling out Carla's body, now wrapped in the large sheet, which is tied by the wires that he found.

Everyone steps aside as Anthony walks through the yard towards the gate to the backyard while carrying his mother's body. Everyone follows him as he heads into the backyard.

EXT. LOPEZ RESIDENCE - BACKYARD - DAY

Everyone is gathered around together in front of the freshly buried grave sight of Carla Lopez.

DANI: Carla was an amazing, sweet, loving, and caring woman. She sacrificed a lot for her family and friends. And from what I saw since we've been together since the Shapers took over...she loved and cared for each and every one of you. Sierra became another grandchild to her, Sam and Linda became her closest friends, Gage, Jackson, Amanda, and Clay became like her own children. She didn't let the end of the world stop her from being what she was -- A nurturing mother. I am going to miss her so much. Goodbye, Carla.

Dani places a rose on the gravesight, which is already piled up with roses. Andy approaches her grandmother's grave with a rose in her hand.

ANDY: I love you, Grandma. I miss you. Say hi to Grandpa and Daddy for me.

Andy places the rose on her grave. Anthony approaches his mother's grave.

ANTHONY: I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you, mother. You were the best mother that a man could ever ask for...(starts crying)...and I failed you. I'm so sorry, mother. I hope you can forgive me. I miss you so much. I'll never forget you...I love you, mother.

Anthony places a rose on his mother's grave. And with this moment, he has the closure that he needed for his mother.

Deaths

 * Multiple Shapers at the Mall - Killed by Clay, Amanda, Sam, Linda, Gage, Jackson, Anthony, Nicole, Chris and Dani.

Trivia

 * This is a very emotional chapter.
 * We learn from Dani that Anthony's middle name is Carlos.