Two Winters Past

EXT. CLEARING. MORNING.

POPPER is suspended from a branch. A tourniquet has been applied to his leg. 

CONTINUITY ERROR: Blood patterns do not match previous scenes. 

CHLOE ISIS and VALENTINE enter running. CHLOE ISIS tries to help POPPER. POPPER is barely conscious.  

CHLOE ISIS: Popper! Popper, no! No! No!

POPPER groans.

CHLOE ISIS: We can’t leave him like this.

VALENTINE: We’ll have to carry him.

CHLOE ISIS: Give me the machete. We got to put him out of his misery.

POPPER’s chest explodes. CHLOE ISIS and VALENTINE dive backward. A gunshot rings through the trees. A second shot hits the ground near VALENTINE.

REMMY and CHANGO enter. REMMY’s injury is clearly getting the best of him. CHANGO’s face is bruised and bloody. 

CHANGO grabs CHLOE ISIS. She drops the gun. 

VALENTINE tries to intercede, but REMMY draws a pistol.

REMMY: Get the fuck back.

CHLOE ISIS is screaming and fighting. JIMMY runs in with two monsters. REMMY laughs.

JIMMY: I got ‘em! I got ‘em!

JIMMY runs past Valentine as VALENTINE turns to see what is happening. REMMY shambles away. 

The monsters grapple with VALENTINE, who has all he can take to break off two steps and draw his machete. 

VALENTINE can barely keep the monsters back, and he is not scoring any fatal hits. 

VALENTINE severs a monster's leg at the knee, but this only slows the assault. Still, VALENTINE chops the second monster in the neck. Still it tries to attacking as the blood jets from its severed veins. Jaw works, but the throat is cut as well. Monster is losing momentum.  

Remaining monster has crawled after VALENTINE at a surprising pace. VALENTINE, gets himself off the ground on a low branch from the same tree where POPPER hangs. 

Monster climbs after. VALENTINE chops its skull three times before it falls off the tree to lay still. 

VALENTINE takes a few seconds to catch his breath. 

CHLOE ISIS screams not far away. 

VALENTINE climbs down, wipes off his machete on the monster’s clothes and puts it away. He retrieves Chloe’s gun and slings it over his shoulder.

FADE OUT as VALENTINE exits the clearing.

Thunder rolls.