The Colony

"THE COLONY"
Written by
Stacy Title & Jonathan Penner
Current Revisions by
David Leslie Johnson
February 3, 2010
FADE IN:
LOGOS over BLACK. On the SOUNDTRACK: a cheery, upbeat POP

TUNE. Then:
INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT
CU on a bathtub faucet. It’s grimy, the tile around it

cracked and dirty. A stark juxtaposition to the cool beat on
the soundtrack. CREDITS BEGIN.
After a beat... an ANT crawls out of the faucet.
It meanders, exploring. It reaches the tile wall. Crawls

along cracked grout. Finds its way down to the bathtub...
... which we now see is full of water. We TRACK with the ant
along the edge of the tub. A YOUNG WOMAN is taking a bath,
but only her bent knee is visible above the sudsy water. Her
hand rests lightly on the edge of the tub.
CAMERA FOLLOWS the ant. Up close, its eyeless face is

monstrous, its serrated mandibles sharp and hideous.
The ant almost bumps into the Woman’s finger... but stops at
the last second. FLICKS its antennae, then walks around it.
Another ANT appears from the bathtub faucet.
The first ant is joined by YET ANOTHER ant. These two

continue on their way. CAMERA TRACKS with them, revealing...
... JANEY (20s), resting her head, eyes closed, listening to

her iPod with earbuds. Pretty college girl with bikini
lines. Streaked blonde hair spills down the edge of the tub.
Two of them reach her hair. They tentatively explore the

fringes... then one of them CRAWLS in.
There are now half a dozen ants crawling on the faucet.
Eyes closed, Janey is unaware of the thin line of ants

running along the edge of the tub, around her hand.
There’s a LOUD KNOCK on the door. Janey’s brow furrows, but

she doesn’t open her eyes. We realize that the POP TUNE on
the soundtrack is playing on her iPod.
YOUNG MAN (O.S.)

Janey, come on! I’m gonna piss in
the sink if you don’t get out of
there!
2.
JANEY
You would. So gross.
She angrily yanks out her earbuds and the MUSIC CUTS OUT.
She sits up. Rubs water out of her eyes. Opens them to see:
The surface of the bath water is littered with DEAD ANTS.

She recoils. Disgusted. Runs her fingers through her hair --
-- and we see ANTS SWARM up from her scalp, seething out of

her hair and between her fingers.
She looks at her hands. Crawling with ants. Ants begin

erupting from her hair, scurrying all over her face.
She SCREAMS --
EXT. GAGE ISLAND - VARIOUS - MORNING
AERIAL VIEW - Hundreds of feet up, looking straight down at a

crowded beach. From up here, the people are very small.
They look like... well, you know.
It’s summertime. There’s a quaint harbor with fishing boats

and water taxies. The “Gage Island Express,” a double-decker
CATAMARAN, approaches a ferry landing, filled with tourists.
On the beach, KIDS splash and play. COLLEGE GUYS flirt with
GIRLS IN BIKINIS. The sun beats down. It’s brutally hot.
Main Street runs parallel to the beach. Little STORES and

DINERS. TOURISTS buy t-shirts. LOCALS loiter in BARS. GOLF
CARTS are the primary mode of transportation.
Heat radiates off the brick sidewalk. KIDS crowd around a

drinking fountain. An OLD WOMAN waves a handheld electric
fan over her face. An old-fashioned ICE CREAM PARLOR turns a
brisk business. Everyone’s trying to beat the heat.
EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - MORNING
An OLD WOODEN WATER TOWER stands at the top of a steep hill.

Faded letters on the tower read “GAGE ISLAND”. Above these
words is painted a RED WOODPECKER. A DOG BARKS O.S.
Just down the hillside, overlooking the harbor is a RUSTIC

TWO-STORY HOUSE in the midst of a restoration.
A LAB MIX MUTT (AXEL) barks at something under the porch.

Crouched next to the dog is RACHEL HACKETT (30s). She’s
effortlessly attractive, even now as she waves a broom under
the porch, trying to scare off...
3.
... a POSSUM. It’s in a corner under the porch, just out of

reach, completely unafraid of Rachel and the dog. It just
stares at them with its beady little eyes. Rachel sighs.
A MAILMAN rolls up in his postal Jeep. His name is CALVIN.

He drops mail into the box. There are two signs next to the
mailbox. One says “HARBOR VIEW INN”. The other: “OPENING
SOON!” Next to this is a painting of the house. Compared to
the reality, it is somewhat idealized. To say the least.
The bulldozer stops and Rachel’s husband MATTHEW (mid-30s)

gets out, wiping his brow. He waves to Calvin.
MATT
Got time for a beer?
CALVIN
Next time. I’m running a little
behind schedule.
MATT
You and me both.
Calvin looks toward the house. Rachel is still crouched

under the porch. All he sees of her is her butt.
CALVIN
Hi, Rachel!
Rachel raises her head -- and BUMPS it on the edge of the

porch. She forces a smile and waves back. He drives off.
Just then, the back door opens and Rachel and Matt’s
daughter, ZOEY (15) steps out. Budding, sarcastic. Wearing
denim overalls and carrying her brother, FRANKIE (1). He has
a Cheerio stuck to his face and is crying hysterically.
ZOEY
(to Rachel)
Janey’s boyfriend says she’s not
coming over.
Matt approaches, dusting himself off. He gestures toward the

freshly flattened front yard, obviously proud of himself.
MATT
So what do you think?
RACHEL
I think we need a new babysitter.
MATT
What happened to Janey?
4.
ZOEY
I don’t know. Her boyfriend said
she just packed up and took off.
She’s moving back to her parents’
place in Colorado or something.
MATT
(to Rachel)
Can you watch him today? I’ve got
to tear out the carpet upstairs.
Rachel looks frazzled, but manages a smile.
RACHEL
Yeah, of course.
(to Zoey)
Go get Frankie’s carrier.
Zoey goes inside. Matt notices that Rachel seems a little

frayed around the edges.
MATT
You okay?
RACHEL
I’m just tired. I can’t sleep with
those crickets chirping.
MATT
You used to sleep through car
alarms going off at three in the
morning.
RACHEL
I was used to those sounds.
MATT
You’ll get used to it here, too.
She smiles, but it’s a little half-hearted. She kisses him.
RACHEL
I know. I’ve got to drive Zoey to
work.
(re: the possum)
Will you please deal with that?
MATT
It’s just a possum.
RACHEL
I don’t like knowing that it’s
there. It freaks me out.
5.
She hands him the broom and goes inside.
EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - DAY
Rachel clips a metal leash to Axel’s collar, chaining him to

a big doghouse. He gives her a pathetic look. He WHINES.
RACHEL
Oh, hush.
Meanwhile, Zoey struggles to get Frankie into the car seat of

the family’s Jeep Wrangler. He’s CRYING his eyes out. Zoey
fumbles with the straps, exasperated. Rachel approaches.
ZOEY
I can’t get this.
Rachel leans in to fix the straps. She smiles and tickles

Frankie’s cheek. He immediately stops crying. Zoey sighs
and plops down in the passenger seat, frustrated.
EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - DAY (TIMECUT)
Rachel drives away with Zoey in the Jeep’s passenger seat and
Frankie in his car seat. Matt’s back in the bulldozer,
leveling out the front yard. Rachel waves to him as she
passes. He waves back...
He doesn’t notice the small ANT MOUND in front of the

bulldozer. The ants frantically skitter in a blind panic as
the bulldozer approaches, but Matt obliterates the mound
without stopping or even knowing it was there.
INT./EXT. JEEP WRANGLER - DAY
Rachel drives the Jeep down a narrow, winding, gravel road.

Frankie rides in back. Zoey stares out at the passing
landscape. Not much to look at.
ZOEY
This is the most boring supposedly
fun place I’ve ever been.
RACHEL
You used to love coming here.
ZOEY
Yeah, for the weekend. Whatever
happened to, “It’s a nice place to
visit but I wouldn’t want to live
there?”
6.
RACHEL
(lying)
I never said that.
Zoey gives her a look. Rachel looks caught. Okay, maybe she
did. She tries to look on the bright side for her daughter.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Well, we do live here now. You’ll
get used to it.
Zoey looks dubious. We get the idea that Rachel isn’t 100%
convinced of it herself.
They’ve gone some distance before they come to the next

house. MRS. RIGGS (60s) step out onto her porch, waving.
ZOEY
Don’t stop the car. Mom, please...
Zoey groans as Rachel stops. Rachel rolls down the window.

Mrs. Riggs hands her a Tupperware container.
MRS. RIGGS
Anyone like lemon squares?
RACHEL
Good morning, Dolly. These look
wonderful! Don’t they, Zoey?
ZOEY
Wow. Awesome.
MRS. RIGGS
These were my husband’s favorite.
If you’d like to bring the kids
over this weekend, I could show you
how to make them.
RACHEL
We’d love to.
(to Zoey)
You said you were bored.
Zoey turns away. She angrily glares out the window.
EXT. SACHIKO GARDENS - DAY
Rows and rows of brightly colored flowers in little plastic

planters. Bees flit from blossom to blossom. Most natural
thing in the world. CAMERA RACKS FOCUS from the bees...
7.
... and FINDS Rachel pulling into the parking lot. It’s a
PLANT NURSERY. There’s a large greenhouse, rows of flowers,
plants, and trees. The owner, MRS. SACHIKO (Japanese-
American, 50s) looks up from her work and gives Rachel a
friendly wave. Rachel waves back. Zoey hops out.
ZOEY
Suzie’s driving me home.
RACHEL
Does she have her license?
ZOEY
She drives a golf cart, Mom.
Zoey closes the door. As Rachel backs out, she sees

something that makes her stop. There’s a MOTORCYCLE parked
beside the shed. Rachel shoots it a suspicious look...
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - GUEST ROOM - DAY
Matt wears a construction respirator as he RIPS UP the old,

threadbare carpet. If the rest of the house is the “after”
picture, this is the “before”. He struggles with the old
carpet, revealing the original wood floor underneath...
... and a ragged patch of TERMITE DAMAGE. Matt groans and

pokes at it. The wood splinters. He pries up a floorboard
without even really trying.
It’s crawling with pale, white TERMITE WORKERS.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - MATT’S OFFICE - DAY
The unfinished basement has been converted into an office.

There are some idealized renderings of the house on the
walls, and more than a few unpaid bills litter the desktop.
Matt’s flipping through the Yellow Pages, looking up

“EXTERMINATORS.” Just then, the PHONE RINGS. He answers it.
MATT
Harbor View Inn.
INTERCUT:
EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY
Rachel has Frankie in a BabyBjörn carrier. He’s wearing a

little sun hat.
8.
Rachel talks into her Bluetooth headset as she staples a

flyer to a public bulletin board. It reads, “BABYSITTER
WANTED” in BIG, HASTILY scrawled letters.
RACHEL
Guess who Zoey’s working with at
the nursery?
MATT
I’m sorry, babe. I really don’t
feel like guessing right now...
RACHEL
That asshole Kyle. I saw his
motorcycle in the parking lot.
Matt reacts. He doesn’t like this.
MATT
Did you ask her about it?
RACHEL
No, I wanted to talk to you first.
I think we should call the Sheriff.
MATT
The Sheriff?? What the hell for?
RACHEL
She’s fifteen, he’s nineteen.
MATT
We don’t even know if they’re doing
anything.
RACHEL
Well, can they beat him up at
least? What the hell’s the point
of living in a shithole like this
if you don’t have a corrupt redneck
Sheriff who beats people up?
She says this a little too loudly and a couple of LOCALS

outside a bar give her a dirty look. She ignores them. A
wasp flies by her face. She absently waves it away as she
posts another flyer.
MATT
(smiles)
I grew up in this redneck shithole.
And I’m pretty sure I was nineteen
when I met you.
9.
RACHEL
I was very mature for my age.
Zoey’s... Zoey. She’s probably
balling him just to piss me off.
MATT
(cringes)
Please don’t ever say that again.
END INTERCUT:
Just then, Rachel sees JOE (early 60s), a surly-looking man

wearing a ball cap and sunglasses. He’s posting a flyer over
top of the one Rachel just put up. She frowns.
RACHEL
I’ll call you back.
Rachel hangs up and strides over to Joe. The flyer he’s

posted reads: “IMPORTANT MEETING! CLASS ACTION! $$$$$”
There are pull-off information tabs along the bottom.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Hey, that’s my flyer you’re
covering up.
Joe turns. He eyes her.
JOE
You’re one of the folks up at the
Hackett place, right? Turning it
into a bed and breakfast.
The wasp Rachel waved away earlier now returns. Insistent.

Rachel flicks her hand at it, irritated. It flies away.
RACHEL
That’s right.
JOE
Well, you’re new so you don’t know
about me yet. I’ve lived on this
island for twenty years. This is
my bulletin board. Ask anybody.
He’s totally serious. Rachel looks past him and sees that
he’s taped the same flyer to every lamp post on the street.
RACHEL
Those your lamp posts, too?
JOE
I have appropriated them on a
temporary emergency basis.
10.
RACHEL
What’s the emergency?
JOE
Come to the meeting and find out.
And then he walks off. Rachel watches as he goes to the next

bulletin board and posts another of his flyers over hers.
When he’s gone, she gives his flyer an irritated once-over.

Then she tears off ALL of the information tabs.
INT. PHARMACY - DAY
Rachel pays for a prescription. She’s sweaty and frazzled.

Frankie sucks on a GRAPE POPSICLE. Fans are blowing all
around the store, but it’s still sweltering in here.
Rachel’s CELL PHONE RINGS and she answers it.
RACHEL
(on phone)
Hello.
The PHARMACIST, a woman in her 20s, gives a look of

disapproval. Rachel mouths “Sorry” to the Pharmacist.
INTERCUT:
EXT. NICKI’S HOUSE - PATIO - DAY
On the other end of the phone is NICKI (30s), reclining on a

patio chair. She’s an unconventional beauty, kind of a sexy
hippie. One leg is in a PLASTER CAST up to her thigh and
she’s got a SQUARE BANDAGE taped to her forehead. CRUTCHES
close at hand. Staying cool with a cold iced tea.
NICKI
How do you like this global
warming, baby?
CAMERA FOLLOWS Rachel outside. Like walking into an oven.
RACHEL
I thought you didn’t buy into
global warming.
NICKI
I didn’t say I don’t buy into it.
I said I don’t care about it. Were
you able to pick up my Vicodin?
11.
RACHEL
Got ‘em right here. The bottle
might be a little light by the time
you get it, though.
Nicki uses a backscratcher to get at an itch inside her cast.
NICKI
Uh-oh. What’s going on?
RACHEL
Stressed out. Still trying to
figure out how I fit in here.
NICKI
Don’t worry, you just need me to
show you the ropes. When’re you
coming up?
RACHEL
I’ll stop by after dinner.
Just then, a wasp flies right by Rachel’s face, buzzes around

her head. Rachel cringes away from it, waving her hand.
NICKI
Okay. Give Frankie a kiss for me.
The wasp lands on Frankie’s popsicle. Rachel makes a face.

She takes the popsicle and tosses it away. Frankie cries.
END INTERCUT:
RACHEL
I will.
She hangs up and tries to comfort Frankie. She glances at

the popsicle on the ground. The wasp lands on it. A feast.
Then, a moment later... ANOTHER WASP lands next to it. Then

ANOTHER. Rachel gives them a curious look before continuing
on her way. As she leaves...
... CAMERA CLOSES IN on the popsicle. There are now HALF A

DOZEN WASPS on it, scooping up its sweet juice. Up close,
they look uncanny. Impossible. Ferocious.
Zoey wipes sweat from her brow as she sets down a tray of
flowers. She glances over to the greenhouse. Mrs. Sachiko
is working with KYLE (19, bad-boy handsome). He looks up,
catching her look. She quickly lowers her eyes.
12.
Just then, the overhead sprinklers make a HISSING SOUND. A

moment later, they come on, dousing the plants. Zoey leans
into the spray, letting the cool water mist her face.
Kyle steps outside.
KYLE
Hey, we’re supposed to be
conserving water.
He glances over his shoulder. Mrs. Sachiko has her back

turned. He sidles up to Zoey and puts his arms around her.
Zoey smiles and lets him.
KYLE (CONT’D)
So why don’t you come over to my
place and take a shower with me?
ZOEY
Ha-ha. Did you read that on a t-
shirt or something?
She’s tentative, a little nervous. He leans in closer.
KYLE
I want you to spend the night.
ZOEY
There’s no way. My mom will call
whoever I say I’m staying with.
KYLE
So sneak out. You’ve snuck out
before, haven’t you?
ZOEY
(no, she hasn’t)
Of course.
Just then, Mrs. Sachiko emerges from the greenhouse. Zoey

quickly steps away from Kyle.
MRS. SACHIKO
Kyle, I need your help with
something.
As Mrs. Sachiko walks away, Zoey tugs Kyle’s sleeve.
ZOEY
I’ll think about it.
Kyle smiles as he follows Mrs. Sachiko around a corner. When

they’re out of sight, Mrs. Sachiko picks up a BAG OF
FERTILIZER and tosses it to him, a little too hard.
13.
MRS. SACHIKO
Hands off the jailbait.
Kyle gives an innocent shrug, but Mrs. Sachiko turns away.
EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - NIGHT
Axel can be heard WHINING O.S. He sounds pathetic.
There’s a BUG LIGHT in the backyard. It HUMS, low and

slightly ominous. A BIG MOTH circles the purple light, big
enough that you cringe as it gets closer and closer until --
BZZAP! But it doesn’t die all at once. It TWITCHES,

frantic, then, BZZAP! BZZAP! It smolders and slowly dies.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - GUEST ROOM - NIGHT
Matt has widened the hole in the floor, revealing extensive

termite damage... and a mass of squirming TERMITE WORKERS.
Rachel and Matt look at it. Axel’s WHINING can be heard O.S.
RACHEL
Can we still open before we lose
the whole summer?
MATT
Yeah. But we’ll have to tent the
place.
RACHEL
Well, now I don’t have to worry
about how to spend my last
severance check.
She leaves.
EXT. ROAD - NIGHT
Zoey rides on the back of Kyle’s motorcycle. He pulls over.

She climbs off and kisses him. He reaches for her breast,
but she brushes him away.
ZOEY
You’re bad.
He gives her a wicked grin, then cranks the throttle. The

motorcycle ROARS. Zoey startles, covering her ears.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Stop it! They’ll hear you!
14.
He turns the bike around and PEELS OUT, engine BLASTING.

Zoey watches him go, exasperated.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Asshole.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
The door opens and Zoey slinks in. Rachel and Matt are there
waiting. Frankie’s trying to climb out of his playpen.
RACHEL
Suzie’s golf cart sounds like it
got a tune-up.
ZOEY
He just gave me a ride home.
RACHEL
You’re grounded.
Zoey looks to Matt for support, but doesn’t get it.
MATT
No internet, no friends.
ZOEY
Well, the “no friends” part isn’t
exactly something new, is it?
Then she storms off, stomping upstairs. A door SLAMS.

Rachel and Matt exchange a look. Frankie looks up at them.
EXT. SACHIKO GARDENS - NIGHT
The nursery is dark. Mrs. Sachiko locks the front gate and
walks to her pick-up truck. She’s about to get in...
... when she hears something. A BUZZING. She looks around.
Across the street is a STREETLIGHT. She squints, because

somehow... the light is VIBRATING. And then it dawns on her.
BEES. A swarm of BEES is flying around the streetlight.

There’s a HIVE forming underneath it.
Mrs. Sachiko gets in her truck, suddenly uneasy.

15.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - ZOEY’S ROOM - NIGHT
Zoey lies in bed, stewing as she flips through a magazine.

Axel can be heard WHINING outside. He’s almost WHEEZING,
he’s been at it for so long.
Matt passes in the hall. He stops outside her open door. He

hesitates. A beat.
MATT
Hey. How’s it going?
Zoey eyes him. Matt winces. Stupid question. He’s not very
good at this. He sits down on the edge of her bed. Zoey
goes back to reading her magazine.
MATT (CONT’D)
I know this has been kind of a
crappy year for you. I’m sorry.
A tear flashes in Zoey’s eye. But she pushes it back.

Closes herself off.
ZOEY
Can I let Axel in?
Matt considers pressing the issue, but then concedes.
MATT
Sure.
She leaves. Matt watches her go. Disappointed.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Zoey goes to the door. Axel is still WHINING. She can see
Axel’s doghouse, but not Axel. The chain leads inside the
doghouse. Suddenly, there’s a YELP. Sounds like he’s hurt.
Zoey hesitates. Then opens the door and goes outside.
A single outdoor bulb casts the doghouse in a circle of

light. There’s still no sign of Axel, just his chain leading
into the doghouse. His WHINING has grown to a fevered pitch,
punctuated with painful YELPS. Zoey approaches.
ZOEY
Ax?
16.
The WHINING continues. Axel doesn’t come out. She steps

closer. Tries to look in the doghouse. She still doesn’t
seem him. Must be cowering in the back. She kneels.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Come on, boy. It’s okay.
A beat. More WHINING.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Axel...?
Suddenly, Axel comes launching out of the doghouse at Zoey,

GROWLING and BARKING. Zoey cries out as Axel races toward
her, jaws SNAPPING viciously, no trace of the gentle family
dog left on its face. She stumbles backward. Axel lunges --
-- and CLANK! Axel is abruptly snapped back by the chain on

his collar. Zoey is just out of reach.
Matt comes running outside, followed by Rachel.
MATT
Get back! Go inside!
Zoey doesn’t need to be told twice. Axel BARKS at Rachel and

Matt, then YIPS in pain and starts chewing at his haunch.
RACHEL
What happened?
MATT
I don’t know!
Rachel carefully steps toward Axel. He GROWLS. Matt tries

to stop her, but she brushes him off.
RACHEL
Hey, take it easy. It’s your mom.
Axel starts WHINING again. Rachel reaches out...
... and suddenly, Axel leaps. She quickly grabs his collar
with both hands. Axel BARKS and fights, but she holds on
tight. Then she looks down...
Axel’s fur is thick with ants. They’re all over him.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Oh my God! Help me get him over to
the hose!
17.
Matt unhooks the chain. Axel struggles to get free. Rachel

throws her whole body weight into restraining him. The ants
start climbing over her hands, crawling up her wrists...
Suddenly, Axel lunges and Rachel loses her grip. In a flash,

he darts across the lawn and then down the steep overlook
that leads to the harbor.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Axel! Axel!!
Rachel and Matt chase him to the top of the hill, but it’s
too dark to see. He’s gone.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
The harbor is filled with dozens of RECREATIONAL BOATS.

Rachel, Matt, and Zoey walk along the shore, searching. Matt
has Frankie in the carrier. Zoey lags behind. She looks
worried. Calls out:
ZOEY
Axel!
Some HIGH SCHOOL KIDS are playing volleyball. Matt goes over
to them. He shows them a photo of Axel.
MATT
Any of you guys see this dog?
The Kids look, shake their heads.
Up ahead, Rachel sees TWO BOYS (8) crouched near some bushes,
poking something with a stick. She can’t see what it is...
but she has a bad feeling about it.
Rachel goes over to the Boys. They see her and freeze.
BOY
We weren’t doing nothing.
Rachel ignores him. She crouches, looks into the bushes...
It’s Axel. He’s dead. His body is crawling with ants.
Rachel washes dishes. An ELECTRIC FAN blows. She wipes

sweat from her brow. It’s even hot at night.
Matt enters from outside.

18.
MATT
There must have been an anthill
under the doghouse.
Rachel sighs, upset. She turns off the water and faces him.
RACHEL
Is that really something that
happens here? You put your
doghouse in the wrong place and
your dog gets killed by ants?
MATT
Come on, Rach. The kids are
sleeping.
Rachel realizes she’s raised her voice. A beat.
MATT (CONT’D)
It was a freak accident. It’s not
“something that happens here.”
(off her look)
We’re in the country. Bugs are a
part of life. In L.A., he could’ve
gotten hit by a car or attacked by
a coyote.
Rachel dries her hands on a towel. A long beat.
RACHEL
I hate this place.
MATT
It hasn’t even been a year.
RACHEL
I’ve never been comfortable here.
You know that.
MATT
That’s because my mother was always
asleep in the next room when we
used to stay here.
RACHEL
That’s not why. I don’t know what
to do with myself here.
(off his look)
I want to move back to L.A.
Matt reacts. They’ve had this conversation before.

19.
MATT
We can’t move back to L.A. without
jobs. We could barely afford that
house when we were both working.
RACHEL
We’ll rent an apartment. It
doesn’t have to be perfect. We
were happy there.
MATT
We’ll be happy here. You’re not
giving this a chance.
RACHEL
It’s not just me. Zoey wasn’t
acting out like this before we
moved. She’s miserable here.
Matt pauses, saddened by the thought. She’s right.
MATT
We knew from the beginning this was
going to be an investment. And
investments take time. We just
need to hang in there.
RACHEL
We can sell the place. We can
easily live off the money until we
find jobs.
MATT
We’re not going to get back the
money we’ve sunk into this place by
selling it. Assuming we even could
sell it. It sat on the market for
two years after Mom died.
Rachel nods, surrendering, recognizing a pattern. This is

how the conversation always goes.
MATT (CONT’D)
This isn’t where I thought we’d
wind up either.
RACHEL
Maybe it’s not how you wanted it to
happen, but you definitely got what
you wanted.
(off his look)
You’ve always wanted to move back
here. And now I’m back at home,
watching the kids.
20.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - ZOEY’S ROOM - NIGHT (CONTINUOUS)
Zoey can hear Rachel and Matt ARGUING. She’s trying not to
cry. She angrily wipes at her eyes and listens.
MATT (O.S.)
I didn’t force you to move here!
RACHEL (O.S.)
You didn’t force me to do anything.
But you were pretty quick to decide
this was our only opportunity.
MATT (O.S.)
You agreed with me!
Zoey looks at her window. She stands and goes to it. Looks
out. There’s a WIDE LEDGE. At the corner of the house, a
STURDY OLD TREE. Looks climbable. She hesitates...
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - KITCHEN - NIGHT (CONTINUOUS)
Rachel is about to say something, but holds her tongue.

Gathers her thoughts. Takes it down a notch. A beat.
RACHEL
I wanted this to work out because I
didn’t know what else to do.
Matt’s about to respond when Rachel’s cell phone RINGS. She

looks at it. “NICKI”. Rachel mentally kicks herself.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Shit.
(answers it)
I’m so sorry. I totally forgot.
INTERCUT:
INT. NICKI’S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Nicki is standing at the counter on her crutches, putting ice

in a glass. She pours J&B over it.
NICKI
That’s all right. I’ve been trying
out some alternative medicine.
Is everything okay?
END INTERCUT:
21.
RACHEL
Yeah. No. I’ll explain when I see
you.
She hangs up. Matt gives her a questioning look.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
I have to take Nicki her pain meds.
(beat)
Don’t wait up for me.
She doesn’t say it harshly, but there’s no way to really say

it nicely. Matt nods, resigned. She leaves.
INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT
Someone KNOCKS at the door. A scary-looking tattooed STONER

DUDE (20s) answers it. He looks confused.
STONER DUDE
Who are you?
It’s Zoey. She’s snuck out. She’s got a bicycle next to her
and she’s wearing her high school jacket. She gives the
Stoner Dude a nervous look. He’s definitely sketchy.
ZOEY
Uh... I must have the wrong
apartment.
KYLE (O.S.)
Hey!
Kyle appears next to the Stoner Dude. He smiles.
KYLE (CONT’D)
What’s going on?
The Stoner Dude nudges Kyle and laughs.
STONER DUDE
She rode a bike here, dude.
Zoey shifts, uncertain.
EXT. NICKI’S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Rachel and Nicki sit on the couch with popcorn and

margaritas. Nicki pops a pain pill. They’re watching a HOME
VIDEO of Nicki on a jet ski in the harbor.
22.
NICKI
There I go. Look how happy I am.
Bye, everyone!
In the VIDEO, Nicki starts doing tight turns. She’s good at

this. She tips the jet ski’s nose up in a wheelie.
NICKI (CONT’D)
What could possibly go wrong?
On the VIDEO, she waves to camera. Then she pops another

wheelie... and this time flips the jet ski over on top of
her. Hard. Rachel gapes. Nicki’s smile fades.
RACHEL
Oh, my God! That’s horrible!
NICKI
Yeah, it’s too soon.
She CLICKS the video off.
NICKI (CONT’D)
You know what’s really sad? I
never did anything crazy when I was
in my twenties because I was with
Peter. So when we broke up, I was
like, “Screw it. I’m just gonna go
out and get drunk and party and do
body shots and have sex with
surfers and do everything you’re
not supposed to do.”
(re: video)
Instead, I did that. That’s my
“Girls Gone Wild” video.
RACHEL
I never did any of that stuff,
either. I had Zoey when I was
twenty.
NICKI
Jesus. In a few years, she’s gonna
be the wild one.
INT. KYLE’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Zoey sits nervously on Kyle’s bed. Kyle closes the door and
sits down next to her. He tucks her hair behind her ear and
kisses her. She tentatively kisses him back.
He puts his hand on her knee... but she stops him.

23.
ZOEY
Please, don’t.
(off his look)
I’m serious. If you’re really not
an asshole, just be okay with that.
KYLE
(a beat)
Okay.
She lies down in his bed. He lies next to her. She takes
his arm and wraps it around her, spooning beside him.
EXT. NICKI’S HOUSE - PATIO - NIGHT
Rachel and Nicki have moved outside with their margaritas.

The ocean view in the moonlight is breathtaking. Except for
an OIL PLATFORM in the distance. Nicki eyes it.
NICKI
Look what they’ve done to that
perfect view. They’d drill for oil
in the Dalai Lama’s head if they
thought they could get enough
barrels out of it.
RACHEL
I kinda like it. It reminds me
that the rest of the world still
exists out there.
NICKI
The whole point of living up here
is to forget that it still exists.
RACHEL
You sound like Matt. I just can’t
get used to how quiet everything is
here. No sirens, no traffic. How
do you stand it?
NICKI
Not being able to get a decent cup
of coffee was the hardest thing to
get used to.
(pointing)
Can you pass me that?
Rachel hands the backscratcher to her. Nicki slides it

inside her cast, going after a bad itch.
24.
NICKI (CONT’D)
Maybe you have insulaphobia. Fear
of islands. Some people just can’t
take being this isolated.
RACHEL
Insulaphobia? Is there a
prescription for it?
NICKI
(raises her margarita)
You’re soaking in it.
EXT. NICKI’S HOUSE - NIGHT
Rachel walks to her Jeep. Nicki stands in the doorway on her

crutches, a little wobbly.
NICKI
Call me when you get home so I know
you got there okay.
RACHEL
I will.
NICKI
No, seriously. Everyone says
they’ll call when they get home,
but nobody ever does. Promise me!
Rachel starts the Jeep.
RACHEL
I swear, I will.
NICKI
Don’t forget!
The house is dark. Crickets CHIRP. Rachel gets out of her

Jeep and gives the EMPTY DOGHOUSE a sad look.
EXT. NICKI’S HOUSE - NIGHT
From outside, we see Nicki’s bedroom light go off. The house

is now dark. Then:
CAMERA SLOWLY DESCENDS, into the grass, then into the dirt...
where the ANTS are at work.
25.
This close, we can hear the CLICKING and CHITTERING of their

little feet as they run crazily, scurrying everywhere. We
continue to DESCEND...
... into a BLACK ANT COLONY. A seemingly endless maze of

shafts and chambers. Perfectly engineered, yet terrifying
and utterly alien. Tremendous activity, frantic, tireless.
Then, something anomalous, clearly man-made: a THICK BLACK

CABLE. The colony has been built over and around it. More
ants stream along the top of it.
We follow these ants along the smooth black cable until they
find something: a crack in the rubber insulation. The ants
disappear into the ELECTRICAL WIRES inside the cable. We
follow them down and in, until we’re engulfed in BLACKNESS...
Rachel quietly enters and picks up the telephone. She dials.
INT. NICKI’S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT
Nicki is in bed. A phone on Nicki’s nightstand RINGS. She

answers it...
... just as the power goes out. Her digital clock goes dark.
NICKI
Hello?
IT’S DEAD. She sighs. Then she looks up. The ceiling fan
above the bed slowly winds down and stops.
On Rachel’s end, the phone keeps RINGING. And RINGING.

Rachel shrugs and hangs up.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT
Rachel is in her pajamas. She turns off the bathroom light

and enters the bedroom. Matt is already asleep. And
SNORING. Loudly. Rachel groans.
26.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - VARIOUS - NIGHT
Rachel throws a blanket over a sofa in the LIVING ROOM,

fluffs a pillow to make it as comfortable as possible, and
turns off the light. But as she settles in...
... she becomes aware of the sound of CRICKETS CHIRPING

outside. She covers her head with the pillow.
INT. KYLE’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Zoey sleeps in her clothes on top of Kyle’s bed. Kyle lies

awake next to her. He tentatively reaches out, gently puts a
hand on her hip, watching her sleep...
... but she’s only pretending. Her eyes are closed, but
she’s awake. She’s letting him touch her.
INT. NICKI’S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT
Nicki is sound asleep. The windows are open. The ceiling

fan is motionless. The power is still out. Then:
Nicki shifts, uncomfortable. Something is disturbing her.

She wakes up, looks at her broken leg. It’s killing her.
NICKI
Oh, that sucks!
She grabs the prescription bottle on the nightstand, pops a

couple of pills, washes them down with water. Then she slips
her backscratcher under her cast and gives a good scratch.
She bites her lip. It’s not helping. She scratches harder.
NICKI (CONT’D)
Ow! Jesus!!
She recoils in pain. It takes her breath away. She fumbles

open the drawer of her nightstand, rummaging around for a
FLASHLIGHT. She shines it down... and gasps.
There’s blood on the end of her backscratcher. A lot of it.
Horrified, she leans back and shines the flashlight beam down
inside her cast. There are tiny splatters of blood on her
leg and the cast from where she was just scratching. But
whatever’s causing her to bleed is down too deep to see...
Then suddenly, a BLACK ANT crawls out of her cast. Then

ANOTHER. And ANOTHER. Nicki frantically swipes them away,
then shines the flashlight down inside her cast...
27.
... just in time to see a wave of BLACK ANTS swarming out of

her cast and up her leg.
INT. KYLE’S BEDROOM - DAWN
The room is dark. Zoey and Kyle are in bed, spooned on top
of the covers. Clothes still on. Zoey stirs and wakes up.
She looks at the clock. 6:30 A.M. Panic.
She leaps out of bed and yanks back the heavy curtains.
Bright sunlight floods inside. She’s been here all night.
ZOEY
Oh shit.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - KITCHEN - MORNING
The morning routine. Frankie feeds himself dry Cheerios.

Rachel washes dishes. She’s on the phone, listening to it
RING on the other end. No one answers. She hangs up.
As she does, she glances out the window... and sees Zoey
riding up to the house on her bicycle. What the hell...?
Zoey sees Rachel at the window, then nonchalantly parks her

bike and walks inside. She puts the paper bag on the table.
RACHEL
Where have you been?
ZOEY
I got donuts.
RACHEL
You rode your bike into town for
donuts?
ZOEY
Yeah, can’t I do that?
She hangs her jacket on the back of a chair and quickly heads
out of the room. Rachel watches her go, dubious.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - MASTER BEDROOM - DAY
Rachel is on the phone again. She gets a recorded MESSAGE:
NICKI’S VOICE (V.O.)

Hi, you got my cell. Please leave
a message.
28.
BEEP.
RACHEL
Okay, so I called you. Because you
made a big deal out of it. And now
I’m the one who’s worried.
(looks at clock)
It’s almost twelve o’clock. I’ve
got to go into town for groceries.
If I don’t hear back from you, I’m
gonna stop by. So call me.
She hangs up, frowning.
INT. JEEP WRANGLER - DAY
Rachel drives across a flat stretch of farmland. There are

GROCERY BAGS in the back.
EXT. NICKI’S HOUSE - DAY
Rachel RINGS the doorbell. She waits.
There’s no answer.
A gate OPENS and Rachel lets herself in to the backyard. She

presses her face up against the sliding glass door.
The house looks empty. She gives the door an experimental

tug. It slides open. She pokes her head in.
RACHEL
Nicki? It’s me!
Still no answer.
INT. NICKI’S HOUSE - VARIOUS - DAY
Rachel enters. The blinds are drawn. She turns the switch
on a lamp. Nothing happens. Electricity’s out.
RACHEL
Hey, are you here?
She enters the KITCHEN...

29.
There are THOUSANDS OF ANTS crawling around on the counter

top. The makings of last night’s margaritas have been left
out and the ants have been drawn to them. Big time.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Whoa...
(calls out)
Nicki?
Rachel goes to the foot of the stairs and stops.
There’s a LINE OF ANTS climbing up the stairs.
Rachel eyes them, disgusted. She walks upstairs, hugging the

railing, as far from the ants as possible. She puts her hand
on the bannister...
... then gasps and violently pulls her hand back. MORE ANTS.
Another line of them. Also headed upstairs. She looks up.
There’s a THIRD ANT TRAIL on the ceiling of the stairway,

directly over her head. Rachel hurries upstairs.
INT. NICKI’S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAY
Rachel reaches the top of the stairs. She turns a corner...

and finds TWO MORE STREAMS OF ANTS moving across the walls.
Coming from opposite ends of the hallway...
... and converging on one half-open door. All five ant

trails lead to the same room. Rachel approaches slowly.
From inside, the sound of a SHOWER RUNNING.
RACHEL
Nicki...?
No answer. Rachel reaches out and pushes the door open.
INT. NICKI’S HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAY
No one here. The bed sheets are thrown back. There’s blood
on them. A lamp is on the floor. So is the flashlight. One
of Nicki’s crutches is on the floor, too.
All the ant trails converge into one SOLID STREAM leading to
the master bath. Where the shower is RUNNING.
Rachel follows the ants...

30.
INT. NICKI’S HOUSE - BATHROOM - DAY
... to find Nicki collapsed in the bathtub with the shower

on, fully clothed, one leg dangling over the edge of the tub.
Her eyes are open. The ant line is streaming directly toward
her body... but strangely, there are only a few on her.
Rachel gasps. She hurries in and turns off the water.
Suddenly, Nicki’s leg TWITCHES. Her eyelids flutter.
RACHEL
Oh my God! What happened to you?!
But Nicki doesn’t really seem to register the question. Her

eyes are strangely unfocused. Rachel fights back tears.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Nicki, can you move?!
That’s when she notices that the stream of ants leads right
to the spot where Nicki’s head rests on the edge of the tub.
So where the hell are all those ants going...?
Suddenly, a LONE ANT scrabbles out from under the bandage on

Nicki’s forehead. It scurries around on her face, feels
around the edges of the bandage, and crawls back under it.
Rachel looks more closely... and realizes that the bandage is

moving. Rippling. There’s something underneath it.
She reluctantly reaches out. Pulls the bandage off...
... revealing a HOLE in Nicki’s head and a ROILING SEA OF

BLACK ANTS inside her skull.
There’s a POLICE CAR, an AMBULANCE, and an EXTERMINATOR’S VAN

parked next to Rachel’s Jeep.
Rachel sits at a patio table with the SHERIFF. He’s not the
redneck sheriff she imagined. More like a history teacher.
Rachel is shaken. She’s cried, but has pulled herself

together. She clutches a Kleenex.
RACHEL
She didn’t seem that drunk.
31.
SHERIFF
You don’t have to be drunk to slip
in the shower.
RACHEL
With your clothes on?
The Sheriff concedes. Point taken. The Deputy appears and

the Sheriff talks to him. Rachel can’t hear them...
... but she can see the plastic evidence bag in the Deputy’s
hand. Inside the bag is Nicki’s PRESCRIPTION BOTTLE. The
Sheriff puts on his glasses to read it.
SHERIFF
You can go on home now, Mrs.
Hackett. I’ll call you if I have
any more questions.
He follows the Deputy inside. Rachel watches them go...
Rachel is getting in her Jeep to leave. The EXTERMINATOR is

outside, smoking a cigarette and talking on his cell phone.
Rachel overhears.
EXTERMINATOR
(on phone)
I’ve never seen anything like it.
It takes eight days for a dead body
to attract ants. These found it in
eight hours.
Rachel gives him a look, considering. She starts the Jeep.
EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - PORCH - DUSK
Rachel and Matt sit on a porch swing, watching the sun go

down. She rests her head on his shoulder. Her eyes are red
from crying. She looks out at the oil platform.
Then she glances down... and sees a SINGLE ANT running along
the back of the swing. She eyes it, uneasy.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - MATT’S OFFICE - NIGHT
Rachel is in her pajamas, watching a YouTube video on Matt’s

computer. The video is of a SWARM OF ANTS sweeping through
the jungle, devouring everything in its path. Grasshoppers.
32.
Spiders. Scorpions. Even frogs and snakes. The jungle

floor is black with ants. Rachel’s skin crawls.
Matt is in bed, asleep. There’s a STRANGE NOISE O.S., a DRY

CLATTERING SOUND. Matt stirs.
It’s coming from downstairs.
Matt enters, curious. The door to the pantry is ajar. He

walks over to it. Opens it...
... and finds Rachel sitting on the floor of the pantry,

pouring dry breakfast cereal into big Ziploc freezer bags.
She’s spilled some, but a lot of it has already been bagged.
MATT
Baby, what are you doing...?
RACHEL
I’m bagging our food so we don’t
get ants in it.
Matt gives her a sad look.
MATT
Come back to bed. I’ll help you
with that in the morning.
RACHEL
No, I want to finish this now.
(off his look)
They were in her head, Matt.
He sees now that she’s been crying. Sees that she has to do
this. She goes back to bagging the cereal.
And after a beat, Matt grabs a box of Count Chocula and sits
down to help her.
INT. HARDWARE STORE - DAY
Rachel has Frankie in his carrier. She’s scanning the

shelves. Mouse traps. Rat bait. And then...
... a nearly empty shelf with a measly three cans of RAID ANT
KILLER SPRAY. She scoops all of them into a hand basket.
33.
ART (O.S.)
Can’t hardly keep that stuff on the
shelves.
ART, the store’s owner, gives her a friendly smile. She sets
the basket down at the checkout.
RACHEL
Have there been a lot of people in
here with ant problems?
ART
Ants, bees, termites, wasps. You
name it.
Rachel eyes the empty shelf as she takes out her wallet.
RACHEL
Is it normally like this?
ART
Well, it’s been bad the past couple
of years, but this summer’s the
worst I’ve seen. I think it’s the
heat that draws ‘em out.
RACHEL
Seems like someone should do
something about it.
Art eyes her for a moment, dubious.
ART
Are you helping Joe with that class
action suit of his?
RACHEL
Who’s Joe?
Art indicates one of Joe’s flyers at the front of the store:

“IMPORTANT MEETING! CLASS ACTION! $$$$$”.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Oh, that guy. Who’s he suing?
ART
Who hasn’t he sued? A few years
ago it was me for selling him
fertilizer that he said killed his
grass. It hadn’t rained in months,
but he couldn’t sue the weather.
Then it was the cable company for
going out during the “DANCING WITH
THE STARS” finale.
(MORE)
34.
ART (CONT'D)
(off her look)
This week it’s McKenzie Oil.
RACHEL
About that oil platform?
ART
No, the bugs.
Rachel gives him a confused look. He just shrugs.
EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - DINING ROOM - DAY
Matt is on a step-ladder, putting up new crown molding.

Rachel is helping him.
RACHEL
So you’re not even curious?
Matt takes a beat, weighing his answer.
MATT
Not really.
(off her look)
I know Joe Bowden. He’s been
pissing people off with crap like
this for years.
RACHEL
I’m not interested in his lawsuit.
I’d just like to find out what he
thinks is going on with the bugs.
MATT
Nothing is going on. It’s just the
way it is here. Some places have
snakes. Some places have
mosquitos. We have ants.
RACHEL
And termites. And bees. And
wasps.
Matt sighs, but he sees that she’s bothered by this. He

tries to be reassuring.
MATT
We’re having the house sprayed for
termites next week. I’ll have them
put out bait traps for ants and
anything else you’re worried about.
(off her look)
Everything’s going to be fine.
35.
She nods. Not entirely convinced.
INT. MEETING ROOM - DAY
Rachel tentatively enters the basement of the town hall.

There are fifty folding chairs set up... but no one is here.
Then she sees Joe. He’s wearing his ball cap, angrily
folding up the chairs and stacking them against the wall.
JOE
Meeting’s cancelled. Nobody came.
RACHEL
I’m not nobody.
JOE
Close enough. I’m not gonna waste
my breath.
Rachel picks up an information packet from a big stack by the

door. She looks at the top page: “BUGS AND WHO TO BLAME.”
Then she notices a table covered with donuts, cookies, and

other refreshments. None of it has been touched.
RACHEL
You were expecting a lot of people?
JOE
All the tabs were ripped off my
flyers. Must’ve been practical
jokers. Real funny, don’t you
think?
Rachel looks a little guilty. As he starts closing the donut

boxes, Rachel fishes her checkbook out of her purse. She
writes a check and offers it to him. Joe takes it, curious.
RACHEL
That cover the donuts?
JOE
Just about.
RACHEL
Good. Then I’m here. Tell me what
you think is going on.
EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY
A big SUV drives through the streets, headed out of town.

36.
INT. JOE’S SUV - DAY
Joe is driving. Rachel holds on as they turn onto a bumpy

dirt road.
JOE
You ever hear of Operation Cat
Drop?
RACHEL
Cat Drop? No, I don’t think so.
JOE
Back in the fifties, malaria was a
big problem in Borneo. So they
sprayed the island with DDT to get
rid of the mosquitos. But it
didn’t just kill the mosquitos. It
killed the lizards. And the cats
who ate the lizards. And with no
cats, the rats took over. Before
you know it, there was an outbreak
of bubonic plague on the island.
So to stop the plague, the World
Health Organization sent planes and
dropped live cats by parachute to
catch the rats.
(off her look)
Operation Cat Drop.
Rachel listens, incredulous.
JOE (CONT’D)
You can’t change just one thing in
nature. You get rid of something,
something else is bound to pop up.
EXT. JOE’S HOUSE - DAY
The SUV pulls up to a restored Victorian home surrounded by

trees and meadows. It’s the only house in sight.
INT. JOE’S HOUSE - DAY
Rachel balks in the doorway as Joe leads her inside.
The house is filled with BOOKS, VHS TAPES, and bizarre

KNICKKNACKS. There’s a HEADSHOT of Joe from twenty years ago
hanging by the door.
37.
JOE
I own a couple of apartment
buildings in town and I’ve been
spending a fortune getting them
fumigated. Ants, mostly, but I’ve
had termite problems, too. It’s
gotten so bad I can’t keep my
tenants.
Joe stops next to a life-size ANIMATRONIC BUTLER. Joe

presses a button on the base. The butler moves and “talks”:
BUTLER VOICE (V.O.)

“Good evening. The Master will be
with you shortly.”
Joe smiles, obviously very amused by the thing. Rachel isn’t

as impressed.
JOE
You know, I played a butler once.
On “Night Gallery.” You ever watch
that show?
RACHEL
Couple times.
JOE
I had a scene with William Shatner.
(confidentially)
I’m gonna tell you something. That
guy’s a dick.
Joe leads Rachel to the next room. She reluctantly follows.
INT. JOE’S HOUSE - OFFICE - DAY
Rachel watches impatiently as Joe rifles through a filing

cabinet. The walls are lined with them. She’s starting to
think Matt was right. This is a waste of time.
JOE
Animal populations are limited by
three things. Predators,
parasites, and disease. A change
in any one of those things, even a
little one, can tip the scales.
RACHEL
And what makes you such an expert?
Did you play one on TV?
38.
JOE
I’ve been talking to a professor at
U.C. Riverside. He’s my expert
witness.
RACHEL
So what does he think happened?
Joe finds what he’s looking for: a STUFFED WOODPECKER

mounted on a display stand. Kept in a filing cabinet.
JOE
This is a Red-shafted Flicker.
They’re from Canada, but they used
to spend their winters here on Gage
Island. This place was famous for
‘em. And you know what flickers
love to eat? Ants. They eat more
ants than any other bird in North
America. And every winter this
place was covered in ‘em. Only
about thirty years ago, guess what?
Rachel’s interest piques a little.
RACHEL
They stopped coming?
JOE
Climate change. They don’t have to
travel as far south anymore for the
winter. But you can’t just change
one thing, remember? Especially in
a closed environment like an
island. Fewer predators and warmer
weather means more ants. A lot
more.
RACHEL
But you’re suing McKenzie Oil?
What do they have to do with it?
JOE
You mean aside from pumping ten
million metric tons of CO2 into the
atmosphere every year?
RACHEL
So you’re suing them for causing
global warming?
JOE
Them and about twenty-three other
companies.
(MORE)
39.
JOE (CONT'D)
There’s a guy in Mississippi who’s
suing ‘em for causing Hurricane
Katrina.
(off her look)
Climate change litigation is gonna
make those tobacco lawsuits look
like small potatoes.
RACHEL
(dubious)
What about that big SUV you’re
driving?
JOE
Hybrids are for pussies. Come
outside with me.
Joe opens the back door and walks out. Rachel eyes the
stuffed woodpecker, then follows him.
EXT. FIELD - DAY
Rachel and Joe trek across the field behind his house, which
is already small in the distance. Rachel’s about had it.
JOE
I’m suing them for my fumigation
costs, loss of rent, and legal
fees. You could get ‘em on
emotional distress over your dog.
RACHEL
How much farther is this?
JOE
Just the top of this hill here. I
wanted to know how big these ant
colonies really are. So I got a
bunch of cement and poured it down
one of their holes. Then I let it
harden and hired some guys to dig
it up.
(beat)
This is what’s going on right under
our feet.
They climb to the top of a gentle slope and stop. Rachel

gapes. She’s looking at a HUGE PIT. And at the bottom...
... the POURED-CONCRETE ANT COLONY. Thirty feet across.

Tubular highways rise up to ten feet from the bottom and
connect a vast network of bulbous chambers.
40.
Organic but engineered, like some kind of weird space station

for tiny aliens. Which is essentially what it is.
RACHEL
Shut. The. Fuck. Up.
JOE
Don’t get too excited. My guy at
U.C. Riverside says this is what a
normal ant hill looks like.
Rachel gapes at the concrete colony, incredulous. And deeply

unsettled. She hesitates. Then:
RACHEL
Do ants...
(beat)
Do ants ever kill people?
JOE
Sure. In South America, they got
ants that can take down cattle.
(off her look)
But, hey. Good news. We’re not in
South America.
He smiles, but Rachel isn’t reassured.
INT. SACHIKO GARDENS - OFFICE - DUSK
Mrs. Sachiko taps at an ADDING MACHINE. Zoey CLOCKS out.
ZOEY
Good night.
MRS. SACHIKO
Ride home safe. It’s getting dark.
ZOEY
I will.
On her way out the door, Zoey glances at the work schedule.
MRS. SACHIKO
Yes, he’s working tomorrow.
Zoey tries to hide her embarrassment and leaves. Mrs.

Sachiko gives a disapproving look, then goes back to work.
41.
EXT. SACHIKO GARDENS - DUSK
Zoey glances to the shed where Kyle parks his motorcycle.

It’s gone. She looks disappointed, then gets on her bike.
INT. SACHIKO GARDENS - OFFICE - DUSK
Mrs. Sachiko locks the door. She takes a zipped MONEY POUCH
to a wall safe. But as she dials the combination...
... a HONEY BEE lands on her hand. She shoos it away. She
puts the pouch inside and closes the safe.
When she goes back to her desk, there’s ANOTHER BEE crawling
around on her paperwork. She frowns at it. Rolls up a
magazine and swats it dead. Sweeps it into the trash.
She turns to the window. It’s open. She goes to close it,
but before she can, ANOTHER BEE lands on the windowsill. She
waves her hand... but the bee launches right at her.
Mrs. Sachiko flinches back, but in an instant, it’s on her

face, behind her glasses. It FLITS around in there, trapped
between the lens and her eye. She flings her glasses off --
-- but not before it plunges its STINGER directly into her

eye. The barbed stinger punctures her cornea. The bee flies
off, but the stinger is left behind.
Mrs. Sachiko CRIES OUT, clutching her eye. She finds a cold
soda can in the mini-fridge and presses it against her eye,
almost doubled over in pain. She reaches for the phone...
... but another bee lands on her hand and STINGS HER,
unprovoked.
More BEES fly in through the window. Mrs. Sachiko runs to

the door, but through the window in it sees --
-- SWARMING BEES fill the corridor. She turns back toward

the window. Bees are flooding in through it. She hurriedly
closes it, grabs the phone, dials 9-1-1.
Bees land on her, stinging her all over, crawling into her
hair. She cowers under her desk. She screams.
OPERATOR (V.O.)
(recording)
All circuits are busy now. Please
try your call again later. All...
42.
She quickly dials another number...
INTERCUT:
EXT. ROAD - DUSK
Zoey is riding her bike home when her phone RINGS: “WORK”.
ZOEY
Hello?
Mrs. Sachiko tries to speak, but the bees quickly dart into
her mouth, shooting straight down her throat. She covers her
face with her hands, but they sting her and squirm through
her fingers, into her mouth, into her ears...
END INTERCUT:
Zoey doesn’t hear anything. Her phone says: “CALL ENDED”.
She glances back toward the nursery, uncertain. Thinks about

going back. Decides against it. She rides off.
The house is dark. CRICKETS CHIRP. Then suddenly...
They stop.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - VARIOUS - NIGHT
CAMERA SLOWLY MOVES along the kitchen floor. Toward the back
door. Toward the tiny black gap underneath it...
An ANT crawls in under the crack. Along with some friends.
They make their way across the floor. We’re on their level
now. From here, they look monstrous. Inconceivable.
Someone forgot to do the dishes. Crusted food and greasy

dishwater turn into otherwordly landscapes for these bizarre
explorers.
They crawl in and out of the SUGAR BOWL.
Then they move into the rest of the house. Up onto the
coffee table. Rachel can be seen sleeping on the sofa in the
b.g. The ants find a GLASS of water. They climb up on it.
In the bathroom, they explore the TOILET SEAT. Walk all over
the SOAP. The TOOTHBRUSHES. Crawl around on the BRISTLES.
43.
In the basement office, they find the COMPUTER. They crawl

in through the vents, scrambling around inside...
Matt SNORES away in bed. He doesn’t feel the ant climbing

onto his hand and up his arm.
Frankie is wide awake. He’s standing in his crib, staring at

the ceiling... where the ants are walking right over his
head. They crawl all over his TOYS. His PACIFIER.
One of them walks over Zoey’s shoulder, up her neck... She

stirs. Scratches her neck, but doesn’t wake up.
Matt doesn’t wake up either. Even when one climbs in his

open mouth. He swallows it in his sleep.
Then, one of the ants finds the GUEST BEDROOM, where the
termite-damaged floor has been ripped up. The ant goes right
to the edge and looks down in the space under the floor.
There’s nothing here... but then...
A little WHITE TERMITE WORKER squirms out of a hole in the

wood. Then another. More and more of them. The ant looks
down at them, antennae twitching. More ants join in, looking
down at the termites. Something is agitating them...
And it’s odd, but you really get the feeling that the ants
and the termites are... somehow... communicating...
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - LIVING ROOM - MORNING
Suddenly, Rachel startles awake from a nightmare. She

frantically brushes at her face and arms, looks around --
-- but there’s nothing to see. No ants here. She shivers.

It was only a dream. She looks over at her WATER GLASS.
There’s a lone DEAD ANT floating in it.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - ZOEY’S BATHROOM - MORNING
Zoey groggily picks up her BLUE TOOTHBRUSH and brushes her

teeth. None the wiser. Frankie CRIES O.S.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - FRANKIE’S ROOM - MORNING
Frankie is crying. Matt pops the pacifier in Frankie’s

mouth.
44.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - KITCHEN - MORNING
Zoey eats a bowl of cereal. Matt spoons some sugar into his
coffee. From the sugar bowl we saw the ants in last night.
Rachel enters. Looks like she’s dressed to go hiking. She

fills a water bottle.
RACHEL
I’m going out with Joe. He’s
showing me the anthills.
He gives her a surprised look. He soft-pedals his reaction.
MATT
I have to make a trip to the
lumberyard.
RACHEL
Zoey can babysit.
ZOEY
But it’s my day off!
RACHEL
You’re grounded, remember?
MATT
I don’t want to get involved with
Joe’s lawsuit.
RACHEL
Neither do I. I just think he has
some interesting ideas. He’s
monitoring the anthills and sending
the data we collect to an
entomologist.
ZOEY
“The data we collect?” Wow. I
thought I was bored.
She leaves. Matt walks over to Rachel. He lowers his voice.
MATT
I know you’re going through a lot
right now, but we’ve only got a few
weeks to get this place ready. I
need you here today.
Rachel turns off the water. Hesitates. Then:

45.
RACHEL
I don’t feel safe here, Matt.
(off his look)
Axel was a big dog. Bigger than
Frankie. And they ate him alive.
MATT
Axel was tied up outside for hours.
Someone is with Frankie all the
time. There’s nothing to be afraid
of.
RACHEL
I really want to believe that. But
you didn’t see what they did to
Nicki. If you had, we’d already be
packing our bags.
She gives him a look that says the conversation is over and
starts filling another water bottle. Matt is taken aback.
INT. SACHIKO GARDENS - OFFICE - MORNING
Kyle tries the door. It’s locked. He TAPS on the glass.
KYLE
Hello? Mrs. Sachiko?
No answer. He TAPS again. Presses his face up against the

glass. The office appears to be empty...
... but Mrs. Sachiko’s body is slumped against the door, just
out of sight. The floor is littered with DEAD BEES. She’s
been stung to death. Kyle doesn’t see her. He leaves.
Joe drives. Rachel reads some articles she’s printed out.
RACHEL
In Texas, they have these crazy
Raspberry ants. They’re attracted
to magnetic fields or something.
They get into computers, cell
phones, plasma TVs. Some kid found
them in his Wii.
(off his look)
It’s a video game.
46.
JOE
I’m gonna tell you something. Ants
are the dominant species on the
planet. If you lined ‘em all up
end to end, they’d reach to the sun
and back.
RACHEL
Bullshit.
JOE
I’m serious. They’re ten percent
of all the biomass on Earth.
(off her look)
They don’t just outnumber us. They
outweigh us.
Rachel thinks about this. Disturbing.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - WORKSHOP - DAY
The garage has been turned into a wood shop. Matt wears eye
and ear protection as he cuts planks of wood on a TABLE SAW.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - LIVING ROOM - DAY
The SAW can be heard O.S. Frankie is starting to climb the

stairs when Zoey enters with a yogurt.
ZOEY
Bad idea, Frankie.
She quickly grabs him and puts him in his playpen. Just
then, her iPhone BUZZES. She checks it. New TEXT MESSAGE.
KYLEXXX: i want u so bad. >:-)
Zoey smiles. Behind her, Frankie tries to climb out of the

playpen. Zoey takes a MR. T KEYCHAIN out of her pocket and
gives it to him. He presses a button on it:
MR. T (V.O.)
“Quit your jibba jabba!”
Frankie laughs, thoroughly entertained.
Zoey’s iPhone BUZZES again. ANOTHER TEXT appears.
KYLEXXX: come hang out with me.
She nervously chews her fingernail. Considering...

47.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - WORKSHOP - DAY
Matt works at his table saw. Behind him, the door opens.
Zoey leans out and places the BABY MONITOR on a shelf. She
has to call out to be heard over the saw.
ZOEY
Dad! Dad!!
MATT
Just a second!
ZOEY
Watch Frankie! I’ve got to go get
tampons!
Zoey leaves, closing the door. Matt finishes his cut. He

turns off the saw and lifts his ear protection.
MATT
I can’t hear you with the saw
running. What --
But when he turns, Zoey isn’t there. He shakes his head and
fires the saw back up.
EXT. FARM - DAY
Joe leads Rachel into a big open field. A FARMER waves to

Joe from a barn. Joe waves back and hands Rachel a map of
the island. There are X’s in DIFFERENT COLORS all over it.
JOE
These are the colonies I’m
tracking.
(pointing)
This is the blue one.
There’s a MOUND OF EARTH in the middle of the field with a

LITTLE BLUE FLAG stuck in the ground next to it. The mound
is shaped like a cone, three feet high. A miniature volcano.
And scurrying in and out of it...
... are HUNDREDS of RED ANTS. Rachel gives an uneasy look.
JOE (CONT’D)
I tag the ants so I can see how
fast each colony is growing. I see
two colors together, I know they’re
really part of the same colony.
48.
He takes out a can of SPRAY PAINT. Then he just walks over

to the ant mound, and starts spraying the ants. The paint
that comes out is almost invisible.
JOE (CONT’D)
It’s fluorescent dye. It’ll shine
blue under a black light.
Rachel just nervously watches from a distance.
RACHEL
So there’s a colony like the one
you dug up right under our feet?
JOE
No. This one’s probably bigger.
Rachel gives him an unsettled look.
Zoey enters. There’s no one here.
ZOEY
Kyle!
She looks around. The place is empty. She spots a ROSE BUSH
in full bloom. As she leans down to smell it...
... we see that there’s a HONEY BEE poised on a nearby leaf,

staring down at her. Zoey doesn’t see it. She sniffs the
flower. Lingers for a beat. The bee watches.
Just then, a DOOR OPENS behind her. It’s Kyle. He’s coming
out of the restroom. He smiles.
KYLE
Hey, sexy schoolgirl. We got this
place to ourselves.
He wraps his arms around her. He kisses her. At first she

leans away, but then she kisses him back.
The bee watches them. Then it FLIES AWAY. Zoey hears it...
but when she turns, there’s nothing to see.
EXT. FOREST - DAY
Rachel follows Joe to another RED ANT MOUND. This one has an
ORANGE FLAG next to it. Half the mound is missing. The back
side has been replaced by a large sheet of RED GLASS. The
mound can be viewed in CROSS-SECTION.
49.
Joe has two handheld BLACK LIGHTS.
JOE
The entomologist told me how to do
this. They can’t see red, so they
can’t see us.
Joe holds a black light next to the glass. Under the purple
glow, some of the ants inside the mound turn BRIGHT ORANGE.
JOE (CONT’D)
Here, take this and look for any
color other than orange.
He offers Rachel the other black light. She reluctantly

takes it. She eyes the ants pouring in and out of the mound.
RACHEL
I have a better idea. It involves
me flying an airplane full of
pesticide.
JOE
Pesticides don’t do shit. They’ve
been spraying ‘em here for so long
that the bugs are immune it now.
Rachel’s eyes are still on the ants. They’re everywhere.
RACHEL
And how often do you do this?
JOE
Every two or three days.
RACHEL
Great.
INT. SACHIKO GARDENS - STOCK ROOM - DAY
Zoey and Kyle are making out on a bench. Zoey’s phone RINGS.
She pulls away from Kyle. Pushes him away is more like it.
He’s really not letting her go. She answers the phone.
ZOEY
Hi Dad.
INTERCUT:
50.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - FRANKIE’S ROOM - DAY
Matt has got Frankie on the changing table. Matt’s got his
cell phone cradled against his shoulder while he takes off
Frankie’s diaper. Frankie is crying.
MATT
Where the hell are you?
ZOEY
I told you. I went to get tampons.
MATT
You’re in town? How long have you
been gone?
ZOEY
I told you I was leaving. I put
the baby monitor in the garage.
MATT
I couldn’t hear you. Jesus, you
never leave him alone! What were
you thinking?
ZOEY
I’m sorry, I thought you heard me!
MATT
I have to go to the lumberyard and
I can’t take him with me. You need
to --
As Zoey listens, Matt’s voice abruptly CUTS OFF.
ZOEY
Dad...?
END INTERCUT:
MATT
Can you hear me? Zoey??
They’ve been cut off. He dials, but nothing happens.
MATT (CONT’D)
Dammit.
Frankie smiles at him and grabs his hand.
FRANKIE
Daddy.
Matt sighs. He kisses Frankie’s head.

51.
INT. MRS. RIGGS’ HOUSE - DAY
The windows are open and there’s a FAN BLOWING, but the house
still looks stuffy. Her shelves are lined with PORCELAIN
FIGURINES only an old woman could love.
Mrs. Riggs is holding Frankie. He’s CRYING and fussing.

Matt quickly jots phone numbers down on a notepad.
MATT
I won’t be long. I’m really sorry
about this.
MRS. RIGGS
Take your time. I’ve dealt with my
share of crying babies.
Frankie CRIES LOUDER. Matt sighs, reluctant to leave.
EXT. MRS. RIGGS’ HOUSE - DAY
Matt walks outside and goes to his truck. As he’s about to

get in, he hears something in the distance: a SIREN.
He’s about to dismiss it, but it’s not a common sound out
here. He listens for a moment. Then he gets in the truck.
Joe drives along a bumpy dirt road through a forest. Rachel

looks at Jeff’s map of the island.
RACHEL
This must take you all day by
yourself.
JOE
Yeah, pretty much.
RACHEL
How long have you been doing this?
JOE
Oh... about six months.
Rachel gives him a look.
RACHEL
You’ve been doing this all day, two
or three days a week, for six
months?
(beat)
(MORE)
52.
RACHEL (CONT'D)
This isn’t just about a lawsuit.
You’re afraid of them.
Joe covers his reaction well. A beat.
JOE
They don’t think of themselves as a
bunch of little guys. They see
themselves as one big guy.
(off her look)
The only reason they’re not at the
top of the food chain on this
planet is because it hasn’t
occurred to them yet.
The thought sends a shiver down Rachel’s spine.
EXT. LUMBERYARD - DAY
A small lumber supply store. Matt gets out of his truck,

crosses the parking lot to a PORT-A-JOHN. He gets there at
the same time as Calvin, the Mailman we saw at the beginning.
CALVIN
Hey, I was just headed up to your
place for that beer.
MATT
Next time.
(re: the port-a-john)
I’ll hit it on the way out.
Matt turns to the store. Calvin opens the port-a-john. A

WASP flies out. He casually waves it away and steps in.
INT. MRS. RIGGS’ HOUSE - BATHROOM - DAY
Frankie can be heard crying O.S. Mrs. Riggs pours a little

Nyquil on his pacifier.
INT. MRS. RIGGS’ HOUSE - DAY
Frankie is still CRYING. Mrs. Riggs pops the Nyquil-laced

pacifier in his mouth. She’s not a mean old lady. She just
doesn’t know any better. It works. Frankie shuts right up.
Mrs. Riggs smiles. She doesn’t notice the BEE that lands on
the sill of the open window behind her...
53.
INT. PORT-A-JOHN - DAY
Calvin stands over the toilet, unzips his pants. Lots of

FLIES in here, BUZZING loudly. He waves them away. But
then, from an ANGLE INSIDE THE CHEMICAL TOILET, we see what’s
really making that buzzing sound...
It’s a HUGE WASP NEST. Built on the side of the wall of the
toilet, just barely out of sight. Teeming with wasps.
Calvin adjusts his pants. Right below him, the wasps flit
over the shit and garbage, crawl around on their nest...
Calvin relaxes. Cracks his neck. Waits...
INT. LUMBER SUPPLY STORE - DAY
Matt is standing in line at the counter behind a MAN WITH A

PONYTAIL. The MANAGER is helping a HISPANIC MAN.
Everything seems normal... until the SCREAMING starts.
Matt runs to the front window. The others follow.
From here, they can see the port-a-john shaking back and
forth. That’s where the SCREAMS are coming from. The door
of the port-a-john is RATTLING. The person inside is having
trouble getting out. Suddenly, it bursts open --
-- and Calvin comes stumbling outside, covered from head to

toe in STINGING WASPS. A black cloud of them erupts from the
port-a-john, filling the parking lot in an instant.
Calvin stumbles to the ground, crying out in agony. Matt

rushes for the door. The Manager follows.
Matt and the Manager race outside, right into the angry swarm
of wasps. They grab Calvin under the arms and hustle him
back toward the store. Matt is stung, but keeps running.
The Hispanic Man opens the door for them.
INT. LUMBER SUPPLY STORE - DAY
The Hispanic Man shuts the door. Matt and the Manager lower
Calvin to the floor and quickly brush the wasps off of him.
His face is red, his eyes puffy and swollen. Suddenly --
-- he VOMITS and starts CONVULSING. The other men step back.

Matt quickly rolls Calvin onto his side to help him breathe.
54.
MATT
Call nine-one-one!
Zoey and Kyle are making out. He kisses her neck. Zoey lets
his hands wander. She has to force herself to stop.
ZOEY
I have to go.
But Kyle ignores her. Zoey gives in to temptation. She

looks out the window. She can see flowers outside...
... and BEES gathering nectar from them. She smiles, closes
her eyes, and lets Kyle kiss her.
The wasps have stopped swarming. An AMBULANCE has arrived.
INT. LUMBER SUPPLY STORE - OFFICE - DAY
The Paramedic we saw earlier pushes Calvin’s eyelids wide

open. The Paramedic looks tired.
Matt and the other Men watch as he shines a penlight into the
blank, unresponsive pupils. He turns the light off.
Calvin is dead.
PONYTAIL MAN
Jesus Christ...
EXT. FOREST - CLEARING - DAY
Rachel and Joe search another colony. There are three mounds
here, each with a GREEN FLAG, each with a red glass window
into their inner workings. Rachel and Joe shine their lights
inside. All the ants glow FLUORESCENT GREEN. Until...
RACHEL
Hey...
... Rachel spots a FLUORESCENT RED ant.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Holy shit...! I’ve got a red one!
Joe gives her a sharp look and hurries over.

55.
JOE
I’ll be goddamned...
RACHEL
You’ve never seen red ones here
before?
JOE
I’ve never seen any of the colors
cross over.
Joe takes out his map. With a pen, he draws a line between
the GREEN X and the RED X.
JOE (CONT’D)
These two are connected.
He draws a circle around the area between the two X’s. A

good eighth of the island.
RACHEL
That can’t all be one colony.
Joe goes back to the mound with his black light.
JOE
It must be. Ants from separate
colonies are natural enemies. But
these guys ain’t fighting. Look!
Rachel quickly follows his look, shines her light...
FLUORESCENT YELLOW. And FLUORESCENT PURPLE. Rachel spots

TWO ORANGE ANTS scurrying around.
RACHEL
Orange! I’ve got orange!
She follows them with her black light... then stops short.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Joe! Hurry!
Joe rushes over. Rachel points her finger against the glass:
FLUORESCENT BLUE.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
We just sprayed blue this morning.
On the other side of the island.
Joe opens his map again, draws a circle that includes the
area between the GREEN, RED, YELLOW, PURPLE, and BLUE X’s.
56.
Pretty much the entire island.
Suddenly they’re startled by a NOISE in the brush --
-- and TWO DEER run by. Rachel and Joe stand. They turn in
the direction the deer came from.
The clearing is covered in nearly waist-high dry grass.
The CHIRPING CRICKETS suddenly stop.
And is there a slight RIPPLE in the grass on the far side of

the clearing, moving toward them? Or is it the wind...?
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Let’s get back to the car.
INT. LUMBER SUPPLY STORE - OFFICE - DAY
Calvin’s body has been bagged and is loaded on a stretcher.

Matt tries his cell phone, but it still doesn’t work. The
other Men talk on their cell phones just fine.
Matt frowns. He looks at his phone again. The screen is

blank. Frustrated, he slides the battery out...
... and ants start CRAWLING OUT OF HIS PHONE.
He startles and drops the phone. Watches, stunned, as DOZENS

of ants scurry out of it.
Matt steps outside. The wasps are gone. He eyes the port-a-
john. The door hangs open. Otherwise, it’s like nothing
happened. He hurries to his pick-up.
He left his window open.
He looks inside. Doesn’t see anything. He opens the door

for a better look. Leans back, checks the footwell. Under
the seats. Nothing. He gets in, starts the truck as...
... CAMERA REVEALS that outside, there’s a busy LINE OF ANTS

moving across the top of his truck rack as he drives off.
Zoey and Kyle are still going at it, but Kyle is too eager.
Zoey tries to extricate herself.
57.
ZOEY
Kyle... stop. I told my dad --
KYLE
Come on. You’ve been fluffing me
for months.
ZOEY
(not 100% sure what that
means)
No I haven’t...
He leans in for a kiss... then starts to slip his hand

underneath her shirt. She jumps back from him.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Stop it.
He doesn’t. He tries again. She pushes him away.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Stop it!!
She gets up and leaves. Kyle groans, exasperated.
Zoey storms out of the stock room, up an aisle with rows of

flowers on either side. She doesn’t notice the BEES feeding
on the flowers. DOZENS of them.
Kyle hurries to catch up with her. Just then, her cell phone
RINGS. She quickly answers it and gives Kyle a pointed look.
ZOEY
Hi, Mom.
INTERCUT:
EXT. FOREST - GRAVEL ROAD - DAY
Rachel and Joe are quickly walking toward the SUV.
RACHEL
Why isn’t anyone answering the
phone? Let me talk to your dad.
ZOEY
I’m not at home. I had to go to
the store.
58.
KYLE
No she didn’t! She’s with me!
Zoey shoots him a look. He flips her off and walks away.
RACHEL
Zoey...
ZOEY
I’m at work.
RACHEL
I don’t care where you are. Just
go home and tell your dad to --
ZOEY
Whoa...
Zoey stops short. She’s seen something...
RACHEL
Did you hear me?
But Zoey’s looking at bees in the flowers. CAMERA RACKS

FOCUS to REVEAL HUNDREDS of them. THOUSANDS. It looks like
there’s one in every flower. Zoey gives them a nervous look.
ZOEY
There are bees everywhere...
Rachel freezes, alarm bells going off in her head.
RACHEL
Zoey, get inside. We’re going to
come pick you up.
ZOEY
I rode my bike --
RACHEL
Zoey, just shut up a second. Those
bees. Remember what happened to
Axel?
Rachel’s tone scares Zoey. She eyes the bees, suddenly wary.
ZOEY
Yeah...?
RACHEL
Just go inside. Now.
Just then, Zoey hears a HISS from overhead. She looks up.
59.
Water beads on the SPRINKLER HEADS. She turns to Kyle. He’s

walking away, his back to her. Zoey calls out:
ZOEY
Kyle! Go inside!
A split second later -- the SPRINKLERS GO OFF.
Water sprays down on the flowers. And the bees. A loud

BUZZING sound erupts from the flower beds...
... and then a SOLID BLACK WALL OF BEES rises up, a BOILING
mass, filling the air.
Zoey screams and RUNS. Nearest door is the GREENHOUSE. She

throws it open, dashes inside.
INT. GREENHOUSE - DAY
Zoey slams the door shut. She looks out through the glass.
ZOEY
Kyle! Come on!
But there are already so many bees out there that you can
barely see him. He covers his face and runs, but collides
with one of the flower tables, knocking it over.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Kyle!!
Rachel can only listen helplessly. The BUZZING of the bees

is loud enough that she can hear it over the phone.
RACHEL
Zoey, what’s going on?!
But Zoey is transfixed by the horrific sight of Kyle being

attacked by bees. They’re so thick that he can’t see, can’t
walk. They’re all over him.
In ECU, we see them sinking their barbed stingers into him

again and again. Kyle screams. He’s being stung to death.
Zoey’s crying, hysterical.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Zoey, goddammit! What’s happening?
Then silence. Rachel looks at her phone. “CALL DROPPED.”
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Shit!
60.
Kyle falls to his knees. Zoey watches in horror. Then the

swarm closes around him and we can’t even see him anymore.
END INTERCUT:
Rachel runs to the SUV. Joe hurries to catch up.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Give me the keys. I’m driving.
Zoey looks up as the SWARM OF BEES engulfs the greenhouse. A

whirling black MAELSTROM. She’s safe for now, but with no
way out. She tries to make a call. “NO SERVICE.”
ZOEY
Piece of shit!!
Rachel is driving, speeding along the narrow gravel path.

Joe is trying his cell phone.
RACHEL
What if it’s not just ants? The
guy at the hardware store said
everything was bad this year.
Ants, bees, wasps.
JOE
(re: cell phone)
I don’t have any signal either.
Maybe when we get closer to town.
Rachel STOMPS on the gas. Drives faster.
Zoey gazes up, horrified, mesmerized, as the bees crawl all

over the outside of the greenhouse. The sound of their
BUZZING is a deafening, relentless DRONE.
It’s getting darker. The cloud of bees blocks out the sun.
Suddenly, SOMETHING comes rushing out of the black cloud and

SLAMS into the glass wall of the greenhouse.
Zoey SCREAMS.
61.
It’s Kyle. His face is red and swollen. His eyes are
completely bloodshot, not a trace of white left. He’s blind
and barely able to stand. And he’s still being stung.
He gropes at the glass, leaving smears of blood.
KYLE
Zoey...? Let me in...!
ZOEY
Oh, my God! Come to the door!
Zoey races to the door... but Kyle doesn’t really move. He

shuffles along the outside wall, feeling his way, weeping.
Frustrated, he slams his hand against the glass.
KYLE
Let me in!!
ZOEY
You have to come over here! Follow
my voice!
KYLE
Let me in!!
He hits the glass again. Hard. The glass wall RATTLES.

Zoey gives it a nervous look.
ZOEY
I’m trying to help you! Just
follow my voice to the door!
He hits the glass again. His movements are pained, sluggish.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Stop it!!
The bees continue to sting. His tongue is so swollen and

purple that he can’t speak. He looks like a monster. He
staggers back, almost disappearing into the cloud of bees...
His foot nudges something on the ground. He picks it up.
It’s a BRICK. He turns toward the glass wall. Zoey runs

over, puts her hands on the glass, pleading.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Kyle, don’t! Put it down and
follow my voice, please!!
If he hears her, he doesn’t react. He shuffles toward her,

hefting the brick in his hand.
62.
He’s going to do it.
Then suddenly, one of the bees crawls up his nose. He cries

out and tries to swipe it away, but it disappears right up
his nostril. Kyle stumbles back, clutching his face, then
falls to the ground. Zoey is stricken. Her voice cracks.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Kyle...?
But Kyle doesn’t move. Zoey stands at the glass, watching as

Kyle’s body disappears beneath a writhing blanket of bees.
She doesn’t see the SINGLE BEE that has found its way inside
through the vent in the ceiling...
Rachel and Joe have reached town, racing through the streets,
quickly passing a slow-moving GOLF CART. Blowing through a
stop sign without slowing. Then, up ahead:
A FIRE TRUCK headed toward them, LIGHTS flashing, SIREN

wailing. It ROARS by them, headed out of town. Joe gives
Rachel a nervous look, but her eyes are fixed on the road.
INT./EXT. GREENHOUSE - DAY
Zoey frantically takes out her cell phone and dials with
trembling hands. “NO SIGNAL.”
ZOEY
Come on...
Then suddenly -- she’s stung. She screams and clutches the

back of her neck, whirling just in time to see a bee fall to
the ground, stingerless. Then she hears something. BZZZ...
ANOTHER BEE. This one flies straight at her. She turns,

swatting her hand at it...
... but it lands right on her head and burrows into her hair.
Zoey screams, trying to shake it out of her hair. She spots

a WORK SINK and rushes to it. She puts her head under the
faucet and turns the water on full blast.
The bee comes tumbling out of her hair and lands in the sink,
floundering in the running water. It rights itself, shakes
its wings, ready to take off again.
63.
Zoey’s eyes land on a HAND SPADE. She grabs it and brings it

down, smashing the bee.
She puts touches her neck. There’s a welt there. She whirls
around, trying to spot where the bee came from...
And sees the vent in the ceiling. TWO MORE BEES are crawling
through it. She backs away, looking for someplace to hide.
But just then, she sees Joe’s SUV pull into the parking lot.
The cloud of bees is so thick she can’t see who it is, but
she doesn’t care. She waves and yells:
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Hey! Help!!
Out in the SUV, Rachel and Joe are dumbstruck by the sight
that greets them. The greenhouse is completely surrounded by
a swarm of enormous bees. It’s uncanny. Apocalyptic. Like
a Biblical plague of locusts. They almost immediately start
landing on the windshield, trying to find a way inside.
Rachel spots Zoey in the greenhouse.
RACHEL
There she is! Can you call her?
JOE
(looks at phone)
I can’t call anyone.
In the greenhouse, Zoey throws a concerned look over her

shoulder at the bees coming in through the vent. There’s not
just one or two now. They’re pouring in.
ZOEY
Oh my God...
From the SUV, Rachel sees Zoey looking over her shoulder.
Rachel’s panicking. She puts her hand on the door.
RACHEL
They’re inside.
JOE
You can’t go out there.
He’s right. Rachel thinks for a beat. No choice, really.
RACHEL
Put on your seat belt.
Rachel puts hers on. Joe realizes what she’s doing and
quickly puts his on, too. Rachel HONKS the horn.
64.
In the greenhouse, Zoey hears the horn. HONK-HOOOOONK! She

presses her face to the glass. The SUV backs up.
ZOEY
No... No! Come back!
The SUV stops. The horn HONKS again. Then the engine ROARS.
Now Zoey realizes what’s happening. Her jaw drops.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Holy crap.
The SUV races toward the greenhouse. Zoey quickly runs out
of the way, hiding underneath a table.
Rachel grips the steering wheel. She’s got the accelerator

pinned to the floor. The glass wall of the greenhouse is
coming up fast. Joe holds on. Then --
CRASH! The SUV slams into the wall of the greenhouse,

SHATTERING it into a million pieces. Zoey cowers under the
table as GLASS EXPLODES all around her. The SUV careens by
her, smashing tables and knocking flowers everywhere.
Rachel SLAMS on the brake. Bees flood inside. Zoey draws

her knees up to her chest, trying to disappear under the
table. Rachel throws the SUV into reverse and stops next to
Zoey’s hiding place. Joe throws open the door.
Zoey lunges into the SUV and slams the door. Rachel stomps
on the accelerator and peels out.
Zoey is shaky, crying, almost hyperventilating.
RACHEL
Are you all right?
ZOEY
Kyle’s dead.
Rachel gives Joe a stricken look. Then she swings the SUV
hard around and races off.
EXT. ROAD - DAY
Matt drives along an isolated dirt road. No traffic, not a

car as far as you can see. He’s turning the dial on his
radio. Nothing but STATIC.
Suddenly, BLACK SMOKE starts billowing from under the hood.

65.
Matt gives it a surprised look and pulls over. By the time

he’s stopped, the engine is GRINDING and all the lights on
his dashboard are LIT UP.
He sits there for a moment, staring at the dashboard in

frustrated disbelief. Then he pops the hood and gets out.
Walks over to the front of the truck and lifts the hood...
Beneath it, the truck is seething with ants. Thick with

them. They’re climbing into the engine by the hundreds.
Thousands. Scurrying into every space imaginable. The black
smoke is coming from the engine.
Matt is dumbfounded. Then he feels something on the hand

he’s using to hold up the hood...
There’s ONE ANT on it. He yanks his hand away, brushes the
ant off. Backs away from the truck.
Then, as he watches in astonishment, the ants begin spilling

out of the grill of the truck, dripping slowly over the front
bumper...
... and then dangling from it. They’re forming an ant chain,
crawling over one another. A bridge from the bumper to the
ground. Countless ants forming what looks like a black
icicle, slowly growing downward...
Then touching the ground. Matt takes another step back.
The ants start moving toward him. They’re slow, but steady.
A little faster than you’d suspect.
And definitely making their way toward Matt. He takes

another step back...
He looks up at the sound of an SUV APPROACHING. Matt raises

a hand, flagging it down. The SUV blows by him...
... then stops. Matt quickly strides toward it. The

passenger’s window roles down.
An OVERWEIGHT DAD is at the wheel. His WIFE sits next to

him, his THREE KIDS in the back. One of the children, a BOY
(8), looks sick. Feverish. His SISTER (12) comforts him.
They all seem edgy. Skittish.
OVERWEIGHT DAD
What’s going on?
MATT
Truck died on me.
66.
OVERWEIGHT DAD
You want us to call a mechanic?
Matt glances back at his pick-up truck and the ant trail
running down the front of it. A beat.
MATT
No, I think I’m gonna need a lift.
A look passes between the Overweight Dad and his Wife.

Matt’s not quite sure what to make of it. Then:
WIFE
Kids, make room.
The Oldest Kid (14) opens the door. Matt climbs in. A
moment later, they’re moving again. Behind them, the trail
of ants continues steadily on...
EXT. URGENT CARE CLINIC - DAY
Rachel helps Zoey out of Joe’s SUV. She’s badly shaken. Joe
takes the keys from Rachel.
RACHEL
Meet me at the ferry dock.
Joe gives her a questioning look. Rachel glances at Zoey.

She doesn’t want to talk about it in front of her.
JOE
I’ll see you there.
He gets in his SUV and drives off.
INT. URGENT CARE CLINIC - DAY
Rachel enters with Zoey and goes to the DESK NURSE.
RACHEL
My daughter’s been stung by a bee.
The Desk Nurse gives her an odd look. Then:
DESK NURSE
Sign in.
Rachel is nonplussed by the reaction. Rachel picks up the

pen. Signs the list. Writes “BEE STING” under “COMPLAINT”.
67.
Then she notices. Someone else on the list has written “BEE
STING”. Then she sees “WASP STING”. Then “MULTIPLE WASP
STINGS”.
Rachel gives the list a troubled look.
INT. FAMILY SUV - DAY
The Overweight Dad is driving. He’s going a little fast.

Matt rides in the backseat. Eyes the Sick Boy, concerned.
The Boy seems listless. His eyes unfocused.
SICK BOY
There were ants in my sandbox.
Matt is taken aback by this. He turns toward the parents.
MATT
How long has he been like that?
OVERWEIGHT DAD
About ten minutes now. We’re
taking him to the emergency room on
the mainland.
Matt notices little red blisters on the boy’s arms and legs.
MATT
Ant bites aren’t poisonous, are
they?
The Overweight Dad shudders. The Sister looks up, alarmed.
SISTER
Are they, Dad?
The Overweight Dad gives Matt a look in the rearview mirror.
OVERWEIGHT DAD
No, of course not.
Matt takes the hint and shuts up.
INT. URGENT CARE CLINIC - EXAM ROOM - DAY
Zoey sits on the table, slumped, dazed. The sting on her

neck is swollen and bright red. A NURSE gives her an
injection. Rachel watches, anxious. Then:
The lights DIM. They flicker, then come back on. Rachel
looks up, dubious. Not sure what to make of that.
68.
The Nurse tapes a cotton ball over the injection spot.
NURSE
This is an antihistamine. You’re
probably going to feel drowsy. You
can put a cold compress on it to
reduce the swelling.
Zoey just gazes off into space. Thousand-yard stare. The

Nurse shifts, uncomfortable. Turns to Rachel.
NURSE (CONT’D)
The boy who died. Were they close?
Rachel hesitates before answering. She’s about to say “yes,”

when Zoey speaks up without looking at anyone:
ZOEY
No.
Rachel gives her a surprised look. Just then, there’s an

urgent KNOCK on the door.
DESK NURSE
It’s Sheriff Evans. He needs you
on the phone.
As she starts for the door, the Nurse’s PAGER goes off. She
looks at it. A moment later, the Desk Nurse’s PAGER goes off
too. Zoey gives Rachel a foggy look.
ZOEY
I left my bicycle at work.
Rachel eyes her, concerned.
INT. FAMILY SUV - DAY
The Overweight Dad speeds along. Matt leans forward,

pointing out a gravel road up ahead.
MATT
Turn here.
OVERWEIGHT DAD
What for?
MATT
I’ve got to pick up my son.
Overweight Dad shakes his head. He drives by the turn.

69.
OVERWEIGHT DAD
We’re going to the mainland.
MATT
I’ve got to get home. My wife
doesn’t know where I am.
OVERWEIGHT DAD
I’ll pull over if you want to get
out.
MATT
And walk? Just drive me up the
hill, it’s five minutes from here.
OVERWEIGHT DAD
Ferry leaves in ten minutes.
Matt glances back. The Sick Boy really does not look good.
EXT. ROAD - DAY
The family’s SUV pulls over. Matt gets out. The Wife hands
him a bottled water.
WIFE
How long a walk is it?
MATT
A couple miles. Half that if I cut
through the woods.
WIFE
I’m sorry.
MATT
It’s okay. Don’t miss the ferry.
He nods his thanks to Overweight Dad and closes the door.

The SUV drives off...
... and when it’s gone, Matt is left alone. He gives the
surrounding forest an apprehensive look.
EXT. STREET - DAY
Rachel and Zoey leave the Urgent Care. As they walk down the
sidewalk, they hear HORNS HONKING O.S.
They approach an intersection. Cars are backed up for

blocks. The stoplight is out.
70.
A PARKING ENFORCEMENT COP directs traffic. A BUCKET TRUCK is

parked on the sidewalk. A REPAIRMAN is working to restore
power.
ZOEY
This is freaking me out.
RACHEL
Me too.
EXT. FERRY LANDING - DAY
The “Gage Express” is docked and taking on passengers.

Overweight Dad and his family get onboard.
Rachel and Zoey wait near the parking lot. Joe gets out of
his SUV and approaches them. They walk toward him.
RACHEL
Wait here for a minute.
Zoey reluctantly stops. She watches Joe talk to Rachel from

a distance. She can’t hear what they’re saying.
Joe gives Rachel an uneasy look.
JOE
I told the Deputy about Kyle.
They’re going to call his parents.
A beat. Rachel can see it in his eyes -- there’s more.
RACHEL
What is it?
JOE
The Sheriff’s office. They’re
getting calls from all over the
island. A hiker found a body this
morning. Two people have had heart
attacks. There’s a fire over at
the sewage treatment plant.
Rachel gives him a stunned look. Trying to understand

something she’s having trouble wrapping her brain around.
RACHEL
This can’t all be happening because
of the insects. Can it?
71.
JOE
I’m not a scientist. But I’ve got
eyes in my head and a little common
sense.
(off her look)
Those deer were running from
something. This island’s basically
one giant anthill. And that boy
was killed by bees. Whatever this
is, I think the smart money is on
getting the hell away from here.
Rachel takes her wallet out of her purse and hands Joe some
cash. Zoey sees this.
RACHEL
I hate to ask you this, but I don’t
know what else to do.
(off his look)
Buy two tickets for this ferry.
Make sure she’s safe.
Joe takes the money and nods.
JOE
Of course.
Zoey has stepped within earshot. She’s overheard.
ZOEY
You’re not coming with us?
RACHEL
I’ll be right behind you. I’m
gonna go up to the house, get your
Dad and Frankie, and come right
back.
ZOEY
We’ll wait for you, then.
RACHEL
This ferry’s leaving right now.
ZOEY
Then we’ll catch the next one! I
want to go with you.
RACHEL
I want you on the mainland. I
don’t want to have to worry about
you.
72.
ZOEY
If you’re coming right back, then
there’s nothing to worry about.
RACHEL
Don’t fight me on this, Zoey.
ZOEY
Then don’t leave me!
(off her look)
Please don’t leave me.
She looks up at Rachel. And Rachel sees. Zoey needs her

right now. A beat. Then, reluctant, she turns to Joe.
RACHEL
All right. I guess I won’t need
that favor.
JOE
Why don’t I follow you up to the
house? Just to make sure
everything’s all right.
RACHEL
That’s really not necessary.
JOE
I’d feel better.
Rachel nods, touched by his thoughtfulness.
RACHEL
Okay. Let’s go.
EXT. FOREST - CLOVER FIELD - DAY
Matt emerges from the forest into a hot, dry field. His
shirt is soaked with sweat. He’s winded, walking uphill.
He stops, takes a drink of water, splashes some over his

face. Keeps walking. He’s nearly halfway across the field
when he hears something:
A BUZZ. Behind him. He quickly turns, looks around.

Nothing. After a beat, he keeps going --
-- and a BEE flies up from the ground, almost hitting him

right in the face. Matt stops short and it flies right by.
He breathes a sigh of relief. But then...

73.
He sees another bee. And another. He looks around. Looks

down at the ground.
The field is covered in BLOOMING PURPLE CLOVER. And in the

center of each and every blossom is a BEE.
Matt stops in his tracks. Looks back the way he came. Bees
behind him as well. He just walked blindly right through the
middle of them without noticing.
And now he’s in the middle of the field. Might as well keep
going. But maybe a bit more carefully.
He chooses his steps. Gently places them between the

blossoms. At first it’s easy, but then there are more
blossoms and more bees and fewer places to put his foot.
It’s like treading through a minefield.
He’s about to take a step... then notices a BEE crawling

across his foot. He waits, lets it fly off.
A bee flies up toward him, gently BUZZING around him. Matt

watches it, tracks it with his eye, but keeps moving.
He nears the edge of the clearing. Almost there.
Then a BLACK CROW flutters through the air above him. It

circles in the sky, then descends. And as Matt watches, it
lands in the middle of the field behind him. TWO MORE CROWS
join the first. They start pecking at the ground.
Matt watches them, wary, not sure what to do. He tries to

shoo the birds away.
MATT
Go on! Get out of here! Stupid
asshole birds!
The crows ignore him. Go about their business. They peck at

the clover blossoms, disturbing the bees. The bees start
BUZZING. A low DRONE, but getting louder.
Matt starts walking faster. Still careful, but quick.

Suddenly, the center of each clover blossom seems to VIBRATE
as the bees become more and more agitated. Just a few more
steps. The BUZZING is almost DEAFENING now. The crows
startle and take flight. Matt reaches the forest --
-- and suddenly, the bees begin to swarm. A SWIRLING BLACK

VORTEX OF BEES rises up from the field, wrapping around the
fleeing crows like a wildly whipping funnel cloud.
74.
As Matt watches in fascination and dread, the crows try to

fly away from the swarm, but it just changes shape and
follows them, cutting off their escape. Wrapping around
them, almost anticipating their moves.
The flight of the crows becomes erratic. One of them FALLS

to the ground, wings flailing. Then ANOTHER ONE. The third
crow flies up and away, the only survivor.
Matt reluctantly turns away from the awesome, hypnotic sight

and hurries on his way.
EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - DAY
The sun is low in the sky. The Landscapers have left.
Joe’s SUV pulls up. Rachel and Zoey hurry to the house. Joe
follows, eyeing the OLD WATER TOWER on the hill.
JOE
Is that water tower on your
property?
RACHEL
Yeah, why?
JOE
It’s a real liability. Someone
could get hurt on that thing.
Rachel ignores him.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Moments later, they’re searching the house. Rachel comes

downstairs. Zoey enters from the kitchen. She gives Rachel
an alarmed look.
RACHEL
Dad’s pick-up’s not in the garage.
Joe comes up the stairs from the basement, closes the door
behind him. He shrugs. Nothing.
They all look at one another. Rachel is exasperated, getting

uneasy. Zoey picks up on her nervousness.
ZOEY
Where are they?
RACHEL
How should I know?
75.
And just then... an ELECTRIC FAN slowly dies. Rachel watches

in dread as the ribbons tied to the fan’s grill fall limp.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Oh, motherfuck.
Zoey gives her mom a look, startled by her language.
Rachel hurries to a light switch, flicks it. The light

doesn’t come on. She picks up the cordless phone. Nothing.
She gives Joe a frustrated look. Zoey is suddenly afraid.
EXT. MRS. RIGGS’ HOUSE - DUSK
The sun is setting when Matt walks up the driveway, drenched

in sweat. He RINGS the doorbell. He waits, catching his
breath. Waits. Anxious. No answer.
He presses the DOORBELL again, listens, makes sure he heard

it ring. Still no answer.
MATT
Dolly!
He waits for a response. There isn’t one. He steps back.

Looks at the house. The porch light isn’t on. It’s not
quite dark yet... but none of the lights inside are on
either. It’s a little dark inside.
He goes to her driveway. Her car is there.
He notices an open window and goes to it.
MATT (CONT’D)
Dolly! It’s Matt!
Then he sees something that makes his blood run cold:
Frankie’s pacifier lying on the ground.
MATT (CONT’D)
Dolly!
INT. MRS. RIGGS’ HOUSE - VARIOUS - DUSK
Matt pushes the window open and climbs inside. He picks up

the pacifier. As he does, he notices something else.
There are BEES all over the floor. Matt takes a startled
step back before he realizes --
76.
They’re all dead. The floor is littered with dead bees. One
of them is barely alive, skittering on the floor with its
stinger ripped out. Matt runs to the kitchen.
MATT
Dolly!
It’s empty. There’s a glass of ICED TEA on the counter. The

ice cubes are mostly melted, so the glass is almost
overflowing now. It’s been sitting there a while.
Matt runs from room to room.
MATT (CONT’D)
Dolly! Frankie!
In the living room, he finds one of Mrs. Riggs’s porcelain

figurines on the floor. It’s SHATTERED.
Matt dashes upstairs. He looks everywhere. Under the beds.

In the closets. Frantic.
Then he notices a closed door at the end of the upstairs

hallway. He hurries to it, tries to open it --
-- but something is blocking it. He pushes it lightly,

testing. Definitely some resistance from the other side.
Matt closes his eyes, already imagining the worst. Suddenly,

he’s fighting tears. He says a silent prayer...
... and pushes the door open.
INT. MRS. RIGGS’ HOUSE - BATHROOM - DUSK
Matt looks inside. The door is being stopped by WET TOWELS

that have been pressed under it to block the crack. Matt
pushes the door open, relieved...
And then he sees Mrs. Riggs lying on the floor in a heap next
to the toilet. She’s dead. Her eyes are open and completely
bloodshot. Her body covered in welts. Matt is stricken.
She’s holding something wrapped in a towel. Matt sees one of

Frankie’s feet hanging limply underneath the towel.
Matt can’t hold back his tears this time. He reluctantly

tugs on the towel. It slips down... revealing...
... Frankie fast asleep. He stirs, contentedly sucking on

his Nyquil-laced pacifier.
77.
Matt almost cries out in relief. He quickly grabs Frankie

out of Mrs. Riggs’s grasp and hugs him to his chest, kissing
him all over. Frankie opens his eyes, looking at him
groggily. Matt holds him tight...
... and looks at Mrs. Riggs. Her dead eyes stare back. He
stands and gently drapes the towel over her.
EXT. MRS. RIGGS’ HOUSE - DUSK
The front door opens and Matt emerges, carrying Frankie. He

starts walking up the dirt road. The sun is starting to set.
The shadows are getting long...
... and the night insects are beginning to CHIRP. Matt

listens as he walks. Funny how many insects there are around
you outside when you really take a moment and listen. Really
pick out each and every individual sound.
They’re everywhere. All around.
Matt starts walking faster.
After a little while, he starts to run.
Rachel takes two flashlights from the pantry. She hands one
to Joe. Zoey enters. She’s concerned. Wound up.
ZOEY
We have to go find them.
RACHEL
We can’t drive around looking for
them. We’ll just wait here.
ZOEY
We’re going to miss the last ferry.
RACHEL
Joe already offered to take you
back.
ZOEY
I’m not going anywhere without you.
RACHEL
Then we’re not going anywhere.
(off her look)
(MORE)
78.
RACHEL (CONT'D)
One of us has to stay put or we’ll
never find each other. This is the
only logical place we’d be.
ZOEY
What if he’s at the ferry dock
thinking the same thing?
RACHEL
You’d already be on the ferry if
you’d just listened to me!
Zoey is taken aback. Rachel is pissed.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
I have to wait here for your
father. If you’re not going to go
with Joe, then at least stop
arguing with me about it.
Suddenly, they all become aware of a LOW SOUND in the

distance. A deep, slow, haunting MOAN. After a beat, it
becomes recognizable.
An old AIR RAID SIREN. They exchange a look.
ZOEY
What is that...?
A silent beat. Rachel and Joe exchange a look. Suddenly --
-- a SLAMMING sound in the kitchen. Everyone startles.
MATT (O.S.)
Rach!
ZOEY
Daddy!
Zoey runs to the kitchen.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - KITCHEN - DUSK
The AIR RAID SIREN continues. Zoey enters to find Matt, who
has just come in from outside. He’s carrying Frankie, who is
starting to wake up. Zoey throws her arms around them.
ZOEY
Where have you been?
Rachel and Joe hurry in after her. They can see on his face
that he’s had a bad day. He looks like hell.
79.
RACHEL
Is Frankie okay?
MATT
Yeah. We have to go.
RACHEL
I know.
It’s dark outside now. Rachel, Matt, Zoey and Joe hurry
outside. Matt carries Frankie. He heads to Joe’s SUV. The
others follow.
Rachel and Joe shine the way with their flashlights. There
is only darkness outside their beams. The night is still and
quiet except for the haunting BLARE of the siren.
Rachel looks around. Something’s missing...
RACHEL
(to Matt)
What happened to your pick-up?
MATT
It broke down.
(beat)
Dolly Riggs is dead.
RACHEL
Oh my God. What happened to her?
They reach the SUV. Joe opens the door and gets in.
MATT
She was stung to death. A swarm of
bees came in through a window and
killed her.
Rachel gives him a horrified look. But then --
JOE
Ow, shit!
They turn. Joe is sitting in the driver’s seat. He shines

his flashlight around his SUV.
Inside, every surface is covered in ants. Steering wheel.

Dashboard. Inside the windows. Every nook and cranny of the
seats. They’re pouring in through the vents. Through the
cigarette lighter, the radio, the CD player.
80.
And they’re crawling up into Joe’s lap. He jumps out,

brushes them off. But they stick to his hand. And now
they’re going up his sleeve. He swats them away. Then --
-- BANG! It sounds like a gunshot, but it’s one of the SUV’s

rear tires EXPLODING. Everyone turns toward it, shocked.
The tire rapidly deflates, almost like it’s melting. Then
Rachel’s flashlight beam hits it...
... and we see that it’s covered in ants. So many of them

you can’t even see the rubber. Masses of them climbing up
onto the tire. Climbing up from...
... the grass. Which is RIPPLING with them. Rachel shines

her flashlight along the ground, following the SHUFFLING of
the grass... until the beam is pointing down at their feet.
And they suddenly realize that they’re standing in the middle

of a BLACK SWARM OF ANTS. The ants are already crawling up
their legs.
Everyone quickly backs away, retreating toward the house.

Rachel and Zoey hurry inside. Joe pauses for a moment,
shining his flashlight beam out into the night. Matt pauses
at his side, curious...
A solid mass of red and black ants stretches as far as the

flashlight beam will shine. All around them.
JOE (CONT’D)
(quietly)
They’re swarming. The colony is
swarming.
Matt tugs his arm and they run inside.
Matt and Joe hurry in. Rachel and Zoey are already at the
sink, washing stray ants off their hands. The SIREN WAILS.
MATT
(to Rachel)
Is your Jeep in the garage?
RACHEL
I left it in town.
MATT
Do the phones work?
RACHEL
Not without electricity.
81.
Matt’s face falls as he realizes what this means. He sees

Zoey looking at him, scared. He tries to keep the fear and
frustration off his face.
JOE
Watch your feet.
Matt looks down. In the flashlight beam, we see that the

ants are crawling inside under the crack of the door. Matt
is standing in them.
MATT
Shit!
He quickly steps away and hands Frankie to Rachel. Everyone

gathers behind him, watching as ants begin pouring inside,
climbing toward them and up the walls.
Rachel hands Frankie off to Zoey, then rushes to the pantry

and comes back with the TWO CANS OF RAID she bought at the
hardware store. She sprays the ants, a can in each hand.
Kills on contact. The ants instantly drop, twitching and

writhing. They’re dead, their bodies just don’t know it yet.
Rachel sprays everywhere, but ants keep coming in. The spray
does its thing, but live ants just keep crawling in over dead
ants.
RACHEL
We need to block this!
Matt hurries into his workshop. Joe takes a can of Raid and
helps Rachel. Zoey stands back, clutching Frankie, watching
as the ants keep coming and coming.
Matt dashes in with a roll of duct tape. Rachel and Joe get
out of the way. He stretches a piece across the bottom of
the door. Ants crawl on his hand and bite him, but he works
through the pain and tapes the crack of the door shut.
So then the ants start crawling over the tape through the
cracks on either side of the door.
Matt quickly starts sealing one of the side cracks with tape.
Rachel helps him. He tears off pieces of tape, she takes
them and seals up the crack on the other side.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
We’d better check the other doors.
JOE
And windows. How much of that tape
you got?
82.
MATT
Just this. I have electrical tape.
And caulking.
JOE
I think we’re going to need all of
it.
The ants are even coming in through the keyhole. Matt puts a
crisscross of tape over it. And that’s it. They step back
to examine their handiwork. Ants are crawling up the window
in the door, but they can’t seem to find a way in.
MATT
All right. We can keep the ants
from getting in here. If we do
that, then we can just wait ‘til
the electricity comes back on. And
then we can call for help.
ZOEY
I don’t think that siren is telling
us the electricity is about to come
back on.
Everyone turns toward her. She’s holding back tears.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
I think it’s telling us that we’re
screwed.
She leaves. Rachel watches her go. Thinking her daughter

may be right.
The room has been lit with CANDLES. The AIR RAID SIREN
BLARES. Frankie is in his playpen, trying to get out, per
norm. Zoey helps Joe tape the windows shut.
ZOEY
Do you know a lot about ants?
JOE
Probably more than most people.
ZOEY
What about the other bugs?
JOE
Not much, I’m afraid.
83.
ZOEY
(beat)
They’re all social insects.
JOE
What are?
ZOEY
The bugs that are going crazy.
It’s not flies or grasshoppers or
ladybugs. It’s social insects.
Ants, bees, wasps, termites.
(off his look)
We had a unit on them in Earth
Science.
Joe thinks about this...
The AIR RAID SIREN CONTINUES. Rachel caulks a window. Matt

stretches duct tape over a heat register. An old battery-
operated radio is tuned to a staticky A.M. NEWS STATION:
RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

The study found obesity levels in
the United States have doubled over
the past twenty years. KSAJ News
time is five after the hour.
Rachel looks out the window. Sees the bulldozer.
RACHEL
What about the bulldozer?
MATT
Not enough gas to get to town.
RACHEL
Well we have to do something.
MATT
I don’t see what choice we have.
We’ll just have to wait for help.
RACHEL
They’re talking about fat people on
the news. They have no idea what’s
going on here.
MATT
I’m open to suggestions.
84.
RACHEL
Don’t just shrug your shoulders and
put this all on me. You’re the one
who wouldn’t listen.
MATT
I don’t think I could have
realistically anticipated this.
RACHEL
I said we should leave!
MATT
What difference does it make?! I
don’t want to debate who’s most to
blame for us being here.
RACHEL
The only time you don’t want to
point fingers is when something’s
your fault.
MATT
My fault? You’re the one who let
Zoey come up here. You practically
had her on the boat. What the hell
were you thinking?
Rachel doesn’t have a quick response for that one.
Then she notices something. She turns the radio off.
SILENCE.
RACHEL
The siren’s stopped.
They all stand at the window with the view of the harbor.
Rachel holds Frankie. Joe looks outside with binoculars.
JOE
We should be able to see lights on
in town.
But THROUGH THE BINOCULARS, the town is dark. Its windows

are black, its streets choked with shadows.
JOE (CONT’D)
Power must be out down there, too.
85.
Zoey steps forward and takes the binoculars. She LOOKS

THROUGH THEM... and sees tiny DOTS OF LIGHT in the distance.
ZOEY
I see lights.
JOE
Those are boats.
Zoey gives him a concerned look.
ZOEY
Everyone’s leaving?
MATT
That’s good. They’ll send help.
Zoey looks dubious. She turns back toward the window and
raises the binoculars --
-- when a BEE lands on the window. THWAP.
Zoey yelps and takes a quick step back. The bee tries to get
in, but the cracks have been taped. Another bee joins it.
Then another. Matt shines his flashlight out the window.
There’s a SWARM of bees SWIRLING around the house.
And as Rachel and the others watch in horror, DOZENS OF BEES

land on the window. Clustered around the flashlight beam.
Rachel realizes. She turns off Matt’s flashlight.
RACHEL
This house is the only thing lit up
for miles. We’re a goddamned bug
light.
Matt yanks the curtains across the big picture window. They
listen as the bees land on the glass. THWAP. THWAP...
Then, suddenly, a bee flies through the air, just a few

inches from Zoey’s face. She cries out and Matt quickly
swats it out of the way. Then a SECOND BEE flies by.
ZOEY
They’re getting inside!
Rachel holds Frankie close, protecting him. Matt shines the

flashlight around the windows. They’re all taped shut.
MATT
Where are they coming from?!
86.
Joe grabs a flashlight and hurries to another room. Matt

checks the other windows, then dashes down the hall --
There are bees crawling in under the basement door. Matt

quickly pulls off his shirt and stuffs it into the crack.
MATT (CONT’D)
They’re in the basement!
Rachel hands Frankie to Zoey and hurries over to Matt with

the duct tape. He starts taping the shirt to the door.
RACHEL
But how are they getting in? There
aren’t any windows down there!
Zoey frantically looks around... and spots a bee crawling in

through one of the slots in an ELECTRICAL OUTLET.
ZOEY
Mom!!
Rachel follows her look and rushes to the outlet. She

instinctively covers it with her hand. The bee inside STINGS
her. Joe hurries in, having heard Zoey call out.
RACHEL
Get me something to cover this
with!
He hands her a pillow and she quickly blocks the outlet with
it.
JOE
You should really have childproof
outlet covers for these.
Rachel shoots him a look and nurses her stung hand. Ouch.
Rachel, Matt, Zoey, and Joe sit at the kitchen table.

Frankie’s in his high chair. They’re eating cold dry goods
in the light of a single dim candle. Cereal and Doritos.
They eat in silence, except for the droning BUZZ OUTSIDE.
Suddenly, Matt SLAPS something on his back. Everyone

startles.
MATT
Did I get it?
87.
RACHEL
There’s nothing on you.
Zoey groans. Matt gives Rachel a dubious look. He tries to

look on his own back. Doesn’t see anything. A beat.
JOE
Zoey and I came up with an idea
about what’s causing all this.
Zoey shoots him an embarrassed look, reluctant to speak up.
JOE (CONT’D)
You’re a smart girl. Don’t be shy
about sharing your ideas.
ZOEY
I don’t have any ideas.
JOE
Well, I’ll tell ‘em if you won’t.
You ever hear anything about swarm
intelligence?
Rachel and Matt shrug. Not really.
JOE (CONT’D)
I read about it when I was keeping
track of the ants. But Zoey
reminded me that bees, wasps, and
termites all work the same way.
Social insects don’t have a leader.
No one tells them what to do. The
group makes decisions together.
(to Zoey)
Tell ‘em what they told you in
class.
Zoey sees that her parents are interested and speaks up:
ZOEY
Mrs. Grimm said that if you put one
ant on a tabletop, it’d just wander
around in circles along the edge of
the table until it starved to
death. You add a few more ants and
they figure out how to get food.
You add ten thousand more and they
form a colony.
JOE
One ant by itself is too dumb to
live.
(MORE)
88.
JOE (CONT'D)
It’s not really even a complete
creature. It’s just one cell in a
much bigger brain.
RACHEL
So you think the bigger the colony,
the smarter the ants.
JOE
The bigger the colony, the bigger
the brain. And this island is the
biggest ant colony that ever was.
(off their looks)
It wouldn’t be intelligence like
you and I understand it. Maybe
just enough to communicate with the
other social insects.
RACHEL
And maybe just enough to figure out
that whole who’s-at-the-top-of-the-
food-chain thing.
A beat. Rachel and Zoey might just be skylarking the idea,

but Joe is serious about it. Matt eyes him, dubious.
MATT
And then what? They learn what a
car is and how to disable it?
ZOEY
We were just talking stupid shit.
RACHEL
Please don’t say that.
ZOEY
Really? There’s to be no swearing
at the insect apocalypse?
MATT
It’s not an “insect apocalypse.”
(off Joe’s look)
I can see how maybe they’d be
attracted to electromagnetic waves
or whatever. They didn’t cut off
the electricity on purpose.
JOE
But they didn’t just cut off the
electricity. They killed the cell
phone tower. And shut down the
waste water treatment plant. No
clean water. No power.
(MORE)
89.
JOE (CONT'D)
No car and no way to contact the
outside world.
(off Matt’s look)
Maybe they’re not smart. But they
ain’t dumb.
Rachel lays a tired Frankie on a blanket in his playpen.

Zoey is on the sofa, listening to MUSIC on her iPod.
Watching as the “LOW BATTERY” warning blinks on the screen.
Matt hands Joe a flashlight.
MATT
I want to make sure the tape’s
holding up.
Joe takes the flashlight. This reminds him of something.
JOE
You know, I played a night watchman
once. On “Mod Squad”. You ever
watch that show?
MATT
It’s a little before my time.
Joe nods. He tugs Matt’s sleeve. Confidentially:
JOE
I screwed Peggy Lipton.
He doesn’t seem to be bragging, just passing along a fact.

Joe goes upstairs. Matt gives him a look, then leaves.
Meanwhile, the screen on Zoey’s iPod finally goes dark. She

pulls the earbuds out and turns to Rachel.
ZOEY
Hey, Mom...?
RACHEL
Yeah?
ZOEY
I snuck out of the house to see
Kyle.
Rachel looks up surprised. She sees the pained look on

Zoey’s face and sits down next to her.
90.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Nothing happened. But I think I
could’ve gotten hurt. I’m sorry.
(off her look)
You were right. He really was an
asshole.
She wipes her eyes. Rachel puts an arm around her.
Just then, Joe comes back down the stairs. He stops halfway.
JOE
Hey, Rachel.
(off her look)
Go get Matt. I’ve got something to
show you.
Rachel grabs the BABY MONITOR REMOTE and heads off to find
Matt. Zoey gives Joe a questioning look.
Rachel, Matt, and Zoey are gathered at the window. Joe pulls
the curtain back and shines his flashlight on the glass.
The window looks completely black, but it’s actually covered

by a MASSIVE BEEHIVE on the outside of the house. Through
the glass, bees can be seen scurrying around inside it,
crawling over one another.
But there’s something wrong here. The hive looks dry and
brittle. And it’s OOZING some kind of sticky, tar-like goop.
Everyone is taken aback.
ZOEY
Is that a beehive?
RACHEL
What’s that black stuff?
JOE
I think it’s supposed to be honey.
(off their looks)
That’s not what I wanted to show
you. Follow me.
Joe leads them out of the room...
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - GUEST ROOM - NIGHT
... and into the room next door. Joe opens the curtains here
and shines his flashlight on the window.
91.
The beehive covers this window, too. Matt gapes at it.
JOE
The same hive covers both windows.
MATT
This wasn’t here when I got home.
JOE
It wasn’t here half an hour ago.
This takes a moment to sink in. A beat.
JOE (CONT’D)
I think we should board up these
windows.
MATT
Yeah. Okay.
Matt leaves. Rachel takes a closer look at the beehive.

Hundreds upon hundreds of impossible-looking creatures, each
working with a single-minded purpose for the collective.
And then, one of them stops. Turns toward Rachel. It really

does seem to be looking right at her. Then she notices...
... that all activity in the nest has stopped. And all the
bees seem to be looking right at her.
ZOEY
What are they doing?
RACHEL
Must be drawn to the light.
She turns it off, hiding her trembling hands from Zoey.
MATT (O.S.)
Rachel?
RACHEL
Yeah?
MATT (O.S.)
Where’s Frankie?
Rachel gives an alarmed look. She hurries out of the room...
... and stops short downstairs.

92.
Frankie’s playpen is empty.
RACHEL
He was just here!
MATT
He must have climbed out.
RACHEL
He can’t do that!
MATT
Well, he can now.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - DOWNSTAIRS - VARIOUS - NIGHT
They all quickly spread out, searching for Frankie. Matt’s

flashlight throws strange shadows around the GARAGE. Zoey
checks out the KITCHEN, lighting her way with an eerily
flickering candle. She opens the pantry. It’s empty.
Rachel is getting more and more frantic, running along the

HALLWAY, opening doors as she goes.
RACHEL
Frankie? Frankie?!
She comes to the door to the basement. She hears something.

She puts her ear to the door and listens.
She can hear the bees BUZZING in the basement, an incessant

drone. This door is all that separates them. She turns --
-- and startles as she almost runs into Joe.
JOE
Could he have gotten upstairs?
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - UPSTAIRS - VARIOUS - NIGHT
Rachel rushes into the MASTER BEDROOM, checks under the bed,
opens the closets. Joe does the same in FRANKIE’S ROOM.
In the GUEST ROOM, Rachel stops short at the gaping blackness

beneath the ripped-up floorboards. On her hands and knees,
she shines her flashlight into the dark space...
There are TERMITES everywhere. But no Frankie.
And then, an O.S. VOICE coming from another room:

93.
MR. T (V.O.)
Quit your jibba jabba!
Rachel leaps to her feet.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - ZOEY’S ROOM - NIGHT
Joe pushes the door open, shines his flashlight inside...
... and finds Frankie sitting on the floor in a corner,

playing with ZOEY’S KEYCHAIN. He pushes a button.
MR. T (V.O.)
Don’t gimme no back-talk, sucka!
JOE
I got him!
Joe walks over to Frankie. A FLOORBOARD CREAKS underfoot...
Rachel appears in the doorway and gives a sigh of relief.

Joe picks Frankie up and tickles his chin. The flashlight
casts scary shadows on Joe’s grinning face. Creepy. Frankie
twists in his grasp and reaches for Rachel.
FRANKIE
Mommy!
Joe frowns, disappointed. Rachel smiles from the doorway.

Joe starts back across the room toward her --
-- and suddenly, the WOOD SPLINTERS under his weight and his
foot goes through the floor. One minute he’s walking along,
the next his leg has been swallowed up to the calf. Sharp
splinters cut into his leg. He holds Frankie up, protecting
him. Rachel hurries toward them --
-- but the floor cracks beneath her. She tumbles backward

and manages to not go through the floor like Joe did.
Matt and Zoey appear behind them. Matt helps Rachel.
MATT
Are you all right?
RACHEL
Yeah, I just scraped my leg.
Joe tries to pull his leg free. He looks down...
The space under the floor is thick with TERMITES. The wood
is riddled with tunnels and holes. Matt starts toward him...
94.
JOE
You better stay over there. This
whole floor is pretty chewed up.
Joe manages to get his foot out of the hole...
... but with his next step, goes through the floor again,
this time up to his knee. Scrapes his leg bad. Draws blood.
JOE (CONT’D)
Son of a bitch!
Frankie cries. Rachel turns to Zoey.
RACHEL
Go downstairs and get the broom.
Zoey rushes off...
Meanwhile, under the floorboards, ONE ANT walks upside-down

in the space between the floors, searching...
... and finding a DROP OF JOE’S BLOOD on a splinter of wood.

Antennae flicking, the ant inspects it. Tastes it...
Zoey returns with the broom. Matt takes it and extends it

out to Joe, who grabs hold with one hand.
JOE
Okay, gimme a pull.
Matt pulls on the broomstick. Joe uses it to gain leverage

and lifts his foot out of the hole...
... but then he cries out in pain as his other foot CRASHES
through. He falls back into the widening hole, almost up to
his waist, lets go of the broom so he can use both hands to
protect Frankie from the fall. His foot is stuck.
MATT
Jesus, he’s gonna go right through.
He hands the broom to Rachel and hurries out of the room.
ZOEY
Mom, look!
Rachel and Joe follow Zoey’s look...
Ants are starting to crawl out of the hole in the floor. Joe
looks down. They’re all over his legs. Fear takes hold.
JOE
Rachel, come get your baby.
95.
But Frankie is out of reach. She’s got to get closer. She

gives the floor in front of her a good, hard tap with the end
of the broomstick. Sounds solid enough. She takes a step.
Taps the floor again. Takes ANOTHER STEP...
Joe looks down to see more ants on him. They’re climbing

higher. Joe tries to raise Frankie as the ants close in...
Rachel sees them and has to force herself to be careful.
ZOEY
Let Frankie walk over to us. He’s
lighter. He won’t fall through.
RACHEL
Assuming he doesn’t run in the
other direction.
Rachel taps the floor again... CRUNCH. The tip of the

broomstick sinks into the floor.
Ants come out of it. A lot of them.
Underneath the floor, the ants cluster around the blood.

There’s a THICK BLACK LINE of them approaching...
DINING ROOM
Matt hurries in, shining his flashlight up. Joe’s foot pokes
down through the ceiling. Ants swarm all over his shoe...
... headed up his ankle. They’ve found the BLOODY GASH in

Joe’s calf. They cluster around the wound...
... and start to climb inside.
FRANKIE’S ROOM
Rachel and Zoey startle as Joe suddenly cries out in pain.
JOE
They’re in my leg! I can feel them
moving around in there!
Joe panics, desperately tries to raise himself out of the

hole, but the floor CRUMBLES further.
RACHEL
Joe, don’t move, goddammit!
She tests the floor again, but finds ANOTHER WEAK SPOT...
96.
The ants are up to Joe’s waist now. And spilling out of the
holes Rachel poked in the floor...
Downstairs, Matt calls up to them:
MATT
I can try to push him up.
RACHEL
Do it!
She offers the broomstick. Joe grabs it... ignoring the ants
crawling around on it. They skitter onto his hand.
Matt shoves Joe’s foot upward as hard as he can, and for a

second it works. Joe is lifted up, holding Frankie close.
Rachel pulls...
But suddenly, the table Matt is standing on SINKS DOWN INTO

THE FLOOR. The termites have weakened the floor here, too.
What happens next happens in an instant:
-- Matt tumbles over backward...
-- Rachel falls back on her ass and Joe drops back into the
hole. Both feet go through the bottom...
-- but at the last second, Joe puts out a hand and stops
himself. He’s up to his waist in the hole now and that one
hand is all that’s keeping them from falling.
-- Downstairs, Matt slides down the tilted table and SMASHES

almost completely through the weak floor, but stops himself.
He’s wedged between the floor and the half-sunken table.
Upstairs, the others hear the CRASH...
ZOEY
Dad!
Zoey races to the door, but Rachel calls out, stopping her.
RACHEL
Zoey, don’t go down there!
Matt pulls himself up and stands where the floor seems

stable. Half the table has gone into the hole in the floor.
He looks into the hole. Boiling with wriggling TERMITES.
MATT
They got the floor down here, too!
They’re eating the goddamned house!
97.
And then a BEE flies out of the hole. Within seconds, there
are a dozen of them flying around the room. Matt realizes:
MATT (CONT’D)
The hole goes through to the
basement!
Upstairs, Joe is covered in ants from the waist down. A few

have reached his face, but he can’t do anything about it. A
couple of ants discover Frankie. Crawl around on him. He’s
wailing now. Zoey looks like she might pass out.
ZOEY
Mom, he has to let him go!
JOE
She’s right. He won’t fall
through. Just be ready to grab
him.
Rachel sees the ants swarming up Joe’s body. There really

isn’t any other choice. She kneels down...
... and Joe releases Frankie. Frankie stops crying, but just
stands there, scared and confused. Ants swarm at his feet.
RACHEL
It’s all right, baby boy. It’s
okay. Mommy’s right here.
Zoey watches, holding her breath. Frankie turns and sees

Rachel. She puts out her arms.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Come to Mommy, baby. Please come
to Mommy...
Frankie runs right to her. Rachel hugs him tight, then

quickly passes him to Zoey.
Rachel turns back to Joe with the broomstick...
RACHEL (CONT’D)
Grab on with both hands. Got it?
Joe nods, shaky, frantic. The ants are all over him. He
grasps the broom with one hand...
JOE
Don’t let me fall now.
RACHEL
I know. You’ll sue me. Just shut
up and give me your other hand.
98.
Joe takes a deep breath and grabs on with his other hand.
Rachel slips at first and he goes sliding deeper into the

hole... but then she heaves with all her strength. She’s
doing it. She’s pulling him free...
But then the ants press the attack. They swarm all over his
body. He’s like a mastodon trapped in a tar pit...
... and he’s losing his grip.
The ants are all over his face now. They’re in his ears. He
clamps his lips and eyelids shut, but when they crawl up his
nose, he screams. And the ants pour down his throat.
Rachel gives one last heave... but Joe loses his grip. He
slides back into the hole and falls through the floor --
-- and right into the dining room. As Matt watches in

horror, Joe drops out of the ceiling, covered in ants --
-- and SLAMS into the dining room table, which barely even
slows him don. He CRASHES RIGHT THROUGH into the basement.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - MATT’S OFFICE - NIGHT
He lands with a DRY CRUNCH on Matt’s desk, a softer landing

than he expected. He was cushioned by...
... layers and layers of DRY GREY HONEYCOMB. Matt shines his
flashlight down on him.
The entire basement is a MASSIVE BEEHIVE. It surrounds the

office furniture, incorporates it in its design. Only there
aren’t just bees here. There are ants. And termites. And
wasps. All massed inside a single, huge dark hive, dripping
BLACK HONEY.
This is what the inside of the Devil’s brain must look like.
And Joe’s in the middle of it.
A split-second later --
-- the HIVE VOMITS UP A MASSIVE BLACK GEYSER OF WASPS AND

BEES. Joe is covered almost instantly.
Up in the dining room, Matt recoils as they shoot straight up

through the hole in the floor, continue through the ceiling --
-- and right into Zoey’s room. Zoey screams. Rachel acts

fast, throwing a jacket over Frankie, then hustles Zoey out
of the room and slams the door --
99.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT
-- but the bees and wasps almost instantly spill out into the
hall through the crack under the door.
Rachel grabs Zoey, drags her down the hall --
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - FRANKIE’S ROOM - NIGHT
-- to Frankie’s room. She practically shoves Zoey inside and

takes the jacket covering Frankie.
RACHEL
Stuff something under this door!
Rachel slams the door before Zoey can protest.
Neither of them notice the WASP on Zoey’s shoulder...
Rachel runs downstairs, jacket over her head --
-- and finds herself in the middle of a sanity-shredding

maelstrom. The whole first floor is filled with bees and
wasps, swirling around her like a blizzard of black snow.
Suddenly, a FIGURE comes stumble/lurching out of the dining

room, covered in wasps. Rachel hurries over.
It’s Matt. Rachel quickly stretches the jacket to cover him

too, but it’s small. Barely enough cover for one.
MATT
The garage! Get to the garage!
They run, hunched over, dashing through the cloud of insects.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - WORKSHOP - NIGHT
Rachel and Matt stumble inside and SLAM the door shut. Matt
has dozens of wasps and bees all over him.
Rachel sees a coiled GARDEN HOSE. She turns it on Matt,

SPRAYING the bugs off of him. Then douses the ones on her.
Matt falls on his knees, almost crippled with pain. Rachel

peels his shirt off. He has welts all over.
RACHEL
Jesus.
100.
MATT
Where’s Zoey?
RACHEL
She’s upstairs in Frankie’s room.
They’re okay. Where’s Joe?
MATT
He’s gone. The floor gave. He
fell right through to the basement.
Rachel stares at him, horrified. Letting this sink in.
MATT (CONT’D)
He’s dead, Rach. Even if he’s not,
we can’t go back out there.
Another beat. Then, they hear a small, TINNY VOICE:
ZOEY (O.S.)
Sssh. Don’t worry. It’s okay,
buddy.
Rachel’s eyes light. Matt gives her a curious look. She

pulls something out of her pocket. The BABY MONITOR REMOTE.
RACHEL
The monitors work on batteries.
Zoey is holding Frankie, rocking him, comforting. Suddenly,

Rachel’s voice comes over the BABY MONITOR.
RACHEL
Zoey? Can you hear me?
Zoey looks up, surprised. But as she puts Frankie into his
crib...
... the WASP crawls off her shoulder and onto his arm.
Zoey doesn’t see the wasp. She grabs the baby monitor.
ZOEY
Where are you? Where’s Dad??
INTERCUT:
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - WORKSHOP - NIGHT
Rachel presses the “TALK” button on the monitor remote.

101.
RACHEL
We’re in the garage. Are you okay?
Just then, Zoey turns. Her face falls. She sees the WASP.
It’s climbing down the collar of Frankie’s shirt.
ZOEY
Oh shit!
RACHEL
What’s wrong??
Zoey rushes to the crib and yanks open the snaps on Frankie’s
shirt. She doesn’t see anything. Frankie starts WAILING.
Rachel and Matt can only listen, helpless.
Zoey picks Frankie up, shakes out his shirt. A DEAD WASP
falls into the crib. CRUSHED. She gives a sigh of relief...
... but in a nearby mirror, she can see Frankie’s back.

There are FIVE RED WELTS on him.
ZOEY
Oh my God... It stung him, Mom.
Rachel and Matt exchange a look. Rachel tries to keep the

worry out of her voice.
RACHEL
Zoey, you’re going to have to take
care of him. Okay?
ZOEY
I don’t know what to do!
RACHEL
That’s all right. I’m going to
tell you what to do. There’s
hydrocortisone in the medicine
cabinet. Do you see it?
Zoey hurries to the medicine cabinet. Grabs the

hydrocortisone cream.
ZOEY
Yeah.
RACHEL
Just put that on the stings. How
many are there?
102.
ZOEY
(counts them)
Four. No, five.
Rachel’s face falls. A beat. The silence unnerves Zoey.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Mom...?
RACHEL
Zoey, I have to talk to Dad for a
second, but I’ll be right here.
ZOEY
Okay.
Rachel releases the “TALK” button and turns to Matt.
MATT
We have to get him to a hospital.
RACHEL
I know that.
She takes a deep breath, fighting to keep her shit together.

Then she has an idea. She turns, shining her flashlight
around. Finds what she’s looking for. An OLD DIRT BIKE.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
There must be boats still in the
harbor.
(off his look)
I’ll take your bike. If I wrap him
up, he won’t get stung.
MATT
But you will. I’ll take him.
RACHEL
You can’t. You probably need a
doctor as badly as he does.
She shines her flashlight on Matt’s chest. A BRIGHT RED RASH

is starting to spread from his stings.
MATT
Then I should be the one to go.
ZOEY’S VOICE comes over the monitor, cutting them off.
ZOEY
Mom? These stings look really bad.
Rachel and Matt are wracked with concern.

103.
RACHEL
Try putting a cold washcloth on
them.
ZOEY
Okay.
(beat)
Mom?
RACHEL
Yeah, honey?
ZOEY
I don’t know what you and Dad are
talking about, but you’re probably
arguing. If you are, then please
stop it. Or these bugs are going
to kill us. Because they can work
together and we can’t.
Rachel and Matt exchange a guilty look. A beat.
RACHEL
We’re not fighting. Your Dad and I
are just talking about taking
Frankie to the hospital. You want
me to leave this on so you can hear
what we’re saying?
ZOEY
Do I get a vote on what happens?
Rachel cuts off her knee-jerk reply. Then:
RACHEL
Okay.
Matt gives her a disapproving look. Rachel stands her

ground. Zoey smiles a little, reassured.
RACHEL (CONT’D)
One of us is going to take your
dad’s old bike down to the harbor.
ZOEY
I can do it.
RACHEL
No. It’s either me or your Dad.
ZOEY
Where’s Joe?
104.
Rachel and Matt are silent a moment too long and Zoey figures
it out. Frightened tears spring to her eyes.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Never mind. Let’s just get the
hell out of here. All of us.
MATT
The bike seats one and it’s two
miles into town.
ZOEY
Forget the bike. It’s two miles by
road. If we climb down the
overlook, it’s barely a quarter-
mile.
Rachel and Matt are struck by this. Not a bad idea.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
It’s steep, but the shortest
distance between two points, right?
Rachel’s getting onboard, but Matt’s still not convinced.
MATT
For all we know, there could be
ants from here to the beach.
RACHEL
Staying here isn’t a choice. We
have to figure out a way to either
walk over the ants or move them out
of our way.
ZOEY
Can we burn them?
MATT
That grass out there is too dry.
We’d lose control of the fire the
second we lit it.
Then he pauses. This has given him an idea...
MATT (CONT’D)
What about water?
RACHEL
You mean like wash them away with a
hose?
105.
MATT
I mean like knocking down the water
tower.
Zoey’s eyes go wide. She looks out the window at the old
water tower up on the hill, silhouetted in the moonlight.
ZOEY
Whoa. Are we allowed to do that?
MATT
We could do it with the bulldozer.
The water might not wash all of the
ants away, but it might get enough.
Rachel wraps her mind around this. Zoey starts to hope...
ZOEY
Are you guys being serious?
RACHEL
I think we are.
A beat passes as they all realize. This is the plan.
INT. BED & BREAKFAST - WORKSHOP - NIGHT (TIMECUT)
Matt presses his ear to the garage door. Rachel is rummaging

around, looking for something...
RACHEL
Hear anything?
MATT
No. We’d better get going before
something pisses them off again.
Rachel finds what she’s looking for: a large sheet of FOLDED

PLASTIC SHEETING. She picks it up. Then stops short.
There’s something underneath...
It’s a half-finished sign, carved wood with quaint lettering.

It reads: ““HARBOR VIEW INN”. Rachel eyes it sadly.
RACHEL
This place was our last chance.
MATT
Forget it. It’s just a house.
(off her look)
It’s not important.
106.
A tender look passes between them.
INTERCUT:
Zoey has Frankie on a changing table, swaddling him in a

blanket. It’s definitely gone wrong at some point.
ZOEY
Mom, I keep screwing this up.
RACHEL
It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Just make sure he’s covered up.
Matt gestures to Rachel: “give me the monitor”. She does.

He turns it off so Zoey can’t hear.
MATT
I’m sick.
Looking at him closely, she sees tiny beads of sweat along

his hairline. She puts her hand on his forehead.
RACHEL
Jesus, you’re burning up.
MATT
If Frankie’s not like this yet, he
will be soon.
Rachel gives him a troubled look...
Meanwhile, Frankie fusses as Zoey tries to swaddle him.
FRANKIE
Zoo-zoo.
Zoey is taken aback. Did he say what she thinks he said...?

She smiles.
ZOEY
That’s right. Zoo-zoo.
She does the last couple of folds without thinking. And

suddenly, she realizes: the swaddle is perfect. Almost.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Hey! I got it!
There’s no response on the monitor. She hesitates.

107.
ZOEY (CONT’D)
Mom...?
Rachel turns on the “TALK” button. Her tone is serious.
RACHEL
Zoey, if your Dad and I don’t make
it down there, you’re going to have
to get Frankie to a hospital.
ZOEY
I’m not going to leave without you.
RACHEL
I’m serious, Zoey. No bullshit.
You find a boat, you get on it, and
you don’t look back. Got it?
ZOEY
(beat)
Yeah. I got it.
A look passes between Rachel and Matt.
RACHEL
We’re ready down here.
Zoey snugs a hat around Frankie’s head.
ZOEY
What are you going to do if the
bulldozer doesn’t work? What if
they killed it like they did Dad’s
truck?
MATT
Don’t worry about that. That John
Deere’s a little sturdier than my
Toyota. When the tower falls, you
just run whatever path the water
takes.
RACHEL
We’ll be right behind you.
(beat)
We love you.
ZOEY
We love you.
They all try to be brave for one another. Matt picks up a

folded piece of plastic sheeting. Rachel unlocks the garage
door and crouches to open it.
108.
RACHEL
On three?
MATT
Just do it.
Rachel takes a deep breath and throws the garage door open...
INT./EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - NIGHT
Rachel and Matt stop short at what they see: a three-foot-

tall ant mound right in front of the garage door.
And beyond that, another one. Dozens more. All over the
dark landscape, gray in the light of the full moon.
The ground is stewing with ants. They’re streaming inside...
MATT
Go!
Rachel and Matt dash out onto their strangely cratered front
yard. There are so many ants that their feet sink into them.
They’re crawling up their legs within a few steps.
Rachel and Matt race toward the BULLDOZER, dodging ant mounds
and the tiny hordes pouring out of them. Matt climbs onto
the bulldozer and throws open the door...
There are ants all over the cab. Matt jumps in and throws
the plastic sheeting over the seat. Rachel crams inside
after him, frantically swiping at the ants on her bare legs.
RACHEL
This was a bad day to wear shorts.
Matt turns the key. The engine WHEEZES. GRINDS. Rachel

gives him a worried look. He turns the key again...
It starts. He gives a sigh of relief.
IN FRANKIE’S ROOM
Zoey is strapping Frankie into the carrier when she hears the
ENGINE RUMBLE to life. She smiles.
OUTSIDE
Matt flips on the headlights and throws the bulldozer in

gear. The windshield wipers swipe ants out of view. They
lurch forward. Matt steers them up toward...
109.
... the WOODEN WATER TOWER. The bulldozer’s metal treads

demolish every ant mound in its way, pounding them to dust on
impact. A sign on the locked fence around the water tower
says “KEEP OUT”. The bulldozer CRASHES through it.
FRANKIE’S ROOM
Zoey watches from the window...
OUTSIDE
... but as Matt and Rachel get closer to the water tower,
they can see something that Zoey can’t.
There’s a MASSIVE WASP NEST hanging beneath the tower. Matt

stops the bulldozer and they watch as the wasps BUZZ around
their nest in the eerie glow of the headlights.
A beat passes between them.
MATT
If we knock this over, we won’t be
able to get out of this cab.
RACHEL
If we don’t do this, what do we do?
MATT
I’m not sure. Go back to the
house. See what this looks like in
the morning.
RACHEL
The house isn’t going to be there
in the morning.
Matt gives her a look. She’s right.
MATT
All right. Hold on.
Matt guns the ENGINE, driving the bulldozer under the water
tower. The wasp nest is directly over them now. Matt turns,
aiming it at the leg of the water tower nearest the direction
they want it to fall. Toward the harbor.
Matt gives Rachel a look. She takes his hand. He clasps

hers. Then he pumps the gas, REVS the engine --
-- and SLAMS into the tower leg. The tower doesn’t move.
Matt and Rachel are thrown forward. The nest shudders.
110.
Wasps start SPEWING from it in angry streams. They BUZZ

around the bulldozer, but can’t find their way inside.
Zoey watches from the house as Matt backs up and tries again.
ZOEY
Come on...
SLAM!! This time the tower leg BUCKLES...
... and so does the wasp nest. The BUZZING becomes louder,
more insistent and maddening.
Matt shoves the throttle. A LONG SPLINTER appears in the

tower leg. It’s BREAKING. Smoke pours out of the
bulldozer’s exhaust. Wasps angrily attack the windshield...
The bulldozer ROARS. The tower GROANS. Water starts to

SPILL. The hive starts to RIP FREE...
Then suddenly, the bulldozer LURCHES FORWARD, the leg SNAPS,

and the weight of the water PULLS THE WHOLE THING OVER...
... but not before the wasp nest FALLS right on top of the
bulldozer. Wasps EXPLODE from their demolished home...
... and the WATER TOWER COLLAPSES, releasing 40,000 GALLONS

OF WATER all at once. The ROARING DELUGE pours down the
hillside, wiping the ant mounds away like they never existed.
The second Zoey sees the tower go over, she climbs out onto
the ledge with Frankie in the baby carrier on her back...
The entire side of the house is covered with a HUGE WASP

NEST. From the outside, it looks like some bizarre, alien
tumor growing on the side of the house. Wasps BUZZ around
outside it, but haven’t taken notice of Zoey yet.
She doesn’t give them the opportunity. She hurries to the

tree and climbs down it. It’s not until she’s already
halfway down that she sees...
... the tree is covered in ants. In the darkness, they

blended in with the bark. Up close, they cover every inch.
Zoey recoils in disgust. She drops to the ground...
... which is an inch-thick blanket of ants. She leaps to her

feet and sprints toward --
THE OVERLOOK
A steep bluff with a view of the harbor. She ducks and

weaves between ant mounds. The ants climb up her legs...
111.
... but then she reaches the muddy path made by the flood and
there’s not an ant to be seen. They’ve been washed away.
Zoey runs to the overlook. The mud is slippery, but Zoey

carefully does a controlled slide down the hillside, keeping
her body positioned to protect Frankie in the carrier...
IN THE BULLDOZER
Rachel and Matt are enveloped in a CYCLONE OF ANGRY WASPS.

For a moment, they just watch in horrified amazement.
MATT
They’re going to find their way in
here.
Rachel thinks. Then:
RACHEL
Can you drive this thing down the
overlook?
MATT
It’s too steep.
RACHEL
I don’t think we have a choice.
Matt nods. He puts the bulldozer in gear... and it STALLS.

Dead. He twists the key. The engine won’t turn over.
Rachel gives the wasps a nervous look. Meanwhile...
ZOEY AND FRANKIE
have reached an area of high brush. It comes up to Zoey’s

chest. Zoey runs through it. The town is within sight...
... but when Zoey emerges from the brush, she’s covered in
ants. They were clinging to the brush. Now they cling to
her. Zoey tries to brush them off, but there are too many.
She quickly removes Frankie from the carrier and sheds her
clothes. Down to tank top and underwear. Ants roil out of
the pile of discarded clothes as she runs toward town...
IN THE BULLDOZER
Matt is still trying to start the engine. No dice.

112.
A WASP crawls in through the crack of the door. Rachel swats

it with her hand. Another crawls through. Rachel presses
the plastic sheeting to the door. But she can see through
the plastic and she can see that they’re getting in...
The bulldozer engine WHEEZES...
ZOEY
pulls herself over someone’s backyard fence. She’s made it

to town. As she lands on the other side, she stops short:
There’s a DEAD BODY lying on its side in a little garden.

Impossible to tell if it’s a man or a woman. It’s completely
covered with ants. Zoey clutches Frankie and runs...
EXT. MAIN STREET - NIGHT
But on the boardwalk, it’s more of the same.
There are bodies everywhere. Dozens of them. Each is black

with ants. The bodies that aren’t covered are worse.
Because then you can see that they’ve been partially eaten.
Zoey forces herself to look away from the horror all around
her and turn toward the harbor...
... where there’s not a single boat to be seen. This

morning, the marina was full. Now they’re all gone.
... Except one. Zoey spots it in the distance. Dark and

derelict. She runs toward it.
INT./EXT. BULLDOZER - NIGHT
The windows of the bulldozer are now completely covered with

wasps. More have found their way in through the crack of the
door, but Rachel is still able to block them with the sheet
of plastic. The engine still won’t start...
And then, suddenly, it does. The engine ROARS to life. Matt

turns on the windshield wipers, smearing bug guts across the
glass, then PUNCHES THE THROTTLE and the bulldozer leaps
forward, RUMBLING over the remains of the water tower.
INT./EXT. BOAT - NIGHT
Zoey runs down a long pier toward the dark boat. As she
nears it, she sees that there are dead bees lying all around.
She gives them a wary look, then climbs aboard the boat.
113.
There’s a DEAD MAN here. He’s slumped in the rear of the

boat, his body covered in BEE STINGS. His face isn’t
recognizable as a face anymore. His fingers are like thick
sausages. Something OOZES from one closed eyelid.
Zoey covers her mouth and gags. She hurries to the helm...
... Sees the ignition. No key. Of course.
Reluctantly, she kneels next to the dead man...
... and tentatively searches the dead man’s pocket. She

pulls out the pocket liner. Nothing. She reaches into the
other pocket, pulls out a KEY on a float keychain.
She hurries to the helm, puts the key in the ignition...
It starts right up.
INT./EXT. BULLDOZER - NIGHT
The bulldozer RUMBLES toward the overlook, still covered in

wasps. They’re starting to climb around the plastic sheeting
and fly around in the cab. A few find their way in through
the vents. More and more of them are getting inside...
Matt stops the bulldozer at the edge of the overlook. Rachel

and Matt peer down it. It’s really steep.
MATT
You sure you want to try this?
RACHEL
I’m open to suggestions.
Matt throttles, trying to take the bulldozer down the hill at

an angle. It slowly rolls forward, the front of the treads
jutting out over empty space, perched on the precipice...
MATT
Hang on!
Rachel holds her breath. Maybe this wasn’t such a hot idea
after all...
Suddenly, the bulldozer tilts downward and hits the slope.

Matt tries to maneuver, but the ground is so muddy from the
water that the treads just spin. No traction. No control.
The bulldozer starts sliding down the hillside.
MATT (CONT’D)
Shit!
114.
Matt struggles to turn the bulldozer to a better angle...
... but they just slide FASTER and FASTER. They’ve left the
swarm of wasps behind, but now they’re out of control. The
bulldozer starts slewing to the side...
The bottom of the hillside is quickly coming up to meet them.

If they hit it sideways, they’re going to flip...
At the last second, Matt lowers the bucket. It hits the

ground, creating drag, turning the bulldozer around...
... but now they’re going down backward. They hit the bottom
of the hillside hard. The VIOLENT JOLT throws Matt and
Rachel around in the cab like dolls, but it’s not over yet:
The bulldozer CAREENS down the next slope backwards, CRASHING

through the high brush we saw Zoey running through earlier,
then PLOWS RIGHT THROUGH the backyard fence --
-- and SMASHES INTO THE HOUSE at the foot of the hill.
Rachel is bleeding and battered, but alive. She moves

slowly, dazed, head spinning. She looks at Matt. He’s
slumped over the controls.
RACHEL
Hey...
She reaches out and nudges him. He moves. He’s okay, just
stunned. There’s an ugly bruise on his forehead. Rachel
smiles. He gives her a weak smile back. Then:
HOOOONK! A BOAT HORN in the distance.
INT./EXT. BOAT - NIGHT
Zoey is blowing the HORN, trying to tell them where she is,
scanning the darkness...
... and then she sees them. Rachel and Matt hurry toward the
pier. He’s walking with a limp and she’s helping him along.
Zoey blows the horn, crying tears of relief.
Rachel and Matt gape in horror at the bodies littering the

beach. At the ants that come SEETHING UP out of the sand to
consume them. It’s surreal. A vision of Hell.
They hurry onto the boat. Zoey throws her arms around first
Matt, then Rachel, clutching her tight. Rachel sees the body
in the corner, but a tarp has now been draped over it.
Rachel holds Zoey close.
115.
Matt pulls in the line and takes them out. He THROTTLES

forward. The beach starts to fall away behind them.
EXT. OCEAN - NIGHT
Soon they’re far enough away that they can see the silhouette
of the island in the moonlight. It’s deceptively peaceful.
Zoey’s still holding Frankie. She doesn’t look back. She

keeps her eyes forward.
On their destination: THE OIL PLATFORM.
EXT. OIL PLATFORM - HELIPAD - NIGHT
A COAST GUARD HELICOPTER is about to take off. Rachel, Matt,

Zoey, and Frankie are onboard. A COAST GUARD PARAMEDIC is
taking care of Frankie.
The rotors pick up speed and the helicopter takes to the air.
INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT
Rachel takes Matt’s hand. She looks out the window. The
moonlight flickers and dances on the surface of the ocean.
Then, she feels something. Looks down.
A SINGLE ANT crawls up her leg. All by itself. Cut off from
the collective. Wandering aimlessly.
She eyes it... then lays her palm out on her leg in front of
it. It blindly climbs onto her hand. She brings her hand to
her face. The ant races around. Complete panic.
It makes its way out onto her index finger and Rachel holds
it right up to her eye. Examining it.
Suddenly, the ant stops running. Stops moving... and turns

to look right at her. Rachel regards it, incredulous. That
can’t be... right? The ant wiggles its antennae at her.
And then it turns toward CAMERA.
And looks at us.
FADE OUT.

The Colony

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The Colony

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"THE COLONY"

Stacy Title & Jonathan Penner

David Leslie Johnson

LOGOS over BLACK. On the SOUNDTRACK: a cheery, upbeat POP

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

CU on a bathtub faucet. It’s grimy, the tile around it

After a beat... an ANT crawls out of the faucet.

It meanders, exploring. It reaches the tile wall. Crawls

CAMERA FOLLOWS the ant. Up close, its eyeless face is

Another ANT appears from the bathtub faucet.

The first ant is joined by YET ANOTHER ant. These two

... JANEY (20s), resting her head, eyes closed, listening to

Two of them reach her hair. They tentatively explore the

There are now half a dozen ants crawling on the faucet.

Eyes closed, Janey is unaware of the thin line of ants

There’s a LOUD KNOCK on the door. Janey’s brow furrows, but

YOUNG MAN (O.S.)

The surface of the bath water is littered with DEAD ANTS.

-- and we see ANTS SWARM up from her scalp, seething out of

She looks at her hands. Crawling with ants. Ants begin

EXT. GAGE ISLAND - VARIOUS - MORNING

AERIAL VIEW - Hundreds of feet up, looking straight down at a

It’s summertime. There’s a quaint harbor with fishing boats

Main Street runs parallel to the beach. Little STORES and

Heat radiates off the brick sidewalk. KIDS crowd around a

EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - MORNING

An OLD WOODEN WATER TOWER stands at the top of a steep hill.

Just down the hillside, overlooking the harbor is a RUSTIC

A LAB MIX MUTT (AXEL) barks at something under the porch.

... a POSSUM. It’s in a corner under the porch, just out of

A MAILMAN rolls up in his postal Jeep. His name is CALVIN.

The bulldozer stops and Rachel’s husband MATTHEW (mid-30s)

Calvin looks toward the house. Rachel is still crouched

Rachel raises her head -- and BUMPS it on the edge of the

Matt approaches, dusting himself off. He gestures toward the

Rachel looks frazzled, but manages a smile.

Zoey goes inside. Matt notices that Rachel seems a little

She smiles, but it’s a little half-hearted. She kisses him.

She hands him the broom and goes inside.

EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - DAY

Rachel clips a metal leash to Axel’s collar, chaining him to

Meanwhile, Zoey struggles to get Frankie into the car seat of

Rachel leans in to fix the straps. She smiles and tickles

EXT. BED & BREAKFAST - DAY (TIMECUT)

He doesn’t notice the small ANT MOUND in front of the

INT./EXT. JEEP WRANGLER - DAY

Rachel drives the Jeep down a narrow, winding, gravel road.

They’ve gone some distance before they come to the next

Zoey groans as Rachel stops. Rachel rolls down the window.

Zoey turns away. She angrily glares out the window.

EXT. SACHIKO GARDENS - DAY

Rows and rows of brightly colored flowers in little plastic

Zoey closes the door. As Rachel backs out, she sees

INT. BED & BREAKFAST - GUEST ROOM - DAY

Matt wears a construction respirator as he RIPS UP the old,

... and a ragged patch of TERMITE DAMAGE. Matt groans and

It’s crawling with pale, white TERMITE WORKERS.

INT. BED & BREAKFAST - MATT’S OFFICE - DAY

The unfinished basement has been converted into an office.

Matt’s flipping through the Yellow Pages, looking up

EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY

Rachel has Frankie in a BabyBjörn carrier. He’s wearing a

Rachel talks into her Bluetooth headset as she staples a