EXT. A GRAVEYARD – NIGHT

FX: Sound of tape recorder starts. GEORGIE ROMERO (19) narrates.

GEORGIE (V.O.): Darkness. I woke to darkness. I didn’t know where I was. Who I was. What I was. I did what any one would do in that situation.

FX: Georgie’s muffled scream.

GEORGIE (V.O.)

I screamed my head off. Okay, not the most effective, but I think we can cut me some slack. My panic activated my body into a frenzy, I clawed and kicked my way out.

FX: Clawing. Kicking at the coffin.

GEORGIE (V.O.): Once I was out of that… boxy prison, I hit several feet of dirt. I finally reached the surface.

FX: Georgie coughs, sputtering dirty. She takes a deep breath. Crickets chirp.

GEORGIE (V.O.): It was night. I was in a cemetery. In front of me were rows of old and crumbled gravestones, long forgotten by any caretaker. On the right of my head was a brand new tombstone with a name carved into it.

GEORGIE: Georgina Romero….

FX: Footsteps in grass. They stop.

Georgie is joined by ZABEL HAWTHORNE (21).

ZABEL: (CHIPPER) Hi there!

GEORGIE (V.O.): I didn’t know it then, but standing in front of me was Zabel Hawthorne. Her chipper tone did not match her attire. She was dressed head to toe in black with a bright red flower in her pointed hat. She had black hair with a light yellowish streak. She reached a hand toward me, her other hand held an old broom.

ZABEL: Come on. We gotta get back before the rain comes.

FX: Thunder roars.

INT. HAWTHORNE MANOR – AN HOUR LATER

FX: Fireplace crackling.

GEORGIE (V.O.): She took me back to her home, Hawthorne Manor. It sat on a hill overlooking the town of Wormwood. The house was a weird mix of old and new. Spider webs and bats crept in the rafters.

GEORGIE: I’m a zombie.

ZABEL: Mhm.

GEORGIE: Do I have to eat brains?

ZABEL: Huh. I’ve never had a zombie ask me that. Trust me, it’s safer if you do. You’ll get intense cravings otherwise. Now, I am the Town Figurehead. My job is to get you settled. Hawthornes welcome every new monster that comes to Wormwood.

GEORGIE: What’s Wormwood?

FX: HANAKO KANAGAWA (18), a ghost, phases through a wall.

HANAKO It’s the town.

FX: Georgie screams.

GEORGIE (V.O.): I hadn’t heard anyone enter the room! I turned my head and there was a school girl standing right next to me. She wore her hair in a bob. Her skirt and suspenders were blood red. Later, I was surprised to learn Hanako is, at least physically, only a year younger than me. Her baby face threw me off. Not bad for someone who died over 70 years ago.

ZABEL: It’s okay! That’s just Hanako! She’s one of the ghosts that inhabits Hawthorne Manor. I should have warned you.

GEORGIE:….But you’re a witch. Right?

ZABEL: [CHEERY] Yes, I’m a witch. Didn’t you see the hat? Actually, everyone in my family are witches… Except for Uncle Marvin. We don’t know what he is. It’s concerning.

HANAKO: Zombies are always so jumpy.

ZABEL: (to Hanako, chiding) Everything’s new for her. What Hanako was trying to say is Wormwood is one of the hidden monster cities around the globe, though we’re a smaller one.

GEORGIE: And the Hawthornes know everyone.

ZABEL: Exactly! I am Wormwood’s Town Figurehead. It is a position that was bestowed upon my family centuries ago. That’s how I know everyone and everyone knows us. I mean, me. Just me.

HANAKO: Plus you, in particular, had to go door to door apologizing to everyone after the little cauldron incident.

ZABEL: Couldn’t you let me be cool for one second?

GEORGIE: Zabel, is it normal that I don’t remember who I was when I was alive?

ZABEL: Zombies never do.

GEORGIE: What about ghosts?

HANAKO: Ghosts have the clearest memories of who we were before we died.

GEORGIE: That sounds really nice.

HANAKO: It’s a curse. I’d rather not know anything.

GEORGIE: Oh… Is there something that helps zombies learn about their past?

ZABEL: That is not part of the greeting protocol or zombie orientation packet. But let’s focus on you right now. Now we did step one, tell you that you’re a zombie. Now for step two, the tour!

GEORGIE: Couldn’t the tour wait?

ZABEL: Georgie. This is my job. I can’t keep screwing it up.

GEORGIE: What do you mean?

ZABEL: Nothing! I just think it’s important to get you oriented with

your new surroundings. Let’s commence STEP TWO, of the five steps of Day One! Go!

EXT. WORMWOOD SKY – MOMENTS LATER

FX: Wind resistance.

GEORGIE (V.O.) :Before I knew what was happening, Zabel had taken me up into the sky on her witch’s broom. She had

wanted to show me the city from a “witch’s eye point of view.” Lights glittered throughout Wormwood like stars. It was a town of old and worn Victorian homes, and ivy covered buildings. I didn’t get a clear view of the town for long. We went higher and higher….

GEORGIE: Oh God! Oh God!

ZABEL: This is great, isn’t it? Just us, the sky, and my broom!

GEORGIE: I want down! DOWN!

ZABEL: Oh. Uh…. Okay. Yeah! Some monsters do hate the flying part of the tour. Onto the next step!

FX: WOOSH! Georgie screams.

INT. THE NOSFERATU SUPERSTORE – NIGHT

FX: We hear the sounds of a superstore. Cashiers are ringing

items up. There are several conversations. There are a few

monster sounds scattered around as well.

ZABEL: Welcome to The Nosferatu Superstore! Where you can get all of your monster shopping needs not just taken care of, but get a sweet deal on them! They have food, household items, coffins, cremation ovens – you name it, they have it! They even have a coffee shop. Worm Dirt Cafe!

GEORGIE (V.O.): It was a little overwhelming. It was a huge store. Zabel told me to remember that the juice and soda aisle is always next to the blood and brains aisle. She felt it was important for me to know. She was right.

GEORGIE: How am I supposed to pay for things?

ZABEL: Don’t sweat it. I’ll take care of that for you for now.

GEORGIE: Who is that over there? By the cookies.

GEORGIE (V.O.): They had long, stringy hair. The expression on their face, and wide blood red eyes, made them look like a demon who’d had one too many Red Bulls.

ZABEL: Ohhh. That’s the Florida Man Beast. We don’t talk to them.

GEORGIE: Why not?

ZABEL: They’re the epitome of Florida. To the bathroom!

INT. THE NOSFERATU SUPERSTORE BATHROOM – DAY

FX: Door swings open.

ZABEL: This is the bathroom! I can’t remember if zombies use the bathroom or not. Some monsters do, some don’t. I also wasn’t sure if you’d remember what a toilet is. Zombie memories can be…. spotty.

GEORGIE: Um… thanks?

FX: Pipes rumbling. Water splashes.

FX: Hanako SHRIEKS.

FX: Georgie SCREAMS.

FX: Hanako LAUGHS.

ZABEL: Hanako! What is wrong with you?

HANAKO: I thought it’d be funny.

GEORGIE (V.O.): That’s why she’s known as Hanako-san of the Toilet.

FX: STOMACH GROWLS

GEORGIE: I guess I’m getting hungry.

ZABEL: We should grab some food before we head to the next stop.

GEORGIE: Why isn’t any of the food looking good to me?

HANAKO: Because you’re a zombie.

ZABEL: It’s just the nature of the beast. You crave brains.

GEORGIE: Do I have to kill someone?

ZABEL: (Laughs) No! We’ll just pick up some brain curry at the cafe for you. And I think they have brains ice cream. We’ll pick up some for later.

GEORGIE: Human brains?

ZABEL: Nah, that’s not legal.

HANAKO: Well, not anymore.

ZABEL: Animal brains are just as good.

GEORGIE: …Okay.

GEORGIE (V.O.): I don’t know if it’s just as good as human brains, but it’s really good. If you’ve never tried goat brain curry, I highly recommend it. Delicious!

INT. ELSA FRANKENSTEIN’S LAB – NIGHT

FX: Birds and forest life]

GEORGIE (V.O.): Zabel took me a little ways into Wormwood Forest, the thick forest that protects Wormwood from any curious humans. We went to a gray tower; inside was the laboratory of Dr. Elsa Frankenstein.

FX: Liquids bubbling. Science-y sounds.]

GEORGIE (V.O.): An older woman stood before us. I couldn’t guess her age. Her black and white hair stood up on end.

ZABEL: Elsa! I have a new zombie with me! Georgie, this is Doctor Elsa Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein, this is Georgie. She’s our newest undead.

ELSA FRANKENSTEIN: I wish you would take me off of this infernal tour! I am not letting you run amok in my lab. Not after the last fiasco.

GEORGIE: (WHISPERS TO ZABEL) Should we go?

ZABEL: Nah, she’s just like this. Elsa, how about you show her some monster science.

ELSA FRANKENSTEIN: Show her science?

ZABEL: Yes!

ELSA FRANKENSTEIN: My “science” is not for children. I am in the business of life and death. I can make the undead live again!

FX: Hanako PHASES IN]

HANAKO: Not that impressive in a town full of the undead.

GEORGIE: Jiminy Christmas! Stop doing that!

ELSA FRANKENSTEIN: Zombie. What is that around your neck?

GEORGIE (V.O.): I glanced down to look at my necklace – a black pendant with serpent wrapped around a lotus flower carved into it.

GEORGIE: I just woke up with it.

ELSA FRANKENSTEIN: Hm. Keep this close to you.

GEORGIE: Okay….

ZABEL: Um, we should keep moving. Thanks again, Elsa! We appreciate you giving us your time.

ELSA FRANKENSTEIN: Time. Nothing more than an illusion. An illusion of memories.

FX: Door opens and slams shut.

EXT. MONSTER MASH DANCE STUDIO – NIGHT

FX: Busy town – monster sounds.

GEORGIE (V.O.): Wandering Wormwood, it was difficult to know what to expect. All of the monsters looked so different from one another. Some were terrifying to look at and some were cute.

FX: Music plays. Georgie stops.

GEORGIE (V.O.): I stopped dead in my tracks. I was transfixed. Through one of the windows was a young woman. Her feet moved across the floor so gracefully. I couldn’t pull my eyes away. She had pulled her silver gray hair into a ballerina bun, and her big brown eyes were framed by long lashes. She had a long, elegant neck. She was slim, but muscular.

GEORGIE: What’s that place?

ZABEL: The Monster Mash Dance Studio.

GEORGIE: Do you think we could stop in?

ZABEL: Can’t! We have to keep moving! I made an appointment for us. Come on!

EXT. THE ZOMBIE NEIGHBORHOOD – NIGHT

FX: Zombies moan. Some bash into doors and buildings. They drag

their feet.

GEORGIE (V.O.): Zabel took me to a neighborhood where most of the zombies lived. I was so excited. I thought “My people!” Zabel had told me not to get my hopes up and I wish I had listened. They shuffled along with their shoulders drooped over. There was no life in their eyes.

GEORGIE: They’re living a meaningless existence.

HANAKO: We all are.

ZABEL: Hanako, seriously?

GEORGIE: They’re just wandering around lifeless.

ZABEL: It’s hard for them, kiddo. Some of them don’t even know their name.

FX: Zombie shuffling]

GEORGIE: Am I going to become like that? Just a hollow shell?

HANAKO: This I understand. Despair and nothingness.

ZABEL: Would you two knock it off? Georgie, it’s not so bad.

GEORGIE: Yes, it is. I’m not going to let it happen to me.

HANAKO: Are you sure you’re a zombie?

FX: Georgie walks off]

ZABEL: Georgie, wait up!

EXT. MONSTER MASH DANCE STUDIO – THE NEXT NIGHT

FX: The familiar but muffled music of the Monster Mash Dance

Studio.

GEORGIE: I want to try dancing.

HANAKO: Zombies don’t dance.

GEORGIE: Why not?

HANAKO: They suck at it.

ZABEL: What she’s trying to say is that it’s hard for zombies. Your joints aren’t what they used to be.

GEORGIE: Then I’ll just have to practice harder!

ZABEL: You’re gonna have to convince the dance teacher to let you in first.

HANAKO: And Ms. Swanson would never.

ZABEL: Swan Maidens aren’t known for their generosity.

GEORGIE: I don’t know what a Swan Maiden is.

ZABEL: They’re people who can turn into swan….

FX: Footsteps and a door opening and shutting]

ZABEL (CONT’D): Georgie, stop! Crickets and bats. She’s gonna get me in so much trouble.

INT. MONSTER MASH DANCE STUDIO – CONTINUOUS

FX: The door open and shuts again. The music is louder.]

GEORGIE (V.O.): Even the smell of the studio felt right. I let myself slowly sway to the music. My body resisted quick movements but the music made it easier to power through. It had knocked down a barrier. God, it felt so right.

HANAKO: Georgie’s going to snap off an arm.

ZABEL: Why are you sticking around?

HANAKO: I like watching zombies fail.

ZABEL: You worry me.

FX: Music cuts off.

GEORGIE (V.O.): Ms. Swanson’s dark, whiskey colored eyes fell upon me. I could feel her disapproval in her gaze and I didn’t care.

MS. AVA SWANSON: Excuse me? What are you doing here?

GEORGIE: I’m Georgie Romero, ma’am. I want to try out for your class.

MS. AVA SWANSON: (Laughs) Zombies don’t dance.

GEORGIE (V.O.): I felt something in the pit of my stomach. You could call it a fire. I would have said butterflies at the time. Maybe butterflies that were on fire? I pointed right at the dancer I had seen before. She stood beside a boombox. She looked so much smaller now that she was not on the dance floor.

GEORGIE: You! Hit it!

KIMBERLY: Me?

GEORGIE: Yes, you! Next to the boombox!

KIMBERLY: (ESTUARY ACCENT) I have a name.

GEORGIE” Right. Sorry. I was just trying to be dramatic.

KIMBERLY: That’s cool, but you’re still talking to creatures with feelings. We Selkies don’t take kindly to rudeness.

GEORGIE: I’m sorry.

KIMBERLY: It’s Kimberly.

GEORGIE: I’m sorry. Kimberly, could you please hit it?

KIMBERLY: Thank you. Yes, I can.

FX: The MUSIC TURNS ON. It’s a electro-pop beat. We hear the

movement of feet as Georgie starts to dance.]

GEORGIE (V.O.): My joints were stiff. Everyone was right… My body didn’t want to move. I toppled over. My face hit the hardwood floor with a sickening thud.

FX: Thud.

FX: Students laugh.

ZABEL: Georgie, no.

MS. AVA SWANSON: Just as I thought. Hawthorne, take your zombie friend home, please?

GEORGIE (V.O.): I wouldn’t let that be the end of it. I pushed myself back up.

GEORGIE: I’m not done yet.

MS. AVA SWANSON: I’m afraid that you are.

GEORGIE (V.O.): I tried again. My body still fought against me. Madame Swanson could tell, and she smirked. I could hear the creaks and snaps in my body, bones and muscles that struggled to move and bend. That’s when it hit me.

FX: Georgie’s feet shuffle to the beat. Her body pops and cracks

at the right moment. It is a symphony of music and body.]

GEORGIE (V.O.): If they wouldn’t move how I wanted them to, I would move how they would let me. I stopped fighting against my body’s desire to move like a zombie. I was just careful to do it on the beat. I could feel tears streaming down my face. I had found myself! Oh my God, I knew what I was. I became one with the music. It was fantastic. I was fantastic.

FX: Music stops.

FX: All we hear is Georgie’s breathing.

MS. AVA SWANSON: You’ll need proper dancing shoes before you start.

FX: Footsteps walking away.

ZABEL: You did it, kiddo!

GEORGIE: This is it! This is what I am! I’m a dancer!

FX: Georgie chokes back a sob.

GEORGIE: I was a dancer….

GEORGIE (V.O.): I thought that was the beginning of something amazing. Something fulfilling. It was… but it would also take me down a darker path than I could have anticipated. Danger lurked right around the corner.

END MUSIC