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Enjoy "Love is Dead" by Jordan Trepte!

I really enjoy this screenplay by Jordan Trepte, one of this blog's contributors. I think you will too!

Enjoy.

~~*~~

Love is Dead
by
Jordan Trepte
© COPYRIGHT 2017


     INT. LIVING ROOM, APARTMENT - NIGHT

     COUNT Maria ROMAN (130's) pours the essence of human life
     from a wine bottle into two glasses on the coffee table. Her
     DARK, BOLD appearance is bathed in the red light of the room.

     She falls back into the sofa with a full red glass.

     COUNT Theodore WILCOX (120's) plays a game on his phone on
     the opposite couch. His BRIGHT, COLORFUL clothes stand out
     against the decor. He is focused on the game.

     An old black and white FRAMED PORTRAIT of Maria's family
     hangs on the wall. Rows of Count couples stand facing the
     camera. Maria is the youngest in the bottom corner. She's the
     only one without a partner. An engraving reads:

     "ROMAN FAMILY REUNION 1917"

     Maria brings the full glass to her nose. She clears her throat.
     Theodore stays zeroed in on his game.

                          MARIA
               Smells like Korean.

                          THEODORE
               Yup. Got him outside that bar on
               6th.

                          MARIA
               Got a nice "oaky" texture to him,
               little opulent, not too acidic.

                          THEODORE
               It's all the same.

     Maria raises her glass.

                          MARIA
               Well Theodore.

     He looks up from his phone.

                          MARIA
               Here's to a century together.

                          THEODORE
               Is it? I'm sorry, I-

                          THEODORE
               We don't really do anniversaries, I
               know. I just wanted to toast.

     CLINK.

     Maria gulps hers down.
     Theodore sips his and puts the glass down.

                          MARIA
               To a hundred more.

     He returns to the phone. She returns to the music.


     INT. APARTMENT - LATER - MONTAGE

     - They pour blood filled pitchers from the fridge into wine
     bottles. The bottles have labels of race, gender, and age.
     Some of them are "???".

     - Theodore waterfalls a pitcher of blood straight into his
     mouth. Maria laughs.

     - They laugh and dance and drink out of their glasses.

     - They get undressed and...

     - They brush their pointy teeth together in their pajamas.
     Her P.J.'s are dark and grey. His are light and colorful.


     INT. APARTMENT - NEXT NIGHT

     Alone in the living room, Maria slips her earrings in. She
     grabs her purse.

                          MARIA
               Theo?

     Theo enters wearing a very colorful outfit.

                          MARIA
               Going with the whole blend in by
               not blending tactic for the
               evening?

                          THEODORE
               Your sister will just have to deal
               with it.

                          MARIA
               Well so do I.

                          THEODORE
               What's that suppose to mean?

                          MARIA
               Nothing, you just dress so
               alternative recently. I guess it
               makes it easier to seduce the young
               folk.

                          THEODORE
               You know I've always had more fun
               during the liberal decades.

                          MARIA
               You have your fun Theo.

     She kisses him. They grab the keys and leave.


     INT. APARTMENT - LATER

     Maria and Theo stumble in the apartment from the front door.
     A feint blue early morning light grows in the room.
     Maria walks into another room and Theo takes his shoes off.
     He gets up and stands in front of the dreary old family
     portrait, scrutinizing.
     Maria comes up and looks at the picture with him, she brushes
     her teeth.

                          THEODORE
               Notice how your sister was only
               talking to you when she mentioned
               the coming re-union?

                          MARIA
               Lucky you, I don't even want to go.

                          THEODORE
               Why don't you invite me this time?
               I could come with you, if you think
               it would help.

     She walks away brushing her teeth still.

                          MARIA (O.S.)
               Please let me spare you from
               meeting my family.

                          THEODORE
               But I've always wanted to meet the
               Romans.

     He looks at the old picture of all the dark and dreary
     traditional vampire couples, and Maria all by herself.

     He leaves the living room.

       WE FOLLOW THE SOUND OF THEIR FOOTSTEPS AND VOICES TO THE
                                                       BEDROOM.

     We hear them get undressed.

                          THEODORE (O.S.)
               Why can't I come with you this
               time?

                          MARIA (O.S.)
               It's too soon.

     The sound of a hinges creaking open.

                          THEODORE
               What side do you want?

     The sound of them laying down, the creaking hinges and a lid
     slams shut.

                          THEODORE (O.S.)
               It's been what, 10 re-unions now?
               The first five I understand, but-

                          MARIA (O.S.)
               Look if you want to come I need to
               prepare them first, and you, us.
               Let's do it next year.

                          THEODORE (O.S.)
               You say that every time! Look, I
               get it: Your family is super
               conservative. I don't even care
               that half of them voted for Trump.
               Are you, is my style, are you
               embarrassed of me?! Because that's
               what it feels like.

     The hinges creak. We hear shuffling and movement.

                          THEODORE (O.S.)
               What are you doing?

     The hinges creak, the lid slams shut.

                          THEODORE (O.S.)
                    (shouting)
               Classic, Maria! Running away from
               my unpleasant feelings! Don't want
               to deal with those, do you?

     Maria drags her blankets and pillows into the living room
     with her. She plops onto the couch.

                          THEODORE
                    (to himself)
               Whatever, more room for me.


     INT. APARTMENT - NEXT NIGHT, BEFORE DAWN

     In the living room alone, in her dark and striking regalia,
     Maria sips her wine.

     Two empty wine bottles are on the coffee table. A third
     unfinished.

     She looks at the phone in her hand. She scrolls through an
     online shopping site, looking at FORMAL MEN'S CLOTHING.

     A key turns in the front door, it opens. Theodore comes in,
     his colorful clothes are covered in blood. He carries one
     full pitcher.

                          MARIA
               Look at you. And you got one?

                          THEODORE
               I don't want to talk about it.

     He sets the pitcher down on the table.

                          THEODORE
               Well it's enough if it's just going
               to be me here the next couple
               weeks.

     Maria puts her phone down. Not the wine glass.

                          MARIA
               God you're so dramatic, just get
               over it. I'm not going to stay the
               whole time. I don't even want to
               go.

     She drinks.

                          THEODORE
               Yes you do, are you kidding me? You
               always have fun with your family.
               They're so cool! What's your deal?

     She gets up.

                          MARIA
               Fuck Theo, they're a fucking
               millennia old transcendent Empire!
               You can't just, just sign up like
               it's some fucking gym membership!

                          THEODORE
               Are you drunk?

                          MARIA
               You would be too if you ever spent
               any time with me!

                          THEODORE
               What's that suppose to mean?!

                          MARIA
               You're always either on your phone
               when you're here or your out
               seducing the human-folk till like
               Dawn every time. It doesn't take
               all night, Theo! We're not new at
               this anymore!

                          THEODORE
               When was the last time you got us
               dinner? Huh?! And, and second, why
               don't you just tell me to get off
               my phone!? Jesus.

     Maria storms off.

                          MARIA (O.S)
                    (shouting)
               I don't want to have to tell you!

                          THEODORE
               You don't even want me to be
               around! You're too embarrassed to
               introduce me to your family! After
               a hundred years!

     Theodore sighs and falls onto the couch. A blood-soaked patch
     of his colorful clothes stains fabric.

                          THEODORE
               Damn it!

     He tears off his clothes and throws them on the coffee table.

     He takes a swig from the half full wine bottle.

     Maria's phone buzzes on the table. He picks it up and scrolls
     through the shopping site.

     He looks at his clothes.


     INT. APARTMENT - NEXT DUSK

     Maria stumbles into the dusk-lit living room with mangled
     hair and sunglasses on.

     She walks to the bar stool and pours a wine bottle into a
     glass - but nothing pours, it's empty.

     She takes it to the trash and throws it in. But she notices:

     Theodore's colorful clothes, covered in blood. She takes them
     out.

                          MARIA
               God, I could have just washed them.

     She returns to the living room.

     A key turns the front lock, the door opens.

     Theodore walks in.

                          THEODORE
               Oh hey, how's this?

     He wears an elegant black suit and tie, with polished shoes
     and slicked back hair. In his hands, a rose.

                          MARIA
               Oh my God, but the light?!

                          THEODORE
               I'm fine, I covered up. It was
               worth it, I'm sorry, I saw what you
               were looking at and--

     She drops his clothes and embraces him.

                          MARIA
               I'm so sorry Theo. I didn't mean to
               make you feel judged. My family is
               just so...

                          THEODORE
               I know. Your families respect means
               a lot to you, I understand. You
               mean a lot to me.  I don't mind
               putting on a costume.

                          MARIA
               It's just, once I invite you
               it's... it's not something you run
               away from. Aren't you afraid of
               forever? I am. What if I'm not
               enough for you?

                          THEODORE
               I haven't been doing the best job
               recently of, of showing you how
               much you mean to me. I'm sorry.
               From the moment we met, I loved
               you, and we knew this was a forever
               together kind of thing.

     She slaps his chest and steps back and laughs and tears up
     all at the same time.

                          MARIA
               Bullshit. It started off good,
               sure, but we've made it better.

                          THEODORE
               Yeah, you're right. It's only
               gotten better.

     She takes the rose and cuddles him.

                          MARIA
               If I've learned anything from those
               old dead fuckers it's that, our
               kind of love isn't found, it's
               made. We make it together.


     INT. APARTMENT - LATER

     Suitcases are in the living room.

     Theodore sits on the couch, taps his foot, and looks at his
     phone. He wears the black suit.

     Maria gets ready in the bedroom.

     He shouts:

                          THEODORE
               Are you ready? Your sister is going
               to be here soon.

                          MARIA (O.S)
               Yeah one second! Are you ready?

                          THEODORE
               Yeah!
                    (to himself)
               Not having second doubts or
               anything.

     He taps his foot.

     Maria comes out.

                          MARIA
               What did you say?

     She's holds out her hands, holding a colorful and stylish
     tie.

                          THEODORE
               No way.

     Theodore stands up and takes off his black tie. She ties her
     gift around his neck.

                          THEODORE
               How do I look?

                          MARIA
               Do you want a mirror?

     They laugh.

                          MARIA
               Like the Human I fell in love with.

     THEY KISS.

     The end.

                                                        CREDITS

     Maria and Theo put up a digital, colored 2017 family portrait
     of the Roman vampire family.

     In the rows of Count couples in the bottom corner, there's
     not a single one.


This post first appeared on The Pier To Forever, please read the originial post: here

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