Scene 1
[Camera slowly fades in from black to show a close up image of a younger Ryan lying on his bed with his hands tucked under his head. He smiles to himself before he starts to speak]
Ryan: …and that was the last time I saw me dad, I can’t say I wasn’t sad at the time but I was only young and over time I realised with my dad gone my mum was happier.
(Camera pans out to show that Ryan is lying on a top bunk bed in a large white room with both walls lined with more bunk beds and that most of the beds were occupied with young boys aged between eleven and seventeen. The boy above Ryan leans over the side of his bunk as he starts to tell his story)
Sam: Mine was the other way round…my old lady was a complete fruit cake she didn’t know the difference between me and my sister so when she passed away it was kind of a blessing…you know after you look after someone your whole life you get a sense of freedom once they pass away…well as you can see my freedom didn’t last long…bloody government, who do the….
(Sam stops in midsentence as the door to the dorms is throw open and an angry Lex storms in, he turns back to the door and shows his finger to unseen person before the door is slammed shut in his face)
Lex: (shouts) Just you wait…one of these days it will be me laughing!
(Lex turns back to find that all the boys are looking at him, Lex shakes his head as he mutters under his breathe before he kicks a near by bin over. A couple of the boys turn to Ryan who in turns shrugs as he pushes himself up into a sitting position)
Ryan: (Clears his throat) You alright mate?
(Lex doesn’t reply as he moves and leans against the wall)
Ryan: Lex?
Lex: (Looks up) Do you know what they are doing over there?
Ryan: Beats me?
Lex: Having a party…
James: OK…why?
Lex: (rolls his eyes) Cause it’s New Years Eve…that’s why! We’ve missed Christmas!
(The boys break out into conversation…some of them clearly upset that they hadn’t received any presents from their families. Lex whistles which causes them all to fall silent again)
Lex: So I suggest we throw our own party, with food, drink and all
[Lex reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a long silver key, a smirk slips over his lips as the camera zooms in on him before fading to black]
Scene 2
[Camera fades in from black to show a darkened canteen, moonlight shines through large windows lighting up parts of the room. A group of figures make their way through the canteen keeping low until they reach the kitchen door.]
(Lex reaches into pocket and pulls out the silver key he slowly pushes the key into the lock and turns it when they hear a click, Lex can’t help but smile)
Lex: (Whispers) Ryan, Sam and James you three wait here and keep guard while the rest of us grab as much as we can!
(Ryan and the other two boys nod allowing the others into the large kitchen, as the door shuts behind them, Ryan takes a seat at one of the tables and the other two copy)
Ryan: (Breaks the silence) I can’t believe we missed Christmas!
James: Tell me about it…it makes you think though doesn’t it?
Sam: (Frowns) What do you mean?
James: Well if they “forgot” to mention it was Christmas to us, what else do you think they are hiding from us…I mean when was the last time they mentioned the virus? All I’m saying is they might be part of the army but can we really trust them?
(The room falls silent again as the three think this over)
Sam: (looks up) the adults…do you think?
James: (Shrugs) As far as I know…we could be all that’s left of the human race
Ryan: (shakes his head) Don’t say that!
James: Come on Ryan…your not as stupid as you look…you must notice them talking to each other in hushed voices, they’re scared, they don’t know what’s going on either!
(Ryan shakes his head again as he stands up)
Ryan: I’m going to check the hallway quickly…you two better go see what’s keeping the others so long.
(Camera follows Ryan as he makes his way to the main door, tears start to roll down his face as James words start to sink in…they really could be on their own)
(Camera cuts back around as the kitchen door is thrown open and two young boys appear, they give Ryan huge grins as they hold up two bottles of Champagne each. Lex then appears from behind the door)
Lex: Right everyone break up and meet back in the dorm…(Smirks) Let’s have ourselves a party!
[Camera pans out as the boys file out of the kitchen and head off in different directions. Camera fades out to black on the now empty canteen]
Scene 3
[Camera cuts back in from black to show that the boys have pushed all the beds against the walls and cleared a large space on the floor whey they have laid out food and drink. The boys are now under the influence of the drink and are laughing and joking with each other. Camera pans around the room to show a couple of guys sat on the floor playing a drinking game, James’s face screws up as he shoots back a clear liquid.]
James: Oh my…
(James ducks to the corner of the room where the sound of him being physically sick feels the room)
Lex: (Laughs) Some guys just can’t handle their drinks
Ryan: (Smiles) and I guess you can Lex?
Lex: (Smirks) I’m a pro drinker my friend
Ryan: Somehow I believe that
(Lex hits Ryan across the arm and the two new friends laugh. Lex bends down and picks up a bottle of Champaign and holds it up)
Lex: Now who’s for some real drinking?
(One of the other boys stands up and takes the bottle from Lex)
Sam: You know it
(Sam drinks from the bottle and as he pulls it away from his lips, Lex grabs him and starts to spin him around spilling Champaign all over the floor causing the other boys to laugh. The group watch as Sam tries to walk straight but falls to the floor in a fight of laughter)
(One of the younger boys suddenly drops his bottle of beer on to the floor smashing the bottle sending the room into silence)
Ryan: Shaun?
Shaun: (Smiles) It’s midnight….
Lex: (Cuts in) Happy new year boys!
(The boys start to cheer and jump around, they pull each other into tight embraces and laugh with joy)
Shaun: (eyes widen) OH Shi…
(The sound of a whistle being blown causing them all to stop, Camera pans around to show a group of woman guards standing in the doorway.)
Lex: (Grins) SCATTER
[In a moment of Chaos the boys break apart and all charge towards the door where they head of in different directions, knocking over the guards. Lex and Ryan nod to each other as they head in different directions. Camera zooms out on the now empty room before fading to black]
Scene 4
[Camera slowly fades in from black to show Ryan sat in a white hallway by himself outside a door which reads “General’s office”. Ryan eyes the door up and down before he starts to laugh for an unknown reason, this lasts for a couple of minutes before even Ryan forgets what he is laughing about]
Voice of screen: got you as well then mate?
(Camera pans around to show Lex walking down the corridor flanked by two guards on either side of him)
Ryan: Made it to the canteen tried to return a few drops of the drink..
(Lex bursts into a fight of laughter as he doubles over in pain)
Lex: At least you made it that far…poor old James feel into the pound (Grins) I mean training swimming pool!
(Ryan joins in with the laughter and neither of them are able to control themselves)
Guard one: Stop it! STOP IT (SCREAMS) STOP IT NOW!
(Both Ryan and Lex stop laughing but as soon as they make eye contact they are over taken by the laughter again)
(Guard two shakes her head before she raises her baton and goes to hit Lex over the head, but he quickly grabs her arm and slams his fist into her ribs causing her to double over in pain)
Lex: Ryan Run!
(Both Lex and Ryan beg it down the corridor as doors open up on either side of them and more woman offices pile out of their dorms)
Lex: Bugger!
[Scene cuts to black]
Scene 5
[The camera fades in from black to show both Ryan and Lex sat out side the generals office, they are both covered in cuts and bruises and both have their hands joined together by handcuffs]
Lex: (sighs) Bloody good night though
Ryan: (Smiles) Best in a long time
Lex: Banging headache
Ryan: (Raises an eyebrow) Hangover for a pro drinker
Lex: More like hits over the head by the fruit cakes
(The two fall silent as they relax into their chairs)
Ryan: Lex? What do you think they are going to do to us?
Lex: Hopefully kick us out…but knowing our luck we will just get a warning.
Ryan: (Nods) Yea I guess
Lex: Ryan…thanks…you know for having my back!
Ryan: (smiles) That’s what mates are for right?
Lex: Right and from this day on, I’ll have your back!
Ryan: Ditto!
[The two mates smile at each other as the door opens and they are ushered inside. Camera stays on the door as it closes behind them before fading to black]
[End credits cut in]