The Man In The Hallway
Scene: Inside the Storage Locker – Moments After the Voice Disappears
(Aiden and Elias stay frozen, ears straining. The footsteps outside have faded, but the fear lingers.)
(Aiden shifts slightly, his fingers clenched in the fabric of his shirt.)
Aiden Hayes
Aiden: (whispers) “What do we do?”
Elias Rivers
Elias: (low, steady) “We wait.”
(But Aiden isn’t good at waiting.)
(Minutes turn into what feels like hours. Aiden’s chest tightens. The air inside the storage locker feels thinner by the second.)
Aiden Hayes
Aiden: “What if they come back? What if they’re just waiting?”
(Elias doesn’t answer right away. He’s thinking, jaw tight.)
Elias Rivers
Elias: “Then we don’t give them the chance to come back.”
(Aiden exhales, nodding. They have to move.)
(Elias then cracks the door open, peeking out into the dim hallway. The body from before is still slumped against the wall, unmoved.)
(No sign of the voice. No footsteps.)
(They step out, moving slowly, cautiously. Every shadow feels like a threat.)
(They move toward an exit sign, hoping to slip out unnoticed.)
(Then, a voice—smooth, casual like—cuts through the silence.)
? ? ?
Unknown Voice: “Took you long enough.”
(Aiden and Elias whip around, their blood turning cold.)
(A man stands at the far end of the hall, leaning casually against the wall. He’s tall, his dark jacket blending into the shadows. A rifle is slung over his shoulder.)
(But it’s his smile that’s the most unsettling. Like he’s been expecting them.)
Elias Rivers
Elias: (low, dangerous) “Who the hell are you?”
? ? ?
Man: (mocking) “Now, is that any way to talk to someone who just cleared the road for you?”
Aiden Hayes
Aiden: “What do you mean?”
(The man gestured toward the leading dead body against the wall.)
? ? ?
Man: “I Wasn’t gonna let them get to you first. Figured you’d be more interesting alive.”
(Silence. The pieces fall into place. Whoever this man is, he killed that person—not out of desperation, but because he was watching.)
(Aiden’s stomach twists.)
Aiden Hayes
Aiden: (whispers) “You’re the one who knocked.”
? ? ?
Man: “Had to see if you were the type to open the door on those types of situations. Guess I got my answer.”
(Elias shifts his grip on his bat, muscles tense.)
Elias Rivers
Elias: (low) “What do you want?”
(The man steps forward, unhurried, like he has all the time in the world.)
? ? ?
Man: “Let’s start with your names.”
(Elias and Aiden don’t answer. The man chuckles.)
? ? ?
Man: “That’s alright. We’ve got time. After all…” (his smile fades slightly) “we’re all that’s left in this part of the city.”
(The air is thick with unspoken danger. Elias and Aiden exchange a look—this man isn’t just a random survivor. He’s been waiting for them, watching them.)
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