Written by Jafei Pollitt
VIRUS - Person in a giant VIRUS suit...(COVID)
TOM
WENDY
WAITER
RESTAURANT GUESTS
INT. RESTAURANT - DAY
TOM and WENDY sit inside a nice, Italian restaurant. They have no masks on and look over the menu.
TOM
Thank god we can do this again.
WENDY
All that fuss over a stupid flu.
A waiter arrives in a mask. He tries to stand back at least 6 feet.
WAITER
Hello, folks. Are we ready to order?
WENDY
What did you say?
WAITER
(louder)
Are you folks ready to order?
TOM
Geeze, can barely get through that thing, can ya? Take it off, we’re not dangerous.
TOM chuckles and looks at his wife who smirks.
WAITER
Thank you, but no thank you.
WENDY scowls at the WAITER's refusal to not comply.
WENDY
Right. Well then. Yes, I think we’re ready to order. Hon?
TOM
Yeah - I’ll have the steak. Medium-rare.
The waiter writes on his pad.
WENDY
And I’ll have the -
We hear a cough across the restaurant. The couple is oblivious, the waiter becomes worried.
WENDY
Hmm. I’ll have the Ceaser salad with light dressing, please.
WAITER
Fantastic, and anything to drink?
We hear a small, distant yelling. It sounds like it’s coming from where the man coughed earlier.
WENDY
Malbec.
TOM
Bourbon on the -
The yelling gets louder. We hear tables being crashed into and people shrieking.
TOM, WENDY, and the WAITER turn to see the ruckus. The VIRUS is bouncing around from table to table, slapping people hard across the face. VIRUS laughs maniacally. It gets closer and closer to the couple.
WAITER
Oh god! I knew it!
The WAITER runs out the door. TOM and WENDY look at each other.
TOM
Don’t worry, hon. It won’t touch us. Remember, we did our bleach shots this morning?
The VIRUS makes its way through the restaurant. People try to run from it, but it grabs them by the collar and pulls them back to slap.
Finally, the VIRUS comes bounding up to TOM and WENDY’s table. It stops and looks at them intently.
TOM
Nothing to fear dear. We’re safe-
The VIRUS hits TOM hard against the face. WENDY screams.
VIRUS turns to WENDY and she cowers in fear. The VIRUS stops. He leans in close to her face.
VIRUS
Shame, isn’t it? Should’ve stayed at home.
(it takes in a deep sniff of her hair)
Mmmm, I smell bleach.
VIRUS coughs onto her face and she falls over.
VIRUS continues to infect the restaurant and yell.
END