EXT. SUBURBAN JOGGING TRAIL - EVENING
Misty rain shrouds Whitehaven Estates, an affluent gated
community with rows of spacious homes and manicured lawns.
Wet and annoyed, Middle-aged DIANE Curtis walks a small dog.
She is focused on her cellphone, impatient and eager to be
done with the potty break.
The dog does its business in the grass, sniffs at the bushes
and barks excitedly. Diane yanks the leash and chokes the
puppy as she tries to drag it away, oblivious to the figure
lurking in the darkness.
DIANE
Cut it out, Banjo. Come on--
In the shadows, one gloved hand holds a stun gun, the other
offers a treat which Banjo eagerly accepts. OFFSCREEN, we
hear a crackling electric ZAP and a soft thud. Seconds
later, a gasp is cut short by an odd zipping sound.
Diane staggers to her feet, hands clawing desperately at the
zip tie around her throat. Wide, panicked eyes roll back and
she crumples to the ground. Her body spasms and falls still.
The puppy wanders over and licks the face of its dead
master. Diane's attacker collects the dog waste in a baggie
and stuffs it into her mouth. Satisfied, the killer gives
Banjo a playful scratch and vanishes back into the gloom.
TITLE CARD: SHOCK COLLAR
Genres:
["Thriller","Horror"]
Ratings
Scene
2 -
Morning Mischief and Urgent Calls
EXT. PLAYGROUND - MORNING
BENJAMIN Coates smokes a joint in the middle of a merry-go-
round. It rotates slowly, pulled by a St. Bernard whose
leash is tied to the kiddie ride. A treat dangles in front
of the dog as it walks itself in pursuit of a snack.
Ben takes a toke and accidently inhales the lit roach. He
coughs and gags as he tumbles from his perch and falls
comically to the dirt.
The dog wags its tail and gives Ben a sloppy kiss. He hands
over the treat and dusts himself off. His flip phone rings.
He recognizes GWEN Marley's number and answers reluctantly.
BENJAMIN
What do you want?
GWEN (O.S.)
I need a favor.
BENJAMIN
What kind of favor?
GWEN (O.S.)
2 of my best sitters are MIA. Can
you do a few overnights for me?
BENJAMIN
You know I don't work for you
anymore, right? You fired me.
GWEN (O.S.)
It's an emergency. C'mon, help me
Ben Kenobi. You're my only hope.
BENJAMIN
Ok, but I want 100 nightly per pet
or you can find someone else.
GWEN (O.S.)
Oh, I tried. Believe me, calling
you was my absolute last resort.
BENJAMIN
My rate just went up 20 bucks.
GWEN (O.S.)
Fine, whatever. It's one dog, 4
nights. I'll text you the address.
Ben's phone beeps and he reads Gwen's message.
BENJAMIN
It's in The Estates? I would have
charged more if I'd known that.
GWEN (O.S.)
Too late. I'll let security know
you're coming and send the alarm
codes when you get there.
Gwen abruptly hangs up. Ben looks over to the drooling dog.
BENJAMIN
Dammit, Smokey. Just when I thought
I was out, she pulls me back in--
EXT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - SAME TIME
A COP exits the building and climbs into an idling cruiser.
His partner flips on the flashing lights and they speed off.
COP
Victim #3. Y'know what that means?
Genres:
["Thriller","Dark Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
Evening Reflections
EXT. MOBILE HOME PARK - EVENING
Ben's car pulls up to his shabby trailer. A sign on the door
warns BEWARE OF CAT. He finds a certified letter for Gwen
from PET2U. Tempted to open it, he tosses it in the trash.
Next door, DON Crandall snuffs his welding torch. He grabs 2
beers, walks over and offers one to Ben, who declines.
DON
You coming by to watch the game?
BENJAMIN
Can't. Gotta work tonight.
DON
Walter will be very disappointed.
BENJAMIN
I promise I'll make it up to him.
Where is that rascal? WALTER!
A curious Yorkie pokes its head through Don's doggie door.
He spots Ben and dashes over to greet his favorite neighbor.
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
I'm doing some overnight visits
this week and I was wondering...
DON
(chuckles)
Of course I will.
BENJAMIN
You know where the spare key is?
DON
Oh sure, Gwen showed me.
Ben sighs, and Don immediately regrets the comment.
DON (CONT'D)
Sorry, dude. Walter misses her too.
BENJAMIN
It's OK. What's crazy is she's the
one who roped me into this gig.
DON
Really? She must be desperate.
BENJAMIN
Not my problem. The corporate
overlords call the shots now.
DON
I see those PET2U cars all over
town. It's what, an app, right?
BENJAMIN
More like spyware. They wrote her a
big fat check and she sold out.
DON
No, she GOT out. Out of this place,
anyway. Good for her. No offense.
BENJAMIN
You make decent money, why do you
still live here? No offense.
DON
I like it here. Besides, the funny
thing about greener pastures is--
Walter hunches up and does a sizeable number 2.
DON (CONT'D)
The grass is always greener where
the dogs are shitting.
BENJAMIN
What're you feeding him, roadkill?
DON
Wolf's Tooth. Vet recommended it.
Ben pulls a baggie from his pocket and hands it to Don.
BENJAMIN
Thanks for checking in on Oskar.
DON
I'm still amazed you guys were able
to save him. What a cool story.
Don scoops the dog deuce and twists the bag closed.
DON (CONT'D)
And you're on speaking terms again.
That's an improvement, right?
BENJAMIN
I guess. I mean, when she left she
told me to eat shit and die, so--
DON
Baby steps, dude. Baby steps.
INT. BEN'S TRAILER - MOMENTS LATER
Cheap furniture, a cat tree, and a stack of cardboard boxes.
Ben enters the half-empty room and plops onto the sofa with
a heavy sigh. A cat saunters over to rub against Ben's leg.
He reaches down to pet Oskar and smiles through his tears.
BENJAMIN
Sometimes I wonder who saved who.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
Night at the Gate
EXT. WHITEHAVEN ESTATES - NIGHT
Ben stops at the impressive security gate. A guard emerges
from the booth holding a clipboard. His name tag reads
CONRAD. He approaches the car, recognizes Ben and smiles.
CONRAD
Yo Benji! Long time no see, bro.
How's the lovely Ms. Gwendolyn?
BENJAMIN
She dumped me. Thanks for asking.
CONRAD
What? She just called the office.
BENJAMIN
I'm covering a few nights for her.
CONRAD
Wait, so she left your ass and here
you are doing her a personal favor?
BENJAMIN
It's not personal, Connie.
It's strictly business.
A skeptical Conrad hands Ben a visitor's pass.
CONRAD
I don't believe that for a second.
BENJAMIN
Where can I do a jay? Preferably
somewhere those cameras can't see.
CONRAD
I'd say the jogging trail, but the
cops found another body out there.
BENJAMIN
I heard on the news. Seems to be a
lot of that going on around here.
CONRAD
Police been crawling all over this
place for days and got nothing. No
fingerprints, no DNA and no motive.
BENJAMIN
A serial killer in The Estates?
There goes the neighborhood.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Crime"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
A Professional Dog Sitter's Dilemma
EXT. 664 WHITEHAVEN TRACE COURT - MOMENTS LATER
A well-lit street lined with enormous homes on sprawling
properties with immaculate gardens and fenced-in yards.
Ben checks the address, parks in the circular driveway and
climbs out. He grabs a backpack and walks to the front door.
His outdated cellphone rings and Ben flips it open.
BENJAMIN
Right on time. Just got here.
GWEN (O.S.)
This'd be so much easier if you'd
get a smartphone and use the app.
BENJAMIN
No dice. You'll have to pry this
baby from my cold, dead hands.
A message from Gwen provides the code to open a lockbox. Ben
removes the key and uses it. He enters the luxurious home to
the sound of loud beeping and walks up to a flashing keypad.
GWEN (O.S.)
Here's the alarm code.
Ben reads the text and silences the noisy security system.
BENJAMIN
We're in. Where's the pup?
GWEN (O.S.)
In the kitchen. Her name's Poppy.
INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
Ben finds a scruffy white terrier in a cage and offers a
hand for inspection. After a few sniffs, Poppy's tail wags
and she licks her new playmate as he sets her free.
GWEN (O.S.)
They left detailed instructions and
I expect you to follow them, OK?
Ben finds the single sheet of paper and looks it over.
BENJAMIN
Relax. Poppy's gonna be just fine.
He crumples it up and drops it. Poppy barks in approval.
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
Trust me, I'm a professional. Bye.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
A Relaxed Afternoon with Poppy
EXT. BACKYARD - CONTINUOUS
Ben slides open the glass door leading to a spacious patio.
Poppy scoots by him and takes off into the yard. He follows
her out and pauses to light a joint while the dog pees.
The backyard is an oasis of lush grass and rose bushes
encircled by a tall privacy fence. Ben smokes and Poppy
bounds over to join his leisurely tour of the grounds.
BENJAMIN
Well, this doesn't suck. In fact--
Poppy finds a tennis ball for Ben to throw. He does and she
chases it down before returning for another go.
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
I think this is the beginning of a
beautiful friendship. Here you GO!
His next toss takes a bad hop and bounces over the fence.
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
(dejected)
You gotta be fucking kidding...
Ben hastily formulates a plan when the tennis ball drops
silently back into the yard and rolls to a stop at his feet.
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
I'm really sorry about that. Guess
I don't know my own strength. It
won't happen again, OK?
His apology met with silence, Ben shrugs and turns to Poppy.
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
Nice neighbors. Real friendly.
C'mon girl, let's go back inside
and get something to eat.
INT. KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER
A stoned Ben sits on the floor eating peanut butter from the
jar. He shares a spoonful with the little dog and pops it
back in his mouth. Poppy smacks her lips at the gooey treat.
BENJAMIN
You like that? Here, try this.
He adds a healthy smear to a marshmallow. Poppy inhales the
snack while Ben licks the spoon and stashes the jar in his
backpack. He rummages through his supplies and smiles when
he finds his edible objective: a pharmaceutical brownie.
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
Time for a little scooby snack.
Genres:
["Comedy","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
Night Intrusion and Morning Confusion
INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER
Man and dog are fast asleep on the sofa. The sound of the
sliding glass door wakes Poppy and she licks Ben's face to
alert him. He grunts, rolls over and continues snoring.
A dark figure enters wearing gloves and holding a taser. The
intruder offers Poppy a treat, but she stands her ground and
growls. The killer takes one more step and Poppy barks.
Ben sits up with a start and brushes the potato chip crumbs
from his shirt. He looks around. The sliding door is closed.
A very anxious Poppy snuggles up to Ben and whimpers.
BENJAMIN
What is it? You have a nightmare?
He chuckles to himself and tries to comfort the nervous pup.
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
You'll be OK, I'll protect you.
INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING
Ben lies cocooned in a blanket on the floor. Poppy is curled
up on the sofa above. She wakes and hops down directly onto
Ben's groin. He groans and staggers to his feet with a yawn.
Ben lets Poppy out the sliding door and steps on something
crunchy. He lifts a foot to find the crumbled remains of a
dog biscuit and scoops up the bits with a puzzled frown.
BENJAMIN
Ow! Where'd that come from?
Ben dumps the scraps in the trash and joins the dog outside.
He sits and rolls a joint while Poppy does her business.
Genres:
["Thriller","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
8 -
Unresolved Tensions
EXT. 664 WHITEHAVEN TRACE COURT - LATER
Ben exits the house with phone to ear and backpack in hand.
He secures the deadbolt and stashes the key in the lockbox.
GWEN (O.S.)
How'd it go? Any issues?
BENJAMIN
Nope. Poppy's back in her crate,
door's locked and the alarm is set.
GWEN (O.S.)
I know we haven't really talked
since I left and you probably don't
want to hear it, but thanks for
doing this. It means a lot to me.
BENJAMIN
I'm not doing it for you. Poppy
needs me and I won't let her down.
GWEN (O.S.)
I see. Just don't get too attached.
BENJAMIN
That's always been my problem.
GWEN (O.S.)
And picking up strays is mine.
BENJAMIN
Touché. Guilty as charged.
GWEN (O.S.)
I know this is awkward, but can we
just keep it professional for now?
BENJAMIN
Sure. Whatever you say boss, it's
your dime. I'll be back tonight.
GWEN (O.S.)
I never meant to hurt you Ben, I--
Ben imitates loud static noises over the phone.
BENJAMIN
What? -PSSH- Can't hear you. -PSSH-
Phone cutting out. -PSSH- Gotta go.
Ben hangs up and starts his car. He rests his head on the
steering wheel and quietly sobs. After a beat, Ben composes
himself, pulls out of the driveway and heads for home.
Genres:
["Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
9 -
A Lighthearted Warning
EXT. MOBILE HOME PARK - LATER
Ben exits his trailer and exhales a huge cloud of smoke.
Next door, Don grills a steak with Walter at his feet.
DON
Hey, there he is! How'd it go?
BENJAMIN
Piece of cake. Headed back to the
Estates for round 2 tonight.
DON
Wait. Whitehaven Estates? Haven't
you been watching the news?
BENJAMIN
Sure, but I need the cash. Besides,
there's 2000 homes in the Estates.
I mean, really, what are the odds?
DON
Pretty good. There's only a 0.05%
chance you'll be brutally murdered.
BENJAMIN
I changed my mind. Forget what I
said, OK? Never tell me the odds.
Genres:
["Crime","Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
10 -
A Cozy Evening with Poppy
EXT. WHITEHAVEN ESTATES - EVENING
Ben drives to the entrance and flashes his pass. Conrad
opens the gate and sends him through with a fist bump.
INT. 664 WHITEHAVEN TRACE COURT - MOMENTS LATER
Ben enters and silences the alarm. In the kitchen, he
releases Poppy from her cage and she scampers outside. Ben
kicks off his shoes and walks barefoot in the lush lawn. The
little dog brings him the ball and he throws it.
BENJAMIN
Yup, this is the life.
Poppy ignores the toss and instead starts feverishly digging
a deep hole in the flower bed. Ben ambles over to stop her.
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
C'mon girl, let's raid the fridge.
INT. KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER
Ben shuts the refrigerator door, sees that Poppy is filthy
and has left a trail of pawprints across the kitchen floor.
INT. BATHROOM - LATER
Poppy and Ben share a bubble bath. He rinses away the suds.
BENJAMIN
You like to dig. It's OK. I get it.
INT. BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Poppy sits in front of a mirror being brushed and blow-dried
by Ben. Both of them are wrapped in white towels and robes.
BENJAMIN
See? No harm done. Hole's filled
in, mess is cleaned up. Nobody has
to know. It's our little secret.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
11 -
A Night of Horror and Escapism
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Ben is on the floor munching popcorn and watching a horror
movie with Poppy cowering in his lap as the tension builds.
BENJAMIN
This crap is so predictable. We
already know what's gonna happen.
A jump scare startles Poppy. She covers her eyes with a paw.
BENJAMIN (CONT'D)
Oh no. I'm sorry, girl. We can
watch something else.
Ben changes the channel. A TV news crew is broadcasting from
the main entrance of the Estates. Police cars block the road
and a chopper flies overhead. Conrad creeps in behind the
REPORTER and smiles at the camera before being waved off.
REPORTER (T.V.)
We're live at Whitehaven Estates,
where we've learned that the so-
called Zip Tie Killer has claimed a
4th victim in as many weeks. While
Investigators remain tight-lipped,
sources indicate that this latest
killing is indeed connected to the
bizarre series of murders that have
rocked this affluent community. An
FBI task force has been organized--
Ben taps the remote. A cartoon cat and mouse fight onscreen.
BENJAMIN
Man, this job is definitely not
worth eleven fifty an hour.