CHARLOTTE, ASH and EMMA have 2 TICKETS to the RESETTLEMENT ZONE, and no other ideas for how to ensure Emma’s safety. They’re stuck in their HOUSE, and their PICK UP TIME is getting closer and closer. It’s looking more and more like they’ll have to decide who goes with Emma to the Zone, and who stays behind at the house.

 

Charlotte wants some End Of The World Sex - partly because she thinks it’ll be the last time she sleeps with Ash. She believes that Ash needs to finally face a number of realities - about their relationship, about himself, about the crisis - and she hopes that if he does that, he’ll realise she’s in the right, he’ll stop fighting her and he’ll let her take Emma to the Zone. Ultimately, she doesn’t believe Ash is strong enough to protect Emma in this nightmarish new world. However, she’s realising that she still loves Ash - especially as a father to Emma.

 

Ash wants to carry out some grand romantic gesture - partly because he believes that if Charlie remembers why they’re a great couple, and she loves him, he’ll win her round to his cause: figuring out a way to avoid one of them being left behind at the house. He sees that Charlie is probably the best person to go with Emma, but he’s also growing increasingly scared of the prospect of being alone in this nightmarish new world, and he’s disturbed by some of the decisions and comments Charlie has been making that evening.

 

Ash and Charlie have flipped over whether Ash carries out a grand romantic gesture, or whether they have sex.

 

THE COIN is HEADS. CHARLIE WINS. They’ve going to have some Apocalypse Sex.

 

Charlotte and Ash start to have sex, but, with the couple on different emotional tracks and wanting different things, it’s terrible. Overcome with anxiety, Ash can’t get it up. Then he does, but, frustrated, Charlotte gets them into an awkward position. Finally, Ash ejaculates far too soon. There’s a bitter and disappointed atmosphere in the room. Suddenly we CUT TO:

 

In a LUSH FOREST, a YOUNG WOMAN (20s) hunts a deer. The deer escapes, and she gives chase. What?! Where are we ….?

 

Ash tries to bury his anger and joke about the sex being terrible – what a Date Night, ey.

 

Charlie just thinks that this is a case in point - they’re a disaster. And she voices this. They’re on two different tracks …

 

Ash points out that what just happened is exactly why he didn’t want to have sex. The idea of Apocalypse Sex is total bullshit - who’s horny when they’re concerned their whole family is going to die?! Well, clearly Charlie is … Which Ash thinks is really weird!

 

The bickering continues, and then a proper argument begins, and the floodgates - previously held back by the COIN - really open.

 

It’s The Confrontation. Finally, Charlie and Ash both want to argue, and both want everything out in the open.

 

Their PROBLEM in this chapter: honesty. Their honesty is going to throw up a lot that they need to deal with …

 

For Charlie, tonight has shown how much a fuck-up Ash is. 

 

Ash thinks that Charlie never wanted him to go to the Zone.

 

For Charlie, it’s not about want. She just doesn’t think he’s strong enough. He couldn’t even deal with self-defence lessons!

 

For Ash, this is completely typical. He claims that he just didn’t want to spend what could be his last night with her punching her. He suggests that Charlie has devised a series of bullshit tests, about something she knows nothing about, really, all designed to prove her own points. And, he might add, dictated by the government. He can’t believe he married such a drone.

 

She can’t believe she married such a coward.

 

He claims she’d rather have gone with PRIVATE BLAKE than with him.

 

She admits this. Yeah, in a way. Blake does what needs to be done. Blake would probably give up his ticket to his wife.

 

The gendered edge to this really gets to Ash. For Ash, Charlie’s always been extremely happy to be the househusband - because it’s suited her. Suddenly now it doesn’t suit her, and she wants traditional (horrible) displays of masculinity. He’s sorry she chose the wrong man for the apocalypse. And he’s sorry he chose the right woman for it - he’s always regretted marrying a shark, a corporate sociopath.

 

Charlotte questions whether that’s worse than a failed, bitter novelist.

 

Ash claims to keep their family going! He does that by staying home, and that’s screwed up his career.

 

Charlie believes she’s kept this family afloat - and that’s by bringing in money.

 

Ash scoffs - yeah, it’s great for Emma that Charlie’s never at home. He thinks that Charlie doesn’t really want this family. He thinks that Charlie doesn’t specifically want to go to the Zone with Emma - she just wants to win.

 

Charlotte is horrified. She thinks that Ash only spends so much time with Emma because he can’t handle the real world. That’s why he needs the COIN.

 

This really breaks Ash. (In his head, this is absolutely not true. Charlie needs the coin - that is the root of so many of their problems, that is foundational to so much of what he thinks of their relationship.)

 

So he turns it back, claiming that it’s Charlie’s fault they flip the coin. She’s too afraid of being open emotionally.

 

This really gets to Charlie. (This is the kind of nightmarish truth that she absolutely cannot face. In her head, Ash has to be the one who needs the coin because she is Not Someone Who Needs The Coin - that’s too weak, that’s too bizarre, that’s too embarrassing.) She can barely speak.

 

Ash wishes he’d never started them using the coin, because it’s kept them together. They should have never stayed together. Even for Emma.

 

Charlotte agrees - they shouldn’t have, it’s ruined their lives. It’s gotten one of them killed, for certain. She’s surprised it hasn’t gotten Emma killed, tonight. It still could.

 

They’ve both gone too far. There’s a terrible silence. Ash begins to cry. Charlotte begins to cry.

 

Charlotte goes and hugs Ash.

 

They hear Emma crying upstairs. We CUT TO:

 

The young woman brings the dead deer to a SMALL SETTLEMENT. She adds the deer to a stockpile, and heads to a meeting about the settlement’s future.

 

Charlotte goes and gets Emma, and brings her down. She sits Emma on her lap. Ash watches them.

 

With a moment to breathe, facing the reality of the situation, Ash realises that there’s no way that he can try to go to the Zone ahead of Charlie. The last good thing he can do is to be brave, and let the right thing happen.

 

Charlotte begins to gently push Ash towards the decision that they both know must be made. She claims that she really didn’t want things to end like this. But someone has to go with Emma. Maybe that’s Charlie’s fault, maybe she could have done the night differently, but that’s the reality. And she knows that ASH IS EMMA’S FAVOURITE PARENT but -

 

Ash interrupts - Charlie should go with Emma. Obviously. He realises that he’s screwed up too. If he’s honest with himself, he’s not built for this. And Charlie is. Charlie will make the hard decisions, and ensure a future for Emma. But she’s also a good parent and Emma absolutely loves her.

 

They all hug.

 

Ash grabs his LAPTOP, and transfers the TICKETS to Charlotte’s account - they’re now on her ID BRACELET.

 

Ash asks that she give him the time left till the PICK UP to say goodbye to Emma, and Charlotte agrees to this.

 

Ash takes Emma up to HER ROOM while Charlotte heads to their BEDROOM. In the lounge, a strange wailing can be heard to start next door, in THE SMITHS’ HOUSE.

 

Ash plays with Emma. Charlie sorts out their bags. She decides against the SCALPEL, and sets it aside.

 

With Emma asleep on his lap, Ash writes a LETTER to Emma, to be opened when she’s older.

 

We see what he imagines: it’s the young woman (reveal! - FUTURE EMMA), helping to determine the future of the settlement. She has Charlie’s qualities.

 

Ash reads out bits to himself as he writes. Charlotte stops by the door to Emma’s room and listens. What Ash is saying tears at her heart.

 

4.55am. The Dhumals gather in the front hallway. Charlotte and Emma are ready to go. 

 

Meanwhile, a jeep races through their city’s streets, dodging burning cars, bodies, and RIOTERS. Inside, PRIVATES BARRETT and BRIDLE (last glimpsed in Chapter 2A’s platoon of soldiers) are covered in sweat and blood, glancing from their GPS to the smokey chaos outside.

 

Emma is scared - what’s happening?

 

Meanwhile, the HELPLINE OPERATOR (20s) argues with HER BOSS. Both look terrible - it’s been a long night. The Operator insists that the Dhumals should already have another ticket. It’s wrong they haven’t got one!

 

Charlotte finishes talking Ash through what to do after they leave – keep securing the house, and ration food and water. They’ll try to stay in touch with him. Ash nods along, not entirely present.

 

The privates’ jeep pulls up outside. Charlotte opens the front door, relieved. Ash is full of dread.

 

The soldiers climb out and scout out the area. They’re shocked at all of the NEIGHBOURS’ bodies. They rush to the Dhumals’ front door, scan Charlie’s ID bracelet, and begin to carry their bags to the jeep.

 

The Dhumals hug as a three while Ash says goodbye. They’ve told Emma they’re going on holiday, Daddy will meet them later. Ash gives the letter to Charlotte.

 

Bridle asks Charlotte and Emma to come to the jeep - quickly. They leave Ash in the front doorway.

 

As Charlie puts Emma into the jeep, she turns back. Ash has closed the front door already.

 

Barrett is on a radio to his SUPERIORS - do they know of a better route back to the PICK UP POINT? It’s chaos out there.

 

Emma’s wailing for Ash. Charlie asks Bridle if she can get Ash out here to calm Emma; Bridle reluctantly agrees.

 

Charlie heads inside. The door to the lounge is open. Through the doorway, she can see Ash sitting, the PLASTIC BAG beside him, preparing to take the PILLS. Charlie freezes.

 

ACT FIVE.

As he’s planning to kill himself, Ash thinks of Future Emma. It strengthens him.

 

Charlie forces herself to watch.

 

And a switch flips in her brain. It’s not that this action makes him worthy of going, but that her protective instinct for Ash overrides her previous thoughts. She decides she wants him to go, even though she thinks he’s weak. She’d die hoping that he’s good enough - but she loves him so much in the moment that she doesn’t want to do anything else.

 

But what she wants shouldn’t matter! She knows that she’s better for Emma, in this new world.

 

Hand poised over the transfer option on her bracelet, she takes out her COIN and flips. The Decision Point appears onscreen:

 

Which road will you choose?

 

Charlie and Ash have communicated properly, understood each other’s positions, and made decisions. But Charlie’s flipped the coin again. Will the Two Roads universe reward them for their good behaviour, or send them down a tragic road for failing to change enough …? It’s up in the air - and up to you.