Working title: "Society" Authors: Jenn Mayo & Pat Rose treatment ZACH is beginning another semester at a private university somewhere in New England. He is rushing through his morning routine as he waits for his printer to spit out the pages of his just finished report. Saving time, he runs to the dorm bathroom as it finishes. He returns to find the door locked behind him; he's going to be late. Zach resembles a quarterback as he darts to class until he smashes into an unsuspecting classmate, all the time cursing at the fact that the door should never have locked like that. When he reaches class he is relieved to find that another student, DANA, is also turning in a paper late. To his surprise, she has a similar excuse for her tardiness. Later on Zach is in his car running some errands. Not too familiar with the road he is travelling, he slows to check a road sign. Just then his car begins to rattle and shuts off. After a failed attempt to diagnose the problem, he has no choice but to wait for help. A car finally approaches and pulls in behind him. JOSHUA gets out and asks Zach if he needs a hand. It is determined that Zach's car must be left behind and Josh is more than happy to give someone a ride. At this point they realize that they are old buddies from elementary school. They agree to keep in touch; both are students at the same university. After hanging out a few times, Josh begins to tell Zach about his involvement with a "secret society." Zach is skeptical and does not believe his new friend. During his daily activities, however, he begins to see evidence that such a society does exist (i.e. strange symbols repeated in odd places, mysterious fliers that look more like coded messages, unusual campus activity). After several incidences, he becomes convinced that the society is real. The two friends discuss the "secret society" again. Zach tells Josh that he now believes, and he provides Josh with concrete examples of such a society. This upsets Josh who angrily admits to Zach that he made the entire thing up; it was simply an elaborate ruse. Zach still believes the society is real, however and now he knows Josh must have been lying to him in some way, and also becomes angry. They almost come to blows but Zach decides that it isn't worth it. Zach is obsessed with this "secret society" and has to find out the truth. He decides that Dana might be involved due to the unusual circumstances surrounding their first meeting. He finds her phone number without difficulty and decides to ask her why she was really late that morning, eventually bringing up the "secret society." Could it be affecting their lives? She is very interested, and they meet on campus to discuss it. Zach tells her about his meeting Josh, and about what Josh has told him so far. He also includes details about what he saw around campus that support his new theory. Dana tells him that he is being paranoid and the whole thing is in his head. Using logic Dana manages to explain away everything that has been troubling Zach as coincidence or simply paranoia. Zach leaves convinced that Josh really did make the entire thing up. The next day Zach receives a strange phone call from Josh. Josh is scared; he tells Zach that although he was lying about the society originally, he has since seen evidence that it does indeed exist. He is also convinced that someone is tailing him or tracking him, and is frightened. At first Zach is annoyed (another prank, perhaps), but it is clear that his old friend believes what he is saying. Zach agrees to help. Several days go by and Zach does not hear from Josh. They were supposed to meet but Josh never showed. Zach finally goes to look for his friend but finds no one in his room and Josh's friends are no help. In fact, no one has seen him for several days. Zach starts to worry and becomes genuinely scared for his life. Zach locks himself in his room, the only place he feels somewhat safe. Zach calls Dana again and tells her that Josh is missing. She asks him to come to her room so they can talk. When he gets there, she tells him that Josh has committed suicide. She explains to a shocked and disoriented Zach that Josh must have been a very disturbed person who honestly did believe there were people out to get him, and that none of this was Zach's fault. Once again Dana has all the answers that put Zach at ease, and Zach leaves feeling no longer scared but still saddened by the loss of his friend. As a few days go by, Zach begins to wonder about some of the things that happened to him. He suddenly remembers a fragment of a conversation with Josh and chills run down his spine. It must have been Dana. He goes to find her but she has disappeared. Her things are gone, no one remembers her, and there is no record of her being enrolled at the college.