WEIGHT LOSS GUARANTEED 

AERIAL POV: EXT. STORYVILLE - DAY 

The world as we know it in ruins. Environmental nightmare. Toxic puddles and cracked roads. Vines crawl over toppled telephone wires. Wooden shelters. Poverty, but persistence.  

JOEL, 32, scrawny and hardened. Tattered clothes. He soldiers toward a cluster of beautiful glass domes which gleam, almost heavenly, on the horizon.  

EXT. THE WILSON DOMED COMPOUND - CONT. 

Joel hits the BUZZER on the outside of the clear dome. Inside the dome's protection MRS. LAILA WILSON (late 50s, dripping with wealth) makes shooing motions then presses the intercom. 

LAILA 

Joel, darling, we've installed a high-powered sanitizer for deliveries. Go on around back.  

Buzzer CLICKS off. 

INT. THE WILSON SANITATION HALL - CONT.  

Laila and MR. TED WILSON (50s, overweight, the kind of man who smokes specialty cigars) watch as Joel strips down and steps into the sanitizing chamber. He is extremely physically fit, if underfed. 

LAILA 

Just look at that specimen!  

Ted pats his gut good-naturedly.  

TED 

In just a few weeks I'll look even better than that. 

Joel exits the sanitizer and pulls on a robe. Laila slinks to him and unties it, ogling.  

JOEL 

(To Ted) 

Please remember to use a condom if you have sex while in my body.  

TED 

I'll throw in an extra 5k if you let me go raw. 

Joel grimaces. Laila giggles in a manner unbefitting of her age. She runs a possessive hand over Joel's stomach.  

LAILA 

Oh Teddy, he's probably infertile from all the toxic gunk out there. 

JOEL 

Actually, I just had a baby. 

LAILA 

And you didn't think to tell us? 

TED 

That's bad business practice there. A client wants to know what his product is capable of. 

Joel extracts himself from Laila's reach. Reties the robe. 

JOEL  

You hired me for weight loss. That's it.  

Ted and Laila share a knowing look--they're in on the joke and Joel clearly isn't. Ted leaves, forcing Joel to follow. 

INT. THE WILSON PARLOR - CONT. 

Joel and Ted settle on opposite ends of a designer couch. Ted pulls out a cell phone.  

TED 

Half up front, half when you've lost the weight. Same as always.  

Joel's phone CHIMES. The transaction has gone through.  

JOEL 

Thank you, sir.  

An awkward moment waiting for Laila to return. Ted drinks from a nearby glass of whiskey and loudly SMACKS his lips.   

JOEL 

Where are you headed this time?  

TED 

Somewhere East, up in the mountains. They still have snow there. Nice and remote. 

Laila strides back into the room carrying a machine. 

LAILA 

(attaching pressure cuffs and machine wires to both Joel and Ted) 

Good thing too. The last time we went to a lovely beach resort and almost ran into Helen Mavenswick of all people. Just imagine if she'd seen me with you! 

The possibility of getting caught clearly delights Laila. Joel resists the urge to respond. Ted checks his watch. 

TED 

I'm ready to be young and fit again. Shall we, dear? 

Laila starts the machine. It makes a distinctive WHIRRING SOUND. Lights flash. Joel and Ted convulse then sink into their seats, limp. Slowly, they adjust to their new forms.  

JOEL 

(In Ted's body) 

Well, I'd better start running.  

Ted and Laila LAUGH.  

INT. THE WILSON PERSONAL GYM - NIGHT 

Joel (in Ted's body) PANTS as he runs on a treadmill. One might call him determined but he is merely desperate. 

Cell phone RINGS. Joel answers.  

JOEL 

Hey babe, I thought you were calling at 8? 

EMINE (O.S.) 

I'm outside. Let me in.  

JOEL 

Outside where? 

EMINE (O.S.) 

The dome. 

JOEL 

What?! 

Joel barely manages to get off the treadmill without tripping. His calm demeanor breaks for the first time.  

JOEL 

Listen, you can't be here. If the Wilsons find out... 

EMINE (O.S.) 

It's Cory. He's sick.  

Joel wipes his forehead with a towel. 

JOEL 

It's probably Soot Lung. He'll be fine in a few days like all the other kids in the neighborhood. 

EMINE (O.S.) 

He can barely breath. Open the fucking door, Joel.  

Joel tosses the towel and races from the room. 

INT. THE WILSON PARLOR - CONT. 

Joel leads EMINE into the room. (29, dressed in rags but managing to look dignified even while holding BABY CORY). She breaks away to examine the painting on the wall. Stupid modern art that probably cost millions of dollars.  

JOEL 

Sit down, will you? 

EMINE 

I can't remember the last time I saw a piece of art. Either art's gotten uglier or my eyes are starting to break down from the toxins. 

JOEL 

You said this was an emergency.  

EMINE 

It's an emergency waiting to happen. 

Cory coughs. Joel takes the baby from Emine's arms and Emine softens just a bit. 

JOEL 

(To Cory) 

It's okay. It's papa. Just different skin.  

EMINE 

I'm sorry for coming. I didn't know what else to do. 

JOEL 

He'll be all right. He's strong. 

Emine wipes her face and turns away, taking a swig of Ted's left-out glass of whiskey. She turns on the painting. Being angry is easier than admitting her helplessness.  

EMINE 

God, that's ugly.  

She throws the whiskey glass. It SMASHES into the painting. She dissolves into SOBS. Joel jumps to his feet. He takes Emine by the shoulder and finally forces her to sit. 

JOEL 

Listen, if I keep getting jobs like this we can be on a boat to The Iles in six years.  

Cory coughs again. Emine grabs for Joel with renewed urgency. 

EMINE  

Do we have six years? 

JOEL 

You can stay here while I work. I'll make sure the Wilsons don't find out. That's at least a month of clean air for Cory. 

EMINE 

And then what? 

JOEL 

My instincts tell me to just keep trucking forward. Make it work. But I don't...I don't know. 

Emine contemplates her next words.  

EMINE 

We could stay here. Forever.  

JOEL 

Don't make jokes. 

Emine slides into Joel's lap. 

EMINE 

I'm not joking. Please, Joel, give your family a fighting chance.  

Joel avoids her eyes. Conflicted. 

JOEL 

Even if the Wilsons were somehow...out of the picture, someone would come looking for them eventually.  

Emine runs a hand up the side of Joel in Ted's body.  

EMINE 

But my dear Mr. Wilson, they'll be right here.  

Joel looks at the body he's in, then at Emine. He understands. 

CUT TO BLACK: 

Darkness interrupted by flickering lights as we hear the distinctive WHIRRING SOUND of the body switching machine. Intermixed are Laila's SCREAMS and the BANG of two gunshots. 

CUT TO: 

INT. THE WILSON PARLOR - DAY  

Ted's body (Joel) and Laila's body (Emine) sit beneath the hideous painting, happily playing with Baby Cory.