[Backstory: I went to ChatGPT to generate this script on a lark. Emma Miller was hosting a Twitter space and talking about making Kombucha. When she dropped the word SCOBY I, like most in the space, had no idea what the word meant. She explained it, and I looked it up on Wikipedia and was horrified by the image I saw. So this happened. Note that in the following prompt, I did not use the word “Emma.” So, either ChatGPT is listening or it was a divine coincidence. Once I saw this, I knew that we had to pursue it. Enjoy!]
(Prompt: write a 15 minute horror film scene in Final Cut Pro format about a SCOBY that grows out of control and endangers the neighborhood)
INT. KITCHEN – DAY
A quaint kitchen filled with natural light. EMMA, a young woman in her late 20s, enters the frame. She places a large glass jar on the kitchen counter and starts pouring sweet tea into it. A small SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) floats in the liquid.
EMMA
(whispering)
Time to feed you, my little SCOBY.
INT. EMMA’S KITCHEN – LATER
The glass jar sits on the counter, covered with a cloth. EMMA walks away, leaving the room.
INT. EMMA’S KITCHEN – DAY
The glass jar is now filled with a massive SCOBY, stretching to the top. It pulsates with a strange rhythm.
EMMA enters the kitchen, her eyes widening at the sight.
EMMA
(whispering)
What… what’s happening?
Suddenly, the SCOBY starts to bulge and expand, cracking the glass jar. It spills onto the counter, oozing a thick, viscous liquid.
EMMA
(in a panic)
Oh no!
She grabs a nearby knife and tries to cut away the expanding SCOBY, but it resists, almost as if it’s fighting back.
EXT. EMMA’S NEIGHBORHOOD – DAY
The camera pans out to reveal a peaceful suburban neighborhood, unaware of the horror unfolding inside Emma’s home.
INT. EMMA’S KITCHEN – DAY
Emma struggles to control the growing SCOBY. It wraps around her arm, squeezing tighter and tighter. She gasps for breath, her face turning red.
EMMA
(desperate)
Help! Somebody, help me!
INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY
NEIGHBORS, a middle-aged couple, hears Emma’s cries for help from their nearby living room. They exchange worried glances and rush outside.
INT. EMMA’S KITCHEN – DAY
The SCOBY has completely enveloped Emma’s arm, constricting her movements. The room is filled with an otherworldly stench, a mixture of fermenting tea and decay.
NEIGHBORS burst into the kitchen, their eyes widening in horror at the grotesque sight.
NEIGHBOR
(intense)
Hold on, Emma! We’ll get you out!
The NEIGHBOR grabs a large kitchen knife and starts cutting away at the SCOBY. It resists, resisting their attempts to free Emma.
EXT. EMMA’S BACKYARD – DAY
A swarm of smaller SCOBYs crawl out of the broken glass jar and spread across the kitchen floor. They multiply at an alarming rate, slithering out into the hallway and beyond.
INT. EMMA’S KITCHEN – DAY
The NEIGHBOR continues to hack at the SCOBY, bits of gelatinous substance flying everywhere. With one final strike, they manage to sever the hold on Emma’s arm, freeing her.
EMMA falls to the floor, gasping for breath, her arm red and swollen.
NEIGHBOR
(panting)
We need to stop this. We can’t let it spread!
INT. EMMA’S NEIGHBORHOOD – DAY
The camera pans across the neighborhood, showing the creeping SCOBYs seeping into neighboring houses, sliding under doors and through cracks.
PANICKED RESIDENTS flee their homes, their eyes filled with terror.
INT. EMMA’S KITCHEN – DAY
Emma and the NEIGHBOR exchange determined glances.
EMMA
(resolute)
We have to find a way to contain it.
They grab buckets, towels, and cleaning supplies, preparing to battle the invasive SCOBY.
EXT. EMMA’S NEIGHBORHOOD – DAY
The once serene neighborhood now resembles a chaotic battleground. EMMA and the NEIGHBOR, armed with buckets and mops, lead a group of determined RESIDENTS, all ready to confront the spreading SCOBY menace.
They approach a house that has been completely overtaken by the SCOBY, its walls covered in pulsating layers of gelatinous growth.
EMMA
(focused)
We need to seal off the house. Prevent it from spreading any further.
The group splits into teams, some fetching rolls of plastic sheeting, while others gather tools for sealing off windows and doors.
INT. INFECTED HOUSE – FOYER – DAY
The team enters the house cautiously, the air thick with a noxious scent. The SCOBY tendrils have snaked their way into every corner, suffocating the once vibrant space.
They quickly get to work, tearing down curtains and covering furniture with plastic sheeting. They secure the windows and doors, making sure no SCOBY can escape.
INT. INFECTED HOUSE – KITCHEN – DAY
EMMA spots a particularly large and active section of the SCOBY spreading across the kitchen countertop. She instructs a team member to bring in a large pot of boiling water.
EMMA
(determined)
We need to scald the growth. It’s the only way to stop it.
They pour the boiling water over the SCOBY, causing it to hiss and sizzle. The tendrils recoil and retreat, momentarily subdued.
INT. INFECTED HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – DAY
Another team member discovers a hidden basement door partially covered in SCOBY. They pry it open to reveal a dark, damp room overrun with the gelatinous growth.
The team descends the stairs cautiously, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. They come face to face with a massive, throbbing SCOBY pulsating in the center of the room.
NEIGHBOR
(horrified)
This… this is the source. We have to destroy it.
They approach the central SCOBY, armed with makeshift flamethrowers crafted from aerosol cans and lighters. They unleash a torrent of fire, engulfing the SCOBY in flames.
The growth writhes and shrieks as it burns, filling the room with an acrid smell. The team retreats, the flames slowly subsiding as the SCOBY is reduced to charred remnants.
INT. INFECTED HOUSE – BASEMENT STAIRS – DAY
With the central SCOBY destroyed, the team retreats from the basement, coughing and wiping sweat from their brows.
EMMA
(heavy breathing)
We did it. We contained it.
They make their way back upstairs, rejoining the rest of the group in the living room.
EXT. EMMA’S NEIGHBORHOOD – DAY
The exhausted but triumphant group exits the infected house, sealing the door behind them with caution tape. They take a moment to catch their breath, surveying the neighborhood that has been spared from further invasion.
EMMA
(grateful)
Thank you, all of you, for your bravery and quick thinking. We couldn’t have done it without each other.
RESIDENTS nod, acknowledging the shared effort that saved their homes and lives.
EMMA
(serious)
But we must remain vigilant. The SCOBY is gone for now, but who knows what else could emerge. We’ll stay connected and prepared to face any future threats together.
As the sun sets on the neighborhood, the RESIDENTS disperse, carrying with them a renewed sense of unity and resilience.
FADE OUT.
© 2023 Tony Parisi and ChatGPT