Issue Fourteen: “Missing Link, part 2: Dreamcatcher”
PAGE ONE
“Previously” page.
PAGE TWO
1/ Long Panel as we face Milo, sitting on one side of a doctor’s desk and staring past us, at the off-panel doctor reading him the important information regarding Chris’s death. Milo has clearly been crying, and is still fairly emotional – though he’s pulled himself together pretty well.
DOC (OFF PANEL): …at approximately 12:30 in the afternoon on June 15th, 2012, of complications from the AIDS VIRUS.
MILO: Yes, I know.
MILO: Do we…do we have to do this?
2/ Long panel on the doctor, looking sympathetically at Milo and hoping to comfort him in any small way – though he’s clearly professionally detached.
DOC: I’m sorry, Mr. Woodyard.
DOC: I wish there was something we could DO to help ease the PAIN of your loss, but if it’s any consolation, the nurses would like you to know that he spoke of you frequently and ADMIRINGLY.
3/ Milo looks down at the floor, fidgeting uncomfortably. He closes his eyes and looks resigned, thanking the doctor as genuinely as he can.
MILO: Thank you.
PAGE THREE
1/ Long panel as the doctor turns away from the stack of paperwork on his desk and produces a small brown package, wrapped in a neat square of butcher paper. He looks at Milo across the desk as he speaks, pulling the package from a desk drawer.
DOC: Now, funeral arrangements will have to be made, and there is a WILL to be read, but CHRIS left specific instructions for a particular gift to be left to YOU upon the moment of his…
DOC: …PASSING.
2/ Long panel, as the brown package passes from the doctor’s hand to Milo’s, across the desk. It is wrapped neatly and sealed with a red wax seal, holding the folds together in a tight crease.
MILO (OFF PANEL): He did? I don’t…
3/ Long panel as Milo scraps the packaging on the desk and holds up its contents: a woven Dreamcatcher. It dangles from his hand and spins in the air, a small woven tapestry of colorful yarns around a small circular centerpiece, its excess yarn hanging down in streamers from the center circle and swaying in the space above Milo’s outstretched hand as he appraises it. He looks at it quizzically.
DOC (OFF PANEL): Do you know what it IS?
MILO: Yeah.
MILO: It’s a DREAMCATCHER.
PAGE FOUR
1/ THIS IS A FULL PAGE SPLASH featuring the issue’s TITLE, CREDITS and IDICIA as we CUT TO Andrew and Mark, standing in the dusty clearing of the Akashi Village, surround by angry looking Bakii with automatic weapons. The two men stand back to back, looking at the circle of assailants around them, and they speak to each other over their shoulders, quickly and nervously. They hold the psionic shields they were given by the tribe leader, Denabe – who currently stands back to back with them as well, though he is obscured mostly from view behind them as he faces the other side of the clearing. In short, terse sentences, the two men confer.
CAPTION: Somewhere in South America.
NARR (ANDREW): I don’t know about YOU, but I’m a CONTROL person.
ANDREW: Mark?
MARK: Yeah?
ANDREW: What’s your POWER again?
NARR: I wouldn’t go so far as to say control FREAK, but I’m definitely not wild about UNPREDICTABLE ELEMENTS.
MARK: I’m preternaturally PERSUASIVE.
ANDREW: Persuasive?
MARK: Think JEDI MIND TRICK.
ANDREW: I see. Not much USE, here.
MARK: Yeah. Hopin’ you’ve got some IDEAS.
ANDREW: Great. Thanks.
NARR: The problem is, they’re tough to PLAN AROUND – and as you’ve probably figured OUT by now, I’m a PLANNER.
PAGE FIVE
1/ Long panel as the two men continue their huddle, back to back – but this time, we’re much closer, only on their heads as they confer. Denabe stays in the BG. Andrew gestures slightly to the Bakii around them with nods of his head.
ANDREW: Their GUNS. Think you can DISARM them?
MARK: Probably, in a PINCH.
ANDREW: Can you do it in 45 SECONDS?
MARK: Jesus.
ANDREW: CAN you?
MARK: Yeah, I think so.
ANDREW: GOOD.
2/ Andrew’s POV as he looks down at his feet, at a small rock between his shoes. From the edge of the rock, we can visually see the calculations that Andrew is doing in his head – sticking off the rock in different directions as though the numbers are actually floating in air.
ANDREW: Alright.
ANDREW: Here goes nothin’.
3/ LOW ANGLE as Andrew abruptly digs his foot into the dirt by the rock, striking it at just the right angle to send the rock flying off through the air, still surrounded by complicated equations. Dirt flies.
SOUND EFFECT: CHUNT
NARR: When faced by something that’s totally out of your control, the best you can hope to do is ISOLATE and CONTAIN.
4/ The rock strikes one of the Akashi’s psionically enhanced slate shields, causing a little pink flash as the kinetic energy strikes the psychic shielding. The rock ricochets off in the opposite direction, flying back out of the panel. The equations in Andrew’s head now highlight the point of impact on the shield, the second step in his plan.
SOUND EFFECT: Fzzak
5/ Flying across the clearing, the rock now strikes one of the Bakii in the head, causing him to rock backward in pain. The rock ricochets once again, flying away to its next target as the injured tribesman recoils from the shock. The equations now stem from the point of impact on the Bakii’s head, representing step three in the calculation.
SOUND EFFECT: THUNK
6/ Long panel as we see the clearing in panorama, the rock’s course charted in ricochets as it bounces its way around the clearing from various psionic shields to various struck heads, each point of impact showing its own set of Andrew’s equations. Andrew and Mark leap into action at Andrew’s command, Mark leaping toward the fallen gun of one of the injured Bakii. The rock strikes one Bakii in the face, causing him to rock backward and fire his gun blindly into the air.
ANDREW: GO!
SOUND EFFECT (gun): CHOOM
NARR: But what do you do when that CHAOTIC ELEMENT is too big to SIPHON AWAY into that little SAFE PLACE you’ve developed for the UNCONTROLLABLE?
PAGE SIX
1/ BIRD’S EYE VIEW as the bullet flies through the air, toward us as the man with the gun topples in the BG, his gun smoking and his head throbbing. The bullet, on its way out of the panel, bisects the thin organic line holding a coconut to its tree, causing the coconut to begin its descent toward the ground. The calculations now emanate from the coconut, the next step in Andrew’s equations.
SOUND EFFECT: SNAP!
2/ The coconut falls from above into Andrew’s hand, and in one fluid motion he hurls it into the huddled Bakii – not even pausing to acknowledge that it’s actually landed in his hand. He already knew it would. The calculations still emanate from the coconut.
NARR: Well, I guess you have to DEAL with it, any way you CAN.
3/ Mark combat rolls until he’s right on top of one of the Bakii’s guns, rapidly dropping the magazine and disarming the gun, already looking to the next gun on his list – which lays on the ground right in the front of the panel.
MARK: Come on, come ON!
4/ The coconut bounces its way between the heads of two Bakii tribesmen, continuing off in another direction, flying out of the panel. The equations emanate from their injured heads as they take a fall, their eyes rolling back in their skulls.
SOUND EFFECT: Thunk! Thunk!
NARR: Like constantly coming up with new and INTERESTING uses for this QUANTITATIVE power I’ve had for so LONG.
5/ Andrew leaps toward one of the Bakii, doing a back flip and landing in a handstand, his legs flying up into the air and striking the Bakii in the face, sending him crashing to the dusty ground.
SOUND EFFECT: PUNT
NARR: And then sitting back and hoping it all WORKS OUT.
6/ On his feet again, Andrew spins and hits another Bakii in the face with the back of his fist, knocking a wooden staff free from the tribesman’s hands and catching it mid-air with his own free hand. In the BG, the coconut continues to ricochet, equations sprouting from all its targets as it bounces wildly around the clearing.
SOUND EFFECT: THOK!
7/ Mark runs across the clearing, keeping low to avoid the flying coconut, disarming another gun as he dodges and ducks.
8/ Long panel as Andrew and Mark stand victorious in the middle of the clearing, a gathering of aching Bakii lying in heaps on the ground all around them. Mark holds the last gun, brandishing it like a child playing SWAT, and Andrew stands with his stolen staff at his waist, catching his breath. In the BG, Denabe and his bodyguards lay on the ground, looking up at Mark and Andrew in surprise.
MARK: Okay…
MARK: …that was AWESOME.
PAGE SEVEN
1/ Long Panel as we CUT TO the Geblan’s house in Harrison West. We find Dianne and Will Geblan, sitting on their couch and facing the other side of the room as they talk to Donovan and Rhiannon, who are currently off panel. Dianne leans forward, pleading. Will leans back, looking uncomfortably at Donovan and Rhiannon.
CAPTION: Harrison West. Will and Dianne Geblan’s home.
DIANNE: So, tell us…can you FIX him?
2/ On Donovan and Rhiannon as Rhi looks taken aback by the question. They sit on a loveseat opposite the sofa in the Geblans’ living room, side by side.
RHI: Mrs. Geblan...
RHI: Your son doesn’t need to be FIXED.
3/ On Donovan, continuing Rhiannon’s thought, but cautiously.
DON: He has an EXTRAORDINARY ability, like nothing we’ve ever SEEN.
4/ Long panel as both Donovan and Rhiannon expound on their findings, Rhiannon gesturing wide as she praises Eddie’s unusual gifts. Donovan, sensing the displeasure coming from the Geblans and not feeling as comfortable with pushing their luck as Rhiannon is, remains less forceful than Rhiannon.
RHI: He seems to be able to TRANSMUTE ectoplasmic energy into solid MATTER. RHI: He’s so naturally adept at the range of PSYCHIC ABILITY that he’s capable of CROSS-PLANAR ALCHEMY. It’s among the RAREST of mental abilities that people have been known to have, and he’s got it in SPADES.
DON: It really IS amazing.
PAGE EIGHT
1/ Will Geblan leans forward, getting angry.
WILL: Wait…WHAT?
WILL: This is NOT what we asked you HERE for.
2/ Rhiannon looks frustrated, trying to make them understand and growing offended by the tone they’ve taken in regard to their son’s abilities.
RHI: But…I’m afraid you don’t fully UNDERSTAND –
3/ Dianne gets indignant, crossing her arms and glaring at Rhiannon from across the room. She pulls her hair out of her eyes and plants her feet.
DIANNE: No, ma’am – YOU don’t seem to understand.
DIANNE: Will and I asked you here to make this go AWAY.
4/ Rhiannon leans forward as if about to speak, but Donovan places a hand in front of her chest to stop her. He looks at the Geblans and speaks carefully, gently – trying to get through to them without resorting to the yelling he knows Rhiannon wants to do.
DON: Mr. and Mrs. Geblan…your son is GIFTED.
5/ On the Geblans, as Will glowers at Donovan, speaking to him as if he were a total idiot. At his side, Dianne keeps her arms indignantly crossed, glaring at Rhiannon unflinchingly.
WILL: No, he’s NOT.
WILL: He’s CURSED. And you people were supposed to put an END to this ridiculous little FANTASY of his.
PAGE NINE
1/ Long panel as we CUT TO the Short North, where we find Milo walking up the street and talking to Beth on his cell phone. He looks far better composed than he did earlier, an is in fact dealing with the Chris situation rather well – even if he is suffering from a little avoidance. He gestures as he speaks, defensively.
CAPTION: The Short North.
MILO: Well, I don’t know what to SAY.
MILO: I’m SORRY that he’s ANGRY, Beth. And I’m especially sorry that he’s taking it out on YOU, in Andrew’s absence.
MILO: But I still stand by the things I said.
2/ CUT TO Beth, standing in the office at the Atlas Building, rubbing the bridge of her nose exhaustedly as she talks to Milo on the office’s land line.
BETH: Just tell me you’re not planning on starting a REVOLUTION.
3/ CUT TO the stairwell of Milo’s apartment building as he opens the door and enters. We look down on him from above as he makes his way up the stairs.
MILO: Ha.
MILO: Not yet, anyway.
4/ CUT BACK to Beth as she puts her fingers between the blinds in the office windows, looking out into the street below as she talks. She raises a curious eyebrow.
BETH: Very funny, Milo.
BETH: Are you okay? You sound a little OUT OF IT.
5/ CUT BACK to Milo, turning the key in his apartment door as he dismissively ends the conversation with Beth. His body language visibly stiffens when she asks him how he’s doing, and he abruptly wraps up the phone call.
MILO: I’ll talk to you LATER, Beth.
MILO: Have a better day.
PAGE TEN
1/ Milo enters the apartment, swinging the door open. Dax, the cat, greets him by rubbing up against his leg as he enters. Milo looks around, calling out for David.
MILO: Davy?
MILO: You home?
2/ POV as Milo looks down at the back of the small couch and finds David’s cell phone, accidentally left behind and open to the most recent text message he received.
MILO: Well, that explains why you haven’t been answering your PHONE all day, goofy.
3/ Close on the phone as Milo reaches out to grab it.
MILO: Left it open on a TEXT MESSAGE and everything.
4/ Milo picks up the phone, looking at the open screen. His eyebrow shoots up.
MILO: What’ve we got HERE?
5/ Close on the phone’s screen, where we can read the last text message that was left up on the phone by accident. It reads INBOX – FROM: JOSH , and the body reads “I’LL B RIGHT OVER TO PICK U UP.”
6/ Close on Milo, his brow creasing in irritation.
MILO: Excuse me?
7/ On the phone, we see the text message sent right before: SENT MESSAGES – “YEAH, HE’S GONE NOW”
8/ Closer on the phone, we see the first text in the conversation: FROM: JOSH, with a body that reads “DID MILO LEAVE 4 THE HSPTL YET?”
PAGE ELEVEN
1/ CUT TO Beth, still standing in the office, picking up the phone and dialing another number. She paces as she waits for the call to connect.
CAPTION: The Atlas Building, downtown. Knights of Columbus Headquarters.
BETH: Come on, come on.
BETH: Pick up the phone.
2/ CUT TO Andrew, answering his cell phone and looking a bit frazzled from the fight he’s just been involved in. He looks the slightest bit annoyed, having seen that there were several missed calls in a row from Beth.
ANDREW: Beth?
BETH (thru phone): Oh, thank GOD. You ANSWERED.
3/ Long panel as Andrew settles into the phone conversation. Behind him, Mark helps Denabe and the others as they tie up the Bakii, bustling around the clearing with ropes and weapons. Mark looks over his shoulder at Andrew, noticing that he’s on the phone.
ANDREW: Yeah, I wasn’t IGNORING you.
ANDREW: We just ran into a bit of TROUBLE down here.
4/ CUT BACK to Beth, looking at the phone with concern.
BETH: Uh oh. Everything okay now?
ANDREW (thru phone): Should be fine. What’s up?
5/ CUT BACK to Andrew, listening as Beth speaks.
BETH (thru phone): It’s PALMER.
BETH: He’s pretty worked up about Milo’s little TV BROADCAST.
ANDREW: I thought we took CARE of that already.
PAGE TWELVE
1/ BACK TO BETH, as she walks from the window over to the conference table, talking as she paces. She switches ears with the phone as she glances through a file folder that was sitting on the table.
BETH: I thought so, too. He disagrees.
2/ CUT BACK to Andrew. He looks annoyed by this.
ANDREW: Huh. Well, is he gonna come DOWN on us about it?
3/ Long panel as we CUT BACK to Beth, tossing the file folder off to the side and taking a seat at the table, sulking her shoulders as she discusses the unhappy news.
BETH: At the MOMENT, no.
BETH: But he’s WATCHING us. I would recommend no more field trips to SOUTH AMERICA on the company EXPENSE ACCOUNT.
4/ CUT BACK to Andrew, standing with a hand on his hip as Mark and Denabe approach in the BG. He looks off into the distance.
ANDREW: You saying I should come home?
5/ CUT BACK to Beth, shaking her head.
BETH: No, no. Finish what you’re doing down there…
BETH: …but I would get back as SOON as POSSIBLE.
PAGE THIRTEEN
1/ CUT TO Denabe, looking diplomatic but uncomfortable, hoping that the Americans will leave without being forced.
DENABE: Thank you for your assistance.
DENABE: It was…INVALUABLE.
2/ He turns, walking away from Andrew and Mark. They follow, irritated with his dismissal. He leads them further into the camp.
DENABE: But I still must ask you to LEAVE.
DENABE: This conflict has escalated beyond our CONTROL. I need to MEDITATE on the matter.
3/ On Andrew, in hot pursuit and looking pissed.
ANDREW: Now wait just a damn minute!
ANDREW: We just saved your asses!
4/ Mark grabs Denabe’s arm, spinning him around to make eye contact. He looks at the Shaman beseechingly.
MARK: Denabe…he’s RIGHT.
MARK: I don’t understand why you’re ACTING like this.
5/ Long panel as Denabe looks at Mark, apology in his eyes. He hesitates.
DENABE: …you are a good FRIEND, Mark Shepard.
DENABE: I apologize if I seem…UNGRATEFUL. Come with me.
PAGE FOURTEEN
1/ CUT TO a large, dark, cavernous room as Denabe leads the two men down a long stairwell into an underground chamber. We see them from a distance, indicating the vast size of the room. Denabe talks as they journey downward.
DENABE: There.
DENABE: We will be UNDISTURBED in this place.
2/ Andrew looks around, inquisitive.
ANDREW: Where ARE we?
3/ No longer descending the stairwell, Denabe holds his hand up to a wall mounted torch, making flame appear from out of nowhere as the torch busts into crackling life. He is lit orange by the light from the fire.
DENABE: Perhaps THIS will be of some assistance.
4/ Suddenly, torches around the room burst into flame, casting the cavern into a stark light. We finally see that they are in a vast temple, replete with towering stone pillars. The room is lit orange by the torches, and we see, against the far wall, framed by the pillars, the object of worship. It is what appears to be a tall stone door, the height of at least two men, with a small set of stairs leading up to its hard rock surface. There is not visible way to open the door, but covering its entire surface is the carved image of a man, arms spread wide like Christ. On his chest is an intricate carving of a phoenix and at his midriff is a lightning bolt framed in an elevated circle. He looks up to the heavens. Denabe and the others stare up at the carving in awe, frozen in place.
ANDREW: Oh, my God.
MARK: What IS this place?
DENABE: This place is a TEMPLE, and before you is the GHOST DOOR.
5/ Mark and Andrew turn to Denabe as he looks up at the Ghost Door, staring reverently at its carved surface.
DENABE: It is not a REAL door, of course. You cannot open it, and there is nothing BEHIND it.
DENABE: It symbolizes the impenetrable THRESHOLD we cross when DEATH passes us from ONE plane to the NEXT. It is through this door that we receive our psychic COMMUNICATIONS.
6/ On Andrew, looking curiously at Denabe.
ANDREW: Is the door really NECESSARY? Can’t you just USE your ability?
7/ Denabe turns to him, obliging.
DENABE: We descend from the EARLIEST psychics, Andrew.
DENABE: We perceive the world very DIFFERENTLY than you and your FRIENDS, and our use of the INDIGO GIFT is reflective of that.
PAGE FIFTEEN
1/ Long panel as Denabe reaches out and caresses the stone monolith of the Ghost Door, rubbing his hands over the intricate carvings. He traces the shapes with his fingers.
DENABE: You view the PSYCHIC WORLD as you view your INTERNET – an intangible, theoretical world of readily accessible INFORMATION – and you use it in much the same WAY.
DENABE: But we AKASHI – for US, our visions are born the same way everything ELSE in our life is: from the EARTH beneath our FEET.
2/ Denabe presses his hand firmly against the stone, and from its place, hundreds of intricate cracks in the stone ripple outward, forming shapes and symbols into the newly cracked rock.
SOUND EFFECT: Crrrackk
3/ PULL BACK, and reveal the three men looking up at the intricate pattern that has emerged in the cracked stone. The various fissures and splits have formed a detailed series of pictures, much like ancient cave paintings.
4/ Andrew and Mark look up at it in awe.
MARK: What does it TELL you?
5/ CLOSE on the pictures on the wall as Denabe points to a particular sequence: a winged serpent, trying to take flight, as a small army of men with sticks and swords battle each other at the bird’s clumsy, encumbered wings – the conflict keeping it from soaring as high as it clearly could, if only they would cooperate.
DENABE: The time of CHANGE is almost UPON us. The great WINGED SERPENT of ancient METAPHOR will soon RETURN, quietly and independently.
DENABE: Few will know it even HAPPENED, but the changes wrought by his presence will spread FAR and WIDE, enlightenment and POWER spreading throughout the WORLD.
DENABE: The CHANGE, though…it will ANGER a great many people, and until the day the winged serpent finally takes HUMAN FORM once MORE…
6/ CLOSE ON Denabe, turning to Mark and Andrew with a look of dread and foreboding in his large, dark eyes.
DENABE: …there will be WAR.
DENABE: There will be DEATH.
DENABE: I am sorry.
PAGE SIXTEEN
1/ CUT BACK to Rhiannon, very CLOSE, as she stares angrily across the room at Will and Dianne, her hair falling carelessly in front of her face as she shouts.
RHI: With all due respect, WILL, the only person living in a FANTASY WORLD is YOU – if you think your son can just STOP being who he IS because it isn’t what you had in MIND!
2/ Donovan leans forward, pulling Rhiannon pack and patting her on the leg, attempting to calm her and deal with the Geblans in a more constructive way. He looks across the room, facing them diplomatically.
DON: What Rhiannon is less than TACTFULLY trying to say is that any attempt to STUNT and DISCOURAGE Link’s GROWTH in this matter is probably not the BEST idea, here.
DON: You could be setting yourself up for a DISASTER.
3/ Dianne crosses her arms in anger as Will leans forward threateningly, challenging Donovan with his eyes.
DIANNE: Are you THREATENING us?
WILL: If we don’t raise our son the way you THINK we should, something BAD’s going to happen to us?
DIANNE: That’s what I heard.
4/ On Will, lecturing, considering the matter final.
WILL: My son will NOT be a part of this voodoo, mystical, godless NONSENSE!
WILL: He is a NORMAL BOY!
5/ At the top of the stairs, we find Link, curled up in the fetal position on the floor and listening to the fighting coming from downstairs. He cries, rocking back and forth.
WILL (from downstairs): YOUR job was to CONVINCE him of that!
6/ Closer on Link, whose sadness has suddenly turned to anger. As he rocks, the electrical field in his body begins to reach outward, connecting with the static electricity in the fluffy carpet that surrounds him. Sparks of energy shot out from his body as his eyes slowly begin to turn a vague shade of blue…
WILL (from downstairs): And you come in here and make it WORSE?
WILL: Do either of you even HAVE children? Do you KNOW what it’s LIKE?
PAGE SEVENTEEN
1/ Rhiannon leans back in her chair, next to Donovan. The look of resignation in her face tells us that she has finally realized there will be no rational conversation with these people. Donovan looks shamefully at the floor.
RHI: No. We don’t.
2/ Dianne stares at her, smoldering. She barely moves her head as she speaks, afraid she will lash out at her houseguests if she so much as twitches.
DIANNE: Then you are NOT qualified to tell us how to raise our CHILD.
DIANNE: Get out of my sight this INSTANT.
3/ Link, still sitting at the top of the stairs, is now sparking with a greater intensity, his eyes slowly glowing brighter and brighter as his anger visibly flares.
SOUND EFFECT: FSSSHHHAKK
4/ Out on the porch, Dianne escorts the now weakly protesting pair of Donovan and Rhiannon from her home, gesturing for them to be on their way. She remains inside, clinging to the doorway as her only shield against the things she doesn’t want to know.
DON: Mrs. Geblan, I really don’t think you UNDERSTAND –
DIANNE: GET OUT!
5/ From a distance, we see Donovan and Rhiannon, standing in defeat on the porch as the door is slammed loudly in their faces. Donovan rubs Rhiannon’s back, trying to make her feel better about their failure.
SOUND EFFECT: SLAM!
6/ VERY CLOSE on Link, his eyes now ablaze with blue fury as electricity leaps wildly from his small form. The bolts of lightning shooting from his body are now nearly as thick as the young boy’s wrists, charring the walls in places around him.
SOUND EFFECT: FSHHAKKK!
PAGE EIGHTEEN
1/ Long Panel as we CUT TO David, sliding the key in the lock on the door of Milo’s apartment. He smiles, unaware that he is about to walk into a fight.
SOUND EFFECT: CLICK
2/ David swings the door open and sees Milo sitting there. Instantly, he is aware that something’s wrong. He’s also a little caught of guard, not expecting Milo to be waiting for him. He pulls his key out of the lock as he talks.
DAVID: Hey, Milo. What’s up?
DAVID: Is everything okay with CHRIS?
3/ Milo, sitting on a chair that he has turned to face the door, stares bluntly and coldly at David, betraying no emotion as he rests his face in his palm.
MILO: Chris is dead.
MILO: Where the hell have you been?
4/ David’s shoulders sink and his face turns deeply sympathetic, stepping toward Milo in a motion to comfort him. He tosses his keys on a small table to his right.
DAVID: He’s DEAD?
DAVID: Milo, Oh my God. I’m so sorry.
5/ CLOSE on Milo, changing the subject to what he really wants to talk about, his brow furrowed furiously.
MILO: I said “where the hell have you BEEN?”
MILO: Send JOSH my regards? Because I thought when he left before I DID this morning that we’d seen the LAST of him for the day. Apparently I was WRONG.
PAGE NINETEEN
1/ David looks taken aback, but also guilty.
DAVID: I wasn’t with –
MILO (off panel): Don’t lie to me. You left your phone here.
2/ Milo tosses the phone across the room, in David’s direction. He has the look of a man who is certain he will win an argument, and his toss is casual and right on target.
MILO: I read your TEXT MESSAGES.
3/ David catches the phone with equal ease, his eyes never leaving Milo as he grows momentarily angry, thinking he’s just gained the upper hand.
DAVID: You read my texts?
DAVID: Invasion of PRIVACY much?
4/ Milo throws his hands out in frustrated exaggeration, still baffled by the stupidity of David’s mistake. He looks dramatically to the sky as he spreads his arms, as if pleading to the gods for some sensibility.
MILO: I don’t have to invade a THING when you leave the goddamn PHONE open to your last TEXT!
5/ David continues to maintain eye contact as he switches tacks, shrugging.
DAVID: Okay. So I was with Josh.
DAVID: We BOTH decided to start sleeping with him. You were the first to SUGGEST it, as I recall.
6/ Milo leans back in his chair, arms crossed. He maintains composure well, given everything that’s already happened today. He stares dead at David.
MILO: I never said you could do it WITHOUT me.
MILO: And I CERTAINLY didn’t suggest HIDING it from me.
PAGE TWENTY
1/ CLOSE on David, looking angrily at Milo.
DAVID: Are you calling me a CHEATER?
2/ CLOSE on Milo, remaining well composed, but stern.
MILO: I would say this QUALIFIES, yes.
3/ David turns, trying to escape the unhappy conversation. He turns his back on Milo and makes as though he’s going to walk into the kitchen.
DAVID: What the hell ever, Milo.
4/ Milo remains on the chair, arms crossed. Without raising his voice, he asks his next, most important question.
MILO: Are you ROMANTICALLY involved with him?
5/ David turns back, his face now gone slack as he realizes there’s no real way to win this particular argument. He looks down at the ground for the first time.
DAVID: …I think he has feelings for ME.
DAVID: But as far as I’m concerned, it’s just a SEX thing.
6/ Milo finally stands up, holding a thick, leather-bound book up toward David. The book has unintelligible foreign writing on the cover, but its leather face is carved with numerous intricate designs. Its pages are old and yellow.
MILO: Well, you’re going to FIX it.
MILO: Oh, and this book you get all your MAGIC from? Been reading up on THAT, too.
MILO: The moment you walk out that door, I’m putting a BARRIER SPELL on this apartment.
7/ CLOSE on Milo, making an ultimatum and looking very serious about it.
MILO: You don’t even get back in this BUILDING until Josh is out of our LIVES.
PAGE TWENTY-ONE
1/ CUT TO Donovan and Rhiannon, walking down the sidewalk in Harrison West. Rhiannon throws her arms out in frustration as Donovan looks over at her sympathetically.
RHI: GOD!
RHI: Can you believe the GALL of those people?
2/ On Donovan, trying to calm her. He looks honestly and patiently over at her, touching her shoulder with his hand and trying to reason with her.
DON: Actually, awful as it sounds, I CAN.
DON: It’s no different than the way A LOT of parents treat their kids when they find out they aren’t the little CLONES they wanted them to be.
3/ Rhiannon is cut off mid sentence as they both jerk to a stop, sensing the some thing at the same time. Their faces turn to urgent horror in an instant.
RHI: It just amazes me that people can be so –
RHI: Wait. Do you feel that?
DON: We should go BACK.
4/ Donovan and Rhiannon sprint through the neighborhood, running as fast as they can. Donovan leaps over someone’s tipped red wagon as Rhiannon presses on harder, trying desperately to get back to the Geblan’s house before anything goes horribly wrong.
5/ The two of them slide to a stop on the front lawn of the Geblan home, Donovan looking worried and Rhiannon’s jaw hanging practically down to the ground in shock.
RHI: Oh, my God.
6/ PULL BACK, and we see Donovan and Rhiannon from a distance standing on the lawn of what is now a shattered husk of a home. The entire right side of the building has been blown off, as if by a tornado, and in various places the wood has caught fire. On the porch, stumbling out of the debris, are the injured but alive Will and Dianne Geblan. Chunks of wood and vinyl siding are scattered all over the lawn, and tattered draperies flutter about in the warm summer air. Smoke rises from the decimated side of the house.
PAGE TWENTY-TWO
1/ CUT TO Milo walking into the Atlas Building offices of the Knights of Columbus, looking furious with the world, only to discover Beth reclining in a chair at the conference table. He looks startled to see her.
BETH: Hey, gloom and doom.
MILO: Beth. What are you doing here?
2/ Beth rocks the chair backward, putting her legs up on the table and placing her hands behind her head in a casual position.
BETH: What the hell’s your problem?
3/ Milo looks away, trying to busy himself by finding something in the office that needs doing and coming up short. His glance falls off to the side, his attitude forbidding him from looking Beth in the eye.
MILO: Nothing I wanna talk about. I came here hoping to be ALONE, really.
MILO: Isn’t there somewhere you have to BE?
4/ Beth drops her legs and leans forward, getting annoyed with him.
BETH: What, and miss all this excellent treatment from my good friend MILO?
BETH: No, as a matter of fact. I have an overabundance of NOTHING to do.
BETH: But YOU look like somebody just POOPED in your CHEERIOS. What’s going on that’s got you acting so damned pleasant?
5/ Milo ignores her, dangling a bag full of marijuana in the air.
MILO: Like I said, not too keen on the CHATTY CATHY right now.
MILO: I was hoping for a little alone time with my PLANT collection, but if there’s permanent residence set up here, I’ll take my Glaucoma remedies ELSEWHERE.
BETH: Weed? You were gonna SMOKE WEED in the office?
MILO: Yeah. That a problem?
6/ Beth sits Indian-style in her chair and folds her hands in her lap, making perfectly clear that she has no intention of letting Milo get away with evasion tactics.
BETH: Milo, LOOK:
BETH: I’ve been sitting around with nothing to DO all day LONG, knowing it’s a couple of MONTHS until my husband gets home, dealing with an ADMINISTRATOR who’s none too happy with YOU, and feeling about as useful as an OXY PAD in a BURN WARD since everybody’s favorite unlikely couple are handling our only current CASE and our FEARLESS LEADER is off playing GEORGE of the JUNGLE with his new buddy MARK.
BETH: I would be positively ECSTATIC to hear about other people’s PROBLEMS right now.
7/ Milo stands in the middle of the office, halfway between leaving and settling down to chat. He sags his shoulders, caving into Beth’s determination.
MILO: Well…long story SHORT?
MILO: The same day my EX dies of the AIDS I gave him, I find out that my CURRENT has been PRIVATELY sleeping with the boy we’re supposed to be having THREE-WAYS with, and that it’s VAGUELY romantic, and that he’s been HIDING it from me.
MILO: In a nutshell.
PAGE TWENTY-THREE
1/ Beth raises an eyebrow, taking it all in.
BETH: …and you feel that spells doom for you and DAVID?
2/ Milo looks thoughtful, hesitant.
MILO: Well…I dunno about all THAT.
MILO: But YEAH, kinda. I mean…doesn’t it?
3/ Beth looks down at her own hands, thinking.
BETH: I’ll tell you something, Milo.
MILO (off panel): Shoot.
BETH: …
BETH: Every Dawson’s got his JOEY. You follow?
4/ Milo looks at her, straight-faced but perplexed.
MILO: …can’t say as I do.
MILO: You didn’t really just SAY that, did you?
5/ Beth settles back into her chair, looking at him earnestly as she fiddles self-consciously with her own hands.
BETH: I did. And I’m serious.
BETH: There’s always a chance that your partner’s gonna have that GUY. The guy that it ALMOST worked out with, but never just QUITE. And that, no matter how much they love you, they’ll cling to it.
6/ On Milo, listening thoughtfully as Beth continues.
BETH (off panel): You’re right.
BETH: David needs to knock it off and get RID of this kid, but you can’t be mad about the guy BEING there when YOU invited him in.
BETH: And the notion that David MIGHT have something approximating FEELINGS for someone ELSE?
7/ On Beth, looking at Milo seriously, beseechingly. She’s pleading her case to Milo as though she were begging Landon to understand her feelings for Andrew. Milo did not fully realize until this moment how personal this sudden conversation was for Beth, but it shows in her eyes as she speaks.
BETH: I say, so what?
BETH: You know whose bed he comes home to every NIGHT. Why fight a battle you’ve already WON?
BETH: Maybe you don’t have one hundred percent of his HEART, but you’ve got NINETY percent of it, at least. And that’s more than a lot of people will ever GET.
BETH: Not all loves are the SAME, Milo. Accept them for what they are or go rent a romantic comedy and cry yourself to SLEEP.
PAGE TWENTY-FOUR
1/ CUT BACK to Andrew and Mark, following Denabe up the long stairwell and toward the daylight. Andrew follows close behind, questioning Denabe with interest.
ANDREW: Look, Denabe…
ANDREW: Do you know how ACCURATE that method is? I mean, I knew things were going to get COMPLICATED, but WAR? Really?
2/ Denabe turns, looking down the stairs at Andrew over his shoulder. He stares at Andrew matter-of-factly, unimpressed.
DENABE: Then it seems you guessed WRONG, Andrew MacTiernan.
CAPTION (ANDREW NARR): See, there are SOME days where no matter HOW MUCH you think you’ve got it under CONTROL, the UNIVERSE has something else in mind for you entirely.
3/ Andrew looks down, at nothing in particular. He thinks, his eyes darting.
ANDREW: That doesn’t really HAPPEN often. All the variables…
4/ Denabe leads them as they near the top of the stairs, reaching out for the stone doorway that guards the temple.
DENABE: There are unknown QUANTITIES at work. A system is only as PREDICTABLE as human interference ALLOWS it to be.
CAPTION: All your REASONING and CALCULATING and FILTERING AWAY into whatever HAPPY place you’ve weaved to shove all the chaos out of sight…
5/ Andrew shakes his head, not fully accepting that things could turn out so differently from his projections.
ANDREW: That’s TRUE, but what - ?
CAPTION: …on THOSE days, it just won’t CUT it.
6/ Denabe turns, facing Andrew as he pushes the large door open with his arm, letting the light pour into the stairwell.
DENABE: Someone is going to break the RULES. Move the schedule FORWARD.
DENABE: The balance will be TIPPED by human interference in YOUR world, as it has been in MINE.
PAGE TWENTY-FIVE
1/ Long panel as the three men look out through the open doorway into the clearing of the Akashi camp, surprise and alarm on their faces. Denabe leans against the door, still in the process of pushing it open, as Andrew looks on in shock and Mark leans around him to get a clear view of what’s happening.
ANDREW: Speaking of…
CAPTION: On THOSE days, you sit back, assess all the CRAP staring you in the face, and you try to DECIDE.
2/ The Bakii, no longer tied up in the center of the clearing, stand face-to-face with Andrew, Mark and Denabe, pointing their guns in their faces and looking furious. The guns click as the tribesmen ready them.
SOUND EFFECT: Click click click
3/ Mark pushes his way around Andrew, shouting angrily past the Bakii and into the clearing, addressing the people of the Akashi.
MARK: Who untied them!?
MARK: Who gave them their WEAPONS!?
4/ The three men look past the Bakii firing squad, seeing the ring leader that stands behind them for the first time as they acknowledge the sound of slow, patronizing applause. We don’t see the source of the clapping just yet.
SOUND EFFECT: Clap clap clap
VOICE (off panel): Mark Shepard and Andrew MacTiernan.
VOICE: Didn’t EXPECT to see any other P.D.I. teams all the way down here in the big, bad JUNGLE.
5/ A foot, clad in a heavy work boot, steps into the dusty ground of the Akashi clearing, kicking up dirt as it plants itself firmly on the ground. The owner stands several feet away from Mark, Andrew and Denabe, and we can see them in the BG of the shot, taking in the sight of their new captors. We do not yet see the owner of the foot.
VOICE: Nonetheless, it’s an HONOR to finally meet the LEADERS of the two teams who’ve been HOGGING all the HEADLINES.
CAPTION: You try to decide, and you think…
PAGE TWENTY-SIX
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH revealing the three people who’ve been arming the Bakii and who now hold our heroes captive. The ring leader stands closest to us, a man in his mid to late twenties with a punky faux-hawk and a blue hoody emblazoned with the image of two DJ’s headphones across his chest. The air above his outstretched hands vibrates and shimmers as he controls the sound waves in the surrounding area. Second, at his side, is a young looking girl who looks more like Ellen Page from JUNO than anything else, with a bright red zip-up hoody and a plume of crackling fire emanating from her hands as she holds them in a combat ready stance. Third, furthest away, is a somewhat grizzled looking man in his mid twenties, with longish, unkempt hair and at least three days worth of stubble, dressed in blue jeans, a brown Carhart jacket, and a light brown t-shirt. A hemp necklace around his neck depicts the image of the planet Earth in the form of a small silver pendant. Around him, the dust, dirt and rock swirl up in a protective barrier as he waves his hands in command.
The three of them together stare out of the panel and toward us as they approach the group of surprised heroes menacingly, itching for a fight.
SOUNDWAVE GUY: I’m PETE WARNER, from CAMBRIDGE – and this is my TEAM…
PETE WARNER: THE MASSACHUSETTS UNDERGROUND.
CAPTION: …how the HELL am I going to deal with THIS?
Next – Nightmare Scenario!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Knights of Columbus #13
Issue Thirteen: “Missing Link, part 1: Right Before My Eyes”
PAGE ONE
“Previously” page.
PAGE TWO
1/ Long panel as we find Milo and David, lying in bed in the early hours of the morning. By their side, filling out the rather large occupancy limit of Milo’s bed, is Josh – Andrew’s student. All three are in their underwear, covered to varying degrees by the casually tossed blankets. David is turned on his side, back to Josh, with his arm wrapped around Milo. Milo’s hand dangles freely from the side of the bed. Josh sleeps like a baby, head turned toward David’s back.
Caption: The Short North, Milo’s Apartment.
Caption: Early morning.
NARR (MILO): See, in the DREAM…everything’s DIFFERENT, somehow.
2/ Long panel as Milo sits up, waking earlier than the others and rubbing his tired eyes. Early sunlight shines in through the window, dimmed by the fact that the view out Milo’s window is the side of a tall brick building. Milo reaches to his nightstand, in the FG, and picks up his glasses.
NARR: I can’t put my finger on it yet. The dreams started the day that he…LEFT…and whenever I have them, I wake up remembering only a little bit.
NARR: I know there’s more. And that it’s terrifying.
NARR: But I can only hold on to a snippet or two at a TIME.
3/ On Milo’s legs, his head obscured by the top of the panel, as he swings his legs out from under the cover and plants his feet on the carpeted floor, sitting on the edge of the bed as he polishes his glasses with a tissue. A tear-away calendar on the night stand displays the date, along with a daily Dilbert cartoon. Behind Milo, we can see David, sound asleep. Milo wears swishy black gym shorts.
NARR: I RESENT the dreams. I want to go BACK, to that morning of June 15th, when things still seemed relatively NORMAL.
4/ Milo gets up out of bed and pulls a dark red All-American Rejects shirt over his head. There’s a bruise still healing on his ribcage from the day he fought the werewolves, and his unkempt bed hair sticks wildly out the top of the shirt as it gets stuck on his head. From this angle, we can see both men in the bed behind him, stirring only slightly at Milo’s sudden bout of movement.
NARR: I say RELATIVELY because I woke up, yet again, with both David AND Josh in my bed. And by JOSH I mean Andrew’s charmingly young and enthusiastic PHILOSOPHY student.
PAGE THREE
1/ Milo idly collects laundry, presently tossing a random black sock into the circular laundry basket piled on his small wooden dinner table. He looks slightly distraught, as though something unpleasant is creeping its way into the back of his mind.
NARR: But even if we WERE still doing the THREESOME bit – even if we HADN’T yet figured out what a mistake it would be to let someone so young and naïve into our bed – at least there were no dreams.
2/ In the basement, in a cramped laundry room, Milo leans against the vibrating drier and reads a comic book, his back to us as he reads.
3/ Milo ascends the long concrete steps in his apartment building, returning to his apartment with the newly washed load of laundry. His eyes still wander, looking distracted.
NARR: You know what I’m talking about. The moments in time you can pluck from your memory and say “THERE.”
NARR: “THAT’S THE MOMENT EVERYTHING STARTED GOING DOWN THIS ROAD. THAT’S WHEN IT HAPPENED.”
4/ Milo stands in his apartment looking idly at a half finished painting he is working on of David, presumably in the nude, though we can’t see much of it with Milo standing in the way. The finished laundry sits on the table in the FG, unfolded and cooling off. Milo rubs his chin with his hand, debating what to do next with the painting.
5/ At Milo’s leg, a small black cat curls around his ankle, looking up at him and meowing silently as it appraises its master. A tiny collar with a name tag declares the cat to be “Dax.” It curls against Milo’s bare feet.
MILO (OFF PANEL): Good kitten.
6/ On Milo’s engaged face, staring seriously at the off panel painting as he assesses it.
NARR: The moments that, at the TIME, could have been ANYTHING – but in the end, are really EVERYTHING.
PAGE FOUR
1/ On the small kitchen counter as Milo pours skim milk into a heaping bowl of cheerios. The cat, sitting on the counter, watches with interest.
NARR: So yeah, that morning?
NARR: I wish I could reach back in time and do something DIFFERENTLY, but I can’t.
2/ On Milo, as he stands at his open refrigerator, checking the expiration date on the jug of milk. Next to the refrigerator are a trashcan and a green trashcan reserved for recycling. The cat continues to follow Milo’s progress, now perched on the top of the fridge.
NARR: I’m just STUCK with the knowledge of it. That THAT was the day that everything REALLY hit the fan.
3/ Long panel as Milo suddenly lurches over, gripping his head in pain and leaning on the fridge for support. The startled Dax retreats, hair sticking up as he leaps from the counter. Milo shouts out, in agony.
MILO: AHH!
MILO; God!
4/ Milo is doubled over in a tight crouch, almost sitting on the floor, as he rubs his aching temples. David approaches from behind, mostly off panel, and reaches out to comfort Milo with a gentle touch on the shoulder.
DAVID: Milo, what’s WRONG?!
MILO: Chris…
5/ Milo turns over his shoulder to face David, behind him. His face is contorted in terror, and sweat drips down his brow.
MILO: Something’s wrong with CHRIS.
NARR: The day that started with Chris.
PAGE FIVE
1/ This is a FULL PAGE SPLASH, featuring the issue’s TITLE, CREDITS, and IDICIA. Donovan and Rhiannon stand on the front porch of a beautiful Victorian home in Harrison West. Rhiannon rings the doorbell while Donovan stands by with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels a bit while he waits. Donovan, though still dressed in his now trademark dark colors, looks notably more relaxed and at ease with himself than we are traditionally used to seeing him, and is dressed more comfortably in dark jeans and a t-shirt, while Rhiannon has eased off a little further on the Gothic makeup and looks more alterna-punk than anything else, smiling a little more happily than she used to and dressing a good bit more brightly in a cream colored shirt that reads “Kneel Before Zod.” Rhiannon holds a printout crumpled in her non-doorbell hand, resting it against her hip as she waits with Donovan.
CAPTION: Harrison West.
DON: So, what’s this kid’s NAME again?
RHI: Eddie Geblan, I believe.
PAGE SIX
1/ Rhiannon examines the printout, unfolding it and reading aloud.
RHI: EDWARD LINCOLN GEBLAN, to be precise.
2/ Side by side, the two of them look patiently at the front door, awaiting an answer. Donovan raises an incredulous eyebrow while Rhiannon smiles mockingly at him out of the corner of her eye.
DON: The hell kind of name is GEBLAN?
RHI: Says the guy whose name brings to mind GENERAL HOSPITAL.
DON: Ouch.
DON: You could AT LEAST give me PASSIONS.
3/ Long panel as a woman opens the door. She is a traditional soccer mom if ever we’ve seen one. This is Dianne Geblan. A small porch light is mounted next to the door, and on the opposite side is a wide metal mail box that reads “GEBLAN.” Dianne does not smile.
DIANNE: Hello? Oh, you must be –
4/ In the doorway, at Dianne’s side, is Eddie. He is ten years old, but still tugs childishly at his mother’s side as he looks up at their guests in awe. He holds a toy brontosaurus, and it drops to his side, forgotten almost entirely.
EDDIE: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS!
5/ Rhiannon drops to her knees, reaching Eddie’s eye-level. Donovan remains standing, and his legs can be seen in the panel. Rhiannon smiles encouragingly and greets the young boy, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she speaks.
RHI: Hey there, BIG GUY.
RHI: You must be EDDIE.
PAGE SEVEN
1/ Large Panel as we CUT TO Andrew and Mark Shepard, standing at the front of a small passenger boat as it navigates its way through the jungle river surrounding them. The name written proudly on the side of the boat is the “Lusitania,” and as Andrew stands near the very front and stares off into the jungle, there’s a sense of cautious defiance about him. He looks as though he hasn’t shaved in over a week, and his clothing is a bit worn around the edges from his days away from land or convenience. Still, he appears to be enjoying himself, and he smiles as he turns only slightly over his shoulder to acknowledge Mark, who appears coming up from the back of the boat, waving a bottle of Columbus Brewing Company beer in Andrew’s direction.
CAPTION: Somewhere in South America.
MARK: Yo, MacTiernan. You want a CBC?
ANDREW: Nah, man. I’m good.
ANDREW: It is BEAUTIFUL out here.
2/ Pull back and we see the boat, drifting through the dense jungle foliage. The boat is old but sturdy, clearly well-kept though it’s lower edges are permanently stained from too many uses. Strange birds float by, gliding from tree to tree.
MARK (coming from the boat): That’s true.
3/ On Mark, looking out into the trees and overgrowth as he stands at the edge of the boat. He takes a swig of his beer, raising a distrusting eyebrow as he looks off into the jungle with a knowing reservation. He, like Andrew, shows all the physical signs of being out in the wilderness like this for days at a time.
MARK: But beauty’s a deceptive thing.
MARK: Tends to hide something a lot more DANGEROUS underneath.
4/ Pull back again, and as the boat drifts down the river away from us, we see the foliage part and two pairs of feet appear at the edge of the panel, with crudely designed spears digging down into the soil beside them. Mark and Andrew, on the boat, remain unaware that they are being watched.
ANDREW (coming from the boat): Hey, way to keep a positive outlook, Mark. Thanks for that.
PAGE EIGHT
1/ Andrew looks over the edge of the boat, down into the water. He looks curious, but also a little concerned. The boat’s name shows prominently under him as he hangs over the edge.
ANDREW: Is it true that there are insects out here that are as big as your HAND?
2/ Mark stands on the deck, taking a drink from his beer and scratching his crotch. Clearly, these men have become comfortable with each other in the time that they have been on this trip. Formality between them has fallen by the wayside.
MARK: You would not believe the stuff that –
3/ Mark turns suddenly, sloshing beer from his bottle. In an instant, he has become alert and aware, catching something moving out of the corner of his eye.
MARK: Son of a bitch.
4/ Andrew, still at the edge of the boat, turns in alarm. He faces Mark, deep concern etched on his face.
ANDREW: What?
ANDREW: What’s wrong?
5/ Andrew joins Mark in looking off to the jungle on the boat’s left side. Mark points into the distance, drawing Andrew’s attention to what he has seen.
MARK: We’re not alone.
6/ In the distance, seen from the boat, we can see a handful of tribal-looking men slinking through the jungle, barely visible between the great leaves. They carry spears at the ready, and at their sides they sport something else – something modern looking, and black…
PAGE NINE
1/ Andrew turns to Mark, worried.
ANDREW: Who are they?
2/ Mark continues to watch the tribesmen, his glare serious and foreboding.
MARK: Not our friends.
3/ Andrew, remaining at his spot, watches as Mark walks toward us, heading toward the back of the boat. His bottle hangs at his side, all but forgotten. Andrew looks curious.
ANDREW: Where are you going?
MARK: Taking care of this. I’ll be right back.
4/ Inside the cabin of the boat, Mark roots around in a large red storage chest, looking for something with a determined glare on his face. He succeeds, pulling out a clunky flare gun and staring at it with purpose.
MARK: There you are.
5/ Mark walks out of the cabin and onto the deck of the Lusitania, holding a finger in his ear and firing the flare gun into the sky. His shirt rides up a bit as he reaches the gun up into the air, and he squeezes his eyes shut as he emits the blast.
SOUND EFFECT: FOOSH
6/ BIRDS EYE VIEW, looking down at the boat as the flare flies up toward us and into the sky. Behind it, a trail of smoke leads down to the boat, streaking across the sky.
SOUND EFFECT: EEEEEEE
7/ The tribesmen disappear into the jungle, their feet slinking away into the leaves as they go. The jungle gathers around them as though they were never there.
8/ Mark watches the men disappear, taking a swig from his beer without ever taking his eyes off their vanishing forms. He stares warily into the jungle.
MARK: That’s right, assholes.
MARK: You run and HIDE.
PAGE TEN
1/ Long, Large Panel as we CUT to the offices of the Knights in the Atlas Building, downtown. At one end of the long conference table, Mr. Palmer sits menacingly, staring down the end of the table in our direction. Morning light filters in through the long slit blinds, highlighting the irritation on his face as he listens to the recording that fills the room.
CAPTION: The Atlas Building, headquarters of the Knights of Columbus, downtown.
MILO’S VOICE (on the TV): The time for this CULTURAL LAZINESS is rushing to an END. The world has some difficult lessons to LEARN, and for AMERICA perhaps the most difficult of ALL.
MILO’S VOICE: For those of you who are like US, who can intuitively FEEL the PARADIGM SHIFT that is HURTLING toward us – I want you to know that you are NOT alone.
2/ On Beth, sitting at the opposite end of the conference table with her arms folded and her legs propped against the edge of the table, her chair leaning backward. She appears to be annoyed by this entire exercise.
MILO’S VOICE: There are those who would have you believe that your gifts are IMAGINED, that you belong in an INSTITUTION. These are LIES.
MILO’S VOICE: You are not CRAZY. You are not alone.
3/ On the Television, sitting on a rolling stand positioned near the middle of the table, where they can both see it. From the TV, we see Milo staring out at us, very close. He issues the same message we saw broadcast around Columbus in Knights #12.
MILO: There will come a DAY, very soon, when we will either COME TOGETHER, or the future will DIE.
MILO: My name is Elliot Milo Woodyard, and I am one of the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.
4/ Palmer picks up a remote control and points it at the TV, silencing the video. He looks satisfied in his illustration of how bad this is, and he glances over at Beth with a challenging look on his face.
PALMER: You can SEE, then, the source of my…
PALMER: …CHAGRIN.
5/ On Beth, popping up an eyebrow as she fires back, deadpan.
BETH: Sure. It takes you a moment’s pause to come up with a word like CHAGRIN.
BETH: I’d be pretty CHEESED OFF, too.
PAGE ELEVEN
1/ Palmer presses his hands to the table and lowers his head, keeping his eyes affixed on Beth. He is trying his best to maintain composure and appear threatening, but Beth is having none of it.
PALMER: I’m not LAUGHING, Adams.
2/ Beth gestures dismissively, going on the defensive.
BETH: I’m not convinced you CAN, Palmer.
BETH: Look…it’s been THREE WEEKS since Milo pulled his little STUNT, and if there’s been any BACKLASH at all, it’s been NEGLIGABLE at best.
3/ Palmer pulls out a fat cigar and lights it slowly with a butane later, looking at it appraisingly as he does. In this moment, Beth is almost invisible to him.
PALMER: This is not something the PDI has any intention of TRIVIALIZING, Beth.
PALMER: Just because nobody’s peeped up about it yet, the fact still remains that everyone within SPITTING DISTANCE of a television in this city SAW this announcement.
4/ Beth leans back, crossing her arms again.
BETH: I sincerely doubt most people even KNEW what he was TALKING ABOUT.
5/ Palmer takes a long, slow drag on his cigar, looking at Beth over its smoldering edge.
PALMER: I AGREE that, taken out of CONTEXT, it doesn’t look like MUCH.
6/ Palmer leans back in his chair, exhaling. From his mouth, and from the cigar, smoke billows – catching the light that pours in through the windows. He looks at Beth as though this meeting won’t be over until she sees things his way.
PALMER: But exactly how much MONEY do you want to put on a bet that there weren’t PLENTY of people who knew EXACTLY what to make of it?
PAGE TWELVE
1/ TALL PANEL as we CUT TO Donovan and Rhiannon, wandering through Goodale Park with their new friend, Eddie Geblan. The sun shines brightly as the day moves along, and the light reflects from the small lake that comprises the center piece of the park. Behind them as they walk together is a small white gazebo, its main steps facing the lake. The lake is filled with enormous lily pads, floating freely in the water as ducks swim by. Rhiannon holds her hand in the small of Eddie’s back, attempting to make him feel at home as she and Donovan lead him about – the two adults walking with interlocking arms as they enjoy the beautiful weather.
CAPTION: Goodale Park.
RHI: So, Eddie.
RHI: Your parents say you’ve been going through some pretty weird STUFF lately.
EDDIE: You can call me LINK. Everybody else does.
2/ On Rhiannon as she smiles down at him, taking to the new name.
RHI: Alright, then, LINK.
RHI: Why don’t you tell us about what’s been happening?
3/ Link takes a sip from the paper cup he’s carrying with him, enjoying his soda. He walks on with his eyes averted from his new friends, trying to retreat within himself as he tells total strangers something he’s barely comfortable sharing with his parents.
LINK: I dunno. I can see stuff.
LINK: Like…stuff that nobody ELSE can see.
4/ On Rhiannon and Donovan, as Don turns to look down at Link, prompting him on.
DON: What kind of stuff, Link?
DON: It’s not SCARY stuff, I hope.
5/ Link looks down into his soda, unsure of himself.
LINK: Not really. It’s like, GHOSTS and stuff.
LINK: I don’t think it’s scary, but my PARENTS sure seem to.
PAGE THIRTEEN
1/ Long panel as they walk through the park. We see them from a distance, and as such, we can take in the gorgeous day that surrounds them. They continue their conversation, looking for all the world like their own little family enjoying a day out together.
DON: And why DON’T they scare you?
DON: Lot of kids would be flipping out over something like that.
LINK: They’re just PEOPLE.
LINK: Sometimes they’re CONFUSED, sometimes they’re ANGRY. But it’s not scarier than any OTHER person who’s mad at something would be.
LINK: People just get scared of them because they don’t get it.
2/ Donovan looks forward, a slight smile creeping into his expression. He praises Link. Rhiannon, at his side, looks down at the boy, probing.
DON: Well, that’s a very MATURE outlook for somebody your age, Link.
RHI: Why do you think it scares your parents?
3/ Link is warming up to them a bit, pleased that they aren’t calling him crazy. He clearly wants to get as much off his chest in this short meeting as possible.
LINK: I think THEY think that there’s something WRONG with me.
LINK: Like…that I’m not NORMAL or whatever.
4/ The three of them walk on, Rhiannon squeezing Link’s hand as she continues to walk arm-in-arm with Donovan. Donovan sticks his hands in his pockets, strolling.
RHI: Well, I can assure you that NORMAL is a STATE OF MIND. Look at US.
LINK: That’s easy for YOU to say. You’re SUPERHEROES.
LINK: I can’t do anything COOL like you can.
5/ Rhiannon smiles and illustrates Donovan with a gesture of her thumb. Donovan takes offense, playfully.
RHI: Hey, you don’t know that.
RHI: Donovan’s powers are TOTALLY lame, and HE’S a superhero.
DON: Hey!
6/ Rhiannon bends down to the ground, looking Link in the eye, seriously.
RHI: But, really, Link:
RHI: Your abilities could help A LOT of people.
PAGE FOURTEEN
1/ Link looks at her, hopeful.
LINK: Yeah. Sometimes I think about that MOVIE, The Sixth Sense?
LINK: That kid had powers like MINE, and he was able to help people out.
2/ Rhiannon stands up as Donovan looks down at Link, fearfully.
DON: It’s not LIKE that, is it?
DON: Like that MOVIE? You don’t see them the way they DIED or anything, do you?
3/ Long panel, at Link’s level, as the three of them continue their walk through the park. He looks happy to be explaining things to someone who approves, but does not expect their reaction to his next statement.
LINK: Oh, no. Nothing like that.
LINK: Sometimes they look all shiny and magical – but when they’re like that they seem less like PEOPLE and more like SPIRITS, you know? And sometimes, when they’re still mostly PEOPLE, they look like black shapes, or SHADOWS.
LINK: And when I TOUCH them and they do the SOLID thing? Then they just look like regular PEOPLE. Like they’re still alive. Until it goes away.
4/ Donovan and Rhiannon freeze and look down at Link in awe and confusion.
RHI: Wait…when you touch them and they do the WHAT thing?
DON: What did you say?
5/ Link looks up at his new friends, suddenly fearful that he’s gone too far.
6/ He turns his head away, looking angrily forward at the ground. He pouts.
LINK: See? I TOLD you I’m not NORMAL.
PAGE FIFTEEN
1/ LONG PANEL as we cut back to the Lusitania, still traveling through the jungle. Andrew reclines in a deck chair, reading a copy of Arthur C. Clarke’s “Childhood’s End” with his legs propped up on the edge of the boat. From somewhere off-panel, Mark calls to him.
MARK: Andrew!
MARK: Andrew, get UP here!
2/ Andrew approaches the front of the boat to find Mark, leaning against the railing and looking into the jungle with pride.
ANDREW: What’s up?
MARK: We made it.
MARK: We’re HERE.
3/ On the muddy shore as the boat pulls up and grinds to a halt against the dirt and rock.
SOUND EFFECT: SCHUMP
4/ LARGE PANEL as we see, standing on the shore, three dignified and powerful looking tribesmen, the one in the middle wearing the ornate trappings of the revered Shaman of the Akashi. He has a vast ornamental headdress with encrusted jewels that hang down below his ears, and hanging on his bare, dark brown chest is an enormous golden medallion carved with cryptic symbols and shining jewels. His face is old and weathered, built around a broad, flat nose that appears to have been broken a great many times – perhaps ritually. At his sides are his two lesser tribesmen, their short hair pulled into many smaller stubs and their lean, muscular bodies looking as though they could outrun a lion or tear a man in half with their hands. They both carry thick wooden staffs, hung from the top with animal carcasses stuffed with lord knows what kind of mysterious artifacts.
SHAMAN: Mark Shepard. You bring us another CHILD OF THE MOON.
SHAMAN: What brings you to our HOME, once again?
PAGE SIXTEEN
1/ Mark walks forward, extending a hand in greeting. In the background, the Lusitania floats idly in the river waters. Mark smiles warmly, pleased to see the old Shaman.
MARK: I have a friend I would like you to MEET. Shaman Denabe, I humbly introduce you to –
2/ Shaman Denabe looks coldly at Mark, inexplicably incensed.
SHAMAN: You should not have COME, friend Mark.
3/ LONG PANEL as Mark reacts, taken aback. Behind him, Andrew leaps down from the boat, looking confused.
MARK: Wait, what?
MARK: I thought you said I was welcome back at any TIME?
4/ Denabe walks away from him, leading everyone into the Akashi’s camp, buried in the jungle. He looks back over his shoulder as he speaks to Mark, explaining.
SHAMAN: You speak the truth.
SHAMAN: But this time, you have been careless.
5/ Close on Denabe, from behind, as he looks grimly at Mark over his shoulder.
SHAMAN: You have brought BAKII in your wake.
SHAMAN: If we survive this day, you will leave here and never come back.
SHAMAN: Now come. We must prepare.
PAGE SEVENTEEN
1/ Long panel as we CUT BACK to the Atlas Building, where Beth and Palmer continue their discussion. Beth gestures emphatically, trying to justify Milo’s actions.
BETH: Look, Mr. Palmer, I’m TELLING you it’s not a big DEAL.
BETH: It’s been a WEIRD few MONTHS for everybody, Milo was having a strange DAY, there had been a lot of UNNECESSARY stuff on the NEWS…
BETH: He was just VENTING.
2/ Palmer looks at her unsympathetically. Smoke billows around him from his cigar.
PALMER: Beth. He was VENTING to the tune of WAR DRUMS.
PALMER: SEDITIOUS SPEECH, for Christ’s sake!
3/ Beth’s jaw drops, furious. She places her hands on the table and leans forward, firing back in her indignance.
BETH: Oh, PLEASE.
BETH: Are you honestly telling me that you think Milo Woodyard is plotting a REVOLUTION?
4/ Palmer remains calm, gently stubbing his cigar out in the ash tray that sits at his side. He straightens his tie with his free hand, looking away from Beth as though her anger is meaningless to him.
PALMER: No, I don’t.
PALMER: But I think AMERICA could easily come to that CONCLUSION, had they been privy to Milo’s little PSA.
5/ Beth leans forward even further, switching tacks and pleading for reasonability.
BETH: But. They. Didn’t.
BETH: The broadcast was limited to COLUMBUS, and we’ve had UNDERCOVER PR GUYS out in the field putting positive SPIN on it for WEEKS.
BETH: America’s FINE.
PAGE EIGHTEEN
1/ Palmer stands up, preparing to leave. He looks grimly at Beth.
PALMER: And we’re lucky for that.
2/ Beth sits back, crossing her arms in indignant frustration. She glowers at him.
BETH: What do you want me to SAY, Palmer?
PALMER (off panel): That you’ll TAKE CARE of it.
BETH: I’ll take care of it.
3/ Palmer heads toward the door, barely glancing back at her as he leaves.
PALMER: Good.
PALMER: Because if it – or anything like it – happens again?
PALMER: Your resources dry up. Your money goes away. Your PR guys drop from the face of the EARTH.
4/ He leaves, pulling the door shut behind him as he goes. As he does, however, he shoots one last threatening look at Beth, speaking the foreboding words she knew she’d hear by the end of this meeting. And he looks serious.
PALMER: I will shut this team DOWN.
5/ LARGE PANEL as Beth stands alone in the empty office, the drawn shades putting her in near dark as only faint lines of light shoot in through the windows. She winces as the door slams behind Palmer, looking angrily at nothing as she tries to imagine what to do next. Milo’s image remains on the television screen, frozen in jerky stasis as the video tape remains paused.
SOUND EFFECT: SLAM
BETH (small font): Dammit.
PAGE NINETEEN
1/ CUT BACK to Link’s house in Harrison West. We see an ESTABLISHING SHOT outside the house, as the midday sun still shines brightly outside. We can see the figures of Link, Rhiannon and Donovan inside one of the bedroom windows.
RHI (from inside): Link, you ARE normal.
2/ Inside the bedroom now, Rhiannon looks directly at Link, who sits on the edge of his bed, looking forlorn as she tries to console him.
RHI: You’re just DIFFERENT.
RHI: If what you’ve told us is TRUE, you have an EXTRAORDINARY set of abilities.
3/ On Link, arms crossed, looking straight through Rhiannon and off into space, a scowl on his young face as he tries to make them leave by being indignant.
LINK: It’s TRUE.
4/ Rhiannon stands up, side by side with Donovan. Donovan gently tries to goad Link, hoping to see this ability in action so they can estimate Link’s degree of power.
DON: Can you SHOW us?
5/ Link lays his hands in his lap and stares at them as though he’s just used them to murder someone. His face is distraught, but he is somewhat encouraged by the two people who are simply fascinated by what he can do.
LINK: They’re already all AROUND you.
LINK: They follow me. And they follow you, too. You have different ones than I do, though. I’ve never seen the ones you have attached to you.
6/ Donovan looks cautious but encouraging. Rhiannon, at his side, pipes up as well.
DON: Who’s all around us?
DON: The GHOSTS?
RHI: Are they the shiny ones or the dark ones?
PAGE TWENTY
1/ LONG PANEL, from behind Link’s head. We not only see Donovan and Rhiannon standing before him, but all around the trio stand a multitude of dark, vaguely humanoid figures. They gather in a cluster and stare at the three living souls in the room. Donovan and Rhiannon look around at them, startled.
RHI: And that would be a psychic UPLINK.
RHI (smaller font, to Donovan): The kid just plugged in and gave us a JUMP-START.
DON: Link…these are the Dark Ones? The ones that are still mostly human?
LINK: Yeah. They don’t mind it as much when I work with them.
LINK: The shiny ones seem kinda shy.
2/ On Rhiannon as she stares at Link, amazed. She pushes one last time.
RHI: Can you show us, Link?
RHI: What you can DO, here?
3/ On Link, looking frightfully down at the floor. Tears roll down his cheeks and his eyes glow the tiffany blue that we’ve come to associate with particularly strong uses of mental ability. He shrugs self-consciously.
LINK (very small font): Okay.
4/ Link’s young hand reaches out, his index finger extended. As he does, one of the dark forms in the room follows suit, reaching out its own appendage and extending what appears to be a finger to touch Link. Where the two fingers meet, a flash of light appears.
5/ Donovan turns around and freezes, unsure of how to react. His eyes are wide with shock as he takes in what has happened around him.
DON: Oh, my God.
6/ LONG PANEL, virtually the same as the first on this page, except that the dark figures have all taken distinct human form. The room is now full of people, and they stare expectantly at the three living humans in the middle of the throng. They look basically alive, except that they have cold white skin and old, weathered clothing. Rhiannon and Donovan stare in disbelief.
RHI: That’s…IMPOSSIBLE.
PAGE TWENTY-ONE
1/ CUT BACK to the Akashi, as Mark and Andrew follow closely on Denabe’s heels as he makes his way into the Akashi encampment. All around, we see wicker huts and small buildings made out of found objects. Tribe members gather around fearfully, aware of the impending conflict. A small fire pit burns in the center of the village, and the trees are cleared to make room for a common area in the midst of the main patch of homes. Mark pleads with Denabe as Andrew remains cautiously a few steps behind.
MARK: Denabe, please!
MARK: Help me understand what’s HAPPENING, here!
2/ Denabe turns angrily, mustering as much patience as he possibly can and coming up short. He tries to explain, but clearly has other things on his mind.
SHAMAN: The Bakii have long been at WAR with us, but recently…
SHAMAN: …the BALANCE has been TIPPED.
3/ Andrew perks up, curious.
ANDREW: The balance has tipped?
ANDREW: How so?
4/ Denabe continues his sojourn into the camp, with the two white men in tow. He talks as he walks, and they struggle to keep up. All around them, people place large slate slabs in front of the doors to their fragile homes, bustling about as they prepare.
SHAMAN: They have been AIDED.
SHAMAN: They have WEAPONS we don’t know how to FIGHT.
SHAMAN: There is an OUTSIDE INFLUENCE.
5/ Mark looks confused, stepping back a pace as he looks around curiously.
MARK: Aided? But who - ?
6/ Denabe turns angrily, grimacing at Mark as he officially runs out of patience.
SHAMAN: It does not MATTER!
SHAMAN: They are here. If you are to fight by our SIDE, then READY yourself.
PAGE TWENTY-TWO
1/ LONG PANEL as bare feet coming running through the jungle, leaping over broken trees and stumps of plant life. They wear red stone bracelets around their ankles, and we hear a tell tale clicking of metal as they approach the waiting Akashi.
SOUND EFFECT: CLICK CHAK CLICK
2/ Denabe hands large gray tablets of slate to Mark and Andrew, gesturing that they should take them to defend themselves. He frowns apologetically, sorry that this is the only defense they have to offer their friends.
SHAMAN: Take these.
SHAMAN: They are only SLATE, but they are PSIONICALLY REINFORCED. They will defend you as well as anything ELSE we have to offer.
3/ Andrew looks at his slate shield in frustration, racking his brain.
ANDREW: I can’t make any SENSE of this!
ANDREW: I’m trying to work with the INFORMATION, try and put anything like a PLAN together…but I just don’t have enough to WORK with!
4/ Mark turns to Andrew, grabbing him by the arm to snap him out of it. Andrew looks around them and his heart sinks visibly.
MARK: Uh…Andrew?
ANDREW: Yeah. This qualifies as a serious PROBLEM.
5/ All around them, lining the edges of the jungle that creep up on the Akashi camp, are the Bakii. They look not entirely different from the Akashi, except that they have a redder skin tone and more pale, less mystical looking forms of dress. They would seem to be far less impressive than the Akashi, save for one thing: they are armed to the teeth with automatic weapons, all trained on the center of the camp where Mark, Andrew, Denabe and his guards stand combat ready, shields up. The guns click as they find their targets.
SOUND EFFECT: Chik chak click chuk
PAGE TWENTY-THREE
1/ LARGE PANEL as we CUT TO Milo, walking through a long hospital corridor and talking to David on his cell phone. Behind him, the day in-day out hustle and bustle of a hospital rages on as nurses push gurneys with patients around and doctors stop to speak to each other near various room. Milo looks worried, but optimistic.
MILO: Yeah, I’m there now.
MILO: No, no. You’re fine. Go to work.
2/ Milo rounds the corner to enter the hallway in which Chris’s room is found, still talking on his phone. He gestures dismissively, trying to remain positive.
MILO: Well, no.
MILO: I mean, if it were some kind of EMERGENCY, I’m sure the hospital would have CALLED me. It’s just a bad FEELING.
3/ Milo POV as we see the commotion coming from Chris’s room. A male nurse is sent flying from out of the room, toppling into a pile on the cold hospital floor. Several bottles and medical tools come spilling out of the room behind him, accompanied by a terrible crash.
SOUND EFFECT: KKRASHH
NURSE (from inside room): GET SOMEBODY DOWN HERE, FAST!
1/ LONG PANEL, extremely close, as Milo says goodbye to David on the phone, his face suddenly a picture of alarm and concern.
MILO: David, babe?
MILO: I gotta GO.
PAGE TWENTY-FOUR
1/ Milo bursts into Chris’s room, and we see only part of the melee taking place on the hospital bed. A male nurse is apparently on top of Chris, struggling to get him under control, his scrubs and white shoes flailing about as he tries to restrain his patient. Milo struggles to figure out what he should do.
CHRIS (off panel): MILO! MILO!!!
MILO: What’s going ON here?
MILO: What’s HAPPENING?!
2/ The nurse turns to face Milo, Chris’s hands flying up in his face as he continues to restrain him.
NURSE: Who the hell are YOU?
3/ On Milo as he stares angrily. He levels his eyes with the nurse, challenging.
MILO: I’m MILO, dammit.
MILO: I’m the one he’s SHOUTING for!
4/ The nurse continues to fight with Chris, and we can see Chris (sort of) fully for the first time. He looks terrible, the virus having taken hold and left lesions all over his body, his skin discolored. He scratches and claws at the nurse, looking terrified as he looks over at Milo.
NURSE: He hasn’t been this strong in TWO WEEKS!
NURSE: He’s been having these NIGHTMARES, and suddenly he started thrashing UNCONTROLLABLY like this!
NURSE: He’s too STRONG, we can’t STOP HIM!
NURSE: You have no IDEA how many DRUGS we pumped into him to try and STOP this!
5/ Chris looks up at the nurse, pleading in terror.
CHRIS: Milo!
CHRIS: Milo, please, I have to talk to MILO!
6/ Milo swoops in, appearing at the side of Chris’s bed. He looks at Chris lovingly and his eyes suddenly glow tiffany blue. He reaches a hand out and strokes Chris’s head.
MILO: Chris! I’m here, sweetie.
MILO: What’s WRONG?
PAGE TWENTY FIVE
1/ The nurse relaxes, no longer needing to restrain Chris. He eases off, and oceans of sweat roll down his face and soak his scrubs.
NURSE: He’s stopped.
NURSE: He’s calm.
2/ Milo turns to the nurse, gestures toward the door gently and thankfully.
MILO: Can I ask you to leave us ALONE for a minute?
NURSE (off panel): Of course.
NARR (MILO): Like I said, I resent the dreams. I resent them because of everything they ARE. Everything they MEAN to me.
3/ Chris looks up at Milo, peacefully now that he’s been calmed down. His eyes are glassy, his skin sallow. He smiles awkwardly, ashamed to have caused a scene.
MILO (off panel): Chris, what’s wrong?
CHRIS: Everything, Milo.
CHRIS: You don’t know where I’ve BEEN. You have to SEE it.
NARR: Because they FRIGHTEN me? Sure.
NARR: Because I think they’re important, but I don’t know WHY? You bet.
4/ On Milo, looking confused and scared. He senses what’s about to happen and knows he’s helpless to prevent it. He reaches out, touches Chris gently.
MILO: I don’t know what you’re TALKING about, Chris.
NARR: But mostly, in the grand SCHEME of things? I guess I just resent them because they REMIND me.
5/ LONG PANEL, very close on Chris as he locks eyes with Milo. This was all he wanted, to get this final message across to his Ex-lover and to do it himself. His eye contact never wavers.
CHRIS: Oh, you will. They’ll pass from me to YOU, now. That was my purpose.
CHRIS: You were too strong to let them in on your OWN, so I have to GIVE them to you when I LEAVE.
6/ On Milo, starting to cry as he grasps the gravity of the moment, trying to think anything other than the obvious as he fights the truth with all his might.
MILO: When you LEAVE?
MILO: Chris, what - ?
NARR: They remind me of the day that started – and ENDED – with Chris.
7/ Chris’s head turns to the side, his eyes close, and he smiles. It’s a faint smile, but it’s there. His eyes never open again, and the color drains from his face.
MILO (off panel): Chris?
MILO: Oh, my God.
PAGE TWENTY-SIX
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH as Milo climbs on top of Chris’s bed, clinging to the body of his now deceased former partner. He sobs into Chris’s chest as the EKG machine next to the bed signals Chris’s death in one long, droning tone, punctuated by a single green line that seems to stretch on forever. Milo’s body shudders with his desperate cries, and Chris’s hand slinks off the side of the bed, devoid of life.
MILO: No, Chris, come BACK!
MILO: Oh, God, CHRIS!
NARR: They remind me of the day Chris DIED…
MILO: I’m sorry, Chris…
MILO (small font): I’m sorry.
NARR: …RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES.
Next – Dreamcatcher!
PAGE ONE
“Previously” page.
PAGE TWO
1/ Long panel as we find Milo and David, lying in bed in the early hours of the morning. By their side, filling out the rather large occupancy limit of Milo’s bed, is Josh – Andrew’s student. All three are in their underwear, covered to varying degrees by the casually tossed blankets. David is turned on his side, back to Josh, with his arm wrapped around Milo. Milo’s hand dangles freely from the side of the bed. Josh sleeps like a baby, head turned toward David’s back.
Caption: The Short North, Milo’s Apartment.
Caption: Early morning.
NARR (MILO): See, in the DREAM…everything’s DIFFERENT, somehow.
2/ Long panel as Milo sits up, waking earlier than the others and rubbing his tired eyes. Early sunlight shines in through the window, dimmed by the fact that the view out Milo’s window is the side of a tall brick building. Milo reaches to his nightstand, in the FG, and picks up his glasses.
NARR: I can’t put my finger on it yet. The dreams started the day that he…LEFT…and whenever I have them, I wake up remembering only a little bit.
NARR: I know there’s more. And that it’s terrifying.
NARR: But I can only hold on to a snippet or two at a TIME.
3/ On Milo’s legs, his head obscured by the top of the panel, as he swings his legs out from under the cover and plants his feet on the carpeted floor, sitting on the edge of the bed as he polishes his glasses with a tissue. A tear-away calendar on the night stand displays the date, along with a daily Dilbert cartoon. Behind Milo, we can see David, sound asleep. Milo wears swishy black gym shorts.
NARR: I RESENT the dreams. I want to go BACK, to that morning of June 15th, when things still seemed relatively NORMAL.
4/ Milo gets up out of bed and pulls a dark red All-American Rejects shirt over his head. There’s a bruise still healing on his ribcage from the day he fought the werewolves, and his unkempt bed hair sticks wildly out the top of the shirt as it gets stuck on his head. From this angle, we can see both men in the bed behind him, stirring only slightly at Milo’s sudden bout of movement.
NARR: I say RELATIVELY because I woke up, yet again, with both David AND Josh in my bed. And by JOSH I mean Andrew’s charmingly young and enthusiastic PHILOSOPHY student.
PAGE THREE
1/ Milo idly collects laundry, presently tossing a random black sock into the circular laundry basket piled on his small wooden dinner table. He looks slightly distraught, as though something unpleasant is creeping its way into the back of his mind.
NARR: But even if we WERE still doing the THREESOME bit – even if we HADN’T yet figured out what a mistake it would be to let someone so young and naïve into our bed – at least there were no dreams.
2/ In the basement, in a cramped laundry room, Milo leans against the vibrating drier and reads a comic book, his back to us as he reads.
3/ Milo ascends the long concrete steps in his apartment building, returning to his apartment with the newly washed load of laundry. His eyes still wander, looking distracted.
NARR: You know what I’m talking about. The moments in time you can pluck from your memory and say “THERE.”
NARR: “THAT’S THE MOMENT EVERYTHING STARTED GOING DOWN THIS ROAD. THAT’S WHEN IT HAPPENED.”
4/ Milo stands in his apartment looking idly at a half finished painting he is working on of David, presumably in the nude, though we can’t see much of it with Milo standing in the way. The finished laundry sits on the table in the FG, unfolded and cooling off. Milo rubs his chin with his hand, debating what to do next with the painting.
5/ At Milo’s leg, a small black cat curls around his ankle, looking up at him and meowing silently as it appraises its master. A tiny collar with a name tag declares the cat to be “Dax.” It curls against Milo’s bare feet.
MILO (OFF PANEL): Good kitten.
6/ On Milo’s engaged face, staring seriously at the off panel painting as he assesses it.
NARR: The moments that, at the TIME, could have been ANYTHING – but in the end, are really EVERYTHING.
PAGE FOUR
1/ On the small kitchen counter as Milo pours skim milk into a heaping bowl of cheerios. The cat, sitting on the counter, watches with interest.
NARR: So yeah, that morning?
NARR: I wish I could reach back in time and do something DIFFERENTLY, but I can’t.
2/ On Milo, as he stands at his open refrigerator, checking the expiration date on the jug of milk. Next to the refrigerator are a trashcan and a green trashcan reserved for recycling. The cat continues to follow Milo’s progress, now perched on the top of the fridge.
NARR: I’m just STUCK with the knowledge of it. That THAT was the day that everything REALLY hit the fan.
3/ Long panel as Milo suddenly lurches over, gripping his head in pain and leaning on the fridge for support. The startled Dax retreats, hair sticking up as he leaps from the counter. Milo shouts out, in agony.
MILO: AHH!
MILO; God!
4/ Milo is doubled over in a tight crouch, almost sitting on the floor, as he rubs his aching temples. David approaches from behind, mostly off panel, and reaches out to comfort Milo with a gentle touch on the shoulder.
DAVID: Milo, what’s WRONG?!
MILO: Chris…
5/ Milo turns over his shoulder to face David, behind him. His face is contorted in terror, and sweat drips down his brow.
MILO: Something’s wrong with CHRIS.
NARR: The day that started with Chris.
PAGE FIVE
1/ This is a FULL PAGE SPLASH, featuring the issue’s TITLE, CREDITS, and IDICIA. Donovan and Rhiannon stand on the front porch of a beautiful Victorian home in Harrison West. Rhiannon rings the doorbell while Donovan stands by with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels a bit while he waits. Donovan, though still dressed in his now trademark dark colors, looks notably more relaxed and at ease with himself than we are traditionally used to seeing him, and is dressed more comfortably in dark jeans and a t-shirt, while Rhiannon has eased off a little further on the Gothic makeup and looks more alterna-punk than anything else, smiling a little more happily than she used to and dressing a good bit more brightly in a cream colored shirt that reads “Kneel Before Zod.” Rhiannon holds a printout crumpled in her non-doorbell hand, resting it against her hip as she waits with Donovan.
CAPTION: Harrison West.
DON: So, what’s this kid’s NAME again?
RHI: Eddie Geblan, I believe.
PAGE SIX
1/ Rhiannon examines the printout, unfolding it and reading aloud.
RHI: EDWARD LINCOLN GEBLAN, to be precise.
2/ Side by side, the two of them look patiently at the front door, awaiting an answer. Donovan raises an incredulous eyebrow while Rhiannon smiles mockingly at him out of the corner of her eye.
DON: The hell kind of name is GEBLAN?
RHI: Says the guy whose name brings to mind GENERAL HOSPITAL.
DON: Ouch.
DON: You could AT LEAST give me PASSIONS.
3/ Long panel as a woman opens the door. She is a traditional soccer mom if ever we’ve seen one. This is Dianne Geblan. A small porch light is mounted next to the door, and on the opposite side is a wide metal mail box that reads “GEBLAN.” Dianne does not smile.
DIANNE: Hello? Oh, you must be –
4/ In the doorway, at Dianne’s side, is Eddie. He is ten years old, but still tugs childishly at his mother’s side as he looks up at their guests in awe. He holds a toy brontosaurus, and it drops to his side, forgotten almost entirely.
EDDIE: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS!
5/ Rhiannon drops to her knees, reaching Eddie’s eye-level. Donovan remains standing, and his legs can be seen in the panel. Rhiannon smiles encouragingly and greets the young boy, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she speaks.
RHI: Hey there, BIG GUY.
RHI: You must be EDDIE.
PAGE SEVEN
1/ Large Panel as we CUT TO Andrew and Mark Shepard, standing at the front of a small passenger boat as it navigates its way through the jungle river surrounding them. The name written proudly on the side of the boat is the “Lusitania,” and as Andrew stands near the very front and stares off into the jungle, there’s a sense of cautious defiance about him. He looks as though he hasn’t shaved in over a week, and his clothing is a bit worn around the edges from his days away from land or convenience. Still, he appears to be enjoying himself, and he smiles as he turns only slightly over his shoulder to acknowledge Mark, who appears coming up from the back of the boat, waving a bottle of Columbus Brewing Company beer in Andrew’s direction.
CAPTION: Somewhere in South America.
MARK: Yo, MacTiernan. You want a CBC?
ANDREW: Nah, man. I’m good.
ANDREW: It is BEAUTIFUL out here.
2/ Pull back and we see the boat, drifting through the dense jungle foliage. The boat is old but sturdy, clearly well-kept though it’s lower edges are permanently stained from too many uses. Strange birds float by, gliding from tree to tree.
MARK (coming from the boat): That’s true.
3/ On Mark, looking out into the trees and overgrowth as he stands at the edge of the boat. He takes a swig of his beer, raising a distrusting eyebrow as he looks off into the jungle with a knowing reservation. He, like Andrew, shows all the physical signs of being out in the wilderness like this for days at a time.
MARK: But beauty’s a deceptive thing.
MARK: Tends to hide something a lot more DANGEROUS underneath.
4/ Pull back again, and as the boat drifts down the river away from us, we see the foliage part and two pairs of feet appear at the edge of the panel, with crudely designed spears digging down into the soil beside them. Mark and Andrew, on the boat, remain unaware that they are being watched.
ANDREW (coming from the boat): Hey, way to keep a positive outlook, Mark. Thanks for that.
PAGE EIGHT
1/ Andrew looks over the edge of the boat, down into the water. He looks curious, but also a little concerned. The boat’s name shows prominently under him as he hangs over the edge.
ANDREW: Is it true that there are insects out here that are as big as your HAND?
2/ Mark stands on the deck, taking a drink from his beer and scratching his crotch. Clearly, these men have become comfortable with each other in the time that they have been on this trip. Formality between them has fallen by the wayside.
MARK: You would not believe the stuff that –
3/ Mark turns suddenly, sloshing beer from his bottle. In an instant, he has become alert and aware, catching something moving out of the corner of his eye.
MARK: Son of a bitch.
4/ Andrew, still at the edge of the boat, turns in alarm. He faces Mark, deep concern etched on his face.
ANDREW: What?
ANDREW: What’s wrong?
5/ Andrew joins Mark in looking off to the jungle on the boat’s left side. Mark points into the distance, drawing Andrew’s attention to what he has seen.
MARK: We’re not alone.
6/ In the distance, seen from the boat, we can see a handful of tribal-looking men slinking through the jungle, barely visible between the great leaves. They carry spears at the ready, and at their sides they sport something else – something modern looking, and black…
PAGE NINE
1/ Andrew turns to Mark, worried.
ANDREW: Who are they?
2/ Mark continues to watch the tribesmen, his glare serious and foreboding.
MARK: Not our friends.
3/ Andrew, remaining at his spot, watches as Mark walks toward us, heading toward the back of the boat. His bottle hangs at his side, all but forgotten. Andrew looks curious.
ANDREW: Where are you going?
MARK: Taking care of this. I’ll be right back.
4/ Inside the cabin of the boat, Mark roots around in a large red storage chest, looking for something with a determined glare on his face. He succeeds, pulling out a clunky flare gun and staring at it with purpose.
MARK: There you are.
5/ Mark walks out of the cabin and onto the deck of the Lusitania, holding a finger in his ear and firing the flare gun into the sky. His shirt rides up a bit as he reaches the gun up into the air, and he squeezes his eyes shut as he emits the blast.
SOUND EFFECT: FOOSH
6/ BIRDS EYE VIEW, looking down at the boat as the flare flies up toward us and into the sky. Behind it, a trail of smoke leads down to the boat, streaking across the sky.
SOUND EFFECT: EEEEEEE
7/ The tribesmen disappear into the jungle, their feet slinking away into the leaves as they go. The jungle gathers around them as though they were never there.
8/ Mark watches the men disappear, taking a swig from his beer without ever taking his eyes off their vanishing forms. He stares warily into the jungle.
MARK: That’s right, assholes.
MARK: You run and HIDE.
PAGE TEN
1/ Long, Large Panel as we CUT to the offices of the Knights in the Atlas Building, downtown. At one end of the long conference table, Mr. Palmer sits menacingly, staring down the end of the table in our direction. Morning light filters in through the long slit blinds, highlighting the irritation on his face as he listens to the recording that fills the room.
CAPTION: The Atlas Building, headquarters of the Knights of Columbus, downtown.
MILO’S VOICE (on the TV): The time for this CULTURAL LAZINESS is rushing to an END. The world has some difficult lessons to LEARN, and for AMERICA perhaps the most difficult of ALL.
MILO’S VOICE: For those of you who are like US, who can intuitively FEEL the PARADIGM SHIFT that is HURTLING toward us – I want you to know that you are NOT alone.
2/ On Beth, sitting at the opposite end of the conference table with her arms folded and her legs propped against the edge of the table, her chair leaning backward. She appears to be annoyed by this entire exercise.
MILO’S VOICE: There are those who would have you believe that your gifts are IMAGINED, that you belong in an INSTITUTION. These are LIES.
MILO’S VOICE: You are not CRAZY. You are not alone.
3/ On the Television, sitting on a rolling stand positioned near the middle of the table, where they can both see it. From the TV, we see Milo staring out at us, very close. He issues the same message we saw broadcast around Columbus in Knights #12.
MILO: There will come a DAY, very soon, when we will either COME TOGETHER, or the future will DIE.
MILO: My name is Elliot Milo Woodyard, and I am one of the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.
4/ Palmer picks up a remote control and points it at the TV, silencing the video. He looks satisfied in his illustration of how bad this is, and he glances over at Beth with a challenging look on his face.
PALMER: You can SEE, then, the source of my…
PALMER: …CHAGRIN.
5/ On Beth, popping up an eyebrow as she fires back, deadpan.
BETH: Sure. It takes you a moment’s pause to come up with a word like CHAGRIN.
BETH: I’d be pretty CHEESED OFF, too.
PAGE ELEVEN
1/ Palmer presses his hands to the table and lowers his head, keeping his eyes affixed on Beth. He is trying his best to maintain composure and appear threatening, but Beth is having none of it.
PALMER: I’m not LAUGHING, Adams.
2/ Beth gestures dismissively, going on the defensive.
BETH: I’m not convinced you CAN, Palmer.
BETH: Look…it’s been THREE WEEKS since Milo pulled his little STUNT, and if there’s been any BACKLASH at all, it’s been NEGLIGABLE at best.
3/ Palmer pulls out a fat cigar and lights it slowly with a butane later, looking at it appraisingly as he does. In this moment, Beth is almost invisible to him.
PALMER: This is not something the PDI has any intention of TRIVIALIZING, Beth.
PALMER: Just because nobody’s peeped up about it yet, the fact still remains that everyone within SPITTING DISTANCE of a television in this city SAW this announcement.
4/ Beth leans back, crossing her arms again.
BETH: I sincerely doubt most people even KNEW what he was TALKING ABOUT.
5/ Palmer takes a long, slow drag on his cigar, looking at Beth over its smoldering edge.
PALMER: I AGREE that, taken out of CONTEXT, it doesn’t look like MUCH.
6/ Palmer leans back in his chair, exhaling. From his mouth, and from the cigar, smoke billows – catching the light that pours in through the windows. He looks at Beth as though this meeting won’t be over until she sees things his way.
PALMER: But exactly how much MONEY do you want to put on a bet that there weren’t PLENTY of people who knew EXACTLY what to make of it?
PAGE TWELVE
1/ TALL PANEL as we CUT TO Donovan and Rhiannon, wandering through Goodale Park with their new friend, Eddie Geblan. The sun shines brightly as the day moves along, and the light reflects from the small lake that comprises the center piece of the park. Behind them as they walk together is a small white gazebo, its main steps facing the lake. The lake is filled with enormous lily pads, floating freely in the water as ducks swim by. Rhiannon holds her hand in the small of Eddie’s back, attempting to make him feel at home as she and Donovan lead him about – the two adults walking with interlocking arms as they enjoy the beautiful weather.
CAPTION: Goodale Park.
RHI: So, Eddie.
RHI: Your parents say you’ve been going through some pretty weird STUFF lately.
EDDIE: You can call me LINK. Everybody else does.
2/ On Rhiannon as she smiles down at him, taking to the new name.
RHI: Alright, then, LINK.
RHI: Why don’t you tell us about what’s been happening?
3/ Link takes a sip from the paper cup he’s carrying with him, enjoying his soda. He walks on with his eyes averted from his new friends, trying to retreat within himself as he tells total strangers something he’s barely comfortable sharing with his parents.
LINK: I dunno. I can see stuff.
LINK: Like…stuff that nobody ELSE can see.
4/ On Rhiannon and Donovan, as Don turns to look down at Link, prompting him on.
DON: What kind of stuff, Link?
DON: It’s not SCARY stuff, I hope.
5/ Link looks down into his soda, unsure of himself.
LINK: Not really. It’s like, GHOSTS and stuff.
LINK: I don’t think it’s scary, but my PARENTS sure seem to.
PAGE THIRTEEN
1/ Long panel as they walk through the park. We see them from a distance, and as such, we can take in the gorgeous day that surrounds them. They continue their conversation, looking for all the world like their own little family enjoying a day out together.
DON: And why DON’T they scare you?
DON: Lot of kids would be flipping out over something like that.
LINK: They’re just PEOPLE.
LINK: Sometimes they’re CONFUSED, sometimes they’re ANGRY. But it’s not scarier than any OTHER person who’s mad at something would be.
LINK: People just get scared of them because they don’t get it.
2/ Donovan looks forward, a slight smile creeping into his expression. He praises Link. Rhiannon, at his side, looks down at the boy, probing.
DON: Well, that’s a very MATURE outlook for somebody your age, Link.
RHI: Why do you think it scares your parents?
3/ Link is warming up to them a bit, pleased that they aren’t calling him crazy. He clearly wants to get as much off his chest in this short meeting as possible.
LINK: I think THEY think that there’s something WRONG with me.
LINK: Like…that I’m not NORMAL or whatever.
4/ The three of them walk on, Rhiannon squeezing Link’s hand as she continues to walk arm-in-arm with Donovan. Donovan sticks his hands in his pockets, strolling.
RHI: Well, I can assure you that NORMAL is a STATE OF MIND. Look at US.
LINK: That’s easy for YOU to say. You’re SUPERHEROES.
LINK: I can’t do anything COOL like you can.
5/ Rhiannon smiles and illustrates Donovan with a gesture of her thumb. Donovan takes offense, playfully.
RHI: Hey, you don’t know that.
RHI: Donovan’s powers are TOTALLY lame, and HE’S a superhero.
DON: Hey!
6/ Rhiannon bends down to the ground, looking Link in the eye, seriously.
RHI: But, really, Link:
RHI: Your abilities could help A LOT of people.
PAGE FOURTEEN
1/ Link looks at her, hopeful.
LINK: Yeah. Sometimes I think about that MOVIE, The Sixth Sense?
LINK: That kid had powers like MINE, and he was able to help people out.
2/ Rhiannon stands up as Donovan looks down at Link, fearfully.
DON: It’s not LIKE that, is it?
DON: Like that MOVIE? You don’t see them the way they DIED or anything, do you?
3/ Long panel, at Link’s level, as the three of them continue their walk through the park. He looks happy to be explaining things to someone who approves, but does not expect their reaction to his next statement.
LINK: Oh, no. Nothing like that.
LINK: Sometimes they look all shiny and magical – but when they’re like that they seem less like PEOPLE and more like SPIRITS, you know? And sometimes, when they’re still mostly PEOPLE, they look like black shapes, or SHADOWS.
LINK: And when I TOUCH them and they do the SOLID thing? Then they just look like regular PEOPLE. Like they’re still alive. Until it goes away.
4/ Donovan and Rhiannon freeze and look down at Link in awe and confusion.
RHI: Wait…when you touch them and they do the WHAT thing?
DON: What did you say?
5/ Link looks up at his new friends, suddenly fearful that he’s gone too far.
6/ He turns his head away, looking angrily forward at the ground. He pouts.
LINK: See? I TOLD you I’m not NORMAL.
PAGE FIFTEEN
1/ LONG PANEL as we cut back to the Lusitania, still traveling through the jungle. Andrew reclines in a deck chair, reading a copy of Arthur C. Clarke’s “Childhood’s End” with his legs propped up on the edge of the boat. From somewhere off-panel, Mark calls to him.
MARK: Andrew!
MARK: Andrew, get UP here!
2/ Andrew approaches the front of the boat to find Mark, leaning against the railing and looking into the jungle with pride.
ANDREW: What’s up?
MARK: We made it.
MARK: We’re HERE.
3/ On the muddy shore as the boat pulls up and grinds to a halt against the dirt and rock.
SOUND EFFECT: SCHUMP
4/ LARGE PANEL as we see, standing on the shore, three dignified and powerful looking tribesmen, the one in the middle wearing the ornate trappings of the revered Shaman of the Akashi. He has a vast ornamental headdress with encrusted jewels that hang down below his ears, and hanging on his bare, dark brown chest is an enormous golden medallion carved with cryptic symbols and shining jewels. His face is old and weathered, built around a broad, flat nose that appears to have been broken a great many times – perhaps ritually. At his sides are his two lesser tribesmen, their short hair pulled into many smaller stubs and their lean, muscular bodies looking as though they could outrun a lion or tear a man in half with their hands. They both carry thick wooden staffs, hung from the top with animal carcasses stuffed with lord knows what kind of mysterious artifacts.
SHAMAN: Mark Shepard. You bring us another CHILD OF THE MOON.
SHAMAN: What brings you to our HOME, once again?
PAGE SIXTEEN
1/ Mark walks forward, extending a hand in greeting. In the background, the Lusitania floats idly in the river waters. Mark smiles warmly, pleased to see the old Shaman.
MARK: I have a friend I would like you to MEET. Shaman Denabe, I humbly introduce you to –
2/ Shaman Denabe looks coldly at Mark, inexplicably incensed.
SHAMAN: You should not have COME, friend Mark.
3/ LONG PANEL as Mark reacts, taken aback. Behind him, Andrew leaps down from the boat, looking confused.
MARK: Wait, what?
MARK: I thought you said I was welcome back at any TIME?
4/ Denabe walks away from him, leading everyone into the Akashi’s camp, buried in the jungle. He looks back over his shoulder as he speaks to Mark, explaining.
SHAMAN: You speak the truth.
SHAMAN: But this time, you have been careless.
5/ Close on Denabe, from behind, as he looks grimly at Mark over his shoulder.
SHAMAN: You have brought BAKII in your wake.
SHAMAN: If we survive this day, you will leave here and never come back.
SHAMAN: Now come. We must prepare.
PAGE SEVENTEEN
1/ Long panel as we CUT BACK to the Atlas Building, where Beth and Palmer continue their discussion. Beth gestures emphatically, trying to justify Milo’s actions.
BETH: Look, Mr. Palmer, I’m TELLING you it’s not a big DEAL.
BETH: It’s been a WEIRD few MONTHS for everybody, Milo was having a strange DAY, there had been a lot of UNNECESSARY stuff on the NEWS…
BETH: He was just VENTING.
2/ Palmer looks at her unsympathetically. Smoke billows around him from his cigar.
PALMER: Beth. He was VENTING to the tune of WAR DRUMS.
PALMER: SEDITIOUS SPEECH, for Christ’s sake!
3/ Beth’s jaw drops, furious. She places her hands on the table and leans forward, firing back in her indignance.
BETH: Oh, PLEASE.
BETH: Are you honestly telling me that you think Milo Woodyard is plotting a REVOLUTION?
4/ Palmer remains calm, gently stubbing his cigar out in the ash tray that sits at his side. He straightens his tie with his free hand, looking away from Beth as though her anger is meaningless to him.
PALMER: No, I don’t.
PALMER: But I think AMERICA could easily come to that CONCLUSION, had they been privy to Milo’s little PSA.
5/ Beth leans forward even further, switching tacks and pleading for reasonability.
BETH: But. They. Didn’t.
BETH: The broadcast was limited to COLUMBUS, and we’ve had UNDERCOVER PR GUYS out in the field putting positive SPIN on it for WEEKS.
BETH: America’s FINE.
PAGE EIGHTEEN
1/ Palmer stands up, preparing to leave. He looks grimly at Beth.
PALMER: And we’re lucky for that.
2/ Beth sits back, crossing her arms in indignant frustration. She glowers at him.
BETH: What do you want me to SAY, Palmer?
PALMER (off panel): That you’ll TAKE CARE of it.
BETH: I’ll take care of it.
3/ Palmer heads toward the door, barely glancing back at her as he leaves.
PALMER: Good.
PALMER: Because if it – or anything like it – happens again?
PALMER: Your resources dry up. Your money goes away. Your PR guys drop from the face of the EARTH.
4/ He leaves, pulling the door shut behind him as he goes. As he does, however, he shoots one last threatening look at Beth, speaking the foreboding words she knew she’d hear by the end of this meeting. And he looks serious.
PALMER: I will shut this team DOWN.
5/ LARGE PANEL as Beth stands alone in the empty office, the drawn shades putting her in near dark as only faint lines of light shoot in through the windows. She winces as the door slams behind Palmer, looking angrily at nothing as she tries to imagine what to do next. Milo’s image remains on the television screen, frozen in jerky stasis as the video tape remains paused.
SOUND EFFECT: SLAM
BETH (small font): Dammit.
PAGE NINETEEN
1/ CUT BACK to Link’s house in Harrison West. We see an ESTABLISHING SHOT outside the house, as the midday sun still shines brightly outside. We can see the figures of Link, Rhiannon and Donovan inside one of the bedroom windows.
RHI (from inside): Link, you ARE normal.
2/ Inside the bedroom now, Rhiannon looks directly at Link, who sits on the edge of his bed, looking forlorn as she tries to console him.
RHI: You’re just DIFFERENT.
RHI: If what you’ve told us is TRUE, you have an EXTRAORDINARY set of abilities.
3/ On Link, arms crossed, looking straight through Rhiannon and off into space, a scowl on his young face as he tries to make them leave by being indignant.
LINK: It’s TRUE.
4/ Rhiannon stands up, side by side with Donovan. Donovan gently tries to goad Link, hoping to see this ability in action so they can estimate Link’s degree of power.
DON: Can you SHOW us?
5/ Link lays his hands in his lap and stares at them as though he’s just used them to murder someone. His face is distraught, but he is somewhat encouraged by the two people who are simply fascinated by what he can do.
LINK: They’re already all AROUND you.
LINK: They follow me. And they follow you, too. You have different ones than I do, though. I’ve never seen the ones you have attached to you.
6/ Donovan looks cautious but encouraging. Rhiannon, at his side, pipes up as well.
DON: Who’s all around us?
DON: The GHOSTS?
RHI: Are they the shiny ones or the dark ones?
PAGE TWENTY
1/ LONG PANEL, from behind Link’s head. We not only see Donovan and Rhiannon standing before him, but all around the trio stand a multitude of dark, vaguely humanoid figures. They gather in a cluster and stare at the three living souls in the room. Donovan and Rhiannon look around at them, startled.
RHI: And that would be a psychic UPLINK.
RHI (smaller font, to Donovan): The kid just plugged in and gave us a JUMP-START.
DON: Link…these are the Dark Ones? The ones that are still mostly human?
LINK: Yeah. They don’t mind it as much when I work with them.
LINK: The shiny ones seem kinda shy.
2/ On Rhiannon as she stares at Link, amazed. She pushes one last time.
RHI: Can you show us, Link?
RHI: What you can DO, here?
3/ On Link, looking frightfully down at the floor. Tears roll down his cheeks and his eyes glow the tiffany blue that we’ve come to associate with particularly strong uses of mental ability. He shrugs self-consciously.
LINK (very small font): Okay.
4/ Link’s young hand reaches out, his index finger extended. As he does, one of the dark forms in the room follows suit, reaching out its own appendage and extending what appears to be a finger to touch Link. Where the two fingers meet, a flash of light appears.
5/ Donovan turns around and freezes, unsure of how to react. His eyes are wide with shock as he takes in what has happened around him.
DON: Oh, my God.
6/ LONG PANEL, virtually the same as the first on this page, except that the dark figures have all taken distinct human form. The room is now full of people, and they stare expectantly at the three living humans in the middle of the throng. They look basically alive, except that they have cold white skin and old, weathered clothing. Rhiannon and Donovan stare in disbelief.
RHI: That’s…IMPOSSIBLE.
PAGE TWENTY-ONE
1/ CUT BACK to the Akashi, as Mark and Andrew follow closely on Denabe’s heels as he makes his way into the Akashi encampment. All around, we see wicker huts and small buildings made out of found objects. Tribe members gather around fearfully, aware of the impending conflict. A small fire pit burns in the center of the village, and the trees are cleared to make room for a common area in the midst of the main patch of homes. Mark pleads with Denabe as Andrew remains cautiously a few steps behind.
MARK: Denabe, please!
MARK: Help me understand what’s HAPPENING, here!
2/ Denabe turns angrily, mustering as much patience as he possibly can and coming up short. He tries to explain, but clearly has other things on his mind.
SHAMAN: The Bakii have long been at WAR with us, but recently…
SHAMAN: …the BALANCE has been TIPPED.
3/ Andrew perks up, curious.
ANDREW: The balance has tipped?
ANDREW: How so?
4/ Denabe continues his sojourn into the camp, with the two white men in tow. He talks as he walks, and they struggle to keep up. All around them, people place large slate slabs in front of the doors to their fragile homes, bustling about as they prepare.
SHAMAN: They have been AIDED.
SHAMAN: They have WEAPONS we don’t know how to FIGHT.
SHAMAN: There is an OUTSIDE INFLUENCE.
5/ Mark looks confused, stepping back a pace as he looks around curiously.
MARK: Aided? But who - ?
6/ Denabe turns angrily, grimacing at Mark as he officially runs out of patience.
SHAMAN: It does not MATTER!
SHAMAN: They are here. If you are to fight by our SIDE, then READY yourself.
PAGE TWENTY-TWO
1/ LONG PANEL as bare feet coming running through the jungle, leaping over broken trees and stumps of plant life. They wear red stone bracelets around their ankles, and we hear a tell tale clicking of metal as they approach the waiting Akashi.
SOUND EFFECT: CLICK CHAK CLICK
2/ Denabe hands large gray tablets of slate to Mark and Andrew, gesturing that they should take them to defend themselves. He frowns apologetically, sorry that this is the only defense they have to offer their friends.
SHAMAN: Take these.
SHAMAN: They are only SLATE, but they are PSIONICALLY REINFORCED. They will defend you as well as anything ELSE we have to offer.
3/ Andrew looks at his slate shield in frustration, racking his brain.
ANDREW: I can’t make any SENSE of this!
ANDREW: I’m trying to work with the INFORMATION, try and put anything like a PLAN together…but I just don’t have enough to WORK with!
4/ Mark turns to Andrew, grabbing him by the arm to snap him out of it. Andrew looks around them and his heart sinks visibly.
MARK: Uh…Andrew?
ANDREW: Yeah. This qualifies as a serious PROBLEM.
5/ All around them, lining the edges of the jungle that creep up on the Akashi camp, are the Bakii. They look not entirely different from the Akashi, except that they have a redder skin tone and more pale, less mystical looking forms of dress. They would seem to be far less impressive than the Akashi, save for one thing: they are armed to the teeth with automatic weapons, all trained on the center of the camp where Mark, Andrew, Denabe and his guards stand combat ready, shields up. The guns click as they find their targets.
SOUND EFFECT: Chik chak click chuk
PAGE TWENTY-THREE
1/ LARGE PANEL as we CUT TO Milo, walking through a long hospital corridor and talking to David on his cell phone. Behind him, the day in-day out hustle and bustle of a hospital rages on as nurses push gurneys with patients around and doctors stop to speak to each other near various room. Milo looks worried, but optimistic.
MILO: Yeah, I’m there now.
MILO: No, no. You’re fine. Go to work.
2/ Milo rounds the corner to enter the hallway in which Chris’s room is found, still talking on his phone. He gestures dismissively, trying to remain positive.
MILO: Well, no.
MILO: I mean, if it were some kind of EMERGENCY, I’m sure the hospital would have CALLED me. It’s just a bad FEELING.
3/ Milo POV as we see the commotion coming from Chris’s room. A male nurse is sent flying from out of the room, toppling into a pile on the cold hospital floor. Several bottles and medical tools come spilling out of the room behind him, accompanied by a terrible crash.
SOUND EFFECT: KKRASHH
NURSE (from inside room): GET SOMEBODY DOWN HERE, FAST!
1/ LONG PANEL, extremely close, as Milo says goodbye to David on the phone, his face suddenly a picture of alarm and concern.
MILO: David, babe?
MILO: I gotta GO.
PAGE TWENTY-FOUR
1/ Milo bursts into Chris’s room, and we see only part of the melee taking place on the hospital bed. A male nurse is apparently on top of Chris, struggling to get him under control, his scrubs and white shoes flailing about as he tries to restrain his patient. Milo struggles to figure out what he should do.
CHRIS (off panel): MILO! MILO!!!
MILO: What’s going ON here?
MILO: What’s HAPPENING?!
2/ The nurse turns to face Milo, Chris’s hands flying up in his face as he continues to restrain him.
NURSE: Who the hell are YOU?
3/ On Milo as he stares angrily. He levels his eyes with the nurse, challenging.
MILO: I’m MILO, dammit.
MILO: I’m the one he’s SHOUTING for!
4/ The nurse continues to fight with Chris, and we can see Chris (sort of) fully for the first time. He looks terrible, the virus having taken hold and left lesions all over his body, his skin discolored. He scratches and claws at the nurse, looking terrified as he looks over at Milo.
NURSE: He hasn’t been this strong in TWO WEEKS!
NURSE: He’s been having these NIGHTMARES, and suddenly he started thrashing UNCONTROLLABLY like this!
NURSE: He’s too STRONG, we can’t STOP HIM!
NURSE: You have no IDEA how many DRUGS we pumped into him to try and STOP this!
5/ Chris looks up at the nurse, pleading in terror.
CHRIS: Milo!
CHRIS: Milo, please, I have to talk to MILO!
6/ Milo swoops in, appearing at the side of Chris’s bed. He looks at Chris lovingly and his eyes suddenly glow tiffany blue. He reaches a hand out and strokes Chris’s head.
MILO: Chris! I’m here, sweetie.
MILO: What’s WRONG?
PAGE TWENTY FIVE
1/ The nurse relaxes, no longer needing to restrain Chris. He eases off, and oceans of sweat roll down his face and soak his scrubs.
NURSE: He’s stopped.
NURSE: He’s calm.
2/ Milo turns to the nurse, gestures toward the door gently and thankfully.
MILO: Can I ask you to leave us ALONE for a minute?
NURSE (off panel): Of course.
NARR (MILO): Like I said, I resent the dreams. I resent them because of everything they ARE. Everything they MEAN to me.
3/ Chris looks up at Milo, peacefully now that he’s been calmed down. His eyes are glassy, his skin sallow. He smiles awkwardly, ashamed to have caused a scene.
MILO (off panel): Chris, what’s wrong?
CHRIS: Everything, Milo.
CHRIS: You don’t know where I’ve BEEN. You have to SEE it.
NARR: Because they FRIGHTEN me? Sure.
NARR: Because I think they’re important, but I don’t know WHY? You bet.
4/ On Milo, looking confused and scared. He senses what’s about to happen and knows he’s helpless to prevent it. He reaches out, touches Chris gently.
MILO: I don’t know what you’re TALKING about, Chris.
NARR: But mostly, in the grand SCHEME of things? I guess I just resent them because they REMIND me.
5/ LONG PANEL, very close on Chris as he locks eyes with Milo. This was all he wanted, to get this final message across to his Ex-lover and to do it himself. His eye contact never wavers.
CHRIS: Oh, you will. They’ll pass from me to YOU, now. That was my purpose.
CHRIS: You were too strong to let them in on your OWN, so I have to GIVE them to you when I LEAVE.
6/ On Milo, starting to cry as he grasps the gravity of the moment, trying to think anything other than the obvious as he fights the truth with all his might.
MILO: When you LEAVE?
MILO: Chris, what - ?
NARR: They remind me of the day that started – and ENDED – with Chris.
7/ Chris’s head turns to the side, his eyes close, and he smiles. It’s a faint smile, but it’s there. His eyes never open again, and the color drains from his face.
MILO (off panel): Chris?
MILO: Oh, my God.
PAGE TWENTY-SIX
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH as Milo climbs on top of Chris’s bed, clinging to the body of his now deceased former partner. He sobs into Chris’s chest as the EKG machine next to the bed signals Chris’s death in one long, droning tone, punctuated by a single green line that seems to stretch on forever. Milo’s body shudders with his desperate cries, and Chris’s hand slinks off the side of the bed, devoid of life.
MILO: No, Chris, come BACK!
MILO: Oh, God, CHRIS!
NARR: They remind me of the day Chris DIED…
MILO: I’m sorry, Chris…
MILO (small font): I’m sorry.
NARR: …RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES.
Next – Dreamcatcher!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
KNIGHTS VOLUME ONE: Year In Review
Okay - that wraps up Year One of Knights Of Columbus.
In the event that you're reading this, there's still a little I'd like to do in regard to previous issues - most importantly, I'd like to go back and do some narration on a couple of "Sheep's Clothing" issues that don't have it, because I feel it could bring the issues' disparate parts together a bit better - but otherwise, this means I can start trucking into Year Two.
Year Two will be an interesting one, even if only 4 months have passed in our Heroes' first year.
With Andrew off to Central America with fellow PDI Team Captain Mark Shepard to investigate the Akashi, and Landon off to play rescue worker for the political turmoil taking place at his old stomping grounds in the Brotherhood, poor Beth is left all alone to face Palmer's considerable displeasure in the wake of Milo's supernatural Public Service Announcement.
Meanwhile, Donovan and Rhiannon have taken a HUGE step forward and officially started to wander into the risky waters of romance, but with Donovan struggling to accept this substantial breach in his contract with God, and Rhiannon still trying to take him even further down the road of ::ahem:: ALTERNATIVE outlets for his Spirituality, we can assume things will only get more complicated from here.
Milo, now having moved on from his self-inflicted servitude to Chris, is beginning his new relationship with the enigmatic David, who still has a lot of explaining to do. But will Milo and David be able to survive the pressures that lay ahead, in the form of a big heaping helping of personal DRAMA for our mister Milo Woodyard?
And, speaking of enigmatic, what the hell's Malice up to?
Trust me, I'm getting there. All this will finally come to light in the second year, as the team moves past the getting-to-know-each-other stage and begins their sojourn into much darker territory...
It won't be a HAPPY year.
In the event that you're reading this, there's still a little I'd like to do in regard to previous issues - most importantly, I'd like to go back and do some narration on a couple of "Sheep's Clothing" issues that don't have it, because I feel it could bring the issues' disparate parts together a bit better - but otherwise, this means I can start trucking into Year Two.
Year Two will be an interesting one, even if only 4 months have passed in our Heroes' first year.
With Andrew off to Central America with fellow PDI Team Captain Mark Shepard to investigate the Akashi, and Landon off to play rescue worker for the political turmoil taking place at his old stomping grounds in the Brotherhood, poor Beth is left all alone to face Palmer's considerable displeasure in the wake of Milo's supernatural Public Service Announcement.
Meanwhile, Donovan and Rhiannon have taken a HUGE step forward and officially started to wander into the risky waters of romance, but with Donovan struggling to accept this substantial breach in his contract with God, and Rhiannon still trying to take him even further down the road of ::ahem:: ALTERNATIVE outlets for his Spirituality, we can assume things will only get more complicated from here.
Milo, now having moved on from his self-inflicted servitude to Chris, is beginning his new relationship with the enigmatic David, who still has a lot of explaining to do. But will Milo and David be able to survive the pressures that lay ahead, in the form of a big heaping helping of personal DRAMA for our mister Milo Woodyard?
And, speaking of enigmatic, what the hell's Malice up to?
Trust me, I'm getting there. All this will finally come to light in the second year, as the team moves past the getting-to-know-each-other stage and begins their sojourn into much darker territory...
It won't be a HAPPY year.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Knights Annual #1
Knights Annual #1: Kill Your Parents OR Prelude and Outer Space
PAGE ONE
1/ This is a FULL PAGE SPLASH depicting the celestial alignment of the planets on July 10th, 1993 – seen from the outer rim of the Solar System, with Pluto being closest to us as viewers. The planets dwindle backward in perspective, with the bright flare of the Sun burning in the distant BG like a beacon. A bisecting line shoots across the image, drawn from Galactic Central Point in the distance. Perhaps the line is labeled, for clarity.
CAPTION: July 10th, 1993.
PAGE TWO
1/ Close on the hand of an adolescent boy, turning a key in a lock in a dimly lit home.
CAPTION: Milo.
2/ Maintain perspective as the owner of the hand turns away from the lock and makes his way out of the panel. It should be clear that the person who just locked the door is no older than twelve or thirteen, though we see only his hand and a small portion of his midsection.
3/ Continue the low, obscuring perspective as the preteen who locked the door comes around a corner, entering what appears to be a living room (from what we can see) from the direction of the foyer he just left. Sitting on a console table that dominates the front of the shot, we see a framed photograph of a young boy, maybe 5 years old, wearing Milo’s signature glasses and possessing his dark shock of hair – though it does not contain what will eventually become his famous blue highlight.
4/ Switch perspective as the boy enters the living room. We maintain the eye level we’ve been viewing from, but our angle is reversed – and beyond the older boy’s shadow we can now see the same boy from the photograph, his glasses awkwardly skewed, peeking over the edge of the couch he’s currently hiding behind. Around him, we get a better glimpse of the home he lives in. It’s an older, 80’s era double-wide trailer home, and though it has been decorated to be as homey as possible, it’s clear that its owners have allowed the home to fall into a certain degree of filth and disarray.
5/ Long panel as our POV changes to be that of young Milo’s, looking up at his current baby sitter: a young man of 13 with a smattering of dark colored hair and eyes the color of used up charcoal. He smiles down at Milo, though his posture is more threatening, belying the breezy demeanor. Meet Tommy Chapel.
TOMMY: It’s just you and me now, ELLIOT.
TOMMY: You know the drill.
6/ Milo sits up straighter, looking frightfully at Tommy and attempting to back away, though he knows he has nowhere to go.
7/ Close on Tommy, his eyes narrowed in threatening determination.
TOMMY: Take off your PANTS.
PAGE THREE
1/ Long panel as we CUT TO Milo’s parents, dining out at an Italian restaurant that, though nicer than they are probably accustomed to eating on their budget, is still on the lower end of the classiness scale. They pick at their plates of Spaghetti as they smile at each other, enjoying their night away from home. Milo’s father looks like a stockier, heavier version of ADULT Milo, while his mother doesn’t look all that different from Rhiannon, though she has cinnamon brown hair and eyes to match, along with a more colorful, darker face than Rhi.
MOM: Jacob called while you were at work, today.
DAD: Oh, no? I missed it?
DAD: How IS our boy?
2/ Long panel, on Milo’s mom as she smiles across the table at her husband, twirling her spaghetti on her fork.
MOM: He sounds like he’s having a great time.
MOM: We were right to send him to SUMMER CAMP. He’s making a lot of friends.
3/ Long panel, as Milo’s dad nods proudly, laying his fork gently down on the table as he picks up his cloth napkin, preparing to dab at his face.
DAD: Well, it’s not as though he’s ever had any trouble with THAT.
DAD: I just hope that ELLIOT gets past this SHY phase he’s stumbled into and eventually takes after his BIG BROTHER.
4/ Milo’s mom picks at her plate of food, looking worried.
MOM: Think he’s okay?
MOM: I always hate leaving him alone for this LONG, knowing how scared he gets of everything…
DAD (OFF PANEL): He’s FINE, Elise.
DAD: He’s not alone.
5/ Close on Milo’s Dad, looking encouragingly at his wife.
DAD: Tommy Chapel’s a GOOD BOY. He always takes good care of him.
PAGE FOUR
1/ CUT BACK to Milo, laying on his back and looking up out of the panel toward Tommy. Milo now has his shirt off and he cringes as he pleads with his older friend, still wearing his glasses.
MILO: I don’t WANNA do this again, Tommy.
MILO: (small font, whispered) This game isn’t fun.
2/ On Tommy, removing his own shirt. He looks challengingly at Milo.
TOMMY: You ALWAYS say that, Elliot. And we ALWAYS wind up having fun.
TOMMY: Besides, you wouldn’t want me to tell your parents you were giving me a HARD TIME, would you? Because I can always DO that…
3/ Milo curls up into a fetal ball on the bed, covered by a sheet. We can see dirty clothes and discarded fast food wrappers strewn around what is clearly not Milo’s bed, but his parents’ bed. The bedside lamp at the edge of the panel casts Milo in a stark light, and he turns away from it uncomfortably.
MILO: No.
MILO: We can play.
4/ Tommy glowers down at him, sadistic glee on his face.
TOMMY: Good.
TOMMY: Now lie down on your stomach. We’re gonna do something a little DIFFERENT this time.
5/ Milo obeys, flopping over so that his face is facing the unwashed pillow, propping himself up with his hands as he looks over his shoulder at Tommy in confusion.
MILO: What is this?
MILO: We never did this before…
6/ On Tommy, from a very low angle – standing over Milo like an intractable menace as he saunters ever closer to the bed, his eyes wide open with anticipation.
TOMMY: Just something I saw in one of my Dad’s MOVIES.
TOMMY: Don’t worry. It’ll feel GOOD.
7/ EXT shot of the Trailer itself. It is dark outside, and the only light that illuminates the small clearing of the trees in which the trailer is located is cast by the yellow porch lamp mounted over the trailer’s door. The yard is strewn with discarded toys and toppled bikes, and a black metal grill sits idly on its side, the cooking utensils still clinging to its handlebar edges. The grass is in desperate need of cutting, and the rotten wooded porch built onto the front of the house looks as though it could cave in at any moment. In the extreme FG of the shot, we see a garbage man, glancing over at the noise coming from the trailer as he collects the trash. He shakes his head in dismay, and we can see that his nametag reads “NED.” From inside the trailer, tailless word balloons emanate.
MILO (TAILLESS): Tommy, what are you - ?
MILO (TAILLESS): Tommy, that HURTS! Tommy, NO!
8/ Close on Milo’s face, back inside the trailer. Tears roll down his cheeks.
TOMMY (OFF PANEL): How does it FEEL, Elliot?
TOMMY: Tell me how it FEELS, ELLIOT!
MILO (small font): It feels good, Tommy. It feels good.
PAGE FIVE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH depicting another Celestial Configuration – this time, the alignment of the planets on April 14th, 1995. Again, the image is bisected, though our solar system’s sun is slightly closer to the line drawn from Galactic Central Point. The key difference between this splash and the first is that THIS one features the issue’s TITLE, CREDITS, and INDICIA.
CAPTION: April 14th, 1995.
PAGE SIX
1/ VERY LARGE PANEL depicting the already-once-described scene in which Andrew’s informational ability emerges. He sits, with his back to us, in a wooden chair in his elementary school’s library, pulled up close to a large wooden table. He stares unmoving up at the gigantic glowing tableaux of information, playing out before his eyes in the web of interlinking connections that will eventually become part and parcel of the way he thinks. His drink, in a small Styrofoam cup, has tipped over – spilling its contents all over the stack of books by his side. A pencil falls from the table.
CAPTION: Andrew.
ANDREW (small font): Oh, my God.
2/ HIGH-ANGLE, looking down at young Andrew, only ten years old, as he stares up at the reader and off into the glow of info with a bewildered and fascinated look on his face.
ANDREW: But, it’s…
3/ Andrew looks down at his hands, spread wide, and it becomes clear that he is in shock – unable to cope with this sudden burst of new sensory input. He shakes, and his eyes go wide as he makes one startling revelation after another.
ANDREW: It all makes SENSE now…
4/ A young female teacher rounds the corner of one of the library’s book cases and finds Andrew there. She is around 28 years old, with short, reddish hair and a beautiful face. She smiles warmly, unaware of what she’s walking into.
TEACH: Andrew, honey, STUDY TIME is over.
TEACH: It’s time to return to CLASS.
TEACH: Andrew? Oh, my god…
5/ The teacher shakes Andrew, trying to snap him out of it, but he is unresponsive. His eyes have glassed over, and he looks not AT her, but right THROUGH her, lost in the overload of data. The teacher panics, losing composure in the face of this unprecedented experience.
TEACH: Andrew!
TEACH: Andrew MacTiernan!
6/ Close on Andrew as his eyes roll back in his head and, simultaneously, a drop of drool crawls down the edge of his mouth and a drop of blood oozes from his nose. The teacher reaches into the panel to caress the side of his face, comforting him.
TEACH (OFF PANEL): Don’t worry, Andrew, I’m gonna get an AMBULANCE on the way RIGHT NOW.
PAGE SEVEN
1/ Long Panel as we CUT TO a speeding Ambulance, its sirens ablaze, as it careens down the street on the bright spring day.
SOUND EFFECT: WEEEOOOO WEEEEOOOO WEEEEOOO
2/ Long panel, inside the Ambulance, as the EMTs tend frantically but efficiently to the young boy that now lays unresponsive on their small stretcher. At the end of the stretcher, freaking out, is the Teacher.
TEACH: Andrew! Please, wake up!
TEACH: PLEASE, GOD!
EMT: Ma’am, we agreed to let you come along, but if you can’t CALM DOWN –
3/ Long panel as the Teacher turns furiously on the EMT, her hair flipping about.
TEACH: How can you tell me to CALM DOWN?
TEACH: My best STUDENT is acting like he’s gone into a COMA on MY TIME!!!
4/ Long panel as the EMT calmly and directly lays down the line, staring stoically into the Teacher’s eyes. We see the name tag secured to his EMT’s uniform, and it reads “NED.”
NED: Miss, your student is reacting to a SUDDEN and UNEXPECTED burst of overwhelming STRESS. Now, we’re doing everything we CAN, but whatever the cause may BE, if you can’t act as a CALMING influence?
NED: I’m gonna have to ask you to get the hell out of my Ambulance.
PAGE EIGHT
1/ Long Panel as we CUT TO a bright hospital room, as Andrew lays on his bed, awakening slowly as his Father leans against the door frame, smiling at him. The monitors hooked to Andrew glow and blink, but as the two make eye contact they know everything will be fine. Andrew moves his hands, adjusting to waking up in the hospital.
DAD: Hey, Kiddo.
2/ On Andrew, as he groggily turns to face his father.
ANDREW: Hey, Dad.
3/ Andrew’s dad approaches the bed, taking his son’s hand in his. They have a comfortable relationship, and they speak to each other like old friends.
DAD: Watcha doin’?
ANDREW: Thinking.
ANDREW: Been thinkin’ a LOT, actually.
DAD: You gave us quite a SCARE.
ANDREW: I’m sorry. I didn’t MEAN to.
4/ On Andrew’s Dad as he looks seriously down at his son.
DAD: Hey, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for, Bud.
DAD: That TEACHER of yours, MRS. GABBERT…she took good care of you. She’s a little shaken UP, but she’s a HERO.
5/ On Andrew as he turns away from his Dad, staring idly up at the ceiling. For a moment, he appears to mentally go elsewhere. He looks resigned.
ANDREW: She is.
ANDREW: But her job is too STRESSFUL for her.
ANDREW: This is probably what it took to push her over the edge. In five years, she’ll retire.
6/ Andrew’s dad laughs and rubs his son’s head, tousling his hair.
DAD: Andrew, you can’t possibly know THAT.
7/ Andrew smiles sardonically, already knowing it’s futile to try and explain. He turns to his dad, looking a little bitterly amused.
ANDREW: Sure I can.
ANDREW: It’s inevitable. I can see that.
ANDREW: All you’ve gotta DO is look at the FACTS.
PAGE NINE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH as we CUT to another Celestial alignment. This time, it’s the alignment of the planets on August 5th, 1990. Since this is earlier, the Sun in farther from alignment with Galactic Central Point.
CAPTION: August 5th, 1990.
PAGE TEN
1/ Long panel as we meet Beth at the age of FIVE. She sits on the edge of a long, elevated receptionist’s window in her father’s Therapy Office. Sitting at the receptionist desk, looking up at her daughter as she swings her five-year-old feet back and forth in antsy anticipation, is Beth’s Mother, the receptionist. Beth’s mother looks a lot like Beth, but with thick, curly hair as opposed to her daughter’s straighter, lighter hair.
CAPTION: Beth.
BETH: Mommy, I’m BORED.
MOM: You’ll have to wait a bit LONGER, sweetie. I’m sorry.
BETH: Why?
2/ On Beth’s mom as she looks up from her computer screen to face her daughter; smiling dismissively as she tries to concentrate on her work.
MOM: Because Daddy’s with a PATIENT, Beth.
MOM: I’m almost DONE here, but we’re going to have to hang around a bit LATER until Daddy gets done.
3/ Beth looks despairingly at her mother.
BETH: But I’m BORED, Mom!
4/ Beth’s mom smiles and hands Beth a red rubber ball, motioning to the hallways connected to the receptionist’s desk.
MOM: Go play with your BOUNCEY BALL in the waiting room, hon. I promise it won’t be TOO much longer.
5/ Beth runs out of the receptionist’s area with her red ball, as a tall man enters the area from the nearby hallway, only his midsection in sight since we’re following Beth at the moment. Beth’s mom slides her swivel chair out to watch Beth leave, and shouts after her.
MOM: Be good!
6/ Beth’s mom turns in her chair to acknowledge the man who has arrived, and we see Beth’s dad. He is a tall, dark man of about 30 years, with a full beard and thick brown hair. He drinks from a featureless white coffee mug, straightening his red tie as he looks down at his wife in her chair.
MOM: Almost done, Scott?
DAD: It’ll be a little LONGER, I’m afraid.
DAD: Mr. WILLIAMS here apparently just HAD to see me today. Such is the life of a THERAPIST, I suppose.
7/ On Beth’s dad as he sips at his coffee, brandishing a file folder to his wife. On the edge of the manila envelope, the tab reads “NED WILLIAMS.” He sighs over his coffee, looking discontent.
DAD: I’ll tell ya, Sharon.
DAD: There was a time when I thought this job would be EXHILARATING.
DAD: Now? Not so much.
PAGE ELEVEN
1/ Long panel as Beth sits in the waiting room, bouncing her ball and looking exceedingly uninterested in it.
BETH: Bouncy Bouncy Bouncy.
2/ Beth loses control of the ball, and it bounces away from her. Her eyes narrow, resenting the failure.
BETH: Boo.
3/ We see the ball bounce around a corner, and then change course to bounce down a long office hallway, passing nondescript doors as it goes.
4/ Long panel as Beth chases the ball down the hallway, stumbling a little over her own feet, as she freezes and looks up, catching something out of the corner of her eye. The ball bounces away from her.
5/ Close on Beth, looking friendly.
BETH: Who are you?
6/ We see Beth’s new friend – a young female ghost, shimmering transparently as she looks shyly at Beth and folds her hands behind her back. She is dressed in period clothing, as though she’s been dead for a hundred years. She looks at Beth with odd recognition.
GHOST: You’re the DOG LADY.
PAGE TWELVE
1/ Long panel as Beth and the Ghost face each other, Beth smiling and reaching out a finger, trying to see if her hand will pass through the ghost. The ghost moves, preventing Beth from poking it, but examines Beth’s outstretched finger instead – as though she is as intrigued by Beth’s solidness as Beth is by the Ghost’s translucence.
BETH: I’m not a DOG, Silly.
BETH: I’m a PEOPLE.
2/ Close on the Ghost, looking scared as it issues its warning. The little girl’s eyes crinkle in concern, and she looks as though she might cry.
GHOST: You WILL be.
3/ Beth and the Ghost face off, and the Ghost pulls back a bit, studying Beth from a careful distance. She looks as though she could interview Beth for hours, and regrets that she doesn’t have the time.
GHOST: Will you bark like a dog for me?
4/ Long panel as the Ghost suddenly explodes into thin air, leaving behind only a poof of trace energy. Beth pulls backward a bit, surprised but not scared by the sudden burst of energy like a popped balloon.
SOUND EFFECT: FOOM
5/ Beth’s Dad peaks his head around the corner, looking for his disappearing daughter.
DAD: Beth?
DAD: Are you OKAY back here?
6/ Beth turns to face him, looking up at him with an excited grin.
BETH: I’m fine!
PAGE THIRTEEN
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH depicting yet another Celestial Alignment. This time, it’s Sept 3rd, 1998. In this particular configuration, however, we see a glittering comet shoot by in the outer reaches of the solar system, flying past our view of the sun and causing a blinding flash of refracted light to glint off the edge of the comet, the sun’s illumination shining brightly behind the ancient chunk of space rock. This time, the sun grows closer to Alignment with the Central Point.
CAPTION: September 3rd, 1998.
PAGE FOURTEEN
1/ Long panel as we cut to Rhiannon, at the age of ten, curled up in the fetal position on a plush red carpet. She is weeping softly to herself, and pulls in tight to protect herself from what’s going on around her. All around her, scattered over the panel, are word balloons depicting two very different kinds of voices: the normal tailless balloons depicting human beings who are speaking off panel, and the ethereal, translucent tailless word balloons that represent the onslaught of supernatural voices that only she can hear – the voices of countless ghosts, assaulting her from all angles.
CAPTION: Rhiannon.
HUMAN VOICE: Thank you for EVERYTHING, Mrs. McRhea. The ceremony was beautiful.
RHI’s MOM VOICE: Of course, Mr. Kelly. And again, we here at the funeral home are terribly sorry for your LOSS. You wife was a remarkable woman.
GHOST 1: Where am I? What’s happened to me?
GHOST 2: You’re dead, lady. Get used to it.
HUMAN VOICE: Well, thank you. You and your family have been remarkable. Your daughter was so kind to my kids. Please tell her that they appreciate everything she’s done for them. It was difficult for them, to lose their mother at such a young age.
RHI’s MOM VOICE: Rhiannon’s just eager to help. She’s a good girl. I’ll tell her how much it meant to them.
GHOST 1: I’m dead? Who’re you?
2/ Long panel, closer on Rhiannon. She puts her hands up over her head, trying to shut out the experience. Tears stream down her cheeks as she slams her eyes shut, gritting her teeth in terrified frustration.
GHOST 2: We’re dead, too. We all had our funerals here, same as YOU.
GHOST 1: Are you stuck here?
HUMAN VOICE: I’ll make sure to recommend you. My neighbor, Jim Willis…it doesn’t look like his father is going to pull through. When the time comes, we’ll send them here. I’ll tell them how attentive you’ve been.
RHI’s MOM VOICE: Well, we certainly appreciate that, but our best goes to Mr. Willis and his family…sometimes miracles really CAN happen, so long as you hold out hope.
GHOST 2: No, silly. Why would we be stuck here? We just came back to get you.
GHOST 1: Are we going somewhere?
GHOST 2: It’s complicated, Mrs. Kelly. But we’re here to make sure you aren’t frightened. It’s – wait, what?
GHOST 3: (font too small to tell what it says, indeterminate whispers)
GHOST 2: She can hear us? The little girl?
GHOST 1: Oh my, the poor thing.
HUMAN VOICE: Well, thank you again.
3/ Long panel, as Rhiannon’s mom appears, helping to pull Rhiannon up from the floor and into a sitting position. She is almost Rhiannon’s double, though markedly more open and bright than Rhiannon has been until recently. She smiles a beautiful smile at Rhiannon, her perfect teeth lighting up as her shining eyes pierce through Rhiannon’s fear. Her hair flows in waves, bobbing naturally as she moves.
MOM: Baby, what’s the matter?
4/ Long panel as Rhiannon looks up into her mother’s eyes, weeping – though the waterworks are slowing down now that her mom is present. Her lip quivers as she speaks.
RHI: I can HEAR them, Mom.
RHI: The new one, she’s CONFUSED. She doesn’t know.
PAGE FIFTEEN
1/ Over Rhiannon’s shoulder as her mother looks at her, concerned. She brushes Rhiannon’s already thick black hair away from her face.
MOM: Hear who, Rhiannon?
MOM: The Kellys just LEFT.
RHI: The DEAD ones, Mom. The ghosts.
2/ Rhiannon looks at the ground in shame, embarrassed by what she knows sounds silly.
RHI: I can hear the ghosts. They came to get Mrs. Kelly.
RHI: It’s stupid, isn’t it?
3/ Rhiannon’s Mom plops down on the floor beside her, getting comfortable. She looks to be an odd combination of resigned and relieved. Rhiannon looks at her in confusion.
MOM: I thought this might happen.
RHI: Thought WHAT might happen?
4/ Rhiannon’s mom turns to look at her, comforting and gentle.
MOM: You have the GIFT, sweetie.
5/ Rhiannon warms up a little, misunderstanding. She turns to face her mother with an awkward smile, the tears still rolling down her cheeks.
RHI: You got me a GIFT?
6/ Rhiannon’s mom smiles, clearly amused by the misunderstanding, and reaches over to wipe the tears from her daughter’s face. She makes direct eye contact.
MOM: Not like a PRESENT, no.
MOM: It’s something special that you can DO, with your MIND. When you heard the ghosts, were they actually TALKING?
RHI: I mean…not REALLY. It’s more like they were…thinking. Or feeling. It wasn’t out loud. I think my brain was just kind of SORTING them into words.
MOM: That’s what I thought. Mommy’s been able to do that her WHOLE LIFE. Sooner or later you’ll be able to do it with PEOPLE, too.
MOM: I’m afraid Daddy never liked it much, but we’ve been starting to think that maybe you can do it, TOO.
7/ Rhiannon looks forward, off into the distance. She looks as though she just realized something unpleasant.
RHI: Daddy didn’t like it…and now I’M doing it.
RHI: Is that why…?
8/ Rhiannon’s mom looks at her seriously, dropping – for a moment – the mother/daughter approach and speaking to Rhiannon as if she were an adult.
MOM: That’s probably why, Rhiannon.
MOM: But he’s GONE now. He’ll never lay a hand on you AGAIN.
PAGE SIXTEEN
1/ Long panel as Rhiannon’s mom grabs Rhiannon gently by the face and turns her, so they are eye to eye again. She returns to nurturing mode, speaking gently and sweetly to her daughter, a tear welling up in her OWN eye.
MOM: My sweet girl.
MOM: You are beautiful. And now you’re even more special than you already were.
2/ Long panel, again with the two of them facing each other. Rhiannon’s mom reaches around her neck and removes the necklace that becomes Rhiannon’s lifelong keepsake. Rhiannon watches with interest.
MOM: I wanna give you something.
MOM: My mother gave this to me when MY gifts emerged. She wasn’t LIKE us, but she was a very loving, understanding woman, and she wanted me to have a little extra protection…so she gave me this NECKLACE.
RHI: It’s pretty.
3/ Long panel as they continue to face each other, Rhiannon slipping on the necklace as her mother watches with pride.
MOM: It IS pretty. And it’s also powerful.
MOM: The ring is a talisman, blessed by an old White Sorceress, and I’ve worn it my whole life, imbuing it with my OWN energy.
MOM: With it, you’ll always have a part of me, guiding you in everything that you do.
4/ Long panel as Rhiannon’s mother stands up and out of the panel, except for her legs. Rhiannon looks up at her admiringly.
RHI: Thank you, Mom.
MOM: Of course, baby.
MOM: Now, let’s get you washed up.
PAGE SEVENTEEN
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH, again with a Celestial Alignment – now November 5th, 1996. A step back in time, so a step away from Solar Alignment with Central Point.
CAPTION: November 5th, 1996.
PAGE EIGHTEEN
1/ Long panel as we CUT TO a panel-filling image of a hospital’s EKG machine, the green monitor dominating our view as a long, green line draws across it with sickening finality – no longer spiking with the telltale signs of life.
CAPTION: Donovan.
SOUND EFFECT: BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.
DOCTOR (TAILLESS, OFF PANEL): I’m sorry.
DOCTOR: There was nothing we could DO.
2/ Young Donovan, nine years old, sits at the edge of a hospital bed, staring dumbstruck at its now-deceased occupant. The hand of the deceased rests in the panel, just inside Donovan’s reach – though he does not reach for it. The back of the dead hand is covered in violent scratches, fresh blood oozing from the wounds. At the bedside table situated next to Donovan, we see a scattered rosary, its beads hanging slightly over the edge of the table top.
3/ Angle reverse, now over Donovan’s shoulder, as we see his newly departed mother. She lies crooked in the bed, a look of horror frozen on her face for the rest of time. Donovan reaches out to her, slightly.
DON: Mom…?
4/ Outside the room, in the hospital hallway, Donovan’s father confers with a Catholic Priest. The father is both grief stricken and frightened, while the priest mostly looks shifty, as though they are hiding something and he’s the only one adequately concerned.
DAD: The doctors said her HEART finally just GAVE IN. Stopped beating.
DAD: It was all TOO MUCH for her.
PRIEST: Do they know what really happened?
DAD: I haven’t SAID anything yet…but they’ve GOT to WONDER, right?
5/ Pull in on the two men, looking furtive as they lower their voices.
PRIEST (small font): They’ll never believe you.
DAD (small font): I have to tell them SOMETHING.
PRIEST (small font): Anything but the TRUTH.
6/ The priest looks over his shoulder, into the hospital room. His face finally shows some real amount of grief for his friend’s loss, and he holds his bible tightly to his chest.
PRIEST: How do you tell a MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL that your wife was POSSESSED by a DEMON?
PAGE NINETEEN
1/ Long panel as we return to the room, and to Donovan. He clings sheepishly to the side of his mother’s bed, looking distraught. He begins to cry.
DON: Mom!
DON: Come back, please!
2/ Long panel as Donovan leaves his chair, climbing up onto his mother’s bed in the abandoned room. His mother’s corpse continues to stare off into space, lifeless. Donovan clings to her.
DON: You CAN’T be dead!
DON: It doesn’t make sense! It isn’t FAIR!
3/ Long panel as Donovan clings to his mother’s corpse, cuddling with her as though she were alive and he had climbed into bed with her, seeking refuge from a nightmare. He buries his head in her chest, sobbing.
DON: I’m not even TEN YEARS OLD!
DON: I’m not READY to not have a MOM!
DON: Please, Mom, PLEASE don’t be dead! I LOVE YOU!
4/ Suddenly, Donovan’s mother’s eyes open and she turns to face him, grinning.
MOM: I love you, too.
PAGE TWENTY
1/ Donovan leaps from the bed, terrified, as his mother lunges. Her face contorts in fury, controlled by the demon still hanging on inside her corpse. Spittle flies from her mouth as she screams at him, clawing at the air.
MOM: YEAARGHHHH!
DON: Mom, NO!
2/ Out in the hallway, Donovan’s dad and the priest realize what’s going on and leap into action, turning to run into the room.
DAD: Oh, my God, DONOVAN!
3/ Donovan scrambles backward on the bed, trying to get away, as his mother claws and swings at him, screaming incessantly. Blood and spit fly from her mouth, cascading Donovan and terrifying him even more.
DON: No! Mom!
DON: PLEASE!
MOM: You can JOIN HER!
4/ On Donovan’s mother, as she screams demonically at him. Her eyes are bloodshot and blinded, the scars that cover her hands also slashed across her face in horrifying deep gashes, barely healed over.
MOM: JOIN YOUR ROTTING MOTHER IN HELL!
5/ Donovan’s father and the priest swoop into the room. Donovan’s dad grabs Donovan and pulls him forcefully from the bed, leaping out of the way as Donovan kicks and screams in terror. The priest lunges for the demonic woman, leaping on the bed to pin her down. She thrashes violently, yanking tubes from her arms and tearing the sheets to shreds. It’s total chaos.
DAD: Donovan, hold on!
DON: DAD!
6/ The priest pins the woman down, blinking as she spits blood and saliva into his face. She roars at him furiously, fighting him with all her might. The priest reaches frantically for the rosary, sitting in the extreme FG on the edge of the table.
7/ On Donovan’s mom as the priest presses the rosary’s cross pendant hard against her forehead, causing her to cry out in anger and pain. She claws upward at him, trying to escape the pendant’s power.
PRIEST (OFF PANEL): THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!
8/ Donovan clings to his father, burying his face in the big man’s chest. His father holds him tight, trying to shield him from the violence with only moderate success. In the extreme FG we see flailing limbs drift by the panel, a sign of the chaos occurring out of sight as the young Donovan watches, the scene forever leaving an imprint on him.
PRIEST (OFF PANEL): THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!
PAGE TWENTY-ONE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH depicting – you guessed it – a Celestial Alignment. This time, we’ve skipped ahead a few years, to May 1st, 2008. The sun is now harrowingly close to alignment with Central Point.
CAPTION: May 1st, 2008.
PAGE TWENTY-TWO
1/ EXTREME CLOSE on Beth’s eye as it pops suddenly open.
CAPTION: Beth.
2/ Beth lays in a bed, in a less than tidy apartment. She faces us, lying on her side, but we can see a male arm reaching around her, holding her close. Beth looks startled and disoriented, unsure of her surroundings. She is now 24 years old.
BETH: Oh, my God.
3/ She bolts up into a sitting position, looking terrified and furious. The bed sheets are all that cover her otherwise naked body.
BETH: Where am I?!
4/ Next to her, in the bed, is Landon – who looks basically exactly the same as he does now. He smiles at her, propping his head up on his hand as he leans elbow-first on the bed. In spite of his smile, he looks vaguely concerned that she might be angry.
LANDON: My place.
LANDON: After all that CRAZINESS last night, I thought…
5/ Long panel as Landon joins Beth in sitting up in the bed, though he continues to lean against his outstretched arm. Beth looks down at her own hands in bewilderment, assimilating the information around her uncertainly. Landon is also naked, save for the sheets.
BETH: I thought that was a DREAM.
BETH: That wasn’t a DREAM?
LANDON: Nope. No dream.
PAGE TWENTY-THREE
1/ On Beth as her eyes narrow in anger, glancing over at Landon.
BETH: I see.
2/ Beth leans over the edge of the bed, discovering her purse there. She digs through it with a look of determination on her face, as Landon starts to worry.
LANDON: Wait, what’re you - ?
3/ On Beth’s hand, as she pulls a handgun from out of the bag.
4/ Long panel as Beth whirls and points the gun straight at Landon’s head. She leans away from him, looking as though she could pull the trigger without hesitation, though she continues to cover herself with the sheet via her free hand. Landon holds up his hands in surrender, sufficiently startled.
BETH: Back OFF, asshole.
LANDON: Whoa, whoa!
LANDON: SERIOUS misunderstanding!
5/ On Beth, with an EXTREME POV as the gun points right at us. She looks down the edge of the gun with a determined grimace.
BETH: Misunderstanding my ASS, dickhead. Silver-tipped BULLETS.
BETH: You turned me into a WEREWOLF. We are NOT friends.
6/ Landon looks fearfully at the end of the gun, still holding his hands out in surrender.
LANDON: Wait, you KNOW?
LANDON: I was expecting a need to EXPLAIN things. Regular bullets would do the TRICK, by the way. The silver thing’s a myth.
PAGE TWENTY-FOUR
1/ Beth continues to glower down the edge of the gun, though she’s softening up a bit.
BETH: I’m a parapsychologist. I study the OCCULT. Of COURSE I know what you are.
BETH: And I KNOW about the silver thing, okay? I just figure…better safe than sorry.
2/ Landon’s brow furrows as he calls her bluff, glaring into the end of the gun.
LANDON: You’re NOT a parapsychologist. You’re an ASPIRING parapsychologist. I saw your student I.D., BETH.
3/ Long panel as Beth continues to hold the gun to an oddly innocent-looking Landon’s head, though her attention wavers as she looks around the room for her clothes – still holding the sheets up to her chest. Landon gestures to a pile of clothes off to the side, seeming mostly bewildered that his hospitality has gone unnoticed.
BETH: Whatever.
BETH: Who the hell DOESN’T know what a werewolf is? You sound like one of those bad ZOMBIE MOVIES where nobody’s ever heard of a goddamn ZOMBIE before.
BETH: Where are my CLOTHES?
LANDON: They’re in the LAUNDRY. Borrow some of MINE.
LANDON: Look, I brought you here because I LIKED you. Much the same reason I didn’t EAT you, actually.
BETH: Yeah, well, don’t get too comfortable, Romeo.
LANDON: You’re holding a gun to my head. That’s the DEFINITION of an antithetical statement. I’m trying to be NICE to you.
4/ Beth stands, pulling one of Landon’s old shirts down over her otherwise nude torso. She wears polka-dotted pink briefs with little cartoon ghosts on them. The shirt is a blue and red KISS shirt, its logo cracked with age. She scowls at Landon.
BETH: You could argue that turning me into a MONSTER might have been better saved for a THIRD date, Michael J.
BETH: You gotta NAME, or do I just call you DOG-BREATH?
5/ Landon smiles up from the bed and extends a polite hand. He remains undressed, but covered by the sheets. He couldn’t look more genuinely nice in the face of Beth’s attitude, even if he DID just turn her into a werewolf against her will.
LANDON: Landon.
LANDON: Landon Adams.
PAGE TWENTY-FIVE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH depicting another Celestial Lineup. August 29th, 1999. Again, a step back in time is a step away from Solar Alignment.
PAGE TWENTY-SIX
1/ Long panel as we discover Milo, thrashing around playfully on the floor as his brother, Jake, tickles him relentlessly. Milo is 12 years old, and is beginning to look more like the Milo we know, though he does not yet have his blue chunk in the front of his hair. He laughs uncontrollably, trying desperately to pry his older brother’s hands free of his sensitive sides. Jake looks like an older Milo, though he lacks Milo’s solid black hair, in favor of a light brown.
CAPTION: Milo.
MILO: Ha ha ha!
MILO: JAKE! QUIT IT!
2/ Angle switch, as we see them from across the room. Clearly, their family has ditched the crummy old trailer in favor of a large, but very old, house. It’s dark outside, and dim table lamps light the room from different angles, working hard to make up for the lack of overhead lighting in a house so old. The boys thrash around in an upstairs bedroom- most likely Jake’s, judging from the pictures of rock bands and action movies plastered all over the walls.
MILO: Quit TICKLING me!
3/ On Jake, laughing as Milo successfully pries his grip free and holds his older brother’s hands up, struggling to maintain his brief advantage as Jake’s hands writhe in the air, dying to return to their target.
JAKE: I’ll quit tickling when MOM AND DAD get home!
JAKE: NOT UNTIL THEN!
4/ Milo retreats, pulling his arms tight around his sides in defense. He lies on the floor, looking up at Jake as he tries to catch his breath.
MILO: When do Mom and Dad get home?
5/ Jake lunges for Milo’s armpits and Milo screams.
JAKE: Midnight!
MILO: Midnight!?
MILO: It’s only EIGHT O’CLOCK!
PAGE TWENTY-SEVEN
1/ Milo tries to twist free as Jake struggles to pull Milo’s shirt off. Milo starts to look genuinely scared, no longer playing around.
JAKE (OFF PANEL): Oh, when I get your SHIRT OFF, you are going to be SO SORRY!
MILO: Jake, WAIT!
2/ Milo overreacts, hitting Jake hard across the face with his forearm as he fights in self-defense. The punch hits Jake at just the wrong angle, and we see blood squirt from his mouth as his head twists sideways in response.
MILO: WAIT!!
SOUND EFFECT: THOK
3/ Milo sits up, looking shaken. He looks at Jake in concern and embarrassment.
MILO: Why would you SAY that?
4/ Jake leans back on his haunches, rubbing his throbbing jaw. He glowers at Milo.
JAKE: Because I was TICKLING you, JERK. Don’t be a little GIRL.
JAKE: Now you’re REALLY going to get it!
5/ Jake lunges at Milo once again, startling him. They both laugh, not expecting what comes next.
MILO: Ha ha!
MILO: Knock it OFF, Jake!
6/ Suddenly, as Jake tickles him, Milo’s face turns from playful to terrified. Unaware of what’s going on, he watches in horror as his hands burst into flame. Blue smoke leaks from the edges of his eyes, obscuring his vision as the flames travel up his arms.
MILO: Oh, my God, Jake, WAIT!
MILO: STOP IT!
PAGE TWENTY-EIGHT
1/ Jake holds his arm up in front of his eyes, protecting himself from the sudden burst of flame that leaks up into the bottom edge of the panel, from Milo’s direction. He looks confused and angry, not sure what to do.
JAKE: Milo, what’re you - ?
2/ Outside the house, at night, as we see the entire upper story explode. The windows shatter outward and the walls themselves buckle from the pressure as flame shoots out into the night from inside the old, beaten down house, sending boards and glass flying out in every direction.
SOUND EFFECT: KA-DOOOM
3/ Back inside, Milo holds his arms in front of him for protection as he stands in the midst of the inferno, looking around in startled despair. His glasses are covered in soot.
MILO: Jake?!
MILO: Where ARE you!?
MILO: We have to get OUT of here!
4/ Close on Milo’s face as he removes his glasses and something catches his eye. His face turns to stunned horror as the image sinks in.
MILO: NO!
MILO: Jake?
5/ Long panel as young Milo stands in the collapsing upper floor of his home, flames licking up all around him as he struggles to keep his footing, dumbstruck by the consequences of what he has done. He stares straight toward us, at the thing that caught his sight when he removed his glasses…and in the extreme FG, we see the charred, blackened remains of Milo’s brother, his arms twisted at an unnatural angle. Jake is dead.
PAGE TWENTY-NINE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH, another Celestial alignment. October 10th, 2004. The sun is closer to Galactic Central point, though of course not as close as it was in the 2008 lineup.
CAPTION: October 10th, 2004.
PAGE THIRTY
1/ A teenaged Rhiannon wanders up the hallway of her high school, looking as Goth as any teenager should ever look. Her hair is pulled back, revealing her young face through the Goth makeup she wears so proudly, and she carries a stack of books in her hand. Banners all over the walls proclaim Beaver Local Football, advertising the upcoming homecoming game with glitter and magic marker on red, black and white poster board. Students mill about in the halls, but one particular student – another Goth girl – races after Rhiannon from behind.
CAPTION: Rhiannon.
GIRL: Rhiannon!
GIRL: Wait up!
2/ Rhiannon turns to face the girl, smiling through what is clearly a veil of sadness.
RHI: Dee?
RHI: This is so WEIRD…
3/ The other girl, Dee, pulls Rhiannon tight and the two of them share a passionate kiss. Dee is a little taller than Rhiannon, with similar dark hair – though she keeps it cut short. She wears skull and bones earrings, and her Hot Topic brand clothing is outdone only by Rhiannon’s. Rhiannon closes her eyes and melts into the kiss.
DEE: I know, sweetie.
DEE: How could it NOT be weird, coming back only TWO DAYS after a SCHOOL SHOOTING?
4/ Close on Rhiannon, looking around furtively to make sure she isn’t heard by her classmates. She looks as though she’s been crying.
RHI: That’s not really what I MEAN, Dee.
RHI: I mean I don’t know if I, in PARTICULAR, can DEAL with this…
5/ Dee looks to Rhiannon with concern, grabbing Rhiannon’s face in her hand and smiling gently at her. She pulls her backpack up on her back, adjusting its weight. All along the strap are buttons of Invader Zim and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.
DEE: Oh, GOD, Rhi – I didn’t even THINK about it.
DEE: I’ll bet everybody’s EMOTIONS are all OVER the place.
PAGE THIRTY-ONE
1/ Rhiannon reaches into her locker, placing her stack of books inside. Dee stands next to her, watching in concern.
RHI: They are.
RHI: I’ve had to concentrate so HARD all day, just to keep it under CONTROL.
RHI: It’s giving me the WORST headaches.
2/ Dee grabs Rhiannon by the shoulder, forcing her to face her.
DEE: Rhi, honey…come here.
3/ Long panel, from a slight distance. Standing in the hallway, next to the lockers, Dee pulls Rhiannon into a warm hug, closing her eyes and burying her head in Rhiannon’s shoulder. The two remain that way for a moment. Down the hallway a bit, we see a janitor – and closer inspection reveals him to be the same Ned we’ve seen throughout this issue.
DEE: Soak it in, babe. See if it does any good.
4/ Rhiannon pulls back, grimacing in pain as she shuts her eyes tightly. She puts her hand to her forehead, trying to massage away the splitting headache.
RHI: Aghhh!
5/ Dee looks on, feeling a bit dejected for her inability to help Rhiannon.
DEE: Rhi, what’s wrong?
DEE: Is the BAD stuff hitting you? I tried my best to help…
PAGE THIRTY-TWO
1/ Long panel as Rhiannon struggles with the headache, Dee reaching out to try and help in any way she can.
RHI: It’s too much. TOO MUCH!
RHI: God, I just want it to go AWAY!
DEE: You want me to cast a PROTECTION spell?
DEE: I can DO that…
2/ Rhiannon throws her hands up in frustration.
RHI: I’ve DONE that! It doesn’t WORK!
RHI: I’m just too sensitive…
3/ Dee thinks.
DEE: Look, Rhiannon…
DEE: When I’m doing DIVINATION stuff, and I have to leave my MIND open to possible ATTACK? I visualize a WALL. It helps a lot.
4/ Rhiannon shuts her locker as Dee continues to explain.
DEE: Now, I know you need something a LOT more powerful than that…
DEE: …but you said that you were able to convert EMOTION into ENERGY and stuff. Could you build a REAL wall?
DEE: Something inside to DAMPEN these ATTACKS you have?
5/ Rhiannon turns to Dee, impressed with the idea. She smiles.
RHI: You know, that’s actually not a bad IDEA…
PAGE THIRTY-THREE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH. Celestial Alignment. May 2nd, 2008. We return to the stage in which the sun is very, very close to alignment with Central Point.
CAPTION: May 2nd, 2008.
PAGE THIRTY-FOUR
1/ Long panel as we find Andrew in a dark, disgusting sewer. The tunnels wind off into the distance as Andrew creeps along, brandishing a clunky bow with a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. He is 23 years old, but has been at this for a while and is clearly a professional when it comes to lurking around in cramped spaces in search of monsters. His thickly booted feet splash into the green water as he creeps along, hunched over in anticipation as he looks into the next system of tunnels. Pipes and valves line the slime-covered walls, and rats scurry along the floor.
CAPTION: Andrew.
ANDREW: Come on, come ON.
ANDREW: Where are you HIDING, you son of a BITCH?
2/ Andrew loads an arrow into his bow and pulls back, preparing to fire as he rounds the next corner.
3/ Suddenly, a vampire leaps out from behind him, seemingly appearing from nowhere as it descends from its hiding spot on the ceiling. It looks like a feral combination of the Nosferatu/Blade 2/Turok-Han (from Buffy Season 7) styles of Vampire than the elegant, classy, humanized Vampires that have become popular in recent years. Andrew leaps, startled.
VAMP: Yaghhh!
4/ Long panel as Andrew spins on a dime, letting the arrow fly. It strikes the vampire square in the chest, and the vamp explodes – showering Andrew with its dust.
SOUND EFFECT: FOOM
PAGE THIRTY-FIVE
1/ Andrew lets his bow fall to his side, catching his breath as his phone beeps.
ANDREW: Jesus.
ANDREW: How many of you are DOWN here?
SOUND EFFECT: Breet breet
2/ Andrew wanders further down the tunnels, answering his phone as he slings his bow over his shoulder and walks nonchalantly into the face of danger.
ANDREW: Not the best TIME, Julie.
ANDREW: I followed a VAMP down here and I think he’s led me right to a pretty nasty NEST. These guys are vicious….
3/ Cut to a young African American woman with round glasses and hair pulled back tight. This is Julie, and she sits at a wooden desk in a dimly lit office, speaking to Andrew on a cord phone.
JULIE: I can call back later, if you WANT, but I have a new CASE for you.
JULIE: Is SAMSON with you?
4/ Back to Andrew, looking around wearily as he speaks into his phone.
ANDREW: He’s coming in from the other DIRECTION. I’m alone.
ANDREW: I think I’m okay for a minute, but make it FAST. Things are about to get interesting down here, and I have CLASS in the morning.
5/ Long panel, Back to Julie, and now we see more of the office. There are numerous unsolved case files pinned to the wall on a giant corkboard, and a long table with a coffee machine and box of donuts sits abandoned, the coffee machine looking musty from disuse. Outside the office window, we see the Manhattan Skyline. Julie flips through a file folder on her desk.
JULIE: Looks like we’ve got a disappearance.
JULIE: Last time this girl was seen, it was during a pretty intense WEREWOLF attack in the VILLAGE. But there’s no BODY or even CHUNKS of body, so we’re thinking it may be a HOSTAGE situation, or they’ve TURNED her.
JULIE: Either way, I’ve got some concerned friends and family looking for ANSWERS.
PAGE THIRTY-SIX
1/ On Andrew, from behind, as he wanders down the tunnels, still speaking into his phone as he goes.
ANDREW: Girl gotta name?
2/ On Julie, skimming her files as she informs Andrew of the details.
JULIE: BETH.
JULIE: Elizabeth REILLY, to be more precise. And get this: arseholes that did this? The bloody BROTHERHOOD, if our INTEL’s correct.
3/ Andrew looks shocked, facing the phone in surprise.
ANDREW: The BROTHERHOOD!?
ANDREW: One of Chancellor Burgess’s rare HUNTING PARTIES, then. Bit early in the YEAR for him to lay it on the LINE like that, isn’t it?
4/ Julie raises an eyebrow, looking unimpressed.
JULIE: Said it yourself, Mate: Brotherhood’s been damned UNPREDICTABLE lately. Drama in the UNDERGROUND, it seems.
JULIE: The SUCKERS you’re after now – THEY’RE not Brotherhood, are they?
5/ Long panel as Andrew finally reaches the nest. The walls of the sewer are lined with human bodies, dripping blood and gore from their spots on the cold cement walls. Even more human hands reach up from out of the muck, stained with blood. More importantly, though, are the five frightening looking vampires who are now approaching Andrew, looking ready for a fight.
ANDREW: No, Ma’am.
ANDREW: This does NOT look like Brotherhood TERRITORY.
ANDREW: Julie? I’m gonna have to call you BACK.
PAGE THIRTY-SEVEN
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH. Celestial Alignment. September 21st, 2001. A step back for the Solar Alignment to Central Point.
CAPTION: September 21st, 2001.
PAGE THIRTY-EIGHT
1/ Long panel as we see a possessed woman, tied to a bed with numerous buckled straps, thrashing violently in her attempts to free herself of her imprisonment. Her face is contorted and grotesque, a reflection of the demon inside that is beyond her ability to control. She hisses and screams, her long hair tossing about, baring her teeth.
CAPTION: Donovan.
WOMAN: HELL AWAITS YOU!!!
WOMAN: DARKNESS FIGHTS FOR YOUR SOUL!!!
WOMAN: So much DEATH in your FUTURE, BOY!
2/ Angle reverse, we now see down the length of the bed as the demon woman continues to scream at the young man who peers hesitantly around the corner of the bedroom doorway, sheepishly investigating the terrifying amount of noise the woman is letting loose through the halls. The building itself is an old convent, and we can see the dark lacquered wood that lines the walls and floors, shining brightly with polish. Various religious artifacts hang from the walls, and a small wash bin rests on a console table opposite the bed. The boy peering around the corner is Donovan, at 14 years old.
WOMAN: What’s the matter, BOY!?
WOMAN: AFRIAD to come CLOSER?
WOMAN: AFRAID of the TRUTH?!
3/ Pull in on Donovan, staring around the corner in fright. He clings to the edge of the door frame, his fingernails digging into the wood. He does not hide his fear as the woman continues to taunt him.
WOMAN (OFF PANEL): The DARK WITCH will show you the WAY, boy!
WOMAN: She’ll sense your FEARS, the EARTH-MOTHER will, and SEIZE on them!
4/ Outside the room, in the hallway, as a tall middle-aged priest walks up and rests a hand on the frightened Donovan’s shoulder. Donovan turns to look at him, confused.
DON: What’s WRONG with her, Father?
DON: I’ve seen it BEFORE, but I still don’t UNDERSTAND it.
5/ The Priest drops down into a crouch, achieving eye-level with the young Donovan. He squeezes Donovan’s shoulder to comfort him, smiling reassuringly. We can see that the Priest is the same priest who was present at the death of Donovan’s mother, though he has aged.
PRIEST: She’s POSSESSED, Donovan. Just as your MOTHER was.
PRIEST: The DEMON has HOLD of her, and doesn’t want to let go. But, you see, we’ve sent for a SPECIALIST in these things.
PAGE THIRTY-NINE
1/ Standing behind the priest, looking down at the young boy and his currently crouched mentor, is a man in his late thirties. He is tall, with a somewhat darker complexion, and dark messy hair. The priest begins to stand up in an effort to greet the new man. He wears all black, with long dark pants and a button-up smock of a shirt, with a familiar looking cross printed on the front….
PRIEST: Donovan, this is WILLIAM PAUL. He’s an EXORCIST of some RENOWN, and he’s here to HELP our good sister.
PAUL: A pleasure, Father.
PAUL: Donovan.
2/ The two grown men look into the possessed woman’s room with sincere but professionally distanced looks of sadness, the Priest focusing more on disseminating information to William Paul than on the woman herself. Paul is strictly business.
PAUL: How’s SISTER ALVERA?
PRIEST: She’s been RESTRAINED for hours now, Mr. Paul.
PRIEST: I’m not sure how much longer we can HOLD her.
3/ Paul looks down at Donovan, offering his hand in greeting.
PAUL: Put her THERE, pal.
PAUL: You holding up okay?
DON: I guess. It’s a little SCARY.
4/ Donovan accepts the offered hand, and the two shake. William Paul gives Donovan a genuine, warm-hearted smile.
PAUL: That’s true, Donovan. It CAN be scary.
PAUL: But I’m William Paul, and I’m the best there is at what I DO.
5/ Paul stands up, looking seriously at the Priest.
PAUL: I realize this can be a bit MUCH for a CHILD, Father.
PAUL: I have a son of my OWN, a bit older. SAMSON.
PRIEST: Oh, I’m not the boy’s ACTUAL Father.
6/ On the Priest, looking forbiddingly at Paul, wishing he’d let the subject drop for Donovan’s sake, more than anything.
PAUL (OFF PANEL): Oh, I’m sorry. Are you - ?
PRIEST: The Father’s DECEASED.
7/ On Paul, looking foolish for asking.
PAUL: I’m sorry. And the MOTHER?
8/ On the two of them, as the Priest just locks eyes with Paul, answering the question with his silence. Paul lowers his eyes.
PAUL: I see.
PAGE FORTY
1/ William Paul enters the Sister’s room, carrying something in his hands and matching eyes with this demonized woman immediately. He glares challengingly, trying to get a rise from the demon.
PAUL: Sister Alvera.
2/ The demonic woman freezes in her thrashing, stopping instead to glare menacingly at her new guest. She clearly recognizes him, and does not like the sight of him.
WOMAN: YOU.
3/ Paul looks down at the object in his hand – a small pendant, in the shape of a pentagram, made of sparkling crystal. It glints in the dim light of the room, and he stares at it importantly.
PAUL: Yes, that’s correct. ME.
PAUL: So I can safely assume I’m NOT talking to Sister ALVERA, am I, DEMON?
4/ The woman begins to scream and thrash once more, though now her demeanor has shifted from angry to scared – screaming more for help than anything else.
WOMAN: GO AWAY!
WOMAN: We know who you ARE and you’re a BLIGHT upon the WORLD!
5/ One large panel, with an inset in the upper left-hand corner.
INSET: Paul bends down to the floor, gently placing the pentagram pendant on the ground and smiling to himself as he does.
PAUL: Yeah. You people are NEVER happy to see me, are you?
PAUL: Well, I guess I know WHY.
PANEL: Paul stands back and the room is suddenly lit with a flare of orange as the pendant ignites, sending a huge arc of flame along the floor before him in the shape of the pentagram, blazing away and illuminating Paul from beneath as we view over his shoulders. He drops his hands to his sides, satisfied with this step and preparing to leap headlong into the exorcism.
PAUL: Some jobs, the better at it you are, the more ENEMIES you have.
PAGE FORTY ONE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH, with the FINAL Celestial Alignment. The bisecting line through the image reveals that on this NEW date - January 30th, 2012 – the sun of our solar system is closer to alignment with Galactic Central Point than it has been over the entirety of the time span depicted in this issue – and it will only get closer. The line nearly connects with the orb of the sun itself.
CAPTION: January 30th, 2012.
PAGE FORTY TWO
1/ Long panel as a somewhat beat-up looking sedan pulls up to the front of the house on Campus we’ve come to recognize as Rhiannon’s home. It’s a snowy afternoon, and a black cat Zips across the porch as the car idles in its place.
RHI (INSIDE CAR): And here we ARE.
2/ Inside the car, in the passenger seat, Rhiannon turns to her driver: Dee, the girl Rhi dated in high school. Steam shoots from their mouths in the cold as they speak, smiling familiarly but a bit awkwardly at each other.
RHI: Thanks for everything, DEE.
RHI: It’s been good to see you again.
DEE: Same to you, Rhi.
3/ On Dee, trussed up in layers of puffy coats and scarves, as she gives a red-faced grin to her passenger, nervous to be around Rhi after all this time. Rhi leans into the panel, her hair showing from under a wool cap.
RHI: And taking me all the way back to COLUMBUS was awesome of you.
RHI: Are you SURE you don’t want any GAS MONEY?
DEE: Not a chance.
DEE: It was nice just to get away from EAST LIVERPOOL for a day.
4/ Rhiannon begins to say something as Dee leans across the car, pushing against the steering wheel to reach over into the passenger seat and lock lips with a startled Rhiannon. Rhiannon pushes her away.
RHI: Oh, I’m sure it - !
5/ Rhiannon looks at Dee, gentle but firm in her rebuttal.
RHI: Dee. I told you.
RHI: I’m not a lesbian anymore. I never really WAS. It was just a weird place in my life.
6/ Dee smiles awkwardly, a little embarrassed but taking it like a grownup. She raises a sincere eyebrow.
DEE: It’s a SHAME, Rhi.
DEE: Coulda been fun.
PAGE FORTY THREE
1/ Rhiannon stands outside in the snow, steam issuing from her mouth as she watches Dee’s car drive off down the muddy winter streets of the North Campus Neighborhood.
2/ On Rhiannon, looking both confused and amused, if a little sad.
RHI: Wow. Strange.
3/ Rhi enters her home, calling out to her roommates, who appear to be away at the moment. She shrugs off her wool scarf, standing in the open doorway.
RHI: Anybody HOME?
4/ She walks past a small end table by the living room couch and notices the blinking message light on the voice mail machine. She nudges it absentmindedly with her finger as she verbally acknowledges it.
RHI: Message.
RHI: Perhaps for me?
5/ Close as Rhiannon’s hand reaches out and pushes the button on the Voice Mail.
SOUND EFFECT: BEEP
6/ Long Panel as Rhiannon rifles through the kitchen refrigerator in the far BG, while the voice mail machine rattles off the message in the extreme FG. Rhiannon discovers a jug of milk and lifts it into better light, checking the date.
MACHINE: Rhiannon, my name is Andrew MacTiernan.
MACHINE: You don’t KNOW me, but I would very much like to MEET with you…
PAGE FORTY FOUR
1/ LONG PANEL as we CUT TO Andrew’s personal office. In particular, we are focused on the items sprawled across his desk: a stack of non-descript papers, a chewed and weathered pencil, a cell-phone, and a sheet of yellow legal paper with a list of names. ELLIOT WOODYARD and RHIANNON McRHEA are listed at the top, and both are scratched out. DONOVAN THATCHER remains, but is circled with a small annotation in less careful handwriting indicating that “Palmer is taking care of it.” All that remains is the last name, in noticeably more deliberate handwriting, underlined repeatedly, and surrounded with doodled question marks. It says “BETH ADAMS.”
ANDREW (OFF PANEL): Hey, Beth.
ANDREW: It’s ANDREW MacTIERNAN. How’s a trip to COLUMBUS sound?
2/ Andrew stands beside the desk, looking down at his list and scratching his head in frustration. He rests his free hand on his hip and grimaces, feeling stupid about his inability to get past the “Beth” hurtle. He stands in blue flannel pajama bottoms and a green Marvel Comics t-shirt, his hair unkempt as he has not left his house yet today.
ANDREW: Nice, Andrew.
ANDREW: Of COURSE you’d rip it off like a band-aid. How could she not go for that?
3/ Andrew paces, gesturing innocently with his hands in mock irony.
ANDREW: Hi, Beth. It’s ANDREW!
ANDREW: Hey, how’s your MARRIAGE? Recover sufficiently from my selfish attempt to SABOTAGE it yet? Landon have any INTEREST in the two of us spending a bunch of TIME together?
4/ Andrew picks up his list, staring at it helplessly.
ANDREW: Hi, Beth. How’s LANDON?
ANDREW: Got any CUBS I should know about? You can CUB-sit, while LANDON and I head down to the bar and sort this out like GENTLEMEN!
5/ Andrew drops the paper and looks off into the distance, feeling defeated.
ANDREW: I can’t DO this.
PAGE FORTY FIVE
1/ Andrew stands silently in the door to his bedroom, having a massive internal debate. We can see his unmade bed, and in the very FG there is a tall dresser on which sits a framed photograph, turned away from us.
2/ Andrew approaches the dresser and picks up the photograph, examining it. It is still turned away from us, but Andrew looks at it with heartfelt nostalgia.
ANDREW: You know…
3/ Long panel as we see the image in Andrew’s hand. It is the same photograph of Andrew, Beth and Samson Paul that we have seen before, framed in a polished wooden frame.
ANDREW (OFF PANEL): This would be a whole lot EASIER if YOU were here, man.
4/ Andrew sighs as he places the photo face down on the dresser and looks up, realizing he has to get his act together.
ANDREW: ::sigh::
5/ He picks up the phone and begins to dial, looking as though he’s just stepped in front of an execution squad.
ANDREW: Alright.
ANDREW: Here goes nothin’.
PAGE FORTY SIX
1/ Long panel as we CUT TO Donovan, looking suddenly very, very worried as he stands at the foot of an unfamiliar bed. He looks poised for action but uncertain of what to do, as if every fiber of his being is simultaneously screaming “Oh, Shit,” at the top of its lungs.
DON: Crap.
2/ Don leaps onto the bed and begins shaking at the comatose woman he was just moments ago trying to help via his exorcism skills. She does not respond, and we realize that Donovan is trying to rouse a dead woman, terrified for his own life if he could be attributed to her death as the very cause himself.
DON: Come on! Come ON!
DON: Wake UP!
3/ On the dead woman’s face, looking, well…dead.
4/ Donovan looks down at her, his face suddenly deeply forlorn as he realizes that it’s hopeless. He drops back on his haunches and lets his hands sink into his lap in defeat.
DON: No.
5/ He shifts, choosing instead to sit on the side of the bed and hang his embarrassed head.
DON: Don’t be dead.
PAGE FORTY SEVEN
1/ Suddenly, in the doorway, we see Mr. Palmer – the government director of the Knights of Columbus’ regional branch of the Paranormal Defense Initiative. He is dressed like a business man, in a tailored suit and conservative appearance, and he lingers in the doorway as though he’s completely casual, with no regard to the dead woman on the bed.
PALMER: Donovan Thatcher.
2/ Donovan looks up at the side of the bed, turning in horror as he realizes he’s been found out, that everyone will know he’s a failure and that his inadequacy is responsible for this woman’s death. He recoils slightly.
DON: This isn’t what it LOOKS like.
3/ Palmer walks casually into the room, brandishing a business card and holding it out to Donovan. He looks completely unimpressed by any of the drama that has just exploded in Donovan’s life.
PALMER: What it looks like is an EXORCISM gone tragically WRONG.
PALMER: So I’m assuming it’s EXACTLY what it looks like.
4/ Donovan looks down at the card, confused and ashamed.
DON: I know. I’m sorry. Mr.…PALMER.
DON: I don’t know what to say. Besides that I thought I was cut out for this, and I’m obviously NOT.
5/ Over Palmer’s shoulder as he sticks a fat brown cigar in his mouth and Donovan looks up at him, confused. Palmer lights the cigar.
PALMER: Now, now, Mr. Thatcher. You can’t save ‘em ALL.
PALMER: But I can certainly offer you the chance to TRY.
DON: I don’t understand…what’s - ?
6/ Low Angle as Palmer extends his hand to Donovan, seen from Donovan’s POV. He takes a big puff on his glowing cigar, a cloud of smoke forming around his face.
PALMER: As you already KNOW, the name’s PALMER.
PALMER: I’m with the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
PAGE FORTY EIGHT
1/ CUT TO Landon and Beth’s house in New York, the one and only time we’ll ever see it. Landon stands in a doorway in the BG, looking confused and intrigued, as we see Beth’s hand place the cordless phone back into its cradle in the extreme FG, resting on a shiny end table near the same end table lamp we’ve seen in their Columbus home. There is a framed photograph of Landon and Beth resting near the phone, as they cuddle and smile for the camera.
LANDON: Who was THAT?
2/ Close on Beth as she bites her lip, not sure if she really wants to be honest with him at the moment. She glances away.
BETH: Um…
3/ Beth turns away and fiddles with her fingers near the end table, looking at the floor.
BETH: Andrew MacTiernan.
4/ Landon continues to hold his position in the doorway, taking the news in stride and responding in carefully measured tones to what he surely is not happy to hear. He keeps his own head lowered, but his eyes look steadily in the direction of Beth.
LANDON: Are you serious?
BETH (OFF PANEL): I am.
5/ Long panel. Landon leans against the door frame and folds his arms, beginning to look indignant but not fully angry yet. Beth turns and faces him uncertainly.
LANDON: And what could HE possibly want?
BETH: He wants to put together a TEAM. Paranormal thing.
BETH: I think it’s for the GOVERNMENT. He said I’d have to be BRIEFED and –
LANDON: Wait.
LANDON: Stop talking.
PAGE FORTY NINE
1/ Close on Landon, eyes narrowed, anger rising.
LANDON: Andrew MacTiernan thinks he can just call here and RECRUIT you?
LANDON: After everything that happened in Rome.
2/ Beth tries to diffuse the situation by acting casual, trying to convince Landon that he’s just overreacting. She turns dismissively and walks in the direction of the kitchen, speaking breezily.
BETH: Landon. This isn’t LIKE that.
BETH: This sounds like a GOOD thing. Getting away from all this BROTHERHOOD stuff, and –
3/ Landon turns to follow her progress visually, though he does not physically pursue her as she heads toward the other room. He remains rooted in his spot, keeping eye contact with what, at the moment, is the back of her head. He maintains his calm anger.
LANDON: Beth, if it involves ANDREW, it’s not a GOOD thing.
LANDON: And why does he think he can just CALL here, after TWO years –
4/ Beth keeps her back to him, but looks back at him over her shoulder. She leans her hand against the doorframe in the archway to the kitchen, eyes cast down at the ground in shame as she makes the crushing admission.
BETH: Because I never stopped talking to him.
5/ Landon looks at her, aghast.
6/ He casts his eyes downward and hangs his head for the first time, humiliated.
LANDON: Fine. Whatever.
LANDON: Fill me in LATER. I’m going to the BAR.
7/ Landon rounds the corner into the foyer and disappears, headed out into the night.
8/ Beth continues to linger in the door to the kitchen, leaning against the frame as she hangs her own head in disgust at herself. She does not feel bad about maintaining contact with Andrew, but she does feel bad about lying to Landon.
BETH: Dammit.
PAGE FIFTY
1/ CUT TO a CLOSE UP on Milo’s hand, filled with his HIV medication in capsule form, with the stained and ancient ceramic sink seen in the background as we look down at the hand from Milo’s POV. He holds the bottle in his other hand, also in panel, with cotton sticking out the top. Toothpaste and a toothbrush are scattered along the back of the sink, the toothpaste oozing out onto the ceramic.
2/ Milo tosses his head back and shoves the pills down his throat, grimacing.
3/ Finished taking his medication, Milo stands in the bathroom doorway, looking out into his studio apartment and staring at the voice mail machine sitting next to his unmade bed. His art hangs scattered all over the walls, vividly colorful depictions of frustration, anger and regret, painted onto the canvas to get them out of his head.
MILO: Alright. Decision time.
4/ Milo approaches the machine and presses the button, nodding as though he’s listened to the message a hundred times already. He pushes the button to stop it before it gets even halfway through.
MACHINE: Hello, Elliot. My name is Andrew MacTiernan, and –
SOUND EFFECT: BEEP
MILO: Yes, Andrew MacTiernan. I know why you’re calling.
MILO: I’ve listened to your voicemail about thirty-seven times. I just don’t know how to REACT to it at all.
5/ Milo turns, acknowledging a weathered old Dungeons and Dragons poster on his wall, depicting an ornately drawn Wizard with his staff, gesturing dramatically atop a mountain. Beneath the poster are hundreds of painted miniatures – orcs and goblins, mages and rangers – scattered about in such a way as to suggest that it’s been a while since Milo’s done anything with them.
6/ Milo looks away from the poster, realizing it gave him an idea.
MILO: Yeah, yeah.
MILO: That’s not a bad IDEA.
7/ Milo walks down the steps of his apartment building, approaching the big metal door that leads to High Street below. He talks on his cell phone as he goes, leaning against the metal railing on his way down.
MILO: Yeah, can I get a CAB?
MILO: I’m going to EKADANTA. The Goth Club. Yeah, on the west side.
MILO: I’m on the SHORT NORTH. Just meet me at the CONVENIENCE STORE.
8/ Milo closes his cell phone, now standing on High Street and pulling his hoody tightly around him as the cars zip by in the night. He looks off into space, unaware that he is about to walk right into the first page of our Comic Book Series by visiting Mr. Wizard.
MILO: Alright, Mr. Wizard.
MILO: Looks like you and I need to have a little CHAT.
CAPTION: Next – Missing Link!
PAGE ONE
1/ This is a FULL PAGE SPLASH depicting the celestial alignment of the planets on July 10th, 1993 – seen from the outer rim of the Solar System, with Pluto being closest to us as viewers. The planets dwindle backward in perspective, with the bright flare of the Sun burning in the distant BG like a beacon. A bisecting line shoots across the image, drawn from Galactic Central Point in the distance. Perhaps the line is labeled, for clarity.
CAPTION: July 10th, 1993.
PAGE TWO
1/ Close on the hand of an adolescent boy, turning a key in a lock in a dimly lit home.
CAPTION: Milo.
2/ Maintain perspective as the owner of the hand turns away from the lock and makes his way out of the panel. It should be clear that the person who just locked the door is no older than twelve or thirteen, though we see only his hand and a small portion of his midsection.
3/ Continue the low, obscuring perspective as the preteen who locked the door comes around a corner, entering what appears to be a living room (from what we can see) from the direction of the foyer he just left. Sitting on a console table that dominates the front of the shot, we see a framed photograph of a young boy, maybe 5 years old, wearing Milo’s signature glasses and possessing his dark shock of hair – though it does not contain what will eventually become his famous blue highlight.
4/ Switch perspective as the boy enters the living room. We maintain the eye level we’ve been viewing from, but our angle is reversed – and beyond the older boy’s shadow we can now see the same boy from the photograph, his glasses awkwardly skewed, peeking over the edge of the couch he’s currently hiding behind. Around him, we get a better glimpse of the home he lives in. It’s an older, 80’s era double-wide trailer home, and though it has been decorated to be as homey as possible, it’s clear that its owners have allowed the home to fall into a certain degree of filth and disarray.
5/ Long panel as our POV changes to be that of young Milo’s, looking up at his current baby sitter: a young man of 13 with a smattering of dark colored hair and eyes the color of used up charcoal. He smiles down at Milo, though his posture is more threatening, belying the breezy demeanor. Meet Tommy Chapel.
TOMMY: It’s just you and me now, ELLIOT.
TOMMY: You know the drill.
6/ Milo sits up straighter, looking frightfully at Tommy and attempting to back away, though he knows he has nowhere to go.
7/ Close on Tommy, his eyes narrowed in threatening determination.
TOMMY: Take off your PANTS.
PAGE THREE
1/ Long panel as we CUT TO Milo’s parents, dining out at an Italian restaurant that, though nicer than they are probably accustomed to eating on their budget, is still on the lower end of the classiness scale. They pick at their plates of Spaghetti as they smile at each other, enjoying their night away from home. Milo’s father looks like a stockier, heavier version of ADULT Milo, while his mother doesn’t look all that different from Rhiannon, though she has cinnamon brown hair and eyes to match, along with a more colorful, darker face than Rhi.
MOM: Jacob called while you were at work, today.
DAD: Oh, no? I missed it?
DAD: How IS our boy?
2/ Long panel, on Milo’s mom as she smiles across the table at her husband, twirling her spaghetti on her fork.
MOM: He sounds like he’s having a great time.
MOM: We were right to send him to SUMMER CAMP. He’s making a lot of friends.
3/ Long panel, as Milo’s dad nods proudly, laying his fork gently down on the table as he picks up his cloth napkin, preparing to dab at his face.
DAD: Well, it’s not as though he’s ever had any trouble with THAT.
DAD: I just hope that ELLIOT gets past this SHY phase he’s stumbled into and eventually takes after his BIG BROTHER.
4/ Milo’s mom picks at her plate of food, looking worried.
MOM: Think he’s okay?
MOM: I always hate leaving him alone for this LONG, knowing how scared he gets of everything…
DAD (OFF PANEL): He’s FINE, Elise.
DAD: He’s not alone.
5/ Close on Milo’s Dad, looking encouragingly at his wife.
DAD: Tommy Chapel’s a GOOD BOY. He always takes good care of him.
PAGE FOUR
1/ CUT BACK to Milo, laying on his back and looking up out of the panel toward Tommy. Milo now has his shirt off and he cringes as he pleads with his older friend, still wearing his glasses.
MILO: I don’t WANNA do this again, Tommy.
MILO: (small font, whispered) This game isn’t fun.
2/ On Tommy, removing his own shirt. He looks challengingly at Milo.
TOMMY: You ALWAYS say that, Elliot. And we ALWAYS wind up having fun.
TOMMY: Besides, you wouldn’t want me to tell your parents you were giving me a HARD TIME, would you? Because I can always DO that…
3/ Milo curls up into a fetal ball on the bed, covered by a sheet. We can see dirty clothes and discarded fast food wrappers strewn around what is clearly not Milo’s bed, but his parents’ bed. The bedside lamp at the edge of the panel casts Milo in a stark light, and he turns away from it uncomfortably.
MILO: No.
MILO: We can play.
4/ Tommy glowers down at him, sadistic glee on his face.
TOMMY: Good.
TOMMY: Now lie down on your stomach. We’re gonna do something a little DIFFERENT this time.
5/ Milo obeys, flopping over so that his face is facing the unwashed pillow, propping himself up with his hands as he looks over his shoulder at Tommy in confusion.
MILO: What is this?
MILO: We never did this before…
6/ On Tommy, from a very low angle – standing over Milo like an intractable menace as he saunters ever closer to the bed, his eyes wide open with anticipation.
TOMMY: Just something I saw in one of my Dad’s MOVIES.
TOMMY: Don’t worry. It’ll feel GOOD.
7/ EXT shot of the Trailer itself. It is dark outside, and the only light that illuminates the small clearing of the trees in which the trailer is located is cast by the yellow porch lamp mounted over the trailer’s door. The yard is strewn with discarded toys and toppled bikes, and a black metal grill sits idly on its side, the cooking utensils still clinging to its handlebar edges. The grass is in desperate need of cutting, and the rotten wooded porch built onto the front of the house looks as though it could cave in at any moment. In the extreme FG of the shot, we see a garbage man, glancing over at the noise coming from the trailer as he collects the trash. He shakes his head in dismay, and we can see that his nametag reads “NED.” From inside the trailer, tailless word balloons emanate.
MILO (TAILLESS): Tommy, what are you - ?
MILO (TAILLESS): Tommy, that HURTS! Tommy, NO!
8/ Close on Milo’s face, back inside the trailer. Tears roll down his cheeks.
TOMMY (OFF PANEL): How does it FEEL, Elliot?
TOMMY: Tell me how it FEELS, ELLIOT!
MILO (small font): It feels good, Tommy. It feels good.
PAGE FIVE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH depicting another Celestial Configuration – this time, the alignment of the planets on April 14th, 1995. Again, the image is bisected, though our solar system’s sun is slightly closer to the line drawn from Galactic Central Point. The key difference between this splash and the first is that THIS one features the issue’s TITLE, CREDITS, and INDICIA.
CAPTION: April 14th, 1995.
PAGE SIX
1/ VERY LARGE PANEL depicting the already-once-described scene in which Andrew’s informational ability emerges. He sits, with his back to us, in a wooden chair in his elementary school’s library, pulled up close to a large wooden table. He stares unmoving up at the gigantic glowing tableaux of information, playing out before his eyes in the web of interlinking connections that will eventually become part and parcel of the way he thinks. His drink, in a small Styrofoam cup, has tipped over – spilling its contents all over the stack of books by his side. A pencil falls from the table.
CAPTION: Andrew.
ANDREW (small font): Oh, my God.
2/ HIGH-ANGLE, looking down at young Andrew, only ten years old, as he stares up at the reader and off into the glow of info with a bewildered and fascinated look on his face.
ANDREW: But, it’s…
3/ Andrew looks down at his hands, spread wide, and it becomes clear that he is in shock – unable to cope with this sudden burst of new sensory input. He shakes, and his eyes go wide as he makes one startling revelation after another.
ANDREW: It all makes SENSE now…
4/ A young female teacher rounds the corner of one of the library’s book cases and finds Andrew there. She is around 28 years old, with short, reddish hair and a beautiful face. She smiles warmly, unaware of what she’s walking into.
TEACH: Andrew, honey, STUDY TIME is over.
TEACH: It’s time to return to CLASS.
TEACH: Andrew? Oh, my god…
5/ The teacher shakes Andrew, trying to snap him out of it, but he is unresponsive. His eyes have glassed over, and he looks not AT her, but right THROUGH her, lost in the overload of data. The teacher panics, losing composure in the face of this unprecedented experience.
TEACH: Andrew!
TEACH: Andrew MacTiernan!
6/ Close on Andrew as his eyes roll back in his head and, simultaneously, a drop of drool crawls down the edge of his mouth and a drop of blood oozes from his nose. The teacher reaches into the panel to caress the side of his face, comforting him.
TEACH (OFF PANEL): Don’t worry, Andrew, I’m gonna get an AMBULANCE on the way RIGHT NOW.
PAGE SEVEN
1/ Long Panel as we CUT TO a speeding Ambulance, its sirens ablaze, as it careens down the street on the bright spring day.
SOUND EFFECT: WEEEOOOO WEEEEOOOO WEEEEOOO
2/ Long panel, inside the Ambulance, as the EMTs tend frantically but efficiently to the young boy that now lays unresponsive on their small stretcher. At the end of the stretcher, freaking out, is the Teacher.
TEACH: Andrew! Please, wake up!
TEACH: PLEASE, GOD!
EMT: Ma’am, we agreed to let you come along, but if you can’t CALM DOWN –
3/ Long panel as the Teacher turns furiously on the EMT, her hair flipping about.
TEACH: How can you tell me to CALM DOWN?
TEACH: My best STUDENT is acting like he’s gone into a COMA on MY TIME!!!
4/ Long panel as the EMT calmly and directly lays down the line, staring stoically into the Teacher’s eyes. We see the name tag secured to his EMT’s uniform, and it reads “NED.”
NED: Miss, your student is reacting to a SUDDEN and UNEXPECTED burst of overwhelming STRESS. Now, we’re doing everything we CAN, but whatever the cause may BE, if you can’t act as a CALMING influence?
NED: I’m gonna have to ask you to get the hell out of my Ambulance.
PAGE EIGHT
1/ Long Panel as we CUT TO a bright hospital room, as Andrew lays on his bed, awakening slowly as his Father leans against the door frame, smiling at him. The monitors hooked to Andrew glow and blink, but as the two make eye contact they know everything will be fine. Andrew moves his hands, adjusting to waking up in the hospital.
DAD: Hey, Kiddo.
2/ On Andrew, as he groggily turns to face his father.
ANDREW: Hey, Dad.
3/ Andrew’s dad approaches the bed, taking his son’s hand in his. They have a comfortable relationship, and they speak to each other like old friends.
DAD: Watcha doin’?
ANDREW: Thinking.
ANDREW: Been thinkin’ a LOT, actually.
DAD: You gave us quite a SCARE.
ANDREW: I’m sorry. I didn’t MEAN to.
4/ On Andrew’s Dad as he looks seriously down at his son.
DAD: Hey, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for, Bud.
DAD: That TEACHER of yours, MRS. GABBERT…she took good care of you. She’s a little shaken UP, but she’s a HERO.
5/ On Andrew as he turns away from his Dad, staring idly up at the ceiling. For a moment, he appears to mentally go elsewhere. He looks resigned.
ANDREW: She is.
ANDREW: But her job is too STRESSFUL for her.
ANDREW: This is probably what it took to push her over the edge. In five years, she’ll retire.
6/ Andrew’s dad laughs and rubs his son’s head, tousling his hair.
DAD: Andrew, you can’t possibly know THAT.
7/ Andrew smiles sardonically, already knowing it’s futile to try and explain. He turns to his dad, looking a little bitterly amused.
ANDREW: Sure I can.
ANDREW: It’s inevitable. I can see that.
ANDREW: All you’ve gotta DO is look at the FACTS.
PAGE NINE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH as we CUT to another Celestial alignment. This time, it’s the alignment of the planets on August 5th, 1990. Since this is earlier, the Sun in farther from alignment with Galactic Central Point.
CAPTION: August 5th, 1990.
PAGE TEN
1/ Long panel as we meet Beth at the age of FIVE. She sits on the edge of a long, elevated receptionist’s window in her father’s Therapy Office. Sitting at the receptionist desk, looking up at her daughter as she swings her five-year-old feet back and forth in antsy anticipation, is Beth’s Mother, the receptionist. Beth’s mother looks a lot like Beth, but with thick, curly hair as opposed to her daughter’s straighter, lighter hair.
CAPTION: Beth.
BETH: Mommy, I’m BORED.
MOM: You’ll have to wait a bit LONGER, sweetie. I’m sorry.
BETH: Why?
2/ On Beth’s mom as she looks up from her computer screen to face her daughter; smiling dismissively as she tries to concentrate on her work.
MOM: Because Daddy’s with a PATIENT, Beth.
MOM: I’m almost DONE here, but we’re going to have to hang around a bit LATER until Daddy gets done.
3/ Beth looks despairingly at her mother.
BETH: But I’m BORED, Mom!
4/ Beth’s mom smiles and hands Beth a red rubber ball, motioning to the hallways connected to the receptionist’s desk.
MOM: Go play with your BOUNCEY BALL in the waiting room, hon. I promise it won’t be TOO much longer.
5/ Beth runs out of the receptionist’s area with her red ball, as a tall man enters the area from the nearby hallway, only his midsection in sight since we’re following Beth at the moment. Beth’s mom slides her swivel chair out to watch Beth leave, and shouts after her.
MOM: Be good!
6/ Beth’s mom turns in her chair to acknowledge the man who has arrived, and we see Beth’s dad. He is a tall, dark man of about 30 years, with a full beard and thick brown hair. He drinks from a featureless white coffee mug, straightening his red tie as he looks down at his wife in her chair.
MOM: Almost done, Scott?
DAD: It’ll be a little LONGER, I’m afraid.
DAD: Mr. WILLIAMS here apparently just HAD to see me today. Such is the life of a THERAPIST, I suppose.
7/ On Beth’s dad as he sips at his coffee, brandishing a file folder to his wife. On the edge of the manila envelope, the tab reads “NED WILLIAMS.” He sighs over his coffee, looking discontent.
DAD: I’ll tell ya, Sharon.
DAD: There was a time when I thought this job would be EXHILARATING.
DAD: Now? Not so much.
PAGE ELEVEN
1/ Long panel as Beth sits in the waiting room, bouncing her ball and looking exceedingly uninterested in it.
BETH: Bouncy Bouncy Bouncy.
2/ Beth loses control of the ball, and it bounces away from her. Her eyes narrow, resenting the failure.
BETH: Boo.
3/ We see the ball bounce around a corner, and then change course to bounce down a long office hallway, passing nondescript doors as it goes.
4/ Long panel as Beth chases the ball down the hallway, stumbling a little over her own feet, as she freezes and looks up, catching something out of the corner of her eye. The ball bounces away from her.
5/ Close on Beth, looking friendly.
BETH: Who are you?
6/ We see Beth’s new friend – a young female ghost, shimmering transparently as she looks shyly at Beth and folds her hands behind her back. She is dressed in period clothing, as though she’s been dead for a hundred years. She looks at Beth with odd recognition.
GHOST: You’re the DOG LADY.
PAGE TWELVE
1/ Long panel as Beth and the Ghost face each other, Beth smiling and reaching out a finger, trying to see if her hand will pass through the ghost. The ghost moves, preventing Beth from poking it, but examines Beth’s outstretched finger instead – as though she is as intrigued by Beth’s solidness as Beth is by the Ghost’s translucence.
BETH: I’m not a DOG, Silly.
BETH: I’m a PEOPLE.
2/ Close on the Ghost, looking scared as it issues its warning. The little girl’s eyes crinkle in concern, and she looks as though she might cry.
GHOST: You WILL be.
3/ Beth and the Ghost face off, and the Ghost pulls back a bit, studying Beth from a careful distance. She looks as though she could interview Beth for hours, and regrets that she doesn’t have the time.
GHOST: Will you bark like a dog for me?
4/ Long panel as the Ghost suddenly explodes into thin air, leaving behind only a poof of trace energy. Beth pulls backward a bit, surprised but not scared by the sudden burst of energy like a popped balloon.
SOUND EFFECT: FOOM
5/ Beth’s Dad peaks his head around the corner, looking for his disappearing daughter.
DAD: Beth?
DAD: Are you OKAY back here?
6/ Beth turns to face him, looking up at him with an excited grin.
BETH: I’m fine!
PAGE THIRTEEN
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH depicting yet another Celestial Alignment. This time, it’s Sept 3rd, 1998. In this particular configuration, however, we see a glittering comet shoot by in the outer reaches of the solar system, flying past our view of the sun and causing a blinding flash of refracted light to glint off the edge of the comet, the sun’s illumination shining brightly behind the ancient chunk of space rock. This time, the sun grows closer to Alignment with the Central Point.
CAPTION: September 3rd, 1998.
PAGE FOURTEEN
1/ Long panel as we cut to Rhiannon, at the age of ten, curled up in the fetal position on a plush red carpet. She is weeping softly to herself, and pulls in tight to protect herself from what’s going on around her. All around her, scattered over the panel, are word balloons depicting two very different kinds of voices: the normal tailless balloons depicting human beings who are speaking off panel, and the ethereal, translucent tailless word balloons that represent the onslaught of supernatural voices that only she can hear – the voices of countless ghosts, assaulting her from all angles.
CAPTION: Rhiannon.
HUMAN VOICE: Thank you for EVERYTHING, Mrs. McRhea. The ceremony was beautiful.
RHI’s MOM VOICE: Of course, Mr. Kelly. And again, we here at the funeral home are terribly sorry for your LOSS. You wife was a remarkable woman.
GHOST 1: Where am I? What’s happened to me?
GHOST 2: You’re dead, lady. Get used to it.
HUMAN VOICE: Well, thank you. You and your family have been remarkable. Your daughter was so kind to my kids. Please tell her that they appreciate everything she’s done for them. It was difficult for them, to lose their mother at such a young age.
RHI’s MOM VOICE: Rhiannon’s just eager to help. She’s a good girl. I’ll tell her how much it meant to them.
GHOST 1: I’m dead? Who’re you?
2/ Long panel, closer on Rhiannon. She puts her hands up over her head, trying to shut out the experience. Tears stream down her cheeks as she slams her eyes shut, gritting her teeth in terrified frustration.
GHOST 2: We’re dead, too. We all had our funerals here, same as YOU.
GHOST 1: Are you stuck here?
HUMAN VOICE: I’ll make sure to recommend you. My neighbor, Jim Willis…it doesn’t look like his father is going to pull through. When the time comes, we’ll send them here. I’ll tell them how attentive you’ve been.
RHI’s MOM VOICE: Well, we certainly appreciate that, but our best goes to Mr. Willis and his family…sometimes miracles really CAN happen, so long as you hold out hope.
GHOST 2: No, silly. Why would we be stuck here? We just came back to get you.
GHOST 1: Are we going somewhere?
GHOST 2: It’s complicated, Mrs. Kelly. But we’re here to make sure you aren’t frightened. It’s – wait, what?
GHOST 3: (font too small to tell what it says, indeterminate whispers)
GHOST 2: She can hear us? The little girl?
GHOST 1: Oh my, the poor thing.
HUMAN VOICE: Well, thank you again.
3/ Long panel, as Rhiannon’s mom appears, helping to pull Rhiannon up from the floor and into a sitting position. She is almost Rhiannon’s double, though markedly more open and bright than Rhiannon has been until recently. She smiles a beautiful smile at Rhiannon, her perfect teeth lighting up as her shining eyes pierce through Rhiannon’s fear. Her hair flows in waves, bobbing naturally as she moves.
MOM: Baby, what’s the matter?
4/ Long panel as Rhiannon looks up into her mother’s eyes, weeping – though the waterworks are slowing down now that her mom is present. Her lip quivers as she speaks.
RHI: I can HEAR them, Mom.
RHI: The new one, she’s CONFUSED. She doesn’t know.
PAGE FIFTEEN
1/ Over Rhiannon’s shoulder as her mother looks at her, concerned. She brushes Rhiannon’s already thick black hair away from her face.
MOM: Hear who, Rhiannon?
MOM: The Kellys just LEFT.
RHI: The DEAD ones, Mom. The ghosts.
2/ Rhiannon looks at the ground in shame, embarrassed by what she knows sounds silly.
RHI: I can hear the ghosts. They came to get Mrs. Kelly.
RHI: It’s stupid, isn’t it?
3/ Rhiannon’s Mom plops down on the floor beside her, getting comfortable. She looks to be an odd combination of resigned and relieved. Rhiannon looks at her in confusion.
MOM: I thought this might happen.
RHI: Thought WHAT might happen?
4/ Rhiannon’s mom turns to look at her, comforting and gentle.
MOM: You have the GIFT, sweetie.
5/ Rhiannon warms up a little, misunderstanding. She turns to face her mother with an awkward smile, the tears still rolling down her cheeks.
RHI: You got me a GIFT?
6/ Rhiannon’s mom smiles, clearly amused by the misunderstanding, and reaches over to wipe the tears from her daughter’s face. She makes direct eye contact.
MOM: Not like a PRESENT, no.
MOM: It’s something special that you can DO, with your MIND. When you heard the ghosts, were they actually TALKING?
RHI: I mean…not REALLY. It’s more like they were…thinking. Or feeling. It wasn’t out loud. I think my brain was just kind of SORTING them into words.
MOM: That’s what I thought. Mommy’s been able to do that her WHOLE LIFE. Sooner or later you’ll be able to do it with PEOPLE, too.
MOM: I’m afraid Daddy never liked it much, but we’ve been starting to think that maybe you can do it, TOO.
7/ Rhiannon looks forward, off into the distance. She looks as though she just realized something unpleasant.
RHI: Daddy didn’t like it…and now I’M doing it.
RHI: Is that why…?
8/ Rhiannon’s mom looks at her seriously, dropping – for a moment – the mother/daughter approach and speaking to Rhiannon as if she were an adult.
MOM: That’s probably why, Rhiannon.
MOM: But he’s GONE now. He’ll never lay a hand on you AGAIN.
PAGE SIXTEEN
1/ Long panel as Rhiannon’s mom grabs Rhiannon gently by the face and turns her, so they are eye to eye again. She returns to nurturing mode, speaking gently and sweetly to her daughter, a tear welling up in her OWN eye.
MOM: My sweet girl.
MOM: You are beautiful. And now you’re even more special than you already were.
2/ Long panel, again with the two of them facing each other. Rhiannon’s mom reaches around her neck and removes the necklace that becomes Rhiannon’s lifelong keepsake. Rhiannon watches with interest.
MOM: I wanna give you something.
MOM: My mother gave this to me when MY gifts emerged. She wasn’t LIKE us, but she was a very loving, understanding woman, and she wanted me to have a little extra protection…so she gave me this NECKLACE.
RHI: It’s pretty.
3/ Long panel as they continue to face each other, Rhiannon slipping on the necklace as her mother watches with pride.
MOM: It IS pretty. And it’s also powerful.
MOM: The ring is a talisman, blessed by an old White Sorceress, and I’ve worn it my whole life, imbuing it with my OWN energy.
MOM: With it, you’ll always have a part of me, guiding you in everything that you do.
4/ Long panel as Rhiannon’s mother stands up and out of the panel, except for her legs. Rhiannon looks up at her admiringly.
RHI: Thank you, Mom.
MOM: Of course, baby.
MOM: Now, let’s get you washed up.
PAGE SEVENTEEN
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH, again with a Celestial Alignment – now November 5th, 1996. A step back in time, so a step away from Solar Alignment with Central Point.
CAPTION: November 5th, 1996.
PAGE EIGHTEEN
1/ Long panel as we CUT TO a panel-filling image of a hospital’s EKG machine, the green monitor dominating our view as a long, green line draws across it with sickening finality – no longer spiking with the telltale signs of life.
CAPTION: Donovan.
SOUND EFFECT: BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.
DOCTOR (TAILLESS, OFF PANEL): I’m sorry.
DOCTOR: There was nothing we could DO.
2/ Young Donovan, nine years old, sits at the edge of a hospital bed, staring dumbstruck at its now-deceased occupant. The hand of the deceased rests in the panel, just inside Donovan’s reach – though he does not reach for it. The back of the dead hand is covered in violent scratches, fresh blood oozing from the wounds. At the bedside table situated next to Donovan, we see a scattered rosary, its beads hanging slightly over the edge of the table top.
3/ Angle reverse, now over Donovan’s shoulder, as we see his newly departed mother. She lies crooked in the bed, a look of horror frozen on her face for the rest of time. Donovan reaches out to her, slightly.
DON: Mom…?
4/ Outside the room, in the hospital hallway, Donovan’s father confers with a Catholic Priest. The father is both grief stricken and frightened, while the priest mostly looks shifty, as though they are hiding something and he’s the only one adequately concerned.
DAD: The doctors said her HEART finally just GAVE IN. Stopped beating.
DAD: It was all TOO MUCH for her.
PRIEST: Do they know what really happened?
DAD: I haven’t SAID anything yet…but they’ve GOT to WONDER, right?
5/ Pull in on the two men, looking furtive as they lower their voices.
PRIEST (small font): They’ll never believe you.
DAD (small font): I have to tell them SOMETHING.
PRIEST (small font): Anything but the TRUTH.
6/ The priest looks over his shoulder, into the hospital room. His face finally shows some real amount of grief for his friend’s loss, and he holds his bible tightly to his chest.
PRIEST: How do you tell a MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL that your wife was POSSESSED by a DEMON?
PAGE NINETEEN
1/ Long panel as we return to the room, and to Donovan. He clings sheepishly to the side of his mother’s bed, looking distraught. He begins to cry.
DON: Mom!
DON: Come back, please!
2/ Long panel as Donovan leaves his chair, climbing up onto his mother’s bed in the abandoned room. His mother’s corpse continues to stare off into space, lifeless. Donovan clings to her.
DON: You CAN’T be dead!
DON: It doesn’t make sense! It isn’t FAIR!
3/ Long panel as Donovan clings to his mother’s corpse, cuddling with her as though she were alive and he had climbed into bed with her, seeking refuge from a nightmare. He buries his head in her chest, sobbing.
DON: I’m not even TEN YEARS OLD!
DON: I’m not READY to not have a MOM!
DON: Please, Mom, PLEASE don’t be dead! I LOVE YOU!
4/ Suddenly, Donovan’s mother’s eyes open and she turns to face him, grinning.
MOM: I love you, too.
PAGE TWENTY
1/ Donovan leaps from the bed, terrified, as his mother lunges. Her face contorts in fury, controlled by the demon still hanging on inside her corpse. Spittle flies from her mouth as she screams at him, clawing at the air.
MOM: YEAARGHHHH!
DON: Mom, NO!
2/ Out in the hallway, Donovan’s dad and the priest realize what’s going on and leap into action, turning to run into the room.
DAD: Oh, my God, DONOVAN!
3/ Donovan scrambles backward on the bed, trying to get away, as his mother claws and swings at him, screaming incessantly. Blood and spit fly from her mouth, cascading Donovan and terrifying him even more.
DON: No! Mom!
DON: PLEASE!
MOM: You can JOIN HER!
4/ On Donovan’s mother, as she screams demonically at him. Her eyes are bloodshot and blinded, the scars that cover her hands also slashed across her face in horrifying deep gashes, barely healed over.
MOM: JOIN YOUR ROTTING MOTHER IN HELL!
5/ Donovan’s father and the priest swoop into the room. Donovan’s dad grabs Donovan and pulls him forcefully from the bed, leaping out of the way as Donovan kicks and screams in terror. The priest lunges for the demonic woman, leaping on the bed to pin her down. She thrashes violently, yanking tubes from her arms and tearing the sheets to shreds. It’s total chaos.
DAD: Donovan, hold on!
DON: DAD!
6/ The priest pins the woman down, blinking as she spits blood and saliva into his face. She roars at him furiously, fighting him with all her might. The priest reaches frantically for the rosary, sitting in the extreme FG on the edge of the table.
7/ On Donovan’s mom as the priest presses the rosary’s cross pendant hard against her forehead, causing her to cry out in anger and pain. She claws upward at him, trying to escape the pendant’s power.
PRIEST (OFF PANEL): THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!
8/ Donovan clings to his father, burying his face in the big man’s chest. His father holds him tight, trying to shield him from the violence with only moderate success. In the extreme FG we see flailing limbs drift by the panel, a sign of the chaos occurring out of sight as the young Donovan watches, the scene forever leaving an imprint on him.
PRIEST (OFF PANEL): THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!
PAGE TWENTY-ONE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH depicting – you guessed it – a Celestial Alignment. This time, we’ve skipped ahead a few years, to May 1st, 2008. The sun is now harrowingly close to alignment with Central Point.
CAPTION: May 1st, 2008.
PAGE TWENTY-TWO
1/ EXTREME CLOSE on Beth’s eye as it pops suddenly open.
CAPTION: Beth.
2/ Beth lays in a bed, in a less than tidy apartment. She faces us, lying on her side, but we can see a male arm reaching around her, holding her close. Beth looks startled and disoriented, unsure of her surroundings. She is now 24 years old.
BETH: Oh, my God.
3/ She bolts up into a sitting position, looking terrified and furious. The bed sheets are all that cover her otherwise naked body.
BETH: Where am I?!
4/ Next to her, in the bed, is Landon – who looks basically exactly the same as he does now. He smiles at her, propping his head up on his hand as he leans elbow-first on the bed. In spite of his smile, he looks vaguely concerned that she might be angry.
LANDON: My place.
LANDON: After all that CRAZINESS last night, I thought…
5/ Long panel as Landon joins Beth in sitting up in the bed, though he continues to lean against his outstretched arm. Beth looks down at her own hands in bewilderment, assimilating the information around her uncertainly. Landon is also naked, save for the sheets.
BETH: I thought that was a DREAM.
BETH: That wasn’t a DREAM?
LANDON: Nope. No dream.
PAGE TWENTY-THREE
1/ On Beth as her eyes narrow in anger, glancing over at Landon.
BETH: I see.
2/ Beth leans over the edge of the bed, discovering her purse there. She digs through it with a look of determination on her face, as Landon starts to worry.
LANDON: Wait, what’re you - ?
3/ On Beth’s hand, as she pulls a handgun from out of the bag.
4/ Long panel as Beth whirls and points the gun straight at Landon’s head. She leans away from him, looking as though she could pull the trigger without hesitation, though she continues to cover herself with the sheet via her free hand. Landon holds up his hands in surrender, sufficiently startled.
BETH: Back OFF, asshole.
LANDON: Whoa, whoa!
LANDON: SERIOUS misunderstanding!
5/ On Beth, with an EXTREME POV as the gun points right at us. She looks down the edge of the gun with a determined grimace.
BETH: Misunderstanding my ASS, dickhead. Silver-tipped BULLETS.
BETH: You turned me into a WEREWOLF. We are NOT friends.
6/ Landon looks fearfully at the end of the gun, still holding his hands out in surrender.
LANDON: Wait, you KNOW?
LANDON: I was expecting a need to EXPLAIN things. Regular bullets would do the TRICK, by the way. The silver thing’s a myth.
PAGE TWENTY-FOUR
1/ Beth continues to glower down the edge of the gun, though she’s softening up a bit.
BETH: I’m a parapsychologist. I study the OCCULT. Of COURSE I know what you are.
BETH: And I KNOW about the silver thing, okay? I just figure…better safe than sorry.
2/ Landon’s brow furrows as he calls her bluff, glaring into the end of the gun.
LANDON: You’re NOT a parapsychologist. You’re an ASPIRING parapsychologist. I saw your student I.D., BETH.
3/ Long panel as Beth continues to hold the gun to an oddly innocent-looking Landon’s head, though her attention wavers as she looks around the room for her clothes – still holding the sheets up to her chest. Landon gestures to a pile of clothes off to the side, seeming mostly bewildered that his hospitality has gone unnoticed.
BETH: Whatever.
BETH: Who the hell DOESN’T know what a werewolf is? You sound like one of those bad ZOMBIE MOVIES where nobody’s ever heard of a goddamn ZOMBIE before.
BETH: Where are my CLOTHES?
LANDON: They’re in the LAUNDRY. Borrow some of MINE.
LANDON: Look, I brought you here because I LIKED you. Much the same reason I didn’t EAT you, actually.
BETH: Yeah, well, don’t get too comfortable, Romeo.
LANDON: You’re holding a gun to my head. That’s the DEFINITION of an antithetical statement. I’m trying to be NICE to you.
4/ Beth stands, pulling one of Landon’s old shirts down over her otherwise nude torso. She wears polka-dotted pink briefs with little cartoon ghosts on them. The shirt is a blue and red KISS shirt, its logo cracked with age. She scowls at Landon.
BETH: You could argue that turning me into a MONSTER might have been better saved for a THIRD date, Michael J.
BETH: You gotta NAME, or do I just call you DOG-BREATH?
5/ Landon smiles up from the bed and extends a polite hand. He remains undressed, but covered by the sheets. He couldn’t look more genuinely nice in the face of Beth’s attitude, even if he DID just turn her into a werewolf against her will.
LANDON: Landon.
LANDON: Landon Adams.
PAGE TWENTY-FIVE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH depicting another Celestial Lineup. August 29th, 1999. Again, a step back in time is a step away from Solar Alignment.
PAGE TWENTY-SIX
1/ Long panel as we discover Milo, thrashing around playfully on the floor as his brother, Jake, tickles him relentlessly. Milo is 12 years old, and is beginning to look more like the Milo we know, though he does not yet have his blue chunk in the front of his hair. He laughs uncontrollably, trying desperately to pry his older brother’s hands free of his sensitive sides. Jake looks like an older Milo, though he lacks Milo’s solid black hair, in favor of a light brown.
CAPTION: Milo.
MILO: Ha ha ha!
MILO: JAKE! QUIT IT!
2/ Angle switch, as we see them from across the room. Clearly, their family has ditched the crummy old trailer in favor of a large, but very old, house. It’s dark outside, and dim table lamps light the room from different angles, working hard to make up for the lack of overhead lighting in a house so old. The boys thrash around in an upstairs bedroom- most likely Jake’s, judging from the pictures of rock bands and action movies plastered all over the walls.
MILO: Quit TICKLING me!
3/ On Jake, laughing as Milo successfully pries his grip free and holds his older brother’s hands up, struggling to maintain his brief advantage as Jake’s hands writhe in the air, dying to return to their target.
JAKE: I’ll quit tickling when MOM AND DAD get home!
JAKE: NOT UNTIL THEN!
4/ Milo retreats, pulling his arms tight around his sides in defense. He lies on the floor, looking up at Jake as he tries to catch his breath.
MILO: When do Mom and Dad get home?
5/ Jake lunges for Milo’s armpits and Milo screams.
JAKE: Midnight!
MILO: Midnight!?
MILO: It’s only EIGHT O’CLOCK!
PAGE TWENTY-SEVEN
1/ Milo tries to twist free as Jake struggles to pull Milo’s shirt off. Milo starts to look genuinely scared, no longer playing around.
JAKE (OFF PANEL): Oh, when I get your SHIRT OFF, you are going to be SO SORRY!
MILO: Jake, WAIT!
2/ Milo overreacts, hitting Jake hard across the face with his forearm as he fights in self-defense. The punch hits Jake at just the wrong angle, and we see blood squirt from his mouth as his head twists sideways in response.
MILO: WAIT!!
SOUND EFFECT: THOK
3/ Milo sits up, looking shaken. He looks at Jake in concern and embarrassment.
MILO: Why would you SAY that?
4/ Jake leans back on his haunches, rubbing his throbbing jaw. He glowers at Milo.
JAKE: Because I was TICKLING you, JERK. Don’t be a little GIRL.
JAKE: Now you’re REALLY going to get it!
5/ Jake lunges at Milo once again, startling him. They both laugh, not expecting what comes next.
MILO: Ha ha!
MILO: Knock it OFF, Jake!
6/ Suddenly, as Jake tickles him, Milo’s face turns from playful to terrified. Unaware of what’s going on, he watches in horror as his hands burst into flame. Blue smoke leaks from the edges of his eyes, obscuring his vision as the flames travel up his arms.
MILO: Oh, my God, Jake, WAIT!
MILO: STOP IT!
PAGE TWENTY-EIGHT
1/ Jake holds his arm up in front of his eyes, protecting himself from the sudden burst of flame that leaks up into the bottom edge of the panel, from Milo’s direction. He looks confused and angry, not sure what to do.
JAKE: Milo, what’re you - ?
2/ Outside the house, at night, as we see the entire upper story explode. The windows shatter outward and the walls themselves buckle from the pressure as flame shoots out into the night from inside the old, beaten down house, sending boards and glass flying out in every direction.
SOUND EFFECT: KA-DOOOM
3/ Back inside, Milo holds his arms in front of him for protection as he stands in the midst of the inferno, looking around in startled despair. His glasses are covered in soot.
MILO: Jake?!
MILO: Where ARE you!?
MILO: We have to get OUT of here!
4/ Close on Milo’s face as he removes his glasses and something catches his eye. His face turns to stunned horror as the image sinks in.
MILO: NO!
MILO: Jake?
5/ Long panel as young Milo stands in the collapsing upper floor of his home, flames licking up all around him as he struggles to keep his footing, dumbstruck by the consequences of what he has done. He stares straight toward us, at the thing that caught his sight when he removed his glasses…and in the extreme FG, we see the charred, blackened remains of Milo’s brother, his arms twisted at an unnatural angle. Jake is dead.
PAGE TWENTY-NINE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH, another Celestial alignment. October 10th, 2004. The sun is closer to Galactic Central point, though of course not as close as it was in the 2008 lineup.
CAPTION: October 10th, 2004.
PAGE THIRTY
1/ A teenaged Rhiannon wanders up the hallway of her high school, looking as Goth as any teenager should ever look. Her hair is pulled back, revealing her young face through the Goth makeup she wears so proudly, and she carries a stack of books in her hand. Banners all over the walls proclaim Beaver Local Football, advertising the upcoming homecoming game with glitter and magic marker on red, black and white poster board. Students mill about in the halls, but one particular student – another Goth girl – races after Rhiannon from behind.
CAPTION: Rhiannon.
GIRL: Rhiannon!
GIRL: Wait up!
2/ Rhiannon turns to face the girl, smiling through what is clearly a veil of sadness.
RHI: Dee?
RHI: This is so WEIRD…
3/ The other girl, Dee, pulls Rhiannon tight and the two of them share a passionate kiss. Dee is a little taller than Rhiannon, with similar dark hair – though she keeps it cut short. She wears skull and bones earrings, and her Hot Topic brand clothing is outdone only by Rhiannon’s. Rhiannon closes her eyes and melts into the kiss.
DEE: I know, sweetie.
DEE: How could it NOT be weird, coming back only TWO DAYS after a SCHOOL SHOOTING?
4/ Close on Rhiannon, looking around furtively to make sure she isn’t heard by her classmates. She looks as though she’s been crying.
RHI: That’s not really what I MEAN, Dee.
RHI: I mean I don’t know if I, in PARTICULAR, can DEAL with this…
5/ Dee looks to Rhiannon with concern, grabbing Rhiannon’s face in her hand and smiling gently at her. She pulls her backpack up on her back, adjusting its weight. All along the strap are buttons of Invader Zim and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.
DEE: Oh, GOD, Rhi – I didn’t even THINK about it.
DEE: I’ll bet everybody’s EMOTIONS are all OVER the place.
PAGE THIRTY-ONE
1/ Rhiannon reaches into her locker, placing her stack of books inside. Dee stands next to her, watching in concern.
RHI: They are.
RHI: I’ve had to concentrate so HARD all day, just to keep it under CONTROL.
RHI: It’s giving me the WORST headaches.
2/ Dee grabs Rhiannon by the shoulder, forcing her to face her.
DEE: Rhi, honey…come here.
3/ Long panel, from a slight distance. Standing in the hallway, next to the lockers, Dee pulls Rhiannon into a warm hug, closing her eyes and burying her head in Rhiannon’s shoulder. The two remain that way for a moment. Down the hallway a bit, we see a janitor – and closer inspection reveals him to be the same Ned we’ve seen throughout this issue.
DEE: Soak it in, babe. See if it does any good.
4/ Rhiannon pulls back, grimacing in pain as she shuts her eyes tightly. She puts her hand to her forehead, trying to massage away the splitting headache.
RHI: Aghhh!
5/ Dee looks on, feeling a bit dejected for her inability to help Rhiannon.
DEE: Rhi, what’s wrong?
DEE: Is the BAD stuff hitting you? I tried my best to help…
PAGE THIRTY-TWO
1/ Long panel as Rhiannon struggles with the headache, Dee reaching out to try and help in any way she can.
RHI: It’s too much. TOO MUCH!
RHI: God, I just want it to go AWAY!
DEE: You want me to cast a PROTECTION spell?
DEE: I can DO that…
2/ Rhiannon throws her hands up in frustration.
RHI: I’ve DONE that! It doesn’t WORK!
RHI: I’m just too sensitive…
3/ Dee thinks.
DEE: Look, Rhiannon…
DEE: When I’m doing DIVINATION stuff, and I have to leave my MIND open to possible ATTACK? I visualize a WALL. It helps a lot.
4/ Rhiannon shuts her locker as Dee continues to explain.
DEE: Now, I know you need something a LOT more powerful than that…
DEE: …but you said that you were able to convert EMOTION into ENERGY and stuff. Could you build a REAL wall?
DEE: Something inside to DAMPEN these ATTACKS you have?
5/ Rhiannon turns to Dee, impressed with the idea. She smiles.
RHI: You know, that’s actually not a bad IDEA…
PAGE THIRTY-THREE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH. Celestial Alignment. May 2nd, 2008. We return to the stage in which the sun is very, very close to alignment with Central Point.
CAPTION: May 2nd, 2008.
PAGE THIRTY-FOUR
1/ Long panel as we find Andrew in a dark, disgusting sewer. The tunnels wind off into the distance as Andrew creeps along, brandishing a clunky bow with a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. He is 23 years old, but has been at this for a while and is clearly a professional when it comes to lurking around in cramped spaces in search of monsters. His thickly booted feet splash into the green water as he creeps along, hunched over in anticipation as he looks into the next system of tunnels. Pipes and valves line the slime-covered walls, and rats scurry along the floor.
CAPTION: Andrew.
ANDREW: Come on, come ON.
ANDREW: Where are you HIDING, you son of a BITCH?
2/ Andrew loads an arrow into his bow and pulls back, preparing to fire as he rounds the next corner.
3/ Suddenly, a vampire leaps out from behind him, seemingly appearing from nowhere as it descends from its hiding spot on the ceiling. It looks like a feral combination of the Nosferatu/Blade 2/Turok-Han (from Buffy Season 7) styles of Vampire than the elegant, classy, humanized Vampires that have become popular in recent years. Andrew leaps, startled.
VAMP: Yaghhh!
4/ Long panel as Andrew spins on a dime, letting the arrow fly. It strikes the vampire square in the chest, and the vamp explodes – showering Andrew with its dust.
SOUND EFFECT: FOOM
PAGE THIRTY-FIVE
1/ Andrew lets his bow fall to his side, catching his breath as his phone beeps.
ANDREW: Jesus.
ANDREW: How many of you are DOWN here?
SOUND EFFECT: Breet breet
2/ Andrew wanders further down the tunnels, answering his phone as he slings his bow over his shoulder and walks nonchalantly into the face of danger.
ANDREW: Not the best TIME, Julie.
ANDREW: I followed a VAMP down here and I think he’s led me right to a pretty nasty NEST. These guys are vicious….
3/ Cut to a young African American woman with round glasses and hair pulled back tight. This is Julie, and she sits at a wooden desk in a dimly lit office, speaking to Andrew on a cord phone.
JULIE: I can call back later, if you WANT, but I have a new CASE for you.
JULIE: Is SAMSON with you?
4/ Back to Andrew, looking around wearily as he speaks into his phone.
ANDREW: He’s coming in from the other DIRECTION. I’m alone.
ANDREW: I think I’m okay for a minute, but make it FAST. Things are about to get interesting down here, and I have CLASS in the morning.
5/ Long panel, Back to Julie, and now we see more of the office. There are numerous unsolved case files pinned to the wall on a giant corkboard, and a long table with a coffee machine and box of donuts sits abandoned, the coffee machine looking musty from disuse. Outside the office window, we see the Manhattan Skyline. Julie flips through a file folder on her desk.
JULIE: Looks like we’ve got a disappearance.
JULIE: Last time this girl was seen, it was during a pretty intense WEREWOLF attack in the VILLAGE. But there’s no BODY or even CHUNKS of body, so we’re thinking it may be a HOSTAGE situation, or they’ve TURNED her.
JULIE: Either way, I’ve got some concerned friends and family looking for ANSWERS.
PAGE THIRTY-SIX
1/ On Andrew, from behind, as he wanders down the tunnels, still speaking into his phone as he goes.
ANDREW: Girl gotta name?
2/ On Julie, skimming her files as she informs Andrew of the details.
JULIE: BETH.
JULIE: Elizabeth REILLY, to be more precise. And get this: arseholes that did this? The bloody BROTHERHOOD, if our INTEL’s correct.
3/ Andrew looks shocked, facing the phone in surprise.
ANDREW: The BROTHERHOOD!?
ANDREW: One of Chancellor Burgess’s rare HUNTING PARTIES, then. Bit early in the YEAR for him to lay it on the LINE like that, isn’t it?
4/ Julie raises an eyebrow, looking unimpressed.
JULIE: Said it yourself, Mate: Brotherhood’s been damned UNPREDICTABLE lately. Drama in the UNDERGROUND, it seems.
JULIE: The SUCKERS you’re after now – THEY’RE not Brotherhood, are they?
5/ Long panel as Andrew finally reaches the nest. The walls of the sewer are lined with human bodies, dripping blood and gore from their spots on the cold cement walls. Even more human hands reach up from out of the muck, stained with blood. More importantly, though, are the five frightening looking vampires who are now approaching Andrew, looking ready for a fight.
ANDREW: No, Ma’am.
ANDREW: This does NOT look like Brotherhood TERRITORY.
ANDREW: Julie? I’m gonna have to call you BACK.
PAGE THIRTY-SEVEN
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH. Celestial Alignment. September 21st, 2001. A step back for the Solar Alignment to Central Point.
CAPTION: September 21st, 2001.
PAGE THIRTY-EIGHT
1/ Long panel as we see a possessed woman, tied to a bed with numerous buckled straps, thrashing violently in her attempts to free herself of her imprisonment. Her face is contorted and grotesque, a reflection of the demon inside that is beyond her ability to control. She hisses and screams, her long hair tossing about, baring her teeth.
CAPTION: Donovan.
WOMAN: HELL AWAITS YOU!!!
WOMAN: DARKNESS FIGHTS FOR YOUR SOUL!!!
WOMAN: So much DEATH in your FUTURE, BOY!
2/ Angle reverse, we now see down the length of the bed as the demon woman continues to scream at the young man who peers hesitantly around the corner of the bedroom doorway, sheepishly investigating the terrifying amount of noise the woman is letting loose through the halls. The building itself is an old convent, and we can see the dark lacquered wood that lines the walls and floors, shining brightly with polish. Various religious artifacts hang from the walls, and a small wash bin rests on a console table opposite the bed. The boy peering around the corner is Donovan, at 14 years old.
WOMAN: What’s the matter, BOY!?
WOMAN: AFRIAD to come CLOSER?
WOMAN: AFRAID of the TRUTH?!
3/ Pull in on Donovan, staring around the corner in fright. He clings to the edge of the door frame, his fingernails digging into the wood. He does not hide his fear as the woman continues to taunt him.
WOMAN (OFF PANEL): The DARK WITCH will show you the WAY, boy!
WOMAN: She’ll sense your FEARS, the EARTH-MOTHER will, and SEIZE on them!
4/ Outside the room, in the hallway, as a tall middle-aged priest walks up and rests a hand on the frightened Donovan’s shoulder. Donovan turns to look at him, confused.
DON: What’s WRONG with her, Father?
DON: I’ve seen it BEFORE, but I still don’t UNDERSTAND it.
5/ The Priest drops down into a crouch, achieving eye-level with the young Donovan. He squeezes Donovan’s shoulder to comfort him, smiling reassuringly. We can see that the Priest is the same priest who was present at the death of Donovan’s mother, though he has aged.
PRIEST: She’s POSSESSED, Donovan. Just as your MOTHER was.
PRIEST: The DEMON has HOLD of her, and doesn’t want to let go. But, you see, we’ve sent for a SPECIALIST in these things.
PAGE THIRTY-NINE
1/ Standing behind the priest, looking down at the young boy and his currently crouched mentor, is a man in his late thirties. He is tall, with a somewhat darker complexion, and dark messy hair. The priest begins to stand up in an effort to greet the new man. He wears all black, with long dark pants and a button-up smock of a shirt, with a familiar looking cross printed on the front….
PRIEST: Donovan, this is WILLIAM PAUL. He’s an EXORCIST of some RENOWN, and he’s here to HELP our good sister.
PAUL: A pleasure, Father.
PAUL: Donovan.
2/ The two grown men look into the possessed woman’s room with sincere but professionally distanced looks of sadness, the Priest focusing more on disseminating information to William Paul than on the woman herself. Paul is strictly business.
PAUL: How’s SISTER ALVERA?
PRIEST: She’s been RESTRAINED for hours now, Mr. Paul.
PRIEST: I’m not sure how much longer we can HOLD her.
3/ Paul looks down at Donovan, offering his hand in greeting.
PAUL: Put her THERE, pal.
PAUL: You holding up okay?
DON: I guess. It’s a little SCARY.
4/ Donovan accepts the offered hand, and the two shake. William Paul gives Donovan a genuine, warm-hearted smile.
PAUL: That’s true, Donovan. It CAN be scary.
PAUL: But I’m William Paul, and I’m the best there is at what I DO.
5/ Paul stands up, looking seriously at the Priest.
PAUL: I realize this can be a bit MUCH for a CHILD, Father.
PAUL: I have a son of my OWN, a bit older. SAMSON.
PRIEST: Oh, I’m not the boy’s ACTUAL Father.
6/ On the Priest, looking forbiddingly at Paul, wishing he’d let the subject drop for Donovan’s sake, more than anything.
PAUL (OFF PANEL): Oh, I’m sorry. Are you - ?
PRIEST: The Father’s DECEASED.
7/ On Paul, looking foolish for asking.
PAUL: I’m sorry. And the MOTHER?
8/ On the two of them, as the Priest just locks eyes with Paul, answering the question with his silence. Paul lowers his eyes.
PAUL: I see.
PAGE FORTY
1/ William Paul enters the Sister’s room, carrying something in his hands and matching eyes with this demonized woman immediately. He glares challengingly, trying to get a rise from the demon.
PAUL: Sister Alvera.
2/ The demonic woman freezes in her thrashing, stopping instead to glare menacingly at her new guest. She clearly recognizes him, and does not like the sight of him.
WOMAN: YOU.
3/ Paul looks down at the object in his hand – a small pendant, in the shape of a pentagram, made of sparkling crystal. It glints in the dim light of the room, and he stares at it importantly.
PAUL: Yes, that’s correct. ME.
PAUL: So I can safely assume I’m NOT talking to Sister ALVERA, am I, DEMON?
4/ The woman begins to scream and thrash once more, though now her demeanor has shifted from angry to scared – screaming more for help than anything else.
WOMAN: GO AWAY!
WOMAN: We know who you ARE and you’re a BLIGHT upon the WORLD!
5/ One large panel, with an inset in the upper left-hand corner.
INSET: Paul bends down to the floor, gently placing the pentagram pendant on the ground and smiling to himself as he does.
PAUL: Yeah. You people are NEVER happy to see me, are you?
PAUL: Well, I guess I know WHY.
PANEL: Paul stands back and the room is suddenly lit with a flare of orange as the pendant ignites, sending a huge arc of flame along the floor before him in the shape of the pentagram, blazing away and illuminating Paul from beneath as we view over his shoulders. He drops his hands to his sides, satisfied with this step and preparing to leap headlong into the exorcism.
PAUL: Some jobs, the better at it you are, the more ENEMIES you have.
PAGE FORTY ONE
1/ FULL PAGE SPLASH, with the FINAL Celestial Alignment. The bisecting line through the image reveals that on this NEW date - January 30th, 2012 – the sun of our solar system is closer to alignment with Galactic Central Point than it has been over the entirety of the time span depicted in this issue – and it will only get closer. The line nearly connects with the orb of the sun itself.
CAPTION: January 30th, 2012.
PAGE FORTY TWO
1/ Long panel as a somewhat beat-up looking sedan pulls up to the front of the house on Campus we’ve come to recognize as Rhiannon’s home. It’s a snowy afternoon, and a black cat Zips across the porch as the car idles in its place.
RHI (INSIDE CAR): And here we ARE.
2/ Inside the car, in the passenger seat, Rhiannon turns to her driver: Dee, the girl Rhi dated in high school. Steam shoots from their mouths in the cold as they speak, smiling familiarly but a bit awkwardly at each other.
RHI: Thanks for everything, DEE.
RHI: It’s been good to see you again.
DEE: Same to you, Rhi.
3/ On Dee, trussed up in layers of puffy coats and scarves, as she gives a red-faced grin to her passenger, nervous to be around Rhi after all this time. Rhi leans into the panel, her hair showing from under a wool cap.
RHI: And taking me all the way back to COLUMBUS was awesome of you.
RHI: Are you SURE you don’t want any GAS MONEY?
DEE: Not a chance.
DEE: It was nice just to get away from EAST LIVERPOOL for a day.
4/ Rhiannon begins to say something as Dee leans across the car, pushing against the steering wheel to reach over into the passenger seat and lock lips with a startled Rhiannon. Rhiannon pushes her away.
RHI: Oh, I’m sure it - !
5/ Rhiannon looks at Dee, gentle but firm in her rebuttal.
RHI: Dee. I told you.
RHI: I’m not a lesbian anymore. I never really WAS. It was just a weird place in my life.
6/ Dee smiles awkwardly, a little embarrassed but taking it like a grownup. She raises a sincere eyebrow.
DEE: It’s a SHAME, Rhi.
DEE: Coulda been fun.
PAGE FORTY THREE
1/ Rhiannon stands outside in the snow, steam issuing from her mouth as she watches Dee’s car drive off down the muddy winter streets of the North Campus Neighborhood.
2/ On Rhiannon, looking both confused and amused, if a little sad.
RHI: Wow. Strange.
3/ Rhi enters her home, calling out to her roommates, who appear to be away at the moment. She shrugs off her wool scarf, standing in the open doorway.
RHI: Anybody HOME?
4/ She walks past a small end table by the living room couch and notices the blinking message light on the voice mail machine. She nudges it absentmindedly with her finger as she verbally acknowledges it.
RHI: Message.
RHI: Perhaps for me?
5/ Close as Rhiannon’s hand reaches out and pushes the button on the Voice Mail.
SOUND EFFECT: BEEP
6/ Long Panel as Rhiannon rifles through the kitchen refrigerator in the far BG, while the voice mail machine rattles off the message in the extreme FG. Rhiannon discovers a jug of milk and lifts it into better light, checking the date.
MACHINE: Rhiannon, my name is Andrew MacTiernan.
MACHINE: You don’t KNOW me, but I would very much like to MEET with you…
PAGE FORTY FOUR
1/ LONG PANEL as we CUT TO Andrew’s personal office. In particular, we are focused on the items sprawled across his desk: a stack of non-descript papers, a chewed and weathered pencil, a cell-phone, and a sheet of yellow legal paper with a list of names. ELLIOT WOODYARD and RHIANNON McRHEA are listed at the top, and both are scratched out. DONOVAN THATCHER remains, but is circled with a small annotation in less careful handwriting indicating that “Palmer is taking care of it.” All that remains is the last name, in noticeably more deliberate handwriting, underlined repeatedly, and surrounded with doodled question marks. It says “BETH ADAMS.”
ANDREW (OFF PANEL): Hey, Beth.
ANDREW: It’s ANDREW MacTIERNAN. How’s a trip to COLUMBUS sound?
2/ Andrew stands beside the desk, looking down at his list and scratching his head in frustration. He rests his free hand on his hip and grimaces, feeling stupid about his inability to get past the “Beth” hurtle. He stands in blue flannel pajama bottoms and a green Marvel Comics t-shirt, his hair unkempt as he has not left his house yet today.
ANDREW: Nice, Andrew.
ANDREW: Of COURSE you’d rip it off like a band-aid. How could she not go for that?
3/ Andrew paces, gesturing innocently with his hands in mock irony.
ANDREW: Hi, Beth. It’s ANDREW!
ANDREW: Hey, how’s your MARRIAGE? Recover sufficiently from my selfish attempt to SABOTAGE it yet? Landon have any INTEREST in the two of us spending a bunch of TIME together?
4/ Andrew picks up his list, staring at it helplessly.
ANDREW: Hi, Beth. How’s LANDON?
ANDREW: Got any CUBS I should know about? You can CUB-sit, while LANDON and I head down to the bar and sort this out like GENTLEMEN!
5/ Andrew drops the paper and looks off into the distance, feeling defeated.
ANDREW: I can’t DO this.
PAGE FORTY FIVE
1/ Andrew stands silently in the door to his bedroom, having a massive internal debate. We can see his unmade bed, and in the very FG there is a tall dresser on which sits a framed photograph, turned away from us.
2/ Andrew approaches the dresser and picks up the photograph, examining it. It is still turned away from us, but Andrew looks at it with heartfelt nostalgia.
ANDREW: You know…
3/ Long panel as we see the image in Andrew’s hand. It is the same photograph of Andrew, Beth and Samson Paul that we have seen before, framed in a polished wooden frame.
ANDREW (OFF PANEL): This would be a whole lot EASIER if YOU were here, man.
4/ Andrew sighs as he places the photo face down on the dresser and looks up, realizing he has to get his act together.
ANDREW: ::sigh::
5/ He picks up the phone and begins to dial, looking as though he’s just stepped in front of an execution squad.
ANDREW: Alright.
ANDREW: Here goes nothin’.
PAGE FORTY SIX
1/ Long panel as we CUT TO Donovan, looking suddenly very, very worried as he stands at the foot of an unfamiliar bed. He looks poised for action but uncertain of what to do, as if every fiber of his being is simultaneously screaming “Oh, Shit,” at the top of its lungs.
DON: Crap.
2/ Don leaps onto the bed and begins shaking at the comatose woman he was just moments ago trying to help via his exorcism skills. She does not respond, and we realize that Donovan is trying to rouse a dead woman, terrified for his own life if he could be attributed to her death as the very cause himself.
DON: Come on! Come ON!
DON: Wake UP!
3/ On the dead woman’s face, looking, well…dead.
4/ Donovan looks down at her, his face suddenly deeply forlorn as he realizes that it’s hopeless. He drops back on his haunches and lets his hands sink into his lap in defeat.
DON: No.
5/ He shifts, choosing instead to sit on the side of the bed and hang his embarrassed head.
DON: Don’t be dead.
PAGE FORTY SEVEN
1/ Suddenly, in the doorway, we see Mr. Palmer – the government director of the Knights of Columbus’ regional branch of the Paranormal Defense Initiative. He is dressed like a business man, in a tailored suit and conservative appearance, and he lingers in the doorway as though he’s completely casual, with no regard to the dead woman on the bed.
PALMER: Donovan Thatcher.
2/ Donovan looks up at the side of the bed, turning in horror as he realizes he’s been found out, that everyone will know he’s a failure and that his inadequacy is responsible for this woman’s death. He recoils slightly.
DON: This isn’t what it LOOKS like.
3/ Palmer walks casually into the room, brandishing a business card and holding it out to Donovan. He looks completely unimpressed by any of the drama that has just exploded in Donovan’s life.
PALMER: What it looks like is an EXORCISM gone tragically WRONG.
PALMER: So I’m assuming it’s EXACTLY what it looks like.
4/ Donovan looks down at the card, confused and ashamed.
DON: I know. I’m sorry. Mr.…PALMER.
DON: I don’t know what to say. Besides that I thought I was cut out for this, and I’m obviously NOT.
5/ Over Palmer’s shoulder as he sticks a fat brown cigar in his mouth and Donovan looks up at him, confused. Palmer lights the cigar.
PALMER: Now, now, Mr. Thatcher. You can’t save ‘em ALL.
PALMER: But I can certainly offer you the chance to TRY.
DON: I don’t understand…what’s - ?
6/ Low Angle as Palmer extends his hand to Donovan, seen from Donovan’s POV. He takes a big puff on his glowing cigar, a cloud of smoke forming around his face.
PALMER: As you already KNOW, the name’s PALMER.
PALMER: I’m with the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
PAGE FORTY EIGHT
1/ CUT TO Landon and Beth’s house in New York, the one and only time we’ll ever see it. Landon stands in a doorway in the BG, looking confused and intrigued, as we see Beth’s hand place the cordless phone back into its cradle in the extreme FG, resting on a shiny end table near the same end table lamp we’ve seen in their Columbus home. There is a framed photograph of Landon and Beth resting near the phone, as they cuddle and smile for the camera.
LANDON: Who was THAT?
2/ Close on Beth as she bites her lip, not sure if she really wants to be honest with him at the moment. She glances away.
BETH: Um…
3/ Beth turns away and fiddles with her fingers near the end table, looking at the floor.
BETH: Andrew MacTiernan.
4/ Landon continues to hold his position in the doorway, taking the news in stride and responding in carefully measured tones to what he surely is not happy to hear. He keeps his own head lowered, but his eyes look steadily in the direction of Beth.
LANDON: Are you serious?
BETH (OFF PANEL): I am.
5/ Long panel. Landon leans against the door frame and folds his arms, beginning to look indignant but not fully angry yet. Beth turns and faces him uncertainly.
LANDON: And what could HE possibly want?
BETH: He wants to put together a TEAM. Paranormal thing.
BETH: I think it’s for the GOVERNMENT. He said I’d have to be BRIEFED and –
LANDON: Wait.
LANDON: Stop talking.
PAGE FORTY NINE
1/ Close on Landon, eyes narrowed, anger rising.
LANDON: Andrew MacTiernan thinks he can just call here and RECRUIT you?
LANDON: After everything that happened in Rome.
2/ Beth tries to diffuse the situation by acting casual, trying to convince Landon that he’s just overreacting. She turns dismissively and walks in the direction of the kitchen, speaking breezily.
BETH: Landon. This isn’t LIKE that.
BETH: This sounds like a GOOD thing. Getting away from all this BROTHERHOOD stuff, and –
3/ Landon turns to follow her progress visually, though he does not physically pursue her as she heads toward the other room. He remains rooted in his spot, keeping eye contact with what, at the moment, is the back of her head. He maintains his calm anger.
LANDON: Beth, if it involves ANDREW, it’s not a GOOD thing.
LANDON: And why does he think he can just CALL here, after TWO years –
4/ Beth keeps her back to him, but looks back at him over her shoulder. She leans her hand against the doorframe in the archway to the kitchen, eyes cast down at the ground in shame as she makes the crushing admission.
BETH: Because I never stopped talking to him.
5/ Landon looks at her, aghast.
6/ He casts his eyes downward and hangs his head for the first time, humiliated.
LANDON: Fine. Whatever.
LANDON: Fill me in LATER. I’m going to the BAR.
7/ Landon rounds the corner into the foyer and disappears, headed out into the night.
8/ Beth continues to linger in the door to the kitchen, leaning against the frame as she hangs her own head in disgust at herself. She does not feel bad about maintaining contact with Andrew, but she does feel bad about lying to Landon.
BETH: Dammit.
PAGE FIFTY
1/ CUT TO a CLOSE UP on Milo’s hand, filled with his HIV medication in capsule form, with the stained and ancient ceramic sink seen in the background as we look down at the hand from Milo’s POV. He holds the bottle in his other hand, also in panel, with cotton sticking out the top. Toothpaste and a toothbrush are scattered along the back of the sink, the toothpaste oozing out onto the ceramic.
2/ Milo tosses his head back and shoves the pills down his throat, grimacing.
3/ Finished taking his medication, Milo stands in the bathroom doorway, looking out into his studio apartment and staring at the voice mail machine sitting next to his unmade bed. His art hangs scattered all over the walls, vividly colorful depictions of frustration, anger and regret, painted onto the canvas to get them out of his head.
MILO: Alright. Decision time.
4/ Milo approaches the machine and presses the button, nodding as though he’s listened to the message a hundred times already. He pushes the button to stop it before it gets even halfway through.
MACHINE: Hello, Elliot. My name is Andrew MacTiernan, and –
SOUND EFFECT: BEEP
MILO: Yes, Andrew MacTiernan. I know why you’re calling.
MILO: I’ve listened to your voicemail about thirty-seven times. I just don’t know how to REACT to it at all.
5/ Milo turns, acknowledging a weathered old Dungeons and Dragons poster on his wall, depicting an ornately drawn Wizard with his staff, gesturing dramatically atop a mountain. Beneath the poster are hundreds of painted miniatures – orcs and goblins, mages and rangers – scattered about in such a way as to suggest that it’s been a while since Milo’s done anything with them.
6/ Milo looks away from the poster, realizing it gave him an idea.
MILO: Yeah, yeah.
MILO: That’s not a bad IDEA.
7/ Milo walks down the steps of his apartment building, approaching the big metal door that leads to High Street below. He talks on his cell phone as he goes, leaning against the metal railing on his way down.
MILO: Yeah, can I get a CAB?
MILO: I’m going to EKADANTA. The Goth Club. Yeah, on the west side.
MILO: I’m on the SHORT NORTH. Just meet me at the CONVENIENCE STORE.
8/ Milo closes his cell phone, now standing on High Street and pulling his hoody tightly around him as the cars zip by in the night. He looks off into space, unaware that he is about to walk right into the first page of our Comic Book Series by visiting Mr. Wizard.
MILO: Alright, Mr. Wizard.
MILO: Looks like you and I need to have a little CHAT.
CAPTION: Next – Missing Link!
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