Puppet play

The Great Works Project: Season Five, Episode Five – a new script by Thomas Typewriter

The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 05, Episode 05

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2023 thomas typewriter

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN TO BLACK


From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “05-05”. It moves upwards, pausing a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

LS OF THE TYPEWRITER PUPPET STAGE

The Typewriter Puppet Stage manifests illuminated by unseen lamps. The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING sounds out.

TRANSITION FROM THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE TO MID-STAGE

PAN IN ON THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

PAN IN ON THE MID-STAGE AREA UNTIL IT IS PROPERLY FRAMED

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The Mid-Stage curtains part. The stage-lights turn on to the sound of A LIGHTSWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…

MID-STAGE: EXT. OFFICES OF DOUBLEWAY RENTAL PROPERTIES. DAYTIME
A subdued natural stone color building fills the stage. A set of doors rest just stage-left of center. Stage-right of center the building has a twin set of triangular protruding windows. Brickwork of darked brown can be seen over each door and window. Stenciled in gold letters with a black shadow on the doors is the following text: “Doubleway Rental Properties Inc.”. From off-stage we hear the sound of A CAR PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE followed by CAR DOORS OPENING AND CLOSING. FOOTSTEPS grow louder preceding THOMAS TYPEWRITER entering stage-right. He crosses across the stage to the doors. He pulls open the closest door and goes inside. From stage-left a BUTTERFLY flies in and lands on the bricks above the windows. It flaps its wings as it warms itself in the sun.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA DISCONNECTS FROM FRAMING THE MID-STAGE AND PANS UPWARD. AFTER GLIDING OVER THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE SETS, THE CAMERA ASCENDS ALONG THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS LINING THE BACK OF THE MID-STAGE. UP AND UP IT PANS. AT THE TOP OF THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS IT SLOWS AS THE HIGH-STAGE SLIDES INTO VIEW. THE CAMERA FINISHES PANNING WHEN PROPERLY FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The High-stage curtains are closed but open shortly. As they part the High-stage stage lights click on with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING UP revealing a scene already in progress.

HIGH-STAGE: INT. PHYSIO-THERAPY OFFICE 505
A small desk sits on the stage-right side of the room. Bare walls, a soft pastel beige-pink divided by a wide horizontal white stripe, move stage-left and stage-right from the corner of the room behind the desk. On the walls are various medical posters related to physical therapy and therapeutic exercises. IASO FLAUTO sits at the desk, dressed in a white medical coat, hair up in a bun, fiddling with her small mirror-shaped medical scanner. Sitting in the front of the desk are the three Medi-pods housing LUCIDO OBSIDIAN, CEDAR WAXWINGS, and CARRO.

IASO FLAUTO
“And everyday we will meet to complete physical therapy.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I don’t understand.”

LUCIDO OBSIDIAN
“Yeah, why physical therapy? How are we suppose to do that in these egg coffins.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Isn’t the Medi-Pods repairing us. We’ll be fine when we get out.”

IASO FLAUTO
“Unfortunately no Cedar. To answer both of your points, yes the Medi-Pods will repair your bodies, and while yes it seems silly to ask you to conduct physical therapy while inside them, it is how they were designed. Normally your injuries would require surgery, a period of convalescence, and then another period of physical therapy and strength rebuilding. The Medi-Pod allows the two stages, healing and recovery, to overlap. ”

CARRO
“But why am I in one. I don’t have a body.”

IASO FLAUTO
“That used to be true. Solar/Lunar decided with your Sparkship shell lost, and honestly guys how’d you crash a Sparkship? A fleet of over one-hundred ships and only one has ever crashed. Yours.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Now hold on, we didn’t crash the ship.”

LUCIDO OBSIDIAN
“Yeah, something hit the ship.”

IASO FLAUTO
“I mean, you guys should be worrying more about why you are not in jail instead of why the Doctor is telling you you have to do physical therapy.”

CARRO
“Oh.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Why are we not in jail?”

IASO FLAUTO
“Heck if I know. Maybe cause coma victims make poor prisoners. Maybe Solar/Lunar is too embarrassed they lost a ship. Who knows. Not my concern.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“My dad. My dad is the embarrassed one. He’d never let it get out his son crashed one of his precious ships. Easier to put us here.”

LUCIDO OBSIDIAN
“So, who’s paying for all this.”

IASO FLAUTO
“The Solar/Lunar Fleet”

LUCIDO OBSIDIAN
“Oh.”

IASO FLAUTO
“Right now what is important is that we get you three healthy and healed, and in Carro’s case into a new body. Therapy starts tomorrow morning after breakfast. You can have the rest of the day to yourselves.”

Iaso presses a button on the mirror on her desk.

IASO FLAUTO
“Panacia, we’re done here.”

PANACIA FLAUTO
(off-screen) “I’ll be right there.”

IASO FLAUTO
“That is all for today gentlemen. If you wouldn’t mind waiting outside for Panacia, I have another appointment.”

The three Medi-pods wander out of the medical office. Once they are gone, Iaso turns to the large mirror behind her.

IASO FLAUTO
“Mirror, Mirror on the wall who needs forgiveness today.”

The mirror shifts and shimmers changing from reflecting the medical office to showing the Forgiving Place. Fiery light cast on the edges.

IASO FLAUTO
“Interesting. I’ll be over shortly.”

The High-stage stage lights turn off to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF. The High-Stage curtains close.

TRANSITION FROM THE HIGH-STAGE TO THE MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE AND PANS DOWNWARD. IT MOVES OVER THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, DESCENDING LOWER AND LOWER. IT MOVES OVER THE TOP OF THE MID-STAGE SETS AND DOWNWARD FURTHER UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: EXT. THE DOUBLEWAY RENTAL PROPERTIES OFFICES. DAYTIME
A not-quite two-story pale brown brick building fills most of the stage. It ends just short of stage-right while extending out of sight of stage-left. Double-doors of glass, with the Doubleway Rental Properties logo painted just off-center. To the other side of center, stage-right side, three windows, each of a triangular prism form, jut out from the building. Red brick arches curve over the doors as well as each window. A butterfly rests on the side of the building sunning itself. THOMAS TYPEWRITER exits the building through the double-doors coming into our view. He is carrying a stack of papers. Thomas walks stage-right exiting off stage. From off-stage we hear the sound of CAR DOORS OPENING AND CLOSING, AN ENGINE TURNING ON, and lastly, A CAR DRIVING AWAY. The butterfly on the side of the building leaves the side of the building, flying around the stage. It flies upward, exiting by flying past the edge of the framing image. The stage lights turn off to the sound of A LIGHTSWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-Stage curtains close.

FADE OUT

The Great Works Project: Season Five, Episode Four – a new script by Thomas Typewriter

The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 05, Episode 04

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2023 thomas typewriter

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN TO BLACK

From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “05-04”. It moves upwards, pausing a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge.

FADE OUT
FADE IN

LS OF THE TYPEWRITER PUPPET STAGE

The Typewriter Puppet Stage slowly appears under unseen lamps as they power on. The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING sounds out.

TRANSITION FROM THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE TO MID-STAGE

PAN IN ON THE TYPEWRITER PUPPET STAGE
PAN IN ON THE MID-STAGE AREA UNTIL IT IS PROPERLY FRAMED

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The Mid-Stage curtains part. The stage-lights turn on to the sound of A LIGHTSWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…

MID-STAGE: THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S APARTMENT’S LIVING ROOM, LATE AFTERNOON
A small table sits front stage, just stage-left of the center. Across the back of the stage rests two tall bookshelves, filled with various books, graphic novels, CDs, artwork, and houseplants. Off to stage-right stands a bookshelf half as tall, topped by houseplants. It is also crammed with books, graphic novels, CDs, and artwork. THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters through the front door hidden behind the center’s tall bookshelf. He emerges from behind the bookshelf and sets his mail down on a shelf. He takes off his shoes. He then walks over to the desk. Taking out a sheet of paper and a pen from a drawer, he stoops to write.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voiceover) “To do: 1. Notify the landlord company moving out of the apartment. 2. Cancel cable. 3. Cancel phone line. 4. Close bank accounts 5. Get moving boxes to pack up belongings. Question: Do we need everything we have? 6. Give Ophidia a final answer to her question.”

Thomas exits stage-right.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA DISCONNECTS FROM FRAMING THE MID-STAGE AND PANS UPWARD. IT SLIDES OVER THE SETS TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS ALONG THE BACK OF THE STAGE. IT CONTINUES PANNING UPWARD ACROSS THE CURTAINS OF CLOUD TO THE HIGH-STAGE AT THE TOP OF THE CURTAIN. THE CAMERA CONTINUES ONTO THE HIGH-STAGE UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The High-Stage curtains open and the stage-lights turn on with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING ON revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: INT. CORRIDOR 505 OF THE FLUTE
A long corridor stretches across the stage. Recessed light panels fill the curve where the wall meets the ceiling. Along the walls, thick lines of red, blue, yellow, and brown run along the wall. A fifth dotted black line runs underneath the other four. One line for each color. 505 is painted in thick black stencil lettering on the side of the corridor. PANACEA FLAUTO enters stage-left. She walks across the stage and stands facing stage-left. She is holding up her Medi-scanner. Panacea is holding the Medi-scanner in one hand and with the other hand she is holding the sensor wand. She is holding the sensor wand against the Medi-scanner in a way very similar as if it was a joystick. Three Medi-pods, containing LUCIDO OBSIDIAN, CEDAR WAXWINGS, and the brainbox of CARRO emerge stage-left. They move awkwardly and jerkily bumping into each other and the walls before resting in the center of the stage.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Gentlemen if I may have a moment of your attention. The Flauto is a very large ship. To help you navigate the walls are marked with colored lines, each color denoting a different area in the ship. The red line leads to the Medical sections. The blue line leads to the residences or patient rooms. The yellow leads to the cafeteria and the observation dome. And the brown is for staff only.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“What is that?”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Staff only means offices, supply closets, engineering. Things the patients don’t need to go to.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“No, not the brown line. The dotted line.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“That’s not important.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“But where does it lead to?”

LUCIDO OBSIDIAN
“Yeah. Does it go anywhere?”

CARRO
“Maybe it’s a fold line.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Now gentlemen we should…”

CARRO
“Like the place where what looks like two things but are actually one thing overlap.”

LUCIDO OBSIDIAN
“Maybe it’s merely decorative”

CEDAR WAXWING
“Or graffiti.”

LUCIDO OBSIDIAN
“Seems too utilitarian to be graffiti.”

CARRRO
“I still say fold line. A ship this old could be a Caregiver. They have other versions stacked on top of it.”

LUCIDO OBSIDIAN
“That’s not exactly true.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Oh yeah, then why do we have like eight bosses for a company owned by two people?

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Gentlemen. If we could get back on subject.”

LUCIDO OBSIDIAN
“I’m just saying they are not all like that.”

CARRO
“Wonder what makes up this space? Who else?”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Of course you’d jump to their defense.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Gentlemen.”

LUCIDO OBSIDIAN
“Now that’s not fair.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Oh it isn’t now.”

Panacea, visibly frustrated, presses a button on the Medi-scanner. The center light on the top of each Medi-pod turns blue. The three go silent and Panacea drives them off-screen exiting stage-right. She follows behind them.
They exit stage-right. The High-stage lights turn off with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF.

TRANSITION FROM THE HIGH-STAGE TO THE MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS DOWNWARD, DETACHING FROM THE HIGH-STAGE AND MOVING TOWARDS THE MID-STAGE BELOW. IT GLIDES LOWER AND LOWER ALONG THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE SETS POP INTO VIEW AS THE CAMERA SLOWS COMING TO REST PROPERLY FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: INT. THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S APARTMENT’S LIVING ROOM. MORNING
The living room stands dark. In the dim, we can make out three bookshelves across the back of the stage, at angles to each other. The stage-left and center bookshelves are tall and joined to each other. A gap separates the two from the third. It is shorter than the others. All three are loaded with books, graphic novels, music CDs, artwork, and houseplants. A beam of sunlight casts its way across the living room from stage-left. SONGBIRDS CHIRPING drifts in from off-stage. The stage-lights slowly rise as the sun rises on this new day. THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters from stage-right. He walks across the stage to stage-left. He exits. He returns eating a bagel. He walks back across the stage and exits stage-right. A longer moment passes before he reenters. This time he is dressed, with a jacket, hat and gloves. The bagel was in his mouth as he entered so he could finish putting on the jacket. He takes it out of his mouth and finishes the last bit. He walks over to his desk, the same desk he wrote the note on previously. He picks up the note and moves to leave the apartment. The stage-lights turn off to the sound of A LIGHTSWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-Stage curtains close.
FADE OUT

The Skipping Stone – a new The Not So Puppet Show script by Thomas Typewriter

scripts, The Not So Puppet Show

———–<.thom.>———–

THE NOT SO PUPPET SHOW

Tract #001

“The Skipping Stone”

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2023 thomas typewriter

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN

Title Sequence plays

FADE OUT
FADE IN

EXT. LAKESIDE, DAYTIME
The front of the stage is the shoreline of a lake. The back of the stage is high grass transitioning into a thick forest. There is a pebble-laden path off to stage left. A fallen log sits on the shoreline.

LS OF THE BEACH

From the path enters THOMAS TYPEWRITER. He walks over to the shoreline and looks out at the water.

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “As a child, I grew up close to a river, a short bike from the water’s edge. Something I liked doing was skipping stones. My mind was always too loud and my inner self too large. It all went away as I watched the rocks fly, the waves ripple out.”
As Thomas narrates a piece of background music which is noisy and unpleasant starts to increase in volume. He looks out to the water. When the volume of the cacophony becomes louder than the background sounds of animals and birds, Thomas turns his attention to the shoreline. He scans the beach and finds some rocks. With a flick of his arm, the rock sails out. The background noise stops.

CUT TO LS OF THOMAS ON THE SHORE.

The rock flies out and bounces across the water. It flies towards the camera before sinking under the water. He tosses a second.

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “Now that I am back here, something occurs to me. Something always occurs to me in those moments when my thoughts slip away, when I no longer feel too big on the inside, too small on the outside.”

CUT TO LS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER

Thomas tosses another stone.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “ It occurs to me, I am like this stone. I am propelled by some force traveling across a surface making waves until my arc ends and I disappear.”

CUT TO A SHOT OF STONE ENDING ITS FLIGHT AND SLIPPING UNDER THE WATER

CUT TO CS OF THE WAVES FROM THE ROCK SLIPPING UNDER THE WATER SPREADING OUT

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “And in my flight across this world, I have an effect. The waves of my effect will continue long after my flight has ended. Yet, they are not infinite. They too will eventually run out and disappear. And as all this unfolds I find myself a bystander watching the waves of my actions rippling out, captivated by the patterns of my life but at the same time unable to find any grand purpose to the whole affair.”

CUT BACK TO CS OF THOMAS’S FACE

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS THROWING A TONE

TRANSITION TO THE WAVE SCREEN SEQUENCE.

FADE TO THE WAVE SCREEN BOARD

The Water Shadow Board is a screen, a transparent water tank, and a set of bright lights. The three elements are arranged in a way that the bright lights project through the water tank onto the screen. The screen is filmed so that the shadow of any object moving across or through the water is cast onto the screen. Additionally, the inference patterns caused by the water in motion or waves across the surface of the water are also cast onto the screen. The camera will be positioned to film the screen and the shadows cast, not the tank of water or bright lights. Those will always remain out of frame.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “What is the measure of my life, of my stone’s throw?”

As Thomas narrates, stones are thrown across the surface of the water in the clear tank creating a shadow pattern on the screen.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “Is it the number of years I live? The number of seconds I remain in flight? The distance traveled? The size or number of waves?”

The shadow patterns flow out to stop.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “Maybe it is something else.”

INSERT TO CS OF A THROWN ROCK BOUNCING OFF THE WATER’S SURFACE, IN SLOW-MOTION.

SLOW THE SLOW MOTION OF THE ROCK BOUNCING OFF THE WATER UNTIL FREEZING AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT. THEN PLAY IN REVERSE UNTIL THE ROCK IS BACK IN THOMAS’ HAND

CS OF THE ROCK IN THOMAS’ HAND

THE SKIPPING STONE
“The answer is simpler than you would believe. I have no control over the duration of my flight or the waves I make. I have no awareness of my path. All I have is the brief moments of contact with the surface. To me, there is only a lifespan of kisses with the water. I only have control over how I kiss, as in the sweet or bitter things I say at that moment and in turn how I take the sweet or bitter things the water says to me. That is my life and that by extension is your life.”

CUT TO CS OF THOMAS CONTEMPLATING WHAT THE SKIPPING STONE SAID.

THE SKIPPING STONE
(off-camera) “Ahem.”

Thomas looks down.

CUT TO A CLOSE SHOT OF THE ROCK IN THOMAS’ HAND

THE SKIPPING STONE
“Don’t you think it is time we both lived?”

CUT TO THOMAS NODDING HIS HEAD YES.

Thomas throws the rock. It skips out across the water. Thomas stands and watches the waves spread out and eventually disappear. He then pulls out his phone and dials a number. After a few RINGS, it picks up.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Hey, honey. Yeah, I’m feeling better. How about you. How are you doing? I’d like to listen to whatever you have to say.”
Thomas Typewriter exits.

FADE OUT

The Broken Book of Beasties: Book 1, Part 3 – a new script by Thomas Typewriter

The Broken Book of Beasties

———–<.thom.>———–

THE BROKEN BOOK OF BEASTIES

“Book I: A Book by Any Other Cover”

Part Three of Three

By Thomas Typewriter and Primo Operahouse-Typewriter & Secondo Operahouse-Typewriter

(c) 2023

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN

INT. THE ALCOVE OF THE TRILIBRIS IN THE TRILIBRIS MAGICAL LIBRARY, DAYTIME

CS OF THE OPEN PAGES OF THE TRILIBRIS.

The TRILIBRIS is open to a double-page illustration of the Bakery from part two of Book I: A Book by Any Other Cover. The illustration is still in the woodblock meets flowing lines style. The Bakery itself has changed from the last time it was seen. It now has changed its name to “Books and Buns” and there is a long line of citizens waiting to get in. Additionally, in the frame some of the stand the TRILIBRIS rests on can be seen along with the Grey Mouse leaning on the edge of the book curious as to the latest turn of events in the story.

THE CODEXIAN
“The news of the Baker’s new discovery quickly spread. Soon people from all over the settlement came to her for a spellbook, for access to this new land, access to this new magic.”

CUT TO THE GREY MOUSE

The Grey Mouse SQUEAKS a question.

THE CODEXIAN
“Yes, it does seem at first glance odd that those who fled magic would so willingly embrace magic again. Though you must remember that the Baker was not the only person yearning for the past. Rapid change, especially when brought on by tragedy and disaster, has a way of amplifying nostalgia.”

The Grey Mouse SQUEAKS in understanding. The TRILIBRIS turns the page. On the next page is a picture of the Beastlands. There are people everywhere. With more zapping in and appearing. Use some of the same people from the bakery line and have them eating buns.

PAN IN ON THE ILLUSTRATION

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “Soon this new land, this Beastland, was filled with people capturing the beasts, filling spellbooks with beasties and magic.”

The page turns and now see a view of the settlement

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “Magic which they used to grow their settlement into a large city.”

Show the settlement growing larger and larger with a montage of construction. Then the page turns and shows a sprawling city, a street scene. Wizards and walking down the street, with some flying, and such. See Wizards using magic in the street vendors, while shopkeepers are using magic to clean windows, dust shops, and craft items. Up in the apartments people are using magic to cook and entertain. See a Wizard take off for work and start to fly. His magic fades out and he drifts down to the ground confused. Soon everyone’s magic starts to fade out. They all grab their spellbooks and look through the pages or shake the books. The spellbooks are all empty. They turn and start talking to each other equally confused and concerned about what is happening.

THE CODEXIAN
“Like most things, everything was going great until it wasn’t.”

The page turns and from here on out the illustrations on the page will have a full animation movement. The wizards on the street murmur to each other trying to figure out what has happened to the magic. In the windows, we can see the various wizards of the businesses and apartments retrying their spells and rummaging through the spellbooks. The wizards in the seating for the cafes on the streets and the pedestrians are discussing with each other confused about what is happening. Then a bright prismatic light that shifts to pure white pulses from the sky. The wizards on the street shield their eyes. Once the pulse has passed they look up. In the background, the wizards inside the buildings step outside or lean out their windows.

The page turns revealing an illustration of the sky above the settlement from the perspective of someone on the street. The tops of buildings can be seen at the edge. In the sky, there is a glowing nimbus. The glow starts to fade as a face begins to materialize. THE KING OF BEASTIES has arrived. He is a large humanoid lion with a large single eye, a thick mane and beard making a multi-colored halo, and a large ornate crown. The crown is made up of a series of various-sized pentagons across a background of repeating smaller pentagons. Sharp short multi-pointed horns emerge from the forehead just below the crown.

THE KING OF BEASTIES
“I am the King of Beasties, and you may have noticed your magic is cut off. You have no rights nor permission to my kingdom, my people, or our gifts. You are trespassers and kidnappers. No more. I will return in one week to discuss the terms of re-entry to my kingdom and the use of its resources. Until then you are cut off. Use this time to appreciate what you have lost so as you may appreciate its true value if it returns.”

The King of Beasties face fades away. The page turns and now it shows a silhouette of the city with fires and buildings falling over. Sirens can be heard inside the city.

THE CODEXIAN
(narrating) “The citizens coped the best they could but still it was one of the longest weeks they had been through.”
The page turns again. Across the page is the caption “One week later…” It fades away leaving a view of the sky from street-level looking up similar to the previous page where the King of Beasts appeared in the previous page. Along the edges of the frame, various citizens gather looking up. They watch and watch but nothing happens. They start to murmur to each other.

CITIZEN #1
“It has been one week right.”

CITIZEN #2
“Yes.”

CITIZEN #3
“Then why isn’t he appearing?”

THE CODEXIAN
(narration) “Why indeed. As the hours passed, the citizens worried that maybe the magic would never return. Cursed to forever stumble through life with only what they could do themselves.”

The sky starts to spark and a burst of fireworks goes off and MARMALADE UMBER, singed and mildly burnt, falls out of the sky. He tumbles through the air yelling, gripping a book tight to his chest. He thuds to the ground, surprisingly surviving, and skidding down the street.

CAMERA TRACKS HIS FALL AND SKID

The dust settles over the crater and the crowds slowly trickle in to investigate. Marmalade pops up, singed and burned holding up a thick tome: THE BOOK OF BEASTIES.

THE CODEXIAN
“The crowd was surprised to find Marmalade Umber yelling “I DID IT! I DID IT!” especially after falling out of the sky. He should have died, but then again Marmalade was always disappearing and reappearing in the weirdest places.

The page turns. The new illustration shows a younger Marmalade Umber on his family’s farm. He is holding a spell book and concentrating really hard.

THE CODEXIAN
“Marmalade was easily the worst wizard in the entire community, constantly screwing up the most basic of spells and never once capturing any beasties.”

Marmalade starts to strain and sweat then disappears. He reappears over an animal pen and falls in spooking all the animals. He stands and tries to concentrate again disappearing and then reappearing somewhere else. He gets up and concentrates a third time. He disappears and then reappears but is split in two. His upper torso sits on the ground while his legs are walking around the spooked animals. He screams in shock and then poofs out reappearing as complete. He runs over to the side and vomits. The page turns with the new page having an illustration of the adult Marmalade Umber having just crashed and holding up the Book of Beasties. A crowd has gathered around him.

THE CODEXIAN
(narration) “The crowd did not know what to make of the village idiot falling out of the sky and shouting wildly. Eventually, they understood that he was claiming to have captured the King of Beasties.”

PERSON IN CROWD #1
“So you’re saying you captured the King of Beasties in that spellbook?”

MARMALADE UMBER
“I did it.”

PERSON IN CROWD #2
“But you’re like the worst magician.”

MARMALADE UMBER
“Yes, but I did it.”

PERSON IN CROWD #3
“Okay, so lets say you did it and the King is truly bound in that book, wouldn’t that mean…”

PERSON IN CROWD #4
“The Beastlands is open again?”

PERSON IN THE CROWD #5
“The Beastlands is open again.”

PERSON IN THE CROWD #6
“The Beastlands is open again!”

The people in the crowd look at each other and then pull out their spellbooks and disappear. Marmalade hugs the Book of Beasties to his chest.

THE CODEXIAN
(narration) “The Beastlands was indeed open again and magic returned. Only not quite the same as before. The King of Beasts had apparently made some changes to the Beastland before he was captured. No longer could you just capture a beastie and use its magic. You had to get the Beastie’s permission. Additionally, where before a Wizard could teleport to any part of the Beastlands, now entry and exit was tied to geographical area. When a wizard entered the Beastland, they entered in a spot that more or less matched where they were in the physical world.”

The page turns. The new illustration shows an overhead type of the city. The city is divided into five outer neighborhoods surrounding a central inner neighborhood.

THE CODEXIAN
(narration) “The return of magic sparked a regrowth. The city expanded again but since the magic had changed the city did as well. Since entry and exit out of the Beastlands were tied to corresponding points in the physical world, the city developed five distinct neighborhoods, each corresponding to one of the realms. Ultimately growing into a city of prismatic wonders and colorful characters, especially one of Marmalade’s descendants.”

The page turns and the new illustration is of a close-up of RAWLSTON UMBER. It is in the style of a static pencil sketch or ink illustration. The page starts blank and as the Codexian narrates it fills in. Rawlston will appear very bored and indifferent.

THE CODEXIAN
(narration) “Whose lack of magical skill, utter lack of talent, makes him the least likely candidate to be the hero of any story…”
The sketch or illustration of Rawlston turns into an actual moving image, with an effect similar to where a static picture snaps into a live image of the subject moving. A transition from picture to video or illustration to live motion recording. Rawlston exhales a sigh of discontent.

RAWLSTON UMBER
“This is sooooo boring.”

THE CODEXIAN
(narration) “…And yet this is who we find ourselves with.”

The Codexian shuts its pages. The eye-like symbols on the side of the cover look at the Grey Mouse.

THE CODEXIAN
“And thus ends today’s portion of the tale.”

THE GREY MOUSE
“Squeek Squeik?”

THE CODEXIAN
“No, there is more to the story. A story that ended there would not be very good. It’s just that I have not had an audience in a long long time and am a bit out of practice. Let me rest and I’ll be ready to continue the story.”

The Grey Mouse nods at the Codexian and then turns. He takes a few steps and then turns back and waves at the Codexian. He then runs off the edge of the podium and out of frame. The Codexian closes its eye-like symbols and starts to sleep.

PAN BACK FROM THE CODEXIAN AND ITS ALCOVE

FADE OUT

The Broken Book of Beasties: Book One, Part Two – a new script by Thomas Typewriter

The Broken Book of Beasties

———–<.thom+.>———–

THE BROKEN BOOK OF BEASTIES

“Book I: A Book by Any Other Cover”

Part Two of Three

By Thomas Typewriter and Primo Operahouse-Typewriter & Secondo Operahouse-Typewriter

(c) 2023 thomas typewriter

———–<:type+:>———–

FADE IN

INT. THE ALCOVE AT THE BACK OF THE TRILIBRIS’ MAIN ROOM, DAYTIME

MS OF THE CODEXIAN

The Alcove is a dark wood wall decorated with gold and brass metal in long blocky snaking patterns illuminated by two torches. In the center of the alcove is a podium holding THE CODEXIAN. The Codexian is a thick book, with covers of a purple stone and thick leather binding. The front cover has a vertical row of three circles made from gold wire on the binding side. The other side is a snaking angular pattern similar to the patterns on the alcove walls. The pattern snakes down to two horizontal lines across the bottom portion of the front cover. It is currently open to the middle of its binding with THE GREY MOUSE off to the corner looking in at the illustrations on the page.

CS OF THE CODEXIAN

Golden scroll-work forms a border around a central image across the two pages. Inside the border is an image of THE BAKER leaning on her counter looking forlorn. The image is done in a style combining woodblock prints and illuminated manuscripts. Small hands of THE GREY MOUSE enter the bottom of the frame followed by the head and body. The Grey Mouse is leaning over the page.

THE GREY MOUSE
“Squeak”

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “That is funny. It almost sounded as if you asked why she was sad.”

THE GREY MOUSE
“Squeak.”

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “Oh, you did. In that case, maybe the Baker was sad because they had spent so much time fleeing and surviving that they had forgotten how to live. Or maybe something simpler. While she was a good baker and well respected in the community, baking was something she never thought of very glamorous.”

THE GREY MOUSE
“Squeak.”

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “I understand that makes no sense to you and how amazing bread is, but if you could lean off the page I can continue the story.”

The Grey Mouse moves out of the frame.

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “Thank you.”

The page turns. The illustration shifts between a series of images of The Baker mixing dough and baking bread.

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “The Baker would find her mind wandering to certain thoughts repeatedly. I used to be someone who mattered. I used to be the best bookbinder in the city. Now I bake bread. Now I don’t know my value. Anyone can bake bread. Where is the specialness in that.”

The page turns. The illustration shows The Baker at her counter. At this point the illustrations start to show some basic animation. Where before they would fade from one static drawing to another, each picture now has a little bit of animation in each sequence. The Baker leans on her counters and sighs. The sigh appears as a written sound effect on the page. The baker then starts to think with her thoughts written out in thought bubbles and with the Codexian narrating.

THE CODEXIAN
(Voice-over) “I used to be one of the best. Now I just make bread. Bread. Ugh. People used to come from all over the city to buy one of my spell books. I was respected. I was important. I was a true artist. Now, what am I? I make bread. Ugh. So common. So pedestrian. What is the value in a common thing? More importantly, what is the value in those who make common things?”

The thought bubbles fade away and the Baker leaves her counter. The empty counter fills the page for a moment before the Codexian continues the story.

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “And so she would have continued self-flagellating if not for a simple moment.”

It changes to The Baker at her counter with a Mother and her daughter entering the shop. The Baker waves hello. The Mother approaches the counter and purchases one loaf of bread. She breaks off a bit of the heel of the loaf, steam rises from it, and hands it to her daughter. The image shifts to the daughter eating the bread, closing her eyes and smiling. The illustration shifts to the Mother shocked at the smile quickly shifting to smiling and turning to speak to The Butcher

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “The mother said something so simple it cut through all the Baker’s doubts and disappointments. She said, that is the first time I have seen her smile. Thank you.”

The Mother and her daughter leave the bakery. The illustration shifts to the Baker at her counter visibly moved and affected by the Mother’s words.

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “The Baker, as the mother and her daughter left the bakery, realized that maybe there is something worthwhile in baking bread. She also realized that as great as she felt about her current situation now, she was still dwelling on the past. It was a poison and she needed to let go.”

The page turns. The new page shows an illustration of The Baker at the front window of her bakery. She rotates the open sign to close. She then moves over and locks the door before walking to a table in the back room. The table is laid out with bookbinding tools and supplies.

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “The Baker decided she would make one last book and then move on, putting that part of her life behind her.”

In a series of vignettes makes a book. Note that the Baker incorporates some extra steps not usually included in bookbinding. The prestigious bookbinding career she has been remembering was binding spell-books. She rubs each page with various herb leafs before cutting them. Once all the pages are cut, she places the herbs in a pan and burns them. The ashes she mixes with oil and then messages into the leather cover and strings. She sets aside the pile for later. She then continues building the book. At the end, she pulls back the oil and ash mix. She dips a small brand into it and then heats it over a flame. The oil flares with streaks of red, blue,yellow, orange, and green. Then she presses the hot brand onto the cover of the book. Smoke rises from where the brand touches the leather. When she removes the brand, the Baker sees that five colors are leaking from the brand into the leather: red, blue, yellow, orange and green. She sees the bleeding colors and is surprised. She runs her fingers over the colors and the book starts to shimmer. The Baker disappears from the room in a flash of light.

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “The Baker soon discovered that the world has a way of surprising you.”
The page turns. The Beastlands fill the page. A landscape of orange grass and prairie fills the foreground while in the background blue mountains, green forests, red forests and yellow sand dunes spread out. In the bottom corner of the illustration a sparkle appears then fades out becoming an image of the Baker. She looks around, confused as to what just happened.

CUT TO CS OF THE BAKER

THE BAKER
“Well, this is a surprise.”

CUT BACK

Hold a moment as The Baker stands in the vast new realm. The page turns to reveal a closer image of the Baker standing with the orange grassland behind her. She is looking around with a face of pure joy. In the grass behind her comes a “rustle” sound effect. The Baker turns to see what the cause of the noise is. From the grass emerges a Furocerous. It is a large rhino-like creature covered in very thick fur. The fur is longer on the head and shoulders than the rest of the body. It charges towards the Baker. The fur on its head stiffens into a kind of plate armor. The Baker screams in surprise and fear with the words of her scream drifting out across the page. The illustration cuts to a close-shot of the Furocerous running. It then cuts to a medium-shot of the Baker backing up then falling down and scrambling backwards. She pulls up the spellbook in a feeble attempt to shield herself. The illustration then changes to the Furocerous colliding with the Baker and her spellbook in a bright flash of orange light.

The page turns and now the illustration is of a long shot of the outside of the Bakery. There is a flash of orange light. The illustration shifts to the inside of the Bakery. The Baker materializes in the air in a flash of orange light and flies backwards against the display. Her spellbook goes flying in another direction. The Baker shakes her head and slowly gets up. She checks her body for injury and does not find any. She starts to laugh to herself.

THE BAKER
“Did that just really happen? That is too wild.”

She walks over to the spellbook and retrieves it from under a table. The spellbook looks different. She examines the changes. The front cover branding now has a line of orange in it. She then opens the book and sees an image of the Furocerous surrounded by a circle of runic patterns and scroll-work.

THE BAKER
“Wow.”

She runs her fingers over the image. The illustration changes to a close-shot of the spellbook’s page. She then runs her fingers in a circle along the scroll-work and runes. They start to softly glow orange. Her fingers start to glow orange. The illustration shifts back to the bakery. As the Baker runs her fingers over the page a spectral glowing version of the Furocerous explodes out and into the bakery display pushing it back. The spectral disappears. The Baker looks back and forth between the spellbook and the display case. A large smile spreads across her lips. She starts to run her fingers over the page again. The illustration cuts back to the longer shot of the Bakery from outside. In the windows flash an orange light burst and then the entire bakery shakes.

FADE OUT