———–<.thom.>———–
THE NOT SO PUPPET SHOW
An asymmetry without apologies
Episode #3
“The Broken Book of Beasties
Book I: A Book by Any Other Cover
Part 1”
By Thomas Typewriter
(c) 2026 jason arcand
———–<:type:>———–
FADE IN
The Not So Puppet Show’s short title sequence plays.
FADE OUT
FADE IN
THE BROKEN BOOK OF BEASTIES TITLE SEQUENCE
The title “The Broken Book of Beasties” appears far off in the dark screen, written in bright red flowing script. The word Beasties, unlike the rest of the title, is written in a thick slashing font. The title flies towards the camera and past the edge of the frame. The dark screen is filled with a shimmer as the following text appears in white block letters: “Book I: A Book by Any Other Cover”.” It fades away in a shimmer. In the absence appears the following text: “Part One.” It lingers in the center of the frame.
PAN DOWN
The dark screen fades to light grey as the “Part One” slides off the top of the screen from the camera panning
TRANSITION FROM TITLE TO THE OVERLAPPING HILLS
The dark grey shifts in tone changing to dark clouds.
CONTINUE TO PAN DOWN
EXT. THE OVERLAPPING HILLS, DAYTIME
A series of forested hills in front of a wooded snow-capped mountain slides into view. This is the Overlapping Hills, one of many realms created by the great wizard Orgle. They all share the word Overlap in their names due to how he constructed them. Orgle folded multiple different dimensions over each multiple times until a pocket dimension was formed. The Overlapping Hills are not as well known as Orgle’s other overlaps such as the Overlapping Hotel, the Overlapping Waves, or the Overlapping Trail. Yet, they do contain one of his greatest treasures: The Trilibris. It can be seen in the distance, over the hilltops and at the base of one of the mountains. Its three towers twist and flow creating a kind of hourglass hyper-dimensional shape.
SHIFT TO XLS OF THE TRILIBRIS
CUT TO LS OF THE TRILIBRIS
CUT TO MS. OF THE TRILIBRIS
CUT TO CS OF THE TRILIBRIS DOORS
TRANSITION FROM THE OVERLAP HILLS TO THE TRILIBRIS
ENTER THE BUILDING AND MOVE TO THE MAIN ROOM THROUGH A SERIES OF QUICK CUTS AND FADES
INT. THE TRILIBRIS MAIN ROOM, DAYTIME
The Main Room is a teardrop-shaped dome. The walls are covered in bookcases. Spiral staircases are scattered around the circumference. The bookcases are designed in a way that the books are stacked horizontally and vertically giving the impression of the folds in a human brain. The center of the room is a large open space filled with thick tables and chairs. The top of the dome is glass, stained a light blue, allowing natural light to illuminate the space. The bookshelves are illuminated by pendant lights within the rows. Each desk has a bulbous table lamp to illuminate in case the dome is not allowing enough light. Across from the entryway the bookcases stop. A large alcove is built into the wall. 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. A very special book, it is separated from the rest of the main room by golden chains and small golden pedestals. A “Do Not Disturb” sign hangs off the chains.
CUT TO LS OF THE CODEXIAN’S ALCOVE
CUT TO MS OF THE CODEXIAN’S ALCOVE
CUT TO MS OF THE CODEXIAN
The Codexian is a thick book, with covers of a patina encrusted brass. 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.
CUT TO CS OF THE CODEXIAN
A TRIUMPHANT MYSTICAL MUSICAL SCORE plays. The score plays a few moments and then it stops with A RECORD NEEDLE SCRATCH.
PAN TO LEFT OF THE CODEXIAN.
A GREY MOUSE crawls up onto the podium. It tentatively approaches the Codexian.
CUT TO MS OF THE GREY MOUSE
The Grey Mouse sniffs along the Codexian, moving to the top corner. It starts to nibble on the edges of the pages.
THE CODEXIAN
“OWWWW!”
CUT TO MS OF THE CODEXIAN
The Round circles on the left of the cover open revealing non-organic golden eyes. The two golden lines along the bottom of the cover move as if lips or a mouth. The Grey Mouse stops chewing.
THE CODEXIAN
“Who did that?”
The Grey Mouse steps away from the Codexian
THE CODEXIAN
“Come on, I know you are there. Who is biting me!”
The Codexian’s eyes scan around the room. Ultimately they settle on the Grey Mouse.
THE CODEXIAN
“Oh, hello there. Were you the one chewing on my corners?”
The Grey Mouse blankly looks at the Codexian. It sneezes. A golden shimmer flickers in the air.
THE CODEXIAN
“Bless you.”
The Grey Mouse stands upright and nods at the Codexian.
THE CODEXIAN
(to self) “Well that’s new.” (to the Grey Mouse) “Let’s try this. Maybe what you’re truly hungry for is a story. If I tell you a story will you stop chewing on me.”
The Grey Mouse nods and then sits down.
THE CODEXIAN
(to self) “Definitely new.” (to the Grey Mouse) “I will need to open up to tell the story, so you may want to adjust your position.”
The Codexian opens and the Grey Mouse moves to the bottom of the podium top. The pages start to move, quickly moving to the middle of the book in a blur.
THE CODEXIAN
“Ahhh, here we go.”
The Codexian is open to a set of pages bordered in golden illumination but the actual area inside the border is blank.
THE CODEXIAN
“The Broken Book of Beasties.
From somewhere in the Trilibris A CHIMING TONE rings out. The blank page starts to fill with an illustration in a style that is a mix of woodcut block print and medieval illuminated scripts. A vast city fills the page.
TRANSITION FROM THE LIBRARY TO AN ILLUSTRATED STORYBOOK STORY
PAN IN ON ILLUSTRATION TO FILL THE FRAME
THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “Once there was a vast city filled with magic, wonder and charm.”
The illustration changes to the city in ruins with a giant burst of light exploding from the center of the city. Prismatic storm clouds fill the sky, raining storms. down on the city.
THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “The city of magic became a city of too much magic, as the Great Rupture ravaged the city. Magic rained down like storms. melting what was known and unknown equally.”
The illustration changes to people on hills outside the city fleeing. The city gripped in storms. can be seen in the distance.
THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “Those who were able fled the city. The Great Rupture lasted decades driving one group further and further from the city.”
The illustration changes to a long stretch of landscape. Hills on the right give way to grasslands, then forests, and then mountains to the right. A group of refugees appears in the hill section. Fade to the group in the grasslands section and prismatic storms in the hills. The illustration changes more with a fade to the refugees in the forests The prismatic storms now fill the hill and grassland sections. The illustration shifts again. The refugees are now in the mountains section. The prismatic storms fill the hills, grassland, and forest sections. The illustration changes one last time. The refugees are gone and the prismatic storms fill the entire page. A THUNDER BOLT CRACKS. The Codexian turns the page.
THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “Past landscapes that ate lives, the refugees found a place of safety, or at least which they hoped offered peace.”
The illustration area is filled with many tree branches. Colorful flowers grow along the base of the trees while animals can be seen peeking their faces out of the upper branches. The illustration changes with the trees sliding. They part in the center moving left and right. In the center of the screen sits a valley made from five rivers feeding into a lake in the center. There is a large island in the center of the lake along with a few small islands in sandbars scattered around the lake. The illustration changes again with the sun emerging in the clouds above the valley. Bright sunlight beams. across the page. The illustration changes one last time with the illustrations of the refugees moving in from the left and right side of the frame and walking down to the valley. The Codexian turns the page.
THE CODEXIAN
“Having found sanctuary, the people set about building a new home for themselves.”
The illustration is blank but then small illustrations of people enter from the left and right sides. They break off into five groups, with the fifth group in the center made from the remaining few from each group. Each group then disappears into a cloud of construction dust. CONSTRUCTION SOUNDS can be heard. Slowly simple houses emerge from the construction dust. Once a house is finished the construction dust cloud disappears and the group looks at their work. Once all five houses are completed, the people CHEER.
THE CODEXIAN
“And grow they did. It was as if some creative spirit had been unleashed.”
The small people in the illustration then go to the area behind the houses and start constructing again. Rows of houses emerge from the dust. Once a house is finished, each group builds another behind it. Soon the houses recede into the distance. The construction dust finishes and the houses sit. The sun sets and the people go into their homes. The stars come out and then dawn breaks. Small people exit their houses and do daily chores. The sun rises and sets. Everyone goes back to bed. The day/night cycle speeds up to a blur until sixty days have passed. Time returns to its regular speed on the sixtieth day. The illustration shifts zooming in on a house in the background. A lady leaves at sunrise and walks two houses down to a bakery. She enters the shop and starts baking. Smoke starts to emerge from the bakery’s chimney. As the sun rises to mid-morning, the sign in the window changes from closed to open. The illustration changes to looking in through the window of the bakery. The Baker stands at the counter.
THE CODEXIAN
“And while everyone else was moving forward, one person was stuck looking back. Little did anyone realize she would change the direction of everyone’s life.”
The illustration changes to the baker at the counter. She has a sad far away look in her eyes.
ZOOM IN ON THE BAKER’S FORLORN EXPRESSION
FADE OUT
———–<.thom.>———–
THE NOT SO PUPPET SHOW
An asymmetry without apologies
Episode #2
“The Skipping Stone”
By Thomas Typewriter
(c) 2026 jason arcand
———–<:type:>———–
FADE INTO THE TITLE SEQUENCE
The 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. I often had a brain that was too loud and an interior landscape that was too big. Lots of overload, but skipping rocks helped. The loud thoughts and giant emotions lessened 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, that 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
WAVE SCREEN BOARD
The Wave Screen 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.”
TRANSITION BACK TO LAKESIDE
CUT 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
“Why are you overthinking this. I have no control over your throw. You are going to throw the stone however you can. I have no awareness of this. All I have are the brief moments of contact. To my awareness, I only have a limited lifespan of kisses with the water. The only aspect of my life I control is in how I kiss. Do I make moments of sweetness? Of bitterness? Of some mixture of the two? That is my life and that by extension is your life. So what are you going to do with your limited moments. Will you be bitter? Will you be sweet? Will you be somewhere in-between?”
CUT TO CS OF THOMAS CONTEMPLATING WHAT THE SKIPPING STONE SAID.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“That is the question.”
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
———–<.thom.>———–
THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT
a puppet play in many parts
Season 6, Episode 10
by Thomas Typewriter
(c) 2025 jason arcand
———–<:type:>———–
FADE IN
From the center of a blank screen scrolls upward rapidly the following text: “06-10”. It enters from the bottom of the frame and moves up, pausing in the center before continuing upward. It exits through the top of the frame.
FADE OUT
FADE IN
MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
DISSOLVE TO A PROPERLY FRAMED SHOT OF MID-STAGE OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.
The curtains of the Mid-stage area of the TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE fill the screen. They are currently closed but soon they part. The stage lights turn on with the sound of A LIGHTSWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…
MID-STAGE: INT. PENCIL CHICKS STUDIOS, DAYTIME
A long desk spreads across the stage. It has a monitor, keyboard, mouse and scanner on the desk. A stack of papers sits next to the scanner. Behind the long desk is a drawing table with an animator’s light-box at an angle to the desk. The long desk has a simple office chair while the drawing desk has a padded high stool. A doorway sits to the stage-left side of the desk. THOMAS TYPEWRITER sits at the desk scanning pages. OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE sits at the desk behind him, drawing animation cells.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Ophidia?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Yes.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Would you mind if I laid my head down a moment? I’m a little tired and my eyes are starting to hurt.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“No problem. Go ahead and rest.”
Thomas lays his head down on the desk.
TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE
THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM THE MID-STAGE AND PANS UPWARD. IT GLIDES OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS HANGING BEHIND. IT CONTINUES UPWARD FOLLOWING THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. AT THE TOP, THE HIGH-STAGE EMERGES. LOCK INTO PLACE 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.
HIGH-STAGE: INT. LANDING BAY 0610 OF THE FLUTE MEDICALSHIP, EVENING
A metallic wall runs along the back of the stage. It has two metal support beams bolted to the wall. A brown stripe runs along the wall from the center of the stage to the stage-left. The numbers “0610” are stenciled above. The stripe ends at two large elevator doors. A freestanding mirror is off to the side. On the opposite side of the stage is a large inner bay door and control panel. HYGIEIA FLAUTO stands at the controls. Dressed in a blue workers scrub, sanitary face mask, gloves, a tool bag with a wrench patch and a sanitation patch slung over one shoulder and a belt of a living bronze snake stands at a platform near the large bay doors. Meanwhile, both the elevator signal lights light up. The elevator doors open. PANACEA FLAUTO emerges. The mirror shimmers and a bright light shines out of it. IASO THERAPUTICIA steps through the mirror. The shine fades away and the mirror returns to normal.
IASO FLAUTO
“Sister.”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Sister.”
HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Yes, yes, Sisters.”
A control box lowers down on a double cord, one coiled the other straight, to HYGIEIA. She grabs hold of it and presses a button causing the large bay doors to start to open. The doors slowly open with a mechanical rattle. The front portion of THE COUNT sparkship enters. Hygieia presses a second button on the control panel and the Count stops. There is a discharge of smoke and fog as the ship equalizes pressure. Panacea and Iaso walk over and stand by Hygieia.
HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Alright, the ship is docked. So what are we expecting here.”
Panacea pulls out her Med-corder and reads a file on the screen.
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Dad said they were bringing in two youths, injuries unknown.”
HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Where does a sparkship find kids in space.”
IASO FLAUTO
“I don’t know but we better be on our best behavior because that ship is Musica’s boyfriend.”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Musica, as in head of the Solar/Lunar fleet.”
HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“They’ve openly admitteing this? Finally time they did.”
IASO FLAUTO
(to Panacea) “Co-chair, remember she has a twin, but yes.” (to Hygieia) And no, not officially yet, but everyone knows.”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Oh yeah, the bat girl.”
HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Be careful what you say, she might here you.”
PANACEA FLAUTO
“Wait, seriously.”
IASO FLAUTO
“She was the one who found your boyfriend with those bat ears.”
Panacea looks between the two of them. Hygieia nods yes. Iaso nods yes. Panacea starts to blush.
PANACEA FLAUTO
“He’s just a…I mean…He’s not my boyfriend. We just like hanging out together.”
Iaso and Hygieia exchange a look.
HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Guess Musica’s not the only one in denial.”
There is a BEEPING NOISE as a platform lowers from the front of The Carro.
HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Time to shine ladies.”
The platform continues to lower. BARBARO BUFFO stands on the platform. Next to him is a rolling cart holding a burned Sat-Bot. The top portion of it’s double pyramid octahedron is open. Inside sit FINNOCCIO FORESIGHT and BALLERIA FORESIGHT. They are a pair of newborns cradled in a bed of fennel leaves. The stage-lights turn off with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF. The High-stage curtains close.
TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE
THE CAMERA UNCOUPLES FROM THE HIGH-STAGE. A BIT OF THE NARRATOR’S STAGE ENTERS THE FRAME AS THE CAMERA PANS DOWNWARD. IT GLIDES ACROSS THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. DOWN AND DOWN IT PANS. THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE SETS SLIDE INTO THE FRAME AS THE CAMERA FINISHES PANNING DOWNWARD. IT STOPS WHEN PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE.
MID-STAGE: INT. PENCIL CHICK STUDIOS, DAYTIME
A long desk spreads across the stage. It has a monitor, keyboard, mouse and scanner on the desk. A stack of papers sits next to the scanner. Behind the long desk is a drawing table with an animator’s lightbox at an angle to the desk. The long desk has a simple office chair while the drawing desk has a padded high stool. A doorway sits to the stage-left side of the desk. THOMAS TYPEWRITER sits at the desk, head resting on hands and eyes closed. OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE sits at the animation desk behind him drawing.
CUT TO CS OF THOMAS’ FACE AND HOLD THE SHOT FOR A MOMENT
FADE OUT
TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO THE MANY SANDS
FADE IN
EXT. THE MANY SANDS, DAYTIME.
A fire sits in the center of the stage. Z-MOUSE and THE GHOSTLY sit around the fire conversing. Behind them sand dunes spread stage-left while grassy scrubland spreads to the stage-right. Just to the side of the fire stands a fancy stained lamp on a post made of old and worn boards. The lamp stick has a look to it denoting old and tall. As if it walked to this spot, set down roots like a tree, and branched out.
Z-MOUSE
(writing in notepad) “That is very interesting. And have travelers always reacted that way?”
THE GHOSTLY
“No. Sometimes, and mind you this is a very rare thing, they choose the other path.”
Z-MOUSE
“Do you think it is because they listen to what you have to say?”
THE GHOSTLY
“I’d like to think so, but most likely it is a mixture of dumb luck and listening. What about you? Do all your siblings listen to you.”
Z-MOUSE
“I don’t know. I’ve never really had any ideas to suggest. More of the deep thinker type.”
From stage-left THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters. He is dressed in a pizza delivery uniform and carrying a pizza box and six-pack of Satellite Soda.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Did somebody order a pizza?”
Z-MOUSE
“Thomas!”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Z-Mouse!”
Thomas walks over to the fire and sits down.
THE GHOSTLY
(to Z-Mouse) “Who’s this guy”
Z-MOUSE
“He’s kinda like my boss.”
THE GHOSTLY
“He doesn’t seem much.”
Z-MOUSE
“Don’t be fooled. There’s more parts to him than visible at first. That may not even be his true face.”
THE GHOSTLY
“I see.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Pizza anyone?”
Z-MOUSE
“I’ll take some.”
THE GHOSTLY
“Me too.”
Thomas opens the pizza box and offers it to Z-Mouse and the Ghostly. They each take a slice. He then offers each a soda. Z-Mouse nods yes but the Ghostly nods no. He breaks off one can and hands it to Z-Mouse. He then breaks off a second can. He opens the can and takes a sip. They sit around the fire eating pizza and drinking soda.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(extends hand to the Ghostly) “I’m Thomas by the way.”
THE GHOSTLY
(shakes his hand) “You can call me the Ghostly.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Good to meet you.”
THE GHOSTLY
“Likewise.”
Thomas sits down. Z-Mouse continues to eat his pizza while The Ghostly sips from her soda.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So what was I interrupting?”
PAN UPWARD TO THE SKY ABOVE THE FIRE. SPARKS DRIFT UP ACROSS A STARRY SKY.
Z-MOUSE
(off-stage) “Not much.”
FADE TO BLACK
Thomas Typewriter 
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