The Boy Who Could Fly - Part 2

My comic book script, continued. Click here for part one.

Page 14

Panel 1: Caption: Day 2.

Large panel -- half the page. It's gym class. The boys are playing floor hockey -- each kid has a stick, and they're chasing a little ball. Dom is in the foreground, outside of the action, but focused, concentrating, waiting to see how he can be of use.

DOM (VO): I hate gym class. I'm too skinny, too weak. But I've always thought that maybe, if you let yourself go... forget what you can't do and just...fly...good things will happen.

Panel 2: Small panel: Dom raising his stick to take a mighty slapshot.

DOM (VO): I know how to fly.

Panel 3: Small panel -- big burly guys slams into Dom's back straight from behind.

Panel 4: Dom looking up from before at RON. He's smirking.

DOM: What the...?

Panel 5: DOM points stick at Ron's chest. In the background, people are pointing and staring. Ron is surprised, a little embarrassed looking.

DOM: "Hitting from behind. Wimp."

RON: "Yeah? I'll see you after school."

DOM: "No, you won't."

GYM TEACHER (off panel): "Hey! Break it up over there! Get back in the game!"

Panel 6: Dom, from a high camera angle, looking angry, but stifled. His shirt is puffed up behind him -- the wings are growing from his back... stretching invisibly.

DOM (VO): Like I said, sometimes it takes just one look and you find a friend. Or not.

Page 15

Panel 1: Dom is in the school hallway, banging his head against his locker, hand on the combination dial.

DOM: "Dammit!"

MICHELLE (speaking off panel): "You have to turn it all the way around."

DOM: "Shut up."

MICHELLE: "Aren't you a sweetie?"

Panel 2: Small panel. Reaction shot. Dom looking up, irritated...

DOM: "Yeah? Why don't you..."

Panel 3: Small panel. Irritation has turned into stunned and tongue tied. He's looking at a girl, and he's smitten.

DOM: "Uhh..."

Panel 4: Our first look at MICHELLE. She has very long brown hair, a little below her shoulders, that frames a sweet round face, brown eyes. Her eyebrows are arched in amusement and her smile says the same. She's a nice girl with a bit of a wicked sense of humor, and her reaction to Dom's anger ... and his smitten look ... is that he's kind of comical. She's very pretty in a sweet, down-to-earth way - not terribly cool. She's wearing a long sweater and skirt, and a leather-bead necklace. She's hugging a couple text books.

MICHELLE: "Nice to meet you, too."

Panel 5: Dom and Michelle in profile, standing in front of a wall of lockers. Dom has one hand in his hair, other hand reaching out to Michelle. He's smiling sheepishly, embarrassed. Michelle is still holding her books.

DOM: "Sorry. I'm Dom."

MICHELLE: "Don't be sorry about who you are. I'm sure it's not that bad."

DOM: "Aren't you the sweetie?"

MICHELLE: "Always."

SOUND EFFECT: Rrrriiiinngg...

MICHELLE: "And on that note..."

Panel 6: Michelle looking back at Dom over her shoulder, close up, still showing a playful smile.

MICHELLE: "I'm Michelle, by the way. Nice to meet you, Dom."

Panel 7: Dom, having fallen backward into his locker, with a look that says, 'whew.'

DOM (VO): Maybe this school won't be quite so bad.

Page 16

Dom and Brian are walking out of the school, backpacks slung over their shoulders. It's a beautiful fall day in New England. Red and yellow leaves blowing by. Other kids in the background. Bike racks by the door.

DOM (VO): But you never know what's coming next.

BRIAN: "So, I hear you're making lots of friends."

DOM: "What, gym class?"

BRIAN: "Yeah. Ron's gonna kick your ass after school."

DOM: "You mean, now?"

BRIAN: "Yeah. I guess so."

Panel 2: Dom and Brian, viewed from behind. In the distance ahead, in the school parking lot, right at the edge of the grassy field, there's a huge crowd of kids gathered around...something...

DOM: "And yet you're here."

BRIAN: "Figured you needed someone to call your mom after."

DOM: "Much appreciated."

BRIAN: "Hey, you think that's Ron up there?"

DOM: "You've got to be kidding..."

Panel 3: Dom and Brian from behind, right at the edge of the crowd. Voices from above the crowd.

VOICES: "Is he gonna be OK?" "What happened to him?" "Who did this?" "Geez, poor Ron."

Panel 4: Dom and Brian, having pushed through the crowd, shot from below, look down in shock. We see Ron's legs, laying in the grass, blue jeans peppered with bloody holes, like they'd been attached by a thousand hornets.

BRIAN: "Son of a..."

Panel 5: The crowd has split aside and looks on in confusion as Dom runs away, stumbling in panic.

DOM (thought balloon): "No...no!"

Panel 6: Dom has rounded a corner of the school. We see him from behind, left hand clutching the red brick. Dom is looking off, gaping and gasping. In the distance, we see Cyril's the trench coated silhouette.

DOM: "It was you!"

Page 17:

Panel 1: Cyril in close up. Sneering.

CYRIL: "He was waiting for you."

Panel 2: Dom in close up. Shouting.

DOM: "You nearly killed him!"

Panel 3: Cyril in close up. Facing Dom. Condescending.

CYRIL: "You should thank me. He won't bother you again."

Panel 4: Full view of Dom, walking toward Cyril, pointing, angry.

DOM: "No! This is wrong. I won't let you do this!"

CYRIL: "Careful, Dominic. You might lose control."

Panel 5: Dom's back. His backpack is on the ground and his shirt has ripped wide open. You can see a strange, jagged ripple in his back, a bunching of muscles where the wings emerge, as if they were real...

DOM: "Aahhggghh!"

CYRIL (he's visible in shadow, in the distance ahead): "See what happens when you get angry? You have power!"

Panel 6: Dom facing off against Cyril. Cyril's arm is raised, and the swarm of sand and rocks and dirt and grit swirls in front of him.

DOM: "You're crazy!"

CYRIL: "You're a fool. You choose to stand against me? After what I did for you?"

DOM: "Not for me! I'm definitely not with you!"

Panel 7: Cyril - arm out, rock swarm spreading out before him.

CYRIL: "So be it!"

Panel 8: Dom, in 3/4 profile, covering his face against the swarm.

DOM (thought balloon): No! I can't let him do this...and I know how...

Page 18:

Panel 1: We see Dom in profile and the traces of his shimmering wings, flapped forward...the rock swarm has blown between Dom and Cyril. Cyril is leaning back in surprise.

CYRIL: "Clever...you are strong...but...can you protect your so-called friend?"

DOM: "What...?"

Panel 2: Cyril, Dom and Brian in a triangle. The rock swarm has turned toward Brian. Brian has thrown a beer bottle, which is heading like a missle toward Cyril. Dom is reaching toward Brian, trying to protect him, but too far away.

DOM: "NO! Brian, get down!"

BRIAN: "Yow!"

Panel 3: Dom's face, grim, determined.

DOM (thought balloon): Focus...focus...

Panel 4: Dom striding toward Cyril. Cyril stumbling, off balance. He's being forced back by a powerful wind from Dom's wings. At the same time, the beer bottle is circling away from Cyril.

CYRIL: "No!"

Panel 5: Close up of Dom's face, inches from the beer bottle.

DOM: "Damn!"

Panel 6: Brian's face, hazy and unfocused, from Dom's point of view as he regains consciousness.

BRIAN: "Yo! Dom! You in there?"

DOM: "Yeah..Cyril?"

BRIAN: "Ran off. You wanna get up?"

DOM: "I'm OK."

BRIAN: "Let's get out of here."