THIS FIRST SCENE WILL INTRODUCE THE READER TO TISANDRA’S WORLD AND, MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT HAPPENED TO TISANDRA’S MOM. IT’S SORT OF A LOOSE STRING OR FRAGMENT THAT DOESN’T GET TIED UP UNTIL YEARS LATER WHEN BOBBY ENTERS FAERIE. WHICH SHOULD KEEP THE READER HOOKED UNTIL THEN.

THESE NEXT FEW SCENES HAVE TO RISE TO A CERTAIN FRANTIC PACE. SLOW, ESTABLISHING SHOTS THAT QUICKLY MOVE INTO RAPID, FRENZIED SHOTS. I’VE TRIED TO GIVE AT LEAST SOME BRIEF, BUT WEIGHTY TIME, TO NIAMH’S RELATIONSHIP WITH MALACAR, IN AN EFFORT TO SHOW HOW IMPORTANT A CHARACTER SHE IS. DESPITE THIS VERY BRIEF ENDING TO HER CHARACTER.

SO HERE GOES.


Page one, panel one

WE ESTABLISH A SHOT OF THICK WOODS. TALL TREES WHICH SEEM ENDLESS. AND IN THOSE WOODS, SITTING AT A STONE IN A SMALL CLEARING, IS A YOUNG WOMAN. SMALL, POINTED EARS. PALE WHITE SKIN, LONG BRAIDED RED HAIR CASCADING DOWN HER BACK, IN A GREEN VELVET DRESS WITH GOLDEN BRAIDING AROUND THE WAIST.

THIS IS NIAMH, THE QUEEN OF FAERIE; WIFE OF KING MALACAR AND MOTHER TO TISANDRA (I KEEP IMAGINING SOPHIA MERCEAU FROM ‘BRAVEHEART’ WHEN I IMAGINE NIAMH. ALL SVELTE FEATURES AND RAVISHING ELVEN BEAUTY). AND SHE IS WAITING FOR HER KING.

Caption: It had been like the days before when she received his letter. A secret message. A rendezvous. Asking her to meet him somewhere quiet. Somewhere secluded.

Caption: The old game played out again for old times.

Page one, panel two

CUT TO A CLOSE UP OF HER. SHE IS SMELLING A ROSE, AND SHE IS SMILING BEHIND THE BLOSSOM.

Caption: She remembered the way her pulse raced as she snuck out of the castle, how her father would’ve been furious had he known. How her love’s face felt, warm against her cheeks, when they had kissed that very first time.

Page one, panel three

WE’RE NOW LOOKING AT NIAMH, STILL SMILING AND SORT OF PACING AROUND THE CLEARING, STILL ANTICIPATING MALACAR’S ARRIVAL.

Caption: And though there was no reason to be secretive or stealthy about it (all the world knew about their love now), she still felt the same flutter in her stomach when she slipped out, unannounced, and made her way into the forest to see him.

Caption: The deeper she trod, the more her responsibilities dropped away. Queen. Mother. Wife. Woman. Until all that remained was a young girl very much in love.

Caption: She was anxious to kiss him again. For remembering.

Page one, panel four

WE CUT TO A SHOT OF NIAMH FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE WOODS AROUND THE CLEARING. A TWIG SNAPS VERY CLOSE TO THIS P.O.V.

Page one, panel five

WE NOW SEE NIAMH TURNING AROUND, HER FACE LIT UP WITH A SMILE, THE ROSE CRADLED GENTLY IN HER HANDS.

Niamh: You’re late.

Page two, panel one

WE SEE THE SOURCE OF THE SNAP. FROM NIAMH’S P.O.V., A SHADOWY HOUND PEERS AT HER FROM THE WOODS. ITS EYES AND ITS FANGED MOUTH CAN BE MADE OUT IN THE DARKNESS.

Page two, panel two

WE CUT TO NIAMH’S SHOCKED FACE, THE ROSE STILL IN HER HAND.

Page two, panel three

THE HOUND EMERGES FROM THE SHADOWS AND WE NOW SEE ITS PEARL WHITE COAT, FULL OF GROWLING VICIOUSNESS AND READY TO SPRING. LEAN. MUSCLED. THE HOUNDS ARE MASTIFFS SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK UP THAT PARTICULAR BREED. TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE HOUND, STAND TWO OTHER HOUNDS, DRAPED IN THE SHADOWS, THEIR MOUTHS RIPE WITH TEETH.

Page two, panel four

SAME SHOT AS ABOVE EXCEPT WE NOW SEE THAT BEHIND THE 1ST WHITE HOUND STANDS A FIGURE, AS IF THE FIGURE IS JUST CATCHING UP. A SHADOWY FORM THAT’S ONLY DISTINCT FEATURE IS THE STARK WHITE STAG’S SKULL WITH A LARGE RACK OF ANTLERS THAT IS ITS FACE.

HIS BODY SHOULD LOOK LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN THE RINGWRAITHS FROM LORD OF THE RINGS AND BATMAN WHEN HE’S DRAWN IN THE DARK; LONG SHADOWY CLOAK SEEMING TO BLEND HIM INTO THE EARTH ITSELF; SHARP, BROAD SHOULDERS; LONG SPIKED HORNS, SPROUTING FROM THE THIN FEATURES OF THE SKULL.

THIS IS THE HUNTSMAN, THE EMBODIMENT OF DEATH.

Page two, panel five

NIAMH’S FACE IS ONE OF COMPLETE SHOCK. SHE DROPS THE ROSE.

Niamh: No.

Page two, panel six

WE SEE A SHOT OF NIAMH FLEEING, WITH THE FALLING ROSE CLOSER TO US.

Page three, panel one

A 3RD PERSON SHOT OF THE HUNTSMAN POINTING TO NIAMH, THE HOUNDS MOVING INTO A RUN.

HIS ARM & FINGERS SEEM MORE TO EMERGE FROM THE SHADOWS OF HIS FIGURE THAN EXTEND FROM HIS SHOULDER. HIS CLAWED FINGERS HAVE A KIND OF ARMOURED, SEGMENTED QUALITY TO THEM.

THESE NEXT PANELS SHOULD BE VERY COMPACT AND CRAMMED, TO LEND THEMSELVES TO THE FRENETIC NATURE OF THE HUNT.

Page three, panel one

NIAMH’S P.O.V. A SHOT OF THE HOUNDS IMMEDIATELY TAKING CHASE, THE HUNTSMAN LEFT BEHIND

Page three, panel two

ANOTHER PACED SHOT OF NIAMH ALMOST STUMBLING MID-RUN, HER DRESS FLAILING BEHIND HER.

Page three, panel three

THIRD PERSON SHOT OF A TERRIFIED NIAMH LOOKING BEHIND TO SEE THE HOUNDS CRASHING THROUGH THE BRUSH AND FOILAGE IN PURSUIT OF HER.

Page three, panel four

SIDE SHOT OF NIAMH RUNNING, WITH A BRANCH RIPPING A TEAR AT THE SHOULDER OF HER DRESS

Page three, panel five

EQUAL SIDE SHOT OF THE HOUNDS, BARKING AND SNAPPING

Page four, panel one

NIAMH HAND LEAPS OVER A DOWNED TREE, THE HOUNDS RIGHT BEHIND HER

Page four, panel two

HARD RUN. NIAMH USING HER FOREARM TO SHIELD HERSELF FROM BRANCHES, HER FACE MARKED WITH SMALL SCRATCHES

Page four, panel three

AND IT IS HERE THAT NIAMH FINDS HERSELF AT A COMPLETE DEAD END. A STEEP CLIFF SIDE BLOCKS HER WAY. SHOT OF HER FROM THE BACK, FROM MAYBE THE P.O.V. OF THE HOUNDS. SHE IS CAUGHT.

Page four, panel four

NIAMH TURNS TO FACE THEM. HER FACE IS SCRATCHED UP, SHE’S FATIGUED FROM EXHAUSTION AND HER CLOTHES ARE RIPPED IN A FEW PLACES.

Page five, panel one

WE NOW SEE THE HOUNDS SLOWLY ENCROACHING, WITH THE HUNTSMAN STANDING NOT FAR AFIELD.

Page five, panel two

NIAMH DRAWS A BLADE FROM HER BELT, A SMALL STILLETO. HER FACE IS DETERMINED. SHE KNOWS WHAT THESE HOUNDS MEAN FOR HER AND SHE REFUSES TO SIMPLY GIVE IN.

Page five, panel three

WE NOW SEE THE HUNTSMAN LIFT HIS HEAD WITH NOT A HINT OF EMOTION. AS IF ATTACKING THE READER THE HOUNDS CHARGE INTO THE AIR, THEIR DEADLY FANGS BARED.

Page five, panel four

A SILHOUETTE ON A GREY BRICK WALL OF THE HOUNDS LEAPING INTO THE AIR AND TISANDRA WITH HER KNIFE RAISED

Page five panel five

CUT TO BLACK


….AND THAT, MY FRIEND, BEGINS OUR TALE.

Page seven, panel one

SINGLE PANEL SPLASH PAGE

SHOT OF BOBBY SLEEPING IN HIS WIFEBEATER T-SHIRT AND GREY BOXER SHORTS, SPRAWLED OUT FACE DOWN ON HIS BED, HIS ARMS AKIMBO. HIS HAIR IS CRAZY WILD AND THE BLANKETS LOOKS LIKE HE’S HAD A SEIZURE UNDERNEATH THEM DURING THE NIGHT.

TITLE “THE WANDERER” IN FONTDONERDOTCOM FONT AND SUBSEQUENT CREDITS.

Page eight, panel one

SHOT OF EGGS COOKING IN A FRYING PAN

Page eight, panel two

SHOT OF SOMEONE TAKING A DRAG OFF THEIR CIGARETTE

Page eight, panel three

SHOT OF SOMEONE’S HAND HOLDING UP A NEWSPAPER. WE CAN SEE THEIR FINGERS, A NEWPAPER HEADLINE (SOMETHING RELEVANT TO THE SPRING OF 1955) AND THE NEWSPRINT BELOW HEADLINE

Page eight, panel four

WE NOW SEE THE ENTIRE SCENE OF BOBBY’S MOTHER, AUDREY, FRYING BREAKFAST AT A STOVE WHILE BOBBY’S FATHER, EDWARD, READS THE NEWPAPER JUST BEFORE HEADING OFF TO WORK AT THE DOUGLAS AIRPLANE FACTORY. AUDREY IS A DEMURE SLIGHTY CUTE BUT CHUBBY WOMAN WHO LOOKS TIRED AS SHE COOKS. EDWARD IS A STONE-JAWED PILLAR OF A MAN. YOU CAN TELL HE WAS A FORMER MARINE BY HIS LOOKS. SMOKE PLUMES ABOVE THE NEWSPAPER EDWARD IS READING AS HE TAKES A DRAG FROM HIS CIGARETTE IN BETWEEN ARTICLES.

Page eight, panel five

EDWARD LOOKS AT HIS WATCH, HOLDING THE NEWSPAPER UP WITH HIS OTHER HAND. HIS LOOK IS ONE OF STOIC SURPRISE (AN EYEBROW HIKED UP OR SOMETHING).

Page eight, panel six

Edward: You’d better wake the kids up now. It’s close to time.

Page nine, panel one

AUDREY LOOKS EXHAUSTED. HER EYES HAVE JUST THE SLIGHTEST RINGS UNDER THEM.

Audrey: What time is it?

Page nine, panel two

EDWARD GOES BACK TO HIS PAPER, SMOKE PLUMING OVER THE TOP ANONYMOUSLY

Edward: About seven o’clock.

Page nine, panel three

AUDREY SIGHS AND FANS HERSELF WITH HER HAND. IT’S HOT OVER THE STOVE. WE SEE EDWARD JUST PAST HER, FOLDING HIS PAPER AND PUTTING HIS CIGARETTE DOWN ON HIS ASHTRAY

Edward: Here. I’ll do it. I need to get my boots anyway.

Page nine, panel four

SHOT OF AUDREY KISSING EDWARD ON THE CHEEK, HIM SMILING AT THE GESTURE.

Audrey: Thank you, honey.

Page nine, panel five

EDWARD GOES DOWN THE HALL TO BOBBY’S ROOM

Page nine, panel six

WE SEE EDWARD KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

Page ten, panel one

NOW THE WHOLE FAMILY IS GATHERED AROUND THE DINING ROOM TABLE, HOVERING OVER THEIR EGGS AND BACON.

Edward: So your mother tells me that report cards come out next week. Is that right?

Page ten, panel two

SHOT OF BOBBY STUFFING EGGS INTO HIS MOUTH, ZUZU NEXT TO HIM LOOKING TOWARDS HIM.

Page ten, panel three

SHOT OF ZUZU, SMILING

Zuzu: Daddy, you should have seen him last night? His face was in his books till he fell asleep.

Page ten, panel four

SHOT OF EDWARD, BOBBY AND ZUZU AT THE TABLE

Edward: I was talking to Bobby, Zuzu. Eat your breakfast.