Daddy

By Casey Brockelman

Page 1

Panel 1  Outside the front door of an upper middle class suburban neighborhood house.  Small garden on front porch is well kept, lawn, if in frame is immaculate.  There are five men outside the door.  All are catholic priests.  Wearing the standard black suit with the white square collars in front.  All are well groomed.  The one at front is a portly man in his fifties, balding and wearing glasses.  This is FATHER BRADLEY.  The other four priests are in shape and in their 30's and each carries a long bundle about 3-1/2 feet long.  The bundles are identical and are made of leather wrapping a  long skinny object.  Answering the door is ABE.  A man in his 30's.  Abe is dressed for housework--t-shirt with unbuttoned large flannel shirt over.  Abe looks surprised to see his visitors.

ABE:                                        FATHER BRADLEY?

BRADLEY:                              HELLO, ABE.  FORGIVE US FOR THE INTRUSION.  THESE MEN ARE FROM THE VATICAN.  THIS IS CHURCH BUSINESS.

Panel 2  Inside the house—a well kept home with fairly nice furniture.  Abe is letting his guests in.  A little nervous about them.  Father Bradley is looking at him with concern, but the other four priests are remaining stoic.

ABE:                                        REALLY?  THE VATICAN?  YES, PLEASE COME IN! 

Panel 3  Abe is closing the door.  Father Bradley is watching him with concern.  The other priests are looking around the house.

ABE:                                        I WAS JUST CLEANING HOUSE A BIT.  WOULD YOU LIKE SOME TEA OR SOMETHING.

PRIEST 1                                THANK YOU, NO.  IS YOUR WIFE IN, ABE?

Panel 4  Abe is a bit saddened from the mention of his dead wife.  Father Bradley is placing his hand on his shoulder and speaking to him as if to console him while explaining to the others.

BRADLEY:                              NO.  I'M SORRY, ABE.  I DIDN'T TELL THEM…ABE'S WIFE DIED SHORTLY AFTER THE BIRTH OF THEIR SON.

PRIEST 1                                OH.  I'M SORRY, ABE.

ABE:                                        IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS.  IT'S OKAY.

Panel 5  Abe is leading the men into his living room, pausing with some confusion at what the second priest is asking.

PRIEST 2:                                WHERE IS YOUR SON, ABE?

ABE:                                        …HE'S TAKING A NAP.  WHAT’S THE MATTER?

Page 2

Panel 1  Kind of an experimental flashback idea.  First the regular action:  All of the men are walking into the living room.  Nice furniture, but there are toys scattered here and there on the floor and the couch.  Get the point across that a two year old is there.  The priests are taking a look around, but not sitting.  Still practically emotionless.  Father Bradley has his arm around Abe's shoulder.  Abe is getting worried.  Bradley still deeply concerned.  Then the flashback.  The flashback, part of the same panel, but incorporated somehow either as its own panel replacing where the room's walls are, or as a bottom layer of the image screened enough to make out the action, but not to confuse it with the foreground action.  The flashback doesn't have to be terribly detailed, and the figures could be almost ghostlike or distorted from the reality.  In the flashback, Abe is kneeling with others before the altar.  Bradley, wearing the flowing robes of service, chalice in hand is placing communion in Abe's mouth.  Abe is holding his son-a 2 year old-in his arms, but the angle we are seeing, we can't see the baby's face.

BRADLEY:                              IT'S NOT GOOD NEWS, ABE.  A FEW WEEKS AGO DURING MASS, YOU BROUGHT YOUR SON WITH YOU FOR COMMUNION…

Panel 2  Juxtaposed present time/flashback panel again.  In the present time panel, Father Bradley is still trying to comfort Abe, who is now turning to him with a look of worry.  In the flashback portion, Abe is bowing his head after taking communion, holding the son up a little as Bradley is placing his hand on his forehead gently, but with a look of interest on his face as he looks at the boy.

BRADLEY:                              AS I WAS BLESSING YOUR SON, I NOTICED SOMETHING.  JUST BY HIS EAR WAS A MARK.  LATER THAT DAY, I FOUND THE SAME MARK IN SOME PRINTINGS OF SOME OLDER BIBLICAL TEXTS.

Panel 3  Regular panels again.  Abe and Father Bradley are speaking to each other.  Abe is confused.  Bradley's emotion is pained, but with an air of strength.

ABE:                                        WHAT?

BRADLEY:                              IT'S THE MARK OF SATAN, ABE.

Panel 4  Forward view of the third of the Priests as he is approaching Abe holding a piece of paper with a glyph on it for Abe to see.  Referencing posters for the movie "The Omen" should provide the combined 666 symbol.  Three 6's all touching in a triangle shape with the extenders of the numbers trailing away from each other.

PRIEST 3:                                IF THIS IS WHAT FATHER BRADLEY SAW, THEN YOUR CHILD IS THE PHYSICAL EMBODIMENT OF THE ANTICHRIST, ABE.

Panel 5  Abe is backing away from the men in disbelief.  Bradley trying to comfort him.  In the background, the priests are unwrapping thier bundles.

ABE:                                        OH, MY GOD.  NO.  IT'S NOT POSS--

BRADLEY:                              ABE.  THIS WON'T BE EASY, BUT I'M HERE FOR YOU.  THESE MEN ARE A SPECIAL FACTION OF CARDINALS WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION.

Panel 6  Abe is starting to despair.  Bradley is reaching out to hug him, but he's not respond.  In the background, we can see the priests still unwrapping thier bundles.  Hints that the bundles contain swords are starting to show.

ABE:                                        Y-YOU MEAN AN EXORCISM?

BRADLEY:                              NO, ABE.  THEY ARE HERE TO KILL THE ANTICHRIST.

Panel 7  The priests are holding thier swords unwrapped.  Their faces now full of grim determination.  Abe is starting to plead with them.  Gesticulating to try to make peace with them.

ABE:                                        LORD, NO!  HE'S ONLY TWO YEARS OLD!  HE'S A GOOD KID.  CAN'T WE JUST TEACH HIM--

Panel 8  Looking at the first priest.  He is holding his sword at ease, but at the ready. 

PRIEST 1:                                ABE. THE ANTICHRIST KNOWS ONLY EVIL AND DECEPTION.  HIS ACTIONS WILL ONLY LEAD TO THE ENSLAVEMENT AND DESTRUCTION OF THE WORLD.

Page 3

Panel 1 One of the other priests is holding his sword up for Abe to see.  He is talking earnestly to Abe about it.

PRIEST 2:                                THESE SWORDS BELONGED TO ROMAN CENTURIANS FROM THE TIME OF JESUS.  THEY HAVE BEEN BLESSED BY POPES FOR TWO THOUSAND YEARS.

Panel 2:  Priest 2 is still talking to Abe while holding the sword for him to see.  Abe is still appalled with what he is hearing.

PRIEST 2:                                IT IS SAID THAT THEY CAN ONLY BE USED AGAINST EVIL.  IF WE ARE WRONG ABOUT YOUR SON,  THEN HE IS IN NO DANGER.

Panel 3:  Close on Abe to show his disbelief and shock.

ABE:                                        I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS.

Panel 4:  Father Bradley is stepping to be a comfort.  He is putting his hand on Abe's shoulder.  The other priests are holding thier swords up to the air  They are holding the hilts about level with their hearts and have the flats of the blades on thier foreheads as they meditate.

FATHER BRADLEY:              ABE.  I KNOW THIS IS HARD FOR YOU, BUT THE WORLD IS AT STAKE. 

Panel 5:  Father Bradley and Abe are walking down the hallway to an open door.

FATHER BRADLEY:              THE CHURCH WILL EXONERATE YOU  FOR YOUR SACRIFICE.

Panel 6:  Looking to the hallway from the other side of the open door.  We are in the baby's room.  Decorated with baseballs and bats and baby boy stuff.  Father Bradley is standing in the hall as Abe walks into the room.  Abe is still in shock, and deep in thought.

Panel 7:  Abe is standing at a crib with his son, Issac standing inside holding his arms up to his father..  Issac is 2 years old, still a toddler.  Get as cute as you can get with him.  Abe's worry has left his face

ISSAC:                                    DADDY, HOLD ME!

ABE:                                        HEY, ISAAC!  DID YOU HAVE A GOOD NAP?

Page 4

Panel 1:  Abe is bringing in Isaac to the front room where the priests are.  Father Bradley is following Abe.  The priests are stsnding in a semi-circle, and the first priest is talking to Abe while motioning to the center of the semi-circle.  The other priests regard the child with mixed variations of awe.

PRIEST 1:                                JUST PUT HIM ON THE FLOOR, ABE, AND THEN YOU CAN GO.

Panel 2:  Abe is putting Isaac on the floor in the middle of the priests.  The priests are kneeling on one leg and holding the swords in front of them ritualistically.  The priests on the outside are still standing and moving in to fully encircle Isaac.

ABE:                                        OKAY, BUDDY.  STAND HERE A MINUTE, OKAY?

Panel 3:  The priests have Isaac surrounded, and are all down one knee now.  Isaac looks frightned and is reaching up to where Abe is backing away.

PRIEST 1:                                BLESS US, FATHER, AND GUIDE OUR HANDS AS WE STRIKE AGAINST EVIL.

Panel 4:  Close on Isaac as he is holding his arms up to Abe.

ISAAC:                                    DADDY, HOLD ME!

Panel 5:  Close on Father Bradley as he is still trying to comfort Abe.

FATHER BRADLEY:              I'M SORRY, ABE.  YOU KNOW YOU ARE SAVING THE WORLD.

Panel 6:  Close on Abe, who is looking to where Isaac is, about ready to lose his mind with despair.

NO COPY

Panel 7:  Still focusing on Abe, but his face has changed.  There is now no emotion left as he has seemed to have made a decision.

ABE:                                        SCREW THE WORLD.

Panel 8:  The priests are meditating with thier swords held up so the hilts are sticking above thier heads. Abe is grabbing one of the swords.  It is the sword of Priest 2.

NO COPY

Page 5

Panel 1:  Priest 2 is hardly having time to react as Abe is bringing the sword down upon him.  It's a non professional attack, hacking deep into the collarbone, but from the size of the wound, we can tell that it is still sufficient enough to kill.

NO COPY

Panel 2:  The rest of the priests are becoming aware of what is going on, but Abe is slashing into the neck of Priest 3.  He is wincing in pain, but doesn't even have time to defend himself.  Isaac is running to get behind Abe.

NO COPY

Panel 3:  Priest 1 and Priest 4 are standing up holding thier swords up in defense.  Abe is holding his sword like a baseball bat--it should look awkward.  Isaac is behind Abe now.

NO COPY

Panel 4:  Priest 4 is slashing at Abe, who is clumsily blocking the attack.  Priest 1 is moving to go after Isaac.

NO COPY

Panel 5:  Abe is grabbing Priest 4's arm with his free hand.  Priest 4 is not sure what's going on.  Priest 1 and Isaac are out of frame.

NO COPY

Panel 6:  Abe is pulling Priest 4 close to him while running his sword through him.  Priest 4 is resigning to his fate without fear.

NO COPY

Page 6

Panel 1:  Priest 1 has gotten to Isaac and is lifting his sword high to strike.  Isaac is cornered and cowering from the Priest.  Abe is not in panel now.

NO COPY

Panel 2:  Priest 1 is bringing the sword over his head about to hit Isaac, but Abe's hand has caught it in mid stroke.  There is some blood from that.

NO COPY

Panel 3:  Abe is now holding Priest 1's sword by the blade and is stabbing Priest 1 in the armpit enough that he is reaching the heart.  Priest 1 is staring into Abe's eyes in fear.

NO COPY

Panel 4:  Abe is turning to see Father Bradley flattened up against the wall.  He is looking at Abe with terror.  Priest 1 is falling to the ground, and Abe isn't paying attention.  He is now holding the sword like a pro.

FATHER BRADLEY:              YOU CAN'T DO THIS!  R-REMEMBER THAT GOD GAVE HIS ONLY SON FOR US!

Panel 5:  Abe is getting in Father Bradley's face.  He is scowling with resentment.  Father Bradley is looking at him with fear.

ABE:                                        I'M NOT GOD.  I'M ONE OF HIS DAMNED IMPERFECT CREATIONS.

Panel 6:  Abe is killing Father Bradley.  This killing can be either in sihlouette, or as a shadow on the wall.  As long as we know for sure that Father Bradley is being killed.

FATHER BRADLEY:              YAAHRRR!

Panel 7:  Abe stands bloody holding the sword to his side.  He is screaming to the sky.

ABE:                                        LOOKS LIKE YOU TESTED THE WRONG MAN!

Panel 8:  Looking at Isaac running to Abe holding his hands to him to pick him up.  Abe is bending to get him.

ISAAC:                                    DADDY!  HOLD ME!

ABE:                                        IT'S OKAY, BUDDY--DON'T WORRY…

Panel 9:  Abe, bloody all over,  is holding his son close to him with the love of a father…Isaac is hugging back.  Maybe not show Isaac's face in this panel to avoid unnecessary interpretations of whether he really is an evil creature, but if Isaac's face is shown, it should be a peaceful baby's face happy to see his father.

ABE:                                        DADDY'S GOT YOU.

An idea about what the swords will look like.  They are about 32 inches long from hilt to point.  Won’t be as decorative and hilt will be wood, not gold.  Hilt is just a pattern example