PAGE ONE (Six Panels)
PANEL 1
On a rolling plain, a quaint farmhouse rests next to a dirt road. On the front porch, an elderly woman, Sarah, sits on a wooden rocking chair as she waits for the approaching sunset.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL 2
A brand new Ford Model T 1927 Touring Edition heads up the dirt road. (Picture of car)
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL 3
A handsome young man in spectacles and a pork pie hat steps partially out of the vehicle and addresses Sarah on the porch.
DRIVER: PARDON ME, MA'AM, BUT COULD YOU TELL ME THE QUICKEST WAY TO BELLFLOWER?
PANEL 4
Close on the elderly woman.
SARAH: STAY ON THIS ROAD FOR TWENTY MILES AND YOU'LL HIT BELLFLOWER.
DRIVER: (No Tail) MUCH APPRECIATED, MA'AM.
PANEL 5
The Model T continues on down road as Sarah looks on.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL 6
Close on Sarah's face as her eyes to seem to sparkle. The handsome stranger rekindled some long lost memory.
NO DIALOGUE
PAGE TWO (Three Panels)
PANEL 1
Mirror of Page 1, Panel 6 except Sarah is now twenty years old. Her eyes hold the same sparkle. Her hairstyle remains unchanged, but what was gray is now blonde. She is a beauty in a wholesome manner.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL 2
Pull back to reveal Sarah standing in front of a General Store right out of your typical western. Hiding behind a banister on the store's porch, she looks off panel with an expression of shock and amazement.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL 3
In the most prominent panel on the page, pull back across the street to show exactly what has caught Sarah's attention. Two men stand in the middle of the street, prepared to participate in a gunfight in stereotypical Western fashion. The two men epitomize the cowboy characters of yesteryear. The obvious hero is dressed in light colors and bears a striking resemblance to the Driver from the Page 1. The other man is dressed entirely in black and has not seen a bath in a long time.
NO DIALOGUE
PAGE THREE (Five Panels)
PANEL 1
Close on the Man in Black's unkempt face. Sporting a few days growth of facial hair, the man will not become famous for his dental hygiene skills.
MAN IN BLACK: I'M WAITING ON YOU.
PANEL 2
Close on the Handsome Cowboy's face. He smiles slightly and the whiteness of his teeth is blinding.
HANDSOME: WHY? YOU'RE THE ONE THAT NEEDS A HEAD START.
PANEL 3
From behind the Man in Black at waist level. The Handsome Cowboy can be seen in the distance as the Man in Black reaches for his gun.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL 4
Mirror Panel 3 except the Handsome Cowboy now has his gun drawn, pointing at the Man in Black - while the Man In Black simply holds his gun off to the side. He hasn't had time to raise it up to shoot.
SFX: BANG!
PANEL 5
Mirror Panel 1 except the Man in Black now has a bullet-hole in the middle of his forehead and look of surprise on his face.
NO DIALOGUE
PAGE FOUR (Six Panels)
PANEL 1
Sarah comes running out into the street to greet her champion, the Handsome Cowboy. The Man in Black falls back on the ground, causing a slight cloud of dust to rise up around his body.
SARAH: YOU DID IT! YOU REALLY DID IT!
PANEL 2
Nonchalantly, the Handsome Cowboy puts two fingers to his mouth and whistles for his horse. Sarah has grabbed his free arm with both her hands as her eyes are showering the gunfighter with great affection.
SARAH: YOU WERE MAGNIFICENT.
PANEL 3
A beautiful white horse comes riding towards the couple as the remaining townspeople start making their way on the scene.
HANDSOME1: JUST DID WHAT I HAD TO, MA'AM.
HANDSOME2: NOW, I BEST BE GOING.
PANEL 4
The Handsome Cowboy makes his way up onto the saddle as Sarah looks on with utter sadness.
SARAH: BUT.. BUT, I LOVE YOU.
PANEL 5
Firmly seated on his horse, the Cowboy looks down at the girl with utter sympathy.
HANDSOME1: MUCH APPRECIATED, MA'AM.
HANDSOME2: BUT I'M NOT ONE TO PUT DOWN ROOTS.
PANEL 6
Sarah stands amid all the townspeople as they watch their hero ride off into the sunset.
SARAH1: I'LL WAIT FOR YOU.
SARAH2: I'LL WAIT FOR YOU FOREVER.
PAGE FIVE (Six Panels)
PANEL 1
The Ford Model T from Page 1 is driving past a large sign that reads "WELCOME TO BELLFLOWER." The sunset that Sarah was waiting for on Page 1 has arrived.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL 2
The car parks in front of a large Victorian home with grand wrap-around porch. On the porch, an old man is sitting on a wooden rocking chair with two little boys sitting on the floor in front of him.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL 3
The Handsome Driver makes his way up to the house as the old man enthralls the boys with a story.
OLD MAN1: THEN I SAID, "WHY? YOU'RE THE ONE THAT NEEDS A HEAD START."
OLD MAN2: SO, HE GOES FOR HIS GUN.
PANEL 4
Close on the two excited little boys as the Handsome Driver is walking up behind them.
BOYS: (In Unison) AND YOU BLAST HIM.
PANEL 5
The Handsome Driver bends down to hug the two boys, his sons, as he gives his father a knowing smile.
DRIVER1: AND HE BLASTED HIM.
DRIVER2: THEN WHAT HAPPENS?
PANEL 6
The Handsome Driver picks up the boys and carries them towards the front door of the house. The old man looks on lovingly.
BOYS1: (In Unison) THEN HE RIDES TO BELLFLOWER,
BOYS2: (In Unison) AND HE MEETS GRANDMA,
PAGE SIX (Splash Page)
PANEL 1
The elderly Sarah remains in her rocking chair on her porch as the light of the setting sun illuminates her lonely little house.
BOYS: (Off-Panel) AND THEY LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
"Waiting" ©2003 Michael Wojciak
