I love film and TV. I almost didn't graduate on time because I wanted to go back and get a 2nd degree in film. Glad I didn't, but it was a thought for a full day.
I have decided that I want to try my hand at writing for TV. And, so here is the first scene for my first series: Dragon's Mirror.
In a world where dragons still fly and magic
hasn’t died, a small country is being torn apart after the death of its king.
Ext:
capital city Street - Night
An empty street, the lamp lights are flickering, but stay on.
There are abandoned cars in the middle of the road, parked along the side of
the road, and a few on the sidewalk. Glass from broken windows from cars and
businesses lay scattered across the street and sidewalk.
From far away crashes, explosions, and screams/yelling can be
heard, though there is no one in sight. We move down the street, towards the
distant fire lights and sounds.
From an electronic billboard on a nearby building a news show
flashes, catching our attention. Camera zooms in on the screen.
BREAKING NEWS flashes across the screen before a strained
looking woman holding a microphone in front of a palace’s gates comes into
view.
Through the gates soldiers can be seen on patrol in pairs
circling the palace.
NEWS ANCHOR: (thick accent) Today is the third day since Count Jacob has taken up residence in the Palace and declared himself king after the death of his brother King Issac eight days ago. Baron Gregory, the king’s uncle, has gathered his own soldiers and has surrounded the palace where Count Jacob is currently residing.
The riots that started two days ago have been subdued and
rioters have been arrested.
The screen flickers a couple of times before stabilizing again
Close by there is a bright flash of an explosion. Several car
alarms go off.
We turn away from the main street and start to walk down a
narrow side street.
The sound of gunshots and yelling can be heard. As we turn a
corner the gunshots stop and the shouting gets further away.
From nearby, running footsteps can be heard, then faint
cursing.
We turn another corner to see a young man around the age of
fourteen dressed in pjs and slippers that are sweat, blood, and dirt stained
leaning heavily against a wall. Blood covers his face and soaks the left sleeve
of his pj shirt.
Near him, back to us, is an older man, who looks to be in his
early thirties, dressed in a black suit that is also stained with blood, gun in
hand by his side.
SIMON: What the hell are we going to do then, old man?
GEORGE: Language.
SIMON (muttering) You’ve said worse.
George takes a couple of steps back till he is next to Simon.
George takes a quick look at the younger man before going back to watching the
way they had come.
GEORGE: How is your arm?
SIMON: I got shot. What do you think?
George ignores the snark and continues to survey their
surroundings, occasionally throwing a look at the sky, on the lookout for any
threats.
Simon pushes himself off the wall, wincing, and grabs his left
arm with his right hand.
SIMON: I’m not dead yet.
GEORGE: Let’s try to keep it that way. We need to find somewhere to hide. Somewhere where Uncle won’t be able to find you.
SIMON: I thought we were already doing that.
George throws a look at Simon before holstering the gun.
SIMON: Can’t you just magic us out of this situation? Like how you got us out of the palace?
SIMON: What could possibly be a bigger emergency than running for our lives after being shot at?
GEORGE: Them catching us and hitting their target. Which is you. Dead. That will constitute a bigger emergency. With your little declaration in the throne room earlier, you made yourself an enemy instead of an asset.
SIMON: In my defense, Annie really would make a better King than either of those two pompous royal parasites.
GEORGE: Yes, but calling the parasite that is currently sitting on the throne that, to his face, was a BAD DECISION.
George takes a deep breath then lets it out. George stiffens
and turns his head to stare back the way they had come, his eyes sweeping up to
the sky.
George wraps his arm around Simon’s waist and they slowly make
their way down the alleyway, passing the camera.
Once they pass, the camera pans up to look at the sky before
turning around and following behind.
They only make it a few meters when Simon trips and falls.
George helps him stand back up.
Simon is now limping and only makes it another couple of meters
before he falls again.
SIMON: This isn’t going to work. Go, find Annie. Save her. She is the next rightful ruler.
GEORGE: You are my responsibility. And, the witches are protecting your sister.
SIMON: I thought you said that witches were just a bunch of children playing with matches in a room full of napalm.
GEORGE: You are going to parrot the wrong thing to the wrong person one day.
SIMON: At least I am an adorable parrot.
GEORGE: You should have been drowned at birth.
SIMON: Maybe you shouldn’t have stopped ROGER-ROGER when he tried to do just that when I was four.
The two men stare at each other in silence.
GEORGE: We don’t have time for this.
SIMON: You started it
George’s attention catches on a broken, dirty, chipped, mirror
that is leaning against the wall a few feet away.
GEORGE: Simon, I am about to do something really stupid and I hope I don’t regret it.
Simon straightens up against the wall he is leaning against.
SIMON: Will we live to tell the tale another day?
GEORGE: There is more to life than just living.
GEORGE: Have you ever heard Liam speak more than five words?
SIMON: I always thought Liam had a maximum word count and hoarding words was just his thing.
GEORGE: Liam isn’t the typical dragon. He doesn’t hoard anything. (beat) That I know of.
SIMON: Speaking of hoarding, what do you hoard? Or are you too young to have something that you collect? Or do you collect stamps? Or maybe rocks? Do you have a secret cave—
GEORGE: Simon, shut up.
SIMON: (muttering) So rude.
GEORGE: (ignoring Simon) I am about to create a Mirror.
SIMON: A what?
Simon’s eyes follow where George is looking. He stares at it in
confusion. Then realization hits. His eyes widen.
SIMON: Dude. You can NOT make a Dragon’s Mirror in an alleyway!
GEORGE: Do you have a better idea? No one but me will be able to find the other Mirror.
SIMON: Isn’t it dangerous? You said it was dangerous.
A roar in the distance has both men looking up in the sky.
George rolls his eyes. He slides his arm under Simon’S and
lifts/helps the younger man get closer to the mirror. After making sure Simon
is close but not in the way, George turns his attention back to the mirror.
He stares at it for a long time, making Simon anxious.
George closes his eyes, bringing his hands together in front of
him. He takes a few deep breaths, focusing.
Simon fidgets, his eyes switching between George, the way they
came, and the sky. As he is about to say something again, the mirror begins to
faintly glow.
George stumbles towards the mirror, but catches himself before
he falls through.
He hurries back to Simon about to slide his arm around the
younger man’s waist, thinks better, and slings Simon over his shoulder in a
fireman’s carry.
George doesn’t say anything. Instead just hurries back to the
mirror. Once in front of it, he pauses, takes a deep breath, then plunges
through.
The mirror twinkles for a moment, then goes back to looking
like a regular mirror.
As the mirror goes dark a large dragon in all shades of
glittering blacks and grays, barely able to fit in the small space, lands in
front of the mirror gracefully with a roar of frustration.
It transforms into a tall, elegant, dark haired man in a
three-piece suit. Disdain and anger radiate off him as he stares at the mirror.
His lip curls in annoyance.
Liam snarls once then transforms back into a dragon. He
crouches down then shoots up into the sky, wings tight against his side until
he is clear of the buildings.
Once free, his wings snap out and he flies off.
PAN back down to the mirror, before moving away from the
mirror. We move down the alleyway, towards the narrow shadows between two
buildings about thirty meters away.
From a crack in the shadows VAMPIRE 1 steps out. She is in her
late thirties/early forties with short curly dark hair and dark red lipstick,
wearing ripped jeans and a bomber jacket.
She studies the mirror with pursed lips for a moment then pulls
out her phone. She hums under her breath as she dials a number then waits for
the other person to pick up.
VAMP 1 Yeah, it’s me. I just saw something that you won’t believe. (BEAT)
She rocks back on her heels, gives a salute to the mirror, then
turns and saunters back into the shadows to wait.
fade out:
