EXT. CAMPBELL RANCH - MORNING Brock and Diane race on horseback through open fields. They arrive at an old, opened walled hut on a ridge with a horse trough and a hand cranked water pump. Dismounting, they hitch their rides to a post, as Brock cranks the pump and water gushes into the trough. The horses drink. Diane removes her hat, shakes her hair free, stares stunned at the breathtaking view from the ridge all the way down to the Pacific Ocean. Groves of almond and olive trees, apricots and plums, and a huge hillside vineyard. DIANE: This is all yours? BROCK: It belongs to the family trust... all one hundred thousand acres of it. But I'm the chairman of the board and the biggest shareholder, which means I have a big say in what happens. DIANE: And? Sound of a rumbling Vietnam era jeep closing in. Brock leans over, kisses Diane. BROCK: And I say you don't even try to mess with perfection. Jeep comes to a halt. Brock and Diane turn to see who's at the wheel. BROCK: You remember Justin, don't you? DIANE: Of course. The pair approach the jeep. JUSTIN: Heard you two were up here. Brock tries to give him a brotherly hug, but Justin shies away. BROCK: What's up? Justin hands over an official looking yellow envelope. JUSTIN: I'm suing to have you removed from the board. We've convened an emergency meeting for tonight. BROCK: Bullshit, you don't have the votes to do this. Sly smile crosses Justin's face, as if after all these years he finally managed to pull one over on his perfect older brother. JUSTIN: Mama's given me power of attorney over her share, and between us... well, you can do the math. BROCK: She'd never give you control-- Justin glares contemptuously at Diane. JUSTIN: -- Not before you went off without asking for permission and married this... gold-digger. BROCK: I don't need anyone's permission. Least of all yours. Dad would never allow this -- JUSTIN: -- Dad's gone, Brock... and Mama thinks you need a reminder you're her son and that she still owns you. Justin starts the jeep... JUSTIN: I'll see you tonight. ...and drives away.

INT. RECEPTION ROOM. DAY. Wendleberry and Alsemero enter a waiting room: empty chairs, and a desk, where a vacuous RECEPTIONIST files her nails. RECEPTIONIST: Do you have an appointment? WENDLEBERRY: We are here to engage the Most Exalted Wizard on a mission of the utmost urgency and importance. RECEPTIONIST: Lovely. Do you have health insurance, or will you pay cash? Alsemero’s had enough. He pushes through a curtain into - INT. CONSULTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS. A long windowless lair filled with herbs, crystals, rabbits’ feet, occult symbols, every kind of spooky stage-dressing. At one end, a fat, middle-aged COUPLE sit, consulting the robed and hooded MOST EXALTED WIZARD. An imposing six feet tall, speaking with an impossibly deep voice - MOST EXALTED WIZARD: The answer to your problem is - The wizard catches sight of Alsemero, inhales sharply; and begins to CHOKE. A particularly violent COUGH, and something explodes from within the hood and lands on the table. It’s a SWIZZLE, of sorts. The Most Exalted Wizard coughs out a curse - in a distinctly female voice. MOST EXALTED WIZARD: Oh blast-! Ooops. One gloved hand snatches up the swizzle, fits it back into her mouth. Back to the booming voice - MOST EXALTED WIZARD: How dare you disturb my-! The fat man leaps up and throws back the Most Exalted Wizard’s hood. Revealing ELEANOR, a woman of about forty: capable, self-assured. She spits out the swizzle. ELEANOR: (in her own voice) How about a fifty percent discount?

Nice... reminds me of Pratchett.

For some reason I have horses on the brain. Feel free to rip, spindle, mutilate, whatever,,,, ----- INT. DECLAN'S BAR, LONG BEACH - DAY Beams of golden California sunshine cut through the dusty darkness of this sacred cave of a place. Kevin and Shawn lean at the bar, nursing pints, eyes fixated on the horse race playing on the TV above. ON SCREEN: Commandatore is leading by eight lengths. Other patrons vocally urge him on. KEVIN: I got the inside track, this horse is a sure thing. SHAWN: How much action do you have? KEVIN: Two hundred at six to one. SHAWN: You only put two hundred dollars on this horse? Kevin takes a long satisfied draw of his pint. KEVIN: ...two hundred *thousand*. Shaun stares at the screen, takes a nervous swig of his beer. SHAWN: Lucky for you-- ON SCREEN: With just 20 lengths to go, Commandatore pulls up lame. Other horses speed by this future can of dogfood. A collective, involuntary gasp spreads across the barroom. Shawn's jaw drops. Kevin's eyes widen in panic. KEVIN: No, no... NO!... Fuck! ON SCREEN: Rest of the race pass the finishing line. SHAWN: Shit! Who did-- KEVIN: (whispering) --Sully. Shawn finishes his pint in one swallow, slaps Kevin on the shoulder. SHAWN: Then, let's get out of here.

EXT. FRONT DOOR – EARLY MORNING Back from a good night out with her friends, Nancy opens the front door quietly. INT. HALLWAY – EARLY MORNING Nancy find her way well in the dark. She tiptoes to the stairs and stumbles upon something. SCREAMING SOUND. The light springs on. Nancy shrinks. It’s her mother, looking very angry. NANCY: what are you doing here MOTHER: you look like a whore NANCY: well thank you, the boys liked it MOTHER: I bet they did Nancy tries to pass her mother who’s blocking her from going upstairs. NANCY: let go MOTHER: you were supposed to stay at home. Didn’t I tell you NANCY: I’m no babysitter MOTHER: you’re 13, act like one Nancy pushes her mother away, runs upstairs. MOTHER: wait till your father comes back, you’ll listen then Nancy turns her back NANCY: oh yeah, what you’re gonna tell? I know your dirty little secret Mother shrinks, her eyes turning ugly. MOTHER: you little bitch. NANCY: I know all about it. Once daddy finds out, he’ll leave you. What will you do then? Nancy goes to her room, slams her door shut. Mother let herself fall down on the stairs, her face upset

Great scenes and fun to read! Love the Swizzle Debbie.....I am "cheating" slightly and posting something I wrote a while back on the Black Board for Debbie's Bashgali writing exercise as I think it fits.....I might be wrong....(it's a cut and paste so I hope it works out)...the last line is the line I had to build the scene around according the to writing exercise... INT. SLEAZY HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT The door to a dark boudoir, lit from outside by neon street signs, opens to the silhouette of PENELOPE (30) lithe and deadly in a red satin gown that oozes sin. The door slides shut as she reaches into her purse and lights a cigarette, highlighting for one brief moment those ruby red lips surrounded by a sea of red hair. Something creaks in the darkness. She spins, flicking the light switch. Nothing. MAN (O.S) Bulbs blow in this part of town all the time doll. A brief rustle and click on the pull cord of a standard lamp. CURLY HOPPER (30s) smart suit, chiselled face and deadly aim sits in a chair pointing his revolver directly at Penelope's breast. PENELOPE I wondered how long it would take. CURLY Bad-pennies always turn up... the gutter spits them out all the time. PENELOPE I'm not that bad Curly. CURLY Your husband might disagree with that... if he could still talk. Curly stands, gun still pointing directly at Penelope. The charge flying between their stares could almost repower the blown bulb. PENELOPE Sometimes people talk too much... Penelope slowly reaches her left hand into her purse as she takes the cigarette from her mouth with her right, blowing smoke into Curly's face. They move closer. PENELOPE (contd.) ...actions speak louder. She lunges at Curly with the knife pulled from her purse. Curly is fast, and far from stupid, catching her wrist and forcing her to drop the knife. Their faces are close. Curly holds her left wrist while his gun pokes into Penelope's ribs. CURLY I was always going to catch up with you. PENELOPE I didn't run that fast. They are locked in a twisted embrace, staring at each other, breathing hard, sweat beading on their foreheads. PENELOPE So, what now? CURLY I had an intention to kill you. He drops his gun, pulling her close and she kisses him hard on the lips.

Couldn't think of anything to fit this theme, but a prompt for a weekly Thursday flash fiction contest set things in motion. I've adapted my submission. ________ INT. UPSCALE SUBURBAN KITCHEN WIFEY at kitchen island preparing dinner, appears unaware of HUBBY’S presence behind her. HUBBY smiles smugly, proud that he’d finally snuck up on her upon arriving home from work. HUBBY stalks silently to press a sudden kiss on her bare shoulder. WIFEY shows no sign of surprise. She continues to slice rhythmically through a carrot before her. WIFEY (flatly): “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to disturb a woman wielding a knife?” HUBBY (miffed at lack of attention from spouse): “Hmph. What’s for dinner?” WIFEY continues slicing vegetables on chopping board. WIFEY (coolly): “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to ask a woman that question upon arrival?” HUBBY (snotty): “Hmm. Fine. Must be that time of the month.” CUT TO KITCHEN FLOOR CLOSE OVER HUBBY’S FACE, suddenly flat on his back on kitchen floor. CLOSE ON HUBBY’S LEFT EAR, as knife embeds itself in floor next to but missing ear. CLOSE ON HUBBY’S RIGHT EAR, as knife embeds itself in floor next to but missing the other ear. CLOSE OVER HUBBY’S FACE, now wearing a look of panic between the two knives on either side of his head. WIFEY (V.O.): “Didn’t anyone ever tell you never to say that to a woman?” CUT TO KITCHEN ISLAND CLOSE ON WIFEY, who calmly checks her eyebrow’s arch in butcher knife's mirror-finish. CUT TO KITCHEN FLOOR CLOSE ON HUBBY’S FACE, still pinned between knives, still panicky. HUBBY: “I’m sorry, dear. Let me start over, please? Did you have a nice day? And can I help you with dinner?” WIFEY (V.O.): “That’s better. Please set the table.” INT. DINING ROOM HUBBY places flatware next to place settings on table. HUBBY (sotto voce): Never should have married a knife-thrower. BLACK OUT.

EXT. TACO JOINT PARKING LOT - DAY A disheveled man in ratty clothes, looks 70, but could be twenty years younger, picks up trash in the empty lot. A dumpster stands nearby. Larry, 37, stringy hair,jeans too tight in the waist, and a tee shirt snug on his paunch, looks at the old man and snarls. LARRY: We open in fifteen minutes, hurry up. MAN: Almost done. Larry turns to go. MAN: I'll take my beef burrito, deluxe style this time. Larry turns around with a sneer. LARRY: You'll take what I give you. Lucky I don't call the cops. MAN: For just doing some work? LARRY: For loitering, you bum. Just hurry your old ass up and I'll give you a taco, same as always. MAN: Ain't got no issue with the cops. Been meaning to talk with em' anyways. Larry walks back. LARRY: What you got to say to the cops? MAN: Thought I might report something. Lost and found. I found it, meybe someone out there lost it, looking fer it. Larry looks him up and down. Decides he's full of it. LARRY: Yeah, right. MAN: Pretty ring. How do they say-- unique. Yep, I'm sure someone knows who it belongs to. Now what it was doing in the dumpster, and where its' owner is -- that's something for the police to figure out. Larry shifts uncomfortably. LARRY: I was just funning with ya. I'll get ya that burrito. MAN: Deluxe style. LARRY: Deluxe style.

real quick formatting thing... in this case because WIFEY is actually physically present in the scene, you want to use offscreen (O.S.) instead of (V.O.) for her dialogue when she's not visible.

THANK YOU! I wasn't certain how to handle that, and pressed for time when I posted it. Learning. I haz it!

EXT. ROYAL PALACE (1740) - DAY Dressed in the standard clothe of the court, OFFICIAL BAE (50s), gray beard and kindness in his eyes, makes his way through the several gates leading to the palace entrance where he meets: MEEYOON, A twenty year old wearing peasant clothe and a giant excited smile. Official Bae looks at Meeyoon with a gentle smile. OFFICIAL BAE: Do you understand the chance that is given to you? Meeyoon tries to contain his excitement. MEEYOON: Yes sir. OFFICIAL BAE: Very well, follow me then. He turns around and together they walk back the same way the official came from. Meeyoon loses control at the sight of the gigantic doors and the soldiers standing every two meters all the way through. MEEYOON: I know everything. My dad told me, about the king. He talked about his kindness and the help he brings to all the people around the country. Official Bae nods and smiles as they continue to walk and Meeyoon continue to talk with joy and excitement. They finally stop in front of a huge building. OFFICIAL BAE: From here it's simple. Bow very low and do not look at the king unless he lets you. MEEYOON: Yes sir. OFFICIAL BAE: Any question? MEEYOON: Yes. Why me? OFFICIAL BAE: You won the contest. Fair and square. Meeyoon smiles. INT. THRONE ROOM - DAY The man and the boy walk into the room. Official Bae steps to the side and Meeyoon bow as low as he can. Across the room, red and golden robe. The King. He stands, walks slowly to the boy who can now see only the King's feet. THE KING: Rise. Slowly, Meeyoon discovers the robe, red, gold. Finally his face, thin, hard, unfriendly. THE KING (12yo). THE KING: Go on peasant. Look at him, look at your king. His tone is hard and pretentious. Meeyoon looks on, speechless. The King waves and walks away. THE KING: Out of my sight now. Go and tell your kind the beauty of the king. Official Bae walks to Meeyoon and together they exit the room. EXT. ROYAL PALACE - DAY Meeyoon stands, frozen, his joy and excitement faded away. OFFICIAL BAE: Are you ok? MEEYOON: He is so young and so- OFFICIAL BAE: Speak freely. MEEYOON: I believed all the stories and I dreamed about one thing. I wanted to see greatness. I didn't see it today. Why should I sacrifice my life for him? Official Bae comes closer. OFFICIAL BAE: Kings come and go, they represent the country, sometimes rule it. The true greatness comes from ideologies. These are what we need to live and fight for. They deserve our lives. He puts his hands on Meeyoon's shoulders and smiles to him with deep kindness. OFFICIAL BAE: Live with your heart and let your mind believe in the ideologies which drive our country. Kings are temporary, even when they try to believe otherwise, but our country, it is eternal.

[…] have a stack of bills to pay so to get done quickly, I’ll have to combine Scott Myers’ ‘Reversal’ scene exercise with Shaula Evans’ ‘Character comedy’ scene exercise into one scene. Even after reading […]