Some of you may remember the first big project on this site: An Omega Kid Christmas. The Omega Kid is a superhero I came up with geared towards kids. I have also posted my first Omega Kid story, The Omega Amulet that introduces the character. And now I present the next chapter in The Omega Kid origin: The Sky is Falling! Download (for free!) here and read the first few pages right here:
I wrote this script for a possible gig. They want to do short animated videos starring a muscle-bound airhead with a giant ego but a good heart. It was great to get back to script writing. Prose fiction is fun, micro-fiction is super-fun but this is the most fun by a mile.
EXT. CARNIVAL - DAY
A beautiful sunny day at the carnival. Children run around, young couples stroll, parents drink sodas and eat pretzels… everyone’s having a nice time.
SOUND EFFECT: BING!
EXT. CARNIVAL – “TEST YOUR STRENGTH” BOOTH – CONTINUOUS
ARNIE, a giant, comically oversized muscle-bound man, smiles ear to ear, one hand majestically holding the hammer, the other side receiving his stuff animal prize from the tired, old BOOTH ATTENDANT.
Arnie hands the prize over to JENNY, his date, a cute girl (maybe even a little artsy/dorky). She adds them to an already overwhelming armload of prizes. She looks bored.
ARNIE: Again!
He hands the Booth Attendant a dollar bill, raises the hammer and slams it down, sending the sliding weight up the pole and ringing the bell again.
SOUND EFFECT: BING!
Again, the Attendant hands Arnie a prize and Arnie hands it over to Jenny increasing her ridiculous pile of gifts.
ARNIE: Again!
He hands the Booth Attendant another dollar, raises the hammer, ready to strike.
JENNY: Are you bored?
ARNIE: No! I could do this all day!
Arnie gestures grandly, showing off his muscles and SLAMS the hammer down. This time it’s so hard the sliding weight goes up the pole, knocks the bell off and flies straight up into the sky, out of frame.
BOOTH ATTENDANT: You broke it!
ARNIE: Does that mean I win all the prizes?
Jenny sees an opportunity and takes it!
JENNY: Yes! It does! He’ll hold them for you.
Jenny dumps the load of prizes into the Booth Attendant’s arms, takes Arnie’s hand and leads him off. The poor Booth Attendant is left confused.
Beat.
The sliding weight falls from the sky, hits the Booth Attendant in the head, knocking him out and sending the prizes flying everywhere.
EXT. CARNIVAL – FUN HOUSE MIRRORS – LATER
There are three big, full length mirrors. One of them makes everyone look skinny, one fat and one normal.
A MOTHER stands in front of the mirrors with her little TODDLER. She’s tossing him up and down. He’s giggling.
Armie and Jenny walk by them, eating cotton candy.
JENNY: That looks like fun.
ARNIE: Let’s help him have more fun.
Arnie walks over to the Mother and confidently takes the toddler, as if he’s happily doing them a favor they asked for. They look at him too confused to say anything (which he probably interprets as them thinking he’s awesome).
ARNIE: Let’s catch some air big guy! One!
Arnie tosses the toddler in the air and catches him.
ARNIE: Two!
Arnie tosses the toddler again, this time much, much higher but the child comes down, he catches him.
ARNIE: And three!
This time Arnie tosses the toddler so high he goes out of the frame. The Mother looks horrified! And so does Arnie!
Then we realize Arnie is horrified not for the child’s safety but because he’s caught his own reflection in the “fat” mirror.
ARNIE: I knew I should have done more cardio if I was going to be eating cotton candy! I’m fat and hideous!
Arnie breaks out into an exercise routine: jumping jacks, push ups, squat thrusts and so on. Of course, he’s completely oblivious to the bigger issue at hand.
Meanwhile, the Mother runs back and forth with her arms out, looking up at the sky, trying to judge where her son’s going to land. This continues in the background throughout the next exchange.
JENNY: You’re not fat.
ARNIE: (between push ups) Thanks… but… that… doesn’t… make… me… feel… better.
JENNY: No, you’re literally not fat. It’s a fun house mirror.
Arnie stops, gets up and looks at the mirror. He’s fat. He steps to the thin mirror, now he’s scrawny. Back to the fat mirror, he’s fat again.
ARNIE: Oh. That’s not fun.
Finally he steps in front of the third, normal mirror. He likes what he sees and bursts into a big grin then breaks out into a series of bodybuilder poses.
ARNIE: This is a fun mirror!
In the background the child finally falls from the sky and the Mother barely catches him! They are very, very relieved.
Arnie continues posing. Jenny rolls her eyes.
EXT. CARNIVAL – FUN HOUSE MIRRORS – NIGHT
The carnival has shut down but Arnie is still posing into the mirror, oblivious to anything else around him. He’s having a blast!
A JANITOR sweeps up around Arnie. Finally, he taps Arnie on the shoulder, breaking the spell of the reflection.
JANITOR: Sorry, sir, but we’re closed.
ARNIE: We must have lost track of time. My lady and I were having fun with the mirror. See?
Arnie breaks out into poses again. The Janitor looks around for the supposed “lady.”
JANITOR: There’s no one else here.
But it’s too late. Arnie’s lost in his own reflection. Again. The Janitor shakes his head, giving up on Arnie and keeps sweeping.
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
LAST TIME ON THE OMEGA KID: Despite Alfie’s best laid plans, The Omega Kid’s friends took to the skies in the spirit of Saint Nick, bringing more goodwill that ever. But it was the Omega Kid’s own declaration of belief that finished tilting the scale in their favor, releasing the one and only Santa Claus! And now, the conclusion…
EXT. NORTH POLE – NIGHT
Alfie lays in the snow, seemingly helpless, looking up at The Omega Kid and Santa Claus. He reaches into his diaper and whips out a laser gun. He fires it at Santa!
ALFIE
Die Claus! Die!
Santa merely lifts his hand and deflects the laser back at Alfie, knocking the gun out of his little hands.
ALFIE
You’ll never take me alive!
Alfie, still too small to walk, crawls away. It’s not exactly effective. Santa walks over and picks him up, cradling Alfie like the infant that he is.
ALFIE
You fat jerk! I demand you let me go!
Santa creates a pacifier out of thin air and sticks it in Alfie’s mouth.
Blargh, ever the loyal henchmonster, makes a run at Santa but is intercepted by The Omega Kid!
OMEGA KID
I’ve had enough of you.
Omega Kid nails Blargh with a massive right hook that lays out the monster. Then, The Omega Kid grabs Blargh by the feet, swings him around and launches him into the stratosphere! Blargh flies higher and higher until he’s out of sight.
EXT. SPACE – CONTINUOUS
Blargh is literally in orbit.
BLARGH
Blargh?
EXT. NORTH POLE – MOMENTS LATER
The Omega Kid turns to Santa, who’s still cradling Alfie.
OMEGA KID
I’m sorry.
SANTA CLAUS
For what?
OMEGA KID
I didn’t believe. I was ready to let Alfie come up here and not do anything about it.
SANTA CLAUS
You’re too hard on yourself. “Santa Claus” is a pretty ridiculous idea anyway.
OMEGA KID
So is being a superhero and yet, here I am.
SANTA CLAUS
(laughing)
Good point.
Santa extends a hand. The Omega Kid shakes it.
SANTA CLAUS
Thank you.
Alfie squirms indignitantly in Santa’s other arm.
OMEGA KID
What about him?
SANTA CLAUS
He’ll get just what he deserves this Christmas.
INT. ALFIE’S HOUSE – CHRISTMAS MORNING
Alfie sits, very frustrated, under a Christmas tree. ALFIE’S MOM and ALFIE’S DAD sit next to him giving him present after present. They’re all ridiculous, remedial baby toys. To add insult to injury, they speak to him in baby gibberish.
ALFIE’S MOM
Alfie’s our special wittwe baby!
ALFIE’S DAD
Yes you are! Mewwy Chrwistmas!
Alfie is displeased.
INT. JERRY’S BEDROOM – CHRISTMAS MORNING
Dania walks in, carrying breakfast on a tray. Jerry snores. She gently wakes him up. Jerry immediately goes for his coffee. After taking a sip, he breaks into a big smile.
JERRY
Do you hear that?
DANIA
What?
JERRY
Silence. Blessed silence.
Dania rolls her eyes. Jerry beams.
INT. LAWRENCE’S ROOM – CHRISTMAS MORNING
Lawrence is fast asleep. He rolls over, something digs into his back, jolting him wide awake.
LAWRENCE
Ow!
He looks behind him and finds a neatly wrapped gift box on his bed. His eyes light up as he rips off the paper. It’s… a brand new X-Station! He looks around his room notices that it’s filled with toys once again!
LAWRENCE
Awesome!
He jumps out of bed and dances around the room.
INT. RICK’S ROOM – CHRISTMAS MORNING
Snow falls outside the window. The covers are over Rick’s head. He pulls them off, sits up and lets out a monster yawn. It’s been a long night, after all. He swings his legs out of bed and gets ready to stand up, only to notice there’s something on his nightstand: a glass of milk and a plate of cookies. Next to them is a card. He picks up the card and opens it. It reads:
“I believe in The Omega Kid.”
Rick smiles. From under his bed he takes out a small shoe box. Inside the box is The Omega Amulet. He puts the card next to the Amulet and slides it under the bed again.
There’s a knock at his door.
NATALIE (O.C.)
Rick are you awake?
RICK
Yeah!
Natalie opens the door.
NATALIE
Merry Christmas!
RICK
Merry Christmas, mom!
He runs out of bed and gives her a big hug.
EXT. SMALL TOWN IN TURKEY – CHRISTMAS MORNING 2010
Despite the centuries and modern architecture, the geography makes it clear this is the place where Myra stood centuries ago. It’s a bustling, modern day town. Cruise ships are docked at the port. The streets are paved. And on the spot of the old butcher shop is a small house.
INT. HOUSE – BEDROOM – CONTINUOUS
A man lays in bed. His back is to us, so we can’t see his face. On the nightstand next to him is a small present, beautifully wrapped. The man wakes up and spots it. He pulls off the wrapping paper to reveal:
A lump of coal.
The man looks up and we see he’s The Butcher. Still alive after all these centures. And still miserable.
Somewhere in the distance a familiar, joyful laugh echoes.
SANTA CLAUS (O.C.)
Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!
THE END. Thanks for reading!
(Credit: the star field I used as a background for my artwork was from this site)
My comic book, REVENGER, is now a free app for the iPad! Download Revenger 1: Deluxe Edition today from the App Store.
