~ The Movie Script ~

~ The Movie Script ~

I saw Jimmy toss a manuscript absent mindedly into the trash can. I am his human cousin, Corrine. I ran over and fished it out. I specify human because in his world, Jimmy and his Hopi wife Shewuma, are known as Hybrids. Enhanced humans laced with Alien DNA and bred to, as I understand it, defend Mankind against Aliens, Demons, Genetic Freaks… it’s a long crazy story. That’s why I have been after him to document his life.

“What is this Jimmy?”

“You’ve been harping on me to keep a journal. I thought a movie would be better. I started a script about our war with the Drachonians. After taking their temple in the Mapimi desert, we found something in the catacombs and I thought I’d start with that. But it sounds dumb and made up, so I trashed it.”

“Mind if I read it?”

“Knock yourself out Cuz.”

~ Nagina ~

By James Archer

Characters:

Jimmy (Hybrid Warrior) Shewuma (Jimmy’s Lover. Hybrid Warrior) Granddaddy/Cap,n Dick (Jim’s Grandfather and Clan Leader)

[Scene 1]

Int. Drachonian Temple

Cap’n Dick is a massive man. Armed with a Spear/Halberd and assorted knives, he addresses his muscular grandson and second in command Jimmy, armed with a katana slung over his shoulder and an empty pistol holster on his belt. He is studying a wall shelf crowded with devotional statues and hallowed religious fetishes. The floor is littered with dead Drachonian bodies. Cap’n Dick never calls anyone by their actual names.

Cap’n Dick: “How long you gonna be, John Henry?”

Jimmy: “The Reptilians believe that these objects have the power to control and kill. I don’t think we should leave them intact.”

Cap’n Dick: “We won’t. We’re going to blow this whole place. But first we need to clear it and check out the basement.”

Jimmy: “I’ll be done in a minute. We need to get Shewuma, though.”

Cap’n Dick: “She’s coming.”

Jimmy: (chuckling) “Wu coming. That has a nice ring to it.”

Cap’n Dick: (laughs) “Yeah, she’s quite a woman. I would never cheat on Eva but she’s not gonna live forever. Then all bets are off on that sweet morsel of a Hopi Chieftess.”

Jimmy: “Damn, Granddaddy. I don’t need to hear you saying all that. We’re practically married.”

Cap’n Dick: “Key word there being practically. You need to tighten it up. Priorities Boy. Until you take care of business, she is still on the market.”

Shewuma walks in. Compound bow over one shoulder. Her quiver filled with arrows and her battle belt stocked with an array of fixed blades, throwing knives and a tomahawk.

Shewuma: “I heard you guys. I see that the Deep Creek Mantra runs in the family.”

Jimmy: “What Deep Creek Mantra?”

Shewuma: (She holds out two handfuls of grapes to the men.) “Not rude, not crude, just nasty. That’s what.”

Jimmy: takes one handful. Granddaddy declines with a scowl. Shewuma eats them herself.

Jimmy: “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot.”(Pulls a pint of vodka from his back pocket. Offers it to Cap’n Dick.)

Cap’n Dick: (Downs the entire bottle and tosses it on the body of a dead Drach Priest.) “Ahhh! I needed that.”

Jimmy: “I knew you would. You drink way too much liquor. Wu let’s go look around.”

Shewuma: (Examining him.) “No. Look at you. You have at least a dozen serious lacerations and I’m sure your nose is broken. You need to go to the ship and get fixed up. Granddaddy and I can clear the building.”

Jimmy: “No way! Besides, I don’t know if I can trust you alone with him.”

Shewuma: (Touches his arm and grimaces.) “I’m serious. I’m an Empath, you know I can feel it too.”

Jimmy: (refusing to budge.) “No, it’s not that bad.”

Shewuma: “I can worry about you if I want to.”

Jimmy: “It’s not going to happen Wu. Hey, how’s Chevayo?”

Shewuma: “Don’t know yet. The medic is still operating on him. It’s touch and go right now. Before they put him out, he told me he would be dead if not for you.”(Puts her arms around his neck.) “Thank you.”

Jimmy reaches under her buckskin battle dress, grips her buttocks and pulls her in. They are about to kiss when Granddaddy clears his throat. Feeling a bit sheepish about getting carried away in front of him, they separate awkwardly.

Cap’n Dick: “Let me see that broken nose.”

Jimmy: “No way!”

Shewuma: “Why not?”

Jimmy: “Because once when I was a kid, I hit my finger with a hammer. It hurt so bad and Granddaddy said, Let me see it. Then he grabbed it and mashed it between his fingers. I was howling. When he finally let go, he said, Doesn’t it feel better now?” (Shewuma laughs out loud.) “It’s not that funny, Wu.”

Shewuma: “Yeah, it is."

Cap’n Dick: “I’m serious, I just want to see it.”

Jimmy: “You promise you won’t grab it?”

Cap’n Dick: “Yep.”

Jimmy sticks his face out. Without warning Granddaddy grabs his broken nose and snaps the bone back in place. Jimmy clutches his nose with both hands and bends over in pain.

Jimmy: “Goddammit, I knew better!”

Cap’n Dick: (With a straight face.) “It feels better now, don’t it Boy?”

Shewuma laughs so hard she has to run to the next room and pee in the corner. Jimmy and Cap’n Dick go into the outer room in time to see Wu pulling up her panties.

Cap’n Dick: “Well, that was fortuitous.”

Jimmy: “Where did you learn a big word like that, Granddaddy?”

Cap’n Dick with his thumb between his two fingers, pretends to reach for Jimmy’s nose again. Jimmy ducks away laughing.

Jimmy: “Let me put this trunk full of scrolls in the ship and then we’ll see where that hallway goes.”

[SCENE 2]

INT. WINDING TUNNEL HEADING UNDERGROUND

Our three heroes are on a steep decline into the lower level and stop at a hard turn to the left, sniffing the air.

Jimmy: “What the hell is that?”

Cap’n Dick: “I smell big trouble.”

Shewuma: (Yells.) “Look out!”

Shewuma drop kicks Cap’n Dick’s mountainous body to one side of the hall and pushing off of him, puts her shoulder into Jimmy and drives them both down on the other side of the cave. Barely missing them, something big moves up the middle gnashing and rasping. Jimmy gets to his feet and his eyes follow a thick scaley snake’s tail up its winding body. It is yellow with black crossbars. At its thickest point it is easily ten inches in diameter and a good thirty feet overall. From its head, a cobra hood spreads out like sails catching the wind. It growls and snarls at them like a rabid dog. The forehead juts out and wide jaws extend forward. The mouth opens revealing two gleaming white fangs the size of those on a Bengal Tiger. Still, the head has a human quality. Jimmy and the creature’s eyes meet. He sees mercy, virtue, and dignity in its countenance. He is wrong about that face. It is a woman. A beautiful woman with golden hair and creamy skin.

Beast: ( With an Angelic voice.) “Come closer and tell me your woes Jimmy of Deep Creek.”

Jimmy sheaths his katana, spellbound.

Cap’n Dick: “Becky, what’s wrong with John Henry?”

Shewuma: “It’s in his head. Jimmy! JIMMY!”

The Beast’s Cobra hood pulls away from the head and becomes two scaley arms with three fingered hands. Shewuma fires two arrows in rapid succession, but both are deflected by the creature’s new limbs. She shoots one more into its thick body to no effect. Wu sees Cap’n Dick trying to get in close, but the yellow whipping tail has him at bay. He needs a distraction. Up on one coil the serpent raises its head, preparing to strike.

Shewuma: “Granddaddy, make ready!”

Shewuma moves in closer, swinging her bow over her head and hollering, “HEY, BITCH!” at the top of her lungs.

The Beast lashes out at Shewuma, fangs dripping poison. Cap’n Dick thrusts his harpoon center of mass just below the head, pinning it to the wall with his abnormal strength. Her arrows useless, Shewuma slings her bow and goes for its head with her tomahawk. The monster’s tail swings around and hits her full on in midair, brutally knocking her into the opposite wall. Then the scaly snake’s torso coils around Cap’n Dick from his knees to his neck. Being squeezed with pressure he didn’t know was possible, his battle hardened frame goes numb and he loses his grip on the harpoon. Amid cries of pain the snake arms began jerking the harpoon, inch by inch, out of its own body.

Jimmy moves closer, admiring her beauty. He thinks he can hear Shewuma calling to him in a dream. Shewuma stands up partially dazed. With the force of a fire hose the creature spits a stream of poison at her. An evasive aerial cartwheel to the side spares her by inches as the burning liquid hits the wall and sizzles. She tries to find a way in, but the whipping tail is always there. She sees Jimmy walking right up to it.

Shewuma: “JIMMY, WAKE UP!!”

Shewuma has one chance, but the throw has to be perfect. Through the pain the creature is supremely confident. The large male will be dead in seconds and the other male is already hers. Once they are gone, full attention will be given to the wily female. There will be feasting tonight. Jimmy stands in front of it in a trance, docile. It’s bared fangs draw back to finish him. Shewuma’s tomahawk comes at Jimmy, flying sideways. On the last rotation, the handle, not the striking surface hits Jimmy hard in the chest, knocking him backward onto the ground. The snake strikes but bites only air. Furious, it screeches cacophonous curses at Shewuma. Jimmy sits up, shakes his head and looks around. He sees Granddaddy purple-faced and being crushed by the snake’s entwinement. He sees Shewuma trying to attack and again being viciously knocked away by the monster’s tail. With the battle cry of “SHEWUMA!” on his lips he springs up for the snake’s head, drawing his katana in midair. He comes down with all his force, cutting deep into a blocking scaly arm. Screeching with pain, it’s other arm grabs him by the throat. From the corner of his eye Jimmy sees Shewuma drawing her bow and smiles. It is just the opening she has been waiting for. Two arrows bury deep into the snake’s lidless eyes. Releasing Jimmy and tossing Cap’n Dick aside, the creature screams in agony and slithers away in a blind panic. The three follow, attacking at will as it bounces off the walls and lashes out randomly. They take it apart a piece at a time until the snake’s head finally lay separated from what is left of its mutilated body. Breathing heavily and covered in the snake’s rich red blood, they take a moment.

Cap’n Dick: (Kicks the dead beast.) “That’s a Naga, right? I heard of them when we were in North Africa in World War II.”

Shewuma: “Yeah. Actually, it’s a Nagina. A female. The males are smaller and their bite is less potent. We should take some of the venom to Wisty. Witches kill for rare toxins and venoms like this one has.”

Jimmy pulls off his tattered and bloody T-shirt and uses it to grip one of the fangs. He rips it loose from the gums as some residual poison sprays out and raises blisters on his arm. He wraps the fang in his shirt and tucks it in his belt.

Shewuma: “Shoot, Jimsy. I thought you were just showing off your manly chest for me.”

Jimmy: (Examines the blisters.) “Wu, we’re Hybrids. But could this have still killed us if one of us was bitten?”

Shewuma: “Maybe. I’m not sure. Regardless, it would have made for a really bad day and hurt like hell for a long time.”

Cap’n Dick: “I’ve never seen anything so hard to kill.”

Jimmy: “You’ve obviously never watched Jersey Shore.”

Shewuma: (Laughs and catches herself.) “I’m not sure why that’s so funny.”

Cap’n Dick: “It’s not,”

Jimmy: “Do you think there are any more of those things, Shewuma?”

Shewuma: “Probably not. They’re very territorial, but generally not malevolent either. I wonder how this one got mixed up with the Drachs?”

Cap’n Dick: (Gets their attention.) “What have we learned today? John Henry? Shewuma?” (They both shrug.) “Never look a Nagina in the eye. And we don’t know what else may be down here, so be alert.”

Jimmy: “Yeah, we need more lerts.”

Shewuma: (Laughs.) “Okay, that was funny.”

Cap’n Dick: “That was a little funny.”

Shewuma: (Breaks into a smile, runs over to Granddaddy and hugs him.) “You called me Shewuma!”

Cap’n Dick: “Well, that’s your name ain’t it, Girl?”

Jimmy joins in on the blood soaked hug. They both kiss a cheek, feeling the scratch of his spiky whiskers.

Jimmy: “I love you, Granddaddy.”

Shewuma: “I love you too, Big Guy.”

Cap’n Dick: “Alright. Enough you two. We haven’t finished yet and we still got to find that High Priest.”

[SCENE 3]

INT. VAST, DEEP UNDERGROUND CAVERN FILLED WITH EVENLY SPACED SUPPORTING STONE COLUMNS

Shewuma: (catches the scent of the escaped Drachonian High Priest.) “Over here, guys.”

Shewuma discovers his escape route and points out the broken back half of one of her arrows amid piles of the Priest’s hardened chunks of green blood on the dirt floor. She picks it up, smells the feather fletching and shudders. Then she holds it out to Jimmy and Granddaddy. They both react to the unfamiliar and disparaging scent.

Shewuma: “At least he didn’t get away clean.”

Jimmy: “Shewuma, I’m going to take samples of this chunky blood and the broken arrow for Wisty to examine.”

Shewuma: “Good idea.”

Cap’n Dick: “Something else was here and broke this arrow off. Any ideas?”

Shewuma: “No, I’ve never smelled anything like it before. Whatever it was left with him. This place is empty.”

They follow the scent and blood trail until it ends at a solid rock wall. With her ear to the wall, Wu taps it with the handle of her tomahawk.

Shewuma: “It’s a draft. But no portal. It’s been sealed.”

Jimmy: “What’s a draft?”

Shewuma: “Portals are entrances to the underground. Drafts are throughways, tunnels that travel all around the Earth. There are a lot more mysteries in this world than just the ones you know about, Jimmy.”

Jimmy: “There are underground roads? Where do they go?”

Shewuma: “Cities, military complexes, civilizations that exist beneath Earth’s crust.”

Cap’n Dick: “The Bloworld.”

Shewuma: “Yes. The Bloworld. Jimsy, when we get home, you make us a big platter of nachos and I promise I’ll tell you everything I know about our Hollow Earth.”

Jimmy’s face breaks into a broad grin. The infectious smile gets the same reaction from both Shewuma and Granddaddy. Jimmy keeps smiling until Wu responds with, “What?”

Jimmy: “When we get home. I forgot how lovely that sounds. Come on. Let’s go.”

FADE OUT

I closed the script and tucked it under my arm. Then I went looking for my cousin. I found him shooting beer cans off the fence, behind the barn. “Jimmy. Why in the hell were you throwing this away? If you felt pain like a normal person, I would kick you in the ass.”

“You liked it?”

“Liked it. I love it. Let’s go show it to Wu.”

**********