Out of the Blue - Script

The Deathlings: Out of the Blue
© 2010 Ian Struckhoff

SUMMARY- The Cloak Named Blue encounters a group of refugees in Fog City, protects them from zombies and other monsters, and leads them to safety. This is a near-silent story-- Zany Blue Mime Vs. The Undead) - Art by Matteo Carlarino


CHARACTERS

THE CLOAK NAMED BLUE

A fairly mysterious figure, simultaneously enigmatic and cartoonish. Bright garish blue, and entirely made out fo fabric, but with a clear connection to the undead-killing Deathlings. He has incredibly expressive body language. (thedeathlings.com/characters/s… - Official design is on the left.)

Basics:
Name: Blue
Height: 6' 2" (185-190 cm)
Necessary Details:
Roughly human-shaped
Royal Blue color
No face
Introduction

Blue is a very unusual character, so he can be hard to describe. Blue is actually a Deathling Cloak that became so powerful that it gained a personality. Blue looks like a man wearing a loose blue suit of fabric, that covers his entire body.

Body Language and Personality

Blue has very expressive body language, and like a mime, he uses it to communicate. He is very bold and playful, and will use gestures and body shapes to express ideas. In some ways, he is like a child.

Visual
This character can be confusing to describe, so excuse me if this is unusual. The best way to understand how Blue looks is to describe how to build him:
- Start with two five-pointed stars of blue silk (or parachute fabric) about the height of a man. Sew them together, so there is a space inside where a person could stand.
- Put the person's legs in the bottom two spokes of the star. Tie blue rope around the ankles loosely, so the very tips of the star are like socks. Tie blue rope around the waist, so the middle of the star is like a belt.
- Put the person's arms in the side two spokes of the star. Tie blue rope around the wrists, and replace the pointed tips of the star with blue silk gloves.
- Tighten the fabric, so you can barely see the shape of the person's head and neck. Let the top point of the star fall back like a hat or a hood.
In terms of the story, there isn't really someone inside the star. It's empty, and the shape is created by the magic of the cloak. This means that Blue is nearly weightless, and can almost walk on air. It means that if he is punched, it's like punching a stretched piece of fabric, not a man.
Blue doesn't really have a face. It is up to you whether there is some detail to vaguely suggest a face under the mask.
If any of this is confusing, just let me know. I would be happy to explain in other ways until this makes sense.

If Blue touches anything undead, it dies dramatically but quietly. The flesh turns to ash/dust, and only the bones are left. All of the color seems to leave it. This starts where he touches it, and spreads from there in seconds.

Note: The following three characters are inspired by Teo's tryout sketch. I focus mostly on their personalities and character arcs, rather than their visual designs, as they already look great.


THE REFUGEES

"Trixxy" - A refugee who suddenly found herself lost in a world of zombies. A stripper with a heart of gold, who initially can't keep herself together in this unbelievable situation. She eventually gets ahold of herself, and does what is necessary. She's dark haired, a bit trashy, very busty, and has tattoos. Trixxy isn't her real name. (Current-day)

Carl - Another refugee in the City of Fog, Carl is a long-distance trucker. For some reason, unlike everyone else, he woke up in this strange place with a gun. He seems to think it means he is in charge, but he doesn't do much to prove himself. He is thoughtless, impulsive, and a bit too interested in power for it's own sake. (Late 70s or Early 80s) He has a name-tag on his shirt, with his name in script writing.

Father Stephen - Another refugee, though he doesn't fit in with the others. It's not clear exactly where he is from, but he's exceedingly old-fashioned, almost as if he's a product of another time. (1920s)

Jame - Another refugee. He's an overweight but friendly and sincere art school student. He's creative, kind, protective, and... well, we don't get to know him very well in the end. He is African American, with relatively light skin, and a shaved head. He dresses like he's from art school-- mostly in black, with some semi-goth elements and some signs of laziness in choosing his clothes. He wears big black boots, and his wallet is on a thick metal chain, but he still looks more creative and artistic than tough. (Current-day)

Ani - A Deathling - The linked description is from another story, so some references may not apply. However, it should make the nature of the character clear.

The Undead - Hordes of zombies and other undead. They range from the recently-dead, to the horrifically rotting, to skeletons. Can also include undead fantasy creatures, vampires, wraiths, etc.-- but only rarely if at all in this story. When necessary, I will be specific, otherwise be as creative as you like.


DESIGN AND STYLE NOTES

This is a zombie survival story, in a dreamlike and supernatural setting. The main twist from the norms of this type of story is the presence of Blue. The story relates to the world of The Deathlings closely, and ends with a character transitioning to a different role from what is expected.

The gutters of this story should be white. Most of the panels should be a fairly standard grid, but that rule can be broken to demonstrate especially dramatic transitions.

Sound effects should be drawn by the artist. Captions and word balloons will be handled by the letterer (probably the writer).

The colors should be very subdued. The only bright or rich colors should ideally be (some of) the blood, and of course Blue himself.


TECHNICAL NOTES

All pages should be 7" by 10.5" (17.78 x 26.67 cm) full bleed and un-cropped. The printable area will be about 6 5/8" by 10 1/4" (16.8275 x 26.035 cm). The resolution should be 400 dpi to ensure high-quality printing.
Before beginning any color work, I will send a Photoshop Color Profile, to define the CMYK space for printing comics. Also of note, colors should be mixed in CMYK with no more than 30% black in any color. (The black you use should be 30% black, plus max cyan, magenta, and yellow.)


SETTING AND CONCEPT NOTES

For information on Deathlings and their world, see also thedeathlings.com/artists/

What is a Deathling?

"Nobody knows where we came from-- But we know, deep in our chests, that we're made to kill the undead. All of them. They just-- Mmm.. There's life, and there's death, both totally natural-- and as hard to avoid as taxes, or the one slippery spot on a clean floor. Like two sides of a coin. It's cheating to set it on its side." -Ani ("The Deathlings: Anne's Story" Issue 0. She does ramble.)
Deathlings are constructs, made from the bodies, and sometimes the personalities, of formerly living people. They aren't undead, but the difference is a pretty fine one, something that frustrates them. They are believed to be elementals of Life and Death.
Each and every Deathling has incredible power over life and death. They are virtually immortal, and many of them can kill with a thought. They are the ultimate specialists at arguably one of the most important things there is. Yet in many ways, they are limited. They have little power over anything besides death. They often lack creativity, or nuanced thinking. For things like that, they need normal people sometimes.
Their powers are focused through, and symbolized by, a series of common-looking objects. Most Deathlings associate with two or three types of these at most. They often carry and use special silvery-white objects of their chosen types, and many Deathlings would have many of each type they use. (Ani and Anne both mostly focus on Scissors and Thread, for instance, and both will be seen to differing degrees with silver-white scissors and needles or spools.) The most common among these objects have abilities to do with death and undeath in very direct ways-- Crown is for controlling the will of the undead. Scythe kills without hesitation. Scissors can sever souls. Needle and Thread can mend and heal. The others, more rare, come down to life and death eventually-- Lenses show you things. Keys open doors to other places. Matches and Torches make fire. Clocks and Hourglasses can impact time itself.
Every Deathling also has a Cloak. This is their defense-- in the form of armor, an almost-creature to guard them, and most often invisibility or stealth to hide them from their enemies.
In this context, The Cloak Named Blue is definitely something like a Deathling. He can't really be harmed by the Undead, and he has powers to fight them. However, he's fairly unique.

What's the big story behind this?
All worlds exist, and most of them have undead somewhere. In fact, this series could have characters, even whole chapters, that take place in vastly different settings-- High Fantasy, Gothic Horror, Steampunk, Zombie Apocalypse, and some surprises in between and beyond those. There are Deathlings everywhere, but not very many of them.
The war they fight is long, patient, and strategic. It is calculated, and concerned only with eventually wiping all undeath from all Universes. There is very little care for lives lost because of delay, or indeed lives caught in the crossfire. At the core of Deathling society is a Cathedral to their cause, an impossible bureaucracy.
A small group see it another way, and are fighting to change the path of their stubborn, unfeeling people. They are led by Ani, an unassuming and strangely expressive person indeed. A few zealots on the other side are just as proactively pushing in the other direction. We're left with a broad cast of characters to draw from.
In most worlds, nobody has heard of the Deathlings. Certainly, their undead enemies rarely have any inkling of their existence, even in rumours. Among the most powerful liches, vampires, and shades, there are rumours of Walkers in Shadow, terrifying creatures that appear out of nowhere and destroy the mightiest Necromancers, or their entire armies.

"Fog City"
This story takes place in "Fog City", during very dim daylight. Be sure you stick to the nature and feel of that setting.
The setting of this story, The City of Fog-- home to The Man with No Name, Ani, and many other Deathlings, is a very unusual place.
The city itself is a mixture of every kind of city, from every place and time. The only thing every part of it has in common is that it is abandoned, with broken windows, scattered debris. (Sometimes places can be found that haven't been looted/destroyed/etc. but it is rare.) It looks like the end of the world has passed. This appears to go on almost forever in all directions.
However, from most places you can't see that far in the distance-- There is a thick grey-white fog everywhere. Standing on street level, you can see maybe a half-mile in any direction. If you look up, you can only see about 2-3 stories (5-10 meters) up into the fog.
If you look out of a window less than 12 stories (30 meters) up, you can barely see anything but the fog. If you are above that height, then you can see above the fog. The surface of the fog looks almost like an ocean of clouds, from above. Above the fog, rare buildings (city skyscrapers, Ani's tower, and the Cathedral) rise into the clear sky. In the far distance, you can see very very distant hazy mountains.
At night, the City is dark and damp, with deep shadows. During the day, everything seems pale and washed out because of the fog. (Most of this story is during this daylight, with the end nearing evening.) At any time, the city is dirty and has a lot of detritus and debris.
Around the base of Ani's tower, somewhere in this city, she has built a refugee camp. There is a walled area extending about 25 meters from the tower. The wall rises perhaps 5 meters, and has crude defenses and gates built in places. The wall is a mixture of stone, medieval wooden construction, and modern debris nailed together. There are lean-to shelters built against the walls, some small huts (modern or medieval, mixed), and tends everywhere. Normal people, apparently a mixture of medieval peasants, modern homeless people, and others, all try to stay safe, protected by Ani and her friends. It is somewhat homey, but not really comfortable.


OUTLINE
The script outline below is in progress.
Scene - 1 page - Sequence: Trixxy asleep in a normal bed. Empty spot in Fog City. Trixxy asleep in same position, now in that empty spot. The normal bed, empty. Eyes open!
Scene - 2 pages - Trixxy has appeared in the motel room where everyone is hiding. Everyone suspicious. She wants to ask questions-- Carl covers her mouth, Stephen hushes her, Jame points out zombies surrounding them. (We can catch sight of Blue, picking them off one by one.) Time passes, everyone scared. Trixxy crying.
Scene - 1 page - Zombies break into hiding place, everyone has to run. Carl runs first, on his own. Jame protective of Trixxy, get's her moving ahead of him. (Still quiet.)
Scene - 1 page - Down the alley, Jame is snatched by zombies, and killed horribly. Carl doesn't do much. Stephen tries to help, can't. Trixxy just silently weeping, stunned. They make their stand.
Scene - 2 pages - Surrounded. Stephen tries to silently console her. Blue appears, dramatically, and helps fight off the advancing horde. He's clearly there to help, and in no danger, but can't do it all by himself. Trixxy starts to shake off her shock.
Scene - 2 pages - Stephen dragged away from the group. Everyone panicking. Carl doesn't do anything. Father is being torn apart. Trixxy shouts to do something. He freezes. She knees him in the balls, takes his gun, and shoots... Father Stephen.
Scene - 1 page - Trixxy keeps the gun, abandons Carl. (Flips him off.) Blue decides to go with her.
Scene - 2 pages - Blue takes Trixxy to Ani's Tower. Ani says "Good job, Blue. She survived, and she has what it takes. What's your name? ..."


THE SCRIPT
(Currently in progress, definitely not a final draft.)

PAGE 1

I imagine this page as being split into four identical-shaped horizontal panels.
Panel 1.
Trixxy, in bed. Seen from above.
She's asleep in the clothes she wore the day before, which are also the same as she will wear for the entire story. Her make-up is still on, and it's heavy.
The sheets are twisted and tangled. She has a stuffed animal in bed with her, but it's upside-down. The colors should be sweet and girly, this is a comfortable place.
The overall impression should be a slightly trashy girl, who is clearly poor, sleeping in a messy but relatively normal bed. She might have gone to bed drinking.

Panel 2.
Another bed, this one empty, seen from above.
It's a bed in a cheap hotel, but it looks like it has been left half-made for years. There is dust, and maybe a spider.
This isn't a comfortable place, and the colors are much more subdued. (As they will be for the rest of the story.)
Someone (Carl) is sitting tensely on the edge of the bed. His gun, a cheap revolver, is sitting next to him. We don't need to see him clearly, just that there is someone sitting on the bed next to a gun.
The bed should probably aligned the same as the panel above, so we can see how the pillows and the shape of the bed are parallel.

Panel 3.
Suddenly, Trixxy is in the bed in the cheap hotel! She is in the same position, and so is the bed.
Her sheets and the stuffed animal didn't appear with her-- so we can definitely see that she fell asleep in her clothes. Tight jeans, a tighter top, part of her bra and underwear showing.
She is lying on top of the covers, fairly close to Carl. She is still asleep.

Panel 4.
Close up on Trixxy's eyes. They are wide open, she is shocked and terrified!

PAGE 2 - 3
This can be two separate pages, or a two-page layout. Either way, the exact layout is up to you. (Mostly stick with a grid, though.)
This could be done with Panel 4 as a two-page spread, with Panels 1-3 overlaid in the upper left, and Panel 5-6 overlaid on the bottom right.

Panel 1.
Establishing shot, we can see a group of people in a cheap abandoned motel room.
Trixxy is lying on one bed, sitting upright and clearly totally shocked by where she is. She's clearly speaking, possibly loudly.
Carl is close to Trixxy, and looking at her. He's startled, very animated, starting to get up, with his arms up to balance him-- one of them has grabbed his gun, but he isn't pointing it anywhere.
Stephen is sitting on the other bed, his head down, praying. He hasn't reacted to Trixxy yet.

Jame can be about anywhere in the room. He has a sketch pad and a marker. He has noticed Trixxy has appeared, and he is shocked too. More of a sense of fear and quiet shock, like he's swallowing something unexpected.
The room is fairly dark. The curtains are closed. The place is a mess, but it looks like it has been that way for a long time-- things are decayed and ancient, and dusty. It's like the place was abandoned for years, and these people just arrived.
TRIXXY- Where am I? Who are--

Panel 2.
A hand, Carl's, is covering Trixxy's mouth forcefully. She looks even more shocked.
TRIXXY- --Mmmrff!
CARL(off-panel, small print)- shh.

Panel 3.
Carl and Trixxy are standing up now, Carl is behind her with his hand still over her mouth. He's gesturing with the gun, not quite threatening but not quite pointing towards the window.
Stephen is pulling the curtain open, just barely, and gesturing silently for her to look outside.

Jame is trying to look calm, and his finger is to his lip in a "Shush" gesture.

Panel 4.
Probably the biggest panel on these two pages. There's a lot to see here.
We see the scene out the window....
Carl is still holding his hand over Trixxy's mouth, but letting her look out the window. (They are in the foreground, as are the edges of the curtain.)
Outside, is a wasteland... Like an American boulevard (with big signs, diners, shops, etc.) was taken over by zombies and abandoned. There are a few zombies milling around in the empty parking lot of the Motel, and down the boulvard there are many more.
This extends far into the distance, with zombies as far as the eye can see, but only a couple anywhere near the window. None of them are looking directly at us, they haven't seen the group of people yet.

Somewhere out there, we should see Blue perching above a group of zombie that have seen him, and are starting to run! This can be a small detail.

Panel 5.
Carl is taking his hand away from Trixxy's mouth, carefully.
We can see her face, and she's silent. In shock, terrified into silence.
Stephen has his head down, hopeless. He is pulling the curtain closed again.
Jame is trying to smile reassuringly at Trixxy, to reassure her without saying anything.

Panel 6.
This small panel should look a lot like Panel 1.
Carl is sitting back on the bed, fiddling with his gun. (Polishing it, or checking if it is loaded properly.) He seems to be doing it to distract himself, not because he's about to do anything. His body language is slumped.
Trixxy is sitting on the edge of the bed as well. She's just looking straight forward, not paying any attention to Carl. She's in shock, and she's starting to cry quietly.
Stephen is sitting back down where he was before, seems to be praying again. Gripping his hands tightly together. He's looking at Trixxy, the harlot, disapprovingly.

Jame is still standing. He is holding up his sketch pad, which he has written on. (The caption echoes what he has written.)
CAP/WRITING ON PAPER- Keep quiet, they can hear us. I'm Jame. These guys are Carl and Father Steven Stephen.

Panel 7.
Another small panel, almost exactly like Panel 6.
Time has passed, but not much has changed.
Carl's gun is in his lap now. His head is down, his hand on his forehead. He looks distraught, hopeless.
Trixxy is still sitting in the same place. She looks much the same, still quiet-- but tears are streaming down her face, and her black make-up is running.
Stephen is still praying. He looks weak.
Jame hasn't moved, except his sketch pad, which he is now holding at his side. His head is down, and he looks hopeless.


PAGE 4
Scene - 1 page - Zombies break into hiding place, everyone has to run. Carl runs first, on his own. Jame protective of Trixxy, get's her moving ahead of him. (Still quiet.)
Panel 1.

The fist of a zombie breaking through the door, coming right at the viewer!

Panel 2.
Everyone in the room, similar to before.
Carl has his gun, and is already up and running. (Towards a bathroom door.) He is definitely reacting more quickly than the others, but only to save himself.
Trixxy has a tear-stained face, and is silently screaming at the sight of the zombie!
Stephen is starting to get up from his seat, holding up a cross.
Jame is mving towards the others, particularly Trixxy.

Panel 3.
A few more zombies are breaking through the large picture window. The curtains are pulled down, and they are destroying the window and frame coming through.
In the background, we can see Blue racing towards us. He is passing a zombie, grabbing it by the face-- we can see it turning to bone and ash. Behind him, another zombie is crumpling having been similarly vaporized.
All of the people are clearing out of the room, if we can see any of them-- They are scrambling to get into the small bathroom. (Carl is already gone, ahead of the others.)

Panel 4.
Everyone crowded into the small bathroom. There is no curtain on the bath/shower. There's a window, just big enough for a person to climb through-- but it should look like a tough climb.
Carl is already disappearing out the window, his skinny legs visible still in the window.
Jame is comforting Trixxy and shepherding her into the room.
Stephen is closing the door and fiddling anxiously with the lock.

Panel 5.
Now Stephen is disappearing out the window. (Feet first, so we can see him facing us.) His hands are clinging to the windowsill shakily. He's looking down, about to jump.
Jame is helping Trixxy get up to the window next, giving her a boost. Jame looks protective, Trixxy is still stunned and scared-- she may be covering her own mouth so she doesn't scream.


PAGE 5
Panel 1.

The group are running down a dark alley, behind the motel.
Carl is in the lead, closest to us. He's running like crazy, his arms flailing. The gun is in one hand, but he isn't using it.
Well behind him are the three others. Stephen is in the lead, then Trixxy, then Jame. All are running in a panic. Trixxy looks foolish and awkward trying to run in high-heeled stripper shoes.
A single zombie is peeking out the window they just came through.

Panel 2.
The group have run to the end of the alley. There's a chain-link fence, with a dumpster up against it. There's no way to run (except over the fence somehow).
Carl has his back against the wall, the gun in both hands, clutching it desperately and possibly ready to fire.
Trixxy is leaning against the dumpster, trying to catch her breath from running.
Stephen is looking around desperately, for a way out. There is a discarded tire iron ("crow bar") near him.
Jame is closest to where they came from, his hands on his knees. He's winded, trying to catch his breath-- he's definitely not in good shape, and the sprint was hard for him. He's definitely further from the others.

Panel 3.
Jame is being grabbed by two zombies. He's reaching towards the viewer (and towards the others, seen from their perspective). One is already biting him, and the other is pulling at his arm, which looks broken. It's clear they have him overwhelmed. He isn't going to make it.
There are a few more zombies behind the two grabbing him, coming down the alley now. One more is coming out of the window, so it's clear they are following the group of refugees.

Blue is somewhere behind them, coming over the roof of the building. He's posing like he's about to make a heroic jump from the edge of the building.


Panel 4.
The group are making their stand, against the dumpster.
Carl has the gun aimed, and is firing toward the zombies. He isn't really looking where he is shooting, though, he's too afraid.
Stephen is picking up the crowbar, his hands shaking.
Trixxy is taking a deep breath, trying to stop crying. She's on the ground, crumpled.
On the edge of a roof above/behind them, Blue is standing. He's posing like a cartoon superhero, his chest out and his arms on his hips. He's about to try to save the day.
SOUND FROM GUN (Very oversized)- BLAM!


PAGE 6 - 7
Scene - 2 pages - Surrounded. Stephen tries to silently console her. Blue appears, dramatically, and helps fight off the advancing horde. He's clearly there to help, and in no danger, but can't do it all by himself. Trixxy starts to shake off her shock.
This can be a two-page layout, or two separate pages, whichever works best for you.
Panel 1.

Stephen has his hand on Trixxy's upper arm, trying to reassure her and help her up. He has the crowbar in the other hand, brandishing it in front of him-- waving it at the zombies to keep them back.
Carl is holding the gun, shakily, not really being useful with it.
Trixxy is still on the ground, starting to get up, but twisting her ankle awkwardly in high-heeled shoes.


Panel 2.
Blue is doing a cartwheel in mid-air, having come over the heads of the group of refugees. One hand is planted on the head of one of the zombies. The zombie's face is already crumbling to ask.

Panel 3.
We're seeing from the perspective of the refugees, looking past Blue at the zombies.
In the foreground, the zombie that Blue touched has turned to dust, and is crumbling to the ground.
Blue is posing, waving childishly at us (and the refugees).
The zombies behind him are all taking a step back, clearly afraid of him. More zombies are coming from down the alley, including one coming awkwardly out the window everyone came through.
The body of Jame is starting to stand up, clearly mortally wounded and turned into a zombie.

Panel 4.

We're looking at the refugees now, looking over Blue's shoulder. (He's still waving, if we can see that.)
Carl is scrambling up over the dumpster and trying to climb the fence and get away. The gun is tucked ridiculously in the back of his jeans. We can probably see part of his butt.
Trixxy and Stephen are just standing in gap-jawed wide-eyed shock, their arms down at their sides, at the bizarre sight of Blue.

Panel 4.
Blue is gesturing, pointing, to indicate that Stephen and Trixxy should follow Carl over the dumpster and fence.
The zombies are regaining some confidence, and starting to advance on him again. There are clearly plenty more of them now, enough to fill the alley.

Panel 5.
Blue is throwing himself at the horde of zombies, and they are trying to overwhelm him.
He's made of fabric, and doesn't weight anything, so when they hit him, he is forced back. However, where he touches them they begin to turn to dust.
Jame is one of the zombies coming towards him.
He seems to be enjoying himself, somehow.

Panel 6.
Stephen and Trixxy are very awkwardly climbing over the fence. Stephen still has the tire iron.
Given her tight clothing and voluptuous figure, Trixxy probably looks especially comical and awkward.

Panel 7.
Blue continues to fight the zombies. They still vastly outnumber him, but he's making some progress. Quite a few dusty skeletons lie around him, as he fights the remaining ones.
He has been nearly pushed back to the fence and dumpster now. We can see Trixxy or Stephen's feet barely getting out of the way in time.

Panel 8.
The three surviving refugees are running now down an empty dark street. Alone.
Stephen still has the tire iron (crow bar) and Carl still has the gun. Trixxy has her shoes off, holding them in her hand.
Carl is far in the lead. Trixxy and Stephen are behind him trying to catch up.

PAGE 8 - 9

Again, this can be two separate pages, or a two-page layout. Whichever works best for you.
Panel 1.

The three remaining refugees are on a fire escape, on the outside of a brick building, about one level above the ground.
Carl is catching his breath and looking around.
Trixxie is on the escape, helping Father Stephen up the ladder. He's still climbing up, his hands shaking. He's trying to hold onto a tire iron still, while climbing.

Panel 2.
Small panel. Father Stephen is slipping, falling part way down the ladder. Maybe we just see his hands or feet letting go.

Panel 3.
Looking up the ladder, from the perspective of a zombie. It's arm is reaching towards Father Stephen, who is within reach.
Stephen has caught himself on the ladder, but is further down it now.
Above, Trixxy is reaching towards him as if to help, but too far away.
Carl is backing against the wall, looking out for himself.

Panel 4.
Trixxy is finally speaking up, losing her temper at Carl.
Carl is holding onto the gun like it is his only hope, but he isn't doing anything with it. He's looking around for a direction to run and escape.
TRIXXY-- Do something! They've got him!

Panel 5.
Carl is waving the gun towards Trixxy now.
CARL- Don't tell me what to do, bitch! Who has the shooter here--

Panel 6.
Trixxy is kneeing Carl powerfully in the groin, so hard he is pushed back, and practically lifted off the ground.
He looks like he's having the wind knocked out of him, caught totally by surprise. His eyes are wide, and his mouth is making a small "o".
CARL-OOF!

Panel 7.
Trixxy is snatching the gun. Carl is on the ground, stunned and clutching his privates in pain.
TRIXXY- Gimme that, you pile of shit.

Panel 8.
We see Father Stephen now. The zombies have him-- a bunch of them have grabbed him from all around, some are biting him, others tearing at him. He's bleeding profusely from where they have bitten and clawed at him. He has a look of total panic and pain.

Panel 9.
Close up of the gun, in Trixxy's hand, carefully aimed down at the ground.

Panel 10.
Father Stephen again. Similar to Panel 8.
He has a gunshot wound, a bullet hole, right in the middle of his forehead. He has a look of relief on his face. He's dead.

PAGE 10
Panel 1.
Smaller panel.
Carl is pulling up the ladder, so it can't be climbed from the street.
Trixxy is tucking the gun into her pants, ignoring Carl. She looks tougher now, more resigned and determined.

Panel 2.
Smaller panel.

The zombies below are looking up to the two remaining refugees, and don't see Blue coming from behind them.

He is running, like a sprinter, towards them-- his hand already grabbing one of the zombies in the very back of the group, and beginning the turn it to dust.

Panel 3.
All of the zombies are turned to dust and bones, on the ground. None are standing in sight.
Blue is standing looking proud. Looks like he's wiping dust off his hands, after a job well done.

Panel 4.
Carl is looking up at Trixxy, like he expects something.
Trixxy looking dismissive, like she's shaking her head. She's keeping her distance from him, too. She's giving him the middle finger.
Blue is miming, like climbing an invisible ladder up to Carl and Trixxie-- only it is working, he's clearly hovering in mid-air. Climbing up nothing. (He's just coming into the panel, the focus is on those two.)

Panel 5.
Carl is still on the floor of the fire escape, looking up at Trixxie.
Trixxie is pulling down the fire-escape ladder from the level above them, but looking at him.
Blue is watching, waiting patiently to see how this plays out.

CARL- Fine, KEEP it. What do we do now?
TRIXXIE- WE!? You let them all get KILLED. You can rot here.

Panel 6.
Larger panel.
Trixxy is climbing the second (higher) ladder up the building. She isn't looking back, she's looking up to where she is climbing.
Blue is pretending to climb an imaginary ladder next to her, following her a bit behind. He's looking down at Carl.
Carl is still sitting in the same place, a look of disbelief or fear. He's alone.

PAGE 11
Panel 1.
Blue and Trixxy are on the roof of the building. There are old air ducts, pipes, etc. They are looking out over the edge.
The building is rising up above the layer of fog in the city. Above them, the air is clear for the first time in the story. The fog extends apparently forever.
There are occasional tall buildings rising out of the fog, like stones out of the sea. Most of these look like modern skyscrapers, but they are in the distance.
The most prominent building that is visible is a simple, white stone tower. It is round, with visible stonework. It looks something like the one on this page, but without the dream-like elements. (Just a tower, and bigger than the one appears here.)
Blue is proudly pointing at the tower.
Trixxy is looking the tower. It's her destination. She looks brave and hopeful now. Less ridiculous and trash, mostly because of her body language.

Panel 2.
Trixy and Blue are backed against a wall, looking around a corner and looking stealthy. (They are down in the fog again.)


Panel 3.
Trixxy and Blue are fighting a small group of zombies.
He is doing the splits in midair, planting on hand on the head of a zombie below him, and kicking another one in the head. Both are starting to crumble where he is touching them, and another one in the scene has already turned to dust and bone.
Trixxy is crouched down on the ground, carefully taking aim. She looks confident, not terrified.

Panel 4.
The pair are walking down a wide empty street, towards a makeshift barricade (like a fort, made out of random wood and debris) with a large closed gate. There is a guard on top of the wall, near the gate, waving towards them and welcoming them. He looks like a medieval guard.
We can just see the shape and color of the white tower behind the wall, rising into the fog.

PAGE 12
Panel 1.
Inside the walls now. There's a small settlement here, with tents, and lean-tos. People dressed in a mix of modern, vintage, and medieval clothing are going about their business-- refugees who live here.
Blue and Trixxy are walking towards the tower, and a strange woman-- Ani.
Ani is waving at them, her cloak floating around her impressively. She looks both intimidating and powerful-- and bizarre.

Panel 2.
Ani speaking to Blue. She looks pleased, but not excited-- satisfied, but aware of the danger they have been through.
ANI- Well done, Blue. She survived, and proved she has what it takes.

Panel 3.
Blue is beaming at the praise!
Ani is turning to speak to Trixxy.
Trixxy is looking at Ani, mostly respectful but also sizing up this strange person.
ANI- I'm Ani. And impressed.

Panel 4.
Ani and Trixxy talking. Trixxy is putting her hand out to shake Ani's hand.
TRIXXY- I'm Trixxy.ANI- Trixxy? That's not a real name, is it?
TRIXXY- Nah.
ANI- You won't be needing it any more--
ANI- Um, Maria. Maria, right?

Panel 5.
Ani and Trixxy are facing the tower, looking up at it. Ani is leading Trixxy towards the large stone door of the tower, her hand on the girl's shoulder.
The bottom corner of Ani's cloak is curling up, almost like it's reaching around Trixxy to protect her.
TRIXXY- Will I live now?
ANI- Yes and no. You'll survive-- and you can help people.
ANI- I've got a lot to show you.
ANI- It get's even weirder now.
TRIXXY- Sounds alright.

Panel 6.
Small overlay panel, Blue from the waist up looking directly at the reader. (He's coming out of the panel slightly. He has his thumb up.