‘Misplaced’
Writing Sample 09/09/2018
©Anthony
De Pari 2018
Excerpt from Episode 1 Chapter 2
*The
high school-age main characters (a girl with blue hair named Marissa,
a tall boy named Evan, and his shorter brother, Andy) watch a fight
unfold with a massive crowd of people encircling the fight, giving
the ordeal a ‘Fight-Club’ feel. Only this takes place at a High
School where this happens to be perfectly legal. The character
Marissa—an amnesiac outsider who appeared less than an hour ago—is
bothered by the scene before her.
*In
the fight, Kyosuke—a well-trained martial artist—just knocked
down a much larger, more imposing bully named Todd Brewster, with a
series of lightning fast kicks.
An
Emcee equipped with sunglasses and a microphone, began counting down,
but bully Todd Brewster stood up quick enough to remain in the fray.
Marissa
is shocked at such a casual approach to such brutality. Even the
Principle of the school is casually watching in the crowd!
Marissa
(with a slight Swedish accent): "Seriously? Hoof...you guys
are crazy. And this is supposed to be GOOD for society?"
Evan:
"I guess they figured to let us fight it out rather than go
around killing each other. Plus, the Yard Duty is here to make sure
nothing TOO life-threatening happens..."
At
that moment, Todd Brewster removes a switch blade from his back
pocket, and flips open the knife.
Kyosuke
turns at the opportune moment, spotting the knife and reacting
accordingly. The blade comes at his midsection, which he tucks back
to avoid getting cut. He makes a V-shape with his hands and jabs
them down, then using his own momentum, steps toward Todd Brewster
and swiftly flips the knife-wielder’s arm in a circular motion,
sending him flipping forward!
Todd
Brewster hits the ground hard enough to break the concrete, and
Kyosuke quickly disarms him, hurling the knife in the ground at the
feet of the other ‘Thugs’. Like cartoony elephants spotting a
mouse, they jump up atop each other in alarm, a Girl Thug holding a
much bigger Boy Thug in her arms as he shrieks in terror.
Marissa:
"I thought you said the Yard Duty made sure they didn't kill
each other! That guy just pulled out a knife!"
Andy,
ponderously: "Well...normally they catch stuff like that...but
"Rolling Thunder" is pretty slow..."
As
if she heard Andy, the overly obese Yard Duty Lady narrows her eyes
menacingly and audibly grunts.
Andy:
"What?! It's TRUE! Dude had a knife and you didn't
even see it!"
Back
in the ring, Kyosuke stares down at Brewster as he stays on the
ground, the Emcee counting down again.
Kyosuke:
"You're defeated. Stay down."
Brewster
rises slowly, but still quick enough to beat the countdown.
He
slowly approaches Kyosuke and wearily holds out his hand: "You're
right...I'm sorry. Good fight man."
Smiling,
Kyosuke takes it. "Thanks. "
Then
Thug Brewster sucker punches Kyosuke in the eye.
Marissa:
"Hey--! Rolling Thunder!" The Yard Duty Lady looks up in
indignation.
Marissa:
"Shouldn't jou stop the fight? These guys are killing
each other!"
Principal
Pepper: "Everything that has taken place here is within the
rules of the Sanctioned Fight. Even the use of Elementals. This is
how the boys work out their aggression."
Marissa:
"But you saw what happened, didn't you? Kosuke just got
Lollipop Punched!"
Andy
snorts uncontrollably at Marissa's English gaffe.
Evan:
"Um. That's Kyosuke...and I think you mean he got
"Sucker Punched."
Marissa:
"Oh. What did I say?"
Andy:
"LOLLIPOP PUNCHED! I love it!" He laughs
uncontrollably.
As
Bully Brewster tries to knee the kneeling Kyosuke, who is covering
his eye, Kyosuke recovers swiftly and forcefully blocks it with both
his hands, shoving Brewster's leg down.
Then,
using his upward momentum as he rises, Kyosuke brings up his left
knee getting him in the air, and, with the help of his Lightning
Elemental, Flip-Kicks Todd Brewster in the jaw with his right leg!
Traces
of lightning surge through Kyosuke's right leg and a deep rumble of
thunder sounds as Kyosuke lands the hit.
As
Todd Brewster hurtles through the air, Kyosuke gracefully lands on
his feet.
Evan
pulls Marissa as far back away from the incoming Todd as he zooms
past them.
Brewster's
upper body crashes through the stucco and drywall of the building,
his legs flopped out of the alcove.
The
MC stands with his mic drooping out of his hand, his sunglasses
sliding down his nose, his jaw dropped. The group of Thugs behind
him echo the same facial expression.
The
silence is broken by the MC once he regains himself.
MC:
"AND VICTORY GOES TO KYOSUKE!"
The
crowd cheers in unison as Kyosuke, smiling, waves at the crowd. *cue
fanfare.
Marissa,
wide-eyed: "Holy...shit..."
Evan
looks at her wide-eyed. Andy laughs uncontrollably.
