STORY'S STUDENTS

large grouping of middle-school students are gathered up against a large bulletin board in a school hallway.

STORY'S STUDENTS

Written by

William L. (Whit) Whitley, Jr.

Pilot Story for Television Series

The Brock Agency % Beverly Brock 329 13th Avenue NW Hickory, North Carolina 28601 E-mail: beverly@thebrockagency.com

FADE IN

INT. WITHERING HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOOL - DAY  large grouping of middle-school students are gathered up against a large bulletin board in a school hallway.

A large grouping of middle-school students are gathered up against a large bulletin board in a school hallway. The following sign is colorful using special graphics and fonts.

LARGE ANNOUNCEMENT ON BULLETIN BOARD: “Earn Extra Credit To Learn the Classics. Applies to All Middle School and Elementary School Students Wanting to Enrich Their Minds and Make Better Grades. Meets Every Friday Night at 7:00 PM at the Home of Daphne Story. She has won the state’s 8th Grade Teacher of Distinction for four years in a row. Her address is 1212 E. Center Street, Brownsville, TN. Chaperones provided by the Withering Heights PTO. Refreshments served.”

Sounds of small talk can be heard among the students.

CURTIS: Man, I need some extra credit. If I don’t pass language arts this semester, I’m sunk and I don’t mean in a battleship.

SETH: According to my mother, I heard she tells stories with some imagination. Sorta of like listening to Bill O’Reilly.

RUTHIE: I bet if you’re not an accelerated reader, you’re wasting your time anyway. I’m glad I placed above most of you.

BITTLE Well, Ms. Sponge Bob, don’t think that gives you the golden ticket. By the way, is that perfume you’re wearing or your skunk scent?

Ruthie starts to hit Bittle but is stopped by friends and the bell.

The bell RINGS loudly. Everyone scatters quickly to their classes.

INT. GREAT ROOM OF DAPHNE STORY’S HOME - NIGHT

A grouping of about ten students sit on the floor listening to DAPHNE STORY who is reading outlandish commentaries to them. Many of the students are of elementary school ages. Two other adult parents are sitting there doing their own thing.

WOMAN ONE is looking at e-mails on an iphone and WOMAN TWO is crocheting. A warm fireplace can be seen burning to the side indicating that it is winter. Christmas decorations are also about the room.

DAPHNE: And that’s how Hester Prynne from the Scarlet Letter got in trouble taking too many tax deductions on her income taxes. See students, you need to read books. Not this kind of crap you get off the internet.

Chaperone Woman One looks over at Daphne giving her questionable eyes.

DAPHNE (CONT’D): Now, before I start reading The Christmas Carol, does anyone have to go to the toilet? I don’t want to have to re-read the surprise parts again.

EDDIE: I do, but I can hold it. Go ahead. I want to hear about the ghosts.

LIBBY: Can you walk me home tonight, Ms. Story? I might get scared.

DAPHNE: Yes, Libby, I will. But, please, put your shoes back on. Your feet stink worse than a back-up sewer.

Libby grabs her shoes and puts them back on.

DAPHNE (CONT’D): Now, students. When you hear the name “Dickens” who do you think most people think of?

CURTIS: Probably Pete Dickens, the taxidermist. Ever see him mount a deer?

Daphne makes a face.

DAPHNE: Charles Dickens, the novelist.

She shows the group a large picture of what he looked like.

SETH: Hey, That’s the tattoo artist down at the emporium.

Daphne rolls her eyes again and makes faces.

DAPHNE: He was a great English writer who created some of the best fictional characters ever known -- unless you stay up late and watch edges episodes of the Family Guy.

All students plus the chaperones look at Daphne with openmouthed, dumbfounded expressions as in a trance.

DAPHNE (CONT’D) I was just kidding. One of the things I want you all to remember is that he had very little formal education but turned out phenomenal work.

BITTLE: Sorta like Justin Beiber and Lindsay Lohan.

Eddie pushes down on his pants as if to stop the urge to go to the bathroom.

EDDIE: Go ahead and read. I heard those ghosts were on the Skooby-Doo Show but left ‘cause they didn’t get paid enough.

LIBBY: Go ahead and read the story. Maybe Casper will try out for the job.

SONYA: I won’t believe in ghosts until one of ‘em lets me know he’s here.

There is a sudden KNOCK at the door.

All the students appear to be afraid including Daphne.

Daphne gets up to go to the door. As she opens it, an old DRUNK MAN is standing there.

DRUNK: Do you want to hear a Christmas carol?

DAPHNE: How did you know I was reading that story?

DRUNK I’m talking about a song.

Introductory instrumental music begins: “Jingle Bell Rock.” He begins to sing.

DRUNK (CONT’D): Jingle bell, run and tell, I’ll break your lock. I’ll use a pick backed up with a rock.”

Daphne interrupts.

DAPHNE: Stop! What the heck has that got to do with Christmas?

DRUNK: I’m panhandling coupons for Will Pick, the locksmith. (break) Say, I bet you don’t know the real reason behind Dickens’ Christmas Carol, do ya’?

DAPHNE: Have you been eavesdropping on me reading to the children?

He pulls up an electronic listening device to show Daphne.

DRUNK: You’ve got to admit, it’s a free education.

DAPHNE: I’m calling the police.

She reaches for her cell phone.

DRUNK: My name is Joseph Marley, IV.

Daphne stops grabbing for her phone.

DAPHNE: Prove it. Drunk pulls out a fake ID with his ugly mug shot and the Marley name on it which looks like something made at a carnival. He shoves it in her face.

After looking at it, Daphne looks off into the distance rolling her eyes and making faces.

The Drunk sees the children inside and moves like a thief into the great room.

DRUNK: Hey, kids, you want to hear how Dickens really wrote the story?

DAPHNE: Hey, come back here, you’re not invited.

She chases him into the great room where he already has captivated the student audience.

Looking, at first, suspicious of him, Daphne gets down on the floor with the students to listen to him speak.

The two chaperones sit there staring dumbfounded at the Drunk.

DRUNK: A long time ago in a quaint little Victorian village were fine citizens or common people who were enduring a harsh winter that year.

DREAM SEQUENCE BEGINS.

Full Story in Future Book