46 & 2 Issue Four

The Crack Up

46 & 2 Issue 4:

By

Zachary Smith

“In a real dark night of the soul, it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day.”—F. Scott Fitzgerald

PAGE 1. PANEL 1.

Chino is entering the dreamscape/white landscape that will basically show him all the negativity that he has experienced and that those around him have dealt with. 

Chino is younger in this first panel, he is 15 years old.  No goatee or shirt on.  He is standing outside of his home.  He is lighting a cigarette.  I only want light coming from the cigarette lighter and the cigarette being lit.  It will only catch some of his face.  Eyes closed.  His eye is swollen, he has dry blood on his face.

Throughout the issue I will be quoting the song Hurt, by Nine Inch Nails.  

Caption:  “I…”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 2.

Chino is moving the cherry of the cigarette towards his right bicep.  

Caption:  “…Hurt…”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 3.

Chino is putting the cherry on his arm.

Caption:  “…Myself…”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 4.

Focus on Chino’s face.  He is wincing in pain.  He was in a fight earlier, and we see the results on his face.  Dry blood and swelling.

Caption:  “…Today…”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 1.

Chino is five years old, watching his father walk out the door.

Caption:  “…To see if I…”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 2.

Chino is ten years old, he is crying.  His mother stands over him.  I want her to be big, it’s his memory of her, and she frightens him at this age.

Mother:  “Why are crying?  Quit being a baby.  You’re so damn sensitive.”

Caption:  “…still feel.”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 3.

It’s an all black panel.

Caption:  “HE’S SEIZING, WE NEED A FUCKING AMBULANCE.  NOW!”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 4.

Back to Chino putting the cigarette on his arm.

Caption:  “I focus on the pain…”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 5.

Black panel.

Caption:  “GET THESE PEOPLE OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY!”

Caption:  “The only thing that’s real.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 1.

Chino, as we last saw him at Coachella stands in a crowd of people, all huddled in pain, as if the most painful thing in the world has happened to them and they are all in shock.  Like their trying to avoid some bomb.  This is Chino seeing everybody’s pain, which will ultimately lead to his crack up/splitting of psyches by the end of the issue.  A little boy is standing up too.  I want him to have some long hair in the front covering his eyes.  Think young Fei in Xenogears, I can find a picture for reference. 

Chino:  “What is this?”

Little boy:  “People.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 2.

Black Panel.

Caption:  “Get that needle in.”

“The needle tears a hole…”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 2.

Chino holds his arm right where the syringe would be placed in real life.

Chino:  “Ow.”

Little boy:  “It’s going to get a lot worse before it’s over.  Follow me.”

Caption:  “…The old familiar sting.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 3.

The boy has turned around and is walking past the people, Chino is following.

PAGE 3.  PANEL 4.

Chino’s hand brushes past one of the crouching people, a young girl.

Caption:  “Tried to kill it all away…”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 5.

Chino winces.

PAGE 4.  SPLASH PAGE.

We have a colidescope image of the many painful events that the girl has witnessed/slashed experienced in her life.  I’ll go into description of what I want to see, and what will be said, how they will positioned I can leave to you, or we can talk about it.

I want Chino’s head at the center of all this as he is seeing the pain that the girl is experiencing. 

Experience 1:  The girl is being hit by her mother.

Mother:  “Don’t fucking tell me lies.”

Experience 2:  The girl is sitting on her father’s lap, she’s younger than the first experience.  He is touching her chest.

Father:  “It’s okay sweetheart.  It’s just me.  Daddy’s going to show you something.”

Experience 3:  The girl is being laughed at by some other girls, she’s about 12/13, middle school age.

Girl in the Crowd:  “Nice outfit, goodwill.”

Experience 4:  She’s about 15/16, high school age.  The girl is looking at a boy, the boy is talking with some other guys.

Boy:  “Yeah, I fucked her.  She wasn’t that good.”

Experience 5:  She is talking to another girl, just outside the festival camp area.  She is wearing the same clothes that she was in the dreamscape so that we know it was that day, or at least the day before.

Girl:  “Yeah, my boyfriend’s friends have an extra ticket.  But you need to see what they want in exchange.”

Experience 6:  The two boys hold open the tent flap.  One points in, the other beckons the girl.  She walks towards them.

Caption:  “…but I remember everything.”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 1.

Chino has fallen to the ground.  The boy has stopped and turned around.

Chino: “What…what was that?”

Little boy:  “People.  Come on.”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 2.

Chino gets up.

Chino:  “Where are we going?”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 3.

Chino passes four boxes, behind them is a mirror, next to the mirror is the Weltall symbol.

Little boy:  “You’ll see.”

Chino:  “Am I dead?”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 4.

The little boy has turned around and is smiling.  All we can see is his mouth.

Little boy:  “Not yet.”

Chino:  “Then what’s going on?”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 5.

The little boy continues to walk.

Little boy:  “Follow me, you’ll see.  If you see a mirror, I would recommend avoiding it.”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 1.

Chino turns slightly, out of reflex, to look at the mirror.

Chino:  “But I just saw one, nothing happ—“

Caption:  “And you can have it all…”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 2.

A younger Chino and Chi, about 7, play outside.  Chi’s dad is calling the boy’s in.

Chi’s dad:  “Come in boys, it’s getting late.”

Chi:  “’Kay dad.  Come on Fei.”

Chino:  “No.”

Chi:  “Why not, don’t you like us?”

Chino:  “Forget you and your dad.”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 3.

Chino is about 13, he’s in a convenience store, he is stealing a candy bar.

PAGE 6.  PANEL 4. 

Chino is talking to his mom.  He’s close to his current age.

Chino:  “Fuck you.  You’re just a mean, manipulative bitch.”

Mom:  “You’re a selfish, hateful piece of shit.  No wonder you’re dad never came back.”

Chino:  “Look in the mirror.”

Caption:  “…My empire of dirt…”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 5.

Chino comes to, by the mirror, the little boy is shouting at him.

Little boy:  “GET UP.  COME ON.”

Chino:  “What…”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 1.

Chino get’s up.

Chino:  “The fuck was…”

Little boy: “People.  How many times do I have to say it.  Let’s keep going.”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 2.

Chino is walking past another group of hunch over people.  He trips over the foot of a young man.

Calidescope effect again.

Experience 1: The boy and his father sit in a counciler’s office.  The boy is about seven.

Councelor:  “I think you’re son is dyslexic.”

Caption:  “I will let you down…”

Experience 2: The boy see’s an F on his paper.

Boy:  “But I tried.  I tried so hard.”

Experience 3:  The boy is getting yelled at by his father.

Father:  “You call these grades?  You’re never going to be as good as you’re brother.”

Experience 4:  The boy’s brother is opening a gift, it’s car keys.”

Boy’s brother:  “Thanks dad.”

Father:  “No problem, we’ll have to pull back on other stuff, but it was worth it.”

Experience 5:  The boy opens a gift, it’s a shirt that says: I’M WITH STUPID.

Father:  “Hope you like.  Maybe it’ll make you feel better.”

Experience 6:  The boy is holding tinfoil and a pipe to inhale the smoke from the burning heroin, an older man is urging him along.

Boy:  “I don’t know man.”

Man:  “Makes the pain go away.”

Experience 7:  The boy is stealing his brother’s car.

Boy:  “Fuck you, I need this more than you.”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 1.

Chino is staggered, but hasn’t fallen this time.

Caption:  “I will make you hurt…”

Little boy:  “You’re getting stronger, but I don’t think you’ll be able to last much longer if they get a hold of you.”

Chino:  “Who?”

Little boy:  “These ones.  The ones around you.”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 2.

The crowd is stirring.

Little boy:  “They can sense how…empathic you are, and they are so eager to share their pain with anyone who will listen.”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 3.

Chino looks stunned as the crowds begin to stir.

Chino:  “No…I can’t take all of it.”

Little boy:  “Then you better keep moving, before they share with you.”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 4.

Black panel.

Caption:  “WHEN’S THAT AMBULANCE GETTING HERE?”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 5.

Chino runs to catch up to the little boy.

Chino:  “I keep hearing things.  Like somebody’s having a conversation in another room.”

Little boy:  “They’re just trying to keep you from...”

Chino:  “Keep me from what?”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 6.

The little boy smiles.

Little boy:  “God.”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 1.

Chino runs after the boy again, the crowd is stirring more.

Chino:  “God?  I don’t believe in god.”

Little boy:  “But you go to church.”

Chino:  “The Reverend’s a friend.  ‘Sides, he doesn’t believe in god either.”

Little boy:  “Heh.”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 2.

Chino is looking at the boy as they walk.

Chino:  “Do I know you.”

Little boy:  “I’m just a stranger.”

Chino:  “Don’t pull that comic book crap on me, do you know who you’re talking to?”

Little boy:  “Do you know?”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 3.

Chino stares at the boy, he is reaching out to touch him.

Caption:  “I wear this crown of shit…”

Little boy:  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 4.

Chino has pulled his arm back.

Chino:  “I’m not afraid.”

Caption:  “Upon my liar’s chair.”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 5.

They pass what looks like a black curtain.

Chino:  “What’s in there?”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 6.

The little boy smiles.

Little boy:  “Something that you’re not ready for.”

Chino:  “I’m sick of this cryptic shit.”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 1.

Chino is pulling the curtain aside.

PAGE 10.  PANEL 2.

Chino’s hand is grabbed by a black gloved hand that is flaming.

Caption:  “Full of broken thoughts…”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 3.

Chino has pulled back.  A billowing trench coat and legs enter the panel, full of flame.

PAGE 10.  PANEL 4.

The MAN looks at Chino, head and body emitting flame.

Caption:  “That I cannot repair.”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 5.

The MAN continues to look at Chino, Chino is terrified.

Little boy:  “Leave him be, or you will deal with me.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 1.

The MAN comes face to face with the little boy.  The boy’s eyes begin to glow.

Caption:  “Beneath the stains of time…”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 2.

The MAN is walking away, into the curtain.

Caption:  “The feelings disappear.”

PAGE 11. PANEL 3.

The little boy begins to walk again.  Chino follows behind him, while the crowds are walking towards them.

Little boy:  “We better keep moving, they’re getting closer.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 4.

The little boy and Chino are walking past another crowd, there are four boxes again.

The Weltall sigil appears again.

Chino: “Who is that man?  I keep seeing him.”

Little boy:  “Does everything have a purpose?”

Chino:  “What do you mean?”

Little boy:  “Does everything perform an action, and serve a purpose?  Is everything functional?”

Chino:  “I don’t know.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 5.

The little boy walks past a design of two overlapping circles, while four boxes sit beneath it.

Little boy:  “You better find out, because he’s already made that decision.  And it does not bode well.”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 1.

Chino has caught up to the little boy and is walking beside him.

Chino:  “Where are we?”

Little boy:  “How can I put this…You ever read comics?”

Chino:  “Do I?”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 2.

The little boy starts making gestures with his hands towards the panel wall.

Little boy:  “There are gutters, that separate the panels, right?”

Chino:  “Yeah.”

Little boy:  “We’re basically in a gutter, but instead of separating panels, it separates…dimensions.”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 3.

Chino looks around him.

Chino:  “Is that why it’s all white?”

Little boy:  “Don’t you find it very convenient that I’ve explained dimension hopping to you by using your favorite art form?”

Chino:  “I just figured that was the easiest.”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 4.

The little boy smiling. 

Little boy:  “This is how you see it.  Other’s may see it differently.”

Chino:  “Oh.”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 5.

The little boy and Chino pass a Movie theatre.  A FIGHT CLUB Poster is displayed.

Chino:  “I remember this.”

Little boy:  “So easily influenced in this state.”

Caption:  “You are someone else…”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 1.

Chino approaches the poster, and can see his reflection in the window.

Caption:  “I…”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 2.

Flashback.  Chino is younger, same age as at the beginning of the comic when he is burning his arm. 

Chi (off panel):  “All singing, all dancing crap of the world.”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 3.

Chino is getting up.

Chino:  “Hit me again.”

Chi:  “Only after disaster can we be resurrected.”

Caption:  “…am still…”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 4.

Chino is getting hit in the face again.

Chi (off panel):  “It’s only after we’ve lost everything, that we’re free to do anything.”

Caption:  “…right…”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 5.

Chino gets up again.

Chi:  “…Not special.”

Chino:  “Again…”

Chi:  “…Same decaying matter as everything else.”

Caption:  “…here.”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 1.

Chi has calmed down.  He is looking at Chino, his bloody face, and nose.

Chi:  “I don’t know, this is getting outta hand.”

Chino:  “’Hitting bottom’s not a weekend retreat,’ right?”

Caption:  “And you…”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 2.

Chi hits Chino again.

PAGE 14.  PANEL 3.

Chino is standing up again.

Chino:  “Come on.  More.”

Chi:  “I don’t think that’s—“

Chino:  “’Shut up! Our fathers were our models for God.  If our father’s bailed, what does that tell you about God?’”

Caption:  “…could have it all…”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 4.

Chi is standing, guard down, looking at Chino.

Chi:  “But…”

Chino:  “’Listen to me! You have to consider the possibility that God does not like you.  He never wanted you.  In all probability, he hates you.  This is not the worst thing that can happen to you.’”

Chi:  “If this is all about what happened with Breanna, look I get…”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 5.

Chino is punching Chi in the stomach.

Chino:  “Fuck that.”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 6.

Chino is walking away, smoking.  Chi lies on the ground. 

Chino:  “Don’t understand shit.  Perfect mom and dad, girlfriend.  Fuck you man.  I’m going home.”

Caption:  “My empire of dirt.”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 1.

Chino is crying.

Chino:  “Oh, I am such an a—“

Little boy:  “I knew we should have kept moving.”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 2.

The crowd has caught up to them, and is reaching for Chino.

Various crowd members speak, but they only say the words “Save Me!”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 3.  This morphs into the rest of PAGE 16.  It’s like a flood opening.

Chino is experiencing multiple fits of pain, and this is unraveling into the next page.

Throughout each of the experiences please insert 4 boxes, or packages, or parcels.  These are his other personalities waiting for him.

Caption:  “I will let you down…”

Experience 1:  A young man hits someone with a car. 

Young man:  “Cant’ find out.”

Experience 2:  A young woman is smothering her baby.

Young woman:  “It’s better.  No pain for you.”

Experience 3:  A young woman is getting severely assaulted by a group of women.

Member of group:  “Fucking dyke.”

Member of group:  “Quit looking at our tits.”

Experience 4:  A young man is being forced to give another man oral sex at gun point.

Man with the gun:  “Come on cuz, you know you like this.”

Experience 5:  A young woman at a funeral.

Young Woman (thought bubble):  “I’m free now.”

Experience 6:  A man is reading a letter, and is talking on the phone.  The letter read’s:  H.I.V. Test Positive.

Man:  “No love, it’s nothing.  Just a bill.”

Experience 7:  A woman in her 20’s is touching a young boy’s penis, the boy is crying.

Woman:  “Don’t you like it when Aunt Julie does that?”

Experience 8: An overweight man is masturbating to porn.

Man:  “No one will love me.”

Experience 9:  A woman steals money from a drawer at work.

Woman:  “Need this more than them.”

Experience 10:  A man is talking to a girl in her young teens.

Man:  “We can be friends.  Special friends.”

Experience 11:  A hand holds a gun at someone’s head, the sex of the victim and perpetrator are indetermineant.

Victim:  “Why?”

Perpetrator:  “I was told to.”

At the bottom of the page I want a very small blip, a red bubble, blinking, so put a couple in there.  One word is being uttered:  “Help!”  But this should be as small as you can make it, yet still can be read.

PAGE 17.  PANEL 1.

The little boy stands over Chino, the crowd is still covering him.  There is a red glow coming in from just off panel.

Little boy: “He’s here.”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 2.

The crowd is beginning to disperse, in fear.

Chino:  “huh, huh, huh…”

Little boy:  “Now we’ll see if you’re ready.”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 3.

Chino is crying, holding his head.

Chino:  “OH GOD!  I CAN’T TAKE ANYMORE OF THIS!”

Little Boy:  “Our god is not a merciful god.”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 4.

Chino looks up, afraid, tears in his eyes.

Chino:  “Oh no…not him…”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 5.

The Demiurge has taken the form of an elderly preacher, with glowing red eyes.

Demiurge: “SEE”

Caption:  “If I could start again…”

PAGE 18.  PANEL 1.

Chino is sitting underneath some bleacher’s at a school campus.  It is evening, twilight.  He is wearing the same shirt he was when he was fighting Chi.  There is a girl sitting next to him, a young Hispanic woman, the same age as he is (15).  They are drinking beers.  It is evening, not a lot of light.  This is Breanna, who was mentioned earlier, but we haven’t seen yet.  I imagine a girl with short black hair, kind of wavy.  Sweater and top, and skirt.  There is an open back pack where the beers are coming out of.

PAGE 18.  PANEL 2.

It’s a little darker.  There are more beer bottles on the ground.  Breanna is sleeping on Chino’s thigh, while he sits Indian style.  Chino is looking down at her.

PAGE 18.  PANEL 3.

A small inlaid panel, Chino’s eye.

PAGE 18.  PANEL 4.

Another small inlaid panel, Breanna’s breasts.

PAGE 18.  PANEL 5.

Chino is toughing Breanna’s breast above her shirt.

PAGE 18.  PANEL 6.

Chino begins to tough his crotch.

Caption:  “A million miles away…”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 1.

Chino tries to move his hand beneath Breanna’s shirt.

PAGE 19.  PANEL 2.

A small inlaid panel.  Breanna’s hand is stopping Chino’s.

PAGE 19.  PANEL 3.

Breanna is standing, with tears in her eyes.  She is covering herself.  Chino looks away, ashamed.

PAGE 19.  PANEL 4.

Breanna is yelling at Chino.  He continues to look away.

PAGE 19.  PANEL 5.

Breanna is storming off.  There are four trash cans that she passes, once again symbolizing Chino’s split.  Another Weltall symbol appears on one of the trash cans.

Voice, very small (off panel):  “help”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 6.

Chino looks over to see who said that.

Caption:  “I would keep myself…”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 1.

Back in the white space, there are glowing eyes over Chino, the little boy stands to Chino’s right, and Captian Blicero, in silhouette, holds a gun, pointed at Chino, and holds a girl, with red hair, but we can’t see her face.  There are four boxes behind Chino that begin to open up.

PAGE 20.  PANEL 2.

Chino looks to his left, tears in his eyes.  The boxes behind him are fully opened and four shadows are arising out.

Chino:  “Who…

PAGE 20.  PANEL 3.

Captain Blicero fires his gun.

Blicero:  “White death.”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 4.

Chino smiles, tears in his eyes.  The shadows are descending into Chino.

Chino:  “Yes, please.”

Caption:  “HE’S STABILIZED.”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 5.

Chino’s eyes have spring open in a hospital room, doctors hover over him.

Doctor 1:  “He’s awake.”

Doctor 2:  “I didn’t think he was going to make it.  Never seen such an adverse reaction to hallucinogens.” 

Caption:  “I would find a way.”

THE END