2 January 2013
It was a pleasant day for brainstorming. The temperature was in the mid-seventies and the breeze was light; a perfect spring day to be out in the park with friends. I looked up from my notes and stated intently at the rigid bark of the tree across from me on the other side of the wooden table. That gave me a great idea for our short film. I scribbled down my notes. "What have you got?" John's voice interrupted the casual chirping of the birds in the trees above us. "Just an idea for the set. Something dark, hard, and twisted, like that bark behind you," I replied, "Anyone else have anything?" "Just plot ideas so far," John said. "Same here," Emma and Ben mentioned, simultaneously. "And you, Callen?" Emma added. "Camera angles and lighting stuff," Callen said. "We've got to to work on this soon, people. This short is due in two weeks and we've barely made any progress. We can do better, guys. Really." I explained. This film for our company was extremely important; if we didn't get it done, five twenty to twenty-two year old filmmakers could lose their jobs. It's been a tough, competitive business, these days. "Man, why are you stressing over this? We have time. Two weeks is plenty," Ben pointed out. "It's not like this is the first time we've done stop motion before, Nate," Callen started, "I'd suggest you better stop complaining or else--Ow, Emma!" "Perfect timing!" I said. I looked over and saw Callen grimace slightly. From what I could presume Emma had kicked his shin with the back of her shoe, just before any slightly rude comment slipped from Callen's mouth. "I've had practice," Emma smiled. Yes, this had probably been done before. The five of us spent the next couple hours thinking, taking notes, adding to the scripts, and so on. We made a fair amount of progress, considering the fact that Callen and I spent well over a third of the time arguing on a friendly basis about cameras, filters, and whatnot. The sky grew dim as time went on, and I figured most of us should be returning home by now. "I should leave," I said, "My brother said he'd cook dinner for the two of us. I need to get home before any sort of mess breaks out. You guys know how much that drives me insane!" I stood up, collecting my ironically messy stack of paper and carefully coaxing them into my bag. "Say hi to him for me, please," Emma asked. "Sure, no problem. See you tomorrow at work!" I turned to leave just as everyone else began packing up. Callen, with his camera bag; Ben, filmography books in hand; Emma, accompanied by her computer; and John, with his neatly organized and perfect work files. I walked ahead of the others; it was dead silent, except for the quiet murmurs of my partners behind me. This was quite unusual, for the street fifteen feet away from me was usually buzzing with traffic. The grass beneath my feet gradually thinned as I approached the crosswalk. A chill ran down my spine. I stopped at the crosswalk and looked left and right three times, for extra measure. Something didn't feel quite right, and I felt unsafe. Halfway through the road, a heard something drop behind me. I stopped, turned slowly around, and observed Ben and John on their knees in a patch of grass looking for something. Emma and Callen were walking in opposite directions. I smiled to myself. As I turned around, an incredibly bright LED light glared in my eyes. I was completely blinded. Frantically, I tried to walk towards where I assumed the other side of the street was, but never made it. A large mass crashed into me, flinging my entire body in another direction. I perceived a loud crack and a sharp pain up my right arm. My mind was a complete blur. In fact, I felt it slipping away as I lay on the asphalt. John's voice sounded close to me by my side. "Hey, Nate... Nate! Wake up! Don't do this! Ben, call an ambulance!" That was all I heard. I passed out before anyone, including myself, could do anything.
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Thanks for reading this! I may go back and make edits later, but in the meantime, any constructive comments, suggestions, or advice for me and my writing would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Departure And Return, Part 1 • Opuss № I