Day 98: Chinese Whispers

Chinese Whispers
by
Matt Zurbo

(First page, no text. Tommy Tuckers, power walking left to right, happily whistling a tune. No background.)

There goes Tommy Tuckers!
So?
He told me he likes to tickle the tummy of those things unfunny!
(Tommy walking left to right, tickling a ghoulish looking tall skinny man in a suit. P1(Person 1) in background, whispering to P2 (Person 2, etc…). P2 squinting as she looks at Tommy.)

Hey, did you know that Tommy Tuckers likes to tickle the toes of those who are funny?
(Tommy walking, grabbing leg of clown to tickle his toe. Background, P2 whispering to P3, who looks a little shocked.)

Psst! Tommy Tuckers like to have his toes tickled by funny people!
(Tommy walking, smiling, three clowns behind him, crouched, trying to tickle his toes. In background, P3 whispering to P4, who is scratching their head.)

Oi, watch out for Tommy Tuckers! He likes to pickle the toes of purple people!
(Tommy walking, holding/hugging big jar, cloth over it only partly on, revealing it is full of purple toes in liquid. Background: P4, whispering, loudly, to P5, who is growling with anger.)

Grr.
(Tommy stopping, tilting back to look at P4 and P5, who are now whistling, looking at the sky, etc, trying to act innocent, as if they weren’t whispering.)

Ssh. You see Tommy Tuckers? He likes to eat the elbows of pawpaw pickers!
(Tommy walking on, perturbed, looking back at P5 whispering to P6. There are forearms, with their hands still holding mangos, around Tommy’s feet.)

Guess what? Tommy Tuckers? He eats rows of pander kickers!
(Tommy, napkin on, carrying a whole heap of legs, a few arms, while holding a knife and fork. P6 to P7 who is a redneck, with music playing on headphones. Maybe eating takeaway. P6 is holding one of P7’s earpieces up to whisper into his ear.)

Hey, do you know Tommy Tuckers? He kicks panders!
(Tommy walking, angry looking, kicking startled pander through air. P7 bending to whisper to P8 – little girl with pigtails, who looks horrified.)

Terrible Tuckers!
(P8 pointing angrily at Tommy Tuckers, who is walking on, but shrugging his shoulders in confusion at her.)

(Tommy, looking perplexed, walking.)

No, no! I said; Tommy Tuckers tried to tickle the tummy of terribly tempered fire ants!
(Tommy walking on. P1, rushing up, animated whisper to P8, and her parents, P9, P10.)

Psst, psst! Tommy Tuckers tried to prickle the terrible temper of tyrants!
(Tommy walking, determined, covered on thorns, carry a big piece of wood. Background: P9 and P10 whispering to P11.)

PSST! Tommy Tuckers is a terrible tempered tyrant, who hates being tickled with prickles.
Oh, I don’t blame him.
(Tommy, very angry, dressed like Genghis Khan, walking while shooing away birds that are carrying thorn stems. Background, P11 whispering to P12 who has fingers perched below lips, looking sympathetic.)

Fsst…! Hey…! Tommy Tuckers was blamed for tricking terrible tyrants into patting prickly cats!
(Tommy now holding huge prickly cat out in front of himself as he walks. Background: P12 whispering to P13, who is wincing.)

Hey, Tommy Tuckers is a ten foot fire hydrant who’s into wearing hats…
Typical.
(Ten foot fire hydrant with bowler hat walking, dog trying to pee on him as he passes. P13 whispering to stern P14.)

Tommy Tuckers is a ten foot tyre serpent, who’s into eating bats!
What was that?
I SAID TOMMY TUCKERS IS A TERRIBLE TYPING SERPENT WHO EATS BATS IN HATS!
(Tommy is a giant serpent, with legs, walking, Genghis Khan helmet still on, opening mouth to eat startled bats in hats, while typing. Background: P14, hands cupped, SHOUTING into ear of P15, a deaf old lady.)

Tommy Tuckers terribly rants, Sir Pants, hoot meets rats in pants.
(Tommy walking, wearing nothing but medieval knight’s helmet (face guard up), and boxer shorts, holding a megaphone to mouth, surrounded by owls and rats on hind legs, in pants. Background. Old lady, P15, whispering to P1, who is goggling his eyes.)

Oh, he’s a weird one, that Tommy!
(P1 is looking with suspicious, squinty eyes at Tommy, all the other characters behind him doing the same. Tommy is still dressed like on previous page. Medieval helmet and boxer shorts.)

WHAT!?
(Tommy, dressed normal, as at start, stopped, turning to shout at others.)
Nothin’… Nothin’…
(All other characters either wincing away from him in fright, or acting innocent.)

(Tommy stomping, with suitcase, towards open bus door. One or two of the others whistling, acting innocent.)

(P1 and P11, sighing with relief, wiping brows now Tommy is gone.)

Psst. Righteous Rodger Write said he would rather relax than rumble.
What? Religious Rodger Blight would rather re-wax the jungle…?
(New person, Rodger Write, is walking into frame, left to right, headphones on, happy. Background, P1 whispering to P6, who is looking at Rodger, shocked.)

 

 

The End.