Day 104: The Dragon King

The Dragon King
by
Matt Zurbo

 

Isobelle thought; There’s no enough excitement in my life.
(Girl, looking ahead, bored, while others play netball around her.)

 There’s not enough excitement in this town.
(Bored, looking ahead, as daily commuters shuffle here and there.)

So she declared herself the Dragon King!
(Girl in homemade dragon costume, putting a cardboard crown on her head.)
“All I have to do now,” she bragged, “is find a dragon!”

But no matter how hard she looked,
(Looking under tractor, as dragon snout pokes out from well behind her.)

how high or low,
(Girl looking under couch as dragon head begins to appear from attic door in ceiling.)

she couldn’t find a single one!
(Girl hand above eyes, looking down the street, dragon hiding, poorly, behind light pole. Another poking eyes out from industrial bin.)

“Dragons aren’t real!” everybody told Isobelle.
(Girl in middle of other kids, and teacher, arguing. Dragon, with its back flat-to-wall in shadowy laneway, watching. Another looking down from its perch. Awkward and oversized, on top of traffic light.)
“What does that have to do with anything?” she replied.

At night Isobelle would dream dragons kept her safe.
(Girl sleeping in bed as one dragon is angrily looking at monsters under her bed, pointing to the open door.)

Of dragon breath.
(Girl eyes closed, head on pillow, smiling, as dragon whispers in her ear. Small images of her flying with four or five dragons rising from her.)

And of being free.
(Close up of image of her flying upwards, dragons all around.)

Isobelle was so determined to find a dragon, Rose and Jasper joined her search.
(Two other kids helping girl, looking in this and that. Behind them, unseen, dragon is also searching.)

Together, they wrote dragon stories,
(Girl and two others sitting around candlelight. Girl has pen and paper. One of others has hands in the air, fingers clawed, as if her arms are a dragon’s jaw, the other is pointing to pen and paper in girl’s hands.)

And everybody dressed as dragons for Halloween.
(Adults and kids and dog, all deadpan, looking at reader, dressed as dragons)

Still, not being able to find a dragon was bringing Isobelle down.
(Girl, still in costume, head lowered as she mopes along, three mean-looking kids behind her, pointing, laughing.)
“Haha, Dragon Drongo!” meaner kids laughed.
“Told you there’s no such thing!” they teased.

But Isobelle was so sure! “They’re just mysterious!” she cried.
(Girl running away in tears, not seeing dragon standing behind her, comically straight, leaning over three kid who are all recoiling in fright. Dragon has finger to its ‘lips’. “Ssh.”)

Only Isobelle’s mum seemed to believe her. “When I was your age I dreamed I was the Unicorn Princess!” she smiled.
(Mum comforting dejected Isobelle, unicorns unnoticed, peeking out from here and there.)

(Close up of Girl, as always, in dragon costume, wearing crown, looking up at reader/mum, a bit confused. Dragon and unicorn feet/hooves behind her.)

“Dragons are mythical,” Mum said. “They need your belief to survive.”
(Looking down, Mum and daughter, small, talking. HUGE dragon sitting behind girl. Two or three unicorns behind Mum.)

“But ‘Kings’ and ‘Princesses’? Would you want to be ruled by someone else?”
(Girl looking up at her crown. Mum in background, walking away)

(Girl jumping/stomping on her crown)

“Hiya!” a dragon said.
(Dragon, poking its dopy head up from basement trapdoor. Girl now on top of its head, surprised, half smiling!)

(More dragons appear. Girl is a bit overawed.)

(There is a pillar of dragons towering over girl. She is scared.)

“I’m not a big fan of Kings, they lead to wars,” the dragon added.
(Dopy dragon lying on belly, hand on chin, dreamy.)

“O…Okay…” Isobelle stammered. “Being friends is great with me.”
(Girl surrounded by friendly dragons)

“Well, alright, then!” said the dragon. “This is our world. Come inside…”
(View from behind of dragon, arm friendly behind girl’s back, other hand out, introducing her to a unicorn, half circle of other dragons waiting to be introduced to her.)

 

The End