THE ARTIST
A Modern Day Fantasy
by R. David Kilgore  

OPENING:  MAN SITTING IN PARK...on the grass...under a tree.
Sketch pad and pencil in hand.  Daydreaming.  Watching clouds.
Sounds of city traffic, view of city buildings in background.
Credits end, city noise quiets, he closes his eyes, leans back of head on tree.  Office sounds and people talking are
heard from in his head.

(Annoyingly):

"Mr. Harrison, Mr. Harrison, would you like to show me your sketches?
David, show me your work.  What have you done today?
Have you finished those plans yet?
Mr. Freeman needs to see you in his office, pronto!
Mr. Harrison, don't forget, you've got a deadline!
David, I need those sketches for the proposal, like, yesterday!
Mr. Harrison, I know Rome wasn't built in a day, but I haven't got all the time in the world, either.  If you plan on being a
successful architect, you can't just be good, you've got to be fast!
Don't just sit there daydreaming, get to work!"

(BACKGROUND NOISE FADES, SOUNDS OF PARK COME UP)
(He speaks aloud.)

HARRISON: I don't want to draw buildings and shopping centers anymore.  We've got too many now.  What do they want
from me?  I feel like I've built this whole city.  (Mocking) "David, make them bigger.  David, make them stronger, make
them safer.  Mr. Harrison, make it majestic, make it modern, make it now!"

(He flips through pages of architectural drawings to a blank page, and begins doodling, eventually drawing a landscape
of lake and forest.)

HARRISON: People need to relax.  Get away and find nature.  Find freedom.  I need to get away.  Maybe find someone
who doesn't  keep me on a deadline.  A real friend.  I want to find the magic again.  Heck, maybe even a magic friend.  I
guess that would put it all together.  (Still sketching intently)  Let's see, now.  Just what would this magic friend look like?  
O.K.  He'd be small enough to put in my pocket, so I could carry him with me everywhere.  He'd be able to appear and
disappear at will, so no one could see him but me.  But I'll be selfish.  Let's say if he's caught off guard, and someone
does see him, he'll...disappear...forever.  He couldn't be my own special magic friend if anyone else knew about him,
now could he?  How's about, he shows me around the forest, grants all my wishes, protects me from danger, hmmm,
yes, and finds me a villainous villain to daringly defeat and a lovely lady to subtly swoon.  He  would maybe have wings
to expedite him on his quest to fulfill my destiny.  (Still drawing)  And of course, just in case the wings fail, a good pair of
running shoes.  Yes, the perfect aide for seeking nature, adventure, and romance.  Jeepers!

(Harrison tilts head back against tree, closes eyes, and nods off.)

(MOMENTARY FADE TO BLACK, THEN FADE UP)

(Same position, but different tree, somewhere in the woods, Harrison wakens, looks startled, rises, looks around, begins
to walk, obviously lost.)

(SUDDENLY, A VOICE FROM SEEMINGLY NOWHERE)

JEEPERS: David!

HARRISON: (Startled)  Wha!

JEEPERS: David!

HARRISON: Who said that?

JEEPERS: David!

HARRISON: Who's calling me?

JEEPERS: David?

HARRISON: Yes.

JEEPERS: Are you David?

HARRISON: Yes.  Who are you?

JEEPERS: Are you sure you're David?

HARRISON: (Irritated)  Yes, I'm sure.  Who is that?

JEEPERS: Are you really, really sure?

HARRISON: (More irritated)  Jeepers!

JEEPERS: Yes?

HARRISON: What?

(Jeepers, a little leprechaun type fellow, looking like a two-inch high, young David Harrison, suddenly appears on a tree
branch right in front of Harrison's face.)

JEEPERS: You called?

HARRISON: (Jumping back, startled)  What the...?

JEEPERS: I'm Jeepers.  You called my name.

HARRISON: Who, what are you?  And what kind of a name is Jeepers?

JEEPERS: (Looking disgusted)  I'm the one who's here to show you around the forest, grant all your wishes, protect you
from danger, and help you out with all that villain and lovely lady stuff.  And as for my name, Bozo, you named me.  Don't
you remember?  After conjuring up all your ridiculous specifications for a so-called friend, the last word you said was
"Jeepers".  That's the way it works!

HARRISON: Huh?

JEEPERS: (Now looking curious)  Say, you're new at this magic-fantasy thing, aren't you?

HARRISON: Magic?  Fantasy?  I don't get it.

JEEPERS: (Rolling his eyes)  Oh, great.  I always get the rookies.  Alright, let me explain it to you in mortal terms.  
There's a place, way in the back of your head, called the "Free Zone", where you can access the world of Mulysa.  
That's
M U L Y S A.  That's where you are now.  Most people don't visit here.  Most people are too caught up in their hustle and
bustle "I have to be a grown up and responsible adult" world to let themselves find their way back here.  The ones that
do, generally stay here, or keep coming back, so they all know the rules.  The longer they stay here, or the more they
return, the better they get at fitting in.  And, of course, the better they get at honing and enjoying their fantasies.  Any
questions?

HARRISON: You mean, all I had to do was ask?
 
JEEPERS: (Nodding)  And be in the right place in your mind.

HARRISON: Am I dreaming?

JEEPERS: No.  Nothing like that.  This is all as real as you want it to be, and for just as long.

HARRISON: Wow!  And you're gonna grant all my wishes?  Like a little leprechaun?

JEEPERS: No short jokes!  I possess every power you've given me, no more, no less.  You created me, and I'm a very
important part of you.  You'll understand more as time goes on.

HARRISON: O.K.  Now how about this.  Why do you look like me?

JEEPERS: I'm that part of you from the past.  From a time when you were young, impressionable, and imaginative.  Back
when you had the time to think clearly and dream freely.  I've always been here, you just never quite found me.

HARRISON: Well, then, Jeepers, let's get started.  I've always had dreams that I was flying.  I'd just put my arms straight
out from my sides, give a little kick, and I was up.  Make me fly!

JEEPERS: Sorry, bud.  Can't do that.

HARRISON: But you said you'd grant my wishes.  I wanna fly.

JEEPERS: I also have to protect you from danger.  It's a contradiction, but you created me.  You want to fly, but you
haven't been HERE before.  You don't know how many others or what else might be cruising around up there.  You want
wishes and protection.  In Mulysa, protection gets priority.  It's in the rules.

HARRISON: (Clearly upset)  I'm going for a walk.

(Jeepers vanishes, and pops into Harrison's shirt pocket.)

HARRISON: Hey!  What are you doing?

JEEPERS: You said!  You said you wanted me traveling in your pocket with you.  You created me.

HARRISON: Fine.  Well if you're everything I was asking for, why don't you have wings?  I said you'd have wings.

JEEPERS: You said maybe.  That made it my option.  You've got to know the rules.  Besides, I don't like wings.  I get
airsick.

HARRISON: Great, a queasy leprechaun.

JEEPERS: I'm not a leprechaun.  Next time, if you want a leprechaun, order one.

HARRISON: Thanks.  I'll keep that in mind.

(The two go on a hike through the woods, and end up at a clearing by a lake.  There they see a man dumping bags full
of garbage into the water.)

HARRISON: So who's this guy, Jeepers?

JEEPERS: Your villainous villain.

HARRISON: My villain is a litterbug?  What's the deal?

JEEPERS: It's your first time.  I thought it would be better to go slow.

HARRISON: Fine.  (Walks up to litterbug and taps him on shoulder)  Hey, buddy, what do you think you're doing?  
You've got no right to dump trash in this lake.

LITTERBUG: (Who happens to be a very large man)  Mind your own business, twirp.

JEEPERS: David, I don't think this is a very good idea.  Let's go find a smaller villain.

HARRISON: Hey, I've created you to protect me.  We'll just have to teach this guy some manners.  (To litterbug)  I SAID,
you've got no right...

(Litterbug grabs large two-by-four and swings it at Harrison's head.  Jeepers jumps from Harrison's pocket and deflects
board away.  Litterbug sees Jeepers, is surprised by what he sees, and falls back into water.)

HARRISON: Ha!  Well, Jeepers, I guess we put the lid on that one!

JEEPERS: (Who has landed on another tree branch, looking very sad)  Yup.

HARRISON: Well, we saw the woods, we got the villain, now how about that romantic encounter with a lovely lady.  And I
do remember saying "lovely".

JEEPERS: It's over.

HARRISON: What do you mean, "It's over"?

JEEPERS: He saw me.  The villain saw me.  You also said that if anyone else saw me I would have to disappear.  I have
to go now.

HARRISON: No.  Wait.  I take that part back!

JEEPERS: It's too late.  Sorry.  I had fun, David.  Thank you.  Good-bye.

HARRISON: No!  Jeepers!

(Jeepers vanishes)

HARRISON: I'm sorry, Jeepers.  I'll be careful about what I wish for in the future.  Thank you.  Good-bye, my friend.

(Harrison turns and sits down at the base of the tree, then nods off.)

(FADE TO BLACK, THEN BACK UP TO SAME POSITION AND PLACE OF OPENING SCENE)

VOICES IN BACKGROUND: Mr. Harrison, Mr. Harrison, would you like to show me your sketches?  David, show me your
work.  What have you done today?

(Harrison wakes slowly, looking up, with drawing paper and crayons in hands.  Paper has nothing on it but crayon
scribble.  Two attendants in white hospital jackets are helping Harrison to stand.)

ATTEN.1: Hey, looks like you've got some real nice artwork there, David.

ATTEN.2: Yes, that's lovely, Mr. Harrison.  Looks like you're going to design us a whole new city.  It's getting chilly.  
We're going to take you inside now.

(Attendants walk Harrison towards large building.  From behind the tree we see Jeepers stick his head out and wave.)

JEEPERS: (Quietly)  See you next time, David.

(CAMERA PANS BACK, VIEWING INSTITUTION, THE GROUNDS, THE TWO ATTENDANTS WALKING HARRISON IN,
AND THE BACK OF THE LARGE, RANCH STYLE "ASYLUM" SIGN OVER THE DRIVEWAY, WHICH FROM THIS REAR
VIEW READS "MULYSA")

(CREDITS)

(FADE TO BLACK)

© 1993, R. David Kilgore