PAGE ONE
Panel One: Wide-angle view of Ania, on her knees. She is locked in a crude cage made of sticks bound together with rope. She holds the bars of the cage, pleading. Yaga and her henchmen are also partially visible.
Panel Two: Close-up of Ania.
ANIA: Let me go!
Panel Three: Medium-length view of Yaga, sitting on a rock.
YAGA: No, my child. You’re safer in that cage than you’d be out the forest. It’s dangerous…
Panel Four: View into the depths of the forest, as seen from eye-level of the characters.
YAGA (OP): …All sorts of nasty things.
PAGE TWO
Panel One: View of Yaga from behind, standing at Ania’s cage. Ania is partially visible.
Panel Two: Close-up of Yaga.
YAGA: Why did you try to escape, child?
Panel Three: Medium-length view of Ania, cowering at the back of her cage.
ANIA: I don’t want you to eat me!
PAGE THREE
Panel One: Full-body view of Yaga, looking sympathetic.
YAGA: Of course not, child. But from time to time we all must do things that we don’t want to.
Panel Two: Medium-length view of Ania.
ANIA: But why me? There are plenty of animals. We haven’t been going hungry. Let me go and I’ll leave you alone. I won’t tell anyone, I promise!
Panel Three: Medium-length view of Yaga, pouring soup into a bowl with a ladle.
YAGA: Animals won’t do. Not the same.
Panel Four: Medium-length profile view of Yaga giving the bowl of soup to Ania through an opening between the bars of the cage.
YAGA: Now eat up. You need to be strong, child.
PAGE FOUR
Panel One: Medium-length view of Ania in her cage, holding the cup of soup low, as if she doesn’t want it.
ANIA: I’m not eating. Not till you tell me what you need to eat me for.
Panel Two: Wide-angle view of Yaga, out of context. Her wrinkles are accentuated, and it’s evident how very old she actually is.
YAGA: I’m getting old, child, and my time is almost up. There’s one way to stay here longer—to become young again—and unfortunately I need you to help me.
Panel Three: Pure black.
YAGA (OP): You understand.
PAGE FIVE
Panel One: Close-up of Ania. There are tears welling at her eyes.
ANIA: But you can eat someone else! Not me!
Panel Two: Medium-length view of Yaga.
YAGA: We don’t come across fresh little girls like you very often out here… And my time’s almost up.
Panel Three: Wide-angle profile view of Yaga and Ania.
YAGA: My child, we all have a job to do on this earth, and sooner or later we need to accept our callings, unpleasant as they may be. You’d do that for your old grandmother, wouldn’t you?
YOU ARE READING
Heaven
Historical FictionLook for a new part every Tuesday and Thursday! Adam is a 10th-century Slavic painter who lives peacefully with his daughter Ania. Until, that is, their town is ransacked by Vikings. Adam is killed and soon finds himself in heaven, leaving Ania to f...
