TMNT: Raph and The Secret Door

Neighbors

Raph-You scared me to death, you mangy thing!

(The cat glares at him with blue eyes, makes a low growl as he stands)

Raph-'Bout as annoying as Mikey's cat. I'm just looking for an old well. Know it?... Not talking, huh? (The wind picks up. He grasps the forks of his stick) Okay dowsing rod. Show me the well.

(We see the spy coming in close. They press a button on the handlebars and blasts a loud air horn)

Raph-What the shell?!

(Thunder)

(Raph sees him or her for the first time. With their three-lensed skull mask and skeleton gloves and purple unzipped jacket flapping in the wind, looking like a psycho murderer!)

Raph-The one time I don't bring my sai!!

(They rev the motor, pops a wheelie, then swoops down the bluff towards him. The mystery person knocks Raph down and does a backflip on a stump. The person turns their three-eyed turret lens and studies him like a predatory alien. And then, the thunder and lightning just fade out and this psycho-killer, three-eyed spy pulls off the mask)

Raph-... What?

(She's just a girl around Raph's age)

Girl-Let me guess, you're from Texas or Utah; someplace dried out and barren, right? Or are ya from a pond since you're a turtle? (Raph gets a good look at her and sees she has brown skin, black hair in two puffballs, and she's wearing a purple hoodie and ripped jeans) I heard about water-witching before but it doesn't make sense; I mean, that's just an ordinary branch.

Raph-IT'S A DOWSING ROD! And I dont like being stalked! Not by psycho-dorks, or their cats!

Girl-He's not really my cat; he's kinda feral you know, wild? Although I did name him Shadow and of course, I do feed him every night and sometimes he'll come in my window 'n bring me little dead things for some weird reason.

Raph-Look, I'm from Brooklyn.

Girl-What now?

Raph-New York? And if I'm a "water witch", Then where's the secret well?

Girl-(teasingly) You stand on it too long you'll fall in it.

(Raph reacts, hops out of the springy circle. She scrapes at the ground, revealing a covering made of wooden planks. She wedges a fallen branch under one side, and, using a rock for the fulcrum, pries up the covering)

Girl-See? Supposed to be so deep if you fell to the bottom and looked up, you'd see a sky full of stars in the middle of the day.

Raph-Huh.

Girl-Surprised she let you move in... (Turns her head toward the pink house in distance) My Gramma. She owns the "Pink Palace" Won't rent to people with kids.

Raph-What about four teenagers living by themselves? And what do you mean?

Girl-(suddenly worried) Uh... I'm not supposed to talk about it. (Changing the subject, she lifts a hand) I'm Angel. Angel Bridge.

Raph-Angel? (Shakes her hand)

Angel-Short for Angela. Not my idea, of course. What'd you get saddled with?

Raph-I wasn't saddled with anything. It's Raph.

Angel-Ralph what?

Raph-Raph! Raphael Hamato!

Angel-It's not real scientific, but I heard an ordinary name, like Ralph can lead people to have ordinary expectations about a person

Angel's Gramma-(calling from afar) Angel!

Raph-I think I heard someone calling you, Angela.

Angel-What? I didn't hear anything.

Raph-Oh, I definitely heard someone, Angel not from heaven.

(A distant dinner bell clangs)

Angel's Gramma-Angela!

Angel-(under her breath, nervous) Gramma! (She holds up her hands in surrender, nodding with eyes closed, forcing some laughs) Heh. Well, great to meet a Brooklyn water witch. (She picks up her bike, wheels it around) But I'd wear gloves next time.

Raph-(skeptical) Why?

Angel-'Cause that dowsing rod of yours? Uh, it's poison oak.

Raph-Ehh!! (drops the stick as she zooms away. The cat meows at him, shaking his head with a pitying look, then goes after Angel)

So, Raph made a new friend, sort of. See you guys in a few days...