Onset: Confession

PAGE ONE

Panel 1

HANNAH WILLIAMS is sitting on the couch in the family room, her hands in her lap as she looks ahead in relative calm. There are no lights or appliances on, but some dim sunlight does spill through the curtains.

Hannah is a teenage girl, about 15 or 16. She's thin, short, and has dark brown, fairly short hair and brown eyes. Her skin tone is light, and her facial features make it difficult to determine her ethnicity. She's dressed in blue jeans, and a white short-sleeved shirt.

She looks like she's holding in something a little disturbing, but is maintaining a cool front for now.

1 HANNAH (CAP)

 They say that, for any difficult task, the waiting is actually the hardest part.

Panel 2

Close-up on Hannah, who swallows nervously. She looks like she wants to cry, but is stubbornly holding on to her composure.

2 HANNAH (CAP)

 Of course, I don't know who “they” are, but it sure as hell feels that way right now.

Panel 3

Medium shot. Hannah starts suddenly as a knock on the door sounds. She looks across the room at the door, as if uncertain about whether to answer it or to run away.

3 SFX

 <KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!>

3 HANNAH (CAP)

 When the point of no return shows up, and you don't think you can actually go through with it...

Panel 4

Close-up on the door opening, as JASON WILLIAMS lets himself in, a cheerful, aloof expression on his face as he enters.

Jason is Hannah's older brother. He's about 30, with dark brown hair and brown eyes he keeps behind a pair of squarish framed glasses. He looks youthful, and has a thin-medium build. He's dressed casually, in blue jeans, a t-shirt with the Batman logo on it, and wearing a black leather jacket.

Some sunlight spills in behind him as he comes into the house.

4 HANNAH (CAP)

 Sometimes it just comes through the door.

5 JASON

 Hellooo? Anyone ho—?

Panel 5

Jason's eyebrows shoot up slightly as he sees Hannah looking at him from across the room. A slight smile forms on his face.

6 JASON

 Oh, there you are, noob!

7 JASON

Well, this is new. Usually I have to go up to your room and pry you out of there with a meme or the promise of a meal. Where's mom?

8 HANNAH

Jeff's.

Panel 6

Jason nods as he meets her about halfway across the room, his arms spread for a hug. Hannah throws her arms around his waist, her head pointed down toward the ground as she leans it on his chest.

9 JASON

Ah. So, I take it it's just—

PAGE TWO

Panel 1

They're still hugging, and Jason's noticed that it's a much tighter hug than usual. He looks a little concerned as he directs his gaze down at her.

1 JASON

 Hey, what's up? Everything alright?

2 HANNAH

  No.

Panel 2

Close-up on Hannah, still tight in her embrace, her eyes watery but no tears falling yet.

3 JASON 

 I knew you wanted to hang out, but I didn't think it was so urgent. What's wrong?

4 HANNAH

I have to tell you something. Something... big.

Panel 3

Jason pulls back, his eyebrows raised curiously, but semi-sarcastically.

5 JASON

Is it drugs?

6 HANNAH

No.

Panel 4

Medium shot of the two of them, Jason continuing to quiz her. She looks scandalized and slightly annoyed, but also a little amused.

7 JASON

You pregnant?

8 HANNAH

No! Jeez!

9 JASON

Do you owe someone a lot of money? Are you in over your head with a local mafia boss or something?

10 HANNAH

Nooo!!! Jason!

Panel 5

Jason suddenly has a very serious look on his face. He's all business as he asks her a final question.

11 JASON

Is it AIDS? Did you get HIV or something?

Panel 6

Point of view shot from Jason's perspective of Hannah, who has a very serious expression on her face as she looks up at her brother.

12 HANNAH

I need you to please sit down.

PAGE THREE

Panel 1

Jason's serious look has frozen, but his brow is furrowed questioningly as his jaw hangs open.

1 JASON

 Ummm... o-kay...

Panel 2

Medium shot of the two of them. Jason sits in a nearby chair at the dining room table and watches Hannah expectantly, all his attention on her.

2 HANNAH

 Thank you.

3 HANNAH

 Now. Can I get you anything? A drink, or—

Panel 3

Jason suddenly stands up, half accusingly, half-panicked. Hannah looks affronted at his action, about to yell and bite his head off.

4 JASON

 Okay, now I know something's wrong!

5 JASON

 You've never offered to get me anything, ever!

Panel 4

Hannah yells loudly at her brother, prompting him to lower himself away from her defensively in his chair. He could be overreacting for comic effect, but it should be purposely left ambiguous.

6 HANNAH

  SHUT! UP!

7 HANNAH

 YOU'RE NOT MAKING THIS ANY EASIER FOR ME!

Panel 5

Perspective shot of Hannah from Jason's point of view, this time with him looking up at the teenager from his chair. Her arms are crossed, and her face has formed a scowl as she speaks to him.

8 HANNAH

 Now, what do you want? Water, or Dr. Pepper?

Panel 6

Close-up on Jason, looking stunned, and a little uncertainly up at her.

9 JASON

 …

10 JASON

 Uh, cake, please?

Panel 7

Another close-up on Jason, throwing his hands up and his head down defensively as he corrects himself.

11 JASON

  DR. PEPPER, I mean! I meant Dr. Pepper!

PAGE FOUR

Panel 1

Medium close-up of the two of them. Jason is peeking up at her from underneath his arms, and Hannah is squinting a deadly baleful expression at him.

1 HANNAH 

 Fine. Coming up.

Panel 2

The same shot as before, only Jason has lowered his arms slightly. Hannah is in the same position as before, with the same expression as in the previous panel.

Panel 3

Same shot again. Jason has lowered his hands completely, and is sitting more or less normally, as Hannah continues to maintain her position and expression in stony silence.

2 JASON

 Uhhh... noob? I thought you were gonna—

3 HANNAH

 Wait a moment.

Panel 4

Close-up on Jason, whose eyebrows have shot up yet again. His eyes are wide and his mouth has dropped open again in an expression of complete surprise and shock.

4 JASON

  What the...?!

Panel 5

Another perspective shot of Hannah, who's now looking a little more relieved as he sees what she's been trying to tell him. She's put one hand up, and is making a slow forward-pushing motion with it. Behind her, a clear glass full of Dr. Pepper and some ice is floating from the kitchen behind her towards him.

5 HANNAH

 Excuse me. I'll need to guide the rest of it...

Panel 6

Close-up on the Dr. Pepper as it floats between the two of them into Jason's shakily outstretched hand.

6 JASON

 Wow.

PAGE FIVE

Panel 1

Medium close-up of the two of them. Hannah is looking at Jason, who is staring disbelievingly at his glass of Dr. Pepper.

1 JASON

 Did you just...

2 HANNAH

 Levitate a glass of Dr. Pepper into this room from the kitchen?

3 HANNAH

 Yes.

Panel 2

Close-up on Jason, looking up at Hannah?

4 JASON And you didn't...

5 HANNAH

 Make the drink on request? No. I made both before you got here.

6 HANNAH

 I don't have that level of control.

Panel 3

Close-up on Jason, who nods dumbly.

7 JASON

 I, uh... see.

Panel 4

Medium close-up on the two of them as Jason takes a tentative sip of his beverage.

8 HANNAH

 So, yeah...

9 HANNAH

 That's the big news.

10 HANNAH

 What do you think?

Panel 5

Jason puts his glass down, and fixes Hannah with a too-serious look. Hannah looks apprehensively at him.

11 JASON

 I think... if you ever leave me hanging about something like HIV again...

12 JASON

You could at least be courteous enough to not make my drink so far in advance. I mean, it's just way too watery.

Panel 6

Close-up on Hannah, who is both smiling widely and shedding tears at her brother's joking.

13 HANNAH (CAP)

And that's how I knew that somehow, this was all gonna be okay.

PAGE SIX

Panel 1

Splash page. Jason has swept Hannah up in a big hug. Both are smiling happily.

1 HANNAH (CAP)

My brother's lame jokes were the glue that held it all together.

2 JASON

Does anybody else know?

3 HANNAH

Nope. You're the first.

4 JASON

And you were actually scared about telling me this?

5 HANNAH

I wasn't sure if you'd freak out or not.

6 JASON

Me?! You've seen my comic book collection!

7 HANNAH

I know! Which would have made it worse, if you couldn't handle it!

8 JASON

Lame.

9 HANNAH

So, you don't think this makes me some kind of weirdo?

10 JASON

This?! No, not this...

11 HANNAH

Shut up.

12 JASON

This is just... it's just one more thing that shows how cool you are. Not that I didn't already know it.

13 HANNAH

… Thanks.

14 HANNAH (CAP)

For now at least, the world feels like a slightly less uncertain place than it did a little while ago.

15 HANNAH (CAP)

The point of no return came and went in a flash.