Lowell Is Liike A Cat

Lowell is like a cat. Most people enjoy cats, much like most Citizens of Lowell enjoy Lowell, Ma.  But, also like a cat, you wouldn’t be all that surprised if you found out that Lowell was attempting to kill you.  Lowell, Ma is a horrible place. Most people seem to be campaigning for the title of Worst Person Alive. I want to tell you a story of a Late-night Shift and one and a half feet of snow.

Not a short-time ago, I worked at a 24-hour corner store. Through a series of monkey-shines, I found myself working the overnight relief shift, usually spanning from 10:00pm -4:00am.

On the day this story takes place, two feet and a half of snow fell, caking our family home in white, fluffy snow. This would’ve been easier to shovel away, but the temperature rose, turning the falling snow into rain, soaking those two feet of fluffy snow. There was a ‘Stay-At-Home’ Advisory for our area, which should have meant that the roads should’ve been clear. Unfortunately, Lowell don’t listen to not ‘Stay-At-Home’ Advisory.

I had made a perfunctory attempt at shovel at path to the street and I thought that should’ve been good enough. My mother, my dearest mother decided that she wasn’t going to listen to this advisory. She had old people to take care of (and possibly, beat with a wooden spoon.) My sister went out with a shovel in her hand and began to dig my mother out. This is a common occurrence in Massachusetts: Digging out someone who should just stay home. My sister had hardly made a dint in the snow and came back in, seeking reinforcements. My two brothers were away, somewhere. They were doing something. Possibly, they had known that this was going to happen.

We have three cars and we attempted to dig out the easiest of the three cars. My sister’s car sat on the street and therefore, there would be less work for the both of us. I’d be able to go back to sleep and be rested for my 10 to 4 shift at the corner store.  We finally dug out the car. We were cold, wet and exhausted and I began to trudge back to the house, while my sister started on my mother’s vehicle. I felt that we had a car available, which we shouldn’t have done, seeing as there was a ‘Stay-At-Home’ Advisory.

I slumped down to my bed and enjoyed a glorious half-hour’s sleep before I was called back down, hearing demands that I should aid my sister. I had aided my sister. We had dug out a car for my mom. Why would I dig out another?

Evidentially, there was the hypothetical fear that we might need a car once our mother was gone. I argued that if something was to happen in our home, we could call an ambulance. We could call the police. We did not need another goddamn car.

I lost that argument, though I maintain that my argument was remarkably sounds. I found myself shoveling out a second car. I was now, colder, wetter, and more exhausted.  My mom had her car and my sister had hers. Again, I headed back inside and my sister continued on to the third car. Why? The fuck if I know. I didn’t sleep at all this second time before I was called down to aid my sister, again.  This time, it was my father, seemingly jealous that everyone else had their cars dug out. I contested that the snow was heavy, that we were exhausted and that he didn’t have to be anywhere for a full 38 hours. This was on a Saturday and he didn’t have to work until Monday.  Again, my argument was sound, remarkably so but I found myself outside, shoveling out a third car. This is what you get if you live in Lowell. You get soaked in cold, filthy water. You get to feel like you’ve been stabbed in the back, emotionally and physically. You get to work in futility for on good goddamn reason.

!!!!MEGA BIRTHDAY POST!!!! COMIC MANUSCRIPT: DOG BOY- ISSUE ONE: How We Begin (The Rest of It)

It's my birthday! I don't want to post this anymore, so here's all of it!

PAGE 5

Panel 1:Dog Boy shoots toward the man and shoves him into a nearby gate.

 

Panel 2:He begins mercilessly bashing him in the face, howling wildly as he did so. The man eventually goes limp

PAGE 6

Panel 1:Dog boy backs away, his hands dripping with blood. 

 

Panel 2:Dog boy turns to the woman and clutches her face, surveying her thoughtfully.

She omits a scream

 

Panel 3: Dog boy releases her from his grasp.

She runs off into the night.

 

Panel 4:Dog boy turns to the unconscious man and takes out a knife from his belt.

 

DOG BOY: (whispers): Teach him good.

 

Section3

PAGE 7

Setting: Hospital

 

Panel 1: The man lies on a hospital bed screaming in pain, clutching the bloody stump that was his hand.

 

DOCTOR to the PARAMEDIC: Where’s the hand

 

PARAMEDIC: It wasn’t on site.

 

Section4

 

Panel 2, setting: Park

 

Dog boy peers into a jar holding the severed hand.

 

Panel 3:He places the jar in a hole and begins to bury it.

 

Enter policeman

 

POLICEMAN:  Hey! What the hell is that?

 

Dog boy looked nervously at the policeman and continued to bury the hand.

The policeman comes closer.

 

Panel 4: POLICEMAN: What are you doing?

 

The policeman peers over Dog boy’s shoulder to see the partially covered jar.

 

Panel 5:POLICEMAN: What is that?

 

The policeman shoves dog boy aside and picks the jar up.

 

Panel 6:POLICEMAN: Holy hell

 

Dog boy knocks the policeman to the ground and darts off. The policeman clicks his radio.

 

Panel 7:POLICEMAN: We’ve got 8-20. ID: 6 foot 2 Caucasian male. Slender build, dirty brown hair, wearing a black coat and blue jeans. Possibly mentally ill. It’s gonna be hard to miss this guy.

 

Section 5

 

PAGE 8

Panel 1:Setting: police station

Dog boy sits in an interrogation room, handcuffed.

A man (George Ricotti) and woman (Jeanie Murphy) enter the room.

The woman sits across from Dog boy and the man stands behind him.

 

DR. MURPHY: Hello, My name is Jeanie Murphy. I’ve been asked to speak to you. Can I ask you your name?

 

DOG BOY: Boy?

 

Panel 2:Over the shoulder angle facing Murphy

 

DR.MURPHY: is that what people call you?

 

DOG BOY: No.

 

Panel 3:

 

 DR. MURPHY: Is that what you like to be called?

 

DOG BOY: No.

 

Dog Boy nervously turns his head to the man behind him.

 

Panel 4:

 

 DR. MURPHY: Could you wait out side, Officer Ricotti.

 

OFFICER RICOTTI: I’ll be right outside this door.

 

Officer Ricotti exits.

 

Panel 5:Over the shoulder angle facing Dog Boy

DR. MURPHY: Better?

 

Dog Boy nods

 

DR.MURPHY: Good, So what do you like to be called?

 

Panel 6: Dog Boy shrugs

 

Page 9

Panel 1:

 

DR.MURPHY: Do you understand why you’re here?

 

DOG BOY: Because of the hand.

 

DR. MURPHY: Yes, Why did you have it?

 

DOG BOY: I taught him good.

 

Panel 2:

 

DR. MURPHY: What do you mean?

 

DOG BOY: He was bad. I taught him good.

Panel3:

 

 DR. MURPHY: Tell me what happened.

 

DOG BOY: I saw her. The pretty lady and he came and grabbed her arm. So I took his hand away. He’ll be good now. I taught him to be good.

 

Panel 4:

 

DR.MURPHY: Do you understand why that is wrong?

 

DOG BOY: What?

 

DR.MURPHY: Do you understand why cutting a hand off is wrong?

 

DOG BOY: It’s not.

 

DR.MURPHY: It’s not good to hurt people like that.

 

DOG BOY (slightly agitated): It’s not bad.

 

Panel 5:

 

 DR. MURPHY: Let’s change the subject. Why’d you take the hand to the park?

 

Dog Boy shrugs

 

Page 10

Panel 1:

 

DR. MURPHY: Did you do something like this before?

 

DOG BOY: Can I go. I don’t like it here.

 

Panel 2:

 

 DR. MURPHY: I’m afraid that’s not possible. The fact is you hurt someone and we can’t let you go until we know you won’t do it again.

 

DOG BOY: I don’t like it here. I want to go.

 

Panel 3:

 

 DR.MURPHY: I can’t do that.

 

DOG BOY (slightly agitated): I want to go.

 

DR.MURPHY: Calm down

 

Panel 4:

 

 DOG BOY: I want to go.

 

Dog Boy stands

 

DR. MURPHY: Please sit down and calm yourself.

 

Panel 5:

 

 DOG BOY: (Highly agitated) I want to go.

Page 11

Panel 1:Officer Ricotti re-enters

 

Dog Boy spins around and charges at Ricotti, knocks him into a wall and Ricottifalls in a heap.

Panel 2:Dog Boy exits out of the room and is met by two officers in the hall.

 

OFFICER 1: That’s as far as you go.

 

Panel 3:Dog Boy kicks in officer 1’s knee.

 

Panel 4:Then darts around officer2.

 

Panel 5:Officer 2 manages to grab dog boy around the middle.

Dog Boy kicks a nearby wall-knocking officer 2 off balance. Both fall to the ground

 

Panel 6: Dog Boy is up first.

Page 12

Panel 1:Before officer 2 could think Dog Boy crushes his nose with his heel.

Officer 1, wincing in pain, attempts to block his way.

 

Panel 2:Dog Boy dropkicks officer 1 and officer 1 falls to the ground unconscious.

Page13

Panel 1:Three more men emerge into the hall.
Dog Boy takes the officer 2 as hostage, choking him with the handcuffs.

The three men stop and stare cautiously.

 

Panel 2: Dr. Murphy slowly approaches

 

DR.MURPHY: Listen to me. Is what you’re doing now good?

 

Dog Boy looks scared and confused.

 

Panel 3:

 

 DR.MURPHY: Are you being good?

 

Panel 4:Dog Boy looks at the three men, then at the officer he held hostage and then at Dr. Murphy and lastly he released the officer.

 

 Panel 5:He sits him in the fetal position, rocking back and forth, weeping.

 

Page 14

Panel 1:The three officers charge at Dog Boy.

 

DR.MURPHY (in a commanding tone.) Leave him be. Get them to a hospital! Check on Ricotti back in the room.

 

Jeanie sits beside him and cradles his head.

 

Section 6

Setting: Jail cell

 

Panel 2:Dog Boy sits in a jail cell crouched in the fetal position.

Dr. Murphy comes to Dog boy’s cell.
Dog Boy stands at the bars.

 

DR.MURPHY: I was wondering if you have a name but don’t want to tell me.

 

DOG BOY: Boy?

 

Panel 3:

 

DR. MURPHY: Is that what your real name is?

 

DOG BOY: Only name I remember.

 

Panel 4: DR. MURPHY: Would you like a real name?

 

DOG BOY (hesitantly): Okay.

 

Panel 5:

 

DR. MURPHY: Give me your hands.

 

Jeanie offers her own.

 

Panel 6:Dog Boy cautiously places his hands in hers.

 

Page 15

Panel 1:

 

DR.MURPHY: You look like a Gabriel. Would it be okay if I called you Gabriel?

 

DOG BOY: I like Gabriel.

 

Section7

Panel 2:

Setting: Police Station/ Ricotti’s desk

Ricotti sits, icing his neck.

Officer Pete approaches his desk with a file in hand.

He hands it to Ricotti

 

OFFICER PETE: You know you’re lucky.

 

RICOTTI: How so?

 

Panel 3:Ricotti opens the file.

 

PETE: He’s some sort of freak. He took the hand off with a regular pocketknife. The guy snapped the bone with his bare hands and it broke clean like a fucking twig.

 

RICOTTI: Serious?

 

Panel 4:

 

PETE: Yeah and it looks like Corky’s a vigilante. He’s linked to a number of beatings and mutilations. All of them, attempted murders, robberies, rapes. You name it.

 

RICOTTI: How many exactly?

 

Panel 5:

 

PETE: About 40 now. He’s been doing this for about four years

.

RICOTTI: We got a real name on this guy?

 

Page 16

Panel 1:

 

PETE: No, he wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for his record.

 

Section 8

 

Panel 2:

 

Setting: Saint Ives Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center/ Patient’s room

 

A bald unshaven man (Bobby Reed) sits cross-legged on his bed, playing his guitar.

Enter Emily Mason holding a pill tray

 

EMILY: How’s my favorite rock star?

 

BOBBY:  Is there such a thing as a good day in this place.

 

Panel 3:

 

EMILY: Awe. Having a bad day?

 

BOBBY: Spend a night here and tell me different.

 

Panel 4:

 

EMILY: It can’t be that horrible.

 

She sets the pill tray down on a table and picks up the cup.

 

Panel 5:

 

EMILY (playfully): Pill time. Put the guitar down for a second Mr. Reed.

 

Bobby carefully sets the guitar down, uncrosses his legs and stands. He walks up to her and stand close to her.

 

Panel 6:She hands him the pills and drops the pills into his mouth.

 

Page 17

Over the shoulder angle towards bobby

Panel 1:

 

EMILY: There we go. Open up please.

 

Bobby stares at her for a short while. He opens his mouth to reveal the pill still on his tongue.

 

Over the shoulder angle towards Bobby

Panel 2:

 

EMILY: Don’t give me trouble today, Bobby. Please just swallow it.

 

Panel 3:Bobby closes his mouth and stares thoughtfully; he gently touches her hair

 

Panel 4:Emily takes his hand away from her hair.

 

EMILY: Bobby, stop it.  Just swallow the pill and sit back down.

 

Panel 5:Bobby splits the pill out and shoves her away from him.

 

Page 18

Panel 1:Emily falls on to her back.

 

Panel 2:Bobby kneels and quickly snatches her Keycard.

 

Panel 3:He then turns to get his guitar.

Emily gets up and runs to the door

 

EMILY: (shouting through the door window) Gary!

 

Bobby drops his head and turns around to the door.

 

BOBBY: (agitated) Of course! Of fucking course.

 

Panel 4:Bobby runs over to Emily and grabs her in a headlock

Gary comes in

 

Panel 5:

 

GARY: Shit. Come on bobby let her go. You don’t want this. You were doing well, man. Just let her go.

Page 19

Panel 1:Gary slowly reaches for his baton.

 

BOBBY: Don’t! I can snap her neck, so don’t fuck with me.

 

Panel 2:

 

GARY: What’s your next move? We can’t let you leave. You’re just making it worst for yourself. Look, I already sent out the alarm. You let her go now and calm yourself and you won’t have to worry about anything.  We’ll go easy. Just let her go.

 

Panel 3:Bobby stares at Gary, stony faced, then releases Emily

She runs to safety behind Gary.

Gary slowly approaches Bobby and takes out his baton.

 

GARY: Okay, now sit on the bed.

 

Bobby stays his ground.

 

Panel 4:

 

GARY: Come on, Bobby.

 

Gary comes in arm length of Bobby.

Panel 5:Bobby grabs the baton and Gary, still holding with a firm grip, comes with it and is knocked down by a hard elbow to the nose

 

Page 20.

Panel 1: Gary releases his grip on the baton and Bobby cracks him again and again until Gary dies.

 

Panel 2:Bobby turns his head towards Emily. She stares horror struck

 

Page 21

 

Panel 1:Bobby rummages through Gary’s pockets for his keycard.

 

Panel 2:He finds it and exits out the door.

 

Panel 3:Emily remains in the corner and begins to cry.