Pancake Day 3: Splat to reality: Scene 14Story by Black OperaPosted 1/30/22 363 views
The camera cuts to black. Then there's a click and a spotlight comes on focused on a girl, who appears to be standing on a raised platform. She is wearing a smart purple blouse, and a dark grey pencil skirt, and high heeled, nude court shoes. She has long brunette hair, that is pinned down in to a smart formal style, and wears a matte pink lipstick, and enough make up on the rest of the face to enhance her natural good looks. She is currently standing behind some sort of podium. It comes up to just above her waste, where there is a large box, about two foot square, and 18 inches deep. Below that several legs come out and reach towards the ground. As the camera zooms closer we see that the top of the box is currently covered by a black plastic lid, and that a metal shackle is securing the girls wrists to opposite sides of the box.
The camera cuts as we hear another click, and another spotlight comes on, revealing a familiar figure climbing up towards Amy on a ladder on the wall next to her.
Porcelain: Hello Amy. It's playtime.
It's Porcelain, dressed a little differently, having swapped her red PVC ball gown for a more practical mini skirted skater dress, made of the same material, now showing her fish-netted legs, and her knee high boots as she approaches Amy.
Amy: Princess Porcelain. So we meet at last.
Porcelain pauses as she looks Amy up and down.
Porcelain: Well that's different. Normally people are either angry or scared at the start of our little play sessions. You almost seem pleased to be here.
Amy: I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but I'm also aware of the benefits of the situation.
Porcelain: Like how the struggle can make you a better person?
Amy: Not quite. I'm thinking more as an entrepreneurial business woman.
Porcelain: You think I'm a financial opportunity?
Amy: Didn't you say you followed Athena's career? She's carved herself a nice niche on the red carpets and talk shows, and she wasn't even a known celebrity to start with. When news gets out of my involvement the value of my brands going to skyrocket.
Porcelain: Well I'll give you credit. Your easily one of the most honest playmates I've had to deal with. How about we talk about rules, and see if you come out as a magnificent winner, or the plucky runner up.
Amy: I'm guessing it will involve searching for something in that box in front of me.
Porcelain: O.K, you can stop now. That's just annoying.
The camera stops to the top of the podium as Porcelain slides the lid off. At the far side is a small rack, but mainly being revealed is the contents of the box, that we see is filled with a thick porridge consisting of a grey paste with small lumps of oatmeal. Topping the porridge are several pools of maple syrup and sliced bananas.
Porcelain: If you examine my beautiful tub of porridge you'll see a rack on the far side. On either side of that are two contact points. To release the shackles around your wrists all you have to do is complete the electrical circuit between the two contact points. Normally I'd have to explain how you do that, but I think you can work that out for yourself.
Amy: Find something to complete the circuit in the porridge.
Porcelain: Well done. Although I should mention there is another way the shackles will release. A safety release in the event of the platform your on collapsing. Which I believe could happen in a few minutes. I wonder where you'll end up.
In response a light comes on below the two of them, revealing that about eight foot below them is a giant pie, about ten foot in diameter. We can see the circumference is made of a thin silver colored metal, and that the pie is topped with a thick white foam. In a few places we can see a bright green slime in the gaps between the foam.
The camera cuts to a shot of Amy's face. Very briefly there's a slight look of trepidation, before a knowing smile comes across it.
Amy: So that's what you want me to do?
Porcelain: Indeed. Before you start though one question? Aren't you just proving me right about the morals of you celebrities? Your hear in this highly unusual situation, and all you can think about is the money?
Amy: Hey. I just take advantage of the system. I didn't make it.
Porcelain: Care to explain.
Amy: I'd love to live in a world where big business wasn't so male dominated. Maybe then I would have had more options. Pretty early on though it became that if I wanted to be considered more than eye candy I'd have to go into the business of celebrity and turn myself into a brand. All those photo shoots, movie premiers, reality shows, I won't say they don't have there good points, but there also necessary. If I want my entrepreneurial projects to succeed I rely on my brand as a celebrity. There have been times I wish I could have a quieter life, no doubt, but then what. How long before my clothes, perfume and everything else stop selling, and I'm replace by another wannabe.
Porcelain: That may be so, but did you really try? The system won't change if people go with the flow, and choose the path of least resistance. If we want things to be different people have to be prepared to fight against conformity.
Amy: That's easier said than done. You say you came to fight the system, but ultimately all your going to do is feed it, by creating more stories for the gossip pages and talk shows. You'll affect a few careers, but things will still be as they are now in a few months.
A knowing grin comes across Porcelain's face.
Porcelain: Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. Let me tell you a little secret.
Porcelain glances around, before leaning in, the camera cuts close as she whispers something in Amy's ear.
Porcelain: I'm not just going after the monkeys. I'll be taking down the organ grinder as well.
With that Porcelain climbs back down the ladder. The camera watches from Amy's point of view as Porcelain reaches the bottom, and then walks along a narrow platform above the giant pie. When Porcelain reaches the edge the platform retracts backwards leaving the pie exposed. We then see Porcelain give a wave goodbye, as she calls out.
Porcelain: As you have been so honest and friendly I'll give you one extra clue. Not all the balls you'll find will help complete an electrical circuit.
She pauses to turn over an hourglass on a small table next to her, before leaving.
The camera cuts to Amy as she shuffles her feet back a little, to make it easier to bend down, and positions her head slightly above the porridge. She pauses for a second before plunging her head down into the porridge. The camera cuts to a shot looking down on the porridge, we see Amy's neck sticking out as she moves her head around the porridge. It's about fifteen seconds before the camera cuts to a close up of Amy's face as she emerges, her face and hair is now coated in a thick layer of porridge, with a slice of banana sticking to her right cheek. In her teeth she grasps a four cm ball, which as the porridge drips off we can see is made of red rubber. She reaches over and drops the ball on the rack, where we see it takes up about a quarter of the width. The camera cuts to the hourglass, where we see about eighty percent of the time is left. The camera cuts back to the surface of the porridge as Amy plunges her head in once again. The camera then cuts to a beneath the surface shot, where we see Amy's porridge covered head swish past several times before we see her pause and grab at something. The camera cuts as her head emerges, and once again she has a large ball clasped in her mouth. The camera cuts to the rack as Amy places the second ball on it, and we see this one is made of a silver colored metallic substance. The camera cuts to Amy who pauses for several seconds, as if contemplating something, before reaching over to grab the red rubber ball on the rack with her teeth, and tossing it away to one side.
Amy plunges her head down again, this time she angles her body to allow her to get a better reach into one of the far corners. Once again she searches around, before pausing slightly before emerging, once again with a metallic ball in her teeth. As she places it on the rack the camera cuts to the hour glass, showing she only has forty percent of her time left. The camera cuts to another shot of Amy's head submerged under the porridge. It shows the far corner where there is another metallic ball, but it's behind two rubber ones. Amy grabs one of the rubber balls in her face, and the camera cuts to her emerging and tossing the ball aside. The camera cuts back to her face as she submerges again, reaching out with her chin she moves the other rubber ball aside, and then edges the metallic ball away from the edge of the tub in order to position it so she can grab it with her teeth. A few seconds later her head emerges again from the porridge, this time grasping another metallic ball. She places it on the rack, and lets out a gasp as she shakes her head a little, in order to dislodge some of the porridge now coating her face.
The camera cuts to the hour glass, that now has a little under twenty percent of the time left. The camera cuts back to Amy who is now frantically searching the tub, swishing her head left and right, causing a lot of the porridge to splash over the side. She pauses briefly, and emerges with another ball in her mouth, but it's one of the rubber ones, which she tosses aside. The camera cuts to a shot looking down at the porridge, and there is a faint glint of metal to the left of Amy. The camera cuts to her face as she plunges her head down towards the glint. The camera focuses on the top of her porridge coated head for several seconds, as she desperately tries to grasp the last ball. The camera cuts to the hour glass, that has barely any sand left, before cutting back to Amy as she emerges from the porridge, clasping the ball in her teeth. She has to place it carefully on the rack, as there's barely enough room with the other three balls in place. Once it's in place we here whirl of a small motor, and the shackles around Amy's wrists retract allowing her to move her hands and wipe some the porridge off her face.
The camera then cuts to a shot of the ladder to the side of Amy, then to a shot of the giant pie. It then cuts to a shot of Amy, who has a wry smile on her face, as she leans on the podium, instead of escaping to the ladder. The camera cuts back to the hourglass as the sand runs out and a loud siren blares out.
The camera cuts to an overhead shot looking down on the giant pie. A large pole, with the podium on which Amy is standing swings down and forward. Just before the podium splashes into the middle of the pie Amy's silhouette jumps away from it, and she and the podium splash down in to the pie, revealing the large pool of bright green slime as the foam on top is splashed aside. The camera cuts to Amy, as she stands up, now completely covered in a thick green slime, and patches of the white foam, smiling and even laughing a little as she walks over to the ladder.