Prunella Sees the Light/Transcript

Prunella Sees the Light

Introduction

Buster is walking through a dark hallway.

Prunella: I see a long hallway. You are walking down it. You are afraid of something. Suddenly you come to a door. You open it. It's filled with children taking a test!    School tables with Buster’s classmates are floating in the air. Blackboards and numbers float around them.    They look unhappy.

Class: (groan)

Buster: Hh, it's the Math test! There's a big Math test on Friday!

Prunella: Yes, Math. I see numbers, lots of numbers… Mr. Ratburn hands Buster a test.   Big numbers, small numbers, strange Greek squiggles. The numbers twist and turn, they seem to leap off the page. And then...        

Buster and Prunella are sitting at a table in Prunella’s room. Prunella looks into a crystal ball.

Buster: What? What do you see? Do I fail?

Prunella: (mystical voice:) The future is unclear. Madame Prunella is weary. Madame Prunella needs candy to revive her psychic power.    Buster hands her one M&M.    (normal voice:)  That’s it?! Madame Prunella's gonna need a little more than that!

Buster: It was a long walk over.

Prunella: (sighs)  All right. I think there's some leftover brownies in the kitchen.   She goes downstairs. Buster follows.

Buster: There are? Did you see that in the ball? Is there milk too? Are there any leftover brownies in our kitchen?

The crystal ball fills with pink smoke. Images of Marina and Prunella appear.

Marina: Prunella, you're driving me crazy!     Prunella looks sad.

Title Card: Fortune Teller

Henry Skreever climbs up the wall of a tower.

Henry Skreever: There it is! The Brick of Wonders.         A golden brick with magic symbols sticks out of the wall.      Just a little bit further.    

Lord Moldywart: Not so fast, Henry Skreever!   Henry looses his footing and falls.

Henry Skreever: Ah!  That voice! It's...    Two large eyes appear in the clouds.

Lord Moldywart: Yes. Lord Moldywart. Afraid, little wizard? You should be! You should be! (evil laugh)   The words “The Brick of Wonders” appear. Marina and Prunella are watching the scene on TV in the Deegans' living room.

TV Announcer: “Henry Skreever And The Brick Of Wonders” opens this Friday in theaters everywhere.

Marina+Prunella: (squeal)

Prunella: We have to do something special.

Marina: Let's read all five books again cover to cover.

Prunella: Marina, it opens in four days. Even I can't read that fast.

Marina: Me neither. I’d get blisters.

Prunella: Hh! I've got it! We’ll…   No! I’m not telling. It’s a surprise.

Marina: The Tickling Claw commands you to tell me!

Prunella: No. By the Wheel Of Edam, I swear I shall never confess. I'm using my Hex Of Protection.    Marina starts tickling her.

Marina+Prunella: (laugh)

Marina: Hey, you uncrossed your arms! Ha! The Hex doesn't work.

Prunella: Yes, it does.

Marina+Prunella: (giggle)

#

Buster follows Prunella through a department store.

Buster: Prunella, please, I have to know if I failed that Math test.  Here, I brought you a box of Buster Clusters. I made them myself.      He has chocolate around his mouth.

Prunella: Yuck! I heard about those! They turn your tongue black and give you a rash. Have you seen any pink striped bed sheets anywhere?

Buster: Why do you need bedsheets?

Prunella: I'm turning my bedroom into the Castle Of Yutz. You know, from “Henry Skreever and the Potage of Villainy”, Book three. Remember how the Castle Of Yutz has pink and white walls?

Buster: No.

Prunella: Well, Marina will. She doesn't know it yet, but she's coming for a sleepover and I want everything to be just perfect.

Buster: Marina, um, she's your friend who's blind, right?

Prunella: Uh-huh.

Buster: So, why do the sheets have to be pink and white? She can't see them.

Prunella: Because… because they just have to be, that’s why.     Buster looks at his tongue. It’s black.

#

Prunella hangs up a pink and white bedsheet in her room. She looks at a picture in Henry Skreever III and compares it to her room.  

Prunella: Almost there.  Just a few more touches and it'll be perfect!    She gets into bed and turns on the nightlight.   (yawns)   I can't wait to see Marina's expression when she sees what I've done.

In her dream Marina comes up the stairs.

Prunella: Ta-da!      

Marina: What? What's so special?

Prunella: It's an exact replication of Persephone's room in the Castle of Yutz.     Marina feels the pink and white bedsheet.

Marina: No, it isn’t. Her walls are made of velvet.

Prunella: I couldn’t buy velvet bedsheets. They would have been too expensive. But they do have the pink stripes.

Marina: Great, I bet they're a lovely shade! Too bad I can’t enjoy them.

Prunella: Oh, I'm sorry, Marina. I guess I wasn't thinking. Hey, want to play cards with my Henry Skreever deck?

Marina: Hello! How can I play cards when I can't see them?! Did you invite me over to your house just to insult me?!    She hits her hand against a dresser.   Ow! That's it! I'm going home. I hate this place!

Prunella: No! Wait! Marina!

Marina: Why don’t you be quiet before you say something else mean and offensive!   Her cane turns into a magic wand.   Wicked witch of the horrible gaffe, presto, change-o, you are a giraffe!    Prunella’s head becomes a giraffe’s.

Prunella: Hh!

Prunella wakes up and starts taking the pink and white bedsheet off the wall.

#

Prunella sits in the Sugar Bowl with Muffy.

Prunella: So, what do I do? I've been looking forward to this sleepover for days, but now I’m not so sure it's a good idea.

Muffy: What’s the big deal? Just get your room redone, so it's safe for Marina. You know, put in a ramp, that sort of thing.

Prunella: Muffy, she's blind, not in a wheelchair!

Muffy: Oh, yeah.

Prunella: And I can't afford to have my room redone.

Muffy: Well, there are one or two things a girl can do on a modest budget. Here, you’ll want to take notes.   She hands Prunella a pen. Prunella gets a paper napkin and starts writing.

#

Prunella rolls up the carpet in the living room. / She puts toys in a box which she puts in her closet. / She ties a string to the toilet handle. / She wraps cloth around the edges of the railing in her room. / She puts her crystal ball in a box.

Prunella: Perfect... I guess.

Rubella: Ow!      The Henry Skreever figure, that the string from the toilet was tied to, falls over. Rubella comes up.      What's this string doing here? I just tripped over it.

Prunella: It's so Marina can find her way to the bathroom.

Rubella: That's ridiculous! She’s not going to need string to find the bathroom.    Prunella puts a statue under her bed.    

Prunella: She might.  How do you know?

Rubella: Prunella, why don’t you just ask her if there's anything special she needs?

Prunella: I can’t! I want the sleepover to be a surprise. Besides, I swore on the Wheel of Edam I wouldn’t tell.

Rubella: Well, what's more important? Having a good time with your friend or a swear ona piece of cheese?

Prunella: (sighs)

#

Prunella walks past a soccer field.

Prunella: Hi, Marina, I was just wondering, because you're visually challenged... Oh, that sounds terrible!   A ball hits the fence right next to her. It beeps.    Oh!     Marina comes for the ball wearing a Mighty Mountain jersey.

Marina: Prunella? Is that you?

Prunella: Wow! I didn't know you could play soccer.

Marina: Yeah, there’s a beeper in the ball, so I can hear where it is.   She comes to the fence.   What are you doing here?

Prunella: Um, I have to talk to you about something.

Marina: Me too. Do you want to sleep over at my house the night before the Henry Skreever movie opens? We could play games all night and then get in line really early in the morning.

Prunella: Sure.

Marina: Great! Just come over after school.    She runs to the other players.

Prunella: Phew!       Marina stops.

Marina: Oh, what did you want to tell me?

Prunella: Um... I don't eat eggplant.   She runs off.   Bye! See you tomorrow!

#

Prunella rings the Datillos’ doorbell. Marina comes to the door.

Marina: What's the password?

Prunella: Is it... “abracadabra”?    Marina opens.

Marina: Actually, I was thinking of “tzatziki” from Book Four, “Henry Skreever and The Menacing Moussaka”, but that’s okay. You can come in.    Prunella comes in with a backpack and a rolled-up sleeping back.

Prunella: Hey, how come you aren't using your cane?

Marina: Because it's my house. I kind of know where things are. Come on. Dinner's almost ready.

#

Marina and Prunella sits at the dinner table. Mrs. Datilla serves the food.

Mrs. Datillo: Hot dogs at six o'clock, beans at nine and sauerkraut at three. Enjoy!

Prunella: What's that all about?

Marina: That’s so I know where my food is, I just imagine a clockface.    She feels for something on the table.

Prunella: Looking for the milk? It’s at two o'clock, two-twelve, really, and the mustard's a little after ten, and the salt and pepper are...

Marina: Thanks. I can manage.

#

Marina and Prunella get up from the table.

Marina: So, what shall we play first? Do you like cards? I'm a total gin rummy freak.

Prunella: Marina! Watch out!

Marina: What?! What?!         Prunella straightens the rug in front of Marina.

Prunella: A corner of the rug was turned back. You could have tripped.

Marina: A-ha. Boy, the way you reacted, I thought the house was on fire or something!    She goes up the stairs. Prunella follows.

#

Marina and Prunella play cards in Marina’s room.

Prunella: Braille cards! I never knew they had these. They're so cool.

Marina: Yeah, I guess. It’s your turn.   Prunella puts down a card. Marina feels it.

Prunella: I put down a three.

Marina: You don't have to tell me.

Prunella: I just thought I'd save you the trouble. Hey, do they have Braille checkers, too? How about jacks? Does your jack ball have a little beeper inside it like your soccer ball?   What about dice? Are there Braille dice?    Marina looks exhausted and sad. 

Marina: (sighs)

Prunella: Although, I guess you could feel the little dents in the cube. But backgammon must be hard. Those pieces are so smooth. I bet you’ll have no problem with chess, except the bishop and the pawn might be...     Marina goes to her bed, picks up a pillow and holds it high.

Marina: Prunella, Wizard of Lakewood, I command thee to stop asking so many questions!    She runs at Prunella as if to start a pillow fight.

Prunella: Hh! (laughs)    She moves to the side. Marina trips on a playing card and falls.

Marina: Oh.

Prunella: Oh my gosh, I moved out of the way!  She helps Marina up.   How could you know? I should have said something. I’m so sorry.

Marina: It's okay! It's okay! I'm fine.

Prunella: Should I get your mom?

Marina: Why? I just fell. Haven’t you ever fallen?

Prunella: Well, yes, but...

Marina: But what?!

Prunella: Marina, I was only trying to help.

Marina: I know! You've been trying to help all evening and, frankly, Prunella, you're driving me crazy!

Prunella: Well, if that's the way you feel, maybe... maybe, I should just go home.

Marina: Fine. If that's what you want. No one's forcing you to stay.

Prunella leaves the house. Marina closes the door.

#

Prunella lies crying on her bed. Buster comes up the stairs with a bag full of candy.

Prunella: Go away!

Buster: Please, Prunella, the test is tomorrow. I have to know my fate. What's the matter?

Prunella: I had a big fight with Marina. I don’t know what I did wrong. I was just trying to be extra considerate, you know, ‘cause she can't see. She got all angry.

Buster: She probably doesn't want you to be “extra considerate”. I really hated it when kids started treating me differently because I have asthma.

Prunella: I can't just ignore the fact that she's blind.

Buster: Yeah, but you don't have to make such a big deal out of it. Would you like it if someone was always fussing over you?

Prunella: No.     She stands up.

Buster: Wait! What about my fortune?          Prunella quickly looks into her crystal ball.

Prunella: I see you studying. Studying all day, studying all night! Studying, studying, studying. You'll do fine.    She takes the candy.   Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have a phone call to make.     She goes downstairs. Buster smiles.

Buster: (sighs)

#

Marina and Prunella are sitting in a movie theater. Marina is wearing an audio description headset. On the screen Henry Skreever is on a train platform with a huge hairy man.

Henry Skreever: Goodbye, Haggis. I'll never forget you! You're the best bearded, sloppy, giant friend a wizard could ever have.    He hugs Haggis, then jumps on a leaving steam train. Haggis waves and wipes his eyes.

#

After the movie Prunella and Marina walk through the lobby.

Prunella: That was terrible! The special effects were so goofy-looking!

Marina: Oh! Moldywart didn't look at all like what I imagined!

Prunella: How do you know?

Marina: I could tell from the description on my headset. Where's the ticket guy?

Prunella: To your left.         Marina walks up to the man and gives him the headset.

Marina: Thank you.

#

On the way home Marina and Prunella wait at a red light.

Prunella: What did you think of the kid playing Henry? I thought he was all wrong.

Marina: Me too. I guess they just don’t see him the way we do.     The light turns green and gives an acoustic signal.     Arm please.     She takes Prunella’s arm and they cross the street.