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He Killed Me First!
Storyboard Description
An adaption of "The Visitation" by Fernando Sorrentino
Storyboard Text
- He Killed Me First!
- It started in Spring. Yes, Spring. 1965, March 19th, in some fancy neighborhood in Florida. I trudged on the stone sidewalk, the scorching sun’s heat turning the lawns a yellow-brown, my legs, arms, strength being dragged behind me. Water, I thought. I need water. Food. Money, if I’m lucky enough.
- I continued my struggle, when a house caught my eye. It was the corner of some pentagonal site, the first of many luxurious houses to come. However, this house caught my eye, separated itself from the others; all because of its wondrous garden. Daisies, roses, violets, other flowers I couldn’t identify, and grass so green you’d think the scorching sun had spared this lawn. It was well kept, tended with care, and because of that, I falsely assumed its owner would be just as kind and welcoming as the beautiful garden.
- I approached the iron gate, and caught sight of an old man, who caught sight of me. “Kind sir,” I began, raising my hand in greeting when he marched over, his eyes filled with disgust, his forehead creased in annoyance. “Get lost, you filthy piece of garbage,” he growled. “You got what you deserved.” Standing there, shocked by this unprovoked anger, I tried to reason with him, gathering my wits: “Please kind sir, I am thirsty, hungry, and in desperate need of a sanctuary. I beg you, look in your kind heart and spare some pity.”
- The old man spat on the ground and started to walk away. In a last attempt, I climbed up the three stone stairs, and began pushing open the iron gate with a creaaaak. The old man whirled around at the sound, his face fixed in rage and shoved me – shoved me hard, he did. I fell, trying to grab onto something – anything, please! Nothing. Crack! Nothing. Nothing. Just silence…
- It’s so dark. What just happened? I was… shoved? Crack! Yes, there was that sound… and then… and then… wait. Did I just die? What? WHAT?! No, no, no, that doesn’t make sense. How can I be thinking if I’m dead? This is impossible! I started panicking, my own thoughts formulating ideas so bizarre and improbable I nearly drove myself to madness. WHAT HAPPENED?! I yelled at myself. And as if I willed it, knowledge filled my thoughts. I knew… everything. Not just what happened, not just an explanation to my current state, not just – not just what I wanted to know.
- I knew his name, the old man, Don Cesareo, his neighbors, the Bernasconi family, the meaning of life… I knew everything. And this voice, indistinguishable, but yet familiar, speaking into my mind: “He killed you. Murdered you. And he walks away unpunished. Is this fair? Will you let that happen?” No, I responded. No. I will not, but how can I punish this fiend? “Serve me. Follow my lead, walk down my path. And I will handle the rest. All you have to do is say this…” The voice whispered something into my thoughts, something so influential, fury lit the space around. I was ready. Ready to avenge myself. Ready to punish the old man. And then, there was light.
- Thump. With an odd sound, I was back in the real world. I smiled a knowing smile. “YES!!” I yelled, raising my fists to the sky. Joy, happiness and excitement filled my old “new” body, like a child when they get candy. Then those emotions were replaced with a cold, vengeful wish. I could feel my fists drop suddenly, unclenching, letting go of the candy, and grabbing onto anger. I had a wish to fulfill. I had a new name to succeed: Kar-Ma, servant of Revenge, killed by and killer of Don Cesareo, seer of everything known and thought.
- I would prove myself worthy of this name. Walk to the house of Bernasconi, the voice commanded. I walked, determined. Go inside the house. I turned the knob, heart, my blood, cold as ice. A question of doubt popped in my head. “What if they see me?” I asked aloud. They won’t. Immediately I forgot what I had asked. Had I even asked a question? Focus on the task. I opened the door, determination, anger returning. With one stride, I stepped into the house, the sudden change of light blinding me, and then – BAM!
- I felt a lurch in my stomach, like a solid kick to my stomach. Trust me, I know how that feels. My eyes flew open. I looked around, taking in my surroundings. I was back in a body, yes, but something was off. There were people gathered around me, smiling down at me, then looking back at someone to my right… a woman? Ah, I knew her, and these other people as well. They were the Bernasconi family, and the woman carrying me (carrying?) was Adriana. Then a sudden realization popped in my head. I was a baby. A baby. Then a horrifying thought came to mind. Am I still a boy? I looked down. Oh thank goodness.
- For the next ten years, I grew into a fine young man! No, no, no, I thought I looked pretty ugly, but that’s not for me to say. The only one who saw my true self, the only one who didn’t treat me like a prince of sorts was Fernando. He lived across the street in an apartment and taught Spanish. He always had this look on his face, like he saw a ghost take over someone else’s soul. Probably because he knew what I was doing. Or perhaps he guessed what I was going to do.
- 1979, 14 years after my first death. The voice in my head decided to speak after 10 years of silence. It is time, it said. Imagine yourself, on your bed, waking up to the birds and sunshine, finally forgiving your killer when the voice that guided you returned suddenly. Quite startling. Suddenly I felt… bad. Grumpy, annoyed, frustrated, for no apparent reason; except for Don Cesareo. I wanted to kill him. Just when I was about to forgive his crime, just when I had forgotten my goal, the voice reminded me of my purpose. My place. My wish.
- I followed the voice’s instructions, stacking cans along the edge of the roof, and throwing pebbles to “entertain” myself. I threw, aiming to miss. When I heard the footsteps and murmurs of old man Cesareo, the pebble flew from my hand to the cans, knocking one down with perfect accuracy. It clattered down into the garden, and just as he walked, just as his foot raised, the can rolled under him. Crack! There he died, on the same stone steps as I, and I snarled in satisfaction, my prey finally hunted. Or so I thought.
- As I sat on the roof pondering what happened, the voice laughed. It’s done! Aha! Thank you for your services, my servant. You may return to your state. My body moved on its own, ignoring everyone, everyone ignoring me, and as I walked out of the Bernasconi’s house, my body morphed back into the beggar I was. Darkness. Silence. Nothing. Except me and my thoughts. What did I just do? I recalled my actions in fear. I had just killed a man. For what, revenge? I shouldn’t have been able to even do what I did. I felt no satisfaction. There was no wish. No name to succeed.
- Kar-Ma… of course, how did I not see it? Karma! I’m such an idiot, bending to the ways of revenge, acting as the force of Karma that returned to those as they had behaved. Revenge… the taste of bloodlust had overwhelmed me, my anger in that moment obscuring and tainting my thoughts themselves. No, I was not at peace. I was anxious. Nervous. Guilty. So guilty. I felt my body walk on, head hung in shame, seeping guilt and regret forever as I trudged the way I came, out and beyond, for all of eternity...
- Eternity...
- Eternity...
- Eternity...
- Eternity...
- The End.
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