Background

Mama Mercy is the first of several horror-themed comic books targeted as 12-18 year olds. The artist is currently working on rendering pages.

The series itself is called “Stories from Beyond the Gardenlock.” There’s a central unspoken notion of a multiverse filled with different realities that all branch off from a single metaphysical reality, the garden. The Gardenlock being a mystical structure that protects the garden and keeps the many realities distinct and separate from each other.

Summary

Two girls seek help from a seemingly friendly Djinn when one becomes pregnant. She quickly discovers that the Djinn’s help has unintended consequences later in life that require drastic action.

Script PDF

Characters

Mama Muerte/Mama Mercy (Human Form)

In human form, Mama Mercy appears as an attractive, slim and curvy human woman with long, dark red hair.  She wears a dark blue dress and blue heels with a lab coat over the top of it.

Mama Muerte/Mama Mercy (Demon Form)

In monster form, Mama’s face becomes skeletal and her head is wreathed in fire.  Her clothes become tattered, torn and blood stained.  Her fingers skeletal and elongated like claws.

Emma (as a teenager)

Emma is a 17 year old blond girl with a medium length shag haircut (https://therighthairstyles.com/20-stylish-hairstyles-and-haircuts-for-teenage-girls-latest-trends/2/).  She’s wearing a tank top t-shirt and jeans.  She’s clean cut with big, blue eyes. Still thin with few curves and freckles.

Emma (as an adult)

Emma is still a blond with the same haircut but she’s older now.  Wears more make-up, her freckles are gone and her body has filled out to be more curvy.  She always has sunglasses either on her eyes or propped on her head. She also wears very chic, fashionable clothing that speaks of her wealth.

Liz (as a teenager)

Liz is another 17 year old girl, Emma’s friend.  She has black hair that’s long on top but shaved on the sides.  She dresses like a tomboy and has a nose ring.

Liz (as an adult)

Liz has grown up into a typical housewife.  He hair is grown out, shoulder length and still black.  She carries a little extra weight.  Often wearing yoga pants and a flannel overshirt.  She’s the stereotypical soccer mom.

The Black-eyed child

The black-eyed child is a ghost that looks like a black and white image of a normal 9-year old boy, except that his eyes are impossibly big and completely black.  He always stands quietly and completely still with his arms at his side.  He wants to been but does not take any actions and does not move when Emma is watching – just appears and disappears when she looks away.

Pages

Page 1: Full page into with Mama Mercy

Standing in front of us, directly addressing the reader is Mama Mercy.  She’s standing in front of her house, a colorful two story thing with an elaborate decorative, colorful flower garden.  Its attractive but also vaguely dangerous in the way that a colorful animal might warn of poison and venom.  A small sign stands in the garden “The New Mercy Clinic.”

Mama Mercy exudes empathy, caring and a hint of amusement as she speaks.

Mama Mercy: “Hello dears, nice to meet you.  You may call me Mama Mercy.”

Mama Mercy: “I have had many names over the years – Mama Muerte, Mictecacihuatl and Marzanna among others. Personally, I’ve always thought of myself as a Mercy. That’s the difference between names given to by man and the name you give yourself.”

Mama Mercy: “After all, I only become available to those who call out to me…who call for mercy.”

Page 2: Emma learns she’s pregnant

Panel 2-1

Inside a nice upper-class home’s bathroom, two girls (young Emma and young Liz) are standing inside looking at a positive pregnancy test.

Caption: “Ten years ago”

Panel 2-2

A close-up of Emma’s face.  Her eyes are big and crying as she looks down at the pregnancy test. She’s clearly sad and in distress.

Emma: “My life is over.  I can’t go to college now.  My parents will kill me.”

Panel 2-3

Liz hugs Emma, trying to comfort her friend.

Liz: “Everything will be fine.   You’ll be fine.”

Panel 2-4

Liz and Emma have pulled back, no longer hugging but Liz is holding Emma’s hands in hers.  Emma’s body language looks beaten down. Liz is looking confident like someone who just came up with a solution to the world’s biggest problem.

Liz: You don’t have to keep it, you know.

Emma: What?

Liz: You can still go to college and have a life.

Panel 2-5

Close of Emma’s face, she’s curious and intrigued but also doubtful.

Emma: “Dad would never let me do that.”

Panel 2-6

Close up of Liz’s face.  She looks at her friend with genuine kindness and love.

Liz: “He doesn’t need to know.  We can go to the New Mercy Clinic.  She helps girls like us.”

Emma: “You’ll come with me?”

Liz: “Of course, best friends forever.”

Page 3: Mama Mercy’s welcome

Panel 3-1

The girls stand outside Mama Mercy’s house.  As described on page 1 it’s a two story house that’s friendly and welcoming with an beautiful, colorful flower garden with hint of something sinister about it.  A friendly wooden sign reads  “The New Mercy Clinic.”

Mama Mercy is standing in the porch next to an open door smiling kindly, beckoning the girls to enter.  The two girls are standing on the sidewalk below her, holding hands.

Mama Mercy: “Come in ladies, I’ll make you some coffee and we can talk.”

Panel 3-2

They’re in Mama Mercy’s living room.  It’s decorated in an ultra-modern European style.  Lots of white and gray with sleek lines – like living inside a house decorated by Apple.  Liz is already holding a large mug of coffee in her hands while Mama Mercy is handing Emma her mug.

Emma: So, this is safe right?  And you won’t tell anyone?

Mama Mercy: “Of course.  Mama’s clinic is safe and private, I’ve been doing this a long time.”

Panel 3-3

The trio are continuing to sip coffee and chat.

Emma: “So you really won’t tell anyone?”

Liz: “She already said no.  This about you making sure your future isn’t ruined.”

Mama Mercy: “The future is female, darling girl.  You can’t have a future and be a mother.”

Panel 3-4

Mama is looking over the top of her coffee cup at the reader (but clearly talking to Emma).

Mama Mercy: You’re still so young darling.  Do you really want to trade away partying in college, travelling the world and having a career for motherhood?  You must pick one and surrender the other.

Panel 3-5

Emma is holding the coffee cup between her knees and looking down at it, clearly thinking deeply.

Emma: I don’t know…

Emma: I still want to have fun and be successful…

Panel 3-6

Liz looks over at Emma beside her on the couch.

Liz: It’ll be fine, Mama says it’s a simple procedure and then we can go to the zoo and get some photos for the `gram.

Emma: Ok, let’s do it then.  You’ll be with me, right?

Liz: Ride or die, bff.

Panel 3-7

Mama Mercy smiles malevolently over her coffee cup.

Page 4: The Ritual

We’re now in a different room inside Mama Mercy’s home clinic.  This room is a sterile medical room with hints of something ancient and vaguely magical, perhaps gypsy-like.  Emma is on a traditional medical exam bed, beside it a surgical tray – oddly, on this tray is also a basket containing eggs.

Panel 4-1

Emma is laying down on a medical exam table.  She’s fully dressed but her shirt is pulled up enough to revel her tummy/abdomen area.  Her friend Liz is standing beside her with a comforting hand on her shoulder.  Emma and Liz both look nervous although Liz is trying to hide it.

Emma:  You’ve done this before?  Is this normal?

Liz: Umm…well, not me personally but some of the other girls have and they say its fine.

Emma: Shit.

Panel 4-2

We see a close-up of Mama Mercy holding a hand on Emma’s exposed belly with her other hand discretely holding an egg that’s sitting on the surgical tray outside the basket.  The egg is subtly glowing and ringed with arcane symbols.  Neither girl seems to notice.

Liz: What are you doing?

Mama Mercy:  Just feeling the…inconvenience…inside you.  An old midwife’s trick. 

Panel 4-3

Liz is looking at Mama Mercy as the hand Mama Mercy has on Emma’s belly seems to clench a little tighter, fingers lightly digging into Emma’s belly’s soft flesh.  See a few little arcs of energy (“soul energy”) being transferred from Emma’s belly into Mama’s hand.

Liz: None of my friends mentioned this part.

Mama Mercy:  Most girls just want to talk about the details.  It’s just a little momentary discomfort.

Panel 4-4

We see the loose egg that Mama is holding discretely in her other hand is also cracking with energy.  The arcane symbols have been replaced with a human fetus clearly visible inside the egg.  It’s clear that Mama is acting as a conduit, transferring the soul from Emma’s womb into the arcane chicken egg.

Panel 4-5

Mama is holding her hands together as if clapping them or in a yoga namaste greeting.  She’s smiling.

Mama Mercy: Well, now everything seems to be in order!  Shall we get you fixed up and ready for your new future?

Panel 4-5

We see the loose chicken egg sitting on the surgical tray, still with the feint outline of a fetus inside it.  Similarly, we can now see that the other chicken eggs in the basket also have human fetuses inside of them.

Page 5: The Procedure

Panel 5-1

Mama’s fingernails, already long and painted, take on a slightly razor-like appearance  and she drags it lightly across Emma’s exposed belly, creating a thin line of blood.  The wound is not significant or deep, more like a cat’s scratch.

Mama Mercy: Deep breath dear, this will sting a little.

Emma: *gasp*

Panel 5-2

Liz’s hand tightens down on Emma’s shoulder, holding her in place.  At the same time we see that Emma is clenching the sides of the table she’s laying on as tightly as she can.

Emma: Oh God!

Mama Mercy (to Liz): Make sure you hold her down while I do the extraction.  Don’t let her flail.

Panel 5-3

Mama’s razor-like finger guides a small stream of blood down Emma’s belly and onto the floor where it falls down a drain in the floor.

Mama Mercy: [speech bubble with random arcane/magical symbols]

Panel 5-4

We’re now in the basement of the New Mercy Clinic underneath the operating room.  The small drainage grate is in the ceiling.  We can see the events above through it.  More importantly we can see a few drops of blood drip down from the grate and land on a larger, basket-ball sized egg that is covered in arcane symbols.

Panel 5-5

Emma gasps and heaves on the medical table, her hand flailing wildly and knocking her egg off the tray where it smashes on the ground.  The yolk leaks out, revealing a normal chicken egg yolk but we also see a flash of mystical soul energy released.  The rest of the basket is undisturbed.  No one seems to notice.

Panel 5-6

Mama Mercy wipes away the blood on Emma’s Belly to reveal no damage, not even a scratch. Emma’s scratch is now completely gone with no hint she was ever hurt.

Mama Mercy: We’re done now dear.  Let’s get you cleaned up.

Page 6: Recovery

Panel 6-1

We see a basement below the operating room again.  There are perhaps a dozen similar giant eggs, all ringed with arcane symbols, all with fetuses inside and all wreathed in fire (that isn’t burning anything).  Emma’s egg is clearly on some kind of pedestal or stand that’s lined up with drain above – it’s clear that this a well planned and practiced operation.

Panel 6-2

Back in the medical procedure room, Emma is sitting up on the medical table smoothing out her shirt. She and Liz and both clearly in shock and relief.  Neither then nor Mama Mercy notice the broken chicken egg on the ground (from panel 5-5).

Emma: What the fuck was that?

Mama Mercy: What, dear?

Emma: The scratch, the blood!

Panel 6-3

Close up of Mama Mercy.

Mama Mercy:  How do you feel?

Panel 6-4

Close up of Emma.

Emma: What? Fine!

Panel 6-5

Close up of Mama Mercy.

Mama Mercy: Exactly.  No pain, no injury and no motherhood.  Trust the old ways, I’ve given you the future you wanted.

Panel 6-6

Liz and Emma are looking at each other concerned and confused.

Liz: This wasn’t like they said it would be.

Panel 6-7

Mama Mercy: It never is.  Best not to think too much about it, you have a whole new life ahead of you.

Panel 6-8

Liz and Emma looking at each other.

Liz and Emma (in unison): I guess so…

Panel 6-9

Mama Mercy is alone, standing over Emma’s giant fire egg in the basement, chanting.

Mama Mercy: “Flames of Djinn, a debt to be paid.  Fortune replaces motherhood.  Let fire and breath replace earth and soul.”                           

Page 7: Emma’s present day success

The time is now ten years later.  Liz and Emma are both in their late 20s.  Emma has gone on to become beautiful and successful.  The kind of woman that Sex and the City praises.  Liz, on the other hand, grew out of her rebellious phrase.  She married in college and had a couple of kids.  She’s gained a little weight but is still pretty in that chubby soccer-mom kind of way.

Panel 7-1

A modern, glittering cityscape is seen with the sun shining down happily over it.

Caption: “Ten years later.”          

Panel 7-2

We see a leggy, attractive adult Emma stepping out of an expensive luxury car in heels.  There’s a bumpersticker on it that says “#girlboss.”

Panel 7-3

She’s exiting an elevator holding a cute laptop bag.  The elevator doors open into a huge office floor with an open floorplan and lots of trendy people with fun desks.  It’s the kind of workplace that silicon valley marketers dream of working at – trendy, wealthy, fun and impressive.

Panel 7-4

Emma’s phone rings. 

Panel 7-5            

She looks at the screen and we see over her shoulder she’s gotten a text message from JP.  We can see from his avatar that he’s a conventionally very attractive man.  There are heart emojis beside his name, it’s clear that Emma and JP are a couple. 

The text message reads “Happy Birthday babe! See you tonight XoXoXo”

Panel 7-6

Emma smiles as she looks out of the window of her corner office at the top of the high-rise office building.  She feels like she has it all and she’s on top of the world.

Page 8: Emma’s Birthday Dinner

Panel 8-1

Emma and JP are eating dinner at a fancy restaurant, smiling and laughing.

Panel 8-2

Wine glasses clink in a toast.  JP is toasting.

JP: “To the beautiful, darling Emma.  May her candle never fade. Happy Birthday my love!”

Panel 8-3

We’re in Emma’s penthouse apartment now.  It looks professionally decorated and beautiful in an ultra-modern style.   She and JP are standing inside the doorway, just back from dinner and a little tipsy. They’re tightly embracing and kissing.

Panel 8-4

Emma and JP are laying in bed together, covered by a sheet having clearly just finished having sex.

Emma: I love you.

JP: I love you too. 

Emma: We’re amazing together.

JP: We are.

Panel 8-5

Still in bed, JP and Emma are spooning together and asleep.  In the shadows of the bedroom we can see a ghostly, black eyed child staring at Emma.  The child’s eyes are impossibly black and far too large for his pre-adolescent body (9 or 10 years old but very thin).

Page 9: The Black-eyed child

Panel 9-1

Emma is driving her luxury car to work when the black eyed child appears in the road in front of her.

Panel 9-2

A split panel shows her slamming on the breaks with both her feet and also yanking hard to one side on the steering wheel to avoid hitting the ghostly child.  Emma yells in surprise.

Emma: “Oh shit!”

Panel 9-3

We see her car has crashed into an electric power pole.  The pole is fine but her car is not drivable. Emma is standing in front of her car on her cellphone.

Voice from the cellphone: “Just get here as soon as you can.  The client’s waiting.”

Panel 9-4

Emma is at the office now.  She’s standing beside a large protector screen with a graph on it.  There are several other high-powered businessmen at the table watching her presentation.  Watching from outside a window into the office is the black-eyed child.

Panel 9-5

Emma is clearly disturbed and excuses herself from the meeting.

Emma: “Excuse me for a moment.”

Panel 9-6

Emma is in the hallway now where the black-eyed child was standing and looking into the conference room.  The black-eyed child is gone.  Emma is looking around, she’s clearly disturbed and wild-eyed.

Page 10: Get yourself together, Emma

Panel 10-1

Emma is still standing in the hallway, another trendy and well-dressed man is now standing with her. It’s clearly her boss.

Boss: What’s wrong?

Emma: I…I…thought I saw something.

Boss: What?

Emma: It doesn’t matter…I just…rough morning…

Boss: Take the rest of the day off and get yourself together.  I can’t have you melting down in front of clients.

Panel 10-2

Emma is at home in her penthouse apartment now.  She’s in the living room we saw earlier.  On the table beside her are two empty bottles of wine and one half empty bottle.  She’s got a glass of wine in her hand.   The black-eyed child is staring at her from across the room.

Panel 10-3

Emma leans forward, tipsy and angry on the sofa.  She is screaming at the black-eyed child.

Emma: WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?

Panel 10-4

Emma throws her glass of wine and it shatters against the wall above the black-eyed child’s head who seems not to have noticed or moved at all.  Red wine runs down the wall.

Emma: Just leave me alone…please…

Panel 10-5

Emma is sitting alone in her living room still.  Her knees are pulled up to her chest and she’s holding her legs tightly.  The black-eyed child is gone but she’s clearly drunk, disturbed and afraid.

Page 11: Bedtime the second time

This is a one panel page.

Panel 11-1

Emma is laying in bed alone.  There is a half-empty bottle of pills on her nightstand, knocked over with pills laying loose on it.  Several empty wine bottles are scattered across the floor along with various articles of clothing.  She’s passed out.    In the bedroom doorway stands the black-eyed child, watching and staring.  Her phone is also on the nightstand, it says “4 missed calls from JP  (heart emoji)”

Page 12: The breakup

Panel 12-1

JP is standing outside the doorway to Emma’s penthouse apartment.  He’s banging loudly on the door.

Panel 12-2

A clearly hungover, disheveled Emma answers the door in a wine-stained robe.

JP: Where have you been? I’ve been calling for two days straight.

Panel 12-3

Emma and JP are talking in the doorway they used to kiss in.  There’s more distance between them now. Emma is pointing towards her bedroom.

Emma: IT’S HIM! HE WON’T LEAVE ME ALONE!

JP: Who?

Emma: THAT DAMNED KID! GO LOOK!

Panel 12-4

JP is standing in Emma’s bedroom.  The black-eyed child is gone.  He’s looking at the mess of bottles and pills on the floor in utter disappointment.

JP: What is this, Emma?

Panel 12-5

Close up of Emma, defensive looking

Emma: It’s how I make him go away.  He won’t leave me alone with out.

Panel 12-6

Close up of JP, clearly disgusted

JP: Emma…this isn’t…I need to go.

Panel 12-7

Close up of Emma, sad and scared

Emma: Please don’t leave me alone.  He stays the longest when I’m alone.

Page 13: Breakup and Breakdown

 A series of small scenes and one big one.

Panel 13-1

Emma is at the repair shop for her car, talking to mechanic.  In the distance, the black-eyed child looks on.

Mechanic: Insurance won’t cover this lady, I can’t do any more work until you cut a check for twenty grand.  These foreign luxury cars aren’t cheap to fix.

Panel 13-2

Emma is talking to her boss in the office.  She’s clearly still a mess, the black-eyed child watches from the background.

Boss: I’m sorry Emma but I have to let you go.  You’re embarrassing our brand.  What happened to you?

Panel 13-3

Emma is looking at her phone, it’s a text message from JP (with the heart emoji)

Text message from JP: “Emma, we need to break up.  I swiped right because I thought we would be a power couple.  I didn’t sign up to baby sit an addict.”

Panel 13-4

There’s a close up of Emma’s phone laying on the tile floor of a nice bathroom.  On it’s screen it a text message to Liz, her old friend.

Text message to Liz: I can’t take it anymore.  I need you.  I need help.  I’m falling.

Panel 13-5

Emma is a clawfoot bathtub, the water is red with blood so it doesn’t show anything.  Her arms are hanging limp over the sides, cutting marks on her wrist.  Laying on the floor of the bathroom is an empty bottle of wine, a kitchen chef’s knife and her cell phone.

Page 14: Welcome to Psyche Ward

Panel 14-1

We see that Emma is restrained in a hospital bed and appears to be in a psyche ward of a hospital.  Liz is sitting in a chair beside her, reading a novel or otherwise occupying her time as if she’s been there for a long time waiting for Emma to wake up.  Emma’s wrists are bandaged and she’s on an IV drip.

Panel 14-2

Close up of Emma’s face.  Her eyes open sleepily and she looks at Liz.

Emma: “Liz? Where am I?”

Panel 14-3

Liz is looking at Emma, sympathy in her soccer-mom eyes.  We can see as she’s talking that this isn’t a private room but a line of beds in an open ward.

Liz: I got your text, came over and found you in your tub.

Liz (cont.): I called 911 and they brought you here to Mercy General since you didn’t have insurance.

Liz (cont.): What happened to you Emma? You always had your head screwed on straight.

Panel 14-4

As Emma responds to Liz, we can see than a skinny, elderly woman in the bed next to her is clearly listening in to the conversation.

Emma: I just…I don’t know…I lost everything…

Liz: Was it alcohol? There were so many wine bottles and pills…geez Emma…

Emma: No, those were helping me.  This kid…this ghost…he kept staring at me…I…

Emma (cont.): I couldn’t make him leave so I just…drank until I couldn’t feel.

Liz: You must have been hallucinating…a bad reaction to your pills or something?

Panel 14-5

Emma points at the foot of her bed, screaming.  The black-eyed child is standing at the foot of her hospital bed, staring.

Emma: HE’S RIGHT THERE LIZ! CAN’T YOU SEE HIM? I’M NOT CRAZY!

Panel 14-6

A nurse appears, injecting something into Emma’s IV.  Emma lays back on her bed in a drug-induced sleep.

Nurse (to Liz): Don’t worry hon, we’ll get her put back together.  She’ll sleep for a while now.   These hardcase addicts see a lot of weird stuff when they’re going through withdrawls.

Liz: Emma was never an addict.

Nurse: How long’s it been since you’ve seen her last? Some people spiral quickly. I’ve seen it.

Liz: I suppose. We drifted apart once I had kids.

Nurse: Don’t feel guilty.  She chose her life and you saved her when she needed you most.

Page 15: Wisdom passed down

Panel 15-1

We’re still in the psyche ward and at Emma’s bedside.  The chair beside her is empty, Liz is gone although the novel she was reading is still sitting in the chair hinting at her return.  Emma’s awake and the elderly woman who was listening in earlier is sitting up on the side of her bed and leaning toward Emma.

Elderly woman: I heard what you were saying.

Emma: What? Just leave me alone.

Elderly woman: The ghost…it’s a child right? Big black eyes?

Panel 15-2

Emma’s eyes widen in surprise.

Emma: You can see him?

Elderly woman: No, but I saw mine.  When I was a young girl near the Black Sea.  Before America.

Emma: Saw yours?

Elderly woman: We all see our own.  Our village was starving and I was pregnant.  I left my baby out in the woods to die so I would have more to eat.  You killed your baby, didn’t you?

Panel 15-3

Emma closes her eyes tightly as if in pain.

Emma: I never killed a baby. I never had a baby.  I had an abortion.

Elderly woman: And if you hadn’t, would that child be  the same age as the ghost haunting you now?

Emma: I…yes…

Elderly woman: Sometimes greater truth betrays what the world wants us to believe. In your child’s death you birthed a mylingar.

Emma: Will he go away? I want him to go away.

Elderly woman: There’s no running away from the responsibilities of motherhood.   You have to accept him.  Then you have to name him and bury him.

Emma: I don’t even know where his body is.

Elderly woman: You must find it if you ever want to find peace.  His peace comes first if you want yours restored.

Panel 15-4

A doctor appears, interrupting the elderly woman’s conversation with Emma.  The black-eyed child is standing silently beside him. It’s clear that only Emma sees him, not the Doc and not the elderly woman.

Doctor: Your 72-hour hold is up.  We can’t keep you any longer.  Are you still seeing things?

Emma: No, I’m not.  Liz must have been right, I must have had a bad reaction to some meds.

Doctor: Ok, I’m going to discharge you but I would like to get you into a support group.  The nurses will give you some literature and phone numbers to get you setup.

Emma:  Thanks doc.

Panel 15-5

Liz and Emma are standing in ward.  Both are dressed in normal street clothes.  They’re preparing to leave.

Emma: “Thank you saving me Liz.  I know we’ve drifted apart but I need one more favor.  Can you drive me back to the New Mercy Clinic that we went to as teens.”

Liz: “What? Why?”

Emma: “I need to make peace with my past.  Make peace with Liam.”

Liz: “Oh…is that what all this is about?”

Emma: “Yes.”

Panel 15-6

Liz: “I’m sorry I took you there.  I didn’t know any better.”

Emma: “I made the choice.  I…we…just need closure.”

Liz: “Ok then.  Ride or die, bff.”

Emma: “bff forever.”

Page 16: Return to New Mercy Clinic

A single panel page echoing their first entrance to Mama Mercy’s clinic on page 3.  Emma and Liz are older now but they’re still standing together at the bottom step of Mama Mercy’s porch, holding hands as friends.  Beside Emma stands the black-eyed child.  Mama Mercy stands on the porch, door open as always.

Mama Mercy: I did not expect to see you again.  Normally when I take motherhood from someone they have no more need for me.  A lady must have manners though, please come in.

Page 17: A brief chat with death

Panel 17-1

Emma and Liz are drinking coffee from giant mugs as is Mama Mercy.  All three appear to be uncomfortable and on edge.

Emma: What did you do to me?  To Liam?

Mama Mercy: Liam? Oh, the boy.  You didn’t want him so I took part of him.

Panel 17-2

Emma: What do you mean part of him?

Mama Mercy: His body.  It is useful to me and my kind.

Emma: Your kind?

Mama Mercy: I’m Djinn, dear.   

Panel 17-3

Liz: What’s a Djinn?

Mama Mercy: We’re what exists outside of God.  We give humans what they crave in fair trade.

Panel 17-4

Liz: Maybe we should leave…

Emma: I’m not leaving.  I want my baby back.

Panel 17-5

Mama Mercy: You can’t take back the past. The choice was made, the trade accepted. Besides, his body…that’s in use.

Emma: Without his body to bury then his soul won’t be at rest.

Mama Mercy: Why would you care about that? I keep them all locked up in my egg basket…

Panel 17-6

Mama Mercy looks a little surprised and recognizes Emma in detail for the first time.

Mama Mercy (surprised): Oh! You’re the girl who broke the egg and freed his soul.  I guess you’re not numb anymore.

Emma: I’m not numb.

Panel 17-7

Mama Mercy looks at Emma through her hand which has morphed into it’s monster form – her fingers are elongated, skeletal and knife-like.  Brutal and dangerous.

Mama Mercy: I gave you wine, wealth and beauty.  The debt of breath and fire is paid. It’s time for you leave. 

Page 18: I’m not leaving

Panel 18-1

Liz and Emma are standing outside the New Mercy Clinic. Both are clearly scared but Emma is also determined.

Liz: Emma, we need to get out of here.  This is insane.

Emma: I’m not leaving until I bury Liam. I owe him at least that.

Liz: I can’t…I have a family…I can’t be a part of this.

Emma: What happened to ride or die, bff?

Liz: Ride or die doesn’t include sneaking around some demon monster’s house.

Panel 18-2

Liz is getting back into her mini-van while Emma remains standing on the sidewalk.

Emma: Fine, go on then.  Leave. I’ll do it on my own!

Panel 18-3

Emma is creeping around the side of the New Mercy Clinic

Panel 18-4

Emma has bent down and is looking in a basement window.  We can see that it’s the basement schoolroom we saw earlier.  Inside are a dozen of the fire eggs.  Now much larger, large enough to hold 8-10 year olds…and in fact that’s what they’re holding.  Instead of fetuses each now holds a pre-adolescent child, each dressed in slightly out of date clothing.  They are still and unmoving as if they were in stasis.

Panel 18-5

Emma is shaking the basement window but it’s locked.

Emma: Damnit, the window’s locked. I need to get in there.

Panel 18-6

Emma takes off her shirt (she is still wearing a bra) and wraps it around her hand and forearm (still also wrapped in bandages).

Panel 18-7

Emma smashes the window with her cloth-wrapped hand.

Page 19: Into the den

Panel 19-1

Emma shimmies and squeezes her way through the basement window.  The glass cuts her as she goes through, leaving a bloody streaks on the wall and a little puddle on the ground.

Panel 19-2

Emma has her hands on her hips as she surveys the room trying to figure out which one is her son from back ten years ago.  The black-eyed child is in this panel, watching from the corner of the room.

Emma:  Which one are you Liam?  How do I get you out?

Panel 19-3

For the first time ever, the black-eyed child does something besides stand quietly and watch.  He points at the pool of blood from Emma coming through the window.

Panel 19-4

The pool of blood is slowly running towards one of the fire eggs like metal shavings being pulled towards a magnet.  Emma looks on, talking to herself.

Emma: That’s you, isn’t it? Blood knows blood.

Panel 19-5

Mama Mercy burst through the door, surprising Emma.  She looks furious.

Mama Mercy: Blood knows blood, yes.  Now that you’ve crossed me, blood is all you will know.

Panel 19-6

Mama Mercy transformers into her monstrous form. (see character description)

Page 20: Winner take all

Panel 20-1

Mama Mercy, now in her monstrous form, swipes at Emma.  Her claws dig into Emma’s flesh leaving deep cuts and knocking her backwards onto your back.

Panel 20-2

Mama Mercy leaps through the air on skeletal legs towards Emma.

Panel 20-3

Mama Mercy lands on top of Emma in predatory pose, her claws poised above Emma’s throat.  Just within arm’s reach is the basket full of enchanted chicken eggs from earlier – the ones that contain human souls.

Panel 20-4

Emma grabs the basket on instinct and slams it into Mama Mercy’s head.

Panel 20-5

Mama Mercy stumbles backwards, her head covered in broken yolks and a swirl of mystic energy (soul energy) that was released when Emma accidently broke her egg as a teenager.

Panel 20-6

Mama Mercy is swatting furiously at the soul energy that’s surrounding and engulfing her.

Mama Mercy: “Noo…get away from me!”

Page 21: Now or Never

Panel 21-1

Emma picks up a piece of broken wood (or whatever).

Panel 21-2

She looks at her son’s fire egg with the blood pooled beneath it as the egg hovers over the top of it.  Her makeshift club by her side.

Emma: Now or never while she’s distracted.

Panel 21-3

Emma swings at the firey egg with her club using all her strength but it just bounces off harmlessly.

Panel 21-4

Emma falls to her knees in front of the egg.  Her bare back is beaten and covered in blood and fresh cuts.  She’s despondent and ready to give up.

Emma: I’m strong enough…

Panel 21-5

While on her knees she notices that the blood pooled underneath the egg is trying to be pulled up to touch the egg but it can’t overcome gravity.

Emma: Blood knows blood.

Page 22: Blood knows blood

Panel 22-1 & 22-2

Emma picks up a piece of broken glass on the ground and cuts the palm of her hand.

Panel 22-3

She pushes her bloody hand against the firey egg.

Panel 22-4

The fire extinguishes around her bloody hand and cracks begin to spread from her hand.

Panel 22-5

The egg shatters and the body of Liam, matching the appearance of the black-eyed child but now completely human (and dead) lay on the ground.

Panel 22-6

Emma looks up at the basement window she came through and sees Liz, her friend.

Emma: Liz!

Liz: Quick, pass me the body and let’s get out of here.

Page 23: Escape

Panel 23-1

Liz is driving the mini-van, Emma is sitting in the backseat with the body of Liam in her arms.

Emma: I thought you left me.

Liz: I did…but I came back.  Ride or die, bff.

Emma: Forever, bff

Panel 23-2

Liz adjusts the rear view mirror on the mini-van and sees the monstrous form of Mama Mercy standing on her front porch, watching them drive away.

Liz: What now?

Panel 23-3

Emma is still sitting in the back of the minivan holding Liam’s body.

Emma: I need to bury him.  He won’t rest. I won’t rest until that happens.

Panel 23-4

The two women are now standing in the woods.  There’s a fresh child-size grave that they’re standing over, a garden spade propped up against a nearby tree.

Emma: Rest now Liam.  I’m sorry that I killed you. Please forgive me.

Liz: You didn’t kill him.  You didn’t know.

Emma: I did know.  Deep down, I knew.  I traded his life for a few years of fun and prosperity…and even that all fell apart.  Now I don’t have anything.  No job, no family, no anything.

Liz: You just have to do the best you can with where you are now.  The Djinn was right about not being able to change the past.

Emma: The best I can do is atone and move forward.

Page 24: It never ends

Panel 24

A teenage girl stands alone at the bottom of the steps leading up to the porch of the New Mercy Clinic.  Mama Mercy is standing there in her human form looking friendly and empathetic.

Mama Mercy:  Come in sweetie, let me get you a cup of coffee and we’ll talk.  Everything’s going to be alright.

Mama Mercy: …and don’t mind the draft, one of the basement windows is broken but I’ll get it fixed soon.