"Untold Stories from Iraq & Afghanistan" A Graphic Novel

"AIRBURST"

For the Untold Stories from Iraq & Afghanistan graphic novel

Written by Elliot Blake

Based on a true story from Sgt. Brian Duclos 

PAGE ONE (4 panels) 

Panel 1.  Night. Sgt. Duclos lies on his bed in his Container Housing Unit (it?s actually a small shipping container with a door and two windows cut into it, and an a/c unit in the wall.  The walls are bare; he and his roommate have just moved in that day. 

1 CAPTION:   SEPTEMBER 23, 2007 

2 CAPTION: YOU DON?T THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL AFTER IT HAPPENS. 

3 CAPTION: WHEN A BOMB GOES OFF, YOU JUST REACT. 

Panel 2. Sgt. Duclos and Sgt. Kleps are on base, walking down a dark road parallel to the chow hall.  Behind them, a female Airman is arguing with two of her fellow airmen. (Their dialogue should be small ? it?s background noise.) 

4 FEMALE AIRMAN: SERIOUSLY, WHERE?S MY FUCKING RADIO, YOU ASSHOLES? 

5 AIRMAN:   TAKE IT EASY, WE?RE JUST PLAYIN? WITH YOU. 

6 CAPTION:   IT?S WHAT YOU?RE TRAINED TO DO. 

7 KLEPS:   INDIANS ARE PLAYOFF BOUND, MAN.  I LOVE IT! 

8 DUCLOS:   AH, THEY?RE GONNA CHOKE. 

Panel 3.  Close on Sgt. Duclos, noticing a flash in his peripheral vision. 

9 CAPTION: DIDN?T REALLY HEAR IT.  JUST SAW IT OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE. 

10 DUCLOS: AIRBURST! 

Panel 4.  Wide shot of the explosion behind Sgt. Duclos and Sgt. Kleps.  Sgt. Duclos is ducked down, covering his head with his arms, to avoid fragmentation.  Sgt. Kleps hits the ground hard on one shoulder, looking like he?s about to do a combat roll. Shrapnel flies through the air. 

11 SFX:    BOOM! 

PAGE TWO (4 panels) 

Panel 1.  Dust all around.  Duclos and Kleps are crouched down.  Sgt. Duclos smirks at Sgt. Kleps, who is really calm. 

1 DUCLOS:   NICE COMBAT ROLL, DUDE. 

2 KLEPS:   I?M HIT.  SHRAPNEL GOT ME IN THE SHOULDER. 

Panel 2.  Sgt. Duclos checks out Sgt. Kleps?s shoulder, but hears something behind them, back down the road. 

3 DUCLOS:   YEAH, YOU?VE GOT A NICE HOLE HERE. 

4 FEMALE AIRMAN (o.p.): AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!!! 

5 CAPTION:   THEN I HEARD THE SCREAMING. 

Panel 3.  Sgt. Duclos and Sgt. Kleps coming out of the chow hall, walking by the female Airman and two of her fellow airmen.  She?s pissed, they?re laughing. 

6 FEMALE AIRMAN: SERIOUSLY, WHERE?S MY FUCKING RADIO, YOU ASSHOLES? 

7 AIRMAN: TAKE IT EASY, WE?RE JUST PLAYIN? WITH YOU. 

8 CAPTION: THIRTY SECONDS AGO, SHE?S ARGUING WITH HER FELLOW AIRMEN? 

Panel 4.  The female airman is down, screaming at the top of her lungs, her legs peppered with fragmentation, one really badly shredded. Her fellow airmen are picking themselves up off the ground, trying to shake off the explosion. 

9 CAPTION: ?THEN SUDDENLY SHE?S ON THE GROUND WITH SHRAPNEL IN HER LEGS. 

10 FEMALE AIRMAN: AAAAAGHHHH!   

11 CAPTION:  FOUND OUT LATER SHE HAD TO HAVE ONE AMPUTATED. 
 
 
 
 
 

PAGE THREE (six panels) 

Panel 1.  Later.  Things have returned to normal on the base.  Sgt. Duclos walks with two sets of linens.  He?s met by Sgt. Kleps. 

1 CAPTION:   FIRST NIGHT IN KIRKUK.  THIRD TOUR OF DUTY. 

2 KLEPS:   PICKED UP MY LINENS? 

3 DUCLOS:   YEAH, WITH YOU BEIN? WOUNDED AN? ALL. 

4 CAPTION:   ONE IN AFGHANISTAN, ONE IN IRAQ? 

5 KLEPS: NICE!  DOES THAT COME DOWN WITH TURN DOWN SERVICE? 

6 DUCLOS: F@#K YOU? 

7 KLEPS: A MINT ON MY PILLOW? 

8 CAPTION: ?AND NOW I?M BACK AGAIN. 

Panel 2.  Sgt. Duclos on the phone with his parents. 

7 CAPTION: CAN?T SAY YOU GET USED TO IT, BUT YOU LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH IT. 

8 CAPTION: RUMOR CONTROL IS IMPORTANT.  SOMEONE IN YOUR UNIT GETS HIT, IT GETS HOME FAST. 

9 DUCLOS: YEAH, MOM, I?M FINE.  NOT EVEN A SCRATCH. 

Panel 3.  Sgt. Duclos and Sgt. Kleps get their beds made up, laughing. 

10 CAPTION: THAT NIGHT IT HIT US? 

11 CAPTION: ?IT WAS GOING TO BE A LONG FIFTEEN MONTHS. 

12 DUCLOS: HOW CRAZY WAS THAT, MAN?  JUST F@#^ING GOT HERE AND ALREADY THEY?RE TRYIN? TO KILL US. 

13 KLEPS: WORD MUST?VE GOT OUT THAT A COUPLE O? NEW BADASSES ARE IN-COUNTRY. 

14 CAPTION: ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH IT IS CRACK JOKES?

PAGE THREE (continued) 

Panel 4.  Sgts. Duclos and Kleps are praying at their bunks. 

15 CAPTION: ?SAY A FEW PRAYERS FOR OUR FELLOW SERVICEMEN? 

Panel 5.  Sgt.  Duclos is bedded down, trying to sleep. 

16 CAPTION: ?AND TRY AND GET A GOOD NIGHT?S SLEEP. 

Panel 6. Sgt. Duclos, Sgt. Kleps and are geared up and walking towards a line of humvees. 

17 CAPTION: ?CAUSE TOMORROW THE REAL WORK BEGINS. 
 

END.