THE SALTMARSH COURIER #1 — "Low Tide"
Lettering draft. Writer: Ada Fenwick (fictional). Original practice script for BylinaRounds.

PAGE ONE (three panels)

Panel 1. Dawn. A wide view of the salt marsh. A narrow causeway runs out to a ferry landing and an old tide mill. MIRA (14, oilskin coat, mail satchel) pedals along the causeway.

1. CAPTION: Saltmarsh. The morning the tide forgot to turn.

2. SFX: DONNG

Panel 2. The ferry landing. OSKAR, an old ferryman, coils wet rope beside a moored barge. Behind him the harbor bell still swings.

3. OSKAR: I told you the tide would turn before the bell.

4. SFX: DONNG

Panel 3. Close on Mira holding up a parcel with a red wax seal.

5. MIRA: The postmistress wants this at Gull Rock today.

6. OSKAR: Then we leave before Vell sees us.

7. MIRA: Agreed.

PAGE TWO (three panels)

Panel 1. On the barge in thick fog. Oskar poles away from the landing; Mira sits on the mail sacks.

1. MIRA: We should have waited for the fog to lift.

2. CAPTION: Twenty minutes to Gull Rock.  If the current holds.

Panel 2. Something knocks against the hull. Oskar freezes, pole raised.

3. OSKAR: Did you hear that?

4. OSKAR: Something knocked on the hull.

Panel 3. The barge lurches. A huge eel-like back breaks the water beside it.

5. SFX: KRAK

6. MIRA: That is ***not*** a log!

PAGE THREE (two panels)

Panel 1. Gull Rock signal tower seen from the water. A figure waves a lamp from the gallery.

“GULL ROCK — KEEP CLEAR” is painted in huge letters across the tower wall.

1. CAPTION: Gull Rock signal tower.

2. HESTA (OFF): Who goes there?

Panel 2. Mira stands on the mail sacks, holding up the parcel.

3. MIRA: Saltmarsh post! One parcel for the signal keeper!

4. OSKAR: Tell her we're not stopping.

5. HESTA (OFF): Then you'd better throw it.

PAGE FOUR (three panels)

Panel 1. The parcel arcs through the air toward the gallery.

1. CAPTION: Forty feet. Wind from the west.

2. MIRA: Please catch it, please catch it...

Panel 2. HESTA, the signal keeper (60s, braided grey hair), catches the parcel one-handed.

3. HESTA: Got it!

4. OSKAR: Show-off.

Panel 3. Hesta holds the parcel up. The red seal is cracked open.

5. HESTA: This seal was broken ***before*** you threw it.

6. MIRA: That's impossible.
