John From Cincinnati, His Visit, As After, So Before

DISCLAIMER: John From Cincinnati and its canon characters are the property of HBO and the show's producers; no copyright infringement is intended.

Written by: congadrumbum, Waxon, Myles17, svengali2

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A volcano in Alaska, an earthquake in the deep benthonic canyons of the Pacific, these are what bring huge swells into IB. There is one happening right now. The beach is flooded with police, city park rangers, lifeguards all in a concentrated effort to prevent anyone from entering the water, especially if they’re carrying a surf board.
And through this rabble, two men and a woman clad in black wetsuits walk unmolested to water’s edge virtually unseen, invisible.

Butchie: Fucking huge!

Kai: Monsters!

Butchie: Ready John?

John: Ready already!

Butchie: (reaches down and unhooks the leash from his short board) No leashes today!

Kai and John follow his example. They paddle out letting the waves wash over them, sometimes sucking them back just as far as they’ve come.

Butchie: I’m glad they got the beach closed or we’d have to deal with those bedwetting tow-ins. The only thing they know how to do in a real wave is piss in it!

John: Piss in it.

Kai: Don’t piss John. It’ll draw the sharks.

Once they’re on the outside, it’s almost peaceful. The great humps of ocean swell push them up high. It’s on the downside that gets scary. Now they are surrounded by two great walls of water. It’s only on the upside that they speak.

Butchie: How many is that babe?

Kai: Seven!

Butchie: Two more! We take the ninth wave. It’s always the biggest.

John: The ninth wave.

Kai: Eight!

Butchie: Fucking-a! Look at it!

The wave has blocked out the sun, cursed the air into stillness, a vacuum of waiting. The trio get into position. Butchie and Kai extend their arms, clasping hands, interlocking fingers.

Kai: John! Come closer!

John paddles over to Kai’s other side and they grab each other’s hands. Prone on their boards, each connected to the other, silent in an eternity of brief seconds.

Butchie: (glancing over his shoulder, calmly states a pure fact:) It's here.

They release one another and jockey into position so they won’t collide. They pop up and the wave lifts them like the hand of a god. But it has outsmarted them. It’s too big, too strong. Like a wild horse it cannot be broken, it refuses to be ridden.

Butchie:( screaming over the roar) Too far out! Too far out!

The noses of their boards pearl almost simultaneously, balance and footing evaporate and they bail trying to get as far away as they can from their boards. The wave slaps them down like a dealer slapping a card. It buries them deep into the boil with murderous intent, angry like a girlfriend that’s just found you in bed with her sister.

Kai: So this is what it's like to die. Damn! I hope they do my hair right!

congadrumbum

P.S. John's reply "Ready already" is Walkara's quote, from one of the earlier episodes, it did not appear in the original text.

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Back at the Snug Harbor Motel, a door opens on the second floor and the shadowed figure of a man stands in the doorway looking out. It is Walter Waxman. Sirens race down the boulevard. He sees Bill, Freddy, Palaka, Ramon, Barry, Dickstein and Link discussing something in the parking lot below. Leaning his ear towards them he can hear that they are frantically looking for Butchie and Shaun.

Bill: (To Freddy) …and you, you degenerate! You and the village idiot here couldn’t keep watch of a palm tree! First the antenna array and now this! Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ. I should never have listened to that bird. Oh this is it! We have surpassed precipice and landed right in the middle of full blown clusterfuck.

Freddy‘s face becomes red with anger and he begins to strike at Bill.

Link: Stop it! You two can compare asses later! Right now we have to think. Where would they go to get wet at a time like this?

Palaka: Always looking out for his investments.

Ramon: It would have to be where the authorities are not patrolling.

Bill: And I suppose you being the surfing expert would know where that is…

Dickstein: (excitedly) I know where they would go!

Walter Waxman: (under his breath) Oh, you gentlemen won’t be able to find each other in a couple of days, much less those two.

Back in the parking lot…

Bill: (trying to collect himself) Does anyone know the whereabouts of the poodle-cut freak boy?

A car speeds into the Snug and peels right up to the group before screeching to a halt. Jerri is driving. Dwayne climbs out the passenger side window.

Jerri: (as Dwayne struggles through the window while holding his open laptop) Just open the fucking door, moron!

Dwayne: (Rushes to Link) Mr Stark, you have to see this!

Dwayne holds his laptop up as the group looks on (shading their faces and squinting to see the monitor in the glare of the sun) . On the monitor is video of Butchie, John and Kai struggling in the waves – some scenes are partially under water.

Link: Kai?

They are all confused. Palaka whispers something into Freddy’s ear and Freddy’s eyebrows raise.

Bill: The boy! Young Shaun – have you seen him on this video?

Dwayne: (curiously) No.

The video continues and the three surfers fight to stay alive in the torrent surf.

Link: (to himself) Cass! (Reaching in his pockets for his phone, he realizes he left it in his car. He runs to his car, and begins dialing.)

We see Barry is now starring blankly into space (holding Teddy).

Barry: Young Shaun is OK.

Bill: How do you know that?

Ramon: He has visions.

Bill: Well, so does my bird but look where that’s got us.

Dickstein: (pauses a moment confused by Bill’s remark) I think I know where they may be. (He turns and runs towards his black Lexus. Motioning to Barry and Ramon to get in, he yells out to the others) Follow us!

They all scamper to their cars.

From the balcony, the dark figure of Walter Waxman remains in the doorway. The other doors open simultaneously and each of the 8 guests stand in their doorways as the parade of cars speed out of the motel and turn south on the Boulevard. We hear the voice of one of the female guests.

Woman: Remind you of anything, Walt?

Walter Waxman: Indeed, it does.

-Waxon

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My Morning Jacket, I Am Amazedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzdoOGUsEKg


Cissy walks around the house. She lights a cigarette and stares in space. She is restless, moving from place to place. She walks to the window and begins tearing off yellow wilted leaves on the hanging plant. The hot cigarette ashes fall on her foot.

Cissy: Fuck that shit! Jesus, Mitch, not again......

She pushes the cigarette into the pot, and the plant falls from its hook, the pot cracks and the soil spills on the floor. Cissy kicks the pot, goes to the table to light another cigarette. She is sitting at the table. Her eyes are closed, the unlit cigarette in her hand.


svengali2

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After weeks of pounding storms that have battered the West Coast, another storm rolls in .
A gathering at the Yost house.

Butchie: Christ, what the hell is going on here man, it hasn't stopped raining for two goddamn weeks!

Cissy: Didn't ya hear? It never fucking rains in southern California.

Shaun: Grams, I heard that mudslides are wiping out whole
neighborhoods, are we safe here?

Butchie: Now don't go thinking that shit. We'll surf our way outta here if we have to.

Kai: Well at least we got the gear here, I'm up for it.

Cissy: Fucking right, good thing that bastard Mitch left his here when he went to 'find himself'.. again.

Kai: I'm sure he's OK, Cissy

Cissy: Do I look fucking worried?

Butchie looks out at the driving rain and windswept yard, John is standing there, arms outstreched

Butchie: What the fu... what is he doing? (He comes to the front door) Get you ass in here John !

Kai: It's not like the rain is gonna bother him dude, maybe he's like, talking to his 'father' or some shit.

Cissy: Great, my house is about to be swept away and all he is doing is a rain dance in the yard.

Slowly, John walks to the front door and enters the house.

John: My ass is in here, Butchie.

Shaun: Look Kai, he's wet but his hair, it look the same, like he wasn't outside. That's cool.

Kai:(looking at John) : Seriously dude, that just isn't right, I want your hairdresser!

John: My father....

Butchie: Yeah, yeah we know, already.

A low rumble starts to grow louder

Cissy: Oh... FUCK ... NO !

Butchie: What ?... shit, is this an earthquake?

John: Earth not moving Butchie.

Kai: (looking out the front door) Holy shit, there's a wall of mud, it's like a wave coming down the street.

Shaunie: Grams !!

Butchie: Don't panic, but we're fucked here.. Ma, Shaunie, Kai, let's just.. quick, get in Shaunie's room, huddle together, get down, hold on.

John exits the house and goes back into the yard where he stood before, raising his arms.

Butchie: Hold tight together guys, we can ride this out.

The rumbling grows louder, a window smashes in the living room, mud oozes across the floor
... and then silence

Cissy: Shaunie, you ok? Kai , Butchie?

Butchie: Shit yeah, we're kneeling in mud but fucking breathing, that's a good sign.

Shaun gets up and heads to the front door, he struggles to try to open it through the mud.

Shaun:Dad, look!

John is standing waist deep in mud, arms raised, looking back at the Yost house

John : No rain dance, Cissy Yost . This is mud dance.


Myles17

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