Title: The Backpack That Broke Time (and My Sister’s Nerves)
Genre: Chaotic Comedy, Adventure
Length: Short Film (~10 minutes)
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY
(WIDE SHOT: The hallway is a madhouse. A kid is chasing a chicken. Another kid is trying to
juggle apples and dropping all of them. The camera zooms in on MAX, 12, trying to zip up his
glowing backpack while LUCY, 13, leans against the lockers, scrolling on her phone and
snacking on gummy worms.)
MAX
(grunting)
This bag is cursed! It’s alive, I swear!
(CLOSE-UP: The backpack BURPS and spits out a half-eaten sandwich, hitting Lucy’s phone.)
LUCY
(glaring)
Max! My phone smells like mustard!
MAX
(sarcastic)
Oh no, tragedy. Should we call the news?
(Lucy grabs the bag and shakes it. A RUBBER DUCK and a LIVE FROG shoot out and land in
a passing kid’s hair.)
LUCY
(yelling)
What do you even keep in here? A zoo?!
(The bag GLOWS BRIGHTER and starts shaking violently. Max unzips it and pulls out a
glowing tablet labeled “TIME TRAVEL: DO NOT TOUCH. SERIOUSLY.”)
MAX
(grinning)
Cool! It’s a time machine!
LUCY
(flatly)
Cool. I’m not going.
(Max presses the “TRAVEL” button. WHOOSH! Both Max and Lucy disappear, leaving behind
Lucy’s gummy worms, which a random kid immediately eats.)
EXT. DINOSAUR JUNGLE - DAY
(WIDE SHOT: Max and Lucy land in a jungle. Max face-plants into a pile of dino poop. Lucy
lands perfectly on her feet but immediately screams when she sees a PTERODACTYL flying
overhead.)
LUCY
(screaming)
WHY IS IT SO BIG?! AND WHY DOES IT HAVE TEETH?!
MAX
(gagging)
Forget that! Why do I smell like death?!
(MEDIUM SHOT: The ground shakes as a T-REX stomps into view. It sniffs the air and locks
eyes with Max.)
MAX
(terrified)
Oh no. I’m the snack.
LUCY
(yelling)
RUN, YOU NUGGET!
(WIDE SHOT: Max and Lucy sprint through the jungle, dodging vines, a herd of stampeding
triceratops, and a very confused caveman eating a banana. Lucy grabs the tablet from Max.)
LUCY
(panicked)
Give me that! You’re banned from buttons forever!
MAX
(yelling)
YOU CAN’T BAN ME FROM BUTTONS!
(Lucy presses a random button. WHOOSH!)
EXT. PIRATE SHIP - DAY
(WIDE SHOT: Max and Lucy appear on the deck of a pirate ship. PIRATES are sword fighting,
yelling, and generally being ridiculous. One pirate is using a fish as a weapon.)
LUCY
(looking around)
Great. Now we’re pirate bait.
MAX
(cheerful)
Or… pirate captains! ARRRGH!
(Max grabs a mop and pretends it’s a sword. Lucy facepalms.)
LUCY
(sarcastic)
Yeah, super intimidating, Captain Floor Cleaner.
(CLOSE-UP: The PIRATE CAPTAIN, a big, grumpy guy with a parrot wearing sunglasses,
stomps over.)
PIRATE CAPTAIN
(loudly)
WHO BE YE LANDLUBBERS?!
MAX
(awkwardly)
Uh… we’re here for the treasure?
(The pirates cheer and toss Max a sword. Lucy grabs the tablet.)
LUCY
(whispering)
We are NOT staying here! These guys smell like old socks.
(Lucy presses the tablet. WHOOSH!)
EXT. OUTER SPACE - DAY
(WIDE SHOT: Max and Lucy are now floating in space, surrounded by stars, spaceships, and an
alien DJ booth blasting techno music. An alien with three heads waves at them.)
ALIEN DJ
(cheerful)
Welcome to the Space Dance Party! Who wants moon nachos?
MAX
(excited)
I DO!
LUCY
(screaming)
MAX, FOCUS! WE ARE FLOATING IN SPACE!
(CLOSE-UP: Max grabs the tablet and presses another button. WHOOSH!)
INT. SCHOOL CAFETERIA - DAY
(WIDE SHOT: Max and Lucy land in the cafeteria, crashing into a table full of spaghetti.
Spaghetti flies EVERYWHERE, including onto PRINCIPAL GRUMBLE, who is holding a tray of
Jell-O.)
PRINCIPAL GRUMBLE
(furious)
MAXWELL AND LUCY! MY OFFICE—
(Before he can finish, the tablet BURPS and spits out another glowing button: “FREE
PANCAKES.” Max grins.)
MAX
(grinning)
Oh, we’re pressing this.
LUCY
(yelling)
NO, DON’T—
(Max presses the button. PANCAKES FALL FROM THE CEILING LIKE A DELICIOUS
AVALANCHE. The entire cafeteria is buried. Principal Grumble pops his head out of the pile,
glaring, with syrup dripping from his nose.)
PRINCIPAL GRUMBLE
(yelling)
I’M CALLING YOUR PARENTS!
(MEDIUM SHOT: Max and Lucy sit on top of the pancake pile, munching happily.)
MAX
(cheerful)
I don’t care what he says. This was awesome.
LUCY
(grinning)
Yeah. Let’s do it again tomorrow.
(FADE OUT as the camera zooms out to reveal the entire school covered in pancakes.)
THE END
