After a moment, slowly pull in.
The commotion is outside. This is
southern charm. Did you get a good
look? We never would have guessed what he was
up to, just moments before.

Head purposefully toward the
deep baritone, the crisp tuxedo with the
collar unfastened, no tie. This is
Richard III, a dog, and a teenage son all
wrapped up in one.

He looks up. He gently approaches us with endless
sympathy in his eyes. He has no patience for useless pain or
zipping up the back of a woman’s elegant evening gown. You too pull
back as the sound fades and cut back to flash a toothy smile and
sing along with the crowd.

We zoom in slowly, filling the frame with moody skies and
dexterous hands. The feeling should be ominous,
just a little, for the announcement. Make me wait.
Patience is a virtue and I’m not feeling very virtuous
tonight. You should wait by the door,
listen in with a bustling bull pen.

Source: Pilot Episode of House of Cards, Script found at: http://www.zen134237.zen.co.uk/House_of_Cards_1x01_-_Pilot.pdf

Amber Moore is a former high school English teacher and current PhD Candidate in literacy education. Her work has been published in numerous journals and magazines including most recently, The Women’s Studies Quarterly, Room Magazine, and The Feathertale Review. She lives in Vancouver, Canada.