The Adventure Begins

The Adventure Begins is the first episode of Sponge'd Away. It was written and directed by Teleram, and produced by Spatula Productions.
==Plot==
After being given a mysterious book about mythical creatures by his dad, SpongeBob sets on an epic quest to prove one of the creatures in the book, the Jellaw, is real and brings Patrick and Sandy along.
==Script==
The episode begins with a blank frame with nothing in it. The camera then pans over to the right, where SpongeBob is staring directly at the viewer.
SpongeBob: I think it all began when my father lent me this book he used to be obsessed with when he was a kid. It was sitting way on the top of the shelf, and he had to get on this crickety old stool.
Flashback: Harold SquarePants is standing on a small stool, reaching up at the shelf. With some great difficulty, he manages to take a certain book off the shelf and hands it to SpongeBob. The latter blows some dust off the cover, and stares at the book in wonder. Cut to a close-up of the book, titled Monsters and Myths of the Deep.
SpongeBob: (narrating, voiceover) I didn't realize it at the time, but that book was about to bring me all sorts of trouble that I never would've imagined.
Cut to SpongeBob at his pineapple home, flipping through the book, uninterested. He then throws the book under his bed, and goes off to do something else. He goes to the kitchen, opens the fridge, takes a carton of milk out and gets a box of cereal. He sits at the table, combines the milk and cereal together, and starts eating with a bored, deadpan expression on his face. Cut to a montage of SpongeBob doing ordinary things, such as flipping patties, jellyfishing, and feeding Gary, but with the same bored, deadpan expression on his face. Cut to SpongeBob cleaning the floor with a mop. He reluctantly starts cleaning up the space under the bed. We get a shot from under the bed and we see SpongeBob grunting to fit his skinny arm through. Things are messily layed out on the floor, including a sombrero, a magazine, a watch, a roll of toilet paper, and a thick book. SpongeBob notices the book, and frowns at it as if never seeing it before. He grabs it by the spine and, with some effort and grunting, pulls the book out from under the bed. Narration continues.
SpongeBob: (voiceover) I'm not a big fan of monsters or myths, even back when this story starts. So I hid the book under my bed and never looked at it, until about two months later, when I was so bored out of my mind I couldn't even take it anymore.
Cut to SpongeBob lying on the couch and reading the book intently. The camera closes-up on his face slowly. Gary, SpongeBob's pet snail, slides onto SpongeBob's stomach and looks at him disapprovingly.
Gary: Meow?
SpongeBob glances at Gary for a moment, then gets back to his book. He pats Gary just as he slides away. Cut back to SpongeBob staring at the viewer. He takes a deep breath.
SpongeBob: Many people think of me as a cheerful, well-meaning sponge, or just the fry cook at the local Krusty Krab. I'm both of them, I guess. They also think that the only adventures I go on is jellyfishing with my friend Patrick, that I usually want to stay home with my pet Gary or make patties at the Krusty Krab. That I'm a bother to my neighbor Squidward, and enjoy making bubbles. They're right about all those things. But what they don't know is that I'm also very dangerous. (pause) Well, maybe dangerous isn't the right word for it. Ah, maybe 'adventurous' will do.
There is a breif silence in which SpongeBob slightly loses focus. He clears his throat, and goes on. Back to the flashback SpongeBob was narrating: We see a close-up of the book's pages, filled with old-timey writing and illustrations. SpongeBob flips through the books, then stops at a page, entitled "the Jellaw", with a picture of a giant, unusual monster that looks like a hybrid of a jellyfish and a wolf. A giant claw is sticking out of the middle of the creature's body. SpongeBob is obviously fascinated by it. 
SpongeBob: (pointing to the picture and showing it to Gary) Look, Gary! Cool, right? 
Gary is not interested. He slides away and looks glumy down at his empty food bowl.
Gary: Meow. 
SpongeBob: (pointing to book) Gary, imagine if all these creatures in this book was real! I'll go and find it, maybe get on this big fancy boat, maybe, hmm...
SpongeBob looks deeply into space, and a thinking bubble appears over his head, with SpongeBob wearing a viking helmet and battling evil seaweed. In reality, Gary is sliding away from his food bowl to go into the kitchen. SpongeBob then gets up from the couch, thinking bubble all gone, and gasps. Cut to a shot of Patrick's rock. SpongeBob, who is holding the book in his hand and looking extremely excited, walks over, knocks, and is greeted by the owner of the rock, Patrick Star.
Patrick: Hiya, SpongeBob!
SpongeBob: (nearly bursting with excitement) Pat, I just had a revelation. An idea. Something that'll change our lives forever. 
Patrick: (not very interested) Well, what is it?
SpongeBob thrusts the book into Patrick's arms with such power that he stumbles back a bit. The starfish flips through the book, stopping occasionally at a page. He then hands it back to his excited friend.
SoongeBob: Well? Verdict?
Patrick: (bluntly) It's just a book.
SpongeBob: Not just a book, Pat. A key. It's a key! A bright light in our dark lives. It will save us. I'm sure. (flips through the book, then stops at the Jellaw page) Here, read this! 
SpongeBob thrusts the book back again. Patrick reads it over. He looks up after a few moments and admits that he still doesn't see how it's supposed to help them.
SpongeBob: Look, Patrick, I'm so full of excitement I can hardly even take it anymore. We're going on an adventure! That's my idea! To find this! (points at the picture of the Jellaw) 
Patrick: An... adventure? You mean like in movies? We're going on an adventure?
Patrick gets excited more and more each time the word 'adventure' is said. His eyes grow huge and his mouth opens up wide.
Patrick: You mean..
SpongeBob: Yes, Pat, that's exactly what I mean! Hehehe! 
Patrick: We should go tell Sandy about this! 
Transition to the next scene. SpongeBob and Patrick are at Sandy's tree dome. SpongeBob is about to knock when he notices there is a doorbell right next to the door, and uses that instead. Cut to close-up of a small intercom right below the doorbell. Sandy's voice comes through the intercom, saying "Who is it?" 
SpongeBob and Patrick stares at the tiny intercom in astonishment.
Sandy: (through intercom) Well, who is it?! 
SpongeBob: (after a pause) It- it's us, Sandy. Your best friends, SpongeBob and Patrick. 
The door to the tree dome opens up by itself. SpongeBob and Patrick are both fascinated, and they make their way to Sandy, still with their fascinated expressions. The squirrel is sitting on a workbench, typing things into a computer. She looks extremely tired and her eyes are sore.
SpongeBob: Hi, Sandy. (after noticing Sandy's tired appearance) Oh, um, Sandy, are you okay? 
Sandy: (barely looking up from computer) Uh-huh.
Patrick: (to SpongeBob) Maybe we should go. 
SpongeBob: Yeah, she looks busy.
The two friends start to walk toward the door. Sandy looks up, startled. 
Sandy: No, no, don't leave! I need some company. I haven't went out of this tree dome in three days. 
SpongeBob and Patrick look at each other for a moment then walk over to Sandy. The latter resumes typing into the computer.
Patrick: So, whatcha working on there, Sandy?
Sandy: A big project. A project that will change Bikini Bottom forever. (resumes typing) 
SpongeBob and Patrick look at the screen. There is a mass of coding mumbo-jumbo in green text set on a dark background. SpongeBob winks at Patrick, then clears his throat.
SpongeBob: (unusually loudly) Well, Patrick, I guess Sandy's too busy to be interested in what we have for her.
Patrick: (loudly) Yep. Oh, poor, pitiful Sandy. Too interested about her project go care about us. Tut-tut..
Sandy: (turns around) What are you talking about? What do you have for me? 
SpongeBob: (to Patrick) Shall we tell her, Pat?
Patrick: Hmm... I don't know, maybe? 
Sandy: Well, what is it? Spit it out. 
Patrick: Hmm, no, let me think...
Sandy: Oh c'mon, c'mon! You know I'm really curious.
Patrick: I'm gonna go with... (after a few moments of intense silence) we should tell her. 
SpongeBob: Seriously? Are you sure, Patrick?
Patrick: Sure.
SpongeBob: Are you really sure? 
Patrick: Dead sure! 
SpongeBob: But are you really? 
Sandy: Oh, for cryin' out loud! What have you got for me?
SpongeBob looks at Patrick before handing Sandy the copy of Monsters and Myths of the Deep. Sandy stares at the cover suspiciously before flipping it through.
Sandy: (handing the book back to SpongeBob) SpongeBob, you know I deal with science, not urban legends. These are just myths, legends. See, it even says it's myths in the title! (resumes typing on computer) 
SpongeBob: C'mon, Sandy! It will be fun! It will be an adventure! 
Sandy: No, it won't be fun! It's ridiculous! It's crazy, stupid, idiotic...
SpongeBob: (stubbornly) No, it won't! 
Sandy: Okay, say I did go along with you in this so-called adventure. What about my project? (points to computer screen) What about this tree dome? (opens arms wide) 
SpongeBob: Somebody will take care of them! I'm gonna ask Squidward to look after Gary while I'm away. And Patrick's going to ask his homeless friend Garth to take care of his rock. 
Sandy: (sighs) Well, I suppose I could get my fellow scientist friend Marcia to house-sit... But the adventure will be dangerous! We could get robbed, mugged, attacked, starve, get lost, maybe even die! 
SpongeBob: What, are ya scared? 
Sandy opens up her mouth several times to argue, but realizes it's pointless to do so. Also, deep inside, she can't think of a good comeback. She sighs again.
Sandy: I- I- I'll think about it... (sighs for the third time)
SpongeBob and Patrick smile each other in triumph. Transition to the next scene: SpongeBob is telling Squidward how to look after Gary.
SpongeBob: Gary will meow and slide on to your tummy when he's hungry or scared. If he meows while trembling and rub against your elbow, that means he's scared. Now-
Squidward: I get it, I get it! You told me already. Listen, about you going away for a while... Well, why exactly are you going away?
SpongeBob: (nervously) Um, why do you ask? 
Squidward: (smugly) Oh, you know, just curious. 
SpongeBob: (hestitating) Well, if you'd really like to know, I'm... (long pause) I'm going on vacation. 
Squidward: Oh, yeah? To where?
SpongeBob: To, um, Coralia. It's where... my uncle and aunt lives! 
Squidward: (eyes wide) For how long?
SpongeBob: I don't know. A few months, maybe. (pause) A year, at best. 
Squidward: Oh no, a year? (to himself, quietly) A whole year, without SpongeBob?! Sweet Neptune! (giggles, then turns to SpongeBob) A year? A year without you, Sponge? I can't even bear the thought of it! (cries in a fake manner) 
SpongeBob: Oh no, it's okay, Squidward! A year goes away fast, right? (pats Squidward on the back) 
Squidward: (stops crying) Well, what about your job at the Krusty Krab? Will you quit? (grins) 
SpongeBob: Well, I'll guess I'll have to quit, yeah. 
Cut to Mr. Krabs's office at the Krusty Krab. The owner of the establishment, Mr. Krabs, is counting a stack of paper money happily while writing a letter at the same time. SpongeBob bursts in, holding his hat in one hand. Krabs looks up, startled.
Krabs: What is it, boyo?
SpongeBob: I have some good news and some bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?
Krabs: The bad news. 
SpongeBob: I quit. 
Krabs: (shocked) You what?
SpongeBob: Uh, yes. (now nervous after Krabs's reaction) Only temporarily, mind you. Only for a few months. 
Krabs: Months? How many months?
SpongeBob: I don't- I don't know for sure. Twelve?
Krabs: TWELVE?! YOU MEAN A YEAR?!?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU WON'T BE HERE FOR A YEAR? HOW AM I GONNA MAKE ANY MONEY WITHOUT YOU GONE FOR A YEAR?!
Krabs becomes so excited that saliva jumps out of his mouth and lands on SpongeBob's face. He recoils in disgust, and continues. 
SpongeBob: Well, I guess you could hire someone else, like you've done in the past. 
Krabs: I know, I know, you've gone away a few times in the past! But for a year? A year? How can there be nay good news? Is the good news that you were joking?
SpongeBob: Um, no, actually. The good news is that there isn't any other bad news.
Krabs: Can you at least tell me why you're quitting? 
SpongeBob: Mr. Krabs, I've been working in this place for more than ten years, I think I deserve a proper break. Maybe find another, better job. I'm not going to flip patties for the rest of my life! I want to be out there. 
Close-up of Mr. Krabs's bewildered face as SpongeBob walks out of the Krusty Krab sadly. He glances at his hat, then throws it at a nearby puddle from sudden anger. After a brief silence in which SpongeBob stares at the hat lying on the dirt, he suddenly breaks down and begins sobbing. As our hero walks off into the sunset, crying, the camera closes in on the hat lying in the puddle, and the episode draws to a close. 
==Trivia==
*SpongeBob staring at the viewer and narrating the story is a homage to the film Annie Hall, where the main character does essentially the same thing.
Category:Sponge'd Away
Category:Episodes
Category:Sponge'd Away episodes