AVIKA MENDES, 20s, is sitting on the beach, on the sand. She
is watching the surf. She is alone on a long stretch of
beach. She is wearing a black crew neck top (the black top
is important because it later facilitates a cut).
Avika is holding back tears. We are with her, alone, for a
time. She keeps staring at the waves like they mean
something. She closes her eyes and imagines a time before,
before the thing that happened on the beach. But she cannot
muster any good thoughts but only fleetingly.
GIRL
You are sitting in my spot.
Avika is startled. She turns and sees a GIRL, 20s, standing
very close to her, holding a towel. Avika looks up at the
Girl. The audience did not see the Girl walk up and sit.
AVIKA MENDES
Excuse me?
GIRL
You are sitting in my spot?
Avika looks up and down the beach to re-confirm that she is
alone.
AVIKA MENDES
You are joking, right?
The Girl then takes the towel and lays it our next to Avika.
She sits on the towel. Avika is awkward and a tad irritated,
not knowing how to respond.
GIRL
It's OK. I am a reasonable person.
I'm sitting close to my spot.
Which is good. It is all good.
Avika is trying to process the bizarre circumstances. Avika
is about to muster a comment when...
GIRL (CONT'D)
So why are you here. All alone,
sitting on the beach, staring at
the ocean?
AVIKA MENDES
I am so sorry, but I am not really
interested in... in chatting with
anyone at the moment.
GIRL
Did you lose someone? Did you lose
someone at this beach? IS that why
you stare at the ocean.
Avika can handle no more of this. She gets up, without being
polite or saying goodbye, she moves a 100 to 200 feet down
the beach and sits on the sand facing the water. She looks
down the from where she came, and the Girl remains seated on
her beach towel.
Avika tries to adjust to the intrusion. She hold her bent
knew, maybe hiding her head and face, then peaking out again
at the surf. A few moments go by. They she raises her head
and sitting right next to her, suddenly, without any notice,
the Girl is sitting once again immediately next to Avika.
Avika is startled, and shocked, maybe scared.
GIRL (CONT'D)
People always come to the beach
because they think it is calming.
But there is nothing calming about
the beach.
Avika stands and takes a step back. The Girl looks at Avika.
GIRL (CONT'D)
The beach is a dangerous place. It
is starting to gobble up the earth.
Avika does not know what to say or how to respond to the
Girl.
AVIKA MENDES
Look, I don't know who you are or
what you want, but whatever it is
you are trying to do =, it is not
appreciated. Find someone else to
bother.
Avika walks away, determinedly, down the length of the beach,
back to her car. She has decided to leave.
At some point in her walk, she turns to look back at the
Girl. But the Girl is not there. The beach is empty. Avika
turns and looks around, feeling spooked, confused. Trying to
shake the strangeness, she walks on to her car.
EXT. AVIKA'S OLD HOUSE DAY
A car pulls up in front of a dilapidated, run-down shack of a
house. Avika gets out of the car.
Another car is waiting there. A man, NICOLAS FULIP, stands
by his car. Nicolas approaches.
NICOLAS FULIP
Miss Mendes.
AVIKA MENDES
Sorry I am late. You have been
waiting long?
NICOLAS FULIP
Yes.
AVIKA MENDES
Well, like I said I am sorry.
NICOLAS FULIP
I am in a rush. Can we get
started.
AVIKA MENDES
This going to take long.
NICOLAS FULIP
Five minutes. I take a few photos.
I will email you an estimate.
AVIKA MENDES
OK.
Avika walks to the front door, opens it, and Avika and
Nicolas both enter.
INT. AVIKA'S OLD HOUSE DAY
Avika is somewhat embarrassed about the house. It is a mess.
She has started to pack a few things. A few cardboard boxes
lie around.
AVIKA MENDES
I haven't had time to box
everything.
NICOLAS FULIP
You needn't do that. We will take
care of all packing.
Nicolas starts snapping photos.
NICOLAS FULIP (CONT'D)
You in a rush to get this done?
AVIKA MENDES
The closing is next Tuesday.
NICOLAS FULIP
Not sure I can schedule you before
Tuesday.
AVIKA MENDES
When I called the lady said you
could do it by then.
NICOLAS FULIP
She always says that so we get the
business. This place is a dump.
AVIKA MENDES
Yeah. I know.
NICOLAS FULIP
You inherit this from someone?
AVIKA MENDES
My parents.
NICOLAS FULIP
You grew up here?
AVIKA MENDES
Not really. I mean yes and no.
NICOLAS FULIP
OK, I'm finished.
AVIKA MENDES
So before next Tuesday?
NICOLAS FULIP
I will email you an estimate for an
expedited pack and move. It is
about twenty-five percent above the
normal rate.
AVIKA MENDES
OK, well, if that is necessary.
NICOLAS FULIP
It's only necessary if you say so.
You're the client. You will get an
email by tomorrow.
Nicolas heads for the door.
AVIKA MENDES
Thank you.
Nicolas takes one last look around the house.
NICOLAS FULIP
My condolences about your parents.
AVIKA MENDES
Oh, no... they passed away several
years ago. But thank you.
Nicolas lease and shuts the door from behind him.
Avika walks around the house. Possibly checking out the
kitchen, a room here and there. She sees a box, or a shelf.
She picks up from the box or off the shelf an old photograph
of a man and a woman and two girls, one older girl and one
younger girl. It is a family photo. INSERT of the photo.
GIRL
So this is where you moved.
Avika is startled and turns around. The Girl is standing
there.
AVIKA MENDES
What the... How did you get in
here? Did you follow me?
GIRL
Finally selling it?
AVIKA MENDES
I need you to leave right now or I
am calling the police.
The Girl walks around the house. She sees a cardboard box on
the floor, reaches down and pulls out a doll. She holds the
doll throughout the scene.
GIRL
You called her Sally.
Avika is stunned. A beat.
AVIKA MENDES
How did you know that?
GIRL
I cannot imagine living here.
Avika still refuses to be roped on by what she considers a
crazy woman. She takes out her cell phone. She dials.
AVIKA MENDES
Yes. My name is Avika Mendes and I
live at (PUT ADDRESS HERE). I have
an intruder in my house... no, I am
not in danger, at least I do not
think so, but she refuses to leave.
Yes. Yes. Please do send someone.
Thank you.
Avika hangs up. Avika stands her ground. The Girl walks
around slowly, touching things.
GIRL
All of this. This sad looking
house. The boxes. The deaths of
two parents. It looks like the
remnants of a miserable life.
AVIKA MENDES
You have been harassing me all day,
and now you insult me and my
family.
GIRL
All because Enoni died.
Again, Avika is stunned.
AVIKA MENDES
OK, you have got to stop it.
GIRL
She drowned.
AVIKA MENDES
Anyone could google my family and
find out something about what
happened, I am sure.
GIRL
Yes, but your mother and father
never told anyone that you were
babysitting your sister. You were
watching her at the beach. You got
tired of the sun and so moved to
the shade. And fell asleep under a
tree. When you awoke your baby
sister was dead.
Avika stands motionless, frozen with shame and fear and
shock.
AVIKA MENDES
Stop.
GIRL
Enoni had drowned.
AVIKA MENDES
Stop.
GIRL
And you blamed yourself. And your
parents blamed you.
AVIKA MENDES
Stop it. Please.
GIRL
Your father lost his job. Your
mother became ill. They lost their
jobs and moved here, from a life of
luxury to a life of misery all
because...
AVIKA MENDES
I said shut up. You don't know
anything.
The Girl takes a step closer to Avika. Avika does not notice
because she is too upset.
GIRL
Can you imagine going back.
AVIKA MENDES
What?
GIRL
Imagine going back. Back so you
can change things.
Avika does not know what to say, she does not know whether to
strike out and hit this Girl or to cry.
GIRL (CONT'D)
Close your eyes. Close them and
imagine just for a moment the life
before when Enoni was alive.
Imagine.
AVIKA MENDES
I don't want to.
GIRL
You think of it often. Close your
eyes. Close them.
As the Girl speaks the CAMERA SLOWLY DOLLIES toward Avika's
face.
AVIKA MENDES
No.
GIRL
Imagine.
AVIKA MENDES
No.
GIRL
Imagine.
When the CAMERA is in a VERY CLOSE SHOT which includes
Avika's eyes only, Avika shuts her eyes. The CAMERA then
CRANES DOWN so the entire FRAME is filled with Avika black
shirt. When we are in black there is a secret CUT.
CUT TO:
INT. THE MENDES HOME WHEN ENONI WS ALIVE DAY
The CAMERA DOLLIES BACK... Then Avika opens her eyes.
AVIKA MENDES
This is stupid. I cannot
imagine...
Avika sees she is standing in her old house when she was much
younger, before Enoni had died. It is a nice home. A rich
and lavish home.
Avika is shaking with fear and bewilderment. The Girl is
standing there, still holding the doll Sally. Avika looks
around but is afraid to move or step away from her spot. She
does not believe this. It is a dream. It must be a dream.
As Avika scans the apartment or house=, the CAMERA PANS her
POV. Avika is shaking with fear.
AVIKA MENDES (CONT'D)
I am not here. I am not here. I
don't know who you are and how you
are doing this, but this is not
real. I am dreaming.
The Girl walks up to Avika. They are face to face. The Girl
holds Sally the doll up.
GIRL
Remember how we used to play with
Sally. You would say Sally is your
friend and I would say Sally is my
sister. We played with her. Your
friend, my sister. And we took
Sally to the beach that day. And I
played in the water with her. And
we forgot that we had placed a
message inside Sally, in the back
through this slit.
The Girl shows the slit to Avika.
GIRL (CONT'D)
And though it took a few days for
them to find my body, they found
Sally right away, lying on the
sand. But when you got Sally back
after I died, there was no message
in her. It had gotten washed away
in the ocean.
The Girl hands Sally to Avika.
GIRL (CONT'D)
Do not be fooled by my appearance.
Everything changes after you die,
for the one who died and for those
who loved the one who died.
Avika looks at the eyes of the Girl and thinks she recognizes
them. It is her. The Girl take her fingers and closes
Avika's eyes. The CAMERA CRANES DOWN filling the FRAME with
Avika's black shirt. Another secret cut...
CUT TO:
INT. AVIKA'S OLD HOUSE DAY
The CAMERA DOLLIES BACK. We have returned to the old house.
As the CAMERA DOLLIES BACK into a MEDIUM LONG SHOT, it stops.
Avika is holding Sally, the doll. She opens her eyes.
She stands motionless. Then notices she is holding Sally.
She reaches into the slit in the back of the doll and pulls
out the old message written on a piece of paper, the message
that was lost on the day Enoni drowned. Avika opens the fold
of the paper. INSERT A SHOT of the paper: ENONI AND AVIKA -
SISTERS FOREVER.
Avika looks up. Her eyes are red. She is holding back
tears. She is holding back confusion and bewilderment. But
a certain sense of peace might start to enter.
The CAMERA DOLLIES BACK away from Avika, out the front door
and away fro the old house.
CUT TO BLACK.
THE END.
No comments:
Post a Comment