Note: The credit for the idea behind this short script goes to a friend of mine and film editor, Lucas Harger. The blame for how I ran with the idea goes to me alone.
***
[Split-screen opening sequence with a 10-year old girl and 30 year old woman in different locations preparing for an outdoor excursion in different but formally similar ways (packing gear/packing a backpack, stretching/reaching for something on the top shelf of a closet, tying running shoes/tying tennis shoes, etc.). Both leave their respective homes and head for a park, the woman running and the girl trudging.
The girl blazes a trail in a straight line through the grass and into the brush. The woman follows the meandering paved course. Their trajectories intersect. The woman is surprised by the girl and takes notice of her. The girl does not take notice of anything but the ground before her feet. Later, the woman’s and the girl’s trajectories intersect again. After having already crossed paths once, Ashley (the woman) becomes concerned by Ava's (the girl’s) unusual behavior. She hesitates but then pursues the child.]
Ashley: [winded from running] Hey.
Ava: [marches on, unwavering]
Ashley: Hey! Hello!
Ava: [looks over her shoulder, but doesn't stop walking] What?
Ashley: [in pursuit] Where're you going?
Ava: To the woods.
Ashley: But you’re [breathing heavily] You're in the woods. Hey! Would you… would you stop please?
Ava: [stops and turns around. Her face and eyes are red.]
Ashley: [while approaching] What’s the deal? [looks around] Wait, are you by yourself?
Ava: Yes.
Ashley: [stunned and still breathing heavily] Okay. Wow.
Ava: What?
Ashley: Never ever say that to a stranger. [wipes forehead] They could kidnap you or something.
Ava: But then I'd be lying.
Ashley: So? Lying’s okay sometimes.
Ava: When?
Ashley: Uh. [puts hands on hips] Yeah. That's complicated. Ask you parents when you get home.
Ava: [assertive] I'm not going home. [pauses then speaks more softly] Not now.
Ashley: So then is someone else coming to get you or what? [looks towards the sky] It's getting late.
Ava: Yes.
Ashley: [relieved] Okay good.
Ava: But not really.
Ashley: [concerned] What?
Ava: I lied. [pause] I thought it was a test.
Ashley: Wait. So no one’s coming for you?
Ava: No.
Ashley: Are you serious? What're you doing then?
Ava: Dr. Chiganti calls it testing my boundaries.
Ashley: What do you call it?
Ava: Um. [pause] Taking a break?
Ashley: How does that work? I mean, are you going to sleep out here and everything?
Ava: Maybe. If I want to. I've done it before.
Ashley: Really?
Ava: Yes. A few times.
Ashley: That’s worse. It’s dangerous out here.
Ava: You’re here, too.
Ashley: Not overnight. What’re you trying to do?
Ava: To get away.
Ashley: And then what?
Ava: Then I go back. After a while. [pause] I’ve never slept outside. I meant I’ve left home by myself before.
Ashley: But still. Aren't your parents worried about you? Don't you get in trouble?
Ava: Not big trouble, no. They always get madder at each other than me.
Ashley: [quietly] Oh.
Ava: I've never seen you here before.
Ashley: [breathing more normally] I'm new. Sorta. I moved to Towerbridge Apartments [gestures up the hill] a little more than a month ago.
Ava: I come here a lot. I like the park.
Ashley: Yeah, it’s pretty good. Not my favorite but yeah, definitely good.
Ava: Where’s your favorite?
Ashley: In Chicago.
Ava: I’ve never been. Is that where you're from?
Ashley: No. [waves away unseen bugs from her face] I went to college there. I'm from Swarthmore--outside Philadelphia.
Ava: Philadelphia. Ben Franklin's from there.
Ashley: Uh, not quite. He spent time there but he wasn’t born there.
Ava: Yes he is.
Ashley: [laughs] This is dumb but no, he’s not. He’s from Massachusetts I’m pretty sure. He took off for Philly when he was pretty young.
Ava: That’s not what Ms. Barrow said.
Ashley: [slightly clipped] Ms. Barrow should get her facts straight. [The two lock eyes.] Look it up.
Ava: [dismissive] I don’t care.
Ashley: Sorry. [pause] I said it was dumb.
Ava: Yeah. [pause] Do you miss Philadelphia?
Ashley: Uh. Parts of it. It doesn’t get so hot [Ashley and Ava wipe sweat from their foreheads at the same time in the same way] and there're some really neat old buildings. Like old for America old. And the restaurants there are better. But otherwise, no. Home’s where you make it. [pause] What about you? Do you miss home?
Ava: I just came from there.
Ashley: I know, but I mean…
Ava: [avoiding eye contact and speaking softly] Not yet. Today was a very bad day.
Ashley: [pause] Yeah. Well. It’ll get better. [lifts leg to slap calf] And this… this is no place to live. We both know you've gotta go back pretty soon. I'm not parked too far. I should drive you. Where’s your house?
Ava: I’m not telling.
Ashley: What? Why not?
Ava: You're a stranger.
Ashley: [offended, speaking quickly] What? No I'm not. We've been talking for like ten minutes.
Ava: So?
Ashley: So I told you where I live and where I’m from. [pause] And besides, the sorts of strangers you need to worry about don't wear spandex and running shoes.
Ava: You could’ve been lying. Lying’s okay sometimes.
Ashley: [pleads] I wasn’t. I haven’t been. Look. [slides her phone out of her arm band, taps and swipes quickly, and shows Ava the screen] I’m no stranger. I have a name. My name's Ashley Grubcek.
Ava: My name's Ava Greene.
Ashley: [sliding the phone back into her arm band] Now can I drive you back, Ava?
Ava: No thanks. I feel like staying out longer.
Ashley: Well I can't hang out all night. [slaps arm] The mosquitos are driving me insane. [checks watch, speaks more to the watch than Ava] And I’m meeting someone for drinks tonight in like an hour. I should call him actually.
Ava: Go ahead.
Ashley: And say what? I’ll be there as soon as I ditch this lost little kid? [pause] I don’t know what to do.
Ava: You can go. I’ll be fine.
Ashley: [frustrated] No I can't. I can’t just leave you here. By yourself. You’ll...What if you wind up on the news? [pause] Not to scare you but, like, this isn’t a great place to be after dark. I can see myself getting questioned by some cops or something tomorrow morning. [pause] You've put me in a very difficult position here.
Ava: [sadly] Sorry.
Ashley: No, no. It’s okay. [shakes her legs one at a time to avoid cramping] I shouldn’t’ve said that. [smiles] Let's find a bench okay?
[Both walk together until they find a bench. Ava sits. Ashley stretches her legs and Ava watches. Ava rolls her foot around when Ashley does. Ashley sits. They look straight ahead at the same woods in the fading sunlight. Simultaneously, Ashley extracts an energy bar from her runner’s pouch, and Ava extracts a bag of cookies from her backpack.]
Ava: [opening the bag] I hate running.
Ashley: [opening the energy bar] Why’s that?
Ava: Because it hurts! In gym class Mr. Murray makes us run like a mile every spring. I always finish last. It’s so hard! I hate it. As soon as I start, it feels like someone’s stabbing me in the belly with a big knife!
Ashley: Oh yeah. That happens. Those’re called stitches. They suck. Your body’s saying it’s not ready yet. But it’s part of the challenge, pushing through the pain. Take deep breaths and start off slow. And practice lots. Runners run all the time.
Ava: [doubtfully] Maybe. [Ashley takes a bite of her energy bar. Ave pauses to eat a cookie at the same time. With food in her mouth] Are you lonely?
Ashley: [with food in her mouth] Excuse me?
Ava: You're so far from home. Don't you get lonely?
Ashley: [quickly] Nah. You meet new people, make new friends, keep busy with work and running or whatever. It's exciting...most of the time, making fresh starts.
Ava: I leave because I can’t take it. I hate how mean they are to each other.
Ashley: Yeah that sucks but this [looks around] isn’t a great option you’ve chosen, a park. You’re missing the basics. [counts off the following items on her fingers] Water, food, shelter. I’d give you three days, tops. Four if you find a water fountain that’s not broken. [smiles at Ava]
Ava: [earnestly] I have more cookies in my bag.
Ashley: Cookies won’t cut it for long. And without milk, I mean, what’s the point? You’ll get all dried out.
Ava: [not smiling] Yeah. I know.
[Ashley takes out her water bottle and squirts it into her mouth. She hands it to Ava. Ava does the same.]
Ava: There's no escaping my parents.
Ashley: [turns to look at Ava and says with conviction] Hey! That’s not true. Someday you will.
Ava: [sighing] No. Never. There's no escaping them.
Ashley: Sure there is. Give it time. When you're grown up and can make decisions on your own, things’re different. You can strike off and go where you want--within reason. I mean, you'll have to find a job but still...
Ava: But family's family, even if you pretend they’re not there.
Ashley: [leaning in slightly toward Ava] Hold up. [puts her hand on Ava’s knee, then retracts it] You need to take care of yourself first... you will, I mean... later.
Ava: I don’t get it. What's the difference between now and later?
Ashley: Uh... I don’t know. You… [hesitantly] You'll be responsible later for one thing.
Ava: [with increasing passion] I still don’t get it. Is it okay to run away when you're older? [pauses and turns to look at Ashley] Is it?
Ashley: [assertively] Leaving home isn't always running away. I didn't run away to go to work this morning. You didn't run away to go to school. When you have to leave, it's not running away.
Ava: So you had to leave [eats another cookie]?
Ashley: [speaking quickly] Had to? Yeah. In a way. [pause] My parents were mean, too. They always got mad at each other and then there was me, in the middle, trying not to take sides but still like taking sides anyways. Ganging up on whoever’d made me mad. Which wasn’t exactly putting me on a good path. So yeah I had to get out or else I’d hate them and be pissed--[waives her hand] is pissed bad? sorry--upset all the time.
Ava: Oh.
Ashley: [looking into the woods] What could I do? I wasn’t going to fix them or their problems. A kid shouldn’t be asked to. So, no. No other choice but to get out of there or I’d grow up to be terrible just like them.
[Ava puts her wrapper in her bag and zips it up.]
Ashley: [turns back to Ava] Do you know what I mean?
Ava: Maybe.
Ashley: But yeah so anyways, you can take care of yourself when you get older and leave the mess to the people who made it. That’s something to look forward to. I mean, if it comes to that.
Ava: Yeah. [looks down, considering what was said]
Ashley: [extends the remaining energy bar towards Ava] You want the rest of this? I only took a bite. You could use the protein.
Ava: [takes the bar and holds it in her hand] Thanks.
Ashley: Protein for the hike back.
Ava: Yeah. [pause] But what about them?
Ashley: [furrows brow] Who? Your mom and dad?
Ava: Yeah.
Ashley: [shakes head] Whatever. That’s on them.
Ava: [pause] Don’t you feel sad for your mom and dad?
Ashley: Sad? No. Not sad.
Ava: Why not?
Ashley: Because I don’t care. It’s their fault. I didn’t have anything to do with it. [pause] It’s not like I was the reason their marriage is shit [waives her hand hand]--sorry, uh, broken. My parents were messed up before I was born. So, I mean, if you make a mess, you’ve got to deal with the consequences. Like your kid bailing as soon as she can.
Ava: Did you ever run away before?
Ashley: Like this? No. Never. I daydreamed about it I mean, sure, but no. I never did.
Ava: Why’s that?
Ashley: I’ve always been too realistic for that I guess--no offense. I’d think about coming back eventually and them winning. [pause] No, I just locked my door a lot and only applied to out of state colleges when the time came.
Ava: [pause] I go home because I feel sad for mom and dad and I don’t want to make it worse.
Ashley: [shakes her head slightly] That’s where you’re wrong. You’re not making it worse. They’re not making it better. Don’t put this on yourself. It’s not your fault.
Ava: How do you know?
Ashley: What could you have done? You.. [beginning to become upset] I… I feel like I’ve been in your shoes. [pause] But maybe I haven’t.
Ava: If I don’t go back, then they won’t know it’s okay. That I’m not mad at them.
Ashley: [emphatically] But it’s not okay, Ava. I’m telling you as like an adult it’s definitely not okay to scream at each other in front of you and make threats [pause] or whatever it was they were doing to make it a very bad day. That’s in no way okay and you shouldn’t feel like you have to not be angry at them, you know? You really don’t deserve this.
Ava: Maybe not.
Ashley: Definitely not.
[Insect sounds prominently fill the silence between the two as they each process what has been said.]
Ava: I guess we can go now.
Ashley: When? Now? I don’t [pause] I mean if it’s not safe...Is there anyone else I can call for you or something? An aunt or uncle in town?
Ava: No.
Ashley: But…
Ava: I’m not upset anymore. We can go.
Ashley: Just like that?
[Ava stands up. Ashley now appears more out of sorts than Ava.]
Ava: I thought you wanted me to go home.
Ashley: I did. [pause] But that was before I found out your situation or whatever. I don’t want to… I don’t know.
Ava: I’ve gotta go back.
Ashley: Right but… What about a friend? Can I take you to a friend’s house?
Ava: And then what?
Ashley: I don’t know. Maybe your parents would… get scared into treating you better.
Ava: I don’t think it works like that.
Ashley: Yeah. Well. Do you have any ideas?
Ava: Push through. Like you said.
[They look at each other silently.]
Ava: Come on if you want.
[Ashley does not move.]
Ava: Okay then. Thanks for the, uh [looks at the bar] this. [lifts the bar towards Ashley and takes a bite]
[Ava starts to walk again. Ashley watches her take a few steps. She then stands and catches up. They walk together without speaking. They cross through the woods, through the fields, and over the perimeter sidewalk. Insect sounds are replaced by urban sounds. Ava disposes of the energy bar wrapper at a trash can. The two wait for the street light to turn and cross over into a neighborhood together. Eventually, they arrive at Ava’s house.]
Ava: This is where I live.
Ashley: [hesitantly] Okay. Well.
Ava: Maybe you could go home, too.
Ashley: [flatly] That’s my next stop.
Ava: I mean home home. Start off slow. Say hi.
Ashley: [doubtfully] Maybe.
Ava: Thanks for walking me back.
Ashley: You’re welcome.
Ava: See you in the park?
Ashley: [softly] We’ll see.
[Split-screen closing sequence with Ava’s legs and feet walking up the sidewalk and Ashley’s legs and feet planted, toes pointing towards Ava’s house. Gradually, the frame widens until we see them both entirely, each the center of their own half of the screen. The camera following Ava swings out to see through the living room window, and the camera following Ashley remains fixed. Once inside, her father looks away from his laptop to see Ava then looks back--unphased. She heads up stairs, out of frame. Her mom runs after her. All the while, Ashley stands still outside. She extracts her phone from her armband. She dials and mouths something that can’t be heard because of the overlaid soundtrack.]
