Character List

INT. RESTAURANT — NIGHT

GEOFF and EMMA are sitting at a table. The waiter just delivered them their meals.

GEOFF
Emma, there's nothing I'd rather do, then to get engaged and marry you!

Emma gasps. Everyone in the restaurant glares at her.

GEOFF
So, Emma Kate Tomlinson, will you be my beloved wife?


Tears begin to stream down Emma's face.

EMMA
Yes! Oh my, yes, yes, yes!!

Flash forward six months.


INT. EMMA AND GOEFF'S HOME — DAY

Geoff slams the front door behind him. Emma was quietly setting the table for dinner.

EMMA
Hey honey! How was work?

GEOFF
It sucked! Today was not my day. I don't know about you, but I'm friggin hungry, so get me some dinner now!

EMMA
(Stuttering)
Okay... Just take a seat and I'll get you something to drink.


Geoff slowly walks up to Emma. He gets right in her face.

GEOFF
No. I don't take orders from you. You take orders from me, so, go away.

EMMA
Uhhh...

GOEFF
Now! Go! Now!

Emma frightfully runs up the stairs. Geoff has never acted this mad before. Emma begins to pray.

INT. BEDROOM — NIGHT
EMMA
Dear Lord, please help Geoff to control his anger. He's never been this mad before; I don't know what's gotten into him. Maybe he had to fire one of his best workers or something, I don't know. All I'm asking is for your help, Lord, your guidance for him. He needs you. Amen.

Emma hears footsteps coming up the stairwell. She gets a feeling of discomfort. Geoff throws his wallet and phone on the side-table and gets into the bed. Emma says nothing.

Flash forward to the next morning.


INT. BEDROOM - MORNING

Geoff is already awake. He is taking a shower. Emma yawns and begins to wake up. Right as Geoff is getting out of the shower, Emma gets out of bed.

EMMA
Morning.

Geoff says no words. Emma gets very aggravated.


EMMA
I can't do this anymore! What is up with you? You have been so mad lately, and you talk to me as if I have killed someone.

Geoff runs over to Emma. He takes a swing at her face. She quickly fell to the ground and began weeping. Without hesitation, he continues to beat her up. He hits her, kicks her, punches her, and Emma doesn't know what to do, so she lets him. After about five minutes, he leaves to go to work. Emma lays on the floor of her bedroom crying.

Flash forward two hours.

INT. BATHROOM — AFTERNOON

Emma is putting make-up on in her bathroom. The phone rings. It's Geoff. Emma hesitates to answer it.

EMMA
Hello.

GEOFF
(Happy as a clam)
Hey babe! I should be home around 7:00. Where would you like to go tonight? Anywhere you want. Anywhere at all.

EMMA
... How about the movies... "Don't go to the Zoo at Night" is premiering at 8:00. I'll meet you there.

GEOFF
You got it! See you soon, hun! I love you.

EMMA
Love you too.

Emma hangs up the phone. She immediately calls her friend, BRADY, who has been her childhood friend for over 20 years.



EMMA
(Her voice is shaking)
Brady?!

BRADY
Hey M & M!

EMMA
I need your help!

BRADY
Yea... Anything. What's wrong?

EMMA
I don't know. Something's seriously wrong with Geoff.

BRADY
What do you mean?

EMMA
(Crying)
He came home very angry the other night and something bad happened —— He beat me.

BRADY
Where is he?! I'm gonna give him a taste of his own medicine. Where's that son of a ——

EMMA
No! You can't, Brady. I told him that I would meet him at the movies at 8:00 tonight, but in the meantime I need to find a place to stay. I can't do this any longer.

BRADY
Ok. Ok. Well you know that your always welcome to stay with me. Just hop on the next plane and I'll be waiting for you at the gate.

EMMA
It's not as easy as it seems. He'll find out where I am when he gets the bill for the ticket, and then he will come after me.

GEOFF
I'll buy it.

EMMA
Thanks! You don't even realize how bad I need you right now. I need a good friend to get me through this, I don't know ——

GEOFF
I want you to tell me all about it, but do it when I see you in Colorado. You don't have much time to pack. I'll see you in a couple of hours.

EMMA
Ok. Text me what time my flight is for. Thanks again Brady!

BRADY
No problem Emms! See you soon.

INT. AIRPORT — NIGHT

About three hours later, Emma arrives in Breckinridge, Colorado. From the black boldness in her eyes, you could tell she is terrified, but covering that is a big happy smile; she is excited to see her best friend. Her and Brady hadn't seen each other in five years.

Emma walks through the gate in Breckinridge. She looks around for Brady.

BRADY
Emma! Emma! Over here!

Emma glances over to where Brady was standing. Right beside him is a little girl. Emma is surprised.

EMMA
Hey! Ahhh... I missed you so much!

They give each other a big hug. There is comfort in Emma's appearance. Emma looks down at the small girl.

EMMA
Well, hi! I'm Emma. What's your name?

EMMIE
I'm Emmie. Who are you?

Emma glances over at Brady. She smiles.

BRADY
Emmie, this is Emma, my friend from when I was a little kid. Emma, (he looks at Emma) this is Emmie, my daughter.

EMMA
(Smiling)
Well, it's a pleasure to meet you young lady!

EMMIE
(Giggling)
You too!

BRADY
I must not be the only one whose stomach is growling, so I say we go over to Five Guys and eat some delicious burgers and fries.

EMMA
Sounds great to me captain.

Emmie reaches her tiny hand out, and without hesitation, Emma clasps onto it. They walk to the restaurant.

INT. RESTAURANT — NIGHT

EMMA
So, Miss Emmie, how old are you?

EMMIE
I'm four years old.

The waiter appears at the table.

WAITER
Can I get you guys something to drink?

Emmie was fairly mature for her age. She used very big words for being four.

EMMIE
Yes, sir. I'll take an unsweetened tea, without the lemon.

Emma giggles. She whispers to Brady.

EMMA
(Whispering)
She is unbelievably mature for being four, am I right?

BRADY
Tell me about it. She cracks me up!

EMMA
So this is your little bundle of sunshine?

BRADY
Yep. She definitely keeps me occupied. Socially, she got her mom's genes for talking so much. I mean, she never shuts up, but I don't know what I'd do without her.

EMMA
(Laughing)
Ahh! Well I'm looking forward to spending time with you two!

BRADY
Good! Stay as long as you want, because when Emmie goes to her mother's house, it can get pretty lonely around here.

Right as the waiter asks for Emma's drink, she gets a call from Geoff. Emma immediately declines the call.

BRADY
Was that who I think it was?

EMMA
Yeah...

BRADY
Don't worry about it. Tomorrow we will get you a new phone with a brand new number. He won't be able to track you down anymore.

EMMA
Track me down? What do you mean?

BRADY
Phones now-a-days have trackers. He could see where you are any second of the day with a click of a button.

Emma's facial expression went from extremely happy to extremely nervous and scared.

EMMA
Oh no. This is not good. He could be here, in Colorado, watching us from outside of this restaurant. We have to go. We need to get out of here and get me a new phone quickly. He's a psycho, you know. He-He will hunt me down and try to hurt me even worse than he already has. (She began to cry a little.) Come on, we need to leave.

BRADY
You're right.

Brady turns to Emmie.

BRADY
Let's go, honey.

EMMIE
But dad... I'm hungry!

BRADY
I know, boo, but this is very important. We'll pick you up something to eat on the way home.

EMMIE
Okay! Can we go to Chick-fil-a?

BRADY
(Smiling)
Sure.

Brady, Emmie, and Emma and walk out of the airport, hand in hand.

Flash forward two hours.

INT. BRADY'S HOUSE - DAY

BRADY
Now that you have a new phone, I don't have to worry about psycho Geoff tracking you down.

EMMA
Yea.. That's a big relief.

Emmie was already asleep on the couch. Brady walked over to her.


BRADY
I'm gunna go bring her upstairs to her room, you're welcome to come.

EMMA
It's okay. I'll stay down her and tidy up the kitchen a little bit, I mean after all it's the least I can do for you.

BRADY
I'll be down in a minute.

Brady walks upstairs with Emmie in his arms. Emma is downstairs wiping the granite countertops. Her phone rings; it is her parents calling.

EMMA
Hey dad!

No one answers. Emma continues to say 'hello' but the line is silent. She eventually hangs up. She calls them back. No one answers.

EMMA
(Speaking quietly to herself)
That was weird.

Brady comes tiptoeing down the stairs.

BRADY
(Hearing Emma talk)
What happened?

EMMA
I honestly don't know. My dad just called, and when I said 'hello' no one answered. So then, I kept saying 'hello, hello, hello' and still, no one was saying anything on the other line, so I hung up. Then I tried calling him back, and he didn't answer; the call went straight to his voicemail.


BRADY
Wow, that is weird. Here (handing him his phone), use mine. I've never had any problems with my service, but maybe it's your cell network. Do you have Verizon?

EMMA
No, I have T-Mobile, which, yea, I know, it's a very sucky network.

BRADY
I'll have to check out the server tomorrow to see if we're having any problems, but in the meantime, I'll show you where you can sleep.

EMMA
Sounds great to me! So where will I be sleeping?

BRADY
(Joking)
The basement... It's pretty cold down there so you might want to bundle up.

EMMA
You've got to be kidding me.

BRADY
I'm just kidding Emms! You're room is up here.

Brady begins walking up the stairs and Emma follows right behind him.

BRADY
Here we are!

He opens up the door.

BRADY
You've got yourself a bed, some drawers, a toilet, which should be very useful (they chuckle), a sink, and a shower.

EMMA
You don't know how much this means to me. Thanks so much and soon I will find some way to pay you back for all of this. I just... Well it's just that I was scared, and you're one of the only people that came to mind when I thought of comfort. So...

BRADY
Seriously, Emma, it's perfectly fine, and honestly, I'm glad to have the company.


Emma walks into her room and cracks the door, she and Brady tell each other goodnight and Emma quietly closes the door.



TO BE CONTINUED...