Pieces of You (Screenplay)

Whispering I love you

FADE IN:

EXT. FROZEN LAKE - DAY

Cloudy skies hang low, and snow falls gently, covering the world in a soft, white blanket. The trees are bare, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. A quiet wind whispers through the silence. We see MAGGIE, a teenage girl in a nightgown, standing at the edge of the frozen lake, staring intently at the ice.

TAYLOR (O.S.)

Maggie?

(Confused.)

Where did everyone go?

MAGGIE turns, her tear-streaked face highlighted by the cold air. She finally meets TAYLOR's gaze, tears glistening in her eyes, her mascara smudged.

MAGGIE
(Choked with emotion.)

You mean... you don't remember?

(Pauses, voice trembling.)

They all died.

Suddenly, TAYLOR wakes up with a start, sitting upright in bed. The light from her window casts a dim glow across her room. She looks around, confused.

TAYLOR
Another strange dream. Time to rise and shine, I guess.

(Sighs.)

Another day, all by myself.

TAYLOR pulls back her blanket and swings her legs over the side of the bed, revealing her long shirt and underwear. She heads to her dresser, takes off the long shirt, and changes into a crop top. Next, she slips into a pair of jeans and worn sneakers. She grabs a scrunchie from the top of her dresser and pulls her hair back into a ponytail.

CUT TO:

INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

TAYLOR exits her bedroom, walking through the dimly lit hallway into the living room. She opens the front door, revealing a weathered front yard. A rusty bicycle lies abandoned on the grass.

EXT. FRONT YARD - CONTINUOUS

TAYLOR climbs onto the bike, which creaks under her weight. She begins to pedal slowly, glancing around at the desolate neighborhood.

Moments later, she returns, laying the bike back down before heading back inside. She enters the kitchen and sits down at the table, picking up a pen and her journal.

TAYLOR (V.O.)

(Reading aloud as she writes.)

Dear Maggie,

I had the strangest dream last night. You were standing by that lake; you know the one where the little girl drowned and is apparently haunting. You were crying, which is so unlike your sunny personality. You told me everyone left, like I didn't already know that.

Taylor pauses, the weight of her words sinking in.

TAYLOR (V.O.)

Anyways, I rode my bike today and found some pecans growing from my neighbor's tree. Everything else is the same. Leaky pipes, paint chipping and tearing, a giant worn-out house, and one lonely girl living in it. My bike is also worn out; I think I need a new one. I know, I know... "Told you so."

As she writes, a FLASHBACK begins in BLACK AND WHITE. A young TAYLOR is being given a piggyback ride by a GUY. Their laughter echoes like a sweet memory.

YOUNG TAYLOR
Put me down!

VOICE (GUY)
No!

YOUNG TAYLOR
(Laughing.)

Put me down!

VOICE (GUY)
Make me.

YOUNG TAYLOR leans close, whispering sweetly in his ear.

YOUNG TAYLOR
If I told you I love you, will you put me down?

VOICE (GUY)
Maybe.

YOUNG TAYLOR
(Whispering.)

I love you.

The GUY sets her down gently, wrapping his arms around her waist. He leans in and kisses her softly.

VOICE (GUY)
I love you too.

YOUNG TAYLOR
(Breaking the kiss.)

I know.

BACK TO PRESENT: TAYLOR wipes a tear from her eye as she closes her journal. The page reveals a tear stain.

INT. TAYLOR'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

TAYLOR stands and storms back to her room, SLAMMING the door shut. She slides down against the door, curling up with her knees tucked under her, hands tangled in her hair. The scrunchie slips from her fingers and falls to the floor.

TAYLOR
(Whispers.)

I miss you; I miss you; I miss you.

(She buries her head in her knees, tears streaming down her face. The light begins to fade in her room, casting shadows over her.)