JULY 4 - 6
DAKOTA
There were times when I viewed my life as a screenplay. It was a game I played with myself as a way to almost dissociate from reality, and tonight was a time that I desperately wanted to do so.
FADE IN.
EXT. BRYCE SHAY'S WATERFRONT HOUSE — NIGHT
Tired and pissed off, Dakota Black walks across a manicured lawn to a brightly lit house. There are landmines of red solo cups that he swiftly evades.
DAKOTA
(to himself)
Happy birthday America.
INT: BRYCE SHAY'S HOUSE — KITCHEN
Heads turn in Dakota's direction. Sydney Atwood sees him coming and converges.
SYD
(smiling ear to ear)
We're going to face off in beer pong. I need to find my partner. Where's Brenna?
BRENNA
(eyes narrowing)
Forget BP. We've got bigger fish to fry.
Dakota blinks in the face of her callous tone. For a moment, he doesn't understand, but then he gets it:
DAKOTA
Seriously? I'm the fish?
BRENNA
You're the fish. What did you say to Allix?
DAKOTA
Nothing. Why?
SYD
(eager to be a diffuse the tension)
Allix is drunk. She's just fluttering around like a drunk pixie.
DAKOTA
Good for her.
BRENNA
(unamused)
God, do you even hear yourself right now? You're a total dick.
Boom: That's where Dakota draws the line.
Ending the game, I confronted my reality.
I looked between the two of them and scoffed. "Since when did I become the bad guy?"
Syd's gaze shifted to Brenna. "I'm going to tell him. It's better if he knows everything."
"Jesus Christ," I said, my vision flashing red. "Of course, you both already know."
It was a predictable betrayal, one I should've seen barreling my way like a freight train. They didn't trust me because they didn't believe I was one of them. Not anymore.
Syd exhaled a heavy sigh. "It's not what you think. We're not conspiring against you. Things just sort of happened."
"Bullshit," I shook my head. "Nothing just sort of happens."
"Yeah, well, it did," Brenna snapped, her blue eyes flashing. "Now, if you remember how to shut your mouth, we'll tell you what we know."
I looked away, battling the urge to not try and have the last word. Anger weighed down on my chest, hot and unforgiving, but I forced it down.
YOU ARE READING
Apex
Mystery / Thriller[WATTY WINNER 2021] The summer takes a turn for the worse when young filmmaker Dakota Black returns to his Washington hometown to co-produce a series with a premium television network, and the screenplay becomes a chilling reality. ...
