INT. CAR - DAY
1988. The middle of nowhere. An old, worn out and dirty car speeds down a country road.
It’s an awkward time of year that is neither winter nor spring. It’s above freezing, but the snow that remains is black from dirt.
Its driver is ESTHER ALTMAN (18). Her hair is short and dark, her eyes wide. She blasts a heavy metal song from a cassette tape. Her eyes are red from crying.
In her rearview mirror, she sees a car tailing her, and curses under her breath. She exits towards a rest stop.
EXT. REST STOP - DAY
Esther parks and gets out of the car, and waits for the car that’s been following her to park next to her.
She sighs when she sees its driver, ADAM WHITMAN (31), her older half-brother.
ESTHER
What the fuck? Stop following me!
ADAM
You’re hysterical.
ESTHER
Leave me alone.
Adam approaches his younger sister.
ADAM
Look. Just come home.
ESTHER
I can’t.
Esther dries a few of her tears.
ADAM
So you’re just going to leave and never come back?
ESTHER
Why not? It’s not like they want me there anyway!
ADAM
That’s not true.
Esther says nothing.
ADAM
Come on. It’s cold as shit. Let’s go back.
ESTHER
Adam, why don’t you just go back to your wife?
ADAM
I’m not leaving you here in the middle of nowhere.
ESTHER
Why do you care what I do? I’m eighteen.
ADAM
Because you’re family.
ESTHER
Fucked-up family.
ADAM
What difference does it make? We’ve always been there for you, haven’t we?
ESTHER
Sarah hates me.
Adam takes a deep breath.
ADAM
She doesn’t.
ESTHER
I know the way she looks at me. It’s no different from the way Grandpa does.
ADAM
Esther. You are not your mother.
ESTHER
Well, then why does everyone act like it then?
ADAM
Look. Everyone would really like it if you came back and had the rest of your Thanksgiving dinner.
Esther sniffles, almost as if she’s seriously considering it.
ESTHER
Adam... you’ve always been so good to me. But. It’s too late for me, okay?
He nods.
ADAM
I suppose you’re not a little girl anymore.
ESTHER
No, I’m not.
He hugs her tightly, trying to mask his own tears.
ADAM
You need anything, you call me. Okay?
He smiles shyly at her as she starts to get back into her car.
ESTHER
You really do like so much like him, you know.
She gets back into her car. Adam watches as she drives away.
EXT. SEATTLE STREETS - DUSK
SUPER: EIGHT YEARS LATER
It’s June 1996. Rush hour. Follow up coverage on the recent Mount Everest disaster plays on the radio. Rob Hall’s daughter has just been born in New Zealand.
AMY FOX (25), redheaded, freckled, is stuck in traffic. It’s pouring rain. Her car is cluttered, filled with papers, bags, and assorted trash.
In the passenger’s seat is TARA STONE (24), wide-eyed, sweet-faced. She checks her watch.
AMY
What time is your flight?
TARA
Eh, in two hours. But I’m sure it’s delayed.
Tara winces as coverage about Rob Hall’s daughter continues.
TARA
I’m sorry, can we not listen to this?
AMY
Oh, sure.
Amy changes the channel. Just then, she hears the familiar sound of a guitar and the voice of Kurt Cobain, singing Nirvana’s cover of Where Did You Sleep Last Night.
AMY
Yes.
Amy turns up the radio, and begins to sing along.
AMY
I still can't believe he’s gone.
Tara says nothing.
AMY
So, when’s Nirvana being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
TARA
I don’t know. I’m not charge of who gets in.
AMY
I’m just joking.
Am purses her lips, and continues to drive, lost in the music.
AMY
His poor daughter.
Tara takes a deep breath.
TARA
Yeah. I’m sorry, it’s just... things like that get to me.
Amy sighs deeply.
TARA
So many people take having two parents for granted.
AMY
Yeah. Believe me, I know. Mom still won’t tell me who he was. What’s she afraid of?
TARA
At least she knows who he was. It’s so hard to imagine my mom as having a one night stand, but here I am.
Tara cuts through the awkward silence by changing the subject.
TARA
How’s your mom, by the way?
AMY
She’s good. I should call her.
Tara bites her lip.
TARA
I’m not supposed to tell you this, but my mom and I are coming to LA to visit over Fourth of July.
AMY
Really?
TARA
And your mom’s going to buy you a plane ticket.
A smile forms on Amy’s face.
AMY
Tara. You really are the worst at keeping secrets. I’ll be pretend to be surprised.
The girls both smile.
AMY
I know you were here for work, but thanks for making time to see me anyway.
TARA
Of course.
AMY
God, I haven’t been home in forever. I’d say we could go to Disney if I wasn’t broke.
TARA
We could go to the pier.
AMY
Yeah.
The girls realize that they haven’t really moved at all. Amy sighs in frustration.
AMY
We’ll get there... sometime.
They exchange another smile.
INT. AMY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Later. The rain has subsided, but is still present. Amy turns on her light and flops onto her couch. The apartment seems empty, half lived in. She sighs.
Just then, the phone rings. She sits up and answers.
AMY
Hello?
A British woman’s voice, CLAIRE, answers.
CLAIRE (O.S.)
Hi, darling.
AMY
Hi mummy.
CLAIRE (O.S.)
I hope I’m not calling too late.
AMY
I was about to see if I could catch the last bit of Seinfeld. If it’s not a rerun.
CLAIRE (O.S.)
Tara make it to the airport all right?
AMY
She did.
CLAIRE (O.S.)
Are you working summer school?
AMY
Not this year, ma. I told you.
CLAIRE (O.S.)
What are you doing for work?
AMY
I’ve been babysitting. It’s alright, but it’s not enough.
Amy’s eyes drift to a few past due bills on her coffee table.
CLAIRE (O.S.)
Well, do you want to come home for a week? I’ll buy your ticket.
AMY
Yeah. Sure. That sounds nice.
CLAIRE (O.S.)
Okay. I can’t wait to see you.
AMY
All right.
Amy smiles and hangs up the phone.
INT. LAX AIRPORT - DAY
Amy, carrying a suitcase, exits at her gate to find her mother CLAIRE (46) waiting for her. Amy is a spitting image of her mother, only the shape of her nose and eyes are different.
Claire hugs her daughter.
CLAIRE
Hello. How was your flight?
AMY
Good.
Just then, she sees Tara and her mother DEBBIE (43). They wave.
CLAIRE
(to Amy)
Surprised?
AMY
Totally.
Amy is a bad liar, but if Claire notices, she doesn’t let on. She walks over to Debbie and Tara.
Tara and Amy hug.
TARA
Hey.
AMY
Hey yourself.
They all stand in a semi-circle.
DEBBIE
Hi Amy, how are you?
AMY
Good.
DEBBIE
How’s teaching?
AMY
Well, I’m off now because of summer, but it’s good.
DEBBIE
How’s Scott?
AMY
Oh, we broke up.
DEBBIE
I’m sorry.
AMY
It’s fine.
Just then, Claire joins the group, and turns to Amy.
CLAIRE
Darling, did you check a bag?
AMY
Oh no. I’m ready whenever.
CLAIRE
Are you girls hungry?
AMY
Yeah, I could eat.
CLAIRE
Tara?
TARA
Sure.
They begin to walk. As they do, Claire gives Amy a tight side hug.
CLAIRE
I’m so glad you’re here.
AMY
Me too.
INT. PIZZA PARLOR - DAY
As they all eat pizza and drink wine, Tara is in the middle of telling a story.
TARA
So, Paul comes over to me and I’m red as a tomato and this point he shakes my hand and tells me--
She tries, but fails to imitate Paul McCartney’s distinct Liverpudlian dialect.
TARA
“Keep up the great work.”
She blushes.
TARA
Sorry, I can’t do the accent.
Claire smiles wryly.
TARA
He did give the most beautiful speech about John Lennon. I wanted to cry.
CLAIRE
How lovely.
Just then, the table falls silent.
DEBBIE
Girls, there’s something we wanted to talk to you about.
Both Claire and Debbie’s faces turn serious. They listen.
CLAIRE
Does the name Jay Whitman mean anything to either of you?
TARA
The cult leader?
Claire laughs nervously.
CLAIRE
Yes, I suppose so.
AMY
I mean, I’ve heard the name, but...
TARA
He was a cult leader in the early seventies. Like Jim Jones. Or David Koresh, I suppose. It was in Colorado. He had a harem of all these girls, I guess, and they believed in the end of the world. And a few of his followers ended up killing five people.
DEBBIE
All right, Tara. Enough.
TARA
What? I was just explaining to her.
DEBBIE
Enough.
Debbie takes a deep breath.
DEBBIE
We always told both of you that we were friends in the early seventies. That we met the night of the moon landing. That’s all true.
She takes another deep breath.
DEBBIE
But what we didn’t tell you is that we met because we both knew Jay Whitman. We were... a part of that cult, I suppose you could say.
Debbie trails off, and Claire jumps in.
CLAIRE
And both of you are his daughters.
Points: 6841
Reviews: 235
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