Ephemeral

EPHEMERAL 

Based Loosely On, Songs By Ethel Cain 

1. 

FADE IN: 

1 INT. CLUB - MIDNIGHT 1 

Flashing lights and a blur of people dancing. A band is  playing and a couple is arguing in the distance. 

1A EXT. PARKING LOT - MIDNIGHT 1A CUT TO: TITLES 

The screen is black and the door to the club is slammed. High  heels clack against the pavement in a quick fashion until  they reach a car door. 

2 INT. KITCHEN - LATER 2 

Only a fraction of the kitchen is visible as AVERY, 20s,  enters and tosses her phone on the counter. It turns on to  reveal the wallpaper of her and her girlfriend. 

3 INT. BEDROOM - 4 AM 3 

Although Avery's room is filled with her most favorite vinyls  and sweet candles, the room is stale and empty. A coldness is  veiled over her worn clothes and uneaten food. Everything is  where it was when she left but nothing seems to be in the  right place anymore. 

Avery looks into the mirror and wipes her makeup off. Glitter  remains spread about her face as she doesn't have to energy  to remove each morsel from her face. 

3A INT. BED - 5 AM 3A 

Avery crawls into bed. Her red and puffy eyes fall heavy as  she finally sleeps. 

4 INT. BED - 10 AM 4 

The golden morning light pours through the curtains illuminating Avery's knotted hair. Without a second thought,  she stretches to close the curtain and returns to the  perfectly molded spot in her bed. 

4A INT. BED - NOON 4A

2. 

Avery awakens again and begins to toss around her sheets in  search of her phone. Instead, she finds the shirt she wore  the night before. As she picks it up it's as if she's sent  back to the anger and confusion of the previous night. 

A glaze pours over her eyes as the doorknob turns. Avery  shifts her head towards the sound. A person enters. 

Her name is AMAYA. 

Despite the fact that she doesn't speak, Avery can hear her.  She looks frail but around Avery's age. She's wearing sweats.  In her hands is an extra hoodie. Avery doesn't know her but  everything about her is familiar.  

Amaya reaches her arms out to give Avery the sweatshirt.  Avery flinches. Amaya persists. Avery reaches her hand out to  see if she's real and not just hungover. Sitting dumbfounded,  she allows Amaya to help her put the sweatshirt on. Amaya  places the hood on Avery's head. She now knows who this is. 

JUMP CUT TO: 

5 INT. BEDROOM - EVENING 5 

The two are together on the bed. Avery picks at the clothes  on the bed and grabs the sparkled shirt from before. The  argument slips into her mind again. This time for only a  second. 

CUT TO: 

Amaya gets up to grab food for Avery as she hasn't eaten all  day. 

There's a knock at the door. The two look at each other and  Amaya gets up to see who it is. 

No one is there. Amaya, now relieved, turns to walk back to  the bed but stops. She dryly swallows and tightens her jaw  unable to take another step forward. Someone's sitting next  to Avery holding a phone, Avery's phone. 

6 INT. BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER 6 His name is JASPER. 

His hair is messy and his clothes are in disarray. He is also  around Avery's age. She can hear his thoughts clearly now. 

As Jasper and Amaya lock eyes his face falls a bit. His leg  begins to bounce faster.

3. 

He continues to scroll through Avery's phone but now he's  looking more rapidly. He searches through every app, every  post, every tag.  

Avery notices he's looking at her texts and photos. She sees  what people have been saying about her. She snatches her  phone away and by doing so she is taking the bouncing leg,  the shortness of breath, and the rapid thoughts that also  belonged to Jasper.  

He starts to touch her hair looking at each strand closer  than the last. Avery only responds with small flicks and side  eyes.  

Amaya finally gains the courage to run to Avery embracing  her. 

Amaya's hug not only gave Avery her comfort but, also stomach  pain, dread, and regret. 

Jasper begins pacing the room as his and Amaya's thoughts  grow with volume. Avery begins to grip Amaya begging her to  return the symptoms she gave her. But Amaya only grabs the  closest thing to her and comforts Avery while she throws up.  Everything falls silent. 

Avery attempts to fall asleep by taking a sleeping pill. 

7 INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT TWO 7 

The bedroom is becoming unrecognizable to Avery. Her clothes  begin to swarm the bed, crumbs have started to dust the  sheets and, Amaya and Jasper are still here.  

Jasper sits toward the edge of the bed bouncing his leg and  Amaya has sculpted a space beside Avery.  

Avery sits, bladder full, bags growing beneath her eyes,  unable to leave her bed. 

She takes a few sleeping pills. 

8 INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT THREE 8 

Avery is cuddled close to Amaya, and Jasper is closer than  before. Avery is picking at a snack.  

Avery takes more sleeping pills. 

9 INT. BEDROOM - FINAL NIGHT 9

4. 

Days and nights have blended into one entangled web of  endless agony. No matter the amount of sleeping pills Avery  takes each night she just lies there, eyes open, staring at  the chipped paint on her dresser.  

Avery's eyes are locked on the bottle of pills while Amaya  and Jasper move closer to her. 

There's a knock at the door. Amaya and Jasper look at one  another. Avery doesn't flinch. Amaya and Jasper are no longer  there.  

A person enters the room we don't see his face, just the back  of him.  

His name is SILAS. 

Silas is quiet and elegant in the way he moves. There is a  comfort and longing for him felt by Avery. Anything he tells  her to do, she will obey. 

Avery directs her attention slowly toward him, with no  feeling left inside her. He hands her the pills and a glass  of water. 

Everything happens so quickly. Avery pours pills into her  hands and chugs water. More and more. Silas is feeding it to  her and then he isn't there. 

He lays her on the bed to rest, kisses her on the hand and he  exits the room. 

Avery's hand touches the floor. Never to leave the bed again. FADE OUT.