FADE IN:

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EXT. A SEINER ON THE OCEAN - DAWN

Two figures are out on a seiner attempting to reel in fish. Genevieve (20s) is a Black woman with her natural hair styled in a bob with an athletic frame. Ajani (50s) is a 6’3” Trinidadian man with a bald head and built stature.

 

NARRATOR
She always loved sunrises. Liked to wake up early. And she meant early. Ass crack of dawn was her favorite. That’s all she could think about looking up at the morning sky. Stars littered the atmosphere as evidence of the moon’s rule prior. Yellow and orange hues began to bleed into the sky as the sun started to rise. Hearing the ocean waves crash gently against the boat and the seagulls squawking in the distance, Genevieve felt the wind tussle her hair in a caress and felt at home. At least, she was.

 

AJANI
Hey! Let’s get a move on!

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GENEVIEVE

Sorry!

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NARRATOR
Her father, Ajani, yelled to get her attention. Changing gears, Genevieve moved to assist him in bringing in the net. With fish flopping causing seawater to get in their eyes, it was no easy task. They heaved with exertion, finally lifting their catch onto their humble seiner. She liked to call the boat “a hunk of sin,” what with all was wrong with it. And her father would always correct her, calling it the “S.S. Selene,” and they’d laugh together. In those times, Genevieve could see the faraway look in his eye, remembering his Selene.

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NARRATOR (CONT'D)
And she’d feel guilty because for her, there wasn’t much to remember. A face lost to time. A warmth that faded passed due.

 

AJANI

(Sigh) We should get goin’. This’ll last the café-what? A week?

 

NARRATOR
She turned her head and leveled a

look at him.

 

AJANI
Yeah, yeah, you’re right.

 

NARRATOR
Her father began to orient the fish properly, prompting Genevieve to help. They moved in tandem with one another, their bodies falling into a routine done many times before. After finishing, her father started up the boat’s engine and made way back to the island. After coming ashore, Genevieve and her father take their catch into “Bait-and-Switch.” The blue and yellow café was her second home. Well, the first floor was anyway, the second level was her actual home. Some people might find it hard to live above an overflowing business, but for Genevieve, it was all she ever knew. After loading the fish into the café’s kitchen, Genevieve climbed the steps just right off the kitchen entrance in haste to her bedroom. She bid her father goodnight–

 

GENEVIEVE Goodnight again, Daddy!

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AJANI

(Humming)

Uhuh.

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NARRATOR
–Flopped onto her bed and promptly fell asleep.

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CUT TO:

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INT. Genevieve’s bedroom - DAY

Genevieve is sleeping in her bed until her alarm blares loudly.

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GENEVIEVE

Ugh.

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NARRATOR
Genevieve awoke to her alarm clock blaring incredibly loud, she swore it could probably wake up the dead. She reached over to stop the device from Hell and fell back in a heap. She knew she had to get up for her shift at work. But the bed just felt so soft. She didn’t need to go, did she? Everyone knew how to swim on this godforsaken island. But then she remembered, like she did before every shift, about getting to see her coworker.

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GENEVIEVE

(Sighing)

C’mon, Viv.

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NARRATOR
Genevieve dragged her heavy limbs out of the covers and sleepily staggered to the bathroom to wash the smell of fish off her. Turning on the shower to its highest setting, she stripped her clothes off and looked at herself in the mirror. Light brown skin was marred by freckles and her face gave way to dark eyes and even darker hair, curls in every which direction. She looked to her arms, her biceps revealing the result of her constant early morning fish trips with her father. But what caught her attention were the faded lines of scars that looked as if they were keeping tallies, reminding her of each time she gave in to the darkness of her mind a little bit. Tears crept into her eyes and she quickly jumped into the shower to disguise them amongst the water that hit her face.

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GENEVIEVE
We’re not like that anymore, right?

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NARRATOR

Genevieve made quick work of cleaning herself up, hopping out of the shower, and rushing to get dressed, ignoring her mirror entirely. She crammed herself into a bright red one-piece bathing suit, a matching red jacket and cap, and white flip-flops. Faking a smile, she ran out down the stairs into the café. The sound of customers greeted her ears as she darted around the café. She exchanged "Good Afternoon"’s and "How are you doing"’s with some of the regulars. Opening the café

entrance, her father called out to her and gave her a concerned look. A real smile inched its way onto her face and she just nodded back. Her father seemed to soften and returned his focus back to tending to his patrons. With that, Genevieve began her short walk to the nearest lifeguard tower on the beach. The sun was high in the sky, seemingly sharing its intense heat only with her today. She felt beads of sweat forming on her back and wanted to badly discard her jacket, but stubbornly held out. On her way, she passed a small electronics store with televisions stacked against the shop window playing the local news channel.

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INSERT - LOCAL NEWS REPORT
A news reporter (40s) talks about the weather.

 

NEWSWOMAN
–Course, we can’t forget about that shower from last night! If you’re into space phenomena, you should have been able to witness the beautiful meteor shower that soared through the night sky. It was a sight that was truly out of this world. Now coming back to earth, today–

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BACK TO SCENE

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NARRATOR
Genevieve tuned the rest of the report out and finally reached her destination. After relieving the previous guard on duty, she began the arduous task of mind-numbing vigilance and trying not to overheat. Lifeguarding was not like it was in the movies. She didn’t get to save drowning victims and give CPR. Instead, people would ask for directions and she’d help the occasional lost child. If she was really lucky, families would offer whatever drink they had left in their cooler while getting ready to go home. Time passed slowly, minutes feeling like hours, and Genevieve knew because she constantly checked, waiting for the end of her shift. Finally, after what felt like forever, she saw her.

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Yui (20s) is a 5’ 8” Japanese-American woman with black hair. She walks towards the lifeguard tower.

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NARRATOR (CONT'D)

Yui was like a dream. A literal dream. Her red bikini highlighted her tan skin, long legs, and slim body. Her long black hair was slicked back into a ponytail, not a hair out of place. Some days, Genevieve didn’t know if she liked her or just wanted to be her. Yui gracefully glided over to her tower and flashed her a smile. Yeah, Genevieve definitely liked her. She felt her back straighten in response, nervous but excited at the sudden attention.

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YUI

Hey, Viv.

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GENEVIEVE

Hey, Yui.

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NARRATOR
Genevieve nervously replied and sat in silence, gazing at Yui. Yui’s eyes weren’t like hers, all dark and endless. No, they were a bright hazel, the greens and browns mixing in a way that looked perfect to Genevieve. But then again, everything about her was perfect. Her eyes widened in alarm as she realized she’d just been staring at her the whole time. Yui was still smiling at her, seemingly amused at her folly. She quickly got up out of the chair and climbed down the tower, making sure not to stand so close to Yui. Yui thanked her and took Genevieve’s spot.

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YUI
See ya next time, Viv!

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GENEVIEVE

Yeah.

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NARRATOR
Genevieve walked in the direction of her home and once she was out of Yui’s line of sight, picked up speed and ran as fast as she could. Seeing the café, she slowed down and opened the front door. The cool air hit her face and she sighed in relief. She needed more of it, to stop overheating. Ignoring the bustle in the building, Genevieve made her way back into her bedroom. She turned on the shower again, this time on its lowest setting. After hopping in, she found peace in the cool temperature. Wiping the grime and sweat off her body, she emerged feeling even more tired. She just wanted to sleep. Not even taking the time to get dressed, she crept into her bed and let the darkness consume her.

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CUT TO:

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INT. GENEVIEVE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Genevieve wakes up in darkness.

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NARRATOR
Her need for water is what wakes her up this time. Genevieve swallows and feels her dry throat constrict. She opens her eyes to complete darkness. Letting her eyes adjust, she slowly gets out of bed. She quietly ambles to the hallway and waits. Hearing her father’s snores, she presses her feet gently against the hardwood floor as she navigates her way to the downstairs kitchen. She grabs one of the café’s cups and turns on the faucet of a nearby sink, filling the cup to the brim. She downs the glass, the sound of her gulps filling the room. She goes to re-fill the glass, but stops. Genevieve looks out the window to see the night sky. Her eyes adjust once again, this time, to the brightness. Her sleep-addled mind finally catches up to decipher what she is seeing. The glass falls from her fingertips into the sink, chipping it slightly.

The sky is red and the moon is on fire.

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END OF ACT ONE