by Lara Haynes Freed
FADE IN:
EXT. OCEAN BEACH, WASHINGTON COAST – DAY
Sandy beach on a breezy day. A family builds a sand castle: dad DANIEL (45), mom JANE (43), and son TAAVI (7).
Jane’s hair is bright blue under a black beanie.
Waves crash. Taavi, covered in sand, looks out at the sea.
TAAVI
Mom, your hair is blue just like the ocean!
JANE (laughs)
That was the plan, silly.
Taavi runs toward the water. He wades up to his knees.
Jane and Daniel hold hands and watch their son play in the rolling tide. Their smiles grow tense as the ocean roars.
INT. MOTEL BATHROOM – NIGHT
Jane sets down a toothbrush and looks in a bathroom mirror. She removes the beanie and tousles her blue hair.
She removes the hair: a wig. Her head is bald. Jane observes her reflection, pensive.
Daniel peeks in through the door.
DANIEL
He’s asleep already. Worn out.
JANE
Me too.
Daniel steps into the bathroom, smiles at Jane in the mirror.
DANIEL
Hey. We’re all coming back here again next year. Same as always. Jane turns to face him. They embrace.
FADE OUT.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lara Haynes Freed is a Pacific Northwest writer with roots in the Midwest. She holds an MA in linguistics from the University of Kansas and studied screenwriting and technical writing at the University of Washington. Interests in psychology, mythology, and subculture inspire her creative work, and her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Sleet, And/Both, and Months to Years magazines. She lives in the Seattle area with her family.