FLUID

By Josh Shapiro

Short Film

After losing her baby, Maya also loses her spirit. She finds
herself somewhere between life and death -- a place palpably close
yet nonexistent -- her own memory.
EXT. BEACH - SUNRISE

We hear clinking surgical instruments and heavy breaths. But

we see a deserted beach: crinkled towels, half-finished sand
castles, and footprints of all sizes in the sand. The tide
drags objects back and forth between surf and sand: an old
lipstick case, a kitschy flask, paint-splattered toy
soldiers, an unraveling knitted scarf, and other flotsam and
jetsam.

Montage of the peaceful beach as:

DOCTOR (V.O.)
Scissors for medio-lateral
episiotomy.

MAYA (V.O.)
(breathless)
Whats wrong?!

DOCTOR (V.O.)
Maya, were going to make a small
cut so she can come out more
easily.
(beat)
Fan her.

MAYA groans loudly. The sound of a pamphlet fanning her.

NURSE (V.O.)
Ill open a window for some air.

MAYA (V.O.)
(weakly)
No. No.

DOCTOR (V.O.)
Youre overheating, Maya. We need
to cool you down-

MAYA (V.O.)
I want to hear her!

The clinking surgical instruments pause awkwardly.

DOCTOR (V.O.)
Maya- You know that- Weve
discussed this. She-

Maya screams.

DOCTOR (V.O.)
Open the window. Call the chaplain.
 2.

A window opens and loud construction noise blusters in. It

will stay with us at a constant volume until the film ends.

Mayas groans crescendo for a minute until...

A cacophony of Mayas relieved breaths, surgical instruments

clinking delicately, and construction noise. But all we hear
is a mortal silence in place of familiar, little cries.

DOCTOR (V.O.)
Would you like to say goodbye now,
or after our tests?

INT. MAYAS DARK BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING

The construction noise persists without interruption.

Maya solemnly stares out her open window, but her mind is
elsewhere. Veins protrude from her heavy yellow eyes, which
bulge out of the collective darkness of her ashy skin and the
early morning. She is 35 but her restlessness adds 10 years.

Maya shuts the window, hoping to quiet the construction

noise, but it persists. Maya closes her eyes in defeat.

She walks away, stumbling on scattered hair clips meant to

tame her curls.

INT. SHOWER - MORNING

Maya sits still on the shower floor, facing away from us.

INT. BATHROOM - MORNING

Maya picks up a rusted lipstick case with Maya engraved on

it -- the same one from the beach. She hesitantly massages
some on, but then abruptly wipes it all off and tosses the
lipstick into an overflowing pile of trash in the corner.

INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

Maya sits with a green button down shirt tucked into a white
skirt: shes trying. She reads sheet music, practicing a mild
jazz tune on her violin. She brings the violin closer to her
ear and plays harder, scraping the strings, trying to
overcome the construction noise, but to no avail. She gives
up in frustration and almost smashes her violin on the table
but stops an inch before impact, setting it down gently. She
plugs her ears in desperation, but slowly moves her hands
over her eyes -- the construction noise persists.
 3.

INT. KITCHEN - NOON

Maya opens a plastic package and throws a large raw steak in

the sink. Maya pauses and makes eye contact with it for a
moment. It sits there, bleeding.

In one brusque motion, she grabs the steak, throws it in the

trash, ties the trash bag, and takes it outside.

EXT. FRONT YARD - NOON

Maya tosses the black trash bag into the street. A small cry
from the bag. Maya freezes.

The bag slowly unravels and a small girl, NINE, blossoms out
of it. Small curls, like Mayas, stick out under an orange
construction helmet. A drop of blood oozes from a fresh cut
on Nines lip. She waits intently, holding a wrapped gift.

The construction noise slightly fades.

Maya approaches cautiously, not able to take her eyes off

Nines familiar yet unplaceable face. She takes the gift and
carefully unwraps it. It is a shiny silver lipstick case with
Maya engraved on it. She recognizes it.

Nine sticks her mouth out to Maya.

Maya applies the pungent red lipstick onto Nines lips,

adding an extra layer to conceal her cut. Then, Maya wipes
the drop of blood with her frail, ashy fingers. The blood
brings color to her blanched skin. Maya massages it into her
other fingers, fascinated.

Maya brings the lipstick to her own lips but Nine stops her,
smiling. Maya touches her own lips and realizes she already
has the same red lipstick on -- it appeared there after she
put it on Nine.

Nine snatches the lipstick, pockets it, takes Mayas hand,

and drags her ahead.

Maya doesnt understand what is happening or where she is

going, but she cant resist her chance to indulge in the
nostalgia of it all.

EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - AFTERNOON - CONTINUOUS

As they walk, Maya stares in wonder at suburban scenes

playing in reverse around her: water jumps from the grass
into a hose that an elderly man holds, children fly out of
above-ground pools back onto the ledge they jumped from.
 4.

Maya looks back at Nine, who is unfazed. Nine clacks her

teeth to a rhythm and skips to the beat, her eyes on the
prize ahead: an ice cream truck.

EXT. HIGHWAY SIDEWALK - AFTERNOON - CONTINUOUS

Maya and Nine walk toward a public storage compound, each

licking a scoop of strawberry ice cream on a chocolate cone.

EXT. PUBLIC STORAGE COMPOUND GATE - AFTERNOON - CONTINUOUS

Nine runs up to the gate, grasps the metal bars, and pushes
her face against them, looking toward one storage unit with
its orange garage door slightly open. Maya notices it and her
face suddenly contorts as she realizes shes seen it before.

Maya grabs Nines hand and leads her around the corner.

EXT. PUBLIC STORAGE COMPOUND, EAST - AFTERNOON - CONTINUOUS

Maya looks around and spots what she was looking for: a hole
in the chain-link fence. She smiles in accomplishment.

Nine runs through it. Maya follows, squirming to fit.

EXT. STORAGE UNIT - AFTERNOON - CONTINUOUS

Nine plops her ice cream on the ground and crawls under the
garage door into the unit. Maya rolls her eyes and goes to
pick up the cone, but a small hand quickly retrieves it.

Maya chuckles, finishes her ice cream, and crawls under.

INT. STORAGE UNIT - AFTERNOON - CONTINUOUS

Streaks of dim, golden light shine through a long rack of fur

coats. Maya pushes the coats out of the way to get through.

A behemoth chandelier with webs of crystal set on the ground,

a massive half-veiled clock ticking backwards, and a grand
red velvet throne, on which sits an older girl, EIGHTEEN.

The construction noise slightly fades.

Eighteen has box braids down to her knees and pungent red
lipstick. Besides a bright orange construction helmet and a
fur coat, she is nude, receiving oral sex from another girl.
 5.

Her head is tilted back with eyes half shut and mouth half
open. Eighteens eyes follow Maya as she walks across the
scene, completely mesmerized. Nine is nowhere to be found.

Without breaking eye contact with Eighteen, Maya sits in a

chair directly across from her, slides her back down, and
tilts her head back in repose, absorbing the memory.

A cello is set against Eighteens throne. Eighteen slowly

rubs a string to a peaceful tune. Eighteen and Maya let out a
deep, exhaustive breath in unison.

EXT. STORAGE UNIT - AFTERNOON - CONTINUOUS

Maya crawls under the orange garage door and cleans herself
up. Eighteen crawls under with the other girl, who leaves
Eighteen with a kiss and Maya with a look of longing.

Eighteen pulls the cello out too. Maya shakes her head at
Eighteen -- a maternal no. Eighteen rolls her eyes and lets
go of the cello, which falls over. A string snaps off.

Eighteen walks off while Maya shakes her head, aghast. She
picks up the cello and fixes the string, wrapping it back
around the turning pegs like shes done it a hundred times.
She slides it back into the unit and catches up to Eighteen.

EXT. HIGHWAY SIDEWALK - SUNSET - CONTINUOUS

Eighteen and Maya walk toward a pocket of vibrating lights in

the distance: a city. Fireworks erupt in reverse above them.

EXT. PERFORMING ARTS CENTER - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

SHOWING: MAYA MORRISON and LOS CUBANOS with SOLD OUT

written underneath. Eighteen and Maya walk in.

INT. LOBBY - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

The lights flash on and off to signal the start of the show.
Eighteen sneaks past an usher into the theater. Maya follows
but the usher stops her. Eighteen disappears inside.

USHER
Tickets?

MAYA
What?
 6.

Maya struggles to hear over the still obtrusive construction

noise. The usher points to a long line leading up to a kiosk
with a sign that reads STANDING TICKETS. Maya sighs.

INT. THEATER - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

Maya enters a dark auditorium resounding with Cuban Salsa

music. A wave of familiarity wafts over her.

She slows her step in the aisle and smiles toward the stage,
showing her teeth for the first time.

The construction noise slightly fades.

On stage, TWENTY-FIVE in a bright orange sequined dress with

pungent red lipstick and Mayas curls. The side of her head
is shaved.

Twenty-five dances with a male dancer in a bright orange

construction helmet. She smoothly switches from one dancer to
the next, each alternating in gender and progressing in skill
and style. When Twenty-five dances with men, her moves
invite, but when she dances with women her moves pursue.

The last dancer enters in a bright orange construction

helmet, which is sequined. He plays a violin solo around
Twenty-five as she dances alone, boldly.

Twenty-five snatches the violin and his sequined orange

helmet, putting it on and playing a beautiful solo to a
cheering crowd.

As she bows, orange confetti lift off the ground up to the

ceiling. Twenty-five runs toward Maya, blowing kisses at the
audience. A crew member hands Twenty-five her purse.

Twenty-five takes Maya by the hand, twirls her, and leads her
outside through a side entrance. Maya goes along, thrilled.

EXT. SIDE ALLEY - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

Twenty-five struts down the alley in her sparkling orange

dress and helmet. Maya picks up her pace to reach her and
they strut down together. Rain pours down on them but they
are unflappable, ready for anything and everything.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

Twenty-five stops Maya and moves her in front of a well-lit

light bulb store. Twenty-five shuffles in her bag and takes
out a hair clipper.
 7.

Maya feels Twenty-fives shaved head and nods. Twenty-five

turns on the hair clipper and buzzes all of Mayas hair off.
Maya tries to remain still, shaking from the cold.

When Twenty-five finishes, Maya looks like a young soldier

with her dark green button-down and shaved head.

Maya looks up at Twenty-fives youthful face. She brushes her

fingers on her smooth cheek as Twenty-fives smile turns
solemn.

She looks to the left toward an infernal tunnel where the

construction noise is coming from. Maya looks there too.

Twenty-five looks back at Maya, who stares at the tunnel

anxiously. Twenty-five takes off her sparkly helmet, kisses
it, and hands it to Maya. She puts her forehead against
Mayas and looks into her: you can do this.

Maya lets go and starts for the tunnel. She tucks the
sparkling helmet under her arm and marches with newfound
fire. Shes a warrior.

INT. TUNNEL - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

The tunnel is a dark hole of dismal emptiness: unpleasant

sulfuric lights, some broken with wires hanging; rats
crawling against the walls; trash layered with dust; charred
remains of violins, dresses, and other memorabilia.

Maya tries to focus on whats ahead.

The construction noise gradually increases in volume farther

into the tunnel until it beats unbearably, shaking the walls.

Maya puts on the helmet and persists with less nerve.

As Maya treks deeper, the walls turn wrinkly like old skin.
Scaffoldings begin to line the tunnel until the tunnel
gradually takes the form of a hallway.

INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

Maya reaches a dimly lit hallway leading to a door. The

construction noise is unbearable as Maya approaches it. She
opens the door like ripping off a band-aid.

INT. MAYAS BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING - CONTINUOUS

The construction noise halts but a shrill, somber tune starts

on rusty violin strings. Maya winces in pain.
 8.

She scans the familiar bedroom that is her own, now defiled.

The walls are partially covered with laid bricks and wooden
boards. Power tools are strewn all over. Wooden boards are
nailed on the windows on each side of Mayas poster bed,
which is canopied in a plastic construction sheet. A dark
figure lies inside. The canopy breathes in and out.

Maya carefully approaches, dodging swaying baby mobiles hung

from the ceiling. They are dolls hanging by their necks on
violin strings.

Beside the bed is a baby carriage. Maya uncovers it. A bloody

and rotting raw steak. She winces and covers her face from
the rancid smell.

Maya carefully tears open the plastic canopy.

She freezes, her lip quivers, and her eyes become heavy. She
kneels, setting down her helmet and removing the rest of the
sheeting. Laying in the bed is THIRTY-FIVE, now looking
exactly like Maya did at the beginning of the film: stale
curls, saggy skin, parched lips, and exhausted eyes. Shes
playing the rusted violin.

Maya takes Thirty-fives frail arm and tenderly clasps her

cold, weak hand with both of hers. Thirty-five looks at Maya
in thirst of pity. Maya cant stand the look of her.

Maya swallows the lump in her throat, raises her head and
pulls Thirty-fives arm but Thirty-five doesnt budge. Maya
pulls harder. Thirty-five whines. Maya becomes frustrated.

She pulls Thirty-fives torso with all her might, dragging

her out of bed. Thirty-five flops onto the floor and cries in
pain, flailing her arms to grab anything she can.

Maya doesnt know whether to stop hurting her or to carry on.

Maya tries to grab hold of her arms but Thirty-five grabs the
baby carriage and topples it in a tantrum. She takes the
bloody meat and pushes it against Mayas crotch. The blood
stains her white skirt all around her crotch. It drips down
her legs.

Maya recoils. Now angry, she takes the raw steak and rubs it
in Thirty-fives face, who shrieks.

Thirty-five grabs the violin and swings it at Maya. The rusty

strings cut through her shirt and into her arm. Maya yelps,
and takes off the green shirt, revealing a baby pink tank
top.

Maya straddles Thirty-fives weak body, snatches the violin,

and slams it against the floor, breaking it into pieces.
 9.

Thirty-five looks up at her like she has just killed someone.

Maya gets up and drags Thirty-five out by the hair.

Thirty-five tries to scratch and hit Maya, but Maya dodges

the blows, more nimble than Thirty-five.

INT. HALLWAY - EARLY MORNING - CONTINUOUS

Maya drags Thirty-five down the hallway. Thirty-fives

screams calm down as she loses the energy to resist.

INT. TUNNEL - EARLY MORNING - CONTINUOUS

When Thirty-five is calm, Maya picks her up and carries her

down the tunnel like a mother rescuing a child. Thirty-five
looks at Maya in astonishment.

A dim, golden light shines at the end of the tunnel.

EXT. BEACH - SUNRISE

Maya reaches a calm beach, where a gentle morning tide

whirls. The long-awaited silence is stark.

She gently sets down Thirty-five, who digs her feet into the
warm sand, now at peace.

Maya walks toward the ocean, looking around curiously. Junk --

memories -- strewn in the sand. Maya looks at them
familiarly: her first pair of running shoes, the bra her
first girlfriend took off, an old cactus that died from her
watering it too much, family polaroids...

In the distance, along the beach, are Nine, building a sand

castle, Eighteen, jogging along the shore, Twenty-five,
sunbathing, and many other memories of Maya.

Maya no longer looks at them in wonder or fear, but in

content.

A white, pasty fluid forms a small stain at Mayas nipple.

She makes eye contact with the stain, gently brushes it with
her thumb, raises it to her mouth, and tastes the memory.