(Equi wakes up in a fancy bedroom. Her suitcase is open and
all of her clothes are folded neatly. She gets out of bed
and looks around the room. She finds a present sitting on
her dresser. She goes over to open the present. She picks
up the card and reads it aloud.)
EQUI
Should you wake up when I am not
there, report to the library. I
found this while out shopping and
thought it would suit you. Come see
me when you are ready.
(She looks at the strange signature.)
EQUI
Madame Dryeste?
(She sets the card down and opens the box. She pulls out a
pretty blue and silver dress. She decides to put it on.
Equi emerges from the bedroom in her new dress. She starts
to walk down the hall opening up doors, trying to find the
library. She walks past a stairwell that sounds like the
ocean. She stops and looks down. She can see sand and
seaweed.)
EQUI
A beach?
MARIE
Impressive, isn't it?
(Equi spins around to find an unbelievably beautiful girl
with blonde hair standing behind her.)
MARIE
We had the stairs put in for easier
access.
EQUI
Im sorry, I didn't catch your name.
MARIE
I never dropped it. Im Marie, its
very nice to meet you.
EQUI
So, you live here?
MARIE
Yes.
EQUI
Where is the library?
MARIE
Right there.
(Marie points to the door straight behind her.)
MARIE
Are you looking for my mother?
EQUI
Yeah...
MARIE
She should be in there right now.
EQUI
Thanks, bye Marie.
(Equi walks over to the double doors and enters. Marie walks
away. Equi is absolutely amazed at the vast shelf of
books. She walks over to one shelf and picks up a book. It
slips from her hands and hits the floor.)
DRYESTE
Who's there?
EQUI
Me! I mean...uh, I'm here.
DRYESTE
You do not sound like one of my
daughters. Nor do you sound
familiar, but I know exactly who
you are.
(Dryeste comes from behind one of the book shelf. She is a
very proper woman, she holds herself high.)
DRYESTE
I'm glad to see that you are awake.
You had me worried for quite some
time. I thought you were dead at
first. You were asleep for a week
after all.
EQUI
A week?! I slept for a week?!
DRYESTE
Where do you come from?
EQUI
L.A., Im here on a year long trip.
Im supposed to find a job and live
here.
DRYESTE
Well then, why don't I help you? We
have an opening for a cleaning
maid.
EQUI
What does that entail?
DRYESTE
Simply clean one room a day. No
more, no less.
EQUI
I couldn't possibly accept! You take
me in and care for me and now you
want to give me a job?
DRYESTE
Yes, we still have to make sure you
are fully recovered.
EQUI
Recovered from what?
DRYESTE
Your fall. You fell off of a bus.
EQUI
Who brought me here?
DRYESTE
Our butler, Salence.
(A knock sounds on the library door.)
Come in
(Salence walks up to Dryeste.)
SALENCE
Ma'am, Blaine has called in sick
today.
(He looks at Equi.)
Ah! So glad to see that you are awake, Equi.
EQUI
How do you know my name?
SALENCE
I took the liberty to fold your
clothes, in doing such I saw the tag
with your name on it.
EQUI
Oh, thank you for doing that.
DRYESTE
So what do you think about my
proposition?
EQUI
Your talking about the job right?
DRYESTE
Yes.
EQUI
Sure, I appreciate you doing so.
(Equi looks at both of them.
She realizes that Salences
eyes are green.)
Are you sure you were the one who
picked me up?
SALENCE
Hm? Yes, I was sitting in the
gazebo on my break. You screamed
out and fell off the bus.
EQUI
No, I saw someone committing
suicide.
SALENCE
Not again.
EQUI
What?
DRYESTE
We have a resident ghost that likes
to play tricks on people.
EQUI
Wha?
SALENCE
It was really me, but he made it
look like it was him.
EQUI
Who is HE?
DRYESTE
My son, Damian.
EQUI
What happened to him?
DRYESTE
He died in the recent war. After he
died, his ghost came back and
started playing tricks on our
guests.
SALENCE
He pretends to be real to scare
them away.
EQUI
Well then, I will try my best to
not get scared.
DRYESTE
Good! Why don't you come with me so
I can show you the rest of the
house.
(Salence walks out and Dryeste
follows. Equi lingers for a
moment and hears a huff of
air. She gets frightened and
runs off through the doors. A
shadow emerges from behind a
bookshelf.)