Amy walks around the garden nervously fidgeting. She walks to the far end of the garden where the garden meets the woods. Everything is overgrown.
Amy pushes the long grass out of the way. She eventually gets to an old oak tree that has an aged tree house built in to it.
AMY
Are you up there Shelly?
Amy struggles to climb the tree, getting her dress caught on branches as the weather is breezy.
The tree house is empty and looks as though it hasn’t been used in a while.
- INT. LOUNGE. DAY
The room is large and inviting.
There are works of art on the walls. A large wooden coffee table stands by the sofa with the phone on it.
Amy walks slowly in to the room holding her arms. Her hair is windswept.
Amy kneels down on the rug in front of the sofa and lights the fire. She sits holding herself staring in to the flames.
Above the fireplace is a large professional photo of Amy and Shelly hugging.
Amy gets up and picks up the photo, she sits down on the sofa.
She has a tear in her eye as she runs her finger over her daughters face. She places the photo on the coffee table.
Amy picks the phone book up from under the phone. She scrolls down the page with her finger to Shelly’s mobile number. She picks up the phone and dials the number.
ANSWER MACHINE (O.S)
You call has been forwarded
to the T.Mobile voicemail
messaging service. 07979221717
can not take you call. Please
leave a message after the tone.
AMY
Shelly, it’s your mum. Ring me
as soon as you get this message
darling I’m worried about you.
AMY (CONT)
Love you, bye.
Amy slowly puts the phone down, one tear trickling down her cheek.
AMY
Where are you baby?
Amy runs her hands over her head and lets out a large sigh
- INT. KITCHEN. DAY
Amy picks her tea up from the table and puts it in the microwave.
She looks at her plate on the table still with half her dinner on and runs her hand over her stomach. She picks her plate up and empties it in to the bin. She looks back at Shelly’s dinner but decides to leave it.
The microwave pings
Amy takes her tea out and has a sip. She then puts it back on to the table.
The phone rings.
Amy rushes to the phone which is on the wall by the fridge.
AMY
(Eagerly)
Shelly
DAWN
No, it’s me, Dawn.
You o.k.
AMY
No, Shelly’s missing. I
called her down for dinner
and she never came. I’ve checked everywhere she’s not here.
DAWN
That’s unlike shelly. I haven’t
seen here since yesterday when
she was playing with our Helen.
AMY
She was here this morning, she
was painting in her room. I don’t
understand where she would of gone
without telling me, She never does
that. Thing is I don’t know if to
call the police yet I don’t know
how long she has been gone.
DAWN
I’d ring just to be safe, but I’m
sure everything will be fine. I’ll
have a word with Helen and see if
she knows anything.
AMY
O.k. cheers Dawn
DAWN
Shelly will be fine she’s a
sensible kid. Bye.
Amy puts the phone back on the hook and wipes her eyes.
- INT. LOUNGE. DAY
Amy slumps herself down in to the sofa a picks up the phone book.
Her makeup is all smudged where she has been rubbing her eyes.
She scrolls down the phone book with her finger till she gets to the number of the local police station.
Amy picks up the phone and dials the number with a shaky hand.
POLICE SECRETARY (O.S)
Good afternoon Hornby police
station how can I help you.
AMY
I need to speak to someone to report my child missing.
POLICE SECRETARY (O.S)
O.k. if you could just hold the
line for a second and I will put
POLICE SECRETARY (O.S)(CONT)
you through to the sergeant.
SERGEANT GOOL (O.S)
Hello this is sergeant Gool here.
I understand you want to report a
missing child.
AMY
(sobbing)
Yes that’s right. It’s my daughter.
SERGEANT GOOL (O.S)
o.k can I take your name please
first.
AMY
My name is Amy Firth, my daughter
is called shelly Firth.
SERGEANT GOOL (O.S)
And how old is your daughter Mrs
Firth.
AMY
She’s twelve.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
- INT. KITCHEN. DAY
Amy is sat at the table with her head in her hands sobbing. There is a small pile of tissues to the side of her.
The photo from the lounge is in front of her on the table.
There is a knock at the door.
Amy gets up, wipes her eyes and puts the tissues in the bin. Then makes her way to the door.
She opens the door and standing out side are two police officers.
PC HOLMES
Mrs firth?
AMY
Yes, come in.
The all make there way to the table and sit down.
PC HOLMES
Before we start, when you spoke
to our sergeant on the phone you
mentioned there could be a small
chance that Shelly would of gone
to see her father. I’m afraid we
haven’t been able to contact him
yet but we will carry on trying.
Amy just nods, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She fills the kettle with water and puts it on to boil.
PC WRIGHT
Do you have another number we may
be able to contact Mr Firth with?
AMY
Just his mobile number but I’ve
tried that and I can’t get through.
PC HOLMES
I understand this is hard Mrs
Firth but do you have a photo of
Shelly that we can take to use
to identify her.
Amy ruffles through one of the draws in the kitchen and pulls out a passport sized photo of Shelly and hands it over to them.
AMY
Tea. Coffee. I need to do something
I am going stir crazy in here not
knowing where she is. She’s never
done anything like this before.
PC WRIGHT
Coffee, two please
PC HOLMES
Coffee two please. I know it’s hard
PC HOLMES (CONT)
to believe right now but most case
like this turn out fine the kid just
got carried away and went to play
with friends.
AMY
Yeah and some don’t come back.
... Sorry I can’t help but think
the worst.
PC WRIGHT
What time did you notice that
She was missing?
AMY
It was around 12:30. I had just
finished making dinner and I
called her down, but she didn’t
come. She had been up in her room
painting all morning as far as I
knew.
Amy takes the coffee’s over to the officers.
PC HOLMES
Do you mind if we take a look at
her room.
AMY
Sure, it’s the first door on the left upstairs.
The officers get up from the table and head to the stairs.
FADE OUT:
FADE IN:
- INT. KITCHEN. DAY
The officers are stood up in the kitchen, Pc Holmes is taking some final notes on her pad. She carefully puts the pen back in her top pocket and places the note book in her inside jacket pocket.
Amy is sat down at the table tears still streaming from her cheeks with the photo of Shelly in front of her.
PC HOLMES
Mrs Firth, please get in touch
with us if you hear anything else
PC HOLMES (CONT)
at all. And we will be in touch
with you as often as we can keeping
you updated with the enquiry.
Amy nods her head slowly and sees the officers to the door.
As she closes the door behind them, Amy slides down the back of the door sobbing holding her head in her hands.
AMY
Shelly, come home. Please baby
Amy changes her position to hugging her legs like a little lost child. She is rocking trying and comfort herself. She is by now uncontrollably sobbing.
The clock on the wall is now at 5:20
There is a knock at the door.
Amy is almost in a daze with her rocking that she doesn’t hear the knock.
There is a knock again. Louder this time.
Amy’s head bolts upright, she scrambles to her feet.
She wipes her eyes and pats herself down trying to make herself look presentable.
Amy opens the door.
Shelly is at the door alone, with a huge smile on her face and bags from designer shops in her hands.
AMY
(uncontrollably)
Where have you been, I’ve been
worried sick. The police are out
looking for you. Are you alright.
SHELLY
Mum I’m fine dad took me to the
shopping centre so I could get
you a birthday present for
SHELLY (CONT)
tomorrow.
AMY
Where is your dad I’ll kill him.
I didn’t get a phone call a note
or anything. I tried to phone you
both as did the police but your
phones seemed to be off.
SHELLY
Dad left once he dropped me off.
Mum, I’m really sorry I should of
Left a note or something but I
didn’t. You couldn’t get us in the shopping centre cos there’s no
signal and then we watched a film
at the cinema after so we turned
our phones off.
AMY
I’m just glad your back safely,
but don’t you ever do that again,
or I’ll ground you for the rest
of your life and that’s a promise.
SHELLY
I’m sorry mum I didn’t mean to
upset you. Come here, I’m home
now and that’s all that matters.
Both Amy and Shelly smile at each other.
Amy’s eyes are still all welled up from crying. They both walk towards each other and give each other a great big loving hug.
