FINAL DRAFT
EXT.PARK – MID-AUTUMN (DAY)
One chilly day in mid-autumn, light wind blows through the trees, slowly bringing down all the yellow and red leaves. In a small park Mya and her parents gather around for a family photograph.
Mya
Mom, dad, when will it snow?
Mum
Very soon, dear!
MYA
When it snows I'm going to build the biggest family snowballs.
Dad
OK everyone, smile!
INT.MYA'S BEDROOM – FIRST DAY OF WINTER (DAY)
Poof! The sound of war battle blends with the camera's shutter brings Mya back to reality. Here she holds the photograph and the sadness once again fills her face.
The Lady
Mya..! Get down here right now!
Mya quickly puts down the photograph on the table and rushes downstairs without closing her bedroom's door.
MYA
Yes mam. I'm coming.
The cold winds of the first day of winter howl. Through the window snow starts falling. The empty room devoid of the comforts of other children of her age darkens and becomes greyer. A broken wooden table and a bed without a blanket, are all there is in the room. Through the frosted window we see the Lady commanding Mya to go out in the forest to get some wood for the cold night.
Mya, lightly dressed, goes straight in the wood by herself. Mya has to do an adult work while she's only seven. The sun goes down, as time passes Mya finally returns with some wood.
Mya quickly returns to her room. She hugs the photograph and lies down exhausted on her bed. She closes her eyes and as she breathes heavily her breath condenses into a fog.
While she closes her eyes she has a haunting flashback. She sees a dark doorway and the Lady’s hand grabs her and pushes her into her room.
The lady (reverb in flashback)
You want to live here? Do what I say!
The angry voice of the lady yells from downstairs awakes Mya.
The Lady (in reality)
Mya...!
The lady's footsteps get louder and heavier towards Mya's room.
Like an electric shock Mya quickly sits up, she carefully puts the photograph on her bed and rushes to the door.
The Lady aggressively opens the door. Mya innocently looks at her. All of the sudden the Lady grabs Mya's hair and drags her out of the room into the dark where she stands.
THE LADY
You did not get enough wood!!!
Down stairs the Lady opens the door and pushes Mya out. Mya falls onto the ground covered in snow. The lady quickly closes the door and leaves Mya outside the cold.
EXT. OUTSIDE THE HOUSE (DAY)
A few seconds later the Lady opens the door again, Mya looks up at the Lady in anticipation hoping to be let in, but the Lady instead throws out her family photograph. The photograph lands hard on the ground and cracks.
Mya quickly uses her tiny bare hands to reach out for the photograph and holds it against her chest. The photograph is the only thing left she has of her parents and it means everything to her.
Mya hopelessly stands up and silently walks away in the freezing weather.
The wild wind continues to blow, the snow falls even thicker making it hard for Mya to walk properly. Mya tightly holds the photograph close to her chest and tries to walk through the snow-storm, the wild wind almost knocks her over a few times.
Suddenly Mya decides to stop walking. She kneels down onto her bare knees and starts building snowballs. She uses her almost frozen little hands to gather the snow and slowly she sculpts them.
After the snowballs are built, Mya stands in front of them and breathes exhaustedly, then Mya carefully puts the photograph in the middle of the two snowballs and she mumbles
Mya
Mummy! Daddy!
Mya's little body starts to shake simultaneously and she falls to her knees. Quickly she starts to get covered in snow forming a third snowball.
Suddenly warm yellow sunshine covers Mya and two miracle hands reach out for Mya's arms.
Mya looks up, she can barely open her eyes but she able to smile.
The miracle hands softly lift Mya up.
The snow stops falling and Mya slowly walks away with the two white shadows. They fade into the distance.
Pull focus back to show the two snowballs Mya built and herself kneeling on the snow..
Slowly dissolved as Mya's body starts cover up with snow and forms into a child snowball.
Slowly fade to white...
Slowly dissolved as Mya's body starts cover up with snow and forms into a child snowball.
Slowly fade to white...
____________________________________________________________________________
FIRST DRAFT
EXT. PARK - DAY
One chilly day in the mid-autumn, light wind surfs over the trees slowly brings down all the yellow and red leaves. In a small park Mya and her parents gather around for a family photograph.
MYA
Mom, dad, when will it snow?
MUM
Very soon, dear!
MYA
When it snows I'm going to build for us the biggest family snowballs.
DAD
Ok everyone, say cheese!
INT. MYA'S BEDROOM - DAY
Poof! he sound of war battle blends with the camera's shutter bring Mya back to reality. Here she holds the photograph and the sadness once again fills her face.
THE Lady
Mya..! get down here right now!
Mya hurry puts down the photograph on the table and rushes downstairs with no time to close her bedroom's door.
MYA
Yes mam. I'm coming.
It's the first day of winter,the freezing weather gets worse towards the night. Mya's bedroom fills with the cold air and emptiness while other children at her age get should get warm clothes and lots of toy. A broken wooden table and a bed without a blanket, just something to lie down on are all she has in the room. Through the frosted window the Lady tells Mya to go out in the wood to get some wood for the cold night.
THE LADY
Go get some wood and don't bother to come back if you can't find any.
MYA
Yes mam!
Mya goes straight in the wood by herself in a freezing winter day with little clothes she wears. Mya has to do an adult work while she's only seven. The sun goes down as the time passes Mya finally back with some woods.
Mya quickly goes to her room. She hugs the photograph and tiredly lies down on her bed. She heavily breathes and closes her eyes.
As long as she closes her eyes a flashback comes back to haunt her. That is when the lady adopts Mya and takes her home. The lady pushes Mya in the room.
THE LADY
You want to live here? Do what I say!
The angry voice of the lady yells from downstairs awakes Mya.
THE LADY
Mya...!
The lady's footsteps get louder and heavier towards Mya's room.
Like the electric shock Mya quickly sits up, she carefully puts the photograph on her bed and rushes to the door.
The Lady aggressively opens the door. Mya innocently looks at her . All of the sudden the Lady grabs Mya's hair and drags her out of the room into the dark where she stands.
THE LADY
You did not get enough woods!!!
Down stair the Lady opens the door and pushes Mya out. Mya falls onto the ground with full of snow. The lady quickly closes the door and leaves Mya outside the cold.
EXT. OUTSIDE - DAY
A few seconds later the Lady opens the door again, Mya looks up at the Lady in participation of the Lady would let her in. But the Lady throws out the photograph instead. The photograph lands hard on the ground and cracks.
Mya quickly uses her tiny bare hand to reach out for the photograph and holds it against her chest. The photograph is the only thing left she has of her parents and it means everything to her.
Mya hopelessly stands up and silently walks away in the freezing weather.
The wild wind starts to blow, the snow falls thicker which make it hard for Mya to walk properly. Mya tightly holds on the photography close to her chest and tries to walk through the snow-storm. The wild wind almost knocks her over a few times.
Suddenly Mya decides to stop walking. She kneels down onto her bare knees and starts building snowballs. She uses her almost frozen little hands to gather the snow and slowly she sculpts them.
After the snowballs are built, Mya stands in front of them and breathes exhaustedly, then Mya carefully puts the photograph in the middle of the two snowballs and she mumbles
MYA
Mummy! Daddy!
Mya's little body starts shaking simultaneously which looks like she will break down anytime. From nowhere a strong wild wind hits her again and this time it knocks her down onto her knees.
Just before she falls onto her knees two miracle hands reach out for Mya's arms.
Mya looks up at the persons who help her. Mya can barely open her eyes but she able to smile. The miracle hands slowly help Mya to get up.
She slowly walks away with the two white shadows fade into the snow. She realises that she will never have to leave her parents again.
Leave behind the two snowballs she built and herself covers with snow and a happy smile on her frozen pale face.
