By Priyanka Voruganti &  Jaidev Alvarez

Scene One – (Main camp area)

Midday, raining, dark skies, clouds threatening to spill over
Nika is walking westward down the main camp path, an amber pebbled lane. Her head is wet, her hair pulled back into a hot pink ponytail holder and she is wearing a long black raincoat and green, worn chocos. There are little squiggles in black on her shoes, signifying her youth. She is also carrying an army green camping backpack filled with many things (so it is large). Attached to the backpack is a blue Crazy Creek with more designs in black marker: flowers, hearts, and smiley faces. They’re not very advanced, signifying Nika just doodles for fun. An orange rock climbing harness is also attached to the bag. As she is walking down the path, Rowynn passes her, walking in the opposite direction. Her hair is wispy and her eyes cast down. She is not as drenched as Nika even though she isn’t wearing a raincoat. She is wearing black shorts to her knees (all the other girls wear them very short) black converse, and a grey pullover. Her skin is etched with sharpie marks, the doodles clouding her ankles, calves, and hands. When Nika walks past Rowynn, she keeps her eyes trailed on her the whole time and even when they separated further, she is watching Rowynn. Once they are about 20 feet away, Nika calls, “Hey!” She embarrassingly turns back around quickly after saying it and continues on her way. But a few seconds after, Rowynn stops walking and quietly says, “Hi.” Nika slowly turns to look at Rowynn and laughs awkwardly at their distance. Then Nika jogs to Rowynn and anxiously mumbles, “I just really liked your like, uh arms, like the drawings, and wasn’t going to say anything but then did say something but it was sorta late by the time I said something and… Hah yeah…” Rowynn laughs, a convincing, cheerful, loud chuckle, which makes Nika giggle. Then they begin to talk. (Camera doesn’t know what they are saying and pans out to the view of the whole camp). Then, after 20 seconds of this, Nika sprints in a rush in the direction she had been walking and her harness falls off. She turns back to look at Rowynn but then notices the missing harness and rushes back to get it, watching Rowynn as she (Rowynn) walks down the same path in the opposite direction and turns the corner to become invisible.

Scene Two (The cafeteria)

Light brown wood walls covered with painted plaques commemorating camp champions, the kitchen on one side and the salad bar on the other, all the tables in the middle, a skylight in the ceiling of the room, bright fluorescent lights, loud, clamouring voices and sounds of silverware
It is dinner time now and all the girls in the camp are in the cafeteria. The scene begins as a close up of Nika’s table, where the girls (about eight) in her cabin (they sit as a cabin) are talking loudly, far louder than any other table (most of the sound of the shot comes from their table). Morgan is seated near the head of the table and all the girls seem to be talking to her directly. Morgan says, “Dude Soph, you need to stop wearing those Justice training bras- they’re like ridiculously ugly and make your boobs look tiny. ” The girls laugh, Nika included, while Sophie scoffs and mumbles, “Tell my mom that Morg…” Morgan rolls her eyes. Nika gets bored of the conversation and looks over to the “Lotus” table (the cabin Lotus) where Rowynn was seated. She watches Rowynn talk to her friends and sees her laugh when someone makes a funny comment but also stares out the windows of the cafeteria as if she is trying to find something in the distance. Soon, the girls in Nika’s cabin become aware of her gaze and look in the same direction. One of the girls asks, “Who’s that Nika?” Nika looks away and says, “No one. I thought I saw something but- it’s nothing.” Morgan intentionally laughs awkwardly, “Ha-ha, O.K. Now Lila, you were telling us about that really hot guy from the social?” The girls laugh and begin talking. Just then, Rowynn looks over to Nika.

Scene Three (Bus)

Grey leathery-material seats in two columns (and 5 rows of seats) cramped close together, able to seat about 15 people
The girls in Nika’s cabin along with Rowynn and a few younger girls from another cabin are sitting in the seats of the bus with their caving hard hats and wearing dark colors, full sleeve clothing, and hiking boots. Nika is seated with a girl in her cabin, Morgan with another girl, Sophie with another girl and Rowynn is alone. All the other girls not mentioned are sitting in pairs of two (but the order is irrelevant). Everyone is hollering, gossipping, and laughing loudly. Some girls are in an amplified conversation while others are screaming along to Party in The USA, playing in the bus. Nika, while singing, leans over to look out the window as they begin to reach more hilly terrain. She is in awe as they go deep into the dark, mysterious yet mystical forest. She stares outside for about five minutes until she sees a sign saying “Carolina Monster Cave: 5 MILES” and turns back around to sit on her seat, taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Then she stands up on her seat to see if there is an empty spot in the back, but finds Rowynn seated there. She is almost unnoticeable, her knees up on the seat, doodling on her notebook which rests on her legs. Nika watches Rowynn for the remainder of the song, pretending to still be invested in the karaoke show. When the song ends, Rowynn notices the shift in sound and looks up from her drawings, becoming aware of Nika’s stare. Rowynn sleepily smiles at Nika, not seeming embarrassed about being exposed in any way she might have been. Nika quickly stands up and walks down the bus to take the seat next to her while all of her bunkmates stare at Nika in confusion. The two began talking, and from the body language you can tell they are both very interested in what the other is saying. Then the bus arrives at the cave site. Nika says, “Oh! I guess we’re here hah…” Rowynn responds, “Yea-” When Morgan grabs Rowynn’s hand and says, “Hey! We should be partners for this- I’ll pulley you and you pulley me!” Before Rowynn can respond, Morgan pulls her off the bus and they walk out together. Nika watches them leave and then walks out with the rest of the girls.

Scene Four (Bus)

Grey leathery-material seats in two columns (and 5 rows of seats) cramped close together, able to seat about 15 people. It is dark yet the moon is shining brightly.
When they all return to the bus in the evening, Morgan and Rowynn board it together, a pair, twirling the other’s fingers and whispering hushed jokes. Nika walks on after them and stares at them the whole time, as they take their seats in the back. Nika sits next to who she was sitting with at the beginning of the bus ride there, but in a different location- one directly diagonal and one seat ahead of Rowynn and Morgan’s. Throughout the ride, Rowynn whispers in Morgan’s ear and Nika keeps her eyes on them regularly. The girls again chant and off-key harmonize, but this time it is half-hearted. The girls’ exhaustion is visible on their faces and in their sound. Most of them are humming and staring out of the window in a daze. Somewhere near the end of the ride, Rowynn whispers a long message to Morgan and after, Morgan scoots over to the edge of the seat with a fearful, shocked look on her face yet a sort of determined look in her gaze.

Scene Five (Camp lawn)

The same gravel path from scene one, nighttime, behind it (the path) is the large, green, camp lawn, no one on the lawn
All the girls are filing out of the bus, but before they can actually exit the vehicle Morgan pushes through and runs across the line. The girls in her cabin notice Morgan and look at each other, confused. When one begins to rush after Morgan, the others follow, clearly trying to be the closest one to her. However, Nika moves more slowly, for when she sees the girls chasing after Morgan she rolls her eyes and turns back to say goodbye to Rowynn. She doesn’t see Rowynn though and then stands there for a second, looking in the same direction Rowynn went in the first day they met and then decides to race after her bunkmates.

Scene Six (Nika’s cabin)

Dark mahogany wood adorned with colorful camp plaques dating back to the 1800s, pricey yet day-to-day clothes (lululemon leggings, sweaty betty athletic clothing, Adidas sneakers), a lot of makeup, hair accessories (and hot irons, blow dries), iPod shuffles (all pink), and Teen Vogue magazines are all scattered around the floor, five bunk beds with colorful sheets and many stuffed animals
The girls rush into the cabin and spot Morgan. She is in her top bunk bed, inside her fuzzy teal blanket and clutching a pig stuffed animal. Her mini clip-on fan is on as well. The girls run over to her bed and stand around it, some girls managing to fit on the ladder to be elevated and closer to Morgan with the others further away from her. Nika is one of the few girls standing on the floor. They all put their arms on Morgan and Lila chirps, “Morgieee what’s up?” Lila is the closest to Morgan (location and in terms of relationship). The other girls join in, “Yeah what happened?” “Morgan!!” “Are you okay?” Nika is silent. Morgan scoots a bit out of her bed, lifting her head out of her covers and convincingly says, “Rowynn is not who we thought she was.” And then she tells the girls about Rowynn, a Rowynn they had never heard of (The camera does not catch this dialogue). You see the girls’ confusion in their face but also nervousness, some looking at Morgan as she tells the tale as if she is a hero and others more unsure. The entire time, Nika is suspended in confusion. At the end, all the girls are hugging each other, tightly, along with Nika. However, when she is enveloped in Morgan’s arms, she stares at Morgan, hard, as if she is trying to reach some answer and then looks at the girls around her.

Scene Seven (Outside Nika’s Cabin)

The outside of the cabin- dark mahogany wood and a rotted green door with a short wood stairway leading down to a pebbled path. Daytime yet cloudy.
It is the next day (the girls are wearing different outfits) and Nika and her bunkmates are sitting on their cabin steps, throwing pebbles and working on lanyards. Nika is on the ground near the pathway to their cabin, playing with a piece of grass while Morgan is whispering to two other girls and everyone else is immersed in an activity listed. Suddenly, three girls walk past Nika and her cabin, up the path. While they pass, Morgan stares at them and then calls, “Wait! You’re in Rowynn’s cabin right?” They turn around and say yeah. All of Nika’s bunkmates look at each other with wide eyes. Nika stares at the sky. Morgan says, “so you know she’s like a psycho lesbian right?” The girls in Rowynn’s cabin furrow their brows and Morgan raises her eyebrows. “It’s true! She told me herself. Freaking crazy. She basically has a shrine of like pictures of vaginas and weird candles stuffed inside her eggcrate.” The girls in Rowynn’s cabin scoff. “I don’t believe it.” Sophie looks at Morgan. “Morg’s right. Rowynn likes girls.” She lowers her voice, “Like wants to have sex with them.” Sophie’s face heats up, embarrassed of what she said. Nika looks at the grass and picks at it.

Scene Eight (Cafeteria)

The scene begins with the girls filing into the cafeteria in a section with outdoor sinks and a volunteer camper passing out paper towels and then the girls file into the lunchroom- Light brown wood walls covered with painted plaques commemorating camp champions, the kitchen on one side and the salad bar on the other, all the tables in the middle, a skylight in the ceiling of the room, bright fluorescent lights, loud, clamouring voices and sounds of silverware
It is the next day, or a few days later (new outfits) Nika and her bunkmates are waiting in line for the sinks, all in loud conversation. When it’s Nika’s turn for the sink, she walks up to one where a girl is finishing up. The girl turns around and it is Rowynn. Nika looks at her, about to open her mouth but Rowynn pushes past her. Nika turns around but does not see Rowynn. She washes her hands and then goes into the cafeteria. She goes into the lunch line and her friends meet her. “Dude did you see Rowynn? She totally knows we told her dirty secret,” Morgan says. Rowynn is at the top of the line, shown getting lunch while everyone stares at her and whispers. As she walks to her table, people obviously and intentionally squirm or move away. She has a glazed over look in her eyes, a sort of sadness. Nika is watching this unfold as she waits in line and asks Sophie, “What is everyone doing?” “Um, avoiding her lesbianism?” The girls except Nika laugh. “Isn’t that not how it works though?” Nika asks. “I dunno. Morgan says if you touch her then she’ll make you her sex slave.” “I doubt it,” Nika responds quietly.

Scene Nine (Rowynn’s Cabin)

Identical to Nika’s but the bed placement is different and there aren’t as many clothes laying around
While Rowynn was sleeping, tossing and turning in her sheets, a girl, one of the ones Morgan spoke to in an earlier scene, in Rowynn’s bunk creeps up to Rowynn’s cot and forcefully pushes a pillow onto her face. Rowynn immediately wakes and with more force, since she is stronger, pushes back on the girl and she falls back along with the pillow while Rowynn scrambles to stand up. “What the heck!” The other girl also quickly gets back on her feet and out from the shadows comes the other girls in the bunk, forming a circle around Rowynn. Rowynn quivers, “What’s going on?” The girls get in the face of Rowynn, and the original one says, “We heard you peeped on us when we were sleeping. This is what happens when you peep.” The girl punches Rowynn. “You wanna watch us change and shower? Then this is what you get.” All the girls begin to circle in on Rowynn, and she is at a loss of words. “What are you gonna say? Nothing?” The girls are confused, thinking they would hear an explanation of some sort. Rowynn is on the ground and stares at the ground. The main girl quivers, “Is this a joke? Explain yourself!” She kicks Rowynn in the side. Rowynn grunts and rolls on her side, adjacent to a bottom bunk bed. She stares at the ground. The girls look at Rowynn for a few seconds before one says, “I don’t want to do this.” They all deliberate but the focus is on Rowynn, tearing up on the ground in the dark. You hear the girls get back in their beds while Rowynn stays in the same position.

Scene Ten (Nika’s cabin)

Bright sun coming into their (now clean) cabin
The scene begins with Nika’s counselor shaking her and her bunkmates to wake up. Nika sits up. Morgan sits up in her bed, yawns and sleepily comments, “Mmm glad you know who’s not crawling around in my bed.” The girls giggle, but it is clear the joke is a bit old. Their counselor says, “Ya’ll don’t gotta worry, she’s left camp. Bad idea the girl was here anyways. It’s just not a place she’s cut outto be.” “Wait what do you mean she’s not here?” Nika says. Before their counselor can respond, Morgan suspiciously says, “Who cares Ni? The freak’s gone let’s celebrate!” Nika looks around at the girls in her cabin but all of them are still lying down. Nika leans over to see Sophie, below her. She’s awake yet still lying down. Sophie meets Nika’s eyes but then looks away. “Nothing?” Sophie closes her eyes. Morgan begins to get out of her covers and walk down her ladder. Nika sits back up and looks at the ceiling. “So just all of a sudden she’s not even a person?” Nika says, looking to Morgan. Morgan snickers and rolls her eyes, “Drama queen,” she whispers. Nika, tears forming in her eyes, jumps out of her bed and runs outside the cabin. We hear the counselor calling, “Nika! It’s only 6:30!” and Morgan’s laugh. Nika sits on a stair and the noise from the cabin is blurred out. Nika looks at the sky. She mouths “Rowynn” to the air and then carves her name in the pebble path.