Paige Adams 1

Once Upon a Diner

Paige Adams
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BARBARA: Waitress at the diner. Middle aged woman with

shortened reddish orange curls pulled back neatly in a bun.

She is wearing the uniform button up blouse with khaki pants

and a decorative pink and white apron. Her sneakers are

plain white non-slips. Everything about her is uniform,

aside from a heavy crystal she wears around her neck. She is

short but sturdy.

LUKE: An eighteen year old home town boy. He has an olive

complexion and jet black hair so handsome that even the hair

net is flattering upon his locks. He is wearing a plain

white t-shirt, dark wash jeans, black sneakers, and his

black cook’s apron. He is slightly taller than average, and

fit from a lifetime of labor.

EMILIA: Twenty five year old woman with illuminating blonde

hair, close even to a silver-ish white. Her skin is a

calming milky color. She is wearing all black boots, black

jeans, and a black hooded rain coat. She is average height,

with strong posture.

GARRETT: A high school senior, and quarter back for the

football team. He is dressed in his letterman jacket, light

wash jeans, and converse sneakers. He wears his golden

blonde hair combed to one side, and a small cross on a chain

around his neck. He is medium height and well built.

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DESI: A twenty year old girl. She wears a long floral dress,

wet at the ends from the rain, and is barefoot. Her long

dark hair falls in a halo around her, heavy from the rain.

She is tall yet petite.

STEPHEN: A twenty six year old journalist. He wears a hunter

green/navy blue plaid shirt, jeans, and reddish brown

loafers, and carries a leather laptop bag. His hair is

thick, but styled, and he wears round framed glasses atop

his slender nose, complimenting his lightly grown in beard.

He is average height with a small belly pudge.

Setting: Old run down diner on the edge of town and two

miles off the highway. The shift has been slow, but It’s

begun to pour rain outside which brings in a few unlikely

customers, specifically four assuming strangers. There is

one waitress on shift, as well as a cook.

At rise: As the scene opens EMILIA is already seated at a

high top, BARBARA is at the coffee station, preparing

another pot to brew, LUKE is walking up from the back

storage with a large bag of flour atop his shoulder, and

STEPHEN is entering the diner.

LUKE: Do we have more customers on the way Barbara?

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BARBARA: I’m sensing this much. The rain will bring them in,

and they’re going to want coffee in this weather.

The bell atop the door jingles as

STEPHEN enters from the rain with his

laptop bag covering his head.

BARBARA welcomes the new customer in a

monotone voice without turning around.

BARBARA: Hello, welcome to the Midnight Diner, pick an empty

seat. We will be with you shortly.

STEPHEN looks around and chuckles as he see’s

they are all empty seats, aside from one, and

so he picks a booth in the corner facing the

doorway.

BARBARA pauses before EMILIA with the

coffee pot and a mug before making her way to

take STEPHEN’S order.

BARBARA: You want any more coffee dear?

EMILIA nods in agreement.

BARBARA arrives in front of STEPHEN

pouring his coffee into a mug.

BARBARA: WIFI password is “wallowingwanderer1” all lower

case. Just updated it this morning.

STEPHEN: **Pulling his laptop from his bag**

Oh, yes, thank you. **looking up**

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I hadn’t ordered any coffee yet.

BARBARA: You’ll want the coffee on a night like this.

**thunder booms outside**

Besides you get a free cup with your slice of pie.

STEPHEN: But I haven’t ordered any pie either.

BARBARA raises her eyebrows knowingly to

acknowledge his denial. She then leaves, returning

with a slice of pie, to which STEPHEN is surprised

that he welcomes without rejection as he sips his

coffee. At this moment GARRETT arrives, with a

rushed DESI trailing in behind him. DESI pushes

past GARRETT, distraught and with grandiose

impatience. Her loud presence brings the attention

of all with one exception, and with of one’s

attention exceptionally; EMILIA remains seated

staring into her coffee mug and LUKE is suddenly

entranced.

GARRETT: Woah, hey little lady excuse me!

DESI: **Through tears of anger,

pointing dramatically to

EMILIA**

Emilia Ravenclad, you can dodge me no longer. I demand your

acknowledgment of my presence to which…

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DESI faints before finishing her

sentence. GARRETT catches her limp body.

EMILIA is still seated holding her coffee mug

stare. LUKE rushes to her side, taking over

for GARRETT.

LUKE: Move over man, I’ve got this.

**Taking hold of DESI’S hand

and cradling her head**

Oh my god, somebody call for help! She needs help!

GARRETT: Well I was trying to, but…

BARBARA: The phone lines are down again must be the storm.

STEPHEN: **Nervously peering over his laptop**

The WIFI is out too.

BARBARA: I know CPR, but it looks like she’s just fainted.

Poor girl has had quite a night, she will need our help. Fan

her and I’ll get a wet towel to dab her forehead with.

LUKE hurriedly begins to fan DESI and carries

her to a nearby booth. BARBARA brings the towels,

placing one on her forehead. Everyone looks

inquisitively to EMILIA, still seated passively at

her coffee mug.

STEPHEN: Hey I-I think I know that girl. **pointing to

DESI** Well I recognize her I mean. She lives on the edge of

town, not far from here. I wrote an article on her family,

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or tried to at least. They hold a long standing history in

this town and I had been investigating their involvement in

mysterious on goings. They weren’t cooperative though, and

my editors killed the article. I never finished it.

GARRETT: Well this has taken a turn for the creepy. If

nobody else is going to say it, I will.

GARRETT walks over to EMILIA and

waves a hand twice before her face

GARRETT: Uhm pardon my intrusion ma’am, but I think this

almost dead chick was here for you. Do you know her?

EMILIA stares into her coffee mug,

doesn’t blink, doesn’t flinch.

STEPHEN: M-maybe she’s deaf.

GARRETT: I waved in front of her face!

STEPHEN: Well maybe she’s in some type of shock. Something

obviously happened with this other girl.

BARBARA: Perhaps she’s just not ready to speak, or not ready

to speak to you all.

BARBAR walks from her place by DESI

and LUKE over to EMILIA.

Young lady, are you well?

EMILIA looks up from her mug of

coffee. The others all stare in awe,

waiting for her response.

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EMILIA: Yes

LUKE: That’s all she has to say for herself?

STEPHEN: May I just interject, **Pushing his glasses upon

his nose** I’m sorry but I think maybe both women have been

through something this evening. And I don’t know, but maybe

we should give her some time.

BARBARA: Luke, calm your spirit. This nervous gentleman is

right, Let us give her a chance. Emilia, can you tell us

what this young lady may have wanted from you, or where

she’s come from?

EMILIA: I don’t recall giving my name, and I’m sorry but the

less you know the better.

GARRETT: Oh that’s just perfect, I mean what is even going

on here? What if they’ve done something? I can’t get caught

up in this; I have my future on the line. I’m out of here.

GARRETT makes his way to exit the diner. BARBARA

is at his side in a flash, grabbing his shoulder.

BARBARA: **Ominously** Young man the weather is bad out

there, it isn’t safe. I think its best you stay here, with

us.

GARRETT scoffs, rolling his eyes.

GARRETT: Oh no you don’t lady. I don’t know what you’ve got

going on in this place, but I don’t want any part of it.

BARBARA: Young man what brought you here tonight?

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GARRETT: If you must know, my girlfriend broke up with me

and my team just lost to Crestview High, so I’m having a bad

night. I was just out driving and ended up here. Pie sounded

good I guess.

BARBARA: Mhmm, I see, so you’re searching for something.

Maybe you’ll find it here. And the rest of you, what brought

you here tonight?

Lightning strikes a tree outside, breaking off and

falling just so, blocking the diner exit. DESI begins

to awaken from her fainting spell.

LUKE: **To everyone** Look! She’s waking up! **To DESI,

brushing the hair from her eyes** It’s going to be okay.

DESI: What happened? Where am I?

DESI locks eyes with LUKE

Do I know you?

LUKE: No, I’m sorry, but I was drawn to you the moment you

walked in.

DESI: Of course, Luke.

DESI covers LUKE’S cheek with her hand.

LUKE: Wait, do we know each other?

DESI: But haven’t we always known?

EMELIA slowly approaches the booth where LUKE

still cradles the awoken DESI

EMELIA: You have come for me.

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DESI: **gasps** Emelia.

DESI: I suppose you all expect some sort of explanation as

well.

EMELIA: Desi, it’s not a good idea, you shouldn’t even have

come here for me.

DESI: Emelia, you know I had no choice. And something tells

me this is no chance encounter.

BARBARA: She’s right Emelia.

EMELIA: I’m sorry, but how is this any of your business?

BARBARA: It is more than you know, more than I’ve asked for

it to be.

DESI: Ms. Barbara is an Omniscient Emelia, she knows why

were here. She knows why all of us are here, whether we know

it or not.

STEPHEN: Would you all mind if I record this?

The three women glare at STEPHEN.

EMELIA: I wouldn’t bother if I were you.

STEPHEN grabs his phone to record, but immediately tosses it

aside.

STEPHEN: Ah! It burned me!

BARBARA: Stephen, you will find your way to tell the world

of your experiences, but betrayal is not a part of it. As I

mentioned before, we are all here for a reason, and we are

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all together for a reason as well. Desi, why don’t you take

the floor?

DESI: