Narration:
Matt ends the call with a frustrated sigh and fires off a message.
Text on Screen (from Matt):
"Appointment for the cat at 12. Don't forget. Or I'm taking this furball alone. Your call."
Narration:
Chris, just outside his gate, glances at the ping on his phone. He taps out a quick 😇 emoji and sends it, lips twitching into a smirk.
Narration:
Pushing open the front door, Chris steps inside. The cool air greets him, carrying the scent of floor polish and something warm brewing in the kitchen.
Narration:
He toes off his shoes lazily, stretching his arms with a half-yawn and muttering to himself.
Chris (softly):
"Just one nap. One uninterrupted nap before I start meowing again."
Narration:
He turns toward the hallway—but just as he does:
Chris's Mom (calling out):
"Chris? Can you come here for a second?"
Narration:
He freezes mid-step and groans internally. Shoulders sagging, he pivots and walks toward the dining room.
Narration:
His mom is already seated at the table, a mug of coffee in hand, one set aside for him. The lighting is soft, the air quieter than usual. She gestures for him to sit.
Chris (raising an eyebrow):
"You're not about to tell me you joined a pyramid scheme, right?"
Chris's Mom (chuckling softly):
"No. Just coffee. And… a conversation."
Narration:
Chris pockets the phone and leans on the table, rubbing his eyes. He looks worn out—more than just tired. The kind of fatigue that doesn't leave with sleep.
Chris's Mom (gently):
"How was your special class today?"
Chris (blinking, distracted):
"Oh. Uh… fine. Just the usual."
Narration:
She watches him closely for a second longer than he's comfortable with.
Chris's Mom:
"You look exhausted. Is everything okay?"
Narration:
Chris hesitates. His lips part, but nothing comes out right away. His mind spins—how could he even begin to explain?
Chris (forcing a chuckle):
"Of course I'm fine. Why's everyone acting like I'm falling apart today?"
Chris's Mom (smiling faintly):
"Because I have to make a decision... and I've been thinking a lot about you and your brother."
Narration:
She looks down at her coffee, stirring it slowly. Chris leans in, the smirk gone, replaced by cautious curiosity.
Chris:
"What kind of decision?"
Chris's Mom:
"I might need to go out of station. Just for a month. It's for my work—something important that could help me move to the next stage in my career."
Narration:
Chris lowers his gaze, both hands around the coffee mug. He doesn't say anything for a moment.
Chris (softly):
"So… what are you thinking?"
Chris's Mom:
"Even when I'm working here, I only get to see you and your brother at night—or on weekends. And now I'm thinking of leaving you both for a whole month. I keep wondering if I'm being irresponsible."
Narration:
Chris looks up, gently shaking his head.
Chris:
"Mom, we'll be fine. Dad's here, right? It's just a month."
Chris's Mom:
"Your dad works night shifts. He'll only be home in the mornings, when you two have already left for school."
Chris:
"It's not a problem. I'll take care of Sam."
Chris's Mom (smiling sadly):
"That's not the problem. Sam's on summer break—I might take him with me to your grandma's. I just feel bad leaving you alone."
Chris (smiling reassuringly):
"I'll be alright, Mom. Seriously. You should go."
Chris's Mom (gently):
"You really think so? That you'll be fine?"
Chris (grinning):
"Of course, Mom. But—"
Chris's Mom (raising an eyebrow):
"But?"
Chris (leaning back with mock seriousness):
"You know… I still need to eat for a month. And, uh, basic survival needs… you know, essentials."
Narration:
She narrows her eyes, lips twitching, already seeing where this is going. But she lets him continue, pretending to be oblivious.
Chris's Mom (smiling):
"So?", So... what?"
Chris (squinting, avoiding her eyes):
"Nothing, Mom.
Narration:
He suddenly stands, stretching and glancing toward the hallway.
Chris:
"Anyway—I need to run. Library duty. Exams and all that. Matt's already waiting. I just came to wash up. Bye!"
Narration:
He bolts from the chair and dashes toward his room.
Chris's Mom (calling out behind him):
"Chris—!"
Narration:
But he's already disappeared down the hall, leaving behind the sound of hurried footsteps, the clink of his coffee cup, and a mother shaking her head with an amused sigh.
Narration:
Chris entered his room, shutting the door behind him with a soft thud. He yanked off his hoodie, tossing it onto his chair, grumbling to himself as he paced.
Chris (muttering):
"What the—does she expect me to survive an entire month without food? No snacks? No pizza nights?"
(He rubs his stomach, dramatic.)
"I'm already missing dinner thanks to that stupid furball situation..."
Narration:
He throws himself onto the bed with a huff, still talking to no one in particular.
Chris:
"Bet Matt's already blaming me for being late. Again."
Cut to: Matt's room
Narration:
Matt sat on the floor with Candy sprawled beside him, both of them staring at the phone like they were waiting for a bomb to go off.
Matt (checking the time):
"11:02."
Narration:
He glanced at Candy.
Matt:
"You think he'll actually show? Can't trust that guy with clocks or cats. We wait till 11:30. If he's not back by then—we're going without him."
Narration:
Candy raised her head slightly, blinked once, then slouched back down, unimpressed.
Narration:
To distract himself, Matt unlocked his phone and casually scrolled through Instagram. His thumb paused as a new post caught his eye—a photo of Emma and Maya, taken not long ago.
They were inside a car, sunlight slanting through the windows, all smiles. Emma's little brother could be seen grinning in the backseat beside her, while Maya and Emma's mom sat in the front.
Matt (quietly):
"Seriously? They're out together?"
Narration:
His eyes flicked between their faces. Emma's smile looked real. Too real. The kind of smile that didn't look like it was carrying any of the weight she used to show around Chris.
Matt sighed again but didn't scroll past.
Scene Shift – Inside the Car
The engine hummed as the car cruised down the road. Emma's mom chuckled softly, glancing at Maya.
Emma's Mom (light-hearted):
"You're really goofy, but still this invested in studies? Great kid."
Maya (smiling to herself, almost under her breath):
"Yeah... tell my parents that, and then you'll know."
Emma's Mom:
"So your parents are really that busy on weekends too? Hardworking people, huh?"
Narration:
Maya laughed softly, but her eyes flickered—just for a second.
Cutaway – Maya's Imagination:
A quiet living room. Two exhausted adults slumped on opposite ends of the couch, half-watching the TV, barely speaking. Both yawning. Phones lighting up unread messages beside them.
Maya (back to the present, still smiling):
"Totally."
Emma's Mom (curious):
"So, how did you even know about this space exhibition?"
Maya (grinning slyly):
"You know... park signs. And... probably some psychic energy."
The car hummed along the quiet road, soft music playing in the background. The windows were down just a bit, letting in the breeze. Maya sat shotgun, making ridiculous squishy faces against the glass.
Emma's Mom (laughing):
"Maya! You'll scare pedestrians."
Maya (deadpan):
"That's the goal."
Emma (giggling from the back):
"Mission accomplished. You're horrifying."
Beside her, her little brother mimicked Maya's face with dramatic intensity. Emma burst out laughing again, trying to shield her view with her hands.
Emma's Mom (smiling, glancing in the rearview):
"It's nice seeing you laugh like this."
Narration:
Emma looked out the window, her smile softening. She didn't say anything, but her hand lightly tapped her brother's knee, like an unspoken thank-you.
Maya (suddenly):
"Aunty, take the next left."
Emma's Mom (blinking):
"Left? I thought the library's the other way?"
Maya (grinning innocently):
"Exactly."
Emma's Mom (confused):
"...What?"
Maya (smirking):
"You'll understand when we get there."
Narration:
Emma raised an eyebrow but said nothing, watching her mom reluctantly flip on the indicator and turn left.
Narration:
The car came to a slow stop under the yellow glow of a flickering lights. The area was quiet — too quiet for a "study thing."
Emma's Mom (frowning):
"...This is a park."
Maya (already unbuckling):
"Exactly!"
She jumped out and shouted back.
Maya:
"Come on, we need to hurry! Emma, move!"
Emma (still confused, stepping out):
"Maya, what—? I thought—"
Narration:
Maya was already jogging in a straight line toward the open field. Emma blinked and followed. Behind them, Emma's mom stood near the car with her son, watching Maya like she was an alien on a mission.
Maya suddenly bent down, did something with the grass — maybe chalk? Maybe spray paint? It wasn't clear.
Emma (half-whispering):
"Maya, what is going on?"
Maya (popping up, panting):
"Made it in time."
Emma:
"Time for what?"
Maya (grinning):
"Just be ready."
Emma:
"Ready for—?"
Before she could finish, Maya had dashed off toward Emma's mom.
Maya (bowing, slightly dramatic):
"Aunty… I'm sorry."
Emma's Mom (crossing her arms):
"That's it?"
Maya (holding up a finger):
"Not even close."
Narration:
Emma's mom stared, unsure whether to be amused or deeply concerned. Then Maya leaned in seriously.
Maya:
"You need to save Emma."
Emma's Mom (alarmed):
"WHAT?!"
She snapped her head toward the field. Emma stood frozen inside a big chalk-drawn circle as a few neighbourhood kids threw softballs in random directions, laughing and shouting. Emma weaved awkwardly, narrowly dodging one that bounced past her ear.
Emma's Mom:
"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"
Maya (calmly):
"It's a game. Team up in twos. One throws, one protects. Last pair standing wins."
Emma's Mom (horrified):
"You put my daughter in dodgeball?!
Maya (hands up):
"I know you're mad. Yell at me later. Right now, Emma needs a partner."
Narration:
Emma's mom blinked, staring at her daughter flinching like a confused video game NPC.
Maya (softly, to Emma's little brother):
"I promise. We'll stay right here in your line of sight. Just trust me."
Narration:
Emma's mom let out a long sigh. She kicked off her sandals, rolled up her sleeves, and muttered under her breath.
Emma's Mom (marching into the field):
"This is ridiculous."
Maya (grinning at the little brother):
"Operation Emotion Rescue: Phase One… engaged."
Narration:
Inside the chalk circle, the chaos peaked.
Emma and her mom were playing like their lives depended on it — ducking, side-stepping, and laughing breathlessly as soft foam balls flew past them. Emma's little brother and Maya stood just outside the line, jumping up and down like overenthusiastic cheerleaders.
Little Brother (yelling):
"GOOOO MOM! GOOOOO EMMA! DIVE LIKE NINJAS!"
Maya (clapping):
"Protect your faces! Protect your dreams!"
Narration:
There were now only four teams left. Maya's eyes narrowed at one player across the field — a tall kid winding up with a grin, clearly aiming for Emma's mom.
Maya (muttering):
"Oh no you don't."
Without missing a beat, she "accidentally" tossed a juice box onto the ground in front of the player's path. The kid tripped with a shout, losing grip of the ball.
Opposing Kid:
"HEY!"
Referee (off-screen):
"FOUL! Team Green distracted. Team Blue advances!"
Maya (fake-innocent):
"My bad! Juice emergencies happen."
Narration:
The field narrowed. Only two teams remained: Emma and her mom, and a duo of athletic twins in matching tracksuits.
Maya tried another stealthy interference — fake tripping, exaggerated coughing — but none of it worked. In the end, a perfect throw from one of the twins knocked Emma's mom just outside the line.
Referee:
"Team Yellow — Second Place!"
Narration:
The crowd clapped. Emma and her mom burst out laughing and hugged tightly in the middle of the field. For the first time in weeks, Emma looked... light. Unburdened.
The group regrouped near the edge of the park. Maya and the little brother were already enjoying celebratory ice cream cones from a nearby vendor.
Emma's Mom (arms crossed, eyebrows raised):
"Okay. Maya. Explain."
Maya (mouth full of ice cream):
"Mmhm?"
Emma's Mom (playfully stern):
"You LIED. Tricked me into dodgeball! For this?!"
Maya (chewing, then pointing behind):
"For that, actually."
Narration:
They all turned to look. A laminated sign hung from the event board at the side of the park:
🥈 SECOND PLACE WINS:
✨ Two Free Passes to SpaceChute Trampoline Arena + 50% Off Frozen Yogurt!
Maya (grinning):
"See? Technically, not a lie. Just… strategically filtered truth."
Emma's Mom (sighing):
"I don't know if I want to hug you or ground you."
Maya:
"I recommend ice cream instead."
Narration:
They all laughed. Emma reached for her mom's hand, and they shared a quiet glance — no words, just a soft squeeze.
Maya smiled to herself. Mission: Emotional Reset — complete.
Narration:
The car ride back from the park was filled with laughter. Maya scrolled through the photos on her phone — Emma mid-laugh, Emma's mom throwing a dodgeball like a superhero, even Emma's little brother doing a triumphant cartwheel near the cones.
Maya paused at one picture — Emma and her mom, faces flushed, holding up their second-place badge like it was a medal of honor.
She grinned and tapped "Post" on Instagram:
"Most chaotic team in town 🥈💛 #survivorsquad"
📸 Image: Emma and her mom, sweaty, smiling, and completely happy.
Maya tapped the "post" button.
📱Ding! – a soft notification sound echoed in Matt's room.
Matt, half-slouched on the bed, lazily turned toward his phone. He picked it up and blinked at the screen.
He squinted at the timestamp.
Matt (flatly):
"11:30."
A long beat.
He tossed the phone onto the bed with a sigh.
Matt (grumbling):
"Useless."
He turned to Candy, who was sprawled dramatically across the rug, licking a paw with royal disinterest.
Matt:
"You wanna go for a ride?"
Matt zipped up the pet carrier, Candy giving one last disgruntled mrrow before settling in like a dramatic prisoner.
Matt (muttering as he fastens the latch):
"Let's hope the vet says something helpful. Like, I don't know—'your cat's cursed by ancient spirits' or 'just needs more yoga.'"
He slung the bag over his shoulder, grabbed his keys, and muttered one last time before heading out the door:
Matt:
"At this point, I'd even take 'possessed by Wi-Fi signals' if it means getting answers."