My Darling Knight

Amelie Winters, a quiet and shy office worker in her mid20’s. She often keeps to herself at her desk, avoiding the gaze of others. It’s not that she doesn’t want company, but because of the frequent bullying from some of her coworkers. With every joke and glance filled with mockery, she sinks deeper into silence. Amelia’s POV “BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! A blaring siren erupted, loud and urgent, slicing through the morning calm. 6:30 in the morning. And yet my body refuses to move. The thought alone- that it’s time once again to face another day of work- makes my limbs feel heavier than steel. Just the thought of having to deal with my coworkers-people who seem to enjoy making every single day of mine unbearable-is enough to make me want to stay in bed forever. Still, responsibilities wait for no one especially not someone like me who needs money. With a sigh heavy enough to rattle the silence. I finally sit up, dragging myself out of bed. I move through the motions: brushing my hair, buttoning my blouse, and putting a little face powder and a lipstick just to make myself presentable. I’m Amelie Winters, an office worker who is often the target of my bully co-workers. They always pass their work on to me because since I became part of this team I never say no to anything they ask me to do. They call me an easy target. [INT. OFFICE- LATE AFTERNOON] The office is buzzing with low chatter and the sound of typing. I was just sitting at my desk like a normal day, focusing on finishing my report. My cubicle is neatly arranged, filled with my sticky notes and files. I’m so tired but I always make sure that my work is finished before I go home. When I check the time in my wrist it’s almost 4 pm, I still have time since I’m almost finished with my report. I actually want to finish this report because I want to go home early since it’s my mother’s death anniversary today. I am thinking of making a visit to her burial site and bringing her favorite flower. CARA (co-worker) (walks over with a stack of files) “Hey, Amelie! I’ve got these expense reports. I was supposed to finish them today, but I’ve got a last call meeting. You don’t mind handling them for me, right? You’re so good at this stuff.” AMELIE (hesitant, gives a small smile) Um….. Okay. I guess I can fit it in.” CARA (grinning) “Knew I could count on you. You’re the best!” CARA walks away without a second glance. Amelie sighs and glances at the growing pile of work on her desk. Across the room, another co-worker, JASON, chuckles to another colleague. JASON (under his breath) “Easy target. She never says no.” Amelie hears this but doesn’t respond. Her expression falls slightly as she picks up the new stack of files and quietly gets back to work. I started working on the files in front of me. I didn’t even notice the time passing because I was so focused on what I was doing. When I finally finished the expense reports Cara had handed me, I glanced at the clock-it was almost 10 PM. I leaned back in my computer chair and let out a deep sigh. I wouldn’t be able to visit my mother’s burial site anymore at this hour since the visiting hours ended at 6 PM. I could feel the tears trying to escape. So, instead, I stood up and headed to the rooftop. [EXT. OFFICE ROOFTOP –NIGHT] The City lights stretch out in every direction, glowing softly beneath a starless sky. The air is cool and quiet, the hum of traffic below barely audible. I stepped onto the rooftop, and I wrapped my arms around for warmth. I walk slowly to the edge, where the wind brushes my hair back. I looked up at the sky, my voice trembling as I began to speak. AMELIE “Hi, Mom…. I’m sorry I didn’t make it today. Work …… it took everything out of me again.” (she lets out a soft, bitter laugh.) “Surprise, right? I let them walk all over me. Again. Just like always.” I wiped my tears, and tried to hold it back but they fell anyway. “I wanted to bring you flowers….. Lilies, like you always liked. But I missed visiting hours. And now, here I am talking to the sky, hoping somehow you are listening.” (Pauses and takes a deep breath) “I miss you so much. I wish you were still here ……. Because you were the only one who saw me. Who knew when I was pretending to be Okay. Who reminded me I deserved better.” She sits down on the bench near the edge, staring at the lights below. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep this…..this version of me. The one who says yes to everything. The only thing they laugh at. But I’m trying, Mom, I’m really trying.” A moment of silence. She closes her eyes. “Just give me a sign, Okay? Something. Anything. To tell me I’m not alone.” I stayed on the rooftop for almost twenty minutes, just to ease the heaviness in my chest. I decided that If I could leave the office tomorrow, I’d go straight to visit Mom. Once I started to feel better, I headed back down the building, suddenly remembering that I hadn’t even had dinner yet. I figured I’d stop by a convenience store and grab something to eat. Narrator's POV A soft breeze rustles the leaves lining the quiet street. The convenience store stands like a lone lantern in the dark- a small, glowing space in an otherwise silent block. Amelie steps out of the building, a warm rice meal and a bottle of water in a paper bag. She holds it gently in both hands, like it’s the only comfort left in her night. She pauses outside the store, looking up at the dark sky. The moon is hidden behind clouds. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Amelie (V.o.) “One more day. Just one more, and I’ll visit you Mom. I promise.” She tugs her coat tighter and starts walking down the sidewalk, her shoes clicking softly against the pavement. The streets are mostly empty. Just the occasional hum of an engine in the distance, the buzz of the street lamp. The world feels paused, like it’s holding its breath. The pedestrian signal is green. Amelie stands at the edge of the crosswalk, waiting for a lone car to pass before stepping forward. Her mind drifts, she’s imagining her mother’s smile, her gentle voice reminding her to eat slowly, to rest and to take care of herself. She begins crossing. Amelie’s halfway across when she hears it- a blaring horn, followed by the shriek of tires burning against the asphalt. Her eyes shoot up. CRASH …………………………. The headlights blind her. There is no time to move. No time to scream. The world snaps to white- Silence. Debris litters the street. Her paper bag is torn open to the ground, rice scattered, the water bottle cracked and rolling. AMELIE’S POV It’s quiet. Soft. Almost warm. I am standing in a field of light, barefoot. I look up and see my mother, smiling and waiting for me with open arms. MOM (smiling gently) “You kept your promise my beautiful daughter.” I didn’t know if I was dreaming … or if this was just one of the many fantasies I’ve had – of seeing my mother again. But I didn’t care anymore- whether it was a dream or just a fantasy. None of it mattered. I ran. Like a child- barefoot, weightless, heart wide open- I ran straight into my mother’s arm. She caught me the way she always had: without hesitation, without question, without letting me fall. Her embrace was everything I had longed for- warm, familiar, safe. The kind of embrace that could make the world disappear. AMELIE (whispering) “Is this real…..? Or am I just imagining you because I miss you so much?” She didn’t answer me with words. She simply stepped closer and cupped my face in her hands, just like she used to when I was a child lost in sadness. MOM (softly) “You’re tired my princess. You’ve carried so much alone.” Tears welled in my eyes, but they didn’t fall. For once, I didn’t feel broken. Just… safe. I just wanted to stay in her arms. I didn’t want to go back – to the cold office lights, to the empty dinners, to the loneliness I ever dared to speak of. Here, in her embrace, I felt whole again. I felt seen. AMELIE (softly, almost like a plea) “Can I just stay here, Mom? Please….. Just a little longer?” My mother tightened the hug, resting her chin in my head, her voice a whisper wrapped in love. MOM “I would hold you forever if I could, darling……. But your story isn’t finished yet.” I clung to her, not ready to let go. The world she had run from was waiting- but for once, she didn’t feel so afraid. Because she had felt this…… because she had remembered. And slowly, the light around us began to fade.