Short Film: The Mermaid


FADE IN:

OUT. - BEACH - MORNING

(A 10 year boy with brown hair and pasty skin is walking around near the shore. He’s wearing a shirt with shorts and sandals. His name is Felix Alexander. Felix is lucky that he lives near a beach. He likes to walk on the beach and smell the salt water air. He stops by the shore where the water dries up. All of a sudden, there is a scream for help.)

Stranger: Help me! Somebody help!

(Felix hears the sound of distress and follows it. There he finds a woman with a fish tail tangled in fishing nets.)

Felix: Woah.

(The woman screams and struggles to try and get out. Felix then goes toward her and starts untangling her.)

Felix: Hi my name is Felix. What’s yours?

Woman: My name is Audrey.

(Felix removes the last of the rope and soon Audrey is free. She flops into the water and swims away.)

Felix: (yells) You’re welcome.

(Audrey looks at Felix, nods, and swims off. Felix justs stares off in the distance.)

FADE OUT


FADE IN:

INT. - FELIX’S HOUSE - EVENING

(Felix is in the dining room with his mom and dad. They are eating dinner together.)

Felix’s mom: So, Felix did you see anything at the seashore today?

Felix: Mom? Dad? When I tell you this, will promise to believe me?

Felix’s dad: Of course son.

Felix: Okay. Today I met and helped a mermaid.

(Felix’s mom and dad just looked at each other and laughed. Felix looks at them with a serious look his face.)

Felix: (serious) Come on. I’m telling the truth. I helped a mermaid today. Her name is Audrey.

Felix’s mom: (sarcastically) Alright sweetheart. You saw a real mermaid today.

Felix: Nevermind. Good night.

(Felix walks up the stairs with great disappointment. He walks into his room and tries to go to sleep.)

Felix: I know Audrey is real and I’m going to prove it.

FADE OUT

FADE IN:

INT. - SCHOOL - MORNING

(Felix is in class and sitting next to his best friend, Henry. Henry is a boy with brown hair, thick glasses, and brown eyes. They are talking to each other about their weekends.)

Henry: So, what did you do on the weekend?

Felix: Henry I saw something that my parents don’t believe is real.

Henry: Well, what was it?

Felix: I saw a mermaid.

(Henry stares at Felix with confusion and laughs.)

Felix: (annoyed) Come on. Not you too.

Henry: Don’t worry. I do believe you. I have read such books about this type of mythical creature.

Felix: What does your book say about them?

(Henry goes into his bookbag and grabs out his book about mythical entities. He opens it to the page about mermaids.)

Henry: Okay it says that “Mermaids are mythical creatures that people believe that are half fish and human. They have scales, fish tails, and the ability to talk to fish and sea mammals.

Felix: (amazed) Wow. How do I prove that she is real?

Henry: Well, the book says that people can prove this by getting photographic evidence or a video of them.

Felix: Okay. After school, you and I are going to the beach today and we will prove that the mermaid I saw is real.

Henry: Alright let’s do this.

FADE OUT


FADE IN:

INT. - BEACH - AFTERNOON
(Felix and Henry head for the beach where Felix met Audrey.)

Felix: (pointing) See this is where I met her. She was tangled in a fish net and I helped her out of it.

Henry: Okay. Let’s see.

(Henry takes a close look at the groove left in the sand. He starts outlining it with a stick and when he finishes, he stares at it. He then turns to Felix with amazement.)

Henry: (shocked) Dude, what you saw was a mermaid!

Felix: (relieved) I knew it! I knew it!

Henry: Alright, all you have to do is somehow get her to show up.

Felix: How do I do that?

Henry: I don’t know.

(Felix then has an idea. He starts walking into the water and swims.)

Henry: What are you doing?

Felix: I’m going to see if I can have her come to me.

Henry: Okay. Go for it.

(Felix then goes under the water and swims around. He looks left and right but doesn’t sees her. He starts running out of air and he tries to go the surface for air. When Felix tries to go up, he is suddenly tangled around the foot by seaweed. He struggles to get free but the seaweed won’t let go. He’s running out of air real fast. Felix then stops struggling and starts blacking out.)

Henry: (worried) Felix?

(Suddenly, Audrey shows up and grabs Felix. She untangles him and swims to the surface. Henry then sees her as she pulls him to shore. Audrey brings Felix to Henry and he starts trying to revive him.)
Audrey: Henry back away. I got this.

(Henry backs up and watches Audrey.)

Audrey: Please come back Felix.

(Audrey swipes her hand across his face and slowly Felix starts breathing again. He opens his eyes and he sees Audrey.)

Felix: (slowly breathing) Audrey… you’re here.

Henry: Dude, she saved your life.

Audrey: Felix, I need tell you something.

Felix: (worried) What is it?

Audrey: I need to go.

Felix: Go where?

Audrey: Away. Look, you are a good kid and just do me a favor. Stay as yourself and never change.

Felix: Okay. Goodbye.

(Audrey gives him a kiss on the forehead and she flops in the water. She swims away to the sunset. Before she dives, she waves goodbye and then dives.)

FADE OUT

THE END