Wildflower

This is a limited location/cast screenplay. 99% of it takes place in one location with two actors. There's a chance romantic encounter between Esmee’, a lonely woman in a cottage, and William, a soldier on the run from the war. Esmee’ is reluctant to let the injured stranger into her home, but grows fond of him over time. As fighting threatens the countryside, she allows him to stay to help keep her safe from the war. Their stubbornness and fondness devolve into a fling that she doesn’t want to end. William struggles to convince her to leave with him, but she refuses. When an American soldier comes looking for deserters, Esmee’ accidentally kills him to keep William from leaving. But William hasn’t been honest with her from the beginning, and she hasn’t either. As passions and frustrations rise, we find quite suddenly that everything isn’t quite what it seems. Esmee’ finds a modern cell phone in Williams’ hidden belongings. This is the thread that ruins the tapestry she’s created here. It tears her world apart and any semblance of honestly between them. It’s revealed that William and Esmee’ are married, but in an immersive simulation to save their marriage after his infidelity and her attempted suicide. In the end, William decides to leave the simulation knowing she’ll never come with him. And Esmee’ is left at the cottage with an artificial version of the man she loves.