California Dreamer




Iris drives by the Casper Cove Rehabilitation Centre that once was. The burned down structure gives a chill that runs through her spine like a shower of cold water crashing onto her back for the first time. She places her hand on the box that carries her mothers ashes. A  few years later and before her mothers upcoming birthday she wants to scatter her ashes alongside the coast. Bonnie died in the fire that consumed the Island that night amongst the record making storm that of January fifth 2000. Stopping at the local café she takes seat in a booth. Alone on this venture, Iris travelled from California to do this as she missed the wake that was held at the time of her mothers murder. Murder as Iris calls it, she shares her belief with many of the Cove folk as well.


The newspaper she picks up to read, headlines the soon to be re-opened hospital. The waitress brings her coffee on a whim, as Iris orders a club sandwich. She flips through the town paper to the headline story. Glitter in the dark is the tag line of the fiery disaster. Reminiscent of the Vincettio fires this tale of woe took five lives just over a couple years ago. Remarkably survivor Steve Maxwell barely escaped with his life YET again. Weeks after the SKAM murders, Mr. Maxwell was just nearly clinging to life when he was carried out of the blaze. Unfortunately, the curse of Vincettio followed young Amada Wainwright to the rehabilitation centre as he lay healing from his burns. The accused terrorist of the SKAM murders was being cared for by local nurse Bonnie Wilhoite who alongside him died in the fire and rain that night. Brenda Baxter, Tu Chow & Dean Barley also perished that evening.


"Hey sweetie, wake up! I am so sorry, how did I fall asleep? Maybe because you've been driving for hours without this coffee or food in your stomach! Thank you miss, no worries. Aren't you Bonnie Wilhoite's daughter? Yeah, how did you know this? Well, I see the resemblance. Bonnie was a friend of mine, I'm sorry this happened to her. Thank you for your words miss... (Looking at the waitress' name badge) Tara. Eat something sweetheart, you have a long journey ahead of you! Thanks again Tara."

As Iris eats and gazes at the other articles in the town paper, she sees that the outside of the diner gets quiet. Dusk has hit the cove. ' I don't like the real world' is a headline about a boy who survived the fires. Another title captures the boy saying 'I don't like the rain' with another saying my sister was a princess.


The radio station begins playing the interview of Amada Wainwright as he lay in the palliative care unit. "My sister was a princess and I only wanted to be a good boy. I wasn't good enough papa said so I had to stay in my room. Then it came! What came Amada? The storm, the rain and Derek came. Derek? He's inside me, he wanted out and that night he escaped. The fire escalated all around me, the lightening sang to me as blazes roared through the homes. My home or my cage burst into a ball of wonder. I watched as Derek smiled at the trap in which he set for Papa and Virginia. I hate the rain. Derek killed them, just as Derek killed the others sir. The man lies! Ms. Wilhoite as his nurse do you think Amada is mentally Ill or suffering from any post traumatic experience? I think he is blaming an imaginative mental health disorder to account for his actions. He will die here, as his own actions have caused him to succumb to injury soon enough! Harsh some say, but Nurse Wilhoite was not alone in this thought process. Even though she lost her life the murderer also crisped away that fateful night."

The radio glitches and the lights in the diner begin to short. Iris looks around and no one else is noticing the oddness in the room. Maybe its normal here in Casper Cove, Iris thinks. Lightening strikes her car outside and it bursts into flame. Iris Jumps up from her seat in shock, and it is then she sees the man in the letter jacket staring at her from across the room. Instantly she realizes its Derek, so she screams! No one turns around. People appear to be frozen still. Derek begins to walk toward her. Iris flips the table over and begins to scramble for the door. The door of the café locks shut as though it was melted together with the wall. The lights go completely out.





The fire rages outside of the Café and she is straight away removed from the environment and taken to a trailer park engulfed in flames. Iris screams again as she knows she is having a nightmare now!

" I hate the rain! Didn't you hear me its not me its Derek! GET AWAY FROM ME! Its not I who will hurt you miss. ( the young boy points to a shadow boy wielding a Chef's knife) I'm asleep, TARA help me wake up!! This isn't real, this isn't real!! FUCK HELP ME!!"

Iris jumps from booth to booth prying at the windows to escape. She takes a napkin dispenser and smashes the window escaping to the outside fire pit! Not knowing where to run, the rain falls onto her head awakening her in an instant!

The patrons of the Café watch as Iris Slits her throat for all too see.

Iris still in a dream like state collapses into the arm hoisting her up in the air as Derek uses the knife to cut her throat. This is her dream but real to everyone else who didn't see Derek actually slit her throat.

People scream and run out into the rain to help her. The foot prints begin to wash away as the lightening continues to strike and the rain cascade onto the area.





( The Barleys were also at the Café)

                                   Andrew drops his take out for the family in horror!

                                                                                                                             Sonny sees Derek escape!

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