EXT.  STREETS - AFTERNOON
Rain is pouring down from a dark gray sky, flooding the streets and dampening the sound of traffic. The only people out are an OLD MAN waiting by a bus stop and a woman, MIA, drenched by the rain. Mia is running towards the man by the bus stop.

MIA
(Shouting over the rain)
Excuse me, do you know where I can find West Park Apartm-

OLD MAN
(Interrupting Mia)
What?

MIA
(Shouting louder)
Where can I find West Park Apartmen-

OLD MAN

(Interrupting Mia again)
What?

MIA
(Visibly annoyed, shouting into the old man's ear)
West Park Apartments!

OLD MAN
West Park Apartments? You should just have said that! It’s right around the corner to the left.

MIA
(Annoyed)
Right… 

OLD MAN
No! To the left! Leeeeft!

Mia sighs before she turns around and jogs off in the correct direction.

CUT TO:

EXT. WEST PARK APARTMENTS - AFTERNOON
Mia is standing outside of a door with a metallic 6B hanging on it. She fumbles through her handbag before finding what she’s looking for: a keychain with multiple, almost identical keys attached to it.

MIA
(Going through the keys)
5B, 5C, 5D, 6A, 6B.

She inserts the key into the keyhole and unlocks the door. After taking a deep breath, she pushes down the handle and enters the apartment.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT 6B - AFTERNOON

Mia quietly walks around in the apartment, scanning the pictures on the walls and the interior. Most pictures show a young boy, some a man and a woman and a few all three of them together. Here and there on the floor lie toys and lego pieces.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT 6B - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON
Entering the kitchen, Mia’s eyes fall on a hastily written note laying on the dinner table. The name MAX is written in big letters at the top of the note. On the piece of paper there’s also a key with 2D engraved. Mia picks up both the note and the key from the table.

MAN'S VOICE
I’ll be working late today, grandma knows you’re coming and will have dinner ready. I’ll leave the key for you in case she doesn’t hear the doorbell.

Mia snorts, before putting the note and the key back on the table, then turns around and leaves the apartment.

CUT TO:

EXT. APARTMENT 2D - AFTERNOON

Mia is standing outside of apartment 2D. She carefully leans forward and presses her ear toward the wooden door. After a few moments she pulls back and grabs the keychain from her handbag. After finding the key to apartment 2D, she puts the key into the keyhole and goes in.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT 2D - HALLWAY - AFTERNOON

Mia carefully closes the door behind her after entering. She then proceeds to quietly walk through the hallway. Vague sounds of someone singing and cooking can be heard.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT 2D - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON

In the kitchen an ELDERLY WOMAN is revealed to be the source of the sounds. She doesn’t notice Mia entering, having her back turned towards the hallway. Quietly Mia grabs a knife laying on the counter. She just manages to hide the knife behind her back before the elderly woman turns around and screams.

ELDERLY WOMAN
What- what are YOU doing here!?

MIA
I’m here to pick up Max. Where is he?

ELDERLY WOMAN
You are not picking up anyone! Get out of my home!

Mia takes a step forward, towards the elderly woman.

MIA
(Shouting)
WHERE IS MY SON!?

ELDERLY WOMAN
You are not getting him back! He thinks you’re dead!

MIA
(Shouting)
DEAD!? You told my son his mother is dead!?

ELDERLY WOMAN
I- I didn’t! David did! It was what was the best for him, for Max, we-

MIA
(Shouting)
WHAT HAVE YOU PEOPLE BEEN DOING TO MY SON!?

Mia launches with the kitchen knife towards the elderly woman, who screams and covers her face with her hands.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREETS - AFTERNOON

MAX 8, waves to his friends as he gets off the bus at the stop where the old man is still sitting. The rain continues to pour down and the boy runs off toward West Park Apartments.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT 6B - AFTERNOON

Max opens the door in the hallway and quickly closes it behind him after entering.

MAX
(Shouting)
DAD!

The boy takes off his backpack and puts it down on the hallway floor.

MAX
(Shouting)
DAD I’M HOME!

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT 6B - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON
Max enters the kitchen and picks up the note and the key from the table. After reading the note he puts it down on the table again and runs out of the apartment.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT 2D - KITCHEN - AFTERNOON
Mia is on her knees in the kitchen. Her face, hair and clothing are now drenched both from the rain outside and splattered with blood. As she’s trying to clean up bloodstains from the floor the doorbell rings. Immediately she stands up and throws the dirty cloth in the kitchen sink. She runs to the hallway just as the sound of the door opening can be heard.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT 2D - HALLWAY - AFTERNOON
Mia stops in the middle of the hallway, just as Max closes the door.

MIA
(Shouting)
MAX!

Max turns around, his eyes widening.

MAX
Mom?

Mia nods, her eyes starting to tear up as she opens her arms. Hesitant for a second, Max runs into his mom's arms and she hugs him tightly.

MIA
(Crying)
My boy! My beautiful, beautiful boy!

MAX
Mom, why did dad say that you were dead?

MIA
I don’t know, baby, but that doesn’t matter any more. No one can take you away from me again, right?

Max nods silently.

MIA
Great! Let’s go do something fun! Do you want to go to the movies? Or the arcade maybe?

Mia stretches out her hand for Max to take.

MAX
We’re going to the arcade, now? But you’re all wet. And where is grandma?

MIA
(Smiling)
Don’t worry about it baby, we should celebrate now that we’re together again! What do you say? Do you want to go eat something and then go to the arcade?

Max seems to be thinking about it for a second but then he smiles, nods and takes Mia's hand.

CUT TO:

INT. RESTAURANT - EVENING
Mia and Max are sitting at a table in the restaurant as a WAITRESS approaches them.

WAITRESS
Hello! What can I get for the two of you?

MIA
I would like the carbonara plate and a cup of coffee, thank you.

WAITRESS
Carbonara and coffee coming right up! And for you, young man?

MAX
I want a burger! And a large cola and ice-cream!

WAITRESS
I’m sorry, but our ice-cream machine is unfortunately broken. Would you perhaps like a smoothie instead?

MIA
My son asked for ice-cream.

WAITRESS
Yes, ma'am, but our ice-cream machine is broken.

MIA
My son wants an ice-cream! Give him an ice-cream!

WAITRESS
I’m sorry, but the ice-cream machine is really broken! There’s nothing I can do!

MIA
(Shouting and slamming her hand on the table)
HE ASKED FOR AN ICE-CREAM! GET MY SON AN ICE-CREAM!

MAX
Mom, it’s okay I don’t need ice-cream…

Mia stands up as the waitress takes a step back.

WAITRESS
Ma'am, would you please-

MIA
(Screaming in waitress’s face)
GET MY SON AN ICE-CREAM OR WE ARE LEAVING THIS INSTANT!

WAITRESS
I- I’m sorr-

Mia pushes the waitress aside before grabbing Max who starts crying.

MIA
(Screaming at the waitress)
YOU MADE MY SON CRY!

Mia then exits the restaurant, dragging a crying Max out with her.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR - EVENING
Max is still crying as he and Mia drive a car away from the restaurant.

MIA
It’s okay baby, don’t cry, don’t cry. We’re going to the arcade! We can get ice-cream there instead!

Max doesn’t stop crying, Mia hits the car stereo to turn on the radio. The channel selected is a news station.

WOMAN ON THE RADIO
Breaking news. The police are on the hunt for a woman in her mid 30s wanted for suspected aggravated assault on an elderly woman as well as child abduction of an 8-years-old boy. The boy is suspected to still be-

Mia hits the car stereo again, harder this time. The channel changes and music replaces the radio woman's voice.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR - ARCADE PARKING LOT - NIGHT
As Mia and Max’s car rolls into the arcade’s parking lot the car's headlights fall onto an empty police vehicle that’s parked in front of the entrance. Mia’s eyes widen and she makes a u-turn, hitting another parked car and knocking one of her own side mirrors off. She slams her foot on the gas pedal and drives out of the parking lot again.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR - NIGHT
Even though the road is narrow and far from straight, Mia is speeding way over the limit.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR - NIGHT
Max starts crying again as he and Mia rapidly drive away from the arcade.

MIA
Don’t worry baby! Don’t worry! We’ll just go another day! It’s okay! Everything is okay!

MAX
(Through tears)
I want to go home!

Mia hits the car stereo even harder than previous times and the music starts again. But this time it seems to be broken, it sounds raspy and disrupted.

MIA
(Shouting over the music and Max’s crying)
EVERYTHING IS OKAY! You don’t need to go back there again! We’re together now and everything will be okay!

Max’s crying becomes even louder and Mia hits the stereo again, resulting in the music disappearing and only an awful noise remaining.

MIA
(Screaming)
EVERYTHING IS OKAY! EVERYTHING IS OKAY! THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!

Mia presses the pedal to the floor as hard as she can and continues to scream louder and louder over her son's crying and the radios loud, awful noises.

MIA
(Screaming at the top of her lungs)
EVERYTHING IS OKAY! EVERYTHING IS OKAY! EVERYTHING IS-

The car veers off the road and as it spins around itself multiple times both Mia and Max become quiet. When the vehicle finally stops upside down the only things that can be heard are the static noises from the car stereo and the heavy rain hitting broken glass and metal.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR - NIGHT
A ringing sound in her ears together with police sirens is the first thing Mia hears when she opens her eyes again. From her view upside down in the car she can see blinking lights and people approaching. Turning her head to the side she sees Max, also upside-down, staring through the broken windshield. His breathing is rapid, his face slightly scratched and blood is dropping from his nose down to the roof of the car.

MIA
(Whispering)
It’ll be okay baby. Everything will be alright.

Mia reaches out a shaking, bloody hand towards her son and carefully caresses his face. As she does so, Max turns his eyes towards her and his breathing becomes slower and steadier.

MIA
(Whispering)
Don’t worry baby.