INT.EXT. - JESSICA’S CAR - EVENING

The sun is setting. An orange hue is taking over the sky. 

JESSICA is driving her car through the town, holding her phone up to her ear. The ringing tone causes JESSICA to look impatient. 

LILY JUNG
(on the phone)
Hello?

JESSICA
(on the phone)
Mother, we need to talk. It’s serious.

LILY JUNG
(sarcastically)
Isn’t it always?

JESSICA
I mean it, Mother. Krystal is gone.

LILY JUNG
‘Gone’?

JESSICA
Yes, she’s gone. She’s been gone for 3 days now. I don’t know what to do.

LILY lets out an exhausted exhale. 

LILY JUNG
And have you tried going out to find her? Maybe try that.

JESSICA
Of course, I have! I’ve been driving around all damn day. I’ve been driving around for the past three days without a real clue as to where to even look!

LILY JUNG
Calm down, honey. It isn’t as serious as you might think.

JESSICA’S mouth hangs open, apalled.

JESSICA
It’s not serious? Your daughter has been missing for days and you don’t find that to be serious?

LILY JUNG
She always comes back.

JESSICA soothes her temples.

JESSICA
She isn’t on her medication. That’s the issue.

LILY JUNG
Hardly shocking. All of this is to be expected with that one!

JESSICA
So what should I do then, huh? Just keep driving endlessly around, hoping that she’ll eventually pop up? Wait at home until one day she decides to show up? Watch the clock until I get the call that something terrible has happened to her?

LILY scoffs.

LILY JUNG
She will come back. 

JESSICA
And if she doesn’t?

LILY hums impatiently.

LILY JUNG
Oh, I don’t know, honey. Have you thought about calling the police?

JESSICA
Yes, I’ve thought of that. I’m not too sure about that being an option right now. I don’t want her to end up being put in the hospital again.

LILY JUNG
Perhaps that's where she belongs.

JESSICA wags her head furiously.

JESSICA
Mother!

LILY JUNG
Truthfully! The amount of times she’s been in there, you’d think it’s where she prefers to be.

JESSICA
Well, I refuse to ever have her in there again. As long as I’m around, that is the absolute last option.

LILY JUNG
You’ll find out soon enough that there’s no other means of controlling her. She’s a lost cause at this point, I’m sorry to say.

JESSICA grips her steering wheel with sweaty palms.<