-deeper- Emily Willis - Barrier -15.07.2021- -

July 15th. I chose this day. Five years ago, I walked out of that house. Three years ago, I said the name "Emily" for the first time in a mirror and didn't flinch.

She opens the letter.

She reaches toward the line but stops an inch away. Her hand trembles. -Deeper- Emily Willis - Barrier -15.07.2021-

Present-day EMILY watches her younger self. She doesn't smile.

A minimalist apartment at twilight. Rain streaks down a large window. EMILY WILLIS (late 20s, sharp but tired eyes) sits on the floor, back against a bare wall. Across from her, an old wooden chair holds a single object: a sealed letter with her birth name on it. July 15th

(whispering) What if she says sorry? What if she doesn’t?

The deepest barrier wasn’t the door. Or the name. Or the distance. Three years ago, I said the name "Emily"

On the eve of a life-altering decision, Emily confronts the invisible wall she built between her past self and the person she is trying to become.