@ Phil: Potential story - Buried alive

I decided that part of the issue with my story telling might be that I was talking about subjects that I had no personal experience of. So, I decided that it might ultimately be better to base my story on my own knowledge and experiences instead. PTSD is a difficult subject for a child and especially to portray to others, however this is something that needs to be tackled more and could ultimately be highly effective.

"Buried Alive"

• A young child has had a bad experience (?loss of a parent?) and ends up with PTSD. Her carer sends her to therapy as she really isn't coping, has become insular, uncommunicative and randomly burst into tears. 
• Her therapist tries a number of therapies - EMDR, CBT and council ling. None work
• Girl still thinks she is stupid, overreacts to everything and doesn't understand why no one talks to her.
• The only thing that helps the girl cope is a small rabbit doll. Psychologist decides toys might help her recover and understand what's happening to her. Normal toys she has no connection at all to.
• Psychologist paints in her free time and is quite talented - decides to try and make a doll that represents the girl herself - thinks it might be easier to relate to. 
• Very carefully sits down and puts incredible detail into the doll - Using a microscope to attach the hair and Loupes to do the details like freckles, irises etc.
• Gives the girl the doll in a very beautifully wrapped box. Girl is a little scared at first but begins crying with joy over how beautiful the doll is. 
• Girl and Psychologist play with the doll creating "stories". Girl grows in confidence and becomes more stable.
• Key "story": Repatriation of soldier. Coffin wrapped in flag and a young family standing by, along the parade of honour. Its stormy and windy but not raining. 
• Girl gets to leave and makes a thank you card. 

Act 1

Shot: Through keyhole in bedroom/cell door. Girl sat on bed crying. Camera zooms out to show a locked door with her name on it. Clearly in a hospital. 

Shot: Inside the room. Rotating around from the girl, showing drawings everywhere that are beautiful, but she is scribbled out in all of them. Tally marks on the wall for how long she's been stuck in the room. A chart is attached to her bed with a list of her meds on them. 

Shot: Close up of the meds list. Shows a number of anti-anxiety, anti-sickness etc meds, many combating side effects of others. 

Shot: From corner of room. Girl is sat on bed hugging knees. Door unlocks and a nurse enters. Girl doesn't look up at all. Nurse looks at her sadly. Asks if she needs anything. No reply. Asks if she would like some water. She nods and lifts her eyes sadly.

Shot: Outside of her room at night. Screaming can be heard from within. The girl is having a night terror and is crying uncontrollably. Light flickers above the door. 

Act 2

Shot: Girl sat in therapy. In PJs in a big armchair that makes her look absolutely tiny. Therapist is sat opposite her with a notebook. The room is full of books, abstract paintings etc; generally what you'd expect of a therapists office. The girl is sat silently looking at an old tattered rabbit toy sitting in her lap. She is stroking it gently as though petting a small upset child. 

Shot: Close up of the therapist's face, talking. No sound is coming out though. Its as though the world has been put on mute. Sound volume gradually increases until the therapist can be heard asking the girl if she's still with them. 

Shot: Girl looks down. "Sorry".

Shot: Therapist explains that they're going to try some new healing therapies today. They are going to try EMDR and CBT. The rest of the conversation fades out as the letters swirl around her head and it all gets too much. She holds her head in her hands staring at the rabbit. 

Shot: EMDR in progress. Moving lights, girl is watching them, trying to participate. She begins to break down, crying uncontrollably and shaking until she turns and hides her face in the cushion of the arm chair. 

Shot: Therapist sighs, stands up, grabs a blanket from the shelf and covers the little girl in it, turning the lights back up and making sure she is comfortable before leaving the room. A nurse re-enters. 

Shot: Another day. Different clothes for both characters. This time they are trying CBT. Again the therapist's mouth is moving but nothing is coming out. The girl stands up and screams "Stop! I can't do this anymore!" and hurries out. 

Shot: Looking into psychologist's note book. Must find another way is written in big pen and underlined twice. 

Act 3

Shot: Therapist sat in craft room surrounded by discarded craft materials but only looking at her note book. She looks stressed and is intently re-reading everything. 

Shot: Contents of note book; rabbit circled in big red letters

Shot: Therapist gets an idea. Grabs paints, fabric, thread etc. 

Shot: Clock; time passing; 6 pm, 10 pm, 2 am, 3.30 am.

Shot: Dawn light coming through window with a beautifully wrapped gift box sat on the craft table, surrounded by a huge amount of mess. 

Shot: Little girl sat in the therapy room with the gift box on her lap. She carefully unties the ribbons and lifts the top off of the box. There is tissue paper inside. She carefully peels it back. The doll is unveiled and she initially jumps and looks scared. Then she begins to really look at the doll and gently strokes its face in the same way she does with the rabbit. 

Shot: The therapist and the girl playing with the doll and rabbit, making up a story. Both the toys are dancing. 

Shot: Therapist and girl talking in a counselling session. Therapist: "So what was this nightmare you were telling me about?". Girl: "Not a dream. I remember." Therapist: "Its OK, you can tell me." 

Shot: Flashback. Girl telling the therapist about going to this big airport, with lots of people and vehicles everywhere. She remembers walking onto the tarmac with her mum, holding hands, both dressed in black. They walk up to the back of a big air plane and wait. The back opens and a group of soldiers walk down. A loud trumpet plays and a coffin wrapped in a flag is paraded down off the plane, onto the runway and into a hearse.

Shot: Through keyhole, girl sat on bed colouring and reading.

Shot: Card and rabbit sat on table. Card is a handmade thank you card decorated with crayon and glitter. Its opened and its the girl thanking the therapist for helping her get better and go home. She is looking forward to life living with her mum properly. Card is closed.