Little Sister Coming Soon

It's 1997, during the peak of summer on the Eastern Shore. The beach is crowded, nearly blanket to blanket. Erin, 14, sunbathes with her best friend, Cara, as if it's their job. They flip through magazines. Erin feels uneasy in her bathing suit, gazing at the ultra-thin women in Cosmo and Teen Vogue, both reflecting the 90s fixation on thinness. In the margins, Erin has noted every calorie she's consumed and plans to consume that day. The peaceful scene is disrupted by Chris, a handsome 22-year-old, and Eric, another young man, with a beer cooler in hand. Erin knows these boys; they are friends with her older sister's boyfriend, Jason. Chris is charming and starts chatting with Cindy, Erin's mom, and Mel, Erin's older sister. Chris flirts with Erin, who feels uncomfortable yet enjoys the attention. She senses a newfound power, feeling grown-up. After more sunbathing, Cara feels too hot and decides to return to the house. Erin stays, adjusting on her towel. The boys play by the water, tossing a football. Erin walks to the water to wash off sand.

She's sticky. Bored with their game, the boys sneak up behind Erin, lifting and tossing her into the shallows. Erin shouts 'No' all the way in. Trying to be a good sport, she doesn't want to go all the way in. They dunk her, covering her in sand. The boys laugh, but Erin doesn't. She heads back to her towel, but they grab her again, rougher this time. She's embarrassed and yells for them to stop. People on the beach notice. The boys wrestle her to the sand, holding her down, still laughing as if it's a game. The more Erin resists, the rougher it gets. They release her. She tries to walk away. A cycle of catch and release follows, each time rougher. They tug at her bikini, exposing her, making her self-conscious about her body. She tries not to let them see her cry, wanting to be tough and grown-up. Eventually, she can't hold back the tears and calls for her mom. Chris takes charge, dragging her over broken seashells by her ankles to the water. She fights back. He pulls her into deep water, hugging her from behind, arms pinned, taking a breath before submerging them both. After extra seconds underwater, they resurface. Erin gasps for air. Eric feigns boredom and swims off. Jason follows, leaving an awkward silence. Chris releases Erin, who coughs up water and asks to get out. Chris ignores her, as if denying his control. He shifts his focus to Eric doing handstands. Erin swims to shore, marked by red streaks, cuts, and sandburn from the boys' hands. People watch cautiously. She's trembling, not from the cold water. She picks up her broken sunglasses from the chaos. The boys taunt her from the water. Her tampon string is visible. First, they made her their game, now their joke. Erin's mom, Cindy, stands on the dry sand, watching the entire time, hands on hips. When Erin asks why her mom didn't help, Cindy tells her to brush it off, assuring her she'll be fine. Erin adjusts her bathing suit to cover herself and leaves.

Emily, one of seven women in her class, received the Departmental Award of Excellence in Film and Media and graduated summa cum laude from Brooks Institute of Photography. Her first short film, 'Woman Child', was officially selected for Oscar Qualifying Film Festivals, including the St. Louis International and Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival. Her short documentary series, “Repurpose,” was broadcast on PBS as part of the “Woman in Focus” and “Made By Hand” series. She was a semi-finalist for the Cinequest Feature Length Screenplay and a quarter-finalist for the Bluecat Short Screenplay. Her commercial work has been highlighted as an 'Editors Pick' on Ad Forum. Her two-year involvement in a National Breast Health Campaign earned Gold in 11 categories at the Telly Awards for Best Branded Documentary. She also produced the Sundance Official Selection short film “Me+Her,” which was chosen for over 45 festivals worldwide, winning at Aspen Shortfest, Monadnock IFF, Sacramento Film, and the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. The short film caught the attention of The New Yorker, partnered with Conde Nast, and was distributed by United Airlines.