THREE AND A HALF SECONDS - psychological Thriller - for a female lead

Second one - Flash Forward: A woman's bare feet rush on the wooden boat deck. Her hand, grabbing a GUN. Her frightened, blood smeared face...

Present Time - Miami: In a hotel room a man gets shot. He was a New York lawyer.

Manhattan: Still grieving the recent death of her dad, fashion reporter Ashley Morgan takes on the assignment to write a feature about designer star Aida. She is complicated, warns Tammy, Ashley's best friend and photographer. But Aida grants her an interview at her next show in Hawaii. First they do some research. Tammy is mostly interested in Aida's annulled marriage and her “non-exiting” husband Bruce -- who just returned from a 10-year prison term. Bruce feels betrayed of his family. Aida sees him for passionate love night and invites him to Hawaii to make up. Ashley discovers that her own dad, who had defended Aida in an armed robbery case 10 years ago, recently filed a custody claim for Aida's daughter Jessica, now 10...

Second two - Flash Forward: Her shaking hand pointing the GUN. Ashley's distressed face.

Present - Hawaii:  Tammy sends photos, one showing Aida visiting a Home for Autistic children, another, an accidental shot of Bruce at the Miami hotel on the day Ashley's dad died. When Ashley arrives, Tammy is gone, so is Aida. At her hotel, she spots Bruce and follows him to a motor yacht…

(In her shade, someone else sneaks ABOARD.)

Next thing Ashley knows, she is far out at sea, alone with Bruce. Now she fears that he not only killed his ex-wife, also Tammy, maybe even her dad. After a cat and mouse chase, Ashley slips overboard and swims toward a distant sailing boat. Bruce cuts her off and saves her “from becoming fish food.” In a sudden hormone rush, he breaks and falls for her. But Bruce gets shot - by Aida, who now points the gun at Ashley. Cautiously Ashley tries to side with Aida about her dad's custody claim. But when she mentions Tammy, Aida turns adamant again and rushes below.

Frightened, Ashley snatches dead Bruce's GUN, covers it. Aida returns with Tammy, wearing a blood-soaked head bandage. Tammy's photos endangered Aida's daughter. So did her dad, Ashley realizes… Tammy speaks it out: Aida killed Ashley's dad. Aida is about to execute Tammy. Ashley grabs Bruce's gun…

Second three: Tears shoot into Ashley's eyes, as she steadies the GUN and cringes the finger around the trigger. Her eyes open wide, the gun DISCHARGES with some manly recoil. She holds it tight, the bullet pierces Aida's chest. –

And a half second:

Aida grabs Ashley's arm and falling backward, drags Ashley overboard into the ocean – Bubbles. Spider web hair. Stunned eyes… Gaping mouths, drowning… They are sinking quickly in Aida's tight grip. But then, with a last wink, she sets Ashley free.

Kauai: From the Home for Autistic children, Ashley and Tammy pick up little Jessica who is Ashley's half-sister.

Drawings by Benjamin P Carow

Screenplay Synopsis

Three and a Half Seconds