The envelope please….
To review, the challenge was to write a short scene, invocative of French cinema, inspired by this Polyvore montage:
You can read the entries in the comments here.
There were so many great entries, it was hard to choose a winner! But the academy has spoken and the winner of the Best Original Short Subject Screenplay for Polyvore is…..Dea!
Here is the winning entry:
“This will do nicely,” she thinks to herself as she admires the darling red leather handbag. She opens it and dumps the contents into the trash bag that already contains the maid’s uniform and gray wig. Removes the contents of several wallets, slips the large wad of euros and collection of passports into the clandestine zipper compartment. In the main compartment she places laminated street map, phrase book, reading glasses and lip balm.
She admires the glittering diamond snowflake drop earrings one last time before securing them snugly into the hidden inner knot of the her silk lapel flower. Pins the corsage onto her gray cashmere cardigan. The disguise is nearly complete. Nearly, but not quite. It was impossible to contain that distinctive gait of hers in the costume of a window shopping tourist. That old hip injury, the one she’d learned to mask with a bit of bravada swagger. It was a trait that served her well when she’d assumed the character of the middle-aged hotel maid. One day it would be her undoing. “One day, but not this day,” she laughs to herself, raising her chin and bracing for what is to come.
Pulls the strap over her shoulder and tucks the bag under her arm, shakes and smoothes her wavy auburn hair, regards herself one last time in the mirror. Steps into the hallway, closes the door behind her. Drops the trash bag into the chute near the ice machine and takes the elevator down to the lobby. Selects an attractive umbrella – “Bien sur,” she thinks – from the stand near the entrance. Files through the revolving door behind an elderly German couple and a brace of teenagers on holiday. Pretends to tighten a shoelace as she surveys the cluster of bikes in front of the cafe next door. Mais oui, perfect camouflage for a bum hip.
A red one catches her eye. “Naturellement, it matches my purse.” The corners of her mouth curl up slightly, she particularly enjoys this charade. Hearing the siren’s distant wail, she mounts the bike and slides off down the boulevard, at once remembering that she forgot how much pleasure she feels in that silky bouyant feeling of breeze passing across her face.
Congratulations to Dea! (Shoot me an e-mail to claim your prize.)
Very close runners up were TessaScoffs and Daffodilplanter. Thanks everyone for your entries!
~
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*bowing deeply*
Thank you very much for this great honor! I will treasure this Femmie always.
*blotting corner of eye*
(Casting notes: 1970’s-era Jeanne Moreau type)
What a charming story!
Great story, Dea! You’ve got a great imagination. I love the way you worked the bike and umbrella into the story.
Pseu, can we hope this will become a regular feature?
Love the winning entry! And this was such a fun contest.
a lovely story…and worthy of an oscar for best screenplay 🙂
Congratulations Dea, for a gripping tale!
And Pseu, an encore of this? It was lots of fun, and inspired me to get my gardening blog out of my head and onto the Web.