Diary for Violet (concept outline)

Diary for Violet

An emotional memoir of Amelia's (Lia) college diary days when she travels to Florence, Italy to study Renaissance Art for a year's semester. She sees her old red brick elementary school with a sign declaring "Have A Happy Summer" as her father numbingly drives her silently to the airport. She yearns for the younger years when their life was loving and simple. Yes, they lived quite comfortable in the town of Edgartown, which shares the island with famed Martha's Vineyard. Her Father (Dr. Oliver Langtry) is a successful dentist, who constantly supported Lia (with her friends from High Society). Basically, they lived on the fringe of the One Percent. Now, their relationship was fractured since the passing of her Mom from cervical cancer, and her father's dating of a younger wealthy woman, who repeatedly tells Lia "I'm not looking to replace your Mom, so can't we be friends?" Lia honestly doesn't dislike her, but isn't ready for a NEW woman in his life. AND mostly envious of the girlfriend's success (heck, even She traveled to exotic locales herself at a younger age). At the airport, her Father announces that he will marry his girlfriend within the year "and hopes Amelia will fly home to join them." Was he serious?

Lia adores the seduction of Florence and Italy for that manner. Just being away from her Father and girlfriend with no parental welfare. Lia privately falls in love with her Art Studies Professor Dario Savio. Soon, the two are secretly having all-night coffee chats, which turns into wine drinking. Lia was always a light-weight drinker, and fumbles back to her apartment shared with Claudette (from France). Claudette is concerned about Lia's affair with Professor Savio, and begs her to join the "other" students of the apartment complex for an evening out. "Like people are own age!" Claudette retorts as Lia dresses, "And for God sake, wear something seductive!" Lia looks back to see Claudette texting "someone she should meet."

Unfortunately, their outing to the hottest nightclub turns into a horrible nightmare when Lia is drugged and date-raped (by a blonde-haired Nordic male). Lia has no recollection of the event. Upon returning to their shared apartment, and elder grandmother figure (who runs the building's maintenance with her husband Aldo) consoles Lia, "Everything will be fine, my darling American." Lia's greatest fear is her father's repercussion. Grandma Ernesta (who has exotropia--lazy eye look--where one eye has been blind due to pupil deviated outward) takes Lia to her cat infested apartment, where Ernesta informs Lia that, "you should go home, now!" Lia is baffled by Ernesta's outburst.

Lia is distraught by her emotions of Professor Savio learning the incident and confronting her father what had happened to her. "See, you should have never left Edgartown" her Father would scorn. Lia continues with her studies and socializing with the other students (like nothing happened). Even, Claudette (who has a gossipy mouth) does not know her condition. Weeks go by, when Lia becomes sick (morning sickness). Lia seeks comfort from the Grandma Ernesta, who suggest an abortion. "It's quick and simple. That should end your problems. Enough said." Grandma Ernesta states directly.

Conflicted by her shaken faith and surrounded by leering eyed Italians, Lia decided to have the baby. The Grandma Ernesta is lukewarm to the idea, but goes along with Lia's wishes. Soon, Lia tells Professor Savio that she's pregnant. Secretly wishing that Dario would marry her on the spot. Instead, Dario pushes her out of his apartment, while stating, "You no good American whore." Yes, they had sex, but Dario always used protection. Professor Savio was not going to lose his job over an American student's carelessness. Now with Lia beginning to show her pregnancy, "I just love the food, here." excuse is no longer valid with Claudette. Lia must leave, but where? Grandma Ernesta has a suggestion. A remote village away from the city. Where those girls go to hide their pregnancies. Life will become wonderful again as promised by Grandma Ernesta. Life is simple in the countryside. The perfect place high away from it all.

Lia is quietly transported by Grandpa Aldo and Maurizio (the Head Gypsy responsible for the American girl slave trade) to a mountainous dangerous cliff hanging Monastery (Picco del Corvi, which means "Raven's Peak") in the Northwest region of Italy. Lia becomes carsick during the steep journey up the mountain. Lia notices warning signs as the auto approaches the Monastery. There she meets with midwife Dorotea (who will befriend her) and teenage "simple minded" athletic compact frame Nico (who falls in love with the pregnant American). Lia opens a door (with a bandana on the knob--signaling it's a dangerous point beyond) and nearly falls to her death from a crumbling foothold ledge, when Nico rescues her. The abandoned Monastery's foundation is slowly falling to the forest below. Lia is sheltered in this maze of a former Monastery along with a few "other" girls. However slowly, Lia soon learns the true generosity of these people (that she is being forcibly kept in seclusion). It all hits home, when Lia is told that her unborn baby girl (Violet) will be sold to a wealthy Russian couple, then Lia will be sold into the sex trade in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis bidders prefer fertile girls, and Lia's beach blonde American looks makes her a "Valuable." (a comment she hears from unknowingly from Grandma Ernesta?). Grandma Ernesta has Aldo forcible bring a local doctor to exam Lia, We wouldn't want anything going wrong, darling.

During her capture, Lia meets various abducted foreign students (mostly Americans). One rainy night a botched escape injuries a couple of the captured girls, while one is killed and rolled off the ledge. Dropping into the forest three hundred feet below the village, only to be eaten by the flock of ravens (that nest atop the Monastery) and wolf pack below (per Grandma Ernesta's orders), which sends chills down Aldo's spine. What happened to the woman I loved? Lia is in no position to try to flee her capturers. Soon, Lia deliveries her baby girl, Violet, when a surprise visitor comes to Lia. Her Father would be scared if he hadn't heard from his daughter in a while (hence Lia writing postcards)...There's no cell or computer service in the Monastery location {Grandma Ernesta does carry a walkie-talkie, which does work}

Professor Dario enters Lia's private room, where she is nursing newborn Violet. What are you doing here. You threw me out like the trash. Get out of here. Lia confronts Professor Dario with all the angry she has bottled-up inside. Professor Dario simply gets a cold compress wetted cloth for Lia's forehead. Dario begins to calm her down, then removes his dress shirt revealing his hairy tanned chest. ** Claudette joins Professor Dario on the visit, and helps him wash out the black hair color. Suddenly, Lia begins to notice the black color dribbling down his chest. Soon it's clear that Professor Dario is NOT Italian, but an Austrian imposter who did impregnate Lia to create the perfect blonde-hair blue-eyed baby. Dario was the "Nordic blonde" who had raped her. Those Russians can be very picky. Grandma Ernesta with Maurizio joins Dario's backside as they laugh at the native Lia, when Grandma Ernesta says, "Say your farewells to your baby. Tomorrow your life begins anew in the Desert." Teenage Nico (overhearing the scene) confides with midwife Dorotea to help them (Lia w/baby & Nico) getaway. Nico's idea is to take a train from Turin (a neighboring city some 30mins away to Lausanne, Switzerland (which is 3hrs away).

However, Mother Nature has a different plan. It has been raining for days. Slowly eroding the village's foundation soil from the mountain. Aldo gets swept up in saving Lia's baby and herself by joining forces against his vile wife, Ernesta. Their midnight escape is cautious, as the rescue group begins to vacate the Monastery. Aldo has hidden his car outside the road of Picco del Corvi's towering brick walls. Nico with Dorotea takes Lia slowly through the maze of buildings as they exit, which leads them to the roofline above the fortress-like Monastery. Aldo's rickety wooden ladder makes for a suspense as each of the three climb down the sixteen foot brick entrance. Lia is noticing rockslides are occurring frequently, and begins to panic for her baby's future.

When all four adults are safely seated in his hidden auto with newborn Violet resting in Lia's embrace that the Main Gate opens with Grandma Ernesta, Professor Dario and Maurizio's Gypsy warriors armed for battle with Nico and Aldo for Lia and her newborn baby (Violet). Aldo is badly wounded by Maurizio (you traitor), and spats to his wife from the ground, "Who are you?" While Nico is rounded-up with Dorotea left inside the auto with Lia/baby. There is a major thunderbolt that strikes the Monastery's wind vane (which has a Raven atop it's mounting instead of a Rooster) to break from its mounting and collapse to the ground below at the Main Gate.

Dorotea must retrieve the keys from Aldo, while Maurizio stands guard.
The heavy rains continue
Mudslides begin, which loosens the Monastery's foundation.
Abruptly two-thirds of the Monastery crumbs below the cliff.
All are in shock witnessing the disaster before them, while Grandma Ernesta continues her battle to obtain baby, Violet. Baby Violet is worth one million to Grandma Ernesta. Grandma Ernesta attacks Lia and captures baby Violet.
Nico and Professor Dario fight amidst the muddy landslide until finally Nico grabs Professor Dario's hand to help pull him over the crumbling ground. Only to have Dario release his hand, sending Nico over the cliff to his death.
Aldo (in his last breath) stabs his wife, Ernesta, with the broken wind vane. This causes Lia to rescue her baby as she fights Professor Dario with all her might until he lunges at Lia, but slips on the mud and begins sliding down the ground to the cliff, where Dario screams to help. Lia holding her baby walks cautiously to the cliff side before she stomps on Dario's gripping hands. Which causes Professor Dario to lose his grip and fall to his death below.
Dorotea guns the engine as Lia hops inside the auto well Dorotea jerks the auto in reverse causing it to hit Maurizio (which in turns causes him to fall over the cliff to his death) then guns the auto forward as the singular curving mountain road disappears from behind them. All Dorotea sees in the rearview mirror a disappearing road to the cliff.
Lia rocks her baby, stating, "It's alright, it's alright."

Ending: baby Violet is now starting to walk inside Oliver's Edgartown home, where Lia is residing with his new bride (all is better). Amelia writes this story, so her baby will understand what her Mother did for her survival against the Italian Gypsies. She is loved very, very much. Lia tells baby Violet that her Daddy, Nico, tried to rescue them, but was lost during his heroic efforts.