Biography
Starting with a need to escape reality by creating a world of her own, Cecilie took on writing from a young age. After realising that being a writer was her true calling, she ventured off to London to study film production and screenwriting in the grey city of dreams. Now having graduated, it is time she stands on her own two feet and to take the world by storm with her tales of fantastical worlds.
My cohort
Synopsis
Zoe, a sombre and insecure teenager, gets in a car accident with her father and is the only one to survive. Ridden with guilt, Zoe seeks out a way to bring her father back to life and suddenly finds herself being sucked into a book on Greek myths. Stranded back in ancient Greece, Zoe joins up with the eccentric and egocentric Lykos on his hero’s journey. During their travels, Zoe crosses paths with Hades, the lord of the dead, and ends up in a deadly gamble of life and death.
Zoe – An Odyssey
Screenplay Extract
INT. ZOE’S BEDROOM – DAY
Zoe throws her bag in the corner of the room. She stands in front of her desk, staring at the angry Zeus statue. Statue still in hand, Zoe looks out her window from which she can see her old tree house in the back garden.
Zoe puts down the statue, takes her book out of her back, grabs a flashlight off her shelf and her duvet off her bed.
EXT. ZOE’S HOUSE, GARDEN – DAY
A lonely tree stands in the garden, holding a tree house in between its gnarly branches. The tree house is sturdily built, once colorfully painted at the hand of a child, but now faded with time.
A rope ladder dangles from an opening in the deck, its steps threatening to come loose at any moment.
Zoe throws the duvet over her shoulder and holds the flashlight and book under her arms as she climbs the ladder.
INT. TREE HOUSE – DAY
Inside is kept clean, the space is decorated with memorabilia of Zoe and Jason. Etched into one of the wooden panels is the text ‘BUILT BY ZOE AND JASON’ with their handprints underneath each of their names.
Zoe walks out to the balcony of the tree house, sitting down on the edge with her legs dangling over the side. From where she is sitting she can see into their living room. Norah is sitting on the couch, a framed photo in her hand. She looks to be crying. Zoe puts her chin on the railing, looking at Norah. In the distance the sun is going down, stars slowly becoming visible in the sky.
EXT. TREE HOUSE – NIGHT
The sun has now gone down. It’s dark outside except for the light cast by the moon. Norah gets up from the couch, closing the curtains and turns off the light. The light comes on in the bedroom for a short moment before also being turned off.
Zoe lies down on her duvet out in the open. She looks up at the stars above her, tracing out the constellations with her finger. She turns her head and looks at the book next to her.
When she turns her gaze back to the sky, a shooting star shoots across the sky. Zoe folds her hands together, closes her eyes and mouths a wish.
ZOE
I want my dad back.
Zoe opens her eyes again and laughs at herself, then sighs deeply as she continues to look at the sky.
A shimmering light appears from somewhere close to Zoe. When Zoe sits up, she notices the light is coming from her book. From within the pages is a golden shimmering light. Zoe grabs the book and opens up on the pages where the light is emitting from.
When she opens up the book, the golden light engulfs her, sucking her into the pages. The book snaps shut and falls to the floor.
EXT. MT. PELION, ANCIENT GREECE – DAY
A mountain at the edge of a forest. Golden and green fields with grazing animals. Close to a pond is a herd of pure white PEGASI, their long feathered wings tucked into their sides.
The air starts to shimmer with specks of gold, forming into a portal. Zoe falls through the portal and onto the ground.
Zoe quickly turns her head just to see the portal start to close behind her.
ZOE
No, no wait!
Scrambling to her feet Zoe tries to reach the portal but it snaps shut just in front of her.
Unsteady on her feet, Zoe looks around at the surroundings.
ZOE (CONT’D)
Where the hell am I?
Slowly beginning to panic, Zoe stumbles around the fields and comes across the Pegasi. As soon as they see her they spread their wings and flee into the sky. Zoe screams and falls to the ground where she scrambles to get away.
HERDER (O.S)
Calm down please, you’re scaring the animals.
An old HERDER with a flock of sheep, dressed in a short chiton pinned together at the shoulder, walks up to Zoe.
Zoe stares at him, mouth agape. The Herders sour expression softens as he notices Zoe’s bewildered face.
HERDER (CONT’D)
Are ye lost?
ZOE
I’m not really sure where I am.
HERDER
In Thessaly, on mount Pelion.
ZOE
Thessaly? In Greece?
HERDER
Where else? Did ye hit yer head by chance?
Zoe staggers, her breathing rapidly becoming faster as her anxiety kicks in.
ZOE
N-no I didn’t. I jus
HERDER
Ye don’t look too good. Maybe ye should seek out Chiron?
Zoe’s breathing calms. She takes a few deep breaths to compose herself.
ZOE
Chiron? I’ve heard that name before.
HERDER
A specialist in medicine, he’ll get ye back on yer feet in no time.
ZOE
I’m not sure if
The Herder points to a path going into the forest.
HERDER
Ye’ll find his cave on the other side of the forest, Just follow the path.
English, Publishing and Creative Writing at City 