Esmerelda

In the summer of 1990, Stephen and Candice watched as their friend Esmerelda disappeared before their eyes. Her cryptic utterances of her kingdom intrigued Stephen. He never considered that he would regret ever meeting her. Twenty years later, Stephen wants to forget. The dysfunctions of his life correlate with his haunting memories of Esmerelda, and removing her from his memories seems to be his only option. Just as soon as Stephen makes his decision to forget, however, Esmerelda appears to him in a dream to voice her despair: her kingdom is in danger. In order to prevent the annihilation of her kingdom, Esmerelda pleads for Stephen’s help; yet when Stephen asks for Candice’s help, she claims to have forgotten Esmerelda’s existence. Stephen’s desire to forget and his instinct to comply converge in a struggle between personal inclinations and outside wills.