Ashes to Ashes
Mesa, New Mexico is a desolate place. Standing in the parking lot of Jenny’s Coachwhip Café you see nothing for miles in all directions. But the area is not totally without life. Off in the hills are scattered homes and a small impoverished Indian reservation. As the day draws to a close, a handful of locals are at the café for camaraderie and relaxation.
Conversation is interrupted by blast of an air horn. A tractor trailer clumsily pulls into the café’s lot and rolls to a stop in a cloud of red dust. As the grit in the air settles you can see the front window of the cab is a web of shattered safety glass. You rush outside to find the driver slumped over the steering wheel. There's a cold wind blowing in from the east and the scent of blood in the air.
The Cast
Nick Miller
Mid-40’s, tall, sinewy, deep voice
15 years ago, Nick and his wife, Jenny, bought the diner and gas station on the highway. Jenny was in charge of the diner, while Nick was handling the gas station and garage. Five years later Jenny succumbed to cancer.
Nick continued to work as the mechanic in the gas station but for several years after Jenny’s death, the diner remained closed. 5 years ago he reopened the diner, leaving its operation to Evelyn Woodruff.
Nick lives in an old house behind the diner.
Shana Blackfeather
19, 5’ 4”-ish, boxy build with a soft round face, short black hair
She’s been a waitress at the diner for 3 years.
Shana is a single mom, living with her dad on the reservation. Her daughter, Crow, is 2-years-old. Shana has never named the father, although everyone assumes it was some drifter Shana met at the diner.
Evelyn Woodruff
early-30’s, long dreadlocks worn under colorful headscarves
Evelyn was born in San Francisco in 1960. Her parents were a part of the ‘beat’ scene and later she saw the Summer of Love though a child’s eyes.
Evelyn and her husband Victor have been living in a self – sufficient earth home for the last 8 years. Living ‘off the grid’ was Victor’s idea, but considering Evelyn’s family life, she was happy to go along with the experiment.
She encouraged Nick to re-open Jenny’s, where she is now the cook and proprietress.
Victor Woodruff
early-40’s, short hair, powerfully built
Born in Arkham, MA, and orphaned at an early age, Victor got the hell out of his weird town as soon as possible. He was able to attend college in San Francisco on a football scholarship, but blew out his knee his sophomore year. He focused on study and graduated as an environmental engineer. After graduation, he stayed in San Francisco working for a chemical company.
10 years ago Victor became involved in cover-up at work. After a while he couldn’t bear to hide his organization’s dirty work any longer. Shortly after he and his wife dropped off the grid, confidential memos were leaked to the press.
In Mesa, Victor works odd jobs for trade; bartering his skills for what little he and his wife needs. Lately he’s been up on the reservation helping to dig a new well.
Tomas Manaba
22 years old, skinny, hasn’t been sleeping well
Tomas is a local guy living on the res. He works as a security guard for a company that does government contract work. He’s currently working days at a small research station off in the desert.
Tomas’ teen-aged sister disappeared from the reservation a few weeks ago. Local police say she’s a runaway, but he and his family believe there’s some sort of foul play. Lina would never break her commitment to being a Sundancer. She still had 3 years to fulfill her duties.
