The Vanishing Act - By Hannah Bauermeister

Written By: Hannah Bauermeister

Category: Script writing - sci-fi - thriller - absurdism

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the realm of scriptwriting, Hannah Bauermeister presents her intriguing work, "The Vanishing Act." This piece, categorized under sci-fi, thriller, and absurdism, is a noteworthy submission to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Through an engaging narrative set in the bustling streets of Durban, Bauermeister crafts a world where reality continuously shifts, challenging the protagonist and readers alike to question the nature of existence and perception.

About the Work

"The Vanishing Act" delves into the mysterious anomalies within an accounting firm, masterfully blending elements of absurdism with a thrilling sci-fi narrative. Bauermeister conjures a world where reality unravels, bringing forth a chilling atmosphere filled with suspense and intrigue. The script's vivid imagery and compelling dialogue invite readers to explore themes of time loops and reality distortion, leaving them pondering the fine line between order and chaos.

The Vanishing Act - script

Original Submission by Hannah Bauermeister

The Vanishing Act

Written by

Hannah Bauermeister

0722112773

Hannahbauermeister2003@gmail.com

INT. RAY'S ACCOUNTING FIRM - RECEPTION - MORNING SCENE 1: LINDA’S ARRIVAL

The bustling streets of Durban. Linda Hayes, 20, Meticulous, ambitious, and slightly introverted, she thrives on order and precision, often finding comfort in routines like counting her steps during her daily walks from her apartment in Morningside to Ray's Accounting Firm. When she reaches the doors of new job she stands and adjusts her blazer, takes a deep breath, and steps inside.

LINDA

Hi, I’m Linda Hayes. I'm here to

see Liz.

RECEPTIONIST

(barely looking up)

Oh, right. HR’s expecting you. Take

a seat, someone will be with you

shortly.

Linda nods and sits on a stiff couch in the waiting area. She glances around, taking in the office. A man in his late 20s walks by, carrying a stack of files. He notices her and stops.

SEBASTIA

(smiling)

Newbie, huh?

LINDA

(standing, extending her

hand)

Yes, Linda Hayes.

SEBASTIAN

(shaking her hand)

Sebastian Adams. Intern

extraordinaire. Welcome to the

jungle.

LINDA

(laughs nervously)

Thanks. Is it always this... quiet?

SEBASTIAN

Oh, this is the calm before the

storm. Wait until month-end. You’ll

hear grown adults crying in the

break room.

2.

Linda chuckles, but before she can respond, HR Liz comes to meet her in the office, and Sebastian walks off as she hands Linda her office key card and files and shows her where her cubicle is.

SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

Good luck! You’ll need it.

Linda shoots him a curious look but doesn’t respond.

HR REP

This is you. Emerson James will be

your supervisor. He’s... well,

you’ll see.

EMERSON

(flatly)

You’re Linda?

LINDA

(standing quickly)

Yes, Linda Hayes. It’s nice to meet

you.

EMERSON

(nodding)

Emerson James. I’ll email you the

files for the Thompson account. Get

familiar with them by lunch.

LINDA

(nodding)

Of course.

Emerson walks away without another word. Sebastian raises an eyebrow.

Linda smiles, but her attention is already on her laptop as she opens the email from Emerson.

FADE OUT.

SCENE 2: THE FIRST ANOMALY

Linda sits at her desk, the office is quiet, a stack of financial records sits in front of her, neatly organized but daunting in volume.

LINDA

(under her breath)

Wait... that doesn’t make sense.

3.

She rechecks the figures, her pen scratching against the paper as she recalculates. The discrepancies are glaring- large sums of money disappearing without a trace. Her stomach tightens.

LINDA (CONT'D)

(to herself, louder)

This can’t be right...

She glances around the office She hesitates, then stands, clutching the papers, and approaches Emerson’s office. He is leaning back in his chair, scrolling on his computer. He looks up as Linda enters, his expression one of mild annoyance.

LINDA (CONT'D)

Emerson, I think there’s something

wrong with these records. There are

missing amounts-huge ones. I’ve

checked everything twice, and it’s

not adding up.

Emerson waves a hand dismissively, barely glancing at the documents she places on his desk.

EMERSON

It’s probably a glitch. Happens all

the time. Don’t overthink it.

LINDA

(insistent)

But this isn’t just a small error.

It’s thousands of rands-maybe more.

Shouldn’t we look into it?

EMERSON

Linda, you’re new here. Trust me,

these things happen. The system’s

not perfect. Just flag it and move

on.

Linda opens her mouth to argue but nods stiffly, retrieves the papers, and returns to her desk.

FADE OUT.

SCENE 3: THE PATTERN EMERGES

The next morning, Linda arrives early, hoping to get a head start. She notices a woman sitting at the desk next to hers-a desk that had been empty the day before.

4.

CLAIRE

Good morning! You must be Linda.

I’m Claire.

Linda blinks caught off guard.

LINDA

Uh, hi. I didn’t realize someone

was sitting here.

Claire chuckles lightly, as if Linda has made a joke.

CLAIRE

Oh, I’ve been here forever. Guess

we just haven’t crossed paths much.

Linda forces a smile, but her mind races. She glances around, spotting Sebastian at the coffee machine. She hurries over to join him.

SEBASTIAN

whispering)

Sebastian, who’s that?

Sebastian follows her gaze to Claire, who is now humming softly as she works.

SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

Claire? She’s been here forever.

You okay, Linda?

Linda frowns, her unease deepening.

LINDA

But... I’ve never seen her before.

That desk was empty yesterday.

Sebastian shrugs, sipping his coffee.

SEBASTIAN

Maybe you just didn’t notice her.

She’s pretty quiet.

Linda turns back to Claire, who catches her eye and smiles again. There’s something about it that feels... off. As she walks back to her desk, she notices something strange on her computer screen. The financial records she’d been reviewing the day before are gone. In their place is a single line of text: "Don’t ask questions you’re not ready to answer."

FADE OUT.

5.

SCENE 4: REALITY UNRAVELS

As Linda delves deeper, the office begins to glitch. A colleague’s face flickers like a broken screen.

LINDA (TO SEBASTIAN)

Something’s wrong with this place.

SEBASTIAN

You’re just now noticing? I thought

you’d have figured it out by now.

Linda freezes, her eyes darting to Sebastian, who’s leaning casually against the doorframe of the hidden room. His tone is light, almost amused, but his expression is unreadable.

LINDA

(voice trembling)

What is this? What’s going on here?

Sebastian steps closer, his gaze flickering to the monitors where the shadowy figure looms, he is the elusive and enigmatic CEO of Ray's Accounting Firm, is the mastermind behind the mathematical conspiracy unravelling reality. its presence suffocating even through the screen.

SEBASTIAN

(smirking)

Welcome to the real office, Linda.

You’re finally seeing things as

they really are.

Linda discovers a hidden room in the office, filled with servers and monitors. On one screen, she sees a live feed of the office, but the employees are moving in reverse. A shadowy figure appears on the screen, watching her.

SHADOWY FIGURE (ON SCREEN)

You weren’t supposed to find this.

Linda stumbles back, terrified. She turns to leave, but the door slams shut behind her. The room is pitch black except for the glow of the monitors. The shadowy figure’s voice echoes through the room.

SHADOWY FIGURE (V.O.)

You think you can stop this? You’re

just a cog in the machine.

Linda frantically tries to open the door, but it’s locked. She turns back to the monitors and sees herself on the screen, sitting at her desk, typing furiously. The image glitches, and she sees multiple versions of herself, each in a different loop.

6.

LINDA (TO HERSELF)

What is this?

The shadowy figure’s voice grows louder, more menacing.

SHADOWY FUGURE (V.O.)

You can’t escape. No one can.

Linda grabs a chair and smashes one of the monitors. The room shakes, and the lights flicker. She hears footsteps approaching from behind. She turns around, but no one is there. The door creaks open, and she runs out, back into the office. The office is eerily quiet. The employees are frozen in place, their faces blank. Linda walks through the rows of cubicles, her footsteps echoing. She reaches her desk and finds a note: “Stop digging, or you’ll disappear too.”

LINDA (V.O.)

I have to find out what’s going on.

She sits at her desk and begins typing, determined to uncover the truth.

FADE OUT.

SCENE 5: THE LOOP BEGINS

Linda arrives at the office, it looks the same as always, the plants she brought are still on her desk. She glances around, her eyes landing on Sebastian, who’s typing away at his computer, and Emerson, who’s sipping coffee in his office.

LINDA

(standing abruptly, her

voice urgent)

Sebastian, don’t you remember? The

algorithm, the glitches-the hidden

room?

SEBASTIAN

What are you talking about? Are you

feeling, okay?

Linda’s breath quickens as she steps closer to him, her voice dropping to a frantic whisper.

LINDA

You have to remember. The servers,

the monitors-the shadowy figure! We

were just there!

Sebastian frowns, leaning back in his chair.

7.

LINDA (CONT'D)

Linda, I think you might be

overworking yourself. Maybe you

should take the day off.

Linda stares at him, her mind racing. She turns to Emerson, who’s now standing in his office doorway, watching her with a raised eyebrow.

EMERSON

Everything alright out here?

LINDA

(desperate)

Emerson, you have to believe me.

Something’s wrong with this place.

The anomalies the time loop.

Emerson cuts her off with a dismissive wave.

EMERSON

Time loops? Linda, you’ve been

watching too many sci-fi movies. Go

grab some coffee. You’ll feel

better.

Linda’s shoulders slump as she realizes they genuinely don’t remember. The employees at their desks seem... off. Phantom employees she’s never seen before are appearing, when she leaves and returns the next day, it’s her “first day” again.

FADE OUT.

SCENE 6: THE LOOP RESETS LINDA’S ARRIVAL

The bustling streets of Durban. Linda Hayes, 20, Meticulous, ambitious, and slightly introverted, she thrives on order and precision, often finding comfort in routines like counting her steps during her daily walks from her apartment in Morningside to Ray's Accounting Firm. When she reaches the doors of new job she stands and adjusts her blazer, takes a deep breath, and steps inside.

LINDA

Hi, I’m Linda Hayes. I'm here to

see Liz.

RECEPTIONIST

(barely looking up)

Oh, right. HR’s expecting you. Take

a seat, someone will be with you

shortly.

8.

Linda nods and sits on a stiff couch in the waiting area. She glances around, taking in the office. A man in his late 20s walks by, carrying a stack of files. He notices her and stops.

SEBASTIA

(smiling)

Newbie, huh?

LINDA

(standing, extending her

hand)

Yes, Linda Hayes.

SEBASTIAN

(shaking her hand)

Sebastian Adams. Intern

extraordinaire. Welcome to the

jungle.

LINDA

(laughs nervously)

Thanks. Is it always this... quiet?

SEBASTIAN

Oh, this is the calm before the

storm. Wait until month-end. You’ll

hear grown adults crying in the

break room.

Linda chuckles, but before she can respond, HR Liz comes to meet her in the office, and Sebastian walks off as she hands Linda her office key card and files and shows her where her cubicle is.

SEBASTIAN (CONT'D)

Good luck! You’ll need it.

Linda shoots him a curious look but doesn’t respond.

HR REP

This is you. Emerson James will be

your supervisor. He’s... well,

you’ll see.

EMERSON

(flatly)

You’re Linda?

LINDA

(standing quickly)

Yes, Linda Hayes. It’s nice to meet

you.

9.

EMERSON

(nodding)

Emerson James. I’ll email you the

files for the Thompson account. Get

familiar with them by lunch.

LINDA

(nodding)

Of course.

Emerson walks away without another word. Sebastian raises an eyebrow. Linda smiles, but her attention is already on her laptop as she opens the email from Emerson.

FADE OUT.

SCENE 7: THE CYCLE CONTINUES

Linda arrives at her desk carrying plants for decoration. The office looks exactly as it did on her first day. She sits still, her hands resting on the desk, her breathing steady. She’s lived this day countless times before.

LINDA (V.O.)

(calm, resolute)

This is the last time.

She opens the financial records; the same stack of papers she’s seen a hundred times. She pulls up a blank spreadsheet on her computer. Her fingers move quickly, inputting a series of complex equations she’s memorized over countless loops. The numbers on the screen flicker and distort, but she doesn’t stop.

LINDA (V.O.) (CONT'D)

(softly)

I know the pattern now. I know how

it ends.

The office begins to glitch. The walls ripple like water, the cubicles stretching and warping. The sound of typing grows louder, echoing as if it’s coming from all directions at once. Linda’s desk lamp flickers, casting jagged shadows across her face. Sebastian appears beside her, his voice calm but tinged with something darker.

SEBASTIAN

Linda, you’re wasting your time.

She doesn’t look up.

LINDA

(typing furiously)

No. This time, I’m ending it.

10.

Claire materializes behind her, her smile as unsettling as ever.

CLAIRE

Some things can’t be fixed.

Linda’s fingers pause for a moment, hovering over the keyboard.

LINDA

(quietly)

Watch me.

She hits enter. The screen flashes, and for a moment, the entire office seems to freeze. The glitching stops. And then, the shadowy figure appears on her screen, its presence suffocating even through the monitor.

SHADOWY FIGURE

(voice distorted, echoing)

You can’t escape.

Linda stands; her eyes locked on the figure.

LINDA

(firmly)

I’m not trying to escape. I’m

ending this.

She pulls a USB and plugs it into the computer. The office begins to collapse. The walls crack and crumble, the ceiling tiles fall, and the endless rows of cubicles dissolve into darkness. The shadowy figure flickers, its form distorting as the system unravels. She hits one final key. The screen goes black. The office vanishes. Linda stands in an empty void, the only light coming from the faint glow of the USB drive in her hand. She takes a deep breath, her voice steady.

SHADOWY FIGURE

(voice breaking)

You don’t understand what you’re

doing.

LINDA

(steely)

I understand perfectly. This is

where it ends.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

“Sometimes, breaking the loop means

breaking everything.”

THE END

FADE OUT

11.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, is a distinguished platform celebrating diverse voices in literature. It welcomes writers from around the globe to share their creativity and unique perspectives. This competition is a testament to Hashtag Kalakar's commitment to fostering a vibrant literary community and spotlighting innovative works across various genres.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Hannah Bauermeister for her captivating submission, "The Vanishing Act," to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her work reflects a deep understanding of narrative complexity, engaging audiences with its thought-provoking storyline. We look forward to witnessing more from this talented writer in the future.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.