The Salton Sea Pet Hotel
ALAN NAFZGER’s The Salton Sea Pet Hotel
The Salton Sea Pet Hotel – Pecan Street Press
Lubbock ● Austin ● Fort Worth
The Salton Sea Pet Hotel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Amazon edition – The Salton Sea Pet Hotel
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Copyright © 2013 Alan Nafzger
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 9781072075769
SALTON SEA PET MOTEL
Episode One – Three
By Alan Nafzger
EXT. CONVENTION CENTER, LAS VEGAS, DAY
The opening scene is a sinister takedown. A massive ballsy heist. Minister, Gideon Burns, is watching the judging he follows a dog to the crating. He leisurely places an orange flag on a crate. Gideon Burns has a cell phone and he speaks a number, the number of the reserved grooming space. A thuggish man, JOHN GALLAGHER is drinking from a flask, has a phone and is writing them down on the “notes” page in the show catalogue. A rental truck is backed up to the loading dock. There are six thuggish SECURITY GUARDS positioned about the building. They are tattooed and clearly part of a gang, but people are preoccupied with their exhibits and don’t notice.
The Salton Sea Pet Hotel
The doors to the loading dock are raised and two OTHER THUGS, in street clothes, exit with crates on casters. The crates coming off the loading dock contain a stuffed animal. The stuffed animal obscures something in the rear of the crate – smoke and tear gas canisters.
The Salton Sea Pet Hotel
The security guards pull the pins on several smoke and teargas canisters. It’s about to be chaos.
The Salton Sea Pet Hotel
EXT. RURAL IOWA COUNTRYSIDE, IOWA – MAY
The Salton Sea Pet Hotel
Snowfall in Iowa in May is unusual, but far from unprecedented.
The Salton Sea Pet Hotel
Sudden diesel engine noise and smoke dirty bus careens too close – sunlight glinting off the show and its wheels churning slush into the frame.
The Salton Sea Pet Hotel
An ordinary farm-girl, MIRIAM HOGAN is 17, pretty, quietly unconventional, a strong sense of right and wrong, a touching bluntness that makes her vulnerable.
Miriam waits at this unofficial bus stop at the intersection of a highway and a muddy road surrounded by frozen cornfields. Miriam is traveling alone and she steadies herself against the wind.
Miriam’s drowning in an oversized man’s coat (once her father’s) and looks very out of place as she’s waiting on the bus.
The buses engine and breaks rearing with a whinny, shaking at its harness, hooves flying dangerously, as the DRIVER heaves on the reins to bring it to a halt. Miriam drags her well-worn suitcase through the mush on board the bus. The suitcase has casers but they don’t do much good in the mush.
EXT. ROAD, IOWA – DAY
The DRIVER points the bus to the West and accelerates.
INT. BUS – DAY
Inside the bus it’s nice and new and not unpleasant. For a homeless teenager, Miriam’s actually okay with it.
A FAMILY with a FAT DAUGHTER take up the space around Miriam, she squeezes into a window seat, they seem to be staring at her but again, Miriam’s okay with it.
Miriam hugs the giant coat round her, a cherished keepsake from her father, and turns to look out of the window, and a last glimpse of the fruitful and manicured land she has called home.
FLASHBACK: EXT. CHURCHYARD, IOWA – DAY (A FEW WEEKS EARLIER)
The winter is dying, the last snow has starting to fall.
Miriam wears her big “farm” coat, in the center of a small group of black-clad MOURNERS who stand by the graveside as earth is shoveled in on top of the coffin. Miriam isn’t properly dressed for a funeral but she is Iowa pragmatic. She’s without a family and practically penniless.
A PASTOR murmurs the benedictions, but Miriam does not cry, her face blocking out raging emotion.
EXT. IOWA LANDSCAPE – DAY
The bus continues its long journey through the rural landscape.
INT. BUS, IOWA TO CORNWALL – DAY
Back with Miriam on the bus as she shifts to try and block out the painful memory, hugging her coat around herself for comfort against being an orphan.
She turns to the window away from the other PASSENGERS, staring at the Iowa fields passing outside…
But the fat little girl reaches up to her mother and father and Miriam involuntarily watches them pick her up, another painful memory intruding.
FLASHBACK: EXT. PIG BARN HOGAN FARM, IOWA – DAY
Miriam is hosing down the hog pens. Miriam watches as her mother, MRS HOGAN, feeding the pigs. Mrs Hogan is in her 40s but old beyond her years and doesn’t look well. Mrs Hogan works in silence, at ease with one another, then Mrs Hogan looks at her daughter in concern. Miriam finishes and returns to her mother to help her.
Mrs Hogan
Miriam, sweetheart. You shouldn’t be out here on the farm every day. Why don’t you go into town?
Miriam
(warm, joking)
Why not? Most mothers don’t want their daughters in town.
But Mrs Hogan’s serious, even though she tries to say it lightly –
Mrs Hogan
You need to find a boy friend.
Miriam is obstinate and darts her MOTHER her a wryly humorous look.
Miriam
You manage well enough without a man.
Mrs Hogan
You should date Ned, love. You know in time he’ll marry you.
Miriam sits back on her heels, looks at her MOTHER, surprised.
Miriam
You always said that if I married I should love the man. Have you changed your mind?
Mrs Hogan puckers her lips, but not without humor, at being caught out. Miriam grins, these two are close.
Mrs Hogan
Of course I haven’t.
Miriam’s pleased.
Miriam
Well then.
But as Miriam puts her head down and walks to the farmhouse, Mrs Hogan’s show of strength evaporates, she’s worried for her daughter’s future. Mrs Hogan is dying of cancer. She’s not told her daughter.
EXT. FLASHBACK: CHURCHYARD, IOWA – DAY
A continuation of the burial scene, we come back in on Miriam’s face, remembering her mother. But the service is over, MOURNERS walking from the grave, leaving only Miriam.
A tall, loping farm boy, NED, who’s better dressed than your average farm boy moves to comfort her – and from across the churchyard, three GIRLS with ribbons in their hair have been slyly trying to catch his eye and flirt with him.
Ned ignores them, though he knows they’re there, only has eyes for Miriam.
NED
She was a fine woman.
Miriam nods briskly and goes. But there’s something other than
condolence on Ned’s mind.
NED
I know that… maybe now is not the time, Miriam, bu-
Miriam
No Ned, it’s not.
Miriam keeps on walking, the VICAR watching her in worry, but Ned hurries after her.
NED
You need to think about what you’ll do. If you and I should – [marry]
Miriam
The farm isn’t worth anything. It belongs to the bank. I’m going to my aunt’s in California.
(beat)
It’s what my mother wanted.
NED
But! Miriam?
She’s walking away but she stops. He hesitates…
NED
You – you have my heart.
For a second she looks at him in painful, mute apology. The jealous girls are looking daggers and whisper behind their hands, judging our unconventional farm-girl.
Miriam
I’m sorry.
Miriam hates hurting him, fixes her eyes on the ground as she walks away.
EXT. ROAD – DAY 1
The bus careens through a bleaker, rockier mountain landscape.
INT. BUS – EVENING
Different PASSENGERS sit opposite Miriam now, still better dressed than she is, their blank eyes staring at her as though she has no right to be there.
Miriam turns to the window and outside the landscape has changed.
The sun is sinking in the sky as the bus rumbles through the Utah desert and there’s a hint of the distant mountains as the landscape gets wilder, bleaker, and – Miriam’s eyes close, taking her into DARK.
DRIVER (V.O.)
Los Angeles! All out!
EXT. THE LOS ANGELES BUS STATION – EVENING
Miriam blinks awake. The DRIVER opens the bus door and Miriam follows the other PASSENGERS out. We see that Los Angeles seems like a frontier town from the Wild West.
POLICEMEN; PROSTITUTES; ACTORS AND TEENAGE RUNAWAYS, toothless old HOMELESS MEN; DRUG ADDICTS, PROFESSIONAL THIEVES and CON-MEN; and young, smooth CHARMERS; all POOR, most ROUGH, spilling out of the bus station, drinking beer from bottles, snorting meth, smoking weed or shooting up. Fighting.
Rap music plays from somewhere.
It’s a long way from Iowa and Miriam is afraid, their eyes upon her as she steps around a MAN who’s unconscious on the ground, and looks to see that the other PASSENGERS have gone inside the building.
As Miriam hesitates to follow, unaccustomed to this crowd, a policeman, a hard-boiled DETECTIVE and four uniformed policeman, tackle a Fugitive getting off the bus.
They beat him a bit. The fugitive is bleeding and is quickly handcuffed. They throw him in the back of a police car.
The BUS DRIVER peers inside the open-backed police car with interest as the detective straightens his tie…
BUS DRIVER
Fugitive, is he?
DETECTIVE
(yes)
Serial killer.
The detective goes inside. The fugitive sees Miriam peer at him, and speaks to her – making her recoil.
fugitive
(to Miriam)
We’ll probably never see each other again…
Miriam decides the bus station can’t be worse than it is out here, so she heads inside. She looks at the map and the departures.
Miriam finds the bus driver.
Miriam
Can you tell me which bus goes to Salton Sea?
The bus driver points to a waiting bus.
BUS DRIVER
Mecca/Mexicali
She runs inside and climbs aboard the bus there. BUS DRIVER #2 is a bit shocked at the frightened girl who just jumped on his bus. He is getting off.
Miriam
Is this the bus to Mexicali?
BUS DRIVER #2
Yes.
Miriam
Salton Sea?
BUS DRIVER #2
This bus isn’t leaving for two hours.
Miriam
Okay.
(half beat)
Can I just wait here.
BUS DRIVER #2
I’m not supposed to but, yes.
Miriam
And can I just pay you?
Bus driver #2 looks at the riff-raff hanging around the station. Perhaps he has a young daughter himself.
BUS DRIVER #2
Yes. You’ll be okay here. I’ll take your money later.
INT. MECCA bus STOP AND BAR – EVENING
Miriam enters the Mecca bus stop and bar, head down to avoid attention from what looks like a prison football team.
She moves into the shadows behind several other PASSENGERS from her bus. But she darts a glance at the dElonnquents and her eyes alight on – a roughly handsome man, JOEL GALLAGHER, 28.
Unlike everyone else, he seems alone, content with his own company, a bright impertinence and easy charm about him, but in the gloom a CHEAP LOOKING WOMAN moves close to him and runs a finger down his chest and whispers something suggestive in his ear.
Joel catches Miriam’s eye as the WOMAN rubs his thigh.
Miriam looks away, embarrassed and somehow ashamed as she bows her head and moves out of their eye line, then quickly moves towards the bus driver DRIVER who has now also come inside. Miriam looks at the list of departures.
Miriam
Can you tell me how far to Salton Sea?
The DRIVER looks at her in surprise. She elaborates…
Miriam
I’m going to the SALTON SEA MOTEL?
Frozen silence from the DRIVER #2. But a detective, KAVANAGH, also hears. With brusque derision…
DRIVER #2
Mexicali. We don’t stop at Salton Sea no more.
KAVANAGH
(brusque)
If it’s work you’re after, you won’t find it out there. And the tourist and water sports aren’t there anymore. Sure as hell isn’t any fishing. For one thing, the scenery is straight out of a post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie. Decomposing algae. And summer temperatures 115 degrees in the shade – if you can find any shade.
Miriam
I’m expected. It’s my uncle’s motel.
KAVANAGH sneers a laugh of dark judgment.
KAVANAGH
Then you can tell your uncle, Kavanagh says hello.
KAVANAGH leaves the bar.
DRIVER #2 is alarmed by the reveal about her uncle, about to voice it but –
Joel
What’s your name?
Joel is suddenly next to her and his presence scares DRIVER #2 off. As Miriam turns to look at him, his stare makes her self-conscious.
Miriam
Miriam.
Joel
It’s rough out at Salton Sea, Miriam. Buses don’t stop there any more.
Miriam
Well that might be true, but that’s where I’m bound.
(testy bravado)
It’s still America, right?
Joel studies her with curiosity, tests her –
Joel
It’s just desert for eighty miles. Mostly criminals and meth-labs.
Miriam
I’m not afraid of either.
Something in her spirit interests him. He stares-
Joel
What are you afraid of?
She tries to hold his clear gaze but can’t; blushes inexplicably and looks away in sudden confusion.
Miriam
Mostly?
Joel
Yeah.
Miriam
Obnoxious men like you.
He’s still looking, and she can feel it through her clothes. His look says that he can guess what would scare a woman and he’s worried that she’ll find it where she’s going.
But there’s a sudden commotion as a nasty fight breaks out between some DRINKERS, beer bottles flying and MEN flying backwards. Several try to break it up in vain.
BARTENDER
Hey, hey, hey!
Unseen, Joel takes a set of car keys off a table in the midst of the fight. Miriam steps back, noticing that Joel has vanished. She decides she’s better off outside and heads out.
A prostrate MAN is still on the ground as Miriam comes outside, surprised to notice Joel is quietly stealing the man’s Corvette.
As he drives it off, he meets her eye – her surprise – but he smiles and grazes a finger to his lips.
Before Miriam can react, the door busts open and one of the BRAWLERS flies backwards and nearly sends Miriam flying.
More of the fight is now spilling outside, the bartender is now also involved, and the bus driver #2 emerges to watch.
MAN
Someone stole my Corvette.
Miriam’s nerves are jangled, so she turns to the bus driver #2 –
Miriam
Will you take me to the Salton Sea Inn then or do I have to walk?
The bus driver looks at her. Bar tender breaks from the fight and suddenly pulls his pistol on the CROWD.
Joel is long gone. The bus driver looks at Miriam with a sigh.
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked, highly-saline body of water in Riverside and Imperial counties at the southern end of the U.S. state of California. It lies on the San Andreas Fault within the Salton Trough that stretches to the Gulf of California in Mexico. Over millions of years, the Colorado River has flowed into the Imperial Valley and deposited alluvium (soil), creating fertile farmland, building up the terrain, and constantly moving its main course and river delta. For thousands of years, the river has alternately flowed into the valley, or diverted around it, creating either a saline lake called Lake Cahuilla, or a dry desert basin, respectively. When the Colorado River flows into the valley, the lake level depends on river flows and the balance between inflow and evaporative loss. When the river diverts around the valley, the lake dries completely, as it did around 1580. Hundreds of archaeological sites have been found, indicating possibly long-term Native American villages and temporary camps.
The current lake was formed from an inflow of water from the Colorado River in 1905. Beginning in 1900, an irrigation canal was dug from the Colorado River to the old Alamo River channel to provide water to the Imperial Valley for farming. The headgates and canals sustained a buildup of silt, so a series of cuts were made in the bank of the Colorado River to further increase the water flow. Water from spring floods broke through a canal head-gate diverting a portion of the river flow into the Salton Basin for two years before repairs were completed. The water in the formerly dry lake bed created the modern lake, which is about 15 by 35 miles (24 by 56 km).
The lake would have dried up, but farmers used generous amounts of Colorado River water and let the excess flow into the lake. In the 1950s and into the ’60s, the area became a resort destination, and communities grew with hotels and vacation homes. Birdwatching was also popular as the wetlands were a major resting stop on the Pacific Flyway.
In the 1970s, scientists issued warnings that the lake would continue to shrink and become more inhospitable to wildlife. In the 1980s, contamination from farm runoff promoted the outbreak and spread of diseases. Massive die-offs of the avian populations have occurred, especially after the loss of several species of fish on which they depend. Salinity rose so high that large fish kills occurred, often blighting the beaches of the sea with their carcasses. Tourism was drastically reduced.
After 1999, the lake began to shrink as local agriculture used the water more efficiently so less runoff flowed into the lake. As the lake bed became exposed, the winds sent clouds of toxic dust into nearby communities. Smaller amounts of dust reached into the Los Angeles area and people there could sometimes smell an odor coming from the lake. The state is mainly responsible for fixing the problems, and California lawmakers pledged to fund air-quality management projects in conjunction with the signing of the 2003 agreement to send more water to coastal cities. Local, state, and federal bodies all had found minimal success dealing with the dust, dying wildlife, and other problems for which warnings had been issued decades before. At the beginning of 2018 local agencies declared an emergency and, along with the state, funded and developed the Salton Sea Management Program. After a slow start and some small projects, construction started on a $206.5 million project in early 2021 on the delta of the New River, creating ponds and wetlands on the southern shore of the lake.
In 2020, Palm Springs Life magazine summarized the ecological situation as “Salton Sea derives its fame as the biggest environmental disaster in California history”.[1]