A high school teacher races to save a student from abuse while confronting the dark truths of her own past—a battle that could cost her career, her faith, and her chance at redemption.

SYNOPSIS:

Title: Without Roots (Drama/Faith-Based Feature) By: Melanie Hope Lang

Logline: A high school teacher races to save a student from abuse while confronting the dark truths of her own past—a battle that could cost her career, her faith, and her chance at redemption.

Synopsis:

ACT 1: The Catalyst Melanie, a dedicated high school English teacher, has worked tirelessly to create a stable life after a harrowing childhood of neglect and abuse. But when she receives a call from Detective Marshall, her world tilts. The detective informs her that her abusive father, David, has been linked to a decades-old murder. The past she fought to bury demands to be exhumed.

At the same time, Melanie notices Abby, a new student, hiding bruises beneath oversized sleeves and flinching at loud noises. The girl’s silence—her detachment—is all too familiar. Melanie recognizes the signs of abuse, the same ones she once carried. But stepping in means reliving her own trauma—and risking her career if she’s wrong.

When Abby fails to show up to school for several days, Melanie feels a rising panic she cannot ignore. No one fought for her when she was a child. She refuses to let history repeat itself.

ACT 2: The Struggle Melanie’s fight for Abby intensifies as she digs deeper into the girl’s home life, pushing against a wall of denial and resistance. Abby’s mother dismisses Melanie’s concerns. The school administration, bound by red tape and fear of lawsuits, warns her to back off. Child Protective Services refuses to act without undeniable proof and the teen's testimony of abuse.

But Melanie knows what happens when people look away.

As she pushes forward, chilling memories surface—her mother’s drug addiction, David’s predatory manipulation, the nights spent hiding in closets to escape his wrath. Flashbacks intertwine with her present, nearly paralyzing her. Her husband sees her unraveling, urging her to push forward and turn to God before she loses herself in this crusade. But helping Abby means exposing her own real, raw past.

Melanie prays for guidance, for a sign. She receives only silence. The same silence that followed her cries for help as a child. Is God absent, or has she just stopped listening?

Then Abby disappears.

The fear that once kept Melanie shackled turns to fury. She won’t fail this girl. Even if it costs her everything.

ACT 3: The Breaking Point Desperate, Melanie defies the system, pushing CPS until they have no choice but to act. She convinces Abby to tell her story by sharing her own in return. It’s enough. Abby is removed from her home, her safety secured.

For the first time, Melanie sees proof that cycles can be broken. That she is not powerless.

As she helps Detective Marshall uncover the truth behind her father’s crime, she realizes her battle isn’t just for Abby—it’s for the girl she used to be. The one who never got the rescue she needed.

Abby’s first real smile. A teacher’s quiet victory. And a past that can finally be put to rest.

WITHOUT ROOTS