Seven people who have never met: a drunk, an old widow, a delinquent, an orphan, a priest, a photographer, and a wanabee soldier all get the same letter that tells them to all meet at the Southern Cross.
An elderly woman named Lydia is sitting on a bench at the Southern Cross with a letter and a poppy in her hands looking around for other people with a mysterious letter and a poppy.
Suddenly a man comes fumbling over to Lydia and flops down next to her with a nearly empty beer bottle and a letter with a poppy in his hands. He looks like he's trying to get over a hangover and he reeks of alcohol.
Lydia scans the crowd again to see a priest dragging a young teenage girl out of the church both holding a poppy and a letter. The girl is shouting profanities and trying to wrestle herself out of the priest's grip but failing. The priest notices that Lydia and the drunk also had poppies in their hands and he walks over still dragging the delinquent girl behind him.
"It seems like we all got the same letter." The priest says throwing the delinquent in front of him.
"Watch it jerk!" The delinquent girl shouts hotly at the priest. The priest just ignores her and casts a curious gaze over the crowds looking for others.
"Looks like there are a few of us who got that strange letter with a poppy." A small voice says and they all turn to see a small, frail boy not even the age of ten walking over to them in old, worn clothes with a letter and a poppy in his hands.
"Alright, which one of you guys sent me this letter!" A stern yet feminine voice calls and they all turn to see a woman of Indigenous Australian decent with shaved hair and camo gear with the same poppy and letter holding an almost dramatic pose in front of a hedge. Just as she was about to move a click and a flash came out of nowhere, everyone now turned to see a woman with long pastel coloured hair, colourful sleeve tattoos of flowers and what seemed to be cupcakes. She was more colourful than a rainbow and held a camera and the same letter and poppy.
"Sorry but that photo opportunity was too good to pass up...Oh and it seems we all got the same letter." The woman says putting her camera into her backpack. The group of people were just silently studying each other, trying to figure out if one of them sent the letters. When they all ruled each other out as a suspect they introduced themselves.
"Hi I'm Scarlett, I'm an amateur photographer and I promise I didn't send these letters." The colourful girl says with a broad, innocent smile but her eyes seemed to hide some kind of deep sadness. The frail boy shakily raises his hand and says.
"I'm Alec." He tries to shy away from everyone but the girl in camo puts a firm hand on his shoulder stopping him dead in his tracts.
"My name's Sage and I'm trying to join the army." The girl in camo says giving a tight smile.
"Sup, name's Eliott." The delinquent says shooting a dirty look at the priest.
"I'm Father Cole and all of my new life I've been with the church." The priest says giving Eliott a sweet smile with a hint of humour in his eyes.
"I am Lydia and I am eighty-four years old." Lydia says with an old wrinkled smile.
"I-I a-am J-e-ett." The drunk slurs trying to stand and stumbles back onto the bench.
"So...what could we possibly have in common?" Scarlett asks quizzically looking around the group.
"Well what does the poppy mean to you guys?" Eliott asks calming down. They all stay silent for a while before Jett speaks up. "It re-reminds me-e of the d-days be-before I sta-arted d-drinking. I-I was in th-the w-war. I saw a-all my fr-riends d-die." He says tearing up. They all slowly drop their heads in sadness. "I lost my dear sweet husband in that war." Lydia says fiddling with her wedding ring.
"Before my life as a priest I was a little boy with a selfless big brother who was fearless and when he went to fight for his country he never came back." Cole says fighting back tears.
"Well, when my parents divorced I got juggled between the two until my dad got sent to war and when he died she got full custody of me and it went further downhill from there, you see my mother wasn't a very nice person." Eliott says rolling up her sleeve with tears streaming down her cheeks showing bruises all along her skin. Cole pulls her into a gentle hug waiting for the sobs to subside.
"My twin sister went to war in my place and died in my place." Scarlett adds quietly receiving a gentle pat on the shoulder from Sage.
"My girlfriend went to war and lied about our relationship to get in and so when she died I got nothing except a broken heart. After that I've been training to go into the army too and represent the both of us." Sage says solemnly distancing herself from everyone.
"...I was living with my uncle after my parents passed away and when he died in the war I had no family and nowhere to go." Alec says hesitantly while Sage and Scarlett both crouch down and gives him a hug.
"I think we can all help each other out and get past our losses together." Lydia says in a motherly tone.
"But we still don't know who sent the letters." Everyone else says in unison.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that we are all together to cope with our losses and move on." Lydia replies with a confidant voice. They all silently agree with each other and listen to Lydia's words. She tells them to all go back to her home and continue helping each other from there. So they all leave together to start anew and move on from their haunting pasts.
