My Little Demons

MY LITTLE DEMONS

 

ACT ONE. SCENE ONE.

 

A girl walks into her bedroom and puts a cd in the stereo and begins to dance.

 

GIRL: I LOVE this song!

A young boy of eight walks into the girl’s room, curious to the fact that there is music blasting out her room.

BOY: Who is that?

GIRL: They are now one of my favourite bands of all time!

BOY: Oh my god the racket!

The boy runs out the room and the girl laughs and continues to dance.

Light fades.

 

A spotlight appears. The girl is sitting on the floor.

 

VOICE: Look at you! What a mess!

GIRL: Wait…What..?

VOICE: Doesn’t she look weird, Kenzie

KENZIE: 2^nd voice that is because she is weird, Jessica!

GIRL: Weird…?

JESSICA: 1^st voice Yes, weird! You know the opposite of normal!

KENZIE: Great, she’s weird and dumb!

GIRL: Hey! I am not dumb!

JESSICA: Could have fooled me!

KENZIE: so you think we are wrong?

GIRL: you know what! Yeah you are! I do not know why I am even thinking of these things. LEAVE ME ALONE.

 

The girl stands and shakes her head, dismissing the voices that she heard and exits the house for a walk.

Light fades.

 

ACT ONE. SCENE TWO.

 

An older woman, in her forties, kneels by the girls bedside with a cup of water and food. The woman is the girl’s mother.

 

MOTHER: please try and eat, it is not much. Just a sandwich and I also brought up a cup of water.

GIRL: I will try to eat it mum but I cannot promise you that. I feel sick and the thought of eating anything, turns my stomach upside-down.

MOTHER: I hate seeing you like this.

GIRL: I will take the water for now. How is everyone?

MOTHER: everyone is fine, they are worried about you though and I would not blame them.

GIRL: Tell them that I am fine and I should be back on my feet in no time.

MOTHER: Seeing you this ill makes me worried, I mean you cannot even walk because your legs are so sore.

GIRL: I know, do not worry yourself about it, the doctor said I’ll be fine but it will take a while for me to recover.

MOTHER: Okay, okay I will leave you alone now. Get some rest and I will let you know when tea is and what it is.

GIRL: Thanks mum.

 

 The girl smiles at her mother and the mother exits her bedroom. The girl is trying to get some rest and just as she is about to doze off, she is rudely interrupted.

 

JESSICA: Look at little sleeping beauty

KENZIE: so….sickly sweet.

JESSICA: Thinks she is all that, thinks she is sane but I can tell you now she is not.

KENZIE: laughs Oh dear, is she going to cry?

GIRL: matter of fact, I am not and I will not!

KENZIE: oooh someone is a bit feisty

JESSICA: it is just an act though is it not?

GIRL: I am not feisty, I am just tired and really ill so can you please leave me be. I really do not need this.

KENZIE: why would we want to leave you alone when we can ruin your fun!

JESSICA: what shall we do? Dark day dreams or have extreme internal conflict?

KENZIE: what about both and make it double!

GIRL: please just leave me alone, I do not want any trouble and my head is spinning as enough as it is.

KENZIE: awww Jess she wants to be left alone.

JESSICA: awwww….Too bad!

The girl’s head starts to get worse, her feelings become darker until they are shattered as they hit an invisible force field.

GIRL: NO! What am I doing? This is not right! I mean I know some people do go through dark times but I have the upper hand, I am in control!

KENZIE: BE CAREFUL

JESSICA: You never know what will happen in the future!

 

The voices fade away, the girl manages to get some rest and the spotlight fades out on the girl.

 

ACT ONE. SCENE THREE.

 

The lights ascend upon a group outside in the snow, kids sledging and having many snowball fights; even the adults are getting involved.

Inside, settled comfortably on the couch, watching festive movies and eating a sandwich is the girl.

GIRL: I do wonder sometimes if I really am losing it, I mean voices inside my head but I thought it had always been my subconscious. I highly doubt that now as there are two, female voices; which do not sound familiar and I really don’t think I have a guilty conscious.

KENZIE: but then again sometimes you are wrong.

GIRL: I am going to take this as it goes; a proper conversation.

The girl can feel a restless side to her and figures out that, which may be Kenzie.

GIRL: Not everyone is perfect! You do know that right?

KENZIE: yeah I know that but I, myself, am an imaginary substitute of your ‘normal’ behaviour.

GIRL: My what?

KENZIE: basically whenever you feel down, me and Jess turn up to emphasize it.

GIRL: So you ARE bad, I mean yeah I knew hearing voices was not good but I generally thought there might be a good one out there…somewhere….

KENZIE: yep that is me, little miss naughty! Devil on yer’ shoulder… well part time anyway. Sharing with Jess isn’t I!

GIRL: it is great deal off my mind when there is only one of you at a time.

KENZIE: ….I guess we are kind of strong together….

GIRL: you guess? I am the one who is suffering!

KENZIE:…..

GIRL: Gone all quiet now?! Did not think that would ever happen.

 

The girl continues to watch her festive film and waits out the long day ahead.

Lights fade.

 

 

ACT TWO. SCENE ONE

 

It is a new year, the girl and her family celebrated it with everyone. The girl is on her own one day doing the housework.

Singing to the radio, she starts to daydream about if she had a different life….

 

GIRL: Argh my head!

She walks to the kitchen trying to find the medication cabinet.

JESSICA: Guess Who?

GIRL: oh my god not now.

JESSICA: oh I saw those lovely images and make believe videos and could not help myself!

GIRL: Please leave me alone.

JESSICA: why should I?

GIRL: because what you are doing is not very nice and I am suffering from it.

JESSICA: so you should be!

GIRL: why? Why should I suffer?

JESSICA: you are weak, like putty in my hands; I can mould you and your thoughts into anything I want because I can!

GIRL: I do not know why you even exist.

JESSICA: I exist to cause chaos!

GIRL: then cause chaos somewhere else!

JESSICA: NO!

GIRL: why not?!

JESSICA: I like it in here, much to your defence which there is little of; I can live inside your head in peace.

GIRL: Weak…Little defence…

JESSICA: yes! It thrills me to say it, to say that you are powerless.

GIRL: No.

JESSICA: excuse me?

GIRL: I said.. NO.

JESSICA: NO?!

GIRL: yes! I am saying no and no means NO!

JESSICA: YOU CA-

GIRL: YES I CAN! AND YOU KNOW WHAT!

JESSICA: What?

GIRL: THIS!

 

The girl builds imaginary walls, closing off the link with Jessica and sits down wondering what is going on.

Lights fade.

 

ACT TWO. SCENE TWO.

 

It is exactly a week until the girl’s birthday. She is very excited and it is a very special birthday as it marks her twenty-first.

The girl is home alone; parents at work and the children at school. She has finished her chores when there is a knock on the door.

She opens the door….

 

GIRL: sharp intake of breath Dad!

BIOLOGICAL FATHER: Hello there kiddo

GIRL: I am not a kid anymore.

The girl stands straight, trying to believe this conversation is actually happening and her biological father is actually here.

BIOLOGICAL FATHER: I know, I know. Are you free to come out for the day?

GIRL: ummmm….. Yes I suppose so?

BIOLOGICAL FATHER: I have rented a car so we can travel.

The girl knowingly agrees to go with him.

GIRL: let me just grab my coat.

 

The girl and her biological father leave in the car. The girl is still wondering why he is here. She looks at him whilst he is driving.

KENZIE: well go on then, ask him!

 The girl rolls her eyes, knowing that the voices are back.

GIRL: Why the sudden surprise?

BIOLOGICAL FATHER: am I not allowed to surprise my daughter?

GIRL: A father can surprise his daughter is fine, it’s when a father turns up out of the blue after ignoring his daughter for a long amount of time.

BIOLOGICAL FATHER: I am deeply sorry about that, I cannot talk most of the time due to my work.

GIRL: what even at the weekends, night times and holidays.

BIOLOGICAL FATHER: yeah it has been tricky.

GIRL: Oh give up the excuses dad! Let’s just go to grannies.

BIOLOGICAL FATHER: How did you know-

GIRL: That we are going to grannies? Because that is the only thing we do together!

BIOLOGICAL FATHER: No it’s not!

GIRL: yes it is! Anyways let’s just not argue because I cannot stand it.

Silence fills the car; the girl looks out the window. The girl, now talking to Kenzie.

GIRL: how is that for an answer!

KENZIE: sheesh what is his problem?

GIRL: everything really…only if it is about him though.

KENZIE: why are you so upset with him, I mean you are always upset with him?

GIRL: you are inside my head you know, find your answers there.

KENZIE:…oh…

GIRL: yeah, oh is an understandable answer.

KENZIE: I am sorry, I did not know…

GIRL: you are actually serious aren’t you…

KENZIE: yeah, that should not be experienced when you are a kid!

GIRL: thanks…I guess

 

The girl continues to look out the window, wondering the same thing as always; why are there voices and why has this one become so understanding?

Lights fade out.

 

 

 

ACT TWO. SCENE THREE.

 

Lights descend on a kitchen in the girl’s house. Her mother and she are making party food for the girl’s birthday dinner.

The girl has been pondering on why her biological dad bought her the lowest present you could ever give a daughter and not contact her since.

MOTHER: Hun stop stressing.

GIRL: I can’t!

MOTHER: You must have known this was going to happen…

GIRL: A little but I thought he might have changed.

MOTHER: He is never going to change. He is that type of man.

GIRL: I just wish things would go right for once when it comes to him!

 The mother nods carrying on with making the food and the girl goes off on her own.

JESSICA: god girl you need to stop being so thoughtful!

GIRL: Leave me alone.

JESSICA: No!

KENZIE: JESS leave her alone!

JESSICA: what’s this? Picking sides are we?!

KENZIE: I’m telling you to BACK off!

JESSICA: why would I want to do that? I’m having such terrible fun!

GIRL: please…

JESSICA: NO! I will not have you ruin my fun!

The girl begins to get a headache; the mother reappears with a solemn look on her face and speaks quietly to the girl.

MOTHER: I just got a message from his mum; he left for home early this morning…

GIRL: oh…okay. I have a migraine; I am going to lie down.

MOTHER: Okay.

The mother leaves the room and the girl gets into bed, in the dark. A soft sigh sounds through the room and then sobbing replaces the quiet darkness.

JESSICA: Look how pathetic you are!

KENZIE: I said LEAVE HER ALONE!

JESSICA: NO Kenzie, I will not!

KENZIE: IF ALL IT TAKES IS FOR ME TO CHOOSE HER SIDE TO STOP YOU THEN I WILL!

JESSICA: IF YOU DO, YOU WILL REGRET IT!

The girl’s head is in allsorts right now; headache pounding, the voices screaming and feeling like her head is getting torn in two, she sees a blinding light from behind her eyes and everything is quiet.

 

ACT THREE.SCENE ONE.

 

Many weeks have past and the news of the illness of the girl’s granddad is fully aware. They are also fully aware he might not pull through. Then that one day proves the result.

 

MOTHER: I’m so sorry hun but he died earlier this morning..

GIRL:…

MOTHER: please say something..

GIRL: I’m fine.. im just going to go to my room for a lie down.

MOTHER: I need to head out to the shops.

The mother leaves, the only person in the house is the girl. The girl is silent. She is numb and dead inside. Everything has been going downhill and everyone she loved was leaving her. So she knew what to do.

JESSICA: brilliant! Exactly! There’s the knife and there’s the pills!

GIRL: NO!

JESSICA: Yes, GO ON!

GIRL: Where is KENZIE?

JESSICA: She is gone like everyone else you love!

GIRL: that is not true.

JESSICA: Yes it is and you know it!

GIRL:…

JESSICA: put the radio on!

The girl puts the radio on and locks her door. She lays the items she picked up from downstairs.

JESSICA: now choose

GIRL: do I have to

JESSICA: yes

The girl looks at the knife then the pills.

JESSICA: if you don’t choose, I will!

GIRL:…

JESSICA: GO OOOONNN!

A bright blinding light sparks the scene and the lights fade.

End

A family stands inside a graveyard; dressed in black, children crying and adults hugging each other. On the floor below there are two graves being ready to settle and the weather is drizzled with rain. The priest is saying his might words in front of an audience with humans and god; wishing that these two people would have a safe trip up to heaven.

The ceremony has finished and the coffins are being buried with dirt and flowers. The rain lets up and the crowd begins to disperse. Leaving a still figure; standing stiffly at the first grave and just watching as the two beloved people are buried. The person puts a single red rose on top of the grave stone. The sun burst through the clouds; spreading a rainbow across the sky and glinting off the wet pave stones. The figure reaches for their necklace; a snowflake protruding from beneath a black shirt.

Also protruding from the black shirt, if we look closely enough; is a white shirt, the beginning of a One Direction band shirt and the person lifts their head a little so that we see a smile. The person walks away from the graveyard and catches up with the rest of the crowd; leaving the on lookers to see the names of the graves and they say; Mr John N and the grave beside that one is named Miss Jessica.