Songs For An All-Night Vigil: The TellerA Stage Play by Alexis_McLeod This is actually a radio play SONGS FOR AN ALL �"NIGHT VIGIL:THE TELLER 1.MUSIC:
PROGRAM THEME. CONTINUE UNDER Narrator:
When evening shadows congeal to form midnight gloom,
when traffic lights blink yellow and
red, when the lonesome moaning of
trains echo off the silent clouds of the
night sky, when restless thoughts
breed terrifying dreams, and
when bright bedroom lights and reason still can’t
chase away the terror of the eerie, unaccountable reverberate of creaks and
groans, there are and will always be… SONGS FOR AN ALL NIGHT VIGIL.
(PAUSE) Tonight, a tale, a
narrative to accompany you while you
keep vigil over your very
mortal soul! Don’t fall asleep! For
the thief in the night comes when
watchful eyes are closed. And, make no
mistake, he will not stop until
he’s stolen the morning’s light. And
leaves you to the forsaken, never-ending night! (PAUSE) Our drama, named “The Teller,” shows how
and to what lengths we’ll go when the spirit guides us. THE
TELLER CHARACTERS Millicent:
female, 10 years old and then mid-adolescence, mid-western accent Beverly:
female, thirties, African American mid-western accent Uncle
Charles: male, mid-forties, mid-western accent Antonius:
male, light British accent, mature Fens:
gravelly voice FX, male, cockney accent Keith:
male, thirties, mid-western accent Marjorie:
female, thirties, mid-western accent Suzanne:
female, mid-thirties, mid-western accent Xavier:
male, mature, light British accent Carol:
female, mid-thirties, mid-western accent Customer:
male, twenties, drunk, slurring Cindy:
female, whiskey voiced, mid-forties 1.MUSIC:
SCENE CHANGE MUSIC SCENE
ONE: WOODED AREA (Millicent
and Uncle Charles) swear
I won’t tell. Please, please let me go. Uncle
Charles: (laughing)
That’s exactly what your little friend Cindy said. Millicent
(10 yrs.):
B-but Cindy is--- Uncle
Charles: That’s
right. She’s dead. Just like you’ll be. Millicent
(10 yrs.): No! No! Uncle
Charles: Sorry,
sweetheart. But Uncle Charles is NOT going back to prison.
No way! People are mean there and they hurt me! 1.SOUND:
CHOKING, GAGGING. UNCLE CHARLES STARTS TO CRY They’ve
done horrible things to me! And no one, no one does anything to help you. They
just stand there and watch, the sick b******s. (Silence) (sighs) Now, the hard
part. 2.SOUND:
CHARLES WHISTLES. EFFECT OF DIRT BEING SHOVELED 3.MUSIC:
SCENE CHANGE MUSIC SCENE
TWO (Millicent,
Beverly, and Antonius) 1.SOUND:
MILLICENT CRYING SOFTLY LIGHT BREEZE FOLLOWED BY RUSH OF WIND. THEN BEVERLY’S
SHIMMERING “APPEARING” EFFECT Beverly:
(breathless)
Child. I’m so sorry. But you can’t stay here. (Catches breath) Millicent
(10 yrs.): (flatly) He
killed me. 2.SOUND:
SHIMMERING EFFECT Beverly: Look.
See that? That light’s for you. Go into
it. See there are people who love you; go join them. Millicent
(10 yrs.): He
hurt me. And he won’t stop hurting kids like me. (PAUSE) I hate him. Beverly: Child,
listen to me, listen. (trying hard to convince) You are beyond him now, okay.
His fate is not yours to consider. The light waits for you. Go! Millicent
(10yrs.): No!
Beverly:
Little
one! You cannot stay here! 1.SOUND: SHIMMERING
EFFECT INTENSIFIES Look!
You either go into the light or he wins! Your presence in this state won’t be tolerated.
You must go! Millicent
(10 yrs. old): No! I
want him dead! I want to kill him! YOU go into the stupid light if it’s so
awesome and cool! 1.SOUND: SHIMMERING EFFECT BECOMES OVERWHELMING Beverly:
(almost
to herself) Forgive me, child. But it’s for the best. Millicent
(10 yrs.): Let
go! Ooff! Stop shoving me! No!
No! 2.SOUND:
SHIMMERING EFFECT STARTS TO FADE. FOLLOWED BY ANTONIUS’ “APPEARING” EFFECT Antonius: Pushed
another one kicking and screaming into Paradise, I see. And yet you know that
it’s not supposed to happen that way! Beverly: Why
is it that you’re always there to escort monsters into hell, but when it comes
to an innocent, little girl, you are forever late, Antonius? Antonius:
Fool!
You are not an Angel of Death! That is not your role to play! I could
send you to oblivion, cut you down where you stand! Beverly:
But
you won’t because you never could. (laughs, scoffs) Antonius:
No,
because scum like you receive your power from the unholy. Why should I waste my
time? Your doom and your damnation are sealed. Beverly:
(yawns)
In the meantime 1.SOUND: UNSHEATHING MAGICAL SWORD Stay
and play or be on your way! Antonius:
I
hate it when you rhyme! 2.
SOUND:
ANTONIUS’ DISSAPPEARING EFFECT 3.SOUND:
RESHEATHS SWORD Beverly:
You
b*****d. Millicent:
Hey!
Beverly:
(startled)
What are you doing here?! You’re supposed to be in Paradise! How did you-- Aw
s**t! (calmer) Child, listen to me-- Millicent
(adolescent): No!
You listen to me! First of all, I’m not a child! Secondly, my name isn’t “child.”
It’s Millicent. Thirdly, I will go where I please, when I please! Beverly:
(sighs)
Okay, Millie. But-- Millicent:
Millicent! Beverly: (indulgent)
Okay, “Millicent.” You shouldn’t be here. Souls that don’t go into the light
are fair game. Now, I can protect you only until your ‘second offering’. There
are a lot of unfriendlies out there who would love to tear into the soul of a
‘first child.’ Millicent:
What’s
a first child? And how do you know that I am one? Beverly: A
first child is a brand new soul. No past lives at all. And I know because I
know, that’s how! Now, listen and pay attention. Millicent, I can protect you
until you get your ‘second offering.’ But know this, even as a ‘first child’,
you still get only two chances to enter Paradise. (kind, convincing) Don’t you
want to go into the Blessed Fields? There are people there who know, love, and
miss you! And you’ve got plenty of other chances to come back to Earth’s plane,
if you want to. You’re a ‘first child,’ there is so much out there waiting to
be learned and experienced! But, before any of that can happen, you’ve got to
go. When the inlet of light re-opens, you’ve got to walk its path. Understand? Millicent:
Who
was that guy you were just talking to? Beverly:
(sigh.
irritable but indulgent) That was Antonius, head angel of death. Come on; let’s
get out of here before he comes back. 1.SOUND: DISSAPPEARING
EFFECT Millicent:
Well, what did he want? Beverly:
You!
He wanted you. Millicent:
Well,
how come? Beverly:
Because
he’s just itching to send souls to either Hell or Oblivion. He doesn’t like
humans very much. Millicent:
But
why? Beverly:
(sighs,
short) Are you trying to be annoying or is this just another trait of first
children? Come on, keep up! Millicent:
I’m
not being annoying! I just want to know
why everybody’s so eager to send me into this light?! Beverly:
First
of all, not everybody wants you to go into that light! Especially
Antonius! Look, when you died, your heart was full of hatred. You wanted vengeance
more than you wanted Paradise. Antonius is on some kick to keep Paradise only
for the exquisitely pure of heart. And he knows that most murdered humans don't
have pure and forgiving hearts towards their murderers. Millicent:
Well,
it’s my choice! It’s my soul, so it should be my choice! (PAUSE) Hey, where are
we? Beverly:
Millicent,
this is the “in-between,” the Mezzo-Realm.” Only the worst of the worst go to
Hell, the rest either take the offering of Paradise or they roam earth and the
Mezzo-Realm for eternity. Look around you! See this desolate place, no trees, no grass. Just eternal greyness. Do you really want to stay HERE for the rest of
time?! Millicent:
(haltingly)
Well, no--I--I guess not. Beverly:
Good!
Smart girl! Now step it up! Millicent:
Where are we going? Beverly:
To
guide a friend. 1.MUSIC:
SCENE CHANGE MUSIC SCENE
TWO: HALLS OF SUPPLICATION (Beverly,
Millicent, Suzanne, Keith, Marjorie, and Fens) 2.SOUND:
MURMURING PEOPLE, INTERMITENT TEMPLE
BELLS, AND QUIET RYTHMIC DRUMMING Millicent:
What
is this place-- Hey, I don’t even know your name! Beverly:
(Flat)
It’s Beverly. And we’re flying over the “Halls of Supplication.” Millicent:
What are-- Beverly:
Be
quiet! Suzanne’s
voice: Oh,
Aramaus! Are you there? Aramaus, we need your help. 1.SOUND: DOWNWARD
RUSH OF WIND Millicent:
Why are we in this room and who are
these people? Beverly: Hush,
Millicent. Keith:
Marjorie,
this is insane--this woman knows nothing and�" Marjorie:
Keith,
please! Suzanne:
Do
you have anything of hers? Maybe a toy, a teddy bear, or a blanket? I can get a
better reading if I have something that once belonged to her. Marjorie:
Here!
(fighting tears) She loved that bear; do you remember, Keith? It was a toy her
father won for at the state fair. Do you remember, Keith? Keith:
(kind,
indulgent) Yes, honey. I remember. I remember. Marjorie:
(sniffing
back tears) I’m sorry, Suzanne. I hope we didn’t break your concentration. Suzanne:
Not
at all. You need not worry. Keith:
Who’s
this Aramaus? Marjorie:
Honey,
let her do her work. Suzanne:
It’s
okay. (PAUSE) Aramaus is my spirit guide. He’s a thousand years old. He was
once a Byzantine nobleman who--- [continues talking, fading into the background]
Beverly:
(talking
over her) Hurry up, Suzanne. Millicent: Is
she talking about you. But you’re-- Beverly:
Aramaus
was destroyed years ago. I just took over his account. Millicent:
I
don’t understand. Beverly:
You’re
a first child, how could you know such things. (PAUSE) Suzanne is a psychic. She’s
got a good heart and a good relationship with the police in her region. She
helps find the bones of victims. When Aramaus (PAUSE) died, I decided to
continue his work. Plus, I made promises to this little girl that I would help
her parents find her and lay her remains to rest. Millicent:
Why
doesn’t she just-�" Beverly:
“Just
do it herself?” (PAUSE) Because she is in Paradise, where she belongs. I told her to go in peace; I promised her that I
would tend to unfinished business if she’d just clear her heart of vengeance
and go into the path of light. Millicent:
So,
you mean-- Beverly:
Hush!
It’s time! Suzanne:
[bring
up her voice again] Aramaus? Beverly: Okay.
[she clears her throat, emphasizes to the psychic] She’s in a blue barrel
buried one mile into the woods at East Point Crossing! Suzanne:
I’m
picking up on something red, no blue. It’s a cylinder of some kind. Millicent:
perks
up) Yeah! Duh! (she shouts to Suzanne) She’s- in- a -blue barrel-
one-mile-into--- Beverly:
Hush!
(PAUSE) Saying it louder doesn’t make her hear or understand it better. (PAUSE)
There’ s something blocking her�"someone�" 1.SOUND: UNSHEATHING MAJIC
SWORD EFFECT Millicent!
Get behind me! 2.
SOUND:
FEN’S APPEARING EFFECT Fens: Beverly!
How good to see you! (menacing laugh) Beverly:
Fens!
Of course! Well, needless to say, it’s not good to see you! Fens: Oh,
come now, Beverly. We’re old friends, are we not? Beverly:
Yes.
We are not! Stop blocking it, Fens. Comm’on, let this girl’s parents bury her. Fens: What?!
So, you can keep (mockingly) your little promise to her? (laughs) You should
not make promises you cannot keep! 1.SOUND: EXCERTION EFFECTS OF
STRUGGLE LINES DELIVERED DURING ALTERCATION
Beverly:
Fens!
You know I’m going to win, I always do! Fens: Ah,
maybe. But you have only seconds left in this one psychic’s window. Beverly:
A
second or two is all I need. (alarmed) Millicent! Millicent: Blue-barrel-one-mile-east�"Aggg---
Let me go, you ugly creep! Fens: (laughing,
exaggerated sniffing) Ah! I smell a first child! (sleazy) Oh, my--(PAUSE) you
can have the psychic. I’ll take a
first child any day! Millicent:
Let
me go! (starts yelling) Blue barrel,
East Pointe, a mile, mile (PAUSE) God! Why is she so deaf?! Fens: Your
soul smells delicious! Oh course, I like to have my way with my food before I
eat. (lost in sniffing, distracted) Beverly:
Millicent!
Drop! Fens: (surprised)
What?! (in pain) Ahhh! (Wincing) You
cut me! (PAUSE)You know this isn’t the last, don’t you?! 1.SOUND: FEN’S
DISSAPPEARING EFFECT Beverly:
(rushes
to Suzanne) Blue--like the trim on your first bike. Round�"�"the sewer, falling
down a manhole, trapped�"�" Suzanne: Wait!
Keith, Marjorie, please don’t leave yet. It’s coming to me, I swear�" just give
me another�"Blue�"it’s blue, she’s trapped, trapped in a blue hole. Beverly:
Field!
--You were 12 years old, looking at the shapes of clouds. Suzanne:
Pointe!
A blue hole, a cylinder--a can looking pointing at the sky-field, beautiful, beautiful
field- Millicent:
Beverly?
Umm, you know that guy that was here before? (PAUSE) Well, there are about 50
of them headed this way. Umm, just, just so you know. Beverly:
Crossing--First
communion. Millicent:
Beverly?
I think I’m going to run, okay? Suzanne:
(exertion,
panting) It’s coming, coming too fast. Marjorie:
Keith?!
Keith:
Don’t
worry, I’m writing it all down, Honey. Beverly:
Ah,
F**k! (frustration) Millicent:
Beverly?!
Beverly:
Grab
my hand! Just take my hand! Fens:
I
told you it wasn’t the last! Millicent:
(shouting)
First communion, cross yourself. Sun rises in the East, walk a mile in my shoe-
1.SOUND: BEVERLY’S DISSAPPEARING EFFECT 1.MUSIC:
SCENE CHANGE MUSIC SCENE
THREE: XAVIER’S SHOP (Beverly,
Millicent, Xavier, and Drunken customer)
Millicent:
(gasping,
coughing, eventually normalizes) Where? Where are we? (PAUSE) Beverly? Beverly!
Beverly:
Shush!
Gods! Can’t you ever just keep quiet?!! Millicent:
Sorry.
(PAUSE) Why is it so dark? Beverly:
Because
we are in hiding. Millicent:
Who
were those guys, Beverly? And why did he want to “Eat my soul?” Beverly:
I
told you. There are a lot of unfriendlies here. (PAUSE) The raw energy of a
first child is too much of a temptation to pass up. Xavier:
Beverly?
Is that you? For Pete’s sake! Come out of the shadows! Oh! Beverly: Xavier,
I -- we need to take shelter here in
your shop for a little while. Xavier:
Why
in all Hells have you a first child in tow? Beverly:
Well,
that’s kind of why we need shelter. Just until her second offering comes up.
Fens and the others are after her. I’m not good enough to handle them all. Xavier:
I
should say. (PAUSE) None but the Archangels and the Archfiends can handle that
lot. (PAUSE) You’ve not answered my question. Beverly:
I
thought it was obvious. Millicent:
(solemn,
attempted menacing) I decided that I had some scores to settle before I went
into the light! Xavier:
(chuckles)
Oh, you did, did you? Beverly:
Millicent, give it a break, huh? Xavier:
Whatever
for?! Millicent, we don’t get many first children wanting to stay here in the
Mezzo-Realms. (PAUSE) You are the newest of the Most High’s creation. You’ve no
stains, no karma from past lives. (PAUSE) You are, of all creation, closest to
the image of the Great Maker. Why would you want to waste your newness for vengeance,
the least noble of all quests? Millicent:
The
man that hurt me. (PAUSE) If I don’t stop him, he’ll hurt my baby sister and
then go on to hurt other kids. I can’t go someplace and live it up while others
are in danger. Xavier:
(laughs
broadly) Oh! My, my! You are indeed a first child! Don’t you realize that some
things, once set in motion, won’t change by anything less than the will of the
Most High? Evil as he is, that man can rape and kill until the Great Maker
demands his presence in Hell! There’s nothing you can do. Millicent:
Oh
yes there is! I can be like Beverly! Beverly:
What?! Millicent:
She
can talk to psychics! And they can tell the police and then he can get arrested
and rot in jail! Beverly:
Millicent,
your intentions are good. Yours is the purest heart of the first child. I see
that your desire goes beyond simple vengeance. But trust me, you don’t want to
be anything like me. (PAUSE) Xavier,
here take these. 1:SOUND: CLINCKING OF COINS Xavier:
You’re
all paid up, Beverly. You owe me nothing. Beverly:
Then
could you keep an eye on her? (PAUSE) I’d like to take my “gazing time” now, if
that’s alright by you? Xavier:
Of
course, Beverly. Come Millicent. Sit with me awhile. 1.SOUND:
BELL AGAINST DOOR Drunken
Customer: Xavier!
Xavier! I’ve got my payment, and I want my “gazing time!” Xavier:
Ah,
my customers, only those of the highest sort. (PAUSE) Wait here, child. I’ll be
right back. Millicent:
(unsure)
Sure, okay. Xavier:
Don’t
wander. Drunken
Customer: XAVIER!
My “time!” Now! You tight b*****d! Xavier:
Stay here, Millicent! Millicent:
OKAY!
[fade
out on Xavier trying to calm his impatient customer] 1.MUSIC:
SCENE CHANGE MUSIC SCENE
FOUR: XAVIER’S SHOP, GAZING ROOM (Beverly,
Millicent, Xavier, and Antonius)
Beverly:
Oh,
how I miss you, my love! Paradise suits you so well! (through tears) Ah! I’ve
been up to the same things! (PAUSE) Oh, God! I need you so very much! Millicent:
(sighs)
Beverly:
(startled)
What are you doing here?!! Millicent: I�"
I Beverly:
Get
out! Leave me be!! Millicent:
(beat,
meekly) She’s so beautiful. Who is she? Beverly: (contained,
softer) Her name’s Angelique. She’s the love of my life, my death. (scoffs) Everything.
Millicent:
Is
that what Paradise looks like? Beverly:
Yeah.
You see! (removing the tears from her voice) It’s a wonderful place. From this
portal, you can see just how stunning---the sun’s eternal over those beautiful
fields. (PAUSE) Never will you get that kind of sun here! Twilight is forever
here in the Mezzo Realm. There, fields of green and flowers. Here, nothing but
nothing but barren, scorched land. Millicent:
Then
why aren’t you there?! With her? Beverly:
I--umm.
Millicent, I- I made bad choices. This is why I’m trying to save you and keep
you from making choices you’ll regret for eternity. Millicent:
Did
you--did you murder a child? Beverly:
(taken
aback, almost offended) No! Oh, Good Heavens! No, Millicent. Nothing like that!
Millicent:
Did
you murder a grown up? Beverly:
(sighs,
resolved) I will tell you this only because I expect you to use my life as a
project lesson. Promise me that you will go into the light, and then I’ll tell
you about my mistake. Millicent:
(quickly)
I promise. Beverly:
That
was way too fast. Think about what you’re saying. Millicent:
I-promise-to-go-into-paradise. Okay. Beverly:
(sighs,
to herself) I can’t believe I’m actually telling you this. but-- okay. (PAUSE)
A long time ago- Millicent:
How
long? Beverly:
Millicent! Millicent:
Sorry!
I‘m sorry, okay! Beverly:
That
woman that you see there in the portal, she was my one love. We were to have a
little girl, she had (laughs) been pregnant forever. We were so ready. And
then, one Saturday, I had to meet with my newest client. Franklin Marks. He was
a millionaire several times over and he wanted my construction firm to build a
corporate retreat for his executives. 1.MUSIC: SUDDEN,
MENACING MUSIC Only
the evil b*****d had other plans for me and my family. Marks drugged me, took
me to his play “dungeon,” and tortured me until I died. (PAUSE) All the while,
he was availing himself to my Angelique, befriending her and helping her
through the trauma of my sudden disappearance and the discovery of my severed
head. (PAUSE) When I died, I was offered the light, just like you. (PAUSE) But
I didn’t go. I-I wanted to say good-bye to her; I wanted to see the face of our
child. Millicent: Wait
you can’t do that from, you know, up there?! Beverly:
I
wanted to be near her. (PAUSE) And I wanted to warn her about Marks. (PAUSE)
Not long after I denied the way of light, a creature came to me. It prophesied
that Marks was planning to hurt Angelique and our baby. He hated us and wanted
our daughter for a blood sacrifice. At first, I didn’t believe it; I didn’t
want to believe that any more harm could be done to my family, that God could
punish me even further by bringing to my wife and daughter the torture and
death he’d brought to me. But the creature provided such strong, compelling
evidence. (PAUSE) My soul was blinded with fury, and the creature offered me
the power to destroy Marks and protect my family, my beloved. I took what was
offered me, and I killed the b*****d. I slashed my way into the living world,
and I snatched him. I throttled the soul from his body. All the while laughing
as he called out to his demon gods to save him from the invisible power that
dragged him from the throne of his reign of terror. I relished every moment and
prolonged his torture; I cauterized his mouth and delighted in the discord as
his soul screamed for help. (laughs) For no one among the living could answer
his cry and rescue him from my wrath! Millicent:
So, you saved her. Beverly:
(shaken
from her story) No! That’s just it, Millicent!
My rage and my absolute need for vengeance left me open to the creature’s
deceptions. That thing, Darius is his name, feeds on the souls of the truly
evil. He devours them outright so their energy is forever transformed, never
again to enter existence for all eternity. (PAUSE) You see, Darius couldn’t
kill Marks nor could he simply wait for him to die. He was impatient for his
repast. And I served it to him on a platter. This sword I carry, (scoffs) he
gave it to me, his token of thanks. I bear it like Cain bore his mark. Forever it’s mine, bound to me like a chronic
malady. Millicent:
But
if you killed this guy, then how�" Beverly:
(rueful,
chuckle) She and the baby died in childbirth within moments of Marks being
engulfed by Darius. (PAUSE) I couldn’t be there for her. And she and our
daughter went into the light. I heard, much latter, that she called out for me;
she couldn’t believe that I was not there to welcome her and embrace her and
our child into eternity. (PAUSE) You see, I did not know this, but one of the
surest ways to be denied Paradise is to murder. To take a mortal life using the
powers of the spiritual world. It’s a breech in the partition between the
realms. Human spirits can play with, haunt, even threaten the living and still
have the right to sue for pardon. But they cannot kill. (PAUSE) Those of us
that do are forever forbidden to join our loved ones in the fields of Paradise.
[silence] Millicent:
That is like so unfair!! Beverly:
Millicent!
Millicent:
Well,
it is!! (PAUSE) I mean this sucks! The only way you guys can ever talk is
through this cosmic TV set or whatever this thing is. Beverly:
It’s
a portal. And we don’t talk. (PAUSE) She doesn’t even know that I’m watching
her. But sometimes, I could swear
she feels me. This practice, the “gazing
time,” is in direct violation of the Rules of Separation. (PAUSE) But it’s
worth it, the danger of being caught. It is the only way I can be near her. (PAUSE)
So you see, if I’d gone into the archway of light, she and I would be together!
(PAUSE) Who knows what destinies await you beyond this place?! Don’t waste your
opportunity, first child. Leave the vengeance to those like myself who have all
of eternity to fill. Go with a pure heart, I promise, I will do everything I
can to bring justice to the man who hurt you. Don’t discard the plans the
Blessed Makers have made for you! Besides,
killing this man would make you a murderer as well. (PAUSE) Unlike other human
souls who have killed mortals, I swore an oath to the Most High that I’d never
again harm any of her human creatures. Millicent: There
are other spirits who have killed people? Beverly: Yes.
I’m afraid it becomes addictive for them. With each mortal they harm, they lose
more and more of themselves and grow closer and closer to becoming Elementals,
some of the most destructive creatures among the sworn enemies of the Most
High. But maybe, if I can keep my oath, the Most High will someday forgive me
my transgression and let me in to be with Angelique. 1.SOUND: TABLES AND CHAIRS BEING OVERTURNED
AND SHOUTING Oh f**k!
Millicent:
What’s
going on?! Beverly:
It’s
a raid! These portals are illegal, remember?! (PAUSE) We’ve gotta' get out of
here, especially you. Xavier:
[from
background] We have nothing here! Go back, there is no contraband here! You
violate my freedoms�"�" Antonius:
Where
is she, Demon?! I can smell her! (to his assistants) Destroy everything! We’ll
have no more “Offal” on this plane!! Millicent:
That
sounds like- Beverly: Yeah,
it is. Antonius knows you’ve not passed over into Paradise. How does he get his
info so fast I’ll never know. Come on, take my hand.(PAUSE) Yes, that’s it. 1.SOUND: BEVERLY’S
DISSAPPEARING EFFECT 2.MUSIC: SCENE CHANGE MUSIC SCENE
FIVE: PACIFIC OCEAN (Beverly
and Millicent) 1.SOUND: BEVERLY’S APPEARING EFFECT WITH OCEAN IN
BACKGROUND Beverly:
(catching
her breath) Ahh! Whew! Can’t do much more of that today. Millicent:
Where
are we? Beverly:
We
had to get out of the Mezzo Realms. The heat’s on. They know about you. (PAUSE)
Here is my favorite place on Earth. We’re in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Millicent:
Wow!
I can’t believe this! (excited) This is so cool! Beverly:
We
don’t have substance here. So, we can stay on the face of the waters. (PAUSE) Lie
back, the waves, they caress you from the top of your head on down. (PAUSE) I
come here when it all gets to be too much. Millicent:
Oh!
That feels good. I don’t even have a body, but the water feels so good. It’s
like one of those massage chairs my mom has. (PAUSE) Well, I guess she’s not my
mom anymore. Beverly:
You
are your own person now. Millicent: I
could just stay like this forever. Beverly:
You’d
grow tired of it after a while. (PAUSE) I don’t know why it’s taking so long
for your second offering to come up. Millicent: What
did you mean earlier when you said that you couldn’t do much more of something?
Beverly:
You
are full of questions! Why don’t you spend this time thinking about what you’ll
do once you’ve crossed into the Blessed Fields? (PAUSE) Or you can imagine what
you want to be for your next life. Millicent:
Will
I get to choose my parents? Beverly:
Sometimes.
Millicent:
I
think I’ll be a policeman next time. Beverly:
Well,
if your will is in agreement with the Most High, you can be whatever you want. Millicent:
Will
I remember you? Beverly:
(scoffs)
No. You’ll be blessed with no memories of your death or of the Mezzo-Realm and
all the wretched creatures that inhabit it once you drink of the waters. Millicent:
Oh.
Beverly:
Don’t
sound so disappointed. Would you really want to remember the likes of Fens and
Antonius? Millicent:
No. (PAUSE) Fens stank! Beverly:
Yeah.
He secretes it whenever he’s, you know (PAUSE) excited. But it helps.
Sometimes, when you can’t see him�" Millicent:
(joins
in) At least you can smell him. (giggles) He smells like my baby sister’s
diaper. (she giggles, Beverly laughs
indulgently, PAUSE, then serious) Beverly? Beverly:
(jovially)
Yyyesss? Millicent:
Before
I go--into the light and everything- Beverly:
Yeah.
Millicent:
Could
we go see my family? (PAUSE) I mean since I won’t even remember them. Beverly:
You’ll
only forget them if you decide to drink from the river and come back to Earth.
You can stay in Paradise and watch over them if you wish. (PAUSE) As I
understand it, I think that you can stay in the Blessed Fields for as long as
you’d like. Millicent:
Could
we just go see them, please? Beverly:
(sighs)
Suit yourself. (PAUSE) Bust as soon as the pathway of light opens, you’re going
through it. Right?! Millicent:
Yeah,
yeah. Beverly:
No.
No. Look at me. You are going through it! Am I clear?! Millicent: (huffy)
I said, “Yeah!” Beverly:
Okay.
(sighs) Now, I’m low on my energies. That means that you’re going to have to
put out some of yours ‘cause I don’t have enough to transport the both of us. Millicent:
Okay,
what do I do? Beverly:
First,
calm down. (PAUSE) That’s better. Now the trick to transporting is that you
have to clear your mind. No, don’t shut your eyes and clinch your fist like
that. You’re not trying to force anything. (PAUSE) Just think of your family.
Your mom, did she ever bake cookies? Millicent:
(excited)
Yeah! All the time! Beverly:
Okay,
then. Just remember the smell. Let your mind float from one memory to another, all
of them coming just from the smell of baked cookies. Even if it’s a bad memory.
Don’t shut those out. Just let your memories of anything that had to do with
baked cookies come in and out of your mind. Like these waters beneath us. Millicent:
Beverly?
Beverly:
(softly)
Yes? Millicent: How
come you didn’t just tell that psychic your real name? Beverly:
(chuckles
despite herself) That has nothing to do with baked cookies, now does it? Millicent:
(entranced)
No. No, it doesn’t. 1.SOUND: EFFECT OF
BUILDING ENERGY Beverly:
Here
we go. 2.SOUND: ENERGY EFFECT BUILDS UP, THEN BEVERLY’S
DISSAPPEARING EFFECT, ONLY OCEAN WAVES LEFT IN BACKGROUND REMAIN FX 1.MUSIC:
SCENE CHANGE MUSIC SCENE
SIX: CAROL AND UNCLE CHARLES’ HOUSE (Beverly,
Millicent, infant, Uncle Charles, Carol, and Antonius) 2.SOUND: SCREAMING INFANT, THEN
BEVERLY’S APPEARING EFFECT Carol:
Shh!
Shh! (humming a lullaby) Aww! Somebody’s just sleepy. Millicent:
That’s
my mom. (PAUSE) And there’s my baby sister. Beverly:
We
shouldn’t stay too long. Carol:
There
you are, little one. Sleep my angel, sleep. Millicent: When
I was eight, my mom told me that she was going to have a baby. (PAUSE) But that
one died inside of her. (PAUSE) Then on my tenth birthday, she told me she was
pregnant again. Beverly:
You
were an only child, huh? Millicent:
Yeah.
But by the time I was ten, I was ready for a baby brother or sister. Beverly:
Millicent,
where is your father? I didn’t realize that there were only three of you. Millicent:
My
dad died when I was six. (PAUSE) When I was eight, Uncle Charles came to live
with my mom and I. Beverly:
(sighs,
sad) Uncle Charles. Millicent: Yeah.
Mom said I could call him that because she didn’t want me to think that she was
trying to replace Dad. (PAUSE) I was just a kid, ya’ know. But I remember Uncle
Charles, coming over even when my dad was still alive. I guess they were
friends. Beverly:
How
did your dad die, Millicent? Millicent:
I
don’t know. Mom said that he died in jail. (PAUSE) I can’t remember all of it,
but I think my dad hurt some people and that’s why they sent him to jail. Beverly:
Oh,
Millicent. Come on, let’s get out of here. Millicent:
No!
(PAUSE) Not yet. I want to stay with my mom still. Beverly:
Sometimes,
when we watch the living, they do things we’d rather not see. Millicent:
I
don’t care! She was my mother and I loved her. (PAUSE) I know what grown up
people do! (beat, sad) I‘ve known since I was eight years old. Uncle Charles:
Carol!
Carol! Where are you, Sweetie?! Carol:
(in
a loud a whisper) Up here with the baby. I just got her calmed down! Uncle Charles:
Listen.
That detective is wants me to come down to the station today. Carol:
(sighs)
Oh, Charles. (perks up) That couldn’t have been the sweater! I burnt
that and everything else like forever ago. They’re just trying to scare you.
You don’t give them anything! You hear me?! Uncle Charles:
Yeah!
Yeah! Okay! (PAUSE) I just wasn’t sure. Carol:
Well,
you can be sure. Millicent:
(heartbroken,
tears up) Oh no! Oh no! Please, God no! Beverly:
Oh, Honey. I’m so, so sorry. Millicent:
Just
shut up! I hate you! Beverly:
(calm,
kind) I know you do. I know. Come here. (Millicent weeps) 1.SOUND: CINDY’S APPEARING
EFFECT Cindy: Oh!
Who in God’s f*****g green creation are you?! Never mind, I don’t care. Listen
I claim this place. Go and haunt somebody f*****g else! These s**t b******s are
all mine. (PAUSE) Look, don’t make me have to kick your a*s! (beat, stunned) Millicent? Is that you? (PAUSE)
It’s me, Cindy! You remember your little playmate. We’re in the fourth grade
together! Millicent:
Cindy? Cindy:
Yeah!
(PAUSE) Oh, I forgot! Still can’t get used to this f****n’--Yeah, I’m grown up
here in ghostville and s**t. (PAUSE) That b*****d took me out on my hundred and
fiftieth lifetime. Here
I’m supposed to be celebrating my hundred and fiftieth go round and this
b*****d murders me! (PAUSE) So he got
you too, huh? Millicent:
Yes.
Cindy:
Well,
we’re not the only ones gunning for his a*s. Well, actually it looks like we’re
the only ones willing to stick around and see that he down! (PAUSE) The 14
girls before us decided to hell with it and went into the light. (beat, puffing
on a cigarette) You know, I don’t blame them though. Millicent:
I
didn’t know that spirits could smoke. Cindy:
Yeah.
You know, stickin’ around here does have its perks. (PAUSE) Hey, I just
realized somethin’�" You’re a ‘first child!’ Wow! Tough break gettin’ murdered
on your first life like that. That really sucks. (PAUSE) Here. Millicent:
Umm,
what is it? Cindy:
(laughs
broadly) “What is it?” Ha! This really IS your first go round! Here, take it.
It’s a flask! (PAUSE) Don’t know how they do it, but they make some serious
hooch back in the Mezzo Realms. (PAUSE) Go on! Take a pull! Beverly:
(taking
charge) Okay, enough. You don’t need to be drinking any of that rotgut. Millicent:
But-
Cindy: Hey,
so who’s your overprotective friend? (Beverly tries in vain to sshh Millicent) Millicent: Oh!
Her name’s Beverly. I don’t know her last name. Cindy:
Wait!
Hold on a minute, sweetheart. I love these tricks. Carol:
My
car keys were right here! (PAUSE) I swear, they were just HERE! 1.SOUND:
SHOWER IN BACKGROUND Uncle Charles:
[from
shower] Well, I didn’t move them. Check the w--- S**t!
This f*****g’ shower’s going to scald me to death! Cindy:
Ha!
Ha! Ya’ b******s! I’m
sendin’ you and the b***h to Hell a little at a time! (guffaws, beat) Aww!
Sweet Pea! Don’t look like that, Millicent. You know that she’s not really your
mother. I mean, you went through her chute and everything, but she didn’t
actually “make” you. You know that, right? Plus, she’s been in on the whole
thing. Hell, she’s just as bad! Millicent:
(sad,
resigned) Yes. I know that now. Cindy:
Yeah,
so--Beverly, eh? (PAUSE) Wait! You’re not ‘the’ Beverly?! Oh snap! I didn’t see
that sword on your back! Man! The sword of Darius! Man! It is so cool to meet
you! (PAUSE) What are ya’ doin’ with her? Beverly:
I’m
making sure she goes into the light. Cindy:
Wow!
You got Beverly! Man, when that b*****d killed me, NOBODY came to me! So,
I thought, what the hell, stick around make the b******s squirm. Kid, you’re
lucky to have someone lookin’ out for you like that. I've seen a lot of people
get destroyed, swallowed up, or worse back in the Mezzo Realms. It’s like Vegas
and the wild west all wrapped up in one back there! Beverly:
This
is what I’ve been trying to impart to our young friend. Cindy: Hey,
Beverly, I heard you can kill people with that sword. Hey! Could ya’ teach me
how to kill a mortal? I heard you don’t need a sword for that! (PAUSE) Yeah,
teach me how you. (makes karate sounds) I could beat the b*****d to death! Yeah,
give him a taste of his own shitburger! Yeah, you and me. You know like that
one show, where the tough chick is traveling around with that blonde, you know
the one? Beverly:
(extricating
herself) Ah, no. I think you have the wrong idea. Cindy:
(ignoring
her) Kid, I heard that she can mix it up with angels and demons and everybody
in between. Okay, I heard this from a guy, that once Beverly took down a---- Beverly:
(irritated)
Enough! Look, Millicent, this isn’t the way. Give me time and I’ll bring this
man to justice! I’m sure there’s plenty of lost evidence that I can bring to the
detective’s attention. This detective’s pretty smart, I just have to put it in
the right place, and he’ll make the connections! DNA testing is a boon to us
and to law enforcement. (PAUSE) Don’t hang out here. Who knows? Yours could be
the soul that drives a living body to discover cures for the terminally ill. Or
you could come back as a detective. (PAUSE) Let the rules of the living punish this
man. Cindy:
(disappointed)
Wow. And here I thought you was a tough, asskicking, take no s**t- Beverly:
Cindy?
Cindy:
(excited)
Yeah! Yeah! Beverly:
Be
quiet, okay. Millicent:
What
do you do when they’re not home? Do you follow them and drive them out of their
minds and stuff? Cindy:
Nah.
(PAUSE) Look it, kid. Maybe you should listen to what she says. (PAUSE) See,
this is the only place I can go, here or to the Mezzo Realms. I can’t travel. Millicent:
Why?!
Cindy:
(sighs)
When I died, well, I really didn’t know what I was doing. I mean 150 times I go
round! I get burnt, drowned, run over by a chariot--the whole nine. But I never
been murdered. I mean dying in a war is one thing but being murdered and being
a kid on top of everything. Well, it was just more than I could stand. (beat,
sigh) Long story short, I got talked into being stuck in the house where I was
killed. Some angel of death found me and told me he was gonna’ destroy me if I
didn’t accept his terms. (PAUSE) I used to think those guys were so nice. Whew,
was I wrong. I got so confused. He said that I missed my chance at the light.
You only get one shot when you’re as old as me. They figure you should know
better or something. Well, I was so pissed off. I wanted to kill this b*****d.
So, I’m stuck. It’s either here or the Mezzo Realms. And, at least when I’m
here I can stay out of trouble. Beverly:
I’m
sorry to hear that, Cindy. Cindy:
Well,
at least I never run out of booze or smokes. And I get to stick it to them,
every now and then. (PAUSE) I tell ya’ what though, I miss Harry Sunshine. Beverly:
Excuse
me? Millicent: Harry
Sunshine. (giggles) That sounds funny. Cindy:
(chuckles)
Yeah, it’s a funny sounding name. (PAUSE) He was kind of a funny guy, the rat
b*****d. Millicent:
Who
is Harry Sunshine? Harry Sunshine, Harry Sunshine! (giggle gleeful, childlike)
I like saying that name! Cindy:
(chuckles,
sweetly) Aww, kid. Most High bless your heart. (PAUSE) Yeah, anyway, Harry was
a buddy of mine. Ya’ know, seems like every lifetime we’d end up hooking up,
one way or another. See kid, when you go back to Earth, as a baby, you don’t
remember s**t from your past life. I mean SOME things, but the details (makes whooshing
sound) So like the last, what 50 times, him and I end up taking the water at
the River of Forgetfulness at the same time. But when we come into our next lives, I always
know him 'cause he’s got this mole on his right temple. (PAUSE) Yeah, riiiight
there! (Millicent giggles) I mean I remember him showing up for 50 lifetimes,
the b*****d! Sometimes he’s my boyfriend, or my mom, or my first cousin, the
dirty b*****d! (PAUSE) I sure do miss him, the no-good piece of scum. He still
owes me money from back in our 30th go round, the son of a b***h. (wistful)
Wonder how he’s doing? (PAUSE) You’d think that he’d at least send word or
something, the rat fink b*****d! If I
could pay the credits, I’d go over to Xavier’s and see if he’s in the Blessed
Fields. Millicent:
I’m
so sorry that you’re stuck here. (PAUSE) But you won’t be for long. Beverly:
Millicent?
Millicent:
I
want to give my second offering to Cindy! Cindy:
Really?! Aww, that’s so
sweet-- Beverly:
No!
Millicent, listen to me and listen good! Antonius is coming for you sooner or
later. I can’t protect you for the rest of eternity. No offense, Cindy. But
Cindy's made her decisions. She’s lived 150 lives; you’ve only lived this one. Cindy: Plus,
you can’t take someone else’s offering. But thanks for the thought. Millicent: Well,
then we can all be in the Mezzo Realms together. And Beverly and I can fight
crime. We’ll be “The Dead Squad,” or something. Then they’ll have to let you
into Paradise to be with Angelique ‘cause you fought for the greater good.
Right? Beverly:
Millicent,
that’s just it! I don’t work for the greater good! Beating up angels, sending
vengeful souls to Paradise whether they’re ready for it or not. Even in my very
existence, there IS NO greater good. The will of the Most High is the standard
of “Goodness.” And my kind is in direct conflict with the directives of the
Most High. 1.SOUND: ANTONIUS’
APPEARING EFFECT Oh,
Christ! (annoyed) Antonius and his goons. (PAUSE) Give it a rest will ya’?! Antonius:
There
will be no rest for your kind. (PAUSE) You! Over there! Cindy: Yeah,
what?! (PAUSE) I’m still here, per our agreement. Antonius:
You
are to have no dealings with Beverly. She is a poor example of a human spirit. (PAUSE)
Child, I understand that you feel rage towards this man, your murderer. Though
you are a first child, rage is still within your sort. But you can’t hurt him.
Let me take you away from the pain of this injustice. Let me send you to a
place where you can start over again. You can be re-made, pure of the pains of
this lifetime. You can be made into a NEW first child who has not one taint
upon your soul. You will know great peace. (PAUSE) Yes. You feel that don’t
you. 1.SOUND:
ETHEREAL MUSIC Millicent: I
feel kind of funny. Antonius: That
is the pull of the Great Ocean
from which we are all made. It is the will of the Most High that you should
return to the Great Ocean, First Child, that you may be made anew. Millicent:
Can
Beverly come too? Antonius:
No,
child. Oblivion awaits Beverly and her ilk! This is the beauty and oneness from
which all souls are formed. You will forget. You will become a new first child.
And when you come to the end of a natural life, on Earth, the Earth upon which
your soul was meant to take flesh, I shall escort you into the Blessed Fields without
blemish on your soul. Millicent:
But
what about Beverly why can’t she--- Beverly:
There’s
no re-birth for souls that have violated scared laws. He’s right in all he
says, Millicent. You’ll lose your identity, but you gain a new start. In
paradise, however you keep your own personhood. And if you chose to come back,
you will forget all that has to do with your previous time. Millicent:
But
I want to kill him! Beverly:
Millicent!
I will bring him to justice, I swear! Let the state and the rules of the living
punish him. Millicent:
No!
I want to kill him 1.SOUND: ANTONIUS
UNSHEATHING HIS SWORD OF FIRE Antonius: Then
I’ve no choice but to strike you down. Beverly:
Leave
her alone! Antonius:
Her
heart is hateful, vengeful! She cannot walk the Blessed Fields nor can she
pollute the Great Ocean. Beverly:
Antonius!
Don’t! Antonius:
Out
of my way, Offal!! She must be destroyed! Millicent:
I’m
going to kill him and you can’t stop me! (PAUSE) Now, tell me how to do it. Antonius: You
can’t hold all of us, Beverly! Ikthamus! Angelimus! Grab the child! 1.SOUND:
STRUGGLING Millicent:
No!
No! Let go of me! Beverly:
Antonius!
1.SOUND: BEVERLY UNSHEATHING HER MAGIC SWORD Antonius:
Go
ahead!! Use the sword of Darius against us! Become the monster that you sent to Darius. You only continue to solidify your
fate! Only one of Hell’s highest could fashion a weapon to hurt the angelic
host! Keep using it! It only proves to the Most High just how deserving you are
of your fate! (to his cohorts) Don’t delay, destroy the child! (PAUSE) I win, Beverly. Murderous, vengeful
souls have no place in the domains of the Most High. Millicent: (screaming)
No! Let me go!! Beverly:
You
know, Antonius, you’re right! Antonius:
What?
Beverly:
A
soul cannot survive with vengeance at its center. Antonius: Wait!!
You can not cleave the separation of the realms! You wouldn’t dare break your oath to the Most High?! 1.SOUND: SHARP,
DRAGGING RIPPING SOUND Carol: Oh
my God! What are you?! Run Charles, she’s got a sword!! Beverly:
Charles!
Your days are over! Uncle
Charles: (terrified)
Sweet Jesus!! Beverly:
(chuckles)
Oh, that’s the last time you’ll use those words. 1.SOUND: VISCOUS
CUTTING EFFECT 2.SOUND: CHARLES CRIES OUT IN PAIN, CAROL
SCREAMS IN BACKGROUND Uncle Charles:
What--where
am I?! What happened?! Am I dead? I-I’m dead?! Antonius:
(irritated
but resolved) Charles Marcus Hanford. I am Antonius, highest standing angel of death.
For the deeds of the life you led on this Earth, I, by rights, am here to
escort your mortal soul to the fires of hell. Cindy: Alright,
I knew you were an a*s-kicker! Uncle Charles: (gasp)
Millicent? Millicent! I-I’m sorry--so sorry. Millicent:
(kind
sigh) I know. I know you are, Uncle Charles. (PAUSE) Goodbye. Uncle
Charles: (screams)
No! No! 1.SOUND: SOUNDS OF STRUGGLING, INTENSE BUILD-UP OF
DISSAPPEARING EFFECT No!
Tell them I didn’t mean it, Millicent. You know I didn’t mean it! What about
all those times I was nice to you and your mom--Millicent! Tell them!! Antonius: Ikthamus,
Angelimus take him away! Uncle
Charles: Millicent,
tell them! I didn’t mean it! Millicent-- 1.SOUND: HIS VOICE FADES AND THE
DISSAPPEARING EFFECT CONCLUDES Antonius:
(with
renewed vehemence) Murderer! I cannot wait to end you and all your kind! Congratulations!
You’ve joined the ranks of Offal to commit multiple murders! And using the sword of Darius, the demon
soul eater to do it! Your days are numbered, Beverly. And the Most High won’t
look too kindly on the corruption of a First Child. Beverly:
What
corruption?! She’s harmed neither you nor her murderer. In fact, there’s no
vengeance left in her heart now that the object of her vengeance is gone! And,
by rights, she has yet her second chance. She may still walk the Blessed
Fields. Antonius:
(growl)
There will come a time when you will lay down that sword and beg me to destroy
you. Beverly:
Only
once you’ve taken your rightful place in Hell! I heard they need more
assistants for Darius. Antonius:
Murderous
scum! Abomination! I will see you and your manipulative b***h of a First Child
pay for what has happened this day. Offal! 1.SOUND: ANTONIUS’ DISSAPPEARING
EFFECT Beverly:
(sighs)
Oh, what a great guy! Whew! 2.SOUND: RESHEATHING
MAGIC SWORD Millicent:
So- Beverly: What?
Oh you! (PAUSE) You made me a promise. Millicent:
A
promise I can still keep! You said yourself I have a second chance. (PAUSE) So,
in the meantime, where are we going next? Cindy: Yeah,
where are we going next? Beverly:
(irritated)
You know, this isn’t a game! This is not some television show, okay! I don’t
know what you’re imagining, but this�"the three of us--it ain’t happening. I’m taking Millicent to Xavier.
Without me around, he probably won’t draw the same attention. (PAUSE) He can
keep you safe until your second offering into paradise. Millicent:
Well, what are you going to do? Beverly:
That’s
none of your business. Millicent:
But I owe you! I made you kill Uncle Charles! You broke your oath. Beverly: You
owe me nothing. Nothing but to take the opportunity given you. (PAUSE) Look, maybe you can do this for me.
When you go into the Blessed Fields, find Angelique. Tell her that I love her
and that I’m sorry. Tell her that it’s okay for her to drink from the River of Forgetfulness.
I want her to live out the rest of her lives. Please, just do that for me. Millicent:
I’ll
miss you. Beverly:
No.
No. you won’t. You are a first child. Go, walk the earth. You must live your
lives. And you must learn what you were meant to learn. (PAUSE) Come on, let’s go.
I’ve got just enough residual energy to get you to Xavier’s. Millicent:
Then
what? Beverly:
Then
I have to go guide a friend. 1.MUSIC:
CLOSING THEME THE
END © 2022 Alexis_McLeodAuthor's Note
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Added on December 17, 2022 Last Updated on December 21, 2022 Tags: Horror, supernatural, LGBTQ+ Author
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