IN THE DARKNESS, THERE'S LIGHT

About two girls that go to a high school and have always been enemy's. A Code Red at school makes them fear what will happen next.

IN THE DARKNESS, THERE’S LIGHT

 

By Mckenzie Morgan

Cast of Characters

 

 

 

AMELIA, (protagonist) about fifteen, roughly five foot four, average weight, black hair, average student, female

 

SARAFINA, (other) about sixteen, about six feet tall, average weight, platinum blonde hair, Queen Bee of school, female

 

ELIZEBETH, (Co. antagonist) about 32, tall and thin, red hair, female

 

UNKNOWN, (Main antagonist) about 35, tall, pale and dark haired, British, male (name changes to JOHN towards the end of the story
ACT I

 

SCENE 1

 

At RISE:

 

(Within a girls’ high school locker room, early afternoon. COACH approaches both KATHERINE and SARAFINA).

 

COACH

 

Amelia, kindly escort Sarafina to her next class, take these passes.

 

(COACH quickly writes two passes and hands them to both AMELIA and SARAFINA and exits SR).

 

SARAFINA

 

Oh, here you won’t need this.

 

(SARAFINA snatches the pass out of AMELIA’s hand and rips it into many small pieces sprinkling it into the air).

 

Looks like someone’s not getting into class on time, huh Amy?

 

AMELIA

 

Thanks, truly, for making my hall pass into confetti, now I’m going to be late for class.

 

SARAFINA

 

You’re welcome. Aren’t you going to pick that up?

 

 

(AMELIA, grinning, makes her way to her locker and puts in combination pointing into the locker, SR)

 

You have to carry my supplies; it may be trouble with your weak arms.

 

(AMELIA walks towards SARAFINA’S locker and glances at the layers upon layers of text books and binders).

                                  

Oh, and don’t drop anything, like you know, any pride you have left.

 

(AMELIA grabs the heavy load of school supplies and walks towards the door; SARAFINA sticks a crutch out and trips AMELIA).

 

                       AMELIA

 

Really, Sarafina?

 

(Two bursts of sirens and flashing lights start as the intercom goes on flooding the school with noise, a voice comes onto the intercom).

 

                       INTERCOM

 

Someone has broken into the school; we are not sure if they pose a threat, please stay within your classrooms and lock the doors. They may be armed.

 

                       AMELIA

 

Where do we go? Class has already started for everyone else and we’re alone in here.

 

 

                       SARAFINA

 

Go check if someone’s actually there.

 

                       (SARAFINA says stricken with fear)

 

                       AMELIA

 

This is serious, our lives are in danger!

 

(AMELIA looks to a storage closet and motions SARAFINA inside, SL)

 

 

ACT I

 

SCENE 2

 

At RISE:

 

(In a dark storage closet smelling of sweat, AMELIA and SARAFINA sit quietly with frightened looks on their faces).

 

AMELIA

 

Are you okay?

 

                       SARAFINA

 

I guess so, just scared of what might happen.

 

(SARAFINA fidgets with her skirt, AMELIA stares at her).

 

AMELIA

 

I hope nothing does happen.

 

(SARAFINA fidgets with her skirt, AMELIA watches her and tries to comfort her).

 

SARAFINA

 

Are we going to die?

 

(SARAFINA says with a few tears running down her face, blackened with dark mascara and eyeliner)

                                   

                       AMELIA

 

Why do you say that? You’re overreacting; this person may not be threatening.

 

(AMELIA cringed at the fact that SARAFINA hadn’t insulted her in the past five minutes, SARAFINA now had black tears all over her cheeks).

 

 

 

                       SARAFINA

 

People don’t just break into schools if they’re not threatening.

 

                       AMELIA

 

I really don’t care whether you want to tell me or not what your problem is.

 

                       SARAFINA

 

When was it my job to be nice to geeks?

 

                       AMELIA

 

It’s kind of sad you don’t know how to be nice for over ten minutes, especially in this serious of a situation.

 

(The lady on the intercom shrieks as a gun is shot, causing SARAFINA to sob more).

 

You have to be quiet; do you want someone armed to find us here?

 

                       SARAFINA

Face it, we could die and there’s nothing we can do to help it, there’s some psychopath out there and their going to kill us, face it were doomed!

 

                       AMELIA

You’re overreacting still.

                      

(AMELIA tries to comfort her as the door to the locker room rattles opened.)

 

                       SARAFINA

What was that?

 

(SARAFINA turns her head, and motions towards the door, SR)

 

AMELIA

A hug, what else?

                      

                       SARAFINA

Not that- And don’t touch me! I was talking about the sound coming from behind the door.

 

                       (AMELIA looks to the door, SL)

                       AMELIA

I honestly don’t know, but I think someone’s coming through the door to the room.

 

                       SARAFINA

Shhh, don’t let them hear us!

 

(The two sat in the silent darkness of the locker room storage closet.)

 

 

ACT I

SCENE 3

 

At RISE:

(Late afternoon, dark locker room lights are out. Both AMELIA and SARAFINA sit in silence as the suspect ELIZEBETH paces around the locker room in search for something, whilst grimly smiling.)

 

SARAFINA

Seriously who’s coming?

 

                       (SARAFINA asks in a hushed tone, to AMELIA)

 

                       AMELIA

I don’t know, but stay quiet and maybe whoever it is won’t find us here. For all we know, it could be a teacher looking for us, so we can get back to class. Maybe this is all just a horribly well played joke on us. I don’t know, but please be quiet.

 

                       SARAFINA

Doesn’t it seem strange someone would just play a joke on us and plan this all out just to get on our nerves? I’m sure whoever broke in is probably not targeting us anyways. Besides, what’s the point?

 

(Just then, footsteps grew louder and the storage room door swung open to reveal ELIZEBETH, who was armed, SL.)

 

ELIZABETH

Yes, this is just a joke, so don’t mind me. Since, ya know, I’m armed.

 

(Both AMELIA and SARAFINA stand and turn towards far SL.)

 

                       AMELIA and SARAFINA

Who are you?! A where did you come from?

                      

                       ELIZABETH

I’m Elizabeth, I came through the door, oh, and I’ve come to kill you.

 

                       AMELIA

Us? Why would you kill us, we don’t even know who you are and were in high school! Either you’ve got some issues, or you’re confusing the two of us with someone else.

 

(AMELIA gestured towards SARAFINA and backed further from ELIZABETH, further from the gun she was pointing.)

 

ELIZABETH

Get over yourself, it’s not you in particular that I am after. It’s her.

                      

(ELIZEBETH pointed angrily at SARAFINA, who was positioned SR. This caused SARAFINA to point at herself in confusion.)

 

SARAFINA

Me? What on earth would you want to kill me for? I think there’s a mistake, I don’t even know who you are, so go get arrested for attempting murder and let everybody live happily ever after, while you rot in jail.

 

                       ELIZEBETH

Funny, because my idea was that I would kill you, therefore you wouldn’t inherit your families’ loads of money.

 

                       SARAFINA

W-what? What money are you talking about?

 

                       ELIZABETH

Of course you wouldn’t know. Apparently, he has been very secretive of his fortune hasn’t he? His private banking account, your father never told you about his millionare status?  Oh well, anyways, your father is dead.

 

                       SARAFINA

What are you talking about? Don’t even joke like that! He’s just on a business trip.

 

                       ELIZABETH

Bussiness trip? Don’t you realize that he was cheating on your mother? I should know.

 

                       SARAFINA

Take that back! My father would never cheat on my mother! And quit saying hes dead, he is healthy and on a business trip. Not only that, but quit pointing a gun at me!

 

                       ELIZABETH

You wanna know how I know that he was cheating on your mother? I was the one. And then I killed him. That was before I knew he had a family, so now I have new troubles. We can’t let his fortune fall to some little brat, can we?

 

                       SARAFINA

Shut up! Quit telling me all these lies! I know my father loves my mother, he wouldn’t cheat, and he wouldn’t be hiding money, much less a million dollars!

                       ELIZABETH

Then why did he tell me he loved me? In which then I had to kill him. I also had forged his will so that through you and your mothers deaths I would earn his money, but I hadn’t assumed he had family. So since I was in it for the money, I had to make sure each and every one of you was dead, even more so if you had more relatives, which you do not, it makes my job a little easier.

 

                       AMELIA

Whats your problem? Stop messing with her and leave! Your glad neither of us have cell phones with us or you would have been in jail a while now. Im sure the office attendants have already alerted the police.

 

                       ELIZABETH

Look whos acting tough? Don’t worry; I personally made sure that wouldn’t happen. You’re not off the hook either, you being here is why I have to kill you both. I can’t let myself be seen.

 

                       AMELIA

Should have thought that out before the whole school knew you were here. There are cameras established.

 

                       ELIZABETH

Look, I’d love to stay here and be threatened by little girls, but I have an errand to finish and it requires your lives, then I can be off my merry soon-to-be rich way.

 

(ELIZABETH comes closer to the girls with a gun in hand, nearing closer by the second as the girls back further away towards the back of the oversized storage closet, SR.)

 

                       AMELIA

You’re not getting away with any of this! The school day’s almost over anyways.

 

                       ELIZABETH

Even if that’s true, I won’t get caught, I’ve covered up all my tracks.

 

                       SARAFINA

Enough! You did not kill my family and you won’t kill me!
                      

                       ELIZABETH

I wouldn’t be too sure about that if I were you. Even if I did get caught I don’t care. In fact, I’m not even the one who’s doing this. I’m just merely someone’s pawn in a game. I work for someone.

 

                      

 

SARAFINA

Who are you working for? And what would be the point of being someone’s pawn if you want this fictional money?

 

                       ELIZABETH

The point is, I get a share of the money, 50%. And you’re getting in the way of that. Better half than nothing.

 

                       AMELIA

She does have a point.

 

                       SARAFINA

What point? I don’t care what she has, I don’t want it! ... And doesn’t it seem a little strange that you’re doing all the dirty work and you only get 50%? Are you sure they’re telling the truth about any of this? Think about it, in this case, you may be the one that ends up dead.

 

                       ELIZABETH

 

I don’t care what you want! And just to be clear, the one who’s been plotting this is your own uncle. And I know I can trust him, I happen to hold him very dear to my heart. So stay out of it brat!

 

                       SARAFINA

My father is an only child, and you think you can trust this guy? Your just a pawn, you said so yourself.

 

                       ELIZABETH

Your wrong, he has a brother. And I don’t care if im a pawn, as long as I get my share of your fathers money!

                      

                       ACT I

                       SCENE 4

 

At RISE:

(Three people, a criminal, and two young girls argue within a large, dark, locker room storage closet, around late afternoon and sunset.)

 

 

(UNKNOWN enters, SL.)

 

                       UNKNOWN

It’s okay, I can take it from here. And stop threatening to kill the girl.

 

                       ELIZABETH

Oh good, you’re here. I was getting worried for a while. These girls were annoying me, but now your he-…

 

(UNKOWN approaches ELIZABETH and slaps her across the face, causing her to fall to her knees, holding her face, SR.)

                       UNKNOWN

Enough! Quit blabbering, its taken you this long and you still haven’t done your job. Stop socializing! And If you kill them, how will we get the necessary information we need from her?

 

                       ELIZABETH

Yes sir, I won’t let it happen again sir.

 

                       AMELIA

Wh- who are you? Is this your so-called boss?

 

                       UNKNOWN

Shut up, you insolent girl. I don’t care about you. The only thing I care about now is her and her fathers inheritance!

 

                       (UNKNOWN points towards SARAFINA.)

 

                       SARAFINA

Why would you want information from me? I don’t know anything and this is the first I have heard of this!

 

                       UNKNOWN

You have something I need; you do have that pocket watch with you, right?

 

                       SARAFINA

I…What pocket watch? I don’t know what you’re talking about!

 

UNKNOWN

Don’t play dumb with me little girl! The one you inherited from your father when you were born, I know you are wearing it.

 

                       SARAFINA

W-what would a pocket watch have to do with anything?

 

                       ELIZABETH

It happens to hold the key to the vault were trying to get into.

 

                       UNKNOWN

You idiot, you weren’t supposed to give that information to anybody but me. Stop messing up, or Im cutting your pay.

 

                       ELIZABETH

Y-yes sir, I won’t let it happen again, sir.

 

(UNKNOWN once again slaps ELIZABETH across the face again.)

 

UNKNOWN

I require a better answer than that. You’re nothing but a nuisance. Oh well, If you want something done, you have to do it yourself, as the saying goes. Hand over that watch, young lady.

 

                       SARAFINA

No! You can’t have it! It’s a family heirloom.

 

                       UNKNOWN

You will hand it over to me now, or I will forcibly pry it from your cold, dead hands.

 

                       SARAFINA

If there were a key in here, I would know. Please just let us go, we won’t tell the cops, we promise.

 

                       UNKNOWN

Have you ever gotten the time to go backwards on that watch?

 

                       SARAFINA

What? That’s ridiculous, stop trying to confuse me.

 

 

 

(UNKNOWN spots the watch dangling from her neck on a necklace chain and retrieves it in his hands, yanking it off of SARAFINA’s neck, proceeding to alter the direction of the clock, moving it counter clockwise, triggering the pocket watch to come apart in various pieces, revealing a small silver key, with confusing designs etched into it.)

 

UNKNOWN

You liar. With this key in my possession now, I no longer need your useless information.

 

(UNKNOWN proceeds to point a gun at SARAFINA, pocket watch in hand, SC)

 

SARAFINA

Stop! Please don’t hurt us! Take the key, just don’t kill us, we won’t tell!

 

                       UNKNOWN

It’s a little late for that now.

 

(ELIZABETH stumbles to her feet and regains composure, save for the blood dribbling from her mouth, and a fresh cut on her cheek from where UNKNOWN slapped her, SL.)

 

ELIZABETH

Wait, I change my mind, you don’t have to kill them.

 

                       UNKNOWN

I didn’t ask for your opinion.

 

                       ELIZABETH

I’m sorry, but you’ve treated me too unfairly to do everything you ask. Go on, girls, we have what we need. Just don’t tell.

 

                       UNKNOWN

What are you doing? Your letting those girls escape!

 

                       ELIZABETH

I don’t care.

 

(UNKNOWN points the gun on ELIZABETH as the girls meekly escape the room, exiting, SL, while UNKNOWN is distracted.)

 

UNKNOWN

You idiot, you’ll pay for letting them escape.

 

(UNKNOWN pulls the trigger on the gun, aming SL, at ELIZABETH’s heart, as she struggles to choke out her last words.)

 

                       ELIZABETH

I don’t care. I don’t care about the money… All I wanted was you, John.

 

                       (ELIZABETH’s eyes shut slowly, as death

consumes her, SL.)

 

 

 

           ACT I

           SCENE 5

 

At RISE:

           (Outside of school, after the girls hurriedly escaped the school that had been overrun with thieving murderers, they stand far from the building, as the sky is darkening, five o’ clock-ish.)

 

           AMELIA

Unbelievable. She wasn’t even in it for the money, in the end, she only wanted him.

 

           SARAFINA

Though I don’t know why, she was the one to let us escape though. As if love or not she wasn’t going to accept his abuse and decided to let us free… in the end she really did love him, and was just trying to get closer to him. If only that could justify all the people she’s probably murdered by now. I don’t think I could come to terms with the fact that he treated her that way either, but it still doesn’t give her the right.

 

(Police began to swarm the perimeter after the girls dialed them on a pay phone just outside the school. One of them proceeds to approach the girls, clad in a suit, SR.)

 

OFFICER

We got your call and rushed as soon as we could.

 

           AMELIA

Thank you so much, we were almost murdered, and someone else was. Me and Sarafina barely escaped with our lives.

 

           OFFICER

In that case, would either of you happen to be Sarafina Judd?

 

           SARAFINA

I would be.

 

           OFFICER

I’m very sorry for your losses, your mother and father were found shot in your home, im assuming by the same people that broke into this school.

 

(The OFFICER exits SL, to join securing the perimeter of the school.)

 

AMELIA

Are you alright?

 

          

SARAFINA

He’s lying, I bet he is. My parents aren’t dead, they can’t be. She was lying!

 

           AMELIA

The officer just said-

 

           SARAFINA

Look, I don’t care what he said, he’s lying. I don’t think I would be able to cope with the loss of my parents if they died, I can’t. It was supposed to be a lie!

 

           AMELIA

Sarafina, he’s not lying. It’s okay, I’ll help you get through this, I promise, we can be friends. We just went through a traumatic experience together, that’s the least I can do.

 

           SARAFINA

Stop it… I’m done with promises.

 

                                    (Black out and end of ACT I)

Author's Note

This was a creative writing assignment for writing a one act play. It turns out it didn't make a whole lot of sense and so it's not very good. Please excuse any errors in grammar and spelling. This turned out to be really cheesy like it was suppose to be so please don't hurt me!