Sunday, December 13, 2009

One Act Play (second draft)

On a rooftop of a tall apartment building, Cora, a homely-looking teenage girl lies unconscious, facing the sky. The sun is in the middle of setting, so the sky is arrayed in shades of pink and orange.

CORA: (Eyes slowly flicker open. In a daze, she sits up, groggily) Where am I…? Hm? (Looks down to find in her hand a dagger splattered with dried blood. Eyes widen in horror.)

MAN’S VOICE: (Chuckles insidiously) Happy birthday, sweetheart.

CORA: (Startled, gasps and drops dagger. In shock) Vash! What did you—what happened?!

VASH: (Pleased with himself) Nothing, dear. I just took care of a little something for you. I told I’d surprise you, didn’t I?

CORA: (Points to dagger, furiously) Whose blood is that?!

VASH: (Sigh) Think, Cora. Who have you spent the last four years trying to please? Who did you take those wretched pills for, so I couldn’t come out at night and protect you from him? Who did you give everything to? Who, in turn—(Pauses briefly to suck in a breath through clenched teeth. Barely concealing his rage) Who, in turn, ripped your goddamn heart out of your chest and tore you apart?!! Who took everything and left you with nothing?! (Shouts, furiously] Who has been making our life a living hell from day one, Cora?!?!

CORA: (Just stands still for a few seconds, completely shocked. Barely above a whisper) Dave. Oh, my God, Vash. What did you do to Dave?

VASH: (Pauses briefly with a cold emotionless expression, then grimly gestures towards the ledge of the roof)

CORA: Oh my God…! (Starts hyperventilating) You—you killed him?!

VASH: (In a pacifying murmur) No, baby—we killed him. We share the same mind and the same body, don’t forget that. And let’s face it—you wanted him dead every bit as badly as I did.

CORA: (With frenzied anger) No, I wanted him gone! Like, moved to a different city or school or something, I never said anything about killing him! (Deep breath, shakes head) How could you do this to me? You were the only one I had left and then you turn around and do this! I mean—what the hell, Vash?! I thought you loved me!

VASH: (Frustrated sigh) Of course I love you. Don’t you see? I did this for you. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to watch him tear you apart without being able to do anything? It practically killed me!

CORA: Yeah, but—(Pauses, sighs, and grouchily mumbles something unintelligible. Hurriedly) You know what? We’ll discuss this later. Right now, we need to get out of here before—(Stops dead in her sentence at the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs from below. Contorts face in a frustrated growl and curses under her breath as she ducks behind a tall chimney a few feet away)

MIDDLE-AGED MAN: (Bursts through the door holding a gun. Shouting) Police!

(A barrage of five police officers with guns all crowd onto the roof behind the first police officer.)

FIRST POLICE OFFICER: We’ve got you surrounded! Come out with your hands up!

(Officers slowly stalk the perimeter of the roof, guns in hand, for about a minute. Cora inches deeper and deeper into the shadow of the chimney, completely panic-stricken)

SECOND POLICE OFFICER: (A flicker of interest comes to his face as he spots the abandoned dagger) Captain! (Walks over to the dagger and points to it)

CAPTAIN: (Turns in the direction of second police officer, holsters his gun, walks over, and bends down in a half kneel in front of the dagger. Bemused.) Well, well, well. (Stares intently at dagger) Looks like we got ourselves a murder.

THIRD POLICE OFFICER: (Apprehensive) But—but Captain, all the evidence so far points to suicide. How do—

CAPTAIN: (Still looking at the dagger. Shakes head.) Suicides slit themselves and write notes, not stab themselves in the leg and jump off buildings several miles from their houses. (Gets up, finally removing his gaze from the dagger) Of course, we won’t know anything for sure til we dust this knife for fingerprints.

CORA: (Shivering in fear. Looks as if she’s about to faint)

THIRD POLICE OFFICER: (A rather heavy-set man, his face crinkles in curiosity as he glances in the direction of the chimney Cora is hiding behind. Taking his gun out of the holster, he slowly walks towards the chimney, completely unnoticed by the other officers, who are now preoccupied dusting the rooftop for footprints and fingerprints)

CORA: (Closes her eyes, appearing completely oblivious to the approaching officer. Whispers) We’re gonna die. We’re gonna die, Vash.

VASH: (Shakes head, whispers back) No, baby. I’ll get us out of here. Just leave everything to me.

CORA: (sleepily opens eyes. Eyes roll to the back of her head as she begins to fall forward)

THIRD POLICE OFFICER: (Comes around the corner of the chimney right as Cora is about to fall off the roof. Dives forward and catches her, tackling her back on to the roof. They both land with a loud thud, alerting the other officers to the Third Police Officer and Cora. Sits up, panting) Are you alright, ma’am?

VASH: (Lays there motionless for a moment, just blinking with a blank expression. Shakes head slowly, then contorts face in fake misery and covers face with hands. Feigning sobs, imitating Cora’s voice) Oh, officer! It-it was horrible, you have to stop him! He—he’s going to kill me! He—(Breaks down in fake tears and throws self in an embrace at the Third Police Officer, pretending to cry on his shoulder)

THIRD POLICE OFFICER: (Face softens in sympathy. Consolingly hugs Vash. Pats Vashes back) There,there, miss. No one's going to hurt you. You're safe now, you're--

VASH: (Abruptly rips gun out of Third Police Officer's holster, twists Third Police Officers hands behind his back, and slams the barrel of the gun to Third Police Officers head. Threateningly holds the gun there. Shouting to other police officers, in regular voice) Drop your weapons!

OTHER POLICE OFFICERS: (Gawking in shock at Vash and Third Police Officer)

VASH: (Readjusts the aim of the gun from Third Police Officer's head to his shoulder, pulls trigger. A deafening “bang!” sounds as the gun fires)

THIRD POLICE OFFICER: (Cries out in pain as the bullet hits him)

VASH: (Puts the barrel of the gun back to Third Police Officer's head. Screams at other police officers, more insistently) Drop your weapons or tubby here dies!!

CORA: (Frantic) Vash! What are you doing?!

VASH: (Voice is tinged with impatience) Trying to get us out of here. It's the only way, now be quiet! Let me take care of this.

CORA: (Desperately begging) No, Vash, please! You've already used our body to kill Dave—don't kill this officer too! We have enough blood on our hands as it is!

CAPTAIN: “Our body”...?

FOURTH POLICE OFFICER: (gasping) Oh my God. She has split personalities.

VASH: (Screaming) Everybody, shut up!! For the last time, drop your--

CORA: No!! (Pushes Vash, so that he trips back from Third Police Officer, as if tackled.)

VASH: (As if struggling against someone else's weight) C-Cora! (screaming) What the hell do you think you're doing?! (Manages to move against Cora's will just enough to aim gun at police officers. Shouts at them) Don't you move!

CORA: (Hysterically screaming) I'm not gonna let you hurt them, Vash! They're innocent people! They don't deserve to die! Not like this!

VASH: (Angrily) Cora, if I don't kill them, they're going to take you away from me! They're going to force you to take more of those goddamn pills, imprison you in some asylum somewhere for the rest of your life, and I'll never see you again! Damn it, I love you, and I'm not gonna let them tear us apart!

CORA: (Screaming) I don't care!

VASH: (Looks as if Cora just punched him in the stomach. Pained whispering) What...?

CORA: (Deep breath. Quietly, calmly) I don't care that we're never going to see each other again, Vash. See, I loved you more than anything, but... you're a murderer. A psychotic murderer. I could never love someone like that, and I'm not going to let you make me a murderer too. (Shakes head sorrowfully) I'm sorry, Vash. I don't love you.

VASH: (Eyes are wide and unfocussed. Is shaking violently. Coldly, desperately whispering) You don't mean that.

CORA: (Looks at ground, as if to avert eyes from Vashes pain) Yes. I do. And you know what else? You're not even real.

VASH: (Eyes begin to fill with tears. Shakes head slowly and body continues to shake violently. Abruptly pulls gun's trigger as if by reflex. Gun fires, bullet hits Captain in the chest)

CAPTAIN: (Cries out and doubles over in pain)

(Other officers race over to the captain, panicked)

VASH: (Screaming) Is that real enough for you, Cora?!?!?!?! You stupid bitch, I'm never letting you go!! You belong to me! You're mine, you got that?!

CORA: (Stumbles backward as if pushed.) No. (Holds gun to temples) Get out of my head! (Stumbles farther back as if pushed harder. The force of Vashes attack makes her drop the gun)

VASH: (Still screaming) I did everything for you, Cora!

CORA: (Continues to be pushed farther and farther back, nearer and nearer the ledge)

VASH: I literally killed for you!

CORA: (Her hand, as if having a mind of it's own, punches her hard in the stomach. Moans and falls to the ground in pain. Is now just one more push away from the ledge)

VASH: What the hell do you mean you don't love me?!

CORA: (Glances behind her at the ledge. Smiles. Gets to her feet.)

VASH: (Curiously, quietly) Cora...?
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