GUARDIAN DEVIL
By
Kyle Gregory Boynton
Lights up on a "hospital room". Bed center stage,
chair next to it. Otherwise, bare.
SAM lays in bed, eyes shut. He is restrained.
Lights flicker.
MILES enters through the door. Secures door. He
walks over and checks SAM’s restraints. Sits in
chair. MILES takes out a book and begins reading.
SAM
What are you reading?
MILES ignores.
SAM
I bet if I attack you again, you’ll talk to me. Worked
last time.
MILES turns a page.
SAM
Protocol.
MILES
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
SAM
Book report?
MILES
One of my favorites.
Lights flicker
SAM
Power gonna go out.
MILES
Generator.
SAM
Generator gonna go out.
MILES
..Maybe.
Pause.
SAM
Why are you here?
MILES
Because you’ve been labeled danger to yourself or
others. If the power does go out, you’ll be trapped
here. They want me to be in here if that happens, so
nothing happens to you.
Pause.
SAM
Why are you here?
MILES
Sam, I just got done telling you--
SAM
(interrupting)
Not that! This job. This town. Why?
MILES
A jobs, a job.
SAM
Why this job?
MILES
Because... I need a job.
SAM
But why this job?
MILES
Eventually I want to be a police officer.
SAM
I see.
MILES
You got any other questions, or can I go back to
reading?
SAM
If you’ve read that before, what’s the point? You know
the ending.
MILES
Probably the same reason you do drugs. You know the
ending to that. You get arrested and put in here until
you sober up. Then you go to jail.
SAM
Escapism?
MILES
I suppose.
SAM
You read to escape your mundane existence, and I do the
same. But with the drugs.
(pause)
Did you kiss your daughter before you left?
MILES
How did you know I had a daughter?
SAM
I bet she misses you.. Too bad you’ll never get to see
you again.. After tonight..
MILES
(spooked)
I’m gonna go back to my book.
SAM
Don’t you wanna know--
MILES
(interrupting)
SHUT UP! Just lay there, okay? I’m not here to talk to
you. Just shut up.
Lights flicker
Pause
SAM
The power will go out soon. The woman in the room
across the hall will lose her mind, start screaming.
The elderly man that was just taken out of the room
next to us is going to get stuck in the elevator...
MILES
Okay...
SAM
And we’re going to be trapped in here. You’d better
prop the door open - it being an electronic lock and
all..
(pause)
And since we’re going to be in here a while, you might
as well talk to me. Why don’t you ask me the questions?
Or, you can ask God. You see. I can talk to God.
MILES
Sure.. Tell God I say what’s up.
SAM
(muttering to himself)
He says I’m right.
MILES
What?
Lights out. An eerie, red, dimly lights the stage.
SAM
About the power.
A WOMAN screaming is heard. MILES rushes to the
door, tries to open. Fails.
WOMAN (VOICE)
What happened to the lights!?!
MILES
Shit.
(to his radio)
Need assistance in the west hall. Room 144. Trapped
with patient. Woman across the hall needs to be
secured.
Static.
WOMAN (VOICE)
HELP!! OH MY GOD!!
SAM laughs, quietly.
MILES
(to his radio)
Can anyone hear me?
WOMAN (VOICE)
IT’S HIM!! HE’S TAKING ME!!!!
MILES
(to his radio)
Hello?
Static. Nothing. Miles bangs on the door.
MILES
Let me out!
SAM’s laugh grows.
The WOMAN screams. Blackout.
**The following dialogue takes place in the
blackout.
SAM
Where are the other guards?
MILES
She’s dead..
(pause)
How’d you know...
SAM
The weather is pretty awful tonight.
MILES
HOW DID YOU KNOW!?
SAM convulses, screaming.
A struggle between MILES and SAM is heard. MILES
screams.
Pause.
MILES lights a "match". The stage is illuminated
enough to see MILES laying on the ground. His
shirt is ripped. A large "cut" is seen. SAM stands
on the bed.
"Match" goes out.
Breathing.
The eerie red light from before slowly rises to
the end.
MILES
What are you?
(pause)
I thought he-- I thought you weren’t real..
SAM
If you could know the answer to any question, what
would you want to know?
Pause.
MILES
Is she proud of me? Even though I gave up my dream for
her?
SAM
Yes.
MILES
I don’t get to see her again, do I?
SAM
Afraid not. Your time is up.
MILES
What are you?
SAM
Your guardian devil.
CURTAIN
No comments:
Post a Comment