BACK

DARKNESS 6'?m2f Salvation: light and darkness

(production note: it is important that the actors never look
directly at one another or speak directly to one another, in
order to simulate complete darkness)

(light cue: dim to 50%)

AMY -- (enters with arms forward) Boy, it sure is dark in here.

LIZ -- (shouts from offstage) Be careful you don't trip over
the body, Amy.

AMY -- (turns) Elizabeth, the murder was over a week ago, they
don't leave dead bodies around for a week. (turns, gropes)

LIZ -- (enters with arms forward) Are you sure? I mean this IS a
meat locker, you know.

AMY -- Elizabeth, don't come in yet! You were supposed to hold
the door...

(sound cue: door slam)
(light cue: dim to near dark)

AMY -- ...open.

LIZ -- Oh, oh. The wind must have blown the door shut.

AMY -- Duh.

LIZ -- (turns) I'll go open it, if I can remember where it was.

AMY -- You might as well save your energy. The door locks when
it closes. That's why I expressly told you to hold it open.

LIZ -- I'm sorry! (making way toward exit) I'll just check the
door again, anyway.

AMY -- You're just wasting oxygen. This is how the murder
happened, remember?

LIZ -- Can you imagine dying of suffocation? It grosses me out
just to think of it. (exits)

AMY -- We may do more than just think of it. We didn't tell
anybody we were coming here.

LIZ -- (reenters with arms forward) It's locked. There's no way
out.

AMY -- Duh. What would I do without you?

LIZ -- What are we going to do?

AMY -- Die of suffocation, maybe?

LIZ -- You got us in here. You can get us out, can't you?

AMY -- I could have, if I hadn't left the little screw driver
outside. There's no way we can open the door without it.

LIZ -- My Granny always says that you're a very resourceful
person. I'm sure you can find a way to get us out.

AMY -- Elizabeth, the walls of this meat locker are solid
concrete, the door is three inches thick. The cops said that the
dead guy broke his shoulder and his foot trying to knock down
the door before he died. There is no way we're getting out of
here.

LIZ -- Well, maybe somebody will come for us.

AMY -- What are you, dense? We didn't tell anyone we were coming
here, because if we told them we were coming here, they would
not have let us come. This is the last place they'd look for us
because we told them we were going to the movies. Besides, this
old building is not even on the main road and it's covered with
vines. You can't even see this building from the road. We're
dead. We just haven't stopped breathing yet.

LIZ -- Well, I'm not giving up hope. I have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ....

AMY -- Save it. I've heard the Jesus talk before. (while Liz
speaks, Amy tilts head side to side, mouths Liz's words as if
she's heard them a hundred times before)

LIZ -- Well, when I was little, I got a brain infection and lost
the sight in both eyes and my granny prayed to Jesus night and
day for five days. She even stopped eating....

AMY -- Fasting.

LIZ -- What?

AMY -- I told you the last three times you told me this story,
that when someone stops eating to pray, it's called fasting.
(while Liz speaks, mouths her words as if she's heard them a
hundred times before)

LIZ -- Alright, so she fasted and prayed for five days. But
after five days, I could see the light. And to this day I don't
need glasses... You're doing it again.

AMY -- Doing what again?

LIZ -- You're mouthing my words. You do that to mock me.

AMY -- Elizabeth, it's pitch dark in here, there is no way you
could know what I was doing.

LIZ -- No, but you always do that when I start talking about
Jesus.

AMY -- (while Liz speaks, mouths her words as if she's heard
them a hundred times before)

LIZ -- Jesus is real and he's alive, you know. He's living in my
heart. And I trust him with my life. And he's our only hope in
the darkness.

AMY -- Let's talk about something else.

LIZ -- Let's not talk at all. It's time for action. (kneels)

AMY -- (looks vainly in the darkness over Liz's head to see what
she is doing) Elizabeth, what are you doing now? All you're
going to do is use up oxygen!

LIZ -- I'm praying.

AMY -- Oh. Well, at least you're not using up a lot of air or
boring me with your Jesus talk. (begins feeling the imaginary
walls) While you're doing that, I'll check the walls. I guess
it's possible that this old building could have developed some
new cracks in it. There might be a way out of here after all.

LIZ -- (stands) Okay, I'm done.

AMY -- You can't be done already. What about all the pleading
and the fasting?

LIZ -- Well, Granny did that. But said she had to pray a long
time because there was nothing the doctors or anyone could do
for my brain infection. But this prayer request was simple. See,
it's eight o'clock at night.

AMY -- (still examining the imaginary walls) Isn't that
special?

LIZ -- And Granny only lives two blocks away.

AMY -- I think the lack of air has already affected your brain.
You're not making any sense.

LIZ -- This is the time of night that Granny does her daily
prayers before she goes to bed. So, she's already talking to
Jesus. So, I just prayed to Jesus to have granny get into her
car and drive down to the old meat locker and open the door for
us.

AMY -- I wish it could be that simple.

LIZ -- Well, actually, it wasn't quite that simple. I also prayed
that she would bring a flash light so she could find your little
screw driver outside the door. It's getting dark outside, you
know.

AMY -- You know, you're getting as nutso as your grandmother.
Every time I see her she says, "Amy, I'm praying that you will
see the light." (laugh, shouts) I could use some of that light
right now, Granny!

(light cue: lights up full)
(sound cue: voiceover: GRANNY -- Elizabeth? Are you in there?)

LIZ -- (shouts) Yeah, Granny, we'll be right out. (smiles as she
crosses by Amy toward exit) Well, then, it looks like Jesus
answered BOTH our prayers. (moves to exit)

AMY -- Wait.

LIZ -- (turns) Huh?

AMY -- I need help with that other prayer. (kneels) You know the
one. (bows head in prayer)

LIZ -- I'm sure you know the sinner's prayer by heart. (pats her
on the shoulder) You mouth the words whenever I tell it to you.
(turns, shouts, exiting) Amy will be right out, Granny. She's
finally seen the light.

AMY -- (prays for a moment, then exits unhurriedly)

©2007 Bob Snook. Conditions for use:
Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it.
Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances.
You may reproduce and distribute this script freely,
but all copies must contain this copyright statement.
http://www.fea.net/bobsnook  email: bobsnook@fea.net

BACK