Edited Script

Solitude

I
[The scene opens with the Elder in a hospital bed, the lighting is moody and we see he is unwell, we can see he is pale and see bags under his eyes. We can hear beeping in the background of a cardio machine, the beep speeds up and the man is in pain. We hear him quietly plead “No. Please. Not Now.” He struggles and turns over, facing the ceiling, we see his vision falling backwards, the ceiling is being pulled away from him and his eyes close]

[We see the Elder’s eyes open, and there is a bright light. There is a spotlight on the hospital bed, and everything else is black. The Elder feels something squeeze his hand and he looks to see the Child sat beside him looking solemn. There is a moment of silent eye contact]

[Beat]

[The boy smiles awkwardly and the scene fades into a bright white into the next scene]

[End of I]

II

[The Elder stands in the woods, and begins talking. He isn’t as scared as before and seems to be relaxed, although he still is very engrossed in what he is saying and what is going on]

Elder: Someone much wiser than me once said that hindsight was a glorious thing. A chance to line our choices in front of us and show how every decision affected the outcome of our life.

[Two children enter the clearing]
(They appear as if they are playing in the woods, one child carries the sheet like a comfort blanket)


Elder: As children we are all blissfully unaware. Never knowing what’s around the corner or how we’d get there. (pause for thought) back then you had no idea that if you hadn’t explored further into that particular clearing, on that particular morning that you may have postponed your first experience of death.

(The children stop playing and stand silent as they spot a dead animal, The Elder acknowledges the children for the first time, watching what ensues)

Elder: You stand in tentative awe at this unfamiliar horror whilst the image bores deeper into those infantile eyes. Even though you can’t quite tell what this is, you know your world has changed forever. The universe has given you a sneak peek into what awaits; a small facet of the biggest secret on offer.

(One child wants to explore the dead animal, poking it with a stick and studies the remains as it is tossed about, mangled and twisted. The other child sobs, in shock and confusion over what has been found)

Elder: It’s this secret that drives a part of us to learn more, our curiosity and fear of the last and grandest mystery of all, death.

(As the child sits there sobbing for the dead animal, shadows approach from the edge of the stage)

(Fade out to black)
[End of II]


III

(Sound of phone ringing)
(The phone is answered)

Child: Hello? ...Yeah, I’ll go get her.

Voice: Hello? ... Yes that’s me.

Voice: ... Yes I’m still here... Yes I understand. Umm, yeah, yes, I’ll be down straight away... Thanks, thank you, goodbye.

(Phone hangs up)

[Fade into scene in a hospital. This could be in the same bed at the start of the play that the Elder dies in. But it doesn’t matter too much]

(The child sits next to a hospital bed in a wiry and uncomfortable chair. Another person lies on the bed in a white sheet, covered in bandages and wires. A monotonous beep echoes in the background)

(There is awkwardness and silence between them)

(Beat)

Child: They said you were dead.

B: (beat) Well, for a couple of seconds, yeah I suppose I was.

Child: I just wondered, what was it like?

B: Um, wow. Uh, you want to know what being dead is like? (A pause as he searches for the words)

Child: No I’m sorry I asked; you don’t want to talk about it.

B: No, no, don’t be silly, if you can’t ask me, who can you ask... so umm, so being dead?

(The Child sits closer, eager to listen)

B: Well it’s, it’s kinda’ scary actually. Umm, I know people say that when you die it’s like seeing this light at the end of a big tunnel, and I guess that much is sort of true, but I wasn’t going towards the light, I was going away from it.

(Looks at Child to see whether his question has been answered, the Child’s gaze tells him that he wants to know more so he continues.)

(Throughout this next piece of dialogue, we can see the action happening that the Brother is talking about. All the imagery is bleached and blurry, like a distant memory)

B: Um, so I’m facing the light, and the light is really just what my eyes are seeing, I can see the doctors and their equipment and I can still hear them talking. And as this is happening I’m drifting backwards, the view at the end of the tunnel feels like it’s being pulled away. In my head I’m thinking, ‘Oh God, this is it’, I’m floating away into darkness and I can still feel everything around me. I suppose that’s the scariest thing, I’m dead but my brain is still alive, I can still feel and think, but there’s nothing else, I don’t even have a body.

(The images of equipment and resuscitation fade away to an image of the Brother’s face in a cold sweat)

Child: Did it hurt?

B: Yeah. At first anyway, but it fades. It gets to a point where you can’t feel anything actually.

Child: I wish I could see it.

B: No you don’t, trust me; it’s definitely not something I’m looking forward to doing again.

(Sees that the Child is troubled by this comment and tries to encourage him)

B: But don’t worry, if you’re that excited, you’ll see it someday, just do me a favour and don’t go wasting your life waiting for it okay?

(Beat)

Child: Is there anything you want to change now you’re back?

B: (Chuckles) Well, hindsight is a glorious thing little brother, there was a lot that I thought about. But it’s late, you need to get out of here and I need to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow okay?

Child: M’kay

(The child leaps off the chair and hugs the brother)

B: Ow, hey, I’m tender remember.

Child: Love you.

B: Love you too buddy.

(Child breaks the hold and runs off)

(The brother lies down as if to go to sleep, he looks around and we can see that he is very alone)

[Fade to black]
[The beep that was in the background stops echoing and plays out one final prolonged ring]

[We see the Child and Mother walk through a graveyard to the Brothers grave and place flowers. The Elder is standing there too and speaking the dialogue, as the child and mother are grieving. They can not see him]

Elder: When he was gone I couldn’t help thinking that he now knew something I didn’t. A secret you only discover the answers to when it’s all over, when you give yourself up and pass on. If it really was like the tunnel he’d told me, I hoped that he wasn’t as scared as before. I hoped he wasn’t alone.

[Fade to white into the next scene]





IV

[Fade from white back to the spotlight hospital bed scene in scene 1]
[Elder is in his bed]

(A pause, the Elder studies the Child and tries to break the silence)

Child: A poet once said that ‘Man is the only being who knows he is alone. He is aware of himself and of his lack of another, he is aware of his solitude.'

Elder: Are you lost young man?

Child: No.

Elder: Then why are you here all by yourself?

Child: I’m not, you’re here too.

(The Elder laughs quietly to himself)

Elder: Why are you really here?

Child: Because you didn’t want it to be like your Brother said, you didn’t want to be alone.

Elder: No, I didn’t.

(The animated characters of the Elders life disappear, leaving him alone.)

Elder: Thank you young man, for not leaving me alone in this place.

Child: The dark can be a scary place by yourself. I think you’re ready to find out what the secret is now.

Elder: Oh yes, I think I’m quite ready to find out what it is.

Child: So it’s time?

Elder: I think we’re ready.

(The Child hold the Elder’s hand encouragingly and smiles as the Elder closes his eyes)

[Fade to black]

[Sudden fade to white and the title appears, followed by the credits]

[End]