Original Script

Solitude

I

[Lights down as audience enters]
[Lights up but dim]
(A Body is lying down in white sheets. No movement.)
[Enter Child]
(Cautiously and childlike as if just woken up and sneaking from a bedroom, the Child peers over the top of the rail. His face lights up as he sees the body and runs down the stairs toward it. Throwing himself next to body excitedly he interacts with it, picking up the hand, looking at it as if inspecting it then putting it down. The Child sits back, watching the body, waiting.)

(Beat)

[Light up]

(Child takes hand and the Body gets up, music begins. The Elder is weary, confused and scared as if woken too early from sleep; he searches this alien space frantically with eyes. The Child is reassuring and strong but still childlike as it steps forward and offers a hand forward. Staring hard and with hope the Elder takes the hand; there is a strong connection as they turn and run. Shadows appear as obstacles as the Child leads the Elder and journeys around and away from them. The Elder stumbles and falls, the Shadows circle closer. The Elder is not ready to be alone as he stumbles around in utter fear; he is totally lost without the Child. The Child is knowledgeable and brave; he controls the situation by taking the Elders hand and leads them from the darkness. The Shadows dissipate and together they exit the stage as the song fades out)

[Lights down]
[End of I]

II

[Elder stands at the rail]
[Lights up]

(Takes a moment to familiarise self with crowd, then speaks)

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 stage]
(They appear as if they are playing in the woods, one child carries the sheet like a comfort blanket)

Elder: As a child I don’t think you can ever understand the gravity behind something like that; then again, I suppose as a child there’s an awful lot you don’t know.

As children we are all blissfully unaware. Never knowing what’s around the corner or how we’d get there. We never knew that taking a left at the oak tree would take us to our first kiss, or that jumping into the river would result in your first broken bone and a nasty cut, (pause for thought) back then you had no idea that if you and your friend 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. In this moment you age more than you could through any passage of time, taking your first glimpse into the turmoils and ills of adulthood. 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. As we grow and learn I suppose that’s the one thing that shall always remain the same, childish and inquisitive, 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)

[Lights down]
[End of II]

III

[The Child is on the stage]
[Lights up]

(The Child lies tangled in the blanket staring at the ceiling, one hand clutching his blanket)

[A knock]
(The Child flinches at the sound and rolls to face away from the door, the knock is immediately preceded by the entrance of the Mother)

Mother: Are all your things packed?

(The Child shrugs his shoulders)

Mother: Are you alright?

Child: You know I’m not.

Mother: That’s exactly why I came up.

(There is no response from the Child)

Mother: If you wanted something to eat there’s some Mac’ & cheese downstairs.

Child: I’m not hungry.

Mother: Well it’s your last chance to eat before we leave. It’ll be a long journey.

[Beat]

Child: Why didn’t you tell me?

Mother: Now’s not the time. Just believe me when I say it’s the best thing for everyone.

(The Child leaps up to face his mother, as if all his emotions finally explode from him.)

Child: It’s not fair. I don’t want to go. Why do we have to leave?

Mother: You know very well that we can’t stay in this house any longer.

Child: But this is my home! It was his home too!

Mother: Listen-
Child: You can’t take this away from me.

Mother: Stop, Will you just-
Child: This is all I have left of him.

Mother: I’m trying to-
Child: This is all we have left of him.

(The Child throws himself at the Mother)

Child: I’ll give anything, just let us stay.

(The Mother tries to remain calm with her answers but The Child’s repeated interrupting causes her to lose control)

Mother: Enough! Shut up. Just shut up!

(The Child retreats back into his blanket)

Child: Why do we have to go? Why don’t I ever get a say?

Mother: Because you’re too young! You don’t understand, we’re not staying in this house any longer. I can’t do it, you’re father can’t do it. We cannot stay here.

(The Child can only stare at her with a fiercely questioning look)

Mother: We’re all hurting, we all miss him; any of us would do anything to bring him back, but it doesn’t work like that. Please understand, it’s too hard for us to stay here.

[Lights down]

[End of III]
IV

[Child and Elisabeth on stage]
[Lights up]

(The Child is scribbling on the blanket with crayon, Elisabeth sits with him)

Child: That’s you there, and that’s him there, and I’m over here.

Elisabeth: Yeah I see, that’s really good.

(A pause as the Child is lost in his drawing; Elisabeth is awkward, poised to tell the bad news but unable to find the words.)

Elisabeth: Can we speak?

Child: We are.

Elisabeth: I mean properly speak, about things.

Child: Hang on, I want to finish the grass first.

Elisabeth: It’s important.

Child: I’m almost done.

(The Childs crayon strokes become slower and shorter as he looks up gradually. See’s Elisabeth’s face and pulls away from his sheet.)

Child: Is he gone forever?

(Elisabeth is taken aback by the nature of the question and takes a while to recollect herself before answering.)

Elisabeth: W-What?

Child: Do you think he’s really gone forever?

Elisabeth: Yeah, he’s gone.

Child: You don’t think he’s coming back?

Elisabeth: No, he’s-he can’t.

Child: This is what you wanted to talk about isn’t it?

Elisabeth: No, not at all.
(The Child goes back to focusing his attention on the picture)

Child: It’s okay; don’t feel bad, he doesn’t hurt anymore. I think that’s a good thing.

Elisabeth: You’re Mum wanted me to tell you something.

Child: He told me it didn’t hurt anymore.

Elisabeth: Listen to me Buddy.

Child: He didn’t meet God, but I think he will. Maybe he’ll even decide to come back again.

Elisabeth: You’re moving away.

(The Child drops the crayons and stares at the picture)

Child: I hope he comes back.

Elisabeth: You’re moving house, in fact you’re moving quite far from here, you’re Mum, you’re Dad and you. Starting again they said.

(The Child searches for a reason, his gaze still on the picture)

Child: No, we can’t move, all of his stuff is still at ours. If he comes back he knows where everything is.

Elisabeth: He’s not coming back!

Child: If we were going Mum would’ve told me.

Elisabeth: She didn’t want to tell you, said she couldn’t bare to see your face when you found out.

(The Child is shaken and too numb to respond)

Elisabeth: I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk?

(A playful comment as before, but this time his demeanour has changed, he is different)

Child: We are talking, we’ve been through this, silly.

(He smiles ambivalently and Elisabeth sighs)

[Lights down]

V

(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)

[Lights up]

(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)

Child: So what’s it like?

B: Being stuck in a hospital bed with wires poking out of me? Oh yeah it’s fantastic, dream come true mate.

Child: That’s not what I meant.

B: Oh, you wanna’ know what the sludge they call food here is like? That’s also great.

Child: Now you’re just being an ass.

B: Yeah I know, blame the medication. Sorry, what were you asking?

Child: It doesn’t matter.

B: No, no, it does, you wouldn’t have asked else. What is it?

(Long pause)

B: C’mon, I was only playing.
(Another pause, slightly shorter)

Chid: 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.)

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.

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: Where do you think it went?

B: What? The pain?

Child: No, the tunnel. Did you see God?

B: No, I didn’t see anyone.

Child: And no one came and got you?

B: Nope, it was just me. Just my thoughts for company, can’t imagine how much longer I could have put up with it, an eternity by myself, sounds like some sort of hell, I mean it’s bad enough being stuck in this bed.

Child: Maybe that’s why you came back.

B: I didn’t actually go anywhere, you get that it wasn’t a real tunnel right?

Child: Yeah but you’re soul could have been going to heaven or something.

B: Ah, well if I did come back from heaven or whatever, then I should imagine it was the doctors that did it, but who knows, maybe you’re right. Maybe that is why I’m here now.

Child: It doesn’t sound like everyone says.

B: It wasn’t the fairy tale ending you’d expect.

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: What are you thinking now?

B: What do you mean?

Child: Isn’t 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 Shadows that lurk beyond the edge of the stage return for the person in the hospital bed)

[Lights down]
[The beep that was in the background stops echoing and plays out one final prolonged ring]

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.

[Lights up]
(Piano music plays in the background as the Child and his Mother walk across the stage hand in hand bearing flowers that they then place on the ground. Gradually the Mother lets go off the Child and leaves him alone on the stage.)

[End of V]

VI

[The lighting has changed, it is mysterious and dreamlike]
[Elder enters]

(The Elder picks up the flowers and handles them carefully. The Childs eyes do not leave the flowers)

Elder: They were for my brother.

Child: I know.

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

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: You know, it’s strange, in moments filled with an excess of time all I can think of is the past.

Child: Is that such a bad thing?

Elder: It is if there’s a lot you regret.

Child: No life is perfect.

Elder: No quite, but I always imagined my life could be different, that if I could make it amount to something more then maybe death wouldn’t be as intimidating.

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: 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 Shadows swallow the Elder and the Child who acknowledge it without fear; they give each other a reassuring nod and take one last look at the world the Elder knew. He breathes deep as they darkness draws in. The Shadows take them and the lights cut to black.)

[End of VI]

VII

[Lights up, the brightest they can go]

The Child sits wrapped in the white blanket surrounded by the rest of the cast. The ending music plays and everyone stares up in amazement, bathed in brilliant light for the first time. They stand, bow and exit.

[End of play]