Purity & Padlocks: Draft One

This is the first draft of a one-act play I am working on for my theater literary genre class. Due Thursday. I know it could still benefit from a LOT of fleshing out, but I don't think I will have time before it's due. I hope to be able to come back to it this summer and shore it up. :-)

Purity & Padlocks

Setting: A death bed sits in the middle of a dim white hospital room with direct spotlight from above. Old woman in the bed holds a small wooden box, locked with a ridiculous amount of assorted locks.

Pre-teen girl with blonde ringlets, wearing long sleeved shirt and neat jeans walks quietly, somberly into the bedroom, pulls up a chair beside the bed, sits down.

The old woman stirs, looks up at the girl. Clutches the box tightly to her chest.

Old Woman: (loud whisper) I protected it. Always. I kept it locked. (begins gasping for breath)

Young Girl: I know you did, Grandma! Everyone knows! Don’t worry about that, it doesn’t matter right now!

Old Woman: (gasping) It’s the only thing that does matter! Make sure they know, I kept it safe. Promise me!

Young Girl: Alright. (softly) I’ll make sure.

Old Woman: Where is your box? The one I gave you as a baby? Show me.

Young Girl: I don’t have it with me right now, Grandma. I was in such a hurry to be with you. The doctor said to hurry.

Old Woman: How could you?! Something might happen it to it. I thought you understood! Nothing else matters as much! How can you be so foolish? Collapses into unconsciousness.

Nurse walks into the room, checks the old woman’s vitals. Turns to the young woman.

Nurse: Try not to upset her. She’s dying. It will be soon. This is not the time for conflict.

Young Girl: I wasn’t trying to upset her. It’s just that I was in such a hurry and forgot my box.

(Nurse lifts the small wooden box hanging from a heavy chain around her neck. The lid is broken, hanging from the box at an angle.)

Nurse: I used to take really good care of mine, like your grandma. But my mom broke hers open before I was born, so I did the same when I was like fifteen.

Young Girl: (Gasps in shock) What was inside it?! Do you still have it? Can I see?

Nurse: Mine was full of packing peanuts. I never asked my mom what was in hers. I keep meaning to just throw this darn box away, it’s really heavy, even empty. And it hurts my neck. But then I think of my old grandma and I just keep lugging it.

Young Girl: Packing peanuts? That can’t be right. If it’s just peanuts, why do I get a new lock every year? My mom, grandma, everyone has always told me it’s something super valuable in my box. I don’t think they’d lie to me.

Nurse: (Shrugs) I’m just telling you what was in mine, honey. Anyway, speak soft to your grandma, say nice things. I’ll check on her again in a bit but call me if you need anything.

Young Girl looks around the room nervously. Stares at old woman, then young girl shakes her head, walks to window, stares out. Spotlight moves slowly, dimmer, to the window. The beeping of a heart monitor can be heard.

Flash back sequence begins.

Brightly lit meadow area with a few leafless, withered trees. Young girl is grabbing desperately at a young boy who is holding a small wooden box with a tiny, aluminum lock.

Young Boy: Stop making such a big deal about it. It’s just a box. Everyone has one, they all open them eventually. Don’t you want to see what’s inside?

Young Girl: Well, yes. Of course I wonder what’s in there. But my grandma and my mom, and well, everyone I know, has always told me to keep it locked, safe. It’s dangerous.

Young Boy: (Laughs derisively) You really think your old bitch grandma and crazy mom NEVER opened their boxes? Come on, don’t be so naïve. Reaches for the box. Girl pulls away, backs up. The boy lunges and grabs the box from her hands.

Young Girl: Frantic. Give it back! Give it back! (Tries to take the box back as the boy jangles the small, inadequate lock. She fights to retrieve it. He yanks off the lock, beginning to laugh triumphantly.) Please! Please don’t! He pushes her to the floor.

Young Boy: Laughing. Didn’t your old grandma tell you to use better locks? Are you that stupid? How important can it be if you only use a crappy toy lock? Be honest already, (throws the tiny lock on the floor) you wanted me to open it for you. You wanted to see what’s in there but just didn’t want to do it yourself. You should be thanking me!

Young Girl: (Backing away, pulling herself with her arms, as the boy opens the lid, a light shining brightly from under the lid.) No. I didn’t want to open it. I didn’t! (She begins shaking, weeping, covers her face with her hands.)

Young Boy: (Laughing, reaches into the box, pulls out a piece of coal.) This?? (Holds up the piece of coal, laughing derisively.) This is what you were so worried about?? (Tosses it up in the air, catches it, shakes it in the girl’s face.)

Young Girl: (Sobbing, jumps up, trying to grab the coal but does not succeed.) Why?? Why would you do that? I thought you liked me. I thought you cared.

Young Boy: Well, you just learned a lesson, didn’t you? (Launches the piece of goal into the air, it sails away, out of sight. He drops the box, roughly on the ground, cracking it.)

Back in the hospital room…

The old woman stirs, moans. The young girl hurries to her side. Spotlight shines down on bed.

Young Girl: I’m here, Grandma. I’m here.

Old Woman: Frantic. Where’s your box? Where is your box??

Young Girl: Grandma, how can that matter right now?? I’m never going to see you again. I’m here, right here with you. Isn’t that enough??

Old Woman: The box! Nothing else matters! You don’t matter! I don’t matter! Where is the box?! I’m dying! Can’t you give me this one little thing? I just want to see the box!

Young Girl: I’m sorry, Grandma. I’m sorry. It’s gone.

Old Woman: Gasping, fading. Stupid. Stupid girl. Stupid…stupid…stupid. (Her head lolls to the side, her arms still clutching her own box, she goes still.)

Young girl: (stares at the dead face for a moment, sighs deeply.) I’m sorry, Grandma.

The girl walks slowly back to the window, opens the pane, forces out the screen, and climbs onto the ledge. Spotlight (red filter) follows young girl.

Nurse walks back into the room.

Nurse: What are you doing?? Stop!! Stop!! (She rushes toward the window, arms extended.)

Young girl jumps quickly out of the window. Nurse stops short at the window sill, staring down for a moment, shocked. Then turns, notices something on the floor, below the window. Leans down and picks up a small, broken wooden box without a lock. Stands examining the box, then throws it down aggressively.

Curtain closes.