Note: This story will be featured at the 2016 Ghost Walk on the Run for Your Lives tour.
Characters:
Narrator
Alex/Ghost
James
Cole
Lizzy
Danielle
Teacher
Actors 1/2/3/4
Script:
(Lights focus on Narrator.)
Narrator : Our story begins in 1986 at Poly High School. The theater program is one week away from debuting their spring musical. Rehearsal has just ended, but their young, aspiring, stage manager is staying late to help set up the stage lights.
(Lights refocus onstage.)
Alex is standing on a short, stool, struggling to place a stagelight on the ceiling.
Meanwhile, a group of actors walks past Alex, paying no attention to him/her.
Actors are talking over each other.
Actor 1 : Oh my god, finally this rehearsal is over.
Actor 2 : I know, these Hell Week rehearsals take forever. Alex notices the group of actors and tries to get their attention.
Alex : Hey guys, can you help me get this last one?
Actor 3 : Do it yourself.
Alex : I would, but I can’t reach it.
Actor 4 : Figure it out yourself. That’s your job.
Alex (mumbles): I hate actors.
Actors walk offstage right. Alex jumps up to reach to place the light on the ceiling.
Alex falls off stool and stagelight lands on her head. Alex dies.
Narrator : 30 years passed. It is now 2016 and it is the opening night of Poly’s Spring Musical.
James, Danielle, Cole, and Lizzy are all sitting down preparing for opening night.
Teacher walks in from stage right.
Teacher : One hour till curtain. This is going to be a great show. Teacher walks offstage right. Ghost walks in, replacing Teacher.
Ghost walks up to Lizzy’s chair and pulls the chair ot from underneath her. Lizzy falls to floor.
Ghost walks offstage right. Lizzy glares at Cole.
Lizzy : Ugh…Cole that’s not funny.
Cole : I thought it was. (chuckles)
Danielle : Wow Cole you’re so childish. What made you think of doing that?
Cole : What? I didn’t make her fall. I’ve been over here this entire time.
Lizzy : Well someone did…
Cole : Maybe it was the Poly theater ghost.
Danielle : Oh shut up Cole.
James : No, Cole’s right. It was definitely the ghost.
Danielle : There’s no such thing as ghosts.
Cole : Of course there is. There’s one right here at poly. It likes to terrorize all of the actors.
Lizzy : That’s just a stupid story the Seniors tell the Freshman to scare them.
James : No there’s an actual ghost. It’s not just some made up story. I’ve had experiences with it before. I bet I could summon it.
Cole : Yeah, we should hold a seance to prove to YOU that it’s real.
Danielle : Sure, whatever.
James : Okay. let’s stand in a circle. That’s what they do in the movies.
All four stand in ‘circle’ facing out towards the audience.
James : Are there any spirits here that wish to communicate with us?…Are there any spirits here that wish to communicate with us?
Ghost walks onstage right. Starts talking silently. (Characters cannot hear ghost)
Lizzy : Well, looks like there’s no ghost. Great prank guys.
James : No, no there is…Maybe it’s just shy or something. Just wait for it.
All characters freeze, EXCEPT Ghost.
Ghost : Why arent they listening to me? Why are they ignoring me? Actors never change; they always ignore me and never give me any respect.
Ghost kicks over chair. Characters unfreeze
Danielle (Sarcastically): Oh my god, the chair fell over by itself. That’s so scary.
Cole : No that must have been the ghost.
Characters freeze, except Ghost.
Ghost : Can they not hear me?
Characters unfreeze.
James : If you can’t communicate to us directly, you can use my body as a vessel.
Ghost walks behind James and grabs his shoulders. James gets possessed. James now talks in Ghostly/Possessed voice.
James : Can you hear me now?
Lizzy : Yes James, we can hear you perfectly.
James : Who’s James. I’m Alex.
Danielle : Ok James, you can stop all of this nonsense now.
Cole leans on James.
Cole : Yeah James, I think they’ve had enough of our little joke.
James : My name is NOT JAMES.
James, controlled by the ghost, turns to Cole and begins to strangle him. Lizzy and Danielle start screaming.
MarkerMorse runs onstage right.
Teacher : What’s going on back here. The show starts in 5 minutes.
MarkerMorse notices James strangling Cole and tries to pry James’ hands off of Cole’s neck.
Teacher : James, What are you doing? What’s going through your mind? Don’t break my lead.
James : MY NAME IS ALEX.
James grabs a pair of scissors off of a table and stabs Teacher. Cole and Teacher die. Lizzy and Danielle begin to walk away slowly.
Danielle : What’s wrong with you?
Lizzy : This has gone too far. Why are you doing this?
James : You actors are the reason I died. They denied me help when I needed it the most. I lost everything because of those ignorant, selfish actors. Too “important” to help their own stage manager. Every year, I try to interact with the actors. I was never able to talk to them until your friend offered his body as a vessel. Now I can finally take my revenge on the actors who stole everything from me.
Lizzy : We’re not those people. We don’t want to hurt you.
James : Hurt me? I’m already dead, I have nothing to lose.
Lizzy and Danielle continue walking away from James.
James : Where are you leaving so soon?…You’re Next.
THE END
Inlandia: A Literary Journey 