Cast of Characters:
(1) Justin,
(2) Frankenstein’s Monster, otherwise known as The Monster
(3) The Bride of Frankenstein, otherwise knows as The Bride,
(4) Elizabeth
(5) Jonathan, Elizabeth’s mother
(6) Mina, Elizabeth’s father
The scene opens upon a young girl reading in bed. Elizabeth (14) is engrossed in a novel- “The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde.” When her parents knock on the door, she jumps in fright and the book flies through the air, landing on the floor with a crash. Her parents rush into the room and take a defensive stance in front of Elizabeth. Both of them wielding knives. Her mother looks mildly vampirish.
Mina: What was that?
Jonathan: Is someone in here?
Elizabeth: (She pushes them away from her) Relax. It was just my book.
Jonathan: Are you sure? (He explores the room, jabbing his knives into empty corners.)
Elizabeth retrieves her book, rolls her eyes, and turns to her mother for help. She points in her father’s direction and mouths the word “please.”
Mina: Put it away, Jonathan.
Jonathan: Are you sure it’s safe?
Mina: Yes, dear. (She turns to Elizabeth and examines the book.) I do wish you wouldn’t read such trash. It’s pure fiction.
Jonathan: I could lend you my diary to examine.
Elizabeth: No thank you. Once was enough. Besides, I like fiction.
Mina: Very well. Don’t stay up too late. (After tucking in Elizabeth, and kissing her head, Mina pulls Jonathan out of the room.)
Elizabeth: Night. (She rolls her eyes again and throws the blanket off herself in disgust. Then she turns over and continues reading.) Now, where were we Mr. Hyde?
The scenes closes on Elizabeth and rises on another. Next door, a young boy is sitting on his bed with a laptop. His face is alive with an eerie grin. He is stroking a collection of hair that is braided together. The hair is made up of blond, black, brown, and even red hair. There are also several pictures on the wall: selfies and portraits of Frankenstein’s monster with his dead creator, Victor Frankenstein.
Justin runs to his window to watch the house next door, Elizabeth’s house.
Justin: Good. She’s home for the night. (He looks at his braid of hair, still clutched in his hand.) I need another sample for my collection.
Someone knocks from off stage. Justin jumps back onto his bed, hides the braid under his pillow, slams the laptop closed, slinks under the covers, and grabs a book from his end table. (He holds the book upside down. It is “The Legend of Sleep Hollow and Other Scary Stories.”)
Then, the door opens.
The Bride: Are you still awake, Son? It’s past midnight. (She reaches for the book.) Time for bed.
Justin: One more story?
The Bride: Did you finish your homework?
Justin: Ages ago.
The Bride: Fine. Don’t forget, you have to help your dad tomorrow.
Justin: With what?
The Bride: He’s working on another monument to Saint Victor. (She motions to the pictures on Justin’s wall.)
Justin: Where’s he going to put it? The bathroom?
The Bride: We’ll just have to make more room.
Frankenstein’s Monster peaks his head around the door.
The Monster: What’s that, Dear? (He enters the room.)
The Bride: Nothing, Darling. (Frankenstein’s monster doesn’t notice. He’s too busy admiring the wall of portraits.
The Monster: I forgot this one was in here. (He picks up a picture frame and examines it, but the frame falls apart and the picture falls to the floor. After snatching it off the floor, he glares at Justin.) Why didn’t you tell me this one needed attention?
Justin: Sorry. I didn’t know. (Justin turns away and whispers) I’m not obsessed like you.
The Monster: You have to take better care of these, Justin. After all, Victor Frankenstein is the only reason any of us are here.
The Bride: He’s knows, dear. He’ll help you fix the frame tomorrow.
The Monster: You bet he will. (He turns to Justin and gabs him in the arm.) You bet you will.
Justin recoils and rubs his arms. The Bride, grabs her husband’s arms and pulls him toward the door.
The Bride: Come along, dear. It’s getting late.
Glaring at his son, The Monster allows his wife to pull him out the door. Justin collapses back into the bed.
Justin: Finally. (He rushes back to the window and stares next door. Snores can be heard from the neighbor’s house. An eerie grin spreads across his face) Good. They’re asleep.
Justin checks to make sure his bedroom door is closed. Before he sneaks out the window, he retrieves the braid of hair from under his pillow.
Justin: Time to add to my collection.
After climbing down the wall to his house (his joints are stiff, so this isn’t easy), Justin starts scaling the wall of the neighbor’s house (he almost falls more than once, but he’s patient and strong). While’s he’s sneaking into the neighbor’s house, he sings to himself. “Black is the color of my true love’s hair.” (Note: this is the title of an actual song.)
Justin falls silent as he enter’s Elizabeth’s room. He watches her sleep, all the while stroking his braid of other people’s hair. She is one her side and her hair is stretched across the pillow. After a few moments, he slowly pulls out a pair of scissors and creeps toward her, despite his stiff joints. He lifts up a few strands of Elizabeth’s hair and lowers the scissors.
Just as he is about to make the cut, Elizabeth rolls over. Justin jumps out of the way and lands on the bed across from her. Elizabeth wakes up and sees him. Without thinking, she jumps out of the bed, but not before she grabs the knife hidden under her pillow.
Elizabeth: Who are you? (She jabs the knife toward him.)
Justin gets to his feet, the braid still in his hand. He looks around the room, unsure how to
respond.
Elizabeth: Answer me! (Justin flinches) Well?
Justin: (Puffs up his shoulders in a determined way and tries, unsuccessfully, to look menacing.) Your worst nightmare.
Elizabeth: (With her eyes to the ceiling) Oh my, God. Not another one.
Justin: Excuse me? (He steps back) Do you often wake up to strange men in your room?
Elizabeth: No, I don’t. But when you hear about it all the time it loses it’s impact. Who are you anyway?
Justin: Who are you? (This is said at the same time the Elizabeth says the same words.) Oh. My name’s Justin.
Elizabeth: No. I mean what kind of monster are you?
Justin: I AM NOT a monster. (He paces in annoyance.)
Elizabeth: Then what’s with the creepy braid? And the sneaking into my room? (She watches him) And the stiff joints?
Justin: Fine. I’ll tell you. But you can’t tell anyone else. (He waits for her to nod.) My dad is Frankenstein’s monster.
Elizabeth: Really? Cool. I read that book last year. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised it’s real too.
Justin: (Surprised) Ok. That’s not what I was expecting. (He looks down at his braid and tosses it out the window.) Your turn.
Elizabeth: Huh?
Justin: Who are you?
Elizabeth: Oh that. (She sits down on her bed) my name’s Elizabeth. My parents are Mina and Jonathan Harker. They killed Dracula.
Justin: No way. (He plops down next to her) I loved that book. Wait a second. I thought Mina died.
Elizabeth: She did. Mom’s a vamp. (Elizabeth picks up the book she was reading before bed. It is on her nightstand.) Do you think Hyde’s real too?
Justin: (He considers this for a moment.) Probably not, but I would love to meet the Headless Horseman.
Elizabeth opens her book and the two start reading. As the scene ends, two people dressed like Mr. Hyde and A Headless Horseman look in the window and wave.
Inlandia: A Literary Journey 