Masks

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We see Imoen rolling in her bed she’s having another nightmare again.

A figure of Elizabetha turns up again behind Imoen who is sitting down on a chair all we see is darkness and these two characters, Imoen and Elizabetha.

Imoen: Your back again I see…

Elizabetha: Yes…you cannot escape me you know.

Imoen: Why do you do this to me?

Elizabetha: To show you the truth, dearest.

Imoen: Liar…

The darkness smashes and we see the scene of Aanson hanging off the bridge Louise and Suzanne are both laughing.

Elizabetha: These two…they are the same…but at the same time they are not the same…

Two figures of Louise and Suzanne appear, Elizabetha walks up Louise.

Elizabetha: Why do you act so cheerful in these dark times? What’s the point? Why are you running away?

Louise’s voice is monotone

Louise: Because I cannot be grown up, I am afraid. People will betray me so I put this mask on to cover up my deepest fears.

Elizabetha: Very good.

Elizabetha slashes with her hand at Louise and she disappears screaming in pain.

Imoen is looking at her blankly.

Elizabetha approaches the Suzanne figure, once again she is monotone.

Elizabetha: You laugh here yet, you do not laugh much why is that?

Suzanne: I fear becoming loud people will not respect me…I don’t want to be a child anymore…I have to grow up…I must.

Elizabetha: But why?

Suzanne: I fear people will hate me, that they won’t treat me with respect.

Elizabetha: Then you are running away.

Suzanne: I am running away from myself.

Elizabetha strikes Suzanne across the face she looks at her and screams in pain disappearing.

Then a strange half Louise and half Suzanne appears in front of Imoen, Imoen reacts and tries to run away but she just runs on the spot.

Suzanne & Louise: You cannot run away. You mustn’t run away. We are the same, we both hold the same fears of not being liked, just like you.

Imoen: What? No…I am me and you are you…no one is the same…

Elizabetha laughs and puts her hand on Imoen’s shoulder.

Elizabetha: Silly girl…you don’t understand do you?

Imoen looks at Elizabetha confused.

The surroundings smash again and we see Louise getting in a temper and then flash to Suzanne shouting at her breathren,

Louise: I’m nothing like that cold bitch!

Suzanne: I’m nothing like that silly child!

Elizabetha walks up to them and pulls off their faces as if it’s a mask both are crying.

Louise: Don’t hate me!

Suzanne: Please love me!

Elizabetha starts laughing Imoen grabs her sword.

Imoen: Stop this! I’ve had enough!

Elizabetha: Yes, let your anger threw…because look little girl…

Elizabetha moves out of the way we see Imoen.

Figure of Imoen: I can think by myself! I don’t need anyone!

Elizabetha grins at Imoen and pulls off the mask, Imoen lunges at Elizabetha, the sword hits Elizabetha but it’s as if she was hitting metal.

Figure of Imoen: Please don’t leave me alone…Please love me…someone be nice to me…I beg you! I hate you…I hate you!

The figure pulls out her sword and comes towards Imoen

Figure of Imoen: You made me this way! Why have you done this to me! Why don’t you love me?

Imoen drops her sword and approaches the figure of herself she raps her arms around her figure and it starts crying hugging her.

It all of a sudden disappears, Elizabetha looks at Imoen looking sad.

Imoen: I don’t understand…

Elizabetha: You see…Imoen, one day…what you just did you will have to do in your mind…at the moment, you are like the figure of stage one…behind the mask…this is your process.

Imoen: But im not sad, I have good friends a good job-

Elizabetha: Good friends? No greedy friends little Imoen! Where are they to help you? Only we can help you…you know this.

Imoen: I would never join you.

Elizabetha: It is the only way to obtain the happiness your heart seeks…you will understand this in time. Now….WAKE UP!

Imoen all of a sudden wakes up out of her bed, she it sweating and breathing heavily Aanson barges into her room.

Aanson: Imoen are you alright!? You were screaming in your sleep!

Imoen: It…was nothing…a bad dream…that’s all.

Aanson: No no, come on you know you can’t get over me THAT easy.

Imoen: Really it was nothing.

Aanson: heh, your not doing a dusty on me now are ya?

Imoen begins to break into tears.

Aanson: Oh…hey, hey come on…I’m sorry come here Imoen…shhh

Aanson sits on Imoen’s bed and puts his arm around her.

Imoen’s voice is a little hard to make out due to her wailing.

Imoen: Why can’t she just be herself? Why must we all have to be emotionless dolls?

Aanson: I see…

Aanson strokes his beard

Aanson: Well Imoen…some people do that to…protect themselves, imagine a wall…now these ‘masks’ as you put it are a wall against pain-

Imoen: But why Aanson! Why do we just stand there if she’s hurt!?

Aanson: We can’t pull this wall down Imoen. Only the person inside knows how to dismantle it…all we can do is support her…and bang on the outside encouraging her to pull off this mask.

Imoen: Then let’s do it today-

Aanson shakes his head.

Aanson: It’s not that simple my friend. This may take her all her life to do…if she doesn’t have any friends that is. One day she will take off her mask…maybe she does now and again…heck she did yesturday…perhaps she is just ‘like’ that…the only person who really knows who Suzanne is…is herself…never forget that Imoen.

Imoen: You sound like you’ve been told this before.

Aanson: Hey those arcane books were boring but those psychology books…now they were worth reading!

Imoen wipes her eyes sniffing laughing a bit.

Imoen: So how come you became a mage?

Aanson: Meh felt like it.

Imoen smiles chuckling a bit.

Imoen: No brave ‘finding my power’ with you then?

Aanson: Nope, woke up one morning realised I could use it and thought “wow this looks like fun” heh, turning those chickens into sheep never gets boring I tell you this!

Imoen smiles and laughs a little and wipes her eyes.

Imoen: Thank you Aanson. I don’t know where I would be without you.

Aanson: You still got that red headband I made you?

Imoen: M-hm

Aanson: Well if I ever have to leave…keep hold of it so it may remind you of me.

Imoen smiles at Aanson he smiles back, all of a sudden we hear Magwitch yelling

Magwitch: Scarlets! I have had enough!

Aanson: Oh dear. Kinky Mag’s wants us?

Imoen: Kinky mags?

Aanson: Oh you know it.

Imoen: Erm…no.

Aanson: Kinky dust to?

Imoen: What?!

Aanson: heh heh, yeah them and their whips…some men pay for that stuff you know?

Imoen: Is that why you rebel so much huh? Heh dirty old man.

Aanson laughs

Aanson: I hear they have ‘pokers’ to now.

Imoen: Oh light…

Aanson: Course they like to keep their pokers…“Hot”

Imoen pushes Aanson out of her bed, he laughs

Imoen: Go on off you go.

Aanson: heh heh, you know Imoen it’s a woman thing isn’t it…having their own hot pokers?

Imoen goes bright red and throws a pillow at him he laughs and walks out of her room.

Imoen laughs to herself and shakes her head and gets changed.

She walks downstairs and sees Magwitch in their meeting room the whole place is a tip.

Magwitch: Just look at this fucking place! It’s so fucking messing it’s beyond fucking belief!

Imoen walks over and picks up some underwear the name on it says “harsufeld”

Harsufeld: So ‘that’s’ where they got to!

We see Louise with a broom she goes bright red with anger and is shaking.

Louise: I…I just cleaned this place…

Thepol: Yeah fine job you did to…now where did I put my fish…?

Louise: I spent…all…day doing this…

Thepol: Hey there it is!

Thepol pulls out a fish and a load of books topples over Magwitch curses really loud and walks off.

Aanson: Hey look Imoen! That book I’ve always wanted they ‘art’ one heh heh.

Imoen: I can help if you want sister?

Suzanne: What a mess…always the male knights.

Louise throws her broom on the floor and storms off.

Harsufeld: -sigh- fine let’s clean this up.

Thepol: I suppose ‘someone’ has to.

Aanson: heh, but that’s a woman’s job…

There is a silence as Imoen, Suzanne and all the other female scarlets in the room glare at him.

Thepol: Not a good idea.

Harsufeld: Busted.

The girls decent onto Aanson.

Aanson: Now now ladies…one at a time…plenty of Old Aanson to go around…erm…help?

''Everything goes black pans back to Aanson with a frilly apron and a feather duster. Aanson looks a bit niffed and we can hear the other laugh as they leave Aanson alone.''

Louise walks in.

Louise: Is this some kind of joke is it?

Aanson: Yeah, girls had their ‘way’ with me.

Louise: You dress up as me, mocking me-

Aanson: Huh? No no! it’s nothing like that!

Louise: So! I’m nothing now am I!

Aanson: No! No!

Louise: Oh then what am I then?

Aanson: A crusader?

Louise: I could bloody be if people would pick up after their bloody selves! I’m a damn cleaner more than anything else!

Aanson: oh dear…why do I think this won’t go well…

Louise: Right that’s it! You can clean all this up! I’m going out!

Aanson: That’s what I was going to do anyway!

Louise: Oh! So now you think you can do better than me!?

Aanson: Erm…no?

Louise: ARGH!

Louise stomps off in a strop, then moments later walks back and stamps on Aanson’s foot.

Aanson: Ah! For the love of-!

Louise runs off.

Aanson: Damn bleeding hyperactive, little, tempertantrum…erm…girl! –sigh- well…looks like it’s back to ‘cleaning’ shame it’s not the girls changing rooms though…heh heh.

To be continued…