I won't comment much today. The challenge speaks for itself. An utter brain burning puzzle of a task. Satisfying to finish though!
"Let's be super duper strict. Below are the rules for your play:
1. The play must contain 4 characters
2. Two of the characters meet for the first time in the play
3. Two of the characters kiss at some point in the play
4. The play has to have 3 scenes
5. First scene must have 17 lines of dialogue, Second scene must have 20 lines of dialogue, Third scene must have 22 lines of dialogue
6. Every line of dialogue (for all three scenes) must have one of the following: either 5 words, 12 words, 17 words, 33 words or 87 words (you can punctuate as you see fit)
7. Each line of dialogue in every scene must start with a different letter of the alphabet (reset for each new scene obviously)
8. You have 7 pauses (one of which must be a very long pause)
9. The three scenes have to be set one indoors, one outdoors and one in an abstract space
10. There has to be violence at some point"
Holston House
By
Jeremy Linell
Scene 1: Outside
Holston House
An overrun mansion
garden. Leon and Renee are sitting around drinking from
a whiskey bottle. Xander enters.
Leon: ‘Ey man, this is Renee.
Xander: Xander. Leon has told me a lot about
you, that this was your idea, yeah? Cool one.
Renee: Be quiet, take a drink.
She passes him the
bottle. A pause as Xander drinks.
Xander: Are you sure this is the place? No
point breaking in otherwise.
Leon: Completely. I’ve researched for
months.
Renee: Quibble; sorry, but I know what a
good student you are, so I’ll check your notes, yeah?
She grabs his notebook.
A pause while she reads. The other two continue to drink.
Xander: Renee’s a bit…full on.
Leon: Sorry mate, should have warned you.
You still up for it though?
Xander: Totally. Could be a laugh.
Renee looks up.
Renee: Fuck off home if you’re coming in
with that. A laugh? We’re serious about this. Stupid kid.
Xander: Didn’t mean to cause you offence. I
can see how much work you’ve put in. You can’t really believe it though? I mean
a séance? Contacting the dead. Come on. I’m no kid.
Renee: Immature enough to believe you know everything
though. Bet you don’t even know what this place is.
Xander: Not my area of expertise.
Renee: Leon, give him the spiel.
Leon: Holston House has been the site of
numerous hauntings, séances and demonic rituals over the years, many of which
claimed to be successful. Several cults have used it as a squat and local serial
killer, The Bradford Butcher, used it as a killing floor. Over the years this
has led to several groups of occult enthusiasts taking up residence, each has
ended their stay with tragedy. Unexplained deaths, suicides and even several
mysterious vanishings soaked the walls with their blood. It is now closed to
the public.
There’s a contemplative
pause
Xander: You want to break in?
Renee: Got it. I’d like to try my hand at
raising the dead.
They stand. Leon and Renee kiss for luck
Scene 2: The attic
of Holston House
The group stands
around, passing about the bottle. Leon starts
to give directions.
Leon: First we draw the symbols on the
ground, that’s the easy bit.
A pause as he starts to
draw in chalk on the ground
Xander: Then what? Can I help?
Renee: Unfortunately not, you’ve not
studied.
Xander: No reason for me to be here? I just
stand about? Useless?
Renee: Xander, you’re not as dumb as you
look. That’s exactly right. Stand.
Leon: Being fair, we do need help later on,
the ritual gets complicated.
Xander: Great. I’ll just keep drinking.
Renee: Excellent plan. We don’t need you
sober. Or conscious for that matter.
Xander: Pardon? What are you saying?
Leon: Mate. We haven’t been entirely
truthful here. On the up side, you’re more important that you though.
Xander: You mean what by that?
Renee: Leon is saying we’ve not been
entirely honest. We’re not raising the dead. We’re opening a portal.
Xander: Renee, why would you lie about that? I’m
down with all that freaky demonic shit. It’s cool.
Leon: Killing you is part of opening the
portal. If we told you you might have researched it and found out. Sorry about
that. So keep drinking. It’ll hurt less. Make you less boring.
Xander: Are you both crazy?
Renee: Potentially. This isn’t something
sane people do. We don’t dwell on it though. I dislike negative thoughts.
Xander: Call it off. I want to leave. Let me
go. Unlock the door. I want to go.
Leon: Damn. Sorry baby, I didn’t realise he
was such a pussy. Will it still work. He’s ok?
Renee: It calls for masculine strength but I
think it’s a metaphor. He has balls. He’ll be fine.
Leon: Here we go. Sorry mate.
He shoots Xander. A
long, pregnant pause as Xander’s blood
seeps in to the pattern they’ve drawn. All hell breaks loose.
Scene 3: The Abyssal
Void
Demon: Why have you called me?
Leon: Master we wish to serve.
Renee: Take pity, tell us your name. We
humbly beg you our lord.
Demon: Zalanthraxul. Why would I need your
service? I command untold legions of the damned. You are nothing.
They pause. Consider.
Leon: Because…we offered you sacrifice?
Demon: How right you are. But not as you
know. But you will.
Renee: Kindly tell us your meaning.
Leon: All we have done is for your bounty.
Please grant us this small gift of knowledge. Please.
Demon: Your companion lives. He will resume
his pathetic existence in your realm.
Leon: Xander? But why? Was his death not
pleasing to you my lord?
Demon: Very much so, but not for the reasons
you think. It proved your rotted, blackened souls. You are my sacrifice. I will
spend eternity extracting my pleasure through the subjugation of your flesh.
The Demon pauses to allow them to contemplate
their fate
The Demon grabs Renee and starts to caress her, as if feeling for all her weak
parts.
Renee: Impossible! We followed the
instructions.
Demon: Ultimately you have damned
yourselves. They serve to trap the weak here.
Renee: Stop this! Please. Take Leon!
Leon: Renee, how could you! I love you! We
did this together. No!
Demon: Quite delicious, even now you turn on
each other. Welcome to your pain, all for my pleasure.
Leon: Please, we don’t deserve this.
Demon: No? You weren’t prepared to kill an
innocent in exchange for power?
Renee: Leon researched. It’s what you
wanted. What you needed. Blood. Pain. Terror.
Demon: Of course. And it’s what I shall
extract from every atom of your existence. Your every breath in agony at my
whim. For ever your suffering will be my sustenance. Please, be honoured.
Leon: Can’t you let us go?
Demon: Don’t you see the pathetic irony of
begging. There is no escaping. You belong to me. I will bind your flesh and
tear it anew daily. Now your harrowing begins. Welcome to hell.
Blackout. Then the
screaming begins.
The End
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