In This Case
Cast:
Feyton
Setting: A very bare stage.
(Feyton enters, spinning, she is a full-grown woman, she is dressed in a dark brown skirt, green top, but with a white pillowcase over her head with eyes and small mouth hole cut out, the pillowcase goes down below her shoulders. She moves slowly, she can't see well, she stops at the lip of the stage, a little off-center, a spotlight moves to find her, does so.)
Feyton: (coughs, stumbles on the edge, finding her place, repeatedly, looks up tries to see the audience, strains at it, finally does so) I'm here!
(long pause)
Tada!
(long, long pause, adjusting pillowcase)
Thank you for inviting me.
(pause)
I should tell you first... to clear up any fears you might have... I'm not a ghost. I'm not. I don't want anyone to be frightened. That would prevent me from connecting with you.
(pause)
Something... something... which I have already... done so well.
(long pause, lots of unbalanced motions)
So, do you know what I am?
(pause)
Because, I'm actually not a ghost.
(long pause)
I'll give you a hint.
(she tilts to the right slightly, pause)
Got it?
(pause)
Okay, another hint.
(she starts walking in a large circle, tilted, while slowly spinning)
See, see! I'm the Earth!
(she excitedly hurries to the lip of the stage, still tilting, the spotlight finds her again)
Okay, let me explain: brown skirt for undergound, green shirt for the surface, white clouds up top. Haha! Isn't this great! The Earth!
(long pause)
Tada!
(pause)
I have a blue pillowcase for clear days, and a black one for night.
(pause)
It would work better if I was really, really fat... I know. But, I'm not. Sorry.
(pause)
You might wonder why I'm out here... oh... you know what... I have to stand up straight.
(does so, pause)
Sorry, my back was getting sore. If you want the full effect, then you will have to lean about 23.44 degrees in your seat.
(waits for audience to do so)
Or don't. I guess you don't have to. It can be a real pain in the axis!
(laughs giddily)
I love that joke!
(more laughter, then a long pause)
So, why I'm here.... Ummm... first of all, my name is Feyton. Weird name, I know. My parents gave it to me, and they weren't even that strange. Their names were David and Amy. Very normal people.
(pause)
I was their only daughter. Their only child too. They came up with Feyton. I hate it when I was a teenager.
(pause)
Secretly, though, I think I always liked having an unusual name. It always gave me something to talk about. In fact, when I meet people, and they don't ask me about my name, I get a little angry. I mean, don't pretend you didn't notice that it was a weird name; because you're what? Trying to feel sorry for me? I mean, it's so much better when they ask about it. Because, usually, it's really hard for me to talk to people. I'm very shy.
(long pause)
I don't think I've really explained why I'm here yet.
(pause)
Not yet.
(pause)
Okay. My parents are dead. I don't want to frighten you, but they are.
(pause)
And they died horribly.
(pause)
Not that anyone dies beautifully. Anyone who tells you that is lying or selling caskets.
(pause)
They're dead. I, Feyton, found their bodies.
(long pause)
Two years ago, I found them in bed. They looked horrible.
(pause)
The coroner still has no idea how they died, and they won't publish the results of the autopsy because they don't want to deal with all the sci-fi conspiracy theorists. Like the UFO people, those Roswell boneheads, you know?
(long pause, she stops her nervous movements, stares straight ahead, voice becomes monotonous, droning)
"David Allen Paltz, 61, and Amy Marie Shindberg Paltz, 58, husband and wife, both of Freeburg, Illinois. Discovered dead on November 19, 2004 by their daughter, Feyton Marie Paltz, 30 of Youngton, Illinois. Deceased were discovered at approximately 10:15 a.m. in their own bed at their home at 1228 Woodland Crescent. Bedroom and home of the deceased were in standard order, no sign of a struggle, or other incident which may have led to death. Daughter reports having spoken to her mother at approximately 9:30 p.m. on the evening before they were discovered. Hospital records and daughter's testimony turned up no known diseases or recent illnesses. Deceased were found to have no visible wounds. Lab results showed no sign of poisons or unusual levels of any foreign material in tissue samples. Autopsy results were unable to determine a cause of death, except to discover that neither of the deceased had any blood in them."
(long pause)
That's what they were going to put in the papers, but they actually got a court order preventing the coroner's office from reporting the lab results. That was bad enough. I was upset. Then, to stop anyone from inquiring, the police department actually put out a report they had committed suicide with cyanide pills.
(pause)
Can you believe that? They have threatened me. Told me if I talk, they can't guarantee my safety. I wanted to get a lawyer, but someone got to them too. I don't have much money, and all the local lawyers turned me down flat, no explanations at all. I can't afford to go to anyone else.
(pause)
It seemed like the world was against me.
(pause)
So, I turned into the world. And I will keep turning until justice is done.
(pause)
I don't even care if I ever figure out how they died. I just want to world to turn out right for their sake. For their dignity.
(pause)
All the blood was gone. It wasn't anywhere in the house. It wasn't in them either. Just disappeared in the middle of the night.
(pause)
I'll keep turning for my Dad and Mom.
(She spins with great deliberation)
Thanks for listening. Eventually, it will all turn out right.
(spinning off stage, spotlight follows)
It has to. I'm the Earth. So, it has to. Doesn't it?
(lights out)
(end)
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