Okay,

in order to not waste trees or break printers


Scene One.
Mother and Alis stand in a pool of light on stage.
Mother has Alis by the shoulders and pushes her
forward more into the light. Alis is afraid, and tries
to push back but Mother just puts on a relentless
smile and addresses the blackness.

Mother

...And this is my daughter, Alis. Poor thing, she's terribly shy. Had a bit of trouble lately with a young gentleman she scared off and of course with the death of her brother, well, you understand, she's incredibly silly to be effected by such things.

Vicious laughter echoes from off stage

Mother (to Alis, who shutters)

Now, dear, you must be polite. Don't you want to make something out of yourself? You'll never get anywhere without your manners and it's nearly time for the games, you want to go to the games to get better, don't you?

Alis nods her head in fear. And the voices offstage
rise in volume slowly, until not much can be heard besides.

Mother

Good, then. Gentlemen, if you'd excuse us. We must prepare for the games.

Light out. Scene Two
Alis sits with Joe thumb-wrestling. The
thumb-wrestling steadily becomes more
and more violent, but maintaining a
playful quality. Until finally Alis falls over
on her side in defeat.

Alis

It's not fair, you always win.

Joe

That's because I'm better than you.

Alis

You could let me win some things. I always lose.

Joe

If I let you win some things, you'd never always lose and then you'd be wrong. And we can't have you be wrong anymore. Not after what happened with your Father. If you're wrong, I don't want you to be punished, but they will punish you.

Alis

Maybe they wouldn't notice I was wrong, maybe this time we could get away with it and then we could play more games.

Joe

If I lose, you might lose me.

Alis and Joe repeat every action of the
scene in retrograde, until slowly we see
Joe's exit and he walks backwards off stage.
Scene Three
Joe and Mother stand on opposite sides of
an empty stage, leaning forward facing each
other. Seeming to address someone over their
shoulders while maintaining eye contact.

Joe

Alis, will you kindly tell you that broken old wench that if she does not ask I will not be attending the games? And that she is not Queen, despite her demands on your manners?

Mother

Alis, please inform this boy of yours that the games are at six and if he is not properly attired and on time there will be hell to pay? Honestly, I cannot believe you let him treat you this way, he takes up all your time and you hardly come to the games anymore and please tell him--

Joe

All she does is boss you around. Do you even like the games? Alis, you have to stand up to her, she's not the Queen, and your life doesn't belong to her. How can you be so--

Mother

I mean, really, it's not like he owns your life and time, darlin'. You really ought to make more of an effort at the games and teaching him some manners, did he get that etiquette book I gave him?

Joe

Don't even get me started on her demand for manners, like she has any? Anyway, you need to spend less time with her--

Joe and Mother (in unison)

---And more time with me. Alis, are you even listening? (beat) You're mine.

Lights out. Scene Four
Alis paces the stage with a glass in her
hand, she presses it against her forehead
and fidgets, she addresses the mirror at the
end of the stage.

Alis

.........and it plays around and around in your head and you hear it so much not only from the ones you hate but also from the ones you love and it has to be true. It has to boil down to it. You must be bad, you must be. But you also must be clever, not smart but clever. Clever enough to trick them, and hurt them, even if you haven't really done anything you're aware of but they tell you that it's your fault, that you hurt them and they don't understand why. They don't understand why they loved you, they don't understand why you hurt them, even if you didn't really hurt them at all and instead they hurt you. They didn't just hurt you, they left you and it plays around and around and around. Like silly little circles that you doodle in french instead of paying attention, loosing your attention span, losing your mind around and around and around.

Mother

Alis!

Alis drops the glass, which shatters

Mother

Who are you talking to in there? Get out of there I need the mirror!

Alis

So do I.

Lights out. Scene Five
Alis on stage with her Father, who cannot
be seen in the light besides his profile. Alis
kneels on the floor, her head bowed, almost in
prayer.

Father

You just ran off, you ran off after he died. But we both know he didn't die, did he? We both know what really happened. But it didn't make a difference did it? You ran off to your Mother with her games and met that boy and now all you do is play. Didn't even think of us once, did you? Pushed us out of your head and ran off. Always playing your games, your stupid games, you don't deserve them. We both know what really happened, why don't you just own up? Why don't you just tell us right here right now? You killed him.

Father's arm reaches behind him and he
pulls a figure by the hair, which he throws
in front of Alis. The figure, her brother,
collapses and Alis shutters, beginning to fidget.

Alis

No.....

Father

Yes, you remember? You killed him and left without three words to fix it. Off to play your games when you KILLED him.

Father's motions are violent in nature.
Alis reaches down to hold her brother,
shaking her head, still not looking at her
Father.

Alis

I don't remember.....I couldn't....I...

Her brother jerks and Alis flings back
and fidgets more and more. Father is moving toward
her, kicking the body of her brother which is slowly
jerking to life, until it begins to crawl toward
her. And just before they reach her, the lights go out.
Scene Six
Mother and Alis in front of the mirror.

Alis

He's really gone.

Mother

He's been gone for a while now, darlin'. Good fucking riddance in my opinion. He was a waste of space and time, and far too possessive.

Alis

He took care of me......So, I'll see you at midnight or so?

Mother

You aren't coming to the games? You really ought to be getting out more.

Alis

No games. I don't have anything appropriate to wear anyway, ma'am.

Mother

It's fine. But, we're going soon, you can't be alone for too long. If you're alone for too long you might end up wrong. We can't have you being wrong, nor can we have you winning.

Alis

I killed him.

Mother

No, you didn't. That's it, you're coming to the games. Clearly you won't be sensible or well-mannered on your own, I'll need to keep an eye on you.

Alis

No, I killed him. Father said so.

Mother

Enough. I won't hear anymore of this nonsense. Get your etiquette book and read chapter 34, then we're going.

Alis pulls out a thick book and begins to
turn the pages, one hand turning the pages
the other hand fidgeting.

Mother

Stop that.

Mother pulls her hair and Alis
drops the book.Lights out.
Scene Seven
Alis and Joe, sitting with Mother
playing rock-paper-scissors and Mother
wins. Joe pouts and Alis watches, tries to
start the game again but Mother is too
pleased with herself and Joe is pouting.
She tries twice more, then gives up,
stands and exits.
Lights out.