The Director Sector

SCENE 6

(ROLF runs onstage, nose bleeding and flattens himself up against the upstage wall.  He stays there, as if waiting for something or someone.  After several moments, it is clear that there is no pursuit.  ROLF walks downstage and faces the audience, specifically to the “mister” he spoke to in earlier scenes.)

ROLF
Hey, hey you.  Yeah, you.  I need a place to sleep.  I ain’t messin’ with ya, mister, I just.. I been chased by this here devil and..

What? You think I’m lyin’?  There’s a goddamn devil chasin’ me, mister!  He’s trying to take.. I dunno, my soul or somethin’.  Tryin’ take my soul.  I can’t let him do that.  I can’t let ‘im take it away from me.

(Beat.)

Need to find… find Trisha.  Maybe she can, she can help.  I need to find.. have you seen my wife?  Have you seen her?  She’s bout this tall, blonde hair.. You ain’t seen her?  How about you?  You seen her?

(ROLF asks two or three members of the audience.  ROLF can improvise responses, but ultimately, he resigns himself to her loss.)

Shit.  Shit shit shit shit shit.  (ROLF paces.)  Shit.  She’s gone.  She’s gone.  Nicky, Lucy… they’re gone, too.  Oh man, oh man, what have I done?  What have I done?  TRISHA!  TRISHA!  NICKY!  LUCY!  TRISHA!

(ROLF runs upstage, looks off-stage in all directions.  Failing to see her, he falls to his knees, distraught.  He sobs for a long moment.  DEVIL enters.)

DEVIL
Ah, there you are.  (ROLF looks up at him.)  You can’t hide from me, Rolf.  I’ve got a claim on your soul, and that means you’re mine.

ROLF
What have you done, ya bastard?  What have you done?  Where’s my wife?  Where’s my kids at?

DEVIL
(mockingly)  Where’s your wife? Where’s your kids at?

ROLF
SHUT THE HELL UP AND TELL ME!

DEVIL
Why, your wife is right here.  (DEVIL points to the side.  ROLF jumps up and scans that direction.  He doesn’t see her.)

ROLF
I don’t see her.  What kind of… What kind of game is this?  Where in tarnation is she at?

DEVIL
Oops, my mistake.  She’s over there.  (DEVIL points behind ROLF.  Sure enough, there is GIRL.)

GIRL
What do you want, Mephisto?

DEVIL
His soul, my dear.  But I can’t get that just yet.

(ROLF is speechless.  TRISHA is dressed in all red, completely different attitude from before.  She’s got a Jersey accent.  She’s smacking gum loudly the whole time and fluffing her hair.)

GIRL
What’s that got ta do wi’ me?  I was out there minding my own business, ya know, and you call me in here?

DEVIL
Look at the poor guy.  If you don’t say something to him, his eyes are liable to pop out of his head, and wouldn’t that be a shame?  I want his soul, not his eyes.  Besides, my dear, you’re his trophy wife.  Better act like one.

GIRL
I ain’t gonna be his trophy wife!  That guy ain’t got any money now, why should I care?

ROLF
Trisha…!  What’s going on?  Come home, baby, come home!  I love you!

GIRL
Ugh! Gross!

ROLF
Don’t you love me?  What we had together? It was worth.. it was worth the world… I gave everything up for you..

GIRL
You shoulda kept it, mister.  Go to hell.  He’ll help you.  I’m gone.

(ROLF cries out in anguish, but she’s gone.)

DEVIL
Oh dear.  I think I’ve shed a tear.  (DEVIL raises a finger to his eyes.)  Ah, nope. False alarm.  Sorry.

ROLF
You fucker! You mother fucker!

DEVIL
What? What’s that?  (DEVIL cocks his hand to his ear, listening intently.  Awkward pause.)  Wait for it.  Wait for it.  Right. About.  Now.

(explosion offstage)

ROLF
What the hell? What was that? What?

(DEVIL walks to the edge of the stage, looks offstage, grimaces.)

DEVIL
That’s a shame.  That’s… too bad.

ROLF
What? What?! Tell me, god dammit!

DEVIL
See for yourself.

(ROLF walks offstage.  DEVIL stays centerstage, cleaning his fingernails or some other glaringly guilty behavior.  A scream of anguish comes from offstage.  ROLF yells “Trisha!” or “Nicky!” or “Lucy!” or “Oh my god!” or something equally, you know, horrifying.  Obviously, the explosion resulted in their deaths.  DEVIL whistles innocently.  ROLF runs onstage, screaming a battle cry, and tackles DEVIL)

ROLF
YOU MOTHERFUCKER! YOU KILLED ‘EM! YOU KILLED ‘EM ALL!

DEVIL (grunting through the effort of wrestling ROLF)
I did no such thing!  I merely took back what was mine to begin with.

ROLF
They weren’t yours!

DEVIL
Don’t you get it?  They were always mine.  I gave them to you, Rolf!  Don’t you remember?

ROLF
Fuck you.  Fuck you.  I’m gonna kill you.  I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!

(They wrestle.  Insert complicated fight choreography here.  Eventually, the DEVIL and ROLF wind up centerstage.  They start sinking into quicksand (trap door, some other mechanism).  They continue fighting until DEVIL realizes what’s going on. He releases ROLF who scrambles to safety.  DEVIL drowns in quicksand.  ROLF crawls upstage, leans against wall and sobs.)

(blackout)