Follow Me

Scene 1

Enter Michael.

michael:

Come on, come in.

Enter Melissa.

melissa:

I can't believe we can walk straight into here.  It looks dangerous.

MICHAEL:

It's just a cabin that hasn't been in use for years.  Still looks alright.

MELISSA:

You can't be sure that it won't fall on us.

MICHAEL:

No, but I can be reasonable.

MELISSA:

It's disgusting.  It must be filled with animals.  Animals who don't wash.

MICHAEL:

Can you imagine living here?

MELISSA:

So far away from the shops.

MICHAEL:

It must be quiet.

MELISSA:

Who likes silence?

MICHAEL:

To be surrounded by the woods.

MELISSA:

You're not a poet.

MICHAEL:

I think I could be in this environment.

MELISSA:

Let's go.

MICHAEL:

You scared?

MELISSA:

No, it's boring.

MICHAEL:

But it's fascinating.

MELISSA:

We've had a long walk, I'm tired.

MICHAEL:

Who would have expected for a cabin to be here.  Alright let's go.

They go to leave.

MICHAEL:

Hey take a look out this window.  There's a girl on the rocks just above the lake.

MELISSA:

She hasn't got any shoes.  She must be cold in that dress.

MICHAEL:

What's she doing out here?  Maybe her parents are near by.

Beat.

MICHAEL:

She's looking at us.  What's she saying?...'Follow Me'...

MELISSA:

Follow her?

MICHAEL:

She jumped, she jumped!

MELISSA:

oh my God!

Exit Michael.

MELISSA:

Michael!  Oh my God.  Straight into the lake.

Scene 2

Enter Michael and Melissa.

MELISSA:

She has to still be there.

MICHAEL:

No-one could find her.  Not me, not the police.

MELISSA:

She jumped into the lake.  She couldn't have disappeared.

MICHAEL:

So where is she?  She must have swam to the edge and ran out.

MELISSA:

I was watching the lake.  I didn't see her come out.

MICHAEL:

It's a shallow lake, she could have broken her legs.  It was all searched.  No girl.  Nothing we can do but to come back home.

MELISSA:

But that girl.

Pause.  MELISSA begins to cry.

MICHAEL:

Melissa.

MICHAEL hugs MELISSA.  MICHAEL begins to cry.

MELISSA:

She's dead isn't she?

MICHAEL:

We don't know that.

MELISSA:

Oh God...how can a child just jump?  Where were her parents?

MICHAEL:

The police are taking care of that.  We have to look after ourselves.

MELISSA:

Oh Michael...her bare feet she looked so dirty.  Was no-one taking care of her?  What if she had no parents?

MICHAEL:

An orphan?

MELISSA:

Maybe she just lived in the woods on her own.

MICHAEL:

A girl wouldn't survive on her own.

MELISSA:

It's horrible.

MICHAEL:

I think I should lie down.  I don't feel well.

MELISSA:

That dirty water you swam in must be filled with bacteria.  You could have contracted something.

MICHAEL:

I'll be fine.

MICHAEL lies down.

MELISSA:

She was trying to say something to us.  Why should we follow her?  What did she know?  Why?  Oh...I'm so sorry little girl, little...Susan, who lived in the woods on her own, teaching herself everything about the horrific world, oh if only someone loved you, if only someone would have hold your hand and made you lunch, would you have jumped then?  Poor little Susan, who had black hair and beautiful eyes, so much to live for and could have done amazing things for many people.  If only she lived.  Oh, he's asleep.  At least I can look after him.  You'll never get hurt because I am looking after you.  You look a little like her.  Beautiful.  Her face is clear to me.  I could draw it.

MELISSA goes to get some paper and pencils.

MELISSA:

I would draw her black hair, her little nose, her sparkly eyes her pretty features.

Scene 3

Black.

MICHAEL:

Melissa.  Melissa?  Melissa!  Help me, help me!

Light.  MICHAEL is lying down.  Enter MELISSA with a handful of papers with little girls drawn on.

MICHAEL:

Where have you been?  I've been calling you.  I think I need to go to a doctor.  I can hardly move, I need your help.

MELISSA:

Look at what I've been doing.

MELISSA shows MICHAEL her drawings.

MELISSA:

I haven't drawn for years but I've done all of these in the last couple of hours.

MICHAEL:

Melissa...they're...amazing...the little girl, why did you draw them?

MELISSA:

I wanted to, that girl is amazing.

MICHAEL:

I need help.  Take me to the hospital.

MELISSA:

I've so much to do, I've so many ideas.

MICHAEL:

What?

MELISSA:

I feel so powerful in a way I've not felt before.  It's that girl, she's given me something I've never had.  It's amazing, she's amazing.

MICHAEL:

That sounds great and I'm very pleased with you but I am seriously worried about my health.  I think something's very wrong...that girl...she's made me ill.

MELISSA:

She wouldn't do that.  She gives.

MICHAEL:

Maybe to fortunate people like you but she's given me a disease.

MELISSA:

That's a terrible thing to say about Susan.

MICHAEL:

Susan?

MELISSA:

How can that beautiful girl be the cause of your illness?  You jumped into the dirty lake.

michael:

That isn't fair.

melissa:

You're jealous of my artistic ability.  You've always wanted to be an artist but you never were.  Now that I have discovered my gift you're bitter that you never discovered anything for yourself.

michael:

That's not fair.  That girl isn't amazing, she's a demon.  She should have given me the gift, I'm the one who deserves it.

melissa:

Clearly you're wrong.  She's a beautiful spirit who needs to be looked after- she needs love!

michael:

I would kill such a thing.

melissa:

You would kill your own child to satisfy yourself.

michael:

You would to satisfy her!

Melissa:

I wanted a child with you.  Something we could both look after but you've never been interested.  Is it because you don't really love me?  Am I just someone to stop you from being lonely and to help you live your selfish life?  It's a shame because if we did have a child it would look like her.

Michael:

A child in this terrible world?  It's wrong to bring such vulnerability into such danger.  Life is horrible and cruel.  I never wanted to be born.  Why should I hand down the misery?  That girl was right to kill herself.

melissa:

She's not dead!  If we go back we can find her.

michael:

If we go back.

Melissa:

If we follow her.

Michael:

Confront her.

Melissa:

She will give us answers.

MICHAEL:

She will be made accountable.

MELISSA:

Come on, she's waiting.

Scene 4

Enter MICHAEL and MELISSA.

MELISSA:

This is where she stood.  There's the cabin.

MICHAEL:

It's cold.  Where is she?

MELISSA:

Down there.  In the water.

MICHAEL:

Are we going to meet her?

MELISSA:

Yes, soon- everything will be alright.

MICHAEL:

I'm scared and I hate her.  She has destroyed my life.  If I find her she will know.

MELISSA:

If I find her she will get my gradtitude, my love.  This is all we ever wanted.  Our abilities and potential to be fulfilled.  She will make great artists out of us.

michael:

But our deaths, our afterlives will be dictated by her.  Why does she get the power, this feral girl, why does she judge over us?  We have the capacity of understanding yet not the chance of determining our own future.  Isn't it just a stage managed joke?

melissa:

She is the enhancer of our human elements.  We are lucky to be given the chance of meeting such a spirit.  Maybe there are others in other countries but we have found ours.  Of the great majority of our population we are blessed by being in the minority of those who really get what they want.  We might not even deserve it, that's what makes it all the more special.  Don't fight it.    

MICHAEL:

What if she wants to trick us?  How do you know she is good?  Aren't our fears justified by the rebellion of such appalling...requirements?

MELISSA:

We have to do it.  We have to follow her.

They jump.  Enter a man.

Man:

I saw them take their own lives.  It made me wonder.  How can people make such terminal decisions?  They must have had good reasons to go through it with such conviction.  Before I left the scene to get the police I thought I saw a little girl in a white dress by the cabin.  Somehow I knew that my life was about to change.

MAN exits.  SUSAN enters.  She stares.

Susan:

follow me.