by
D. M. Larson
Copyright (c) 2011
"Grace" is a scene from the play "Secrets of my Soul" ISBN-13: 978-1493533589 available from Amazon.com
INT. Dimly
Lit Room. Night.
A noose hangs with a large shadow cast on the wall. Cut
to a chair tumbling over.
GRACE (Voice)
Don't worry. I'm here.
Cut to Jude in the arms of Grace. Jude's eyes are
closed and Grace rocks him.
GRACE (Cont.)
You'll be okay.
Jude's eyes pop open and he pulls away from Grace. He
can see her now. She is in white and looks at him concerned. He
touches his neck and looks away.
GRACE (Cont.)
Was it that bad?
JUDE
What?
GRACE
Your life?
Jude shakes his head and can't look at her.
JUDE
Yes.
GRACE
You couldn't see very well. I tried to give you light,
but you couldn't see.
JUDE
I'm blind.
GRACE
You only think you are.
JUDE
And what would I see? Pain? Suffering?
GRACE
Love?
JUDE
There's no love anymore.
GRACE
That's not true.
Grace goes to touch Jude. He shutters but then falls in to
her arms.
JUDE
You were too late.
GRACE
No... I wasn't.
Jude falls asleep in her arms. A woman in black comes
from the shadows from behind Grace. She hisses when she talks.
BEZ
What are you doing?
GRACE
Helping him rest?
BEZ
He's mine now.
GRACE
No... not yet.
BEZ
You had your chance. You failed.
GRACE
Not yet.
Grace gently places Jude on the ground asleep. Bez
grabs Grace and pulls her away from him.
BEZ
He's marked now. He comes with me.
GRACE
When he wakes, the mark will be gone.
BEZ
I'm taking him now.
GRACE
Touch him...
Grace wraps her arms around Bez like a friendly hug.
GRACE (CONT.)
...and I'll destroy you.
Bez fights free of Grace's embrace.
BEZ
What are you doing?
GRACE
I'm not finished with him.
BEZ
But he's finished with you. He made his choice.
GRACE
It was the wrong choice.
BEZ
Doesn't matter. What's done is done.
GRACE
And shall be undone.
Bez gets a happy, evil look on her face.
BEZ
You'll be punished.
Grace bends down next to the sleeping Jude and touches his
hair lovingly.
GRACE
I know.
Bez
A sacrifice.
Grace nods.
GRACE
A sacrifice.
Bez laughs.
BEZ
You idiot. You'd give up everything for him?
GRACE
Everything.
Bez
So be it.
Bez goes to the chair, grabs it and slams it upright to the
floor with a thunderous boom.
BEZ (CONT.)
It's his choice though.
GRACE
I know.
BEZ
What if he doesn't love you?
Grace looks at him sadly. He's starting to stir.
Bez bends down next to them and reach for him. Grace pushes her hand away.
GRACE
Don't touch him.
BEZ
You don't know if he loves you, do you?
Bez laughs.
BEZ (CONT.)
You're such a fool. See you on the other side.
Bez fades in to the darkness. Jude stirs. Grace helps up as
he wakes.
Jude
What have you done?
GRACE
I saved you.
JUDE
Why?
GRACE
It wasn't right... you shouldn't have tried that.
JUDE
That's not your choice. It's mine.
Jude goes for the chair. Grace grabs him.
GRACE
No!
JUDE
Why are you stopping me?
GRACE
I can't let you.
JUDE
You said you'd fix things. You said you'd make it
better.
GRACE
And I will.
JUDE
When? I want to know when...
Jude falls to his knees.
JUDE (CONT.)
I can't do this much longer. I'm slowly slipping away.
GRACE
I won't let that happen.
JUDE
Can you see what's happening to me?
GRACE
I see everything.
JUDE
Then you can see how it is all tearing me apart. I'm in
pieces. It hurts so bad.
Bez watches from the darkness. Grace sees her.
GRACE
Go! It's not over!
BEZ
Soon.
Bez leaves again.
JUDE
She was there again wasn't she? She's always
there. Waiting.
GRACE
I won't let her hurt you.
JUDE
It's too late.
GRACE
It's never too late.
JUDE
Some things can't be fixed. Some things need to be
thrown away.
He moves away from her toward the chair but she clings to him.
GRACE
No!
JUDE
Are you doing this for me or for yourself?
GRACE
For both of us.
JUDE
There is no us and I don't want there to be a me anymore.
Jude breaks away. Darkness.
GRACE
No!
Chair falls. Silence a few moments then:
GRACE (VOICE)
I've got you. You'll be okay.
JUDE
I'm so tired.
GRACE
Rest. I will watch over you.
Jude closes his eyes and rests in her arms. Bez hisses
from the darkness.
BEZ
You can't keep doing this.
GRACE
I can. And I will... until I get it right.
BEZ
You'll tear his soul apart!
Grace lays Jude down to rest. She rises and faces Bez.
GRACE
You've already done more damage than I can do. I will
find a way to heal him.
BEZ
It's impossible. Quit torturing him. He's mine.
GRACE
Torture? This is nothing compared to what you have done.
BEZ
Stop doing this. It's useless.
GRACE
You're the one who should have stopped long ago.
BEZ
And he's too far gone.
GRACE
Not true. I see hope.
BEZ
He's not yours. Quit this stupidity and give him to me.
GRACE
No. I'm not giving up on him. Never.
BEZ
Then it'll be like this for eternity. This will be your
Hell.
Bez points to long line of chairs that fade in to the
darkness.
BEZ (CONT.)
This will how it will go. He steps on to the chair...
Bez topples the first chair.
BEZ (cont.)
You save him. But he goes back to the chair.
Bez topples the next chair.
BEZ (CONT.)
You save him. But he goes again.
Bez topples the next chair and then the next.
BEZ (Cont.)
There's nothing you can do to change that.
Grace suddenly realizes something. She stops Bez from
knocking over the next chair.
GRACE
But you can change this.
BEZ
What?
GRACE
You're the answer. You can change things for him.
You did this to him so you can undo it.
BEZ
Why would I do that?
GRACE
Because you loved him once.
Bez hisses at Grace.
BEZ
You're wrong.
GRACE
You don't love him anymore. Release him to me.
BEZ
Never!
GRACE
Why won't you give him to me?
BEZ
He's mine! He gave his soul to me and he's
mine! He struck a deal. End of story.
GRACE
And you demanded more than his soul with the deal... and you
fell in love.
BEZ
He loved me too. He still does. Stupid man.
I'm killing him but he keeps coming back to me.
GRACE
Isn't that what love is?
BEZ
Shut up!
GRACE
Give him to me.
BEZ
Shut up!
GRACE
I love him. I can heal him. Make him the way he
used to be.
Bez pulls a large blade from her robes.
BEZ
I've had enough of this.
Bez goes to Jude.
BEZ (CONT.)
He's finished and so are you.
Bez raises the blade and Grace closes her eyes. Bez
holds the blade above her head ready to strike at Jude. She can't.
She turns to Grace and moves as if to strike her down. She can't.
She throws down the blade.
BEZ (CONT.)
Take him. Take him and go. Now!
Grace rushes to Jude, quickly wakes him. She gets him
to leave with her and he goes still not sure what is happening. Bez goes
to the next chair still upright. We see the shadow of the noose.
The lights fade to black and then there is the crash of the chair. After
a few moments of silence:
GRACE (VOICE)
Don't worry. I'm here.
FIN
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