Completed Works

The Journey Of Death: A Play

Traveling is bad enough but throw in death and war...whoa!

Characters

Innocent: No echoes, plain voice, not even Shagell's name echoes when spoken by Innocent.
No One: Spoken in heavy echoes, words in italics have wispered overlays.
Tarmyren: Spoken with a slight echo, and high pitch tone, no overlays.
Shagell: Spoken with lowest possible echo, just enough to make voice non-plain, overlays whenever her name is spoken by all but Innocent.

No One:
Death! How can I possibly see anything other than death? You are all fools! Shagell!

Tarmyren:
She is meditating, we must not bother her now. No one, are you listening?

No One:
Shagell!

Tarmyren:
I think she will be mad. Can you not wait until she comes to us?

No One:
Tarmyren! You are a fool! No I cannot wait! Shagell!

Tarmyren:
I am going before she answers. No One, come on, quiet now.

No One:
Shagell!

Shagell:
What do you want? I have no time for you now.

No One:
Death! How can I possibly see anything other than death? Shagell! Save me!

Shagell:
I cannot. I am not able to save, No One. That is beyond me.

No One:
You saved these people. And you cannot save me?

Shagell:
Tarmyren, let us leave here.

Tarmyren:
Surely.

No One:
At least let me go with you, Shagell.

Shagell:
None will prevent it, No One. Come if you wish.

(moments pause)

Tarmyren:
You will take No One with us, Shagell, why?

Shagell:
She asked. Would you be left behind?

Tarmyren:
But she is Death!

No One:
Am not!

Shagell:
Faster, we must reach the glen!

Tarmyren:
Who is that?

Shagell:
No One, find out.

No One:
I am not Death!

Tarmyren:
Who are you?

Innocent:
Innocent.

No One:
Shagell!

Innocent:
You are Shagell?

Shagell:
Innocent! No One!

Innocent:
Shagell, take me with you. I am innocent and cursed.

No One:
Shagell, do we dare?

Tarmyren:
Another on a fool's journey! I am not going, Shagell.

Shagell:
Quiet! Cursed, truly?

Innocent:
Yes, by my mother and father. Cursed and tossed into the world, alone.

No One:
Innocent.

Tarmyren:
I will not go!

Innocent:
Shagell, let me go.

No One:
Shagell, Innocent.

Shagell:
No One, let's go.

Innocent:
I would not lie. Death is all that awaits me, Shagell. Please, save me.

No One:
Death?

Tarmyren:
I will not go!

No One:
Shagell, can you save her?

Shagell:
No One.

Innocent:
Please.

Tarmyren:
Four.

No One:
Save.

Shagell:
Wait.

Innocent:
I cannot lie.

Tarmyren:
Fools.

No One:
Death.

Shagell:
The glen.

Tarmyren:
Run!

Innocent:
Save me, Shagell!

No One:
She can't.

Shagell:
Run!

(silence)

Innocent:
Save me.

No One:
You can't save me.

Tarmyren:
I won't go.

Shagell:
The glen! We made it!

Innocent:
Save me.

Shagell:
You are safe.

No One:
You can't save me but you can save them?

Shagell:
No One, shhh.

No One:
Why?

Tarmyren:
Shagell.

Shagell:
Rest everyone.

(silence)

Shagell:
Tarmyren, I have been to the spot of the previous battles. They have taken the bodies. I am at a loss. We cannot go back even though the wars are over.

Tarmyren:
Innocent almost got us killed.

Shagell:
Innocent is to stay out of this.

No One:
Shagell, Tarmyren. You are awake. I am not Death.

Tarmyren:
Shush.

No One:
Innocent is sleeping. I want to go back to the battle.

Shagell:
The war is over.

No One:
Will they kill you?

Shagell:
Yes. And you as well.

No One:
No One will die?

Shagell:
Yes, No One.

No One:
Never!

Tarmyren:
Innocent will wake soon. If we are to leave we must do so now.

No One:
Leave Innocent?

Shagell:
That is drastic, Tarmyren.

Tarmyren:
Shagell, she is cursed.

Innocent:
I am cursed, Shagell.

Shagell:
Innocent, how are you cursed? Your name speaks for you.

Tarmyren:
How long have you been up?

Innocent:
Long enough to hear and understand you.

Tarmyren:
(gasp)

No One:
Do you think I am Death, Innocent?

Innocent:
No.

No One:
Tarmyren said I was Death. I'm not though. Shagell! Where did she go?

Innocent:
I am cursed.

Tarmyren:
(frantically) Shagell!

Innocent:
Do you believe I am cursed, No One?

No One:
I am not Death, surely you are not cursed.

Tarmyren:
(a whisper) Shagell.

Innocent:
And you, Tarmyren, do you believe me to be cursed?

Tarmyren:
What? Shagell! You are cursed! You are! And No One is Death! Shagell!

Innocent:
I am cursed.

Shagell:
What is it, Tarmyren?

Tarmyren:
She is cursed! No One is Death!

Shagell:
Stop.

Tarmyren:
But I fear for our lives, Shagell, yours and mine. If we travel with curses and Death, then we shall be cursed and die.

Shagell:
You are reading too much into this.

Tarmyren:
Am I? Innocent listened to what was said this morning. She heard our words. No One is Death and should have been left behind. I am reading too much into this? Then let us ask, Innocent, why are you cursed?

No One:
Shagell. Must we have this discussion here and now?

Tarmyren:
What are you hiding?

No One:
Nothing. You must fight the battle to win the war but why here? Why now? Someone has to give in here and back down. Once we are further away from the battle we can do this. Not now.

Innocent:
The war is over. We can do this. Why am I cursed? Only for a simple thing that is not so simple; Love is why I am cursed. I loved too many too much. Is that even possible? Sadly, yes. So, there it was, shown to me, my forever curse. You have fulfilled it, brought it to pass.

Tarmyren:
Me?

Innocent:
All of you. I was to love everyone but I was to travel with Death and the one that leads her and the one that sees her.

Tarmyren:
I knew No One was Death!

No One:
No.

Innocent:
You are Death, Tarmyren. No One sees you as who you are and Shagell leads you. You all have brought my curse to life.

Tarmyren:
I am Death? Me?

Shagell:
Seems that way.

Tarmyren:
Shagell.

Shagell:
Hush now.

Innocent:
We must press on. Peace will only come once we reach the mountain pass.

Shagell:
Very well. Let's move out.

(silence)

No One:
Tarmyren you kept saying I was Death but you're Death.

Tarmyren:
You're right. I am.

No One:
And all this time you've been calling me Death. It took Innocent to open your eyes.

Tarmyren:
Innocent, that's right.

No One:
Blind. Blind to the fact that you are Death. I should have told you.

Tarmyren:
(voice deepens) No, this is better.

Innocent:
We have to reach the mountain pass. That's the only place where we'll find peace.

Tarmyren:
You're not so innocent.

Innocent:
No One, what's going on?

No One:
Some people are better off blind.

Innocent:
What did she mean by that?

No One:
What? What are you talking about?

Innocent:
Me? Not innocent? My name spells it out.

No One:
What are you talking about? I didn't hear her say that.

Innocent:
Deafness and blindness go hand in hand.

No One:
Yes, exactly. She probably can't hear a word we say to her, being Death and everything.

Innocent:
Shagell...

Shagell:
I know.

Innocent:
We need to leave.

Shagell:
Tarmyren! No One! Let's go.

(silence)

Tarmyren:
You should realize how much power I have. I am Death. I have the final say.

No One:
No. Shagell has the final say. Realize.

Tarmyren:
So be it.

No One:
I should have known you'd betray me.

(dying noises)

Innocent:
What have you done?

Tarmyren:
Call me Dark Spirit.

Innocent:
What has she done?

Shagell:
Come, we must get to the mountain pass.

(silence)

Shagell:
We have reached the mountain pass.

Innocent:
It is time.

Dark Spirit:
Tell us who you are.

Innocent:
Who am I? I am Innocent, cursed and alone, tossed into the world by my parents. Who am I? I fear the answer. I told the truth.

Dark Spirit:
Tell me who you are.

Innocent:
I am the one who always followed you but never knew you. You led the way, decided my path, my journey. I gave the people comfort. I am-

Dark Spirit:
The Spirit of Grief.

Innocent:
Exactly. So now, Shagell and I will lead you. Shagell will tell you who to kill and the people will mourn.

Dark Spirit:
So be it.

Shagell:
This is a sad day indeed. Grief leading Death, that is not natural. I am dreading the havoc that either choice is going to cause. One choice must be made and it is mine. So Spirit of Grief, prepare yourself. Death take the first life I command of you to take. Mine.

Dark Spirit:
So be it.

Shagell:
I am free. (dies)

Innocent:
I assure you that if you allow me to lead you, you will be the most feared force of all creation.

Dark Spirit:
I do not want that.

Innocent:
That is all I can offer you.

Dark Spirit:
You, Innocent, shall follow me but never know me. As it has been and will be, Grief will always follow Death. So be it.

Innocent:
Alright. I will follow her but I will find a way to lead her. One day.