Abnormally Alice

(This is the first draft of something i've already edited, but can't locate the edited version. It's meant to be for a short film...work in progress though)



SCENE 1

The scene takes place in Alice’s bedroom. Nobody else is in the house. Alice has just beaten her friend James, and now she stands dazed.

(dripping tap)
(blood covered hand)
(girl’s face)


Alice: Everybody has something. A degree of depression. An inkling of invented life. Voices, glitches. It’s human nature. It’s normal. That which is unnatural must be abolished.


Alice: I’m gad you’re ok now Jamie (chuckles) James. You’re normal now, James. This is much more admirable than being a stick in the mud.

(over shoulder shot leads to bloody body on floor)

Voice from downstairs/outside: Alice? Has your friend left yet?

Alice: Yes, mum.
(drops cricket bat)

Alice: I’m tired.
(goes to lay on bed)

BLACK OUT


SCENE 2

The scene takes place on a almost empty train at about midday. Alice is observing the characters on the train in long, blank stares and guessing their oddities.

(Of the bald old man with trench coat and tattered suitcase)Alice: He thinks the labour market was designed to break people like him. He writes short stories of how he could murder his boss and get away with it.

(Of the young man with piercings and green hair) Alice: He tries to convince people to go on the dole. It helps him temporarily drown the everlasting failure his parents have bestowed upon him.

(Of the older man staring blankly out the window) Alice: He inadvertently talks to himself when he gets excited. He pretends he’s having conversations with other people.

(Of the woman with the constant scowl) Alice: She’s been permanently scarred by thieves and rapists. She can’t even trust her own kids.

(Of the girl wearing caked, almost clownish make up) Alice: Her situation is self explanatory. I almost envy her.

(She doesn’t notice the person coming towards her and looks up in time to see him sit in front of her)

Young Man with green hair: What the fuck are you staring at?

Alice: I admire that these people don’t hide their issue. It’s so much out in the open. Why do people want to hide their issue. We all have one. It’s there somewhere. It’s just normal to have a voice, or some sort of incongruity. And those without, it’s unnatural. How can you possibly be without issues? It’s not normal.

(As she thinks this, the young man begins showing annoyance. She smiles and gets off the train)

SCENE 3

The scene takes place in a park. Alice is sitting on a park bench, observing the passers. She looks to be waiting for someone.


Alice: All these sheep…trying to hide themselves…
Alice: Sheep…

(Her eyes are locked on a mother and young daughter walking past her. The mother meets a friend along the way and stops to talk, while the little girl is mesmerised by Alice. Alice notices this.)

Alice: What’s your name?

Young Girl: Ashley.

Alice: Can I tell you something, Ashley?

(Ashley nods)

Alice: Ashley, I was once a little girl like you. I couldn’t wait t grow up. I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up. But then, as I started growing up, I noticed that nothing happens the way we want it. I also realised that as people grow up, they become bad. They want to hurt each other. And when people get hurt, they go a little crazy, and start hurting other people. If you’re a smart girl, Ashley, you’ll ask your mummy to home-school you, so that there’s less of a chance that you’ll get hurt. And then, when you’re 18, Ashley, you should commit suicide-

Mother: Ashley! Get away from that woman!

(Alice’s focus is broken. The horrified look on the mother’s face amuses Alice. The mother grabs her daughter’s hand and rushes away)

Ashley (background): Mummy she hurt my hand…

( A few moments later, Jamie, Alice’s closest friend, sits down on the bench next to her)

Alice: Hey Jamie.

Jamie: One more time - James, please.

Alice: Hello James, your imperial greatness.

Jamie: Hey. What’d you wanna meet here for?

Alice: Well, I thought you might appreciate some clean air and foliage. It’s just one of those things nobody stops to notice.

Jamie: Oh, ok. Fair enough.
(They enjoy the scenery for a moment, then Jamie breaks the silence)

Jamie: What were you saying to that little girl before?

Alice: Ashley. Her name was Ashley.

Jamie: Oh, do you know her?

Alice: I do now.

(Silence for a moment)

Jamie: So what were you saying to her?

Alice: Just giving her some good advice. Someone needs to do it, and I can tell you now, it won’t ever be the parents.

Jamie: What do you mean? And what kind of advice?

Alice: Life. How to protect yourself from it. Things like that.

Jamie: Alice - you are one odd cookie.

Alice: Yes. But it doesn’t stop you from being my friend, does it? How about you come by my house in 2 hours and I’ll tell you more.

Jamie: That sounds great. I’ve just gotta help mum at home and ill come by.

Alice: Excellent. See you then.

(Alice gets up and leaves. Jamie is sitting on the bench, with an ignorant pondering look on his face.)



SCENE 4

The scene takes place in Alice’s bedroom. There is soft classical music playing. There is no mirrors showing.

(Alice is wearing a white lab coat, and is sharpening two knives together. There is a light knock on the door)

Jamie (outside): Alice?

(Alice’s eyes go wide. She tip toes to the door, and opens it, hiding herself behind it. She is holding a cricket bat. Jamie walks in looking around to see who has opened the door but doesn’t see anyone and keeps going into the room. Alice quietly closes the door behind her and then beats Jamie with the cricket bat. Jamie is down.)

Alice: Hello James.

Jamie: What are you doing? That really hurt!

Alice: I’m going to tell you more about life, James.

Jamie: What does this have to do with it?

Alice: You’ll find out.

( Alice is tying Jamie to a chair)

Jamie: Why do you have curtains over the mirrors?

Alice: So no one sees.

Jamie: Sees what?

Alice: Anything.

Jamie: What…what?

Alice: If some silly nosy person were to look through the window of the neighbour’s house and into mine they’d see the mirror. And through that mirror, they’d be seeing a lot of things they shouldn’t.

Jamie: Oh. Ok. (still dazed) You’re really weird today.

Alice: Jamie, if I was truly ‘weird’, would you be inadvertently drawn to me, in a subconscious cry for normality? You my friend are the strange one. Not a single oddity about you. Why is that? You’ve led such an abnormally normal life. You’ve no glitches. It’s not natural. What have they been doing to you Jamie? That normal brick house with the normal drive way and the normal fortnightly cut grass. What are they doing? Why isn’t there anything wrong with you? Tell me now, so I can fix it.

Jamie: What the hell are you talking about? Alice, this is really creepy. Just untie me. This is stupid.

(Alice is conflicted. She looks to be in pain. She grabs the cricket bat from the wall behind Jamie and bludgeons him with it. Blood everywhere. He is barely breathing. The chair is now broken. She locks the door and goes to turn up the classical music. She stands there dazed with the bat in her hand)

Alice: I’m glad you’re ok now, Jamie (chuckels) James. You’re normal now, James. This is much more admirable than being a stick in the mud.


Voice from downstairs/outside: Alice? Has your friend left yet?

Alice: Yes, mum.
(drops cricket bat)

Alice: I’m tired.
(goes to lay on bed)

Alice: Everybody has something. It’s normal. And for those who aren’t normal, it’s our legacy to help them.


END