The Last Scream by Sharon Mullen

This Play is the copyright of the Author and may not be performed, copied or sold without the Author's prior consent

Lonnie King.Mid thirties, charming, hair a little long, laid
back demeanor

Casey King .Typical 10 year old, serious about her image

Rachel King..Early thirties, attractive, pregnant

Doris Atkins.Thirty-forty, animated

Alec..Early twenties, spiked hair, tattoos

Tim King..Lonnie's brother, late twenties, working
class guy

Jessie Wells..Late thirties, working class, affable
gentleman of color

Lights rise to find an office setting, defined by a desk, door frame
and file cabinet stage right.

Tim King is seated with his feet on his desk, scowling, studying his
check book

Alec raps on door frame and enters.

ALEC: Hey, Tim?

TIM: Hey, yourself. Why aren't you working?

ALEC: I ah.need to talk to you.

Tim removes his feet from desk to address Alex

TIM: You can't give me your notice yet. You haven't even worked
out your probation period. get back to work.

ALEC: Are we a little edgy this morning?

TIM: Why do you ask?

ALEC: I have a problem I need to talk to you about.

TIM: Can it wait? This is a short work day and I'm covered up in
reports.

Alec looks at check book in Tim's hand

ALEC: Yeah it looks like it.

Tim lays check book down.

TIM: I'm all ears.

ALEC; It's about today being a short day, I never heard of a
company closing early Halloween.

TIM: That's right, you're new around here, aren't you? What can
I say? The owner is crazy about Halloween.

ALEC: Closing early today is going to make me run short payday.

TIM: Yeah?

ALEC: I have a car payment due. See what I'm saying?

TIM: What about your other job? Can't you pick up some time there?

ALEC: The owner's dog got hit by a car. She's closed up the
message gram place the rest of the week to be with her dog.

TIM: No kidding, poor Rambo.

ALEC: Rambo is going to be fine, but Alex is going to be short on his
car payment. Can I pick up some extra hours?

TIM: I don't have the hours to give you. You knew this job was only
part time.

ALEC: Tim, if I don't have a car, I can't get to either job. Hear
what I'm telling you?

TIM: I hear you, but I don't know what you expect me to do.

ALEC: Come on, Tim. You like my work, don't you?

Tim pauses an reflects.

TIM: That truck load of office supplies that came in last night, can
you handle it by yourself?

ALEC: You know it!

TIM: The truck is still on the loading dock.

ALEC: Yeah.thanks.

TIM: Start on it after lunch, okay?

Alex begins backing out of office.

ALEC : I owe you, man..big time.

TIM: Hey, Alec?

ALEC: Yeah?

TIM: You have a checking account?

ALEC: Yeah. Why?

TIM: I was just wondering. You record it every time you write a
check?

ALEC: You're in management and you're asking me that?

TIM: I take that as a yesGet back to work you organized little
smart ass.

Alec smiles and exits as Tim starts studying his check book again

ALEC: Thanks again.

Jessie enters, clearly in a bad mood

JESSIE: I'm in.

Tim stands

TIM: Hey, Jessie, come here.

JESSIE: What's wrong? Didn't you get my message?

TIM: I got it. What's up?

JESSIE: What's you mean, what's up? I'm late, that's what's
up.

TIM: Second time in three years. How do you think this is going to
look on your record?

JESSIE: Crap, you put it in my file?

TIM: Nahyou look rattled.

JESSIE: I am rattled, bad morning at Jessie's house.

TIM: Must be something that's going around. Tell me something. You
record your checks every time you write one?

JESSIE: Religiously and if I didn't, my morning may have a lot
worse than it was.

TIM: How's that?

JESSIE: You ever heard of the Exotic Dancer's Benevolent Fund?

TIM: Can't say I have.

JESSIE: Neither had I, at least up until this morning. When Thelma
handed me this.

Jessie pulls out a letter and hands it to Tim

TIM: What's this?

JESSIE: It's a letter thanking me for my two hundred dollar
donation. Signed by Miss Burnt Sienna herself.

TIM: This her picture? Good looking lady, nice picture.

JESSIE: A nice picture that came close to being in a coffin with me.
My house was a war zone this morning.

TIM: You donated two hundred dollars to the old stripper's fund?

JESSIE: I got two kids, three dogs, a live-in mother-in-law and a
high up keep wife. Where would I get two hundred dollars?

TIM: Dear Mr. Atkinsthank you for your generous.

JESSIE: I read it, thank you.

TIM: This is a mix up. Obviously there is another Jessie Atkins.

JESSIE: I told Thelma that, but she came flying at me like Zena
Warrior Princess. Asking me how I could give money to some used up
'ol tramp when my son needed braces.

TIM: So, what'd you say?

JESSIE: What could I say? There it was in black and white ,"thank
you Mr. Atkins." The first five minutes there wasn't no
talkingjust me ducking.

TIM: Thelma is a hot blooded woman.

JESSIE: I used to think that was so cute. Finally I said, Woman, you
give me forty dollars a week for lunch money and we can both see I
ain't missing no meals.

TIM: Good answer! You get forty dollars a week for lunch?

JESSIE: Then she decided I must have written a check and that is also
why I am late. We went through the check book togetherall the way
back to the first of the year.

TIM: Jessie?

JESSIE: When I get home I am going to look up Miss Burnt Sienna and
let her know she sent the letter to the wrong man.

TIM: Jessie, look at the signature on this.

JESSIE: Huh?

TIM: That writing look familiar?

Jessie takes letter

JESSIE: This may be an innocent mistake on this lady's part, but
it's making my life hard.

TIM: You ever heard of a place called The Candy House?

JESSIE: The massage pallor?

TIM: You may this hard to believe, but And I do not always record our
checks as we write them.

JESSIE: What the hell's that got to do with this signature?

TIM: Very early, this morning, I got a call from the Candy House,
just stay with me here, Jessie.

JESSIE: About who? I don't care what they claim I gave them, it's
a lie. I ain't never been there.

TIM: I've only driven by there myself as recently as this morning
in fact. They told me that I had a returned check and I'd better get
own there and pick it up.

JESSIE: Where are we going with this?

TIM: I thought maybe Tony had written them a check for fudge or
peanut brittle, but when I pulled up in front of the
place.everything became perfectly clear.

JESSIE: Does this little story of yours have an ending or does it
just keep rattling on?

TIM: Lonnie.

JESSIE: Huh?

TIM: LonnieHalloweentrick-or-treat.,Lonnie.

JESSIE: Lonnie, he's done it again, damn.

TIM: The master.the signature.

Jessie laughs

JESSIE: That sorry devil, what are we going to do?

TIM: The first thing "I" did was go back and record all my
checks.

JESSIE: That brother of yours, he never lets up and he nails me
every time. He's good. I'd love to have my hands around his
scrawny, little, white neck right now.

TIM: Ah Jessie! If you say "white" neck that would make it a hate
crime.

JESSIE: It would, wouldn't it? Hump, I'm going to make him tell
Thelma.

TIM: You could do that. Or we could pool our resources and look at
the bigger picture.

JESSIE: Are you saying what I think you're saying? "Cause I'd
love to pull something on him.

TIM: I'll put up my lunch money if you'll put up yours.

JESSIE: Keep your lunch money, as many people as he's nailed, we
may come out to the good on this.

TIM: Take up the money, son. I have an idea.

Tim punches button on loud speaker.

TIM: Alec to the office..Alec to the office.

JESSIE: The new kid?

TIM: Yeah, he hasn't been over to Lonnie's building yet, so
Lonnie won't recognize him. Alec has a dramatic flare and he needs
extra cash.see what you can collect.

JESSIE: You sure Lonnie ain't going to recognize him?

TIM: Positive.

JESSIE: What do you have in mind?

TIM: Stick around and listen.

Alec sticks his head in the door

ALEC: You call me?

TIM: Alec I think I know a way you can earn some extra cash.

ALEC: Doing what?

TIM: By using your God-given talent. Come in, Alec, have a
seatlet's talk.

Lights fade

Scene Two

The king's front yard occupies main stage, nice older home with big
inviting front porch, decorated with plants and rockers. The house is
decorated for Halloween

Lonnie is busy decorating as Casey enters carrying her school books

LONNIE: Oh, hi Casey. How was school?

CASEY: It was school, Dad. ..you know.same old ,same old.

LONNIE: That's the spirit, hang in there, Slick. How does the house
look?

CASEY: Creepy.

LONNIE: Is that good or bad?

CASEY: We go through this every year.

LONNIE: Good or bad?

CASEY: Good.

LONNIE: Better than last year?

CASEY: Dad..

LONNIE: Come on, come ona little encouragement here.

CASEY: It's always the spookiest house in town and every year it
just keeps getting spookier.

LONNIE: Thank you, music to my ears.

CASEY: Every year, all I hear is what is your dad planning this
Halloween? Why can't you get into reindeer and Santas?

LONNIE: Because I hate Christmas music. If I put up Christmas
displays, people would drop by using the excuse they were in the
neighborhood caroling. This way I don't have to hear anybody sing.

CASEY: Oh, Daddy!

LONNIE: So you think a lot of people will be driving by to check out
the display?

CASEY: Only everybody in town.

LONNIE: That's what I like to hear.

CASEY: Did anybody remember the candy this year?

LONNIE: Candy is not my department. Did you remember?

CASEY: Of course. You know what? My friends call you Stephen King
instead of Lonnie King.

LONNIE: I'm flattered.

CASEY: You would be. That's the nicest thing they call you.

LONNIE: Yeah? What else do they call me? Anything worth putting on
the mail box? And hey, keep it clean.

CASEY: Mr. Creepo.

LONNIE: No, they don't call me that. You call me that, don't you?
Uh huh, I know.

Casey laughs having been caught

CASEY: And Mr. Spooky.

LONNIE: Now that one, I believe. Mr. Spooky? I like it.

CASEY: No you don't.

LONNIE: Yes, I do. IT just kinda rolls off your tongue. Mr.
Spookyyou try it

CASEY: No.

LONNIE: Try it.

CASEY: I already did.

LONNIE: So you did. What are you dressing up as for the party
tonight?

CASEY: Morticia Adams. Mom made me the neatest dress. It is so cool!
I can't wait until Cindy Richardson sees it. She will simply die.

LONNIE: Why? What is her costume?

CASEY: Pocahontasshe bought it at the store.generic

LONNIE: Generic.that's my girl.

CASEY: If I have trouble with the make-up will you help me?

LONNIE: I don't know Case, is that fair?

CASEY: What do you mean?

LONNIE: I mean its Cindy's party isn't it? How good do you want
to look? Do you want to steal her thunder?

CASEY: You betcha. Will you help me?

LONNIE: That all depends.

CASEY: On what?

LONNIE: If I help you, will you give me a hand here for a second?

CASEY: Help you what? Are you going to play another trick on
someone?

LONNIE: Not this time I just want a hand with the decorating here.

CASEY: Ok, dealwhat do you want me to do?

Casey drops her books, while Lonnie pulls over a chair for her to
stand on, she climbs up

LONNIE: Come over here and be careful now. See here? I just for you
to hold this piece of paper for a second while I get the tape. Can you
do that?

CASEY: I certainly hope so.

AS Lonnie walks away a big, black spider falls in Casey's face as
she touches the paper. She quietly smacks it down and jumps off the
chair.

LONNIE: What? No scream?

CASEY: That was disgusting. I can't believe you did that.

LONNIE: You're right it was. I'm sorry, baby. Here have a
cookie.

Lonnie holds out a can, removes lid and snakes fly out in Casey's
direction

LONNIE: Look out!

CASEY: Daddy, stop it!

LONNIE: Well don't get mad. You know that you're dealing with
the, "master."

CASEY: That was mean. I can't believe you did that.

LONNIE: What I can't believe is that I didn't get a scream out of
that, at least a little one.

CASEY: You do this all the time. I'm not a little kid anymore. You
can't scare me now.

LONNIE: Well, nothing but the facts please ma'am. You're too
grown up. So that's it?

CASEY: Those are the facts. I am on to you Mr. Creepo and I am too
grown up for this. You will never hear another scream out of me as
long as you live!

LONNIE: We'll see.

CASEY: I mean it. I'm all scared out.

LONNIE: Famous last words?

CASEY: You can't make me scream again-ever. There are no more
screams left in my body. Can I leave now?

LONNIE: Don't leave mad, I'm only playing with you.

CASEY: Can I?

LONNIE: May I.yeah.go on.

[end of extract]

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