Hell

Hell by Evan Stefanik

BOY: You're scaring me...you know where you are, don't you? Look at me, maybe it'll help. (She stares blankly.) Good. Now come on, can we please go?

ELISSA: Go where?

BOY: What? (to himself) I thought it was getting quiet...(to ELISSA) can you try again to focus? You know where.

ELISSA: Home? Will you take me home?

BOY: But, this is your home-

ELISSA: YOU LIAR! TELL ME WHERE I REALLY AM! (She grabs his arm.) Tell me right now or I'll beat the shit out of you!

BOY: (He cries.) Please don't do this to me! I'm trying to help make it quiet! This will work, if we go!

ELISSA: (She's clutching her head again.) YOU'RE ONLY MAKING IT WORSE!

BOY: (He breaks down, falling to the ground as a crying ball.) I'm sorry.

(A pause. ELISSA has a moment of peace and sympathy.)

ELISSA: Fine. (She sighs.) If you won't tell me where I am, I'll start with something easier. Who are you?

BOY: (Shocked, he quits crying.) What?

ELISSA: Didn't you hear what I asked? Who are you?

BOY: You can't remember me? (Beat.) Is it really that loud up there? (A long silence. ELISSA doesn't respond.) I'll make sure you never forget me again! (He runs off, upset, and ELISSA chases after him but falls backward at the curtain, unable to escape.)

ELISSA: NO! GOD! Let me out! (Silence.) Doesn't anybody else hear me? Does nobody fucking care?! (After another silence, she pauses from her massive panic and studies her clothes for a moment. MOTHER enters looking disgusted.)

MOTHER: Elissa?

ELISSA: Mom? (She lights up.) Mom! Oh, thank God- (She runs up to embrace her MOTHER, but her MOTHER pushes her away.) Mom? What are you doing? I don't understand-

MOTHER: How could you do that to him?

ELISSA: Do what? Who's 'him'?

MOTHER: Don't play stupid, Elissa. You know exactly what you did. And I can't believe how selfish you're being, even now, acting like you're not guilty! Is it impossible for you to sense how evil you are?

ELISSA: I'm sorry. But Mama, I don't know what bad thing I did.

MOTHER: No more whining. I've had enough of it all your life. Be serious now.

ELISSA: I can't. I'm too confused, it's too loud. Mom, please, will you help me?

MOTHER: What did I just say?

ELISSA: (Beat.) Right. Well, whatever I did...I will apologize.

MOTHER: Oh, God! Apologize? You're sick! It's far too late to excuse everything you've done.

ELISSA: Everything?

MOTHER: Everything is your fault!

ELISSA: (She's pleading now.) Please tell me, Mom.

MOTHER: You don't deserve an explanation. Use your goddamn head, Elissa. Just once! (Beat.) I loved him. So much. And you ruined him! You stole him away! And not just from me...how could you do that to us? To him? (She's crying.) I miss him so much, everyday. I miss laughing with him late at night, and taking him out when things got too (she spits this out) noisy for you. I had his best future laid out for him, and you smashed it to pieces! (Beat.) I loved him. And I'll never stop loving him, even when monsters like you try to get in the way.