SCARY STORIES
adaptation by Rubén Castro Ilizaliturri
SCENE 1
Narrator: Our story begins in a courtroom with the confession of a madman, who like many of us believed that he was sane.
Judge: The court is now in session. Mr. Poe you are here today because the state has charged you with a delinquent act known as “Domestic Violence”. As you stand before the court you are presumed innocent of any charges. The state has the burden of proving that you committed such an act. Now it is my understanding that you wish to speak to the court. If you want to speak, you can, but remember that what you say might be used against you. Do you still wish to speak to the court?
Allan: Yes, your honor. What I am about to say, I do not expect anyone to believe. Mad, I am not. Tomorrow I’ll be condemned, but today I will unburden my soul. Since I was a child two things marked my life. First, my sense of acute hearing. I could hear all things in heaven and on earth. I could hear many things in hell. Second, my special love for animals. My parents indulged my only interest, and with no other companion, I played with my various pets.
(Allan transforms into the character of a boy)
Allan’s Father: (Off, shouting at Allan’s mother) Shut up, shut up. Do you think I don’t know what’s going on? Do you think I’m stupid? I saw how that man was looking at you and it seemed to me that you liked it! You are my wife. You are not going to make a fool of me in front of everybody, do you understand? And stop crying. I only slapped you once.
(Enter Allan’s Father)
Young Allan: Dad. What’s wrong with Mum?
Allan’s Father: I’ll tell you what’s wrong with your mother, son. Your mother thinks that she can do whatever she wants whenever she wants. You must learn something; you can’t let women do whatever they want or they’ll take you for a fool.
Young Allan: Do you love Mum?
Allan’s Father: What kind of a question is that? Of course I love her, that’s why I have to correct her. Women, you can’t live with them but you can’t live without them. Son, women are like pets, you must care for them, educate them and show them who’s the boss. You love your pets, don’t you? By the way, next week is your eighth birthday, tell me, what do you want for your birthday. Let me guess… another pet.
Young Allan: Yes, Dad. Buy me a goldfish for the pond.
Allan’s Father: And what do you want a golden fish for? That’s not a pet. You can’t play with it. Are you stupid? Answer me, are you stupid?
Young Allan: No. All right, buy me a little bird in a cage.
Allan’s Father: No, I don’t like little birds in cages. And what kind of a boy wants to play with a little bird? You should hunt them, not put them in cages.
Young Allan: Ok, Dad, buy me a little rabbit.
Allan’s Father: A rabbit! Are you a sissy?
Young Allan: What’s a sissy, Dad?
Allan’s Father: You’re as stupid as your mother. Never mind.
Young Allan: Dad, Dad, what about a monkey?
Allan’s Father: A monkey? They are dirty animals. They eat their own lice.
Young Allan: OK, Dad, don’t buy me a monkey, buy me a little kitten.
Allan’s Father: No, not a cat, I am allergic to cats.
Young Allan: But I want one.
Allan’s Father: Are you deaf? I said no cats. Do you want your father to suffer? Your mother is doing a very good job with that already!
Young Allan: No, I just want a cat.
Allan’s Father: No, you don’t want a cat, because if you want a cat that would mean that you don’t care about your father, because your father can’t have cats! And you are a good strong boy, who will never cry like a woman because he can’t have a cat. Now tell me, do you still want a cat?
Young Allan:... No...
Allan’s Father: That’s my boy. OK, I’ll get you a rabbit. Now, let me see if your mother is more reasonable.
(Exits)
Allan’s Father: (Off ) OK, I am sorry I slapped you, but you made me do it, you didn’t listen to me. You are my wife; you are supposed to obey me and respect me. Now, why don’t we just start all over again? Let’s pretend that this quarrel never happened. Now that’s my girl, I love you honey.
RAP SONG
I have the words in my mouth
But I just can’t get them out
With my rhythm and my style
With no energy I have no preparation
But I want …. My congratulations
I learned that NO means, NO
I don’t know what to say
It’s just that I am really afraid
of going back home
And my dad thinks rap is crap
I don’t know what to do
Next semester I’ll be wasted
Watching T.V. All day long
And writing a song... for a dog
SCENE 2
Allan: My pets were my main entertainment when I was I child and because of one of them, a raven, I met Deborah, my wife. We were neighbours and she was a student of English literature. I remember many nights before we met, listening from my window to her poetry readings.
Deborah: Once upon a midnight dreary,
While I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“ ‘Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door
Only this, and nothing more.”
(We hear a knock)
Who is it? Excuse me, but it is midnight, I am studying. Could you please stop tapping at my chamber door? (Knock) Sir, or madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; but the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, and so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, that I scarce was sure I heard you. (She opens the door) Here I opened wide the door; - darkness there, and nothing more. Raven: Nevermore. Deborah: Nevermore! What is that supposed to mean? I’m going to call the police! (She closes the door and rings the police. (music) Telephone recorded message: Hello and welcome to the police department emergency automatic phoning system. Thank you for calling the police department. If this is an emergency, please press 1, if it is not, please press 2. You have contacted the police department emergency line. Please choose from the following options: If this is a call regarding a terrorist attack please press 1. If this is a call regarding a robbery, please press 2. If this is a call regarding a murder please press 3. If this is a call regarding a fire, please call the fire department. For any other emergencies, please wait for one of our operators. I am sorry but all of our operators are busy at the moment, please call back in a few minutes. Deborah: Oh, no, I’ll call my neighbour Lenore. Raven: Nevermore Deborah: Lenore, Lenore, Lenore! Lenore: Deborah? What do you want? Do you know what time it is? I was sleeping. Deborah: Lenore, someone is gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. Some visitor, tapping at my chamber door. I opened wide the door; finding darkness there, and nothing more Lenore: What? Deborah: Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token, and the only word there spoken was the whispered word, ‘nevermore!’ This I whispered and an echo murmured back the word, ‘nevermore!’ Merely this and nothing more. Only this and nothing more. Lenore: What? Why you are talking like that? What are you talking about? (Deborah mimes that someone is at the door and she is afraid) Someone is knocking at your door? At this hour? Call your boyfriend. Deborah: I’m angry with him. He went to a dinner with his brother-in-law and he didn’t invite me. Lenore: Well it’s probably him who’s knocking at your “chamber door.” And now if you will excuse me I am going to keep napping and dreaming in my chamber. You should do the same, go to sleep. Good night. .(The Raven comes inside the house) Deborah: Oh, so it’s you. An ugly raven. So you’re the one who’s been making all that rapping and tapping at my chamber door. Raven: Nevermore. Deborah: And you can talk! Raven: Nevermore. Deborah: Is that the only word you know? Raven: Nevermore. Deborah: You frightened me to death. Go away! (Opens the window) Out! And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting, on the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; and his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming, and the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; and my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted - nevermore! Nevermore (The raven doesn’t leave) SCENE 3 Allan: Excuse me, I know it’s quite late, I apologize but I think one of my pets is in here, a raven. Deborah: As a matter of fact, that thing is here and he can talk. Allan: Yes, he knows only one word, it’s not a bad word though. Deborah: I guess you like strange animals. Allan: I suppose you could say that. You must like poetry, I hear you reading out loud, from my window, that one over there. Deborah: I didn’t know I shouted when I read. Your window’s quite far from here. I hope it doesn’t bother you. Allan: No, no, you don’t shout at all, in fact you are very quiet, it just happens that my sense of hearing is very acute, like right now, I can hear your heart pounding. I think I’d better go, good night. Deborah: Excuse me (She points at the raven) Allan: Oh yes, sorry, I almost forgot the thing, I mean the raven. Good night. And I am sorry. Deborah: Nevermore! (Allan leaves) Allan: That was our first meeting, the days, weeks and months passed. We saw each other on several occasions. Every time I tried to start a conversation she just waved at me, until one day, we got stuck in the elevator. |
SCENE 4
Allan: Hello, good afternoon.
Deborah: Hello.
(The elevator stops)
Allan: I think we’re stuck. It happened to me the other day.
Deborah: You mean we’ll be here for a while?
Allan: Yes, it looks like it. But the alarm went off, it will be fixed soon.
(Pause)
Deborah: So, how is your little bird - I mean the raven. “Nevermore”. Remember?
Allan: Fine, fine. Well actually, my cat ate it. Excuse me, but I still don’t know your name.
Deborah: I’m Deborah.
Allan: My name is Allan. Don’t worry, we’ll be out soon.
Deborah: I’m not worried; I just don’t like to be stuck here.
Allan: Yes, I can tell. Is anyone waiting for you? Your boyfriend?
Deborah: No, no, I don’t have a boyfriend anymore. Er… I was going for a walk, it’s a nice day, but I suppose it’s too late now, by the time we get out of here it will be dark. Oh, good, it’s working! Goodbye.
Allan: Again, days and weeks passed. I tried to invite Deborah to do something with me.
Allan: Hello, Deborah, I’m on my way to the zoo. Would you like to join me?
Deborah: The zoo? It’s rather late, it’s probably closed.
Allan: No, in the summer they close late.
Deborah: Another day, take care. Bye.
Allan: Hello. Would you like a cup of coffee?
Deborah: No, thank you, coffee makes me…Bye.
Allan: As you can appreciate, she wasn’t very receptive to my advances. I almost gave up on her and then, one day, at the zoo, to my surprise, she approached me. I was admiring the lions.
SCENE 5
Deborah: Hello, Allan, how are you? Looking for another weird pet? It’s a joke!
Allan: I know. I like cats. Did you know that lions live 10 to 14 years in the wild? And in captivity they can live for more than twenty years? They are unusually social compared to other big cats.
Deborah: No I didn’t know that. But these big kittens don’t look very sociable to me.
Allan: From that day on our friendship grew and among other things she invited me to listen to her poetry readings and I invited her to visit the zoo. We spent many hours at the zoo.
Allan: Look at those butterflies. Monarch. They are the only butterflies that migrate both north and south like birds do on regular basis. All the way from Canada to Mexico.
Deborah: Oh, look at that monkey! He’s so cute!
Allan: I was talking to you and no, monkeys are not cute, they are dirty, they eat their own lice.
Deborah: That’s the way they clean themselves, silly. (Allan walks away angrily) Where are you going? What’s the matter?
Allan: Are you calling me stupid? I am not stupid. I know what I am talking about!
Deborah: I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you. I was just joking
Allan: OK, but you shouldn’t joke like that.
Deborah: All right, it won’t happen again, I promise.
Allan: All right, then. You know, I think I can hear your heart pounding.
Deborah: Yes? Well, I can feel yours too.
Allan: We have a lot in common.
Deborah: Do we?
Allan: Look at that moon.
Deborah: Beautiful.
Allan: Full moon, hoo hoo, the wolf man could be out there. I’d better take you home.
SCENE 6
Allan: Finally we got married. At the beginning everything was perfect. My wife took care of everything in the house, the cleaning, the cooking, the pets, she loved my pets, especially my black cat, which I named Pluto, even though it was a female cat. But one day, things started to change. I was waiting for her outside the school where she worked.
(Enter Deborah talking to someone)
Deborah: (Laughs) Yes you’d better watch those children. Oh, my husband is here. Bye, see you tomorrow.
Allan: Who’s that?
Deborah: A new teacher, he just started today.
Allan: Oh? You didn’t mention anything to me about a new teacher. I think I’d like to talk to him myself. (He walks angrily towards the other man)
Deborah: Wait, what are you doing? What’s wrong with you?
Allan: (He slaps her) Do you think I don’t know what’s going on? Do you think I’m stupid? Come on let’s go home, move! (To audience) What are you looking at? Have you got a problem? She is my wife. Mind your own business.
SCENE 7
Allan: (Off) Shut up, shut up. Do you think I don’t know what’s going on? Do you think I am stupid? You are not going anywhere. I’ve had enough of you and your stupid poetry meetings. You’re staying here where you belong. And stop crying. I only slapped you once.
(Enter Lenore and Liz, two neighbours)
Lenore: Oh, my goodness, Liz, did you hear all that shouting and screaming? I think that Allan is going crazy.
Liz: Yes, I don’t know what we should do. I think he’s going to kill her! You’re right, he’s gone mad.
Lenore: Why don’t you call the police?
Liz: Me? Why me? No, no, I don’t want to get involved, you said it yourself, he’s crazy. What if he finds out ? He’ll kill me too. Besides, Deborah is more your friend. You should call the police.
Lenore: But… but… I don’t have a phone.
Liz: Oh, don’t worry you can use my phone. Here.
Lenore: OK, OK, I’ll do it.(She dials) Hello? Yes, I would like to file a complaint. Well, our neighbours upstairs are having a fight. We can hear screams and all kind of sounds, I think he’s hitting her and it’s not the first time either. You must send someone immediately. Yes. The address is 69, Liberty Street, fifth floor. What? My name? (To Liz) They want to know my name!
Liz: Your name? Er… Lisa, Lisa Simpson, the one on the second floor.
Lenore: Er... Lisa, Lisa Simpson. The one on the second floor… I mean, I live on the second floor… Yes, but I am never at home. It just happens that today I’m at home, but I am leaving now, yes, right now and I won’t get back until midnight. Thank you.
Liz: Are they coming? How long are they going to take?
Lenore: I don’t know, fifteen, twenty minutes? He just told me that he’ll send someone right away.
Liz: By the time they get here Deborah will be dead!
Lenore: Liz, come on, the police will be here soon enough, don’t worry. I’ll go and see for myself.
(Lenore exits while Liz continues listening through the window)
Allan: (Off) Am I speaking Chinese? What part of it didn’t you get? I told you, your are not going to that stupid poetry reading. I don’t care if your boss, your mother or Shakespeare himself will be there.
SCENE 8
(Lenore comes out to take the elevator and meets Deborah)
Lenore: Hello, Deborah. How are you?
Deborah: Fine, thank you.
Lenore: Bye.
(Deborah goes into her flat and reads aloud from a book)
A Dream
In visions of the dark night
I have dreamed of joy departed-
But a waking dream of life and light
Hath left me broken-hearted.
Ah! what is not a dream by day
To him whose eyes are cast
On things around him with a ray
Turned back upon the past?
That holy dream- that holy dream,
While all the world were chiding,
Hath cheered me as a lovely beam
A lonely spirit guiding.
What though that light, thro’ storm and night,
So trembled from afar-
What could there be more purely bright
In Truth’s day-star?
(She picks up the phone and dials)
Deborah: Hello? Merce. No I am sorry I can’t go tonight either, I forgot that we had made plans to go, to… to… that place, I… I forgot the name, listen, I can’t talk now. What? How do I feel?.Fine, I’m fine . I’ll see you soon, bye.
SCENE 9
(She hangs up the phone and Allan enters)
Allan: Who were you talking to?
Deborah: My friend from work.
Allan: Your friend from work? Don’t you talk enough at work?
Deborah: She just wanted to talk.
Allan: Talk about what? Men? You know, I can hear your heart pounding?
Deborah: What are you talking about?
Allan: I can hear your heart pounding. When you lie. Why did you have to hang up so fast? Do you think I am stupid?
Deborah: No! You are anything but stupid! Just leave me alone, will you?
Allan: Don’t you ever talk to me like that.
(He hits her)
Allan: After that day I grew, more moody, more irritable, and more suspicious of my wife’s feelings towards me. I did try my best to make her feel better, but by then it was too late I suppose. She just left me, leaving a note that said that she couldn’t stand it any more. I tried again to reason with her.
SCENE 10
(Allan picks up the phone and dials)
Allan: Why aren’t you here? You told me you would give me another chance. Please come back. OK, I’m sorry I slapped you, but you made me do it. You didn’t listen to me. You are my wife, you are supposed to be with me and... OK, OK. Honey, why don’t we just start all over again? Let’s pretend that this quarrel never happened. Where are you ? What? You are at the zoo, by yourself? And you think I’m going to believe that? .Hello, hello.(He dials again and leaves a message) Pick up the phone, pick up the phone. All right. So if you won’t answer, then I hope you listen to your messages soon, because you are going to be responsible for whatever happens to Pluto. So you’d better come home. Now. (He looks at the cat) Pluto, Pluto. Kitty, kitty, kitty. Come here my little kitty, my little black panther. I have something for you. ( He takes the cat) Don’t be scared, I am only going to take one eye from you. It looks like you actually understand what I am saying. Interesting. Come on, my friend, accept your fate. Like I accept mine.
(He takes out the cat’s eye. The cat runs off in pain)
SCENE 11
Allan: Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, like painting graffiti on the walls, for no other reason than because he knows he should not? Have we not a perpetual inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to violate that which is law, merely because we understand it to be such? In other words: to do wrong for wrong’s sake only.
(Allan goes to sleep. Deborah enters and very slowly tries to look for the cat. She sees blood on the floor. Allan wakes up)
Allan: So you’re here at last.
Deborah: You scared me! I just came to pick up Pluto. What happened here? Are you hurt?
Allan: Yes, I am hurt. You are leaving me.
Deborah: Where did all this blood come from? What have you done? Where’s Pluto?
Allan: Where is Pluto? You are so worried about Pluto! And what about me! Did you ever think about me?
Deborah: What have you done with Pluto!
Allan: I just took one eye from her. It’s entirely your own fault, you made me do it, and I warned you, didn’t I? And I am warning you now, if you do not come back home I’ll take out Pluto’s other eye and hang her from a tree after that.
Deborah: Why, why have you changed so much? I thought you were different, I thought you loved me. I thought you loved your pets. I loved you, but not any more, I can’t live with you any more.
Allan: When you married me, you took an oath; you said you would be with me until death do us part.
Deborah: I can’t live with you! I’m leaving.
Allan: No you’re not. You know, for some time I’ve been having dreams about you; actually they are more like nightmares.
Deborah: Let me go!
Allan: Honey, light of my life, I can hear your heart pounding!
Deborah: Get away from me!
Allan: Just like my father used to say, “Women, you can’t live with them, you can’t live without them”. If you can’t live with me then you won’t live at all. You were my dream, now you are my nightmare. You are like… ‘A Dream Within A Dream.’
Take this kiss upon the brow
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep - while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp them
With a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
(He strangles her and goes to sleep. There is a knock at the door)
SCENE 12
(Enter Liz, the neighbour)
Liz: Good morning, Allan, I am sorry to bother you, but I noticed that Deborah was very upset the other day, and I heard a scream last night and, well, because I know she has not been here for few days I was wondering if everything is all right with her.
Allan: Liz, I appreciate your concern, but she’s fine. I am sure you have things to do in your house, don’t worry about mine. Have a good day.
Merce: Good morning. Allan? I am sorry to bother you, but she has not shown up for work, I was wondering if everything is OK with her.
Allan: Merce? I wish I could tell you something, but as you know perfectly well, she left me. I don’t know where she is. So if you see her, tell her I am still waiting for her. Have a good day.
(Enter Policewoman)
Policewoman: Allan Poe? I am sorry to bother you, sir, but we have received a complaint from some neighbours of yours about domestic disturbances, concerning you and your wife, so we must ask you some questions and with your permission search the house.
Allan: By all means officer, please come in.
(The Policewoman enters)
Policewoman: Sir, we have been told that you and your wife have had several fights, could you confirm that?
Allan: Really! You can tell there’s no such thing as privacy in this town. Yes, officer, my wife and I have argued on several occasions and I must also add that she left me a few days ago; I suppose she mentioned that fact to a particular neighbour.
Policewoman: We have been told as well that the reason she left you was because you hit her on several occasions.
Allan: I only slapped her a couple of times, she is my wife after all, and you know what women are like these days, being a woman yourself. They complain about everything, they are never satisfied, not to mention when they get together… I know for certain that one of her friends from work told her to leave me.
Policewoman: I can’t imagine why. Well it looks like she isn’t here. We’ll keep you informed about our investigation.
Allan: Officer, I am glad to have allayed all your suspicions. You are very welcome, any time, to search my house again. You see, this is a very good house, I may say an excellently well- built house. These walls, these walls, are, are solidly put together, see? Now, that, that sound, perhaps is strange.
(A faint heartbeat can be heard, getting slowly louder)
Policewoman: What sound?
Allan: That pounding.
Policewoman: I’m sorry, but I don’t hear any pounding.
Allan: It’s her heart! I hear her heart! But that’s impossible, she’s dead!
Policewoman: Hear her heart? What are you talking about? Who’s dead?
Allan: Are you mocking me? Don’t you hear it ? Her heart!
Policewoman: I am sorry, sir. I don’t know what sound you’re referring to.
Allan: I can hear your heart pounding! Stop! You are dead! You are dead! Make it stop, please, make it stop! I can’t stand it! I admit it, I killed her ! Pull down the wall! Here, here she is. Here it is, the beating of her hideous heart.
SCENE 13
Allan: I am an anxious person, it is true. Nervous. I was and I am. People will say that I am mad. I am not. Just observe how clearly I’ve told you the whole story. It is impossible to say how the idea first entered my brain, but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. You see, I loved my wife. She had never wronged me. But she started changing, doing whatever she wanted, any time she wanted. I had to correct her on several occasions and every time, she looked at me like… as if I was ... my blood ran cold. Then one day all of a sudden she just told me. “I don’t want to live with you any more”. I think it was just the thought of her living with another man that really bothered me. She was mine, my wife. So by degrees – very gradually – I made up my mind to take her life.
Judge: So you confess that you planned your wife´s murder? What was your motive?
Allan: Yes I confess. Yes. In cold blood, I took her by the neck and strangled her. My motive? I knew that she loved me, but I knew in time she would upset me, she would offend my honor, my manhood, if she left me. I had no choice.
Judge: Now the court will pronounce a verdict. After all the evidence presented along with the confession of the defendant and considering that even though the defendant declares himself to be a sane man, this court considers that he is not. Therefore this court orders the defendant to serve a 90 day period in a mental rehabilitation center for the manslaughter of his wife Deborah Allan, to pay 600 euros to the state for the costs of the trial and to perform 90 days of community work . We hope you will all reflect on this case. And to finish we will quote a man who killed a woman in the street. On the island of Mallorca, Mohammed Balkhir after his arrest said:
“ If she wasn’t going to marry me, she wasn’t going to marry anyone.”
“Si no se casaba conmigo, no se casaría con nadie”
Published in El País, Saturday 8th May, 2010
