Yellow Dress

Act One

Scene 1: Once Upon A Time

(Sheer darkness covers the alternate world of a dream like dimension.
The sound of pouring rain fills the vacuum of the scene.
A little girl’s nervous humming can be heard.
This is followed by footsteps approaching.
A man’s voice, calm, collected, terrifying...)

The Man:
Now what is a little girl like you...
Doing in a place like this...
All...
Alone...

(The little girl screams.
The sound of tearing flesh.
A spotlight on a man in a tailored suit.
He’s wearing a mask.
The mask is always smiling.
The mask is spattered in blood.
He will hereby be referred to as The Man.)

The Man:
Trigger Warning.
This play contains images of rape... violence... and bodily harm....
Etcetera. Etcetera.
What you are about to see is not fit for human consumption.
I would say viewer discretion is advised,
But you’ve already paid for your ticket,
And sat down in your seat,
And everyone knows it is rude to leave the theatre
In the middle of the play...
So... One could say...
I’ve got you trapped.

(A female voice rings out from the darkness.)

The Doll:
Once upon a time...

(A spotlight rises on a feminine silhouette. A mannequin-like creature.
It faces away from the audience.
Its movements are sexy and seductive.
Not by choice though. It’s forced to move in this manner by a human operator.
It is a puppet.
This creature will hereby be referred to as The Doll.)

The Doll:
A girl met a boy whom she thought would be her Prince Charming.

(The little girl's voice returns.)

The Little Girl:
No no no!
You're skipping ahead!

(A spotlight rises on the little girl.
She wears a yellow dress.
Her dark hair is pulled back in pigtails
Her cheeks are red with blush.
She plays in the dirt as she speaks.)

The Little Girl:
Once upon a time
there was a little boy
Who met a little girl
who would become
His very best friend.

The Man:
Once upon a time...
A boy would learn the rules of becoming a man.

The Doll:
That man was not her Prince Charming.
He was not there for her when she walked in the dark.

The Little Girl:
The little boy and the little girl
would play in the woods every day.
They played make believe and
pretended that he was a pretty princess.
And she was a handsome prince.
One day he said:
“Boy oh boy, what a pretty yellow dress you have.
How I wish I could wear one just like it.”

The Man:
Rule number one:
Men don’t wear dresses.

The Doll:
The dark is a scary place for a girl to walk alone.
When a girl stands in the shadows she hears things.
“Hey baby, I wanna take you home tonight.”

The Man:
Hey baby, I wanna take you home tonight.

The Doll:
“I think you’d look better with your dress on the floor.”

The Man:
I think you’d look better with your eyes on your breasts.

The Doll:
So the girl took off all her clothes
And gouged out her eyes
And taped them to her nipples.

The Little Girl:
When the boy’s daddy found out about the little girl
The boy was punished severely.
Sometimes you can still see the scars.

The Man:
Rule Number 2:
Men and women can’t be friends.

The Doll:
Once upon a time there was a boy
Who fell in love with other boys.
But nobody ever loved him back.

The Man:
Rule Number 3:
Men don’t love other men.
Men don’t love at all.
Only women are allowed to love men.
So that they can serve them.

Rule Number 4:
Men don’t cry.
Men don’t smile.
Men don’t feel anything at all.

The Little Girl:
Once upon a time...

The Doll:
Once upon a time...

The Man:
Once upon a time
A boy named Cody went on a very strange journey
In which he learned what it means to be a man.

Scene 2: Girl Trouble

(A bachelor pad.
Clothing, trash, and empty beer cans streamer strewn about.
Cody, dressed in a sports jersey and basketball shorts sits on a couch, playing video games.
He’s getting really into the game.
He tries to play one handed while he sticks a hand down his shorts to adjust his crotch.
A sound of defeat emerges from the video game. He died.
He tosses the controller on the ground and grabs a half empty beer can from a table next to the couch.
He chugs and finishes with a belch.
He pulls out his phone to check for messages.
Nothing. He’s clearly annoyed.
He dials a number. He gets a voicemail.)

Cody:
Heyyyyy Rose.
It’s me.
Cody.
Again.
Look, I get it.
You’re probably ignoring because you’re mad.
You’re allowed to be mad. I fucked up.
My heart really hurts being away from you.
You’re beautiful and I miss you.
And I hope you forgive me real soon.

(He doesn’t know what else to say.
He hangs up.
He sits and stares at his phone.
A toilet flushes in an adjoining bathroom.
Enter Sean, who has a grunge look going on.)

Sean:
Girl trouble?

Cody:
You fuckin’ know it, bro.

Sean:
What’s this one’s name?

Cody:
Rose.

Sean:
Rose, huh?
A bitch by any other name
would smell as sweet.

Cody:
What?

Sean:
Never mind.
So what did you do this time?

Cody:
I don’t fuckin know man.
We both got drunk and had a huge fight the other night.
I don’t even remember what it was about, honestly.
Fuck it. I don’t wanna talk about it.
I just wanna get drunk
And play Skyrim
and hang with you, man.

Sean:
Psh.
Skyrim’s fuckin’ weak.
Dude you gotta play Dark Souls.
Now that’s a man's game.

Cody:
Fuck that.
I tried Dark Souls man!
That shit is way too hard.
Fuckin skeletons kept wrecking me.

Sean:
C’mon, don’t be a pussy.
Two words, my friend.
Git gud.

Cody:
Yeah, why don’t you suck my dick,
Then I’ll play Dark Souls.

Sean:
Don’t have to ask me twice.

Cody:
Fuck you dude.
You know I was just joking...

Sean:
Relax, I’m fuckin with you.

Cody:
So uh...
How is the uh
Homosexual lifestyle treating you.

Sean:
Eh... Can’t complain.
Guys are easier to get in bed with
And they are MUCH less complicated than chicks.
I’ve been so much happier since I came out.

Cody:
Aww man, I’m jealous.
What I wouldn’t give to be free
From complicated females.

Sean:
You’re welcome to switch sides any time.

Cody:
Nice try, dude. Nice try.
So where the fuck you been, man?
You kinda dropped off the face of the earth
For a while there. Been worried ‘bout ya.

Sean:
Ya, I kinda had to, ya know?
Didn’t really wanna deal with people.
To tell you the truth,
I've been in and out of the hospital.

Cody:
Oh? For the stomach thing?

Sean:
Yeah yeah, for the stomach thing, sure...
And some other stuff-

Cody:
You don't gotta talk about it if you don't want to.

Sean:
No, it's cool. Anyways I'm all over
that shit now. Got a really gnarly scar though.

(Sean lifts his shirt.
A long jagged scar runs down his stomach.)

Cody:
Duuuuude... Can I feel?

Sean:
Go ahead!

(Cody runs his hand up the scar.
His hand lingers a bit too long.)

Cody:
I'm so fucking sorry that happened, dude.

Sean:
It's fine. Guys seem to find it pretty sexy,
so at least something good came out of it.

Cody:
That fucker...
THAT FUCKER,

Sean:
It's fine

Cody:
God it makes me so angry.

Sean:
I'm fine.

Cody:
I hope that fucker rots.

Sean:

He will. Didn’t you hear?

Cody:
Hear what?

Sean:
Douche got shanked in prison.
Last I heard he’s in the ICU.

Cody:
Good. He deserved it.

Sean:
Yeah...

Cody:
Yeah...

Sean:
So what did you need to talk to me ‘bout?
You sounded pretty freaked out
In your voicemail.

Cody:
Psh, it’s nothing, I don’t need to talk about it now.

Sean:
Why not?
Dude, you called me in the middle of the
night, freaking the fuck out. You can’t expect
me to just pretend it didn’t happen.

Cody:
Do you ever think about...?
I dunno...
Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened?
If I hadn’t left you alone in that locker room?

Sean:
All the fucking time.
But it’s okay. You--

Cody:
I think about it sometimes.
But it’s not just you I think about.
I think what if it had been me...
Lying there... bleeding out...
I think... Why wasn’t it me?
Sometimes I’m crossing a street
And a car drives by.
And I think:
“What if I just let it hit me.”
I love this girl so much dude.
And I think I’ve done something unforgivable.
And ever since we fought,
I feel like I’m being followed.
Stalked, actually.
I see people, more like shadows,
Walking behind me down alleyways
only I usually walk. And I think this
Apartment might be haunted because I
keep hearing a little girl laughing.
And somehow I know she’s laughing at me.
Last night I had a dream
In it my father was alive and
It was like I was a kid again.
I saw my mother’s yellow dress
I dreamt my father was a monster with big claws
And a smiling face
And I smelled his rancid tobacco
And he was chasing me down a long dark hallway
And then I dreamt of feathers falling from the sky
And I was reaching up for something
That I couldn’t catch.
I dreamt we were in that locker room again.
And you were bleeding out on the floor
And the knife was in my hand
And it was covered in your blood.
That’s why when I woke up
All I wanted to do was call you and say...
“I’m sorry.”

(Sean hugs Cody.
A sincere, unselfconscious hug.)

Sean:
I don’t blame you for what happened.
I could never blame you.

(They look at each other.
They don’t let go.
Sean moves in closer, but so does Cody.
They kiss. It is long and passionate.
They suddenly realize what they are doing.
They break the kiss.
They turn away from each other.)

I shouldn’t have done that.

Cody:
I’ve always wanted to do that.

(They look at each other.)

I love Rose.
I love her so much.
But I also love you.
I’ve always loved you.

(A flash of lightning causes the lights to flicker.
They both jump, startled, and then laugh at themselves.
The lights go out all the way and they fall silent.
In the distance a scream is heard.
They both look at each other.
They both aren’t sure if what they heard was real.
Another scream, this time louder.
The screaming continues, drawing closer and closer.
It’s a little girl’s scream.
The boys run to the window to see if they can find
the source of the screaming.)

Sean:
What the fuck?
What the fuck?
WHAT THE FUCK!?

Cody:
Do you see anything?

Sean:
No. Can’t see shit through this rain.

Cody:
You heard what I heard, right?

Sean:
Yeah, no shit.
Sounded like a little kid.
Dude, I’m freaking out.

(The scream resumes, closer now.
She’s probably right down the street.)

Cody:
Aww man, I think she’s close.
What do we do? Should we help?

Sean:
It’s probably just some kids messing around.

(The screams are right outside.
Suddenly there is the sound
of tiny little fists banging rapidly on the door.)

Cody:
Dude, go open it!

Sean:
It’s your place!
You go open it!

The Little Girl (Offstage):
HELP ME! PLEASE HELP!

Sean:
Dude, it’s a little girl!
Go help her!

The Little Girl (Offstage):
Help! He’s Coming!
He’s coming to get me!
He’s gonna hurt me!

Cody:
Oh fuck, fuck, fuck!

(Cody goes to open the door.
The Little Girl runs inside.
Cody slams the door behind her and locks it.)

The Little Girl:
Thank you, Mister, Thank you!

Sean:
Are you okay, little girl?
What was that all about?
What are you running away from?

The Little Girl:
A man! A big scary man,
with a crooked smile!
And pointy teeth!
And big sharp claws!

Cody:
What were you doing out so late at night?

The Little Girl:
I snuck out to go watch the sunrise.
I had always wanted to go see it.
But Daddy works too late.
And Mama never gets up early.
I figured I’d be back and in bed
before anybody even noticed.
On my way there...
I turned the corner down an alleyway
And then I saw him...
Standing there...
His head was shivering.
And he was making weird noises.
And then he saw me.
And he started running towards me.
He ran so fast he almost went on all fours
Crawling like an animal.
As he chased me the lights started flickering around us
It was like a shadow was following him.
I didn’t think I’d get away.

(The Little Girl starts to cry.
The Boys don’t know what to do.
The lights start to flicker.)

The Little Girl:
Oh No!
Oh no-no no-no no!
He’s coming!
He knows I’m here!
HE’S GONNA GET ME.

(The lights flicker rapidly.
A low rumble starts and grows rapidly.
The ground starts to shake.
Lights blare on The Man who is suddenly in the room.)

Cody:
WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING.

(The Little Girl screams...
And everything falls to black.)

End of Act One

Act 2: Blue Tower

Scene 1: La Poupee

(Lights rise on a desolate world, like something out of a Beksinski Painting. An urban sprawl of spinning fans, Stinking mist, and damp concrete. Rain continues to fall. Cody lies in a puddle passed out. He is stark naked, revealing a well-built physique. Something is standing a bit of a ways away It is the Doll. She stands completely still, wearing what appears to be a yellow dress... we can’t really tell though... She’s still shrouded in silhouette Slowly but surely Cody stumbles awake. He yawns and stretches and casually rubs at his crotch, then the wetness sets in and he realizes he’s lying in a puddle. He pulls himself up to a sitting position. His ass is now completely soaked.)

Cody: The fuck?

(He looks at his surroundings. He doesn’t recognize this place.)

Hello!? Sean? Where are you buddy?

(He rises to his feet and brushes himself off. The Cold finally hits him. He hugs himself and starts shivering.)

Hello? Is there anybody around?

(He looks around and sees the Doll.)

Rose? Is that you? Please, you’ve got to help me I- I don’t know where I am or How I got here

(A light finally rises on the Doll as he grabs her shoulder and turns her around revealing two large black X’s covering her eyes.)

Cody: It’s not Rose. It’s... It’s just a mannequin... Wait a minute... That dress... It looks familiar...

The Doll: You know it’s rude to stare at a woman’s chest.

Cody: Oh I’m sorry! I thought you were... Someone else...

The Doll: Do I look like your girlfriend?

Cody: Or something. Listen can you tell me where we are? I just woke up in the alley over there and I don’t know how I got there.

The Doll: Rough night, huh?

Cody: You could say.

The Doll: Maybe I could make you feel better?

Cody: Just directions would be fine.

The Doll: Oh, I’m sorry... Usually guys only approach me When they want that sort of thing.

Cody: Well that’s just awful!

What happened to your eyes? If you don’t mind me asking...

The Doll: Oh those old things? I didn’t need them anymore.

Cody: I see.

The Doll: Oh your shivering! You poor thing! Why don’t you take this?

(She begins to take off the “dress.”)

Cody: No, really... It’s okay... I don’t need it... Thank you but...

(The dress is already off revealing bright blue eyes attached to the Doll’s breasts)

Cody: So that’s where your eyes went.

The Doll: You ought to take the dress. It’s cold outside. And you’ve a long journey ahead of you.

Cody: A journey?

(Cody takes the dress.)

The Doll: The Man has taken something precious of yours.

Cody: The Man? What man?

(Cody puts on the dress.)

The Doll: THE Man.

Cody: Does this man have a name?

The Doll: If he does no one knows it. The Man is the ruler of this world. Been so for thousands of years. No one knows when his reign began No one knows when his reign will end. The only thing we know is his word is supreme, and He decided to take your friends away. He’s locked them in two towers on either side of the world. At the top of the blue tower an old flame waits, flickering. At the top of the red tower a flower has just begun to blossom. Any moment now the flame could flicker out. Any moment now the flower could wither away. Do you understand?

Cody: Sean... And Rose...

The Doll: And so... You must choose... Which tower will you climb first?

Cody: How will I know how to get to these towers once I decide?

The Doll: Follow the road we are on now. You will find a little girl in a Yellow Dress just like the one you are wearing. Tell her your choice and she will lead you to the tower.

Cody: Rose? And... Sean? But I don’t understand... What have they done? Why has he taken them?

The Doll: They have done nothing and that is precisely the point. They have been brought here because they are witnesses.

Cody: Witnesses to what?

The Doll: To the creation of the creature that stands before me.

Cody: But how am I supposed to choose between them?

The Doll: The only choice you must make is who you retrieve first. If you’re fast enough... it is possible to rescue both. Now enough talk. Time is growing short. If you do not hurry up Then they shall befall a fate worse than death. Now run I say, run! You have until the sun rises!