The Way Back

The Way Back

A Screenplay by Luke Iandoli
"

I wrote this for a one-act festival

"

Curtain Opens


To a stage set with only a small table

And two chairs. There is nobody on stage.

After a few seconds have passed, the lead walks

Onto the stage. This is WILLIAM, the main character


WILLIAM

Today is the day. The piper has played his final tune and the bear has retired to his den for the final winter.

Today is the day that I have finally accepted the fact

that this will never get better for me. I really, truly wish

that there was another option, but it seems that this is

the only choice I am left with. Could this have been avoided?

If I had heeded the advice of the therapists or indulged myself in so called “miracle pills,”

would I be somewhere else now? No. I would rather it be that

nothing could help. That I was simply a born basket case. At least then I know that it was not my fault. At least I know

that there was nothing I could do.


William sits down at the chair


WILLIAM

Why has the thought of me ending my conscious taken this

ong to fully form? Perhaps up until know, I believed that

I had hit a stretch of bad luck and it was due time

for the universe to repay me for the harm it had caused me


William laughs sadly


WILLIAM

I can not even say it without breaking into laughter.

The illusion around me has collapsed, revealing my true

setting, a bleak, barren wasteland. I was simply an actor, portraying a role, and know I am forced to attempt the rest of

the show without a stage, walking through the motions in a barren space of nothingness. Well. Here I am. Finally

confronting the truth which has been eluding me this long.

I have finally struck the deeper meaning, yet what

I believed to be gold was only dust.


From underneath the table, William pulls

out a fake knife


WILLIAM

With this blade, I call upon you Angel, Angel

of sleep, Angel of Peace, Angel of Endings, Angel

of Death. Take this burden of my shoulders and

close my eyes, for I am too tired to do it myself.

Come Angel of death. Whisk me far away from this

land of suffering, for I can walk no further.

Come Angel!


With this, there is knocks off stage and

the lights flicker and from the side opposite where

William entered, DEATH walks in. Death is dressed in colorful

attire.(A girl or boy may be cast for this role.)


DEATH

Who here calls my name? Who here has

forgotten the consequences of ushering the

names of death in that manner?


WILLIAM

I do, I William Barret have called you, yet I am sorry, for you, Death, do

not match the image which I had built for

you in my mind.


Death laughs cheerfully at this and sits down

in the opposite chair


DEATH

Oh poor man! I understand your confusion,

yet I do not understand why this

image of the dark and terrifying hooded figure

does not match who I truly am


WILLIAM

I apologize for my my kinds misconception, but

you must understand why we have taken

to describing you in that dreary fashion, you are

a terrifying thought for some


DEATH

I never understood that. My friend, do

I scare you now?


WILLIAM

No, now that I see you for who you are,

I understand why you would be upset at

the common description of your stature.


DEATH

Well, thank you. But enough on that,

why do you, someone with so much time left call

my name?


WILLIAM

With this knife, I call you to take

me away from here. I call you to lay me to rest and

to strip away my dirty, ragged clothes and dress me

in loose linens


DEATH

Do you know what these words you

speak mean?


WILLIAM

Yes, I speak, therefore

I understand


DEATH

Such is not always the case my new friend.

What you ask I could grant

to you with the snap of the fingers, but you

    must assure me that you are completely sure of yourself and

your decision. Tell me, why do you want this?


WILLIAM

For a while I had asked myself that very question, and

the answer I found was: For me, there is no reason not to.

As you can see, my home is empty and my pocket and heart empty.


DEATH

Yes, I am aware that for your entire life, you

have received the worst of it, but tell me, have you

no hope that things will become better?


WILLIAM

I once did, but that time

has passed.


DEATH

And why do you no longer?


WILLAIM

Well, I came to a very interesting realization.

It seems to me, that the universe is not real


DEATH

And what do you mean by that?


WILLIAM

After months of rigorous thinking, I described my

absurd notion as this, while it is easy and reassuring

to personify the universe and blame your misfortunes on it,

is completely wrong. The universe does not target a mortal because the universe does not think, breath or speak, but, being

the Angel of Death, I believe you know this already.


DEATH

Yes, I was fully aware of the lack of a

controlling factor, at one time of my immortal life, this scared me very much, enough to send me spiraling into

the same mindset as you are currently in.


WILLIAM

So, Angel, do you understand why I

seek eternal sleep from you?


Death throws his head back in

laughter, placing his/her hand on

Williams hand


DEATH

William, I understand that the acceptance of

overwhelming irrelevance is terrifying

and I understand that this is a truly catalytic moment

in man’s life, if they are unlucky enough to experience

it, but no, I do not believe this is a reason to

call out my name


WILLIAM

How can you say this when you yourself

have admitted the pain that this

discovery drove you to the edge?


DEATH

Yes, what you speak of is true, but I

recovered from it, therefore you can also


WILLIAM

How can I? How can I overcome this

barrier? How am I to conquer this

beast?


DEATH

You will not be able to conquer the beast

or overcome the barrier because this truth is

neither of those things which you mentioned.


WILLIAM

I’m sorry, but I must disagree with you here.

my goal in life was to achieve happiness, and this

has kept me from reaching that, therefore it is a barrier,

and if it drives me to call death, then it is, in my opinion,

a beast


DEATH

No. You are wrong here. This is only a realization.

Do you realize what you have done? You have contradicted

yourself, William. Earlier, you told me how foolish

it is to personify the universe, yet here you are,

personifying the lack of order in the very same

universe


William sits thinking for a moment


WILLIAM

Yes, I see the mistake I have made, however I was

using those comparisons to present my point

to you. I understand that this is only a thought,

but this thought has prevented me from reaching happiness or

anything similar to it. Therefore, I would argue

that it does act as a barrier


DEATH

Oh simple, naive man. This is not a barrier

which you face! This small notion should not

prevent you from living a happy life. In fact, this

should propel you for it. Do you realize what you mean

William? Do you realize the comfort this will bring you when you come to accept the great truth?


WILLIAM

How can I accept my own irrelevance? How can

I continue through the rest of my life knowing

that my actions will never be truly relevant?
How am I to continue pushing the same boulder over and over

when I know it will only slip out of my grasp and tumble down

the great hill, forcing me to begin my task again? How am

I to continue with this if I know that it is all for nothing, if

it is all an act of distraction which engages me until my

death? Tell me Angel, how am I to thrive in a world deprived of meaning?


DEATH

You speak like a man who has contemplated

this for most of his life


WILLIAM

It is because I have, this question has rarely

left my mind.


DEATH

It is extremely difficult to enjoy

the happenings around you when

your mind is in turmoil. Tell me before I tell

you what you must do, have you ever experienced

complete clarity in the mind?


WILLIAM

At one point in my life I must have, but

I do not remember those times. This is not the only thing

which I contemplate


DEATH

Ah I see. I see that your mind has gotten

the better of you, bending your body to it’s will.

This should not be so, the body should always be ahead

of the mind, or else every human would suffer from the

same illness you possess.


The two sit in silence for

a moment.


DEATH

I have made my decision on whether

I will fulfill your wish or not. I have decided

to allow you to choose, but I warn you, think

this through, and if you will, allow me to attempt

in persuading you to choose what is to come

rather than the end.


WILLIAM

That seems to be counterintuitive to you.

Does the angel of death not enjoy

taking souls when it is there time

to enter the endless sleep?


DEATH

Only when it is

the proper time. When I am

completely convinced a life must end, and even then

I do not particularly enjoy delivering the fatal

touch. Truthfully, it pains me to take a man or woman

from their loved ones. That is the punishment

I am given in exchange for my power and immortality.

Seeing men and women from all backgrounds and lifestyles curse my name as I take the ones they love destroys me. This, William, this subject which I have just brought up is the reason

why I must persuade you to stay. You have time left. You still have time to right your wrongs and to achieve the goal you

spoke so eagerly of.


WILLIAM

But a moment ago you agreed with me on

my, and everybody else’s insignificance and lack

of purpose.


DEATH

Yes, but you see, although we may all

be born just to die, that does not mean

we cannot enjoy the little realities we experience.

The cool breeze on a hot summer night,

or the starburst of

colors which follow the setting sun. Your lack of

relevance does not prevent you from enjoying the starscape on a clear night. You see William, the beautiful thing about this absurd realization is that once you have accepted it, you may give yourself the purpose which you believe your mind lacks.
In this absurd world, we give ourself essence, not the universe, and I personally, take great comfort in this, for I am not

one to ride the ebbs and flows of so-called “fate.” I would rather script my own life rather than act along to someone else’s. This William, is why I implore you to reconsider your

decision


WILLIAM

What you say makes sense, but how am

I to live by that? How am I supposed to

tread this path you have lain for me

without being stirred? How shall I stay true to

your words?


DEATH

That is your task William. This goal you seek

is not easily attainable, however it is possible

to grasp. This is not an easy path my friend, yet

I would argue it to be much better than the

alternative. I’m sorry to cut our discussion short,

but as you know, my job is extremely demanding and

I must be going. I will give you time to consider your decision, I am leaving you with two flowers, the Lily and the Gardenia.

One represents endings, and the other beginnings. One symbolizes twilight, and the other dawn. I truly hope you choose wisely, for this is no decision to be taken lightly.


Death stands up from the table and pushes

in the chair he/she sat in. Then, produces the two

flowers previously spoken about, placing them both

on the table in front of William


DEATH
Good luck my friend. Please, take

your time with this decision, for this truly

Is a matter of life and death


With this, death leaves the room,

walking out the same way he/she entered,

leaving William all alone with the two flowers.




The End

© 2017 Luke Iandoli


Author's Note

Luke Iandoli
Love it or hate it, do what you will with it

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Added on March 20, 2017
Last Updated on March 20, 2017
Tags: One act, death, life, the absurd