No Such Thing

17 Year Old Kimberly White has a 6th sense, and attempts to convince her skeptic, religious parents that she can see Frank, a poltergeist.

 Set: The stage is divided into two ‘rooms’. One is Kimberly’s room, the other is the Kitchen. Kimberly’s room is that of a typical 17 year old, boy band posters and memory boards with pictures from somewhere that snowed, maybe North Carolina. The set here is unknown. Over the bedpost is a crucifix, the foot of the bed faces the downstage so the crucifix is in clear sight. A picture of Jesus Christ is on the nightstand, and next to it is a picture of a great big fog that has no real shape.

The Kitchen doesn’t need to be in any specific design. The table cover has to be long and to the floor.

 

“No Such Thing”

By Saskia Liddick

 

Act 1 Scene 1

 

House and stage lights are you, there is complete silence, then Kimberly can be heard calling out at first in a whisper, and then loudly.

Kimberly: Frank are you there?? (There is silence again, and a house light turns on. Mother stands at a door stage left, her hand on a light switch looking in on her daughter’s room, Kimberly appearing to be fast asleep. Mother clucks her tongue and turns off the light and exits. Kimberly calls out again in the darkness)

Kimberly: Frank answer me!

(Frank answers Kimberly, his voice emanating from almost everywhere. His words are inaudible.)

Kimberly (sounding relieved): Jesus, Frank, I thought that priest actually scared you off this time. (A dim light comes up on stage, and Kimberly can be seen walking around her room, searching under her bed and behind furniture as she speaks)

(More inaudible words from Frank.)    

Kimberly (laughing): Get out here Frank where I can see you, there’s a lot you gotta hear about, some crazy s**t happened while you were gone.

(Fog comes from onto the stage and lights out.)

 

(Lights up on the Kitchen, where Mother and Father are sitting at the kitchen table, each holding cups of coffee. There are remnants of moving boxes and things are cluttered. The only things that are sure about the room are the crucifix over the front door, and the unmovable counters and refrigerator. Both parents look apprehensive and sip nervously from their cups.)

 

Father: I think the medication is helping Missy, she hasn’t been so edgy lately.

Mother (Grips her coffee mug and looks over her shoulder): But she still talks out loud, I hear her at night, I heard her just now, she calls out in the dark like she’s looking for someone….

Father: Maybe she’s just saying a prayer, you can’t take it so seriously Mi-

Mother: She’s not saying a prayer Bobby! She mutters to herself like she’s scared. I swear it’s getting worse!

(Both of them are quiet and Kimberly’s voice can be heard in a quiet whisper, and Mother jumps out of her chair and points to the bedroom.)

Mother: This is exactly what I’m saying Bobby!

Father (Waving her words away with his hand like a bunch of flies): The medication has helped Missy, maybe she’s just having a minor relapse, it’s nothing to worry about, remember she’s going to see Dr. Stone on Tuesday, we can talk to him about it then. It’s late, let’s go to bed.

(Mother and Father put their mugs in the sink and as the mother puts hers on the rack to dry, the table cover ruffles and Father stares with a concerned look on his face. Mother sees this and walks over to take his hand trying to see where his focus is.)

Mother: What is it Bobby?

Father: I… (dismisses the moving table cloth) nothing, I’m just tired that’s all.

(They link arms and exit stage right. Before the lights are out the table covers move again and lift up and Frank, a ghost with a pale and expressionless face pokes his head from under the table and looks out at the audience and smiles as the lights fade out.)

Author's Note

This play was my attempt at script writing. I understand if is a little vague, off, or anything like that, this was what I tried to do.
I don't think I would even get it past the 1st act, this is just something I wanted to write because it had sounded like a good idea at the time.