HFA Creativity Contest: Stories that Matter
3rd Place Winner (Prose)
This Is Not A Drill
By Nicholas Freedson
Nicholas Freedson is a recent graduate from the Department of Theater and Dance at UCSB.
Characters:
Lina
Fisher- Lina’s younger brother.
LINA’s FRIENDS-
Danny
Nikki
Caroline
Jean-Louise
JESSIE (Female/Male. Written as male) Younger than the rest of the characters. Think of the classic American icon of the little newsboys. Should be dressed in the newsboy style (At least the cap). Jessie is the anchor of reality. Also plays the bus driver, teacher and police officer. Jessie is the embodiment of gun violence awareness and all the victims of school shootings.
(Stage is dark. There is a closed-door UL. Four chairs placed at intervals around the stage; two additional chairs must be set DR next to each other. A Desk sits UC with a telephone on it. The door opens and NIKKI, JEAN, DANNY and CAROLINE enter wearing backpacks and each lie down in front of a chair using their backpacks as pillows. LINA and FISHER enter wearing backpacks carrying blankets and pillows. FISHER has a violin case and bruises on his face. LINA and FISHER make their beds next to each other DR at the foot of the two chairs and set their backpacks and the violin case next to them. The door is left open. The sound of a bicycle bell twice: “Ding, Ding”. JESSIE enters on a bicycle. He carries a satchel filled with newspaper rolls. Stops DC. Lights up. He walks around them as they are lying down and drops newspapers next to everyone except FISHER.)
JESSIE Wake up. Time to wake up! Listen! Listen! Listen!
(NIKKI, CAROLINE, DANNY and JEAN all sit up. They look at the newspapers. Then throw them towards LINA’s bed without opening them and go back to sleep. JESSIE turns to the audience.)
That’s what I’m talking about. That’s dangerous. looking the other way. We all need to wake up.
(JESSIE walks over to LINA)
You need to wake up Lina. Find a way to face the truth.
(JESSIE retreats DL into the shadows with his bicycle and parks it. FISHER begins to get out of bed. He reaches over and picks up LINA’s phone out of her backpack and taps on the screen. He puts it back in, carefully zipping it up. LINA lifts her head. She doesn’t see JESSIE. She notices all the newspapers and pushes them aside. JESSIE shakes his head.)
LINA Fisher? It’s not time for school yet. It’s five thirty. Thirty more minutes.
(She notices the bruises on his face.)
Are those bruises new?
FISHER Shut up.
LINA Sorry. Was it Pierce? Brett? Pryce?
FISHER Jackson.
LINA That Fucker.
FISHER You’re drunk.
LINA (smiles) Hungover.
FISHER Doesn’t it bother you? They call you-
(He turns away.)
LINA Sort of.
FISHER Well it should.
LINA I’ve gotten used to it. Don’t let ‘em get to you Fish.
(FISHER hugs her. She is surprised.)
Hey...You’re a genuine, kind person which is really fucking rare for some reason. Don’t change.
(FISHER picks up the violin case)
Fish, we don’t have orchestra today. You don’t need your fiddle.
FISHER First, it’s a violin. Second, I’m in string quartet. Third, yes. Yes, I do need it.
LINA Is today one of those days where you just want to play a song under the tree at lunch or something?
FISHER Yes.
LINA They’re really pretty. Your songs.
FISHER They’re really not.
LINA Yes, they are.
FISHER You wouldn’t say that if you weren’t drunk.
LINA Mmm...I’m hungover. There’s a difference.
(FISHER begins to leave)
You’re leaving early?
FISHER I feel like walking today.
LINA Well I’m sleeping in. Good morning. My alarm will wake me.
(She passes out)
FISHER Yeah. Eventually.
(LIGHTS FADE TO DARK. LIGHTS UP AGAIN. FISHER is gone. CAROLINE, NIKKI, DANNY and JEAN wake up.)
ALL EXCEPT LINA AND JESSIE Old North Charter. Wakin’ up on a Friday. A day like any other.
CAROLINE A favorite day, I’d say.
ALL EXCEPT LINA AND JESSIE We set our alarms to six A.M.
(LINA takes her phone out of her bag)
LINA P.M. No. A.M. It was A.M. Must have been.
(LINA looks at her phone in confusion. She throws her phone back in her bag. She gets out of bed slowly but leaves her backpack on the floor. She seems to be in a different world.)
CAROLINE I wake up at six to the sound of my alarm. And it hits me like bricks, but it wakes me like a charm. It’s set to the symphonically mauled alarm and it’s soundin’-
JEAN In my small room. It’s ironically called “alarm,” and it’s poundin’-
DANNY Like a monsoon in my head, pulling me out of bed.
NIKKI I don’t want to let go but I gotta get some traction, keep my sly and my cool. Rushing to school. Gotta go! Gotta go! Gotta get on the bus.
(NIKKI grabs her pack, drags her chair and starts the bus formation. Chairs should eventually form the inside of a bus. She takes out a notepad and pencil from her bag and begins solving math problems)
CAROLINE God the morning’s monstrous! I part the bed sheets like a high school Moses. Walk through the Red Sea of a red eye morning. Readin’ the signs of this life I was born in. Grab my gloves and my books and dodge the left hook of bein’ late. Get the ball rollin’, I find myself strollin’ out the front door without a fuss. Get on the bus.
(CAROLINE moves her chair and sits. She takes out some boxing gloves and starts fiddling with them.)
DANNY Mattress. You’re a cruel mistress. My internal compass leading my conscious to the cloudless coolness of a perfect day. Don’t have much to say but I’ve got a new way to play chess and that pulls me from my rest. Black or white, I strive to be the best. Get on the bus.
(DANNY moves his chair and sits. He takes out a portable chess board and starts placing some pieces on it to play around with.)
JEAN Wow. Ya’ll are borin’! Check it! I be soarin’! Wreck it! Alarm intensifies, amplifies, agonizing me! Damn! What a nuisance! “Jean! No excuses!” My mom yells in my face-
(LINA walks to the chairs and circles them.) DANNY You’re not getting out of bed because you’re scared of my love-chase!
(JEAN moves her chair. She completes her rap in the aisle, savoring her moment in the spotlight)
JEAN (Fondly) Shut up, you box-case!
LINA He wants to make sure you don’t erase him from your database!
(They do not acknowledge her)
NIKKI Doesn’t wanna be replaced!
JEAN Nah. I’d just hit the backspace. Manipulate the interface. Control time at my fingertips. Now that’s a power; a crazy quip! I’d cypher that! Try for that! Sorta kinda lyin’ but I’d die for that! But I get up out of bed and grab my pack and now I’m out! Jumpin’ on the yellow bus like I’m atomically created, I’m anticipated, proclamated, hackin’ it, wackin’ and I’ve got nothin’ that I’m lackin’ yet. ‘Cause I’m Jean Louise, I never cease and I put this day together, piece by piece! Get on the bus!
DANNY, CAROLINE, NIKKI Ohhhhhhhh!
(JEAN takes out a comic book and begins to read)
LINA (To audience) She’s a computer wiz and comic nerd. Her confidence can leave you blurred.
DANNY I’m not sour but it’s hard to wow her, when turning back time is her dream super power. That’s what she loves. She’s hard to seek, when I’m just some chess geek.
CAROLINE Love’s like boxing, Danny. Put on your gloves.
(Hits him affectionately with the gloves)
DANNY Easy for you to say. I’m not a boxer.
CAROLINE Don’t be jealous. I’ve been going rounds with someone for a cycle that seems endless.
DANNY On the bus!
NIKKI On the bus!
CAROLINE On the bus!
JEAN On the bus!
LINA Everyone living the story of us.
JESSIE Are you sure? (beat) School bus, Jacksonville Florida.
(JESSIE takes out a newspaper, opens it and spreads it flat on the floor)
LINA Waking up on a Friday...It’s a great feeling. You actually feel like reeling in the benefits of life and ya keep copin’ so your eyes fly open and you think “Damn it’s the morning!”
CAROLINE And this is the story you never want to end.
NIKKI And just around the bend is the weekend! It’s in sight!
DANNY/JEAN That’s right!
NIKKI It’s at the end of the weekly tunnel, and we live for that light!
ALL EXCEPT JESSIE AND LINA The weekend.
DANNY That means playing chess with Danny!
NIKKI Solivin’ proofs with Nikki!
JEAN X-Men comics! They’re uncanny!
CAROLINE Floating like a butterfly, and stinging like a bee.
(LINA moves down stage.)
LINA (To audience) All those thoughts rush through my body, my arms, my head. I hush the alarm, jump out of bed, run down the stairs but today, I’m tired. It’s my bed I desire. Not us. This day, this specific Friday isn’t easy, I fought with difficulty to not hit the outrageously large snooze button to become a snooze glutton for eight more minutes. I’m trembling. Sweating, stressing, fretting. Something’s a little wrong. I’m running down a familiar slope that’s too steep.
DANNY Could have used the extra sleep.
LINA Should have used the extra sleep. ‘Cause somethin’ is comin. I know it. My subconscious compass isn’t pointing-
JESSIE North Park Elementary. San Bernadino, California.
(JESSIE takes out a newspaper, opens it and spreads it flat on the floor. He puts on a neon vest like those used by school bus drivers and becomes the BUS DRIVER. He takes LINA’s chair moving it to the front of the bus and sits. LINA follows him into the bus and stands next to her chair, half asleep.)
LINA Today I’m pumped with Hoplophobia.
BUS DRIVER (to audience) An irrational aversion to weapons or armed citizens. Coined by Jeff Cooper. Sounds pretty rational to me.
LINA We’ll see. Get on the bus.
NIKKI She sleeps on the bus.
JEAN No secrets between us. Is she hungover?
DANNY She’s hungover.
JEAN Oh, she’s def’nately hungover!
NIKKI She’s usually not this tired.
CAROLINE Tell them why.
LINA (turning) I stayed out with Caroline the night before. Drinking a bit. Not hardcore. But just talking. How liking girls leaves me curled up in a ball after being pushed around by kids in the halls. How I’m a mess.
(Walking down the bus aisle)
About Danny’s inconceivable talent for chess-
DANNY Checkmate, man. Never settle for less.
LINA Nikki’s unbelievable, intellectual, mathematical, mind (NIKKI smiles and acknowledges the compliment silently) Jeanie’s comic book dream of turning back time. And then, there’s Caroline. My Cheshire cat.
CAROLINE Tell them why you call me that.
LINA I’ve told you before.
CAROLINE Give me an encore. It’s a name I adore. Tell me again, Lina. Tell me again.
LINA You have a beautiful smile. Never disappear.
JEAN We’re near the school. We past the pines.
DANNY Well, just to pass the time...Caroline?
(CAROLINE begins to sing “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round.”)
CAROLINE The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round-
ALL EXCEPT US AND LINA -All through the town.
(CAROLINE, NIKKI, DANNY and JEAN continue to sing softly under BUS DRIVER’s lines and put their objects back in their backpacks.)
BUS DRIVER Grover Cleveland Elementary. San Diego, California.
(LINA continues as BUS DRIVER takes out a newspaper, opens it and spreads it flat on the floor)
LINA They always sing during the bus ride.
BUS DRIVER Red Lake Senior High School. Red Lake, Minnesota.
(BUS DRIVER takes out a newspaper, opens it and spreads it flat on the floor)
LINA They always sing, side by side.
BUS DRIVER West Nickel Mines School. Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania.
(BUS DRIVER takes out a newspaper, opens it and spreads it flat on the floor)
LINA They don’t sound great even though they’ve sung this since first grade. But I can’t stop them. My hands are tied.
BUS DRIVER We’re here: Old North Charter. That’s you.
ALL EXCEPT BUS DRIVER That’s us!
(They put on their backpacks and move their chairs to make a classroom. BUS DRIVER moves to the desk with his chair, takes off the neon vest and places it in a drawer. Takes out an oversized sports coat or tie. Puts on the coat or tie to become the TEACHER. Sits. LINA doesn’t have a chair and stays in place in her own world.)
LINA Today is different. I find my head is spinning. I’m going to tell Caroline what she means to me. That must be it. The reason for feeling like I’m falling into a pit. I’m nervous. That’s all.
DANNY God I hate homeroom. Feels like a limbo state where I’m floating, flowing, flying above the world.
NIKKI I don’t wanna speak in person-of-the-day reviews. I ignore the clues Mr. Dee drops about current issues.
JEAN My mind just becomes unfurled and hurled onto a bleak peak of boredom.
LINA I feel like I’m still asleep. My eyes are droopy, feelin’ loopy. I can’t stand to start walking through today. But I know what I have to say. To someone special. I’m gonna wake up-
TEACHER Wake up!
LINA - and tell her-
TEACHER -No!
NIKKI Tell who?
CAROLINE Who are you talking to?
TEACHER Class, today we’re going to be studying someone relevant. Maybe you’ll wake up. Oliver Winchester founded Winchester repeating arms in 1866.
(TEACHER continues to speak about the Winchesters with lower volume as LINA starts talking. Slideshow of Winchesters projected onto back wall)
Winchester Repeating Arms took advantage of the settling of the West and any wars that have occurred over the years to boost gun sales. Newer models and types of ammunition are continuously introduced to create more advanced firearms...
LINA (leaning over to NIKKI) Whatcha working on?
NIKKI Trying to solve the distance of a projectile using velocity-
(DANNY sails a paper airplane over their heads)
LINA Oh man. I’m half asleep.
(LINA repeats her line)
TEACHER Lina, do you want to share something with the class?
LINA I’m half asleep! I need to wake up!
(TELEPHONE RINGS. TEACHER walks to it and answers. Look of panic. TEACHER slams down the telephone.)
We all need to wake up now! We are completely and utterly asleep!
(ALARM SOUNDS)
TEACHER Everyone stay low to the ground! Now! This is not a drill!
(TEACHER runs to the door and tries to close it. It is stuck. TEACHER struggles to close it. The kids turn their chairs over to gain more cover and crouch down.)
LINA No. It’s not happening!
DANNY (Trying to pull LINA down)
Yo! My guy! Get down! If you want to survive then you have to stay alive! This is not a drill!
(DANNY begins to whisper “this is not a drill” continuously)
NIKKI That’s all! Stay alive and get on the fucking ground! And don’t make a sound! This is not a drill!
(NIKKI joins DANNY in whispering “this is not a drill”)
LINA This isn’t happening! I’m up! I’m waking up!
JEAN Hey! You have to stop! Just drop and stay hidden! I’m not kiddin’! This is not a drill!
(JEAN joins DANNY and NIKKI in whispering “this is not a drill”)
LINA No! No! No! No! No!
CAROLINE Please Lina! You need to listen! This is not a drill!
(TEACHER continues to struggles to close the door. The doorstop is jammed. TEACHER moves to the upstage side of the door to try pulling it shut. Is blocked from view. GUNSHOT. LINA drops down behind a chair next to CAROLINE. ALARM STOPS. Sound of body hitting the floor offstage. The sound of TEACHER’s whispers is heard from the doorway.)
TEACHER This is not a drill. This is not a drill. This is not a drill.
(Special on LINA. ALL freeze. When she speaks, they don’t hear or acknowledge her. FISHER walks in. He carries the satchel of newspapers. He is wearing a trench coat. His head is covered with a ski mask. Only his eyes can be seen. He takes his position)
LINA A man walks in with murder in his eyes. He doesn’t see me. I’m terrified. He doesn’t even say anything but it feels like an eternity passes. He stares at Nikki and Jean who are closest to him. Danny had his head peeking out from behind his chair. You know, sometimes you daydream about what you would do in this situation. And you want to dream of yourself as the hero. Running up and disarming the shooter. Or saving your friend. But this isn’t a dream. It’s not a fairy tale. When this happens, you know you’re gonna die. You know you’re going to get on the one-way bus ride. You can’t do anything but stay paralyzed or...
(ALL unfreeze. NIKKI makes a break for the door. FISHER takes out a red newspaper roll and throws it at her. GUNSHOT upon contact. She falls.)
JEAN No!
LINA Or that.
JEAN No!
LINA Nikki tried to run.
DANNY Nikki!
LINA She ran.
JEAN (standing) You fucker!
DANNY Jean no-!
LINA Nikki ran and she died. No. she didn’t die. She was murdered. She can’t solve this problem. This isn’t a proof or an equation. She loved numbers. Now she is one.
NIKKI Get on the bus...
(JEAN runs to NIKKI.)
JEAN Nikki! No!
(To FISHER)
You piece of shit! You worthless piece of garbage! You killed my friend! You fucking-
DANNY Jean stop! Hey man! We can sort this out! Do you want to talk?! We can talk! Let’s just talk! Let’s just-
LINA Danny made a wrong move. You never trust your opponent in chess.
DANNY Why would you do this?!
(FISHER throws a red newspaper at DANNY. GUNSHOT. DANNY falls.)
DANNY Get on the bus...
LINA Checkmate.
JEAN No! No! Why are you doing this?! You monster!
(She is hit with a red newspaper. GUNSHOT. She falls.)
Get on the bus.
LINA Jean’s gone. My comic nerd friend had no superpowers to save her. (begins to crouch next to CAROLINE) But the worst part hasn’t happened yet.
CAROLINE Lina, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to. I don’t want to!
LINA Shhh...
CAROLINE No! You-You- I don’t want to die!
(CAROLINE tries to run but LINA holds onto her. CAROLINE is partially out from behind the cover of her chair.)
Please! Please God! Lina! Li-
(CAROLINE is hit in the chest with a red newspaper. GUNSHOT. She falls. FISHER advances)
Lina. Lina. Lina. Lina. I don’t want-I don’t want to...
(FISHER stops.)
LINA It’s okay. You’re gonna be okay. It’s okay. Listen. Stay with me. Stay with me please. Please.
(CAROLINE clutches her chest and looks briefly)
CAROLINE Look, Lina...my favorite color.
LINA I know. I know. Look at me. Hey. Hey. Don’t. Don’t you go. Don’t you-
CAROLINE Let me see your face. Smile. I’ll see you when you get on the bus...
(CAROLINE goes limp)
LINA No. Don’t get on the bus. Please don’t get on the bus! (To audience) She died smiling. My Cheshire cat died smiling at me. But this isn’t Wonderland.
(FISHER takes off his mask)
FISHER Lina?
(LINA stands up.)
LINA No. Not you. This can’t happen.
FISHER What are you doing here?
LINA Why, Fisher?
(FISHER is silent)
Why?! Why, Fisher? Why would you do this?! Why?!
FISHER You shouldn’t be here. You can’t be here! I didn’t want you here!
LINA Fisher!
FISHER I wish you weren’t here!
LINA I’m not!
(FISHER freezes.)
He changed my alarm. He set my alarm for 6 p.m. It had been changed. I missed it. I missed the bus. I didn’t get on the bus.
(JESSIE enters as a POLICE OFFICER and immobilizes FISHER)
POLICE OFFICER Drop the gun.
(FISHER drops the satchel of newspapers)
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.
(OFFICER leads FISHER off, taking the satchel. NIKKI, DANNY, CAROLINE and JEAN stand up and carry their backpacks upstage. They stand in a line holding their packs and begin to softly sing “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round”. LINA walks to her bed and sits. Her alarm on her phone goes off. She opens her backpack which has stayed by her bed this entire time and takes it out. She turns it off and looks at the audience.)
LINA I wasn’t there when Fisher killed them. I am the one that got away because I never left. The alarm I heard wasn’t a lock-down drill. It was a sound from my phone. Ironically called “alarm.” And I didn’t feel bullets in my body. I didn’t hear my mother crying downstairs and sirens wailing in the street. When Fisher didn’t come home she cried. She cried even harder when the cops told her why. And I had been here past out. And I was asleep. I was asleep. I was asleep while they were dying.
(CAROLINE, JEAN, DANNY and NIKKI stop singing. JESSIE enters as the newsboy and walks to her. She doesn’t see him. He pours all the newspapers out of the satchel and around LINA. She acknowledges them. JESSIE then crosses to the bicycle. She looks at all the newspapers by her bed. She picks up rolls from her bed.)
So many schools. So many teachers. So many kids. So many.
(She begins to walk around the stage dropping them around the stage, one by one as her friends recite a list of schools. If she runs out, she can go grab more from her bed.)
CAROLINE Sandy Hook/
DANNY /Bath School Disaster/
NIKKI /Virginia Tech/
JEAN /Columbine High School/
DANNY /Red Lake Indian Reservation. Oikos University/
CAROLINE /Union Middle School. Cal State Fullerton/
JEAN /Discovery Middle School. Savannah State University/
NIKKI /Stoneman Douglas High School. Marshal County High School/
LINA /And now there’s one more.
(ALL are silent. CAROLINE, NIKKI, DANNY and JEAN put down their backpacks, then lie down in front of them so the packs act as their tombstones. LINA picks up a red newspaper that FISHER threw.)
Old North Charter. And four more kids are gone. And the sister of a shooter marches. And she’s awake.
(JESSIE rides out on the bicycle. Rings the bell. “Ding, Ding.” She acknowledges the bell. Walks Downstage, opens the newspaper and lays it flat on the ground. Looks at audience.)
Are you?
(BLACK OUT)