"The Broken Mirror" Version 4.0

[oc_spirit]

I've revised the script and changed a few things...many times, Anybody wanna take a read?

Broken Mirror

Lights up on Maddi staring at herself in a broken mirror in her bedroom, some pieces from the mirror are missing. After a while she takes her finger and starts tracing one of the cracks. Slits finger and winces from pain. As if in a trance she watches the blood trickle down her finger for a moment. She looks back at the broken mirror.

Maddi: “Broken, just like me”

Maddi picks at a piece of the mirror until it falls into her hands. She holds it up in front of her then clasps her hands around it and goes to sit on her bed. She opens her hands to reveal the piece of glass. Holding one hand open with the glass resting on the palm of her hand, she takes the free hand and slowly slides her sleeve up revealing many scars and some freshly scabbed wounds. Small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth as she runs her fingers down her arm across the sores. Maddi picks up the glass and presses it against her skin. She is about to cut when suddenly there’s a knock at her door.

Mom: “Maddi? Maddi sweetie, are you awake?” Steps inside the room, “Oh my God, Maddi! What are you doing?”

Maddi pulls her sleeve down and shoves the glass in her pocket.

Maddi: “Nothing Mom, just trying to put on some make-up in the broken mirror Nathan keeps promising to replace.”

Mom: “3 years I’ve been married to this man and you still can’t call him ‘dad’ or ‘pa’? He’s the only father figure you’ve had honey, the least you could do is try to accept him”

Maddi: “HE’S NOT MY DAD!!!! Besides, maybe if he actually acted like a father instead of drinking all the time and coming home just too…never mind”

Mom: “To do what? Maddi talk to me, if something is wrong you can tell me!”

Maddi: “Nothing! Just forget it!”

Awkward silence. Maddi and her Mom each find something to distract themselves with to make the silence less burdened.

Mom: “Well…how was school?”

Maddi: “Fine”

Mom: “I saw Kevin at the Burger Shoppe today, how are you two doing?”

Maddi: “We broke up 2 weeks ago!”

Mom: “You never told me”

Maddi: “You never asked”

Awkward silence again.

Mom: “Your principal called me at work; he told me you were late for class today”

Maddi: staring at her sleeve-covered arms “I slept in”

Mom: “He told me that this is the 18th time this month…”

Maddi: “I’m not the only one that’s ever late for class! Why do you guys have to rag me about it? Maybe if the teachers didn’t give so much homework I could go to bed earlier and get a decent night’s sleep”

Mom: “If you’re having troubles at school we can get you help. Mr. Leston gave me names of some very well known tutors in the area. We could set up a couple sessions a week with one of them”

Maddi: “You know, most of my friend’s parents help their kids themselves!”

Mom: “Maddi, you know the office keeps me away for long hours, when I get home I just want to relax and spend quality time with you and Nathan!”

Maddi: “Sorry to be so much of a burden”

Mom: “I didn’t mean it that way”

Maddi: “Whatever”

Mom: “So would you mind telling me the story behind the self-mutilation?”

Maddi: Cringes and pulls sleeves down even further “You wouldn’t understand”

Mom: “Why do you always shut me out of your life? I’m your mother, I’m here for you. Both Nathan and I are always here for you”

Maddi: “That’s the problem, you’re BOTH always here for me. Why can’t it ever just be you and me like it used to? We had so much fun together! Now you’re always at the office and when we are finally together, Nathan is there too”

Nathan enters.

Nathan: “Knock, knock! What are my two pretty ladies talking about?”

Maddi: “See what I mean? When there’s one, the other’s bound to be right along!”

Mom: “Maddi! Have some respect young lady! Hi honey, how was work”

Nathan: “Work was fine. Is everything alright here?”

Maddi: “It was until you got here”

Mom: “Madelyn Marie Stenson, I’ve had just about enough attitude from you! Nathan, Maddi’s been cutting again”

Maddi sits on her bad facing away from her Mom and Nathan, pulls the piece of glass out of her pocket and absently plays with it.

Nathan: “Why don’t you go get dinner started, I’ll talk with her”

Mom: “No offense Nathan but I don’t think that’s such a good idea…”

Nathan: “Just trust me”

Mom exits. Nathan roughly grabs Maddi’s shoulder and spins her around to face him.

Nathan: “You didn’t tell her anything about us did you?”

Maddi: “No”

Nathan: Pets Maddi’s hair and pats her cheek “That’s a good girl”

Maddi: “Leave me alone!”

Nathan: Laughs “You always have been a fighter. That’s alright, I’ll always be able to get you. Your mother is far too blind to ever see the pain in her own daughter's eyes regardless of the marks all over your arms. Even if you were to tell her the truth, she wouldn’t believe you. I’ll see you tonight” winks and exits

Maddi: “**** you!”

Maddi throws a stuffed animal after him then breaks down into tears.

Maddi (recording): Actors act out the scene on stage as the recording plays “Every night it’s the same routine. I lay here in my bed with my eyes shut pretending to sleep as I wait for him to come. Mom’s been long asleep because she works early in the morning. I hear him stumble in the front door mumbling and cursing in a drunken state. He fumbles up the stairs spewing out incoherent phrases or singing off key to some drinking song he picked up on at the bar. Everyone wakes up to his wailings except for Mom because she takes pills to fall asleep which keep her out for 8hrs regardless of what’s going on. Soon enough he finds his way to my bedroom door. In the beginning I would hide under the covers like a turtle in its shell but now I just lay there…waiting. I tried running away once, but he found me and beat me. I had to tell Mom that I fell down the stairs at school to stop her from asking questions. I told the same story to the principal at school, and the school’s councilor, and all my teachers, and my friends, though I’m pretty sure Asha, my best friend, knew I was lying. I can smell the liquor on him long before I can see him. He rips the covers off, climbs on top of me and…” End of recording.

Maddi (live): “No!”

Nathan freezes in tableaux but Maddi doesn’t.

Maddi: “Not tonight! He will not get me this time! He’ll never find me! How can he find me, if there’s no one to find?”

Maddi opens a drawer and pulls out a bottle of pills. She pours some into her hand then looks at herself in the broken mirror.

Maddi: “Don’t worry about replacing the mirror Nathan. I won’t be needing it anymore”

Maddi sits back down on the edge of her bed. Holding one hand open with the pills resting on the palm of her hand, she takes the free hand and slowly slides her sleeve up revealing many scars and some freshly scabbed wounds. Small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth as she runs her fingers down her arm across the sores (mimic staring at the glass from beginning of play). She stares at the pills in her hands for a bit then freezes in tableaux when she pops the pills into her mouth. Lights down.