Chronic Regret

This was the final assignment for my Creative Writing class, and I am more proud of this play than I am of my first one. I came up with the title based on a turn of phrase uttered by someone at a friend's party, a man who decided it was time for a "chronic intermission" one night. I will one day write a work of fiction with that title, but today there's this play.

The play opens on an empty stage with the Prophet of Repentance standing in the center facing the audience. Three of his followers sit in front of the Prophet with their backs to the audience. Two of the followers are women and one is a man. Everyone wears identical white robes.

Prophet: My children, today the Darkness comes as close to consuming us as it ever has in our trialed past. You may think the Prime Construct near destruction, but this is not so. The Interloper has been killed and the threat from the Dark Authority quelled, for the time being. The pigs still remain unenlightened to our grand Purpose, so our projects are safe from prying eyes. We must continue down the Path, fighting the oblivion of darkness, and embark on our Great Journey. Some among us speak blasphemies against the Path, but this is the result of ignorance, so I shall forgive such transgressions. The blasphemies consist of misplaced pity, the result of confusion and fear spawned by the Darkness and planted in our midst by the Interloper. I nipped the seed of discord in the bud, a necessary action to preserve our movement along the Path. Some said the Interloper should have been quarantined, but I say infections need to be inoculated against. Hence the death of the Interloper saved us from infection and his blood cleanses the Path and allows the light to shine for one more day. I sacrificed the Interloper for a greater Purpose as all animals should be used. Those who serve the Dark Authority gave up their humanity when they prostrated before the Darkness. We must continue down the Path and fulfill our goal of enlightening humanity and moving beyond the weakness of human instinct. The Interloper sought to subject us to the urges and impulses of our darker nature, the pity and fear you may feel must be discarded as evil. The Path requires us to rise above human emotion lest we fall down to our hands and knees as the Interloper had. We remain on the Path; we’re dedicated to the Truth. We will persevere.

Female Follower #1 (Sandra): What will you have us do now, Father?

Prophet: I’m sorry but I must ask you all to remain in quarantine for the next two days. We must be confidant the disease of treachery did not spread.

All Followers: As you will it Father.

The three followers leave, and the Prophet turns to the audience. He addresses the audience directly while the second female follower, Trisha, watches in secret. The Prophet speaks to the audience.

Prophet: Don’t fret my children as I carry my plan through. I fear a schism now divides my House, but you all remain by my side. With your strength and numbers the Great Journey remains possible and our position on the Path unassailable. Nonetheless we must prepare for the battle ahead. We shall be close, so please wait for my plan to come to fruition.

The Prophet leaves while Trisha pulls Sandra onto the stage. Trisha scans the audience before speaking to Sandra. The Prophet listens to the conversation in secret.

Trisha: Who is Father speaking to? He’s talking to ghosts.

Sandra: What does it matter to you? He sees what we cannot see and understands more than we can comprehend.

Trisha: What are you saying? What do you mean? He cares more about his ghosts than he does about us, his real children. We need him now more than ever, yet he locks away. Maybe he . . . maybe he’s fallen off the Path.

Sandra: Watch what you say. What is it you truly want? Do you want to follow Father on the Great Journey or not? That’s all that matters right now, especially given the Interloper.

Trisha: I want to walk the path with my two children . . .

Sandra: Father’s children

Trisha: No, my son and my daughter, the ones I gave birth to. I have them to think about, and if Father won’t help us deal with our day-to-day problems I’ll have to go out for myself.

Sandra: I don’t like where you’re going with this . . .

Trisha: I’ll go talk with Father right now. Our Family is in trouble and we need his leadership.

Sandra: Hopefully he renews your faith in him as well.

Sandra leaves Trisha standing on stage. The lights dim on Trisha and focus on the Prophet watching over the scene.

Prophet: My Children I hear the whispers of dissent growing among family members, but it’s nothing to worry about. Every family has troubles, especially after traumatic experiences, and I must carry my children along the Path until they can walk on their own. Lo, a child approaches.

Trisha walks over to the Prophet.

Trisha: Father I need to speak with you.

Prophet: Thank you for sharing your concerns with me. It warms my heart to have the trust and confidence of my children.

Trisha: Yes sir. I’m afraid . . .

Prophet: Afraid of what?

Trisha: . . . Of our future and our young one’s futures. With what happened with the Interloper, it doesn’t feel safe anymore. I’m worried and I don’t know what to do.

Prophet: My dear you focus on the wrong issues. Time on the Path means nothing, so the future should not worry you. You must let go of your attachments to this world and move beyond the emotions holding you back. Only then can you be saved. I will be holding counsel twice a day every day until this time of danger passes.

Trisha: It’s not just the future and my feelings! Food has always been hard to come by, and it’s only gotten harder. You ignore us and chase after shadowy Interlopers. We have a community . . .

Prophet: You mean the Prime Construct?

Trisha: . . . Community, Prime Construct . . . yes. The Prime Construct needs real supplies and real leadership. Please Father. . .

Prophet: Leave me.

Trisha: Please.

Prophet: Leave me!

Trisha: Yes sir.

Trisha leaves the Prophet alone on stage. Sometime later Trisha sits on a cot in her bedroom with the male follower from before guarding her.

Trisha: John, please let me go see my children.

John: Father told me to keep you here until you overcome your hysteria.

Trisha: Hysteria? You know what’s hysterical, a community committing collective suicide. Father speaks of the Path, but he’s the one who’s lost sight of it, not me. Following the Path requires a strong community of people, a community I’ve come to respect and love while Father descends into madness. He’s speaking to people who aren’t even there.

John: You sound like the Interloper . . .

Trisha: Any you know what, he was right.

John:I need to tell Father this.

John moves to leave and Trisha holds him back.

Trisha: No, you can’t! He’ll come after me and my children.

John:You should have thou . . .

Trisha grabs a candle holder and bashes John in the head. John collapses unconscious and she ties him up on the cot, leaving John alone in the room afterward. Time passes and she comes back to the room and speaks John as he stirs from his blackout.

Trisha: I’m not sure anymore, about our Father. I listened to him for so long, his word became truth. His voice comforts and resonates throughout my body and I drown in his bright blue eyes. Father’s always smiling, his words sound so beautiful, but I don’t understand what he’s saying anymore. I can’t get the words he uses or the ideas he shares because it’ so different from how things used to be. When I first came to Father everything he said just made sense. Everything changed when the Interloper joined us. The Interloper, Bobby, got close to me, and he died trying to help me and my children. I was selfish, and my selfishness cost Bobby his life, so I want to repent. Father speaks of repentance often, and I still think he’s right, right that we must work to evolve beyond our sins. I contacted the police and told them what happened to Bobby and what’s happening to us here with Father. I’ve sinned again in repentance of former transgressions. Father told me not to compound my problems, but the police can help. He calls them servants of the Darkness, but I don’t know. I need my children, and the police said they can help me take care of them. I’m not the only one with these problems. Our young ones starve in the halls and we lack the tools to properly maintain our home. The police called us crazy in the past and the Family wouldn’t agree with my actions, so I don’t know who I can trust. All I ever manage to do is sin, but something needs to change. Father tells us to move forward but I don’t know up from down and left from right. How can I go forward? I just want to help the Family and Father too. I’ll have to apologize to the Family and repent once more; I don’t think I’ve fallen from the Path yet.

John: Someone help! Someone help me! There’s another . . .

Trisha bashes John on the head again and hides his body underneath her cot, draping a blanket so he cannot be seen easily. Trisha receives a knock at her door and Trisha answers it, confronted by the Prophet.

Prophet: My dear I came to apologize for the treatment you’ve received as of late. I’ve given thought . . . where’s your brother John?

Trisha: Oh, he went to call after you, did he not arrive?

Prophet: No, do you know why he wanted to see me?

Trisha: No . . . no.

The Prophet hands Trisha a plate with food.

Prophet: I’ve thought about what you said to me, and to help my Family I’ll increase rations. I see the physical suffering of my children and they cry out in pain. I cannot have this, so I’ll find a way to satiate the needs of the Prime Construct. Walking the Path can be arduous, and a traveler without food and water is as good as lost.

Trisha: Father, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know. I didn’t know you’d come back to help us. I’m so sorry.

Prophet: That’s fine, so long as you repent all is forgiven.

Trisha:No you don’t understand I’m talking about something else. I went . . . I went and called . . .

Trisha is interrupted by someone speaking over a loudspeaker. She sits on the cot while the Prophet stands. Both listen.

Police Officer: This is the police. We have the compound surrounded. Terrance Michaels, we have a warrant for your arrest. Please surrender yourself at the front gate immediately. To the members of the Prime Construct we instruct everyone to remain calm.

Trisha: Who’s Terrance Michaels?

Prophet: Someone who died a long time ago. Why didn’t my Children warn me of this? Why do they no longer talk to me? I see them watching me, judging my every move, yet they do not speak. (He turns to the audience) I’ve been with you since the very beginning and will remain by you to the very end. What makes you silent? You guided me to this point, instructed me to lead you along the Path, and I as your mouthpiece gathered the necessary following to make the Great Journey. Tell me now Children what I should do. Tell me!

Trisha:Sir . . . it was me.

Prophet: What?

Trisha: It was me who called the police.

Prophet: Betrayed by one of my own children! Why? Why did you do this? You’ve destroyed the Prime Construct and brought the Great Journey to an end with this. My children abandon me in droves.

Trisha: I did it to save our community. I did it because the police said they could help.

Prophet: Darkness has clouded your judgment and filled your heart. (The Prophet pulls a gun out from under his robes.) With this all shall end.

Trisha: Wait don’t! Please don’t do this.

Trisha tries to run away but John grabs her leg from underneath the cot. She trips and John emerges, holding Trisha before the Prophet.

John: Father, cleanse the evils plaguing the Prime Construct as you did before. Allow us to finish the Great Journey. We all have faith in you.

Prophet: (To the audience) My Children, since you will no longer speak to me I will now leave you. Please watch over your brothers and sisters in my absence. May you stay along the Path and complete the Great Journey.

The Prophet raises the gun to his mouth and pulls the trigger. He slumps over dead while Trisha and John look on in horror. The sound of the gun causes the police to storm the compound, so the sound of doors broken open and charging feet fills the little bedroom as the two wait for the end.