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The Beasts Shadow

  TV film script By Colin J Platt

  Copyright Colin J Platt 2014

  Characters

  Mary Wilson

  Dave Joyce: (the Beast)

  John Wilson: (Son)

  Gerald Claymore: (Coward)

  Stranger:

  Cyclist:

  Jenifer Jameson: (Friend)

  Background:

  Mary Wilson makes an error of judgment when walking home alone with troubling consequences.

  Please be aware that this story contains adult content.

  SCENE 1: SETTING: LOCAL WOOD AT NIGHT.

  MARY WILSON:

  Why did I come this way? All I had to do was cut through the field at Johnson’s corner. Now look at me. Wet through and injured. Stupid me! I should have had more sense than take the long way round at this time of night. It was now ten thirty and dark. My ankle hurts so much after I went over on it. I can’t understand why that string was tied to the trees. It was as if someone was trying to trip me up. I can’t go back and I can’t go forward! I would make a phone call if I could find it. Stupid me! I’m getting so forgetful lately. I know someone will eventually come this way but whom? What if it is a bad person! The local paper said that there had been a series of break-ins recently. I’m getting paranoid! No self-respecting burglar would be in the wilds tonight; they would be casing houses. John will know there is something wrong when he gets home, also he would be alerted when he tries to contact me by phone. All I have to do is wait, but for how long?

  What was that! My God, it sounded like a wolf! Surely it is only a dog. OK, I have to get myself together.

  Beast: (Hiding behind a tree wearing a wolf mask)

  Maaaary… Maaaary!

  Mary:

  My God! Who was that?

  Beast:

  They call me the Beast.

  Mary:

  What in hell do you want, Dave?

  Beast:

  It isn’t Dave. It’s the Beast.

  Mary:

  I know very well who it is and if you keep this stupid pretense up I will report you to the sheriff again. So stop annoying people.

  Beast:

  I knew it was you who reported me. All I did was a small Halloween trick and you had to report me.

  Mary:

  Now listen hear, Dave. I am tired and hungry so either go away or help me get back home.

  Beast:

  I will help you, Maaary. I will help you to die!

  Mary:

  Have you gone completely mad this time? Did the stay in the Institution not help you at all?

  Beast:

  That’s another thing. You completely screwed me up suggesting that place simply because your father was the former administrator. You bitch!

  Mary:

  Now listen hear, David Joyce. If you think you can intimidate me you have picked the wrong person.

  Beast:

  I’m going to cut you into little bits. How do you like that?

  Mary:

  You’re going to do nothing of the kind. I’ll tell you what you are going to do. You are going to take that stupid mask off and go for help. I can see you behind that tree. You little shit!

  Beast:

  That does it. I’m going to enjoy making you suffer, Maaary.

  Mary:

  If you try to come near me, I will break your arm. You know I’ve been doing Karate.

  Beast:

  I didn’t know that. What grade are you?

  Mary:

  I’m a Red-belt.

  Beast:

  That’s nothing to brag about.

  Mary:

  Oh, really! What would you know, you’re only 150 pounds wet through!

  Beast:

  I have a hunters knife here, Maaary. It can cut tin sheet!

  Mary:

  Yes, I heard you nearly cut your index finger off the other week, you stupid freak.

  Beast:

  That was an accident!

  Mary: (See’s a cyclist coming)

  Thank God you came along. Can you help me? There is a man over there with a mask on.

  Cyclist: (Looking around nervously)

  What? Are you sure?

  Mary:

  Yes, he ran into that thicket over there. Can you help me get back to town?

  Cyclist: (Starting to panic)

  Err, I don’t know. Maybe it would be better if I went for help?

  Mary:

  No, don’t leave me! He says he will kill me!

  Cyclist: (No reply and peddling away very fast)

  Mary:

  You bloody bastard! May God have mercy on you?

  Beast:

  May God have mercy on you, Maaary.

  Mary:

  If you call me Maaary once more, I’ll shove that knife up your backside!

  Beast:

  Why don’t you admit it, you’re scared shitless. I know you don’t have your phone. Why don’t you ask me how? Maaary.

  Mary:

  You little creep. Did you steal my phone?

  Beast:

  Yes, I broke in your house last night. I also had a shit in your wardrobe! Ha, Ha.

  Mary:

  You complete bastard!

  Beast:

  I’m going to cut off your nipples first, Maaary.

  Mary: (Notices a man approaching on foot)

  Thank God you came along, Gerald. Will you help me please?

  Gerald Claymore: (Coward)

  What’s wrong, Mary?

  Mary:

  Dave Joyce is over there with a wolf mask on. He says he will kill me!

  Gerald:

  What? I thought he was in the mad-house.

  Beast:

  Now I’m going to have to kill you both! Oh shit, bloody-hell!

  Mary:

  What’s wrong?

  Beast:

  I just cut myself.

  Mary:

  You bloody idiot!

  Gerald:

  I just shit myself.

  Mary:

  God help us.

  SCENE 2: David Joyce (The Beast) is hiding behind a tree with a wolf mask on)

  Beast:

  I stabbed myself in the leg!

  Mary:

  You idiot, do you want me to have a look?

  Beast:

  No stay back both of you, especially you, Gerald, you shitty bastard.

  Gerald:

  I couldn’t help shitting myself. You’re the one threatening us with a bloody knife.

  Mary:

  OK. This has gone far enough! David Joyce, you can stop right now and give yourself up to the police or you can bleed to death. Which is it to be?

  Beast:

  I don’t care anymore. When I kill you both I will go on the rampage and make a bloody reputation for myself that will never be forgotten.

  Mary:

  You’ve already done that with streaking across the catholic girl’s school playing field two years ago!

  Beast:

  I just wanted to make a point that I wouldn’t be pushed around and that I had the balls.

  Gerald:

  Oh, you had the balls all right but it was the other bit you were short of.

  Beast:

  That does it you will be tortured for that!

  Mary:

  David, please try to understand that you are sick in the head. How did you manage to convince the authorities to let you out of the asylum early?

  Beast:

  It wasn’t early, I did my time.

  Mary:

  Really?

  Beast:

  Do you know something; the people in there didn’t even acknowledge me? Do you know why? Because I can make myself invisible
!

  Gerald:

  Come to think of it I never really noticed you till now.

  Beast:

  Well I can notice you. You shitty arsed bastard.

  Mary:

  Gerald can you please go and clean yourself up?

  Beast:

  No, he stays as he is. He was a shitty arse in life and he will be one in death.

  Gerald:

  You unfeeling bastard.

  Beast:

  And who is to blame for that?

  Mary:

  Well, I suppose you are if you can make yourself invisible?

  Beast:

  I can’t help it, I want to be noticed but with my gift of invisibility I don’t realize that sometimes I am invisible. Do you know, I haven’t told anyone this before but I am thinking of changing my name from the Beast to the Shadow!

  Mary:

  David, honey, please give it up, I am tired and hungry and my son will be coming along shortly.

  Beast:

  He is another who will be slaughtered. I can’t forget how he humiliated me in the school library.

  Mary:

  You were walking about in the nude. What was he supposed to do?

  Beast:

  He wrapped duct tape around my genitals. I couldn’t piss right for days! All he had to do was realize I was invisible.

  Gerald: (Beginning to laugh)

  Beast:

  Right, that does it, you smelly bastard.

  Mary:

  David, please take the wolf mask off and come out. You look like werewolf gone wrong.

  Beast:

  I’ll show you all when I turn into the shadow. I will be able to go anywhere and do anything.

  Has anyone got a handkerchief, I’m still bleeding?

  Mary:

  I can hear a car coming! Thank God. (Station wagon pulls up)

  Mary:

  Can you help us we are trying to get away from a madman?

  Stranger:

  What, Where?

  Mary:

  He’s was over there behind the tree with a wolf mask on.

  Beast: (Jumps into the truck and grabs a twelve bore pump action shotgun)

  OK, now I have something that will help me in my crusade to be noticed.

  Stranger:

  Who the hell are you?

  Beast:

  I’m known as the beast, but I will soon be the shadow.

  Stranger:

  Who the hell is this nutcase?

  Mary:

  Please don’t provoke him, he has a gun.

  Stranger:

  Listen here, bird-brain, if you don’t put my gun back I will beat you over the head with it.

  Beast:

  I am the beast and I will blow you away.

  Stranger:

  I would like to see you try. There’s no ammo in it.

  Beast: (Trying to cock the weapon)

  To hell with it.

  Stranger:

  What the hell is that smell?

  Mary:

  Gerald over there had an accident.

  Stranger : (Looking at Gerald with contempt)

  Gerald:

  I couldn’t help it, blame that bastard over there,