G (eBook)

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Three brand new, state-of-the-art CCTV cameras. Their rays point towards the exact centre of the stage.

A pair of crisp white trainers hang, slightly off-centre, on a power line that crosses above the stage.

Baitface, a masked figure, barefoot, all in white, enters on a white scooter.

He climbs the wall and slides the hanging trainers to the point at the centre of the stage; marking the spot where the cameras point.

the night in question

It’s very late.
Khaleem is walking down a street, alone.

Somewhere else, Kai and Joy are in a bedroom, sitting cross-legged on the floor opposite each other. Their shoes are off and placed in between them.
Joy’s eyes are closed. They look like they are meditating, waiting for something to happen.

Nothing does.

Kai Oi.

Oi.

OI NITTY.

OPEN YOUR EYES.

Joy Maybe if you stop chatting shit you’d feel it.

Kai BRED. Open your eyes and go collect my refund cos NOTHING’S HAPPENING.

Joy Relax.

Kai How can I relax? This is my life, G. I used my last money / for this.

Joy Close your eyes and try feel it.

Kai I feel nothing.

Joy WAIT THEN.

They wait.
Nothing happens.

Kai Do you know what’s actually supposed to happen?

Joy We wait.

Kai I’ve BEEN waiting.

Joy We wait for the weed to hit.

And then we wait …

… to hear his voice or something.

Kai Wait to hear his voice or something???

Joy I don’t know.

Kai YOU DON’T KNOW?

Joy NAH BRO. Because not many people have done this before.

Not many people have been DUMB enough to go under and get themselves cursed by Baitface.

Kai I’m finished.

I’m actually finished.

Joy Just relax, it’ll work.

We’ll figure out what to do to reverse the curse.

Kai I still feel nothing.

Joy Wait.

It hits.

Kai Oh shit.

(Sudden clarity.) I feel NOTHING.

(Stroking the air.) Oh. OHHHH.

The bedroom fades into a black void.
Kai and Joy emit light.

Wherever Khaleem is, we see him through
CCTV camera light.

Has it started? I can feel it.

Kai stands up and paces around the void, looking for something.
He removes his school tie and starts folding it into a tiny square.

Joy Sit down. What you doing?

Kai Shh. I need to concentrate.

Joy Sit down.

Kai I need you to protect me.

Joy From what?

Kai I’m unsure of the capacity of my mind at this time.

Kai puts his folded tie on the floor. He takes off his trousers and begins folding them into a tiny square.

Joy Kai. What. Are. You. Doing.

Kai I’m not in full control of my mind at this moment in time so I’m getting away from anything that might potentially cause me accidental harm.

Joy Sit down bro. You’re fine.

Kai Joy?

Joy Are you gonna sit down?

Kai What if I start screaming for no reason?

Joy What?

Kai Like just for fun. Screaming.

(Whispering.) SHIT. WHAT IF I’M SCREAMING RIGHT NOW AND I CAN’T EVEN TELL? Have I been screaming?

Joy Right, you need to pattern cos my neighbour’s a snitch and my dad might come back before it wears off.

Kai Okay but promise you’ll protect me.

Joy I will protect you. Sit down and close your eyes.

Kai I can’t close my eyes what if I fall asleep and then I die?

Joy G. Pattern. You need to sit down if you want it to work.

Joy gives Kai his trousers.
Kai puts them on, excruciatingly careful.

Kai Turn on the light please.

Joy flicks a light switch on but we’re still in the black.
Kai begins to cry.

We’re trapped.

Joy Remember what I said?

Kai I don’t wanna do it any more. I’m scared.

Joy Bro. I’ll protect you.

Kai nods and sits.

breaking_news

A looping clip of CCTV footage, as described below, is played on stage either as actual camera footage, as performance, or both.

Baitface conceals the faces of the three figures in the footage.

The Metropolitan Police has obtained CCTV footage that we understand to show three [

] suspected of A Crime committed against one Vulnerable Victim in a Borough of London on A Date Not Too Long Ago. Police are appealing for anyone who may have information or evidence about the three [
] to come forward.

For more, I’m joined now by our crime correspondent Terry Davis who is in said Borough of London at The Scene of The Crime.

Terry what can you tell us about these [

] that we see

captured?

Police are examining the footage as we speak. It’s the first moving footage of our three [

] who appear close to The Scene of The Crime on The Night in Question.

One of the [       ] was captured by another CCTV camera alighting the N86 bus on a road close by at 12.47 a.m., moments before the footage we see here.

As we see, two of the [       ] appear to engage in some sort of brief scuffle, while the third … well we’re not entirely sure.

But, as we see all three remain remarkably [

].

Kai Get you a bally Don’t dilly dally Baitface is on road

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Kai holds his backpack, open, full to the brim with fresh stock; brand new ballys in plastic wrapping.

He performs a melodic street cry like a hawker on a high-street market or a rapper.