Life Raft (NHB Modern Plays) (eBook)

Prologue

Darkness.

The sound of the sea. Distantly, the sound of a war. The sound of the wind.

The sound of the sea. Darkness.

Day One

A damp, grey dawn. Mist rises from a restless sea. A lifeboat fades into view. On its deck are huddled twelve children, in various positions of sleep: six boys and six girls aged between eleven and fourteen.

The eldest boy wears a white woollen scarf – this is ALLAN.

The eldest girl clutches a red Thermos flask tightly to her chest – this is ANN. The boat bobs gently as the sea sighs.

ANN is the first to wake. She sits up and looks around her slowly, fearfully – is this a dream? She surveys her sleeping companions. She looks out to the sea, and back again. Her lip wobbles, rising to a silent scream. She clutches herself tightly as she rocks back and forth. This cannot be real, this cannot be real…

She becomes aware of how tightly she is clutching the Thermos. She calms herself and loosens her grip. She unscrews the top, which is also a cup, fills it from the flask and drinks.

ALLAN awakes. He too surveys his surroundings slowly, with understated horror, until he notices ANN. Their eyes meet.

ANN. What’s the matter?

ALLAN. Nothing.

Pause.

ANN. Want some?

ANN holds up the cup.

ALLAN. Yes please.

ANN pours.

What is it?

ANN. Milk.

ALLAN. Oh.

ANN. Too big for a cup of milk?

ALLAN. I didn’t say that.

ANN finishes pouring and holds out the cup. ALLAN drinks.

It’s warm.

ANN. That’s the idea.

ALLAN. When did you fill it?

ANN. Last night.

ALLAN. Before…

ANN. Yes, before.

Pause.

ALLAN. I wish I’d thought to save something.

ANN. You saved yourself.

ALLAN. So did you.

ANN. Were you scared?

ALLAN. No. Were you?

ANN. No.

Pause. ANN scans the other sleeping children.

I’d say we’re the oldest here.

ALLAN. How old are you?

ANN. Thirteen. You?

ALLAN. Fourteen.

ANN. That makes you the leader.

ALLAN takes off his scarf and hands it to her.

What for?

ALLAN. It’s what leaders do.

ANN takes it.

Thanks for the milk.

ANN. It isn’t much.

ALLAN. It was kind. You’re a leader too.

ANN. Let’s share.

ALLAN. Can you have two leaders?

ANN. I mean the scarf.

ALLAN. Oh.

ANN. Half and half.

ALLAN. But I barely know you.

ANN. It doesn’t mean we’re engaged or anything.

The scarf is quite long. ANN wraps one end round her neck and one round his. This inevitably brings them a bit closer.

I’m Ann.

ALLAN. Allan.

He offers his hand. She pecks him on the cheek instead. A moment.

ANN. Allan and Ann.

ALLAN. Yes.

ANN. Two As. Must be top of the class.

ALLAN smiles. ANN takes her end of the scarf off.

Save it. You might need it.

ALLAN. Same.

ALLAN hands back the empty milk cup.

ANN. Every man for himself.

ALLAN. I’d say we’re better off sticking together.

The other children start to wake, the boys at first along one side of the boat:

GEORGE, followed by ALFIE, followed by ARCHIE, then ROGER and SAM.

GEORGE. Where are we?

ALFIE. Where does it look like?

ARCHIE. All at sea. What t-time is it?

ROGER (checking watch). Six-thirty. On the dot.

SAM. I need a wee.

GEORGE. Where’s our ship?

ARCHIE. G-gone.

ALFIE. Don’t you remember?

SAM. Boom!

ROGER. I can still taste the smoke.

ARCHIE. M-me too.

ROGER. Yuck.

SAM. I almost died.

ALFIE. We all did.

ALLAN. Well we didn’t. Be thankful.

ALFIE. Who are you?

ALLAN. I’m Allan. This is Ann.

ANN. This is our ship now.

ALFIE. Your ship?

ALLAN. All of us.

ROGER. Until we’re rescued.

ALFIE. When will that be?

ROGER. Soon.

SAM. How do you know?

ROGER. Because who’d leave us here?

SAM. Boom!

GEORGE. Stop it.

SAM. Boom!

GEORGE. Where’s my sister? I need to find my sister. Evie? Evie!

ALFIE. Probably dead.

GEORGE. Shut up!

ARCHIE. D-don’t say that!

ROGER. It’s possible though.

ARCHIE. You d-don’t know that.

GEORGE. She was – she was –

ALLAN. In the water?

GEORGE. Yes.

SAM. She might be on another boat then.

ARCHIE. We’re only ch-children.

ALFIE. Speak for yourself.

ARCHIE. They wouldn’t l-leave us.

ALFIE. I’m a man.

ROGER. How old are you?

ALFIE. Thirteen.

SAM. I’m only twelve.

ARCHIE. So am I.

GEORGE. So am I.

ALFIE. Babies.

ARCHIE. Sh-shut up.

GEORGE. Yeah you can’t bully us.

ALFIE. Why not?

GEORGE. I’m taller than you.

ALFIE. So?

ROGER. I’m thirteen.

ANN. Well Allan’s fourteen. He’s the oldest.

SAM. You won’t be rescued then. They’ll only rescue children.

ALLAN. We’ll all be rescued.

ANN. Yes, whenever children go missing it’s taken seriously.

ALFIE. We’re not all children.

ANN. We are to them.

GEORGE. Who?

ANN. Adults.

ALLAN. That’s right. When something like this happens, it’s on the news.

GEORGE. Ours was a whole ship of children.

ROGER. Then we’ll be on the news right now.

SAM. Where’s the cameras?

ROGER. Not like that. It’ll be on the news that we’re missing.

ALLAN. And that they’re looking.

ROGER. That’s right.

ALFIE. Well they’d better hurry. It’s freezing.

GEORGE. Why were we attacked?

SAM. Boom!

ROGER. They’ll already be out looking.

ARCHIE. Yeah, we’ll be rescued any s-second.

ALFIE. What’s wrong with your voice?

ARCHIE. N-nothing.

GEORGE. Well I can’t see anyone coming.

SAM. Boom!

ROGER. Stop that.

GEORGE. Why would they attack children?

ALLAN. That’s war.

ALFIE. That’s right, just how it is.

ANN. It’s because it hurts the adults.

GEORGE. But we haven’t done anything.

ANN. Exactly.

ARCHIE. M-maybe it was an accident.

SAM. It was a bomb. From a plane.

ALFIE. It was a mine. In the sea.

ROGER. Could’ve been a torpedo. From a sub.

ANN. Does it matter?

ALLAN. We don’t know what it was.

GEORGE. I was asleep.

ALLAN. We all were.

SAM. The explosion woke me up.

ALFIE. I saw the water coming in.

ARCHIE. I heard s-screaming.

ROGER. My cabin caught fire –

GEORGE. There was smoke –

ANN. Enough!

Pause.

ALLAN. Ann’s right. We’re safe now. Be thankful.

ALFIE. Thankful for what?

ALLAN. You’re still alive, aren’t you?

ALFIE. Well that depends.

ALLAN. They’ll be here soon.

SAM. I thought maybe it was all a dream.

Pause. Then, of the other sleeping children opposite:

GEORGE. Who are they?

ROGER. Those are girls.

ALFIE. Yuck.

ANN. Er, excuse me.

ALLAN. We have to look after them.

SAM (of ANN). She’s a girl.

ALLAN. She’s got me.

The girls begin to wake.

MARGARET first, then MARGOT, then ENID, then ANTHEA, and finally AMY, who is visibly injured.

MARGARET. Oh my God, we’re outdoors.

MARGOT (crossing herself ). Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

MARGOT has a dolly, she crosses her dolly’s heart too.

ENID. Fffffreezing!

ROGER. I’ll keep you warm.

ENID. Who are you?

ROGER. My name’s Roger.

ENID. Get off.

ANTHEA. Where are we?

ALLAN. You’re on a lifeboat, you’re safe.

MARGARET (of AMY). Oh my God, look at her.

ENID. Oh my God.

ANTHEA. Oh my God.

MARGOT. Blood…

ARCHIE. B-blood!

MARGARET. Eurgh, blood.

MARGOT. Eurgh!

ALFIE. Is she dead?

ANN. Of course not, she’s awake.

ALLAN. Well don’t just sit there.

ANN. What should we do?

ALLAN. I don’t know.

ANN. You’re the oldest.

ALLAN. So?

MARGARET. Is he?

ANN. Yes, he’s the leader.

MARGOT. Oh good.

ENID. Why does that make him the leader?

ALLAN. I’m not a doctor.

ENID. The best person should be leader not just the oldest.

ANTHEA. It’s alright, my mum’s a nurse.

MARGARET. Oh brilliant.

ENID. Help her then.