writing_shadows

Act One, Scene One

The scene opens to Dominic, standing in a doorway, holding a sword. He looks weary, and steps out into a room, which is clearly a party full of the great and the good of Lost society.

DOMINIC
Every single night the same arrangement
I go out and fight the fight.
Still I always feel this strange estrangement
Nothing here is real, nothing here is right.

As he walked through the party, Drago sneaks up behind him and leaps on him, trying to stab him in the back.

DOMINIC
I've been making shows of trading blows
just hoping no one knows
That I've been going through the motions

Dominic turns and parries Drago's next blow, and the two begin to fence, whilst singing.

DOMINIC
Walking through the part.
Nothing seems to penetrate my...

Drago throws a knife, and it bounces off Dominic's chest with a dull thud as it hit stone.

DOMINIC
...heart

Dominic sighs and strides after Drago, who appears to be fleeing.

DOMINIC
I was always brave and kind of righteous,
Now I find I'm wavering.
Crawl out of your grave you'll find this fight,
just doesn't mean a thing.

Drago ducks Dominic's heavy and clumsily wielded blade easily.

DRAGO
He ain't got that swing

DOMINIC
Thanks for noticing!

Dominic sees Stitches across the room, and raises his sword, running towards him. He tries to hit Stitches, but Stitches dodges.

STITCHES AND DRAGO
He does pretty well with things from hell
but lately we can tell he's been going through the motions.
Faking it somehow.

Dominic catches up with Stitches and runs him through.

STITCHES
He's not even half the man he....ow

Rosalba runs out and throws herself on the ground between Dominic and Stitches. Dominic raises his sword, then looks at Rosalba, sighs, and turns away, leaving Stitches alive.

DOMINIC
Will I stay this way forever?
Sleep walk through my life's endeavour.

ROSALBA
How can I repay...?

DOMINIC
Whatever!
I don't want to be...

He walks away, walking out of the room, until he's standing on the edge of a cliff that seems to conveniently be situated just outside the Lost gathering, wind blowing through his hair.

DOMINIC
Going through the motions,
Losing all my drive
I can't even see, if this is really me
And I just want to be....

Alive!

Dominic sighs, and heads back inside, where the party seems to have resumed, unaffected. He sees Rosie and heads over towards her.

DOMINIC (spoken)
We should go on an Adventure at some point, Rosie.

ROSIE (spoken)
Yes, that would be nice.

Dominic walks off, whilst Rosie walks through the party, smiling and chatting to people. Finally she sees Drago, and runs towards him. The two pull away from the rest of the party, moving to a quieter area in a small courtyard garden.

DRAGO (gazing fondly at Rosie)
This is the gal
That I plan to entangle
Isn't she fine?

My claim to fame
Was to stab and to strangle
Vengeance was mine

But I'm out of the biz
The rep I made I'll trade for hers
The only trouble is...

Drago looks away, awkward.

I'll never tell...

ROSIE (gazing at Drago)
He is the one
He's such wonderful fun
Such passion and grace

Warm in the night
When he's right in my tight —
Embrace, tight embrace!

I'll never let him go
The love we've known can only grow
There's just one thing that - no
I'll never tell

Rosie looks away for a moment and then looks back at Drago, adoringly.

DRAGO & ROSIE (gazing lovingly at each other)
'Cause there's nothing to tell

The two begin to walk back into the party, hand in hand, looking in different directions as they walk back in.

DRAGO
She snores

ROSIE
He wheezes

DRAGO
Say 'housework' and she freezes

ROSIE
He eats organic cheeses
That I can't abide

ROSIE
He snarls

DRAGO
She's scatty
In fact she's pretty batty

ROSIE
Sometimes he's pretty nasty
When his mind's on homicide.

Drago and Rosie look back towards each other, and smile, holding hands, and gazing into each other's eyes.

DRAGO & ROSIE
The vibe gets kind of scary

They both pull away, walking a few paces apart and looking in different directions.

DRAGO
Like she thinks I'm ordinary

ROSIE (looking towards a man in pirate garb as he walks in, then relaxing when she sees it isn't Darken Fel)
Like it's all just temporary

DRAGO
Like her toes are kind of hairy

DRAGO & ROSIE (looking back towards each other, with slightly forced smiles)
But it's all very well
'Cause god knows, I'll never tell

Drago sighs, and walks to a corner where he's stashed a bottle of vodka, which he begins to drink from.

ROSIE
When things get rough, he
Just hides behind a bottle

Drago looks up with vodka in hand, annoyed.

ROSIE
Now look - he wants to be coddled
'Cause he knows that I know

DRAGO (pulling down the vodka in irritation)
She clings
She's needy
She's also really greedy
She never —

ROSIE (jumping in)
His eyes are beady

DRAGO (annoyed)
This is my verse! Hello?
She —

The tempo changes and Rosie dances, doing an old style tap routine.

ROSIE (spoken)
Look at me! I'm dancin' - crazy!

Drago joins in, quicker and flashier than Rosie, jumping, spinning, and even doing an extended fast tap solo. He's definitely showing off.

DRAGO & ROSIE (returning together, and taking each other's hands)
You know...

DRAGO
You're quite the charmer

ROSIE
My knight in armor

DRAGO
You're the cutest of the Scoobies
With your lips as red as rubies
And your firm yet supple —
Tight embrace!

A second dance break - Fred and Ginger style, dropping into a slower number which ends with them standing back to back, looking wistful.

ROSIE
He's swell

DRAGO
She's sweller

ROSIE
He'll always be my feller

DRAGO
That's why I'll never tell her
That I'm petrified

ROSIE
I've read this tale
There's wedding, then betrayal
I know that come the day
I'll want to run and hide

ROSIE & DRAGO
I lied
I said it's easy
I've tried
But there's these fears I can't quell

DRAGO (with a small thought bubble coming from his head of Rosie in Indiana Jones gear, brandishing a gold statue in her hand)
Is she looking
For a pot of gold?

ROSIE (with a small thought bubble of a stereotypical witch like hag coming from her head)
Will I look good
When I've gotten old?

DRAGO (walking away from Rosie, frowning)
Will our lives become too stressful
If I'm never that successful?

ROSIE (walking away, and raising her hands to her face in fear)
When I get so worn and wrinkly
That I look like David Brinkley?

DRAGO
Am I crazy?

ROSIE
Am I dreamin'?

DRAGO
Am I marrying a Loyalist?

DRAGO & ROSIE
We could really raise the beam
In making marriage a hell
So thank god, I'll never tell
I swear that I'll never tell

The two begin to walk back towards each other, take each other's hands and continue to walk into the party together

DRAGO
My lips are sealed

ROSIE
I take the fifth

DRAGO
Nothin' to see
Move it along

DRAGO & ROSIE
I'll never...

The two collapse on a large arm chair with Rosie in Drago's lap, cuddly and affectionate.

Tell!

As the music fades out Drago seems to come to and realizes he's snuggling with Rosie. He says "shit...Ice Law", pushes Rosie off his lap and stalks off, leaving Rosie looking rather unhappy.

She sees Dominic across the room, talking to Snaggle, and heads for him.

ROSIE (spoken)
That Adventure? Can we go on it now?

DOMINIC (looking highly relieved that his conversation with Snaggle is over)
Totally.

To be continued...