Day 16

Naghmeh Samini
Monday 18 February 2019

The Woman is alone in a room with no windows, a small bed, a toilet in the corner and a small fridge next to the bed. She is wearing the same clothes she was wearing the last time we saw her in St Andrews. It seems she has been imprisoned in this room for a few days now. She looks distressed and distracted. She fiddles with the lock with no success, gets tired, steps back and then goes back to the lock again, but she cannot open the door. She kicks the door and shouts!

The Woman: Where are you? Can you hear me? Can you see me? Where are you?

No response.

The Woman: When you asked me to go to the university only one day later, I accepted immediately. When you asked me to lie down under the delicate ray of sunlight, close my eyes and try to concentrate on nothing, I accepted immediately. I listened to your bullshit about how you were swallowed by Shakespeare and how you wished to dedicate the first 6 episodes of your story to MacGregors and Crawfords…But now, When I need you most, you don’t even answer me…Why?

No response.

The Woman: Aren’t you going to answer me?

Voice of the writer: I am really sorry…

The Woman: I have been calling you for 5 days…

Voice of the Writer: Oh! I am really sorry. I was busy doing research and planning my trip and now, on day 16, I am on a train to Stratford-upon-Avon, to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace.

The Woman: I don’t care where you are going; hell or heaven. I have been trapped here in this room for five days, I have been imprisoned. Did you know that?

Voice of the writer: Yes! I do…

The Woman: So why don’t you do anything? I remember you said you were worried about me.

Voice of the Writer: I was worried about you when you were my character.

The Woman: ‘I WAS your character’?! What the hell?  I still am.

Voice of the Writer: You were my character before you changed the plot. You are self-centered and selfish. Otherwise, you would never have changed the plot.

The Woman: What are you on about. I didn’t change your plot!

Voice of the Writer: Yes, you did. In my plot when the woman said she had a great idea, it meant she wanted to see Dr. Aflah again, explain her predicament and ask him to help her. Then her boyfriend would come to St Andrews to find her, but Dr. Aflah would help her hide until he would go back to London. That was a great plot…

The Woman: A stupid one!

Voice of the Writer: If you call my story stupid, it means you are happy with your current situation.

The Woman: No! I am not.

Voice of the writer: So why did you go back to London? To the same house that you had escaped from?

The Woman: I came back to collect my things, discuss the problems of our relationship with my ex, and then… go back to Iran…

Voice of the Woman: What?! Going back to Iran?

The Woman: Of course, I must have a reunion with my father.

Voice of the Woman: Reunion with a dead man?

The Woman: Are you really researching Shakespeare? Have you ever asked yourself why Hamlet returns to Denmark although he knows his uncle had assigned those two guys to kill him?

Voice of the Writer: I am not going to argue with you. You did what you wanted to do, and you must suffer the consequences. He imprisoned you in the basement, and did not let you settle things …. It is not my fault. … Oh! Sorry the train is in the station now…I have to go. I am so excited! I am finally  in Stratford-upon-Avon!

The Woman: OK! Before leaving me alone…Just tell me …Where is he?

Voice of the Writer: He is in St Andrews…

The Woman: What? What the hell is he doing there?

Voice of the Woman: I am sorry! I must get off the train.

The Woman: No! Please don’t go. Please don’t live me alone…

Voice of the Writer: Good bye and good luck! I will talk to you later.

Darkness

Share this story