Scene One.
(Doctor Bonny's Office. ) [There is a large desk with neat stacks
of files the one on top is clearly marked 407 and is open. A picture of
Dr.Bonny's wife and kids with a jar of pencils and other assorted
knick knacks is also on the desk. On the walls. A diploma with various
letters. PHD BA CBS PBS CBC CHEM 7 and an anatomy poster]
Doctor Bonny:
[Middle Aged man. Wearing a lab coat and badge. Dark hair with some
salt and pepper, some of his friends compare him to George Clooney. He
is speaking in a tired, uninterested monotone and holding up inkblots.]
What's this one?
Patient 407: [Young woman, also looking tired and strung out, she's rocking slowly in her chair and trying to focus on the cards, even though she's certain he keeps holding up the same card, over and over.]
Rabbits
Dr.B: And this one?
407: Rabbits.
Dr.B: And..... This one.
407: Rabbits. [407 bursts into tears] S-stop showing me
these.. Why are you showing me these! What are you trying to prove!?
[Dr.Bonny slams down the cards and gets up from his desk.]
Dr.B: You can go now, 407.. We're finished here.. [He rubs his
eyes with one hand and sort of points to the door with his pinkie] You
can go.
407: [Leaps up onto the chair, as if she's seen a mouse. But
she's seeing 'rabbits.' She screams at the top of her lungs and cowers
in her chair, pulling her legs to her chin and trembles]
Dr.B: [speaking in calming tones] What's wrong, 407??? What do you see?
[ He pushes a 'button' under his desk, 'buzzer' sounds, and the door
to his office opens revealing a large male nurse.]
407: [Hops up on her chair so she's standing on it.] R-rabbits... Everywhere... They're.. They're everywhere.. [Gestures to the audience.] Can't.. Can't.. Can't you see them? Their long pointed ears, the cute innocent seeming paws, that enclose razor sharp talons. Those nasty teeth.. a...and those eyes.. Those all knowing... All seeing eyes.. Th-they're there!!! They ARE!!!
[Nurse enters the room and helps 407 off the chair as she struggles
and points at the audience, sobbing.] There! Can't you see them! They're
evil! They're.. They're trying to kill me!!
Dr.B: [sighing and looking slightly un-interested at 407's outburst] You can take her now, Malik.. Send in her parents.. Hell.. Send in all of them.. Send in that brother of her's too.. Make it one big goddamned party!
Malik: [407 is struggling in his arms and muttering to herself, to the rabbits.] What ever Doc.. Take her back to her room? [He drops to a hushed tone] Usual meds?
Dr.B: No.. Up them.. Up the dosage. Give her 500 of haldol and another 250 of..
[Patient 407 might be nuts, but she's not deaf, she glares at both of them, hunkering down and pulling her shirt sleeves down over her hands]
Malik: 250 of what?!
DrB: [shaking his head] Never mind. I'll write you the proper scrips later. Send in the family.
[Malik rolls his eyes and ushers 407 out of the room]
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Scene 2 (Minutes later. There's a kleenex
box on the desk, and several more chairs, which are filled with 407's family.)
Mom: [Big hair, big attitude and bad makeup. She's weeping profusely and pulling handfuls of kleenex out of a box on the doctor's desk.] What's wrong? I thought you said she was better! You said on the phone, that she was improving!
Dr.B: [Elbows on his desk, is massaging his temples and struggling not to throttle the woman] She is. With a more complete pharmaceutical regimen, we should be able to get the hallucinations under control.
Dad:
[Think a cross between Ward Cleaver on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER and Reverend
Camden off 7TH HEAVEN] We love our daughter. We thought you were
helping her. If you're not. We can always have her moved. We have looked
into other facilities. 'Shady Acres' is quite nice.
Dr.B: Sir, with all due respect. Happy Acres, offers the best treatment for these sorts of.. Problems. Happy Acres.. It's been deemed best in the state.. In the entire country. You don't want to make a mistake.
Billy: [Around 16-18 or so... His facial hair is coming in patches. Has a really really bad Uni-brow. Think caveman crossed with every sort of creepy hairy guy you know]
What in the hell are we doing here!? The girl is looney-tunes.. We know
that.. Can we go home now?!
Mom: [Still weeping, she gives her son a sound clip on the
ear.] Billy watch your mouth. This is your sister! Show some respect,
she's sick and we're trying to help her.
Dr.B: [Leaning forward on his desk, an earnest look on his
face, and his hands clasped with the index fingers pointing up] Billy.
I need your help on this. I need you to tell me how this happened. Anya
has told me.. I want you to tell me. I want you to explain to me. Why your
sister sees rabbits.
Billy: [rubbing his head where his mom whacked him] I don't know.. I don't care. I've taken enough of this crap. She's been loony ever since she was little. Ever since...
Dr.B: Ever since when Billy? Ever since the petting zoo??!!
[Billy glares at the doctor.]
Billy: She deserved it. She was bein' a pain.. Wantin' to go home.. So when she went and complained to Mom again.. I grabbed her and stuck Fluffy down her coveralls.. [Billy smirks]
Dr.B: And you find this funny Billy?
Billy: Hell ya. I drove my sister nuts! Not many people can say
that.. [his face clouds and he pouts] But now they spend all their time
with her. Worryin' over her.. Stupid crazy bitch.
Dr.B: [Looking at the parents.] Can you tell me what drove you to bring her here to Happy Acres?
Billy: Cuz she's nuttier than a christmas fruitcake!
Mom: Billy!! [looking to Dr.Bonny] We'd moved her into the basement and told her the rabbits couldn't get her there.. She seemed okay with it.. We even got a tutor in there after she'd settled in. Anya had finally stopped seeing rabbits. But then... Then.. [Mom blows her nose] She started seeing them again. We phoned the local doctor.. Well.. He's a veterinarian.. Not a psychologist.. But.. He couldn't do anything. So we were out of options.. We sent her here..
Dr.B: [Looking at the parents.] Besides the hallucinations, can you tell me anything else out of the ordinary about your daughter. Fears she might have connected to her psychosis??
Dad: Well, we always wanted the best for our kids during the holidays.. Christmas. Birthdays.. Halloween. Easter... But with Easter, and Anya. It was strange. She'd... [ He pauses trying to find the right word] I don't know.. Flip out.. Edith and I.. We'd run around the house the night before, hiding the baskets. Then wake the kids in the morning to hunt for their eggs and... [He shrugs] You know.. The normal stuff done on Easter.. Anya would freak. I think the whole idea of those rabbits.. and then this EASTER BUNNY, breaking into the house and well..
(lights dim) (off stage left spot light on: 407 in a straight jacket.)
407: The only thing that scares me more than the ordinary rabbit is the delinquent rabbit.. I s'pose you know whom I'm talking about, but if ya don't I might as well explain then, shouldn't I.. The delinquent rabbit was this supposed 'Easter Bunny' I guess you know the scenario from here eh? Cute bunny comes in your house and leaves cute little chocolates. HAH!! How delusional you are!! This evil little varmint BREAKS into your safe haven, your shelter from harm, your sanctuary, and conspires to fatten up your innocent babes and eat them. They gain the adoration of your child and corrupts his young mind and then finally stalks him till..... He ends up like me......
(spot light off exuent 407) (Lights up)
Mom: [Mom interrupts Dad] We stopped celebratin' Easter after awhile.. Too stressful for Anya.. Too stressful for us..
Dr.B: [Looking at Billy] What about your son? What about his Easter?
[The parents shrug and look at each other.]
Mom: Billy was a big boy. He didn't believe in the easter bunny.
Billy [glaring at her.] I was EIGHT Mom!!!! I didn't think
it was fair! I still don't think it's fair that she got all that she wanted,
just because she was crazier than a longtailed cat in a rocking chair store!
You guys! I can't believe you. Getting sucked into her world. She's nuts!
The rabbits don't exist, why do you keep indulging her!!??
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Scene 3 [No need to change sets. Same desk, 407 folder removed and folders strewn all over the desk, Dr.Bonny's family photos removed, replaced with handcuffs and a revolver. Diploma and poster removed and replaced with Diploma from the 'academy' and a Missing Person's poster. We are no longer in the doctor's office we are in.]
(Police station.) (onstage Mom and police officer)
Mom: You... You have to find him! He's all we have left! You have to find Billy!
Officer Carter: M'am.. We'll do everything in our power to find your son. But quite frankly we have no leads the only lead we have is this note from your son. It *is* quite vague. I mean.. "I'm running away and not coming back!" doesn't really give us much. But we'll keep an eye on his bank account. Ask around.
Mom: Thank you.. Thank you Officer Carter!!
Officer Carter: You can call me Carter, M'am. In fact you can
call me John. [ He smiles and pats her hand.] We'll find your son..
(weeks later) Dim lights.
Lights up. (Onstage Carter and Mom)
Mom: You haven't found him! You said you would.. You lied!
Carter: Ma'm. We're doing everything in our power..
(dim lights)
________________________________________________________________________________
(Lights up.)
Scene 4. (Doctor's office.) (Files stacked and sorted. 407's on top. Diploma and anatomy poster put back. Photo of cute kids replaced.)
Onstage: 407 in a straight jacket. Enter stage left: Dr.Bonny.
Dr.B: 407.. It's been brought to our attention that you've taken
to self-mutilation. This facility is a minimum security facility, and we
cannot condone actions such as these.. We've arranged a transfer, to Shady
Acres. You'll be happy there...
407: They got him you know.. The rabbits.. The rabbits got him. [she rocks slowly, struggling in the jacket.]
Dr.B: Anastasia...
407: They got him.. They kidnapped him.. They.. They killed him.. He.. He was one of thier own.. Billy.. He.. He was a rabbit... Can't you see that!? He was so.. so.. Furry.. They got him Doc!! They got Billy!
Dr.B: [Shaking his head.] 407.. Listen to me. Think about this.. The letter.. Explain the letter from your brother.. The one he left...
407: [Smiling innocently, her eyes widening as the grin turns
maddening] Rabbits.... Rabbits can write.. Don't you know that?! Rabbits..
They can write.
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Scene 5: One Month Later. Shady Acres.
Doc Sorenson's office. (0nstage Mom,Dad and Doc Sorenson)
Doctor Sorenson: [ Older gentleman. Wearing labcoat and badge. Receding salt and pepper hair. Some of his friends compare him to Anthony Edwards] Madame.. Sir. I'm happy to report that your daughter has settled in here comfortably.
[He stands, paces the room and moves his hands while he talks]
Dr.S: We have here on a strict regimine of medication, that is
being lowered bi-weekly. We have much more qualified staff here at
Shady Acres. At Shady Acres we're able to watch your daughter around the
clock and give her the supervision that she needs. Although with the medications
we have her on have seemed to curb the hallucinations. I think she likes
it here.
[Stage darkens and spotlight at stage left, where 407 is sitting in a chair.]
407: [She smiles at the audience] He's right you know. I like it here.. But I still see you.. I know you're there.. Hiding. That you're hiding waiting for me outside. That's why I like it here better. The flimsy wire mesh at Happy Acres was coming loose off the windows, when the big people in white had taken away my knife, you would have gotten me. I know you would have. That's why I like it here. The wire is stronger.
[stage lights dim exuent all]
The end