audience : mary

[cyclists]

Comments

[withsadness]

Oh? You came to see me? Little me?

[She's waiting, hands steeped in front of her.]

How fun!

[cyclists]

Well sure. [They don't approach any closer, obviously aware of the instability here.] We're friends, aren't we?

[withsadness]

Friends until the end! Even like this, you don't mind? I'm a corrupt creature...I don't know how to make those good decisions you wanted me to. Aren't you disappointed? Ashamed? You don't want to lock me far, far away?

[cyclists]

[There's a shake of their head...and they step a little closer.]

It's alright. I'm not ashamed of you, but...I'm a little sad. Is that okay?

[withsadness]

...sad?

[Mary goes quiet, watching him, almost accusingly. Why that word?]

[cyclists]

Yeah. [Are they getting somewhere with this? Perhaps.] It probably hurts, doesn't it?

[withsadness]

Which part?

[She drops her arms, and they swing listlessly from their own momentum as her eyes glaze over.]

Yes, I'm in pain. When I'm dead, I won't hurt anymore. But I still don't want to die.

[cyclists]

What do you mean you won't hurt anymore when you're dead?

[withsadness]

Because there'll be nothing left! No more Mary!

[No more Mary, gone gone gone. She covers her face.]

[cyclists]

That's not true. [Not really...but they don't approach closer, simply letting this happen.] Don't you remember what I said earlier?

[withsadness]

About...about memories?

[Her hands move from her face to her hair, her eyes closing tightly as she struggles.]

[cyclists]

Yeah. [That's still sort of progress of some kind.] Memories mean that you're never really gone. That's why they're so important...and even when the memories go away, your heart still knows. But it doesn't have to hurt either.

[withsadness]

But what if they're bad memories? What if they hurt? Why would anyone keep that, keep me? I don't want to be remembered if I'm remembered as bad!

[She's so confused, confused. Mary sways unevenly, shrieking.]

[cyclists]

[...it hurts to watch, and it's why they approach. Even if she tries to hurt them, they can't be hurt by it. Instead, they reach out to offer her a hand to steady herself.]

It's alright. [It's an insistent tone.] You can stop...it's alright. [Feeding into her fears and her own darkness is only making it worse. If they can break through to her, maybe...they stand a chance of understanding how this is working.] You'll still be remembered for the good things, too. I promise!