A Play by Selim Tezel
Ensel (15) and Gretchen(16) lost in a forest near Bavaria while on a hiking trip during a visit to Germany. Two days into their disappearance they wake up to find themselves in a dungeon.
Scene: A small dark dungeon cell lit by a torch with walls of thick stones. Smell of moisture and dampness. Two barrels containing food and water. An iron drinking cup on the floor. Their hiking back packs.
Ensel:
Gretchen, Gretchen, wake up!
Gretchen:(slowly coming to her senses)
Ensel? What time is it? My head is spinning (remembering) What happened? Where are we?
Ensel:
I don't know Gretchen, I don't know. Things are getting weird. Something is up. We have to think something quick, this doesn't look good.
Gretchen:
How did we get here?
Oh God! Mom is probably worried to death by now.
Ensel:(exploring the dungeon)
Look there are two barrels here. (opening the lids) They got some weird smelling meat and water.
Gretchen:
Well, at least we won't starve to death. (Taking a bite)
Ensel:
Are you mad! Don't eat that stuff...
Gretchen:
I am starving. We haven't eaten in two days. If whoever put us here wanted us dead they would have done it by now. Use you brain, they are after something else. It tastes good, have some.
Ensel:
Don't be stupid. Remember that story of the boy and girl lost in the forest and the witch feeds them well so they will get fat to later make a good meal for her?
Gretchen:
Shut up. Don't start with your witch stuff again. The last thing I want to think about now is witches. Eat, we will think of something.
They hear a metallic knock on the wall, seeming to come from quite far. Both become all ears...
Noise:
Tock!
Ensel:
What was...
Gretchen:
Ssshhh...
All quiet.
Noise:
Tock! Tock!
Ensel:
Someone is out there!
Gretchen:
Ssshh. Be quiet! Let us hear!
Noise:
Tock! Tock! Tock!
Gretchen:
Yes, there is someone else out there.
(yells) Hellooo! Can you hear me?
Silence. No response.
Ensel:
The walls are too thick. I don't think anyone can hear us.
(picking the iron drinking cup from the floor) here use this...
Gretchen: (takes the cup and knocks the wall with it)
Tock!
Silence.
Gretchen:
Tock! Tock!
Tock!Tock!Tock!
Silence.
Noise:
Tock!Tock!Tock!
Ensel:(excited)
They heard us. Do it again.
Gretchen:
Tock!Tock!Tock!
Noise:
Tock!Tock!Tock!
Gretchen:
Yes they are responding.
Let's try this:
Tock!Tock! (silence) Tock!Tock! (silence) Tock!Tock!
Noise:
Tock!Tock! (silence) Tock!Tock! (silence) Tock!Tock!
Ensel:
Bingo! There is someone out there. may be more kids like us. Stuck to this damn place. This may be our chance to get out of here. We have to figure out a way to communicate with them.
Noise:
Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!
Silence.
Ensel:
What is going on? Why are they knocking so much?
Gretchen:
I don't...
Noise:
Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!
Ensel:
They are going crazy. What the...
Noise:
Tock! Tock!..
Gretchen:
Shut up and count.
Ensel:
What?
Gretchen:
Sssh 3,4, count!
Noise:
Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!...
Gretchen:
What did you get?
Ensel:
I don't know. 20 something?
Gretchen:
I got 25. I wonder what it means. Next time let count carefully... Sshh here we go.
They count each knock carefully
Noise:
Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!
Gretchen&Ensel:
24,25,26...
Gretchen:
Twenty six!
Ensel:
So what?
Gretchen:
Don't you get it?
Ensel:
Get what? (realizing) Oh my God! 26 like 26 letters of the alphabet.
Noise:
Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!
Gretchen:
24,35,26...
Yes it is 26 again. It is clear they are referring to the alphabet.
Ensel:
But we are in Germany. How many letters do the Germans have?
Gretchen:
I don't have a clue. But may be they are American kids like us. (passing the cup to Ensel) Any way let's not lose time. Knock 26 times to let them know we are in on the cue.
Ensel:
Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!
Gretchen:
24, 25,26. That's good. Let see how they will respond. But no, no do it again in case they couldn't count it all.
Ensel:
Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!Tock!
Gretchen:
Good! I am sure they know we are in!
Ensel:
How in the world will this help?
Gretchen:
May be each knock will be like a letter:
Tock: A; Tock Tock:B, TockTockTock:C
Ensel:
God! Imagine spelling "Wyoming" this way. We will rot here before we finish a sentence.
Gretchen:
Sshh. Here they start again.
Noise:
(Taar sounds like metal scratched over a wall while Tock is like a knock)
Tock!
Tock! Tock!
Tock! Tock! Tock!
Tock! Taar!
Taar!
Silence.
Ensel:
What the hell is that scratchy sound suppose to mean?
Gretchen:
Shut up I am thinking...
Noise:
Tock!
Tock! Tock!
Tock! Tock! Tock!
Tock! Taar!
Taar!
Gretchen:
One, two, three, one something, something.
What is going on?
Ensel:
Exactly!
Noise:
Tock!
Tock! Tock!
Tock! Tock! Tock!
Tock! Taar!
Taar!
Ensel:
God! I know what is going on!
Gretchen:
You do?
Ensel:
Yes! Yes! The Romans! Like in math class.
Gretchen:
What Romans?
Oh shoot the Roman numerals!
You think they are using the Roman numerals?
Noise:
Tock!
Tock! Tock!
Tock! Tock! Tock!
Tock! Taar!
Taar!
Ensel:
I,II,III,IV,V. We got some smart kids out there. They figured a way to suppress the letters. May be it won't be hard to spell "Wyoming".
Gretchen:
Slow down! How exactly are they using the Roman numerals for the alphabet.
Ensel:
Don't you get it?
Tock is A and Roman I
Tock Tock is B and Roman II
Tock Tock Tock is C and Roman III
Tock Taar is D and Roman IV
Taar is E and Roman V
etc...
Gretchen:
Do something to tell them we got it!
Ensel:
Tock! , That is one (I)
Tock! Tock!, That is two (II)
Tock! Tock! Tock!, That is three (III)
Tock! Taar! That is four (IV)
Taar! That is five (V)
Taar! Tock! That is six (VI)
Taar! Tock! Tock! That is seven (VII)
Taar! Tock! Tock!Tock! That is eight (VIII)
Tock! Taar! Taar! That is nine (IX)
Taar!Taar! That is ten (X)
Gretchen:
I get it now! I am proud of you Ensel! That was smart!
You made up a ten! Let's see if they will respond?
Noise:
Tock!
Tock! Tock!
Tock! Tock! Tock!
Tock! Taar!
Taar!
Taar! Tock!
Taar! Tock! Tock!
Taar! Tock! Tock!Tock!
Tock! Taar! Taar!
Taar!Taar!
Gretchen:
Bingo! They got it! They liked your ten.
Ensel:
They did not exactly have a choice.
God, now we have an alphabet we can tell them anything we want. Do you still have the note pad in your bag.
Gretchen rushes to get it.
Gretchen:
Let's make a chart.
A is Tock
B is Tock Tock
C is Tock Tock Tock
D is Tock Taar
E is Taar
.......(mumbles to herself)
Y is 25 th letter: Taar TaarTaarTaarTaar
and
Z is 26 th letter: Taar TaarTaarTaarTaar Tock
Gretchen:
All set. We are ready.
Ensel:
Let's say "hello"
Gretchen:
Ready! I will read the code you knock it!
Ensel:
Go!
Gretchen:
All right! Do it slowly!
H: 8. letter Taar TockTockTock
E: 5. letter Taar
L: 12. letter Taar Taar Tock Tock
L: 12. letter Taar Taar Tock Tock
O: 15. letter Taar Taar Taar
Ensel knocks slowly as instructed by Gretchen.
Ensel:
God this is getting complicated! I wonder how they will get it.
They wait for a long time in silence.
Gretchen:
They are not responding they did not get it.
Ensel:
May be they did not have any writing paper like us to make a chart or something.
Gretchen:
Ssshhh! Count! They are starting!
Noise:
Taar TockTockTock
Taar
Taar Taar Tock Tock
Taar Taar Tock Tock
Taar Taar Taar
Ensel:
8,5,12,12,15
Gretchen:
Yeap! They got it! Spells "Hello"
They hug.
Ensel:
Let's ask them something. May be their name?
Gretchen:
OK! Let me code for you: "Who are you?"
She works a while scribbling some code down.
Then she instructs Ensel.
Gretchen:
Do as I say but slowly so they can decode.
Taar Taar Taar Taar Tock Tock Tock
.......(a sequence of knocks etc that spell "Who are you?")
Ensel:
Let's hope they got it.
Long Silence.
Ensel:
Here they go, code it down.
Noise:
Tock Taar Taar
Tock
Taar Taar Tock Tock
Taar Taar
Taar Tock TockTock
Taar
Taar Taar Taar Taar Tock Tock Tock
Tock Taar Taar
Taar Taar Taar Taar
Tock Tock Tock
Taar Tock Tock Tock
Gretchen:
Got it. 9,1,12,10,8,5,23,9,20,3,8
Let's look at the chart.
Ensel:
This is so cool!
Gretchen: (Slowly letter by letter decodes)
Spells: "I AM THE W..."
Gretchen turns pale
Ensel:
What is it?
Gretchen:
This must be some sick joke!
Ensel:
What is going on? What does it say?
Gretchen:
It says " I AM THE WITCH"
Ensel:
What?
Lights off.
Final Scene: A terrifying room lit by candles, signs of the devil on the walls, etc...The witch has gathered an unholy host before her giant cauldron in some sort of a ceremony. She is busy preparing a recipe of sorts for whatever demoniac purpose, who knows. She throws the items into the boiling cauldron as she calls their names
Witch: Two measures of crushed Rat spine, one measure of Bat wings, seven measures of drowned kitten blood....
Cauldron boils, bubbles and foams...
Witch: Eyes of a calf,
Cauldron boils, bubbles and foams some more...
Witch: The brains of two intelligent children....
Puts two brains to the cauldron...
Lights off... Horrifying laughter, echoes and Tocks…