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breakinglight11I want to tell a Victorian ghost story. Wouldn't that be a fun little subject for an audio drama?
I have noodled upon a scene. First real writing I've done since finishing Fallen Women.
Scene 1 - "Alea Iacta Est"
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~
London, England, 1891
MARIEL STARLING, early twenties, a classical scholar
FREDERICK DARE, mid twenties, a law student and baronial heir
The WHISPER, just beyond hearing
~~~
SOUND: Pen scratching
MARIEL: “Even now we may still turn back.”
WHISPER: Etiam nunc regredi possumus.
SOUND: Pen scratching
MARIEL: “It is but a small bridge, but when it is crossed, all thereafter must be decided by arms.”
WHISPER: Omnia armis agenda erunt.
SOUND: Creaking door
MARIEL: “So let us accept this sign from the gods, and follow where they beckon. Alea iacta est…”
SOUND: Pen scratching
SOUND: Footsteps
WHISPER: Alea iacta est.
MARIEL: “The die is cast.”
FREDERICK: Hard at work as always?
MARIEL: (Gasps, startled) Oh, goodness!
SOUND: Pen clatters
FREDERICK: Easy! It’s only me.
MARIEL: Frederick! What are you doing here?
FREDERICK: I’ve had a meeting with my uncle’s solicitor. But I couldn’t come to town without stopping by. My dear Mariel, how are things?
MARIEL: Oh! Well-- very well. Mother keeps busy, Father’s come back from the continent.
FREDERICK: And how is your newest translation coming? Suetonius, wasn’t it?
MARIEL: The Twelve Caesars! You remembered.
FREDERICK: Of course I did. And what of your sister?
MARIEL: Oh, Helen is much better, thank God! The shore always improves her; she found her last trip very bracing.
FREDERICK: I’m ever so glad.
MARIEL: And you? It’s been ages since we’ve seen you. How is school?
FREDERICK: Nearly through now; they may just take pity on me enough to pass my exams.
MARIEL: You ought to be studying now, not gallivanting around London!
FREDERICK: I know, I know.
WHISPER: The die is cast.
FREDERICK: But uncle’s man wouldn’t wait. I had to come for the will to be read. Mariel… he’s left me all of it.
MARIEL: All of it?
WHISPER: Veni, vidi, vici.
FREDERICK: Everything. I don’t know why, but it’s everything— the house, the grounds, the money.
MARIEL: And the title.
WHISPER: Idus Martiae veni.
FREDERICK: Yes, well, that’s the one bit he hadn’t any choice in the matter.
MARIEL: Good heavens.
WHISPER: Sed non praeterisse.
MARIEL: So that’s it, then. Frederick Dare, the fifth baron Strathmore. Soon to be Baron Strathmore, esquire!
FREDERICK: Oh, please, don’t you start. I’ll have all I can stand of that soon.
MARIEL: It’s just… I’m very happy for you, Freddie. And proud.
FREDERICK: That’s very kind of you, Mariel. I wanted to tell you, because… that’s something of why I’m here.
MARIEL: Indeed?
WHISPER: Idus Martiae veni sed non praeterisse.
FREDERICK: So much is changing. Soon I’ll be a lawyer, and a peer, for heaven’s sake, with this great old country house on my hands. It’s a great deal more than I expected to have at this point in my life. It makes one think of... the future, I suppose. The sort of life one really hopes to have.
WHISPER: The Ides have come but have not gone.
(Pause.)
FREDERICK: Mariel... do you remember that spring when we all went on holiday together? To that little cottage on the fishermen’s wharf on the Isle of Wight, what was the place called?
MARIEL: Shanklin.
FREDERICK: With the ancient stone walls all over the place.
MARIEL: And the pearly shells collected in the tide pools.
FREDERICK: We went swimming every day before lunch, and the seagulls were so bold they stole bites right out of our picnic baskets. Helen nearly lost her handkerchief, do you remember?
MARIEL: But you chased the bold little blaggard down! Handed it back to her gallant as you please.
FREDERICK: And she drew herself up like a queen and knighted me with a butter knife. I thought the walking might be too much for her. But she always seems to be revived by the sea. All pink and laughing, with her hair caught up in the wind.
MARIEL: (Laughing) It was a lovely time.
FREDERICK: I think that was one of the best times of my life. I find myself thinking of it, more and more of late.
WHISPER: Tribus et viginti plagis confossus.
FREDERICK: We’ve been friends, haven’t we, Mariel?
WHISPER: Stabbed with three and twenty wounds.
MARIEL: Of course we have, Frederick.
FREDERICK: I’m glad you think so. Because your word, your good opinion, they mean a great deal to me. A very great deal.
MARIEL: You needn’t worry, Freddie. You know how fond I am of you. How fond we all are.
FREDERICK: Thank you. Because… I’ve been thinking it over for some time… and I had to ask you. I’d know I’d be sorry if I didn’t.
MARIEL: Yes?
WHISPER: The daggers thrust home.
FREDERICK: If I were to propose to Helen... do you think she would accept?
(Pause.)
MARIEL: Ah… why, yes, Freddie. I think she would.
I have noodled upon a scene. First real writing I've done since finishing Fallen Women.
Scene 1 - "Alea Iacta Est"
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~
London, England, 1891
MARIEL STARLING, early twenties, a classical scholar
FREDERICK DARE, mid twenties, a law student and baronial heir
The WHISPER, just beyond hearing
~~~
SOUND: Pen scratching
MARIEL: “Even now we may still turn back.”
WHISPER: Etiam nunc regredi possumus.
SOUND: Pen scratching
MARIEL: “It is but a small bridge, but when it is crossed, all thereafter must be decided by arms.”
WHISPER: Omnia armis agenda erunt.
SOUND: Creaking door
MARIEL: “So let us accept this sign from the gods, and follow where they beckon. Alea iacta est…”
SOUND: Pen scratching
SOUND: Footsteps
WHISPER: Alea iacta est.
MARIEL: “The die is cast.”
FREDERICK: Hard at work as always?
MARIEL: (Gasps, startled) Oh, goodness!
SOUND: Pen clatters
FREDERICK: Easy! It’s only me.
MARIEL: Frederick! What are you doing here?
FREDERICK: I’ve had a meeting with my uncle’s solicitor. But I couldn’t come to town without stopping by. My dear Mariel, how are things?
MARIEL: Oh! Well-- very well. Mother keeps busy, Father’s come back from the continent.
FREDERICK: And how is your newest translation coming? Suetonius, wasn’t it?
MARIEL: The Twelve Caesars! You remembered.
FREDERICK: Of course I did. And what of your sister?
MARIEL: Oh, Helen is much better, thank God! The shore always improves her; she found her last trip very bracing.
FREDERICK: I’m ever so glad.
MARIEL: And you? It’s been ages since we’ve seen you. How is school?
FREDERICK: Nearly through now; they may just take pity on me enough to pass my exams.
MARIEL: You ought to be studying now, not gallivanting around London!
FREDERICK: I know, I know.
WHISPER: The die is cast.
FREDERICK: But uncle’s man wouldn’t wait. I had to come for the will to be read. Mariel… he’s left me all of it.
MARIEL: All of it?
WHISPER: Veni, vidi, vici.
FREDERICK: Everything. I don’t know why, but it’s everything— the house, the grounds, the money.
MARIEL: And the title.
WHISPER: Idus Martiae veni.
FREDERICK: Yes, well, that’s the one bit he hadn’t any choice in the matter.
MARIEL: Good heavens.
WHISPER: Sed non praeterisse.
MARIEL: So that’s it, then. Frederick Dare, the fifth baron Strathmore. Soon to be Baron Strathmore, esquire!
FREDERICK: Oh, please, don’t you start. I’ll have all I can stand of that soon.
MARIEL: It’s just… I’m very happy for you, Freddie. And proud.
FREDERICK: That’s very kind of you, Mariel. I wanted to tell you, because… that’s something of why I’m here.
MARIEL: Indeed?
WHISPER: Idus Martiae veni sed non praeterisse.
FREDERICK: So much is changing. Soon I’ll be a lawyer, and a peer, for heaven’s sake, with this great old country house on my hands. It’s a great deal more than I expected to have at this point in my life. It makes one think of... the future, I suppose. The sort of life one really hopes to have.
WHISPER: The Ides have come but have not gone.
(Pause.)
FREDERICK: Mariel... do you remember that spring when we all went on holiday together? To that little cottage on the fishermen’s wharf on the Isle of Wight, what was the place called?
MARIEL: Shanklin.
FREDERICK: With the ancient stone walls all over the place.
MARIEL: And the pearly shells collected in the tide pools.
FREDERICK: We went swimming every day before lunch, and the seagulls were so bold they stole bites right out of our picnic baskets. Helen nearly lost her handkerchief, do you remember?
MARIEL: But you chased the bold little blaggard down! Handed it back to her gallant as you please.
FREDERICK: And she drew herself up like a queen and knighted me with a butter knife. I thought the walking might be too much for her. But she always seems to be revived by the sea. All pink and laughing, with her hair caught up in the wind.
MARIEL: (Laughing) It was a lovely time.
FREDERICK: I think that was one of the best times of my life. I find myself thinking of it, more and more of late.
WHISPER: Tribus et viginti plagis confossus.
FREDERICK: We’ve been friends, haven’t we, Mariel?
WHISPER: Stabbed with three and twenty wounds.
MARIEL: Of course we have, Frederick.
FREDERICK: I’m glad you think so. Because your word, your good opinion, they mean a great deal to me. A very great deal.
MARIEL: You needn’t worry, Freddie. You know how fond I am of you. How fond we all are.
FREDERICK: Thank you. Because… I’ve been thinking it over for some time… and I had to ask you. I’d know I’d be sorry if I didn’t.
MARIEL: Yes?
WHISPER: The daggers thrust home.
FREDERICK: If I were to propose to Helen... do you think she would accept?
(Pause.)
MARIEL: Ah… why, yes, Freddie. I think she would.
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