Scene 1
[An elderly woman sits quietly on a rocking chair by the fire. An old wrinkled basset hound lay sleeping at her feet. Otherwise she is alone in the small, cozy room.]

Old Woman: (patting the dog on the head.) Want to hear a story?

(Dog looks up from his sleep)

Old Woman: A long time ago, when I was a young girl, I lived in a huge mansion with my mother and father. One night I heard someone telling a story down in the basement from the vent in my wall. That was the first time I heard it…The voice of Vincent…



Scene 2

[Elizabeth wearing a long white dress and a black hat is sitting huddled in the corner of her room, staring absently at the wall. There is no light in the room save the full moonlight coming in through the see-through drapes.]

Voice: There once was a man named Pygmalion, he hated women, so he created one of his own. She was beautiful. She was called Galatea. She was so perfect and more beautiful than any woman. But she wasn’t a real woman of flesh and blood. (Elizabeth crawls up to the vent, where she hears the voice is coming from)

Elizabeth: Who are you?

Voice: But one day, the goddess Venus brought Galatea to life, and they lived happily ever after.

Elizabeth: Who are you? Answer me!

Voice: I’m sorry. My name is Vincent.

Elizabeth: I see.

Vincent: And you? What is your name?

Elizabeth: Oh! I’m sorry, my name is Elizabeth.

Vincent: Such a beautiful name.

Elizabeth: Oh…Thank you…But, what are you doing down there?

(Elizabeth’s mom opens the door suddenly, and sends Elizabeth to bed. Elizabeth and Vincent speak no more that night.)



Scene 3

[Elizabeth, he mom and her dad are sitting eating quietly at the dinner table. Rarely making a sound. Quiet slurping and the clinking of spoons against bowls are the only sounds heard.]

Elizabeth: Father. I talked to someone down in the basement yesterday.

Rafaela: What? Jonathan! You know we can’t afford the extra help right now!

Jonathan: Oh? But we can still afford your frequent visits to the salon, and the hundreds of new dresses you buy each month?

Elizabeth: He said his name was Vincent. Who is he?

Jonathan: I needed a little bit of extra help in the lab.

Rafaela: Jon…

Jonathan: But he doesn’t cost a lot, and he is very much help. (Turns to Elizabeth) How did you talk you him? You didn’t go down there did you?

Elizabeth: No, of course not. I could hear him from the vent in my room. He was telling a story or something.

Rafaela: A story? To himself? What kind of insane men are you hiring nowadays Jonathan? I don’t know how much help a storyteller can be. Does he keep you amused?

Jonathan: He didn’t need to be doing any work at the time. And he loves those old stories.

Rafaela: Well, I think that you should get rid of him. He sounds like a lazy creature. (Looks at Elizabeth) and Elizabeth, I don’t want to you talking to him anymore. (Stands up) Now the two of you should hurry up and get ready. We must go to the Calvery’s for lunch.



Scene 4

[Dressed in their finest clothing and warm coats, Elizabeth, Rafaela and Jonathan arrive at the Calvery’s huge mansion. They knock on the door and a cheerful lady (Georgette) greets them inside.]

Georgette: Welcome to our home! Give me your coats so I can hang them up.

(Georgette puts the three coats next to each other in the full closet)

Georgette: Now, follow me.

(She leads the family into the large dining room where her Daughter, Lilia and her husband Hugh, sit.)

Georgette: Elizabeth, you may sit beside Lilia.

(Lilia smiles warmly at Elizabeth who takes the seat next to her at the far end of the table. Rafaela and Jonathan sit down and the adults begin to talk as the servants bring in the food)

Lilia: Hello.

Elizabeth: Hello.

Lilia: Don’t you think these adults are horribly boring?

Elizabeth: Well I suppose not, they do what they have to right?

Lilia: Yes. But I never want to grow up and be like one of them. So stuffy and rigid.

Elizabeth: Your mother doesn’t seem to be like that at all. Just seeing her now, that is, I don’t know how she really is.

Lilia: She is always happy like that. Or else she pretends to be. But I know for sure that she really isn’t happy.

Elizabeth: Oh… That’s too bad.

Lilia: Aren’t you even curious as to why not?

Elizabeth: Well I do not wish to pry into your family affairs.

Lilia: Oh who cares about things like that? I can tell you secrets about my family my parents wouldn’t want anyone to know. And then you could tell me about your family, right? Wouldn’t that make you feel so free?

Elizabeth: I don’t think my family has any secrets.

Lilia: Of course it does! Every family does! But you are so used to them, you don’t think that they are secrets.

Elizabeth: I don’t know…

Lilia: Even your secret feelings about your family that you share with nobody, those can even be secrets! What are you? Angry about your family?

Elizabeth: I don’t know…

Lilia: Yes you do! You are just a little shy right now! Are you hungry? Then hurry up and eat. Then we can go to my bedroom and you can say anything you want. I won’t tell anyone your secrets, I promise. I don’t just tell secrets to anyone.

(Elizabeth eats some of the lunch, uncomfortably as Lilia sits, ignoring her own food and staring attentively at the other girl)

Lilia: Finished? (Grabs Elizabeth’s wrist) Then let’s go to my room.

Elizabeth: Shouldn’t we excuse ourselves?

Lilia: Don’t worry about it. Mother, Father, I’m taking Elizabeth to my room.

Georgette: Oh how wonderful! Our daughters are already becoming good friends! Maybe soon we will see more of you, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: Yes, perhaps.

(Elizabeth is forced out of the dinning room and down a long dark hallway, at the end she’s pushed into a large, beautiful room, stuffed animals everywhere.)

Elizabeth: This is beautiful!

Lilia: I know.

Lilia: So? Anything you want to tell me?

Elizabeth: Oh, I don’t know.

Lilia: You don’t get to see your mom very often, do you?

Elizabeth: How did you know that?

Lilia: Or your Father, for that matter. Isn’t that right?

Elizabeth: But how do you know?

Lilia: It’s obvious. And everybody knows. And everybody sees that awful woman wasting her time in the salons.

(Elizabeth stays silent, looking at the ground)

Lilia: What? Won’t you get mad? I just called your mother an awful woman.

Elizabeth: Maybe you’re right.

Lilia: Ha ha ha! Really? I knew it. And what about your father? He’s a little crazy, isn’t he?

Elizabeth: Well, I don’t really know what he does…

Lilia: Silly girl. But I wouldn’t expect you to know. You’re just a naïve, sweet girl, aren’t you?

Elizabeth: Perhaps.

(Lilia grabs a pair of scissors from under her pillow, smiling queerly at Elizabeth, who backs away)

Lilia: Don’t be afraid (places a hand softly on Elizabeth’s shoulder) Just let me cut a piece of your hair. (Holds up the scissors and snips the air twice.)

Elizabeth: If you wish to. (she holds a part of her hair between two fingers.)

(Lilia cuts off three inches and places the dark locks on her night table)

Lilia: Beautiful, princess.

(Walks closer to Elizabeth and whispers in her ear.)

Lilia: Would you like to know a secret?

Elizabeth: What is it?

Lilia: We have another in the family.

Elizabeth: Who?

Lilia: My brother. Pathetic creature. We don’t see him very much anymore. He's hiding.

Elizabeth: Why?

Lilia: He's insane. But I don’t really care, he isn’t worth my attention anyway.

Elizabeth: That's cruel. What about your parents?

Lilia: They want to cure him. But they know it’s impossible. So they don't want anything to do with him.

Elizabeth: But…

Lilia: That’s what mother-dear is hiding. She pretends to be so happy, but she really is not. She is sick and demented, insane and crazy. And fatheris just as crazy and he has the strangest ideas on how to cure my brother.

Elizabeth: What's his name?

Lilia: You don’t need to know. It's not important. Now, isn’t it time for you to leave?



Scene 5

[Elizabeth is sitting alone in her dark room once again. Rocking back and forth, staring blankly at the wall. Suddenly she hears someone humming a beautiful tune.]

Elizabeth: Vincent? Is that you?

Vincent: Elizabeth. You’re there. I was waiting to hear from you all day. I called. But you never answered.

Elizabeth: I’m sorry, I was out.

Vincent: Where did you go?

Elizabeth: I went to a strange place…

Vincent: What did you do?

Elizabeth: I talked with a girl named Lilia. Hmm Vincent, it's strange that my father didn't tell you anything about where we were going. Wouldn't he have just given you the day off? I know he doesn't like anybody to do his work unsupervised.

Vincent: He doesn't tell me very much.

Elizabeth: That doesn't matter, it's really rude maybe I should talk with him?

Vincent: It doesn't matter.

Elizabeth:(dreamily) You have a beautiful voice.

Vincent: Pardon?

Elizabeth: When I heard you humming that song. I couldn’t believe how lovely you sounded.

Vincent: Thank you.

Elizabeth: I wish I could see what you look like. Why don’t you ever come upstairs?

Vincent: I cannot go up.

Elizabeth: Why not? My father doesn’t let you up?

Vincent: I am not allowed up. It's horrible for me, because I wish to see you.

Elizabeth: It’s so dark down there. Do you ever get scared?

Vincent: It’s always so dark up there too.

Elizabeth: But I always imagined basements to be frightening places.

Vincent: I don’t get frightened.

Elizabeth: Won’t my father let you turn on the lights? Does he want to keep them off after you both are done working?

Vincent: I do not want the lights on. They are always off.

Elizabeth: Well, how do you work?

Vincent: I don't.

Elizabeth: But…my father said you are new help.

Vincent: No.

Elizabeth: Then what are you doing down there?

Vincent: This is where I live.

Elizabeth: You live down there? Why? Did father take you in from off of the streets?

Vincent: I don't know why I am here.

Elizabeth: I’ll ask him.

Vincent: No, please don’t. I understand you are not to be speaking with me.

(Elizabeth stays silent for a few moments, then she lies on her stomach right in front of the vent.)

Elizabeth: Can I feel your hand? (She pokes her fingers through the grates. Ice cold, clammy finger touch her own.) Your hands are so cold!

Vincent: I apologize.

Elizabeth: It isn’t your fault! It’s just so cold down there. You need to come up.

Vincent: I’m not ready yet.

Elizabeth: What do you mean?

Vincent: Bandages still cover most of my body.

Elizabeth: What? Bandages? Why? Were you wounded?

Vincent: I don't know what happened to me.

Elizabeth: Vincent, I want to ask my father.

Vincent: He may put me somewhere else. I will ask him for the answers you seek.

Elizabeth: Goodnight then Vincent.

Vincent: Sweet dreams Elizabeth.

(Elizabeth stands up, and lies down on her back on top of her covers, staring at the roof for some time before falling asleep.)