The Glass Cage

My third submission for ENO's Mini Opera contest. (First one here; second one here)

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THE GLASS CAGE

A mini opera

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Darkness. We hear only sounds and voices.

There is the clip-clop of low sensible heels, followed by the blunter sound of loafers.

LADY:

“Had any interesting dreams lately, Doctor?”

MAN:

“Not that I recall. But I’ll let you know if I do.” (chuckles)

“Oh yes, do. Dreams are precious to us here. We keep them under lock and key.”

Lights flicker on. The scene is bathed in a cold blue fluorescent light.

GIRL:

“By lock and key, do you mean ‘shut in a glass cage’?”

In the centre of the room is a wide glass tube. Inside it is a frail-looking girl of about ten years.

LADY:

“Pay no attention to her, Doctor. She will twist the truth to suit her needs.”

GIRL:

“The truth? You took me while I was sleeping and locked me up. Saying I’d infect people's heads."

She moves toward them. Her voice trembles just slightly.

GIRL:

“Are you afraid of me?”

LADY:

“I have dealt with worse than you.”

MAN:

“Why do you say such things to her? She is a child.”

LADY:
“If you knew the havoc she has caused…”

GIRL:

“It’s not my fault.”

MAN:

“I’ve read the reports. But – “

GIRL:

“It’s not my FAULT.”

LADY:

“She knew perfectly well what she did.”

GIRL:

“It’s NOT MY FAULT!”

There is a strange sound in the air as the lights go out suddenly. The scene is cloaked in complete blackness.

From the silence, we hear the child’s anxious breathing emerge.

GIRL:

“Are you still there?”

MAN:

“Where is she? Has she – escaped?”

GIRL:

“I’m here.”

There are successive echoes in the room – “I’m here I’m here I’m here.”

LADY:
“She needs to be stopped.”

GIRL:

“How can you stop me?”

MAN:

“We need to do something. Something. The Department will hear of thi – “

GIRL:

“What will you do?”

LADY:

“There. Did you hear that? …She’s to your left.”

MAN:

“She’s escaped?”

GIRL:

“What will you do??”

LADY:

“There is a procedure to deal with this, Doctor. Do not pa – “

GIRL:
“WHAT WILL YOU DO TO ME????!!”

There is a sound like an alien scream. Then the lights flicker back on. The man and lady scramble to their feet, their knees still weak.

The girl is still in the glass tube.

LADY:

(slowly regaining control) “You see, Doctor, she is not to be trusted.”

MAN:

“Even when she’s caged?”

LADY:

“Especially when she’s caged.”

The man looks uncertainly at the girl child, then at the lady, back and forth. He licks his lips and discreetly wipes his forehead.

MAN:
“I’ve…heard of an…equally dangerous creature. A man.”

LADY:

(slowly turns to face him) “The Sweeper?”

MAN:

“They say that to see him is to lose hope. Like butterflies blown into dust. Shredde…” (swallows) “He had shredded butterflies inked next to his dragon tattoo.”

LADY:

“I’ve only ever seen him in paintings and pictures. Some say he is as ancient as time itself.”

GIRL:

“I’ve seen him.”

LADY:

“Yes. He is your kin, isn’t he?”

GIRL:

“He is neither my kin nor my friend. He is ancient, yet young. Terrible and beautiful. I’ve seen him – in dreams of glass and blue and steel. He comes for you. For all of us.”

MAN:

“Shush, little girl. There's no need to make threats. No one will harm you. Isn't that right?” (looks at the lady for support)

The lady seems not to hear him. Her gaze is transfixed on the girl.

LADY:

“Tell me more.”

She crouches down so she’s at eye level with the girl.

LADY:

“Tell us about him.”

GIRL:

“…It crawls…”

LADY:

“Crawls?”

GIRL:

“His skin. His skin crawls with the dreams of others. Sometimes I see my dreams in there.” (She bites her fingernails for a bit, then stares off into space.) “Pink roller skates… I used to hate them, until he took them away. Then I missed them. Now I see those skates on his left bicep. My first roller skates.”

MAN:

“You sound…older than you look. I mean, you sound different from other children. Is that – “

GIRL:

“That’s what happens when he steals your dreams. (pause) You change.”

MAN:

“Are you still changi – ?”

The lady motions for him to be quiet, but the girl has heard him. She fixes an icy gaze on him.

GIRL:

“Am I changing?”

Silence as they – man and child – face each other down.

GIRL:

“What do you think?”

She opens her mouth then, and long wet things, terrible and deep blue, start to crawl out. The man and lady flinch; they press their hand to their lips to stop from crying out, or throwing up.

LADY:

(trying to compose herself) “Stay calm. She does this occasionally. Makes you see things.”

There is the sound of crying. It seems to come from the girl, even though her eyes are cold and the oozing blue things undulate like grotesque anemone from her mouth.

MAN:
“Come now, child; stop it, there’s a dear…”

LADY:

“She won’t hear you. She’s too far gone.”

MAN:

“Child, please. Stop crying.” (Cringes, turns to the lady) “Does she make you hear things as well?”

Despite its pitiful mewling, the girl’s wailing is becoming more unbearable as it swells in volume. Especially as her eyes remains free of emotion.

It seems as if the wails are coming from the squirming deep blue things. In between the mewls, one can almost hear words, phrases. Like a toddler’s garbled speak or an old man’s toothless pleas, each one more disturbing than the next.

LADY:

“Enough! You will cease this right now.”

MAN:

(clamping hands to ears) “Child. STOP!”

The lady goes up to the glass and slams her fist against the surface – once, twice. She is becoming quite enraged; her composure is melting away.

LADY:

“You listen to me, you little harlot. I can have you put down and dissolved right now, hear? I can – (slam) do away with you (slam) before you’re halfway through your pathetic (slam) little bag of horror tricks!”

The wailing reaches a shrill pitch. The man and lady are forced to clasp their ears tightly. Then there is the sound of shattering glass, and everything goes black.

Now the cries, instead of emanating from one place, is everywhere. Every corner of the room seems to have a hurt or abandoned baby, a terrible helpless squirming thing, a ghostly kitten… And in the midst of it all, the girl’s voice.

GIRL:

(in a sing-song voice)

“I am him and he is me

I am what your eyes can see

I’m not what I seem to be

I am him and he is me.”

Slowly the complete dark becomes a velvety dimness, casting just enough light on the girl’s limbs as she walks toward the lady and man. As the faint light grows, we realize she is naked.

GIRL:

(continues)

“They tried to cage me; they were wrong

I ate their minds out all night long

In the end, he is with me

And I with him, forever free.”

A sliver of light falls on her bare arm. Several tattoos snake up her forearm right to her shoulder. One of them is a pair of pink roller skates.

With dreadful realization the two grownups try to rise, to run. But their knees are weak. The man shivers like a great heap of pudding. The woman’s fingers, white with quiet fear, press against the floor.

LADY:

“My chil – my…my dear one.”

She rises to a kneeling position.

LADY:

“Will you spare us?” (tilts her head in appeal for sympathy) “I…I know I was…somewhat harsh. But I provided for you. I…They wanted to put you down. But I fought for you. I alone fought for you.”

The lady holds out her hand, and the girl takes it. They move nearer as if to embrace.

LADY:

“My dear. My darling child.”

The Dreamsweeper’s lips slowly soften into a smile as the icy glaze in her eyes become a warm wetness. A hungry wetness…

Blackness returns. The last thing we hear is screaming, and small sharp teeth tearing into flesh.

 

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