As The Ambien Overcomes
As The Ambien Overcomes By Evelyn Anna Danciger A simple bedroom lit by a single lamp sitting on a nightstand next to a queen sized bed. A white noise machine sits on the nightstand next to the lamp. A GIRL, holding a glass of water, enters the bedroom stage left, walks to the edge of the bed and sits down on it. She opens the top drawer of the bedside table and pulls out a bottle of Ambien. She opens the Ambien bottle and takes one, taking a sip of water with it. She sets the glass of water down on top of the nightstand and returns the pill bottle to the top drawer. She then turns on the white noise machine. The faded sound of waves crashing on the beach fills the small room. The Girl gets under the covers and switches off the light. The stage goes completely dark. A soft blue light illuminates the stage as STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 1 enters. Stream of Consciousness 1 walks over to the bed and lays down beside the girl. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 1 Finally, I’ve been waiting to go to sleep since I woke up this morning. God, my bed has never felt this good before. It’s like sleeping on a cloud, I swear. Okay. Okay. Enough talking. If I go to sleep right now, I can get a full seven hours and forty minutes of sleep. Well, unless I decide to wake up early and work out. But sleep is more important than exercise in the grand scheme of things, right? Like, I don’t need to workout, it’s not like I’m going to gain twenty pounds in one day if I don’t work out, right? Okay. No. I won’t work out tomorrow. I’ve worked out every other day this week and I need to be well rested for work. Stream of Consciousness 1 rolls over onto her side as if to finally go to sleep. Pause. Stream of Consciousness 1 rolls back over on to her back. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 1 But you know you’re going to feel so miserable all day tomorrow if you don’t work out. And you probably won’t eat that much during the day and then you’ll go crazy eating all night and then you’ll be so mad that you didn’t work out in the morning. Just wake up an hour early! Six hours and forty minutes is a great night of sleep! The light fades from blue to green. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 enters stage right. She begins pacing excessively back and forth across the bedroom. Stream of Consciousness 1 watches her pace. The volume of the white noise machine increases slightly. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 Maybe I should just call him. He had no idea. He had no idea, right? I mean, how was he to know? I had wanted it the night before, how was he to know I didn’t want to in the morning? He’s such a good guy. Like, everyone thinks so. Everyone. And he’s Annie’s best friend, she wouldn’t be friends with someone who wasn’t a good person.
Stream of Consciousness 2 stops in front of the night stand and takes a long sip of water. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 I have to be over reacting. He probably did ask and I just forgot. It’s just like… I don’t know, it’s weird that he wouldn’t even look me in the eyes, right? But weird isn’t necessarily bad. People are into weird stuff all the time during sex, maybe that’s just his weird thing. Not looking at me… And not kissing me… And just having his way withThe light changes quickly from green to red as Stream of Consciousness 3 bursts into the room from stage right. Stream of Consciousness 1 and 2 turn to look at her. The volume of the white noise machine increases slightly. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 Oh give me a fucking break. You think you’re so innocent in all of this? You really think you did nothing to deserve this? This is totally karma for hooking up with Jake three weeks after you dumped Sam. That was a bitch move on your part and you know it. You have no right to be mad him, he’s a good person and you led him on. You said yes! You. Said. Yes. What the fuck did you expect to happen? Honestly, you expect him to check in every time he touches you? Do you want him to sign a god damn waiver? You’re being such a bitch about this. Just because it wasn’t the best sex you’ve ever had doesn’t mean he like, fucking raped you or something. I mean, how can you even make that fucking accusation? Who the hell do you think you are? Stream of Consciousness 2 shifts uncomfortably as the light switches back to green STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 Do you think I’m being too sensitive? Stream of Consciousness 3 throws her hands in the air. The lights switch to red, the volume on the white noise machine increases. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 Of course you’re being too sensitive! Do you actually have to ask me that? Rape is what happens to drunk girls who get roofied at frat parties or text while they walk through parking garages at night. YOU were the one who came onto HIM. He wasn’t even going to make a move until you curled up next to him on the couch. I mean, for Christ’s sake, you laid your head down on his lap. That’s not exactly the universal sign for “please leave me alone”. The lights switch to green. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 Yeah, but, he didn’t even kiss me whenSTREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3
Oh my god, when are you going to give that up? So what if he didn’t kiss you? Are you fucking fourteen years old? It’s not like you have to kiss to have sex. Stream of Consciousness 1 sits up in bed as the lights turn blue. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 1 Do you think you could maybe stop arguing? I can still get a full six and a half hours of sleep if I fall asleep right now. The light changes to red, the volume of white noise machine increases. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 And don’t get me started on you. You know the only reason you want to work out is so you look good enough for boys to notice you. Well, obviously they noticed you, so why are you freaking out? Eat a burger like everyone else, it’s not that big a deal. Stream of Consciousness 1 gets out of bed. The light changes to blue, the volume increase. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 1 You know it’s not that simple. The light changes to red. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 By all means, continue to make yourself a statistic. Do you think your “problems” are unique? I mean, seriously, do you not think you’re like every other girl in America? The light changes to green, the volume increases. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 It’s how she copes, okay? The light changes to red, the volume increases. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 Copes with what? Nothing happened! This is entirely in your head! The sooner you can accept that, the sooner you can stop freaking out about everything! The light changes to green, the volume increases. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 That’s not how it works and you know it!
The lights begin to rapidly change color between blue, green, and red as the Streams of Consciousness begin shouting at each other. At this point they stand center stage, screaming in each other’s faces at the same time. The volume of the white noise machine grows increasingly louder. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 Oh, do I? Is that what I know? All I know is that you’re making a huge fucking deal out of nothing and it’s getting pretty fucking old. Do you think people are actually going to believe you? Do you think getting a stupid six hours of sleep is going to make any difference? Do you know how fucking stupid you sound? STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 1 You think I’m being too sensitive? You throw a fit any time one of us says anything! You’re so insecure about being wrong that you pull these stupid excuses out of thin air and throw them around like they’re law! You think you haven’t slept in a long time? I haven’t slept since it happened! You think you’re the only one this effected! STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 How dare you discredit me like that, as if I have no idea what happened! As if I wasn’t even there! I lived it! I was the one who had to lay there and take it! I’ve been tossing and turning every night, I can’t even remember the last time I could lay down and close my eyes without reliving it! It never ends! The Streams of Consciousness are silenced with the deafening crashing of a wave on the white noise machine. Lights go out. A dim purple light illuminates the stage. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 4 sits on a chair stage right, hands folded in her lap. The other Streams of Consciousness are gone. The white noise machine plays softly in the background. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 4 My little sister starts college in a week and I’m really nervous about it. Like, I know she’s a smart girl and I have total faith in her to not get into like, you know, those kind of situations but… sometimes you just… You don’t even really know it’s happening. And I’m just worried she’s going to wake up one morning six months later and be like, “Wait a minute, that wasn’t right”. Stream of Consciousness 4 looks up as if someone is asking her a question. She pauses before responding. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 4 I mean, it’s just kind of common now. Like, it’s happened to almost half the girls in my sorority. And I know my sister really wants to join a sorority and that just… makes me really nervous.
Stream of Consciousness 4 pauses again and looks back down at the floor. She rubs her hands together. Her voice quivers slightly. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 4 Um… Maybe? I think so. I tried to forget about it, but the more I think about my sister, the more it pops up in my mind, and, and I just… I tried really hard to pretend it didn’t happen. And I can’t even say it because if I say it then that makes it real and I think I’d rather just lie to myself and pretend this is a totally normal thing and that nothing’s wrong and that I’m just freaking out, but I don’t even believe that any more and the less I believe it, the more I realize it actually happened! It actually happened to me! And I can’t even say it. The lights go out. The white noise machine stops. Everything is dark and quiet and still for ten seconds. The lights fade up softly and the white noise machine begins playing again. The Girl still lays in her bed, but the Streams of Consciousness are gone. She rolls over and grips her blanket closer to her chest in her sleep. The lights go out. THE END
Stream of Consciousness 2 stops in front of the night stand and takes a long sip of water. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 I have to be over reacting. He probably did ask and I just forgot. It’s just like… I don’t know, it’s weird that he wouldn’t even look me in the eyes, right? But weird isn’t necessarily bad. People are into weird stuff all the time during sex, maybe that’s just his weird thing. Not looking at me… And not kissing me… And just having his way withThe light changes quickly from green to red as Stream of Consciousness 3 bursts into the room from stage right. Stream of Consciousness 1 and 2 turn to look at her. The volume of the white noise machine increases slightly. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 Oh give me a fucking break. You think you’re so innocent in all of this? You really think you did nothing to deserve this? This is totally karma for hooking up with Jake three weeks after you dumped Sam. That was a bitch move on your part and you know it. You have no right to be mad him, he’s a good person and you led him on. You said yes! You. Said. Yes. What the fuck did you expect to happen? Honestly, you expect him to check in every time he touches you? Do you want him to sign a god damn waiver? You’re being such a bitch about this. Just because it wasn’t the best sex you’ve ever had doesn’t mean he like, fucking raped you or something. I mean, how can you even make that fucking accusation? Who the hell do you think you are? Stream of Consciousness 2 shifts uncomfortably as the light switches back to green STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 Do you think I’m being too sensitive? Stream of Consciousness 3 throws her hands in the air. The lights switch to red, the volume on the white noise machine increases. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 Of course you’re being too sensitive! Do you actually have to ask me that? Rape is what happens to drunk girls who get roofied at frat parties or text while they walk through parking garages at night. YOU were the one who came onto HIM. He wasn’t even going to make a move until you curled up next to him on the couch. I mean, for Christ’s sake, you laid your head down on his lap. That’s not exactly the universal sign for “please leave me alone”. The lights switch to green. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 Yeah, but, he didn’t even kiss me whenSTREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3
Oh my god, when are you going to give that up? So what if he didn’t kiss you? Are you fucking fourteen years old? It’s not like you have to kiss to have sex. Stream of Consciousness 1 sits up in bed as the lights turn blue. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 1 Do you think you could maybe stop arguing? I can still get a full six and a half hours of sleep if I fall asleep right now. The light changes to red, the volume of white noise machine increases. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 And don’t get me started on you. You know the only reason you want to work out is so you look good enough for boys to notice you. Well, obviously they noticed you, so why are you freaking out? Eat a burger like everyone else, it’s not that big a deal. Stream of Consciousness 1 gets out of bed. The light changes to blue, the volume increase. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 1 You know it’s not that simple. The light changes to red. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 By all means, continue to make yourself a statistic. Do you think your “problems” are unique? I mean, seriously, do you not think you’re like every other girl in America? The light changes to green, the volume increases. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 It’s how she copes, okay? The light changes to red, the volume increases. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 Copes with what? Nothing happened! This is entirely in your head! The sooner you can accept that, the sooner you can stop freaking out about everything! The light changes to green, the volume increases. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 That’s not how it works and you know it!
The lights begin to rapidly change color between blue, green, and red as the Streams of Consciousness begin shouting at each other. At this point they stand center stage, screaming in each other’s faces at the same time. The volume of the white noise machine grows increasingly louder. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 3 Oh, do I? Is that what I know? All I know is that you’re making a huge fucking deal out of nothing and it’s getting pretty fucking old. Do you think people are actually going to believe you? Do you think getting a stupid six hours of sleep is going to make any difference? Do you know how fucking stupid you sound? STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 1 You think I’m being too sensitive? You throw a fit any time one of us says anything! You’re so insecure about being wrong that you pull these stupid excuses out of thin air and throw them around like they’re law! You think you haven’t slept in a long time? I haven’t slept since it happened! You think you’re the only one this effected! STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 2 How dare you discredit me like that, as if I have no idea what happened! As if I wasn’t even there! I lived it! I was the one who had to lay there and take it! I’ve been tossing and turning every night, I can’t even remember the last time I could lay down and close my eyes without reliving it! It never ends! The Streams of Consciousness are silenced with the deafening crashing of a wave on the white noise machine. Lights go out. A dim purple light illuminates the stage. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 4 sits on a chair stage right, hands folded in her lap. The other Streams of Consciousness are gone. The white noise machine plays softly in the background. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 4 My little sister starts college in a week and I’m really nervous about it. Like, I know she’s a smart girl and I have total faith in her to not get into like, you know, those kind of situations but… sometimes you just… You don’t even really know it’s happening. And I’m just worried she’s going to wake up one morning six months later and be like, “Wait a minute, that wasn’t right”. Stream of Consciousness 4 looks up as if someone is asking her a question. She pauses before responding. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 4 I mean, it’s just kind of common now. Like, it’s happened to almost half the girls in my sorority. And I know my sister really wants to join a sorority and that just… makes me really nervous.
Stream of Consciousness 4 pauses again and looks back down at the floor. She rubs her hands together. Her voice quivers slightly. STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 4 Um… Maybe? I think so. I tried to forget about it, but the more I think about my sister, the more it pops up in my mind, and, and I just… I tried really hard to pretend it didn’t happen. And I can’t even say it because if I say it then that makes it real and I think I’d rather just lie to myself and pretend this is a totally normal thing and that nothing’s wrong and that I’m just freaking out, but I don’t even believe that any more and the less I believe it, the more I realize it actually happened! It actually happened to me! And I can’t even say it. The lights go out. The white noise machine stops. Everything is dark and quiet and still for ten seconds. The lights fade up softly and the white noise machine begins playing again. The Girl still lays in her bed, but the Streams of Consciousness are gone. She rolls over and grips her blanket closer to her chest in her sleep. The lights go out. THE END
