Faith | Teen Ink

Faith

June 17, 2010
By BlueberryValentine SILVER, Kirkland, Washington
BlueberryValentine SILVER, Kirkland, Washington
9 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Susanna and Caroline anxiously sit in a silent waiting room.
Susanna: I think this was a bad idea. We should go back home.
Caroline: Don’t you dare. It was your idea to say goodbye, and we’re going through with it.
Susanna: He doesn’t deserve a goodbye.
Caroline: Susanna!
Susanna: From the very beginning this was going to be a way for us to cope, but now I don’t think it’s going to help us at all.
Caroline: He deserves a goodbye.
Susanna shakes her head.
Caroline: It’s been over eleven years. You have to have forgiven him a bit.
Susanna: How could I? He took everything from us.
Law Official enters.
Law Official: He’s ready to see you now.
Caroline stands up and walks over to Law Official.
Caroline: Are you coming?
Susanna doesn’t move.
Caroline: At least do it for me.
Susanna stands up.
Caroline: Thank you.
Susanna and Caroline follow Law Official through a door.

Susanna and Caroline sit down at a counter with a window looking into a room. Thomas is handcuffed and sitting on the opposite side of the window. A guard is standing at the door.
Law Official: I’ll give you a few minutes alone.
Law Official leaves. Susanna, Caroline, and Thomas stare at each other in wonder.
Caroline: Good afternoon, Thomas.
Thomas: My God, you two have grown up. Suze, you were so little the last time I saw you – in your bright pink tee shirt and glittery running shoes. You must be graduating from high school soon! What have you two been up to? Carrie, is that a ring I see?
Caroline: The wedding was six months ago.
Thomas: So grown up. We all are. Graduating high school, getting married, dying…
Caroline winces and Susanna crosses her arms.
Caroline: That’s no way to talk.
Thomas: Well why not? It’s the truth, isn’t it?
Caroline: I—well, yes, that’s right.
Thomas: So, Suze, have you got a boyfriend now?
Susanna stares at Thomas in horror.
Susanna: I can’t do this. You’re going to be dead in less than an hour. You sick, disgusting… You murdered our parents, your wife, your in-laws! And in less than an hour, you’ll, you’ll be… Ugh, and here you are, asking if I have a boyfriend!
Susanna laughs, shaking her head.
Thomas: Death doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I’m just moving on. We’ll see each other again eventually.
Susanna flinches.
Susanna: What – are you saying I’m going to hell now?
Thomas: I didn’t mean to imply—
Susanna: Well you did! I wish I had never come. I’m leaving, Caroline.
Caroline: Please, just—
Susanna: You stay and say your goodbyes or whatever silly excuse you had for making us go through with this. Bye, Thomas.
Suzanna leaves.
Caroline: I’m so sorry—
Thomas: Don’t. I didn’t expect her to stay through.
Caroline: I…I don’t think I’ll be able to stay through either.
Thomas looks away, obviously disappointed.
Thomas: Oh.
Caroline: My husband is waiting for me at home and—
Thomas: I understand.
Caroline fidgets nervously in her seat.
Caroline: Did you…really do it? Because I was reading online that there are so many people who are executed and later everyone realizes that they were actually innocent.
Thomas: What do you want to hear from me?
Caroline: The truth.
Thomas: Do you think I’m innocent?
Caroline: You’re my big brother. Of course I hope you’re innocent.
Thomas: Hope?
Caroline: Suze gave up hope a long time ago, but I never did.
Thomas: I suppose I should be flattered that you have so much faith in me.
Caroline: Is my faith misguided?
Thomas smiles sadly.
Thomas: Does it matter?
Caroline stands up and slams her hands on the counter.
Caroline: Of course it matters! Everyone thinks that you brutally murdered five people. If that’s not true, you have to tell them so we can get you out of here!
Thomas leans in and lowers his voice.
Thomas: If I told this guard right here that I was innocent, he would laugh at me and hit me.
Caroline: They’re not allowed to do that.
Thomas: Who’s stopping them?
Caroline sits down.
Caroline: You’re guilty, aren’t you?
Thomas hesitates, and then nods.
Caroline: Do you at least regret it?
Thomas: Regret is nothing. Regret can’t change a thing – not the past, not the future.
Caroline: But it can change the present. It can change how you think and feel – how I think and feel about you.
Thomas: Sometimes I wonder whether I have as firm a grip on the present as I used to. Years of isolation will do that to you.
Caroline: I’m sorry.
Thomas: For what?
Caroline: For everything.
Thomas laughs.
Thomas: Isn’t that what I’m supposed to say?
Caroline: Yes, but I knew you weren’t going to say it, and someone had to.
Thomas looks away.
Thomas: I am…unhappy with the way things turned out for you two. I never meant to hurt you.
Caroline: Can you really not apologize?
Thomas: Come on, Carrie. Can you really not let me leave this earth with a bit of dignity left?
Caroline: So, to you, dignity is not admitting that you were wrong.
Thomas sighs.
Caroline: Maybe I should go now.
Thomas jerks upright.
Thomas: No! Please – stay a while longer.
Caroline: What do you want to talk about?
Thomas: We don’t need to talk. I just… Carrie?
Caroline: Yeah?
Thomas: I—I’m afraid. What if I can feel it? What the injections aren’t administered properly?
Caroline: They will be.
Thomas presses close to the glass in alarm.
Thomas: But what if they aren’t?! Oh, God, what if I’m lying there, and I can feel it and—!
Caroline presses a hand to the glass.
Caroline: Tom, it’s okay! Just try to calm down.
Thomas: I don’t want to die, Carrie. Oh, God, I don’t want to die.
A tear rolls down Thomas’ face, and Caroline starts crying.
Caroline: I—I’ll be there. I’ll stay. You don’t have to worry. I’ll be with you the whole time.
Thomas: Will you?


The author's comments:
A dramatic scene written for school.

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