Scene 8 *A Promise to Make*

(This scene brings us to Nick and Chase, lying next to each other on the mattress in front of the barred window. Chase glances over to Nick who turns on his side to gaze back at her- his cheek leaning on his hand)

Nick: You still haven’t told me where we are.

Chase: (sighs) That’s because it’ll probably be hard to understand.

Nick: (softly) Try me.

Chase: I read a lot, which led me to writing, but this… this happens to be a location from the very first book I ever sincerely read and loved. This is from VC Andrews’ Flowers in the Attic.

Nick: I may not be a BIG, HUGE reader like you, but I’ve heard of her. A friend of mine was a big fan of her work and showed me this book.

Chase: (finds herself gazing at Nick) Oh. But you never read it?

Nick: (smiles) No. Think I should now, though.

(Chase laughs slightly at that until Nick catches the bell around her neck and squeezes it within his palm. She gasps)

Chase: What are you…

Nick: Root of all your problems, huh? (grins and examines the bell) Nice, though.

Chase: (tries to take the bell away) Um… no, my writing is.

Nick: Nice?

Chase: (blushes) The root of my problem.

Nick: Tell me how. (keeps a hold on the bell)

Chase: (almost in trance) I wrote a script a while ago that seemed to open up to another world, a world in which all my fascinations and obsessions came to life. Edward ruled it so soon I realized that nothing was real, that it was all him. Even… love couldn’t be real. I thought I… well, I beat him, but I swore I would never let it happen again so I stopped writing for five years. When I started again, it felt so wonderful and absolutely thrilling that I never wanted to stop. I missed it… and now, I’ve opened up this world once again. This is my fault…

Nick: (firmly) Chase, this isn’t your fault. Edward is the one who won’t let go.

Chase: Because of me! Because I’m the one who started it.

Nick: No…

Chase: YES! I wanted this to happen. I wrote the book to escape reality, to escape the drab world and come to this one. I am to blame for this world existing.

Nick: So What!

Chase: What?

Nick: You wanted to do what everyone in our world wants to do sometime in their lives. If you ruled this world, it would be nothing like it is. Edward would have no say, this is his fault for turning what you wanted to be a paradise into a living hell.

Chase: I never should’ve wanted it.

Nick: Want makes us human, babe. There’s no escaping that. When I sing I escape, not here, but I do have my own kind of world.

Chase: Why is he doing this to me?

Nick: (determined) I won’t let him do anything to you, Chase. I make that promise to you and your sister and your friends. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you and get you all home.

(Chase gazes at Nick, and we see tears leaving her eyes. He comes close and they start up another kiss just as there is a loud noise down the stairs. Chase and Nick bolt apart in shock- and there is a blackout on them)