[When the final vote is cast, the lights in the auditorium drop to pure darkness save for the glowing green eyes of the Wizard and a narrowed spotlight on Hester. A short hush falls over the room until the music starts and Hester starts to sing.]
Transformation You've changed within Some selfish mutation A stranger they once called a friend
[The green curtains draw open to reveal the stage has been completely reset from Elisabeth’s execution. Instead of a Viennese ballroom, it’s been redressed to look like a school carnival. There are several simple stands sitting empty, built up with signs reading “Cotton Candy!” and “Soda!”, others with cheap-looking stuffed animals hanging down from their roofs. In the center of it all is a dunk tank. It appears to be a pretty standard dunk tank, with an outstretched bright red bullseye and a seat stretched out over a tank of deep red, carbonated liquid.
And there, with its hands cuffed to the metal seat and struggling against its bonds, is the SQUIP. It looks down at the liquid, eyes growing wide, and for the first time a hint of fear enters its expression.]
What have you become? What have you become? What have you become?
[While the SQUIP distracts itself by trying to free its hands, two figures enter from stage left and stage right, one wearing a blue hoodie and the other in a red hoodie. Both have their hoods pulled up to obscure their faces and when they meet in the middle they share a high-five before turning their attention to the dunk tank and, more importantly, the bucket of baseballs between them.
The SQUIP looks out at them, its brow furrowing in confusion, before focusing even more of its attention on wresting its hands free from the bonds.]
Isolated Some foreigner in new skin Some broken barbarian Did you ever mean to be so dark and cold
[The two teens pick up a baseball each and, as if they’re listening to Hester sing, start mechanically throwing them at the bright red bullseye on alternating verses. One, two, one, two. None of them make contact but that doesn’t stop the growing tension in the air as the SQUIP’s struggles intensify, yanking to the point where it’s visibly cringing in pain. Almost, almost, it’s so close-
One hand finally slips free. The SQUIP starts to make a sound, possibly of a shout of triumph, but just as it does there’s a loud thunk of a baseball hitting the target. The seat drops, sending the SQUIP plummeting into the tank of Mountain Dew Red. It’s entire body convulses on contact with the liquid, jerking like it’s being shocked before eventually going still and floating lifelessly in the tank.]
What have you become? What have you become? What have you become?
[The red-hooded teen walks behind the tank and comes back a few moments later holding a massive stuffed giraffe under one arm and a thick black cord, all wires exposed and sparking, in the other. They drop the cord to pick up the empty baseball bucket and pass the giraffe to the teen in blue. The two teens put their free arms around each other’s shoulders and walk off-stage together.
The curtain closes and in the distance the doors in the back of the house click unlocked. You are now free to go.]
EXECUTION: WHAT HAVE YOU BECOME?
Transformation
You've changed within
Some selfish mutation
A stranger they once called a friend
[The green curtains draw open to reveal the stage has been completely reset from Elisabeth’s execution. Instead of a Viennese ballroom, it’s been redressed to look like a school carnival. There are several simple stands sitting empty, built up with signs reading “Cotton Candy!” and “Soda!”, others with cheap-looking stuffed animals hanging down from their roofs. In the center of it all is a dunk tank. It appears to be a pretty standard dunk tank, with an outstretched bright red bullseye and a seat stretched out over a tank of deep red, carbonated liquid.
And there, with its hands cuffed to the metal seat and struggling against its bonds, is the SQUIP. It looks down at the liquid, eyes growing wide, and for the first time a hint of fear enters its expression.]
What have you become?
What have you become?
What have you become?
[While the SQUIP distracts itself by trying to free its hands, two figures enter from stage left and stage right, one wearing a blue hoodie and the other in a red hoodie. Both have their hoods pulled up to obscure their faces and when they meet in the middle they share a high-five before turning their attention to the dunk tank and, more importantly, the bucket of baseballs between them.
The SQUIP looks out at them, its brow furrowing in confusion, before focusing even more of its attention on wresting its hands free from the bonds.]
Isolated
Some foreigner in new skin
Some broken barbarian
Did you ever mean to be so dark and cold
[The two teens pick up a baseball each and, as if they’re listening to Hester sing, start mechanically throwing them at the bright red bullseye on alternating verses. One, two, one, two. None of them make contact but that doesn’t stop the growing tension in the air as the SQUIP’s struggles intensify, yanking to the point where it’s visibly cringing in pain. Almost, almost, it’s so close-
One hand finally slips free. The SQUIP starts to make a sound, possibly of a shout of triumph, but just as it does there’s a loud thunk of a baseball hitting the target. The seat drops, sending the SQUIP plummeting into the tank of Mountain Dew Red. It’s entire body convulses on contact with the liquid, jerking like it’s being shocked before eventually going still and floating lifelessly in the tank.]
What have you become?
What have you become?
What have you become?
[The red-hooded teen walks behind the tank and comes back a few moments later holding a massive stuffed giraffe under one arm and a thick black cord, all wires exposed and sparking, in the other. They drop the cord to pick up the empty baseball bucket and pass the giraffe to the teen in blue. The two teens put their free arms around each other’s shoulders and walk off-stage together.
The curtain closes and in the distance the doors in the back of the house click unlocked. You are now free to go.]