[When the final vote is cast, the lights in the auditorium drop to pure darkness. Anyone holding onto Maya will feel her vanish from their arms in the dark. The usual spotlight on Hester doesn’t brighten to illuminate her alone save for the glowing green eyes of the Wizard. Instead the entire stage lights up, the green curtains bright. The Wizard lifts his head high while Hester in her bubble sits looking haunted and silent, borderline nauseous, as she has since Maya’s confession. She doesn’t look at anyone in the orchestra pit- she can’t.
Especially not now.
The music’s intro begins and the Wizard begins to sing. Clearly he doesn’t want a repeat performance of last time- and Hester doesn’t deserve to sing the girl she likes to her death. He’ll shoulder that responsibility.]
Our memories will always be Reflected beautifully The same way in everyone's eyes
[The curtains open, revealing the set stage for this execution. Dozens of white ropes dangle from the ceiling, taking up a little over three quarters of the stage. Beneath the ropes are beds of swords, all different sizes and types but all sticking straight up and a deathly sharp.
Maya herself hangs precariously center stage, her limbs tangled like a marionette puppet who’s been caught in her own strings. In one hand she’s gripping Spongebob’s shed prop arm...and in the other one of Benjamin’s razors.]
Be that as it may We know the truth That isn't all Please somehow don't forget Me, that girl, or yourself
[Maya swings her razor high, slicing trying to slice at one of the ropes holding her wrist in place. She manages to cut through the fibers but visibly grits her teeth in pain with the sudden movement. She did still stab herself a few hours ago after all. She grips the end of the now severed rope, trying to pull herself up when she hears another snap and looks over her shoulder. A different rope has snapped and fallen onto the bed of swords. She swallows and forces herself into a sitting position using the rope for balance when a different rope snaps by her head.
She needs to work faster.]
We were not born to live Just putting on appearances And hiding our true faces As if we were dead
[Maya grits her teeth and forces herself forward. She can’t give up. She knows how it will end but it doesn’t mean she isn’t going to try. She slices at the other ropes holding her, freeing her limbs at the cost of several of the other ropes around her. She tucks the prop arm around her neck and, leaving the razor out, pulls herself from rope to rope while more start to drop around her.]
We can look back on the past Because we passed there We stopped and stepped forward again
[In her bubble Hester sits, shoulders slumped in defeat, listening to the song continue on. On and on…
Her hands slowly grip the soft organza overskirt of her prom dress, her ruined nails snagging and tearing into the material. She lifts her head to finally look out at the orchestra pit, her eyes darting from one person to the next. Farrah, Benjamin, Spongebob, Angus, LSP, Cassandra, Elsa, Peregrine, Janis. These people she’s come to know, who care about her...who she cares about more than she was ever supposed to.
...if you feel you've lost your stride. Principles can be your guide. Concentrate on what's inside Stay clear…
Hester locks eyes with Janis and stands up, gripping the thin metal edge of her bubble. Janis stares back, frowning a little, until she hears the sound of violins in the back of her mind. Janis steps away from her podium and takes a few hesitant steps toward the stage. She doesn’t know what Hester is thinking, if she has a plan...but she’s listening.]
Please somehow don't forget Me, that girl, or yourself We got hurt to the point We lost sight of light But no matter how many times we've given up We are still here
[Maya, meanwhile, is still fighting to stay on the ropes. The ropes around her are becoming fewer and fewer but she fights forward through the pain searing through her torso. She’s very nearly to the end, where the swords end and the drop is just to flat stage. Her gaze set on the Wizard- until Hester stands up. The two girls lock eyes and Hester straightens her posture, her voice soft and barely registering under the Wizard’s booming tone.]
I'd sooner buy defying gravity
[She turns and reaches out to touch the mechanical Wizard head, standing on her toes to plant a kiss to the cold bronze.]
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
[Hester settles back down onto her heels, looks back to Janis for just a moment before turning her attention back to Maya.]
And you can't pull me down
[She flings herself out of her bubble, sailing through the air toward the hanging execution ropes and, by extension, Maya. Maya shouts and reaches out to her, nearly losing her grip on the rope in the process. Janis starts to shout, starts to get closer to the stage, but stops when everything seems to slow down. Hester glances back at her, a mixture between a silent plea and instruction, and presses her thumb and first two fingers together. Janis mimics her, lifting her hand, ready to snap her fingers for...whatever reason.
But what if right now, with loved ones around We decided to let some light in We’d be stronger the next time a blizzard begins
The air sticks in Janis’s throat as that hits her, right as the Wizard abruptly ceases his song to shout out with a mixture of shock and fear:]
Hester!
[Hester snaps her fingers. Janis snaps her fingers. Maya reaches out as far as she can reach, her fingertips just touching Hester’s outreached hand.
The scene cuts.
Hester is lying flat on the stage, her face turned away from the audience. All the ropes have dropped from the ceiling but there is no body painfully impaled on any of the beds of swords. Just the prop arm, skewered right through the forearm and hand.
The scene cuts.
The students- the survivors of Gershwin High School Academy University find themselves standing in the lobby. The doors to the courtroom are locked again, preventing anyone from going back to get a second look, but congratulations.
EXECUTION: Me, That Girl, or Yourself
Especially not now.
The music’s intro begins and the Wizard begins to sing. Clearly he doesn’t want a repeat performance of last time- and Hester doesn’t deserve to sing the girl she likes to her death. He’ll shoulder that responsibility.]
Our memories will always be
Reflected beautifully
The same way in everyone's eyes
[The curtains open, revealing the set stage for this execution. Dozens of white ropes dangle from the ceiling, taking up a little over three quarters of the stage. Beneath the ropes are beds of swords, all different sizes and types but all sticking straight up and a deathly sharp.
Maya herself hangs precariously center stage, her limbs tangled like a marionette puppet who’s been caught in her own strings. In one hand she’s gripping Spongebob’s shed prop arm...and in the other one of Benjamin’s razors.]
Be that as it may
We know the truth
That isn't all
Please somehow don't forget
Me, that girl, or yourself
[Maya swings her razor high, slicing trying to slice at one of the ropes holding her wrist in place. She manages to cut through the fibers but visibly grits her teeth in pain with the sudden movement. She did still stab herself a few hours ago after all. She grips the end of the now severed rope, trying to pull herself up when she hears another snap and looks over her shoulder. A different rope has snapped and fallen onto the bed of swords. She swallows and forces herself into a sitting position using the rope for balance when a different rope snaps by her head.
She needs to work faster.]
We were not born to live
Just putting on appearances
And hiding our true faces
As if we were dead
[Maya grits her teeth and forces herself forward. She can’t give up. She knows how it will end but it doesn’t mean she isn’t going to try. She slices at the other ropes holding her, freeing her limbs at the cost of several of the other ropes around her. She tucks the prop arm around her neck and, leaving the razor out, pulls herself from rope to rope while more start to drop around her.]
We can look back on the past
Because we passed there
We stopped and stepped forward again
[In her bubble Hester sits, shoulders slumped in defeat, listening to the song continue on. On and on…
Her hands slowly grip the soft organza overskirt of her prom dress, her ruined nails snagging and tearing into the material. She lifts her head to finally look out at the orchestra pit, her eyes darting from one person to the next. Farrah, Benjamin, Spongebob, Angus, LSP, Cassandra, Elsa, Peregrine, Janis. These people she’s come to know, who care about her...who she cares about more than she was ever supposed to.
...if you feel you've lost your stride.
Principles can be your guide.
Concentrate on what's inside
Stay clear…
Hester locks eyes with Janis and stands up, gripping the thin metal edge of her bubble. Janis stares back, frowning a little, until she hears the sound of violins in the back of her mind. Janis steps away from her podium and takes a few hesitant steps toward the stage. She doesn’t know what Hester is thinking, if she has a plan...but she’s listening.]
Please somehow don't forget
Me, that girl, or yourself
We got hurt to the point
We lost sight of light
But no matter how many times we've given up
We are still here
[Maya, meanwhile, is still fighting to stay on the ropes. The ropes around her are becoming fewer and fewer but she fights forward through the pain searing through her torso. She’s very nearly to the end, where the swords end and the drop is just to flat stage. Her gaze set on the Wizard- until Hester stands up. The two girls lock eyes and Hester straightens her posture, her voice soft and barely registering under the Wizard’s booming tone.]
I'd sooner buy defying gravity
[She turns and reaches out to touch the mechanical Wizard head, standing on her toes to plant a kiss to the cold bronze.]
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
[Hester settles back down onto her heels, looks back to Janis for just a moment before turning her attention back to Maya.]
And you can't pull me down
[She flings herself out of her bubble, sailing through the air toward the hanging execution ropes and, by extension, Maya. Maya shouts and reaches out to her, nearly losing her grip on the rope in the process. Janis starts to shout, starts to get closer to the stage, but stops when everything seems to slow down. Hester glances back at her, a mixture between a silent plea and instruction, and presses her thumb and first two fingers together. Janis mimics her, lifting her hand, ready to snap her fingers for...whatever reason.
But what if right now, with loved ones around
We decided to let some light in
We’d be stronger the next time a blizzard begins
The air sticks in Janis’s throat as that hits her, right as the Wizard abruptly ceases his song to shout out with a mixture of shock and fear:]
Hester!
[Hester snaps her fingers. Janis snaps her fingers. Maya reaches out as far as she can reach, her fingertips just touching Hester’s outreached hand.
The scene cuts.
Hester is lying flat on the stage, her face turned away from the audience. All the ropes have dropped from the ceiling but there is no body painfully impaled on any of the beds of swords. Just the prop arm, skewered right through the forearm and hand.
The scene cuts.
The students- the survivors of Gershwin High School Academy University find themselves standing in the lobby. The doors to the courtroom are locked again, preventing anyone from going back to get a second look, but congratulations.
You’ve survived your final player trial.]