Countdown to Death

Noah Jacobs—A self-assured workaholic who doesn’t have a fan club at work, to say the least. He is in his 40s and has worked hard to gain his position. 

Roma Boswell—A bright, cunning psychic who would do just about anything to get her way. She is in her late 20s or early 30s. 

Sarah Mitchel—A young secretary of Noah. She is used to being on his bad side and is starting to believe that he doesn’t have a good side. She works very hard at her job despite never getting much thanks. 

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Scene 1: The Psychic’s Shop 

(NOAH walks into the shop from SR. There are a table and two chairs along with bookshelves of random artifacts. There is a music box on a table USL that is playing a tune. As he looks around, ROMA enters SL) 

ROMA: (closing the music box with a smile) You may sit. 

NOAH: (startled) Jesus! You scared me. 

ROMA: Did you not think someone would be here? 

NOAH: Fair enough. 

ROMA: Sit. (he does) What do you need from Madam Roma? 

NOAH: Last week this tattoo showed up on my arm, and I was wondering if you could tell me what it is. I got an ad for your… (looking around) shop and thought you might be able to help. 

ROMA: So you need information from Madam Roma? 

NOAH: I wouldn’t say I need it. (ROMA glares at him) Fine. Yes. I need information from Madam Roma. 

ROMA: Great! But before I examine (holding up a deck of tarot cards), would you like a reading? 

NOAH: No. I’m just here for this. I have a very busy schedule and I need to…. 

ROMA: This will help with your situation. The cards are always right.

NOAH: Fine. If it’ll get me my answers then go ahead. 

ROMA: How many cards do you want? One? Four? Six? More? 

NOAH: Let’s just do four. I have things to do. 

ROMA: Ok. Four cards it is. (deals out four cards from the deck) The King of Pentacles, Hanged Man, the Fool, and Judgement. 

NOAH: (sarcastic) And what are those supposed to mean? 

ROMA: The King of Pentacles shows that you will be the man who is large and in charge. The man to get things done the most efficient way possible. The Hanged Man tells me that you, as a king of pentacles, get crazy exhausted with all the great work you do every day and how hard you’re constantly working. It also shows the possibility of revenge being in your future. The Fool states that you are naive and quick to jump to the irrational side when dealing with other people…. 

NOAH: Hey! That’s just rude! 

ROMA: Let me finish. The Judgement card shows you are overcritical of those who work under you and you tend to be angry and impossible to work with. That probably leads to many people quitting or getting fired, I’m assuming. 

NOAH: I am passionate when it comes to my job but that’s how you move up in the world. I can’t just never fire anyone. People who can’t do their work need to be fired. 

ROMA: (losing her cool a bit) Listen here…. (catching herself) You’re not worth the bad energy you put off. Someday someone who works for you is going to snap and be very displeased with you. 

NOAH: Whatever. (referencing his arm) So can you tell me about this thing or not? 

ROMA: Let me see the ink. (NOAH shows his arm to ROMA. She examines it and looks up) This is a date. November 20th, 2032 to be exact. 

NOAH: Well, of course, I can see that! What does it mean? 

ROMA: Well, it could mean a few different things. Why do you think it showed up?

NOAH: I thought it was just a drunk escapade, but then it keeps changing. 

ROMA: (goes to one of the shelves and grabs an ancient-looking book) How often does it change? 

NOAH: I don’t know. It’s kinda random. 

ROMA: (flipping through the book) Does the date get closer or farther away?

NOAH: It keeps getting closer. 

ROMA: (finally getting to the page she was looking for) Ah, there it is. It looks like it is part of an ancient mystical warning system. It is said to be the date that death will take over your life. 

NOAH: Death will take over my life? What is that supposed to mean? 

ROMA: What do you think it’s supposed to mean? 

NOAH: So I’m going to die on this date? 

ROMA: (still reading in the book) Whoever it was that cursed you really knows what they are doing. 

NOAH: (disregarding what she said) This is bullshit. I think this is stupid. I don’t need your stupid psychic mind tricks to try to scare me. (begins to leave) 

ROMA: Noah, if you ever get curious again, you know where the shop is. (starts to exit)

NOAH: How do you know my name? 

ROMA: You could say I got it from my “stupid psychic mind tricks.” (exit SL) (NOAH exits SR in a huff) 

End of Scene 1

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SCENE 2: Noah’s Office 

(NOAH sits at his desk distracted by the date on his arm. SARAH enters) 

SARAH: Hello, Mr. Jacobs! How are you today? 

NOAH: Pretty good. 

SARAH: What is that on your arm? 

NOAH: I don’t know. Some psychic told me it’s the day I’m going to die. I think the whole psychic thing is dumb anyways. 

SARAH: Then why did you go see a psychic? 

NOAH: I don’t know. Maybe because then I would get an answer for whatever this thing is. (attempts to get some work done) 

SARAH: (looking at his arm) Did the date just change? Is this one of those optical illusion tattoos? 

NOAH: What? (looks at arm) January 13th, 2029. No it can’t be changing. (laughing) It’s all in my head. 

SARAH: Are you feeling okay, sir? 

NOAH: I’m feeling fine. Now just let me get work done. 

SARAH: Sir, it changed again. 

NOAH: February 8th, 2027. (panic fills his face. Starting to run off) Sarah, I have to go.

SARAH: Is something wrong, sir? 

NOAH: I’m not feeling well. Make sure people are getting things done. (leaves) 

SARAH: Wait! Where are you going? 

End of Scene 2

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SCENE 3: The Psychic’s Shop 

(NOAH enters the shop in a rush from SR) 

ROMA: (offstage after hearing the door open) The sign says closed. 

NOAH: Madam Roma? 

ROMA: (entering SL) Ah, well, look who it is. How is my favorite doomed customer today?

NOAH: This isn’t funny. Tell me about this thing. I need to know. 

ROMA: So now my mystic knowledge is so important to you. 

NOAH: I just need to know what this is and how to get rid of it. 

ROMA: (getting irritated) Get rid of it? That’s not how this works. This warning you have is a curse bestowed by a controller of dark arts, a most experienced mastermind. This person is not one to mess with. If I were to wager a guess, you ruined someone’s life and they are back for revenge. 

NOAH: Why would someone want revenge on me? I haven’t done anything. 

ROMA: Everyone has “done something.” You are a boss of many people, are you not? 

NOAH: Yeah. But I bet you knew that from your psychic powers. 

ROMA: I didn’t have to use my “psychic powers.” It has enveloped your entire personality. 

NOAH: Wait, you’re telling me that someone is upset with the way I run my work life? I’m just doing my job. I do what’s necessary for the company to flourish. 

ROMA: I’m sure that’s what every person you work with thinks as well, especially with the late nights they have to work and the rude treatment. 

NOAH: You don’t know anything about how I run my work environment.

ROMA: I am a psychic after all. My knowledge surpasses what you may expect. 

NOAH: So I pissed off some sort of magic man and now I’m cursed. What am I supposed to do about it?

ROMA: Well, you can attempt to find the person who you have pushed to this level and rectify what you have done. Or you can accept that your life is going to end and you have no control over it. 

NOAH: How am I supposed to find out who is doing this to me? 

ROMA: Think it through. It obviously is someone you have made extremely mad to the point of conjuring up a curse, and this curse would take weeks to create and implement. I would start with old employees and see if any of them left on bad terms. 

NOAH: I’ve been working at this company for years! Do you know how many people I’ve fired?

ROMA: I don’t have an exact number, but I can imagine it’s astronomical. 

NOAH: This is going to take forever. Or at least longer than I’ve got. 

ROMA: I’m sure you have plenty of assistants that can help with that. You’ll need all the help you can get. 

NOAH: Some help you are. 

ROMA: (irritated) I don’t see anyone else helping you with your quest. Learn a little gratitude.

NOAH: Whatever. I have to go work on finding the long list of people I’ve fired. 

ROMA: Best of luck, Mr. Jacobs. 

End of Scene 3

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SCENE 4: Noah’s Office 

(Noah enters and sits at his desk. SARAH follows behind him.) 

SARAH: What do you need, Mr. Jacobs? 

NOAH: I need you to pull up all the files of past employees that I fired. 

SARAH: What are you talking about? 

NOAH: Just pull up the files. 

SARAH: Yes, sir. (exits) 

NOAH: (sits worrying for a moment before looking down at his arm) March 8th, 2023. It’s changing more often now! I need to find this fast. 

SARAH: (entering with files in hand) Here are a few, sir. They are all from your first year of being in this position. 

NOAH: That was over eleven years ago! 

SARAH: Do you still want me to keep digging? 

NOAH: Yes. I’ll start with these. 

SARAH: (leaving) I’ll keep searching. 

NOAH: Oh, and Sarah? 

SARAH: Yes? 

NOAH: Thank you. 

SARAH: (taken aback by the gratitude) No problem, sir. (leaves) 

NOAH: Let’s see here. (looks through files) Olivia Stewart. Fired for poor work ethic. Wesley Collins. Fired for always arriving too late and taking too much time off. Luther Wood. Fired for stealing workplace funds. (setting files down) This is going to take too long. Maybe Madam Roma might be of some assistance.

SARAH: (carrying in a pile of files and setting it on his desk) Here is year two.

NOAH: Sarah, I have to leave again. I have a personal emergency. 

SARAH: What has been going on with you lately? You’ve been leaving work a bunch and talking about gypsies to yourself. I’m starting to get worried. 

NOAH: Don’t worry, Sarah. (looks down at his arm) This will be over soon. (rushes out) 

SARAH: (calling after him) What will be over soon? 

End of Scene 4

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Scene 5: The Psychic’s Shop 

(ROMA is sitting in one of the chairs reading a book when NOAH comes running in with the files and sets them on ROMA’s table) 

ROMA: Look who’s back again. 

NOAH: Here are the files of people I have fired. They range from my first year to this year. Can you help me go through some of them? Maybe you can use some of your powers or whatever. 

ROMA: I can’t just read a name and know who a person is. That’s not how this works.

NOAH: Well, then tell me how it does work because it hasn’t done squat for me. 

ROMA: My mystical sense is not a resource for you to play with. It has taken several years to master, and it is not a toy. 

NOAH: Well, can you at least try? That’s all I’m asking. I’m getting desperate here. The date is already down to 2021. That’s next year! Please! I’m begging you! 

ROMA: Fine. I will help you. Hand me a file. 

NOAH: Thank you! (hands her a file from the top of the pile). 

ROMA: (looking the file over) Let’s see. Michael Roberts. Fired for sexual harassment. (grabbing a new file) Luther Wood. Fired for stealing workplace funds. How much did he steal? 

NOAH: (pointing in file) About $3,800. 

ROMA: That doesn’t seem like a lot of money for your company. 

NOAH: We have a zero tolerance rule when it comes to stealing. 

ROMA: Well, it says that Luther Wood was putting three daughters through college at the time and had asked for a raise a few times. 

NOAH: He didn’t work hard enough to deserve a raise. 

ROMA: Based on his file, that seems to be your opinion. And a bad one at that.

NOAH: Are you saying this guy might be the one behind all of this?

ROMA: He is definitely going on the maybe pile. (sets down file to grab a new one. This time she grabs from the bottom portion of the pile) We will probably get further if we go to more recent ones. Do you remember Wesley Collins? 

NOAH: Yes, I believe so. If it is who I’m thinking of, the was late quite a bit and took off too much time to keep on. I sent him a letter to fire him. 

ROMA: Well, he didn’t last much longer. It seems that he killed himself shortly after. Leaving behind a wife and three young children. 

NOAH: What? Oh my god! 

ROMA: It shows that the reason he was taking off so much work was because his mother was dying and he wanted to spend the last few months with her as much as he could. It also shows that the mother died shortly before his being fired. 

NOAH: I never knew! 

ROMA: You never read the reasons he was taking off work? You didn’t care that he may have been going through a rough time in his life? 

NOAH: I never read the memos. I only look at attendance records, and his record fell below what is acceptable. 

ROMA: So you just decided to fire him? Without question? 

NOAH: I’m a busy man. I don’t have time to look through all of this stuff. 

ROMA: This happened about a year ago. It wouldn’t be too hard for someone to learn how to pull off this tattoo curse in that time. 

NOAH: This shouldn’t be happening to me. It’s not my fault my secretary doesn’t do her job and…. 

ROMA: I think that’s a cop-out. 

NOAH: You don’t know anything about the work I do. 

ROMA: I feel I know all too well just from the little bit I have read in these files. I wouldn’t want to see it in person.

NOAH: All of this isn’t helping find this person. We need to keep searching through the files. (Hands her another file) 

ROMA: (refusing to take the file) Whoever did this obviously wants you to learn a lesson, and I can see you aren’t learning anything. Why should I continue to help you? 

NOAH: If you don’t want to help me then I will go talk to some of these people myself. I’ll start with Wesley Collins’ widow. 

ROMA: (sarcastically) I’m sure she would love to see you. Perhaps she will invite you in for a nice cup of tea. 

NOAH: (ignoring her comment and looking down at his arm) The date on my arm is today! There’s no way I’ll be able to make it in time! 

ROMA: You can try to make it. (taunting) I’m sure she could still lift the curse if you pleaded hard enough. 

NOAH: Fine. I’m heading there. (grabbing the file before leaving) 

ROMA: (smiles an evil grin and looks up at portrait) Did you hear that, Wes? 

End of Scene 5

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Scene 6: On the Street 

(The street is empty. NOAH enters with file in hand)

NOAH: This doesn’t look like the best neighborhood. Good thing I brought this along with me just in case someone tries anything. (pulls out knife) Why did I try to find this person? I could have died a nice quiet death in my own house, but now I’m probably going to die here on this nasty street. I can’t believe this is happening. Who would have thought that I would have to go through all of this just because I fired someone. (as he continues to wander, a STRANGER is creeping up behind him) I’m not even that bad of a person. Sure, I fired a few people, but what boss hasn’t? It’s part of the job! 

STRANGER: (jumping out in front of him) Hey! 

NOAH: (immediately stabs the STRANGER. The STRANGER falls to the ground and cries out in pain. NOAH, realizing what he just did, drops the knife and runs off.) 

End of Scene 6

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Scene 7: A Jail Cell 

(NOAH sits on a bench in his jail cell. ROMA enters.) 

ROMA: Hello, Noah. 

NOAH: Madam Roma? What are you doing here? 

ROMA: I heard this was the day of your sentencing, and I had to come by. 

NOAH: What are you talking about? 

ROMA: I have to say, you are dumber than I thought. 

NOAH: (realizing that she is the one who cursed him) What the hell? What did I ever do to you? 

ROMA: Well, I did send you down the right path. What you did to Wesley was absolutely horrendous. You deserve every bit of jail time you get. 

NOAH: I’m so confused. 

ROMA: Wesley was my brother. He loved working with your company. When our mom got sick, he had to take days off to take her to the doctor and help her at home. We couldn’t hire a nurse because we didn’t have enough money. And because you decided to not look at the memos from his days of missing work, you fired him. A few days later his wife found him in the bathroom hanging from the ceiling. I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t use my talents to bring him back to life, so I used them to bring down the monster that killed him. 

NOAH: Where were you when your mother was sick? Why didn’t you help? 

ROMA: Don’t try to deflect your guilt onto me. I only found out that my mother was so sick after getting a phone call that she had died. I moved home for the funeral and to help Wesley. Wesley decided to take a week off to grieve with his family. That’s when he got the letter you sent. He thought it would be a letter of condolence, but instead it was the letter stating he was fired. He immediately freaked out. The next day is when we found him. You did this to him. 

NOAH: This can’t be right. I would never do something like this. 

ROMA: But you did. And I made you seem like you were losing your mind to your coworkers. You never used your power correctly anyway. The measure of a man is what he does with power, and you failed. I will enjoy watching the judge sentence you to several years of jail time. Have a nice life, Noah. You worked so hard to get this life that you deserve. (exits) 

NOAH: Roma, come back! Roma! You can’t do this to me! 

End of Scene 7

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Scene 8: The Psychic’s Shop 

(The stage is dark with candles lit. ROMA enters carrying boxes and starts packing things up. She gets to the table with the music box and stops. She opens it, and the music starts to play.) 

ROMA: (as if talking to the portrait) Wes, I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. Do you remember when we were kids and we would walk to the park together and you would push me on the swings? There was that one time when that bully decided he wanted to swing and tried to take the swing from me, but you pulled him away. He punched you so hard, I thought you were dead. You were always my protector. (pause) I’m sorry we haven’t got the chance to visit in awhile. Did you see all of the work I did to get revenge on Noah Jacobs for you? My master plan actually worked! Oh, you can’t imagine how happy I was when my plan worked just perfectly! I was there when he got sentenced. He was crying like a baby. You think a cold-hearted man like that would be able to take some of what he dishes out, but I guess not. (pause) I know I should be happy. I got exactly what I wanted. I got revenge for you. This is what you would have wanted. All of this makes up for not being there when you needed it, not being there to be your protector. (pause) I wish I could have been there for you. All of those years in school that you spent helping me and I left you behind and couldn’t even answer your calls. I just needed to go. Home just wasn’t where I wanted to be. You must understand that. Well, I think I’m going to leave town again. I’m thinking somewhere nice and warm. Maybe California or maybe even Florida like we used to talk about. Without you, this place doesn’t feel like home. It’s like I’ve lost my place. (stands) (changes the Open sign to Closed) I love you, Wes. You were the best big brother. If only I could have been a better sister. (closes the music box and exits SR) 

End of Scene 8 

End of Show