lie
When secrets seep in
Our heart seeps out
Our own passion draining smoothly from our lungs
We breathe in the lies, and out the happiness
Our own self worth going, where secrets lie
Where secrets lie
Lie
Where secrets lie
I lie with them
I lie with them
Madison: Mayzie, I had no idea.
Landon: I'm so sorry
Mayzie: It's my fault, I kept it a secret.
Landon: Mayzie. You thought you were protecting us. It's not good to keep secrets but that does not put you at fault. West was wrong. And he could go to jail for that.
SARAH, getting nervous at the talk of WEST begins to get antsy.
Sarah: Are you gonna let us out now?
Charlotte: I-I-uh-I
Landon: She threw the key out of the door.
All except MAYZIE and CHARLOTTE freak out, glare at CHARLOTTE and groan
Charlotte: Look I'm sorry, I just thought I was doing it for your, for our safety.
Annie: You locked us all in?
Charlotte: Can't you just call someone?
Sarah: We aren't allowed to have phones.
Madison: And the home phone is down the stairs.
Clark: So essentially we're trapped.
Charlotte: I wouldn't say trapped, I'd say- stuck.
Landon: Those are synonymous.
Madison: What?
Landon: They mean the same thing.
Madison: Ohhh.
Charlotte: Different tone.
Landon: Same meaning. But either way, we're in a room together, locked in, because you- I'm not saying you're in the wrong, but-
Annie: Yes she's in the wrong, are you kidding? She took West's gun and locked us in here.
Sarah: She was doing it to protect us, I'll give her that.
ANNIE plops down on the bed with a huff.
Landon: Either way, it's best we stop blaming her, we need to stay as calm as possible.
Madison: She's the reason we're locked in here, she's the one who needs to get us out.
Landon: There's no way out. We just need to wait until West gets home, and then we can get out.
Hope: Thank you.
Landon: 'Course.
Blackout
Scene 5
The Willow Hills kids still are in the room. Landons eyes light up with an idea after several moments of awkward silence.
Landon: Well you're all so talkative.
Annie: Well what are we supposed to be when Mayzie's life is being threatened.
Landon: It's not like he'd actually shoot her.
Sarah: You don't know what he's capable of.
Landon: He wouldn't! I know him!
Annie: You don't know when someone could just-snap. Break. Shatter into a million pieces. They have their mind all in tact and then all of a sudden they crack, and you don't know who they are anymore.
Landon: Okay, Annie.
Sarah: Can we talk about something else, please.
Landon: We should play a get to know you game with Charlotte and her brother.
Clark: I have a name.
Landon: Dude, I'm sorry, Chris.
Clark: Clark, my name is Clark.
Landon: I'm sorry, I'm so bad with names.
Charlotte: We are not playing a get to know you game. This is not 4th grade, I refuse.
Landon: Okay, well what else would you suggest.
Charlotte: Well I don't know anything about any of you. But I hate get to know you games.
Landon: Well, we should take turns talking. We just don't stop talking, if you stop talking you're out.
Charlotte: That's still a game.
Landon: Okay, so what do we do, because I'm not going to sit here in silence until West gets home.
Sarah: Can we stop talking about West?
Madison:Why?
Sarah: Just stop, okay!
CLARK pulls a journal out from under a bed, it is SARAHS. He passes it to Charlotte. Lights dim, and the spotlight goes to Charlotte.
Charlotte: (To audience) I shouldn't have opened it. I know I shouldn't have opened it, and I didn't mean for anyone to see, I just thought maybe I if I could know more about Sarah then we could get along. The words just escaped my mouth, if I could've stayed quiet, no one would've seen my peek. (In real time) Oh my god.
Sarah: (Seeing Charlotte with the journal) What the hell are you doing with my journal?
Charlotte: We need to tell someone.
Sarah: Give me that.
Charlotte: We need to contact the police.
Sarah: (reaching for the journal) GIVE IT.
Landon: Wait, you need to tell the police about what?
Sarah: Nothing.
Charlotte: (reading from the journal) West hit me again today. I guess I'm getting used to it by now. There are bruises on my stomach. I don't know what to do. There is only one thing to do. I need to run away.
Madison: You're running away?
Landon: West beat you?
Sarah: (To Charlotte) You snoop! You liar!
Charlotte: I can't let this go unsaid. You're in danger.
Landon: When did he start beating you?
Sarah: I-
I was 9 years old when I came to Willow Hills
I was fragile and young and yet somehow unafraid
I was a kid.
And he blew his lid
He kicked my stomach on my third day here.
9 years old and feeling abandoned
My parents were gone
I had no one left
Now the man who was going to save me from this world
Was still my enemy
11 years old and still nothing had changed
Annie'd come in and started to be my friend
I was still just as lonely
I felt as though no one was there
But at least I had had a friend, I had finally found a friend
But when nobody saw, he'd attack
Like a vicious wolf in the light of the bright full moon
He said nobody wanted me
He said he was my only way to live
So I take what he gives
And let him kick in
When nobody sees
Then I was 13 years old and he was rougher
He would slam the door shut when he came
He would slam my head against the wall
He threatened to kick me out
He threatened to hurt Annie
And that was enough to shut me up for good
Now I'm 15 years old and it never gets better
When he gets home he will open the door
Tell me to come downstairs
Tell me to lay down on the floor
And then he will hurt me
He will hurt me
He will kick me
He will punch me
He will send me back up to my room and I will sob
Quietly, so Annie would never hear
And nobody sees.
What that man can be
Cause when nobody saw, he'd attack
Like a vicious wolf in the light of the bright full moon
He said nobody wanted me
He said he was my only way to live
So I take what he gives
And let him kick in
When nobody sees
When nobody sees
SARAH bursts into tears and LANDON hugs her, the rest of the kids join in and hug her.
Annie: We have to tell someone. We have to report this.
Sarah: I-I don't want to cause any trouble.
Annie: First Mayzie, and now you. There's absolutely no way I can just let that man go unpunished.
Mayzie: He's not a man. He's a monster.
Landon: I-I don't know.
Annie: I'd rather Sarah and Mayzie, and for a matter of fact, all of us be sa
fe from West.
Landon: I can't go to another group home. I can't.
Clark: So you'd rather put their life in danger?
Landon: (flustered) No! I don't want that-I-I grew up here! I can't leave now!
Charlotte: Clark has a point, you're choosing between comfort and safety.
Sarah: Not just safety for Mayzie and I, but safety for you too.
Madison: This is all very scary.
Charlotte: It is very scary. Landon, listen to me, we can fix this. We can change the way Sarah and Mayzie are treated.
Landon: They're like my sisters.
Sarah: And you're like my brother. But I can't live like this anymore.
Mayzie: We love you, Landon. But if you love us you have to put our safety first. We didn't have to tell you about what West has done. And if you sit by and know it's happening, you're just as bad as West.
Charlotte: I know it's hard but if you love them, you'll put them first.
Landon: I want to! I want to trust that things will be okay. I want to let go
I want to let go, I want to hold on
I want to be here and I want to be gone
I want to shut up and I want to be loud
I want to stand out yet I want to be in the crowd
I want you right here and I want you away
I want you so safe and I want me in danger
I want you so safe
I want you so safe
I want you so safe
But I love you
I love you so much
I love you
I love you
I love you
We've grown up here
In the walls of this house
I can't imagine leaving
Sneaking away like I never was here
But I love you
Yes I love you
In the walls of this house I've hid for years
Behind you all I've feared
Afraid I'd have to leave again
Leave my loves the begin the end
In the walls of this house I've grown up tall
Years and years old, I'd climb and fall
I never I would leave
But hearing you makes me grieve
I could never go
I could never go
I could never go
But I love you
I love you so much
I love you
I love you
I love you
We've grown up here
In the walls of this house
I can't imagine leaving
Sneaking away like I never was here
But I love you
Yes I love you
And I
Knew we would grow apart
Go off to college and split
But I
Thought I'd have more time
With you
Oh with you
With you
But I love you
I love you so much
I love you
I love you
I love you
We've grown up here
In the walls of this house
I can't imagine leaving
Sneaking away like I never was here
But