POSSIBILITY 

CAST OF CHARACTERS 

In order of appearance

ADDY: A girl of 17. 

OLDER ADDY: Addy in her near future.

OLDER ENEMY: Addy’s enemy in their near future.

THE AUTHOR: An ageless being, yet appears as a young adult man. 

YOUNGER ADDY: Addy in her near past.

YOUNGER ENEMY: Addy’s enemy in their near past.

LORELEI: Addy’s mother.

ISRA: Enemy’s mother.

SCENE

A STRANGE ROOM WITHIN A ROYAL PALACE. 

TIME

UNCERTAIN.

ACT I

Scene 1

Enter ADDY stage right, who is frantically searching the empty space around her. The distant laugh of a woman echoes, only sending ADDY into more panic. Her breathing gets faster and she runs offstage left as the laughing continues. Enter OLDER ENEMY and OLDER ADDY, stage right. OLDER ENEMY pulls OLDER ADDY by the hand onto the stage playfully, the one laugh heard beforehand melding with another. The smiling pair, dressed in regal garments, are followed onstage right by ADDY. She begins to chase them, and the older characters come to a stop at stage left, starting to chatter excitedly while holding each other’s arms. ADDY halts at center stage.

ADDY 

(breathless and frantic) Stop it! Stop laughing! 

OLDER ADDY and OLDER ENEMY ignore ADDY. As ADDY marches up to them and opens her mouth to yell once more, she realizes that the others cannot hear nor see her. Just to make sure, ADDY waves a hand in front of OLDER ADDY’s face. When she receives no response, ADDY begins to circle the pair cautiously, examining them as they laugh and speak inaudibly. The two only smile and make subtle movements. ADDY carefully runs her hand through OLDER ADDY’s hair, brows furrowed in confusion. ADDY spins around so her back is facing the others, and takes the ends of her own hair in her hands. Notices her curl pattern, looks at it for a bit longer as OLDER ADDY and OLDER ENEMY exit stage left, still holding hands and laughing. ADDY is left on a silent, empty stage, staring at her hair.

ADDY

My hair…

ADDY turns back around, but sees that the others have gone. In a panic, she runs off stage left. The lights go out. The lights come back on. Enter OLDER ENEMY and OLDER ADDY from stage right, running and holding hands. They stop center stage, and begin to dance together. Shortly, ADDY enters stage left, gasping for air.

ADDY 

(hands on her knees, panting) Stop…stay…

Her words are cut off by the confused expression that forms on her face at the sight in front of her. She stands up straight, just staring at OLDER ADDY and OLDER ENEMY as they dance. They look genuinely satisfied with themselves, and ADDY clearly is wondering why. She begins to slowly stalk towards the pair, but stops abruptly when OLDER ENEMY takes their head off OLDER ADDY’s shoulder, leaning back with their hands around OLDER ADDY’s neck and smiling.

OLDER ENEMY

Your eyes! 

OLDER ADDY 

(grinning) Yeah? What about them? 

OLDER ENEMY 

(Pauses, and admires OLDER ADDY’s face for a moment before speaking.)

They never changed. 

OLDER ADDY

And they never will. 

ADDY can only stare with her lips parted in surprise. She looks down at the floor, at a loss for words. Two beats pass.

THE AUTHOR 

(off) A beautiful dream.

ADDY whips her head around to face the stage right exit, searching for where the voice came from. Her face hardens at the realization of who the voice belongs to–this is someone she would rather not be in the presence of. As she processes this, OLDER ADDY and OLDER ENEMY exit stage left together, still dancing.

THE AUTHOR 

(off) It has the potential to become very real, you know. 

Head in hands, ADDY runs off stage right with a frustrated groan. Moments later, she slowly walks backwards from where she exited, THE AUTHOR’s hand to her chest, pushing her and walking with her.

THE AUTHOR 

(as they walk) But what are you willing to do to get there? 

ADDY grabs THE AUTHOR’s hand and rips it off of her, yet she remains facing him, only inches between them.

ADDY 

(pure fury dancing across her features) You don’t know my dreams. 

THE AUTHOR 

(smiling with pride) Yet, I know who you dream about. Figuring out what you want is the easy part. 

ADDY looks THE AUTHOR up and down. She backs away a bit, but refuses to break eye contact.

ADDY

They were wearing a ring. We both were. (her voice hitches, and her eyes gloss over with tears) I told you I’d never get married. I promised you–

THE AUTHOR

You forget who is writing your story, Addy.

(He tilts his head at her with a quirked lip.)

I’ve got the pen. 

ADDY doesn’t move a muscle. As much as she looks like she’s about to jump out of her skin to attack THE AUTHOR, she stands still. Suddenly, an abrupt wail escapes her lips, and tears fall. She turns her head down and to the side–she doesn’t like when he sees her like this.

THE AUTHOR 

(His face softens, eyes filling with just an ounce of remorse.)

Okay, let’s not do that. Come on, I’m messing with you. 

ADDY turns to run the other way–but THE AUTHOR grabs her by the hand and pulls her back as she tries to wrestle away.

ADDY

I don’t want to do this anymore. 

THE AUTHOR

I know. 

ADDY 

(exhaling sharply and looking him in the eye again) Then why do you keep bringing me back here? 

THE AUTHOR is unsure of what to say, taking a pause.

THE AUTHOR

To remind you of why I picked Your Enemy for you in the first place. 

ADDY 

(descending into a fit of unmasked rage) You didn’t pick them! I picked them!

(She stomps towards THE AUTHOR and shoves him. THE AUTHOR only chuckles.)

It’s my choice. I could let them kill me! I–

THE AUTHOR

(smiling wider) Why don’t you?

ADDY

Why don’t I what?

THE AUTHOR says nothing. Instead, he walks right past ADDY, still grinning to himself. He stops closer to stage left, while ADDY remains by stage right, staring at his back turned to her.

THE AUTHOR

We’re allowed to wish for things we can’t have.

(He turns to face her, wagging a finger and ambling in a small circle.)

You, of all people, should know that. 

ADDY

I told you already that I’m never getting married. I can’t bind myself to someone else for the rest of my life, I just can’t. How are you going to show me something I never even considered and tell me that it’s how I could be living if I cared enough? It’s not a dream–you know it’s not happening. And that’s your fault, not mine. You did this to me. 

THE AUTHOR 

(Face heating, he steps closer to ADDY menacingly.)

I did nothing. Just like you, I’m not in control of my fate. Don’t forget how I got trapped in this Hell in the first place. 

ADDY

Since when is “Hell” a royal palace? 

THE AUTHOR

Oh, so you’re going to pull the royalty card on me now! 

ADDY 

(fully screaming) You just used my own thoughts against me in a simulation! I can pull whatever cards I want! 

THE AUTHOR 

(His voice tones down, and his body relaxes, smile creeping onto his face again.)

Mm. See?

ADDY

I only see one thing in front of me, and he isn’t pretty.

THE AUTHOR 

(sneering) I told you. 

ADDY turns her back to THE AUTHOR.

ADDY

I wish I was selfish enough to let them kill me…So I wouldn’t have to think about a future that will never be mine. 

THE AUTHOR

See, that’s where I lose you.

(He spins ADDY to face him.)

You are selfish enough. It’s funny how you just don’t see it. 

ADDY backs away from him in horror.

THE AUTHOR

Because no matter what I do to stop Your Enemy, you still let them win. Every single time. And now, I realize. 

THE AUTHOR walks towards ADDY as she continues to back away from him.

THE AUTHOR

There is absolutely no way I can let you have your guilty wish.

ADDY 

(whispered, still backing away) Why not?

THE AUTHOR

Because it will end me. 

These words are said, and THE AUTHOR and ADDY exit stage right. 

(BLACKOUT)

(END OF SCENE)

Scene 2

A spotlight shines on center stage. YOUNG ADDY, YOUNG ENEMY, ISRA, and LORELEI are standing behind a table covered in baking ingredients. The characters are smiling, laughing inaudibly and each contributing to the process of making a cake.

LORELEI

Addy, no, not like that.

(She takes the mixing spoon from YOUNG ADDY’s hand, which had been mixing something in a bowl.)

Be more gentle. Look, watch how Your Enemy does it.

YOUNG ADDY watches YOUNG ENEMY stir another bowl, carefully and calmly.

YOUNG ADDY

I can’t. My hands are too big. 

YOUNG ENEMY

It’s okay. You can do other things. Like...You’re good at putting the frosting on the cake. 

YOUNG ADDY 

(discouraged, wiping her hands on her shirt) Not really. 

YOUNG ENEMY

I won’t get anywhere if I become a baker. You’re lucky you aren’t good at this kind of stuff. 

ISRA 

(in a scolding, yet playful manner towards her child) Don’t you dare say that! Being a baker is a lovely job.

YOUNG ENEMY 

(Giggling, they take YOUNG ADDY’s hand. Addy rolls her eyes and smiles back.)

Yeah, but who cares? Addy’s not gonna be a baker–she’s gonna be a hero. 

YOUNG ADDY 

(through her grin) Only if you stay around to be my villain. 

The children share soft laughter and turn back to mix the batter together, with both their hands on one spoon, as ISRA and LORELEI look at each other with regretful expressions. ISRA smoothes YOUNG ENEMY’s  hair in sadness. As this scene freezes, the spotlight moves to stage left, where ADDY and THE AUTHOR wrestle onstage, coming to a stumbling halt as they move closer to the scene. ADDY is taken aback, and her gaze settles on her younger self. THE AUTHOR spins around to watch with her, leaning back and folding his arms. A few beats pass.

ADDY

This didn’t happen. 

THE AUTHOR 

(plenty of sass in his tone) No duh. 

ADDY's face scrunches, and she punches him in the arm.

THE AUTHOR

Rude. 

ADDY smirks, then averts her eyes back to the scene at center stage. Her mind swirls with questions.

ADDY

Why…I mean–

(She turns to face THE AUTHOR.)

–What would it have taken? For my childhood to look like this? With them? 

THE AUTHOR  sighs deeply, and approaches the scene, where he begins to twist a finger around YOUNG ADDY’s hair. ADDY cringes. 

THE AUTHOR

That’s why I’m in charge and not you. You’re not supposed to want this–and neither am I.

(He swivels sharply to ADDY, trickery in his expression.)

I just sometimes wonder how much harder it would be for them to kill you if you two had grown up together like your mothers had hoped. 

With an infuriated snarl, ADDY marches up to THE AUTHOR, shoving all other characters out of the way, to which they do not react. She grabs him by the shirt collar, face inches away from his.

ADDY 

(teeth bared, voice shaky) You created this. You created us–me and them. And you got what you wanted with it! (grip loosening) Why go out of your way to torture me now? 

THE AUTHOR

I don’t know. Maybe I changed my mind. 

ADDY pauses, looks at him with disgust, and  shoves him away from her, storming back towards stage left.

ADDY 

(grumbling) I thought what’s written is written. 

THE AUTHOR

Want me to rip out some pages? 

ADDY stops right before exiting stage left, back turned to THE AUTHOR. She says nothing, yet her breathing is still heard, loudly, and is slowing down.

THE AUTHOR

You don’t. See? You don’t. You know you wouldn’t love them if it wasn’t for me, that’s why–If I didn’t spend all my precious time writing your story instead of the fairytale you think you want to read.

ADDY shifts her body to face THE AUTHOR halfway, but stops herself to avoid his face.

THE AUTHOR

Don’t hate the player.

(He smiles, putting his hands behind his back.)

Hate the game.

ADDY

(She looks back over her shoulder at him, fire burning in her now-steady voice.)

When are you going to learn?

(ADDY walks off stage left very slowly, head still turned towards THE AUTHOR, a sad smile plastered across her face)

You are the game. (from offstage, in a chilling, sing-song voice) I’m-gonna-win. 

The stage goes dark, with the exception of a spotlight on THE AUTHOR. He turns to face the audience, looks down at the floor, and his mouth cracks a grin. Propping his hands on both hips, he sheds a single ray of bitter laughter while shaking his head in exasperation. The spotlight goes out in a single beat.

(END OF SCENE)

THE END