Bozeman - A Musical

by Persephone Litchfield

here we can get out.

  LANDON takes ANNIE's high heel and smashes the other window. They all crawl in and climb down the ladder onto the street below them.

  Charlotte: Where now? We have nowhere to go.

  Landon: We-we have to report West. To the police.

  Charlotte: But you'll get separated.

  Landon:

  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 I love you

  Yes I love you

  I have to love you

  The foster children exit.

  Blackout.

  Scene 2

  The kids sit in the police station together, holding hands. The spotlights go on them individually as they make their statements.

  Mayzie: He would threaten me, at least three times a week. He would rip out his gun and say he'd shoot me. He was going to do it this time, he was ready to shoot.

  Landon: I didn't see anything wrong at the time, but officer I assure you he was going to kill us. He was going to kill us all.

  Annie: Sarah'd come to bed with bruises. We never knew what they were from. She'd promise they were only her being klutzy.

  Sarah: Almost everyday he'd hit me. He'd kick me, he'd punch me. Whatever anger he'd had at everyone else, he'd take out on me.

  Madison: He was mean. He never hit me but he'd yell at us. Almost every day.

  All: He's not fit to be a foster parent.

  CHARLOTTE is in a chair center stage, cops on one side of her, the foster children to the right. Both sides listening intenty.

  Charlotte: I had gotten to Willow Hills that day, I had found a gun under the floorboard and I-

  I threw the key and the gun outside the door.

  I hoped that I was helping, I don't know if I did.

  But I was new and scared and lonely

  And I didn't know anyone at all

  Cop: How'd you end up here?

  My mom, she drank alot

  Every night, she'd come home drunker than the night before

  And she'd hit Clark or me or dad, but we stood by

  She got a gun from who knows where

  And she came home one night

  Drunk as hell, pulled out the gun

  And shot

  My dad fell to the ground

  His scream still replays in my mind

  He did nothing wrong

  Just tried to protect us

  Just to protect us

  Clark and I, we ran upstairs

  We locked the doors and said our prayers

  And god didn't save my dad that day

  I wish god had saved my dad that day

  Clark called 9-1-1 as I sobbed in hysterics

  And his tiny little mouth said words I can't forget

  My mommies got a gun

  She shot my daddy

  I think he's in heaven now

  I think he's in heaven now

  And my heart shattered

  The man I loved was gone

  And the woman that killed him

  Shares my blood

  I should've shot her

  I should've killed her then and there

  I heard the sirens and the lights flashed bright

  Everything I'd ever known was gone

  The cops came and they took Clark and I away

  And they told us they'd find a place for us to stay

  And I came here, in the silence, and it's all so scary and strange

  And I found

  I was gone

  All hope was gone

  I should've tried to save him

  I should've called the cops

  I should've done a lot of things I didn't do 'cause I was scared

  I should've

  I should've

  I should've

  And I'm sorry.

  Blackout.

  Scene 3

  All the foster kids now stand behind CHARLOTTE writing in her diary. CHARLOTTE reads the messages aloud.

  Charlotte:

  From Mayzie:

  Hey Charlotte.

  Thanks for understanding and thanks for finding the gun

  This diary looks like it must be so fun

  Thanks for the memories, they kinda sucked but that's okay

  I learned so much from you on this one snowy day.

  From Sarah:

  Hey Charlotte.

  I know we'll never meet again

  Or maybe we will, who knows

  But thank you for reading my diary

  Even though your personal space blows

  You taught me how to be a stronger person

  You taught me that secrets kill

  So thank you

  Good luck on your journey

  In life.

  Have fun.

  From Madison.

  Hi Charlotte.

  Goodbye for now, I'll see you one day

  I feel it in my bones we'll meet again

  You taught me that secrets hold a lot of power within

  Come to England

  I'll be there

  From Annie.

  Hey Charlotte.

  I didn't really like you

  But you taught me that I'll be okay

  I can handle my own story, my parents aren't too far away

  From Landon.

  Hi Charlotte.

  You better come to visit me

  Because I'll miss you a ton

  Learn to trust in yourself

  It's worth it if you just believe it'd be fun

  Goodbye.

  All:

  Goodbye.

  Charlotte:

  Dear future Charlotte.

  I'm still learning to love myself

  And it's always been hard but

  Here's to the years to growing old and gray

  And still falling apart

  Oh

  Still falling apart

  It's okay to be still falling apart.

  Charlotte: Dear diary. This has been the scariest, craziest 24 hours I've ever lived. Bozeman was...a story to be told. And a story I'm going to tell. And maybe one that other people will tell. My time in Bozeman wasn't the happiest time of my life. But it was a moment. A memorable moment. And that's all a moment can truly ask to be. A single moment in the vastness of the universe. A second, a fragment of time in this ever-dying, grueling world. And that's all I ever wanted to be. I truly want to live for just right now. And only now. Because if it wasn't for right now, there would be no yesterday, or tomorrow, or anything. Everything, every second of every day is made up of just right now. And that's a pretty amazing thing.

  CHARLOTTE closes her diary.

  Blackout.

  End of Act II

  End of show