The Writers Voice
The World's
Favourite Literary Website
The Master Death
by
Jacob Rabbitt
The Masterson children hadn't ever been on vacation before. So when their mother
sat the family down and explained the details, the children were bursting with
excitement. Charles the eldest at sixteen and his twin sister Judith were told
to make sure all the children were packed.
Charles did his job well, even making it fun for his younger siblings. But
Judith wasn't one for meekness. She yelled and barked orders to her siblings,
causing a great deal of frustration and conflict. Maybe this is why during the
ride over to the lake house, their father, not paying much attention, ran that
faithful red light that changed so much for the fourteen Masterson children.
The children never really found out the details of the crash. Half of them
didn't even remember a crash. Only the sirens, lights and the hospital doors.
Ginger, only seven, remembers that most of all. The older ones remember the
officer who came to tell them the bad news. As much as they tried to forget the
events of that day, they simply couldn't.
"That was five months ago." Virginia yelled to her older sister from behind the
shut doors of her bedchamber. Twelve year old Alexandra had been pestering her
10 year old sister about a bracelet she'd loaned out and never had returned.
"You heard what Miss Fenton said, I need that bracelet." Alexandra shouted back. The door to the bedchamber slowly cracked open. "Can't you purchase another, Alex please, I’m awfully tied up right now?" Alexandra being the sneaky, menace person she was, raised an eyebrow and slowly smiled. "Tell," She ordered.
"It's nothing really," Virginia had begun to explain when Alexandra pushed her way in, settling herself on the bed. Virginia was used to Alex's rudeness. All her siblings were. she had always been a troublemaker, but since their parent's death she had gotten worse than her usual cruel self. Not that the other Masterson kids hadn't changed a bit themselves. Thirteen year old twins David and Dick stuck together a lot more, Ginger had begun seeing imaginary friends again and Maddy was rarely seen without her thumb in her mouth. Which was an odd sight considering the fact that she was five. Now they lived with Miss Fenton a mean women who forced the children to perform foolish plays.
"So," Alexandra said sitting on the bed. "What's your secret."
"No Secret." Virginia said crinkling the papers behind her back.
"Very Well, I'll be going now." Virginia slowly closed the door behind. Almost, but not quite as slow as she'd opened it. Fourteen year old Joseph was outside giving Maddy piggyback rides when the black car pulled into the long, narrow driveway. Out stepped Miss Fenton. The mere mention of her name sent chills down Joseph's spine. He uttered it anyway.
"Good afternoon Miss Fenton." Her Pale, disfigured face frowned at the sight of Joseph and his sister. "Get the things out of the car." she ordered. As Joseph rushed off to complete his task, Maddy had been staring up into the auburn eyes that belonged to Miss Fenton.
"Come along little creature." She said taking hold of Maddy's hand and steering her into the house. Alexandra was coming down the stairs the exact moment Miss Fenton and Maddy were coming in the door.
"Miss Fenton!" She exclaimed hurrying down the stairs.
"Just the person I wanted to see." Miss Fenton opened the door to Joseph, who was carrying a large, heavy green box. Marked on the top with gold paint was the word Costumes, framed by a red rectangle. Above the rectangle stood two pearly white doves holding a piece of light pink ribbon in their beaks.
"Really?" Alexandra grinned. "You want to see me?"
"Alex, how would you like to be my assistant director of my newest drama A play
never played. "Hopefully it'll stay that way." Maddy whispered to Joseph, who
tried to hide his laugh. Alexandra didn't hesitant to accept the offer. She'd
always admired the writings of the plays, unlike her siblings who dreaded them.
Miss Fenton opened the box and pulled out each costume one by one. By this time
Joseph and Maddy had already creped up the stairs.
The next day Miss Fenton passed out the scripts. Charles was first to receive a
copy. The story wasn't terribly good. It seemed to have been about a
trouble-minded king who decided to put on a play. But no actors would willing
fully do so. The queen began auditioning random people from different parts of
the world to perform the play. Naturally Charles was pleased to find he'd play
the king. Judith The queen. Joseph a juggler and ten year old Carol as his
side-kick. William and Diane the thirteen year olds (and last set of twins) were
to play TV reporters, while David and Dick played hunters. Maddy was happy to
learn she had the part of a fairy, but sad to find it would be crippled. Eight
year old Billy was an alien, and because he was the only one who could fit in
the costume, three year old Elliott got the part of a accident-prone elf.
Virginia wasn't too upset over getting the part of a mad scientist, Ginger was
however upset of her role as a camel.
No one seemed to noticed that Alexandra hadn't been given a part in the play.
(Not even you the reader) So the children practiced day and night, night and
day.
Once a week they practiced all together by themselves and in front of Miss
Fenton. Any other time they practiced in groups. Group one: Charles, Judith and
Joseph. Group two: Diane, Virginia and Carol. Group three: Elliott, Ginger and
Maddy. Group four: William, Dick and David. This of course left Billy to learn
his lines for himself. Which is what he was doing the when Ed Allen came over.
Ed 's mom had greeted the children with a plate of baked goods the day they were
sent to live with Miss Fenton. Of course they never got the treats because the
moment Ed and his mother left Miss Fenton threw every last crumb out.
"Hey." Ed sat next to Billy in the grass. Outside was the only quiet place.
"Hi."
"What're you doing?"
"Memorizing my lines."
"Oh." Billy unfolded his wrinkled script and began reading.
"Allo humans I come in peace............No I am not a space criminal........Yes....."
"Hey I know those words." Ed jumped up. "the next line is...We Unaks are here to
stay, isn't it?"
Billy nodded. "How do you know?"
"Miss Fenton tried to put on some play last summer, got all the kids in the neighbor to audition...wait how do you know it? "
"It's the lines from the play we're putting on."
"Oh man," Ed laughed. "Too bad."
"Why is it too bad?" The boys were walking to the backyard now.
Before Ed could answer, the front door opened. "Hey you little boy."
"That's Fenton, see you" Billy and Ed departed. That night was dress rehearsal.
Aside from Dick falling six times and Ginger nearly throwing up, it went perfectly well. Although Miss Fenton Did have a fit when Ed invited himself to the second half of the performance. Dick and David were in Scene five fighting over who got which sword. Dick: I being the better swordsman by right should own this treasure. David: you are no better a swordsman than... Miss Fenton threw her hands in the air. "No, no, noooo." She said. "You must say it with intense emotion." David nodded then drew his cardboard sword. "Should I start over or keep going"
"Start over." Miss Fenton said rubbing the right side of her head.
Dick: I being the better swordsman by night...right should own this treasure.
David: You are no better a swordsman than you are a scholar
David pulled his sword out. David: Take this!
Dick felled to floor clutching his stomach and letting out moans of death.
Dick: Just one thing brother.
David bends down and leans close to Dick's ear.
Dick opens his mouth......Ding Dong!
"Somebody get the door!" Miss Fenton yelled. Diane twisted the brass knobs and pulled the wooden doors open.
"Hi." Ed smiled. He seemed to have a crush on Diane even though he was only nine. "Hi Ed come on in."
"He can't be here," Alexandra yelled. "We have rehearsal."
"Little boy she's right.....so carry on, yeah?." Miss Fenton waved her long black finger nails. Ed pretended not to hear, instead carrying in a large blue bag.
"What're you doing?" William asked.
"Oh I’m staying over."
"NO!" Miss Fenton and Alexandra yelled together.
"He can stay in our room." Dick said from his place on the floor. Before Miss Fenton could object Ed was pulling his luggage up the stairs.
"Okay," Miss Fenton smoothed back her matted blonde hair. "Continue." Dick nodded and began moaning again. Then he turned to David.
Dick: Just one thing brother.....who's that"
David turns around and see spaceship from which Billy exits.
David: What are you?
Billy: Allo humans I come in peace
Dick: He's a.....thief.....I’m sure.....come.... for....sword
Ed: No I am not a space criminal
"CUT!!!" Miss Fenton yelled, infested with wrath. Everyone in the room stared at Ed Allen.
"Please Ed, if you're going to stay.. then at least let the actors do their jobs."
"Sorry, i just knew the line that's all." Miss Fenton was so ticked off that Ed mentioned he knew the play that she ended the rehearsal and called lights out.
Ed and Billy had decided to stay in David and Dick's room together, they hadn't counted on an audience, which is what they got after Ed had recited Billy's line.
"How did you know?" Virginia asked. The moon was shining bright that night making everyone of the Masterson children appear more creepy than they could ever be. "Before you guys came, Miss Fenton would always make up these silly plays and have the neighborhood kids perform it....last summer she made up States of Worthless Beings........We wouldn't perform it because it made fun of certain people like TV reporters, presidents......animals, priests...Anyway once our parents read the script... well you can guess what happened.....Miss Fenton never forgive us." Ed Finished his story and looked up at the thirteen Masterson kids.
"I don't get it." Dick said shaking his head.
"A play never played is States of Worthless Beings," Ed said. "She changed the name because all her plays are listed at the theater. If she listed that play again the whole town would force her move too......Arizona."
"So," Charles rubbed his chin. "That's why it's called a play never
played.....it never saw the light of day."
"What about the priest part?" Judith asked.
"Huh?"
"Ed said a priest character was in the play." While the rest of the kids sat in silence thinking, Virginia couldn't bare to think about it. All this time she should've known.
"Um Guys I think I know."
"Know what?" Joseph asked.
"I'll have to show you, be right back." Virginia raced down the hall to her room.
She flung the door opened and searched wildly under the pile of clothes neatly
folded in her drawer. But nothing was there. Virginia couldn't believe it. She
was
sure she'd put it right there. After checking a second and third time she slowly
walked back to her brothers' room empty handed.
"Well?" Carol met her at the door. "What is it."
"It's gone."
"WHAT!?" The children cried.
"The priest... It's Alexandra, I found the full script in her room, I figured I'd learn it before everyone else... I was a little confused when Miss Fenton didn't give the priest part away....I'm sorry guys."
"Taa paa opff." Elliott smiled at Virginia, forgiving her.
"So Alex is in on it?" William asked out loud.
"In on what?" Carol said. "What's even going on here?"
"Kill Miss Fenton." Maddy giggled. Expecting her sibling to find it funny too. But no one was smiling.
"We could hang her in her sleep." William offered.
"Poison her at dinner." Diane chipped in.
"It was just a joke." Maddy frowned.
"We wouldn't have to live here anymore.....No more chores, nasty food or horrible plays." By this time Ginger, David and Dick had drifted to sleep.
"Guys," Charles faced his younger siblings. "Are we sure this is the right thing to do." They thought about this awhile more then all agreed. It was the only thing to do.
To Be Continued
Critique this work
Click on the book to leave a comment about this work
