CHARACTER SIDES FOR HESPERA THE WITCH
©2009 ANGUS KITTLER REID
HESPERAÕS HOUSE
By the garden, a strange old woman sits.
HESPERA
Come
into my garden, boys. Come in, come in.
They stop at the entrance.
JAMEY
Umm, we donÕt want to bother you.
WeÕre just looking forÉ a princess? SheÕs supposed to be here?
HESPERA
A princessÉ donÕt remember
anything about that. Maybe there was onceÉ maybe still is. You can look around
if you like.
She walks into her house. ItÕs much bigger on the inside
than on the outside.
Wert looks scared, and hangs back. But Jamey tries to be
brave.
JAMEY
We
said weÕd find Chari, didnÕt we?
Wet reluctantly nods, and they go inside.
INT. HESPERAÕS KITCHEN – DAY
A witchÕs kitchen- a cauldron sits over a fire, strange
ingredients and apparatuses litter the tables. A tray with some evil-looking
food is laid out on one small table.
HESPERA
Would you boys
like some food?
JAMEY
(very worried now)
Oh, you know, I
think my brotherÕs allergic to foodÉ
WERT
(playing along, agreeing)
I break out!
HESPERA
Oh, then weÕll
just get rid of it.
From her robe, she produces a flashlight-like object, the darklight. It has a little crank on one side, which she
quickly winds. A sound like a magical dynamo comes from it, increasing in pitch
and volume as the darklight builds up power. From the lens end comes a beam,
not of light, but of darkness. Hespera ŌshinesÕ the darkness at the food. It
goes into the shadow of the beam, and when she moves the beam away, the food is
gone. The beam and sound subside.
The boys are shocked.
WERT
You made it
disappear!
HESPERA
Of course! We
didnÕt want it, did we?
JAMEY
WhereÕd it go?
HESPERA
It went away. Where unwanted
things go when you wish they were gone. With a strong enough wish, it can be
like something never existed. But just a little one is enough for those cups.
She gives the darklight a quick wind, and vanishes some
dirty cups sitting nearby.
HESPERA
(cont.)
That dust.
Some dustbunnies in a corner are vanished.
HESPERA
(cont.)
Even that knot!
Now she shines the darkness at a carefully knotted end of
rope attached to a pulley on the wall. The knot disappears, and the rope slides
swiftly through the pulley. The boys follow its progress, up the wall, across
the ceiling, above their heads, andÉ
JAMEY
& WERT
Ahhh!
A cage falls around them. TheyÕre trapped!
HESPERA
Now IÕll just get some water
boiling. You boys may not be hungry, but I think IÕll have some soup.
JAMEY
& WERT
No!
Let us out! Ahhhhhhh!