In a Different World, I loved You

Scene Two: The set from scene one is still seen by the audience (possibly pushed upstage) When lights come up we hear traffic, children playing and quietly a saxophone plays in the background. Offstage we hear Maria.

Maria: Get your news here! Hot off the presses! Paper sir? You look like a smart man in need of some daily news. News here! You boys finish delivering the rest of these. Be careful, cars never know to watch for little boys. Get your news here! Hot off the presses! (The sound of children playing increases and the stops suddenly)

Maria enters wearing a ragged dress and no shoes. Walks to center stage and stops.

Maria: Oh, sweet mother of God. (crosses herself) No, this can't be happening! Please make it not so. Oh, no, please no! (walks to side of stage) No, please Lord, make this not what I see. (pointing offstage) Make this a dream. (Kneels and begins silent prayers while rocking. Police blue lights are seen offstage. Gomez and Alfonzo enter)

Gomez: Is that her?

Alfonzo: We think she found them. A foot patrol noticed her exactly as she sits now.
Only pointing at the ravine. Screams if you try talking to her. Sorta feel for the woman. Got the shrink on his way.

Gomez: No witnesses? (stares offstage) How many?

Alfonzo: (moving Gomez away from Maria) Too early to tell. Fifteen at last count. They just finished with the photos. You can see fifteen, that may be just what's on top.

Upstage slowly Luis is escorted into the room from scene one. He sits and begins to watch the men already on stage. Music stops.

Gomez: I want everyone questioned. Especially the street people, vendors, bums, churches, schools, everyone. There's no way this could have gone unnoticed, no way. Shit! (Pause) What else?

Alfonzo: Coroner says it didn't happen in one day. The decay isn't consistent. Some have been here a long time, others, well.

Gomez: All children?

Alfonzo: Looks like it.

Maria: (whisper) Two plus three is five. No one gets out alive. (repeats this throughout the rest of the scene, even as she walks off stage. Saxophone begins playing again, quietly.)

Alfonzo: (Staring at Maria) She mumbles. Been doing it all night. Says God a lot. I think she's praying.

Gomez: Say one for us then, say one for us.

Pedro enters and walks directly to where Gomez and Alfonzo are standing. Pedro is dressed in a tuxedo.

Pedro: (Shaking hands with both men.) Gentlemen.

Gomez: Hope we didn't spoil your plans for the evening.

Pedro: Comes with the job. What do you know about the woman.

Gomez: Not much to tell. We think she found the bodies, refuses to talk to us, screams and prays most of the time. No name, no ID, nothing.

Pedro: If I'm not mistaken her name is Maria, peddles news papers on Loco. I think she has a regular route as well. Brings her boys to the clinic, I've seen them there.

Gomez: You wouldn't happen to know her last name?

Pedro: No, sorry.

Gomez: See what you can do for her. We'll talk later.

Pedro: You'll have a report from me in the morning. (Pedro walks over to Maria, holds his hand out and helps her stand. Then they walk off stage together.)

Alfonzo: Have the patrol check the grocery on Loco, they're bound to know who she is, it's a start.

Gomez: Do you remember that case in Armenia last year where they found young boys mutilated by some kind of cult?

Alfonzo: Satanic ritual killings, that's what they called it. Ring leader is doing multiple life sentences, tried to plea insanity, jury didn't buy it. Three others convicted along with him. You thinking Cult?

Maria: (from off stage) Get your news here! Hot off the presses! Seventeen bodies found in Ravine! All young boys between the ages of eight and eighteen! Do police have any clues? Who do they suspect? Find out in today's edition! Killer Cults run ramped in Pereira! Get your news here! Hot off the presses! My babies!

Gomez: Can't see one person doing all this.

Scene ends with saxophone playing.