"Burn Like A Fire"
The main corridor at the school of the arts is busy with lots of people heading into the cafeteria. Doris Schwartz makes her way down the corridor towards her ex boyfriend, Sandy Bailey, her face set with determination as the anger she feels towards him reaches boiling point. The other Doris follows on behind, wondering what is going to happen. Just as they reach the end of the corridor Sandy starts to follow the rest of the crowd into the cafeteria.
Doris snaps: “Quickly, he’s getting away!”
The two women follow him into the packed cafeteria but Sandy is nowhere in sight. A band starts to play and people are dancing making it difficult for Doris to locate where Sandy is. As the music increases, one by one Doris’ friends and the current batch of students come on to a small stage to perform.
"Baby you look at me and tell me what you see
You ain't seen the best of me yet
Give me time, I'll make you forget the rest
I've got more in me and you can set it free
I can catch the moon in my hand
Don't you know who I am?
Remember my name
(Fame)
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna learn how to fly
(High)
I feel it coming together
People will see me and cry
(Fame)
I'm gonna make it to heaven
Light up the sky like a flame
(Fame)
I'm gonna live forever
Baby, remember my name
(Remember, remember, remember, remember)
(Remember, remember, remember, remember)
Baby hold me tight, 'cause you can make it right
You can shoot me straight to the top
Give me love and take all I've got to give
Baby I'll be tough, too much is not enough, no
I'll grab your heart till it breaks
You got what it takes
(Fame)
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna learn how to fly
(High)
I feel it coming together
People will see me and cry
(Fame)
I'm gonna make it to heaven
Light up the sky like a flame
(Fame)
I'm gonna live forever
Baby, remember my name
(Remember, remember, remember, remember)
(Remember, remember, remember)
(Fame)
I'm gonna make it to heaven
Light up the sky like a flame
(Fame)
I'm gonna live forever
Baby, remember my name
(Remember, remember, remember, remember)
(Remember, remember, remember, remember)
Remember my name
(Fame)
I'm gonna live forever
(Fame)
I'm gonna learn how to fly
(High)
I feel it coming together
(Fame)
People will see me and cry
(Remember my name)
Remember Remember Remember"
The large crowd is loving the song but Doris frantically looks around the room for any sign of Sandy.
Doris: “I’m going to look around!”
As Doris walks around the room, squeezing past people where she can, teenage Leroy spots her in the crowd. The other Doris notices him watching and becomes worried.
Suddenly Doris moves in time and finds herself in a dark street. Her hand is holding on to something which at first she doesn't realise what it is, but is soon relieved to discover it’s Bruno’s hand. When he sees her his eyes light up and he hugs her.
Bruno smiles: “You vanished on me again. Thankfully you haven’t been gone too long. Do you still want me to take you to your apartment?”
Adjusting to her new surroundings Doris smiles and nods.
Bruno: “Okay, let’s get into the car.”
As Doris opens the car door the lighting around her changes and she realises she’s moving again. This time she finds herself back in the auditorium. At first, She thinks she’s alone but then hears an angry voice.
Teenage Leroy snaps at her: “Can’t you just leave me alone? I’m sick and tired of this. If you think you’re driving me crazy then you've failed.”
Doris is shocked: “I.. I don’t know what you mean. I’m not doing anything to you!”
Leroy: “Then why have you been haunting me all these years? What is it you want?”
Doris shakes her head and is just about to speak when Leroy falls to the floor. Standing behind him is the other Doris with a fire extinguisher in her hands which she has just used to knock Leroy out.
Doris is alarmed: “What are you doing? He’s unconscious!”
The other Doris: “You’d disappeared from the cafeteria and I’d seen that Leroy had spotted you. When he left the cafeteria on his own I decided to follow as he looked like he was up to something. Then when I saw you, I knew I had to do something!”
Doris protests: “But did you have to knock him out? What are we going to do with him now?”
The other Doris: “I was only trying to help. Why don’t we just sit him in one of the chairs and leave him. People will think he’s just taking a few quiet minutes for himself.”
Doris reluctantly agrees. The other Doris puts down the extinguisher, which rolls under one of the seats and both women take Leroy by one of his arms and slowly move him from the floor to another one of the seats. The other Doris takes a few seconds to prop Leroy up to make him look like he is just sitting watching a show.
As she stands up and turns to Doris she notices something out of the corner of her eye and points to the stage.
The other Doris: “Quickly, there’s Sandy again.”
Doris turns, looks and sees Sandy move off towards the backstage area.
Doris: “Okay now you stay with Leroy while I confront Sandy!”
Doris quickly rushes backstage and is surprised that it looks like it’s a barn with all the hay bales stored there.
Doris calls out angrily: “Sandy!”
He sees her and smiles a drunken smile: “Hey Doris, you fancy a roll in the hay. I think they put it there especially for us!”
Doris moves towards him shaking her head. When she is standing right in front of him she slaps him around the face!”
Sandy is shocked: “Hey, what was that for?”
Doris: “I’m disgusted with you. Are you drunk again?”
Sandy protests: “I’m not drunk!”
Doris sighs: “You can forget all the lies Sandy. I know what you are!”
Sandy is confused: “What do you mean, you know what I am? Before you say it, I’m not an alcoholic!”
Doris shakes her head: “Whether you admit it or not I know you are but that’s not what I was referring to. Don’t you remember Sandy? I was there, I was the one you were trying to mug when the guy came over with the guitar and stopped you. Then you wanted his guitar, just so you could get some money for another drink. You killed him Sandy! So that’s why I know what you are. You are a MURDERER!”
Sandy stumbles backwards in shock: “No! No! You’re wrong.”
He pulls out his hip flask and takes a slug of whiskey draining the flask empty.
Doris shouts angrily: “I’m not wrong, I saw you do it. I saw you kill my friend, all in the name of a stupid drink. I hate you Sandy, I hate you! Do you hear me?”
Sandy frantically searches his jacket and pulls out a half full bottle of whiskey and goes to have a drink. In a rage Doris snatches the bottle and throws it to the floor, which smashes the bottle and spills the brown liquid.
Sandy watches in horror as the whisky lies in a small pool: “No! What did you do that for. I needed that!”
Doris snaps: “No Sandy what you need to do is grow up and take some responsibility for you actions. I want you to go to the police and confess to killing Will.”
Sandy looks horrified: “No way, they’d lock me up and it was an accident. You saw that didn’t you?”
Doris shakes her head: “I saw you kill a man in cold blood for a drink. You’re not innocent, you’re sick and you need to get some help!”
Sandy is desperate for a drink. He searches his jacket pockets but there is no more alcohol. Instead he does find some cigarettes, He quickly takes one out, lights it up and starts to smoke.
The anger swells deeper inside of Doris and she can hold it in no longer. She pounds her fists against his chest and yells at him.
Doris: “You are disgusting! You hurt people! You kill people! You’ve never cared for me! You’ve never cared for anyone expect yourself! I hate you!
Sandy calls out: “Stop it, Doris, Stop it , you’re hurting me!”
When his pleading falls on deaf ears and Doris keeps pounding on his chest. Sandy slaps her hard around the face to try and stop her hitting him. Doris is taken aback by the stinging she is feeling in her face and for a moment glares at Sandy. Then with all her strength she pulls back her arm, clenches her fist and punches Sandy right in the face. The blow is powerful enough to knock him out. Thankfully the bales of hay that he falls on break his fall.
Doris stands over him and snarls: “That’s for Will!”
Sandy lays on the hay motionless and at that moment Doris moves again. This time she finds herself in Bruno’s car.
Bruno: “My that was quick, you’ve literally only been gone 10 minutes.”
Doris takes a deep breath: “It was long enough to do what needed to be done!”
Bruno is intrigued: “And what was that?”
Doris shrugs: “It doesn’t matter. Can we drive please?”
Bruno smiles: “There’s no need, don’t you recognise where you are?”
Doris looks around and can see her apartment building and is confused: “But how are we here?”
Bruno smiles again: “I took a chance and just kept driving. I figured if you were moving you’d just come back to the car, no matter where it was and it worked.”
The two quickly step out of the car and head to the apartment building. A voice calls as they are just about to enter the building.
“Doris wait for me.”
Doris turns and sees Jesse and a woman quickly approaching
Jesse: “I decided to try and help you after all!”
Doris smiles: “Thank you!”
Doris notices that the woman with Jesse is the woman she saw him leaving the bar with who looks just like Nicole. Doris looks at the woman and it is obvious that the mysterious woman does look exactly like Nicole, just a little older than the teenager she knew. Doris gives her a weak smile but there are no signs of recognition from the woman. Doris is really curious as to what is going on but not knowing what is happening to her other self, realises that there is no time for explanations. The four of them rush into the apartment building.
Back at the school, in 1987 Lydia and Sherwood are walking around the school. Lydia is carrying Doris’ baby, Jenny.
Lydia: “It’ll be so good to have you back again.”
Sherwood: “Yes it will be nice to come back home, so to speak. I can’t believe Mr Dyrenforth accepted it so easily.”
Lydia smiles: “He knows you’re a good teacher and wants you back just like the rest of us.”
Sherwood: “What did you think of Leroy’s speech?”
Lydia sighs: “I was a little surprised. It’s bittersweet, I want him to go out and have the tremendous success, I know he’s capable of but at the same time, I’m really going to miss him.”
Sherwood nods her head: “It’s hard to let go, isn’t it?”
Lydia lifts up baby Jenny: “Isn’t she a beautiful child? You know seeing our kids grow up and have kids of their own sure makes me feel a little old!”
Sherwood smiles: “Any regrets?”
Lydia is confused: “Regrets?”
Sherwood explains: “Yes about not having any children of your own?”
Lydia laughs: “Oh know I’ve got more than enough kids at this school to take care of, which is why I need you back to give me a little help!”
They both laugh and continue walking towards the back stage area. Lydia stops and turns to Sherwood.
Lydia: “Can you smell something?”
Sherwood stops and sniffs the air: “Yes it smells like smoke!”
As they turn into the backstage area they see Sandy lying unconscious on the bales of hay. His cigarette has caused one of the bales to set on fire. At that moment there is a flash as the fire reaches the spilt alcohol and almost instantly all the bales of hay around them start to burn. Sherwood lets out a scream.
Lydia yells: “Quickly let’s get out of here!”
As they turn to go back the way they came they notice the fire is now blocking their path. They quickly look around for another exit but with each second the fire seems to take a stronger hold.
Lydia: “Quickly, let’s try up on to the stage and through the auditorium.”
The stage curtains have already gone up in flames but if they are careful they may get through. Lydia goes first with the baby, quickly followed by Sherwood. However, in her haste Sherwood misjudges her footing, twists her ankle and falls to the bottom of the steps. Sherwood calls out in pain and Lydia goes back to see what has happened.
Sherwood squeezes her ankle and winces with pain: “Ouch! I think it’s broken.”
Lydia calls back to her: “Give me your hand and I’ll try and support you.”
Sherwood shakes her head: “No, Lydia, you need to save yourself and raise the alarm. I’ll take my chances.”
Lydia glares at her friends: “Well I’m not leaving you here alone, so give me your hand!”
Sherwood snaps: “Lydia, I’m serious. You have a nine week old baby there, for goodness sake get her out of here!”
Lydia looks at the child and then back to her friend and feels the anguish of having to choose between them. All the time the fire is taking more of a hold in the auditorium as scenery and props easily start to burn. Lydia takes off her jacket and wraps it around the baby.
Lydia: “Ok Elizabeth, you win. I’ll get the baby to safety and then come back for you.”
For a second they make eye contact and both realise there is no way Lydia is going to be able to come back. Sherwood swallows back the tears that she is on the verge of crying.
Sherwood: “Will you get out of here?"
Lydia too is close to tears and nods her head obediently: “Okay, I love you”
Her words push Sherwood over the edge and she starts to cry: “I love you too!”
Lydia makes it onto the stage but already the flames have pretty much engulfed it. She notices Leroy sat in one of the seats and calls out to him.
Leroy: “Quickly, help us, Miss Sherwood is hurt and we need to get Doris’ baby out to safety. Leroy? Leroy can you hear me?”
Only silence greets her and at that moment a piece of scenery comes crashing down, almost hitting her. Lydia screams and desperately looks for a way out.
As Doris, Bruno, Jesse and the mysterious woman reach the apartment they can see smoke coming out from under the door.
Jesse is concerned: “Is there a fire?”
Bruno knocks on the door and calls out: “Doris, Doris, can you hear me? Doris?”
Jesse bangs on the door and they all call out Doris name.
Back at the school an alarm rings and people start to evacuate. The other Doris remembers Leroy in the auditorium and goes back to try and rescue him as she opens the door she can see flames all around. She calls out.
The other Doris: “Help, someone is trapped in here.”
Danny, Chris and Bruno quickly rush over to her. Danny runs to get the fire extinguisher that always hangs on the wall but to his shock it is gone.
Danny: “Damn, where is it?”
Chris and Danny rush to Leroy to try and get him out of the room. Bruno notices Lydia calling out from the stage and rushes into the fire to try to help her. The other Doris watches in terror and flames seem to engulf her friends.
Back at the apartment Jesse tells everyone to stand back as he kicks the door aggressively with the bottom of his foot. On the second attempt the door opens and flames can be seen spreading throughout the room
Bruno takes a deep breath and rushes into the room
Doris screams after him: “No! Bruno....I can’t lose you now!”
To be continued....