Remember My Name Part 6

Elizabeth Sherwood is scared, scared by the gun that is being pointed straight at her head and scared about how this nice charming waiter, she thought she knew has turned into some kind of crazy maniac. She feels she can no longer trust her instincts. First she thought her fan Jeffrey was her stalker, then she thought her friend David was trying to kill her, then Morloch and now it turns out the last person she'd ever suspect was actually the one who had some kind of vendetta against her. Despite all of this she was most scared by why all of this is happening to her. How could she possibly have ruined Pierre's life? She'd never known anyone called Pierre. How could she be involved?

Elizabeth gently asks: "Can you put the gun down please, so we can talk about it. I don't understand Pierre what have I ever done to you? I've never met anyone called Pierre before! So I can't have ruined your life. I simply can't have done."

Pierre looks at the gun and then at Elizabeth: "Sorry no can do. You may not remember Pierre but what about Archie Williams, do you remember me now?"

With that Pierre drops the fake french accent and speaks in his normal American voice.

Elizabeth is desperately trying to think who Archie Williams is. She vaguely knows the name but can't quite remember why."

Archie notices the expression on her face and yells: "You don't remember me, do you? YOU DON'T REMEMBER!"

Elizabeth shakes her head: "No I'm sorry I don't remember you. why don't you tell me and jog my memory as to what happened and where you know me from?"

Pierre strides closer to Elizabeth and slaps her hard across the face: "BITCH! You ruined my life and it means nothing to you!"

Elizabeth is surpised by Pierre's actions. Her check smarts with pain where he had slapped her. Pierre is so close that Elizabeth can feel his warm breath on her neck. Archie shoves the gun forcefully under her chin: "By the time this is over you will remember my name and you'll be wishing you'd never heard it!"

Elizabeth shudders with fear.

In the administration office at the School of the Arts Mrs Berg and Lydia are searching frantically for the file that Mrs Berg had kept on Archie Willians but so far they have found nothing.

After a few more moments Mrs Berg shouts out with glee: "Oh Miss Grant I've found it I've found it. I knew it was here somewhere."

Mrs Berg smiles proudly as Lydia quickly approaches. The older woman hands her the file. Lydia quickly opens it and starts to read out loud: "Archie Williams, 1980 to 1981. He was only with us one year. Drama student."

Looking at the picture in the file Lydia continues: "Yes Archie Williams, I remember him now.... but what happened to him?"

Lydia continues reading the file then after a moment exclaims: "Oh my goodness Elizabeth. Oh no, Mrs Berg I think we now know who has been terrorising Elizabeth it's Archie Williams. He's got the motive, it's all in the file.

Mrs Berg nods in agreement as Lydia continues: "We've got to get to that restaurant. Elizabeth is in danger and we've got the help her."

Looking at her watch Lydia exclaims: "I just hope we're not too late!"

At that moment Bob Dyrenforth, principal of the school for the last 5 years enters the office and sees the mess of all the files scattered around the office: "Ladies, how are we this afternoon? Mrs Berg what have I said about leaving the files around?"

Mrs Berg feels embarrassed: "I sorry Mr Dyrenforth but It's Miss Sherwood she's in danger..."

Dyrenforth is confused: "Miss Sherwood? Why what's happening?

Before anyone can answer, Lydia grabs Archies file and starts to move towards the door: "I'm sorry Mr Dyrenforth I've got to go. I need you to cover my classes this afternoon."

Dyrenforth is concerned: "But Miss Grant at such short notice I'm not going to be able to do that."

Lydia is apologetic: "I'm sorry Mr Dyrneforth, it's an emergency. It's a matter of life and death, literally. I'll explain it all when I get back. Please call the police!"

With that she hurries out of the office and into the teachers lounge to collect David Reardon.

Mrs Berg calls out after her: "Wait for me, I don't want to miss out on all the action."

Dyrenforth watches in amazement as the older woman rushes from the office after the dance teacher: "Mrs Berg, you're leaving too? what about all these files?"

Mrs Berg pauses for a moment and then gives a weak cough: "I'm sick Mr Dyrenforth I have to go. One of the kids can clear up here. Besides this is my chance to actually be in the book and who knows a TV movie as well!"

With that she leaves the office and goes, with Dyrnenforth calling after her: "Mrs Berg, come back. Why do you need the Police and where should I send them?

His words fall on deaf ears as Mrs Berg sees Lydia and David in the lobby already heading towards the steps that lead to the exit.

David calls after the dance teacher: "Lydia wait, will you please tell me what this is all about?"

Mrs Berg interrupts: "Don't worry Mr Reardon I'll bring you up to speed in the car."

Lydia suddenly stops in her tracks and turns to the older woman: "Mrs Berg, do you know what is in the file?"

Mrs Berg smiles proudly: "Why of course I do dear. I memorise all my files. I told you I have a photogenic memory."

Lydia is puzzled: "Well.. why then didn't you just tell me what was in the file, instead of us wasting all that time trying to find it?"

Mrs Berg is confused: "Well dear you didn't ask me to tell you what was in the file. You said you wanted to see it, so I just did what you asked!"

Lydia shakes her head in despair: "Nevermind, Elizabeth is in danger we haven't got time for this!"

With that all three head out of the school, get into David's car and speed off towards the restaurant. Well speed isn't exactly the right word as to join a traffic jam.

Lydia tuts with frustration: "Maybe it would be quicker to walk?"

David shrugs: "Well it'll give you plenty of time to tell me what is going on."

Miss Berg perks up: "Well dear it's like this......"

Back at the restaurant Elizabeth is pleading for her life: "Please Archie, whatever happened in the past I'm sure we can resolve it."

Archie is angry: "Resolve it! It's too late for that. Much too late. Don't you see? You runined things for me, so now it's going to be too late for you too!"

Archie has the gun rammed against Elizabeth's throat and every time he gets angry it becomes more and more uncomfortable.

In pain, Elizabeth pleads: "Please Archie I just want to understand what I've done, before you...."

Her voice trails off not actually wanting to say the words as to what Archie might do to her.

Archie agrees. He leads her across the room near to the window, kicks a chair from out under one of the tables and orders Elizabeth to sit down. Elizabeth quickly obliges because at least it means she doesn't have the gun rammed into her body anymore.

Archie also pulls out a chair for himself to sit on and the two of them sit facing each other with Archie pointing the gun at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looks at the gun nervously.

Achie begins to explain: "Let me set the scene for you, say like in a novel. It was the spring of 1981 and I was a drama major at the school of the arts. After 6 months of studying I realised I didn't want to be an actor anymore, but it was the words, the scripts that fascinated me. I knew then I wanted to become a writer, I wanted to be the one putting words into actors mouths, I wanted to be the one creating fantasy Worlds where anything could happen. I wanted to be the one controlling the lives of the characters in my stories. I didn't want to read what other writers had written I wanted to be the one creating it all, but you... You got in my way and stopped me."

Elizabeth is confused: "Archie, I would never block anyone's attempts at writing, never. There must be some kind of misunderstanding or mistake."

Archie shakes his head angrily: "Oh there's no mistake. You had it in for me from day one. You were always hassling me about assignments and getting them done on time. Never understanding that when your working on a novel, you don't always have time to do assignments. Your imagination does not work to any clock, you're creative when you have the urge."

Elizabeth starts to understand and speaks softly: "Archie I didn't have it in for you, as you say, I've never had it in for anyone. I was a teacher and as a teacher I had to make sure everyone was doing the designated work. It doesn't matter what the reasons for it not being done were and let me tell you as a teacher I heard every excuse in the book but if that work isn't done I had to be tough on my students. I treated everyone the same. I never singled you out."

Archie yells: "Tough! You weren't tough, you were impossible! I wanted to write my novel and you wanted me to spend time studying Shakespeare. What use was that to me? I wasn't writing like Shakespeare, so that wasn't going to help me be a great writer. The same with Math and Science, what did I need them for. I just wanted to be left alone to write my book."

Elizabeth starts to remember as she'd heard that very arguement before as to why the assignments weren't done. Suddenly it all clicks into place: "Yes I remember you now. You simply stopped doing any of your school work, even your drama exercises you refused to do. You can't be a student at a school and just not do any of the work. Things got so bad that we had to expell you from the school."

Archie stares at Elizabeth: "So you do remember me. You remember that you expelled me?"

Elizabeth snaps: "Now wait a minute, the school board expelled you, not me."

Archie glares: "You instigated it. You filed the first report. You persuaded the other teachers to follow suit and file reports too. You persuaded them all. Mr Crandal thought I was a brilliant actor and he disagreed with you."

Elizabeth pauses for moment as the face of Greg Crandal flashes into her mind, he'd been the drama teacher at the school when she first started working there. A kind softly spoken man who always tried to find the good in every situation. He always had a positive word or a little joke to help lighten events. Sadly he'd died suddenly from a heartattck a couple of years later. She missed him at the school and She hadn't thought of him in such a long time. A little smile comes to her face as she rememebrs her friend.

Archie notices the smile: "See you do remember and you thinks it's funny!"

As the facts fall back into place Elizabeth argues: "Correction! Mr Crandal thought you had the makings of a good actor and thought you deserved a chance, which we gave you but instead your behaviour got worse and in the end Mr Crandall was forced to conceed that we were taking the right action. No one changed his mind but you yourself and how you behaved. You were taking up a valuable place at the school and not working hard enough to keep that place. You said you didn't need Shakespeare or Math or science, well I've got news for you. We all need a full education to be able to achieve what we want out of life and sometimes it's hard. Nothing in life ever comes easy, we all have to work hard and when life gets tough we have to work harder! You didn't want to be at the school so we let you go. Do you know how many kids wanted that place. Kids with dreams who were prepared to do everything it took to get into the school and do whatever it takes to try and make it?"

Archie glares as Elizabeth continues: "If you didn't need the education, then once you were out of the school and didn't have to waste your time on other stuff, what stopped you from then working on your novel? How come I'd never heard of it being pulished. How come I've never heard your name to highlight that I was wrong in my decision about you?"

Archie begins to shake with anger and frustration: "How could I write my book? You kicked me out of school, so my parents stopped my allowance and I needed to get a job to support myself. It was impossible. There was never any time to finish the book, being a waiter takes up all of my time!"

Elizabeth shakes her head: "And how is that my fault? That is life, that's what happens and you have to learn from it all. You needed to find away to make it work, find the time you needed to write your novel. That's what makes us better people. You don't think you need an education to become a successful writer? You think you don't have to learn about life to be a writer? Well I'll tell you this, you are wrong. I'm still learning all the time. I'm learning that my judgements about people aren't always correct. That just because you have a piece of evidence that points you in one direction, we still need the whole picture to know what things actually mean. If something is important to you, you have to work hard at it. You Archie are looking for excuses to blame your failings on someone else. It's not my fault and you know it! It's all your own fault. You were too lazy back then to make it work and you're too lazy now to make it work."

Achie's glare intensifies: "No, you're just trying to confuse me, just like you did at school all those years ago. You think you're better than me. You wrote a successful book and I didn't so you think you are better. You come in here and expect me to wait on you because you think you are better than me, because I don't play by your stupid rules. You looked down on me from the first time you walked into this restaurant. I recognised you straight away. I read your book, which isn't even that good, by the way, but I was nothing to you. You didn't even remember my name or who I was. You treated me like I was nothing, NOTHING!"

As Archie screamed the last word, Elizabeth can see how aggitated Archies is becoming and tries to calm things down: "Listen, Listen to me, it's never too late. You still have time to write your book and get it published. You're young, much younger than I was when I had my first novel published. We can forget about what has happened here today, forget about notes and phone calls and threats and work together. I'll help you."

Archie stops and ponders for a moment trying to take in what his ex English teacher was saying. Suddenly he becomes restless, his breathing starts to deepen and he puts his hands over his ears: "Stop, stop it. You are just trying to confuse me" Well I won't listen I tell you. I WON'T! I don't need your help. I am a writer and I will get my book published, I don't need any help from you. I never needed any help from you...."

Elizabeth notices that Archie isn't actually looking at her anymore and still has his hand over his ears The doorway is clear and she slowly starts to move towards it to try to make her escape while Archie's still talking to himself.

Archie: "Besides I've already written something that people are going to take notice of. They'll have no choice. It's your suicide note!"

Elizabeth feels alearmed by the words she's hearing and slowly continues to move across the room.

Archie continues his rant: "I'm going to take you up to the roof and throw you off and the police will find your note. Which will say, how you couldn't take it anymore. How you felt like a fraud and didn't deserve the success that is happening to you."

Elizabeth is surprised at how intuitive Archie is because that's how she did feel. She could see people believing the note because many times she'd said she didn't understand her celebrity.

Archie is still ranting: "No one will ever suspect me. I've covered my tracks so nothing points to me being involved. The police will find evidence making it look like David Reardon was the one terrorising you. You already started to believe it yourself so the police will believe it easily and that will be the end of you and the end of the case. No one will care about you, just like no one cares about me."

At that moment Archie looks over to the chair where Elizabeth was sitting and is alarmed to see she's no longer there. He quickly turns and scans the room and sees Elizabeth near the entrance and pulls his gun and points it: "Stop right there bitch or I'll blow your brains out. I swear I'll do it. I don't care what happens to me. It's not part of the plan but I'll have got my revenge on you and that's all that matters."

Elizabeth pauses for a moment and looks back at Archie. She can see he's trembing with fear and she can also see there's just a couple of more steps and she'll be out of the room. She takes a deep breath.

Archie stands watching as Elizabeth appears to move in slow motion. His finger tightens on the trigger of the gun. He starts to breath deeply and frantically yells: "I'll do it. I swear I will. Stop moving or I'll shoot!"

Elizabeth takes one more small step. Then suddenly "BANG!" a shot is fired and which rings out around the room. The sound is follwed by a gentle thud as the body falls to the ground.

To be Continued......

Part 7