An entry of the:

2022 YTF Playwrighting Challenge

                             List of Characters

            Donna-22year old girl

Beryl-21-year old best-friend of Donna

Max- 24-year old boy-friend of Beryl

Setting

          At an abandoned hospital in year 2020.

                     Act One

At year 2020 the young lovers Max and beryl were curious about a forbidden hospital far away from the city for a long time. One day, after work they eventually decided to visit that hospital

Max

Come on! We are already here. Please don’t tell me that you guys gave up already.

Beryl

Just shut up Max! Who was moaning yesterday watching that childish horror movie.

Donna

Let’s go guys, we don’t have much time to waste. By the way, next time please forget about me when you have this kind of adventure.

(They enter the hospital, Max leading the way.)

Max

God, it’s so dark in here. I can’t even see my fingers.

Beryl

It seems like it has been abandoned for ages. (Kicking the rusty can.)

Donna

We’d better be careful and let’s do this quick. My cat is still waiting to have its decent meal.

Max

Look what have I found, an interphone? It looks quite new.

Beryl

Well that’s weird. How come there is a new interphone in a discarded hospital?

Max

Probably some visitors like us left it here.

(The three, keep going forward.)

Max

(Squinting and pointing at the sign on the door) Labatory?  Shall we go in?

Donna

I don’t think we should, Max. (Hesitating as she’s saying this?) What about you Beryl?

Beryl

I mean we are already here, might as well. Whatever, I will follow Max.

(They go inside tip-toeing, without Donna following them.)

Donna

Hey! (Yelling behind them.) Don’t leave me here!

Max

Everything’s gonna be okay, just catch up with us. (Saying and still moving ahead.) Wow, it’s huge in here!

Beryl

Stop pushing me Max! (Voice is echoing.)

Donna

Fine! This hospital is not worth exploring though. (Muttering to herself.) Let me leave this dull place

                               (BLACK OUT)

(END OF SCENE)

Act Two

Scene 1

Donna quit the adventure since it was a boring adventure, while Max and Beryl were still on their trip, however something fretted happened just right after Donna left.

(At home)

Donna

(Looking at the dog saying) Awww my little sweetie, sorry for being late, mama was caught up by your weirdo uncle in some hospital excursion. (Sighs）Hope they are all fine.

                                                            (BLACK OUT)

(END OF SCENE)

Act Two

Scene 2

Beryl and Max still at the hospital.

Max

Now I am sure that it’s a psychiatric hospital.

Beryl

Why do you say so, you found something?

Max

Look at the report around the wall. “Thirty-two patients got crazy during the experiment of the new drug testing on humans.

Beryl

Wait wait, wait, testing on human bodies? You’re saying that they use these patients as guinea pigs? I don’t think that is allowed. That’s just insane!

Max

(Fishing through the files on the nurse’s area. Opens and flips through the old newspaper.) Look! There is more here. The attending psychiatrist was caught by the government and the thirty-two patients were all executed due to the unforgiveable mistake done by the psychiatrist.

Beryl

Oh god, that psychiatrist was a madman himself. There’s no wonder that this hospital was abandoned.

Max

(Pointing at the photo on the newspaper.) Look at the photos left here! They were like zombies.

Beryl

Yeah, zombies eat people. I couldn’t imagine how crazy it is if I turned into a zombie.

(A moment later)

Beryl

I am thirsty, get me some water please Max.

Max

(Walking towards the vending machine）Don’t! I’ll get you some water. Just stay here.

Beryl

Aye! Aye! Captain!

(After a while, Max is still away)

Beryl

 What is that guy doing? What takes him so long.

(Suddenly, Max‘s voice comes out from the interphone.)

Max

Run Beryl run! Those zombies are still here, Run!!!

Beryl

You must be kidding! Where are you? I will go to where you are now.

(BLACK OUT)

(END OF SCENE)

Act 3

Scene1

Beryl left the interphone behind and runs to Max. However, after a while, the hospital is dead silent. Beryl and Max disappeared. This time, the phone in Donna’s pleasant home rings and it wakes Donna up. It is Beryl calling……

Donna

(Picking up the phone) Now what, you guys are still in the hospital?

Beryl

Help me Donna! After we, we, get in the lab room, Max went for some water but didn’t return ..(Panicking, fear is rising in her voice.)

Donna

(Gaspsing）Woohhh whaaaa… what?! I think I must be dreaming. (Composes herself form the shock she gets with this call.) Relax Bee! Slow down, I can’t hear you clearly, Max didn’t return and?

Beryl

So I decided to look for him, but when I saw him, he was like a zombie and is trying to go after me. Now, I am like hiding from him behind a locker, please come and help me. I don’t want to die here, PLEASE!!! (whispers audibly on her mobile phone.)

Donna

That’s weird! why zombies? Fine! I will go to you, just wait there alright?

Beryl

Please be quick! I don’t think I can last here long!

(There’s a heavy knock on Donna’s door)

Max

(Ding Dong! Ding Dong!) Hello! Is this Donna? This is Max, Donna. We are still at the hospital and after we got in the lab, I lost with Beryl.

Donna

What???!!! (Says this in disbelief.)

Max

After I found her! She just got crazy and tries to run after me. She’s like a zombie now. I ran away and came here. Could you please open the door? We need to talk about Beryl.

Donna

Wait, what? Isn’t this what Bee just said? Where are you guys?

(Donna was just about to open the door, but before she gets to the door, Max breaks into the house and pushes Donna on the floor)

Donna

Stop! Stop it! No!! Help me! Please, help me! Somebody help me! Please!

(Meanwhile on the other end, Beryl hears Donna’s screams and drops to the ground, in a state of shock.)

Beryl

 Help me! help me! Help us! (in tears.)

(BLACK OUT)

(END OF STORY)