Mark Murter is in therapy and Dr Allswill enter. He summarises his job and what he aims to do to help mark. Mark is nervous and seemingly shy, but Dr Allswill encourages him to open up. Mark does but sprints through a summary of the events, Dr Allswill is encouraging and tells him to go through the events slowly and in detail. Mark begins with telling Allswill how he showed up unannounced and it turns out that they hadn’t kept in touch for a while, and Mark apologises for the lie. Jacob Hue and Mark discuss life and talk about Jacob renovating his apartment as to get a mystery girl to move in, Jacob is uncomfortable, and they change focus to Leah. Allswill questions Mark on Leah and her whereabouts, Mark is proud talking about his wife and is more open than before. Allswill refuses to hear the story on how they met, and they move onto discussing the events again. Mark and Jacob continue discussing Leah and Mark gets suspicious of Jacob and Leah, but they move on, and their conversation gets heated before they unnaturally snap back to calm and friendly. Allswill calls out Mark and pushes him to be truthful on the events that happened, Mark reveals that they started arguing and shouting at each other. As tensions were rising, Jacob accuses Mark of unnecessary jealousy, Jacob reveals that he knows that Leah was having an affair with him. Dr Allswill asks why Mark didn’t tell anyone before and Mark said that he feared how it made him look, as Jacob was killed that same day. Mark told Jacob that he wanted a confession and that he hadn’t yet told later, Jacob begs him not to and Mark is furious that Jacob wanted to protect her as he storms out. Allswill is sceptical of the events as Mark is haunted by Mark’s screams and begins to go crazy as Allswill asks Mark if he left and how Leah had known because she is missing. Mark reveals that he had already told her and that he was the one who killed Jacob and Leah was pregnant and had run away. Allswill pushes for more on if he knew where Leah was, Mark goes crazy and reveals that he killed her and where her body was. It is revealed that Allswill was a police officer, and the therapy session was a delusion built by Mark has he goes fully insane from guilt, whilst Officer Allswill tells another officer that he received a confession.
Scene 1
Int, Footsteps down a corridor, unintelligible speech in distance, opens door talking stops and there is just the sound of a fan and distant cars from outside.
DR ALLSWILL: (friendly tone, not out of breath but rushed) Hello hello, apologies for my tardiness they didn’t tell me that I would be in a different office. But I’m here now and ready to begin.
Some more footsteps and sitting down.
MARK: (quiet almost shy) uh yes, no problem, (prolonged, questioning) Doctor?
DR ALLSWILL: Allswill, Allswill will do just fine (small pause as sound of paper as if clipboard being checked) Mark, was it?
MARK: Uh yes.
DR ALLSWILL: Perfect well I shall give you a little overview, just so that you are prepared for today’s session, and you should not be taken off guard, is that alright.
MARK: Um yes that’s alright.
DR ALLSWILL: Great now so today we will be loo-
MARK: (interrupting) Um sorry I don’t mean to intrude, but how long is this session going to last? Cause I have stuff I need to get to and-
DR ALLSWILL: (still friendly and patient) As long as it takes us Mark to get to some form of progress, as little as it may seem.
DR ALLSWILL: Now, the purpose of today is to help you open up at least a little on the events of Mr Hue’s unfortunate passing, we will go as slow or as quick as you need. And keep in mind that this is for your benefit as much as us. (chuckles)
MARK: (chuckles nervously) I didn’t want to really do this; I normally keep to myself, but Leah convinced me to do this, to see you.
DR ALLSWILL: Leah? Your girlfriend?
MARK: Wife. (immediate as if offended) She is my wife.
DR ALLSWILL: And is your (Slight pause) Wife, at home?
MARK: (unfazed) No She’s gone for a walk around the woods I believe?
DR ALLSWILL: Alone?
MARK: Yes, it’s never been my sort of thing, but she uh always enjoyed nature, calms her nerves she always says.
DR ALLSWILL: You seem close with your wife.
MARK: (confused and suspicious) naturally, she’s, my wife. (nervous again) I uh don’t really see what relevance my wife has to Jacob’s passing.
DR ALLSWILL: You’re right, my apologies we will move on, now, can you tell me what happened on that day Mark?
MARK: (panicking) Are you sure you want to get straight into this? I mean don’t you normally get the gist of the relationship beforehand or how this affects me or something.
DR ALLSWILL: Mr Murter, I understand that this is a traumatic event for you, but I can assure you that this is in fact, the best possible way to get through this.
MARK: (small voice) ok ok fine.
takes a deep breath.
(quickly) Well, I went to visit Jacob cause we meet up every now and then and I stayed over for a bit, we spoke about our lives and families and whatnot, then I had to leave and when I came back later there was a loud bang and I found Jacob there, dead.
deep exhale
How was that?
DR ALLSWILL: Well Mark, I can appreciate how difficult that must have been difficult for you, and now we’ve taken the first step we can go through the event in more detail and allow you to truly recover.
MARK: (nervous but not as small as before) ok, I think I’m ready.
DR ALLSWILL: Good Job Mark. Now, shall we begin?