BLUNDELLE: I knew you'd turn up here if I waited long enough.
BRÜNA: I'd hoped you'd be gone by now.
BLUNDELLE: What, and leave you behind after all of these years? I've put too much into this—into you—for that.
BRÜNA: It's been seven years, Blundelle. I'm better off without you.
BLUNDELLE: And what does that mean to me, Brüna? What could seven years possibly mean to me? It's not as if I'm aging. Time does not pass for me the way it does for humans, or maybe you've spent so much time among the living that you've forgotten.
BRÜNA: I'm not like you anymore. I've gotten better. I've fallen in love, and it's pumped some life back into me. I belong to Carlomann now. We'll be married soon.
BLUNDELLE: And does your loving groom know that you're here?
BRÜNA: No, he doesn't.
BLUNDELLE: Does he know about me at all? Did you tell him all about the horrible witch Blundelle, how she manipulated you, used you like a puppeteer uses a marionette, made you feel things—excruciating, agonizing things that only the most evil sorceress could inflict? Is that the tale you spun for him, my love?
BRÜNA: Why should I lie to him?
BLUNDELLE: The worst part is that you begin to actually believe that your lies are true. You believe every embellishment that leaves your lips. It makes you quite convincing...for awhile.
BRÜNA: I've been nothing but honest with Carlomann. You're just bitter.
BLUNDELLE: Bitter? Me? (Laughs mockingly.) Exceedingly so. But, darling, if you've been nothing but honest with your husband, why haven't you told him of your present whereabouts?
BRÜNA: (Turns away from Blundelle as if she's about to leave.) You're right. I shouldn't have come. It's not fair to him. I'm going now.
BLUNDELLE: But we both know you're not really going to leave yet.
(Brüna turns back toward Blundelle.)
BLUNDELLE: I assume that you've come to make sure that I'm still here and that I stay here. You want to be sure that I can't move on so that you can proceed with your wedding and continue to torture me by making me watch you marry and have children by— him. (She says "him" as if a squirming insect has entered her mouth and she is so revolted that she is struggling to spit it out.)
BRÜNA: My wedding isn't about you, Blundelle. I love him. I'm happy now. I've moved on. You should try doing the same.
BLUNDELLE: And yet here we are...
(Beat.)
BLUNDELLE: If you're happy now, why couldn't you stay away?
BRÜNA: (Harshly.) You were right, Blundelle. I just wanted to know that you were still here. I just wanted proof that you're more pathetic than I am. This is my revenge. You put me under your spell and pulled my strings for your own amusement, but now I know better. It's my turn to pull you along; it's MY turn to drive YOU mad!
BLUNDELLE: How's that going so far? (Smirking wildly.) Am I mad enough for you yet?
BRÜNA: Why won't you leave me alone?
BLUNDELLE: Leave you alone? Brüna, you don't want to be left alone. If you did, you wouldn't have come here. You would've been too busy knitting him a sweater or baking him a soufflé, or whatever it is that human lovers do, and you wouldn't have even remembered that this was our night. You would've let the vow break itself if that's what you really wanted.
BRÜNA: (Frantic, on the verge of tears.) Just leave! It isn't midnight yet. Please, walk away because you know I can't, though more than anything I want to be free of you.
BLUNDELLE: And you think I can? I love you—No, no, it's not love anymore. This is sick. I am possessed by you. You crawled in under my skin and burrowed into my mind just to whisper sweet lies into my ears, to stain my tongue so that I can never get your bitter taste out of my mouth, to singe your goddamn face into my eyelids so that instead of going dark when I blink, all I see is that sado-masochistic grin of yours. AND YOU THINK YOU'RE MY VICTIM! I devoted years of my power, energy, and magic to keeping you well. No matter how many times you lied to me, no matter how little thanks you gave, no matter how many times you ran away insisting that I wasn't giving enough, I always looked for you, welcomed you back, kept on giving. You wanted more, more, more; you wouldn't be satisfied until you bled me dry. I've never been strong enough to support you. I bound us together so that I could always protect you. I allowed you to sap the energy that keeps me alive in order to make yourself stronger. I do not have the energy that you require, Brüna, though I desperately wish that I did—
BRÜNA: Yet, Carlomann, a mortal, does have the energy. How is that?
(Brüna steps toward Blundelle.)
BLUNDELLE: You'll bleed him dry, too. It's a matter of time. And if we don't renew the vow, the connection will be broke, I'll vanish, and you'll have nothing to crawl back to.
(Brüna steps toward Blundelle again.)
BRÜNA: (Quietly.) ...I know.
(Brüna steps closer to Blundelle until she is close enough to touch.)
BLUNDELLE: But if we do renew the vow, we'll be bound together for another seven years. It will ruin your marriage undoubtedly. I'd like to see you happy, though it doesn't seem to be possible for me to witness that.
BRÜNA: You're right. (Brüna leans in toward Blundelle, putting her arms around her. At first it, looks as if she is going to kiss her, and Blundelle leans in, ready to kiss her back, but it quickly becomes apparent that this is not what Brüna has in mind.)
BLUNDELLE: (Struggling to fight off Brüna, who is attempting to strangle Blundelle.) What's come over you? STOP IT!
BRÜNA: (Still fighting with Blundelle.) I'm sorry, Blundelle. I'm not strong enough to walk away from you, and I'm not strong enough to remain bound to you. I cannot be happy as long as you're alive.
BLUNDELLE: (The two continue to struggle until Blundelle takes a tiny satchel from her pocket, unwraps it, and throws its dust-like contents in Brüna's face, Brüna is immediately propelled backwards, she falls to the ground and is briefly paralyzed.) Your solution was to strangle me? You're madder than I remember. (Blundelle laughs softly to herself.)
(Beat.)
BLUNDELLE: (Takes out her pocket watch, looks at it, looks at Brüna who is still paralyzed.) Only a few minutes to midnight, love. (Blundelle waves her hand over Brüna's body, and she is immediately able to move again.)
BRÜNA: (Stretching, standing up.) You know I don't like it when you use magic on me.
BLUNDELLE: I'll keep that in mind next time you attempt to murder me.
BRÜNA: I'm sorry. I just want this to end. I want to be happy.
BLUNDELLE: I know, I know, I know.
BRÜNA: I just want something to change. I can't love you anymore. We can't keep at this. (Begins crying softly.)
BLUNDELLE: (Walks over to Brüna, comfortingly pushes her hair out of her face, puts her arms around her.) Shh, Brüna, I know. It's going to be okay. I promise you.
BRÜNA: (Sobbing, angry) How the hell will this ever be okay?
(Blundelle solemnly kisses Brüna's forehead, embraces her, and then climbs onto the ledge of the bridge.)
BRÜNA: What are you doing? Stop! What're you doing!
BLUNDELLE: I'm doing what you wanted. Goodbye, Brüna.
BRÜNA: Please, come down from there.
BLUNDELLE: There's no other solution.
BRÜNA: (At Blundelle's feet, crying, begging) This isn't what I want! Stop it! Please! I take it back! I'm sorry!
BLUNDELLE: Brüna, you can be happy now. You don't need me. We'll be free of each other. This is what has to happen.
BRÜNA: (Sobbing.) No!
BLUNDELLE: Stop acting like a child, Brüna. Stand up, and kiss me goodbye.
(Brüna stops crying and stands up in front of Blundelle. Blundelle wipes the tears from Brüna's face.)
BLUNDELLE: Much better. See? It's going to be okay. Now, give me a proper goodbye.
(Brüna and Blundelle kiss somewhat awkwardly. Blundelle has to stoop down and Brüna stands on tiptoes so their lips can meet.)
BLUNDELLE: This isn't working. Come stand beside me.
(Blundelle helps Brüna onto the ledge.)
BLUNDELLE: Much better.
(They embrace and begin kissing passionately. After a few seconds, Brüna pulls away.)
BRÜNA: You aren't really going to go through with this, are you?
BLUNDELLE: Of course I am. (Smirking.) You'd think that someone who's claimed to be suicidal as much as you have would know the real thing when she saw it.
BRÜNA: Oh, go to Hell!
(Bludelle puts her arms around Brüna, as if she's going in for another kiss.)
BLUNDELLE: I'm doing what you wanted. Goodbye, Brüna.
BRÜNA: Please, come down from there.
BLUNDELLE: There's no other solution.
BRÜNA: (At Blundelle's feet, crying, begging) This isn't what I want! Stop it! Please! I take it back! I'm sorry!
BLUNDELLE: Brüna, you can be happy now. You don't need me. We'll be free of each other. This is what has to happen.
BRÜNA: (Sobbing.) No!
BLUNDELLE: Stop acting like a child, Brüna. Stand up, and kiss me goodbye.
(Brüna stops crying and stands up in front of Blundelle. Blundelle wipes the tears from Brüna's face.)
BLUNDELLE: Much better. See? It's going to be okay. Now, give me a proper goodbye.
(Brüna and Blundelle kiss somewhat awkwardly. Blundelle has to stoop down and Brüna stands on tiptoes so their lips can meet.)
BLUNDELLE: This isn't working. Come stand beside me.
(Blundelle helps Brüna onto the ledge.)
BLUNDELLE: Much better.
(They embrace and begin kissing passionately. After a few seconds, Brüna pulls away.)
BRÜNA: You aren't really going to go through with this, are you?
BLUNDELLE: Of course I am. (Smirking.) You'd think that someone who's claimed to be suicidal as much as you have would know the real thing when she saw it.
BRÜNA: Oh, go to Hell!
(Bludelle puts her arms around Brüna, as if she's going in for another kiss.)
BLUNDELLE: Not without you, love.
(Blundelle plunges from the ledge, pulling Brüna down with her. Both women scream.)
(Pause.)
(A loud splash.)
(Silence.)
(Silence.)
END.
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