Marty – (hands Merrill blood) You gotta eat. Look, I’m sure the elders are taking good care of Drew…after all; he’s the chosen one these days, right?

Merrill – Sherry’s death hit him hard and you know it.

Marty – Yeah…so now he gets special treatment.

Merrill – Could be there forever.

Marty – Look Merrill, I know you’re hurting…and I just want you to know that, um…I think it’s okay.

Merrill – That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me, Marty.

Marty – Well, you know what they say, right…(touches her hair) If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with. C’mon, I’m not such a bad guy. Nice head of hair, strong features, winning smile…(gets up pulls her hair back and messages her shoulders) I clean up real good. You can make an honest man out of me.

Merrill – (laughs) No one can. (In walks Drew. Drops his bag)

Drew – I’m back.

(Mimi and Dillan’s room: Dillan at desk)

Mimi – I can’t believe I missed her funeral.

Dillan – You didn’t miss much.

Mimi – She was my best friend.

Dillan – They put her in a box and dropped her in the ground, that’s all I’m saying.

Mimi – You’re zero comfort right now. (Picks bag up and puts it on bed)

Dillan – Hey, I was using that bed.

Mimi – Yeah, well it’s mine, okay. Use Sherry’s.

Dillan – Ugh, It’s probably still warm. (Hands sleeping bag to her) Fine, I’ll sleep on the floor. (Picks up picture of Sherry) We should give it back to him.

Mimi – Who?

Dillan – Drew. He sketched this. (Mimi takes it)

Mimi – Who’s Drew?

Dillan – You don’t know him? (Takes picture back) He was her boyfriend. Well, ex, I guess now.

Mimi – Never heard of him.

Dillan – He was only the most important person in her life, that’s all I’m saying.

Mimi – She never mentioned him.

(Nighttime in Cellar: Everyone around table. Drew relaxing)

Dr. Murdoch – First, I’d like to welcome Drew back to Mansbridge.

Marty – Wouuu! (Claps)

Dr. Murdoch – Unfortunately, he’s not permitted to tell us much about his experience with the Elders, although I assume it was…rewarding.

Drew – Deeply.

Dr. Murdoch – Good. Alright, let’s get on with it…you were to choose a human hero and analyze the characteristics that made him or her great. Essie?

Essie – Imelda Marcos…I mean think of all those l000’s of pairs of shoes…

Marty – I chose uh…Dr. Trash from the wrestling world. He’s upstanding, moral, and…

Dr. Murdoch – You know somehow, I think we’re missing the point here.

Merrill – I chose Abe Lincoln.

Karl – So did I.

Merrill – What he did for slavery…

Drew – Highly over rated.

Dr. Murdoch – I think Abraham Lincoln was a very good choice. And I think the 2 of you should work on it together.

Drew – (slams hand down on table) What’s with this program anyways!! I mean, we’re always studying mortals…what about our own kind? Can’t we learn something from them?

Essie – No ‘cause we’re the bad guys, remember?

Drew – Bad guys? Says who? How can we be free if we don’t know who we really are?

Karl – We’re predatory and instinctual. Devoid of feeling. End of story.

Drew – Wrong. (Stands up) We are powerful, gifted, and with a real history.

Merrill – We know what we are.

Drew – We’ve hardly touched the surface. I mean, how many of you have ever heard of Drakon?

Marty – Who?

Dr. Murdoch – (stands) That’s enough Drew!

Drew – Oo-oh, I haven’t even started yet.

Essie – Wai-wai-wait. Who is this Drakon?

Dr. Murdoch – I’ll see you in my office. Now!! (In office) You were sworn to silence…is that not true?

Drew – Yes. But we all have a right to know…

Dr. Murdoch – No, you’ll have a right to know when it’s time to know. How did you find out about him?

Drew – I looked in the archives.

Dr. Murdoch – That’s forbidden.

Drew – I was bored…

Dr. Murdoch – You were there to find peace with yourself.

Drew – I was there to find the truth…and I did.

Dr. Murdoch – With Drakon?

Drew – He’s my choice for a hero.

Dr. Murdoch – Drakon is a violent, bloody executioner. As sick and perverted apiece of damnation as ever walked this earth.

Drew – He had the powers of a god…

Dr. Murdoch – He was made a god by the Fury. Not by the convocation.

Drew – His rule was absolute. His intellect was formidable.

Dr. Murdoch – His intellect was corrupted by bloodlust and evil. His legacy was death to all and everything he touched.

Drew – Well then he’s obviously who we really are.

Dr. Murdoch – NO HE IS NOT! (Standing in front of Drew) But he is who you can become…do you understand, THAT is the truth!

Drew – Well the why hide it from us?

Dr. Murdoch – Because none of you are ready to know it yet. (Walks away)

Drew – Oh! That is crap!!

Dr. Murdoch – You will not give another thought to Drakon, do you understand me?

Drew – Rumour has it that you have something of his… taken when he was finally captured and beheaded.

Dr. Murdoch – Who told you that?

Drew – Where is it?

Dr. Murdoch – What’s happened to you, Drew?!

Drew – Where is it? I have a right to know.

Dr. Murdoch – No you don’t.

(In cellar: Drew in coffin mind travels to Office. Murdoch looks in box and closes it. He looks around and goes to wall safe and puts the box in there. Morning time in lobby: Murdoch looking at Sherry’s picture and Dillan enters)

Dillan – Dr. Murdoch…

Dr. Murdoch – Good morning Dillan.

Dillan – I need your help about something.

Dr. Murdoch – What is it?

Dillan – It’s about Drew. (Drew in office at safe) He did this for Sherry and I think he should have it back. You know, something to remember her by.

Dr. Murdoch – Yes, that’s a very nice idea but I’m afraid I can’t help you. (Starts to walk away. Drew in office opens safe)

Dillan – (at office door) You must know where to reach him.

Dr. Murdoch – As a matter of fact, I don’t.

Dillan – But I saw you with him the night Sherry died. He was in your office. Isn’t he a student or something?

Dr. Murdoch – Yes. Right…I was tutoring him for a while but I’m not doing that anymore. I don’t know where he is, Dillan. I’m sorry.

Dillan – But I have to get it to him.

Dr. Murdoch – Well, I’m sure he’ll call in at some point.

Dillan – What if he doesn’t?

Dr. Murdoch – Why is this so important to you?

Dillan – I…I just think it’s a humane thing to do, that’s all.

Dr. Murdoch – Agreed. (Drew takes box out) But I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do to help you. I’ll see you in class. (Starts to turn knob.)

Dillan – Do I have time to go back to my room? (Looks at watch)

Dr. Murdoch – No, as a matter of fact, we’re already late. Let’s go. (Shuts door) (Drew in office takes the necklace and puts it under his shirt where it attaches its self to his chest. Downstairs in cellar Karl working out and Merrill writing)

Merrill – I thought we were both supposed to work on this Abraham Lincoln piece.

Karl – I think better when I curl.

Merrill – The more I read about him, the more I feel like he was a man born in the wrong century.

Drew – Too bad he didn’t get to see the end of the play.

Karl – Ha, hey, Drew, you wanna give us a hand here?

Merrill – No, he’s hardly sympathetic to our subject.

Drew – Dst, dst, dst…what a bunch of knee-jerk liberal propaganda. Lincoln was in the pockets of the Northern industrialists. Slavery threatened their monopoly. It had to go.

Merrill – You actually despise the man?

Drew – (grabs Karl’s weight) I feel nothing towards him. (Holds it straight out and lifts) He could be admired, not because he was the liberator, but because he was a ruthless… (Slams weight down) Opportunist. (Leaves)

Karl – The Elders got you, like on a training program or something?

(Mimi on bed looking at pictures of her and Sherry. Dillan on floor)

Mimi – (sighs) I miss her so much. (Sits up) Come on…I’ve an extra sheet. (Throws it on Dillan)

Dillan – (making bed) Why would Murdoch lie to me?

Mimi – Maybe he confused Drew with someone else.

Dillan – Ha…no. He’s covering something up.

Mimi – Maybe Drew’s his…illegitimate son! (Laughs)

Dillan – Something’s not right with this guy.

(Down in Cellar: Drew gets a pain from Necklace)

Drew – Mhhma! Mmm. (gasping. He looks at his chest.)

(Merrill putting on lip-gloss. Drew goes over to her)

Drew – Miss me when I was gone?

Merrill – I was worried about you.

Drew – No fantasizing?

Merrill – Drew… Drew – You said I was the one.

Merrill – Yeah…

Drew – So, I’m ready. (Whispering in ear) I’m game (pulls her hair back)…let’s go.

Merrill – What’s going on?

Drew – I’m finally being myself…that’s what’s going on. And it feels so great. What are you afraid of?

Merrill – I don’t know…I don’t feel…

Drew – That’s your problem. Humans feel, vampires act. This experiment is destroying you.

Merrill – They’re making me human.

Drew – That’s what they want. (Touches her face) But it’s not what we are. And you know it! Let your self go Merrill. I am your one. (Goes in for a kiss)

Merrill – What are you doing?

Drew – What comes natural.

Merrill – Don’t! (Pushes him away but he grabs her and pushes her on the coffin bed) NO! STOP! GET OFF ME!

Marty – (pulls him off) LEAVE HER ALONE! (Drew goes vamp) Take it easy, Drew.

(Drew grabs Marty around the neck. Drew pushes him up against the wall and throws him to the floor. Drew walking fast out of cellar and into the office. He gets a pain. Mind travels to Mimi and Dillan’s room. Then he’s there in the room over Mimi. He pulls her hair away from her neck and goes in for a bit and stops, but goes back and licks her neck. Dillan moves around on bed. Drew stops and looks over at Dillan then at the Sherry picture he drew it moves in the breeze. He gets up and struggles with getting the necklace off. He fall to ground and gets up and leaves. Dillan’s eyes open. In office Drew sits in front of window waiting for the sun to rise. Dillan comes in as the sun rises and stands in front of Drew.)

Dillan – You don’t look so good…

Drew – Go away.

Dillan – You’re bleeding!

Drew – Stay away.

Dillan – If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re looking for a way out. You know…so long, arrivederci, it’s been good to know ya…

Drew – Please, just leave…

Dillan – Listen, I know it hurts.

Drew – Why don’t you leave? Dillan – Cause I’ve been there, done that, and almost bought the t-shirt. They pumped me out before I signed off, okay? Could have been in heaven right now looking down on you and yelling, “don’t do it! Heavens not all it’s cracked up to be.”

Drew – Oh, you don’t understand.

Dillan – You think your pain’s different then the other guy’s? You think your reasons are so special. Well I got news for you…no matter who you are, it all boils down to one thing: who’s my dying gonna help? Certainly not Sherry.

Drew – You leave her out of this.

Dillan – No! Let’s put her smack dab in the middle of it because that’s where she belongs. Dead centre in your heart. Kill yourself and you just kill any memory you have of her. And then she’s really dead.

Drew – (sobs)

Dillan – If you didn’t love her, you wouldn’t feel this bad. Hey…welcome to the human race…whoever the hell you are.

(Dillan leaves and Drew slinks away from the sun and lies against the wall out of the sun.)

Dr. Murdoch – (Drew looks at chest to see it all healed up.) The vampire’s search for understanding, on path can take you where you want to go, while others lead to a dead end.

(Drew putting necklace back in box and takes it back to wall safe and puts it inside. Then he puts everything back where the things belong. Murdoch sitting in chair. He startles Drew)

Dr. Murdoch – Drew…we’ve been (stands) looking all over for you.

Drew – Uh, we-well, I was, uh…a little…tied up.

Dr. Murdoch – Let me ask you something. Did you decide who to write about?

Drew – Uh…st-still looking for a real hero, ha.

Dr. Murdoch – Uh-uh…well I’m sure you’ll come up with something. (He leaves)

Drew – Yeah…

Dr. Murdoch – But one thing is certain: feelings, whether joyous or painful. Are the highest gift of being  (Merrill reading book) human, and in the end worth any price.

(Drew behind Merrill puts a rose in front of her on her book and leaves but looks back at her)