'Vera' revised

"Vera"
Characters: Ghost dad, Vera, Cousin Em (girl or guy doesn't
matter)
Writer: Laura E. Rojas

Ghost dad stand stage right Vera stand center stage Em stands
stage left

Ghost mom:  When I got here it was not all pearly gates and
singing.  As it turns out you have to do a mountain of
paperwork, it is just headaches all over.  Definitely not
like the movies and the stories.  Well, it was whole like the
living world, only you don't have to worry about money and
insurance and, things like that ;I guess that's where the
paradise bit comes in.  Just in case you haven't caught on,
I'm, well dead.  You don't get this nice suit for what I was
getting paid; well, any way when I passed, it wasn't so
pretty.  I would have liked to go like my father in my sleep
not, screaming like the passengers in his car. But that's a
story for another time, right now where talking about my
sweet, smart, and pretty, and overall wonderful daughter,
Vera.  We had a fight before kicked the bucket, I hate to say
but I think she's been blaming herself.  



Vera:  When mom died, it was rough.  I hated the fact that
the last thing I said to him was "I hate you!  You never let
me do anything!" I stormed out of the house and ran to the
river out in the woods in the back of our house.  I was so
stupid, it had stormed the night before and the river was
flooded.  Had I not gone so close this never would have
happened, mom would still be here.  It was so dark I started
hearing noises coming from behind and thought I was one of
the wolves that hang near the river, it was getting close to
that season anyway.  I got scared; I started to go closer to
the edge.  Then I slipped, it happened so fast I barely
remember it; one moment I was in the freezing cold water,
then I felt a hand, the shore, and then nothing.  When the
search party found me I was half dead but I guess I knew it
had been mom who pulled me out the river.  Even after the
funeral I couldn't forgive myself, I could never forgive
myself...



Ghost mom:  It was never her fault.  I gave my life to save
her.  You must think that my saying, it wasn't her fault is
cause I'm a bit of a doting mother, but that's not it.  Vera
always went to the river to calm down or to cry or to just be
alone.  She could have never had guessed that the river was
flooded, she was so mad at me she didn't think.  When she
stormed out I was scared that this was going to happen, also
there were the wolves.  They were coming down from, up the
mountain for the spring.  If one them had hurt her I don't
what I would have done.  So I went after her then, well, it
happened.  Plus for a child "leave" before the parent is
something inexcusable, my only hope is that, she isn't
beating herself up about this.  I'm proud of what I did.  
She's too important to me to be here in my stead.  I still
love her.  She's my little girl.



Em:   Vera was really upset after Aunt Kat died, everyone
knew that he adored her and she loved him all the same.  One
day I heard Uncle Mike saying that Vera hates the woods now.  
She wouldn't even look in the direction if she doesn't have
to.  She was really; what's the word again mommy used it, oh
detached.  She didn't want to play with me or any of the
other kids.  She just kind of sat there, spacing out.  Then
one day Andy, her little brother got upset cause she said she
didn't want to play.  So he ran into the woods and I followed
him.  We ended up near the river.  It started to get late and
we couldn't get back because it was all dark and we couldn't
see.


Vera:  I remember it; I remember it well.  Andy had finally
had it with me.  Since he was only 6 at the time he wanted to
play all the time and I used to play with him all the time,
but since the accident I just kind of ignored him.  That day
he got mad and ran out to in to the woods and Em followed
him.  Later that night Mom and Aunt Kate asked if I had seen
them or they were with me.  They weren't, it was late and
getting dark, I knew where they were.  Now I only had to go
to them...if I could.  I was the edge of woods, I couldn't do
it, I just couldn't.  I backed away.  I thought back to that
night and I thought of the river and the wolves and being in
the dark, I thought about how scared I was.  So I ran, I ran
right to them. I could see Em at the edge about to fall in,
calling for Andy.  Andy was in the water, that freezing cold
water. Oh my god Andy!  I ripped Em away from the water's
edge and dived in and swam as fast as I could to get to him.  
I couldn't lose someone again, not to this river, not here,
not now, not ever.
Em:  Vera came from nowhere.  I was reaching for Andy but I
couldn't get to him.  Andy was getting farther and farther
away, so I reached out more.  That's when Vera came and
tossed me away from the edge and jumped in with all her
clothes and shoes.  She swam to Andy and pulled him on to the
shore.  Andy was blue, and was barely breathing; it was so
scary!  Vera made him cough up all the water, then she picked
up Andy grabbed my hand and ran straight for the house.  She
covered Andy and me with blankets and but on the fire in
fireplace and yelled at us, made us swear to her that we
would never do it again.  She started to cry and hug us; we
started to cry too.  Andy says that he wasn't crying, that
Vera was dripping water on his face.  Vera plays with us all
the time now.  We stay away from the river and woods at
night.  It's really nice to have her play with us.

Vera come on we're going to be late. Andy and me want to ride
the cyclone!!

[Vera pulls off her hood to reveal a big smile and rushes
over to Em]

Alright, stop that shouting will you?