An American Revolution Story

This is a story or rather a play that I wrote for a Creative writing course I enrolled in during my Junior year in college. There will be mistakes for this was or is my first attempt at being a playwright or maybe a scriptwriter. If I remember right the other writing majors were quite strict in their reviews of the story (play), but the professor stated that it was a good attempt.

An American Revolution Tale (A Play)

Preface

This is a story that is written as a fourth grade history/creative writing project after completing a unit that they were studying.

List of Characters

Robert Hardy Leader of the Gang

Lady Michaela and Revere (her dog) Ghosts

Cory, Sarah, Ben The Gang

Act One: Scene One

It was a hot and steamy day in the town of Revere City. The gang and I were all dozing under a huge maple tree. All of a sudden something came bounding out of the bushes. The noise was so loud it woke everyone from their summer doze. When we all wiped the sleep from our eyes there stood a large, brightly colored dog. This dog was kind of brownish red with a silvery haze around him. As soon as we became more wide-eyed awake we looked around for the dog but he was gone and we wondered if we saw anything at all and it was just a summer dream.

ROBERT: (hazy) "What was that?"

CORY: "What was what?" "I didn't see anything, I think."

SARAH: "I'm not sure I didn't see anything for sure."

BEN: "I did see something, but I did not want to say anything till I knew for sure."

Scene Two:

During the walk home on this day we did not know for sure if we did see anything or not. We were walking home like we were in a dream world. We were all starting to think if what we think we saw in the woods was real.

ROBERT: "I think we have something to find out here?" "Like why did that dog come so close to us for we are strangers to him?"

SARAH: "Yea, and where did he come from and who does he belong to?"

BEN: "You know the first thing we have to remember is which way he went in after we finally woke up."

CORY: "Does anyone remember that one fact?"

(The whole gang just stood there trying to remember."

SARAH: "Hey!"

CORY: "Hey, what."

SARAH: "I just remembered which way he went."

ROBERT: "Well, which way."

SARAH: "The dog went through the berry bushes on the North side of the maple tree."

BEN: "Oh!, that's the direction of the old haunted house near Forbidden Cliff."

ROBERT: "You don't mean to say that you still believe in ghosts, do you?"

BEN: "No! Are you kidding?"

CORY: "Let's go!"

(About an hour later and just outside the house.)

CORY: "The house doesn't look as if it is haunted to me. It just looks like an old, grey house in need of a paint job."

ROBERT: "What was that at the front door window?"

BEN: "What was what?"

ROBERT: "Oh, nothing. I just thought I had seen something."

Scene Three:

Inside the house near the Forbidden Cliff. While in the house they saw what you would expect from an old supposedly haunted house; spider webs, creaky floorboards and shutters opening and slamming shut, and little creatures running all around. They noticed that the curtains were being in all directions. This is when they heard out of the blue a very unexplainable noise coming from the upstairs.

CORY: "What was that noise?"

ROBERT: "I don't know."

SARAH and BEN: "Let's get out of here!"

(Then the whole gang ran out the front door and down the path to the road.)

(End of Act One)

Act Two: Scene One

That same night they all decided to go back to the house and see what or maybe who made that noise. First to arrive was Sarah, then a couple of minutes later Cory showed. About 20 minutes later Ben and Robert came running up and into the house and did not even see the others that were already there.

That night there was only a half moon and it was very dark that you could hardly see your hand in front of your face.

ROBERT: "Since we are all here let's look around for awhile and if anyone sees or hears anything let out a signal of some kind."

BEN: "Let's get going and the adventure continues."

CORY: "Just think how much fun we could have here I heard that this old house was full of secret passages and hidden rooms." "Never know what we might find."

SARAH: "I don't know." I just want to find out if this place happens to be haunted for it gives off an eerie sense of being." "You are right though this old house could be filled with many adventures, but let's finish this one first 'Eerie noises dot com'.

ROBERT: "Just remember that this is just an old, grey house."

(That night they all heard something walking around on the second and third floor hallway. They then decided to go and find out what or who it is or was.)

SARAH: "What's wrong, Robert?"

ROBERT: "I heard something upstairs."

SARAH: "I didn't hear anything."

ROBERT: "Well, I think I heard something."

SARAH: "Let's go see what it could have been."

(Then they slowly climbed the creaky, wooden stairs, and there stood the dog sort of asking us to follow him which seems hard to believe.)

SARAH: "He's going into that room down the hall. Let's go see what is up to for I am curious why he wants us to follow him. Seems that he is waiting for us."

ROBERT: "Give me a minute and think through this whatever it is. I think I know what that room may be."

SARAH: "What room is it then?" "Better think fast before he disappears."

ROBERT: "I believe that it is the room where the supposed murder took place."

SARAH: "That was well over a hundred or so years ago and all that room is now is a bunch of old furniture and dust."

(When they followed the dog they found what the room looked liked and it was in perfect condition for being in an old, grey house. This is when Robert heard the singing coming from the doorway.)

ROBERT: "Let's go through that doorway and see what or who is there."

SARAH: (thinks) "Why not."

(Behind the door there was this long crumby staircase, then Robert and Sarah came to another door they found another staircase that was one of those old spiral staircases.)

SARAH: "Why did they build so many stairs in their houses so long ago?"

ROBERT: "I don't know maybe they used the stairs to these other areas to hide what ever valuables they had from the British soldiers or even thieves."

SARAH: "Shh, there's the singing again but where is it coming from now?"

ROBERT: "I told you I heard something when we were downstairs."

SARAH: "All right, all right." "Let's go into that room and what's there." "We need to hurry so we can go see what the others have seen or heard."

ROBERT: "It just seems to be an empty room except for that old cupboard in the corner over there by the window."

SARAH: "Let's try to move it some."

ROBERT: "It looks like one of those huge armoires they used to put their clothes." "They're huge and heavy to move." "No way, no chance."

SARAH: "Maybe it opens you know like in those old mystery, horror movies when the whole thing opens like a door."

ROBERT: "It's moving, what did you do or touch? "It's open might as well see what's up there."

SARAH: "Oh, goody more stairs."

ROBERT: "There's only six of them and another door." "You can make it."

SARAH: "All right open the door already."

(They both looked into the room right when the moon shone into the room and that's when they saw her.)

SARAH: "Oh! She's beautiful." "Who is she?"

ROBERT: "Who are you?"

LADY McMICHAELS: "My dear friends thanks for coming. My name is Melinda McMichaels and I am the mistress of the house. I have been trapped in these two rooms for 100 years more or less. I have been trying to send signals any way that I could from the strange noises to sending my dog, Revere, out in search of help. "I hope over these many years he has not scared too many that are out there. To continue I am so glad that Revere was able to 'convince' someone to come and help me or rather us to help us some way. The help that I need is to find or rather with your help to find a letter that says that I am not a traitor to the country. There is somewhere in this huge house a letter from General Braddock to General Washington. You will need to search the whole house in order to find the letter and set us free. You see as I demonstrate I cannot leave these two rooms and only so far as the bedroom door where you came in just now. I hope you brought some friends for they could help. You must hurry for you only have 14 hours from now to find that letter and bring back here when you guys do. Good luck and thank you from me and Revere."

ROBERT and SARAH: "We will gladly help you and with the help from our friends we will find the letter that will set you free."

SARAH: "Let's go and get the others and see if they found anything."

ROBERT: "I don't think they will believe us when we tell them who we met tonight."

SARAH: "Do you think we should tell them we saw a ghost? I think we should just tell them that we need to find a letter saying that the Lady Melinda McMichaels is not a traitor to America and to make it fun we can make it a scavenger hunt for freedom."

ROBERT: "That's all right with me."

SARAH: "Cory and Ben wake up you were suppose to looking around and maybe discovering some fun and interesting things."

CORY and BEN: "We were but the only things that we could find were old books and boxes."

ROBERT and SARAH: "Did you look through all the books and boxes?"

BEN: "Not yet. There are still a few more here and in the dining ballroom."

ROBERT: "Me and Sarah came up with a great idea and that is that we are all going on a scavenger hunt right here in this old house for a friend, who needs to find a very special letter to General Washington from General Braddock."

SARAH: "The only thing is now we only have just about 12 hours to find this letter."

CORY and BEN: "What are we waiting on and let's get started. We all need to split up and me and Cory will start in the basement. There were a lot of old boxes and crates down there."

SARAH: "I take this floor as well as the kitchen. There should be some old recipe boxes in there still even after all these years. You never know."

ROBERT: "I'll take the second floor and the library. There may be something in those old books. I may even keep some of them if they are still readable. After I am done with those rooms I and whoever else can meet me on third floor observatory.

EVERYONE: "Good luck!"

ROBERT: "Remember we only have 12 hours."

EVERYONE: "Okay."

ROBERT: "When anyone finds the letter bring to me or Sarah and then we will all take to the bedroom on the eastside of the house on the second floor."

LADY McMICHAELS: (whispers) "Whoever finds the letter will hear a special little tune and you will have a special friend in your life from that time on."

ROBERT: "Who ever finds the letter will hear some tune or other." Again, if you find anything bring to us."

LADY McMICHAELS: "Here is further information. From the time you find the letter you have one hour or so to place the letter in my hands. I can give you a few clues to help in the search. The clues are as follows: four wood shelves, 12 mystery stories then you turn west and pull the book you see thanks to the moon or sunlight and there will be some sort of musical note or some other noise presenting the letter.

ROBERT: (speaking to himself) "Look for bookcases or shelves, but which room should I start for that covers several rooms from the living room to the library to the study and a few other rooms. He yelled to everyone that they need to look at bookcases and shelves."

(He searched and searched the various rooms he volunteered to search and after a few hours he could not find anything and headed towards the basement and have better luck.)

ROBERT: "Ben, do you need any help down there?"

BEN: "Sure, come on down Robert."

(Robert saw an old bookcase in the corner of the basement and headed straight for it for it seems that it hasn't seen daylight since the house was built.) (Thinking over the clue once more.)

ROBERT: "I found it."

BEN: "What does it say? Hey, everyone. We found a letter down here in the basement let's all gather in the living room and see what it says."

(A few moments while everyone was gathering.)

ROBERT: "Here is a or the letter and it goes like this."

Dear General Washington,

The Lady Melinda McMichaels is not a traitor as was presumed so during the war. She did not betray any confidences that could have been shared by her husband or his fellow compatriots. The real culprit was Michael Masters. The Lady Melinda McMichaels is the hero that helped us win the Battle of Yorktown.

Signed,

General Braddock

(Robert and the gang took off running up the main stairs to the second floor and along with all the others one by one entered the third floor to give the ghost of Lady McMichaels the letter to prove her innocence of treason just in the nick of time.)

ROBERT and SARAH and the GANG: "Lady McMichaels here is the letter!"

LADY McMICHAELS: "Thank you, thank you ever so much. Now I can go see my family that I haven't seen in so many years. I will kind of miss this old place of mine. Something is happening to me and Revere." (They are slowly disappearing and the gang can hear her saying Good-bye for we will meet again in time.)

SARAH and ROBERT and GANG: (together) "We will always remember you Lady Melinda McMichaels."

End of Act Two

Act Three

The whole gang is sitting under the old, big maple tree, but now instead of it being hot and steamy there was a very cool and even chilly breeze blowing through the branches of the tree. When they all awoke they realized that they were all different in some way. No one seem to remember what they just went through.

(The characters should now be dressed in the way of the colonists for only ROBERT and SARAH knew where and when their mission took place and BEN and CORY did not remember a thing of the mission they were a part.)

ROBERT: "I think I better get home and do my chores before my father comes home and Sarah you better run along too for I know what your mother is like when you are late."

SARAH: "Yes, Master Robert."

BEN and CORY: "We better run along too."

(Both ROBERT and SARAH headed for the McMichaels Plantation.)

LADY McMICHAELS: "Where have you two bet steen for so long?"

ROBERT and SARAH: "Under that old maple tree you and father planted when you were children back in the year 1766 or so. We were with Cory and Ben."

LADY McMICHAELS: "All right, get started on your chores. Dinner will be ready in about one hour. Do not be late! You know how your father and your mother get when they're kept waiting."

ROBERT and SARAH: "We'll hurry."

(Lady McMichaels went back to fixing dinner and Robert and Sarah went out to do their chores like a whirlwind. Robert and Sarah did not mention anything to anybody regarding what was going on in their heads for they were not really sure what was real or not for they thought that no one would believe them about their future selves, so they just went about their lives like it never happened or did it.)

THE END