Red Boot
A Ten-Minute Play by G.P. Cassara
An empty stage with a single red boot in the center. Donna approaches a stranger—disheveled and bleeding from her forehead. She wears a white vinyl dress. She is limping in one white vinyl boot, her other foot having only a stocking on. She approaches a stranger, confused and extremely scared. Roy, wearing red, follows Donna closely—always behind her and over her shoulder. Roy will be mirroring Donna throughout the play—from mouthing what she says to mimicking/mocking her actions. Actors will walk around the boot as if it's not there for the entire play. Noel never acknowledges Roy.
DONNA
Have you seen my shoe?
STRANGER
I’m sorry, what?
He turns around, shocked by the state of Donna.
DONNA
My boot? I can’t find it. Have you seen it?
STRANGER
I can’t say I have.
Pause.
Is everything okay? Are you hurt?
ROY
Is she hurt? (Laughs) No… my girlfriend’s just finally gone crazy. I used to think she was before…
Donna scratches at the ear Roy is standing behind.
DONNA
It’s fine. I’m fine. Really. Everything is fine. I’m just running late, and I-I can’t find my boot. I-I’m sorry for bothering. I need—I need to go.
She starts to walk away, but the stranger is worried and doesn’t want to let her walk away like this. The stranger jogs to catch up.
STRANGER
Hey, it’s okay! Why don’t we look for it together? How about that?
Donna nods.
I’ll help, but I should probably know your name. Why don’t I start? I’m Noel. Noel Hanson.
DONNA
(Hesitant) Donna.
NOEL
Do you have a last name Donna?
DONNA
Divine.
NOEL
Donna Divine. That’s a nice name. Now, Donna, why don’t we start by retracing your steps? Do you remember where you last saw your other boot?
DONNA (Shaking her head furiously)
I-I can’t. So much. There’s nothing. I was home, getting ready, my boyfriend was in the other room… he was screaming… I was screaming… then we were here. Here.
Beat.
We are here.
NOEL
We are here. That’s right. We don’t need to think about all that right now, okay? Let’s keep looking.
Pause.
You mentioned a boyfriend? Do you know where he is, Donna?
DONNA
I wanted to go out tonight. Alone. With my friends. I wanted to have fun.
ROY
She wanted to flirt with some strangers without me knowing.
Scoffing.
I always knew // she was a whore—
DONNA (Violently, she scratches at her ear again)
No! I—it was never like that! I wouldn’t do that! It wasn’t me who did—
NOEL
Who did what, Donna?
DONNA (Confused, disoriented, scared)
Sorry? I just meant, I don’t usually go out alone. Usually I go out with him because… (hesitating) because—
ROY (Proud)
Say it… I fucking dare you.
DONNA shakes her head violently. She stays silent, only sobbing to herself.
That’s what I fucking thought.
NOEL (Finishing the sentence for her)
Because he wouldn’t let you leave, Donna?
DONNA (Quick, defensive, falsely, trembling)
NO! No… it’s really not like that!
Getting more disoriented.
I promise everything is fine! It’s fine! I—I can’t remember how I got here. (She looks down at her one bare foot) Have you seen my shoe?
NOEL
We’re looking for it right now, Donna, do you remember?
DONNA
No… I mean, yes! Sorry. I do remember. But I need you to know Roy would never hurt me. He loved me. Sorry, he loves me, and I’m sorry, I really should probably get going, I think I’m late. My friends are probably worried.
NOEL (Not believing but not wanting to
No need to be sorry! I’m just here to help, Donna. I can help you get to your friends. Do you remember their numbers? We could try calling—
DONNA
Call? I can’t—I mean I shouldn’t! (Suddenly looking for her phone, eager to change the subject) I—I don’t have my phone. Where’s my phone? (As if just realizing her boot is missing, again) Where’s my shoe? My boot. Where’s my boot?
NOEL
Hey, hey! It’s okay, Donna, that’s what we’re doing right now, looking for your boot. I’m Noel, remember, you ran into me just a bit ago and I said I would help you find your boot. We’ll find your phone too. Just take me back to where you were before you left. Do you remember which way is home? Maybe if we get to your house, we’ll find your phone and your boot.
DONNA
Home. No, there’s no home. It’s an apartment. My apartment.
Donna flinches in fear.
Our apartment. I live with my boyfriend.
ROY
Lived.
NOEL
I see. Why don’t we go that way and see if we find anything?
DONNA
But the party. I—I’ll be late.
NOEL
We’ll make sure you get there on time, Donna, once we find your boot and your phone. Promise.
Noel’s phone rings. Donna jumps, the ring scares her.
It’s okay! It’s just my phone, look! I’m going to answer, Donna, but I’m not going to leave you.
DONNA (Uneasy)
Okay.
Donna waits, fidgeting intensely with her fingers. Roy does the same behind her. Noel answers the phone, turning his back to talk. Donna begins to scratch her ears once more.
NOEL
Hey, now’s not really a good time. (Pause) No, everything is okay. I found a girl— (Quick pause) Listen! She’s hurt! Something is seriously wrong. She has no idea how she got here. I need you to call the cops for me. (Quick Pause) Yes, tell them to come fast. I’m at the corner of The Alameda and Taylor. (Pause) Her name is Donna. Donna Divine. White vinyl dress, a single white boot. (Pause) Send them to her house, we’re walking that way now— (Stuttering pause) I-I know Sarah! Just call the cops, I got this for now. (Quick pause) Okay bye. I love you. Bye.
He turns back to Donna, phone in hand. She is waiting patiently, too anxious to leave alone.
Sorry about that. (Lying) That was a patient of mine, calling after hours and all… I had to tell them I was busy.
DONNA
A patient? Are—are you a doctor?
NOEL
A therapist. So, some sort of doctor, but I promise you can trust me. I’m here to help… however I can.
Donna is staring at the phone, as if scared it might ring again.
Would it help if I turned it off?
Donna nods. He holds it up and turns it on silent so she can see.
Okay, it’s on silent now. It won’t ring.
ROY (cockily)
It’s just like you trusting a man you just met on the side of the street. I’m not sure why I ever bothered protecting you when you’d so happily run into the arms // of the first man you meet.
DONNA (Trying to ignore ROY)
I think… I think I called someone before we left the house. Before all of the screaming.
NOEL
That’s good, Donna. We don’t have to think about the screaming, but can we remember what the call was? Maybe we could call // them back?
DONNA
NO! I-I can’t call. No one can know. Please, don’t tell anyone. Please.
ROY
Tell them what, Donna? Another one of your lies?
DONNA (covering her ears)
No! I haven’t lied! I’m not a liar!
NOEL
It’s okay, Donna, I don’t think you are! I trust you.
Pause. DONNA warms up to NOEL at the word “trust.”
You have my word, Donna, you’re safe with me. Just focus on me. In fact, talk to me about something else. Like your boots… where’d you get them?
It takes a second, but Donna comes to. Her panic subsides as she remembers, fondly, where she got her boots.
DONNA
The boots were my mother’s. They were her favorite.
Pause.
When she passed away. I got some of her clothes, jewelry, and other things… but these boots were favorite. And I-I lost them.
NOEL
We’ll find them, Donna. We’ll find them and help you honor your mom. Tell me about her.
ROY (at the same time as Donna)
She was a wicked bitch.
DONNA
No! No… she’s mine. She was mine.
NOEL
Okay… I will respect that. Let’s talk about something else while we retrace your steps.
Silence.
What do you like to do, Donna?
DONNA
I read. A lot. Mostly for school.
Thinking.
Tonight was supposed to be my break. I needed a break.
ROY
Did you get it, Donna? Did you get what you wanted?
Donna covers her ears again, hiding. Noel seeing her distress goes to change the subject, focusing on something else.
NOEL
Tell me about school, Donna. Where do you go?
DONNA
Santa Clara. Law school.
ROY
(Laughs) A law student, yet she can’t even remember where her boot is (Waving his right hand around, he’s addressing the audience it seems) Our future, everyone!
DONNA
(Trying to ignore him) And I was the best in my class!
ROY
And the best at escaping trouble, too! She’s never to blame even when she’s the one who finds problems.
DONNA
(Speaking faster and louder) I never got to talk about it. The marks I got. It was never important enough. It was never good enough… for Roy.
NOEL
It’s important to me, Donna.
Donna looks at Noel, a smile breaking across her face for the first time. Roy does not like this.
DONNA
It is?
NOEL
It is. It really is. It should be important to anyone in your life, especially if it makes you proud.
DONNA
It should? No… it should.
She starts coming to. She’s able to break away from Roy, which upsets him even more. He will not let her leave him.
I paid the rent. I went to school and law school afterwards. I got a job during my first year of law school. Two during undergrad! Just to make it work.
Pause.
Tonight was supposed to be my night.
ROY
And now you’re the one out flirting with strangers on the street. Interesting how the tables turn, isn’t it?
DONNA
That’s not me.
NOEL
But maybe you deserve it, Donna. Deserve a night to be you. Maybe it can be you. What’s wrong with that?
DONNA
Nothing. Nothing should be wrong with that.
NOEL
Exactly.
Donna stands a little taller now, Roy still like a shadow behind her, but getting pushed out.
DONNA
I remember.
Pause.
I got a call. From an unknown number. This girl I was talking to, a girl I had never met before, was calling to apologize to me. She had no clue. She had no idea that he was in a relationship until he brought her to our room, and she saw my things. She said she didn’t want to continue but he didn’t care. He never cares. That never stopped him before, especially when he was in the mood.
Roy looks pleased with Donna’s story, proud even.
NOEL
Donna… what are you saying?
DONNA
He used her. In our own bed. And I only found out while I was getting ready in my room. The very bed I was doing my make-up on while I sat in the mirror. The bed was spotless. He had made it. Roy never made the bed.
Beat.
Only twenty-four hours had passed, but I never would have known.
Beat.
The mirror was shattered.
Roy stops mirroring her. He frowns.
That’s when I—I can’t remember. It was loud. But it was late so no one cared. No one ever cared.
NOEL
I still do, Donna. Talk to me. Where is your boyfriend now?
DONNA
I can’t say. He’ll—He’ll hurt me… or worse.
This is the first time Donna can admit this.
NOEL
He won’t hurt you anymore, Donna. We’ll make sure of that, but you have to talk to me. Where should we go?
DONNA
My boot. I need my boot.
NOEL
We’ll find it. After the fight, where did you go?
DONNA
He blocked the door… So—so I went to the fire escape.
Donna is racking her memory, trying her best to put the pieces together.
I went so I could run away before he hit me again. And while I climbed out, he got ahold of my foot but I was already gone. I was climbing. Running. He was screaming. He didn’t stop screaming until I was gone, but I couldn’t look back and then…
Donna looks around, starting to recognize where they are.
We ran down the street, into you.
NOEL
We?
ROY
She means her and me. She might run, but I’ll never leave her side.
Roy slides his hand into hers, holding it tightly. Too tightly.
DONNA (Trying to take her hand back)
No, no, no!
NOEL
I don’t understand, Donna. Help me understand.
DONNA
I don’t know! I—I can’t remember! Please, don’t make me remember!
Donna and Roy are still grappling. He looks angry; he will never let her go. She looks distressed; she’s always wanted to get away.
NOEL
Let’s keep looking then! Don’t hurt yourself anymore trying to remember. You’re safe now…
DONNA
Safe? I’ve never been safe. He… He’s gonna know I came back. He’s going to be mad again. He’s probably waiting for me around the corner.
NOEL (He seems scared now, but is trying to remain calm for Donna)
Around—How would he know Donna? Is he following us?
ROY
I’m always waiting, Donna. You might run, you can try to hide from me, but I will always be there. I will always be haunting you.
A sick grin spreads across his face.
There it is now. Look at what you did, Donna. Look at what you did to me. To us.
Silence. The sound of sirens starts from afar. Roy, smiling evilly, leaves from his place behind Donna. He lets go of her hand, leaving it outstretched towards the scene ahead—there, the missing boot sits on center stage. Roy picks it up and lays on the ground, unnaturally twisting his body and gripping the boot in front of him. This one, unlike the one Donna is wearing, is covered in red/blood. Only small bits of white can be seen. Roy now lays still. Dead. Noel looks horrified. Donna screams, sounding horrified. The lights start flashing red and blue. Her scream fades into a morbid laugh. Donna is laughing hysterically. She is free. Two police officers walk onto the stage, lights still flashing. Noel and Donna are questioned—though we cannot hear any of it. He tells them Donna’s story as she is far from capable of telling it herself. All sound on stage begins to fade until a song starts playing (something upbeat, like Dancing Queen by ABBA or Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper). Concurrently, the lights fade into a single spotlight on Donna, smiling still. Lights end on red, then dark.
END OF PLAY