(At rise, the stage is empty and dark

save for a single coffin, spotlighted

in the center of the stage. A young

man in black (Devil) enters the stage

from the left and approaches the

coffin.)

DEVIL

(regretfully)

I warned you not to go out, didn’t I? But you never listened to me, did you.

(He touches the top of the coffin tenderly.)

What a foolish way to die, saving a stranger.

(A young man dressed in white (Angel)

enters the stage from the right,

quietly joining DEVIL at the coffin.)

ANGEL

Not foolish… just…

(He trails away into silence.)

DEVIL

(adamantly)

Yes, foolish! She was such a fool! She was so happy… 

ANGEL

(He smiles, leaning against the right side of

the coffin while DEVIL leans against the left.)

Happy? I thought your job was to make her miserable.

DEVIL

(derisively)

She encountered enough misfortune on her own. She never needed my help in that department.

(DEVIL’S voice softens)

She was too stupidly kind. She never realized that people were taking advantage of her.

ANGEL

You’re a horrible devil, you know. You’re much too kind.

DEVIL

Kind?

ANGEL

(ANGEL shakes his head regretfully.)

Kinder than I was. I never tried to stop her, even though I knew her good deeds would only hurt her in the end. She just kept giving and giving till everything was gone.

DEVIL

It made her happy though.

ANGEL

I know. I just wish she could’ve been happy for just a bit

longer.

DEVIL

You did fine.

ANGEL

(laughs softly)

And here I thought to comfort you.

DEVIL

Why bother? Devils are supposed to be miserable.

ANGEL

Not you.

(Silence descends on the two figures, as

DEVIL stares down at the coffin, and ANGEL

looks intently at DEVIL.)

ANGEL

(breaks silence)

I remember the first time we met. We were both so proud. So

sure that we could each lead her down our different paths.

DEVIL

(snorts)

We figured out soon enough that wouldn’t work. She went through life at her own pace. 

(DEVIL shakes his head sadly, tapping ANGEL

on the chest with one finger.)

She always listened to you though. She never listened to me.

ANGEL

(ANGEL smiles regretfully.)

I was so proud then. She always did the right thing. Now I

wish she had listened to you more often and been a little more

selfish.

DEVIL

(DEVIL shakes his head, laying a hand on the

coffin lid.)

She never would have been happy had she listened to me.

ANGEL

(ANGEL grabs DEVIL’S hand, and presses it affectionately.)

She would have. You never tried to lead her astray.

DEVIL

(DEVIL removes his hand from ANGEL’S grasp)

Yes, I did.

ANGEL

No, you didn’t. You tried to save her from pain not cause it.

DEVIL

(DEVIL looks away uncomfortably.)

I don’t remember doing anything of the sort.

ANGEL

(earnestly)

I do.

(DEVIL looks into ANGEL’S eyes for a moment searchingly.)

She’s gone to a better place now. 

DEVIL

I know.

ANGEL

(ANGEL smiles.)

I told you you were a bad devil.

(ANGEL’S smile fades)

She won’t need us there.

DEVIL

No, she wont.

ANGEL

(tremulously)

We did our best, didn’t we?

DEVIL

(DEVIL awkwardly pats ANGEL’S hand)

I think we did. She was happy, wasn’t she?

ANGEL

She was.

DEVIL

We did just fine then.

(Silence falls between the DEVIL and the

ANGEL for a prolonged moment.)

ANGEL

(ANGEL breaks the silence.)

We have a new assignment together, you and I.

DEVIL

(surprised)

Already?

ANGEL

Yes. You remember the woman she saved?

DEVIL

How could I forget.

ANGEL

(ANGEL falls silent, head down and lost in

thought, for some time before speaking. DEVIL

gazes at him intently.)

The woman was pregnant, and her child is our new assignment.

DEVIL

A rather cruel twist, no?

ANGEL

(ANGEL looks up, meeting DEVIL’S eyes.)

I don’t think so. She dies to save the child. What greater

love is there?

DEVIL

(DEVIL smiles for the first time.)

You really are an excellent angel.

(The sound of a baby crying is heard in the background, rousing both the DEVIL and the

ANGEL from their positions, leaning against

the coffin.)

ANGEL

(Holding out a hand to DEVIL.)

That’s our cue. Shall we go?

DEVIL

(Hesitates.)

Will we make the child happy, do you think?

ANGEL

We will.

DEVIL

(DEVIL walks towards where ANGEL stands

but does not take his offered hand.)

Shall we go then?

(ANGEL smiles brightly, and briefly hugs

DEVIL, who freezes. ANGEL releases DEVIL

and the two exit the stage to the right.

the lights go down slowly, until the stage

goes black and the curtain closes.)

                                                                  
MIRIAM MOCKETT is a sophomore pursuing a degree in fine arts. An Alaskan Resident of ten years, Miriam is the second of four sisters. In her free time (of which there is little) Miriam enjoys writing on the various novels she has in the works.