here we can get out.
LANDON takes ANNIE's high heel and smashes the other window. They all crawl in and climb down the ladder onto the street below them.
Charlotte: Where now? We have nowhere to go.
Landon: We-we have to report West. To the police.
Charlotte: But you'll get separated.
Landon:
But I
Thought I'd have more time
With you
Oh with you
With you
But I love you
I love you so much
I love you
I love you
I love you
We've grown up here
In the walls of this house
I can't imagine leaving
Sneaking away like I never was here
But I love you
Yes I love you
I have to love you
The foster children exit.
Blackout.
Scene 2
The kids sit in the police station together, holding hands. The spotlights go on them individually as they make their statements.
Mayzie: He would threaten me, at least three times a week. He would rip out his gun and say he'd shoot me. He was going to do it this time, he was ready to shoot.
Landon: I didn't see anything wrong at the time, but officer I assure you he was going to kill us. He was going to kill us all.
Annie: Sarah'd come to bed with bruises. We never knew what they were from. She'd promise they were only her being klutzy.
Sarah: Almost everyday he'd hit me. He'd kick me, he'd punch me. Whatever anger he'd had at everyone else, he'd take out on me.
Madison: He was mean. He never hit me but he'd yell at us. Almost every day.
All: He's not fit to be a foster parent.
CHARLOTTE is in a chair center stage, cops on one side of her, the foster children to the right. Both sides listening intenty.
Charlotte: I had gotten to Willow Hills that day, I had found a gun under the floorboard and I-
I threw the key and the gun outside the door.
But I was new and scared and lonely
And I didn't know anyone at all
Cop: How'd you end up here?
My mom, she drank alot
Every night, she'd come home drunker than the night before
And she'd hit Clark or me or dad, but we stood by
She got a gun from who knows where
And she came home one night
Drunk as hell, pulled out the gun
And shot
My dad fell to the ground
His scream still replays in my mind
He did nothing wrong
Just tried to protect us
Just to protect us
Clark and I, we ran upstairs
We locked the doors and said our prayers
And god didn't save my dad that day
I wish god had saved my dad that day
Clark called 9-1-1 as I sobbed in hysterics
And his tiny little mouth said words I can't forget
My mommies got a gun
She shot my daddy
I think he's in heaven now
I think he's in heaven now
And my heart shattered
The man I loved was gone
And the woman that killed him
Shares my blood
I should've shot her
I should've killed her then and there
I heard the sirens and the lights flashed bright
Everything I'd ever known was gone
The cops came and they took Clark and I away
And they told us they'd find a place for us to stay
And I came here, in the silence, and it's all so scary and strange
And I found
I was gone
All hope was gone
I should've tried to save him
I should've called the cops
I should've done a lot of things I didn't do 'cause I was scared
I should've
I should've
I should've
And I'm sorry.
Blackout.
Scene 3
All the foster kids now stand behind CHARLOTTE writing in her diary. CHARLOTTE reads the messages aloud.
Charlotte:
From Mayzie:
Hey Charlotte.
Thanks for understanding and thanks for finding the gun
This diary looks like it must be so fun
Thanks for the memories, they kinda sucked but that's okay
I learned so much from you on this one snowy day.
From Sarah:
Hey Charlotte.
I know we'll never meet again
Or maybe we will, who knows
But thank you for reading my diary
Even though your personal space blows
You taught me how to be a stronger person
You taught me that secrets kill
So thank you
Good luck on your journey
In life.
Have fun.
From Madison.
Hi Charlotte.
I feel it in my bones we'll meet again
You taught me that secrets hold a lot of power within
Come to England
I'll be there
From Annie.
Hey Charlotte.
I didn't really like you
But you taught me that I'll be okay
I can handle my own story, my parents aren't too far away
From Landon.
Hi Charlotte.
You better come to visit me
Because I'll miss you a ton
Learn to trust in yourself
It's worth it if you just believe it'd be fun
Goodbye.
All:
Goodbye.
Charlotte:
Dear future Charlotte.
I'm still learning to love myself
And it's always been hard but
Here's to the years to growing old and gray
And still falling apart
Oh
Still falling apart
It's okay to be still falling apart.
Charlotte: Dear diary. This has been the scariest, craziest 24 hours I've ever lived. Bozeman was...a story to be told. And a story I'm going to tell. And maybe one that other people will tell. My time in Bozeman wasn't the happiest time of my life. But it was a moment. A memorable moment. And that's all a moment can truly ask to be. A single moment in the vastness of the universe. A second, a fragment of time in this ever-dying, grueling world. And that's all I ever wanted to be. I truly want to live for just right now. And only now. Because if it wasn't for right now, there would be no yesterday, or tomorrow, or anything. Everything, every second of every day is made up of just right now. And that's a pretty amazing thing.
CHARLOTTE closes her diary.
Blackout.
End of Act II
End of show