NIGHTFALL

CAST

JANITOR’S DAUGHTER/FRANCE – MARIFE HERRERA

TEACHER – MARGARITA AMORANTE
SOFIA – SHANNEN MAYANI
JANITOR 1 - PAUL LUBAT
JANITOR 2 - ELMON BANDILLA

Spoiled brats are bullying the janitor.

(throws juice/garbage at his face, kicks the garbage he has been

cleaning and bumps into him)

10 YEARS LATER

HALLWAY

Students are everywhere. France is rushing through the noisy

students as she makes her way to her 1st class when she bumps
into a teacher.

TEACHER
Ouch! What’s wrong with you?

FRANCE
I’m sorry. I was in a hurry to my 1st class.

TEACHCER
Are you new here?

FRANCE
Yes, I am France Rivera from Cebu and I am a transferee. I’m
actually heading to my history class. Do you know where the room
3021 West wing building is?

TEACHER
Oh I see. I am Ms. Christine Cruz, your history teacher. It just
happens that our basketball team is at the finals that’s why we
don’t have a class.

FRANCE
What a coincidence? So, are we going to meet tomorrow?
TEACHER
Yes, we will have a regular class tomorrow.

As they walk down the hallway, the teacher gets bumped with a
mop.

TEACHER
What the… You are so stupid!

JANITOR
I’m sorry. I didn’t see you. Sorry.

TEACHER
Watch out! You, moron!

The teacher turns to France.

TEACHER
I’m sorry about that, there are just some stupid janitors in this
school. Please bear with it. So, don’t be late tomorrow, okay?
See you!

When the teacher left, France asks a student who stands along the
corridor.

FRANCE
Excuse me, do you know where the cafeteria is?

The student did not hear her because her earphones are plugged in
and she is quite busy with her cell phone.

FRANCE
Excuse me, miss? Do you know where the cafeteria is?

SOFIA
Oh! Sorry, I did not hear you. The cafeteria is right there. I’ll
accompany you.

FRANCE
Really? Thanks!

SOFIA
You must be new. I am Sofia and you are…

FRANCE
France, I am France Rivera. I am a transferee.
SOFIA
Ah. So, why did you transfer?

FRANCE
Hmmm… Family issues

SOFIA
Oh! Tell me something about it. Did your dad had a mistress? Come
on. Tell me.

FRANCE
Sorry, but, this is not the right time. You’ll know it soon.

SOFIA
Whatever!

LIGHTS OFF

Days have passed and France witnesses the bullying of the spoiled
brats to the janitor.

(the students kicks the trash can, when they leave, France helps
him, when she leaves, another students make a mess)

LIGHTS OFF

(students are bullying the janitor and at the same time, the
teacher is watching them, doing nothing)

FRANCE
Stop! What’s wrong with you? Can you just leave him alone?!

STUDENTS
Mind your own business! Loser!

(France approaches the teacher)

FRANCE
Why didn’t you do anything?

TEACHER
Just let them be. Don’t get involved.

FRANCE
But why? Are you even a teacher?

TEACHER
You don’t understand.

FRANCE
I am so disappointed with you.

LIGHTS OFF

JANITOR
Why are you doing this?

FRANCE
Do what?

JANITOR
Why are you helping me?

FRANCE
Is there something wrong with it?

JANITOR
None, it’s just that, this is the first time that someone
actually helped me.

FRANCE
Why aren’t you doing anything?

JANITOR
I don’t have the right. Janitors are just stupid slaves for them.

FRANCE
But you are still human. You should not let them do that to you.

JANITOR
They are the ones who give us salaries. Without them, we are
nothing. I am nothing.

FRANCE
Without you, there’s no one to keep the cleanliness of this
university. You are also important.

JANITOR
Thanks for your concern, France.

LIGHTS OFF
France sees Sofia bullying the janitor.
SOFIA
Hey, freak! Do you want some?

JANITOR
No, thank you.

SOFIA
Alright! (throws her food)

France approaches her

FRANCE
Hey, Sofia! Stop!

SOFIA
Mind your own business!

STUDENT - SAM
Freak! (pushes the janitor and kicks him)

France helps the janitor as the bullies leave.

LIGHTS OFF

Dead body is found and France walks around it with a mop in her
hand

LIGHTS OFF

The janitor tries to clean the blood stain in his mop.

LIGHTS OFF

Sofia talks to the students

SOFIA
What time are we going to Sam’s wake?

STUDENT 1
You decide. I still can’t believe it.

STUDENT 2
Me too. What did her mom tell you, Sofia?

SOFIA
It was said that she was hit in the head by a hard and solid
thing and her body was found inside a black bag near the storage
room. The police said that she was killed maybe around 5 or 6p.m.

The janitor passes by, smirking, when another student bullies him

STUDENT
Hey freak! Why are you smirking? Hmm… My shoes are a little bit
dirty. Can you clean it for me? Please.

The janitor cleans the shoes, while he is cleaning it, the

student spills a drink over him.

FRANCE
Why did you do that?

SOFIA
He deserves it! Why do you always try to help him? Is he your
boyfriend or what?

FRANCE
Of course not.

SOFIA
Then, why?

FRANCE
Why do you have to treat him like that?

SOFIA
It’s for fun! And everyone else in this university does that,
even our teacher.

FRANCE
I am just wondering, she’s a teacher, she can and she must stop
you, but, why is she doing nothing?

SOFIA
I don’t know, you better ask her.

France
I already did.

SOFIA
It’s not my problem anymore.
LIGHTS OFF

France approaches her teacher.

FRANCE
Can you do me a favor?

TEACHER
Well, it depends.

FRANCE
Can you talk to the students to stop the bullying towards the
janitor?

TEACHER
I… Can’t.

FRANCE
You’re a teacher and you have the power to do that.

TEACHER
Yes, I do have, but…

FRANCE
But why? You’re pathetic.

LIGHTS OFF

The teacher approaches Sofia

TEACHER
Sofia, can I talk to you.

SOFIA
Make it fast!

TEACHER
Can you please stop bullying the school janitor?!

SOFIA
What does it have to do with you?

TEACHER
Just stop it.

SOFIA
Don’t meddle with anything that I am doing. You’re just nobody in
our family, so stop telling me what to do. FYI, you’re not my
Mom.

TEACHER
I am now.

SOFIA
No, you’re not. How could you be my mom when you are the one who
killed my true mother?

TEACHER
How many times do I have to tell you? I did not kill her.

SOFIA
You’re my dad’s mistress, you’re a home wrecker. If not because
of you, maybe my mom would not die. Now, if you excuse me I still
have my class.

LIGHTS OFF

Another dead body was found

SOFIA
Hey, France! Have you heard the news?

FRANCE
About what?

SOFIA
Stephanie was found dead early this morning.

FRANCE
Oh! She is the best friend of Sam, right? The spoiled brats who
always bully the janitor. What happened?

SOFIA
They say that, same thing happened with Sam and Stephanie. I
heard that the police thinks it is serial killing.

LIGHTS OFF

Sofia is bullying the janitor and France sees her. When she was
about to help him, their teacher stopped her.

TEACHER
No, France. Stop! Don’t get involved with that.
FRANCE
But… Can’t you see? Are you blind or what? Sofia is being so
rude, disrespectful and heartless. Why are you stopping me to
help the defenseless janitor?

TEACHER
Just please, mind your own business, France.

FRANCE
I don’t understand why she is like that. Maybe her parents did
not instill good values in her. And I don’t understand why you
are doing this.

TEACHER
Stop talking. You don’t know what you’re saying. Get lost!

LIGHTS OFF

One day, Sofia and the teacher are left alone in the university
because of some paperwork that needs to be done. Heavy footsteps
along the hallway broke the silence.

TEACHER
Did you hear that?

SOFIA
Hear what?

TEACHER
Footsteps

SOFIA
I didn’t hear anything. Maybe you’re just tired. How many years
do you still need to finish that? I wanna go home.

Then, they hear another set of heavy footsteps, but, this time,
it gets nearer and nearer until they hear a knock on the door.
The teacher stands and opens the door, but, she found no one.

TEACHER
Hello?! Is anybody still here?

SOFIA
I guess the stupid janitor is still cleaning the hallway. Let’s
go home.
The teacher is about to close the door when she disappeared in
darkness.

SOFIA
Mom? Where are you?

She was surprised when she saw her mom/teacher being dragged down
along the hallway and screaming.

TEACHER
Run, Sofia! Run!

Sofia runs as fast as she could while the man/woman wearing a

jacket and a cap grabs the teacher and hits her with a mop. She
was put inside a black bag. Sofia hides in a dark corner
witnessing the traumatic and horrible killing of her step mother.

FRANCE
Sofia? Where are you? Come on Sofia, it doesn't hurt. Well,
actually you will feel a slight sting, but it ain't much.

Suddenly, France sees and catches her. She was about to hit her
with a mop when she took off the mask and kicked her making her
to groan. She realized that it was France.

SOFIA
France? Why are you doing this?

FRANCE
It’s too late to ask, Sofia. Go to hell with your stupid step
mother.

Sofia screams and France hit her hard in the head taking her life
away.

The janitor heard that noise so he went to where it came from.

The janitor sees France putting the dead body of Sofia inside a
black bag.

JANITOR
Oh my God France! What have you done?

France turns and sees the janitor.

FRANCE
This is all for you and my dad.
France walks towards the janitor, but, he took a step back.

FRANCE
Don’t be afraid.

JANITOR
Stop! Are you the one who killed Sam and Stephanie?

FRANCE
Yes, it’s me.

JANITOR
Oh my God! But why?

FRANCE
I see my dad in you and they had hurt you too.

JANITOR
You see your dad in me? Why?

FRANCE
He was once a janitor in this university. He was disabled, his
right eye can’t see and he has polio, but, despite of his
disabilities, he still worked hard for our family. Money is
always our problem. I still remember when I was still a child; I
always hear them shouting at each other and telling harsh words,
and the noise of broken glasses and plates also worsen the
situation. Until one day, they had a big fight. I was hiding
under the table during that time as I see my dad relentlessly
beating up my mom. I ran towards my dad and started pulling him
away. That was the time when my mom stood up and hit him with a
flower vase. My dad fell down, knocked out and there was blood in
his head. My mom instantly grabbed and carried me as we ran away
from him. That was the last time I see my father. My mom and I
went to my granddad and grandmom’s house in the province. Years
have passed and we did not hear anything from my father, until
one day, my mom received a call from one of our neighbors here in
Manila telling that my dad passed away. We went here to see him
and gave him a decent funeral.

JANITOR
But what does it have to do with me?

FRANCE
Some reports say that my dad died when he fell down the stairs.
He was a victim of bullying and that also brought him to death.
On a nightfall, when everybody already left, my dad was left
alone in the university. He was the only janitor in this
university and he needs to clean from ground floor up to the 5th
floor of this building. He was silently cleaning the hallway,
when the heartless spoiled brats began teasing and calling him
blind, crippled and freak. He told them to leave and go home,
but, they were too stubborn. They began to spill oil on the floor
and my dad lost his balance and fell down the stairs. He was
already lifeless when the ambulance came. That’s the reason why I
hate seeing someone being bullied. It reminds me of what had
happened to my dad and it hurts me so much to witness another
bullying incident. I tried to warn every student to stop bullying
you, but, they did not listen. Even my history teacher. I talked
to her many times before, begging her to help me to stop Sofia
and her friends. But what did she do? Nothing. She just tolerated
them and pretended to be deaf and blind.

JANITOR
But… Didn’t you realize that because of all the killings you did,
you eventually become to be like them? You turned out to be the
monster you are once afraid of.

France walks towards the janitor

FRANCE
No I’m not! I did this to help you. I don’t want you to suffer
what my dad experienced.

JANITOR
I didn’t ask for your help. I was grateful for the times you
saved me, but, I won’t tolerate you for now. I’ll call the
police.

FRANCE
No! They all deserve to die, so do you.

She hit him hard over and over again until blood covered the
floor. She put him inside the black bag. She loses her mind.

FRANCE
I killed them all. (crying)
Oh yes I killed them. (laughing)

France laughs and cries until the curtains close.

THE END…