1 small round table, 3 long tables with stools, 2 beds, barred windows, 2 chairs, 1 tablecloth, 1 cell phone, 2 police uniforms, 3 prison uniforms, 1 pair of coffee cups with trays, 1 sugar jar with a small spoon, 3 dinner plates.
Cell set: a bed in the center, behind which other people's beds seem to be visible. It is dark, with a barred window letting in light.
Coffee room set: small round table in the center with two chairs. There are coffee cups and a sugar jar on the table.
Prison canteen set: several long tables with stools behind them.
Synopsis: K has been in a women's prison for a year, can't remember anything from her past, and has weekly psychotherapy sessions with a psychiatrist named Amen. A new guard, Zhang Ying, comes to the prison, and Little K is full of doubts about her. Nightmares come gradually, and fragments of memories begin to flash in her mind, what the past really is ......
Act I
Monologue: It was noisy in the square. I stood on the edge, like I was watching a movie. I lit a cigarette and the ashes roiled between the flicks and falls. I watched with unusual calmness as blood slid down my arm, and I heard the release alarm go off, and I slowly closed my eyes ......
Narrator: dusty window sills, ants crawling aimlessly, seeking a different trajectory of life, and which unfortunate possibility, next, would be killed by an unintentional, unaffordable unintentional touch and perish? Such is life, decided from the moment it chooses how to go.
Scene: the cell.
(Darkness, a sudden clang of something heavy falling, a sudden sound of hurried footsteps.)
(Prison guard's loud angry voice): 7643198! Another suicide! (Sound of clubs hitting metal) One week confinement!
(Lights snap on, and a man sits in the corner.)
Small K (post-scene monologue): My name is Small K, here, people call me 7643198. after a week in solitary confinement, I'm starting to go a little night blind. I like to squeeze into the narrow light by the window, it's the only place where I feel like I have a breath of fresh air. Looking up through the rows and rows of bars, I can see a small patch of sky, azure colored light that falls into my eyes. I gesticulate with my fingers in the blinding light before me, as if I were constructing a strange picture, and they swim around in my head, flashing so fast that I can't see the details in time. And so each day passed, in this closed and gray space-if it was cloudy, the air pressure suffocated away my nerves; if it was rainy, the rain came and washed away the negatives of my soul so that I could see clearly. A lot of things I've forgotten - the day before yesterday, yesterday, even today, it seems like I can't remember anymore, even why I came here ...... one day, one day, and another day ...... I One thing I do remember is that I would see a therapist, her name was Amen, twice a week.
Scene: a room filled with the aroma of coffee in a gray tone.
Man (who keeps elegantly putting sugar in her coffee): How was your lunch?
K: Some of the fish, it was awful.
Ah Man: What a mouth.
Small K (smile): used to gargle with abalone, I guess. (Crouching on the table, head resting on his hands) You're drinking KOPILUWAH (Sumatran Elk Spice Coffee)?
Aman: (light smile) how do you know?
K: The flavor is familiar, I actually don't like the smell very much.
Aman: Unfortunately there are just people like me who go out of their way to smell bad. (Mints a sip of coffee) These are a little heavy for everyday, how do you feel?
K: Prison uniforms hurt when you wear them.
Aman: We should tell the government about the quality of the prison uniforms.
Small K: Silk is the best.
Ah Mann (smiling thoughtfully): There are a lot of demands. You, remembering the old days?
Small K: no.
Aman: Remember anything about her?
(Little K began to drop tears)
(Amen handed tissues)
(Post-scene monologue: Tears have become a habit for me when I come here, from the beginning of bawling to the heart-breaking shouts, and then later on, the tears that quietly slipped through the corners of my eyes, it seems that they are just performing a ritual, completing a ceremony of searching in the midst of oblivion. It really mattered how I pieced together the blurry picture of her in my mind.)
Scene: cell.
Hong (lying on the bed): prong, is that little K still cowering in that corner?
Principle: Eh, still looks like she's dying. She looked at this person has a ghost gas, tsk, I also took the initiative to find her to talk to, she was dragged very much, the girl also do not take care of me! What's the point of having a spirit, it's not all a crime to come in.
Sister Hong: She has been here for a year, what is the sentence? As if to stay here for a long time, look at her also look a good-looking, the rest of his life ......
Principle: Okay, less here to cry cat and mouse. But what the hell she came in, I'm not too sure. The upper get a mysterious, afraid of what is the cat in the head. Eh, I say, will not be what undercover ah?
Sister Hong: You really think so. If that's true, it's not in our way, so what the heck!
Sister Hong (get up and walk towards small k): Hey.
Small K (leaning against the corner of the wall)
Principle: Hello! You're deaf, Sister Hong is calling you!
Small K (closed his eyes, leaning sideways)
Principal (walked over and pulled K's hair) Don't be shameless, don't think you have a few dollars! I've been putting up with you for a long time.
Small K (indifferent eyes, not moving)
Prong: Hey!
Sister Hong: Forget it, Prong. Looks like a real mute. (Prongs pushes K back into the corner)
(Both get off)
Act II
Scene: the prison's cafeteria.
Plate on table, K leaning against table, not moving
Post-scene monologue: I gave the guards another scolding, a mid-week occurrence. I want to plead that I ignored her because I was still thinking about something. I usually lose my ability to communicate with the outside world when I'm trying to remember, but unfortunately she didn't understand and wouldn't give me any chance to explain. I didn't want to open my mouth or argue anymore. I suddenly felt that I might have forgotten language.
(Lok Ching on)
Lok Ching: 7643198, what are you thinking about again? You're like a wandering soul all day, and you're not eating!
(Turned his back and muttered) I always feel that 7643198 does not seem to live in this world. It's as if she's never been awake. What was it, that made her like this?
(Shrugging it off) There will be a new warden in charge of you this afternoon, Zhang Ying-(signaling Zhang Ying to come out)
(Zhang Ying on)
Post-scene monologue:I didn't hear what Warden Lok Ching said again, I just felt inexplicably irritated, so frenzied that I wanted to vomit. The sparse applause around me, however, made me feel unusually loud. I looked out the window, the early summer foliage called me to relax a little. Yes, is there a new prison guard? (Turning his head absently)
(Both of them are a bit surprised and overwhelmed, Little K stands up at once, knocking over the dinner plate, the two of them stare at each other quietly, the scene goes black)......
Scene: psychotherapy room
Ahmman: The sun's shining today.
K: You'll never feel it here. (Looks around the dark-toned enclosed space.)
Aman: You seem to be in a good mood, remember anything?
K: Is it good? Maybe. There's a new prison guard today.
Aman: A beauty?
K: Sort of ...... (mumbles) She looks reassuring to me. Well, my headache seems to get better after seeing her.
Post-scene monologue: this is the first time I've been to the therapy room without crying. To be precise, I habitually let the tears stay in my eyes. But today the corners of my eyes stayed at an upward angle. I forgot to remember for a moment.)
Scene: cell
(Everyone is quietly asleep)
(K is curled up in the corner of the bed)
Post-scene monologue:I've been having a recurring dream lately, where a beam of light suddenly appears in a pitch-black room! There were several people writhing and struggling, and the sound of clothes rubbing together could be heard. The air seemed to freeze, almost suffocating. A sharp cry ripped through the space! Pain, piercing pain spread in my body ...... I saw scarlet blood, slowly dipping. The blades emitted a morose coldness over the body. People were hissing, their cheeks became blurred, and everything faded into a whimper ...... into smoke ...... The smoke dissipated, dissipated ...... I always woke up in this cone of pain, and before my eyes floated those Remnants of the picture, flashed through the blurred face, blood dripping from the eyes ...... (shudder) I broke out in a big cold sweat ...... When did I start having this dream? That day? The day I met her ......
Scene: prison dining hall.
(All of them are eating with their heads buried in their hands, muffling the sound of dishes clattering. Little K sits alone at a table, eating without taking a bite.)
(Zhang Ying goes up and walks quickly towards Xiao K.)
Zhang Ying: Hello, Xiao K.
Small K (slowly looking up, eyes lax): 7643198, that's what the prison guards are supposed to call it. Well, I'm 7643198.(Wry, wide grin.)
Zhang Ying: (Affirmative.) You're Little K.
Off-screen monologue: she looks at me and smiles prettily, also stubbornly not calling me by my number. I know everyone around me is looking at her with suspicion - how could a prison guard come to eat in the inmate cafeteria. Her eyes warmed me and inexplicably made me want to trust her.
Zhang Ying: You look like you're tired, and you don't usually have much energy.
K: I didn't wake up.
Off-screen monologue: she smiled and looked at me, but I didn't feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, and neither of us said anything else, as if it had been a longstanding understanding.
(Falling Clear on.)
Rakumaru (announcing): meal time is over.
(K stands up and walks out.)
Lok Ching: 7643198, you know Zhang Ying?
Small K: No.
Lok Ching: Really? Forget it, you go first. Ah, do you remember what the offense was in the first place?
Small K: ...... forgot.
(Falling Clear looks down at Little K.)
Lok Ching: really don't recognize? I don't think so. Do not recognize sit so close to talk? Just now also see na. To be honest, Zhang Ying transferred to this prison is really strange. She was originally the provincial public security department, do a good job, but took the initiative to request a transfer to this small city prison as a prison guard. Anyone feel that there are rare, many colleagues are guessing.
Scene: Psychological treatment room.
Small K: Someone wants to kill me! Before entering the prison!
(Amen picks up her coffee cup)
Amen: You remember?
K: No, I ...... I don't know, I didn't get a good look at their faces, what were they arguing over?
Aman: So maybe you were set up? (Pause) Do you remember how you got in?
K: ...... can't think of it ......
Aman: Well, what about the judge then?
K: The judge? ...... there? ...... I, I can't think of one! Ah!
Aman: Don't panic! Calm down. Come on, can you remember who the person standing at the plaintiff's table is?
K (covering his head in pain): who? Who was it? One person? Two people? A lot of people! Who the hell is it! She's trying to kill me! They're trying to kill me! Her eyes are so terrified ...... she's in pain! Yes, pain! But I can't see ...... Amen, help me! Amen......
Aman: Little K, calm down, if you can't think of it, don't think of it.
Small K:::Why can't you see clearly? Those murderers! Why, why did they do that?
Aman: Sealed memories are always painful. Too much filth to touch and keep hurting. It's like me ...... I like to forget. (Drinks coffee as if not paying attention to k's pain.)
(Little K is in pain)
Off-screen monologue: forgetting means it doesn't exist right ...... I would have remembered nothing. Living like a dream is better than now, isn't it?
Aman: Think of something happier ......
K: Zhang Ying?
(Amen smiled in silence)
Small K:: She gives me a strange feeling ...... I like her, I like her to look at me. But there's and I'm afraid to look at her looking at me - there's a very heartbreaking feeling ......
Ah Man: like?
Small K: ...... can't say. (Emotions flaring up again) Amen ...... Amen! I'm so hard and in so much pain! Ah! (groans) Zhang Ying ...... Amen, Amen ......
(Amen stands up, smiles mysteriously, and walks off.)
Scene: prison dining hall.
(Zhang Ying and K are sitting at a dining table, while Lok Ching patrols the perimeter.)
Zhang Ying: You look pale.
Small K: Didn't sleep.
Zhang Ying: Always so cool, but it matches your looks.
Small K: You are a prison guard, why are you as maudlin as a kindergarten teacher?
Zhang Ying: Uh?
K: You're so annoying! Do we know each other? Why are you talking to me so much?
Zhang Ying: If you say we know each other, then we know each other. (God's color sank.) You are very special ...... (whispering) Yes, special ......
Small K: (didn't hear) What? Adore me just say it, I never deny my charm.
Zhang Ying: also very stinky ...... (as if in some kind of mood.)
Small K: Hmm? Still? (Somewhat sensitive and feeling unnatural, changing the topic) Why do you want to be a cop? Justice? (Ask yourself like) Is there really a time in the world to know right from wrong?
Zhang Ying: I have a friend who said that the world is fair, just look at it from different angles. She, envies me for being a police officer. (Gazing at Little K)
Little K: Miss Naive!
Zhang Ying (a little excited): you know she is a lady?
Small K:: Suddenly that's what I thought. Your friend is a young lady. (Conflicted expression of feeling something more in her heart) She has never seen a real prison guard. (Looked at Lok Ching) If she had really seen it, she wouldn't think so. But you're good ...... (looks at Zhang Ying, then quickly lowers her head)
Zhang Ying: You ...... (silent)
Off-screen monologue: for some reason, when I'm with Zhang Ying, I have more to say, and even a little bit of a rumpus! --as if they were old friends for life--which in turn seems to be an extremely natural reflection. Her face is familiar to me, and her expression makes me feel very cozy. Had I seen it somewhere before? Maybe in a dream, a dream so sweet that I don't want to wake up ......
Zhang Ying (noticing Xiao K's dinner plate, a little surprised) Xiao K you actually eat bitter melon? Didn't you used to not-(pause)
Small K (confused): you know I don't like to eat this kind of thing? You ......(want to ask but don't dare)
Off-screen monologue: I want to ask her! I want to know what kind of relationship we have! She's related to me! I'm clear ...... But I'm afraid, inexplicably afraid - I don't know what I'm afraid of, but my soul stops me - Just get here, see her smiling face Just get here, just see her smiling face, just hear her gentle care, don't inquire, don't want the truth - what is the truth? I only know I don't want to and can't bear it ......
(The two men stopped talking.)
Lok Ching: Meal time is over!
Zhang Ying: (embarrassed and rushed) I'll leave first.
(Little K nods.) Zhang Ying goes down. Little K gets up and prepares to leave.)
Lok Ching: 7643198, your parents haven't visited you?
(Little K falls into meditation)
Off-camera monologue: parents? Do I have any? Oh, no one has no parents, right, but I'd almost forgotten that there are such two people in the world. The people who gave birth to me, the people who raised me - dad, mom? What strange terms. I haven't called them that in a long time. Are there such two people? I don't have any impression ......
Lok Ching: Ugh, speak up!
Small K: No......
Lokaru: Never in so long?
Small K: ......
Off-site monologue: I forgot everyone, and everyone forgot me ......
Lok Ching: (sighs) Well, you go.
(Little k down.)
Rakumaru: I can't believe someone never comes to see their child? That doesn't look like a child whose parents didn't love him before. How even their own daughter does not care about it? I heard that quite rich ah, or a high official. Do not move to foreign countries do not care about their daughters? Or the daughter is too disgraceful ......
Scene: cell
(Hong and Prong playing cards and chatting, K is still dumb)
Prong: a pair of two.
Sister Hong: What a big card ...... can't take. I heard that the fat guy next door released yesterday?
Principle: Well, released, or picked up with a very big black car.
Hong Sister: a hook. A very black big car ...... tsk tsk, really earth ya you! People do not know also thought it was a black tractor na.
Prime: box! Sedan! Super luxury! People can not look like na ~~~~~
Hong sister: sedan terrific! Bold son! Speaking of which, isn't the one across the bed from you rich too!
Prisky: She - hmm! Bombed! (Looks over to little k.) Hey! You know what? (Comes closer to Hiro-san. Deliberately raising her voice) So that mute isn't mute!
Sister Hong: Ah, lost! (Shuffling the cards) Well, it's quite a walk to talk to the prison guards.
Principle: It's true that they are related to the top, there is a backstage against the na, no wonder it is so dragged.
Hong: (put down the cards and turned to K) Hey. I said, are you very rich?
Principle: I borrowed the money from my sisters!
(Little K ignores. Prong walks over and kicks her.)
Principle: Hong sister, but I heard that her parents are in a foreign country!
Sister Macro: It feels like there's no one to see her! No one wants her!
Principle: Hey! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Don't play dead with me!
Hong: What do you care about her if she's not wanted? What's wrong with her? It's better not to mess with her, there are people up there who want to cover her.
Principle: Bah! There must be something to hide! (Kicks harder, finds it pointless, goes back to lie on the bed.)
(K lifts her head up from between her protective arms, woodenly. The curtain goes black.)
Scene: psychotherapy room.
K: Why can't I remember my parents?
Aman: Why do you ask that all of a sudden? Maybe it's just a temporary forgetfulness.
Small K: That's a poor attempt at consolation.
Man: I'm used to listening. You've gotten a lot better in a while, you've been talking a lot more.
K: Really?
Aman: Because of that new prison guard?
K: Maybe.
Aman: Looks like that prison guard has a lot of charisma.
K: I think I know her.
Aman: You remember something?
Small K: Yes and no ...... She has a familiar scent to me, and I think she knew me before, as a friend, or maybe (pause) a sister?
Aman: Did you hear something?
K: I don't know. They said my parents are abroad ...... Do they know I'm here?
Aman: You want to know why they didn't come to see you?
Small K: More or less expect it. Do I ...... have a mom and dad too?
Aman: Maybe someone is hiding something.
Small K: Hiding? Yes, it must be who someone has deceived them! Maybe they don't know I'm in jail yet! Dad is the dad who handed me chopsticks, mom is the mom who knitted sweaters for me under the lamp ...... Why don't you come to see me? Dad ...... Mom ...... Ah Man! Zhang Ying! She's approaching me now! Is she up to something? No one in this world is nice to me, why is she nice to me? Who is she? I feel like there's a chasm in my heart separating me from her, we look at each other from such a wide distance, it's very melancholy ...... But I always feel happy and happy with her, as if I'm very close to her ......
Ah Man: How so?
Small K: in front of her I can laugh, I can say a lot of things, I can not smell the suffocating smell of prison ......
Ah Man: is it possible that you are remembering what secrets are hidden?
K (horrified) Secrets? Mine?
Aman: . (eerie and evil) Like, dirty unpleasantness? (Approaches Little K as if embracing her, holding the seated Little K at bay with her own form. Blackout.)
Scene: cell.
(K sits alone on the bed)
Off-scene monologue:I still have that dream, the face is becoming clearer, and suddenly I'm afraid to see that face, the face of someone with a murder weapon in their hand. Whenever her terrified eyes shot to me, my whole body blood seemed to freeze in an instant, the coldness in my body was heartbreaking. Zhang Ying would still seek me out for a chat during the free time we met, and every time I saw her I was pleasant. I will temporarily forget about those various speculations about her. I still didn't ask her any questions about the past, and she no longer mentioned it, but it was as if she was cautiously avoiding something between conversations. In her familiar scent we joked like old friends. The others in the cell were still unfriendly to me and looked at me with increasing suspicion. We always laughed lightly, exuding an ambiguity that seemed as if everyone could smell it. I sometimes hear her humming a low tune that I can't understand the tune but understand the lyrics: you want to lose your memory forever, I want to catch up forever, and finally we sing and dance our lives away ...... all the time, lingering in our ears.
(Lies down and falls asleep)
Off-screen monologue: nightmare! Vipers wrap me around, strangling me so I can't breathe! The cold fruit knife flashes ...... I'm so numb I forget my fear, the murderer's face is slowly approaching me, gradually, zooming in, zooming out - (screams) No, it can't be, how is she why is she!
(Sitting up in shock)
Scene: psychotherapy room.
K: I remember. (double-takes)
Aman: Oh? (mixing her own coffee)
K: I'd rather I couldn't remember anything. (Agonizing)
Ah Man: Haven't you always wanted to remember? Why (in an evil tone)~~~~
Small K:: (completely ignoring the periphery now) It's actually her! It's Zhang Ying! The new prison guard!
So memories really do have secrets, gross! She actually betrayed me, how could she do this to me? I trusted her so much, I did and I still do! How in the world could I be so stupid to be cheated over and over again ...... I was still so stupid to smile at her ...... I told her what was in my heart. She said she brought me good food. She said the flowers outside are blooming so brightly. She said, she said, that is the world has abandoned me she will always be by my side!
Aman: (Sneering as the other man loses control) Are you sure? (Quietly down.)
Scene: corner of rooftop.
Lok Ching (received a phone call): you found out ah, say. En, small K, a year ago for manslaughter sentenced to prison, the year the injured is (incredulous) what? Zhang Ying! The plaintiffs are (so surprised that they covered their mouths) Little K's parents! God, how could this be?
(Falling down)
(K rushes up, Zhang Ying catches up)
Zhang Ying (pulling K): You're avoiding me? (Turning to each other) You don't even talk lately. (Sighs, lets go) Do you like coming here?
Small K: I like the sun, I like everything to be exposed to it.
ZHANG YING: (sighs) Really?
(Zhang Ying walks halfway around the field and turns around)
Zhang Ying: Do you want to hear a story.
K: You want to tell it?
Zhang Ying: I'm afraid you don't want to hear it.
Small K: That's just you don't say it!
Zhang Ying: really want to hear?
Small K: Is there something unspeakable?
ZHANG YING: The story starts out all old-fashioned, two girls, when they were young, were very close, and the parents of the two families used to visit each other all the time. But one of the families later moved to another city, and although it was sad, they had to separate.
K: Old story indeed. What happened then?
ZHANG YING: Life is sometimes like a TV drama. The one who moved away met his original playmate in the city where he lived. Things have changed, but the smile remains unadulterated.
(K began to be a little trance.)
ZHANG YING: They recognized each other so accurately in the crowd of people passing by. One had become a police officer and the other a freelancer, but naturally became inseparable friends once again.
Small K: Ying Ying ...... (sleepwalking into memories)
Zhang Ying: Something that shouldn't have happened still happened.
Small K: Don't talk about it!
Zhang Ying: (ignoring it, and falling into memories herself) Problems between their parents involved them. The father of the freelancer is suspected of embezzlement and bribery and other incriminating evidence, and the one who is a police officer accidentally knows about it.
K:: Don't talk about it! I don't want to hear it!
Zhang Ying: She went to question the uncle whom she used to respect the most. But they got into an argument.
K: No! No no ...... Ying Ying ...... Ying Ying ......
Zhang Ying: I ...... am sorry! ......
Small K: I'm sorry for what? I'm sorry? Oh ...... it's me! It's me who's sorry! I saw it! I was so scared! They were fighting! One was my dad and his secretary! One was my best friend! They're going to beat her to death! She's dying! She's dying! Dad! Dad!
Zhang Ying: Xiao K Xiao K! Are you okay?
Small K: peeling apples ...... I want to serve apples to dad their ...... I rushed over! Blood! How come the sky is full of blood? Collapsed on the ground? Who is that one? Why is my hand so warm so wet? Who was it? Who screamed and fell?
Zhang Ying: Calm down! Little K! It's okay! It's over! It's all right!
Small K: Ying Ying! Yingying! (Shouting harshly)
Zhang Ying: You see? I'm fine, aren't I? I'm in front of you! You see! You can touch it!
(Little K confirms shakily)
Small K: Ying Ying ......
Zhang Ying: Yes, I, I'm here.
Small K: Nope! (A push away) Ying Ying is dead! Everyone's gone! Gone! Dad says I'm a damned murderer, and mom says I've disgraced our family to the point where we can't do this position! They all don't want me anymore! They sent me to jail! They're all gone!
ZHANG YING: No no no! At least, I, I will stay with you!
K: They don't want me! All don't want me ...... Ah Man! Ah Man! Ying Ying? No, it's not, I, I - I'm not going to! (in extreme pain) Amen! Where's Amen? I, I'm looking for Aman!
Zhang Ying: (holding on) Who's Aman?
K: (unconsciously) Counselor.
Zhang Ying: (looking at Xiao K in surprise) What are you talking about? Little K?
Small K:: Amen, the doctor in the counseling room! I want Amen!
Zhang Ying: There is no counseling room in the prison! And of course, there's no Amen ......
(Little K runs off screaming. Curtain falls.)