Emily

An empty room with not much furnishings, the wall is bare with and the light is constantly flashing. The room is damp and claustrophobic. Emily lies against the wall staring at the ceiling clenching her fists... She is mumbling to herself…

Emily: Mum wasn’t an alcoholic (shakes her head)… She wasn’t an alcoholic! She may have had a few drinks but not like David! Why the hell did he have to move in! He moved in when I was 14, I wasn’t mature or anything but I was god damn mature enough to know what was going on! (slightly bangs her head against the wall). The cheek on him! Blooming cheek… Coming back every night from ‘The Red Lion’ pissed up and telling me not to tell mum about it! Even she was to drunk to realise that he was out all the time. Thing is though it wasn’t mum’s fault that she was drunk it was David…he was the one! (her tone of voice has now risen and under the flashing light small trickles of sweat can be seen dripping from her forehead). Use to open the cupboard under the sink and there was some food there but Vodka and Jack Daniels was the main thing that I saw. Wasn’t just like one or two bottles it was three four or maybe five depending on what mood David was in. Mum use to drink with David during the evenings but David drank whenever he got the chance to! I keep saying mum isn’t an alcoholic and she isn’t…it’s David’s fault! Was the same old routine with him… come home pissed as anything pass out on the couch then heave himself up the stairs. Mum would always be in bed…I don’t think she ever even noticed him crawling in to bed… never!

Emily now stands against the window which is small and much of the glass is frosted over apart from one pane which she looks out of

Emily: Mum’s drinking got a bit worse and David got angrier and he wouldn’t stay out till just one o clock he would stay out all night…the cheek on him to leave me to look after mum who could hardly stand up herself! I would constantly smell of alcohol, Charlotte even thought I was an alcoholic myself but it was the stench of David, it used to cling to everything…my clothes… my hair… JUST EVERTHING (she rolls her cardigan sleeve down and smells it) my cardigan smells now… (she leans down and grabs a bottle of ’whistlebay’ from cupboard under the sink) Thing is I couldn’t stick being in that god damn house anymore.... I put up with it for a long long time! I didn’t wanna see David heaving up the stairs anymore or mum sprawled out on the bed covered in sick (takes a big swig from the bottle) this life is better for me, Charlotte doesn’t seem to think so though! But what the hell does (raises her voice) SHE know!? I love the smell of this room at least it don’t smell like an ale house! Even the smell of paint is better than David’s stench and my god he smelt! (takes another swig) Think my new place looks pretty good anyway… few licks of paint on the wall an I’ll be sorted (takes another swig and sits back down on the floor)

Emily is now standing up and tries her best to lean against the wall but she is unsteady on her feet.

Emily: This place…now what’s it called um… oh yeah the ‘The London Lodge Hostel’ sounds really posh don’t it! (raises her voice) People in this place keep telling me I cant stay here for much longer… what they on about!? This is my room now and there is no…NO way that I am going back to clean mum and David’s sick up! What do they think I am?! (Emily chucks the empty bottle of ‘Whistlebay’ on the bed) Thing is if they wanted me to move out they shouldn’t have let me move in, in the first place! SIMPLE

Emily now grabs another bottle of ‘Whistlebay’ and tries desperately to open it

Emily: God damn thing! Why don’t it open…probably cause its so cheap. Them market things are rubbish! David gets all his vodka from the market “cheep and cheerful” that’s what he always use to say… Cheap what the hell is he on about! Cost a bomb…they did…cost a bomb! (Emily is now slurring)

Emily raises her hands in the air and drops the bottle of ‘Whistlebay’ on the floor.

Emily: I’m saying… one thing and one thing only! I’m not going to David and mum to live back in that HOLE. I’m staying put…put I say…

As Emily rambles faint footsteps are heard echoing up the corridor. Emily’s social worker knocks on the door.