Google Doc with better formatting

All editing, improv, and audio choices are 100% O.K. If you want to paywall this script, be my guest. Credit SplashiestPig. And I'd love to see the work in the comments.

Key:

[Background SFX]

(SFX created by the speaker)

{Stage Direction}

*non-spoken context*

|Author’s Note|

~emphasis~

The Beast in the Pit

[grate opens]

*listener falls medium distance*

[snake noises throughout]

{soothing}

Please stay calm. I don’t like loud sounds.

*small pause*

I’ve been down here for so long, and there have been so many other prisoners. I’ve tried everything with them. I find it best for me to just rip the bandage off quickly.

*comes closer*

I’m a lamia. As you can see I’m much bigger and stronger than you. I’m not venomous, I’m a constrictor and I need a lot of food to fuel myself. The guards know that, so whenever they want someone to disappear before trial, they throw them in with me. I don’t want to eat anyone, I’m just ~so~ hungry. They don’t feed me anymore. Not until I get, ~unstable~.

(quick exhale)

After long enough of starving, I become more instinctual. I can’t be reasoned with or convinced to rest. I just hunt, until I’m not hungry. I got a normal meal about a week ago, so you have a little time. But if you want to stay alive for as long as possible, you need to help me.

{serious}

You have to try your best not to set off any predator instincts in me. So no sudden movements, no sounds that express pain, no eye contact, don’t turn your back to me, don’t cower, and definitely don’t interact with me when I first wake up. If you get lucky and I’m strong, you’ll have maybe a week to live, tops.

*listener questions*

{honest}

That’s right, a week. I certainly won’t last long and realistically you have more like a few days. I don’t suppose your hearing is sooner than that?

*listener confirms*

Yeah, I didn’t think so. I’m sorry it has to be like this. If I could stop myself believe me I would. But when I’ve tried to hold out through the starvation, it just makes me sadistic. I eat you piece by piece instead of one quick swallow. It’s better if you just accept this and let it happen.

*listener asks*

{annoyed}

People always ask that, and it never works. Yes, there are some alternatives, but they aren’t tangible. If you could feed me something else then you could live, but you don’t have anything. If you could separate yourself from me I might starve to death, but there’s nothing in here. And if you killed me I wouldn’t kill you, but I’m not going to roll over and die. Your best hope would be to beg the guards to let you out, but I don’t think it would work. It’s not impossible, a little girl did it a long time ago, but I don’t think it’ll ever happen again.

*pause*

I know that look. It’s what happens to all the stubborn ones before they crack. You think you can escape.

*listener speaks*

You can try. It won’t work. I’ve seen countless attempts, each ingenious and clever in their own way, and they all failed. It’s a simple problem, you don’t have the resources or the time to leave. The only entrance is that grate above us, and it’s at least twenty feet off the ground. The walls are too smooth to climb and even if you could it would be an impossible jump to make it to the center. If you made it, you’d find it locked and the guards would simply leave you hanging until you fell.

*listener offers*

Tunneling isn’t an option, we have no tools. The scales and bones here are too brittle to break the stone. You could try to chew through the stone if you’d like, but that won’t get you anywhere.

*listener inquires*

Yes, I could reach the grate, but one, the lock is on the outside and your hands look too thick to fit through and two, lifting you for prolonged periods of time would just make me hungry.

*listener reiterates*

{surprised}

You’re really that confident that you could fit your hands through the bars, huh? What would you do then, just shake the hinges until they break?

*listener claims*

You can pick the lock? Do you have something to pick it with?

*listener moves*

[bone snaps]

[snake noise]

An old bone splintered to a point? You’re going to pick the lock with a dull edge and a dream, really?

*listener offers*

You think you could sharpen it with a scale? Might work if you just whittled it down. But then it’ll be brittle, won’t it?

*listener reaffirms*

You’ll sharpen a few? You certainly are determined I’ll give you that. I’d love to leave so I’ll work with whatever plan you have. But I remind you that if you pursue this course of action, you may just be hastening your death. Are you alright with that?

*listener confirms*

Alright, I’ll try to save as much energy as possible. I’m going to sleep, wake me up whenever you think you’re ready for this.

*listener questions*

Yes, I know I said not to interact with me when I first wake, but hearing that bone snap almost set me off. If I’m conscious while we do this, I’m liable to kill you early. Don’t worry I fall asleep quick, you won’t have to wait too long to start. When my tail stops flicking, you’re good to go, okay?

*listener acknowledges*

Best of luck.

*pause*

*sharpening activities begin*

*time skip*

[light projectile hits speaker]

*speaker snaps awake*

(growling sounds ; hissing sounds)

*sounds come to a close*

{impressed}

Smart move throwing a scale from the shadows so I couldn’t lash out on you. If the whole plan works as well as that, you’ll be out in no time.

*pause*

{explaining}

So, I’m going to get you up on my shoulders, then I’ll periscope up and you can reach throw the bars and try to pick. How many bones shards did you make?

*listener responds*

{teasing}

Five sets of two? Suddenly feeling less confident in your lock picking skills?

*listener speaks*

{normally}

Yes, it is better to be prepared. Speaking of which, I’ll do a quick lift up now and you can make sure your hands fit through the bars. If everything’s copacetic we can escape tonight.

*small pause*

Alright, hop on.

[snake sounds]

So, is it going to work?

*listener responds*

Yes? Okay!

[snake sounds]

Well, it looks like we have a little time then. Do you have any last rites in case this doesn’t pan out?

*listener asks*

“How long have I been here”? I told you a long time. I don’t actually know the exact date.

*listener questions further*

“Has anyone ever tried to escape like this before”? They have and they haven’t. Sometimes I’m hungry enough to eat people as soon as they land, so they don’t get a chance to do anything. A lot of prisoners that get to live don’t attempt to escape. Of those that do, I’d say about half are willing to let me help. And of that small fraction, none have known how to pick locks. Really, if this plan works it will be because you got pretty much the perfect storm. Your late into my imprisonment, I’m not absolutely starving yet, and the guard detail has gotten pretty light recently.

*listener comments*

Yeah, lucky you. Anything else?

*listener denies*

“They’ll be plenty of time for questions once we escape”? Forever the optimist, aren’t you? Very well, I’ll try to relax until dark.

*time skip*

{nervous}

Now is as good a time as any. Here, hand me the extra sets of bones so you’ll have both hands. I don’t know the first thing about lockpicking but I guess I trust you.

*small pause*

Hey, before we do this and it inevitably goes south, I want to say, good job. Handling the stress and whatnot. Even if this fails, I’ll try to remember you. Ready?

*listener disagrees*

“No”? What do you mean, no?

*listener explains*

{annoyed}

“You’re hands don’t fit through the bars”?! Why would you lie about that?! What, do you just plan to let yourself die now?

*listener clarifies*

“You said this would work, and it’s still going to”? How? What hair-brained scheme are you thinking of now?

[cartilage and bone snaps]

(growling sounds ; hissing sounds)

{monsterously}

What are you doing?!

[cartilage and bone snaps again]

[speaker coils listener]

You’re going to taste so good!

*listener pleads*

That’s right, beg! Beg for mercy and find none!

(growling lessens)

What?!

*listener explains*

(hissing lessens)

Part of the plan? No! You didn’t… I…

*drops listener*

(sounds come to a close)

{annoyed}

You are so lucky that I’m tough.

*listener speaks*

Yeah, yeah, thank me by not pulling a stunt like that again. Now, what’s this all about?

*listener explains*

“You dislocated your thumbs so your hands would fit through the bars”? Why didn’t you tell me that to begin with? And don’t you need your thumbs to pick locks?!

*listener speaks*

{understanding}

“You didn’t tell me because you thought it would set me off”? Well, it did, so you better thank whatever gods you worship for my restraint. What about the lockpicking? Can you do it without thumbs?

*listener speaks*

We’ll find out? Sure, it’s your funeral. Get on my shoulders and let’s put you to the test.

[snake sounds]

{curious}

Your hands do fit through now, right? I’d hate for this all to be for nothing.

[bones clatter on metal]

{normally}

I’ll take your word for it. If you pull this off, I’ll push you up softly then pull up after you. I’ll eat any guards we see and then we should be free to go.

[lock clicks]

Was that it? Are you through?

[grate opens]

{impressed}

Wow, you did it! I thought it was a long shot, but here we are. I’ll start pulling myself up, keep any guards occupied for a moment.

[snake sounds]

No one here? We really lucked out, didn’t we? Which way is out?

*listener speaks*

Alright, I’ll follow you.

[slither and footsteps]

Oh hey, this window faces outside. Let me just…

[glass shatters]

Voila, the benefits of having a tail! Let’s get out of here.

[slither and running footsteps]

[night ambiance]

Wow, it feels good to be free! I’d been in there so long that I had lost hope. It’s a good thing I didn’t eat you!

*listener speaks*

{happy}

Yeah, I guess it is. I still didn’t find anything to eat, so it probably isn’t best to stay together. But hey, I’ll be heading south until I find a meal or a town. Maybe if you wait here for a while to put some distance between us, you could follow along. Or don’t, I’m grateful either way. If you ever see me again, say hi! I’m sure I’ll remember the human that broke me out!

*listener speaks*

Hey, I really mean this. Thank you.

[slithers away]