Play lines

The fall of the house of usher

I’ve done all i can for now, you need to get some rest.

“My friend how are you how was your journey. You look well very well indeed”

“What’s this mental disorder you speak of?”

It is a part of the curse of the ushers, a nervous condition, an acuteness of the senses. I can only stand the faintes of sounds, flowers are too strong, the lightest of scents flowers are too strong and the dimmest of lights as you can see.

Was that the doctor that just lef?

He does nothing. I will die. I will die in this folly and not otherwise. Oh the events that will operate on my soul. Mind you i have no fear of death except for in the terror. I feel when death arrives i will lose reason in struggle with the fear.

You’re overraught

This fear has its origins within this house, with Madelyn, Madelyn my last relative on earth. She is close at hand… did you see her wasted state? How she doesn’t see us, it is also the curse of the ushers, catelepsy

Catelepsy?

The parlor of the lips the lusterless eyes the cold righty of the body, all the appearance of death

Catelepsy is in your family?

Over the years that we’ve been in this house, some of the usher’s who had been thought dead, awakened out of there stupor to find themselves buried, prematurely. When we had them exhumed we found their fingernails ripped out from clawing at the casket lid, bones broken from trying to force the lid open.

Can’t you do something?

Nothing helps.

What about Madelyn?

She’s born up against it, but i fear she’s soon to take her final bed.

What about the doctor?

He can’t help her.

Has he bled her?

Yes- yes. He cant help her.

Poem paragraph 1

In the greenest of our valleys by the good angels tenanted once a fair and stately palace- radiant palace reared its head

Poem paragraph two

But evil things in robes of sorrow assailed the monarchs high estate, ah let us morn for ever morrow shal dawn upon him desolate!

Poem paragraph 3

While, like a rapid gastly river, through the pale door, a hideous throng rush out forever and laugh but smile no more.

Post poem dialog

You see my friend, that there is a sentience in all things, in all vegetation and in the very stones of these walls

Perhaps you read too much.

No! No! You can see it! In the very way of their arrangement, in the fungi that covers them and in the decaying trees in the yard. There’s an intelligence among the rank sedges which for centries has molded the destiny of the house of usher.

Perhaps you should..

The house is dying.

What?!

The lady Madeline is no more

You mean she’s?

Gone.

Dead?

Perhaps.. it is my intention to preserve her corpse in the family vault for a fortnight just to be sure. It’s because of the unusual nature of her malady that it must be this way.

The catelepsy.

Maybe its this house maybe its this land.. i do not wish to inter her in the family burial ground as remote and exposed as it is where the curious cannot be left out.

Yes…

You will help me in this.

Basement scene

There. Put her up against that wall.

The air is stifling i can hardly breathe

Put her up against that wall carefully. careful!

Usher, we can’t do this. We must do an autopsy and write out a death certificate. She should be buried in the family plot.

In good time doctor, in good time, in a fortnight we will take her to the family plot. for now i must see my sister one last time.

Your sister?

Madeline is my half sister

All this time and i never knew she was your sister I didn’t know. She was just madeline

Yes she is, and she is thought to suffer from catelepsy, and now i must confirm it for if she has it, then i have it too.

If she has it, she’ll wake up in her coffin

Yes doctor.

_{We must embalm her. Yes}

No! And now i must have one last look. So young and still so beautiful.