Minute 34

Black or White

When I watched my minute, I immediately thought about the kind of movies that these two scenes were taken from. I planned on maybe recreating a short movie in which these two scenes could have originally been. But then I could only show one possibility. And there are so many! That is the beautiful thing about this way of watching Decasia. It leaves so much space for imagination and interpretation. So, I thought: Why not make a game out of it, where each of you can participate and together, we’ll create a story around these two scenes.

Rules: I will read you part of the story. Then you can choose between two options of how the story should continue. To choose, please raise the card in front of you, showing me the colour that you chose – either black or white.

1 – Drama or Horror

Drama: In the Riverside Alley number 3, there lived a respectable and highly regarded family. The father was a lawyer, so they lived a very high-standard life. They employed several staff members, including a butler, house maids, a gardener and a cook. The family was blessed with two sons and a daughter, the child the parents had waited and wished for a long time.

Horror: It was a Tuesday morning when they found her – stabbed with a knive and left to bleed in her own bed. A young girl, her whole life still in front of her, suddenly robbed of her future. It was a shock for the whole family. Her mother could not bear to see her daughter this cold and fled the room accompanied by the butler and the cook. They supported her as she cried over her lost child.

2 – Murderer/ Villain

The girl’s family: As she grew up, she became more beautiful every day and had many admirers. So, her family kept her very close and watched over her carefully. Nevertheless, she met a young man and she fell madly in love with him. When her family heard of the girl’s affection for a man, even worse: a commoner working for the daily paper, they were not amused. They forbid her to continue seeing the young man.

The lover: As she grew up, she became more beautiful every day and had many admirers. So, her family kept her very close and watched over her carefully. Nevertheless, she met a young man and she fell madly in love with him. He was a commoner and her family had little respect for him. They warned her to be careful, that he might only be after her family’s money and not actually in love with her.

The girl’s mother: Her tears and sobs seemed so real, that nobody noticed the cold in her eyes. She was led into the living room, away from her dead daughter’s corpse where she sat down and sent away her staff. For an observer she would have looked like a heart-broken mother grieving deeply for her daughter. Nobody knew that she was not only the girl’s mother, but also her murderer.

The gardener: The gardener observed the scene through the window, where he stood in the garden, watering the rose bushes. His face showed grief and pain. He had loved her and confessed his love for her on several occasions. She had seemed flattered at first and interested after a while. But slowly she had grown weary of him and kept him away. Only thinking about her rejection made him furious again. Wasn’t it enough that he loved her? Wasn’t he enough? Anger cut through him again and he snapped the twig he held in his hand in two. It gave him pleasure, pleasure as it had given him to drive the knife in her heart last night.

3 – What happens next?

Couple elopes: The girl who had always had her parent’s support in everything and was given whatever she wanted, was taken aback by her parent’s disapproval. She could not understand how they could forbid her from seeing the man of her dreams. Did they not want her to be happy anymore? They couldn’t have seen how deep the love between her and her lover was, otherwise they must give them their blessing, right? She could not imagine a life without him anymore and if that was what it took to be with him, she would leave her family behind and start a new life with him. She shared her thoughts with him the next time they met and with that they formed their plan to elope the next evening.

Girl is pregnant: The girl who had always had her parent’s support in everything and was given whatever she wanted, was taken aback by her parent’s disapproval. She had imagined them to be happy that she had found a man she could love and who loved her back. She put her hand on the slight swelling of her belly and thought dreamily about the night that she had spent with her lover. When they found out about the baby, surely they must accept and welcome him into the family, right?

Girl believes in his love: But she ignored their warnings, he would never do such a thing to her. He loved her and had said so many times. She reassured herself that his embraces and kisses couldn’t have been such a lie. Her parents, unable to refuse any of her wishes had no choice but to accept their match.

Girl wants to get rid of him: She couldn’t believe her parents when they first told her of their reservations against him. How could they not see that they loved each other? They only cared for their money! But somehow her parents’ warnings stuck and in her subconscious she observed her lover in detail the next few times they met. With each time, her fears grew that her parents might be correct.

Mother sees strange things: As the mother took the hands from her eyes and sat up straighter again, she noticed the moving curtains in front of the window. Thinking the windows were open, she stood up and walked over. It was only then, that she heard the scraping noise and realised that the windows were shut tightly. A shiver ran over her back and the hairs in her neck stood up straight. Slowly, she turned around … but saw nothing. The room lay empty before her. When she turned some more and looked at the wall towards the dining room, she saw it. Words, written in a dark red. Blood? “Murderer” they spelled.

Girl’s ghost appears her mother: As the mother took the hands from her eyes and sat up straighter again, a scream began to form in her throat, but she managed to hold it in. She stared at what she saw in front of her without daring to move or make any sound. A figure, dark and with a humanlike shape floated before her. Her eyes were big and seemed to want to jump out of her eye socket. A few seconds went by without anyone or anything moving in the room. Then, the figure slowly started to move towards the mother. Fear was written all over her face and she tried to move away from it, but the back of the sofa wouldn’t let her. As she looked into the figure’s eyes, she recognised her daughter.

Girl’s ghost appears the gardener: He tried to regain control over the feelings that had come over him. He must appear as normal and inconspicuous as possible. He shook his head to rid himself of the memories of last night. When he opened his eyes again and looked at the rose bush he was cutting, he noticed a figure behind the bush. Shocked and surprised he took a few steps backwards, but a tree blocked his way and he stumbled and fell on the ground. As he looked up, he stared right in the eyes of the girl he had murdered last night.

Gardener sees strange things: He tried to regain control over the feelings that had come over him. He must appear as normal and inconspicuous as possible. He shook his head to rid himself of the memories of last night. As he stood there with his eyes closed, he felt something wrap around his feet, then his legs and then his whole body. He felt trapped and as he tried to move, thorns pressed into his skin and he felt the blood running down his arms end legs from all of the little cuts.

4 – Climax

Mother tries to stop the couple: The girl tried her best to hide her excitement on the upcoming flight and behave normal in front of her parents and the staff. She secretly packed a small bag with a few essential things as well as a photograph of her family. Looking at it, a huge wave of sadness came over her. She could not imagine a life without her parents in it, but a life without her one true love?? As she wiped away a tear, the door opened and her mother strode in. Shocked to see her daughter crying, she ran to her and asked her what was wrong. “Oh, nothing, mother, I just had something in my eye.” The mother, knowing her daughter so well, didn’t press any further but kept a close watch on her for the rest of the day. As the night grew closer, the girl got more and more jittery and distracted. With that, a horrible thought came over the mother and however hard she tried, she could not push it from her mind. So, instead of going to bed at her usual time, she hid behind one of the columns in the foyer. When the clock struck midnight, she heard a noise from her daughter’s floor and got on her feet. As the girl snuck down the stairs, her mother walked towards her and took her to task. The girl, not bearing to lie and longer, told her the truth about her plans. Her mother could not believe her ears and forbid her once more to go with that man. As the tears streamed down the girl’s face, she turned around and tried to ran from her mother. But she grabbed her on her arm from behind, trying to stop her, and with that made her stumble and fall. The was a scream and then a load (BOOM) as the girl’s body hit the foyer floor. Her mother ran down the stairs and pulled her daughter in her arms. The lover who had been waiting outside the door, ran inside as he heard the noise and saw his love dead in the arms of her screaming mother.

Couple is robbed in the woods: The girl tried her best to hide her excitement on the upcoming flight and behave normal in front of her parents and the staff. She secretly packed a small bag with a few essential things as well as a photograph of her family. Looking at it, a huge wave of sadness came over her. She could not imagine a life without her parents in it, but a life without her one true love?? Night came and she met her lover at the place they had agreed on. They got in his car and drove away. As her parent’s house grew smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror, another car came up from behind and drove beside them. At the next curve, it reared towards them and pushed them off the road and into the forest. The lover tried to slow the car down and manoeuvre around the next tree, but he was too slow and the ground below too slippery. With a load crash they hit the tree and came to a stop. Suddenly two figures appeared next to the car windows. Thinking they wanted to help them, the lover screamed for them to open the door and help them out. But the two men only thrust open the doors and grabbed their bags. One of them came around, took his watch and the girl’s necklace and rings and together they ran back in the direction of the street. Helpless, the lover looked over to the girl and stared directly into her unseeing eyes. Only then did he see the blood that was running down her temples and he screamed for help and for her to wake up.

Mother forces daughter to have an abortion: The next morning at breakfast, the girl took a deep breath and then told her parents of the baby and her intention to marry her lover. Frozen in shock, her parents didn’t say anything for a while. Then her father got to his feet and left the room without a word. Her mother couldn’t stop shaking her head and eventually said: “You dumb, innocent little girl. You really don’t understand how the world works, do you? A girl, unmarried and with child? You will never be accepted into society. And he, he will never marry you. You gave him all that he ever wanted and now he’ll move on to the next girl. Oh darling, what have you done? But don’t worry, mother will fix it for you. I will call Dr. Hesterford and he will take care of it first thing in the morning.” “Mother, no, I don’t want to…” “Child, you don’t know what you want! Leave that to your Mama!” Not knowing what to say or do, the girl left the room and hoped her mother would see reason later in the day. At dinner, she tried to convince her mother again, but she only said to drink her tea and get some rest. Awfully tired, the girl went to bed early, she couldn’t even hold her eyes open to change into her pyjamas. With the sleeping drops that her mother had put into her tea, she slept the whole night and morning like a grave. Even when the doctor came and did his procedure did she not wake. When she finally did open her eyes and realised what was done, she entered a state of shock. She would not eat nor drink, she would not sleep nor talk. She just lay there and grew thinner and thinner with each passing day. On the fifth day, she finally closed her eyes and would never open them again. Her mother was at her bed at all times, but as much as she wished to undo what she had sone, she could not. She had to watch her daughter drift towards death without any way to stop her.

Family throws her out: The next morning at breakfast, the girl took a deep breath and then told her parents of the baby and her intention to marry her lover. Frozen in shock, her parents didn’t say anything for a while. Then her father started to scream in his deep and load voice that she had dishonoured not only herself, but the whole family. How should be a respected lawyer when he couldn’t even take care of his own daughter. Her mother sat silently while he raged. When he was finished, she said quietly: “You should leave. Now.”. With tears streaming down her face, she ran from the room and out of the house, she ran down the street and over the fields next to her house, trying to get away from the parents that had hurt her so much and to get to man whom she loved. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her lower belly. She came to a stop and when she looked down, she could see blood. She knew what was happening, and she knew that she was in the middle of nowhere. She sat down and pulled her knees to her breast while she lost the baby that she had wanted so much. When she was found the next day, she was nearly frozen to death and her body was very weak from the miscarriage. She lay in the hospital for few days with until her body gave up. Her parents had been by her side stricken with guilt for throwing her out like that, as well as the man, that she loved so much. In her death, they had finally united and cried over her together.

They get married: It was a warm day in spring when they got married. The girl’s parents gifted them a small townhouse for their wedding and after the ceremony they drove away together with their families getting smaller in the rear-view mirror of his car. As they entered into their new home to spend their first night as man and wife there, she could not have been any happier. When she turned around to look at the man that was her husband from now on, she first didn’t even recognise him. The look on his face had grown hard and emotionless. He took a step towards her and suddenly she feared the man that she thought she knew and loved. She took one, then two and three steps backwards until her back was flush against the wall. He loomed over her and said in a cold voice: “Your job is done. I don’t need you any longer. With the money that I can make from selling this house, I can finally buy the ticket to America that I have waited for so long. And then I will finally be reunited with my wife and son there. I am sorry, but I have no use for you anymore.” With that he grabbed her at her throat and pressed his thumbs into the soft flesh beneath her chin. She didn’t move or make any sound because her heart had already broken and nothing he could do to her no, could be any worse.

He asks for money: She was happy to share the news of her parents’ approval with him. Since they had already agreed to their marriage, she also told him of her parents’ original doubt regarding his motives. With that he got on his feet and started to pace the room. The girl started to get really nervous because of his restless but silent pacing. Finally he stopped in front of her and told her that indeed, he needed money from her. He had significant debt at one of the cities gambling dens. She could not believe what had just happened. Everything her parents had warned her against and what she had so vehement argued against was true. He did not love her, he just used her. Anger washed over her. How could he have done that to her? Quickly she got on her feet and flung herself at him. With her fists she pounded on his chest and clawed at his skin. He first did not know how to react. When in her rage, she started to scratch his face he pushed her off him. He did not wish to hurt her since he really did feel for her. But as she took a step away from him, her foot caught on the edge of the carpet and she stumbled. With a (BOOM) load crack, her head hit the coffee table. He was at her side in a second and held her close, trying to cover the wound at the back of her head with his hand. But the blood kept flowing and she did never regain her consciousness.

She breaks up with him: When she couldn’t bear it any longer, she asked him for a meeting to talk. They met at their spot by the river where they had often had picknicks together. She felt dizzy on the way there. Could it really be true? But the signs had all been there, she just hadn’t wanted to see them before. So, she knew what she had to do. With a deep inhale, she finally spoke the words that had haunted her for the last few nights. “It’s over.” “Over?” he couldn’t understand, didn’t want to understand. His whole plan, all of the time that he had spent to convince the girl that he loved and she just said it was over? She didn’t have the power to end their relationship, only he had that. He crossed the space that the girl had kept between them and pressed her thumbs against her throat while muttering through clenched teeth: “I will say when it’s over! And it’s over now!” With that he led the limb corpse fall to the ground and walked away. Her family found her and brought her body home, but he was never seen again.

She sets him a trap: To make sure that her concerns were true, she thought of a trick to test his intentions. She would lure him into her father’s study, where a huge check laid unaddressed on his desk. Then she would leave the room and if the check was missing afterwards, she knew that he only wanted her money, not her. With that she did everything according to plan and as she re-entered the room, she found the check no longer on her father’s desk. She broke into tears and accused him of stealing the check. He turned away from her and wandered to the other side of the room. There he suddenly turned and had her father’s letter opener in his hand. He threatened her to let him through the door and let him go, but she wouldn’t do so in her anger over his broken promises. Angrily he pressed against her and tried to push her to the side and out of the way, but she wouldn’t move. He grew even more angry and now also afraid that someone might hear their struggle. So, he took the letter opener, that he still held in his hand and thrust it into her chest with all his strength. She collapsed onto the floor and he ran out the door and from the house. The staff and the family appeared in the corridor as they had finally heard the noise, but all help was too late as the girl had already died.

Mother finds out that it’s her daughter’s ghost: A scream began to form in her throat, but she managed to hold it in. It couldn’t be! That was not possible! Nobody had seen her pour the poison in her daughter’s drink. She had made sure to send all of the staff away before and had prepared the tea by herself in the kitchen and then brought it to her daughter’s room. No way! She couldn’t take her exes off the writing on the wall. Only when she heard the scraping noise again behind her, did she turn around. And there she was. Her daughter. This time, she couldn’t hold the scream inside. The butler came running through the door to check on her. Fearful she looked at him, but he could not see any danger imposed on her, so he ascribed to scream to her broken heart about her daughter’s death. She sent him away again, not wanting him to see the word on the wall or the ghost of her daughter, that still hovered in the room after all. She looked again at the ghost in the room and the writing on the wall and couldn’t wrap her mind around all of it. “I must have gone crazy! Killing my own child! That is crazy! How shall I live with that and seeing the reminder of what I’ve done here in front of me?! I cannot bear it!” With that she went outside, got in the car and drove away. Always feeling the presence of her daughter’s silent ghost behind her. She drove to the bridge that they always had to cross to drive into down. As she looked down into the dark, swirling water, fear struck her again. This couldn’t be her end. This was not how she had planned all of this. But then, her daughter’s ghost a silent observer so far, came closer and urged her towards the rail. The mother lost her footing and with a last look into her daughter’s face, she tumbled over the railing and into the dark and wild water.

Mother feels guilty: She moved as far away from that wall as the room permitted. There she stood and looked at that one word. Was she? Was she really a murderer? And not just that, did she really murder her own daughter? Out of jealousy?! What kind of person was she? What kind of person, of mother would do such a thing? She walked from the room in a sort of trance. Outside, in the corridor, she could see the painting of the family shake on the wall and heard the laughter of a child echo through the house. Could it be, it sounded like her daughter’s voice when she was a little child and they had played tag in the house… She was going crazy, she was sure of it. The guilt and dread over what she had done overcame her. She sank to the floor. But there, the sound of her daughter laughing became even louder and even more unbearable for her. She ran from the house, got into the car and tried to flee from the voice inside her head. But there was no escape from it. She reached the river and flung herself into the dark wild water, only wanting the laughter to stop and the guilt to go away. Then, everything went away, as everything went dark around her.

Mother tries to appease daughter’s ghost: “What do you want?” she whispered. “What I want you ask? - I wanted to live! But you took that from me!” The mother became very fearful. “I will do whatever you ask of me, just leave me alone!” The daughter laughed a deep, hollow laugh. “Whatever I ask of you? Well, then I want you to take another life to revenge mine.” Another life? The mother could not think of a person that her daughter had ever wished dead. Why would she want anyone else to die? “You.” Said the girl and came closer. “I want your life!” With that, the mother ran from the room and out of the house. But there was no escaping, her daughter’s ghost followed her everywhere and repeated her last word over and over. Finally, she could not bear it any longer. She had run in the direction of the river. Standing in front of it, she thought how anything would be better than her daughter’s ghost following her everywhere and screaming at her. With a last look at her daughter’s face, she flung herself over the railing of the bridge and into the deep dark water.

Mother tries to get rid of her daughter’s ghost: As she looked into her daughter’s or rather the ghost’s eyes, fear came over her. She had to get away from that thing. She got to her feet and ran as fast as he could away from her. But every time she turned around, she was there in her back following her without any effort. She kept running until she had no more breath. Looking around her to find her bearings, she recognised the river that separated the family’s estate from the city. Again, the ghost come closer and this time, she clawed her hands as if she wanted to attack her. She looked around her for something to defend herself against her, but could find nothing. Then her view fell once more on the river. Whould she be able to follow her into the water? She had to try. With that thought she thrust herself over the river’s edge and into its dark and wild water. She was never seen again.

Gardener tries to bring her back to life: As he looked into the eyes, that he loved so very much, he regretted his actions of last night that he had done in such anger. He loved her still and even if she wouldn’t love him back, it would be better to see her from afar then to have to live without her. “Is there a way? Is there a way to bring you back to life?” he asked her. “A life for a life” she said in the emotionless voice of a human stripped from its emotions, desires, wishes, everything but its body. He looked into her eyes again, cold now, but still the same eyes that he had loved every day. He knew he had to do something, knew he had to give another life to bring her back. Who should it be? The girl’s father that had often scolded him? The cook who had always given him the smallest plate of food? As he went through the list of people that he knew, a shock suddenly went through him. He looked up and saw the girl’s ghost figure tower over him and grabbing with her ghostly fingers at his shirt. “Your life!” was all she said. He swallowed hard. Was it worth it? Could he take his own life to bring her back to life? If he didn’t do it, he would never have another night of rest, he could not forget the eyes that were staring right into his soul. So, he dropped the scissors that he still held in his hands and made his way to the riverbank. There he stood at the edge and looked into that dark wild water. With one final look into her eyes, he thrust himself over the edge and into the blackness of the water.

Gardener tries to get rid of her: As he looked into the girl’s or rather the ghost’s eyes, fear came over him. He had to get away from that thing. He got to his feet and ran as fast as he could away from her. But every time he turned around, she was there in his back following him without any effort. He kept running until he had no more breath. Looking around him to find his bearings, he recognised the river that separated the estate from the city. Again, the ghost come closer and this time, she clawed her hands as if she wanted to attack him. He looked around him for something to defend himself against her, but could find nothing. Then his view fell once more on the river. Whould she be able to follow him into the water? He had to try. With that thought he thrust himself over the river’s edge and into its dark and wild water. He was never seen again.

Gardener finds out it’s the girl’s ghost: It appeared the rose bushes that he had been cutting had wrapped themselves around him. How was that possible? Was he going crazy? And then he saw her. The girl that he had loved so much but who had rejected and embarrassed him so harshly. He didn’t believe in ghosts, but the thorns pressing into his skin spoke another truth. When the girl spoke, her voice had nothing of the sweetness that he had admired so. It was cold and emotionless. “YOU! You shall suffer at my hand as I have suffered under yours!” With that fear, horror and all the nightmares he’d ever had in his life came over him and took over his mind. His could think of nothing else. When he was finally able to form a normal thought again, he found himself on a bridge over a huge dark river. How he got here he didn’t know or didn’t remember. Only the horrors in his mind he remembered. “Was that you? Did you do that to me?” he asked the ghost of the girl, that still hovered before him. “Oh, that was nothing yet compared to what you’ve done to me!” The thought of enduring these Scenarios in his mind once more were more than he could handle. “Even death is better than that” he said as he flung himself over the railing and into the dark wild water.

Gardener feels guilty: That was when he realised that it was all in his head. There were no thorns cutting into his skin. There was only the pain in his heart that felt like thousand little thorns cutting into him. He had loved her, but still he had killed her. Was that what love did to him? Was that love? He was going crazy, he felt it. He was torn between guilt over what he’d done and at the same time he was still so angry. Why couldn’t she have just loved him back? Then nothing of this would have had to happen. He felt the thorns again and there was no freeing himself from them. When they finally grew looser again, he managed to walk away from the house. He had to get away from her, where her spell still hung over him. He had to get away. As he reached the river that separated her family’s estate from the city, he stopped in the middle of the bridge. Looking into the dark wild water he thought about the ease that the water would bring his troubled mind. It would wash away the guilt and the shame. It would wash him clean. With these thoughts he flung himself into the water and everything went black around him.

Anja Würz