Revenge
Names of the Actors (with several omitted)
Christopher Manser, CEO of Manser industries. (Claudius)
Charles Manser, son to the former, and nephew to the present CEO. (Hamlet)
Bernard Flenn, assistant to Christopher Manser. (Polonius)
Donnie Filligan, student, friend to Charles Manser. (Horatio)
Philip Kreks (Voltemand)
Eric Tren (Cornelius)
Richard Rosen (Rosencrantz)
Gilbert Francesco (Guildernstern)
Mark, security guard at Manser Ind. (Marcellus)
Carlos, security guard at Manser Ind. (Bernardo)
Frank, security guard at Manser Ind. (Francisco)
Kurtis Flenn, son to Bernard Flenn. (Laertes)
Richard, assistant to Bernard Flenn. (Reynaldo)
Actors.
Two clowns, gravediggers.
Matthew Kingsely, CEO of Kingsely Ind., a rival company. (Fortinbras)
Julianne Manser, wife to the former CEO of Manser Ind. and mother to Charles Manser. (Gertrude)
Clara Flenn, daughter to Bernard Flenn. (Ophelia)
Ghost of Charles Manser sr., Charles's father.
Chapter 1: Night Shift
The lights of the city blurred in and out of vision. There were the roars of airplane engines, the steady flow of cars, and the annoying rock music that kept blasting from the center of the city, where some popular band performed to thousands of screaming girls. In short, another boorish night shift at Manser Industries. Frank had been pacing the premises for the better part of three hours, and nothing had happened thus far. Not that he expected anything. But there was a part of him that hoped the ghost would return. Not that it was a ghost, really. But though its silvery, fairytale glow gave the impression of something surreal, something imagined at the late night hour, Frank still believed it was. Then again, Frank was a superstitious kind of guy. So as he paced his way through the dark, contemplating the existence of ghosts, you would imagine a sudden voice would scare him.
"Who's there?"
Frank stopped, whirled around to the voice behind him and turned on his flashlight.
"Carlos?"
"Yeah."
"Ah, finally. I'm tired."
"You seen anything?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, just the noise from that band… what's its name… Yeah, nothing."
"Alright, 'night."
And so Frank left for a warm home with three sleeping children and a faithfully waiting wife. Carlos approached the two shadows before him and grinned.
"Hey, Mark. Donnie? That you?"
Donnie grunted, and didn't answer.
"So what's he doing here?" Carlos said.
"I brought him along to show him the ghost," Mark replied, "so he doesn't send us to an asylum."
"This better be quick," said Donnie, "I've got work early tomorrow."
"I thought you didn't work," said Carlos.
"I got a part-time job up at the Interlude."
"Funny, I can't imagine you in fancy clothes," Mark laughed and earned himself a whack in the head.
The three parted, Donnie sitting down and snoring against the wall and the two security guards pacing the premises as required. It was around three that anything actually happened.
"Donnie, wake up," someone poked his shoulder. He opened his eyes to a silver light, and, immediately waking, shouted.
"What the hell is that thing?"
"Shut up!" Carlos hissed, "It's the ghost."
They fell silent as the thing approached them, reaching out its arm and muttering something under its breath. It was a man, in the silvery form of something of air, empty but for some memory that kept him tied to the mortal earth. His eyes bulged at them, and he moved his mouth as if to say something, but was silent. Donnie stood up, and attempted to approach it. The man wore a suit. His beard, a deeper silver than his transparent skin, covered the short neck he craned at the three men. He opened his mouth again, and this time Donnie was sure he would speak. But just as a faint his of breath sounded from the ghost's lips, some unseen call stopped him short. He raised his head and closed his eyes, then, looking pointedly at the three men, turned and disappeared behind a corner of the building.
"I'm going after it," said Donnie, and ran after the thing, leaving Mark and Carlos before they had a chance to stop him.
He could see the ghost, running past the building's back doors, and followed it. For an old man, the thing was quick to find its place in the middle of the road. Donnie felt for the keys in his pocket and, finding his car in the virtually empty parking lot, backed out and drove to the ghost. The thing, having understood Donnie's logic, turned and continued his lead. They wound in and out of the main roads, through blocks and streets and alleys, until Donnie was dizzy from the entire chase. The ghost stopped suddenly, and just as Donnie braked his car and looked up to see what the ghost was pointing at, the sun began to rise. The thing just bowed its head a little, and pointed to its right, before the tiny rays of golden light shot through him and he faded into the early morning air. Confused, Donnie got out of his car and faced the building the ghost had pointed at. There, between two giant apartment buildings, stood a rather large and rather ancient-looking mansion, with steel fences and a fountain before the front doors, where two stone lions guarded the entrance to the Manser household.
Donnie picked up his phone at seven a.m., hoping to catch Charles awake. He did. His friend picked up the phone at the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Donnie."
"Donnie? Hey, what's up?"
"That's the thing. I've got something important to tell you."
"What?"
"I uh… I stayed up with Mark and Carlos last night, and…"
"Holy shit, Donnie. Are you gay?"
"What? No, no! That's not what I meant. Listen, I stayed up with them during their night shift. Mark wanted to show me a ghost he and Carlos had seen a couple of nights ago. So I went with them, and the weirdest thing happened."
"Yeah?"
"The ghost came. It looked just like your father."
"My father?"
"Yeah. And he almost said something to us, but then he turned and ran. So I followed him, in my car, and he led me to your house. I mean, the Manser house. He seemed troubled or something. I just thought you'd want to know. …Are you still there?"
"Wha -… I don't know what to say. Thanks for… he looked like my father?"
"Yeah, at least what I knew of him."
"And you say he's been appearing more than once?"
"Yeah, Carlos and Mark saw him twice before me."
"… Can you take me with you tonight? No, wait, tomorrow night? Please talk to Mark and Carlos for me."
"Sure, no problem. Around what time?"
"Near midnight."
"Are you alright?"
"… yeah."
"Alright, well, see you."
"Bye."
Charles put down the phone and stared out the window. His father? A ghost? What the hell was wrong with him? It couldn't be true! He heard his mother's footsteps behind him.
"Charlie, dear? You're up already?"
"Yes, mother," he answered without turning around.
She made a noise as if to speak again, but Christopher Manser was coming down the staircase.
"Well, good morning, Charlie," she said, and turned to join her husband as Charles glared out the window, the edge of the table clutched in his fist.