Black
In the hushed stillness of a shadow-draped hospital room, we find Anna (Alexis Fawx), a woman on the edge, perched tensely on her bed. Her eyes are shut tight, knuckles white as she clutches the crisp sheets, her silhouette stark against the dancing shadows beyond the curtain. Anna's voice slices through the darkness, her words painting a chilling portrait: "Monsters aren't just born from darkness, they're created. A monster, by its very definition, is an imaginary creature, typically large, ugly, and frightening. It's the unknown lurking under your bed, making you wish your blankets could render you invisible. Monsters take many shapes and forms; their sole purpose to destroy. They are creatures of elaborate pain, motherless, fatherless beings shrouded in robes, veiled in black, embodying all that we fear most." Suddenly, we're thrust into a different time, many years prior. A fresh-faced Anna (Bobbi Dylan), just 18, sits on her bed. An older man enters, a paper bag in hand. "Hi sweetie, how was your day?" he asks, his voice laced with an unsettling intimacy as he blindfolds her, his fingers lingering on her face, tracing her mouth. He dips his finger into a small container of chocolate pudding from the bag, sliding it into her reluctantly open mouth. "You know what happens if you get this wrong, don't you, Anna?" he whispers. The blindfolded girl nods, chewing, as the bedroom door slams shut. Back in the present, Anna rocks back and forth, panic rising. "I guessed it right!" she half-cries, half-laughs, her eyes wild. A young male orderly (Seth Gamble) enters, guiding her back to bed with a gentle touch. "Don't worry, Anna. Everything's going to be alright. The doctor will see you in the morning," he soothes, his hand caressing her face as she closes her eyes. The next morning, Anna jolts awake. In the corner sits her younger self, still dressed in her nightgown. "It's about time you got up! The doctor is waiting for us!" the younger Anna chirps. As the orderly enters, both Annas look at him, but he only sees the older version. "The doctor is ready for you," he says. Anna rises reluctantly, her eyes darting between her younger self and the orderly, confusion etched on her face. Finally, the younger Anna takes her hand, pulling her forward as they follow the orderly out of the room. In the doctor's office, Anna sits before the doctor (Eric Masterson), who reviews her chart. He inquires about her well-being, her appetite, and those dreams they've discussed. As Anna struggles to respond, her younger self leans in, whispering, "Remember dear, you must be seen and not heard!" Anna closes her eyes, trying to block it all out. We're pulled into another memory. Young Anna stares at herself in the mirror as her mother brushes her hair, the woman's voice echoing, "Remember dear, you must be seen, not heard!" The words repeat, etching themselves into young Anna's mind until she, too, begins to chant them. Back in the doctor's office, Anna's eyes fly open in a panic. "Be seen, not heard!" she shouts, the words tumbling out in a desperate chant. The doctor tries to calm her, but she's inconsolable. He calls for help, and the orderly rushes in, taking Anna away. The younger Anna watches them leave, a sly smile playing on her lips before she turns to the doctor, winking, unseen. Later that night, the orderly enters Anna's room with a dinner tray. "I'm not hungry!" she shouts, turning over to reveal her younger self lying beside her. "You have to eat something," the orderly coaxes. The younger Anna sits up, plucking a piece of food from the tray. "You should really be a good girl, Anna. You know what happens when you misbehave!" she whispers, slipping her fingers into Anna's mouth before licking them herself. She stands, walking over to the orderly, her voice dropping to a sultry purr. "I'm eighteen now... so why don't I show you how a good girl should behave!" She sinks to her knees, pulling down the orderly's pants, asking to perform an intimate act. In a calm voice, he agrees. The older Anna watches from the bed, her mind racing. Is what she's seeing real? The line between past and present, reality and illusion, blurs in this haunting, eerie dance of memory and trauma. In this captivating scene from "Seen Not Heard: An Alexis Fawx Story," Alexis Fawx delivers a powerhouse performance, seamlessly blending past and present, pain and desire. With her every word, every tremble, she draws us into Anna's fractured world, leaving us breathless and craving more. Bobbi Dylan is equally compelling as the younger Anna, her innocence tinged with a chilling edge that keeps us on the edge of our seats. Seth Gamble and Eric Masterson round out the cast, their performances nuanced and captivating. This isn't just a scene; it's a journey into the dark recesses of the mind, a haunting exploration of memory, trauma, and the monsters that lurk within us all. Brace yourself, for this is a tale that will leave you guessing, gasping, and utterly enthralled until the very end.
