ENGLISH DRAMA SCRIPT

FADE IN

1. SCHOOL – HALLWAY – 8.00 AM

Some students walk around the hallway, minding their own business. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STAGE,
BULLY (Hann Wei) walks up to VICTIM (Yee Hong). BULLY shoves VICTIM.

BULLY: Hey you! (In an intimidating voice and stare) What is your problem? Can’t tell which side of
the road to walk on? (Points at VICTIM) I’d hammer you if I see you again, you hear?

VICTIM remains calm, looks at BULLY, moves aside and walks away. Other students in the hallway
glance at BULLY and shake their heads.

2. SCHOOL – GROUND OUTSIDE LIBRARY – 10:00 AM

Students gather outside library under its balcony. The students murmur and point as they see the
dead body of VICTIM, lying on the ground with head bloodied, a book and a piece of paper near his
hand. TEACHER leads two POLICE OFFICERS (Yu Siang and Yu Hao) through the crowd. POLICE
OFFICER 1 (Yu Siang) takes out notebook and takes notes.

POLICE OFFICER 2 (Yu Hao): So, what is the cause of death, sergeant?

POLICE OFFICER 1 (Yu Siang): The cause is quite straightforward actually. (Points up at balcony) He
must’ve fell over the guardrail on the balcony by accident, landed head first and broke his skull. Near
immediate death, I should say.

POLICE OFFICER 2, looking at TEACHER: Has he any mental issues or something?

TEACHER: Well, he is the chairman of the librarians board and quite busy in school work. He could
have been stressed out. But besides that, he seems quite normal.

POLICE OFFICER 2: In that case, I take it that he either simply fell over the railing by accident or did
so on purpose to commit suicide.

POLICE OFFICER 1 notices the piece of paper and picks it up, he reads it then hands it to POLICE
OFFICER 2.

POLICE OFFICER 2: It’s a suicide note. (Reads the note intently) Apparently, he brought this onto
himself out of stress.

3. SCHOOL – OUTSIDE LIBRARY GROUND – 10:30 AM

The body of VICTIM has been removed. Students gossip and discuss among themselves on the topic
of VICTIM’S death. POLICE OFFICERS look through their notes.

STUDENT 1: Hey, I’ve heard that VICTIM has been contemplating suicide ever since BULLY started
bothering him.

STUDENT 2: You’re right. He has been looking rather dreary recently, don’t you think.
STUDENT 3: Well, we’ve all seen what happened this morning, BULLY even threatened to harm him
himself.

THE TWO POLICE OFFICERS eavesdrop on the students and take notes. INVESTIGATOR enters frame
and approaches the POLICE OFFICERS.

POLICE OFFICER 2 (Yu Hao): Ah, INVESTIGATOR. Nice of you to come in such a hurry. I believe you
have been briefed of the situation here?

INVESTIGATOR: Yes, I’ve heard. The kid fell and broke his skull.

POLICE OFFICER 2: Exactly, we believe this to be a simple case. This is a suicide case. Suicide rates
among schoolchildren are on the rise, you know.

INVESTIGATOR: I do not disagree with you, sir, but I do have a few doubts on your thesis. For one,
the kid died with a book near his hand. I believe the kid must’ve been reading on the balcony during
the immediate moments before his death. Something just doesn’t seem right here.

POLICE OFFICER 1: Then what are you suggesting? Foul play in a secondary school?

INVESTIGATOR: Perhaps. (Strokes chin and deep in thought)

4. SCHOOL – LIBRARY – 11:30 AM

THE TWO POLICE OFFICERS and INVESTIGATOR look over guardrail on the balcony. FRIEND (Yi Shian)
(looking excited) approaches them.

FRIEND: Hello sirs, are you in charge of the investigation of VICTIM’S death?

POLICE OFFICER 1 (Yu Siang): Yes, indeed.

FRIEND: Well sirs, I was a good friend of VICTIM and I think I know who is responsible for his death.

INVESTIGATOR: (Raising an eyebrow) Go on.

FRIEND: There’s this BULLY who has been bothering VICTIM a lot recently. Around the time of the
incident, only VICTIM, BULLY and I were in the library at that time. VICTIM, as usual, was reading a
book on the balcony. I was on the other side of the library arranging books. After some time, I heard
a “thump” followed by the sound of the library door opening then closing. I wasn’t aware at that
moment that VICTIM has fallen over the railings of the balcony. (As FRIEND explains, INVESTIGATOR
walks around and reads the board of executives of librarians)

POLICE OFFICER 2 (Yu Siang): So, this could have been more than a simple accident. Would you be so
kind to take us to this BULLY?

FRIEND: Of course.

5. SCHOOL – CORRIDOR – 12:00 PM

THE THREE LAWMEN and FRIEND meet BULLY.

POLICE 1 (Yu Siang): Hello, we take it that you are BULLY?

BULLY: Yes, that’s me. What’s up?

POLICE 2 (Yu Hao): We have reason to believe that you are involved in the tragic death of VICTIM.
(BULLY looks startled and takes a step back). Have you been bullying the victim quite a lot recently
and stated that you would physically harm him?

BULLY: Um… err, well… (Stuttering and trembling) I did, b-but I did not mean a-any of it. I swear I
wasn’t even near him around the time he died.

INVESTIGATOR: Ah, if so, tell us, were you in the library this morning at around 10am?

BULLY: (Still stuttering) The l-library? N-no, I didn’t g-go there. I swear I d-don’t have anything to do
with it.

6. SCHOOL – TEACHERS’ OFFICE – 1:00 PM

THE TWO POLICE OFFICERS look through the attendance log of BULLY’S class. POLICE OFFICER 1 (Yu
Siang) spots BULLY’S name.

POLICE OFFICER 1: (With a confused look) He was telling the truth.

7. OUTSIDE SCHOOL – SCHOOL GATE – 1:30 PM

The two police officers return to the police station. Meanwhile, the students are dismissed from
school. All head out through the gate. INVESTIGATOR waits at the gate as FRIEND walks up to him.

FRIEND: INVESTIGATOR, you’re still here?

INVESTIGATOR: Indeed. I have been thinking over the facts of this case and I believe your friend’s
death was directly caused by someone else.

FRIEND: You believe BULLY caused VICTIM to jump over the balcony?

INVESTIGATOR: According to the facts supplied by you. He is our main suspect. And that is why I
have been waiting for you here. I think the police would like to hear what information you have
regarding BULLY’S actions to bring him to justice.

8. POLICE STATION – INTEROGATION ROOM – 2:00 PM

At the police station, a POLICE OFFICER (Yong Ting) tells FRIEND to write down her information.
FRIEND proceeds to talk of BULLY’S actions as well as her whereabouts and observations about the
time of the incident. INVESTIGATOR stands by the side and reads FRIEND’S information while
nodding his head.

FRIEND: So, you see, officer, INVESTIGATOR and I are quite sure that these facts prove that pressure
and the unrest caused by BULLY ended up with VICTIM taking a fall over the balcony.

INVESTIGATOR: Indeed, without your help, the police would’ve never brought the real culprit to
justice.

FRIEND: You’re welcome, sir.

INVESTIGATOR: No need to thank me. Because now only shall I explain what really happened.
VICTIM was indeed reading a book while leaning on the guardrail, and that’s when the culprit came
and PUSHED HIM OFF the ledge. The culprit was cruel indeed, he waited until the library was empty
and VICTIM was at his favourite reading spot. Catching VICTIM unawares, he uses this opportunity to
fulfil the desire of his envious heart.

FRIEND: I don’t get what you mean, sir.

INVESTIGATOR: Oh yes, you do. You were envious of VICTIM being chosen as the chairman of the
librarians instead of you and you just couldn’t deal with it. So, you, knowing of habits, planned this
murder and thought you could get away with it by placing the blame on someone else. You would’ve
succeeded if it weren’t for two things. One, BULLY wasn’t in the library at all today. He said so
himself and the attendance log proves it. Secondly, the suicide note by VICTIM. It would’ve been
simply overlooked if I hadn’t notice that the handwriting on the note is exactly the same as yours as
you’ve written here (points at the information paper). Therefore, this has been a murder case, and
you were the murderer.

FRIEND: (Pauses) I can’t believe my plan didn’t work.

INVESTIGATOR: And you are now under arrest. Case closed.

THE END