Monologue

By Jessica, Stage 5

Art Write Light 2021 is a  creative writing project curated by Story Factory, in collaboration with visual artist Blak Douglas. During the program, students from Bonnyrigg High School and St Clair High School were introduced to the work of Blak Douglas, and created written and audio pieces responding to his artwork. The audio you’re about to listen to features a young writer from the program reading an extract from their work.

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO OF THE STORY

Monologue

After hundreds of years stuck in limbo who wouldn’t be bitter, especially after the way I was forced out of the land of the living. Seeing my trauma turned into novelties for tourists to buy for a small fortune creates a dangerous sense of rage which I can’t even do anything about. The fact that these people don’t see the tragedies that happened as anything other than a novelty makes my cold blood boil. They will never understand the pain me and others like me suffered. One day they will see, they will understand.

Day after day I watched what was once my home be invaded by disgusting tourists. It was routine and it had been for about 350 years. Nothing had changed in that entire time period. That was until a familiar face walked into one of the many stores in Salem which I now called home. It took me a moment to realise, it was my killer’s great-great-great granddaughter. I wasn’t sure how to feel. I know she wasn’t the one who ended my life but I can’t help but feel anger towards her. No person had ever been able to see me, but somehow she had been able to. I needed to know why.

Much is Rife, Blak Douglas, 2021

Art Write Light is generously supported by the Balnaves Foundation.