Author's Note: Okay, so this was written for an English project. We had to write a Greek tragedy. That will explain the weird formatting, title headings, and such. Hope ya enjoy and leave a comment!

What They Didn’t Know

Characters: Adam (husband)

Kaylee (wife)

Jack (son)

Bryan (accomplice 1)

Ian (accomplice 2)

CSI (crime scene investigator)

Chorus (narrator)

Setting: Adam and Kaylee’s living room

Prologue

(Adam, Bryan, and Ian are entering the living room. Bryan and Ian are tugging in a large, black bag while Adam paces the room.)

Adam: Quiet you fools! My wife and son are sleeping upstairs!

Ian: Sorry. This bag is just so heavy. Come on, Bryan, we can’t stop now!

Bryan: (trying to catch his breath) Adam, could you have maybe picked someone who didn’t chow down at freaking McDonalds every day to kill? This guy will be impossible to hide. He’s huge!

Adam: Shut up! Shut up! Do you not understand that we cannot go around freely stating that we just murdered a man?! Shut up, close the door, and get over here.

Bryan: Sorry man. So, um, what is exactly your plan here? Are we ditching the body in the river? ‘Cause I’ve always wanted to do that. You know, the way you see it in movies and all. First we’d lunge the guy over our shoulder, though that might be hard ‘cause he’s so fat! Haha, wouldn’t it be funny if-

Ian: (smacks Bryan across the face) Shut up you idiot! This isn’t some game!

Adam: Shh! I think I just heard a car. Get him out of sight and hurry!

(Bryan and Ian hustle the bag behind the couch and scramble into the kitchen where they can’t be seen. Adam answers the door to find a tall, strongly built man waving a badge in his face.)

CSI: Hello, I’m Dan Thompson and I’m with the crime lab. We recently discovered that Rodger Peters, who lives down your street, has possibly been kidnapped or murdered. Friends of his said that he had left the party they were at to get more beer from his house. He never came back. Upon investigating his house, we found a kicked-in door, lots of blood, and multiple weapons. We’re going house to house to ask if anyone has seen or heard any suspicious activity.

Adam: Hm, that is very upsetting to hear. Rodger’s a good man. But no, I haven’t seen or heard anything tonight. I’ve been sleeping upstairs with my wife and our newborn.

CSI: But you’re still fully dressed, sir. Do you find sleeping in a suit and tie comfortable?

Adam: Uh, actually, I just got home from work you see. Late night and all. What I meant by that was, um, I was just getting ready to go to bed.

CSI: (narrows his eyebrows, clearly suspicious) I see. Well, I won’t keep you then. I will try to stop by again tomorrow, hopefully at a better time. Have a nice night, sir.

Adam: You too. Good-bye.

(Adam closes the door, sighing deeply. Ian and Bryan come back into the room, both nervous and scared. The room is tense and dead silent; the reality of what the three had done finally setting in…)

Ian: Adam, that was a close call. We’ve got to be more careful now that the cops are out there.

Adam: I know, I know. I just didn’t think they would find out so soon…

Bryan: Oh God…we have to get rid of his body now! Adam, I’ve got two baby daughters to feed and a wife with no job. If I get caught…their lives are over! Come on man; let’s get this over with. I’m freaking out!

Adam: Alright. I’ve got an idea. Let’s bury him in the backyard. No one will ever find him there.

Parados

Chorus: If you cannot yet tell, this story is not a happy one.

Adam and his accomplices are not what they appear.

To the ones who thought they knew them best,

It is all just one huge lie.

They deceived and cheated their ways through life,

Dealing drugs, stealing lives. All for money you see,

The only thing they thought could mend their broken souls.

Never caught, not once, doing their deadly deeds.

But everything does catch up to you. Someday, somehow.

Now what will they do when not the police find out, but Adam’s own wife?

Will Kaylee spill to the police, knowing it’s for the good?

Or will she still love Adam and keep it all a deep secret,

Thinking that the one she fell in love with can still yet change...

First Episode

(It’s the next morning and Kaylee wakes up. Jack, her newborn son, is still fast asleep, so she heads downstairs to see Adam sitting on the couch, staring blankly off into space. His eyes are misted over and not a single part of him is moving. He almost looks dead. Kaylee sits down beside him.)

Kaylee: (yawns) Hey babe. How are you?

Adam: Uh, okay. And you?

Kaylee: I’m pretty good actually. Jack-Jack slept almost through the whole night. That would be a first! (laughs softly) Did you sleep down here? ‘Cause you never came to bed….

Adam: (shifts nervously) No. I mean yes! I did sleep, um, here on the couch. Got home late from work and out with the guys, you know. Didn’t want to disturb you or Jack.

Kaylee: Oh, okay. How long were you out exactly? You look, well, awful.

Adam: (glances around the room) I’m fine. Just a…long night, I guess. Um, I think I’m going to head over to Ian’s. He forgot his wallet over here. Just gonna return it and all.

Kaylee: Aw, that’s sweet of you. Don’t stay too long, okay? I was thinking of going to the park with Jack later and having a picnic. Our first family picnic…doesn’t that just give you a warm feeling inside? We’re finally a family.

Adam: Yeah, mm-hmm. It’s great. I’ll be back in about an hour, alright?

Kaylee: Sure thing. I think I’m going to get some coffee brewing and sit in the backyard. It’s so beautiful out today! (stands and starts off towards the kitchen)

Adam: (grabs Kaylee tightly by the arm and jerks her back on the couch) No! No! Uh, I mean, what if Jack wakes up? You’ll never hear him. It’ll be safer if you stay here, okay?

Kaylee: Adam, if something’s wrong, you need to tell me. I’m your wife and I deserve to know.

Adam: Nothing is wrong! Everything is fine…dandy…perfect. Please, just stay here until I come back. Love you.

(Before Kaylee even has time to respond, Adam flies out the door and slams it closed. Questions begin spinning inside her head. What was he up to? Kaylee was not the sort of person to sit back and pretend things were okay when they clearly weren’t. Adam never acted so nervous and scared. She was determined to find out what was going on.)

First Stasimon

Chorus: Kaylee was confused by Adam’s odd ways,

So she went to discover just what was causing

His shaky hands, random outbursts,

And that distant look in his eyes.

A few calls here and a few calls there,

And slowly things began to fit together.

He was gone that night, that much she knew,

Work! He said, but no, that’s not true.

His boss stated plainly that he was not there.

With his friends! He said, and indeed, he was.

Both Ian and Bryan’s families had not seen them

That night when the three had committed their crime.

So what did happen that night?

The question was on all their minds.

It was something they didn’t want their wives to know,

Something that had to be covered with lies.

It was something Kaylee was going to find out,

No matter what it took.

Second Episode

(Later that day, Adam has still not returned. Kaylee drops Jack off at her mother’s house. Her gut is telling her to take him somewhere out of harm’s way. If things were to get out of control, her first priority was Jack’s safety. When she returns home, she lounges on the couch, waiting for Adam to come home. Shortly later, he does.)

Adam: (enters the living room, looking a bit better than he did that morning) Hey Kaylee. Sorry ‘bout that, I guess Ian and I just got into such a deep conversation, we lost track of ti-

Kaylee: Save it. I don’t want to hear any more lies, got it? Sit down.

Adam: (the color drains from his face, wondering just how much she knew) I don’t know where you’re coming from, Kay. I wouldn’t lie to you…

Kaylee: I’m not joking here! I’m not going to taken advantage of, period. Sit down!

Adam: (hesitantly joins Kaylee on the couch) Okay, calm down. What is this about?

Kaylee: You very well know what! You and your little buddies did something last night. You’ve been acting weird all morning! After you left, I called your boss, and he said you weren’t there last night. Called in sick, huh? And Ian’s wife and Bryan’s wife hadn’t seen either of them throughout the night. What did you guys do that was so horrible you have to lie to me about it?

Adam: (laughs nervously) Hun, you’re blowing this out of proportion! Yeah, I did call in sick and I’m sorry for lying to you about that. But who seriously doesn’t do that once and awhile? I needed a guy’s night. Hit up the bar; see some old friends…don’t worry about it. Nothing happened.

Kaylee: You can fool me once, but I won’t be fooled twice. Your story is bull. You don’t drink remember? You’ve told me that ever since we met. Oh wait, was that another lie too?!

Adam: No, no, no! They drank, but I just-

Kaylee: What? Enjoyed the scenery? Stop lying and just tell me what you guys did!

Adam: (Closes his eyes and slouches over) I give up…just turn on the TV. Channel six.

(Kaylee does as he says, as odd as it is. It’s the local news and a reporter is on the screen, her face covered in fear. She begins to talk about Rodger Peters’ bizarre disappearance. Kaylee recognizes the name immediately; he lives just a few houses down. The reporter continues with what the authorities think had went down that night. They envision murder. All the clues were there; blood, weapons, forced entry. CSI are on their feet trying to put all the pieces together, and hopefully get some suspects. The reporter then states that they would have more coverage on the frightening incident as the day went on. Kaylee flips the TV off and stares at Adam with huge, scared eyes.)

Kaylee: Please tell me you didn’t have a part in this. Please, dear lord, don’t tell me what I don’t want to hear!

Adam: You said you didn’t want any more lies. So there it is; I’m telling you the truth.

Kaylee: But why!? Just tell me why. Why did you kill this man? We hardly even know him!

Adam: I’m not a good guy, Kaylee. I’m not. (pauses, trying to hold back tears) We dealt him some drugs a few weeks ago. He told us he was going to pay us back, but he never did. I couldn’t just him get away with that! I had to kill him. It was business, merely business.

Kaylee: (buries her face in her hands, sobbing) Adam! This isn’t true! I didn’t fall in love with a drug dealer…a murderer! Please tell me this is some sort of joke.

Adam: I wish it was. If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t have sold that guy anything. But baby, I had to do what I had to do.

Kaylee: (cries for a couple minutes before raising her head and staring deep into Adam’s eyes) Where is he then? Were is his body?

Adam: (tears roll down his cheeks) I’m so sorry baby, I’m so sorry…

Kaylee: Adam, where is he?! Tell me!

Kaylee: (pauses for what seems like years) He’s in our backyard.

Second Stasimon

Chorus: Ran like the wind, she did, to see if it was true.

Sure enough, there was a mound of fresh dirt

That had not once been there before.

The moment Kaylee spotted it,

She broke down, collapsing into a shattered heap.

Her head bowed down, tears staining her cheeks.

Kaylee was mortified, petrified, horrified.

But as soon as the fear calmed,

She took a minute to really think

Of what she truly was to do.

She couldn’t tell the police;

It would absolutely ruin everything

She had ever worked for.

She had the perfect family, the perfect job,

The perfect home, the perfect social status.

Her life was fairytale perfect.

She didn’t want any of this to end, not yet, not now.

She would fix the mistakes her husband made,

And everything would go precisely back to normal.

Third Episode

(Kaylee returns to the living room, where Adam is still hunched over crying. She swiftly closes the blinds, locks the door, and yanks Adam to his feet.)

Adam: (blubbering wildly) You hate me don’t you? I can see it in your eyes. You hate me, hate me, hate me!

Kaylee: Get a hold of yourself! I don’t hate you…I hate the decision you made here. Burying him in the backyard? That’s stupid! I’ll tell you what we’re going to do…

Adam: (with a shocked expression on his face) Wait, what? You’re not going to turn me in?

Kaylee: Adam, I’m not going to just throw my life away because of some stupid mistake you made! Everything is finally where I wanted it to be. We’ve got a great house, lots of high-status friends, money, the best jobs, and even a beautiful baby boy! I’ve wanted a life like this ever since I was little. I won’t let it be destroyed!

Adam: But I just killed a man! How can you not hate me as much as I hate myself right now?

Kaylee: Because I know you can change. Everyone makes mistakes. Now listen, we are going to get rid of the body tonight. Okay?

Adam: But how?

Kaylee: (thinks for a moment) Burn the body! That’s what we’ll do. Douse him in kerosene, light a match, and boom! He’ll be nothing but ashes after that. Problem solved. We can even throw the ashes into the river if you want. No one will ever find out and everything will go back to normal!

Adam: (hesitates) Uh, okay. Are you sure that will work?

Kaylee: (laughs and kisses Adam on the forehead) Of course it will!

Adam: Wait a minute, where is Jack? There is no way he’s still sleeping upstairs.

Kaylee: No, I dropped him off at my mom’s. We can’t let him get in our way for tonight. But I’ll pick him up after we’re finished and hopefully, if the weather’s still nice, we can go on that picnic I planned tomorrow.

Adam: (grabs Kaylee by the shoulders) Baby! Can you hear the words coming out of your mouth? You are acting like this is no big deal to you. There is a freaking dead man in our backyard as we speak! You are talking about burning him like we’re burning the leaves in the fall!

Kaylee: Yeah, well, apparently he wasn’t a very nice man. Cheating you out of money? So maybe it’s better off if this jerk is dead. I don’t really care. All I know is I’ve got to do everything I can just to make it seem like this never happened.

Adam: (falls back onto the couch) I think I’d be better off in jail than to just pretend I’m not a murderer. I can deal with all the drugs and alcohol in the past, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget this…

Kaylee: Don’t you ever say that again! You should be happy I’m cleaning up YOUR mess! After tonight, we will never, and I mean NEVER, talk about this again. Life will be back to normal. You hear me? Don’t screw this up.

(Adam merely nods and Kaylee smiles in triumph. Things were going just her way, and by tomorrow, the dead man would be in the past. Kaylee would still have the perfect life she had always dreamed of.)

Third Stasimon

Chorus: So together the two stayed hidden all day,

Talking their plan through till perfection.

Adam stayed huddled on the couch,

Losing a bit more sanity each second that passed.

They will find us! He worried, rocking back and forth.

I’ll never see a day of light again! Stuck in jail forever…

Kaylee on the other hand was calm,

Cool, and collected like always.

The image of her wonderful life never straying far.

And when the night struck, darkness all around,

The deadly couple set out to complete

What should have never been started.

Exodus

(It’s midnight, the dead of night. Kaylee and Adam drive down to the river, dump the body of Rodger Peters onto the ground, and pour kerosene all over him. With a flick of the wrist, Kaylee lights a match. The two exchange one final glance before she throws the match onto Rodger’s body. They watch him burn, both silent and expressionless. The river begins to wash the ashes away, and the two get back in their car and drive home. They enter the living room.)

Kaylee: (drops onto the couch) There. It’s over.

Adam: Yeah…thank God. (sigh and joins Kaylee on the couch) Kaylee, I want you to know something.

Kaylee: Oh please don’t tell me you’ve committed any more crimes!

Adam: No, no. It’s not anything like that. I just wanted to apologize for putting you through this and all.

Kaylee: It’s alright; I’ll make it through.

Adam: I never wanted to get you involved in my messes. I just wanted to lead two lives, you know? One with you and Jack and another out on the streets, the way I was used to.

Kaylee: What do you mean? You never told me any of this. You said you had a great childhood!

Adam: (shakes head sadly) I said a lot of things I shouldn’t have told you. I’m so sorry for all the lies, Kay.

Kaylee: Can you just tell me the truth now? I need to know.

Adam: (sighs) Basically all the stuff I told you about me going to Harvard, living with rich parents, being one of the most popular guys in my school…well, it’s not true. Really, I was just an ordinary guy, with abusive and always absent parents, and I was a high school dropout. The only way I got by was by dealing drugs.

Kaylee: Oh my God, why wouldn’t you tell me any of this? Why did you have to lie?

Adam: Well when I met you, you had those dreams of an amazing life! I thought if I told you the truth, you would never want to have me a part of your life. I’m a low-life scum! I don’t know why you still want to be with me after all this. I don’t deserve you.

Kaylee: (holds Adam’s hand) Don’t say that. Sure, you lied, but I can get over that. We’re all human and make mistakes. I still love you, past all the imperfections.

Adam: I’m going to make things better, okay? I’ll change for you.

Kaylee: You don’t have to change anything. Life is perfect, like I always dreamed. What’s in the past stays in the past. Nothing happened, remember?

Adam: (laughs) Oh yeah, nothing happened. We were just enjoying a night to ourselves…romantic dinner, as couple of movies. Nothing more than that.

Kaylee: (smile spreads across her face) Exactly. But listen…if anything like this happens again, you come to me first. Got it? I know way better how to kill a man than you do.

Adam: What are you implying? (pulls away)

Kaylee: (smile turns darker, more evil) Let’s just say I’m just as good as you are making people see me as something I’m not. Everything I’ve told you hasn’t been the truth either.

THE END