Kill on Repeat Door opens and small bell rings Laila is breathing heavily Laila walks, her steps heavy through the shop She grabs a packet of crisps A few more footsteps She tosses the packet onto the counter Laila [shakily] - Good afternoon Guy - Hi Scan beep Guy - That will be two pound thirty please Pause Guy - Two pound thirty… please Laila - How has your day been Guy? Pause Guy [Nervously] - Alright, been manning the shop most of the day. How about you? Laila – Your shift ends at eleven Guy – Um… Laila – Then you’ll go home to your cats and your boyfriend Guy – Yes… my manager is in the back Laila – No she’s not Guy – I can go get her now Laila – There’s no escape through the back Pause Laila – I’m sorry Guy, I don’t want to frighten you, but we don’t have particularly long and I need you to understand that I know what is going on. We are the only two people in this store, neither of us are armed, and there is only one exit or entrance Guy – What do you want? Laila – I’m not here for money if that’s what you’re asking, I just want our shared survival Guy – Are you going to hurt me Laila sighs Laila – At nine twenty-six someone is going to come through that door, they will have a knife and they’re going to kill you. And then they’ll come for me Guy – I can call the police Laila – Don’t waste your time they won’t get here in soon enough Guy – We’re not that far from the station Laila – We only have five minutes Guy Guy – How do you know this shit? Laila – This isn’t my first time Guy, I’ve seen this, no, no I’ve lived this three times already. Every time I try and leave, try and run and I’m brought right back here at this exact moment Guy – You’re telling me you’re I what… a time loop Laila – You need to believe me Guy – I’m calling the police Over the following Guy is looking for his phone Laila – A man named Jan Skinner is going to walk through that door at nine twenty-six, he’s going to buy a bag of apples and a box of plasters and then he’s going to take out a knife and stab you six or- or maybe seven times in the chest and stomach. Guy – Where the fuck is my phone? Laila – Then he’s going to take after me and I’m going run, I’ll leave through that door and I’ll come out at nine twenty-one again, and I don’t want to do this again Guy – Did you take my fucking phone? Who even are you? Laila – Guy, you need to calm down, I have seen this man take your tongue with his teeth, he just leaned down gently, I thought he was kissing you, but, but when he came up his chin was dripping with blood and- Guy – Fine, fine. Shut up. Please… Laila – Guy- Guy – Shut up! Guy sighs Guy – Why should I believe you, prove it, tell me something you couldn’t know unless you’d done this before Laila – How do you think I know your name? about your cats? Your boyfriend? Guy – You could be a stalker Laila – You told me the first time I was here Guy – Prove it! Laila – I don’t know how! But when that man comes in at nine twenty-six and picks up a bag of apples you’ll see I’m not lying Guy - Fine Laila - We need to arm ourselves, do you have knives, or- Guy – No! Laila – Scissors then Guy – No! No, we need to leave, we can get out and then call the cops Laila – I can’t leave! I told you, every time I leave, I just end up back here Guy - So what do you think’s going to happen this time? Once the police come, what then, are you going to live here forever? Laila – I don’t know, maybe if we… get him arrested or… y’know… Maybe it will end Guy – I could leave Pause Laila - Please don’t leave me Pause Guy – Ok… Laila – Where are the scissors? Pause Guy – Over there Laila walks to a nearby shelf Laila – Guy, these are safety scissors. There’s got to be something better back there Guy – Um… Laila – Come on Guy – Scissors, proper one’s Laila – Great, so when he comes in you can be ready Guy – What do you expect me to do? Laila – I don’t know, shank him in the eye before he murders you Guy – I can’t do that! Laila – Then give them to me Laila walks quickly to the counter Guy – No! Laila – I can hide and then when he goes for you- Guy – We could both hide Laila – No, he’ll know something’s up Guy – But maybe it will give the police time- Laila – He’ll find us, this place isn’t big enough Guy – But- Laila – Maybe we could both wait by the door, then when he comes in I’ll hold him, and you can Guy – No! Pause Guy – I’ll stay here, and when he draws his knife we can both jump him and… and we can hold him down until the police come… I- I think we have those, plastic zip things somewhere Laila – Fine, but he’ll be strong. It takes force to snap ribs and he- Guy – I get it Pause Guy – I’m going to call the cops now, I just need my phone… Laila – Use mine, don’t tell them about the- Guy – Yea, I know Guy dials 999 Guy – I need the police Pause Guy – Hello, I have reason to believe that there is about to be an armed robbery at the convenience store on St Andrew’s Street corner within the next few minutes Pause Guy – It’s just me and a customer; no we can’t leave. We… we just don’t, feel safe. I- no I- I know, please just come, quick. I- we really can’t- The door opens the bell rings Silence for a moment Jan – Good afternoon! Pause Guy [weakly] – Hi… Jan – Horrible weather out there isn’t it Guy – Is it… Jan – Mmm, it’s been overcast all day, I sense a storm Yan grabs a bag of apples Guy – Apples… Jan – Yes, gotta keep the cheeky doctor away Guy – Yea… Jan – I joke, my wife’s a doctor see Guy – Oh Guy forces a laugh Jan approaches the till and puts down his bag of apples Jan – Are you quite alright? Pause Guy – Yes Jan – Oh, hello Pause Laila – Hi Jan - Almost didn’t see you there, hope I’m not interrupting Pause Jan – Excuse me, are you going to scan my apples Pause Guy – Yes, yes of course Pause Guy steps forward Scan beep Jan – Oh! Wait! Guy yells out in fear and stabs Jan Jan screams in pain and doesn’t stop screaming for a few moments, before dropping, dead, to the floor Guy – Oh my god Laila – Oh my god you did it… Laila lets out a laugh of relief, a laugh of snapped tension Laila – You really killed him, it’s over Guy moves around the counter and bends down to check out the corpse Guy – Oh my god… Laila – What? Guy – He was reaching for the plasters Laila – Wh-what do you mean? Guy – The plasters are at the counter, he was reaching for them, not me Laila – but- Guy – You said he was unarmed! You said he’d have a knife! Laila rushes over the body and unzips a pocket on Jan’s coat and pulls out a knife Laila – Look! He was armed; he just hadn’t pulled it out yet Guy – He didn’t touch me, and I killed him Laila – But he would’ve, yea, this- this is how it happened the first time. He got the plasters and then he stabbed you Guy – Why didn’t you tell me? Laila - There wasn’t time, and look! He was going to stab you; he had the knife Guy – You could’ve planted that… just now Laila – What?! After all this you’re turning on me! If I had a knife I would have used it- Guy – Not if this is all planned Laila – What??? Guy – You could’ve planned this all, to kill this man! Laila – You’re the one who stabbed him! Guy – You used me! How did you know this man’s name anyway? Laila – He said it first time round, he told you- Guy – When? While he was busy stabbing me, or after he ate my tongue? It’s fucking mad… Oh my God, the police are coming, I’m going to go to prison. Laila – No! He was going to kill you! You had the right! Guy – They won’t think that, they’ll think I killed him! Because of you! Laila – We’ll, we’ll put the knife in his hand. Get our story set Guy – No! Laila – If you won’t let me help, I’m going to leave Guy – You can’t leave, this is all your fault! Your fingerprints are everywhere! Laila – I’m, I’m going to leave now, maybe we’ll get a do over Guy – You! You’ll get a do over! What about me, you leave me here Laila stands up and walks swiftly away Guy – You can’t do this! Please Pause Guy – Please don’t leave me… Pause Door opens, bell rings