September Challenge: The Devil’s Bargain
Theme: Swashbuckling Monologue
Inspiration: The high seas and pirate legends
Tone: Intense, theatrical, and brooding, ending in a commanding shout
Voice: Gender-neutral
Script
(Wood creaks softly. A storm murmurs beyond the hull. Waves whisper against the ship.)
(Low, almost reverent)
Anne Bonny once said she'd rather be dead than bored.
A bold claim for a woman with a noose ’round her neck.
(A beat, thoughtful)
She and I had a pact — blood-sworn beneath a storm that split the sky.
I’d help her find the map, and she’d help me bury the past.
But alas, gold glitters more brightly for her than loyalty.
(Rising with anger)
She thinks I won’t make it to Shroudpoint before her crew.
She thinks I’ve gone soft. That I forgot what they did to my brother.
(A dry chuckle)
The sea forgets nothing. And neither do I.
(Sharp, intense)
I’ve carved a path through storms, specters, and sirens to get here.
One more reckoning won’t kill me — unless it does.
(Quiet, resolute)
So I’ll sail. I’ll bleed. I’ll make the sea remember my name.
(Sudden shift — barks out loud to the unseen crew)
Raise the Black! We sail before she sees us coming!
Notes from the Mob
September’s challenge took us to the deck of a doomed ship, with performances ranging from sorrowful to defiant. Voice actors explored projection control, mic distance for shouted lines, and the rhythm of anger building to release. Every rendition brought a unique heartbeat to the open sea.
