Virtually Innocent

Treatment. ACT 1 It’s a dark and cold evening as David loiters in the shadows of a doorway, he is unaffected by the cold despite only being dressed for the golf course. Across the street Beth steps out from a shop and locks up for the evening. She puts on gloves and zips up a thick coat before making her way home, unaware that David is following a safe distance behind. Beth unlocks the entrance door to a block of flats and disappears inside. David jogs across the road and catches the door before it closes. As he opens the door Beth is just going out of view up the stairs. David makes his way to her flat and tries the handle, it’s unlocked. He edges inside and finds Beth in the lounge. Beth tries to fight but the punches and blows simply bounce of David, who was completely unaffected or hurt by her efforts. David stops suddenly, his posture collapses and the expression of frustration is clear. David lets out an angst filled scream. With a forlorn look on his face David calls out ‘Computer, end program’. The environment fades away and is replaced by a small room with a single door and pure white walls. David strides towards the door, opens it and steps out into his family lounge. David’s wife, Jenny, and daughter, Daisy, are sat watching TV. Jenny asks David how his round of golf went as Daisy heads to the VR Room for a school homework assignment. This would seem to be a normal, loving family home. ACT 2 A little later in the day David is sat opposite psychologist, Dr Amy Franklin. David reveals that he feels the therapy is not working, his urges are getting stronger and harder to control. Dr Franklin prescribes adjustments to the program to allow physical harm to James. She explains that increasing the risk might induce a stronger feeling of reality. Frustrated with the lack of answers, James heads to his local bar. Billie is sat with her friends, her smile and laughter captivate David. A Barman collecting glasses snaps him out of his trance and David hastily exits. Arriving back home David walks into the middle of an argument between his wife and daughter. Daisy and her friend Erica are dressed for a night out, Jenny is forcing Daisy to put something less revealing on. Jenny heads out and instructs David to go and get Daisy if she is not home by 11pm. David is back in the VR room, wearing his golf attire. There seems to be no program running and David is pacing, clearly in deep thought. The sound of breaking glass outside the room distracts him, he heads outside. Erica is crouched on the floor picking up broken glass. David glances up her skirt and then crouches beside her. He places his hand on her knee and runs it up her skirt. Erica pulls away but David grabs her and throws her onto the couch. He pins her down and forces her skirt up. Suddenly something hard hits him across the back of the head and he tumbles to the floor. Daisy is standing over him, a golf club in her hand. David pleads to Daisy as Erica stumbles to her feet. She runs to her handbag and pulls out some pepper spray, unloading the entire can into David’s face. A loud beeping noise sounds and the room fills with bright light. The room transitions in to a golf course, David is laying in a sand bunker, he eyes red and streaming. The beeping noise is someone entering an access code to the room. Quickly David gathers himself and wipes the tears from his eyes. Jenny enters the room and is startled at the state of David. His excuse is sand in his eyes from a bad shot, as he forgot to put the safety controls on. Jenny tells him to go and get Daisy, it is gone midnight and she is not home. ACT 3 David, still wearing his golf attire, is fighting his way through the dance floor. He looks around at the exposed skin of female revellers, the sights, sounds and crowd are too much for him, so he heads outside for some air. On the steps outside Billie is saying goodbye to her friends, they head back inside as Billie heads off towards town. David decides to follow her. Further into town Billie crosses the road to take a short cut through a public park. David takes his chance, he drags her off the path and into the woods. An hour later David arrives home, Daisy is already in bed. He moves to his bedroom and slips in to bed next to his wife, she nuzzles into his arms. The sound of splitting wood resounds from down stairs. David edges out of the bedroom to investigate. Three men in balaclavas are running up the stairs, they grab David and Daisy and drag them into the bedroom. David is restrained as the other two launch an assault on his wife and daughter. David is screaming in terror and trying to fight, but his blows seem to simply bounce of his assailant. Suddenly a voice calls out ‘Computer pause programme’. The three attackers, Jenny, and Daisy are frozen in place. David stares on in confusion and panic. Dr Franklin is standing over David, she tells him he has failed his parole. All of his memories are false implants, he has no wife or daughter. The life he thought he had was all a test to see if David was safe to release from prison, and he failed.