| Eastburn_Body_01_01 | After much turmoil, Elizabeth and I have made it through the storm. This foul tempest has claimed the rest of our troupe… Alcott, Bancroft and Blythe are no longer with us. But alas, the show must go on! Elizabeth and I must simply find a new crew. A new audience awaits us - And with the power of theatre, we shall enrich their hearts and minds! -William Eastburn |
| Eastburn_Body_01_02 | Earlier today, a miracle occurred! Alcott, Bancroft and Blythe, battered and smashed against the rocks not one week ago, have returned to us perfectly well! I saw them run through on the spires with my own two eyes, but here they stand… risen from the grave to join us in our cause. They appear veritably shaken even now, but they are glad to be alive once again. On this island, can we not perish? How brilliant, how mad! Imagine how this could be used to heighten the realism of our shows... To see Juliet run through with the knife, to see Hamlet cut down with the sword! I must tell the crew at once. I will become the greatest showman the world has ever seen! -William Eastburn |
| Eastburn_Body_01_03 | Rehearsals for our performance have begun, but it is clear that the crew is less committed than I am. They've run through these scenes a dozen times, but talks of “pain” have now dominated their conversations. Even Elizabeth, my dear sweet muse, is prompting me to omit the scene of Blythe's beheading- the CLIMAX, of all things! There is only so much complaining I can take! We've taken refuge at the Inn in Cleave's Point. The place is full of scoundrels and thieves, but when they heard of our play they were brimming with excitement! If only Alcott and Bancroft understood my work like they do… These blithering fools! Do they not respect me enough to give me their all? To be a true artist, one must be willing to suffer for their art! Heaven knows I have, with all their complaining. If god must strike me down, so be it. Rehearsals shall continue as planned. -William Eastburn |
| Eastburn_Body_01_04 | The final dress rehearsal has come and gone, and these petulant worms have hardly an ounce to give me! Alcott and Bancroft give their performances well, but I must chain them up in the night to keep them from deserting me. Even worse, Blythe's speech has started to slur- and last night she tried to cleave my head from off of my shoulders! I'm keeping Blythe under lock and key until further notice, as it is clear she is unable to perform. To prevent the spread of her feral nature, I've kept her locked away, far from the others. Elizabeth, to my dismay, was distraught when I informed her that she would play the role instead- but the show must go on! She has not died before thus far, and that will make the beheading even sweeter… Oh joy! What a show this will be! Cleave's Point will be in awe of my brilliance! -William Eastburn |
| Eastburn_Body_01_05 | I thought I understood the nature of this island. But like Icarus before me, I have flown too close to the sun. Elizabeth played the part perfectly. Every line, brimming with emotion… but when the beheading came, she faltered. She cried out to me, pleaded, but in my brash foolishness I had Bancroft drop the axe. When she dissipated into dust, she did not return… Instead, she sparked with an energy I have never seen before. Her voice screamed out from the heavens what a terrible man I was, and that she would haunt me for eternity. Then, my beloved muse vanished. Alcott and Bancroft have left me, seizing the opportunity to take flight as I mourned upon the stage. Blythe has now begun to decay, and I fear she may break from her chains at any moment. Every night I am tormented by visions of Elizabeth, hanging over my bed to punish me for my transgressions. As the sun sets, I can hear her voice wail from over the walls. Now I only wish for death, but it never comes. Every time I try, I can feel something foul welling up inside of me… Oh, what a fool I was! What an insolent, vain, blithering, insufferable fool. I knew of their pain, and I cared not. What a curse this island is! Blast the fates that brought me here! If only I had understood their suffering. If only I had cared. -William Eastburn |