A Natural Deficiency- A Short Scene

written by Chng Xin Xuan

Three black sheep enter downstage right in a straight line, one after another. They trot happily across
towards a man, seated amongst rocks.
Sheep 1: Baa
Sheep 2: Baaa
Sheep 3: Baaaa
Man: Good heavens, what are you crazy creatures?
S1: Baa
S2: Baaa
S3: Baaaa
Man: These atrocious sounds!!! Whatever could you be saying?
S1: Baaaaa
S2: Baaaaa
S3: BAAAAAAA
Man: Stop this at once! I insist!
S3: Baaaaaa.
Man: Is this a punishment? For my existence? Who would have thought; that at the moment of
contemplation- taking my own life, you sent three horrible, grotesque creatures to watch. And
here I was, alone, all-all-alone, wishing for someone to talk me out of this sinful act. This sinful,
sinful act- this selfish, selfish act. Im confronted by creatures of the shadow. If only I had a
different life, a life filled with riches and jewels, of wine and merry-making.
The sheep start prancing around, oblivious to the Mans distress.
Man: You mock me, dont you? You judge me. You take it upon yourself to inflict the label of
sinner unto me. The turmoil in my head, you would not understand. Non-humans. You dont
understand what we humans go through. Truth to you, is nothing but a mere need for water; for
grass. If the sun fades and it starts to rain, you have no need to seek shelter. The grass is never

greener on the other side, just green, enough for consumption. A creature of predatory abilities
comes along, you run, you escape and life just goes on. Or in the case that you do get eaten, that
would be the end of your life. No thought of how you will be missed, of who would be missing
you. Just onwards and upwards, standing in the rain whilst you whilst you.
S1: Baaaaa
S2: Baaaaaaaaaa
Man: Are you listening? Do you understand the words that Im saying? Or are they so completely
foreign that they resonate as vibrations, through you, as if you were transparent?
The sheep start chewing on grass and look upwards towards the sky, as though a herd of birds just flew
past.
Man: If I died, would people remember me? Would anyone cry for me?
S3: Baaaaaa
Man: I shall speak no more. This is the point at which my life would cease to continue. How
should I go about doing this? A slow, sweet, beautiful death. A stab to the heart; force against skin
and flesh, cracking through the ribs like lightning in the moonlit sky; twist and turn. Will my
heart stop once knife has drawn blood? Left to my thoughts once more before darkness. Or does
the mind end its chatter first? Walking into the sea, water rising above my legs, to my knees. The
pull into the abyss gets stronger and stronger as my stride gets smaller and smaller. This knife
that I have, a cut vertically on my veins; a release of the toxic waste from within me.
Man begins to cut himself, and blood trickles down his wrists. The sheep start jumping, as though they were
crossing a fence.
Man: Goodbye World.
Man closes his eyes and awaits the moment of death.
S1: Another one bites the dust.
S2: Gone with the wind.
S3: Good riddance I say. He was talking way too much for my liking.
S2: How could you say that? You heartless beast.
S3: Oh please, like you werent thinking that.

S2: No I wasnt, if you actually cared to know.

S3: Oh help me, talk to me, for if you dont, I would die a lonely horrible death.
S2: Youre hideous. If I didnt know any better, Id say you looked like the devil himself.
Man: Whhhaa. whats that? Am I dead? I thought I heard something.
S1: Oopps, look like weve blown our covers.
S2: Not yet. Hes semi-conscious.
Man: Speak to me, you awful creatures. What are you? Am I dead? What is this place?
S2: Youre not dead. Youre just in a happy place right now.
Man: You mean Im not dead yet?
S3: Sorry, Im afraid youre not. Would you like to be? We could help.
S1: Baaaaaa Stop that. Its not funny anymore.
Man: So all this while, you could understand me?
S2: Baaaaa, yes. Yes, we could.
Man: I knew it.
S3: BAAAAA
Man: Why didnt you stop me then?
S1: Well, we couldnt interfere. Were sheep. And youre human.
S2: We tried. When we chewed grass, wed hope it might make you hungry and go in search of
food. You know, take your mind off death.
S3: Look, youve made your choice. We couldnt stop you even if you wanted to.
Man: This is a dream. It must be a dream. Im dreaming. This is all a dream. Sheep dont talk.
S2: Yes, youre right. Sheep dont talk. They observe, eat and commune with other sheep. Not
humans. No, no, no, no, no. Thats unheard of. Talking to humans.
S3: And yet, here we are, talking to you.
Man: I dont understand.

S1: You dont need to. You only have to listen and observe.
S3: Were letting you in to our sacred world. Welcome.
Man: If youd welcome me earlier, I wouldnt have had to endure those painful moments. The
warm blood trickling down my arms. If you spoke to me sooner, or came up to me and included
me in your merry-making.
S3: If, if, if, if. So many what-ifs
Man: Is this how you talk to a dying man?
S1: Is this how you talk to us sheep?
Man: Why yes, I dont see any other way how I should talk to sheep.
S1: Fair enough.
S2: He seems quite upset.
S3: A little crazy, if you asked me.
Man: Stop talking about me like Im not here.
S2: Sorry. I keep forgetting that you can understand us now.
Man: Whats happening?
S1: Relax, just breathe. I reckon in a few minutes, you wont even remember a thing.
S3: Then, can we leave?
Man: No, dont leave me here, all by myself. I couldnt bear it.
S2: Baaaaa you are never alone.
S3: Easy for you to say. Yes, you will die alone. Yes, you will wake up and you will see that we will
no longer be around. Yes.. BAAA BAAA
S1: BAAAAA
S2: BAAAAAAAAA
Man: Whatttt?? What BAAA. Baaaa Baaaa. Baaaaaaaa BAAAAAA.
Man turns into sheep and during this transformation, he realises that the three sheep have left.
The End.