Enough Rope

Comedic Monologue originally from 20/20 Questions
Originally performed by Pascale Behrman

Dramatic / Open Gender

The speaker recounts a message from their mother that still haunts them to this day

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I’m holding onto this rope. I am holding onto it so tightly that my hands are white. I can
feel every muscle in my body screaming at me to let go, but I can’t. And then, as the rope
pulls, I can feel the burn sear every inch of my palms. I feel the pain in every part of me.
The rope feels like broken glass. The pain is excruciating. I can hardly breathe, but I can’t
let go. I hold onto the rope tighter. Blood pools out of my hands as I grip tighter. I can’t
stop my arms from shaking as I scream in pain. I know that at any time I can let go but I
don’t. I continue to choke the rope as it penetrates deeper and deeper into my hands. The
pain is intolerable — and then I wake up.

It’s happened every night for a week. I don’t wake up screaming, but I go instantly to my hands and examine them — and I wonder what it means.