Kathisophobia and Death
By: Palange Jia
Narrator: How does it feel to sit? How does it feel when you get rest from standing all day long?
Those are questions that keep on lurking at Irene’s mind. It’s been tiring and she has forgotten
the thought or feeling of sitting. Everybody finds her weird because no matter what, she do not
want to sit. It’s not that she do not really want to sit, she’d actually love to but she can’t She just
can’t. It’s because she’s kathisophobic and this is the reason behind the phobia she’d rather
endure than choose to sit on a chair.
-At the front yard of their house
Irene: (shaking her head) No, no, no.
Mom: Is there a problem Irene? Get in the car now, it’s getting dark.
Irene: (still shaking her head and stuttering) No, mom. I-i can’t sit.
Mom: What do you mean you can’t sit? Come on, get in. We’re going. (opens the car)
Irene: I-i can’t sit mom. I can’t.
Mom: What’s wrong with you Irene?!( gets furious) You are wasting time! We’re in a hurry!
Irene: (body shaking) I-i don’t want to go anymore mom. No, I-ican,t. No.(runs towards the
house and gets in)
Mom: Irene! Come back here!
Irene: No!
Mom: (walks towards the house and gets in) Irene! What is this?! We’ve talked about thus
already!
Irene: Mom, let’s just walk mom, please. I can’t sit mom. I can’t. (pleading)
Mom: What’s going on you Irene?! Are you out of your mind? We are going to walk miles?
(pulls Irene’s hand) Come on. You’re coming with me.
Irene: (pulls back her hand and cries) Mom, no. Please. I don’t want to sit on the car mom.
(shakes head)
Mom: There’s nothing in the car Irene. What are saying?
Irene: Mom, please. I just can’t sit there.
Mom: (throws Irene’s arms roughly) You won’t come with me?
Irene: (shakes head)
Mom: Fine. I’m going alone.
Irene: (pulls her mom’s arms) Mom. Don’t leave me here. Mom, don’t. Please.
Mom: (holds both of Irene’s shoulders tightly) Are you going crazy Irene? I need to go! Your
brother needs me!
Irene: (still crying) But mom, I need you here too. Mom, I’m scared.
Mom: Can you stop this foolishness Irene?! Don’t be insensitive! Your brother needs me in the
hospital! He needs us right now Irene!
Irene: But I’m scared mom! I’m scared to be alone in here.
Mom: What are you scared of Irene? We’re living here since you were a baby! What are you
scared of?! You’re being paranoid Irene!
Irene: Mom! The chair! Don’t sit on any chair! Please! You’re going to die!
Mom: What are you saying?! Have you gone crazy Irene? What are you talking about? Haven’t
you see Mr. Wilson sitting on the driver’s seat? He’s fine Irene? What are you even thinking?!
(sighs then goes to the kitchen. Goes to the table and pours a glass of water) Come here.
Irene: (draws near her mom)
Mom: Sit. Drink this. ( hands Irene the water)
Irene: ( abruptly gets the glass of water, hand shaking and throws it in the table)
Mom: WHAT ARE YOU DOING IRENE? ARE YOU CRAZY?!
Irene: No, no. I’m not crazy mom. I’m scared!
Mom: I already told you Irene. THERE IS NOTHING TO BE SCARED OF!
Irene: THERE IS MOM! I-i just can’t tell you yet. But please, mom, don’t ever try to sit. Please.
Mom: You are mad Irene. I’m going. ( turns towards the door and attempts to take a step)
Irene: (hugs her mom) MOM NO! MR. WILSON! MR. WILSON IS GOING TO KILL YOU!
HE’S GOING TO KILL US! Mom. Believe me, please.
Mom: I can’t believe you Irene! You’re making stories! Mr. Wilson has been helping us since
your father died! How can you say such things on him? I never taught you those!
Irene: Mom please. Just don’t sit and don’t go near Mr. Wilson. Please mom, I’m begging you.
Mom: (looks at Irene roughly) Irene it’s already dark and your brother needs me so stop this
foolishness, NOW!
Irene: MOM! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME JUST THIS ONCE PLEASE!
Mom: No. You listen to me Irene to ‘please’ stop this craziness. I don’t get you. I don’t
understand you. Earlier you went berserk of not letting me sit and now you’re making a story
about Mr. Wilson Why are you suddenly afraid of sitting? Here I’m going to show you. (attempts
to sit)
Irene: NO! MOM! I SAID DON’T SIT!
Mom: No! Look at me. Watch me Irene.(goes to the chair)
Irene: MOM! DON’T! (holds her mom but wasn’t able to reach in time)
Mom: (sits) See? There is nothing wro—(stops moving and talking)
Irene: Mom? Mom? (cries) Mooooommmm! No! No! This isn’t happening. Mom, wake up
mom. Please, please mom. MOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM! (cries hard and closed her mom’s
eyes)
(Mr. Wilson gets in the scene)
Mr. Wilson: (holds Irene’s shoulder) What happened Irene? Why were you shouting with your
mom? What happened to her?
Irene: (slowly looks at Mr. Wilson) Don’t touch me(removes Mr. Wilson’s hand on her
shoulder), you devil! Get out! Get out of our house!
Mr. Wilson: Wh-what are you talking about Irene?
Irene: Don’t play dumb on me Mr. Wilson! You’re a murderer! You killed my mother!
Mr. Wilson: WHY ARE YOU BLAMING ME?! I WASN’T HERE WHEN YOUR MOTHER
DIED! IT WAS YOU!( points at Irene) YOU’RE THE KILLER IRENE! IT WAS YOU!
Irene: Don’t turn the situation Mr. Wilson. I saw you! I saw the tablets you placed on the food! I
saw the tablets Mr. Wilson!
Mr. Wilson: You’re making a story Irene! You’re going crazy. You’re hallucinating. You even
killed your mother. You’re going mad. Here drink this. (hands a tablet) It stables the mind Irene.
Take it.
Irene: You can’t fool me Mr. Wilson! Why don’t you drink it yourself and die!
Mr. Wilson: Irene. Tsk, tsk.( shaking his head while smiling) You are really going crazy. That’s
why I SAID DRINK THIS! (draws near Irene and holds her tight) You better obey me Irene or
you’ll die in my hands.
Irene: No! I won’t drink that crazy bitch!
Mr. Wilson: (holds both of Irene’s hands on her back. Pushes her on the wall and insists on
making Irene drink the tablet by forcefully opening Irene’s mouth) Drink it Irene.(laughs)Drink
it!
Irene: (spits saliva at Mr. Wilson’s face then closes her mouth tightly while shaking her head left
and right; crying)
Mr. Wilson: Open your mouth Irene or you’ll get hurt.
Irene: ( still shaking her head)
Mr. Wilson: You won’t obey? (smashes Irene’s head on the wall until it bleeds)
Irene: (unconsciously opens her mouth in pain)
Mr. Wilson: ( forcefully puts the tablet on Irene’s mouth. Once done, he closes Irene’s mouth
and covers it with his hand for a long while)
Irene: ( having no choice an finding it hard to breath swallowed the tablet)
Mr. Wilson: Good girl.(releases Irene) See? It’s that easy Irene. You just need to swallow i and
nothing else. (laughs)
Irene: Murderer! You’re demon!
Mr. Wilson: No! I’m not a murderer! I am not a demon Irene, I’m a lover. A lover disregarded
by your mother! That’s why i killed her. Once she sits on a chair, the acids on her stomach will
be triggered and will immediately melt all her internal organs. Then she’ll die! Now look at her(
points at the dead body of Irene’s mom) she’s dead! (laughs)
Irene: You’re crazy! You’re the one who’s crazy! My mom didn’t even do anything on you yet
you killed her!
Mr. Wilson: You are right Irene. She didn’t do anything. SHE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING! SHE
DIDN’T DO ANYTHING TO LOVE ME BACK! She didn’t. THAT’S WHY I KILLED HER!
(laughs)Sad, she didn’t know anything about the food she ate. (fakes sad concern)
Irene: Hah! HAHAHAHAHA! My mom would never love you! My mom would never love a
demon! A murderer! A--Mr. Wilson: SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT YOUR FREAKIN’ MOUTH UP! (draws
near Irene and holds her neck tightly) Shut that little mouth of yours Irene because once I put you
on that chair, you’ll end up just like your mother.
Irene: (spits at Mr. Wilson’s face) Shut your ass crazy murderer. (smirks)
Mr. Wilson: (tightens his grip on Irene’s neck) You’re not afraid of me little bitch? You aren’t? I
CAN KILL YOU RIGHT NOW BITCH!
Irene: (looks at Mr. Wilson angrily while having a hard time breathing; gets a piece of the broken
glass from the table and hides it on her back)
Mr. Wilson: Don’t look at me that way little bitch. Why don’t you sit on that chair Irene?
Nothing will happen on you. You’ll just—(stabbed by the piece of knife in the heart and vomits
blood)
Irene: Die. (releases the knife; breathing heavily. Walked towards her mom then hugged her and
cried)
-A sad song plays.
Narrator: That was it. That was the reason why she’d rather stand all day long than to sit and
melt her organs and die. Die? She wished for it every day, but can’t. She must not die no matter
how much she wants to because she has to live for her little brother. She has to survive for him
and endure the pain and fear every day. Kathisophobia or the fear of sitting, some find it funny
but for Irene it’s like a punishment she have to endure for the rest of her life.
end