Helen “the Bitch”

By Isabela Contreras

Art by Julia Wong

[Helen enters.] 

Helen. 

(Helen, Helen, Helen.) 

You beautiful, treacherous girl.  

You caused too much—  

(Too much destruction, too much pain 

Your beauty is too much for this world  

Too much too much too—) 

(What do you do with it all? 

Where do you put it all? 

How do you cope with it all?) 

Helen, you beautiful, treacherous girl. 

(You are too much for them all.) 

Helen, how could it be

That when you entered these walls

And wove Troy’s destruction 

(With strings of Fate

And shameless hands)

You would leave unscathed?

(Can’t you hear their howls of pain?

AREN’T YOU HOUNDED BY WHAT YOU’VE DONE?)

HELEN, you beautiful, TREACHEROUS girl! 

HOW CAN YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF? 

HOW DO YOU LOOK INTO THE MIRROR— 

(AT THE FACE THAT LAUNCHED A THOUSAND SHIPS 

AT THE BEAUTY THAT SENT MANY A HERO TO

HADES TO BE FOOD FOR THE BIRDS AND THE DOGS 

ROTTING LIKE YOUR FUCKING SOUL 

FUCK YOUR FACE! FUCK YOUR BEAUTY! FUCK YOURSELF!) 

HOW DO YOU NOT CLAW AT YOUR SKIN 

(YOUR PERFECT FUCKING SKIN. 

BREAK YOUR NOSE TO SPITE YOUR FACE 

BREAK THE MIRROR THAT REFLECTS IT ALL 

SHATTER IT! SHATTER IT! 

USE THE GLASS TO KILL YOURSELF!) 

HELEN. 

(Don't you hear their whispers? 

Don't you see their stares? 

Can't you feel the weight of it all,  

CRUSHING YOUR CHEST YOUR MIND YOUR

HEART—) 

HELEN YOU BITCH. 

(You know you’re to blame, 

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID.)

HELEN YOU BEAUTIFUL BITCH! 

What did you think? 

What went through your head? 

(That they’re just jealous, they’re so jealous  

Well, you’re just jealous, YOU’RE SO JEALOUS.)

HELEN. 

FUCKING LISTEN 

(Get your head out of your ass, 

Stop moping, stop crying—WHY ARE YOU CRYING

STOP FEELING SO SORRY FOR YOURSELF 

GODS, just go to your room, JUST GET OUT.)

[Helen exits. She enters her room. The phone is ringing; she picks it up.] 

helen, can you hear me? 
hello? helen? 
sorry—they called you what? 

oh helen, don’t cry  
helen, please don’t cry— 
it was just a mistranslation,  
they just don't get the language 
your eagerness is not audacity
you don't have to hate yourself because 
one man's mistake. 

helen, 
they will never know you as i do 
they don’t see it— 
they don’t look into the mirror wishing they could turn away,
wishing that the prophecy could be changed…  

helen, my beautiful girl,
i know it wasn’t you  
how could it be?
you’re here in the mirror.  
when i apply my skincare
i think about how much 
you would like this cream…  
i wish i could give it to you. 

helen, my girl, 
can you hear me? am i getting through? 
helen, i want you to know— 

they called me a bitch too.