Friday, November 04, 2016

Writing Challenge 2016 #3 - Drunk Dogs

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NWC #3 Drunk Dogs. DUE Nov 4nd at 8am CST

Hmm... People tend to bring their problems and restrictions to their writing. The doors you've closed in your real life? They stay closed on the stage.

We tend to open those doors when we drink or play with animals....

Challenge- Two teenage dogs are drinking their favorite micro brew. A leopard and a polar bear walk by drunk on wine. The Cubs won. Chaos ensues.  YOU MUST WRITE A HAPPY ENDING (okay you don't really have to but hey, give happiness a try)

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While I'm happy for the Cubs, and all their long-suffering fans, and the end of any curse that lasts over a hundred years (which has me thinking of fairy tales and generations so I'm sure it'll all pop back into my head at some point), I don't really get that excited about sports, and I've anthropomorphized all manner of animals already.

Those guys from the first challenge are still pestering me

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LOVE POTION NUMBER 9

Another scene
(This is a next morning followup to the scene in the first day's writing challenge)

The next morning

Micah's bed

MICAH and AUGGIE

Above the sheets

Fully clothed

Spooning

AUGGIE wrapped around MICAH, watching him sleep.

After a moment, MICAH startles awake.

Tenses for just a second, then remembers.

                          AUGGIE
Good morning.

                          MICAH
Good morning.

                          AUGGIE
You want me to let go?

                          MICAH
No.

                          AUGGIE
Good.
You got tense there for a second.

                          MICAH
I normally sleep alone.

                          AUGGIE
I don't.

They let that hang in the air a moment.

                          MICAH
You been up long?

                          AUGGIE
Nope.

                          MICAH
I'm surprised I slept.

                          AUGGIE
Me, too.

                          MICAH
You teasing me?

                          AUGGIE
Maybe a little.

                          MICAH
Sorry if I kept you awake.

                          AUGGIE
I'm just happy to be here.

                          MICAH
You're a pretty good big spoon.

                          AUGGIE
You're kind of a squirmy little spoon.

                          MICHAH
I normally sleep alone.

                          AUGGIE
So you said.
You might have to get used to this.

                          MICAH
I am so screwed.

                          AUGGIE
Not yet, but if you're lucky -

                          MICAH
Easy there, big fella.

                          AUGGIE
Oh, so you can feel that, can ya'?

                          MICAH
I was gonna give you a pass.  Morning wood being what it is.

                          AUGGIE
And how are you doing in that department, buddy?

                          MICAH
If you don't want me leaping out of this bed, you won't try and check.

                          AUGGIE
Understood.  Don't get squirmy again.

                          MICAH
So, since I can't leave you alone without prompting the dissolution of your marriage - ?

                          AUGGIE
Yeah - ?

                          MICAH
I called in sick.
Last night.
Well, emailed in sick.
To work.
Today.
So I don't have to be anywhere.
But here.
With you.

It takes AUGGIE a moment or two to be able to form any words in response to that.

                          AUGGIE
Thanks, man.

                          MICAH
Don't get all weepy on me now.

                          AUGGIE
No.  I mean, yeah.  It's just -
That means a lot to me, is all.
That you'd do that.

                          MICAH
Well, I kinda got you into this.  Didn't feel right to just leave you alone with it.

                          AUGGIE
Can I kiss you?

                          MICAH
Auggie.

                          AUGGIE
Your neck, just the back of your neck.  I just -

                          MICAH
Quickly.  Once.  Don't linger.

AUGGIE plants a peck on Micah's neck.

                          AUGGIE
You're the best.

                          MICAH
I am a horrible person.

                          AUGGIE
Hey now.

                          MICAH
Your wife is pregnant.

                          AUGGIE
You didn't know that when you slipped the potion into my drink.

                          MICAH
No, but I was well aware you were married.
And I still did it.

                          AUGGIE
I'm glad you did it.

                          MICAH
You think you're glad.

                          AUGGIE
Hey, I have agency here.

                          MICAH
I wish that were true.

                          AUGGIE
I can get up and walk out that door.
I can.
I won't enjoy it, but I can do it.

                          MICAH
It won't change the way you feel though.

                          AUGGIE
No.  It won't.  And I don't want it to.

                          MICAH
Can we sit up?

                          AUGGIE
I don't want to stop holding you.
We sit up, I lose an easy excuse to hold you.
Touching still freaks you out.

                          MICAH
Yes.

                          AUGGIE
But you'll let me hold you.

                          MICAH
I want to see your face.

                          AUGGIE
          (reluctantly)
OK.

                          They sit up.

                          AUGGIE (cont'd)
Don't cross your arms.
You don't need to protect yourself from me.

                          MICAH
Oh, that is so not true.

                          AUGGIE
You're trying to make yourself so small.

                          MICAH
Hey, you're the one who made me the little spoon.

                          AUGGIE
Because I couldn't trust you to hold onto me.

                          MICAH
I'm not going anywhere.
I can't.
I'm staying.

                          AUGGIE
Good.

                          MICAH
You scare the hell out me.
You have always scared the hell out me.
This scares the hell out of me.

                          AUGGIE
This?

                          MICAH
The thing between you and me.
It's chemical.

                          AUGGIE
Well, yeah.

                          MICAH
No, I mean for me.
There is something about the connection between you and me that I have absolutely no control over.
Like my nose is keyed in to pick up one and only one scent.
Yours.
You're in a room and I don't see anyone else.
I have to fight to form words.
Resisting the urge to touch you is an ongoing struggle.
It's sophomoric.  It's hormonal.
Like I'm back in high school or something.
I am unmoored.  I am drifting out to see.
I am stepping off a cliff, and I have no clue how long the drop is.

                          AUGGIE
Let me catch you.

                          MICAH
This isn't real.

                          AUGGIE
Let me pull you in to shore.

                          MICAH
Jeffrey makes a shopping trip for the right ingredients, presto change-o, back to real life.

                          AUGGIE
You can trust me.

                          MICAH
I can't trust myself.
Clearly I have no boundaries anymore if I'm willing to -

                          AUGGIE
Do you love me?

                          MICAH
Auggie.

                          AUGGIE
Do you love me?

                          MICAH
Yes.  Of course, yes, but -

                          AUGGIE
No buts.
Well, not right away, anyway.

                          MICAH
Auggie.

                          AUGGIE
You have a very nice butt.

                          MICAH
As do you.

                          AUGGIE
I am letting your butt sidetrack me.

                          MICAH
Seems only fair since yours sidetracks me ALL the time.

                          AUGGIE
Oh really?

                          MICAH
You had a point you were making?

                          AUGGIE
I love you, too.
I could have said that before last night. I probably should have.

                          MICAH
As a friend, as a brother.

                          AUGGIE
As a person I trust.
As a person I count on.

                          MICAH
I have let you down in the worst possible way.

                          AUGGIE
Being in love is always terrifying.
You can never fully know another person's heart or another person's mind.
So you have to trust the other person.
You have to trust that they will not hurt you.
Or you'd never open yourself up to anyone, ever.
Do you trust me not to hurt you?

                          MICAH
          (suddenly very small)
Yes.

                          AUGGIE
And I trust you not to hurt me.

                          MICAH
But I already have.

                          AUGGIE
I don't see it that way.

                          MICAH
Your judgment is clouded.
And I'm the one that clouded it.

                          AUGGIE
Shouldn't we make the best of the situation we're in?

                          MICAH
And how exactly do you propose that we do that?

                          AUGGIE
Well, I know what I'd like to do.

                          MICAH
August.

                          AUGGIE
OK, how about one kiss.  One.
Then I'll let you off the hook for a little bit.

                          MICAH
One?

                          AUGGIE
One.

                          MICAH
Not one lasting a full half hour or something.

                          AUGGIE
Less than a minute.  You can time it if you want.

MICAH weighs this.
Resistance weakening.

                          MICAH
Oh-kay -

                          AUGGIE
Get over here.

MICAH does.
AUGGIE pulls him in for a kiss.
Simple.  Sweet.
He's very good about keeping his hands out of play.
When it's over, MICAH's wrecked.

                          AUGGIE (cont'd)
Where's your guitar?

                          MICAH
Corner of the other room, why?

                          AUGGIE
Just feeling inspired.
Might write you a song while we're biding our time.

                          MICAH
You are determined to get me back into bed with my clothes off this time, aren't you?

                          AUGGIE
That's the plan.

                          MICAH
I should call Jeffrey.

                          AUGGIE
Jeffrey knows to call us.  You stay right here with me.
Take my hand.

                          MICAH
Auggie.

                          AUGGIE
Micah.
Take.  My.  Hand.

                          MICAH does.

                          AUGGIE (cont'd)
We will find a way to make this work.
I promise.

                          MICAH
I should be the one who -

                          AUGGIE
Teamwork.
Now let's get that guitar.

                          MICAH
It probably needs to be restrung.

                          AUGGIE
You got the strings?

                          MICAH
I do.

                          AUGGIE
See?  That right there will probably take us through breakfast.  Day's underway.  C'mon.

They go in search of the guitar.

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