Thursday, November 02, 2017

November 2017 Writing Challenge - #2 - Death + X


Write a play in which you are going to die - and it's you- like really you and right now- and you get to talk to someone real, living, alive that you love one last time--- and include details that are unique to your relationship.
 
Why are you going to die? What serves you best? Are you hanging from a rope over lava? Gasping last breaths at the hospital? Staring at the barrel of a gun?

Then go back and give that character a different age and gender and voice than in real life. Let them be more X than they were before- like keep the scene going but amplify some quality to dramatic effect.

********

Continuation of this idea I was working on yesterday

Jeffrey goes in search of ingredients for the antidote to the love potion.



A Wiccan supply store.

DUNCAN goes to open the door.

JEFFREY is waiting just outside.

                          DUNCAN
Oh.  Hello.

                          JEFFREY
Sorry.

                          DUNCAN
Don't be.

                          JEFFREY
Anxious.

                          DUNCAN
Itchin' to get started with your day?

                          JEFFREY
Gotta clean up a little mess I made.

                          DUNCAN
Really?  Do tell.

                          JEFFREY
It's dumb.

                          DUNCAN
Newbie wiccan?

                          JEFFREY
Pagan.  Dabbling.

                          DUNCAN
You were here before.

                          JEFFREY
Yeah, you were really helpful last time.

                          DUNCAN
Duncan.

                          JEFFREY
Jeffrey.
I kinda made a love potion.

                          DUNCAN
Got the ingredients wrong?

                          JEFFREY
No, you were very thorough.  I had everything I needed.

                          DUNCAN
Something still off?  Didn't work?

                          JEFFREY
No, it did.  That's kinda the problem.

                          DUNCAN
Wrong subject?

                          JEFFREY
I didn't use it.  A friend of mine did.

                          DUNCAN
You gave it away?

                          JEFFREY
I didn't think it'd work.

                          DUNCAN
Oops.

                          JEFFREY
The guy he used it on is kind of taken.

                          DUNCAN
Oh.

                          JEFFREY
And straight.
And his wife's pregnant.

                          DUNCAN
Didn't read the ethics chapter first.

                          JEFFREY
Newbie.

                          DUNCAN
Right.  Antidote?

                          JEFFREY
Yes, please.

                          DUNCAN
Got a shopping list?

                          JEFFREY
Brought the book with me, just to be safe.

JEFFREY hands DUNCAN the book.

Their hands brush.

They smile at one another nervously, just for a second.

Then get back to business.

                          DUNCAN
I'm not sure we have all this in stock but some of it's a little obscure, so I may just not be remembering.  We'll just go down the list and check 'em off as we go.

                          JEFFREY
Thanks.

                          DUNCAN
Well, it sounds like the sooner -

                          JEFFREY
Yeah.

DUNCAN hands JEFFREY a shopping basket.

Their hands brush again.

This was not an accident.

Their looks confirm this.

Back to the shelves.

DUNCAN passes JEFFREY items which he places in the basket.

                          DUNCAN
Some of these there's a generic option.

                          JEFFREY
Seriously?  Like the drug store.

                          DUNCAN
It's cheaper.

                          JEFFREY
Yeah, but does it work as well?

                          DUNCAN
Brand name isn't everything.

                          JEFFREY
But it's safer.

                          DUNCAN
Most of the time.

                          JEFFREY
Better safe -

                          DUNCAN
Gotcha'.

                          JEFFREY
Don't want to keep them waiting.

                          DUNCAN
Well, you're not entirely responsible.  Your friend got himself into this more than you did.

                          JEFFREY
I provided the potion, though.

                          DUNCAN
Yeah, why'd you do that?

                          JEFFREY
Moment of weakness.  Thought it'd be fun.
That's a lie.
I just wanted to make him happy.

                          DUNCAN
This situation's making him happy?

                          JEFFREY
Not really.

                          DUNCAN
Wakeup call?

                          JEFFREY
Not consciously.

                          DUNCAN
Well, you're all wide awake now.

                          JEFFREY
I'll say.

                          DUNCAN
Never understood the purpose of that.

                          JEFFREY
Of what?

                          DUNCAN
Love potions.  Un-love potions.

                          JEFFREY
You don't think there's any way they can be useful?

                          DUNCAN
Well, it's hard enough to know love is real, right?

                          JEFFREY
I guess.

                          DUNCAN
Forcing the issue -
I mean, it's either there or it isn't, you know?

                          JEFFREY
Yeah.

                          DUNCAN
I'd want to know that it's me.  Not some drug.

                          JEFFREY
Plus drugs can wear off.

                          DUNCAN
Or you get addicted.

                          JEFFREY
You can get addicted anyway.

                          DUNCAN
True enough.

                          JEFFREY
Still, you're never sure anyway.

                          DUNCAN
Really.

                          JEFFREY
Sometimes.

                          DUNCAN
Depends on the person.

                          JEFFREY
You ever been sure?

                          DUNCAN
Coupla' times.

                          JEFFREY
Currently?

                          DUNCAN
Not currently involved.

                          JEFFREY
By choice?

                          DUNCAN
If I had my choice -

                          JEFFREY
Yeah?

                          DUNCAN
Like I said, you can't force it.

                          JEFFREY
Right.

                          DUNCAN
Plus, it falls apart, the aftereffects aren't always fun.

                          JEFFREY
Potion could help with that.

                          DUNCAN
So could alcohol.

                          JEFFREY
Guess that'd be cheaper.

                          DUNCAN
Well, you don't have to mix it yourself from scratch.

                          JEFFREY laughs.

                          DUNCAN (cont'd)
'Sides, if I hurt, I want to feel it.
Proves it was real.
That it meant something.
I didn't dream it.

                          JEFFREY
You want to hurt.

                          DUNCAN
No.
But that's the chance you take, right?

                          JEFFREY
I guess.

                          DUNCAN
OK, we've got all but one of what you need.

                          JEFFREY
So what do we do?

                          DUNCAN
Well, there's a couple of things you could use to substitute -

                          JEFFREY
But they're not a sure thing?

                          DUNCAN
No.  It's a crap shoot if you go that way.

                          JEFFREY
We can order it?

                          DUNCAN
Yeah, there's a couple of other stores in town I could call.  If they don't have it, we can special order it.

                          JEFFREY
Fast?

                          DUNCAN
I'll do my best.

                          JEFFREY
Thanks.

                          DUNCAN
So I'll need your number.  You know.  To contact you when I've got it.

                          JEFFREY
You didn't do this just so you could get my number.

                          DUNCAN
No.  I was gonna ask for your number anyway.

                          JEFFREY
Oh.

                          DUNCAN
If that's OK.

                          JEFFREY
Uh.  Sure.

                          DUNCAN
Should I only use this professionally?

                          JEFFREY
You can call when you're off duty, too.

                          DUNCAN
Good to know.

                          JEFFREY
Can I wait while you call?  Just in case one of the other stores has it handy?

                          DUNCAN
Absolutely.  Jeffrey.

                          JEFFREY
Duncan.

DUNCAN starts calling.
JEFFREY waits.
They smile shyly.

 
(to be continued)


 

No comments: