Today's play was about beginnings. Again I've actually got a quite a big idea for this piece but have had to keep it to a shorter piece due to time constraints (and having a friend stay for the weekend. Can't spend it hiding on my laptop. Or can I...). Anyway here we go.
This Time It’s War
By
Jeremy Linnell
The living room of an
upstairs flat somewhere in the UK. Selina
sits at a table, on a laptop. The tv is on but muted, and music is playing
quietly on the stereo. After a few minutes Kylie
enters.
Kylie: Have you been watching the news?
Selina: Not recently, no. Is it trending on
facebook?
Kylie: No, it’s barely on TV.
Selina: What do you mean?
Kylie: Turn it over.
Selina picks up the remote and turns over
the tv.
Kylie: You’ve got to read between the lines.
Selina: Just seems like a normal news report
to me. Nothing that serious.
Kylie: Look at their eyes.
Selina: They look…scared?
Kylie: Yeah. No matter what they’re
reporting on all of them look the same. Got that scared shitless look.
Selina: What’s it like outside?
Kylie: Take a look for yourself.
Selina goes and pulls back the curtain,
taking a peek outside.
Selina: Looks perfectly normal.
Kylie: Jesus Selina, what have I been
training you for if you’re not going to use it. Look.
Kylie joins her at the window and points
outside.
Kylie: Man there smoking. Cigarette in his
mouth. He’s been there 20 minues. Same fag between his lips. It’s not even lit.
Selina: Ok.
Kylie: Car the other side of the road? I had
a peek under the hood a minute ago. No engine. It’s a decoy. Why?
Selina: I don’t know…
Kylie: Come on. Think! Why would someone go
to all the trouble of building a fake car and dumping it outside out flat?
Selina: They wouldn’t. Would they? I
mean…it’s a lot of effort…
Kylie: Worth it though. To keep everything
normal. A few dozen of those dotted about and it looks like our street is full.
Selina: Shit Kylie that’s clever. Who’d do
that though?
Kylie: Jesus does it matter? Them. The great
other. Gyppos. Jews. Pakis. Hell I wouldn’t put it past UKIP, or the fucking
Hare Krishnas for all I know. At the end of it it’s the end of it. They’re
making their move. Time up.
Selina: Who’s the smoker though?
Kylie: Triggerman. Jesus Sel, I’ve been
telling you this shit for years. Eyes and ears. There’s always a sign.
Selina: I know but…shit Kylie I figured you’d
pick ‘em up. I never worried.
Kylie whacks Selina across the face, splitting her lip.
Kylie: And what if the first thing that
happens when that car explodes, or the sniper in the window over the road takes
aim, or the dirty bomb detonates or the gas fills the air is I fucking die?
Selina rubs her mouth.
Selina: I’m sorry K. I just assumed you’d be
there. You’re too smart to get caught out.
Kylie: What’s rule number one?
Selina: Be prepared for anything.
Kylie: An-y-thing.
Selina: Yeah. Ok.
They both step away
from the window. Selina sits and Kylie paces.
Kylie: OK Kylie. You’re ready for this. You
prepared. Focus. Where’s our bug out bag?
Selina: Under the sink I think, behind the
bleach.
Kylie: And the pipe bombs?
Selina: Shit.
Kylie: Oh for….what now Kylie?
Selina: Well we were out of vinegar.
Kylie: And?
Selina: And I had fish and chips.
Kylie: And?
Selina: Well I remember you saying “First thing
you gotta know babe is what you can use around the house to protect yourself.
Glass tube of vinegar in a sealed pipe full of baking powder and you’ve got a
pipe bomb”.
Kylie: And?
Selina: I popped open the ones in the bedroom
so I could have vinegar. Used the baking powder to make your birthday cake too.
You said it was nice.
Kylie: Ok…fine…I can deal with this. No
bombs. OK.
Selina: You’re not mad at me are you K?
Kylie: Not at you exactly.
Selina: So you are mad.
Kylie: People never think it’s going to
start. Not until it’s right outside their window.
Selina: You’re scaring me K. Please sit
down.
Kylie: Can’t. Gotta think. Gotta fix this.
Selina: Let me help.
Selina stands up and walks out the flat, Kylie is too distracted to notice her.
Kylie: Yeah sure, sure. Come on Kylie,
what’s plan B. Ammonia and bleach? That could work. Mustard gas could hit
civvies though. Still. Kill or be killed really. Ok. That’ll work.
Kylie begins to rummage under the sink
Selina bounces back.
Selina: It’s sorted.
Kylie: What is.
Selina: The man. Outside.
Kylie: Shit Sel. I’m proud of you.
Selina: It wasn’t a problem.
Kylie: Didn’t think you had it in you.
Selina: Neither did I, but I wanted you to be
proud of me.
Kylie: How did you do it?
Selina: Just walked right up to him.
Kylie: Damn girl that is ice cold.
Selina: Yeah it was kind of a touchy subject
for him.
Kylie: I imagine getting killed is touchy
for most people
Selina gasps
Selina: Kylie! No! I didn’t kill him!
Kylie: Then what did you mean “deal with
him”? You know this is life and death.
Selina: I just asked him why he was hanging
around not smoking.
Kylie: For goodness sake Sel.
Selina: No it’s ok. He’s selling the big
issue. Look
Selina hands Kylie a copy.
Selina (cont.) : And he’s trying to quit, but he likes
how they feel in his mouth.
Kylie: You idiot.
Selina: What?
Kylie: They’ll always have cover. I’ve told
you that. Fuck.
Selina: He seemed nice.
Kylie: Well they’re hardly going to have the
nutter who makes the bombs out there are they. They need nice to keep an eye on
us.
Selina: Oh.
Kylie: Yeah. Oh. And now
She is abruptly cut
off. Suddenly chaos. Sirens. Bombs. Screaming.
Kylie: And now it starts.
The End
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