Suspended. Animated.

A Fictionwocky entry - Leg 4 - The Play Leg. Even more later

With continuing thanks and admiration to Mac Sitko for this challenge, to which I am failing to rise, like a bromide-dosed lag, here is my entry to Leg 4 - the Play within the marvellous - Fictionwocky parts 1-7 here

Leg 4 – The Play Leg: Write your piece as a short play. Use dialogue format and character names ]

Suspended. Animated.

[CURTAINS OPEN TO A PITCH BLACK STAGE. THERE ARE THE SOUNDS OF JUNGLE INSECTS FROGS AND OTHER THINGS. FOR AT LEAST TWO MINUTES. ]

AKIN: (begins to cough and groan)

SHEARMAN: You’re alive then.

AKIN: (continues to cough and groan. Groans become louder.)

SHEARMAN: I said: “You’re alive then”, as in: you are alive and I am also alive.

AKIN: (voice weak and feeble) Oh God! My head hurts.

SHEARMAN: Have you any idea where we are, Akin?

AKIN: (voice hoarse and frantic) Jesus! I’m bleeding, something’s bleeding. I can taste it.

[THRASHING NOISES AS AKIN STRUGGLES]

SHEARMAN: Akin, for God’s sake man, will you calm down.

AKIN: Calm down? Are you having a laugh?

SHEARMAN: We’re alive aren’t we. Infinitely better than—

AKIN: —I knew this was going to be a fuck up. I told you, didn’t I?

SHEARMAN: That’s hardly fair, Akin. Nobody could have predicted this.

AKIN: What? nobody could predict that rusting tin can might fall out the fuckin’ sky?

SHEARMAN: The pilot was highly recommended.

AKIN: By who? Johnny Walker?

SHEARMAN: By our friends, Akin. Our friends in the Ecuadorian Government, Akin. The ones that grant us the licences we pay so much for.

AKIN: The guy was hammered, A.O.

SHEARMAN: He took a five foot arrow through his neck, Akin, if you recall. Booze was not the problem. (grumbling) He was the one pilot that could get us to Bameno, too.

AKIN: Like why did we even need to go there? Isn’t that what we pay the paramilitarios all that wedge for?

SHEARMAN: We go for the visuals. Akin. We go for the receipts. Yes we went ourselves. Yes we monitored the drilling operations. Yes we respect the indigenous peoples. No we didn’t see any human rights violations. Yes here’s the sworn affidavits.

AKIN: Well we ain’t getting any of that shit, now, are we Shearman. Christ my head.

[THERE IS SILENCE BETWEEN THEM WHILE JUNGLE NOISES CONTINUE. FAINT LIGHT BEGINS TO BREAK.]

SHEARMAN: Have you any idea where we are Akin?

AKIN: Well we’re still in our fucking seats.

SHEARMAN: I’d gathered as much, Akin, but—

AKIN: —and it sounds a lot like we’re in the fuckin’ jungle.

SHEARMAN: You know what I mean Akin, stop being so ob—

AKIN: —I don’t know where the fuck we are, Shearman. I can’t see shit all but leaves.

SHEARMAN: What do you mean you can’t see anything—

AKIN: —I mean I can barely see my hand in front of my face…

SHEARMAN: Yes…

AKIN: …and all I can see is leaves.

SHEARMAN: Leaves?

AKIN: And branches. There’s branches.

[SILVERY LIGHT BEGINS TO BRIGHTEN THE SCENE. THRASHING LEAFY SOUNDS AS AKIN MOVES IN HIS SEAT. WE SEE AKIN AND SHEARMAN IN SILHOUETTE IN AEROPLANE SEATS SUSPENDED IN A TREE. AN ARROW IS PROTRUDING FROM AKIN’S HEAD. NEITHER OF THEM NOTICE.]

AKIN: (starts to laugh)

SHEARMAN: What is it.

AKIN: I know where we are, A.O. old bean. We’re up a bloody tree! Maybe there’s bananas…

SHEARMAN: What?!

AKIN: Yup, can’t you feel the swaying?

[RUSTLING SOUNDS OF LEAVES]

SHEARMAN: Oh God, stop it man, stop it.

AKIN: And there was me thinking it couldn’t get any worse.

SHEARMAN: How high up are we? (Akin begins to whoop) Can you tell? AKIN WILL YOU STOP THAT!

AKIN: You’re no fun, A.O. No fun at all. Anyone ever tell you that?

SHEARMAN: There is a time and a place, and we are not currently in that place.

AKIN: Oh, I don’t know.

[MORE VIGOROUS LEAF THRASHING NOISES]

SHEARMAN: FOR GOD’S SAKE MAN! WILL YOU STOP THAT, YOU’LL KILL US BOTH.

AKIN: Ohhhh Excuse me, but I think you already done us, boss.

SHEARMAN: Look, we’re alive and we survived a plane crash. It can only get better. We just have to get down from this tree. Do you think you can climb down?

AKIN: I got a better idea. (removes a phone from pocket and the screen illuminates his face) Shit! No signal.

SHEARMAN: You have your phone?

AKIN: Wait…it was on airplane mode….Shit. Nah…no bars. Fuck that then.

SHEARMAN: Isn’t there an emergency thing?

AKIN: You still need bars, you dick. How d’ya think they work? magic moonbeams? For CTO you are thick as mince sometimes.

SHEARMAN: Does it have a torch? Can you see how far up we are?

AKIN: Sure (torch light flicks on and light flicks about)…aaah huh.

SHEARMAN: Well?

AKIN: Pretty high.

SHEARMAN: How high?

AKIN: Like…dead high.

SHEARMAN: Could you climb down?

AKIN: Maybe, but like, why would I risk it? Up here, right, if rescuers come lookin’ for us, they can see us, right? But down there? There’s like, wild beasts. Tigers. And there’s like your loincloth lot with the painted faces and the five foot arrers and…oh my days!”

SHEARMAN: What.?

AKIN: You’re gunna want to stay still, A.O. Dead still.

SHEARMAN: What! What is it?

AKIN: Just be quiet, mate. Stay still.

SHEARMAN: AKIN, what is it!

AKIN: Just…something, ok. Just… relax. Stay still. Trust me.

SHEARMAN: Akin…Aki-i-i-i-n. Is that you touching my head.

AKIN: Fraid not.

SHEARMAN: What is it? Oh God, it’s on me it’s on me. What is it.!?

AKIN: ahhhh…it looks a bit like a snake.

SHEARMAN: Akin…it’s wrapping round my head, Akin. Akin, do something!

AKIN: I’m not fucking touching it! What if it bites?

SHEARMAN: Just grab it and pull it off man! AKIN, AKIN, its wrapping round my neck. DO SOMETHING.

AKIN: Look, mate, it’s a tree snake right. It’s a snake, it’s up a tree. They eat mice ‘n, birds, right. Just let it crawl by. You’re not a bird. You’re not a…mouse or nothing. Just keep still, keep quiet and it’ll slither off.

SHEARMAN: (whispering) AKIN, it’s squeezing my head.

AKIN: So it’s not biting right. It’s not a biter. That’s good. Just keep still. It will crawl off.

SHEARMAN: (his voice becoming muffled) AKIN, it’s crushing my head, Akin. Please do something.

AKIN: It’s actually pretty big! It’s one of your long ones.

SHEARMAN: (voice completely muffled) AKIN! GRFF IFF RRFFRME. GRRRFF IFF URFF!

AKIN: Shit, it’s got your head totally covered mate. Must be one of those…constrictors right? (muffled screams start)

AKIN: A.O. Look, they’re cold blooded right, snakes. Maybe it just wants somewhere warm? Maybe that’s it. Maybe just keep still, keep quiet and when the sun’s up it’ll…(screams get louder and then abruptly stop)

AKIN: Shit! Lighter! (fumbles in pockets and pulls out a zippo lighter, flicks it open and strikes a flame.)

AKIN: Shoo! Shoo snakey, shoo! (Akin waves lighter at snake, snake begins to slither away from flame.)

SHEARMAN: Good lord.

AKIN: There you go! Told you it’d bugger off. You alright?

SHEARMAN: I can see… I CAN BLOODY SEE!

AKIN: You what?

SHEARMAN: The bloody snake! It crushed my head and somehow my sight has returned!

AKIN: You sure? Didn’t that thing with the –you know–in the swimming pool? I thought it was game over.

SHEARMAN: I can see damn it Akin! I know what seeing is, when I see it!

AKIN: How many fingers am I holding up then?

SHEARMAN: Two, you cretin. Of course I’m sure I can see. I never thought I’d be so happy to see your ugly face again, Akin, but I can see you clear as day! I can…(stops abruptly)

AKIN: What? You can what…what is it?

SHEARMAN: Akin…you know you said your head hurt…

AKIN: Yeah.

SHEARMAN: Now, don’t panic —it’s obviously not serious…

AKIN: WHAT!

SHEARMAN: There’s something ahhh…sticking out of your head. Akin.

(Akin screams and frantically checks head with right hand, grasping the arrow protruding from the right hand side of it.)

SHEARMAN: Don’t touch it, Akin! Don’t touch it.

(Akin keeps screaming and pulls at the thing in his head)

SHEARMAN: No, Akin! NO! DON’T—

(Akin pulls the arrow out, stops screaming and holds it in front of face. Stares blankly at it.)

SHEARMAN: —pull it…out…whatever you do…Akin? Are you alright? Say something.

(Blood seeps out of Akin’s nose. His eyes glaze and a rictus grin forms on his face.)

AKIN: Doesn’t hurt a bit mate. (the zippo lighter falls out of his left hand)

SHEARMAN: Oh thank God! You had me worried for a second!

(A whumphing noise from below is followed by a ball of fire briefly engulfing them)

AKIN + SHEARMAN: both shrieking and flapping out flames.

SHEARMAN: Am I out!? Am I out!?

AKIN: Yep. Bit singed but you’re ok. Fuck me! Burning to death…my worst nightmare. Thought we was toast then.

SHEARMAN: OK. OK. I’ve got a plan. The plane must be down below us, There’s a transponder or a black box somewhere on it. When we don’t arrive, they’ll come looking for us. So, we just wait here. Give it 24 hours and then if nobody has come, well, we can think of plan B in the meantime. What do you say?

AKIN: Sounds good.

(voices waft up from below)

SHEARMAN: Bloody hell! They’ve found us already! HELLO! UP HERE!

AKIN: Wait…wait! It might be…

(Arrows whistle through the leaves and one spears SHEARMAN under his jaw and through his head, silencing him)

AKIN: …that indigenous lot…

(More arrows whistle up and impale AKIN, silencing him.)

[JUNGLE SOUNDS FADE UP TO CLOSE. YELLOW LIGHT BATHES THE PEACEFUL SCENE AS THE SUN RISES.]

END.