Untitled

Untitled
By Andy Brown

Take a flight
Through the valleys and cracks
That are the lines on my face.
And see what it's like
To live life from someone else's space.
Each one's from a certain
Insurmountable stress.
And each one brings me
Right to you
And one step closer to death.

Fish out of water

Fish out of water
By Andy Brown

Raining
It rains everyday
Everyday raining
since you left.

Crying
She won't stop crying
She can't stop crying,
thanks to you.

So go ahead
and live your life
Doing unto others
that which you wouldn't want
Done unto you.
And go ahead
and smile
seeing as how you know you can't hide those fangs.

Dripping
The dripping is so loud
The dripping will drive you insane
because the drops erode your soul.

Rushing
Get carried away by the rushing river
As the rushing rive carries you away
You always thought happiness was downstream.

So go ahead
and search the dark depths
of that bottle
And go ahead
and try to find salvation
at the end of a gun barrel
We'll laugh together in Hell.

Drowning
Can't you see you're drowning?
Help him, he's drowning.
Or so you wish I said.

Water
Like a Fish out of water
Being tempted by the droplets
You begin to remember why she hated the rain.

A Very Special Mother's Day

A Very Special Mother’s Day
By Andy Brown

Yes, I do remember you
The scent of beer and cigarettes
Are hard to forget.
Daddy doesn’t like you around much
But you bring such pleasure to mommy.

No, I don’t quite remember anymore
What happened on that fateful day
Is easy to forget.
Your hand traces along the cleavage
That divides my family.

One day you won’t remember me
I’ll just be another face
But now it’s hard to forget
How my tiny fingers
Found the trigger that day.

I can’t seem to remember much
About the trial anymore
With my memory, it’s easy to forget.
One old life gone, one new life here, and one life changed
On that very special mother’s day.

Of course, daddy remembers
He isn’t one
To forget a face.
This house is awful empty
With everyone in it.

When Broken and nothing met

When Broken and nothing met
By Andy Brown

I can clearly remember the day
When Broken and nothing met
Struck down and oppressed by
What we heard them say

Underdog
No expected anything from nothing
He would show them
Judgment Day would come
And he would have the last laugh

Wrong
Broken couldn’t help she was different
What you want
And what I want
Are never the same
Broken and disobedient
Are not the same

Cast aside and left for dead
The two crawled from the garbage pile
Dirtied by belief and principles
No one would want them
No one
Except each other

BrokenBattered
And ScarredNothing
Together forever
In unholy matrimony

Kiss the earth

Kiss the earth
By Andy Brown

Running
Every day running
As my feet hit the pavement,
Shocks are sent up and down my legs
Push myself away from the ground
Only to come back down
Hit
Shock
Push
The concrete throws me into the air
Dejectedly, I come crying back
My toes kiss the earth
And I’m thrown again

This hallway
It never ends
Echoes of my thundering footsteps
Bounce off of closed doors
This hallway never ends
And I’m not scared
For I know that I’m always at home
Running in my mind

There’s no escape
My thoughts will always catch me
And at the end of the day
I can smile
Knowing that the face staring back at me
Is my own
And that I’ve played the fool my whole life
Thinking that I could run away
From my own thoughts

On the Colors of human Nature

On the Colors of human Nature
By Andy Brown

Red
Blue
Red
I remember now,
Yes, you looked so beautiful
Red lips
Blue eyes
So blue
We danced that night,
If I remember correctly
What a dance it was
I think you screamed
I remember pulling my fist away
Your eyes looked so blue
My knuckles were red

Red
Blue
Red
Yes, I do remember
Blue
I can’t exactly explain it
You make me feel in such a way that
Nobody else
Makes me feel

I can always tell that when I’m feeling blue
You’ll always be there
Your face in my hands

Red
My hands…
My hands are covered in red
What have I done?
We danced last night
I remember now
My eyes were so blue from crying
Or were you crying?
Yes, you were crying
I was red
Angry
Sad
Angry

I can always tell that when I’m feeling red
You’ll always be there
My hands in your face

Angry
So angry
You make me so angry
Sometimes I can’t control myself
And I just
Blue
Red
Blue

I see the light now
Red
It’s coming closer
Blue
You’re screaming at me
Red
Men are knocking at the door
Blue
You’re pointing at me
Red
And suddenly, I don’t feel so blue

Red raspberries and white lips

Red raspberries and white lips
By Andy Brown

Raspberries.”

lay crushed and splattered on the floor,
as we knocked over the bowl,
stumbling to the bedroom.
The splatters looked like drops of Crimson

blood was pumping through my veins,
and I was breathing hard when she first said,
“I love you”
with her thin White

lips, bright blue eyes, and short blonde hair looked so amazing.
She was afraid to smile and show her teeth.
“Gee, I hope she doesn’t get tired of me,
And I hope my jokes don’t get

Old and tired we had become.
Where did the youthful years go?
Time might have passed,but our love never

“Left turn and we’ll finally be there,”
She said as we pulled into our new home.
The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day.
“Here’s to the rest of our

Lives were ahead of us, and we were still young.
She spent her days working, and I to my paint.
“What do you think?” I would ask,
and she would say, “I never liked red

On Women and Sex and things

On Women and Sex and things
By Andy Brown

(The stage is dark, a man stands before the closed curtains and is pacing back and forth. The spotlight is set on him. He is in his mid thirties. He is dressed in business-type work clothes, slacks and a buttoned down shirt, unbuttoned and revealing a white, sweat stained undershirt. There is the sound of a sweet voice off-stage.)

[Voice] (Whispered)
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.

(The man paces and takes a long drag from his cigarette before speaking.)

[Narrator]
Act five, exterior, night, a cold city alley. Warm city air whistles past the buildings. There is the sound of a couple arguing a few blocks down and the sound of a crying baby. A car skids somewhere in the distance. Steam billows out from a manhole cover in the street. There is a woman, no, an angel. She is bent over a bloodied corpse.

(Curtains are withdrawn and reveal a woman crying and a dead body. Exactly as the narrator described. Audience cant see the body so well.)

[Girl] (Whispered)
You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. (Cries)

[Narrator]
If you really just look at a Shakespeare play, you realize that they start to follow a format. Five acts, always the same. Act one and two: back-story and introduction; act three: introduction to conflict; act four: struggle!; act five: the falling action. (Takes long drag and exhales.)

(Curtains close, narrator continues to pace, curtains open revealing a different set: a small apartment in the city. A man is bent over a table scribbling on a paper, feverously. The man stops, only for a second, just to crumple up the paper and throw it on the ground. He growls in anger. He pulls over another piece of paper and begins scribbling. He stops, tears off the paper, and throws it on the ground. There is a sound off-stage and a woman enters the scene. She is petite and skinny. She walks over to the table and places her bags on the table. She is dressed in a suit and looks very nice. She walks over to the man, who is totally oblivious of her presence, and kisses him on the forehead.)

[Girl]
How’s the new story coming along?

(He looks at her, then looks at the paper and crumples it up.)

[Girl]
That bad?

(She walks to the refrigerator and pulls out a bottle of water. The refrigerator is bare and empty.)

[Girl]
Looks like we need to go shopping sometime…

[Man]
How was work?

[Woman]
Well, there was this man who came in today, wanting to take out a loan so that he could buy himself a new boat for him and his family. I had no choice but to turn him down, he has trouble keeping up with his house payments, plus his credit is awful.

(The man looks up from his work and smiles at her. She walks over to the window above the sink and stares outside.)

[Woman]
Looks like another beautiful day is going away. I really should go out running sometime. I miss it so much. I’ve just been so overworked, I don’t have any energy left, anymore.

(The man grins and walks over to her. He places his hands around her waist and tucks his chin on her shoulder. He kisses her on the cheek. They begin kissing. His hands move across her chest and remove her jacket. Her hands are on his face and his are on her hips. She pulls away from him and looks him deeply in the eyes.)

[Woman]
Make love to me, Robert.

(The scene darkens as the two go off-stage. The narrator, who has been standing off to the side the whole scene, paces over to the center as the curtains draw shut.)

[Narrator]
So, welcome to act one, ladies and gentlemen. This is my beautiful wife. We have been married for ten years, now, and we couldn’t be happier. Here’s the back story for you: she worked with a local bank and I was a freelance writer. We pulled in just enough to survive. I was living on the dream that I would hit it big and land a hotshot position in Hollywood; she on the same belief. She was my love…my life…my biggest fan and biggest supporter. We were young, we had our whole lives before us, and we were madly in love. Did I mention that, already? Things couldn’t be better.

(The curtains withdraw and the narrator slowly paces over to the other side and watches the scene. Lights brighten to reveal the two in bed together. They are laying naked, covered by a blanket. The light shines in through the window and the lazy sun illuminates the bed. The man is laying with one arm behind his head and one on his wife’s shoulder. She is curled up with her head nestled on his chest. She begins singing.)

[Girl]
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.

(There is a period of silence and the sound of birds chirping off-stage.)

[Man]
That…that was beautiful. You have such a beautiful voice.

(He kisses her on the head and there is another brief period of silence.)

[Man]
The bills are due soon. We’re getting pressed for money, sweetheart. I’m really hoping this new story is going to break through. Hopefully, I’ll get a call from the magazine with a job offer. Soon I’ll be able to get out of the house and get on with my career. It’s taking way too lo--

(The girl cuts him off by placing a finger over his mouth.)

[Woman]
Why can’t we just enjoy a little bit of calm, for once? You’re always worried about what comes next. Just relax. Who knows how much more time we’ll have together before something comes up; before your phone rings, or before it’s time to feed the cat? The bills will get paid, don’t you worry. I love you and shut your mouth. (Giggles). Know what’s coming up soon?

[Man]
What?

[Woman]
Our ten year anniversary, silly! Aren’t you excited?

[Man] (Jokingly)
Anniversary…? Shit, I guess I forgot about it.

(She playfully hits him.)

[Man]
(Laughs) Be ready for anything, sweetheart.

[Woman]
I thought you were taking me out for Mexican…

[Man]
I am! I’m just saying…

(The lights dim in the background and the narrator comes out into the center again. Curtains close.)

[Narrator]
So here’s act two for you, what do you think? She’s amazing, isn’t she? God, I love her so much. I just always felt bad about our job situation. She was working her ass off to support us and I wasn’t doing anything to help. I sat around at home, scribbling away at my stories, or the beginnings of them, anyway. Sure, we were young, and sure, we had our whole lives ahead of us, but I was worried. I really was. Fresh talent comes up everyday, giving this old guy a run for his money. I still had a classic feel, though. Well, I thought so, anyway. Maybe that’s what held me back from the papers; I wasn’t hip enough.

(The narrator walks off casually and the curtains open once more. The scene is divided in two: one half is the interior of the apartment, the other is the restaurant next to an alley.)

[Man] (constantly checking watch)
C’mon, babe, we have six o’clock reservations. We’re going to be late.

[Girl] (off-stage)
Just a minute! I’m almost ready!

(She walks out and is dressed up in a red dress that billows out at her knees. She is carrying a little black bag. Her hair is curled and drapes down her head. She is beautiful.)

[Man]
My…God…You look…just absolutely amazing!

[Girl]
You like it?

[Man]
I love it! But we really should get going before we just have take-out instead.

(The lights dim on that half of the stage and illuminate the other half, the restaurant alleyway.)

[Girl]
Wow! I guess it lived up to the hype, didn’t it?

[Man]
I guess so.

(They walk into the alleyway, holding hands.)

[Girl]
What…where are we going?

[Man]
Just…here. Here.

[Girl]
Here? What are you doing?

(Man gets on one knee.)

[Man]
April…we’ve been together for over fifteen years, now, and today is our ten year anniversary.

[Girl]
Yeah…

(He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a small black box and opens it.)

[Man]
I’d like you to come with me to Brazil to renew our vows, what do you say?

[Girl]
I…I…Yes!

(She jumps and hugs him around the neck. There are people crowded around the entrance to the restaurant, but they don’t see the couple because they are hidden in the alleyway. Two men walk out of the crowd and see the two hugging and kissing. They point and laugh. Suddenly, they speed up and run up to the two.)

[Thug 1]
Hey buddy, having fun?

[Man]
We don’t want any trouble, guys.

[Thug 2]
Trouble? We were just a little lonely tonight and we saw you two having a little party. So we decided we wanted to party too.

[Man]
Hey, why don’t you guys just look to party somewhere else, alright?

[Girl]
Honey, I’m scared.

[Man]
April, just…just stay behind me.

[Thug 1]
Yeah, buddy, she’s scared. Looks like she’s shaking.

(Thug 2 approaches her and puts his arm around her. She lets out a yelp.)

[Man]
Hey!

[Thug 1]
Hey, yourself. Why don’t you just give us your wallet and we’ll have ourselves a little party?

[Man]
Hey man, why don’t you get your fucking arm off of my wife before someone gets hurt?

[Thug 1]
Oh? Is that a threat? Why don’t we just take your little girly and see how big you are then?

(The man runs up and punches Thug 1 in the face.)

[Thug 1]
Oh you little bitch, you’re going to pay for that.

(Thug 1 approaches the man, but the man punches him again. He hits the thug twice in the stomach and then hits him once in the face, again.)

[Thug 1] (cringing)
Take her fucking purse and his wallet.

(Thug 2 approaches but gets beaten as well. Thug 1 comes up behind him with a pipe he found in the alley and strikes the man in the back. He falls to the ground.)

[Thug 1]
Not so hot, now, are ya?

(Man gets up and begins wailing on Thug 1. Thug 2 panics and pulls a gun from his pants pocket and fires two rounds in the man’s back. He falls to the ground.)

[Thug 1]
You fucking idiot! What are we going to do now? We need to get the fuck out of here! [Exit]

(The girl runs to him and turns him over so that she can see his face. His mouth is dripping with blood. He tries to speak but just coughs up blood onto her.)

[Girl]
Shh…don’t say anything. Save your strength. Help! Someone! Someone call 9-1-1!

(He looks at her and coughs again.)

[Man]
I’m…I’m sorry. I’m…

[Girl]
Sorry? You saved us! You’re my hero.

[Man]
April…I’m dying….

[Girl]
Hang on, Robert! Help will be here soon. Save your breath.

[Man]
Sing…sing to me…sing me that song…

(She holds his head in her hands, weeping, she tries to sing.)

[Girl] (Crying)
You are my sunshine…my only sunshine….

(He turns to see her face.)

[Girl]
You make me happy…when skies are…gray…you’ll never know, dear…how much I love you…please don’t take…my sunshine away…(cries)

(His head rolls in her hands.)

[Girl]
Robert? Robert!

(The lights dim and the two are only visible by flashing red and blue lights. The curtains close and the narrator takes the stage again.)

[Narrator] (takes long drag from cigarette and exhales)
Welcome to act three and four, ladies and gentlemen. You’ve seen love! You’ve seen passion! You’ve seen conflict, battle, and death! Oh, but it’s not over yet. Oh, no…oh, no…

(The curtains open up and reveal the apartment once again. The girl is packing up all of the man’s things. She stores them away in the closet. She walks over to the dresser and picks up a picture and begins crying. She places the picture in a box, face down. She walks over to his desk and begins rummaging through his papers. She finds the crumpled papers and begins unfolding and reading them. She covers her mouth and sits on the edge of the bed.)

[Girl] (reads from paper)
Act five, exterior, night, a cold city alley. Warm city air whistles past the buildings. There is the sound of a couple arguing a few blocks down and the sound of a crying baby. A car skids somewhere in the distance. Steam billows out from a manhole cover in the street. There is a woman, no, an angel. She is bent over a bloodied corpse.

(She rummages through more papers and brings up another one, unfolds it, reads from it.)

[Girl]
Act two, interior, midday, apartment. A man is seated at a table, scribbling feverously.
(She picks up another one.)

[Girl]
Hey, why don’t you go party somewhere else, man?

(She sits down on the bed and weeps. She takes off her ring and throws it against the wall. She sobs for a minute more before getting up and getting the ring. She kisses it as though it were him. She looks at the inscription and begins reading aloud.)

[Girl]
I love you…forever, your sunshine.

(The curtains close and the narrator comes back out on the stage. He sits on the edge of the stage and finally finishes his cigarette.)

[Narrator]
What do you think of act five? Crazy, huh? Yes, I wrote the whole story, even though I had died. I left the pages around the apartment for her to find. She published the story. It became an instant hit and took to the movie screens. Can you believe they chose Tom Cruise to play me, of all people? I wanted her to know that no matter what happened, I would still be there for her. I guess you can say love conquers all; or that love knows no bounds. Me? I’d say it’s safe to assume every time the sun shines on her, it’s her reminder that I’m still here, watching over her, loving her.
[End]

Reality

Reality

By Andy Brown

Scene 1--Int. Bedroom--Morning

The alarm clock goes off waking Ed. He reaches over and groans while he hits the clock. It reads “9:45”. He slowly gets up and gets ready. There are several shots of him getting in the shower, shaving, brushing his teeth. Finally the last thing the camera sees is him reaching for an orange bottle with a white top. He produces a small white capsule from it and swallows it whole without water.

[Fade to black]

Scene 2--Ext. Bus Stop--Later that morning

[Fade in from black]

The scene opens showing the two main characters, Ed and Dean, standing at a bus stop all alone. There is no one around. The two are best friends. Dean is the up-beat happy friend who is soon to be engaged. Ed is more depressed because of the recent break up with his wife. There is a gentle breeze in the background.

[Ed] Man, I cant believe you talked me into this. I should’ve stayed home. This is a HUGE waste of time. I’ve got work tomorrow and there’s so much I need to catch up on.

[Dean] Relax. You needed some time away from the old place. This will help cheer you up. You’ve been down ever since you and Molly broke up.

[Ed] I know, man. It’s been really tough. I just…

Ed reaches into his pocket and produces the small orange bottle with the white top. He produces a small white tablet and takes it whole without water.

[Dean] Dude, maybe you should lay off of those. You’ve been hitting them awful hard.

[Ed] Lay off! I think I can tell for myself when I’ve taken too much. Let’s just focus on the damn day, alright?

They sit for moments in silence before the bus finally arrives. On the front the bus reads “To: 12 Hearts”. The bus lets out a low hiss and the doors open. The two step inside. Ed looks about the passengers. None of them look up or recognize them. The driver doesn’t even turn around. The two head to the back of the bus and sit in the very back row. Ed sits by the window. The two sit quietly on the bus. There are no sounds except for the hum of the engine. Finally, out the window, the camera shows a magnificent crimson gate with golden letters atop that read “12 Hearts Amusement Park”. The bus comes to a slow halt and everybody aboard gets up without saying anything and enters the park. Ed sighs and mutters to himself.

[Dean] C’mon!

Scene 3--Ext. 12 Hearts Amusement Park--Later that morning/early in the day

The camera cuts to show the boys in line for a rollercoaster. Ed fidgets nervously.

[Ed] I just don’t know, man. I thought things were going so good. Me and Molly had been together for so many years. What? Eight years? God, seems like forever. We had so many memories.

[Dean] I know it, man.

[Ed] And we were so close, you know? I mean I felt like I could tell her anything. She knew everything about me!

Ed begins to cry.

[Dean] C’mon, bro, its okay. Hey, we’re going to have a great time today, aight? Park today, bar tonight, what do you say? On me.

[Ed] Aight. I don’t know though…I’m not so sure about this ride. I don’t really have a high tolerance for rollarcoasters…

[Fade to black]

Scene 4--Ext. Park bench--Later

Ed is laying on the bench, head in Dean’s lap. Dean is panicking. Ed is pale in the face.

[Ed] Ugh…I never should’ve went on there, man. I told you I wasn’t cool on rollarcoasters…

[Dean] I know man, we don’t got to do anything you don’t want to do today. It’s your day, bro. All you.

Dean looks around and sees a sign that reads “Fortune Teller, Palm Readings, Tarot Cards” with an arrow underneath.

[Dean] Hey man, I’ve got an idea, let’s get your fortune told. See into the future and see if you’ll get laid tonight. Huh? What do you say?

[Ed] I don’t know, man…I don’t like the sound of it. Lets just go home. I’m not feeling so good…

[Dean] Dude, c’mon. Let’s go!

Dean lifts Ed up and pulls him to the small hut that reads “Fortune Telling” at the top. Outside of the hut, there are two girls. One is a pale white girl, short in height. The other is an even shorter tan girl with dark hair. They are around twenty years of age.

[Dean] Hey ladies, in line for the fortune telling?

[Blonde] (Giggles) Yeah, me and my friend saw it and had to try it. I read in my horoscope today that I would meet a tall, mysterious man…I wanted to see if it would come true…

[Dean] (Laughs) Well, let me introduce us: I’m Dean and this is my best friend Ed. (Turns to Ed) Say hello to the nice ladies, Ed.

Ed looks away.

[Dark-haired girl] Aw, he’s shy! Hey Ed! Ed shys away.

[Dean] You’ll have to excuse him ladies. He just broke up with his girl. He’s a little down. I brought him here to cheer him up.

The girls are impressed at the sound of this. They begin to fawn over Dean.

[Blonde] You’re such a good friend.

[Dark-hair] And a nice guy.

[Blonde] And handsome!

The girls giggle at this. Dean laughs along with them. He continues to flirt until he finally puts his arm around the girls.

[Dean] C’mon, Ed. It’s our turn. Let’s take these beautiful ladies in with us. (Turns to girls) We can get our fortunes read at the same time. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet some hot girls tonight…oops! Too late!

Ed rolls his eyes and the girls giggle. They all enter the small hut.

Scene 5--Int. Fortune Teller’s Hut--Midday

Dean and the girls enter first followed by Ed. He squints as he enters. It’s dark on the inside. There are purple curtains lined with silver stars over the windows. The walls are lined with tapestries. There are assorted knick-knacks laying about the bookshelves: a skull, a collection of incense, etc. In the center of the room is a small round table with a crystal ball in the center. Before the table lay three pillows. Dean and the two girls sit at the two pillows. Ed stands in the back, hunched over from the low ceiling. The fortune teller emerges from a bead curtain hanging in the doorway on the other side of the table.

[Fortune Teller] Welcome! Welcome. Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I see that you’ve all settled in. My name is Xavia and welcome, once again, to my humble abode.

The girls are delighted with the sight of the Xavia, the fortune teller. She is a withered old black woman. She is adorned in a traditional looking African garment. There are several silver chains strung about her neck. She sits opposite them on a small pillow. When she talks, Ed rolls his eyes and takes another of his white pills.

[Xavia] Let’s begin with introducing ourselves, shall we? What are your names?

The characters one-by-one all introduce themselves. Ed says nothing.

[Xavia] Ed…Ed, you’ve been taking your medication recently, haven’t you?

Ed is shocked that the fortune teller knows his name without him introducing himself.

[Ed] What? How did you know my name? How did you know that?

[Dean] C’mon, man, she’s the fortune teller, she knows everything. Duh.

[Xavia] I’ve been watching you for quite some time, Ed.

[Ed] What? Watching me?

[Xavia]In my crystal ball, of course.

Ed looks at Dean. Dean is preoccupied with flirting with the ladies.

[Xavia] It’s been difficult, hasn’t it? Living without Molly?

[Ed] What? How do you know about her? This is really starting to freak me out.

[Xavia] I’ve read the cards. See this one? Shows a great loss. See this one? Shows a great struggle. And this one? Death.

[Ed] I think it’s time to go. Dean?

Ed looks to where Dean and the girls were sitting. They disappeared.

[Ed] Dean? Dean!

[Xavia] You’ve been taking your medication, haven’t you, Ed?

[Ed] Dean! Dean!

[Xavia] Maybe you should lay off of it. You’ve been taking quite a bit.

[Ed]Dean!

Scene 6--Int. Bedroom--Morning

The alarm goes off waking Ed. The camera shows that it is the same as it was at the beginning. Ed gets up. There are a series of shots of Ed showering, shaving, and getting ready. Finally, when he reaches for his pills, he finds a different bottle in its place. Ed begins to look around for his orange bottle. When he doesn’t find it he looks at the white bottle. There are no words on it except “Take one”. Ed opens it and takes the pill on the inside. He finishes by washing his face. When he looks up he doesn’t see his reflection in the mirror, but a skeleton in its place. He jumps but then looks at the mirror again. He sees his reflection this time. He sighs in relief.

[Fade to black]Scene 7--Ext. Bus Stop--Later that morning

The scene is the same as it was before. The bus pulls up and lets out a long hiss. The front reads “To: 12 Hearts.” The doors open and the two enter. Ed looks at the passengers and jumps, letting out a yell. He sees that the passengers are all skeletons. Dean looks at him.

[Dean] What’s wrong, bro? The bus ain’t going to wait forever.

[Ed]The…the…(points to a lady in the front row)

Ed looks back and sees that the passengers are normal. They still do not pay any attention to him.

Scene 7--Ext./Int. Hospital--Later

The bus pulls up and stops. The two get off. The camera pans to show them before a large hospital. There are letters along the top of the building that read “12 Hearts General Hospital”. Camera cuts to Int. Waiting room. Dean approaches the front desk. There is a blonde haired girl and a dark skinned, dark haired girl. They giggle and wave to Dean. Cuts to Int. Doctor’s office.

[Dean] Doctor, I’m worried it’s getting worse. He’s begun to say something about skeletons, now.

[Doctor] Has he been taking his medication? (Turns to Ed) Have you been taking your medication? I’ve been watching you for quite sometime, now.

[Ed] What? How do you know my name?

[Doctor] I’m afraid he’s hallucinating. We can try something else and see if it works.

[Ed] What? Dean? Dean, where did you go? Dean, I don’t like it here. Dean, I want to go home.

[Fade to black]
[End]

Dance

Dance
By Andy Brown

Take two steps forward, Ill take one back.
She eyes me from across the room,
A flood of emotions, sure to ensue
I guess she was attracted too.

I never liked the Latino beat
Take two steps forward, Ill take one back.
But there’s something I appreciate
When your body is rubbing against me.

She’s short, petite in height
But with me she’s just right
Take two steps forward, Ill take one back.
We can learn to dance all night.

Her in my arms, Ill keep you safe
We’ll take it slow and keep the pace
And wait for the song to fade
Take two steps forward, Ill take one back.

I was never one to follow rules
Of course, you already knew
Take two steps forward, Ill take one back.
When I slipped my hand by your side.

You move like suspended from wings
Take two steps forward, Ill take one back.
And I seem to have two left feet
But you take it slow and show me

Take two steps forward, Ill take one back.
As we move from wall to wall,
It’s time for the curtain call,
Hand in hand, we take a bow

Thank you for this wonderful dance,
Hope to see you next chance I get,
I’m sure you’re not done with me yet.
Take two steps forward, Ill take one back.

The Pearl

The Pearl
By Andy Brown

Jump.

So, here I am, again. It’s funny how I keep getting into these situations. Here I stand, before a great, deep lake. How deep? I don’t know. What I do know is that there’s a beautiful and precious pearl that waits for me at the bottom. As I stand here, I begin to weigh my options: should I go for it? Should I turn away and never think about it ever again? If I do try for it, what happens if I get scared and need to come up for air? What if I cant make it to the surface in time? If I do walk away, will I ever stop thinking about this? Will I stay up for nights, regretting not trying for the pearl?

Jump.

“You’re cute,” she said. She circled around him like a shark around a fresh kill. She trailed her long, slender fingers across his waist, stopping only to playfully pull at his belt buckle. He stood with his legs shoulder-width apart and his hands tightly gripped in fists. He was shaking from the nervousness. She took a step away from him and surveyed his body. She held a thumb up and closed one eye, as if she was a sculptor and he was her art. “Perfect,” she said, “perfect.” He was breathing quickly now. From his outside appearance, you could’ve almost guessed he had just ran a marathon. His head was swimming in emotions.

Jump.

So the more I stand here, the more I’m tempted to risk everything I have and dive right in. This is the strangest lake I’ve ever come across, though. My toes dig into the sand and the waves gently lap up against me. Its odd how just a few feet out, it drops so quickly. That drop could go on for feet or yards or miles for all I know. For all I know…Seems like I know nothing right now. There’s just so much to risk. What if I don’t make it out? What if I’m paralyzed afterward? Would such a precious treasure be worth it?

Jump.

They wrestled each other to the ground. He hit the ground first and let out a big huff. She was playfully laughing at pulling at his shirt. He was holding her by the forearms. They stopped moving and looked each other straight in the eyes. They were breathing so hard, you might have thought they had swam the oceans. Their chests moved independently of each other so that when he breathed out, she breathed in. Almost as if they supported each other. She looked at him deeply. He pulled her in and kissed her gently. They spent another moment, which to them was an eternity, locked in a fixed gaze. His lips quivered and he could tell that they were turning blue. He wanted to say it. He knew he wanted to say it. What if she didn’t feel the same way? He could be risking it all. “I love yo--”

Jump.

Goddamn it! Goddamn it, goddamn it, goddamn it! I cant get that incessant voice out of my head. Jump, it tells me. Jump, it says. Jump and you wont regret it. How do you know? How do you know?! What if I lose everything! Why must it come to such an impossible decision. What if I walk away from here? How many nights will I be kept up, thinking about how I should’ve jumped? How many times a day will I just think, I’d be so much happier if I had just jumped? How many years will I go on, regretting, when for just one moment, for just a second…I could try. I could try. Maybe things will be okay, and Ill continue to dive deeper and deeper. Maybe I will get scared and turn back around. No. I can’t turn back around. There’s no way. That lake is far to deep. Wait…wait a minute…what’s that? I can see a girl at the bottom of the lake. It’s her, and she’s smiling. Maybe this won’t be as bad as I thought, after all. Maybe. Maybe…

Jump.

Now

Now
By Andy Brown

Tell me truth,
Tell me lies,
Tell me anything to cover my eyes.

Be us happy,
Be us sad,
Be us anything but mad.

Make me smile,
‘Cause I can’t frown.
You’ve turned my world upside down.

I’m the one with the pain.
I’m the one with the hate.
I’m the one, negotiate.

Life is blank
Life is dull
This life is the best of all.

Cut the strings
To my past,
Be strong and hold fast.

The day begins,
The day ends,
Today’s the day we start again.

Here’s the way,
Here’s your fate,
Here’s a way to jump this train.

Now you run,
Now you flee,
Now things are the way they are supposed to be.

Don’t look back,
Don’t turn away.
Don’t go another day

without a smile on your face.

27

27
by Andy Brown

A man speaks,
A door opens,
2 hearts beat
And she’s hopin’
He’ll want more
She takes him in(They’re on the floor)
Here, they begin
What they waited for.
He knows what she
Wants and needs,
He knows
Where to go.

Heat,
Care,
Be
Near,
How
Can
She
Stand
What
He
Is?
Before they reach heaven,
She’s just like me.
2 numbers: 27.