The Walls

CHARACTERS

TIM: Middle aged male, maybe late forties, average weight and height, white, default face with generic features. Prefers exclusively dark roast coffee because he believes that light roast is for women, but wears a rather feminine velvet robe. Drinks his coffee from the same stainless steel mug every morning because he likes the beverage scalding hot like a real man. A computer science engineer oblivious to anything occurring outside of his own field of work. Cares for his wife in the best way he knows how; by sharing conversation over coffee every morning before work. He is far too disgruntled to chat in the evenings after work, so he eats dinner alone, goes straight for a shower, then to a boring old book in his favorite chair, and finally to sleep in the bed next to a restless Carol.

CAROL: Tim’s wife of 20 years, a part time substitute teacher, a sometimes community clean up volunteer, could have been a professional baker, but instead always has a hot meal ready for Tim when he arrives home late from work every evening between the hours of 8:37 and 9:02pm, contrary to his scheduled 9 to 5. She is oblivious to the world outside of their small town, but less oblivious than Tim. She is subconsciously burdened by the darkness of the world that feels out of control or unnoticed by most, but happy to deny it. Carol is an avid dreamer and light sleeper. She is content but not completely satisfied with life and too unaware to do anything about it. Takes her coffee with cream and sugar, prefers light roast. Generally wears a matching pajama set. Mixed, but barely passes for Hispanic, so she mostly accepts she’s white because it's easier that way.

SETTING

Their Kitchen: early morning before the sun has risen, current day. They sit side by side at a breakfast bar. The counter is granite or butcher block, something timeless but modern enough. There is a ridiculously expensive looking coffee machine to the left, some plants on the counter to the right. Everything appears normal.

[To begin each scene, Tim descends the stairs and enters into the kitchen. Carol is already sitting at the counter, waiting with her warm coffee mug between her hands, sipping cautiously. Tim brews himself a hot mug and joins her. Every scene after one, the walls will be moved slighter closer together, the kitchen slowly shrinking between each morning.]

SCENE ONE

Tim: Good morning, Honey! How did you sleep?

Carol: Terribly, the birds kept me up.

Tim: The birds again, huh?

Carol: Yes, sometimes they talk all night long. Once one gets going, they’re all at it. Next thing you know, it’s FM bird radio late night and in the mornings. I’m sick of it. I think we should move.

Tim: If we moved every time something kept you awake at night, we’d have lived in 100 different houses by now.

Carol: It was a joke.

Tim: I know. Mine too.

Carol: I know.

SCENE TWO

Tim: Hey, honey! How’d you sleep last night?

Carol: Okay, I guess. I had a weird dream.

Tim: Do you want to talk about it?

Carol: Not really. Well, I guess. I guess… We can talk about it.

Tim: Okay, let’s talk about it. What happened?

Carol: Well, someone broke into our house. They kidnapped you, me, and the Mason family next door.

Tim: You mean the family with all those kids?

Carol: Yes.

Tim: Isn’t there like ten of them?

Carrol: Six, I think.

Tim: Okay, and?

Carol: Well, they kidnapped us, the parents, and all six of those kids and held us hostage in our living room. They gave me a choice. I don’t know why I had to be the one to choose, but they made me.

Tim: What was the choice?

Carol: They said I had to choose who I wanted to save. It was either save you and let the whole Mason family die, or save them and watch you die.

Tim: Holy shit, hun. That’s terrifying. What did you choose?

Carol: Well, I chose to save you, of course. We went back to eating potatoes in the kitchen like nothing ever happened, and the whole Mason family was in a big dead heap on the living room floor.

Tim: Wow, that’s bleak.

Carol: Yeah, I know.

Tim: Are you okay?

Carol: Honestly, I'm just tired. I’m fine, just tired of the birds.

SCENE THREE

Tim: Morning, honey, how’d you sleep?

Carol: Fine mostly. Did you see the news last night? A little boy was shot yesterday, just down the road.

Tim: Yeah, I heard about that.

Carol: A brown boy, shot by the police just walking home from school. They thought he had knocked down some trash cans on the street over. He was Mexican or something, I think. Anyway, he didn’t do it. It was just some teen learning how to drive. Well, he was scared, and he ran, so they shot him. I wonder how many more we’ll have this year. I wonder if they’d shoot me.

Tim: Well, honey, you aren’t quite brown enough, so probably not.

Carol: You shouldn’t say that, Tim.

Tim: Well, I’m sorry, but it's true.

Carol: I guess so.

Tim: You should really stop watching the news before you go to bed.

Carol: Yeah, you’re right. It’s the birds. I can’t sleep.

SCENE FOUR

Tim: Morning honey, how’d you sleep?

Carol: Fine. We’re out of coffee creamer. I had to use milk.

Tim: I’ll get some on my way home from work tonight.

Carol: Okay, but make sure you get the kind in the cardboard box. You haven’t taken the plastic to the recycling in months. There’s a whole truck load of it in the garage.

Tim: I guess I should take it on my way then.

Carol: You should.

Tim: We’ll see. If I have time.

SCENE FIVE

Tim: Morning honey, how’d you sleep?

Carol: Fine. I had a dream about recycling.

Tim: Recycling?

Carol: Yeah, the recycling. The mountain of it in the garage.

Tim: Oh yeah, that. Maybe I’ll take it before work today. What happened to the recycling?

Carol: Well, it was the recycling, and it wasn’t. I kept hearing this voice outside our window. You’ll never get rid of me, it said. Even if you try, it will make no difference. We’ll always be here to haunt you, poisoning the oceans, and seeping into your bloodstream bit by bit. And then all of a sudden, there were a thousand voices and they were all laughing and all I could think about when I woke up was how big our bottle of laundry detergent is.

Tim: That’s an exceptionally weird dream, honey. I’ll recycle the plastic, okay? Don’t worry.

SCENE SIX

Tim: How’d you sleep last night, honey?

Carol: Fine. Have you ever wondered if our house is on top of a sinkhole?

Tim: What?

Carol: A sinkhole. You know, like one of those crazy cartoons or news stories where the house just gets completely swallowed into a giant hole under the ground. Like it was never even there.

Tim: That really happens?

Carol: Yeah, I read about it in the paper recently. Some kid a couple towns over got sucked right into one. No one ever saw them again.

Tim: What really? I never heard about this. You still read the paper? Where was the sinkhole?

Carol: No one really knows for sure. In the woods somewhere they think.

Tim: They think? How do they know a kid got sucked into a sinkhole if they don’t know where the sinkhole was?

Carol: I don’t know. They couldn’t find them, so I guess they thought it was a sinkhole.

Tim: Did they send a search party? I haven’t even seen this on the news.

Carrol: I mean, yeah. They searched with a crew and some dogs for two whole days and no kid.

Tim: No location of the sinkhole either?

Carrol: I don’t know. They never found the body, so I guess not.

SCENE SEVEN

Tim: Good morning, hun. How’d you sleep?

Carol: Fine. I guess. Have you ever felt like things shift around here on their own?

Tim: Um, no I hadn’t thought of it. Why? Do you?
Carol: Hmm, maybe. Sometimes things just seem a little out of place.

Tim: Like what sorts of things?

Carol: I’m not sure actually. It’s just a feeling. Something’s a little off.

Tim: Do you think we have a ghost?

Carol: I don’t know, maybe. I think ghosts are everywhere, all the time, and we probably just don’t know it.

Tim: You think so?

Carol: Yeah.

Tim: What do you think they’d be doing all around us all the time?

Carol: I don’t know, watching. Us or the tv probably. They might get bored and want to move stuff, maybe slam some doors?

Tim: Well, I haven’t heard any slamming doors or creeks in the night.

Carol: Yeah, me neither. Anyway, it’s probably not a ghost.

SCENE EIGHT

Tim: Morning, honey. How’d you sleep?

Carol: Fine, I guess.

Tim: I know, the birds. I heard them too.

Carol: Yes, but it’s not that. I had a dream.

Tim: Tell me yours, and I’ll tell you mine?

Carol: Okay well, I always wanted a garden, you know.

Tim: Yes, I know. We should plant one. We never got around to it.

Carol: Yes, well, we did, in the dream, I mean. It was so great. Everything was blooming and sprouting. We had fresh fruits and veggies, enough to feed a village. It was beautiful. We were eating straight from the garden every night and even sharing it with the Mason family.

Tim: Well, that sounds like a nice dream. Maybe it’s a sign. We should get to gardening.

Carol: Yeah, it was nice… at first.

Tim: Oh boy.

Carol: Then the rain stopped coming. We were in a drought, and the plants started to turn yellow and brown. I tried to water them when I could, but the entire town’s water supply ran out completely.

Tim: Wow, that sounds not so nice actually. What happened next?

Carol: Everything in the garden died, the trees were on fire, and eventually the whole neighborhood caught on fire. Then the whole town burned to the ground and there was nothing left but hot embers.

Tim: Wow…

Carol: Yeah, I know… Your turn. Tell me about your dream?

Tim: The birds, they finally stopped singing…

SCENE NINE

Tim: Morning, love. How’d you sleep?

Carol: It was a deep sleep.

Tim: That’s good. You must be feeling well rested.

Carol: Yeah, I guess so. I can’t remember my dreams. I didn’t hear the birds last night.

Tim: Well, I guess that’s not such a bad thing.

Carol: I guess not. It’s raining.

Tim: Oh, it is, isn't it?

Carol: Yeah, really hard.

Tim: Hmm, well we probably needed it. Don’t want our imaginary gardens to dry up.

Carol: Yeah, that would be terrible. We’d be hungry, and so would the neighbors.

Tim: Yeah, as long as they weren’t already dead on our living room floor.

Carol: Don’t be so grim. For all we know, the rain is saving us and the entire town from flames.

Tim: Or making more sinkholes in the earth to suck little kids into.

Carol: Well I guess it only matters if they aren’t shot by the police first.

Tim: Then they’d all be ghosts haunting our home, right?

Carol: I don’t know. Maybe the birds are the ghosts. Did you ever take the recycling?

Tim: I tried, but the bins were full. Maybe when the rain stops.

SCENE TEN

Tim: Morning, Hun. How’d you sleep last night?

Carol: Fine. I dreamed of a vortex.

Tim: Huh, what kind of a vortex?

Carol: I don’t know. It was a small black spiral that started right in the middle of the kitchen floor. I watched it grow everyday until it swallowed us both whole.

Tim: Strange… What do you think that means?

Carol: I’m not sure. Have you noticed the house plants are growing?

Tim: No, I hadn’t. That’s good. More clean air.

Carol: Yeah. I guess so. Less counter space in the kitchen. Maybe I should trim them.

Tim: Do you really think it makes that much of a difference?

Carol: I guess not. I don’t mind sitting closer to you. Did you take the recycling?

Tim: No, I forgot. I’ll get it tomorrow.

Carol: You better do it soon or we won’t be able to park the car in the garage.

Tim: I thought you were going to stop buying plastic anyway. How’s it keep getting so much bigger?

Carol: I don’t know. Maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s the ghosts.

SCENE ELEVEN

Tim: Morning, hun. How’d you sleep?

Carol: Not well. I couldn’t stop thinking about that bill they just passed.

Tim: Yeah, it’s kind of messed up, isn’t it?

Carol: Yeah, it makes me not want to go back to the school, but someone has to look out for those kids.

Tim: Well, at this rate, plenty of those kids will be outed by the ones doing the looking. (Tim chuckles, nudges Carrol in the arm with his elbow.) Know what I mean?

Carol: It’s not funny, Tim. Next year we’ll have more dead bodies than the whole Mason family combined. You should know how dangerous parents can be. Don’t even get me started on the ghosts. I kind of miss the birds.

Tim: I don’t. They were loud.

Carol: I wonder why they left. Maybe we should move.

Tim: You don’t mean that.

Carol: No, it’ll be fine.

SCENE TWELVE

Tim: Good morning, hun! How’d you sleep?

Carol: I had a weird dream.

Tim: What’s new?
Carol: Do you want me to tell you about it or not?

Tim: Of course I do, honey. Tell me everything.

Carol: Well, I was asleep, and I heard the birds. They came back, and man, they were louder than ever.

Tim: Well, that’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?

Carol: That’s besides the point. All of a sudden there was this bright light through the window. I saw these strange humanoid looking creatures surrounding our bed.

Tim: Sounds like Aliens.

Carol: Yeah, they had these huge black eyes and no mouths, but they told me something… with their minds.

Tim: Yeah? What was it?

Carol: They said to stop buying laundry detergent.

Tim: Are you serious?

Carol: I wish I was joking. Did you ever take the recycling?

SCENE THIRTEEN

Tim: Morning, love. How’d you sleep last night?

Carol: Fine, but something just doesn’t feel right this morning.

Tim: What do you mean? What’s wrong?

Carol: I don’t know. I just keep running into things. I stubbed my toe on the corner as soon as I got out of bed, and I’ve banged my elbow on the wall at least three times already.

Tim: Well, that’s certainly an unfortunate start to the day. Are you okay?

Carol: I mean, yeah. I guess so. Elbow’s still intact.

Tim: Well, just be careful. Do you think you got enough sleep?

Carol: Yeah, plenty with the birds being gone.

Tim: That’s good at least.

Carol: Yeah, maybe it’s all that plastic in the garage getting to me. It’s getting hot out, you know.

Tim: Yeah, it is. I’ll take it, I promise.

Carol: You’ve been saying that for months now. You know that stuff releases toxins when it’s heated? It could be seeping through the air vents and poisoning our food for all we know.

Tim: Does it really? Could it?

Carol: Yes. (Bangs elbow against the wall for the fourth time this morning) Holy shit!

SCENE FOURTEEN

Tim: Moring, honey. How’d you sleep?

Carol: Fine, I guess. 

Tim: No wild dreams last night?

Carol: No, but there’s a crack in the bathroom floor. We should get that looked at.

Tim: I’ll call someone.

Carol: I’m going to take the recycling today.

Tim: Don’t. I said I would do it.

Carol: Yeah, but you haven’t.

Tim: Fine. Knock yourself out. (Smashes elbow into fancy, oversized coffee maker) Ouch!

Carol: Jeez, be careful. We need that.

SCENE FIFTEEN

Carol: Good morning, sunshine! How’d you sleep?

Tim: Good. You?

Carol: I didn’t.

Tim: Oh? What’s wrong?

Carol: I got a call from the school yesterday. They fired one of the teachers and want me to fill in next week.

Tim: I thought you weren’t going back.

Carol: I don’t want to, but how else will we pay for the leak in the bathroom?

Tim: Good point. I wonder what she did.

Carol: Who?

Tim: The teacher.

Carol: He.

Tim: Oh. I wonder what he did.

Carol: He left a picture of his husband and his kids on his desk.

Tim: Hmm. You should get some rest.

Carol: I can’t. I forgot to take the recycling.

SCENE SIXTEEN

Tim: Morning, honey. How’d you sleep?

Carol: Fine. I had a dream that the earth was flat.

Tim: That’s silly.

Carol: Why’s that?

Tim: I don’t know. It’s obviously a globe.

Carol: Obviously?

Tim: What? Do you think it’s flat?

Carol: I don’t know. Why couldn’t it be?

Tim: All those space photos from NASA show that it’s round.

Carol: What if they’re lying to us?

Tim: Why would they be?

Carol: I don’t know. Why wouldn’t they?

Tim: Does it even really matter?

Carol: I don’t know. Maybe.

Tim: Are you going to teach the kids at school that the earth is flat?

Carol: I don’t know. Maybe.

Tim: Then they’d fire you too.

Carol: Why? For questioning things?

Tim: No, for being queer.

Carol: Isn’t it kind of the same idea?

Tim: I don’t know. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.

Carol: I guess I shouldn’t risk it then, huh?

Tim: Probably not.

(Both bang elbows simultaneously on opposite walls)

Tim and Carol: (together) OUCH!

SCENE SEVENTEEN

Carol: Good morning, love. What do you think of fairies?

Tim: Fairies? Like in Peter Pan?

Carol: I mean, yes and no.

Tim: I’m not sure I understand. 

Carol: I had a dream about fairies last night. They showed me water. I turned on the news this morning, and there was a tsunami that hit Indonesia.

Tim: Really?

Carol: Yeah.

Tim: Weird coincidence.

Carol: You think so?

Tim: I mean, probably. What did the fairies look like? How did you know they were fairies?

Carol: They were… pale with dark eyes and pointy ears. Sort of genderless? I don’t know. I just knew.

Tim: Strange. We don’t even have a garden.

Carol: I know. How did you know that fairies like gardens?

Tim: I don’t know. I just knew.

Carol: Strange. 

Tim: Is it?

Carol: Yeah. Since when do you sit so close to me?

Tim: I don’t know. Am I not allowed to sit close to my wife?

Carol: I mean, yes, but it’s just weird.

Tim: Why’s it weird?

Carol: I don’t know. I’m tired of banging my elbows.

Tim: Me too.

Carol: We should donate to the tsunami relief funds.

Tim: Yeah, we should, but we need to fix that leak first. 

Carol: Yeah, we do.

SCENE EIGHTEEN

Tim: Morning honey, how’d you sleep?

Carol: Okay, I guess.

Tim: What’s wrong?

Carol: Do you ever feel like the walls are closing in on us?

Tim: Sure. We all get stressed sometimes, sweetie, but everything’s going to be okay.

Carol: No, I mean literally. Do you feel like the walls are getting closer together?

Tim: I hadn’t really noticed. I thought maybe you’d done some redecorating.

Carol: No, I haven’t.

Tim: More house plants?

Carol: No.

Tim: Weird.

(Both go to take a sip of coffee, sitting so close to each other, elbows bang together)

Carol: Ouch! What the hell?

Tim: Jesus, sorry.

SCENE NINETEEN

Carol: Morning, love. How’d you sleep?

Tim: Like a baby. You?

Carol: Terribly. My back has been hurting so bad lately.

Tim: Those kids got you running around crazy up at the school house?

Carol: Not really. I just feel… compressed.

Tim: What does that mean?

Carol: I don’t know. Squished, small, like my spine is shrinking. 

Tim: Well, that’s no good. Maybe we should take you to see a doctor.

Carol: Yeah, maybe.

(Completely hunched over the counter, the ceiling is just above their heads, they are practically sitting in each other’s lap with the kitchen walls touching both of their outside arms. Both sip coffee carefully).

Carol: Or maybe we should revisit the sinkhole idea. Did you ever call the plumber?

Tim: No, I forgot. I’ll call after work.

Carol: Don’t worry about it. I’ll call.

SCENE TWENTY

Tim comes downstairs to find his wife standing in an empty yard, the kitchen is gone, the entire bottom level of the house is gone. He descends the stairs, looks back up, and the upstairs of the home is gone too. Stands next to his wife in the yard, neither looking at each other, but more staring out into nothing.

Tim: Morning, honey.

Carol: Morning, honey.

Tim: How’d you sleep?

Carol: Couldn’t. I forgot to water the houseplants.

Tim: Doesn’t matter too much now, huh?

Carol: I guess not.

Tim: Sinkhole?

Carol: Sinkhole… or fairies?

Tim: Did you ever call the plumber?

Carol: No, I forgot.

Tim: Maybe aliens.

Both sip coffee from the mugs in their hands and continue to stare into nothing with confused expressions.