“N-371”
By Jesse Lee
Short Play – Drama
1M, 2F
Plus M and F extras
CHARACTERS:
RYAN
NATALIE /NATALIA
KRISTINE
EXTRAS (fundraiser attendees)
2 OR 3ZOMBIES (never fully seen, only silhouettes)
SETTING:
A banquet hall or ballroom. There is a single door Stage R. There are a series of frosted half windows along the back wall and a large set of French doors that open Stage L.
SCENE 1
Natalie sits on the floor of the room next to the French doors, her back against the wall. A small round end table or pedestal lies overturned, a large vase broken into several pieces on the floor. Dingy curtains hang over the windows and French doors, some of them ripped or falling down. There are a few items of debris littering the room as well—a piece of newspaper or a couple cardboard boxes, etc. If possible, a chandelier lies in the center of the room. Running footsteps can be heard getting louder and louder. Natalie pulls out a handgun and aims it at the single door.
Ryan bursts into the room, quicklyclosing the door behind him. He notices Natalie pointing the gun at him.
NATALIE: I’d best keep right on moving if I was you, save for if you’re looking to check out of this hell hole real quick.
RYAN: Okay, easy! I’m not here to hurt you. I was just…
NATALIE: Running. I know. It’s all anyone does anymore. Run or hide.
RYAN: Is that what you’re doing?
NATALIE: Sorta. Now get the hell out of here.
RYAN: I can’t.
NATALIE: Now!
RYAN: ( forceful but quiet ) You want them to find you, too?
Noises of approaching zombies can be heard. He holds a finger over his lips, signaling her to stay silent. The zombies pass and the noises fade. She promptly lowers the gun.
NATALIE: They’re going to come back for you. You have to go.
RYAN: I know. I wouldn’t stay here long. Trust me, you have to keep moving.
He takes a better look at her.
RYAN: How long have you been here?
NATALIE: Not long. Now leave!
RYAN: I’m going! You might want to think about getting a move on, too.
NATALIE: I’ll be fine.
Pause. He eyes her for a moment, as if confused about something.
RYAN: What’s the matter?
NATALIE: Nothing. I’m just resting.
RYAN: Are you okay?
He starts to move towards her to see what is wrong with her. She abruptly points the gun at him again.
NATALIE: Stay the hell back!
RYAN: Okay! Christ!
He scoots back quickly.
RYAN: I’m unarmed.
NATALIE: I’m not.
RYAN: I see that.
NATALIE: You don’t have a gun?
RYAN: I lost it. Trying to escape. I figured Imight find one in here.
She cocks the gun that is still pointed at him.
NATALIE: This one’s mine.
RYAN: Just relax. I told you I’m not going to hurt you.
NATALIE: I saw the whole world turn every man for himself, so forgive me if I don’t come across as the trusting type anymore.
RYAN: That’s fine. It’s just unsettling to be trapped in a room with an injured girl with a gun and I don’t know how trigger happy she is.
NATALIE: You’re welcome to take your chances out there with the zombies if you think that would be less dangerous.
RYAN: Fair enough.
He moves back a little farther. After a moment, she quickly lowers the gun.
NATALIE: I’m sorry. For still being human, I should try a little harder to act like it. So, I’m sorry.
RYAN: It’s okay.
NATALIE: If the rest of us can’t find a way to remain civil then we are no different from them.
RYAN: Unfortunately I think it might be past that point out there. Besides, it’s not as if we can really sip some tea and get acquainted now, can we?
NATALIE: I’ve never been good at talking with strangers.
RYAN: That’s okay. I am. Well, I was. Now there’s not a lot of…well, whatever. So Annie Oakley, do you have a real name?
NATALIE: Natalie.
RYAN: Well, Natalie, I’m Ryan.
NATALIE: Nice to meet you. ( Pause. ) Considering the circumstances.
RYAN: I’ll take it. See? Very human, indeed!
She smiles slightly.
NATALIE: You are good at talking to strangers.
RYAN: Eh, it’s mostly a bunch of, ( waxing a cool/suave vocal tone ) “So,Natalie, are you from around here?”
NATALIE: Lithuania.
RYAN: Lithuania, wow! Do you have family there?
NATALIE: ( distantly ) I don’t know.
RYAN: ( still waxing the tone ) You don’t know? How can you not kn-
NATALIE: Yeah, that’s right, you idiot! I don’t know! No one knows anything about what’s going on outside this city right now!
RYAN: Okay, chill. I’m sorry. I just meant-
NATALIE: I know what you meant.
Pause.
RYAN: Okay, well maybe I’m not that good at talking to strangers anymore.
NATALIE: Yeah.
Ryan cautiously looks out the blinds. Natalie sighs at her behavior.
NATALIE: What about you?
RYAN: Huh?
NATALIE: What about your family?
RYAN: No family.
NATALIE: No wife?
RYAN: She’s gone.
NATALIE: The plague?
RYAN: Divorce.
NATALIE: Oh.
RYAN: Yeah. She left before all this. A couple of years now already. Wow. ( Pause. ) I guess I wasn’t the greatest listener back then.
NATALIE: And now?
RYAN: I’m better.
NATALIE: Better listener. Worse talker.
RYAN: I have been known to put my foot in my mouth, on occasion.
He reaches into his pocket suddenly. She puts her hand on the gun again. He slowly pulls out a flask.
RYAN: Relax. Still not gonna hurt you.
He holds it out in a gesture to her.
RYAN: It’s just whiskey.
NATALIE: You drink it first.
RYAN: Okay. Just being polite.
Takes a swig, then slowly passes the flask to her.
RYAN: You can trust me. Just so you know.
She takes a swig from the flask.
NATALIE: I have trust issues.
RYAN: Oh.
NATALIE: Probably stems from a long history of people that I trusted letting me down.
RYAN: So I guess it’s just easier to not trust at all?
NATALIE: It seems to be working fine.
RYAN: Oh.
She hands the bottle back to him.
NATALIE: Thanks.
RYAN: No problem.
NATALIE: Do you have any food in there?
RYAN: Yeah. I’ve got some candy and some beans. Or I even have some beef jerky.
Her eyes light up at the jerky.
NATALIE: You do?
RYAN: Do you want it?
She nods and holds out her hand. He hands the jerky to her. She rips it open and hungrily takes a bite.
NATALIE: Mmm.
RYAN: Are you hurt?
NATALIE: I’m fine. I was running. I got a leg cramp. I’m just resting it. I’m fine.
RYAN: Okay.
NATALIE: I haven’t had any real food in a while.
RYAN: I’m not sure “Spicy Tim’s” jerky qualifies as “real” food.
NATALIE: You know what I mean. I’m getting so tired of chips and candy from smashed vending machines.
RYAN: Yeah.
There is a pause as the lights sizzle and flicker momentarily.
RYAN: Did you ever eat at Martollini’s?
NATALIE: Never heard of it.
RYAN: I used to eat there all the time. Before. It was this little tiny Italian eatery on Fifth. They had the best Shrimp Alfredo you could possibly imagine. They used to dice up some tomato and mix it in there—but they’d only dice the skins. That way, it wouldn’t thin down the Alfredo with tomato juice and make it all acidic. It was phenomenal! You would have loved it!
NATALIE: I’m allergic to shrimp.
RYAN: Well in that case it was just mediocre and it’s a good thing you didn’t eat it. So don’t feel bad about not getting to eat there.
NATALIE: Like it makes a difference now anyway.
RYAN: Right.
NATALIE: I miss pizza the most.
RYAN: Mmm.
NATALIE: Deep dish.
RYAN: Right on!
NATALIE: The kind that’s so thick you can only eat one piece and you feel full.
RYAN: I’ve never had that problem.
NATALIE: Pizza and milk.
RYAN: Oh. I haven’t had milk in what seems like forever.
NATALIE: I know. I miss it so much. Now all you can ever find to drink is cans of soda. I can’t believe there is so much soda everywhere.
RYAN: I had a bunch of juice.
NATALIE: You did?
RYAN: Yeah. Just gallons of it.
NATALIE: Where? At your home?
RYAN: I had it on a boat. Down in the harbor.
NATALIE: How come?
RYAN: I was stocking up on supplies—foods, liquids, even some batteries. Anything I might need for the next few weeks.
NATALIE: Why? What were you doing?
RYAN: I was going to try to make it all the way to Europe.
NATALIE: You were going to sail across the ocean in a sailboat? Like a little sailboat?
RYAN: Why not? People have made it before.
NATALIE: Are you a sailor?
RYAN: No.
NATALIE: Then how were you-
RYAN: I understand the basic concept. And it was probably less risky than staying here. But whatever. That plan’s off the table now anyway. All the boats left in the harbor got torched the night before last.
NATALIE: Oh. ( pause ) People are vandalizing everything.
RYAN: Burn your whole city to the ground. Great plan!
The lights sizzle and flicker again, slightly longer this time.
NATALIE: So now what?
RYAN: I don’t know yet. The options are a little limited right now.
NATALIE: You could always try to swim…
RYAN: That is not very nice.
Natalie smiles.
NATALIE: Relax. I’m just fucking with you.
Pause. They look at each other.
NATALIE: What?
RYAN: Nothing.
NATALIE: No, what?
RYAN: You have a pretty smile—for what it’s worth right now. But I’m sure people told you that a lot.
She looks lost in thought for a brief moment, then changes the subject quickly.
NATALIE: Yeah, this city sure has gone to shit, huh? Even this place. They really need to get a cleaning lady or something…
RYAN: This place has definitely seen better days. They used to have fundraisers here. Now it’s gone to hell just like the rest of town.
NATALIE: Wait, what?
RYAN: This whole city, it’s just one giant--
NATALIE: No, what did you just say? About this place?
RYAN: This place…has seen better days?
She laughs.
RYAN: What’s so funny?
NATALIE: The irony here.
RYAN: It must be lost on me. The irony of what?
NATALIE: You and me in this ballroom.
Ryan looks around, confused.
RYAN: I don’t get it.
NATALIE: Oh my god, I can’t believe I didn’t see it.
RYAN: What are you talking about?
NATALIE: We’ve already met before. In this very ballroom. Five, six years ago… It was a fundraiser. Save the hammerheads, I think it was.
Pause.
RYAN: I remember that one.
NATALIE: Do you remember me ? I’d be surprised if you did, considering how into Kristine you were.
RYAN: You knew Kristine?
SCENE 2 -FLASHBACK
Fundraiser ball – people are milling about. The overturned pedestal table now stands upright, the undamagedvase sits on top of it. Nice curtains hang over the windows. The French doors are opened to the outside – a hint of a patio area can be seen, nothing more. Natalia and Kristine are talking together. Natalia wears a scarlet dress. She speaks with an Eastern European accent. In this scene, Ryan is flamboyantly charming.
KRISTINE: So how do you like the new apartment?
NATALIA: Oh, it is wonderful. I love the view. It is very nice. Thank you so much, Kristine.
KRISTINE: Don’t mention it. I’m sure it’s nice to be out of the hotel.
NATALIA: Oh yes, very much so.
KRISTINE: And how’s your job at the agency? That’s still going well for you, too?
NATALIA: Yes. Iam very happy there. The people are very nice to me.
KRISTINE: That’s good. I’m glad to hear that. And so are you adjusting okay to everything else? It’s a lot different than Lithuania, yes?
NATALIA: Yes! It is very busy here and everyone is in such a hurry! I can’t believe they go in such a hurry!
Kristine laughs.
KRISTINE: Well, that’s the only way we get stuff done around here!
NATALIA: It is a big change.
KRISTINE: So is there anything else that you need me to help you with right now?
NATALIA: No thank you. You have been so very helpful to me. I’m so grateful for all that you have done. I could never repay you for all of your help.
Ryan enters the room. He is wearing a gold tie. He begins mingling inaudibly with some other guests. Natalia watches him.
KRISTINE: Don’t even worry about that for one second. That’s what I’m here for. And don’t you hesitate to let me know if you need help with anything else at all, okay?
Pause.
KRISTINE: What is it?
NATALIA: There he is again.
KRISTINE: Who?
NATALIA: The guy with the gold tie.
KRISTINE: Oh. He’s cute!
NATALIA: Yes.
KRISTINE: I wonder who he’s here with?
NATALIA: I don’t think anyone. I mean, I haven’t seen anyone with him.
KRISTINE: Well how long have you been watching him?!
NATALIA: Not long!
KRISTINE: Long enough to notice he doesn’t have a date along! And I don’t see any wedding ring. That’s a good sign.
NATALIA: Don’t stare. He is going to see us.
Ryan looks over at them.
KRISTINE: Too late. I think he saw us looking.
NATALIA: Oh, no.
KRISTINE: No, it’s okay. Maybe he’ll come over.
NATALIA: I can’t talk to him!
KRISTINE: Why not?
NATALIA: You know I cannot talk to strangers very well.
KRISTINE: It’ll be fine. I’ll help you.
Ryan excuses himself from his conversation with the other guests and heads over towards Natalia and Kristine.
NATALIA: No. Idon’t want to.
KRISTINE: Well too bad. He’s coming over. Let’s see if we can’t get him to welcome you to America!
NATALIA: I thought you were welcoming me to America?
KRISTINE: Not like…never mind!
RYAN: Hi.
KRISTINE: Hi.
NATALIA: Hi.
RYAN: I’m Ryan.
KRISTINE: Nice to meet you, Ryan. I’m Kristine.
RYAN: A pleasure.
KRISTINE: This is Natalia.
NATALIA: Nice to meet you.
RYAN: Thank you. It is nice to meet you as well. So what brings you lovely ladies to this boring fundraiser?
KRISTINE: Umm…work, mostly. And you?
RYAN: You work with sharks?
Kristine chuckles.
KRISTINE: No.
RYAN: Oh. So what do you do then?
KRISTINE: Well, I am a Cultural Services Agent. We work with new arrivals to the country—help them get situated and adjusted. Right now, I’m actually helping Natalia here, getting her acquainted with American life!
Kristine smiles at Natalia before continuing.
KRISTINE: You know, introducing her to some different people, helping her learn her way around the city and everything. She is from Lithuania, interestingly enough.
RYAN: That is interesting. Where might you be from?
KRISTINE: Well, I grew up in Boston.
RYAN: No!
KRISTINE: Yes!
RYAN: You don’t have an accent.
KRISTINE: Well, I got rid of it.
RYAN: Didn’t like it or what?
KRISTINE: I have to help people with linguistics. So I need to have a very neutral accent. Some people have a hard enough time understanding our language, let alone a Boston accent!
RYAN: I can see that. It’s hard enough for Americans to understand you Bostonites!
KRISTINE: Bostonians.
RYAN: Bostonians.
KRISTINE: Yes. Well, I am going to run and get a drink. Why don’t you two-
A waltz begins to play.
RYAN: Oh. The band is starting. Would you please join me for a dance first?
KRISTINE: Well-
RYAN: Do you know that you say the word “well” a lot ?
Kristine chuckles.
KRISTINE: I guess I do.
RYAN: ( to Natalia ) Try not to pick up on that American habit.
NATALIA: Okay.
RYAN: So, dance?
KRISTINE: I’m actually helping Natalia-
NATALIA: Oh no, it’s okay. Go on.
RYAN: Come on.
KRISTINE: Okay, I guess. ( to Natalia ) I will be right back. ( quieter, so Ryan can’t hear ) I’ll talkto him for you. Don’t worry.
NATALIA: I’ll be fine. Go on.
Natalia smiles as the Ryan and Kristine begin dancing.
KRISTINE: So, Ryan, what is it that you do for work?
RYAN: I dabble in writing, a bit.
KRISTINE: Oh. That sounds like fun.
RYAN: There’s lots worse.
Kristine looks back at Natalia. Natalia looks slightly uncomfortable alone.
KRISTINE: You know, I really want to tell you something.
RYAN: That’s good, because there’s something I want you to tell me, too.
KRISTINE: What’s that?
RYAN: For the rest of this song, I want you to tell me all about your beautiful self!
KRISTINE: Oh, please. Stop it now, you are making me blush!
RYAN: That doesn’t happen a lot to you, I take it?
KRISTINE: No, not really.
RYAN: Oh. It’s a good look for you.
KRISTINE: Okay, well thank you very much. Umm, anyway, I’m helping Natalia meet some people around the area, kind of get her introduced-
RYAN: Yep, I know.
Another man approaches Natalia and begins talking to her. They converse inaudibly together.
KRISTINE: -and well anyway, she had been interested in meeting you.
RYAN: Well I did meet her. Just now.
KRISTINE: Yeah, but I mean-
RYAN: I’m sorry to interrupt but, I just have to say, that is a fantastic dress you are wearing! You look amazing in it.
KRISTINE: Thank you.
Kristine looks over at Natalia who is still talking to the other man.
RYAN: What is it?
KRISTINE: Uh, nothing.
RYAN: Oh. Well what are you doing later?
KRISTINE: What do you mean?
RYAN: What are you doing tonight? How about dinner?
KRISTINE: Tonight?!
RYAN: Sure!
KRISTINE: I- Theyhave food here.
RYAN: It’s crap.
KRISTINE: Okay, well,-
RYAN: Ah, ah!
KRISTINE: I really can’t. I don’t want-
RYAN: Do you have a boyfriend?
KRISTINE: No. It’s just that-
RYAN: A husband?
KRISTINE: No.
RYAN: Are you a nun or a lesbian?
KRISTINE: Ahh, no and no!
RYAN: Well then you have no reason to not accompany me to dinner tonight, do you?
KRISTINE: You are not letting me talk.
RYAN: My bad. I tend to steer the conversation, I guess.
KRISTINE: Conversations are all about trading. Trading time, trading sentences, trading thoughts and ideas. Otherwise it’sjust…a lecture.
RYAN: I’m sorry. I’m a terrible listener. You should know that about me. Well, there. That’s my deep dark secret. What’s yours?
KRISTINE: Ha! Idon’t think so!
Natalia sees Kristine and Ryan laughing together.
RYAN: You don’t think that’s my dark secret or you don’t think you are going to tell me yours?
Natalia makes her way off the stage with the that man she was talking to.
KRISTINE: Both!
RYAN: Oh. Well I’ll just have to dig it up myself, then. We can start over dinner.
KRISTINE: You say ‘well’ quite a bit, too, you know?
RYAN: Maybe I’m just nervous.
KRISTINE: I really doubt that.
RYAN: Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m just not the nervous type.
KRISTINE: What type are you?
RYAN: I’m the pretty laid back type.
KRISTINE: You are?
RYAN: Yeah. Why?
KRISTINE: You seem kind of uptight, actually.
Ryan smiles.
RYAN: Just because I like to live casually doesn’t mean I can’t be determined when I need to be. And when I want something, I go for it.
KRISTINE: I can tell.
RYAN: But I am laid back. Actually, so much so that I still get along with my exes.
KRISTINE: Oh, wow.
RYAN: You can’t get much more laid back that that!
KRISTINE: Yeah. I don't really know if that's a good thing.
RYAN: It should be something reassuring for you at least. Knowing that if we should ever break up—which I can tell is unlikely—rest assured you won’t have to deal with any awkward run-ins later on down the road!
KRISTINE: Boy! Already thinking about the end of our relationship? That’s not a good sign. And that’s assuming we ever even have a relationship! Which, sorry to say, is highly unlikely. I mean, it’s not going to happen.
RYAN: Are you sure?
Kristine hesitates for only asecond, but it is enough to give her feelings away. But she playfully sticks to her answer.
KRISTINE: It’s highly unlikely.
RYAN: We can decide that over dinner. I will pick you up at ten, okay?
She looks around one last time. Natalia is nowhere to be seen. Kristine reluctantly gives in.
KRISTINE: Okay.
RYAN: Great!
SCENE 3
Back to the present. Debris litters the room again. Ryan and Natalie are in the same blocking places as the end of Scene 1.
NATALIE: So that’s why you remember that boring fundraiser. Kristine was your wife.
RYAN: Yep. She was.
NATALIE: Sorry.
RYAN: It’s fine. Our marriage…well…it wasn’t storybook, that’s for sure.
NATALIE: Sometimes I wonder if anyone’s is.
RYAN: Not anymore.
Pause.
RYAN: I do actually remember you.
NATALIE: It’s okay if you don’t.
RYAN: No. I do. Natalia . You wore a scarlet dress. I had forgotten but I do remember now.
Pause.
RYAN: And you spoke differently. You had an accent.
NATALIE: ( with accent ) You mean this accent?
RYAN: Yeah. Kristine help you get rid of that?
NATALIE: No. I did it on my own.
RYAN: Oh. Why? It’s a pretty accent.
NATALIE: Casting directors didn’t want movie-goers to have to listen too hard to understand it. Too much work, they would say. Apparently Americans must be lazy. How much work is it to listen? All you do is sit there and do nothing!
RYAN: Is that why you changed your name to Natalie too?
Natalie shrugs.
RYAN: You know, Kristine did actually tell me about you.
NATALIE: It’s fine.
RYAN: No, really.
NATALIE: She did?
RYAN: Yeah. A couple different times.
NATALIE: I’m surprised.
RYAN: She confessed it one day because it was weighing on her conscience. Told me about how she had been trying to set me up with someone else when we met. I couldn’t place my finger on it at the time but now I know what she was talking about. Anyway, that was the first time.
NATALIE: And then what?
RYAN: Well, after a couple years, she brought it up again. More than once. But then she sort of threw it in my face, you know? She used to tell me she wished she had tried harder to get me with that girl…well, with you. She’d talk about how things could have been different for her—how her life would have been better if things were different.
NATALIE: Probably would have turned out better for me too.
RYAN: Maybe. Everyone always thinks like that.
She scoffs at his remark.
RYAN: No, really. It’s called PLS—Parallel Life Syndrome.
Natalie sighs, seemingly annoyed.
RYAN: It’s human nature to always be playing out the alternative possibilities in our mind. But it doesn’t tend to be very realistic, as we always imagine the alternatives to be so much better.
NATALIE: Well when you are in a controlling relationship where you are only allowed to be what someone else wants you to be every day, it’s not too hard to imagine the alternatives being better.
RYAN: Sorry.
NATALIE: Doesn’t matter. It’s in the past. Fuck it, it’s all in the past now! So forgive me of dreaming about alternative possibilities. I don’t see how they could be much worse than they are.
RYAN: The truth of it all is that the past doesn’t matter anymore anyway. No matter what the past was like, we are all still stuck here in this situation right now.
The lights sizzle and short out again. They return to normal after a few seconds.
NATALIE: Is that them doing that?
RYAN: No. It’s just the infrastructure—the lack of power remaining on the grid. Soon the lights will go off for good.
Pause.
NATALIE: So you were a writer. Of novels?
RYAN: For a day.
NATALIE: What do you mean?
RYAN: Well back then I just wrote short stories for magazine publications, mostly. But I had started on a couple different novels, you know? Anyway, I finally finished one of them. Sent it out. And it got picked up by this publishing company! Like, right away! And wouldn’t you know, I stepped out of the lobby of the publishers office not five minutes after signing my first ever book deal, and this electronics store across the street was breaking the news of the outbreak on every television screen they had.
NATALIE: Wow.
RYAN: That’s just my luck, I guess.
Pause.
NATALIE: When I was married, my husband did not allow me to do any acting anymore. He was…controlling. And so after my divorce, I started to get back into it. I had just landed my first major part on this T.V. pilot. We were supposed to start shooting at the end of the week.
She looks around her and motions to all of the surroundings.
NATALIE: Then this. ( pause ) That was my dream and it never happened.
RYAN: Fucking timing!
She laughs, then winces in pain. She grabs her leg momentarily.
NATALIE: It was a silly dream anyway.
RYAN: So how long have you been here?
NATALIE: A day and a half.
RYAN: Is it broken?
NATALIE: Yeah. I think so.
RYAN: That’s why you’re holed up in here? You can’t move?
NATALIE: ( Starting to get a little irritated ) Yep.
RYAN: What happened?
NATALIE: What do you think? Running from them. Three of them. Jumped off the bottom of the fire escape across the street. I guess I landed wrong because I went right down like water.
She pauses for a moment to calm herself.
NATALIE: Fortunately I went down right next to this baby. Bam bam bam bam bam! That’s where most of the bullets went.
RYAN: The bodies in the alley?
NATALIE: I tried to keep going but I could only makeit this far. But I figured this was an okay place to camp. I get a clear shot at anything coming through that doorway.
RYAN: Thanks for not shooting me when I came through.
NATALIE: Lucky for you I’m not too trigger happy.
Pause.
NATALIE: Besides, I didn’t want to waste my last bullet.
RYAN: You only have one bullet?
NATALIE: Yep.
RYAN: That’s not gonna do much good.
NATALIE: If zombies come through that door, one bullet is all I’ll need.
RYAN: Oh. You’re gonna go out that way huh?
NATALIE: Better than the alternative.
Pause.
NATALIE: This plague…it’s not going to end, is it?
RYAN: I don’t know.
NATALIE: No one is going to make it.
RYAN: We don’t know that for sure.
NATALIE: I do. I know it.
Pause.
NATALIE: I’m so tired of running.
He chuckles.
NATALIE: What?
RYAN: Only the irony. Running. With a broken leg.
Pause. Then she chuckles too.
NATALIE: Yeah, the running is done. I’m done running.
RYAN: No you’re not.
NATALIE: Yes. Iam.
RYAN: You’re giving up?
She says nothing.
RYAN: You’re not giving up. You sure as hell weren’t giving up when I came through that door, and I’m sure as hell not giving up, so I didn’t talk you into it. So no, you’re not giving up! We can get out of here. We just need to come up with a plan. And who knows, you know? There might be hope for the human race. Maybe on the other side of the world they are doing fine. Maybe they never got infected with the plague because it couldn’t cross the oceans. Or maybe they even have a cure for it. Maybe your family is safe.
Red-orange light very slowly begins to build from outside the French doors.
NATALIE: This whole thing started because of a cure! They said they could get rid of Alzheimer’s once and for all. They called it a miracle cure. But it mutated. Into the virus that caused all of this. We did this to ourselves! So no, I don’t believe you. We’re done. We’re all done.
Pause.
NATALIE: We thought we needed to save the hammerheads but we couldn’t even save ourselves.
RYAN: You know, hammerheads were around millions of years before we ever got here, and I’m pretty sure they’re gonna be around millions of years after we are gone as well.
NATALIE: The irony is not lost on me. I will miss that as well.
They hear a clanking noise. They look up at the ceiling, then back to each other.
NATALIE: They’re right above us now.
RYAN: They’re searching the building. Probably top to bottom, floor to floor.
NATALIE: There’s going to be more.
RYAN: The sun is going down.
NATALIE: Yeah. So?
RYAN: I think it’s about time that I should make a run for it. While there’s still a little bit of daylight left for me to see.
NATALIE: Oh.
RYAN: What?
NATALIE: You’re going to leave me here?
RYAN: I figure if I make a lot of noise on my way out, it’ll draw them out--away from you. It’s me they’re after. They don’t know you are in here. You should be safe.
NATALIE: That’s suicide. You go out there, you’re dead. You know it. ( pause ) Even I know it. They can see better in the dark than you can.
RYAN: If I stay here-
NATALIE: It’s not going to make any difference.
RYAN: They’ll find you if I stay here.
NATALIE: No one is going to make it anyway, remember? Just stay. It’s been so long since I talked with someone. We can just keep talking. Please stay.
Ryan hesitates, knowing what this decision will mean for the both of them.
RYAN: You really want to go out talking about bad relationships and failed career dreams?
NATALIE: We could talk about how things might have been different if you’d have asked me to dance with you.
Pause.
RYAN: Maybe in a parallel life I did.
NATALIE: Please stay.
Pause.
RYAN: Do you trust me now?
NATALIE: What’s the difference? Even if if you were going to kill me it wouldn’t matter. I’m dead either way.
Pause. He waits for her answer.
NATALIE: Yes. I trust you.
RYAN: Okay.
Ryan opens the French doors. Red-orange light floods into the room. He returns to Natalie.
NATALIE: What are you doing?
He helps her to her feet so they can look out at the sunset.
RYAN: This is the last sunset. Might as well enjoy it.
They stare at the red-orange light radiating in through the open doors.
NATALIE: It’s beautiful.
RYAN: Yeah. It’s because of all the smoke from the fires. ( pause ) You know, a couple hundred years ago, there was this volcano. Tambora. And when it erupted it blew so much dust and ash into the air that it made fiery sunsets that covered the entire sky. For weeks.
NATALIE: Wow. It’s strange. How sometimes something so beautiful can come from something so terrible.
RYAN: People often forget, there’s always beauty, all around, if you only look.
They stare out the window into the red-orange light of the sunset as zombie silhouettes pass behind the rear window towards the door.
SCENE 4
A “dreamlike, parallel life” blend of the two time periods. Debris still litters the room as it did in Scenes 1 and 3, but Natalia and Ryan are dressed as they were in Scene 2. Natalia speaks in her European accent, and Ryan is back to his carefree, charming personality. Ryan and Natalia dance together in the middle of the room. The waltz now has a sad, haunting tone to it. The lighting has a different tone as well—a cooler shade of blue lighting that contrasts the orange lighting from the previous scene (think moonlight).
RYAN: So, Natalia, you are from Lithuania, huh?
NATALIA: I am.
RYAN: Wow. I have never been there. ( brief pause ) What is it like? Describe it for me.
NATALIA: Well, it is pretty small, but very beautiful…
Ryan smiles at her.
RYAN: Hmm.
NATALIA: What?
RYAN: Nothing. Just that those are the exact words I would have picked if someone had asked me to describe you .
She blushes.
NATALIA: No.
RYAN: No, really. You have a gorgeous smile that lights up this whole room. Just wanted you to know.
NATALIA: Thank you for the compliment.
RYAN: Thank you for smiling!
NATALIA: Umm…
RYAN: So, Lithuania?
NATALIA: Oh, yes. Uh, well, it has mountains for hiking and streams for fishing, and small cities nestled in the valleys. It has good skiing!
RYAN: Do you like to ski?
NATALIA: Oh I love it so much! Do you enjoy it?
RYAN: No. Well, I mean, it’s not that I don’t enjoy it because I’m sure that I do, but my talent level bars me from anything other than the bunny hill.
NATALIA: Bunny hill? What is a bunny hill?
RYAN: It’s…the easy…the green-
NATALIA: Oh, the beginner slope!
RYAN: Yep. That’s me.
NATALIA: Well, they have other activities too.
RYAN: You know, I had the chance to go there once—for this company that I used to work for. But I didn’t. Now I’m thinking I should have gone.
NATALIA: You can still make it. Lithuania is still there.
RYAN: I should probably do that one day.
NATALIA: If I am back there visiting my family I could show you around.
RYAN: I would definitely like that! Maybe we’ll even share a flight. Who knows?
NATALIA: That would be nice! But even if not, you really should go there sometime. It is a great place to visit, and then you don’t have to think ‘I should have gone’ anymore.
RYAN: I know! You’re so right. I try not to live a ‘should have’ life. I want to do . Sometimes it makes me a little impulsive, I know, but I don’t want to be old and look back when all my best years are behind me and wish that I had lived them differently.
NATALIA: There are always so many possibilities, but only one outcome—one path. I think that no matter what we do we will always look back and wonder how things could have been different if we had made different choices.
RYAN: Been better.
NATALIA: What?
RYAN: I think people always look back and wonder how things could have been better. But they fail to realize that they could be worse, too.
NATALIA: That’s very true. It’s good that you have such an objective view of life.
RYAN: It helps me to try and be thankful for all that I do have.
She smiles at him.
NATALIA: That is a very pretty tie you are wearing.
He smiles at her.
RYAN: Let’s do something tonight. Later. When this thing is done.
NATALIA: Okay. Like what?
RYAN: Whatever we feel like. Take a walk, grab dinner, whatever.
NATALIA: What should I wear?
RYAN: Wear that dress. I like it.
NATALIA: Well then you have to wear that tie.
RYAN: Deal.
Pause.
RYAN: What are you thinking?
NATALIA: I was just thinking that, at this point in time, we are standing right here, somewhere along a single random path through a universe made of an infinite number of paths. And I was just wondering, ‘Where is this path going to end up?’
RYAN: I don’t know. Let’s just play it by ear. I have my whole life in front of me. You have your whole life in front of you. Maybe it will end up being the same life for both of us. Or maybe we will just end up sharing a piece of the journey together. Maybe we’ll only have this one day together. Bottom line is, nobody knows what’s in store for the future. So just enjoy it as it unfolds. You know—write your own story.
Pause. Their dancing turns into an embrace.
RYAN: Or make a story with someone.
NATALIA: I wonder how our story will end.
RYAN: I don’t know. ( Pause, then quieter ) I don’tknow.
Lights sizzle and go out for good.
THE END.