Script
Starts with Devon drinking in the bar and then Charles comes stumbling in. (Slurring words)
Devon : Who’s there?
Charles : A friend.
Devon : Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Charlie Nicklin. Look who’s come stumbling back.
Charles : It’s good to see you too.
Devon : So… Why are you here? I thought that you would have “quit” this stuff by now.
Charles : Nah. I just couldn’t resist coming back…
Devon : Well, you came back just in time. Drinks on me.
Devon clumsily gets up and starts walking away.
Barman : What will you have?
Devon : Two brews for the boys
Barman : Alright coming right up. (turns and talks to the side) This is the worst part of my job: seeing empty souls buy and drink their weight, slamming cups down on tables to create a parade of screaming, empty glasses. (turns back and gives Devon the drinks)
Devon : Heeeyyyy. Do you wanna hear a joke?
Barman : Uhhh--
Devon : What do you call a fish with no eyes?
Barman : (mutters) I really don’t care.
Devon : (continues like Barman hasn’t said anything) You call it a fssshhhh. (laughs really loudly) Isn’t that hilarious!
(Goes back to the table and slams drinks down. Charles picks up a drink and Devon raises his glass smiling.)
Devon : To your return.
Charles raises glass, not smiling, and downs the drink.
Devon : How’s work?
Charles : What do you do when you know something you shouldn’t, Devon? Should you tell someone and risk it all or keep it to yourself…?
Devon : I don’t know. But, forget all your woes tonight, my friend, and have another drink.
(Scene of no dialogue, but Charles and Devon drinking drink after drink. Devon smiles and laughs, Charles doesn’t. They finally exit the bar, supporting each other before they go their separate ways. Charles is walking down the street, tripping over his own feet when he looks up.)
Charles : (GASP). Is that… Victoria? She is still the most beautiful woman in the world. Take my hand. Are you nothing more than a vision created by my mind, a hallucination from my fevered brain? I am so sorry. I say I will change, and yet I never do. I still stay in bed, nursing hangovers until noon. But guilt is like a bottomless pit; it never ends. I broke my promises. I couldn’t keep them… I couldn’t keep… I couldn’t… I… I… I…
(seems like he is forgetting what he is saying)
I see spots of black that weren’t there before. There is no Victoria. It is the guilt and liquor that makes me think I see her. I should be asleep, but instead I am being haunted by these wicked dreams. While I talk, a drunk and a deadbeat, Vikky works. The more I talk, the more I fear the consequences. I must go and leave my safe haven.
(looks back to the bar, regrettably)
The ringing in my ears won’t go away. But, I know that I will be back tomorrow. Tomorrow…
(shakes his head)
Tommmm… To…
(Goes stumbling off, murmuring and tripping over his own feet. Scene changes to Victoria, bent over and cleaning a table.)
Victoria : While he is off getting drunk, I’m stuck working eight hour shifts to keep the lights on. But, it hasn’t change in the fifteen years since I’ve married him, and I doubt it will change anytime soon. Everyone slept except me; just a usual Tuesday. The tables are done, but I still have mountains of dishes to do…
(trails off and sighs)
O and I know exactly where my husband is: drunk and stumbling through the streets after a hard night’s work of consuming more than his body weight in liquor.
Charles : (offstage and slurring) Who’s there? I’mshfgptks!
Victoria : There he is. I hope he hasn’t woken the neighbors this time.
(Enter Charles almost falling flat on his face.)
Charlie?
Charles : O VIKKY!!! I was just coming to see you.
Victoria : Uh hu. (looks unimpressed)
Charles : I have to tell you something. Itsssho important.
Victoria : What is it Charlie? I still have things that I need to get done.
Charles : Ummm. I forgot…
Victoria : (murmurs) What else is new?
(Pushes past Charlie to the kitchen but is stopped)
Charles : I was gonna tell ya that I’m… I’m… I… (looks troubled)
Victoria : Spit it out Charlie, or get out of my way. Now.
Charles : Oooohhhhh. I remember. I’m sorry Vikky.
Victoria : For what? (she crosses her arms)
Charles : For… For being like this. For falling down the slippery slope and into the mouth of the beast. You deserve so much better.
Victoria : I do, don’t I. But I have no where else to go.
(pushes past Charles finally and looks over her shoulder angrily)
You’ve spent all our money.
Charles : Oops.
Victoria : That’s all you have to say? Oops? I work like a dog to keep our house going, and it still isn’t enough. I can’t seem to make any money, no matter how hard I work, because you are always out spending it on alcohol that you down in the next few seconds. And all you have to say for your drunken self is oops?!?
Charles : Vikky I–
Victoria : Forget it! You’re clearly confused. Come back and apologize when you’re sober enough to stand on your feet.
(Victoria exits)
Charles : How can I tell her? She will never believe me in my current state… I have to tell her tomorrow, and seal my fate with the consequences of my decision.
(Goes stumbling off to bed.)
Enter Charlie rubbing his eyes and yawning and Victoria is wiping down
tables after the lunch rush.
Charles : Morning, Vikky.
Victoria : It’s afternoon now. You missed lunch.
Charles : Oh… Well then, good afternoon.
Victoria : What do you want Charlie.
Charles : Vikky, I have to tell you something. It’s so important.
Victoria : We have already been through this
Charlie; we did this last night. Although, I’m sure you don’t remember with all of the liquor you consumed.
Charles : Really…? I told you about my boss…?
Victoria : No, something else… What about your boss?
Charles : Well… Hypothetically, what would you do if you found out that someone in power was stealing something, from somewhere, and if you told anyone about it, it would murder their career?
Victoria : I would tell someone.
Charles : Even though there are risks?
Victoria : There are risks in everything. What is this about?
Charles : I came across some irregularities at work when I was checking over the statements and decided to look into it. I found out…
Victoria : What? What did you find?
Charles : I found evidence that Damien has been embezzling money from our accounts into his own over the years.
Victoria : How much money?
Charles : A lot. What should I do?
Victoria : Tell the authorities. You would be a hero, and maybe finally get that raise that we so desperately need…
Charles : But –
Victoria : Don’t be such a coward Charlie. If you can’t do it, I will do it myself.
Charles : Who should I tell?
Victoria : I don’t know. Maybe the FBI. Just tell someone.
(She walks out, leaving Charlie to think over what he will do)