Friday, February 18, 2011

Let’s Be Morbid: A Tale of Deathbed Conversations. Scene Two.

Read Scene 1.

Scene 2.

Vince is asleep in a low bed, with a two-thirds empty glass of water on a lamp-lit bedside table. There’s a white curtain blowing in the wind in the background, and a wall full of large colourful butterflies on display. A girl with her hair tied up neatly with two well-sharpened pencils is on the floor, piecing together shredded bits of paper, and taping them together to make a sheet. Vince wakes up with a jolt –and painfully sits up in bed.

Girl: You’re awake. Didn’t think you’d wake up.

Vince: I had the strangest dream.

Girl: Again?

Vince: It was different this time – I did what my therapist told me to – and (he looks around and spots the glass by the table)

Girl: Why’d you put this in your shredder?

Vince: I think I killed myself.

Girl: It’s your suicide note. Why’d I find it in the bin with the damaged butterflies?

Vince: What damaged butterflies?

Girl: What’s in the water, Vincent? Is there anything in the water?

Vince: I think so, Diana. At least, I’m sure there was.

Diana: But your suicide note was in the shredder. If you put something in the water, why’d you put your note through the shredder?

Vince: Monarch butterflies have an ingenious defense mechanism. The toxins from their milkweed diet make them poisonous to predators. Although not poisonous enough to kill large mammals – monarchs are generally avoided.

Diana: Yes, I know. Did you put butterfly poison in your water? Is that why the monarchs are in the bin?

Vince: There is only one living large mammal that is in any way affected by the toxins from the Monarch butterfly. The female Sumatran elephant can crush the toxins out of a captured butterfly and horde it in her trunk, while her body produces boosters that help to coagulate the toxin, also, increase its toxicity. This substance is then used as a disinfectant while bathing her young.

Diana: You’re making up things. And you’re calling me an elephant again.

Vince: What? No. What?

Diana: Stop it, Vincent. I know I’m a bloody elephant in your bloody dreams. You don’t have to keep rubbing it in.

Vince: Di’s a beautiful elephant, but you –

He falls back onto his bed, feeling suddenly very dizzy. The butterflies in their cases stir, flexing their wings.

Diana: Shut up about the stupid elephant! Did you see me put the pills in your water? Did you see everything? Is that why you’re making such a fuss about it?

Vince: But I put the pills in my water because I wanted to be with my elephant. It wasn’t you. Diana, it couldn’t have been you. Why would you want to be with my elephant? No, sorry, the poison’s confusing me. That’s not the way it goes, is it?

Diana: I don’t give a shit about your bloody elephant. Three a.m, five p.m., morning, night, noon, easter – oh my god – elephant, elephant, elephant. I can’t stand that elephant anymore. I can’t stand you. And when we convince you that it’s all wrong – and you decide to chop up your butterflies to make little pills to put in your water – those pills are apparently not enough. Everything you do falls short, Vincent. Every single half-hearted thing you do. I hate you. I hate you so much that it hurts to even look at you.

Vince: Who’s we?

Diana smiles ruefully.

Vince: Where’s Leo? Wasn’t he supposed to meet me tonight?

Diana: He’s taking your place at the Pinball Championship. He always wanted to, you know.

There is a pause.

Vince: I know. But I thought he knew that he eventually would, someday.

Diana: How are you feeling, Vincent?

Vince: I’m sorry about the dreams, Diana.

Diana: Well, they’re all going to be over soon.

Vince: No, I fell as though they’re just starting. Like I’m going to anchor myself to this bed and start molting. Because of all the butterfly toxins. There – there – it really is a lovely bed, you know. And this is such a crucial stage.

Diana: What are you talking about?

Vince: My chrysalis. (He starts molting, like a butterfly, as the butterflies in the cases all around become absolutely frantic. Then Vince – and the butterflies – become absolutely still) I wish Leo was here to see this. It will be the most beautiful dream I’ve ever dreamt.

Diana: What the hell is happening? What are you doing? Vincent! Vince!

As she speaks, the chrysalis covers Vincent from head to toe – and for a brief moment, there is complete silence and stillness. Then the chrysalis bursts open – and all the glass in all the butterfly cases along the wall shatter at the same time. The butterflies fly out and surround Diana – and then disappear behind the white curtain. The open chrysalis is completely empty.