The Killing Game by: Henry J. Morello The stage is dark. It is covered in foliage to look like a jungle. The sides of the stage are densely covered. The actors do not appear to be able to see each other clearly. The audience, however can see them fine. MIKE: 18 year old high school graduate, and a U.S. citizen. LUIS: 14 and is Nicaraguan. A highly educated Central American, his mother studied and taught in the U.S. when she was younger. TOM: A game show host. SANDY: The lovely assistant. MAN: The janitor. The stage is quiet, except for jungle sounds. A single gunshot is heard followed by the whole stage exploding into gunfire, explosions, flashes of light and screams. Then it subsides. All that is left are Mike and Luis. Mike (At first quietly) Rob? (No answer) Roberts?....Roberts!? Medic Roberts' been hit. Medic...Medic. Lieutenant! Lieutenant!! Somebody, Help. (He resigns quietly for a second. Then hears a noise.) Help...I'm an American. (A shot is fired at Mike) Shit. Luis Tiene miedo? Mike (Fires) You sonsofbitches. Luis Hijo de puta. (Fires) Mike Speak English (Fires) Luis Como veo tú deberias hablar español. Mike Go to Hell. (Fires furiously) Luis Vete al diablo. Mike Just shut up. Luis Tu callate la boca. Mike Shit. Luis You swear too much. Mike You speak English. Luis What do you think I am, stupid? Mike Yeah, I do. (Fires) Luis Mira quien habla. (fires) Mike (Fires) Speak English. Luis See what I mean? (Fires) Mike What did you say? (Fires) Luis ... And you call me stupid. Mike Greasy Mexicans. (Fires) Luis Stupid estadounidense. I'm not Mexican. Mike So. Luis I'm Nicaraguan. Mike Same difference. Luis What? Mike Same difference. Luis That doesn't make any sense. Mike I don't have to make sense. Luis Wait, hold on. Don't shoot, I want to get... (The lights come up to full, a buzzer, and or siren sounds, and lights flash. From offstage a man dressed in a suit and a woman in a sequined dress enter. A flat "up center" revolves, revealing a large time clock that is counting off time) Tom I'm sorry Luis but the 24 second clock expired and we have a delay of game violation on you. Mike was the last person who fired, so Sandy what is the penalty for stopping the gun-play in the middle of a fire fight. Sandy Well, Tom, Luis loses all his rations and THREE-HUNDRED ROUNDS. Tom And what sorts of prizes do we have for Mike? Sandy Mike receives a good conduct medal, courtesy of the U.S. Army, and The Mix-Master 2, food preparer by: Westware. Your food people. Tom That sounds great Sandy. O.K. lets review some of the rules of the game. Now remember you can talk to each other but, don't get friendly with the enemy. Luis, remember, there are no time outs in the game. Fire until you hit your target or are killed. Sandy, why don't you explain for our audience the ways the game could end. Sandy Tom, there are three ways to end the game. One, someone could get shot. Tom And then it's winner take all. Sandy Right Tom, or if time runs out (indicates clock) an air strike is called in. (Holds up fingers) Count them...three U.S. bombers will drop their payload right on top of both of you. Tom Hurry Sandy, time is running. Sandy I'll never die Tom. Third, if the boys break a combined total of three rules of war the audience will be given grenades and be allowed to grenade the both of them. Tom Ouch. Time is running out, you only have 10 minutes before an air strike, so Mike at the buzzer it's your shot. And guys, remember no rationalizations. (As the buzzer sounds, the lights change, the clock stays.) Mike (Fires) Knew you were stupid. Luis I just wanted a drink. (fires) Mike That sounds like a good idea, (Fires) I think I'll have a drink. Luis You sonofabitch. (Fires) Mike Thirsty? Luis Yes. Mike Want some? Luis (pause) Mike Do you? Luis Yes, I do. Mike Too bad. (fires) Luis I'm gonna tear your head off. (Fires) Mike Come and get me. (Fires) Luis I'm not that stupid (fires) Mike (Fires) You were stupid enough to call a time-out. Luis I just wanted a drink. (Fires) Mike You know the rules of the game. Luis But the...(Mike fires) Mike ...Ah, ah, ah...Don't try to rationalize. Luis Don't tell me what to do. (Fires) Mike I'm just... Luis Maybe they can tell me what to do, but you sure as hell can't. Mike Don't go off on me. Luis There you go again. Who do you think you are? Mike Hell, at the moment I'm winning. Luis No you're not. Mike I've got a medal and a Mix-master; what have you got? Luis In eight minutes they're going to air-strike both you and your Mix- master. Mike Not if I kill you first. (Fires) Luis Better hurry. (Fires) Mike (Fires) Don't play mind games with me... Luis Yes sir, General Mix-master. (Fires) Mike Maybe you had better just not talk. Luis Mira, only they can tell me what to do ... tú no. Mike It's going to be a pleasure to put a bullet through your head. Luis Bueno, wonderful this is what they want. Mike No, it's what I want. Luis This makes for good ratings. Mike Then seeing your dead carcass on the ground could put them through the roof. (Fires) Luis I think you've got a future in television, (Fires) if you survive. Mike I don't see any future for you. (Fires) Luis Does your mother watch this show? Mike Leave my mother out of this. Luis Is she out there in television land watching her little boy talk like this? Mike What about your mother? Luis We don't have a television. Mike My heart bleeds. (Fires) Luis Does your mother know where you are? (Fires) Mike Shut up. Luis Do you know where you are? Mike Shut the fuck up. Luis Mike, why are you here? (long pause) Why are you shooting at me, Miguel? Mike For the prize. Luis You're risking your life for a prize? Mike Damn right. Luis What's the prize? Mike What? Luis What's the prize, Mike? What does the winner get? Mike I don't know. Luis You don't know? Mike They didn't tell me. What is the prize? Luis The prizes are different. I don't know what you get ... maybe a Living room ensemble. Mike What the hell is my prize? ... Tom? Tom? Come out here. What do I win? Tom! Luis If you don't know what the prize is, then why are you here? Mike For God and country. Luis You said there was a prize. Mike Yeah? Luis So what is the prize? Mike Honor. Luis Honor? Mike Yeah. Luis Honor is a prize? Mike Leave me alone. Luis What size box does honor come in? Just another thing gringos think they can buy. Mike Shut-up! Luis ¿Porqúe estás aquí? Why are you here, Mike? Mike Shut-up. Shut-up! I don't know why I'm here, O.K.. I don't know why I'm here. Shit, shit, what am I doing here? Why am ...? (Buzzer Sounds, and the MC and Sandy come out again. Lights are flashing etc.) Tom Mike, you should know better than to question your country's role in international affairs. Let alone your individual orders. You've committed the second foul of the game. You both know that one more foul and both of you will be grenaded by the studio audience. O.K. Sandy let Mike know what he has to give up for breaking the rules of the game. Sandy Well, Tom, Mike now loses three-hundred rounds of ammunition, and on top of that, he loses his dog tags ...so if anything happens to him ... Tom ... And we do mean anything... Sandy ... Mike will be M.I.A. forever. Tom Tell us what Luis will receive. Sandy Luis doesn't receive a thing, but remember if Luis wins the game he gets to go back to his family, who will be waiting for him with open arms, and someday Luis may be able to farm his own land. Tom That's great Sandy. O.K. boys you now have a little over four minutes to come up with a winner, if not...AIR STRIKE. Are you two ready? Mike Wait... Tom Good. Luis it's your shot. Good luck boys. (Exit MC and Sandy) Mike No...wait... (But Luis fires and Mike is forced to duck back behind his cover.) Mike How come he told you? (Fires) I want to know what the hell I get. Luis Who cares, as long as you stay alive? (Fires) Mike I care. I can't be here for no reason. (Fires) Luis Why not? Mike No. Luis Tell me why. Mike I can't think about it. Luis Then why are you here? Mike Because you're fucking things up. Luis Who? Mike Communists. Luis What? Mike Communists. Luis Who's a communist? Mike You are, asshole. Luis I'm a farmer. Mike That's stupid. Luis And you called me stupid. (Fires) At least I know why I'm here. Mike I don't get it. Why didn't he tell me? (Fires) Luis What did they tell you before you got here? Mike Nothing really, just the rules. Luis Just the rules, what an ass. (Fires) Mike God-damn you. (Fires) Luis (Fires) What did I do? Mike I know your game; you want me to think about it. (Fires) Luis What? Mike The rules. You don't care if you die. Luis You're nuts. Mike You want me to rationalize...break a rule. (Fires) Luis No... Mike (Fires) Any rule, and we both die. You'd like that. Luis Mike... Mike And don't call me Mike. You crazy little fuck. (Fires) Luis I'm just trying... Mike Shut up, just shut up. I gotta think. There's got to be a way out of this. Shit. Luis You could stop. Mike I can't stop. I can never stop. Luis Valla, esta muchacho se esta volviendo loco. (Oh, great this guys gonna go nuts.) Mike Don't give me any of that Mexican shit...What did you say? Luis (No answer) Mike (Fires) What did you say? Luis I was wondering what time it was. Mike (Fires) Bullshit the clocks right there. Oh shit. (Fires) I'm gonna die...I'm gonna fuckin' die. Luis (Fires) Get a hold of yourself, or we're both dead. Mike (Fires) Oh no, no way. You're not taking me with you. (Fires) Luis Stop it. Mike I gotta win. I want to live. (Fires) Luis Two minutes. Mike I see it. Luis (Pause) A minute-fifty. Mike I know, I know. (At this point the two move about trying to get a clear shot at one another and continue to fire. The clock continues to run down.) Mike I will not lose. (fires) Luis (Fires) I can't see the clock. (We start to hear the rumblings of jets in the distance and bombs going off.) Mike (Fires) Luis I can't see the clock...how much time. Mike I don't know. Luis How much time? Mike (Moves to see the clock) Luis Tell me. Mike Fifty seconds. Luis Our Father who art ... Mike What are you doing? Luis ... in heaven hallowed be ... Mike Stop it. What are you doing? Luis (fires)Leave me alone. Hallowed be thy name ... Mike Thirty-five seconds. (Fires) Luis (Fires) ... Thy kingdom come thy ... Mike (Fires) Luis ... Thy will be done ...(Fires) Mike Twenty-five seconds. (Fires) Luis ... on earth as it is in heaven ...(Fires) Mike (Fires) Die you sonofabitch. Luis ... give us this day our daily ... (Fires) Mike Die!(Fires) Luis ... and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those ... Mike Eighteen seconds. (Fires) Luis ... who trespass against us ... Mike Oh God. (fires) Luis Lead us not into temptation ... Mike Twelve. (Fires) Luis ... but deliver me from evil ...(Stands Fires. Mike fires misses) Mike Nine. (Luis fires Mike fires misses Luis starts to charge and fires. Mike stands and fires Luis falls.) Haaa! (During the following entrance of the MC and our little Vanna-like tart, lights flash sirens wail, streamers and balloons fall, etc. Mike says the following) Mike I got you. I win you sonofabitch. I kicked your ass. Tom Yes that's right Mike you win. Mike What do I get? (Luis is bleeding to death unattended on the floor a few times Mike glances over to see what he is doing at first not caring a whole lot, but with each glance he realizes something is askew.) Tom Sandy is standing by just waiting to tell you the number of great gifts waiting for you. Sandy Mike, first we start out with the Distinguished Service Cross courtesy, of the U.S. Army. Then you will be flown by military transport to YOUR OWN HOME TOWN for a whole weekend of frolic and frivolity. Upon returning you will attend service for the unit you lost just this morning and you will be introduced to a whole new group of friendly faces. And you will be the pride of your new friends sporting new fatigues by Calvin Kline. And Mike you can tote these new duds around in your New Gucci Duffel bag. Mike (Not fully understanding what is happening) Is he O.K.? Tom Well Mike our time has run out for today, but we hope to have you on the show again sometime. Until then, keep low and stay alive. Goodnight everyone. (Light Change. MC drops t.v. persona) (By the way it would not be a bad idea if the Director, stage manager, props and whoever else the director deems necessary be out on stage when the "show" is over to give the appearance of an actual studio game show ending.) Mike Wait a minute. Come back here. Is he all right? Tom No Mike, he has a bullet in him. (The MC and Sandy find this sarcastic answer to a dumb question very funny.) Mike But shouldn't we call a doctor? Tom You call one Mike I believe it's nueve - uno - uno. (This cracks the two of them up again.) Mike You bastard, do something. Tom Hey, I didn't shoot him. Mike (This hits Mike like a ton of bricks, he literally falls to the floor in shame and horror. He does not cry. He is in shock.) Tom Boy that was a close one, too bad, I love a good air strike. Sandy I don't like all the noise. Did you get the feeling the audience was up for a good grenading tonight? So, are you up for a little undercover assault tonight. Tom I would love some hand to hand. Sandy Is the wife going to get in the way of out covert action. Tom No, bridge night. Sandy Good meet me at eight so I can de-brief the "little general". (They exit) (Here we need some sort of lighting change to indicate the end of the show and the beginning of a new "reality" for Mike and Luis) Mike (Continues sitting for a great deal of time before anything is said. Make it a slightly uncomfortable pause for the audience.) Luis You win. Mike (Tentatively) Are you all-right...I mean is this part of the game? Luis You could say that. Mike Can I get you anything? Luis Some water, they took mine away. Mike Yeah, sure...here. Shit you're still bleeding. I don't have any sort of... There's got to be a first aid kit around here somewhere. Damn it. (Takes off shirt and tears it to dress the wound.) I'm sorry. (Mike starts to breakdown at the realization of what he has done.) Luis Don't be sorry someone had to die. Mike Shut up you're not dead, you're not going to die. (Mike gets up and goes toward the door.) Christ there has to be some way out of this. Hang on let me try the door. It's locked. Luis Like a bad murder mystery. (He laughs a little at his joke and starts to cough) Mike You O.K.? Luis Yeah. Mike Does it hurt? Luis A little not too bad. (Starts to nod off) Mike Hey, hey Luis wake up talk to me. Luis Let me sleep. Mike No you can't, you'll...How come you speak English? Luis My mother speaks English. Mike But, I mean you speak English better than a lot of people I know. Luis My mother went to university in Iowa and she was a school teacher for a year in Kansas City before she came home and got married. Mike Have you ever been to the United States? Luis When I was eight I lived with my Aunt in Kansas City for six months. Mike Did you like it? Luis Yes, but the other kids made fun of me, because my English was not very good. Mike It's better now. Luis When I got home from school here. My mother taught us in English. Estoy muy cansado. Mike What does that mean? Luis It means, I'm very tired. Mike I can't let you fall asleep. You might never... Luis I know. It doesn't really matter. Mike Yes it does. We have to get out of here. Luis You have to get out of here. Mike What did you mean someone had to? Luis What? Mike You stood up. Luis What are you talking about? Mike You stepped into the open. Luis I was trying to kill you. Mike But you...That was...That's suicide. You sonofabitch. Luis I had to take a risk. Mike Bullshit, why? Luis Well? Mike (Stepping away from him) I don't believe this. I mean...shit. Luis One of us had to walk away from here. Mike Yeah well, no one's walking away at the moment are they? Luis They have to let you out eventually. Mike And tomorrow two more people go at it the way we did to the delight of some who knows what... Luis What are you talking about? Mike Nothing forget it. This is too fucking much. Luis See if you can find a way out. Mike (Looks around for a way out) Luis Anything? Mike Wait...no nothing. Luis Why didn't you leave with the rest of them? Mike ...And leave you here? Luis I wonder about that. Someone has... Mike ...has to come and clean up for t... Luis ...for tomorrow. Mike We'll ambush him. When we hear him coming I'll hide... Luis ...He'll only be expecting me... Mike ...You pretend your dead. It's perfect. Luis Then you escape. Mike What about you? Luis Don't worry about me. Mike Shit, you sound like a bad movie. Don't worry about me. It's too late for me. (They both laugh a little causing Luis to start coughing again.) Mike Damn it, stop that. Luis Sorry. Mike You gotta hang in there...we got to get you to a hospital or something. Luis (For the last few lines you can let the pain Luis is feeling increase, or he can have sudden shots of pain. Whatever you do he has to feel it now.) Mike We got to get your mind off it. Luis Get my mind off what? Mike Talk...talk about your family. Luis O.K.uh, There are six of us. I'm the fifth...I'm turning fourteen soon...Shouldn't I be saving my energy or something? Mike You're fourteen? Luis Not yet, soon. Mike Jesus Christ, what are you doing here? Luis How old are you? Mike Eighteen. Luis Not much of a difference. Mike It's a big difference. Luis I don't want to argue. I'm tired. Mike I know, I'm sorry. Luis Do you think it would be all-right if I closed my eyes for a second? Mike No, you got to stay alert. We have to find a way out. Luis We'll do it in the morning. (Noise off) Mike Luis someone's here...Luis wake up. (Enter man. Luis does not wake up. Mike checks pulse. Relief) Man Jesus Christ, you scared me. (Looks at clipboard with some papers on it.) No one is supposed to be here. Mike I didn't... Man Nobody told me about this. (Shuffling papers.) You haven't been approved. You have no clearance. Mike Who are you? Man Who am I? I'm supposed to be here. I have the proper clearance. I have to clean this place up, for tomorrow. Mike You're a janitor. Man I'm a technical engineer. I'm responsible for all the pyrotechnics, the safety of the MC, up keep of the grounds. Mike Is there any way we could get him to a hospital? Man He's not dead? Mike No. Can you call an ambulance? Man (Reaches into a leather case he wears on his belt, where he has several vials and hypodermic needles.) We don't do that anymore. Mike What the hell do you mean we don't do that anymore? He's wounded. Man We used to send the wounded to the hospital, but it got too expensive. I think you'd better leave. Mike (Draws handgun.) Don't go near him. Man (Un-phased by the handgun) It doesn't work. I shut off your gun. Mike (Fires at the ceiling. It doesn't work. Mike throws down the gun and grabs a baseball bat sized branch.) Back up. Man I'm just going to put him out of his misery. Mike (Explosion of anger.) Don't touch him. Man (Realizes Mike is serious.) Look son, why make him suffer? This stuff will put him right to sleep, no pain at all. Mike He is not a goddamn dog you can put to sleep. Man Hey, I didn't shoot him. Mike Stop saying that. Man We all have our jobs to do, kid. Now let me do mine. Mike You're worried about a stupid job. Man A job I waited twelve hours in line for...with at least a thousand others. Mike For this? Man I waited in line for the privilege of just applying. Mike Did you know what the job was? Man I didn't give a good goddamn what the job was. Look you self-righteous little bastard. I've got a seventeen year old daughter who wants to go to college next year, and two sons who I don't want to see doing what I have to do. Every year I watch the budget hearings and I watch them cut military spending and I wait for the ax to fall. And I pray that they'll need me one more year. Just give me one more. Mike (Is somewhat subdued by this speech.) It gets so complicated. Man (Moving toward Luis.) The policy states: If a man or men are wounded in battle they are put to sleep in a humane... Mike (Exploding in contempt and confusion. He is beating everything in sight.) Get out of here! Leave us alone! Leave us alone! (The man runs for the door, Mike chases. The man goes through the door. Mike reaches the door just after it closes, but it is locked. Mike starts pounding on the door with the large stick) Goddamnit open this fuckin' door. You sonofabitch let us out of here. You fuckin' asshole. Shit. Luis Would you stop that. You're giving me a headache. Mike (Throws the stick down and runs to Luis) He was here. Luis Who? Mike I don't know the janitor. He wanted to put you to sleep. Luis I was asleep. Mike No, I mean dead asleep. Luis Oh, what happened? Mike Well, if you had been awake we could have gotten out of here. Luis Why didn't you? Mike I tried... Luis You were going to leave me? Mike I was going for help. Luis I don't believe you were going to let me die alone. Mike I wasn't going...you're not going to die. Luis No, it's OK, there's nothing wrong with dying. Mike Bullshit, what do you mean there's nothing wrong with... Luis I just didn't want to do it alone. I'm not afraid of it. It's kind of good. Mike Good for what? Luis For me...I'll be with God. Mike Shit... Luis What's wrong don't...? Mike I don't want to talk about it. Luis Why...? Mike I said I don't want to talk about it. I mean I know exactly what you're going to say...and it's all a bunch of fanatic bullshit. Luis My religion is... Mike Shut up...talk about something else...sports what do you know about sports? Luis Uh... Mike Do you play any sports? Luis Not at the moment, thanks anyway. Mike I'm sorry I... Luis I played fútbol. Mike Yeah? Me too. Luis I was the goalie. Mike The..? Luis ...Goalie Mike Soccer. Luis I guess...yeah fútbol. Mike I didn't play that kind of football. Luis I figured. Mike You know American football? Luis Who in the world doesn't know what the estadounidenses do every minute of the day. Mike Ever play? Luis Not really. Mike Oh. (Luis coughs and groans Mike holds and comforts him) You all- right? (Luis nods slightly) Shit. (Mike continues to hold Luis rocking gently) You know when we were kids we had sleep overs, you know. Your best friend would come over and you would lie there in the darkness and talk all night. We would talk about all sorts of things: baseball, girls, the planets, ... everything. You were never wrong or right. You could talk about your worst fears. Your deepest secrets. You were safe. Sometimes it felt so good to just let it all out. I hate growing up...you can't do that anymore. Luis God. Mike What's wrong? Luis Nothing...never mind. Mike What? Luis We could do that...couldn't we? Mike We have been. Luis ...anything? Mike Anything. Luis I want to tell you why I'm not afraid to die. Mike Don't think... Luis I need to talk about it. Mike God?... Luis I'm going to be with him. Mike What if he doesn't exist? Luis He does... Mike How can there be? Look at us...look where we're at and tell me there's a God... Luis Mike you have... Mike No...no listen why did I put a hole in your stomach? Did God want that? Because I sure as hell didn't. It doesn't make any sense. Luis I stood up because God wanted me to. I felt it...he was saving you... Mike You did stand up...I knew...you stupid fuck, how could you do that? Luis I told you God... Mike God, God, God...Jesus Christ Luis, there is no God. Luis But... Mike There is no fucking God. Can't you understand that...I mean look at you. Look at the fucking blood. This is real. Nothing else is. Luis Mike... Mike It's a fantasy. God told you. (Pause) You mean he decided who lives and who dies. Luis Yes... Mike Bullshit...What? Some old bastard sitting on a cloud somewhere decided he liked me better than you. You...what did you do? What did you do to me, to anybody? Sonofabitch. Luis (Speaking perfectly clear) Listen to me. God knows how you feel. He feels the pain in your heart. He has a reason for all this. Mike Planned? Luis Yes, God has a plan for... Mike Un-acceptable. Un-fucking-acceptable. Luis You and I are part of this plan... Mike OK, you know everything. What's this stupid plan? Luis (Starting to get groggy but only slightly let it build) I don't know. Mike What the fuck good is a plan if nobody... Luis God... Mike Here he goes with God again. Wait, don't tell me, God knows the plan, right? Luis Yes. Mike Think he's going to let us in on it? Luis Mike... Mike No he's not, is he? And do you know why, huh? Because there is no plan. There is no God. This is it my friend. You and me. Luis That's it. Mike What? Luis The Plan. Mike Did god just whisper his great plan to you. Luis It's simple Mike I don't believe this. Luis I don't care if you believe it or not, but you're here for a reason. Mike That's not god. That's politics. Luis Callate! Mike What? Luis Shut up. I believe there is a reason why you shot me, a reason why I'm not dead. You stayed. Mike Yea, so. Luis You Americans are so stubborn. Mike Oh, and you ... you ... Luis ... Nicaraguans ... Mike ... are not? Luis We can't help it. Now listen, if you hadn't come here, or if you hadn't shot me, or if I died, or if we both died we never would have met. Mike Well, it was nice meeting you. Luis It would have been easier if you just came Kansas City when I was there. Mike I know, but what does that have to do ... ? Luis I don't hate you. Mike I don't hate you either. Luis Then why did you shoot me? Mike I'm sorry. Luis I know, but why? Mike Because of this stupid war. Luis Why didn't you let the guy kill me? Mike Because it's stupid ... because I like you. At the moment you're the only friend I've got. So what about you, why were you shooting at me? Luis If I came to Springfield, MO with a gun what would you do? Mike I know. Luis No you don't. Mike Don't get mad I'm just saying ... Luis You don't understand at all. You Unitedstasians have been coming here killing my us and destroying our towns since 1830. Your history books don't tell you that, do they? Mike I don't know. Luis We are like a toy to you. Mike Not to me. I didn't decide ... Luis But you came. Here you are. Mike I didn't want to come here. I wanted to go to college. (Pulls out acceptance letter to University.) Look, I've been accepted to Southwest Missouri State University. Luis I don't understand. Mike All I had to do was go into the army for a little while and they'd pay for it. Luis As long as you don't get killed first. Mike If I knew there was going to be a war, I wouldn't have signed up. It was the only way I could go to college. I was going to be a pharmacist. Luis After you found out why didn't you get out. Mike You can't do that. Luis I thought there was more freedom in your country. Mike Sometimes ... well it's better than here. Luis Why do you say that? You don't know what it's like here. Mike Wait a ... Luis What do we do for fun here? Mike I don't like soccer. Luis That is not the only thing we do here. What else? Mike I don't know. Luis They didn't even tell you about where you were going? Mike Not too much. Luis Here. (Pulls out a K.C. Royal's baseball cap.) Mike The Royals?!? I should have killed you! Luis Why? Mike Cardinal fan. Luis Then I shouldn't tell you who I like in the National League. Mike Don't even say the Cubs. Luis (Laughs. He starts coughing and the pain that was temporarily forgotten has returned.) Mike (Starts to cry. Sorry had to do it.) Luis You can't cry. Mike Luis. Luis Be a man. Mike I don't want to be a man. Luis Don't shame my death like this. Crying doesn't do anything. Mike What do you want me to do? Luis Stop the war. Mike Don't be stupid how can I stop the war ... ? Luis How can you not? How can you let it go on? My little brother will be fighting soon. Mike But ... Luis Don't let me die in vain. Mike You can't lay this on me. Luis Please? Mike Luis ... ? Luis Help me. (Dies.) Mike Luis...Luis wait. I'll do it...just wait. Open your eyes...don't fall asleep or you'll never wake up. Luis...You can't die...You bastard...don't leave me...I'll get us out...I'll do it I promise you don't have to take him...Oh God. Luis. Help me. (Fade to black. All is quiet except for crickets and subtle tropical rain forest sounds.) BLACKOUT Copyright May, 1989 Henry James Morello