"McLife"
- Thomas Hodges
(Lights up. Light music in the background. Theresa, a young, slightly larger woman in her late twenties, she is waking up in her bed, alone. The room is dark, it is early, the sun has not yet risen. Her bed is small, and when she turns her light on we see the room isn’t much larger. She sits back in her bed and turns the tv on with her remote, at this time she sees the audience. She smiles.)

Theresa
Six A.M., Sunday morning. A good solid time slot to be awake during, half the world is still asleep while the other half are taking showers getting ready to live. I however believe showers are overrated, only take one when you need one. You know I heard in some scientific study that if you wash your hair everyday it will increase your chances of balding. So it’s best to wash it every other day at the most. (Pause) Besides I have no one to impress, thank god. (She begins to brush her hair. She continues watching the t.v.) This woman’s been missing for weeks and yet she is still the top story on every channel. Doesn’t the world ever think that people just want to be left alone, she obviously left for a reason...unless she was murdered, which means her husband did it. (She turns back to the audience.) It’s true! In every missing person case if the husband or wife is killed it has always been their spouse who’s done it. (She gets up and reaches into her closet which is no more than a foot away.) And maybe they had a good reason too. (She pulls out a McDonald’s cap and a McDonald’s work outfit.) I’m not saying it’s right, all I’m saying is that sometimes people go a little crazy...and who can blame them? (She takes off her pajama shirt) This isn’t a nice world, and you have to be mean to survive in it. (She slides into her work outfit.) God didn’t bless America, in fact I don’t even think he knows we’re here. (She puts on her McDonald’s cap. The set begins to fall away behind her as she stands center stage, now speaking fully to the audience.) Seven A.M., the same morning. Now I get to eat breakfast with my co worker Donna at Duncan Donuts. A nice time to think about life before I enter the world of fast food.

A scene from an "experimental piece" I'm writing

(A scene. The stage is black and remains black.)

Me
Hey
Haven’t seen you in a while.

You
No, you haven’t.

Me
How you been?

You
Busy.

Me
That’s good.

You
It is.

(Pause)

Me
When are you moving?

You
Soon.

Me
So, you’re not sure when?

You
I know when.
(Beat, long pause)
What do you want?

Me
What do you mean?

You
You know what I mean. You said you wanted dinner, you said you needed to see me one more time...for what? What do you want?

Me
I just wanted to talk.

You
What do you really want?

Me
Answers.

You
You know the answers to every question you have. You know I don’t love you, you know I don’t care, not even in the slightest bit, about you!

Me
I didn’t know that

You
Yes you did. You just never heard it.

Me
Until now.

You
So what do you want? It’s almost midnight and I have plans tomorrow.

(Beat)

Me
How was it for you?

You
Easier than you think.

Me
Who are you?

You
Somebody who took something away from you. Somebody who will never give it back, no matter how many questions you ask...

Me
Why not?

You
Because you don’t need it.

Me
But I do!

You
No, you want it. That’s what you want, you want it all back. You want lies, you want hurt, you want somebody to cry about. But I’m leaving...for good.

Me
Did You ever love Me?

You
(Laughing, in a hysterical matter)
Who cares!? Why does it matter?

Me
Because I’m here with you right now, and I want to know...even though I already know what you’re going to say...maybe... you could lie to me and tell me something I’ve wanted to believe for-(Me’s taken aback by what Me is saying.) So please? Please. Tell me, lie to me...give me something back.

You
All I ever wanted was you.

Me
Take me.

You
I’ve already taken you.

Me
No you took a part of me. Take the rest, it can’t survive without that tiny piece, oh! That piece is so crucial....take the rest of me.

You
No

Me
TAKE IT! FUCK YOU! TAKE IT!

You
I love you.

Me
Keep going.

You
I need you!

Me
Try harder. Take me! Take the rest of it!

You
I want to wrap my arms around you! See the stars! Make love to you!

Me
But what about the clouds? The stars may not shine.

You
I want to wake up next to you and see your eyes, then just lie in bed all day, never ever leave you.

Me
Can we run away?

(Beat, the dream begins to break.)

You
I can’t do this anymore.

Me
Why not?

You
I’m dying.

Me
I know. And what else?

You
I love someone, someone who will never love me back.

Me
Just like me.

You
Will you hold me?

Me
As long as you don’t let go.

You
I have to eventually.

Me
Then let me let go...at least before you do.

You
I owe you that.

Me
You owe me nothing.

You
Let go.

Me
Not yet.

You
The sun is rising. Midnight’s ended early.

Me
A little while longer.

You
I’m slipping.

Me
No, I have you.

You
The night’s over! LET ME GO!

Me
Give it back.

You
Let me go!

Me
Give...

You
It’s gone. I don’t know where it went. I’m sorry.

Me
I’ll never dream again will I.

You
You will, but only lies.

Me
Good lies?

You
Goodbyes.

(Beat)

Me
Goodbye.

"The Routine"
-Thomas Hodges

You know what’s nice?..The sky had watercolor form, mixing blue and red to create a solemn purple that sat next to the ever bright orange showing the final signs of a sun retreating behind the ocean. Ocean visible to the eye. Of course it was important to note the dark behind them- the two boys standing on the pier shivering in their goose bumps- and how it meant the sun had set moments before, for people who had different eyes, different dreams, different skin, different thoughts.
The sun sets every day. It would continue to do so until the day it moved so close to the earth that no one was left to see it. It would until the end of the boys’ life. The orange around the sun was becoming smaller, a seagull flew away from its group and swooped down to snatch a fish leaving with nothing. A faint hum could be heard somewhere right of the two boys, a hum that turned into a song, underscoring what would be a happy ending if it weren’t for reality. Across the San Diego bay, sitting on a street corner in Coronado, sat a woman who was just raped, a woman who just had a piece taken from her that she didn’t know she had. Down the street from her in a park was a reception for a marriage that would last twenty five years before the ‘in love’ part of it became non-existent. In the bay was the corpse of a child just four years of age, a child who had been missing for a week now, and who’s mother was a prime suspect. But the painting the two boys were looking at framed none of this. And throughout their lives they would know nothing of the events that were taking place as they said goodbye.
Write that one down. Lucas stared at Devin with the utmost comfort in Devin’s words no matter how poetic. After all, Devin’s poetry had shaped their four year friendship that was now coming to a close. Lucas would leave the following day for college, where he’d forget the impact Devin had on him, at least for a few years, where he would find a girlfriend who’s name he didn’t figure out until their third date, and where he would begin for the first time to understand what it means to be in love.
I think I might of already. Devin could feel his left hand shaking so he put it in his pocket hoping Lucas hadn’t noticed. Knowing Lucas hadn’t noticed. A cool gust of wind blue from the north blew Devin’s hair, that could use a cut, in front of his eyes and obstructing the view of Lucas’ lips. He used one hand to move the hair aside. Lucas opened his mouth as if to say something, closed it and then....
It’s almost gone. We should probably head back. Something was different, the air was no longer safe. Lucas was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
You sure? The fear of them actually separating was beginning to fall upon Devin and with Lucas’ words he realized it was really happening. Lucas was beginning to say goodbye.
I still have a lot of packing to get done, and I need to spend time with my Dad before I go. The fact Lucas couldn’t say parents still had a large affect on where he placed himself in life, and would continue to do so until he became a parent himself. Lucas’ mother was a heroine addict who passed out sometimes for days at a time. However for those few years in his life where she was sober they formed a bond that was unbreakable and seamless.
Just a few minutes longer, until it gets dark? He was holding his breath as the words trembled their way out of his mouth, his esophagus, his lungs, his heart. And even as they were being said he could see the consideration in Lucas’ eyes, his brown small eyes that always looked confused, like understanding wasn’t achievable. What was there to consider? The thought pressed Devin. They had been best friends for so long, goodbye’s can’t be this easy.
The sun went under. In that moment the seagull finally caught its fish, bringing another day of survival. The hum that turned into a song which turned into an underscore had suddenly taken charge into a bridge, getting ready for a build that would resolve some chords but other than that, very little. Across the bay, on a street corner a homeless man stretched himself out across wet concrete-possibly water, possibly urine- and settled for sleep. The woman who had been sitting there was calling a cab to take her across the bridge so that she may weep in her own home. In the park more wine and refreshments were being served to many who would never get married, but would spend lifetimes observing these sort of occasions. The bride and groom were fighting behind a tree somewhere, however nobody at the party seemed to notice. Underwater, the four year old child was still decomposing.
Alright. The view reminded Lucas of his mother and he decided maybe he wasn’t ready to leave it just yet. Of all the places in San Diego his mother loved Coronado the most. “There’s something so dreamlike about living on an island,” she used to say. “One day we’ll live there, I promise.” Lucas had no real desire to live in Coronado, he was content in the small apartment they owned in North Park, but as he watched the reflection of city lights on the water’s surface he wondered what it might’ve been like to live that life. Having to cross a bridge to get into the city, never needing to worry about money troubles, and always dressed nice. After all the people who came off the island were always happy...
Are you excited? Devin didn’t know how else to break the awkward silence that had risen. He had spent the past twenty or so seconds just watching Lucas look out into space. He had watched and observed Lucas in this time frame, where he could do so unnoticed by him. Devin liked many things about Lucas. He was funny, he was a gentleman, he never asked for favors, he smelled nice, he always volunteered to drive, he was there for those times you just needed to see someone, he had a great smile, his hands were heavily callused from playing the guitar and offered an even stronger hand shake, his lips were small and fine, his hair was wavy, his voice, his eyes, his body, his...
A little. The question snapped Lucas back into the world he was standing in. He was excited but mostly he was scared.
Good. Devin turned away and saw a couple walking towards a restaurant a couple hundred yards away, they were holding hands. All at once he imagined what it might be like to interlace his fingers with Lucas’, to feel the warmth of his skin pushed up against his own. They’d smile at one another while they ate dinner, they’d laugh when-
I’m scared. The thought occurred to him that perhaps he may be making a mistake. Devin was the only real friend Lucas had ever made. And as far as Lucas knew Devin didn’t have any friends besides him. He imagined Devin sitting in his room writing poetry in a notebook that nobody would ever read, and then he imagined himself at a party getting wasted and making new friends. If that scenario played out, how could he ever come back to Devin?
Of what? He wondered if this could be it. And within the few seconds where nobody talked Devin played the scene out in his head. “I’m scared I might lose you Devin.” or “I need to tell you something, I should have said it sooner but I’ve just been too scared.”, or perhaps just flat out “I think I love you.” or “I love you Devin.”
You know. How could he put into words the selfless fears he was having right now? How could he tell his best friend, man to man, that he was afraid he’d leave him alone and unhappy the moment he left town. He remembered one time when he was caught doing something bad by his father. Devin and him had grabbed a pack of cigarettes while his father was out. They went into the backyard which was well hidden by trees and smoked half the pack until Lucas’ dad came back for some paper work he left behind catching them in the act. He ordered Devin to go home, and sat Lucas down. It was a usual reprimand other than the part where he told Lucas, “You don’t have to do everything your friends want you to. Before you know it you’ll be out of high school and headed for college. Friends come and go, it’s that simple. You’ll be lucky if you find some at college that you can hold on to. But even that is a rarity.” He wondered as his dad fell into a memory if this could be true. And now standing here at the dock, part of him wanted it to be. While the other part never wanted to leave.
The sky was becoming a painting of different shades of blue, the orange still hovered at the horizon however it was just a thin reminder of what used to be there. Working left to right the sky was a dark purple mixed with a deep blue both fogged by white clouds, or were the white clouds the canvas for which these colors were painted on? Above Coronado where the lights blurred vision, the clouds went from blue to an unusual mixture of green and red that disintegrated into the orange that shadowed the sun before rising up again into the same pattern disappearing into a starry sky patched with broken clouds.
The seagulls had flown back to their own stories. The song had just finished building to it’s climax and was now preparing itself to finish strong or finish with a downward progression that might suggest a solemn tone. A few people walked right past a homeless man getting ready for sleep, the people noticed him, but still pretended as if he didn’t exist. The woman still sat in her cab waiting, wondering if her life would ever be the same again. People danced in a park. The child underwater had disappeared. Not underwater. Not above. Perhaps taken by another force, but no longer part of this earth. The child was gone.
I’m afraid I might lose you. In that moment Lucas said every word with an honest sub-text, he meant it.
There were two boys. There was a sunset. There was a rape. There was a dinner. There was a routine. There was a wedding. There was a child. There was a city. And within all this, there was a moment.
I’m here. Finally. Everything Devin had dreamt about, written about, cried about, it was all amounted to a glorious ending of ‘I love you’. He realized that it may only last a night but, that night would be precious and in a few months there would be many more. He knew Lucas may not be able to say it but maybe they didn’t need words. Maybe a kiss would complete the action, setting a promise in motion, giving life to a romance that would last forever.
I know. He couldn’t believe he just said that to his best friend. How corny, how cliche, how feminine. It was honest but it was embarrassing. Still Devin was a poet and he would understand exactly what he meant. He always did. Sometimes, Lucas thought, Devin knew him better than himself.

"There Once Was, A Fable"
-By Thomas Hodges
There once was a young boy who carried a purse. This boy was not like the other little boys, he hated climbing trees, he was not a fan of cats or dogs, and he had no friends. He always carried around a pink purse and nobody was allowed to see what was inside. However for the most part nobody was really that interested.
One evening before supper the boys mother asked him what it was he carried in that purse. The boy merely put his index finger to his lip slyly. His mother became upset and sent him to bed without supper. Late that night as the boy held his purse close to his heart he began to cry. He opened the purse allowing his tears to fall inside. But the boy was unable to sleep that night.
The next morning the boys father confronted him during breakfast, arms crossed, he asked for the purse. The boy shook his head with a smile, as if it were a game. His father reached for the purse with a red face and the boy kicked and screamed until he was left alone. Not knowing what to do his parents sent him to his room for the entire day.
Later that night the boy was able to sleep. He opened his purse with closed eyes so that his dreams might be able to climb in. That night he dreamt of many things. First: of a mermaid that fell in love with an angel, second: a ribbon that connected the sun to the moon, third: a fairy that was so scared of the sky she threatened to jump from a cliff, fourth: a torture chamber where the boy was forced to cut off his fingers, fifth: a dance where only the stars reflected in the ocean were invited, sixth: an amusement park where cannibals forced you to eat your parents, and lastly seventh: a girl who gave him a big hug. When the boy woke that morning the only thing he remembered was the comforting embrace of a young girl. He closed his purse and got dressed.
That day at school a bigger scarier boy went up to the young boy while he was reaching into his purse for his sandwich and called him a girl, a mommas boy, and a faggot. All of these bad names entered the purse and that angered the boy but he didnt fight back, he just stared, and placed his thoughts into his purse.
Walking home the young boy bumped into a young girl. The young girl tripped and scraped her knee. The girl began to bleed and she started to cry. This startled the young boy, but the kindness in his heart told him to open his purse and pull out a band aid as well as some tissue. He put the band aid on her knee and wiped away her tears. After a moment of silence the young girl kissed the young boy, and the young boy ran away forgetting his purse.
Ten years later the young boy graduated high school and joined the army. While he served he killed eight men, two women, and four children. He came home five years later and married his best friends girl. That summer he tied her up and placed her in the trunk of a car he received as a welcome home present and drove into the ocean. They washed up on shore the next day.

Ten years after the young girl had scraped her knee she became pregnant, but instead of embracing the child within her she had an abortion. Her child would have been a young boy with chestnut hair, dark skin, and hazel eyes. His name would have been Daniel, he would've played music, and he would've fallen in love with a young man named Blake. They would've gotten married and adopted a young girl whos mother had died giving birth. She wouldve become a doctor who found a cure for AIDS.
Instead, the young girl who scraped her knee and had an abortion became our first female president. Throughout her two terms gay marriage was legalized, our countries crime rate dropped dramatically, the economy picked up, and wars ceased completely. Near the end of her second term however, she was shot by a young woman who had something to prove.
There once was a girl who kissed a boy when she fell and scraped her knee. She never stopped looking for him.