Scene 1
LINK
When you’re flying, you become accustomed to moving so fast that it feels like time slows down when you stop. It teaches you to look at the details more carefully. Humans can only measure time with distance. A motor at a constant speed can move an arm over a fixed area within the division of time we call an hour. Time doesn’t slow down in a crisis. Quite the contrary. Hours are required for the simple blink of an eye, and a month can be reduced to a few breakfasts and maybe time for a nap. Clayton was trapped at the bottom of the ocean for 36 hours. You’d be astounded how little that gives you.
I bought the cabin in Canada to have one of those slowdowns after World War II. My son, Clayton is over there by the radio. He’s barely moved from that spot since his older brother, Bill, went missing.
CLAY
Dad...? Can you hear me?
LINK
It had been raining for days and the air smelled so wet I thought I’d drown. A hurricane blew into Hudson Bay making vision impossible. The search parties came up with no positive sign for days. Everyone was close to giving up. That’s my wife, Marion. She never once looked any less beautiful than the day I met her.
MARION
Anything?
CLAY
Dad isn’t answering.
MARION
The Mounties want to call off the search party.
CLAY
Mom, don’t cry.
MARION
The sergeant says the fog is too thick, they couldn't see Bill if he were five feet away, and he won’t send anyone back in the rain tonight.
CLAY
Bill might not come home, Mom.
MARION
The captain told me, "If William is able to hear us...," I said, "What do you mean, 'if he's able?'"
CLAY
Hello? Dad? Can you hear me?
MARION
He said, "Your son has been out three days with no supplies," so I yelled, "If the hurricane doesn't hit until tonight, what are you doing here talking to me right now?" I’d do better yelling out this door myself! Bill! Bill! Where are you?
CLAY
Dad? Can you hear me?
LINK
I heard him as I walked through the door.
MARION
Ed, you’re okay! Did you see anything?
ED
I can’t see anything up there. The Mounties will stay out until dark, or until the rain gets heavy. After that, the search party will be in too much danger.
CLAY
You have to find him, Dad! You have to!
LINK
My wife collapsed, sobbing.
MARION
Bill, come home!
ED
Right now they are concentrating on the cliffs where they found the fire pit. It couldn’t be more than 2 days old, and the Sergeant said it looked like he cooked a meal.
MARION
But how do we know that was Bill.
LINK
Clayton couldn’t look at me.
MARION
Pay them! Give them whatever it takes. They can’t give up.
ED
There’s nothing they can do, Marion. If they stay out in this weather, they will be in just as much trouble...
MARION
I don’t care! You tell them! Tell them to stay out there until they find our son!
ED
I... I can’t do that.
CLAY
Bill...
LINK
She stared at me, jaw slack. Her hand was trembling when she reached out to touch my face. I don’t know if she was going to hit me or hug me. I never found out. There was shouting outside, and Bill was walking up the path to the house. Marion and I ran out to hug him, but Clayton stayed inside, right next to the radio the entire time.
LINK
An inventor. Also, Ed’s father.
ED
As Link remembers himself.
MARION
Ed’s wife.
CLAY
Ed and Marion’s second son.
Scene 2
LINK
When you’re flying, you become accustomed to moving so fast that it feels like time slows down when you stop. It teaches you to look at the details more carefully. Humans can only measure time with distance. A motor at a constant speed can move an arm over a fixed area within the division of time we call an hour. Time doesn’t slow down in a crisis. Quite the contrary. Hours are required for the simple blink of an eye, and a month can be reduced to a few breakfasts and maybe time for a nap. Clayton was trapped at the bottom of the ocean for 36 hours. You’d be astounded how little that gives you.
I bought the cabin in Canada to have one of those slowdowns after World War II. My son, Clayton is over there by the radio. He’s barely moved from that spot since his older brother, Bill, went missing.
CLAY
Dad...? Can you hear me?
LINK
It had been raining for days and the air smelled so wet I thought I’d drown. A hurricane blew into Hudson Bay making vision impossible. The search parties came up with no positive sign for days. Everyone was close to giving up. That’s my wife, Marion. She never once looked any less beautiful than the day I met her.
MARION
Anything?
CLAY
Dad isn’t answering.
MARION
The Mounties want to call off the search party.
CLAY
Mom, don’t cry.
MARION
The sergeant says the fog is too thick, they couldn't see Bill if he were five feet away, and he won’t send anyone back in the rain tonight.
CLAY
Bill might not come home, Mom.
MARION
The captain told me, "If William is able to hear us...," I said, "What do you mean, 'if he's able?'"
CLAY
Hello? Dad? Can you hear me?
MARION
He said, "Your son has been out three days with no supplies," so I yelled, "If the hurricane doesn't hit until tonight, what are you doing here talking to me right now?" I’d do better yelling out this door myself! Bill! Bill! Where are you?
CLAY
Dad? Can you hear me?
LINK
I heard him as I walked through the door.
MARION
Ed, you’re okay! Did you see anything?
ED
I can’t see anything up there. The Mounties will stay out until dark, or until the rain gets heavy. After that, the search party will be in too much danger.
CLAY
You have to find him, Dad! You have to!
LINK
My wife collapsed, sobbing.
MARION
Bill, come home!
ED
Right now they are concentrating on the cliffs where they found the fire pit. It couldn’t be more than 2 days old, and the Sergeant said it looked like he cooked a meal.
MARION
But how do we know that was Bill.
LINK
Clayton couldn’t look at me.
MARION
Pay them! Give them whatever it takes. They can’t give up.
ED
There’s nothing they can do, Marion. If they stay out in this weather, they will be in just as much trouble...
MARION
I don’t care! You tell them! Tell them to stay out there until they find our son!
ED
I... I can’t do that.
CLAY
Bill...
LINK
She stared at me, jaw slack. Her hand was trembling when she reached out to touch my face. I don’t know if she was going to hit me or hug me. I never found out. There was shouting outside, and Bill was walking up the path to the house. Marion and I ran out to hug him, but Clayton stayed inside, right next to the radio the entire time.
Man-In-Sea
Cast of Characters:LINK
An inventor. Also, Ed’s father.
ED
As Link remembers himself.
MARION
Ed’s wife.
CLAY
Ed and Marion’s second son.
Scene 2
No comments:
Post a Comment