Last Night

I'll only update this part briefly to say that FINALLY, a night passed that I did not have a dream about Daniel. However, I did have a nightmare. There were 3 other people, 2 men and a woman, that were on a sort of team with me. I think we were in the FBI or CIA or something...basically we were at headquarters and the bad guys were after us. Well, I was sitting at my desk and one guy was by the sliding glass door lookin outside. The other man was pacing the floor and the woman was on the phone in the living room. I had just stood up to go file something when I heard glass breaking, so I instantly jumped underneath the desk. I heard a shot go off, then a thud as the guy by the door was killed. I opened my eyes long enough to see the woman point her gun at the half dozen masked men that were surrounding her, but I shut them again real tight when I heard another shot and just KNEW that she was dead as well. Then the man pacing the floor was struggling, yelling things into the air...codes that I was supposed to decipher in case anything happened to him and I needed to get away fast. After the third shot, and my last teammate down, I squished against the wall just praying that no one could find me in the darkness under the desk. I cracked open the eye closest to the wall and saw the shadow of a figure taking a gun and puttin it right next to my skull...and I felt it. It was at this point that I knew I was dead so I forced myself to wake up....scared the be-Jesus outta me...

Other than that, I've begun a story that I would appreciate feedback on. Right now it's written as a play I guess, not in book form, but it will be when it's completed. Let me know what you think.


SCENE 1- BAR

Terrance: (head in hands with several empty glasses in front of him) God, what have I gotten myself into? Why did this happen to me?

Bartender: You look like you gotta story to tell, stranger. Ya havin’ problems the old lady? Seems like every man that comes in here has some kinda lady problems…it’s always that way this time of year though. So, ya want another beer or shall I get your tab for ya?

Terrance: Just give me a shot of whiskey and don’t ask me anymore of your dumb questions alright. Trust me, you do not want to know my problems. The last thing I want is to pull somebody else into this mess…

Bartender: (puts shot glass on counter and begins pouring) I think I got a right to judge for myself what I do and do not want to ask, thanks. If ya didn’t want to talk about it, ya coulda just said so. No need to be rude about it.

(Camera pans to the bar scene where there’s a live band in a dark room filled with cigarette smoke and scattered table/chairs containing a few lone men drowning in their own misery…back up to the bar there is a woman, early 20s, dark brown hair sitting a few seats down from Terrance. She pulls out a cigarette)

Chanell: Could I trouble ya for a light?

(Terrance reaches into his coat pocket and grabs some matches which he strikes and leans over to light her cigarette)

Chanell: You look like you’re a man who has a mind full o’troubles. What’s a doll like you doin in a crummy place like this joint when you could be out with your lady making all your troubles disappear, especially this time of year?

Terrance: Thanks Miss, but I’d rather not talk about me if you don’t mind.

Chanell: Fair enough. (she moves down a chair towards him) My name is Chanel, like the perfume. Chanel Orion. I’m from Waco, Texas and I’m a lawyer. Nice to meet you Mister….(she holds out her hand to shake his)

Terrance: Terrance, my name is Terrance. So you’re a lawyer, huh? You enjoy sitting around a courtroom all day, just waiting to ruin a person’s life do ya? Not many people like livin’ a lie where I come from, but that’s just us I guess.

Chanell: (somewhat defensive) And just where is it you’re from Terrance, or don’t your people have a name? Ya know, in Texas it’s considered impolite to insult a person’s profession…(she smiles smugly)

Terrance: (aggravated) That’s twice in the past five minutes someone has called me rude! What is with you people? Can’t a guy just have a drink in peace anymore? Or is that a crime these days, Miss Orion? I didn’t ask for company ya know! (gets up angrily to leave)

Chanell: Excuse me, Terrance? Before you leave, would you mind telling me where exactly you are from?

Terrnace: (stands in the doorway of the bar with the door open when he turns around) Fort Smith, Miss Orion, and no, that’s not in Texas. It is, however, in the South and where I come from it’s impolite to insult a person’s heritage…(slams the door)

Chanell: (to bartender) Well! Someone woke up on the wrong side of the farm… (bartender chuckles)

Scene 2- Street

(Terrance walks angrily to his car and pulls out in front of bustling city traffic when he gets stopped at a red light because the car in front of his will not turn right)

Terrance: Come on! Right on red, man, right on red! You got your blinker on, I can see it. Just turn the wheel to the right and accelerate. No one’s coming! Look, they all stopped for you, now if you would just GO…..Thank you, dumbass. It’s like the world is throwing all the idiots at me today…(turns up his radio and begins to sing “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” by Rolling Stones)

Scene 3- Suburbia

(Terrance is seen pulling into a typical subdivision and again pulling into a garage. Afterwards, he gets out of the car, locks his car with the BEEP sound from keyless entry, and walks in long strides to the front door where he is seen fumbling for his keys)

Terrance: Damn key rings….(mocking)oh sure ‘Put them on a key ring that way you can’t lose them, honey’. What about losing the keys when they’re on the ring? Ever think of that? (interrupted by door opening by a woman in her late 50s wearing an apron) Hiya, mom. (gives her a kiss on the cheek and walks into the house) How was your day? Mmmm, supper smells great. Whatcha cookin?

Sophia: Don’t you hide things from me, boy! Comin’ in here acting all nice and obedient when you know good and well you can’t lie to me. Don’t you think you can patronize me, mister. I’m your mother and I know what’s best for you and I say you’re not gonna have a bite to eat until you tell me what’s on your mind.

Terrance: Ma, I really don’t want to talk about it okay. It’s really none of your….

Sophia: (interrupts him) I didn’t ask you if you wanted to talk about it, did I? Sit your behind in that chair mister…..NOW! (he sits, reluctantly) Now, tell mother what’s bothering you and DON’T dress it up now, ya hear? (fades out as he begins to tell the story)


Scene 4- Flashback

(opens with a little boy playing in a jungle gym when a little girl walks up to him wearing pigtails)

Tonya: Terrance, stop playing around and come on! (turns to walk away)

Little Terrance: Tonya, I don’t think we should… (hesitates) My momma would be really mad if I got my clothes dirty and I’m getting kinda hungry anyway….(sees that she’s walked far away and isn’t turning around to listen to him) Tonya! Hey Tonya! Come back! (starts walking to catch up with her and mutters ) Well I can’t let you go alone…..

(Back to the present, Terrance is scene in bed reacting to this dream/memory when he awakens with a start and sits up in his bed. He walks over to the window and pulls back the curtain where it is dawn and a light snow is falling outside his apartment. He walks over to the bathroom and splashes cold water on his face from the sink, then proceeds to the living room where he turns his television onto The Weather Channel. He walks into the kitchen, turns on the coffee pot, and begins rummaging through the kitchen for suitable breakfast items.)

Meterologist: Looks like it’s gonna be a cold day out there, folks. Yes indeed, it is definitely Christmastime here in our beautiful city. The windchill factor today is in the low teens and the wind itself is moving in from the north at around 15-20mph. Now on the west coast it’s far from winter wonderland. There’s a heat wave moving in from the southern Pacific region and the warm air is rising…..(sound drowns out by a sputter from the coffee maker and the clanging of Terrance searching for a fork in a drawer.)