Contesting - Part 7

A homicide rocked a community; an admission shocks the two.

The following is the seventh part of an original series I’m writing and releasing exclusively as a serial to my audience on Substack.

It’s the pre-story to a thriller set in the not-too distant future.

Read Part 1 | Read Part 2 | Read Part 3 | Read Part 4 | Read Part 5 | Read Part 6

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Synopsis:

A WOMAN and a MAN wake up in a room, wearing only their underclothes. They have no memory of who they are or how they got there. As they dialogue, faint memories of a common past materialize, as do strange  objects that become clues to the tragic story of their arrival in the room. when start to piece together their history and the tragic events of  the outside world, their quest for understanding becomes a fight for survival.

Characters:

• A WOMAN in her later 40s

• A MAN of the same age who, like the woman, cannot remember his name

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Contesting - Part 7 - Spurred

MAN Martyr?

WOMAN You heard me. What are you trying to do, feign innocence. Is that your game?

MAN What game?

WOMAN Sitting down, offering your life again, trying to convince whoever’s  watching of your innocence by being willing to die.

MAN You’re a real treat, aren’t you?

WOMAN A murderous, child-killing treat.

MAN I didn’t say that.

WOMAN But it’s what you want them to think. Isn’t it? You’ve been playing a game all this time, haven’t you?

MAN no

WOMAN pretending you don’t know what this is

MAN what are you talking about?

WOMAN pretending you can’t remember who you are or where you are

MAN Alyson

WOMAN Hah! Right there, see? Pretending you don’t know my name

MAN stop this

WOMAN and not telling me yours. What is it, huh?

MAN I could say the same of you

WOMAN Not a chance.

MAN When I woke up

WOMAN This is all your ploy

MAN you were there watching me

WOMAN I have no idea - I had no idea about any of this!

MAN Oh? You were sitting there, watching me like a vulture, stooped, staring, planning out when to rip the flesh off my bones.

WOMAN I’m the vulture?

MAN Yeah, you are.

WOMAN I planned all this.

MAN Why not?

WOMAN Kill David, then pull off a hung jury so I could see you die in this  forsaken place?

MAN A clever vulture. Wait. What did you say about David?

WOMAN Is that why we’re here? We’re here because they think one of us killed our son?

MAN There’s a certain terrible feeling, hearing you say it out loud.

WOMAN Oh my.

MAN I just wanted to sit down. Alright?

WOMAN On that?

MAN To think. Can I do that? Can I think?

WOMAN I guess.

MAN Besides, the floor’s cold.

She sits on the chair beside him. He moves so they can reasonably fit.

Does that make me a devious murderer?

A quiet moment of being.

Do you remember him?

WOMAN Who?

MAN Our son?

WOMAN Hmm. I can hardly see his face, hardly remember his little body.

MAN What do you remember?

WOMAN I can hardly make it out. I carried him inside of me for 9 months and I can barely remember the features of his face. Isn’t that horrible?

MAN He had a scar.

WOMAN Where?

MAN Here (running his finger back and forth along her cheek bone, gently).  The shape of a little half moon. It raised up above his skin and was lighter than all the rest. Kind of like one I got, that you can see better when I haven’t shaved for a few days. You would kiss it... his little scar.

WOMAN Every night, before he went to sleep.

MAN That’s right. We hosted a party. It must’ve been his birthday. One of those theme things you liked to do.

WOMAN Themes?

MAN Yeah. There were probably 100 kids - most of ‘em David didn’t know -  he was so shy. It was a Mexican theme.

WOMAN Mexican? You’re making this up.

MAN No! Because there was a piñata.

WOMAN Who doesn’t love a piñata?

MAN It was a ridiculous monstrosity of a piñata. You gotta remember it.

WOMAN I don’t

MAN Come on... how can you not remember it?

WOMAN We’re drugged. I can’t remember your name.

MAN I think you’re embarrassed and so you’re pretending that you don’t remember this thing.

WOMAN Why would I be embarrassed?

MAN Because it was your idea, first off. I don’t know where in the world  you found this thing, but it was one of the Three Amigos. You  remember them, right? The Invisible Horseman. The Singing Bush.

WOMAN We loved that movie.

MAN I don’t know which one it was, Chevy Chase or Steve Martin or Martin  Short, but the piñata was one of the Three Amigos sitting backwards on  his horse.

WOMAN Spurs and all.

MAN Exactly: Spurs and all.

WOMAN It’s coming back.

MAN See! And David (laughing) he attacked that thing. There wasn’t anything gonna stop him and he went after it swinging. Remember that? People were jumping out of the way as he swung at the air like a  blindfolded gladiator out to club a baby seal.

WOMAN I can hardly imagine.

MAN And when he finally made contact with the darn thing he right took off the Amigo’s head. But he hit so hard

WOMAN the whole piñata swung back toward him