Work Text:
THIS SCRIPT IS MEANT TO BE READ, NOT PERFORMED.
YOU CAN ONLY PERFORM IT IF YOU AND YOUR BROTHER ARE DEAD.
ARE YOU AND YOUR BROTHER DEAD?
SCENE 1: “A TALK LONG OVERDUE.”
Setting: A void. There is nothing but darkness, except for a single overhead spotlight and a park bench directly underneath it.
Characters:
You - An artist, an older brother, a smoker, and a dead man.
Your brother - A stupid kid who would’ve followed you anywhere. A dead kid now too.
INT./EXT. SOMEWHERE ELSE - ?
YOUR BROTHER walks in from off stage, stopping at his mark just within the light overhead. He stares at YOU seated on the park bench.
YOU
[NAME OF YOUR BROTHER]?
YOUR BROTHER
[YOUR NAME].
YOU
(pause) What are you doing here?
YOUR BROTHER
Dunno. (mocking) Why, what’re you doing here?
YOU
But– (Sound disbelieving) No. You can’t be. It hasn’t been near long enough and you’re still– You’re still–
YOUR BROTHER
(interrupting)
Young? What’s the saying? (sarcastic) Only the good die young? (pause.) Two of us know that’s bullshit, though, don’t we?
YOU
(sound unsure)
Do you… do you want to come sit down?
You move to the side, patting the seat next to you. Your brother stares at the bench.
YOUR BROTHER
Next to you? Yeah. No thanks.
He pauses for another moment. He sits. There is silence for several seconds.
YOUR BROTHER
Is this it? Is this all that comes after?
YOU
I don’t know, [NAME OF YOUR BROTHER]. It’s all I’ve seen, at least. And it’s been… a long time. A really long time.
YOUR BROTHER
(voice shaking)
Why does it hurt? I thought this would make it stop hurting.
YOU
(sound concerned, scared, even.) What? What are you talking about?
YOUR BROTHER
(frantic) It feels like you’re falling to pieces, right? Like you’re getting pulled apart?
Stand and begin to pace. Your hands will fidget restlessly, itching for a cigarette. Make it clear you are not free of your vices.
YOU
I can’t remember– I can’t remember, it’s been too long, I can’t remember what it was like in the beginning–
YOUR BROTHER
I wanted it to be over, [YOUR NAME]. I finally got away from it. I didn’t want to but I had to. It got so bad and I didn’t know what else to do, what else was left–
YOU
(You’re distracted. Just like you always were. He’s got your attention now. All it took was him coming here.)
What?
(Stop pacing, turn to look at your brother.)
(pause.)
(Look at him.)
How did you die, [YOUR BROTHER’S NAME]?
You stare at each other, frozen, unmoving, something unspoken. The silence extends. Count backwards from ten. Don’t do it aloud.
YOU
(shake your head, clear those thoughts. They won’t help you.)
I don’t– I don’t understand. How are you here? I left– It was supposed to be a clean break, so why the fuck would you–
YOUR BROTHER
(interrupting.)
Oh. (a laugh. hurting.) Didn’t realize- Well, last thing you ever did was run away from me. Guess it makes sense you don’t want me around now.
YOU
(Look guilty. You should feel guilty.) (Look at your brother. He will look back.)
That wasn’t… I just…
Your brother breaks that stare. He looks out in the direction of the audience, hurt replaced by something colder.
YOUR BROTHER
You know, I never really thought about what happens after you die.
YOU
Not even for me?
YOUR BROTHER
(sarcastic) Nah. I had more important things to think about when it came to you.
Laugh. You won’t know why, but you’ll laugh anyway.
YOU
You’re accepting this a lot faster than I did, you know.
YOUR BROTHER
(laughs) Funny.
YOU
What’s funny?
YOUR BROTHER
Out of the two of us, you seem like you’d be more willing to accept it.
YOU
Why’s that?
YOUR BROTHER
You chose this.
YOU
So did you.
Your brother looks like he wants to protest, before sitting back against the bench, resigned.
YOUR BROTHER
(gloomily)
Yeah. Guess I did.
A pause. It lasts too long. Sit back down beside him. Keep some distance between you.
YOU
How’s [THE NAME OF YOUR BROTHER'S BEST FRIEND. ONCE MAYBE HE WAS YOUR BROTHER TOO.]?
YOUR BROTHER
(a sharp, barking laugh. You remember the kind. It used to annoy you.)
Worse now, I’d expect! (he mocks you.) How’s [HIS BEST FRIEND]– I can’t believe you–
YOU
I guess I meant… last you saw him. Before you did… before you did what I– (Pause. You wait for him to speak. He won’t.) Is he still there? Is he... you know, actually being the President of [THE NAME OF THE COUNTRY YOU BUILT AND LOVED AND FOUGHT FOR. THE NAME OF THE COUNTRY YOU DIED IN.]?
YOUR BROTHER
(scowling.)
After what you did? Did you expect he'd just abandon it, like you did? You think, what, we were all just gonna move on and leave it there to rot? You think I’d be able to walk away from [HIS HOME. YOUR HOME. YOU TRIED TO KILL IT ALONGSIDE YOURSELF.] ever knowing what you- that you–
(he pauses, getting choked up.)
(continuing on, trying to keep his tone level, trying to be tough. You’ve seen this act before.) We all saw it. Everyone saw what you did, or what you had [THE NAME OF YOUR DAD] do.
YOU
I know.
YOUR BROTHER
Then why’d you do this to us, [YOUR NAME]? We fought and we won and did everything– I did everything I could to fucking help you and you just– You just– A-And when the dust settled– (this laugh should hurt you.) You were still fucking dead. A-And you died hurting us and you hurt us by fucking dying. You have no idea what that’s like.
YOU
You do.
YOUR BROTHER
What?
YOU
(Repeat yourself louder. He heard you, alright. Do it anyway.)
You do. You know what that’s like.
YOUR BROTHER
And…?
YOU
So… why did you… (go on. ask. ask like a coward because you don’t really want the answer.)
YOUR BROTHER
Why do you think?
YOU
Am I why you did this? Don’t you regret it?
You wouldn’t say it like that. That’s too honest. So say it worse.
YOU
Well. You used to say when you grew up you wanted to be just like me. So…
YOUR BROTHER
(He laughs. It sounds genuine. That should sting.)
Don’t be such a self obsessed prick. You don’t get credit for all the pain in my life, you know. Just some of it. Why. You of all people asking me why… why did you leave me, then?
Don’t reply. Not at first.
YOUR BROTHER
Don’t you owe me at least this? Something?
YOU
I didn’t leave you. That’s not why I… I didn’t want to leave you. Or any of you.
YOUR BROTHER
(stubborn. your little brother always got his way.) I don’t believe you. I won’t. Not until you tell me why. (louder now.) What did I do that made you leave me? (he’s shouting.) Why wasn’t your nation, your family loving you– why wasn't me loving you enough?!
Pause. Your brother has grabbed you by the shoulders. He’s breathing heavily, waiting. Neither of you face the audience.
YOU
(gently now)
[YOUR BROTHER’S NAME], you didn’t do this. I did. I [GIVE HIM YOUR REASONS. LOOK HIM IN THE EYE LIKE YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU’D GET THE CHANCE TO AND TELL HIM WHY YOU LEFT. TELL HIM WHY YOU HURT HIM.]
He stares at you. Like he’s expecting more. Give him more, if you have it. You don’t. But if you did. He lets go of your shoulders. He looks straight ahead, toward the audience, not at the audience.
YOUR BROTHER
Oh. (pause.) That’s not enough.
The play ends. You don’t move. He doesn’t either. The curtains do not close and the lights do not go out and no one claps, but the play ends anyway.