== MIDDLE SCENE == (Lighting shuts off. Total darkness. The sound of a crash. A cassette being loaded. Whirring.)
(TELEVISIONS turn on. Moving/animated black text against red background: "KILL YOURSELF")
DISTORTED TELEVISION VOICE C'mon man, just kill yourself. C'mon man, just kill yourself. C'mon man, just kill yourself. (Repeating on loop, somewhat rhythmically.)
THOMAS (fetal position on the floor, head in his hands.) No, no, no, no, no...
PRIEST All of mankind is vile! Every single detestable male aught to be eradicated from this Earth. You, Thomas, my dear parishioner, are called to the Altar.
(Spotlight on the "altar" - a stool and a hanging rope.)
PRIEST Kneel, and pray that your sins might be scoured away! In the name of our Lord, By performing the Ultimate Sacrifice...
DISTORTED TELEVISION VOICE C'mon man, you should've died years ago. Nobody fucking gives a shit about you anyways. Just fuck off and kill yourself.
THOMAS No! I want to live! I want to return to reality! I want to see my friends again!
PRIEST How can you be so sure that your friends want to see you, huh?
(DISTORTED TELEVISION VOICES stop. PRIEST descends to THOMAS' level.)
PRIEST How can you be so full of pride, So cocky and full of yourself - Do you really think you're so different from the men you've hated all your life? Those selfish adults who only think about themselves. The men who sexually exploited you. The men who harass you at work and yell demands at you. Your father, who left your family for another woman.
(Kneels down to THOMAS' level. Grabs THOMAS' chin.)
Huh? You think you're better than them? You think you're /worthy/? Of what? God hates you, you know. You're filthy faggot trash, you know that, right? So you can't ask for help from The Big Guy Upstairs, eh? You think some filthy human's gonna come save you? Huh? Gonna save you from me?
(Slaps THOMAS across the face.)
Wake up! Nobody is coming for you! Nobody ever has! You have nothing. Goddamn, fucking nothing. Nothing to live for - not a goddamn hope in this world.
(Bending back down at THOMAS' level.)
So just wake up, and fucking die.
THOMAS (whispering, inaudibly.) But I want to live.
PRIEST I'm sorry, what was that?
THOMAS I- I want to live.
(PRIEST kicks THOMAS in the stomach.)
PRIEST Goddamn pervert You think you have the right to live? You think you have the right to spread your degeneracy across this earth?
THOMAS I-
PRIEST Get up. Take some goddamn responsibility for yourself.
(THOMAS gets up.)
PRIEST There we go. Finally, the smear understands who he is.
(THOMAS starts walking towards the "Altar")
(at some point, CHRISTIANA and another female friend? Come in to argue for THOMAS' life.)
== END SCENE ==
(Hospital room. CARLOS stands in the doorway, cigarette in mouth, fidgeting. He's seen better days. Looks like a fish out of water, nervous.)
CARLOS I... um... came to check in on you.
THOMAS (clearly stunned.) What?
CARLOS School. School is good?
THOMAS I don't really have school on the mind right now.
(beat. An awkward pause.)
CARLOS I, um... (tearing up.) I'm just really glad you pulled through. I'm glad that you're alive.
THOMAS (taken aback.) I...
(in soliloque) What the hell?? You cared about me this entire time? Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you do anything? Why... But I... I've wanted this for so long...
THOMAS (tearing up.) I'm glad that I'm alive too.
CARLOS (unsure of himself.) I... um... I... don't know what to say.
THOMAS Thanks.
CARLOS (scoffs.) For what?
THOMAS For being here. It, um... It means a lot.
CARLOS (breathes deeply.) I... talked to your mother, you know. We talked, for a long time. About what happened. Tom, I'm... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for how I messed you up. For what I put you all through. For how - I don't know how to explain myself. I- I am just - sorry.
(beat. THOMAS is shocked, isn't sure what to do.)
CARLOS I... I have to check on the parking.
(beat. Starts to walk out, then turns around.)
Uh.. but I'll be back. I promised your mother that we'd have dinner together.
THOMAS (smile.) I'd like that.
CARLOS (to CHRISTIANA.) He's back.
CHRISTIAN (rushing into the room) Oh, Thomas! (hugs THOMAS.)
=== SCRAPS === PRIEST Life - (laughs.) What life? What life have we ever had, eh? We've had nothing. Squat. No chance to make it. So just fucking die already.
=== NOTES === Inner Critic / Priest wants THOMAS to kill himself so that he can be free from the suffering of his shitty life. Also represents self-loathing, hatred of others.
Metaphor of the mind as a machine.
Everything in THOMAS's mind has a clearly defined purpose. Part of the plot is THOMAS figuring out what that is, and how to overcome it/work with it/have compassion for it.