Lost Boys



		LOST BOYS Blackness. A forest at night; the theatre is cold. The audience can see their breath CHARLIE (hushed) bill. (beat) hey, bill. bill, i gotta question. bill. bill. bill. BILL What. CHARLIE …i godda go. BILL You gotta go where? CHARLIE i godda go to the bathroom. BILL So go to the bathroom. CHARLIE i’m not goin to the bathroom here, that’s gross! BILL Then go to the bathroom outside. CHARLIE but it’s dark outside. BILL That’s cause it’s night, dummy. CHARLIE but i’m scared. BILL Nothing scary out there. Go to the bathroom. CHARLIE could you… BILL Could I what? CHARLIE could you come with? BILL Nu-uh, I ain’t watching you go, no way. CHARLIE but i’m real scared! BILL Well, I ain’t watching you go, and now you’re keeping me up, so you better goda the bathroom or goda sleep, but you sure better go’n do something. CHARLIE (beat) could you puddona light? BILL No. CHARLIE but it’s real dark out. BILL I already told you, that’s cause it’s night, now quit being a dummy and go. CHARLIE i’d be able to go if you puddona light. BILL I can’t put onna light, cause we gotta the save matches. CHARLIE i don’t lika dark. BILL Doesn’t matter, we gotta save the matches. CHARLIE don’t gotta use a bunch, jus want one. BILL No. Go to sleep. CHARLIE how come you won’t give me one? BILL Cause we need ‘em, that’s why. CHARLIE But - BILL I said I ain’t giving you one. Silence CHARLIE hey, bill? BILL What. CHARLIE how far are we? BILL Goda sleep. CHARLIE but, are we real far? BILL Sooner you sleep, sooner I sleep, an I wanna sleep, so goda sleep. CHARLIE yeah, but, do we havta walk more far than we did today? BILL Maybe. I don’t think so. CHARLIE thas good, cause i’m real tired today. you tired, bill? BILL Tired enough to wanna goda sleep. CHARLIE yeah. you still got the map, right? BILL Course I got the map. CHARLIE whadoesit say? BILL Where we gotta go. CHARLIE can you read it to me? BILL I can’t read it now, dummy. CHARLIE cause it’s so dark. BILL Yep. CHARLIE then maybe you could puddona – BILL I already told you, we gotta save the matches, we ain’t got a lot left and I don’t want to have to – CHARLIE you think dad’s waiting for us? BILL You already know he’s waiting for us. CHARLIE yeah, but, do you think he is? BILL We both know he is, so you don’ need to keep – CHARLIE yeah, but – BILL Look, I said he is, so that means he is, alright, now goda sleep! Silence CHARLIE you promise? BILL Yeah, I promise. Silence CHARLIE bill? BILL Charlie, you better – CHARLIE bill, i’m real hungry. BILL …yeah, me too. CHARLIE you got any mora them snacks left? BILL Nah, we ate ‘em all today. CHARLIE whaddabouthe raisins? BILL We ate all the raisins. CHARLIE then whaddabouthe lollipop? BILL We ate the lolli– CHARLIE then whaddabouthe – BILL I already toldja we ate all the food, so stop asking me and goda sleep! CHARLIE (beat) how we gonna eat, bill? BILL I’m gonna find berries and stuff tomorrow. CHARLIE yeah? BILL Yeah, and maybe some eggs, too. CHARLIE really? eggs? BILL (in earnest) Yeah, that’s why I wanna save the matches, so I can cook us a big breakfast tomorrow morning. CHARLIE you swear? BILL Cross my heart and – CHARLIE don’ say that! BILL Don’t say what? CHARLIE thas’ no good, sayin that kinda stuff. BILL What? Cross my heart and – CHARLIE stop it! stop it! BILL (taunting) - hope to die, stick a needle in my eye? What’s a matter, baby, why don’ you like that, I just said – CHARLIE stoppit! BILL Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye, it’s not my fault if – CHARLIE c’mon, bill, you don’ gotta – BILL Not my fault you’re just a big, scaredy baby who’s scared of itty, bitty nursery - CHARLIE (tears falling) it’s not funny, Bill, it’s not… that ain’t funny. BILL (pleading) Oh, come on, come on, don’t start crying, don’t… hey, hey, what do you want on your eggs tomorrow? Huh? What do you want? CHARLIE …whaddyou mean? BILL When I go out searching, what do you want me to get? CHARLIE …blue cheese. BILL What’s that? CHARLIE it’s blue cheese. mom always ate it. BILL Mom never ate blue cheese. CHARLIE sure she did. BILL No, you’re lying, cause I remember everything about mom, and she never ate blue cheese, cause I don’t even know what blue cheese is, and neither do you, so stop lying. CHARLIE thas too bad, cause it’s real tasty. BILL You never ate blue cheese, and I don’t like lying, so you better – CHARLIE mmm, mmm, i can taste it now, it tastes so good… BILL If you don’t stop lying, you’re not gonna get any breakfast tomorrow. CHARLIE ok! ok! i never had blue cheese, you caught me fibbin. BILL Don’fib no more, I don’t want you fibbing. CHARLIE but i remember mom liked it, i ain’t lyin’ bout that. BILL How do you remember, mom died when you were a baby, and baby’s don’ remember nothin. CHARLIE i jus do, thasall. BILL I told you to stop lying! CHARLIE i ain’t, i ain’t! BILL You swear? CHARLIE yeah, i swear, i swear. (beat) BILL What did she used to eat it with? CHARLIE we went out for hamburgers once, and she got blue cheese. BILL That sounds real good. CHARLIE yeah, it was tasty… BILL Well, what does it look like, so I know what to look for. CHARLIE i dunno, it’s cheese that’s blue. BILL Like, American cheese? CHARLIE yeah, but make sure it’s blue. BILL OK, so I’ll get blue cheese, berries, eggs, anything else? CHARLIE sunny delight. BILL I’m not gonna find Sunny Delight. CHARLIE you don’ know that! BILL Yeah, I do know, cause only a total dummy thinks there’s any Sunny Delight in a forest, ok? Now goda sleep. Silence CHARLIE you think Uncle Mitch is looking for us? BILL Probably. CHARLIE you think he’s mad? BILL Yeah. CHARLIE you think he’s gonna find us? BILL He’s not gonna find us. CHARLIE yeah, but if he finds us – BILL I already told you he’s not gonna find us. CHARLIE Yeah, but – BILL If he finds us, you gotta run. I give you the map, and I want you to run to where I’ve circled where Dad is, and I want you to tell him where I am so you can bring Dad so he can help us, alright? You understand? CHARLIE yeah, but bill – BILL You gotta promise, Charlie, you promise? CHARLIE i don’ wanna be out here alone, bill. BILL You won’t be. You’ll find dad, and then you come back and get me. CHARLIE but, I don’ wanna leave you alone. BILL You won’t be, cause you’re gonna bring back Dad, and he’s gonna – CHARLES i mean i don’ wanna leave you alone with Uncle Mitch. BILL …you don’t gotta worry about that. CHARLIE yeah, but bill – BILL He’s not gonna find us anyway, so we don’t even havta worry about it, so goda sleep. CHARLIE But, that letter dad sent you – BILL What about it? CHARLIE How do you know he’s still there? BILL I already toldjou, dummy, the address is at the top of the envelope, that’s why I got the map, and that’s why we know where to – CHARLIE yeah, but, we found it in Uncle Mitch’s room a coupla months ago. BILL So? CHARLIE so how do you know dad’s still there? BILL Cause that’s where his house is, and that’s where we’re goin. CHARLIE yeah, but how do you know he’s – BILL Look, Charlie, we’re going to Dad’s house, and we’re gonna get there tomorrow, and we’re all gonna live together, now, so you wanna do that or you wanna stay with Uncle Mitch? CHARLIE (quietly) i don’ wanna stay with uncle mitch. BILL OK, so stop asking questions and goda sleep. Silence CHARLIE can you… BILL What? CHARLIE …can you read me the letter again? BILL’s tone changes considerably, to one softer, one easier to hear. He does not strike the light, as he has memorized the letter verbatim. It comes out slightly labored, as though he memorized it phonetically BILL Boys – CHARLIE bill n’charlie – BILL I know you’re gonna look down on me for doing this – CHARLIE and i can’t say i blame you if you – BILL Hey, you want me to read, or you wanna keep interrupting me like you’re doing? CHARLIE i want youta read, i just like ta read with you. BILL Well, it’s a one-man job, ain’t no room for dummies. CHARLIE but, i liketa read with you. BILL Alright, I’ll read it once, and then you read it once, deal? CHARLIE deal. BILL Boys, Bill and Charlie; I know you’re gonna look down on me for doing this, and I can’t say I blame you if you do. But, I can’t be there for you, not now. But boys need a father, and your mother’s brother, Mitch, he’ll take good care of you, he’s a good man, and, like I said, boys need a father. Anyways, a better father than me. All I can say is you’re good boys, and your mother loved you, and – CHARLIE bill. BILL I already said you couldn’t read! Now I haveta start from the beginning, ya big – CHARLIE i godda pee, bill. BILL I already told you I ain’t gonna watch you go, so you better – CHARLIE (Crying) i gotta pee so bad, i gotta pee so bad, bill, it hurts, i can’t wait, i gotta pee – BILL Hey, c’mon, don’t cry, here, it’s alright, lemme, just, hold it for one second, lemme just… BILL fumbles with his matches, strikes one and lights a candle. The stage becomes weakly illuminated, and we see that the boys carry scars from years of abuse. CHARLIE’s right eye is swollen shut, and he has a deep purple bruise along the base of his jaw CHARLIE thanks, bill. BILL Yeah, yeah, just hurry up, ya dummy, and don’t get lost, cause I don’t wanna have to – Throughout the following, only MITCH’s voice is present MITCH Boys? Bill n’ Charlie, you boys there? BILL quickly blows out the candle and seizes CHARLIE, clutching him tightly. He envelops his younger brother, trying to canvas the boy’s body with his own. The probing search of the flashlight blinds the audience. The following is a blur of language CHARLIE bill, izzat – BILL (violently) Shh!! CHARLIE relieves himself on BILL CHARLIE ah, no, bill, i’m sorry, i’m sorry, i didn’meanta – BILL It’s alright, it’s ok, don’t worry, just – MITCH Boys, I heard yer voices, I kin tell yer out here, now, I’m not angry, but boys, ye gotta come home. CHARLIE i’m sorry, bill, i’m sorry, i’m so sorry… BILL You gotta be quiet, Charlie! CHARLIE i can’ go back, i can’ go back, bill, you gotta, you can’ let him, i can’ go back, bill, i – The flashing becomes more intense. We hear the bark of a dog MITCH Boys, if you come out and let me see where you’re at, I kin tell ye I’ll be a lot more pleased’n if ye make me keep kickin aroun between them trees, cause I know yer here, boys, an I know ye can hear me. BILL Charlie, you need to run. CHARLIE what? no, i’m not gonna – BILL shoves the map into his hands BILL You need to find Dad, and bring him back like I told you, you need to – CHARLIE i can’t go alone, not with him out there, i’m too scared – BILL Charlie, you gotta do this. You promised to do this. CHARLIE don’t make me go, don’t make me go out there, bill, i wanna stay here with you – BILL Stop being such a baby and go, Charlie! MITCH Boys, ya’ better come out, I’m not feeling too pleased withya right now. BILL Get out of here, you stupid, crying baby, why are you always crying, you’re the reason he’s always angry with us, cause you’re always crying – CHARLIE bill, i jus wanna stay with you, bill, you’re hurting me – BILL She got so sick after you died, you stupid, crying baby, why did you have to come, why did – MITCH Boys, I’m not countin to three, I’m not countin to one, ye git out here now or ye’re gonna have to pay the cost for makin me come out in the snap cold of night to come looking fer ye – CHARLIE bill, i don’ wanna go back, bill, i don’ wanna go back – BILL I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, Dad, I hate you – MITCH Boys! There is a crash and a blinding light. The stage goes black. We hear the boys’ labored breathing for a few seconds, and - CURTAIN