last year in my playwriting class, we had the infamous 'first line last line' assignment. this is when the teacher gives the writers in the class the first line and the last line of a scene they must write. the lines in this case were:
1st line: "It was like Gibraltar."
Last line: "Sometimes. Like a duck."
my scene wasn't all that great, mind you, but i still had fun with it. it just got me thinking today about something. God's first line was something to the degree of: "Let's do this thing." Bam shang zing pow and here we are. we who follow Christ believe the last line to be something like "OK kids, time to come home, let's go!" so we get to make up what goes on in the middle there.
that's a lot of pressure.
try as i may recently, i can't seem to get very much right in this whole "middle section". we're somewhere in between the beginning and the end, no one just knows where exactly on the timeline that is. all we know is that moment by moment we're at the farthest point of the line its ever been. that's about it.
so what are you doing?
i'll get something right one of these days. i won't acknowledge it and neither should you, but when it happens, i'll sit back and smile, and tell myself, "see corbin? there ya go. that wasn't so hard."
and now i shall leave you with my 'first line last line' scene i wrote for playwriting class.
good day.
c
"Sun in the clouds"
SISTER
It was like Gibraltar.
SIS
What the fuck does that even mean?
SISTER
Us I.T. people were camped out in a glade, 'cause we program computers, we don't know how to play freaking paintball, right? And out of nowhere, from the rear, we get hammered by the management and public relations...
SIS
That's what she said.
SISTER
And when the battle was over, the same result: we were done for, and the attacking side barely had any loses. Except for the boss, he got nailed pretty badly in the face. That's why it reminded me of Gibraltar, you know...
SIS
Actually I have no idea. You know the most random shit, I swear...
SISTER
But guess who shot our boss in the face?
SIS
You?
SISTER
Yes! That's right! How did you know?
SIS
Well I don't know anyone else you work with, so it was my only good guess.
SISTER
Well I did. It was my only shot the whole game. I leapt out of the way from the ambush, fired one shot into them, got pummeled six times before I hit the ground... But boss got hit, pow! Right in the face! It was very empowering.
SIS
I heard that shit hurts. You got any bruises? Battle scars?
SISTER
A few, but they're in indecent places to show in a cafe.
SIS
Uh-huh. I need a smoke. Let's go.
SISTER
Oh ok. What the heck, right?
(They go outside.)
SIS
You got a cig I can bum?
SISTER
So you just wanted to bum one of me, huh? What if I didn't have any? You're quite lucky that I just bought a new pack...
SIS
Gimme that. (She opens them) Oh sweetie, you cannot be related to me if this is how you pack your cigarettes.... (She packs the cigarettes)
SISTER
What? What difference does that even make?
SIS
They last longer.
SISTER
Oh. So you just bang on them really hard like that for a long time?
SIS
Yes. Bang really hard for a long time. (She lights up)
SISTER
(An embarrassed giggle. She lights up. They stand and smoke.)
This was good! I'm so glad we had this afternoon off to talk. It's so nice to talk with you, sis.
SIS
Yeah, nice.
SISTER
Really, I needed this. Wow. What an empowering week! Shot my boss, got tipsy last night, had a great night, too, by the way... Bought a new pack of cigarettes, smoking them with my little sister outside of a cafe in a busy city! Mmm!
SIS
You betcha.
SISTER
Whew, last night, what a crazy night, sis, I tell ya... Whew...
SIS
Got crazy, huh? What'd you have, a shot of tequila and a Michelobe Ultra ?
SISTER
Two Michelobes! And that shot of tequilla!
SIS
Absolutely insane.
SISTER
And I was just a dancing machine out there! I totally danced with some hot dudes!
SIS
Hot dudes. Wow.
SISTER
This one man – Andy, I think his name was – Ooo, sis, he was really something. We got to talking, we talked there for a long time, after all the dancing, of course. That's how we met, we just started dancing together and then we went off and he bought me that shot... And then, well...
SIS
(Genuinely interested now) No, you didn't!
SISTER
Yes! Yes, I did! And oh, oh my goodness, was he something, oh...
SIS
Holy shit, are you kidding me? Wow! You whore!
SISTER
We took a picture together in the bar, and it's a good thing, too, because I don't remember much after that... (getting out her phone)
SIS
I've gotta see this...
SISTER
(showing the picture) Take a look at that hunk of meat, mm! Oh and he was really something...
SIS
(After a pause) Wait. You... you slept with this guy?
SISTER
Well there wasn't much sleeping, believe me...
SIS
That uh... Wow. That explains a lot.
SISTER
What do you mean?
SIS
Someone was supposed to call me last night. Guess he was a little busy. Huh.
SISTER
What are you talking about?
SIS
Nothing. Just... some... jerk... (She lights up another cigarette)
SISTER
Anyway... I hope he calls me again. I haven't had much luck in the past with that happening, though...
SIS
Fucking... bastard...
SISTER
I know, right? Men can be just like ducks sometimes, you know?
SIS
No, once again, I don't.
SISTER
Well after male ducks mate with female ducks, they just leave them with the eggs, and the female ducks carry them on their own...
SIS
On their own, yup...
SISTER
Gosh, I wish I could remember his last name... I hate not knowing full names... Andy... Andy...
SIS
Harris.
SISTER
Harris! Yes, that's--! Wait a minute, how...?
SIS
Are you that fucking dense? You haven't picked up on it yet?
SISTER
Sis...? What--?
SIS
You know what? Forget it. My break's over, I have to go.
SISTER
I don't understand, wait, do you know this guy?
SIS
Uh, yeah, I kind of do, but not anymore.
SISTER
Wait, sis, please, I'm sorry, I didn't--
SIS
Well how could you? Forget it. Good bye.
SISTER
Wait!
(SIS leaves. SISTER stands alone. After a while she lights another cigarette. SISTER talks to herself.)
And sometimes, there is one female duck left alone, without a mate. Animals... sometimes we're just like a bunch of animals... Sometimes. Like a duck.
(She puts out the cigarette and goes inside. Lights out.)
the ending is pretty forced, i know... but whatevs. ;-)
