[FX: refrigerator humming • clock ticking • rain hitting windows • heartbeat • distant carnival music slowly fading in] [FEMALE 1] [Tone: calm outside • exhausted inside] [SX: slow inhale] Well… Shift is over. Smile’s clocked out. Door locked. Shoes off. House… Too damn quiet. 💥 BEAT DROPS 💥 ⸻ [ROUND ONE] [FEMALE 2] [Tone: sarcastic • unhinged • laughing at herself] [SX: chuckles • pacing footsteps] Look at you, acting tough all day, stocking shelves while your whole damn chest was giving way, “How are you?” “I’m good!” what a beautiful lie, Oscar-worthy performance with mascara running dry. Every customer bought it, every coworker smiled, meanwhile your nervous system’s gone completely feral and wild. Girl, you’re duct tape holding broken glass together, one bad breeze away from “I can’t do this anymore” forever. [FEMALE 1] [Tone: irritated • trying to stay composed] [SX: deep breath] Yeah…hold up! I know the script. I’ve heard the lines. You recycle every fear like it’s vintage every time. I held it together because that’s what my body does, it waits until I’m home before it floods me just because. (Heehee) You call me fake… I call it surviving. You call me weak… I’m still arriving. ⸻ [FX: roller coaster chain… CLICK… CLICK… CLICK… heartbeat speeding up] [ROUND TWO] [FEMALE 2] [Tone: cruel • theatrical] [SX: warped laughter] (Hahahahaha) Let’s talk last night… Now THAT was a show! Half an hour crying till your whole face glowed! (WAAAHHH) Walls heard everything. Neighbors probably froze. Thought the cops might show because everybody knows. (Listen) Movie scene… (Police siren) Cliff edge… One pinky… One grip… Wind saying “do it,” (Give up!) heart saying “don’t slip.” You whispered… (Shhhh) “I don’t wanna hang on anymore…” Yeah… (Chuckle) I heard that. (Boohoo) [FEMALE 1] [Tone: voice cracking • furious] [SX: shaky breathing • fist slams table] (Angry, defensive) You heard one sentence. You skipped the rest. You skipped the part where I fought through every breath. You skipped the shaking. You skipped the fear. You skipped the fact… I’m still standing here. Don’t rewrite my pain just to fit your narration. I’m more than one night of complete devastation. 💥 BEAT SWITCH 💥 [FX: thunder crashes • carnival calliope distorts • crowd chanting “FIGHT! FIGHT!”] ⸻ [ROUND THREE] [FEMALE 2] [Tone: mocking • relentless] [SX: slow clap] Cheese guy quiet… There goes your brain. Every missed plan becomes a freight train. Mom’s still gone. Garfield too. (Why) Dad still lives rent-free inside of you. Clock back in. Smile on cue. Tell me… Who’s taking care of you? [FEMALE 1] [Tone: sarcastic • biting] [SX: laughs through tears] (Well) Apparently… Me. (Duh) Who else? The deli ain’t stopping. Bills ain’t waiting. Life ain’t pausing because my heart’s breaking. So I stock the case. Then stock my pride. Then drive home hoping I don’t cry the whole ride. (Ha!) Congratulations. You found my cracks. Too bad… You forgot I built myself back. ⸻ [FX: fluorescent lights flicker • glass cracks • heartbeat becomes kick drum] [FINAL ROUND] [FEMALE 2] [Tone: yelling • desperate] [SX: echoing scream] YOU’RE HANGING BY A PINKY! YOU’RE LOSING YOUR GRIP! (Awww) ONE MORE BAD NIGHT AND THIS WHOLE THING WILL SPLIT! (Blahhhh) YOU CAN’T KEEP SMILING! YOU CAN’T KEEP PRETENDING! YOU CAN’T KEEP BELIEVING THERE’S SOME DIFFERENT ENDING! [FEMALE 1] [Tone: screaming • defiant] [SX: heartbeat pounding • crowd roaring • glass shattering] MAYBE I’M SHAKING! (Stop!) MAYBE I’M BENT! (Please!) MAYBE I’M TIRED OF PAYING THIS RENT! BUT I’M STILL HERE! CAN’T YOU SEE?! YOU DON’T GET TO DECIDE WHO I GET TO BE! YEAH… LAST NIGHT HURT. (Please) YEAH… I LOST CONTROL. (Stop) BUT I’M MORE THAN THE WORST FIVE MINUTES OF MY SOUL! ⸻ [OUTRO] [FX: rain softens • heartbeat steadies • key turning in the deadbolt • deep breath] [FEMALE 2] [Tone: quiet] … I’ll be back tomorrow. [FEMALE 1] [Tone: tired • steady] I know. … But tomorrow… You’re gonna have to fight me… Again. (Silence.)
