A flash play.
Cast of Characters:
Max
Maggie
Aqua
Frank
Dexter
Wraith
Gabriel 7
TIME: The Present
SCENE: A subway platform. Two benches along the wall and two vending machines. MAX is lying down on one of the benches asleep. FRANK and GABRIEL 7 are by the vending machine trying to decide what snack to get. MAGGIE is looking at a poster on the wall. DEXTER enters.
DEXTER: DAMN. [to Maggie] Did I just miss the train?
MAGGIE: It just pulled out a few moments ago.
DEXTER: Double Damn!
MAX: You kiss your mother with that mouth, Dex?
DEXTER: It's none of your business. And how do you know my name.
MAX: Sorry friend I didn't mean to offend. It's just your aura screams Dexter.
MAGGIE: No worries. You do kind of look like him.
DEXTER: You guys are weird.
FRANK [calls to MAX and MAGGIE]: Yo. You guys want a soda or juice?
MAGGIE: A beer would be nice.
MAX: That it would be.
[AQUA and WRAITH emerge from the washroom]
FRANK: It would be nice if one day one of these platforms had a beer dispenser.
MAGGIE: Then it would be just like heaven.
DEXTER: You guys escape from a looney bin?
MAX: Kinda.
AQUA: I hope the train arrives. I'm getting nervous just waiting around some.
WRAITH: Dexter?
DEXTER looks around.
WRAITH: Dexter it is you!
20131007
Lighting the Fuse
Max was bound to the chair; he couldn't move and if he did the wire
would cut into his skin. He sat there drenched and covered in fluid; a
pungent odor assaulted his nostrils and his wounds burned because of the
liquid.
It was gasoline.
"Are you going to talk?" Brogan asked. He sat on a stool, with a pack of wooden matches. He drew a stick and lit it.
"I have been chatting," Max replied through swollen lips. "But you are not hearing."
Brogan flicked the match at Max; the flame died out before it touched his clothes. Max didn't flicker one bit, which irked Brogan even more.
"You really don't get it," Brogan told him.
"No," Max replied. "You're the one who doesn't get it."
It was gasoline.
"Are you going to talk?" Brogan asked. He sat on a stool, with a pack of wooden matches. He drew a stick and lit it.
"I have been chatting," Max replied through swollen lips. "But you are not hearing."
Brogan flicked the match at Max; the flame died out before it touched his clothes. Max didn't flicker one bit, which irked Brogan even more.
"You really don't get it," Brogan told him.
"No," Max replied. "You're the one who doesn't get it."
Tuesday Early Morning Blues
It was another slow night; it always was on Monday evenings. There was not much of a nightlife and it seemed everyone's energy had been sucked out of the negativity that was Monday mornings.
"This is Cab 451 going for a break," Max keyed the microphone. He wasn't having a very good evening and rent was due.
"Sure thing, Max," the dispatch came through the speaker. "Have a good one."
"As good as one can get," he keyed back.
Max pulled his cab into the coffee shop and didn't know what else to do. He sat behind the wheel of the cab staring out into the coffee shop; he felt like he should be elsewhere doing something productive instead of wasting away driving cab.
He was listening to the radio and was about to turn it off when a tune came on and he let his fingers hover over the control. The song was stirring something inside him and he caught this flash of an image.
Red flowing hair.
He reached for the book that was beside him - The Mind of God by Paul Davies - and then he exited the cab.
"Heya Max," a voice called out. "There you are, I've been looking for you for a long while now."
Max stopped and looked; he saw a young girl standing there with a smile, dressed in a school uniform. She was a little young to be on her own at this time of night and without any adult supervision. No recollection ever appeared to him, she was just a stranger who had the upper hand at the moment.
"Do I know you?" he asked.
> Chance in Plureality 2
Professor, we're picking up the Angel and the Gargoyle again....
The rush of air blasted by, sending Darius' coat in wild waves of movement.
His arms remained crossed, propping him up on the edge of the bridge. He stared over the ledge down below.
A clattering noise echoed out of the empty canal and rose up to disappear into the evening traffic of the streets.
Darius wrapped a hand around his face, and realized he needed a shave. Though he still stared down with an odd look of bemusement. A small green piece of what could have been stone moved nearby on the bridge ledge. Twofeathers sidled up to Darius, climbing up his arm to perch on his shoulder with her small claws. The passing cars splayed his hair into a tangled mess around her. Which she, amidst coughs and sputters, managed to get free from.
"What are we doing here Darius?" the little gargoyle chirped.
"I had to check on something... part of the reason I need to find Max," Darius answered, pointing down into the canal, as he reached into his coat for a pack of cigarettes.
Twofeathers leaned out from her perch on Darius' shoulder; waving smoke from the cigarette he was lighting away from her face with a clawed hand.
"Wait.... is that?" She stared with some amount of shock.
The clattering noises rose up from the canal again. As a car zoomed through a puddle behind them.
"Yes, I do believe it is..." Darius said, turning from the railing.
"Oh... " Twofeathers said quietly.
Down in the canal, a scruffy looking kid rolled back and forth through the canal on a skateboard. He wasn't pulling any tricks, just rolling back and forth, occasionally skidding to stops here and there before changing his direction. All the while flipping through a black leather book he carried.
A strange sense of deja vu took the young man at that point. He stopped the board, and looked up upwards to the bridge overhead.
Seeing nothing, he tucked the book into his long, worn trench coat, figured it was time for lunch, and rolled off down the canal.
A clattering noise echoed out of the empty canal and rose up to disappear into the evening traffic of the streets.
Darius wrapped a hand around his face, and realized he needed a shave. Though he still stared down with an odd look of bemusement. A small green piece of what could have been stone moved nearby on the bridge ledge. Twofeathers sidled up to Darius, climbing up his arm to perch on his shoulder with her small claws. The passing cars splayed his hair into a tangled mess around her. Which she, amidst coughs and sputters, managed to get free from.
"What are we doing here Darius?" the little gargoyle chirped.
"I had to check on something... part of the reason I need to find Max," Darius answered, pointing down into the canal, as he reached into his coat for a pack of cigarettes.
Twofeathers leaned out from her perch on Darius' shoulder; waving smoke from the cigarette he was lighting away from her face with a clawed hand.
"Wait.... is that?" She stared with some amount of shock.
The clattering noises rose up from the canal again. As a car zoomed through a puddle behind them.
"Yes, I do believe it is..." Darius said, turning from the railing.
"Oh... " Twofeathers said quietly.
Down in the canal, a scruffy looking kid rolled back and forth through the canal on a skateboard. He wasn't pulling any tricks, just rolling back and forth, occasionally skidding to stops here and there before changing his direction. All the while flipping through a black leather book he carried.
A strange sense of deja vu took the young man at that point. He stopped the board, and looked up upwards to the bridge overhead.
Seeing nothing, he tucked the book into his long, worn trench coat, figured it was time for lunch, and rolled off down the canal.
20131006
Oops I Guess I Ripped My Pants Again...
Like an unfeeling robot on a mission from god, he was not sure if he was
on the board level or not. It felt like at times he was but he wasn't
too sure of what the board level was.
His fingers danced over the keyboard as he was entering data into the terminal. He didn't know why he was doing so, just that maybe he was programmed long ago to do it. No use stopping now.
His headset chimed and then he tapped the receive signal.
"Max Cube?" a voice asked.
"That be he," Max toned in. "How can I help thee?"
"Well, actually," the sultry feminine voice purred, "this is your wake up call."
His fingers danced over the keyboard as he was entering data into the terminal. He didn't know why he was doing so, just that maybe he was programmed long ago to do it. No use stopping now.
His headset chimed and then he tapped the receive signal.
"Max Cube?" a voice asked.
"That be he," Max toned in. "How can I help thee?"
"Well, actually," the sultry feminine voice purred, "this is your wake up call."
Invitationally
His head ached as if on fire; he picked himself up from the field and
tried to get his bearings. Max was lost and he really didn't know what
he was in for; that last shift really did something, and he felt off. As
if he was looking through eyes of a body that wasn't his.
He straightened out his tie and dusted off the debris that clung to his dinner jacket. It was early summer and the sun was drifting off across the sky.
Not too far from where he landed he noticed a party invitation. He picked it up and read it and then glanced at his Rolex and shook his head.
I'm late.
He straightened out his tie and dusted off the debris that clung to his dinner jacket. It was early summer and the sun was drifting off across the sky.
Not too far from where he landed he noticed a party invitation. He picked it up and read it and then glanced at his Rolex and shook his head.
I'm late.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Here...
Max, dressed in yellow and covered with black triangles about his face, walked through the door. He approached the counter and placed a crumpled ten dollar bill, and pointed to what he wanted. The bartender complied. Several patrons' eyes followed him as he took a seat at the bar.
The bartender was going to ask Max a question but decided against it, based on what the answer might be. The low murmur of chatter began again as the patrons went back to what they were doing, while one or two were speculating on what the weird person who entered might be up to.
"So stranger what's new?" a woman who sat at the end of the bar asked Max. She seemed to have been a pretty woman once, a long time ago before alcohol had consumed her.
Max shrugged and took off the eyepatch and placed it on the counter. He shuffled it down to the end of the bar where the woman was sitting.
"You trying to tell me something?" the barfly inquired.
The bartender placed a drink in front of Max and took the crumpled bill. The bartender looked at his hand; that's when he discovered that the bill was wet.
"Is it raining out?" the bartender asked. He straightened out the bill on the counter behind him. "Or did you decide to take a swim before you got here?"
Max took a sip from the drink as the barfly took the eyepatch and looked at it as a child looks upon a new toy.
The bartender was waiting for an answer.
The bartender was going to ask Max a question but decided against it, based on what the answer might be. The low murmur of chatter began again as the patrons went back to what they were doing, while one or two were speculating on what the weird person who entered might be up to.
"So stranger what's new?" a woman who sat at the end of the bar asked Max. She seemed to have been a pretty woman once, a long time ago before alcohol had consumed her.
Max shrugged and took off the eyepatch and placed it on the counter. He shuffled it down to the end of the bar where the woman was sitting.
"You trying to tell me something?" the barfly inquired.
The bartender placed a drink in front of Max and took the crumpled bill. The bartender looked at his hand; that's when he discovered that the bill was wet.
"Is it raining out?" the bartender asked. He straightened out the bill on the counter behind him. "Or did you decide to take a swim before you got here?"
Max took a sip from the drink as the barfly took the eyepatch and looked at it as a child looks upon a new toy.
The bartender was waiting for an answer.
Exit the Sandman
She awoke on the couch sometime later. Her mind and body rejuvenated from
the much-needed sleep, and her mouth was parched. She got up and headed
to the kitchen where she got a bottle of flavoured water out and took a
long gulp from it.
She looked at the phone and saw that she had 17 messages; she turned on the television and discovered that she had been out for three days.
"Wow," she muttered to herself. "That's a first. Three days of rest and no interruption."
She raised the bottle high for a toast before she took another sip.
She looked at the phone and saw that she had 17 messages; she turned on the television and discovered that she had been out for three days.
"Wow," she muttered to herself. "That's a first. Three days of rest and no interruption."
She raised the bottle high for a toast before she took another sip.
The Code of Painters
Max walked up to the wall and looked around and then he took out a
spray can and began to work. His movements controlled and precise
and the masterpiece began to reveal itself.
"You just about finished there, Picasso?" Frank asked him through the headset. "I just had a patrol pass through here, they should be in your vicinity in about a minute."
"Just about, Rembrandt," Max replied; he was putting on the finishing touches.
Max stepped back to admire his handiwork and smiled. It wasn't everyday that he fought battles without weapons and only words. Hopefully, this one would start a revolution.
Boogie.
"You just about finished there, Picasso?" Frank asked him through the headset. "I just had a patrol pass through here, they should be in your vicinity in about a minute."
"Just about, Rembrandt," Max replied; he was putting on the finishing touches.
Max stepped back to admire his handiwork and smiled. It wasn't everyday that he fought battles without weapons and only words. Hopefully, this one would start a revolution.
Boogie.
} Aces Up - For R.T.
"Go to black" Max said. He ejected the clips from his handguns and was in the process of slapping new ones in. He turned to Maggie and asked, "How you doing?"
Maggie looked up and gave him a wink; she was dressing a wound to her leg. It seemed like she was in a world of pain but she didn't show it. There was a make-shift tourniquet on her leg.
"We don't have much time left," Max replied. "They will be arriving in full force in a little while. You think you are able to make the run?"
"Yeah," Maggie replied as she was fighting to stand. Max held out a hand to make sure that she was steady enough. They looked into each others eyes and a smile came to their lips.
Trump jumped down from a pile of boxes. "They are coming. This time they are bringing Acers."
Max swore.
Acers meant that they were in more serious trouble.
20131005
Into the Well of Darkness...
"You sure about this?" Goner inquired. He stood at the edge of the well and looked down; he was shaking off the unsure feeling. Of all the weirdness he has been through in the past few days, this was certainly unnerving.
Max walked up to the edge of the ancient well and glanced down. "The old lady said this was the way."
Goner picked up a brick that was off to one side and dropped it over the edge; they watched the brick disappear into the darkness and neither one heard a sound.
"I hope the hell you are correct with that old lady," Goner said. "I hope she didn't lead us into a trap. You know there could be that demon girl from that horror movie I watched waiting to feed on our souls."
Max took a long puff from the cigarette; he exhaled the smoke into the air and then he flicked the cigarette off to one side. He drew his guns.
"No time like the present to find out," he quipped and then he jumped in.
Max walked up to the edge of the ancient well and glanced down. "The old lady said this was the way."
Goner picked up a brick that was off to one side and dropped it over the edge; they watched the brick disappear into the darkness and neither one heard a sound.
"I hope the hell you are correct with that old lady," Goner said. "I hope she didn't lead us into a trap. You know there could be that demon girl from that horror movie I watched waiting to feed on our souls."
Max took a long puff from the cigarette; he exhaled the smoke into the air and then he flicked the cigarette off to one side. He drew his guns.
"No time like the present to find out," he quipped and then he jumped in.
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