From the Prompt of the Week: Write a scene in which a character realizes there is no turning back.
Submitted by: Rachel Lynett (from here on out, assume if the author isn’t listed, the author is Rachel Lynett)
Title: Gospel
CHARACTERS
LUCY, late twenties
KEV, early thirties, her brother
SETTING
The play takes place in Lucy’s apartment. Present Day.
LUCY is sitting on the floor, meditating. Next to her
is a bowl of Skittles that she steals from in between
“mmmm”s. There is a knock on the door.
LUCY
Come in.
LUCY continues to meditate. KEV walks in and
just watches her amused for a moment. LUCY
opens one of her eyes and smiles.
KEV
What the fuck is this?
LUCY
I’m meditating.
KEV
Oh. Okay.
HE walks over to her coffee table and looks at the books
she has laying out.
KEV
(reading the titles)
The Art of Meditation? Why Buddhism? Finding your core? Explanation. Please.
LUCY
I’m God-shopping.
KEV
You’re what?
LUCY
Did you want something?
Beat.
KEV
Danny asked me to check on you.
LUCY
Oh. I’m fine.
KEV
He said you threw up.
LUCY
It could’ve been worse.
LUCY gets up from the ground and grabs the Skittles
container. She goes to the couch to sit next to her brother.
LUCY (cont)
So…now that I’m fine. Will you leave me to meditate?
KEV
I don’t think most people throw up when they’re proposed to by the love of their life?
LUCY
I’m not most people. Danny knows that.
KEV
And I don’t think most people eat Skittles while they meditate?
LUCY
Please refer to my earlier statement.
Beat.
KEV
You don’t seem fine.
LUCY
Kev, I swear. I’ve never been better.
KEV
Danny’s afraid you’ll say no.
LUCY gets up to start cleaning. There’s not much to
clean. She still tries anyways.
LUCY
How’s Joanna?
KEV
No. Don’t change the subject. What is all of this?
LUCY
All of what?
KEV
These books, this whatever you were doing when I walked in, avoiding Danny like you’re twelve and he just—
LUCY
I’m not avoiding Danny.
KEV
He asked you to marry him.
LUCY
I know.
KEV
And you have yet to respond.
LUCY
It’s a big question.
KEV
You’ve been with him for years.
LUCY
Only four.
KEV
Only four?
LUCY
You and Joanna dated for what six years?
KEV
And married for a year. What? Are you afraid of getting divorced?
LUCY
That’s not it.
KEV
Then what?
LUCY sits back down.
LUCY
Remember when I was fifteen and I decided I didn’t want to be…I don’t know…whatever we were. I wanted to be something with an actual church.
KEV
Yeah. And you chose to be Catholic. And you’d take all those bus rides to mass. You were obsessed.
KEV starts laughing to himself.
LUCY
Stop it.
KEV
Sorry. So what? Because Danny’s Jewish you don’t want to marry him? He told you he was Jewish when you two first got together.
LUCY
I know.
KEV
So…
LUCY slides further into the couch.
LUCY
I told him I’d convert. If we ever got married. But that I wouldn’t do it unless we were for sure getting married.
KEV
So you don’t want to be Jewish?
LUCY
No. That’s not it.
KEV
You should call him, Lucy.
LUCY
Well maybe that’s it.
KEV
Okay well then you need to—
LUCY
But then that’s so not it at the same time.
KEV
Right.
LUCY
You’re supposed to join a religion because you believe in it. And there are sooo many. You’re not supposed to join because you love someone who just happens to already be that religion right? Shouldn’t I believe in what I’m basically putting all my spiritual stock in?
KEV
What do you have against Judaism?
LUCY
Nothing. I just…I don’t know anything about it.
KEV
Okay. Then shouldn’t all these books be on Judaism? And not the whole spiritual spectrum?
LUCY
I didn’t think he’d ever ask me to marry him.
KEV
Seriously?
LUCY
Well no, not seriously. But…seriously.
LUCY gets up again. This time she’s not sure why.
KEV
Do you love him?
LUCY
Of course I do. I just don’t know that I’ll love his religion.
KEV
So that’s why you’re “God-shopping”?
LUCY nods.
LUCY
If I’m going to eternal damnation or save my soul, I want to at least be able to make a choice about it.
Pause.
LUCY
I love him.
KEV
I know.
LUCY
But this is a big step.
KEV
I know.
LUCY
A big scary step.
Pause.
KEV
Well, being Catholic is kind of like being Jewish but with more stuff. So maybe being Jewish will be easier.
LUCY
What?
KEV
You know, only half the Bible this time.
LUCY
That’s not how it works. (pause) There’s no hell though. That’s kind of nice.
KEV
Yeah.
LUCY
I should’ve never made that promise.
KEV
No.
LUCY
But I just didn’t think…it was a one night stand. Who falls for the guy they have a one night stand with?
KEV
Apparently you do.
Beat.
LUCY
But what if I go to hell?
KEV
Apparently there is no hell.
LUCY
But what if there is?
KEV
Lucy.
LUCY
What if I die and then I’m like “Damn you, Danny.” Literally.
KEV
What if you turn into one of those angry old people who lost the love of their life over something stupid?
LUCY
Religion isn’t stupid.
Pause.
KEV
Do you love him?
LUCY nods.
KEV
Then call him. Figure this out. Together. And if you go to hell, at least you’ll have the love of your life there with you.
Pause.
LUCY nods and goes to get the phone.
LIGHTS FADE.