The Throes (Part 5)

Artwork by ADEE

The Throes
Part 5
"No, You're Actually Killing Me."

(Read parts 1-4 HERE)
(List of Characters HERE)

Sonja is driving a girl, Rona, around the block in her BMW.

Sonja/Why did you say you were drugged? I didn’t tell you to say that.
Rona/How else am I supposed to explain why I didn’t come home?
S/You should’ve said you drank too much, which you did, and that you don’t remember.
R/I don’t blackout. Everyone knows that. Listen, I don’t know what this guy did to you, but he is a friend of a friend so I am done being part of whatever kind of sick joke this is. I don’t know what you were doing in his apartment when we got there, for all I know you’re stalking him, or trying to frame him or something. I don’t know. I shouldn’t have taken you up on it. So if you picked me up to try and have me do something else, forget it.
There is a long pause. They are both staring off into the road.
S/I’ll give you another $300.
Silence. They are both frozen.
Rona closes her eyes in a slow surrender.

________________________________________________________________________

Sonja is in the dank basement apartment of Chet Grover. He is shirtless, skinny and scruffy. He is sitting on an old, beat-up couch. She is standing over him.
Chet/What do you want me to do when I meet him?
Sonja/Just scare him.
C/Scare him?
S/Yeah, you know.
C/No. How?
S/Talk shit.
Chet takes it in. Starts nodding slowly.
C/Being that you’re not giving me specifics, I assume you mean random shit.
S/Yeah. Loosely wrapped threats.
She goes to the table in the hallway, puts something down on it and makes her way to the door.
S/I’m leaving the address on this table.
C/Are you fucking this guy?
S/Fuck off, Chet.
She opens the door. Waves.
S/So long.
C/Yeah, yeah. Don’t forget to call Mom tomorrow at work.

________________________________________________________________________

Sonja is at the kitchen sink in her apartment. She is washing the toaster in a frighteningly methodical way. Kira facing her on the other side of the island.
Kira/This is so sick. You are so fucking disgusting.
Sonja is not facing her; she is calmly engrossed in her chore.
Sonja/Don’t talk to me like that.
K/Fuck you, you’re not my mother. Why are you using me to lie to him?
S/Because he needs to learn a lesson.
K/That is so fucked up! That’s not even what it’s about. There’s something else going on. I’m telling my father. I can’t let this-
S/Kira, you tell your father and I’ll tell him about Carl.
Kira’s face drops.
S/And about what’s under you trunk in the corner.
Kira looks at her frightened, like she just performed some slight-of-hand trick that defies the laws of science.
S/Don’t think I won’t.
Sonja finally turns to look at her. She smiles coldly.
S/I don’t want your dad worrying about anything. Now, you’re going to do exactly what I tell you to do or else what I have to tell your father will make him barricade you so long in your room you won’t remember what a boy is, or sunlight for that matter. And I don’t even have to make anything up.
Kira turns red. She looks like she is about to stomp her feet. She dashes off down the hall toward her room
Sonja cracks a smile. Then under her breath…
S/Love you too, honey.
_________________________________________________________________

The Flynn family is standing around the kitchen table. There are take-out food containers everywhere. Sonja, Kira and Mr. Flynn are all cheerfully scooping various selections onto their plates. Light, high-toned small talk abounds. There is no tension to be found anywhere in this snapshot. To the unsuspecting observer, this is a fun, free-spirited family. Mr. Flynn reaches to grab the Seafood delight and finds himself in kissing distance to his wife. He partakes. They smile. A shrimp falls from his spoon.

________________________________________________________________________


John lifts his head. It’s morning.
He is in his new apartment. It seems much more spacious than his last one, but it is hard to tell because there are boxes everywhere and no furniture. He is on the floor in a spot that was cleared. There are three empty champagne bottles laying next to him along with a half empty bottle of JD and a sleeping, half-dressed woman.
When John scans the vicinity’s contents he is confused. For a second, he doesn’t even recognize the girl. But a moment later it comes back to him.
Yelana is her name. From the Agency. She brought over some pizza and some champagne. Pleading with her that he shouldn’t drink only made her insist on it more. But why the JD? That was packed away. He can’t remember. It must have been his drunken alter ego, operating on auto pilot in a desperate search for something to fuel the fire of inebriation. It makes him sick to think of it. And, isn’t it just how the mind works, that one sad depressing thought leads to another. “I impregnated my boss’ child” he says, almost out loud. The thought makes him weak and he falls semi-limp to the floor. It wakes Yelana up. She turns over to him, still drunk probably.
Yelana/What?
John/(in an almost inaudible mumble)I had sex with my boss’ daughter in a blackout. How could I do that?
But Yelana heard it before.
Y/Will you stop it! Stop saying that.
This strikes John as funny. He didn’t think he ever said it.
J/Yelana, it’s very important that I stay sober at this time. It’s actually dangerous. It’s fucking up my life. I told you not to get me drunk.
She is smiling like it is all fun and games.
Y/I’m a naughty girl, huh?
John puts a quick end to the flirtatious banter.
J/No, you’re actually killing me.
John’s eye catches the writing on the box behind her. It is the “Kira” box. He jumps up like it’s an omen and quickly turns the box around so he can’t see it. Getting up so quickly to his feet sends a shot of clarity to his brain.
J/Alright, time to go.
The BUZZER rings.
J/Oh shit.

to be continued...