Sunday, September 13, 2009

Story without dialogue

Lights rise on a middle aged man washing dishes. He noticeably pauses to look at the clock in the room and occasionally out the window. Leaving the water running, he paces across the room into the dining room for a minute or two.
Returning with a dish full of food, he walks to the trash can and empties the food off the plate into it, shaking his head.
He sighs, raises his head, and walks back to the sink. He sets the plate in the partially full soapy sink.
The phone rings.
He drips over to it, hurriedly. Before he gets to it, it stops ringing. He picks it up anyway. After a brief pause, he slams the phone onto its receiver. Then he heads back into the room out of view.
He returns again, arms full of soiled but empty plates and other flatware. He sets some dishes on the counter. He puts each one in the sink individually. He drops one of the last dishes and it breaks.
He falls to the floor, ending up in a seated position. After sobbing for several moments, a car door is heard from a distance shutting. Then a car is heard rolling away. Stanley stands up and looks out the window.
Quickly he turns on the radio on the counter (softly). He bends down and scoops up pieces of the broken plate into his hand. He walks across to the garbage and tosses it in. He again returns to the sink and turns down the radio.
Meanwhile, the edge of a credit card pushes through the front door, opening it slightly. A young man, dressed in overly large sporting attire with a hood, enters the room. As he notices Stanley, he hesitates moving. When Stanley doesn’t turn around, he darts across the room silently. He quickly finds access to the bedroom (out of view).
Stanley continues to wash dishes for another minute, tapping his foot. He turns and folds his arms, looking at the clock again. He proceeds downstage to the living room and notices the door is opened a bit. He looks around puzzled then shuts the door. He finally sits down in an over-stuffed recliner. He kicks off his shoes and pulls the lever on the side of the chair to raise his feet. He turns on the lamp at his right, and grabs the newspaper. He first glances at the front, but only a few seconds pass before he opens it and starts to read.
After a minute of silence he turns the page. He brings it to one side, almost shutting it to look over at the door. After a couple moments, he assumes the same position.
In walks the lady. She takes off her coat and scarf then hangs them up on a coat rack. She sets her keys in a porcelain dish by the door. As she’s about to take off her pumps, she notices Stanley sitting there reading.
She walks over by him. She stops briefly then continues on between him and the coffee table. She nudges his foot purposely as she straightens up the coffee table. When she realizes he’s still sitting there ignoring her, with his paper up in front of his face, she rolls her eyes, makes a frustrated noise and stamps off into the bedroom. She slams the door behind her.
Seconds pass before muffled noises are heard from the bedroom. Stanley puts his paper down and gloats to himself, while the ruckus continues in the bedroom. He gets up, after returning the chair to its upright position. He chuckles out loud as he walks to the kitchen. He pours himself a cup of coffee then heads toward the bedroom.
The bedroom door flies open. The hooded man inches out while holding a knife to the throat of the woman. Stanley notices and drops his cup of coffee. The hooded man has jewelry, sports memorabilia, and a laptop bag, obviously full, in tow.
Stanley moves forward up a step or two, raising his arms to waist level, psalms outstretched.
The hooded man nods his head upward, motioning Stanley to move backward. Stanley hesitantly stumbles back. The hooded man drags his blade across the woman’s neck a half-inch. She starts shrieking hysterically. With his other hand he slaps her. She shuts up.
Stanley fumbles into his back pocket. The hooded man motions for Stanley’s wallet. Stanley tosses the wallet at their feet. The hooded man shakes his head.
He pushes Gentri down to her knees, taking hold of her hair with one hand. She yelps, but reaches for the wallet.
Before rising, she looks up at Stanley. She winks at him. He looks back with concern, then confusion.
The hooded man turns his body to the side, raising his hip. He motions, with the knife, for Gentri to put the wallet in his pocket. With his other hand, he tightens his grip on her hair. She grunts.
The hooded man nudges Gentri forward. They take two labored steps, out of sync.
They take two more steps forward together, as Stanley moves backward, turning away from the audience.
The hooded man raises his knife, pointing it at Stanley. Stanley shakes his hands and continues backing up.
The hooded man takes a step to the side of Gentri. He yanks her hair again, forcing her to step toward the door. Stanley continues through the living room, facing the door.
Reaching the door, the hooded man turns about so he and Gentri face Stanley again. The hooded man pulls Gentri close to whisper in her ear.
As Gentri reaches around him for the door knob, she head butts him square in the nose.
The hooded man releases her hair and drops the knife as he covers his face, wailing in pain.Gentri seizes the opportunity to slam her heel down on his toes. She pounces on the knife as he falls backwards into the door, shutting it, continuing to the floor.

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