I just want this storm to cease, To find a fleeting breath of peace. Bad luck clings tight, it won’t let go, A heavy weight that pulls me low.

What crime, what curse, what ancient sin Brings endless trouble crashing in? Each day a trial I can’t escape, A nightmare wrapped in waking shape.

All I ask is one still day, A quiet path, a smoother way. One moment free from fear’s tight hold, A chance to breathe before I fold.

But sadness lives within my chest, A sinking stone, a heart oppressed. I scream, but silence steals my sound; My voice is lost, my soul unbound.

No ears will hear, no hands will reach— I fight for love, but love won’t teach The pain to ease, the hurt to mend— I want it gone; I want the end.

Bad luck, my shadow, stalks my path, A curse that feeds on sorrow’s wrath. I long for peace, a fleeting sun, But still, this race I cannot run.

(Open scene at a Lake.)

Glasses: You know I hate fishing. (She silently fumes while giving death glares to Diva.)

Diva: I know you have…family problems with this recreational activity we call (She makes air quotes with her fingers) “fishing”, but I couldn’t think of anything else to do. Unless you want to go mud bogging?

Glasses, Honey Bear, Hollow: No.

Diva: Well then._ (She gestures at the boat, where her boyfriend—who we’ll call Deep Voice—waves.)_ Think of it this way, you’ll be able to meet my boyfriend! Eh? Eh?

_(Hollow starts at the lake, her voice small.) _Hollow: B-big water. Big water!

(Honey Bear wraps an arm around Hollow reassuringly. She raises a brow.) Honey Bear: How did Emo get out of this one?

Diva: Her mom wants her to clean the house.

Honey Bear: Ah.

Deep Voice: Hey guys, you ready to go?

Diva: Yeah!

Honey Bear: Sure, I guess.

Glasses, Hollow: No….

(Open scene in a boat floating in the middle of the river.)

(Hollow and Glasses are huddled against Honey Bear’s sides. Glasses looked pissed; Hollow’s eyes are wide and she is frozen. Diva and Deep Voice are chatting and fishing. The boat isn’t very large.)

Honey Bear: Are you two okay?

Glasses: I hate this. I hate this. (She brushes back her strawberry-blonde hair, turning red from the exposure to the sunlight) I wanna go back to the shore.

(Hollow just whimpers.)

Honey Bear: Alright, that’s it. Diva! Take us back to the shore, right now. Please.

Diva: Oh, you want to go back already? _(She checks her phone.) _It hasn’t even been thirty minutes.

_(Honey Bear’s voice grows deep, deep enough that Deep Voice himself raises his eyebrows.) _

Honey Bear: Now.

(Back on shore.)

(Glasses has been picked up by her mom’s boyfriend. Hollow and Honey Bear sit together, drawing in the mud. Diva is sulking. Deep Voice is distracting himself by putting the fish he caught in the ice box.)

Honey Bear: Diva.

Diva: What._ (Her voice is snappish.)_

(Honey Bear stays calm though, she’s good at that. She pats her left side where she’s sitting on the mud with Hollow making noises to herself on the right.) Honey Bear: Come on. We need to talk.

_(Despite her attitude, she comes immediately.) _Diva: Is this about the boat?

Hollow: Of course it is, what else would it be about? Wait. Are you being sarcastic?

Honey Bear: You know better than anyone that Glasses hates fishing. And Hollow has said serval times that she can’t swim and she has a phobia of being in large, open water. I just wanna know why you did it.

Diva: Well, maybe, just maybe, I wanted my friends to join me on my one year anniversary with my boyfriend. And maybe…maybe, I knew about those problems and I ignored them because I thought that if we were together that we’d still have a great time…. (Her voice grows quiet at the end of this. She averts her eyes to the ground.) Saying it out loud…it sounds stupid.

Hollow: And arrogant.

Honey Bear: And not like you. Look, Diva, you know we all love you and we know you love us—in your own special way. But people have boundaries for a reason: they want to be and feel safe. Did you feel safe out on the open water, Hollow?

Hollow: No.

Honey Bear: And I’m sure Glasses had a horrible time as well.

Hollow: She hates fishing because her bio-father used to always force her too with her brother.

Diva: Yeah…I know. I’m sorry guys.

Honey Bear: No problem.

Hollow: If you do it again, I’ll find you.

Diva, Honey Bear: …

_(Hollow goes back to humming and drawing in the mud.) _

Honey Bear: Sometimes I worry about you.

(Open scene with Hollow sketching in her bedroom.)

Hollow: Nya! Dang—I gotta stop doing that.

(Air Strike (11) enters, their baby brother—who we’ll call Holy Saint (2)—walks in behind him.)

Holy Saint: Hewo, Hollow, how are you doing?

(Hollow smiles, ignoring Air Strike and helping Holy Saint onto her bed, not forgetting to close her sketchbook for protection against the toddler) Hollow: I’m doing fine, Bean, how are you?

Holy Saint: I’m good. _(He points to her newest stuffed toy that she got for Christmas) _Taco, please?

(Hollow hands Holy Saint her taco plush, then turns to Air Strike, narrowing her eyes) Hollow: What do you want?

Air Strike: Come on! How do you know I came here for something.

(Hollow blinks slowly)

Air Strike: Okay. Okay. I need a pencil.

Hollow: Will you bring it back?

Air Strike: ….

Hollow: No.

Air Strike: Wait! You didn’t let me answer!

＊＊＊

(Open scene at lunch)

Diva: So, how was everyone’s break?

Emo: Eh.

Honey Bear: We stayed with my dad’s fiancé’s grandpa._ (She shivers) _There was no source of technology in that whole house.

Hollow: I went to a funeral.

(Dive, Emo, and Honey Bear turn to her, those looks in their eyes.)

Hollow: It was my great-great step-grandmother; I hardly knew her.

Diva: It’s still a death, Hollow, how are you like this?

(Hollow shrugs) Hollow: Death doesn’t bother me. Everyone dies.

Emo: True that.

Hollow: Did you just agree with me?

(The table is quiet)

Emo: No, bitch. Yes, I did._ (She points at Diva and Honey Bear) _You two shut up!

＊＊＊

(Back at Hollow’s Home)

Pigtails: BUT I WANT IT!

(Hollow and Pigtails are currently arguing over the last bagel. Air Strike is watching the proceedings while eating the chicken pie he microwaved.)

Hollow: I TOUCHED IT FIRST! DIDN’T I, AIR STRIKE!

(Air Strike raises his hands in peace) Air Strike: I’m not involved with this.

Mum: HOLLOW! PIGTAILS! SIT YOUR BEHINDS DOWN BEFORE I EAT THAT BAGEL!

Hollow, Pigtails: NOOOOO!!

Air Strike, (and Holy Saint who has somehow wandered in the kitchen unnoticed): YESS!

All Siblings: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

(Hollow, Pigtails, Air Strike, and Holy Saint continue to scream. No doubt the neighbors hear them; the walls are thin. Mum sighs, putting her head in her hands before continuing her work.)

Mum: Why did I have four kids? (She looks down at her skinny body) How did I have four kids?

＊＊＊

(Open scene at Lunch)

(Hollow, Diva, and Honey Bear are talking to two boys behind them. Emo is on her phone. We’ll call one boy Baseball Hat, and the other Nice Guy.)

Baseball Hat: No, I do not lick children. You misheard what I said, Hollow.

Hollow, Diva, Honey Bear: We all heard you say that you lick children, man.

Diva: And you said that you bang guys.

Baseball Hat: I do NOT bang guys. I am a fully straight man—I’ve gone hard from titties.

Hollow, Honey Bear: WHAAAA—

_(Nice Guy looks up from his lunch and his phone, peeved that this conversation is even happening.) _Nice Guy: Baseball Hat, shut up before you make this worse. Do you have evidence that he said any of this, Diva?

Diva: Nooo….

Nice Guy: Then the victim is proven innocent.

Honey Bear: The victim did say he licks children, though.

(Baseball Hat flushes red.) Baseball Hat: No I did NOOOOT!

“I wanted it to be you.”

“We don’t work.”

“How can you say that?”

“We don’t; we are like snow and flame. One burns too hot, the other too cold.”

“I suppose I am the flame?”

“No, no you are the snow, cold and cruel.”

“How dare you—“

“You’ve caused me pain, and drowned my feelings in your own self misery.”

“…”

“Goodbye. Let your snow fall elsewhere.”

Eve says I was made for you to be a baby factory. Once comes Abel, Second came Cain.

Adam says Were we not commanded to be fruitful and multiply?

Eve says I don’t know, ask your first wife.

Adam says Not this again.

Eve says She had the privilege of individuality. Lilith was dust And I am just a walking rib.

Adam says You were made for me, and I you.

Eve says I was a consolation prize.

Adam says But it was I who won this lottery.

Eve says Yahweh gave us paradise, and you can’t go find someone else to bother?

Adam says You are the only one I want to bother.

Eve says Well, let’s make this a little more interesting.

The serpent says Come with me, I will show you that the fruit of the tree Has bitter truths—oh, but they taste so sweet going down.

“All that stuff you wrote—I could’ve said the same thing, but I like to be left alone. I think you know that.” “I do know that.” “You cheated on me.” “You didn’t want to be with me!” “I didn’t believe it!”

“you write for ego, no?”

“don’t we all? but, i do NEED to write”

“do you? or are you aware it is your best shot at fame?”

“is fame a bad thing?”

“it was for Salinger”

“a lot was bad for Salinger”

“at least he wrote for himself”

“yes, he gave up publishing after he was a millionaire for life - how brave”

“more examples than just him”

“and they all get divorced”

“and they all get divorced - whether they enjoy fame or not”

“so, should i just give up writing? just make myself fall in love with the idea of being a commonman PHONY?”

“if you want to keep your wife and sanity”

“and who writes good under those conditions?”

Well, the characters/my friends are back. New and improved since I’m seeing them again.

——

(Scene starts at lunch)

Diva: Do you like my hair?

Emo, Honey Bear, Hollow: WHAT DID YOU DO TO IT?

(Diva grins and cocks her head)

Diva: I already told you guys. (She points to her head, scooping a spoonful of guacamole into her mouth) Thin hair; kept picking it; Pixie Cut.

Hollow: That…said nothing about why you cut your hair.

Honey Bear: She had thin hair because she kept pulling it, so to stop herself from becoming bald, she cut her hair. Is that good, Hollow?

Hollow: Yes. Thank you.

_(She grimaces, puffy headphones sliding back onto her head.) _Emo: It looks ugly.

Diva: Such a ray of sunshine, aren’t you, Emo?

(Open scene at lunch again)

(Hollow is patting Honey Bear’s head and pulling some of her hairs out softly. Honey Bear looks at her weird but doesn’t move to stop her. She’s busy talking to Emo. Diva is late to lunch.)

_(She stops, rubbing her hands against her pants before pulling out her water bottle to start her lunch officially.) _

Hollow: You know, your hair is kinda red.

(She turns to Hollow, Emo does as well with her usual look on her face.) Honey Bear: Really?

(She nods.) Hollow: Yeah. Like, brown too. Reddish-brown.

_(Honey Bear brings some of her hair forward, pushing out her bottom lip.) _Honey Bear: I’ve always thought it was more darker than anything.

Emo: You guys are weird. Hollow, you’re weirder, of course.

(She frowns. Then looks back at her pizza and sticks out her tongue teasingly.) Hollow: I hate you.

(Emo shrugs, then flicks her off) Emo: I know, bitch.

_(Honey Bear looks between her two friends with a shaky smile on her face.) _Honey Bear: Can’t we all be weird toget—

Emo, Hollow: No.

Emo: Impossible.

Hollow: Utterly unachievable.

Honey Bear: O—O. K.

(End of school as Hollow gets off the bus with her siblings. She sees Honey Bear, who walked, sitting on the stairs of the school with her own siblings and other students. Glasses waves at Hollow and she waves back, happy to see her younger friend is doing okay in school so far.)

Glasses: Hey, Hollow. Guess what!

_(She points to the bus she just came off of.) _Hollow: The bus is about to leave. What is it?

(Glasses leans in close. Hollow’s brother—who we’ll call Air Strike—looks at them weird before rolling his eyes and walking to where their sister—who we’ll call Pigtails—is waiting.) Glasses: Some dude was showing everyone porn today. (She giggles) It was sooo bad, but kinda interesting, to be honest.

(Hollow blinks.) Hollow: Whaaaaaa—

Glasses: Okay! I gotta go! Bye, have a great day!

(Hollow is still in shock.) Hollow: —aaaaaaaaaaaaa—

Air Strike: OH COME ON! YOUR NOT FRIEND IS GOOONE!

Hollow: Porn?! _(Her voice is a low whisper as she stalks over to her brother. She first hits him upside his head, not suprised when he hits back, then walks in front of her siblings to go to where their mum is waiting for them.) _Shut your trap, I do have friends.

Pigtails: No, you don’t.

(Hollow grants her a shove as well.)

(Wanted to write more, but I got a project to do. 😭 It’s due by Thursday, and Im going on a cruise Friday. Thanks for reading! ❤️)

“Small pieces. Details in pictures. You don’t see all the colors.”

“That’s because I can’t.”

“But you can. You’re just taught not to see it.”

“But I could_ never see it.”_

“I know it seems hard.”

“It’s more than just hard, it’s impossible.”

“Just relax.”

“But I can’t.”

“Deep breaths. In. Out.”

“But it doesn’t work. Nothing works.”

“It does. Right now you’re just looking at the stop sign in the road. You’re not figuring out why it’s there.”

_“_It’s already there for a reason, so why should I have to figure it out?”

“Because people make mistakes. Everyone does. You, me. You need to see the bigger picture of it all. Don’t let the blind lead the blind.”

“It’s not a choice to be blind.”

“But it’s a choice to be the leader or follower.”

“I can’t lead.”

“That’s because your blind. You can’t see far enough to be the one to lead, no, you have to follow.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing.”

“You don’t understand, you have to follow with hope. With an idea. With knowledge. With faith. It’s not all about sight.”

“Then why does it matter if I’m blind?”

“Because you’re blind to everything. You don’t have any of the things you need to be a follower. You’re a weak, useless person. Once you realize that and try, maybe finally someone with sight can lead the rest.”

“Do you remember?” “Yes.” “Are you scared?” “Everyone is scared.” “Are you?” “Yes.” “Do you miss it?” “Yes.” “Will I?” “I don’t know.” “Why can’t it be that way again?” “Because, it doesn’t work that way.” “How come it can’t work that way?” “Ask the crickets.” “What will they tell me?” “That the sun doesn’t ever only set once.” “Is it always setting?” “Yes.” “What does that mean for tomorrow?” “What tomorrow?” “My tomorrow.” “There ain’t nobody’s tomorrow, kid.” “What do you mean?” “What do I mean?” “Yes.” “I mean,

Live for today.”