excerpt | MYTHistory of the Son

MYTHistory of the Son

play-in-progress

By Cindy Marie Jenkins

All rights reserved © 2011.

Last week the Blue Dragon Scribe Shoppe appeared as a character in my new play, unbeknownst to the writer until I wrote it. That event completely fits into my mythology and ongoing writing development. Thanks to LA Writers Center for plugging through the pages with me.

 

The Blue Dragon Scribe Shoppe

 (THE HALF-BREED travels through The City. Whenever he turns in one direction, everything changes and he finds he is lost again.

He sees evils of The City: burglaries being committed, graffiti, prostitution, cheating at cards. He sees it all and shields his eyes. After getting more lost, HALF-BREED shudders and falls to the ground in horror and over-stimulation. When he opens his eyes again, the small stand he was searching for is right in front of him. Its awning has faded so dimly that we can only make out some sort of scaled creature and “BD”. BD SCRIBE hands THE HALF-BREED a glass of wine.)

BD SCRIBE

Hello, Shep.

THE HALF-BREED

I’m beyond even wondering how you know my name.

Did you see what’s out there? Did you see the creature with claws, dripping in–?

BD SCRIBE

Strange things exist.

HALF-BREED

Yes. So.

Do you have the – why I came here?

BD SCRIBE

Where did my Hairy Friend pick you up?

HALF-BREED

Back. Well, very far. From very far away.

BD SCRIBE

And he didn’t tell you what to find here?

HALF-BREED

No, he doesn’t tell me a lot. He just said, he said it wouldn’t look like much.

BD SCRIBE

There he is right.

(She hands him a lumpy scroll.)

HALF-BREED

Thank you—I’m sorry. He didn’t even tell me your name.

BD SCRIBE

Cybil.

HALF-BREED

Cybil. Then you are a She?

BD SCRIBE

I am. (pause) No shame, Young One. I am much too old to care.

Why do you wait?

HALF-BREED

The…scroll, it’s—

BD SCRIBE

In your bag.

(He checks. It is.)

Just waiting for you.

You have what you wanted. Why stay?

HALF-BREED

I – don’t know. But I want to.

We’ve traveled a long time and I haven’t really wanted to stay anywhere, isn’t that strange?

(He sits.)

How do you know my friend? Do you know his name? I can’t get him to tell me anythi—

BD SCRIBE

It would be crude in our culture not to recognize another Teller.

HALF-BREED

Teller….? What are you? Where am I? How do I get back?

BD SCRIBE

So many questions. Yes. A Teller. We clearly established earlier that I am a She and I believe it is clear to anyone with eyes that I am a Scribe. From the Blue Dragon breed, to be exact. This is my shoppe. To return to the palace, just follow back the way you came.

HALF-BREED

Can I come back?

BD SCRIBE

If you look.

(HALF-BREED exits)

But I won’t be here again.

HALF-BREED

What do you mean?

BD SCRIBE

Can you take just one more step outside, please?

HALF-BREED

(As he does:) Well, sure but is there anything I can ever find out–?

(But the BD Scribe Shoppe is gone and The City remains. HALF-BREED searches unbelievingly through The City, a little less disturbing than before, and exits.)

 

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