{"id":2083,"date":"2016-01-23T19:10:19","date_gmt":"2016-01-24T00:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lifeinspice.com\/?page_id=2083"},"modified":"2016-01-30T14:47:08","modified_gmt":"2016-01-30T19:47:08","slug":"scene-16","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lifeinspice.com\/?page_id=2083","title":{"rendered":"Scene 16"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
previous scene<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"16head02\"<\/p>\n

Henry and Winston sitting by the wall, Winston sitting erect, Henry sort of slumped. During the course of this scene, Henry becomes increasingly tense.<\/em><\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

\u2026 quite an honor to be working with you, sir.<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

The name is Henry, kid. Sit back, relax, get yourself comfortable.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

The name is Winston, sir \u2026 uh, I mean Henry.<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

The pleasure is all mine, I\u2019m sure. We don\u2019t gotta be so formal out here. Gotta learn to relax. After yesterday\u2019s action, won\u2019t be no action for months.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

Then what happened to \u2026 you know \u2026 the guy I\u2019m replacing? I thought he, uh, got it last night.<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

Young whatsisname? Well, that\u2019ll go down in the report as an unrelated accident.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

Accident?<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

Yeah. He accidentally went nuts in the middle of the night, accidentally grabbed a pistol, and accidentally ran out into the ruins screaming, \u201cCome out you dastardly cowards!\u201d over and over and shooting into the air until he whooped out this great big scream. Somebody must have been accidentally pissed off at him waking them up.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

He wasn\u2019t supposed to go out there, was he?<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

I\u2019ll check the regulations, but I don\u2019t think so. He had difficulties with relaxation. Anyway, come sun-up, there\u2019s his head sitting on a rock about 150 feet out there, grinning like a possum eating shit. Welcome to the wall, son.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

Only 150 feet? Commander Breckridge said they never got closer than 400 yards unless it was a full-fledged kamikaze rush.<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

Shit changes. Don\u2019t sweat it.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

But our report \u2026<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

Fill one out if that\u2019ll keep you amused, but don\u2019t bug me about reports. I used to be curious whether anybody read that shit, so I started making up all sorts of tales. Cosmic voices, the tread of mysterious creatures, eyes glowing in the night, lights in the sky. The earth shaking beneath my feet, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. You\u2019d think they\u2019d throw a conniption, but I never heard a word back about any of it. They really didn\u2019t care. So you gotta lighten up.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

I see. In fact, I feel lighter already. Maybe \u2026<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

Hey, have you heard this one? Shababa walks into this bar and the bartender asks, \u201cWhat are those two bulges in the front of your trousers?\u201d \u201cWell gee,\u201d says Shababa, \u201cThey’re hand grenades. Next time that Kassim comes feeling up my balls, I’ll blow his goddamn fingers off!\u201d<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

Isn\u2019t that against regulations, the one about unauthorized ordinance or something? I mean, shouldn\u2019t Shababa have been suspended? And wouldn\u2019t Kassim have been scheduled for counseling?<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

Dummy, it was a joke! You might at least pretend to laugh.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

Heh, heh, heh. I see. You\u2019re trying to make an analogy between our situation out here on the wall and \u2026<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

No, I\u2019m trying to help you lighten up. Like why did the chicken cross over the wall?<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

I didn\u2019t think a chicken could \u2026 Oh, I get it. Heh, heh.<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

Oy vey! Dear lord, Why do I have all the luck? Look, kid \u2026<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

Winston, sir.<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

Yeah, sure. Look, what you gotta be doing is getting acclimated. Get adjusted out here \u2014 how it feels, how it sounds, all times of day, all kinds of weather. Study them ruins real careful, the broken skyscrapers and the rubble heaps, the dips and mounds and splintered bones and ashes \u2026<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

I see. Perhaps I could produce a map highlighting the key terrain features with circles and arrows pointing out \u2026<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

No good, kid, er, Winston, kid. Maps don\u2019t tell you nothing about the important stuff, the stuff that means livin\u2019 and dyin\u2019.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

And what would that be, sir, uh, Henry?<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

\u2026 the shadows. Most of all, the shadows.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/p>\n

What do you mean, the shadows?<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

(speaking ever more quickly)<\/em> The shadows \u2026 Most everything out there is dead \u2014 nothing green grows, the very earth poisoned. No bird dares fly overhead. Only the shadows come alive, especially at sunset, they come creeping towards us seeking a hungry lover\u2019s embrace. An angry, betrayed, hungry lover whispering for vengeance. A coolness comes over you, spreads from your insides. The voices start whispering, join us, join us, come join us. Your body tingles. You fear what would happen if you even tried to stand. You don\u2019t move.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

Did this ever hap \u2026<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

Clouds bring violent storms. \u00a0The sky explodes, shadows dance and leap alive with the psychotic twitching of a broken spine. Thunderclaps blast and then crackle above like the echo of our guns. Clouds part, the mad dance ends, and now the moon itself shimmers down, swollen with greenish venom like some monstrous spider casting feathery gossamer ghostly webs that your crazed mind sees writhing madly in some death agony. If only a single strand were to touch you, you\u2019re sure, it would be forever. And you know it\u2019s just a matter of time.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

Sir, I\u2019m beginning to \u2026<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

Something caresses the back of your hand. Your scream is strangled, no sound escapes your gaping mouth. Your heart hammers as if to explode. You await the dawn in a frozen joker\u2019s scream, as tears roll down your petrified cheeks. (calms down)<\/em> Yeah, you gotta learn to relax.<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

I truly appreciate the opportunity. And just how do you relax?<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

How\u2019s about we sing? C\u2019mon. (sings to tune of Mademoiselle from Armantiers)<\/em> \u201cThe first marine went over the wall, parley voo!\u201d Cmon, dammit. This\u2019ll help you relax. \u00a0(louder)<\/em> \u201cThe second marine went over the wall, parley vooooo!\u201d You seek the wisdom of the ages, eh, son?<\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

To the extent I\u2019m capable, sir, I mean Henry \u2026 er \u2026 Henry, sir.<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

(sings louder yet)<\/em> \u201cThe third marine went over the wall, got shot in the ass with a cannon ball, hinky dinky parley voo!\u201d (laughs maniacally)<\/em><\/p>\n

Winston<\/h4>\n

(short, forced laugh)<\/em> Heh, heh, very good, sir. But if you could explain \u2026<\/p>\n

Henry<\/h4>\n

How\u2019d I get so good at relaxing out here, you ask? Oh yeah, that \u2026 Well, y\u2019see, kid, I\u2019ve got me this hobby \u2026<\/p>\n

Lights out, sound of machine gun.\u00a0 Omnes exeunt.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014 End \u2014<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
previous scene<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

previous scene Henry and Winston sitting by the wall, Winston sitting erect, Henry sort of slumped. During the course of this scene, Henry becomes increasingly tense. Winston \u2026 quite an honor to be working with you, sir. Henry The name … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2083","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P77v4L-xB","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeinspice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeinspice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeinspice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeinspice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeinspice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2083"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/lifeinspice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2083\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2381,"href":"https:\/\/lifeinspice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2083\/revisions\/2381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeinspice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}