Creative works in progress continued...

The Dugout

Characters
Man: middle aged, dressed in rags, unshaven, and filthy, sitting in a red mobility chair sitting in a empty dugout in a local park

Father: Man’s illusion of his actual father. Real father is not actually present in scene. The character of Father is a figure of Man’s imagination. Man uses his perception of his father to create the character he is conversing with

(Two men sitting in dugout)

Father: What happened to ya son?

Man: What happened to me?! What happened to you?! What happened to us?! How did
we end up like this?

Father: Like what? I’m not the crazy one, you are.

Man: O…So I’M the crazy one!? It takes a crazy father to make a crazy son!

Father: Me? Crazy?! Please, You’re so crazy that you don’t even know what crazy is!

Man: Yeah, ya know, you’re right. What is crazy? Am I crazy? I can’t tell. Thinking about being crazy or not makes me crazy. I’m not too sure who I even am.

Father: How do you not even know who you are? Are you that stupid?! Man, you must of taken one too many bullets to the head.

Man: You always put me down! The only reason I ever let those bullets in my head was to make you proud! That’s all I’ve ever wanted was for you to be proud of your son. You were the big hotshot army general. I wanted to be you. Can you just leave me alone?! Haven’t I done enough?! I sacrificed my life just to see you smiling at the sound of my name. But no, all that, and you still think of me as the family screw-up.

Father: Well that’s your own damn fault. Your hand signed the army contract not mine. This was your decision and you chose to fuck yourself up.

Man: Well, what was I suppose to do?! War seemed to be my only option. I hated school so I never bothered to get the grades, and you the rest of the stupid family kept pressuring me to be just like you.

Father: For crying out loud, I thought you wanted to go into the army, that’s why I pushed you so damn hard. You bipolar or something? You want to fight you don’t want to fight…so sissy of ya…just like your mother….wanderin’ around in every fuckin’ direction.

Man: Ya see that’s why I’m so messed up, because I had you and the bipolar woman as parents. Look where you’ve lead me in a fuckin’ dugout!

Father: Well what were we suppose to do with such an idiot! You said it yourself you were a complete screw-up in high school, so the best we could do is test you in combat. Now you know, you really can’t do shit.

Man: Why are you always putting me down?! I thought fathers were suppose to be loving? Look over there, ya see the Dad’s picking up their boys from school. They look happy. Why didn’t our family ever look like that?!

Father: Son, everyone’s got problems. We’re all screwed-up. Some more than others, but we’re all fuck ups. I fucked up, your mom fucked up, and you fucked up.

Man: Well, now what am I suppose to do?!

Father: I don’t know. Don’t ask me, I’m not even real.

Man: What do you mean, you’re not even real? You’re my Father for crying out loud! I know you don’t love me a whole lot, but you can’t even admit to being my own father!?
Why won’t you help me?

Father: You idiot! I’m just a figure of your imagination! I’m just a part of your messed up mind.

Man: No…you’re my father!!!

Father: No I’m just an illusion.

Man: So am I in a dream?

Father: No.

Man: So I’m in reality?

Father: Yes.

Man: So why are you here? Are you my Father’s ghost? Have you come back from the dead to rescue me?

Father: No, I just said I’m a figure of your imagination. Your Father is still tucked away in his grave, but you’re still here in this dugout, talking to yourself.

Man: How can I be talking to myself if I’m talking to you? We are both in this dugout talking.

Father: No, you are alone.

Man: But I don’t want to be alone.

Father: Sorry son, but you are.

Man: No, no, no, take that back! That’s not true! I’m dreaming, yeah, that’s right, this is just a bad dream. Wake up, wake up, (slaps his face)

Father: Hitting yourself on the face isn’t going to make things any better, you look even crazier.

Man: I need to get back to happy times, I need to get out of this dream.

Father: For crying out loud you’re not in a dream. This is real. You are living alone in a dugout.

Man: Shut-up!!!

Father: You’re alone, always will be, you’re trapped, always will be...

Man: Lalalala, I can’t hear you!!!!!

Father: You’re trapped, you’re alone, always will be…

Man: LA-LA-LA-LA I can’t hear you!!!!!!!!!

Father You always will be trapped and alone.

Man Shut the Fuck Up!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What’s wrong with you?! I thought you were suppose to be help me?

Father: You’re not listening to anything I say.

Man: You’re saying mean words….I don’t like mean words (rocks his body back and forth)

Father: You’re pathetic!

Man: You’re mean!!!!!

Father: You’re fuckin’ insane

Man: Go away!! You’re hurting me! Leave me alone, just leave me alone!!!!!!!!

(Man in fetal position in dugout)