#23: THE CREEK

Written by
Joseph Frost
Draft
8/26/16
written for the 2016 31 Plays in 31 Days project

Joseph Frost, 2016

4550 Normandy Dr
Jackson, MS 39206
FrostJosephD@gmail.com
* member, Dramatists Guild of America

PAUL stands on a creekside. He carefully removes some

outer clothing until he is in a modest swimsuit.
He wades into the water, and gets to the middle - waist
deep.
He raises his arms and closes his eyes.
PAUL
I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
I believe that Jesus is the son of God
That dies on the cross
and on the third day rose again
for the forgiveness of my sins
In The name of the Father
the Son
and the Holy Spirit
Paul sinks below the water.
Crashing through the bushes is SHANE - filthy and
ragged. He falls to the ground creekside.
Shane anxiously rips off his torn shirt and pants. He is in
ragged underwear.
Shane dives into the water.
Paul bursts forth from the water.
SHANE
What the...
PAUL
(spits)
Oh. Whats happening?
SHANE
What are you doing in the creek?
PAUL
(rubbing water out of his eyes)
I was just... I was...

2.
SHANE
(hears something)
Sh.
PAUL
What? Whats going on...
SHANE
SHHH!
Shane grabs Pauls mouth.
PAUL
Let go of me.
SHANE
Be quiet. Im trying to listen.
Paul breaks away.
PAUL
Listen without grabbing me.
SHANE
Sh.
(a moment)
You dont hear a dog, do you?
PAUL
A dog?
SHANE
Or dogs.
PAUL
No.
Shane starts to wash in the creek.
SHANE
You dont have any soap on you?
PAUL
Soap?

3.
SHANE
Yeah.
PAUL
No.
SHANE
I need to... I need to clean up.
PAUL
You could go home and do that.
SHANE
(smiles)
Yeah. I could. Thats a good idea.
PAUL
Yeah.
Shane dunks himself, comes back up.
SHANE
What are you doing out here? Swimmin?
PAUL
Me? Oh no. No. Not really.
SHANE
Ok.
PAUL
You in some kind of... trouble?
SHANE
Im just... I was out for a run and wanted to cool off.
PAUL
Ah. That makes sense.
SHANE
Yeah. It does.
A long moment.

4.
PAUL
Well...
SHANE
Yeah...
PAUL
Yeah.
Paul and Shane start to go back to their creek banks.
Shane notices Pauls swim trunks.
SHANE
Youre wearing trunks.
PAUL
Hm?
SHANE
You got swim trunks on.
PAUL
Me? Yeah.
SHANE
You said you werent swimmin.
PAUL
I did. I said that. Yeah.
Shane picks up his dirty clothes.
PAUL (CONTD)
Those your running clothes?
SHANE
Yeah. Kinda.
Shane holds them out, trying to decide whether or not to
put them back on.
PAUL
You were running, werent you? On the run.

5.
SHANE
Yeah.
PAUL
You know what I was doing?
SHANE
No.
PAUL
I was baptizing myself.
SHANE
Baptizing.
PAUL
Yeah.
SHANE
Like baptism. And Jesus and all that. Like church.
PAUL
Well, theres no church here, but...
SHANE
Dont you need a preacher for that?
PAUL
I didnt have one.
SHANE
And you needed an urgent right-away baptism?
PAUL
I did. Needed it pretty bad.
(beat)
You need one too, dont you.
SHANE
What are you saying?
PAUL
Youre not on a daily run for exercise.

6.
SHANE
No.
PAUL
Get in the creek.
SHANE
For what.
PAUL
Im gonna baptise you.
SHANE
I dont wanna get baptized. I dont know nothing about Jesus.
Paul works back into the water.
PAUL
Tell you what. I leave Jesus between you and him. But you need to get clean.
Paul gets to the middle.
Shane looks around. He looks at his clothes.
He drops the clothes and gets back in the water.
SHANE
This is weird, man.
PAUL
I know.
Paul raises up his hands.
SHANE
No Jesus.
PAUL
My parts between me and Jesus.
(beat)
Lord Jesus, I pray your cleansing blood over this man, who is as in need of you as we all
are.
Paul puts his hand on Shanes back.

7.
Paul lowers Shane into the water.
Paul raises Shane up.
Shane spits water, rubs his eyes.
SHANE
So now Im clean?
PAUL
Do you believe it?
SHANE
I dont know.
Shane starts to get out on his creek bank.
PAUL
Hey.
(beat)
Go that way.
Paul indicates his side of the creek.
SHANE
My clothes.
PAUL
Take mine.
(beat)
You got some running to do.
SHANE
What about...
PAUL
Thats my problem.
Shane goes to Pauls bank.
Shane picks up Pauls clothes and puts them on.
SHANE
I dont know what to say.

8.
PAUL
Say nothing.
(beat)
Go.
Shane looks at him a moment then runs off.
Paul gets out of the water.
He puts on Shanes clothes.
He takes a deep breath, then heads off to where Shane
came from.
The creek flows for a moment.
Lights down.
End.