PLAY #19

Fire Escape

Written by
Joseph Frost

Draft
8/23/17

written as part of the 2017 31 Plays in 31 Days challenge

FrostJosephD@gmail.com
Member, Dramatists Guild of America
 A fire escape. a wooden chair. Some potted plants.

JANE stands, leaning on the railing. She wears a light

sundress.

CLEO sits on the stairs that would lead to the apartment

above. She is in overalls and a t shirt.

JANE
Beautiful evening.

CLEO
Its a good view. Can see through the buildings.

JANE
The river?

CLEO
Not quite. But across. Up on the hill.
(beat)
I mean you can see the sky down there.

JANE
Wasnt that a pizza shop before?

CLEO
Where?

JANE
There.

CLEO
Thats been there forever.

JANE
Its always been an internet cafe.

CLEO
Its always been a cafe.

JANE
Renovated.
 2.

CLEO
I wouldnt call a new sign in the window a renovation.

JANE
I swear I used to get pizza there.

CLEO
Next door was the pizza shop.

JANE
You sure?

CLEO
It was a delivery window, no inside. So youd take it to the cafe to eat it.

JANE
I dont think so.

CLEO
OK.

A moment.

JANE
Could we always see through the buildings?

CLEO
No.

JANE
I didnt think so.

CLEO
They took down that really dark building on the corner of 8th.

JANE
Oh god. That horrible one.

CLEO
Haunted Tower.

JANE
Haunted Tower. Yeah. Gave me the creeps.

CLEO
It was a crack den for a while.
 3.

JANE
Im not surprised.

CLEO
No.

JANE
So awful.

CLEO
Once that was gone, clear shot past the office building and over the slum row.

JANE
Nice.
(beat)
You ever miss those days?

CLEO
Which?

JANE
The old ones.

CLEO
I dont think about it much.

JANE
So no.

CLEO
Yeah, but not like because I hated them or whatever. Im just in the now.

JANE
In the now.

CLEO
Yeah. Better or worse, Im all in today. I dont think about then.

JANE
I think about it.

CLEO
Oh yeah?

JANE
Not like all the time, but yeah.
 4.

CLEO
What do you think about it?

JANE
Miss it, mostly.

CLEO
Hard to miss all of this when Im still here.

JANE
Yeah.
(beat)
I dont really regret it. Leaving. I really dont.

CLEO
He was a piece of work, though.

JANE
Yeah. That I regret. He was... yeah, no. No good.

CLEO
I did warn you.

JANE
Do you think I hold that against you?

CLEO
No. Just saying.

JANE
Good.
(beat)
Hes his own fault. Not anyone elses.

CLEO
I didnt want you to leave.
(beat)
Especially like that.

JANE
I hated leaving like that.

CLEO
I really thought you hated me at the time.
 5.

JANE
I did. For sure.

CLEO
Oh.

JANE
I was wrong.
(beat)
To hate you.
(beat)
It was right to leave.
(beat)
He was the wrong reason.
(beat)
Who told you what happened?

CLEO
Anson.

JANE
How did he--

CLEO
Charlene heard from Geoff. From the phone place. I guess he came out and saw him one
time. After.

JANE
Oh. Its hard sometimes to live in a world so small. All the worst shit that happens to you
makes it around before you can say a word.

CLEO
If hed have been around I would have beat the crap out of him.

JANE
Yeah.

CLEO
Seriously.

JANE
I know.

CLEO
Id have had to go to jail for assault.
 6.

JANE
Yeah.

CLEO
Or worse. Attempted murder.

JANE
Only if you did it wrong.

CLEO
I wouldn't have done it wrong.

JANE
Whats that, 25 to life?

CLEO
The way I would have done it.
(beat)
It still pisses me off I didnt.

JANE
I appreciate that.
(beat)
I do.

CLEO
He should be dead. Or in pain.

JANE
I think he is. In pain.
(beat)
Im just glad Im here.

CLEO
Yeah.

JANE
Here. Right now.
(beat)
Its a beautiful evening.

CLEO
Almost over.

JANE
Its still light.
 7.

CLEO
And it will be. Sun will go behind the silver building, and itll still be day for another half
hour or so, but itll be dark here. Well be in the shadows.

JANE
Yeah.

CLEO
Itll get cold.

JANE
I dont mind.

CLEO
I dont either.

JANE
A few more minutes?

CLEO
A few.

JANE
Then you wanna get some pizza?

CLEO
Its not there anymore. You like Pad Thai?

JANE
Not really.

CLEO
Its a Pad Thai place now.

JANE
Greek place still there.

CLEO
Next block?

JANE
Yeah.

CLEO
I think so. I dont usually go that way.
 8.

JANE
Few minutes and well see if its still there.

CLEO
Yeah. Few minutes.

JANE
Yeah.

They both look at for a few moments.

The sun goes behind the silver building.

They are in shadow.

The lights go out.

End