CAT FIGHT

(AN AUDIO PLAY by Robbie Knight)

Scene: 1

SOUND: (FOOTSTEPS ON A DIRT ROAD, NEARING EACH OTHER.  ONE SET IS QUICKER, WITH A SHORTER STEP.  THE STEPS STOP AS THEY REACH EACH OTHER. THE WIND WHISTLES IN THE BACKGROUND THROUGHOUT THE PLAY.)

ANNABELLE:   THAT YOUR HUSBAND'S REMINGTON?

MERCY JANE:  YUP.

ANNABELLE:   WHERE'D YOU FIND IT?

MERCY JANE:  MY HUSBAND GAVE IT TO ME.  COUPLE WEEKS AGO.

ANNABELLE:   (LAUGHS) WHAT DO THEY CALL THAT? EYE-RONIC?

MERCY JANE:  I'M GONNA SHOOT YOU FULL OF HOLES, YOU LOUSY WHORE.

ANNABELLE:   YOU THINK YOU WILL.

MERCY JANE:  WHY?

ANNABELLE:   WHY WHAT?

MERCY JANE:  WHY THE WHOLE THING?  WHY MY CHILDREN?  MY CHILDREN?

ANNABELLE:   YOU WANNA CALM DOWN, MERCY JANE.  YOU LEFT 'EM.  REMEMBER THAT?

MERCY JANE:  YOU MURDERED 'EM.  EVERYTHING I HAD-

ANNABELLE:   YOU DIDN'T HAVE 'EM NO MORE.  YOU LEFT 'EM ALL FOR THE FIRST PRETTY MAN TO MOVE UP THE ROAD. HOW'D THAT ALL END UP, MERCY JANE?  THEN HE TOSSES YOU OUT FOR THE NEXT THING - A LITTLE PRETTIER, A LITTLE YOUNGER.  IT'S LIKE A GODDAMN GREEK...TRAD-EGY, AIN'T IT?  NEVER WOULDA SEEN THAT COMIN'.

MERCY JANE:  IN THEIR BEDS?  HOW - HOW -

ANNABELLE:   LAUDANUM.  THEY DIED FROM THE SMOKE, SAME AS HIM, SAME AS THE DAMNED DOG. NOBODY BURNED UP ALIVE, SO GET THAT OFF YOUR CONSCIENCE.

MERCY JANE:  YOU AIN'T HUMAN.

ANNABELLE:   I WAS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

MERCY JANE:   WAS IT FOR HATE OF ME? IT WAS THAT. IT WAS 'CUZ I WON HIM.

ANNABELLE:   WON?  YOU CALL IT WINNING?  YOU GOT A PRETTIER FACE AND A TINIER WAIST.  AND YOU DIDN'T WIN THAT, YOU DIDN'T EARN THAT.  THAT'S AN ACCIDENT OF NATURE.  YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.  YOU GOT LUCKY, IS ALL.  AND THEN YOU LOST HIM ANYWAY, TO ANOTHER ACCIDENT OF NATURE.  WAS IT WORTH IT, MERCY JANE? DID HE GIVE IT TO YOU THAT GOOD?

MERCY JANE:  I LOVED HIM.

ANNABELLE:   WELL, YOU ALWAYS WERE WEAK.

MERCY JANE:  LOVE AIN'T A WEAKNESS.

ANNABELLE:   JUST IN YOUR CASE.

MERCY JANE:  WHY ANNABELLE?  WHY'D YOU KILL MY FAMILY?

ANNABELLE:   I GUESS 'CUZ...I DIDN'T LIKE 'EM MUCH.  SAME AS YOU.  THE MAN WAS A DULLARD, THE CHILDREN NOT TOO BRIGHT, NOT TOO FULL OF JOY.  EVEN THE DOG WAS NOTHIN' MUCH.  I SEE WHY YOU LEFT, ESPECIALLY FOR HIM.  THAT'S WHAT A FAMILY COMES DOWN TO, SO MUCH OF THE TIME, IN'T IT?  HOW MUCH BOREDOM CAN A WOMAN TAKE?

MERCY JANE:   MY HUSBAND KNEW.

ANNABELLE:    WHAT DID HE KNOW?

MERCY JANE:   HE KNEW YOU WERE A MONSTER.

ANNABELLE:    HE DIDN'T KNOW ONE END OF A WOMAN FROM ANOTHER.  I FOUND THAT OUT.  NO WONDER YOU RAN.

MERCY JANE:   IT'S WHY HE GAVE ME THE GUN.  HE DIDN'T WANT IT AROUND WHERE YOU COULD GET A HOLD OF IT.  HE KNEW SOMETHING WAS GONNA HAPPEN.

ANNABELLE:  YOU FEELIN' GUILTY RIGHT NOW?  'CUZ COME DOWN TO IT, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, AIN'T IT?

MERCY JANE:   THIS PISTOL FIRES NICE AND STRAIGHT.  I FIRED IT MANY TIMES.  MY DULLARD OF A HUSBAND MADE ME LEARN IT.

ANNABELLE:  WELL, AIN'T THAT THE SORT OF THING A DULLARD-

MERCY JANE:   THERE'S GONNA BE DAYLIGHT POURING OUT OF YOU.

ANNABELLE:  (LAUGHS)  LET'S GET TO IT, THEN, GIRL!  I BEEN HUNTIN' WITH THIS COLT SINCE I WAS NINE YEARS OLD.

MERCY JANE:  YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR ALL OF IT.  MY HUSBAND, MY CHILDREN -

ANNABELLE:   WE BEEN THROUGH THIS PART ALREADY, MERCY JANE.

MERCY JANE:  TEN PACES.

ANNABELLE:   YOU SURE YOU WANNA TURN YOUR BACK ON ME?

MERCY JANE:  SHUT UP AND GET READY!  TEN!

ANNABELLE:   BYE, BYE, MERCY JANE.  AT LEAST THERE WON'T BE NOBODY AROUND TO MISS YOU.

MERCY JANE:  NINE!

THEY STEP AWAY FROM EACH OTHER IN UNISON.

MERCY JANE: (HER VOICE IS A BIT MORE DISTANT) EIGHT.

(SHE STOPS COUNTING.  THEY EACH TAKE THREE MORE STEPS, MORE OR LESS IN UNISON.  THEN ONE SET OF STEPS STOPS, PIVOTS, AND A SHOT RINGS OUT.  THERE IS A CRY, CUT OFF, AND THE SOUND OF A BODY HITTING THE GROUND.  THE OTHER SET OF STEPS IS RUNNING, THERE IS PANTING. THE STEPS STOP.  A LONG PAUSE.  ANOTHER SHOT RINGS OUT, ANOTHER BODY HITS THE GROUND.)

THE END.