SCENE 4


Characters
Video:
CHARLOTTE
ROBERT
NATHAN
GRANDMOM
GUESTS
UNCLE
MS. MORRELLI

Setting
(Once again, we're in CHARLOTTE's darkened lounge. The screen blinks on, then the camera cuts in on a kitchen. ROBERT is cutting something at the table. A few seconds go by, throughout which CHARLOTTE coughs several times.)

ROBERT
Are you playing with that camera again?

CHARLOTTE
I'm not NOT playing with the camera… again.

ROBERT
(Snickering)
Save the battery for tonight, honey.

CHARLOTTE
I'm not recording the fireworks!

ROBERT
Not for the fireworks, for the family.

CHARLOTTE
No one's here… just you and me.

ROBERT
Where's Nathan?

CHARLOTTE
He went to Steve's.


ROBERT
Oh…

CHARLOTTE
…Don't worry about the battery. It has a full charge.

(CHARLOTTE coughs again, and Robert glances up, worried.)

ROBERT
That cough sounds worse today. Are you sure you don't want to see a doctor?

CHARLOTTE
Eh, I'll be fine. It's the onions.

(ROBERTS holds up the onion he was cutting and grins.)

ROBERT
Funny. It's not bothering me.

CHARLOTTE
Well, you don't have a cough… and you haven't been puking for the last few days.

ROBERT
True, my dear, but coughing generally isn't considered one of the typical symptoms of your ailment-

CHARLOTTE
Robert!

ROBERT
Yes, my queen?

(Beat)

CHARLOTTE
Pay attention to me.

(ROBERT glances up at CHARLOTTE, then winks and begins washing his hands.)

ROBERT
Gotcha.

(The camera cuts out and shows more white noise for a second, then switches to another scene. It has been a few hours, as we can see that the sun has set significantly, making the scene darker. The camera pans slowly to show all of the guests in the front yard.)

NATHAN
Mom! Over here! Bring the camera over here!

(The camera pans over to a group of kids swinging from a low tree branch.)

Watch this, mom!

CHARLOTTE
Nathan-

(NATHAN grabs the branch, then swings once and lets go, landing on his feet only a yard from the tree, grinning.)

NATHAN
It's awesome, mom!

CHARLOTTE
Just be careful, Nate…

UNCLE
Yeah, we don't want any more eleven o'clock trips to the ER.

NATHAN
Yeah, Uncle Stu.

CHARLOTTE
We don't want them following your example, do we?

UNCLE
I've learned. Booze. Cherry Bombs… Not a great mix.

ROBERT
Hey, you kept your fingers, Stu. Who's hungry?

(NATHAN's friends immediately stop what they're doing to wander over to the grill.)

GUESTS
Me! Me! I wanna… I hate fish! Me! Can I have a…

(The camera follows the kids to the grill, revealing ROBERT armed with a spatula and his chef's hat.)

ROBERT
Hey, hey, one at a time… Nathan, where's your hat, dude?


NATHAN
Dad, no!

ROBERT
Your grandmother will be here any minute-

CHARLOTTE
She should have been here half an hour ago.

ROBERT
Maybe she got lost.

CHARLOTTE
Why, because she's old?

UNCLE
No. Come on, Char, you know what we're like. She IS our mother.

ROBERT
Yeah, why do you think I got all that medical training after I met you?

UNCLE
Charlotte, we are seriously lucky to be here.

CHARLOTTE
Stu, she's never this late.

UNCLE
Chill out, maybe she figured we'd run out of food and stopped by the Pathmark. Fireworks don't start 'till ten, sis.

CHARLOTTE
She'd at least let us know!

UNCLE
How? You know she doesn't own a cell phone. She wouldn't even use one if you bought it for her.

ROBERT
That's just the way she is. She's a stubborn old crone.

CHARLOTTE
Robert!



ROBERT
Sorry, sorry... I shouldn't say that. I mean, 73 isn't even considered "old" these days...

MRS. MORRELLI
Charlotte!

(The camera lowers slightly as CHARLOTTE answers.)

CHARLOTTE
Yes? Oh, hello Mrs. Morrelli!

MRS. MORRELLI
Charlotte! Hi, um... Where's your bathroom? Stephen needs to go, but he's afraid to ask.

STEPHEN
Mom!

CHARLOTTE
Oh, come on! I'll show you!

MRS. MORRELLI
Thank you so much! I apologize for making you move-

ROBERT
It's cool. She needs the exercise.

CHARLOTTE
It's no problem at all, Mrs. Morrelli. Nathan!

(beat)

Nathan!

NATHAN
Yeah?

CHARLOTTE
Nathan, take the camera.

NATHAN
Cool.

(The camera switches hands as we hear faint dialogue.)


CHARLOTTE
Don't hold it like-

NATHAN
Mom, I got it.

(CHARLOTTE's and MRS. MORRELLI's voices can be heard fading away.)

CHARLOTTE
Alright, alright...

MRS. MORRELLI
So... when is your daughter going to be here?

CHARLOTTE
Um... a few weeks, they've said.

MRS. MORRELLI
What's her name?

ROBERT
Yo, Nate!

(The camera, now at a different level, looks up at ROBERT.)

Don't worry, dude. Your grandmom won't care if you're not wearing the hat.

NATHAN
Mom said she would.

UNCLE
Ahhh, your mom's crazy.

ROBERT
Oh yeah?

UNCLE
Oh yeah? She's my sister. That's proof enough. Your grandmom ain't gonna care if you're wearing that thing. Heck, by the time she shows up, you'll be in bed.

(ROBERT glances over at the street as a car is heard skidding to a halt.)

ROBERT
Hey, Stu... Don't look now, but...


UNCLE
Ah, crap... It figures. I wonder where she was... Hey, Ma!

(NATHAN turns away and begins playing with the camera, pointing it at his friends, who take turns making dumb faces and acting like kids. ROBERT, UNCLE and GRANDMOM can barely be heard off-screen.)

Hey, mom!

GRANDMOM
Stuart?!

UNCLE
Ma, it's 7:38. Where were you?

GRANDMOM
Stuart! Robert! Where's Charlotte? Where's my little girl?

UNCLE
Ma, she's fine.

ROBERT
She just went in. She'll be out in a minute. Want something to eat?

GRANDMOM
I need to see her... I need to talk to her. Right now!

UNCLE
Whoa, mom, hey... calm down! What's wrong?

(NATHAN has taken interest in the conversation and swings the camera back around, revealing UNCLE, ROBERT, and a red-faced GRANDMOM.)

GRANDMOM
Need to... Twenty-seven people... just today... need to...

UNCLE
Okay, okay... here, sit down...

ROBERT
I'll get you something to drink...

GRANDMOM
I don't need something to drink! I need my daughter!

(GRANDMOM glances over and sees NATHAN. She narrows her eyes, frowning.)

Is that my Nathan? Where'd you get that camera?

(Beat)

...Where's your hat?

(ROBERT turns and reaches over the camera, giving NATHAN a gentle push.)

ROBERT
Go get your hat, buddy.

NATHAN
Dad-

ROBERT
(exasperated)
Please, Nathan...

NATHAN
Alright, alright!

(NATHAN sets the camera down on the picnic table, keeping UNCLE, ROBERT, and GRANDMOM in view.)

UNCLE
Come on, mom, have something to drink. Look at you!

GRANDMOM
I'm fine!

UNCLE
Where have you been? What's going on?

ROBERT
She'll be out in a minute. What's the rush?

(GRANDMOM looks reluctant to speak at first, then leans back in the lawn chair, holding her forehead.)

GRANDMOM
Is Nathan gone?


ROBERT
Yeah, he's gone. What's wrong?

GRANDMOM
You remember my friend... Catherine, Catherine Feeny?

UNCLE
Yeah, ol' Mrs. Feeny! How's she doing?

GRANDMOM
She died this morning.

(beat.)

UNCLE
Oh.

GRANDMOM
Not just her. Twenty-six other people in her town.... Oh...

(GRANDMOM moans and tilts her head back as ROBERT and UNCLE exchange worried glances with each other.)

...The news said it was some kind of ... some kind of freak occurrence. No one knows how-

CHARLOTTE
Mom?

(GRANDMOM lifts her head up, smiling slightly.)

GRANDMOM
Charlotte, honey...

CHARLOTTE
Mom? What's wrong? ...Oh God, do we need an ambulance? Let me call-

GRANDMOM
No, no...

ROBERT
That may be a good idea.

GRANDMOM
I'm fine!

(GRANDMOM struggles in her seat, trying to stand.)

Charlotte, I had to warn you-

CHARLOTTE
About what, Mom?

(CHARLOTTE coughs, and GRANDMOM, UNCLE, and ROBERT suddenly focus on her, silent. The kids in the background have gone quiet as well, listening.)

...What's wrong?

GRANDMOM
It's... it's about Sarah.

CHARLOTTE
Sarah is fine, mom! Everything is fine!

ROBERT
Charlotte...

(There is another pause as Charlotte coughs again. In absolute silence, GRANDMOM, ROBERT, and UNCLE stare off-screen, their wide eyes following something to the ground. We hear a loud, off-screen thump, after which GRANDMOM screams and ROBERT and UNCLE rush forward, accidentally jarring the camera, which tips over and points up at the sky.)

Charlotte! Oh my God!

UNCLE
Answer me! Oh Christ, answer me!

CHARLOTTE
(onstage)
Off!

(The screen flickers and shuts off, and the lights gradually come up on CHARLOTTE's lounge. CHARLOTTE is sitting on the same couch, her head in her hands, sobbing quietly. This goes on for about ten seconds, then the lights fade.)