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BLIND    8'?m2f Salvation: to discover blindness, shine a light

(production note: it is important that the actors never look
directly at one another or speak directly to one another, in
order to simulate complete darkness)

(optional light cue: dim to 50%)

AMY -- (enters with soiled clothes, black smudges around eyes,
trickle of blood from nostril, counts each step) ... nine, ten,
eleven, twelve. (stops, feels imaginary wall)

LIZ -- (follows, hands forward) Where are you going? We've
already been down this corridor. There's no way out of here.

AMY -- (turns to audience) I know. But I thought I'd do
something to occupy my mind until they rescue us. (two paces)
One, two....

LIZ -- If you're not trying to get us out of here, what are you
doing?

AMY -- I'm trying to feel what it's like to be blind. I'm
memorizing my surroundings. (turns and resumes crossing) One,
two, three, four.

LIZ -- (follows) Aren't you afraid of dying down here?

AMY -- (turning head repeatedly, deciding which way to go) Yeah.
I guess so. I guess I'd miss my Mom and Dad and my friends a
lot. But other than that, no, I'm not afraid to die. (turns to
audience, paces) One, two. How about you?

LIZ -- (follows) I'm scared to death of dying. I mean, I'm
scared to death just to be alone. And when you're dead, you
don't get anymore alone than that. By the way, I'm glad you're
down here with me. I'd be freaking out if I was down here all
alone. Say, why DID you come down here anyway?

AMY -- (turns, crosses) One, two... Because I heard you talking
to that girl up in the bathroom. ...Three, four.

LIZ -- I thought that bathroom was empty.

AMY -- No, I was in the end stall when you told that girl you
were coming down here to play a prank on Mr Jorganson. I thought
you were coming down here to turn off the circuit breaker or to
cross his telephone wires or something.

LIZ -- That's what I was going to do.

AMY -- Then, you weren't the one who phoned in the bomb threat?

LIZ -- No. I didn't know someone called in a bomb threat. I hope
you don't think that was me who planted that bomb!

AMY -- I guess not even you are stupid enough to plant a bomb
and then stay in the building while it goes off.

LIZ -- Well, thank you very much!

AMY -- Where was I? Four. (paces) Five, six, seven....

LIZ -- (follows) Where are you going. Don't leave me!

AMY -- Ever wonder what it's like to be blind?

LIZ -- Are you really not afraid to die?

AMY -- No. If I die, I get to be with Jesus. I assume you're not
a Christian.

LIZ -- I think religion is a crutch.

AMY -- You're right it IS a crutch. Does that necessarily mean
that Jesus is not real? Isn't it possible that it was Jesus who
gave us a religion as a crutch to lean on?

LIZ -- I suppose. But who needs it?

AMY -- (paces, turns slowly, while talking and feeling
surroundings occasionally) Maybe YOU do. I'm not afraid of being
alone. When I'm alone, I'm alone with Jesus. I think God made an
emptiness in each of us that can only be filled by him. But, by
rejecting him you reject the only person who can prevent you
from feeling alone.

LIZ -- I wish you wouldn't go so far away from me.

AMY -- (turns toward the sound of Liz's voice) I'm over here.

LIZ -- (follows) Say, why did you come down to the basement,
anyway?

AMY -- That's the second time you asked me that. I told you...

LIZ -- ...No, I'm not asking how you knew I was here. I'm asking
WHY you came down here. There was a bomb threat. You hardly know
me. I mean, I wouldn't have come down here to save you.

AMY -- It was the right thing to do. If the bomb was real, I
couldn't let you die. (chuckles) Turns out the bomb was real.

LIZ -- How can you joke about it? That bomb blast almost killed
you. I thought you were dead. By the way, how's your head ache?

AMY -- Oh, it's still there. I try not to think about it.
(turns, turns, turns) Wait a minute.

LIZ -- What's the matter?

AMY -- (turns head from side to side) This corridor is wider
than I thought.

LIZ -- Yeah, so?

AMY -- So, there are parts of this corridor we haven't explored
yet.

LIZ -- Big deal. Unless there's an escape hatch hidden in here
some where, what good is it?

AMY -- I don't know. It's just interesting, that's all. But if
you don't explore the possibilities, you won't know what you
missed.

LIZ -- Explore all you want to. Just don't leave me here alone.

AMY -- (moves to podium or other set piece containing
flashlight, explores with hands) Well, I think being blind has
taught me what it's like to be an unbeliever.

LIZ -- What do you mean?

AMY -- I just discovered some tools that were within our grasp
and we didn't even know they were there.

LIZ -- Tools? What kind of tools?

AMY -- Feels like screw drivers, some wrenches.... well! What's
this?! (grabs flashlight)

LIZ -- What is it?

AMY -- I think it's a flashlight. (turns flashlight on, shines
it in own face)

(optional light cue: lights up full)

LIZ -- Hey, that's great!

AMY -- (shakes flashlight repeatedly, slaps it) Oh, the
batteries must be dead.

LIZ -- (approaches) That's very funny!

AMY -- (shakes flashlight) What's funny? That the batteries are
dead?

LIZ -- You're kidding, right?

AMY -- Maybe we can find some fresh batteries in the tool kit.
Here, hold this. (thrusts flashlight toward the sound of Liz's
voice)

LIZ -- (takes flashlight) You're not kidding! You can't see the
light? (shines in Amy's face)

AMY -- No. The batteries are dead. What's wrong with you? Help
me find some batteries.

LIZ -- (shines in Amy's face) The light is shining right in
your eyes and you can't see it?

AMY -- You're joking, right?

LIZ -- No. I'm not joking. The light is on. The flashlight is
working.

AMY -- Let me see that. (reaches randomly)

LIZ -- (places flashlight in Amy's hand) Here. Here it is.

AMY -- You are such a practical joker... (feels bulb) Well, what
do you know? The bulb is warm. (points at own face) The light is
on, but I can't see a thing.

LIZ -- The explosion must have, you know...

AMY -- I'm blind... (waves hand over light) I'm blind.

LIZ -- Oh, well, maybe it's just, you know, like, temporary or
something.

AMY -- I'm blind. (thrusts flashlight randomly) Here, you'd
better take this. It won't do me much good.

LIZ -- (takes flashlight) I... I don't know what to say.

AMY -- Don't say anything. Just look around with that thing
and see if you can find a way out of here.

LIZ -- (shines light in all directions) How can you be so calm
at a time like this? If I was blind I would be freaking out.

AMY -- I think this is a lesson for me.

LIZ -- A lesson?

AMY -- Yes.

LIZ -- What lesson?

AMY -- Did you notice that I couldn't tell if I was blind until
there was light?

LIZ -- Yeah, so?

AMY -- So, my job is merely to shine a light and let people know
they're blind, not to rescue them.

LIZ -- You lost me.

AMY -- I sometimes get this guilty feeling because I'm not
leading enough people to the Lord. I mean, the situation is just
like this. It's the Lord's job to rescue the people who are
trapped in the dark, not mine. I have no control over that. It
would be like me trying to talk you into being rescued.

LIZ -- (shines light past Amy to offstage, points) Look! Over
there!

AMY -- (looks randomly) Look where? I'm blind remember?

LIZ -- Oh, Sorry. There's a ladder over there and a small door
at the top of that ladder. I'll bet that's an emergency exit to
the street level.

AMY -- Lead the way.

LIZ -- Come on. (steps carefully toward exit) Hey, I guess
there's a lesson here for me too.

AMY -- What's that?

LIZ -- Once you've shined the light for me, I don't have any
excuses anymore. I can see the way out.

AMY -- Good for you.

LIZ -- When we get out of here, will you, you know, help me see
the light?

AMY -- (smiles) It'll be the blind leading the blind.

©2007 Bob Snook. Conditions for use:
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