|
THE RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE BY MOISES MENTOriptRED by Norman G
CHARACTERS: SOLID the TIGER, male, age 10 years old
SETTING: The World’s most dangerous Jungle. We see dead monkeys that are half-eaten. Snakes and Birds barely scraps of them left. Bears and lions and deer and hyenas that are just bones now. Palm trees lots of them. Poisonous trees and plants. A clear lake. Beautiful flowers.
TIME: 10pm at night
AT RISE: SOLID is laying down on the jungle floor, looking over everything.
solid I’m looking over at these damn ugly animals… I need to improve on my night vision. It’s pretty much my only weakness. And if I change that, then everything will be good. I need to always be on my guard, and sooner or later we will kill all the lions, monkeys, bears and snakes. Those are our threats. (Bush noises. solid gets up, prepared for a fight –and LOYAL enters, calms him down)
LOYAL SOLID! What are you doing? Don’t you ever sleep? It’s like you’re more of an Owl than a Tiger, the way you see so many sunrises. Go home and sleep.
SOLID You know better than to question me like that …I will never be off-guard, with all these damn animals. As soon as they try to attack, I will kill them. LOYAL Why are you still being so paranoid? I understand that this jungle is the most dangerous one in the world, but we don’t have to live this way.
SOLID I don’t have to hear this! You know what happened to our son, Hyphy! I will make sure no other loved ones die because of these freaking other animals! You go back home. No, wait! I will walk you home
LOYAL I can take care of myself –but if you feel better walking me home, then so be it.
(They walk a few steps. Then comes a Bear.) SOLID LOYAL, stay behind me! I’ll take care of this ugly gorilla.
(They fight. At first the Bear is winning, but Solid sees the Bear go towards Loyal, gets up & bites the Bear in the neck. Loyal slashes the Bear’s face with her claws. The Bear backhands Loyal & gets Solid off his neck by grabbing and throwing him. Solid gets up, slashes the Bear 5 times in the face, rapidly. Then bites him by the shoulder. The Bear is weak now & moments later, he dies. Solid & Loyal continue walking)
SOLID LOYAL, are you ok? It’s a good thing I walked you home. But next time, don’t walk by yourself at this time.
LOYAL I was worried about you! And I told you I could take care of myself.
SOLID But babe, what if there were more of those savage bears? We need to be more careful… LOYAL (frustrated) Ok, ok!! Look, I might not be as strong, and as fast as you. But I could take care of myself!
SOLID (angry) Do you not see what’s happening here?! You think I’m being paranoid, but I’m making sure I survive, and that you do too, babe!
LOYAL (defensively) But we don’t have to live this way! Seeing dead animals everywhere, worrying about who’s going to be next –kill or be killed is unnecessary.
SOLID (shocked) Un-necessary?! Surviving is un-necessary?!
LOYAL (sad) See, you don’t even hear me out…
SOLID (lovingly) Look baby, I understand right now that this is a hectic life. But as soon as we take over this jungle our life will be much better…
LOYAL Babe… look, I was thinking, if maybe we could leave this jungle and just live in peace–
SOLID (angry) Never! One thing I’ve learned is to never back down from a fight! No fear, no weakness! If I leave I will be showing both! (normal voice, calms down) You know these lions must pay for what they did to our son Hyphy– LOYAL Don’t bring that up! You know how that makes me feel!
SOLID Look, we are at your place now. So go and sleep. (LOYAL climbs a tree, while SOLID walks away)
LOYAL (aside, upset) Why doesn’t SOLID listen?! I tried to tell him that me and him should leave this damn dangerous jungle, to live in a better place. (sad) He always brings up what happened to our son, Hyphy –like I don’t remember!
We were walking this way -when Solid was much happier. And he treated me better, and we were much closer. Now he’s so distant, hateful and paranoid!
So as we walked, that’s when I seen the most awful, terrible, most horrible scene of my 10 years of life –I seen those damn Lions, chewing on my son! Me and Solid did what we had to do, and made sure those Lions didn’t see another sunrise or sunset again.
That changed everything between me and Solid, and I don’t like it. I want to live in peace with Solid in another place –but he doesn’t want to go! I hope he changes his mind, for our sake.
(LOYAL lays down & tries to sleep. We see Solid walking)
SOLID (aside, angry) I could not believe Loyal –she had the nerve to say our survival was unnecessary! What the bloody lions was she thinking?! Also, she wants to leave this jungle?! My Home?
My father always told me that this family will live on its feet, or die on our knees! I did too much in this jungle -and much more to do in this jungle, to leave! My family is the top branch of the Tigers. My dad was the strongest Tiger, and my mom was the fastest and smartest! I hate these Lions for what they did to my son (furious) -I don’t even want to think about that! But yet the scene haunts me. Till I die, I can’t stop thinking about it. That’s why we must kill all these other animals…
(4 Lions come out of the bushes & attack Solid. Solid fights as much as he could, but then he’s cornered and just as he thinks it’s over, his cousin Rascale jumps in the fight. They kill the lions, but two more come out. Solid kills one, and sees two run away)
Rascale, are you ok? (no reply, Solid turns and sees Rascale dead on the floor) Rascale, no! Those damn Lions will pay for this –first my son, now my cousin. This is the last straw! They die today! (SOLID goes to all the other Tigers)
Those Lions killed Rascale! We must retaliate! Here’s how we do it: (They huddle up with their backs to the audience, whispering. Thunder & lightening make it hard to understand what they are saying. Suddenly Loyal enters)
LOYAL Solid, can I talk to you for a minute, alone?
SOLID Not now, we got to kill the animals now!
LOYAL Babe… just for a minute…
SOLID Fine! What is it? (they walk away from the group of Tigers)
LOYAL Babe, don’t go trying to kill all the animals –it’ll be suicide!
SOLID (angry) …Can’t believe you just said that! I hate the damn sound of that!
LOYAL Look… baby, just calm down—
SOLID NO! That’s what you wanted to talk to me about?
LOYAL (angrier than Solid) WELL MAYBE IF YOU WOULD LISTEN TO ME… You would KNOW what I want to talk to you about! SOLID Ok… sorry. What is it? LOYAL I’m down to be by your side during all this… But I WANT to leave, and you should come with me.
SOLID (angry) You want to leave so much, then just go ahead and leave! LOYAL I didn’t mean it that way,but… fine, I’ll leave.
(Loyal runs off before Solid can say anything. He walks back to the group)
SOLID Come on, let’s go do this! Before it’s too late. (they exit. We see Loyal on the other side of the jungle)
LOYAL (sad) Can’t believe what just happened! Solid was completely barbaric and stupid –I WILL leave, and he’s going to hate that I did! If killing those lions are more important than me, good riddance Solid! I knew him since we were 2 years old, and he says ‘leave’ like we just met?! Fine! So be it! (she exits, we see Solid –alone)
SOLID Damn, I messed up. I don’t know if I can do this without Loyal! I don’t think I want to. Wait! How stupid can I be? What if the Lions get her while she tried to leave the jungle? I must look for her! (Suddenly all kinds of animals come out –bears, snakes, lions and monkeys… There’s a huge fight –but Solid isn’t in it. He left before the others noticed) SOLID Damn, I can’t believe I just left that fight. But I must know if Loyal is ok. Losing her is my Greatest Fear. (He exits as Loyal returns)
LOYAL I can’t leave this jungle, not like this. I need to leave with Solid, or die in this jungle with him. (she panics, jumping into the fight, hoping to see Solid) SOLID (Solid re-enters) I can’t find Loyal anywhere. Damn, I wish my night vision was better. But I can’t give up, I must find her! I know every centimeter of this jungle. (Solid sees a pride of lions. He fights them and wins, but is injured)
I still must find Loyal –to hell with these Lions! (The battle is getting more dangerous –for every 5 animals they kill, one tiger dies. There are just too many)
LOYAL Where is Solid?!? (Solid hears Loyal’s scream. He gets there in time to see a bear about to attack her from behind. He saves her & kills the bear instantly)
SOLID Loyal, come with me. There’s too many animals here. We got to stay close.
LOYAL Babe. Are you ok? SOLID Yeah, I’m fine. Just stay close. We’ll fight better that way. And once the fight is over? We’ll leave.
LOYAL (surprised) Alright!
(Bears, lions, monkeys AND tigers are dying. There’s only Solid & Loyal left, and 5 Lions)
SOLID Babe, In case we don’t make it, I just want to tell you that… (Before he could finish, the Lions attack. Solid is close to death. Loyal kills one, but the numbers are too much for her. Just as she thought it was over, Solid saves her! Now the numbers are even)
SOLID I just wanted to tell you …I Love You.
LOYAL I love you too, and if we don’t make it… we will be with Hyphy in paradise.
SOLID For Hyphy! Let’s kill these two ugly-ass Lions. (they kill the two lions and lay down, exhausted)
LOYAL So, where the hell were you during the fight?
SOLID Well… what the hell, I thought YOU left! I had to look for you and make sure you’re ok. LOYAL Well, I came back for the same reason. (another pride of Lions comes)
SOLID Damn, I don’t got much fight in me. But I won’t give up!
LOYAL I’m here with you babe. (Loyal & Solid fight the pride of Lions well, but it was too much –and they die)
THE END |
