UNTITLED
by Monica A
UNTITLED, Mentor: AnJu
Characters:
DIAMOND the JEWEL, female, 1,000,000 years old
TREASURE the CHEST, male, 1,000,001 years old
Setting:
Basement of a house near Times Square in NYC. City lights shine through a window in the basement. Rain drops hit the window and there is a feeling of coldness and dampness. The basement would probably stink if it wasn’t for the fact that it smelled like vanilla incense. No sound, except for peace, is heard.
Time:
5 a.m. on a summer morning
At Rise:
DIAMOND is on her laptop looking at pictures of other diamonds. TREASURE is deep in thought contemplating his options.
DIAMOND
I wonder what it’d be like to have friends like me.
TREASURE
(distracted)
Huh? What’d you say?
DIAMOND
I swear I need to go on a diamond hunt already.
TREASURE
(offended)
Am I really that bad that you NEED other friends?
DIAMOND
No, but… Well, nothing… Never mind; you really wouldn’t get it if I told you.
TREASURE
So now you think I don’t understand you? Geez! Can’t stand you sometimes…
DIAMOND
Psst! Yeah, you’re not such an angel either, Honey.
TREASURE
I got my own things to think about right now. I don’t have time to argue with you…literally.
DIAMOND
What do you mean literally? What are you hollerin’ about now?
TREASURE
We got to pack our stuff and be out in two hours. I told you they were coming to knock this house down. Ugh! It’s like you want to be thrown into a donation box.
DIAMOND
You swear I don’t listen. I know they’re coming. I gotta book those plane tickets ASAP.
TREASURE
Girl, where you going?
DIAMOND
I want to go to Africa to find another diamond like me, because I feel misunderstood. Nobody sees things the way I do. Growing up around close-minded jewels, everyone is always in agreement with each other, but never with me; and I’ve felt like an outcast my whole life.
TREASURE
I don’t know why you feel like that. Am I not enough?
DIAMOND
(angrily)
This isn’t about you! You always take everything to heart. I love you, but I need to live my dream. Don’t you have dreams too?
TREASURE
You know I do. My mom always tells me stories about my dad, POP the TRUNK, and how he dreamed of being a dresser. When I realized I was near adulthood, I decided I wanted to make more of myself and become a dresser too. I want to make my mom, TINY the TOOLBOX, proud of me.
DIAMOND
I know you weren’t good for nothing, Boy. Now let’s get out of this basement and go.
TREASURE
I haven’t thought it all out yet. Where would we go?
DIAMOND
Duh, Africa! That’s where all the diamonds are.
TREASURE
You trippin’. Don’t you mean that island, Hawaii, where they make them coo’ dressers?
DIAMOND
No, I know what I mean.
(laughs out loud)
So, let’s go to Africa.
TREASURE
I don’t wanna go on no diamond hunt. Plus, I can’t be showing my 24k gold coating around just anywhere. I’m not tryna get kidnapped and sold into the black market. And you know they’d take you too. I’m looking out for both of us.
(angrily)
We’re going straight to Hawaii!!!
DIAMOND
(laughs)
You’re always so controlling on everything. You think you running this?
TREASURE
Laugh now, but you need me to let you out. So how ‘bout that?
DIAMOND
So, what? You gonna hold me hostage? If you keep using that against me, I could use my diamond tip to carve out your velvet insides.
TREASURE
Now you’re being childish. You swear I’ll stick around and play your games.
*TREASURE stops talking and goes back into deep thought.*
*DIAMOND walks away (to show distance).*
5 minutes later at 5:30 a.m.
DIAMOND
I can’t stop thinking about being donated or thrown away. It’s bothering me.
TREASURE
I been stressed out too. Don’t worry; I’ve been thinking of a plan the whole time.
DIAMOND
So, what have you come up with? It better not be, “Let’s go straight to Hawaii.”
TREASURE
Nah, Babe. I was thinking maybe we can go to Hawaii and then when I become a dresser, we can go look for your little diamond friends in Africa.
DIAMOND
Boy, you lyin’ out yo’ lock. I know what you up to, but I need you to take me seriously. My whole family has some cool color to them and I’m clear. Although I can be myself around you, I still want the chance to get on a plane to explore Africa in search for a stone like me…to see for myself.
TREASURE
Okay, I get it. But you need to be realistic about the dangers of the black market. You know what happened to my brother, JIM the JEWELRY BOX, when he decided to go exploring. We haven’t seen or heard from him since.
DIAMOND
You keep telling me these scary stories about the black market and if I go, I could be caught and sold somewhere far, far away from you, but I don’t want to leave you. I want you to go with me.
TREASURE
How would that work? You’d accomplish your dream and I’d forget about mine? And it’s not like there’s somewhere that we can both be together and achieve both our dreams.
DIAMOND
Hmmm… I did see an ad online about a furniture shop in Africa.
TREASURE
Sounds good and dandy, but too good to be true.
DIAMOND
You never believe me. I could get my laptop and show you.
*DIAMOND gets laptop and shows TREASURE. While they’re checking out the details, they hear voices, tractors, and bulldozers outside.*
It is currently 6 a.m.
TREASURE
(confused)
Whaaat!!! They’re here! I was hoping to be outta here long before they got here.
DIAMOND
Well no point to stress about THAT now. We gotta go. So, wassup? What you wanna do?
TREASURE
I guess for the first time in forever we’re in agreement, Honey.
DIAMOND
So, book the tickets?
TREASURE
Ya, why not? It’s worth a try to go see how the dressers in Africa turn out.
*DIAMOND goes online and books the tickets.*
TREASURE
Let’s go say bye to our families. We don’t know when we’re going to see them again.
*TREASURE and DIAMOND go say bye to their families. They pack their things and climb out the basement window.*
THE END
