THE ROCKING CHAIR

This is was an exercise done in Writing Group. The rules were: 3 Characters, 20 Min. to write, and we had to pick an object in the room to use. We picked the rocking chair. Here is what I came up with...

THE ROCKING CHAIR
by Andie Bottrell

ARKANSAS BACK COUNTRY – PRESENT DAY

MEMAW PHILLIPS, 86 and always drunk, pulls along AMORPHEOUS, 9 years old and full of attitude and freckles who wears only a baseball cap and jeans. They reach a cabin with a bunch of shit on the front lawn.

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    See, look- what’d I tell ya? Garage sale.

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    I don’t see no garage.

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    Ain’t got to have a garage to be a garage                                    sale, dumbass.

                                                AMORPHEOUS

                                    Then why they call it that?
    
                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    ‘Cause that’s the way it is.

JENGI, a male in his 50’s with no teeth, walks out the front door with a gun.
       
                                                JENGI
                                    Can I help you folks?

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    He’s got a gun! Duck, Amy!

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    It’s Amorpheous!

He lifts up Memaw’s dress and hides his head under it.

                                                JENGI
                                    Calm down. I ain’t gonna shoot.
                                    It’s for sale.

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    How much?

                                                JENGI
                                    $200. It’s a war souvenir.
                                        
                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    I’m a war souvenir- how much you
                                    pay for me?

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    MEMAW!

He pokes out from under her dress.

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    Woman’s gotta eat, son.

                                                JENGI
                                    I’d pay $5 for yer puss.

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    I’d pay zero. It smells like bologna.

Memaw hits him upside the head. He runs over to an old rocking chair.

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    Cool! It’s like Pepaws!

                                                JENGI
                                    You like that, son?

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    Sure do! How much?

                                                JENGI
                                    Not for sale.

Memaw walks over and inspects it.

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    Aw yeah, this here’s nice. Don’t squeak
                                    or nothin’ when she rocks.

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    Yeah, how come it ain’t got no rickity to
                                    it’s rackity?

                                                JENGI
                                    ‘Cause it’s magic’s how come.

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    Aw, shut up. You lyin’.

                                                JENGI
                                    Wanna bet me? How much?

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    $1 – my whole allowance.

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    Careful, Amy.

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    Amorpheous!! $1!!

                                                JENGI
                                    $1 it is. Alright. You ready? Imma send
                                    you to a whole ‘nother dimension.

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    Awesome! Do it!

                                                JENGI
                                    In 3, 2, 1!

Jengi spins the rocking chair and kicks it over. The boy falls out and Jengi throw’s a black sheet over him, picks him up and hurls him over his shoulder. Amorpheous squeals in terror. Jengi runs inside with the boy. There is a bright flash of light when they enter the cabin.
                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    Hey, where you takin' him?

She follows them inside to find the entire house is filled with rocking chairs- nearly all of these rocking chairs are occupied by a little boy holding a gun, rocking back and forth with a blank stare on their face. Jengi places Amorpheous in one of the chairs and he begins to rock with the same blank stare. Jengi places the gun in Amorpheous hand and then approaches Memaw.

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    What the hell is this?

                                                JENGI
                                    My army. We gonna rise up one day once we
                                    get to 100 boys and we gonna bring down all
                                    the birds from the sky.

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    But why?

                                                JENGI
                                    Don’t gotsta make sense. Just gotsta do it.
                                    Like pissin’ and drinkin’ and…

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    And…?

                                                JENGI
                                    Women!

He dips her down and kisses her. She gives in to it. He releases her.

                                                JENGI
                                    Damn fine woman, you are.

Jengi runs over to the door and opens and closes it real fast. The lights go out and then back on. When they come back on there remains only a single rocking chair with Amorpheous rocking in it. He comes to and looks around excited.

                                                AMORPHEOUS
                                    Whoa! Cool! Memaw, I was in an army
                                    and I killed 300 birds! Shot ‘em down
                                    like fighter planes! Peeeeoooow boom!

                                                MEMAW PHILLIPS
                                    …what?

Jengi winks at her.

                                                JENGI
                                    Y’all be on yer way now ya hear.
                                    And have a nice day.