"HUMIDITY"

 

                           by

 

                     Charles Deemer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                       Department of English

                                       Portland State University

                                       Portland, OR 97201

 

                                       cdeemer@yahoo.com


 

 

 

FADE IN:

 

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY

 

ALLY and FRANK, both late 30s, are dressing after lovemaking.

They look hot and sweaty.

 

                         ALLY

             How do you breathe in this city?

 

                         FRANK

             Always the west coast girl.

 

                         ALLY

             You got that right.

 

                         FRANK

             Humidity is the price we pay for

             fireflies. You don't get them in

             the west.

 

                         ALLY

             I love lightning bugs but I also

             love to breathe. I feel like I'm

             suffocating.

 

A window is cracked open. A horn honks in traffic below.

 

They continue dressing.

 

                         FRANK

             Time for lunch?

 

                         ALLY

             Sorry, no. I'll be late as it is.

 

                         FRANK

             At least you called me.

 

Ally smiles.

 

                         ALLY

             When have I ever come into town

             without a quick fix?

 

                         FRANK

             We've barely caught up.

 

                         ALLY

             Are you complaining?

 

                         FRANK

             No, I'd just like to know how you

             are.


                                                            2.

 

 

                         ALLY

             I divorced John.

 

Frank waits for more. Nothing.

 

                         FRANK

             I didn't know.

 

                         ALLY

             Now you do. I turn forty next

             month, and I've already had three

             divorces. See what you missed?

 

                         FRANK

             They say the third time's the

             charm.

 

                         ALLY

             What's charming about divorce?

 

                         FRANK

             I was referring to my proposal.

             You said no as an undergraduate,

             no after you started your job ...

             maybe you'll--

 

                         ALLY

             Frank, don't you dare propose!

             This is the first unequivocally

             good time I've had since I can't

             remember. Don't ruin it.

 

                         FRANK

             Im not. But I will again one day,

             you know. When you're old and

             decrepit, and it finally occurs

             to you that you can't live

             without me.

 

                         ALLY

             I already know I can't live

             without you.

 

She moves close and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

 

                         ALLY

             The question is, what can I live

             with?

 

                         FRANK

             You live with that crazy job of

             yours. You're a whiz at it.


                                                            3.

 

 

                         ALLY

             Public relations is like getting

             to be the actress I didn't have

             the courage to become.

 

                         FRANK

             A lot more money, too.

 

                         ALLY

             Money, money, money. How about

             you? How come you're still not

             married?

 

                         FRANK

             You shouldn't have to ask.

 

                         ALLY

             Damn you.

 

She's dressed and moves to the window. She stares down at

the traffic far below.

 

Frank also is dressed.

 

                         FRANK

             I wish you didn't have to run off.

 

                         ALLY

             If I had courage, I'd quit my job

             and spend the day with you. But

             I'm a coward.

 

                         FRANK

             You don't like your job any more?

 

                         ALLY

             I never liked it.

 

                         FRANK

             News to me.

 

                         ALLY

             You only see what's on the

             surface. You've always been that

             way.

 

Frank looks puzzled.

 

                         FRANK

             Are you mad at me or something?

 

Ally moves away from the window.


                                                            4.

 

 

                         FRANK

             Ally, why do I feel like you're

             keeping something from me?

 

                         ALLY

             I'm sorry. It's just you're

             always so upbeat about everything.

             Sometimes it gets on my nerves.

 

                         FRANK

             Is the glass half-full or half-

             empty? How many years have we

             been arguing about that?

 

                         ALLY

             More than half. You always have

             the glass almost full. Almost to

             the tip-top. I don't think I've

             ever seen you down or depressed.

             Not once. You're quite amazing

             actually.

 

Frank is silent.

 

                         ALLY

             Listen, kiddo, I've got to get

             out of here. The sex was great.

 

                         FRANK

             We have more than sex.

 

                         ALLY

             Right.

 

She starts for the door.

 

                         FRANK

             Let me make a quick pit stop.

             Wait for me?

 

                         ALLY

             Of course.

 

                         FRANK

             You'd better close the window in

             case the bats fly in.

 

                         ALLY

             God, I haven't thought of that

             night in years! It seems so long

             ago.

 

                         FRANK

             I'll be right back.


                                                            5.

 

 

Frank goes into the bathroom and shuts the door.

 

Ally goes to the window. She starts to close it but stops.

She looks down at the traffic below.

 

It's a very long way down there. Suddenly she lifts the

window open much wider than it was before.

 

IN THE BATHROOM, Frank finishes up and flushes the toilet.

 

He comes back INTO THE ROOM. He sees that the window is open

wide.

 

But there's no Ally to be found.

 

Frank stands frozen for a minute, thinking. Then he hurries

to the window.

 

He leans forward and looks down.

 

His expression tells it all: Ally jumped.

 

FADE OUT