2023 Playwriting Every Day in November - Day 14

HANA
Are you ready to talk now?

MALLORY
I don’t think I have much of a choice.

HANA
We don’t have to talk in specifics, but I do need some information to make a plan.

MALLORY
Mmhmm.

HANA
Okay, so… where is he?

MALLORY
The living room. I was trying to leave, almost at the door and he came after to me and I just…

HANA
Okay, okay. Do you remember if the curtains were closed? What lights were on?

MALLORY
Just the hall light and yes, he made sure the curtains were closed.

HANA
[under her breath]
Of course the bastard would.
[to MALLORY]
That’s good, though because we can claim self-defense. We’ll clean you up and get you in some warmer clothes and we’ll just… go see a lawyer.

MALLORY
I don’t have money for a lawyer, Hana. He spent everything.

HANA
What?

MALLORY
He lost his job four months ago and just spent through our savings without telling me. We’re so close to being foreclosed on. I can’t afford a lawyer.

HANA
Okay. Okay. Let me…

MALLORY
I shouldn’t have come here. I’m so sorry, Hana, I can’t involve you in this. I should just go to the police.

HANA
No. No police. Especially without a lawyer. Wasn’t Bern’s best man an officer? We cannot trust the police in the best circumstances.

MALLORY
Shit.

HANA
Just let me think. We can figure this out.
[Pause}
Who knows he lost his job?

MALLORY
As far as I know, just me and his work?

HANA
And he was supposed to go on a work trip soon? I felt like he used to be gone a lot.

MALLORY
I don’t know if that was actually because of work anymore but, yes. He was away a lot.

HANA
Okay. We can work for that.

2023 Playwriting Every Day in November - Day 15

2023 Playwriting Every Day in November - Day 13