Fragments of His Being | ✓

ACT III - SCENE VII

ACT III

SCENE VII

[Setting: The front door of CODY's house. QUINN was standing on the top stair in his coat, trying to look past CHARLES' figure that was blocking the way into the house. It was a little past eight PM, and QUINN was starting to worry, seeing as CODY's brother was keen on trying to get him to listen to his rubbish.]

CHARLES: You need to know what he's done.

QUINN: (Raises.) I just need CODY to come out with me, he can tell me himself. (Moves hands in the pockets of his jacket to try to keep them warm. The weather was oddly cold that night, and QUINN wasn't appreciating the fact that he was standing out.)

CHARLES: I already told you, he's not going anywhere. (Frowns as his grip on the two corners of the entrance tightened. He was using his whole body to block the path.)

QUINN: (Sighs as he looks down at the ground. His eyes were tired, and he was feeling less comfortable out in the cold.)

CHARLES: You don't care to know what he's done? He killed someone. (Moves out of the house so that he was standing outside.)

CHARLES: I just want to warn you. He's a walking curse, you don't need him. (Closes the front door behind him.)

QUINN: Look, I don't care—

CHARLES: He killed our father.

QUINN: (Rolls eyes.) You're just making up stuff now, aren't you?

CHARLES: I'm not.

[His voice came out choked — weak.]

QUINN: (Raises brow.) Are you — are you crying?

[The sight of the large boy in front of him breaking down into tears threw QUINN off. He wasn't sure what to do so he just stood there, watching as CHARLES rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hands.]

CHARLES: He killed my father, and he gets to be happy — to hell with him.

QUINN: Hey—

CHARLES: It's so unfair!

QUINN: (Frowns, watching CHARELS with a sympathetic look. He wasn't sure what to make of what was happening, so he stared at his feet instead.)

CHARLES: If my father hadn't gone to live with his mother and started a relationship with her, he'd still be alive — he wouldn't have been there during the fire. The fact that CODY survived it is like his mother's ghost mocking my mother — me. (Sniffs, as he looks up. A frown still on his face as he tried to control his tears.)

[QUINN felt uncomfortable, and he wasn't sure what to say to that, but at least he had a better picture of what was going on.]

CHARLES: He's in the bathroom.

QUINN: (Looking up at CHARLES.) What?

CHARLES: CODY. CODY's in the bathroom. I locked him up there, you should be able to find the key in the lock. (Moves aside so that path to the door was clear.)

QUINN: (Looks from CHARLES to the door before heading for it. He turned the knob, and the door clicked open.)

QUINN: (Looking back at CHARLES.) Thank you.

[He wasn't sure what had come over CODY's brother to allow him in, but he was grateful.]

CHARLES: (Looks away.) Go get him before I change my mind.

QUINN: (Heads into the house, looking for the bathroom.)

Curtains fall.