I finished my play, hooray hooray. It is actually ten minutes, like it's supposed to be. So here, without further ado, is The Debt, by me. This is a first draft, so if you steal it from me, know that you're stealing a crappy version. Comments and advice, however, would be greatly appreciated.
SCENE ONE
SETTING: An empty room with a Pepsi machine.
GREG pulls a dollar out of his pocket and feeds it into the machine, with a whir it ejects back at him. This repeats perhaps twice. SHADE enters, a tall man dressed all in black with no visible features. HE stands, watching GREG feed the bill into the machine. GREG, sensing SHADE�s presence, turns to look at him and is rather startled. The bill is not ejected.
GREG
(Taken aback)
Hi�
SHADE
Your currency was accepted.
GREG
Uh, thanks.
HE turns back to the vending machine and presses the top button.
SHADE
It is sold out.
(Baffled, GREG sees SHADE is right and goes to press another button.)
So is that one.
The process is repeated one more time and GREG ejects his dollar on his own.
GREG
(Friendly unease.)
I�ve been doing this all week, you know? On Monday, I swore I had a dollar in my pocket, but as soon as I get to the machine, I didn�t even have four quarters. Tuesday, I had a dollar, but it wouldn�t go in the machine. Figures; now that I�ve got it in, it�s sold out. Catch-22.
(SHADE stands silently.)
Catch-22, you know, damned if you do, damned if you don�t.
(Laughs nervously.)
SHADE crosses to the machine. HE takes out a dollar and feeds it in to the machine; it is accepted.
SHADE
Pepsi?
GREG
Well, yeah, but it won�t-
(SHADE pushes the top button and the machine vends. HE hands the Pepsi to GREG who meekly takes it. SHADE stands as though waiting for something. GREG stammers.)
Uh, thanks. I owe you.
SHADE nods slightly and exits silently.
SCENE TWO
SETTING: GREG�s living room. There is a couch, a chair and desk with computer. The desk is covered in papers, books, and other miscellaneous office supplies and study materials.
GREG sits on the couch watching television. RITA enters and crosses behind HIM.
RITA
Finished Greg?
GREG
Nope, taking a break.
RITA
(Sitting down next to him on the couch)
What are you watching?
GREG
Sci-Fi channel.
RITA
You figure you�ll finish tonight?
(GREG laughs.)
Maybe a movie isn�t the best thing right now.
GREG
It�s not due until Friday morning. It�s Wednesday night. I�m fine.
RITA
OK.
(SHADE appears next to the television. GREG jumps about a foot in the air. RITA sees nothing.)
What?
GREG
What do you mean, �what?�!? Don�t you see him?
SHADE advances towards GREG who flees the couch and backs away from SHADE.
RITA
(Seeing nothing, sceptical)
Him?
GREG
I saw him yesterday. Rita, he�s right there.
RITA
I don�t see anything!
GREG
(To SHADE)
How did you get in here?
SHADE
You owe me.
GREG goes to lunge at SHADE, but he vanishes.
GREG
He�s gone!
RITA
Who�s gone?
(GREG sits on the couch. RITA feels his forehead)
Are you feeling OK?
GREG
You didn�t see him?
(RITA shakes her head �no�)
OK, maybe it was my imagination: I ran into a creepy guy who looked just like him yesterday; I�m under a certain amount of stress� I probably imagined it. You didn�t see anything?
RITA
Nothing. You�ve got a really intense imagination.
GREG
No kidding. You know what? I think maybe I just need to get out of the house. I�ve been here all day, I just need a change of scene.
RITA
Yeah. You�re under too much stress here.
GREG
Or I�m going crazy.
RITA shakes her head in worried agreement.
SCENE THREE
SETTING: A booth in a Denny�s restaurant.
GREG sits in the booth, the miscellaneous paper writing stuff from the desk surrounds him. HE has stopped writing and is staring off in a daze. JAKE walks by with a cup of coffee and stops.
JAKE
Rough time?
GREG
Uh, yeah.
JAKE
Might oughta take a rest.
GREG
Wish I could.
JAKE
(Handing GREG the coffee cup)
Looks like you could use this.
(Goes to sit down opposite GREG in the booth)
Do you mind?
(GREG shrugs and shakes his head �no�. JAKE sits)
Name�s Jake.
(HE puts out his hand)
GREG
(Shaking it)
Greg.
JAKE
What�s the trouble? A gal? I knew this one, Maggie was her name, brought me no end of trouble.
GREG
No, it�s this paper. It�s really got me stressed, I�m beginning to worry if something�s wrong with me
JAKE
How so, if you don�t mind my asking?
GREG
My imagination�s starting to play tricks on me. I�ve been seeing, man, you�re going to think I�m crazy� I keep seeing this guy. The first time, yesterday, I really saw him. At least, I thought I did, but the second time, tonight, my girlfriend was with me and she couldn�t see him. Then, on the drive over here, I could�ve sworn I saw him in the rearview mirror, but, I can�t be sure.
JAKE
Mind sure can play some tricks.
GREG
Hell of a trick. You can get sent to the funny farm for mind tricks like that.
JAKE
Folks�ll see you killed for believing less.
THEY sit in silence. SHADE appears outside the booth behind JAKE.
SHADE
You owe me.
GREG
Jesus!
JAKE
What?
GREG
(Pointing)
Look behind you!
JAKE goes to look, but SHADE has disappeared.
GREG
He�s gone. You didn�t see anything, you didn�t hear anything?
JAKE
Can�t say I did. But that don�t mean you didn�t see or hear nothing.
GREG
You believe me?
JAKE
Everybody�s got to have somebody who does.
GREG
I don�t think Rita does.
JAKE
She your gal?
GREG
Yeah.
JAKE
Listen, I�d say you saw what you saw. Seems to me like you�ve got all your Apostles on your side, if you take my meaning. I wouldn�t worry about it much.
JAKE moves to stand.
GREG
Well, thanks, thanks very much, for the coffee. What do I owe you?
JAKE
Not a thing, buddy, not a thing. You concentrate on that paper. I reckon Environmental Science is more important than seeing strange fellers all in black.
JAKE exits, GREG stares after him, uneasy.
SCENE FOUR
SETTING: GREG�S living room.
GREG sits at HIS desk, flipping dejectedly through research books. HE is typing and then immediately backspacing. HE sits up, looking around the room. Seeing nothing HE goes half-heartedly back to the computer. RITA enters and crosses, unnoticed, to GREG. SHE places her hands on HIS shoulders and he jumps.
GREG
Don�t sneak up on me like that!
RITA
I didn�t sneak. You�ve been jumpy since yesterday.
GREG
Not like I don�t have reason to be.
RITA
Right, your invisible man.
GREG
Why won�t you believe me?
RITA
You make it hard for a girl. Why would a strange man follow you around? To steal your unfinished paper?
GREG
I don�t know. Well, I, maybe. I think� I think maybe he wants my soul.
RITA
Your soul? We are cancelling the Sci Fi channel.
GREG
Why else would a man all in black without a face follow me around telling me I owe him?
RITA
You owe him now?
GREG
Every time I see him, that�s what he says.
RITA
So you�ve entered into a contract with the devil. Right, this is where I get off.
GREG
I�m serious.
RITA
So am I. I�ve had enough of this, Greg. You�ve made up this elaborate story to avoid writing your paper- try it on the professor, not on me.
GREG
You think this is a story? I�m making this up?
RITA
Or you�re completely insane, and I don�t really relish the thought of hanging around in either case. Good bye, Greg, call me if you get your act back together, or they come to take you away. I�d love to see either.
RITA turns and exits. GREG goes to follow HER, but stops. HE goes back to the desk and sits, trying to write his paper. SHADE enters. HE crosses to GREG and puts HIS hands on GREG�s shoulders. GREG, thinking it is Rita, pulls the hands around his shoulders in a hug. Seeing the hands, GREG turns in the chair and sees SHADE. With a yelp, GREG crawls under the desk, books, papers, and all to hide beneath it. HE pulls the chair in close. SHADE sighs, and leans over to peer down at GREG.
SHADE
This is futile behaviour.
GREG
(From beneath the desk)
Yeah, well, I feel futile. You�ve been following me all week!
SHADE
Seventy-six hours.
GREG
Whatever.
GREG, in desperation, wads up a piece of paper and tosses it, hitting SHADE, who stands unaffected. GREG follows this up with a pen and another paper wad, SHADE remains unaffected.
SHADE
(Calmly and firmly)
You want to stop.
(GREG throws a book.)
You want to stop.
(GREG hesitantly throws one last wad of paper. SHADE grabs hold of the chair, throws it aside and drags GREG out onto the floor.)
I told you.
GREG
What is going on? Who are you, and what do you want, and why have you been following me for the last three days or whatever--
SHADE picks up the pen from the floor, crosses to GREG and thwacks HIM soundly between the eyes.
SHADE
(A voice like thunder in a narrow valley)
Silence!
(Regaining composure)
I have come for what I was promised.
GREG
What you were promised?
SHADE
A bargain was made, a favour granted. I demand retribution!
GREG
Retribution? I never gave you anything!
SHADE advances towards GREG, backing HIM into a wall. SHADE thwacks GREG with the pen again.
SHADE
The currency.
GREG
What?
SHADE
One American dollar used to obtain one Pepsi-Cola soft drink. I would like to be repaid.
GREG
That�s what this was about?!
SHADE
You owe me.
GREG
I owe you a dollar? Why didn�t you mention that a long time ago, like before I thought I was going crazy, or lost my girlfriend, or have less than 24 hours to finish this paper that I haven�t even started.
(SHADE moves to thwack him with the pen again)
OK, OK, don�t get excited, I�ve got it.
(Digs in his pockets)
Does it have to be a dollar, or are four quarters--?
SHADE
(In a voice like thunder in a narrow valley)
One American dollar!
GREG
(Quickly handing him a dollar)
Here, here, take it.
SHADE
Thank you.
SHADE nods slightly and exits.