Introduction to this project.
This story will be about my journey to writing that long play by taking small steps. 10minute stories and then longer and longer. I felt I had to work out the maths a break down the idea of how long it would actually take to write a 60 minute play. The due take for this is 31st of December and today is the 26th of novemeber so that gives me five weeks to write this!30 hours of writing to write a 60 minute play.
This is my journey and I thank you for travelling along with me.
Act one: Love and good feelings
Scene 1: Ambient skyline
I think back and forward my mind tracing the past and circling around ideas of my future. I am here, but could I bet there, will I be there, and was I there? The is so much could and would when you think about it. But right now I am here, and you are here.
We sat there stairing up at the stars on the front of my car bonnet. Sammy, Ashley and Jack. Sammy with her long blonde hair and Jack with her red dress on, and yeah me with a skirt I borrowed from the girls. I see the universe above me and it feels like my eyes are only just opening for the first time. I love my friends and they love me. Well at least that is how I feel in this moment in this zone, in this place and in this world. The ambient heart of mine, beating slow and loudly.
I forget where I am, I can feel the fabric against my thigh and my ankles poking out from under my skirt to feel the soft cool breeze. The universe is so big, and hiden behind lights, I say to myself that I am tall, but really I am small. I am small, and I am okay with that.
I take a deep breath and nudge my friends, and giggle, we laugh at the silly notion that tonight is and ever will be our place, and the only thing is the here and now,a dn there will be no tomorrow.
Scene 2: the best of friends
Sammys smeared lipstick makes her mouth smile wide even in a frown, I did her make up, we I tried to but idk I get carried away really easily and sure enough I turned my head to some distraction will lipstick still pressed against her mouth my hand following my body movement scrawling a line across her cheek.
How do I look – Sammy asked.
I smiled a little confused oh right shit I was doing this, Jack comes in and puts her arms around my shoulders and leans on me looking at Sammys face.
Perfect! – jack says, with a straight face.
I was sitting on sammys bed cross legged wearing one of her skirts, I like this one, with its many subtle colours blending into a nice flow of shapes, actually I like all of sammy’s clothes. And was happy that she let me borrow this skirt for tonight.
Sammy on the floor looking up at us with a smile on her face, larger than I have ever seen.
Jack leans over me reaching out to Sammy grabbing her by both shoulders and licking the side of her face, smearing her lipstick covered cheek.
Perfect! – Jack said.
We made our way out of the room and out of the house and into the back yard. The warm night air I could feel, the grass between my toes. I want this night to last forever. Live in the lie that the future will never come. I love wearing womans clothing, well I love it where I feel safe with close friends in their yard where I can be a little bit more myself.
Scene 3: The long kiss goodnight
I felt the air shift and change as we were sitting out in the back yard over looking the river below, I could feel my empty heart beginning to open up and all that was nd is simmering in and settleing down upon this chest of mine. I wanted freedom, but at the same time I wanted to be captured. These mix of feelings flood my mind and heart.
We sit on the ground, the earth is warm still from the day of hot sun, it is such an odd feeling to feel warm grass so late at night. We lay down a blanket and pillows and sit down. Sammy was constructing a fire.
I love these girls, and I am so happy that we became friends even if it was only by chance and only for a short while.
I can hear the river even though I could not see it.
Sammy – are you guys warm enough? Should I light this thing up?
Ashley- na its cool, but it would be nice to be near a fire even just for a little while.
Sammy – okay cool, well hear goes .
Sammmy throws a match into the fire pit and the wood eats it up with a burp of flames licking high into the air. The smell of fire wood buring, and the flicker of flames. Against the dark stary night.
Scene 4: Start of a new day
I wake my head full of sand and madness from the night before, I can still hear the giggles of the girls. I rub my eyes The warm orange sun streaking into the room. I run my fingers through my hair and breath. I try and sit up and see that I am held down my arms and legs of the girls. The three of us entangled together in a mess of blankets sheets and pillows and bodies.
My thumb feels warm and I look down to see Jack drooling with my thumb in her sleeping mouth. I pull it out only to hear her snort.
My babes, my loves, my girls, my other two thirds.
I sit on the eadge of the bed and breath in and out, just breathing in the day.
I put on grey socks and pick up a white shirt of the ground. I love these Sundays. Every Sunday when I wake up a little early and have time to myself to just sit and be. I the clock on the wall says January 16th.
I head across the room
I wake up and feel the rythem of the day, I can smell the river below and I listen to the trees. My room over hangs a small cliff face, covered in greenery.
This is a place I love, my seceret room beneath the tall trees, there is a path that flows below and I use it when I ride my bike following the river.
But right now I am happy just streached out on a matress white sheets, curtains blowing getanlly in the cool breeze.
I streach out, my stomach muscles feeling all that is good about healthy living. My small chest, my legs. I sit up and pick up a shirt of the floor. And put it on, white against my tanned skin.
I could sit in bed all day with thoughts rambling through my head, but right now I am hungry.
I walk across the cool wooden floors away from the breeze and open windows into the depths of my abode.
All windows are open but the breeze is only felt through my room by the river.
In the kichen I see broccoli lying out in a sieve that I had picked and washed from my garden.
My garden was growing nicely, the soil was usually always damp and the sun is strong in this part of the world.
I learnt a lot about gardening over the years as I wanted to eat predomintly the food I grow from the seeds I sow. And this harvest is beautiful.
I sit on the porch with a coffee and some toast just breathing in the day as I watch the sun do its thing, slowly fading out the moon. My green plants and I think how lucky I am, not just to be here but to have the knowledge and time to make this space my own.
I finish my coffee and hold the empty cup in my hand. Bread crumbs on a plate.
Ashley – how did you get here? And where are you going from here and now?
I asked myself these questions always in my mind filling my thoughts and I can only think about the past, the present and the future all at once, but somehow it feels a little unclear as all I can see are my thoughts in a little window of what I can think and that is just not a big or clear enough picture to make a proper judgement.
What a magical start to my day.
BENT ON LOVE 