FUCK WITH MY ART!
I’ve just written some utter tripe, but I had to get it out
of my head. I’m seeing it as a comic, but do what you will with it. Turn it
into poetry, or prose, or a page of a comic, or write a song about it, or print it and wipe your booty with it, or do an oil painting, or whatever you want.
I just want to see what you all do with it.
Permission granted to twist, bend, and break it wherever you
feel like.
If you turn something out from it, I'll split copyright on that piece with you 50/50. :D
----------------
Two men are standing
on what I picture as a rooftop, but to be honest, it doesn’t need to be. I’m
just seeing a scene that screams CITY! no matter what the precise location
is. They look extraordinarily similar,
but not QUITE identical. Not quite twins, but could definitely be related. Or
could be twins who haven’t seen each other in a while and don’t dress/do hair
like the other. They’re both about thirty-seven years old, and look a little
too much like government spooks from the movies. Each one is holding a gun, not
a hand cannon, but not a derringer, either. Each holds it in their right hand,
holding it steady, pointed at the other. I see them at about twenty feet apart,
and I see wind, but what the fuck do I know? P.O.V., camera movement between
frames, et cetera, is all up to you, but don’t keep it too static. Unless you
want to.
One - So.
Two - Yup
One - This is kinda weird.
Two - Tell me about it. You’re even holding your gun the way
I do.
One - No.
Two - No?
One - You’re holding your gun the way I do.
Two - No need to be pedantic.
One - Sorry. Sarcastic comments have a way of slipping out
under circumstances like these.
Two - Well…look, this is fascinating, and I’d love to keep
talking to you...
One - But I need to go that way (he points past Two, not lowering his gun.)
Two - And I, of course, need to go that way (he points past One,
also keeping his gun on target)
One - Well then.
Two - Shall we?
One - Oh, let’s…
Both guns fire
simultaneously, and there’s a startling CRACK! between the two of them. They both appear to be
quite justifiably stunned.>
Two - Did I…
One - No, did I?
Two - No. (He looks to
the ground between them.)
One - You’ve got
to be kidding me.
Sitting there is a
lump of metal, relatively innocuous, but clearly the result of two slugs
hitting each other dead on.>
Two - I’d be really impressed…
One - If I knew how we did that.
Two - Is this some kinda clone thing?
One - Do I look like your clone?
Two - Um…kinda.
One - Yeah, shit…
Two - It’s seem pretty clear to me that things are a little
messed up here, yeah?
One - I’m inclined to agree.
Two - So what are we going to do about this?
One - How about we set our guns down and walk past each
other, yeah?
Two - Suits me.
One - On three, then…
They both begin to
lower their guns as the count begins.
Two - One
One - Two
Two - Three
Both swing the guns
back up and each shoots the other in the shoulder of the gun arm. Both drop
their pieces and drop to their knees.
One - Fuck.
Two - Fuck.
One - You shot me.
Two - I did.
One - Ouch.
Two - And you shot
me.
One - Yup.
Two - Damn.
One - Seriously, what the hell?
Two - I thought I could get the drop on you, just wing you,
right?
One - And so you did. And so did I, apparently.
Two - Noticed.
One - Of course, our goddamned bullets…
Two - …couldn’t meet in the middle this time, could they?
One - Going to miss my appointment now.
Two - And I’m going to miss mine.
One - If I hadn’t taken this shortcut…
Two - We wouldn’t have gotten lost.
One - Getting lost, though…
Two - …is just ending up where you’re supposed to be.
One - My da’ used to tell me that.
Two - Mine, too.
One - Tall, black hair, beard?
Two - Short, bald, smooth cleft chin.
One - Shit.
Two - So not brothers…
One - …and not clones.
Two - Quite the fortuitous coincidence, this.
One - Fortuitous? In what way? We’ve both been shot!
Two - Well, the way I see it, one of is going to live, the
other die.
One - Still not fortuitous, not in my book.
Two - Well, that’s how it always works in the movies, innit?
One - In the movies?
Two - Books, too. This is totally one of those Moments of Profound Revelation.
One - Don’t tell me you’re one of those prats who reads into
what color of eye make-up a white director puts on his black
actresses, are you?
Two - Look, I’m not talking bloody Alphaville here, this is strictly Dolph Lundgren level shite…
One - Alright, then, so what is it we’re supposed to do
next, then?
Two - Well, generally, one of the fellows reveals a profound
and important secret that sets a row of emotional dominoes to
toppling,
ending in a stunning conclusion
One - Ah.
One - Umm…I try to wank every few days, even if I’m seeing
somebody, as a kind of stress release.
Two - I don’t think that counts.
One - Well, that’s all I’ve fucking got!
Two - Relax, it’s fine. It’s just that we’re right on the
cusp of turning into one of those heartfelt black-comedy/dramas…
One - What, like Speed?
Two - Fuck off.
One - Would desperately like to, trust me.
Two - So why don’t you?
One - Well, you know too much about me.
Two - What, that you’re a chronic masturbator?
One - Dangerous information in the wrong hands.
Two - Urgh, don’t say “wrong hands.”
One - Sorry.
Two - Should we, y’know, go for our guns again?
One - It’ll only end in tears.
Two - Here, somebody’s coming!
One - What? Why would somebody be coming here?
Two - How should I know? Hurry, kick your gun away!
One - You first.
Two - Right, don’t get pissy, let’s just sit on ‘em.
One - Oh, fuck me.
Two - Are you fucking kidding me?
Three - The two of you say “fuck” a lot.
One - Theatre of the absurd, this is.
Two - So I see.
Three - It won’t be so absurd in a moment.
One - Wait, is that a threat?
Two - Is this some kind of joke?
Three - Take your hands away from your asses…slowly.
One - Don’t think I’ve ever been told that before.
Two - I have, but I was
in prison at the time.
Three - It seems this is going to be easier that I thought.
One - Are you going to kill us?
Two - Who fucking sent you?
Three - Language. Yes and I can’t tell you, in that order.
One - Can’t tell us…
Two - ...or won’t tell us?
Three - Can’t. Not even sure who sent me.
One - What?
Two - That doesn’t make any sense!
Three - Believe me, I realize that now.
One - So don’t do it!
Two - It’s not worth it!
Three - Oh, I know. But it’s what I’m here to do.
One - God, if this is a movie, it’s crap.
Two - It’s like French New Wave! Bloody Alphaville after all!
Three - Don’t blame me.
One - I know, blame the writer.
Two - Do what now? Did you say?
Three - Well, what do you know?
One - Oh, hell no!
Two - What the fuck kind of garbage is this?
Three - Ours not to reason why, and all that.
One - No, fuck you, I want words with this writer!
Two - Get the fuck in line!
Three - Please settle down.
One - Oh, fuck…
Two - Hey, that was uncalled for!
Three - I did warn him not to…
Two - Figures. What a load of…
Three - That was profoundly unsatisfying. Was that it? I
feel like my only motivation was to kill the two of them, and I haven’t learned
anything from it. Not why I looked like them, or what they were doing here, or
how I knew they were here, or…
Three - So that was my only purpose? I wasn’t even deus ex machina, was I? I can only hope
that it’s me deciding to do this next
bit…
Text (not dialogue)
balloon in the upper left corner, that says only one word:
Shit.
END
benjamin sTone
CURRENT MUSIC: “The Happening” - The Pixies
LAST BOOK I READ A PAGE OF: Stakeknife: Britain’s Secret Agents in Ireland - Martin Ingram and
Greg Harkin
LAST MOVIE: A Very
Long Engagement (France, 2004, Dir: Jeunet, w/ Audrey Tatou)
NEXT MOVIE: Oldboy (Korea,
2003, Dir: Chan-wook Park)