CHARACTER SHEET
NARRATOR: The River sat below a hot sun. It’s pretty sparkles bouncing off the blue. Starm sat under the pavilion. Sweating in his cotton jacket, holding on to a cigarette that went out a long time ago. The river’s boat racing season ended so Starm liked to watch the river more and more. It was calm, peaceful. Nothing like the ocean. A tamed giant walking among mortals.
JOHN: Chilly out.
[long awkward pause]
JOHN: Heard they’re serving beet soup tonight.
NARRATOR: Starm re-light his cigarette.
STARM: [uninterested] Oh?
JOHN: It’s a welcome change from those wraps. Tired of fish.
STARM: [uninterested] Yeah.
JOHN: Is this a bad time to talk?
STARM: [short laugh] No..
JOHN: I could leave.
STARM: No, It’s- I just a break from everything.
JOHN: Group?.
STARM: Everything,
JOHN: [jokingly] You’re not planning on slipping in that river are you?
STARM: [big laugh] Ho nothing like that man.
JOHN: Well I’ll let you be then.
NARRATOR: John began to walk away.
STARM: Ever been in a Tom-Tom ship?
NARRATOR: John sat back down.
JOHN: Can’t say I have.
STARM: Good, it’s closer to a tomb than anything else. It… echos. Every noise, you’ll hear it three, four times over. The bells on our uniform never stopped jingling. Hours of echoing and clanging. It doesn’t end when you leave the ship too. The sound of steel reverberating in the water, to the point when the battle ends the silence is disturbing. That feeling never leaves you.
JOHN: [sad] Oh…
STARM: The river is better, if I could have done it all again I would have been a fisherman. Let the water be calm, quiet. Maybe the sound of fish paddling around me. But, no use thinking about that.
JOHN: Could be of some use, we’re gonna have to do something when we go home.
STARM: What are you going to do?
JOHN: Dad runs a little store. Might not be able to fight but I can run a horse. Put some of my military training to use.
STARM: What do you really want to do?
JOHN: Oh, well I always wanted to be a choir leader. I was six months in training before I got drafted actually.
STARM: Really? Why don’t you try to do that now?
NARRATOR: John pointed to his jaw. The left side shattered by a Gorek hammer.
JOHN: I’m glad you hadn’t noticed.
STARM: Well- you’re welcome, and I meant it. You’re still worthy enough.
JOHN: Huh- worthy. I like that.
NURSE: [shouting] Dinner time!
STARM: Mind getting my chair?
JOHN: Of course!
NARRATOR: John began pushing Starm’s wheelchair.
STARM: Hey, John. Thanks for not noticing,
NARRATOR: Sliding into his chair the soldiers went up the hill, the cigarette sitting un-lit.