Chapter 2: Tara’s house – 6:00pm – Later the Same Day copyright Eric Chambers no redistribution, reposting, or altering  w/o permission    Tara pulls into the driveway, turns off the lights, then the car itself, and gets out. Walking to the front door, she pauses to look at the full moon; sighing, she opens the door. From the light in the hallway she can tell her mother, Mary, is in the study; faint biblical verses can be heard from behind a closed door. She walks the door and turns left, passes it and turns into her room; she closes and locks her door. She scans over various family photos and other personal items; turning back to the door, she unlocks it and heads out. She reaches the closed study door and is about to knock when the sound of an opening garage door fills the house. A clicking sound comes from the front door as if someone is having trouble finding the lock, when after a minute or so, the door opens; standing there, staggeringly drunk is Ben Maliki, Tara’s father. She stands frozen before him, only a few feet away; however, he stares right past her as if she was not there. Tara turns around to see her mother standing as far from her as Tara is from her father, she too stands frozen at the edge of the hallway muttering biblical verses under her breath.   Tara (in a small voice): Mom...?   She continues to chant softly.   Tara looks back at her father who has a fixed gaze on Mary.   Ben (staggering in place and slurred speech): Wheerrrs my dinnnner....?   Without saying a word, Mary walks to the kitchen followed by a still staggering Ben; Tara heads down the hall back to her room. Closing the door and locking it again, Tara collapses against the door, crying and sliding down until she is sitting on the floor with her knees up, arms around them, and with her face buried in her arms. Through the door she can hear her parents voices coming from down the hall, there’s a crash as something falls to the floor.   Ben (his voice muffled through the door): Mary, you bitch....   Tara (crying with her head still in her arms, softly): You fucker....   There’s a quick slapping sound and then a thump as something hits the wall.   Ben (louder now, even through the door): You bitch!   Tara (lifting her head up against the door, crying harder, screams) You fucker!   Tara sits against the door, crying.   Chapter 3: Across Town, Under the I-10 bridge – 6:00pm   Bob and Alex sit across from a campfire, Bob is wearing a blanket over his head , only exposing his face. There’s a radio playing an old REM song in the background.   Bob (singing with the radio, matching the pitch and harmony perfectly): When the day is looong and the night...the night is yours alooone...when you're sure you've had enough...of this life, well hang on...don't let yourself gooooo...everybody cries...and everyyyybody huuuuurts sometiiiimes.   Alex (waiting for a pause, staring at the fire): She tried to claw you?   Bob (staring at the ground): “Tried” being the operative word, she never got them off the table.   Alex stares deeper into the fire, contemplating, then turns to Bob.   Alex (half-laughing): She called you a rat?   Bob (still staring at the ground) grunts a yes.   Alex (smiling): Hey man, we’re not rats, we’re Rodent Americans.   Bob (smiling a little and letting out a small laugh): At least I’m not a gerbil, I might end up some actor’s ass.   Alex laughs out loud at that.   Both grow quiet and stare at the dying fire, Alex picks up a stick and rakes the embers, igniting the fire once again.   Alex (putting the stick down and not looking up): Tomorrow’s the day.   Bob (still staring at the fire): Ten years, right?   Alex (brushing the hair out of his eyes): Yea, three more ‘til he’s out...Ten years...damn...   Bob: You going to see your mom too?   Alex (turning to Bob): Yea, I’m going to try to do both....Come with me?   Bob (turning to Alex): Yea.   Alex: Thanks.   Pause   Alex (looking down): A prison and a graveyard in one day, merry Christmas.   Bob: Hey, Alex?   Alex (turning to Bob): Yea?   Bob (smiling): Can I have your baby?   Alex (smiling back): Shut up.