Skinride

“...who shall judge the quick and the dead…” Timothy II 4:1

CAST: (All characters can be of any gender)

CHARU - Urban Youth
SAM - Urban Youth
LUTKA - Ghost
CAUL - Ghost
PAPA LEG - Street Shaman, Urban Medium

SETTING: The streets in and around the Crypt District, where the veil between the
living and the dead is thinner.

SCENE I

CHARU and SAM stand on a street corner just outside the Cemetery District.

SAM
I’ve never been to the Crypt District before. I heard it’s spooky.

CHARU
Well, what do you expect? All the mausoleums, crematoriums and mortuaries are
there. They say the veil between us and the Shadowlands is thinner in that part
of town.

SAM
Do you believe it?

CHARU
I don’t know. But the chill that hangs in the air there and the fog covering
the ground is pretty convincing.
SAM
I guess if the dead show up tonight, you’ll have to believe.

CHARU
They will.

SAM
How do you know?

CHARU
I trust the broker. My buddy says they pay good money for each ride. They’re
not going to pay out for nothing.

SAM
I guess you’re right. I wonder what they get out of it?

CHARU
We’ll have to ask them. Let’s go, we’re gonna be late.
 They walk towards the district.
BLACKOUT

SCENE II
A deserted street near the Crypt District, but on the other side of the veil, in
the land of the dead. LUTKA and CAUL speak in the shadows.

LUTKA
C’mon. The broker is just down this way.

CAUL
Are you sure about this?
LUTKA
You bet! Once you skinride a quick, you’ll be hooked! I guarantee it. Do you
even remember what real food tastes like? What living lips feel like when you
kiss them?
CAUL
No.
LUTKA
It all comes back… all the sensations, all the pleasures of being alive again.
It’s an incredible rush.

CAUL
It sounds amazing, but won’t we get in trouble?

LUTKA
Please, the centurions that patrol this district are smart. They get paid off
by the brokers to turn a blind eye. And you know some of them are taking their
own rides once in a while.

CAUL
That’s all I needed to hear! Let’s go. You told thebroker that I was coming,
right?

LUTKA
Yeah, I did. Just remember the rules I told you, don’t speak or it’ll make the
quick talk and don’t move, you could make them move too.

CAUL
Ok… I’ll remember.

LUTKA
The broker should be right down this alley.

BLACKOUT
SCENE III
A shadowed alley decorated with mystical and occult paraphernalia. PAPA LEG sits
in meditation. CHARU and SAM enter.

PAPA LEG
Hey…

CHARU
What’s up?

PAPA LEG
You all here to be ridden?

CHARU
Yeah.

PAPA LEG
Name’s Papa Leg, who’re you? You smell like newbs.

SAM
I’m Sam and this is Charu. And, yes, we’re newbs.

PAPA LEG
Nice to meet you. Don’t be nervous. Everyone’s gotta have a first. You ‘bout to
make some really easy money and help some departed souls have a good time. Win
win for everyone, right?

CHARU
Sounds good to me.

SAM
Me too!

PAPA LEG
Alright, the first thing to remember is not to think about it too much. Just do
your thing and relax. The dead just want to do what you’re doing, get a small
taste of what life was like. They’ll see, hear, smell, touch and taste whatever
you do and they are not too picky. You’ll each get a hundred bucks for a good
ride. Easy.

SAM
Too easy…

PAPA LEG
I know, right? But, some people can get wigged out if they can’t stop thinking
about one of the dead hanging around inside their body. Starts to make them
have a panic attack or worse. The dead don’t like that. If you make them want
to leave, the deal’s off. Just remain chill and everybody has a good time.
Understand?
 CHARU and SAM
Uh-huh.

SAM
What does it feel like? When the ghost enters you?

PAPA LEG
Most people don’t feel anything. The ghosts like it that way. But, certain
kinds of people – the psychic sensitive, mediums like me, occult practitioners
– they can feel a brief sensation, almost like walking through a cobweb.

CHARU
Can the ghosts, like… take you over? Possess you and make you do stuff?

PAPA LEG
Only some of the most powerful ghosts can do that. But, for our dealings, it’s
against the rules… unless the rider consents. A controlled ride starts at $500
an hour and there are stipulations. But, that gig ain’t for newbs.

CHARU
Yeah, I get it. What if one tries to do something we don’t like?

PAPA LEG
Just come back here. I got ways to make em’ behave! A little bit a Saint’s Bone
get em’ actin’ right! But, don’t worry. I only work with spooks I know. This
is a professional business.

SAM
A hundred bucks is a lotta money… why do you do this?

PAPA LEG
Me? I get the ghosts to do me favors! Like, if I wanna learn some secret, I get
the ghost to follow people or watch them in they house. Oh, here come our
friends now!

LUTKA and CAUL enter.

CHAURU and SAM can’t see
them.
PAPA LEG
Welcome, spirits. Ready to ride?

CAUL
You bet!

PAPA LEG
Lutka, you’ll be riding Charu. Caul, you’ll be riding Sam. You know the drill:
no speaking through the quick and no involuntary actions. You know I’ll find
out!

CAUL
Got it.

PAPA LEG
Any special requests?

SAM
What are those?

PAPA LEG
Oh, sometimes the spook craves a specific experience, to do something in
particular. Maybe something they really loved in life. I’ll pay you an extra
$50 if you do it.

CAUL
Yeah, tell them I want to drink a beer!

LUTKA
And I want to kiss somebody!

PAPA LEG
Alright… Sam, your rider wants a beer. Charu, yours wants to kiss somebody.
How does that sound?

SAM
I can drink a beer!

CHARU
Kiss somebody! For $50!? I guess I’m already selling my body. We’ll see, but I
can’t make any guarantees.

PAPA LEG
Perfect! Ready?

CHARU and SAM nod.

PAPA LEG
Lutka, Caul. Let’s begin this ride.
LUTKA and CAUL briefly
touch the temples of CHARU
and SAM. They then stay
close to them on stage,
shadowing the actors
reacting to events.
 SAM
I did feel something! Like cobwebs!

PAPA LEG
Means you got a little something special. Better keep an eye on you growing up!
Have fun out there and be safe.

CHARU
What do you think we should do?

SAM
I have an idea…

SCENE IV

THE GARDEN WALK, a lively garden promenade. Jazz music plays.

CHARU
Coming to the Garden Walk is perfect. The moon is full, everything is in bloom,
and there’s music tonight.

SAM
The lights are so magical… even the air feels alive.

CHARU
Look at that clump of Nightblossom. I’ve never seen one so big.

SAM
You should smell it! It’s heavenly!

CHARU
It’s almost intoxicating!

SAM
Legends say Nightblossom could once induce a dream-like trance.

CHARU
But not anymore?

SAM
I don’t know, but I’m not willing to try. It’s deadly!

CHARU
That’s no fun! Who doesn’t want to be in a dream-like trance?

SAM
Look, the night market is open.

CHARU
I can smell it from here!

SAM
One candybread please. Purple!

CHARU
I’ll have a saltfry.

SAM
Oh, man this is delicious! Try it.

CHARU
Candybread is soooo good. Here, have some of this one.

SAM
It’s making me thirsty.

CHARU
There’s a beer cart over there.

SAM
Great.

CHARU
Two please.

SAM
Let’s go drink these on the memorial footbridge. I want to put my feet in the
water.

CHARU
Sounds fun.

CHARU splashes SAM

playfully.

SAM
Hey! Stop that!

SAM leans forward and

kisses CHARU.

CHARU
Whoa... What’d you do that for?

SAM
Trying to make you fifty bucks!

CHARU
Oh… is that all?

SAM
Actually… no. I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time.

CHARU
Really?

SAM
Yeah. Doing fun stuff like this with you makes me so happy and I kind of want
to do more. I think the beer and the excitement of it all just kind of gave me
the nudge I needed to do something about it.

CHARU
I can’t believe it. I really want to too… but do you want to continue this
conversation later? We don’t want to drag our friends into our relationship.

SAM
Yeah, you’re right! Forcing them to be voyeurs! They might complain!

CHARU
C’mon. We probably need to start heading back.

BLACKOUT

SCENE V

THE ALLEY. CHARU and SAM enter holding hands.

PAPA LEG
Ah! You’re back! How did your first ride go?

SAM
It was good.

CHARU
I almost forgot it was happening.

PAPA LEG
Did they give you a good ride?

CAUL
It was excellent. We drank cold beer and ate salty AND sweet snacks. Smelled
flowers. You know how long it’s been since I smelled a flower?

LUTKA
We even put our feet into the stream.
 PAPA LEG
What about your kiss?

LUTKA
Yeah… but I didn’t want to kiss them!

CAUL
Well, in my defense, it wasn’t really me.

PAPA LEG chuckles.

CHARU
You’re laughing about it, aren’t you?

PAPA LEG
Yeah, but don’t worry… It’s all in good fun. Feeling the lips of another, a
brief chance to hold hands. The dead are grateful. Believe me. Here’s your
money.

CHARU
Thanks.

PAPA LEG
Don’t be strangers. Always a ghost looking for a ride.

SAM
Wanna come over to my place?

CAUL
I’d like that.

BLACKOUT