BUG Copyright © 2005, Tracy Letts All Rights Reserved CAUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that perforg of BUG js subject to payment of a royalty. It is fully protected. under i copyright laws of the United States of America, and of all countries cover the International Copyright Union (including the Dominion of Canada an the rest of the British Commonwealth), and of all countries covered Pan-American Copyright Convention, the Universal Copyright Conventio; the Berne Convention, and of all countries with which the United States ha reciprocal copyright relations. 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Tk hame ofthe Author must appear en septs hone which no other name appears, immediately beneath the title and in size of | Pe equal to 5096 ofth - size of the largest, most prominent letter used for de tithe of the PI of the person, firm or entity may receive credit Jarger or more prominent h wine saga the Author. The following acknowledgment must apnea teat that Page in all Biogas osoued ia Soatiestiog with performances of che Pee and in size of type no smaller 25% of the |: a a used for the tide of the Plays MBSE MOS Prominent letee Originally produced Off-Broadway by Scott Morfee, Amy Danis and Mark Johannes,AGNES WHITE, 44 yeats old RC.(RONNIE) __ PETER EVANS, 27 years old "JERRY GOSS, early 40s DR. SWEET PLACE A motel room on the outskirts of | Oklahoma City, TIME ‘The present,BUG ACT ONE PROLOGUE i up to a.dim glow on Agnes. She stands in the open Lge ee motel a staring into the night, smoking a cigarette, a little drunk, an empty wine glass in her hand. Radio sala music drifis in from the room next door. Traffic drones monotonously on a nearby highway. A long, still moment. The phone rings. She sways to the bed, flops on it, answers the phone. AGNES. *Lo? (Beat.) Hello? (Beat.) Hello. (Beat.) Jerry? Is that you? (Beat.) Jerry? It’s you, idn’t it. You son of a bitch. (She hangs up. She spots her waitress apron on the floor by the bed, grabs it, pulls out a wad of bills, After riffling through it, she drops the money in the bedside table drawer. She then carries the apron to a glass jug filled with loose change and dumps the change from the apron into the jug. She wraps up the apron, chucks it in the closet. She checks the air conditioner, flips a couple of switches. She bangs it with her fist and it rumbles into life. Agnes goes to her table, finds her empty wine bottle, Pitches it. Grabs an unopened bottle, searches for the corkscrew, finds sient the wine, searches for her glass, finds it on the bed, pours a es Talks to herself inaudibly. She collects dirty dishes, carries them Bg ee soi: Runs water in the sink, throws in some soap, dumps ie lishes in, Catches herself in the mirror, sees something she doesn’t ee ae on lipstick, The phone rings again. She turns off the water, Puck ae 2 the living room, answers the phone.) Hello? (Beat.) You. (She hangs up. Talks to herself, The phone rings again. She Uswers it, 2 F ) Jerry? Where are you? Did you get out? (Beat.) You're, you might as well talk. All you do eon cones off, all right? I don't need ca aS ,) Hello? Jerty? (Beat,) Y'know I can call the cops Beat you're busted, you're in direct, y’ know, wha it to you, y (She h angs up quickly, ‘The phone rings again, Bor Bs quicely tothe door, shuts and lacks it. She cro = 2 Woh a couple of hesitant ste She stares at the phone as pi tant steps. f hoi i ring. Lig setts! In the blackout, country-and-western to ring. Ligh Scene 1 — ing a rock of freeb ights up on Agnes on the bed, smoking f 0 DHER C. i beside her, chopping and arranging. of cocaine with a razor blade, Country-and-western pI the boom box. AGNES. Fuck’s he doin’ here? RC. He's goin’ to the party with me — AGNES. Where'd he come from? : RC. He was at the club — : AGNES. I don’t know him, I don’t know what shit he’ into — RC. He'sall right, he’s just quiet — ” AGNES. He’sa fuckin’ maniac, for all I know — RC. — he’ harmless, he’s just hangin’ out — AGNES. How do you know? You know him? RC. Hell, yes, I know him, of course I know him — AGNES. He's a maniac DEA ax murderer, Jehovah’s Witness — RC. Suckin’ on that Pipe like it’s his momma's tit, probably safe to say he’s not real high up in the DEA —_ AGNES Don't bring people here with you, RC, I don’t trust — C. Go to this party with us, AGNES. I’m too fucked up, RC. Itsa Party, for God's sake — ae ES, yeast know any of those People. 3 “C. You know me, you kn ide — ‘ AGNE: know cia I picks neC, You know Peter. Play your cards right, maybe you'll get bred. NES. Don't even start — a : AG You don't think he’s good-lookin’? § a 3s, Ted Bundy was good-lookin’ — RC. Ted Bundy’s dead — 5 “-NIES. — that German guy — Don't tell me you don’t wanna get laid — ES. Gettin’ laid is one thing — akin’ UP with my head missin R.C. — if you don't mind | pmethin’ else entirely. some sweaty mongoloid:on pe top of you — _— but you do think he’s good-lookin’. (They crack up.) : I wish you'd come over more often. got my significant trouble waitin’ for me at RC AGNI RC. AGNES. RC. You forget I home — ES. Bring her over. Ae abs she’s all worked up over this custody thing. AGNES. How's that goin’? RC. Back in court, week from Friday. I don’t think the state’s too hot on reuniting children with their beautiful lesbian mothers. AGNES. You could probably pick better places than Oklahoma to be a homo. RC. Like anybody ever picked it. She’s not goin’ anywhere, long as that little boy's here. ‘AGNES, I like Lavoice. She’s a character — RC. You gotta like a woman who can fix your chopper — but she AGNES. Seems like I used might be a little jealous of you, to know more characters a tell the truth. few years back. AGNES, We used to have some characters down at the club. Now irsa buncha damn career women. RC. I don't think you can call menopause a career. AGNES. Seems like anymore, everyone I ever knew’s married, or dead, or in prison. ‘ RC. Your rowdy friends settled down — ? roe used to have a party myself ever’ now and again — AGNES. pees a party right now — e - No, I mean, like a barbecue— RC. fee pe this is the way you wanted it. You're the one hermitizedAGNES. ‘You can't blame me for that,’ : RC. That's a long time ago. sie AGNES. He's been callin’ again.’ - RC, What's he want? ee AGNES. He don’t talk. He just breathes, _ RC. You sure it’s him? s AGNES. Who else would it be?- ‘ .C. Then you're not sure. aking oe ate Te him, know it’s him. Calls statted tight RC. Get you a police whistle and blast it into the phone AGNES. I’m hopin’ he'll just get bored: Hey, It R.C. You be careful. That man’s dangerous. Lavoict AGNES, I know it — aes ee vig R.C. I can't believe they let-him out. I figured he'd kill somel Nam in there, and theyd throw away the key. (Yelling into bg Hey, Hey, whyn’tcha give somebody else a chance?! Tr'sor AGNES. I never been that lucky. 1 say RC. Don't you let him in, he’ comes back here (Peter ent end the bathroom: Agnes passes him the Sreebase pipe. During the follo beat he fixes the pipe, hits it. RC. offers 4 rolled-up dollar bill to Agnes, He uses it to snort her lines, p : Sp AGNES, PETER, oe Thope he don't come by, qt : RC. Wishful thinkin’, ae = a x AGNES. It’s been two years, # RC. He’ callin’, ain’ in’t Li 5 AGNES. ane he? Ie ain't like he forgot you... : RC. Get some bars on i : AGNES. yoo ; eI ayour windows maybe. ie Re Gane) ao Outside and throw AGNES. J can take care of my self, RC. He wont be sani ale : eee € satisfied until he’s —. zt 2 ‘ é AGNES, ie nets a ae murderer, Sol Need to A ~ + M sorry, whar? Agnes ang RC shape t attack dog LG: a ok, then b, an ax murderer, ae Peanuts at me.AG ine ae cocaine.) Here you go PETE lo, 1— (RC. yells into the ») : ¢ phone, . ot of a party at the other end oft the tne “ih veges re Hey, hello?! Who. is this?! Who?! Is Lavoice there?! Lavoice! She's ... she’s got short ... Hello?! Hey, I’m trying to find Lavoice! Lavoice! She's a big dyke, all right?! Named Lavoice! Hey, girl, what the fuck is goin’ on over there?! It sounds like...! (Beat.) I say it sounds like the end of the world! (Laughs; beat.) He said what now?! Speak up! (Beat.) ‘Well, are you all right? (Beat.) You tell him he lays another fuckin’ hand on you, he’s gonna have to deal with me! All right, then, I’m gettin’ outta here! You gonna ; be there?! (Beat.) No, don’t try to leave, I'm comin’! (Beat.) All right, I’m on my way! Til see you there! All right! Bye! AGNES. I just don’t take comp! the phone.) RC, I gotta get outta here. Some guy grabbed Lavoice, PETER. I don't snort it. AGNES, ‘You was hittin’ that pi good. (Beat;) tLe PETER. T know, I just don't like the powder, It’s not healthy. (Beat,) AGNES. I didn’t exactly have you pe as the health nut type ae ws PETER. You're -very beautiful. AGNES. Huh? _ PETER, I said you're very beautiful. AGNES. Thank you. PETER. You're welcome. AGNES. Thank you. PETER. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. liments very well, (RC. hangs up or squeezedsomethin’, and she slapped him and he hei Thate to.eat'n’ run, but— a AGNES. Don’t worry. Listen, you have 23 RC. I got you all set up, Sister. (RC. give, 4 ‘ of cocaine.) ; $065 Agnes 4 AGNES. Let me grab my — a CNRS: Pick vp 3 ACTER. ‘Things n AGNES. “Tharsa PETER. RC. I'll get it from you at'work. gS. What: AGNES. You sure? ord ee RC. Yep. Let’s saddle up, Johnny Depp. GNES. Doe PETER. I've changed my mind. epee “She RC. What's the matter? be AO ee get PETER. Nothing. I'll just-go from here. (RC. hisses Ap EYER. OF. nighi, brief, intimate.) = ‘AGNES. AGNES. Will you call me? PETER. In RGiTll eee-you deworke AGNES. Ye AGNES, Call me: PETER: RC. Allright, AGNES. AGNES. You promise wens \ C. Plleall, Well do something thi : ; ee : ig this week, okay? do anything | wouldit do. (RC: darts ou pullin OG ment ideas and Peter take each other in 3 r S TeTER. ; I guess T'll I (Quick hey go then, foo You want one last:dri AGNES. Yeah, Lcould have el ee) : ieee another Coke — I should get to bed AGNES INES. Help yourself. mays PETER. PETER. Thanks. (Agnes sidies sh oe cleaning an ashinay, Peter getsa Coke orig rpms some em PETER ofthe can with bis sire sleeve) You 2m the fidge and wipes thet AGNE AGNES. Few years, gua’ °° ROW cach other awhile ae A eee Tjust met her tonight, ¢ 3 think, NES. Why'd you chan, , GN PETER. I don’t ken 8¢ Your mind about hi Ki opens the Coke,) ‘ow. Tt just didn't seem-like i Ne ae AGNES. Have a real drink, for Che eee ‘Ach Eee hrisake. People whiy oa make people ne, ont drink PE me eh ae NOUS ANYWAY. (The ain Conditioner cope aS ETER. Cause I pi ‘ cu uncomfortable: Pick'up'on things, Tthink, Thar m: ee : x $ : akes People PE NM 19AGNES. Pick up on things, pETER. Things not apparent, _ AGNES. ‘Thar's'a talent. os PETER. Mm-hm. : Ce ‘GNES. What do you pick up from me?’ eee de PETER oes lonely. 4 know that much ‘AGNES. oesn't exactly make : PETER. Who's Jeane Dixon? youjeane Dixon = ‘AGNES. She was ..- ?know, that iat ; that Jackd get shot. c it. peyehic,‘told Teldy Kennedy PETER. Ob. You live here? : AGNES. Yeah. PETER. In the motel. ‘AGNES. Yeah. PETER. ‘That's weird. ‘AGNES. Why is that weird? ..° PETER. I don't know. (Beat.) Can I put on some more music? AGNES. Yeah, sure. (He goes to the boom box, puts on music, Agnes fixes the hase pipe. She ‘and Peter hit the pipe during the following. ) T get maid service. All my bills are paid, except the phone. PETER. I didn’t want to go. 3 is ‘AGNES. You didn’t want to go- Where, to the ~? PETER. I didn’t want to leave. I just, I guess Td just like to talk. AGNES. Uh... PETER. You're suspicious. AGNES. Not particularly. I don’t know you. PETER. No;-of course not. 5 AGNES, Anybody, really, comes into your place, a stranger PETER. No, I know what you mean. Because I’m suspicious, I think, thac’s my nature. But T’m trying to. start something different. AGNES. With me. PETER. No, just... I don’t mean to freak you out Tm just ying to make a connection, or whatever. AGNES. Right ... PETER. I'd like to see you again. AGNES. How do you mean? PETER, I mean... see «ny what 1 said. see you again, what 1 sale AGNES. Idon’t, don’t know. F PETER, Okay, 1 — ee. cor nothin’, so don't — AGNES. I don’t party like this ever’ night aPETER. [just wanted to see yOu ACNEY fae why people like to see each, oth PETER, Just 9h oe oN ET man’s the last thing need. os J don’t want to go t0 bed wit youn TENES Now dont burter me up of nothin. tER, Pm not good for uel anyway 5. What's that mean? on Women arentt really my bag. homo? : : cae a eee anything, teally. I'm done ei looking for a friend. AGNES. You a con? s R, No, ma'am. : he AONES: Dont call me ma'am. Make me feel like your mot PETER. You're not old enough to be my mother. - AGNES. Good. PETER. She's dead, anyway. AGNES. Sorry. PETER. She's been dead a long time. AGNES. You don’t even soun PETER. I’m from Beaver, AGNES. Ah, well, we're PETER. Pardon? ET d like you're from Oklahom: e all from Beaver — ain’t we? ly. ; 3 » (“eter examines hep Painted abstract, done in ih, po: ay tel artwork. i as a lay Street scene.) First day | move, ae depicting g soy iy MSO Piece of shit down, I 4 Southof ete, T said | Bae Pere ot to where | kind of like ig e AGNES, I duntio, Tes kinda Ii . like “yy itayi PETER. There's scuff int mallet AGNES, Seugp iM ce PETER. Hidden scuffse like a... whar da > AGNES: You mean you mean? “TER. People and things. If you really look at it, (She se j pel ) You have to Jook at i¢hard enough, You'll bdo M inh me ne That's weird. : AOTER. Do you hear that? AGNES. What? (He turns off the stereo.) I don't hear rockin’, pETER. Listen. They listen. Silence.) AGNES. You're hearin’ things. (A high-pitched chip. Another silence. Another chirp.) Hllskaroot: tee is that ~—? pETER. What is that, ETERS, Goddamn cricket. (Another chip) Jesus She looks for the cricket.) Can you tell where it’s comin’ from? pETER. Sounds like its — ‘AGNES. Over here, right? (Another chirp.) PETER. No, maybe it’s ... (He helps her look far it.) AGNES. Don't kill him. It’s bad luck, - pETER. Why is that, do you think? ‘AGNES. Some smart-ass cricket probably just made it up. (Another chirp) Kes in the bathroom. PETER. Really? I thought — AGNES. I'll bet it’s». (She goes into PETER. Do you see it? AGNES. No. (Another chirp.) Goddamnit — PETER. It’s out here. (She renters.) AGNES. Where? - PETER. I don't know. Up there. (Another chirp.) 2 AGNES. It’s the smoke alarm. ‘The battery's gone dead on the smoke alarm. (She struggles with the smoke alarm.) Can you'get that off there? (He struggles with the smoke alarm.) PETER. No. (Another chirp.) AGNES. Then kill the son of a’bitch. Irs not bad luck to kill a smoke alarm. PETER, I need something — (She hands him a doo-dad, He whacks the bathroom.) at the smoke detector a couple of times, knocks it 0 the wall.) iN Success. ne oe RS i AGNES. wat You should get rid of that. : 241 in them. p > Ae They're dangerous. They've got americium- Tee ‘What's that? R. It’s an element, a radioactive element. ~AGNES. Jesus. 4 PETER. More radioactive than:plutonium, | - AGNES. Holy shit. No wonder I feel so lousy, PETER. Yeah. Here ... (He exits the room; taking the with him.) So AGNES. What are you doin’? i PETER. (As he goes.) No, I'm just .... (She stands alone ti Lights” checks herself in the mirror. He reenters,) Okay, then i waking AGNES. Where do you live? Usha A pore PETER. I'm kind of between addresses right now, oe 1 AGNES. What's that meah, you don’t havea place? PETER. No, I got a place I stay :.. AGNES. Where? NES. (C PETER. Nowhere. Just ... where I-stay. ‘der the AGNES. You can stay here tonight, if you want. Sleep on the! nd Jerty Gt PETER. I don’t want to put you out. ; towel drape AGNES. Somebody on the floor while I'm asleep’s not pi Oss: i me out. 5 pusiness> PETER. Okay. That'd be nice. do you * AGNES. It’s just a floor. - (Beat.) \ HER et Sa (Se be up, throws him a pillow and blanket ant sh ts hand to bis mouth, B ere. AGNES. What's the matter? ee no AGNES PETER. Tooth. E Goss. AGNES. There's aspirins in the medicine cabi oe AGNE PETER. I'm okay. (ile mak icine cabinet. Goss lights, strips out of her re ak se nels Hoon Manes rT be AGN see her, maybe not ese in bean top; maybe allowing Peter to GOs Jilly dresed. Th air conditioner conga oy on tbe flr, on his back Orec AGNES, Whee er comes on.) ; : PETE! Jats the matter with the powder? Ore: ito oe snot healthy to juse snort it like that. Se AG! oe the... scuff that bad for you," Need to cook GC PETER. Mache flo AGNES, I don't reall AC y think any of is good for you igs are worse.than others. (Blah, : nditioner, traffic, garbage truck, oe: ee Plath. Mower.) PETER. Some thin; Out, sounds: air co;Scene 2 Lights rise on the following mornin, i ft waking. The bathroom lage is closed, sy, ue nee A pot of coffee sits on the hot plate. Agnes has a coughing fit, ol over to the bedside table, lights a smoke. The Shieh Pie oft A man whistles loudly in the bathroom; De AGNES. (Calling into bathroom.) There should be sos : under the sink. (Beat:) Thanks for makin’ the coffee. Terabe oe and Jerry Goss emerges from the steam -filled bathroom, wearing jeans, a toivel draped around his neck.) GOSS. You're welcome. (Agnes is speechless. Goss goes about his business, putting his shirt on, combing his hair, pouring coffee.) How do you stand that dinky li'l shower? I could hardly get under it. (Beat.) | ain't mad you didn’t come down to Stringtown to meet me when I got out, but you might at leasta been ready for me back here. Shit, it don’t even look like you knew:I was comin’. AGNES. I didn’t. GOSS. I wrote you a letter. Didn't you get my letter? AGNES. No. GOSS. Huh. (Beat,) You look good. You lost weight. AGNES. Not really. : GOSS. Yeah, you did. You got somethin’. sweet around here? Some Oreos or somethin’? I got a sweet tooth. (She doesn’t respond.) Hey. Oreos? AGNES. No... GOSS. Graham cracker maybe? (Beat,) I was gonna getcha some flowers. : ‘ AGNES. Jerry. Get out. ‘ GOSS. I just got here. I got some business to clear up down in Healdton, take me a week or two, then I'll be back up..J don't have a lot of stuff, so don’t rearrange the furniture or nothin’, (During the above, Agnes climbs out of bed to put on her clothes. Gass has his back to her, but catches her by the end of the speech.) AGNES, Goss ...fatter <+- 2 that hor le : - No re get skinny, You JUST BO, AGNES. [didnt ee up. You ‘sill workin’ over © AGNES. You know Iam. 7 GOSS. Still runnin’ with that li’-queer gal? AGNES. R.C. GOSS. You ain't gone queer on me; » “AGNES. You better believe it. GOSS: You know what Ido if I really thought that. AGNES. Don't threaten me. Td get another court order if I itd do any — GOSS. You shouldn’ta done that. AGNES. You broke my door in. oy wouldn't open it. . I don't have to open i GOSS. Aggie. I ain't waisted 4 oe is hi S hiecee eee in all this history. I got bigger ‘fish AGNES. You tried to kill me. « 5 GOSS, Wall that was a rough one. Iwas bad ae Goss. Whoseiih tee before you found God. drink Back the AGNES. You been waeehyee ere st night? : : GOSS. :Tscen bine ey lace , Coss 1 ole the eg f nee aint called GOSS. Who have you? ight times called you once. aide was he?ody. : 'shecomin’ outta here at ten in the mornin? He musta spent the night. ‘Yeah, he must have: Oe Ido somethin’ wrong? Oss. I don’t know. Did you? GNES. You're ridiculous — . You do somethin’ wrong, Aggie? ES. Don't do this, Goss — GOSS. Fm not doin’ nothin’. AGNES. I just don’t wanna start this all over again — Goss. 1 didn’t start nothin’. I didnt know better, I'd think you ain't happy to see me. I missed you somethin’ awful. Didn't you miss me? AGNES. Ican’t say I did, no. GOSS. That hurts. Sittin’ there, two years, waitin’ for this. AGNES. Don't gimme that — GOSS. God's truth. Waitin’ for this. Here. You. (He makes a move io embrace her and she, pulls away.) ‘What's the matter, you shy? We'll et over that. 3 AGNES. I swear to God :.. y'know, I don’t know if you're serious with this shit, or what ... T hate you, Jerry. I wish like Christ I'd taken Lloyd out to San Diego — (He slaps her and she goes down.) GOSS. Iwas in a good mood when Icome here. Looked forward to secin’ you again. But you know not to mention his name to me. Jain’t the one who lost him. Now whose fault is it you just got slugged? AGNES. Mine. i GOSS. You got some time'to get your ducl back here. Maybe next time I come home, you nicer to me, We can have a civilized conversation. to you? AGNES. Yeah. « GOSS. You just remember... asack of muffins.) Hidy. PETER, Hello. (Goss extends his hand and Peter shakes it.) GOSS. Jerry Goss. PETER. Hi. (Peter sees Agnes on the floor. He starts to go 10 her, but Goss blocks his path, keeps shaking hands.) AGNES. Goss — GOSS. (To Peter.) Didn't catch the name. ks in a line before I get can try bein’ a little Yhear me talkin’ . (Key in the door. Peter enters, carrying 19‘PETER. Peter; 4 GOSS. Peter, Just .., “Peter”? PETER. Peter Evans, a « s , : GOSS, es Evanth, Okay, (2, 60 of fy your purse? (Agnes points to hep Pose, Cy? heads for the door.) I love you, Aggie Ses ae Peter goes to Agnes, helps her to the bed i). AGNES. Jesus, what a punch, ‘ s PETER. Are you okay? : AGNES. He'sa big old boy, PETER. Do you need anything? Let me get you, ee ee AGNES. Grab me some aspirins, would you? (Pye bathroom, renters with a wet washcloth and a bottle fe yy them to Agnes, takes the bottle back from her.) hs PETER. Can I have a couple, for my tooth? iB AGNES. Sure. (Beat,) Thanks. Thank you for helping me” PETER. I didn’t really do anything, re AGNES. Where'd you go? I woke up — : PETER. I went out to get us some food, I hope you don't mind] took the key, AGNES. No, that’s okay. (Peter takes two frosted masefins ot of ty sack, places them on the bed. Agnes chooses one, Peter takes the othe, and they eat.) PETER. Who was that guy? AGNES. My ex-husband, He’s a nut. PETER. Maybe you should think about some kind of security, AGNES. Like an attack dog. Could you make mea vodka and Coke? PETER. Yes, AGNES.. You can fire up that pipe if you want, I don’t have to work tonight. PETER. Okay. AGNES. (Tilting her head back.) Any more blood? PETER. No. (She tosses the washcloth into the bathroom while Peter fixes the freebase pipe. During the fallowing, they share hits on the pipe.) How long were you married? AGNES. Long enough to still get scared at night. PETER. Do you have any kids? AGNES. No. PETER. I don't like thar guy. I don’t like that he hit you. AGNES. Iain’ crazy about it my own self, He said he’s coming back here, TER Eventually. * CFR. Maybe you need a gun. EES. Tcan take care of inyself. eR. Then why do you get scared at night? P ONES. I's just kiddin’. : A should be scared. “You peren How's that? ATER People-can do things to-you, things you don't even know abonrss, What kind of things? pETER. They try to control you. They try to force you to act a certain WAY: ey can drive you ctazy, too. (The air conditioner cuts Idn’t talk about it. I don’t know if it’s safe or not. AGNES. [ think we're safe. not really. You're never really safe. One time, maybe, people were safe, but that's all over. Not anymore, +« planet. We'll never really be safe again. ‘We can't be, not and the chemicals, and the information. ‘AGNES. I don't even like to think about it. pETER. Sometimes, though, when youre lying in bed at night, y can feel it. ‘All the machines, people working their machines, their works, humming. I dont like to go on about jt, ‘cause it freaks people out. It freaks me out. I wish I didn’t think about it, either, bur they don’t let you forget. They want you to know they're there. AGNES. What's there, the ... machines? PETER. Nothing makes them happier than knowing that people are aware the machines are UP and running. AGNES. That's some pretty wild shit. PETER. Yeah, I know you hate me. (Freeze: A helicopter buzzes distantly, very faintly.) AGNES. Why would I hate you? PETER. I don't know. AGNES. I don't hate you. PETER. Okay. AGNES, You think I hate you? PETER. I don't know. Tee Iwouldn’t ask you to stay here if | hated you. AGN R. I guess that’s right. Unless ... I. guess thae’s right. IES. You helped me just now. We're friends.Fe PETER; Weer? AGNES. Sure ote doit hae sg at Bi, do ave, fim goad to. : PETER: But pou dow trust mies “AGNES. Why-da you ay thae PETER. Because vou lied to tine sbruc having AGNES. How do you know thay? ues PETER. Trold you. I pick up on stuff 3 AGNES. I didnt tie co you. T dont have any havea child, once. PETER. What happened? AGNES, Ulost him, : PETER. He died? 5 AGNES. No, he disappeared, PETER. Really? Bastiat AGNES. Yes. Inagrocery stote, Nine eats ago. Almose tog. PETER. How old was he? ss AGNES, Six. PETER. Tmsony.. AGNES, Gor any other questions? PETER. No. ; < AGNES. Ask me now, if you do. Cause I don't want to talk aboay it again. PETER What was his name? AGNES. Loyd. UE ght See PETER. When did You stop looking for him? ee AGNES, Coupla years ago. Except for when [ sleep. 1 still look fig PETER. Do you ever — ? ‘ . ae o AGNES. No. Best.) did lie to you, about one thing. I reilly do Bet scared at night. You can stay here again, ifyouwan, iche, 7 : r AGNES. I kinda liked havin’ someone else here fora change, Kinda Nice. oh ? PETER. I haven't been to bed with a woman fora time, bur'l ” ane could go to bed wich you. (She stares as him, alin e . : Li fad tubo br cic fie be ee ee AGNES. Chere; boy... Black, t Le the blackous, belie it No ae bey Blackout. kn the . lpter fitedes: In darkness. R, Motherfucker. (Long pause.) Motherkucker. (Long pause, neT ET — (Long pause.) Come hete, you ... (Beat) Fucking S otherfucker. (Beat.) Fuck. Fuck, FUCK! FUCK IT, MAN! (Agnes ee turns on ad bedside lamp. Peter is scratching his wrist.) : ‘AGNES. What's the matter? Is'ir —? : DETER. Fucking shit — ‘AGNES. Js it your, tooth? ¢ PETER. Fucking bug, a fucking bug bite, fuck this — | AGNES. A bug? (Peter snaps on his bedside table light.) PETER. Where are you, you little motherfucker? -_ AGNES. What kind of bug —? PETER. Look at these bites. (He shows her his wrist.) ‘AGNES. Jesus, those look like spider’ bites — PETER. No, I felt ita second ago; it’s like a bedbug or some shit. ‘AGNES. Maybe you killed ic. i ; PETER. No, I had it becween my fingers, but it squiggled out. AGNES. Pull back the covers. (On his knees, still in bed, Peter pulls back the covers.) | don't see it. PETER. Little fucker, I was just about to fall asleep. (Agnes gets out af bed, turns on the bathroom light.) ss AGNES. I don’t see it — PETER. There. AGNES. What. PETER. Right there. AGNES, Where, * PETER. There. | AGNES. Where? | PETER. There, you see it? AGNES, What. fi PETER. The bug. AGNES, Where. PETER. Right there,AGNES. I don’ .,, PETER, Right: There. AGNES, ‘This? PETER, No, ‘This, ‘That, ‘There, AGNES, Where? R. “There! Right there, Agnes, i's « AGNES. ley, dont pet all 0° "Bb thay PETER. Well, do you see ir? AGNES. I'm not sure. ‘ PE Right there, Ics really small, AGNES, 1... guess... what is that? PETER, Isa fucking bug. AGNES. No, I know, what kind of | bug? PETER, Like an aphid, AGNES. A what? PETER. An aphid, it’s like a, a, a— . A bedbug? No, well, yeah, kind of, more like a louse, S. A louse? Like lice? PETER, Not like head lice, They're more like plant lice, AGNES. Like a termite, PETER. No, that’s more like a thrip. AGNES. What's a thrip? PETER. It’s like a termite. AGNES, Do you mean ticks? PETER. No, a tick’s like a flea, a thrip’s like a termite. AGNES, What'sa bedbug like? PETER. A bedbug, AGNES. But what isa bedbug? PETER. A bedbug. AGNES. I thought it was just a nickname, PETER. ‘This is an aphid, AGNES. Plant lice? PETER. I think so. AGNES. And they bite? PETER. That one sure did. rete a oe maybe it’s not an orchid, or whatever — INES. Aphid, schmafid, fuckin’ kill j ’n’ lee’s sleep. (Peter pinches the bug between ee filets get tolbe~ AGNES: BN icker- «That showed hi 5 tle fu oo ron oa bagy ek Fon. Get UP: 3, How come? Soar There might be more, * There's not any more. We would’ 5 a You almost didn’t see thar one. det ome NES. Well, it’s small. : ER. That's my point, Agnes, they're small. We mi them. (Agnes gets up, lights a cigarette, fixes the ‘foe ns ae : 4s the blanket and sheets from the materess, During ‘he fl eter ake turns hitting the pipe.) wing, ES. Oh, Jesus Christ, if I knew — ~ ‘ y TBR Ve at my wrist. Do you want to wake up in the morning and find this? : . (GNES. Lam awake, and it is the morning. (Peter i eh) "They travel in packs or soniehiiee oes Senders, PETER. Packs? ‘AGNES. You got reason to suspect if you find one there's others with him? PETER. Makes sense. And you're assuming it’s a him, some rogue aphid on his travels, instead of some matriarchal type.with a big brood somewhere. : AGNES. What's matriarchal? PETER. Did you ever watch Big Valley? AGNES. Sure. PETER. Barbara Stanwyck? AGNES. Yeah. PETER. Like her. AGNES. Oh... 5 PETER. This is clean. Give me the fitted sheet. (She hands him the sheet and he inspects it.) ee ; AGNES. You want'a drink? PETER. Do you? AGNES. Might as well. PETER. You drink a lot. AGNES. Fuck off. % 7 PETER. I didn’t mean it in a ... pejorative Sense- (She shoots him the finger, raspberry included.) 1 drink a lot, too.was home-schooled, in.school. iob, chrowin around pETER. te AGNES: NO or didnt believe gi oe ne a good job; radi at from Be Valley. Here, this’ de. t ng the bed ad takes : a of He mus' AGNE i “matriarcha™ ath kt oe ve poste fed sees” f i is inspection. The air conditioner cornes my, methe top sheet. 077" ‘her to continee PS ans You gor a nice body. AGNE. PENS so 40 Fer lookda" without clothes on- a okie how some folks look nice with clothes. on, by ou get ‘em naked, they're @ big disappointment. PENES. Wy weren't much for the ladies? AGNES. Why'd you say you PETER. Ie true. AGNES. Coulda fooled me. PETER. You're different. AGNES. How am I different? ere You don’t speak the codes. AGNES, How long’s it been since you was with Degli PETER. Idon' know. A few eres are AGNES. You musa goa bad one ETER. [just decided ic wasn't worth it AGNES. What wasn? mean, how do eames are ea center, right? I oe Feigg ekg js ou thar has ben polled. Pebink ee bee hat place sacred, in som ’s important to try.to * relationships, they cloud that epee eee evel ee iat space, Or, they cloud Lene vie or * 3, UCSS;juilt to b¢ just me, and norte have to worty about eee sound like some big asshole, dont 2B .. -- a ike to hear you talk. (She touches him, maybe even 3 Fe fe turns away.) oesueee 1 pitt i id me the blanket. (He tosses the top sheet back on the ER. Ss him the blanket.) sf) pe ‘ yan Neu musta missed gettin’ laid. . Gn Noc really. You have a lot of energy in your seed. Not you, oF ER. Aman docs. = nas ee ‘ dO Tee you even jack off? =: NES: Deny. oR ee perer. ee (The phone rings. Once, twice.) < A an ‘Aren't you going to answer it? : cee PER, Hua vig i AR. Why not? Basi , { TONES: Ir’s Goss. he pos’ ae ER. You were Goss once. (She doesn’t respond. Peter answers ? irops his. voice.) Hello? (Beat) Hello? (Peter jerks the the phones drop: ‘ a from his ear and hangs up:) ks : DETER. I don’t think so. TENTS. What'd they say? nies . : PETER. Just static. (Peter resumes his inspection of the mattress, spots another bug.) There you go. See? AGNES. Where? PETER. There. AGNES. I’m sorry, where again? ‘PETER. Right there. = . AGNES. Squish him. : PETER. ‘There you go again; How do you know it’s not the ‘super- mother aphid, and she's carrying a million eggs? AGNES. What the hell are plant lice doin’ in my place? PETER. (Whilst squishing.) Biting me, for one thing. AGNES. I have to get the place sprayed. PETER. T'll- do it. I'll buy some stuff tomorrow. AGNES. Fuck that, it's their room, they should spray it. PETER. But someone will have to come in here. | AGNES. Daman right, j PETER. Well ... yourdo what you wea hued ouldn’t ... AGNES, Howcomes 2 Sena . FePETER. Hand-me the pillows, bed and she gives him the pillows, He sep “AGNES. ‘How come? ” ee PETER, ‘Never mind, AGNES. No, what? : PETER. No, I shouldn't have said any thy, AGNES, What? ee PETER. Ie’ your place, I don't mean to Intesfa AGNES. But why wouldn't I wane SOMCOn ty a “damnit, I knew you was a con. Why didn’t i‘ PETER, I've never been to prison, Pm just :,; Tve got some people after me, that’s —. ; AGNES. Who's after you? PETER. It'sa long story, AGNES. If you're stayin’ here, PETER. It’s for your own ben that’s all. AGNES. Drag me into. what? PETER. Agnes, please — AGNES. Drag me into what? PETER, I'm just not comfortable telling you, AGNES. You dont trust me. I don’t know you from \ layin’ here naked next to Some stranger, and'you don't me enough — PETER. I trust you. That's nor — AGNES. Come on, man — PETER. I just don't want AGNES. T'll take my ch; PETER. I won’, (He AGNES. So you're PETER. [ should, AGNES, Where? PETER. I'll be fine. AGNES. All tight, then fuck off. (He dye robe, takes a seat on the bed.) You may th; i y take you in here, okay, but I ain’t the kind of wo; man. Fact is, it’s T need to know, efit. I don't wane to You to get hurt, can’t you? ances, : tosses the pillows down, s Starts putting on hy goin’,= (Peter heads for the door; Agnes a ee res on ofa Bh (Te adi ise Heche rad ‘Spe rns a ihe bathroom, ‘slams the door behind ries ie a moment, listening to her sobs coining fim the er. ~ ip at ill. If vis the motel room. Empty room. The air conditic et Twertty seconds, Peter renters, He crosses to the hathroons f ope ved it ‘front of the door, During the following, the belica 5 aggins gradually gets eae) : opter “TER [ got in some.trou! le ..; with the Arniy. I w: kaka © the Sysian desert, during the war, Fhe parses ig and really worked us over, with shots and. pills, ostensibly for ulation, but». there was something else going on, too. Alot of the guys 80° sick, vomiting and diarthea, migraines, blackouts. had an epileptic seizures he’d never had one before. A of guys went ‘AWOL. I never found out what really happened to them. I started, ing .- sick. ‘They shipped me Lake. They started running ¢ having weird thoughts, too, and feel- home, put me in a hospital at Groom hese tests. They had every kind of doctor you could imagine, probing at me, jabbing me, asking me all kinds of weird questions, feeding me more pills. They wouldn't me there — years, I dont know, four years? let me go. They kept Those fucking doctors were experimenting on me. Twent AWOL. I was a lifer, too. I didn’t have anywhere to go. ‘They. don't respond too well to some drugged-up guinea pig just taking off. I don’t know that I’m not carrying some disease with me, some contagion. Jesus; you know that’s how they start, typhoid, Legionnaires’ disease, some government screw-up, AIDS with those fucking monkeys in ‘Africa, They'te after me. These people don't fuck around, Agnes. I shouldn't have told you that, But I needed to tell somebody. And I do trust you. I don't think you're just some simpleton I can ~ take advantage of. I know we haven't known each other very: long, put ..like you, Agnes. don't want to go ».-T don’t want to go .++ (The door slowly opens and Agnes comes out, wrapping herself. ‘around Peter. They hug.) AGNES. Dont leave me... (She. spies somethi studies it. Hl sees it, t00. The helicopter gets even Peter...? (Blackout) tag in his hain, picks it ont, Louder, approaching ) End of Act OneACT TWO “Scene 1 ights up on Peter. He sits crass-legeed in front ofa child» ie ter he has set up his ‘lab: whiddie chemistry a oe J microscope, magnifying glass, petri dishes, las slides, andy The weapons of a bug war surround him: cans of bug Pry fron the cheap, over-the-counter items to the industrial ub wih metal spray hose; fly strips, bung from the ceiling, the Lamps, thy painting; roach motels, in the corner, on the table, by te, ide, under the bed, a fyswatter. On the floor, beside the bed, isa stach of assorted childhood items: crummy toys, chewed-up crayons some clothing. The traffic: continues to drone outside; a Lating couple a few doors down are having an argument, barely audible through the walls. At rise, Peter pricks his finger with an Exact knife and squeezes a few drops of blood into a petri dish, He then carefully slides the cap from another perri dish, removes a | captive bug, drops it into the, petri dish that holds his blood, and i quickly covers it. After giving the dish a cursory inspection with the magnifying glass, he jots a Sew notes in a journal, then examines the dish under the microscope. A knock on the door, Peter turns, hesitates, crosses to the door, listens, Another knock, Then, a Scraping sound, Peter stares iat the doorknob as it slowly turns. The door opens and Gass enters, a lock pick in his hand. ideas tea PETER. ‘Can I help you? GOSS. No. (Goss closes the door, throws his hat y on the bed, kicks his boots of) eerie ee PETER. Agnes isn’t here. BOSS: No shit. Where ig she? ER. The liquor Store, I think: (Pete is 1 oe co bom amen ae e ee bis work at the lab. ‘ ow, if ] iesopa: i se ass) re) When ae I believe Pd take the hint. Perey a8BR Idon’t think she has one, one. 19-inch RCA, S . oss, We had one, 19-in Sutkecto tie : ‘money | made drivin’ a sausage truck, Yee Ge ‘ bough it ecimes, ny could feed my wife and my kid, You ae a ing, like tha? (No response.) Who doesn’t have a TV? He on posed to know what’ goin’ on inthe wold Jesus, we might ae by aes or somethin’, They could be Se ole dang city tight now, "nr you and me's sittin’ z a“ rug our facia ' and me’ sittin’ here with our ETER. Could be. (Goss spots the child’s thi GOSS. Who got this stuff out? his by tebe) PETER. [ did. For the microscope. GOSS. Ub-hub. (Goss takes a little boy’s shirt from the pile, i Smelt.) ee shit... (He roses echerbed ibe pl on oe = iE ba a a up oe Aggie gets home. She wont like it. P . (Goss sidles up next tothe lab, fiddles with stuff. GOSS. Whatcha workin’ on? slat hadieied) PETER. I'm — don't touch that, please — I'm just looking at something. GOSS. Whatcha lookin’ at? PETER. A bug. GOSS. A bug. PETER. Yes. ~ GOSS. “Yeth.” You know who you remi know who you remind me off PETER. Who do I remind you off GOSS. Guy I knew in the pen. PETER. In the pen. GOSS. [just did a deuce for armed robbery. PETER. I'see — GOSS. Anyways, I knew a guy there named Porterfield. You aint related, are you? PETER. I don't believe so. GOSS. “You don’t believe tho.” PETER. No. GOSS. You know what we called him? (Beat.) You know what we —? PETER. No, what did you call him? GOSS. Mrs. Porterfield. You kinda remind me of him. PETER. Oh. (Goss looks through the microscope.) GOSS. What the fuck am I lookin’ at?” ind me of? (Beat.) YouPETER. A bug. In ny blood: GOSS. Inyour blood, PETER: Yess ee GOSS. “Yerh." I. don't see no bug. PETER. It's very-small, a GOSS. I bet i is, You're pretty much JUSt jacking? of (Beat,) Why don’t you answer mé when I ask hig hey, PETER. | thought it was a rhetorical question," “Yet GOSS. Y'know what I'd do if I thought you was fitckin yi PETER. Something gruesome, I imagine, hay GOSS. “Thomething gruethome.” a : PETER. Look, I don't know who you are, and | don’t kay GOSS. You don't know who I am? Didn’ we meet jn here couple of weeks ago? Hey PETER. Yes— GOSS. .D’ja forget me that quick? PETER. No. . GOSS. I remember who you are. - PETER. Right, my poine is, I don't want any trouble with you GOSS. We ain’t gonna have no trouble. PETER. Good. GOSS. But I’m stayin’ here for a while, so you're gonna have find somewheres else to do your [i'l experiments, PETER. I don’t think you want to stay here, GOSS. I don't. Why don't I? PETER. The place is crawling with these things. GOSS. With your I?! bugs? PETER. We'e infested, (Goss takes in she room, studies Peter.) SOs ph belive you are... (The dock opens and Agnes and RC ee bring me? (Goss gets p eugs and kisses R.C) Pere him in herr Hlow you been, gil? He picked the lock, oS ‘ Goss, Maree nai lede bie," Ee Suppose — y. bl nf RC. ‘That's oka GOSS. No, I meant yours, AGNES. You cant stay here, Goss, : . That's okay, Tj ee ee Ys | just need a place ¢ hh %% (To RC) Hey, whats chat gale nameyou raed ena ple oS¢ bathroom, oe behind him.) he couldn't stand up’ linoleum was so g _ AGNES. Jerry, me GOSS. I had Some pictures of that — AGNES. Get out, GOSS. Ltold you, darlin’, [ just need a coupla weeks to — AGNES. I want you outta here, GOSS. Wait a second, I was just — AGNES. Now, GOSS. You throwin’ me out? AGNES. T'm throwin? you out. i i GOSS. Okay. (During the following, Goss casually puts on his boo abs his hat.) just misunderstood. 1 thought Twas gonna at ere for a while, but now I see that’s.a bad idea. What with you a ~ infested and all, (Beat.) 1 won't lie to you, Aggic. I'm cisopolna ie Td hoped for a little more from you, but I don't guess ae a e ‘ © to expect that. (Swivels to Peter.) And Lowe you an pg d of ~ you figured all wrong. Here I was thinkin! pense a ea Weirdo freeloadin’ cokehead ... but I eeetr upteeeat such good care of Aggie. Keepin’ athe ian 7, finally.) Yll be around. important. L appreciate it. (Goss is at the door, (Goss leaves.) PETER. Come here and look at this.ES. Jesus... ee: : “ ae Come here. (Agnes grabs the frebase pipe to the phone and dials) : AGNES. (To B.C) You believe that? PETER. I need you to look at this now, please, ‘AGNES. (To Peter, re: microscope.) You found it, - (To phone.) Yeah, police department, please. (Peter Ip A Clee pe ha an ley PETER. What do you think yout doing? ee R.C. I was callin’ the cops. PETER. Don't do that. C. Agnes —. c SER Don't ever do that. (Peter returns to the microscope) R.C. Its B and E, pure and simple. He violated his Patole, hi, restrainin’ order a : PETER. Agnes, will you —? ; RC. (To Agnes.) Have him put away, don't mess around with him — AGNES. It just ain't that easy, PETER. Agnes. Please. (Agnes goes to the microscope, looks in.) Do you see it? : ey AGNES. What? R.C. Agnes — PETER. You see the bug? AGNES. Yeah, I ... PETER. Can you tell what it’s doing? RC. Agnes— AGNES. Not really ... it’s so... PETER. Ie’ feeding, AGNES. On what? AGNES 8. gout pnt OF mY blood PETER. Jesus, I'm syitgits feedin, (RC. peeks in the microscope, doesn’t AGNES. We knew that, though, PETER. No, we kn i teisons. These at ing Ao Wer biting, Bugs bite for differen ieee Petcide, etc.) None of this shit's working. oli bug, a Teoulautrg nd ang P'aYS. I thoughe they might be at are coke bug? |” Agnes’ stash, off my blood. It’s a parasite. comment.)ree the bugs you sometimes find in cocaine.: ine doesn't have bugs. : he DEA sprays the larvae.on’ the coca plantations:in ‘Americ Central Ametica. They'te genetically enginecred to 1 fication process. If they cait wipe out the drugs, - ut the users. You don’t know about this? That's eve on ts why you only do the rock. Yes, it boils them away. - Thanks for tellin’ me. : pETER. They don't get'to all of it. You don’t have them; I told you: checked. Believe me, if you had them... RC. You've had ’em before? “ PETER. You ask a lot of questions. : ‘AGNES. Maybe we should take these to a lab somewheres. PETER. A lab. What for? AGNES. Find out what they are. PETER. I know what they are. RC. What are they? TER. ‘They're blood-sucking aphids, and we're infested — © RC. Y'know, this aphid business — “AGNES, (To Peter.) What is this? (Agnes shows Peter her elbow. C. gets a closer look, too., ) PETER. It's a burrowing aphid. You have to dig it out. RC. Lemme see ... (Peter grabs a safety pin and hands it to Agnes as RC. studies her elbow.) Where is it? AGNES. PETER. It’s right there. On her elbow. RC. Where? AGNES. You see it? That speck? RC. I can’t see shit. "AGNES. Look, just under the skin. - PETER. RC. Ie’s there. I don’t see shit. Why can't I see in? AGNES. -PETER. Tes real itty-bitty, you really {don't know why: Why can we see it? gotta look for it, RC. It's under the skin? . AGNES. Yeah, Here, I'll dig it out, yourcan see ir better.PETER. The place is crawling with the: with the needle.) : m, Apne AGNES. Y'know; when I talked to Cart, he sig even — He re TER. Wait a:minute, wait 4 minute. You y & TONES. Carl; the manager. Of the motel, ae oe 4 PETER. Why? Whose idea —? a AGNES. To tell him we were infested with — PETER. Why'd you tell him that? R.C. Why shouldn't she? i PETER. Tell me what you told him. Tell me exactly AGNES. I didn’t tell him anything that'd get you inty FA PETER. We agreed we weren't going to tell — Yo AGNES. We'te the only ones who've even seen ’¢m — RC. (Raising hand.) I haven't seen em — AGNES. Don’t you think that's a little weird? We got Pet g around us — PETER. So what are you saying? AGNES. I’m saying ... it’sa little weird — PETER. You already said that — RC. We saw a doctor. AGNES. Ronnie... R.C. She had to know about those sores. 4 PETER. (To Agnes.) Either you don’t really grasp the situation here, or you're just fucking me over — AGNES. I didn’t mention you. I didn’t mention anything about — PETER. What kind of doctor? AGNES. A dermatologist. PETER. And what did he find? RC, No bugs. PETER. (To Agnes.) You picked them off, See a oy es even look like bug bites, adie Assay ‘cuse me. Will you please not talk while I PE He gave me some stuff for a rash — ip oe oe re (He finds her purse, pulls out a tube of pre- NES. Ie's j i FETE Thc ott et trom) AGNES. Maybe we've been hice’ the pipe oo fae —(To RC) Tell her this is nora ‘ cinogel his ® pot aa 2 oki for some kind of explanation —- “st 100) ; poe sgt ear vot ee eed : chi ate of opinion. ‘An organism just 15, 0F ic isnt. pes not d jgnt- % pS. i i ‘are the DUBS ot aren't they? 0° 4 party Lien ow es : oe nt Jame bugs. Dont give me some bugs. Presence of : e sign outside says, “Vacancies, or “No » that’s under- £ bugs: be ‘ aoe says “Possibility of Vacancies, Yeah. ur doctor is lying to YOU C. Peter. Do you have bites like hers? Fe. Worse than me. Show her. (Peter pulls up his shirt His “+h sores and scratches. The sores 0” ircular pattern. One sores quite marks the center of the circle, C. Oh, my God ... GNES. Did you put somethin’ on that —? C, And you believe an aphid did that to you? PETER. T know what did it to me. * 4 RC. Aphids can’t bite. PETER. Do you know @ Jot about ap RC. No. PETER. Do you know anything about aphids? RC. No. : PETER. We do. (Peter and RC. are now locked on to each other.) ACNES. C'mon, yall, let’s, Ronnie, tell him your news. (To Peter.) Lavoice got custody of her kid. Ain't that great news? Ronnies onna be a mother, or an aunt OF whatever. PETER. That's terrific. AGNES. I just can’t believe it, not in Oklahoma. RC. Yiall listen to me now. There ain't no bugs. AGNES. C'mon — bin There ain't no bugs in the microscope, 0 Your skin, in your in. In the room. There ain't no fuckin’ bugs. ETER. Thar’s odd that you — hids?RC. Pevens P4S shere, with the doctor Agnes. vale ae see “SCNES. Ldont think we se jd her sores were syst like yOu: Oryou done it t0 her,: PETER You think bine es RC, Idont know what your deal is, I don’t know what youre all about, and J don’t give a dare hace . the day! brought: you over ner ae AGNES: Ronnie : : RC. Lean ido nothin’ about You, except suggest you dical attention, but I can do somethin’ about: 8 son, y fr rend to. : : 2 What do you Ey n’ her outta here, and she'll come sta serious met and I by God in PETER. Do.you: RC. Yeah, I'm taki for a while. ‘AGNES. Ronnie, I can't — : A a en te RN OS RC. Sonsboty@ been askin’ about you. Rie AGNES, ‘Who? PETER. Somebody asking about — RC. Dr. Sweet. : AGNES. Who’ Dr. Sweet? int abou PETER. Think Sate our whi tolerate Ree Lae ohn a alle pote what your friend is doing. PETER. Yes Ido, (To Agnes.) Gr a ee tase 4enes.) Groom Lake. Your friend. is going AGNES. Tell me — : eee . He come i " PETER. Wet Hinges abn about Peter: RC. Not much I dda oes : guess I didn’ jow yo aye ee pe ans ask enough questions. Bat rl ie in’ here, so. AGNES i Rona oy to find you. obody you wanna RC. Taint playin games with him now ie PETER. Ne. You not : GNES. It’ okay, she's , RO Tyme Bot gonina do th AGNES Be at — nie, stop it, you don’t mean itigh for your contention U1at there are 8° buge oe on es conditioner comes on.) : : i : oa o a) You wanna pack a bag: come stay with me fora on seiddenly slaps his neck, brushes at bis hair, He sage ee lapping at his arms, bis face, his hair, bis neck, the ait in liyak afi) RC. = —? Jesus Christ — ER. Motherfuckers — (His slapping and brushing become. frane panicked. He grabs a coat hanger, beats himself with it, spinning a circle, screaming. OTHERFUCKERS! GET OFF ME, (OTHERFUCKERS! (Agnes and R.C. jump to theit feet uncertain, ting to help. Peter goes into 4. frenzy, scratching, slapping shrieking} \GNES. é R.C. “ Peter! Peter! Ohmy-God —! (They move toward him. He jumps away. ) : ETER. DON’T PUT THEM ON ME DON’T PUT THEM ON ME WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS! ‘ ei i RC. AGNES. és Tm not doing anything, _ How can we help you?! Pm just —! ‘ What do we do?! (He jumps into the corner of the room, spins madly in a circle, hammering. his body against the walls.) “ AGNES. Peter, God,stop! (Agnes grabs the blanket; rushes him, wraps the blanket around him, pulls him to the floor. He-writhes wildly under- neath the blanket and now appears to be having an epileptic seizure. Agnes and B.C. hold on to him ‘until the seizure ends and he lays silent, apparently passed out, Agnes suddenly lashes out, prishes RC, away.) : Who .do you think you are? You come in here and try to take away” aathe only thing in the world I v4 ching? Why can’ you leave me wie here, and don't ever come back, im, svothes him, Blackout, tn the ies of the helicopter.) Notes From this paint on, Agnes and Pej swat them away from their faces, ete, Lights 1p oy Ares | Peter laying in bed. Peter groans, softly at, firSn they a AGNES, Is it your tooth? PETER. Yes... oohhhh, Christ... AGNES. You have to go to a dentist, iS PETER, I already had ic filled — I don't understand ,.. AGNES. Take some more aspirin, PETER. I finished chem, AGNES. You finished the whole bottle? Today? PETER. Yes ... sie AGNES. I might havea Codeine in there ... (A long silence) Pete PETER. Yes, : AGNES. Let’s leave. I can’t take it anymore, PETER. We cant. They're watching, : AGNES. Seems like ifthey knew where you were, they just grab you. PETER. ‘They‘e playing with me. AGNES. Can't we sneak out? PETER. It’s too risky. (Another silence, ) AGNES. [havea sister in San Diego. Shei take us in til we goron Gea a eat) 1 as gonna take Lloyd out there. gr away from ed us, But I waited coo long. Who lenows, aye she hates me now, too, (Beat) | can’t believe Re did that to me: cant imagine what I did to her to make her hate dont know why I couldnt see it before Spyin’ licele love you so much. I don't even bitch. Beat) I know you very 40ginv really done much in bed, exce gomme 162500, : Sat tere ris bugs. 1 guess 'd rather tal about by wit Oh ‘with nobody. Not like I really gota ee ea = about misery, but who wants to hear that all the tim doe get sick of it; my lousy life, laundromats ‘01 lamb marriages and lost kids, Lloyd 3. he's the only peat.) Ym forty-four. (Petey snaps i bed.) ? n . you think that? i idn’t have them before I came, AGNES. You're sayin’ they were in your cloth PETER. My skin. They’tein my skin. Under AGNES. How’s that? PETER, There's an © sac under my skin. AGNES, Egg sac. PETER. That's why they didn't grab me. AGNES: Butl thought they're suckin’ your blood or whatever, so why would — : PETER. Tavage a biologist, all right? The eggs are under my skin, they hatch, they ‘need air, they come out, they need food, they ~ come back, they cat. - a 5 AGNES. So howd the eggs get in there to start with? eis PETER. ‘Think about it. (Peter rummages roughly through the top shelf of Agnes’s closet.) ~ They woulda done thacto you. PEPER Who would they have done it to, a pig? ‘They bie e ts; i human, see if it-works before they start spraying ghdad sulniolnsces Cage. (He rocks 3 plastic rolbox ra the lor, rummags with i : ‘ as a) : peu ace aa es, or what? my skin,z right, whacwas I thinking? Oy, Ve : soit orn on their own People a Sty, No. £ aN as as pen ey ‘= Jike feeding LSD to enlisted men at Bg Foods | or, or, or sitting around watching those poar fuckers tik Tia ey from syphilis. Why don’t you fucking wake up; Mkeg,. " AGNES. So where is this egg sac? (Peter turns 1.4 pai places them in his mouth, over a tooth.) What are you) the pliers band, and pulls, erying out.) Petes! Stopit (x bag pliers, paces, hand over his mouth. The phone THES, maybe , PS thy times, unanswered.) What the fuck are you doin’. .?° * em : PETER. Thesac is in my tooth. ’ AGNES, You can’t put an egg sac in your tooth, PETER. [ had it filled at the base. Sadistic Sons-of-bitches Putay | insect egg sac under the filling — i i AGNES. Maybe we just got a little bug problem here — es, PETER. They're eating me! AGNES. I know, I know, I’m just playin’ devil’s advocate here — PETER. All right — AGNES. Maybe you're just lookin’ PETER. No, bullshit — AGNES. — so you're more liable to see one — PETER. — bullshit, bullshit — AGNES. Just bear with me — € PETER. You don't know what youre talking about. You have no idea what these people are capable of (She puts her hand to his cheek —)- AGNES. Peter — (— snd he slaps it away sharply.) PETER. Iam nota child, I know who I am. (He picks up the pliers, walks to the bathroom, look: in the mirror.) ae AGNES. Let’s at least go toa real dentist — PETER. It’s just not safe. 'm being watched too closely. AGNES. You can’t know thar, " t PETER. They haven't grabbed me because they want to see how the experiment turns out — 2 AGNES. Peter, Stop it! Give me those! (She attempts to get the pli away from him. He ‘pushes her away, not violently, but firmly, A gain,. laces the pliers over rhe molar. Counts to three silently —) Peter, sto it! Don't! (— then clamps and pulls, Hard. He screams.) Stop it! (Efe relaxes for a moment b and now, with renewed, ‘force, clamps hard, pull pulls, sweating, screaming — ) STOP IT! (—and-yanks the molyy. Ou fora connection to the atmy—oh God (Blood streams freely from his mouth, onto ato the floor ) Pm gonna be sick... (Peter Ai he mcr Osco pinches it in the pliers until it breaks ye 1008? fragments into petri dish, looks at the petri dish. “hacks away from the microscope, giggling, , Agnes goes 10 the microscope and looks in ... ) (Blackout ‘In the blackout: knocking on the door.) Scene-3 he dark, empty room. The walls and windows ered with sinfoils rolls of ‘unused tinfoil anda le gun sit by the door, A stool covered with a bedsheet sits «staple ge in front of | the table: Knocking on the door continues. “pr SWEET. (Offitage.) Is this the White residence? (A long silence.) im looking for Peter Evans. I was told I could find him here. (Beat,) . White? (Beat.) have it on good authority that Peter is staying, . (Beat,). 1 don’t mean any harm. If 1 could just talk to Peter .+- eat.) Could 1 speak with you for a moment? (Beat.) [assure your im here with the best of intentions. (Beat.) All right. ‘Thank you- (The bathroom door opens @ crack. Agnes peeks oub Looks around the om, tiptoes to the front door. She puts her ear against the door, then looks through the -peephole. She creeps #0: the window, pulls she shade back, tries to see outside. explodes open, and. Goss enters Goss, but he pins her arms.) AGNES. Dirty mother — » GOSS. Settle down 1 (Goss throws her on the bed:) ‘i AGNES. You ain't takin’ me! (Dr. Sweet takes a billfold out of his suit jacket, tosses it 10 her.) Beart DR. SWEET. I'm Phillip Sweet. ‘All of my credentials are in there. fake that! ‘She stares at the door, followed by Dr. Sweet. Agnes goes for AGNES. As if you couldn't GOSS. Just listen-to the mans AGNES. You're in way over your head, Jerry ‘ SWEET. (To Goss.) Why don't you ‘wait outside? Give us 43 backs away. The door -some time alone. (Goss hesizates, ety be then surveys the room.) Bug problem? AGNES. You should know, > DR. SWEET. I should? (Beat.) What ate they AGNES. Aphids. : oe DR. SWEET. Aphids. AGNES. Look around you, asshole. (#1, ives ie don ok the glance.) They'te in tight now. They go in when th nme DR. SWEET. And the tinfoil...? fee tg ay AGNES. Scrambles the signal. * DR. SWEET. You're receiving a signal. AGNES. Transmitting. DR. SWEET. You're transmitting a signal. AGNES. ‘Not me. The bugs. DR. SWEET. The bugs have a transmitter. AGNES. They are transmitters. DR. SWEET. And the tinfoil scrambles the signal. AGNES. It helps. 1 DR. SWEET. I’m sure it does. (Beat.) Peter Evans has been ince. cerated in an army hospital for four years. q AGNES. I know. DR. SWEET. He's been diagnosed as a delusional paranoid with schizophrenic tendencies, although personally, I’m not a big fan of labels. His doctors believe he’s potentially dangerous to himself: or even others, AGNES. Aren't you his doctor? DR. SWEET. More of a consultant, really. AGNES. He told me about you. He says you got a kick out of ir, like some Nazi. DR. SWEET. Gora kick out of it ... AGNES. Your experiments, | DR. SWEET. My experiments. So now he’s being’hunted by the | Army, the CIA ... and you think they'd send a doctor to find him: (Beat.) I'm here on my own. AGNES. ’Cause you care about Peter so much. DR. SWEET. Yes, I do. AGNES. Uh-huh. DR. SWEET. Know why he was institutionalized? AGNES. No. DR. SWEET. No, you wouldn't. May I have a drink?No, you cat pipe.) How of (stunts to pipe.) How often do you hit i a iften a8 | feel sola «May (Dr. Sweet takes a seat on the ip es watches as he strikes the lighter.) eee on a fad be careful lightin’ that up. es Te , eS. you'te also sittin on ten gallons of hi-test. vt Hid ee cans,) ali 4, SWE i | can only guess what this is for. d t jet ski et (He ie i pipe.) Bugs are a fairly aren 8 eyolt spiders, snakes, spiders. You haven't had AONES. You're the first. R, SWEET. Have you at least i i sua : y' entertained the idea that the bugs AGNES. How do I know you're not a delusion? pR.SWEET. Touché. (She jerks her head ack 5 fou — asmashed bug to Dr. Stoo He eee mnie ,) Well... i 4 : oe ee at’s no delusion. Where do the bugs come from? DR, SWEET. How does that work? AS Ee. injected ins, ee SWEET. I injected him. Right. i ‘ reas, ‘When ie : coe a ght. When did you first see the bugs? DR. SWEE fr He saw them first. sey ‘They re his bugs. i _ SWEET. Yes, they are. ‘And when I take him away, they'll isappear. (Beat.) You want the bugs to disappear. AGNES. I can handle it. We're winnin the fight. DR. SWEET. Really. The bugs arc .- retreating. pens: No. But now we can find the egg sacs on his body and cut them out. DR, SWEET. You keep up that cutting, much of Peter left. For you oF for me. ANNES, 1 know what Y'm doing. (72 helicopter buzzes faintly. Sweet watches Agnes react to the sound. He crosses to the radio, turns it on, a little 100 .) DRL SWEET, Youre being watched. (Beat.) | could talk to them. They'd listen to me. and there might not beAGNES, Yeah...2 = a DR. SWEET. . Ob, yes: I'm vety big, Vine comes in‘ out of the cold, first thing I'll do is Bek Pinay, they.can cut out those eggs, im iy ng AGNES, Egg acs. “oye DR. SWEET. Egg sacs. Simple proc ditions, with a trained medical staff AGNES. They'll put him back in: the hospital. ‘rh ey away from me, DR. SWEET. No, they-won't. I won't AGNES. Can you do that? DR. SWEET. I am his doctor. He j AGNES. He is. DR. SWEET. I don’t want him locked up. want to help him, AGNES. Why? Why would you stop what you started? ‘ ke, I made a mistake, [ didn tealize ... I didn’t know what they were using ie for, Whar theyre doing ... it’s dangerous, Ir’s wrong, (Sweet takes a notepad from his pocket, scribbles a number on it, fives it to Agnes.) Have him call ‘me, Let me take him in. Because if you leave it in their hands, I cant vouch for Peter's chances, AGNES. Why are they doing this? : i DR. SWEET. It’s what they do. i AGNES. I can't trust you. : 1 DR. SWEET. Yes, you can. I can do something for you. I can help you. (Beat.) Your son. Lloyd. AGNES. What do you know about Lloyd? How do you —? DR. SWEET: I know about Lloyd. I can help you find Lloyd. : AGNES, You know about — DR. SWEET. I shouldn’ t say anything more. AGNES. If you know something about my son, you have to tell me— DR. SWEET. They're watching us. If say too much — AGNES. Just tell me, he’s alive, he’s alive, and he’s okay: (Sweet nods.) Oh, God, where is he? Just tell me where-— (Sweer puts a Singer to his lips.) a DR. SWEET. T have to be discreet. IfI say too much, they might hurt him. You don’t want that, do you? (She shakes her head, weeping.) AGNES... (To herself under.) He's valive, he’s alive, he's alive, he’s alive, he’s alive — édure, tinder ef © tober. On the i let them, is my project, a tis“He me bring Petet in. And T'll help you fi Ww ee nods ae pathroom door eveiks oper by ink ba v0 His eyes look glassy and sicks ‘is arms have been ypc droplets of blood ooze from the long slices ‘and drip singer He holds a butcher knife with a ten-inch blade. ‘a bath goes t0 him; Sweet slowly retreats toward the door.) od Lord : hs a Lloyd's alive, hes alive ... he says hell give me Lloyd, and of yous help yous they'll take you in, cur out the egg sacs — ngerly backs against the front door.) Petet.. te os to Steel, who git ET. Peter ++ (Peter sniffs him... raises the knife .. pokes ‘soe ytly at Sweets belly.) ETER. ‘What ate you? “AGNES. Whar are you doing? Re ET. You need.to come back... pETER. (Sniffing) From the factory. Sound card's good. What do | you run on? DR SWEET. You need your meds ..- | pETER. New model. * pr. SWEET. ‘And-we need to talk, talk co'one another .. AGNES. Do you know who he is? DR. SWEET. He nows me. Ies all right. PETER. Munitions, Rand D, nice work. AGNES. What's happening? (Peter turns to Agnes.) PETER. You believed it. DR. SWEET. She's not a part of this — AGNES. He sold me hed PETER. Ill tell you anything ¥' DR. SWEET. ‘This js betwe PETER. ‘Thats how it’s programmee ind me — en. ui, (Sweet turns, desperately door: Peter sees him, fies at him. Just as er buries the hn ide under bis ribs. ‘Sweet gets 16 0 S pushes Peter. Sweet struggles 10 get out th who stumbles backward. "Agnes screams: it shub repeatedly stabs Sweety Agnes ‘keeps ‘ecreaming, Arying 1 stop Peter's attack, He throws ber of yeturns 00 ‘tabbing Sweeb ‘again, agaits again.) Ma ine ... machine ..-“AGNES. He was going to help me find ty son), ; ‘: hr ay i Agnes, wrestles her over to Sweet's beidy, De th fe poate it! Hete, feel it! (He forces her 10 SoM ry : 4 her hands in the blood.) It isn't real! ; oA nd . Real what?! oe ; ah Thave no idea what that is! (He rubs his. pa nul shows her.) Synthetic ... it’s not even ... ' thy 4 NES. He knew about my son! ae It doesn’t know anything! It knows whae they’ye mo grammed it to say! ‘ : : 4 AGNES. I don't know what you're talking about! He said he fies about Lloyd! f 2 3 PETER. They can’t wait for me to 80 outside anymore, They'e i come to collect me; their experiment'is over and they've come to 1 pick up their petri dish, and they've sent a machine to do it, es, it’sa fucking machine! You can see for. yourself! They're Sending in / machines! : AGNES. I don’t understand! Tell me what's. going ont, PETER. You wantto know what’s going on? All right, then Youlisten —§ to me, you listen to what I’m going to tell you, because you dont | know the fucking enormity of what we're dealing with here — { AGNES. I'm listening — i PETER. May the twenty-ninth, 1954, a consortium ‘of bankers, industrialists, corporate: CEOs, ‘and politicians held a series of Meetings over three days at the Bilderberg Hotel in Oosterbeck, AGNES, What is thar? . PETER. It’s the way things are, It’s the tich get richer, and the poor Set poorer. It’s a piece of shit, but you got to where you kind of liked it. 1 AGNES. All right — PETER. They devised a plan to manipulate technology, economics, the media, population control, world religion, to keep things the way they are. They have continued to. meet once 4 year, every yeat, since that original meeting. Look it up; : AGNES. Okay , me . PETER. Under their orders, the CIA had smuggled Nazi scientists into the States to work with the American military at Calspan, devel- Geet inner-epidermal tracking mictuchiy 5 AGNES, Waig- 2! Backing microchip : eeillance tool, a computer chip implanted in the an being, born on. this planet since 1982. An om the prototype Was the Peoples Temple, and “eS or nd Jim Jones threatened to expose them, he and pe ter of his church vere assassinated — Cie Jesus l— : NES: 8 ut it wasn't enough just to track people, to spy on Ere hey wanted control. ‘They created the Intelligence Manned eM biochip, a subcutaneous transponder, a computer chip erface Oe : Th - gored With fiving brain cells. They needed lab rats to test it, rr shey found us: me, in the Gulf, and another soldier working at Calspam-at the time: Tim McVeigh. ‘AGNES. Oh, no, wait — PETER. ‘They turned us into fucking zombies, remote control assassins, then picked Tim up, chucked him in a prison factory. But | found my chip and cut it out, so they sent me back to the lab for further testing, anda new experiment. ‘AGNES. Wait a minute, you're John Doe number two. PETER. No, that’s who they want me to be. That's the flaw in the IMI biochip: They can't get to everybody, people slip through the cracks, or find the chip and remove it, like me, or’Ted. Kaczynski. ‘They need a chip that will self-perpetuate, that will spread, like a virus, that people can pass to each other, to everyone. AGNES. Olay ... PETER. They got it. : AGNES. They got it. What, they got the — 2, The bugs? You mean the bugs —? < PETER. A living, breathing organism; the ultimate parasite, im- planted via a queen bug, the super-mother, who mates with a drone, lays egg sacs within the body.of the host, and governs.a growing army of rapidly multiplying brainwashing bugs. AGNES. Jesus ... they gave them to you ... and you gave them to me, you gave those fuckin’ things TO ME! PETER. Maybe. AGNES. Of course you did — PETER. I don't believe my presence here is accidental. AGNES. Y'think 1 had somethin’ to do.with this? Peter. I didn’t know, I couldn’ta been a part of it, Unless I know somethin’ J don’t know, or I have somethin’ I don't know I have — sR. What don’t you know? : “jg sun’PED ES. Christ ery ime what 086 Tod GENES: Horn apper what apr ed t0 Lloyd- AG NES: You have to 0 me. You have to helpme see it. E I] see it. rates Tonk know how t0 start. PETER. Starc’at the beginning beginning he... he wa s with me, in the grocery | store +++ SOTER, In the grocery StOFe: : AGNES. In the eure _. L forgot to get a onion... I went back for an onion, and left him in the cart --- I.came back to the cart, an' ae rie avas justi» he was BONES: PETER. He was “just” gone. FEMMES, Hecouldnita gor out nor in tha¢ cme I was only gone a few seconds «.- PETER He couldn't have gotten out — NES, He had to be rook out ... somebody had i Pete Snel ly had to take him out. ES. Notanyone. He didn’t talk to s : See ee: Belensye cor ee ange Bie aes yerehy S then it had to be pe AGNES, Someone he knew. t had.to be someone he knew. | a vo 0 be + Goss. Goss had to take him .;: he woulda HNP’ Goss itt Jd have gone with Goss, gag. He wy cout help me, the police couldn't help me~~ * «couldnt” help you — - Wouldnt, they wouldn't help me. The FBI, they woulde’e * Nobody would help me, ‘ a Why wouldnt they help you? f pf 5. Because +++ they were in on it. They knew what Goss was he took Loyd, and they gave him to them, he gave Lloyd to Pe hey paid Goss for him, and he took him and gave him to Ber TER, Get another piece. Sate GNES. All right ... you came here .,. you came, with R.C. ETER. With R.C. ; NES. Right. Right, R.C. brought you here. And, anid now she’s ne, she’s gone because'she ... she was spying on you .., she was ing ON US ... ETER. Think. AGNES. You brought the bugs:.., you have the bugs in your body, the egg sacs in your body. PETER. I brought the bugs.’ AGNES. And R.C. brought you, You brought the bugs, and R.C. brought you. R.C. brought the bugs. : PETER. Right. AGNES. And Goss, Goss got out of prison ... he got early parole, he wasn't supposed to get-out ... he got out, just when you showed up. PETER. Just when I showed up. ~ AGNES. So he ... he was... PETER. He was what? AGNES. He was ..- PETER. What? AGNES. Sent...2 (Peter'nods. Now she’s got it.) He was sent here. ‘They let him Out, to send him here — he made a deal to get out, they let him out, sent him here to-spy on us. Because of the bugs. To track the bugs, check’ their progress. And R.C. tried to tell us ie! a ee oe ote she bios. They made herin exchange for Lavoice’s son. (Beat,) Bxce qi as bugs until you got here, They-kepr you, for all tt hive 4 didn’t have bugs until after you came, after YOu, afte time, neg God, so, it’s, we're, they're — it’s us. They Bave you a we of ie a the drone, but they gave me the queen, That's when sh "eh the that’s when they mated, when we ... when we .,. We mae ou, Us. And they needed me because'T was, I was, I was Pe then, because they took Lloyd, they took him, they took he One, somewheres, like this laboratory, and cut on him, cut ita ahi, stuff matched or whatever, our blood, our DNA, they line from the beginning, to take a kid, and cut him up, slice him uy a table, and make the, the, build the, the queen to match ‘awn the mother, they made the queen for me, for me, designed it fon me, they gave me the mother, they gave :me the queen, the juice, the bug, the mother, the bug, the super-mother, the super-mother bug, inside me. I’m the super-mother. I’m the super-mother, T'm the super-mother. And now that we made them, now that we gave birth to them, these people, they're coming in here, because the bugs won't leave, they won't do their work, until we'te dead, because we made them, and they wouldn’t leave us, they'd never leave us, we're all they know, we're all they've got, so they're coming in here, these people, to'kill us, and send the bugs out, out into the world, the world. (She collapses, weeps.) My. baby. (Peter takes her in his arms, strokes her, holds her.) PETER. It’s better. Knowing. AGNES. Yes, (Beat.) We have to kill them. PETER. Yes. AGNES. We have a responsibility. (A knock at the door..Peter and Agnes jump at the sound, quickly kill the lights. They wait, Another knock. Peter nods.) Who is it? 5 PIZZA HARRIS. (Offitage.) Pizza Harris. (Agnes and Peter look at each other.) - : AGNES. When did I order a pizza? PETER. Did you order a pizza? PIZZA. HARRIS.. (Offitage.) Pizza Harris: (Beat.) Hello? AGNES. Just ... leave it outside the door. PIZZA HARRIS. (Offtage.) You gotta pay me, lady, AGNES. How much is it? PIZZA HARRIS. (Offitage.) Fourceen-seventy-five, (She finds her purse, takes out her wallet.)A * ie s 2 7p ve efi) ein °; tag? i eat cffiage) Bverything, Hl "To pimself) Everything. + just slide a ewensy under the door S. JARRIS. (Offitage.) You want change? pat NO! Just. take the twenty and go. (Beat,) Hello —? NES HARRIS. (Offitage.) Yeah, whatever. (She slides the twenty vay uncer the Br |ARRI door. She and Peter stare at the twenty as it zips is Ishe gone? (Peter shrugs, To the door.) Are you gone? (She to Peter. f ETER. If we don't open the door, they'll know we know. (She jokly opens the door, grabs the pizza, pulls it into the room, closes the 7 She slides the pizza box between herself and Peter. They stare at Open it. (She does, slowly.) Hold it. (He grabs the Exacto knife, xs off a bite, places it in a petri dish, and examines it under the jcroscope.) GNES. How does it look? ETER. I’m no expert. (She looks in the microscope.) GNES. I don’t think it’s clean. : ETER. Vicious bastards ... (Scratching at the door. Agnes and Peter exchange a look, then quickly pull the matoress off the bed and move it in front of the door. The helicopter buzzes, quickly approaching. Peter goes for the box springs. The door opens a crack, held by the chain, the ‘mattress, Agnes.) AGNES. PETER. Peter —! Hold it — (Goss’s hand reaches through the door, fumbling for the chain.) AGNES. GOSS. (Offitage.). ie —! ‘They're coming in! PETER. ‘They're not taking me out of here! (Peter hauls the box springs to the door. ‘The helicopter quickly grows to a tremendous roar.) AG! GOSS. (Offstage.) NES. Get away from the door! Tcan’t hold it —! PETER. NO AUTOPSY! GOSS. (Offtage.) AGNES. Aggie—! Hurry —! ‘Caaves grabs the staple gun, shots staples into Goss hand, Gas sereans 53withdraws his hand. Agnes slams the oor shup the box springs into place, Goss pounds on the ne MPa, look at the walls, the ceiling. Goss’s Pounding stops Fas and pi helicopter changes, mutates into the sound of q Bary vi Sung, th AGNES, Oh my God ,., Mes.) They'te coming out. AGNES. Oh God ... PETER. ‘They're all coming out, AGNES. Look .., look at the ceiling ... PETER. .., everywhere... AGNES. ... everywhere ,.. (Agnes and Peter uncork the TEIY 4 throw gasoline on the walls, the floor, the bed, Dp. Sweet.) ne PETER, We'll fight them. To the end, AGNES, You and me, PETER. ‘To the death. AGNES. Our children; (Noises cease. Peter drops the ‘845 can. He and Agnes undress, watching.the bugs swarm over their shin, They sip on the floor.) PETER. Find the drones ... find the queen ... AGNES. Under the skin .... PETER. Breeding ground, AGNES. Egg sac... PETER. Larvae pool .., AGNES. Baby bug water ... PETER. Feeding pupa ... AGNES, Feeding bug baby ... PETER, Imago den ... AGNES. Skin ground breeding egg sac bugs iis PETER. I Jove you... Hee " AGNES. Tove you ., le » He strikes.a match. Blackout, Fire, buzzing.) End of PI, lay 54