Lift

At rise, there is an office tower with elevator running up the side. The set is dark and gloomy with only colors of gray. The elevator has miscellaneous tools leftover from a maintenance worker on the floor.

(CURTIS enters stage right and walks towards the elevator and pushes the button and steps inside)

(Elevator door starts to close)

ERIC

(shouts from offstage)

Wait! Hold it

(Eric runs towards elevator from

stage left)

(Curtis catches the door just

before it closes. Curtis bows

his head down in despair)

(Elevator doors retract and Eric

steps in. Curtis steps back to

give Eric room)

(Curtis and Eric both face forward

at the door)

Eric

(clears throat trying to initiate conversation)

(Curtis remains still and silent)

Eric

(sighs)

Hi Curtis

Curtis

(begins to enter elevator, does not look at Eric)

Morning Eric

Eric

(being polite)

How was your weekend?

Curtis

(quietly)

Good

Eric

(rolls eyes annoyed with Curtis’s response)

What did you do?

Curtis

(quietly)

Nothing

Eric

(giving up)

Listen Curtis if you keep on being so short, don't even bother existing.

Curtis

Ok

Eric

(aggravated by his response)

Great. Can we try this again or are you gonna keep on being mute?

Curtis

(monotonous)

What do you want to hear. There's nothing very interesting about me.

Eric

(annoyed)

Honestly I could give a rat’s ass about you, I’m just trying to be polite and make this unbearably long elevator ride go faster. It's just something you do.

Curtis

(sarcastically)

Great nice to know you selfish prick

Eric

Hey I’m not the one keeping this all to myself

Curtis

Can we just keep quiet for the rest of this ride?

Eric

(cutting off the end of Curtis’s sentence)

No, no. You're Not gonna please a single damn person if you act the way you do. You insult people with your sullen silence, thinking that little world in your head is the only thing that matters.

Curtis

(voice level ascends)

Will you please let me…

(Eric leans forward,outstretches

his arm,drags his hand down all of

the buttons,and stands before Curtis)

Curtis

(slowly opens eyes and stares up at Eric)

Brilliant! Way to be the savior of my dismay.

Eric

(sternly)

I will keep us both on this elevator until you spill your guts on what you deal is.

Curtis

(offensively and steps forward towards ERIC)

And what gives you the right to do so? Why are you the one that gets hear everyone’s problems

Eric

(surprised and easing down)

All I’m trying to do is help. I’m not trying to be a thorn in your side and not trying to meddle in your life (cut off by Curtis)

Curtis

(raising voice)

No yes you are!

(Light turns off, then back

on indicating the changing of floors)

(Elevator door opens and person stands in front having heard the shouting. A few moments of silence )

Curtis

(sarcastically)

Can we help you? The psychiatrist is here giving free life changing advice.

(Individual backs out stage right,looking concerned)

Curtis

(sarcastically)

See they’re so thrilled to see you!

Eric

Piss off. Is this what brings you out? Getting riled up about someone being interested in helping you seems to be doing the trick.

Curtis

(with rising intensity)

Ah yes, your helping me. Don’t look at me like I don’t know what you stir around the office. I’ve seen you rip people to shreds, and I’m the last one on your list. I’ve been untouchable because I’ve kept my mouth shut for so long. But now here I am, not telling you a thing about me personally, but you have enough to bring me down. I’m the raging mute now aren’t I? According to your book of expertise. And it’s not like you don’t have skeletons in your closet. People know what you do, so don’t think you’re the golden boy you think you are. And here you are, desperate for me to crack, to the point of trapping me in this damn elevator, and congratulations because here I am shouting at you.

(Erik sits quietly staring back at Curtis)

Curtis

(Pauses for a couple breaths)

Now you’re the clown. See the mess you’ve made. If I open up my mouth up there, I could turn the tide, And put you in my place, but I won’t because I know I will then lead the miserable rotten life you live.

Eric

(taking a few moments)

See! That wasn’t so hard was it?

Curtis

(Confused and aggravated)

Are you kidding me?

Eric

What?

Curtis

That’s it? You accept the fact your a twisted psychopath?

Eric

(With very faint chuckle)

Like I said, I’m just trying to help.

Curtis

No you’re not.

(Takes a few seconds, says with intensity while slamming Eric against the side of the elevator wall)

No you’re not!

Eric

(Looks annoyed by Curtis)

You fail to see how you let it all out and now feel relieved of all this baggage.

Curtis

But your still gonna take what I’ve done and spill it to everyone else?

Eric

(Speaking as if it were obvious)

Of course!

Curtis

(Taking his hands off of Eric and backing up)

Brilliant. Just brilliant

Eric

(Cut off by noticing the elevator never kept on going up)

I told you there’s no way out. You just...

Eric

Wait, why aren’t we moving?

Curtis

(Calm)

That’s you wanted to do right? Stay on this elevator.

Eric

(Looking around)

Yeah but not break the damn thing.

Curtis

(with a smug grin, and nodding towards the control panel which has been destroyed by the loose tools on the ground)

Well, Now we have plenty of time to learn all about eachother don't we?

(Curtis has a large tool in hand)

Eric

(freightened)

Curtis?

Curtis

(Drawing back the large tool)

No one can know.

(Curtis begins to lunge towards Eric and swing the tool)

(Light cuts to black)

Fin