High cement barricade that stretches off into the distance. Withered foliage can be seen behind. A covered bench in front. Weather-beaten CITY BUS SCHEDULE sign nearby.
Time has passed. Snow is falling, a dusting on everything in sight. Not a soul around.
JENN and TIM stand near the wall. JENN holds a towel. TIM sits pulling down his socks. His shoes are already off.
TIM
—not so bad, huh?
JENN
Yeah.
TIM
I felt a lot worse’n this. Used to go running, I was a kid, you know, what’d they call it, streaking. Me and some other guys—Darrell’d do it—nothing on. So, this ain’t so bad.
JENN
But, Tim . . . why don’t you just keep your clothes on ’til you’re in there, take ’em off over by the thing? The penguin pool.
TIM
’Cause. ’S Sunday, supposed to be closed, but who knows? Some dude in there, gives chase or whatever . . . I’m not leaving shit behind. You got my stuff out here. See?
JENN
Oh, okay. Got it.
TIM
’S just my plan . . . I’m only going in, a few minutes, anyway.
JENN
Fine.
They look at each other for a moment, then TIM strips off his pants. He stands now in his T-shirt and briefs.
TIM
You hear from Darrell yet?
JENN
No.
TIM
Huh, me either.
JENN
I don’t care. It’s better—
TIM
—I been coming here a lot lately, all the time. Not really checking or nothing, but, you know.
JENN
I do, too. Sometimes.
TIM
I mean, once the cops talked to us and all, figured it was safe . . . (BEAT) They all think that Darrell’s got the—
JENN
—I know. Yeah.
TIM
Anyway, I come here, walk around and . . . whatever. You can still see the mark.
JENN
Barely.
TIM
Yeah, but you can still see it. Never actually freezes completely over again, something breaks through a sheet ’a ice.
JENN
Really?
TIM
Yep. Learned that in science.
JENN
Huh. Looked like it mighta got more round, you know? The hole. Like it’s more rounded—
TIM
Yeah. It is, from the water lapping at it. It’s rounder. Almost, like a perfect circle.
JENN
Right.
TIM studies JENN for a moment, then moves to her.
TIM
—I was . . . after, at home, woke up with a fucking ache, you know, headache, like nothing else. But I was okay. ’Cept, every so often, I’m walking down the street, could be anywhere, and I’m suddenly taken over, right? Like, just where I’m standing . . . middle of a school crosswalk, doesn’t matter. I get taken up by these visions. ’S like, I dunno, I can see all this shit. I’m sorta standing knee-deep in water, with forests just sprouting up all around, and kinda palaces in the distance. And I’m there with all this other stuff, too, top ’a the water but I can see underwater, the same time! Spot all manner ’a ocean creatures. Like them 3-d books they had, you’re in grade school, dinosaurs and whatever, you can see the air and the land and under the sea. That’s what it’s like. And I’m just, you know, knocked out by it! I don’t know what’s happening, so I reach out, stop one ’a these water people, a beautiful young girl and I casually say, “the fuck’s go ing on?” And she doesn’t know. She doesn’t, just this big smile at me and then swims off. You believe that? It’s like a fantasy, but it really exists, too, the same time. Kind ’a comforting. And so, in this dream, I just start swimming, right, out with all these trees around and kingdoms and big mother hammerheads coming up and nuzzling me. And after a while, I forget that I don’t swim so good. I just keep paddling. All the time going farther and farther out in the water, but going under, too . . . deeper and deeper. And you know what? I have, like, absolutely no idea the fuck’s going on . . . but I’m having the time of my life.
Suddenly TIM feels as if he’s said too much; he grows quiet. JENN puts a hand on his shoulder.
JENN
—I’ve had the same kinda dream.
TIM
You’re shitting me.
JENN
No. It’s like that . . . not all that stuff, but a lot ’a things are very similar.
TIM
Huh. What do you think ’a that?
JENN
I dunno.
TIM quickly pulls his T-shirt over his head.
TIM
Well, I’m gonna go now. Stand here all fucking day, right?
JENN
Right.
TIM
—’s a good thing to do, ain’t it, Jenn? I mean, going in there?
JENN
I think so—
TIM
I know we swore not to tell nobody and shit, get us into trouble, but I don’t like it much . . . that kid just down under water there. All this time. I don’t—
JENN
Me neither.
TIM
Okay, then. (BEAT) You be here with the towel?
JENN
I’m right here—
TIM
All right.
(TIM crosses to the wall, but stops and looks back at JENN.)
Hey, Jenn?
JENN
Yeah?
TIM
Tell me honest . . . you don’t think this is, like, stupid, do ya?
JENN
No, I don’t, Tim. (BEAT) I don’t think it’s stupid at all—
TIM
—that’s good.
TIM turns and quickly scrambles up the wall. He perches on top for a long moment, taking in a few sharp breaths. TIM smiles back at JENN, then jumps over the other side.
JENN stands alone now, looking up. She clutches the towel.
SILENCE. DARKNESS.