Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Ghost story

Fade in:

A man and a woman in bed – hair disheveled – slowly puff on a single cigarette, passing it back and forth.

Man
I saw a ghost once. In the corridor right outside this bedroom.

Woman
Was he named Casper?

Man
Yeah, that’s a common Danish name. But no, it wasn’t.

Woman
Casper is an American cartoon. He doesn’t exist.

Man
But this one did. It was a dog. He was tethered to a leash, suspended in the air. The leash was a silhouette on the wall.

Woman
Did he bark to you in Danish?

Man
He wasn't trying to communicate. He was brooding; and a mixed-breed.

Woman
Like you.

Man
A bull-dog and a shit-zu.

The woman laughs.

Woman
Bull-shit.

Man
No, it’s true.

Woman
No, that’s what the breed is called.

Man
(Passing the cigarette)
Oh. Are you afraid of ghosts?

Woman
No.

(pregnant pause)
But I’m afraid of people who see ghosts.

She takes a drag from her cigarette and exhales a puffy circle, as if to say toodle-oo.

Fade to black.

1 comment:

Camelia said...

Jewess undresses
noun garments
fall
round an uncircumscribed parenthesis

the room assumes exile
until mouths
- eyestormed nightboats -
drop
clamour
--- Anne Blonstein, Worked on Screen

(key to reading: 'notariqon')