Hell

Diggingri.wordpress.com

BLAKE (8)

KENT (7 and 5 months)

Two friends have been running around the yard catching lightning bugs. They are breathing hard. Blake is carrying the jar of bugs—they glow inside. Blake falls onto the ground and sets the jar next to him. Kent follows. They lie side by side, staring up at the stars.

KENT

But what if there isn’t one?

BLAKE

What.

KENT

Heaven.

BLAKE

It’s right there, you can see it.

(Kent gazes into the sky. He wonders if he’s satisfied or not.)

KENT

What if he’s in… (nervous to say it) hell?

BLAKE

He’s not in hell. First of all, kids don’t go to hell.

KENT

Toby said hell is the worst thing you can imagine. So it’s different for everybody.

BLAKE

Math.

KENT

Mine’s fingernails on a chalkboard.

BLAKE

I don’t care about that.

KENT

I hate it.

(Beat.)

KENT

How do you know kids don’t go there?

BLAKE

I just don’t think they do but it doesn’t matter anyway because I’m pretty sure there isn’t one.

KENT

Of course there’s one.

BLAKE

It’s like…my dad says he’s going to use his belt on us and sometimes he even takes it off, but he never hits us with it. It’s like that, I think.

KENT

Some dads do.

BLAKE

Those dads aren’t like God.

(Kent stands, grabs the jar of lightning bugs, and releases them in a hurry before Blake can stop him.)

BLAKE

Stop!