Editor's Note: This is the original script, as shared by the author.
Darkness completely masks the stage.
COLBY enters onto stage. He holds a lit flashlight and makes his away around stage, pointing his torch this way and that. The young man tries to explore his surroundings, careful with every step he takes...
COLBY calls out behind him to his friend:
COLBY
Hey, Derek, you found the switch yet?
DEREK answer from offstage, albeit, far in the distance.
DEREK (O.S.)
Not yet!
COLBY Well, after that see if you can’t find a basketball! There’s gotta be one lying around somewhere!
COLBY takes out his phone and presses on the screen. The light from the phone casts upon his face, giving him a "floating head" look. After a moment, the lights around him turn on, revealing him to be standing upon a professional basketball court. Aside from COLBY, the place is devoid of all human life.
COLBY turns off his small flashlight and packs it into the fanny pack he wears.
COLBY
Nice work, dude!
DEREK (O.S.)
I’ll go look for a basketball now!
COLBY
Word! Thanks -
Suddenly, DEREK enters from offstage. He holds a basketball.
COLBY (cont’d)
..whoa. That was fast!
DEREK
Are - are you sure about this, Colby?
COLBY
Aw, don’t chicken out on me now, man! Haven’t you ever wanted to play on a court like this? This is finally our chance!
DEREK
... But, it’s so... creepy... It’s so quiet, like a ghost town.
COLBY
First of all: this is a court, not a town. Second of all: there’s no such thing as ghosts, so calm down.
DEREK
First of all: it was a figure of speech. Second of all: YES, THERE IS, TOO... AND THEY’RE SCARY!
COLBY
Have you ever seen one?
DEREK
... No...
COLBY
Alright, then.
COLBY gestures to his phone.
COLBY
Come here, let’s focus. Watch this clip.
COLBY and DEREK watch a video of a basketball player doing some intricate move.
DEREK
You wanna replicate that?
COLBY
Replicate it? Bro, I wanna MASTER it.
DEREK
Looks hard.
COLBY
Well, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it!
DEREK
But, are you sure YOU can do it?
COLBY
Do you doubt my power -
A loud noise is heard far offstage. As the sound reverberates throughout the empty arena, DEREK drops the basketball and grabs onto COLBY.
DEREK
What was that?!
COLBY pushes him off and puts his phone into his fanny pack..
COLBY
Probably a door you forgot to close or something. Now, get off me, let’s go!
COLBY scoops up the basketball.
COLBY
Alright, you play defender. Ready?
DEREK
... Yeah...
COLBY dribbles the ball and approaches DEREK. He moves his feet around, trying to throw DEREK off... However, DEREK doesn’t move much, rather he just stands there. COLBY stops his forward movement and places the ball to his side.
COLBY
Hey, wanna... I don’t know... TRY or something? You’re just standing there!
DEREK
I’m just confused -
COLBY ...just try to steal the ball from me, ya moron! I’m the one supposed to be doing all the work!
DEREK takes the ball from COLBY. COLBY snatches it back.
COLBY
NOT NOW! WHEN I GO FOR THE HOOP!
DEREK
Oh. Well, you said steal the ball -
COLBY
...just get back to where you were! Sheesh!
DEREK goes back where he was standing before. COLBY approaches while he dribbles once more. DEREK catches on and gets into his knees, mirroring COLBY’s movements. Their footwork becomes calculated as COLBY continues towards the basket. The two dance around the court, offender versus defender, much like how a wave ebbs and flows.
Making a move, COLBY spins around and runs into DEREK, causing him to fall to the ground.
DEREK
OW! I SCRAPED MY ARM!
COLBY
Come on, it wasn’t that bad!
DEREK
It hurts!
COLBY runs over to DEREK and takes out a bottle of hand sanitizer.
COLBY
Hey, hey, I got it, stop belly aching!
DEREK
Wait? What is that? What’re you -
COLBY slaps a glob of hand sanitizer on the scrape that DEREK has. He cries in agony.
DEREK
IT BURNS! ARE YOU STUPID?!
COLBY
IT KILLS 99.9 PERCENT OF GERMS!
DEREK
WELL, IT’S ALSO KILLING ME!
DEREK jumps up and rubs at his arm.
COLBY
I was only trying to help!
COLBY places his hand sanitizer into his fanny pack and takes out his phone. He studies the screen. DEREK walks over and looks over his shoulder.
A noise is heard from far away, DEREK notices it slightly, but focuses back on the screen.
DEREK
Maybe I could try?
COLBY
You wanna try? But, you suffered SUCH a serious injury!
DEREK
Aw, shut up, man. Gimme the ball!
COLBY stands where DEREK did previously. DEREK dribbles the ball and the two show off their footwork once again.
DEREK makes a move and pushes past COLBY, leaping into the air and dunking the ball offstage.
COLBY
Dude, nice dunk!
DEREK re-enters... but he’s missing his arm.
DEREK
Thanks, man, I -
They both notice his arm is missing. A moment of realization passes before they both start screaming in pure, petrified panic. Holding onto where his arm used to be, DEREK sprints offstage, screaming the entire way. Still yelling, COLBY runs around the court, flailing his arms in horror.
DEREK, re-enters from the opposite side of the stage. This time, his arm is back and he holds a different basketball from before.
DEREK
Whoa, dude, why’re you screaming?!
COLBY stops dead in his tracks.
DEREK
... You good? Look, sorry I took so long; had to search all over the place for the basketball! Who knew it’d be so hard to find one in a place like this, right?
COLBY
... What? Wait... But, you just - I was just - your arm...
DEREK
What about my arm?
DEREK spins the ball on his finger.
DEREK (cont’d)
Wanna take out your phone and show me what you wanted to try?
COLBY
... But - but - but didn’t I... Didn’t I show you a couple minutes - minutes ago?
DEREK
How could you have shown me while I was running around looking for this?
COLBY just stares at his friend.
DEREK puts the ball to his side.
DEREK
Hey, man, you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.
COLBY starts screaming once more.
BLACK OUT: END OF SHOW
