Dreamsongs - Volume II by George R. R. Martin Read Free Book Online Page B

of—
     
    VET
     
    (interrupts)
    Dream? Yeah. But
are you dreaming me or am I dreaming you?
    (beat)
    I
don’t give a damn either way. I think we’re both real. I think that back around
1971 we came to this fork in the road, and you went one way, and I went the
other, and we got to ... different places.
     
    Jeff slowly lowers the fireplace poker. He’s
pale, scared.
     
    JEFF
     
    Then ... those
flashbacks I’ve been having .. . those are ...
     
    VET
     
    (hard smile)
    Mine,
brother. Part of the baggage. I guess they just come with me. And you and me,
we’re the same person, right? I could feel it happening ... leaking. But I
couldn’t stop it. We just got too close.
     
    DENISE
     
    Jeff-
     
    Both of them turn to look at her.
     
    DENISE
     
    (continues, with difficulty)
    I mean ... Spaceman ... in your . .. road ... what happened to…
     
    VET
     
    To us, Denny? You
and me?
     
    Denise nods.
     
    VET
     
    You
died in a motorcycle crash while I was in Nam. The guy you were riding with
didn’t believe in helmets.
     
    Denise looks sick, turns away. The Vet
stares off into space, remembering something, and when he continues his voice
is dead, hollow, full of pain.
     
    All
the time I was over there, I knew I’d be coming back, I knew I’d find you again
and make it right between us ... and then your mother wrote me that letter.
    (beat, with great difficulty)
    I
was short, man. I was so short. I shoulda known better, but I wasn’t thinking
right, wasn’t paying attention. You got to pay attention. I felt it when I
stepped on it. It makes this sound, this little click.
    (looks at them)
    That
kind of mine ... it don’t go off when you step on it, you know. It’s when you
take your weight off. The rest of the guys just looked at me. I told them to
get the hell away, and they backed off one by one, but they all kept looking at
me, staring at the dead man who was standing there shouting at them. Even when
they were all out of range, I couldn’t move. But they were watching me, all of
them watching me, and finally I couldn’t take it no more. I jumped.
    (bitter laugh)
    We never could jump
very far, huh Jeffy?
     
    CLOSE ON JEFF
     
    For a beat, the silence is profound.
     
    JEFF
     
    You saved them. You
saved their lives.
     
    BACK TO THE SCENE
     
    VET
     
    Yeah. They gave me
a medal.
     
    JEFF
     
    You saved them,
    (turns away)
    And I didn’t. That’s
it, isn’t it? I wasn’t there.
     
    He fling s the poker away violently, and it smashes off a wall. Jeff turns
back, angry.
     
    JEFF
     
    All
right, then. Guilty, I’m guilty. I took ... the other road. But whatever...
retribution is due, it’s mine. Denise and Megan have nothing to do with it.
Whatever you have to do, leave them out of it.
     
    ANGLE ON DENISE
     
    as she listens to Jeff with fear, horror.
     
    DENISE
     
    No!
    (looks to Vet)
    I
went with him to Canada. We decided together. I’m part of him, and everything
that happens to him.
     
    ANGLE ON THE VET
     
    After a long beat, he smiles gendy.
     
    VET
     
    I know. That’s why
I loved you, Denny,
    (to Jeff)
    You don’t
understand, man. You think I’d hurt them?
    (laughs)
    And they say us
vets are crazy.
     
    BACK TO THE SCENE
     
    JEFF
     
    Then ... why ?
Why are you here?
     
    VET
     
    Good question,
    (grim smile)
    I’m dyin’, man.
     
    DENISE
     
    My god ...
     
    VET
     
    The
doctors never tell you, but I feel it coming. And it’s okay... I lost
everything important a long time ago .. . my legs, my girl, my future. Even
Jeff. And Spaceman, he didn’t have nothing but some real nasty memories.
    (beat)
    I
was in the VA . . . waiting to get it over with . . . and I kept thinking about
Denny, you know? Wondering how it would of come out if I’d done it different. I
guess I just ... wondered myself here, huh?
    (laughs)
    I always liked
ghosts, but I never thought I’d be one.
     
    The Vet turns his wheelchair to face Jeff.
     
    VET
     
    (continues)
    I just wanted ...
to see them,
    (beat,