Read Online Ditch by Beth Steel - Free Book Online Page A

dare you.
    Megan You been told / you been warned.
    Mrs Peel I marched! I protested!
    Megan You knew what would happen.
    Mrs Peel We dint know it would be like –
    Megan ( Screams. ) You let it get to this! You let the sea rise and flooded cities, burst river banks and destroyed our houses. You used up oil, made cars stop, forced us inta towns. You made us share rooms, put us in factories, fed us rations, let us get sick. You let my brother die a’ TB, made my mum hang herself, sent James to war . . . for a pipe . . . and you killed him . . .
    Mrs Peel ( Shouts. ) That’s enough!
    Megan ( Cries hideously .) You killed him.
    Mrs Peel Enough.
    Megan ( Wails. ) I have a baby.
    ( Silence. )
    Mrs Peel You stupid. Stupid. Stupid girl!
    Pause.
    Mrs Peel How far gone?
    Megan Five months.
    Mrs Peel You tell me this now?
    Megan Dint want to get rid a’ it.
    Mrs Peel You can’t keep the damn thing!
    Megan It my baby.
    Mrs Peel You don’t have that choice.
    Megan Made my choice.
    Mrs Peel You took that rod out?
    Megan It a gift.
    Mrs Peel No. no. you’ll pay a price for it.
    Turner , blood on his clothes, enters.
    Mrs Peel Where’s Burns?
    Turner Where’s Bug?
    Mrs Peel ( Quietly. ) Where’s Burns?
    Turner Need to tell Bug . . . there’s too many a’ ’em . . . they, they comin’ from everywhere . . . runnin’ right past us like we aint even there . . . like we nothin’ . . . like we aint what they afraid a’ . . . where’s Bug? Cause Burns . . . Burns is off his horse runnin’ among ’em askin’ . . . askin’ why they runnin’ . . . bullet come out a’ nowhere . . . where’s Bug? Need to tell him Burns’s dead . . . that we gotta get out a’ here cause . . . we been left. We been left behind. A train took all Security North this mornin’ and no one thought to come the fuck out here and fuckin’ tell us! ( Rage. ) Where’s Bug?
    Mrs Peel ( To Megan .) Wait outside.
    Turner ( Rage. ) They fuckin’ left us out here to burn!
    Turner wheels round erratically.
    Mrs Peel ( To Megan .) Now.
    Turner Where’s Bug?
    Megan leaves.
    Mrs Peel He aint here.
    Turner is still frantic when suddenly he stands still, calm.
    Turner I’m dyin’ for some breakfast.
    Beat.
    Mrs Peel I make it way past seven.
    Turner laughs a little.
    Turner Yeah, guess it is.
    Turner walks away, stops, his back to Mrs Peel.
    Turner They been firin’ nuclear missiles from the airbase. Ultimatum expired. We’re gettin’ one back.
    Turner walks away, Mrs Peel goes after him.
    Mrs Peel What d’you mean?
    Turner turns to Mrs Peel .
    Turner Boom.
    Turner leaves. Mrs Peel steps backwards and sits in the chair where Megan sat before. She sits very still for a few seconds, then picks up a potato and peels it. Megan enters; watches Mrs Peel attempting to peel the potato with trembling hands. Pause.
    Mrs Peel continues to peel the potato.
    Megan It a good sign?
    Mrs Peel continues to peel the potato.
    Megan Mrs Peel?
    Mrs Peel continues to peel.
    Megan They risen like Burns said?
    Mrs Peel stops peeling.
    Megan That what it mean?
    Mrs Peel looks at Megan . Pause.
    Mrs Peel Yeah. Yeah. It do.
    Megan What that mean for us?
    Mrs Peel We’ll soon find out.
    Mrs Peel wanders away.
    Megan Where you goin’?
    Mrs Peel Make us a tea.
    Scene Seven
    Peak. Late afternoon.
    Bug is sat, holding his flask. Turner is stood.
    Turner We gotta get up North.
    Turner looks at Bug who stares out vacantly.
    Turner We got a’ head up the Pennine Way.
    Beat.
    Turner You hear what I said?
    Beat.
    Turner ( Kicks the flask. ) Answer me you useless piece a’ shit!
    Beat. Turner stiffens.
    Turner Get up.
    Beat.
    Turner Get up now.
    Beat.
    Turner Get up we’re goin’.
    Beat.
    Turner Up. ( Kicks Bug ’s foot. ) Now.
    Turner walks away, stops, back turned to Bug .
    Turner Get up!
    Turner puts his hands on his hips.
    Turner On your feet