Romulus (2)

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Romulus, mid-teens and surviving in the aftermath of a climate induced catastrophe, travels with his older sister and another teenage survivor. Rumors of Polar Bears (full-length) is published by YouthPLAYS. Click here to purchase a copy.

(Warning: Using this monologue without permission is illegal, as is reproducing it on a website or in print in any way)

ROMULUS

I lost track of how long we’ve been walking. Every day it’s the same. Walk until it blazes high, hide until it starts to slide, walk until it sinks and dies. My feet turned rock, and I don’t cry at night anymore.

The water we took instead of the coloring book’s almost gone, so I don’t want to waste it outta my eyes.

(Beat.)

Deme says we’re almost there. Maybe one more day. She says that every day.

(Beat.)

Yesterday, there was this lake. The biggest most beautiful lake I ever seen. Hundreds’a feet. around.

(Beat.)

It’s almost empty really. If you laid on your back in the middle, it wouldn’t even touch your face.

(Beat.)

I just wanted to wash it off. All the dirt that’s stuck on me. And the water wasn’t deep enough. Maybe if it was deeper I coulda drowned all the wrong and the bad and everything I’ve done and burst outta the water clean.

But it won’t come off. No matter how much I rub, it’s just caked on me. Like a second skin I can’t shed.