The fox howled under the leaves, spitting out bright feathers of his feast of fowl: like him, I consume myself
                    --Rimbaud, A Season in Hell.

[Pause.]

Bob:  I quit my job.

[Long pause.]

Heather:  You quit your job.
Bob:  I.  Quit.  My.  Job.

[Another pause.]

Bob:  I've said that three times now.

[Pause.]

Heather:  Oh, Jesus.
Bob:  What?
Heather:  How could you quit your job!
Bob:  I just--
Heather:  You just what.
Bob:  I need--
Heather:  You need what.
Bob:  I--
Heather:  You quit your job.  You didn't even-- we didn't even discuss this.  How you go go do something as stupid-- STUPID-- as that!

[Pause.]

Bob:  It's my job, and besides--
Heather:  WHO CARES?  Do you have any idea-- Christ-- do you have any idea how much-- GOD!  HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!
Bob:  I just figured with all the money you're making--
Heather:  What money!  Do you have any-- any concept--

[Another long pause.]

Heather:  God DAMN it!
Bob [cold]:  It was my job.
Heather:  So what!

[Pause.]

Bob [cold]:  I hated it.  I quit it.
Heather:  Don't you think I hate my job, too?

[Long pause.]

Bob:  I wouldn't be upset if you quit you job, so why are you--
Heather:  If I quit my job?!  If I quit my job!?
Bob:  Yes.
Heather:  Then who the HELL would pay the bills?  [Icily calm, close.]  Where you we get money, Bob?  If I quit my job.  Tell me that.
Bob:  We'd find a way.
Heather:  A way!
Bob:  Yes!  A way!
Heather:  What kind of way!  What kind of way would that be, Bob?!
Bob:  We'd find a fucking way!

[Silence]

Bob:  You don't really need money to live.

[Long, cold silence.]

Heather:  What?

[Pause.]

Heather:  What?
Bob:  You heard what I said.
Heather:  WHAT?  [Sweeps her arm around the apartment.]  And where does all this come from?  Where, Bob?  Tell me.  All your videogames and computer crap and tv?  Do you just squat down and shit it out!  Is it magic?  Do we get this stuff somehow magically?  [Pulling her own hair.]  AAAAAAUUUGH!!!  You-- you-- you--

[Pause.]

Bob:  What?
Heather:  People who say you don't need money to live either mooch off rich friends or live in squalor like bums-- they don't need money because they have people to buy things for them!  How COULD you!
Bob:  Take it easy.
Heather:  Take it.  TAKE IT EASY!?  You have-- you-- you're telling ME to take it easy!  I thought we could actually-- GOD!--  [Calming down, now.]  I thought that maybe we'd be able to, like, get out of debt, maybe get ahead, with you working and me picking up all those extra shifts, but--  [Calm's broken.]  FUCK!  FUCK!!!
Bob:  Calm down.
Heather:  NO!  I refuse to be calm!  This is the STUPIDEST thing you've ever done!  How can I be calm!

[Pause.]

Heather:  GOD-- DAMN-- IT!!!

[Long pause.]

Bob:  I just needed some time to think.  That's all.  I'll get another job.  I will.  And besides, you've got all the Radiohead guy's shifts.  And he--
Heather:  He'll be back, BOB.  He will be back.  He's coming back.  He's only in the hospital until his leg heals.
Bob:  Yeah, but--
Heather:  And it was only in his calf, Bob.
Bob:  Yeah, but, okay until then--
Heather:  His uncle only shot him in the calf.  In the calf.  Just a little-- a little shot.  And it was just an accident, it wasn't anything life threatening-- totally minor weird hunting accident, Bob-- and when he's back, and he will be back, he'll BE BACK AT THE STORE AND I WILL LOSE ALL MY EXTRA SHIFTS.  And then we will be good and screwed.

[Pause.]

Bob:  I just need some time to think.
Heather:  Think!  Think about what?  What?  What, Bob?  What?
Bob:  Things.  Where I'm going in life.
Heather:  All you ever do is play videogames.  That's where you're going in life!  And can't you think about that when you're playing videogames!
Bob:  I just--
Heather:  Or maybe you could stop playing videogames and spend that time thinking.  Or how about this one:  Getting a full-time job!
Bob:  Maybe I might.
Heather:  No you won't.  I know you won't.  Because you never will.  You'll just get another part time crap job that barely pays, spend all the rest of your time glued to the tv like a junkie, and leave me to work till I'm dead.
Bob:  Hey!  Now!
Heather:  HEY NOW, NOTHING!  You sit on your ass all day playing with that-- that--

[Heather stops.  Balls her hands into fists.  Walks over to the coffee table, and boots the PS/2 onto the floor with her heel.]

Bob:  HEY!

[Bob bolts up, stares at Heather.  She stares at him.  He sits back down.]

Heather:  There.  Now you can think all day long.
Bob [trembling with rage]:  Look, I, just--
Heather [also trembling with rage]:  You just what?
Bob:  I just....
Heather:  Well?  Spit it out.
Bob:  I....

[Freezeframe.  It's a game, now.  Like pong.  First one set of eyes, then the other.  Bob (or something very much like him) voiceover: god now what have i done i'm sunk i'm fucked why did i quit the job fuck her fuck you she kicked my ps/2 what can i do fuck this fuck her fuck everything i should just run quit this fucking whole fucking thing fuck her just leave run how can she do this yell this i screwed up i need to find a job i can't believe i can't i i i did this i'm an idiot christ she's mad fuck her she's just mad she didn't quit before me we'll find a way we don't need i don't need money i can just get a loan pay it off later pay the rent somehow she's got work like it's like full fulltime work now so what's the problem god i want to to scream to scream to scream but she's got a job with the radiohead guy gone she's got more than enough we've got more than enough money we got more than enough right now fuck what did i do i'm so stupid why why why did i do this like a an idiot i'm an idiot i'm an]

[(Something very much like) Heather: idiot that idiot he's a fucking goddamn stupid fucking i don't believe this idiot how could he that that that and i need we need the money right now christ what a stupid stupid thing to why did he how could he what was he thinking no he never thinks that's the thing if he thought he'd be able to he'd he'd know how much i need we need this money how much we need to get ahead but no he's happy being a kid happy wallowing in in in all he wants to just to sit around all day and jerk off to porn he thinks i don't know but i i do know and he he i can't believe he'd do something like this without telling me talking to me discussing it with me it's not just his job well it is but it's our life our lives together and he just hs just he just]

[don't know i just don't know can't get it why she yeah she's mad but it's still i mean it's still my job my life but i know we need the money but i can't take this any more this horror this job this wearing tearing shit mind numbing job every day i need a break i need something else why what's happening i'm breaking down no i can't can't can't break down i don't know why won't she listen to me i know it's going to be bad but we'll manage we have to we will we're together there's us and we can do anything right but if i tell her that god she'll be pissed better not tell her that but i'm sorry part of me is sorry but part of me isn't sorry and i know i've hurt her but i can't help it she should she should she should just]

[walk out of here right now just calm down and walk out of here right now go and think he'll get another job he will i know he will but when and what will it be well it's not going to be much he doesn't get good jobs he doesn't get real jobs he can't get good real jobs sure he can quit this job and he'll have another shit job in two days because that's all he can do that's all he's good at is just shit pointless menial jobs no god stop thinking this way i love him but he's just so useless no don't call him useless whatever you don't call him useless keep this inside and it'll pass it has to pass there's way too much at stake there's us at stake for it not to pass oh please let it pass oh please before i]

[pass out but still my heart my heart it's racing and my head is pounding like i'm gonna pass out and still part of me is still yes the blood pumping and racing and the tension mounting and there's that that part that likes this that feels good that's yes yes i need this this focus this panic this rage this conflict yes conflict praise conflict i feel like i'm going to pass out but conflict is the key and so what so what so what maybe i did just need time to think that's all just time to think and maybe i dunno think but what are you going to think about i don't know now no wait it's your job it's your life but this conflict is so so so so very very very very but yeah i'm breaking down and]

[what if he can't get another job what if he can't what will we do i can't work more he has to work i hate my job he hates his job everybody hates their jobs but they we everybody has to work and i can't believe it how could he do this what's wrong with him he's been so weird lately and now this what's wrong something is wrong with him with me maybe even us no don't think that not us that's stupid ridiculous ha it is to laugh that's just the stress the shock god i feel numb i feel sick this whole thing situation scene is sick god i'm going to black out breakdown no i'm not going to break down go into breakdown mode no i feel sick i just hope]

[she doesn't leave me now god no she's got a look a sneer a smile what is it a look i've never seen and the way she's she's standing and god no she won't leave she can't i can't shouldn't have done the the the the no no she won't leave calm down calm down this is all just in your imagination she can't oh god please no she won't i've gotta what it was my choice my decision why can't she see that she would if she could but she can't won't whatnot but still what have i done why did i do it why don't i just well how to fix this get it over with just tell her what i'm sorry when even though i'm not got to]

[fix this somehow we'll have to fix this i'll have to fix this he won't fix this he doesn't even get what he's done he's sweating because i'm angry doesn't he understand why i'm angry sure it's his job it's his money but we need to survive doesn't he get this and he'll tell me he's sorry when he's not i can see it in his eyes he's not sorry because he doesn't get why i'm mad and somehow well there's some time it's not totally over and done with i can do something skimp on something after all i'm sure he can't ask]

[for my job back yeah that'll no it won't no not the way i left not the way i stomped out left yelling told them all to go to hell and well hell can't she can't she see that all i ever wanted was to make her happy but how can i make her happy if i'm not happy all i want is to think of her be with her all the time love her and have her love me all i want is is when i think of her sleeping and she's lying there beautiful and and asleep and all i want is to be with her for her not me i do it all all for]

[himself he'll have to fix it himself i can't bail him out no let him fix it himself if he can if it can be fixed and now he's just sitting there looking hurt and mad and i just want to have to shake him hit him scream and kick him but i probably shouldn't've kicked the ps/2 like that oh well accidents happen he'll get over it he always does and now he really needs to feel small that's all it'll be good for him make him think he says he wants to think let him think now]

[it's too late though to fix this i need to think but all i want is to love her tell her i love her show her i love her be with her love her and if i i can't then i'll just i dunno i dunno i i won't break down i'll fix it gotta try and when she's there asleep her face her hair her sweet lips and she's so funny and smart and beautiful and just about perfect god i want to need to tell her she's perfect tell her i love her god i love her so much i just]

[need to try to maybe calm down maybe relax maybe just think me i'll think not him he never thinks no me i'll do it i always do it i always fix it it's always me but and then maybe he'll maybe he just needs this little wake up call a bit of terror a bit of fear fear is the dominant the radical the thing that keeps it all together the focus of of of he that's all he needs fear that and and maybe maybe and]

[if i can do it i will i will i'll fix this tell her i love her god she's so beautiful even now she's so beautiful she's glowing i'm glowing the world feels like it's glowing so fuck her i'll try i'll fix it fuck her i love her even if she doesn't love me god yeah i quit but so what i'll find another job i love her and need her and want to smell her next to me in the]

[morning everything'll be calm by morning just don't get angry don't get angry or angrier or whatever he looks like he's breaking i don't know that look on his face he's breaking like breaking down or that look that smile what's wrong with him i've never seen that look is he coming onto me what's wrong with]

[everything why did i not think i could have talked it over with her it's too late now it's done i'm done everything's done over with done time to clear out clean up it's done over and done no more no more no more nothing to do now but stand up face the music and don't be afraid to say]

[it's too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too quiet too]

[much no this is too much don't stand don't think don't say no think need to think need to plan need to tell her what i have to tell her tell her the best thing i can think of tell her what she wants to need to hear tell her]

[that he probably thinks i'm a bitch a cow i'm a a a a what i don't know no words for what he probably thinks i am but he's what did he do why did he do it i have to get mad he screwed up everything that]

[moron no not a moron try to be something try to try and strive and what does she do kicks my ps/2 yells at me makes me feel small when i need to do it for her i did it for her i]

[gotta pick up the pieces somehow pick them up we needed that money if he hadn't quit we would have been out of debt but i still]

[love her gotta let her know somehow that i still love her even if everything is in a state]

[of collapse got to think think think of something and not yell]

[and find work i'll try i have to i guess i still]

[need to try and find a solution and]

[need help i panic but i can't]

[must be something]

[find something]

[do something]

[need]

[i'll]

[.]

Next: Gimme grid lotsa grid under empty skies above....