Title: “Now you know what it feels like”.
Author: Clara Pérez
5 Characters:
- Braulio: Unconscious boy for whom hurting is a very funny thing to do.
- Douglas: Braulio’s friend who gets carried away by Braulio’s ideas.
- Alejandro: Fair guy who loves animals.
- José: Alejandro’s friend.
- Joel: Alejandro and José’s friend.
Setting: Dimly lit and very dirty alley.
Introduction: Braulio and Douglas are annoyed in an alley when they see a cat pass by, which they catch to amuse themselves.
SINGLE ACT
Braulio (Sitting on some crates in the middle of the alley): What a bore! Today is one of those days when nothing happens, let’s see if you can think of something to amuse us.
Douglas (Sitting in front of Braulio): I don’t know, let’s go play soccer, sitting in this alley I don’t think we can do anything fun.
Braulio raises his head and sees a cat passing by on the roof and with a smile he waves to Douglas to wait for him, he gets up and leaves the alley, returning a few minutes later with a container in his hand.
Douglas (Puzzled): What’s wrong with you now?
Braulio (Smiling while moving the container in his hand): I know how we are going to have fun, let’s catch the cat.
Douglas: The cat, Braulio? Leave that animal alone, I don’t see the fun in wetting a cat, I’m not going to catch anyone if you want to do it yourself.
Braulio (annoyed): Oh, but you’re such a coward! Get out of my way, I’m going to catch the cat, but you’re getting out of here, you’re not going to stay for the best part, get out!
Douglas (Resigned): Well, I’m leaving, I don’t like to be an accomplice of your madness either.
Douglas leaves the alley and Braulio manages to catch the cat, he starts petting it and the kitten trusts him, suddenly Braulio puts it in the middle of his legs sitting on the floor and holding it a little he starts to bathe it with the liquid from the container, the kitten starts to get nervous trying to run away, but Braulio doesn’t let it.
He finishes filling it with gasoline and places a rope around its neck tying it to a post, the cat meows in fear, trying to escape. Its meowing attracts Alejandro’s attention.
Alejandro (Alert): What’s wrong with that cat that won’t stop meowing?
Joel (Shrugging his shoulders): I don’t know
José (Also puzzled): It’s very strange, let’s see
The three of them get up and walk towards where they hear the cat and when they see Braulio about to light a match, they run to avoid him.
Alejandro (Agitated): What are you doing? Stop!
Joel (Running towards Braulio and away from the kitten): Get away from the little animal, criminal, were you going to burn it?
José (Running to untie the cat, who is very scared, takes the rope off its neck and lets it go): Come on kitty, get out of here, we’ll settle the score with this bad son of a bitch.
Braulio (annoyed and getting on top of Alejandro): Why are you interfering? Is the cat yours?
Alejandro (facing him): It’s not ours, but what do you think because it’s an animal, it doesn’t get scared, it doesn’t get hurt?
Braulio (Ironically): He was just a little scared and who cares?
Joel (annoyed): It matters to me, asshole, but you’ll see…
Joel grabs the boy by the arms while struggling with him and goes to José
Joel (struggling with Braulio): José, grab the gasoline that’s still left and put it on this one, we’ll do to him what he was thinking of doing to the cat,
Alejandro (laughing): Very good idea, wait I’ll get the rope.
José started to spray him, while Alejandro put the rope around his neck and Joel held him, without stopping struggling they managed to subdue him and tie him to the post.
Braulio (very scared): Are you crazy? Are you going to burn me alive?
Alejandro: Why not? You’re just a little scared, and you don’t belong to any of us, what do we care?
Joel picks up a match and approaches Braulio as if he is going to light it.
Braulio (already desperate): Please! Don’t do it, you’re crazy, don’t burn me!
Alejandro (approaching Braulio): Do you know the difference between you and the cat? Apart from the fact that he is worth much more than you who are a vandal… that you can beg, plead, give pity and the cat can’t, but the fear is the same, the pain is the same, the humiliation is the same.
José (approaching Braulio and untying him): Get out of here and don’t mistreat an animal again, because they feel the same way you do.
Joel: Yes, go away, now you know how it feels, I hope you don’t do it again.
Braulio (still scared and trying to run away): No, I promise I will never do it again, I swear.
Braulio runs out of the alley and the 3 friends are left laughing and high-fiving each other for having saved the kitten and taught Braulio a lesson.
THE END