Passion Fish
(Dark Room)
Chantelle Mary Ellis, Mary Ellis, Mary Ellis
Mary Ellis Don’t come in.
Chantelle Are you all right?
Mary Ellis Shut the door first. I’m printing. You get in late?
Chantelle It’s morning.
Mary Ellis Really?
Chantelle I stayed all night. They didn’t finish the car.
Mary Ellis No sense of time in here.
Chantelle I see you’ve been busy.
Mary EllisI don’t need a sermon.
ChantelleDo you think you can get through a day without a drink?
Mary EllisSure.
ChantelleOkay. Twenty-four hours, starting right now. You have enough problems with your liver and kidneys—
Mary EllisYou’re the addict, not me.
ChantelleWhat do you mean by that?
(Mary Ellis holds up the picture)
ChantelleHe was here?
Mary EllisIn the afternoon.
ChantelleI hope he didn’t scare you. He wouldn’t hurt anybody.
Mary EllisI’m glad to hear it. He didn’t seem too healthy. Turn that light on, would you? Shoot. This is the only part I can’t remember how to do.
ChantelleI cleaned up. Finished detox a month ago.
Mary EllisMaybe the fixer’s worn out.
ChantelleAm I fired? I lied to the agency. I gave them my records from back in Chicago … and told them I’d been off in Europe for two years. Luther had some restaurants. He owned a big car. It was fun living high. It was exciting. And then we got to freebasing… and all of it just fell away.
Mary EllisWhat stopped you?
ChantelleI guess I didn’t want to die. I need this job.
Mary EllisYou’re not fired. And… I’m not going to drink today. I may as well go to bed.
(In Livingroom)
ChantelleHow are you feeling ?
Mary EllisLike Shit! How did you do it?
ChantelleAt first I was in the hospital. There’s no place to score. It’s back in the real world that’s hard.
Mary EllisThis isn’t the real world.
ChantelleI know.
(Mary Ellis in dark room lookin’ for alcohol)
(In kitchen)
Mary EllisAll right. Game’s over.
ChantelleWhat game?
Mary EllisWhere’d you put all the liquor?
ChantelleI threw it out.
Mary EllisIt’s in the trash?
ChantelleI poured it out. Bottles are in the bin.
Mary EllisYou poured it out?
ChantelleThe recycle people don’t want nothin’ left in the bottles.
Mary EllisLook, Chantelle, I am not ready for this. When I get stronger, I’ll quit drinking.
ChantelleIf you keep drinking, you will not get any stronger.
Mary EllisOkay. The deal was 24 hours, right? I’ve already done that. Ernie’s closes by 9:00.
ChantelleI’m not getting you any more.
Mary EllisWhat?
ChantelleYou want it, you get it yourself!
Mary EllisI can’t drive.
ChantelleThat’s something to work towards, isn’t it.
Mary EllisDon’t hand me that condescending bullshit! Just go and get me some fuckin wine!
ChantelleListen to you.
Mary EllisYou listen to me. I hired you! I want you to do what I tell you!
ChantelleDream on, girl.
Mary EllisWho made you the fucking warden?
ChantelleWho made you queen of the whole world? You sit around, feeling sorry for yourself…you miserable, TV-watching, dried-up old witch! You can’t go more than a day without a drink, and you’re not even a drunk yet. You’re just fucking spoiled. Most mornings I wake up, I wanna get high so bad I can’t breathe.
Mary EllisCocaine is different.
ChantelleBullshit! What do you know about it?
Mary EllisWhere are you going?
ChantelleI am going away from you. I don’t want to be around your shit anymore, understand? Away from you!