Title: Pain demands to be felt

Plot: 50 years (from when Covid spread out) into the future, the condition of the world has
become worse than before. No one can leave their houses because of this, and robots were
made to do most jobs humans used to do. 4 friends who are a few people among millions in this
lockdown are Barbara Jones, Alexis Smith, Nick Williams and Sam Thomas. Nick one day finds
out that he has been diagnosed with a disease known as idiopathic adolescent acute
neurodegeneration. The friends soon learn about the disease and are very upset to hear that
Nick will be dying soon. They make a plan and meet up at a nearby park, against the law. This
ending is most definitely leaving you in shock!

Cast:
Liza: Barbara Jones
Insya: Alexis Smith
Humd: Nick Williams
Shahmir: Sam Thomas

Scene 1 (Alexis and Barbara’s House)

Radio: …and this lockdown has been extended for another month, our help bots will reach your
doorstep at 10 AM sharp with today's groceries. We still do not know when this madness will
end and when life will resume back to normal. May God help us all.

Barbara: They’ve been saying that for the past 10 years! One month, then another month.
Come on, give up already. Just tell the world nothing will get back to normal, like it was over 50
years ago. People used to play, meet up with each other, have parties, all that fun stuff. The only
party now is a zoom meeting with filters. Imagine actually having cake that someone else
baked. Imagine having to go to the office every morning. You know I did some research and
people used to complain about having to go to school! How ungrateful! I'm 21 and I would like to
go to school. Did the situation really get that bad that we can’t even go out with certain
precautions? It’s crazy to think how people used to socialize before, like actually physically
meeting up.

(Pours milk for coffee)

Alexis: I know right! Our grandparents and parents used to meet up, and see each other head
to toe?! (Says in a surprised way) That's wild! But we can’t do that anymore since this pandemic
seems like it’s not going to end anytime soon. Oh and Barbara, can you go get the groceries,
they are probably outside by now, it’s 10:01. We don’t want to be late again or the milk would go
bad out in the sun.

(Barbara exits)
(Alexis picks up magazine, after 2 secs Barbara comes with grocery bags
Barbara: Hey Alexis, isn’t it time to connect to the call?

Alexis: Oh yeah! We should get on the call with Nick and Sam! I'm just thinking about how all
our lives could be different if we could go outside and meet more people.

Barbara: Yeah I wish for the same. But it's been like this for over 20 years and it doesn't show
signs of changing. I honestly think we’ll just stay as roommates till we're in our 50’s!

Alexis: Don't say that! You’re a cool room mate and all but I wouldn't want to be stuck with you
for 20 more years!

(call connects)

Nick: Yo!

Barbara: Yo! Hey Nick, did you get that haircut of yours? (Giggles)

Nick: Haha. Very funny (bland expression). Although I am thinking of getting my beard
trimmed-

Sam: Guys I'm getting bored now, let’s play charades. (Everyone silently nods) I’ll go fir-

(Phone buzzes)

Sam: (whispers) What is it?

Nick: Guys you keep playing. It looks like I just got an important email.

Scene 2 (Nick and Sam’s House)

(Goes to the side of the room)

Nick: (to himself) Testing results?? Oh boy, they came back earlier than I expected. There’s still
a week left for the time they gave! I wonder if I'm alright…

(opens the email. Reads it out)

Nick: “We regret to inform you that your results have arrived and may not be what you expect.”
What does that mean?! “After thorough examination of your tests, our scientific team has
ultimately decided that you have been diagnosed with idiopathic adolescent acute
neurodegeneration (IAAN) (pause) The disease was discovered a few years ago and was of no
threat. However, due to its extremely complex structure and environment,(pause) [it has evolved
rapidly and most scientists do not have time to research the disease anymore.(stuttering)]. We
regret to inform you that you may not even live (pause) till the end (pause) of the month. Once
you have perished, your house will be gifted to another citizen. Best regards, john. A worker of
the United Nations, alpha branch.”

Nick: Are you kidding me? You HAVE to be kidding me. There's NO WAY that i'm actually
gonna die right? It has to be a mistake right? Right?! Oh god, it can't be real. It must be those
hackers just tampering with emails again right? I can't ACTUALLY be dying right?!

(takes a deep breath and stands there for a sec or two)

(Hesitantly walks back)
(Screen shows “Call Declined”)
(Sam pacing the room)

Sam: Nick! Oh my God. What’d it say? Nick? You ok dude?

(Nick speechless, hands over the phone with a shocked look)

Sam: (very low voice) Oh. Oh no…

(Barbara and Alexis keep calling)

(Sam accepts call)

Alexis: HEY! What happened? You guys just disconnected from the call. Is your internet
buffering?

(Silence)

Barbara: Hey, is something wrong? You two seem awfully quiet.

Alexis: Like I said Barbara, it's probably their internet. Their router probably broke.

(Barbara gestures to her to be quiet)

Sam: No, um our internet is uh fine.

(small break)

Alexis: Then why are you guys so quiet?? Hey, is everything alright?

Sam: Well, Nick got an email. He wasn't feeling too good in the last couple weeks. So I
suggested a request for tests. (pause + deep breath) Today we got the results and he’s been
diagnosed with idiopathic adolescent acute neurodegeneration. (Barbara and Alexis gasp)
(break) The doctors are too busy working on the cure for Covid, they can’t really….help ….Nick.
(Everyone is looking at each other with sad and gloomy faces.)

Alexis: Look, we've been friends for so long and we need to be there for each other. No matter
what lengths we have to cross, no matter what borders are there we’ll just tear them down! We
can’t let a disease keep us apart, we'll always be there for each other no matter what levels of
insanity! I’ll be willing to go where people wouldn’t even dare to go! I can’t think of anything that
can keep us apart so I have a plan to make sure that Nick gets the best moments of his entire
life! Let’s meet up at a park and…

Barbara: Have you lost your mind! (slightly raised voice)

Sam: Yeah! Really? You know we would get killed!

Alexis: OK ok calm down. Hear me out! Nick, you're a very important part of our group. Besides
going through and fighting this disease with no cure, on your own? It’s stupid. Hey, we all need
to do this together. How about we meet up tomorrow, hang out for a while and well, (looks up)
go together?

(Nick and Sam look at each other)

(Alexis also gives a look to Barbara)
(Barbara notices the hesitant looks)

Alexis: What? Oh come on! For the sake of our friendship? If I’m down you all have to be…

Sam: You know you’re right. Nick you’ve been such a bro to me. Like you’re my man. What
would I do without you?

Barbara: Yeah Nick! You’re also very funny! You’re the reason me and Alexis aren't bored
everyday.

(After a little gap, Nick says)

Nick: This is nonsense! I get that you all are trying to look out for me, but I’ll manage! I'm a
grown adult and I can handle myself! It isn’t your fault anyway that I got infected with this
disease so you shouldnt be risking your lives for me anyway! This isn't a video game! This isn't
minecraft or anything like that in the sorts. If you die for me! IT’ll only make me feel more guilty.
Sometimes… sometimes I even wonder how it got to this point. At this point in life, it's not even
believable anymore that quarantine didn't exist at one point. I mean, can you imagine? Can you
imagine a life without quarantine? Can you imagine a life where people had jobs and kids
actually went to school?! Disease and plague has been in the way of humanity for the longest
time! And we’ve been able to get past each time! So why can’t we just get past covid already!
Was our generation really that stupid to not wear masks and not follow rules?! And you know
what's the worst part? I actually had a hope that it might get better in the next few years.And
that I might actually be able to go outside. But now I'm sitting here with an email in my phone
telling me that I won't even last a month?! This isn't a video game or a movie guys. You can’t
risk yourself for me!

Barbara: Nick it isn't about being a movie or a video game! As a group of friends, I insist that we
meet up tomorrow! Alexis and Sam agree anyway! And like you always say, “Majority rules!”. So
we’re going tomorrow and that's final!

Nick: (sniffs and at the verge of tears) Guys… c'mon. You know you're being irrational-

Sam: Nick!…man cmon. please agree to this, you’re like a brother to me… all these years we’ve
been together, I can't abandon you like this! (pause) You remember when we hacked a couple’s
call and were laughing like hell? It's experiences like these which made us best friends! You’ve
also helped us out a few times so let us help you! Just for once! We know you're hesitant. But
we know the risks. Let us help you man

Nick: (slightly nods)

Barbara: Alright then, It's settled. We see each other tomorrow at the park!

Alexis: Yknow, I'm kinda having second thoughts…

(Barbara glares at Alexis)

(call disconnects)

Scene 3 (the park)

Alexis: Oh my GOSH you both are so tall!

Nick: haha and ur taller than I ……… expected

Barbara: ( laughs ) Stopp!

Sam: So we’re finally here huh? Hey man it’s all for you buddy! (teasingly punches Nick’s
shoulder)

(They sit down and have a little chat.)

Alexis: Aaah! It feels so good… like the fresh air for the first time, it looks like a movie scene… I
have never ever imagined that the world would be so beautiful!

Nick: I wish this moment would stay forever in my life…. Unfortunately I'm leaving this world
soon…
Barbara: Oh don't say that Nick! We are always together no matter what happens to us. Even if
we live or we die we are always there for each other…

(Sam gets up)

Sam: Do you guys hear that? I think it's the killer bots! We don't have special permission to be
out here so there's no reason they just won't kill us!

Alexis: um uh um alright guys. I'm so glad we did this first and final meetup.
Nick: Yes this made my day. Seeing you guys happy, made me… happy!

(Sirens get louder)

Barbara: WELL DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY LAST WISHES OR LAST THINGS THEY WANT
TO SAY?

Sam: uhhh, Since we’re gonna die together, lets celebrate these moments while we can
maybe?

Alexis: Oh yeah! I have an idea!

(pulls out of phone)

Barbara: Good thinking! We might as well have fun in our last moments!

Alexis: Exactly! Everyone, say cheese!

Sam: Oh god! It has a laser pointing towards us!

(Plays laser sound effect)

(Maryam or someone shoots a laser or a bullet towards us and we all die)