Sleeping Briefly


a figure is seen asleep in bed. It is 5:30 a.m. and all is quite, save the padding of tiny feet pacing across the floor

Kitty – I smell Dogs. New Dogs. Dogs are in the air. Hateful, stinky dogs. Cat eaters! Mama!

Sleeping Briefly - ZzzzzzzzzZZzzzzzzz

Kitty – Poke, Poke, Poke.

Sleeping Briefly – Humph.

Kitty – head butt, head butt

SB – Zzzzzzznicekittygoawayzzzzzzz

Kitty - jumps from bed to top of dresser, chews electric bill Shred, tear –

SB - Sits up in bed What! No! Are you hungry? lurches from bed Okay. You wanna eat? (thinks to self – Into your box Kitty.)

Kitty – I am hungry! But … No. Okay, are you going to feed me? No!No! not the box hides under bed.

SB – Where is he? Suddenly, I don’t care. goes back to bed ZzzzzZzzz.

Kitty – No! No back to sleep. I wanna talk.

SB – NozzZZZzzzzz.

Kitty - jumps on bed, pounces on SBs chest They’re here!

SB – Wha? Who is here?

Kitty – sworry! Dogs! head butt, head butt There are dogs upstairs. Make them go away. Blinks.

SB – Pretend they aren’t there. Go away now.

Kitty – There are dogs upstairs! In my house! And not Dogger! Alien dogs! They are upstairs on my bed!

SB – They were here before. You know these dogs. They are not Bed dogs. They are Carpet dogs. Mama’s tired. Go away now. rolls over

Kitty – Nooooooo! The house smells funny now!

SB – The little dog peed on my coat. Think happy thoughts.

Kitty – Bad dog smells!

SB – Dogger peed on the floor. Talk to her about it. Go away now. puts head under pillow

Kitty – I hear them!

SB – And they hear you too! I bet they smell you as well. You know where you can feel safe? Go to the basement and play with your bugs! It won’t be for long looks at clock, I’ll be awake in thirty-five minutes.

Kitty - whinning Noooo! There are dogs upstairs!

SB – Go lick yourself!

Kitty – Dogs! There are Dogs!

SB – So don’t go upstairs! Leave me alone!

Kitty – Dogs!Dogs!Dogs!

Dogger – from down the hall Dogs?

SB – Good. You woke up Dogger!

Dogger - Where are the Dogs! Can I play with them? Dogs!Dogs!Dogs!

Alarm goes off.

Later

SB – Kitty? Come see me! Come see Mama!

Kitty – No.

SB - picks up Kitty and makes him see Mama Hows my itty bitty kitty?huh? hows my baby!.

Kitty – You smell like them! Let me go.

SB – No chance. Mama’s little snuggly wuggly! Ohhhhhhh, what a sweet baby! You are so cuuttteee!

Kitty – Unhand me.

SB – No. Aww the squishy kitty baby….

Kitty – Let. Me. Go.

SB – Ow! Damn it! Kitty jumps away I’m bleeding now. Owwww!

Kitty – You still smell like them.

Later

SB – I’m trying to read the paper. Go away.

Kitty - sniffing you smell like them! sniffing

SB – I’m reading go away.

Kitty – Must. Sniff. Everything.

Lather, rinse, repeat