And then another, also

(This is the most recent piece in a project that begins here.)

— Will you turn off the light?
Pause
— What?
— Will you turn off the light?
Pause
— Sorry?
— The light, um…
Pause
Stare
Turn
Movement
Reaching of the arm
Snap
Darkness
— Wait.
Snap
The Beast
– No leave it off.
Snap
Darkness
Blue glowing discs
The sound of breath
Inhale
Exhale
– Dawn is a long way off.
— Dawn?
In the darkness she turns to face him
Turns back to the blue discs
They shake gently from side to side
Blink
Stare
She faces forward in the darkness
— How do you know the light is coming?
Pause
— Hmm.
The discs regard her
— I don’t know if they’re blue.
Silence
— I thought they were. Or could be.
In the darkness the man feels himself blink
Slight tilt of the head to regard the Beast
Blink
She says something else but it is unclear
Movement
She stands
The sounds of her feet on the floor
Then sits
Inhale
Pause
Then exhale
Then nothing