A large bathroom. The play starts when the actors can hear the audience coming. TOBY has a video camera, filming, JAKE has a gun on the table in front of him. There is his script beside it. HE grabs the gun and slowly lifts it to his head.
JAKE When one finds himself at the end of his life, he starts wondering why he was living in the first place. What was I looking forward to? Did I ever really want to see Paris? No; I've fooled myself every day. Every day is the same thing and will forever be the same thing; all I feel are spikes of emotion that quickly fade. Is that why everyone expects me to live? For how I feel? I feel twice a day and it's nothing. Not a thing. But when I don't feel, it's pain. It's a pain that I've felt for all of my life. The pain of emptiness. And that doesn't go away. It's an ache from my very core. Because I once believed that there was more than this. HE pulls back the hammer and starts breathing heavily. THOM walks in, script in hand and sees JAKE. THOM does not look at JAKE.
THOM Jake! What are you doing?!?
JAKE Go away, Thom.
THOM Jake, don't do it!
JAKE I'll do as I damn well please!
THOM Jake! You can't give up now! We're so close!
JAKE Thom, none of that matters! My whole life is a cruel joke! Every day is a new low to stoop to. There was never any ghost. It was just something I made up so that I could feel like I had purpose to my life. But I'm done lying to myself. Life is suffering. I've had fleeting moments of happiness, but they mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. I thought I beat all that negative philosophy when I was younger. I thought that nihilism meant that I could do anything. But it doesn't, Thom. I feel guilty about everything in my life that isn't completely fucked up!
TOBY Jake, this isn't reading.
JAKE Turning Well you gave us the scripts this morning!
TOBY No, I mean you need to look at Thom when you're saying your lines. Or...facing him or whatever.
JAKE But you'll see the script.
TOBY I don't care; I'm just seeing what works. We'll pick the best one and re-film it; let's go.
THOM Actually, can we just skip this one?
TOBY What? Why?
THOM It's too depressing. This is supposed to be a scary movie. Nihilism doesn't come into your room at night.
TOBY I mean, it could metaphorically/
THOM Toby, let's just try the next one.
TOBY Beat. Fine.
JAKE and THOM turn the pages on their scripts. JAKE picks up his script and THOM exits.
TOBY Pressing record twice Friday the 13th, scene 52, version 2.
JAKE I seriously think that title's taken.
TOBY Focus!
JAKE Sorry!
TOBY Action!
JAKE quickly puts the gun down on the table, then stares at it. He reaches for it, gingerly.
THOM Running in Jake!
JAKE Trembling Help me, Thom! The poltergeist, it's got me!
THOM You're stronger than him, Jake! You can force him out!
JAKE Raising the gun to his mouth He's too strong!
