Wearing Their Skin

INT. BASEMENT - NINE FIFTY-FIVE

Paper is strewn everywhere, there is broken glass on the floor.

AZLYN looks sick to her stomach.

AZLYN
Willow. Please. You're scaring everyone.

She ducks as a vase is thrown at her. Glass shatters behind her. AZLYN looks frightened and runs off stage right.

WILLOW
[delirious] Oh look, another FUCKING journal, I've never seen this one before, it's probably filled with him wanting to die. It's probably filled with him hating every aspect of his existence. Well, guess fucking what [talking to the journal] The world doesn't stop moving just because you have depression! There are people who need you here! [opens journal to the first page and begins to read out loud.]
This is dated January second of twenty nineteen. People are so selfish, they don't truly love someone. They love how that person makes them feel. When someone takes their life, they don't miss them, they miss how they made them feel. They make suicide all about themselves. If someone truly loved me and was selfless enough, they'd just let me die. Signed Ryn.

Well look at that I was right. Here let's read another one!

[flips farther] This one is dated April thirtieth.
I've started going to therapy. I realize that I'm the one who has been being selfish. I did this to myself, I give and give and while that's a great trait it's self-destructive. I've started to learn how to put myself first once in a while. My therapist calls it "self-care." She says it's not selfish to start taking care of myself. She also says to start noticing traits of myself that I can't give others. I used to say I'm compassionate, but that just serves others. I think I am determined, organized and adaptable. Those are things that help me, not others. It feels good to start feeling again. Signed Ryn.

Oh my..god. He..he started to get better. [flips to a few pages from the end of the book. Something tumbles to the ground.] This..this is dated July first

Now that I'm finally happy, I'm going to pop the question. It's been seven years, it's clear that we aren't going anywhere. I'm going to do it on July fourth. [voice begins to waver] I'm going to kiss her right as the fireworks go off and then I'll get down on one knee and I'll ask her to marry me. [WILLOW starts to cry] The only one I've ever loved and who I want to love for the rest of my life. The girl I want to wake up to time and time again, not only her face but all the features on our children's faces as well. I want as many kids as possible, I know I will love them just like I love their mother, with every beat of my heart. Signed Ryn.

WILLOW reaches down and picks up a silver ring. Inspecting close she sees that silver feathers are the band connecting to a wolf paw and in the pads of the wolf paw are pebbles and diamonds. On the inside of the band in tiny writing, it says.

Penguins give their mates for life, pebbles, wolves, and eagles mate for life, as do I. Will you be my mate for life? [WILLOW's hand covers her mouth.] Ryn. [whispering] I'm so sorry.

WILLOW lies on the ground clutching the ring and journal close to her chest and falls asleep, sobbing