Lights up on an idyllic pasture. Flutes are playing. A trio of cows is grazing.
A red sun rises. The cows are moved from their lethargy. They look up in mildly output surprise as a great light flashes.
We hear a long, bassy, enormous explosion.
Lights out.
Silence.
Lights slowly rise. We hear gunshots in the distance. Someone curses loudly.
Two cows rush onstage. BESSY is wounded and holding her rifle in one hand. She is limping along, supported by DOWSIBEL. They collapse by rock.
BESSY
Oh gawd I fucked up. I fucked up bad, Sarge!
DOWSIBEL
Yer gonna be a’right, kid.
BESSY
I don’t think we’re ever gonna take that hill, Sarge.
DOWSIBEL
That’s bullshit, Private! We’re gonna take that hill, we’re gonna graze, we’re gonna chew our cud, and we’re gonna have a magical time. You hear me?
BESSY
Yeah, Sarge.
DOWSIBEL
You here me, Private!
BESSY
I hear ya, Sarge.
DOWSIBEL
Yer gonna chew yer cud, Private. Ya got it?
BESSY
Yeah.
DOWSIBEL
Say it!
BESSY
I’m gonna chew my cud!
DOWSIBEL
A’right! Let’s take a look at that wound, Private.
BESSY
Aw jeez. Aw jeez it’s real bad, Sarge.
DOWSIBEL
I don’t wanna hear that, Private.
BESSY
I’m gettin’ all woozy.
DOWSIBEL
That’s just the shakes, you know it, you had ’em before.
BESSY
I ain’t had no shakes in nearly a year, Sarge, you know that.
DOWSIBEL
Shut up, Private!
BESSY
You got it, Sarge.
DOWSIBEL
Medic!! Bessy. Bessy!
BESSY
Yeah Sarge?
DOWSIBEL
I want ya to take ya hooves and yer gonna hold ’em right over this and yer gonna press down hard, got it?
BESSY
Yeah Sarge.
DOWSIBEL
Do it!
BESSY
Okay, Sarge.
DOWSIBEL
MEDIC!!!
BESSY
Medic’s dead, Sarge, you saw ‘er.
DOWSIBEL
No way.
BESSY
You saw ‘er get blown to Farmer John’s, Sarge, you saw ‘er. I know cause I seed you watchin’.
DOWSIBEL
I ain’t seen nothin’.
BESSY
I saw you watchin’, Sarge. I seed ya starin’ while ‘er farm-forsaken guts flew up in the farm-forsaken air, Sarge! You saw it!
DOWSIBEL
I ain’t seen nothin’!
BESSY
You seed it, Sarge!
DOWSIBEL
A’right I seen it! So what!? There’s other medics out there! MEDIC!!!
BESSY
It’s gettin’ dark, Sarge.
DOWSIBEL
‘salways dark these days, Bessy.
BESSY
Not like this, Sarge, not like this. I’m gettin’ cold.
DOWSIBEL
Sun’s settin’.
BESSY
Sun ain’t settin’, Sarge! I’m dyin’, dammit, I’m dyin’!
DOWSIBEL
You ain’t dyin’!
BESSY
I’m dyin’, Sarge!
DOWSIBEL
You ain’t dyin’, Bessy! Yer the only one left! You ain’t dyin’ on me, Private! That’s an order!
BESSY
Sarge…
DOWSIBEL
You ain’t dyin’ on me, Private. Say it!
BESSY
Sarge–
DOWSIBEL
I gave you an order, Private, now say it!
BESSY
A’right Sarge, a’right. I ain’t dyin’, Sarge, I ain’t dyin’.
DOWSIBEL
That’s farm-damn right, yer not. Yer gonna make it, Private, ya hear me? MEDIC!!!
BESSY
Sarge…
DOWSIBEL
Where’s the farm-damn medics!? Get me a medic over here!
BESSY
They’re all dead, Sarge…
DOWSIBEL
MEDIC!!!
BESSY
Sarge… Sarge…
DOWSIBEL
Huh?
BESSY
Sarge?
DOWSIBEL
Yeah, Bessy, what is it?
BESSY
Sarge?
DOWSIBEL
What!?
BESSY
You ever… You ever wonder, Sarge…
DOWSIBEL
I ain’t wonderin’ nothin’ and neither are you, now you hold them guts in!
BESSY
I’m holdin’, Sarge…
DOWSIBEL
Medic, farm-dammit! MEDIC!!!
BESSY
Sarge … Sarge… You ever wonder, Sarge…
DOWSIBEL
I don’t… I ain’t… … What, Bessy? I ever wonder what?
BESSY
You ever wonder… what it was like? Before we got smart? Before all the guns shown up?
DOWSIBEL
No, Private, I ain’t ever wondered that. I ain’t got time for wonderin’, just fightin’.
BESSY
Sometimes when I’m dreamin’… I can still see it… Just a clear field… everybody just standing… chewin’… grass everywhere… everywhere, Sarge… Clear blue sky… Clear Green Fields… Clear Green Fields…
DOWSIBEL
I ain’t gotta sleep for a clear green field, Private. There’s a clear green field on that hill, and we’re gonna take that hill! Ya hear? We’re gonna take it for Nudgins and Oreo and Clackers, for Milky White and Bullaboo. Ya hear me? We’re takin’ that hill! And we’re gonna eat. We’re gonna eat ’til we burst! Eat ’til we turn green! And all our buddies gonna be looking down on us from their Clear Green Fields and wishin’ they was here with us, cause there ain’t no grass so good, no field so green, no nothin’ so great as the field ya take yerself, ya hear? The field ya fight for, that’s your field, farm-dammit, and there ain’t nothin’ in no yesterday dreamland as sweet as that. And that’s why we’re takin’ that hill, ya hear me? Ya hear me? … Private, ya hear me? … … Bessy? … Bessy! … … Bessy…
Silence. The stage grows a little darker. DOWSIBEL looks up and seems to recognize several someones. DOWSIBEL releases BESSY and stands.
DOWSIBEL
Take me to the Clear Green Fields.
DOWSIBEL readies her weapon to fire. Blackout.
We hear many guns firing.
Flutes are playing.
END.