A weird scene

Today in a workshop the instructor gave us an assignment to make a dialogue where an inanimate object testified before a Congressional hearing about slavery. Weird, you say? Very weird.

I misunderstood the instructions - I was not the only one - so while most people just had the "character" give a testimony, I made up an entire scene. I had no idea where the fuck I was going with this thing, and by the time I was done I'm pretty sure I had what Ianesco would have written if he worked on Law and Order.

I finally appear to have scrippets working. I'm going to throw a party.

Anyway, here is possibly the weirdest thing I have ever written:

FADE IN:

EXT. COTTON FIELD - DAY

Yep. It's a field of cotton. Dirty, off-white, scratchy cotton. It's a hot day, like batwings hot. A couple of white GENTLEMEN in black suits they really should consider removing in light of the heat, stand like stone statues among the plants.

A black man, FURNEY, 30s, torn pants and no shirt, points to the nearest COTTON plant.

FURNEY

You tell him, Cotton. You tell him what you told me. Don't you lie, now.

COTTON

Well now, I don't know if I feel like talking anymore.

FURNEY

Come on, man. You know what you saw.

GENTLEMAN #1

Tell us or die.

Gentleman holds up a blowtorch and turns it on. Cotton screams. All the other cotton plants around him take up the wail. It echoes across the field until it drowns out the sound of the crickets and whooperwhils.

GENTLEMAN #1

SHUT UP, COTTON!

Gentleman #2 reaches over and turns off the blow torch.

COTTON

Okay, I'll talk! Just don't burn me, man!

FURNEY

You behave. You tell the nice man what the old slave driver did to me.

COTTON

Well, now you should know this was last season, so my memory's a little shady.

Gentleman #1 goes for the blowtorch. The other cotton plants commence wailing.

COTTON

I'm talking, okay! Put that thing down. Look Furney here was just bending over to pick me up - now it was a really hot day, mind you, hotter than this one here - and he falls right on over on top of me - 'bout crushed me beyond recognition - and here comes Brody the slave driver. "Get yer ass up," he yells. But Furney dun passed right out.

FURNEY

Heat stroke it was.

COTTON

Mm hm. Heat stroke. I seen it before. So Brody takes out his whip and starts cracking it - WHAM! - and Furney starts screaming-

FURNEY

I wasn't screaming.

COTTON

Yes you were.

FURNEY

I'm a man. Man don't scream. Man shouts.

COTTON

Fine. You were shouting. Furney was shouting-

The other Cotton plants all start shouting.

GENTLEMAN #1

Shut up!

He turns on the blow torch. The screams get louder.

FURNEY

I don't think that's working.

Gentleman #2 turns off the blow torch.

GENTLEMAN #1

Look by the end of the day I'm setting something on fire.

COTTON

Not me please.

FURNEY

He won't burn you if you finish the story. Finish the damn story.

COTTON

So Furney starts shouting and Brody - he just keeps whipping and whipping. I got blood on me now, you see? You see the blood? Well, maybe you can't see it no more.

Cotton turns and twists to show the stain. Gentleman #2 makes a note of it on a clipboard.

COTTON

Anyways, it's a miracle Furney is alive. His folks had to drag him out of here, left a trail of blood behind.

FURNEY

Blood on the cotton.

COTTON

Yes sir.

GENTLEMAN #1

Thank you, gentlemen. This will help tremendously in our procedings.

Gentleman #1 sets the field on fire.

FADE OUT.