(Tropical) Depression
November 11th, 2020
Starring: A & B
A home, somewhere on/near the Gulf of Mexico. Night. Very windy. B is in the living room, looking at their phone. A sets the last pair of storm shutters into place.
A
Okey dokey
Hatches are battened.
What’s the forecast saying?
B
Landfall by 10.
A
Good, so we got a little. What are they calling it?
B
Something greek.
A
I know, but what category?
B
Just a tropical storm at this point.
Actually, a “tropical depression.”
A
Excuse you.
…
B
I think I have it.
A
What?
B
Tropical depression.
A
Is that a real thing?
B
Who says seasonal depression has to mean winter?
A
It doesn’t, I guess.
B
Well I’m telling you, I’d take nine months of cold over five months of neverending storms right about now.
A
You’d hate that too.
B
But when’s the last time anyone’s evacuated from a blizzard?
A
I grew up with it. Trust me, just as bad.
B
I know, I know. Just tired of the same old.
...
B
You wanna move?
A
Where?
B
Not here. Farther North, Midwest?
A
Can’t do the cold anymore.
What about West?
B
Too hot.
California?
A
Too expensive.
Northwest?
B
Hate the people.
Northeast?
A
Hate the people.
...
A
I think this is where we belong.
B
Mm.
Doesn’t mean I’m not depressed about it.
A
Yeah.
It’ll all blow over.
The wind picks up. The first sounds of rain, then thunder. A joins B in the living room. They begin to wait it out.