70 : Adrenaline Bust
70/365
2/19/2010
Characters:
Sprinters (4)
Judge
Setting:
A Track
- – - – -
Four sprinters are standing around near the blocks where the race is about to begin. They’re shaking it out, stretching their arms, necks, and legs. The judge stands on the other end of the stage looking at his stopwatch and holding his starting gun.
Judge: Sprinters; ready!
Sprinters all take their marks at their respective starting block.
Judge: Sprinters; set!
Sprinters all get in their starting position ready to start, and hold. Judge raises the starting gun above their head. After a dramatic pause, the Judge lowers the gun; the Sprinters relax and stand. They all shake it out, jump about, re-focus.
Judge: Sprinters; ready!
Sprinters take their marks.
Judge: Sprinters; set!
Sprinters get in their starting positions. The Judge raises the gun above their head. Pause. The Judge lowers the gun, again.
Sprinter #1: C’mon!
Judge ignores this. The Sprinters step off the blocks again, more intensely. Sprinter #3 shouts to get out their anxiety and energy. Judge checks his stopwatch.
Judge: Sprinters; ready!
Sprinters take their marks.
Judge: Sprinters; set!
Sprinters get tin their starting positions. The Judge raises their gun. Pause. Judge looks at their stopwatch. Judge lowers their gun; Sprinter #2 false starts.
Judge: False start!
Sprinters step off the blocks. Each is more intensely breathing; adrenaline now flowing strongly through them. Some have their hands and arms above their head to help their breathing, some have taken a knee, others are shaking and stretching their body.
Judge: Sprinters; ready!
Sprinters take their marks.
Judge: Sprinters; set!
Sprinters get in their starting positions. The Judge raises their gun. Longer pause than any before. The Sprinter’s bodies shake as they wait at the block for the start. The Judge looks down at their stopwatch, shakes it a bit, then lowers the gun once again. The Sprinters struggle to stand from the blocks and stretch out. They all make loud exhales to get their breathing in order; some shouting out loud.
Judge: Sprinters; ready!
Sprinters take their marks.
Judge: Sprinters; set!
Sprinters get in their starting positions. The Judge raises the gun. The Sprinters shake and breathe intensely as they await the race. Judge looks down at the stopwatch then looks back up at the sprinters.
The Judge shoots the gun.
The Sprinters launch off the blocks but all collapse a few steps in. The Judge looks at the gun and the Sprinters. The Judge then looks at the stopwatch and the Sprinters.
Judge: Paramedics!
