AT CURTAIN RISE
SCENE 1
ALEX and HARPER walking along a path in the woods. Leaves, branches, and other debris cover it so it’s hard to tell where exactly it ends and the forest begins. Hemlocks surround the path blocking their view of too much else. The sides of the path seem to rise around them until they’ve become the steep walls of a narrow ravine. The day is a nice cool day, almost perfect for a hike, but there are more than a few clouds in the sky.
HARPER glances nervously up ahead. Her gaze flits around every which way, as she tries to spot the danger she believes is lurking everywhere. She stops occasionally to adjust her ill-fitted hiking gear.
ALEX walks ahead of her, back straight, eyes fixed on the map in front of her. A backpack full of supplies is on her back. She walks with a kind of rehearsed confidence, her back straight, her hair tied tightly behind her, her eyes ahead.
HARPER looks behind her, worriedly.HARPERWhere are Felix and Ellie?
ALEXThey’re probably up ahead.
HARPERShould we wait for them, just in case? I didn’t see them pass by.
ALEXThey’ll be fine Harper. They’re probably setting up camp as we speak.
Just off stage is a branch blocking the path. HARPERYeah but—
HARPER is the first to spot it. She stops immediately, however, ALEX, oblivious keeps walking. HARPERAlex, look out!
ALEX stops abruptly. She turns to HARPER, and HARPER points up ahead. ALEX stops stunned for a moment.
HARPERYou could’ve run straight into that—
ALEX
Harper—
HARPER
Tripped and fallen—
ALEX
Harper! I’m fine!
HARPER begins to speak when ALEX continues.ALEX
We’ll just have to go around it.
HARPER
How?
ALEX
We’ll— She looks around the ravine. ALEX
If I can find where we are on the trail the map should show us how to get around.
She takes off her backpack and begins to dig for the map.HARPER
If?
ALEX
Don’t worry. I know where we are… kind of.
HARPER
Kind of?
ALEX
I have a general idea.
HARPER
How general?
ALEX
Well… I know we’re in the woods.
She turns and begins to look over the map intently. HARPER begins to pace anxiously.
HARPER
Oh god, you got us lost, didn’t you?
ALEX
(looks up from the map) Don’t be ridiculous we are not-
HARPER
We are lost! Dead lost.
ALEX
You’re being overdramatic—
HARPER
Felix and Ellie. If we got lost then—
ALEX
Try calling them.
She rushed to her phone and attempts to call them. ALEX does the same.HARPER
Battery’s dead.
ALEX
No service.HARPER begins to pace back and forth. She feels a drop of rain fall on her.HARPER
What was that?
ALEX (still looking at the map)
What was what?
HARPER begins to speak when she feels another drop fall on her.HARPERThat. Alex is it—
ALEX (looks up skeptically)
You’re imagining things. It’s not—
Rain begins to fall.HARPER
—raining…
ALEX puts her phone back in her pocket. While HARPER stands in shock, ALEX takes off her backpack and begins to take things out of her backpack, to set up camp. HARPER notices and looks at her frantic.HARPER
What are you doing?
ALEX
Unpacking. We need to set up camp.
HARPER
Alex no, we can’t!ALEX doesn’t respond, she just continues to take things out of her bag.
HARPER
Felix and Ellie are out there and—
ALEX
They have a tent and food. They'll be fine.
HARPER
We don't know that. We have most of the food, and it’s raining out.
ALEX
Exactly. It’s raining out. We need to set up camp now.
HARPER
But—
ALEX
Just help me, will you?
HARPER
Are you sure it’s safe here?
ALEX
We'll be fine.
She swings a tent bag over her shoulder and picks up a covered sleeping bag, which she tosses at HARPER.
ALEX (throwing it)
Here, take this.
Harper begins to object but then thinks better of it. ALEX begins to set up the tent.HARPER
You know you said hiking was fun.
ALEX
Well, obviously I didn't think this would happen, did I?
HARPER paces while clutching her wrapped sleeping bag to her stomach. She uses the sleeping bag like a stress ball. She hears a noise.
HARPER
Alex, What was that?ALEX doesn’t respond.HARPER
Alex!
ALEX
It was probably nothing Harper.
HARPER
That’s what you said about the rain! I heard something out there. What if it’s a bear? What do we do then?
ALEX
It’s not a bear Harper.
HARPER
You don’t know that!
ALEX
Harper bears don’t live around here.HARPER begins to pace more fiercely.HARPER
God, I’m going to die in the middle of the woods, all because of you.
ALEX
You’re not going to die.
HARPER resumes pacing. While ALEX sighs and continues working on the tent. HARPER turns to her, setting down the sleeping bag.
HARPER
How long are we staying here?
ALEX
Just the night.
HARPER
Just the night? Felix and Ellie could be dead by morning.
ALEX
They'll be fine.
HARPER
And if they’re not?
ALEX
Then they’ll be just as not fine in the morning.
HARPER
You don’t care one bit, do you?
ALEX
Of course, I care, they’re our friends! I just also think we have to look at the practical side of things. It’s rainy it's dark, and we don't even know for sure that they're lost.
HARPER
I still think we should go after them.
ALEX
How? We don’t even know where we are, let alone where they are.
HARPER
We can’t just leave them out there. We have to try.
ALEX
We'll search for them in the morning.
HARPER moves away from ALEX. She takes a deep breath and looks to the trails up ahead. She walks forward and ALEX pretends not to notice, she fiddles with the details of the tent.HARPER
It might be too late by then!
ALEX
It won't be.
HARPER
What if it is?
ALEX
Go search for them if you want I'm staying here!
HARPER
Fine!
ALEX
What?
HARPER begins to push at the fallen tree.ALEX
Wait, Harper, I didn't actually mean that—
HARPER
If you won't help our friends I will!
ALEX
What are you even doing? There's no way to move that.
HARPER doesn’t respond.
ALEX
Harper stop!
HARPER doesn’t respond again.ALEX
You’re going to get yourself hurt.
HARPER continues to push at the fallen tree. ALEX stands up. HARPER continues to push and ALEX walks over towards her. The tree begins to tilt toward HARPER. ALEX pulls her back. HARPER falls on the forest floor, while ALEX turns and begins to pace.
ALEX
You are such a child! You know that right?HARPER stands.HARPER
I’m a child? We wouldn’t even be in this mess if it wasn’t for you! You won’t even take responsibility for what’s happened. You don’t even care that our friends are out there stranded!
ALEX
I do care!
HARPER
You have a funny way of showing it.
ALEX
It’s not like we’re less stranded, you know! Felix and Ellie can handle themselves just as well as us.
HARPER
None of us would even be out here if it weren’t for you!
ALEX
I screwed up, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I screwed up and now we’re lost and I don’t have a way to fix it.
HARPER sinks to the ground slumped against the tree.HARPER (quietly)
I hate staying here, Alex. At least out there I’d know I was doing something… here… I … I feel like a bad person... if anything happened to them.
ALEX
Harper, you're—you're not a bad person—just promise me something.
HARPER
What?
ALEX
Don’t go charging off into the woods alone… I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you too.Pause.HARPER
We can stay here. If you think that’s best.
ALEX nods.ALEX
We will look for them in the morning. I promise.
HARPER sighs and sits down. ALEX follows her lead.HARPER
I’m just so worried. About them… about us.
ALEX
I’m worried too.
HARPER
I just—I know that if I were out there I’d want someone to find me. Staying here… it feels selfish.
ALEX
You’d want people to find you, but you wouldn’t want people getting lost for you, would you?
HARPER
No… but what if by going out there we could make them safe?
ALEX
We might… but we could also get even more lost… We don’t know what would happen.
HARPER
You, think they’re okay, out there?
ALEX
Honestly? (HARPER nods) I don’t know.
HARPER
Do you think they will be?
ALEX
I hope so. At least we’re safe.
HARPER
But what happens when we leave? We may not run into bears, but how are we going to move that tree? What if we can’t find another way around? What if we really are lost?
ALEX
It won’t do us any good to think of that now.
HARPER
I just wish there was something we could do.
ALEX
We can rest. (HARPER lays down).
HARPER
At least stopped raining.
ALEX
I am sorry.
HARPER
For what?
ALEX
For getting us lost. You’re right. I’m the one who dragged us on this stupid hike anyways. It’s my fault Felix and Ellie are lost.
HARPER
There were circumstances outside your control.
ALEX
Maybe, I still should have thought ahead more. I should have known we could get lost, I was being reckless and stupid and—
HARPER
We’ve made do for now, and we can figure out the rest tomorrow, right?
ALEX
Right.HARPER walks over and grabs a sleeping bag for ALEX before she begins to unpack the one HARPER tossed her.
HARPER
For the record, I’m glad I came with you. Even if it turned out somewhat…
ALEX
Disastrously?
HARPER
I wasn’t going to use that word… but yeah.
ALEX
For the record, I think you're a good person.
HARPER (yawning)
Thank you. (pause) And we’ll be okay. I know we will.
ALEX
Thank you, but... we’re not out of the woods just yet.The lights fade out.
CURTAIN FALLS
THE END
SCENE 1
ALEX and HARPER walking along a path in the woods. Leaves, branches, and other debris cover it so it’s hard to tell where exactly it ends and the forest begins. Hemlocks surround the path blocking their view of too much else. The sides of the path seem to rise around them until they’ve become the steep walls of a narrow ravine. The day is a nice cool day, almost perfect for a hike, but there are more than a few clouds in the sky.
HARPER glances nervously up ahead. Her gaze flits around every which way, as she tries to spot the danger she believes is lurking everywhere. She stops occasionally to adjust her ill-fitted hiking gear.
ALEX walks ahead of her, back straight, eyes fixed on the map in front of her. A backpack full of supplies is on her back. She walks with a kind of rehearsed confidence, her back straight, her hair tied tightly behind her, her eyes ahead.
HARPER looks behind her, worriedly.HARPERWhere are Felix and Ellie?
ALEXThey’re probably up ahead.
HARPERShould we wait for them, just in case? I didn’t see them pass by.
ALEXThey’ll be fine Harper. They’re probably setting up camp as we speak.
Just off stage is a branch blocking the path. HARPERYeah but—
HARPER is the first to spot it. She stops immediately, however, ALEX, oblivious keeps walking. HARPERAlex, look out!
ALEX stops abruptly. She turns to HARPER, and HARPER points up ahead. ALEX stops stunned for a moment.
HARPERYou could’ve run straight into that—
ALEX
Harper—
HARPER
Tripped and fallen—
ALEX
Harper! I’m fine!
HARPER begins to speak when ALEX continues.ALEX
We’ll just have to go around it.
HARPER
How?
ALEX
We’ll— She looks around the ravine. ALEX
If I can find where we are on the trail the map should show us how to get around.
She takes off her backpack and begins to dig for the map.HARPER
If?
ALEX
Don’t worry. I know where we are… kind of.
HARPER
Kind of?
ALEX
I have a general idea.
HARPER
How general?
ALEX
Well… I know we’re in the woods.
She turns and begins to look over the map intently. HARPER begins to pace anxiously.
HARPER
Oh god, you got us lost, didn’t you?
ALEX
(looks up from the map) Don’t be ridiculous we are not-
HARPER
We are lost! Dead lost.
ALEX
You’re being overdramatic—
HARPER
Felix and Ellie. If we got lost then—
ALEX
Try calling them.
She rushed to her phone and attempts to call them. ALEX does the same.HARPER
Battery’s dead.
ALEX
No service.HARPER begins to pace back and forth. She feels a drop of rain fall on her.HARPER
What was that?
ALEX (still looking at the map)
What was what?
HARPER begins to speak when she feels another drop fall on her.HARPERThat. Alex is it—
ALEX (looks up skeptically)
You’re imagining things. It’s not—
Rain begins to fall.HARPER
—raining…
ALEX puts her phone back in her pocket. While HARPER stands in shock, ALEX takes off her backpack and begins to take things out of her backpack, to set up camp. HARPER notices and looks at her frantic.HARPER
What are you doing?
ALEX
Unpacking. We need to set up camp.
HARPER
Alex no, we can’t!ALEX doesn’t respond, she just continues to take things out of her bag.
HARPER
Felix and Ellie are out there and—
ALEX
They have a tent and food. They'll be fine.
HARPER
We don't know that. We have most of the food, and it’s raining out.
ALEX
Exactly. It’s raining out. We need to set up camp now.
HARPER
But—
ALEX
Just help me, will you?
HARPER
Are you sure it’s safe here?
ALEX
We'll be fine.
She swings a tent bag over her shoulder and picks up a covered sleeping bag, which she tosses at HARPER.
ALEX (throwing it)
Here, take this.
Harper begins to object but then thinks better of it. ALEX begins to set up the tent.HARPER
You know you said hiking was fun.
ALEX
Well, obviously I didn't think this would happen, did I?
HARPER paces while clutching her wrapped sleeping bag to her stomach. She uses the sleeping bag like a stress ball. She hears a noise.
HARPER
Alex, What was that?ALEX doesn’t respond.HARPER
Alex!
ALEX
It was probably nothing Harper.
HARPER
That’s what you said about the rain! I heard something out there. What if it’s a bear? What do we do then?
ALEX
It’s not a bear Harper.
HARPER
You don’t know that!
ALEX
Harper bears don’t live around here.HARPER begins to pace more fiercely.HARPER
God, I’m going to die in the middle of the woods, all because of you.
ALEX
You’re not going to die.
HARPER resumes pacing. While ALEX sighs and continues working on the tent. HARPER turns to her, setting down the sleeping bag.
HARPER
How long are we staying here?
ALEX
Just the night.
HARPER
Just the night? Felix and Ellie could be dead by morning.
ALEX
They'll be fine.
HARPER
And if they’re not?
ALEX
Then they’ll be just as not fine in the morning.
HARPER
You don’t care one bit, do you?
ALEX
Of course, I care, they’re our friends! I just also think we have to look at the practical side of things. It’s rainy it's dark, and we don't even know for sure that they're lost.
HARPER
I still think we should go after them.
ALEX
How? We don’t even know where we are, let alone where they are.
HARPER
We can’t just leave them out there. We have to try.
ALEX
We'll search for them in the morning.
HARPER moves away from ALEX. She takes a deep breath and looks to the trails up ahead. She walks forward and ALEX pretends not to notice, she fiddles with the details of the tent.HARPER
It might be too late by then!
ALEX
It won't be.
HARPER
What if it is?
ALEX
Go search for them if you want I'm staying here!
HARPER
Fine!
ALEX
What?
HARPER begins to push at the fallen tree.ALEX
Wait, Harper, I didn't actually mean that—
HARPER
If you won't help our friends I will!
ALEX
What are you even doing? There's no way to move that.
HARPER doesn’t respond.
ALEX
Harper stop!
HARPER doesn’t respond again.ALEX
You’re going to get yourself hurt.
HARPER continues to push at the fallen tree. ALEX stands up. HARPER continues to push and ALEX walks over towards her. The tree begins to tilt toward HARPER. ALEX pulls her back. HARPER falls on the forest floor, while ALEX turns and begins to pace.
ALEX
You are such a child! You know that right?HARPER stands.HARPER
I’m a child? We wouldn’t even be in this mess if it wasn’t for you! You won’t even take responsibility for what’s happened. You don’t even care that our friends are out there stranded!
ALEX
I do care!
HARPER
You have a funny way of showing it.
ALEX
It’s not like we’re less stranded, you know! Felix and Ellie can handle themselves just as well as us.
HARPER
None of us would even be out here if it weren’t for you!
ALEX
I screwed up, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I screwed up and now we’re lost and I don’t have a way to fix it.
HARPER sinks to the ground slumped against the tree.HARPER (quietly)
I hate staying here, Alex. At least out there I’d know I was doing something… here… I … I feel like a bad person... if anything happened to them.
ALEX
Harper, you're—you're not a bad person—just promise me something.
HARPER
What?
ALEX
Don’t go charging off into the woods alone… I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you too.Pause.HARPER
We can stay here. If you think that’s best.
ALEX nods.ALEX
We will look for them in the morning. I promise.
HARPER sighs and sits down. ALEX follows her lead.HARPER
I’m just so worried. About them… about us.
ALEX
I’m worried too.
HARPER
I just—I know that if I were out there I’d want someone to find me. Staying here… it feels selfish.
ALEX
You’d want people to find you, but you wouldn’t want people getting lost for you, would you?
HARPER
No… but what if by going out there we could make them safe?
ALEX
We might… but we could also get even more lost… We don’t know what would happen.
HARPER
You, think they’re okay, out there?
ALEX
Honestly? (HARPER nods) I don’t know.
HARPER
Do you think they will be?
ALEX
I hope so. At least we’re safe.
HARPER
But what happens when we leave? We may not run into bears, but how are we going to move that tree? What if we can’t find another way around? What if we really are lost?
ALEX
It won’t do us any good to think of that now.
HARPER
I just wish there was something we could do.
ALEX
We can rest. (HARPER lays down).
HARPER
At least stopped raining.
ALEX
I am sorry.
HARPER
For what?
ALEX
For getting us lost. You’re right. I’m the one who dragged us on this stupid hike anyways. It’s my fault Felix and Ellie are lost.
HARPER
There were circumstances outside your control.
ALEX
Maybe, I still should have thought ahead more. I should have known we could get lost, I was being reckless and stupid and—
HARPER
We’ve made do for now, and we can figure out the rest tomorrow, right?
ALEX
Right.HARPER walks over and grabs a sleeping bag for ALEX before she begins to unpack the one HARPER tossed her.
HARPER
For the record, I’m glad I came with you. Even if it turned out somewhat…
ALEX
Disastrously?
HARPER
I wasn’t going to use that word… but yeah.
ALEX
For the record, I think you're a good person.
HARPER (yawning)
Thank you. (pause) And we’ll be okay. I know we will.
ALEX
Thank you, but... we’re not out of the woods just yet.The lights fade out.
CURTAIN FALLS
THE END
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