Out of the woods

ALEX and HARPER enter from stage left. ALEX is carrying hiking gear, including a backpack, water bottle, and map, while HARPER wears casual hiking wear. ALEX is looking over a map while HARPER trails behind her. HARPER looks around worriedly.HARPER        Oh god, we’re lost.ALEX (looking at the map)        We’re not lost.HARPER        Where are we then?ALEX        We’re somewhere in here (she gestures very broadly to the map).
HARPER        Oh great, that’s comforting.ALEX        Relax, we’ll be fine… probably.HARPER (scoffs)        Fine? You don’t even know where we are.ALEX         Well, we’ve got to be somewhere. Besides the trail is one big loop it’s impossible to get lost.

HARPER begins to say something before she stops and frowns.
 HARPER        Where are Felix and Ellie?ALEX        They’re probably up ahead.HARPER        Probably?

ALEX nods.        HARPERSo, you’re not sure then? ALEX (looking up from the map)        Well no, but-I mean- they’ll be fine… probably… 

HARPER begins to pace anxiously.HARPER      Oh god. You don’t know where they are.

ALEX looks back at her, and sighs. ALEX        Harper, they’ll be okay, I promise. Like I said it’s a loop there’s no way to get lost.
HARPER        A loop?ALEX        Yeah, the trail just goes around in one big circle. There’s nowhere to get off the path.
HARPER        Then what’s that up there?ALEX        What?HARPER (points frantically)        That, right up there.

ALEX looks over and frowns.ALEX        That looks like a fork in the road… but that can’t be right. 

ALEX begins to examine the map again, while HARPER resumes pacing.
HARPERHa! I knew we were lost. (pause) Oh god, we’re lost. Oh no, no, no. This isn’t good. 
ALEXShh! Quiet down will you? I’m trying to figure out where we are.
HARPER        We’re lost in the middle of nowhere-ALEX        It’s not nowhere, we have to be somewhere.HARPERI’m going to die in the middle of the woods, all because you dragged me on some stupid hike!
ALEX        You’re not going to die.HARPERI will be mauled to death by a bear.
ALEXIt’s more likely to be wolves around here.
HARPERWolves? (ALEX nods) Oh well, that’s fine then!
HARPER resumes pacing. While ALEX sighs and folds up the map. HARPER notices and turns to her.

HARPERDo you know where we are?
ALEXNot exactly (HARPER looks to interrupt her) However, I do have a general sense. 
We’re near the lake I think, and there are a couple of trails that cut off from the loop… but they’re on opposite sides, and there aren’t any other landmarks for awhile. Do you think you could give Ellie a call? See where she and Felix went off to? Maybe they could tell us which trail they’re on.
 HARPER  nods and reaches into her pocket. She fishes out her phone and attempts to turn it on. She frowns when nothing happens.
HARPER Battery’s dead.
ALEX Right then. We should stop here and get our bearings.
HARPERStop?
ALEXYeah, it’s getting dark anyway, and I don’t want to get us more lost then we are. We can set up camp here. HARPERCamp?
ALEXYeah, we can have a fire going, stay there night here.
HARPERHere?
ALEX (examining the map)Mhm.
HARPERThere are so many bugs here though.
ALEXIt is the woods.
HARPERI know, but still. I can practically feel them crawling over me already.

ALEXAre they crawling over you?
HARPERWell… no, but if we stay here they might.
ALEXWe’ll just have to risk it.HARPERYou’re not taking me seriously, are you?
ALEXIf you have something serious to say I’ll listen. Otherwise, I’m going to plot out our route for tomorrow.
HARPERAnd what about Felix and Ellie?
ALEXThey’ll be fine.
HARPERAnd if they’re not?
ALEXThen they’ll probably be just as not fine in the morning.
HARPERI can’t believe you. You don’t care one bit do you.
ALEXOf course, I care, they’re our friends! I just also think we have to look at the practical side of things. It’s getting dark, setting off at night is dangerous and us getting more lost won’t help them. HARPERI still think we should go after them.
ALEX How? We don’t even know where we are, let alone where they are.
HARPERWe should still try. ALEXWe will… in the morning.
HARPER        And what if that delay costs them?
ALEXIt won’t.
HARPERWhat if it does?
ALEX It just won’t. 
 HARPER moves away from ALEX. She takes a deep breath and looks to the trails up ahead.
HARPER        I’m going to find them.
ALEXWhat? 
 HARPER begins to walk forward, when ALEX catches her by the sleeve.
ALEXHarper, what are you doing? HARPER I’m going to find our friends since you don’t want to.

ALEXIt’s not that I don’t want to, I just—Harper are you crazy? It’s getting dark, you could get lost out there. Splitting up right now is not a good idea. 
HARPERSo then come with me.
ALEX        I-I can’t. 
HARPERWhy not?
ALEXWhere are you even going? I mean really, you don’t know where they are.
HARPERI’ll find them.
ALEX        And if you don’t?HARPERI will. 
ALEX Fine. You want to go, go.
 She lets go of HARPER’s sleeve but continues to stare at her worriedly. HARPER straightens up and looks ahead, worry seeps into her eyes as well. She stares at the two paths ahead unsure.
HARPEROh god, I can’t do this. What if I pick the wrong one? ALEXI told you—
HARPERNo, no I have to pick one. I have to do something.
ALEXYou are doing something by staying here.
HARPER (scoffs)What?
ALEXYou’re keeping yourself safe.
HARPERPlease—
ALEXNo, listen to me. You want Ellie and Felix to be safe, right? HARPEROf course!
ALEXThey’d want the same for you.
 HARPER scoffs again but doesn’t say anything.
ALEXYou know I’m right.
HARPERDo I?
ALEXYes, you do.
HARPERSo what we’re supposed to just stay here and hope they’re alright? ALEXThat’s all we’d be doing out there anyways.
HARPERThat’s not true.
ALEXYes, it is.HARPERBut I can’t just stay here. At least out there, I’d know that I was doing something, that I was trying to help. Here… ALEXStaying here is the best choice though. At least this way, you can do something tomorrow when there’s light out.
 HARPER sighs and sits down. ALEX follows her lead.
HARPERI’m just so tired of waiting. I want to do something, I want to make sure our friends are alright.
ALEXI want that too.
HARPERI don’t want to be a bad person Alex… 
ALEXWhat?
HARPERI just—I know that they’re out there, and I know that if I were out there I’d want someone to find me. Staying here… it feels wrong. It feels selfish.
ALEXYou’d want people to find you, but you wouldn’t want people stumbling around in the dark after you, would you? HARPER        No… but what if by going out there we could find them, and make them safe. ALEXWe could… but we could also get even more lost… and then they might be safe but not know where we were. We don’t know what would happen.
HARPERI guess… but I just want them to be safe, you know. 
ALEXI know.HARPER    You, think they’re okay, out there? ALEXHonestly? (HARPER nods) I don’t know. HARPERYou, think they will be? ALEXI hope they are.
HARPERI’m scared, you know? For them (pause) and for us. ALEXWe’re safe for now. 
HARPERBut what happens when we leave? We may not run into bears or wolves, but there will still be steep hills, brambles, and bugs…
ALEXIt won’t do us any good to think of that now.  HARPERIt all just seems so unfair. That we get to be somewhere like here, while they’re stuck out there.  ALEXSo much is unfair. We won’t help it any by getting up now. Besides, we don’t know where they are. Perhaps they’ve found a place like this too. HARPERI hope so. I just wish there was something we could do. ALEXWe can rest. That’s something. (HARPER begins to lay down)
HARPERI hope Ellie and Felix get a chance to rest wherever they are.
ALEXI hope so too. HARPERThis place isn’t so bad you know?ALEXYou think so?HARPERYeah.
 ALEXYou’re not still bothered by the ants? HARPERI’ll live. (HARPER yawns tiredly)ALEXI’m sorry.
HARPERFor what?
ALEXFor 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.
HARPERThere were circumstances outside your control.
 ALEXMaybe, I still should have thought ahead more. I should have known we could get lost, I was being reckless and stupid and—
HARPERYou found us this clearing. That’s enough. (HARPER rubs her eyes, and begins to slump down)
ALEXMaybe. 
 ALEX begins to build a fire
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    Well, for the record I think you’re a good person. HARPER (yawning)Thank you. (pause) We’ll find them, you know.ALEX nods.

Icarus Blackmore

VT

YWP Alumni

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