So, I've written another play. I'm fairly pleased with it.
SCENE I
A forest in springtime.
BOULDER
Sits still on the ground, placidly gazing at nothing in particular.
TREE
Stands behind him, also still and quiet. After a time, she makes a displeased face and looks down to the ground. Hey!... Hey, stop it!
MOLE
Pokes his head out of the ground, looking up at her.
TREE
Glaring down at him. Stop chewing on my roots.
MOLE
I’m hungry.
TREE
I don’t care. Stop it.
MOLE
No. He ducks down into the dirt again.
TREE
Hey! Stop it!
BOULDER
Calmly and unconcerned. Don’t get upset, he won’t eat much.
TREE
I don’t care. I don’t want him eating me.
BOULDER
Well, he’ll be dead in a year or two anyway.
TREE
Huffs and scowls, but stops shouting.
FAWN
Big-eyed and afraid, she slowly steps into view, looking all around her. Mama?... Mama? She starts to cry. Neither TREE nor BOULDER react.
COYOTE
Follows after her, snapping her neck and tossing her limp corpse over his shoulder. He continues walking.
TREE
Watching this with an unaffected disinterest.
BOULDER
Looks up. It’s starting to rain.
TREE
Looking up and smiling. Oh, good. I need some water.
The pair goes silent as the rain comes down. A few drops increase to a drizzle which erupts into a downpour.
MOLE
Bursts out of the muddy ground, coughing and sputtering. He struggles in the rain and mud, moving away.
TREE
Looks down from bathing her face in the rain. She watches MOLE wriggle away. I suppose he won’t survive. The flood will do him in.
BOULDER
Yes, most likely.
TREE
I hope so. He’s an awful nuisance. A bolt of lightning strikes her and she splits in half.
BOULDER
Looks back at her, his face expressing surprise for the first time. Did that kill you? He waits and receives no response. Left alone in the rain, he sits and looks startled and disturbed. He stares ahead and after a short while, WATER slinks up and, standing in a crouch begins to rub her back against him- NOT SEXUAL! Boulder stares at her quizzically. Where did you come from?
STREAM
I just flooded over the bank uphill. I think I’ll run down here from now on.
BOULDER
No, you won’t. You’ll dry up when the rain stops and then you’ll go back to your regular course.
STREAM
I don’t think so.
BOULDER
Why not? You’ve never run down here.
STREAM
No. But the old bank is eroded. It’s washed away. It’s gone. I’m here now.
BOULDER
Frowns Well, you won’t be for long.
STREAM
Yes, I will.
BOULDER
Not as long as I will.
STREAM
No, I think you might be wrong about that.
BOULDER
I’m not. I’ll outlast you.
STREAM
You might not.
BOULDER
I always do.
STREAM
But you can’t be so sure about me. We’ve never met before.
BOULDER
I can tell. You won’t be here for long. You came quickly and you’ll leave quickly.
STREAM
But I might stay for ages. It’s impossible to tell.
BOULDER
You won’t. You don’t ever even settle down. You haven’t stopped squirming since you got here.
STREAM
That’s the way I am.
BOULDER
Inconsistent? That’s how you are?
STREAM
No. Adaptable.
BOULDER
You could benefit from a little constancy.
STREAM
I can be constant.
BOULDER
I doubt that.
STREAM
Oh, no, I can be. The rain slows to a drizzle and then stops. The sun breaks through. See? The rain’s stopped and I’m still here.
BOULDER
Not for long.
STREAM
We’ll see.
Times passes. STREAM never stops rubbing against BOULDER.
FLY
Runs onstage screaming and running in circles. He falls offstage, dead.
FEMALE RABBIT
Hops onstage, followed closely by MALE RABBIT.
MALE RABBIT
Hey! Hey, you’re a lady- I can smell it!
FEMALE RABBIT
Spins around. You’re a man!
MALE RABBIT
YEAH! Come on, let’s procreate!
FEMALE RABBIT
OKAY!
The pair hop behind fallen TREE and, after several seconds, pop out with a cluster of five BABY RABBITS. All hop offstage.
BOULDER
Looking down at himself at the spot where STREAM has been rubbing. Something’s happening.
STREAM
Something’s always happening.
BOULDER
No, what are you doing to me?
STREAM
I’m eroding you.
BOULDER
What?
STREAM
I’m eroding you.
BOULDER
Stop it! Stop that right now!
STREAM
Why? It’s happened to you before.
BOULDER
No, it hasn’t! It never has! I’ve always been the same, right here!
STREAM
That’s not true at all. How do you think you got here?
BOULDER
Pauses and frowns. I don’t remember.
STREAM
You haven’t always been here. And you’ve certainly been eroded before. I can recognize the signs.
BOULDER
Are you really positive?
STREAM
Absolutely. I do it so often myself, I can recognize it anywhere.
BOULDER
But what happened to me then?
STREAM
The same thing that’s happening to you now. You’re disintegrating.
BOULDER
With gravity and realization. I’m being destroyed.
STREAM
Oh, hardly. You’re just changing.
GOOSE 1
Lands in the stream, flapping and honking out every syllable. HERE! HERE! HERE! HERE!
GOOSE 2
Still flapping past and not landing, honking back to GOOSE 1. SOUTH! SOUTH! SOUTH! SOUTH!
GOOSE 1
Flapping and rising into the air again, though clearly annoyed. FINE! FINE! FINE! FINE!
They both flap offstage.
BOULDER
I’m wearing away.
STREAM
Yes. You’re breaking down.
BOULDER
What will happen to me?
STREAM
You’ll be silt- I’ll carry you for a while.
BOULDER
Really? I’ll flow?
STREAM
Yes.
OTTER
Comes onstage splashing through the water, laughing, leaping and whooping. He passes offstage.
STREAM
You’ll be swimming with him soon.
BOULDER
Watches OTTER leap offstage and smiles. That would be something.
STREAM
Smiles with him. It will be. And you’ll even help erode other boulders. You’ll be right in contact with them. That’s what’s eroding you even now, you know- the silt that I’m already carrying. You’ll be mixed in and moving with it.
BOULDER
Looks down at himself, grinning.
MOUSE
Sprints onstage, running in a panic to escape from FOX.
FOX
Runs on after mouse, ducking and weaving with him and following his every move.
HAWK
Swoops down and snatches MOUSE just as FOX lunges for him.
FOX
Hey! No fair! He dashes after HAWK as she flaps away carrying MOUSE. Soon after, he returns, grumbling and irate. Ugh, an empty belly and a parched throat… It’s so hot! He flops down in the water, rolling in it and drinking. After a time, he gets up and shakes, plodding offstage.
STREAM
Sinks lower on BOULDER, moving more slowly and less forcefully.
BOULDER
Looking down at her. You seem different.
STREAM
You said yourself that I’m always changing.
BOULDER
You said you could be constant.
STREAM
I can be- just not right now. All this time she is sinking lower and lower.
BOULDER
Looking down at her. You’re drying up.
STREAM
It would seem so. It’s been so dry, I can’t keep on.
BOULDER
But you’ll be back, won’t you? You’ll be back when the rain comes.
STREAM
I’m not sure. I might not come back this way again.
BOULDER
You have to.
STREAM
Nothing has to happen.
BOULDER
But who will erode me? I’ll be stuck here.
STREAM
Drying up, she is down on the ground as far as she can be, slinking and crawling back the way she came.
LIZARD
Strolling jerkily through the forest, he sees boulder, then climbs up onto him. He stretches out in the sun and shuts his eyes with a contented sigh. Ah, now that’s it. What a lovely sunning spot you make. It's so wonderful to know that I can always come here.
BOULDER
Ignores him, staring off in the direction that STREAM receded.
FADE OUT
THE END
SCENE I
A forest in springtime.
BOULDER
Sits still on the ground, placidly gazing at nothing in particular.
TREE
Stands behind him, also still and quiet. After a time, she makes a displeased face and looks down to the ground. Hey!... Hey, stop it!
MOLE
Pokes his head out of the ground, looking up at her.
TREE
Glaring down at him. Stop chewing on my roots.
MOLE
I’m hungry.
TREE
I don’t care. Stop it.
MOLE
No. He ducks down into the dirt again.
TREE
Hey! Stop it!
BOULDER
Calmly and unconcerned. Don’t get upset, he won’t eat much.
TREE
I don’t care. I don’t want him eating me.
BOULDER
Well, he’ll be dead in a year or two anyway.
TREE
Huffs and scowls, but stops shouting.
FAWN
Big-eyed and afraid, she slowly steps into view, looking all around her. Mama?... Mama? She starts to cry. Neither TREE nor BOULDER react.
COYOTE
Follows after her, snapping her neck and tossing her limp corpse over his shoulder. He continues walking.
TREE
Watching this with an unaffected disinterest.
BOULDER
Looks up. It’s starting to rain.
TREE
Looking up and smiling. Oh, good. I need some water.
The pair goes silent as the rain comes down. A few drops increase to a drizzle which erupts into a downpour.
MOLE
Bursts out of the muddy ground, coughing and sputtering. He struggles in the rain and mud, moving away.
TREE
Looks down from bathing her face in the rain. She watches MOLE wriggle away. I suppose he won’t survive. The flood will do him in.
BOULDER
Yes, most likely.
TREE
I hope so. He’s an awful nuisance. A bolt of lightning strikes her and she splits in half.
BOULDER
Looks back at her, his face expressing surprise for the first time. Did that kill you? He waits and receives no response. Left alone in the rain, he sits and looks startled and disturbed. He stares ahead and after a short while, WATER slinks up and, standing in a crouch begins to rub her back against him- NOT SEXUAL! Boulder stares at her quizzically. Where did you come from?
STREAM
I just flooded over the bank uphill. I think I’ll run down here from now on.
BOULDER
No, you won’t. You’ll dry up when the rain stops and then you’ll go back to your regular course.
STREAM
I don’t think so.
BOULDER
Why not? You’ve never run down here.
STREAM
No. But the old bank is eroded. It’s washed away. It’s gone. I’m here now.
BOULDER
Frowns Well, you won’t be for long.
STREAM
Yes, I will.
BOULDER
Not as long as I will.
STREAM
No, I think you might be wrong about that.
BOULDER
I’m not. I’ll outlast you.
STREAM
You might not.
BOULDER
I always do.
STREAM
But you can’t be so sure about me. We’ve never met before.
BOULDER
I can tell. You won’t be here for long. You came quickly and you’ll leave quickly.
STREAM
But I might stay for ages. It’s impossible to tell.
BOULDER
You won’t. You don’t ever even settle down. You haven’t stopped squirming since you got here.
STREAM
That’s the way I am.
BOULDER
Inconsistent? That’s how you are?
STREAM
No. Adaptable.
BOULDER
You could benefit from a little constancy.
STREAM
I can be constant.
BOULDER
I doubt that.
STREAM
Oh, no, I can be. The rain slows to a drizzle and then stops. The sun breaks through. See? The rain’s stopped and I’m still here.
BOULDER
Not for long.
STREAM
We’ll see.
Times passes. STREAM never stops rubbing against BOULDER.
FLY
Runs onstage screaming and running in circles. He falls offstage, dead.
FEMALE RABBIT
Hops onstage, followed closely by MALE RABBIT.
MALE RABBIT
Hey! Hey, you’re a lady- I can smell it!
FEMALE RABBIT
Spins around. You’re a man!
MALE RABBIT
YEAH! Come on, let’s procreate!
FEMALE RABBIT
OKAY!
The pair hop behind fallen TREE and, after several seconds, pop out with a cluster of five BABY RABBITS. All hop offstage.
BOULDER
Looking down at himself at the spot where STREAM has been rubbing. Something’s happening.
STREAM
Something’s always happening.
BOULDER
No, what are you doing to me?
STREAM
I’m eroding you.
BOULDER
What?
STREAM
I’m eroding you.
BOULDER
Stop it! Stop that right now!
STREAM
Why? It’s happened to you before.
BOULDER
No, it hasn’t! It never has! I’ve always been the same, right here!
STREAM
That’s not true at all. How do you think you got here?
BOULDER
Pauses and frowns. I don’t remember.
STREAM
You haven’t always been here. And you’ve certainly been eroded before. I can recognize the signs.
BOULDER
Are you really positive?
STREAM
Absolutely. I do it so often myself, I can recognize it anywhere.
BOULDER
But what happened to me then?
STREAM
The same thing that’s happening to you now. You’re disintegrating.
BOULDER
With gravity and realization. I’m being destroyed.
STREAM
Oh, hardly. You’re just changing.
GOOSE 1
Lands in the stream, flapping and honking out every syllable. HERE! HERE! HERE! HERE!
GOOSE 2
Still flapping past and not landing, honking back to GOOSE 1. SOUTH! SOUTH! SOUTH! SOUTH!
GOOSE 1
Flapping and rising into the air again, though clearly annoyed. FINE! FINE! FINE! FINE!
They both flap offstage.
BOULDER
I’m wearing away.
STREAM
Yes. You’re breaking down.
BOULDER
What will happen to me?
STREAM
You’ll be silt- I’ll carry you for a while.
BOULDER
Really? I’ll flow?
STREAM
Yes.
OTTER
Comes onstage splashing through the water, laughing, leaping and whooping. He passes offstage.
STREAM
You’ll be swimming with him soon.
BOULDER
Watches OTTER leap offstage and smiles. That would be something.
STREAM
Smiles with him. It will be. And you’ll even help erode other boulders. You’ll be right in contact with them. That’s what’s eroding you even now, you know- the silt that I’m already carrying. You’ll be mixed in and moving with it.
BOULDER
Looks down at himself, grinning.
MOUSE
Sprints onstage, running in a panic to escape from FOX.
FOX
Runs on after mouse, ducking and weaving with him and following his every move.
HAWK
Swoops down and snatches MOUSE just as FOX lunges for him.
FOX
Hey! No fair! He dashes after HAWK as she flaps away carrying MOUSE. Soon after, he returns, grumbling and irate. Ugh, an empty belly and a parched throat… It’s so hot! He flops down in the water, rolling in it and drinking. After a time, he gets up and shakes, plodding offstage.
STREAM
Sinks lower on BOULDER, moving more slowly and less forcefully.
BOULDER
Looking down at her. You seem different.
STREAM
You said yourself that I’m always changing.
BOULDER
You said you could be constant.
STREAM
I can be- just not right now. All this time she is sinking lower and lower.
BOULDER
Looking down at her. You’re drying up.
STREAM
It would seem so. It’s been so dry, I can’t keep on.
BOULDER
But you’ll be back, won’t you? You’ll be back when the rain comes.
STREAM
I’m not sure. I might not come back this way again.
BOULDER
You have to.
STREAM
Nothing has to happen.
BOULDER
But who will erode me? I’ll be stuck here.
STREAM
Drying up, she is down on the ground as far as she can be, slinking and crawling back the way she came.
LIZARD
Strolling jerkily through the forest, he sees boulder, then climbs up onto him. He stretches out in the sun and shuts his eyes with a contented sigh. Ah, now that’s it. What a lovely sunning spot you make. It's so wonderful to know that I can always come here.
BOULDER
Ignores him, staring off in the direction that STREAM receded.
FADE OUT
THE END
