BANISHED

Moon. Cold. Silver light. The sound of footsteps on snow. The snow squeaks with the footsteps, the way it does when it is so cold. But a dry cold. Two women walk on. BERN is carrying a large pack and dragging a child's wooden toboggan, laden with sleeping bags, a tarp, other accumulated supplies. ELENA is carrying nothing. Both are wearing parkas, big boots. Halfway across, ELENA sits in the snow. BERN keeps walking off. A moment of ELENA sitting, stupefied.

BERN

Elena?

BERN rushes back on.

Elena. Are you hurt?

ELENA just sits.

Ah. Just your feelings. Come on. Get up. You will freeze to death sitting here. And I will freeze to death standing over you trying to convince you to get up and move. Come on. Elena. Come on.

I can't start a fire here. It's too open, too windy. Even if I could find enough wood. Come on, we're close now.

ELENA

they say freezing to death is nice.

BERN

sure they do.

ELENA

they say you just get sleepy, then slip away

BERN

what they? Who is this they?

ELENA

common wisdom

BERN

common wisdom. They probably just say that to comfort family members who cannot bear the thought of their people suffering.

ELENA

they say—

BERN

For godssake, Elena, I'm from Winnipeg and you're from Saskatoon. We've both come pretty close to freezing. How nice is that memory?

ELENA

They say bleeding to death is very nice.

BERN

Oh yeah, exsanguination is great. I almost bled to death the last time I miscarried. It was great. That's when you get very sleepy. Come on. Get up… Besides, if you opened a vein here it would probably freeze over in seconds.

ELENA

Bernadette, just leave me. I don't want to go on.

BERN

I don't want to go on. How very—dramatic—of you. We must go on.

ELENA

you go on.

BERN

I am not going on without you.

ELENA

you say that.

BERN

I mean it.

ELENA

It's okay, Bernadette. You don't have to take care of me. You'll do better by yourself.

BERN

I am not abandoning you. Besides. I don't think that's true.

ELENA

what?

BERN

that I will do better by myself. I need you, Elena.

ELENA

me? A useless old dried-up—

BERN

stop. Stop that.

ELENA

That's why we are out here, isn't it? Exiled? Because we are old.

BERN

We are not old.

ELENA

that's what they said

BERN

Yes, well. Times have changed. Fifty is the new eighty, I guess.

ELENA

This is not how I thought it would end.

BERN

It's not over. We're not over.

ELENA

Well, you're a pushy broad so I guess it's not over for me yet. But the world. It's not looking good for the world.

BERN

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

ELENA

nice

BERN

funny.

ELENA

(beat) Did you just make that up?

BERN

I wish. A man named Frost.

ELENA

ha.

BERN

ha.

ELENA

I guess he's dead now.

BERN

oh yes, he's been dead—oh—fifty years

ELENA

oh. Lucky him.

BERN

Elena.

ELENA

probably died in his bed surrounded by his family

BERN

Elena.

ELENA

in his warm, clean bed, surrounded by his family who were sad to see him go, tears streaming down their faces… he probably died of old age, not banished from his community, driven out like a dog

BERN

there were tears streaming down your daughter's face

ELENA

pft

BERN

and Archer's

ELENA

he's a good boy

BERN

he is a good boy.

he left us this

She reaches into her pack and pulls out a hatchet.

ELENA

a hatchet?

BERN

his hatchet

ELENA

Bernadette, the world is full of hatchets. Hatchets and knives and guns and tons of useless dead things. Dead cars, dead stereos, dead computers, dead telephones, dead rockets, dead dead dead.

BERN

It's the thought that counts.

ELENA

I suppose.

BERN

and the world may be full of hatchets, but—they may not be as easy to put your hands on as they once were. Can't really stroll into the Canadian Tire and browse in the camping section.

ELENA

No. I guess not. Anything that useful must be long gone.

BERN

So it's a fine gift.

ELENA

It is a fine gift.

BERN

Come on. I think we're close.

ELENA

Close to what? There is no house. Who would live up here? Mad trappers and renegades.

BERN

Yup, and old hippies and back-to-the-landers and apocalyptists.

ELENA

Nice company you keep.

BERN

lucky for us. Come on, Elena. This is all starting to look familiar—

ELENA

oh my bones.

BERN

Elena.

ELENA

what. Fine. I am coming.