The clearing. Early morning.
There is a new bed made up farther from the others. The Daughter is in her bed. The Grandmother is sitting and cleaning the gun with the photo of Grandfather not far away.
GRANNY: At least he took the boy with him this morning—that’s progress
MOTHER: As long as he doesn’t throw him in the stream— Oh look at this—it’s ruined—black and it’s my favorite pot
GRANNY: Don’t worry they can bring another one from the house later
(A beat.)
Did he sleep over there?
(No answer.)
MOTHER (To the Daughter): Are you awake? Darling?
(The Daughter turns over in the bed.)
GRANNY: Let her rest, the little mite—God knows her dreams will be more appealing than this
(A beat.)
MOTHER: No—she should get up and do things—she can’t sleep all the time
GRANNY: She was up in the night—the noises frightened her—she got in with me
MOTHER: Did she? I didn’t hear her, with you?
GRANNY: Were you awake too?
MOTHER: I’m not sure—half awake—I heard them but they were incorporated in my dreams, you know?
GRANNY: It’s the whistle I hate. Makes me hold my breath
(A beat.)
I thought I could hear a baby crying in the night
MOTHER: Yes I heard that too—you don’t think / someone
GRANNY: A fox—it was just a fox
(A beat.)
MOTHER: I wonder what was hit this time
(A beat.)
Darling—wake up—it’s time to get up—look, Granny will pour you some nice tea
DAUGHTER: No—leave me be—I’m cold—I don’t want to wake up
MOTHER: Granny will give you tea—then you’ll be warm
GRANNY: Leave her
DAUGHTER: It’s too late I’m awake now
MOTHER: Don’t be grumpy
DAUGHTER: I’m cold
MOTHER: Well get up and put some clothes on and then you can have something to eat—that will help
DAUGHTER: Where are they?
GRANNY: Gone to get water
DAUGHTER: All of them? Together?
GRANNY: Yes
(Slowly, the Daughter gets up and dresses herself. Her Grandmother pours her some tea and takes it to her. The Grandmother begins to brush the Daughter’s hair with her fingers and ties it in a knot on her head.)
There is no law, but the law of the wind, the law of the grass, the law of the earth
DAUGHTER: There is no law, but the law of the earth, the law of the land,
GRANNY AND DAUGHTER: the land of our birth
GRANNY: There—now it won’t get in your way
DAUGHTER: Thanks Granny
(She kisses her.)
MOTHER: What was that you said?
DAUGHTER: A skipping song—from school
MOTHER (To the Grandmother): How do you know it?
DAUGHTER: I taught her
GRANNY: I don’t skip though
DAUGHTER: It goes on, there’s four verses—shall I say it?
MOTHER: Later
(They all sit and stare.)
Where are they? They’re taking such a long time
GRANNY: I can’t see the sky—what time is it?
DAUGHTER: It’s morning of course
(The men return.)
COUSIN: Looking for us?
MOTHER: What took you so long—I was getting worried
NEPHEW: We saw the butcher—his family are down by the stream
GRANNY: Really?
NEPHEW: They said everyone else in their street left but he didn’t want to leave his stock—and the shop
MOTHER: Did you ask them to come and see us?—it would be nice to see someone else
FATHER: Of course not—look at this place
GRANNY: We’ve done our best
COUSIN: Maybe we should all set up together—there’s safety in numbers
FATHER: What are you talking about—safety? I am sick of all this talk
COUSIN (In a whisper): Don’t start this again—you heard what they said
MOTHER: What’s that?
COUSIN: They said they had seen people in the village—from There
MOTHER: Soldiers?
COUSIN: No—they weren’t sure. Probably just people taking advantage of the fact no one is about
NEPHEW: Do you want me to climb the tree and look again? I can
MOTHER: Yes /
FATHER: No
(The Nephew climbs the tree. They all look up at him, except the Daughter, who is collecting together a few things.)
GRANNY: What do you see?
NEPHEW: Nothing different—quiet . . .
FATHER: You see?
COUSIN: What else?
NEPHEW: There’s some smoke coming from the other side of the woods
MOTHER: That’ll be other families who’ve done the same as us
NEPHEW: There’s nothing else to report—I can’t see a living soul
GRANNY: Come down again
(He does. The Daughter takes advantage of their attention on him to walk out of the clearing into the woods, in the direction of their house.)
COUSIN: Hey, where are you going?
(She starts to run.)
Come back here
FATHER: Hey!
MOTHER: Darling come back!
(The men pursue her. It is the Father who catches her and carries her back screaming. He dumps her in the middle of the clearing. Her Mother grabs her by the hair, bends her over and smacks her bottom hard with a wooden spoon, over and over. Both the Mother and Daughter are crying. The Nephew, Father and Cousin look away. They say the following simultaneously:)
You stupid, little, girl, what the hell do you think?
DAUGHTER: Stop it—stop it—you can’t do that anymore—I’m not a child
MOTHER: Well stop behaving like one you little madam
DAUGHTER: Let me go—I hate you—I hate you
GRANNY: Enough—darling—that’s enough
(The Daughter runs to the Grandmother, holding her bottom. The Mother sits crying—surprised at herself. The Nephew comes forward and gently takes the wooden spoon from her hand.)
What were you doing huh? Where were you going?
GRANNY: What is it? Why?
DAUGHTER (Sobbing): I just want to go to back
NEPHEW: You can’t just run away!
DAUGHTER: I want my teacher—
(Pause.)
My friends . . . where are they?
GRANNY: We’re here
DAUGHTER: I miss school
(A beat.)
FATHER: Of course you do. It’s natural
(Pause.)
Come on—we’re going to go to your school—I’ll take you there
COUSIN: Are you mad?
GRANNY: No one will be there
FATHER: She hasn’t left these woods since we came here—she misses her home, the house, the school
NEPHEW: We all do
FATHER: Well let’s go then
MOTHER: You can’t
FATHER: Yes I can—we need to collect more things from the house anyway—get some eggs, some more clothes—the weather is turning
COUSIN: It’s not safe
FATHER: She won’t go inside—she can hide—but just see from outside—would you like that my dove?
(The Daughter nods and goes to put her arms around the Father’s neck, sniffling.)
There we are then
MOTHER: I’m against this
FATHER: I don’t care
(A beat.)
COUSIN: I’ll come with you—in case. (To the Mother) Is there anything you want from the house?
MOTHER: I just want you to all come back
FATHER: Stop being so dramatic
GRANNY: Bring a new pot
COUSIN (To the Nephew): You stay here with your Auntie and keep watch. You keep guard
NEPHEW: Yes sir (He does a salute)
MOTHER: Don’t do that
(The Father, Daughter and Cousin start to go.)
Wait—come here
(The Daughter is holding her Father’s hand; she doesn’t move. The Mother moves to her, kneels down in front of her and whispers something in her ear. She tucks the Daughter’s hair behind her ear, then gets up and the group walks away. The Nephew goes to the Mother.)
NEPHEW: We’ll be okay—I’ll protect us. I’m going to take up post
(No answer.)
GRANNY: Good boy. Better take this with you (She hands him the gun)
NEPHEW: Really?
(She nods.)
GRANNY: Your grandfather gave that to me, you know?
NEPHEW: I know
GRANNY: He used to give it to me every time he went out, so if anything happened I’d be able to protect myself in his absence. But then one day he went out and he needed it, but I had it . . . and he didn’t come back
(A beat.)
Take it
(He does. The Grandmother goes to the Mother, brings her to the bed and sits her on it. She then lights the fire. Meantime, the Nephew has climbed the tree.
Long pause.
The Mother shivers.
Pause.)
(To the Mother) Come in closer to the fire
(To the Nephew) Are you warm enough up there?
NEPHEW: Yes
(A beat.)
GRANNY: What do you see?
NEPHEW: Same as before. Nothing. No wait—the smoke on the other side of the wood has gone
(Pause.)
This is the longest game I’ve ever played
(A beat.)
GRANNY: You know it’s not a game don’t you
NEPHEW: Yes
(Pause.
The Nephew begins to whistle.)
GRANNY: Stop that—it’s bad luck
NEPHEW: Sorry
(Pause.
The Grandmother takes some cheese from a bag and eats a piece. She hands a bit to the Mother who shakes her head.)
GRANNY: Eat it
(The Mother puts it in her mouth and chews distractedly.)
(To herself) There is no law but the law of the—
(She eats another piece, then goes to the box where the mouse is kept. She looks in it, around it, and then goes to the Mother.
She speaks quietly.)
(To the Mother) The mouse is gone
MOTHER: What?
GRANNY: The field mouse—it’s chewed a hole in the box and gone
GRANNY: They’ll both be really upset. He won’t last five minutes in these woods—if it’s not a fox or a bird it’ll be a boar that gets hold of him. May be we can try and catch another one
(A beat.)
Are you listening?
NEPHEW: I can see them
MOTHER: Who?
GRANNY: Who do you think?
MOTHER: Where are they?
NEPHEW: Behind our house . . . Now they are walking past the school . . . They’re ducking down below the wall . . . I can see her looking through the gate, she looks so tiny—I could almost hold her in my hand . . . The school gate seems to be locked
GRANNY: There’s no one there—the teachers have all gone
MOTHER: And the students—everyone’s gone but us
GRANNY: Is there anyone else about?
NEPHEW: No one. It’s a ghost town
GRANNY: What are they doing now?
NEPHEW: Just looking at the school playground
MOTHER: You keep watching them—you make sure you watch over them—their every move. Tell us everything you see
NEPHEW: The clouds are rolling across the sky fast—it must be very windy
(Pause.)
MOTHER: We should have harvested by now
(Pause.)
GRANNY: What now?
NEPHEW: They are still there—no wait—they seem to be moving . . . Around the side . . . They’ve gone out of view, I can’t see them . . . And now the sun’s gone behind a cloud—I can’t see anything
MOTHER: Look harder—look harder—can you see them?
NEPHEW: I’m trying—I can’t
MOTHER: Oh no
(Pause.)
NEPHEW: Yes it’s very windy—the tree in the school yard is getting blown about like mad—it’s like its possessed—or dancing—crazy dancing
MOTHER: If I was at home we’d have done the windows by now—as it is, it’ll be too cold when we return—and we won’t have aired anything properly for the winter months. Everything will get moldy
(Pause.)
And how can I make my preserves?—all the fruit will be bad. It’s such a waste
GRANNY: Can you see them yet?
NEPHEW: No
(A beat.)
Wait I think I see her—yes, just behind our shed—there they are peeping ’round—looking at the house. They’re looking at our house, Uncle’s going inside now
MOTHER: Through the front door?
NEPHEW: No, the back door
(A beat.)
He’s stopped—
GRANNY: Why?
NEPHEW: He’s petting the goat
MOTHER: Silly fool—get inside
(There’s a huge gust of wind which blows the tree.)
NEPHEW: He’s gone in
MOTHER: Be careful
(Pause.)
NEPHEW: Now she’s moving in the field—she’s picking flowers
MOTHER: What if someone sees her?
NEPHEW: It’s okay, the grass is long. She must be picking them for you, Auntie. Cousin is watching her—don’t worry
(There’s another huge gust of wind. The Nephew cries—he nearly falls out of the tree.
The Grandmother and Mother rush to the foot.)
MOTHER: What happened?
NEPHEW: The wind—I lost my footing
GRANNY: Hook your foot over the branch below—there that’s better
(The women draw back.)
MOTHER: What do you see?
(Pause.
We now simultaneously see the camp area, where we have been, and the Cousin and Daughter hiding behind the shed near the family house, waiting for the Father to come out. The Daughter has a handful of wild flowers.
There is a long pause with everyone’s attention focused on the back door [whether they are actually seeing it, or seeing it in their mind’s eye] willing the Father to come out. This pause continues and continues, longer than seems possible.
And then the Father comes out of the back door very, very slowly and quietly, closing it silently behind him and walking past the Daughter and Cousin toward the woods. They look bewildered and they follow him. Only now the Nephew begins to relate what he sees.)
NEPHEW: He’s come out and he is walking back—they are following him
GRANNY: What does he have with him?
NEPHEW: Nothing. He is walking very straight
MOTHER: Come down from there now
(The Nephew climbs down and goes to the women, who are looking into the forest to catch a glimpse of the Father, Daughter and Cousin coming back.
Long pause.
Eventually, the Father strides in at a pace. He looks different. He goes to his bed and sits.)
Are you okay? What happened?
(The Daughter and Cousin come bounding after, trying to keep up with him. The Daughter goes to the Mother with the flowers.)
DAUGHTER: I saw it—it’s still there—it looks much smaller than I remember it. But the gate was locked and there was no one there, but it’s still standing—real as you or I. And the goat says hello
MOTHER: What happened?
COUSIN: I don’t know
NEPHEW: Come over here—what did you see?
(The Daughter and Nephew sit in their area talking quietly. The Father has begun to slowly gather together his bedding. The women watch in surprise, as does the Cousin.)
GRANNY: What are you doing?
(He continues to pack things away with some pace.)
MOTHER: Husband—what are you doing?
FATHER: Everyone—pack your things
(They all look at him in amazement.)
NOW, come on
COUSIN: It’s not safe to go back to the house
FATHER: We’re leaving the village
(A beat.)
Come on!
MOTHER: But what about the crops?
GRANNY: And the livestock
COUSIN: Do as you’re told, collect your things
GRANNY: Must we go now though?
MOTHER: Surely we can wait another day
FATHER: I told you—you aren’t to challenge me— If you want to stay behind you can with your boy and your mother—but I’m taking my daughter—come on girl get your things
(The Grandmother, Mother, Daughter and Nephew begin to pack their things together.
The Cousin takes the Father to one side.)
COUSIN: What was it Cousin—what did you see?
(A beat.)
FATHER (To himself): We saw no one enter or leave the house
COUSIN: This is how they work—by stealth—they are clever. Had they killed an animal? They did that in one house in our village and smeared everything with its blood
(He looks close to tears.)
COUSIN: Was it a body—had they left a corpse in your house?
FATHER: No
(A beat.)
DAUGHTER: He’s gone
(She is frantically looking around everywhere.)
Where’s Mousey gone? I can’t find him
NEPHEW: He’s chewed a hole in the box. He escaped
DAUGHTER: Oh no! What will become of him! We can’t leave him behind
COUSIN: Come on children, gather up your things—we need to go
DAUGHTER: I need to find him
COUSIN: He’s clever—he can look after himself—he’s gone—come on, we need to go too
DAUGHTER: But my mouse
GRANNY: Don’t cry—come on—we all have to leave things behind
(The Grandmother looks at the white stone and then at the Mother.)
NEPHEW: It’s just a mouse
DAUGHTER: It’s my mouse . . . Where are we going?
MOTHER: Away from here—come on, pack your bedding
DAUGHTER: But how will he find us?
(No reply.)
What if the cat gets him again?
GRANNY: He has to learn to take care of himself. Now come on—
FATHER: Quickly
GRANNY: Gather up your things, we mustn’t forget anything important.
(The lights fade gradually as they collect their things together. We can hear the Daughter softly sobbing all the while.
Lights down.)