Second Sight by Scott Eldredge
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This Play is the copyright of the Author and must not be Performed, Copied or Sold without the Author's prior consentACT I.
SCENE 1
A yard by side of house, bordered by woods.
JONATHAN sits on a bench by a table, next to which
is a chair. Rosebush nearby. He is reading a large
book (dictionary), which he puts on the table. On
the bench next to him is a leather-bound journal.
He picks it up and examines it uncertainly,
looking in it but not reading it. The brown paper
it was wrapped in is on the table.
CROWS CALL in the distance. The sky is bright in
some places and gray in others. HEAT LIGHTNING
flashes in the distance, followed by SOFT THUNDER,
which makes JONATHAN look up. As he does a Frisbee
sails out of the woods. His arm shoots up and he
catches it by reflex. LAURA enters, wearing a
backpack.
LAURA
Oh, hi. Didn't know I could throw it this far.
Behind her a DOG BARKS. LAURA looks back. As she
does, JONATHAN slides the journal under the brown
paper on the table
.
LAURA (cont'd)
Max was supposed to fetch it and bring it back.
JONATHAN
Is Max a retriever?
LAURA
No. He's a watcher. I guess I'm the retriever.
JONATHAN tosses the frisbee to LAURA.
LAURA (cont'd)
I'm Laura. Laura Stearn. We moved in over there. Well, you can't see
our house because of the woods, but by Fall you'll probably see us
through the trees. An overgrown path joins our yards. JONATHAN
frowns.
JONATHAN
I know.
LAURA
It was used a lot, once. But not so much anymore.
Pause.
JONATHAN
I'm Jonathan.
LAURA
Thought so. ... What are you reading?
JONATHAN
You thought I was me? Why?
LAURA
Saw your mom at the market today. She mentioned Jonathan.
JONATHAN
How do you know my mom?
LAURA
I've seen her drive by and turn into your driveway. I notice things.
When you're new someplace, there's a lot of things to notice. (pause)
I introduced my mom and your mom today. They hit it off pretty good.
They'd still be talking if the ice cream hadn't started to melt.
Pause. JONATHAN doesn't know what to do.
JONATHAN
Ah ... Wanna sit down?
LAURA
Sure. Thanks.
LAURA removes her pack and sits in the chair.
LAURA (cont'd)
She was buying birthday candles and ice cream. Is it your birthday?
JONATHAN
Tomorrow.
LAURA
How old?
JONATHAN
Thirteen.
LAURA
I'm already thirteen. Three weeks ago. Had a big party. ...Then we
moved.
LAURA looks to the CROWS CALLING in the distance.
LAURA (cont'd)
Are there always crows in those trees along the creek?
JONATHAN
Most of the time. I like hearing them in the distance. Makes me think
that something's happening. You don't know quite what it is. But you
know it's something.
LAURA
I was down by them yesterday. I thought they were talking about me.
(pause) Sounds stupid doesn't it.
JONATHAN
Hmm…nah. I guess crows are like that.
LAURA
I saw you with some of your friends. They're not coming
tomorrow, are they?
JONATHAN
What makes you think they're not? Were you following us?
LAURA
No. I walked up and saw you, and I left. I wasn't sneaking
around. Guys just don't see much.
JONATHAN
You were wearing a green sweatshirt. I saw you turn and
leave.
LAURA
And if I hadn't, were you going to say something like “Hello, you just
moved in next door, didn't you.” Or “Hello, we haven't met, have
we?” Or (giggling) “Run, my friends are assholes.”
JONATHAN
They are not-- (pause) --oh. You got me. (pause) Well, I guess
we've met now, haven't we. (pause) Why do you think my friends
aren't coming over for my birthday?
LAURA
Ice cream. Your mother only bought a quart. Not much of a party in a
quart of ice cream.
JONATHAN
There's just five of us this year, and Mom and Gramma don't eat
dairy. Last year we went to an indoor karting track with a bunch of my
friends and raced, even the parents. But this year--it's just
family. Mom and Dad and my grandmother; she lives with us now. And my
grandfather, and me, the entrée.
LAURA
Why just family?
Pause.
JONATHAN
Because I'll be thirteen.
LAURA
That's it? You're thirteen so, you can't have a party?
JONATHAN
It's just that my mom--my parents--want to do something
different this year.
LAURA
Different how? Why this year?
JONATHAN
It's a ... a family thing.
LAURA
Oh, one of those. Does your family have some special rite of passage?
Is that it? Like the Padulee tribesmen. When a boy turns twelve, they
send him into the forest all alone.
JONATHAN
And then what?
LAURA
I don't know. There was a commercial and I changed channels. Probably
has to kill something, or eat something horrible that makes him throw
up and have a vision. Or he gets voted out of the tribe.
JONATHAN
Something like that. A sacrifice, then too much cake and ice cream,
followed by throwing up.
LAURA
What is it, really? My family doesn't have any traditions. We just
follow my dad's transfers around the country. You can tell me. I won't
tell anyone, I promise. (pause) I can't. I don't know anyone.
JONATHAN
When school starts, you'll meet a lot of girls who will tell
you secrets.
LAURA
Don't wanna wait. This is good. “Why wouldn't the parents of a
thirteen-year-old boy want him to have a birthday party?” “What could
such people be like?” “What could this boy have done to deserve such a
fate?”
JONATHAN
Maybe there isn't a story.
LAURA
There's always a story. Sometimes you just have to make it up. Come
on, tell me.
JONATHAN
I'm not supposed to talk about it outside the family. That's what my
mom and gramma say. They act like it's a big secret.
LAURA
A family secret! What kind? One that everyone knows but no one talks
about? Like everyone in town knew my father was arrested, but only my
friends knew the whole story. I'll tell you if you want.
JONATHAN
Only your friends know, but you tell everyone you meet?
LAURA
No. I'll tell you. Don't be dense. (pause) I've moved a lot.
I've learned not to waste time. I can tell when I meet
someone if we're likely to be friends. Can't you?
JONATHAN
I've always lived here. Never thought it about it.
LAURA
It's not a thinking thing. So, do you wanna know?
JONATHAN
Sure. Why was your dad arrested?
LAURA
Kidnapping, and stealing a minivan. He was on the news.
JONATHAN
Wow! What happened? Is he in jail! How often do you visit?
LAURA
Someone told their kids to wait in our minivan while they ran back to
get something they forgot. Their minivan looked just like ours. Kids
fell asleep, and my dad came back and drove off.
JONATHAN
Then what happened?
LAURA
All the cops in the world stopped him on the freeway, and he was,
like, film at eleven.
JONATHAN
But it was all OK, after they found out?
LAURA
Oh sure. He had to give the kids back, and the minivan was ours, so we
got to keep it. He got probation for resisting arrest. That's what
most people don't know. Mom said he should learn not to say things
he'll regret later. He said it was all a simple misunderstanding.
JONATHAN
Like movie stars and politicians.
LAURA
Except without People magazine.
JONATHAN
I didn't know regular people could have simple
misunderstandings.
LAURA
They can, but they get probation. When you meet my dad, don't say
anything. We're never supposed to talk about it.
JONATHAN
I won't.
LAURA
Now it's your turn. Tell me why you're not having a birthday party.
Pretend I'm family.
JONATHAN
You'll think I'm strange.
LAURA
So what. Maybe you are. Maybe I already do.
JONATHAN
Do you?
LAURA
How could I? You haven't given me a chance. You've got to talk to me
first. You'll feel better if you talk to someone.
Me.
JONATHAN
Something is supposed to happen to me tomorrow. I'm supposed to get
... second sight.
LAURA
Second sight?
JONATHAN picks up the dictionary and reads.
JONATHAN
“Second sight. The supposed ability to see things not
physically present. Foresee the future. And so on.” My mom says
there's a history of this in our family. Happens to the oldest kid on
the thirteenth birthday. First one in each generation.
LAURA
Wow! No wonder you're nervous. What happens? What if nothing happens?
JONATHAN
I'm not nervous. I don't know, and I don't know.
LAURA
A tradition based on supposed to and I don't know? Can't you ask
whoever has this sight thing now?
JONATHAN
No. Didn't happen last time. Shoulda been my mom.
LAURA
You're lucky. Who want's a mom who knows what you're going to
do? This is so cool. Does your grandmother have this double vision?
JONATHAN
Second sight. No. Her sister did, but I never met her.
LAURA
Why not? She's your aunt.
JONATHAN
Grampa said because she's unbalanced. She was in a mental hospital,
and then she disappeared. Out west somewhere. Mom tried to get him to
explain once, but he said “It's not something we talk about. No need.”
My grandfather has this tone of voice that says "this conversation
is over." He's pretty good at it.
LAURA
My dad's got it too. (pause) Maybe all adults do. ... What
about your grandmother? Did you ask her?
JONATHAN
Yeah. She didn't say anything for a long time… I got bored
waiting… She finally said I'd hear about it later, on my birthday.
Then she said something funny. She asked me not to talk to my mom
about it.
LAURA
Because…?
JONATHAN
Dunno. I think maybe because nothing happened to my mom. She didn't
get second sight.
LAURA
Maybe she was lucky. Tomorrow you could end up like your aunt.
Unbalanced. No wonder your parents don't want anyone around.
JONATHAN
Nothing is going to happen.
LAURA
And you know this because…you can see the future?
JONATHAN
Good one. No. This whole thing is my mom's deal. She can be kinda New
Agey sometimes. I'm just a normal kid.
LAURA
Me too.
LAURA sees the brown paper the journal was wrapped
in, leans over, and reads.
LAURA (cont'd)
“For Jonathan on his birthday.” She continues to study the paper.
JONATHAN pulls
it away from her, inadvertently revealing the journal underneath.
LAURA (cont'd)
Did you see the postmark? This was sent from out west. Did your aunt
send this book?
She picks up the journal and looks inside,
flipping pages, stopping on one, and beginning to
read. Jonathan takes it from her.
JONATHAN
It doesn't belong to you.
LAURA
I wasn't stealing it.
JONATHAN
You were going to read it.
LAURA
No I wasn't. (pause) Well, yes, I was. Sorry.
JONATHAN
I haven't even read it.
LAURA
What is it?
JONATHAN
It's a journal. From my aunt.
LAURA
The one you never met? Who can see the future?
JONATHAN
The one who got unbalanced and disappeared.
[end of extract]
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