ACT ONE

Hiking in the wintry woods, Sara lagging behind Rachel.

Sara: Rach, can we please slow up? I'm getting mud all over my new boots.

Rachel: Why did you wear your new boots? You're such a city girl.

Sara: I am not! (smiles) Well, maybe a little.

Rachel: Whatever, Sara.

Sara: Why did you bring me on this hike anyways. I could be getting a mani-pedi right now.

Rachel: (sarcastically) I was bored and wanted to torture you. Why do you think I brought you?

Sara: (under her breath) The torturing gig sounded pretty valid.

Rachel: (mimicking her) Oh no! I'm Sara and I think my sister has it in for me! She obviously wants me dead; she brought me on a hike!

Sara: Shut up. You know what? I think you wanted me to come on this hike just because you don't have anything to do.

Rachel: Do you have a problem with that?

Sara trips. Rachel doesn't see and continues on.

Rachel: Whoa! Look at this! The river isn't even frozen. And it's mid winter.

Looks around.

Rachel: Sara? Sara! sighs

Leans over to touch the unfrozen river and is immediately pulled away.

Rachel: What?... SARA! HELP! screams

Back to Sara, lying face first in the mud who didn't see Rachel dissapear.

Sara: Aw, come on! No help? Great. I guess I'll just deal with the fact that I have a faceful of mud by myself. (calling for help) RACHEL! CAN YOU HEAR ME!

Listen's for a minute then gets up to look for her sister.

Sara: Are you hiding? (nervously) This isn't funny. Come out, Rachel. It's almost dark. Mom'll want us to come home. pauses Please?

Sees the unfrozen river and Rachel's scarf on the bank.

Sara: Rachel?

Reaches into the river and is whisked away.

Sara: Screaming

Sara, waking up in a blindingly green forest. Gets up, looks around.

Sara: (timidly) Rachel? (stares at the forest. Says in wonder) Where am I?

Tree: AY AY AY AY!

Sara finds herself face to face with a fierce looking girl a little older that she is with a spear aimed at her heart.

Sara: (waving nervously) Umm, hello.

Tree: (smiling wickedly) Hi.

Tree motions with her spear for Sara to move to the side but Sara misunderstands and puts her hands up in the air.

Tree: sighs and rolls her eyes Listen, kid, my name is Tree. I don't know who you are, I don't know why you're here, and I don't know where you came from. Spit it out.

Sara: Hey, we're both girls, right? (looks Tree's clothe's over) Or at least, I think you are. Why don't you just get over your "stranger danger" thing and show me a toilet.

Tree: Toilet?

Sara: Yeah, toilet. Bathroom, porcelain throne, potty?

Tree: (lower's spear cautiously) You are a strange child, young one. You don't seem to be much of a threat. Let me show you to the village where you can find you, um, porcelain throne.

Sara: Are you kidding? More people like you? How about you show me to the nearest phone?

Tree's expression is confused and confronted. Tree grabs Sara by the arm and forces her to walk much to Sara's displeasure.

Sara: Hey! Get away from me! I don't need my clothes to be any dirtier than they already are!

Tree: Shut your mouth, young one.

Rachel wakes up in a parking garage ten stories off of the ground.

Rachel: What the heck…

Jerm walks into the garage looking very proud of himself. He spots Racel on the ground and does a double take.

Jerm: Why, hello! Aren't you a young little thing. Do you need a bottle?

Rachel: (Rolls her eyes) I'm fourteen.

Jerm: Oh! Younger than I thought. Where's your mommy?

Rachel: My "mommy" is not currently present, if you haven't noticed. Can you just tell me where I am?

Jerm helps her stand and pats her on the back.

Jerm: (gestures around) You, young lady, are in Webon, the biggest, bestest city ever!

Rachel: Yeah. Well, Mr., I am not from Webon, I am from Pennsylvania. Comprende? Right now, my biggest concern is getting back home, not bottles or cribs. Just to let you know.

Jerm: Young missy, I must give you a tour! You say you have never been to Webon? What a tradgedy! You don't know what you're missing!

Leads Rachel to a small elevator and tries to push her inside.

Rachel: (pushes Jerm away) Not a chance, Sir Modern. I want home.

Sara is inside the Oakley Tribe Village with Tree.

Tree: This is the healer's quarter. Yinn lives here. He's a brilliant curist.

Sara: Ok… Old religious dude lives in a cave. What's new?

Tree: (misunderstanding her sarcasm) Our newest tribe members live here, in the nursery until they can hunt. And this is where I sleep (walking towards a moss covered hut). The fighter squad.

Alec struts out of the hut and glances around before walking up to Tree.

Alec: We send you out to hunt and you bring back a girl. Brilliant, Tree.

Sara notices Alec for the first time and is star struck. She hangs forward and sighs in a giggly way.

Alec: (looks at Sara with raised eyebrows) I- I think I'll be in the bathing room if you need me. Bye, Tree.

Sara: (pulled out of a trance, she eagerly says) Are we going to the bathing room?

Tree: My, my. What do we have here? An aching for some Alec? (grins) Won't he be flattered.

Sara: (scowls) I do not have, "aching for alec". Shut up. But, seriously, he's totally in my league, right? Not that I like him or anything. Who is he again?

Tree: That was Alec, Sara. The best warrior, after me, of course.

Yinn walks forward behind them and taps Sara on the shoulder. Sara does a weak imitation of karate moves as a reflex to his touch.

Tree: (laughs) This is Yinn, the healer.

Yinn: Child, I sense you are no Oakley tribe mate.

Sara: You got that right, old man. And I don't have a crush on Alec.

Rachel is inside a large mall-like structure, being led by Jerm.

Jerm: (loudly) And this is the emporium for saplings. These are our only trees left. The modernization really has taken its toll.

Rachel: Holey crow!

Looks around at the few trees in disgust.

Rachel: You're meaning to tell me that these are the only plants in the entire world? A couple pine trees?

Jerm: Pine trees? There's no such thing. Only trees. What is a pine?

Rachel: An evergreen. They're a type of tree with needles instead of leaves and long limbs.

Jerm: Oh, an other young child's fantasy.

Rachel: I AM FOURTEEN!

A girl shows up out of nowhere.

Daphne: ME TOO! Oh my gosh! We're like the perfect pair!

Rachel: Ok… hi there…

Daphne: I'm Daphne and I'm FABULOUS! Just wait until you get to know me. You'll never find a better friend!

Rachel: ah ha…. My name is Rachel

Daphne: OMG, I love that name, lets go shopping. I could totally find you a perfect new set of clothes. THEN YOU'LL LOOK JUST LIKE ME! Wouldn't that be posotively fabulous?

Rachel: You remind me of my sister.

Daphne: I do that a lot. People are naturally familiar with me.

Jerm: Excuse me, young lady, I was just giving Rachel a tour on the empo-

Daphne: (inturrupting) Well, excuse me. My BFF and I were just about to go shopping!

Rachel: (sarcastically under her breath) Yipee.

Daphne grabs Rachel and skips off of the stage with Jerm trying to catch up behind them.

Alec and Tree are sitting in with the fighter squad while Sara is talking to
Yinn about the tribe.

Alec: Sara seems like a happy little girl.

Tree: (laughing) I wonder how she would react if you called her a "little girl." She is not two years younger than you.

Alec: How do you mean?

Tree: She is 14, Alec. Do you mean to tell me that you don't see her as a woman?

Alec: Should I?

Tree: She definitely sees you as a man.

Alec: (trying to hide a smile) And?

Tree: And what?

Alec: She sees me as a man and…

Tree: Maybe even more than that.

Alec: Meaning?

Tree: You know what I mean.

Alec: No, what?

Tree: Fine, you ego thirsty boy. If you have to hear it said in words, then, she's into you.

Rachel, Daphne, and Jerm goes into the mall and is about to go into a store

Rachel: What store are we going into?

Daphne: A clothing store.

Rachel: What is the clothing store named? (talking to her like a 5 year old)

Daphne: Bonique Monique!

Rachel: Oh.

Jerm: OK girls lets hurry up, I need to show her more of the city

Daphne: No, we are not going to hurry up. We are staying until Rachel is clothed.

Rachel: I'm wearing clothes.

Daphne: Right.

Jerm: Fine, you have 30 minutes.

Jerm walks off stage.

Daphne: Whatever. OMG, isn't this dress so pretty!

Rachel: Yeah, but it's not for me.

Daphne: I wasn't saying it was for you, silly, it's for me.

Rachel: Ah.

Wonda struts in and sees Daphne holding the dress.

Wonda: I'm Wonda. That's my dress.

Wonda grabs the dress and walks off but Daphne snags her.

Daphne: Hi! I'm Daphne! I was here first.

Rachel is just watching as the fight is played out.

Wonda: (smiling sweetly) Yes, you were, and I'm here now.

A random boy walks by. Wonda stops arguing and smiles charmingly at him. He grins back and waves. After he walks away, she resumes her fighting with Daphne.

Daphne: Mine!

Wonda: Mine!

Rachel: MINE!

Wonda and Daphne look up in a daze.

Wonda: Who is that? (talking to Daphne)

Daphne: I don't know.

Rachel: (whispering to Daphne) Your BFF, remember?

Daphne: OH YES! Wonda, meet Rachel, my BFF.

Wonda: (friendly) Hi, Rachel. Why aren't you clothed?

Rachel: What is with you guys and my clothes?

Rachel throws her hands into the air in frustration.

Sara and Yinn are together. Yinn is talking to Sara about the everyday life of the Oakley Tribe, and Sara is bored.

Yinn: Every night, the Oakley Tribe meets for a bonfire. There, they give attention to the hunters, who have the latest news of the day.

Sara: (yawns widely) So?

Yinn: (disgruntled) So, weknow where the prey is and we know which planets to worship.

Sara: And the warriors know all of this?

Yinn: No. The stars and planets are for Vonna.

Vonna floats in with a dreamy expression.

Vonna: Did someone say my name?

Yinn: Hello, Vonna.

Vonna: (looking curiously at Sara) Sara.

Yinn: Yes, that is Sara.

Sara: Remind me again, how the heck did she know that?

Yinn: Vonna is a seer.

Sara: And I am a hamster.

Yinn: (laughing) A seer is a person who can understand the future.

Sara: Still a hamster.

Vonna: I think you are calling yourself a hamster because you still don't understand my job.

Sara: Creepy and creepier.

Rachel, Daphne, and Wonda are in Monique Bonique trying to find clothes for a disgruntled Rachel.

Rachel: I still don't see the point in trying to get me new clothes. Aren't these ones fine?

Daphne: No. Where did you say you came from again?

Rachel slaps her head in disbelief.

Rachel: Oh my gosh! I almost forgot, I need to get home! Sara! Mom and Dad!

Wonda: Home? This is your home now. We're never letting you leave.

Daphne: Yeah, you're our new doll. We need to renovate your look!

Rachel is freaked out.

Rachel: Umm… who got the dress in the end?

Wonda and Daphne look at eachother and begin to fight again, yelling at eachother.

Rachel: Bye!

Rachel runs out of the room.

Rachel is walking along a road with Jerm on the way to his apartment.

Jerm: I understand how you feel. Daphne and Wonda can be rather over whelming, always fighting.

Rachel: You mean they already knew eachother?

Jerm: Oh, yes. They've been good friends for a long time. They like putting on the show for every newcomer. What drove you off?

Rachel: (quietly with some embarassment) They called me their doll.

Jerm: That's a new one! Well, this is your room.

Rachel is lead to a small room with a little bed in the center.

Sara and Yinn are at the bonfire with the rest of the Oakley Tribe. Yinn is leading a spiritual chant. Vonna is slightly out of sincronization with the rest of the Tribal chorus.

Yinn: (shouting) The planets are mighty.

Tribal chorus: (repeating) The planets are mighty.

Vonna: The planets are mighty.

Yinn: The stars light our way.

Tribal chorus: The stars light our way.

Vonna: The stars light our way.

Yinn: Now we give the hunters our attention.

Tribal chorus: HUNTERS!

Tree: Today has been a new day. Today, as I was hunting, I came across a young lady.

Alec: Her name is Sara.

Sara: Hi everyone! Nice to be here tonight! Thank you, thank you very much. I'm available all week.

Nobody claps and they all just look at her. She hangs her head and walks away.

Alec: Anyway, there is no news about the prey. They are the same as always. Plump and easy.

Yinn: And now, Vonna has a word to say.

Vonna: Yes. I have a word to say.

Vonna looks around at the group and suddenly puts her hands above her head.

Vonna: The celebration must begin. The stars tell of new harvest.

Everyone gets up to celebrate and they all cheer. Alec immediately walks towards Sara. Everyone dances and they are partnered.

Alec: I was talking to Tree earlier today.

Sara: Stupid pixie.

Alec: Relax. We were just talking.

Sara: Talking about…

Alec: Hunter stuff.

Sara: Right. Good.

Alec: We should… you know, join the dance.

Sara: Yes.

Alec and Sara take eachother's hands and begin to dance together for a little while.

Rachel and Sara are both alone in their rooms on opposite sides of the stage with individual spotlights.

Sara: That Alec is so dreamy.

Rachel: What? Who's there?

Sara: Rachel?

Rachel: Sara?

Sara: What's going on? How am I hearing you?

Rachel: You're not. This is a dream.

Sara: No it's not.

Rachel: Oh. I guess I am crazy.

Sara: If I can hear you now, could you hear me five minutes ago?

Rachel: Why?

Sara: Oh, no reason.

Rachel: Who's Alec?

Sara: So you could hear me! (incredulously)

Rachel: Well, yes.

Sara: My head is my private place! Why would you do that? How did you do that? Get out of my head. Alec is no one of importance to you. And, it's none of your business.

Rachel: Fine, fine. Sorry I asked. So, do you have any idea what happened?

Sara: (relieved in change of subject)