Scene 11: The Search
(In the darkness we hear the voice of radio guy again)
RADIO GUY: This Just in. Several reports are coming out of the town of Deerpoint about a 15-year-old boy by the name of Brendan, who may be delusional and wandering through the woods. Reports are sketchy but local authorities are organizing a search party in hopes of finding the boy and bring him into custody, where they'll give him the medical attention he needs. A reward has been posted by the town selectmen. All volunteers are welcome to join in the search for this boy. He needs our help.
(Sounds of sirens. Bloodhounds barking. Flashlights everywhere. It's sundown and the town is combing the woods for any sign of Brendan. Everywhere people are calling out his name.)
JENNA: Brenndaann...
ARNO: Brenndaann...
DOOFUS: I jave another joke for you.
HELEN: We'll get you help, Brendan.
TINA-LOUISE: We'll find you home.
FRANKY: You won't have to sleep in the snow anymore.
EDYTHE: Brenndaann...
TREY: Brendan, don't be scared! I don't know why they're doing this! Just follow my voice, Brendan, and I'll get you out of here!
(Lights cross-fade to Clifford and Dan, ice fishing in the middle of the pond, It's dusk. We hear the search going on the woods.)
CLIFFORD: You get anything?
DAN: Not yet.
CLIFFORD: Ice fishing sucks, You wanna go?
DAN: Not yet.
CLIFFORD: It's getting dark. Don't you wanna help with the search?
DAN: Not really.
CLIFFORD: Ken said Brendan has an ax.
DAN: Ken's a dumb-ass.
(They fish in silence for a couple beats. we hear "Brenndaann" in the backround.)
DAN: I don't think there is a Brendan. I've never seen him.
CLIFFORD: That's because you've been so busy with your mom.
DAN: Maybe.
CLIFFORD: Is she feeling any better?
DAN: Not really.
CLIFFORD: when does she come home?
DAN: I don't know.
CLIFFORD: They giving her anymore tests?
DAN: Nope.
(Pause)
CLIFFORD: I'm freezing. You wanna go?
DAN: Not untill i get something.
(They sit in silence. Far in the distance, Brendan runs by silently.)
CLIFFORD: Did you see that?
DAN: No, what?
CLIFFORD: The cold is making me hallucinate.
DAN: You wanna play skee-ball tomorrow?
CLIFFORD: I guess.
(Pause)
DAN: My mom said to say hi, by the way.
CLIFFORD: Oh, tell her I said hi too. And I hope she feels better.
DAN: Okay. I'll tell her. (Beat.) You know, if you need to get home for dinner, you can go.
CLIFFORD: Nah, I'm good.
DAN: You sure?
CLIFFORD: Yeah. They won't even miss me.
(They fish in silence as the lights fade back to the search.)
BUCKY: Brenndaann...
TINA-LOUISE: I got a new Xbox game. And my parents still haven't come home!
ARNO: Brenndaann...
JENNA: I'll give you free pretzels.
HELEN: Brenndaann...
TREY: Brendan, I know I'm the only one you can really hear. So meet me at the clearing! Brendan?! Meet me at the clearing!
(The voices continue on as the lights cross-fade to the shed. Benny's inside. The door opens, the wind howls. Julia enters.)
JULIA: Oh, sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here.
BENNY: That's Okay.
JULIA: It's cold, so i was just taking a break from the search.
BENNY: Me too.
JULIA: You seen him?
BENNY: Not tonight.
JULIA: Me either.
BENNY: So...
JULIA: So.
BENNY: Nothing.
JULIA: Okay.
(He sniffs her hair but is caught.)
BENNY: Allergies.
(The door opens again. Wind howls. We hear people calling "Brenndaann." Ken enters.)
KEN: Oh... hey guys.
JULIA: Hi
KEN: Joining in the search?
JULIA: Yeah.
KEN: Me too.
JULIA: Cool.
KEN: Whassup, Benny?
BENNY: Nothin'.
KEN: Hey Julia, I've been meaning to ask you, do you wanna go snow-tubing tomorrow?
JULIA: Snow tubing?
KEN: Yeah, I just got a new inner-tube and wanna try it out.
JULIA: That's weird because Jenna was saying that someone stole her inner tube from the garage.
KEN: Oh yeah?
JULIA: Aren't you neighbors?
KEN: Do you wanna go or not?
JULIA: Well... I promised Benny I'd go ice skatting with him tomorrow.
KEN: Oh.
JULIA: Sorry.
KEN: What about the next day?
BENNY: We're going ice skatting that day too, right?
JULIA: Uhh... right.
KEN: Oh, I see. It's like that.
JULIA: I remember Helen saying she wanted to try snow-tubing, maybe you could call her.
KEN: Yeah. Whatever.
JULIA: We just made plans.
KEN: How about you both drop dead, okay!
JULIA: Ken...
KEN: (Laughing;) Kidding! I'm gonna go back to the search. I'll catch you guys later.(Exits shed.)
BENNY: Weird.
JULIA: Yeah, very weird.
BENNY: So...
JULIA: So.
BENNY: You...uh...
JULIA: What?
BENNY: Guess we're going ice skating tomorrow?
JULIA: I guess so.
BENNY: Great. We'll meet on the pond at noon?
JULIA: Yeah.
BENNY: Okay. Bye.
(Benny exits. Julia's alone. she sniffs her hair. The light cross-fades to the woods. People are calling out "Brenndaann." Brendan is running. He's out of breath and has to stop. Trey finds him.)
TREY: Brendan?
BRENDAN: Why are they chasing me?
TREY: You shouldn't have talked to all those kids, I told you they were jerks.
BRENDAN: I need to catch my breath.
TREY: You should've been my secret.
BRENDAN: Well if you hadn't written about me-
TREY: They weren't supposed to read my journal.
BRENDAN: Well they did!
(In the distance we see Ken run by with a gasoline can.)
TREY: You have to get out of the woods.
BRENDAN: I wanna go home now.
TREY: You can stay in my basement. There's a pullout couch.
BRENDAN: No, to my real home. Helen said she's almost found it.
TREY: What?
BRENDAN: And I can stay with her until she does. She has a guest bedroom in her house. And It's much nicer than your musty basement.
TREY: Well, I'll sleep in the basement, you can sleep in my bed.
BRENDAN: Helen said she's very close to finding whitestone.
TREY: Where is it then?
BRENDAN: She didn't say but she's very close.
TREY: And where is you blind little brother?
BRENDAN: What?
TREY: Go to Helen! If she knows so much! I don't care!
BRENDAN: Why are you talking like that?
TREY: She's not gonna find your family any faster than me! She can't see a farm any better! She's only got one eye!
BRENDAN: Helen's much nicer than you are!
TREY: You'll never find your brother!
BRENDAN: You're just a mean lonely boy! You shut everyone out! No wonder everyone hates you Trey Patterson!
TREY: Your house is gone, Brendan! So's your farm!
BRENDAN: No, it isn't!
TREY: The bank foreclosed in 1894, It was all torn down.
BRENDAN: Shut up!
TREY: Your father died two years later and then your mom in 1904. Caleb was put in a home for the blind where he contracted pneumonia and passed away when he was sixteen.
BRENDAN: You're a liar!
TREY: It's in the newspapers in the library, I can show you.
BRENDAN: I don't wanna see it!
TREY: You're a ghost, Brendan. Or something else I don't know what you are. But you're not gonna find anything around here because there's nothing left!
(Brendan runs off.)
TREY: Brendan! Come back! I'm sorry! Brendan!
VOICES: Brenndaann...Brenndaann...Brenndaann...
TREY: Brendan!
(The wind howls.)