Chalk

Chalk
by Walt McGough
Walt McGough
[email protected]
434-962-7701
© 2015 Walt McGough
Revision Date: 2/28/16

i
Chalk
Characters
MAGGIE, 50-60.
CORA, 20s-30s. Something that looks like Maggie's daughter.
Setting
Place: A run-down barn, somewhere out in the country. On the floor is a large chalk
circle, inside of which is a hodgepodge of supplies: food, junk, books, and jugs of
water.
Time: After the end of the world.

1.
SCENE ONE
After the end of the world.
A cluttered, run-down barn. A chalk circle

is on the floor, in the center of which sits
MAGGIE. Sheʼs been there a while.
She holds an old, beat-down radio, playing

a constant thrum of static. Every once in a
while Maggie changes the station on the
dial, but it never picks anything up. The
action is rote, robotic, and habitual.
After a few moments, she turns it off.
Silence.
The door slams open and CORA enters.

Maggie stands.
The two of them move towards one

another.
Cora pulls up short outside the circle.
Maggie stops at the inside edge.
A beat.
They look at one another.
CORA
Hi.
Maggie keeps staring. She doesnʼt say

anything.
Cora begins stalking around the room,

touching things.
She stays out of the chalk circle.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Sorry I took so long. I meant to be back sooner, but itʼs harder than it looks.
Scrounging for supplies. Most houses are still locked, I had to break, like,
windows. And then search. And I was trying to be quiet, just in case.
(A beat.)
Made me wish I could pick locks, right?
(A beat.)
Anyway, I brought food.
She throws the sack on the ground next to

her.

2.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Mostly canned stuff, a few jars, some chips and bags and whatever. You should
smell everything before you try it; I canʼt tell if some of this stuff is bad or if itʼs
just me that stinks.
(A beat.)
I donʼt know about you, but Iʼm starving.
(A beat.)
The silent treatment? Really?
(A beat.)
Suit yourself.
She sits down, tears open a can with her

bare hands and begins to eat, messily.
She talks while she does.
Maggie turns away and tries to ignore her.
CORA (CONTʼD)
It smells terrible out there. Youʼd think after a week theyʼd all be finished rotting,
but youʼd be wrong. Itʼs not so bad out here but if youʼre in town itʼs, just, ugh.
Packed into buildings and in cars and on the street, and not even any birds
around, or animals, yʼknow. To eat them. You get used to it, I guess.
(A beat.)
It rained a little yesterday. You mustʼve seen it, this roof leaks like crazy. I laid
out in it. The place I was crashing, it had this little patio, and I just lay on my
back and fell asleep in the rain. And, yeah, I guess I could get sick, thanks for
your concern, but it was worth it. Then it started going harder and I left. Went to
the Lawrences, down the street; slept in their guest house. They werenʼt there.
They didnʼt mind.
(A beat.)
I really thought youʼd be okay if I gave you time to cool off, yʼknow? I mean I
knew you were mad, obviously, I knew you were mad, I was mad too, sʼwhy I
left, it was a fight, and I get that, but I thought if I just gave it some time weʼd be
square, yʼknow? Give it a few days to simmer down. Go out on my own a little
bit, then come back, good as new. But, nope. Guess not. I brought food, though.
Food for both of us, like I said I would, and you could at least say hello to me.
Maybe show that youʼre glad Iʼm alive.
(A beat. Maybe she starts in on another can.)
Maybe youʼre not. I donʼt know. Who ever knows with you. I did fine out there. I
did better than fine. I survived. I found food. You didnʼt think that I could, that Iʼd
be able to, but I did. I didnʼt even eat any of it, becaust I thought, well, for sure,
enough time has gone by, she must be hungry, and if I bring her this food, and
prove to her that I can do it, Iʼll share it with her, and sheʼll thank me. I really
thought that would work, for you, yʼknow? And I think the least you could do is
say something, to me, now Iʼm back. Itʼs just common fucking courtesy, shared
with family, itʼs just...fine. I donʼt even. Itʼs okay. Iʼll just sit here.
(She throws the empty can somewhere else.)
Whatever. Right? Whatever.
(A beat.)
Mom. Hey, Mom.
(A beat.)
Mommy.
(A beat.)
Mama. Mother. Mumsie. Hey. Hey, yoo-hoo, Mumsie.
(MORE)
3.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Mama, Mother, Matron, Mammy, Maggie Mommy. Look at me.
(A beat. She begins pacing around the circle.)
Mother Maggie, look at me. Iʼm right here, I came back, Iʼm right here, itʼs me,
Cora, Cor-Cor, Corey, Cornish, I came back, just for you, and Iʼm standing, I
brought food, Mommy dearest—
MAGGIE
Please stop talking.
CORA
Ah! She speaks! The stone moves, the clouds break, angels sing. Momma
Margaret is alive.
(A beat.)
Donʼt tell me to shut up. I came back for you.
MAGGIE
No you didnʼt.
CORA
Yes I did.
MAGGIE
No you didnʼt.
CORA
Yes I fucking did and I brought food. I brought it back for you. For both of us.
MAGGIE
I know youʼre lying.
CORA
About what.
MAGGIE
Just go.
CORA
What the hell is wrong with you, itʼs me. With lots of food. And itʼd be great if you
thanked me just once, maybe, for it—
MAGGIE
Bring it here.
CORA
...What?
MAGGIE
Bring some food here. For me.
CORA
I thought you werenʼt hungry.

4.
MAGGIE
Of course Iʼm hungry. Iʼve been stuck here for a week, alone. So give me
something.
A beat.
Cora picks up a can.
CORA
Make sure you smell it first.
She goes to toss it to Maggie.
MAGGIE
Not like that.
CORA
What?
MAGGIE
Donʼt throw it. Give it to me, hand to hand.
(A beat.)
Walk it over.
CORA
Why? Throwingʼs not ladylike? Manners are a little outdated, Mom—
MAGGIE
Give it to me.
(She walks to the inside edge of the chalk circle.)
Hand it over. Right here. Now.
A beat.
CORA
No.
MAGGIE
I didnʼt think so.
CORA
I donʼt have to prove anything.
MAGGIE
Yes you do.
CORA
You should be coming to me—
MAGGIE
I wonʼt.
CORA
Itʼs nicer out here. Come on.

5.
MAGGIE
No.
CORA
...Stick your hand out.
MAGGIE
Stick your hand in.
CORA
I canʼt do that.
MAGGIE
Why not?
CORA
Because I want you to.
MAGGIE
No. And you know why.
CORA
Because youʼre being a bitch, is why, I think.
(A beat.)
Why do I have to do all the work?
MAGGIE
Because youʼre not her.
CORA
Who am I?
MAGGIE
Youʼre one of them. And you took her. And youʼre using her, and youʼre not her.
(A beat.)
I know my own daughter. And I want you to leave.
A long beat.
CORA
...Tough shit.
(She sits, opens another can, and begins eating messily.)
Iʼm here for the long haul.
MAGGIE
You canʼt get me.
CORA
You leave that circle and I can.
MAGGIE
But I wonʼt.

6.
CORA
Sure, say that now.
MAGGIE
Iʼve got nowhere to go; Iʼm stuck here, and Iʼll die here, and itʼll take me forever
to do it.
CORA
You donʼt know what forever feels like.
MAGGIE
Why do you want me?
CORA
Because Iʼm hungry.
MAGGIE
So just get out, for a while, and Iʼll die. Come back when Iʼm dead and eat me
then.
CORA
No.
MAGGIE
Why.
CORA
Because I canʼt eat you dead.
(A beat.)
You can stay in there, for now. Iʼll wait right here. But you will leave, I promise
you. Itʼs going to happen. And the best part? The part youʼre really going to
love?
(A beat.)
When you do come out, itʼll be because I asked you.
(A beat.)
Here.
She rolls a can of beans to Maggie.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Eat up.
Lights shift.

7.
SCENE TWO
Later in the day. Maggie is scanning the

radio again. Cora is staring at her, still
eating.
A few moments.
CORA
Find anything good?
(A beat.)
Golden oldies?
(A beat.)
Adult contemporary?
(A beat.)
Oh, go back one. I Iove that station.
Maggie puts the radio down.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Youʼre not getting mad already, are you?
MAGGIE
This is your plan? Youʼre gonna annoy me to death?
CORA
Iʼm just getting warmed up.
A beat.
Maggie stands and picks up a large bag of

chalk, which she brings to the edge of the
circle.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Ohh, here we go.
(She goes to the outside edge of the circle and begins
following Maggieʼs movements from up close.)
The daily touch-up.
Maggie begins touching up the circle,

using handfuls of chalk which she pulls
from the bag. She utters incantations as
she does so, which she reads from a well-
worn paperback book that she holds in
one hand.
Cora keeps pace with her, as close as she

dares, staring her in the face.

8.
MAGGIE CORA
Here is the boundary of my circle You really are ridiculous, you know
where naught but love shall enter in, that?
where naught but love shall escape (A moment.)
from within. This I charge with the Donʼt mess it up. Donʼt mess it up.
powers of the Earth. Donʼt mess it up. Boo!
Maggie suddenly pulls a handful of chalk

from the bag and rears back, getting ready
to throw it at Cora. Cora falls back, hands
over her face protectively.
Maggie holds. Doesnʼt throw the chalk.

Smiles. Then she goes back to her spot in
the center.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Bitch.
(A beat.)
Itʼs not going to help you. It canʼt help you.
MAGGIE
It seems to work just fine.
CORA
It wonʼt forever. That book is a bunch of bullshit.
MAGGIE
Got me this far.
CORA
Itʼs not even sacred chalk. Itʼs from a sporting goods store.
MAGGIE
And Iʼve got plenty. Good thing she gave up on gymnastics; or weʼd have used
it all years ago.
CORA
Iʼll get you anyway.
MAGGIE
If you say so.
CORA
Believe me, Maggie. It will happen. And your shitty spells wonʼt help you.
(She kicks her pile of cans, thinks she sees a full one,
picks it up. Itʼs empty. She hurls it away in disgust.)
It came from a novelty shop, you know. Your little book? Your little piece-of-shit
ten-dollar paperback new-agey pulpy craprag? Five dollars, on sale. It was
written by a drug addict.
MAGGIE
How could you even know that.

9.
CORA
Because she did. She bought it to impress some boy she met. Kyle. Remember
him?
MAGGIE
I stopped keeping track.
CORA
Oh, you remember Kyle. When she was sixteen. In May. He was new-agey. She
bought the book so that she would seem deep. Read it cover to cover, on the
bus. And then he came by one night and they took it out into a field behind the
house. That field, out there. She snuck out with him to perform some ritual and
they got naked and then they did it and he left. And she came back in the
house and you took the book from her because sheʼd been out all night and
there wasnʼt anything else you could do to punish her. And you knew what
sheʼd done, didnʼt you? She felt like you knew. She could see it all over your
face, that you knew where sheʼd been, and she didnʼt even put up a fight. But
she wasnʼt your little girl anymore, was she. And then you kept it! How sweet. A
little souvenir.
(A beat.)
Mm. I liked that one. Too bad itʼs gone now.
MAGGIE
What is.
CORA
The memory. Thereʼs plenty more, though, inside here. To keep me full. I can
tell you all about her, if you want.
MAGGIE
You donʼt know a thing about--
CORA
I know everything. Sheʼs all mine, Maggie. I know how many messages she left
on that douchebagʼs voicemail before she gave up.
MAGGIE
You obviously got her vocabulary.
CORA
I know how she died. How about that?
(A beat.)
I know what her last words were. I heard them, when she said them, and now I
feel them in my mouth. Their aftertaste. I could let you know exactly what I did
when I got her.
MAGGIE
Iʼve seen what you do to people.
CORA
You didnʼt understand it, though--
MAGGIE
I saw enough. With my own eyes.

10.
CORA
But did you look at how they move? When weʼre inside them? The way they jerk
around? Thatʼs us, cleaning them out. I am erasing her. Every memory she ever
had, every dumb fight she ever got in, and every look you ever gave her. All the
memories she had, I pull them out, piece them together, and bite down, hard,
and then theyʼre gone. What you said, just a minute ago, about Kyle--
MAGGIE
I didnʼt say anything about Kyle--
CORA
Your face did. And it was like...a marinade. A spice rub. It made the whole thing
so much better. Youʼre helping me, Maggie. Helping me clean her out, take my
sweet time, and when Iʼm finished sheʼll be empty. A pile of meat. In here, with
you. Youʼd better ask me questions, quick. Before Iʼm done.
MAGGIE
I donʼt want anything from you.
CORA
Of course you do.
MAGGIE
You think you know me so well, huh.
CORA
I do, because she did.
MAGGIE
What day is my birthday?
CORA
What?
MAGGIE
Whatʼs the date?
CORA
...I donʼt remember.
MAGGIE
Neither did she. What about my favorite food? My first kiss? Whatʼs my most
embarrassing memory?
(A beat.)
She didnʼt know anything about me. And neither do you. She never bothered to
even ask. We werenʼt close, we didnʼt get along, ever, and so she left, and Iʼm
still here.
CORA
Whose fault is that?
MAGGIE
Mine, probably.

11.
CORA
Not probably, Maggie. Definitely. She wasnʼt supposed to know anything about
you; you were supposed to tell her. Show her how it all worked, how the world
worked, how you worked. But you didnʼt.
MAGGIE
No, I suppose I didnʼt.
CORA
Teaching fucking third graders but not her.
MAGGIE
She did fine.
CORA
Oh, sure, yeah. It turned out great for her.
MAGGIE
She didnʼt want to know anything I had to tell her--
CORA
You really think that.
MAGGIE
I have no idea. Sheʼs the one who left.
CORA
And you think you know why.
MAGGIE
I donʼt give a fig why.
CORA
She needed you.
MAGGIE
Well you do, too.
CORA
I donʼt need anything.
MAGGIE
Of course you do, otherwise you wouldnʼt still be here.
(a beat.)
That first night, when you all got here, made it out from the cities, there was
a...man. Looked like a crossing guard, he had a vest, but a big gun, too. And he
was standing by the buses when you got him. One of you, anyway. It looked like
nothing. Just, a shimmer, or a wrinkle, in the air, around his body. And then it
had him. He started staggering around, just like you said, his arms both jerking,
mouth hanging open. And I watched him. Off in the distance. And then he fell.
And then the shimmer jumped out of him, to a woman. A tall, blonde woman,
standing by him. And it took her, then.

12.
CORA
So?
MAGGIE
So it was quick, is what Iʼm saying. Just a few seconds, and then the next. But
youʼve been in her now for how long? Hours? A day? You all keep jumping, all
of you. One to the next. Except with her. You donʼt move on. Because you canʼt.
“Taking your time.” Piffle. Youʼre stuck.
CORA
Iʼm not.
MAGGIE
Canʼt leave for the life of you.
CORA
Of course I can.
MAGGIE
Then do it. Go. Iʼm no fun to talk to, she always told me that.
CORA
...I donʼt want to.
MAGGIE
Couldʼve fooled me.
(A beat.)
You are hungry, and you are stuck, and all your friends are still out there, living
it up.
CORA
Weʼre almost done with all of you.
MAGGIE
Well then theyʼre leaving, soon, arenʼt they? The bus is leaving, and youʼre still
here. Get used to it. You wonʼt get help from me; no more spice rubs. Youʼll
need more patience than I have to wait me out, and I teach little kids to write
cursive all day.
CORA
Taught. Theyʼre all dead now.
MAGGIE
Then I get to focus all my energy on you.
CORA
This is a game for me. Youʼre just a game.
MAGGIE
Is it.
CORA
Yes. And I love games.

13.
MAGGIE
You know what I love? Pop Tarts.
She goes to her supplies and produces a

box.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
I never knew it until you all showed up. I always told her, I always said, “Donʼt
eat that crap, itʼll kill you, why do you keep it in the house, itʼs disgusting,” Iʼd tell
her over and over and over--
CORA
I know that already, I--
MAGGIE
Of course you do, how silly. You know everything.
(She pulls a Pop Tart out of the box, and begins to unwrap
and eat it.)
I even hid her boxes sometimes, when I found them? Under the window seat on
the side porch. I hid all sorts of things in there. I guess I should have thrown it all
out. But then lo and behold, you all show up, the end is coming, and I started
gathering food up, anything lasting. Went to the side porch, to the window seat,
and got the Pop Tarts. And underneath, I find this book. Forgotten all about it, all
those years, and there it was. Waiting. Right where Iʼd hid it. And then we came
out here into the barn, and found the chalk. We drew this circle, this circle, here,
that you just hate, and we sat down and all of a sudden you know what I started
craving? Pop Tarts. Strawberry Pop Tarts. Out of nowhere.
(A beat.)
I figure Iʼve got enough to last awhile. Water I may run out of, but Iʼve got Pop
Tarts till the end, Iʼll tell you that. And they donʼt spoil.
(She finishes. Cora is staring, ravenous.)
Hungry? Just come and get it.
(A beat.)
You can have her. I donʼt need her to survive. I have this book, and I have
myself, and Iʼve got a whole lot of hobbies to keep me busy.
CORA
Youʼre gonna beat me with hobbies?
MAGGIE
No, Iʼm gonna torture you with them. Iʼve got oodles of hobbies. Iʼve got the
radio, and Iʼve got my book, I even took up knitting for a while. Iʼll count my
freckles if I need to, just to keep myself busy. Just to hurt you. I hope youʼre
used to being hungry, because neither of us is going anywhere.
She picks up the radio and begins casually

flicking through the stations.
Cora closes her eyes. Concentrates. Then

looks up.
CORA
I know what youʼre afraid of.

14.
A beat. Maggie hesitates for a moment,

then continues.
CORA (CONTʼD)
I donʼt know your birthday, or your first kiss or any of that other shit. I donʼt care
about fucking Pop Tarts. Thatʼs all useless. But I know what youʼre afraid of,
because you told her. Didnʼt you? She remembers it. It was on the night you
both came out here and you read that fucking book and drew your circle and
you hid. It must have made you feel much better, but she was scared, still,
wasnʼt she? Thought she could hear us coming for you. You did, too. But you
ignored it, told her to ignore it, too, and you stroked her long, soft hair, and
whispered.
(She strokes her own hair.)
This hair, here. It was much nicer then, but she can feel it. Your hand, on her
hair, as you huddled, and you wrapped her up tight, and you whispered. You
remember that part, at least, donʼt you? Hands still covered in chalk, you got it in
her hair and put your lips in, close, and you told her your weakness. What
youʼre afraid of. You remember? Because she did, I can tell you right now.
(A beat.)
You are standing in a field...
Maggie springs up and rushes at Cora,

brandishing the radio. She stops herself at
the edge of the circle, but is off balance,
and her arm crosses the line.
Cora grabs Maggieʼs arm; a fast, brutal

struggle. Maggie swings at Cora with the
radio in her other hand and connects, but
loses her grip on it.
The two separate, and Maggie falls back

into the circle, but the radio is now outside
of it. Cora is clutching the side of her head,
rolling on the ground and laughing.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Oh, man. Oh, itʼs so easy.
(She collects herself.)
Youʼre in the field now, Maggie. Easy.
(A beat.)
Delicious.
MAGGIE
You have no right.
CORA
Of course I donʼt.
She picks up the radio, looks at it. Fiddles

with the knobs, then throws it aside.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Looks like itʼs time to start knitting again.

15.
She walks back to her sack. Maggie sits in

the circle, shivering. Lights change.

16.
SCENE THREE
Later. Maggie is reading through her book.

Cora is scraping the bottom of one of the
cans of food, humming to herself.
Suddenly she grimaces in pain and grabs
her stomach.
CORA
—Uch.
(Doubling over.)
Oh, shit. Shit. Shit shit shit.
(It passes.)
This is ridiculous.
Cora throws the can she was eating from

away and starts looking through her sack
again. Itʼs empty.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Of course.
(A beat.)
Youʼre really boring, you know that? She thought so, too.
She picks up the radio, begins flipping

through stations. Maggie reads her book.
CORA (CONTʼD)
You seriously sat there and did this every day? All day?
MAGGIE
Only for a little while. The batteries.
CORA
Oh, of course. Wouldnʼt want to be wasteful.
(She flips for a bit. Grabs her stomach again.)
Unh.
She casts the radio aside. The pain

passes. She sits still for a moment, then
begins pacing around the room again.
MAGGIE
How you all ever get anything done with such short attention spans is beyond
me.
CORA
Itʼs not me, itʼs her. She was a moron.
MAGGIE
(Going back to her book)
She wasnʼt, she just couldnʼt sit still. Got it from her father.

17.
CORA
No wonder he left.
(A beat.)
Youʼre all morons to us. You know? All of the things that you hold on to.
Memories, thoughts, fears, whatever. Fattening yourselves up. You were free-
range farming yourselves without even knowing it.
MAGGIE
(Still reading.)
How silly of us.
CORA
Weʼre almost done, anyway. Weʼll clean you out and then move on; find a new
feast.
MAGGIE
(Still reading)
Isnʼt that nice.
CORA
Why the fuck are you still reading that?
MAGGIE
Itʼs better than talking to you. And thereʼs a whole chapter on banishment spells.
I figure this circle works like gangbusters, why not try a few others.
CORA
Itʼs not the stupid book, I told you.
MAGGIE
Then what is it?
CORA
I donʼt know. The chalk, maybe. Something in the material, a, a reaction, or...it
just burns us.
MAGGIE
Well, you could step over it if you wanted. But I donʼt think itʼs the circle that
scares you; itʼs what happens if you come inside of it.
CORA
Oh? What happens?
MAGGIE
Who knows. But it doesnʼt end well for the demons in here.
CORA
Itʼs the chalk. Nothing else. Okay?
MAGGIE
Okay.
(A beat.)
Better stay away from elementary schools.

18.
CORA
Weʼll figure it out. I will. And Iʼll come in there, and Iʼll wipe that stupid smile off
your--
MAGGIE
“Ashes to ashes--”
CORA
What?
Maggie is reading from the book.
MAGGIE
“Dust to dust. May the wind blow you, wandering ghost, and clear the world of
the living. Turn you to where you belong, and may you disappear without a
trace.”
A beat. She looks up.
Cora is staring at her.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
Canʼt blame me for trying.
CORA
You seriously thought that would work?
MAGGIE
Of course not. It says Iʼm supposed to burn a black ribbon while I do it.
She starts pacing around the circle,

casually flipping through the book. Itʼs
almost a game.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
“I banish you, creature, with the power of fire.” Not wasting a match on that one.
CORA
This is so stupid--
MAGGIE
(Still thumbing)
Well donʼt blame me, I didnʼt write it. “The presence that stands upon the stairs,
the unseen hands that move the chairs--” ugh, this one rhymes.
CORA
Youʼre making yourself look like an idiot.
MAGGIE
Sh. This one hereʼs highlighted. So listen up.
(She reads it.)
(MORE)

19.
MAGGIE (CONT'D)
“Return to the Mother,
Return to the Mother,
Return to the Mother,
Die and be reborn.”
Maggie flips to the next page; not noticing

that Cora has become stock-still, frozen.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
(Not looking up)
Thatʼs a little on the nose, isnʼt it. Itʼs not even a banishment, itʼs in the wrong
section. See, itʼs--
CORA
Unnnh.
Cora clutches her stomach. A small pulse

of energy fills the room; the lights flash and
the radio snaps on, emitting static. Cora
collapses.
MAGGIE
Hey. Hey, what is it--
CORA
I donʼt know, I--
She goes limp. The static fades but

remains audible.
MAGGIE
...Hey. Hey, are you still in there. Hello?
(A beat.)
...Cora?
Cora looks up, slightly, but sheʼs different.

Softer. She looks at Maggie.
CORA
...Mom?
(A beat.)
Mom...I canʼt see you—
MAGGIE
Cora; is this a trick, are you—
CORA
Itʼs dark, I canʼt see you.
MAGGIE
Iʼm here.
CORA
It hurts. It hurts. Mom, I--

20.
MAGGIE
Oh my God, sweetie, Iʼm here, I--
Cora goes limp again.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
CORA!
She runs to the edge of the circle.
A moment.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
...Honey?
Cora wakes up again.
CORA
(Still on the ground)
Cocksucking son of a bitch.
MAGGIE
Oh. Itʼs you.
CORA
Who the fuck else is it going to be.
(Holding her gut.)
This stupid stomach. It feels like Iʼm going to pop.
(A beat. She pulls herself up.)
Whyʼd you stop reading? Realize it was a waste of time?
MAGGIE
...No. Got a bit tired of it, I guess.
CORA
Thank God. I was about to get a migraine.
A beat. Maggie is staring.
CORA (CONTʼD)
What.
MAGGIE
Nothing.
(A beat.)
Return to the Mother.
CORA
What?
MAGGIE
Return to the Mother.
(A beat.)
Die, and...and be reborn.

21.
A beat.
CORA
Youʼve lost it.
She starts to rummage around in her sack.
Maggie studies Cora.
MAGGIE
You eat memories.
CORA
Thatʼs what I said. And?
MAGGIE
You should be happy with her, is all. She had some doozies.
CORA
Pfft. Nothing in here has any weight. A bunch of flashes, pieces, shards, and all
so dumb. Drinking, and yelling, shoplifting cigarettes. Sleeping it off out on the
patio because you wouldnʼt let her in.
MAGGIE
She knew the rules.
CORA
She almost froze to death.
MAGGIE
It was the middle of August--
CORA
Keep talking.
(A beat.)
Tell me more, Maggie.
MAGGIE
...Iʼm surprised she remembered it at all.
CORA
Oh, she remembered all of it. Every bit, all of the bullshit stuff. Itʼs really
ridiculous, so so stupid. But she kept it. Packed it away, back in her head, and
took it out and twirled it around and went nowhere with it. Youʼre all pitiful,
thinking you can fix whatʼs broken just by thinking about it more, itʼs stupid, all
these things, I can feel them all in there and theyʼre not even worth eating, sheʼs
not worth it, Iʼm so hungry but itʼs bubbling up back here and I just canʼt even
bother, sheʼs not worth it, youʼre not worth it, Iʼm fucking stuck here with you and
I—hnnnnn
She grabs her stomach again, re-centers

herself. Breathes.
A beat.

22.
MAGGIE
...Youʼre new at this.
CORA
What are you talking abo—
MAGGIE
At this. Taking over. Youʼve never done it before.
CORA
Of course weʼve done it before, I told you—
MAGGIE
Not them. You. You havenʼt.
CORA
Youʼre not making any sense.
MAGGIE
Are you a young one? Is that it?
CORA
I am older than you can imagine; Iʼve seen eternity—
MAGGIE
Not enough of it to know not to stuff your face like a toddler. Talking about how
you feed off memories and then youʼre shoveling year-old beans down your
throat because youʼre hungry. You have no idea what youʼre doing.
CORA
I know enough to beat you. What do you say to that?
MAGGIE
That you grossly underestimated.
(Gesturing to the circle.)
Thatʼs why this works. Why it scares you. You canʼt process it, you canʼt get to it,
it pushes back. And it hurts you. Just like sheʼs hurting you, now.
CORA
I am absorbing her.
MAGGIE
Not if she doesnʼt let you. Because youʼre weak.
CORA
I am getting really fucking sick of you saying I—UNH.
She doubles over, grabbing her stomach

again. Sheʼs in massive pain.
CORA (CONTʼD)
What is the point of having a stomach if you canʼt make yourself full?!
Sheʼs writhing on the ground now.

23.
MAGGIE
For Godʼs sake. Just throw up and get it over with.
CORA
What?
MAGGIE
Youʼll feel better. Maybe stop whining so much.
A beat.
CORA
...I donʼt know how.
MAGGIE
Thought you were so smart.
CORA
Itʼs this body. It makes no sense, itʼs ridiculous, itʼs just—
MAGGIE
Just stick your finger down your throat. Over there. I donʼt want it near me.
Cora glares at her, then goes to the corner,

turns her back and throws up. A lot.
When sheʼs done she sits back, spent.
CORA
Oh my God. Oh my God. Holy shit.
MAGGIE
Feel any better?
CORA
Of course fucking not.
MAGGIE
Not at all?
CORA
...
MAGGIE
You want a Pop Tart?
CORA
Fuck you.
MAGGIE
Suit yourself.
(She goes back to the center of the circle.)
She never wanted to eat, either, when she was sick. She wouldnʼt drink, she
wouldnʼt eat, for hours after, just kept pushing it away.
(MORE)
24.
MAGGIE (CONT'D)
Iʼd tell her, “Honey, you gotta drink, youʼll get dried up, youʼll shrivel up,” she
wouldnʼt listen. Better than you, though; you donʼt even know how to puke right.
But I suppose it depends on what you look like. How many stomachs you all
have.
CORA
We donʼt have stomachs.
MAGGIE
Okay, or, or sacks, then. Little...pouches. In your armor.
CORA
Donʼt have armor.
MAGGIE
Well what do you have, then? When youʼre at home. Where is home, exactly?
CORA
Donʼt have homes.
MAGGIE
Of course you do, somewhere. Thereʼs another thing you must be getting from
her; she never liked to say where she was from, sheʼd always lie about it, just
say that she—
CORA
Yeah, youʼre right, she was terrible.
MAGGIE
I didnʼt say that.
CORA
Yes you did.
MAGGIE
No I didnʼt--
CORA
It was implied, though. It always was, with you.
(A beat.)
When I walked through that door, were you angry because Iʼd taken her? Or
because sheʼd come back at all.
(A beat.)
Weʼre alone now, Maggie; I wonʼt tell anyone. Itʼs just you, me and the walls, so
just admit it, let it out, youʼll feel better if you tell me. That you wish she was
dead, gone completely, because then you would finally know, for once and
always, that she isnʼt coming back. Then you can finally be in your field, all
alone, and you can—
The radio, which since the pulse has been

emitting a steady low thrum of static,
suddenly crackles to life. It plays thin,
reedy music; something instrumental and
old fashioned feeling and strange.

25.
The two women stand and listen for a

moment.
CORA (CONTʼD)
...What the fuck.
She fiddles with the knobs; the music

comes more into focus.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Seriously?
(a beat.)
What did you do.
MAGGIE
Nothing. I havenʼt touched it, itʼs been out there the whole--
CORA
Sh.
She holds it closer to her ear. She listens.

She smiles.
CORA (CONTʼD)
Somebodyʼs out there.
MAGGIE
What?
CORA
There must be. Somebody pressed play.
MAGGIE
Itʼs probably a computer, or something. Pre-recorded.
CORA
I donʼt think so. It wasnʼt there, and then it was. Somebody out there in teh world
just got lonely.
(A beat.)
Maybe Iʼll go keep them company.
MAGGIE
What?
CORA
You heard me. I can find them, track the signal. Have some fun.
She starts to leave.
MAGGIE
You have to stay here, though. Youʼre stuck.

26.
CORA
Who says?
MAGGIE
I...you said--
CORA
I didnʼt say anything.
MAGGIE
But you need me.
CORA
Youʼre not that special.
MAGGIE
Youʼre too sick to travel--
CORA
Iʼll be fine.
MAGGIE
You canʼt go!
A beat. Cora snaps off the radio.
CORA
Whatʼs the matter, Maggie? Canʼt live without me?
She turns to exit. Almost gets to the door,

and then--
MAGGIE
Iʼll feed you!
Cora stops, facing away from Maggie.
She smiles.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
Youʼre hungry, arenʼt you? Arenʼt you?
Cora turns.
CORA
Weʼre always hungry.
MAGGIE
Of course you are. And I can give you what you want.
CORA
Youʼll come out here?

27.
MAGGIE
Not me. But anything else. Thereʼs something else, isnʼt there? Thereʼs a...a
memory, or a story, or...something I can give you. Something of hers, that I can
help you absorb. Youʼd like that, wouldnʼt you?
CORA
...Maybe.
MAGGIE
Then youʼll get it. I promise. You said I helped...I made it better. The story with
Kyle. I can improve something else. I can help you. Just give me the radio, and
stay here. Iʼll make you full.
A beat.
CORA
There is nothing that I need from you, Not anymore.
MAGGIE
I know there isnʼt. But I can do this for you. A good meal.
(A beat.)
Please.
A beat.
CORA
A memory.
MAGGIE
Anything. Just ask for it, and Iʼll--
CORA
A big one. No, I know which one. Itʼs one of hers I canʼt make out yet. Itʼs deep
down, itʼs way back...itʼs important. And I want that one.
MAGGIE
I donʼt know which one--
CORA
Thereʼs a car in it. And a kitchen. You were kneeling down, and a car in the
house--
MAGGIE
That doesnʼt make sense--
CORA
Itʼs not a real car, itʼs a short one, a small one, itʼs...just remember it. Or Iʼm
leaving. Kneeling, car, Cora. In the kitchen. Do you know it?
(A beat.)
Iʼm getting bored, Maggie. Do you remember it or--
MAGGIE
Why that one?

28.
CORA
Because it matters.
MAGGIE
Itʼll be gone, though, from her--
CORA
Youʼre goddamn right it will; do you want me to stay or donʼt you?
MAGGIE
Yes, I do.
CORA
Then tell me.
A beat.
CORA (CONTʼD)
I will walk out of that door if you donʼt—
MAGGIE
Okay!
(A beat.)
Okay, then. Fine.
She takes a breath. Another. Looks at

Cora. Then:
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
I locked myself out of the house when she was three. And she was inside. I was
going to the mailbox, just around the corner, and I pulled the door behind me
and I just...knew. As soon as it happened. I heard the click. And I turned and I
looked through the window and she was by herself and she...she--
CORA
Me.
MAGGIE
What?
CORA
Not “she.” Me. I want you to tell it directly to me.
MAGGIE
...
CORA
I will leave right this second if--
MAGGIE
You were inside. You, then. Fine.
(Maggie looks directly into her eyes.)
You had a little go-cart.
(MORE)

29.
MAGGIE (CONT'D)
A little car, thing, that youʼd scoot around on, and you were scooting it there, in
the kitchen, just completely oblivious, didnʼt notice...by the stairs. The stairs
down to the basement. You were scooting your car and I could just see it in my
mind, I just knew you would fall if I...and I was outside. And you were completely
ignoring me, I was pounding on the door and I was yelling and I was crying and
you were just driving your car, getting closer and closer, and I was just about to,
I donʼt know, break the window, or something, and you got right up to the
edge...and you stopped. You got bored, changed your mind. Got up off the car
and went to the other side of the kitchen and played with your blocks. Still
ignoring me. And then I remembered...there was a spare key. In a rock, a fake
rock, by the door. Right at my feet. And Iʼd just been staring. That whole time, Iʼd
been...looking at her. At you. Staring. Waiting for it. Just...just useless.
(A beat.)
I got the key and let myself in. You were still playing. And I hugged you so tight.
Scooped you up. And you had no idea what had happened.
(A beat.)
I got rid of that car that fucking night. I never told you why.
A long beat. Cora is standing still, her eyes

closed.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
Well?
Cora holds up her hand for silence.
A beat.
CORA
What did you do?
MAGGIE
What did--
CORA
Afterwards. What did you do.
MAGGIE
I donʼt know why that would matte--
CORA
Tell. Me.
A beat.
MAGGIE
I sang to you.
(A beat.)
I sang the Beatles.
(A beat.)
“Hello, hello...”
CORA
Mm.

30.
She is tasting the idea. Processing it.

Feeling it inside her. Finally:
CORA (CONTʼD)
...Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
(Sheʼs full.)
That was perfect. Thank you.
(A beat.)
Should keep me nice and full while Iʼm gone.
She goes to leave.
MAGGIE
But...
CORA
But?
(A beat.)
But what, Maggie?
MAGGIE
You canʼt leave.
CORA
Of course I can. You just fed me.
MAGGIE
You said you wouldnʼt.
CORA
...And you actually trusted me?
(A beat.)
Huh.
She picks up the radio and breaks it.
CORA (CONTʼD)
She never listened to you, either, did she?
She drops the broken radio on the ground.
She exits.
Maggie stares after her.
Lights shift.

31.
SCENE FOUR
Later. Maggie sits, alone. Anxious. She is

trying to read her book but canʼt focus; she
keeps glancing at the broken radio.
She walks to the line of the circle and

furtively looks to the door, then the radio.
She thinks. Makes a decision.
She grabs a quick handful of chalk from

the bag. Toes up to the line, pauses, takes
one more look. A breath...
She steps out of the circle. Moves towards

the radio.
The door immediately bursts open and

Cora sprints in, lunging at her.
Maggie blows the chalk dust in her hands

into a cloud in front of her; Cora runs face
first into it and instantly careens, blind, past
her down to the floor. She writhes,
screaming, clutching at her face.
Maggie grabs the radio and moves back

into the circle. She uses a bit of chalk to
touch up where she left, and mutters a
quick incantation over it.
Cora is still on the floor, howling. The

sound is completely un-self-conscious,
blinded with rage and pain and surprise.
Maggie looks at the radio. She tries to see

if she can fix it. She canʼt figure it out.
Cora keeps wailing. Pure, animal hurt.

Maggie tries not to watch, and fails. She
canʼt look away.
It keeps going.
Finally, Maggieʼs had enough. She walks

to a water jug, fills a small bucket, walks to
the edge of the circle and throws the water
at Cora, dousing her. Cleaning her off.
The pain subsides, but Cora is spent. She

rolls over, catching her breath, moaning
softly.
And then, laughing.

32.
The laugh starts small, then builds, slowly,

manic, bubbling up through her pain.
CORA
You just couldnʼt...let it...go...you stupid...just couldnʼt...bear to watch it...
Maggie turns away and examines the

radio again.
CORA (CONTʼD)
(Standing)
The little baby! The poor, little hurt girl, you just couldnʼt take it anymore.
(She sees Maggie working on the radio)
Was it worth it? Huh, Maggie? Did you fix it? Picking up anything good?
MAGGIE
Of course not.
CORA
Better try the presets--
MAGGIE
Shut up, dammit!
Maggie gives up.
CORA
Itʼs pointless anyway. You were right; thereʼs nothing left.
MAGGIE
Youʼre lying—
CORA
I am not.
MAGGIE
You werenʼt gone long enough; you were outside, listening, you didnʼt—
CORA
Theyʼre all dead, Maggie! Everyone, everywhere, nothing left, theyʼre all gone
except just you and me--
MAGGIE
You donʼt know that--
CORA
Of course I do, theyʼre all eaten, I ate them, we did, we all ate them and then we
left and we are never coming back and they are never ever never coming
back...hnn.
Cora shakes her head, trying to focus.
A beat.

33.
MAGGIE
They left you.
CORA
What?
MAGGIE
The others. Theyʼre all gone, arenʼt they.
(A beat.)
You couldnʼt leave, and now youʼre stuck.
CORA
Shut up.
MAGGIE
They left you behind, took off and went, and you couldnʼt--
CORA
So what?!?!
(She gathers herself.)
What did you do.
MAGGIE
What?
CORA
To me. I tried to leave, I was outside, thereʼs a...a stab, fuzzy, I feel...my head is
wrong, itʼs wrong--
MAGGIE
Must be the beans.
CORA
Itʼs not the fucking beans, itʼs different...I walked outside, I canʼt...think right. See
straight.
MAGGIE
Sheʼs beating you. Thatʼs what.
CORA
That isnʼt it.
MAGGIE
Of course it is.
CORA
ITʼS NOT.
Cora produces a knife, wheels and stabs it

into the wall.
A beat. They stare at each other.

34.
MAGGIE
Oh, what. Are you proving a point, now?
CORA
Get out here.
MAGGIE
Why?
CORA
So you can fix it.
MAGGIE
What makes you think I want to.
CORA
Tell me what you did to me--
MAGGIE
I wonʼt.
CORA
YOU HAVE TO TELL ME I AM YOUR DAUGHTER.
(A beat.)
No. I am not her. I am not.
MAGGIE
Youʼre losing this.
CORA
Then she is, too.
She holds the knife to her throat.
CORA (CONTʼD)
You want to watch me slice her up, huh, Maggie? Mommy? You want that?
MAGGIE
You wonʼt do anything.
CORA
Oh, I will, Maggie. I absolutely will and I promise you I will not feel a thing. I am
bigger than her, I am older than her, and if you want to watch her die then you
can, and Iʼll still be inside talking to you when itʼs done.
MAGGIE
Then do me a favor and cut the vocal chords, too.
CORA
Youʼre a terrible mother.
MAGGIE
You donʼt even know what that means.

35.
CORA
Iʼm getting a pretty good idea. You were bleeding her dry, Maggie, even before I
came in. And you were even worse than me, because you were trying not to.
But now Iʼm here, and I am practicing on her, so by the time I get to you Iʼll be
ready. And Iʼll be sure that you feel it. Every second--
MAGGIE
You gonna use that knife, or not?
A beat.
Cora takes the knife away from her throat

and cuts her own arm, horizontally.
It hurts. A lot.
CORA
MOTHERFUCKER.
MAGGIE
Thought it wasnʼt supposed to hurt you.
CORA
It...it wasnʼt...it feels like...what the hell is wrong with your bodies?
Maggie goes to her stash, produces a First

Aid kit, and digs out a bandage. She
throws it to Cora.
MAGGIE
Put it on before I have to watch you pass out.
CORA
Maybe Iʼll just let her bleed to death.
MAGGIE
Up the stream, not across the river.
CORA
What?
MAGGIE
She told me that once. Youʼre not going to bleed out.
CORA
Would it make you happy if I did? Just tell the truth.
MAGGIE
Just put it on.
A beat.
Cora puts the bandage on her wrist.

36.
A moment.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
You donʼt have to do this any more.
CORA
What?
MAGGIE
All of this. You can give it up, give her back--
CORA
Thereʼs no her anymore--
MAGGIE
You can leave. You still can.
CORA
No I canʼt, I just told you--
MAGGIE
Weʼll let you go.
(A beat.)
Maybe it is me. Or maybe itʼs her. Something in one of us did this. But if you
leave now, for good, we will let you.
CORA
And Iʼll go where?
MAGGIE
Anywhere. Walk out the door, join all of the others--
CORA
I donʼt even know where they went.
MAGGIE
So find them, then. Leave us here and find them.
CORA
I canʼt feel them anymore.
(A beat.)
They didnʼt wait for me.
MAGGIE
Then you donʼt need them. Be your own person.
CORA
Iʼm not--
MAGGIE
Your own thing, then. You know what I mean.
CORA
Pack up and leave, huh? Just like that?

37.
MAGGIE
Just like that.
CORA
Just like she did.
A beat.
MAGGIE
Yes.
CORA
Sheʼs gone for good.
MAGGIE
No sheʼs not.
CORA
And you know that?
MAGGIE
I do.
CORA
Because you heard her? Is that it?
(She speaks like Cora again, like before.)
Mom? Mom, is that you? I canʼt see you.
(A beat.)
You donʼt know anything.
MAGGIE
Sheʼs still in there.
CORA
Bye bye, kiddo. And you donʼt even know why she left in the first place.
MAGGIE
Then tell me why, Cora. Please.
CORA
Because you were better than she was. She saw it. Just like me. It was
happening, all around, we were coming, and you were calm. And brave.
Surviving. You made a plan, you packed the bags, gave her a flashlight. And all
those things that she pretended, that she was? That made her strong? You did
them better. And if she stayed in there with you, sheʼd mess it up, and get you
caught. She knew that you would die, before her, if you could. And so she left.
So that we wouldnʼt find you when we killed her.
But she messed that up, too. ʻCause when I found her, when she was hiding? I
wasnʼt even looking for her, it was dumb luck...I got separated. Outside. Lost.
And she was lying down there, on the ground, in all this rubble, and she looked
up at me...and I just...jumped. Didnʼt think, just...did it. And the first thought that I
got, the first thing that I felt, inside her mind, when I touched it, was, “Mom.
(MORE)

38.
CORA (CONT'D)
Donʼt find my Mom.”
And I could feel it. Where you were, then. I could see it. Because there was
nothing else but you inside her. That was the one good idea she had ever had,
that sheʼd save you. That sheʼd keep us from finding you. And so she didnʼt.
Iʼm not going anywhere, Maggie. I couldnʼt if I tried. This shell of hers wonʼt let
me. So Iʼm staying.
They stand, facing each other.
MAGGIE
One of you is.
CORA
Hah. Okay.
MAGGIE
No, it isnʼt.
She walks to her bag of chalk.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
Because Iʼm getting her back from you, as of now.
She takes chalk from the bag and begins

slowly, methodically, covering herself with
it.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
I should have told her how little I knew. That I didnʼt have any goddamned idea
what I was doing. I should have let her know that I thought she was strong,
because I did. I always thought that, but I didnʼt say it, but thatʼs okay because
sheʼs still in there and weʼre beating you.
CORA
You donʼt know how this works—
MAGGIE
I didnʼt sing to her in the kitchen.
A beat.
CORA
What?
MAGGIE
You want to know why your head hurts. Itʼs because I lied. I never sang.
CORA
Yes you did, you said--

39.
MAGGIE
I didnʼt sing a damn thing to her. I was too mad. I was too scared, I was too...I felt
too useless. I just held her, and hugged her, and I cried.
CORA
Why did you--
MAGGIE
To see what happened when you ate a bad one. Looks like it worked.
CORA
Thatʼs not true. Itʼs not...I remember you singing...
MAGGIE
Oh, I sang to her lots. Lots of other times. I sang to her in the car, when we were
driving. I sang to her before she went to sleep, until she got too old to let me. I
sang to her when she came home with cuts and bruises. And I sang to her
every night she was inside me, all nine months, and you had better believe it
was the Beatles. I sang to her so many times that you will never get them all,
youʼll never take them, they are in you, they are part of you, she is a part of you.
Thatʼs why all of this works. All this nonsense. Because I told her that it would,
and she believed me and sheʼs in there. If she wasnʼt then itʼd be no good
because I donʼt have any kind of faith in chalk circles. I have faith in my
daughter, and sheʼs in there.
Maggie has covered herself. Cora is

starting to get a bit nervous; she goes to
the door--
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
Ask me to come and get you.
Cora stops.
CORA
What?
Maggie steps to the edge of the circle.
MAGGIE
You said that when I left itʼd be because you asked me. So, ask me. Say, “Come
and get me.” You want me too, donʼt you?
CORA
Youʼve lost it–
MAGGIE
I am not talking to you.
Cora picks up the knife.
CORA
Y-you want to watch me slice--

40.
MAGGIE
You wonʼt do that, she will not let you.
CORA
Sheʼs not--
MAGGIE
Ask me.
CORA
I...I...
MAGGIE
Ask me, Cora.
CORA
Iʼm older than you--
MAGGIE
I am not talking to you–
CORA
Iʼve seen eternity--
MAGGIE
Iʼm not talking to you--
Cora drops the knife, and holds her head.
CORA
Cora, Cor-Cor, Cornish--
MAGGIE
Iʼm not--
CORA
Stop it--
MAGGIE
I AM TALKING TO MY DAUGHTER
CORA
She isnʼt here!
MAGGIE
CORA DO YOU WANT ME TO COME AND GET YOU
CORA
YES!!!!!
The word explodes out of Cora; she slaps

her hands over her mouth but itʼs too late.
A pause. They stare at each other.

41.
MAGGIE
Then here I come, sweetie.
Maggie steps out of the circle.
As soon as she does, Cora lunges. Half

stumbling, half pouncing, she gets to
Maggie and theyʼre immediately grappling.
The chalk is burning Cora, but sheʼs

fighting. Itʼs rough, and fast, and brutal.
Maggie is trying to get Cora to the circle,
and Cora is trying to tear her apart.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
Give her back.
CORA
Fuck you.
Maggie is on top of Cora; she puts her

chalked hand on Coraʼs face and presses.
Cora writhes, but then rallies, and throws

Maggie off of her. Maggie stumbles, and
Cora comes up with the knife. She throws
herself on to Maggie. She tries to bring the
knife down, but Maggie fights it.
CORA (CONTʼD)
She is mine, she is all mine, and you wonʼt get her, I wonʼt let you--
A burst of strength from Maggie, who

knocks Cora off of her and stands up.
MAGGIE
Sheʼs mine.
Maggie runs and tackles her, driving her

into the chalk circle.
As soon as they break the plane, an

energy crackles out of Cora, into the room.
Her body bucks with the force of it as
Maggie holds her. The radio snaps to life,
emitting a loud thrum of static that grows
louder.
CORA
I donʼt want to I donʼt want to I donʼt want to--
MAGGIE
Iʼve got you, hold on, Iʼve got you--

42.
The radio breaks into a pure feedback

tone, the room grows brighter, and then the
fever breaks. The radio dies down, the
lights dim. Coraʼs body goes limp.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
Iʼve got you.
Silence.
Stillness.
Cora is breathing, hard. Maggie strokes

her hair.
MAGGIE (CONTʼD)
Shh, now. Honey. Itʼs okay, now. Sh. Shh.
CORA
Theyʼre out there, theyʼre, theyʼre coming--
MAGGIE
No, theyʼre not, no, honey--
CORA
Theyʼll get us, get me--
MAGGIE
They wonʼt. Sh, now.
CORA
Iʼm scared.
MAGGIE
I know. I know you are. But Iʼm not.
CORA
...No?
MAGGIE
Thereʼs only one thing on this Earth that scares me.
CORA
What is it?
A beat.
MAGGIE
I told you already, honey.
CORA
I canʼt remember.
A beat.

43.
MAGGIE
A dream. A dream I have. Sometimes. Since you were born.
(A beat.)
I dream Iʼm standing in a field. A big, bright, wide field, thatʼs full of wheat up to
my neck. Itʼs all blowing, in the breeze, and Iʼm inside it. You are, too. But in the
wheat, youʼre running out there, somewhere, out there, and I know itʼs
dangerous, there are big woods all around. But all this wheat, itʼs blowing round
me, and I canʼt see where youʼve gone to, where youʼre running. And Iʼm calling
your name, Iʼm calling, “Cora, Cora, Cora”...you canʼt hear me. But youʼre out
there; I canʼt see you, and Iʼm afraid that youʼll just...leave me. Find the woods,
or get lost out there, and I wonʼt see you. And Iʼm alone. I want you back. And I
wake up.
She strokes Coraʼs hair, gently.
CORA
...Am I back? Did I come back?
MAGGIE
I donʼt know. Maybe.
(A beat.)
And anyway, weʼre together.
CORA
Mom?
(A beat.)
Mom, Iʼm hungry.
A beat.
MAGGIE
I know, sweetie.
They hold each other in the stillness.

Lights fade. End of play.

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© 2015 Walt McGough

Revision Date: 2/28/16

CORA, 20s-30s. Something that looks like Maggie's daughter.

Time: After the end of the world.

Revision Date: 2/28/16

After the end of the world.

A cluttered, run-down barn. A chalk circle

She holds an old, beat-down radio, playing

After a few moments, she turns it off.

The door slams open and CORA enters.

The two of them move towards one

Cora pulls up short outside the circle.

Maggie stops at the inside edge.

They look at one another.

Maggie keeps staring. She doesnʼt say

Cora begins stalking around the room,

She stays out of the chalk circle.

She throws the sack on the ground next to

Revision Date: 2/28/16

She sits down, tears open a can with her

Maggie turns away and tries to ignore her.

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Cora picks up a can.

She goes to toss it to Maggie.

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She rolls a can of beans to Maggie.

Revision Date: 2/28/16

Later in the day. Maggie is scanning the

Maggie puts the radio down.

Maggie stands and picks up a large bag of

Maggie begins touching up the circle,

Cora keeps pace with her, as close as she

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Maggie suddenly pulls a handful of chalk

Maggie holds. Doesnʼt throw the chalk.

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Revision Date: 2/28/16

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She goes to her supplies and produces a

She picks up the radio and begins casually

Cora closes her eyes. Concentrates. Then

Revision Date: 2/28/16

A beat. Maggie hesitates for a moment,

Maggie springs up and rushes at Cora,

Cora grabs Maggieʼs arm; a fast, brutal

The two separate, and Maggie falls back

She picks up the radio, looks at it. Fiddles

Revision Date: 2/28/16

She walks back to her sack. Maggie sits in

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Later. Maggie is reading through her book.

Cora throws the can she was eating from

She picks up the radio, begins flipping

She casts the radio aside. The pain

Revision Date: 2/28/16

Revision Date: 2/28/16

Maggie is reading from the book.

A beat. She looks up.

Cora is staring at her.

She starts pacing around the circle,