The light, par le mouton orange

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Off a desert road. Night.

 

TOMMY, 24, slowly walks in, leading SARAH, 17, by the hand, while holding a lamp torch in his other hand.

 

Sarah  A bit more… A bit more… (She feels something under her feet) Yes! Right here!

 

Tommy  Oh. Ok… Are you sure?

 

Sarah  Yes, this is the place. Right here, I know it.

 

Tommy  I don’t know if it’s safe… My mamma told not to come near-

 

Sarah  That’s where I saw it. Last time.

 

Tommy  You… saw it?

 

Sarah  Yes, that’s where I saw the light. (Beat) Do you see that big rock on the right?

 

Tommy looks to the right: it isn’t there. He looks to the left, and sees a big rock. He makes a silent “Oh” of realisation.

 

Tommy (Points at the rock) You mean that one?

 

Sarah  Yes! That’s the rock I tripped on before I saw the light.

 

Tommy  Ah. Alright then. (Beat) What do we do now?

 

Sarah  We… We wait, I guess.

 

Tommy  Oh, right. What for?

 

Sarah  The light!

 

Tommy  Right. Right, I knew that… it must have had to do with that… that- the light. Right. (Beat) How do you know it’ll come back?

 

Sarah  I… I don’t. But I’m sure it will.

 

Tommy  That makes sense.

 

Sarah  You’ve never had a feeling that something will happen, even though you don’t know for sure it actually will?

 

Tommy  Yes! Of course! All the time!

 

Sarah  (Hopeful) You do?!

 

Tommy  Yes. I think so.

 

Sarah  Then it has happened to you before?

 

Tommy  Yes!... No. Actually, no. I can’t think of one time it has.

 

Beat. Sarah is disappointed.

 

Tommy  Sorry.

 

Sarah  It’s alright. It’s alright. Because I know it will happen again. Whatever it takes, it will. I know I saw it last time, and I know I will see it again tonight.

 

Tommy  How… How did you see it?

 

Sarah  Pardon?

 

A thought crosses Tommy’s mind. He awkwardly moves his hand in front of Sarah’s eyes. She doesn’t react, Tommy is reassured.

 

Sarah  Tommy?

 

Tommy  Sorry! I thought- The light- Is… Is the light a metaphor for something?

 

Sarah  What? No! I did see it! With my own eyes!

 

Tommy  Oh! Right! (Beat) Is that- Is that one of those superpowers you get with- you know. When you-

 

Silence.

 

Sarah  I still had my eyesight at the time…

 

Tommy  Oh, right! Now that makes sense! I was thinking how could she- (Beat) Never mind.

 

Pause.

 

Tommy  D’you know if that had to do with the time you were here?

 

Sarah  Maybe. I’m not sure. What time is it now?

 

Tommy checks his digital watch.

 

Tommy  Almost 11pm.

 

Sarah  Yes. It must have been around that same time… Though I’m not entirely sure, my memory of that night is a bit fuzzy.

 

Tommy  What were you doing in the middle of nowhere that late at night? The town is more than a mile from here!

 

Sarah  (To herself) That’s what I’m asking myself…

 

Tommy  You saying?

 

Sarah  (Startled) Oh, nothing. I had a bit of a drink that night. Got a letter of acceptance from college. Had to celebrate, you know what it is?

 

Tommy  (Lying) Yeah… definitely! (Beat) So, you going to college?

 

Sarah  Was…

 

Tommy  Oh. Is it because of the eyes-thing? (Sarah doesn’t reply) Sarah? Is it because of the eyes-thing? (Still nothing) Guess it is… (Realising his insensitivity) Sorry.

 

Sarah  It’s ok. Are you?

 

Tommy  Me? Ah! Oh, no! I can’t. I couldn’t. Gotta help my Pop with the garage. (Beat) Anyways, I didn’t even finish school, I don’t think they’d let me into college.

 

Sarah  Do you like it here?

 

Tommy  I guess so. I mean, not really, but I haven’t got much elsewhere to go, so…

 

Sarah  I get that. That’s why I was so excited when I got the letter. I had found a way out… Then I blew it.

 

Tommy  Don’t you beat yourself up too much about it. It’s not really your fault, is it?

 

Sarah  It actually is.

 

Tommy  Oh. Well. (Beat) No need to beat up a dead horse, right? (Sarah doesn’t reply. Pause) I’d say ‘no’, I think.

 

Sarah  What else is there to do? I can’t see anything! I can’t- I can’t do anything by myself… That’s why I needed you to help me!

 

Tommy  (Reassuring) Well, I kinda enjoyed the little night expedition, speaking for myself! Shaking up the ol’ routine!

 

Sarah  Well.. I’m glad you are enjoying this. That makes one of us.

 

Tommy  Aren’t you? That’s you we came here for, ain’t it?

 

Sarah  Yes! Of course! It is. I didn’t mean- I really appreciate you doing this with me, Tommy! I do!

 

Pause. Tommy looks deep into Sarah’s eyes; he feels she is doing the same.

 

Tommy  (Shaking the emotion off) My Pop and I used to come ‘round these parts, a bit further north, there was a sharp turn in the train tracks, and when there was a train that was going too fast, it’d drop some loot, so we’d go and pick it up… Used to happen every few weeks. Always got excited with it.

 

Sarah  You no longer do it?

 

Tommy  No. They fixed the tracks, nothing coming off the trains anymore. A real shame. (Beat) What I was trying to say’s that I get you, with how you’re feeling about this place, there isn’t much to do around here. I’d fly off too if I knew where to… And there wasn’t my Pop and all… Though my Pop doesn’t care much about me helping him at the garage, but I still do, ‘cause… Well, gotta do something with myself, don’t I?

 

Sarah drops her head.

 

Tommy  Sorry, that’s meant to cheer you up. Got a feeling it did the opposite.

 

Sarah  No, it’s not you. I think it’s fantastic that you help your father. I wish I had something like that in my life too…

 

Tommy  Don’t you have no family?

 

Sarah  I’m living with my uncle, but he’s old and can barely afford a life for himself. It was supposed to be a relief for him with me going to college.

 

Tommy  Ain’t that expensive? College?

 

Sarah  I got a scholarship.

 

Tommy  Oh. Right.

 

Sarah  Everything was set up perfectly. It was the best solution for me and for my uncle- Actually, it was the only solution. And now… I can’t even take care of him in my condition. I feel like a burden.

 

Tommy  Oh no, you’re not. Anyways, why can’t you go to that college? Can’t they accept you the way you are? Like without your eyes, and everything?

 

Sarah  I was supposed to study medicine… I wanted to become a surgeon.

 

Tommy  Ah!… And you need eyes for that?

 

Beat. Sarah doesn’t reply.

 

Tommy  Oh. I see.

 

Pause.

 

Tommy  So… Has this got to do with ‘the light’?

 

Sarah  In a way, yes.

 

Tommy waits for Sarah to go on with her explanation; she doesn’t.

 

Tommy  You don’t talk much about stuff, do you?

 

Sarah  Sorry, it’s- It’s difficult to-

 

Tommy  Don’t you worry, I’m just teasing you! We don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to. (Beat) Is the light supposed to take you somewhere far from here?

 

Sarah  (Startled) What?!

 

Tommy  I heard loads of UFOs stories happening in this desert… (He thinks) Or maybe not this desert, but a desert, at least. Like, it’s always somewhere no one is… Except that one person who will talk about it the next day, obviously, otherwise we wouldn’t know about it at all! (He giggles) Anyways, is that a UFO you waiting for?

 

Sarah  (She decides) No. It’s not.

 

Tommy  (Teasing) Ah! I see! It’s a secret! It is a UFO, but you’re not meant to talk about it, I get it. (He winks, then remembers she can’t see him)

 

Sarah  It can’t be a UFO since we’re two of us.

 

Tommy  (He thinks; trusting) I guess you’re right!

 

Sarah  It’s not a UFO… but it is something to take me somewhere, if you will.

 

Tommy  Oh!… (He ponders this and comes to a sudden realisation) Of course! What an idiot I am! It was right in front of me this whole time: you’re taking a train! The light you were talking about is the one on the locomotive!

 

Sarah  (Shivering) Yes… You got me.

 

Tommy  I mean, it should have been obvious from the start! I was wondering why you were taking me to the train tracks… But (He squints his eyes, and looks around) I don’t see no train station around here. How do you know it’s going to stop here?

 

Sarah  (Slowly crumbling) Right…

 

Tommy  And in the middle of the night? You can barely see anything… Oh, I get it, the eyes-thing! You don’t need to see anything since you can’t see at all! (Beat) Does that mean it’s a train special for people like you with no eyes?

 

Sarah  I…

 

Tommy  Though, it’s still not easy to get here, whether it’s day or night… They could have made the stop closer to town or something…

 

Sarah gives Tommy a vague smile.

 

Tommy  Ooh! I think I’m getting it. The whole puzzle comes into one place… Is that how we say it: ‘the puzzle comes into one place’? (Sarah doesn’t reply) Anyways, I think I know what you’re on about, with your secrets and all!

 

Sarah freezes.

 

Tommy  You are taking a train special for people with no eyes, to go to a special college for people like you, but you didn’t want to tell your uncle because he might be disappointed if you had told him you were not going to the college for people with eyes, so you came sneaking into the night to leave not to worry him… Though I think he’ll realise sooner or later that you’ve gone. (Joking) You’re the one with no eyes, he still has his own, so he will see it when you’re gone!

 

Tommy giggles at his own joke. Sarah bursts into tears, and collapses onto the floor.

 

Tommy  (Kneeling beside her) Oh no! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean that! It wasn’t really a good joke. I’m sorry, Sarah. Don’t cry.

 

A tiny light shines on them, as if far away. The light will grow larger and brighter up until the end of the scene, where it will become so blinding that the stage will disappear into it.

 

Tommy turns towards the source of the light.

 

Tommy  Look, Sarah! I can see it! It’s here!

 

Sarah stops crying at once, gets up, and pulls herself together, patting herself clean off the dust. Tommy looks at her as she meticulously walks until she feels the edge of the train tracks with her feet.

 

She stops. Beat.

 

She makes a decisive step onto the tracks, and stops still, facing the light.

 

Realising this, Tommy shuffles next to her.

 

Tommy  Be careful, Sarah! You’re on the tracks, the train is coming right at you-

 

Sarah  (With tears in her voice) Tommy. I want you to go home now.

 

Tommy  What do you mean? How are you going to get on the train by yourself?

 

Sarah  Thank you for taking me here. I need you to go now.

 

Tommy  What? No! Look at you… Sorry… You’re standing on the tracks! I’m not leaving you here. I’ll go after you get on the train, don’t you worry about me!

 

Sarah  Tommy… You don’t understand. I’ve nothing left. Here or anywhere else. I need to go. I can’t imagine continuing this any longer. This might be the last useful thing I can do, and I’ve got to do it… now.

 

Tommy  But you’ve got so much to look for, it’d be a shame to hurt yourself just before taking your train, don’t you think? You need to get yourself out of here and go to that college for people with no eyes, and have a nice life over there. And if you come back over here, I’ll still be there, at my Pop’s garage, you can come and visit me, and you’ll tell me all about your new life away from here. Doesn’t that sound like a nice thing?

 

Sarah  I’m- I’m not coming back…

 

Tommy  Oh. Right. Ok… I get you don’t want to come back here, it’ll only bring you bad memories. (Beat) Well, it’s fine. As long as you’re happy where you are that is what matters.

 

A train whistle is heard far away. Tommy looks in the direction of the light.

 

Tommy  (Probing her) Come on, the train is getting close. I need to get you off the tracks.

 

The ground starts shaking. Sound of a train approaching. Tommy tries to gently pull Sarah away from the tracks, she resists him.

 

Sarah  (Pleading) Tommy…

 

Tommy  What are you doing?

 

Sarah  Let me go, Tommy. Please.

 

Sarah pulls away from him. Tommy stares at her in disbelief. He realises what she is doing.

 

Tommy swiftly picks her up at the waist, and lifts her away from the tracks.

 

Tommy  No! I won’t let you throw it all away!

 

Sarah struggles to get out of his grip. It’s hard for Tommy to drag her away from the train tracks.

 

Sarah  NO! TOMMY!!

 

Sarah manages to get loose: she falls on ground, and crawls back towards the tracks feeling with her hands in panic.

 

The train is very close now.

 

Tommy picks her up again, and swirls her around to disorientate her, and, in a last effort, he throws her as far away from the tracks as possible.

 

His head spinning, Tommy wobbles inadvertently towards the tracks, he stumbles over the rock, and falls onto the tracks as the train arrives.

 

Black.