NOON – Late twenties, they/them, peace and love and breathing it in, deeply humanist.

JACOB – Early thirties, he/him, resourceful and ambitious, but also deeply sensitive.

MADISON – Late twenties, she/her, anxious and a bit of a perfectionist, but deeply loving in her own way.

 

The first week of January. Public transit train noises. Two chairs and a coat rack to make up a train car. NOON and JACOB are sitting down next to each other, trying not to bump legs. NOON is dressed to stay warm in the woods in winter, has a huge plastic bin sitting at their feet, and is holding a backpack on their lap. JACOB is dressed to impress at the office, and he has his work bag on his lap. MADISON is dressed to go back to sleep as quickly as possible, carrying nothing. As soon as she comes in, JACOB stands up and offers his seat to her. She declines, and so for a moment the two are awkwardly holding onto the coat rack. Eventually MADISON decides she’ll sit, but she doesn’t make a big deal out of it.

 The train brakes, the lights go out, and there is a horrible commotion. When the lights come up, they’re different, more peaceful. The train car, however, is chaos. All the things, including the chairs and coat rack, are scattered. NOON’s camping supplies have flown out of the bin and been strewn across the stage. JACOB’s computer, books, and office supplies from his bag have gone everywhere.

 

JACOB

Everyone ok?

MADISON

I think I hurt my leg.

NOON

How bad? I know some first aid.

MADISON

No, it’s not– I’m ok.

NOON (looking through their supplies)

No, no, I have some ice packs here somewhere.

MADISON

Where are the other train cars? 

NOON

It’s ok.

JACOB

We can get out, it’s right there, help me with the door.

NOON

No. It just seems slow.

MADISON

Uhm, they should be right there, right?

NOON

And the ground should be below us.

JACOB

But it’s–

JACOB points to the side, where the ground shouldn’t be. Everyone stops what they’re doing and looks to where he’s pointing. 

MADISON

No no no. I need to feed my cat, he needs his / food.

JACOB

I’ll call nine one / one.

MADISON

It’s ok. This isn’t real. / I’m fine.

JACOB

Where’s my phone? Does anyone / see a phone?

MADISON

No, but I came here on the 77, I remember. / NO! I REMEMBER!

JACOB (to NOON)

Can you call my number? / It’s 740-321-5940.

MADISON

No no no no no. This isn’t real. I’ve got a…something. I have something I / was supposed to do.

NOON

Let’s just– hold on now. Slow down. Breathe. Everyone breathe.

  Everyone stops, not necessarily breathing.  

Let’s just be together. We can’t do anything, let’s just be together. Ok?

Pause.

MADISON

Are you sure?

JACOB

We really can’t do anything?

NOON

It’s over. It’s ok– it’s ok. (offering spaces on the floor to sit) Come here.

The three have a seat on the floor amidst all the wreckage.  

JACOB

What happened?

NOON

It doesn’t matter.

MADISON

We’re really gonna–

NOON

I…am so happy to be here with you.

                        Pause. 

JACOB

Actually, me too.

MADISON

I thought I would be alone.

NOON

We’re together. That’s a lot.

JACOB

That is a lot.

MADISON

It is.

Pause.

NOON

I got to do a lot. I saw the Grand Canyon. I touched a sea turtle in the ocean.

JACOB

I went to Hong Kong.

NOON

What was it like?

JACOB

Amazing. Like a different world. But also the same in a lot of ways.

MADISON

I didn’t do anything. Damn it. I was too scared. I stayed at home.

Pause.

Is that bad?

JACOB

No, / that’s fine.

NOON

If it made you feel good.

MADISON

I didn’t go to my sister’s wedding. I was too scared to drive there. She died last year.

NOON

I’m sorry.

JACOB

Me too.

MADISON

It was a long-term thing. She knew. I wish I had been there to see her get married. I watched a video but it sucked.

Breath. 

Fuck, somebody else talk. 

NOON

I wish I had a home. I couldn’t sit still. I was so excited to see everything, but eventually it took a toll. I didn’t know anybody that well. My family, my friends, my lovers…they were all strangers.

MADISON

Sounds hot.

NOON

Sometimes. But I do wish I had had one person who knew me. Like, really knew me. I don’t know…

MADISON

I don’t. I’m glad I didn’t. It starts out fun but it always ends up some bullshit obligation. Don’t worry about it.

JACOB (taking out his phone)

Shit! I need to call right– I hope they’re still open, fuck!

JACOB dials a phone number and puts the phone to his ear. MADISON and NOON just watch him. Eventually it goes to voicemail. 

Hey, so sorry I missed you today, I think I had your hours wrong. Really excited about this project, hope we can link up soon and work out the details. Hope I hear from you soon, thanks and have a good night.

MADISON

Who was that?

JACOB

Client. Pretty sure I was gonna get that one.

MADISON

Doesn’t matter now.

JACOB

Eh. You never know.

MADISON

It’s literally flashing before our– you know what’s happening.

JACOB

People have near-death experiences.

MADISON

This guy.

JACOB

I’m just trying to have some hope. Maybe it’ll be fine.

MADISON

It’s not gonna be fine. It never was and never will be. I’m glad I learned that at least.

JACOB

I’m glad I didn’t have to live your life.

MADISON

Hey, my life was great! Asshole. I slept with more people than you can even fathom.

JACOB

Good for fuckin you.

MADISON

Yeah. Fuckin me. Fuckin them. Fuckin everyone. You’re just pissed you sank all your stupid time into some company that’s not gonna give a shit when you’re–

JACOB

You don’t even know me. What the fuck.

Breath. 

I slept with one person. And I loved him a lot.

NOON

I saw you with him once.

JACOB

What– how?

NOON

You take this train a lot. I’ve seen you before. And one night you were with him and he put his arm around you and you melted into him. You kept kissing and laughing. It was like you were the only people on the train. I was listening to some sad song thinking about how I wanted to be one of you.

MADISON

You’re a strong woman, you don’t need a man.

NOON

I’m not a woman, actually.

MADISON

Are you trans or something?

NOON

Or something. Yeah, little bit of everything.

MADISON

Hey, none of my business. But good for you.

NOON

…thank you…I don’t need someone. I just wanted someone. It was something I thought would be meaningful. I wanted everything to be meaningful. I didn’t care much about comfort, but I always wanted more meaning. Sometimes I got it. I’ll never forget how I felt the first time I landed in a new place. I felt like the world was bigger than I could ever know. I liked how no one knew what I was saying, how I came in as an interruption to their lives. Everything they were doing right then, they were doing before I got there and would continue doing it after I left. I was just a little blip in their timeline. That was meaningful. One time I worked at a summer camp with these kids in Mexico. They had these cute little cabins out in the country. We sat around the campfire at night and told stories and sang songs and you could just make out the outline of the mountain next to us. It was incredible. We were all paired up with a kid to be like, their camp buddy for the week, make sure they were having a good time. My buddy’s name was Gustavo. I was still just learning Spanish and he didn’t speak any English, but we got along fine. We still spent time together, we still lived in that space together, even though we didn’t share a language. We just motioned to things and laughed and played soccer. But I got to know him better than I know a lot of people I talk to everyday. There was something so human about it. That was meaningful. Gustavo was such a sweet kid. I always thought I’d never have kids but he made me think about it. I never told anyone. I felt ashamed for wanting a kid. It’s bad for the environment, it’s traditional, all of that. But I did want a kid I think. That would have been meaningful.

MADISON

I almost had a kid when I was twenty. (to JACOB) With one of the unfathomable number of lovers. (to everyone) I actually thought about keeping it for a while, thought about how maybe I could fuck it up a little bit less than my parents did. But then I couldn’t stop thinking about how I could fuck it up worse than my parents did, and I really had no idea what I was doing. I knew I wasn’t ready. And I don’t regret getting rid of it, I believe in the choice I made, but god damn it sometimes I feel sorry I wasn’t ready. It might have been a really special thing, watch a kid grow up. I just wasn’t ready.

NOON

Maybe you’ll get a chance now. Maybe we’ll have a new life after this.

JACOB

No no. This is just in our heads. I probably saw you two before and now I’m making this conversation up in my head and soon we’re gonna…you know.

NOON

What’s the harm in thinking like that?

JACOB

It’s not real.

NOON

A lot of good stuff isn’t real.

JACOB

The only really good stuff is real. And that’s all going away soon. But so is the bad stuff. Get ready for the best sleep of your life. Or, well, –

MADISON

How are you so sure?

JACOB

It’s just logic. I don’t believe in stuff I can’t prove.

MADISON

But have you ever had a great high? The stuff in there isn’t real, but it’s awesome. It’s real in your head.

JACOB

I never did drugs.

MADISON

Pot isn’t drugs.

JACOB

I didn’t drink much either. I wasn’t interested. It made me lose track, and I hated that feeling. There were plenty of things right in front of me that I had to worry about. And plus Andrew had gotten help for alcohol before, and…well…

NOON

Andrew?

JACOB

Yeah…

NOON

You ok?

JACOB

Yeah.

Pause.

I wanted to be holding his hand.

Pause. NOON reaches over and gently picks up JACOB’s hand. MADISON notices. 

MADISON

Actually, uhm…can I have some of that?

 MADISON holds JACOB’s and NOON’s hands. They sit in the quiet for a moment.

NOON

I’m scared.

JACOB

I don’t know what’s gonna happen.

MADISON

Oh my god I’m fucking terrified.

The three of them scooch closer in the circle and do an awkward three-way hug. It’s desperate and kinda goofy and deeply human.

JACOB

We’re together.

MADISON

That’s a lot.

NOON

It is.

A moment more with these three strangers.

Blackout.

End of play.