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. . . ·D� cofuedy by laiira Schellhardt

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 a few thoughts on production and the like ...

The K ofD the characters' physical habits are doorways into their per­
sonalities.
Steffi's shiver,
brett's notebook,
characters becky ray's cigarettes,
mr.mcgraw's sniff,
the who: one woman who plays the following role·s: mrs. mcgraw's bracelets,
these quirks punctuate the action and hopefully provide a
the girl . . . . ...... who does most of the talking launchpad of sorts
charlotte mcgraw ...who no longer speaks
quisp drucker. .....who has the biggest mouth sound is another character in this play.. it might be jamie
becky ray voss .....who smokes bubblegum cigarettes helping the story progress. it might be recorded or per­
steffi post ........who romanticizes violence formed live. whatever the case, the eventual absence of
brett hoffman ......who keeps track of the facts sound should be an event in itself.
trent hoffu\an ......who keeps track of the people
mrs. mcgtaw ...: ...who expected more punctuation is intentional but should not be restrictive. it is
mr. lncgraw .......who provided less an attempt to capture the rhythm of the piece and of its in­
jack whistler ...... who tends to the flo"'ers dividual players.
johnny whistler . , ..vvbo is the subject of much debate
johnny's girlfriehds ..;ho change often, and rarely wash this play was originally created as a one actor play. it might
. · their hair be performe4 with more than one actor. i look forward to
seeing ·w.liat .th.at looks like. however, it was created as a
the where: .saint marj.s; ohio. which is a real town. one actor pla"y:
but which �ould be any ··�mall !own· you mi� pass on·
your way ·to}ojnepl�ce el�. ' , : : .
'
� • • I • .�•• •
......... "
• "\ :- --
r

the when: over the -course

- ..., of . . a sun1Tner. . '
about three months..to-be ·- · ' exact.
. •.

5
 '

part one

(from the darkness, the sound of a young girl's voice.)

"i 'm going away to leave you love I
I
i'm going away for awhile GIRL'S VOICE. i got one. i got one. i GOT-
i'm going away but i'm coming back
if i go ten thousand miles. (suddenly there's a light, and in that light there's a girl,
storms out on the ocean sitting on a skateboard. she seems startled by the light.
for heavens may cease to breathe she seems startled that we 're here.)
this world may lose its motion
if i prove false to thee " GIRL. one ... oh ...oh ... hey there ...
- appalachian folk song i got a little story for you .. .it's a story from my child­
hood. it don't make much sense, but it's true. guess
that's something i'm learning. it's the things that don't
make much sense that're usually true.X SQ 7.8

(from somewhere else, crickets begin to crick. the girl

see,vs pleased by the sound)

GIRL. it's an ohio story.it takes place there i mean. not

like ohio's a character. i just mean the story takes place

I in a town in west ohio. ne!lr, indiana. think dairy queen.

think drive-thru riloviii• theatres that closed on accounta
nobody'd drive. thru 'em. think drive-thru liquor marts
that don't have tfrat problem. think of a main street

6 7
8 THEKOFD Part I Part I THEKOFD 9

where the stores got display cases full of flies. that's the it hops,xshe hops. SQ 9.01
kinda town i mean. indiana's the ONLY thing it's near. SQ 8 it stops hopping. so does she.
she reaches out her hands, cupping them in the air just
(from somewhere else, the sound of a man's voice call­ over the frog before...
ing "charlotte? charlotte!" the girl ignores the voice.) she's got it, clutched in her hands.
she holds it to her ear. listening.
GIRL. and while you're thinking 'bout this town in west it ribbits.xso does she. SQ 9.02
ohio, you gotta think about a lake. that's real important. she closes her eyes and kisses it, quickly. as if on a dare.
about ten miles outta town, there's a long road on your x
then she looks at the frog ... SQ 9.03
left that leads to this man-made lake and a few houses and discovers that something 's not right.
that sometimes even the mailman forgets. think green SQ 8.2
water.X(the sound of green water) think boats knocking the girl resurfaces.)
against docks.X(the sound of boats on docks) think mos­SQ 8.3

quitoes about this size. SQ 8.4
(she holds up her pinkie finger. from somewhere else,
th� buz7: ef mosquitoes.)
GIRL. i spent a lot of summers on that lake xwhen i was a .-� SQ 8.5 I,
kid, and this story happened during one o{ those sum- �- ·
mers. (not certain) •it ain't a story about me·. (certain) it
AIN'T a story,_,aboi.ti me.x it's a story about...um ... well SQ 8.6
it's a story aboiit. chartbtte. skinny charlotte mcgraw. x SQ 8.7
t
GIRL. the first thing you gotta know about charlotte is that
she was a twin. she had a twin brother named jamie. he
was skinny like charlotte but with freckles on his nose
and a black front tooth which he said he got when their
screen door smacked him in the face. which is kinda
funny 'cause they ain't got a screen door. they got a
I
glass door. and it slides.
(from somewhere else, the sound of a sliding door slam­
ming f.nto:its lock.)

(from somewfie_re_ �lse, crickets .qegin to crick. GIRL. anyway charlotte and jamie were like their own lit­
charlotie surfaces: .p ,gr;ngly girl ·too tall for her 12
1,.
tle planet of one. t�ey spoke this language together that
years. , ·· ' . . .· .. ·.
' ', � • • ,• ' � ' '
, ,
•
. • sounded like clicks and whistl�s and sometimes a grunt.
[
.
her hair .is stu.ck
. , . iritg two.. 11r;tph"clzwJ
. braids.
... .- kinda like- (the gii:l tries-/; make the sound and fails)
her face is a lfttle "dirty. - · .-. ·
,.
kinda lik!}- (th(!. girl .tries to make the sound and fails)
she's biting her 101".er. lip in concenfration.. kinda like-X SQ 9.8
something ribbits near herfeet.
it hops,xshe hops. SQ 9
10 THEKOFD Part I
(from· somewhere else, the clear sound of clicks and
whistles followed by a grunt. the girl seems pleased by
this sound)
GIRL. kinda like that. quisp drucker called it pigmy talk on
accounta he'd seen a tv special about some tribes in aus­
tralia who wear towels on their butts and talk in just that
same way. i thought it was cool, but it made quisp
shiver. which made quisp mad. x SQ 10.4
(quisp drucker surfaces. from somewhere else, the clear
sound of clicks and whistles.)
QUISP. listen, jamie, you got somethin' to say , you say it
like a MAN now and like a NATURAL-speakin' man- X SQ 10.6
(from somewhere else, the clear sound of clicks and
whistle;.)
QUISP. come on, dude, seriously ... WHAT THE HELG•,
DOES THAT MRAN? X SQ 10.8
(from somew_here else, the sound of a young boy's
laughter.)
,1
GIRL. buJ j!11llie jusi iaugpe<jl arid c_harlotte bit �er lower lip
• • • •
and t)j.ey {(ever djd•tel['fthe git/ produces a s',"all piece_
of paper. 'slie p,;p_ceeds .10 folcf. it over the follo,ying .. .)
charlotie m<l J amie also had_· �bun'ch of games that 9nly
they knew !lie reiis'on· or the rul�s for. ljke for instl!11ce,
they used to. sit on tlie-roqks stre_t�hing into the lake and
.
make little boats out of paper. they'd . write messages .on
Part I THEK"OFD II
the boats and set them off into the water clicking and
calling after them things like "be brave. (from the girl:
click) float fast."
X SQ 11
(from some:whete else: click click. the girl has produced
a paper boat. she sets · it on the skateboard and rolls
them both into the darkness.)
GIRL. i found one of those boats once, stuck in the reeds.
the message inside it read "someone get us out of this
godforsaken place." i used to think they wrote that to be
funny. but anymore i'm not so sure...so if you can
imagine two kids with tom jeans and dirty faces who
talk like pygmies and leave long skinny shadows on the
ground then you can imagine jamie and charlotte. and
the only thing else you need to know is that jamie died.
he was hit by a car on his way to the school bus.X·.SQ 11.6
(from somewhere else, the sound of screeching tires. the
skateboard returns to the girl. without the boat. brett
hoffman surfaces, with a small notebook in his hands.)
BRETT, (consulting his notebook). he was on his skate­
board, -is .the thing. he was showing off. zigging and
zagging th front of the bus. i kept yelling "get outta the
�treet, jaµiie," but 'he just yelled back-what'd he yell,
frent?
TRENT. um. somethi p.g about·the center line.
BRETT. "i'm go11\!a jump it" is what he yelled. "i'm gonna
jump that center line." so then he went· to jump it, and
that's when ...well, that's when...
12 THEKOFD Part I Part I THEKOFD 13

GIRL. that's when the rusty blue dodge tore around the shiver of pleasure) he's the kinda person who picks up
bend and crashed right into jamie. that's when the rusty girls when they're, like, on a jog. (a shiver ofpleasure) i
blue dodge sent jamie ... mean, you meet someone like him in a dark alley and
QUISP. FLYING, i'm telling ya. i mean it happened real like, like, like... (a shiver ofpleasure) ... oh my god.
slow and real fast, like in a movie, but he flew that day,
he did. the little guy he just..X
.flew SQ12.2 (becky ray swfaces, holding a bubblegum cigarette be­
tween her fingers.)
(from somewhere else, the sound of wind.)
BECKY RAY. well what's up with jamie's parents is what
GIRL. i have this image of jamie flapping his arms and i want to know. when the cops told 'em the news, mrs.
taking the sky like some skinny shadowless bird. but he mcgraw just blinked at 'em. not like she was crying,
didn't of course. he hit the ground-a few yards away. more like she had something in her eye. and mr. mcgraw
just mumbled something about it getting late, and they
(the sound of wind subsides.) drove off into town without another word about it.
STEFFI. ooohhh, see like that's inte.resting, why'd they do
GIRL. trent hoffman thought it was god coming to get that, do you think? like in this sKenario especially, why
jamie, on accounta he landed right by the billboard that would you just pick up and go into town if-
says. "god's-watching. are you?" and i don't know much. BECKY RAY. probably, steffi. to do whatever it is you do
. about god, but i'm pretty sure that when he wants YO!}:
�-
when your child dies. X SQ13.6
he don't send a dodge.
(becky ray exhales a long puff offake smoke.)
and also, the driver of that dodge was a local man
named johnny. whistler, and we were familiar enough GIRL. whatever the reason, the mcgraws left charlotte on
wjthjohnny's'reputation to know one thing for certain. it the ftent porch staring out at the' lake. she wouldn't
wasn't god coming_ to get 'jaµiie, 'cause he'd have sent come out"and she wouldn't let anyone in. she just stood
someone .el/;e.x SQ 12.6
" • • -· ,1
· . . ·., . : there, clutching 'jamie's skateboard, blowing circles of
··'·. . �
: • ""; • ,,. I ' -, "I.
hot air onto the g�s. X SQ13.8
.: � �
. '--: . . ... \

(stej]f poli.Jurfa]�r ru,yi.ing' �p• f111gers down �everaF

-
strands ofhe'r 'hai� agtijn and if!:ain an"d again.)
�� � � �
STEFFI. oh my god, t)ja, man is a...total monster. i mean
he's the kinda person you read, about in the papers.. (�
(charlotte surfaces, ·'c/utching the skateboard, in the air
.' before her, s.he"-traces a bird and then. wipes it away.
with the wiping co!17es the sound of screeching tires.)
 14 THEKOFD
GIRL. she stopped speaking after that.
that's not my story, that's just something you should
know. and this. you should know this too. charlotte was
there when jamie died. people tend to forget that, i
mean, she never talked about it, but she was just a few
,1 X .. SQ!4.2
steps behind the others, and she saw her twin brother.
I then and there?
(from somewhere else, the sound ofwind .. .)
GIRL. she saw her twin brother.X... SQ14.4
(the sound of wind...)
GIRL. well she was running toward that billboard before
he hit the ground. and when she got there, she took his
head in her hands. and he whispered something to her.
and she put her face close to his. and he kissed her. real
· gently. right on the lips. and then he closed his eyes and
wentxwherever it is you go at the end of things. SQ.·-:e14.6
'I,
(the girl sends .the skateboard back out into the dark­
ness. the &oundojwind subsides.)
GIRL. most �ople didn't give that kiss much thought. it
was just � �w7et, strange go!?dbye, that was all. but there
wer.� ..a :few. of .u�, �li)!t fl fe1:Y ,of us,_ whQ :hought there
miglirJ,fm'.ore t!' 1t than that X . · . SQ14.8
:
-�
•'. ' . ,:[_:.,"-,. ,::,...:, - . ... ...... : .
· (a time shift•. :nbw we 're ,in-,another space. a private
; .
space. where· six kids are specuJating_ qn {iea_th as-Jf it's
.. ·:
a thing to be solved.).
Part I Part I THEKOFD 15
QUISP. i'm telling you, i was THERE, y'all.
BRETT. we were all of us there, quisp.
QUISP. but i was CLOSE, hoffinan, and i'll tell you what.
there was something not right about that kiss.
STEFFI. oh my god, like what if they swapped souls right
QUISP. right. or what if he was trying to take her with
him, but he didn't have enough time to seal the deal.
BRETT. or what if the two of you had something less re­
tarded to do with your time than making up stories like
little kids.
QUISP. say what you wanna, hoffinan, but it was weird.
that kiss mighta scarred me for LIFE.
GIRL. before we keep going, i should ... well i've skipped
some introductions. see it used to be that the kids in
saint marys, ohio, ran in packs. like wolves. and like
wolves, everyone had two r's: a rank and a role. quisp
drucker-
QUISP. honest n-seriously y'all-scarred me for
LIFE-
GIRL. is this pack's front man. meaning• he's oldest, in
years anyway, and he's got the biggest mouth. the real
leader, however, is becky ray voss.
·, BECKY. RA,Y. anybody here wanna tell me, what's the
goddamn point?
GIRL. becky ray ·was an "early bloomer." when she was
ten she looked fifteen. whep, she was fifteen she looked
•
twenty. and when-�he'tums twenty she'll stop aging all
together 'ti! sh.�. turns forty-five and it all crashes in on
her like the :wrath of god. but at this point she's only
· · fif­teen and the wrath's all her own .
.......__
16 THEKOFD Part I
BECKY RAY. i mean, talking about this is just a dead-end
street. and if i wanted another one of those in my life,
quispo, i'd just spend a few seconds staring into your
eyes`
(becky ray takes a big drag off a fake cigarette.)
GIRL. she's got a thing for bubblegum cigarettes. pretty
soon those'II become pall malls will become marlboro
pack-a-days with an occasional hit of meth will become
two failed marriages, three almost-kids and a standing
reservation at several motel rooms on the rowdy side of
town. but at this point they're just bubblegum cigarettes
which is authority enough for us.
(becky ray blows a puff of cigarette smoke confidently
into !h_e air.)
GfRL. next in command are brett and trent hoffman.
BRETT· (with a notepad). listen up, people, !rent and i ·me
terrogated everyone who witnessed the accident, and we
already get the facts. ain't that right, trent?
TRENT. um. y�.
BRETT. see here? lipstick lisa says it made her cry. (he
flips a page) i:-rll;Dkenstein. fli,i;mey says it made him puke.
(he flips a page), anq, c,ripple jenny_ couJdn't comment
'caii$e e}'.eri tlio�gh she .was ,fi:\ovin)l her sho� leg as fast
. as her long'one► l)be stiU'llliss�d�what'\I she -say,. treqt?
' - , , ., - ... . ' .
TRENT. um. everything:· ' . -,.. -
BRETT.-yeah,' she;missed eve�ing.:�ul 11obody t(?ld us
anything we didn't :already know_: and frankly, qiiisj), .in
. ·-
Part I THEKOFD n
order for something to "scar you for life"? you kinda
gotta have a life first.
(trent finds this comment amusing.)
GIRL. their father's the town sheriff. he's got a collection
of guns he keeps in his wife's piano bench, since neither
brett nor !rent showed any musical ability whatsoever
and anyway if someone breaks into your house do you
want boys who can aim a ·shotgun or boys who can play
a goddamn minuet? so their roles in the pack are simple:
brett's the brains. !rent's the brawn. and finally... there's
steffi post.
STEFFI. oh my god, like whatever happened when he
kissed her? it was not good. 'cause ever since then, this
town has felt really really ... ominence. (a shiver ofplea­
sure)
GIRL. she's the wallet. her dad owns chrysler.
STEFFI. i'm beginning to pick up on stuff like that, you
know? i'm, like, developing that. .. sick sense ... (a shiver
of pleasure)
'1
I GIRL. steffi's got a thing about violence. it· thrills her.
I
which seems to me a sign of someone who's not experi­
encell,any..not for real anyway. not like charlotte.. .in
any case/ihere's the pack: quisp drucker, becky ray
V?ss, brett and trenf hoffman, steffi post and ...well, and
me. i was the quiet one. i to.o)c it all in. but we'll get to
that... ·• .- :
.,
QU!SP.· whatever,7_you-,guys, i'm just saying. the kiss -of
death ain't the same-as any other. so the question of the
hour is, what's up.with charlotte's lips? or should i say.
-
what's ON 'em. X SQ 17.9
---
 18 THEKOFD Part I Part I THEKOFD 19

(from somewhere else, the sound of children clapping a STEFFI. ooooohh'h, i got one, i got one. i know how mrs.
schoolyard rhyme. the girl sings along quietly, though ii lawler died. (a shiver of pleasure) i heard it from mr.
is unclear if she enjoys the rhyme.) gray the undertaker, and i don't mean to be whatever but
we sold him a real nice chrysler so i don't see why he'd
GIRL. lie about it. also he's really really catholic. anyhow the
1 KofD. way he told it, the lawlers had a telephone installed in­
2 KofD. side their big family crypt. a telephone. just in case one
3 Charlotte's got the KofD. of them got sealed in, i guess, accidentally, which is not
5 Kiss her down by dead-man's curve, like a bad idea when you think about it.. .anyhow, mr.
7 you'll get just what you deserve lawler dies, right? and pretty soon after mrs. lawler dies
9 Kiss her before you go lo sleep, too, and apparently when they found her, she was sitting
11 you might just wake up six feet deep in the kitchen with the telephone in - her hand and this
13 Kiss her round the bend-it'll be your end. look of total horror on her face, like- (steffi makes a
17 Kiss her on the shore-you won't be back for more look of total horror/ and when they slid her into the
21 Offer her your kisses, you 'II wind up with the fishes­ crypt right by· her husband? they noticed that his tele­
25 jloatin' out to sea-as dead as dead can be-- phone ... was also off the hook. (a shiver of pleasure.
and al{ because of the K ofDIX SQ 18.6 steffi has successfully scared herself) can you believe
that? the morBUDity of it all? her husband, like, totally
(from somewhere else, a burst of children's laughf.'f;. called her from the grave ... (a shiver ofpleasure)
whir:h .then dies away.) QUISP. okay i got one, i got one, so there's this family,
·, right, and they go out to eat at the orchard tree diner,
GIRL they'Fe-_calJJ:<I urban legends. those things that get and they're just finishing up appetizers when this waiter
- started when. a hunch of people put their heads together comes up to them, and he looks real NERVOUS, right,
and ialk Je\l()qw and real fast. they're called urban leg­ and he :swps..11p to the table and he says to the lady, he
ends. :wmch· i've -�!ways thought is kinda funny seeing
'
says "ma'am;· 'scuse me, ma'am ... did you happen to eat
how. l)lo�t .of,' em tal:;e.Pl�ce 'soip.�where fllT!l. not urban.
• I

• all the potato skins _you ordered?" and the lady's all
•.� • ' .�

like·say .. :.s)nall-town 'bh10...b]It many case, _rural or ur- •"yeah i ate 'em" and he's al) "oh, well were they
..
ban, her�•s bow;.. " .
. ,.
'
'
. '·
�-.... _·: '
a:legenii,..begiQS.X
·' -,..
;_ .. . : SQ18.9 crispy?" and she's all '.'.'yeah: they were crispy" and he's
all "were they sal,ty?"-, and she's all "yeah they were
(a time shift. now we-'re in ar,ot�er privrte_ space. <?r-the salty" and he's.ali '"were they·nnusually chewy, do you

L
same private space. wher!' six ki_d_s a�e, huddled together, recall?" and she's ·�n "yeali, why, is there a PROB­
swapping stories.) LEM?" ana th.e waitef.s•all ''.well, see, the thing is ... the
 20 THEKOFD Part I Part I THEKOFD 21

thing is... " and he points to his elbow where there's year before. and this year someone new was s 'posed to
CLEARLY this big red circle. of fresh skin and he says be comin' to teach english. but that someone never ar­
"the thing is my scab fell off in the kitchen and i think rived.
BRETT. what're you sayin', becky ray? mrs. mcgraw's

l\
you mighta ATE it." 'I
GIRL. you mighta noticed; but it's worth pointing out, an picking off her competition one by one-·
urban legend never happened to the person telling it. it BECKY RAY. i'm sayin' she'd do what it takes to win.
happened to someone else, like mrs. lawler, or a family she pays unnatural close attention to those bracelets, and
at a diner, or ... some girl who lost her only .brother to a that's a fact.
dodge ... also-an urban legend is always told as if it's
I , true. or it's got enough details to be convincing. and (becky ray blows fake smoke into brett hoffman 's face.)
those details are important because without 'em-
BRETT. oh come on, quisp. that'idhe most retarded thing GIRL. this was true, this last detail.Xwe'd all of us seen SQ 21.4
i've ever heard in my life-why would a waiter admit to mrs. mcgraw in her bedroom window late at night. we'd
a customer that she just ate something that fell offa his
·I all of us seen how strange that was.
arm? it doesn't make any sense. and there isn't any
proof.· .l (mrs. mcgraw su,faces. a woman in her forties who be­
·
GIRL. he's right, there's never any proof. and it's safer to
be\�•ary.:but it's more fun to believe. i mean, would�'t it
be kind of amazing... wouldn't it be some sort of JE-!':a­
I lieves she's twenty five.
she produces a small wooden box and then checks that
she is alone.
cle: . .if someone really COULD call you from the grave? X SQ 20.6 she opens the box. 'the soft tinkling of music.
• .
t
she removes one metal bracelet. it excites her.
• • '

iI (from ·•'?tlJewiiere else, the sound of a young boy's she raises one arin in the air, reacfies the bracelet up to

I
laug�ter.) . :, · · � the tips of her fingers, and lets it slide down her arm.
from S91!1ew_�ere else, the sound of metal striking metal.
BECKY RAY. -�
.. . . ·oh ,fine, i've got one. i've got one about.
charl<)tte's mcitl;ier ·�nq her_ goddamn b!JX of bracelets. 1
' . '\
she reads tlie bracelet's inscription.)

mean i used to belieVe henyhen she saicf s)ie' d won 'em

, , I , • f •
"MRS. MCGRAW. teacher
- .
of the- year.
(a dramatic whisper), teacher·ofthe year ...
all, you kno..,.,_ for bero,g teaf,her of the yew? . :-
1

BRETT. no that's true;-becl.<)..i:ay� she's. won thai contest at • - ·1

least ten years running _ -'. •. . .· . • (she repeats this proc_edure with rnother bracelet.)
BECKY RAy. yeah, i know thki( eiJst� in, but miss elliot
disappeared last year. and miss baxter went missing the '
22 THEKOFD Part I
I' Part I THEKOFD 23

I
MRS. MCGRAW. teacher of the year. trees, boy, and it'll serve you right." but this one
(a dramatir: whisper) teacher of the year. .. time... well, this one time jamie yelled back at him, he
yelled- (consulting his notebook) -"one day you'11 be
(she removes a hand.fa/ of silver bracelets and lets them dead, old mau, aud it'll serve you just the same." aud
fall down her arm. from somewhere else, the sound of mcgraw just snapped. he started swiping into those
metal striking metal.) brauches, swi ping at jamie's feet, 'ti! finally he rau to
his toolshed and grabbed an ax.X SQ 23.2
MRS. MCGRAW. teacher of the, teacher of the ...
(a dramatic whisper) teacher of the year ... (from somewhere else, the sound of an ax hitting wood.)

(she is thrilled. for a moment. then she clutches the BRETT. i kept yelling ''.jump, jamie, jump the hell down
bracelets to her chest.xshe is suddenly very afraid.) SQ 22.4 from there," but he just wrapped himself around a
brauch and he wouldn't Jet go, not even when mcgraw
BECKY RAY. i'm just saying she's a nutjob. started chopping near his fingers, not even when .the
(a dramatic whisper) nut. job. brauch started to crack beneath his hauds, not even when
QUISP. well mr. mcgraw's no picnic either. remember they both came crashing to the ground with this enor­
what he did to jamie's arm? mous CRACK.X SQ 23.6
BRETT.' cut· it out, quisp. you weren't there for jamie's
. • arm, so you can't rightfully talk about it. (from somewhere else, the sound of an enormous
QUISP: but you cau, cau't you, hoffman?
- --.:; +

CRACK.)
;
BRETT. but _i WON'T. this isn't a story quisp, it's the
truth. • ... BRETT. j amie's arm was crooked after that. so he kept
QUISP . weli o n <i of us is gonna tell it, aud. if it's tru�h
✓ pretty close to the ground.
you're aft\l�:.lioffrri.an, then it best be you. it happened m QUISP. Jeast'he did while he was alive.X SQ 23.8
.... ' .: .
the trees; ain'UhaJdie truth? • :I
••• •
.... '\,,
� •" •
.• ' • . t
•
.. . (from somewhere -else, the sound of a birdcall, mourn.fa/
(br;ti _co11si;iers·.;,_,;,,o'-n:zent, then begins. reluctantly.) anti low.)
. . -:,.·.;-�.,_ :� . .. -�•. ·'.1.•.... ,.. ·: ,, � · . . :·

.,j�n:i-re wa� -alw�ys ·chmbmg SQ22.8

BRETT. yes.'·th�t':s _th<?-ttuth.X BRETT. ,what's tha! s'posed to mean, quisp? while he was
into his fatfter'B >favorite trees . .anc! mcgraw·y hat� him
q ar1ve.? : . " ,

l
iµ � . -: '-. ·. : .
for it. he'd-�tand'i c!er those ee,;:.i111d'he'd en-· .(con­ QUISP. means i been ·thinking ...when jamie was hit by
sulting.his notebook) ._;_"one flay you'll fall outta._those . . that car...well. he flew that day, he did. the little guy ...
.: . �
 24 THEK.OFD Part I Part I THEKOFD 25

TRENT. he just flew.
QUISP. that's right, trent. so if a kid like jamie were to die
and come back ...
STEFFI. oh my god, like just 'cause a person's dead, you
guys? don't mean he ain't coming back.
QUISP. true enough, and i'll tell you what ...there's a bird
on our lake that i ain't never seen before. it's a big long
gray thing, swoops out over the water.X Sq 24.2
(from somewhere above them, the sound of a birdca/1,
mournful and low. the sense of six kids, looking to the
sky and wondering.)
BRETT. right. on accounta a little thing called gravity.
·1 TRENT. NO. not gravity. on accounta his crooked arm.
BRETT. now there's no need to get upset, trent.
TRENT. outta my way .. .l SAID OUTTA MY WAY. (treni
storms off into the darkness)
BRETT. wait! trent! where're you going?
BECKY RAY (e,ifoying this). oh, you're in trouble now,
bretto. he's headed straight for mcgraw's toolshed. and it
looks like he's got a tree branch in his hands.
(suddenly we 're at the too/shed. where /rent is wielding
a tree branch like he's coming up to bat.)

BRETT. that's just a heron. right, you guys? that's just a TRENT. someone. knock. on the door.
heron? BRETT. now listen to me, trent, you need to drop that
QUISP. whatever, i'm just saying. if i were a kid like thing right now.
jamie, who died flying ... well i'd come back flying. STEFFI. oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god­
·wm;ldn't you?X SQ 24.5 BECKY RAY. if he wants to do it, bretto. maybe we
should let him do it.
(from somewhere else: the sound of wind.)' BRETT. shut it, becky ray. you don't want to egg him on.
QUISP. you gonna break that window, trent? that what
GIRL. this is. the t_l).ing about legends. if you tell 'em right, you're gonna do?
I they can keep. a person breathing. 'cause in a legend if a TRENT (fierce and controlled. wielding the branch). nope.
I' boy gets hff�y a rusty blue dodge? it might �e he finds not the.-witidow.
a w�· o'iltta this· godforsaken place. but 1t might be he QUISP. �ha� -you gonna bust up the door then?
" TRENT, nope. not the door.
- com�s.back. . ·:-·."; ,• ·.�, I
. ·. ·:: ·. . . "'·
' :•
:
!',
"\ � ... . QUISP. well you can't·just stand here swinging a branch,
. (the's,o�hd'-of wJ"!d su.b!fi(i_es.),� · � · , ., trent.. jµst what the h�U're _you-gbnna do?
' . '.; ·.-�, ·: :,. ·., ·.,.. , .... ·''. . . TRENT;,his·arm. i'm gonna break. mcgraw's. arm.
"-

TRENT. thaf's ·whyJa!Jlie·couldn'J k�ep up, in the air,'.

a

STEFFI. oh my god -Oh l!lY god qh my god oh my-

..,
"j

•
- ·· � •' ' • • i • •
TRENT. someone. knock'.· on the door.
BRETT. what'.llyou s_a:s,;trent? ·.....: -- '":
TRENT. after he got hit. he coulcjn't keep up, in the air._ ;
26 THEKOFD
BECKY RAY. sorry, trent. no can do. this is too whacked,
even for me.
QUISP. dude, i'm not doing it.
STEFFI. like me either. no doubt.
BRETT. you see, trent? there ain't no one here wants you
gettin' hauled off by the police, which is exactly what'll
happen if you-X SQ 26.2
(the girl raps three times on the door.)
GIRL. but it was clear someone had do the knocking.
so in this case that someone was me.X SQ 26.4
(the girl raps three more times on the door.)
X
TRENT. on my count then. one. two-
. (treht. raises the branch as if to strike. the sound of a
. too/shed door creaking open. light falls across the kicis
faces and then the silhouette of a man.) · · ·:.:
GffiL. and .sudde.�ly there's mr. mcgraw," standing like a ·
bulldog in the lloor. and some of us are thinking "oh my
god oh my go_d oh· my god." and some of us are thinking
"oh shit� man,. run, inan, run like your feet're on fire."
but one of us is· .thinking, ''.do it, trent. do it now, trent.
.'
� -�
·strike oft; l\i� gaidain\-i Jiead!',' .
·'; . ., . ... "' . '' ' ' .. �. ... :
(a lildm·edt ·.,;J":.VhaJ�J9�fd,/be:' the.'!, tren( lowers the
branch. the sound of a too1shed doar. ereaking shu_t.)
' . '. : • . :·.. . !,_,_: ·:...' 1 '
. ''
Part I Part I THEKOFD 27
MR, MCGRAW, what's that? who's there? oh, it's just you
kids. thought for a second it was ... (he sniffs) nah...
hearing things, is all, just hearing things... (he sniffs)
(from somewhere above them, the sound of a birdca/1,
mournful and low.)
MR. MCGRAW. hey you know what i'm thinking? we
should do something, all of us together. not healthy
spending too much time alone these days... (he sniffs)
where's my girl at, huh? it was her that knocked, wasn't
it, with her little rap rap rap.· (calling to her) charlotte?
CHARLOTTE! i know you're out there, girl, takin' it all
in, but you gotta stop hiding. 'cause your friends and
i ... we're all ofus going to fish,X SQ 27.6
SQ 26.6
(a time shift.)
GIRL, none of us knew what prompted it, mr. mcgraw's
sudden interest in us kids. but there he was, reason or
not. with his bamboo rods and his rusty hooks and his
coleslaw container full of worms:,
MR. MCG&\W. pucker up, charlotte, show 'em your fish
face ...g� On, bug out your eyes like you ... pucker your
lips like' ye_u: .. oh for god's sake, charlotte, show 'em
your fish!
(char{C!tte surfaces."s�e p u_ckers·her lips and sucks in her
cheelq,, and makes the face of a fish for a moment. mr.
mcgraw erupts intQ lq'!ghter.).
_
' - •
 28 THEKOFD
MR. MCGRAW. see that, that's funny, now.couldn't we
all use a laugh? now hand me that wonn, charlotte. we
need to put him on. the hook-
(mr. mcgraw gives a quick. violent jab. charlotte cups
her hands over the worm and shakes her head no.)
MR. MCGRAW. dammit, girl, this is the way of it. some
creatures is born to be the bait and some's born to do
the baiting and that is as god and as nature intended,
now give it here.
(charlotte pulls the worm closer and shakes her head
1111 no.)
MR. MCGRAW. you listen to me, charlotte mcgraw if
you're gonna survive in this world, you've got to start
· taking care of yourself and not every sad little creature
that crawls your way. you have to take care of yours�f
now; charlotte. ain't no one left to do it �or you.X SQ�- • 28.5
.. _ and then the sound of a bird taking off. the beat of its
:\i
(from_ som_ewh�re else, the sound of a bird cry.)
Ii: MR. MCGUV{. well i'll be damned. there's that bird
again, yii_� ,ki,�, se�n· this th_ipg? strange, isn't it? how he
' .. . �
I
· Just�ta!1ds tpere��taf4tg ,at you,.: .,
. ... . . '
(m/ -���izw -di�/Je�.trre' i,.Mi for a sec;nd. there 'is
the sense that':the .vfrd"mdy«b.e-.c'onsidering him as well.
cal/ing-�c�o�s t�e writer.)' : � :'.-. :".· ' ..
j. , - •• •
•......
.- -._.-
Part I Part I THEKOFD 29
MR. MCGRAW. fly away, bird, this ain't your home ...
(clapping his hands at the heron) go on, you bastard, i
said GIT. see that, he don't even flinch ... here, let's tty
something. herons like shiny things. anything catching
the sun they'11 go after. that what you want, birdie?
'cause if that's what you want, i guess i do. have this
bracelet.
(mr. mcgraw holding a bracelet in his hands. like the
ones belonging to his wife.)
MR. MCGRAW. hold this out to him, charlotte. let's see
what he does. go on now. i'll take care of your wonn.
(charlotte considers. then she hands her father the worm
and takes the bracelet. she steps forward and faces the
heron. she reveals the bracelet, Xreflecting it to the sun SQ 29.6
like a mirror until .. .from somewhere else, the sound of a
birdcall. charlotte is pleased by this sound. she <JEPS her
mouth and makes a birdcall response.Xa brief moment SQ 29.7
wings grows louder and louder as-)
GIRL. and.11s �e_'re all ofus watching,
this great blue arrow sweeps out of the sky,X SQ 29.8
screeching ai us to·stay back, back,
• and�we stay back, back, .
as its wings cover thecsun'- .· '
as its head drops low...:::.,
as it'clips that silver right out of her hands-.
- •
as she falls backwarct_s•from tlie beat of its wings­
as it turns real_quick a_nd·fli�s. off, and off, and off...
 THEKOFD Part I
QUISP: jesus christ, did you SEE that, did you all just
SEE. THAT.
GIRL. says quisp.
BRETT. it's not possible.. herons.don't...they don't. ..they
just D.ON'T.
GIRL. says brett. and becky ray's cigarette falls out of her
hands. and steffi keeps repeating-
''
' STEFFI. oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god-­
GIRL. only trent keeps quiet, but he's swiping at his eyes.
and they 're wet.
MR. MCGRAW. WHOO-EEE, that's it, kids, that's all he
was after, simple as that. and seeing as we've givin'
something to that heron, charlotte ... i think it's time we
give a little something to the fish.X SQ 30.6
(he holds up charlotte's worm and gives a quick, violent
jab. a time shif/.)
. clandestine. not clandestary. clandestine,
GIRL. that was the summer of "the death." quisp sa� if
,,, I
fQJl wanna tell one time span from another, you takt
ihe
thing that wa� unusual about that·tim�'and put a "the" �
front of it-,.
QUISP. d�d�. 'we .had the summer of "the tornado," re­
member?"and then we had the summer of "the locust."
lame..-1nit "T!IIS · summer? this is totally the summer of
"th� PEATI!'.3!: '. ." _' .
GIRt it.1ad •siat,!ecl, �i'th. jamle, and their- later that sum­
stler'. ·1�e· hol,ISe Oe:'(�O.•the_·mcgraws, belongipg to. old
'"
i
jac'k..whistl,er,"welh. �tartea to 'smell. .
. .
"'
MR. MC6RAW1."WHOcJ-EEEE, ..i. said WH09. i said
,,.
Part I THEKOFD 31
GIRL. mr. mcgraw kept an eye on jack whistler. his son,
johnny, had killed jamie, so his house deserved a closer
look. and according to mr. mcgraw-
MR. MCGRAW (with binoculars in hand). now that's un­
usual look at the way those animals are huddled ' round
his porch, it's like they've got no fear at all.-
(mrs. mcg,-aw surfaces. admiring a bracelet on her arm.)
MRS, MCGRAW. and just what would they have to fear,
ha!? old jack whistler's as harmless as they come.
MR. MCGRAW. well it's the harmless ones tum out to
have something ...clandestary going on. "
MRS. MCGRAW. oh yes? perhaps i should keep an eye on I
you then.
MR. MCGRAW. perhaps you should, libby.
MRS. MCGRAW. perhaps i will. hal. oh, and the word's
MR. MCGRAW. you can save your correcting for class,
libby. there ain't no bracelet to be won in this house.
(a moment a/mutual hatred)
GIRL, ll_lfS.' lllcgraw was right though. ol' jack whistler was
Jl.e
harmless.· took care of the flowers out on the pier. he
always. had his little bench, a garden spade, and a silver
b'1Cket for the weeos, and he tipped his hat to you. even
if ypµ were twelve. , "
.·
• .,. ..
l
(jack:wh'istle� surfaecs. he tips h.is hat.) . .

L
::1
EEEE thai•s Worse'n a roadMi.ll 0biiffet_.:... . ·..
"I ' . . -· . . ., .
JACK. morning, charlotte..
.,
 32 THEKOFD Part I Part I THEKOFD 33

(charlotte surfaces. she bites her lower lip and waves a
shy. wave. jack produces a flower.)
JACK. i picked this for you. it's a violet. they call that the
shy flower. on accounta it grows outta the sun. that
flower seem shy to you?
(charlotte shakes her head no.)
JACK. nah, you're right. . .i reckon it's just misunderstood.
STEFFI. do you guys think his death was, like, violent?
'cause i'm getting a whole lotta porTANeous vibes.
BRETT (with his notepad). no, steffi, he wasn't murdered.
look, from what i can make out-he tripped over some
bucket. (he flips a page) he hit his head on some bench.
(he flips a page} and he lay on that floor -'til the mail­
man got suspicious and broke the kitchen latch.
BECKY RAY. well this is just like his family. i mean, a
man dies and it takes two weeks to notice? where the
hell's his goddamn next of kin? X SQ 33.4

(charlotte looks at jack. nods her head and smiles.) {from somewhere nearby, the sound ofscreeching tires.)
II
11'
Ii" GIRL (not certain). you might say he and charlotte were GIRL. and there he was-all of a sudden-the goddamn
""
i\li

friends. (certain). no, they were. they WERE friends. so next of kin, the wife-beater tank top with tobacco stains.
she took it pretty hard when it turned out the smell we'd the greasy hair down a sun-burnt back. the dead-eyed
" been smelling for over two weeks was al' jack himself. driver of one rusty blue dodge. there he was--all of a
· -rotting-into his living room floor.X SQ 32.6 sudden-in our midst.
"
(a lime shift. the sound of a police sire_n. now we 'r,/be-· (johnny whistler surfaces. the not-so-prodigal son.)
hind jack. whisJ/er 's house, just after his body has been_
found.)'._. . ' JOHNNY. i'll thank all of you to step the fuck outta my
way.
I "111• , QIBSP.: shi!,_�, tµis is just like on tv. they g ot him laid .· .• '
out:on:·a stretcher and everything. (he ;pit� to6;cco onto the ground.}
BECKY .Rf\Y'. yvhal ·did you think they were gonna do,
. q�i�pci?-,ei,.�y. JiiJh: overt�� thresholi ' ·MR. :MCGRAW. you got a lotta.1?,erve, johnny whistler, af­
QUIS\' .. rlo,'NO;Ji_ut i. �',1.f� -Qi\lP't expect the ·whole police ter ':"hat you done ·_to iny. bo y, you got a whole lotta
squad to come ·out._� ·.' . .-.. � · . nei:ve..showing up her,;---
•
• • • + .. � � ' ' ,

q
BRETT .. saint �s-only has ·ty,o. ciips, quisp. i' hardly
call that a.A(p.l�d. ::-: · . ;'7 ;, ·', •.
: .. · JOHNNY. what'.s <kine-is done; old man. who'd you think
was gonna show up, i've got to assess "my property.
-;
·-----------
34 THEKOFD Part I Part I THEKOFD 35

MR. MCGRAW. your property? just what the hell do you GIRL. and suddenly there's trent, grabbing onto johnny's
mean by your property- arm, and twisting it behind him, and spitting words like ,
,'

I GIRL. but johnny ain't listening. he's turned his attention bullets right into johnny's ear-
to his father, lying dead on the stretcher, under a sheet. TRENT (fierce and controlled). you keep away from her,
'i you got that? YOU GOT. THAT?
(johnny considers the stretcher. he lifts the sheet back GIRL. and some of us are thinking "oh my god oh my

r
and stares· at what's underneath.) god" and some of us are thinking "oh my shit, man, oh
I
'

my shit" but one of us is thinking "do it, trent. do it

JOHNNY. ugly as you ever were, i see. and you stink, too,
you know that? hope you didn't stink up my house, dad.
i might have to burn it down if you did. that'd kill ya,
wouldn't it...ifyou weren't already dead.X SQ 34.4
!I i
I now, !rent,. twist off his goddamn arm."
(a moment of what could be. then /rent releases his grip,
and johnny begins to laugh.)

(he chuckles at his own joke. from somewhere close by,
the sound of barking dogs.)
MR. MCGRAW. if those are your dogs, johnny, you best
ke�� ·'ein in that truck. we got laws about dogs around
here.
.~ .
GIRL. but outta his truck they come, ll!ws or not---0ne­
three-five ·.giant animals, sniffing:and snarling an_d
showing:the\r. teeth. and charlotte, crazy creature that she
is, she tris8 io p¢t the littlest one-
X SQ 34.6
JOHNNY. awww now see, that's sweet. i like that. you got
yourself a champion, little girl, you got someone to walk
you home at night and give you things, that how it is
champion, you give her things ... like flowers.
GIRL. and without blinking an eye, he kicks at the flowers
lining his walk, and the head of a violet flies up, up, into
the air, and lands without a sound by charlotte's feet.
JOHNNY. that's sweet,· it really is. but if the real man
thing interests you, girl, you feel free to knock on my
door. co�e on, dogs- X SQ 35.8

y, (t�� ;��rid �f barking dogs running into the house and a

(charlp_tfe :rfach;s a ha,nd towards the dog, slowl
s_lowiy,, 'imtif..:$NA:f'., fhe -sot(n
'd of a snr '} . J �creen door slamming into place.)
-�� •:�·::. � .. ,, ...... .
. '� � .
!\') C� '.en i,_ iit le'gir l. the¥-d?n'flike GIRL_. ,and the last thii:ig i- reme�ber about that portentious
· JO�:,i wp�ldn} !J � I
/ose•a nd whisp enng) you day'�is mr. mcgraw s.aying-
to be touched. (leaniflg,1 'eal·c
MR. MCGRAVj. lie aw't getting away with this, charlotte.
just &a�e· �II iha.t.rouching.fo{ tji1J:•. •. ·, •
. ·.'.' ��� ··. �. ,-.· _.. , .. we are gonna do ·something about him ..
(suddenly johnny's ar;,, is w;e�ch-;,d behind his_bac�)
 36 THEKOFD Part I

GIRL. and skinny charlotte mcgraw, staring at that screen 'I

I
door, and-X SQ 36
part two
(charlotte surfaces for a moment, staring at that screen
door. she slowly covers her mouth.)

end of part one (it's another hot summer night.

charlotte is catching fireflies in a large glass jar.

a tiny light appears, hovering in the air before ...

a flash-it darts through the darkness, hovering some­
where else beforeX ... SQ 37.2
" clap-the sound of metal against glass as charlotte
II:
ca_tches it inside thejar.

an experiment: charlotte leans close to the jar and

presses her lips to the glassXuntil ... SQ 37.3
from somewhere else, mr. mcgraw calling "charlotte?
CHARLOTTE. "

charlotte is startled.
she shakes the jar to make sure the firefly inside is alive.
she can't be sure.
she shdkes tlie.jar harder.
... . she can't be "sure.
, she _removes the lid of the jar and, to her relief, the fire­
fly flies away.X SQ 37.8
fro11>. ·�omewhere else:. mr: mcyraw calling "charlotte?
CltARJ.OTTE. " -
'.
charlotie glares i� the-direction of the. voice and slams
the lid back onto the jar.

··. 37'
38 THE KOF D Part'II Part II THEKOFD 39 'I
I
as if to s� "i 'd get you too if i could." '
'I
I
(mrs. mcgraw screams again, and points frantically at
something on the ground.)
then the girl resurfaces.)
MRS. MCGRAW. there. there. there. there.
GIRL. mr. mcgraw didn't know about charlotte's ... ability. MR. MCGRAW. now look at the way their little mouths're
it was .still just a hunch to the pack, and to the adults, hangin' open. like they were trying to scream but they
well. you gotta tum your head in the general direction to just never ... got it...out.
see a thing clear, so as usual the adults didn't have a
clue. but shortly after johnny arrived, things started hap­ (he whines a bit. like a dying rabbit.)
pening around our man-made lake that not even the
adults could ignore.X SQ 38.4 MRS. MCGRAW. oh honestly, ha!.
GIRL. and then there was steffi's pet cat.
(the sound of mrs. mcgraw 's scream. mrs. mcgraw sur­
faces. she is pointing, frantically, at something on the (mrs. mcgraw screams again, and points frantically at
ground.) something on the ground.)

MRS. MCGRAW. there. there. there. there. MRS. MCGRAW. oh for god's sake THERE.
GiRL. · th� - field mice were the first sign something ;yas
· ·wrong. _ ._, (mr. mcgraw picks the dead cat up by the tail and
MR. MCGRAW. well would ya look at those rodents. you pushes it toward mrs. mcgraw.)
think they died· fa a circle like that1 with their hands all
crooked up? -'.--_-: MR. MCGRAW. well. looks like sparky ain't got much ...

ft
..
- SPARK. --
(mr.' _;,,cg,:dw _:imitates the mice with their hands all GIRL.· fcii( mjght wonder how someone like charlotte--­
crooked up.) - - ... . who Javed 'animals with the strength and wildness of a
w.h\r!tvind, could go �bout...ending them that wayX
,• '
'...t
... SQ39.8
........ ' '
•
+ • 'I, •
• • -. • ' 1 ' "I" • ? 1 ' ' • ,._
MRs::Mc;yAA'A';'. you �uld Ji;st -(a small ga.5p) remove
- thefu, (a _ilf/all g¢sp) hll!,. · ., -� , •
w_'."
MR. MCGRA and irtaylie.' i,-will, lifiby ...then again. (a
(fro1;1 .s.omewhere else,: criekets-begin to crick.)
•
, • +
• :
:
_
GIRL. 'but the thip.g is...;you gotta test an ability like that,
• ... + '
:I
small•gqsp)'ma.'J'b'i: irot. ., -•- i . , · .
-- · don't you? BEAT. X SQ39.9
• I •• • • • '! .,.,••
GIRL. th� rabbits came-next.
 40 THEKOFD Part II Part II THEKOFD
,
l (a frog ribbits near the girl's feet. she considers it.) GIRL. but you know, could be it WASN'T charlotte killing
I those animals. most people thought it was johnny. which
,,' GIRL. i mean, you can't believe you've got it, is the first is how fights break out in a small town. at least, that's
J thing- how we got to round one.X SQ 41.2
I (from somewhere else, the ringing of a bell not unlike in
(the girl catches the frog in her hands.)
a boxing match. round one has begun.)
GIRL. and you don't want to believe you've got it, is the
X
next thing- SQ 40.2 MR. MCGRAW. HEY JOHNNY. that there's my tree, you
can't just chop it down. we got laws about things like
.. (the frog ribbits al her. she ribbits back.Xfrom seemingly SQ 40.3 that.

IIIr
all around her, the sound offrogs.) JOHNNY. yeah i looked into your laws, old· man. this
ll tree's half on your property, half on mine. so i'm gonna
GIRL. and you never asked for it, did you, and you can't leave you half a tree.X SQ
I
II
talk about it, can you, and you have to find out how it 41.3
(from somewhere else, the ringing of a bell. round one is
.,'
works- I
complete.)
. (the' girl doses her eyes and kisses the frog,Xquickly.. qs SQ 40.6
· if on a dare. the sounds of crickets and frogs fa1e_ GIRL. johnny won that round. he also won round two
away.) which involved a small parade of girlfriends, if you cai:
call 'em that wanda was the first to arrive. or should i
GIRL. but that.do'esn't mean it's easy, does it? say "the FIRTHT" to arrive.
• • • #. WANDA (with a lisp). hey, kidth. you keep offa our grath,
(the girl lo,qk;i:at the frog, and discovers something's not you, �ea(/. i-.�in't your momma and i won't thtand for no
right, a1nom
,... � . -�
ent r,jc.. o nsideration.) thaJh. what're you laughing at? i thaid I WON'T
THTAND FbR NO THATH!!!!!
GIRL; that lisp was on accounta wanda's two front teeth
• • • .. ... ' ' • < "i •, \t . . . .

GIRL: that 'd◊esi:l't mea'ii it·isn't the loneliest you've ever

which i think she lost popping bottle caps offa coronas .
� . .
. been in four w_bole !if�BEAt.
.. · .' . , X
. . �
� : '
.
SQ 40.8
. ...
. :-" ·' , t-.. :
' sp:\' '.la!;ted about two wyeks, and then came ruth.
' (from.somewher.e:ebe; the ring{nt, of.a,be/1 not unlike in RUTH' (a.sloppy ?frunk):.well. look at you boys... (hiccup)
.) you sure are some (hiccup) FINE-lookin' boys... (hie-
I'' a boxing match
. . . ed by the sount:l .
. the· girl seems reliev

f
42 THEKOFD Part II Part II THEKOFD 43

cup) you boys can detassle· my field any old time you
want. (burp)
GIRL. then there was daisy Jou and her simple son donald.
and by simple i mean dumb.
DAISY LOU. STOP PETTING THE TRACTOR, DON­
A LD. IT AIN'T YOUR GODDAMN PET.
GIRL. there was clara and her packs of pall malls­
CLARA (with several cigarettes in her hands). i'm tellin
ya, they're better for your lungs (a pujj) better for your
skin (a pujj) and as my daddy used to say. there ain't
nothing wrong with having something in your mouth. (a
long exhale of smoke)
GIRL. and finally there was judith, with her mood rings
and her prayet beads. you might say she was the knock­
out punch.
JOHNNY. libby. hey, libby. i'd like you to meet my girl-
friend. judith.
. . .
{mrs. mcgraw surfaces. bracelets and all.)
MRS. MCGRAW. i'>1e no interest in meeting anyone who
associates with yon; johnny whistler.
JOHNNY. oh i tlfin1c )'.()u'd be interested in judith, libby.
judith -here's. -�- •teacher. tell her what your subject is,
sugar. • '·
• •...r. •
•.· • .
••••
. snaps. away ficim naked in a room full of quick fingers,
JOHNNY. you hear that, libby? for ACHIEVEMENT. ju­
dith here's gonna be teaching your same subject at your
same school. and who knows? she might just achieve
herself some silver.X SQ 43.2
(mrs. mcgraw clutches her bracelets to her. she is sud­
denly very afraid. from somewhere else, the ringing of a
bell. round two is complete.)
GIRL. it was subtle, the winning of this round. you had to .
look real close to see the damage. you had to, for in­
stance, sit in the mcgraw family stataon wagon, watching
mrs. mcgraw peer into the windows of saint marys high.
(a time shift. mrs. mcgraw in the front seat of her car,
peering through her husband's binoculars.)
MRS. MCGRAW (to someone in the back seat). she's
,,
11
started a summer reading club, charlotte. that's what this
is, this ...gathering ...it was my idea, you know, i tried to ii'
start one last year, but they didn't have budget.. .now
suddenly they have budget.. .she's got them in a circle.
no desks. just sitting in a circle on the floor, well that
£an on\y··1ead 10 chaos ... and her outfit. that girl's three
I)

JUDITH. :�ngl�h,acfua;lly:j t�ach eJ\glish actuiilly. . it's.•quti-ageous, and· i intend to point this out when ...
JOHNNY. ·and tell her-where you'll be teaching�darliti.'. w�ll \vhen the mome�t seems· opportune. after all.. .
. , . ., ..high.
JUDITH:: saitlt:fuary,s �llt\lallY., i :ve just been'hired
... � ', • . .' ,-.. .... · ' . . ac- (quietlj) this was my id¢a.. · . ·.
tually. ' °
·,: · : • . . GIRL. i!:iat� hqw johnny w.on round two. he found a way
JOHNNY.• and t�ll lit\by about al½ t�\l�.e, 11w.ards yo{!'ve under. 'the . three.43.9
. skin. but he stumbled a bit in round
won- .. ::. 1
•• ·:·� • • • >:>·· _; - · .
JUDITH. well just one actually. for �chievement actually�, (ihe sound o/ a police si[e11) . :
r
I 44 THEKOFD Part II Part II THEKOFD 45

I
I
MR. MCGRAW. i got him, libby. i finally got the bastard JOHNNY. i gotta hand it to ya, mcgraw. it's a hell of a lot
" next door. easier taking care of an animal this way. and a whole lot
I MRS. MCGRAW. just what does "got him" mean, hal? cheaper too.
MR. MCGRAW. means i got fed up with his animals tear­ GIRL. there are stages to death. did you know? usually
ing willy nilly 'round this lake. so i made a little call to they go by too fast to catch, but they all passed pretty
our little sheriff and now johnny's gotta pay a not-so-lit­ clearly through that dog. there was rage. Xbloodying his SQ45.2
tle fee. gums trying to bite that leash in two.
'
i, MRS. MCGRAW. congratulations, hal, you've made him
very mad.X SQ 44.2 (the sound of a dog barking.)

(she references out the window where johnny stands GIRL. there was fear.Xfrantic scratching at the dust. SQ 45.4
yelling into the mcgraw front porch.)
(the barking becomes a whimper.)
JOHNNY. LEASH LAWS, mcgraw? i'll show you LEASH
LAWS, mcgraw. like you ain't never seen leash laws be­ GIRL. there was madness.Xsnapping at phantoms in the air. SQ 45.5
fore. and eventually there was despair.
GIRL. and with all of us watching, johnny drags his littlest
· dog 't� ·a free out front and ties him to it. tightly. sq it (the whimpering becomes a slow, excruciating whine.) 'I
·hurts:X SQ 44.6
... GIRL. it was in despair that the dog turned to charlotte.
'1 I
• ,I
,I

(the sound of a. dog yelping in pain. then the sound of . MR. MCGRAW. whoo-ee, that dog's eyes ain't left you in
thunder. fqllow�d by rain.) hours, char. (clapping at the dog) see that? he don't
, . even flinch, X SQ 45.6
GIRL. it rained. that night and the whole next day. and the '. ·'· ' ..
dog remaw�d. �lside. (mr, mcgrmii looks from char/otte to the dog. something
MR.. MCGRAW.
. . . . ' gpnna catc� ,.the damp and
tliat,.8llimal's not right-about this. fhe dog's whine grows louder.)
,
die·-J· oln)ji.y; you�mark'my'wo(ds.- , .
JOHNNY. .niayb(;;.._S:o, qlcr;o:tan.. but at least he'll �ie on. a Mlt ¥f::GRAW. all right; thai's enough. ain't right to
' .,. < '• ' • ,.

, . .,
leash.X
'
·,. :· '. : ..,-'- . .
·.l • �
.... " SQ 44.9
- i�as� -him like that, are you listening, i said-
GIRL. joh,nny' .stopp�d" feeding 'tl!e: '. qi:i_g: .h� brought food Gffil.,: 'but charlotte ain't-.listening. Gharlo_tte's stepping off
out. but' he :1eft,it inblies from w)lere' '
the
' . could reach.
dog . her porch and walking toward the dog.
_
 46 THEKOFD Part II Part II THE'KOFD 47

(the sound of a sliding door slamming into its lock.)
MR. MCGRAW. what're you doing, charlotte. you keep
away from him, you hear?
GIRL. charlotte's taking the dog's head in her hands.
JOHNNY. this here's private property, girlie, you best back
yourself away.
GIRL. charlotte's lifting the dog's face toward her own.
MR. MCGRAW. CHARLOTTE, I DON'T WANT YOU
TOUCHING THAT ANIMAL.
JOHNNY. LITTLE GIRL, I DON'T WANT YOU TOU­
CHING MY DOG.
GIRL. and charlotte's kissing him. real gently. on the lips.X SQ 46.4
(the whining abruptly cuts out.
a timeAhift. now we 're in the mcgraw house. moments
"iater)
.
- ten your arms like you ... go on, charlotte, won't nobody
MR. MCGRAW. 1., m te11·mg you what 1 s,aw, libby. i\;i_.
telling you whaN_saw with my own two eyes.
MRS. MCGRAW. 1 understand what you're telling me, ha!.
it's the impli�ation r don't understand.
MR. MCGRAW. ihe impli-what?
1,,
MRS. l\fCGMW-)lie ..implication, what you're suggesting,
ii's .. .wei1'it'� craz,y;.futl., . • , . ;
MR MC�R,A.'W.'.oh it's 'crazy, is it? CHARLOTTE! come
-o�rfrom. ' �der ' ' . . .. ' you ... ; . ·
. ' . ..tl)ere, ...i d'eed'tQ-tal!-.to
maybe ...or a kiss? you wanna do that, charlotte? you
wanna give your mother a kiss?
(charlotte swfaces. she looks from one parent to the
other. she quickly covers her mouth and shakes her head
no.)
MR. MCGRAW. see, libby? maybe it's crazy, this ... (with
disdain) implication ... but then again. maybe not.X SQ 47.4
(a time shift.)
GIRL. he took us all fishing the next day, for the second
and final time that summer. but his attention didn't seem
to be on the fish.
MR. MCGRAW. straighten up, charlotte. show the kids
your bird. you know, raise up your chin like you ... flat­
laugh.
(charlotte hesitantly imitates the heron:
standing straight and tall, both arms flat at lier side.
her head is. lowered as she prepares, but eventually she
· lifts 'i('(o.,meet .our gaze.
'1
the r�ult is 'tioth accurate and eerily intense.)
.
ME.. MCGRAW. that's beautiful, char. you should be
pro�d:of what you ca,'n do. charlotte's been spending a

w.
MRS. MCGRAW;-jit sfwhat're yeu:up to now? . .lcit:.bf'time with tI!,it heron, kids, maybe you've noticed.
',

MR. MC-ORA i;was thinking ¼'<?� -see111ed..,distr�ssed, th!)y 'call to each other -across the water.. they pass things
libby. i w,;s' "-think1i1g: y.ou couJ.ci· .-iis-e yourself.a··h�g in and out of the sky;but i'm wondering, charlotte, in all
that time ... you ever seen that h_eron hunt? herons don't
 48 THEKOFD Part II Part II THEKOFD 49

go after the fish, like most birds do. they tempt the fish GIRL. they were two hours on that lake. mr. mcgraw bent
towards them, with their foot. lift up your foot, charlotte. low and close to charlotte. something passing between I
go on, i '11 show you how it's done. them part plea and part command. if the pieces of con­ r
versation that floated across the water could be trusted,
(char/otte considers, then imitates the heron again, that is.X SQ 49.2
slowly lifting one foot off the ground.)
"special is as special does, charlotte ..."
MR. MCGRAW. that's it. now circle it, real slowly, like (an echo as if off the water)
you 're stirring up the water. "what could it be if not a sign... "
(an echo, as if off the water)
(char/otte circles her foot, real slowly, like she's stirring "you should be proud of what you can do ... "
up the water.) (an echo, as if off the water) X SQ 49.4

MR. MCGRAW (with increasing drive). they skim the sur­
face, just like that. and the fish can't resist. they swim
closer and closer 'til...SNAP. they're in that heron's
mouth, but don't you feel sorry for those fish, charlotte.
it's-like·i-said, some creatures is born to be the bait al)d
. some is ·born to do the baiting and there comes a tim.1:.
when you have to decide-are you the heron or the fish;'-·
(the girl listens to these fragments echo past each other.
caught, for a moment, in their song.)
GIRL. mosta the pack got tired of waiting for. 'em. only
trent was there when mr. mcgraw steered first his boat
and then his daughter home. only !rent was there when
johnny whistler hollered out to 'em- "

"
charlotte? (frighteningly direct) are you the heron or the
fish? ·,. , •.
JOHNNY. i got my eye on you, little girl. and more·•n that
if you're not careful.
'1
... GIRL. only trent was there when mr. mcgraw hollered
(charloite <!c�p_s th� heron's pose. she's not ready to . back7:_.:·. . .

1:
i
I Mi
make tnatchoice.J .
• • "'
.,.. :
I

M,CGi?-,?.",kfrls,'.yb:i'-11
• •� ....
• '
■
\&

-t excu;e 1!s. me and

, '?
�Y�
� •
MR. MCGRAW. you best watch what you wish for,
joh11ny. it- might com� 'knocking at your door.
Gllµ,.' and only· !rent .was there "'{hen charlotte turned to
charlotte're. .S?1lll.\t- ta�11w:b9at-?ut,- , me and c!Jarlotte . . . .�:. ...
face !ifm, mouthing th, words__:,_

.-.:pf>-.\:.•�·•: . �:.�
l
got things to •discuss: X_'· · . .-. ·. · · .
,.•
SQ 48.8 . . .
I,, � ,.
(the·girl mouths the words "help. me." from somewhere
a _;T>i[!torboat putte�- else, an icy �hisper-"help. me.") Not sure if should be a sound
V
, •. ·_.::•;: .. -•

(from somewhere else; the sounif

ing away.)· 49.9
II
:I 50. THEKOFD

GIRL. but he just stared at her with his eyes full ofwishin'
Part II Part II THEKOFD

BRETT. what'd you say, trent?

51

and then he turned tail and disappeared. charlotte sepa­ TRENT. don't forget. what he did. to jamie.
rated herself from the pack after that. what she learned BRETT. i haven't. no one here forgets that, trent. the
about the pack she learned from hovering 'round their POINT, people. is it's time we give johnny a little some­
edges. but they didn't seem to notice. they were busy. in thing in return. and i was thinking we might give
a way they'd never been busy before. him ...his father.
QUISP. dude, his father's DEAD.
(brett surfaces. calling a meeting to order.) BRETT. i realize that, drucker, i do. but that don't mean he
isn't coming back.
BRETT. now listen up, people, i'm calling this meeting to GIRL. and so it began. it was the second fight of the sum­
discuss johnny whistler- mer, only johnny didn't know he was fighting. not yet,
QUISP. we ain't gotta discuss the man, hoffman. we've got anyway. because round one just involved ...provisions.X SQ51.4
to tum his ass around.
BECKY RAY. settle down, quispo, we all know his dogs (from somewhere else, the sound of a bell. round one
I tried to run you outta town- hos begun.)
': QUISP. oh i don't think you do know, becky ray. those
dogs c,:mlda scarred me for LIFE. BRETT. all right, people, i found his dad's shoes lying un­
BRET:J': all·right, so recent offenses include "scarred qui�µ derneath the porch.
• for LIFE" followed by "stealing my notebook." follow_e_S" • QUISP. dude, i found his dad's gloves, but they sorta smell
by "killing steffi's cat"- . -· · like death. i'
STEFFI. yeah, and·like only a monster kills a siamese. STEFFI. um, like, i'm pretty sure this is his dad's hat, but 'I
BRETT. follo:,ved by "corrupting becky ray." if it's not his dad's hat, then i call dibs· on this haf,
BECKY RA Y.,'and just what the hell does that mean, 'cause ft loPks really good on my head.
bretto? ;.· ·'·' . '
BRETT.-it·n,�im.s�tl\at's a pall mall in your hands, am i (tre:u produi:es a small, worn photograph.)
right'?. .an<hwe all-�O\\' who swll,pped you ,candy for nic- '). ' .
• . • : • • o. ._ • : ' .._ ..
TRENT. um, i found a photo. of johnny and his dad. in the
' I \ •
ot1ne· , . ·. , . • ,. • . \ . .
BEC�Y .R/4Y-:
' . ' sewn
.• ., .
you�.rtttQ. ain;_t like it means . any:: · garage, ·· .
... ', ' . . ..... ' . ' .
thing. , : : - -·· . '"' . . .. . QJJISe, •dude, i tried the garage. what'd you do, break the
BRETT. yeah: t�li µie that in five ¥�!1J'S: tiip.e, becky �Y- if lqck'? •.
you've stilt got a larynx, that 1s. :':: · . _;. TRENT. nop�. i broke the door.
• • j • • • • ' �"' ' - ••

. TRENT. what aboutjamie.

52 THEKOFD Part II Part II THEKOFD 53

BRETT. and what'd yon pick up, becky ray? other than
cancer, that is.
BECKY RAY. you just keep talking, bretto. you'll be eat­
ing those words when you see this-it's ol' jack whis­
tler's garden spade. i ain't decided what i'm gonna do
with it yet, but it's gonna be good. and that's a fact.X SQ 52.2
STEFFI. so like, i dug this real big hole in johnny's back­
yard, and then i, like, scratched around the edges of the
hole with my very own nails and then i covered it all up
with jack's hat so when johnny sees it? he'll think his
father is, like, clawing out to get him from the graveX... SQ53.2
(a shiver of pleasure)

(becky ray produces a garden spade. she slices it (from somewhere else, the ringing of a bell. rounds two
through the air with great zeal. from somewhere else, through four are complete.)
the ringing of a bell. round one is complete.)
GIRL. by the time that week was over, johnny'd taken to
GIRL. rounds two through four took a week, all told. and locking his door at night.X SQ 53.4
by then, johnny knew something was happening, he just
couldn't put a finger on what it was. "what it was" was (the sound of a door locking in place.)
moving too fast.
GIRL. he'd closed all his windows.X SQ 53.5
from S0[11ewhere else, the ringing of a bell. round two
has begun.) : (the sound of windows slamming shut. in rapid succes­
sion.)
BRETT. all riglit, people. i just left footp�ts all up anl·:
down his walk usi�g his father's muddy shoes.X SQ 52.6 GIRL. he'd pulled all the blinds .X SQ 53.6 ,I
. ' '
.-
(from som,;.h,fre elsft, the ringing of a bell. round three (the so�nd 9f blinds sliding down. in rapid succession.)
has begun.) , • · .'
. � .
' . 6IRI.,.,�d-��',:i"�tarted to sleep with his dogs .X SQ 53.7
QUISP..dµde,J '&un-�flfd.J\is �ad's gloves 'ti! !hey stood up
like r�aUi,a'nds, ·amJ.tl).eil- i s�ck. one of 'em on his mail- . : ,(the sound of a dog.howling at .t�e moon.)
box and tlie:pther.,9ne
, ., <
on�.i.s dopr..X , ·•
'> • ' .. • ,.
SQ 52.8 ' ' . . .
. . ._,. ":
..
.. .. ..,__
- .·
•
. ,..... : "' . • ,: .. !
B�Tf.-'all right, people. jt's time for round five.
. •
'
.
(from som_ewh¢r'e _}!ls� the ringi11f;�<1. ·qell. round [our BEC_KY RAY. okay, but no more kiddy crap, bretto. we
has begun.)<.' ..• ·.: · . . '.·--:····:;
· ·· _ need to do something big.
QUISP. dude,'something FIER<;:E.
54 THEKOFD Part II Part II THEKOFD 55

STEFFI. like, something, monUMimental... BECKY RAY. 'cause i did.

BECKY RAY. i say we break into that house. i say we tear GIRL. and that was all it took, see. the pack tore through
it up so it looks like a cyclone's come through. johnny's house like wild animals. Xsteffi scattered violets SQ 55.1
QUISP. dude, a cyclone of WRATH. this is gonna be the X tracked muddy footprints SQ 55.2
all over the kitchen floor. brett
summer of the WRATH. X nailed his photograph to SQ 55.3
in and out of the house. trent
BECKY RAY. i say we leave johnny a message he'll never the kitchen table, and in extra large letters, with her gar-.
forget. den spade, becky ray carved the message:
BRETT. this is retarded, you guys. we'll just get trapped in
that monster's house. (becky ray wielding the garden spade. carving the letters
BECKY RAY. or maybe, bretto. we'll smoke. the monster. with zeal.)
out.X SQ 54.2
BECKY RAY. Xgo home, johnny. daddy's back. SQ 55.4
(becky ray blows a puff of cigarette smoke into brett GIRL. it all happened pretty much the way they planned.
hoffman 's face. from somewhere else, the sound of a but then. some things can't be planned for.X SQ 55.5
bell. round five has begun.)
(the sound of barking dogs.)
GIRL. and �\l it went. quisp let johnny's dogs outta their
backyard pen:X SQ 54.4 QUISP. shit, you guys, johnny's back. everybody find
some place to hide.
(the sound of.darts barking off into the �ight.) BRETT. i told you this would happen, becky ray.
BECKY RAY. shut it, bretto-
GIRL. johnny-ra9ed: out after them, leaving the house QUISP. dude, both of you shut it.·
empty and unloc1ced." !he pack crept in, cautious at first, STEFFI. like i think we should ALL shut it.
unsure wliere � higinX.. SQ 54.6 TRENT: qtliet. he'.s here.
. . .
..;
BRETT. what'd\•ou say, trent? . I

(the sound r,}/m;shiqg.i"(as�.) T�"I;- i" said. he's here,X SQ 55.9

-:. \ •• !. ··�: •• �. ··'·- • ' ... ' j., '

QUISP. &)de,'fdidn'tme� ii,,..l;,re�,iC , ., .'(tlie s_q1md of a screen ,door op;ning and then slam,,;ing
BECKY RAY. oh really,:quispo?X,-, · SQ 54.8 sf,ul: johnny swfaaes momentarily, surveying the ruins
• • • ,, � .;; 'f • • ' ,

· , ·. • --, _ . .' ., . . �f his 'fiouse.)

(becky r�-- sw.a�� .;�",;,;/bing el;,; ii/;;;-:�� gro�nd. - ihe
sound ofsmashing glass.)
56 THEKOFD Part II Part II THEKOFD 57
- . ...,
I

JOHNNY. what the hell is this? what the hell happened to STEFFI. oh my god-we brought him back.X 57.1
.I
I

my house! someone in here ...?X SQ 56.1

(the sound of clicks and whistles grow louder.)
(somewhere in the house, someone makes a sound.)
JOHNNY. now if there's one thing i can't stand it's a cow­
JOHNNY. yeah, someone's in here. i can feel you in ard, and i am through playing games, so you best show
here ...breathing ... now i'm gonna give you three seconds your face. you hear me? i said SHOW. YOUR. FACE!X 57.2
to show your face or there's gonna be hell to pay, you
got that? ONE. (from seemingly everywhere, the sound of a young boy's
QUISP. dude, we are all so dead. laughter. it begins innocently enough, but soon becomes
JOHNNY. TWO. terrifying and eventually dissolves into wind.
QUISP. this is totally the summer of ''we are all so dead."
JOHNNY. THREE.X SQ 56.3 the sound of a screen door creaking open and slamming
shut. the sense ofjive kids and one grown man running
(from somewhere else, the sound of clicks and whistles out of a house.)
followed by a grunt.)
QUISP. shit, man-run, man-run like your feet are on
JOHNNY. ;_..hat's that? who's making that sound?X SQ 56.4 fire-
BRETT. it's not possible-dead people don't-they
(fronr somewhere else, the sound of clicks. and whistles'"· don't-they just DON'T.
followed by a.grunt) STEFFI (near hysterics). oh my god oh my god oh my god
oh my-
BRETT. who is· �aking_that sound? BECKY RAY; god wants you to be quiet, steffi. god wants
BECKY RAY. weJl:it's not me, bretto. . you 1(1· s'hµt. llP.-
STEFFI. like,"ine either. no doubt.X SQ 56.5 J.OHffi'.,IY. oh iio, god wants you to start talking, girl, and ,.I
___:. to.;;tarl talking now. .
• .. �- • ... + . ... ....

-· � ... \t
� •

. . . •··.. ·: .... •. ! ' ... '

·which continue over
� ,. � . :
(the s(J_und
� '-·of.
cl\cks-
.
an?/....whistl�s.
� ' " .,,
.
the following�..) ;.. :.. • ;--.,-.'. ,, .• : ., · . ·. ' (sile11qe from the pack)
"
. '. ·� : ·. : :.._ ': . .,:.. -: -.. . ' -:
. : . ... ,:... � .
QUISP. shit, you· guys,;ti}at's jamie, yo1.1_guy�� JOHNNY. i don't know what the hell happened in there,
BRETT. don't be 'retarded; quisp. jamii/is· dead. -~ but i'm guessing one of you does, a.nd-i'm guessing
QUISP. yeah well�ust 'cause a perso"ri's dead, hoffinan-..
,
58 THEKOFD Part II Part II THEKOFD 59

you're gonna tell me,'cause things are gonna get messy GIRL. in the years that came after, trent hoffinan would re­ r
I
if you don't, and i'm guessing you know that... member this night. he'd remember takil\g his daddy's I
pistol from the piano bench. he'd remember how light it
(silence from the pack.) was in his hands. and he'd remember a voice, a small
voice, just ringing in his head- "do it, trent. do it now,
JOHNNY. go on, speak up. what are you all looking at? !rent. shoot him clean through the heart-"
somebody out there? (calling into the night) SOME­
BODY OUT THEREIN ALL THAT DARK? (trent aims the gun at johnny's chest.).

(johnny spins around to face whoever 's out there in all TRENT. i said. you keep away...
that dark.) JOHNNY (approaching /rent). i'll tell you what, cham­
pion ...
GIRL. there were a few other things nobody planned for TRENT. i said. you. keep. away...
that night. nobody planned for charlotte to be woken up JOHNNY (approaching closer). you got the grip of a
by laughter in the trees. nobody planned for her to fol­ ten-year-old girl, and at least she'd be something to
low that laughter to johnny whistler's front yard. and no­ watch.
body pl!l!lP-ed for her to be standing there in the shad­ TRENT. i said... i said...
ows; takint if all in.
(a moment of what could be. then trent releases the gun.
(from ·tire sha_dows, char/otte surfaces.) and johnny retrieves it.)

JOHNNY. that·y�u, µ.itle girl? you know something about JOHNNY.·now listen up, champion. i'm gonna teach you
what's going o_µ. aroiifld here? yeah ...you're real quiet, somefu!ng_ about following through.X SQ 59.6
but .i bedf w� sp.ent some time together, i bet i could get � - -•. '
you to talk:\:.' ,· :. '" .. (johnny aim� the gun at trent. from· above them, the
_: .... -.. ,: ' ....� �. \.t. . . ..;:-sourzd of a birdca/1.) ..
(tre�t hpffeJp.;t'.szitjqces, -h� JJ1'0t{lit:es a pistol ;;ncj aims it
at·thes":!'
. '. ....- �
•·1,.,,).. -.,, . -�--- . '. ' . •
. ., :·: ., ..... _-,
� j_

JD�, the next tim� you pick up a gun, you take a

• .-
: • - .,__
l
,y-..,.
,,
'
\
• . _breath:<±irst.X - . SQ 59.8
•
TRENT. you Jeep a\\'.ay ffoin her.. yo.u;,got ,ti\at. you hst�n-
• •• ' - '"r

1 -- - •
(from above them, the sound of beati�g wings, which
• .,.. •
ing? i said-----< · ••• :.�-� ·�

grows louder ...) . •

60 THEKOFD Part II Part II THEKOFD 61

JOHNNY. you steady your arm. first. BECKY RAY. no, she used her hands. 'cause that night,
she was strong enough to break any man in two.
(and louder .. .) STEFFI. or like, what if the spirit of that heron rose up be­
side her and pecked him into the grave.
JOHNNY. and you wait 'ti! your target's in sight.X SQ60.2 GIRL. you see? variations. but when i think about that
night...when i think about that night... there's just one
(johnny aims at the sky and pulls the trigger. the sound skinny girl alone in the dark. listening for some crooked­
of a gunshot. something soft and white falls from the armed person climbing into a tree.
sky.)
(the girl listens. but no one responds.)
GIRL. for a moment, we thought it was snowing. like some
sorta miracle in august. but it wasn't snow falling outta GIRL. for laughter from the branches.
that sky. it was feathers.X SQ 60.4
(the girl listens. but no one responds.)
(the skateboard returns to the girl.
she picks it up, as if cradling a dead bird. GIRL. for words?
the sound of thunder and then rain.
from· som�where else, mr. mcgraw calling "charlotte? (the girl clicks. but no one responds.)
GH:ARLOTTE! ")
GIRL. i said for words?
GIRL. it raiii°ed_thai nig!it. and charlotte remained outside.
,.
.� .. ' . I . (the girl whistles. no one responds.)
(from somewh�;td, �lse;' mr. mcgraw calling "charlotte?
CHARLO.'/TE X
. ..... rf. · ::
SQ 60.6
-�-�.. . ...:
GIRL. and--som�. of us were thinking...no. one of us was
.. ,., . ' ' · thinking... no·. one of us IS thinking ...do it, charlotte, do
GIRL: mrs: mcgraw tr1t;d-.ti:r reason with her. n;rr. mcgraw ...,:. it now, charlotte...
'
tried t6; dr�i h�i; ipsitle\but .qharlotte just �a! there,
gfr/
- "j

clutchirtg. th:'.tt:'ctead._ bird,: i;illihg, -something to happen.
and somethi�g 'riID'.happen.•'but-lik� all good legends.
there are vai;iatib�s \)rt.what it was., :: . · . .
QUISP. oh i got tine,·i gcif6rie .. i thint_:1he'.took trent's pis:
tol and blew ol' johnny away.
· (the lays the skateboard; gently, on the ground. she
. ,,;,aiks 'to a doorway andX knocks three times. the sound of SQ61.8
· a do�r opening.- light spills across the girl 'sface.)
62 THEKOFD

JOHNNY. what're you doing, little girl? you still out here
in all this rain?
Part II Part II THEKOFD

(the sound of a police siren.)

63
7
'

MRS. MCGRAW. who was it that found him, hal?

(the girl nods. she stands straight and tall, both arms MR. MCGRAW. funny you should ask, libby. it was ju­
flat at her side. she balances on one leg and crooks the dith. actually.
other leg up beneath her.) MRS. MCGRAW. really. judith, actually?
MR. MCGRAW. found johnny lying face up m the
JOHNNY. you all alone out here, girlie? you alone in all kitchen. i imagine, it was a bit of a shock.
this dark? MRS. MCGRAW. i should say.
MR. MCGRAW. i imagine that's why she grabbed her
(the girl nods. she extends her foot out in front of her things and left.
and circles it in the air.) MRS. MCGRAW. i should think.
MR. MCGRAW. i imagine she'll be leaving town for
JOHNNY. i don't suppose you want to come in here, do good.
ya? where it's warm. and light.X SQ 62.4 MRS. MCGRAW. well ...i should hope.

(the girl !'Ods. lowers her leg. and puts her foot back
onio· the ground. the sound of a door creaking shut. the .
light on the girl's face disappears. the sound of a police. ;; .
siren.)", -, ·•·
. .
QUISP. i knew·i!, j KNEW it would come to this,
BRETT. shut it, q�isp, w� don't know nothing. except what
we're goop.a �@Y :)f the police come knocking at our
door. : � -\.... : ... �: . ..
BECKY RA� (with mqck"finperity), well, jee?C,, officer, i
don't kqow.J ,rhean 1'.pe9pli:.just �(e in that house.
STEFFI. ·well,' gosh, �fficer,:it:s'.himf' to- tell. but, li�e, i
' . , . ... ' ' . . '
wouldn't rule out ghosts_•. · .... ·
.,
(mrs. mcgraw touches her bracelets. she is pleased.)
GIRL. there was one other thing about that morning. it
happened as the pack watched the ambulance cart
johnny away. rnr. mcgraw put a hand on charlotte's
shoulder and whispered something to her, something
about being ...proud. and charlotte ... well she grabbed
hold cif--h�r_-father, and she pulled him to her, and-
(cf/arlotte surfaces. Jhe reaches her hand into the dark­
ness. she grabs hold of mcgra.w 's collar. and then she
-blo"!-l'e 'him a kiss.)
... :

QUISP. oh, ,i get ii; well ¥<Ju know, (!fficer, i have to say. GIRL.' it was an airbom kiss. it didn't hit any mark. but rnr.
this has been the
sutlllller. of_the DF;A,-Til;.X
. ·-SQ 62.9
mcgraw kept away from charlotte after that. most people
did, in faci.
 ';"I
IIIIIHHIIIIIII
+

64 THEKOFD Part II
3 555� 041 407255
(the world the girl has created fades awcy. it's just her
in the light now. the girl retrieves the skateboard. she
produces a piece.ofpaper and begins to fold a boat.)

GIRL. it's hard to say what happened after that summer.

well, not for some people. quisp put his mouth to work
as mayor of our small town. trent became head of secu­ 'I
rity at the mall. steffi married a criminologist from
bowling green. brett went into law. and becky ray, _well
you know how her life panned out. but for charlotte. it
might be she found a way outta that godforsaken place.
or it might be she found it wasn't so godforsaken any­
more. it's hard to say. that's the thing about legends.
they don't much concern themselves with after.

(the girl places the boat on the skateboard.)

·: GIRL. ·in any case, people are talking, her legend is making
its-rounds. maybe you'll decide to tell it, and that'd be -
okay, but·�on't forget. it ain't a story about .., well. let's
just say ...it's ;,_ stoty about chatlotte. skinny- charlotte
mcgraw. and tl!js ;is li�w it begins. � •
._:- ·�:�, ·, ✓

(the girl ·r;adies.. the. skateboard for one final trip into
1
l . .
•'· t

the dark.)· · ·\. : · - ·· ·.

/.,·:� ... J ! '·: ...�--\'. �
.,
t
GIRL. igot;oii"l.J o X SQ 64.9
� �'g t-op�. hli?..t
....c. .: ,
-
.. ,·. ,_ ..'�·.·, - ,i--��· ..... �:·:- ._... ·,
(darkness. the spufld of a skateboard rolling awry.)
' : _,,, - --·
• I
: · · -·· end· of_play :.
.• ..._ � • •
.-t •: '
�---;-'1- ,.,.,,

GAYLORD