4 things: broken glass, deer tracks, mushrooms, New Path

Event:  The domestic invasion and assault on the U.S. Capitol

Location: Kid’s fort in the woods

Characters: PRIN – 12, ESTHER- 12

At rise: ESTHER is inside a kid-built fort in the woods. PRIN is place the last pieces of wood decoratively.

PRIN: [Placing last piece], There! [She crawls in next to ESTHER.] Now we have a mighty fine fort!

ESTHER:     Mighty fine. I wish we could live here. All the time. Live off the land. Not go back to the world. I hate the world.

PRIN:           Oh, Esther, we could totally do that. [Using a super hero voice] Become one with the land. Eat mushrooms, plants, follow deer tracks to sources of water. [Dropping voice ] Sure. We would probably miss our family, though.

ESTHER:     I don’t want to go back in my house. It’s not safe.

PRIN:           What are you talking about?

ESTHER:     I was watching the TV with my parents. The storming of the Capitol. They were yelling, “Where are the police? The soldiers? The army? The National Guard?!” And these people. . . Adults, Prin! Dressed up like animals, and waving these flags with HE-WHO-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED on them, and the Confederate flag—they looked like roaches crawling over food and—and—if the leaders of our country can’t keep us safe from those crazy people—if we aren’t safe from our leaders—how can we be safe in our own home!? [Breathes]. I feel safer here, Prin. I really do.

PRIN: [After many breaths.] My parents were cheering. They said, “Wish we were there!”. They were saying how they almost went and took me. They think the woman who died is a hero and should be buried in Arlington Cemetery. She was a veteran, you know!

ESTHER:     She broke the law. She broke glass. She tried to crawl through a window into congress.

PRIN:           You’re afraid of my parents, aren’t you? You think they’re crazy.

ESTHER:     Yes.

PRIN:           Are you afraid of me? [ESTHER looks deeply at PRIN. Breathes. Looks out.]

ESTHER:     I liked finding the new path we went on today. I think we should use that one more.

                     LIGHTS fade to black.

END OF PLAY