SCENE 1 - MAYA & NOEL’S APARTMENT

MAYA: So, how did you two find me?

GRACE: We’re retracing Evie’s steps by backtracking through her Maps history. She left her laptop in her apartment. I wrote down the last ten or so places she visited. See? Your address was in there.

NOEL: Can I see that notepad?

GRACE: Sure.

NOEL: Van Buren street… this is Alix's address. Have you been here yet?

GRACE: No. After the way Maya reacted to us, I got nervous about randomly showing up to more people’s apartments. Alix, from the food serve?

NOEL: Yeah. We're friends, and they're asking to meet up tomorrow, anyway. You can come, if you want.

GRACE: Actually, Maya, there was a big mess in Evie’s apartment. We assumed it was general chaos, but you know way more about magic than either of us. Maybe you'll see something that we didn't.

MAYA: Is her building still swarming with cops?

GRACE: I don't know, but she left her fire escape window open a little. Maybe we can sneak in that way. Worst comes to worst, I do have a key.

MAYA: We might run into your friend Hirsch, though, honestly, that may give us some answers.

GRACE: Great! I'll meet you there tomorrow, like 6:30?

MAYA: Sure.

MORGAN: Noel, I can visit Alix with you tomorrow after work.

NOEL: Great, sounds like a plan.

GRACE: You don't know how happy I am to finally have a solid plan.

MORGAN: It's getting really late. I feel like we can pick this up tomorrow.

NOEL: Definitely. Head home, we'll see you tomorrow.

[All four of them say an overlapping goodnight. Grace and Morgan exit. Door opens. Road noise fades in. They’re now on the sidewalk outside the apartment building.]

GRACE: How are you getting home?

MORGAN: I don’t know. Subway, probably.

GRACE: It’s late. I live a lot closer to here. It’s only one bus-

MORGAN: I’m okay. Sorry, I just- I want to be home.

GRACE: If you need a friend, I could come with you.

MORGAN: I want to be alone. Sorry.

GRACE: No, no, I get it! If you change your mind-

MORGAN: I have your number. Thank you, but just-

GRACE: Right, okay. Have a goodnight.

[INTRO MUSIC]

SCENE 2 - EVIE’S OLD BEDROOM (FLASHBACK)

[Flashback music cue. Door opens.]

MORGAN: Evie, I’m going to the store. Maybe the Farmer’s Market, too. Do you want anything?

[Pause.]

MORGAN: It's the last good month for summer berries. I could get you some raspberries? You love those.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: I know you’re in there. I know you hear me. I thought, maybe, it’d be easier for you to eat if I brought you something you like.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: I know, I know, shiva’s over. There’s nothing more to do. We just have to keep on going, and the going is awful. It's disgusting. It’s like dust or sweat. I can’t get it off my skin. When I go on the subway, I look around at all these people, and I think: can't they smell it on me? Isn't it all over my face? How does my body know how to buy groceries or pay the electric bill or swipe my card at the turnstile? I don't remember where it learned how to do that. I feel like a puzzle, all broken into hundreds of pieces, and all anyone can see is the box.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: What does it feel like to you?

[Pause.]

MORGAN: Evie… this thing. It's so big, I have no idea where to put it. I can’t put it in my body: it’ll consume me. So I’m holding it. I’m carrying it around with me every day, and I can’t put it down, no matter how much I want to. Just because I’m up and walking, just because I’m going outside, doesn’t mean this whole thing isn’t killing me, too. Trust me, please, when I try to help. I’m the only one who understands this in the same way you do. Please, we can carry it together.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: (with urgency) Say something to me.

[Nothing. Morgan sighs.]

MORGAN: I’ll be back in an hour. Text or call if you need anything.

[Door starts to close.]

EVIE: (weakly, like she hasn't spoken in a while) Raspberries sound nice.

MORGAN: Okay. Alright, I can do that.

SCENE 3 - MORGAN’S APARTMENT (PRESENT DAY)

[Keys turns in a locked door. Door opens and closes. Footsteps.]

MORGAN: Is it really after three? I should go to bed.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: You know what? Fuck it.

[Footsteps. Beep, beep. He preheats the oven. Morgan starts rifling through his kitchen cabinets and drawers, taking out items as he names them and putting them on the counter.]

MORGAN: Dates… dates… I know I bought dates. Butter, eggs, flour, vanilla, white sugar, brown sugar, Demerara sugar… Saucepan, baking dish… no, this is way too big.

[Click click click. He turns two gas burners on and starts boiling water.]

MORGAN: In goes the butter… now for the (straining a moment) stand mixer.

[He plops it on the counter with a dull thud.]

MORGAN: Boiling water, melting butter, where the hell did I put my measuring cups?

[More rummaging. Water keeps boiling. Gas burners lightly hiss.]

MORGAN: It’s too quiet.

[He opens the kitchen window. Faint road noise and light conversation trickles in.]

MORGAN: The one time I want noisy drunk people outside my window.

[Footsteps. Light road noise continues, another layer of noise.]

MORGAN: No, where did I put the dates?

[The package crinkles.]

MORGAN: Now, into the bowl, boiling water on top… Take a nice bath.

[The butter starts to sizzle and pop.]

MORGAN: No, the butter, stop, stop. Just… chill, okay. Here, I lowered the heat. Stay warm. I need a minute.

[Morgan types on his laptop. Lo-fi music starts playing. Another layer of noise.]

MORGAN: There, better. Now, butter, baking soda, eggs, flour, both the brown sugars… where is the salt? No, wait, this needs to go in the food processor. I wish I had bigger counters. How is anyone supposed to bake like this? Now, just dump that all in here. See, all better. Just put the dates in…

[Water pours.]

MORGAN: Bit of vanilla, now…

[Food processor whirs.]

MORGAN: No, what are you doing? The dates are way too chunky. You’ll never combine like this.

[Food processor whirs.]

MORGAN: What, are you upset? Did I not soak you long enough? Work with me, I’ve had a day, please. I don’t have that kind of time. And this isn’t helping!

[Pans clatter. Morgan types again. Lo fi music stops. Video starts.]

TECH YOUTUBER: What’s up guys! Today, I’m going to be reviewing the best mechanical keyboards of 2022.

MORGAN: Ugh, no.

[Mouse clicks. Road noise is audible in the video background.]

LEWIS WOLF: Hi, I’m Lewis Wolf, and I’ve been an architect in New York City for over three decades.

MORGAN: Okay, fine.

[Food processor whirs. Video continues under the noise.]

MORGAN: There, see? Nice and smooth, just a few specks for character. Was that so hard?

[Morgan scraps the bowl with a metal spoon.]

LEWIS WOLF: Today, we’re going to take a look at one of the most iconic parts of New York City architecture. No, it’s not the Empire State building, or the Washington Square Arch, it’s the New York City subway system.

[Oven opens and closes. Oven buttons beep.]

MORGAN: Bake for thirty minutes…

VIDEO: “Stand clear of the closing doors, please.”

MORGAN: Ha, that’s cute.

[He starts whisking.]

MORGAN: Slowly, slowly! You’ll curdle the cream like that, will you cut it out? Will all of you just calm down?

LEWIS WOLF: Another thing that makes New York City’s subway system unique from other contemporary subways systems, was that they included express tracks from the very beginning.

MORGAN: This isn’t it either. Just lower the heat a bit more…

[Mouse clicks a few times.]

LEWIS WOLF: Let’s take a look at the new 96th St station along the 2nd Ave-

JEREMY ASHFIELD: BBC News. Hello, this is Jeremy Ashfield. Vladimir Putin has once again escalated the war in Ukraine with a series of missile strikes.

[Video fades in to the background.]

MORGAN: Okay. Alright, good enough.

JEREMY ASHFIELD: The military assault, the largest in recent weeks, came at 4am this morning, Kiev local time…

[Whisking resumes.]

MORGAN: No, no! C’mon, I give you a little more sugar, and you seize on me? Here, take a bit of butter… Come on… a little cold cream, a little extra sugar, work with me, please. Stop, stop! What do you want? More fat? More liquid? I’m out of cream. I can give you milk? Will you take milk?

[Pots clatter.]

MORGAN: Dammit! I can make caramel sauce with my eyes closed. I could make it in a dorm kitchen! Why, Evie? Seriously, tell me why. God, you were so sick. Do you remember? You couldn’t walk. Sometimes, you were so still, I had to check you were still breathing. But, somehow, I figured it out. I paid our rent, I cooked for you, I got you covered under my health insurance.

[The oven beeps.]

MORGAN: Not now! I kept doing that even after you could work again. Even after you started trespassing and stealing stuff and getting drunk in the park, because I knew you were only doing that shit because you felt like you'd lost so much time. So I paid the fines. One was $250. Do you remember? For throwing rocks at cop cars. What a stupid crime. You’re just asking them to arrest you.

[He sighs. When he speaks again, his voice is quieter.]

MORGAN: Why didn’t you tell me? If you were in trouble, if you were scared, I would’ve helped you. I proved that to you. I did that for years. If you’d told me about- fuck, I don’t even know what to call all of this. How long have you known you could do... this? How long have you hidden this? If Grace hadn't called me, I'd still be sitting here, like an idiot, while you vanished into thin air. Why didn't you trust me enough to tell me? What is it about me? Why this thing, of all things, to do alone?

SCENE 4 - JUST SOUTH OF THE FINGER LAKES

[Sounds of a forest in the dead of night. Crickets chirping, owls hooting, bats chittering from tree to tree. Erie music plays. Evie mutters in her sleep. Suddenly, footsteps, growing louder. They approach her. When they finally reach her, they stop, then, a great sound, a shuddering, like a rock slide slowly settling rests beside her. The whole scene fades out.]

SCENE 5 - EVIE’S OLD BEDROOM (FLASHBACK)

[Flashback music cue.]

MORGAN: Evie, please, I can’t watch you waste away in this bed. If you’re not going to get up, please, please, just eat something.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: Do I need to stay here? Do you need me to feed you? I will, honestly, I will, if you just ask.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: I don’t want to bring a doctor in. If a doctor sees you like this, they'll commit you. Do you understand? They’ll keep you in the hospital and stick IVs and monitors in you until you eat. They’ll force you, and I won’t be there. I can’t- Please, I can’t do this day after day. Give me something. Even something small. You’ve lost so much weight, it’s killing me.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: Can we try something light? Soup, maybe. No, too hot. Applesauce? Chocolate pudding? You love chocolate pudding.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: Let me… let me just make it.

[Footsteps leave, then return.]

MORGAN: One chocolate pudding! I made it with milk too. It’s warm, but it’s not too hot. I made sure. If I just sit here on the bed...

[Morgan sits at the end of her bed.]

MORGAN: There, at least you’re looking at me now. Please take it. What more can I say? What more can I do? Evie, please, I'll do whatever you need. I just need to know what it is. I know you’d rather be at home. I know you don’t want to go to the hospital. I don’t want you there either, but I’d rather see you in the hospital alive than dead here. Do you understand me? I will not let you die in this bed.

EVIE: Please, no hospital. I can't stand the hospital.

MORGAN: Then you have to start eating. Can we start with the pudding? Here…

[He puts a bite of pudding on a teaspoon.]

MORGAN: Just one spoonful. Can you try that? If you won’t take it, would you just open your mouth? I’ll just… okay. Can I feed it to you?

[He feeds her as he speaks.]

MORGAN: Thank you. Just a few spoonfuls, alright? Get your blood sugar up. If you eat, you’ll have more energy. Then, maybe, you can stand. It’s beautiful outside. Summer’s not over yet. We could go to the park? We don’t have to walk much. I’ll bring a blanket, and we’ll find a sunny spot. We don’t have to talk. We can just lie there. The clouds are so big now. They drift so slowly across the sky, you can barely see them moving. The trees are that dark, beautiful green you love. You don’t have to be happy. I’m not expecting you to be happy. No, please, a little more.

EVIE: (noise of refusal)

MORGAN: Okay, alright. More than half the bowl. See? That’s a start. I’ll put your lunch in the fridge for you. Maybe you’ll want it for dinner.

[Footsteps.]

MORGAN: Evie, the birds are practically shouting outside. Can you hear them in here? I want you to see them while it’s still summer. Alright, hold on.

[Footsteps recede, then come back. Keychain jingles.]

MORGAN: At least take Robin Pigeon. He's not doing you any good hanging off your backpack. Will you open your hand?

[Pause.]

MORGAN: I know, I know. There are so many things in the apartment that remind me of them. I had to take down all the pictures in my room. I couldn’t stand them staring at me, like ghosts peering out of the walls, but sometimes the objects are okay. You and Mom both loved birds. Maybe she can help you find your voice again. If nothing else-

[He taps his keychain against hers.]

MORGAN: I'm here with you too, now. Pigeon and Duck. Can I open your hand, even just a bit?

[Pause.]

MORGAN: Your hands are so cold. Okay, tell you what, I'll just set Robin here beside you on the bed. If he falls, I'll grab him for you the next time I pop in. The park, anytime, any day, just let me know. Actually, anywhere you want to go, just tell me. If you want to leave this room, I’ll drop everything. Do you understand? Nothing matters to me more than this. If you won't go to the park, at least open the windows.

[He opens the curtains. Evie recoils.]

MORGAN: Okay. I'll check in again in an hour or two.

SCENE 6 - MAYA & NOEL’S APARTMENT (PRESENT DAY)

[Door opens.]

NOEL: Hi, Morgan. Sorry, we're running a little late here.

MORGAN: What’s going on?

NOEL: It’s grocery day. We’re sorting through rescued food and packing it up.

MORGAN: Why?

NOEL: To get people through the week. A lot of magical folks don't have any family ties left. They either think they're unwell or their families can't accept their magic. That means they need us, and we help make sure they can eat.

JAMES: Maya, do you think this tomato's still good?

MAYA: Uh, maybe. Is it a little firm when you press on it?

[James presses a little on the tomato. It squishes.]

JAMES: Gross! No, it’s compost.

MAYA: Ew.

[James sniffs it.]

JAMES: Definitely compost.

[He tosses the tomato into a large garbage bag. They pack paper bags as they speak.]

MORGAN: What do you mean by rescued?

NOEL: Like it was rescued from being thrown away. Most of this stuff is from grocery stores and grocery delivery warehouses. After a few days, they legally have to throw fresh food away, even if it’s still fine to eat.

MORGAN: So instead they give it to you?

JAMES: In a sense.

MAYA: Sometimes. There are some grocery stores in Brooklyn, or co-ops, that will donate the food to us if we ask.

JAMES: Or we don’t ask, and our friends that work there rescue it first. Half this stuff came from that massive supermarket near Barclays Center.

NOEL: Or we dumpster dive. But only if the food’s wrapped up, obviously.

MORGAN: Cool. What’s this list of names?

MAYA: People who need food. What else?

MORGAN: Like friends of yours?

MAYA: Some. Some are friends of friends. Some are people who just found out about grocery distro and asked to be added. Some are folks who come to the park on Sundays and need extra support during the week. We try to give everybody something, at least. Summer’s pretty good for that.

JAMES: Winter, not so much.

MORGAN: Can I help with anything?

JAMES: Yeah, you can start sorting that box. Anything that’s too gross to eat goes in the compost bag.

NOEL: We have about five more boxes to sort through, and then we can leave. Sorry, I didn’t expect such a good haul.

MORGAN: I'm happy to help.

JAMES: Paige and Lee need a bag.

MAYA: They aren’t on the list this week.

JAMES: Because they won’t admit that they need one, but Lee told me the bakery cut his hours in half. They’ll need a bag, whether they think they will or not.

MAYA: One or two?

JAMES: One for the both of them. I think they’d return a second bag.

NOEL: I wish they’d feel more comfortable asking us for help.

MORGAN: Is it a pride thing?

JAMES: No, I don’t think so. I think they just feel like they can make it work without the help. They don’t want to take a bag from someone else who “needs it more.”

MAYA: We’re not a charity. We’re doing mutual aid. They know that.

NOEL: There’s a big difference between knowing something and believing something.

MORGAN: Did Evie do this with you guys?

NOEL: Yeah, she did, though she preferred delivering the bags. She liked to see everyone face to face, so she could get a sense of how they were actually doing. Like, if they needed more help than they were letting on.

JAMES: I’m the only one with a car. She used to talk my ear off.

MORGAN: About what?

JAMES: Lots of things. About mutual aid, work, school, local politics and international politics and whatever book she was reading at the time. She wanted to plan distro parties. She wanted to grow our reach. She was so sure there were other groups of magical people doing mutual aid in Philly, Jersey City, Newark. I don’t know how far she got with that, though, before- before she vanished.

NOEL: Morgan, you alright?

MORGAN: Yeah, yeah. Sorry, it's just- it's been years since I saw Evie that excited about anything. It’s a lot to take in. It’s great! It’s how she used to be, but- yeah, anyway, this whole thing is just a lot to process.

MAYA: I'm sure. Morgan, we’re going to find her.

MORGAN: I know.

NOEL: Maybe it’s time for us to head over to Alix’s. We were supposed to leave a half hour ago.

JAMES: Take their groceries with you.

NOEL: Will do.

MAYA: Thanks for the help, Morgan.

MORGAN: Yeah, of course, anytime. I mean that, anytime.

JAMES: Don’t tell her that. She’ll hold you to it.

MORGAN: Good, I hope she does.

SCENE 7 - ALIX’S APARTMENT

[Road noise. Morgan and Noel walk down the sidewalk as they talk.]

MORGAN: So this friend we’re visiting, Alix, are they another… person like Maya and Evie?

NOEL: You’re not really supposed to ask.

MORGAN: (flustered) Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't-

NOEL: Kidding! Kidding, sorry. Well, kidding a bit. You can ask if you want, since I can vouch for you. But they might not answer.

MORGAN: Why?

NOEL: Every additional person who knows puts them in more danger. Someone could say the wrong thing in the wrong bar and, suddenly, there’s an agent at your door.

MORGAN: Like Detective Hirsch?

NOEL: Hopefully not.

MORGAN: Then what?

NOEL: Let's hope it's not relevant.

MORGAN: Is anyone going to give me a straight answer about anything?

NOEL: When I have one, I'll let you know.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: The way that James described Evie: passionate and energetic and too righteous to see any danger, is that how you knew her?

NOEL: Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. You know, it's okay to be upset that she didn't tell you.

MORGAN: Yeah, I know. This is the biggest secret she's kept from me, but it definitely isn't the first. Every time I catch her in a lie, I think the next lie will hurt less. Like I'll build up a tolerance to it, and it never does. I just keep guessing at why she lied until my head hurts.

NOEL: Do you have any theories now?

MORGAN: A few.

NOEL: What are they?

MORGAN: When I figure out the right one, I'll let you know.

[They share a chuckle just as they stop in front of an apartment building.]

NOEL: Here we are.

[Buzzer sound.]

ALIX: (over the intercom) Who is it?

NOEL: It’s Noel and a friend.

[Alix buzzes them in. The apartment door opens. Fade out. We skip ahead to Alix letting Morgan and Noel into their apartment.]

ALIX: Hi! I don’t think we’ve met before. I’m Alix.

MORGAN: I'm Morgan, Evie’s brother.

ALIX: Evie’s brother?

NOEL: Yeah. We were surprised too.

[Footsteps.]

ALIX: Sorry for the low lighting. Bright lights still give me a nasty headache. I got a concussion a few weeks ago. Not “permanent brain damage” bad but still “was unconscious for hours” bad.

MORGAN: I’m sorry.

ALIX: Thanks.

MORGAN: Do you speak Russian? You have all these Russian posters.

ALIX: No, I just like collecting agitprop. I know what most of these say, though. A lot of “support your fellow workers” and “destroy the evil, wealth-hoarding capitalists.” The “step up and serve the Motherland” ones are a bit too nationalist for me, even if the space race ones are pretty cool.

NOEL: Is this one new? Between these and the movie posters, you’re going to run out of wall space.

ALIX: Yeah! It’s from an indigenous women’s co-op in Ecuador. Totally fair trade coffee. They’ll even ship to the States.

MORGAN: Is it any good?

ALIX: I think so, and it got me off of Red Bull, so that’s something.

NOEL: Hey, Alix, I’d love to just hang out, but we actually came here for a reason. Have you heard from Evie recently?

ALIX: Like in the last week? No. James mentioned something about this at last Sunday’s serve. Is she okay?

MORGAN: That’s what we’re trying to figure out. Do you remember the last time you spoke with her?

ALIX: Not really. Probably… two weeks ago? She came by to see how I was doing. Has anyone heard from her?

MORGAN: No. She no-showed at both of her jobs, and when I went to her apartment, she was gone. The whole place looked ransacked.

NOEL: Maya and I haven’t heard from her either. Lee and Paige both tried to reach out to her on Signal and got nothing. She hasn’t even read the messages.

[Alix sits down on the couch.]

ALIX: Dammit. This isn’t good.

[Noel sits down next to them.]

NOEL: Alix, is there anything you can think of that might be related? It looks like Evie came by your apartment really close to when she vanished. Anything might be helpful.

ALIX: She’s going to kill me. If she isn’t already-

MORGAN: What are you talking about?

[Alix sighs.]

NOEL: It's another Hansen thing, isn't it?

ALIX: Yeah.

MORGAN: Who?

ALIX: Hansen Securities.

NOEL: Remember how Maya said we could deal with the FBI? Hansen’s the real threat. Private security and investigation firm backed with Defense money.

ALIX: Just call them what they are! They’re mercenaries. Attack dogs for the State with even less oversight than feds, and that’s saying a lot. They’re who you call if you want a protest broken up and you don’t care who gets hurt.

NOEL: They specialize in magical cases. If a person with magic messes with your life, whether you're a government official or a private business, Hansen promises to handle it quickly and discretely.

ALIX: The worst part is that they're good at what they do. Ever since Hansen realized there was money to be made here, a lot of money, we've been harassed, monitored, you name it. Friends of mine, good people, have had to leave New York because of it.

MORGAN: What do they want with Evie?

ALIX: I should say, it’s not Evie personally. It’s anyone who can do magic.

NOEL: I know lots of folks in Brooklyn who can do magic, and they’re all accounted for except for Evie. Alix, please, just tell us what you know.

ALIX: Morgan, to catch you up: a few weeks ago, a man came to my door. He claimed he was a cop on the city's computer crimes squad. He showed me a warrant to seize my computer and hard drive. I asked to see his badge too, and it looked pretty legit, but I can also fake IDs. It's not too hard.

MORGAN: What was the pretext for seizing your stuff? Did he even give you a reason?

ALIX: Yeah, he made some vague comment about hacking and, for what it's worth, I do do a fair bit of hacking, but I'm not out here setting up phishing websites and scamming old people. Recently, the most I've done is quietly take down photos or videos of people doing magic. Anyone we know is pretty coy about public magic, but there's still, like, eight million people in this city, and all of them have phone cameras.

[As Alix continues telling their story, sounds of a fight fade in. They match up to when Alix describes them.]

ALIX: Anyway, I told the guy I wanted to call and verify his badge number. That's when he forced his way in. I froze. I needed a partner to do any magic powerful enough to defend myself, and besides, if this guy turned out to be Hansen, and now I'm sure he was, doing magic against him is legal justification for taking me in. When he pushed past me to grab my computer, he shoved me so hard, I hit the wall headfirst. I was dazed, but still on my feet, so I tried to grab him. He was too fast. He shoved me again, this time with his shoulder, I think? I went down and didn't get up again.

[Sound effects fade.]

ALIX: When I woke up a few hours later, I had the worst headache of my life. I called Noel and James, and they brought me to the hospital. (sigh) My computer has a kill switch controlled by my phone. It wipes the whole hard drive the minute the computer next connects to the Internet, and still, I have no idea how much data that guy was able to copy in the few hours I was out.

MORGAN: What do you think he was after?

ALIX: I wasn't sure, but now that Evie's missing, I think I know. A few months ago, I started combing through unencrypted servers and satellite data. I do that periodically, just to see what I can find. Evie really believed we were screwing ourselves by not being proactive about Hansen.

NOEL: I remember this. She tried to convince me, Maya, and James that we should go on the offensive. Get rid of the Hansen problem for good.

ALIX: She tried to convince me too.

MORGAN: What did you tell her?

NOEL: That it was a terrible idea. We're not a militia like they are. People could die. They have more guns and more manpower than us.

MORGAN: I'm sure she hated that.

NOEL: Yeah, she did.

ALIX: But she wasn't totally wrong, either. We couldn't overpower them, sure, but we might not have to. If they're careless with their data, we'd be stupid not to look for it. Hansen is constantly moving around. We assume they have permanent offices or bases, but we could never find them. Then, we got what we were waiting for. I found the Fitbit data of two of their security guys. (chuckle) Dumbasses didn’t turn off their location tracking. They went to several different rural locations in upstate New York. Evie and I thought they might be visiting remote offices or something. The biggest news, though was we think we found a base, a real permanent base, up near Rochester. There was enough data to guess at the dimensions of the building, the floors, the grounds, based on where these guys did their runs. The data was a few months out of date, but way better than anything I've ever found.

NOEL: Alix, do you think Evie went after those safe houses on her own?

ALIX: Yeah, I do. (sigh) I really thought I talked her out of it, but after that Hansen asshole gave me a concussion, she wouldn't hear it anymore. And now she's gone.

NOEL: Why wouldn't she say anything?

MORGAN: She didn't want you to stop her.

[Pause.]

NOEL: Alix, you have offsite backups of the stuff you wiped, right?

ALIX: Duh.

NOEL: Could you restore it to a different computer? Then, at least, we’d know where she went.

ALIX: Probably, if I can find one secure enough.

MORGAN: I have one. I mostly do IT and cybersecurity now, but I used to do some hacking, too. Mostly taking down neo-Nazi forums and stuff.

ALIX: No way! So did I. What did you go by?

MORGAN: Um, it makes less sense spoken out loud. I just- I wrote a program to generate random strings until I saw one I liked.

ALIX: Did people call you Nix for short?

MORGAN: How did you-

ALIX: You're okay. Dude, holy shit, you're okay. I can't believe it. And your Evie's brother? Damn, the world is so small.

MORGAN: ...Zeph?

ALIX: Yeah.

MORGAN: Woah.

NOEL: How long have you two known each other?

ALIX: Years, apparently.

NOEL: Do you trust him? Can you vouch for him?

ALIX: Fuck yeah I can. This guy’s had my back whether we were up against bigots or feds.

NOEL: Good. Morgan, that’ll go a long way with Maya.

ALIX: Oh, we can totally restore the backups to your computer, then. And see if Hansen’s leaked any more info since the cop came by. It might give us a clearer picture of where Evie is right now.

MORGAN: Wait a minute, Zeph, what did the cop look like?

ALIX: Um, I don’t quite remember, but he wasn’t wearing a uniform. He had a gun though.

MORGAN: Around 6ft tall, medium brown hair, graying at the temples. He stands like he has military training, and talks to you like he’s trying to soothe a wild animal?

ALIX: Yeah. That’s pretty on the nose.

MORGAN: Noel, that sounds just like fake-detective Hirsch.

NOEL: I was afraid of that. I'll call Maya. We have to let her and Grace know who Hirsch really is. Alix, thank you so much. It may not feel like it, but you did the right thing.

ALIX: Thanks. I hope it’s not too late.

SCENE 8 - MORGAN & EVIE’S APARTMENT (FLASHBACK)

[Flashback music cue. Morgan’s folding laundry throughout this phone call.]

MORGAN: I don’t need medical advice. I just want your opinion, as a medical professional-

JOSEPH: (on the phone) Morgan, I haven’t even finished my residency.

MORGAN: You know more about medicine than I do! Dude, she’s not eating. She can barely talk. I go in there at least three times a day to bring her meals, and sometimes, she's in the same position I left her in. She hasn’t gotten out of bed in a month. What’s going to happen to her muscles?

JOSEPH: I don't know. I can’t diagnose someone over the phone.

MORGAN: I just need ideas. I've tried everything I can think of. I’m working from home, so at least there’s still money coming in, but I can’t watch her 24/7. If she’s hurt or needs help, I’m not sure she's strong enough to even yell across the apartment. Every time I touch her hands, they’re ice cold. She’s dehydrated, she’s getting thinner every day, and there’s nothing I’ve been able to do to stop it.

JOSEPH: Doesn’t she have anyone you can call? Her primary care doctor? A therapist or psychiatrist, if- if she has one?

MORGAN: It won’t work. They’ll try to force her into in-patient treatment.

JOSEPH: If you think every doctor you know would 5150 her, then that’s probably your answer.

MORGAN: I’m not going to do that! She’s not crazy. She’s just grieving. They’ll separate her from me. They’ll treat her like she’s insane. Right now, she’s so precarious. I have to be careful.

[The audio shifts as we move into Evie’s bedroom. It’s quieter, muffled through the door.]

JOSEPH: You live in a city with amazing doctors. You can find one who’s empathetic, who’ll listen to you.

MORGAN: Even if they listen to me, I know they'll insist on committing her. They’ll take away her phone and internet access, and she’ll be isolated from me. That's the worst possible thing. I’m the only one who really understands what she’s going through.

JOSEPH: There’s a long walk between that kind of facility and a 72-hour hold.

MORGAN: I told you, it's not an option. I’m not going to talk about this anymore. I didn’t call you so you could convince me to lock her up.

[Evie clears her throat. It sounds like she hasn’t spoken in a while.]

EVIE: Hello? Hello, hello, hello.

[She sighs. Clinking as she fiddles with the Robin Pigeon keychain.]

EVIE: They’re going to lock me up, Robin. They’ll put me in a gilded cage and tell me it's good for me. Like magic, I'll be better. I don’t think Morgan can hold them back any longer. (chuckle, cough) Robin Pigeon. What a dumb joke.

[Footsteps, door opens.]

MORGAN: How're you feeling?

EVIE: The same.

MORGAN: Well, here's everything of yours that was in the laundry. I'll just put it at the end of the bed. (rustling) You barely touched your lunch.

EVIE: I had a little.

MORGAN: Is there something you'd eat more of?

EVIE: No, eating in general makes me nauseous. Everything makes me nauseous. I heard you talking to Joseph.

MORGAN: How'd you know it was Joseph?

EVIE: You only know so many med students. (pause) Does he want you to send me away?

MORGAN: (quickly) No, and even if he did, I wouldn't listen. Is Robin helping you, at all?

EVIE: A little. It's nice to have him here.

MORGAN: Good. Here, keep talking. I'll leave the door open. I have more laundry to fold.

[Footsteps. Morgan walks back into the living room. When he speaks, his voice is a little far away.]

MORGAN: What were you thinking about when I walked in?

EVIE: Not sure. I guess, I was thinking how Robin always looks like he's just about to fly. He's always opening his wings, just ready to take off, but he never gets to do it.

MORGAN: When you clip him to your bag, he flies.

EVIE: Sort of.

MORGAN: He moves back and forth. He gets to go places. Isn't that basically flying?

EVIE: Not really. I mean fly on his own. Go where he wants to go.

[Static, a sizzle on the air. Evie’s words start to echo a little.]

EVIE: Can you imagine it? A tiny little bird, flapping his metal wings in the sun, landing on tree after tree.

MORGAN: (chuckle) He's the same size?

EVIE: Same everything, except he can fly. I like that. Isn't that a nice thought?

MORGAN: It is. Would he make any sounds?

EVIE: Of course. He'd coo, just like any other pigeon.

MORGAN: But his voice would probably be really high, because he's so small.

EVIE: Yeah, a bunch of tiny little coos.

[The doorbell rings.]

MORGAN: Oh, Evie, just one sec.

EVIE: If you were alive, you could be my friend. Did you know that there’s a whole world outside this room? Sometimes, it’s hard for me to remember what it looks like, but if you were my friend, you could tell me about it.

[Pause.]

EVIE: Morgan says my hands are so cold, but you’re warm.

ROBIN: Coo! Coo!

[The coos are tiny, just like Morgan and Evie said. Robin Pigeon, while still metallic, is alive. It flaps its wing.]

EVIE: What the- Ok, alright, maybe I am going crazy.

ROBIN: Coo, coo, coo!

[Robin takes off and starts flying around the room.]

EVIE: (laugh) Look at you, you’re flying!

ROBIN: Coo.

EVIE: Yes, that’s my bookshelf, all the way close to the ceiling.

ROBIN: Coo.

EVIE: And those are my picture frames.

ROBIN: Coo.

EVIE: Oh! Oh, be careful. That's a window.

[Robin hits the window, gently, and gives a loud, annoyed coo. He the flies to the desk.]

EVIE: Yes, that’s my desk. I can’t remember the last time I used that.

ROBIN: Coo, coo, coo!

EVIE: Maybe I’m dying. Maybe, you’re the last thing I get to see. At least you're beautiful.

ROBIN: Coo.

EVIE: At least there's that.

MORGAN: (calling from the living room) That was Mrs. Garcia with more cookies. I'll put some on a plate for you.

EVIE: Sounds good!

ROBIN: Coo!

EVIE: Robin, come back here. What if he sees you? What if he doesn’t? No, that’s worse.

ROBIN: Coo! Coo!

EVIE: Please, Robin, please! He'll walk in any second.

ROBIN: Coo, coo, coo!

EVIE: Fuck, I- I have to grab you.

[Robin Pigeon continues to coo under Evie speaking.]

EVIE: Please, Robin, I can barely walk. Here, okay, just one step. Just one foot out of bed.

[She does it.]

EVIE: Gah, my legs hurt. Please. (sigh) Just a few more steps. Foot on the floor… there. Second foot… oh, there’s no way. I can’t support my own weight, I just-

ROBIN: Coo, coo, coo!!

EVIE: Quiet! Please! Ah, fine. Let me just test… oh no, that’s unsteady. I can lean against the bed… okay, better. Shuffle, shuffle.

[Evie slowly gets to the end of the bed.]

EVIE: Just a quick hop to the desk. If I can push off the bed… get enough momentum.

[With a big oof Evie pushes herself from the bed to the desk chair.]

EVIE: There, got it!

ROBIN: Coo coo!

EVIE: Now be quiet!

[Footsteps. Morgan walks in.]

MORGAN: Evie, you’re standing! I can’t believe it, this is amazing!

EVIE: It’s hard. It hurts.

MORGAN: Yeah, of course it does. You've lain in bed for weeks. Here. Take my arm. Let’s walk you back to the bed… there, sit down.

[She sits down.]

EVIE: Why is this so hard?

MORGAN: You’ll need physical therapy, I think. I’ll call Dr. Chan’s office and get a referral for someone who can come here to help you. I don’t think you could get on the subway right now.

EVIE: Yeah, I really think that would kill me.

MORGAN: Don’t say that. This is already so much better. You’re getting so much better. We’re past the worst part, I know it. I’m so, so happy to see you moving. From the bottom of my heart, I’m so happy for you.

EVIE: Uh… thanks.

MORGAN: Here, one cookie to celebrate. Please? Don't you feel like celebrating?

EVIE: Not really.

MORGAN: Okay, no worries. Step by step. I'll leave the cookies here in case you change your mind. Can I give you a hug?

EVIE: Sure.

[He does.]

MORGAN: Call if you need anything. Anything. I love you. I’ll bring dinner in a few hours.

[Footsteps. Door closes.]

EVIE: (whispered) Robin, are you still here?

[Pause.]

EVIE: Back to the way you were. Did any of that… no, we're not going there.

[There is more power in her voice than we’ve heard all episode.]

EVIE: I’m not crazy. I know I’m not crazy. You flew. I saw you. I saw you. I don’t know how, but you flew around my room. I know that's true, and I'll make sure you do it again.

[Outro music.]

REMY: The Artisan Who Made Me is written and produced by Remy Davison and directed by Sydney Roslin. This episode featured Bryce Payne as Maya, Ria Meer as Grace, Alexander Michael Reeves as Noel, Yaya Koas as Morgan, Chaia Alyss as Evie, R. Jahan as James, and Alyssa Cassese as Alix. Music by Jordan Speranzo, and audio production by Raphael Davison. For more information, transcripts, and to support our show, visit bottledstarproductions.com. “The Artisan Who Made Me” is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council.