SCENE 1 - MORGAN & EVIE’S APARTMENT (FLASHBACK)

[Flashback music cue.]

MORGAN: If you leave for more than a day or two, you need to tell me.

EVIE: No, I don't. You know I take weekend trips, that's enough.

MORGAN: It's not just on weekends.

EVIE: In a metaphorical sense.

MORGAN: Why won't you take this seriously? What if you have an emergency? How am I supposed to tell the difference between that and a “weekend trip,” especially if I don't know where you went?

EVIE: You might not, but other people do.

MORGAN: What, your friends?

EVIE: What do you mean by that?

MORGAN: I’ve never met them. Not even in passing, I never see them around when you need help-

EVIE: How would you know! You just said you never met them.

MORGAN: It's weird that I haven't.

EVIE: No! It's not! I won't let you meet them because you're a control freak and you're never happy and you'd probably yell at me when they were over! It's fucking embarrassing.

MORGAN: Excuse me if I'm a little stressed providing for you and paying for your college while you run off with people I don't know-

EVIE: Keep your money if it means you’ll stay out of my life.

MORGAN: We live together! I can’t avoid being in your life!

EVIE: Well I’m so sorry I’m so awful and I make you so crazy.

MORGAN: I didn’t say that.

EVIE: You didn’t have to. It’s all over your face. You hate me. I spend all your money. I take up all your time. You lose sleep worrying over me. You know what? I'm just going to lock myself in my room you always know where I am and you're never stressed out.

[Footsteps.]

MORGAN: Evie, we’re not done here.

EVIE: I am.

[Door slams.]

[INTRO MUSIC]

SCENE 2 - THE CABIN (PRESENT DAY)

[Footsteps. She rummages around as she talks.]

EVIE: (groan) There's so many more bookshelves to search through. Bookshelves full of nothing, too. (reading) C++ for Dummies, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul… Twenty back issues of Reader’s Digest. It's like they robbed a doctor's office.

[Laptop boots up. Footsteps. Rummaging.]

EVIE: Password list… password list… Cody Evans. Are you someone who reuses their password?

[Typing. She tries a few different passwords and gets an error sound each time.]

EVIE: Okay, okay, don't lock me out. Umm…

[Rustling.]

EVIE: Cody Evans could be one person, but I bet they're an alias for multiple people. And if multiple people use this laptop, there’d be a sticky note or something. Maybe under the mouse pad… Ha! "The easiest exploit is human error."

[Pause.]

EVIE: (quieter) Thanks, Morgan.

[Typing. Laptop unlocks. Typing and clicking continue sporadically underneath this dialogue.]

EVIE: Okay Hansen, what do you know? A folder called “Brooklyn” can't be good.

[Pause.]

EVIE: Oh no. Oh no. This is really bad. How did they get photos of us in the park without anyone noticing? They know what clubs we go to, what parties we throw. Noel working at his favorite cafe- Bases? We don't have bases.

[Click.]

EVIE: Holy shit. That's Maya and Noel's building. Alix's building. Lee and Paige's building, and they just moved a few months ago. Who is taking these? Why didn't we notice? What do they want?

[Pause.]

EVIE: Maybe nothing. Maybe they're watching us just in case we ever become a problem. Okay, Cody Evans, what's in your search history? Where's that ethernet cable?

[Rustling. Evie plugs the cable in. Click.]

EVIE: (chuckle) You think they'd tell their people to wipe their browser history. Okay... Dropbox, Maps, YouTube? Is the Dropbox password saved to their browser? (small laugh) Sure is. That's ridiculous.

[A few more clicks.]

EVIE: Are there any recent files uploaded to the Brooklyn folder...

[Click.]

EVIE: That's my apartment. The actual inside of my apartment. What the fuck? Who was in my apartment?

[Rapid clicking.]

EVIE: Computers? They backed up my laptop. They have a full rip of my laptop. And Alix's... but they didn't get everything before Noel nuked it.

[Evie pushes back from the desk. The desk chair rolls a little.]

EVIE: I'm here looking for lists of names, confirmed magical people, and they have our addresses. Our texts. With me and Alix combined, they could probably sketch our network from Philly to Boston. God, they were laughing at us! We tried to be so careful, we really thought we stayed out of their view, and Hansen was laughing at us from their cop cars and their black vans. We didn't hide shit! They were just leaving us alone!

[Evie yells and shoves a large stack of books off the desk. Outside, the golem makes a loud, distressed sound.]

EVIE: No no no, false alarm.

[Rapid footsteps. Evie runs outside.]

EVIE: It's okay, it's okay. I'm fine. I'm just upset. I made that loud noise. See? Everything's okay. Everyone's safe.

[The golem settles down.]

EVIE: It's still so amazing that you can understand me.

[Evie lies down on the porch.]

EVIE: (to herself) What do I do? I could delete all the files, but Hansen would just restore them from another backup.

[She turns to the golem.]

EVIE: Do you miss home? Can you? I guess, it's my home, not yours. Right now, you're the size of a brownstone. Where would I even put you?

[Pause.]

EVIE: I need a new plan. Maybe I could call- no, all I'd get was “why did you go off on your own, Evie? Why did you put yourself in so much stupid danger?” If I don't have something to show for this, no one's ever gonna let me live this down. Even though I was right: hiding isn't keeping us safe. That's more clear now than it's ever been.

SCENE 3 - MIDNIGHT COFFEE

[Ambient coffee shop sounds: hissing steam wands, indiscernible conversation, coffee grinding.]

MAYA: (quietly) Maybe she's not coming.

GRACE: It hasn't been that long.

[Then, ding, the entry bell chimes.]

GRACE: Good luck.

[Footsteps. Maya walks over to her.]

DARIA: Hi.

MAYA: Hi.

DARIA: Do you want to sit down?

MAYA: Yeah, uh, sure.

[They each pull out a chair and sit down.]

DARIA: How are you doing?

MAYA: Okay. Uh, I’ve been okay.

DARIA: That’s good. How long have you been in the city?

MAYA: Twelve years.

DARIA: So you moved soon after- after you graduated.

MAYA: Yeah. I figured it out.

DARIA: To Bed-Stuy?

MAYA: Yeah.

DARIA: Do you like it?

MAYA: I do, yeah.

DARIA: I like Bed-Stuy. I- I don’t live here. I moved to Ridgewood like five years ago, but I have a lot of friends in Bed-Stuy.

[Pause.]

DARIA: I heard you’re still DJing and making music. That’s awesome.

MAYA: How did you hear that?

DARIA: Instagram. It recommended me one of your posts. I guess we have mutual friends. That’s what got me thinking about you. Thinking about wanting to reconnect.

MAYA: Yeah. Yeah. Hey, not to be mean, but why now? It’s been ages and I’ve never run into you. It might've never happened.

[Pause.]

DARIA: (awkward laugh) I- I felt- (sigh) Maya, that’s kind of a hard one.

MAYA: Why?

DARIA: Because sometimes you just don’t know. Sometimes, one day, the whole thing hurts a lot less, and you see your friend pop up on your feed, and you think “damn, I didn’t realize how much I missed Maya. Let me try reaching out to her.”

MAYA: Just like that?

DARIA: I don’t see why it can’t be just like that.

MAYA: Because you accused me of letting one of our best friends die. He was family to me.

DARIA: To both of us.

MAYA: Then you should’ve known that was a fucked up thing to say.

[Pause.]

DARIA: Okay, I didn’t want to get into this here.

MAYA: We can't go forward without talking about this.

DARIA: This isn’t the place.

MAYA: It’s as good a place as any.

DARIA: I don’t really know what you want from me.

MAYA: I don’t know, maybe an apology? An explanation, an acknowledgement, something. We can’t pretend that never happened. I won’t.

DARIA: How was I supposed to react?

[Daria quiets her voice a little.]

DARIA: The day after Zuri’s party, people were blowing up my phone. “Michael didn't come to work today.” “Are you with Michael?” “Where’s Michael?” So I called you, and nobody picked up. Then Zuri and I found out you were in the hospital, and we were freaked out and worried and everything, obviously, but a little part of me was also relieved, because you and Michael left the party together, so you were in the hospital together. We found him. But then I walked into that hospital room, and you were alone. So I hugged you and I kissed you and I asked you, “Maya, what room is Michael in?”

MAYA: I just started crying.

DARIA: Yeah. And then I started crying, and then Zuri, because the sadness hit first. I had just enough time to think, “why am I crying?” before I realized that-

[Pause, as if she’s trying to keep from crying.]

DARIA: That he’s not here because he’s dead. But I can't even process that, because then you told me that you have crazy superpowers, and I think you're coming apart, so I hugged you even tighter, and told you that "it’s okay, it’s okay, this is a lot, it’s so much, I’m surprised I’m still standing. But you insisted. You asked me if I could imagine the pen on your bedside table floating, and I didn't really get it, but my world had just fallen apart, so who knows? Maybe in this new world, pens float. And it did. (disbelieving laugh) It floated straight off the table, and I’m still standing there, and still hugging you, and the only thing I know now is that one of my best friends is dead, and another one is telling me that she can do miracles, but when I look around me, he’s still dead.

MAYA: I didn’t crash that bike, Daria. I didn’t make Michael drive home high. I’ve already done this, over and over and over. If I’d drank a little less, if we hadn’t let him leave, if we’d taken his keys. I wish I could’ve saved him. I wanted to save him.

[Pause.]

DARIA: I couldn’t stand seeing you in that hospital room without him. The magic stuff was just one thing too many.

MAYA: (quietly) None of you could. And so you all had each other to grieve with, and I didn’t have any of you.

[Pause.]

DARIA: I’m sorry you were alone. You shouldn’t have had to deal with this alone.

MAYA: I know.

[Pause.]

MAYA: Thank you.

DARIA: I miss you. I don’t think I knew how much I missed you until I walked in and saw you.

MAYA: I missed you too.

DARIA: What have you been doing, besides DJing? Are you still, um, (under her breath) doing magic stuff?

[Maya coughs to cover Daria.]

MAYA: Yes, but that’s not for here.

DARIA: Right, of course.

MAYA: I do remote data entry, and I DJ, and I help out my friends when they’re in need.

DARIA: I’m glad you have them.

MAYA: Yeah, me too.

[Pause.]

MAYA: Actually, if you want, you could meet some of them. I have a show tomorrow night.

DARIA: Yeah, sure. Sounds fun. Okay, uh, I'm going to get some coffee.

[She pushes her chair out. Footsteps fade as she walks away.]

SCENE 4 - THE LIBRARY

[Writing, sound of flipping pages.]

GRACE: (to herself) Prominent historic homes wouldn't work. Anything that would attract tourists is a no-go... If I needed to bury a historic location while still protecting it legally, where would I put the paperwork? Okay, basics first. The cabin Evie and Alix found is a historical site. Is it in the Parks Department database?

[Typing.]

GRACE: No. Okay, that makes sense. Hansen wouldn't want the sites discoverable by just anyone. But then, how are they designated historical sites in the first place?

[Footsteps.]

GRACE: Hi! Quick question. I'm looking for Parks Department records, specifically, applications for historical site designations submitted in the last twenty years.

LIBRARIAN: Hmm. Anything not online would probably be in the Government Document archives downstairs. Most of it is federal, but there might be something in there specific to New York State. Do you want me to show you?

GRACE: That'd be great, thank you.

[Two pairs of footsteps.]

GRACE: There's so many binders.

LIBRARIAN: Now, don't get intimidated. The catalogue system is pretty good. Besides, the most important records are already digitized, so I suggest you start there. Are you familiar with microfilm?

GRACE: Yes! I’m an archival student at Queens College.

LIBRARIAN: Oh! That's wonderful. Then you should have no trouble. Please let me know if you need more help.

[Footsteps.]

GRACE: Right, back to work.

[Time passes. Grace jumps ahead a few slides on the microfilm viewer, but one gets stuck. She tries a few times to eject it with no luck.]

ANNOUNCER: (on intercom) The library will be closing in fifteen minutes. Please return all materials to the front desk and wrap up your work. Again, the library will be closing in fifteen minutes.

[She slams down harder on the eject, but no dice. She hits the side of the machine. Nothing. She hits it harder.]

GRACE: C’mon. Eject! Eject! Please eject! Ah, great, of course.

LIBRARIAN: Is everything alright?

GRACE: The microfilm viewer ate one of the cards. I still have a few more to go through.

LIBRARIAN: These things act up all the time. Let me take a look.

[She tries it. It doesn’t help.]

LIBRARIAN: (sigh) My eyes aren't good enough for this. Why don't you try, and I can walk you through what I do. Sometimes, if I toggle that dial back and forth, it shakes the card right out of the machine.

[Grace tries that.]

GRACE: It's not working.

LIBRARIAN: Oh, give it a little shake, too. I won't tell.

[Grace does, nothing. Sound of Grace struggling.]

LIBRARIAN: These damn things.

[Static, like a sizzle on the air.]

GRACE: I wish there was some kind of auto eject. Like, I could just hit a button, and the card would shoot right out.

LIBRARIAN: Wouldn't that be nice?

[Shink! The card slides out of the machine and shoots a few feet behind the two of them. Static stops.]

LIBRARIAN: (small laugh) Clearly, someone was listening to you. Now, it's really time to leave. If you want, I can set these aside so you can finish going through them tomorrow.

GRACE: Uh, yeah. Thanks.

[Footsteps.]

GRACE: No. No, that's crazy. You were just messing with the machine. It was inevitable that it would come flying out. I haven't been sleeping enough. I'm over worked.

[Grace starts gathering her things.]

ANNOUNCER: (on intercom) The library will be closing in ten minutes. Please make your way to the front, thank you. The library will be closing in ten minutes.

SCENE 5 - MORGAN’S APARTMENT

[Front door opens and closes.]

ALIX: (from down the hall) I’m here!

MORGAN: I’m in my room!

[Footsteps.]

ALIX: Anything new?

[Typing.]

MORGAN: All quiet. Figured I’d get some work done while we wait.

ALIX: What do you do?

MORGAN: Remote IT, y'know, managing company hardware, telling people to restart their devices, stuff like that.

ALIX: I got bagels.

MORGAN: You're the best. There are plates in the kitchen cabinet above the sink.

[Alix’s footsteps recede and then return as they grab the plates. Typing. A few mouse clicks. They set one down in front of Morgan.]

ALIX: Here you go.

MORGAN: Thanks.

[Typing.]

ALIX: Oh, kill me.

MORGAN: I know. It’s so boring, but it pays.

ALIX: You’re way overqualified for this.

MORGAN: Don’t you have a concussion? You shouldn’t be looking at so many screens.

ALIX: It’s been a few weeks. It probably doesn’t matter anymore.

MORGAN: I don’t know if that’s true.

ALIX: It's my head, and I think it is.

[Alix relents, however, and flops down onto Morgan’s bed.]

ALIX: (groan) I miss my computer so much.

MORGAN: Oh yeah. I’d lose it if my whole desktop got confiscated.

ALIX: They gave me a receipt. Allegedly, the cops are going to give it back.

MORGAN: They’ve probably already sold it.

ALIX: Probably.

[Typing.]

MORGAN: Not that I don’t like having you here, but you don’t have to come over every day. It's a lot of time on the train.

ALIX: It’s better than being alone in my apartment, sitting in the dark. I was starting to lose my mind.

[Mouse clicks.]

ALIX: Why did you disappear?

MORGAN: Huh?

ALIX: A few years ago. You told us that your sister was getting sick and you were going to be less online, which like, fair. (chuckle) But after a few months, like, a week after our final voice call, you just vanished. You never even said goodbye.

MORGAN: I couldn’t. I didn’t know how. I couldn’t handle the risk. I didn’t want the FBI banging my door down.

ALIX: You never seemed worried about that before.

MORGAN: Yeah, before my parents died.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: Suddenly, I was the only real family Evie had. If I got arrested, or put on some list that made it hard for me to get a job, she’d have nobody. She didn’t just get sick, dude, she got really sick. The light in her eyes just went… out. That accident sucked the life out of her. If I went to prison… I was so sure she was going to die.

[Pause.]

ALIX: (quieter) I’m sorry. I wish you’d told us. We could’ve helped.

MORGAN: How? I didn’t know where any of you lived. You didn’t even know my real name.

ALIX: If you’d asked, we would’ve found a way to help. Sent you money. Ordered you food. I mean, we were already there for you, listening to you, reminding you to chill the fuck out and play League with us once in a while. We were all down to support you in any way we could.

MORGAN: Honestly, I never thought about asking. It was always her. I did what I needed to do to make sure she got better. I didn’t want to tell anyone. I didn’t want to embarrass her, and now- fuck, I hate the summer.

ALIX: Why?

MORGAN: Because the anniversary is coming up: August 12th. Five years. The whole summer just makes me uneasy, now. Every year, it feels like the tragedies pile up. You know, I was the one who got the phone call from New Jersey Highway Patrol. The trooper kept trying to explain what happened, but all I can remember is hearing the truck driver fall apart in the background. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. God help me, I’m so sorry.”

ALIX: You could always come back now that Evie isn’t sick. I saw how excited you just got playing with what data I had backed up. You clearly miss this.

MORGAN: I still can’t go to prison. I can’t leave her alone.

ALIX: Then get good.

MORGAN: (sarcastic) Okay. Sure. Thanks.

ALIX: Seriously, keep your security tight, don't be an idiot, and, holy shit, rely on your friends. The more you try to be a hero, the faster you’ll burn yourself out and get caught.

MORGAN: Maybe. I don’t know, maybe. After we find Evie and get her back home in one piece. Then, maybe, we can talk about this.

[Pause.]

ALIX: When was the last time you spoke to her?

[Pause.]

ALIX: Is it still the night of our voice call?

[Pause.]

ALIX: (disbelieving laugh) Do they know?

MORGAN: Who?

ALIX: Maya, Noel, and the others. Do they know that you haven’t spoken to Evie in three years?

[Pause.]

MORGAN: No. They could figure it out. She never mentioned me to any of you guys.

ALIX: They think she did it to protect you.

MORGAN: That could be true.

ALIX: It’s not the whole truth, though. Is this why you’ve been so cagey?

MORGAN: I haven't been cagey.

ALIX: Oh, you definitely have. I'm getting a panic attack just looking at you.

MORGAN: I’m not that bad.

ALIX: (sigh) I had no idea. I’ve known this girl for years, and the whole time she was your sister. It actually makes a lot of sense. It fills in all the gaps.

MORGAN: What do you mean?

ALIX: Well, she wasn’t exactly open about her past. That's common, though. A lot of magical people find us at their lowest. They don’t like to talk about their history, and as long as they’re chill now, none of us really care. We all have shit we want to hide.

MORGAN: I don’t love that I'm shit she wants to hide.

ALIX: I've thought about that night a lot. I kept wondering if you were okay. I figured you needed space, to process or whatever, but you never came back. I didn’t have another way to contact you. When I realized it was you, it was almost spooky, like it was too fantastic to be real.

MORGAN: I’m sorry. I guess that was pretty scary.

ALIX: Yeah, it was. But I’m glad you’re alright. That's the most important thing, and soon, hopefully, we’ll both be glad that Evie’s alright, too.

SCENE 6 - MORGAN & EVIE’S APARTMENT (FLASHBACK)

[Flashback music cue. Typing.]

MORGAN: Evie? When you get a minute, could you forward me the bills from your physical therapy?

EVIE: Hmm?

MORGAN: The co-pays for your physical therapy. I need the statements for our taxes. We get a refund on some of our medical expenses because we have no money and you're legally my dependent.

EVIE: Since when?

MORGAN: Since I started paying for rent and tuition and food and everything else. That's all a dependent means. It's just a tax thing to max out my refund. Don't freak out about it.

EVIE: I wasn't going to.

MORGAN: Okay, sorry. Anyway, could you send me a copy of those bills? Or the receipts?

EVIE: I don't have any of that.

MORGAN: You should have copies on your online portal. I don't know your login. Could you download them and send them to me?

EVIE: Fine. I'll do it later.

MORGAN: Please do it now.

EVIE: Why?

MORGAN: Because I don't want to keep asking for it later, and I want to finish filing our taxes this week.

EVIE: I can't do it now.

MORGAN: Why?

EVIE: Because I can't.

MORGAN: That's not an answer.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: Evie. Evie, why can't you?

EVIE: I'm in the middle of something.

MORGAN: It'll take two minutes. If you just did it when I asked the first time, we’d be done by now.

EVIE: Morgan, drop it.

MORGAN: You know what I think?

EVIE: I'm sure you'll tell me.

MORGAN: I think you won't forward them to me because you stopped going to physical therapy months ago.

EVIE: Excuse me?

MORGAN: You stopped going to physical therapy, but you let me keep giving you money for co-pays.

EVIE: And what am I spending it on? Where is it going?

MORGAN: To your friends. You're buying them snacks and water bottles and socks and lots of other stuff at the dollar store.

EVIE: Where is this coming from?

MORGAN: Yes or no? Are you going to admit it or lie to me?

EVIE: What's the matter with you?

MORGAN: Evie, stop. It's over. I know. I'm not giving you any more money for PT. You clearly don't need it.

[Pause.]

EVIE: I need it for other stuff. It was easier not to mention it.

MORGAN: You need twenty lipsticks?

EVIE: How did you know all of this? Who told you?

MORGAN: Nobody told me. I figured it out.

EVIE: Did you go through my phone?

MORGAN: I didn't touch your phone.

EVIE: Don’t do that. You don’t need to touch my phone to read my texts.

[Pause.]

EVIE: Morgan, did you read my texts?

[Pause.]

EVIE: You are such an asshole.

MORGAN: I knew you were lying to me about something! I gave you so many chances to tell me the truth.

EVIE: You being suspicious doesn’t mean you can read my fucking texts!

MORGAN: When were you going to tell me you were done with PT? How much longer were you going to take my money?

EVIE: If you weren’t so controlling about where and when I go places, if you didn’t insist on knowing every single detail of my life, I wouldn’t have had to lie.

MORGAN: It’s not controlling or paranoid to want to know where you are and if you’re safe.

EVIE: If you trusted me at all you wouldn’t have to constantly check up on me.

MORGAN: Do you know how hard I work? Do you know how insulting it is to find out that you're stealing money from me after everything I've done for you?

EVIE: Maybe lying is the only way I can keep some things private! I’m entitled to some secrets! Maybe I wanted something, finally, for the first time in years, that’s mine, and only mine not ours by force.

MORGAN: What are you doing with this money that you won’t tell me?

EVIE: Are you listening to anything I say?

MORGAN: I’m not making this up out of nowhere. You’ve done illegal shit before-

EVIE: I’m done. Fuck this, I’m so over this.

[Footsteps.]

MORGAN: You can’t just get up and walk away every time we have a conversation you don’t like.

EVIE: This is not a conversation! You're fucking interrogating me! I’m done living in this apartment. I’m done with you. I’m packing up all my stuff and I’m leaving tonight.

MORGAN: Evie-

[She slams the door.]

MORGAN: Evie! Evie cut this out.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: You know what? Fine. Leave! Find your own apartment! Be as independent as you want! I’ve done nothing but take care of you and worry about you and pay for your clothes and your meds and everything else! See how far you get without me!

EVIE: (through the door) I’d rather starve than take one more cent from you. Go to hell.

MORGAN: You go to hell! You're the one leaving!

[Door slam. We time skip ahead a few hours. Discord voice call chime.]

ALIX: (like they’ve just woken up) Hey, what’s up?

MORGAN: I fucked up Zeph. God, I fucked up enormously. I’m such an idiot. It was stupid-

ALIX: Woah woah woah. Slow down. What kind of fuck up? Legal? Work?

MORGAN: Family. I crossed a line with my sister I shouldn’t have crossed, and now she’s gone, and she hates me, and I’m never going to see her again.

ALIX: You don’t know that. Okay, what happened?

MORGAN: I scraped her texts and she found out.

ALIX: Why did you do that?

MORGAN: I don’t know! I was worried. I knew she was lying to me about something, and I thought she might be in trouble and not telling me. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. Instead, I found out that she stopped going to physical therapy ages ago. She's been stealing my money to buy stupid stuff for her and her friends. It's hundreds of dollars and months of lying.

ALIX: And you confronted her?

MORGAN: I had to! Once I knew, I had to know what she was hiding.

ALIX: It could be nothing. She might just be embarrassed.

MORGAN: Yeah, maybe. But when I found that out… dude, I just saw red. The only thing I could think was: imagine what I could've done with that money. Paid bills, the rent, fuck, maybe I want to buy something for me, for a change. I took it out on her. I took it so personally. I fucked up. God, I fucked up.

ALIX: I’m assuming she realized you scraped her phone?

MORGAN: Yeah. It was a massive fight. She packed up everything but her furniture and left.

ALIX: When?

MORGAN: Like an hour ago.

ALIX: (sigh) She may just crash with a friend and come back in a few days.

MORGAN: (quieter) No, not this time. You didn't see how angry she was. She’s gone. I lost her. She’s my only fucking family and I screwed up so bad that I lost her.

[Pause.]

ALIX: You could always apologize.

MORGAN: Huh?

ALIX: For scraping her texts. Maybe she’ll come back if you apologize.

MORGAN: I can’t do that.

ALIX: Why?

MORGAN: Because what she did isn't okay, and she wouldn't even admit that. It's not just the lying and sneaking around. That hurts, but I get where it's coming from. It's the fact I work so hard to keep us both above water, to make sure that she can finish her degree and still eat and see her friends and have a place to sleep, and after all that, she steals from me? She gives money away to people, and then comes back home and asks me for even more, and there isn't any left! There's barely enough to cover basics. She gets so mad whenever I bring this up, but she must see it. I don’t have a ton of friends. I don’t go out. I can’t afford it! I gave all that up so she could just have a normal college life like everyone else, and she took advantage of that!

ALIX: Why do you think she’s hiding her friends from you?

MORGAN: I don’t know. Probably because she doesn’t like me and she thinks I’m controlling and I get why she thinks that, maybe, but it doesn’t change the fact-

ALIX: I don’t want to get into that, okay? That doesn’t matter right now. What are you going to do?

MORGAN: I don’t know.

ALIX: Do you think you could do anything tonight to change what happened?

MORGAN: Probably not.

ALIX: Okay. Then how are you?

[Pause.]

MORGAN: Dude, I feel like shit.

ALIX: I figured.

MORGAN: I love her so much.

ALIX: I know. This whole thing sucks. It’s awful. I’m sorry it happened.

MORGAN: Thanks. She’s the one who makes coffee in the morning. Tomorrow, I’m going to have to do it myself. I’m awful at it.

ALIX: Oh, boo hoo.

MORGAN: Oh, shut up.

[They both chuckle.]

MORGAN: It’s going to be really quiet around here.

ALIX: Is that a good thing?

MORGAN: I don’t know. Yesterday I might’ve said yes. Now… I guess I’ll have to hear it first.

SCENE 7 - THE CABIN (PRESENT DAY)

[Sound of the forest alive: wind blowing, birds chirping.]

EVIE: (to the golem) See anything out there? (to herself) We’re so close. I know we're close. I could take the laptop with me, but Hansen definitely has its location. I just can't leave with nothing. (to the golem) What do you think?

[Pause.]

EVIE: I know you can hear me.

[Footsteps.]

EVIE: What are you thinking about?

[Footsteps. The golem is drawing in the dirt.]

EVIE: So you don't talk, but you draw.

[Drawing continues.]

EVIE: Birds. You're drawing birds. Do you like birds? Can you see a lot of birds up there?

[The golem motions to the sky with a large sweeping gesture.]

EVIE: Sometimes, when spring was just starting, I could hear birds chirping out my window. I'd listen for it when I woke up, like if I could hear them, it meant it would be a good day. It's amazing what you can hear out here. It's so quiet. There's enough space to hear everything.

[The golem bends down and grabs Evie.]

EVIE: Hey! What are you doing? Put me down!

[A cacophony of scraping. The golem gets to its feet and lifts Evie above the treetops. Evie lets out a sound of wonder. The wind and birdsong are so much louder up here.]

EVIE: Did you know you have plants growing up here? Did you notice? You're gonna start growing flowers or moss. I guess moss fits your whole vibe. Wow. I've never seen treetops this close. The sky is so massive up here. It's like it goes on forever.

[Flutter of wings. A bird lands on a nearby tree. The rest of the wind and birdsong fades lower, so we’re just here, with Evie, the golem, and the dove.]

EVIE: (quieter) Look, look that's a mourning dove! Right there. Stay very still.

[Dove call.]

EVIE: (under her breath) She's beautiful.

[Dove call. Then, road noise, steadily approaching.]

EVIE: Who's that? Who drives out here? There's no road. Oh no. No no, you have to put me down.

[The golem crouches back down and puts Evie on the ground. She’s unsteady, but she jumps down.]

EVIE: Gah! Next time, I'll give you seat belts. We have to go. I bet you anything those are Hansen cars coming to check out the cabin. I don't know how they found us, but I'm not waiting around to find out what they want. Don't go until I do. Maybe you'll scare them enough that they'll leave.

[Rapid footsteps. She walks back inside the cabin.]

EVIE: Bag. Bag. Where did I put my bag? Got it!

[She makes a move to leave…]

EVIE: When Hansen gets here, they'll wipe everything. They'll change all of their passwords. We'll never know how much they know.

[Pause.]

EVIE: I should go…

[But she rushes over to the laptop anyway. Typing.]

EVIE: (reading as she types) “Alix, it's worse than we thought. See attached and incoming.” Okay, as much as I can attach. Ugh, attachment limit. Well, I'll just keep sending new emails.

[Rapid clicking as she talks.]

EVIE: (sigh) Who knows how many networks just like ours already have Hansen stalkers? Why doesn't anyone listen to me? Whenever they choose to hit us, they won't pull their punches. We can't afford to lose anyone, and we're in a fight for our lives, whether everyone gets that, or just me.

[Outside, the golem shouts.]

EVIE: They’re here. Fuck, that has to be them.

[Evie slams the laptop shut and grabs her bag.]

EVIE: (heavy breathing) They can't see me they can't find me dammit dammit dammit.

[A massive footstep. Another. Another. Another. The golem hits one of the security guys.]

EVIE: Hansen guys. Seven of them.

SECURITY 1: What the hell is that thing?

SECURITY 2: An abomination. Solid magic. Ready! Aim!

EVIE: No!

GOON 2: Fire!

[A battery of gunfire. More massive footsteps.]

SECURITY 1: The bullets aren’t working, sir!

SECURITY 2: Continue your fire!

[Various destruction intersperses the gunfire. Trees are knocked over. Part of the building is destroyed.]

SECURITY 1: Sir, we can’t fight this thing much longer!

SECURITY 2: We won’t have to! There’s a witch inside there, manipulating this thing! Stop her and we stop the monster!

EVIE: No no no no no. Back door back door.

[Rapid footsteps.]

SECURITY 3: Going somewhere?

EVIE: Not with you.

[They punch her in the stomach.]

SECURITY 3: Gag her. Don’t let her say another word.

EVIE: (with all of her might) HELP ME!

[The security guard successfully gags her. She keeps struggling, trying to talk against the gag.]

EVIE: (muffled by the gag) Ge your hands off me. Oh, you’re going to be so sorry. I’m in here! I’m in here!

SECURITY 3: Grab her! Get her out of here!

[CRASH. The roof caves in. Evie, now free, wrenches the gag off of her mouth.]

EVIE: You can stop! You got them!

[The golem does not stop. The building is coming down.]

EVIE: Hey! I’m still in here! Stop! Stop! Please stop!

[With a final massive crash the whole cabin topples on top of her. Evie screams.]

EVIE: (weakly) Please, you were supposed to protect me. Please, the threat is over. You’re getting so tired. You don’t have the strength to continue. I’m so tired. I can’t- I can’t-

[Outro music.]

REMY: The Artisan Who Made Me is written and produced by Remy Davison and directed by Sydney Roslin. This episode featured Yaya Koas as Morgan, Chaia Alyss as Evie, Bryce Payne as Maya, Ria Meer as Grace, Arielle Gonzalez as Daria, and Alyssa Cassesse 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.