“CALL ME JANE”

[THREE TRAVELERS are exploring a poorly lit cave. The ground is trembling and the lights are flickering]

PAUL: This is where we’re meant to be.

FRED: Are you sure? It’s all starting to look the same.

BECCA: (turning map) I think we’re supposed to be here, but where are the others?

FRED: We must be the first group.

PAUL: No, surely not. The other groups with guides would be here as well. We’ll have to wait on the independent groups.

BECCA: Yes, which is making me think we’re in the wrong place.

FRED: Becca, could I have a look at that map?No, no, we are supposed to be here. See that turn just there? We were just back there, so we’ve come this way, right here. And we are here. This is the right place.

PAUL: Well let’s look around then, I can see two tunnels up ahead. We should split up and look. Or you two could start collecting samples.

FRED: We can’t collect the samples, we’re not carrying the equipment. The other groups have that.

BECCA: Besides splitting up is dangerous. We should stay together.

PAUL: (ground trembles) Well it isn’t safe here either. We might as well go ahead, just a little to see where the others are. They’ve probably found a stable clearing just ahead.

FRED: Paul’s right Becca, I think if we go ahead just a little bit then we’ll get more of an idea of where we’re meant to be.

BECCA: Ok, then if we do this how will we split? Someone is going to have to be alone.

PAUL: I’ll go alone, I’ve got a wireless and a strong light. Becca, you and Fred go together because your light is faulty.

FRED: You’ve got a wire don’t you Becca?

BECCA: Yeah, right here.

PAUL: Ok then. We all good?

FRED: Yep.

BECCA: Yes, all good.

PAUL: Ok, which way do you guys want?

FRED: We’ll take the left.

PAUL: Alright then, I’ll go right. Stay safe guys, no longer than 20 minutes. You all know the frequency for the wireless?

[Becca and Fred nod]

See you in a bit then.

BECCA: See you.

PAUL: Over and out.

[Exit PAUL and BECCA and PAUL together]

[Enter PAUL from stage right. Looks ahead into the left tunnel. Lights flicker. He takes a drink from his bottle and fiddles with his knapsack.]

[Enter FRED from left tunnel]

PAUL: Did you find anything? Where’s Becca?

FRED: No, there’s nothing, me and Becca both think we’ve read that map wrong, we should look at it again.

PAUL: But where’s Becca?

FRED: She was right (turns) behind me. (turns all the way around) I swear she was right behind me!

PAUL: Well where is she now?

FRED: (mouthing) Right behind me.

PAUL: Well she’s not there now. Where did your tunnel go?

FRED: Nowhere really, there was an opening up ahead but it’s caved in. Where did yours go?

PAUL: It looped around back to where we came into this cavern.

FRED: Then we can’t have lost her. Her light has probably just gone faulty and she’s waiting for us to lead her out. Come on.

[Exit FRED and PAUL into the left tunnel][Enter FRED and PAUL from left tunnel]

PAUL: Well that’s caved in alright. You know what? She probably came out and went searching in the right tunnel. We’re just missing each other.

FRED: Yeah, must be.

[Exit FRED and PAUL into right tunnel. They re-emerge shortly from stage right/original entrance into cavern]

PAUL: No, it can’t be impossible, she’s obviously done it. There’s just another explanation. (Fred sits, floor trembles)

FRED: Ok what the hell? She’s gone missing between a trick entrance and a dead end! That’s impossible! Becca was right we should never have split up.

PAUL: Hang on a minute, we must have missed something. There was probably a trick wall that was really another tunnel back there. That’s the only reasonable explanation.

FRED: But I was running my hands along the wall the whole time.

PAUL: So was I.

PAUL: Come to think of it, how did that tunnel I went into lead back to this cavern entrance? Surely when we came in here, we would have noticed another entrance and decided to split up then, not here. We shouldn’t have come in the way we did.

FRED: What? That’s not right. That can’t be right.

PAUL: It’s like a weird loop.

FRED: That’s ludicrous, Becca probably just got lost. Maybe she came out of your trick entrance and wondered back down the path we all came through to get here. She’s just gone backwards is all.

PAUL: Yeah, she must have. Backwards. She’s gone back. Well then she’ll end up with another group. She’ll be fine.

FRED: Oh my god! Why didn’t I think of this before? Paul throw me your wire!

[PAUL throws wire, FRED catches it]

FRED: (lots of static as he tries to get the right frequency) Becca? Becca? Can you hear me? It’s Fred. Where are you? Over.

(more static)

PAUL: Let me try. (takes wire from FRED)Bec? Becca? Are you safe? Where are you? Which cavern are you in? Over.

(more static)Becca? Where are you Becca?

WIRE: (muffled static)

PAUL: Did you hear that? I heard her! She’s just out of range!

FRED: Try another frequency.

(PAUL fiddles with the wire)

PAUL: Becca? Can you hear me now? Where are you? Give us your coordinates. Over.

WIRE: Call me Jane.

FRED: What? Jane? Who’s Jane?

PAUL: Becca? What did you say? Your Captain requests your current coordinates! OVER!

WIRE: (static)

FRED: You heard what she said didn’t you?

PAUL: Well it can’t be her, we’re still on the wrong frequency (goes to change frequency)

FRED: NO! Don’t change it! Maybe we can get that Jane woman on the wire, she’s probably with Becca!

PAUL: Yeah, yeah you’re right. Jane? Jane this is Paul, are you with our friend Becca? Is she safe?

WIRE: Becca is with Jane now.

PAUL: Thank you. We were so worried. Can you find us Jane?

WIRE: Yes, Jane will come for you now.

FRED: Something feels weird in here. (lights flicker, ground shakes)

PAUL: It’s just the tremblings and the lights. We’ll join with the other groups once Jane turns up with Becca.

(lights go off, silence)

(light appears from the left tunnel)

FRED: Do you see that?

PAUL: Becca? BECCA! IS THAT YOU? (shines own torch)

(torch goes out)

FRED: Crap. Hang on, I’ll get my torch. (fiddling noises) (lights come back on)

[A figure in a red coat can be seen hovering just onstage, the figure has its back turned]

FRED: Becca? Is that you?

WIRE: Call me Jane.

PAUL: Jane, sorry, sorry Jane. Where’s Becca? Is she still with you? Is she hurt? Is that why you’re still in the distance there?

(lights flicker)

WIRE: Becca is with Jane now.

FRED: Ok, can you bring her here Jane?

[Lights flicker. Figure takes a step closer]

PAUL: Jane, are you alright? Why don’t you come over here?

[Lights flicker. Figure takes a step closer]

PAUL: That’s it. Don’t be scared, come over here and tell us where Becca is.

WIRE: Call me Jane.

PAUL: I wasn’t calling you Becca, I just want you to come over here so I can talk to you.

WIRE: Call me Jane.

PAUK: Ok Jane, don’t get upset.

[Lights flicker. Figure is beside PAUL]

FRED: (jumps back) What the hell? There’s something wrong! There’s something wrong!

PAUL: There’s nothing wrong I’m just trying to make sure J – (FRED clamps PAUL’s mouth)

FRED: Don’t say her name. Have you noticed that each time you say it, the lights go out? And Jane gets closer.

[Lights flicker. Figure takes a step closer to FRED]FRED: See. (lets go of PAUL’s mouth) This isn’t normal activity. We have to

leave.

PAUL: What about Becca? Are we just going to leave her here?

WIRE: Becca is with Jane now.

PAUL: What did you do to Becca? Where is she now?

WIRE: Becca is with Jane now.

PAUL: What do you mean? What does that mean?

WIRE: Becca is with Jane now.

FRED: Why do you talk through the wireless?

WIRE: Call me Jane. Becca is with Jane now. Call me Jane.

FRED: We have to get out of here. I’m leaving, if that thing has Becca, there’s nothing we can do. We have to leave.

PAUL: What about J – what about the thing? It’s not safe here, the trembling is getting worse. Should we bring it with us?

FRED: Are you kidding? It’s that thing that’s making it unsafe. I don’t know what’s going on here, I’m leaving.

[Exit FRED]

PAUL: Yeah, on second thoughts maybe I’ll join you.

[Exit PAUL]

[Lights go out]

WIRE: Jane will join you soon.

[Lights flicker back on. PAUL and FRED enter from the right tunnel, the red figure is centrestage]

FRED: There’s no escape, look it followed us.

PAUL: Or we’ve come back to where we were. It’s a loop.

WIRE: There’s no loop. Only Jane. Call me Jane.

PAUL: It’s like a child. It’s just a child, it’s harmless.

FRED: How can you think that? It’s probably killed Becca for all we know and you’re taking pity on it?

PAUL: I don’t know, there’s something about it. The way it only talks through the wireless. It’s sort of childish, sort of helpless.

FRED: It’s not as helpless as you think. It probably does this to every passer by who happens to get lost. There’s a reason why the villagers warned us not to travel alone.

PAUL: We aren’t alone. There are, were, three of us.

FRED: Two of us now.

WIRE: Four.

PAUL: It said something! Other than its name!

FRED: Yeah, it said there were four of us. It’s counting itself. It thinks it’s one of us.

PAUL: It’s just lonely. Aren’t you?

FRED: Don’t talk to it! It’s a parasite. It feeds off the lights! Don’t you realize? It feeds off energy! That’s why it’s so interested in us, to it we’re just two huge batteries.

PAUL: You don’t know that. Maybe it needs help. Maybe it wants our help.

FRED: That’s what it wants you to think. So it will take advantage of you. I’m sure it’s not showing its face for a good reason. Turn around Jane!

PAUL: What did you –(lights go off, silence)

Fred?

Fred?

FRED: Yeah?

PAUL: Thank god. Switch on your light.

(torch is switched on)

FRED: It didn’t move.

PAUL: No, it turned around. The feet are a different way.

(FRED beams the torch slowly up towards the face. The face is BECCA’s face but childish)

FRED: Becca?

WIRE: Call me Jane.

PAUL: What did you do to Becca’s face? Where is her voice?

WIRE: Becca is with Jane now. There is no Becca. Only Jane. Jane. Jane. Jane.

[Lights flicker five times]

FRED: She’s killing the lights, she’s slowly burning them out.

PAUL: Are you making the tremblings Jane?

[Lights go out for a second. Jane is next to PAUL]

WIRE: Jane just wants to be with you. Just wants to be together.

FRED: What does that mean? Are you going to kill us? We can’t escape. You trapped us didn’t you? You’re going to kill us all aren’t you?

WIRE: Call me Jane.

FRED: Don’t say it! Don’t say it’s name! I see it now, it’s deaf, it wants us to say it’s name so Jane can find where we are!

(claps hands over mouth)

[Lights go off]FRED: Paul?

(silence)

FRED: PAUL?

(FRED fumbles for his light, he turns it on, it flickers, JANE is in front of him, back turned to the audience standing over him)

FRED: What happens now?

WIRE: Call me Jane.

FRED: Where’s Becca? Where’s Paul?

WIRE: Call me Jane.

FRED: Are you going to kill me?

WIRE: Call me Jane.

FRED: There’s no escape is there?

WIRE: Call me Jane.

FRED: Jane.

[Lights go out for the last time]