In Search of The Mothman (2021)

In Search of The Mothman
By Amber Palmer
Ampalmer0013@gmail.com
https://newplayexchange.org/users/3492/amber-palmer
IN SEARCH OF THE MOTHMAN (2021) — 1
Cast of Characters
Jordan: 23, female. White.

Emily: 17, female. White.
Place:
A depressing studio apartment in Point Pleasant West Virginia. There is a small kitchenette and a
twin mattress used as a bed/couch. This space transforms into the church, a rehearsal room, and
the Mothman Museum.
Above the apartment is a space that begins as an upper dock at Wakulla Springs National Park in
Tallahassee Florida and transforms into Silver Memorial bridge in Point Pleasant West Virginia.
Time:
Present
Scene 1
AT RISE: We are in the most depressing studio apartment
in existence. JORDAN is surrounded by an insurmountable
amount of boxes. It’s clear she’s becoming overwhelmed.
EMILY enters and throws herself onto the twin mattress.
EMILY
Mom and Dad totally think you moved to West Virginia to kill yourself.
JORDAN
Checks out.
EMILY
Mom’s words were “if she’s not suicidal now, she will be after a month in Point Pleasant”.
JORDAN
It’s called Point Pleasant. How bad—
EMILY
And like, I don’t think you’d try anything after the whole, you know whatever thing, but like it’d
really ruin my senior year if you kill yourself. And like, you already moved halfway across the
country, so you owe me.
JORDAN
Did Mom actually say that or are you humor dodging?
EMILY
Okay so she didn’t say it, but she thought it. It was like all over her face. And your whole
fascination with the Mothman thing—
JORDAN
The Mothman is fascinating though!
EMILY
Yeah but telling all your students you were moving to Point Pleasant to hunt him—
JORDAN
Is better than admitting that I’m going corporate.
EMILY
I still have to go to school with them though! God.
JORDAN
Where’d Mom and Dad go?
EMILY
Dinner. They want to have a “serious conversation” about your “life choices” so—
JORDAN
You all can just say you’ll miss me. You don’t have to—
EMILY
Why couldn’t you just wait until next year? Like, this is stupid. It’s not even that good of a job.
JORDAN
I’ll be down for Christmas and for your graduation.
EMILY
If I don’t get into college, it’s your fault.
JORDAN
If you’re going to stay in here and bitch, at least unpack a box.
EMILY sits up.
EMILY
I’m taking your bedroom and making it a closet.
JORDAN
Do what you want.
EMILY
I’m going to paint over all your butterflies.
JORDAN
That’s fine.
EMILY
I’m going to find the ugliest green color and repaint all the walls so when you visit you have to
be surrounded by ugly green. And sleep in the closet.
JORDAN
Won’t be my first time in the closet.
EMILY tosses a pillow at JORDAN.
EMILY
I’m pretty sure they still murder gay people in West Virginia.
JORDAN
They still murder queer people everywhere Emily. It’s not specific to West Virginia.
EMILY
Well they don’t murder them at home.
JORDAN
Unpack something. Literally anything.
EMILY drags herself out of the bed.
EMILY
You should just sell everything and start over. All your stuff is garbage anyways.
JORDAN
Thanks Em.
EMILY starts unpacking a box of clothes.
EMILY
Like honestly, wouldn’t that be cool? Just pack like a backpack and a carryon bag and just
completely start over?
JORDAN
If I did that, Mom would’ve actually thought I was going to kill myself.
EMILY
I think about that sometimes. NOT killing myself, oh my god, not that. But like, it’d be cool, you
know? To just like buy a plane ticket somewhere and start over somewhere else. Like when you
read those magazine stories about people just packing up and moving to Spain on a total whim
and it being like this big awesome adventure. Something like that.
JORDAN
I guess that’s kind of what I’m doing, sort of.
EMILY
Point Pleasant West Virginia and Spain are not the same thing.
JORDAN
Okay, no, but… no one here knows me, you know? I can be whoever I want here
A pause.
EMILY
You know you don’t have to start over right?
JORDAN
I know. It’s complicated.
EMILY
Jess loved your class.
JORDAN
Stop.
EMILY
She did. She couldn’t believe you’re not teaching—
JORDAN
No fly zone.
EMILY
Fine. You should ditch all these teacher clothes then. They’re ugly.
JORDAN
You can take them back home for auditions.
EMILY
Gross.
JORDAN
How is—?
EMILY
(bratty)
No fly zone.
JORDAN
Not fair, you can’t call that on—
EMILY
I don’t want to talk about it.
JORDAN
Do you have your audition piece picked at least?
EMILY
I’m between two Vivaldi concertos. Mr. Dawson keeps saying I need to “pick it and stick it”.
JORDAN
You do.
EMILY shoots JORDAN a look. JORDAN shuts up.
EMILY
Dad wants you to look at my scholarship stuff before we leave.
JORDAN
I will. I promise.
A beat of unpacking.
EMILY
Since you’re ruining my life—
JORDAN
I’m not—
EMILY
I wanna go to the Mothman Museum.
JORDAN
It’s super cheesy Em. Like, it’s literally one room.
EMILY
I wanna see it. I gotta know what weird half moth half man has forced my sister to move away.
Everyone at school keeps imagining you as like the Steve Irwin of the Mothman.
JORDAN
I’m not actually hunting the Mothman.
EMILY
I wish we had a cool animal-man in Tallahassee—
JORDAN
We have the Gillman.
EMILY
Yeah, but he’s super lame.
A beat of unpacking.
EMILY
You know, just because you’re moving doesn’t mean you get out of playing at Christmas.
JORDAN
We’re going to be in our 40s and mom’s still going to volunteer us to play Christmas at the
church.
EMILY
I found a Oboe Bassoon Nutcracker duet for this year. You better practice.
JORDAN
I will.
EMILY
Seriously. You better.
JORDAN
I will.
EMILY
You were squeaky last Christmas.
JORDAN
Thanks.
EMILY
If you just practiced—
JORDAN
Oh don’t come at me for not practicing.
EMILY
Oh you want me to practice?
JORDAN
No.
EMILY
I can practice.
JORDAN
Don’t.
EMILY exits. JORDAN keeps unpacking her clothes. As she

does, she starts separating out the “Teacher Clothes”. She
puts them into a garbage bag. EMILY enters, reed in
mouth, with a bassoon case.
JORDAN
You don’t have to do this.
EMILY
You said I need to practice.
EMILY starts assembling her bassoon.
JORDAN
Stop.
EMILY
Enjoy it. After we leave tomorrow, you’ll never have to hear me practice again.
JORDAN
You’re not being fair.
EMILY doesn’t respond.
JORDAN
I’m sorry. You know if I didn’t have to leave, I wouldn’t.
EMILY doesn’t respond. She finishes assembling her

bassoon and starts playing warm ups.
JORDAN
Is your scholarship application on the computer?
EMILY nods. She purposefully makes her warmups more

annoying.
JORDAN
I know you play better than that.
EMILY squeaks her bassoon at her. JORDAN grabs the

computer. EMILY’s eyes follow her. She closes her eyes
and starts getting more into her warmups. It’s clear that
she’s talented. She starts playing Vivaldi’s Bassoon
Concerto in C Major RV 474: II Largo. JORDAN starts
reading her essay. EMILY is trying not to notice, but she
occasionally peeks at her.
A few beats. Some playing. JORDAN might even sway

along to the music, but she’s clearly disappointed in what
she’s reading.
JORDAN
Did you even spellcheck this?
EMILY abruptly stops playing.
EMILY
Shut up.
JORDAN
Seriously, Em, come on. This is—
EMILY
I said Shut Up.
JORDAN
Okay.
A beat. JORDAN is reading. EMILY is fingering through

music while intensely staring at JORDAN.
JORDAN
Stop staring at me.
EMILY
It’s trash isn’t it? It’s just garbage.
JORDAN
It’s not garbage.
EMILY
Then why aren’t you saying anything?
JORDAN
I’m still reading. Cool it.
A beat. EMILY’s fingering gets more aggressive.
JORDAN
Relax.
EMILY
I’m so relaxed.
Another beat. JORDAN is typing.

JORDAN
Just making notes. Promise I’m not changing anything.
EMILY
It’s just garbage anyways. Change whatever you want. All they need is for me to play for them
and then they’ll get it. I just have to get into the room.
JORDAN
It isn’t always music people who are picking these scholarships though. You have to tell them
that you’re a good investment.
EMILY
Why though? Like, why do I gotta waste all this time proving I’m not an idiot?
JORDAN
I know.
EMILY
It’s fucking stupid. I’m smart. I’m great. If they don’t want me then—
JORDAN
This is just the way it is okay?
Some more typing.
EMILY
Can you just fix it for me? Make it say whatever they want to hear.
JORDAN
That’d be dishonest. It has to be your own work.
EMILY
You’re not a teacher anymore. You don’t have to be such a nark.
JORDAN
Just because I don’t teach doesn’t mean—
EMILY
Jess’s brother wrote her scholarship essay.
JORDAN
Well he shouldn’t have—
EMILY
It’s going to take me forever to fix it. Come on—
JORDAN
You have some good stuff in here. I can tell from this that you’re passionate about music. But,
like, you can’t say “I know my grades aren’t very good but—“. Because that’s a negative thing.
You have to lean into your strengths.
EMILY
They’re going to see my grades.
JORDAN
Don’t draw attention to it. Draw attention to your solo and ensemble scores and your youth
orchestra stuff and—
EMILY
They just need to let me play for them.
JORDAN
They’re not going to do that.
EMILY
I was thinking I might put a link to a video of me playing at the bottom.
JORDAN
Don’t.
EMILY
Just so they can see.
JORDAN
They won’t click on it.
EMILY
But if they could just—
JORDAN
You want a scholarship right?
EMILY
I mean yeah, but—
JORDAN
This is how you do that. Okay? You can’t just play for them and then they give you money. You
aren’t the exception. You have to play by the same rules as everyone else.
EMILY
But this isn’t how I talk, you know? It’s unfair. They won’t—if they heard me with my bassoon I
know they’d—
JORDAN
I already said no.
A beat.
EMILY
This is stupid.
JORDAN
If this is stupid then why’d you make me waste my time reading it?
EMILY
Dad told me to.
JORDAN
Do you want me to look at your resume?
EMILY
No, it’s bad.
JORDAN
Emily, come on, your first deadline is—
EMILY
I know when the deadlines are, okay? It’s just stupid. I’m not going to get any scholarships
anyways, so I might as well—
JORDAN
What? You might as well just take out a billion loans for music school?
EMILY
Henry’s not taking out loans.
JORDAN
Yeah, Henry’s parents are loaded. Yours aren’t. Fix your essay and then we’ll look at your
resume.
EMILY
I hate you.
JORDAN
Good.
EMILY
I’m glad you moved.
JORDAN
Great.
EMILY
You’re such a dick.
JORDAN
Yup.
EMILY
And now you’re using your stupid teacher voice on me just to get on my nerves, but it’s not
working.
JORDAN
Definitely seems like it’s not working.
JORDAN gets up off the floor.
JORDAN
Get to work.
EMILY starts disassembling her bassoon. JORDAN starts

opening boxes. There’s the ping of a phone. Then another.
JORDAN checks it.
EMILY
Oh my god.
JORDAN
What?
EMILY
You’re on Tinder.
JORDAN
What?
EMILY
That sound. That’s the Tinder sound.
JORDAN
No it’s not.
EMILY
Yeah it is.
EMILY pulls out her phone.
JORDAN
You’re too young to be on Tinder.
EMILY
Wait, you mean to tell me that people on the internet lie about their age? Woah.
JORDAN
You could get murdered by a psycho on Tinder. You shouldn’t be—
EMILY
Oh my god, your profile is terrible.
JORDAN
Oh my god.
EMILY
Dude, these pictures—
JORDAN
Stop it.
EMILY
Why do you just have a picture of your oboe in its case?
JORDAN
I want them to know I have interests.
EMILY
… uh huh.
JORDAN
I do have interests. I’m an interesting person.
EMILY
Oh I’m not saying that. That’s just… it makes it seem like you have no friends.
JORDAN
I have friends.
EMILY
I know, I said makes it seem. Kinda seems… I don’t know.
JORDAN
Work on your essay.
EMILY
Someone cute message you?
JORDAN sighs and keeps unpacking.
EMILY
Let me guess… Two hick West Virginians looking for a threesome.
A deeper sigh.
EMILY
OH MY GOD WAS I RIGHT?
JORDAN
They seem nice.
EMILY
OH MY GOD.
JORDAN
I’m not going to do it. But they have a cute dog.
EMILY
Well if they have a cute dog—
JORDAN
Don’t tell Mom and Dad okay? They’ll think I’m going to get murdered.
EMILY
I mean, same.
JORDAN
Does Henry know you’re on Tinder?
EMILY
Henry and I aren’t really dating. I mean, we went to prom and homecoming together but like, we
know we’re going to go do our college stuff, so like. It’d just be awkward if we “broke up” broke
up, since we’re the only two bassoons in the band.
JORDAN
So he doesn’t know you’re on Tinder is what you’re saying.
EMILY
It’s complicated.
JORDAN
Doesn’t sound too complicated.
EMILY
He’s only applying to ivy leagues. His exact words were “what’s the point in going to music
school if you don’t go to Julliard”. And I can’t even afford the application fee to Julliard, let
alone go to Julliard, so. You know.
JORDAN
I know.
EMILY
Give me your phone.
JORDAN
Why?
EMILY
I’m going to fix it.
JORDAN
It’s fine. Really, it’s, you know, it’s me.
EMILY
Come on.
JORDAN
You should be working on your essay.
EMILY
Trade me?
JORDAN
It’s so incredibly dishonest.
EMILY
And everyone else is doing it and not getting in trouble for it, so really by not helping me, you’re
putting me at a disadvantage.
JORDAN
…
EMILY
Please.
Because you love me.
Because I’m cute.
Because I can’t go to college if you don’t.
JORDAN
Okay just hand it over.
EMILY
Yes!
JORDAN
Don’t look at my messages.
EMILY
I won’t.
JORDAN
Seriously, don’t.
EMILY
Promise.
JORDAN hands over her phone. EMILY hands over the

computer. Both get to work typing on each device. They
mutter under their breath.
JORDAN
…have excelled outside of the classroom…
EMILY
23 and new in town.
JORDAN
Aspire to become a concert bassoonist.
EMILY
Former swim coach and English teacher from the south.
JORDAN
Would be honored to become part of the long tradition of—
EMILY
No hookups or threesomes.
JORDAN
(to Emily)
No.
EMILY
What?
JORDAN
You don’t have to put that.
EMILY
Oh… Uh. “Down for anything”.
JORDAN
(back to EMILY’s essay)
Would take advantage of any opportunity.
End scene.
Scene 1.5
JORDAN in a dream. She is standing on the upper dock at

Wakulla springs. EMILY is warming up with etudes.
JORDAN
Even all the way in Point Pleasant, I still dream about the Wakulla River. It hasn’t been clear
since I was a kid, but I still dream of it that way. Crystal clear, where you could lean off the dock
and look all the way down to the bottom. It makes me sound old when I say that, but it’s true,
and when I dream, I still see it that way. The dream always starts like this, standing on the upper
dock, looking down into the deepest part of the river.
EMILY starts playing the same concerto. JORDAN kicks off

her shoes.
JORDAN
I can never remember how the dream ends, but right around now is when I get the sinking
feeling.
She takes her shirt off. She’s wearing a swimsuit

underneath.
JORDAN
I always feel like I should jump in. When I was a kid, I jumped in the river all the time. I
remember seeing all of the fish schooling and the sun get further and further away the deeper I
sank. I used to play pretend that I saw the Gillman from Creature from the Black Lagoon swim
by, or that the mastodon skeleton at the very bottom began to move.
Can’t see that in Point Pleasant.
EMILY hits a sour note. The dream ends.
End scene
Scene 2
An obligatory Skype call.
JORDAN
I understand… Tell Daddy I love him, and to answer my texts. Is Em there? Put her on?
EMILY enters.
JORDAN
Hey! How are you doing?
EMILY
Fine.
JORDAN
How’s school?
EMILY
Fine. How’s your dumb job?
JORDAN
It’s dumb. But I don’t have to grade anymore, so.
EMILY
The new English teacher sucks.
JORDAN
Sorry.
EMILY
She won’t talk about the sexual stuff in Metamorphosis. She gets super flustered.
JORDAN
Well that’s a disservice to—
EMILY
So when are you coming home?
JORDAN shrugs.
JORDAN
The house is unpacked. Like it?
EMILY shrugs.
JORDAN
I’ve been practicing for Christmas. Gives me something to do.
EMILY
I picked my audition song.
JORDAN
That’s great! When’s your first audition?
EMILY shrugs.
JORDAN
You probably should know that.
EMILY
Anything else we have to talk about?
JORDAN
Uh… I guess not. Just wanted to check in.
EMILY
Cool. I’m handing you back to Mom.
JORDAN
Oh. Okay. Uh, good luck with auditions and everything. Let me know when you’re auditioning
at OU. It’s not very far, so I can be there.
EMILY
Cool.
A beat.
EMILY
I’m handing you back—
JORDAN
Did they have the memorial?
A beat.
EMILY
Yeah.
A beat.
JORDAN
Did you go?
EMILY
Yeah.
A beat. JORDAN waiting.
EMILY
I really don’t want to talk about it.
JORDAN
I understand. Uh…Let me know if you change your mind.
EMILY
Cool.
JORDAN
Love you?
EMILY
Gross.
EMILY hangs up. End scene.
Scene 2.5
There’s a spotlight on EMILY. The dock lingers in the

background. EMILY begins playing “Bassoon Concerto in
C Major, RV 474: 1 Allegro” by Vivaldi.
JORDAN lingers on the dock.

JORDAN
It used to be so clear.
EMILY closes her eyes. She’s trying to keep herself in the

music.
JORDAN
Everything used to be so clear. There was a plan. We had a plan. Even for Em, I sat down with
her.
You have to have a plan.
Let’s make a spreadsheet together.
Nothing gets done without a plan.
And we did. She has a multipage spreadsheet with scholarships, school application and audition
deadlines. Everything. I don’t know if she’s using it. We didn’t even talk about her going to OU.
That’s all her.
EMILY finds a moment of enjoyment. If anyone is ever

meant to do anything, she was meant to play the bassoon.
JORDAN
My sister is staying with me after her audition, and I haven’t bought any groceries.
I have no idea where she’s going to sleep.
We might have to cuddle up on my twin bed, just like we did when we were kids.
I get scared at night. I’ve never been good at sleeping alone. Even in high school, on bad nights,
I’d tiptoe into her room and crawl into bed with her.
When I can’t sleep now, I hear her practicing. Even from far away. I can still hear it. Nothing
beats a well-played bassoon. Just most people don’t play them well.
She finishes. She couldn’t have played it better. She looks

out into the audience and sees something that makes her
upset.
JORDAN
My sister is very talented. I’m incredibly jealous of her talent.
EMILY bursts into tears and rushes off stage.
End scene.
Scene 3
AT RISE: JORDAN and EMILY enter. EMILY is in dress
clothes, carrying a bassoon case and a backpack. She
throws her backpack on the ground.
JORDAN
Careful.
She stares at JORDAN as she drops her bassoon case on

the floor.
JORDAN
DUDE! That instrument is expensive.
EMILY
It doesn’t matter. I’m not getting in.
JORDAN
You don’t know that.
EMILY
One of them was texting during my audition.
JORDAN
Maybe there was a family emergency.
EMILY
Do you have any beer in this sad apartment?
JORDAN
…You’re too young to drink.
EMILY goes over to the fridge and starts rummaging.
EMILY
I steal Mom’s beer all the time. It’s fine.
JORDAN
What?
EMILY
Stealing is the wrong word. She knows I take it.
JORDAN
She would’ve killed me if I did that in high school.
EMILY
Yeah, well. Last kid. She’s given up on me.
EMILY grabs a beer and cracks it open. Definitely not her

first time drinking.
JORDAN
Let’s have a good visit, okay? Like, I know it didn’t go great—
EMILY
That was the only school I actually wanted to get into. Like, I know I’m applying to other ones
but that was the one—
JORDAN
It’s in the middle of nowhere.
EMILY
They have brick streets though. It’s so beautiful there. I’ve never seen such pretty trees.
JORDAN
You live in Florida. We have plenty of pretty trees.
EMILY
Our trees don’t do that though. The way they change is so… I’ve never seen colors that bright.
JORDAN
You might still get in.
EMILY shoots her a look.
JORDAN
You might. So what? One person was being exceptionally rude. Maybe they just aren’t part of
the woodwinds department.
EMILY
Then why would they be in my audition?
JORDAN
I don’t know.
EMILY goes back to the fridge.
EMILY
Your fridge is depressing. Do you eat food?
JORDAN
I mostly just eat out.
EMILY giggles and opens the fridge.
JORDAN
No, I wasn’t making a pussy joke.
EMILY
Uh huh.
She slams it shut and starts going through the cabinets.
EMILY
You have to have something in this house.
JORDAN
There might be ramen or something.
EMILY
God, this is depressing. Are you depressed or something?
JORDAN
No. I just haven’t gone shopping in a minute.
EMILY pulls out her phone.
EMILY
Give me your credit card.
JORDAN
Why?
EMILY
I’m ordering us food.
JORDAN
We can just go out.
EMILY
I can’t drink if we go out.
JORDAN
You shouldn’t be drinking at all.
EMILY defiantly chugs half her beer and slams it on the

table.
JORDAN
Chinese or pizza?
EMILY
Isn’t there a Mothman pizza?
JORDAN
Yeah, this town is super into it.
EMILY
I’m getting that. Credit card?
JORDAN
It’s just a normal pizza with the Mothman on it.
EMILY
(not listening)
Oo, they have an online order button. Credit card?
JORDAN digs out her wallet and tosses it to EMILY.

EMILY starts filling out the order. JORDAN gets a text. She
ignores it.
EMILY
I’m getting the biggest one.
JORDAN
There’s only two of us.
EMILY
You have no food. It’ll last us a while at least.
Another text.
EMILY
What’s your address?
Another text.
JORDAN
It’s uh. Here hold on.
JORDAN checks her phone. EMILY watches her.

EMILY
Hot date?
JORDAN
8300 Maple Ave. Apartment 10.
Another text. JORDAN smiles.
EMILY
Must be a hot date if you won’t say anything.
JORDAN
It’s not a date. I’m just telling them I can’t talk right now. I have to give my sissy my undivided
attention.
EMILY
I’m just glad my Tinder skills worked out.
JORDAN is too busy texting to respond.
EMILY
They said it’ll be 45 minutes.
They said it’ll cost 9,000 dollars.
And that the Mothman himself is going to deliver it.
JORDAN
Good, great.
EMILY comes over and snatches her phone.
EMILY
Hey sissy, sister in crisis here!
JORDAN
Come on, give that back. I just have to let them know I’m—
EMILY is looking at her phone.
EMILY
Shut the fuck up.
JORDAN
Give it back.
EMILY
Shut the fuck up.
JORDAN
Em.
EMILY
Is the dog as cute as the pictures show?
JORDAN
They’re good people.
EMILY
I’m sure.
JORDAN
Give it back.
EMILY
I never took you as a threesome kind of person. You’re so straight laced.
JORDAN
It’s not a threesome thing… it’s uh. We’re a throuple.
EMILY stares at JORDAN. She hands her phone back.
EMILY
What?
JORDAN
They’re married. Super great. Super stable. Full time jobs with dental and vision. Nice cars. Cute
dog. No kids.
EMILY
Uh huh.
JORDAN
It didn’t start like this, okay! They were doing a woodwinds trio thing and they needed an oboe
player, and they saw my— Listen. They’re nice. They take me on dates. We go to the movies
together and get dinner. Last weekend we went bowling.
EMILY
… so you’re a hooker?
JORDAN
No! They aren’t paying me.
EMILY
But they take you out to dinner and then you have sex?
JORDAN
Okay if that’s the parameters then I’ve been a hooker for a while.
EMILY
Jordan—
JORDAN
They’re so stable. Like, they’ve been married for like 12 years and they’ve done this before and
they’re really nice to me and I don’t have sex with Jack. He’s you know, happy to just hang out
and me and Sarah—
EMILY
Sarah?
JORDAN
The name took me a minute, but she’s sweet and she has that Appalachian accent.
EMILY
So she sounds like a hick?
JORDAN
People think we sound like hicks.
EMILY
BECAUSE WE DO.
JORDAN
Okay. Just, forget you saw anything, okay?
EMILY
Are there really no lesbians in West Virginia for you to date, so you gotta go sleep with married
women?
JORDAN
I’m not just sleeping with her. It’s a relationship.
EMILY
Yeah and when what’s-his-face decides that he’s no longer cool with you sleeping with his wife,
it’ll be a news story.
JORDAN
Come on—
EMILY
This is the shit that gets people murdered on Tinder.
JORDAN
They’re not going to murder me.
EMILY finishes her beer and cracks open another.
JORDAN
For real girl, slow down.
EMILY
I’m supposed to be the one doing stupid stuff. You’re the responsible one. Why are you—
JORDAN
Since when am I the responsible one?
EMILY
Sorry, you’re the smart one. Smart equals responsible.
JORDAN
Not necessarily.
EMILY
Why’s her name gotta be Sarah?
JORDAN
It’s a common name.
EMILY takes a swig.
JORDAN
What?
EMILY
Nothing.
JORDAN
No what?
EMILY
It just looks bad Jordan.
JORDAN
If I didn’t date people who had the same names as my former students, I’d never date.
EMILY
That’s not what I mean, and you know it.
JORDAN
People talk. It’s the south. That’s all people do.
EMILY
Whatever.
JORDAN
It’s just homophobic nonsense. I had the same relationship with her as I did with all of my
students. Yeah, okay, she clearly was going through some stuff and I talked to her a few times
after class, but it was about swim team and shit like that, not— God, I can’t believe I have to sit
here and explain this to—
EMILY
I believe you. I’m just saying that people at home are going to have a field day with this if they
find out.
JORDAN
Well I’m sorry that my sex life is making your life complicated.
EMILY
Your everything makes my life complicated.
JORDAN
What?
EMILY
You had to come work at my school. You had to come teach in the same grade I was in. You
had to move to the middle of nowhere for no good reason my last year of high school—
JORDAN
I have a good reason—
EMILY
There’s plenty of office jobs in Tallahassee. God, you could throw a brick and hit a job working
for the state—
JORDAN
I couldn’t stay.
EMILY grabs her backpack and starts digging through it.

EMILY
You keep saying that. But you’ve always stayed. You went to FSU. You lived at home forever.
You were trying to buy a house and then suddenly, you’re like “sorry Mom, sorry Dad, sorry
Em, I’m taking my down payment and moving to BFE West Virginia to fulfil my dream of being
a—” What? What’s your job anyways? Because every time I ask Mom and Dad to explain it,
they stumble around and seem to have no idea what you actually do.
JORDAN
It’s an office job.
EMILY
Yeah, doing what?
JORDAN
I don’t know, office stuff?
God, I didn’t even believe that. I uh… I have every intention of getting a job.
A beat. EMILY puts her bookbag down.
EMILY
What?
JORDAN
I’m living off my down payment. I don’t have a job totally nailed down yet.
EMILY
Then what are you doing up here?
A beat.
EMILY
I want a real answer. What the fuck Jordan?
JORDAN says nothing. EMILY goes back to digging

through her backpack. She finds an envelope and shoves it
at JORDAN.
EMILY
Sarah’s Mom gave this to me, to pass along. She would’ve gave it to you herself, but you didn’t
go to the memorial.
JORDAN
I couldn’t go.
EMILY
Right because you were too busy moving for your big new job.
JORDAN
You’re not being fair.
EMILY
I’m not going to comfort you. It’s my turn to be upset, okay?
JORDAN
What’s the letter say?
EMILY
I don’t know. Open it and find out.
JORDAN
No, not now.
JORDAN sets it down.
JORDAN
I can’t do this right now.
A beat. EMILY takes another swig. JORDAN goes over

and grabs herself a beer.
EMILY
I can’t believe you. You’ve been lying to literally everybody.
JORDAN
I thought we weren’t talking about me? You’re the sister in crisis.
EMILY
Am I? Because you’re a total train wreck.
JORDAN
(changing the subject)
I’m sure your audition went better than you think.
EMILY
No it didn’t okay? It was awful. I suck. This was the only school I wanted, this is the only thing I
wanted to do. I was just dumb and kept imagining that I’d actually get what I wanted. I even
looked at the dorms and everything—
JORDAN
What’d the guy texting look like?
EMILY
What?
JORDAN
The guy who texted during your performance. What’d he look like?
EMILY
I don’t know. Old.
JORDAN
Helpful. Define old.
EMILY
Like, I don’t know, 40.
JORDAN
So not old.
EMILY
Like older than us but younger than Mom and Dad.
JORDAN
Okay.
EMILY
I don’t know. Brown hair. He looked tired. Or bored. Couldn’t tell, I was trying to remember
Vivaldi—
JORDAN starts texting.
EMILY
Thanks, so glad you’re giving me your undivided attention—
JORDAN holds up her phone.
JORDAN
Is this him?
EMILY
… yeah.
JORDAN
I’ll handle it.
EMILY
What?
JORDAN
Jack’s a nice guy. I’ll handle it.
EMILY
… you’re not implying that you’re going to prostitute yourself out for a scholarship, are you?
JORDAN
For God’s sake, I’m not a prostitute.
EMILY
You have no job and a couple buys you food to sleep with them.
JORDAN
It’s gifts freely given.
EMILY
You’re going to run out of money.
JORDAN
Don’t tell Mom and Dad.
EMILY
Dude, I won’t. I wish I didn’t know.
JORDAN
It’s actually really nice, you know. They’re cool with me sleeping with whoever, they’re pretty
comfortable with themselves, they help me cover my rent.
EMILY has no idea what to do with this information.
JORDAN
It’s just really stable.
EMILY
Sound really stable.
JORDAN
But they are! Like, that’s the crazy thing, I thought for sure there would be all of this major
drama or whatever, but like, they’re all into the “sexuality is fluid and humans weren’t made to
be monogamous” and whatever. And I don’t know. It’s nice to feel taken care of.
EMILY
I take care of you.
JORDAN
No you don’t. Every time I talk to you, you’re in crisis.
EMILY
You don’t let me help you.
JORDAN
No, fuck that.
EMILY
Jordan.
JORDAN
No, you don’t answer your phone. I’ve tried calling you ever since I left, and except for the one
stilted skype call that Mom had to beg you to hop on to, you haven’t talked to me. Even your
texts are just “yeah”, “nah”, “k”, “lol”. Like, seriously?
EMILY
Don’t yell at me.
JORDAN
(pulling her voice down)
You were all mad that I was leaving and now you’re ghosting me.
EMILY
My friend died Jordan.
Or did you forget that part?
JORDAN
…
EMILY
My friend jumped into Wakulla springs and drowned herself.
JORDAN
Stop.
EMILY
A gator got at her—
JORDAN
No fly zone. Stop.
A beat.
EMILY
Her mom is going to walk at graduation for her. So.
A beat. They both drink some and stare at each other.

EMILY chuckles to herself a little.
JORDAN
What?
EMILY
God. Mom and Dad are going to freak the fuck out when they find out.
JORDAN
You can’t tell them.
EMILY
You have them so convinced that you’re the good one and I’m the fuck up.
JORDAN
I didn’t ask to be “the good one”.
EMILY
Jordan is so responsible this and Jordan is so organized that. Jordan always has a plan. Sure, the
gay thing threw a wrench in that a little, but everyone has their flaws. Ever since summer,
they’ve been like “when Jordan applied to school, she applied to this many schools, and she went
to Florida State and she got the scholarship from the state, and she went for something practical,
why can’t you go for something practical, and why don’t you visit your sister or talk to your
sister, she can talk some sense into you. She’s very good at giving advice, your sister. She’s
always been so smart and so wise, even when she was little. She can make you a plan”.
JORDAN
Em.
EMILY
I could never do anything right because Jordan was the smart one and I was the fuck up, but oh
my god, fuck you.
EMILY starts tearing up. This makes her angry.
JORDAN
Emily.
EMILY
I hate you.
JORDAN
I’m sorry.
EMILY
I hate you.
JORDAN puts down her beer. She holds EMILY. EMILY

sobs into her shoulder.
EMILY
I hate you.
I hate.
You.
JORDAN
It’s okay. Let it out.
EMILY sobs. JORDAN holds her tighter.
JORDAN
Yeah, that’s okay. It’s okay. You’re okay.
End scene.
Scene 3.5
The dock. Feet dangling. JORDAN sits. EMILY is at the
ready with her bassoon but not playing. Her face is still red
and wet from crying.
JORDAN
There’s a sense of memorial pervading Point Pleasant West Virginia. The bridge that goes over
the Ohio river collapsed before Christmas decades ago. Hundreds of people died. Some people
blame The Mothman for the accident. Some people think he was sent as a warning about the
collapse.
I don’t think I was entirely lying when I said I was moving here to find the Mothman, I guess.
It’d be great to have a six foot half moth half man warn you of tragedy. It’d be great to have
chemical burns that prove you were visited by this ancient Messiah and have been gifted the
knowledge of a terrible, preventable event.
JORDAN (CONT)
But it was just a shitty bridge. And the people died for no reason.
I still haven’t opened the letter, but the fun thing is I can imagine what it says.
EMILY starts playing. JORDAN takes a pile of letters and

opens them.
JORDAN
Dear Miss. Henderson,
Go fuck yourself.
Love, Sarah’s Mom.
She tosses it off the dock.

She needed your help and you blew her off.

Why did my daughter address her suicide note to you?
JORDAN
She was only five years younger than me. How was I supposed to help her when I can’t even
help myself?
End scene.
Scene 4
Playing Christmas Eve service.
JORDAN and EMILY sit at music stands. They both have

reeds in their mouths. They’re wearing the “concert band”
uniform (white button up shirt, black slacks, black shoes).
JORDAN is clearly hungover. She squints at her music.
All of this dialogue is whispered.

JORDAN
I can’t see for shit.
EMILY
Chugging Kahlua at dinner didn’t help.
JORDAN
It’s not my fault everyone kept asking about “my plan”.
EMILY
I mean, can you blame them? You always have a plan.
JORDAN
I know, but… God, I need a new prescription. I swear, I think I’ve had these glasses since high
school.
EMILY
Should’ve done that before, I don’t know, now.
JORDAN
Don’t let me forget.
EMILY
Remember yourself.
A beat.
EMILY
You do have a plan, right?
JORDAN
Always do. It’s just… the long con, you know?
A beat.
JORDAN
Are people staring at us?
EMILY
No, they’re staring at you.
JORDAN
Great.
EMILY
The prodigal daughter returns.
JORDAN
Yeah the child murderer returns.
EMILY
That too… There also might be a rumor that you’re sleeping with a married couple.
JORDAN
Great. Awesome.
EMILY
Welcome back to the South.
A beat.
JORDAN
I’m so underpracticed.
EMILY
Jack didn’t help you practice? Or were you too busy sucking his dick?
JORDAN
We’re in church.
EMILY
God’s everywhere.
JORDAN
You’re an atheist.
EMILY
I’m androgynous.
A pause.
JORDAN
You mean agnostic?
EMILY
Agnostic. That’s what I said.
JORDAN
It’s not.
EMILY
If God exists, he’s everywhere. Even when you’re sucking—
JORDAN
Stop. I don’t.
EMILY
Uh huh.
JORDAN
I don’t.
A beat.
JORDAN
Seriously, I don’t.
EMILY
Okay.
JORDAN
I can’t even imagine doing that with him.
A beat.
JORDAN
And even if I was, which I’m not, but even if I was, what two consenting adults do is their own
business.
But I’m not.
Okay?
EMILY
The more you say “I’m not”, the less I believe you.
JORDAN
I’m not.
They get shushed. A beat or two.
EMILY
So Jack and Sarah, are they in your plan?
JORDAN
(ignoring that)
Is Henry coming over for coffee tonight?
EMILY
We’re not talking right now.
JORDAN
Really? Why didn’t you tell me?
EMILY
Because I hate you.
JORDAN
No you don’t.
A beat.
JORDAN
But seriously, what—
EMILY
(bratty)
We’re in church.
JORDAN
Did something happen?
EMILY
(sarcastic)
No, nothing happened, we’re just not talking for no reason.
JORDAN
You don’t have to be smart.
EMILY
Our part is coming up.
JORDAN
But what happened?
EMILY
Nothing, okay?
JORDAN
Seriously what—
EMILY
I’m gay, okay? Jesus Christ.
JORDAN
Oh. Really? Why didn’t you tell—
EMILY
Because I didn’t know I was until I was eye to eye with a dick and was like “shit, I am super not
into this”.
JORDAN
Thank you for telling me.
EMILY
God, you’re like grinning.
JORDAN
Mom and Dad are going to flip out.
EMILY
I know.
JORDAN
I think I’m bisexual. By the way.
EMILY
Jack’s dick is that good?
JORDAN
I’m not sucking Jack’s dick.
A beat. JORDAN meets eyes with someone.
JORDAN
What is she doing here?
EMILY
It’s Christmas Eve service. Everyone comes out of the woodwork.
JORDAN
No. I think I’m gonna be sick.
EMILY
Did you ever open her letter?
JORDAN
I have to go.
EMILY
What? Our part’s coming up.
JORDAN
I’m sorry.
JORDAN starts gathering her stuff.
EMILY
What are you doing?
JORDAN
I can’t be here. I have to—
EMILY
Are you kidding me?
JORDAN
I’m so sorry.
JORDAN finishes gathering her stuff and stands up.
EMILY
Jordan, sit down.
JORDAN
I’m so sorry.
EMILY
You can’t just—
JORDAN exits. A beat or two pass. EMILY starts playing

Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite arranged by David
Bussick. The part she plays is the harmony, and it’s
incredibly clear that the melody is missing.
End scene.
Scene 4.5
The dock at Wakulla Springs has transformed into the

Silver Memorial Bridge in Pt. Pleasant West Virginia.
JORDAN dangles her feet off the side of the bridge, in the
same way she did with the dock. She has an oboe reed in
her mouth to moisten it. EMILY is sitting, ready to play her
bassoon.
EMILY
Ever since Jordan came home for Christmas, I’ve been having this weird dream about her. She’s
always sitting on the Silver Bridge in Point Pleasant, but she’s always talking like she’s back
home.
JORDAN
I used to pretend the Gillman was down there when I was a kid. All the way at the bottom, like in
the movie.
EMILY
Dad says I’m not allowed to be mad at her. That it’s not fair to be mad at her. That I shouldn’t
have ruined Christmas by being mad at her.
JORDAN
From the bottom, when you look up, the sun looks far away.
EMILY
When she’s gone, it’s easy to forget that she tried to… do what she did on the day of my junior
prom. Even when she was home, it wasn’t bad. But the day after she left, the house was so quiet.
JORDAN
It’s so quiet down there.
EMILY
It just feels too much like she isn’t here anymore. Mom works in her office. Dad sits in the yard
and just stares.
JORDAN
And it’s so beautiful when you look up from the bottom.
EMILY
I wish it was more ambiguous when she did it. Like one of those “maybe she fell asleep in the
bathtub” situations. She put a brick on her back. There’s nothing ambiguous about that.
JORDAN takes her oboe and starts assembling it.
JORDAN
You can see the feet of the alligators doggy paddling by.
EMILY
They tried to hide it from me. Mom was doing my makeup in the other bathroom when Dad
found her. He had to miss prom pictures to take her to the hospital.
JORDAN finishes assembling her oboe and starts playing

Bolero by Ravel. She’s good, but EMILY is much better.
EMILY
Mom just said something happened and she had to go to the hospital. So I spent all night being
worried about her, thinking she had a seizure or something dumb, but I couldn’t say anything to
anyone because she was my friends’ teacher. Like, I couldn’t tell them. Everyone was already
trying to forget what happened with Sarah.
When I found out what happened… I… Mmm.
EMILY watches JORDAN play.
EMILY
Dad says when I get mad with her I should say something nice about her, to remind myself that
I’m happy she’s here. Even though I’m mad.
Because it’s not her fault. And I’m not allowed to be mad.
So.
The thing I’m so envious about with her is she can be good at anything. I’m good at one thing,
but she… give her two weeks and she’ll be the best.
I don’t know why she’d…
End scene.
Scene 5
An obligatory Skype call. Too late at night.
EMILY
I’m in the middle of homework. Is everything okay?
JORDAN is standing in the middle of her apartment. She’s

skyping from her phone.
JORDAN
Yeah, yeah, just thought I’d call. We just haven’t talked in a while.
EMILY
It’s the middle of the night.
JORDAN
Yeah. Couldn’t sleep. Uh, how’s stuff?
EMILY
Fine.
JORDAN
School okay?
EMILY
Yeah.
JORDAN
The break up go okay?
EMILY
He burned our prom picture from last year and posted a picture on Instagram.
JORDAN
Ouch.
EMILY
He captioned it “oops.”. So I’m going to take everything he ever gave me and have a bonfire,
post a picture on Instagram, and label it “oops”.
JORDAN
That’s excessive.
EMILY
He started it.
A beat.
JORDAN
So are you seeing—
EMILY
No.
JORDAN
Okay. Just checking.
EMILY
I’m not a slut. I’m in mourning.
JORDAN
Sure.
EMILY
How’s the married folks? Mommy and Daddy?
JORDAN
Stop calling them that.
EMILY
They’re old enough.
JORDAN
No they’re not.
We broke up.
EMILY
Jack get sick of you sleeping with his wife?
JORDAN
No. She wanted to leave Jack for me.
EMILY
Shit, really?
JORDAN
Yeah. I uh, just got back from all that, so… Everything just feels weird.
EMILY
Wait, so is she leaving him?
JORDAN
No. Uh, believe it or not, a professor with great health insurance is better than a unemployed 20
something living in a studio apartment.
EMILY
Checks out.
JORDAN
It was all very mutual. Very adult. Nobody burned anyone’s stuff on Instagram.
EMILY
He started it.
JORDAN
When are you visiting me again?
EMILY
Never. I hate you, remember?
JORDAN
You keep saying that.
EMILY
Besides, with Mommy and Daddy gone—
JORDAN
Stop calling them—
EMILY
You’re coming home right? Like, you don’t have a job, you don’t have them, so?
JORDAN
No, I’m not coming home.
EMILY
I gotta go.
JORDAN
Okay… Good talk?
EMILY hangs up.
End scene.
Scene 5.5
The Silver Bridge. JORDAN’s feet dangle. Like last time,

she is preparing to play. EMILY watches her.
EMILY
I got an interview. For a scholarship at OU. You didn’t ask over Skype and you seemed, I don’t
know, sad about Jack and Sarah, so… but I got it.
JORDAN
It’s so quiet.
EMILY
You didn’t leave a note. That’s what ripped Dad up. He doesn’t talk about it. But I caught him
crying in the car, parked in the garage the morning after we took you to the airport. I was running
late for school and he didn’t notice. He doesn’t notice a lot of things anymore.
JORDAN
It’s cold but it’s so cold it becomes warm when you sink to the bottom.
EMILY
He misses you. A lot. I don’t know why he never talks with you on Skype.
JORDAN
The catfish school down there.
EMILY
When he saw me, he immediately started the car and left. Didn’t acknowledge me or anything.
Just left.
You’re the favorite you know. You both are exactly alike. And you’re both just narcissistic
enough to favor the person you’re exactly like.
JORDAN
There she is.
EMILY stops. She looks up at JORDAN.
EMILY
What?
JORDAN
I see her.
JORDAN takes her shirt off. She’s wearing a swimsuit

underneath.
JORDAN
She was the strongest swimmer on my team. She left her note tucked in my car windshield wiper
after a meet. It was late, and I just thought it was a parking ticket, so I threw it in the glovebox to
deal with in the morning.
EMILY
Stop. I don’t want to hear this.
JORDAN
When I heard what happened, I knew it was on purpose. She was the strongest swimmer and she
knew better. No one swims at Wakulla that late at night. But I still didn’t put two and two
together.
EMILY
STOP.
JORDAN
I was sitting at my computer, in my bedroom, logging on to the website to pay my parking ticket
when I even realized what it was.
EMILY
No fly zone. Stop it!
JORDAN stops. A beat. Another beat. She picks up her

oboe and begins to play.
End scene.
Scene 6
JORDAN and EMILY are in JORDAN’s apartment. There’s
a straightener heating up. JORDAN is pulling bowls out of
her cupboards.
JORDAN
Cereal or oatmeal?
EMILY
God, does all your food suck?
JORDAN
Cereal then.
She starts pouring bowls of cereal and milk.
EMILY
My hands are sweating. It’s disgusting.
JORDAN
It’s normal to be nervous. You’ll be great.
EMILY wipes her hands on her pants.
EMILY
Your Daddy is one of my interviewers.
JORDAN
Stop calling him that.
EMILY
I’m assuming I shouldn’t tell him I’m your sister.
JORDAN
He knows you’re my sister.
EMILY
Then I’m going to blame you if I don’t get the scholarship.
JORDAN
That’s fine.
She brings the cereal over to EMILY.
EMILY
I’m so not hungry.
JORDAN
It’s a long day. If you eat your cereal and survive the morning, maybe we could grab lunch and
visit the Mothman Museum?
EMILY
Seriously?
JORDAN
Yeah, I mean, that’d be fun right?
EMILY
Oh my god, yes. I swear to god, if I go to OU, I’m going to the Mothman Museum like once a
week.
JORDAN
Tickets aren’t super cheap…
EMILY
If your Daddy gives me a scholarship—
JORDAN
Stop.
EMILY
I don’t think I can take him seriously. I just keep imagining him sitting there watching you sleep
with his wife—
JORDAN
He didn’t watch. He’d usually go see a movie or something.
EMILY
Sounds like someone who was super cool with what was happening.
JORDAN
I’m not going to pretend like I understood their marriage.
EMILY grabs the cereal and starts eating.
EMILY
Will you straighten my hair?
JORDAN
You can do it.
EMILY
I can, but you do it better.
JORDAN stops eating her cereal and picks up the

straightener.
JORDAN
You’re going to be great.
EMILY
Stop it. You’re going to stress me out.
JORDAN
Okay. You’re going to be just fine then.
JORDAN starts straightening EMILY’s hair.
JORDAN
Just don’t say fuck in your interview. If you can do that, you’ll be fine.
EMILY flips her off.
JORDAN
And don’t eat so fast. You’ll make yourself sick.
EMILY slows down. A beat or two of quiet.
EMILY
You seem sad.
JORDAN
I am sad.
EMILY
Oh. Seriously?
JORDAN
I got dumped. Yeah, I’m sad.
EMILY
You could throw a rock and hit a couple of bored West Virginians looking for a threesome.
JORDAN
It wasn’t like that. And besides. I liked them. A lot actually. But you know, I’m not about to
break up a marriage.
EMILY
You liked Jack better.
JORDAN
No. I liked them both. I just don’t talk about Sarah, because it seemed to make you upset.
EMILY
Oh.
JORDAN
She’s a painter. And not like a “oh my husband is a professor and I just paint in my spare time”
kind of painter, but like a honest to god professional painter. Her stuff is beautiful. And she has a
great laugh, like one of those laughs you hear from miles away. She’s always grinning like she’s
hiding something but when you ask what, she just shrugs and goes “just thinking”. She’s great.
They’re both great. But, I don’t know if things would work if it was just the two of us, you
know?
EMILY
Not really.
JORDAN shrugs. Another bit of silence.
JORDAN
Do you have your answers ready?
EMILY
Yes.
JORDAN
Do you want to practice?
EMILY
God no.
JORDAN
Are you sure?
EMILY doesn’t respond.
JORDAN
Okay, we don’t have to.
A beat. Another beat.
EMILY
I keep having these dreams about you.
JORDAN
Hm, really?
EMILY
Yeah, they’re… weird.
JORDAN
Most dreams are.
EMILY
Yeah, but I feel like dreams usually. But… it’s weird. You’re at the bridge here and you’re
always about to jump I think and like…. Aren’t dreams only stuff that you actually know, you
know?
JORDAN
I don’t get what you mean.
EMILY
I mean…
Okay. Did Sarah stick her letter to you in your windshield wipers?
A beat.
EMILY
And did you think it was a parking ticket?
JORDAN
Who told you that?
EMILY
You did, in my dream! Isn’t that crazy?
JORDAN
Dad is the only person I told. I can’t believe he—
EMILY
Dad didn’t tell me.
JORDAN
He’s the only one—
EMILY
I swear to god, you told me in my dream.
JORDAN
That’s not possible.
EMILY
I swear—
JORDAN
Was it Sarah’s mom?
EMILY
No.
JORDAN
God that woman will not just leave me alone.
EMILY
What do you mean?
JORDAN shakes her head. A beat.
JORDAN
I can’t right now.
EMILY
Is she—I don’t get what you mean.
JORDAN
She keeps calling me. I don’t know how she got my number.
EMILY
Mom gave it to her at Christmas service. She thought it’d be… I don’t know, helpful or
something.
JORDAN
It’s not. If I wanted to talk to her, I’d reach out.
A beat.
EMILY
What’d the letter say? Can I ask that?
JORDAN
You just did.
EMILY
Okay… So?
JORDAN
I didn’t read it. I don’t want to know what it said.
EMILY
Seriously? What if it was a “It’s okay Jordan, it wasn’t your fault—”
JORDAN
There’s no way that’s what it said.
EMILY
Do you still have it?
JORDAN
No, I threw it away. I couldn’t stare at it anymore.
EMILY
Jordan, seriously?
JORDAN
Let’s not talk about this. We should be thinking calming thoughts.
A beat. EMILY eats more cereal. JORDAN keeps

straightening.
JORDAN
Is Dad okay?
EMILY
He’s fine.
JORDAN
Is he mad at me?
EMILY
I don’t know.
JORDAN
I miss him… I just thought he’d call me more.
EMILY
He’s got a life Jordan.
JORDAN
I know. Just tell him to call me when you see him. Or, I don’t know, travel to his dreams and tell
him.
EMILY
Don’t be a dick.
A beat.
JORDAN
I know we aren’t dream visiting because I dream about her every night. Same dream.
EMILY
What is it?
JORDAN
Later. You have an interview. I don’t want to—
EMILY
Come on, you and I both know you’ll conveniently forget or dodge your way out of it later. What
is it?
A beat.
JORDAN
I dream that I get there in time. Every night. I see her at the bottom of Wakulla and I jump in to
get her. I haven’t even gone swimming in Wakulla since I was a little kid, but I can still imagine
it, so clear.
EMILY
Oh.
JORDAN
Now, shh. Calming thoughts. You’re going to be great. I know it.
End scene.
Scene 6.5
Back at the bridge. JORDAN is sitting on the bridge, shoes
off, her swimsuit visible. Oboe at the ready.
EMILY sits below in a chair, without her bassoon.
EMILY
I deserve to be here because—
JORDAN starts to play. EMILY gets distracted.
EMILY
I deserve to be here because… I know there are other qualified candidates. I’m not stupid. I
know there’s people who have better grades than me and who would make better sense to be
here.
JORDAN’s playing gets louder.
EMILY
I know all of that, and I’m not going to pretend like I don’t. But… So, I had a friend. Uh, we
were classmates for like, ever, and my last name is Henderson and her last name was Hendley, so
we were always locker neighbors, and uh, you know, I talk with my bassoon. It’s like an
extension of me and she talked with her body. She was an amazing swimmer. Like, if you saw
her swim, you’d think sports were art, you know? And uh…
JORDAN plays louder.
EMILY
And uh. The thing she loved totally killed her. And I’m really afraid that this is going to kill me.
Uh.
JORDAN is almost overpoweringly loud.
EMILY
I’m sorry. Can I start over?
End scene.
Scene 7
The Mothman Museum, literally one room with Mothman
statues and dioramas. It’s very cheesy, but in a fun way.
EMILY runs over to a Mothman statue. JORDAN is looking
at a model of The Silver Bridge.
EMILY
Take a picture with me and the Mothman!
JORDAN turns around.
JORDAN
You want me in the picture or just you and him?
EMILY
Just me and him, of course.
EMILY poses prom style with The Mothman.
JORDAN
Smile
JORDAN takes the picture.
JORDAN
What a beautiful couple.
EMILY
The only man I’ll ever love.
JORDAN goes back to looking at the bridge.
EMILY
You know what was the worst part?
JORDAN
About what?
EMILY
The interview. I hate how nice Jack is.
JORDAN
He is very nice.
EMILY
I kept kinda picturing this weird monster dude, like this villain keeping you from being with his
wife or whatever. But he’s really cool.
JORDAN
I was dating him too.
EMILY
Yeah. He asked how you’re doing.
JORDAN
What’d you say?
EMILY
I wanted to sound smart, so I said you were “vaguely sardonic and wistful”.
JORDAN
God, am I?
EMILY
I wouldn’t call you cheery.
JORDAN
Yeah, but wistful? God. Should I just throw myself off the bridge now or later?
EMILY
Don’t.
JORDAN
Sorry.
EMILY
Don’t even joke about that.
JORDAN
I was just—
EMILY
I don’t care. Don’t.
JORDAN
Sorry.
EMILY comes over to the bridge model.

EMILY
Do you think people here really believe in the Mothman?
JORDAN
Huh? I don’t know. Probably not. It’s just fun.
EMILY
It just feels like a weird thing to lean into.
JORDAN
When you have a hundred people die from a bridge collapse in a town this tiny, you gotta find
something fun to lean into.
EMILY
46.
JORDAN
Hm?
EMILY
46 people died. Not a hundred.
JORDAN
I was rounding up.
EMILY
Well don’t. Don’t just make up an extra 54 people. Those 46 people were real people and
rounding up… I don’t know, dishonors them?
JORDAN
Okay. Sorry. I’m sorry.
A beat.
JORDAN
You okay?
EMILY
Fine.
JORDAN
We don’t have to stay here if it’s upsetting you. Like, the death stuff.
EMILY
It’s not.
A beat. EMILY is clearly upset.
JORDAN
Maybe we should go. We can come back another time.
A little quiet.
EMILY
I just thought it’d feel different.
JORDAN
I told you it was cheesy.
EMILY
No, the museum is perfect. It’s just… it’s almost been a year since everything happened, and I
feel exactly the same. It isn’t going away.
JORDAN
It’s okay to be sad still—
EMILY
I’m not sad.
JORDAN
Okay.
EMILY
I’m not. I’m… so angry. Like, so so angry.
JORDAN
There’s no point in being mad at a dead person.
EMILY
It’s not just her. I’m so angry with you I can’t…. Why did you leave me?
JORDAN
I think it’s time to go—
EMILY
No! Okay? No dodging. Why did you leave me alone?
JORDAN
I had to go.
EMILY
But I could’ve come with you…. I wanted to see the Mothman too, you know? We could’ve
been a Mothman hunting duo—
JORDAN
-You don’t have to make this into a joke--
EMILY
But now that’s never going to happen because I’m not going to get the scholarship and I’m not
going to go to OU— it was the only school I wanted to go to.
JORDAN
You’re not… doing all of this just to be nearby, right?
EMILY
I… You know, that hurt when you said I don’t take care of you. That hurt my feelings a lot.
JORDAN
It’s not your job to take care of me—
EMILY
It isn’t just taking care of you. I miss you. I miss you a lot and you just moved up here and left
me alone. But it doesn’t even matter anymore anyways, because you won’t come back to Florida
and I can’t move up here because I totally blew my chance.
JORDAN
You don’t know that. I thought you said it went great?
EMILY
No. It was bad Jordan. I told them other people deserved it more than me.
JORDAN
Em.
EMILY
I cried during it. Jack gave me a tissue.
JORDAN
I’m sorry.
EMILY
I talked about Sarah. I didn’t think I was going to talk about—I practiced this whole thing in my
mind about youth orchestra and then I just… Fuck.
And I feel like such a phony, you know? Because it’s not like she was my best friend. Like, we
were friends, but we were just school friends. Like, locker neighbors and whatever. We mostly
just hung out through Jess. You probably saw her outside school more than I did.
JORDAN
Only because I was her coach.
EMILY
She adored you. Like, I feel like any time I did talk to her, she was just talking about how cool
you are.
JORDAN
We were a lot alike.
EMILY
I cried a lot at her memorial. It was so embarrassing. I could tell Jess thought I was doing it for
attention. Can we walk? It’s so hot in here. The air is totally stale.
JORDAN
Yeah, let’s walk.
End scene.
Scene 8
We’re on the Silver Memorial Bridge. EMILY is looking
over the edge. JORDAN is lingering at the start of the
bridge.
EMILY
Don’t be a chicken! Come on.
JORDAN
I can see it from here. I’m good.
EMILY
Come on, it’s pretty. Just take a step.
JORDAN
You’re standing on the shoulder of a highway. I’m not being a chicken. I just don’t want to get
hit by a car.
EMILY
There’s no one coming. Come on.
JORDAN
You know this bridge collapsed before right? I don’t think I’m a chicken for being a little
skeptical.
EMILY
That was the old bridge. It’s fine.
Fine, be like that.
A beat. EMILY looks out beyond the bridge. JORDAN looks

at the ground.
JORDAN
Feeling better? You know, with the fresh air.
EMILY shrugs. She looks down into the water.
EMILY
It’s weird to see the real thing.
JORDAN
Yeah.
EMILY
The Ohio river was way less gross in my head.
JORDAN
Yeah.
EMILY leans over the cement barrier to get a better view.
JORDAN
Don’t lean too far over okay?
EMILY
I’m just looking for the Mothman.
JORDAN
You’re going to give me a heart attack. Seriously, stop it.
EMILY
They said they saw him under the bridge right?
JORDAN
The Mothman isn’t real. Be careful.
EMILY
I think I see him.
JORDAN hurries onto the bridge, bracing EMILY.
EMILY
Let go! I wasn’t going to fall.
JORDAN
Stop dicking around okay? If you fall in you’re going to get hurt.
EMILY
I’m not going to fall in. Just chill out!
JORDAN
You’d be dead if you fell Em. Like straight up, dead—
EMILY
I’m not an idiot!
JORDAN
Than stop acting like one.
A beat.
JORDAN
I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—
EMILY
I just wanted to see what it looked like!
JORDAN
I just don’t want you to fall in okay?
EMILY
You called me an idiot. I’m not an idiot.
JORDAN
I’m sorry.
EMILY sits down on the cement barrier, looking into the

water.
EMILY
I just need to see what it looks like.
JORDAN
The Ohio river?
EMILY
This is where you jump in my dream… I, uh, you always talk about Wakulla being so clear, but
I’m too young, I never got to see it. So. I don’t know. I guess I always imagined this water being
clear, but.
JORDAN
I’m not going to jump. I can’t even stand on this bridge without shaking.
A beat. JORDAN cautiously looks over the bridge.
JORDAN
Do you want to talk, or do you want to just sit?
EMILY
I don’t know.
A beat.
JORDAN
I mean it. I’m not going to jump. I know it doesn’t always seem this way, but I feel better up
here. I really do.
EMILY
Well, at least someone feels better. I just feel totally crazy. All the time. And like, no one talks
about it. Ever. Like, Sarah died, and then you did what you did, and then you went to therapy and
I went to therapy and Daddy went to therapy and Mom must be a lizard person or something,
because she didn’t go to therapy—
JORDAN
Mom’s probably in therapy and just not telling anyone.
EMILY
But like, we never talk about it. We just all pretend everything is fine and nothing happened.
JORDAN
Things are clearly not fine. You’re dreaming about me killing myself—
EMILY
Yeah, whose fault is that?
JORDAN
What I did… it really had nothing to do with y’all—
EMILY
BULLSHIT. No, fuck that. Don’t sit here and pretend that you doing that had nothing to do with
us. You did it in our house, on my fucking prom—
JORDAN
Don’t yell—
EMILY
FUCK YOU.
JORDAN
If I knew you all were going to be back when you were, I would’ve waited.
EMILY
That’s even shittier?
JORDAN
I know.
EMILY
What you did was selfish. You were going to leave me all by myself—
JORDAN
I’m sorry. But it didn’t feel selfish at the time. It didn’t. If anything, it felt like the most selfless
thing I could do.
EMILY
Stop, I don’t—
JORDAN
You said you wanted to talk about it.
EMILY
I changed my mind, okay? I don’t want to think about that.
JORDAN
I’m sorry. But it did happen.
A beat. JORDAN is measuring the situation.
JORDAN
Do you think I should’ve known?
EMILY
About us coming home?
JORDAN
No. About Sarah. I run it over in my head all the time. That day, she just came into my classroom
to ask what the homework was for tomorrow and to return some books she borrowed. I told her
to bring her “A game” to the meet that night. She said she would and that she wanted to talk to
me about something after. I thought it must be something with swimming scholarships or
something. She didn’t come up to me at the meet, so we never ended up talking. I guess I
should’ve remembered and maybe said something, but I didn’t at the time…
And that’s literally it.
EMILY
That’s really all she said?
JORDAN
That’s it. And that note. She even expected me to know. She started it with “I’m sure you already
know what this note’s about”. I would’ve never in a million years ever thought…
The thing that sucks is I could’ve… if I had read that note before I left the gym, I could’ve made
it. Wakulla Springs is only 20 minutes away. She couldn’t have been that much further ahead of
me. I couldn’t have stopped her from jumping, but I could’ve pulled her out.
EMILY
Yeah, but it was dark and late. You could’ve not found her, or you could’ve gotten hurt—
JORDAN
I would’ve found her—
EMILY
But you don’t know that.
JORDAN
I know I could’ve.
EMILY
But you could’ve drown—
JORDAN
I’ve been swimming to the bottom of Wakulla since I was a kid. I would’ve made it.
EMILY
But you don’t know that. You don’t. Okay? And what if you didn’t? Or what if you died? Or
literally what if anything else other than the perfect scenario you’ve imagined happened? Then
what?
JORDAN
I don’t know. I just feel like I could’ve made it. I can see her, you know?
A pause.
EMILY
I… God, you’re going to think I’m crazy.
JORDAN
I don’t think so.
EMILY
I, um…. I keep seeing Sarah.
JORDAN
What?
EMILY
Yeah, and I realize that between this and the dream traveling, I’m like two strikes from being
totally insane—
JORDAN
--you don’t have to do—
EMILY
But I see her at school. Like, when you walk past the gym, you know how there’s all those
sliding glass doors to the pool room?
JORDAN
Yeah.
EMILY
I always think I see her doing laps in there. Just like for a second. And then at Wakulla. Jess and
I went, because I thought it’d be good for her, you know, to help get over it. And I swear to god,
I saw her. The water is practically mud, so I couldn’t really tell, but I swear---God I made a total
scene. It was horrible. They had to call the park ranger to get me to chill.
It just feels like all anyone wants to talk to me about is school and my college plans, and I just
want to be like “idk, wanna talk about the dead girl I keep seeing instead?”.
You think I’m crazy, don’t you.
JORDAN
No.
EMILY
Then you’re just being nice.
JORDAN
I used to see Sarah all the time. At night, At home. I’d wake up and she’d be standing in my old
bedroom, dripping water all over the place Just staring at me.
EMILY
Really?
JORDAN
Yeah. It was horrible. I couldn’t sleep. I’d just pretend I woke up super early when people started
getting up in the morning. Maybe it was stupid, but I thought if I got away from… Point Pleasant
was honestly kinda random at first. And then I learned about the Mothman thing and was like
“well okay, that’s cool” and… that’s about all of the thought that went into it.
EMILY
No spreadsheet?
JORDAN
Ha, no. No spreadsheet. I thought it worked for a while, but she came back. After Christmas. I
saw her at Jack and Sarah’s in the middle of the night, just soaking their floor with Wakulla
Springs water. Staring me down. I… totally freaked out. I just grabbed a mop and started
cleaning up the water, and I must’ve been saying her name or something, I don’t know, but Jack
heard me and---it got ugly. It was late, and you know, everyone didn’t have all the information,
and it maybe looked like I was… obsessed with Sarah. So we ended things. Or, he ended things.
But my point is, you’re not crazy.
EMILY
Or we’re both crazy.
JORDAN
Well, okay. There’s that.
A pause.
I can fix this though. Let me call Jack and I can explain everything with Sarah and what
happened with your interview—
EMILY
You don’t have to—
JORDAN
No, it’ll be good. I can explain the scholarship part, and I can explain that I wasn’t trying to
break up his marriage—
EMILY
So you’re using my scholarship as an excuse to get back together—
JORDAN
No, no. You want the scholarship right?
EMILY
I mean, yeah.
JORDAN
And you won’t just come here because I’m here, right?
EMILY
… there are some other things I like about the school.
JORDAN
Then let me do this for you. Please. I think I can fix this.
A beat. JORDAN starts chuckling.
EMILY
What?
JORDAN
Just thinking about how you actually told them to give your scholarship to someone else.
EMILY
Oh my god, stop.
JORDAN
Because that’s like—
EMILY
Jordan—
JORDAN
Like textbook level—
EMILY
I know, stop it.
JORDAN
I’m sorry.
EMILY
They tried to help me out of it too. Like, Jack straight up said “you don’t actually mean that do
you?”
JORDAN
Oh god.
EMILY
And I said “I totally mean it”. They even let me start over and all I did was sob and talk about
youth orchestra.
Oh fuck me, I can’t believe I— Stop laughing!
JORDAN
I’m not laughing.
EMILY
Your face is laughing.
JORDAN
Sorry!
JORDAN takes a moment to pull herself together.
EMILY
If I do come here, you’re not just gonna move again on me, right?
JORDAN
No. I’m… I don’t know. I like it here. I feel like I’m so close to figuring all of this out.
You don’t look convinced.
EMILY
Just come up with a real plan that doesn’t involve jumping off a bridge okay?
JORDAN
First off, I promise, plan or no plan, I’m not jumping off a bridge, okay? Seriously, I need you to
believe me when I say that.
EMILY
Okay.
JORDAN
Everything else, I’m just going to figure out. It’ll be fine.
EMILY
I hate that. A lot.
JORDAN
Well, I tried the whole making a plan thing and it blew up in my face. This feels like the logical
next step. You know. And maybe I’ll eventually need another plan, but for now, I’m just going
to do the next thing that makes sense.
EMILY
I don’t know, that still sounds like a plan.
JORDAN
Well, you know. I’m still me.
EMILY
Yeah…
JORDAN
So… are we good?
EMILY
I think… we’re closer to good?
JORDAN
I’ll take that.
A beat. EMILY pats the spot next to her.
JORDAN
You’re insane if you think I’m dangling my feet off this bridge.
EMILY
You’re not gonna fall in. Come on. It’s pretty.
JORDAN cautiously sits down and turns herself around to

face out. As they look out over the water the bridge begins
to change, becoming both the Silver Memorial Bridge and
the Wakulla dock. They settle into the moment, but then
EMILY looks down.
EMILY
Look.
JORDAN
I am not looking down. You’re lucky I’m sitting here at all.
EMILY
Dude, seriously look.
JORDAN peers down.
JORDAN
Wow. The water.
EMILY
Right?
JORDAN
It’s beautiful.
EMILY
It’s so clear…
Blackout. End of play.

In Search of The Mothman (2021)

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In Search of The Mothman (2021)

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In Search of The Mothman

Jordan: 23, female. White.

EMILY sits up.

EMILY tosses a pillow at JORDAN.

EMILY drags herself out of the bed.

EMILY starts unpacking a box of clothes.

EMILY shoots JORDAN a look. JORDAN shuts up.

EMILY exits. JORDAN keeps unpacking her clothes. As she

EMILY starts assembling her bassoon.

EMILY doesn’t respond.

EMILY doesn’t respond. She finishes assembling her

EMILY nods. She purposefully makes her warmups more

EMILY squeaks her bassoon at her. JORDAN grabs the

A few beats. Some playing. JORDAN might even sway

EMILY abruptly stops playing.

A beat. JORDAN is reading. EMILY is fingering through

A beat. EMILY’s fingering gets more aggressive.

Another beat. JORDAN is typing.

Some more typing.

JORDAN gets up off the floor.

EMILY starts disassembling her bassoon. JORDAN starts

EMILY pulls out her phone.

JORDAN sighs and keeps unpacking.

Because you love me.

Because I’m cute.

Because I can’t go to college if you don’t.

JORDAN hands over her phone. EMILY hands over the

JORDAN in a dream. She is standing on the upper dock at

EMILY starts playing the same concerto. JORDAN kicks off

She takes her shirt off. She’s wearing a swimsuit

Can’t see that in Point Pleasant.

EMILY hits a sour note. The dream ends.

An obligatory Skype call.

A beat. JORDAN waiting.

EMILY hangs up. End scene.

There’s a spotlight on EMILY. The dock lingers in the

JORDAN lingers on the dock.

EMILY closes her eyes. She’s trying to keep herself in the

You have to have a plan.

Let’s make a spreadsheet together.

Nothing gets done without a plan.

EMILY finds a moment of enjoyment. If anyone is ever

I have no idea where she’s going to sleep.

She finishes. She couldn’t have played it better. She looks

EMILY bursts into tears and rushes off stage.

She stares at JORDAN as she drops her bassoon case on

EMILY goes over to the fridge and starts rummaging.

EMILY grabs a beer and cracks it open. Definitely not her

EMILY shoots her a look.

EMILY goes back to the fridge.

EMILY giggles and opens the fridge.

She slams it shut and starts going through the cabinets.

EMILY pulls out her phone.

EMILY defiantly chugs half her beer and slams it on the

JORDAN digs out her wallet and tosses it to EMILY.

JORDAN checks her phone. EMILY watches her.

Another text. JORDAN smiles.

JORDAN is too busy texting to respond.

They said it’ll cost 9,000 dollars.

And that the Mothman himself is going to deliver it.

EMILY comes over and snatches her phone.

EMILY is looking at her phone.

EMILY stares at JORDAN. She hands her phone back.