Melody

A Forest A Flood A Fugue
By Mia Rovegno
pop melody


Hesther sits under a tree.
Hal picks up twigs and throws them into the quarry.
He also picks up rocks and throws them into the quarry.

skip skip skip plunk.

Hesther throws sticks at Hal. They bounce off his head.

Thwack.
Thwack.

He doesn't flinch.
This continues.
Hesther plunges her bare feet into the mud and stares at Hal.

Thwack.

skip skip skip plunk.

Thwack.

Hesther sings.

Hesther
You you you with your spark-el-y shoes
Wanna sing sing sing sing the blues blues blues
Wanna eat-a-piece-of-cake
Wanna jump-into-the-lake
Wanna take take take
Wanna boy who's-on-the-make

Hal
How old are you?

Hesther
Shut up.

Thwack.

Hal
Tssss

Thunder rolls far off in the mountain ranges.
Hesther looks at Hal. Hal looks at Hesther.
Hesther gets up and stares at the edge of the quarry.
Her hands absentmindedly wipe at her pants. Wet mud from her hands seeps darkly into the fabric, layered on top of dried, caked dirt.
Thunder rumbles.
She stares.

Hesther
Hm.

Hal
Not yet.

Hesther sighs and rushes to the quarry.
She plunges her feet deep in the cold water and screams.
The mud drips down the skin on her feet.
She rushes to the edge of the quarry and begins singing again.

Hesther
You you you with your spark-el-y shoes
Wanna sing sing sing sing the blues blues blues
Wanna eat-a-piece-of-cake
Wanna jump-into-the-lake
Wanna take take take
Wanna boy who's-on-the-make

Her little hands pull at large chunks of muddy earth.
She turns to Hal with her eyes wide.

Hesther
Don't you have a question for me?

Hal
What kind of question?

Hesther
You know what kind

Hal
What kind?

Hesther
You know what kind.

Hal
Right.
...
...
What time is it?

Hesther
It's time for you to bring me my shoes.
...
It's time.

Hal
It's time, is it?

Hesther
It's time.
It's time.
It's time.

Hal
It's time is it?

Hesther
It's time.
...

Thwack

Hesther
Now you ask me what they look like

Hal
What do they look like?

Hesther
They're purple and shiny and strappy

Hal
Like the shoes of a woman?

Hesther
Like the shoes of a woman.

Hal
A real woman?

Hesther
A REAL WOMAN

Hal
What else?

Hesther
They're pink and soft like fur on the belly of a cat

Hal
What else?

Hesther
And they sparkle

Hal
What else?

Hesther
They make my feet smell like lavender

Hal
And what else

Hesther
I float above the ground when I walk in them

Hal
Oh those shoes.

Hesther
Those are the ones.

Hal
Yes those are the ones.
...
...
...
I'll go look for them.

Hesther
It's about time.

Thwack.

Hal grabs a stick and disappears into the woods. He knocks the stick against each tree trunk he passes.

Thwump.
Thwump.
Thwump.
thwump.
thwump.
thwump.
thwump.
thwump.
thwump.
thwump.

Hesther whistles to herself. Thunder rumbles. A light rain begins.
She sings.

Hesther
You you you with your spark-el-y shoes
Wanna sing sing sing sing the blues blues blues
Wanna eat-a-piece-of-cake
Wanna jump-into-the-lake
Wanna take take take
Wanna boy who's-on-the-make
purple shiner black and blue
so so strapping no just scrappy true
pink soft furry belly sparkle in your eye pop
a lavender ice cream float with a cherry on top

Hesther looks up to the sky.
The rain starts to fall in sheets across the mountains.
The mud starts to flow in rivers into the quarry. The water gushes down the hills.
Hesther hums to herself.

She is now sitting in a large pool of water, the mud breaking up and washing away around her. The water begins to rise around her muddy legs, washing them clean.
She hums to herself and picks her feet up to admire them.
The water gushes around her, and lifts her into its grasp.
She is swept up and taken down the mountain.

The water rises and she is swept away, underneath its surface, and disappears out of sight.
Underneath the water's surface, she still hums to herself, eyes closed, dreaming of lavender ice cream floats with a cherry on top.