The Dog in the Woods

(Lights up on Parker, sitting in a bright room, center stage. A police officer is off to the side, surprisingly nonchalant.)

PARKER
I saw the rope first. Isn’t that funny? I saw the rope and then what was hanging from it. It’s like I was almost trying to stop myself from looking. It was Lola. Just there, hanging from a tree branch.

POLICE
And that’s why you called us, right? Because of the dog?

PARKER
She couldn’t exactly hang herself.

POLICE
Where were your friends when you discovered the dog?

PARKER
I don’t know. Not at the house.

POLICE
Do you think they might have something to do with this?

PARKER
No, they loved Lola. They’re going to be devastated when they find out.

POLICE
I’m sure they will be.

PARKER
I don’t like what you’re implying.

POLICE
Look, I’m not trying to solve the case here or anything, but you were the only three people at the house, one that’s more than a bit out of the way. No one’s driving around killing dogs. That narrows it down to you three. And I think it’s clear that it isn’t you.

PARKER
They wouldn’t have done it.

POLICE
Do you know that we can’t locate them? They aren’t answering their phones, nothing at their houses, cars still in your driveway…

PARKER
What do you mean?

POLICE
Do you know where your friends are?

(Suddenly, from the dark, Katie is illuminated.)

KATIE
Alison? Alison? I don’t know how to find you. I’ve been walking for ages, and I can’t seem to get anywhere. I thought we said not to split up. I heard you a few yards back, at least I think I did. It’s so hard to tell out here, everything just echoes. It’s so cold. I don’t want to keep walking! I can’t stop, though. I think I’m close to finding you.
(A dog barks.)
Alison?
(Katie disappears back into the darkness.)

PARKER
I have a watch on, you know. I know how long it’s been since we started talking.

POLICE
Just be patient, sir.

PARKER
It’s been three hours. Why am I being held here? I’m the one who made the call.

POLICE
We think the dog might have been killed as a threat.

PARKER
A threat?

POLICE
Your safety is our biggest concern.

PARKER
Shouldn’t your biggest concern be finding who did this in the first place.

POLICE
We’re working on it. We still haven’t found any trace of your friends. We were hoping you might tell us a little bit about what was happening at the house this weekend.

PARKER
I told you, they didn’t do this.

POLICE
I didn’t say they did. But we need to know if there was anything weird going on that maybe you can pick up on in hindsight.

PARKER
No, there wasn’t anything weird. It was just me, Katie, and Alison hanging out like usual.

POLICE
What do you usually do when you hang out?

PARKER
Relax, watch movies, or stupid internet videos. We just try to have a good time.

POLICE
Do you drink?

PARKER
A little. We might get a little tipsy, but it’s no fun when we’re all wasted.

POLICE
Tell me a little about the dynamic.

PARKER
Katie’s the quiet one. Usually it’s Alison being in charge of things, and me and Katie agreeing.

POLICE
So, you’d say Alison is the leader.

PARKER
Yeah, I think that’s a pretty fair statement.
(Parker frowns.)

POLICE
Something wrong?

PARKER
No, no it’s just… I don’t know. It always felt like Katie and Alison were closer to each other than I was to either of them. It wasn’t obvious, not all the time, but sometimes I’d just be made acutely aware of it, you know? And I keep going over the day in my head, and it makes sense to me, but at the same time, it doesn’t. The beginning makes sense, and the end of the day, which is right now. But the middle, the middle is all jumbled up.

POLICE
Can you tell me more about Katie?

(Katie once again emerges from the darkness. She looks more scared than before.)

KATIE
Alison, I know you’re out there.

PARKER
Like I said, she’s quiet. But really funny. Like, she can have me and Alison on the floor with just a few words. She loves animals. We always bring Lola to the dog park together.

KATIE
I keep hearing things, they don’t make any sense. Jagged words and phrases, they sound like they come from nowhere.

PARKER
Her and Alison were good friends too. We’re all really close.

(A dog barks. Parker is instantly uncomfortable. Katie freezes in fear.)

POLICE
What’s wrong?

PARKER
We’d all been arguing a lot lately.

KATIE
I really need to find you, Alison. It feels like something is out here in the woods with us.

PARKER
I guess you could say we had a falling out. It wasn’t anything dramatic, but…

KATIE
It feels like it’s right behind me.

POLICE
But?

PARKER
Me and Alison, we had gotten really drunk, and one thing led to another and…

POLICE
I thought you said you were just friends.

PARKER
We are. It wasn’t anything more than a one-time thing.

POLICE
But the group dynamic changed. Did Katie know?

PARKER
No, she’d kill me if she found out.

POLICE
How come?

PARKER
Me and Katie are kind of a thing. We’ve been keeping it quiet.

POLICE
…I see.

(A clap of thunder.)

KATIE
We need to get out of here.

POLICE
How did Alison feel about all of this?

(Alison appears behind Katie.)

PARKER
I don’t know.

ALISON
Katie?

KATIE
We need to leave, Alison.

ALISON
Katie, I think we messed up. We need to go back.

KATIE
No, we aren’t going back.

ALISON
Where are we supposed to go then?

KATIE
I don’t know.

ALISON
Are you kidding me? You really don’t know?

KATIE
I think there’s a dog out here.

ALISON
You’re worried about a dog?

KATIE
I don’t remember seeing Lola.

ALISON
Who cares, we need to get back to the house.

KATIE
She’s gotten lazy, don’t you think? Lola the lazy dog. Lola the lazy dog.

ALISON
Stop that, Katie.

KATIE
Lola the lazy dog, Lola the lazy dog, Lola the lazy dog!

ALISON
Stop!
(They both look up.)
It’s raining.

KATIE
It is.

ALISON
I think I want to go home now.
(Katie doesn’t respond.) 
Katie—

KATIE
That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.

PARKER
I think Katie found out. She was in a weird mood all weekend.

KATIE
It feels different out here. Even you have to realize that.

PARKER
I think Alison may have felt guilty. May have told her. They were really close.

ALISON
We shouldn’t have done it, Katie.

(A dog barks.)

KATIE
We should bring her with us.
 (Calling out into the woods.)
Lola! Lola the lazy dog! Come here, girl!

ALISON
I don’t think she can hear you over the rain!

PARKER
Something’s not right. I want to leave.

POLICE
Calm down, sir.

KATIE
Lola! Lola, come on!

PARKER
I want to leave! I want to go and bury my dog!

ALISON
We need to go, Katie!

POLICE
We can’t let you leave, Parker.

PARKER
I want to go home! Just let me go home!

POLICE
Please, try to understand.

KATIE
I think I hear her coming!

(A growling noise, then, very loud, angry barking.)

ALISON
Katie!

(Alison and Katie disappear into the darkness for the last time.)

PARKER
I don’t want to understand!

POLICE
We’ve given you enough time to figure it out on your own. Don’t make me spell it out for you.

PARKER
Lola didn’t die.

POLICE
No.

PARKER
It was someone else.
(He looks at the Police for the first time.)
Really?

POLICE
I’m sorry.

PARKER
They really did that to me?
(The Police nods. Parker’s hand goes up to his throat.)

POLICE
If it makes you feel better, they’re coming in next. We found them in the woods. Mauled by some kind of animal. This whole police thing… have to find a way to break the news to people, you know? We’re going to go a little tougher on them, don’t worry. They’ll get what they deserve.

PARKER
And Lola?

POLICE
No trace of her.

PARKER
I hope she’s okay…

POLICE
She’s a good dog. Loyal. I’m sure she’ll be just fine.

PARKER
What happens next?

POLICE
It’s all up to you.

(Parker nods, then stands up. Looks around the room and walks into the light. End of show.)