writing_shadows

Act One, Scene Three

The scene cuts to Rosie running up to Dominic, who is wandering along a road.

ROSIE (spoken)
Let's go right now.

DOMINIC (spoken)
OK, but do we need directions?

ROSIE (spoken)
Why? We just go into the woods?

They turn towards the trees behind Dominic, stepping forward. As they do so, the air seems to twist and warp a little, and the trees grow thicker and the forest darker. They are going into the Hedge. As they walk a massive serpent rears up, and begins to try and bite Dominic, who seems to be fending it off unsucessfully with his axe.

DOMINIC
Into the woods,
It's always when
You think at last
You're through, and then
Into the woods you go again
To take another journey

Dominic is bitten by the snake and falls down. Rosie manages to fend it off by throwing chunks of wood at it so it slides off into the wood.

ROSIE
Into the woods,
The weather's clear,

Even as she says this a thick mist rises up, and Rosie and Dominic look slightly worriedly at each other.

ROSIE
We've been before,
We've naught to fear...

The snake pops its head out of the mist, hissing again. Dominic and Rosie jump back.

ROSIE (firmly)
Into the woods, away from here-

DOMINIC (sounding worried as he realizes what the plan is)
Into the woods to find a Fae-!

ROSIE (firmly)
Into the woods to the misty town...

DOMINIC (sounding uncertain as he realizes that they have no idea where they are due to the mist)
Into the woods,
The path is straight,

They come across a giant hedge of thorns and start slowly hacking their way through.

DOMINIC
No reason then
To hesitate-

ROSIE
Into the woods,
It's not to late,
It's just another journey...

DOMINIC
Into the woods

They find a river, and both turn to each other, worried. Dominic whistles and his flying horse appears. Both climb on him, and he begins to fly. The skies above are a strange and seething mass of colour.

ROSIE
But not too long:
The skies are strange,

Buffeted by the wind the horse swerves and nearly falls out of the sky.

DOMINIC
The winds are strong.
Into the woods to see what's wrong...

ROSIE
Into the woods-

DOMINIC
To find the Hunt!

Into the woods-

ROSIE
To shield the cub...

DOMINIC
To flee the winds...

ROSIE
To find a future...

DOMINIC
To shield...

ROSIE
To slay...

DOMINIC
To find...

ROSIE
To fix...

DOMINIC
To move...

ROSIE
To hide...

DOMINIC
To battle...

ROSIE
To see what the trouble is...

And the vanish into the mist with Rosie's last note hanging in the air.