Ep. 4 of the Elementals: I Love You to the Moon and Back (Part 2)
Previously…
FIRE (warmly to Bastet): Some things are simply meant to be admired from afar, small one. Bee’s have stingers, you know…
Earth, hearing this last bit of wisdom from Fire, purses her lips. She continues on the cobblestone path, further away from the castle. She quickens her pace to leave Fire’s gaze — anyone’s gaze. When she feels that she is more alone, she releases a shaky breath and stops walking. The sun is setting now. Earth looks up at the sky turning to night… and finds herself lost in a memory…
We are in the audience of a blackbox-style theatre space. There are no curtains or standard stage lighting, just fluorescents illuminate the room. “The Curse” by Agnes Obel plays through a 9-year-old Bluetooth speaker placed on a chair against the wall stage right. It crackles from water damage. Spectators settle into the metal folding chairs— about twelve people in total — careful not to step between the gaps in the foldable (or rather, collapsible) choir risers.
Ten minutes passed the scheduled time of the performance, a young person dressed in all black with sea-foam green hair closes the doors to the space. They abruptly turn off the music from their phone in the middle of the intro of “Dark Waltz” by Hayley Westerna, then turns off the fluorescent lights with four light switches— click, click, click, click.
It is silent and we are in complete darkness. We squint to adjust our eyes. Just barely, we are able to make out shadowy figures moving about the space and placing set pieces on tiny, glowing pieces of tape. A moment passes, and a reading light attached to a podium snaps on, downstage left. A young woman’s face is illuminated, with golden hair framing her forehead and cheeks. She parts her blue painted lips and speaks in a steady, projected tone.
NARRATOR:
Once upon a time, Earth & Water were in love
Since the planet’s beginning (or that we know of)
Always entangled, through body and mind;
Forever bound for all of time.
One by one, in no specific order, four standing lamps turn on to illuminate the right side of the stage. A stocky, young, genderfluid person with long, braided chestnut hair sits on a unevenly painted black cube. They wear a dark blue button-down shirt, tan slacks and brown wing-tipped shoes. It is Water. Between their legs sits a small young woman with her jet-black hair, half shaven. It is Earth, dressed in a brown long sleeved waffled-sweatshirt, and forest green flowy pants. She is barefoot. You could easily imagine the theatre studies major breakdown with the obvious choice of clothing for these two Elementals.
WATER: Are you sure this is a good idea?
EARTH: Well, why not give it a try? A change of scene?
WATER: Things have been so perfect. You, me, our graciously glowing Sunstar… warming our flushed and feverous faces…
Water tips up Earth’s chin and kisses her.
EARTH: Yes, yes, O Water, it’s been amazing , of course—
WATER: You are amazing. This is our eternity. For you to be amazing and for me to compliment, and love, and kiss —
They kiss again.
EARTH (giggling): And I believe it’ll still be so. But — just think. The other side, where the Sunstar cannot reach, I can only wonder… what it must be like…!
Earth and Water suddenly freeze as the blue-lipped Narrator speaks.
NARRATOR:
With all perfect lovers, there’s never not a catch
Nirvana disturbed by a curious scratch
For Earth, it is the wonderment of life without Sun
Something they simply hadn’t quite done
Earth and Water are animated again. Earth swivels around to face Water directly and holds their hands.
EARTH: Think of it as an adventure. Doesn’t that sound exciting?
WATER: I’ve never thought to disrupt the exquisite nature of our current universe. Why play havoc with perfection! But if it excites you to venture to the Shadows, if it makes you happy… I want only to support your passions, sweet Earth.
Earth pauses, and holds a steady look with Water. Then, she kisses the tops of their hands and rises.
EARTH: Let’s meet halfway. We won’t have to move about the surface, let’s rotate instead! Here we’ll stay and turn our face to the opposite side of the galaxy. It’ll be an adventure led without walking — let’s salute the sun and… pivot!
WATER: I’ll follow your lead.
Earth turns to face the audience and closes her eyes. Water follows suit. Together, they perform some semblance of a yoga-like “sun salutation”. A few figures all dressed in black (only distinguishable by body shape and hair color) enter the space, pick up the lamps in intended unison, rotate around the Elementals, and move them upstage in choreographed fashion. They face the light against the back wall, which is painted prettily in different shades of orange and yellow. Earth and Water are in silhouette.
EARTH: Look! How beautiful!
WATER: Sunstar — saying goodbye — I suppose.
EARTH: What an incredible sight.
WATER: Will Sunstar be okay? Will we see them again?
Water and Earth slowly move to hold hands as the Narrator speaks.
NARRATOR:
Water and Earth were the first to discover
What the planet would look like when sun was covered
First afternoon, evening, then soon to be night
Earth was enthralled, Water was in fright.
EARTH: My love, are you alright?
WATER: Yes. Just… waiting.
EARTH: Waiting?
WATER: To see what happens. Are you — ?
EARTH: I am — exhilarated!
WATER: I thought as much.
EARTH: Let’s try again, once more, a goodbye! Til another time, Sunstar, we will meet your rays again soon!
Earth continues the “sun salutation” but Water does not join in. They are fixated on the changing sky. The figures dressed in black move the lamps off stage and turn them off. Tiny stars on the wall are glowing luminescent yellow-green. All else is in darkness.
WATER: I… I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Earth — look!
EARTH: Oh! Stunning darkness — it is glittering with — with tiny Sunstars!
WATER: Far away and just breaching the surface of our eyesight.
EARTH: And there… so much larger than the rest! What — or who could that be?
During the following narration, strings of Christmas-lights tangled in a large ball flicker on, strand by strand. A young tom-boy looking woman, dressed in a white beanie, white sweater, white fishnets and white converse sits on a ladder just beside the bundle of tiny lightbulbs.
NARRATOR:
A milestone unprecedented of this new introduction
Some large glowing rock — beauteous with seduction
Earth was fascinated but Water was doomed
A love-at-first-sight moment with the Moon.
WATER: Your name!; Light of the Night, Blazes of the Dark, Radiance of Shadows — ? Am I close to identify the enchantment you bestow on the cold-side of the planet?
When Moon speaks, she does so quietly in a microphone — which annoyingly pops every time she switches it on and off. The first couple of times make the audience twitch.
MOON: I. Am. Mmm. Moon.
EARTH: Moon! So pleased to make your acquaintance. We have been basking in the Sunstar’s brilliance for a handful of years. But, with an adventurous spirit, we have bravely decided to visit the darkness in which you have made a home. Under your light and surveillance , we—
WATER: Gorgeous, brilliant, irresistible Moon — what would it take for you to join us here, anthropomorphic, upon the surface as we are?
EARTH: Oh. Uh. Yes! Sure, please join us.
MOON: I-I… Um…
WATER (desperate): Please. Join us.
EARTH: Where are you going, Water?
WATER: To the Moon…!
Earth and Water are suddenly in slow motion as the Narrator speaks. Water, with determination, is moving towards the ladder where Moon sits atop of, and Earth is cautiously following.
NARRATOR:
While both entranced, one’s passion is in full
As Water is invigorated by a new gravitational pull
Earth, of curiosity, goes with the flow
Unknowingly an accessory to a new lover’s tow
Water has reached the base of the ladder and reaches up to Moon. Earth stands close by, awkwardly.
WATER: Come to me, Moon. Don’t be shy. To reach your surface would be holistic.
MOON: I d-d-do not… I do n-not know.
WATER: I’d say don’t make me beg, but I’m already groveling. My desperation is fueled by an unforeseen agony of wanting to be close — closer — closest to you — !
EARTH: Oh.
MOON: I — I am uhhh… unsure.
WATER (teary): Come to me! Moon! Bend to me!
MOON: You are y-y-yelling.
WATER (sobbing): Please!
MOON: C-Cr-Crying.
WATER: I NEED YOU.
MOON: T-too m-m-mmm.. too much!!
EARTH: ENOUGH!
Earth plunges her hands into the ground below her. She screams in anguish and shifts her weight away from the Moon. The stage-hands in black return to the stage with the lamps, first illuminating the yellow-orange wall behind them and then back to their original positions from the top of the play. Meanwhile, the strands of lights that made up the moon have gone out as they were lit — one strand at a time. Earth is sweating. And what appears to be a streak of gray hair suddenly sprouts from her head. All in the audience who have noticed this tiny detail can’t keep their eyes off of it — was this pure magic? How did they do that?
EARTH: Enough…
Earth collapses and quietly cries. Water watches her for a moment, then approaches. They put a hand on her back —
EARTH: Don’t touch me.
WATER: I’m sorry. What do you need?
EARTH: What — what do I need? I need… I need answers! What happened? What was that? Why did you — how could you — why — !?
She openly sobs and clutches to Water. Water holds her close, but is still simply confused.
WATER: I’m sorry. I think.
EARTH: You think?
WATER: I don’t know what I did wrong, but whatever I did seemed to have hurt you.
EARTH: You — you — … You… Oh, Water. You didn’t do anything wrong. It just. It hurt. (She looks up at them.) I feel hurt.
Water and Earth freeze, embraced.
NARRATOR:
As Elementals are bound here, beneath my Atmosphere
Suddenly Earth saw something very clear
If she confined Water’s love monogamously
Their world would succumb to a lifeless monotony.
Water and Earth unfreeze.
EARTH: Forgive me… I was reactionary without present logic. I do not wish to hold back whatever experiences you wish to explore. The same as you before we ventured in the night.
WATER: Even still, I do not want you in pain.
EARTH: A compromise then! Just like before. Equal Sunstar, equal Moon will fulfill our skies. Let love unleash freely without confinement. Because love is not selfish. I will never keep it as such.
WATER: You ground me.
EARTH: You fulfill me.
WATER: Forever, and freely.
Water and Earth kiss, and the lamps are turned off. Only the reading light from the Narrator is seen, and a weak glow from the stars pasted on the back wall.
NARRATOR:
So, thus concludes the triad of Water, Earth and Moon
And a lesson in the dangerous nature to swoon
But from conflict ensures structure of which none may compare
Somewhere, elsewhere, neither here nor there…
The Narrator turns off the reading light. There is a moment of silence, then one person begins to clap, which inspires the rest of the audience to join in the applause. Fluorescent lights abruptly illuminate the space, and the entire cast and crew take a hesitant bow while some remixed, techno version of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” plays from the crackly Bluetooth speaker.
“TO THE MOON”
Starring Meghan Carpenter
Photographed by Adam Wesley
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