About the Playwright ete Tarai tole» bachelor's degree in cresive ‘wing and physics Grom the Massochuet ose Of Technology and a master’ degre in education ‘rom the University of Massechusets Tara highseboo! physics teacher in. Atlébore, Mase, chy, and by night be i the advo tothe stools ‘xn cb. Though wing bas always boon «hobby fhm, Tracks i his rat play tobe publishod. Tash has the daughters, whom be loves with lis est. TRACKS By | PETER TARSI } ae eee eae eeeis alvays wing wo offer @ helping hand 10 those who may have lest theit Way. ‘THE BUSINESSWOMAN ~ = married woman in her mil-30, ‘with two young ciléren at home with her husband. She r- cantly retumed to carer after hee husband was lid of ‘fom work Thowgh she understnds the responsi of ro: "ig ec oy, ke el uty bt al he ne es say fom then. ‘THE BUSINESSMAN ~ 4 mand man in his mid-40s, with vo teenaged daughters. He works ata mid-ovel job for an ‘nsorance company and sugges to make ends met. Aways ‘wore about howe is peeved, not only by his eployes but by everyone el, he ofien somes eros 35 nervoN tous, gully or even pred ‘THE HIGH SCHOOL GIRL ~ a senior in high schoo, ranked neat the tp of er class. Very smart, witha evel head on ter shoulders, he willbe headed to colege 20m, ad eanbot wat forthe opportunity 10 escape ffom ber hometow. ‘Though she waist rove oo, she is ated how it wil me pect her boyiend THE HIGH SCHOOL BOY he boyften, also a senior inthe ‘ame high school He isnot asked nea he top of his ls, fd if farther education is is future it wil beat lead ‘community callege at best. He procrastinate and clings too uch his pilond ‘THE WAITRESS ~ » woman inher fate 308 fom “he wrong side of the tacks” She has lived a hard ie, her deadbeat Isang having ether. She hasbeen freed to take a sting of jbe to keep horef and ber daupler alloat. She it © ie erie as eam and honesty as possible but has occa sonal released a geste oF thoughessness. NOTE: See Properties Lis at end of ply TRACKS (The play opens witk the sound of a subway train leay- Ing the station, Ideally, the sound comes only from stage right. The stage is wach with red light as a srabe light lickers. The fequency of the strobe decreases as the sound effect softens—te, the train Is getting farther ‘oway. Simullaneously, the remainder of the stage lights slowly vse to reveal a dir, run-down subway station. The D edge ofthe stage serves as the edge of the sub- way plaform. Across the length ofthe stage 18a wall Conter stage ave two stairways Teading upward out of the station. Only the boron fow steps of eack staircase are in view, the rest masked by another wall, DC of the ‘main wall. There are three benches: A short (6° or so) Dench in font ofthe C wal, and two (8'o 10°) benches on either side ofthe stirs, creating a completly sym~ etic space. Syamenry is broken, however, by what i fon the walls. Subway maps, tom advertivements and graff! may appear on the wals, but must not give any Specific locations, The station either should not be Inomed or any name shouldbe suficienty obscured. The lights have come up to reveal ro fighres on stage One 1s a young woman, the HOMELESS GIRL, some-10 ‘TRACKS. LESS GIRL,) You're saving your last cigartts? May 1 assume you're quitting the habit? HOMELESS GIRL (after a quiet, yet somewhat all-now- ‘ing, groar) | guess you could sy tt NUN. Congriions, and have fit dea, wil pray for your success. OLD MAN (amexpectedly opens his eyes and speaks with- ‘out siting wp). Yeah, those things kill ya! (Laughs, but i tals off as he passes out again) (he others all looked in OLD MAN's direction when he spoke, bu then leaked at each other uncomfortably. The avhward silence is broten by a voice coming down the RR stairs—a BUSINESSWOMAN speaking on her cell ‘Phone. She is dressed in a business suit and pants en- semble) BUSINESSWOMAN. ...unning late again, so just tuck the kids in and kiss them good ajght for me. And please make ther lunches for school tomorow. I'l be leaving carly tomorrow for @ presentation to a clint. Stephanie likes her sandwiches eu into tangles, but I'm sate you alteady know that, honey. (There fs no answer on the ‘other end) Honey? (Looks at display om phone.) Dann. "No signal down here. (he looks around for help. Th others, with the excep- Won of OLD MAN and HOMELESS GIRL, quickly ook ‘avay from her so as not to appear to have been listen ‘ng. Upon the line “no signal down here,” HOMELESS GIRL is shaking her heod ond sadly grimacing at if she Iinows something the others don’t. After fiddling with ‘TRACKS " her phone, holding aloft, and stepping to slighty dif ferent locations tn order to try to find place wit some signal, BUSINESSIFOMAN ives up on her phone. She fxamines the others and approaches LAWYER) [BUSINESSWOMAN. Excuse me, Do you by any hice Ihave a cel phone I could use fora fow moments? LAWYER. I uso get reception inthe subway. Hold on (LAWVER prs down her folder and searches through her case for her phone. PROFESSOR smiles at BUSI- NESSWOMAN when she looks at hi, 90 he searches through hs pockets, but can’ find hs) BUSINESSWOMAN (tng beside LAWYER). Pm not ex: ‘actly sure when mine went dead, s0 T don’t know how ‘much of the mesage my husband got, and... (Sees >piazled look om LATTYER's face.) Any Nick? LAWYER. Thats odd. I exn't seem to find it. (Continues ‘searching 0 0 avail) PROFESSOR (approaches BUSINESSWOMAN). 1 wsusly ‘keep mine in my coat pocket, but edly, I don't seem to bbe wearing my coat. Sory [BUSINESSWOMAN. L just want him to tell my kids 1 Tove them, and that I'm sorry {missed tacking them in agin, NUN, Chien are an heritage ofthe Lord: and the fut of the womb is hie reward, How many children do you have, dears? BUSINESSWOMAN. Two 1 NUN. I'm sure he'll tell them foryou |1“ Racks, BUSINESSMAN. Good. Puts his wallet in his inside coat ‘pocke,) When's the nex ain? PROFESSOR. It shouldbe sn, LAWYER. Were you running ftom someone? BUSINESSMAN. I yas at an ATM when some guy pulled ‘a knife on me. He told me to give him my money, but I took off I eut through Cental Park and came down here [BUSINESSWOMAN. Cental Park? LAWYER. Central Parkas in New York City? (Vics the exception of HOMELESS GIRL and OLD MAN, everyone slowly steps away from BUSINESSMAN. What hei saying does not make sense 10 them. They look around concerned and confured. They how they are notin New York Cis) LAWYER. That's not possible BUSINESSMAN. What? Why not? LAWYER. Because we're in Chicago. BUSINESSMAN, Chicago? Now that’s not posible, This is New York. USINESSWOMAN. Butt i's Seattle, How..? PROFESSOR. California. I tach English and European Literature at U.C. Berkley. Turns fo NUN) And where do you think we are? NUN. The other sisters and I were vacationing in Rome. [Pve wanted to go there all my life. T ws sitting in my ‘room reading up onthe cathedrals we were going to see tomorrow. [1 believe I dozed off BUSINESSWOMAN. This docsn’t make sense. I was walking to the bus stop, talking on my cell phone. ‘TRACKS 1s ‘Mayo I was’t paying close enough atention to where 1 ‘was going, but Iam positive I never entered subway OLD MAN. Tot, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore, PROFESSOR (goer fo OLD MAN). 1f you have something to contribute to tis conversation, then please do 0. OLD MAN (swings his lege and sts up, revealing his at- tire 10a shocked audience). Ave you sure you want ray contribution? LAWYER You were here when I arrived, You must know where we ae OLD MAN (reaches for his cane and starts walking for- wand), Whete we are? We're in a subway sation that happens to connect to several different places, including «hospital in Jacksonville, Floida, Points at himsel{) Don't you think that's odd? BUSINESSWOMAN. This is ridiculous, It must be a ream or something. BUSINESSMAN. I'm not dreaming. I ran across Ceatral ‘Park L know tht fora ft, OLD MAN. Ob, that's right. (imps over to BUSINESS. ‘MAN, You escaped » mugging. Have you checked your walle? [BUSINESSMAN, My wallet? What's that got to do..0 OLD MAN. Look in your wallet, sonny. BUSINESSMAN (gets and opens his wallet. Inside & no cash or credit cards, only an ATM receipt, which he olds up)- All my money...gone? What? He ‘OLD MAN. Maybe you didn't get away. Consider that. [BUSINESSMAN. So what does that mean?8 ‘TRACKS HOMELESS GIRL. Yeah LAWYER. Yot you withheld that information from us? How dare you \NUN, She is nt to blame for our passngs. (Takes HOME- LESS GIRL, who's shaken up, R borch ) PROFESSOR. What was she supposed to say? Nice to meet you, and by the way, you're recently deceased ‘You woulds't have belived het LAWYER (har gone to her briefoae and starts packing 1p). {don't believe her. Maybe thsi alla ad deeam. 1 ‘new I shouldn't have stayed at the office 0 late, I'm seting out of here and calling cab. (LAWYER tres to leave using the R satrs but is stopped by BUSINESSWOMAN who has returned. She isnotice- ‘ably stunned, almost ance-tke) BUSINESSWOMAN. There's no way out. LAWYER. What? BUSINESSWOMAN. No stars up to street level. Just stairways down tothe platforms. BUSINESSMAN. That can’t be possible. How did we got Jn then? PROFESSOR. If we're dead, does it matter? Our sis, or ‘whatever we are, were brought to this place. I wold as- sume we materialized upstairs, or something (0 that ef fect, BUSINESSWOMAN. But my kids..how will they...2 (Sits om C bench and breaks down.) NUN (approaches BUSINESSWOMAN to comfort her) “There, there, dearie. Thee father loves them and wil get ‘them though this. TRACKS 9 BUSINESSWOMAN, That's not the point. If we're dead, then I'm never going t see them again. AS ii, 1 have ‘n't sen them much since my husband was lid off and I ‘went buck to work. I've missed the past four years of, their ives, and now T'm going to miss the res. [NUN I'm sure they know you love them. [BUSINESSWOMAN, But I haven't been there for them, ‘What kindof parent have 1 been? ‘OLD MAN. Ab. We've passed denial and now we're into all. Returns 9 L bench) Wake me when the tain co- ‘mes, (Lies down) NUN. You've tried to provide for them the best you ean ‘You've done nothing wrong. LAWYER. Your family needed money to get by, and you {ook care of that, I assume. What you did was honoe- able, BUSINESSWOMAN. You don’t got it, do you? You mst not have kis. (LAWYER shakes her head. BUSINESSWOMAN looks at ‘he men~BUSINESSMAN turns away (0 take the ATM ‘receipt fom his pocket and study i) PROFESSOR. I have a son. He's an engineering major in college. He's « good man. My wife. tsting is wed- ding band)... very proud BUSINESSMAN, Two daughters, both in high school (urns to NUN and kneels) Sister, I need to make a confeston NUN. What i i, son? | BUSINESSMAN. I don't regularly go to ehuteh, but I've ‘done something tebe2 TRACKS [BUSINESSWOMAN (whispers to the others). They don't ‘deserve to be hee this young. PROFESSOR, But they are here. BUSINESSMAN. Should we tll them where here i? BUSINESSWOMAN. They may be better off not knowing LAWYER. Are you serous? They have the right to know ‘8 much a we do, i (AUS. GIRL, has been staring at her dry clothes, pczled HS. BOY overhears LAWYER and takes a quick glance {at the aduli. By this time, NUN has jotned them, HOMELESS GIRL ie seated on the Bench) NUN, Ste won't say much about this place, but I think ‘ve got her ealmed down. (Motices H.S. BOY and HS. GIRL) 1 see we have new axivals, LAWYER. We'te debating whether or not to share ou pre- ‘icemont with them. NUN. They wil learn i when the time i ight, HLS. BOY (whispering to 1.5. GIRL). Do you get the fel- ing everyone's watching us, or am being paranoid? HIS. GIRL (looks up from her strangely dry clothing and Tos around). 1 think they are watching us, (HS. BOY holds HS. GIRL a litle closer to him and ‘takes a step. She is elearly uncomfortable with this, so she lets go and steps toward the others. H.S. BOY un- succesfully tiesto pull ker back) HLS. GIRL. Excuse me, do you know when the next train comes? ‘Tracks, 2 (Phe others mumble out vague answers while NUN steps ‘toward 1.5. GIRL) [NUN Is there something we can help you with, dearic? HLS. BOY. No, nothing, Just ying fo get home. (Trying to take hold of HS. GIRL's hand) HS. GIRL (evading HS. BOY's hand), Yés, Sister. My Doyen and f got in a litle car rouble embarassing story, really-but I need to got home soon. Do you now when the uain will get to.t0.. (Looks at HS BOY.) Whats the closest station to any house? HS. BOY. Ub... Pauses to think) 1 don't know. 1. ‘don’t think there it one. HLS. GIRL, There has t0 be one. Why else would we have ‘come down here? HS. BOY. Have we ever been on the subway before? 1 ‘mean, is there even 2 station ja our town. oF anywhere near usin Indiana? HLS. GIRL. You have a point, (Back to NUN) Excuse me, Sister, but could you tell us which way thie tain goes? NUN. Which way? (Looks back atthe others) Which way? PROFESSOR. Now that's an enigmatic inquiry LAWYER. We were going to get onthe next tain without nowing where is going? (HOMELESS GIRL. looks up. She is shaking her head she knows exaciy what's going to happen next) HS. BOY. What do you moan you dont know wheres soing? BUSINESSWOMAN (going to H.S. BOY to calm him down). 18 ile complicate.26 TRACKS PROFESSOR. Excuse me? HLS, GIRL, The tain, Which way is it going? (Points for emphasis) Up or down? PROFESSOR, We haven't determined that yet, How ionic ‘When I assigned Dane's Divine Comedy tomy students last semester, I never imagined I'd soon experiene it BUSINESSMAN. There's not a single clue anywhere here Not on any ofthe walls. How are we supposed to know? LAWYER. That's whit she's not telling us! (Turns toward HOMELESS GIRL) You know which way the tain oes. HOMELESS GIRL (quietly, and shaking her head). No. LAWYER. You're withholding information again. You know where the train's heading. That's why you haven't ‘gotten on board yet BUSINESSMAN, You mean, she knows i's going to Hell, 0 she won't got on? LAWYER. Clear case to me. HLS. BOY, We're gong fo...down there? HOMELESS GIRL. No! I don't know where it goes! [BUSINESSMAN (crosses to NUN). Sister, I want vo make my confession now. NUN, Go alien, sn, (BUSINESSMAW kneel, HOMELESS GIRL rises, ger Inring 10 sop him and perhaps ters some words in proves, but ths doesnot atop BUSINESSMAN 's dat ‘ogue) BUSINESSMAN. I work for an insurance company inthe ‘accounting department. I know what you think —the in- ‘dustry is known for ripping people off. That being said, TRACKS 2 came across an eror of twenty-five thousand dlls in the company's favor 1 told my supervisor, but he dide't Want to hear if 30 he brushed me off If the company Aida’ want to acknowledge its existence, well, I thought Teould..you se, my oldest daughter sts college ina year, and with ulm Bing what 35, 1 LAWYER. You embezzled i {All look ay, not so muck in contemp, but in cont ‘lation, Since BUSINESSMAN did something wrong. ‘hey start thinking about their own transgressions. Onby HOMELESS GIRL keops looking, shaking her head, laying with the cigarette, fighting back wars) [BUSINESSMAN. I wired it to my bank account, and it worked. A few days went by, and no one seemed to n0- tice, LAWYER Tow shalt not steal. Even [know that’s a com- ‘manent, not jus the Ia. BUSINESSMAN. But I wired it back this morning! 1.1 felt awful about what I id—1 felt ity, ikea eximina LAWYER Hate to break it to you, but what you did quali- fies you as on. [BUSINESSMAN I gave it back. (Takes out ATM receipt) T checked my account balance after work? The moaey ‘wasn't there anymore—it was back: E gave it back LAWYER. Is sil serime [NUN. You did correct your sin. Perhaps in God's eyes, you will be forgiven, BUSINESSWOMAN. Is that enough to chang: the dree- tion of the wain? PU admit I wasn't always there for my Kids, but! love them. Why should Ibe doomed for Hell?30 TRACKS PROFESSOR. That explains why you've teated us al ike cris, [BUSINESSMAN. So what happened, Professor? PROFESSOR (ious his wedding band). Well, you see BUSINESSWOMAN (notices his wedding band). You had ‘an affair, didn't you? PROFESSOR (nods ashamediy). With one of my students Looks at LAWYER, who regards him disapprovingly) She was a graduate stdent—a consenting adult [BUSINESSWOMAN. That doesn’t make it right PROFESSOR. I understand that, but my mariage hasn't exactly boon working fora while After my son eft for college, my wife and I grew more and more distant, and ‘hen thee was this gi. BUSINESSMAN. And your wife found out LAWYER. For all we know, she could've Killed him and sent htm bere. PROFESSOR. I know what I id was wrong, but i's not a ‘rime, Don’t I deserve some happinest? LAWYER. You complete the ably triniy—stating,kill- ing and now adultery, Cooks at BUSINESSMAN, OLD [MAN and PROFESSOR respectively) HLS. BOY. Ob, we are so screwed. LAWYER A moment ago, you were convinced we were ‘going to Heaven. Not s0 convinced now. What are you hiding? (HS. BOY backs away aud clings to HS. GIRL, who does not seem happy with his clinginess.) NUN, We shall fet the Lord, and not each other, judge our TRACKS a PROFESSOR. 1 adit | made # major wanspresio, but otherwise ma good person, LAWYER. We get it, You were dedicated to your son ‘your job, your stuentsa ide to dedicated to ane of ‘hem, poops, but PROFESSOR Those who live in glass houses shall not throw stones. HOMELESS GIRL (que). Stop it PROFESSOR (lo LAYER). Why don't you share your sary wih ws? HOMELESS GIRL (te our). Pease stop. LAWYER. 1°20 one eles business. HOMELESS GIRL (agin ude, almost tars). Stop. PROFESSOR. Pleading theft Tce. Are You afd i's ‘your presence hee that sends the res of us to Hell? HOMELESS GIRL. Shut up bot of yout Now do you get iT don't koow whee the ain goes because of this Is this pemon good? Is that person bad? There's no way tnyone can figure out which way it gos if you keep Fghing with each oer. I've been her, aad Te seen ough othe people go through exactly what you're do- ing, and sll no one finds out which way iC going! How can thy get on without knowing? (NUN tries to console her, but HOMELESS GIRL goes back to the R bench HS. BOY clears away jrom [HOMELESS GIRL and retrns to HS. GIRL) OLD MAN. She's sight. The last folks wouldn't stop yap- ping like you folks wanted nothin’ to do with them, so took a litle nap. None of them had the decency to4 TRACKS BUSINESSWOMAN. I know the way. I'll go, Al right? HS. BOY (nods, then turns to H.S. GIRL). I won't get 08 ‘the train without you, o come back. Promise? (01S, GIRL nod. HS. BOY tes oss her onthe ips, fut at tetas possible moment she tur end he get ter chek instead. He eresee R. dejected: WAITRESS has reappeared before hs and sow the exchange otng ‘ton her pad) HLS. GIRL, Somy about that. He's abit overprotective. BUSINESSWOMAN (puts her hand on HS. GIRL's shoul der). 1s all ight. BUSINESSMAN, Just go get information, Try not t give {oo much away aboutus. Then come back. HOMELESS GIRL. You won't like what you find BUSINESSMAN. You're not being helpful (BUSINESSMAN and the others are looking toward HOMELESS GIRL. 1S. GIRE stops BUSINESSWOMAN before they ascend the L stairs) HLS. GIRL. My boyfriend means well, he rally does. He wants to hold on so Gghily because I'm leaving for cok Jege ina few months and heist Pm hoping I'l go and ‘well painlessly drift apart in time, bu then {fel ofl ‘because I think I'm lending him on. I want to be on my wa, find my own life next fll, but T don’t have the heart ote him it may be without him, I'm afeid he'll be devastated andthe last thing want is tout his, Does this make me a bad person? ‘Racks 35 BUSINESSWOMAN. No worse than the rest of us. You have to be tne to youself, even if that means moving ‘on when others don't. May I ask why you're confiding HLS, GIRL. Ll get the feeling you're a good morn (BUSINESSIVOMAN smiles and follows H.S. GIRL up ‘the L stairs. This causes WAITRESS to back down the R stars and into NUN) WAITRESS (in a Texas accent). Excuse me, Il did't see ya there. |NUN. Quite all ight, deaie, WAITRESS. Um .e..does anyone know when the... next tain comes? (WAITRESS holds the order pad behind her back while ‘everyone fonbes with an answer. Everyone, that, ex ‘=p for LAWYER, who naturally eyes WAITRESS sap- ciously.) [NUN. Soon, date, soon. WAITRESS. Thanks, LAWYER Is something bothering you? WAITRESS (nervously avoiding eve contact with LAW- YER). No..th,..why do you ask? (Fidgety, tries to lace the pad inthe pocket of her apron without anyone noticing i but drops ie) LAWYER You seem alte stesso, (Picks wp the pad.) WAITRESS, Gimme tat. (Reaches forthe ore? pad.)38 TRACKS best witnesses look unreliable on the sand. He got the jury to doubt the legality ofthe arest warrant. Enough feasonable doubt to aequit. BUSINESSMAN. Could’t you apped, or aret him on a separate charge, or something like that? They do it all the time on TV. LAWYER. I've been working on that, Late nights alone at the office, ordering take-out for dinner, Next thing I now, I'm bere PROFESSOR. Do you thnk you choked? LAWYER (defensively). ied that case lo the best of my abilities. PROFESSOR. No, on your dinner. LAWYER. Maybe. I guess. Not that it matters now. My Point is that he's free © roam the strets. He's going to keep doing what he does. What if some unfortunate kids ‘overdo sid die because I could’t get a guilty vedic? “That willbe on my head NUN. Dearie, you did what you could. The Lord will not fault you for that. PROFESSOR. She's right, and I would doubt anyone here faults you. (veryone mutters that they don’t fault her oF shakes ‘heir heads accordingly.) LAWYER, But J fault mysel The people trust in me to ep them safe by putting cxitinals behind bars. In this, cae [filed PROFESSOR. We've al filed, it seems, in our own ways WAITRESS, Just ike us. I work i a greasy truck stop off the interstate in Texas. The guys try to grope me while ‘Racks » [Pm servin’ thei food. 1 grin and bear i "ase it pays the ren after my daughter's deadbeat father left. But 1 day there was the ono scuzzball who wouldnt get the hint 1 wasn’t intrested. So 1 spit in his tuna melt, ‘Wanted to do that many times but never been pushed that fa ill onight. Must've been all the overtime. I was, real cranky, fllin’ asleep on my feet, The last thing 1 kinda remember is slippin’ down the back stairs and hitin’ my head. Then I'm over there, Talk about bed Tama, (Reaches ino her apron pocket and holds up her walresing pad) And T sil gt his diner check in my eon. BUSINESSMAN (ooking seas the “tracks” 80 which side is whisk? Woat ind of paces hs? HOMELESS GIRL, T vied o tell yom, but none of you ‘ould tnlen. You wou ave had to send anyone ‘vr there if yo had jot listened tomo, but no, You Blew me off Dont stn to the ebay HS, BOY (io BUSINESSMAN). She's right. My gi shoal’ over thee HOMELESS GIRL. I've spet tine on bh ses ofthis ‘fl ples, and no mater wich ride I'm on i al ‘ys the sine Tien tall of you eonesing feting Bully abou your lives and 'm ed oft LAWYER. Then don stn. HOMELESS GIRL. No mater how hard I ty, there's no ‘way to fue yu allot Thee o where hide. Ad wih ely this platform and tht one, thoes nowhere the fre ogo | (OLD MAN fwoton ap by HOMELESS GIRL's outs). disare ; HOMELESS GIRL, Oh ye? Where els can Ig?2 macks PROFESSOR (erasing 19 H.S. BOY). We sill don't know that for sure WAITRESS. And we sure don't (Poins across “racks, HLS. BOY (steps toward HOMELESS GIRL). I thik she's right. Tiens back to PROFESSOR) 1 don't deserve to ‘0 fo Heaven either. BUSINESSMAN, What makes yu say that? NUN. What happened wasn’t your fot deste. HS. BOY (oulen). Yes it was, LAWYER. That's not what you said before, Was it indi. reclly you ful? TLS. BOY. 1 guess. The emergency brake on my ear does- always stick 1's an old car. My dad kept bugging ime to get it fixed. Heck, I could've brought it 19 the auto shop at schoo!—some of my frends might've been ible tof it, Bu | didn’t get around 1 tT Kept putting ‘off and puting it of ut I practically forgot about it What were the chanees we'd be parked on that ill dur- fing a fica dovmpour? But T can't help thinking that if ry brake had been fixed, the car wouldn't have slid down the hill. And hen it wouldn't have hit the tree or ‘whatever, and T wouldn't have gotten us killed (1S, BOY is standing in sucka postion that he wil not see HS. GIRL and BUSINESSWOMAN come down the Lataits) NUN. You don't know tht for sure. HLS. BOY. But L know my brake didn't work right 1 dia’ set it fixed when T could've. Maybe it wouldn't have stopped the rain and mud, but it might've saved our TRACKS a lives. So i is all my fault, you see? (Turns around in shame) 1 got my galiend kale. (Afier the H.S. GIRL entered, the station becomes eerily slent—people's eyes shifing between H.S, BOY and HS. GIRL, who they all noticed, tough he didn't. H.S. GIRL grons mare distraught eventually clinging onto BUSINESSWOMAN—her “replacement mom.” When ‘HS. BOY turn, he finally notices H.S. GIRL) HS. GIRL. What? (Takes off his jacket) Why didn't you? HS. BOY. I'm so sry. HLS. GIRL. If only Thad told you sooner... (Gives him the ‘ecket) HS. BOY. What are you talking about? HLS. GIRL. 1.1 dont think we ean go to the same place (in tears, she starts up the stairs) HS. BOY, Wait (GES. GIRL has Is. H.S. BOY tries to follow, but BUST. [NESSWOMAN stops him.) BUSINESSWOMAN. Let her go. Let her move on. HLS. BOY (pointing up the stair). But 1 promised her Vd lake care of her. (Find his car keys in his jacket pocket ‘and Jingles them im his hand) Teouldn't even get that tight, Sts om C Bench with head in his hands ) BUSINESSWOMAN. Maybe we should all move on, to wherever the ain takes us. T think that’s what wee supposed to do, !46 TRACKS HOMELESS GIRL. You...you'd do that fr me? NUN. If you can't have faith in God ofthis place, then have faith in ve. Iwill go with you, wherever the train foes, HOMELESS GIRL (node her head). No one’s ever done anything ike that for me, nt since T eR home anyway. .1don't know wht to sa). | [NUN (leading HOMELESS GIRL to the edge ofthe “plat. form"). Just say you hae faith (HOMELESS GIRL nervously puts the cigarette to her ‘mouth, but stops, looks att, looks at NUN and then flcks the cigarete onto the “subway tracks.” Meon- while, the others, excepting PROFESSOR and FS. BOY, ‘make their way to DC. BUSINESSMAN hedges, joining ‘hem and then turning around. The “subway car” has gotten a litle louder) [BUSINESSWOMAN. 1's unforunate that they won't join [NUN. It takes litle more time for some to overcome their gull and find their faith, T presume. (To HOMELESS GIRL) Right, deaie? HOMELESS GIRL. 1 hope they don’t stay fong and put themselves through the same hell T went through for tiroe year, LAWYER. What did you sy? HOMELESS GIRL. Ub... hope they. LAWYER. After thet, You said “pul themselves rough hell” (Looks around) You dont tink, BUSINESSMAN (afer overhearing the previous lines, Joins them). Do you mean that maybe this place i...? ‘TRACKS. a (OLD MAN. Well Til be, [BUSINESSWOMAN. So then do both tains go to..? NUN. Perhaps. I pray our counterparts across the way (oins across the “wracks") have found some faith of their own, I've been teling you tits all we need. (A. strobe light from off L starts flickering. The subway sowud gets louder as the lights fade, except yellow light Dathing the set The strobe ligt slows wit the sound ef Sect of «subway car pulling into a station and then. BLACKOUT—END OF PLAY