Content warning - alcoholism, minor gore, and discussions of death and suicide.

 

CHARACTERS

ALCYONE (pronounced “Al-Sea-Own”) — woman in her mid-30s, married to Ceyx (pronounced “Sea-X”)

MO — middle-aged man, state store owner

 

SETTING
The entire play takes place on an isolated Alaskan beach Alcyone frequents. The time is the present and in the winter.

 

*

 

 

Lights up on ALCYONE. Empty beer bottles surround her. With a bottle in hand, ALCYONE stares over the audience into the waves, which can be heard rolling in the background. MO enters and walks up behind ALCYONE.

 

MO

Al…He’s dead.

 

ALCYONE

My husband is alive, and I’m busy. Go away, Mo. Shoo.

 

MO

Alcyone, please, look—

 

ALCYONE

Shh, shh. N-not right now. I heard some kinda bird today. Chirping just as the wind died and it sounded like laughter. Do you hear it?

 

(Silence)

 

I thought…I thought it was singing here…Maybe it was the waves laughing as they shattered the ice. (She drinks from the bottle) Or not.

 

MO

See this is what I’ve been trying to tell you for days. Staying here on this beach isn’t good for you. There’s no bird for miles. There’s nothing but a storm on the horizon. And the waves aren’t laughing or doing anything except, well, if you let me explain and come with me—

 

ALCYONE

Nope. Find a new argument and try again tomorrow. Then fail like every other day you’ve come here. There’s nothing you or anyone else can say. He is alive.

 

MO

No, he’s dead. Ceyx’s body washed ashore this morning…It’s him. The police have identified it. It’s him.

 

ALCYONE

(pause) No. No. Are you sure?

 

MO

Yes. The corpse was wearing a fishermen’s uniform and…the hand has a gold wedding band. It has the initials A and C engraved into it.

 

(ALCYONE lurches. MO grabs her shoulder.)

 

Here. Sit. Sit. Let me help.

 

(They both sit. ALCYONE buries her face in her hand. Silence.)

 

The fishing boat must’ve gotten caught in a bad storm and threw Ceyx overboard…The whole crew’s gone too. It’s why we didn’t hear from them…It most likely was quick. The cold water could’ve shut down his body in less than a minute...Please, come into town. Everybody’s waiting for you, including Ceyx. Let’s go see him…Al?

 

ALCYONE

(Stands and walks away. She drinks again.) His body you mean. It’s just his body.

 

MO

Of course it is. Where else would Ceyx be?

 

ALCYONE

He’s still out there—here.

 

MO

What do you mean, like his spirit? You’ve never believed in that stuff.

 

ALCYONE

I’m faithful. Or trying to be.

 

MO

I have never seen you at church.

 

ALCYONE

No, you have it wrong. This…this beach is my altar. The prayer I give. Every day with washed-away footprints and bottles that are empty too soon…Sometimes, I stare out into the waves for so long I think I’m dreaming.

 

MO

And you…dream of Ceyx?

 

ALCYONE

No. Of many things, but not him. So, I wait.

 

MO

Wait? How long are you going to wait?

 

ALCYONE

Who knows? But I’ve counted enough pebbles and named the tidepools. I’ve smelt the salt air and tasted the rain. This is my kingdom. I could build myself a throne of sand and be queen of the tides.

 

MO

You can’t. You’d miss the funeral.

 

ALCYONE

The king went sailing to sea, and the queen waits.

 

MO

God. No, Al—

 

ALCYONE

Maybe I’m dreaming now. God, heh. You can be the god of dreams who has come to tell me Ceyx is dead.

 

MO

He is dead—

 

ALCYONE

Alive. Somewhere.

 

MO

—and I’m not the god of dreams. Do you hear yourself right now? How much have you had to drink?

 

ALCYONE

Why do you care? You provided the free booze. Speaking of, aren’t you here to bring me more?

 

MO

More. You seriously want more.

 

ALCYONE

Why not? It’s what you did every day after failing to make me leave.

 

MO

I did it because you needed to cope. Because I saw you were grieving in my store and wandering the aisles like a ghost. I thought what was the harm bringing some here, but I never thought it would spiral into this. Because of me.

 

ALCYONE

So? You’ll just give me more booze tomorrow.

 

MO

No, there is tomorrow. I’m not giving you anymore.

 

ALCYONE

Fine. Then just … just leave me alone.

 

MO

You think I’m leaving? No, that would be another mistake.

 

ALCYONE

So, that’s why you're here? Because you pity me instead of giving up? Everyone else has. They think I’m inconsolable.

 

MO

No, pity is not why I’m here. It—Everyone…they’re grieving too. Let me help, Al.

 

ALCYONE

Guilt then. You want to fix me because you think I’m crazy.

 

MO

No. You’re in shock. You’re drunk.

 

ALCYONE

But I let him go, Mo.

 

MO
Risk was always part of the job. King crab fishing is dangerous. The crew knew it. Ceyx knew it—

 

ALCYONE

I knew it. What’s left of the industry? Nothing. Remember last year? Two of his fellow deckhands, his friends, nearly died when those six-hundred-pound crab pots almost crushed them. I shoulda stopped Ceyx a year ago, but I kept letting the best part of me go. I thought…being here, on the beach, I could get him back. Make up for being a bad wife.

 

MO

But worrying doesn’t make you a good one…Please, come home. You’re shivering. Enough of this, enough dreaming. Mourn what’s real.

 

ALCYONE

(Takes a long drink. She throws the bottle away, swaying.) What’s real, Mo?

 

MO

Come on, you. Your husband. His rotting corpse.

 

ALCYONE

Is it? Maybe, I’m still dreaming.

 

MO

No, you're not. Stop this nonsense. Enough.

 

ALCYONE

Maybe, I just need to wake up.

 

MO

Enough.

 

ALCYONE

Maybe—

 

MO

Alcyone, ENOUGH!

 

(pause)

 

You can’t stay here. A snowstorm is coming. A bad one. If this drinking doesn’t kill you, the weather will. Too many people have died already. I can’t—I won't have your death on my hands. Do you think anyone wants this? Do you think Ceyx would’ve wanted this? For you to kill yourself on some nameless beach?

 

(Silence)

 

ALCYONE

This was our beach. It was here.

 

MO

What’s here?

 

ALCYONE

We were here the day he proposed and gave me my ring. When we made a promise to be together and…I broke it.

 

MO

No. No, you didn’t. It wasn’t your fault that Ceyx died.

 

ALCYONE

But I’m alone.

 

MO

You are not alone. When did you—Why did you ever think that?...Al. We are all mourning. Maria lost her son. Fabian his uncle. Sebastian a brother. They know your pain. They feel your pain…Grief is not so big that it can’t be shared, that’s what Chell used to say. We can share yours, if you let us.

 

ALCYONE

(pause) Your sister was always pretty smart.

 

MO

Yes. That Chell was. When she wasn’t kicking my ass. That was pretty dumb.

 

ALCYONE
Heh, that’s just what sisters do, but…okay.

 

MO

Okay?

 

ALCYONE

I’ll go with you. I’ll go home. Being with others sounds nice.

 

MO

It is…It is. Oh, and Chell will want to call you too, but look, the storm’s nearly here. So, let’s go home. Ceyx is waiting.

 

(MO begins to walk away. ALCYONE lags behind. She pauses.)

 

ALCYONE

Mo, wait. I hear it!

 

MO
Hear what?

 

ALCYONE

The bird calling. It’s here!

 

MO

What? No, there’s no bird.

 

ALCYONE

Yes, there is. If you come and listen—

 

MO

No, I—You know what. I’m running out of time. I can’t stay.

 

ALCYONE

Hold on. You’re leaving? You can’t.

 

MO

Yes. It's cold, a storm is coming, and I’m not missing Ceyx’s funeral. If you’re staying, stay, but I have to go…Goodbye, Alcyone.

 

(MO moves to leave)

 

ALCYONE

Wait—

 

(runs in front of MO)

 

Wait. I’ll leave.

 

MO

(Stops) Why should I believe you?

 

ALCYONE

I’ll-I’ll stop drinking.

 

MO

Right, and the funeral?

 

ALCYONE

I’ll go, I swear.

 

MO

How about the beach?

 

ALCYONE

I’ll stop coming to the beach.

 

MO

Do you promise?

 

ALCYONE

Yes. Yes, I promise. Just listen. Listen before the waves rage and the wind brings the storm.

 

(pause)

 

Please, while there is still sun, share my grief. Just for a moment.

 

MO

Okay. Okay…I’ll stay, but only for a little while and then we go. But, yes Al, I’ll listen.

 

(ALCYONE closes her eyes. MO follows. They wait.)

 

Blackout.