Author's Note: Sorry for the formatting. Stupid computer *grumble*. Anyway, everything in these little asterisk thingies is meant to be an action or a description. Enjoy.

A Leap Through Time

Act 1, Scene 1

*The curtain opens on a dark stage. In the background, a lullaby can be heard. A clock chimes the hour of midnight. As the twelfth chime sounds, a spotlight falls on a young girl. She is wearing a white dress and kid gloves, and there is a black ribbon in her tightly curled hair. The rest of the stage is still dark, and the melody begins to fade*

Liza: Hallo. My name is Liza Merriweather, and I am twelve years old. I was brought here by an angel, who said it was time for me to go.

*The light begins to grow, and a young boy dressed in black with white wings appears. He has large, mournful eyes, and his skin is as white as the falling snow*

Angel: I am the angel that brought her here. And it wasn't really time for her to go, but her Adult Self was tired of having her around.

Liza: What do you mean?

Angel: She didn't want you anymore.

Liza: But why?

Angel: She thought you were getting in the way of Her Life. It happens a lot, actually. There are others like you here as well.

Liza: *Looking around her* Where? I don't see anyone.

Angel: They're hiding. They're always a little shy at first. Just give them time.

*The light continues to grow, and up left there is a small group of two boys and two girls. They are all dressed in white; the girls wearing kid gloves and black hair ribbons, and the boys with black ties. They all appeared to be scared, and do not move as the light falls on them. Finally, one boy, the tallest, walks towards Liza and the Angel*

Jacob: Hallo.

Liza: Hallo. What's your name?

Jacob: Jacob. And you must be Liza. We heard you were coming.

Liza: *Turning to the Angel* Were all of those boys and girls sent away from their Adult Selves?

Angel: *Nodding sadly* I'm afraid so. And there are more and more of them arriving each day.

Jacob: I was the first to come. Don't worry. There are plenty of us here, and you'll have lots of friends.

Liza: 't there any way to get back?

Jacob: No. Once your Self wants you gone, there's no turning back. You're to stay here forever.

Liza: *Sounding as though she was going to cry* But.I don't like it here! It's dark! And where is that music coming from? I want to go home!

*She falls onto the floor weeping, and Jacob kneels by her, a hand on her shoulder, looking sympathetic*

Angel: *Speaking to the audience* I see this a lot. They never like it here at first. I suppose that they never like it here at all, only learn to grow used to it. They have no other choice; there's nowhere for them to go. *He sighs heavily* But no matter how often I see it, it never gets any easier.

Jacob: *Helping Liza to stand* Come on, now. Enough of that. Crying won't do you any good. Here, come with me and I'll introduce you to the others.

*Liza is reluctant at first, but eventually consents. They walk up left to the other children, and mime introductions. The lullaby begins to grow louder, and the Angel is left standing center stage. He watches the children for a moment, a sad, contemplative look on his face, and eventually turns to face the audience again. The clock then chimes the hour of one*

Angel: She'll forget, eventually. Most of them do. Though I'm not sure whether it's better or worse. *The lullaby begins to fade again, and Liza and Jacob cross the stage to the angel* Yes?

Liza: It's okay, now, I think. The others are terribly nice, though it's a bit odd most of them can't ever remember being real. Will that happen to me, too?

Angel: It's hard to say.

Liza: *Frowning and confused* Well, either way, I think it's going to be all right for the most part.

Angel: *Turning his head as if hearing something that the others cannot* That was my call. I have to go now. There's another one of you that I must bring.

Liza: you come back and visit?

Angel: *Sadly* Yes, I always come back.

*The Angel exits stage right, Liza and Jacob waving goodbye. The lullaby is all that can be heard now. Slowly, the children spread out on the stage, pantomiming play. Some pretend to jump rope, others play hopscotch, others play with an invisibly ball. They are all quiet and none of them smile. After a moment or two of waving, Liza and Jacob join them and the curtain closes*

End of Scene 1