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HURT     4'?m2f Isolation is the last thing a hurt person needs

(light cue: dim to dark)
(optional sound cue: crickets and owls)

AMY -- (enters with flashlight)

(light cue: dim up 50%)

AMY -- Elizabeth? Elizabeth. Alright, Elizabeth, you can come 
out now. I know you're out here somewhere.

LIZ -- (enters) How did you know I was here?

AMY -- You always hide out here in the woods when someone hurts
your feelings.

LIZ -- Well, you can just go back. I'm not coming with you this 
time.

AMY -- That's what you always say.

LIZ -- Well, I mean it this time. I'm not going back. I'm going 
to live out here in the woods. I'm going to become a Hermit.

AMY -- A hermit.

LIZ -- Yes, that's someone who lives alone.

AMY -- I know what a hermit is. Why do you want to become a 
hermit?

LIZ -- So people can't hurt me anymore. If there's nobody 
around, nobody can hurt my feelings.

AMY -- That's true. But you were not created to live alone.

LIZ -- How do you know?

AMY -- Because you're a human being and human beings were made 
in God's likeness.

LIZ -- What does that mean?

AMY -- God is a trinity. His very nature is relationship. And so 
is yours. If you isolate yourself out here in the woods, you 
will be missing a key ingredient in your life.

LIZ -- Well, good riddance. I don't need any relationships. All 
I get from relationships is hurt feelings. So, you can go back 
and tell my so-called friends that I never want to see them 
again.

AMY -- Well, I could do that. But you have no idea what you'd be 
missing.

LIZ -- Huh! What I would be missing is rude and thoughtless 
people who can only think about themselves.

AMY -- Actually, you'd be missing a bit more than that.

LIZ -- Like what?

AMY -- Like encouragement.

LIZ -- Yeah, right, like those thoughtless, selfish friends of 
mine would ever stop thinking about themselves long enough to 
give ME any encouragement.

AMY -- You've got a point there. Being human means that 
sometimes they get a little self-centered now and then.

LIZ -- Now and then?!

AMY -- Alright. Just for the sake of argument, let's say that 
your friends are selfish most of the time.

LIZ -- Well, they are.

AMY -- But that means that at times, they actually think about 
others. Are you saying that your friends NEVER were there for 
you to encourage you, to support you?

LIZ -- Well, I can't say NEVER.

AMY -- You see, the fact is that you are just as human as your 
friends. You have moments when you're there to encourage and 
support others, but you also have moments of selfishness. 
Wouldn't you admit that that's true?

LIZ -- Well, I suppose so.

AMY -- But, out here, all alone. There's noone else but you. 
Selfishness is all that's possible without friends to encourage 
you to think bigger than yourself. Life becomes stagnant and 
boring if noone is there to encourage you to grow beyond 
yourself. Is that what you want?

LIZ -- Well, no.

AMY -- But there's another reason you shouldn't be alone.

LIZ -- What's that?

AMY -- You know, I came out here looking for you because I heard 
that you had your feelings hurt. But what's going to happen way
out here when you get hurt or discouraged and there's noone here 
to help you? Noone will even know if you've been hurt or 
discouraged.

LIZ -- I suppose that's true.

AMY -- And what if there's a real crisis? What if you get so 
badly injured that you can't even go for help?

LIZ -- I never thought of that.

AMY -- Out here, all alone, you're protected from having your 
feelings hurt. But you put yourself in a position where you 
can't possibly be anything but selfish AND you could actually 
put yourself in danger. That's why God created us as relational 
creatures. We need each other.

LIZ -- I suppose we do. I suppose I should go back home.

AMY -- You really wanted me to talk you into going back, didn't 
you?

LIZ -- No. What makes you say that?

AMY -- (exiting) Spiders and snakes.

LIZ -- (turns, looks for snakes, backs away) Where?! (turns,
realizes she's alone, follows) Don't leave me! I need you!
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