Zodiac Zone

Zodiac Zone
by YaYa

Characters

1. Frank Smith
2. Katie Brown
3. Alexander Manning
4. Terrance Spencer
5. Zoe Miller
6. Larry Williams
7. Wendy Johnson
8. Eric Turner
9. Nina Hawkings
10. J.T. Walker
11. Amy Yelder
12. Sarah Anderson
13. Lepus(tour guide of Zodiac Zone who befriends and helps the teens.)
14.Chris Montag


Act 1 Scene 1

Setting: New York City, NY

Frank Smith and his best friend, Jane Wellenburg, are walking home from school.

Frank(sighs):Great. Three weeks worth of detention just because I spat a spit ball in Mr. Mason’s face and glued his butt to a chair.

Jane: You could’ve poked his eye out. The man would’ve had to go to the hospital.

Frank: Because of a spit ball?

Jane: From injury because of your spit ball.

Frank: This stinks.

Jane: That’s not my concern.

Frank(exasperated): You’re some friend

Jane: You’re the one that nearly made our teacher eyeless

Frank(pretending to have his feelings hurt): That’s harsh.

Jane(rolling her eyes, muttering): Give me a break.

Frank: What was that?

Jane: Nothing.




Scene 2
Frank comes home and finds a note underneath his door.

Frank(calling): Mom, I’m home Is dinner ready yet? (Silence.)
Mom Where are you? (thinking) Maybe she’s out shopping. (He looks down and sees a note.)(out loud) What’s this? (Frank opens the note and begins to read.) “Frank, take a bus to the north bound train station, then catch the 5:15 to Main Street. You know what to do from there.” (He checks his watch.) Is this some kind of joke? What’s at Main Street?(Confused, he scribbles a note to his mom and dashes out the door.) (thinking) Then again, it could be destiny.





Scene 3
As soon as Frank gets off the train, he sees other kids waiting at the terminal. They seem to be wondering what to do next.

Frank(walking up to a girl with middle-length hair, brown hair):Hey, excuse me. Can you tell me what’s going on?

Girl: I think we’re waiting for a bus.

Frank: A bus? Why?

Girl(shrugging): Beats me.(Loud engines come charging down the road before Frank could ask the girl another question. It’s strange-looking buses. Kids scramble to get on the buses.)

Kid#1(pushing past Frank almost knocking him): Hey, watch it

Kid# 2(knocking him down): Move it

Frank(dazed):What in the world is going on? They act like wild animals in the zoo

Voice: I’ll say.

Frank(turning around):Huh?(A slim girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes stood behind him.) Who are you?

Girl(helping him up): I’m Katie. What’s your name?

Frank: Frank.

Katie: That was mean of those boys to knock you down like that. Are you are all right?

Frank: Yeah. What’s going on?

Katie: I don’t know. I received a note telling me to come here.

Frank: I think this is a trick.

Katie: Maybe.(She, suddenly, see the buses pull off.) Hey, the busses are leaving

Frank(turning around quickly, then running after them): What? You’re right Hey Wait up

Katie(running after him): Wait up, Frank

(Frank runs to the last bus a few seconds before it pulls off.)
Frank: Come on

Katie(with her hand extended): I am!(She sees the bus pull) Frank, don’t let the bus leave

Frank: Hurry up!!!

Katie: I’m trying!!!(Frank extends his hand and grabs Katie’s hand and safely pulls on the bus. The doors close and the bus picks up speed. Katie topples over and Frank laughs.)

Katie(gasping for breath): That’s...not...funny...

Frank: Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. (He manages to help Katie up, while the bus is moving, and then makes his way towards the back of the bus. Katie follows.)

Katie(sitting down near a window seat): That was close. I never ran so hard in my life.

Voice: You should sign up for track.

Katie(whipping her head in the direction of the voice:) What’s that supposed to mean?(The voice belongs to a thin, tall boy with dark brown eyes, a somewhat pointy nose and good-looking features. He wears a baseball cap backwards on his head.) Who asked you, anyway?

Boy(grinning): I’ve never seen a girl run so fast.

Katie(exasperated): Shut up! I don’t even know you!

Boy: My name’s Alexander, but everybody calls me Alex.

Frank: I’m Frank.

Alex(to Katie): What’s your name? (Katie doesn’t answer.)

Frank(nudging her): Tell him your name.

Katie(grumbling): Katie.

Alex(to Katie): I’m sorry...I was just kidding. I didn’t mean to make you mad. You want to start over?

Katie(pausing for a moment, then in a small voice): Well...O.K.

Alex:(extending his hand): Hi, I’m Alex.

Katie(shaking his hand): I’m Katie. It’s nice to meet you.

Frank: O.K. Since that’s over now, can somebody tell me where we’re going?

Alex(shrugging): Not sure. (The kids relax and enjoy the bus ride.)




Scene 4
(The kids go under a tunnel. After a few minutes, they appear in a strange world. A world not like there own.)

Katie(looking out a window in amazement): What is this place?

Alex(guessing): Some foreign land on Earth?

Frank(skeptical) Is this even Earth? (The bus stops at another terminal. The doors open and the kids get off.)

Voice: Thank you for riding the “Zodiac Express”. Have a nice day.
Katie(surprised): Did the bus just talk?

Alex: And did it say to “have a nice day”?

Frank: Talking buses...I should’ve just stayed home.

Alex: Now what do we do?

Voice: Excuse me.

Frank, Katie, and Alex: Huh?

Frank: You guys hear something?(The others look around to see where the voice came from.)

Voice: Down here.(The kids look down and see a rabbit-like creature.) Well, now that I’ve got your attention, I can tell you where you are.

Katie: Who are you?

Creature: I am Lepus. I will be your tour guide.

Katie: “Lepus”? You mean like the constellation “Lepus the Hare”?

Lepus(nodding): Mm-hm.

Alex: He looks like an ordinary rabbit to me.

Lepus(angry): I’m NOT just an ordinary rabbit, you idiot!!! I am “Lepus THE HARE”!!!! Are you hard of HEARING?!?!

Alex(wincing): Well, you don’t have to yell. Sheesh!

Katie: Can you tell us where we are?

Lepus: Certainly. You’re in the “Zodiac Zone”.

Alex: “Zodiac Zone”? Whoa...

Katie: Why are we here?

Lepus: We, creatures, are looking for kids who can become the legendary “ Zodiac Warriors”.

Alex: “Legendary Zodiac Warriors”? Who are they?

Lepus: Long ago, an evil force invaded this world and tried to destroy it, but that was not to be, for the rulers of the Zodiac created twelve powerful warriors in order to defeat the evil that lurked in this world.

Frank: Was the evil force destroyed?

Lepus: No. The force was so strong that the warrior had no choice but to banish it to “Horologium, the Constellation of the Clock.”

Katie: That’s terrible for the warriors.

Lepus: It gets worse. The force has, somehow, broken free and is seeking revenge on this world and your world.

Frank: What happened to the Warriors?

Lepus: Their spirits are locked within the symbols of the “Zodiac Wheel” located in the “Unknown Mountains”.

Alex(excited): Well, let’s go find these legendary warriors!

Katie: Not so fast First, we’ve got to find out where the “Unknown Mountains” are located and how to get there.

Lepus: There’s something else I want to add.

Katie: What’s that?

Lepus: Only twelve children can be chosen to be the Legendary Zodiac Warriors, so some of you may not be chosen.

Katie: I hope I get picked. Becoming a Legendary Zodiac Warrior sounds like fun.

Alex(grinning excitedly): Yeah, me, too!



Act 2 Scene 1

Frank, Katie, Alex, and, Lepus journey to the “Unknown Mountains.” On the way, they come to a forest.

Lepus: The “Unknown Mountains” should be right through this forest.

Katie: Are you sure?

Lepus: At least I think so. It’s been a long time since I was there.

Alex(exasperated): Just great We’re lost and we don’t even know where the “Unknown Mountains” are

Frank: Chill out If we go through the forest, maybe we can find somebody who can help us.

Lepus: Good idea.(They travel through the forest a little more. Suddenly, Alex’s stomach begins to growl.) Goodness What is that sound?

Alex: My stomach. I’m hungry.

Frank: Y’know, I’m hungry, too. Maybe we should stop.

Alex: Yeah, but where?(They look around. Katie spots a shack between two trees far back in the forest.)

Katie(pointing): Look There’s a shack Let’s see if anybody lives there

Frank: Yeah

Alex(rubbing his hands together): Chow time, here we come

Lepus(cautious): Wait Suppose the one living there is not hospitable. Some of these creatures don’t take too kindly to strangers.

Frank and Alex(in unison): But we’re hungry
Katie: And besides, we won’t know until we find out, right?

Frank and Alex(in unison): Right

Katie: So, let’s go

Lepus(hesitating):Oh...all right After this, it’s straight back to looking for the “Unknown Mountains”. O.K.?

Katie, Alex, and Frank(in unison): O.K. Now let’s eat (Everyone races to the shack. Katie knocks on the door, but no one answers. She knocks again and still no one answers. After a long, tedious, wait, the door is opened. At it, stands a short, strange-looking creature with pointy ears.

Creature: Yes? What is it? What do you want?

Katie: Excuse us, sir, but may we have something to eat? Please? We’re very hungry.

Creature(slamming the door, annoyed): No!!

Frank: Please?

Creature(voice muffled): No I tell you!! Now go away!

Frank(talking through the door): Listen, we don’t mean you any harm, but we’ve come a long way and we’re starving. Please let us have something to eat and we’ll leave you alone.


Creature(opening the door a little bit and peeking through the crack): You’ll leave? Just like that?


Frank(nodding): Yes. You’ll never see us again.


Creature(hesitating for a moment): All right. Come in.

Katie: Thank you, sir.(The strange-looking creature opens the door and Lepus and the kids come in. They have stew and they, happily, devour it. They ask for seconds and devour that, too. Even thirds!

Alex(content): Man, I’m stuffed. Got anything else to eat?

Katie(laughing): Alex, you just had three whole helpings of stew. I’m surprised your stomach hasn’t exploded

Frank: Yeah. I’ll say.

Katie: And anyway, we should be getting back to looking for the “Unknown Mou---” (Katie’s sentence was cut short because an exploding sound of thunder shakes the shack.)

Alex(groaning): Aw, man It’s starting to rain (Sure enough, it starts to rain. Hard.)

Creature: I suppose you can stay the night.(The kids are given blankets and pillows and they sleep by the cozy fireplace.

Scene 2

Katie(yawning): Whoa, if feels like I’ve slept for...HUH?!

Alex(frantic): Hey!! What’s happening?! (The kids and Lepus are sitting dangerously close to the edge of a cliff, tied up.)

Katie(angry): What are you doing?!

Creature(angry): Thieves How dare you barge into my home and eat all my food?!

Katie(shocked): What?!YOU let us come in

Alex(agreeing): And you gave us some of your food!!

Creature: Lies You made the rain come so that you can live in my home and eat up all of my food!

Frank(furious): You’re insane!!! We’re not freeloaders

Creature(enraged): SILENCE!!! You shall be put to death

Alex, Frank, and Katie: WHAT?!?!(The creature lifts up his foot and pushes Lepus and the kids off the cliff. Frank manages to grab hold of an edge of the cliff a little further down. Lepus, Alex, and Katie hang below him.)

Katie(relieved): Good job, Frank!

Frank(worried): It won’t be if I don’t pull us up to safety.(He tries to pull himself and the others up, but can’t. Suddenly, Katie’s hands begin to slip.)

Katie(nervous): Uh-oh! I’m starting to slip!

Frank: Hang on!

Katie: I can’t! I’m slipping fast!

Lepus: Hurry, Frank!

Frank(struggling and grunting): I am, but you’re too heavy!

Katie(frantic and panicky): Frank!!! Hurry up!!! (Katie’s grip slips more and more and suddenly loses her grip on Alex’s feet. She falls, screaming.)

Alex and Frank( in unison): KATIE!!!! (Suddenly, a mysterious stranger swings on a rope and catches Katie and, safely, swings to the top cliff where they were pushed from.)

Frank(suspicious): Who’s that guy? And how’d he know we’re in trouble?

(On the cliff) Katie: Thanks for saving my friends.

Mysterious Stranger: Stay here.(The stranger jumps from the cliff, grabs Alex in one arm and Frank and Lepus in another and somehow lands safely on the same cliff with Katie. I have NO idea how he did that.)

Katie: Are you guys O.K.?

Alex: Yeah.

Frank(still suspicious): Who are you?

Lepus: He’s one of the Legendary Zodiac Warriors.

Alex: Really?

Lepus(nodding): He’s the Scorpio Warrior.

Alex, Katie, and Frank(in unison): The “Scorpio Warrior”?!

Lepus: Yes.

Katie: Wow Do all of the Legendary Zodiac Warriors look like that?


Lepus: No. Each warrior is different because each sign is different. They’re not the same.


Katie(to the Scorpio Warrior): Thanks again for saving us.(The warrior doesn’t reply. Instead, he transforms into a boy with long, black hair tied into a ponytail. Katie gasps and looks at the boy with wide eyes.)

Lepus: The warrior of Scorpio must have embedded his powers into him so that he can transform into the Scorpio Warrior. He’s one of the chosen ones!

Katie: Are you sure?

Lepus: Yes.

Alex: So that means that this must be the “Unknown Mountains”! We did it We found the “Unknown Mountains”!

Katie: Actually, it was that despicable creature that found it.

Frank: Speaking of him, where’d he go?

Alex: No telling. I’m glad he’s gone.

Katie(to the boy): Hey What’s your name?(The boy drops to his knees breathing hard and out of energy. Katie rushes over to him and kneels beside him.) (Preparing to help him up) Are you all right?

Boy(in a low, stern voice): I don’t need your help.(The boy, quickly, stands up and ,casually, walks away.)

Alex: He acts like a jerk.


Frank(muttering): He is a jerk.


Author’s Note: I’m not telling you what the boy’s name is because you’ll find that out later in the story. More characters are coming, so stay tuned!