A Change in the Elements 

2025 7th-8th Grade Prose Honorable Mention

From the stage right entrance, there is a light and the sound of a car crash and scream. CHARLIE staggers onto the stage from stage left. The stage is dark. At center stage, sitting in a spread-out semicircle, are the Council. 

CHARLIE: (shaken) Wh-who are you? What is this place? Why am I here? 

EARTH: We are the Council. 

FIRE: And this is The Inbetween. 

CHARLIE: Council… wait, in between what? Does that mean I'm… 

WATER: Yes, your time is up. The Inbetween is the midpoint of life, and death. The Council decides whether you will return to your world or be stuck here for eternity. 

CHARLIE: What are you? I mean, you're obviously not human. No offense. 

EARTH: We are the embodiments of elements, Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. 

CHARLIE: So, you're the literal elements, and you judge people after death? (Slightly laughing at the situation.) 

FIRE: (Standing) Do you dare, (CHARLIE steps back frightened) insult the great Council of gods itself?! You–(WATER stands and puts a hand on FIRE’s shoulder.) 

WATER: Fire, please, how could a mortal know? Control yourself. 

FIRE: (Not yelling, but with anger and diction) I refuse! (The others stand) You all allow this one to come in here and prove itself, after knowing what it’s done? There is no good in humans, if you let this one (said in disgust while pointing at CHARLIE.) return, you are returning a monster. 

AIR: There may be good yet, you must give her a chance. 

FIRE: So be it, but my vote stands. I will not listen. (Fire sits. The others hesitantly take their seats.) 

WATER: Your time may have ended, but you have a chance. If you can prove to us that you deserve to return to life, we will restore you to your life. You must tell us of only one moment from your life to prove your worth. 

CHARLIE: (Desperately trying to come up with something) One? Alright... my son! My son is on his school's baseball team. I taught him how to catch and throw; I've never missed a single game. Doesn’t a young boy deserve to have a parent to support them? 

FIRE: (Mockingly) Support? That may be so, but you criticize him more than his own coach does. He’s the best player that school has had in a long time, yet after each game, you look away in disappointment. That boy spends every waking hour training to impress you, but nothing is good enough, is it?

CHARLIE: How do you know that? I'm hard on him so he gets better. (Annoyed and now slightly unsure, clearly realizing it’s true. CHARLIE trails off, The more vulnerable she gets the more sympathy the council shows, except FIRE, who is clearly amused) My wife, I take her out to shows and dinners as much as I can, I love her truly, I need to go back to her. 

AIR: (On FIRE’s side.) Every time she plans anything you “forget,” or you stay late at work. Then when she asks you why, you lie to her. Did you know you made her cry? I’m starting to see Fire’s reasoning, (To FIRE) I’m with you. (FIRE smiles.) 

CHARLIE: (Feels terrible) I-I'm so sorry…did I really do all that? (CHARLIE falls to their knees) I'm so sorry. I'm a horrible person. (In tears) I just want to go home. If I could just go back, even for a moment, to apologize. I would buy lovely gifts for my kids. My wife, I would take her anywhere she wants to go. My family doesn't deserve me. (Muttering) Maybe they'll be better off without me. (There is silence for a period of time.) 

FIRE: It’s not about gifts or expensive dinners, you foolish human. This one is lost. (CHARLIE looks at Fire but says nothing.) 

EARTH: Thank you Charlie, we must vote. Our vote must be unanimous for it to pass. Please exit while we discuss. (CHARLIE walks to the door they entered from, she doesn’t go through but reaches out to it.) 

AIR: Do you still truly believe she will change? 

EARTH: I’m not sure anymore. This one seems sorry, but talks a lot about making it up with money. 

WATER: I believe she can. Prior to this she did not realize how much her actions hurt people. 

FIRE: It took her until her own death to learn this. 

WATER: Growth takes time. 

EARTH: But how much time can we give them? 

FIRE: (Stand) Exactly! She only showed remorse when it would benefit her own being! 

WATER: (Stand. Both are now standing face to face in a challenge to the other, volume growing each line. EARTH and Air are uneasy) Everyone can change with the right guidance. It is our job to provide mortals with this so they may live, not to weed out the ones we only think won't change. 

FIRE: You’re an idiot. 

WATER: Excuse me? 

FIRE: You heard me, these humans pollute their worlds and lie for money and power. None of them deserve a second chance.

AIR: (Move to Fire’s right) All they do is lie and corrupt. 

EARTH: (Move to Fire’s left) Their world is dying and it's all their fault.

WATER: (Quietly, but with fury.) What about the small children, and the loving parents, the ones who bring food to those in need. The ones who save their world's creatures, sacrifice their own life for their family, for their home, the ones who die to save another. (The silence is loud.) 

AIR: (Step forward.) This one is not like them, she does no good. Not a single moment. 

EARTH: (Go to WATER, hand on shoulder.) If I saw even the slightest bit of good in this one I would be with you completely. I do not see what you see. 

WATER: (“Explosion” livid. Shoves EARTH’s hand away on no.) NO! (Others take a step back.) We must believe she can change, or they’re all doomed. If she does change, others can too. No one can be perfect, it's impossible, we aren’t either. But how are any of us supposed to learn if we’re never given the chance to? How is their world supposed to be better when we take away all of the people that could change it? If we keep this up their world will never change. If we want to save this, we must start with allowing the chance for change to actually happen. We must allow the change to start. 

The others remain silent. 

WATER: I vote for life. 

FIRE: (Slowly walk to WATER until face to face.) And if you're wrong? All you’ve been doing is talking about how she might change. How do we know she could? This whole ripple effect you’re suggesting might not even happen. She could be exactly the same. (Pause.) Let's say the ripple does work, but it's worse. What if her actions spark fires and anger, and we all know fires spread. Everything that is caused by that would be all your fault. (WATER has clearly been thinking of that the whole time.) 

EARTH: (After a moment of thought.) I vote for life. 

FIRE: Are you kidding me? (Fire is annoyed and honestly a little surprised.) 

EARTH: You’re right, we cannot know how this will work out, but nothing will ever happen if you don't take a risk. I say we give this idea a chance.

AIR: I agree. If a beautiful tree can spark from fire, one person can change and inspire others to change. You out of all of us should know this. (Looking at FIRE.) 

FIRE: (Other three surrounding FIRE. FIRE is slightly unsure.) You're all making a mistake. (Desperate, gaining volume) Humans are all monsters, there are none that are good. They steal, kill, and lie. They are greedy, and corrupt. All they care about is money and power when none of it matters because they all end up dead anyway! (Silence, FIRE sees he’s failed.) Fine, but your mortal here will be the one to prove you wrong. Life. (EARTH, AIR, and WATER look at CHARLIE.) 

EARTH: (To CHARLIE) You may return.

CHARLIE: Thank you. 

CHARLIE exits where she entered. EARTH and AIR exit opposite. WATER and FIRE look at each other WATER nods, FIRE walks on without any acknowledgement. FIRE exits. 

WATER: (To the audience, center stage.) I believe anyone can change, if only we spark the fire to ignite it, and allow the wind to fan the flame, the earth to catch fire, and the tide to change. Do humans have a chance? 

Stage goes black with WATER staring confused and worried out to the audience.

The End.