The Most Dangerous Game

N1: A ship sails at night. Two sailors stand on the deck. 

Sailor 1 (shivering  ): I feel evil in the air.  

Sailor 2: We must be near Ship-Trap Island. 

N2: The captain arrives.

Captain: I need you two on lookout. 

Sailors 1 and 2: Aye, aye! 

N1: They leave. Rainsford and Whitney appear. 

Rainsford: The crew seems nervous. 

Whitney: They fear that strange island over there.

Rainsford: Why?

Whitney: Many ships have sunk here. The crews were never found. 

N2: Whitney looks out at the  dark sky. 

Whitney: I’m excited to get to Brazil so our hunt can begin. 

Rainsford: Hunting! The greatest sport in the world. 

Whitney: For the hunter. Not for the jaguar. 

Rainsford: Who cares how the jaguar feels? 

Whitney: The jaguar does. 

Rainsford: The jaguar doesn’t have feelings. 

Whitney: All animals fear pain and death. 

Rainsford: Nonsense. In this world, there are hunters and the hunted. Luckily, we are hunters.

N1: Later, Rainsford stands on deck alone. 

N2: He hears a sound in the distance. 

SFX: Pop!

Rainsford: Was that a gunshot? 

N1: Two more shots are fired. 

SFX: Pop! Pop!

N2: Rainsford leans over the rail, trying to see.  

N1: Suddenly, he falls. 

Rainsford: Heeeeeeellllllppp!  

SFX: Splash!

N2: The ship sails away.

Rainsford (to himself  ): I’m lost! Stay calm. Think.

N1: He hears a scream of terror, then another shot.

SFX: Aaaaaiiiiiiieeeeee! Pop!

Rainsford: Where there are guns, there are men. 

N2: Rainsford swims toward the sounds. 

N1: Finally, he reaches the shore, drags himself onto the rocks, and falls asleep.

N2: Rainsford wakes up hours later. 

Rainsford: I need food. 

N1: He sees a mansion high on a cliff. 

Rainsford: Someone lives here!

N2: Rainsford makes his way to a tall iron gate and up wide stone steps. 

N1: He knocks on the door. 

SFX: Knock, knock, knock. 

N2: The door creaks open. 

N1: Standing there is a giant man pointing a gun at Rainsford’s chest. 

Rainsford: Please! I fell off a ship. My name is Rainsford. 

N2: A man with bright white hair and a sharp face appears. 

Zaroff: Welcome, Mr. Rainsford. I am General Zaroff. This is Ivan. 

N1: Zaroff nods at Ivan. 

Zaroff: Ivan will get you some clothes. Then you will join me for dinner.

N2: Rainsford and Zaroff sit in a grand dining room. 

N1: The heads of many animals hang on the wall.

N2: Rainsford points to a large buffalo head. 

Rainsford: To me, a buffalo is the most dangerous game. 

Zaroff: You are wrong. On my island, I hunt more dangerous game. 

Rainsford: Tigers? 

Zaroff: No. Too easy.

Rainsford: Then what?

Zaroff: A new animal. It is brave and uses reason.  

Rainsford: No animal can use reason. 

Zaroff: One can. 

N1: Rainsford gasps. 

Rainsford: You . . . hunt men? That’s murder! 

Zaroff: I’m a hunter, not a murderer. 

Rainsford: Where do you get them?

Zaroff: Sometimes a storm will cause a shipwreck. 

N2: Zaroff pushes a button and points out the window. 

Zaroff: Sometimes I cause a shipwreck. 

N1: A row of lights appears on the water. 

Zaroff: Those lights send ships crashing into the rocks. 

Rainsford: This is madness! You hunt your fellow man!

Zaroff: Only the weak! And I feed and train them first. My training school is in the basement. 

N2: Zaroff smiles, showing his pointed teeth. 

Zaroff: It’s a sport, you see. I suggest to one of them that we go hunting. 

Rainsford: And then?

Zaroff: He gets food, a hunting knife, and a three-hour head start. If he stays alive for three days, he wins his freedom. 

Rainsford: And if you find him?

Zaroff: He loses. And I haven’t lost yet. 

N1: Zaroff chuckles. 

Zaroff: One almost won. I had to send my dogs after him. 

N2: Through the window, Rainsford sees the dogs’ green eyes glowing in the night.

Rainsford: Will you excuse me? I’m not feeling well. 

Zaroff: Of course. 

N1: Rainsford rushes off. 

N2: He lies awake all night, hearing gunshots far off. 

SFX: Pop! Pop! Pop!

N1: The next day, the two men are at breakfast. 

Zaroff: Sailors are too easy to hunt. I need a challenge. 

Rainsford: General, I want to leave this island at once. 

N2: Zaroff’s eyes suddenly grow bright. 

Zaroff: No. Tonight, we will hunt. You and I! 

Rainsford: Never. 

Zaroff: It’s your choice. You can be the hunter or the hunted. 

Rainsford: You mean . . . you will hunt me? 

Zaroff: Yes! I will finally have a worthy foe. It will be your brain against mine. 

Rainsford: And if I stay alive for three days? 

Zaroff: You win. I will take you to freedom. 

Rainsford: How can I trust you?

Zaroff: Sir! I always keep my word. 

N1: Zaroff stands up.

Zaroff: Ivan will give you hunting clothes, food, and a knife.

N2: Zaroff starts to leave, then turns around.

Zaroff: You’d best get started, Mr. Rainsford. Ta-ta!

N1: Rainsford hacks his way through the jungle for hours. 

SFX: Slash. Slash.

Rainsford: I should confuse Zaroff. 

N2: Rainsford walks in loops. 

N1: As night falls, he climbs into a tree and hides. 

N2: When morning comes, Rainsford hears something coming through the bushes. 

Zaroff: His tracks are here, but where is he? 

N1: Zaroff looks around. His eyes start to travel up the tree. 

N2: Rainsford holds his breath. His heart pounds. 

Zaroff (smiling  ): Ah well, I will find him later. 

N1: Zaroff leaves.  

Rainsford (to himself  ): He saw me. He’s playing with me!

N2: Rainsford slides down from the tree. 

Rainsford: Now I know the true terror of being the jaguar!

N1: Rainsford runs across the island. Insects bite him.

SFX: Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz.

N2: His foot sinks deep into the ground.

Rainsford: Ahhh! Noooooo! It must be quicksand! 

N1: He hears the sound of dogs in the distance. 

SFX: Woof, woof, woof. 

N2: Rainsford tears himself loose. 

Rainsford: I must run, but where?

N1: The dogs are getting close. 

SFX: Woof! Woof! Woof! 

Rainsford: Beyond the trees—is that the sea? 

N2: Now the dogs can smell him. They are ferocious.  

SFX: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

N1: Rainsford sprints to the edge of the high cliff—

N2: —and leaps into the water below.  

N1: Zaroff and the dogs appear at the cliff’s edge. 

Zaroff: Oh, Rainsford. You chose death.

N2: General Zaroff finishes his dinner and goes to his bedroom. 

N1: He switches on the light and jumps back. 

Zaroff: Rainsford! How did you get here? 

Rainsford: I swam. 

Zaroff: I congratulate you. You have won the game. 

Rainsford: No, Zaroff. I am still a hunted beast. 

Zaroff: Oh, I see! Tonight, only one of us will sleep in this warm bed. 

Rainsford: That’s right. 

N2: Rainsford bares his teeth and leaps toward Zaroff. 

Rainsford: Raaaaaaarh!

Zaroff: Noooooo!

N1: That night, Rainsford never slept better.