Scene I:
(Scene opens to a clean hotel room with a large, puffy bed and a black suitcase sitting atop it. An old man is sitting in an armchair on the far wall, facing an open window. Sounds of birds and faint construction noises are coming in.)

Old Man: (sighs and continues to sit for a few moments. Stands up after a few moments and checks his suitcase.)

(Lights fade and the scene reassembles to an row of counters with racks of keys on the far wall with a man with a red waistcoat and black tie. He is reading a book, unseen by the audience and generally looks bored.)

Receptionist: (silently watches the Old Man approach)
Old Man: (walks up to the desk) Hello, uh, I seem to have lost something, I’m afraid.
Receptionist: Yeah, well, what is it? (irritated tone)
Old Man: (clears his throat weakly) A silver locket; my daughter’s.
Receptionist: (scoffs) Well I doubt you’re gonna find something like that. Are you sure you didn’t just drop it somewhere with your shaky, old hands.
Old Man: It was in my suitcase.
Receptionist: Maybe old Al Zheimer forgot to pack it. (snickers)

(The Old Man turns away from the receptionist’s desk and holds a hand to his chin, thinking. He stands there for a moment while the receptionist mumbles to himself and turns back to the book he was reading.)

Old Man: (to himself) Maybe it’s on the train. (EXIT)

Scene II:
(Scene opens with the Old Man climbing down a cement staircase to a railway platform, packed with people. We see him hold a bronze ticket in his hand as he scrambles into a train car. He walks through the cars to the conductor’s room and tries to catch the conductor’s attention)
Conductor: “What’s up, Pops? Lost your cane or something?”
Old Man: “No I-”
Conductor: “Ohh, so it was your hearing aid.”
Old Man: I didn’t lose my-”
Conductor: Ohh. (hold a hand to his heart sarcastically) It’s your youth, isn’t it? Or your virility. Heh. That must su-”
Old Man: (shouting) “SHUT UP, SHUT THE HELL UP OR SO HELP ME I’LL-”
Conductor: “Whoa, Pops. Chill. We wouldn’t want your hip to pop or something. Gotta preserve those twilight years. So anyway, what’s wrong?”

(The Old Man huffs)

Old Man: “I think I lost my locket on your train. Did you perhaps find it?”
Conductor: “A locket? Boy, something like that would be long gone by now. I really couldn’t tell you. Besides, isn’t it a little unbecoming for someone such as yourself to wear jewelry,especially at your age?
Old Man: (shakes his head “It’s my daughter’s.”
Conductor: “Suure.”
Old Man: (takes a moment before leaving) “Well, I’ll be off, then.”

(The Old Man exits the conductor’s car and back to the passenger’s, only to have the doors shut before he can leave.)

Old Man: “What’s the meaning of this? Let me off!”
Conductor: (over the PA) “Sorry, but we’re on a schedule. Time’s tight.”
Old Man: “I’ll just step off right now and you won’t lose any time at all!”
Conductor: “Oh, you’d better step off -- telling me how to do my job. I’m just following orders.”

(PA shuts down with a fizzle, and the Old Man defeatedly finds an open seat as the train jerks forwards and starts down the tracks.)

(Everyone in their seats is sitting completely still, all staring forward. Some of the male passengers are wearing the same clothes: A blue mining helmet with stained, overturned jumpsuits with stained, white tank-tops underneath.)

(The Conductor begins to play a jaunty song over the speakers, with ukulele and some goofy twangs. It’s thoroughly annoying, but only the Old Man seems to notice the music in the first place.)

(After several minutes, the train stops with the music and the passengers all get off before the Old Man can even get up off his seat. The doors shut in his face again.)

Old Man: “This isn’t funny!”
Conductor: “Yours is a different stop, pal.”

(The doors reopen to a fully white room that seems like a blank void. The Old Man peeks his head out of the train car and finds that when he looks around, he can’t even see the train that he’s on. Nevertheless, he steps off and the blank doors close behind him, leaving no trace that a train was ever there.)

(There is a poorly made dining chair standing in the center of the room with a red note sitting on the seat. The Old Man walks over to it.)

Old Man: (picks up the note and reads it out loud.)
Outsider-
Your item of value is nowhere for you to find. For I have already found it. I do not appreciate your presence in my humble home, as you disturb the order of my men. See me. Visit me. Then leave me, and I will give you your precious item back. I would advise that you follow my orders. My eyes are everywhere.
    The Caller~