Battlecreek Page #5

I think I drank too much.

Are you all right?

ALISON:

I just need a bathroom.

Tell him we ain't got

no gas over here.

How you doing?

We don't have any gas.

I can see that. I was actually

looking for a cold beer.

So...

Where the hell am I?

Battlecreek.

Battlecreek.

Where you heading?

Not sure yet.

Passing through.

Taking a look around.

There's not much to

see around here, I'm afraid.

I don't know.

There's always something to see.

You know, I was actually

looking for a friend of mine.

Said she might

come up this way.

Seen new faces in town?

None worth remembering.

Well, I bet

you're a hard one to forget.

- You mind if I use your piss...

- Sorry.

It's out of order.

But there's a good bar on your way out

of town, if you're just passing through.

Just a few miles

down the street.

Can't miss it.

All right.

Thanks.

Is everything all right?

I don't know.

Alison?

Where'd she go?

She ain't back there?

She ain't back there.

Hey, Henry...

Alison, what's going on?

What the hell is this?

Stay out of it, Henry.

You brought that here?

Into our house?

This is who I am, Henry.

You know, I can pretend all

I want it's in the past,

but it's never left me.

It's always right here.

You should know that

better than anyone.

No, this isn't who you are.

Henry, I used to be in this so deep, I never

thought I was gonna make it out alive.

I just wanted a way out.

Please, don't hate me

for that.

I'm sorry.

I never wanted to

involve you in this.

Alison, wait.

Just tell me who he is.

It doesn't matter.

Packing your car in the middle of the

night and that doesn't f***ing matter?

[CRYING]

Just tell me what's going on.

I can't, Henry.

It's got nothing to do with you.

So, that's it?

You're just gonna keep running?

Not all of us can just

float in one place forever.

Some of us run.

We have to.

Alison, please don't.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Evening, Tallulah.

The usual?

Why change a good thing?

- WOMAN:
Hey.

- Hey.

[MUSIC PLAYING OVER STEREO]

- Here you go.

- Thank you.

Now that's quite a name.

Tallulah.

Well, I am quite a woman.

Who gave a little lady like you

such a big name?

My dear, sweet mama.

She was from

Huntsville, Alabama.

The birth place of the one and

only, Miss Tallulah Bankhead.

Never mind.

So what brings you

to our sleepy little town?

Just looking.

Are you looking for someone?

Or you just looking

for some trouble?

Maybe a little bit of both.

I mean, a man can't help but

have a little fun, now can he?

I can tell,

you like your fun.

Isn't that right, Tallulah?

A little fun

never hurt nobody.

Ain't that right?

Ain't that the truth?

So...

who can little old Tallulah

help you find?

Once you're done

having your fun, that is.

Let's just say

a lady friend of mine

took off with something

that doesn't belong to her.

A whole lot of something.

Well, it looks like

your lucky day.

'Cause Tallulah just loves

to give people what they want.

Know what I mean?

Think so.

So what's your name?

Cy.

I bet you do.

[CRYING]

What's going on?

You... You find Alison?

Why does everyone lie, Arthur?

Why?

Well, I reckon...

I can't really say, Henry.

Not for sure.

People mean well.

I guess they just trying to

protect the folk they love.

I don't want protection.

I never did.

I want people to stop

treating me

like something that's always

on the verge of breaking.

You said if I want the truth,

I have to seek the truth, right?

Yeah.

Well, I want the truth, Arthur.

I want all of it.

Okay.

Have a seat. I got something

I want to show you.

I'll be right back.

Your daddy left those behind,

years ago.

I didn't have the heart

to get rid of them.

But to be honest, I didn't know if you'd

ever really want to see him or not.

I just wanted to leave

well enough alone, you know?

You've been through

your fair share.

I didn't wanna cause

any more trouble.

It's okay.

[CRYING]

Were you good friends?

Your daddy was

a hard man to know, Henry.

Quiet, kept to himself,

did his work.

Like you in that way.

Your daddy was weak, Henry,

in ways that you ain't.

He never had

the mental strength up here.

Not like you.

There were lot of things that

were just too much for him.

Your mama being one.

That dame,

she's a whole lot to handle.

I guess people don't do too

much changing, now do they?

Why did he leave?

Well, that's something

between you and your mama.

No, Arthur, please.

Well, I guess he caught her messing

around one time too many...

and one day,

he just up and left.

Just like that.

Now, it wasn't right...

him walking out on his family.

Walking out on you.

But sometimes,

when you're in a mess,

pride, it just makes you do...

stupid things.

Things that he's gonna spend

the rest of his life regretting.

As far as Tallulah,

we couldn't help

but feel sorry for her.

Next thing I know, you were

gone and had your accident,

and she's out here all alone

trying to raise you.

No, but he...

He left me before the accident?

Henry...

I ain't one to get between you

and your mama, you know that.

You've been seeking the truth and I think

it's about damn time you heard the truth.

And I mean all of it.

Henry, you...

you got to

talk to your mama.

You understand me?

You got to talk to your mama.

Hey, you got to go.

Just take it easy.

Come on, you got to go.

You got another visitor coming?

My son's due home.

So, what's the problem?

Sonny boy still think

mama's a virgin?

I said you got to go.

And I said...

"Take it easy."

Hey.

Hey!

What the hell are you doing?

There's a diner in town.

Serves some pretty good pie.

I think you'll find

what you're looking for.

Hey darling,

what are you doing here?

Have you seen Henry?

Well, no,

he hasn't been in tonight.

Where you going?

Is everything all right?

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

[GASPING]

Well, I've been

looking for you.

[DOOR OPENS AND SHUTS]

We never really talk,

you and I.

Have you noticed that?

I mean, you do

a lot of talking, Tallulah.

To everyone in this town,

about everything.

But me and you,

we never really talk, do we?

What do you

wanna talk about?

I wanna talk about

how I ended up like this.

- Sweetheart, I really...

- I do.

Tell me about

the dreams, Tallulah.

Your dreams,

my dreams,

the dreams that have kept us awake at night,

and you drinking for the last 20 years.

Let's talk about that.

[SIGHING]

Why you doing this, Henry?

Is it because of that girl?

My father wasn't even here,

was he?

He couldn't handle what you had.

He never could.

No...

The truth is, he couldn't

handle you, Tallulah, could he?

Henry, I don't know who you been

talking to, but this has got to stop.

You don't dream about bats or butterflies

or black goddamn clouds, do you, Tallulah?

You dream about what you did. You

dream about this, don't you?

I didn't leave.

Don't you see that?

And, I damn well could have.

But, I was right here.

I was right here.

Always here.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes