The Keeping Room Page #10

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Augusta’s just showing her how, but Mad actually does it.

Mad pulls her hand away as if the words have reminded her

that she wasn’t about to fire.

She looks back to Augusta.

AUGUSTA (CONT’D)

You pull this and hold real steady.

Mad nods.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - SAME

Moses crouches next to Henry, his gun down. He’s taken

the tail of his shirt from his pants and ripped part of

it off at the bottom to wrap around Henry’s HAND.

MOSES:

(calling out)

Girl! We will give you to the count of

ten to come on out or we’re coming in.

(CONTINUED)

62.

They wait for a response.

NOTHING.

Moses motions for Henry to go around front.

Henry nods, he goes.

And with that Moses heads around back --

MOSES (CONT’D)

One.

INT. FARMHOUSE / BEDROOM - SAME

MOSES (O.C.)

Two.

The women listen and then --

AUGUSTA:

I’m gonna try n’ draw ‘em away from the

house --

MOSES (O.C.)

Three.

Augusta looks at her sister one last time and then she

goes to the door.

AUGUSTA:

You bar this door behind me.

MOSES (O.C.)

Four.

Mad looks at the gun and then back up at Augusta.

AUGUSTA:

If a man comes through this door -- no

matter what -- you shoot.

She goes. Mad BARS the door behind her. She turns and

looks at Louise.

Louise backs up into the far CORNER. Terrified.

EXT. FARMHOUSE / BACK - SAME

Moses moves across the back of the house. He’s low,

creeping along below the windows.

(CONTINUED)

63.

MOSES:

Five.

He stops and settles, crouching by the BACK DOOR.

EXT. FARMHOUSE / FRONT - SAME

Henry moves to the FRONT DOOR. His RIFLE across his BACK.

His PISTOL in his HAND.

MOSES (O.C.)

Six.

INT. FARMHOUSE / BEDROOM - SAME

Louise is huddled in the corner.

Mad stands by the door, pistol drawn.

MOSES (O.C.)

Seven.

EXT. FARMHOUSE / BACK - SAME

Moses still crouches.

MOSES:

Eight.

And then he HEARS something.

He moves away from the door, along the back of the house.

He looks around the corner to the left towards the well

and the tree beyond, but he doesn’t see anything.

MOSES(CONT’D)

(throwing his voice in the

other direction)

...Nine...

He waits.

He sees SOMETHING MOVE just behind the WELL, away from

the house.

And then it disappears behind a TREE.

He moves towards it...

64.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - SAME

Hiding behind the tree is...

AUGUSTA. Rifle up.

She waits. Breaths heavy.

AUGUSTA:

(to herself)

Where’s ten?

INT. FARMHOUSE / BEDROOM - SAME

Louise is still huddled in the corner, Mad remains by the

door. They hear GLASS BREAKING below them. FOOTSTEPS.

Louise tries to keep it in, but a small whimper gets out.

MAD:

(whispered)

Louise. Don’t make no sound. Nothin’. You

hear?

Louise nods.

INT. FARMHOUSE / FRONT ROOM - SAME

Henry moves through the big front room of the house,

surprised by how few possessions there are.

How empty it is.

He makes his way to the --

INT. FARMHOUSE / STAIRS - CONTINUOUS

And he begins to climb. Pistol still drawn.

He takes the first step carefully, quietly, slowly,

careful not to give himself away.

He’s a GHOST.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - SAME

Augusta moves from behind the tree and darts over to a

WAGON that sits near the BARN, squatting behind it. She

feels that Moses is near.

And then we see him, creeping towards where she hides.

(CONTINUED)

65.

AUGUSTA:

(calling out)

You followed me.

Taken aback, he didn’t know she knew he was there.

MOSES:

I did.

He moves a little closer. Gun at the ready.

AUGUSTA:

Why didn’t you kill me with Caleb and

that woman? Why not kill me now?

MOSES:

Want to keep you a while.

INT. FARMHOUSE / STAIRS - SAME

Henry’s FOOT comes down on the top step, and -

INT. FARMHOUSE / BEDROOM - SAME

CREEEEAK.

Louise presses deeper into the corner. Mad steels

herself, shakily holds the gun --

Louise WHIMPERS again.

Mad turns to her and with her eyes begs her to hush --

INT. FARMHOUSE / HALLWAY - SAME

Henry STOPS. Listens. He’s heard something.

Slowly, he moves towards the bedroom door, towards the

source of the sound.

His hand REACHES OUT to the door -It’s

BOLTED -He

STEPS BACK...

WAITS, and...

SLAM!

He BUSTS it OPEN -

(CONTINUED)

66.

The SLAT OF WOOD holding the door BREAKS IN HALF -

And there’s Mad, standing between him and Louise, PISTOL

in hand.

And she PULLS THE TRIGGER -CLICK.

CLICK.

NOTHING.

For a moment, Henry is taken aback. He didn’t expect to

find these women here. With a gun, no less.

Mad pulls the trigger again -Louise

begins to CRY in the corner --

AND THEN -Henry

HOLSTERS his PISTOL, walks over to Mad, who keeps

pulling the trigger...

...and he takes the gun out of her hands.

He opens the chamber, sticks his finger in.

HENRY:

Damp powder. Must be as old as the gun.

And then SUDDENLY -

VIOLENTLY -He

takes the BUTT of the gun and strikes Mad clear across

the face, knocking her out.

Henry turns his attention to Louise, still cowering in

the corner. She’s SOBBING quietly, now.

They stand there.

Motionless.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - SAME

Moses stands, his eyes on the Wagon.

MOSES:

Something about you makes me wanna sit

down.

(CONTINUED)

67.

AUGUSTA:

Then why you come here like you want a

war?

MOSES:

Don’t know how to stop.

INT. FARMHOUSE / BEDROOM - SAME

The BUTT of Henry’s RIFLE as it comes down across the

door where the wooden slat had been. He’s making sure

that no one else can get in...

...or out.

He turns and looks directly at Louise.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - SAME

Cautiously, Moses moves nearer to the Wagon. Gun ready.

MOSES:

Come on out now, let me see you.

He’s close now. Augusta can feel it.

MOSES (CONT’D)

Why don’t we put down these guns?

Beat.

MOSES (CONT’D)

We can be closer without them.

He lowers his gun...

AND SUDDENLY -Augusta

COMES OUT from behind the Wagon and FIRES.

Moses is HIT IN THE STOMACH. Falling, he FIRES BACK,

hitting her in the SHOULDER.

Both of them fall to the ground.

INT. FARMHOUSE / BEDROOM - SAME

Henry and Louise hear the ECHO OF THE TWO SHOTS.

And after that, it’s just quiet.

(CONTINUED)

68.

HENRY:

Maybe it’s just you and me, now.

Louise shoves herself even further into the corner.

HENRY (CONT’D)

(touches his pistol)

If you don’t stop moving, I might have to

shoot you.

She stops.

HENRY (CONT’D)

I don’t want to shoot you.

SUDDENLY -Louise

STANDS -Henry

is on the other side of the bed, not sure which way

she’ll go -Louise

prepares to make her move -Henry

is enjoying this -And

then she DARTS over the top of the bed towards the

door, but Henry lunges toward her, pulling her down onto

the bed.

He FORCES her nightgown up with his good hand. Some of

the blood from his bandaged hand gets on her skin.

Louise CRIES out. Henry pulls the upper part of her

nightgown up and stuffs it in her mouth. She GAGS.

She tries to rise up, but she is so weak, and he is a

man. He pushes her back down and holds her there.

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