The Keeping Room Page #11

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HENRY (CONT’D)

Don’t make me hurt you.

And then, there is one small moment, just one, where it

doesn’t feel wrong to Louise, when she goes to a place in

her mind where she realizes that this --this -- is what

it feels like to have a man inside you.

She submits.

This is not something to look at, not ever.

69.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - SAME

Moses stands, slowly.

He looks down at his GUT. BLOODY as hell.

He hobbles over to where Augusta lies. Stands above her.

This isn’t what he wanted.

He looks down at her -She’s

not moving -AND

THEN --

WHACK!

She slams him in the head with the butt of her RIFLE,

knocking him down.

INT. FARMHOUSE / BEDROOM - SAME

Henry FINISHES and falls down on top of Louise. And for a

moment it’s quiet and still.

He pushes himself off of her, back to his feet.

Louise doesn’t move. It’s hard to tell if she’s even

alive. He looks at her lying there.

In this moment, she looks like the young girl that she

is. And just as he’s realizing what he’s done he hears

the familiar click of his own rifle’s HAMMERS and --

BANG!

Henry is shot in the back, straight through the middle of

his chest.

He falls forward onto the bed, onto Louise, DEAD.

And we TURN TO SEE:

Mad, standing by the door, Henry’s RIFLE poised and

smoking.

EXT. FARMHOUSE - SAME

Augusta has slung her rifle slung across her back and is

slinging Moses’ around too when she hears --

THE ECHO OF THE SHOT.

(CONTINUED)

70.

She grabs his pistol and fueled by FEAR, makes for the

house as fast as she can.

INT. FARMHOUSE / BEDROOM - SAME

Louise struggles to pull herself out from underneath

Henry, but he’s so big and dead and she’s so tired and

weak and she’s pushing and shoving and she starts to

POUND on him with her fists and now it’s not about trying

to get out it’s about trying to hurt him hurt him for

hurting her for hurting all of them and she’s hitting him

so hard now and she’s GRUNTING and CRYING and -

Mad moves to her and tries to wrestle her down.

MAD:

Enough. Enough. Enough.

Louise won’t stop but Mad can tell she’s weakening.

MAD (CONT’D)

(almost a whisper)

Enough.

Finally, Louise submits. Mad helps her out from under

Henry and holds her close.

And with that -

Augusta comes clambering into the room, Moses’ pistol at

the ready, all blood and dirt, the two rifles slung

across her back.

She stops when she sees the soldier dead and Mad holding

Louise.

She fears she knows what has happened.

There is nothing to say.

Augusta goes to the two women and wraps her arms around

them. Mad sees Augusta’s wound but says nothing.

The women stay this way for a moment.

INT. KEEPING ROOM - AN HOUR OR TWO BEFORE DAWN

Mad, Augusta and Louise come quickly through the door.

Augusta has both Moses’ rifle and her own slung across

her back. She has his pistol, too.

(CONTINUED)

71.

Mad has Henry’s rifle.

Louise’s nightgown is covered in blood. So is Louise.

Augusta sits Louise down.

Mad LOCKS the BOLT on the door.

Augusta grabs another chair, pulls it over and sits with

Louise. She touches her sister’s face. Trying to figure

out what she can possibly do to help her.

Mad goes to the cabinet and pulls out the jug of

moonshine.

Mad pours the moonshine on Augusta’s wound.

AUGUSTA:

AAAGGGHHH -

Augusta picks up the moonshine. Drinks.

Mad wraps the cloth around the burned wound.

Augusta looks at her sister. She pushes the moonshine

over to her. Nods at her to take a drink.

Louise hesitates...

And then, she drinks.

She quickly pulls her mouth away. Coughs. Sputters.

Mad ties off the bandage and finally, she sits down.

And they just sit there.

MAD:

At my second farm, there was this one

shed we wasn’t allowed at. All the other

buildings had their jobs. One for feed.

One for tools. But there was this one

shed that we was told never to go in. Not

to play near it. Not to get curious. We

made up all sorts of stories. Gold.

Ghosts. God. Then, one day when I was

‘bout ten the man told me to go to the

shed.

She remembers that moment of happiness.

MAD (CONT’D)

I was goin’ to the shed. I would get to

know.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

72.

MAD (CONT’D)

I walked to the shed, my heart comin’ out

my dress. I was gonna get to know. I was

gonna get to know. I was gonna be the one

tell all the others.

Beat.

MAD (CONT’D)

I open the door. Only thing in there was

a low cot and no windows. I stood in

there a minute so unsure. So sad that

that was all. Wonderin’ why we wasn’t

supposed to know for so long. And then

the man come in.

Beat.

MAD (CONT’D)

And he had me. He was so big and I was so

small. So small that I didn’t even know

what was happenin’. That was the first

time. And there were many more. Some

times they cut the baby out. Other times,

they kept ‘em. I don’t know where they

are now.

Beat.

MAD (CONT’D)

There many kinds of monsters in this

world, you never know which one goin’ to

be yours. Don’t know what happened to

mine. Probably died old and happy. But

yours --

Louise looks up at Mad.

LOUISE:

You killed him -

MAD:

That’s right.

Beat.

MAD (CONT’D)

Your monster’s dead.

Louise looks at Mad in a way she never has.

And Mad looks right back.

And then they hear a NOISE behind the Keeping Room.

(CONTINUED)

73.

Heavy FEET on the earth.

Augusta motions for Mad to grab Henry’s rifle. Augusta

grabs hers.

She hands Louise Moses’ pistol.

Augusta points at the DOOR. Points at HERSELF and points

LEFT. Points at MAD and points RIGHT. Points at LOUISE

and then gestures for her to STAY PUT.

Everyone understands.

Mad opens the door, carefully and quietly.

Augusta goes around to the left and Mad goes around to

the right. Louise closes the door behind them.

She picks up the pistol. Regards it. Struggles for a

moment, but then she C*CKS it.

EXT. KEEPING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Mad stalks around one side.

EXT. KEEPING ROOM - SAME

Augusta stalks around the other.

EXT. KEEPING ROOM - SAME

Mad comes around the back and sees the BACK of a UNION

SOLDIER standing there.

He hears her...

Mad thrusts the RIFLE out in front of her, steadying

herself...

THE SOLDIER TURNS...

But it’s not Moses...

...it’s the Black Rider.

THIS IS BILL.

What happens next is VERY FAST:

Recognition moves over both of their faces --

(CONTINUED)

74.

Mad lowers her gun, in SHOCK --

Bill can’t believe he’s made it back, can’t believe she’s

really standing there -BANG!

Bill FALLS FORWARD.

THUD.

SILENCE.

Augusta stands behind Bill, drops her RIFLE to her side.

She SMILES. It’s over.

Mad is in complete shock. She can’t move.

UNTIL -She

emits a low MOAN, a moan of infinite SORROW and

SADNESS and LOSS.

She runs to Bill, kneels down next to him.

His eyes search her face, moving wildly, as if the very

act will keep him alive.

MAD:

Shhhh. Shhhhhh. Shhhhh, baby.

AUGUSTA:

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