The Keeping Room Page #5

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(CONTINUED)

26.

She dismounts and drops Fern’s reigns as before.

Augusta stands still and regards the dog. It’s a comfort

after what she’s just seen.

Augusta moves to pet him. She gets closer...

GRRRRRRRRRRR.

The dog GROWLS.

And as she gets closer he just gets louder so she backs

up -- CAUTIOUS -- and makes her way inside.

INT. CALEB’S - SAME

At the far end of the room is the BAR. And on the left

side of the room is a STAIRCASE leading up to a small

LANDING.

TWO OLD MEN too old and crippled to fight look up from

their game of CARDS as Augusta moves towards the bar. ONE

COUGHS the wheezing cough of someone close to death.

She makes it to the BAR.

CALEB, the old bartender, turns. He’s too old to fight

but not too old to know what’s what. His face is grizzled

and bearded and kind.

CALEB:

...Augusta?

AUGUSTA:

Caleb.

CALEB:

You shouldn’t be here.

AUGUSTA:

I know.

Beat.

AUGUSTA (CONT’D)

Anyone come back since last time?

CALEB:

A few injureds. A few deserters. Can’t

say who.

AUGUSTA:

But no sign of my --

(CONTINUED)

27.

CALEB:

No.

Augusta tries to hide how foolish she feels for thinking

maybe there would be good news.

AUGUSTA:

You hear from anyone out at the Weaver

place? Seen Clara?

CALEB:

Mary was the last one I saw. Few months

back. She was lookin’ for Clara. She run

off. Musta gone West, I said.

AUGUSTA:

I just been there.

CALEB:

And?

AUGUSTA:

Mary’s dead.

No...

CALEB AUGUSTA:

Drank herself some poison.

CALEB:

You come here just to tell me that?

AUGUSTA:

No. Louise. Raccoon bit ‘er.

CALEB:

You been ridin’ all day?

AUGUSTA:

Almost --

CALEB:

On Fern?

AUGUSTA:

Yessir.

CALEB:

That old horse dead yet?

AUGUSTA:

Just about.

Caleb motions with his eyes to the room behind her.

(CONTINUED)

28.

CALEB:

You should go.

Augusta turns to see -TWO

SOLDIERS at a table by the fire. Wearing uniforms of

the UNION ARMY.

We know them as MOSES and HENRY.

They drink from a JUG of MOONSHINE. Moses smokes one of

his hand rolled CIGARETTES.

As Augusta turns back, there beside her is

A WHORE.

Her bright colors have faded, rouge misplaced on a

forgotten face.

It’s hard to tell if she’s young or old, but if there

wasn’t a war on, you can be sure she’d be beautiful.

This is MOLL.

MOLL:

Here.

She extends a SMALL GLASS OF MOONSHINE to Augusta.

AUGUSTA:

What’s this for?

MOLL:

You’ll know soon enough.

Augusta swallows it whole. Sputters.

MOLL (CONT’D)

Good girl.

Beat.

AUGUSTA:

Went to the Weaver’s hopin’ for some

medcin’. Found this -

Augusta pulls the dried HERB from her belt. Moll takes

it. Smells it.

MOLL:

Dried sage won’t help nothin’ but stew.

(CONTINUED)

29.

AUGUSTA:

Came here hopin’ for better luck.

CALEB:

Ain’t been medcin’ here in a long time.

You should go ‘fore they sober up --

AUGUSTA:

I can’t go back with nothin’.

MOLL:

Wait here.

Moll goes.

Caleb and Augusta watch her.

The soldiers do too.

It’s quiet and tense and then --

Moll returns. She has a SMALL LEATHER POUCH in her hand,

which she puts on the bar.

MOLL (CONT’D)

You put her in the tub. You boil water

beyond boilin’. Don’t worry bout burnin’

her. Got that?

AUGUSTA:

Yes ma’am.

MOLL:

And close her up in that hot room. No

matter how much she fights, you keep her

there. It’s once she stops fightin’ you

take her out.

AUGUSTA:

Alright.

MOLL:

You got vinegar?

Augusta nods.

MOLL (CONT’D)

After the heat, you put vinegar on that

wound as much as she’ll let you. And then

take some of this -

Moll nods to the POUCH --

(CONTINUED)

30.

MOLL (CONT’D)

Slather it on the wound n’ leave it.

AUGUSTA:

Thought you said there wasn’t no -CALEB

I wouldn’t call that medcin’.

AUGUSTA:

But it’ll work?

Moll considers.

MOLL:

You ready for her to die?

Augusta shakes her head. No.

Moll pours them each a SHOT.

MOLL (CONT’D)

It might work. But you get ready.

They down the shots.

Augusta winces.

AUGUSTA:

Alright.

Moll leans in. Whispers.

MOLL:

Where you ridin’ to?

AUGUSTA:

Due east. Night’s ride.

MOLL:

What you ridin’?

AUGUSTA:

A dead horse.

Moll looks at Augusta real good and then moves away, just

barely motioning for Caleb to follow her. He does.

Augusta watches as they walk to the side of the bar. She

fiddles with her empty glass.

She can’t help herself. She turns to the SOLDIERS...

And they are staring RIGHT AT HER. Henry SMILES.

(CONTINUED)

31.

Augusta starts to look away, past Henry’s face, but

something about Moses’ eyes stops her turning.

It’s an instant, so small, but their eyes lock and then --

quickly -- she turns away.

Moll and Caleb return. Caleb does not look happy.

Moll leans in and WHISPERS --

MOLL:

You’re gettin’ Captain. He’s a good

horse.

AUGUSTA:

Why you bein’ so nice to me?

MOLL:

I knew your Daddy. He was a good man.

AUGUSTA:

He was alright.

A look passes between them and then --

Moll pours them one LAST SHOT.

CALEB:

Hey, how much uh that you gonna --

MOLL:

We’re only savin’ it for someone who

needs it.

They shoot the drinks.

HENRY (O.C.)

(drunk)

I see you found more liquor.

And suddenly he’s right behind them.

CALEB:

(scared, now)

Sure thing. Here you go.

He hands him the JUG.

HENRY:

(not taking his eyes off

Augusta)

What’d ya know, Moses. This place is

luckier than we thought.

(CONTINUED)

32.

It’s tense.

HENRY (CONT’D)

(to Augusta)

Didn’t think they came this pretty

anymore. You comin’ over?

Augusta keeps her eyes DOWN and does not respond.

HENRY (CONT’D)

...maybe later.

He walks back to his table.

CALEB:

(clearly lying)

Got even more in the back for you, just

wait there...

Caleb goes.

Moll waits a moment and then, quiet as can be:

MOLL:

Go upstairs through the room and out the

window. Caleb’ll be waitin’.

AUGUSTA:

(barely audible)

Thank you.

Augusta and Moll share a look and then, just like that:

Moll turns, all SMILES and ARMS as she heads towards the

table with the Soldiers.

MOLL:

You boys hungry for me?

She playfully sits on Henry’s lap.

Augusta stands, doing her best to be INVISIBLE.

But Moses follows her with his EYES, a dog following

meat. Henry, meanwhile, is consumed with Moll.

Augusta walks past them as calmly as she can.

Sensing Moses, Moll puts her hand on his PANTS...

MOLL (CONT’D)

I bet you want some too...

Moses REMOVES her hand, eyes on Augusta.

(CONTINUED)

33.

ON THE STAIRS:

Augusta slowly moves to the top. LAUGHTER behind her.

She reaches the top and heads down the LANDING towards a

DOOR. She pushes it OPEN -She

looks back to see Moses watching her. With a GLANCE,

she does her best to pretend like she knew he was

watching -And

then she DISAPPEARS into the ROOM.

BACK AT THE TABLE

Moses watches Augusta enter the room, and -He

STANDS. Moves to the

STAIRS:

And quickly ascends, as if invited by her eyes.

MOLL (CONT’D)

(too loudly)

Where you goin’ honey?

Moses is now on the LANDING and walking towards the DOOR -

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