НАЗВАНИЕ: Sinners (2025)
ГОД: 2025
СЦЕНАРИСТ: Ryan Coogler
ИСТОЧНИК: ScriptSlug (PDF) — https://www.scriptslug.com/script/sinners-2025
URL: https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/sinners-2025.pdf
СКАЧАНО: 2026-10-12 11:50
ПРИМЕЧАНИЕ: текст чужой, для личного изучения. Не распространять. Не исполнять.
======================================================================

SINNERS
 Written by

Ryan Coogler
INT. DARK VOID - NIGHT

A MATCH STRIKES once, twice, and IGNITES on the third
try, illuminating a WOODCUT IMAGE of a guitarist.

                        ANNIE (V.O.)
          There are legends of people born
          with the gift of making music so
          true, that it can pierce the veil
          between life and death.

Faces cry out to the guitarist from the dark and light
portions of the woodcut.

                        ANNIE (V.O.)
          Conjuring spirits from the past
          and the future.

Another woodcut. Anc ient Irishmen play music and dance
around a fire. Faces look upon them from the blaze.

                        ANNIE (V.O.)
          In ancient Ireland, they were
          called fili.

In this woodcut, a Choctaw man captivates a family around
a fire, as more faces listen from beyond the darkness.

                        ANNIE (V.O.)
          In Choctaw land, they called them
          firekeepers.

In another, a West African man plays a Kora for a group
summoning a legion of faces i n the night sky.

                        ANNIE (V.O.)
          And in West Africa they are called
          griots.

In the final Woodcut, a Bluesman plays for a group of
people in a JUKE JOINT.

                        ANNIE (V.O.)
          This gift can bring healing to
          their communities.

A FIGURE with RED EYES peers in the window.

                        ANNIE (V.O.)
          But it also attracts evil.
                                                         2.


                          PROLOGUE


CHYRON- CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI, 1932


EXT. FARMHOUSE - SUNSET

The sun creeps halfway into the horizon.

An INJURED MAN, hobbles towards a modest cattle
farmhouse, looking back towards an unseen pursuer.


INT. FARMHOUSE - SUNSET

JOAN (20s, White) places a bowl down in front of BERT
(late 20s, White) who is seated at a table, picking at
his guitar and humming a tune (PICK POOR ROBIN CLEAN).

Watching her suspiciously, Bert sniffs it, makes a face.

Joan notices, and raises her bowl to her mouth, slurps
the liquid in and swallows-- its not great.

                          JOAN
          Go on...

Bert stares at the bowl for a beat, then pushes it away.

                        BERT
          I reckon I wont.

                        JOAN
          Come on, Bert.

                        BERT
          I can’t see how this is gonna
          help.

                        JOAN
          Its supposed to increase you
          know... your count.

                        BERT
          That’s hogwash...

                        JOAN
          Aunt Comfort swears by it. Had
          eight babies, all healthy.
                                                       3.


                        BERT
          Healthy?! Joan every last one of
          her kids is as nutty as squirrel
          shit.

Joan smiles offense at the slight.

                        JOAN
          You know you got some nerve--

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! The front door rattles on its
hinges. Joan and Bert exchange confused looks.

Bert holds his finger to his lips “Shh” and then moves to
an unseen wall of the room where a RIFLE and a SHOTGUN
sit propped next to a folded KU KLUX KLAN uni form. He
hands the rifle to Joan and carries the shotgun with him
to the door.

Bert opens it, revealing the INJURED MAN. Who is burned
and bleeding. He looks like he’s been tortured.

                        BERT
          Back up.

                        INJURED MAN
          You gotta help. I thought I could
          trust em, but they’re trying to
          kill me.

                        BERT
          Slow down.

Bert looks beyond the man at the horizon. The top third
of the sun still visible, but shadows are grow ing long.

                        JOAN
          Who’s trying to kill you?

                        INJURED MAN
          Choctaw. They was brutal.

                        BERT
          Injuns?
               (beat)
          Where you from?

                        INJURED MAN
          North Carolina.

                        BERT
          You sure it wasn’t just some fair
          skinned niggers? Ain't no Injuns
          round here for miles.
                                                         4.


                           INJURED MAN
             We was traveling looking for a
             place of respite. And they, took
             my wife. - oh God, Siobhan. I’m a
             coward...

He begins to cry.

                           JOAN
             Jesus Christ, Bert.

The Injured Man looks inside and notices the KKK regalia.
He looks to Bert again.

                           INJURED MAN
             I got gold. Them dirty Injuns
             meant to rob me, but they ain’t
             get all of it. Ya’ll can have it,
             just don’t let them hurt me no
             more.

He reaches int o his pocket, revealing a gold coin.

Bert’s eyebrows raise at the sight of the money. He looks
at Joan for a quick beat, before lowering his shotgun.

                          BERT
             Come on...

The Injured Man’s eyes water with gratitude as he enters.

                           JOAN
             Set him up in the nursery.

Bert nods and leads the Injured Man to the back of the
house. Joan approaches the door and looks through the
window.

WINDOW POV

In the distance we see a CHOCTAW SEARCH PARTY traveling
via FORD MODEL T with two HORSES flanking, riders on
their backs.


EXT. FARMHOUSE - SUNSET - CONTINUOUS

The members of the SEARCH PARTY stop outside the house.
CHAYTON (Choctaw, 50s) the leader of the group exits the
vehicle, looking up at the sky. A LOOKOUT dismounts and
stares directly at the setting sun - only a small edge of
it remains.

Chayton knocks on the door.
                                                      5.


INT. FARMHOUSE - SUNSET

Joan readies her rifle.

                        JOAN
          Bert, they’re here!

She opens the door, letting Chayton see her gun.

                        CHAYTON
          Evenin’ ma’am. We don’t want any
          trouble. We are in pursuit of
          someone, very dangerous. He may
          have come here on your property.
          Have you seen anyone recently?

                          JOAN
          No.

Chayton stares at her for a beat, sensing her dishonesty.

                        CHAYTON
          Is he in there, ma’am?

Joan cocks her rifle.

                          JOAN
          Bert..!

Beat.

                        J OAN (CONT’D)
          I think ya’ll best be getting back
          to where you came from.

Chayton looks at the rifle, then to Joan.

                        CHAYTON
          He ain't what he seems. God forbid
          you let him into your home. If so,
          we need to act right now.

The Lookout watches as the last rim of light slides under
the horizon. He whistles to Chayton, who turns and looks
toward the horizon. He turns back to Joan with resolve.

                        CHAYTON (SUBTITLE) (CONT’D)
          May God be with you.

Chayton heads back to his car, and the search party rides
off.

Joan closes the door. Sighs out the tension.
                                                        6.


                        JOAN
          Bert... The injuns came and
          went...

She walks towards the back of the house, and sits her
rifle back down in the corner.

                        JOAN (CONT’D)
          Bert?

She rounds the corner into the room.


INT. NURSERY - NIGHT

There is no light. Joan strains her eyes to make out the
shape of a man standing in the corner of the room.

                        JOAN
          Bert?

No. It’s the Injured Man, and he’s smiling a toothy grin.

Fear grips Joan.

                        JOAN (CONT’D)
          Where’s-

                        INJURED MAN
               (finger raised to
                mouth)
          Shhh. He’s resting.

The Injured Man points to the ground where Bert lies
lifeless, in a pool of blood.

Joan’s fear gives way to abject terror. The Injured Man
licks his palm. Joan begins to cry.

                        JOAN
          What did you do?

The Injured Man feigns concern.

                        INJURED MAN
          Oh don’t cry...

He grins wider and points down at Bert’s corpse as it
starts to stir.

                        INJURED MAN (CONT’D)
          ... you woke him.
                                                        7.


Bert stands, turns to Joan and flashes a smile matching
that of the INJURED MAN.

                         INJURED MAN (CONT’D)
           Look, he’s all better now.

Joan tries to scream, but her throat is frozen.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - DAY

An abandoned two story lumber mill angles toward the
morning sky. A tranquil stream and grass surround it.

We reveal two men, identical twins (Black, Mid 30s)
waiting beside a PARKED CAR. SMOKE the older of the two
watches the road ahead, while STACK rolls a cigarette,
lights it, and takes a pull before passing it to his
brother.

Smoke takes the cigarette, his hands shaking slightly, as
he takes a pull, he sees what they’ve been waiting for-

A PACKARD, motoring towards them from a distance.

Smoke hands the cigarette back to his brother who pulls
one last time and drops it, stamps it out before picking
up a small bag.

The Ford parks in front of the mill and the driver,
HOGWOOD, (White, 45s) exits, taking the twins in with a
self satisfied sigh.

                           SMOKE
           You Hogwoood?

He nods.

                         HOGWOOD
           Hope I ain't kept ya’ll boys
           waiting too long?
                 (takes a good look at
                  them)
           You boys twins?

                         STACK
                (smiling)
           Nah... we cousins...

Hogwood smiles. Spits a dip.

Smoke stare daggers at him. Unflinching.
                                                        8.


INT. LUMBER MILL - FIRST FLOOR - DAY

Stack walks around examining the room beside Hogwood.
Smoke eyes Hogwood from upstairs.

                        HOGWOOD
          They moved a ton of timber a month
          back in its heyday. Workers lived
          upstairs.

Smoke sees something on the ground and bends down,
running his fingers along the wood. Stack notices.

                        STACK
          You washed these floors?

                        HOGWOOD
          Yeah.

                        SMOKE
          What was on them?

                        HOGWOOD
          I thought ya’ll was dead set on
          buying the place. Th e longer time
          I spend with ya’ll, the less sure
          I am you boys was serious about
          it.

                        SMOKE
          Ain’t no boys here.

                        STACK
          Just grown men wit grown men
          money.

                        SMOKE
          And grown men bullets.

                        HOGWOOD
          I ain’t mean nothin by it. Just
          the way we talk down here.

A long beat.

                        SMOKE
          We’ll take it.

Hogwood’s eyebrows raise.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          The Mill, the equipment, and the
          land it stands on.
                                                        9.


Stack hands Hogwood a bag. He thumbs through it for a
beat then looks up, inquisitive.

                        HOGWOOD
          Whats the extra for?

                        STACK
          For your Klan buddies.

                        HOGWOOD
          Klan don’t exist no more.

                        SMOKE
          Then you take it to your clubhouse
          then.

                        STACK
          And if anybody from Chicago come
          asking, make sure ya’ll tell em
          ya’ll sold us this place years
          ago.

Hogwood nods.

                        HOGWOOD
          Secrets safe with me.

                        SMOKE
          Understand if you take t hat money,
          that’s the last dime you get from
          us. If we see you or one of your
          friends cross that property line,
          we’ll kill em where they stand.

                        HOGWOOD
          Pleasure doing business with you
          both.

Hogwood heads towards the door. He stops.

                        HOGWOOD (CONT’D)
          What do ya’ll fellas plan on doing
          with the place?


EXT. GREY OAKS PLANTATION - DAY

SAMMIE (19, BLACK) A SHARECROPPER works barefoot in a
cotton field, the morning sun is still low in the sky. He
hums a tune to himself, (I LIED TO YOU).

He’s been at it for hours, evidenced by the full 9 ft
sack beside him. Other SHARECROPPERS begin to show to
start their day.
                                                      10.


                        SHARECROPPER
          You out early this fine Saturday
          morning. I take it you strummin’
          that guitar tonight?

Sammie smiles.

                        SHARECROPPER (CONT’D)
          You gonna tell me where you
          playin’ or am I gonna have to hear
          it through the grapevine?

Sammie packs up the massive bag of cotton.

                        SAMMIE
          You have a good one Beatrice. And
          I’ll see you at service tomorrow
          mornin’.

                        SHARECROPPER
          I guess the grapevine it is.

Sammie walks with hi s cotton sack over his back towards a
SHACK in the distance.


EXT. MOORE SHACK - SHARECROPPERS QUARTERS’ - GREY OAKS
PLANTATION - DAY

RUTHIE (Late 40’s, Black) does laundry in a soapy bucket.

She smiles warmly as Sammie approaches.

                          SAMMIE
          Mornin’ Ma.

                          RUTHIE
          Mornin’ baby.

                        SAMMIE
          Can I trade ya?

Sammie takes off his sweaty work shirt. Hands it to her,
then cups some of the soapy water.

                        RUTHIE
          Don’t put that on your body,
          Samuel.

He does anyway. Then rinses the dirt off his feet.

                          SAMMIE
          Soap is soap.
                                                     11.


                        RUTHIE
          It’ll dry ya out.

                        SAMMIE
          Not if I put this on while its
          still wet!

He grabs a still wet shirt from the drying rack.

                        RUTHIE
          Boy you ain't got sense God gave a
          goose.

He hugs his mom, wet shirt and all.

                        RUTHIE (CONT’D)
               (laughing)
          Don’t get that water all over me.

Sammie heads inside.


INT. MOORE SHACK - SHARECROPPERS QUARTERS - DAY

A one room shack with SAMMIE’S FIVE YOUNGER SIBLINGS
still in various stages of sleep. Sammie grabs his shoes
and feels around for something. Doesn’t find it.


EXT. MOORE SHACK - SHARECROPPERS’ QUARTERS - DAY

Sammie exits with a pace, walking towards RUTHIE.

                        SAMMIE
          Ma, my guitar and my slide ain’t
          in there. Now I don’t suppose they
          grew legs and walked out.

Ruthie gives Sammie a knowing glance. He knows what this
means.


EXT. CHURCH - GREY OAKS PLANTATION - DAY

Sammie approaches the praise house, with an angered gait,
but calms himself before entering.

He walks into-


INT. CHURCH - GREY OAKS PLANTATION - DAY

It is a modest church. Seated in the front row, Sammie’s
father, JEDIDIAH (Black, Late 40s) reads from the bible.
                                                        12.


                         SAMMIE
          Mornin’ Pop.

                        JEDIDIAH
          Up awful early, son.

                        SAMMIE
          Like you say... jump on the work,
          don’t let the work jump on you.
          Finished our quota for the day. I
          was wondering if you seen my
          guitar.

He walks closer to the pulpit, and he sees his GUITAR
(Wood with a shiny grey metal resonator) leaned up
against it, and his SLIDE next to his father’s Bible.

                        JEDIDIAH
          I brought it here so we can
          prepare for tomorrow. I figure we
          can start with the young ones
          singing a song. You can lead em.

                        SAMMIE
          What song you thinking?

                        JEDIDIAH
          This little light of mine?

Sammie walks over and picks up his guitar. Grabs his
slide, and slips it onto his finger. Begins to play.

                        SAMMIE
               (blues version)
          This little light of mine, I’m
          gonna let it shine, this little
          light of mine, I’m gonna let it
          shine, this little light o f mine,
          I’m gonna let it shine, let it
          shine, let it shine, let it shine-

                        JEDIDIAH
          What was that?

                        SAMMIE
          Just spiced it up a bit. Make it
          fun for the congregation.

                        JEDIDIAH
          It’s seasoned enough as is.

Sammie takes a breath.
                                                     13.


                        SAMMIE
          Pop I don’t need to practice none
          of this. I know these old church
          tunes like the back of my hand.

                        JEDIDIAH
          Well never-mind the music. I want
          you to help me give my sermon
          tomorrow.

Sammie is confused. Jedidiah beckons his son over to him.

                        JEDIDIAH (CONT’D)
          Read 1 Corinthians 10:13

Sammie reluctantly takes his place at the podium.

                        SAMMIE
          “No temptation has overtaken you
          except what is common to mankind.
          And God is faithful; he will not
          let you be tempted beyond what you
          can bear.”

Sammie closes the book.

                        SAMMIE (CONT’D)
               (from memory)
          “But when you are tempted, he will
          also provide a way out so that you
          can endure it.” Pop if you don’t
          mind, I’m gon' be late.

                        JEDIDIAH
          Late to what, boy? Where you got
          to go that’s more important than
          being in this house of God?
               (off Sammie’s
                silence)
          To play music for drunkard s and
          philanderers? Who shirk their
          responsibility to they families to
          sweat all over each other?

                        SAMMIE
          I been working all week pop. I
          just want to be free of all this
          for a day. I’ll be back in time
          for church in the morning.

Sammie heads towards the door, guitar in hand.

                          JEDIDIAH
          Son.
                                                       14.


Sammie stops.

                        JEDIDIAH (CONT’D)
          You keep dancing with the devil...
          one day he gon' follow you home.

Sammie wants to respond, but he hears the sound of a car
pulling up and decides against it. He exits to-


EXT. CHURCH - GREY OAKS PLANTATION - DAY

We see Smoke, and Stack in their car waiting outside as
Sammie walks towards them.

Jedidiah walks out and notices the twins.

                        JEDIDIAH
          Samuel...

Sammie doesn’t turn around. He jumps into the car as
Smoke’s eyes meet Jedidiah’s for a beat. Smoke turns
away. Stack doesn’t.

                        STACK
          Don’t worry Uncle Jed. We’ll bring
          him back in one piece.

Jedidiah watches as the trio heads off in the distance,
stoic hurt on his face.


OMITTED


I/E. SMOKE AND STACK’S SEDAN - DAY

Smoke drives while Stack rides shotgun and Sammie sits in
the backseat with a wondrous grin on his face.

                        STACK
          Look at you all grown up! You get
          you a little girlfriend yet? Maybe
          a few?

Smoke whacks Stack on his shoulder.

                        SMOKE
          You been okay?

                        SAMMIE
          I can’t complain. Work is what it
          is.
                                               15.


                        SMOKE
          Yo Daddy doing right by you?

Sammie nods but Smoke doesn’t see it.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          He not putting his hands on you is
          he?

                        SAMMIE
          Nah man. Nothing too much.

Smoke relaxes.

                        SMOKE
          The little ones?

                        SAMMIE
          Only when they deserve it. Ma
          usually hands out the whoopings.

                        SMOKE
          Good. Uncle Jed was always good.

                        SAMMIE
          Tell me about Chicago. I heard
          everybody up north wears a
          pinstripe suit, that true?

                        STACK
          Nah. But a lot of folks do.
          Especially downtown.

                        SAMMIE
          Heard it get cold too.

                        STACK
          As a hooker’s heart.

Sammie smiles at this.

                        SAMMIE
          Is it colder than New York?

                         STACK
          Sure is.

                        SAMMIE
          What about over in France when
          ya’ll was giving them Huns what
          for?

                        SMOKE
          It was warm when we were there.
                                                      16.


Sammie nods and thinks deeply on this.

                        SAMMIE
          I heard it ain’t got Jim Crow up
          there. A Black man can go where he
          wants.

Stack laughs at this. Smoke doesn’t.

                        SMOKE
          You can’t be believing everything
          you hear. This town gonna fill
          your head with all that make
          believe but we gonna give it to
          you straight. Chicago ain't shit
          but Mississippi with tall
          buildings instead a plantations.

                        STACK
          And they got cr ackas that like to
          split themselves up. Italians,
          Jews, Polacks, Huns, Irishmen...
          Down here its easier. Just cracka.
          That’s it. Up there they got
          different flavors. And them
          crackas kill each other every day
          believe it or not.

                        SMOKE
          But the one thing they can agree
          on, is HATING our black asses.


EXT. SIDE OF THE ROAD - DAY

Smoke pulls the car off the side of the road towards a
large pile of foliage covering something. He parks and
the three exit.

The Twins start pulling at the foliage exposing a LARGE
TRUCK, it’s covered bed filled with supplies.

Sammie gazes at the truck, doing his best not to ask
questions. He goes in to help remove foliage when
something is revealed. A grating CH-CH-CH-CH-CH sound!

Sammie jumps bac k. It’s a TIMBER RATTLESNAKE coiled on
the truck bed, its tail vibrating loudly.

                        SMOKE
          Don’t move.
                                                       17.


Sammie stands frozen within the snakes reach, in between
Stack, who pulls a LARGE KNIFE and tosses it to Smoke,
who catches it and brings the blade down on the snake’s
head, killing it instantly.

Sammie stands there ashen. Smoke wipes the blade and
hands it back to Stack.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Leave the truck to us.

The twins re- fold the tarp to cover the back of the
truck to make it operable while hiding the supplies.

Smoke tosses Stack the keys. Checks his watch.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Cracka showing up late already got
          us behind schedule. I’m thinking
          we set up for the night... open
          next weekend.

                        STACK
          Nah fuck that. We gotta do it
          tonight! Grand opening. Start wit
          a bang.

                        SMOKE
          Or we start wit a misfire. Come
          stumbling out the gate with a half
          cocked party. Still be setting up
          when folks come in.

Stack makes a face .

                        STACK
          How hard can it be? We got all
          damn day. We done more wit less
          lead time. Look at the sky. This a
          mighty fine cotton picking day.
          Think about all that money gettin’
          spent tonight that should be spent
          wit us.

Smoke looks at his watch again. He does the math out
loud.

                        SMOKE
          Only way for us to have a chance
          is if we split up.

Stack smiles at this idea.
                                                        18.


                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          But who gon' watch the car while I
          talk to the Chows?

                        STACK
          Let em see it’s you.

                        SMOKE
          We been gone a long time.

                        STACK
          Seven years ain’t long enough to
          forget about us.

                        SMOKE
          Alright.
               (to Sammie)
          Make sure this fool don’t get into
          no trouble.

                        STACK
               (to Sammie)
          Shit you might be big enough now
          to take me!

                        SAMMIE
          I’ll do what I can.

                        SMOKE
          You’ll do what you’re told. Keep
          your eyes open for anybody stari ng
          too long. This nigga ain't no good
          at watching his own back.

Stack tosses Smoke his car key. Smoke returns the favor.
Before leaving, Stack pulls an unmarked bottle out of the
cargo car.

Sammie observes as the Twins do a parting ritual, One
checks the others’ handgun and knife. And they hug.

The twins walk towards their respective vehicles. Sammie
follows Stack, and they load into CAR 1.

Smoke loads into the truck and both cars pull off and go
opposite ways down the road.


INT. STACK’S SEDAN - DAY

Stack drives down the Mississippi road...he drives much
faster than his brother. He eyes his cousin.
                                                    19.


                        STACK
          You and Uncle Jed doing okay? You
          can tell me the real...

                        SAMMIE
          We fine. He just don’t like me
          playing this blues is all.

Stack smiles at the sweet, trivial nature of this
conflict.

                        STACK
          Shit you lucky he care at all.

                        SAMMIE
          You always said you’ll tell me
          what happened with Uncle Adam when
          I got older, and well I guess I’m
          older. Did ya’ll really kill him?

Stack’s smile fades, mostly.

                        STACK
          Nah. We ain't kill him...
               (beat)
          Smoke did.
               (longer beat)
          Our Daddy knocked me unconscious.
          By the time I came to, Smoke was
          halfway done burying him.

                        SAMMIE
          He used to beat ya’ll?

                        STACK
          Me mostly. But he ain’t mean it.

Sammie contemplates this.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          You been making your way out to
          them juke joints... you seen
          people drinkin’ corn liquor and
          carrying on?

Sammie nods.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          Well then you seen decent peopl e
          take to drinkin’ and get to
          behavin' like somebody they
          ain't..?
                                                       20.


                        SAMMIE
          Sure as I’m sittin’ here.

                        STACK
          Well our Daddy, he was mostly
          good. But when he would drink...
          he’d turn into somebody else.

Sammie nods. Stack looks at the guitar.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          You been taking care of that
          thing, huh?

                        SAMMIE
          I can’t thank ya’ll enough for
          this. It play so right. Where
          ya’ll get this from, anyway? Ain’t
          seen one like it.

                        STACK
          That’s Charlie Patton’s guitar. Me
          and my brother won it off him in a
          card game.

Sammie’s eyes light up. He looks down at the guitar.

                        SAMMIE
          I had Charlie Patton’s guitar this
          whole time?

                        STACK
          Honest to GOD.
               (beat)
          Let’s see if you play like him.


Sammie slips his slide over his finger and begins to play
(TRAVELIN’).

He has a command over the instrument that can’t be
taught. It’s God given. His eyes close, and he begins to
hum a tune.


EXT. DOWNTOWN STREE T - DAY

Smoke pulls up on a bustling street where black folks are
standing outside shopping and fraternizing.

Smoke exits the truck and stares down a group of
TEENAGERS. He calls one (a young woman) over.
                                                     21.


                        SMOKE
          Where you from?

                        TEENAGER
          Shelby.

                        SMOKE
          You know who I am?

Teenager shakes her head no. This hurts Smoke’s ego...
but he gets over it quickly.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          You heard of the Smokestack Twins?

                        TEENAGER
          Of course.

                        SMOKE
          Good. I’m Smoke.

Fear sweeps across her face and she starts to back up.

                         SMOKE (CONT’D)
          No it’s okay you not in trouble,
          I’m about to put some money in
          your pocket, now I need you to sit
          in this truc k right here and if
          somebody comes and looks at it too
          long I want you to lean on this
          horn alright? Can you do that?

The Teenager nods.

Smoke gives the Teenager his wrist watch.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Can you tell time?

The Teenager shakes her head.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Each one of these small lines is a
          minute. And I’m gonna pay you ten
          cents a minute, will that work for
          you?

                        TEENAGER
          Yes sir.

                        SMOKE
          No. No ma’am! We talkin’ numb ers
          now and numbers always gotta be in
          conversation with each other.
                        (MORE)
                                                     22.
                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          You gotta negotiate, ya
          understand? Now ten cents ain't
          gonna work for you. Talk another
          number back to me.

                        TEENAGER
          50 cents.

Smoke smiles.

                        SMOKE
          20 cents the best I can do. We got
          us a deal?

The teenager nods.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Good. Jump in.

Smoke lets the Teenager into the truck. He then walks
towards a Grocery Store with a colorful sign that reads
DELTA GROCERY. He admires the sign for a quick beat and
the n enters.


INT. DELTA GROCERY STORE - DAY

Smoke enters to find several BLACK PATRONS inside the
store shopping. He goes up to the register where a YOUNG
KID is working, this is LISA CHOW (12, Chinese American).

                        SMOKE
          Now you not Lisa, is you?

                        LISA CHOW
          Guilty as charged.

                        SMOKE
          Jesus time flies... your Daddy
          here?

Lisa nods and walks into the back of the store for a
beat, and comes out with BO CHOW (30s, Chinese American).
He spots Smoke and s miles.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Bo Chow!

                        BO CHOW
          Look what the damn cat dragged in!

They embrace.
                                                       23.


                        BO CHOW (CONT’D)
          Where’s your brother?

                        SMOKE
          He on the other side of town.
               (beat)
          We throwing a big event tonight.

                          BO CHOW
          Whatcha need?

Bo pulls out a pen and note pad.

                        SMOKE
          I need catfish for a bout 50-100
          people.

                        BO CHOW
          Mmm hmm. Frying it? Cornmeal,
          lard, salt, pepper and garlic?

                        SMOKE
          Yessir. Collards for the same
          amount. Prolly do cheese, ham, and
          bread for sandwiches.

He jots down furiously.

                         BO CHOW
          This go nna cost you. Tell me,
          ya’ll do good up in Chicago? I
          heard about some of them casinos
          up there. Did ya’ll hit big?

                        SMOKE
          We hit. Just not in the way you
          thinking.

                        BO CHOW
          What kind of way?

HOOOOOOONK. They are cut off by the sound of Smoke’s
horn.

                          SMOKE
          Shit!

Smoke quickly heads towards the exit.
                                                        24.


EXT. DELTA GROCERY STORE - DAY

Smoke trots over to his car where the TEENAGER is leaning
on the horn as TWO THIEVES are digging around in the
trunk attempting to make off with one of the crates.

Smoke produces a Colt 1911 Pistol from his waistband and
BLAM, he shoots one of the Thieves in the ass cheek.

                        THIEF
          Ahhh shit!

Smoke takes aim at the other thief who starts to run.

                        SMOKE
          Hold on. Wherever you think you
          going, I bet this b ullet beat you
          there.

The running thief stops.

Ass Cheek Thief spins around towards Smoke.

                        THIEF
          You shot me you mutha-- Smoke? Is
          that you?

                        SMOKE
          Terry? How you been boy?

                        THIEF
          I was doin better before you shot
          me in the ass!

                        SMOKE
          Why the hell was you trying to
          boost from my truck?

                        THIEF
          I didn’t know it was yours.

The Teenager leans out of the car.

                        TEENAGER
          Bullshit, I told you it was his!

                         THIEF
          I thou ght she was lyin’! Ya’ll
          supposed to be in Chicago workin’
          for Capone.

                        SMOKE
          Well we back now...
                                                        25.


Smoke looks around and thinks. He looks at the second
thief who is frozen in fear.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Who is he?

                        THIEF
          Just some nigga I met last week.

                        SMOKE
          Where’s he from?

                        THIEF
          Maybell.

Smoke sucks his teeth and shoots the Second Thief in his
kneecap.

                        SECOND THIEF
          Ahh goddamn. What you do that for?

                        SMOKE
          I can’t have some nigga from the
          Maybell plantation talking about
          how he almost robbed the Twins
          without a limp to show for it.

                        THIEF
          Goddamn it Smoke. Who gon' patch
          me up? I ain't got no money. What
          if I get sepsis?

                        SMOKE
          Hol’on let me think for a second.
               (beat)
          Ya’ll scoot out the street and put
          some pressure on it.

Smoke walks back into the store.


INT. DELTA GROCERY STORE - DAY

Smoke resumes his convo with Bo Chow.

                        BO CHOW
          You okay?

                        SMOKE
          Ya’ll got a doctor close by?

                        BO CHOW
          Yeah.
                                                    26.


Smoke hands Bo a $10 bill.

                        SMOKE
          I just shot a couple niggas
          outside. They’ll live but they
          need patchin’ up.

                        BO CHOW
          No problem.
               (beat)
          What else you need?

                        SMOKE
          Imma need some ice. A lotta ice.

                        BO CHOW
          Yeah we can take care of that.
          Anything else?

                        SMOKE
          Yeah. We need a sign. You think
          Grace would be up to making one
          for us?

                        BO CHOW
          When would you need it done?

                          SMOKE
          Tonight!

                          BO CHOW
          Lisa!

Lisa walks over to him.

                        BO CHOW (CONT’D)
          Go get your mom.

Lisa nods and walks towards the exit of the shop.

                        BO CHOW (O.S.) (CONT’D)
          So ya’ll gon' have food, drank,
          music... but is ya’ll gon' be
          playing?

                        SMOKE (O.S.)
          Hell yeah. Cards, dice, even got a
          roulette.

We stay with Lisa as she exits out to-
                                                       27.


EXT. DELTA GROCERY STORE - DAY

Lisa walks across the street where we reveal another
DELTA GROCERY STORE.

Lisa enters.


INT. OTHER DELTA GROCERY STORE - DAY

This store is full with WHITE PATRONS. The upkeep is
slightly nicer, but the same items are for sale. Lisa
approaches her mother, GRACE CHOW (30s, Chinese
American), who stands behind the counter finishing up an
order for a patron.

                        LISA
          Daddy wants you.

Grace finishes up.

                        GRACE
          Look after the register here now.

Lisa slides into her mother’s place as Grace hands off
the bag with a smile. And heads f or the exit, her smile
fading from her face.


EXT. DELTA GROCERY STORE - DAY

Grace walks across the street and looks at Smoke’s truck,
and the two thieves holding their wounds.

She walks into-


INT. DELTA GROCERY STORE - DAY

Grace walks right up to Smoke and Bo.

                        GRACE
          You know it’s two men out there,
          look like they been shot.

                        SMOKE
          Yeah that was my doin. I done
          already gave Bo some money for
          them to get patched up.

                        GRACE
          Why you have to come here bringing
          trouble?
                                                        28.


                        BO CHOW
          Trouble ain't all he bringing.

Bo shows Grace the shopping list that Smoke has
requested.

                        GRACE
          Jesus. How you paying for...

She looks up just in time to see Smoke flash a wad of
cash.

                        BO CHOW
          And that ain't all. He needs you
          to make some signs for him.

                        SMOKE
          Two. One big one for the front,
          one menu for the food.

                        GRACE
          By when?

                        SMOKE
          Tonight.

Grace doesn’t flinch. Smells the opportunity.

                         GRACE
          R ush job. Gone cost ya.

                        SMOKE
          I’m listening.

                        GRACE
          $20. Fifteen for the front door
          sign, five for the menu.

                        SMOKE
          $10. Seven for the front door
          sign, three for the menu.

                        GRACE
          Sixteen.

                        SMOKE
          Fifteen.

                        GRACE
          Done.

                        BO CHOW
          We only got one color by the way.
                                                       29.


                        SMOKE
          What color you got?

                        BO CHOW
          Red.

Smoke thinks on this.

                        SMOKE
          Thirteen.

                        GRACE
          Fourteen fifty.

Smoke looks at some FLOWERS in a can of water on the
desk. He eyes them for a beat.

                        SMOKE
          Fourteen and throw in them flowers
          right there and we got a deal.

Grace looks at the flowers and back to Smoke.

                        GRACE
          Done.

Smoke hands off the wad of money to Bo. Grace realizes
something. She turns to Smoke.

                         GRACE (CONT’D)
          W here’s Stack?


EXT. RAILROAD STATION - DAY

Stack parks and he and Sammie exit the car.

The railroad station is BUSTLING with Delta locals. BLACK
folks and WHITE folks keep their general distance.

Folks move around in various degrees of dress and every
few feet, a BLACK MUSICIAN is stationed, hat turned
upside down in front of them, playing the Blues in hopes
that a passing stranger throws them a coin.

Sammie looks around with wonder. If he ’s been here
before, we can’t tell.

We hear the sounds of someone playing an INCREDIBLE
HARMONICA.

                        SAMMIE
          Is that Delta Slim?
                                                        30.


                        STACK
          Sure as hell is.

We reveal DELTA SLIM (Black, 70s) hunched over,
breathing magic into his harmonica. (HARMONICA SOLO).

Stack looks at him, smiling. He pulls out a wad of money
and places a dollar in Slim’s hat.

As he stops playing it becomes clear that Slim is buzzed.

                        DELTA SLIM
          I thank you for your generosity...

He pulls out a flask and sips from it, then looks up and
spots Stack. He bright ens.

                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          I guess that Chicago wind blew yo
          black asses back down here huh?

He realizes something. Looks around.

                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          Where’s the other one?

                        STACK
          Down the road.

                        DELTA SLIM
          So you are, wait don’t tell me...
          Smoke!

                        STACK
          Stack.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Stack! Like I said. You Stack
          clear as day.
               (beat)
          Who’s the boy?

                        STACK
          This here is my cousin Preacher-
          boy Sammie, finest blues player in
          the Delta.

Delta S lim stews his face at this.

                        DELTA SLIM
          I got socks twice as old as this
          boy here, what the hell he know
          about the blues?
                                                        31.


                        SAMMIE
          I can show you better than I can
          tell you.

Sammie gets ready to play. Delta pits his hand in his
pocket.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Now hold on just a minute now.
          This here is my plot. If you
          wasn’t his cousin I’d cut you too
          thin to fry.

                        STACK
          But he is. And you threaten him
          again I’mma make yo drunk ass
          swallow that harmonica.

Delta Slim holds his hands up in surrender.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          You still nice on the keys?

                        DEL TA SLIM
          Depends on who you ask.

                        STACK
          I’ll give you $20 to come play the
          keys at our juke tonight. Wanna
          have a battle of the blues. Having
          everybody come down.

                        DELTA SLIM
          I wish I could, but Imma be at
          Messengers same as I am every
          Saturday night. I already
          committed.

                        STACK
          What’s Messengers paying you?

                        DELTA SLIM
               (whistling first)
          For a gangster you sure ask a lot
          of questions.

                        STACK
          They ain't payin’ you $20 a night
          I know.

                        DELTA SLIM
          The thing is you ain't offering
          $20 a night. You offering $20
          TONIGHT.
                        (MORE)
                                                       32.
                        DELTA SLIM
                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
                                   (CONT’D)
          I ain’t never heard of your juke.
          Maybe it’s here tonight but is it
          here next week? The week after?
                (beat)
          I been at Messenger’s every
          Saturday for ten years now.
          Messengers gon' be there ten more
          years at least. Shit that’s
          probably longer than I’ll be on
          this earth. I play, and I get as
          much corn liquor as I can drink.
          Ole sinner like me can’t ask for
          more than that.

                        STACK
          I guess I’ll drink to tha t.

Stack pulls out the glass bottle. Carbon dioxide escapes
as he pops the cap. Delta Slim’s eyes chase the sound.

                        DELTA SLIM
          What you got there?

                        STACK
          Irish beer, straight from the
          North Side of Chicago.

                          DELTA SLIM
          That’s beer?

                        STACK
          Wind ain’t blow us down here empty
          handed.

Stack extends the bottle towards Delta Slim who accepts
it and takes a swig- it’s cold and bittersweet.

                          DELTA SLIM
          My goodnes s.

Stack’s smile fades. If he were a great white shark,
here’s where his eyes would go white.

                        STACK
          I got 500 more bottles just like
          that. Ice cold. I pay you $40
          tonight, and as much beer as you
          can drink no strings after that.
          Act now I’ll even let you finish
          that bottle in your hand.

Delta Slim takes another sip, thinks.
                                                        33.


EXT. RAILROAD STATION - DAY

Sammie and Delta Slim play a guitar and harmonica duet
(JUKE). Stack watching a crowd that has formed around
them closely. PEARLINE (Black, 30s) hums along to the
words and watches Sammie with bedroom eyes. Sammie winks
back.

The crowd erupts in applause as Stack does his spiel.

                        STACK
          If ya’ll thought that was bad, you
          ain’t seen nothin’ yet. These
          two’ll be playing tonight down at
          the old sawmill on the riverbank
          outside Clarksdale.

On the platform A WELL DRESSED WOMAN preparing to board
the train hears Stack’s voice and stops.

                        STACK (O.S.) (CONT’D)
          Gone have us a battle of the
          Blues.

Turns around and looks towards Stack, Delta Slim and
Sammie inquisitively, as the folks around her board.

Back in the crowd Stack continues his sales pitch.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          Gon' be something to eat.
          Something to drank, and we g on'
          sweat till we stank.

Sammie takes his chance to chat up Pearline.

                        SAMMIE
          I’m Preacherboy.

                          PEARLINE
          Pearline.

                        SAMMIE
          I seen you somewhere before?

                          PEARLINE
          Maybe...

                        SAMMIE
          You sing don’t you?

                          PEARLINE
          Time to time.
                                                        34.


Sammie looks her up and down, lustfully. Pearline smiles.

                        PEARLINE (CONT’D)
          I’m married too.

                        SAMMIE
          Happily?

Pearline laughs.

                        PEARLINE
          Careful, boy. You gon bite off
          more than you can chew.

Pearline heads off.

                        SAMMIE
          Maybe I’ll see you tonight?

Pearline doesn’t answer. Sammie turns back around and
sees something in the distance that concerns him- the
Well Dressed Woman, staring Stack down.

                        SAMMIE (CONT’D)
          Stack...

St ack turns to him.

                        STACK
          Yeah?

                        SAMMIE
          Don’t look
               (beat)
          But it’s a White woman staring at
          you.

                        STACK
          Shit.

We see genuine fear on Stack’s face for the first time.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
               (beat)
          You sure she white?

                        SAMMIE
          She walking over here, now.
               (beat)
          What should we do?

                        WOMAN (O.S.)
          Excuse me boy...
                                                     35.


Sammie looks up at MARY (late 20s, White?), who we get
our first glance at. She’s wearing expensive clothes, an
expensive wedding ring, and she’s standing too close to
Stack for comfort.

                        WOMAN (CONT’D)
          Is this here Smoke... or is this
          Stack?

Sammie starts working on a lie that Mary can see coming
from a mile away.

                        STACK
          Leave the boy out of this Mary.
               (to Sammie)
          Don’t look at her. Start playing.

Sammie sta rts to play his guitar.

                        MARY
          You know I waited for you.

                        STACK
          Why the hell would you go and do
          that?

                        MARY
          Because you told me you loved me.

                        STACK
          I told you to stay the fuck away
          from me too, but I guess you
          didn’t hear that part, huh?

                        MARY
          I heard you. But then you stuck
          your tongue in my cooze and fucked
          me so hard I figured you changed
          your mind.

Delta Slim chokes on his drink.

                        STACK
          Keep ya voice do wn now Mary. Now
          that’s not how I remember it.

                        MARY
          You remember falling asleep with
          your head on my chest? And leaving
          in the middle of night without a
          fucking word? Or a note?
                                                     36.


                        STACK
          It was for the best. I set you up
          good out there in Little Rock.
          What the hell brought you back
          here?

                        MARY
          Buried my momma yesterday...

Now Stack is cut too.

                        MARY (CONT’D)
          Figured I might see you and Smoke
          there as much she looked after you
          both. But I guess ya’ll love
          lasted as long as ya’ll could get
          something out of her.

                        STACK
          Yeah. That was all it was for us.
          Food and a warm bed.

Stack is lying. May be she can tell.

                          MARY
          Hmm.
               (beat)
          Rot in hell Stack.

                        STACK
          I will. Maybe I’ll save yo
          triflin’ ass a room.

Mary walks away with a mean switch. Sammie watches
closely.

                        SAMMIE
               (to himself)
          Maybe she ain't White...

                        STACK
          Let’s get to gettin.


EXT. ANNIE’S SHOP - DAY

Smoke pulls up in front of a lone shack. He exits the car
and takes a deep breath.

Goes around back and looks at a tiny, makeshift grave, a
stone painted white, a tiny handprint on it. He bends
down, removing his hat, and rubs the stone.
                                                        37.


He pulls the FLOWERS he bought from Grace and Bo Chow
from his suit jacket, and places them down next to the
stone.

We see the DOOR OPEN behind him and a woman exits the
shack. This is ANNIE (30s, Black).

                          SMOKE
          How you been?

                        ANNIE
          I been okay. No miseries worth
          complainin’ about.
               (beat)
          You come alone?

Smoke turns toward her, walks over.

                        SMOKE
          Stack on the other side of town.

                        ANNIE
          What ya come back for ?

Annie steps closer to Smoke, there is tension between
them, old habits, familiar sadness, lust? Love?

                        SMOKE
          We bought that old saw mill. You
          know the one right outside of
          Clarksdale?

                        ANNIE
          That run down place?

                        SMOKE
          Yeah we gon' fix it up. Make it
          into a juke joint.

                        ANNIE
          A juke joint? This one of Stack’s
          ideas?

                        SMOKE
          Yeah. He figure tonight can be the
          grand opening.

                        ANNIE
          I thought ya’ll was done wit the
          Delta. Last I heard y'all was
          northern men.

                        SMOKE
          Nah we done wit Chicago.
                                                        38.


                        ANNIE
          Chicago done wit ya’ll?

                        SMOKE
          What you mean?

                        ANNIE
          Who you and Stack rob to get
          enough money for them Crackas to
          sell you a whole mill?

Smoke stares at Annie who stares back plainly for beat,
then rolls her eyes and heads inside.

Smoke follows behind her.


INT. ANNIE'S SHOP - DAY

It’s a store with a Tarot card reading table and lots of
pickled items in mason jars. It’s an eclectic collection.

A couple YOUNG BLACK GIRLS look around at items. Smoke
watches as the older of the two grabs a mason jar with
PICKLED PIG FEET in it.

                        YOUNG BLACK GIRL
          Just this Miss Annie...

The OTHER YOUNG BLACK GIRL whispers to the elder one.

                        YOUNG BLACK GIRL (CONT’D)
          And a pinch of High John.

Annie smiles a nd goes to her collection of BAGGED DUSTS
and grabs one. She hands it to the Girl, who hands Annie
a piece of PLANTATION CURRENCY in return.

                        ANNIE
          Don’t sell none of them on your
          way home. Don’t need yo mama
          coming at me crazy later.

The Girl smiles as she exits.

Smoke pulls the PLANTATION CURRENCY out of Annie’s hand.

                          ANNIE (CONT’D)
          Excuse me?

                        SMOKE
          Can’t believe you taking this make
          believe shit.
                                                       39.


Smoke looks at the bill with contempt. Annie pulls a
straight razor from nowhere.

                        ANNIE
          Smoke give me my money before I
          cut yo black ass.

                        SMOKE
          Put that blade up, woman.

Smoke pulls a wad of money and tears her off a bill. She
tucks her blade back.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Here, I’ll trade you.

He tries to hand it off to Annie but she reaches for her
plantation bill.

                        ANNIE
          I don’t want your money.

                        SMOKE
          Don’t be stupid.

                        ANNIE
          I ain't stupid. Yo money comes
          with blood.

                        SMOKE
          All money come with blood baby.

                        ANNIE
          Not like yours.

                        SMOKE
          This won’t even spend nowhere
          else.

                        ANNIE
          I ain't goin nowhere else.

Annie takes the plantation bill back.

                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          I don’t need that cursed money you
          got.

                        SMOKE
          You know woman I been all over
          this world. Been in cars, on
          ships, and trains. Seen men die in
          ways I didn’t know was possible.
                        (MORE)
                                                     40.
                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          And with all the shit I seen, I
          ain't ever saw no roots, no
          ghosts, no demons and no magic. If
          I’m cursed it was sho before I was
          old enough to steal something.

                        ANNIE
          You fool. How you know roots ain't
          what kept you alive? All that war,
          and whatever the hell else you was
          doing in Chicago, and you back
          here in front of me with two arms,
          two legs, two eyes, and a brain
          that work. How you know I ain't
          pray and work every root my
          grandmama taught me to keep you
          and that crazy brother of yours
          safe, every day since you been
          gone?

Smoke hunches down. Maybe shame peeking through.

                        SMOKE
          Why them roots ain’t work on our
          baby then?

It’s a low blow, but Smoke’s confusion is genuine. It’s
been years but it’s still fresh for him, and for her.

                        ANNIE
          I don’t know. But they work for
          you.
               (beat)
          You still got t hat mojo bag?

Smoke reaches down into his shirt and pulls up a leather
necklace. It has his dog tag and a small leather bag.

Annie smiles with her eyes but not her mouth.

She takes the bag, opens it, and begins the process of
“feeding” it. Emptying old contents and adding more.

                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          Why you here Smoke? What you want
          wit me?

                        SMOKE
          We hoping to serve food at this
          Juke. And I want you to cook.

Annie pauses for a beat.
                                                        41.


                        ANNIE
          Elijah. Why are you here?

                        SMOKE
          You want me to say it?

Annie answers with a look.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          It still hurts coming back here.
          But I love you. And I miss you.

She walks over to the entrance of her shop and shuts the
door. She approaches Smoke, who leans his head on her
chest. She kisses his neck. Smoke holds her close.

Annie grips his dick through his pants and slides her
tongue into his ear. Smoke winces in pleasure.

                        ANNIE (SUBTITLE)
          Your body ain’t forget me.

Annie moves her hand to Smoke’s throat and clutches it.

Smoke kisses her then spins her around and slowly kisses
her neck while unbuttoning his pants. Annie leans into
his kiss while Smoke pulls up her dress slowly, his hand
moving slowly from he her hip to under her dress.

Smoke leans Annie on the counter and thrusts into her.


EXT. MIS SISSIPPI ROAD - DAY

Stack drives with Delta Slim riding shotgun and Sammie in
the backseat. They chat as they drive.

                        SAMMIE
          So that lady back there... you
          really put your mouth on her...
          you know.

Stack hesitates to answer. Delta Slim cracks up.

                        DELTA SLIM
          What’s going on over there Stack?
          Never known you to be shy.

                         STACK
          Nah it’s just. Last time I saw
          this little nigga he was barefoot
          and had a snotty nose... now he
          as king me shit like this.
                                                     42.


                        DELTA SLIM
          You better educate the man. How he
          supposed to be a bad blues
          musician if he don’t know the
          proper way to treat a woman?

                        STACK
          Man... how bout ya’ll talk music.

                        SAMMIE
          C’mon Stack we gon talk music all
          night!

                        DELTA SLIM
          Help the boy. His daddy a Preacher
          and ain't no verses in the Bible
          about eating kitty.

                        STACK
          Add that to the list of reasons
          why that book ain’t worth the
          paper it’s printed on.

Stack sneaks a look at Sammie from the road. He sighs.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          Every cooze got a button on it.
          Towards the top. Find it, lick
          that. Not too hard. Not too soft.
          You ever had a scoop of that ice
          cream downtown?

Sammie nods.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          Bout the same pressure you put on
          that. Like it taste good, but you
          don’t want it gone too quick, you
          understand?

Sammie nods, smiling.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
                (beat)
          But here’s the truth . Any woman
          can wet her hand and do that
          herself. You want to keep a woman,
          remember to do these five things.
          Tell her she beautiful. Tell her
          she smart. Feed her good food.
          Make her laugh. Make her feel
          safe.

Sammie thinks deeply on this.
                                                     43.


                        STACK (CONT’D)
          That’s it. Anything more I gotta
          charge you.

Stack slows down to see a CHAIN GANG, of African American
men clearing grass in a field, supervised by WHITE
OFFICERS.

They sing a FIELD HOLLER.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Ya’ll hold ya heads now!

Delta Slim lifts his fist at them as some of the men hear
this and look over at the passing car. Some look back.

                        CHAIN GANG
          Aye Slim!

BANG! An Officer fires his shotgun.

T he Chain Gang falls back in line.


INT. STACK’S SEDAN - DAY

Delta Slim’s smile begins to fade.

                        SAMMIE
          You knew some of them?

                           DELTA SLIM
          All of em.

                        SAMMIE
          You been on a chain gang before?

                        DELTA SLIM
          Never. But I spent a month in a
          jailhouse, that was enough for me.

                        STACK
               (with a smirk)
          I heard about that.

                        SAMMIE
          What happened?

                        DELTA SLIM
          Me and my buddy Rice was hustlin’
          back and forth up the delta. Night
          after night, Juke after Juke. We’d
          find a new woman in a ne w town and
          sleep for the night.
                        (MORE)
                                     44.
              DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
Next day we do it all over again.
One day I get the mind to leave
this here Delta. Go on out to hill
country.

              SAMMIE
By Alabama?

              STACK
Naw, up by Tennessee.

              DELTA SLIM
Soon as we get there we get busted
for vagrancy. White sheriffs, they
take us down to the jailhouse, and
it’s empty.
     (beat)
I figure they either kill us that
night or let us go. Night goes on
and they give us our instruments
and tell us to play. We playing so
good, music coming out the windows
and people on the street was
stopping to come in.

              SAMMIE
In the jailhouse?

              DELTA SLIM
Oh yeah!
      (beat)
Next day these sheriffs get the
bright idea they gon' take us on
the road. They cuff us, throw us
in patty wagon and take us to a
big house, full of white folks.
Pass around they hat and have us
play.

              SAMMIE
Ya’ll was playing them ole ragtime
songs?

              DELTA SLIM
Sure was. But we played a fair
amount of blues too. You see white
folks like the blues just fine,
they just don’t like the people
who make it.
     (beat)
We’d go out night after night, and
then back to jail. They fed us
good, food from a hotel down the
street.
              (MORE)
                                               45.
                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          They’d even let us bring a girl or
          two through there. But it was
          awful. Against our will.

                        SAMMIE
          How long was y'all there?

                         DELTA SLIM
          21 days.

Sammie sighs deeply.

                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          I guess they had made enough money
          they felt good about letting us
          go. Gave us peanuts compared to
          what they was getting. But these
          white folks we was playing for had
          real money. By the time they cut
          us loose they gave us each about
          $500.

Stack whistles at the sound of this.

                        SAMMIE
          Gave ya’ll a thousand dollars?

                        DELTA SLIM
          Turned us loose and said if they
          catch us around again they kill
          us.

                        SAMMIE
          What did y'all do with the money?

                        DELTA SLIM
          I drank it. Rice, he was
          traumatized. Said he was done
          Jukin’. Said he found religion in
          that predicament. Says he was gon'
          take that money and go up to
          Little Rock, start a church.

                         SA MMIE
          Did he?

Delta Slim grows dark.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Dumb fool let the train conductor
          see him pay cash for his ticket.
                        (MORE)
                                                     46.
                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          Klan got a hold of him and checked
          his pockets, found all that money
          on him and made up a story about
          him killing some white man for it.
          They took his money and lynched
          him right at the railroad station.

Sammie doesn’t love the end of this story.


EXT. MAYBELL PLANTATION - DAY

Stack drives past a group of SHARECROPPERS. He notices a
HUSBAND and WIFE. The husband, CORNBREAD (30s) is a
mountain of a man.

                        STACK
          Hey Cornbread!

                        CORNBREAD
          Stack! Long time no see! This
          here’s my wife, Therise.

                        STACK
          Nice to meet you, Therise. Now I
          need you give us a moment. Men got
          business to discuss.

                        CORNBREAD
          I ain't got time for your schemin'
          Stack, I’m behind on my quota.

                        STACK
          Man, fuck yo q uota.

                        CORNBREAD
          Stack, my wife is right here man.
          I need you to have some respect.

                        STACK
          Fuck yo wife, too.

                        CORNBREAD
          What?

                        STACK
          She gon' let you really fuck her
          when she see how much money you
          about to get from this job I’m
          offering you. None of that nice
          and slow shit she probably giving
          you now.
               (beat)
                        (MORE)
                                                       47.
                        STACK (CONT’D)
          Shit. She might even let you put
          your pecker in her mouth.

Stack waves a wad of money.

                        CORNBREAD
          Man I’m bout to beat the Black off
          you.

Stack smiles, as Cornbread prepares to charge.

                        THERISE
          How much you talkin’ bout payin'
          him?

Stack smiles. Sammie smiles wider.

                                                 SLAM CUT TO

BEGIN MONTAGE


EXT. MISSISSIPPI ROAD - DAY

Stack drives while Delta Slim rides shotgun with
Cornbread and Sammie in the backseat.

BEGIN MONTAGE


EXT. DELTA GROCERY STORE - DAY

Bo and Grace Chow load up the groceries, paint supplies
and wood, while Lisa and her GRANDMOTHER watch from the
window.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - SUNSET

Smoke and Stack pull up to the Lumber Mill and their cars
unload with Black Folks who have shown up to work.

Stack watches as Smoke helps Annie down from the truck.
Stack tips his hat to Annie and smiles, she gives a
lukewarm look back. The twins hug then get to work.

Smoke’s car is unloaded. Liquor, beer, groceries, a load
of two by fours, a piano, and a few rifles.


INT. LUMBER MILL - SUNSET

Smoke, Stack, Sammie, Cornbread, Annie and Slim load
equipment into the mill.
                                                     48.


EXT. RIVER - SUNSET

Sammie siphons water from the river.


INT. BACK ROOM - LUMBER MILL - SUNSET

Sammie brings excess alcohol into the BACK ROOM.


INT. FLOOR - LUMBER MILL - SUNSET

Sammie takes it in with a wide eye’d expression. He walks
over to the BAR, the GAMBLING AREA, THE DANCE FLOOR.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - SUNSET

A LABOR PARTY pulls up to the mill via MULE AND WAGON.
Smoke guides them on where to park. Annie watches as
vultures circle overhead.


INT. FLOOR - LUMBER MILL - SUNSET

Sammie and Delta Slim, work to help the Twins nail
together a small stage.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - SUNSET

The Chows arrive in their car. Grace speaks with the
twins on where to place the sign. Grace begins preparing
the sign.


I/E. LUMBER MILL - SUNSET

Annie and some black women unload the food and begin to
cook.

Gaps in walls are quickly covered by Stack and the
workers.

Fish is fried, sandwiches are made.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

The sun retreats further towards the horizon.

The twins talk with Cornbread about how to work the door
of the mill.
                                                      49.


Smoke taps electricity from an electric pole.

Sammie places the washtub at the entrance.


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

The lights turn on, revealing the mill has been whipped
into shape, food is cooking the musicians are doing the
walk through.

The whiskey and beer is made to be ready to be sold
behind the bar.

On what is now the dance floor Smoke stands stoic,
looking around, doing math in his head. Stack walks up to
him, beaming. Slaps him on his back.

END MONTAGE


INT. JUKE JOINT- LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Sammie watches as Slim inspects the piano. He calls
Sammie over to help him tune it.

Slim points at Sammie’s guitar.

Sammie plays the E string while Slim tightens the piano
string and plays a key. Sammie observes him closely. Slim
clocks this.

                         SLIM
          How many yo Daddy got in his
          congregation? My Daddy wasn’t
          around, but my uncle taught the
          word. Had him a praise house.
          Baptist. Used to say I was
          sw imming’ in temptation. But it’s
          the same spirit that flow through
          us with this blues. Just flow a
          different way. More honest way if
          you ask me. Blues wasn’t put on us
          like that religion. We brought
          this with us from home.

                        SAMMIE
          What home?

                        DELTA SLIM
          Africa, Preacherboy. What we do
          here a little different from what
          they do. But it’s sacred.
                        (MORE)
                        (MORE)
                                                       50.
                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          Don’t let nobody tell you no
          different. Not ya Daddy. Not
          nobody else.


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Sammie and the Twins walk around the empty Juke.
Nervousness setting in. Annie organizes the bar materials
anxiously, while Stack paces. Suddenly they hear
Cornbread talking to someone at the door.

                        CORNBREAD (O.S.)
          Right this way.

A male PATRON (Black, lifelong sharecropper, 60s) enters
and sits down at the bar.

                        PATRON
          I’m happy to stick round till
          ya’ll get to playin’. Just need
          somethin’ to wet m y whistle.

                        ANNIE
          We got whisky, Irish beer, Italian
          wine.

                        PATRON
          Man ya’ll some classy niggas ain’t
          ya. Too fancy for me. I don’t need
          no Irish nothin’. Corn liquor’ll
          do.

Annie looks to Smoke, who nods.

                        ANNIE
          That’ll be 50 cents.

The Patron reaches into his pocket, pulls out FOUR DIMES.

                        PATRON
          Damn. All I got is forty.
               (beat)
          But these are good at the Maybell
          general store.

The Patron pulls out two W OODEN PLANTATION CURRENCY
NICKELS. Sits them down.

A long pause as Annie, Smoke, and Stack share looks.
Sammie tries to follow this with his eyes.

Stack jumps in before it gets even more awkward.
                                                      51.


                        STACK
          You like that cold right?

Annie eyes Smoke who seethes but doesn’t move to stop it.

Stack pulls out a dew covered mason jar of moonshine and
hands it to the PATRON, and slides the coins to Annie.

                        PATRON
          Thank ya kindly.

He smells the liquor, savors it.

                        SMOKE
          Let me holler at ya’ll.

Smoke walks to the back room, Stack, Annie, and Sammie
follow.

As the elders of the party enter Smoke turns to Samm ie
and stops him.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Not you... keep an eye on him.

Sammie nods and turns, eying the Patron.

Smoke closes the door behind him. Sammie tries to listen
through the door.


INT. BACK ROOM - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Smoke is giving the group an earful.

                        SMOKE
          This ain't no house party. And it
          damn sure ain't no charity. We
          taking cash. US muthafuckin’
          dollars.

                        ANNIE
          This ain’t Chicago Smoke.

                        SMOKE
          The fuck that mean?

Smoke looks at the two of them.

                        STACK
          She got a point, man.
               (beat)
                        (MORE)
                                               52.
                        STACK (CONT’D)
          These niggas been workin’ inda
          field all day. When they show up
          let’em enjoy themselves.

                        ANNIE
          They gotta feel wanted if you want
          this here to work.

                        SMOKE
          Wanted?

                        STACK
          Yeah man. It gotta feel like it’s
          for them. That old nigga worked
          his ass off for them wooden
          nickels.

                        SMOKE
          So now ya’ll on the same page?
          Guess hell done froze over.

Smoke stares daggers at his brother.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Lemmie ask you somethin’. When you
          was sellin’ ass in Little Rock,
          you ever let a john pay with a
          goddamn promissory note?

                        STACK
          Hell nah.
               (beat)
          But I wasn’t sellin’ ass in the
          Delta.

                        SMOKE
          What’s the damn difference?


INT. ENTRY HALLWAY - JUKE JOINT - NIGHT

Sammie listens in to them talking.

                        SMOKE (O.S.)
          I don’t know hoo doo and I can’t
          talk slick, but I know business.
               (beat)
          And this is bad for business.
                                                        53.


INT. BACK ROOM - JUKE JOINT - NIGHT

                        STACK
          This opening night. Let these
          niggas pay with what they have.
          It’ll just be a few of em like
          this.

Annie cuts Stack a look.

                        SMOKE
          I need a goddamn cig.

Smoke storms out.

Stack smiles at Annie- that was a yes- she doesn’t return
it. She exits. Stack starts working on that cigarette.


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL

Smoke walks past Sammie.

                        SMOKE
          You better play your ass off on
          that stage tonight.

Sammie watches the Patron who takes another swig of corn
liquor.

                        PATRON
          Goddamn this good!

Almost on cue, more PATRONS start to trickle in. Sammie
looks around amazed. Delta Slim taps him.

                        DELTA SLIM
          I guess I better get started...


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Folks from every part of town walk in, with Cornbread
checking them in.


INT. STAGE - NIGHT

Delta Slim belts out a vocal from behind the keys of the
piano. (MESS AROUND or EVERY DAY I HAVE THE BLUES).
                                                        54.


INT. ENTRY HALLWAY - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Sammie brings Cornbread a beer. Pearline enters following
another guitarist.

                           SAMMIE
          You made it.

                        PEARLINE
          Yeah. When they turn this place
          into a Juke?

                        SAMMIE
          Today. My cousins own it. You know
          the Twins?

                        PEARLINE
          Heard of em of course. They your
          cousins?

Sammie nods. Ready to soak up any trickle down respect.

                        PEARLINE (CONT’D)
          Ya’ll must be play cousins.

                        SAMMIE
          They daddy was my daddy’s big
          brother.

Pearline p auses.

                        PEARLINE
          So ya’ll cousins through blood?
          You seem like such a nice young
          man.

                        SAMMIE
          I’m not always nice. And I ain’t
          that young.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Cornbread lets a group of girls in their 20s in.

                        CORNBREAD
          Ya’ll enjoy y'all selves.

He watches them walk in, while a WOMAN approaches the
entrance, she clears her throat.

Cornbread turns to notice her, startled.
                                                     55.


                        CORNBREAD (CONT’D)
          Excuse me ma’am you sure you at
          the right place?

Smiles.

                        MARY
          That’s a damn good question,
          Cornbread...

Cornbread is confused as to how this White Woman knows
him... till he looks at her closer.

                          CORNBREAD
          Little Mary?!

                        MARY
          Not so little no more huh?

Cornbread smiles. They embrace.

                        CORNBREAD
          Whats it been? Six, seven years?

                          MARY
          At least.

                        CORNBREAD
          If I didn’t know no better, I’da
          thought you wa s-

                          MARY
          White?

                        CORNBREAD
          I was gon say rich.
               (beat)
          My condolences regarding your
          mother. We would have made the
          repass, but we had to work.

                        MARY
          It’s alright. It was a beautiful
          service.
               (beat)
          Let me get on in here and get a
          drink before I start tearing up.

Cornbread steps aside as Mary enters-


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Sammie and Pearline continue to chat.
                                                     56.


                        PEARLINE
          You gon' play?

                        SAMMIE
          What you think?
               (beat)
          You gon' sang?

                        PEARLINE
          We’ll see where the night take us.

                        SAMMIE
          Ya husband coming?

                        PEARLINE
          Nope. He’s older. Church type.

                           SAMMIE
          Oh yeah?

Sammie thinks for a bit.

                           SAMMIE (CONT’D)
          You hungry?

Pearline thinks while Sammie notices something.

                           SAMMIE (CONT’D)
          Shit. Hol’on.

Sammie runs off towards what he saw- Mary. Pearline looks
on, curious.

Sammie approaches Mary.

                        SAM MIE (CONT’D)
          Excuse me ma’am, I don’t think you
          should be here. You see, I’m with
          the Twins... and I

                        MARY
          With the twins? Boy if you don’t
          get the fuck out my face.

                        SAMMIE
          I am with them ma’am. We met
          earlier at the train station. I’m
          they little cousin. You really
          upset Stack, I think you should
          leave before they see you.

                        MARY
          Little cousin? Wait, you not
          little Sammie?
                                                     57.


Sammie looks confused as hell.

                        MARY (CONT’D)
          The guitar. That’s right! Little
          Sammie. You old enough to drink
          now? Come on, let me buy you a
          drink.

Marry takes Sammie by the arm and walks him over to the
now, crowded Bar.

                        SAMMIE
          Have we met before? I mean before
          today. Cause I don’t remember.

                         MARY
          No. But Stack used to talk about
          you all the time. You the only one
          besides Smoke he seemed to care
          about. So yo u play that guitar
          they left you? That’s good. You
          making any money with that thing?

                        SAMMIE
          Not really. Not yet at least.

                        MARY
          I would tell you it didn’t matter,
          as long as you love it, but
          that’ll be horse shit advice.

                          SAMMIE
          What are you?

                        MARY
          What am I? I’m a human being.

Sammie feels bad.

                        SAMMIE
          That ain't what I meant.

                        MARY
          I know what you meant. My mama’s
          daddy was half black. And he
          raised her to keep my grandma’s
          white family from killing her. She
          was a high yellow sharecropper.
          She was beautiful. Had any man she
          wanted. And by the look of my
          siblings all of em was jet black
          except for whoever my daddy was.
                                                     58.


                        SAMMIE
          You didn’t know who your daddy
          was?

Mary shakes her head.

                        MARY
          She told me he was white and she
          hated white people. I just figure
          he ain’t do right by her. Drunken
          fling, probably worse. Been
          meaning to ask her again the last
          few years, but now she gone.

Mary takes a swig, fighting tears.

                         MARY (CONT’D)
          You know my momma delivered the
          twins? Saved Stack life after he
          got stuck in they Momma. And after
          s he died, my momma nursed them
          like they was her own. And they
          had money to buy this whole mill
          and didn’t even send flowers to
          her funeral.

                        SMOKE (O.S.)
          We gave your mama flowers...
          plenty of em. All while she was
          alive to smell them.

Mary and Sammie are startled to find Smoke behind them.

                        MARY
          Hey Smoke.

                        SMOKE
               (beat)
          Go check in with Slim and see if
          he need backup.

Sammie obliges. Smoke walks off to find Stack while Mary
enjoys more of her drink.


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

On stage, Delta Slim switches to a new song with Sammie
watching. (MY PREACHIN’ PIANO VERSION)

                        DELTA SLIM
          I think she like the way I’m
          preachin’.
                                                     59.


Most of the patrons we have seen before along the road,
in the shops and fields that we have passed.

Smoke whispers in Stack’s ear, pointing at Mary.

Mary eyes Stack who approaches her. He tries to walk her
out of the door and she pulls away.

                        MARY
          I’m not here for you.

                        STACK
          Oh yeah? Why you here then?

                        MARY
          I come to hear the blues.

                        STACK
          They play the Blues just fine in
          Arkansas.
               (long beat)
          What’s it gone take? How much?

Stack starts thumbing through money.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          How much to get you to get the
          fuck on?

Mary chuckles at this.

                        MARY
          You can’t pay me off.

                        STACK
          I’ll pay one of these field
          bitches in here to drag you out
          then.

Mary laughs at this healthily.

                        MARY
          Shit, you taught me how to fight.
          I’ll beat up every bitch in here.

                        STACK
          Taught yo ass how to walk away
          when the money is up too. Got you
          a rich white husband. Got you a
          farm. Go home to it.

                        MARY
          I ain’t ask for none of that. All
          that shit was your idea.
                        (MORE)
                                     60.
              MARY (CONT’D)
I ain’t want no white man. I
didn’t want to be white, I wanted
to be wit you.

              STACK
Woman you know I ain't shit. You
know I can’t do nothing for you.

              MARY
Maybe I ain't shit neither.

               STACK
You think you don’t deserve what
you got out there? Land? Freedom
to go where you want?
      (smiles wide,
       incredulous)
We all deserve it, but you was
born wit a paint job to give you a
shot at beating the system. And
y ou want me to feel bad for
showing you how to get it?
      (beat)
You buried yo mama, now go home.
All it take is the wrong person to
see you here, word get back and
them crackas’ll kill you.

              MARY
What would it matter to you?

              STACK
Cause if somebody hurt you out
there me and my brother gon come
kill em all.

              MARY
So you’ll kill for me?

                STACK
That’s right.

              MARY
But you still won’t tell me the
truth. I was yo ung enough to
believe you were coming back.
      (alt)
But I’m grown now, Stack. And I
know you never planned to stay.
And you still can’t say it.

              STACK
Say what? That I think about you
every day?
              (MORE)
                                                       61.
                        STACK (CONT’D)
               (beat)
          I just wanted you to be safe. And
          that was never gonna be here. And
          that was never gonna be with me.

Stack walks to the front door, leaving Mary on the dance
floor.

Smoke observes from the catwalk.




INT. DANCE FLOOR - NIGHT

Delta Slim winds down my preachin’ from the stage.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Shit. Ya’ll starting to move out
          there. I hope ya’ll getting a
          chance to get some good drank in
          ya. Now I been hearing about this
          young man out here all day.
          Supposed to be a bad blues man.
               (beat)

Sammie, on the other side of the juke trying to bend
Pearline’s ear, holding his guitar.

                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          Preacherboy where ya at?

Sammie holds up his guitar high so Slim can see him.

                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          Now we been hanging out and I seen
          you noise with that thang. But I
          wanna really see you cut loose.

All the patrons clap and look towards Sammie who holds
his guitar with one hand high over his head, making his
way to the middle of the dance floor.

He stops, surrounded by patrons and positions his guitar
to play.

                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          Tell him who you are and wher e ya
          from.

                        SAMMIE
          My name Sammie Moore, and I’m a
          sharecropper from Sunflower
          Plantation.
                        (MORE)
                                                       62.
                        SAMMIE (CONT’D)
          They call me Preacherboy, on
          account of my daddy being a
          Pastor. I wrote this song for him.


Plays a guitar intro, bending the chords (I LIED TO YOU).
The audience leans forward in anticipation. Hanging on
every note.

                        SAMMIE (CONT’D)
          Somethin’ I been wantin’ to tell
          you, for a very long time. It
          might hurt, you might lose your
          mind. See I was just a boy, about
          8 years old. You threw me your
          bible. On that M ississippi road.
          See I love you papa, you did all
          you could do. They say the truth
          hurts. So I lied to you. Yes I
          lied to you. I love the Blues.

Blown away by his voice, patrons start to smile. Smoke
and Stack look on at their cousin playing, Smoke with
surprise, Stack with pride. Annie watches from the
kitchen. Mary too.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Goddamn Preacherboy! Ya’ll don’t
          just watch, move ya feet, now!

Sam mie plays hard. The crowd begins to dance. Mary dances
alone.

                        SAMMIE
          Somebody take me, in your arms
          tonight.

Annie comes around from the kitchen. She finds Smoke who
is leaned up against a wall. She pushes up on him and
they dance.

                        SAMMIE (CONT’D)
          Somebody take me, in your arms
          tonight.

Stack watches Mary through the crowd as she dances alone.

He approaches her she leans into him and they dance.

                         SAMMIE (CONT’D)
          Some body take me, in your arms
          tonight.
                                                      63.


Pearline joins Sammie on the dance floor and their energy
is electric.

SURREAL MONTAGE STARTS- THE MUSIC SHIFTS

Sammie closes his eyes and enters into a trance playing
wildly. We rotate around him to reveal a SENEGALESE XALAM
PLAYER in traditional African dress who stares at Sammie
while playing his instrument in unison. This is a spirit,
an ancestor visible to us, the audience, but not to
Sammie and the other patrons of the juke.

We rotate around to reveal a 1970s BLACK GUITARIST
playing psychedelic rock.

We rotate past Pearline to show TWO SPIRITS surrounding
her, one from the past, one from the present.

We push up to Delta Slim, to find him, eyes closed and
playing, surrounded by two ancestors- GRIOTS one past,
one future a disk jockey spinning from the 1980s.

We track back to the dance floor to find it populated
with more ancestors, all of the current day patrons in a
trance their eyes still closed.

We find Grace in the kitchen who takes us to the gambling
room, where she pulls Bo away from the gambling tables
and back onto the dance floor where A Past Ancestor, a
Zaouli dancer in full dress, does a traditional dance,
next to Future Ancestor who does Memphis Jooking.

A modern da ncer leads us back to Sammie, who kicks his
singing up to another level, burning embers and debris
fall down around him.

We tilt the camera up to reveal the source of the debris.
The ceiling of the mill is ablaze, with growing gaps
exposing the inky, star filled sky beyond.

We tilt back down and reveal the crowd, still dancing and
the blaze has engulfed the walls.

We spin around and pull back, be yond the walls of the
juke wide on the patrons as they party with their
ancestors past and present, in what is now an open field
with burning debris illuminating them.

The camera continues off to reveal three figures. We move
towards them-
                                                     64.


EXT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

THREE WHITE DRIFTERS walk towards the Mill. One holds a
lantern while the others hold instruments. It’s REMMICK
(The Injured Man from the Prologue, all cleaned up and
healed), flanked by Joan and Bert.

Remmick looks towards the party hungrily as if he can see
it in all its surreal glory.

END SURREAL MONTAGE

Over Remmick’s shoulder, we see the structure of the mill
as it is in reality.


INT. BACK ROO M - DAY - MOMENTS LATER

Sammie and Pearline enter and make out heavy.

                        PEARLINE
          Do this door lock?

                        SAMMIE
          Only with a key...

                        PEARLINE
          Keep ya foot on it at least.

Pearline sits on a table by the door and takes off her
panties. Sammie takes a knee to help, then-

                        SAMMIE
          Hold on, I want to try something.

Pearline looks at Sammie confused.

                        SAMMIE   (CONT’D)
          Just trust me...

He lifts her legs on his shoulders and goes down on her.

                         PEARLINE
          W ait, Preacher-boy... let me wash
          up first, I walked here....
                (pleasure hits)
          Shiiiit.
                (then ecstacy)
          SHIIIIT!
                                                        65.


INT. ENTRY HALLWAY - NIGHT

Stack listens in through the door. Chuckling silently
before Grace taps him.

                        GRACE
          Hey. Smoke asking for you. He
          upstairs.

Stack smiles and heads towards the back of the juke.
Grace listens to the door and makes a face.


INT. CATWALK - UPPER LEVEL - NIGHT

Stack walks upstairs to find Smoke leaning on the
railing, observing the packed house from above. He holds
two papers in his hand.

Stack approaches his brother.

                        STACK
          What you think? Go on head and say
          it.

                        SMOKE
          It’s going alright.

                        STACK
          Alright!? Man this shit jumpin’!
          And this just the first night.
          C’mon Smoke man we done done it!

Stack slaps Smoke on the shoulder.

                        SMOKE
          I tallied the till.

                         STACK
          Wha t’s the count?

Smoke hands the slip to Stack.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          Goddamn!

                        SMOKE
          That top figure... that’s
          plantation money.
               (beat)
          Bottom figure’s real dollars.

Stack sobers. Thinks.
                                                      66.


                        STACK
          So whats the projection?

                        SMOKE
          Two more months like this and
          we’ll be out of real cash. And
          we’ll be right back in these
          crackas pockets like the rest of
          em.


EXT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL

Cornbread notices the drifters approaching from the
distance. He taps a SMOKING PATRON.

                        CORNBREAD
          Go get the twins.

The trio led by Remmick arrives at the front door.
Cornbread blocks their passage.

                          REMMICK
          Evenin’, sir.

                        CORNBREAD
          Good evening. How can I help you
          folks?

                        REMMICK
          We heard tale of a party. Food,
          blues music, drank and the like.
               (beat)
          We like to drank, we happen to be
          musicians,
               (beat)
          And we walked here, so we hungry
          as dogs.

Remmick smiles... maybe too wide.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
          You wouldn’t mind us coming in,
          now would you?

                        CORNBREAD
          I think ya’ll at the wrong place.

Joan takes issue with this.

                        JOAN
          What makes you say that?
                                                     67.


Cornbread hesitates, just as the Twins arrive, Mary at
Stack’s side, and Annie at Smoke’s. Pearline exits the
back room, with Sammie in tow. They head towards the
commotion at the front door.

                        REMMICK
          You fellas must be the owners of
          this establishment.

                        SMOKE
          That’s right. And you are?

                        REMMICK
          Name’s Remmick. And this here is
          Joan and Bert.

Sammie approaches.

                        SAMMIE
          Stack, ya’ll alright?

Remmick hears Sammie’s voice and catches eyes with him.

                        REMMICK
          And you must be that voice I heard
          from out here. It was beautiful.

                        JOAN
          Goddamn beautiful voice.

                        BERT
          Even through these walls.

Smoke steps in front of Sammie.

                        SMOKE
          Where ya’ll from?

                        JOAN
          Down the road.

                        STACK
          How far?

                        REMMICK
          North Carolina.

                        SMOKE
               (beat)
          Ya’ll Klan?

Remmick is genuinely offended by this.
                    Buff Rev. (06/03/24)              68.


                        REMMICK
          We believe in equality. And music.
          We just came to play, spend some
          money, and have a good time.

Smoke shakes his head. Stack thinks on this.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
          Let me show ya.

The trio of drifters get their instruments into position
and begin to play.

            BERT                           JOAN
You better pick poor robin     You better pick poor robin
clean, pick poor robin         clean, pick poor robin
clean, I picked his head,      clean, I picked his head,
picked his feet, I picked      picked his feet, I picked
his body but it wasn’t fit     his body but it wasn’t fit
to eat...                      to eat...

Remmick joins in.

                        REMMICK
          You’d better pick poor robin
          clean,
          pick poor Robin clean,
          but I’ll be satisfied, having your
          family.

                        CORNBREAD
               (under his breath)
          Man these pecks ain’t bad...

They are damn good.

                        PEARLINE
               (under hers)
          Not bad at all.

Stack, Mary, and Annie are caught up in the music too.

                        SMOKE
          Hol'on just a minute now.

The Trio stops playing.

                        REMMICK
          Aww, it was just about to get
          good.

                        SMOKE
          I believe ya. It’s just... this
          here is a juke joint.
                                                     69.


                          STACK
          Blues music.

                        BERT
          But we got money and we ready to
          spend it with ya’ll.

                        REMMICK
          And that music soundin’ goddamn
          amazing. And yer sayin’ we ain't
          welcome?

Smoke grows more impatient.

                        SMOKE
          If you go down that road, you’ll
          get back into town. Plenty white
          barrelhouses down there.

                        REMMICK
          So it’s about the color we was
          born wit, huh? If that’s the case
          how she get in?

Remmick points to Mary.

                         MARY
          Tha t’s none of-

                        ANNIE
          She here cause she family.

Remmick thinks on this, Stack steps in front of his view
of Mary.

                        REMMICK
          Well maybe we can all be family...
          just for the night.

Remmick steps forward.

Smoke takes a step closer to the trio and puts his hand
on his pistol. Stack steps forward after.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
               (smiling)
          No need for that! We’ll be on our
          way.

They amble towards the parked cars and wagons.

                        RE MMICK (CONT’D)
          Maybe we’ll walk real slow, in
          case ya’ll change your minds.
                                                     70.


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

The Twins and Cornbread huddle up. Annie and Mary listen
in. Sammie and Pearline observe from a distance.

                        CORNBREAD
          What ya’ll want to do?

                        STACK
          You sure they came alone?

                        CORNBREAD
          Three of thems all I saw.

                        SMOKE
          Keep a eye on em till they leave.

                        ANNIE
          They gave me the willies.

                        STACK
          Yeah crackas at night time will do
          that.

                        ANNIE
          Wasn’t just that...

                         SMOKE
          What if Hogwood set us up? I knew
          I shoulda kil led that Klan
          motherfucker when we had the
          chance.

                        STACK
          Slow down, Smoke. I don’t think
          they got nothing to do with each
          other.

                        SMOKE
          You think they brought company?

                        STACK
          Doubt it, but we got enough pepper
          on is if they did.

                        SMOKE
          Shit. We ain’t get the trunk.

                        STACK
          Damn. Why you didn’t remind me?

                        SMOKE
          Fool, I told you to remind me!
                                                      71.


The twins look towards the door.

                           MARY
             Ya’ll don’t need the trunk. It was
             three of em.

The Twins turn to Mary. Maybe she’s right.

                           STACK
             Maybe they just came to sing.

                           SMOKE
             Somebody spill something on em,
             step on they shoe, look at they
             woman too long then we got a
             bigger problem than just a fight
             you understand?

Smoke turns to Cornbread.

                           SMOKE (CONT’D)
             Don’t let em in.

Smoke walks back into the Juke. Stack lo oks at Mary for a
beat, then heads back in as well. Cornbread returns to
his post.

Leaving Mary and Annie with each other.

                           ANNIE
             You doin’ alright?

Mary nods.

                           ANNIE (CONT’D)
             Look like you need something to
             eat. Food in Little Rock ain't no
             good?

                           MARY
             It’s fine. Just grieving. You
             ain't got none of that gumbo here
             do you?

Annie shakes her head empathetically.

                           ANNIE
             Catfish sandwich?

                           MARY
             Could you?

                           ANNIE
             Of cou rse.
                                                     72.


Mary reaches for her pocket book.

                          ANNIE (CONT’D)
          Stop it.

Annie and Mary head off into the Juke.

Mary follows Annie over to the kitchen area where Annie
enters to make a new plate.

Mary looks around and notices Stack, visibly stressed, on
the upstairs catwalk. She walks up the stairs to him.

                          MARY
          What’s wrong?

                        STACK
          We got a packed house, but we
          under water.

                          MARY
          How?

                        STACK
          All the plantations paying is
          credi ts.

                        MARY
          All the plantations?

                        STACK
          Seems that way.

                        MARY
          What about them crackers?

                        STACK
          What about em?

                        MARY
          Let me go out there and feel em
          out before they too far gone.

                        STACK
          I can go feel em out.

                        MARY
          They’ll tell me more than they’ll
          tell you. I can find out what they
          really have.

                        STACK
          What if they from Little Rock?
                                                        73.


                        MARY
          They ain't.
               (beat)
          Let me try to get this money for
          us. I know ya’ll need it.

                        STACK
          What’s that supposed to mean.

                        MARY
          Irish beer? Italian wine? You
          robbed both sides. Let them blame
          each other while you and Smoke
          come down here and set up shop.
          You need every dime you can get in
          case they put two and two
          together.

                        STACK
          They won’t.

                        MARY
          In case they do. Let me go talk to
          them and see about putt ing
          something real on the till.

Stack thinks for a long beat, then pulls his Luger. Mary
snugs up close to him, and he slips it in her garter.


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL

Mary grabs her scarf from the bar and covers her hip with
it.

She looks at Annie- who is with Grace in the kitchen,
busy making her a plate.

She looks into the window into the gambling room where
she spots Smoke, busy talking with Bo.

She looks at the front door where Cornbread is on post.

She turns to the barn doors where patrons watch Slim.

She ambles across the dance floor, opens the barn door
a nd slips out into the night.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Mary walks through the darkness towards Remmick, Bert and
Joan.
                                                       74.


They play a beautiful, sparse Mountain song (WILL YE GO
LASSIE GO).

Remmick sees her approaching, but continues singing.

His eyes are two calm lakes at midnight- barely hinting
at the depths below.

                        REMMICK
          You lookin for some fresh air?

                        MARY
          Just come to see if ya’ll was good
          people.

                        REMMICK
          Aww darlin’ that’s sweet of you.

                        JOAN
          So sweet.

                        REMMICK
          We most surely are.

                        MARY
          And ya’ll got money to spend?

                        RE MMICK
          Oh yeah. Plenty money.

Bert reaches into his pocket and produces several gold
coins. He hands them to Mary.

                        MARY
          What type of money is that?

                        REMMICK
          It’s the solid gold kind, darlin’.
          You want to see?

                        MARY
          Where is this from?

                        REMMICK
          From a different land, and a
          different time. But it spends just
          the same. You can have it.
               (beat)
          But you don’t need it, do you?

                        JOAN
          No she don’t need it.
                                                     75.


                        MARY
          What makes you say that?

Remmick smiles.

                        REMMICK
          Cause you in some deep pain that
          money can’t fix. You need
          fellowship and love. Am I right?

Mary looks up at and notices his eyes flicker for a bit
while he turns to her. Like a feral cat’s or a timber-
wolf’s when light is shined into them at night.

Mary thinks she catches it, but its gone in an instant.

                        MARY
          My mother, she just passed...

                           REMMICK
          T hat’s awful.

                           JOAN
          Awful.

                        BERT
          Just awful. Losing a mother’s a
          hurtin’ feelin’.

                        REMMICK
          I wish in my heart that we met
          sooner. I would have liked to save
          your mother from her fate. But I
          can still save you from yours.

                        MARY
          You must have me confused. I’m sad
          is all. But I don’t need no
          saving.

                        REMMICK
          Yes. Yes you do. You all do.

She thinks to herself. Then looks to Remmick, repulsed at
the drool on his chin.

Mary stands up. Remmick notices her shock and wipes his
mouth. But his leering smile stays.

Mary pulls her pistol on Remmick.
                                                     76.


                        MARY
          I’m gonna head back now. And I
          think ya’ll should too. Back to
          wherever ya’ll came from.

Remmick looks at the pistol and smiles, he doesn’t move.

Mary backs away from them, then turns and walks towards
the Juke.

In the distance, Remmick stands calmly, then flies into
the air towards Mary.


OMITTED


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Cornbread sits by the door tapping his feet to the music.

Mary approaches from the shadows.

                           MARY
          Cornbread.

Cornbread jumps at the utterance.

                        CORNBREAD
          What you doing out here?

                        MARY
          I was convincing them white folks
          to leave. They on they way now.

Cornbread looks back and the lantern they were holding is
shrinking into the distance.

                        CORNBREAD
          Thank you for that.

                         MARY
          You gon' let me in or just stand
          th ere blockin’ the door?

Cornbread steps aside.

                           CORNBREAD
          Come on.

Mary steps inside.
                                                        77.


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL

Mary looks around at everyone partying and drinking. She
moves through the crowd for a beat.

Across the room, Sammie watches as Pearline takes the
stage with A GUITARIST. Delta Slim turns to Sammie.

                        DELTA SLIM
          I’mma get some air.

Sammie nods at Delta Slim without breaking his gaze from
Pearline, who slams the piano shut, and begins performing
(Pale Moon Rising ~ 5 MINUTES PEARLINE + ~ SIX MINUTE JA M
SESSION) (Musicians join in as it goes on, SECOND
GUITARIST, PIANO, BANJO, BACKING VOCALS). Patrons dance
along.

Cornbread shuffling turns and notices Delta Slim
approaching.

                           CORNBREAD
          Slim!

Delta Slim rambles over to the door.

                        CORNBREAD (CONT’D)
          Watch the door for me. I gotta
          piss!

                          DELTA SLIM
          Gon' cost ya.

                        CORNBREAD
               (already on the move)
          Put it on my tab.

Delta Slim plops into the seat, nursing the beer.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Cornbread, holding a lantern, puts some space between him
and the Mill in search of some much deserved privacy.

He finds a spot he likes, sets down his lantern, gets to
the business of relieving himself.

Just as we hear a stream and the relaxation sets in, he
hears a rustling.

He turns to his right, nothing. He turns to his left, his
heartbeat in his throat... Nothing.
                                                      78.


He hears something again. Checks to his right... still
nothing.

To his left, JOAN now stands. Holding his lantern. She
smiles at his hands and we hear the piss stop.

                        JOAN
          Don’t quit on account of me.

She blows the light out, leaving Cornbread surrounded in
darkness.


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL

Stack finds Mary coming from around a corner, wiping her
mouth.

                          STACK
          How’d it go?

Mary shows off the gold coin. Stack smiles at this.

                          STACK   (CONT’D)
          Look at that!

He holds out his hand for the pistol. She hands it to
him, and Stack notices it is light. Before he can check
it Mary kisses him.

Stack withdraws, tucks his pistol and looks around
anxiously.

                          MARY
          You scared.

Mary pulls him close.

                         STACK
          You somebod y else's.

                        MARY
          So. You rob trains and banks. But
          you can’t steal this pussy for a
          night?

This lands on Stack hard. Mary walks into the BACK ROOM.

Stack waits for a beat, and follows. Shuts the door
behind him.

Delta Slim watches from the front door and smiles.
                                                        79.


INT. BACK ROOM - JUKE JOINT - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

Stack walks Mary down and they kiss passionately. She
playfully pulls at his bottom lip with her teeth, then
licks his lips. Then his neck.

Stack sits down on the floor and unbuckles his pants.
Mary sits on top of him, lifting her dress slightly.

She looks at Stack passionately, Stack notices drool
trailing from her mouth.

                        STACK
          You droolin’ baby...

Mary looks down, touches her hand to her mouth.

                        M ARY
          Oh. You don’t mind that do you?

Stack, aroused shakes his head. Mary smiles.

                        MARY (CONT’D)
          You want some?

Stack opens his mouth. Mary spits into his, Stack
swallows. Mary smiles devilishly, they kiss again.

Stack’s hand rubs her back, her dress shifts to reveal a
bite mark on her shoulder.


EXT. HALLWAY - JUKE JOINT - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

Smoke sees Sammie watching Pearline’s performance and he
pulls him to the side towards the barn door

                        SMOKE
          I seen you performing up there. It
          was beautiful. You wrote that
          song?

                        SAMMIE
          Yeah. I got a few of em. I can’t
          thank you enough for this. I mean,
          ya’ll the ones who put the guitar
          in my hand, and now this?

                        SMOKE
          You got the talent. That’s for
          sure. But this ain't no life for
          nobody. I know plenty musicians,
          and I never met a happy one.
                        (MORE)
                                      80.
              SMOKE (CONT’D)
              SMOKE (CONT’D)
You think its cute now, but it
gets old. That ramblin'. You got
somethin' else in you.

              SAMMIE
Today settled it for me. I’m
headin’ off on my own.

              SMOKE
You heard of Mound Bayou?

              SAMMIE
No.

              SMOKE
Town in Mississippi. Freed slaves
founded it. No crime, no crackas.
Everything Black owned.

              SAMMIE
Sound like a crock.

              SMOKE
I seen it. Stack was the one who
told us we should go. One day our
Daddy beat him rea l bad. We got it
in our minds to run away. I wanted
to go to the next plantation over,
but Stack figured we get to Mount
Bayou. So I got us a map, and put
a plan together. Stole a car and
got us there.

              SAMMIE
For real? Why ya’ll ain't stay?

              SMOKE
Mayor didn’t want us. Said we was
ner’do’wells. Didn’t want nobody
like us giving the town a bad
name. But see the thing is. They
knew our daddy. Knew he w as a evil
man. Figured it wasn’t no way he
didn’t give it to us.
      (beat)
See your Daddy a preacher. You can
go do that. Something respectable.
You like making music? Make church
music. And if you want to leave,
you can go to Mound Bayou. Live
with the proper Black Folks. Leave
this improper shit here to us, you
understand?
                                               81.


                        SAMMIE
          I can’t do that. Being wit ya’ll
          today man, feel like I was flying.

Smoke smiles at this.

                        SMOKE
          Well enjoy the rest of the night.
          Cause this is your last Juke. Come
          tomorrow, I find about you playing
          at one of these, I’ll kill you
          myself.

                        SAMMIE
          Never figured you was the type to
          threaten blood. Guess I shoulda
          known better.

                        SMOKE
          What? You got somethin’ to say gon
          head and say it lil pup.

                        SAMMIE
          You ain't in no position to tell
          me how to live my life. You killed
          ya own Daddy. Just cause he was a
          drunk.

                        SMOKE
          Stack tell you that?
                (beat)
          Stack don’t know shit. Our Daddy
          was a hateful son of bitch. Wanted
          to kill my brother since the day
          we was born, Just used alcohol as
          a excuse. Was gon kill him that
          night if I ain’t protect him.

                        SAMMIE
          I can’t go to no Mound Bayou. My
          daddy a reverend but I’ m ya’ll
          little cousin too. And a lot more
          people know the Smokestack Twins
          than know my daddy. And I’m
          leaving that plantation just like
          ya’ll did. And if that’s a problem
          for you, might as well kill me
          now.

Bo Chow burst in on them, hurried.

                        BO CHOW
          Smoke man you gotta get over here.
                                                        82.


Smoke quickly puts out his cigarette and he and Sammie
head over to-


INT. GAMBLING TABLES - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

TWO GAMBLERS are involved in an altercation. GAMBLER 1 is
holding out a straight razor towards GAMBLER 2 who is
holding his hand to the side of his face.

Smoke, Sammie and Bo Chow approach.

                        SMOKE
          What’s going on?

                        GAMBLER 2
          This son’ bitch had loaded dice.
          Been wearing us out.

Smoke turns to Gambler 1 who has the blade extended.

                        SMOKE
          Put the blade down.

Gambler 1 backs up and shakes his head.

                        GAMBLER 1
          Can’t do that Twin.
               (beat)
          I told him not to put his hands on
          me.

Smoke approaches. Gambler 1 backs up.

                        SMOKE
          So what? You gon' cut me too?

                        GAMBLER 1
          If I have to, I just want to be
          allowed to leave.

Smoke goes for him, dodges the razor blade and whacks him
with his revolver. He then wrenches the blade from his
hand, while holing him down. He looks to Bo.

                        SMOKE
          Check his pockets.

Bo reaches in and p ulls out two dice.

He and Smoke get up, and a few other GAMBLING PATRONS
begin stomping him out.
                                                     83.


                        BO CHOW
          Ya’ll get him out of here.

Smoke turns to Gambler 2 and looks at his face. The cut
is gnarly.

                        SMOKE
          Shit. Gon need stitches.

Smoke turns to Sammie.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Go get my brother.

Sammie takes off through the maze of partygoers. He gets
to the door where he sees Delta Slim.

                        SAMMIE
          You seen Stack?

Delta Slim points.

                        DELTA SLIM
          He in the back room.

Sammie goes towards the back room and opens it.


INT. B ACK ROOM - NIGHT

We see what Sammie sees... Stack and Mary on the ground,
Mary on top and in passionate rhythm.

                          SAMMIE
          Jesus.

Sammie quickly shuts the door back and smiles.

He looks at Delta Slim who laughs.

Sammie makes his way back to Smoke who stands alongside
Annie who is helping him tend to Gambler 2 who now is
drinking from a BOTTLE OF WINE for the pain.

                          SMOKE
          You get him?

                          SAMMIE
          Nah.

                          SMOKE
          Why not?
                                                       84.


                        SAMMIE
               (whispers)
          He was getting some nookie.

                        SMOKE
          I don’t give a fuck what he was
          doing I told you to bring him.

                        SAMMIE
          I ain't doin’ that by myself.

                         SMOKE
          Shit!

Smoke heads for the back room but notices Delta Slim
watching the door.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Where the fuck is Cornbread?

                        DELTA SLIM
          Building you a new outhouse, I
          suppose? Nigga left to take a piss
          two days ago.

                        SMOKE
          And he left you to watch the door?

Del ta Slim lifts his beer towards Smoke.

Smoke spins off towards the back room, with Sammie on his
heels.

Smoke walks up to the back room door and doesn’t break
stride.

                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Ya’ll get decent I’m bout to open
          up.

Smoke opens the door and steps in.


INT. BACK ROOM - NIGHT

Smoke’s face contorts into confusion as we see his POV.

Mary, cradling Stack’s head as she slurps blood from his
jugular vein.

                        SMOKE
          What the fuck?

Mary looks up, her mouth and chin slick with blood.
                                                       85.


                        MARY
          Smoke... it’s not what it looks
          like.

She stands up, with her hands up and BLAM BLAM BLAM,
Smoke shoots her in the chest.


INT. DANCE FLOOR - JUKE JOINT - NIGHT

PEARLINE, the BAND and the DANCING PATRONS hear the gun
shots and look around in confusion.


INT. GAMBLING TABLES - NIGHT

Annie hears the gunshot and turns towards the back room.
She turns to Bo.

                         ANNIE
          Wait here.

Annie rushes out of the gambling room.


INT. ENTRY HALLWAY - JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL

Slim turns and looks towards the back room.


INT. BACK ROOM - NIGHT

Mary drops. Smoke starts toward his injured brother when-

Mary laughs, almost unaffected by the bullet. She rises
up, gunshot wounds and all.

                        MARY
          We gon' kill every last one of
          you.

Smoke fires again and she charges past him, avoiding
shots and running out of the room.


INT. ENTRY HALLWAY - NIGHT

Mary, her chest and face bloodied, sprints past Delta
Slim who nearly sobers up at the sight of her sprinting
off into the night air.

                        MARY
          I’ll be right back, Slim. We gon
          kill every last one of you.
                        (MORE)
                                                        86.
                        MARY (CONT’D)
          We gon have some real fun tonight!


Delta Slim runs towards the back room.


INT. BACK ROOM - NIGHT

Delta Slim enters to find Smoke cradling Stack, putting
all the pressure he can muster on the wound, but the
blood flows still.

                          SMOKE
          Hold on.

                        STACK
          She, bit me. She...

                        SMOKE
          Shhh. It’s okay...

                          STACK
          I lo...    I l...

Stack’s body convulses.

Then- stillness... his eyes open but empty.

Shock takes root in Sammie.

Annie enters the room and is horrified for a beat before
jumping into action.

Annie feels at Stack’s neck for a pulse. Nothing.

                        ANNIE
          What happened?
               (to Sammie)
          What happened?

Sammie can’t answer. Annie turns to Delta Slim.

                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          Keep everybody out!

Delta Slim turns exits to the-


INT. ENTRY HALLWAY - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Where all of the patrons, gamblers, and musicians are
trying to get a look into the back room.

Delta Slim keeps them at bay.
                                                     87.


                         DELTA SLIM
           Ya’ll back up now.

                         BO CHOW
           Who was shootin’? What’s goin’ on?

                         PARTYGOER #2
           Music still going?

                         PEARLINE
           Hell with the music. Is Sammie in
           there?

                           DELTA SLIM
           Party’s over.

                         PATRON #2
           Damn! It was just getting good
           too.

The partygoers mutter amongst themselves, confused,
paranoid, and upset such an great party has now ended.
They start to file out the front door, murmuring.


INT.   BACK ROOM - JUKE J OINT - NIGHT

Annie stands over Smoke.

                         SAMMIE
           I coulda stopped it. I thought
           they was making love...
                (beat)
           Is Stack really... I was just with
           him. I thought...

Sammie thinks

                         SAMMIE (CONT’D)
                (beat)
           What you think could be going on
           with her..? Rabies? Some sorta
           disease?

                         ANNIE
           She say anything?

                         SMOKE
           Said “we gonna kill all of you...”

                         ANNIE
           “We?”... She said, “we”?

Annie speaks to Smoke with a renewed urgency.
                                                 88.


                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          Smoke.
               (beat)
          We have to move his body.

Smoke looks up at Annie.

                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          We gotta move him outside.

                        SMOKE
          What the fuck are you talking
          about woman?

                        ANNIE
          She might have had something. Just
          listen to me. We need to move his
          body outside. Just for now.

Annie reaches for Stack’s body.

                        SMOKE
          Don’t touch him! Nobody’s moving
          him.

                        ANNIE
          You shot her. And she kept running
          like nothin’ happened.

Smoke sta res back at her with seething anger.

                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          This a haint we dealing with here,
          or worse. We need to keep
          everybody inside... and a dead
          body out.

                        SMOKE
          This ain't no dead body. This
          Stack. He staying in here with me.
          You talking all this magic... you
          got any magic that can bring my
          baby brother back, got a mojo bag
          for him? Please?

                        ANNIE
          I can’t... I’m sorry...

                        SMOKE
          Look at him. He gone.

Smoke sta nds up.
                                                         89.


                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
          Best thing about me was him.

Smoke storms out. Annie and Sammie follow behind.


INT. ENTRY HALLWAY - NIGHT

Smoke emerges covered in Stack’s blood. Annie and Sammie
behind him. They lock the door from the outside.

                        BO CHOW
          Smoke what’s going on?

                          SMOKE
          Stack’s dead.

Smoke pushes past Bo towards the door, Delta Slim trails.

Annie turns to Sammie.

                        ANNIE
          Don’t let nobody go in there.

She goes after Smoke, Bo Chow and Delta Slim.

Delta Slim looks at Smoke searching for answers, then
hands him his flask. Smoke ta kes a swig, and hands it
back.

                        ANNIE     (CONT’D)
          Still no Cornbread?

Delta Slim shrugs.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Been gone a good while.

Smoke looks out into the darkness through bloodshot eyes.

                        ANNIE
          Ya’ll get him inside.

Delta Slim and Bo pull Smoke back inside of the juke.


INT. ENTRY HALLWAY - JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT -
CONTINUOUS

Pearline approaches Sammie who stands at the door.
                                                      90.


                        PEARLINE
          Preacherboy, I’m scared to go out
          there.


Sammie gives her a look that mirrors her sentiment.

                        SAMMIE
          You can stay here with us.

Annie speaks up in the hall.

                        ANNIE
          I want everybody to listen up. We
          had us a situation. Nobody should
          be going outside.


                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          It ain't safe out there.

                         PATRON #1
          I ain’t scared of no rabies, or
          whatever Hoo Doo this hammer
          talkin’ bout. I’m worried about
          these cracka s.

As the group debates, the remaining patrons make their
way out.

Grace approaches Bo and pulls him away from Smoke.

                        GRACE
          Bo, we gotta go...

                        BO CHOW
          I can’t leave em. He just lost his
          brother.

                        GRACE
          How the hell you plan on helping
          him fix that? Cause if you know a
          way, I got some folks I’ll love
          for you to help me bring back too.

Bo looks at Grace with an answerless expression.

                         BO CHOW
          Let me go g et the car.

Bo looks around and heads out the door and into the
darkness.

AT THE ENTRY DOOR
                                                       91.


Delta Slim and Smoke hear someone approaching from the
darkness. It’s Cornbread.

                        CORNBREAD
          Hey Slim, Smoke!

                        DELTA SLIM
          Where the hell you been at, man?

                        CORNBREAD
          Seeing a man about a dog, like I
          told you. Turned out I needed more
          relieving than I imagined.
               (beat)
          Ya’ll starin’ me down like I
          missed somethin’.

Cornbread finally notices Smoke is covered in blood.

                        CORNBREAD (CONT’D)
          Goddamn Smoke... what happened to
          you?

                        SMOKE
          What happened to me? Stack is
          dead. What the fuck happened to
          you? You was supposed to be
          watching the place. Not taking a
          hour long piss.

                        CORNBREAD
          I’m sorry. Well let me come in and
          help.

Annie clocks this.

                        ANNIE
          Hol’on.

She extends her hands to Smoke to stop him.

Smoke looks back at Annie confused. Delta Slim as well.

They stare at Cornbread, who stares back at them with an
almost c omically confused expression.

                        CORNBREAD
          What ya’ll doing?

The three continue to stare without budging.

                        CORNBREAD (CONT’D)
          Smoke. Just step aside and let me
          on in.
                                     92.


              ANNIE
Why you need him to do that? You
big and strong enough to push past
us.

              CORNBREAD
Because that wouldn’t be very
polite of me now, would it? I
don’t know why I’m even talking to
you. Probably your fish sandwich
that made me so sick. Using that
old stale grease.

              ANNIE
I ain't never used stale grease
and you know it.

              CORNBREAD
Smoke, come- on.

              ANNIE
Don’t talk to him you talking to
me right now. Why you can’t just
walk yo’ big ass on in here
without an invite, huh? Just go
ahead and admit to it.

              CORNBREAD
Admit to what?

              ANNIE
Admit that you dead. One of them
white folks out there killed you.
And you a haint now.

               CORNBREAD
Smoke you hearing this shit? Woman
this man showed me kindness.
Employed me. Says his brother’s
been killed. He need comfort, not
you filling his mind up with that
Louisiana g arbage. We playing
games and telling ghost stories
instead of doing we ought to do.

              DELTA SLIM
And whats that?

              CORNBREAD
Be kind to one another. Be polite.
And not just go barging into folks
places uninvited.
                                                       93.


                        SMOKE
          I don’t believe half the shit that
          come out of her mouth. But you
          been in and out of here all day.
          And all of a sudden you need an
          invitation? It don’t add up.

                        CORNBREAD
          So what I’m supposed to do Smoke?
          Shit Stack was my ride here. I’m
          supposed to walk home?

                        SMOKE
          Ain't my business.

                        CORNBREAD
          Can I at least get my money?

Cornbread holds his hand out, short, like a gator.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Real bang up job you did.

Cornbread cuts a look at Delta Slim.

                        ANNIE
          Careful.

Smoke pulls out a wad of cash and thumbs through it.
Pulls a few bills off and reaches the money out to
Cornbread who smiles as Smoke reaches.

Just as his hand crosses the threshold of the mill
Cornbread snatches it with reptilian reflexes, extending
his mouth towards Smoke’s forearm veins.

He tugs Smoke off his feet nearing a bite whe n Smoke
draws his pistol and BLAM. Shoots Cornbread right in the
FACE.

Annie shrieks.

Smoke drops from Cornbread’s grasp and scuttles back into
the mill while Cornbread’s body drops to the dirt.

Annie slams the mill door just as Cornbread rises again.
Then inspects Smoke’s arm for a bite.

                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          We gotta hole up in here till
          sunrise.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Ya’ll smell anything?
                                                       94.


                          SMOKE
          No.

                          DELTA SLIM
          Good.
               (long beat)
          Was afraid I just shat myself.


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Outside the Back Room door, Sammie stands next to
Pearline.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. Someone inside the Back Room knocks on
the door gently.

Sammie shoots Pearline a look. Clearly rattled. She gives
the same one back.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK on the door again.

                        PEARLINE
               (sotto voce)
          Is somebody in there?

Sammie shakes his head.

He looks under door.

SAMMIE’S POV

He sees movement underneath, but tries to focus.

                          VO ICE (O.S.)
               (sotto)
          Hey...

Sammie stands up. Not sure he’s heard what he thought.
Puts his ear to the door when-

SHUNK!

THE BLADE OF STACK’S KNIFE plunges through the wood,
skimming Sammie’s eyelash. Pearline shrieks.

                          SAMMIE
          Shit!

Sammie looks at the door in shock as the blade is yanked
back through the other side of the door, and a familiar
laugh is heard.
                                                      95.


                        STACK
          Sammie is that you there? Boy I
          didn’t mean to scare you. I was
          just trying to see through the
          other side. Thought ya’ll had
          forgot about me in there.

Sammie approaches the door tries looks through the hole.
We see an obstructed glimpse of Stack’s toothy grin.

                        SAMMIE
          Uhhh... SMOKE!

Smoke heads over. Sammie points at the door.

                        SAMMIE (CONT’D)
          You sure Stack was dead when you
          left him?

Smoke looks back a t Sammie, and thinks on this. He
approaches the door.

                        STACK (O.S.)
          Smoke, gone head and open up this
          door and let me outta here.

                        SMOKE
          Stack is that really you?

                        STACK
          Nah fool, it’s Jim Crow. Of course
          it’s me.

                        SMOKE
          How... how you feelin’ man? You
          lost a lot of blood..?

                        STACK
          Oh yeah. It was scary. But I’m
          okay now. I swear. On mama’s
          grave.

Grace looks at Smoke, wildly confused.

                        GRACE
          I thought you sai d he was dead?

                        ANNIE
          He was. I checked his pulse.

                        GRACE
          Then what the fuck is he doing
          talking to us?
                                                      96.


                        PEARLINE
          This is good right? Means he’s
          okay?

                        ANNIE
          That ain't Stack.

Annie turns to Smoke.

                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          You hear me? That ain't your
          brother.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Goddamn! If it ain’t Stack then
          who the hell is it?

                        STACK
          Smoke whats that witch out there
          talkin bout? You gon' let her come
          between us again? Huh? She don’t
          know shit about us, what we been
          through. German trenches and
          Chicago gangways. You tell that
          bitch to bite her tongue! Let me
          out this room Smoke!

Annie and Smoke look at each other. Maybe it is, Stack?

BOOM! A massive kick to the door.

Annie gets an idea and runs towards the kitchen.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          Let me the fuck out or I swear fo’
          God I’ll come out there and lay
          all you sons of bitches down.
          Close ya’ll eyes for good!

BOOM!

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          Ya’ll know who the fuck I am?

BOOM! Stack BARRELS through the door sendin g it flying to
the ground with Sammie underneath it.

Annie arrives holding a mason jar.

Stack, holding his knife, his eyes shimmering, he charges
towards Annie who throws the liquid mason jar contents on
him.

It sizzles on Stack’s face.
                                                     97.


                        STACK    (CONT’D)
          Ahhh, shit!

She throws more.

                        SMOKE
          Stop! You’re hurting him!

Smoke grabs Annie, giving Stack enough time to the front
door, swing it open, and escape into the night.

                        SAMMIE
          Jesus.

                        PEARLINE
          What was in that jar?

                        ANNIE
          Pickled garlic.
               (beat)
          These ain't Haints. They vampires.


INT. JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL

Tears well in Grace’s eyes as she argues with the
remaining group.

                        GRACE
          Bo’s out there. We gotta go get
          him.

The group doesn’t respond.

                        GRACE (CONT’D)
          Then let me go. I’m the one that
          sent him out there.

                        ANNIE
          We can’t let you do that.

                        GRACE
          He needs my help.

Annie looks to Smoke.

                        SMOKE
          Bo know how to handle himself. He
          wouldn’t want me to let you go out
          there.

                        GRACE
          Ya’ll ain't finna keep me from my
          husband.
                                               98.


                        DELTA SLIM
          They tryna to keep you alive.

Annie thinks for a bit.

                        ANNIE
          We need wood, garlic, holy water.
               (beat)
          I only heard stories about them.
          Never come across em in my time.

                        PEARLINE
          What stories you heard?

                        ANNIE
          I know how haints work, they
          switch places wit the soul of a
          man.

                        SAMMIE
          But he moved like Stack, and
          sounded like Stack.

                         ANNIE
          That’s cause vampires is
          different. Maybe the worst kind.
          The s oul gets stuck in the body.
          Can’t rejoin the ancestors. Cursed
          to live here with all this hate.
          Can’t even see the sun.

                        SMOKE
          Can we get him back? Maybe if I
          kill the one who made him like
          this?

Annie shakes her head.

                        ANNIE
          Ain't no way of bringing nobody
          back once they gone, that don’t
          involve evil. Best thang we can do
          for em is free they spirit from
          the curse.

                        SMOKE
          I keep him safe all these years .
          All over the world. Why tonight?

                        SAMMIE
          It’s cuz of me. My daddy told me.
          Said the Devil was coming on
          account of my music.
                        (MORE)
                                                      99.
                        SAMMIE (CONT’D)
          I been sinnin’ and God forsake me
          it’s my fault.

                        DELTA SLIM
          I had a girl who was a vampire.
          Light skinned too. She bit me
          everywhere but my neck.

It almost cuts the tension.

                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          Don’t worry Preacherboy. Devil
          came for me plenty of times. He
          come knockin’ tonight he gotta go
          through his old friend Delta Slim
          first, you hear?


INT. DANCE FLOOR - JUKE JOINT - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

QUICK SUCCESSION OF SHOTS

Sammie, Smoke, and Delta Slim gather wood and begin to
break it down into stakes.

In the kitchen area, Annie, Grace, and Pearline gather
garlic.

Annie throws bones. Reads them.

                       ANNIE
               (to herself)
          No no no no.

She throws them again.

Smoke ties some to his rifles like bayonets. Annie pulls
him to the side, holding one of the stakes.

                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          I want you to promise me
          somethin’.

Sm oke looks at her.

                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          If I get bit by one of them, you
          promise right now to free me
          before I turn.

                        SMOKE
          What you mean free you?

Annie takes Smoke’s hand in hers
                                                       100.


                        ANNIE
          Don’t let one of them things bite
          me. I got somebody I waiting for
          me on that other side. They
          waitin’ for you too. That’s why
          I’ll do the same for you. You
          understand?

Annie places the stake near her heart. Smoke drops the
stake to the ground, realizing what she’s insinuating.

Pearline walks into the gambling room where she sees
GAMBLER 2 laying dead in a pool of blood.

Pearline screams.

                        PE ARLINE
          Sammie, Smoke!

The group descends on Pearline. Smoke looks down at
Gambler 2’s body.

                        SMOKE
          He got cut in the face, but that
          ain’t gon’ bleed like this.

Smoke reaches down to check his pulse.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Don’t touch him, man.

                        GRACE
          Who did this? Was it Stack? Or
          Mary?

                        SAMMIE
          Naw, they ran straight out. You
          saw them.

                        GRACE
          So who bit him then?

Annie thinks.

                        ANNIE
          We gotta get him out before he
          wake s up.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Sammie and Smoke drag Gambler #2’s body outside. They
shift him and quickly place him on the ground. Sammie and
Smoke look around, no one is around until Sammie sees-
                                                    101.


SAMMIE’S POV

A JUKE PATRON walking off into the distance.

Sammie watches with curiosity as the Patron joins up with
a MASSIVE GROUP made up of all the former Juke Patrons.
Sammie hears something in the distance.

                        SAMMIE
          They’re playing music..?

Smoke hears this too, and grabs Sammie, pulling him back
into the Mill.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Remmick in the center of concentric circles of vampiric
Juke patrons, belts out a solo while The Juke Patrons
cheer him on, Stack, Mary, Cornbread, and the others
dance passionately, while Bert, Joan, and the other
musicians play furiously (THE ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN).

                        JUKE PATRONS
          Well, in the merry month of May
          now from me home I started Left
          the girls of Tuam nearly broken
          hearted Saluted father d ear,
          kissed me darling mother Drank a
          pint of beer, me grief and tears
          to smother Then off to reap the
          corn and leave where I was born
          Cut a stout blackthorn to banish
          ghosts and goblins.

We reveal Remmick in the center of the semicircle
conducting them, passion in his eyes.

Then- the song crescendos and Remmick begins to do an
increasingly elaborate Irish step.

He’s overcome with emotion, it’s an experience he hasn’t
had in centuries, the Juke Patrons sense this, and Stack
and Mary begin to sing with more fervor, cheering him on.

           STACK                          MARY
Played some hearty jigs,      Played some hearty jigs,
the water round me bubbling   the water round me bubbling
When off Holyhead I wished    When off Holyhead I wished
meself was dead...            meself was dead.
                                                    102.


Remmick moving passionately, breaks free of the rigid
upper body stance and begins to dance in the lost style,
the Gaelic style, the style of the druid priests of his
human time. His tears flow, and his arms swing through
the night air unencumbered by the stunting shackles of
the colonial gaze.


INT. DANCE FLOOR - JUKE JOINT - NIGHT

The remaining folks stand in a circle around Annie. We
REVEAL that she is shelling a clove of garlic.

                        ANNIE
          We all gonna eat this clove of
          garlic.

                        PEARLINE
          I don’t much like the taste of it.

                        ANNIE
          Ain't nobody sayin you got to like
          it. We just gotta figure out if
          any of us left is one of them.

Annie looks around at the people in the circle. GRACE,
PEARLINE, SMOKE, SAMMIE, and DELTA SLIM.

Annie eats a clove right away. Hands one to Smoke, who
eats his as well. He hands a clove to Sammie, who chomps
down on it and makes a face any young person would.

Grace takes her clove and eats it whole.

                        GRACE
          You ain't got none of the pickled
          ones?

Annie shakes her head.

Pearline takes her clove and hesitates.

                        PEARLINE
          This is ridiculous.

Smoke lifts his pistol. Sammie sees this and bucks up.

                         SAMMIE
          Smoke. Put t he gun down!

                       SMOKE
               (to Sammie)
          Shut up.
                       (MORE)
                                                    103.
                        SMOKE (CONT’D)
               (to Pearline)
          Eat or I shoot.

                        SAMMIE
          Put the gun down Smoke. She ain't
          no damn vampire.

Pearline stares daggers at Smoke.

                        SMOKE
          How you know that?

                        GRACE
          Just eat the damn garlic, girl.

                        SAMMIE
          Put the gun down, Smoke!

Sammie walks towards Smoke when WHAM! Smoke strikes him
across the face.

Pearline watches as the blood drips from Sammies mouth.

                        SMOKE
          I’m trying to keep you alive, boy.
          You ain't to questi on me.

                        PEARLINE
          You a evil man. No wonder the
          devil come for us.

Pearline puts the garlic in her mouth, swallows it. Smoke
turns to Delta Slim.

                        DELTA SLIM
          You ain't gotta point no gun at
          me.

Delta Slim eats the garlic and swallows it. Then... he
begins to choke. Deep gurgling sounds.

The others watch with paranoia.

                        SMOKE
          Slim what’s going on man?

Delta Slim vomits. Then wipes his mouth.

                         DELTA SLIM
          I j ust drank too much. Too much
          beer. And my nerves is bad.

He turns back to Smoke.
                                                       104.


                           DELTA SLIM   (CONT’D)
          See?

Smoke and Sammie look at each other for beat.

They go back to the spot where they found Gambler #2
laying in a pool of blood.

Smoke places his hand in the blood.

                           SMOKE
          It’s wine.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Gambler 2 knocks on the front door.

                        GAMBLER 2
          Smoke! Let me in, man!

Gambler 2 beats on the door.


INT. ENTRY HALLWAY - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Smoke and Sammie run to the door, with Annie, Grace,
Delta Slim, and Pearline behind them.

Smoke opens the door just in time to see-


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Gambler 2 being tackled to the ground by Cornbread, who
bites down on his neck.

                        ANNIE
          Close the door!

                           GRACE
          Wait!

Grace runs to the door and we see what she sees, Bo Chow
approaching.

                        BO CHOW
          Hey baby. I got the car started.
          Come on outside lets go.

Grace looks at Bo, who is a few feet from man being
devoured by another man, as it were a perfectly normal
occurrence.
                                                    105.


                        BO CHOW (CONT’D)
          What is it, Grace?

                        GRACE
          He’s killing him.

Bo turns to Cornbread, still drinking from Gambler 2’s
neck, Gambler 2 still clinging to life.

                        BO CHOW
          Oh you talking bout that? Oh don’t
          worry bout Cornbread. He just a
          lil hungry, that’s all...
               (beat)
          Come on, come on and go, I got the
          car all warmed up.

Bo’s smile materializes.

                        BO CHOW (CONT’D)
          Or you can let me come in there.
          I’ll come in there and we c an grab
          our things and head home.

Grace looks at Bo Chow with terror.

                        ANNIE
          Don’t listen to him.

                        SMOKE
          Grace we gon find a way out of
          here.

Suddenly Remmick appears.

                        REMMICK
          I am your way out. This world has
          already left you for dead. Won’t
          let you build. Won’t let you
          fellowship. We will do just that,
          together, forever.

                        BO CHOW
          It’s better this way, baby. Go’on
          ahead and invite us in.

Grace covers he r ears.

                        REMMICK
          You should listen to him. Or
          listen to me Grace. Cause I know
          everything he knows now. And I
          want you to let us in there.
                        (MORE)
                                                         106.
                           REMMICK (CONT’D)
             Or we gon' go to the grocery store
             and pay little Lisa a visit.

Grace is horrified as Stack and Mary appear from the
shadows.

                           REMMICK (CONT’D)
             Oh yes Grace. I know everything
             now.

He smiles.

                           REMMICK (SUBTITLE) (CONT’D)
             Even how you like to be licked. I
             can promise I won’t bite too hard.

Grace is mortified. Remmick turns his attention to
Sammie.

                           PEARLINE
             This can’t be real...

                           SAMMIE
             You the Devil ain’t you?

Remmick smi les and stares at Sammie.

                           REMMICK
             Ya’ll give him to me. Just give me
             little Sammie, and we’ll let you
             all live.

                           DELTA SLIM
             Haven’t you taken enough tonight?
             You took them all from us. You
             can’t have him too.

                           SMOKE
             I ain’t gon let it happen.

Smoke steps in front of Sammie, blocking him from
Remmick’s gaze. Pearline holds Sammie’s hand.

                           REMMICK
             You can’t save him. No more than
             you could save yo brothe r. He
             ain’t safe here. No matter how
             many guns or how much money. They
             gone take it from you when they
             want. You built something here
             tonight. And it’s beautiful. But
             it was built on a lie. Hogwood,
             that’s his uncle.
                                                    107.


Remmick points to Bert. Who nods.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
          He only sold it to you cause we
          promised to rob and kill you all
          tonight.

                        BERT
          And do it all over again.

                        STACK
          He right Smoke. I see his
          memories. This wasn’t no Juke
          Joint, wasn’t no Club. It was a
          slaughterhouse.

                        BERT
          Goddamn killing floor.

                        JOAN
          But he don’t know we building’ us
          a new clan. Based on love.

                        REMMICK
          That’s right. Now that we got the
          numbers, we gon show that racist
          piece of shit the light too.

This settles on Smoke. Stack notices.

                        ANNIE
          Why can’t ya’ll just go?

                        MARY
          Cause we not leaving without
          ya’ll. We family. It sound crazy
          but after we kill ya’ll, we gon
          have heaven right here on earth.

                        STACK
          We been running everywhere looking
          for freedom. You know you’ll never
          find it. Not in Mississippi, New
          York. Not in France or Chicago.

                        REMMICK
          Not in the arms of that witch
          there.

Smoke takes aim at Remmick. Stack steps in front of him.
Smoke puts the gun down.

                        SLIM
          Stack this ain’t you man.
                                                    108.


                        STACK
          We wasn’t never gon be free. Until
          this. This is the way. I can see
          it, Smoke. This the only way we
          live our dream out... together
          forever. I’m not doing this
          without you.

Stack steps forward to his brother.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          What’s it gon' be Smoke?

                        ANNIE
          Sammie, close the door!

Smoke stares at his brother who approaches him smiling.

Sammie closes the door.


INT. DANCE FLOOR - LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

The remaining survivors gather up their tools. Grace is
in shock.

                        GRACE
          He said he was going to go to our
          daughter.

                        ANNIE
          You can’t believe him. He was just
          tryin’ to get you to let him in.

                        GRACE
          He ain’t threaten your children.

                        PEARLINE
          We just gotta get through the
          night.

                        GRACE
          And what, let them kill my family?
          Kill the whole town? Turn
          everybody to monsters?
               (beat)
          That White Devil spoke Cantonese.
          He got in Bo’s mind. We gotta stop
          em, Smoke. We gotta try to get em
          before they get away.

                        SMOKE
          Grace slow down.
                                                    109.


                        GRACE
          What? Ain’t you a soldier. You
          just shot two men for touching
          your truck. They made Stack one of
          them. My Bo. Said they was gonna
          kill Lisa. If now ain't go time, I
          don’t know what is.

Grace gathers materials for a Molotov Cocktail.

                        GRACE (CONT’D)
          We supposed to wait out the night
          while they take more of our loved
          ones? Make em demons?

                        DELTA SLIM
          Don’t seem like they leaving.

                        GRACE
          Shut your drunk ass up Slim!

                        DELTA SLIM
          I ain’t drunk!

                           ANNIE
          GRACE!

Pearline hears something in the distance.

                        PEARLINE
          Ya’ll hear that?

                        SAMMIE
          It’s the song they was singin’.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Remmick leads the others, Joan, Bert, Bo Chow, Cornbread,
Gambler 2, Stack, and Mary in singing Pick Poor Robin
Clean, as they surround the mill.

The music is haunting, but Remmick’s voice is beautiful.

Bo Chow circles around to a window visible to Grace and
sings to her while making eye contact.


INT. DANCE FLOOR - JUKE JOINT - NIGHT

Grace puts her hands to her ears. She picks up a
makeshift STAKE and walks over to the window.
                                                    110.


                           ANNIE
          No!

Smoke and Sammie grab her, Smoke covering her mouth just
as.

                        GRACE
          Let go of me, goddamn it! We gotta
          kill all of em.

She bites Smoke’s hand. Delta Slim runs over to try to
help.

                           SMOKE
          Ahh shit!

                           GRACE
          Ya’ll co-

Annie and Pearline pile on top of her, blocking her mouth
for a beat, but she breaks free.

                        GRACE (CONT’D)
          Ya’ll come on in you
          motherfuckers!


EXT. LUMBER MILL - NIGHT

Remmick smiles.


INT. DANCE FLOOR - JUKE JOINT

The BARN DOORS open and the VAMPIRES enter shortly after.

                           SMOKE
          Get upstairs!

Smoke opens fire at Remmick who dodges as Bert springs
forward.

Smoke shoots Bert who goes down. Annie stabs him with the
stake.

GRACE throws a MOLOTOV COCKTAIL at Remmick, who knocks it
aside and causes it to ignite.

Bo Chow steps through the fire and charges Grace, biting
her as she pushes him into the blaze. They both ignite.

Annie throws the holy water mixture at Remmick and it
backs him up. Annie notices the other vampires back up in
similar fashion. Mimicking Remmick’s recoil.
                                                     111.


                        ANNIE
          They feel his pain!

Stack steps in behind him. Remmick grabs Smoke and holds
him down, while Stack bites Annie.

Smoke erupts in a rage. As Sammie shoots his rifle at
Remmick, knocking him back off of Smoke. The other
vampires recoil at Remmick’s gunshot and Remmick runs out
of the barn doors.

Stack lets go of Annie who collapses at Smoke’s feet. Her
neck bleeding profusely.

                         ANNIE (CONT’D)
          Now! Elijah y ou promised! Don’t
          let this be the end!

She grabs the stake and takes aim.

                        ANNIE (CONT’D)
          If you love me you’ll-

BOOM! Smoke drives the stake into the chest of the love
of his life. Annie dies instantly, her eyes staring into
Smoke’s who screams in rage.

Stack and Mary see this and scream in rage. Stack turns
to Mary.

                        STACK
          Run!

Mary sees this and runs out of the barn doors.

Slim grabs Smoke. Slim breaks a bo ttle and cuts his Wrist
open with a broken shard.

                        DELTA SLIM
          Ya’ll get the boy upstairs, and
          sneak him out back! I’ll keep em
          here.
                (beat)
          Remember what I say Preacherboy!

Sammie grabs his guitar as they push towards the stairs.

                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          I don’t need no holy water. I
          rather sip on something else
          instead.

Slim, holding up his bleeding wound, distracts the
vampires but holds them at bay with his spe ar.
                                                       112.


He goes to the stage and stomps his feet and sings, as
the vampires pour into the room, they are distracted by
this brazen display.

                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          Come on ya’ll gather round. Last
          call for Delta Slim.

Even Remmick looks at him. Smoke, Sammie, and Pearline
look at Slim with gratitude and head up the stairs.

                        DELTA SLIM (CONT’D)
          Plenty mo drank left in me. A
          hundred proof.
               (beat)
          I don’t need I don’t need I don’t
          need no holy water. I rather sip
          on something else instead.

The Juke vampires descend on Delta Slim in this final act
of sacrifice, he does a stage dive into them. Going out
fighting.

As the vampires swarm, Pearline pushes Smoke and Sammie
towards the staircase up into the-

                        PEARLINE
          Come on!


INT. CATWALK - UPPER LEVEL - NIGHT

Smoke, Sammie, and Pearline file up into the dark
rafters. Smoke points his rifle towards the stairs.

Smoke opens the balcony door for Sammie.

                        SMOKE
          Ya’ll jump down.

Remmick lands on the balcony, blocking their way. He
quickly attacks Sammie, knocking Pearline to the ground.


Stack charges up the stairs and tackles Smoke to the
ground.

Sammie holds his guitar, blocking Remmick from his neck.
Pearline stabs her stake into Remmick’s back. He winces
in pain but turns before it can reach his heart.

He turns to Pearline and bites down on her neck.
                                                       113.


                           PEARLINE
          SAMMIE, RUN!

Sammie shoots, the muzzle flare lighting the room.
Revealing Remmick, holding Pearline, slurping her blood.

                           SAMMIE
          NO!

                        REMMICK
          Come here Sammie. Save her!

Sammie charges but Stack jumps out, tackling him. Smoke
goes for Stack, talking him off of Sammie.

                           SMOKE
          Go!

Sammie jumps out of the window.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - RIVERSIDE - NIGHT

Sammie lands hard in the grassy dirt. Limps up, and
hobbles towards the river.


INT. CATWALK - UPPER LEVEL - NIGHT

Smoke and Stack go at each other. Stack gripping the
makeshift stake, his life hanging in the balance.

Pearline awakens and attacks Smoke as well.

                           STACK
          Come on!

The two exchange blows, Stack is stronger, faster, he
lands a punch on Smoke that knocks him to the exposed
earth of the catwalk beam. Pearline pounces and Smoke
throws her off the balcony.

Stack then mounts Smoke.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          Just listen too me fool! This
          ain't like my other plans. I got
          proof. I can see it! This gone
          take your pain away.

Stack prepares to bite Smoke but his fangs stop as they
get to his Mojo bag. Annie’s spell protected him!
                                                    114.


                        SMOKE
          Only reason I’m still here was for
          you and her.

Smoke turns the tables lowering the stake tip towards
Stack’s chest.

Stack’s expression changes to one we haven’t seen before.
Like a kid who just lost a fight to his older brother.

                        STACK
          Big brother. You killed our own
          daddy, just to save me. And now
          you gon’ kill me too?

Smoke looks into his eyes with a shameful expression, he
cradles his face.


EXT. RIVER - NIGHT

Sammie runs like a storm wind. Hurdling through the
blackness, his steps chewing up dirt, then mud, then
water. His stake in one hand and his guitar in his other.

Behind him in silhouette against the sky, we see Remmick
float into the air in pursuit.

CRASH! Remmick lands in front of Sammie.

                        REMMICK
          This has taken long enough.

Sammie jabs his stake at Remmick, who rips it out of his
hands.

And stri kes him across his face with his claws.

Sammie falls into the water. His blood blooms into the
river waters. He stays under, mouthing words.

Remmick licks the blood from his nails- sweet nectar then
grabs Sammie by his throat, pulling him out of the water
with inhuman strength.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
               (beat)
          Oh you little vessel...

Sammie spits up water.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
          I want your stories. I want your
          songs. And you will have mine.
                                                       115.


                        SAMMIE
          Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done
          on earth as it is in Heaven. Give
          us this day...

Remmick listens to this, as if remembering something and
decides to join in.

           SAMMIE (CONT’D)              REMMICK
Our daily bread. And          Our daily bread. And
forgive us out trespasses,    forgive us out trespasses,
as we forgive those who       as we forgive those who
trespass against us. And      trespass against us. And
lead us not into              lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us    temptation, but deliver us
from evil. Amen.              from evil. Amen.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
          Long ago, the men who stole my
          fathers’ land forced these words
          upon us. I hated those men. But
          the words still brought me
          comfort.

The other vampires, former patrons from the mill start to
creep down the riverbank. They watch as a parish might
observe a riverside baptism.

Remmick strokes Sammie ’s face.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
          Lies can be warm. Lies can be
          comforting.

Remmick suddenly slams Sammie into the water, baptizing
him.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
          The truth can be like cold water
          to the face. Those men lied to
          themselves. Then lied to us. Told
          stories of a God above and a devil
          below.

He dunks Sammie again. The Patrons surround the two,
watching closely, rapt by Remmick’s words.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
          And lies of a dominion of man over
          beast and earth. Hierarchy of man,
          woman, and groups of kin.

Slams him again into the water. Sammie gasps for air.
Remmick pulls him close.
                                                     116.


                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
          You will taste the sweet pain of
          death. And you will awaken to the
          truth. We are earth, and beast,
          and God. We are woman and man. We
          are connected, you and I, to
          everything. Not me above and you
          below but one. And we will make
          beautiful music together.

Remmick bares his teeth to bite Sammie when BLAM, Sammie
swings his guitar into Remmick’s face, the wood
shattering around him, but the met al face cutting into
Remmick’s face! It’s silver, not white gold. And it
surprises Remmick with the damage it causes him. He pulls
the resonator out, and smoke and blood flows from the
gash.

The other vampires on the riverbank grab their heads and
moan in agony.

Remmick tosses the resonator into the river, and moves
towards Sammie.

                        REMMICK (CONT’D)
          Sammie...

He grabs him by his face and prepares to bite h im when...

SCHOOCT- A STAKE TIP bursts through Remmick’s chest. He
gasps... then falls to his knees revealing a battle
ravaged Smoke behind him.

The other Vampires react and wail in pain, as if they
have been stabbed. Clutching their chests and writhing in
pain.

Smoke sloshes over and checks Sammie’s neck frantically.

                        SMOKE
          Did they get you? You okay? I’m
          gon get you home.

The sun breaks further and crests the horizon and the
other vampires begin to howl in agony and crawl their way
towards the juke. Their bodies sizzling. They fall to the
ground and burst into flames.

Remmick’s body begins to sizzle and smoke. As he burns he
transforms into an older more decayed version of himself.
He then turns to the sun, smiles and EXPLODES into a
PILLAR OF FIRE.
                                                     117.


The pillar swirls into a vortex, and then dissipates...
silence.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - DAY

Smoke limps over to the truck. Sammie follows behind him
holding the tattered guitar neck. Smoke removes a large
box from the trunk and tosses Sammie the car key.

                        SMOKE
          Go home. And bury that somewhere.

                        SAMMIE
          I can’t. It’s Charlie Patton’s.

                        SMOKE
          What? Who told you that?

                        SAMMIE
          Stack. Said ya’ll won it off him
          in a bet.

Smoke shakes his head.

                        SMOKE
          That lyin’ son of a bitch. That’s
          our daddy’s guitar.

Sammie thinks on this and looks down at it.

                        SAMMIE
          Ya’ll daddy was a musician?

Smoke looks back at the mill for a beat. Then back to
Sammie.

                         SMOKE
          Go home.

Sammie stares at Smoke for beat, then climbs into the car
and pulls off.

Smoke watches him ride off into the distance.

MOMENTS LATER

Smoke lumbers to the entrance of the mill, carrying the
tool box.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out Stack’ s dog tag
and his tobacco and papers. He tries to roll himself a
cigarette, but his hands shake too much and he drops it.
                                                       118.


His eyes well, but he pushes it down before they spill- a
final deposit to a well he thought he shut many years
ago.

Smoke pulls his knife and with one hand, and pulls the
leather necklace holding his mojo bag with his other,
cuts the necklace and allows the bag to fall to the
ground.

He opens the tool box, revealing a war chest. Parts for a
BROWNING and a THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN, as well as two
HA ND GRENADES.

Smoke assembles the weapons.


EXT. LUMBER MILL - DAY

Three cars drive down the road towards the mill, in
formation. They park and 15 passengers exit, HOGWOOD
first among them.

Some are armed, but most hold cleaning supplies.

                        HOGWOOD
          Club Juke, huh? Grand opening,
          grand closing. Alright boys, open
          it up-

BOOM! PFFT! Hogwood falls to the ground, hit by bullet
fired by an unseen assailant.

One of HOGWOOD’S HENCHMEN turns to open fire but is cut
down as well.

We reveal the source of the volley - Smoke, dick in the
dirt behind the Browning, firing it until empty.

SIX OF HOGWOOD’S HENCHMEN try to load into the TRUCK.

Smoke moves to the Thompson, picks it up, and walks them
down firing.

The Driver tries to start the truck up while another
Henchman shoots at Smoke.

Smoke takes a SHOT to the belly. Falls to a knee. He
watches as the truck starts up, c old fire in his eyes. He
stands, grabs a GRENADE from his pocket. Pulls the pin.
Hurls it sidearm towards the truck, and takes cover...

BOOM!

The truck EXPLODES.
                                                       119.


Smoke turns back towards Hogwood, who is still breathing,
holding his wound.

Smoke limps over to him and looks down.

                        SMOKE
          You got a cigarette?

                        HOGWOOD
          Go to hell Nigger!

Smoke stares at him for a long, unblinking beat.

                          HOGWOOD (CONT’D)
          Left pocket.

Smoke bends down and pulls a pack of cigarettes from
Hogwood’s left pocket.

                          SMOKE
          Matches?

Hogwood motions to his chest pocket with his chin. Smoke
lights a cigar ette, takes a drag and shakes the match
out. He drops to his ass out of exhaustion. Sits the
Tommy Gun down.

He takes a deep breath, maybe the first time he’s relaxed
since we’ve seen him. He hears something... a baby
cooing? He turns to his left and next to him is ANNIE,
wearing white, nursing an INFANT.

Smoke smiles as the baby finishes.

                        ANNIE
          You put out that cig and you can
          hold her. I don’t wa nt that smoke
          on her.

Smoke nods and puts it out when.

                          HOGWOOD (O.S.)
          Hey...

Smoke turns to Hogwood.

                        HOGWOOD (CONT’D)
          I have money...

Smoke, exasperated at his audacity. He reaches for the
Thompson, aims it, and pulls the trigger with the last of
his strength.

Then reaches for his daughter.
                                                       120.


EXT. CHURCH HOUSE - DAY

Sammie parks the car and exits, still in a daze. The
blood on his clothes dried to a maroon crust.

He walks to the church door, opens it, and-


INT. CHURCH HOUSE - DAY

Sammie enters to find everyone in their Sunday Best,
mostly cotton, bleached white fabrics. His father
Jedidiah wearing black.

                        CHILDREN’S CHOIR
          This little light of mine, I’m
          gonna let it shine, this little
          light of mine, I’m gonna let it
          shine...

Jedidiah makes eye contact with Sammie: his look holding
shock, shame, and pride in equal parts.

The children keep singing, but murmurs of confusion from
the congregation poke through the spiritual.

                          JEDIDIAH
          Come son.

He extends his arm from beyond the pulpit. Sammie sees
this gesture and begins to cry.

                        JEDIDIAH (CONT’D)
          My son has felt the call of sin.
          You see what it gets you? But the
          Lord calls upon us to be fishers
          of men who sin and show them the
          way.

Sammie walks into the open arms of his father and begins
to break down, clinging to his father.

                        JEDID IAH (CONT’D)
          I want you to swear to me, and
          swear before this congregation, to
          leave those sinning ways where
          they lie.

Samuel nods.

                        JEDIDIAH (CONT’D)
          I want you make the promise right
          now.
                                                     121.


Jedidiah turns Sammie to the crowd.

                        JEDIDIAH (CONT’D)
          Sing Samuel, but sing not for the
          Devil. Sing for the Lord.

Jedidiah turns Samuel to the congregation.

                        SAMUEL
          Steal away... steal away
          steal away to Jesus.

                        JEDIDIAH
          My prodigal son has returned.

                        SAMUEL
          Steal away... steal away
          steal away to Jesus.

We go tight on Sammie’s eyes still swollen with tears as
he belts out his tune-

Jedidiah turns to Sammie, seein g the guitar neck still in
his hand.

                        JEDIDIAH
          Drop the guitar Samuel. In the
          name of God!

Sammie hears his father, but struggles. Tears well in his
eyes.

                        JEDIDIAH (CONT’D)
          Swear to never again answer the
          devils call. I know some of ya’ll
          out there hear him talking, the
          call of whisky, the call of slick
          talking mens, and loose womens,
          you can let them call and not
          answer! YOU CAN TELL THEM MY EARS,
          MY HEART, MY BODY, MY SOUL, MY
          VOICE, BELONGETH TO THE LORD.

Sammie winces, and we cut to-


EXT. MISSISSIPPI STREET - DAY

Sammie drives Stack’s car down the road. The weight of
all of the loss hits him. He presses the guitar neck to
his heart as he steers.

                                               HARD CUT TO:
                                                    122.


                         EPILOGUE

CHYRON- CHICAGO, IL, 1992


INT. PEARLINE’S BLUES BAR - NIGHT

SAMMIE (now 80 y.o) shreds a Blues riff on an electric
guitar. His face still scared from Remmick’s claws, but
his suit and custom guitar signal a long journey from
that plantation.

The CROWD, diverse, but mostly white, soaks up every
second of it. Sammie has the same electricity from his
youth, but with the added knowledge that this could be
his last rodeo, the crowd savors every note.

MOMENTS L ATER

The Bar is closing up, and the last patrons exit, still
buzzing from the show.

Sammie sits his guitar case next to a seat and sits down
at the end of the bar.

                        BARTENDER
           Usual?

                        SAMMIE
          Make it a double.

Bartender obliges.

Sammie sips slow, and winces. Just within earshot we can
hear the BOUNCER speaking with someone outside.

                        BOUNCER (O.S.)
          We just closed up but I’ll see
          what I can do. Wait here.

T he Bouncer enters.

                         BOUNCER (CONT’D)
           Hey Boss I got two out here. I
           told em we’re closed but they
           offered a couple hundred bucks.

                         SAMMIE
           Don’t bother me none.

The Bouncer nods to Sammie and exits.

                        BOUNCER (O.S.)
          You guys are all good.
                                                    123.


                         FAMILIAR VOICE
          Thank ya.

Sammie’s cup stops mid journey to his lips. He waits,
listens, and we see the late night patrons enter. It’s
STACK, and MARY dressed in early 90s style. Cartier
sunglasses on Stack’s eyes, door knocker earnings on
Mary, a cherry tootsie pop in her mouth.

She takes a seat across from the Bartender.

Stack sits next to Sammie.

                        STACK
          I’ll have whatever the old man is
          having.

                        BA RTENDER
          Careful. I don’t want to have to
          be carrying you out of here.

Stack chuckles at this while the bartender pours.

The Bartender then shoots Mary a thirsty look and pours
her a drink she didn’t ask for.

                        BARTENDER (CONT’D)
               (whispers)
          Ya’ll together?

Mary looks at Stack and back to the Bartender.

                        MARY
          All depends...

The Bartender smiles.

                        MARY (CONT’D)
          What’s your blood type?

The Bartender recoils at the question. Ba cks up and
starts cleaning glasses. Mary stares him down and flings
spit from her tootsie pop onto the bar before returning
it to her mouth.

Sammie looks at Stack.

                         SAMMIE
          How?

                        STACK
          I guess I was the one person he
          couldn’t kill.
                        (MORE)
                                                    124.
                        STACK (CONT’D)
          He made me promise to stay away
          from you... let you live out your
          life.

Sammie almost smiles at this.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          And I see you didn’t listen to him
          or yo Daddy either huh?

                        SAMMIE
          I tried. Blues just in me I guess.

Stack removes his sunglasses. He leans towards Sammie.
Sniffs the air like a bloodhound... or a grey wolf.

We see in the mirror behind the bar, Stack has no
reflection.

                        STACK
          Won’t be long for you, huh?

                        SAMMIE
          Sorosis. Few more months. Figure
          I’ll spend em tourin’.

                        STACK
          And drinking? Fighting fire with
          fire.

Sammie nods at this. Laughs.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          I can make it so you can stick
          around. Would you like that? Keep
          tourin', keep livin’. No pain?

Sammie looks at Stack for a long beat.

                        SAMMIE
          Nah, I reckon I seen enough of
          this place. I’d like to know what
          comes next.

                        STACK
          What if it’s just a whol e lot of
          nuthin.

                        SAMMIE
          Fine by me. It’ll be a nice change
          of pace.
                                                     125.


                        STACK
          I got every one of them records
          you made.

Sammie smiles at this.

                        STACK (CONT’D)
          But I don’t like this electric
          shit as much as the real. I miss
          the real. The recordings from back
          then is dog shit. You still got
          the real in you?

Sammie gets up and opens his guitar case. It’s an old
Steel Acoustic in there. He slips on his slide. And he
plays (TRAVELIN’) in the old way, the Delta way.

Stack closes his e yes and sways to it, Mary nestles in
under his arm swaying the same way.

Sammie finishes.

Stack opens his eyes. Pulls out his money and drops two
$100 on the bar, revealing a GOLD FOUR FINGER RING that
spells out “SMOKE”. Stack stands up, puts his glasses
back on and heads towards the door. Mary stands and takes
a beat.

                        MARY
          Take care little Sammie.

She turns and catches up with Stack.

                        SAMMIE
          You know something?

Stack and Mary stop and turn back.

                        SAMMIE (CONT’D)
          I have nightmares about that
          night, maybe once a week I wake
          paralyzed. Re- living it.
               (beat)
          But before the sun went down, I
          think it was the best day of my
          life. Was it like that for you?

Stack smiles takes his glasses off again.

                        STACK
          No doubt about it. Last time I
          seen my brother... last time I
          seen the sun. And for a few hours,
          we was fre e.
                                                    126.


Stack slips his glasses back on and he and Mary head out.
Sammie watches as they go, and smiles at the thought.

                                                FADE OUT.
