ROSE’S CLEARING – TWILIGHT
ROSE is in bed. She’s weak. BRIAN, on the floor, leans against the bed. She strokes his head.
ROSE
Getting those damn trees to heart attack was the hardest job we ever done, baby, but boy-oh-boy…
(coughing)
…was it worth it or what?
BRIAN
But look at what it’s done to you, sick in bed, weak as Hell, snivelling away on account of me.
ROSE blows her nose.
ROSE
I’m not snivelling! I’m fine and dandy. Stop feeling sorry for me. And it ain’t on account of you. Never was.
ENTER
REBECCA and ISAAC rushing up to the opened door. They cannot see ROSE.
REBECCA
Brian?
ISAAC
That’s him all right.
REBECCA
Can you hear me?
ISAAC
He’s talking to the bed.
BRIAN
Don’t come in!
REBECCA and ISAAC look at each other, befuddled.
ISAAC
There’s big trouble, Bri. Serious trouble.
BRIAN
I said get out!
They back out of the cabin.
ISAAC (shouting)
You got five minutes in there and then I’m coming after you and I’m gonna haul you off this mountain faster than you can snap your finger.
(to REBECCA)
How come he’s mad at us?
REBECCA (not believing herself)
Don’t worry. He knows what he’s doing.
They go and sit on the rock.
BRIAN picks up ROSE’S table improvising a door, replacing the one he blew off earlier. His heart isn’t in it.
ROSE
Listen kid, with me on vacation it’s time for you to face the music. They’re coming – Flint and his posse – just like they came for Frankenstein.
BRIAN
It’s hardly the same.
ROSE (coughing)
If you’re ever gonna take what’s yours, what belongs to you heart n soul…
BRIAN (taking her hand)
We’ve been through this before.
ROSE
And we’re going through it all over again, dearie. That’s life as they say.
(blowing her nose)
You gonna have to learn, sooner or later, how not to screw it up when your heart takes a hit. How not to blow off the rest of humanity.
She beckons him close. At first she doesn’t say anything. Then, looking straight into his eyes:
ROSE
This is your time, my boy. Forget yourself, and you’ll remember everything.
She looks up at giant snapshots of children. In front of each is an unlit candle.
A photo of a BOY in a silver frame. A birthday candle ignites in front of it, all by itself. The boy is TOMMY as a kid.
ROSE
You won’t have any more chances.
A photo of a cute GIRL. It is SHIRRONDA when she was very small. The candle in front of her ignites.
ROSE looks up at the photos, unframed and curling at the edges, thumb tacked on a beam. A string of Christmas lights blink on in front of them.
ROSE, smiling, begins to fade.
BRIAN
Don’t do this!
ROSE
It ain’t about you, baby, but fear not, I ain’t goin’ far.
She laughs, coughs and passes out in his arms.
All of a sudden the table BRIAN stuck in the doorway comes clattering down. In its place, ISAAC, eyebrows furrowed with resolve, is waiting.
ISAAC
It’s now or never, Brian. I mean it. You gotta bolt. If you get hurt Rebecca will just give up and die!
BRIAN (clearing the decks)
Hit the lookout, kid. Keep an eye. You know how t’ do it.
ISAAC
I ain’t movin’.
BRIAN (supernaturally powerful)
Scram!
ISAAC takes off.
REBECCA
What’s happened?
He looks at her sadly and slips the harmonica out of his pocket.
In the distance we can hear the triangle being rung. The congas start up. BRIAN plays the theme from “I WANT TO BE LOVED” . This works against
(INTRUMENTAL) – “REIGN OF TERROR”.


TABLEAU (OR FILM PROJECTION):
INT. CHILD’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
REBECCA, a child again, is asleep in her bed. The intense buzzing sound returns with the MEMBER ‘SOULS’ dressed as before, but without the mirror ‘eyes’. Instead, their eyes are covered by black bandanas, tied at the back, execution style.
BRIAN is in the background, watching. FLINT comes barging in.
FLINT
Becky? You awake?
REBECCA
Daddy?
FLINT
Your Mama’s gone.
REBECCA
Where to?
FLINT
She left us.
REBECCA
Mommy’s coming back. She always does.
FLINT
I’m afraid not, child. This time she’s run off with another Daddy.
REBECCA (arms around his neck)
I only have one Daddy.
He rolls onto the bed. He looks extraordinarily large in her small, little girl’s bed. The light in the room gets white hot, fast.
REBECCA
Daddy? What are you doing?!
EXIT
MEMBER SOULS
BLACK OUT
REBECCA (in darkness)
I can’t see! Where are you!

MUSIC: “BROKEN PROMISES”   (song)
LIGHTS UP ON
BRIAN drops the harmonica. He takes REBECCA by the shoulders and shakes her, snapping her out of it. He hugs her. She hums the intro melody darkly.
BRIAN & REBECCA
ALL I WANT IS JUST TO
MAKE YOU HAPPY, BABY
ALL I WANT IS JUST TO
MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE

REBECCA
I AM A PRISONER AND I
SOMETIMES I WANNA TAKE MY LIFE
BUT SOMEONE ELSE IS HOLDING ONTO ME
SOMETIMES IT’S HARD
TO EVEN DREAM

ISAAC is shrieking in the distance.
BRIAN & REBECCA
BROKEN PROMISES
AND BROKEN DREAMS
NOTHING IN THIS CRAZY WORLD
IS EVER WHAT IT SEEMS
AND ALL I GET
FOR ALL THIS SWEAT

BRIAN
IS JUST A BROKEN

BRIAN & REBECCA
…HEART

We HEAR the sound of boots, stomping through the underbrush. At the edge of the clearing torchlight splinters through the trees at bizarre angles.
The congas grow louder. The triangle has stopped ringing.
REBECCA
ARE PEOPLE REALLY
HEARTLESS AND CRUEL
I KNOW THEY DON’T TEACH YOU THAT
IN SCHOOL
AND IF YOU LEARN
TO PLAY THEIR GAME
YOU BECOME LIKE THEM
AND ACT THE SAME

BRIAN & REBECCA
BROKEN PROMISES
AND BROKEN DREAMS
NOTHING IN THIS CRAZY WORLD
IS EVER WHAT IT SEEMS
AND ALL I GET
FOR ALL THIS SWEAT

BRIAN
IS JUST A BROKEN

BRIAN & REBECCA
…HEART
THIS CRAZY WORLD IS TEARING US
APART
THEY NEVER LET YOU FINISH
WHAT YOU START

BRIAN & REBECCA
YOU AND ME
CAN PUT THIS BACK TOGETHER

BRIAN
COME ON BABE

The MEMBERS, torches high, collect at the edge of the clearing.
REBECCA
WE ARE ALL PRISONERS INSIDE
IT’S JUST THE GOOD WE ALWAYS HIDE
SO COME ALONG YOU CAN BE FREE
YOU ARE ONLY WHAT
YOU BELIEVE

BRIAN & REBECCA
BROKEN PROMISES
AND BROKEN DREAMS
NOTHING IN THIS CRAZY WORLD
IS WHAT IT SEEMS

The MEMBERS form a rough semi-circle a few short yards away from BRIAN and REBECCA.
BRIAN & REBECCA
BROKEN PROMISES
AND BROKEN DREAMS
BROKEN PROMISES
AND BROKEN DREAMS

There’s a disturbance at one end of the semi-circle.
ENTER
TUBBS. TWO MEMBER ‘THUGS’ (pug-faced FLINT henchmen) guard him. He is resisting, but to no avail. His ankles are tied, his wrists bound behind his back and his mouth gagged.
BRIAN & REBECCA
BROKEN PROMISES
AND BROKEN DREAMS
BROKEN PROMISES
AND BROKEN DREAMS

ENTER
FLINT, with BETSY. His clothes are covered with dried blood. A space is made for him. The volume of the mob (congas, pots and pans, tools, etc.) crescendos.
BRIAN takes REBECCA in his arms. Her eyes close. The mob worked up, but for the audience – the volume is ‘turned down’.
ROSE (voice – only BRIAN can hear her)
What did you promise me?
BRIAN
That I wouldn’t…
ROSE
That’s not the point! You’re jumping the gun! Rebecca’s not the one who’s gonna die, you idiot!
BRIAN
But you said…
ROSE
Forget what I said. It’s too late. I’m signing off.
Instantly the full sound of the mob returns.
FLINT
Take him!
BETSY
Yay!
TUBBS takes this opportunity to hop away, down into the dark woods. Nobody notices.
BRIAN
Rebecca, I don’t think you’re going to appreciate what I’m about to do.
REBECCA
Then don’t do it.
FLINT
Tie him up! The boy is mad!
BRIAN gently holds REBECCA at arms length.
BRIAN
I’ve decided…to stay outa your life. Without me or anybody else around ya won’t be bent or broken or messed with. You’ll get t’ make your own mistakes.
REBECCA
I’ll lose my heart forever if I break it one more time.
BRIAN
Because we truly care about each other…
REBECCA ‘reads’ his face with trembling hands.
REBECCA
I’m afraid.
BRIAN takes a step back, away from her.
BRIAN
…we’ll let the river take us…
She pulls him towards her quickly, in one motion and kisses him on the lips.
FLINT
Blasphemy!
BETSY
Witchboy!
FLINT advances. He holds a thick wooden Crucifix. He’s not afraid, but he’s not taking any chances. With a nod he directs the MEMBERS to encircle the lovers, closing in.
BRIAN, placing REBECCA behind him, assumes his ‘power stance’ – arms stiff, outstretched, upraised. The MEMBERS fall back.
Nothing happens.
FLINT, emboldened, whacks BRIAN with the blunt end of the Crucifix. BRIAN, waiting for his powers to kick in, gets his face smashed. He falls, holding his head. FLINT gives the Crucifix to BETSY.
BRIAN (smiling)
Woah.
FLINT
Now you know the power of God.
BRIAN
So that’s it. That’s what all the fuss was about. Rebecca kissing me!
FLINT kicks him in the gut. He buckles, but doesn’t seem to care.
BRIAN
Rebecca kisses me and all I lose is what I never wanted in the first place. And I was gonna walk away from this? Red, you’re a genius.
REBECCA
What are you talking about?
BETSY
It’s your stupid boyfriend. He’s a goner.
FLINT brings the Crucifix down hard on the back of BRIAN’S head.
BETSY
Lights out.
REBECCA tries to locate him.
REBECCA
Where are you?
FLINT (grabbing her hand)
You can still be saved.
REBECCA
You still don’t get it, do you? That I love him. That he can have me any way he wants.
FLINT
Silence!
REBECCA
If I told them all I knew…
FLINT
You are bewitched!
REBECCA
…about my blindness.
FLINT
Liar!
He covers her mouth with his hand.
FLINT
She cannot speak until she is prepared to tell the truth.
REBECCA (breaking free)
I know what happened to me ’Daddy’.
FLINT hits her hard across the back of her head with his cane. She slumps against him. He tightens his hand more firmly over her mouth, even though she’s barely conscious.
FLINT
Pick up the body.
They are paralyzed.
FLINT
I said pick it up, you morons! Get him the fuck outa here!
BETSY
Yah! Get on with it! Do what he says!
They stir, pick BRIAN up and create an efficient procession out of the clearing.
FLINT (to the stragglers)
Set fire to the cabin.
They don’t move fast enough.
BETSY
For Christ sakes…
(dropping the Crucifix and grabbing a torch)
…I’ll do it.
BLACKOUT
ORANGE SPOTLIGHT UP ON
BETSY, backing away from the heat. She trips and rolls. She pushes herself up.
BETSY
What a night.
She notices a bright object in the grass. It is BRIAN’S harmonica. She picks it up. It lets out a peep. She recoils and drops it. It plays a few notes by itself, sweetly.
BETSY
Not bad.
Suspiciously, she curls her fingers underneath it and with one, stiff, cupped hand, plops it into her pocket.
BETSY
Good harmonica. Nice harmonica.
She looks back at the burning cabin and then, as fast as her legs can carry her, runs down the mountain.

SCENE 5

SUGARBUSH – DAWN
Tubbs hops up to the Big Tree as ISAAC shinnies down the rope. He yanks TUBBS’S gag off, working quickly, untying his hands and feet.
TUBBS
Ah, my little peccadillo, true friends never fail.
He stumbles off.
TUBBS (yelling back over his shoulder)
Now don’t you let nothin' happen to nobody 'til I give th’ green light.
ISAAC
Where are you going?
TUBBS
Sugarhouse.
ISAAC shinnies back up the Rope.
He makes it just in time to observe the MEMBERS proceed, single-file, past the foot of his tree. They carry the unconscious BRIAN.
The last in line is TOMMY. He hangs his head. They leave. ISAAC cranes his neck to see if he missed anybody. There is a pause, then…
ENTER
FLINT, dragging REBECCA with him. MARIE and EMMANUEL are last. FLINT looks up. ISAAC yanks his head back in the nick of time.
REBECCA
Enjoying yourself, Daddy?
FLINT rips off a section of her blouse, stuffs it into her mouth and binds it securely in back.
FLINT (shoving her)
Find your own way down the mountain.
REBECCA, arms courageously feeling her way, heads off. MARIE chases after and guides her out of the Sugarbush.
ISAAC, struggling to observe, knocks over the basket that holds the Rope. FLINT looks up and sees it tumbling down.
FLINT
What have we here?
As the Rope snaps to its full length, FLINT catches it, holding it taut. It quivers like a giant bass string.
FLINT
Come on down, little brother, you are safe with me.
ISAAC
I ain’t scared o’ you.
FLINT
That’s right, there is nothing to fear.
ISAAC
That’s what you always say.
EMMANUEL
If it’s alright with you, Reverend…
FLINT
Yes, yes. Get going. Get out of here.
EMMANUEL leaves.
FLINT
Your friends will be needing you, you know. You must come down. Or must I climb up?
The woods are deathly quiet. The trees are still contorted. The blood has stopped oozing. It is rust brown, encrusted on the flanks of the trees. The Big Tree is in the worst shape of all, painfully disfigured and bent.
ISAAC, one tentative toe after another, begins to climb down.
FLINT
Atta boy.
ISAAC makes it about a third of the way down when FLINT snaps the Rope. ISAAC barely holds on.
ISAAC
Hey! Stop! I’m coming!
He inches down further. FLINT takes the Rope in both hands and snaps it brutally. BETSY comes running in, out of breath.
BETSY
Yay! Get him! Shake him off! Do it good!
Her voice is shrill and horrible to listen to. ISAAC is doing his best, but the hideous jerking action of the Rope is too much for him.
In one monstrous burst, FLINT snaps the Rope one last time. ISAAC falls with a shriek and lands on his back.
BETSY
Serves you right.
FLINT picks him up. His body is as limp as a rag doll. He tosses the boy onto the pile of dead animals accumulated at the foot of a nearby Marker.
ISAAC lands in a heap. His lifeless arms and legs assume unnaturally odd, uncomfortable positions. His face is upturned. His eyes closed.
FLINT dusts off his hands as if he just finished the dishes. He seems recovered, normal, purged. He strides off down the mountain.
BETSY stays behind. She looks small in the overwhelming cathedral of the Sugarbush. She stands there for a long time, breathing heavily. She walks over to where ISAAC is lying. She kicks some leaves up over his body.
BETSY
You never learned nothing.
She is starting to crack up. She picks up his inanimate hand, shaking it.
BETSY
C’mon! Stop faking!
She drops it.
BETSY (close to tears)
Tell ya somethin’?
She makes absolutely sure she’s alone with him, peering around the woods with her sharp little eyes.
BETSY
Just don’t tell nobody, okay?
MUSIC: “HEAVEN WILL COME”   (song)
BETSY
Don’t die, Isaac. Please? I need ya around. I need ya to get in trouble. I ain’t got nobody. Ever since my Mama got sacrificed…
She is sobbing. She knows he is dead. She reaches into her pocket, pulls out the harmonica and places it in his lifeless hand.
BETSY
Here.
A MOUNTAIN LION comes bounding out of the brush, snarling. The short hairs between his ears are bright red. BETSY screams and runs away.
The MOUNTAIN LION instantly transforms into ROSE who, kneeling beside ISAAC, strokes his cheek.
ROSE
WHEN ALL THE CHILDREN ARE
SO FAST ASLEEP
AND YOU LIE AWAKE
IN YOUR LONELY BED
TREMBLING
AND IF IT’S THE SAME FOR YOU
AS IT IS FOR ME
DO YOU CRY WITH THE SKY
IN YOUR STARRY EYES
WONDERING?

Two of the dead animals underneath the Marker flutter to life and dart away. Gradually, uncramping from their bizarre affliction, the trees begin to straighten and recover.
Once again CHILD ANGELS (like the DANCER ‘SOULS’ moments ago these are CHILD ‘SOULS’ spirit bodies of the youngest MEMBERS of the Kingdom) sit on the forest floor, hang from branches, float in mid-air.
ROSE
SOMEONE WILL COME TO YOU
IN THE NIGHT
PUT THEIR ARMS AROUND YOU AND
TURN OUT THE LIGHT
WE ALL NEED A MOTHER AND A FATHER
AND A LOVER
TO HOLD US TIGHT
AND HEAVEN WILL COME
TO YOU

The Sugarbush is no longer dark. Sunlight filters through the branches, healing the woods as the trees unbend completely and stand tall. The remaining animals and birds come fully to life. ISAAC begins to breathe.
ROSE
WHEN THERE’S SOMETHING YOU WANNA SAY
BUT YOU DON’T KNOW HOW
ABOUT THE WAY YOU FEEL
WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEBODY
LIKE A RIVER
LIKE A CLOUD
AND YOUR HEART CRIES OUT
AND YOUR BODY’S ALIVE
AND YOUR EYES
THEY SAY IT ALL

ISAAC opens his eyes a crack and looks at her.
ISAAC
Do I know you?
She hugs him close.
ROSE & ISAAC
(ISAAC’s voice is weak, but there)
WITH LIGHT AND TEARS
AND MADNESS AND LAUGHTER
AND YOU’RE RISING
AS YOU FALL
SOMEONE WILL COME TO YOU
IN THE NIGHT
PUT THEIR ARMS AROUND YOU AND
TURN OUT THE LIGHT
WE ALL NEED A MOTHER AND A FATHER
AND A LOVER
TO HOLD US TIGHT
AND HEAVEN WILL COME
TO YOU

The Sugarbush is completely healed. ROSE carries ISAAC to the foot of the Big Tree.
ROSE
HEAVEN WILL COME

ISAAC
SOMEONE WILL COME TO YOU

She sets him on his feet. He is wobbly at first and then, fragile, stands.
ROSE
HEAVEN WILL COME

ISAAC
SOMEONE WILL COME TO YOU

ROSE
HEAVEN WILL COME

ISAAC
SOMEONE WILL COME TO YOU

ROSE
HEAVEN WILL COME

ISAAC
HEAVEN WILL COME

He holds this last note as ROSE transforms back into the MOUNTAIN LION and lies down. ISAAC releases the note, squats and stares into the animal’s golden eyes.
The MOUNTAIN LION expires.