Prelude

A shot as from horseback approaching the boundary of a tiny, rural town of the 1880’s. We pass a sign that says, "Welcome to Teabag. Criminals Don’t Get Far Here"

Scene 1

Inside an old-west style sheriff’s office – a smallish room with a beaten-up looking desk in the center, a gun rack with several Western-style rifles and various 1880’s props. There is a simple jail occupying most of the back of the room, except for a back door in one corner. [See any episode of Gunsmoke for an example]. There are two prisoners, the beautiful but dangerous Clanton sisters, Sadie and Caligula. It is a sweltering night, just about 9 o’clock. The guard shift is about to change, but the evening meal for the prisoners has not yet been delivered.

The scene fades in to a shot of Sheriff Roy (Teabag) Tetley sitting behind his desk, shuffling some papers. He wipes the sweat off his forehead, revealing how hot and humid it is. There is a half-eaten donut on the desk. The door opens. Deputy Sheriff Chester comes in. He is carrying a kerosene lantern [revealing that it is night time] in one hand and a cloth covered tray in the other.

Chester: (as he enters). "Well here it is, grub for our distinguished guests. Better late than never."

The Sheriff rises, takes the lantern and places it on the desk. Chester places the tray on the desk also.

Sadie: (initially from off screen, then as a head shot through the cell door) "It’s about time. Hey, come on, don’t keep us wait’n any longer. We’re starv’n here."

Caligula: "Come on Chester, get a move on."

Sheriff: "Keep quiet back there. You’ll get fed." (Then, turning to Chester). "Well Chet, its been a long day. I’m going home. See you in the morning…. Be careful with the prisoners though. They’re pretty, but their dangerous too."

Chester: "I’ll be careful… See ya."

The Sheriff takes the lantern and goes out.

Fade out.

Scene 2

Fade in to the same scene as before. Chester sits down and takes a bite out of the remaining part of the donut.

Sadie: "Come on Chester, we’re hungry.":

Chester takes another bite

Caligula: "Chester! Chester, we’re hungry."

Chester: (Smugly) "You’re also prisoners. You’ll get fed, but every time you compain about it I just seem to forget where I put your food."

The is a quick shot of Sadie and Caligula as they start to respond, but then think better of it.

Fade out.

Scene 3

Fade in to the same situation – a shot of Chester sitting behind the desk. He slowly gets up, picks up the tray, and slowly walks over to the jail cell. He bends down to pass the tray under the door.

Chester: "Well, here’s your grub."

Caligula suddenly rushes at the jail bars, reaches through and grabs Chester by the belt, pulling him up against the bars.

Chester: "What?"

Caligula grabs Chester’s gun from its holster and Sadie rips the key ring from its belt hook.

Sadie: "What was that you said awhile back Chester? Some thing about being careful?

Caligula: "Relax Chester. Just do as you’re told and we won’t hurt you. Just be quiet."

Chester: What ever you say. Yes ma’am, Whatever you say."

Sadie unlocks and opens the cell door. She and Caligula step out and direct Chester in. Chester goes in without offering resistance.

Sadie: It ain’t like we don’t like your hospitality Chester, but this ain’t exactly the Waldorf. (She points to the food). As for that slop, you eat it."

Caligula: "Yea, we’re just gonna go for a little walk Chester. Don’t worry if we’re not back for awhile."

Sadie moves back into the cell carrying a strip of cloth that will become a gag.

Chester: "I won’t worry. You won’t get far."

Sadie: "Oh, I don’t know about that." She begins fitting the gag around Chester’s head, but not yet across his mouth. "It’ll be ten or eleven hours before anyone besides you knows we’re gone.

Caligula: "By then we’ll be long gone."

Chester: "You won’t get far."

Sadie: "Like Cali said, we’ll be long gone by morning."

Chester: "Probably so."

Sadie now puts the gag over Chester’s mouth. Then they slam the jail door shut. They move across the room to the front door and crack it open. Sadie looks out, but quickly closes the door and turns to Caligula.

Sadie: Too many people and too well lit.

Caligula: Let’s go out the back.

The cross the room and exit by the back door. Sadie waves to Chester as they leave.

Fade out.

Scene 4

Fade in to an exterior shot of Sadie and Caligula leaving by the back door of the jail. The camera pans as they walk by quickly and sneak off into the forest. As they pass, the full moon is seen directly ahead of them.

There is no dialogue in this scene.

Fade out

Scene 5

A series of shots of Sadie and Caligula moving, stumbling, and crashing through the dark. The undergrowth grows steadily thicker. Interspersed are quick shots of their feet, showing the ground to be quite wet, though not swampy or flooded.

Sadie:"You know where you’re goin’?

Caligula: "Sort of."

Sadie: "What do you mean, sort of?"

Caligula: "Well when we came out of the jail the moon was straight ahead. It still is, so we’re goin’ in a straight line away from town."

Sadie: "And where does that take us?"

Caligula: "That’s the part I’m not sure of, but its away from town."

Fade out slowly.

Scene 6

Fade in slowly. Sadie and Caligula are now slogging through a shallow swamp. They slap at mosquitoes frequently. There are several panning shots as they pass, struggling through thick undergrowth.

Sadie: "How far do you figure we’ve come from town?"

Caligula: "Hard to tell in the dark, not far though. Maybe a half mile."

Sadie: "Do you think they have dogs?"

Caligula: "I doubt it. Don’t worry about it."

They break out of the swampy area onto slightly higher ground.

Fade slowly out.

Scene 7

Fade slowly in. Sadie and Caligula are moving quickly through very uneven ground. They climb up a six-foot embankment, run on the level for a few yards, then they half run – half fall down a similar embankment. There are several shots of each of them doing this. They are moving side by side a few yards apart (not one behind the other) following each other more by sound than sight.

Fade out.

Scene 8

Fade in to a shot of Caligula running toward the camera. She stumbles down an embankment into a deep puddle of leafy water.

Caligula: "Oh! Ick" (Plus much coughing and gagging)

Sadie: "You all right?"

Caligula: "Yeah, (cough, cough) Just stepped into a big hole full of water, that’s all. (She hauls herself out of the hole) "Probably picked up a body full of leaches though… Come on, let’s keep going."

Scene 9

A head-on view of Sadie at a very fast walk. She slides down an embankment, then takes a couple of steps forward. One foot goes past the ankle into soft mud. The next foot plunges in almost to the knee.

Sadie: "Oh! Yuck!… Ugh!"

(A very brief shot of Caligula continuing on, then back to Sadie. Sadie pulls the deeper foot free without sinking the other foot any deeper. She then loses her balance and starts to fall forward. She takes a step to catch herself and plunges well past her knees into mud.

Sadie: "Eeeeeeeiiiieeeeee" (and other screams) "Cali, Help me!"

Scene 10

A head-on shot of Caligula as she turns toward the scream for help. (Splice in the sound of the "Help me" dialogue to merge this scene with the last. Caligula takes a few running steps forward and then falls down an embankment into the same mudpit as Sadie. She plunges in almost to her waist about ten feet from Sadie.

Fade out quickly

Scene 11

Fade in quickly.

Caligula:"Oooooogh! What is this stuff."

Sadie: Cali, I think this is quicksand."

Caligula: "Quicksand? Oh! No! No! No!"

All of the remaining dialogue in this scene is ad-libbed as the two sisters slowly struggle but sink in the mud. The struggle hard and sink quickly to their chests, then try to remain still. They then sink slowly but steadily until neck deep. Then they begin struggling more. Caligula goes under first. Cut together shots of her face and that of Sadie’s as Caligula goes under. Then show Sadie as she goes under. The camera stays on the spot where Sadie goes under and pulls back slowly afterward. Then fade very slowly to black.

Scene 12

Fade in back in the Sheriff’s office. Sheriff Tetley opens the door and enters. He sees Chester in the cell and rushes to find the keys on the floor, opens the door, and removes the gag from Chester’s mouth.

Sheriff: What happened?"

Chester: "I got careless Roy. They got my gun and got out…. But they won’t get far."

Sheriff:"Go out and ring the fire bell Chet. We’ll get a posse and go after them."

Chester: "It’s okay Roy. They won’t get far. They went out the back."