Play 17: The Three Sisters

by Joseph Frost

a play written for The 31 Plays in 31 Days Project

Draft August 17, 2012

Attic Scripts 4550 Normandy Dr Jackson, MS 39206 atticscripts@hotmail.com

Two men in hiking gear. They have arrived after a long climb. MOON hangs back, near the path. LEIGHTON takes in the view. My, my. LEIGHTON

(beat) The Three Sisters. As gorgeous as they said. (beat) Im going to take a picture. Leighton gets a very old style camera out of his pack. LEIGHTON (CONTD) You ever take a picture from up here? No. MOON

LEIGHTON Suppose you come up here all the time. Often enough. MOON

LEIGHTON I dont expect Ill be back this way any time soon. Yes sir. MOON Expect thats true. LEIGHTON

(points) Now, which is that one? What is what? That mountain.

MOON LEIGHTON Which sister is that one? MOON

Whats its name?

Thats Barons Peak. Barons.

LEIGHTON Not much of a feminine name, is it? MOON

Expect not.

2. LEIGHTON I thought they were the three sisters. can see from up here. Thats not-MOON

The three peaks you

LEIGHTON Guy told me the story at the tavern. Leakes. I admit, Id had a few before he told me, but I know what he said. What guy? His name was Guy. MOON LEIGHTON Guy Neil. Tall man.

Moustache.

MOON Guy Neil told you a story. LEIGHTON Yep. Said there were three sisters of unsurpassed beauty lived near here, so the people named those three peaks after them. Sarah, Elizabeth, and Minnie. I dont know which ones which. You havent heard this story? MOON Not the way you tell it. (beat) Go on. LEIGHTON Thats all I know, really. I dont even know how long ago this was. If theyre still alive, or what. Expect they aint. Whys that? MOON LEIGHTON

MOON Name something that big after a person. die. Really? Expect. LEIGHTON MOON

Usually after they

LEIGHTON Unless youre the person to discover something. named after you then.

Might be

3. MOON You think three beautiful sisters discovered these mountains? No. LEIGHTON Just making the point. Leighton lines up a picture. photo. MOON What will you do with that picture? LEIGHTON Ill have to see if it turns out. But I imagine having it framed and up on my wall in my study. You imagine. MOON Snaps

LEIGHTON I do. And every time I look at it, Ill remember being up on the top of this mountain. With you. With me. MOON

(beat) Youve never been on this mountain before. Of course not. LEIGHTON

(looks at Moon) What are you getting at? MOON Youve been on this mountain before. Of course I havent. LEIGHTON I dont understand... Moon rushes forward and punches him in the face. Moon stands over Leighton on the ground. Ive seen you. My god. What are you-MOON LEIGHTON Moon backhands Leighton.

4. MOON Moon crosses away to the camera. LEIGHTON Im the man who hired you to lead me up onto this mountain. MOON Youre the man Im going to kill on the top of this mountain. Moon sets the camera on the rock. LEIGHTON What are you talking about? I saw you. With who? My sisters. What?! Sarah. And Elizabeth. With them. MOON Each of them. LEIGHTON MOON LEIGHTON MOON And Minnie.

I know you.

LEIGHTON Ive never met your sisters. MOON They arent three mountain peaks. They are my sisters. Who all died here on the top of this mountain. Brought up here by... someone. Nobody knew who it was. (beat) But I knew. LEIGHTON Ive never been here in my life. I know thats not true. Who is Sarah? MOON I saw you. LEIGHTON With Sarah.

MOON My dead sister. The first one that died. She wasnt my oldest sister; she was the middle one. I always thought she was the prettiest one. People said it was Minnie. (MORE)

5. MOON (CONT'D) I think it was because she was more friendly. (beat) But Sarah was the first to disappear. People didnt even seem to be outraged. Guess they thought people disappeared around here all the time. No one suspected foul play. No one? No. You were lucky. LEIGHTON MOON LEIGHTON MOON LEIGHTON

It wasnt me, I swear. Dont! Dont swear.

Im sorry.

(beat) Im sorry... about your sisters. You should be. MOON

LEIGHTON But I didnt do anything. I promise you. I have never been this far west in my life. You can ask my man back in town. At the hotel. He would know. Ask him. MOON I dont need to ask him. Hes told me everything I need to know. (beat) Hes already dead. Albert. LEIGHTON

MOON You gonna cry for him? (beat) You can, you know. I cried for Sarah. Elizabeth. LEIGHTON

And Elizabeth.

MOON Wasnt a month from Sarah. This time people knew there was something fishy. Wasnt as clean that time. You left something.

6. LEIGHTON

What?

MOON You left something behind. A clue. What clue? A witness. LEIGHTON MOON You were heard. LEIGHTON MOON LEIGHTON

Heard doing what? You woke up a neighbor. A neighbor?

MOON Jim Reichart heard her shout something. She was scared and she shouted. He looked out the window, but by the time he got there, you were already gone. LEIGHTON He knew what she sounded like screaming while scared? He knew Elizabeth. MOON

LEIGHTON Did you investigate this Reichart fellow? I dont need to. MOON

LEIGHTON Thats not evidence. (Moon glares at him) I had nothing to do with this. MOON We didnt know about Minnie until her horse came back into town without her. Blood on the horse. Followed the trail back up to this mountain. Thats where I found them. Bodies all mangled and eaten up by vultures. Like theyd fallen from the sky. (beat) Climbed up here, myself. Found a blood smear on that rock right behind you. Leighton jerks forward, and looks.

7. LEIGHTON MOON Leighton looks back to Moon. LEIGHTON I dont know how you think Im connected to all of this. MOON Because I saw you. (beat) Coming down the mountain. As I was going up. I saw you. Blood on your hands. I saw your man. Waiting for you. I watched you ride off. (beat) It was hard to believe when I saw you ride back into town. You must know that I dont have any more sisters. (beat) But I thank you for doing me a favor. Moon rises. Wait. I dont think so. LEIGHTON MOON Moon pulls a knife, steps toward Leighton. I can... I can pay you. go. LEIGHTON I can give you money. Leighton scoots back. MOON I want to be with my sisters again. I can arrange that. LEIGHTON Leighton kicks at Moons leg; he drops. Leighton disarms him. Leighton strips his coat, flips it, and uses it as a rope around Moons neck. Just let me

Nothing there now. That was a year ago.

8. LEIGHTON (CONTD) This is when I get to thank you for doing me a favor. I had no idea how I was going to get you up here. Your eagerness... made everything so much simpler. (tightens the grip) They were... quite beautiful. Id say, Elizabeth more than the other two. But its so much more than... lust... or desire. Something foolish like that. Moon is struggling heavily. head-butts him. Leighton

LEIGHTON (CONTD) Its too bad your father died before I could get to him. vengeance 4 times over... can be sweet as well. Moon stops completely.

But

Leighton lets up. He stands and goes to the camera. He changes the plate. Leighton photographs Moon laying on the ground. Framed. LEIGHTON (CONTD) On the wall of my study. If it turns out. Leighton rolls Moon off of the edge. He tips the cap to the Three Sisters. Ladies. LEIGHTON (CONTD) He spits down the hill. He takes the camera, and the knife. Leighton exits. Lights down.