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OVER BLACK:
(Hoe Emma Hoe plays over)
Pictures of slaves on plantations, being whipped, the scars
swollen on their backs, working the field, a family.

EXT. FARMING FIELDS - DAY

SLAVES, dressed in worn down work clothes, singing Hoe Emma
Hoe, raking the newly turned soil in uni-cine. Sweat beads
run down their faces, the sunbeams down upon them. Seeds are
put into the ground and covered by hand. Among them,
ELIJAH(21), attentive, strong, stops raking and leans upon
his tool. Other slaves look to Elijah and direct him to
continue hoeing.
WINNY
Hoe Emma Hoe, you turn around dig a
hole in the ground. Hoe Emma Hoe!
SLAVES
Hoe Emma Hoe, you turn around dig a
hole in the ground. Hoe Emma Hoe!
WINNY
Say, Emma you from the country!
SLAVES
Hoe Emma Hoe, you turn around dig a
hole in the ground. Hoe Emma hoe.
BILL(53), Weathered, stiff, rest upon his tool, looking into
the foreground, and turns to the slaves.
BILL
I ain't wanna hear any more of that
singin now unless one of ya wanna
get up on that tree and catch a
whippin.
(pause)
The slaves continue to work in silence and Elijah stands
still staring at Bill.
BILL (CONT'D)
You hear me boy! You wanna catch
another lick, don't ya?
Elijah slowly goes back to raking. As he starts to sing he
glares at Bill.
 2.

ELIJAH
Now Emma help me, to pull these
weeds!
SLAVES
Hoe Emma Hoe, you turn around dig a
hole in the ground!
The slaves singing fades off as, SAM (24), Bill's son,
approaches Bill attentively. Leading him away from the
slaves. The slaves slowly rake and glare at Bill and Sam.
SAM
What are ya lookin' at, ya dumbass
spooks. Get back to work now!
(pause)
You too boy, you and that fine
thing you tryin keep safe.
Elijah moves a step closer to, LUCY(27), elegant, frail,
bright and gives her a slight nod.
BILL
Come on now, what is it son?
SAM
Mr. Dowell, right up the road said
he had some runaways--
BILL
(whispered)
Now keep it down son, come here.

Bill, leading them off, whisper back and forth to each other
as the slaves watch tentatively while working. WINNY (24),
Elijah's cousin, strong, blunt and rigid speaks.
WINNY
Boy, when you gon' learn to do what
you suppose' to do. Ain't you had
enough lickins?
ELIJAH
I had bout' enough alright.
WINNY
Mhm-mmm, ain't we all. Go on now
boy, do ya work.
Elijah looks at Lucy with a faint smile, she smiles back and
he goes back to raking.
 3.

ELIJAH
I be so glad when... when the sun
goes down.
SLAVES
When the sun go down.
ELIJAH
I be so glad when... when the sun
goes down...

INT. SLAVES DEN - DUSK

Elijah, sits on a wooden plank, chained to a post, peeping
through a crack in the wood.
The slaves, chained to one another, looking beaten down and
miserable, lying on the ground, some women sew, some eat grub
on the ground.
The door to the den burst open, Lucy in a fit, crying
desperately, is thrown to the ground by Sam viciously. Sam
spits on her and grins at Elijah as he locks her into the
chain they share, he slowly walks out staring at Elijah.
LUCY
I wasn't gon let them have a piece
of me tonight but they whipped me
real good lijah', real good.
ELIJAH
We gon get outta here real soon
now, ya hear me?
She cries softly into his chest. Elijah stares at,
Charles(46), the oldest living slave on the plantation. He
looks in deep thought.
Off-screen we hear the sounds of men boarding a carriage,
Elijah, still holding Lucy, peeps through the crack again.
We see Bill and Sam taking off down the dirt road.
ELIJAH (CONT'D)
We gon leave tonight, you hear me,
Lucy?
LUCY
Tonight?
ELIJAH
Yeah, tonight.
 4.

They embrace and the slaves look at Elijah suspiciously.

Winny leans over to speak.
WINNY
What you just say now, boy?
ELIAJH
You heard me, we gettin outta here.
WINNY
You gon' take the rest of us now
witcha ya?
The salves chuckle at this.
ELIJAH
No, we had our time here and now we
gon'.
WINNY
You gon' get you and Lucy snatched
up, you know that?
LUCY
I ain't gonna let them have no more
piece of me, we leave, tonight.
Y'all welcome to come but betta
chance of us gettin outta here
alone.
(Beat)
The room is silent, with hesitant faces on everyone's faces.
WINNY
You always been a thick-headed
sonovabitch... I just hope you know
what ya doin'.
ELIJAH
We gon' be safe, don't ya worry
now.
Elijah looks over to Charles, he looks disapproving and tries
to give a slight nod.

INT. SLAVES DEN - LATER

It is pitch blackout, the slaves sleep and Lucy and Elijah
begin to exit from their bed and crouch beneath to exit.
 5.

CHARLES
(whispered)
You gotta get down to the dismal
river, there gon be a boat a watin
for ya.
(pause)
They gon' come lookin' for ya soon,
gon' have to move fast. Be careful
now boy.
Elijah gives Charles a nod and they shuffle out the opening
and Charles closes the hole back up. As he closes the hole,
slaves look to him in disapproval.

EXT. THE WOODS - CONTINUOUS

(Sweet Honey In The Rock - Eyes on the Prize plays)
Elijah and Lucy sprint through the trees, dodging each tree
in sight. Elijah is leading and Lucy is struggling to keep
up, she pants heavily and looks as if she might faint.
ELIJAH
C'mon Lucy, baby, ain't no stopping
now, not yet.
Lucy reluctantly proceeds forward as Elijah tugs on the chain
and they continue through the brush.

EXT. THE WOODS - CONTINUOUS

Elijah and Lucy approach a railroad tunnel and begin to slow
down to a walk. Footsteps and light chatter is heard above
and they dive into the opening of a tunnel.
Elijah, peering at the roof of the tunnel attempting to
listen in, and Lucy, with her head shoved down into her knees
daring not to look up.
Finally, the chatter and footsteps dissamate, Elijah begins
to rise and exit as Lucy tugs back on the chain.
ELIJAH
Come on now...
LUSH
Shh...
She points to the roof and we begin to hear more footsteps
and chatter as they pass over. The noise comes to silence and
they slowly exit out of the tunnel and proceed back on the
trail.
 6.

EXT. THE WOODS - LATER

Elijah and Lucy, exhausted, pass over a bed of water. The
full moon shines down on them, they look to the moon as they
jog off.

EXT. THE DISMAL RIVER BED - LATER

Elijah and Lucy exhausted slowly walk up to the river bend.
They scan down the river and see a light from a lantern,
dimly lit.
They approach the light and see two MAROONERS, John and
Edwin, runaway slaves, dressed in dark clothes, forwarding
them to board the boat.
JOHN
C'mon now, night ain't gonna be
around forever.
They board the boat and hold onto each other as they proceed
to row down the river.

EXT. THE DISMAL RIVER - LATER

We hear the sounds of crickets and the sound of the paddle
softly hitting the water. Elijah and Lucy, grasp onto each
other as they slowly drift down the river. The lantern dimly
lit and the two Marooners slowly paddle.
JOHN
We gon get down here to the river
bed and y'all gonna camp up until
sunrise. Getcha a fire goin and eat
some of this grain, ya gon need it.
(Pause)
Where you two comin from?
ELIJAH
Phifer.
JOHN
Ooh, boy, you gon catch a lickin if
you don't get to the tunnel, it
ain't a long ways but movin by day
sure is risky. And what about you
miss, what's your name?
ELIJAH
Her name Lucy.
 7.

JOHN
Now she can speak fo' herself boy,
we ain't no slaves no more and
ain't never gonna be.
(pause)
LUCY
Lucy my name, sir.
JOHN
Thas' a nice name. Now before you
two runaways bunker up, betta make
sure put that fire out. Hunters
real close, lookin for some niggas
like us to fetch up and kill.
ELIJAH
We gon' be alright.
The boat beaches the river bend and the Marooners escort them
off. Elijah begins to move Lucy along.
JOHN
Boy...I knew ya momma, don't go
endin up like her now, ya hear.
(beat)
Go on now, get that rest.
Lucy, staring at Elijah as he leads them off into the woods.

EXT. THE FIRE PIT - LATER

Elijah and Lucy shuffled up close to fire, sitting a log,
Lucy's headrest on his shoulder. They slowly eat the grain
with their shackled hands.
Elijah proceeds to throw another log on the fire.
LUCY
I ain't think we gon' be needin any
more wood, don't ya think.
ELIJAH
The only way to stay warm out here
in the swamp.
LUCY
How come you ain't ever speak about
yo mamma fore'.
ELIJAH
I ain't got no reason to speak
bout' that.
 8.

LUCY
She was a runaway?
ELIJAH
Sure was the best runner through
these fields they ever seen.
LUCY
What happened to her?
ELIJAH
She gon' got herself caught, tryin
free us from Phifers, when I was a
young boy. They got us running soon
as we left. Dogs barkin, mamma try
to hold onto me as she carried me,
through those woods, right where we
were. And they whipped her real
good, just bout' till she was dead
and did the same for me. Then they
chained us up and hiked us right
back up to the farm. Instead
brandin us like they did all
runaways, they rubbed salt in our
wounds, over and over again, to
make sure we learned our lesson,
and we sure did, then they branded
us. She was crying and screaming
and so was I but I was too scared
to feel anything. Then they sold
her...last time I saw my momma,
long nights ago.
LUCY
I ain't ever met my momma or fatha,
they took me in as a house nigga,
told me I was gon' be treated
special, like one of their own. I
was the little girls' toy, tellin
me what to do and when. And bout'
when I was old enough they... they
started giving me off and moving me
from place to place to serve the
mastrs and what not.
ELIJAH
You ain't gotta be scared anymore,
we gon' get to the north and get
our rights, start a family of our
own. Soon as we get outta here in
the mornin.
 9.

LUCY
I heard blacks in the north ain't
no different than us slaves down
here.
ELIJAH
We ain't gon' be workin in no
fields no more, that's for sure,
and you ain't gonna be no slave
nigga no more. Thas why we goin.
LUCY
What gon' happen to us when we get
there, lijah'?
(Beat)
ELIJAH
I'm not sure but we gon' be free
and if we don't, they gon' kill
us... but we ain't gotta worry
about that, now come on get some
rest, not long till the light comes
out.
Elijah and Lucy lay behind the log and cover themselves with
the brush. We hear and see the fire crackling.
LUCY
Lijah'?
ELIJAH
Shh, shh, now. Rest ya eyes.
Lucy holds him close as they drift off to sleep.

EXT. THE FIRE PIT - DAY

The sounds of dogs are heard in the distance. Elijah awakens
suddenly, scanning the environment.
We see the white smoke from the fire, rising in the air.
Elijah frantically gets up and the chain tugs on his arm and
Lucy's, awakening her. He quickly gets her up and proceeds to
grabs dirt, throwing it into the pit. He looks up and listens
for any noise.
LUCY
Whatcha hear?
ELIJAH
Shh...
 10.

We hear the faint sounds of dogs barking again.

ELIJAH (CONT'D)
The smoke got em, come on Lucy we
gotta go.
LUCY
Where we go, lijah'?
ELIJAH
Down this path, take us to the
tunnel. Come on now.
Elijah sprints off and is dragging Lucy behind, she struggles
to keep up.

EXT. THE TRAIL - LATER

We still hear the sounds of dogs as they approach a river
bend. Lucy is completely exhausted.
ELIJAH
We gon' have to cross.
LUCY
Lijah', I too tired to keep goin.
ELIJAH
No you ain't, c'mon girl.
Elijah picks her up in his arms and struggles to pass over
the running water. Finally, they get across and Elijah is the
one who is exhausted. They drink some of the water and then
scurry off.

EXT. THE TUNNEL - LATER

Lucy and Elijah dripping in sweat wasted and panting heavily
approach the tunnel.
We see DAVID(27), a runaway slave, awaiting their arrival,
waving them on quickly. As they approach them the sounds of
the dogs get louder and louder. Elijah turns and stares in
the distance of the dogs and then looks at Lucy faintly.
DAVID
They gettin' real close, I don't
know if we gon' make it.
(Pause)
 11.

Elijah quickly scans the ground and grabs a big rock and
starts to pound at the chain over and over again. Finally, he
breaks it.
LUCY
What you doin' lijah'?
ELIJAH
They gon' get all of us if we try
and run...I gotta stay.
Lucy leaps at Elijah, grasping onto his shirt.
LUCY
No! No, lijah', no we gon' get
caught together or we gon' leave
together.
ELIJAH
Don't act a fool now, Lucy. We got
this far and you gon' be free, have
a family. I had it comin' for a
while now, just gonna have to live
with it.
The dog sounds are louder than ever.
ELIJAH (CONT'D)
Go on now, don't make it hard on
me.
Elijah nods at David to grab her, she struggles and reaches
for Elijah.
LUCY
I love you Lijah, I love you.
ELIJAH
I love you too.
Lucy and David disappear into the tunnel. Elijah looks at
them exit and slowly turns to the sounds of the dogs.
(Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around plays)
He takes off his shirt, exposing the deep scars on his back,
his face full of rage and hate. He takes off running towards
the dogs and gives out a yell as he does.
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