Limbo Exerpt (vol.

1)

written by

Aaron Bonnes
OPEN ON:
WOODLAND ESTATE. 1887. USA.
Trampling through the woods are marksmen with rifles in their
arms, carrying a dead deer in a tartan sheet.
Crushing leaves beneath their feet, twigs and the like,
menacing looking fellas, brothers it looks like.
HAROLD STARZ (31), lean, heavy, with a big gut, an ugly face,
and a groan in every second action made.

His younger brother HUEY STARZ (25), shorter, with a

skinnier, but still bulky complexion, the handsome of the
two. Which isn't much.
Making their way to the foot of a large cabin home, they stop
as they hear commotion going on in the inside.
Dropping the deer, they head inside with their guns raised
high.

INT. WOOD CABIN - WOODLAND ESTATE - CONTINUOUS.

Detailing around the room, Harold points his gun at wherever
someone could possibly pop out.
His brother does the same, although with a lot less
enthusiasm, or skill.
Stepping into the kitchen area of the cabin, we see Harold
motion to his brother, their eyes light up.
Their facs drawn to horror at what they see, in shock and
fear at what is before them.
Dropping aim, Harold and Huey throw their guns to the ground.
In the kitchen, with his hand around a beaten and unconscious
young girl KATHY (22), Harold and Huey's sister, is the
sheriff.
SHERIFF CARSON MUNTZ (55), his mustache hairs curling around
his corrupted and disturbing face.
Around him are his deputies KIMMEL (33), KERMODE (51) and
HALF-PINT (29) a dwarf.
All of them have guns aimed at the two brothers, with Carson
pointing his gun into the forehead of KATHY.
 2.

CARSON MUNTZ
Good evenin' boys. Why don't you
two take a seat.
HALF-PINT
Here.

Half-pint pulls out a chair for both of them. They oblige the
sheriff and take their seats.
HUEY
What the fuck did you do to our
sister-

Harold kicks his brother.

HAROLD
What can we do you for sheriff?

The sheriff and his deputies laugh.

CARSON MUNTZ
Don't you want to know what we did
to your sister?

Harold doesn't answer. He just stares at the sheriff then

looks away.
CARSON MUNTZ (CONT'D)
It ain't really about that anyways.
It aint about what we DID to her
now, its about what we WILL do to
her.
HUEY
Answer my brother.
CARSON MUNTZ
Snippet or half-pint will climb his
little midget ass between those
skinny legs of your sister.
HAROLD
We don't have any more money, and
Charlie has taken up most of the
land around us.
CARSON MUNTZ
Oh come on now, he don't want no
more of your fuckin' tiny plot of
land.
HAROLD
Then what? We ain't got much else.
 3.

CARSON MUNTZ
Exatly.
HAROLD
I don't follow.
HUEY
Listen here-

Carson hits Huey in the nose with the butt of his gun, blood
runs down his face.
CARSON MUNTZ
Why does he keep on talking.

Harold stays vacant, trying to not let what is happening rise

any anger in him.
CARSON MUNTZ (CONT'D)
Charlie has something he wants to
propose.

Carson throws a wad of cash onto the table.

CARSON MUNTZ (CONT'D)
You do as he asks, you get to keep
this money, and possibly be in good
favour, with us Muntz's.
HAROLD
We don't?
CARSON MUNTZ
We kill you and your brother, take
your land and give it to some
niggers from outta town.

The two brothers look at each other.

CARSON MUNTZ (CONT'D)
Also, for each night you hinder
your obligation to us, I will make
sure that your sister gets taken to
the fields, and one of my grimies
are given one hell of a time. I
will guarentee this.

Kermode, the ratty oldster, grabs a tea towel, wets it under

a tap and slaps it onto Kathy's face.
She wakes with sudden shock, almost crying out with
realisation of whats happening.
 4.

They take her off, her brothers unable to do anything, guns

still aimed at them.

EXT. WOOD CABIN - WOODLAND ESTATE - CONTINUOUS.

Making their way out of the cabin are the lawmen, carrying
out a now conscious trying to get away but-
Kermode has her around his arms.
The brothers haven't bothered to watch her off, the door
frame remaining vacant.
Only the sounds of nature can be heard as Kathy's screams
grow quieter and quieter.

INT. WOOD CABIN - WOODLAND ESTATE - NIGHT.

Come night time, the moon the only becon of light, shines
through the window and vanishes.
Making through into the room is Harold, putting on a
balaclava, Huey armed with two guns and a mask on-
Hands Harold a rifle.

EXT. THROUGH THE WOODS - LATER.

Riding fast through the trees, branches snapping and the
ground growing thunder.
The Starz Brothers ride on through the night, soaring to
commit whatever foul act they've been asked to do.

EXT. CHARLTON - TOWN - CONTINUOUS.

The town lays waste to drunkards and whores trying to sell
their bodies to the penniless.
Couples walk past ignoring the crude members of the street
that paint the town a wrong name.
Across from the saloon is a small catering and goods shop,
selling fruits and vegetables.

INT. CATERING AND GOODS - CONTINUOUS.

Lit up from the inside are the owners of the building (all
african-american)-
 5.

CHRISTOPHER DIRT (28), AMELIA DIRT (23) and SAMANTHA DIRT

(29).
Christopher is wearing his classic shirt and trousers, collar
popped, celebrating the closing of the shop.

His two sisters are wearing casual wear, nothing too fancy.
CHRISTOPHER
Tonight ladies, we are celebrating-

Christopher pours out a glass of wine for him and his

sisters.
CHRISTOPHER (CONT'D)
Our signs are up, so so should our
glass bottoms.
SAMANTHA
Corny mother fucker.

They all sling back their glasses, downing the first glass.
Guns going off and women screaming in pleasure(?) can be
heard.
The brother looks to his sisters, and they begin to laugh.
CHRISTOPHER
I cannot wait to not have to hear
that anymore.
AMELIA
Have you not heard Anthony and
Selina at nights?

They laugh once more.

SAMANTHA
Don't remind me, it's all i can
hear some nights.

Outside the window we can see something catch fire, and what
looks like the silhoutte of a man holding the fire in his
hands-
Throws it.

EXT/INT. CHARLTON - TOWN - CONTINUOUS.

We FOLLOW the MOLOTOV as it rushes towards the building,
crashing inside and enveloping the room in flames.
 6.

Outside are two bandits on horseback, their horses go wild as

the fire rages on.
Inside, Christopher is trying to avoid the flames, blowing
smoke away from his face.
He checks on his sister Amelia who fell and hit her head,
helping her up as she coughs from the ever rising black
smoke.
As she gets up, she grunts and her body flails manically as
blood spurts from the back of her head; a bullet.
Christopher's eyes widen in horror as his arm gets shot, and
leg with it, sending him to the ground.
His other sister Samantha, her dark body engulfed in flames,
ash and skin, Christopher cries out in pain.

INT. FLORIST - TOWN - CONTINUOUS.

Putting away flowers is a black skinned woman named SHIANA
(37), a nice expensive dress on.
She is writing down notes in her notebook, her hands working
away rappidly.
From the darkness, the fresh face of her half-caste toddler
son LIL' MILL (4), in his hands are a bundle of roses.
LIL MILL
Mama.

Behind him, from the darkness is her husband ELROY (33), a

white man in a suit.
He has the biggest smile across his face watching Shiana's
face light up, and the cuteness of his young boy.
SHIANA
My lil baby, boy, what has he
gotten for me?
LIL MILL
Roses.
SHIANA
Roses! Those are my favourite!

She takes the flowers from her son and smell them.
Lil Mill walks off to do whatever four year olds do.
 7.

ELROY
We were wonderin' when you were
bringin' your sexy caramel ass to
bed.
SHIANA
Caramel? You know I hate sugar.
ELROY
Mama sienna can wait tomorrow for
the writeup, we can't.

Shiana looks sullen, she shrugs off her husband.

SHIANA
It's bad enough I married the
whitest mother fucka in South
Daisy, now he tellin' me to ignore
mama's wishes.

Elroy looks away from her slightly annoyed, mild fury rises
within him.
ELROY
I don't get why this family is so
hell bent on giving mama every
single goddamn thing she wants. All
y'all worship that woman. I just
don't get it.
SHIANA
You're right, you just don't get
it. She's done a lot for the
family, wisest woman- person on
this god forsaken rock.
ELROY
Well, me and Lil Mill will be up in
bed when you've got time after
appeasing your mama. The good girl
you are.

Elroy picks up lil Mill by the waist and sets him on his
shoulder, and through into the back.
Shiana, looks exhausted both mentally and physically, rubbing
her wrists that feel strained from writing.

INT. PATIENTS' BOOK STORE - CONTINUOUS.

A young black woman (PATIENTS , 22), sweet and smiley, her
hair cut short with a yellow blouse on.
 8.

Standing in front of her is a young ANTHONY and DERRIK, she

is handing the two boys books.
PATIENTS
Here you go you two.
ANTHONY
Thanks!

The two boys sit down and read their books.

PATIENTS
Hey, what yous doing?
ANTHONY
Could we read here?
PATIENTS
Wouldn't you rather go home to
read?
DERRIK
Not really.
ANTHONY
Daddy don't like us reading too
much, unless its inventory.

Patients giggles warmly.

PATIENTS
Well I was planning on going home,
and closing up, but if you two
wanna stay for longer then I can
make us a cup a hot coco?
ANTHONY
That would be great.
DERRIK
Thanks!

She moves into the other room.

INT. BACKROOM/FRONT ROOM - PATIENTS' BOOK SHOP - CONTINUOUS.

As Patients is walking through with a tray of biscuits and
three hot coco's, she stops suddenly.
A sharp burning light from outside rages on, and gun shots go
off in the distance.
She leaves through the front door, the boys following suit.
 9.

PATIENTS
Get back in there you two! It ain't
safe?

She watches as the fire rages on in the distance, two men on

horses coming towards her, fire in their hands.
Something goes hurdelling towards her bookstore, and as she
turns to the entrance, she watches it engulf in heat.
She rushes to go in and get the boys out but her brains
splattering against the storefront door stops her.

INT. WINDOW FRAME - CONTINUOUS.

Silhoutted against a window frame, moonlight seaping from the
sides of the unknown figure.
He STARES outside, as red light throbs around from the
distance, gun shots and people screaming can be heard.
The figure, still shrouded in shadow, turns back and gets
into bed-
Throws the covers over himself then kisses his wife.