Distant Star: Episode One - In The Twilight Read online

WE NOW SEE A MONTAGE OF CIVIL WAR FOOTAGE SUPERIMPOSED OVER THE SCENE FOR A FEW MOMENTS AS JOHN GETS MORE AND MORE AGITATED AND SCREAMS OUT.

  This wakes John up and he looks around quickly, seeing Jed and realizing that his fever and the shakes are back.

  JED

  I am sorry John, your sickness is back

  and I am out of herbs.

  John nods and then thinks a moment, recalling something.

  JOHN

  Its alright Jed. ...

  (beat)

  I remember seeing some willow trees a

  little north along this stream here. If

  you boil the bark it will help with a

  fever and headache better than those

  leaves you were giving me.

  JOHN

  Sure. Go ahead and take my horse. She's

  a bit touchy right now but she's fast.

  JED

  Thank you but I can run rather quickly

  John. I will return soon.

  Before John can say anything, Jed is up and gone into the darkness. Feeling a bit dizzy he shakes his head and lays back.

  JOHN

  Ain't no man can out-run a horse Jed.

  (beat)

  Why don't you know that?

  John passes out for a few seconds. It seems that way at least until a hissing on the fire wakes him suddenly as he looks to see a man we will call PA sitting by the fire.

  Pa takes a drink of the broth and then spit it out into the fire, making it hiss again.

  PA

  That don't make no sense! Boil up a

  perfectly good rabbit instead of fryin'

  it up proper.

  JOHN

  (weakly)

  Pa? Is that you?... It can't be!

  PA

  What? Of course its me! Why wouldn't it

  be, son?

  JOHN

  'Cause you're dead! You died in '59

  from the flu.

  PA

  (laughs)

  Johnny boy, that don't matter none! ...

  If you think about it hard, you can

  figure it out.

  John digests this and takes a drink from his canteen while he does so.

  JOHN

  You're just another part of my fever

  aren't you?

  PA

  In a way I reckon I am. But most

  important, I'm a part of you that's

  talkin' to you now. Do you follow me

  son?

  JOHN

  Kind of... I guess you're just a dream

  or somethin' talking to the awake part

  of me. Right?

  PA

  Right.

  (looks around)

  You got any thin' to drink round here

  son? That rabbit water tastes awful.

  JOHN

  Sure. There's a bottle of whiskey in my

  saddle bag there. Help yourself.

  Pa does so and John watches the man emit an AURA as he moves.

  JOHN

  So what are you doin' here? ... Did you

  have something to tell me?

  Pa gets the bottle and helps himself to a swig before offering the bottle to John who takes a friendly swig and then coughs from the kick. Pa takes it back and then sits back down, closer enough to John to share the bottle.

  PA

  You figured right boy. You need to

  realize somethin' important, and you

  need to decide to do somethin' about

  it.

  JOHN

  Like what? I know I'm probably dyin'

  but Jed is here to help. ... He even

  wrote a letter to Abby and Ma for me.

  PA

  He sure did, but have you really looked

  at Jed son?

  JOHN

  What about him? He seems a little

  strange but he's alright.

  PA

  He talks funny son, and I don't mean

  like he's a foreigner. He don't talk

  like them Irish from the next town

  over, or even that English or Dutch

  preachers that we had at church.

  JOHN

  Well, maybe he's from somewhere else.

  PA

  No son. Think about it. He don't have

  no accent at all. Its like he learned

  to speak without ever hearin' anyone

  say anythin' before.

  John thinks of this and takes a swig of booze before handing it back to Pa. Pa takes a swig before he continues.

  PA

  You're probably right son. He's from

  somewhere else, but I don't know where

  he would be from. ... Look at the way

  he acts. ... How does he know what

  herbs to use and he don't know how to

  use a gun proper.

  JOHN

  Oh Pa, he just didn't know what make of

  rifle I had.

  PA

  No son, you know and I know, that one

  gun is pretty much the same as another.

  Think about it and you'll see he didn't

  really know much about that rifle

  before you thought about it.

  JOHN

  Oh Pa,...

  PA

  Don't "Oh Pa" me! You said it yourself

  boy. I'm just a part of your dreams

  tryin' to tell you somethin'! Now

  listen! ... Why didn't he get them

  herbs right away? He only did it after

  you thought of it.

  JOHN

  So what are you sayin'? That Jed's a

  part of my imagination too? That I

  thunk him up?

  PA

  No son, I don't think you did, but you

  have to think of something else. ...

  Where did Jed come from? What were

  those lights in the sky the other

  night?

  John thinks about this and then looks around, getting his cup of broth and taking a drink of it. When he turns back around he starts to speak...

  JOHN

  You know what Pa?

  But Pa is gone and only the whisky bottle sits in his place.

  John, picks up the whisky bottle and takes a large drink, shaking a little bit as he coughs, then reaches over and grabs his rifle, bringing it to him and checking it

  before grabbing the ammo pack.

  DISSOLVE TO: