"THE LEGEND OF CASEY MCKEE"
By Camille LaGuire
(WGA reg 981525)
FADE IN:
EXT. PIGGOT HOME -- DAY
Dusty farmhouse in the American west, circa 1880. Picket
fence with a sign that says "Piggot School for Orphan Girls".
Sounds of a whipping. A girl cries out in anger more than
pain.
INT. PANTRY -- DAY
PIGGOT, a well-dressed man of fifty, leans against a hutch,
watching with veiled interest as MRS. PIGGOT (40) wields the
switch. She steps back
CASEY (16) comes into view, pulling her petticoats and
skirts back into place. Her eyes red and wet, face stubborn.
MRS. PIGGOT
Now hurry and get dressed.
PIGGOT
She's not going to the wedding.
Mrs. Piggot glances at Piggot, surprised, but then quickly
nods.
MRS. PIGGOT
Oh...yes. Thanks to her the
laundry won't be done.
(to Casey)
You're finishing up the laundry,
Katherine.
CASEY
Casey.
Mrs. Piggot picks up the switch again.
CASEY
Yes, ma'am.
Casey moves past them and reaches for a rifle that leans
against the wall. Piggot takes it first.
PIGGOT
No, that's enough hunting for you.
He puts the gun up in a cupboard and locks it. Casey
doesn't look at him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.
CASEY
Yes, sir.
EXT. BACK YARD -- DAY
The laundry line in the back yard has broken, trailing
sheets and clothes in the mud. Casey pulls up the dirtied
laundry, removing pins.
She pauses to wince and rub her behind, and then her thighs
between her legs. She scowls back at the house. ELLEN (18)
comes out of the house. She's dressed in her Sunday best,
flowers in her hair.
Casey dumps the laundry in a pile and then struggles to
pull the two ends of the broken line together to tie them.
ELLEN
Katherine....
CASEY
Casey!
ELLEN
I'm sorry I'm leaving, Casey.
Casey struggles with the laundry line. Ellen takes a hold
of one end of the line and pulls to hold it steady while
Casey ties it up.
ELLEN
Casey, listen to me. It's your
turn now.
CASEY
No it ain't.
ELLEN
You've got to keep him off Susie
and Ann. I've kept him off you as
long as I could, and now you've got
to keep him off them.
CASEY
I will.
ELLEN
That means you can't run away.
You've got to stick it out, Casey.
Long as you can. And you'll stick
it out longer than me. You aren't
likely to get married off.... I'm
sorry, but it's true. You're so
stubborn and unladylike.
CASEY
I know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.
ELLEN
And I'm sorry I had to get married,
but a fella like Robert doesn't come
along often.
CASEY
Nobody blames you for jumping at
your chance to get out of here. But
you can't blame anyone else for
wanting to neither.
ELLEN
Either, Casey. Speak right. You
could be stuck here forever if you
won't act more like a lady.
Ellen looks away, pained, then at the knots in the rope.
ELLEN
What on earth were you shooting at?
Were you shooting at a song bird on
this rope?
CASEY
I was shooting at the rope.
ELLEN
For goodness sakes, why?
CASEY
To see if I could hit it.
Mrs. Piggot appears at the door of the house.
MRS. PIGGOT
Ellen? That's enough. It's time
to go.
Ellen quickly hugs Casey.
ELLEN
Take care of Susie and Ann, Casey.
I took care of you, best I could,
you've got to start behaving so you
can take care of them.
CASEY
I'll take care of them. He won't
lay a finger on them. I promise.
EXT. FRONT OF PIGGOT HOME -- DAY
Mrs. Piggot is seated a surrey. ROBERT, (30s) helps Ellen
up.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.
SUSIE (7) and ANN (10) wait nearby, dressed in pretty
Sunday dresses. Piggot moves toward them.
ELLEN
Robert, get the girls in the wagon.
ROBERT
Sure thing.
Robert reaches down and picks up Ann, while Ellen watches
Piggot out of the corner of her eye. Piggot stands back,
watching Robert.
PIGGOT
I think I'd better stay here.
Mrs. Piggot stiffens. Robert and Ellen turn to look.
PIGGOT
I'm sorry to miss your wedding,
sweetpea, but they've been having
trouble Dustville way. We shouldn't
leave the girl alone, with those
outlaws raiding so close. We did
promise her pa we would keep her
safe.
Ellen turns away. Mrs. Piggot pauses.
MRS. PIGGOT
I suppose it'll keep her from
getting up to more trouble.
PIGGOT
She needs watching.
Piggot stands and watches as Robert climbs into the wagon,
and they drive away.
EXT. BACK YARD -- EVENING
Casey hangs up the last freshly cleaned sheet on the
repaired line. She takes the empty basket to the washtub,
and scoops up a stack of clean clothes from a bench next to
it. A pair of worn trousers remain on the bench.
She glances over her shoulder. Piggot is watching her from
the back door.
She turns away and folds the pants, then rolls them
tightly, and tucks them into the basket. She picks up the
basket and heads for the house. Piggot watches. She slows,
but he moves out of her way.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.
INT. PIGGOT HOME -- EVENING
STAIRS
Casey climbs the stairs, glancing back. Piggot doesn't
follow.
CASEY'S ROOM
A small room, with a narrow bed and dresser. Casey drops
the basket on the floor, and then checks the hall before
closing the door.
She takes the trousers and reaches down behind the bed to
pull out a bundle. Inside the bundle can be seen a battered
and rusty pistol. She tucks the trousers in, then looks up.
Footsteps, the floor creaks. Casey quickly tucks the
bundle back at the top of the bed.
Piggot enters and closes the door behind him.
PIGGOT
It's time to grow up, Katherine.
It's time to put childish things
aside.
She sits stiffly, not looking at him. He reaches out and
touches her cheek with the back of his fingers. She makes a
face, but doesn't move.
CASEY
Leave me alone.
PIGGOT
You're learning the work of a
woman. Time to learn about the
pleasures of a woman.
He sits down next to her and puts his arm around her.
He leans to kiss her on the cheek.
CASEY
I said leave me alone!
She curls herself into a ball and scoots away. He holds
her tight.
PIGGOT
You mind or I'll take my belt to
you.
Casey is scrambles and struggles like a small animal,
scooting toward the corner where she has tucked the bundle.
He holds her wrists but she squirms and manages to land a
good kick to his ribs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.
He lets go of her wrists and grabs her ankles. She shoves
her arms down beside the bed as if to hold the mattress.
PIGGOT
Now, you mind, Katherine.
He pulls at her ankles and shoves her skirt and petticoat
up to her waist. She holds on to the bed and reaches into
her hidden pack with one hand.
Casey gives a hard kick and comes up with the pistol. She
aims at his crotch.
He grabs at the barrel. She shoots.
His hands bloom with blood. He screams and staggers back.
She cocks and shoots twice more.
Casey sits back against the wall, pointing the pistol,
trembling. She takes a deep breath, and leans forward to
look.
Piggot is sprawled and clearly dead. Blood has spattered
on the bed and on her petticoats.
CASEY
It was outlaws. They came and shot
him. Outlaws.
She uncocks the gun, and glances around. She grabs the
bundle and puts back the gun, and digs for a knife. She
cuts and rips her dress off.
She looks down at Piggot, hesitates and finally bends down
to wipe the dress in his blood. She throws the dress down
beside the bed. She rips up the bed clothes, and knocks
things off the dresser.
PANTRY -- MOMENTS LATER
Casey enters, dressed in oversized shirt and trousers, a
rope for a belt. She has the bundle under one arm, and the
pistol in her hand.
She shoots the lock on the cabinet, and gets her rifle.
Then she searches another cabinet for apples and bread. She
empties the cookie jar into a napkin and ties it up to add
to her bundle.
She drops the jar on the floor, and then knocks a few more
things off the counters.
EXT. BACK YARD -- EVENING
Casey comes out of the house and closes the door. She
shoots to break the lock and kicks the door open. Then she
turns, and runs to the barn.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.
Animals run out of the barn, followed by Casey, mounted on
a MULE. She shoots at the house with her rifle. The mule
shies, and she reins it around for a shot at the clothes
line. The line breaks, dropping the clothes back into the
dirt.
She lets out a whoop, kicks the mule to a gallop and rides
off in a cloud of dust.
Homepage, back to projects page,