EXT. SPIRITS BEND, WYOMING – 1876 – NIGHT

BLACK. SILENT…

…Until BLADES OF LONG GRASS WHISPER on a breeze, hinting of a rural world under the CLOUDED NIGHT SKY. Far away a cow softly BRAYS for the lost stars.

A slight GUST causes a backyard fence to CREAK, a window pane glass to RATTLE. Dirt and grit SCRATCH along the town’s wood and brick, sailing through its UNSEEN STREETS.

In this consuming darkness a TRAIN WHISTLE floats in like a dream. A MAN GASPS, WAKES with a start.

DRUNK (O.C.)

Ruby!

Frightened the Man rises KICKING GRAVEL to SIT from the SOUNDS of it. Coughing he begins to HUM A TUNE. His breathing grows calmer.

A TINY PINPRICK APPEARS, BURNS WHITE against the BLACK NIGHT. It MOVES SLOWLY FROM RIGHT TO LEFT then settles into itself. The Man’s humming becomes the broken CHANT of a DRUNK.

DRUNK (O.C.)

Take …my hand …dar-lin’

Take …my hand …my …hand…

The DOT OF LIGHT glows BRIGHTER in the black.

DRUNK (O.C.)

Take my hand …my darlin’

In …savage land

Hold me in …garden

My soul …God’s true plan

(louder, clearer)

Take my hand my darlin’

In this savage land

Hold me in its garden

My soul to God’s true plan

The glittering SPECK OF LIGHT BLAZES LARGER. A rhythmic CHUFFING grows with it.

DRUNK (O.C.)

Along the way …you left me

I didn’t see you …go

Left alone …to wonder why

Dear God, I’ll never …know

A slight HYSTERIA grips the Drunk’s voice. He sings faster. THE LIGHT EXPANDS. A RUMBLING moves CLOSER…

DRUNK (O.C.)

Along the way you left me

I didn’t see you go

Left alone to wonder why

Dear God, I’ll never know

(shouting wildly)

May His peace fill your soul

Let your happiness grow and grow

A TRAIN HEADLAMP with its TUNNEL OF LIGHT FLARES, REVEALING:

THE BLACK SILHOUETTE OF THE DRUNK SITS BETWEEN THE RAILROAD TRACKS, FACES THE ONRUSHING TRAIN (HIS BACK TO US).

DRUNK (O.C.)

(shouting)

We all come to Jesus in the end

The Drunk SCREAMS, LOST in the train’s closing ROAR. A BLINDING BRILLIANCE WHITES OUT THE NIGHT.

THE TRAIN THUNDERS PAST, THE BIG CARS CLACKING THE RAILS IN A DEAFENING SWELL OF SOUND AND FORCE. WINDOWS FLASHING LIGHT. Abruptly the TRAIN CARS DISAPPEAR, leaving…

BLACK. The TRAIN’S ROLLING CLAMOR RECEDES, QUIET RETURNS. For several moments nothing moves or breathes.

An animal SHRIEKS. Its terrified bleating turns into the Drunk’s loud SOBBING and leads to a soft WHIMPERING …a few seconds more and the Drunk begins MUMBLING.

DRUNK (O.C.)

We …We all …come to …to Jesus …in the …end.