(INT) - Interior shot
(EXT) - Exterior shot
Beat - A pause between lines or actions
Continuous - the time of the next scene follows immediately after the current scene

TEASER 1

(INT) Afternoon first day, Boys Room at Plumfield

(Dan, Emil, Nat, and Tommy are each reading a copy of "Oliver Twist". Nan comes in with her book.)

NAN: I don't know about you but I just can't read anymore.

NAT: The reports are due in 4 days Nan.

NAN: Yeah, well I can read it tomorrow. Anyone want to go fishin'?

DAN: (Closing his book) Yeah. Sounds good to me.

EMIL: I'll go. (Tosses his book on his bed.)

NAN: What about you Nat?

NAT: No. I'm gonna keep reading.

EMIL: Figures.

DAN: Tommy. You comin'? (Heads towards the door)

TOMMY: No. You better go without me.

(Nan, Dan and Emil leave laughing at the boys for staying, and we close on the rest of the boys reading their books.)

END TEASER 1

TEASER 2

(INT) Evening first day, Plumfield kitchen

(Jo walks in from the dining room as Nick walks in from outside.)

NICK: Hey Jo.

JO: Oh hi, Nick. When did you get back?

NICK: (Pulls his coat off and drops it over the back of a chair. Obviously bothered by something.) Just got here.

JO: (Trying to find out what is wrong with him.) You must be tired, taking a long trip like that after working two jobs for three months since Ben left.

NICK: I'm alright.

JO: You don't have to drive yourself to exhaustion just to pay me back, Nick.

NICK: I just don't like owin' people is all.

JO: Are you hungry?

NICK: Ain't eaten all day. (He drops roughly into the chair and stares at the table.)

JO: I'll get you something. (She goes to the stove and begins to prepare a plate of food for him but looks at him closely.) Are you all right?

NICK: (Half-heartedly.) Yeah.

JO: How's Ben feeling?

NICK: He'll be alright.

JO: Was it those men that were here looking for him?

NICK: Nah. It was just an accident. He was drunk again. (Beat. Shaking his head.) I failed 'em, Jo. 'Fore they died, I promised my folks I'd bring Ben up right and I didn't. I shoulda taught 'im better.

JO: You were just a kid yourself. You did the best you could.

NICK: Don't matter. I made a promise and I didn't do it. Pa used ta say a man's only as good as his word. Looks like mine didn't mean nothin'.

(Dan enters the kitchen with a stack of plates and stays there cleaning them as the adults speak.)

JO: Don't be so angry with yourself, Nick. Ben's made some mistakes but he's a good man. How did your visit with him go? Did you straighten everything out?

NICK: (Takes a deep breath and shifts angrily in his chair.) I was there four days tendin' to him and he never said one word ta me. Not one! He was the only family I had left, Jo. (As he speaks, Jo lifts the plate, winces, and nearly drops it. She grabs her wrist instinctively.) Ya alright?

JO: (Hesitates, biting her lip, knowing he doesn't need to have to deal with this now.) Of course. (She winces again as she lifts the plate.)

NICK: (Worried.) Jo?

(Jo is still holding her wrist as Asia enters.)

ASIA: I see she told you about our visit from Thomas Ryan.

NICK: (Reacting to the name.) Ryan? He came looking for Theresa? I mean Sarah? What happened?

JO: (Stunned by his mention of Theresa and trying to stay in control of her own emotions about what happened.) Yes.

NICK: (His emotions still raw from his problems with Ben and his own painful memories rushing back, he pounds the table angrily.) Don't that man ever give up?

JO: He thought she was here and he knew that you were not.

NICK: (Feeling guilty as well as angry now, he rises from his chair and begins to pace around the room.) Sorry I wasn't here. Shoulda been. Wouldn't have let him touch nobody.

JO: (Sees how upset Nick is and tries to make light of it, while he continues to pace.) You should have seen it when he went up the porch stairs. There was Asia with her hands on her hips saying, "Mister, I don't care if you are a minister or a messenger from God himself. If you try to come in here or even look at me crosswise, you're gonna be sorry!"

(Nick is not amused, but is continuing to pace so Jo goes on.)

JO: (With a fake laugh.) And then Amy appears behind Asia, holding the rifle. She was shaking like a leaf holding that thing. I thought she was going to shoot herself in the foot. Asia took the rifle from her and then he left. (Still trying to make light of it.) It was no big deal.

NICK: (Angry.) No big deal? What happened to you?

DAN: (Turning from his work and joining the conversation as Jo and Asia are not answering him.) Before Asia and Mrs. Laurence got there, Mrs. Jo tried to stop him from coming into the house and he pushed her to the ground. Sprained her wrist. He said it was all Mrs. Jo's fault that Sarah left him.

JO: (Trying to stop him.) Dan.

DAN: And he said he'd be back.

NICK: (Extremely angry.) He said he'd be back? (He turns to Jo.) Did you tell the Sheriff?

JO: (Touching Nick's arm to try and calm him.) Yes, after I saw Dr. Pierce. The Sheriff said he would speak to him.

NICK: (Very angry, his body begins to shake with rage.) That's what they all say. When was Ryan here?

ASIA: This afternoon.

NICK: (Seething.) He's probably still in Concord. I gotta talk ta him. (Knocks the chair over as he grabs his coat and heads for the door.)

JO: Nick? What are you doing?

NICK: (He stops and looks at her, still shaking with rage. The look in his eyes frightens her.) Don't worry Jo. He ain't gonna be makin' any more trouble for ya. (He turns back and heads to the door.)

JO: Nick, don't go. (He keeps going.) Nick!

(He leaves the door open as he storms out. We hear his horse whinny and then hear it riding out fast.)

(Jo, Asia and Dan all look at each other worried.)

END TEASER 2