Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Blackthorne--Episode 104




image from antiquetrader.com 


Blackthorne

Cinemagenic 104

Triage

“My life is triage.”--Andrew Vachss.

1(sound cue) violin and branch flute.
2(tight two-shot) Buck: I have never seen
such courage, old one; touching the Indian’s
shoulder lightly.  
      Johnny looked up, moving his head
slowly, painfully. You are wounded...don’t
worry about me. Muerto waits.
Buck: It is nothing, a flesh wound...but they
have shot you to pieces.
3(sound cue) seed rattle & cello.
Johnny: I see it again.
Buck: See what again? as he gently wrapped his
arms around the Eagle’s quivering shoulders .
4(close-up) Johnny: El Blanco.
5(voice over) Buck: Where?
6(sound cue) coronet over buffalo hooves.
7(cut to a wide shot) the great albino bull bison,
alone on a bluff. As the men speak in voice over,
the camera dollys quickly toward the animal,
halting with a close up of its eyes.
Johnny: When I close my eyes, there he is,
my totem. The biggest buffalo I have ever seen.
He stands on a knoll and watches me.
Buck: And he is all white ?
Johnny: As white as a bank of dirty snow, with
small pink eyes and black horns. I think, I fear,
he waits for me.
8(close up) Buck: He waits for us all, my
brother. Rest now...we will get a doctor for your
many wounds.
9(three shot) I’ll go, Salina said, suddenly standing
beside him. Buck rose, wiped the blood from his
eyes, put his hands on his guns, watching the
ranch house crash in on itself, his mother’s room
and his mother, gone forever. He pulled his
hunting knife from its sheath, and handed it to
Salina, handle first.
Buck: Cut your palomino loose, girl. There isn’t
any other available horseflesh.
Salina: These bastards, her small right
hand waving over the many bodies, must
have rode up here on something!
Buck: Their broncs will be picketed and
hidden. I’ll find them later.
10(medium wide shot) Salina cut her palomino
gelding loose. She grabbed a handful of thick
mane, and swung up on its back. Buck squatted
down next to Johnny.
Buck: Hurry.
11(sound cue) French horn, guitar and castanets
12(overhead traveling drone shot) Salina jerked
the horse North toward town, kicking its golden
flanks all the way past the great gray boulder,
her skirt and hair, and the horses tail flying in
the wake of the hard gallop.
13(cut back to two-shot) Johnny stared glassy-
eyed at the inferno in front of him. The grand
rancho tumbling into embers and ash--and he
looked beyond, to the evening sky, also on fire
as the sun of blood smeared across the prairie’s
rim behind the house, fleeing west from the
fists of darkness pressing against it. A blood
moon made its entrance.
14(sound cue) piano & violins.
Johnny, with his cheeks wet with tears: My Buck.
Buck: Yes.
Johnny: It hurts.
Buck: I know, compardre, I know.
Johnny: Not my wounds, no, they are numb. The
pain is in my heart as I watch all your dreams and
hard work go up in owlhoot smoke. 
Buck, one tear rolling down his blood-stained cheek:
They are loco if they think this defeats us. Hell, no.
Together, we will dream new dreams, better dreams.
Johnny: Uh-huh, together, new dreams.
Buck held him in his arms in silence.
But for now, let me treat some of these holes in
your tough hide.
Johnny: Yes, go. I will be right here when you 
return.



Glenn Buttkus

Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub OLN

9 comments:

Kim M. Russell said...

I love the way you convey the relationship between Buck and Johnny, Glenn, which is tender in a masculine way, and the appearance of the great albino bull bison! It’s spooky that Buck can see Johnny’s totem. I also enjoyed the description of Salina riding her horse.

tonispencer said...

An albino buffalo - ultimately the coolest ever and one of the strongest symbols in native American symbology.

robkistner said...

Tha saga roles on carrying us right along. As I have said before, I really enjoy this style of yours. Damned engaging. Each leaves one wanting more. I linked today to my original take on the gothic tale of Vlad the Impaler.

brudberg said...

I do remember the white albino buffalo from one of the first installment... if it's Johnny's totem will it protect Buck as well... it seems he might need some with everything going up in smoke.

Jade Li said...

I know it's not fair to say this, but I'm irritated that Salina didn't get there in time to help fight off the assassins and arsonists. I wish Buck would just stay with Johnny until he passes on, as there is nothing much Buck can do to alleviate the many bullet holes and other wounds. My heart is sad that the White Buffalo is probably going to take Johnny away.

I hope you come up with a fittingly vicious revenge for those behind these evil acts.

Excellent storytelling, Glenn.

Glenn Buttkus said...

Buck dropped Salina off as he rushed back from the lake, to keep her safe. This installment makes me weep as I reread it. Interesting how one's characters can take on a life of their own once written.

Sanaa Rizvi said...

I love the way you describe the relationship between Buck and Johnny. Both have been injured badly which makes me hope they will survive and make it through! Good thing he didn't let any harm come to Salina. A true gentleman right here!❤️ Happy Halloween, Glenn!

Frank Hubeny said...

I like your description of the burning ranch against the setting sun and a blood moon.

Merril D. Smith said...

Such tender sadness amidst all the carnage. I like the appearance of the blood moon--seems an omen or warning.